Category: Religion

“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” 1 Corinthians 4:7 KJV

How did you make it in life? Can you explain it? Of course not! The fact that God has graced you does not make you better than any person. Let’s begin to understand this truth so that we don’t create a problem for ourselves. The fact that somebody has a bigger church does not make him better than others in the sight of God. When those who were given 5, 2 and 1 talents came back with results, the Lord told them: “…Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21 KJV).

Before God gives you thousands to manage, He first graces you, so that you can manage them. It is not by might or power but by His Spirit. The important thing is how faithful you are with what He gave to you. Thus, Paul says: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1 KJV). ‘Service’ there means to worship. Present your body and your life as worship.

Your salvation was not your idea. You didn’t deliver yourself, but God did. It is God who gave you the rain, the sun, the moon, stars, even the ground you walk upon. God provided everything about your life. It is God who manages this human-machine that you call your body. The Psalmist says: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalms 139:14 KJV).

We should serve God faithfully with everything He has given to us. That is our reasonable service. Let’s begin to see Him for who He is and understand that without Him, we are going nowhere.

Further Reading: Matthew 25:14-28, Luke 16:10-13
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Deuteronomy 13-15; Evening- Mark 12:28-44

“And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” Genesis 22:5 KJV

Abraham was a man who waited for 25 years before he got what he was waiting for. “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou loveth, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Genesis 22:1-2 KJV).

Tempting in this context doesn’t mean God was testing Abraham to fail. No! He wanted to prove his heart – “Isaac whom thou love!” So, a sacrifice must be something you love. God so loved the world He gave up His beloved Son. Abraham rose up and obeyed without any argument…and he had waited for this son for 25 years.

Abraham made the sacrifice willingly because he remembered how God called him out of Ur of Chaldees at a time when he had given up on himself. When the grace of God reached out to him, Abraham was without visions, goals and aspirations. He was ready to die, and God told him it was not over yet. God wanted to show Abraham what He could do with a life yielded to Him. “…Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing” (Genesis 12:1-2 KJV).

Have you sat down to consider what God has done for you? What He prevented for your good? Have you ever sat down to consider God’s protection over your children? When you have this revelation, there is nothing that you will not release for the sake of Christ. Thus, every sacrifice becomes worship.

Further Reading. Genesis 22:1-18
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Deuteronomy 4-6; Evening- Mark 11:1-18

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:18 KJV

In Christ, nothing works against you! After Apostle Paul came in contact with Jesus, he “…determined not to know anything …save Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1Corinthians 2:2 KJV). And in 1Corinthians 1:31, he said: ‘’…He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” In other words, let your celebration be that you are in the Lord.

When you understand the things that God has done for you, your Christian experience will no longer be a struggle. According to Romans 2:4, it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance; not His judgement and condemnation! It is His goodness that draws you to himself. That is what brings about repentance. Remember that repentance is not just about crying and changing from your sinful ways; repentance is also about changing your mind and agreeing with God. That is true biblical repentance.

When your sacrifice is done with an understanding of His mercy and grace on your behalf, it will affect your response to Him, your lifestyle and your relationships with others. It will teach you how to live a life that is pleasing to Him. When you know that God has been merciful to you, you will not be merciless to others because grace is not free. Grace is not free as some people think. Grace was paid for by the sacrifice of Jesus. Without sacrifice, there is no grace. You are free from condemnation because of the sacrifice of Jesus. By reason of the sacrifice of Jesus, you are entitled to anything good. You ought not to be a failure in life.

Grace stands on your sacrifice! The sacrifice you are willing to make for the sake of Christ reveals how much grace you have received. It also reflects your understanding and the depth of the revelation you have received. Sacrifice becomes worship because you know that the grace of God is always enough.

Further Reading: Ephesians 1:15-22
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Deuteronomy 1-3; Evening- Mark 10:32-52

“Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.’’
Romans 8:30 KJV

You know, at times we try to spiritualize glory. Glory is the heavy weight of God on something to bring about the supernatural. But it is much more than that. In the natural, when a parent gives birth to a child, that baby is small with little fingers. But that is a level of glory.

The child begins to grow and then you take the child to school. Getting enrolled in school is another level of glory. The child goes from primary to secondary and tertiary schools and then to National service. Then he gets a job and begins to climb up the social ladder. He gets married and then he begins to have children. It does not stop there. That is glory! He begins to raise his own family too. Soon, the little baby that was born with little fingers turns 80. Then one day, he will give up the ghost. And then we will put out an obituary and say he has gone to glory. But his journey through life has been from glory to glory.

Beloved, once you have received Christ, you are already in this glory and your life begins to grow from glory to glory. You must never expect any retrogression. There can be a temporary detour at times. But the good news is that the Lord has already told us, ever before they manifested. His Word says: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 KJV).

Something heavy is coming your way because there is always a progression in the things of God. Look at these scriptures and take note of the progression. “…Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:5-6).

Further Reading: Proverbs 4:18, Psalm 115:11-15
Daily Bible Reading: Morning – Numbers 35-36;
Evening – Mark 10:1-31

“Therefore, having been justified on the principle of faith, we have peace towards God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom we have also access into this favor in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2 (Darby Translation)

According to Romans 4:25, Jesus was handed over to die because of our sins and He was raised to life to make us right with God. This is the evidence of our being right with God. Having been made right, we have peace with God through what Jesus Christ has done for us. There is no more quarrel between me and God. God is not mad at me. I am at peace with Him. It is well with me and God. What a joy to know that God so loved me that He gave himself on my behalf.

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of an underserved privilege where we now stand. Not only that, we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing in His glory. Anywhere you are and if you’re a child of God, you are standing on favored ground. That ground must produce for you. Wherever your location is, you are standing on a favored ground. You are not disadvantaged in any way! You are blessed and highly favored.

Don’t look forward to the coming of Christ with fear. Any message about the rapture that creates fear in you is an error. Any message you hear that tends to tell you to be very fearful so that you will not miss heaven is in error. You are already standing on favored ground. There is no way you will miss heaven. Christ is coming for his own. If you have Christ, He is coming for you. There is no way He will come and leave you behind.

We have been justified by faith! Now we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and we rejoice with confident expectations that one day we will pass on unto glory.

Further Reading. Psalm 5:12, Romans 4:25, 5:1-11
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Numbers 32-34; Evening- Mark 9:30-50

“So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer”.
Roman 12:1 GNT

Paul’s epistles open our eyes to what Jesus did for us. This revelation determines our response. It is not about what you are doing! It is the revelation of what He did that makes you do what you are doing. It is only from the standpoint of revelation that you can live a life of sacrifice which is worship. It is about what you’re willing to do! You want to do it not because somebody is breathing down your shoulder. No! You do it because you realize and appreciate what He has done for you. So, you want to reciprocate! You are saying, ‘’This God is too good! What can I really do? What should I do?’’

Just like the Psalmist said: “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?” (Psalm 116:12 KJV). The Psalmist had to sit down, look around and count the benefits. Do you know that some of us take life for granted? Sit down and reflect! Can you really explain how come you are still alive? You slept and in the morning, you woke up. It is not the alarm that woke you up. He woke you up! If you doubt it, go to the mortuary, set off an alarm there and let’s see if the dead will wake up.

Often, the devil shows you the things that you have not achieved and you start to zero in on them but if you sit down and count your blessings, you will be shocked at what the Lord has done. Beloved, it is of his mercy that you are not consumed. It is not because of your skills and intellectual abilities. “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain” (Psalm127:1 KJV).

Further Reading. Psalm 116:1-18
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Numbers 26-28; Evening- Mark 8

“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” Psalms 100:5 (KJV)

The Lord is good! It is not you that is good but the Lord. And His mercy endures to all generations. According to Psalm 104:28: “That thou givest them they gather, thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good” (KJV). God’s Hands are filled with good, not bad. Psalm 107:31 declares: “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.” For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:9 KJV). Psalm 119:68 says: “Thou art good, and doest good….”

The Lord does good every day because that is who He is! You cannot separate Him from being good. When Christ came on the scene, God anointed Him with the Holy Ghost and power and He went about doing good: casting out devils, feeding the multitude, cleansing the lepers, opening blind eyes and raising the dead.

One of the things that the elect must look out for in these last days is deception! According to the scriptures, if care is not taken, the elect will be deceived. Jesus said: “For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24 KJV). We are not just talking about deception in terms of the way we know it. If the devil comes to your house and tells you: “I am the devil”, you will at least guard yourself. But he won’t. He would rather sneak in with a little truth, and before you know it, you are distracted. You still think that you are in the way, but he has got you in his grips. May that never be your portion!

It is very important that we understand this truth so that we will not be victims of the wiles of the devil. The more we are grounded in the truth, the stronger our faith will be. God is good! He has no evil to offer anyone!

Further Reading: Psalm 100:1-5, 107:1-43
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Numbers 20-22; Evening- Mark 6:41-56,7:1-13

“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1 KJV
Today, believers are easily satisfied with just attending church programs or watching online services. There is nothing wrong about that but unfortunately, that is where they stop. That is not acceptable! You must be thirsty for God in this day and time. Only those who know their God shall be strong and do exploits. So, don’t spend your time seeking after things. Seek after God and I can assure you that the more of God you know, the more of His grace that will flow into your life. At that level, your capacity is enlarged and you can do things that others cannot dare. Grace brings you to a level of holy audacity that will shock your world.

David was able to confront Goliath in his days because of what he had developed capacity for. He had come to know God intimately while tending sheep in the wilderness. He had contended with the bear and the lion. Every experience brought him closer to God as he grew in grace. Goliath was just another obstacle to be brought down and as you know, he did it successfully.

Arise from slumber and launch out into the marketplace or wherever it is the Lord has located you. Refuse to merely fold your arms and watch like a spectator while expecting things to fall on your plate like a bag of cherries. You may have been told that you cannot make it in that business or job, but understand that no man has the final say over your life. You will succeed in that same place where you failed before. The terrain may be tough, but you have what it takes to break through and be on top of your game. God never promised that things would be easy. But He promised that He will be your Helper, your Guide and your Sustainer.

Don’t be static! Don’t settle for crumbs! You are much more than that! Exceed yesterday’s achievement! Go for the best! Only the best is good enough for you!

Further Reading: 1 Samuel 17:32-37
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Numbers 17-18; Evening- Mark 6:30-35

“For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.” Isaiah 54:3 KJV
Beloved, you don’t come to God wondering whether God is going to give to you or not. You must arm yourself with the knowledge that the price has been fully paid!
Isaiah 54:2 says: “Enlarge the place of thy tent and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes” (KJV). Abundance is coming to your house, whether the devil likes it or not. God said you will spread out from the right and the left. Your descendants will take over other nations and they will resettle deserted cities. Don’t be afraid or discouraged because you won’t be put to shame. You will even forget the shame that you’ve had since you were young and you will not remember the reproach in your life anymore. Your husband is the Maker, the Holy One of Israel; the Defender of the armies and of the whole earth. He called you as if you were a wife who was abandoned in grief, a wife who married young and was rejected.

“In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer” (Isaiah 54:8 KJV). ‘Everlasting’ means it will never end. Just like the song goes: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning…”

Joseph’s brothers thought that they were selling him into slavery but God was sending him forth. So, let the tempest rage, let the billows toss high, it will all turn out for your good because the price has been paid. That is why we rejoice. What God did through Christ is greater than what the devil did to damage man. Rejoice now because the price is fully paid. You will end this year rejoicing. You will finish strong.

Further Reading: Isaiah 54:1-12
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Numbers 15-16; Evening- Mark 6:1-29

BIBLE READING: MATTHEW 7: 12-14 (NIV)

12. So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
14. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. MESSAGE:
    In life, good things are often difficult to get. Gold, silver, and other precious metals are mined deep down from the earth and must pass through fire to be refined for use. Jesus encouraged us to “enter by the narrow gate, … because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way, which leads unto life, and there are few which find it.” A narrow gate is harder to pass through than one that is wide; only few people can go through it at once. Why did Jesus say the gate to life is narrow?’ The decision to follow Christ has already narrowed a broad way. That decision includes giving your heart to Christ and making difficult choices and doing difficult things. Therefore, getting into the path is just the first step.

Just as one’s ability to succeed has very little to do with what happens to one in life, but rather on how one responds to the things that happen, so Jesus describes the pathway to life as one that requires effort and focus to enter. We have to lay aside certain things (Heb. 12:1-2). Though we are living in the world, we are not part of the world (John 17:11, 16). Jesus said that in the world, one shall have tribulations but He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Only those who endure to the end shall be saved (Matt. 24:13). Endure.

PRAYER:
Oh Lord, make me an overcomer in this world in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Daily Fountain Quote of the Day

”… but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” (Daniel 11:32)

The grace to work in a narrow gate the Lord will grant unto us in Jesus name. Amen. Good morning sir/ma