Saturday 29 December 2012

Daily Devotional with Pastor W.F Kumuyi


Horrendous Worship
TEXT: PSALM 53:1-6

Key verse: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good” (Psalm 53:1).

Five Professors of Theology from   different Universities in the United States of America (USA) in the 1960s, proclaimed the “death of God”. Actually, they were echoing the views of Fredrich Nietzsche, a 19th Century German philosopher, who earlier proclaimed the “death of God”. Incidentally, Nietzsche ended his life and career in a psychiatrist hospital due to insanity.
    Progressively, in his search for happiness, pleasure and leisure, man has propounded many theories and hypotheses to consign God to the dustbin. If there is no God, then the Bible, the Word of God, is a distraction. In effect, no divine guide for morality. Then, man is free to express in him. Science and philosophy had been in the vanguard of the anti-God rebellion. Lately,  modern brands of Christianity have also joined the bandwagon.
    The careless and indulgent lifestyles of “Christians” today proclaim more loudly than the atheists, the “death of God”. Daunting trends in homosexuality, lesbianism, adultery, fornication, occultism,  hypocrisy and fraud, flowing from the pulpits to the pews in churches are clearly indicative of the rejection of many of the reality of heaven and hell.
    People just go through the motions of worship services merely just to “fulfil all righteousness.” Despite the cacophony of “noisy worship sub-culture and feverish denial of the existence of God, the fact remains that our God reigns! Those who say He is no more by their disposition will eventually find time to die and face His Judgement.
Thought for the day: He who denies God’s existences demeans his/her destiny.

Daily Devotional with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

                                 The Life Of Christ In You

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son (1 John 5:11).
It’s not a promise, but a statement of fact—a present moment reality—that God has given us life, and that this life is in His Son. 1John 5:12 says, "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." God is definite as to where this life is and how to get it: It’s in the Son. Anyone who has the Son of God has this life.
There’s something about this life of Christ in you; it makes you invincible and indomitable. In John 10:10, the Lord Jesus said the reason He came was to give us this supernatural life of God. 1John 3:8 further tells us why this life was manifested unto us: "…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." What this means is that the life of Christ in you will destroy, paralyze and render useless the works of the devil in your life, in your family, in your finances and in your job. You have no reason to be afraid of anything in life.
Romans 8:10 says, "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." In other words, if you have the life of Christ in you, it doesn’t matter what may have gone wrong in your physical body, it will come alive because of righteousness. Though your body may be dead, broken, or crushed because of sin, the Spirit gives it life because of righteousness. Even if your body were broken with HIV, it makes no difference; this verse alone should make you well and change your destiny.
A pensive study of Colossians 1:26-27 reveals that the life of Christ in you has been God’s dream through the ages. It says, "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Christ in you is your hope of victory over all of life’s challenges and the negative system of this world.
Confession
 I have the life and nature of God in me; therefore, I’m an overcomer and more than a conqueror. I live the triumphant and victorious life in Christ, far above principalities and powers of darkness and the negative systems of this world.
f u r t h e r s t u d y: John 3:16; 1 John 1:1-2

Daily Scripture Reading

1 Year Reading Plan : Zechariah 12-14 Revelation 20
2 Year Reading Plan : Revelation 21:13-27 Zechariah 13-14
 

 

Daily Devotional with C. H. Spurgeon


"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."—1 Samuel 7:12.
HE word "hitherto" seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the past. Twenty years or seventy, and yet, "hitherto the Lord hath helped!" Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health, at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea, in honour, in dishonour, in perplexity, in joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, in temptation, "hitherto hath the Lord helped us!" We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze from end to end of the long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with its branching pillars and its arches of leaves; even so look down the long aisles of your years, at the green boughs of mercy overhead, and the strong pillars of lovingkindness and faithfulness which bear up your joys. Are there no birds in yonder branches singing? Surely there must be many, and they all sing of mercy received "hitherto."
But the word also points forward. For when a man gets up to a certain mark and writes "hitherto," he is not yet at the end, there is still a distance to be traversed. More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories; and then come sickness, old age, disease, death. Is it over now? No! there is more yet-awakening in Jesu's likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the fulness of eternity, the infinity of bliss. O be of good courage, believer, and with grateful confidence raise thy "Ebenezer," for—
He who hath helped thee hitherto Will help thee all thy journey through.
When read in heaven's light how glorious and marvellous a prospect will thy "hitherto" unfold to thy grateful eye!

Daily Devotional with Bishop Abioye

                          GOD IS CLOSER TO US THAN THE ENEMY IS

…Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Matthew 28:20

Contrary to man’s thinking that God is far away in time of
problems.  God is the very present help in trouble. Ps 46:1.
Solution is closer to us than problems are.Gen.21:19
Light is closer to us than darkness is. Psalm 27:1
Solution is closer to us than question is.
God is closer to us than satan is. Psalm 46:1-11, Matthew.28:20.
The door is closer to you than the barrier is.
Whenever you are face to face with the enemy, turn aside and
you will see God.
That is what made the difference between Moses and the
children of God. Exodus 14:10-16
When you look at the enemy you see an end but when you see
God you see a new beginning.
When you set your eyes on the enemy you end as dwarf, but
when you look at God you grow as giant.
As the children of Israel looked at the sea and the pursuing
Egyptians, they feared but as Moses looked at God he returned bold.
When you see the invisible you dare and do the impossible.
Hebrews11:27
When you see the invisible God you endure the existing trying
opposition.
Now begin to see opportunities in adversities.

Daily Devotional with Pastor E.A Adeboye

                                            WAIT WITH THE WORD

MEMORISE: I have longed for thy salvation, 0 LORD, and thy law is my delight. (Psalms 119:174)

READ: Psalms 119:172-174

Your attitude during the period of waiting for the fulfilment of your expectation is very crucial to God, which is why you must know how to conduct yourself during this period. Psalms 105:18-19 says, until the fulfilment of God's promise to Joseph, the Word of God tried him. A period of waiting is a period of trial. You can go through it successfully or bungle it. There are people who think the world should come to an end because they are waiting for the manifestation of God's promise. That will not happen. Some ladies who are trusting God for the fruit of the womb refuse to attend church services regularly as before or evangelise or even continue as workers. They suddenly grow cold in their service to the Lord. Are you trying to get back at God? Why down your tools? Some people may even hardly read their Bibles as if they are fighting with God. Waiting on God for fulfilment of His Word does not make Him your enemy. If you are fighting with God, why will you expect Him to grant your expectation?

According to the Psalmist, the period of waiting is a good time to delight in God's Word (Psalms 119:174). During this period, study the Word of God as you have never done. Why? It will build in you more faith to enable you wait to the end. Also, it reminds you that God can be trusted and is not unfaithful in any way. This helps to build the quality of your faith. Similarly, when you study the Word, you will come across other people who went through what you are going through and how they overcame theirs. This helps to guide you on how to handle your waiting period. Additionally, you can get reminders from God on what you are waiting for as you pitch your tent with the Word of God. This will serve as a reassurance to you that God will really do what He had earlier said He would do. What time do you give to God's Word while you wait? Never be far from your Bible while you wait on the Lord for your expectations! The Lord will answer you this season.

KEY POINT
During your waiting period, the Bible should be your closest companion.

Daily Devotional with Billy Graham

                 We Can't Out-Give God

A tenth of the produce of the land . . . is the Lord’s.
–Leviticus 27:30 (TLB)

We are to be stewards of our money. When it is invested and shared for the glory of God, it can be a boon and a blessing. I know a businessman in Detroit, Michigan, who made a promise to God that he would tithe his entire income to the work of the Lord. He said his business had tripled, and that God had more than fulfilled His end of the bargain.

Some time ago I heard from a laborer in the San Joaquin Valley of California who said that he and his wife agreed to give one tenth of their income to the Lord. At the time they made their decision, he was able to get work only about seven months of the year. Now he says he has steady work, and is earning nearly twice what he was before. You cannot get around it; the Scripture promises material and spiritual benefits to the man who gives to God.

You cannot out-give God. I challenge you to try it and see.
Prayer for the day
Forgive me, Lord, for the times I have wanted to keep that which is rightfully Yours.


Friday 28 December 2012

Daily Devotional with Kenneth Copeland

                                 Major on Mercy

– Exodus 33:18

What would you say is the single, most outstanding thing about God? What's His most important characteristic? Some people would say it's His power. Others, His holiness. But God Himself would give a different answer.
You can find that answer in Exodus 33. There Moses is asking God to show him His glory.
Now the word "glory" could literally be translated "heavy weight." It refers to the heaviest, biggest, grandest thing about someone. It's the sum total of their worth.
So what Moses was actually saying was, "Lord, I want to see the weightiest thing about You. I want to know Your grandest attributes." What did God say to him in response?
Chapter 34:6-7 tells us, "The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin."
Just think about that! When Moses asked God to show him the most important thing about Himself, God showed him His mercy.
That means if you and I are to imitate God (Eph. 5:1) we must major in mercy too. Mercy, goodness, forgiveness and compassion must mark our behavior above all else.
Major on mercy and others will see the glory of God in you.
Scripture Reading: Exodus 33:7-23,Exodus 34:5-10

Daily Devotional with Josh McDowell

                               Time to Settle In


Bible Reading: John 15:1-4
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. John 15:4

Here we go again, Jared thought with disgust. He had become way too good at pack­ing up his room for a move. His family hadn’t ever stayed in one place for more than three years, and this time they didn’t even come close to that record. Jared had hoped that this was the time they would stay put. He had made good friends, his family had found a fantastic church, and everything seemed to be humming along.
But then he heard the words he dreaded: “I’ve been transferred again.”
“You’ll love Madera!” his mom had said.
Madera! The steamy central valley of California didn’t sound exciting in the least. Jared had heard summers were so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk! But all he could say to his mom was, “What choice do I have?”
Even though Jared struggled year after year through painful family moves, he learned an important lesson. Here’s something he wrote in his journal shortly after arriving in Madera.
Here I am again, Lord—a new place, surrounded by strange things and unknown people. I miss my friends and my life back home. I wonder if this new place will ever seem like home. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to really settle in here.
At least I have you, Lord. At least I know that wherever I go, whether it’s Madera or Montana or the remote jungles of Madagascar, you are still with me. You have made your home in me. You have settled in, and you’re not going to be transferred and leave me alone. And I have made my home in you. Wherever I go, we will be together. Thank you, Jesus, for that promise.
Jared had discovered an amazing truth we need to know too. Jesus makes his home in us, and he wants us to make our home in him. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus is­sued this invitation: “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me call­ing and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.”
You might move from place to place. Your friendships might change from year to year. All sorts of changes might make your life tomorrow look radically different from your life today. But one fact is sure: Jesus will never leave you. He is totally at home in you, and he invites you to be at home in him.
TALK: What difference does it make to you that Jesus will never leave you, no matter what changes today brings?
PRAY: Jesus, thank you for being our closest friend—and for never leaving us alone.
ACT: Do you have a friend who doesn’t know Jesus? How can you introduce your human friend to the best heavenly friend he or she can ever have?

Daily Devotional with Pastor W.F Kumuyi

The Versatile Believer
 
TEXT: 2 TIMOTHY 2:1-13

Key verse: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3).
Carl Lewis of the United States of America is considered one of the greatest track and field Olympic champions of all times. He was so versatile in the track and field events that he amassed eight gold medals spanning three Olympic championships. He is still considered a legend.
    Coincidentally, that is the purpose of Jesus Christ in our Salvation. Through the enabling power of the cross, God is breeding a specie of champions who are versatile in multi-dimensional fields of life. Apostle Paul, while exhorting believers through his son Timothy, showed some of the great attributes of a blood-washed believer in Christ. First, a believer is a son or daughter in the Lord. He or she is a protégé of a spiritual mentor and a dependable follower a dependable follower.
    Second, a believer is expected to grow to become a teacher of the Word. A good follower always makes progress to become a good teacher. A teacher is an oracle of the mysteries of God. It will be disappointing to see an oracle in an endless search for solutions to things of this life.
    Third, a believer is a soldier who understands that life is a battle, and is desirous to consistently put on the whole armour of God, to always be on top of all situations.
    Furthermore, a believer is an athlete who disciplines his appetites so as to win all the “track and field events” set before him. Finally, a believer is a farmer, who understands the doctrine of “sowing and reaping”. So, he sows bountifully so as to harvest bountifully. How do you rate yourself as a believer? Are you a versatile believer?
Thought for the day: “God is building champions, not failures.”


Daily Devotional with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

                                              Refuse To Be Limited!

 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9:23).


Many years ago, malaria and tuberculosis were said to be medically incurable, until medical research developed a cure for them. Presently, H.I.V/ AIDS is considered incurable because medical science is yet to come up with a proven cure. This goes to show that the tag of incurability is another term for the limitation of human knowledge and understanding. Never accept from anyone that your condition is hopeless or incurable. Refuse to have your life limited by the limited understanding of others.
For the Christian, there’s no such thing as a hopeless situation, neither is there any problem that’s insurmountable. No sickness can be said to be incurable; not when you have your switch of faith turned on. Consider for example, the story of the woman with the issue of blood. She suffered haemorrhage for twelve years and was given up to die. Her condition was certified medically incurable. Being a wealthy woman, she spent all her livelihood on medical bills until she became impoverished, and instead of getting better, her condition grew worse. Such was the "hopelessness" of her situation until she heard about Jesus. Hope rose up in her and she said, "…if I may but touch his clothes, I shall be whole" (Mark 5:28).
She proceeded, against the odds, to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment and instantly, "…the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague" (Mark 5:29). The Master took note of this and commended her faith, saying, "…Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague" (Mark 5:34). This clearly demonstrates the overcoming power of faith. No wonder Jesus said, "all things are possible to him that believeth" (Mark 9:23).
If you’ve found yourself in a dire situation which man’s wisdom or scientific knowledge has termed hopeless or incurable, refuse to be daunted. Trouble may come, but you must refuse to faint in the day of adversity (Proverbs 24:10). Never accept any situation as impossible. You can change anything by putting your faith to work.
Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, what a blessed hope I have in you! I’m so grateful to be a partaker of the divine life! Now, every fear is gone and I’m full of faith, dominating my world and maintaining my victory in Christ, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
f u r t h e r s t u d y: Mark 11:24; John 14:14

Daily Scripture Reading

1 Year Reading Plan : Zechariah 9-11 Revelation 19:11-21
2 Year Reading Plan : Revelation 21:1-12 Zechariah 11-12

Daily Devotional with C. H. Spurgeon


"The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God."—Galatians 2:20.
HEN the Lord in mercy passed by and saw us in our blood, He first of all said, "Live"; and this He did first, because life is one of the absolutely essential things in spiritual matters, and until it be bestowed we are incapable of partaking in the things of the kingdom. Now the life which grace confers upon the saints at the moment of their quickening is none other than the life of Christ, which, like the sap from the stem, runs into us, the branches, and establishes a living connection between our souls and Jesus. Faith is the grace which perceives this union, having proceeded from it as its firstfruit. It is the neck which joins the body of the Church to its all-glorious Head.

"Oh Faith! thou bond of union with the Lord,
Is not this office thine? and thy fit name,
In the economy of gospel types,
And symbols apposite—the Church's neck;
Identifying her in will and work
With Him ascended?"

Faith lays hold upon the Lord Jesus with a firm and determined grasp. She knows His excellence and worth, and no temptation can induce her to repose her trust elsewhere; and Christ Jesus is so delighted with this heavenly grace, that He never ceases to strengthen and sustain her by the loving embrace and all-sufficient support of His eternal arms. Here, then, is established a living, sensible, and delightful union which casts forth streams of love, confidence, sympathy, complacency, and joy, whereof both the bride and bridegroom love to drink. When the soul can evidently perceive this oneness between itself and Christ, the pulse may be felt as beating for both, and the one blood as flowing through the veins of each. Then is the heart as near heaven as it can be on earth, and is prepared for the enjoyment of the most sublime and spiritual kind of fellowship.

Daily Devotional with Bishop Abioye

                              DO NOTHING AND GET NOTHING


The formula for getting nothing is simple and straight forward: just simply do nothing.
This is the line between success and failure.
Successful people keeps doing something while failures are watching, doing nothing whatsoever.
If what you do is nothing then don’t expect something.
Doing nothing disqualifies you from getting something.
Those who do nothing are not expected to have anything.
No man ever reaps from where he did not sow!
What you do determines what you get

Daily Devotional with Pastor E.A Adeboye

                                       IDENTIFIED BY HUMILITY

MEMORISE: He hath shown thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8)

READ: Micah 6:3-8

After you are born again, God expects you to engage in only things that are good. Your deeds must be right and they must tally with what He will do in the circumstance. So also your thoughts must be right, for as you think so you will become. The righteous is very careful about what he thinks, for what defiles a man is inside of him. Anything he will entertain in his Heart must have passed the test recorded in Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

This means the righteous has no time to dwell on anything with lies, dishonesty or impurity. No space for anything unrighteous, bad or lacking in virtue. In the heart of the righteous, there is no space for gossips, hearsays, and backbiting. No space for anything that does not glorify God. What occupies the space of your heart? What do you think of regularly? For the righteous, his or her heart is constantly fed with God's Word, edifying things, and things that will help to establish the fellow in the faith. What do you frequently listen to?

The righteous does only what is right and upholds justice. If you are righteous, you cannot stand injustice, not to talk of being unjust to someone. The righteous is identified by the level of mercy he shows and how he walks in humility before God. Humility is one major mark of identifying the righteous. When sinners are humble, you can almost take them for believers, yet a humble sinner is still a sinner bound for Hell except he or she allows that humility to bring him or her to repentance and to accept Jesus Christ. If you are proud, you are not righteous. You cannot have what will make God to destroy you and still claim to be like Him. Are you righteous?

KEY POINT
No matter the depth of humility of a sinner, the fact that he or she has refused to accept God's Gift - Jesus Christ, he or she is proud.

Daily Devotional with Billy Graham

                Cure for Our Troubles

 . . . preaching peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all).
–Acts 10:36

Would it not be wonderful if we could find an absolute cure for the troubles of human nature? Suppose we could give a shot in the arm to the whole human race that would fill people with love instead of hate, with contentment instead of greed. Suppose, also, a cure could be found for the past mistakes, failures, and sins of mankind.

Suppose by some miracle all the past could be straightened out, all of life’s tangles could be unraveled, and the broken strings of life could be repaired. The most thrilling news in all the world is the fact that there is a cure! A medicine has been provided! The sin, confusion, and disillusionment of life can be replaced by righteousness, joy, contentment, and happiness. A peace can be imparted to the soul that is not dependent on outward circumstances.
Prayer for the day
In complete dependence upon You, Lord Jesus, let me relay Your message of love and peace to the desperately needy souls I meet.

Thursday 27 December 2012

Daily Devotional with Pastor W.F Kumuyi

Stubbornness Punished
TEXT: LAMENTATION 2:1-10

Key verse: “The LORD was as an enemy: He hath swallowed up Israel, He swallowed up her palaces; He hath destroyed his strongholds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation” (Lamentation 2:5).

Stubbornness is being unreasonably  determined to persevere in a course against good advice. When a man decides to stand in his stubbornness against God and shuns His warning and entreaties, this stand-off will result in his undoing. Though God sincerely loves his soul, will stand against him, for His wrath  is consuming as His love is endearing.
    For many years, God  sent His word through His prophets to Judah that they repent and turn to Him. Yet,  the people resisted not only the prophets but also the entreaties from God. In our text, God’s justified wrath is come upon the land. All the inhabitants of Judah, men, women, children, princes and rulers languished as the invading enemy army plowed through the land with the sword and their instruments of war to destroy the cities because of their obstinacy against God. The former beauty, glory and pride of Judah suddenly became eclipsed by a cloud of gloom that spread over the whole land. The cities were destroyed; stately-built mansions of the rulers, the palaces, fortresses and defense towers were all pulled down, while the king, the princes and the inhabitants of the land were taken captives by their enemies. Disobedience to the Word of God is stubbornness that have grave consequences.
    Stubbornness begins when we say. “I will only believe if I receive a miracle” or “I will yield my heart but not now” or “I have a particular goal I want to achieve first”. When we know what God wants and refuse to do it, we show we are stubborn and rebellious. If we continue to harden our hearts, if we refuse to move or change our ways, we develop a hardened resistance to God and will incur His severe judgment upon us.
    Stubbornness will keep you from doing what is best for your soul, and thus, in the end evoke unmitigated disaster. Therefore, when God’s message comes to you, there is but one thing to do: just obey.
Thought for the day: Obedience is better than sacrifice.


Daily Devotional with Pastor Anita Oyakhilome

                                       Immersed Into Christ

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:26-27).

The word "baptize" is from the Greek word "baptizo" which means to dip into or to immerse completely in. This means everyone who’s born again has been dipped into or completely immersed in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, the Apostle Paul reveals "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." Notice it says, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized…." This means the Holy Spirit is the One who baptized us into Christ.
This is different from water baptism, which was only symbolic of a reality that had taken place in a man’s spirit. The Christian’s baptism into Christ is not a theory or a figure of speech, but a tangible reality. Romans 6:3-4 says "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
Romans 10:9 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." The moment you openly declared that Jesus Christ is your Lord, that He died for you, and that God raised Him from the dead, the Holy Spirit did something in your life. He awakened you to the fatherhood of God, and made you one with Him. He baptized you into Christ, and the Christ-life was imparted to your spirit. This is eternal life. Your spirit was thus, recreated.
The union between you—the new creation—and Christ is more than a physical union. It’s the union of your spirit with the Lord. Your spirit has become one with Christ. This is Christianity! It’s the life of Christ in a man, and the life of the man in Christ.

Confession
Dear Father, I thank you because you live in me and I in you. In you I live, and move, and have my being. Therefore, my life is supernatural and of unending victory having been completely immersed in Christ. Amen.
f u r t h e r s t u d y: Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 12:13

Daily Scripture Reading

1 Year Reading Plan : Zechariah 7-8 Revelation 19:1-10
2 Year Reading Plan : Revelation 20:1-15 Zechariah 9-10

Daily Devotional with C. H. Spurgeon


"Can the rush grow up without mire?"—Job 8:11.
HE rush is spongy and hollow, and even so is a hypocrite; there is no substance or stability in him. It is shaken to and fro in every wind just as formalists yield to every influence; for this reason the rush is not broken by the tempest, neither are hypocrites troubled with persecution. I would not willingly be a deceiver or be deceived; perhaps the text for this day may help me to try myself whether I be a hypocrite or no. The rush by nature lives in water, and owes its very existence to the mire and moisture wherein it has taken root; let the mire become dry, and the rush withers very quickly. Its greenness is absolutely dependent upon circumstances, a present abundance of water makes it flourish, and a drought destroys it at once. Is this my case? Do I only serve God when I am in good company, or when religion is profitable and respectable? Do I love the Lord only when temporal comforts are received from His hands? If so I am a base hypocrite, and like the withering rush, I shall perish when death deprives me of outward joys. But can I honestly assert that when bodily comforts have been few, and my surroundings have been rather adverse to grace than at all helpful to it, I have still held fast my integrity? then have I hope that there is genuine vital godliness in me. The rush cannot grow without mire, but plants of the Lord's right hand planting can and do flourish even in the year of drought. A godly man often grows best when his worldly circumstances decay. He who follows Christ for his bag is a Judas; they who follow for loaves and fishes are children of the devil; but they who attend Him out of love to Himself are His own beloved ones. Lord, let me find my life in Thee, and not in the mire of this world's favour or gain.

Daily Devotional with Kenneth Copeland

                                    Don't Answer

– Romans 12:2

Be not conformed to this world. If you live like the world, you'll be overcome by the world. It's as simple as that. So don't let the world squeeze you into its own mold.
Instead..."be transformed" by the entire renewal of your mind. Overcome the world by having your mind transformed to think like God thinks. In other words, when you see something in the Word, say, "I agree with that. From now on I'm acting on that instead of what I used to think."
For example, when sin calls your name, don't answer. Agree with the Word instead and say, "I'm dead to that, Devil. You can't pull me into it anymore!"
As you do that, you'll find yourself changing. You will find yourself living like a world overcomer!
 
Scripture Reading: Romans 6:1-11

Daily Devotional with Bishop Abioye

                                          HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

First of all realize that problems are real; don’t be surprised by it.
To be confronted by a problem is not strange. It is normal.
Have a right attitude, never react, rather respond to problems.
Approach problems don’t avoid or dodge them.
Identify the cause of the problem
In the church, problem arose because, their widows were neglected.        
Never assume that the problem will take care of itself.
Then the twelve called the multitude
Take practical steps.
Brethren, look ye out among you
Solution is available right at the problem spots. Where the murmuring rose from is the same place where solution will rise from.
Get people to look into the problem on ground.
Give problem a business approach to be able to solve them.
Every problem is a spring board to increase. When they face you, phase them out to access your new phase of life.
And the word of God increased; and the number of disciples multiplied. Acts 6:7

Daily Devotional with Billy Graham

             Find Peace With God

 The Lord will bless his people with peace.
–Psalm 29:11


How do we find peace with God? We must stop fighting! We must surrender! We must serve! Of course, these steps will be motivated by faith and mingled with love. Having found peace with God, next we experience the peace of God.

This peace of God is not a mere abstraction advocated by preachers and theologians. Thousands of people can witness that they have actually experienced the peace of God and have found it wonderfully adequate for this present day. “For He is our peace.”

Prayer for the day
Father, I thank You for the peace You have given to me, which does not depend on feelings or circumstances.

Daily Devotional with Pastor E.A Adeboye


                                                     PAINS OF SEPARATION - 2

MEMORISE: Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (John 15:4)

READ: 1 Samuel 4:1-11

Besides the Lord Jesus Christ, another Bible character who went through the pains of separation from God was Job. In Job 23:1-9, right in the middle of his trial, Job made several attempts at contacting God but he could not sense Him around. He had questions to ask but no answers. He had prayers to make but they were not granted. He had pains but no relief. How he needed an explanation over the troubles he was going through! The temporary loss of fellowship with God multiplied his pains and he complained bitterly. In addition, Saul, the first king of Israel was separated from God not out of a trial of faith but out of persistent disobedience. If you continue to disobey God, at a particular time, He will cut off from you. When God left King Saul, God's place was occupied by an evil spirit (1 Samuel 16:13-14), This spirit was saddled with the task of afflicting him once in a while. At such a time, you would take him for a mad fellow until he calmed down. Following this example, God's separation from someone can cause insanity. Apart from this, after God left Saul, God replaced him with David even though he was still physically the one on the throne of Israel.

The children of Israel also experienced the effect of separation from God. They were at war with the Philistines and at some point, they brought the Ark of the Covenant to the battlefield and shouted. They thought they could now overcome their enemies. Unfortunately, the scared Philistines still defeated them because Israel had sinned and God had withdrawn from them (1 Samuel 4:2-8). It simply shows that you could have the Ark but not have the God of the Ark. It is dangerous to call on the name of Jesus while fighting your enemies when you still have sins in your life or you are not even born again. He may hear you out of His mercy like many have experienced and you may get the disgrace of your life like the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19:14-17), Never fight the enemy or demons when you are not spiritually in tune. Do everything possible to retain God's presence with you because you are only assured of victory over enemies when He is with you.

KEY POINT
When you are not sure of God's presence, don't dare anything in your own power, wisdom or ability.

Daily Devotional with Josh McDowell

                       Why Pray When You Can Worry?


Bible Reading: Matthew 6:34
Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Matthew 6:34

As you think about the upcoming year, are you worried about what might happen? Will money become worthless, sending people back to swapping cows and chickens? Will chunks from a meteor shower land in your backyard? Might a new ice age freeze your eyelids shut or global warming turn your pizza to liquid?
Enough happy thoughts. You can worry all you want about those things, but it won’t do you any good. Just look at what two wise people say about worry:
• Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. Leo Buscaglia
• Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia. Charles Schultz
The best word about worry, of course, comes from Jesus. His instruction? “Don’t.” Paul echoed that thought in Philippians 4:6: “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” The apostle Peter added, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you” (1 Peter 5:7).
Sure, there will be plenty of things about next year you won’t like—natural disasters, world tension, community strife, rumbles with friends or parents or your piano teacher, or maybe the serious illness of someone you care about. God never promised you a life without problems.
When bad, scary things come up, do you feel a sudden knot of worry in the pit of your stomach? That knot is your reminder that it’s time to pray. Whenever you feel yourself wound tight with worry, don’t let it paralyze you. Instead let it prayer-alyze you. Rush your concern to God in prayer. Tell him straight up how you feel. Fill him in on the people or situations that worry you. Give him the details and invite him to take control of them and you. Keep praying until your worry settles down. And when your nervousness comes back, pray again . . . and again . . . and again.
When you interpret worry as a natural nudge to pray, whatever problems you face won’t be so scary. You’ll take them as opportunities for God to work as you hand them over to him in prayer.
TALK: What worries you most about the next few days? the next month? the next year?
PRAY: Take some time to give all your concerns to God, because he cares for you.
ACT: Pray for and with a friend who is weighed down by big worries.

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Daily Devotional with Pastor W.F Kumuyi

Reward Of the Faithful
TEXT: 2 SAMUEL 2:1-7

Key verse: “So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelites, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite. And his men that were with him did David bring up, in every man with his household and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron”
(2 Samuel 2:2,3).

David, after bitter trials and anguish occasioned by King Saul’s hatred and hostility against him, now arrived at a very important point in the history of his life. In our text, David receives divine authorization to go to Hebron where he was later anointed King over the tribe of Judah, an event that seemed to foretell his coming reign over the whole land of Israel.
    David in exile settled in the cities of Hebron, a land well-watered and renowned for its exquisite green pastures, vines, grains, honey and fruits. It was one of the choicest regions of Canaan. “Eyes hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. ( 2 Corinthians 2:9).
    David also never forgot to commend the kindness of the people of Jabesh-Gilead in giving the body of the slain king Saul a proper burial. David’s sense of appreciation is exemplary and his reward-giving disposition should excite our hope in the promise of eternal reward which Christ has left for those who serve Him faithfully to the end.
    No doubt, there are trials, temptations, rejection, persecution and pains that come with living our lives for Christ. Yet, it behooves us to despise shame and pains in this life and serve the LORD Jesus Christ who was rejected and DESPISED by Kings and rulers of the world. When He returns as King of kings and Lord of Lords, He will richly reward us for all we have done for Him, as He promised. “Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father halt appointed unto me” (Luke 22:28, 29).

Thought for the day: He triumphs valiantly who endures till the end.


Daily Devotional with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

                               Born To Love Like Him

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another (John 13:34).


Back in the Old Testament, God gave the Israelites several commandments or laws, which He instructed them to obey as a condition for enjoying the blessings of the covenant He had with Abraham. However, in the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ, before His crucifixion, said in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." He brought in a new commandment which effectively abolished the previous commandments of the Old Testament (Ephesians 2:15). This new commandment is that we should love one another as He has loved us.
After the Lord gave this commandment He proceeded to die on the cross for us, and God raised Him from the dead. He rose up from the dead with a new life, and God said to Him, "…Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee" (Hebrews 5:5). He is thus the head of the new creation; we’re born of Him to love like Him. Ephesians 5:1-2 tells us to be imitators of God, and "…walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour."
We can emulate our heavenly Father to walk in love because His love is in us. Romans 5:5 says, "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." God has put His love in your heart so you can love the same way He does, and so fulfil the new commandment to love one another.
The number one reason for sin, (which the Bible describes as the transgression of the Law in 1John 3:4), is selfishness; greed—the very opposite of love. When you love, you give "…for God so loved the world that He gave…" (John 3:16). Love gives, and is considerate of others; but selfishness is only self-centred. That’s why the Bible says, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love" (1 John 4:8). Being born again, you’re born of love; you have the nature of love, therefore it’s natural for you to love others the way God loves you.

Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for your blessed Word and its power in my life. I take your Word into my heart to do it, to become all that you want me to be and do all you want me to do, all to the glory and praise of your name, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
f u r t h e r s t u d y: John 15:12; Romans 13:10

Daily Scripture Reading

1 Year Reading Plan : Revelation 18, Zechariah 4-6
2 Year Reading Plan : Revelation 19:11-21 Zechariah 7-8

Daily Devotional with C. H. Spurgeon


"The last Adam."—1 Corinthians 15:45.
ESUS is the federal head of His elect. As in Adam, every heir of flesh and blood has a personal interest, because he is the covenant head and representative of the race as considered under the law of works; so under the law of grace, every redeemed soul is one with the Lord from heaven, since He is the Second Adam, the Sponsor and Substitute of the elect in the new covenant of love. The apostle Paul declares that Levi was in the loins of Abraham when Melchizedek met him: it is a certain truth that the believer was in the loins of Jesus Christ, the Mediator, when in old eternity the covenant settlements of grace were decreed, ratified, and made sure for ever. Thus, whatever Christ hath done, He hath wrought for the whole body of His Church. We were crucified in Him and buried with Him (read Col. 2:10-13), and to make it still more wonderful, we are risen with Him and even ascended with Him to the seats on high (Eph. 2:6). It is thus that the Church has fulfilled the law, and is "accepted in the beloved." It is thus that she is regarded with complacency by the just Jehovah, for He views her in Jesus, and does not look upon her as separate from her covenant head. As the Anointed Redeemer of Israel, Christ Jesus has nothing distinct from His Church, but all that He has He holds for her. Adam's righteousness was ours so long as he maintained it, and his sin was ours the moment that he committed it; and in the same manner, all that the Second Adam is or does, is ours as well as His, seeing that He is our representative. Here is the foundation of the covenant of grace. This gracious system of representation and substitution, which moved Justin Martyr to cry out, "O blessed change, O sweet permutation!" this is the very groundwork of the gospel of our salvation, and is to be received with strong faith and rapturous joy.

Daily Devotional with Bishop Abioye

                                 THE CURE TO OFFENCES

These things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended.
John 16:1

Offence is a master killer.
Living in offence is living with death without knowing.
At first it looks friendly in satisfying your emotional need but suddenly turns into an unfriendly killer cancer. Hebrews.12:15
The cure to offence is knowledge.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed
Knowledge prepares us against every form of offence.
Knowledge will grant to you unexplainable peace and cheerfulness in the face of offences.
To be filled with knowledge is to live less and free of offence.
You cannot be filled with knowledge and at the same time be filled with offence.
So go for knowledge to go off offence lane. Increase your knowledge to decrease in offence.

Daily Devotional with Josh McDowell

                           Peace on Earth!


Bible Reading: Luke 2:8-14

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors. Luke 2:14

You’ve probably sung each of the following Christmas songs below-except that the titles have been changed just to tweak your brains. See if you can figure out the real titles—the first one, for example, is “Deck the Halls.”
1. Decorate the interior passageways
2. Listen, the heavenly messengers produce musical sounds
3. The Christmas preceding all others
4. Move toward me, entire group of those who are loyal in their belief
5. Expectation of arrival to populated area by mythical, masculine perennial gift giver
6. The first person plural of a trio of Far Eastern heads of state
7. Small masculine master of percussion instrument
8. Yuletide celebration colored with a color that is no color
9. Happy Yuletide desired for the second person singular or plural by us 10. Nocturnal time span of total quietness
There was no mixed-up message when the angels sang, “Peace on earth.” They brought joyful news: Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace!
Jesus came to bring peace to your world. He wants to bring peace to you. And no person and no thing can provide the peace Jesus promises. His peace starts with the inner peace of trusting him and letting his peace rule your life.
As you grow in Jesus’ peace, you become a peacemaker just like him. When your family isn’t getting along at home, are you an agent for peace or do you make things worse? When your little brother starts bugging you, do you try to calm him or do you bug him just as badly? When your friends are acting hurtful or gossipy—and you are the victim-do you look for ways to work things out?
The peace Jesus provided-that you can experience today-is what Christmas is all about. So spread God’s peace. That’s a birthday present Jesus will appreciate.
TALK: How will you share the peace of Jesus today?
PRAY: Jesus, you brought real peace to our world. Make us peacemakers too.
ACT: Make a plan to spread God’s peace to the world around you.

Answers:
1. “Deck the Halls”; 2. “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”; 3. “The First Noel”; 4. “O Come, All Ye Faithful”; 5. “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”; 6. “We Three Kings of Orient Are”; 7. “The Little Drummer Boy”; 8. ”White Christmas”;  9. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”; 10. “Silent Night”

Daily Devotional with Pastor E.A Adeboye

                                                   EFFECTIVE WAITING
MEMORISE: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:12)
  

READ: psalms 119:166-168

Every believer is expected to wait on the Lord in one area or another. The good news is that there is a joy of fulfillment when your expectations finally emerge because according to Psalms 25:3-5, those who wait on Him shall not be ashamed. Have you been waiting on the Lord in a particular area or in multiple areas? You shall not be ashamed in Jesus name.

However, there are things you can do during your waiting period which will positively affect your expectation. While you wait, you can please Him by obeying His commandments (Psalms 119:166-168). If you truly want God to fulfill His promise to you, making Him happy should be uppermost in your heart. If you are expecting promotion from your boss at your place of work, you will do everything to impress him. Some people will even go to unimaginable levels to convince their boss of their performance. What are you doing to convince God that you are truly a candidate for His promise? Don't you know that God takes note of your responses to Him while you are waiting? It is very unfortunate that some people waste their waiting period by living in disobedience to His Word during this period. Are you trusting God for an ideal marriage partner? Then do not waste your waiting period living in any form of evil - both in thoughts and deeds, as these can hinder the realization of His promise in your life. Are you trusting God to fulfill His promise concerning the fruit of the womb? Then do not sleep with other women as your plan B. Any alternate plan that excludes you from waiting only on the Lord must be discarded. Are you expecting God's promise regarding financial breakthroughs? Then be faithful to God in giving, paying tithe, offerings, redeeming pledges, etc. Some people owe God in these areas yet they are still expecting the fulfillment of His promise. They may be wasting their time. Stay in the place of obedience. Do not violate any of God's commands. Do only what will make Him happy and when your day comes, your blessing will not pass you by.

KEY POINT
How you spend your waiting period will make or mar your expected promise.

Daily Devotional with Billy Graham

            What does 'Merry' Mean?

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God . . .
–Luke 2:13

When at this season of the year we wish our friends a “Merry Christmas,” it is essential to realize that true merriment of heart is contingent upon the recognition of the truth that Christ was born in Bethlehem for our salvation. The word “merry” is from an old Anglo-Saxon word which sometimes meant “famous,” “illustrious,” “great,” or “mighty.” Originally, to be merry did not imply to be merely mirthful, but strong and gallant. It was in this sense that gallant soldiers were called “merry men.” Favorable weather was called “merry weather.” Brisk winds were called a “merry gale.” Spenser speaks of London as “merry London.” The word “merry” carries with it the double thought of “might” and “mirth,” and is used both ways in Scripture. One of the early Christmas carols was “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen.” The Christian is to engage in spiritual merriment as he thinks upon the fact that, through the redemption, he becomes a child of God’s family. The Bible teaches that the angels made merry at Christ’s birth.

Prayer for the day
This Christmas my heart is indeed merry when I think of Your birth, dear Lord. I rejoice with the angels and praise Your holy name!

Monday 24 December 2012

Daily Devotional with Pastor W.F Kumuyi


An Example In Prayer
TEXT: NUMBERS 10:33-36

Key verse: “And it came to pass, when the ark set forward that Moses said, Rise up, LORD and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee. And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel” (Numbers 10:35,36).

A leader should leave behind him assets and legacy for those who follow after him. In this regard, Moses qualifies to be given high tribute for his character and great leadership style. He left for us an example in corporate human management (Exodus 18:25-26). An orderly society regulated by laws and commandments is a legacy also left us by the distant hands of this great man of God (John 1:17a)
    Moses led the children of Israel from Egypt towards Canaan, journeying largely through an untraveled wilderness. His success was founded, among other things, on his whole-hearted obedience to the guidance and instruction given by God, and his powerful intercession for the people.
    In the passage under consideration, Moses interceded again for the people. This time, for a safe passage to the Promised Land. As the journey commenced each day, Moses prayed to God to arise and scatter enemy forces that would rise along the way to trouble his train of unarmed but redeemed ex-slaves. When they stopped to take their rest at sunset, Moses prayed to God to abide with them as a protective wall around His people.
    As believers, we must accept the fact that our Journey towards heaven must be with fighting the good fight of faith. There is temptation and opposition of Satan to overcome; there is the flesh we must put to death, doubts and fear to expel and self to subdue. Like Moses, we must discern the challenge and needs of different periods and chapters of our Christian life and according to those diverse needs, pray earnestly to win the race.

Thought for the day: The wise seeks to run prayerfully till the end.

Daily Devotional with Precious Daily Devotionals

UNHOLY ALLIANCES


“And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly: And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongeber. Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, because you have joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish”. (2 Chronicles 20:35-37)
Jehoshaphat was no stranger to the awesome ways of God. The Bible says that the Lord was with him because he sought and yearned for the Lord with all his heart and did not walk in the ways of Israel. The Lord established the kingdom in his hand and prospered him. But Jehoshaphat had now aligned himself with the enemies of God and entered into a ship building business with Ahaziah, king of Israel. God did not approve of this alliance. He had no part in the arrangement so He destroyed the ships.
God is clear about unholy alliances no matter the form or shape they take. He is displeased with the spirit of compromise that has taken hold of His people who have entered into marriage unions, business deals and other arrangements with unbelievers. He warns us in His Word not be unequally yoked because there is no fellowship between light and darkness, no communion between Christ and the devil (2 Corinthians 6:14). God says such alliances are not of Him therefore He will break them and destroy them. They shall not prosper.
Be careful who you align yourself with.
Prayer:
Lord, this day I dedicate my mind, body and spirit anew and I declare that they are holy unto you. Deliver me from unholy alliances known and unknown to me. Order my steps that I may walk in ways pleasing and acceptable unto you. Father, I pray that for each unholy alliance, give me the courage, boldness and strength to terminate it. I sever every unholy alliance that I have entered into and I commit myself to enter into only those alliances that are pleasing to you in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen.

Daily Devotional with Pastor Anita Oyakhilome

                                              God Isn’t Difficult

 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest (Hebrews 8:11). 

One attribute of our heavenly Father that many tend to overlook is His simplicity. Yes, He’s all-powerful, He’s awesome; He’s wonderful, but yet very simple. Religious people try to make Him appear difficult and unreachable. In the Old Testament, they kept Him between burning candles, behind the veil. Religious Christianity portrays Him as a stern warrior, an unapproachable "consuming fire." But that’s not the kind of God He is. He’s loving, gracious and compassionate.
The Bible tells us how on a certain day, three angels, in the form of men, came walking by, trying to get Abraham’s attention. Abraham then called out to the three men, who turned out to be two angels and the Lord Himself. He said, "...My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said" (Genesis 18:3-5).
Genesis 18:8 tells us that Abraham then "...took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat." Consider the implication of this encounter closely. The Almighty God sat down with two angels and Abraham, His creatures, under a tree and ate. The God of Heaven ate of man’s food. After eating, He said to Abraham, "…I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son…." (Genesis 18:10). This clearly shows the kind of God He is; He’s just so simple to relate to and fellowship with.
Let this consciousness of the Father’s simplicity guide your relationship with Him. He loves you and delights to fellowship with you. Take advantage of His simplicity in your prayer life to build a rich fellowship with Him.

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, it’s so refreshing to learn from your Word this day. I thank you for removing the myth of complexity that religion has woven around your personality. You’re my God and Father; I worship you today for who you are, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
f u r t h e r s t u d y: Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 5:3 (GNB)

Daily Scripture Reading

1 Year Reading Plan : Revelation 16, Daniel 11-12
2 Year Reading Plan : Revelation 18:13-24, Zechariah 3-4

Daily Devotional with C. H. Spurgeon


"For your sakes he became poor."—2 Corinthians 8:9.
HE Lord Jesus Christ was eternally rich, glorious, and exalted; but "though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor." As the rich saint cannot be true in his communion with his poor brethren unless of his substance he ministers to their necessities, so (the same rule holding with the head as between the members), it is impossible that our Divine Lord could have had fellowship with us unless He had imparted to us of His own abounding wealth, and had become poor to make us rich. Had He remained upon His throne of glory, and had we continued in the ruins of the fall without receiving His salvation, communion would have been impossible on both sides. Our position by the fall, apart from the covenant of grace, made it as impossible for fallen man to communicate with God as it is for Belial to be in concord with Christ. In order, therefore, that communion might be compassed, it was necessary that the rich kinsman should bestow his estate upon his poor relatives, that the righteous Saviour should give to His sinning brethren of His own perfection, and that we, the poor and guilty, should receive of His fulness grace for grace; that thus in giving and receiving, the One might descend from the heights, and the other ascend from the depths, and so be able to embrace each other in true and hearty fellowship. Poverty must be enriched by Him in whom are infinite treasures before it can venture to commune; and guilt must lose itself in imputed and imparted righteousness ere the soul can walk in fellowship with purity. Jesus must clothe His people in His own garments, or He cannot admit them into His palace of glory; and He must wash them in His own blood, or else they will be too defiled for the embrace of His fellowship.
O believer, herein is love! For your sake the Lord Jesus "became poor" that He might lift you up into communion with Himself.

Daily Devotional with Kenneth Copeland

                                  Good Success

 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt...have good success. – Joshua 1:8


Good success is a way of life that comes from being established in the Word of God. It comes from spending so much of your time and your thought life on the Word that it becomes what you and I could call "second nature." It comes from hearing and obeying the Word so consistently that it begins to guide your actions even when you're not consciously thinking about it.
When I started flying airplanes, I learned to train myself by getting the handbook for a certain airplane and reading it over and over again. In my mind's eye, I'd visualize everything that could occur in that airplane. I trained myself by meditating on what I needed to do.
And that's exactly what I started doing with the Word of God. I thought about it day and night. Before long, I started getting excited about what I was reading.
I'd sit at home and think about how I'd apply the Word in different situations. I'd see myself praying for the sick and having them recover. The Word became "second nature" to me.
Practice meditating on the Word that way. Let it become part of you. See yourself obeying it in every possible circumstance. It will guarantee you "good success."
 
Scripture Reading: Psalm 1

Daily Devotional with Bishop Abioye

                                          THE WAY FORWARD

The way forward begins from within.
A man device his ways, the Lord directs his paths. Prov. 16:9.
It takes mental movement to experience outward movement.
What you see is the only thing you can show.
Lord, show to me that which I see not.
What God shows to a man is what makes him a show among people.
If you are not moving forward then nothing is moving within you.
If it is truly within you it will show around you.
Stop watching and waiting, if you don’t want to end wasting.
Your world will not give to you what you deserve;  it will give to you what you demand

Daily Devotional with Josh McDowell

Bible Reading: Luke 2:1-7

She gave birth to her first child, a son. Luke 2:7

Do you really know the Christmas story? Test your knowledge by circling the correct response to each of the following items of Nativity trivia. Check your answers at the bottom of the page.
1. Joseph’s ancestors came from
a) Bethlehem     b) Nazareth     c) New Jersey
d) none of the above
2. True or false: Mary and Joseph were married when Jesus was born.
3. A manger is a
a) stable for domestic animals    b) wooden hay storage bin
c) feeding trough                         d) barn
4. Who told Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem in the first place?
 a) Caesar Augustus                     b) an angel in a dream
c) an old friend                             d) a travel agent
5. Who saw the “star in the east”?
a) shepherds        b) kings            c) queens
d) none of the above
6. The wise men found Jesus in a
a) stable              b) manger          c) Holiday Inn             d) house
The most important thing about the Christmas story isn’t your mastery of Nativ­ity trivia. At the center of Christmas is the birth of Jesus. Think about it: The God who made heaven and earth—the God who made you—came to earth in the form of a hu­man baby born to a poor couple. God, who is spirit, became a human just like you.
And God did all of that because he loves you and wants to be friends with you. The greatest gift God ever gave you was himself-in the form of his Son. The greatest gift you can ever give him is yourself—so you can enjoy the friendship God wants to have with you.
TALK: How are you going to give yourself to God in thanks for all that he has given you?
PRAY: God, we want to give ourselves to you. Show us how!
ACT: Spend some time today with God—worshiping the One who came into your world to know you!
Answers: 1-a (Luke 2:3-4); 2-False, they were only engaged, but Jesus ws God’s Son, not Joseph’s (Luke 2:5); 3-c; 4-a (Luke 2:1); 5-d, the Bible calls them “wise men” (Matthew 2:1); 6-d (Matthew 2:11).

Daily Devotional with Pastor E.A Adeboye


                                                   PRODUCERS OF GLORY

MEMORISE: The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shad be the promotion of fools. (Proverbs 3:35)

READ: 1 Samuel 17:49-52

Glory is the opposite of shame, reproach, defeat, failure, bondage, sorrow and the likes. Proverbs 3:35 says:

The wise shall inherit glory:

A glory producer is the one who removes anything that is anti-glory such as shame, reproach, etc. When Samuel was born, the long standing shame, sorrow and reproach that had attended to Hannah his mother was removed (1 Samuel 1:1-7; 2:1). This means that the birth of a child or idea can take away shame. In the name of Jesus Christ, that child or idea that needs to be born to reverse your negative situation shall come forth this season. Another glory producer was David. Until he showed up, the nation of Israel was heavily reproached by Goliath. But when David came to the fore, he challenged the giant, knocked him down and cut off his head so that in place of reproach, there was joy, freedom and jubilation (1 Samuel 17:22-26). !s your family or church under the reproach of the enemy? In the name of Jesus, the David that will be the instrument to take away that reproach shall surface this season.

Also, a glory producer is someone like Joshua who removed failure caused by his predecessor (Joshua 1:1-6). Moses brought the people of Israel out of Egypt but could not take them into the Promised Land, but his successor Joshua did. Have you been failing repeatedly in times past? In the name of Jesus, that failure is replaced with success today. Another glory producer is a man like Gideon - a defeat remover (Judges 6:1-6). He defeated the Midianites that had earlier deprived Israel from eating the fruit of their labour. Has any force or power been preventing you from eating the fruit of your labour? It shall be paralysed today in Jesus name. The Lord shall surround you with glory producers and take away every reproach, shame, defeat, failure and sorrow from your life. You shall be celebrated. From this season, you too shall be a glory producer. The Lord will use you to take away defeat, sorrow, retrogression and shame. The Lord will put you at the centre of people's testimonies. It is well with you!

PRAYER POINT
Father, as You used David to remove the reproach of Israel, use me to remove the reproach of my family, church, community and nation.

Daily Devotional with Billy Graham

            Christmas is Not a Myth

When the fullness of the time was come,
God sent forth . . . his Son . . .
–Galatians 4:4


Christmas is not a myth, not a tradition, not a dream. It is a glorious reality. It is a time of joy. Bethlehem’s manger crib became the link that bound a lost world to a loving God. From that manger came a Man who not only taught us a new way of life, but brought us into a new relationship with our Creator. Christmas means that God is interested in the affairs of people, that God loves us so much that He was willing to give His Son.

Prayer for the day
Lord Jesus, as I remember Your birth in such a lowly stable, cleanse my heart that it might be a sanctified gift for You.