A NEW CREATION

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." That's powerful! "He is a bria chadasha (a new being)" Hallelujah! If you are born again, understand that you are very different from those who are not.

The one who is not born again is a dead man, a condemned man, a slave of sin, a captive of death, subject to satan and demons, subject to the elements of this world, a child of wrath, hopeless and far away from God. What a terrible spiritual condition! That's why we must do all we can to reconcile them to God.

But there is no condemnation for the new creation. He is justified, sanctified and glorified. The new creation has the life of God in him, Christ lives in him! The new creation is blessed and not cursed; the new creation is seated with Christ in heavenly realms, and is far above all principality and power and might and dominion! The new creation is royal, holy and peculiar! Wow!

If there's a superman out there, it's you! You are a life-giver, a saviour, a minister of reconciliation, fully equipped to do good works and to give hope to your dying world. Hear me, you can do something about the state of your world, the power of God is upon you and you can cause changes. Just as Jesus was anointed, you too are anointed and you can go about doing good and setting the captives free, for God is with you!

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DARE TO HOPE

A friend said to me not too long ago, "No matter how bad it is, it could have been worse." That's what she tells herself, and knowing that it could have been worse makes her grateful at all times and in every situation.

Looking back, things may not have gone as planned, you may have lost precious things or even lives, things may have fallen apart, you may have lost your peace and maybe your happiness too. Think about it for a moment, and you'll agree with me that it could have been worse. I realised how blessed I was when I got in the midst of people who couldn't raise N15,000. Only one person gave and it was N100. I may not have millions now, but it could have been worse!

But more than the thought that it could have been worse, I know something that keeps me standing and forever hopeful. Despite whatever I might be going through, "Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: the faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning." Lamentations 3:21-23 NLT. Hallelujah!

Dare to hope! God's compassion fail not. Are you broke, sick and confused? Are you wondering where and how your help will come? Are you tired of where you are now? Are you worried about the kind of results you've been getting? Dare to hope today! Yes, it could have been worse, but I have a better word for you today; in the name of Jesus, it is getting better!

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HIS EYE IS ON YOU

HIS EYE IS ON YOU

While younger, I would stand in front of the house watching birds and lizards feed. Sometimes I would throw food to the ground and watch them feed on them. Whenever I did that I felt being used by God to feed them that day and I was happy. Funny, right? But doing that made me feel useful and a blessing!

Jesus said, "What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31.

The birds, and other animals have no jobs, they have no money, and they might have no relations to whom they can run to for financial assistance. But they always have something to eat and I've never seen them beg for food! God takes care of them. No sparrow falls to the ground without God's knowledge! Imagine how many sparrows and other animals are in the world; yet God meticulously watches over everyone of them!

If the eye of God is on the sparrow, it is certainly on you too! If God didn't send His Son to die for sparrows, then they can't be more valuable to Him than you. You are the apple of His eye, you are engraved on the palms of His hands, always on His mind is a picture of you! Men may take your job, but they can't remove you from God's mind! They may block what's yours, but they can't block the hand of God! I declare to you in the name of Jesus that you shall never lack, and no evil shall befall you! God will make a way for you and cause water to spring forth in dry lands. Worry not, your God created the heavens and the earth.

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Spirit and Life Devotional: Talk of the Town

TALK OF THE TOWN

If you work, or are a student, you'll agree with me that there are some things that happen and before you know it, everyone has heard about it; and not only do they hear about it, they also talk about it because it's amazing. That's what it means for something to be the talk of the town. To be the talk of the town is to be the person or subject that everyone is talking about and interested in.

There are testimonies that are talk of the town too. For instance, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, people couldn't stop talking about it. It was a wonder. It had never been seen or heard before that time that a man was raised from the dead after four days in the tomb! John 12:9 says a large crowd of Jews went to see Lazarus.

Psalm 126:1-3 MSG says, "It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when GOD returned Zion's exiles. We laughed, we sang, we couldn't believe our good fortune. We were the talk of the nations— "GOD was wonderful to them!" GOD was wonderful to us; we are one happy people." God was wonderful to the Israelites and they were the talk of the nations!

This week, may you be the talk of the town! May God do wondrous and amazing things in your life that will cause all men to marvel! I pray for you in the name of Jesus, that God will grant you extraordinary results and make you many times more than your peers. May your hands accomplish the impossible; and may your dreams come to pass! Amen.

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Spirit and Life Devotional: The Life of a Soldier

THE LIFE OF A SOLDIER

Being a soldier is said to be about living the army values which are: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honour, integrity and personal courage. They are referred to as the Seven Core Army Values, and living them is said to be living up to a higher standard. A soldier is either fighting or preparing himself for a fight.

The Scripture calls us soldiers. And as soldiers of Jesus Christ, there are two critical success factors: the ability to endure and the ability to discipline one's self. 2 Timothy 2:3-4 says, "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."

It's clear from the above that as soldiers we must give up certain things in order to please Christ. As soldiers we must live a continual life of sacrifice. And as soldiers we must always be prepared for war, for we must be stronger than all strong men out there if we will overcome them and divide their spoils (Luke 11:21-22).

The best thing about being a soldier of Jesus Christ is that we are not left to fight alone; He is always with us. Fear therefore is absolutely unnecessary. When we tread upon serpents and scorpions, nothing shall by any means hurt us. Victory is always certain, greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. When we come in the name of Jesus, satan is bound to flee!

Good morning soldier!

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Spirit and Life Devotional: Take Action Now

TAKE ACTION NOW

I'm inspired by the story of Madison. At the age of 15, Madison Robinson has made sales of over a million Dollars! She came up with the idea for Fish Flops at the age of 8. At 8! You'll agree with me that many people have fantastic ideas, the difference between them and Madison is that she started at 8.

Statistics have shown that about 95% of people procrastinate occasionally. What it simply means is that many of us have delayed, and are delaying our successes. Listen, you won't spend much time praying and confessing for success and prosperity if you'll take action quickly.

For those of us who use God as excuse for inaction, here's what God said: "He who observes the wind [and waits for all conditions to be favourable] will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap." Ecclesiastes 11:4. The Message says, "Don't sit there watching the wind. Do your own work. Don't stare at the clouds. Get on with your life." Take action now!

Permit me to end this with a favourite quote: "Quit making excuses, putting it off, complaining about it, dreaming about it, whining about it, crying about it, believing you can't, worrying if you can, waiting until you're older, skinnier, richer, braver, or all around better...suck it up, hold on tight, say a prayer, make a plan and just do it!"

Spirit and Life Devotional: Praying For Each Other

PRAYING FOR EACH OTHER

There are several ways to help, care, and manifest love for each other, one of them is by praying for each other. Praying for each other is talking to God on behalf of someone else; asking God to do what you might not be able to do and to be where you might not be able to be.

James 5:16 says, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." We quote the latter part of that verse often, but have often failed to see its connection to praying for each other. When you pray for another, results are guaranteed.

Something never ceases to amaze me. God did not restore Job's fortunes until he prayed for his friends. And note that it was God who commanded his friends to go to him for prayer (Job 42:8-10). Since God knew they needed forgiveness, why didn't He just forgive them? Why did they have to go to Job first? That shows how much God honours our prayers for each other.

I encourage you to always spend some time praying for other people. There are so many people in dire need of help all over the world. And your prayers can surely make a difference. Your prayers can get the sick healed, it can put food on someone's table, and cause a man to be saved and delivered. As you pray for others, God will meet your own needs. Cheers.

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