COME AND SEE

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, October 31

COME AND SEE

In the book of Revelations, John was continually told to "Come and see." Revelations 6:1,3,57. John said, "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." Revelations 4:1

Here's what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future." John 16:13 NLT

God desires to continually show us things to come; not only about Heaven to come, but also about things pertaining to our lives here on earth. As Christians, we are not supposed to walk in the dark, or to live guessing what will be or will not be; we ought to have insight about whatever will be, through the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit keeps inviting us to "Come and see." And as we fellowship with Him in prayer and in meditation, He will continue to reveal things to us and guide us through life.

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GOD KNOWS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, October 30

GOD KNOWS

Acts 15:18 NKJV says, "Known to God from eternity are all His works." Think about that for a moment. Here's what it's saying; that very long before God created the world, He knew all that He was going to do in the world, from its beginning until its end. Let's personalize it: what it means is that long before God created you, He knew all that would happen in your life, from your birth till your death! God knew there would be a time in your life when you would have no job and be single; and He already made provision for them somewhere along the line! Hold on a while, keep following His leading, and you will walk right into them at the appointed time!

Brothers and sisters, we are not dealing with a God who can be surprised by anything; neither are we dealing with a God who does things as an afterthought. He has no plan B; because He always knew that the so-called plan A wouldn't go as planned, and so, what you call a plan B was provided for in that same plan A! He said, "Everything I plan will come to pass!" (Isaiah 46:10) OMG, I really hope you understand this; nothing shocks God!

This truth is enough to revolutionize your life! An understanding of this should rock your world; it should change your prayer life; your thoughts; your perception; make you confident, and affect your walk with God. You are in a relationship with the One who knows your end! He knows what you should be doing and where you should be at every point in time. All you have to do is to listen, and yield to Him.

The best way to follow God is to just follow Him! As the chicks follow mother hen without questioning her decisions and choices, so we should follow God fully trusting in Him. That song is so true: trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

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OUR HELP IS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, October 29

OUR HELP IS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD

After Moses died, the kings of the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, on hearing about the death of Moses gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one accord (Joshua 9:1-2).

Those kings thought that Moses was the key man in Israel, and that without Moses, both Joshua and the Israelites were doomed. Though Moses was instrumental to the victories and successes of the Israelites, those kings did not realise that it was not all about Moses, but because there was a God in Israel giving them victories. God had told Joshua that He would be with him as He was with Moses.

2 Corinthians 2:14 says, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place." Men like David knew God was the "secret" of their success in life; he said, "For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall. It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect." Psalm 18:29, 32.

God is our secret and the reason for our success. Hallelujah! What makes us shine? It is God! Thank God for your skills, talents, connections, and passion for whatever you do, but always remember, If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, and the waters would have overwhelmed us! Our help is in the name of the LORD who made heaven and earth! (Psalm 124)

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THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, October 28

THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE

Thomas said to Jesus, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:5-6

Many people agree that there is one God, even though they may want to call Him different names. But what they are wrong about is that we all, that is, Christians and members of all other religions, are worshipping the same God. Amazingly, even some Christians and Church leaders think so too! That's so not true! That you think you are worshipping God doesn't mean you are worshipping Him, it has to be according to the mode He prescribed.

Jesus is the way to the Father. He is the way because it is only His blood that was shed for the remission of sins and for man's redemption. He is the truth because He is the very Word of God: in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Jesus is the reality; He didn't just teach truth, He was and is the Truth.

And Jesus is the life. Yesterday, I taught on a topic titled "Life for life". Man lost the life of God when he ate the forbidden fruit, and it was necessary that blood be shed for him to regain that life, because life is in the blood. Jesus' blood that was shed is the source of our new life; and it is the very blood of God, because Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. No other blood can give zoe! Only Jesus can give life. Only Jesus can save! The world must know this!

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LESSONS FROM THE PARABLE OF THE WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS

Read, Meditate & Share

Spirit & Life Devotional
Sunday, October 27

LESSONS FROM THE PARABLE OF THE WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS

Jesus told a parable of the wise and foolish virgins: "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps."

Why didn't the foolish virgins put oil in their vessels? Maybe because they thought thy could always get from the other five. There are people like that in life; always leaving things to chance; always living carelessly; always assuming; never seeing beyond the end of their noses; always wanting to depend on others; never taking responsibility for their lives!

The foolish virgins had enough time and money to get oil before the bridegroom arrived! But instead of taking action, they slumbered and slept along with the wise virgins; as if all was well. They left everything till the very last minute. And they paid dearly for it. They were locked out.

The story of the foolish is an example of how not to live your life. Have a vision; take action; don't procrastinate; stop depending on people for everything; have understanding; plan; save; stop assuming that someone else will come to your aid; and stop sleeping while you should be doing something about your God given goals and assignments.

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SAY SOMETHING!

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, October 26

SAY SOMETHING!

Life and death are in the power of the tongue, but not many people have realised that. So we keep using our mouths carelessly, and even when we don't, we are not using it to our advantage.

The Lord says, "Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'" Joel 3:10. Notice that He called them weak; meaning that He was well aware of their weakness. Notice also that He didn't just make them strong, even though He knew they were weak. He asked them to say something!

In other words, SAY WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN! You want to see progress, say it; you want to see health, say you are healthy; you want to see prosperity, say you are prosperous; you want to see life, say you have life; you want to see children, say you have children; you want a job, say you have one!

Speak your desires into being! Numbers 14:28 says, "Now tell them this: 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.'" If He said so, then you better start talking!

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THE FORMATION OF CHRIST IN US

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, October 25

THE FORMATION OF CHRIST IN US

In the world today are many Christians, and it is quite confusing, because one expects the world to be a lot better than it is given the number of Christians. It is confusing because it is assumed that all Christians are saved. The word Christian simply means "follower of Christ": meaning that anyone can claim to be a Christian even without an encounter with Christ.

It is not enough to follow Jesus; He must be formed in us! In other words, we have to grow to become like Him. That is, we are expected to continue to develop until men begin to see Jesus in us. Apostle Paul prayed, "My little children, for whom I labour in birth again until Christ is formed in you." Galatians 4:19

We must continue to decrease so that Christ would increase in us. We've got to get to the point where we can say it's no longer us who lives (no longer the angry you; no longer the lustful you; no longer the lying you; no longer the cheating you; no longer the proud you; no longer the abusive you; no longer the drunken you; etc) but Christ who lives in me.

Christianity is not a way of life to be simply emulated: it is meant to be the expression of the divine life and nature of God through us. Christianity should be the revelation of Christ through those who have been born again to the rest of the world. Let Christ be formed in you!

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NOT PERMANENTLY DISQUALIFIED

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, October 24

NOT PERMANENTLY DISQUALIFIED

"For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins." Hebrews 5:1-3

It is the duty of ministers to condemn sin, to warn people not to sin, to tell them about the consequences of sin, to charge them to live a holy life, to tell them the benefits of righteousness and to always please God: but neither the minister or anyone else is authorised to condemn others. As we have seen from recent events, even ministers aren't perfect. By the way, a man who didn't die for your sins has no right to condemn or crucify you!

We have a compassionate High Priest! To me, that's great news! Not because I think I can always sin and get away with it, but because should I sin, due to my weaknesses, I can run back to Him for grace and mercy. I like how John said it, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1

In other words, you don't have to die in your sins, neither do you have to suffer the effects of guilty conscience for sins committed forever. In Christ, we are offered chances to continue the race that has been set before us; we are not permanently disqualified for errors made; we may be disciplined, but we can be restored! Hallelujah! Have you sinned? Now is a perfect time to receive forgiveness. And if you're not born again, let today be your day of salvation.

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TRAINED FOR BATTLE

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, October 23

TRAINED FOR BATTLE

1 Chronicles 12:8 says, "Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains."

Talent is one thing, training is another; talent is natural, training is acquired: a man can have both. A trained man without talent can do better than a talented man without training. Talent is never enough, he who wishes to succeed in any endeavour must first submit himself to be trained.

Life is a battlefield. Everywhere in life is a battlefield: your home is a battlefield; marriages end, and families are destroyed when its members lose their battles: your office or business is a battlefield; your school is a battlefield; your relationship is a battlefield; life is a series of battles!

Get trained! That's the only way to win, to survive, and to last. Yield yourself to trainings of God and of appropriate instructors. Understand that most of what you're going through now are trainings for your future, no matter how hard your trainings are, endure them, and learn from them all.

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THIS IS YOUR DAY!

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, October 22

THIS IS YOUR DAY!

Malachi 4:2-3 says, "But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,” says the Lord of hosts." Hallelujah!

That day the Lord spoke about is now for you, because today is your set time for favour! This is your day for miracles, this is your day for favour, this is your day for prosperity, this is your day for deliverance, whatever you've been believing God for will be yours today, in Jesus' name! Amen.

Go out today and grow fat like stall-fed calves! Blessed shall you be in your going out, and blessed shall you be in your coming in. Blessed shall you be in your office, and blessed shall you be in your business premises! Surely, goodness and mercies shall follow you today and for evermore! Amen.

Today, you shall tread upon scorpions and serpents, and over all powers of the enemy! Today, victory is yours over all the forces that have kept you affixed in the same spot, over all the forces that have kept you bound! Today, you will recover all that you have lost! Today, you shall repossess your possessions with interest, in the name of Jesus! Amen. This is your day!

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GOD IS FAITHFUL

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, October 17

GOD IS FAITHFUL

The success of any relationship depends largely on how faithful the parties are to each other. Faithfulness has several definitions, but I like the one which defines faithful as "worthy of trust or belief; reliable." What it means is that a faithful person is worthy to be trusted.

How many people are faithful today? Faithfulness in keeping promises, words, oaths, body, etc. A faithful man won't beat up his wife; a faithful partner won't cheat; a faithful partner won't leave because there's no money; a faithful partner won't leave because there are no kids; a faithful partner won't deny the other their rights; a faithful person won't be in two relationships at a time; a faithful person is focused. Relationships fail simply because one was unfaithful in one way or another. Faithfulness must be established before relationships are formed. Ignore a fellow who hasn't proven himself to be faithful.

Well, 1 Corinthians 1:9 says, "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." And because He is faithful I can follow Him with eyes closed; I'll gladly do whatever He says to do; I believe every word He says; I trust Him to perform all His words and fulfil all His obligations to me. Because God is faithful, I have no fear of tomorrow.

Even when things are rough; when times are hard; when situations are contrary to what I expected; when all hope seems lost; when the fulfilment is delayed; I do not lose faith in God, because it is settled in my heart that He never fails! If it will take 30years, I don't mind waiting, "For the one who made the promise is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

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JEHOVAH, OUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, October 18

JEHOVAH, OUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

"A commander-in-chief is the person or body exercising supreme operational command and control of a nation's military forces or significant elements of those forces." There are many commanders in the world; bosses, parents, teachers, leaders, etc; but as far as I'm concerned, there's only one true Commander-in-chief, and His name is Jehovah!

Lamentations 3:37, "Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission?" NLT. The Amplified says, "Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, if the Lord has not authorized and commanded it?"

In my short life, I've seen decisions taken about me reversed; you know why? Because Jehovah did not permit or authorise their decisions. In other words, all men are blabbers! They can keep blabbing for all I care; as long as Jehovah hasn't commanded it, it is well with me! Fear nothing, brothers and sisters; don't be terrified by the threats and pronouncements of mere mortals; only that which will favour you will come to pass, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Maybe men have said negative words to you in the past; Jehovah says it shall be well with you! You shall be great and mighty; you shall make progress; you shall live and not die; you shall be fruitful; in Jesus' name! Amen.

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PROPHESY

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, October 19

PROPHESY

Everything on earth, in heaven and under the earth responds to the word of God. The word of God was given so that our faith might be anchored on it. As a child of God, you must learn to speak God's word in order to achieve the changes you desire.

Ezekiel 36:1 says, "And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD!'"

It's okay to talk to God about your needs and challenges; but you must also realise that God has already spoken about those same needs and challenges of yours. In the Bible are words of God concerning your needs, your situation and the mountains before you. God could also give you a fresh word by the Holy Ghost concerning those issues: you have a duty to declare those words.

If lifeless bodies responded to the words of Jesus, there's nothing else that won't respond to the word of God spoken through you. It doesn't matter how hopeless the situation is, or how dead the thing is, or how impossible and difficult it seems; prophesy to it as Ezekiel did and watch it change and turn around. Prophesy!

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MINISTERING TO THE LORD WITH YOUR SUBSTANCE

Spirit & Life Devotional
Sunday, October 20

MINISTERING TO THE LORD WITH YOUR SUBSTANCE

"Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities - Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance." Luke 8:1-3

Now we know how Jesus was able to focus on His ministry and achieve so much in a very short period; He had devoted partners who attended to His needs, ensuring He lacked nothing. Amazingly, these women followed Jesus and ministered to Him until He died: Matthew 27:55 says that as Jesus hung on the cross, "Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for His needs."

Every one is quick to claim the promise of Philippians 4:19; "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."; forgetting that it was first spoken to people from whom Paul had received substance!

No room for stingy people in the kingdom of God; no room for selfish and greedy people either. Christianity is not all about receiving from God and being only concerned about Him meeting your needs: which minister's needs are you meeting?

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THE PURE IN HEART

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, October 21

THE PURE IN HEART

Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8. And Hebrews 12:14 says that without holiness no one will see the Lord.

God gave us a new heart when we got born again. Ezekiel 36:25-27 says, "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."

As with many other things in the kingdom, God has done His part and will continue to do His part; we have a responsibility to do ours. 2 Corinthians 1:7 says, "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Sing along with me, Lord make me pure in heart Make my life faithful and true So when You look at me It's Your righteousness You see Lord make me pure in heart.

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