DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, January 31
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL

II Peter 2:7-9 NKJV "And delivered righteous Lot, who  was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— then  the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,"

Jesus taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Matthew 6:13. The world today is characterized by lawlessness; men are now demanding liberty to walk in their own evil and sinful ways; living however they please, against the will of God.

Christians today, more than ever before, are confronted with more temptations and evil. Virtually through every medium we are bombarded with evil, the righteous souls of men are being tormented day by day by the things we see and hear, and sadly, just as Jesus prophesied, because iniquity abounds, the love of many is waxing cold.

But thank God! His grace is sufficient for us. Hallelujah! He can and will always give us the victory over temptations and deliver us from evil. Amen.

To do: Ask God for the grace to live for Him, the grace not to be overcome by evil but to live righteously for Him for as long as we are here in this world.

A COVENANT OF PEACE

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, January 30
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

A COVENANT OF PEACE

Job 5:17-27 NKJV “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole. He shall deliver you in six troubles, Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you. In famine He shall redeem you from death, And in war from the power of the sword. You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes. You shall laugh at destruction and famine, And you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth. For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field, And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. You shall know that your tent is in peace; You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss. You shall also know that your descendants shall  be many, And your offspring like the grass of the earth. You shall come to the grave at a full age, As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season. Behold, this we have searched out; It is true. Hear it, and know for yourself.”

Wow! What more can I say? Say Amen! What a great life that's available for us in Christ! A life of peace, goodness and endless blessings! Hallelujah!

Here's what you are to do: re-read the above Scriptures and claim the promises of God in it for you and your family. Just as it is written, the promises are true! And they can all be yours if you believe. Hallelujah!

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GIANT KILLERS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, January 29
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

GIANT KILLERS

I Chronicles 20:8 NKJV "These were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants."

We are from a lineage of men who did great exploits; men who weren't afraid of faces; men unintimidated by the sizes of others; men who didn't back down as a result of decrees of kings; men of valour; men who slew giants and were not fazed by the bigness of the challenges that they faced.

I see lots of fearful believers! They obviously don't know who they are! Have you not read that the righteous are as bold as a lion? We remember that we are lambs, but forget that our Big Brother, Jesus, is both a Lion and a Lamb! The Bible says to resist the devil and he will flee! If Satan will flee is it his boys that will stand?

Greater is He that is in us than the multitude of them in the world! If all the people of the world were to gang up together against a man with whom God is, they will all be defeated! If God be for us, brothers and sisters, no one out there can successfully be against us! Hallelujah!

To do: Say this: I am a child of the Most High God. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I am a victor; I am more than a conqueror; I am courageous and strong! Today, victory is mine in the name of Jesus!

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DON'T CONDEMN THE GUILTLESS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, January 28
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

DON'T CONDEMN THE GUILTLESS

Matthew 12:7 NKJV "But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless."

It's the nature of man to condemn others, who might even be better than them, physically speaking. The funny thing is that there are those who invent "sin": they have their own list of sins that you will never find in the Bible, and the bolder ones try to validate their claims with "out of body" experiences.

We must be careful not to add to the word of God. We must also ensure that we correctly interpret the Scriptures. God doesn't contradict Himself; we only think He does when there's a lack of understanding of His will and His ways.

On many people are unnecessary burdens placed on them by people who should have known better. I love Galatians 5:1. It says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Hallelujah! I refuse to be bound!

To do: Say this: I'm standing fast in my liberty, I'm walking in my freedom in Christ. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I live by the word of God and not by the traditions of men. I refuse to be bound! I have been justified by faith in Christ! I walk after the Spirit therefore I am not condemned! Hallelujah!

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DON'T BE DECEIVED

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, January 27
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

DON'T BE DECEIVED

II Samuel 13:6 NKJV "Then Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let Tamar my sister come and make a couple of cakes for me in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

The world is full of deceivers. The aim of these guys is to mislead you into doing things you may not have done under normal circumstances; they also seek to defraud you and to obtain what they wouldn't have gotten by merit.

People have been deceived into marriage, just as Jacob was deceived into marrying Leah. Others have been deceived into parting with their money. Truth is that almost every one of us has been deceived in one way or another; by politicians, business people, spouses, kids, friends, employers, subordinates, and sadly by even people who come in the name of God.

Deception hurts, and it's more painful when we have to live with its consequences for very long times. Psalms 38:12 says "Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long." Don’t be deceived. Be discerning. Make good judgments. Be led by the Spirit. Be wise.

To do: Ask God for guidance and to deliver you from the schemes of all deceivers out there. Pray for the spirit of discernment and for wisdom and for good judgment.

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GLORY DUE TO HIS NAME

Spirit & Life Devotional
Sunday, January 26
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

GLORY DUE TO HIS NAME

Psalms 29:1-2 NKJV "Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."

Have you ever wondered what glory means? Well, it has a number of meanings depending on the context. One of its meanings is "public praise, honour, and fame"; it also means "something that brings praise or fame to someone or something: something that is a source of great pride."

When you give God credit for your achievements, that is, when people ask you how you did it and you say it was God or that it was by His grace, you're praising God publicly and making Him famous, thus giving glory to Him. When you sing a special song to Him, dance, and testify of His goodness in the presence of others like David did, you're giving God glory. God said that whoever offers praise glorifies Him (Psalm 50:23). Hallelujah!

God has done so much for us, for me especially! In fact, my name means "God does it for me!" And for all He's done, we must not hesitate to glorify Him, neither should we withhold His glory from Him. Don't go to church with a mind of just receiving from God, forget about yourself and your needs for a while and give Him glory! Dance as if no one is watching, sing, even with a cracked voice! Give God glory due to His name!

To do: Glorify God!

FUTURE MINDEDNESS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, January 25
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

FUTURE MINDEDNESS

Revelation 4:1 NKJV "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.”

We live in time; there was a yesterday, there's today and there will be tomorrow. Every time matters.

The God we serve always seeks to get our attention on the future: Isaiah 42:9 says, "Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

It is wisdom to be future minded. Whatever we did yesterday has its effects on today in different measures, and what we do today will most likely affect tomorrow's outcome. Choose to make better decisions today; choose to sow seeds of what you will be glad to harvest tomorrow. Being future minded is not a permission to worry, rather it makes you live with a sense of purpose; to move on with understanding and to make better decisions today.

To do: Pray for wisdom, understanding and divine guidance; ask the Lord to anoint your eyes to see what is to come and for wisdom on how to live today.

GET UP; IT'S NOT OVER YET!

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, January 24
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

GET UP; IT'S NOT OVER YET!

Proverbs 24:16 CEB "The righteous may fall seven times but still get up..."

An African proverb says "The downfall of a man is not the end of his life." So you fell! And so what? The fact that you fell doesn't make the ground your permanent residence! Get up! Dust yourself! Get treatment for your bruises and keep moving!

Only one thing should stop you: death. Nothing else should. Refuse to stopped by your mistakes; refuse to be stopped by your failures; refuse to be stopped by setbacks; refuse to be stopped by your disabilities! always, whatever the case, get back on your feet, and just keep moving! Tell whatever knocked you down that it's not over yet!

Maybe you didn't know; there's a seed of success in you! And you know what; It is destined to keep on growing no matter the challenges of life. Whenever you get knocked down; don't stay down, don't go back either; get up! Throw one more punch; take one more step; fight one more battle; try again and again and again and again and again! You can do it; you will do it!

To do: Say this: The ground is not my residence, I am heading for the top. No challenge of life keeps me down. There's a seed of success in me and by the grace of God, I will succeed!

THREATENED BY INIQUITY

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, January 23
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

THREATENED BY INIQUITY

II Timothy 2:19 NKJV "Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Iniquity is the greatest threat to salvation. A holy man is a powerful man; a holy man is a courageous and confident man; sin however robs you of your faith, confidence and even life! The worst thing sin does is that it can deprive a man of eternal life with God.

We either depart from iniquity or we will be told to depart as a result of iniquity. Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:21-23

Brothers and sisters, we must depart from iniquity. God is good; God is love; God is gracious and merciful; and God is holy!

To do: Ask God for the grace to live a holy life.

PROPHETIC SUPPORT

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, January 22
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

PROPHETIC SUPPORT

Ezra 5:2 NKJV "So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them."

We see politicians, leaders and businessmen and women in church, and we don't seem to understand why. We think that they are just there to score some more points and probably become more popular; maybe that's what some do; but those who are wise do so with understanding. They understand the ministry of the prophet!

Ezra 5:2 says that when Zerubbabel and the elders began to build, they were helped by the prophets. Doesn't mean that the prophets were carrying blocks and mixing cement with the workers; the prophets supported them with prophecies, and they succeeded and prospered as a result. See the verses below:

Ezra 6:14 NKJV "So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo."

Haggai 2:4 NKJV "Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord ; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord , ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts."

To do: Maintain the connection between you and your prophet! He was given to you for your success and prosperity! Your prophet was given to inspire you with the word of God; to urge you to continue and not quit; and of course, to stand in the gap for you.

THE BLESSINGS OF MARRIAGE

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, January 21
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

THE BLESSINGS OF MARRIAGE

Ruth 4:11-12 NKJV "And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We  are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman.”

When God said that it wasn't good for a man to be alone, He meant it! And the fact that Jesus, Paul and any one else didn't marry doesn't nullify that truth. A man who is old enough and mature for marriage and who isn't cannot be said to be fulfilled. Yeah!

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22). We've got many men praying for favour when all they have to do is to get married! They are looking for success secrets when it is starring at them! Just look at the blessings Boaz received by marrying Ruth; prosperity, fame and greatness!

Of course, marriage is not the solution to every problem of man; but its importance cannot be overstated. Marriages today may not be what God intended it to be (we will all give account to God on how we ran our marriages and homes); but when a marriage is according to God's will and the husband and wife spend the rest of their lives in obedience to God's word, it will be clear that marriage is one of God's greatest blessings to man.

To do: Read Proverbs 19:14 and ask God to bless you with the spouse that He has chosen and prepared for you.

SPEAKING EDIFICATION, EXHORTATION AND COMFORT

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, January 20
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

SPEAKING EDIFICATION, EXHORTATION AND COMFORT

I Corinthians 14:3 NKJV "But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men."

Apostle Paul had told them in verse 1 of the same book and chapter that they should pursue spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy, and his reason was that he who speaks in tongues edifies only himself, while he who prophesies edifies others.

What God is teaching us today is that it is His will for us to speak words of encouragement to one other rather than heart-breaking and destructive words. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them."

Resist the urge to speak against other people; instead consistently practice ministering to others with your words. If possible, let it be all you ever say. Speak words of healing, words of salvation, words of life, words of hope, words of peace, words of comfort, and words of deliverance. God will bless you as you do.

To do: Read Ecclesiastes 10:12, Proverbs 22:11 and Luke 4:22

VALUE THE WORD

Spirit & Life Devotional
Sunday, January 19
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

VALUE THE WORD

Amos 8:11-12 NKJV “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God , “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord , But shall not find it."

You know, the word of God is coming to us more than ever before. God is using a lot of people to send across His word daily through different mediums. As exciting as it sounds, our attitude to the words we receive is what really matters. We must never take the word of God for granted. It can actually become very scarce.

David said, "I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure." Psalm 119:162. But what do we do? We rejoice more when we receive every other thing than when we receive the word of God!

The word of God must never become 'common'. Love it, cherish it, rejoice at it! The words that God speaks, they are spirit and life! It is the solution to every need of man! The word of God can transform a nation, and change a life! If only you can receive it with faith and with the right attitude, it would produce astounding and breathtaking results! O yes, just a word from God can change your life forever!

To do: Be grateful to God for every word you receive; recognise it's potential to create and bring to pass your heart's desires; meditate on it frequently; and prize it more than any other thing.

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GOODNESS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, January 18
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GOODNESS

Galatians 6:10 KJVA "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."

Jesus went about doing good (Acts 10:38), in other words, He created opportunities for Himself to do good to other people. The problems around us are opportunities for us to do good; we must make the most of every opportunity.

Being rich is not a prerequisite for doing good to others. Wealth, connections, influence, and so on are great platforms; but where there's love, there's always sharing, even if it's the very last thing you've got.

Is it so important to do good? Yes! Because men will only glorify our Father in heaven after they've seen our good works. Do good by praying for people; do good by feeding the hungry; do good by comforting the bereaved; clothing the naked; visiting the orphans; housing the homeless; helping someone achieve his dreams; etc. God is good, so should we be. Cheers

To do: Do good!

ABLE MINISTERS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, January 17
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

ABLE MINISTERS

2 Corinthians 3:5-6 KJVA "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."

Unlike man, God is not looking for men who are qualified, capable and experienced to work for Him; no one is ever qualified for such a high calling; rather, He looks out for men who are faithful and then He makes them fit for whatever assignment He has for them.

It really doesn't matter how long we've been in faith and have been serving the Lord, the truth is that on our own we are never sufficient. We will always need to be dependent on the Spirit. We will always need His grace, His power, His wisdom and His directions as long as it's His work that we are doing and not our own "thing".

We are able! We are able now, not tomorrow, now! We received power when the Holy Spirit came upon us! Hallelujah! So stop judging yourself by the words of your teachers in school; stop seeing yourself through the eyes of men around you; stop assessing yourself with your past mistakes and performances in other endeavours! Because this is not just you doing your thing any more; but God working in you, with you, through you and by you! Glory to God!

To do: Thank God for His ability that is at work in you. Ask Him for more grace to live for Him and do what He has called you to do, and for the grace to remain faithful and dependent on Him.

PRAYER FOR SUCCESS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, January 16
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

PRAYER FOR SUCCESS

Genesis 24:12 NKJV "Then he said, 'O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.'"

Success means different things to different people, depending on their assignments, goals and desires. Generally, success is defined as "the accomplishment of an aim or purpose." It is also defined as "the achievement of something desired, planned or attempted."

You don't have to suffer, pass through hell and high water in order to achieve your goals and achieve success in anything, success is as easy as praying to the Lord about your plans and desires. The Bible says, "Share your plans with the Lord, and you will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

Before you step out of your house, take a few minutes to talk to the Lord about your work, your project, your studies or about whatever reason you are stepping out; when you get to your destination, your office or wherever, you can take another minute to ask the Lord for success. If you can do that every time and every day, you'll have countless testimonies of success.

To do: Share your plans and desires with God, asking Him for success. Then thank Him for hearing and answering you.

DON'T BE CAREFUL, BE PRAYERFUL

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, January 15
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

DON'T BE CAREFUL, BE PRAYERFUL

Joshua 9:14 NKJV "Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord."

Based on God's promise to the Israelites, they went on conquering territories. The Gibeonites, realizing that they didn't stand a chance came up with a plan to save their lives and their inheritance. They pretended that they were from a very far country and succeeded in tricking Joshua and the elders of Israel into swearing an oath not to ever kill them. The only reason they succeeded was because the Israelites didn't seek to know God's will.

Sometimes some proposals are so appealing, straightforward, harmless, logical and okay, and we think we can handle them: and instead of praying to seek God's opinion or will, we get ourselves involved and committed solely based on the facts we saw, and on our own judgments.

Ask the smartest man you know, and he will tell you that he has once been cheated. That's because we are generally limited as human beings. We could spend days and months, and even years on analysis, but even that doesn't suffice, especially when third parties are involved. People can be so convincing, and if you are emotional, you'll fall right into their traps with your eyes wide open!

I'm not going to tell you to be careful; instead I counsel you to be prayerful. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." Remember that even Con men get conned. So don't be wise in your own eyes, trust in God and be safe.

To do: Pray about the decisions you have to make and be patient enough to receive God's answers.

GOD-MADE

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, January 14
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

GOD-MADE

Genesis 14:22-23 NKJV "But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’"

I think that many people today have lost their sense of pride; what we have today are people who will do anything to get whatever they want: people have very little or no standards at all, that's why it's so easy for employees to defraud their employers, for partners to cheat, and for people to stoop so low to do unthinkable things in order to obtain favours and "rise".

One reason people do things like that is because they have no confidence in God. Neither do they have sufficient confidence in themselves to achieve their desired results. Another reason why people do such is because they are impatient. They want it so badly now; God is probably too slow for them.

But we see Abraham refusing to receive things he had actually earned (humanly speaking); Abraham refused to give any man the opportunity to brag about making him whatever he was or would become. I may not know so much, but this I know; that God is faithful! The Bible says He goes to and fro seeking to show Himself strong on behalf of those who trust in Him. Hallelujah!

To do: Let God know how much you trust in Him. And determine to let only God be glorified in your life.

RECOGNIZING YOUR TIMES

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, January 13
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

RECOGNIZING YOUR TIMES

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven."

For whatever it is you desire to do, there's a time for it; same for whatever you are destined to be and for whatever God has asked you to do. This time I'm talking about is your own time and not another's. In other words, your times are different from that of another's own, the same way we were born at separate times. That's why it's unhealthy to compare ourselves with others, or to live a life of imitation.

Consider this: Jesus came to the earth to fulfil the most important task ever, but note that neither Him nor God the Father were in a hurry to get Him to the cross. He didn't die for man at age 12; He didn't even start ministering until He was about 30! People were dying all along, but Jesus waited until the time was right.

People struggle when they do things at the wrong times - before or after the appointed times. You must be wise enough, and sensitive to the Lord's leading to realize your appointed times. Jesus was concerned that man should not miss his time of visitation. Don't miss your times for whatever reason. However, if you think you may have missed any time, God can graciously restore the time lost. And if you don't understand timing, He can cause you to understand the times.

To do: Meditate on Ezekiel 16:8 then pray, "Lord, when you pass by at my set times, complete your good works in my life."

PRAISE THE LORD

Spirit & Life Devotional
Sunday, January 12
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

PRAISE THE LORD

II Chronicles 20:22 NKJV "Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated."

In the kingdom of God, praise is a hotline. You know, hotlines are setup for emergencies and for communication between heads of government. Whenever you want God to act swiftly, praise Him!

Praise is not only done through singing as we think, it can be spoken as well. You praise God when you ascribe power, glory and honour to Him; when you speak of His might; when you appreciate His works; when you testify of His wonders; and when you call Him His names and say who and what He is as revealed especially in His word.

This song is a great one: "What shall we do today? Today o, I will lift up my voice to praise; for I know, You are always there for me, Almighty God, You are my all in all, no matter what I face, when trouble comes my way I will praise the Lord!" Timid people changed the lyrics to "when success comes my way." But the man who praises is not afraid of trouble; because he knows that as king, as soon as he begins to praise, he connects with the King of Kings, and that there will be a speedy divine intervention! Hallelujah!

To do: Praise the Lord!

LET THE LORD HAVE HIS WAY

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, January 11
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

LET THE LORD HAVE HIS WAY

Jonah 1:3-4 NKJV "But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord... But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up."

The Lord sent Jonah on an errand to witness to the people of Nineveh but for some reason he chose not to go; instead he decided to flee to Tarshish. But God was determined to get the job done still using Jonah and He made Jonah do His will. That was one time God was bent on having His way.

As believers we are meant to be yielded to God; the Lord should always have His way; His will should always be done without hesitation; and we are to ensure that His desires are accomplished here on earth. The way of the Lord is perfect and a refuge, and God seeks to lead us in His ways. Psalms 25:12 says, "Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses." But God has said that His Spirit will not strive with man forever (Genesis 6:3). In other words, God will not force us to do His will. We must on our own decide to let Him have His way in our lives.

I encourage you today to let the Lord have His way in your life. Being a Christian means that the Spirit of God would always seek to lead you; and the word of God is also full of the ways of God: as the Lord shows you His way, walk in it.

To do: Pray using Psalms 25:4-5: "Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day." Amen.

WE ARE NOTHING

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, January 10
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

WE ARE NOTHING

1 Corinthians 3:7 AMP "So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God Who makes it grow and become greater."

There are Christians who won't listen to, or read materials written by other ministers of the gospel other than those of their pastors and denominations to which they belong. There are others who won't fellowship with brethren of other denominations.  It doesn't matter how long they've been in the faith, such brethren are babes in Christ, carnal and proud.

While ministers are gifts and blessings to us, it is very important that we have a proper perspective. As Apostle Paul rightly said, we are not anything! We are only channels through which God ministers to you. Thank God for the accomplishments of your pastor, but the truth is that he's not the only one called and ordained by God! All things are yours, that is, for your benefit, including all genuine ministers of the gospel (1 Corinthians 3:21-22).

Jesus said, "But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren." Matthew 23:8. Brothers and sisters, irrespective of our callings, ministries and status, we are all brethren and jointly members of the body of Christ. We are really nothing but servants; only God truly matters in the equation because it is He who supplies the grace and ensures the results. To Him be all the glory!

To do: Pray for the growth and unity of the church, and that the Lord will enlighten the eyes of our understanding.

RECEIVING THE PROPHET'S REWARD

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, January 9
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

RECEIVING THE PROPHET'S REWARD

II Kings 4:8-9 NKJV "Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly."

Jesus taught that “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” Matthew 10:40-42

In the kingdom of God, you can actually determine what you receive from God and how blessed you want to be. The Scriptures contains very clear instructions and principles on what we need to do in order to have the results we desire in any area of our lives. Stop expecting that you will be blessed, automatically, just because you are a Christian; you've got to do the word! God is not a respecter of persons; however, He respects His word.

The notable woman who lived in Shunem discerned that Elisha was a prophet, and she honoured him; fed him continually and accommodated him. She was obviously not like the average Christian today who thinks that all ministers of the gospel are out to make money. Know that you will never be rewarded for whatever you withhold from God! And to whom you give determines what you will receive.

To do: Doubly honour all those who minister to you; minister to them from your substance. Read 1 Timothy 5:17 & Luke 8:1-3

UNRESTRAINED GOD

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, January 8
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

UNRESTRAINED GOD

I Samuel 14:6 NKJV "Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord  from saving by many or by few.”

You've got to empty yourself of fear if you ever want to see the glory of God in your life. Listen to me: what's keeping you where you are right now is the fact that you have refused to move forward, for whatever reason you may have. You say that you are waiting on God; I say that God is waiting on you! Dare to take that first step and you'll be amazed at how swiftly the Lord will take over.

The Philistines had come out against the Israelites, and while they both strategized and waited to make the next move, Jonathan alone with his armour bearer, decided to cross over into the garrison of the Philistines! When just two men decide to enter the military camp of their enemy, to fight,they are either crazy or they've got a weapon that can destroy multitudes at once.

Well, Jonathan didn't have explosives, missiles, grenades, rockets or nuclear weapons; but He had two things: God and his faith! I love what he said, "It may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord  from saving by many or by few.” And God didn't disappoint! He never disappoints! With just two men God granted deliverance to a nation! Hallelujah! Brothers and sisters, we serve a God who isn't restrained by anything; activate His power by your faith! If you dare to get on the water you will walk on it!

To do: Determine now to take that first step in faith, and just do it!

TIME TO GET SERIOUS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, January 7
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

TIME TO GET SERIOUS

Romans 13:11 NKJV "And do this, knowing the time, that now it  is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed."

One problem Jesus had with the Pharisees was their ignorance of the times. He said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’;  and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times." Matthew 16:2-3

As believers, we are expected to live with a consciousness of the times. Anyone who has been observant would have discerned that we are in a very critical time: all around us are indications that these are the last days. The prophecies are being fulfilled every blessed day; no doubt, the coming of the Lord is at hand.

It's time to get serious! It's time to take our walk with God seriously: it's time to wake up from slumber; time to prepare ourselves for His return, as a bride awaiting her groom. You say that it has always been said that the end is near: yes; and the more it's been said the nearer it gets. Now, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed!

To do: Meditate on Romans 13:11-14

THE POWER OF PRAYER

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, January 6
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

THE POWER OF PRAYER

James 5:16 says, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." NIV

"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." NLT

"The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." NASB

"The heartfelt supplication of a righteous man exerts a mighty influence." WNT

Blessed is everyone who can pray! It is good to know about prayer: how to pray, the principles of prayer, and so on, but it is the man who actually prays that experiences and enjoys the benefits of prayer.

Prayer is a God given opportunity to man to have a say and to play a role in whatever God is doing. The man who wants to prevail, reign, dominate and win continually has to be a man of prayer. Prayer is powerful and effective; prayer produces wonderful results; prayer accomplishes much; and it exerts a mighty influence.

To do: Pray without ceasing!

THE KIND OF FAITH THAT GOD HONOURS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Sunday, January 5
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

THE KIND OF FAITH THAT GOD HONOURS

Galatians 5:6 NKJV "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love."

According to Hebrews 11:6, they that come to God must approach Him with faith; that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. But faith by itself is not enough: we are told in 1 Corinthians 13:2 that even though we have enough faith to remove mountains, without love we are nothing before God.

A man that doesn't love is not known by God. God is love. Get it: according to the Scriptures, he that doesn't love doesn't know God! Doesn't matter how long you pray in other tongues; doesn't matter how high the mountain on which you pray is; you really don't know God until you are loving like Him - truly loving all men, irrespective of their class, attitudes, etc.

Faith that gets God's attention is the one expressed through a heart of love. Christianity is first a walk of love before anything else. Jesus said we should be perfect in love as our Father in heaven is (Matthew 5:48).

To do: Assess your level or standard of love using 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

THE COMING DESTRUCTION OF THE EARTH

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, January 4
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

THE COMING DESTRUCTION OF THE EARTH

II Peter 3:10-12 NKJV "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of  persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?"

You know, we all love the good life: to have the best things, to visit the best places, and so on; we have fallen in love with the world, as it were, and we are constantly looking forward to buying more and more pricey items, cars, clothes, jewelry, businesses, houses, etc. And when we do get them, we celebrate and display them as our achievements.

One of the most sobering truths is found in I Timothy 6:7, which says, "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." The earlier we realized that the better. We won't even leave the earth with these beautiful bodies of ours that we spend so much on!

Therefore, what manner of persons ought we to be? What manner of lives ought we to live? What should our priorities be? What should we really be investing in and spending on? What exactly should we be more passionate about? Of course, I'm not asking you to abandon your earthly responsibilities and dreams, what I'm asking you to do is to remember that there's something bigger and better to live and die for; a life beyond this that we must strive to be a part of.

To do: Ask God for the grace to live a holy life, and for the wisdom to live here on earth.

LOVING LIKE ABRAHAM

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, January 3
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

LOVING LIKE ABRAHAM

Genesis 14:14 NKJV "Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan."

We often hear and talk about the faith and the blessings of Abraham; rarely do we talk about the other things that made him the man he was: for instance, his faithfulness, his courage, his strength, his capabilities, his holiness and his love for both God and men. It is the desire of God that as we seek to enjoy the blessings of Abraham which are ours by faith in Christ, we also seek to love one another as our father Abraham did.

Abraham was a man of great love: Lot, his nephew was taken as a prisoner of war along with his entire family and belongings, and according to the Scriptures, as soon as Abraham was told about it, he immediately armed himself and his men and went in pursuit of the captors of Lot. Abraham manifested genuine love for his brother, and went to extreme lengths to ensure the deliverance and welfare of his brother, Lot.

Brotherly love must continue in the church of Jesus Christ. We've got to get to the point where we willing make sacrifices for one another irrespective of our denominations, tribe, colour and preferences. We've got to come to realize that though we are many, scattered all over the world, we are just one body in Christ and that we belong to one another and cannot really exist without one another. Nothing should come in between us! There's no alternative: we are commanded to love.

To do: Meditate on 1 Thessalonians 3:12 "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you."

HAVING BOLDNESS IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, January 2
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

HAVING BOLDNESS IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

I John 4:17 NKJV "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world."

The day is coming when we will all be judged for everything we have done: with every new second, every new hour, every new day, every new month and every new year, we are closer and closer to that day. And when that day finally comes, what will matter is that we must have done and lived well.

In waiting and preparing for that day, believers have adopted several approaches, mostly based on their understanding of the Scriptures. A lot of Christians are full of fear; fear of going to hell, for instance. But fear signifies a lack of love! Perfect love drives out all fear! There is no fear in love.

Boldness in the day of judgment will only be possible because we have walked in love both with God and men. Love is the fulfilment of the entire law, and perfect love is victory over sin. When we walk in love, we are truly manifesting the nature of God that's in us already, and being like Him, we will have nothing to fear.

To do: Ask God for the grace to walk in love. Ask Him to fill your heart with His love in ever increasing measures.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, January 1
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Ezra 7:9 NKJV "On the first day of the first month he began his journey..."

As I closed my eyes to begin to pray and worship in church sometime in December last year, I was shown a vision of open doors. There were so many open doors before me than I could count. The verse that came to mind right after the vision was Revelations 3:8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name."

Right there and then I knew what 2014 would be: The Year Of Open Doors! Hallelujah!

On this first day of the first month of the year 2014, we have begun a journey through countless open doors! In 2014, you will not struggle or beg to gain access because the doors have already been opened in the name of Jesus!

To do: Thank God for your open doors; ask Him to anoint your eyes to see your open doors, and to give you faith to walk through every open door.

Welcome to 2014: The Year Of Open Doors! Happy New Year!