26 February
Amos 1:3-5
The certainty of God’s judgement
According to
this passage, the Lord promised not to turn back His wrath (Amos
1:3). This means that His wrath is most certain
to come upon
the nation of Damascus. This promise to judge Damascus was
fulfilled to the detail or letter of it (see 2 Kgs.16:9). Heaven
and earth
will pass away, but not the promise of God (Matt.24:35). As
God promised to judge Damascus (Amos 1:3-5), He has also promised
to judge
the
whole
world through Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31). As the judgment
of Damascus took place as He promised (2 Kgs.16:9), so will that
of the world
take place when Jesus returns (2 Cor.5:10). No one can cancel
or exempt himself from God’s judgment (see Rev.6:15-17) But
one can find mercy from His judgment by turning from sin to Christ
(see
Jn.3:18;
Rom.8:1-4; cf.Rom.8:33-34). The best response to the coming
judgment of God (Acts 17:31; 2 Cor.5:10) is not to deny or doubt
or disbelieve
it but to turn from sin and seek His mercy through Jesus
Christ (Jn.3:18; Rom.8:1-4; Prov.28:13).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please let your mercy be my portion
when you judge the world through your only Son Jesus Christ.
2. Father, please enable me to be ready for your judgment.
3. Father, please take away whatever can keep me from being ready for
your judgment.
27 February
Ps.133:1-3
The benefits of unity
Here the psalmist extols unity
(Ps.133:1). Where unity abounds, there is goodness and pleasantness(Ps.133:1).
He likens it
to a precious
oil poured on the head down the beard (Ps.133:2), and to the
due of Herman falling on Mount Zion (Ps.133:3). Both figures speak
of the
tranquility or solemn peace and blessings that thrive where there
is
unity (Ps.133:2-3). Strife is the order of the day where there
is no unity. The benefits of unity spoken of by the psalmist apply
wherever
there is unity: in families, Churches, communities and nations
(Ps.133:1-3). Jesus prayed for unity among His followers (Jn.17:20-23).
We obey
Him
when we work or stand for unity. Apart from forfeiting the benefits
of unity (Ps.133:1-3), we disobey and rebel against Jesus when
we oppose or undermine unity among His followers (see Rom.16:17-18).
Disunity
does not have a place in God’s plan and work (cf. Tit.3:10).
Believers must keep away from agents of disunity (Rom.16:17-18).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please overcome all the agents
of disunity in my life, family, Church and
nation.
2. Father, please grant me unity in my life, family, Church and nation
28
February
2 Kgs. 1:16-17
The outcome of consulting another god:
the Lord's verdict
King Ahaziah of Israel sent men to consult Baal Zebub,
the god of Ekron(2Kgs.1:1-2). The Lord declared that because he did
this,
he will certainly die (2Kgs.1:16). It is his action that determines
God's verdict. Because he abandoned the Lord, the Lord also abandoned
him to
death. This explains why so many perish in the hands of juju priests
and traditional and witch doctors. It angers the Lord to consult
them. Besides, they have no right whatever over human life. The right
and final
answer of life lies in the Lord's own hands exclusively, not with
anyone else. No god can save except the Lord. It is vain for anyone
to consult
someone else in his time of need except the Lord
PRAYER: 1. Father,
please help me strenghten in my faith and trust in you
29 February
Jn. 14:5-6 The only Way to God
We are all used to travelling to
several places using several ways to get to our destinations. Take
for example travelling to the famous
city of Lagos in Nigeria. You can access the city by aeroplane, by
car, by boat, by foot, and most recently by train. Thus, there are
five ways altogether to get to Nigeria’s most populous city.
It is completely the opposite when it comes to finding God. The Scripture
states clearly that the way to God is not only one but unique ( Jn.
14:6 ). First, the way to God is a person, Jesus Christ ( Jn. 14:6).
It is not a virtue or thing. Second, it is not any person but Jesus
Christ alone (Acts 4:12). God accredited no other person for this
purpose than Him (see Acts 2:22). Any other person who claims to
be the Way to God is an impostor ( see Jn.10 : 11-13). Third, this
way is completely free, without any cost attached to it (see Eph.
2:8-9). One is not required to pay any cost or price to ride by this
Way to God. Lastly, this Way is one and the same for all mankind,
regardless of nationality, race, or language (see Jn. 3:16; Rom.
3:22-24).
Therefore, unlike travelling to earthly destinations, the Way to
God is only one. And that Way is a person, Jesus Christ. And this
Way is the only one available for every human being, nationality
or race notwithstanding.
PRAYER: Father, I hereby accept Jesus Christ with all my heart as
the Way to find you.
1 March
Ps. 135:7 The Lord
does whatever pleases Him
The psalmist states here that the Lord does whatever
pleases Him in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their
debts (Ps.
135:7). This means that He alone is God, and that there is no God or
Lord but Him (Ps. 113:5). There is no rival or equal to Him (Ps. 113:5).
It means He is the Lord of all the earth, and is subject to none, whereas
all are subject to no one but Him (Ps.97:5; Ps.47:7-8). The heavens
and the earth and everything in them are all His, thus subject to Him
(Ps. 24:1-2; Ps.113:4). It means no one can stand before Him (cf.Ps.76:7).
It means His will alone prevails, and that whatever is not His will
cannot see the light of day. It also means that nothing can take place
without His authorization (see Matt. 10:29). What the psalmist states
in this passage concerning the Lord is an everlasting decree. Therefore,
we must put all our trust in Him, for no one who ever did so was put
to shame (Rom. 10:11). And it is vain to try to circumvent Him or His
will in our lives. We need not fear any other but Him (Deut. 6:13).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please do
whatever pleases you in my life, family, in the Church
and throughout the heavens and the
earth.
2. Father, please cancel and bring to nothing whatever does not please
you in my life, family,
in the Church and throughout the heavens and
the earth.
2 March
Jn. 1:16 Jesus is the sole source of
our blessings
This passage indicates the source of all
our blessings and gifts. According to it, our blessings and gifts
come from Jesus
Christ (Jn. 1:16). The
Scripture is quite consistent in stating this fact (see Eph.4:7-13;
cf.Rom.12:6-8; 1Cor.12:4-11). The Father bestows His blessings and
gifts through Jesus Christ His Son. As is the case with salvation
(Acts4:12), so it is with the blessings and gifts that accompany
it. The Scripture
means what it says that apart from Jesus we can do nothing or bear
any fruit (Jn.15:4-5). Anyone who desires God’s blessings and
gifts can only receive them from Jesus Christ. There is no other source
God has provided than this. To seek for life’s blessings and
gifts outside of Jesus is to seek in vain. Whatever blessings and
gifts one may get outside of Jesus are illegitimate. There are no
legitimate
blessings and gifts outside of Him.
PRAYER: 1. Lord Jesus, please be my one and only Saviour
and Lord.
2. Father, please bless me through your only Son Jesus Christ.
3 March
Acts 19:5-6 - Jesus
gives the Holy Spirit
While in Ephesus in the course of his missionary work
, Paul found some disciples who had only received John’s baptism and had not
even heard of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-4). He baptized them into
the name of Jesus, placed his hands on them, and the Holy Spirit came
upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19:5-6).
John’s baptism did not entitle them to the Holy Spirit (Acts
19:1-4). It was baptism into the name of Jesus that did (Acts 19:5-6).
Baptism into any other name does not entitle anyone to receive the
Holy Spirit. It is only baptism into Jesus’ name that does (See
Acts 2:28:39; Acts 19:5-6). Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit
to His followers (Jn. 14:16-17, 25-26; Jn. 16:7). This promise was
first fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-12). The promise is meant for
all believers and is still subsisting today (Acts 2:38-39). But it
is baptism into the name of Jesus that will entitle us to baptism of
the Holy Spirit (Acts2:28-29; Acts 19:5-6). The testimony of these
Ephesian disciples was not adequate until they were baptized into the
name of Jesus and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-6). In the same
way, our testimony is not adequate unless it is authenticated by the
Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit’s authentication, our
claim to belong to Jesus may be spurious (Rom. 8:16).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please fill me with the Holy Spirit.
2. Father, please take away everything that hinders me from being
filled with the Holy Spirit.
4 March
2 Thess. 1:5
Defining Christian suffering
In this passage, we find a definition of Christian suffering (2 Thess.1:5).
According to this passage, Christian suffering refers to suffering
for the kingdom (2Thess.1:5). Therefore, it is only when one suffers
for the kingdom of God or in relation to it that one is suffering
as a Christian. This includes when one suffers because he is a believer
or on an account of Jesus Christ or His cause (Matt. 24:9- 12; Jn.15:18-21;
1 Pet. 4:12-14). With this definition, not every suffering can be
considered
Christian suffering (see 1 Pet.3:17; 1 Pet. 4:15-16). In effect,
anyone who is not suffering for the kingdom or in relation to it
is not suffering
for Christ. It is only in respect of Christian suffering that there
is hope and reward (see 1 Pet. 4:12-14). There is no hope or reward
for suffering that is not for the kingdom or in relation to it. If
anyone is suffering for the kingdom or in relation to it, his suffering
is not in vain (1 Pet. 4:12-14). The one who suffers for the kingdom
or in relation to it is blessed (1 Pet. 4:14). The one who suffers
for any other purpose than the kingdom suffers in vain.
PRAYER: 1. Father, please keep me from suffering for
any other purpose than that of your Kingdom.
2. Father, please give me the grace to suffer for your Kingdom
if necessary.
3. Father, please give me courage and hope when I suffer for the
Kingdom.
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