Free Indeed!
John 8:32 (KJV) 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Bolaji observed that in his family, every man was a chronic womanizer. His father left his mother for another woman because of this. His grandfather did the same, but only returned to his wife when he became very sick and his lovers deserted him. His father tried to return to his mother when he too became very sick, but his mother wouldn’t accept him back. Even though Bolaji was born again and happily married, he observed that a feeling of discontentment towards his wife and a strong lust for other women started growing within his heart. It didn’t take him long to realize that the same demon that led his grandfather and father astray was now on his case. He knew this was a family curse when he started having symptoms of the same disease that killed his father and grandfather. He had prayed and fasted for many days, but as soon as his fasting ended, the lust came back. The Lord revealed to him that he had to change his belief concerning certain things if he wanted to walk in spiritual liberty. His life and world-view was not shaped by the word of God because he wasn’t devoted to the ministry of the word enough. Every believer in Christ has a heritage of blessings rather than curses (see Ephesians 1:3), and should walk in total freedom. But this freedom is appropriated through our knowledge of the truth. It was to those who believed in Him that Jesus said ‘you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’ (see John 8:31-32). Christ sets us free through our knowledge of the truth revealed by the word of God we know and believe. Those who still believe they are under ancestral curses, rather than believe God’s truth concerning them, never truly experience freedom. Go into today changing what you believe according to the truth of God’s word concerning you. Confession: I am filled with the knowledge of God’s will and walking in the blessing(see Col 1:9-10) —Pst Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible in 1 Year: Psalms 111-113 (in today’s Telegram audio)
The Power of Fellowship
2 Corinthians 6:14 (KJV) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? Biodun became really lonely because his friends had left him. He was now ‘too born again’ for them and the only friend who didn’t leave stayed around because of Biodun’s money, and Biodun knew this. Biodun decided that it was time to make new friends, but he found that he wasn’t flowing with many of the brethren he had met. They saw life quite differently. He decided to pray about this: he asked the Lord to link him with people who would help him grow. The next morning he went to church, the minister preached on evangelism. He encouraged everyone in the church to be actively involved in making disciples. Biodun knew that that message was for him. He decided that he was going to make disciples for the Lord according to His command (Matt 28:19). The first day he left his house to evangelize in his neighborhood; he met some youth corps members and evangelized to them. Three among them believed. They were honored to be close to Biodun because he was a very successful person. Biodun scheduled Bible study meeting with them and they all came promptly. They also came with their friends. They would pick a (Watchman Nee or Kenneth Hagin, etc.) book and read certain chapters, and they would discuss it in their Bible study meetings (there was always food at the Bible study). Many of them had questions. And if the questions were difficult for Biodun to answer, they would go to church to ask their pastor. Your faith, as a believer thrives in the community of believers. Fellowship is very important in Christianity (Acts 2:42). We thrive in fellowship and community, that’s the way God designed it. Even God exists in a community–the Trinity. If you find yourself in a place where there are no disciples of Christ for you to fellowship with, make disciples (Mark 16:15, Mark 28:19). Prayer: Lord please give me the grace to make disciples everywhere you place me. Amen. Want to be born again? Go here☞ streamglobe.org/33 -Pastor Abraham Damilola Arigi Yearly Plan: II Chronicles 1-5 (In Devotional Audio)
The Double Minded Person 2
2 Corinthians 6:14 (KJV) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? When it became clear to Biodun that he was unstable spiritually because his friends were unbelievers, he decided he was going to leave them. This was a very difficult thing for him to do because he and his friends were very close. But Biodun knew he would never grow spiritually if he continued with his old friends. He decided that his identity in Christ was now going to determine the flow of all his conversations and relationships. This was also hard to do, but he remembered that he was a new creature and old things have passed away (2 Cor 5:17). He remembered that he now had a new citizenship in heaven and was to be defined by this citizenship (Phil 3:20). He also remembered that nothing was too big to forsake for the sake of Christ and the Kingdom. As his conversation changed and it became clear to his friends that the old Biodun was now dead, many of them were the ones who left. They were not interested in being friends with this new Biodun. Many believers find it hard to leave their old friends and old life because they do not realize that what they have in Christ is far better. And in order to experience the new life, the old life has to die. For except a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone. But when it dies, germinates and grows, it becomes much better than a lowly dying grain. Go into today remembering that in order for you to experience the new great life in Christ, the old life of sin has to die. Prayer: Ask the Lord to remove everything hindering your light from shinning. Want to be born again? Go here☞ streamglobe.org/33 -Pastor Abraham Damilola Arigi Yearly Plan: Numbers 21-24 (In Devotional Audio)
Discerning The Body of Christ
1 Corinthians 11:29-30 (KJV) For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. Freda was so sick that it was clear to her that she might die. She had walked in divine health and healing before but did not understand why this time, the sickness did not seem to respond to her prayers. Through the ministry of a prophet, she discovered that she was afflicted because of the way she failed to discern the Lord’s body. She was an expert at publicly bringing down, criticizing and condemning ministers of the gospel she perceived were airing in one way or another. She did not realize that even though some of the ministers she criticized were wrong, her methods and approach was unacceptable. Children of God don’t rejoice and publicly criticize matters that are a source of grief to the Lord. We don’t take our disputes to the public space and bring down one another. We are not allowed as brethren to take our disputes to public court before unbelievers (see 1 Corinthians 6:1). Why do some think we can take our matters as brethren to the public court of opinions? Christ is the head, the Church is His body. When any part of the body is sick or in pain, other parts of the body may not feel it, but the head does. But when other parts rejoice when the head is in pain, it is because they do not rightly discern the body, and may in effect disconnect themselves from that which the head supplies. No individual part of the body can effectively continue to function without the other parts of the body. Likewise, no believer can be effective without other believers. It is suicidal to think that you are good enough as a ministry without the other ministries. We may differ in our denominations of worship, gifts, offices, and approaches, but if we have the same Lord, we are all brethren and we should walk with this knowledge. Go into today knowing that to be a true ambassador of Christ, you must live by the words of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12:26 “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” —Emmanuel James & Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible in 1 Year: Philemon (in today’s audio) http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%201771.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
The Double-Minded Person
James 1:7-8 (NET) For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his ways. Biodun observed that he would be full of faith in one moment, but would be totally faithless in the next. Just like the waves of the sea that rises and falls, his faith in God rose and fell because he was still controlled by his flesh, even though he was sometimes controlled by the Spirit. He found out that his weakness was coming from his unequal yoke with unbelievers. Faith is spiritual, but unbelief is fleshly. Whenever you are dominated by the Spirit, you will walk by faith. But if you fall back to the flesh, you will walk by sight and not by faith. The problem with a double-minded person is that this state of heart affects every area of his life. He would behave like Christ today but would act like an unbeliever tomorrow. Because the righteousness of God is revealed by faith (Rom 1:17), if a person’s faith is unstable, he would constantly swing from walking in righteousness to walking in the flesh. He may have to resort to legalism in order to keep the outward show of righteousness and may find it more convenient to stay in legalism that produces inferior human [born] righteousness that counts as filthy rags before God. In the spirit realm, man’s clothing is righteousness (Isaiah 60:10). He is either clothed in the glorious garment of God’s righteousness or clothed in the filthy garment of iniquity or his own righteousness. No one appears before God and receives from Him wearing filthy rags. He must first receive a change of garment (see Zech 3:3-5) and keep it on by faith. Go into today remembering that consistent believing is the way to receive from God. One way unbelief enters is when we are unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Cor 6:14). Prayer: Lord, please break every limiting yoke of unbelief in my life. Amen. Want to be saved? Click☞ streamglobe.org/33 —Abraham Damilola Arigi Yearly Plan: John 16-18 (In Devotional Audio) http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%201402.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
What is Man?
Hebrews 2:6-9 (NET) Instead someone testified somewhere: “What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for him? You made him lower than the angels for a little while. You crowned him with glory and honor. You put all things under his control.” For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control. At present we do not yet see all things under his control, but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone. The way today’s Bible verse started is quite unusual because normally when New Testament writers quote Old Testament writers, it usually would go like this: Romans 11:9 (NET) And David says, “Let their table become a snare and trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. But that’s not the case here. The Psalm from which the quote in Hebrews 2:6 above was taken is attributed to David(Psalm 8), and I’m sure the writer of Hebrews knew this very well, but he is saying here that ‘someone testifies somewhere’. This is quite unusual. There is no other place in the New Testament that uses this language in reference to Old Testament scripture. Some have asserted that the quote is not credited to men but to angels. That it was a conversation between angels that was captured by the psalmist through the spirit of prophecy. Maybe that’s why the writer of Hebrews didn’t attribute the quote to David but says “someone testified somewhere”. Thinking about it critically, it makes sense for angels to be asking this all-important question: “[w]hat is Man?” Seeing the way God (the creator and sustainer of all things) is mindful of man, it is an all-important question. The way to decode scripture is with scripture and not with human worldly reasoning. If you read Psalm 8:4-6, and now read today’s Bible verses, your understanding of Psalms 8:4-6 will be broader and much more accurate. In today’s Bible verses, we see the progression of the experiences of man. Man was made lower than the angels (this was because of the fall). But Man would be crowned with glory and honor, and God would put all things under man’s control. But today, we do not yet see all things under man’s control, but we see Jesus, who is a man, crowned with glory and honor. Today, Jesus is the only man with this stature of glory and honor, but during the resurrection, all His saints would receive this stature– that includes you and me, if we hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the One who made the promise is trustworthy (see Hebrews 10:23). Jesus is the only hope and lifeline through which Man can fulfill his eternal destiny of ruling over the universe with God. He is the only man that has overcome the powers that hinder Man from fulfilling his glorious destiny, and through Him, we who believe in Him are overcomers. Go into today remembering that those who believe in [and abide in] Christ would get to fulfill man’s glorious eternal destiny. This destiny is so glorious that human communication is not suitable enough to describe it (see 1 Corinthians 2:9). Prayer: Thank you Lord for Your great plans for me. Please help me walk in them and please you in all things. Amen. Want to be saved? Click☞ streamglobe.org/33 —Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible in 1 Year: Amos 1-4 (in today’s audio) http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202100.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
He Who Has the Son Has Eternal Life
John 3:15(KJV) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life Eternal life is the life inherent in God. It is the very life of God, the very nature and essence of God. God gives this life to those who believe in [and receive] Christ Jesus. It is deposited in our spirits the moment we accept Jesus. We do not have to wait until we get to heaven before we begin to experience [the realities of] eternal life. No! Rather, we have it here and now and God expects us to allow this life to find expression in and through us, so much that whatever we do or touch receives life (Jn1:4). John 17:3 says, ”And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent”. Knowledge and understanding of who we are and whose we are will enable the believer to live a victorious life. If this life is already deposited in our spirit then we must consciously walk in the knowledge of this life for it to profit us. The more of God’s word we put in our spirit and the more we interphase with God in prayers, the more we allow this life to permeate our souls and bodies, flow out easily and swallow up all that doesn’t emanate from God (see John 7:38). Go into today knowing that you have eternal life and this life gives life to everything around you. Prayer: Ask the Lord to grant you the grace to live in the consciousness of this life daily so that it would find expression. Want to be saved? Click☞ streamglobe.org/33 —George Evuarherhe Djorhogba Bible in 1 Year: Proverbs 23-24 (in today’s audio) http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202099.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Dealing With So-Called gods 2
Luke 10:19 (KJV) Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Amaka grew up in a community where everyone was afraid of the gods because certain things had happened in the past to invoke such fear. After Amaka accepted the Lord Jesus and started becoming discipled in the way of the truth, one truth that took time for her to fully understand was that the gods in her town did not have any power over her; that she was raised with Christ far above them and all principalities and powers(see Ephesians 2:6, 1:21). One evening, as she was going to fellowship, she mistakenly stepped on a Charm dropped on the ground. Normally, if anyone steps on such, they would become fatally ill if they didn’t do certain rituals. But as soon as she stepped on that charm, she knew the power behind it was destroyed. Nothing bad happened to her and she never did any ritual. This sign was the reason her mother became converted. Amaka observed that as she submitted more and more to the authority of Christ [over her], she found it more and more difficult to believe that the gods in the land had any power. As far as she was concerned, all authority belongs to Christ(Matthew 28:18), and anyone exercising any form of spiritual authority does so illegally and she had the authority to cast out every such demon by the legal authority of Christ. This she did. One reason some believers do not walk in authority over demons is because they are still afraid of them, and as long as this is the case, fear will hinder the faith required to exercise authority over demons. Go into today remembering that Christ has given you the authority to trample over all the power of the enemy. Prayer: Ask the Lord to teach you to walk in this authority. —Pastor SD Abraham Bible in 1 Year: Psalms 108-110 (in today’s audio) http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%201769.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
The Eternal Government 2
Hebrews 2:5 (KJV) For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. After Oyemade told his brethren about the threats from the people who wanted him to join their secret cults, they prayed together and agreed that he was to continue with the political race. He was thinking of leaving the race before because he understood that we believers would still reign over this earth when the Lord returns, but when it became clearer that his major opponent was an antichrist liberal whose agenda was to implement certain anti-Christ liberal policies, he was emboldened to continue in the race. Two months to the election, he was having a prayer walk in his compound at night when someone appeared to him through the back fence wall. Oyemade noticed that the man that appeared to him was surprised that he wasn’t afraid but rather spoke in tongues and commanded him to get out of his compound. Apparently, the man came to scare him out of the race, but Oyemade didn’t give the man the benefit of even speaking before he exercised authority over him– he vanished in terror. In spite of the opposition from the kingdom of darkness, Oyemade won the election and was able to stifle the tide of antichrist liberal policies in his city. The reason Oyemade could win that election against the will of the prince of this world (and his principalities) was because he too was a functional prince in God’s eternal kingdom and he used the superior authority of the Kingdom to conquer on the earth. Every true believer is a prince in God’s kingdom, but many are not functioning in their capacity because of spiritual ignorance and laziness. Many believers who get to the high places in this world and become overpowered fail because they do not surround themselves with the right people and the right systems. A believer representing Christ in the high places of this world (media and entertainment, big business, government, politics, etc) must be as committed to prayer and the word as an apostle at the forefront of missionary work in hostile places. Daniel is a good example. He was so committed to prayer(see Daniel 6:10) that even his enemies took notice. David is another good example of a man that succeeded in fulfilling God’s purposes in the high places of this world. He too was a man committed to prayer and the word. He prayed in the evening, morning and afternoon every day (Psalm 55:17). He prayed and meditated on God’s word at night (Psalm 119:148). He had men of God around him who were not dazzled by his earthly greatness. Nathan could bring a message of stern rebuke from the Lord to King David and he would repent (see 1Samuel 12:1-14). Those who would be witnesses for Christ in the high places of this world must realize that they are there for God’s kingdom agenda, not for themselves. They must rid themselves of the love of money and always remember that they have the backing of God’s Eternal government that rules over everything. Prayer: Lord, give me the strength to stand for you in the high places of this world. Amen. Want to be saved? Click☞ streamglobe.org/33 —Abraham Damilola Arigi Yearly Plan: I Chronicles 25-29 (In Devotional Audio)
The Eternal Government 1
Hebrews 2:5 (KJV) For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. Oyemade was quite sure that he had his political game plan perfectly worked out. It was going to be easy for him to get elected as mayor of the city, even though he was a minority. As the election day was getting closer, and it was becoming clearer and clearer that Oyemade’s party was going to win the election, Oyemade started getting strange invitations from people he never knew existed. Because the mayoral seat in his city was very important (his city was so strategic and important), everyone was interested in who sat on that seat. Oyemade started getting veiled threats. He started getting invitations to join “powerful” secret societies. One of his closest allies told him that “boss if you don’t join them, they won’t let you win this election”. The aspiration for such a great political office made it clearer to Oyemade and his brethren that indeed, the systems of this current world are ruled by Satan the prince of this world (see John 14:20, 1 John 5:9, Ephesians 6:12, 2 Corinthians 4:4). In this current world order, if you go high enough in most systems, you would interface with the devil. He is the ruler of this present world. The only people that can truly contend his authority on this earth are the sons of God: believers in Christ Jesus who are no longer [spiritual] babes but sons. They can contend territorial authority out of the hand of the prince of this world because their Lord has received ‘all authority in heaven and on earth’ (see Matthew 28:18). This current world system is under the subjection of angels. The prince of this world(Satan) is an angel (a fallen angel), and so are his principalities that rule territories in this present world. But from today’s verse, we see that this will not be the case in the world to come. One very important component of the gospel message we preach is the second coming of Jesus, the resurrection of the dead, and the coming rule and reign of Christ (with the saints) over the earth, and over all things (see 1 Corinthians 15, 6:1-3, Philippians 3:20, Revelations 21:7). This current world system is in its last days (see Hebrews 1:1-2, Acts 2:17). The devil knows that his time is short and that all authority has now been given to Jesus who will return and take over the governments of this earth, so he is more desperate than ever. The kingdom of this world will literally become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ, and we [His saints] shall reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10, 11:15, 20:4). Go into today remembering that the world[order] to come will not be under the subjection of angels but under the subjection of man, ruled by the man Jesus Christ. With this sure expectation in your heart, walk in this present world with the authority of Christ and remember to lay for yourself treasure that will have value in the worlds to come (Matthew 6:19-21). Prayer: Lord, help me walk in the fullness of your plan for my life. Deliver me from the distractions of this present world that is passing away and help me fulfill your plan for my life. Amen. Want to be saved? Click☞ streamglobe.org/33 —Abraham Damilola Arigi Yearly Plan: Titus (In Devotional Audio)