Bible Study Outline 20
Topic: Mammon and Covetousness Text: Matthew 6:24 (KJV) “No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” INTRODUCTION Money is one thing anyone living in this world encounters and must deal with. The bible also has a lot to say and warn about it. It serves some very useful purposes but also comes with some attendant pitfalls. It has a spirit; it has an allure and it has an influence that can corrupts the undiscerning. Let us examine the word together on this. DISCUSSIONS 1) What is mammon and what does it mean to serve mammon? (Matt 6:24; Luke 16:13) 2) Is there any connection between mammon and covetousness? (Luke 16:13; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5) 3) Highlight some dangers of covetousness and the love of money? (2 Peter 2:3,15; Jude 1:11; 1 Timothy 6:8-10; Proverbs 15:27) 4) What does it mean to ‘make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness’? (Luke 16:9) 5) How should a believer view and relate with money? (Luke 12:15; 1 Tim 6:6-8, 17-18; Matt 6:25-34; Psalms 65:9) CONCLUSION It is supremely important that we allow God’s word to shape our worldview. We must train ourselves to only receive and use the gift but serve only the Giver. We must be on guard that our hearts be not lured away from God, and we must be watchful that we never put our trust in mammon but always on God.
Living As Christ’s Witness
Acts 1:8 (KJV) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Victor gained admission into a university and had to live in a compound off-campus. Unknown to him, this neighborhood was full of vices and dishonorable people. Being so young and well cultured, he could not engage the perpetrators of these vices productively. Some of them were old enough to be his parents. He however lived peaceably among them. When he announced that he was going to be leaving the compound because he had graduated, many parents in the neighborhood brought their children to him and pleaded that he prays for them. A number of them told him that they had named their children Victor because they wanted their children to turn out like him. Victor never had the opportunity to preach to many of these neighbors, his way of life however did. God is seeking witnesses who will influence their sphere for Him, even when the privilege to preach does not present itself. Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines a witness as, ‘‘one that gives evidence; specifically: one who testifies in a cause or before a judicial tribunal”. Your daily living as a child of God should give evidence to the life of Jesus. Your life should be a standard by which an unbeliever can be judged. Jesus is no longer here bodily, yet the world must see Him, else, they will be condemned. If this must happen, they will have to see Him through you. This is why God gave us His Holy Spirit. Go into today knowing that witnessing for Jesus goes beyond what you preach; it is how you live. Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the grace to live as your witness for you. Amen! —Dr. Emmanuel James Not yet saved? Tap here☞ streamglobe.org/33 Bible in 1 Year: Proverbs 5-6 Download Free Sermons Here: www.streamglobe.org/34 Streamglobe is Nondenominational. Kindly share this devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Contact us: WhatsApp: +2348034420524, +2349055565838 www.streamglobe.org You are invited to the 2020 Streamglobe Conference | Date: August 20th-22nd | Venue: Holy Faith Bible Church, Lokoja, Nigeria. | Guest Minister: Apostle Arome Osayi Join Our WhatsApp Group to Start Getting Streamglobe Devotional Text & Audio From us early every day. Click Here to join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HNPtVLBWeBEEyehwcOIFAP http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202272.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Bible Study Outline 19
Topic: The Millennium Introduction A millennium is a period of one thousand years (Merriam Webster Dictionary). A period of one thousand years of the reign of Jesus during which the devil will be kept completely out of the scene (Revelation 20:1-3). Is studying about the millennium really important? When, where and who will be part of the millennial reign? This Bible study will proffer answers to these questions and other possible questions that may arise. Discussion A. Is studying about the millennium really important? Yes, because: It is part of the word of GOD. 2 Timothy 3:16, Psalms 119:89, Isaiah 55:11 It prepares us for the future Revelation 1:1 It will work patience in us 1 John 3:1-3 A blessing is attached Revelation 1:3 B. When will the millennium begin? Obviously, during the 1000year period when the devil is taken out of the scene (Rev 20:1-3), but when will this happen? Different ideas have risen over the centuries, the most important being ‘amiillennial’ , ‘premillennial’ and ‘post millennial’ . Revelation 19:17-20:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, Matthew 24:29-31; 46-47 C. Where will the millennial reign happen? There are many opinions on the location of the place where this 1000 years will be spent, the Bible however tells us that it will happen here on earth. Revelation 20:1-3, 7-9, Revelation 5:10 D. Who will be part of the millennial reign? Matthew 24-45-47, 2 Timothy 2:22, Revelation 7:13-17, Revelation 20:4-6. CONCLUSION God, through Jesus, sent to give us the knowledge of the future, the understanding of which should empower us to endure trials, temptations, persecutions and live in absolute commitment to God knowing that our trust will be rewarded (2 Timothy 2:3-6). Although we may be despised and persecuted by the world today, we will reign with Jesus if we endure to the end (Matthew 10:22; 24:13).
God’s Kingdom Reward System
1 Corinthians 3:14-15 (NKJV)If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Some have said that as long as they escape hellfire, they are fine, they do not need any reward. Some have even quoted the psalmist by saying they would rather be a doorkeeper in God’s house than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. They fail to realize that in this, the psalmist was talking about service in God’s house (Doorkeepers are servants) — service for which an eternal reward would be due. Anyone who tries to downplay the reality of service and reward in the kingdom of God does this because he does not understand the kingdom. Many of the times Jesus taught about the kingdom of God, He taught about service and reward in the kingdom (Matt 5:12, Luke 19:11-27, Matt 25:14-30, etc). Somebody once argued that seeing the kingdom of God was the same thing as inheriting the kingdom of God. I simply asked if the word ‘see’ and the word ‘inherit’ meant the same thing. On the day when we believers will stand before the Lord to give an account of our stewardship here on earth, some will receive rewards while some others will suffer loss. Some will sit with the Lord on thrones and rule the universe with Him forever, but others will not have that privilege. They will suffer loss because even though it was their destiny as sons of God to inherit the kingdom of God [as joint-heirs with Christ], their work has disqualified them from their inheritance and thrones. They would be saved but would have lost their inheritance through the fire of judgment. Go into today remembering that how we spend our relatively short time here would determine how we would spend the rest of eternity. Not yet saved? Tap here☞ streamglobe.org/33 —Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible in 1 Year: Psalms 72-74 (in today’s audio) Download Free Sermons Here: www.streamglobe.org/34 Streamglobe is Nondenominational. Kindly share this devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Contact us: WhatsApp: +2348034420524, +2349055565838 www.streamglobe.org
Be Careful How You Build 3
1 Corinthians 3:12-13 (NET) If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each builder’s work will be plainly seen, for the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by fire. And the fire will test what kind of work each has done. Samuel was discouraged because even though he had a burning desire to serve God, he did not believe he had received any grace to serve God from the pulpit. He tried, but he realized that he did not have the grace to serve in that way. It took him time to realize that even though he did not have a pulpit, he had a platform, and his platform was as important to God as a pulpit. Daniel (in the Bible) never had a pulpit, but he fulfilled God’s assignment for his life through a secular platform. He could do this because he understood that even though he was in the world, he was not of the world. Whatever it is you are doing as a believer, you are building something and you will give an account for it before the Lord on that day. How do we build on the foundation? We build on the foundation by ministering to people according to the grace that has been given to us (see Rom 12:6-9). As believers, we have gifts that differ according to the grace that has been given to us (see Rom 12:6). The way we serve with these gifts determines what we are building with. Go into today remembering that whether you know it or not, your life is building something that will be tried on that day. Prayer: ask the Lord to help you live a life that pleases Him in all respects. Not yet saved? Tap here☞ streamglobe.org/33 —Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible in 1 Year: I Kings 14-18 Download Free Sermons Here: www.streamglobe.org/34 You are invited to the 2020 Streamglobe Conference | Date: August 20th-22nd | Venue: Holy Faith Bible Church, Lokoja, Nigeria. | Guest Minister: Apostle Arome Osayi Streamglobe is Nondenominational. Kindly share this devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Contact us: WhatsApp: +2348034420524, +2349055565838
The Rest of God
Hebrews 4:10 (KJV) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Eno was heartbroken as she spoke with Bose on the phone. “It happened again”, she said “in spite of my best efforts. Why is it so hard to obey God even when one wants to?” she lamented. The sentiments of Eno are one almost every believer can relate with. Chances are that you have either had such a struggle once in your life and walk with God, or you are currently undergoing such yourself. Here is the thing, in the matter of righteousness, desire does not equate ability. What most men have failed to realize is that it takes God’s ability to produce God’s righteousness. This understanding is crucial. Man was never designed to please God independent of God. Sometimes, we try to impress and/or express our gratitude to God for his goodness by trying to please him by our own works, but it just won’t work. The solution is God’s Rest. In God’s Rest, man’s effort to produce righteousness of His own accord is suspended and all his efforts will be directed at trusting the Lord’s wisdom and power for righteousness. In Genesis chapter 2 verse 2 we see the scripture testify that God rested from His work of creation. Nonetheless, every time we plant a grain of corn on the ground, God’s creative power swings into action, and germination and growth occurs. This is because God had earlier placed a law that caused plants to reproduce after their own kind. It is the same reason when a man meets with a woman (under the right biological conditions), the miracle of conception begins. Because God had said, “Be fruitful, multiply” and by so doing set in motion the consistent work/process of procreation. Likewise, when a man enters into God’s rest, God’s power is set into motion in him to produce the righteous works of God that pleases Him (See Philippians 2:12&13AMP). So when Jesus says, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28), It is an invitation you want to accept with all your heart, embracing all its realities. Pray like this: I am entering into God’s rest by faith, so I can walk in a manner pleasing unto him producing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. —Ikechukwu Mpama Bible in 1 Year: Leviticus 4-6 Streamglobe is Nondenominational. Kindly share this devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Contact us: WhatsApp: +2348034420524, +2349055565838 Join Our WhatsApp Group to Start Getting Streamglobe Devotional Text & Audio From us early every day. Click Here to join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HNPtVLBWeBEEyehwcOIFAP
The Paradox of Rest
Hebrews 4:11a (KJV) Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest. Eno was excited and filled with joy. She put a call across to Doris asking, “So since God is at work in me to work His good pleasure, it is settled. I don’t have to do anything else. Or do I?” The idea of God’s Rest does not absorb man of his responsibility. It just means that man’s labors must be directed at receiving, walking in, and making the most of God’s provision. Apostle Peter writing to believers began by assuring us that God’s divine power has given us “all that pertains to life and godliness”, and that He has bestowed on us the privilege of partaking in His divine nature. Nonetheless, in the very next breath, he says the following: “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to your virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Read 2 Peter 3-8). The believer who wishes to walk in the benefits of God’s Rest begins by understanding that only by trusting in the finished works of Christ can he be justified, then he begins to joyfully release himself to God’s demands upon his life knowing that God supplies the ability to do them. He is no longer trusting in his abilities to produce God’s result and so he buries all his efforts into building his faith, receiving strength in his inner man, understanding the will of God and following the leading of the Holy Spirit. He builds his capacity to trust God even more, he gives himself to praying, and praying the right way, knowing that this builds him up as well as makes God’s tremendous power available for working. He renews his mind and enjoys the transformation of the Holy Spirit. Where before he tries to get healing because of his need for it, now he prays to receive healing in full assurance because he has seen and believed that God’s word says he is healed. Labour therefore but not to produce dead works, but rather to enter God’s rest from whence good works are produced in righteousness. Pray like this: Lord, help me enter your rest and cease from my own fruitless works. Amen. Want to be saved? Click here☞ https://bit.ly/streamglobe83 —Ikechukwu MpamaBible in 1 Year: Ephesians 4-6 Streamglobe is Nondenominational. Kindly share this devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Contact us: WhatsApp: +2348034420524, +2349055565838 Join Our WhatsApp Group to Start Getting Streamglobe Devotional Text & Audio From us early every day. Click Here to join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HNPtVLBWeBEEyehwcOIFAP
Slow Down: God At Work
Philippians 2:13 (AMP) [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight… “Pius, we need to talk”, said Pius to himself. “How much longer will this cycle continue. You lie and have an unbridled tongue that can, at the least provocation, lash out in anger or indulge in vulgar talk. You repent with profuse tears and deep remorse, promising God heaven and earth and vowing good behavior going forward only to go right back to the same old pattern of fears, lies and lack of self-control. For how much longer Pius?” God-sized demands are only met by God-sized ability. What God has done in redemption is to produce a new race of men who are wired with the DNA of his Son, who Himself is God, knowing that what man needs is not mere wiping away of his old sin but a change of nature. God provided man with a new spirit, and the Holy Spirit to dwell in our heart. Now this new nature functions by the power of God. The best a recreated man can do is to discover how to depend on God so that His power can have free course. The verse preceding today’s text talks about ‘working out one’s salvation’, however, the following verse, which is today’s text, makes it very clear that the out-working of one’s salvation is only made possible by the inworking of God in us. Somewhere around River Jabbok, as the morning sun was slowly rising over the horizon, Jacob was busy contending with God. This was a man who knew his way around difficult men and difficult situations, employing hook and crook to achieve his ends. However, on this fateful morning, it was until his thigh was put out of joint that, for once, God had his way with him, and Israel was born (See Gen 32:22-30). Learn to trust God. Learn to trust in His word. God’s word has integrity, it is alive and full of power. The wisdom of resting on (believing, trusting and doing) God’s word is that God is watching over His word to perform it. His angels are attentive to His word to bring it to pass. Go into today remembering that when a man depends on God through His word, he is tapping into grace, for God himself will supply the strength and wisdom needed to accomplish what His word says. Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me depend on you and draw strength to please you in all things. Amen. Want to be saved? Click here☞ https://bit.ly/streamglobe83 —Ikechukwu Mpama Join Our WhatsApp Group to Start Getting Streamglobe Devotional Text & Audio From us early every day. Click Here to join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HNPtVLBWeBEEyehwcOIFAP Bible in 1 Year: Luke 11-12 Streamglobe is Nondenominational. Kindly share this devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Contact us: WhatsApp: +2348034420524, +2349055565838 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202269.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
The Need For Obedience
James 4:7 (KJV) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Praise was so full of joy that it radiated out. His countenance was lighted up and his mood changed to a very cheerful one. He continued in this state for days, and even his neighbors noticed. ‘‘What has changed? Praise is now different?’’ One of his neighbors responded, ‘‘Praise has just received Jesus as his savior, and what you are seeing him display is the joy of salvation”. But time passed, and unfortunately, Praise went back to doing some of the evil things he forsook, and the joy left. He became hot-tempered and unfriendly again. Because he wanted the joy and peace back, he would not miss any Church service, would do every assignment committed to him in Church the best way he could, prayed and fasted, but all these did not result in him being joyful. What really went wrong? God’s commandment to every child is ‘obey’ (Ephesians 6:1) and the same applies to every newly born again child of God. After salvation, God expects that every child of His grows to the point where they can willfully submit to him because it is at this point that a man becomes useful to him and this is God’s ultimate aim: learning to obey God is the only route to this. Obedience is what brings us to the point where we can willingly submit to God. This you will achieve after a very long period of obedience. Sadly, only very few ever get to this level in God. We were dead because of sin and our nature was that of the devil. This nature was taken away at salvation, but the corruption in our minds remain. The way God chose to deal with this corruption is by giving us commandments that must be obeyed. The compendium of these commandments is what is referred to as the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. After steady and consistent obedience to these commandments, our minds are being renewed by the life that the law of life gives. At the height of this renewal, we gain the ability to now use our will to choose what God wants(our desires become His desires). It is after this that we can submit or offer ourselves to God and this enables us to resist the devil. If you noticed that you often fall into temptations, it could be that you have not been faithful in obeying God. Go into today knowing that it is by obeying God that you gain the ability to submit to God and resist the devil. Prayer: Ask the Lord to empower you with grace to obey him. —Dr. Emmanuel James Bible in 1 Year: Ezekiel 1-6 Streamglobe is Nondenominational. Kindly share this devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Contact us: WhatsApp: +2348034420524, +2349055565838 Join Our WhatsApp Group to Start Getting Streamglobe Devotional Text & Audio From us early every day. Click Here to join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HNPtVLBWeBEEyehwcOIFAP http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202268.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Be Careful How You Build
1 Corinthians 3:9 (NET) We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God’s field, God’s building. Apostle Paul was a tentmaker (this made him a builder). He usually built for his clients and received his payment at the end of his job. This was mostly how he sustained himself and paid his bills while ministering the gospel to the pagans. He used the illustration of building to explain certain truths to the Corinthians. He likened the ministry work he was doing among them to a building project. But just like his building projects, this building was not his own but the Lord’s and he would be rewarded for his work on it. When he said ‘we are God’s coworkers’, he was referring particularly to himself and every other minister of God like Apollos who had ministered and were ministering to the Corinthians. We would see that he went ahead to explain the part of the building he was responsible for, and how others were responsible for other parts of the building. He left a sublime warning to every other person building among the Corinthians to be careful how they build because just like an earthly builder, they would be judged according to how consistent with the master plan their building turns out to be. Many people have set out to build for God without receiving a building plan. They build because others are building and cannot build properly because they are not building according to the master plan. Go into today remembering that we are co-workers belonging to God. We do not belong to ourselves, and the work does not belong to us. At the end of the day, we shall give an account of our work and be rewarded accordingly. Prayer: Ask the Lord to help you build correctly according to His plan. —Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible in 1 Year: Proverbs 4 Streamglobe is Nondenominational. Kindly share this devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Contact us: WhatsApp: +2348034420524, +2349055565838 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%201676.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS