Guard Your Heart 2
Philippians 4:8 (NET)Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. After several months of marriage, Bidemi had not conceived and she now became really worried. She started imagining all kinds of negative things. She heard that those who had committed abortion might have damaged their wombs and may never conceive. She was particularly worried because she had had two abortions while an unbeliever. She was also worried because she felt it could be her stepmother’s curse at work. She forgot that her stepmother said she would never marry, but she was now happily married to a man who truly loved her. He was the one encouraging her and telling her that nothing was wrong with her. He said that even if her womb was damaged, God would restore it. One day, as she went through her old sermon notes, she remembered something she had learned long ago. It was a sermon centered on Philippians 4:8. She remembered she came out of circles of depression and oppression after she had listened to that sermon and decided to always focus her mind on the good in her life. She remembered she became spiritually strong and started walking in perpetual victory after receiving that message. She repented and decided to start thanking the Lord for all the good in her life. This is how joy filled her heart again. The more you focus on your challenges, the bigger they become. But the more you focus on the Lord and what He is doing in your life, the smaller your challenges become, and the stronger you become to overcome them. Prayer: Ask the Lord to help you always focus on Him and what He is doing in your life. —Abraham Damilola Arigi Yearly Bible Plan: Ezra 6-10 (In Devotional Audio) Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +2348034420524, +2348138224547 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202391.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
The Believer and His Tradition
1 Corinthians 11:2 (NET)I praise you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions just as I passed them on to you. Sandra had a lingering misunderstanding with her mother-in-law because she and her husband were believers and they decided not to follow certain traditions that were not spiritually edifying. For some reason, Sandra’s mother-in-law insisted that Sandra was to blame for this (because she was from another ethnic group). With patience, great wisdom, and show of love, Sandra succeeded in winning her mother-in-law’s heart. There are hundreds of different traditions and cultures in the world today, and many of them stem from the religion of the people that practice them. It is often said that culture is the cloak of religion. For the believer, every tradition must be screened through the lenses of scripture. If a tradition or custom is contradictory to the truth of God’s Word, it must be discarded by the believer. But if a tradition is not in contradiction to the truth of God’s Word, it shouldn’t be discarded. As believers, we are a Holy nation (1 Pet 2:9), and we have our own traditions that are peculiar to us everywhere. Even though some outward interpretations of them can vary because of cultural influences, the spirit of every Christian tradition must be understood and upheld by believers. Walking in these ensures that we walk in the blessing. Underlining principles and pillars of the Christian tradition are virtues such as love, honor, kindness, diligence, compassion, self-control, moral purity, justice & fairness, patience, humility, orderliness. Any human tradition that contradicts any of these principles should be discarded. Go into today remembering that you are first and foremost a citizen of heaven. Every custom and tradition you practice must be vetted by the truth of God’s Word and not found wanting. Some traditions must be rejected and done away with because they are mediums through which demons invade people’s lives. —Abraham Damilola Arigi BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 16-19 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +2348034420524, +2348138224547. http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202390.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Being Sober and Vigilant
1 Peter 1:13 (NET) Therefore, get your minds ready for action by being fully sober, and set your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Deril was removed from his role as a pilot because he failed the weekly drug tests twice. Even though he was one of the most talented pilots in the company, his boss had to let him go because he was no longer sober enough for the sensitive job of a pilot. He was going through a major frustration in his personal life and the way he felt he could find comfort was through drugs. The Company understood that their pilots need to be most vigilant, and a pilot who is high on drugs cannot be vigilant enough, no matter how talented he is. An aircraft can crash if the pilot is not sober enough to observe the slightest warning signs and signals. In order to be truly vigilant, it is necessary to be sober(see 1 Peter 5:8). A distracted and troubled mind cannot truly be vigilant. One of the biggest enemies of us being sober is anxiety and fear. An anxious and fearful mind cannot be truly vigilant. When our hearts are fully set on the grace that we will receive when the Lord appears, it will help us keep our priorities in the right place and the prince of this world would not be able to sway us with things he can control. A secret to spiritual stability is having our hope fixed on the grace and glory we will receive when the Lord appears. Go into today remembering to cast your cares and anxieties upon the Lord. Let the joy of the Lord fill your heart. Watch and pray always. Prayer: Lord, please help me to be sober and vigilant. Deliver me from all my fears. In Jesus’ name. Amen. —Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible In One Year: II Peter Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +2348034420524, +2348138224547 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202389.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Do Not Quench The Spirit
1 Thessalonians 5:19 (ESV) “Do not quench the Spirit” Romeo and Miller were discussing while driving home after a Church meeting when suddenly Miller began to sing and pray in the Spirit. Because of this, he couldn’t continue with the ongoing discussion. “Did you know I was offended when you suddenly started singing and praying instead of continuing with the discussion?” Romeo asked after some minutes. “Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to be rude, but I needed to respond to the prompting I got in my spirit”, Miller responded. Miller chose not to quench the Spirit. You quench the Spirit when you refuse to respond to His promptings. In Acts 8:29 (KJV), The Spirit said unto Philip, “Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” He responded instantly; he did not quench the Spirit. Peter, on the other hand, would have quenched the Spirit when he responded, “not so, Lord” (Acts 10:14) to God’s instructions except that he eventually obeyed God and went to Cornelius’ house. Many are quenching the Spirit today because they have not learned to respond to God’s promptings within them. This has been the reason for many failures, disappointments, sicknesses, and even untimely death. In Isaiah 30:21(ESV), the Lord says, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” The Spirit has been given to us as a guide (John 16:13), whenever we refuse to respond to His speakings and promptings, we miss our way. Go into today determined not to quench the Spirit by choosing to respond to every prompting you get from Him. Prayer: thank you Lord for giving the Holy Spirit to me as a guide. Help me to always hear, listen, and obey Him. Amen! —Dr. Emmanuel James Bible In One Year: Acts 15-16 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +2348034420524, +2348138224547 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202388.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
The Power of Doctrine (Grounded In His Love 2)
2 Peter 2:1-2 (NASB)But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned. When Bidemi and her Fiance traveled home to see her parents, her stepmother found a way of letting him know that Bidemi was not a legitimate child. She also told him that Bidemi was pregnant when she was 16 and aborted it. Unknown to her stepmother, Bidemi and her intended had no secrets between them, so her wicked plot did not work. Bidemi’s stepmother was a leader in their church. She was very committed to the church, but she was not truly a Christian. This was not entirely her fault, it was the fault of the false teachers that they had in their church. Because of her stepmother, it was initially very difficult for Bidemi to accept the Lord Jesus. She thought Christians were like her stepmother. But thank God she had the opportunity of meeting real Christians later in her life. False doctrines usually have many followers because they are usually more appealing to the flesh and to the carnal believer. Go into today remembering that the easiest way to identify false prophets and false teachers is by their fruits (see Matthew 7:15). The fruit of a person’s life is his character and his integrity. The fruit of a ministry is the quality of disciples produced through that ministry. If you observe that most of the members of a particular ministry you know are bankrupt in morality and integrity, please stay away from that ministry. —Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible In One Year: Zechariah 1-7 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +2348138224547, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202387.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Sacrifice, The Path to Spiritual Relevance
Psalm 50:5 (KJV) “Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice”. Because man became wicked, God destroyed man and beast from the surface of the earth (Genesis 6:5-7). But Noah, the man who found grace with God brought God back into the equation when he rared up an altar of sacrifice unto God. Because of his sacrifice, God enacted a covenant with man through Noah, with the promise that the whole earth will never again be destroyed with water (Genesis 8:20-9:3). It is impossible to be relevant either physically or spiritually without sacrifices. A witch doctor offers sacrifices to devils to gain relevance in the dark world, an academician will pay the sacrifice of researching and publishing academic papers to gain relevance in the academic world. In the same vein, a child of God who seeks relevance in the kingdom of God must pay the sacrifice of obeying God’s word even when it is most inconvenient. Priesthood is a function of sacrifice, the reason the Bible admonishes us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) and lead sanctified lives is so we could offer acceptable sacrifices to God (Malachi 3:3). Sacrifice seems to be the only way by which God and man enters into covenant. In Genesis 22:16-18 (KJV) for instance, God said this to Abraham after he had agreed to sacrifice Isaac his son, “by myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice”. Go into today knowing that, If you must do business with God, it is by sacrifice and that, the things that have been destroyed can be restored and replenished if a man who understands sacrificial living arises. Prayer: Lord Jesus, I choose to be relevant in your kingdom, please teach me to live sacrificially. Amen! —Dr. Emmanuel James Bible In One Year: Ecclesiastes 7-8 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +2348034420524, +2348138224547 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202386.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
With God and with Hope
Isaiah 9:6 (KJV) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Freddie grew up in a Christian home and attended a neighborhood children’s Bible study called “Bible club”. It was in the Bible club that Freddie learned memory verses like today’s Bible verse. But as Freddie grew older, he strayed away from the Lord because of the wrong company. He now only went to church for weddings, burials, and thanksgivings. During a certain Christmas season, his neighbor invited him to Christmas worship service in their church and he attended because he was interested in dating her and he felt this would soften the ground. During the service, the pastor started reading from today’s Bible verse. Because it had been in Freddie’s memory, he remembered it and muttered it while the preacher read it. That was not the only thing Freddie remembered that day. He remembered the peace, joy, and love he enjoyed as a child when he accepted the Lord Jesus in “Bible club”. He remembered the assurance and hope that filled his heart because he was now a member of God’s family. As he remembered these things, he began to cry because he realized that he had been running away from God all his life. He was now weary and heavy-laden. He wanted rest and peace for his soul. He wanted to come back to the place he once knew as a little child when he felt safe and secure in God’s love. Today is Christmas and believers are celebrating the Lord Jesus Christ. Many unbelievers are also celebrating and trying to ease the burden of their souls through the festivities and celebrations, hoping that this period of celebration would drown the emptiness and hopelessness in their hearts. Many will drink and get drunk because they want to drown away their frustration. As we celebrate the Lord today, let’s remember that because of Him, we have eternal life: rest for our souls, peace, joy, security, and hope. We are not like unbelievers who are without hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:2). We have hope and God. We are certain of an eternal future filled with such glory that our current minds are unable to fully comprehend. Go into today remembering to thank the Lord for coming to give us hope, peace, and rest for our souls. Pray for people like Freddie who are lost. Ask the Lord to restore them. Pray for others who have never known the Lord, that they would be drawn unto the Lord. Have a blessed and fruitful Christmas in Jesus’ name. —Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible In One Year: Psalms 131-133 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +2348138224547, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202385.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Are Your Steps Truly Ordered?
Psalm 37:23 (KJV) The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Watching a military march-past or parade is a thing of beauty that draws applause from all. Their tidy regalia, focus, command execution, and uniformity are outstanding; unlike those of laymen or paramilitary outfits where missteps abound. Very crucial to their standard is their discipline, consistency, and adherence to their parade commandant. From today’s Bible verse, the word “ordered” is synonymous with soldiering. Because as believers, we are soldiers for Christ, it becomes very pertinent that most of our life’s decisions [whether minor or major] aren’t just casual or based on our own understanding, but based on God’s leading (Pro 3:5-6, 2Tim 2:3-4). Soldiers attain a high level of brilliance in their march-past, only after they have gone through discipline and repeated practice. As with the things of God, taking the right step, prevailing and eliciting victory applause, involves active discipleship and getting oneself attuned to the leading of God’s Spirit (1Cor 2:10-16; 2Tim 2:15). Isaiah 30:21 (NIV) says – Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” That is the voice of the Holy Spirit and He is the parade commandant whose voice we are to always heed. He reveals to us the mind of Jesus (our Commander-in-Chief) and directs us on how to do His will. He lovingly corrects us and helps maintain our right status if we veer towards sin. He is our navigational guide through all of life’s obstacles. Knowing Him personally is true success in life (Jh 14, 15, 16). Go into today knowing that the Holy Spirit is a friendly commandant. As you obey Him by word study and prayers, your life will never lack direction. —Chibo E.C. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 1-5 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +2348138224547, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202384.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Keeping the Spirit Strong 2
2 Timothy 2:3-5 (KJV)Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Because Bayo knew he needed help against the terrible backsliding that had bedeviled him, he opened up to his friend and told him about his weaknesses and failures. His friend who lived in another city started praying for him, and with him via phone calls. Bayo and his friend agreed that he was going to get a house close to his office. This was because he was spending too much time on transit to his office and back. Bayo had started saving money which he intended to use to buy a house in a cheaper neighborhood. But he took a part of this money and used it to rent a house on the expensive Island his office was located. He did this because he needed to spend less time on the road and use the saved time to pray and have quiet time with the Lord. This plan worked perfectly, and Bayo started recovering spiritually. Great joy [that money could not buy] now filled his heart. One of the lessons Bayo learned from his friend was that he was to endure hardness as a good soldier of Christ. A good example of this hardness is waking up to pray even when you don’t feel like praying because of sleep. The best way to do this is to leave the location of sleep and go to a place where sleep would be less likely. Go into today remembering that your faith is the greatest treasure you have. It is far more precious than gold (worldly riches)– it has eternal everlasting value(1 Pet 1:7). No sacrifice is too great to make in order to keep yourself from a shipwreck of the faith. Many saints of old gave their lives because they would not lose this faith (see Heb 12:4, Heb 10:32-34). —Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible In One Year: Deuteronomy 13-15 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +2348138224547, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202383.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Grounded In His Love
Ephesians 1:5-6 (KJV) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Bidemi grew up with a feeling of worthlessness and insecurity because she was an “illegitimate” child, and her stepmother made sure she understood that. Because of this, she would react harshly to situations and would be very rude and difficult to communicate with. She always felt like she was in a deep dark pit, and could amount to nothing in life. But this all changed when she accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior. For the first time in her life, she knew she was accepted. She no longer felt like her life was a mistake, she knew God had a purpose for creating her, and she was happy to be alive. One thing we must never forget as believers is that God accepted us before we accepted Him, that is why we could accept Him. Your salvation was not your own idea; it was God’s idea before you were born. This knowledge will help you rest in God’s love. It is very important that believers are grounded in the love of God. Many times, before the devil can get a believer to fall, he will first get him to doubt the love that God has for him. This he does because he knows the power the knowledge of God’s love produces in the life of the believer. See what Ephesians 3:19 (NLT) says: May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Go into today remembering that you are beloved of God. You are accepted in His beloved family. —Abraham Damilola Arigi Yearly Bible Plan: I Peter 4-5 (In Devotional Audio) Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +2348138224547, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202382.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS