A Perfect Heart
1 Chronicles 28:9 (KJV) And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. It was the holidays and Ben and his siblings were at home. Ben was so excited about the break because he planned to have lots of fun with his video game. However, his father had other plans. He had noticed Ben’s proclivity towards excessive play and therefore planned out several chores and tasks for him to complete daily for the holidays. He planned it in such a way that there would still be enough time for Ben to play. Ben was furious, he didn’t want anything to do with the tasks and chores as he felt holidays were for having fun and nothing else. But his father warned him sternly, informing him that he would be grounded from playing video games (among other punishments) should he refuse to carry out the daily tasks. So, every day Ben would grudgingly carry out the task, but because his heart was not in it, he would do them poorly, and more importantly, he failed to learn anything from the experience as he treated it as though it were a prison sentence. We have all been Ben at one time or the other. A perfect heart goes beyond just doing things, it examines our disposition to doing them. The New English Translation in rendering the text above uses the phrase ‘a submissive attitude and a willing spirit’. When we carry out our tasks grudgingly or without any commitment of heart to it, we are not doing it with a perfect heart. Note that service to God must be with a perfect heart. Willingness is one manifestation of a perfect heart. 1 Chron 29:9 says, ‘Then the people rejoiced, for they offered willingly because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David also rejoiced with great joy’. A perfect heart is also a heart devoid of offense. It is a pre-requisite for serving God acceptably. Bible spoke of King Amaziah saying, ‘And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart’ (2 Chron 25:2). Go into today remembering that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro the whole earth seeking to show himself strong on the behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards him (2 Chron 16:9a). Prayer: Lord, help me serve you with a perfect heart and know you more. Amen. Want to be saved? Click here: streamglobe.org/33 —Ikechukwu Mpama Yearly Bible Plan: Psalms 125-127 (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): +234813822454, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202371.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Living as Sons of Light
Ephesians 5:8-10 (NET) for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. When Gerald was a child, he used to be very naughty. But when his parents were expecting visitors and they wanted all their children to be very well behaved especially him, his mother would call him aside and promise to give him some money for being good when the visitors are around. This always worked like a charm. Because of the financial incentive, even as a little boy, Gerald knew how to be good. As an adult, whenever he wanted something from someone or to impress them, he knew how to act and sound good and kind, but being good and kind was not truly his nature even though he knew the expectations of that nature. So when after accepting the Lord Jesus, he was taught by his discipler that as a child of light, one of the fruits of his life should be goodness, he knew exactly what it meant. He understood that for him now, being good and kind was not to be a guest attitude when he wanted to impress someone or get something out of them, it was now to be his way of life because he had received the divine nature that makes bad people good. As Gerald started walking every day with this consciousness of being good, he realized that even though many times, being good was not convenient for the flesh, it was always refreshing to the spirit, and the more he acted in the divine nature of goodness and kindness, the more pleased the Holy Spirit within him was, and this translated to more inner joy and strength in his spirit. After receiving the new life and the indwelling Holy Spirit, if we walk in our old sinful bad nature, the Holy Spirit [within us] is not pleased but grieved, and this would affect our inner joy and deplete our inner strength. But the more we consciously walk in the divine nature of goodness, righteousness, and truth, the Holy Spirit within us is pleased and He rejoices. This joy of the Lord within us will fill our hearts with joy and strengthen us. Go into today remembering that the joy of the Lord is your strength. Let the words you say and the things you do be pleasing to the Lord. This is the source of your inner joy and peace. Prayer Confession: As a child of God I walk in the divine nature. I am pleasing the Lord in all things, and fruitful in every good work. — Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible In 1 Year: II Chronicles 29-32 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +234813822454, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202370.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Complete In Him
Colossians 2:8 (NET) Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Many of the Gentile Christians in Colossi were greatly harassed by some Jewish teachers who insisted that they needed to also be converted to Judaism in order for their salvation to be complete. Some of the believers in Gentile territory were deceived by these doctrines and some of them started observing Jewish festivals and feasts, started circumcising their children, and even worshiping according to Jewish tradition. Today, we may see traces of this same error in the body of Christ; it seems to be creeping in gradually. There are some Christians today that actually believe that their prayers have more merit when prayed at the Wailing Wall in Israel. Some have even gone as far as beginning to practice some of the Jewish feasts because they have been told that there is some power in doing such things. I have heard that some Christians have started celebrating the Passover, and some even partaking in the animal sacrifice which is a part of that festival. Please remember that as a believer in Christ Jesus, the covenant you have with God is superior to the covenant a Jew who is not saved has with God. We have a better covenant with better promises (Heb 7:22, 8:6). You do not have to become a Jew in any way for you to walk in the fullness of the blessing. That doctrine is a lie from the pit of hell and it brings believers under the dominion of elemental spirits. Go into today thanking God because He has made you complete in Christ Jesus (Col 2:10). You do not need any Jewish tradition to be made complete. —Abraham Damilola Arigi Yearly Bible Plan: Deuteronomy 7-9 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +234813822454, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202369.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Evil Communication
1 Corinthians 15:25 (NET) Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” After Gerald accepted the Lord Jesus, he was baptized and introduced to an entirely different way of life. His evil and sinful desires were no longer the controlling force of his life, and he discovered he was now free from within and had an inner joy and peace that words could not explain. Even though his discipler had warned him to cut his ties with his former friends with whom he used to commit sins, he started hanging out with them again because he told himself that they did not have the power to influence him but he would rather influence them. He used to be their leader. He was deceiving himself by thinking he could continue his friendship with them and not be corrupted. After several weeks of continuing his friendship with them, he came back to his senses one night while he was in a night club with them doing all the sinful things they used to do before. At that point, he realized he had gone back to how he used to be. He was sad because he really wanted to stay free. He went back to his discipler, repented, and was restored. He had now learned experientially that bad company truly corrupts good morals, that’s not something the strongest willed person can control. One of the very potent deceptions of the devil today is that company and communication (and the content of what entertains you) do not really matter. Today’s Bible verse was taken from a section of the letter apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians. In that section, Apostle Paul was addressing a strange doctrinal belief that was becoming prevalent among the brethren in that city (read 1 Corinthians 15). One thing was clear, the brethren were being influenced by other sources of information that is contrary to the scriptures. They were communicating with sources of information that apostle Paul is now referring to as evil. When a believer spends time regularly to watch unwholesome programs on TV and thinks it doesn’t matter, he is deceiving himself by not realizing that evil communication will corrupt his good morals. Remember, whatever entertains you enters you. Go into today remembering to guard your heart with all diligence because out of it are the issues of life (see Proverbs 4:23). Prayer: Ask the Lord to give you strength and wisdom to cut off from every source of evil communication and keep your mind stayed on Him. Pray with Isaiah 26:3 (KJV): Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. — Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible In 1 Year: James 4-5 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +234813822454, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202368.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Difference Between Works and Good Works
2 Timothy 2:20-21 KJV “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work”. Roy: I don’t do that kind of business, I’m a Christian Pato: What do you mean? Am I not a Christian too? I bankroll an orphanage and have been to the holy land twice with the proceeds from this same business. What have you done? I’m a better Christian than you. When someone called Jesus “good master” in Matthew 19:16-17, Jesus responded by saying “there is none good but one, that is, God”. Then in verse 21, Jesus said to the man, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me”. By this, Jesus made it clear that only God is good, thus to be good, you have to know God and this is by following Him (Jesus). It is those who are following Jesus that can do good works, they will if they purge themselves from evil (2 Tim.2:21). The best an unbeliever (one who is not under the Lordship of Jesus Christ) can do is charity. Only those born of God can do Good works. Good works are what would accrue eternal rewards for people. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (KJV) says “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work”. You see, the one who empowers for good works is Jesus. Go into knowing that charitable works do not make one good. You become good by yielding to Jesus, and then, your works become good works. Prayer: Dear Jesus, I declare that you are my Lord, please establish me in every good word and work. Amen — Dr. Emmanuel James Bible In 1 Year: Acts 9-10 To start getting Streamglobe Devotional Text & Audio early every day, join a Streamglobe WhatsApp Group here☞ https://chat.whatsapp.com/KbItWB4TkQg23R5Is0WXIC Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +234813822454, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202367.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Impending Judgment
Acts 24:25 (NET)While Paul was discussing righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, I will send for you.” When Lamar accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior, he didn’t accept Christ because someone told him that that was a ticket to a better life (that gospel could never appeal to Lamar because he was born into great wealth), he believed in Christ because he now realized that Christ was the only one who could shield him from the judgment that was sure to come. He had several disturbing dreams before a preacher brought the gospel to him, and in those dreams, he saw himself descending into hell fire. He knew he was doomed but didn’t know the way out until the gospel came to him. Today, there is a conscious effort by some to remove the warning about the judgment of God from the preaching of the gospel. Any gospel message that does not properly explain the ramification of Jesus’ salvation from impending judgment is a weak gospel. One main point of the gospel message is that receiving Jesus is the only way to escape the impending damnation (see John 3:18). From today’s Bible verse, we can clearly see that one element of the gospel message preached by the apostles was ‘The Judgment of God’. When in the days of the apostles, people they preached to asked ‘what shall we do [to be saved]?’(see Acts 2:37, 16:30) they asked this question because they understood that there is impending judgment and doom, and they wanted to be saved from it. Go into today remembering that there is coming judgment on all humankind. The only way to escape it is through the salvation of Christ Jesus. Prayer: Ask the Lord to make you more effective in helping people escape eternal damnation by preaching the gospel to them. — Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible In 1 Year: Habakkuk Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +234813822454, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202366.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Do Not Allow Sin To Grow
James 1:15 (ESV) “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death”. For about three and a half years Judas Iscariot was with Jesus, for all of these years he lusted after money. He sometimes helped himself with money from the purse (John 12:6) but when the little money from the purse could no longer satisfy him, the devil brought him a proposal on how to ‘hit it big’. “Sell you boss” the devil whispered. Judas Iscariot yielded (Matt 26:14-26) and sold Jesus out. What he did brought him under a curse that led him to eternal damnation (Matthew 26:24). Learn to control your desires, but if your desires have given birth to sin, don’t let sin grow. You will gain control over your desires by renewing your mind (Romans 12:2) through the word of God (Eph 5:26). You cut the life of sin short by confessing and forsaking it (John 1:9; Prob 28:13), but when sin is allowed to grow, it will produce death (see Romans 8:13). If you refuse to confess and forsake your sins but condone and cover them, you will not have mercy (Prov 28:13), that is to say, you will be judged (condemned) because it is mercy that triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). After you have confessed and forsaken a sin, watch out for the desire or desires that produced it, then constantly and vehemently combat such desires in the place of prayer using the appropriate scriptures until grace to control such desires has been supplied. Go into today knowing that learning to subject your desires to the truth of the word of God is the secret to victory over sin. Pray: Lord Jesus, help me to live victoriously over sin and death. Amen —Dr. Emmanuel James Bible in 365 Days: Ecclesiastes 1-2 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +234813822454, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202365.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Do You Understand The Word of God?
Matthew 13:19 (KJV)When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. The power of the word of God is in its understanding; the word is powerful in your life to the extent to which you understand it. Paul in Ephesians 1:17-21 prayed like this: “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.” Did you know that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the power at work in you? There should be no dead situations in your life because of this power. But if there is, could it be that you are yet to understand the word of God with respect to those situations? Go into today asking the Holy Spirit who is the author of the word to help your understanding so that you would begin to enjoy the riches of the glory of His inheritance for you. —Dr. Emmanuel James Bible in 365 Days: Psalms 122-124 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +234813822454, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202364.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
Then The Lord Will Take Me Up
Psalm 27:10 (KJV)When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. A little girl read this verse above and went to her parents crying saying “Please, I want God to take me up but I don’t want you to forsake me. Must you forsake me before God can take me up?” Should we begin to pray that our fathers and mothers forsake us so that God can take us up? What then is the message in today’s scripture? Actually, God fathered Adam, the progenitor of the over six billion people in the world today. If you read Luke 3:38, you will see that through Adam, God is the father of us all. He expects the believer to know and act with the understanding that He is the father over all. The Sin that hinders the experience of the reality of God as Father has been removed for the believer and he has been born again into God’s family through the stronger lineage of Jesus the last Adam. God is your source. He is the one really responsible for your sustenance. Even if your parents fail or forsake you, God (your source) will sustain you because your sustenance is His responsibility. Just like every spiritual reality we experience, this reality is activated for us by faith. In Matthew 23:9, Jesus says this: “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven”. So, if your Father is in heaven and He is responsible for you, then your supplies are dependent on heaven’s resources and should not be limited by the economic climate around you (see Phil 4:19). It is after knowing this truth that you can truly approach God as your Father; source, and supplier. Go into today determined to take your trust away from men and put it in God alone. God has never failed. He can never fail. —Dr. Emmanuel James Bible in 365 Days: II Chronicles 25-28 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +234813822454, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202363.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
The Need for Discipleship 2
John 21:15 (KJV) So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. After Larry submitted himself to discipleship, he was now accountable to his discipler who prayerfully monitored his spiritual progress. The first day his discipler visited him in his house, he saw that Lary’s room was decorated with pictures of indecently dressed female pop stars. He also observed that most of Larry’s music was not spiritually edifying at all. Larry’s discipler took time to explain to him that the environment he created around himself was very important, and the pictures he had on his wall were not appropriate for a spirit-filled child of God. Even though some of those autographed pictures cost Larry a lot of money to acquire, he willingly removed them and destroyed them. He also got rid of all his music that was not spiritually edifying. His discipler spent some time in his house that day. They ate together, studied the word of God together, and took some time to pray. Larry had many questions and many assumptions that were wrong, but his discipler answered his questions and corrected his wrong assumptions. Larry and his discipler continued to meet regularly, talk on the phone, and pray together. Larry observed that because of his interaction with his discipler, he became much stronger spiritually. With time, Larry too became a soul winner and discipler. Discipleship is the way by which more mature believers feed the Lord’s lambs (newborn believers). Those who truly love the Lord would be involved in this ministry (see John 21:15,17). Many have fallen away not because they did not truly believe but because they were not discipled by anyone. Go into today asking the Lord to help you play your part in the end-time harvest. — Abraham Damilola ArigiYearly Bible: Deuteronomy 4-6 Streamglobe is nondenominational. Kindly share this Devotional with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Send inquiries, testimonies, and prayer requests here(WhatsApp): +234813822454, +2348034420524 http://listen.streamglobe.org/Devotional%20Audio%202362.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS