TRUE SECURITY
Luke 12:15-20 (NLT) Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”‘ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ In the story above, the rich man believed that if he could store up enough resources, he would have all he needs for years to come. But he was not wise because he failed to realize that life is not just about money, there is more to life than what money can buy. If it wasn’t clear to him before, it was clear that night his money could not save his life. It is very offensive to God when someone begins to think that because of his savings, he has what it takes to sustain himself for a season of his life. Many Christians have been plagued with incurable diseases when they got to the point where they started to feel secure because of some money they have saved up somewhere. This mindset shifted their security from the covering of the Lord to the covering of mammon. But there are so many things money cannot protect you from. Any Christian that does not yet understand this truth cannot be free from covetousness. Go into today remembering that there is more to life than money. It is God who keeps you alive, protects you, and meets your every need. Let your hope and security be in God alone.—Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible In One Year: Exodus 9-12 (in today’s audio)Audio Bible credit: Bible Experience, Zondervan Tune in to Streamglobe radio☞ https://streamglobe.org/radio Kindly forward this devotional to your contacts and let’s bless lives together. Streamglobe is nondenominational https://listen.streamglobe.org/DevotionalAudio3670.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:06 — 9.8MB)Subscribe: RSS
RUNNING TO WIN
2 Timothy 2:5 (NLT) And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. Back in my university days, a very bright student who was the best in his class was expelled. He was expelled because he was caught cheating in an examination. He was a very hard-working and dedicated student but he did not graduate because he did not follow the school’s examination guidelines. Every man who has confessed Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior is in a race. To win in this race, the rules must be followed. What then is this rule? Jesus said, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (see Matt 16:24, 2 Tim 2:4) Our duty is to seek to please the Lord in all we do and He will help us follow Him. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit, who, when allowed, helps us to live lives pleasing to the Lord. By trying to be holy or righteous on your own, you will fall into self-righteousness and that is not the God kind of righteousness. Go into today determined to allow the Holy Spirit help you please the Lord and win in this race. Prayer: Father, I thank you for the Holy Spirit that empowers me to deny myself and take up my cross daily. I ask that you help me always yield to Him, in Jesus’ name. Amen.—Dr. James Emmanuel 🔊Download Today’s Audio Here☞ http://bit.ly/aud3669Bible In One Year: I Corinthians 15-16 (in today’s audio)Audio Bible credit: Bible Experience, Zondervan Tune in to Streamglobe radio☞ https://streamglobe.org/radio Kindly forward this devotional to your contacts and let’s bless lives together. Streamglobe is nondenominational https://listen.streamglobe.org/DevotionalAudio3669.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
WALKING IN THE BLESSING 2
Psalm 1:1-3 (NKJV) Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. Blessing is spiritual, but the manifestation should be physical for all to see. For example, we see that the blessing of the lord maketh rich, and He adds no sorrow(Prov 10:22). The blessing is spiritual but the riches are physical for all to see. There are many Christians who know that they are blessed, but they have not started seeing the manifestations of the blessing. When we became born again, it happened literally to our spirits. But it is as we allow the Holy Spirit to use God’s word to change the way we think that there will be the physical manifestation of the righteous nature we received in our spirits when we became born again. In the same way, the blessings we have received are spiritual blessings in heavenly places (see Eph 1:3). It is as we allow the Holy Spirit to change our outlook on life (from that of the ungodly), and let Him change our thinking patterns through His word (as we meditate on it day and night), that we will see the physical manifestation of our spiritual blessing. Psalm 1:3 describes these manifestations:When there is an economic recession, we will not be affected because we are like trees planted by the rivers of water, and whatever we do shall prosper. These are manifestations of the blessing. These manifestations come as we allow the word of God to change the way we think and see life. Go into today knowing that you are blessed with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places where Satan has no power to steal. Confession: I am constantly transformed by the renewing of my mind. Everything I do shall prosper in Jesus’ name. Amen.—Abraham Damilola Arigi 🔊Download Today’s Audio Here☞ http://bit.ly/aud3668Bible In One Year: Mark 9-10 (in today’s audio)Audio Bible credit: Bible Experience, Zondervan Tune in to Streamglobe radio☞ https://streamglobe.org/radio Kindly forward this devotional to your contacts and let’s bless lives together. Streamglobe is nondenominational https://listen.streamglobe.org/DevotionalAudio3668.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
WALKING IN THE BLESSING
Psalm 1:1 (NKJV) Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful From when Kalu was a teenager, he had become born again. He was very committedto youth fellowship from his teenage years. When he was now married many years later, he noticed that he did not enjoy the blessing of God as he expected. He found out through prophecy that it was because He was not living his life according to Psalm 1. He wondered because he did not have any unbeliever friends, nor could he recall ever sitting with sinners to discuss. But as he examined his life closely under the light of God’s word, he realized that even though he never consulted ungodly people for counsel, he was now living his life according to their counsel and judgments. When a Christian has the same value system and worldview as the ungodly, he walks in their counsel. For example, the world believes that getting money is the most essential thing in life and that a man’s life is defined by the abundance of the things he has. If a Christian believes this too, that Christian is living according to the counsel of the ungodly, whether he sits with them or not. Having the same mindset as that of the ungodly is a hindrance to the manifestation of your blessing. Go into today asking the Lord to deliver you from every mindset and outlook to life that is contrary to His word and will.—Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible In One Year: Jeremiah 12-16 (in today’s audio)Audio Bible credit: Bible Experience, Zondervan Tune in to Streamglobe radio☞ https://streamglobe.org/radio Kindly forward this devotional to your contacts and let’s bless lives together. Streamglobe is nondenominational https://listen.streamglobe.org/DevotionalAudio3667.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
LOVE NOT THE WORLD
1 John 2:15-17 (NLT) Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. Bankole wanted to love God and serve Him with his life. But he also loved the world. And this made it impossible for him to love God. He loved the world because he lived his life for this world and not for God. He was controlled by cravings for physical pleasure, greed, and the need to prove to people that he was not a failure. What does it mean to love the world? It means your pursuit in life is to get the things of this world. It means your first priority in life is not the kingdom of God. If we spend our lives trying to get only what the world offers, it means we love the world. But if we spend our lives living for the kingdom of God, it means we Love God. God will then cause all the things we need to come to us. It may seem that a man who does not spend his life pursuing after the things of this world is losing out. It may appear that he is unambitious and even foolish. But the man who seeks first the kingdom of God is a very wise man. He has chosen to seek eternal riches rather than temporal earthly riches that are worthless in eternity. God will also take responsibility for the needs of such a man. Remember, money can fail, but God never fails. Go into today knowing that if your pursuit in life is to please and serve God, God will take care of every other need in your life.—Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible In One Year: Job 29-30 (in today’s audio)Audio Bible credit: Bible Experience, Zondervan Tune in to Streamglobe radio☞ https://streamglobe.org/radio Kindly forward this devotional to your contacts and let’s bless lives together. Streamglobe is nondenominational
SPIRITUAL GROWTH
1 John 2:13 (NKJV) I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. Yesterday, we saw that proper knowledge of God can only be experienced as we grow more and more into the fullness of the stature of His nature (see Eph 4:13-14). A little child may not know much about his father, but he knows his father as “daddy”. His father may be a lot of great things like a king, a great inventor, or a great artist, but the child simply knows him as ‘daddy’. There are so many aspects of God that we can only access as we know Him in those dimensions. Some have come to know the Lord as their healer, but have not come to know Him as their provider. So even though they have enjoyed divine health for years, they still owe their landlord house rent and cannot pay essential bills. This is not God’s will. The first revelation of God every Christian must grasp is that God is Father. He is our source and provider. He takes responsibility for us. As we grow in our walk with God, we discover that He has empowered us to overcome the wicked one. We no longer come crying to daddy every time the wicked one raises his ugly head, but we resist and overcome him. We know we have been given the power to take kingdom responsibility and increase our kingdom’s territory, overcoming the wicked one every step of the way. Go into today knowing that God is your Father who empowers you to become like Him in this world.Ask the Lord to help you continually grow in your walk with Him.—Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible In One Year: Psalms 42-44 (in today’s audio)Audio Bible credit: Bible Experience, Zondervan Tune in to Streamglobe radio☞ https://streamglobe.org/radio Kindly forward this devotional to your contacts and let’s bless lives together. Streamglobe is nondenominational https://listen.streamglobe.org/DevotionalAudio3665.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
SPIRITUAL MATURITY
1 John 2:12-13 (NKJV) I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. 13 I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. Dare thought he knew his father when he was a child, but as he grew to become a man, he realized that he didn’t really know his father when he was a child. As an adult, he could now relate to his father on a higher level, and he now could say that he knows his father. Children do not have the ability to fully know their parents until they have grown to maturity. A baby thinks he knows his daddy, but there is so much about his daddy he cannot know as a baby. In the first stage of our walk with God, we are little children. We became God’s children because our sins were forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus. As we grow in our walk with God, we grow into maturity and grow to know God. Those who have grown to know God are those referred to in today’s Bible text as fathers. Knowledge of God is not just knowledge about God. Knowledge of God is born from the experience of Him and constant fellowship and dealings with Him. The spiritually mature are those who know His voice. They can differentiate it from that of the devil because their senses have been developed. They are now sheep and no more lambs. Jesus says His sheep knows His voice (see John 10:27), but we see that He also has lambs (John 21:15). Lambs grow to become sheep. Go into today desiring to know God and grow into spiritual maturity. It is only the mature that can wield his mighty power and authority. Heavenly Father, please help me to continually grow in the knowledge of God. Deliver me from all distractions In Jesus’ name. Amen.—Abraham Damilola Arigi YBP: I Samuel 21-25 Bible In One Year: Exodus 5-8 (in today’s audio)Audio Bible credit: Bible Experience, Zondervan Tune in to Streamglobe radio☞ https://streamglobe.org/radio Kindly forward this devotional to your contacts and let’s bless lives together. Streamglobe is nondenominational https://listen.streamglobe.org/DevotionalAudio3664.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:53 — 9.4MB)Subscribe: RSS
WALK IN THE LIGHT
1 John 2:11 (NKJV) But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.In the spirit realm, there are two kingdoms seeking to dominate men. The first is the kingdom of light, and the second is the kingdom of darkness. Anyone walking in the light is under the control and influence of Jesus the Light of the world. Anyone walking in the light is walking in constant fellowship with God because God is light (see 1 John 1:5), this also means the person is walking in God’s nature. The most domineering attribute of God is love. God is love (see 1 John 4:8). He that walks in the light walks in love. Anyone walking under the influence of the kingdom of darkness is still subject to the control of Satan and the spiritual rulers of the darkness of this world. Such a person does not walk in God’s nature because his life is not ruled by God. One of the domineering attributes of Satan is hatred. When hatred has fully matured, it produces murder. That is why he who hates his brother is a potential murderer (see 1 John 3:16). Satan was a murderer from the beginning because he is filled with hatred (see John 8:44). Many Christians are still partly under the influence and dominion of darkness because they have not allowed the love of God to take root in their hearts. They have not accepted their Christian brethren as their family but still have the ability to nurse hatred toward them. Walking in love ensures that we walk in the light. Go into today knowing that anyone that is born of God and knows God walks in love for God’s children.—Abraham Damilola Arigi 🔊Download Today’s Audio Here☞ http://bit.ly/aud3661Bible In One Year: Exodus 5-8 (in today’s audio)Audio Bible credit: Bible Experience, Zondervan Kindly forward this devotional to your contacts and let’s bless lives together. Streamglobe is nondenominational https://listen.streamglobe.org/DevotionalAudio3663.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
FORGIVE 2
Eph 4:32 (AMP) And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you. Bimbo had six siblings. They were all living outside the country. She was the only one in the country. This meant that she was particularly expected to check on her parents from time to time. But each time she went to visit her parents, her mother would say things to make her feel inferior to her younger ones who are outside the country. This really offended Bimbo, but she would always find a way to forgive her mother and still show her love. I’ve found that it is easy for us to forgive our family members who offend us, but many of us find it more difficult to forgive members of our eternal family– members of the body of Christ. Could it be because we have not understood that what joins us as brethren in Christ is even stronger than flesh and blood that joins us to our earthly family members? Jesus makes it quite clear that many will be rejected because they did not love their Christian brothers and sisters (his brethren). See Matt 25:31-46. Those truly born of God would love His children (see 1 John 4:7-8). Go into today knowing that you have one body, one spirit, one hope, one calling, one Lord, and one eternal destination with your Christian brothers and sisters.—Abraham Damilola Arigi Bible In One Year: I Corinthians 13-14 (in today’s audio)Audio Bible credit: Bible Experience, Zondervan Tune in to Streamglobe radio☞ https://streamglobe.org/radio Kindly forward this devotional to your contacts and let’s bless lives together. Streamglobe is nondenominational https://listen.streamglobe.org/DevotionalAudio3662.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()Subscribe: RSS
FORGIVE
Eph 4:31 (AMP) Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). Nkechi was deeply offended by what Amaka did. Because of this, she kept malice with her and started nursing hatred in her heart towards Amaka. Even though they were members of the same subgroup in the Church, Nkechi made sure that she never had to have anything to do with Amaka, even though Amaka had apologized. No evil intentions were behind Amaka’s actions; she was just acting foolishly. But Nkechi blamed Amaka for her ended courtship with bro Fidelis. Amaka had told Fidelis some things about Nkechi that Nkechi was still summoning the courage to tell him. What Nkechi did not know was that her latent hatred for Amaka was now affecting her fellowship with God. Because of this, she couldn’t pray, and things in her life only got worse. She even lost her job. Because of all her challenges, she took out some time to seek the face of the Lord in prayer and fasting. This was when she realized that she needed to forgive Amaka. As soon as she did, she realized that she could now pray with more grace and power. The Lord answered her prayers and gave her a better job. She also got engaged to someone who loved her more than Fidelis did. Many times, Christians walk in a fraction of their glory because they allow strife, contention, and malice to grow in their midst. Christians should be the most forgiving people because we are the ones who have been forgiven the most. We should understand mercy and forgiveness because God in Christ Jesus forgave us and wiped our record of transgression. Go into today remembering that it is contrary to your divine nature to nurse malice and hatred against anyone. You have been given the ability to walk above these.—Abraham Damilola ArigiBible In One Year: Mark 7-8 (in today’s audio)Audio Bible credit: Bible Experience, Zondervan Tune in to Streamglobe radio☞ https://streamglobe.org/radio Kindly share this with your contacts and let’s touch lives together. Streamglobe is nondenominational https://listen.streamglobe.org/DevotionalAudio3661.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:40 — 5.6MB)Subscribe: RSS