Oluwafemi .The Word of God is a light to my Path.

Be Genuine “ Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ” (James 1:22)  The call of a mockingbird can be deceiving. Scripture warns us not to be deceived spiritually, but to “ Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? ” (2 Corinthians 13:5)  Jesus spoke harshly of the Pharisees, referring to them as hypocrites, people who pretended to be something they were not. There are people who wear the label “Christian,” but their “walk” is inconsistent with their “talk.”  Scripture says, “ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ” (Galatians 6:7–8)  Those who sincerely practice the principles of  Kingdom of God  protect themselves against the dangers of being

Praise the LORD! Lord God, I praise you for all the mighty things you have done. May the joyful noises I make be pleasing to you. Give me the confidence to sing, dance, and play boldly in my worship of you. Amen.

"Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name..." (Malachi 3:16) God's Book of Remembrance Do you ever keep special cards or emails from loved ones? People do this because those words of love and encouragement are important. In the same way, your words and thoughts of love are important to God, too. Did you know He has a Book of Remembrance? In this book, every time we talk about Him or thank Him for His goodness, He has the angels write it down. When you just think about God, the angels record it. In fact, this moment right now, the angels are writing it down in the Book of Remembrance. This book is not up on a dusty storeroom shelf in heaven somewhere. The Scripture says, “It stays constantly before God, wide open, as a reminder of those who are thinking of Him.” God loves you so much and values your love, too.

A Comforting Truth “ Now this is what the Lord says. He created you, people of Jacob; he formed you, people of Israel. He says, ‘Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine.’ ” (Isaiah 43:1)  How comforting to realize that God knows us by name. He has created us, formed us, and even fashioned our hearts individually. “ He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. ” (Psalm 33:15)  Each of us is unique and special, created for fulfilling a specific purpose.  Our priority must be to discover what we have been designed for, so we can find God’s purpose for us. Then we can be busy doing the works he has prepared for us. “ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. ” (Ephesians 2:10)  When we are used for our designed purpose, we can live the abundant life.  We must listen for the voice of the Shepherd, “ The one who guards the

"Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel—which, when translated, means, God with us..." (Matthew 1:23) God With Us All throughout the Bible, Jesus has many names according to His attributes. In this verse, He is called Emmanuel, which means "God with us." Aren’t you glad we serve a God who is with us? He’s not far away looking down on us; He is with us! And as believers, He’s not just around us, He’s actually living inside us. That means you never have to be alone or feel afraid. Do you need Emmanuel today? Do you need to feel His presence? He is closer than the air you breathe. When you call on Him, He will answer. As you worship and thank Him for His faithfulness, His presence will manifest in your life, and you will experience Him in ways you never imagined. Take time right now to acknowledge Emmanuel. Thank Him for dwelling inside you. Give Him first place in your life, and as you do, He’l

Kingdom View of Money “ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. ” (Psalm 19:9-11)  The Bible warns us about the deceitfulness of riches. I have come to the conclusion that money is like a rattlesnake. It has to be handled carefully.  It is paramount we understand and take to heart what the Scripture says about money. If we are not careful, it can become the god of our life. In fact, we are counseled to desire God and his Word more than riches.  Here are some passages that tell us the same thing.  In Proverbs we learn, “ Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold. ” (Proverbs 8:10)  Job tells us, “… and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravine

"In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you also are being built together..." (Ephesians 2:22) God Didn't Intend For Us To Go It Alone The Scripture says in Psalm 133:1 that it brings pleasure to the Lord to see "brethren dwell together in unity." Imagine that when you come to church and fellowship with other believers, it brings joy to the heart of our heavenly Father and strengthens you as well! It's important to find a church home where you can participate in worship, fellowship, events, small groups, and outreach opportunities. The person who benefits most from this involvement...is you! Wherever you choose to "dwell," you will discover your new beginning and God's purpose for your life. A Prayer for Today "God, I pray for the church today. Without a place for believers to belong, we would grow weak in our faith. Thank you for giving me so many opportunities to unite in communion and fellowship with my brothers and s

A Comforting Truth “ Now this is what the Lord says. He created you, people of Jacob; he formed you, people of Israel. He says, ‘Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine.’ ” (Isaiah 43:1)  How comforting to realize that God knows us by name. He has created us, formed us, and even fashioned our hearts individually. “ He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. ” (Psalm 33:15)  Each of us is unique and special, created for fulfilling a specific purpose.  Our priority must be to discover what we have been designed for, so we can find God’s purpose for us. Then we can be busy doing the works he has prepared for us. “ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. ” (Ephesians 2:10)  When we are used for our designed purpose, we can live the abundant life.  We must listen for the voice of the Shepherd, “ The one who guards the

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me..." (Philippians 4:13) Go Further, Dream Bigger Today, I want to remind you of what God says about you. No matter what’s happening in your life, remember that you are not limited by your resources, your family or your background. Almighty God has anointed, equipped and empowered you. He has given you creativity, ideas, inventions, skills and talents. Don’t you dare settle for a mediocre life! Today, I call forth the seeds of greatness inside you. Today, I declare that your best days are ahead, that you are blessed with success, with supernatural strength, with promotion, and with divine protection. I declare that you can do all things through Christ. I declare that before anyone could put a curse on you, God put a blessing on you. And no matter what they’ve said about you, no matter how they’ve tried to make you feel, the blessing always overrides the curse. Walk and live in that blessing by following His command

Our Hope! “ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our  “  lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. ” (Philippuans 3:20-21)  It is amazing to think we are only passing through a temporary world, knowing the real world awaits us when our “time bubble” breaks, thrusting us into the eternal paradigm. We have the assurance that our citizenship is in heaven and that is where we are heading. In the meantime, we have the prospect of Jesus Christ returning at any moment. This is truly a blessed hope! How encouraging to know that we will be freed from the foolishness of the wisdom and rulers of this age.  I can hardly wait, in God’s timing, to receive a glorified body like the glorified body of Jesus Christ. This body will be beyond anything you and I can think or imagine. “ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in

"Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours..." (Isaiah 61:7) Double For Your Trouble When this Scripture was written, God's people were going through a very dark time. They were being held captive against their will and mistreated by other nations. God sent this word to encourage them and give them hope for their future. When the time came, God was faithful to His Word! Are you going through a difficult time today? Let this word bring you encouragement, too. God wants to give you double for your trouble. He is the God of restoration—that means He's not going to just repay you for every wrong done, He's going to go above and beyond and make things even better than they were before. If you are facing challenges today or going through a time of adversity, remember that it's always darkest

Where’s Your Permanent Home? “ Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. ” (Hebrews 11:16, NIV) Being heavenly minded, but earthly sensitive, is a core principle in practicing  Kingdom   of God. What does that mean? It means that we know we’re passing through this temporary world on the way to our permanent home in heaven. With that in mind, we make choices in light of investing the three Ts –  time, talent, and treasure  – for the advancement of God’s kingdom. Those who came before us did the same thing. Hebrews 11 lists people of faith who, from the beginning of time, chose to listen to God and guided their lives accordingly. The list included Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abram, and Moses. They willingly exchanged many of the temporary pleasures of this world so they could inherit the promises made to them by God. In faith, they looked forward to heaven. We have the sa

I praise you, Lord, because you are my protector and defender, my shelter and my savior, in whom I trust for safety. Reach down and touch me, O God, and embrace me in your loving care. Amen.

God’s Precious Investment “ I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. ” (Ephesians 1:18) As believers in Christ, we are God’s precious inheritance. He has purchased us with the precious blood of Christ, and looks forward to spending eternity with us. “ But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. ” (Ephesians 2:13) God has invested a lot in you and me. He has given us time, talent, and treasure in varying degrees. We will have to give an accounting for the use of these gifts; however, we should view our time in this world as the greatest opportunity to serve in advancing his kingdom. He has given us the assurance of salvation: “ I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal li

Lord God, with my whole heart I worship you and praise your holy name. Every morning when I awaken I will remember to thank you for a new day and for opportunities to praise you; every evening I will remember to thank you for your blessings and for your love and care. Amen.

The Breath of Life “ Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. ” (Genesis 2:7)  We live in a world filled with people who have no fear of God reflected in the way they live. As we can see from the above verse, our very life—every breath and every heartbeat—are sourced in God.  “ In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. ” (Job 12:10)  “ The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. ” (Job 33:4)  “ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ” (Acts 17:25)  We are talking about the power of life that belongs to God. It makes sense that created people should pay deference to their Creator.  There is a general saying that one should not bite the hand that feeds you. It does not make sense to offend the one who can literally

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy]..." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Eternity Is In Your Heart God has placed eternity in the hearts of mankind. Everything we experience not only serves a purpose here on earth, but it serves a purpose for eternity. Right now, God is working in you and putting inside you everything you need to fulfill your eternal destiny. He is making you ready to rule and reign with Him. As long as you are moving forward and gaining strength, you are gaining eternal victory. View what’s going on in your life with an eternal perspective. You have a higher calling; you have a greater purpose. Focus on what God is doing in your life. Don’t allow the little irritations to get you off course or distract you from what God has called you to do. Open your heart and mind and allo

Guarding Our Hearts at All Costs “ Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. ” (Proverbs 4:23)  When we come to Christ, we give him our hearts in worship. This lays the foundation for all that follows in life. “ If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ” (Romans 10:9–10)  As soon as we trust in Jesus Christ, alone, as our Lord and Savior, we are sealed by the Spirit of God, and we are justified and made acceptable to Almighty God. Now that we are secure in him, we are in a position to do the works he has prepared for us to do. We are counseled to “ Let the message of Christ dwell among [us] richly as [we] teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude

"And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us..." (Ephesians 5:2) Esteem One Another We don’t hear the word "esteem" very much in our culture, but the Scripture tells us to esteem and delight in one another. One definition of esteem is "to hold in high regard." That means we are to honor and value one another, even if we don't always agree. They may not always act honorably, but we are to honor and esteem people because they are valuable in the eyes of God. If you had a very costly and valuable piece of jewelry, you wouldn’t just wear it to the gym or leave it on the kitchen sink. No, you would treat it carefully. You would put it in a safe place and protect it. When we see others as valuable the way God sees them, we treat them carefully. We speak respectfully. We look for the good in others and honor them for who God made them to be. The Scripture tells us that the way we treat ot

The Goal:Christ Formed In You! "Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. ” (Galatians 4:19)  Paul went to great pains to say that the ultimate goal is to have the person of Jesus Christ formed in us. We need to realize what it means for Christ to live in and through us—to invite the Spirit of Christ to work as he reveals himself to us. This is a lifelong process; I have yet to realize major aspects of this objective. However, I know that God wants to become more fully developed in my life and in the lives of other believers. So let’s learn together what is involved. One of the first truths to realize, believe, and trust in is this fact:  “ For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. ” (Colossians 2:9–10)  Jesus Christ is inside the believ

"For we who have believed do enter that rest..." (Hebrews 4:3) Enter His Rest God promises that there are "set times" in our future to bring His promises to pass in our lives, but He doesn’t tell us when they will be. Your set time may be tomorrow morning at 9:47. You’ll get the phone call you’ve been waiting for. Your set time may be two years from now. You’ll get a good break that will thrust you to a new level. My question is, “Do you trust God enough to believe that your set times are coming?” Are you willing to wait with a good attitude? Are you willing to get a new perspective? Remember, that set time is already in your future. Don’t let the negative thoughts talk you out of it. The way you know that you’re really believing is when you have rest on the inside. You’re at peace. You know the answer is on the way. You trust that God is working things out. Today, put your faith and trust in Him and enter into rest. Know that He is good and He is for you!

The Goal:Christ Formed In You “ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. ” (2 Corinthians 13:14)  “ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ” (Ephesians 1:17)  Practicing the concepts of  Kingdom of God  is an outgrowth of our relationship with Jesus Christ. He progressively transforms our attitudes, thinking, feelings and actions as his Word invades the depths of our being.  When we receive Christ, he takes up residence inside us and begins molding us into his likeness. This is not a work we do; it is a work of the Holy Spirit. Paul prayed that God would give us a Spirit of wisdom and revelation to know these basic truths. Again we see the word “revelation.” We progress in our Christian walk only to the extent that Christ reveals himself to us, and to the extent we are willing to submit

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed..." (1 Peter 4:12-13) Don't Be Surprised When something is toxic, it’s poisonous; it can destroy you. When we go around dwelling on the wrong thoughts, thinking about what we can’t do or how we’ll never get ahead, those are toxic thoughts. Toxic thoughts left alone become like toxic waste that sinks into your heart. It will eventually contaminate your whole life. It affects your self-image, your attitude, your confidence, and ultimately, your success. That’s why the Scripture says to guard your heart because the condition of your heart and mind determines the condition of your whole life. You need to go through a mental cleansing. Make the decision today to detox any negative, self-defeating thoughts

Be Genuine “ Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ” (James 1:22)  The call of a mockingbird can be deceiving. Scripture warns us not to be deceived spiritually, but to “ Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? ” (2 Corinthians 13:5)  Jesus spoke harshly of the Pharisees, referring to them as hypocrites, people who pretended to be something they were not. There are people who wear the label “Christian,” but their “walk” is inconsistent with their “talk.”  Scripture says, “ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ” (Galatians 6:7–8)  Those who sincerely practice the principles of Kingdom of God protect themselves against the dangers of being a

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed..." (1 Peter 4:12-13) Don't Be Surprised If you know you are going into a challenging season, you can get prepared for it. You can make sure you are mentally ready. But what about the difficulties that we don’t see coming? The unexpected crisis that catches you off guard? Sometimes it can seem so overwhelming and devastating when your life is suddenly turned upside down. The Scripture says that we shouldn’t be surprised by fiery trials. That’s because the forces of darkness would not be fighting against you if they didn’t know that God has something amazing in your future! Sometimes those unexpected difficulties are just a sign that you’re on the right track. It’s always darkest just before the dawn a

Keep Moving! “ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. ’” (Exodus 14:15) A paper weight on my desk has the inscription, “Don’t wait for your ship to come in. Swim out to it!” In practicing  Kindom  of God, we aggressively look for ways to invest our talents for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. People often make the mistake of waiting for their ship to come in – hoping for something to come their way. Good intentions alone are not enough to accomplish any worthwhile objective. Perhaps the Lord is saying, “Stop waiting for your ship; start swimming!” Someone said it is a lot easier to steer a moving car than one that is standing still. As we participate in worthwhile Kingdom efforts, we can more easily see how the Lord is guiding us to the places where we can be the most productive. We need to be alert to areas in which the Spirit of God is moving and blessing the efforts being made on his behalf. Then we have to “swi