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

You Can Shine Like a Star Forever! “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”  (Daniel 12:3) You have the potential to be a real star for all of eternity, shining in all of the brilliance of a glorified body. Those who are engaged in turning many to righteousness will shine even more brilliantly, according to this passage and other passages of Scripture. Since the Word of God and the souls of people will be the only things to last forever, it makes sense for us to spend our  time, talent, and treasure —the three Ts—to win as many people to Jesus Christ as possible. The eternal factor, that all of the human race has to consider, is the most important decision an individual faces. It determines our  eternal destiny ! In the Proverbs we are exhorted to seek wisdom. Such wisdom includes being involved in winning souls for Christ by helping in this endeavor known as the Great ...

“...Dear friends, now we are the children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is...” (1 John 3:2) Start Thinking as a Son It’s easy to have the wrong image of ourselves. The Scripture says, “Now we are the children of God,” but too many times, we live as though we don’t deserve to be blessed because we’ve made too many mistakes and had too many negative things come against us. We live with a slave mentality to mediocrity, to guilt, to lack, to addictions. Stop thinking as a slave and start thinking as a son. Stop thinking about what you’ve been through and the mistakes you’ve made, and start thinking about who you are. A son of the Most High God doesn’t live feeling guilty and condemned about past mistakes; he receives mercy and moves forward. A son or daughter has a boldness, a confidence. You’ll expect God’s favor. You’ll believe for doors to open for you that you don’t deserve...

The Blessings of Obeying God “Do whatever he tells you.”   (John 2:5) Obedience to God results in blessing. Many times we experience a blessing far beyond any reasonable expectation. This happened when Jesus turned the water into wine at a wedding feast. The people ran out of wine and Jesus’s mother told the servants that whatever Jesus told them to do, they should do. When they obeyed the instructions of Jesus to pour the water into the large jars, Jesus turned the water in the best-tasting wine of the wedding feast. This was totally unexpected since the best wine was usually consumed at the beginning of the celebration. Professions of faith mean little without confirming acts of obedience that are in response to our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our obedience proves that we love him. As we practice listening to him and obeying him, he will reveal more of himself to us. Not only that, but he will also work on behalf of those who have a heart that is loyal to him. By feasting on ...

“...Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?...” (John 6:9) Truly Fulfilled In today’s Scripture, a little boy had a sack lunch—five loaves of bread and two fish. Nothing much. Yet when thousands of people were hungry, Jesus took his lunch, multiplied it, and fed the whole crowd. Think about the boy’s mother who made the lunch. She was a homemaker raising a child without a title or acclaim. But titles don’t bring fulfillment. Keeping up with your neighbors doesn’t bring happiness. Trying to impress your friends will make your life miserable, but understanding your assignment and being comfortable with who God made you to be are what bring true fulfillment. Don’t discount the gift God has given you. Are you secure enough to play the role that God has given you? Are you comfortable enough to not have to be number one, to have the title, to keep up with others? The beauty of our God is that He has given every one of us a speci...

An Insatiable Thirst for God’s Friendship and Favor “ After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ ”   Acts 13:22 God is looking for people of character. If we could grasp the significance of how important this is to God, we could be candidates for fulfilling missions God has appointed to be done during the time we have on earth. David was such a man – a man after God’s heart. He had an insatiable thirst for relationship with God. He yearned for God’s friendship and favor. When he messed up, he confessed his sin. When He learned what God’s will was, he was prompt in seeing that it was done. By the grace of God, we can determine to be a person after God’s heart. But good intentions are not enough. Someone said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. God needs people who will execute and obey his will wholeheartedly. Elsewhere in the S...

“...Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you...” (Luke 10:19) You Have the Authority If God be for you, who dare be against you? Quit telling yourself, “I’ll always struggle in this area. I’ll never lose this weight. I’ll never get out of debt.” Change your perspective. You are not weak, defeated, or inferior. You are full of “can do” power. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives inside you. Tap into that power. Greater is He that’s in you than he that comes against you. You are more than a conqueror. Now start putting things under your feet. Think of that word tread in today’s Scripture. One translation says “to trample.” God has not only put it under your feet, but He has armed you with authority and strength to be victorious. He has already equipped you. If you will see these obstacles as being under your feet, as being already defeated, a new boldness will rise up. Your fai...

Fishing for Spiritual Riches “‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’”  (Matthew 4:19) Have you ever asked yourself, “What am I fishing for?” Everyone is fishing for something, whether that’s fulfillment, peace, pleasure, material sufficiency, or contentment. Unfortunately, in striving for these things, many miss out on God’s plan for their life since they pay little or no attention to him. Actually, God is the source and provider of all of these things. When Jesus called the disciples, he said he would make them fishers of people. Note the difference in fishing for the  produce of the sea  and fishing for  people . The fish of the sea are perishable. When they are caught in a net and brought to land, they are literally dead meat. In the context of fishing for  people , though, the person who is spiritually dead before being “caught” suddenly becomes spiritually alive. That person has the guarantee of a wonderful eternal dest...

Loving and merciful God, thank you for the free gift of your grace. Through your Son, Jesus, you have set me free from sin. Strengthen my faith and guide me in the way of your truth. Amen.

Stay Focused, Daddy!  “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work.’”  (John 4:34) What an illustration this is for the person practicing  King dom of God. We need to stay focused on the important things in life. Jesus was on a mission. His will was to do the will of him who sent him, and to finish the work he was sent to do. We should have the same desire and goal. That is, we want to finish the work God has gifted us to do before we leave this world. We are on a mission: a mission to help fulfill the Great Commission. Questions to ask yourself: Have I captured the vision of the mission God has gifted me to do? Am I focused in some way in helping to fulfill the Great Commission?

Your World is Passing Away Before Your Very Eyes “For the form of this world is passing away.”   (1 Corinthians 7:31) Time is passing quickly. This has become a stark reality for me. The company I used to work for is now gone, having been purchased by another company. My formal work career has passed away. The house we lived in for years has been sold and is now gone. When I look in the mirror in the morning, the evidence is increasing that even my body is passing away. When you think about it, we are only “renting” or leasing our bodies for a period of time. We are going to have to turn them in at some point. The question facing those of us who realize the importance of the brevity of life is,  how should I be spending the time I have left in this world? Jesus tells us not to labor for the food that perishes, but for that which leads to eternal life. This makes me think about how I leverage what is perishing into the imperishable? How do I leverage the mortal into immortality...

Merciful and loving God, your promises are sure, and my hope in you is like an anchor, grounded in trust in you. I want to grow in my understanding of your ways so that I might live by the teachings of Jesus. Increase my wisdom as I seek to serve you faithfully. Amen.

“...to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment...” (1 Timothy 6:17) Enjoy the Simple Things Don’t miss a great season in your life wishing you had more, complaining about what you don’t have. The real joy in life is in the simple things—making memories with your family, riding your bikes together, watching the sunset with your spouse, or staring up at the stars at night. You don’t have to have big vacations or lots of money to have fun. Learn to enjoy the simple things in life. Could it be that you’re at the right place for the season that you’re in, but you’re not enjoying it? Maybe if you would step back and see it from a new perspective, you would realize that God has you in the palms of His hands. He knows where you are, what you like, and what you don’t like. Instead of living discontented, frustrated, always wishing you were somewhere else, embrace the place where you are. See the good. Be grateful for what you have. A Prayer for Today “Fat...

Have You Captured the Vision? “Then the Lord… said, ‘Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.’”  (Habakkuk 2:2) Can you think of a more worthwhile cause to join than one ordained by God? The last command of Jesus Christ was for his disciples to go into all the world and make disciples. He gives us the privilege to join in the greatest movement in the history of the world: to help save mankind from the coming destruction and judgment of God. Each generation has the responsibility to reach the peoples of their time with the gospel of Jesus Christ. For me this means to capture the vision, to run with the mission, to help fulfill the Great Commission! Only the Word of God and the souls of people are going to last forever. Everything else will be destroyed. What does this say to us as to how we should invest our time, talent, and treasure while we are in this world? Today, ask yourself: Have I captured the vision God has for me? Why not join his caus...

“...Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other...” (Genesis 37:19) Protect Your Dream As a young man, God gave Joseph a dream that one day his parents and his brothers would bow down before him. Joseph should have used more wisdom and not told them about his dream. Some people can’t handle what God has put inside you. They won’t celebrate you; rather, as Joseph’s brothers did, they’ll get jealous of you and start finding fault. When you have a dream, you’re going to have some detractors. Sometimes the people closest to you will be the least supportive. When you believe that you can overcome an illness, pay off your house, or be successful in spite of past mistakes, some people will become jealous and try to make you look bad or try to talk you out of it. Don’t try to prove who you are or convince them to believe in you. You don’t need their approval. You have Almighty God’s approval. You wouldn’t have that opposition if you didn’t have something great in you. A Prayer for Today ...

“Here I am, Lord. Send Me!” “ Then I heard the Lord asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?’ I said, ‘Here I am. Send me. )  Scripture: Isai ah 6:8 “Are you available?” We need to ask ourselves this question. Often, we don’t want to accept responsibility to do things others ask of us. This was also true in Bible times. Moses didn’t want to go to Egypt to be the spokesman for leading the people out of their Egyptian captivity. He offered all kinds of excuses. Gideon questioned why God would choose him, when he came from such a poor tribe, to head up the means for freeing his people from their oppressors. Jonah ran away from the responsibility God called him to. When it was time to anoint Saul king, they found him hiding in the baggage! God is looking for available people to do his work. Jesus said the harvest was full, but the laborers are few. When it comes to investing our time, talent, and treasure for a life that will echo into eternity, we...

“...When the builders completed the foundation of the Temple, the priests…blew their trumpets; and…crashed their cymbals to praise the Lord…singing this song: “He is good, and his love and mercy toward Israel will last forever...” (Ezra 3:10–11) Celebrate Partial Victories The Israelites had a dream to rebuild the temple. It was a huge task. After much work and frustration, they finally finished the foundation. They hadn’t even started the walls, yet they had a huge party. They could have said, “Forget it. We’re never going to finish,” but instead, they celebrated the small victory. We all have things in our life that are incomplete. We’ve made some progress, but the dream hasn’t come to pass, a problem hasn’t turned around. Too often we wait for the total victory to celebrate. “When I get out of debt, I’ll be grateful.” But the key to seeing it come to fulfillment is to not let its completion hold your thanksgiving hostage. Celebrate partial victories along the way. When you pay off o...

Fish Hard! Life is Short! Jesus Christ came to “…purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”  (Titus 2:14) The above sign hit me between the eyes when I first saw it at a dock where many boats left daily to go fishing. It brings to mind many possible spiritual applications Jesus taught that are so relevant for today. In Titus 2:14, Paul states clearly we have been redeemed as a special people to be zealous for doing good works. This passage helps define the purpose for why we have been left in this world. Jesus came to finish the work that God, the Father, had given him to do. In fact, Scripture says that zeal for his Father’s house would consume him. Jesus also knew his time was limited. There was a sense of urgency about his life and his limited time in this world. This urgent pattern for living should characterize us. I want to “FISH HARD” during the time God has given me to live. With each passing day, we become aware that  life is truly short . Lif...

“...Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom...” (2 Corinthians 3:17) Live in Freedom If you’re always thinking about something negative that happened yesterday, last month, last year, there’s no freedom there. That’s where the Spirit of the Lord was. This is a new day. Quit living in what was and come over into what is. Right now there is freedom, joy, peace, and restoration for you. Right now there are new beginnings. Remaining upset and offended about what happened yesterday doesn’t bring freedom. Living in regret of what you should have done or what could have been doesn’t do anything productive. It’s time to drop it and move forward. You may be a product of your past, but you don’t have to be a prisoner of your past. God already knew every hurt, every loss, and every mistake you would go through. The good news is that for every setback, He’s already arranged a comeback; for every disappointment, a new beginning; for every failure, restoration; for all the ashes, He has be...

Join the Few of the Few: Become a Kingdom Investor “Because narrow is the gate…which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  (Matthew 7:14) You and I have a decision to make. Do we want to become a  strategic Kingdom Investor , developing a life that will echo into eternity in a positive way? If so, we will have to abandon the way of the crowd, and the multiple voices of the world that compete for our attention every day. Jesus said that few in the world would choose the narrow way of salvation, but would prefer the broad way to destruction. When it comes to making strategic investments of  time, talent, and treasure  for the advancement of God’s kingdom, only a few of the few grasp and run with the eternal mission assigned to the believers left in this world. The Bible calls this  discipleship . It is a discipline to join the few of the few who are on a mission, investing themselves to help others find and develop a personal relationship with Jesus Chri...

“...Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people...” (Proverbs 3:3–4) Stay Committed At any point in His ministry, and especially as He approached the cross, Jesus could have said, “I’ve loved these people, healed them, and served them, but they treat me badly. I’ve had enough. I’m done.” But Jesus stayed committed when it was hard, when it wasn’t fair, when He had every right to quit. He was unyielding when it came to fulfilling His destiny, even at the cost of His own life. Is there something you’ve been tempted to give up on, to take the easy way out, to slack off—a dream, a relationship, a job? You may have a good reason to walk away, to back off, to not be your best, but God is saying, “Stay committed, stay determined, keep doing the right thing.” If you’ll stay committed to your dreams, to your marriage, to your friends, to your job, God is going ...

Sin is Crouching at Your Door—Be on Your Guard! “ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”  (Genesis 4:7) We must always be on our guard against the wiles of the evil one. As we can see from this message God gave to Cain in Genesis 4:7, sin is indeed crouching at every person’s door. We must rule over the power of sin that desires to have us. The secret to overcoming sin is to be aggressive in fulfilling the mission God has given us, fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are  powered by the Holy Spirit , we will be able to see the Holy Spirit put to death the misdeeds of our body, just as it is written in Romans: “ Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you...

Lord Jesus, forgive me for the ways in which I have failed to live by your Word. Help me to listen when you speak, and fill me with life anew, that I may become your faithful servant. Amen.

Hey! There’s No Armor for my Back! “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”  (Ephesians 6:11) At the Gettysburg battleground there is a small plaque that says, “Write home, and tell them I died facing the enemy.” The Christian life is all about advancing, pressing forward, running a race, forgetting those things that are behind – all for the purpose of accomplishing God’s will on this earth. We invade the darkness with the light of the Gospel, going into all the world with all of the means God has given us. Retreat is not an option. We are in a battle, taking new ground. After taking it, we stand firm. It is interesting to note the armor of God that we put on. Apparently, no provision is mentioned for our back. As Christians, we are to advance, not retreat. We are to invade our culture, keeping the culture from invading the church. Others have said that the best defense is a good offense. The more active we can be in pursuing the g...

Lord Jesus, you call us to be your disciples and to care for one another. Open my eyes to the “lambs and sheep” I encounter today, and teach me to share with them your message of love and salvation. Amen.

Are You The Owner? “ My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways. ” (Proverbs 23:26) Q:  “What is the process of withdrawing money from the bank of mammon and depositing it in the bank of heaven?” We recently received this question from a reader of the  Kingdom Of God   book. Withdrawing funds from the bank of mammon and depositing them in the bank of heaven is basically an attitude. Our attitude toward ourselves and everything we have changes as we cultivate our relationship with Jesus Christ. Who owns us? Who owns what we have in our possession? Kingdom Of God thinkers come to the realization that we are  stewards  of the  time, talent, and resources  God has entrusted to us. God is the  owner . He bought us with the precious shed blood of his Son. The first  Kingdom Of God Applied devotional  cites Proverbs –  My son, give me your heart . If God has our heart, he has everything related to us including the mone...

“...Touch not my anointed ones...” (Psalm 105:15) The Power of the Blessing You are God’s anointed. When people come against you, they’re also coming against the God who put the blessing on you. The good news is, you don’t have to fight those battles. Don’t try to do it in your own strength. You have a defender. Stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord. The people and circumstances you’re up against may seem bigger and more powerful, but stay in peace. The blessing on you is greater than what’s trying to stop you. The Scripture says that what God has blessed, no man can curse. The blessing on you is more powerful than any betrayal, than any negative word spoken over you, than people trying to discredit you. Nobody can take that blessing from you. That means you are blessed no matter what people or circumstances say. Here’s the key: the blessing did not come from people, so it cannot be taken away by people. A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for the anointing You have put on ...

Ready to Do Good Works? “ Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. ” (2 Timothy 2:21) In order to perform effective and safe surgeries, a surgeon must take extreme caution to ensure that instruments are properly sterilized. Otherwise there is a risk of serious infection occurring. Uncleansed instruments are not useful to the surgeon. One function of God’s Word is to cleanse us as we  soak  our heart in it. This is vitally necessary if we are to be effective instruments fit for use by God. God has a special purpose for each Christian. He wants to work through us; however, he must have cleansed “instruments” so he can use us for noble purposes. Scripture tells us, “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ” (1 John 1:9) We can think of this core verse as a spiritual “bar of soap” and embed it ...