You shall have no other gods

Bible Text: Exodus 20:3

The Ten commandments was given to the children of Israel as a guide so they live according to God's standards and enjoy blessings from doing so.

The first two commandments places emphasis on  our relationship with God and its importance. You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below (Exodus 20:3-4)

We mostly hear of a man telling a lady that she is his number one. This sometimes implies that there are others he has but only that she is the number 1. No. This is not how we should treat God. God should not be our number 1 among the many other gods you have, He should be the only One. For he is a jealous God and will not share you with anyone else. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God (Exodus 20:5)

In our present times however things other than wooden or golden idols have taken God's place in our lives. We tend to worship these things and cannot imagine a life without them. These "idols" could be our spouse, children, properties and other things we place our all on. 

Once we bow down to these idols, worshipping these things our love for God grows cold and colder each time. God knows we need these things and he will gladly supply our needs but when we worship the creation instead of the creator we destroy our relationship with the only One we cannot live without, God. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Let God be our only One, and he will surely bless us and the generations after us. the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 2:5-6)

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Prayer: Lord Jesus, I commit my life in your hands. You are my God and have called me by name. Lord help me to have no other gods before you. 

And unto Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ever ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.

Amen!

Beautiful in its time

Bible Text: Ecclesiastes 3:11

We often reminisce on the times we were younger. Having no cares basically playing all day. Life was so much fun we would think.
We cannot get back these times unless we built some sort of time machine to transport us back to these times.

This clearly shows that there is time for everything under the sun. There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die a time to plant and a time to uproot, (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)

These times do not however happen by chance. There is a God who controls these times. He has times and seasons in his hands. He is the creator of times and seasons: And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, (Genesis 1:14)
He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. (Daniel 2:21)

There is no one better that can put your times and seasons into perfect harmony than the one who created you and these times and seasons. In Jeremiah 29:11 God says : For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

It is only God who can make all things in your life beautiful in its time. When we commit all things in his hands and seek to do His will in our lives only then do we allow him to make all things in our lives beautiful. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I commit my life in your hands. You have my times and seasons in your hands. Lord make all things in my life beautiful in its own time.

And unto Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ever ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.

Amen!

Jesus Breaks Every Chain

Bible Text: Psalm 107:13-16

When we watch a documentary and see pictures of the slave trade Era, we see men and women with chains on both hands and feet and another chaining them together. In these conditions they have no will. They do the will of their masters; obeying every command.

Although presently we are not physically chained down, our sinful nature enslaves us. Diseases that do not seem to go away chain us down and prevent us from living a normal life. In the case of addictions, we face withdrawal symptoms when we make a decision to put a stop to the act. Our own body fights itself.

The demon possessed man at the tomb, was however unable to be physically chained, but he was bound by the impure spirit that dwelled in him. This man could not live a normal life. He could not wear clothes or live in a house, his home was the tomb; a very unusual place to be. According to Paul he could not do what he wanted to do. "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. " (Romans 7:19)

The good news is that Jesus breaks every chain and he did this through his sacrifice on the cross of calvary. In Isaiah we see this proclamation, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;" (Isaiah 61:1)

Jesus can and will break every chain that binds us. When Jesus sets you free you are free indeed. Addictions, limitations, diseases, problems, all these chains and more will be broken in the name of Jesus.  "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."  (John 8:36)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I commit my life in your hands. Break every chain in my life. Come and set me free.

And unto Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ever ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  

Amen!

Go, Make Disciples

Bible Text: Matthew 28:19

The Great Commission has often been misconstrued to be solely directed to Pastors, Bishops, Priests and all other Spiritual Leaders.
This last command of Jesus to His disciples after spending time with them after His resurrection, was to all His disciples, men and women just as we are.

Obedience to the Great Commission signifies our response as true workmen in God's Kingdom.
Christ has redeemed us and set us free from the chords of death, and we are then to go forth and preach this Good news to those who are perishing. We have freely received and therefore we must freely give.

The Great commission should be the foundation of all believers. Our lives must be lived in a such manner as to draw people to God. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Peter 2:12)

To fulfil the Great commission we must make a conscious effort to speak of Christ and His sacrifice for our sins on the Cross of Calvary. We must speak of Him as the only Way to the Father. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

We must also speak of obedience to God as a mark of a true believer. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them." (John 14:21)

Jesus who gave us this command has promised to always be with us, day by day even to the end of time. He is with us to be our strength, our guide, our protector, our provider and our friend even as we obey the Great Commission.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,

Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;

Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,

Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I commit my life in your hands. You have saved me and have commissioned me to be a fisher of men. Help me to keep this command even as I await your second coming.

And unto Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ever ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.

Amen!

He Holds the Future

Bible Text: Psalm 31:15

My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies,from those who pursue me.(v15)

 We have a father in heaven who watches over us. Our every step, breath, laughter, tear, smile are in his hands. He knows our yesterday, he knows our present and he knows the future.

The fear of what may happen in the future keeps us from fully enjoying every bit of our lives. The stock prices, inflation rates and bank interest rates. The fear of getting into an accident, suffering from a terminal illness and losing a loved one. We are faced with the fear of so many uncertainties in life.

To calm all fears we have a soothing word from our heavenly father. He says : I have your times in my hands. I will provide you with everything you need. I will deliver from the hands of your enemies and from those who pursue you.

How amazing it is to have the Master of the Universe as a loving father. He has our times in his hands. Nothing happens to us without him being aware of it. It is all in his grand plan for our lives.

Put your trust in this Amazing God and let him take the wheel of your life. He will make it all beautiful for you.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I commit my life in your hands. Thank you for I know you are working it all out for my good. You indeed hold my future so I can face my tomorrows with confidence.

And unto Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ever ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.

Amen!

I Am

Bible Text: Exodus 3:14

400 years of slavery under the rule of Pharaoh, the Israelites cried out to God for deliverance.
Moses had been born during the time hebrew male children were being killed based on the order of Pharaoh. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. (Exodus 1:14)


Israel needed a deliverer. Someone had to demand for the release of the children of Israel. This was not going to be taken lightly by Pharaoh. The Israelites were his major work force in building his empire,  he could not afford to lose them.  Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. (Exodus 1:11)

After the burning bush encounter, Moses was to go and seek for the freedom of the Israelites from Pharaoh. He needed confidence to approach Pharaoh and the children of Israel. He knew his encounter with Pharaoh was not going to end well. It was normal for him to be afraid. Moses did not know who God was. He did not know who was sending him on this mission, to him it was a suicide mission. He did not know that the One who was sending him was more than able to deliver the children of Israel. 

And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:14)

I AM. God cannot be described, no human mind can conceive who God is. God is God. This indescribable, unfathomable God was the One with Moses and is the One with you. He says you should tell your Pharaoh that I AM has sent you. 

Through Moses the children of Israel were delivered from the slavery in Egypt. God says I AM. I AM your Deliverer, I AM your Healer, I AM your Saviour, I AM your Protector, I AM your Provider. 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I commit my life in your hands. My I AM. Be the I AM That I AM in my situation and life. 

And unto Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ever ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  

Amen!

His Love Endures Forever

Love. It is one of the most popular used word. When we hear of love the first thing that comes to mind is the Romantic Butterfly love. Another type of love also exist. The romantic love is just a subset of that greater love.

This love was demonstrated by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)  His love was also demonstrated towards so many people in the biblical accounts.

His love was demonstrated towards the daughter of Jarius. He raised her up from the dead.(Matthew 9:18-26). His love was demonstrated towards Blind Bartimaeus. The Blind beggar called upon Jesus for his healing. After a touch from Jesus he regained his sight. (Mark 10:46-52) 

God’s love never ends. It is everlasting. That is not the only good news. Nothing can separate us from this love.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a]neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, (Romans 8:38)

This Psalm talks about what our attitude should be towards this love. We should cultivate a spirit of gratitude to God. Give thanks to Him because His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-2) 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I commit my life in your hands. I am forever grateful for the love you have shown for me. Help me to also demonstrate this love. 

And unto Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ever ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  

Amen!