His Voice Devotional

Text: Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, The greatest commission as we have it in the Bible is in Matthew 28:19 which says, _Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:_ See to it that you are obeying this commission. The greatest command however is bordered on LOVE.  The command to love is splattered all over the Bible. One of such  Bible references is in Matthew chapter twenty two which says- Jesus told him, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is exactly like it: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39. As a child of God, I know you are familiar with this commandment. The question is how are you faring with it? Are you truly obeying the greatest commandment? Now, deeper than loving your neighbor is wha...

Text: Matthew  5:44   But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Some years back, I was instructed by God on the way to the market to keep some money in my jeans pocket from the money I had in my bag. Still on the way, I was ruminating over the Bible portion I had read earlier in the day which says " bless always and do not curse. On getting to the market, the press was much from the too many people that were hustling to get one thing or the other. After I had ordered for what I wanted, I was expected to pay. I dished my hand inside my bag and to my utmost surprise, all my money was gone. Apparently, someone had stolen my money. I was completely taken aback.  I knew the thief had overstepped his boundaries. My natural instincts felt like placing a curse on whoever picked my pocket, but immediately I was reminded, "bless and do not curse." If not for ...

Text: Proverbs 22:13.  The lazy person says, “There is a lion outside!   I will be killed in the street!”  *Excuses are the reason  many failed where others succeeded. You can make excuses or you can make progress. The choice is exclusively yours.*  In the beginning, rather than accepting responsibility for their failure, our first parents Adam and Eve played the blame-game by giving excuses for their disobedience. The fall of man brought a lot of degradations to mankind. One of such degradations is laziness. Instead of agreeing with yourself that you are lazy, you'll rather give reason why you can't perform a given task. *The moment you agree with yourself that you are deficient in any area of your life, you have received 50% of your solution.*  Please, how many times have you accosted a lion in the street? Chances are that you will never see a lion on the street all through your life. So, why will anyone give the lion as a reason for not working? Thi...

Text: Joshua 5:6. The Israelis traveled 40 years in the wilderness until the entire nation—that is, the warriors who had departed from Egypt—had perished because they hadn’t listened to the voice of the LORD. The LORD had promised them that he would not let them see the land that he had sworn to give us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Approximately six hundred thousand (600,000) men (not including women and children) left Egypt for the promised land. This number refers to men of fighting age, that is, 20 years and older. Exodus 12:37. Of this vast number, only two made it to the promised land. This obviously wasn't God's plan for them, they all died in the wilderness because of their disobedience. The book of Hebrews  specifically stated that the sin that these Israelites committed was the sin of unbelief. So we see that they were unable to enter because of their unbelief. Hebrews 3:19.  Unbelief is not just a sin against yourself. It is an insult on the person of God....

Text: Ephesians  5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Having been instructed to stay awake, God is now saying to you to see to it that you walk circumspectly.  Therefore He says:   "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise" (Ephesians 5: 14-15). Once you have awoken, you must see to it that you walk cautiously and thoughtfully (circumspectly). If as a Christian, you are not walking cautiously, then you are a sleepy or sleeping Christian, you need to awake. Christianity goes beyond church attendance, church programmes and church activities. One can be dead in sin and still be engaging in all of these perfectly well. Christianity is about being awake from your sleep, arising from the dead and receiving the light of Christ.  Having done the three above, the Lord would have you start walking diligently not as fools but as wise. As you beg...

Text: Ephesians  5:14 Wherefore he said, Awake you that sleeps, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. I was a bit tired and feeling sleepy while at this same time trying to receive inspiration from the Lord for the devotional. I took my bath, hoping that could help me come alive but it didn't help at all.  Then, I dragged myself to the kitchen looking for something. While trying to switch on the light, I suddenly realized that the whole pot of delicious soup I just cooked some minutes ago had poured on my body. Immediately this happened, my eyes became wide opened. Lo and behold, slumber and sleepiness disappeared.  In the midst of this, the Lord ministered to me today's message.  The Lord is saying to us as His children at this time and season to awake from our sleep. *A sleepy Christian will cause more havoc against himself than he could ever imagine.* The Lord would therefore want you to stay awake. Don't permit the spirit of  slumbering ...

Text: Act 7:9. And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,*  It's either you are envying someone or someone is envying you. As a child of God see to it that you kill every seed of envy in you. Never be caught envying. The first step to overcoming this terrible vice is to agree with yourself that you are not immuned to it. To assume that you cannot envy anyone is to combine envy with pride in one dosage. We saw yesterday how the Patriarchs fell flat for this vice and how the high priests (who are operating in the office of Pastors or Bishops today) and the elders of Isreal who represent the present day elders in the church were overcome by envy. Envy is no respecter of your status. It's important to note that envy will not stop until it wrecks havoc on its target. Once you know that being a believer doesn't stop you from envying, then, you should corporate with the Holy in uprooting its seed from your heart through love and obedience to...

Text: Act 7:9. And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers because of envy. Jesus Christ was handed over by the high priests to Pontius Pilate to be crucified because of envy. (Matthew 27:18). Envy is a very terrible, cancerous disease that leaves a lot of damage in its wake. The patriarch in the Bible refers to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who was also known as Israel. Israel had twelve sons and they are equally referred to as the Twelve Patriarchs. They are also known as the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel.  When the record of their ordeal against their brother was captured in the new testament, they didn't just call them the sons of Jacob but the patriarchs. Imagine what envy made the progenitors of the tribes of Isreal to do. James 3:16 says, *For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.* Envy is one evil trait that can easily creep in on anyone without su...

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: The followers of Jesus are made up of two groups: the MULTITUDE and the disciples. Basically, what the multitude are looking for is miracles.  What distinguishes the disciples from the rest of the people is their readiness and willingness to be taught by the master. In Matthew chapter five, just like it happened on different occasions, Jesus saw the multitude, He set Himself on the mountain to teach, but it was recorded that only His disciples went to Him to be taught.  *If you cannot be taught by Jesus Christ, you are not His disciples.* The Hallmark of a genuine Christian is his willingness to hear and learn from the master's feet. If you are a Sunday, Sunday kind of Christian, you are among the multitude, if you are the type that is always absent at Bible study, Sunday school and every other program that is geared towards building you up spiritually, you are in the multi...

Text: 2 Timothy 2:20  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. Though no one would really like to be tagged as a vessel unto dishonour, the scripture however affirms that there are some vessels unto dishonour in the great house (God's house).  It is therefore important to know that anyone that would be qualified as a vessel unto honour must cleanse himself from iniquity.  _Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work._ (2 Timothy 2:21).  It is a departure from iniquity (sin) that makes one become a vessel for honour. Sin is an impurity that renders one's vessel as a dishonoured vessel.  Iniquity is any form of unrighteousness. It may not even be that which appears as sin before man's eyes. Any action or thoughts that is not in line with God's revealed sta...

Text: 2 Timothy 2:20  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. Prior to this study text, Apostle Paul mentioned two workers in God's vineyard who have erred concerning the faith. They were now preaching heresy that resurrection is past already. This simply means that our core belief in the Lord Jesus Christ is no longer valid.The scripture also states clearly in first Corinthians 15:16 that if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.   It is therefore obvious that these two persons (Hymenaeus and Philetus) are destroyers of faith. The scripture says that they have overthrown the faith of many. (2Timothy 2:18). In spite of any heretical teaching or wrong belief systems one may be holding, God's foundation is both firm and sure. *Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who na...

 Text: Philippians 2:13  *"...for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for [His] good pleasure."*  From our Bible reading, the children of Zelophehad took the right step in the right direction and they were able to receive their inheritance.  One major salient point about the step they took was that their request aligned with God's mind for the whole of Israel. They requested what the Lord approved because it was God who put it in their heart in the first place. The Lord said that the daughters of Zelophehad spoke right because they actually spoke the very mind of God. What they requested was right because it was God who worked in them both to will and to do His good pleasure. There are few things the Lord is already placing in your heart, those are the things He is working within you to Will (desire). It is the Lord who will also give you the ability to do the same thing He's making you to will (desire). So, anytime you do whatever the Lord places in yo...

Text: Matthew 7:7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: A number of times, you complain over what you should take action on. The truth is, complaints will never get the work done, it can only worsen the situation. The story was told about Zelophehad  who had five daughters and no son. Just like what is practised in many cultures, the female child has no inheritance in Isreal, hence, these five daughters had no possession allotted to them from their father's relatives. Instead of sulking and complaining under their breath, these bold daughters of Zelophehad took action -they went to Moses and the elders of Isreal and say,  “Our father died in the wilderness, but he wasn’t with the company of those who gathered against the LORD along with the company of Korah. He died in his own sin, and he had no sons. Why are you going to eliminate the name of our father from his family, just because he had no son? Give us a possessio...

Text: Matthew 13:19.  When anyone hears the word about the kingdom yet doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. The devil has no problem in people going to church, he just doesn't want people to understand what they are being taught in the church. While explaining the parable of the sower, Jesus said the first category of unfruitful Christians are those who heard the word of God but had no understanding of what they heard. In essence, it is not enough to hear the word of God, you must understand what you have heard. Lack of understanding will not only lead to unfruitfulness, it will also open one up to the evil one.   Jesus Christ says, When anyone hears the word about the kingdom yet doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.Matthew 13:19. The only thing that the devil wants to snatch away from your life i...

Text: Mark  10:51    So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." Bartimeaus, when he heard that Jesus was passing by, he began to cry, "Jesus have mercy on me, thou Son of David"  unlike the lame man at the beautiful gate  (Acts 3:1-3), Bartimeaus was able to discern Jesus and his healing power. All he wanted was mercy and not money. His strong desire for sight outweighs his desire for money.   In the same way, a man who values Spiritual sight over material things will go any length to accomplish this in God. What efforts are you making to have your eyes of understanding (spiritual sight) illuminated? Bartimeaus shouted and no one could hold him down from shouting because he was desperate for sight. When the people around him asked him to maintain decorum and stop shouting, the scripture says,"...he cried the more a great deal". (Mark 10:48). Jesus hear...

Text: Mark  10:51    So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." Sight simply means the ability to see. We shall be looking at this topic from physical and spiritual angle.  My first desire and prayer is that the Lord will give sight to as many of his children that are at the verge of loosing their sights or that have lost their sights in Jesus name.Amen! One who has lost his or her sight is one who will not be able to do many things. Hence, many blind people have resolved to begging. This was the case of Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus in our Bible reading.  He always sit by the highway side begging. In those days, there has not been so much technological advancements as we have it today, hence, anyone who is blind often resolved to begging. So, we can say that blindness reduces productivity and leads to reliance on another. Physically, this may not be entirely true ab...

Text: John 13:17. If you understand these things, how blessed you are if you put them into practice! What started out as a smart game did not only cost Judas Iscariot his life, it made him to lose his place in God eternally. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, *Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?* There's need for you to constantly examine yourself in the light of God's words to be sure you are still on track. Judas Iscariot was one of the disciples that was given power to cast out devils, but by Luke chapter twenty two, it was recorded that  Satan had entered into his heart, (Luke 22:3). What happened to the power  that he received when Jesus sent them out two by two? Such power must have leaked out of his life. DL Moody, an American evangelist and teacher once said, "I was filled with the Spirit at conversion.' 'I need to continue to be filled with the S...

Text: John 13:17. If you understand these things, how blessed you are if you put them into practice! Judas Iscariot needs no introduction. He was popular for many wrong reasons. During the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, He appointed twelve disciples whom He will pour Himself into and who will in turn disciple the rest of the world. By divine arrangement, Judas Iscariot was one of these twelve. Like the rest of the eleven disciples (who later became Apostles), Judas Iscariot was chosen by Jesus Christ Himself. He had the privilege of being in the inner caucus of Jesus Christ. He had the privilege of seeing Jesus Christ face to face. He had the privilege of sitting under Jesus' teachings. He had the privilege of witnessing first hand all the miracles that Jesus Christ performed. But what did he do with all these privileges? He wasted them all. Judas Iscariot refused to change from his old ways before Jesus called him. He was probably a thief before Jesus called him and he...

Text: Proverbs 17:17. A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.  *It's important to be friendly with everyone, but it's much more important to be selective in choosing your friends.*  Being friendly is to be generally warm, approachable and easy to relate with.  However, not everyone can qualify to be your friend.  A friend among other things is someone you share your life with and vice versa. That someone is a member of your family does not automatically makes him or her your friend. A  friend in the true sense of the word has the ability to make or mar you, hence, the need to choose your friends carefully.  Let these nuggets guide you into how to choose your friends. 1.) *You choose your friends* and not the other way round. The decision to be friends with someone should lie exclusively with you. Never be pressured or bullied into becoming someone's friend. If they are not sharing the same core beliefs with you, they do not qualif...

Text: Proverbs 17:17. A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Friendship is an asset. True friends are not in the relationship for what they can get out of it nor do they abandon or betray their friends in bad times.  Biblical friends stick with you even when there is no perceived benefits in it. A true friend stays even in the midst of adversity. Friendship is scarce today, you must take time out and make effort to build one. Proverbs 18:24  says A man that has friends must show himself friendly. The first principle to making or getting a good and reliable friend is to ensure you are one yourself. MAKE YOURSELF FRIENDLY. Essentially, you attract who you are. If you want a trustworthy, reliable and caring friend, you must have those qualities too. Go out of your way to be of help to others. Be hospitable and be  accommodating.  The truth is, God has designed it that the ladder you need to climb to the next phase of your life is wrapped in a...