“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always, that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36).

Lesson:

The world system is programmed to get people occupied with mundane things that can distract them from faithfully serving God. There are challenges here and there; bills must be paid, and other pressuring circumstances would keep featuring. Meanwhile, Christians must be careful not to allow anything to affect their relationship with God. Whether the world likes it or not, the rapture will happen and Jesus will transport his saints to heaven. Anyone who is left behind would suffer Satan’s assaults. Therefore, all people should be ready to return with Jesus Christ whenever he appears in the sky.

Prayer:

Vanity upon vanity, the world is vanity! I am determined to follow Jesus Christ and not allow any situation to distract me from him. I have made up my mind to keep my testimony as a child of God. I stand by my word, and I will hold firm to my confession of Jesus Christ to the end. Yes, Jesus Christ is the true and only Son of God sent to rescue the lost sinners. Since I believe in Jesus, my sins are forgiven and I am qualified for rapture! Jesus Christ is my personal Lord and Savior, and the devil cannot do anything to stop it. My faith is reserved in the Son of God forever! Amen!

“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Some lusts of the flesh that we are to shun are also mentioned. “The works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Lessons:

Christianity is not all about “bird of roses,” but it requires self-denials to activities that irritate God. Therefore, we as children of God must consciously fight against the desires of the flesh. God will compensate us with his blessings if we glorify him in our flesh. We must allow the Spirit of God to reign in our lives. Works of the Holy Spirit bear good fruits, and these fruits have been mentioned to us in the scriptures. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Prayer:

Dear God, please let your Holy Spirit reign in my heart and let him enable me to embrace activities that will earn me your blessings. Mortify all works of the flesh in my life, and let your divine Spirit strengthen me to bear good fruits that lead to your kingdom. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-9).

Lesson:

Christians must reject erratic and misleading teachings that lack bases in the scriptures. A heavenly-bound believer must not just believe anything that a teacher presents to him or her without establishing facts. Nothing is more factual than the bible, and it remains the basic operation manual for all Christians. Therefore, all Christians must cross-reference whatever they are taught with the bible; teaching that lacks basis in the bible must be outrightly rejected! Meanwhile, it is important that Christians pray and ask for Holy Spirit interpretations over all matters. The Spirit of God will shed light on all subjects, and he will enlighten our minds to understand the truth. Also, the Holy Spirit of God will empower us to comply with the scripture.

Prayer:

Dear God, please help me to consistently study the bible and listen to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Do not let me be lazy in studying your word. Also, let me prayerfully consider every teaching that is presented to me, and give me the grace to reject deceptive teachings. Enable me to accept and celebrate all truth that will liberate me from sin, and make me heavenly bound. Let your word and leadership of the Holy Spirit prosper me now, and always. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.

“Though you offer me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let justice run down like water And righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:22-24).

Lesson:

God is not a man, and cannot be deceived by a gift of any size. Jehovah will only receive an offering that is presented to him from a pure heart. For God to accept an offering, it must come from a pure heart, and without the giver having an ulterior motive. Therefore, since God is concerned so much with honest offerings, his children should also prioritize them. Children of God must sing songs of praises and offer our dances to God with honesty. No child of God should sacrifice his or her resources to God with a hidden agenda – since God will not be satisfied. All praises and honor must be given to God without reservations!

Prayer:

Dear Lord, how best can I serve you, and how can I offer an acceptable sacrifice to you? I have realized that you cannot be deceived with a dishonored gift – no matter how significant it appears! Please help me to serve you without ulterior motives. Let me be sincere with my gifts, and let them come from a pure heart. Let my sacrifices of thanksgiving satisfy you, and enable me to maintain consistent services to you so that I can be qualified to receive your blessings. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.

“Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches” (Acts 15:39-41).

Lesson:

Christian brethren that come from different denominations may not agree on everything that is practiced in Christianity; however, we can still serve God together. We are called to serve God together, and we must do so without paying unnecessary attention to our conflicting doctrines. The Christian community must not allow our varying opinions to hurt the gospel that Jesus died for! We should learn from Paul and Barnabas, who were co-laborers in God’s vineyard but had different opinions on some issues. The duo separated, but not at the detriment of the gospel! Paul and Barnabas disallowed their differences to hurt their relationship with God; they handled their differences with maturity and their ministries were preserved (Acts 15:39-41). It is noteworthy to mention that both Paul and Barnabas prospered in their outreaches after their separations.

Prayer:

Dear God, please save the Christian community from bitterness and rage of division that hinders our operations. Let brethren respectfully deal with each other. Enable us to find common ground that would offer us the platform to preach your unbiased gospel. Help us to lay aside our differences, and let us respect bible teachings. Let your Holy Spirit give us proper interpretations of your word, and let us adequately apply them into our lives. Help the church to be sensitive and corporately launch crusades that will uphold your righteous standard and lead people to receive your salvation. Let us be your true ambassadors on earth so that we can receive your eternal rewards in heaven. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.

“Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals” (Amos 2:6).

Lesson:

God keeps a record of sins, and he will not spare unrepentant sinners from punishments. The Creator who knows all things will reward all things. He will bless god-fearing people but will punish the heartless and wicked people. Nothing will escape God’s watchful eyes without exerting his adequate judgment. However, Jehovah is more interested in blessing sinful people than severing them with punishments. He will forgive any sinner who repents from his or her sins. A person who asks for God’s forgiveness will receive it. Moreover, God’s tenderness mercy over sinners has a limit. He will not wait indefinitely for any sinner to repent; he will eventually draw a line to execute judgment, and he will hurl all unrepentant sinners to hell fire.

Prayer:

Dear God, please give me the power to overcome trials of sin. Help me to recognize my sins and repent from them. Let me receive your grace to remain humble so that I can obtain your mercy and grace in time of need. Let my joy of salvation last to the end of my life, and let me enter heaven when my earthly journey is over. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.

Download BIBLE COMBO mobile app to read this daily devotion in your local language. God bless you!

“The apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they” (Acts 15:6-11).

Lesson:

The present-day church ought to adopt conflict resolution skills that the early church applied. The early church resolved their conflicts with prayers and deliberations. They were open to receiving godly instructions from their elders and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. No wonder they were very successful! Moreover, the present-day church also has the tendency to have record success if they are spiritually inclined. Our churches must desist from politics, and our leaders must not conclude spiritual matters based on opinion polls and ballot papers. Democracy is different from Christianity, and its objective is different also. God is a spirit, and Christians ought to be spiritual! We must pray and listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that we can make decisions that satisfy God always. If the church cultivates an attitude of prayer and honest deliberations, Satan will lose his battle hurled against our churches; and we will have great success.

Prayer:

Dear God, please wake up the church from its deep sleep! The church has become cold, and brethren have lost their drive to spiritually seek your help for solutions to their problems. Please revive our local churches and denominations again! Enable us to seek your face for guidance and instructions. Let brethren prioritize prayer and holiness to other influences. Let brethren cooperate with you so that we can experience signs and wonders like the early day’s church. Uphold our leaders, and rescue them from carnality and selfish interests. Let the church leaders and members prosper on earth, and also fit for your rapture. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.

Download BIBLE COMBO mobile app to read this daily devotion in your local language. God bless you!

“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me. “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and your waves passed over me” (Jonah 2:1-3).

Lesson:

It is better to obey God and receive his blessings than to disobey him and suffer terrible consequences. God has a different mode of corrections, and he may handle his children with iron hands until they cooperate with him. However, anyone who willingly obeys has a better chance to enjoy God’s benefits than a person who has to be coerced before he (or she) obeys. God rates his favorite children by the standard of obedience. He will establish his abiding presence with his favorite children; he will protect and rescue them during trouble, and he will provide for all their needs.

Prayer:

Dear God, please make me an obedient child. Let me listen and obey your instructions. Give me the ability to do whatever you ask me to do. Do not let me provoke your judgment with disobedience. Enable me to always be conscious that “you see all things and you will appropriately judge all things – either with blessings or disciplines.” For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.

“For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:36-39).

Lesson:

Jesus Christ is the Son of God that was sent to save the world from their sins. He died for the sake of our sins and resurrected to earn us the gift of eternal life. All people must consider Christ’s resurrection as the major reason why they should serve him. Other deities (and good people who have died) died without experiencing instant resurrection. Muhammad and Buddha did not resurrect after death. Other great bible characters also did not resurrect after their death. Also, all past preachers and great leaders died without Resurrection. Only Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead. The bible declares that whoever believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and confesses him as his/her personal Lord and Savior shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10). Such a person may temporarily die and experience body corruption, but he/she will resurrect on the last day to enjoy everlasting life with God in heaven. Since death could not hold Jesus Christ to the grave, whoever believes in him will also resurrect on the last day to receive the gift of eternal life. Christ believers will receive imperishable crowns of glory from God in heaven, and they shall have everlasting joy and peace with God permanently.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus Christ, I realized that you have suffered and died to save and give me the gift of eternal life. What a wonderful and loving friend you are! I love you so much. I have made up my mind to faithfully serve you from today. I confess that you are the Son of God; you are my Lord, my Savior, and my King. I will faithfully follow and serve you for the rest of my life. I give you my heartfelt praises, and I say thank you for saving my soul! Amen.

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:14-16).

Lesson:

Love is powerful and it is essential for all Christians. Brothers and sisters in Christ must demonstrate true love towards one another. Brethren must care without prejudice! We must care for each other without segregation or partiality. However, for Christ’s love to reign in the Christian fold, we must exercise forgiveness, pray for each other, and pray together as a team. Also, we must be humble to confess our sins to one another, and we must make significant efforts to restore our fellows who have backslidden from faith. Consequentially, love will bind brethren together, and it would give Holy Spirit free hands to work many unimaginable miracles among us.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus Christ, please enable believers to operate in love. Let us love and care for each other genuinely. Let brethren minister to each other in prayers and encouragements. Let brethren provide for each other in food, cloths, money, and other necessities. Enable us to visit our fellows in the hospital; let us offer moral supports for people in need. Let your genuine love be real in the Christian fold so that your glory can radiate in our lives with signs and wonders. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Amen.