This John, II
1Jn.1:1 “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.” (emphasis added).
At the end of his life, John could confidently write that Jesus is not a figment of his imagination. He knew Jesus experientially; John said, “this is the Word of life whom I have seen, I have touched and I myself have handled”. The Word can become life to you. Read the rest of this entry
This John, I
1Jn.1:1 “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.” (emphasis added).
John was big on love and relationship; he is known as the Apostle of Love. John is the one who would tell us in his letters that, “God is love; he that loveth not knoweth not God…” [1 John 4:7-8 please read]. James had a similar theme, but John was heavily focused on love. Read the rest of this entry
Appetizer
2 Tim. 2:15 “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”
John is one of the four Books in the New Testament [Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John] called the Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first three [Matthew, Mark, and Luke] are known as the synoptic Gospels because they are similar in reference. Read the rest of this entry
Gift Thanks
Ps. 107:21-22 (KJV) “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing.”
For the past few days, we have been looking at how to show our gratitude to God. Gratitude is big and we cannot over emphasize the importance particularly for us God’s people. We can show gratitude by singing from our hearts, by telling others the good news, by serving with the abilities He has given us, and by giving an offering back to God. Read the rest of this entry
Adjust
Psalm 96:7-9 “O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in all his holy splendour. Let all the earth tremble before him.”
Do you know that the average American CEO reads at least sixty books in one year? When I came across this statistic, I was shocked. How many books do you read in a year? You and I must be deliberate about reading and growing. Read the rest of this entry
In His Service
Eph. 4:16 “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
Yesterday, we learnt that we can show gratitude to God by singing from our hearts and by telling others the good news. The third way we can show gratitude to God is to thank God by Serving Him With The Abilities He Has Given Us. Read the rest of this entry
The How
Ps.9:1-2 “I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvellous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.”
It is one thing to know ‘why’ you should do something, but it is a totally different thing to know ‘how’. Our focus today is on how to live a life of thanksgiving to God. The first way is to thank God by Singing From Your Heart. Can the tone of your voice give your expression a different meaning? Certainly. God says sing from your heart; meaning, every time you show up before God, alone or in a crowd, God wants you to sing from your heart. Read the rest of this entry
Reason Enough
Ps.106:1 “Hallelujah! Thank you, Lord! How good you are! Your love for us continues on forever.” (TLB)
We start today’s devotional with our final thoughts from yesterday which is, why should you and I live a life of thanksgiving to God? You and I should live a life of thanksgiving to God because of who He is and because of what He has done. Read the rest of this entry
Worthy!
Ps. 96:8 “Credit Him with the glory worthy of His magnificent name; gather your sacrifice, and present it at His temple..” (VOICE)
God is worthy; to be worthy is to be deserving. We had a full house growing up; six children with two [sometimes three] cousins staying with us. Eba [a Nigerian dish] was our constant lunch, Mondays to Saturdays, except on Sundays. Read the rest of this entry