Topic: You Have Been Made Righteous [TREM Devotional Friday May 18, 2018]

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21

When you truly understand, believe and receive the love that God has for you, you will be surprised that there is nothing that you will request of the Lord that He will deny you. This is because you will be approaching Him from a different perspective and a different standpoint.

One of the major hindrances that I have found out that makes it difficult for believers to receive what God has already promised is the fact that we approach Him based on our merits. We come in our own merits. We try to tell Him all the good things we have done. It’s not wrong to do good things. There is nothing wrong in living right, in working for the kingdom or in labouring. We ought to do all that. That is what righteous people do. And according to our text, we have been made righteous. We were made righteous. It is a gift. So, righteous people do righteous things.

Righteous people don’t steal. They don’t kill. They don’t commit adultery. They don’t fornicate. They don’t do all kinds of evil. They are not drunkards. Righteous people live for God: They are quick to forgive; they love their spouses. Righteous people work in the kingdom. They are involved in different aspects of the ministry. Righteous people give offerings. They make donations and they pay their tithes. Righteous people do righteous things, while sinners sin.

Don’t expect a sinner not to sin. He will sin because he’s a sinner. It is just like telling a chicken to give birth to a lion. Is that possible? It’s not possible because it is a chicken. Chickens lay eggs. It is natural for chickens to lay eggs. It’s natural for a fish to swim because it lives inside water. Bring the fish out of water, it will die after a few moments. Praise God, you have been made righteous through Christ Jesus. Now you can live right and do right.

Further Reading: Romans 5:1-19, Romans 3: 20-28

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- 1 Chronicles 4-6; Evening- John 6:1-21

If you missed yesterday devotional click HERE to read TREM Daily Devotional by Dr. Mike Okonkwo

Written by Dr. Mike Okonkwo; Is the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM); a versatile man of God with over 30 years of dedicated service unto the Lord.

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Topic: Mistaken Love [DCLM Daily Manna Friday May 18, 2018]

Text: 2 Samuel 13:1-19 (KJV)

Key Verse: “Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone” (2 Samuel 13:15).

MESSAGE:

If we are careful enough to double-check our feelings, notions, and the ideas we have about things and people before jumping into actions and conclusions about them, we will save ourselves and others from a lot of heartaches and pains. But people seldom do this. They are easily carried away with the first thought about things and end up sulking away in shameful and painful regret.

Amnon thought he loved Tamar. The feelings he had for her seemed to convince him about this. But he did not take time to truly examine the feeling in the light of what obtained in Israel and what the word of God says about such desires. His love was mistaken and the end was a disaster!

Many people have gone ahead to build their marriages, careers and even ministries on mistaken convictions. They are not patient enough to thoroughly examine what they thought was ‘love’. Some have jumped into marriages, hurried out to start a new ministry or join a new assembly, or get into business out of what has come to be known as “love at first sight”. Regrettably, they become so unfortunate to get friends and counselors who urge them on with their misguided and misjudged feelings. The results of these can be seen in the many broken homes, failed marriages, ruptured businesses, miscarried ministries and so on all around us today. Cases of murder, suicides and other crimes as a result of frustrations arising from these wrong decisions are quite rampant.

Christians must learn to be patient and allow the Holy Spirit and the word of God to lead them in everything. Our decisions and actions must not just be based on feelings and emotions. These surely do not last and so are unreliable. Our actions and decisions must be taken in the light of the word of God. Whatever is done outside of the sacred confines of God’s word will eventually end tragically.

Thought For The Day: True love does not lead to wrong actions.

Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 26; 40; 58; 61-62; 64

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Deeper Christian Life Ministry, DCLM Daily Manna HERE

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

Flatimes’ Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

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Topic: A Backsliding Tongue [Teens Open Heavens 18, May 2018]

Memorise: Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. – Colossians 4:6

Read: 1 John 2:15-17 (KJV)

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Bible In One Year: 2 Kings 20-22, John 6:45-71

MESSAGE:

Today’s reading commands us not to love the world. It is possible to live in the world and not love it. It is possible to live in the world and not be defiled by worldly pollution and allurement. What are the worldly things you must avoid? You must avoid worldly language. Matthew 12:36 says one day, you will account for the misuse of your tongue. As a child of God, you are to speak like Christ, it is wrong for you to use swear words. It is wrong to say things that fan the embers of lust, greed or vengeance in someone. It is wrong for you to swear, no matter the situation. People should be able to take your word as the truth. Your tongue is not to insult or abuse anyone no matter how nasty or provoking they are.

Prayer Point: Ask God to give you the grace to watch your mouth.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Teen Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor Adeboye’’

Hymn 7:

1. I am Thine O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Chorus
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2. Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

3. Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!

4. There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

Daily Devotional for Teen’s guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.

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