1 Peter 1:1 - Citizens of Heaven

Exposition

Peter writes to people who are living as foreigners in a land that is not theirs. To get a better understanding, let us see what other translations of the original manuscript (Greek) call them. They are referred to as exiles, temporary residents, refugees, sojourners, those away from their homes, pilgrims, those who have settled down alongside a pagan population and those temporarily residing abroad.

Peter is letting us know that today, no matter your earthly citizenship, you are to regard it as a temporary one. 2 Corinthians 5:1 says our future and hope is in a city not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. We are not to get too familiar with the way the world operates. There is daily corruption prevalent here. We are strangers to the views, thoughts, desires, affections, judgment, and speech of the world. Always remember that according to John 15:19 - If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Peter also calls them Chosen people. Other translations use the word “Elect”. To get a better understanding let us see what John said in Chapter 6:67 - All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

You have been elected or chosen by God. You have a part to play to make the election come to pass. Everyone who accepts Christ has been chosen. No one who accepts Christ can be rejected. Simply put, whoever comes to Christ is the elect of God, what an awesome God. Colossians 3:12  says to put on, therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 

Keep reminding yourself that you are residing as an alien in this world and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Prayer

Thank you, my Father, for choosing me. Thank you that by your grace I responded to my election. I pray that by your grace I will not fall out of my election.  Help me, Father, to see my relationship with the world I live in. Help me to be part of those who will impact the world rather than been impacted by the world in Jesus name. Amen

Bible Reading Plan in 26 weeks (Be part of the Bible Reading Program)

Day 23

Genesis 26-27

Joshua 23

Job 23

Proverbs 23

Jeremiah 23

Matthew 23

Revelation 11

Galatians 6:17 - Marks of Jesus Christ

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Exposition

Paul the writer of the letter to the Galatians had loads of troubles during his ministry. For example, his authority as an Apostle had been questioned and false teachers (Judaizers) had opposed his teaching. Among many things, Paul taught that justification is by faith and not by following the law of Moses.

It is ironic that despite Paul’s teaching that all we do is by grace and not by works, he closed his letter to the Galatians by saying that, if anyone had suffered for the gospel, he, Paul had suffered and he had evidence of the suffering on his body.

In those days, people put images of their gods on their bodies and slaves were also marked to prevent them escaping from their masters. (This is probably where the inspiration for tattoos comes from).

Paul was proud that he had suffered in his assignment as an Apostle to the Gentiles. However, he was not saying anyone has to suffer before becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Today “marks” on your body as evidence of who you are in Christ will include living a holy life or self-denial through prayer and fasting. Self-denial also includes giving up personal resources for the benefit of the less privileged and doing all you can to spread the gospel.

Prayer

I thank you, Lord, for what you did for me on the cross of cavalry. You completed the job and you declared that is finished. As I live under your grace help me to deny myself for the sake of propagating the gospel. I live in a land where there is freedom of religion; help me not to take it for granted. I pray for brothers and sisters who live in countries where it is an offense to identify as a Christian. I ask that you see them through and grant them victory in Jesus name. I pray that the grip of evil over such countries be broken in Jesus name. Amen

Bible Reading Plan in 26 weeks (Be part of the Bible Reading Program)

Day 22

Genesis 25

Joshua 22

Job 22

Proverbs 22

Jeremiah 22

Matthew 22

Revelation 10

Luke 8: 16-18 - My Light Must Shine

Exposition

To be able to pray using our text, there is a need to understand what happened in verses 9-15 of the same chapter. Jesus Christ surrounded by people had spoken to them using the parable of the sower. He now went ahead to explain the meaning of the parable to His disciples.

He said in verse 10 that unto you, it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 

Disciples have been given the privilege of understanding things that unbelievers cannot understand. Unbelievers have refused to believe, therefore they can’t understand. Jesus, then said to them that the explanations and teachings that they receive from Him should not remain secret, rather they should go out and share it. That is why in verse 15, He said no one who hears the word keeps it without sharing it and bearing fruit.

This throws light on our text today that anyone who has received the light has got to do something with the light. You can’t afford to hide the light. The light has to be placed where the whole world will see the light. The transformation in your life has to be obvious to everybody. It has to be impossible for you to keep your belief in Jesus silent. The world insists that your religion is personal and you must practice it without affecting non-believers. Unfortunately, that is completely contrary to what Jesus Christ wants you to do. Of course, you do not have to be in anyone’s face to the extent that you’ll put them off listening to you or gaining anything from you. Your mission is to let all know what Christ has done in your life, where you were before you believed and the differences that have taken place in you since you believed.

Attending every Church service is good but the mark of a hearer and doer of the word is sharing the good news of the gospel. The more you share your faith the more enlightened you will be.

Verse 18 encourages us to listen carefully to what Christ is telling us, study the Word of God with diligence, look for what Christ is saying to you and seek to apply it to your life. As you apply yourself, your faith will grow, and those who simply refuse to use their knowledge in the right way will lose it.

Prayer

Help me, Father, to be a light unto the world. Help me to be bold in sharing my faith at all times. As I lift you up through my character, I ask that you draw men unto yourself as you have promised. Let my relationship with you be fruitful. Let me lead a life full of revelation. I do not want to be empty. Fill me with knowledge and understanding. Help me to release what you deposit in you to those around me in Jesus name. Amen

Bible Reading Plan in 26 weeks (Be part of the Bible Reading Program)

Day 21

Genesis 23-24

Joshua 21

Job 21

Proverbs 21

Jeremiah 21

Matthew 21

Revelation 9

Hebrews 12:15 - Grace Not to Be Bitter

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Exposition

Another translation of this verse says it is your responsibility to look diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God. You might notice that the verb (see or look) is in a present tense. This means God expects you to be watchful over all who are within your sphere of influence. You might think this task is physically impossible but with the help of the Holy Spirit, you can accomplish this task. Each man is expected to be on the watch both for himself and for others that no one misses out on the grace of God.

The man who falls short of the grace of God has rejected the grace and will be judged by the law of sin and death. We are being warned that coming short of the grace has serious consequences. If you have not received grace, you are not in a position to grant grace to anyone. You will always expect to mete out punishment for perceived wrong doing.

What are the causes of bitterness? Resentment towards God or people is one of the major causes of bitterness. Others are unresolved anger and unforgiveness. The root of bitterness will always bring forth the fruit of bitterness. If you learn to pray for your ‘enemies’ as instructed by Jesus, bitterness will not take root in your heart. 1 Peter 3:9 says you will inherit a blessing if you do so.

To be defiled is to be unclean or polluted or corrupted. Bitterness in a person that is not dealt with quickly will always pollute any atmosphere. Let us not give room to bitterness any longer. The carrier of a bitter heart is the one suffering and in pain. The person you are bitter about might not even be aware of your bitterness. The bitter person places himself beyond the hand of God. Be watchful so that your community is not polluted by anyone’s bitterness.

Prayer

Help me Lord so that I can live in your grace and by your grace. I ask for the help of the Holy Spirit so I am diligent in carrying out my oversight responsibilities in Jesus name. I must not fall out of your grace, same with those whom I am spiritually responsible for too in Jesus name.

I simply pray that bitterness will have no place in my heart and in my environment too. Help me so I can deal with bitter hearts if I encounter them in Jesus name.

Bible Reading Plan in 26 weeks (Be part of the Bible Reading Program)

Day 20

Genesis 21-22

Joshua 20

Job 20

Proverbs 20

Jeremiah 20

Matthew 20

Revelation 8

Genesis 18:19 - Know Me, Lord

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Exposition

About Abraham - the Lord said I know him. Knowing a person means there is a relationship developed through spending time or being friendly with the person. Abraham’s relationship with God was based on mutual trust- no secrets. Are you aware that you can develop the same level of intimacy with your Father in heaven? That is what God wants from you. God wants to say, I know you. Set time to seek Him daily through reading the Bible and prayer. You can desire His guidance in every area, and with ease, the Holy Spirit will show you the way.

The person who has an intimate relationship with God will do all within his power to lead the family in the way of Christ. Joshua 24:15 says as for me and my household we shall serve the Lord. Some say religion is personal but you better believe that questions will be asked of you, did you teach your household the fear of God? Start encouraging service in the house of God, do not hesitate to use the parental authority bestowed upon you with Godly wisdom. God did not hide anything from Abraham because He knew he would pass them on to his household for their benefit. The same applies to you. I can assure you that there are things God wants to let you into. Be available.

By grace, you are in the same position that Abraham was with God. Abraham’s descendants could only claim the covenant blessings through obedience. The Almighty God has a covenant with you through Jesus Christ. Your accepting Him into your life opens the door to covenant blessings. Too many of us believe that as soon as we give our lives, the floodgates are opened.  You’ve got to walk the talk daily, the walk of righteousness and justice. It is well.

Prayer

I want to know you. I do not want head knowledge. I want to encounter you. Open my eyes to understand the power behind the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let that same power start to work for me too. Let my faith in you grow. As I grow in faith, find me worthy to share secrets with me. Help me with my children. I do not want to exchange places with them. Help me to remain the parent and them, the children. Let every covenant blessing locate me now in Jesus mighty name. Amen.

Bible Reading Plan in 26 weeks (Be part of the Bible Reading Program)

Day 19

Genesis 19-20

Joshua 19

Job 19

Proverbs 19

Jeremiah 19

Matthew 19

Revelation 8

Hebrews 12:14 - Pursue Peace and Holiness

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Exposition

An effort has to be made to get to a place of peace with all men and holiness too. Some translations rather than “follow” have used “strive and pursue”. The text reminds us that our former lives were centered on pursuing the lusts of the flesh. However in the new dispensation, 1 Peter 1:14-16 reminds us that as we are now sanctified, the goal is to be holy as our Father in heaven is holy.

Pursuing after peace will not happen ordinarily. It is a lifelong exercise.  Your spouse, children, friends, colleagues, brothers/sisters in the Church, neighbours etc. will sometimes make it difficult after you decide to live at peace. The instruction to follow peace is not dependent on them but on you. That is why Romans 12: 18 says if possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

When you pursue peace, you’d seek to forgive and to forget. You will be kind hearted and you will always be helpful. In fact, you will be able to pray for your enemies. As you succeed in an area and you congratulate yourself, your attention will be drawn to new areas and relationships that you have to work on.

Pursuing peace and holiness at all costs is not meant to lead you to compromise your faith or to compromise with sin. Where you are in doubt, seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit and you will not make a wrong choice.

What is holiness? Is it finding faults in others or going about as if the weight of the whole world is on your shoulders or is it keeping to yourself and not mixing with people so you are not polluted? Holiness is the process of being set apart from sin and being dedicated to God. Do not mistake this instruction as if your efforts will make you righteous.

Look at yourself always as one who has been made righteous by grace because Jesus Christ died and rose again because of you. You will be motivated to live a holy life and whenever you make a mistake, you will be drawn to the throne of grace and mercy. There you will see God and you will receive forgiveness. Your seeing God will bring renewal and you be transformed into his likeness in Jesus name.

Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it is impossible to please God. If you pursue holiness you must have faith to obey the will of God as revealed in the Scripture and faith to believe that the promises of God will then be yours in Jesus name.

Prayer

Help me, Lord, to go the extra mile to pursue peace with all men. Help me to agree with you at all times. Help me to turn away from sin and obey you without fail. In times of weakness, help me to remember the end goal that the pure in heart are blessed and they will see you. This will be my story in Jesus name. Amen

Bible Reading Plan in 26 weeks (Be part of the Bible Reading Program)

Day 18

Genesis 17-18

Joshua 18

Job 18

Proverbs 18

Jeremiah 18

Matthew 18

Romans 18

Revelation 6

Proverbs 1:33 - Listening to Dwell in Christ

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Exposition

Proverbs 1: 20-32 show the dangers of choosing not to listen to Christ who is wisdom and succumbing to the temptations of satan.

On the other hand, our text makes very clear the benefit of listening to Jesus Christ. It is comforting to know that anyone who listens and does as Christ says is automatically dwelling in Christ. Whoever dwells in Christ is secure because it means such a person is dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, the heart of the Almighty. Such a person will be immovable because the secret place is a fortress under protection by the hosts of heaven. The angels encamp around you and you have victory continuously.

The one who dwells in Christ is dwelling in the Rock of ages. Storms will come and floods will be unleashed by the one who wants you swept away, but you know what, the righteous run to Him and they are safe. The hand of satan is not long enough to reach you because you are abiding under the shadow of the Almighty.

When you dwell in Christ, you will hear of wars and rumours of war, you will hear of people dying all over the place, but you will have no fear because of the certainty that you are under the protection of the God of heaven and the earth. No matter what happens you are calm in the knowledge that if God can’t save you, nothing can save you. He has a covenant of protection with you and He always keeps His promises.

God will always keep His promises. It is up to you to dwell in Him. Your “dwelling in Christ” is meant to be permanent. If you treat Christ as a place where you check into when there are problems and as soon as the problems subside, you can check out, then you are compromising the ease and absence from fear that is promised.

Prayer

It is in my interest to listen to you, oh Lord. Let there be a desperate desire to listen and do your will in Jesus name.

May I never treat Christ as a hotel where I can check in and out at random in Jesus name. I ask that you help me to dwell permanently come rain or sunshine in Jesus name.

Bible Reading Plan in 26 weeks (Be part of the Bible Reading Program)

Day 17

Joshua 17

Job 17

Proverbs 17

Jeremiah 17

Matthew 17

Romans 17

Revelation 5

Hebrews 12:2a - Looking unto Jesus

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Exposition

Our prayer text is a follow on of Hebrews 12:1 which says you are in a race which has to be run with patience. In running this race there are distractions which if not laid aside will have a negative impact on the satisfactory completion of the race.  

There is a piece of information which is very vital to the finishing of the race. This is looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus Christ is the umpire, better still the starter and it is wise to be focused on the starter so that when the gun goes, you are up and running.

Looking on Jesus is fixing your gaze on Him. To look unto Jesus is to consciously block out every distraction so that you will win the race of your life. Looking unto anything or anyone apart from Jesus is an invitation for disaster. Your eyes will look at where your heart is. If your heart is fixated on worldly things and its enticements, be assured that your vision will be obscured and you will not see Jesus as you should.

The weights are distractions; the sins you left behind are distractions, you do not need to look at them again. Your past successes and failures are not important. Do not look at your ability for in doing so, you are not looking at Jesus. Jesus is the pathway. He has seen it and done it. He is your source and your strength.

To look at Jesus is to know Him intimately and study Him. Studying Jesus informs you of who He is and what He has done. You also know where He is and what He is doing on your behalf. To look at Him is to meditate on His word and pray to Him and expect Him to answer you. It is to be at peace with Him.

Looking at Jesus is a permanent thing. Peter the Disciple looked elsewhere and he got into trouble. Matthew 14:29-30 tells the story of Peter walking towards Jesus on water and as soon as he saw the wind (seeing something else apart from Jesus), he became afraid and began to sink.

Looking at the might of Jesus rather than the size of the problem will provide the required the solution for there is nothing too hard for Him to do.

Prayer

Lord, my mind is always wondering. Help me to be focused on you and you alone. There are challenges, left, right and center. I know you are faithful but sometimes I worry. Help me Father so I can create time to know you. Help me to understand that you’ll always be there to see me through. Oh Lord, let your name be glorified in every area of my life in Jesus name. Amen

Bible Reading Plan in 26 weeks (Be part of the Bible Reading Program)

Day 16

Pentateuch - Genesis 16

History – Joshua 16

Poetry – Job 16

Wisdom – Proverbs 16

Prophets – Jeremiah 16

Gospels – Matthew 16

Epistles – Romans 16

End Times – Revelation 4

Hebrews 7:25 - Jesus my Saviour

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Exposition

No matter how guilty you are, Jesus Christ is able to save you.  Jesus Christ has saved you from your past sins and He also saves you daily from the power of sin over you. Therefore you are able to resist sin whenever sin tries to overpower you.

Please note that for Jesus Christ to save you, you have to come to Him. It is your responsibility to come to God through Jesus Christ as Hebrews 4:16 tells us.

The Lord Jesus Christ sits on the right-hand side of God as your High Priest advocating on your behalf, He also serves as your Defender and He mediates between you and God the Father at all times. Whenever Satan accuses you before God the Father, Jesus Christ objects by telling His Father, your sins have been “paid for”. Jesus Christ also lets the Father know that His righteousness is now your righteousness as well. The intercession of Christ knows no end. When you stop praying here on earth or no one is praying for you, always remember that Jesus Christ does not sleep or slumber, He does not stop interceding on your behalf.

Robert Murray McCheyne, a 19th-century minister of the gospel wrote, "If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet the distance makes no difference. He is praying for me!"

You should draw strength and courage because of what Jesus Christ is doing on your behalf at all times. You are a privileged child of God.

It would greatly benefit you to thank God at all times for what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross at Calvary and also what He is doing in Heaven at this moment and what He will continue to do in the future.

Prayer

I thank you, Jesus, for saving me from my sins. I thank you because sin has no power over me any longer. I appreciate you, my Lord, because you have declared me righteous and I am able to approach the throne of grace and mercy.

I am confident of victory because you are seated at the right hand of God interceding on my behalf. Glory and Honour to you in Jesus name. Amen

Bible Reading Plan in 26 weeks (Be part of the Bible Reading Program)

Day 15

Pentateuch - Genesis 15

History – Joshua 15

Poetry – Job 15

Wisdom – Proverbs 15

Prophets – Jeremiah 15

Gospels – Matthew 15

Epistles – Romans 15

End Times – Revelation 3