Skip to main content

Open Heavens Daily Devotional, Thursday, 23rd January, 2014



TOPIC: NEW LIFE IN JESUS II

Memorise:
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

Read:
Romans 6:12-13

Bible in one year: 
2 Timothy 1-4,  Psalm 22:1-21.

MESSAGE:
As a born-again Christian, you need to understand and live by the nature of the new creature that you are. This is the key to your victory in this world. One character of your new nature is revealed in Galatians 5:25:
”And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts ”
Once you belong to Jesus Christ by being born-again, your sinful nature has been crucified. Your nature no longer conforms to that which is controlled by the flesh because you are dead to the flesh. This is further clarified in Romans 8:9-10:
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
 However it does not end there. Armed with this understanding of who you are, you have to conscientiously by faith enforce this victory over the flesh in your mind. 1 Peter 4:1 says:
”Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; ”
This day-to-day battle of enforcement and resistance will be very ”painful”. The flesh is not going to like your stance; but you must let it know that you are dead to it and it cannot rule you; As a matter of compulsion, make no provision for the flesh . Apart from the flesh being crucified, another character of your new nature is that through Christ, the world is crucified to you and you are crucified to the world (Galatians 6:14). This implies that you are dead to the world. What does this mean? Before we were born-again, we had friends or relations whose company we used to enjoy, people whose opinions mattered a lot to us and influenced us to do lots of things we did not really want to do. Many a times some people are found smoking not because they enjoy smoking,

But because they were worried about their friends’ uncomplimentary remarks about their abstinence from such habits. Therefore when their peers smoke, they join them to smoke even though they know that smoking will send them to their untimely death. However, once you are born-again, armed with the mindset that you are dead to the world, such opinions will no longer matter. It does not matter what they say, you are determined to follow Jesus. You will not perish with the world in Jesus‘ Name.

Prayer point:
Father, thank you for giving me a new life in Christ; please help me to live by this new life till I see you in glory


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Open Heavens 2014: Monday May 26, Daily Devotion - BE FRUITFUL

Monday, 26 May 2014 Topic:   BE FRUITFUL Memorise: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis 1:28 Bible in a Year: Exodus 6:14-8:32; Psalm 110-111 Read:  Genesis 1:27-28 27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Message: In  Genesis 1:28 , “Be fruitful” is presented both as a commandment and a blessing. The blessings that God bestowed on humanity in this passage can therefore be regarded as the source from...

New- Better than Queen Esther Book

A book is a door to someone's discovery. An access to an invaluable reservoir of knowledge and understanding. More importantly, a book inspired by God's word, is much more invaluable. Nothing can be compared to the unsearchable wisdom embedded in the depth of God's word being dug out in simple terms in form of a book. *Better than Queen Esther* is a epitome of divine touch in prints for today's generations and the ones unborn. Mysteries are revealed, practical indoctrination is simplified. It's the best birthday gift for that couple, friend, pastor, cousin, colleague... It touches relationship, marriage, power, position, leadership, self control and mastery. Get a copy from  Jumia

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL-BELATED OFFERING - 08/03/2013

Yesterday’s message was titled “ ARE YOU A FALSE WITNESS  ”. Today’s message is titled  “BELATED OFFERING?”  as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise  Genesis 27:20: "And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me. " . Today's reading is from  Mark 16:1-6  and the Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from  Jeremiah 36:1:- Jeremiah 38:6 and Psalm 55:16-23 Quoted below is the message for today. God bless you richly for your contribution When Isaac asked Esau his son to go and prepare a delicious meal of venison for him to eat so that he (Isaac) may bless him, Isaac's wife Rebekah heard it and took advantage of the distance between their tents and the field where Esau the hunter would get the bush meat. She also took advantage of the short distanc...