The Devil's Apple

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 
A Daily Devotional by Bishop David Bakare

The Devil's Apple

Wednesday, 4 September

 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: James 1:13-17 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

 

MORE LESSON: Hebrews 10:35-39 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

 

Today’s text says, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. The flip of this scripture could be Every bad and every imperfect gift comes from the devil the father of lies and darkness with whom there is no stability or guarantee. In line with James 1:17, we can safely conclude that the devil's apple always has worms. This means that you must not look to the devil to meet any of our needs because even if he does answer you, he will add sorrow to his blessing. It is only the blessing of God that makes one rich without adding sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).

It is foolishness to look to the devil to give you anything. This is because he sinned in the beginning and was thrown out of Heaven. He wanted to become like God, therefore God sent him out of His Kingdom and made man out of clay and invested in man the essence of God. The very thing that the devil wanted from the beginning was now put in a mortal man. This marked the beginning of enmity and hostility between the devil and man. So every believer is by default an enemy to the devil because inherent in man is the very nature and likeness of God.

So, if your enemy told you he had a very special gift for you, won't you be suspicious and even reject the gift at once? What makes us think then that receiving gifts from the devil will make our lives better? It is a trick that you must never fall for. Satan is in the business of making the life of the believer hopeless and making it look as though God is not faithful so that he can offer you his apple. However, you must never forget that no matter how beautiful the devil's apple appears, it is always infested with worms. The devil's contribution always leaves a man worse off than he ever was. In fact, after receiving the devil's gift, a man would wish he didn’t take it. You remember the saying that when you want to dine with the devil you use a long fork? I counsel you not to even give it a thought at all because whether you dine with a long fork or a short one, the fact remains that you are eating the devil's food and it is always worm infested. So, look up to God to meet all your needs and do not give up even if help tarries. The Bible encourages us to wait. When you feel discouraged, speak to yourself and find strength in the Word of God. You must never give up and go for the devil's gift because along with it comes unimaginable sorrow.

 

Prayer/Action

* Pray that you will not be tempted to receive the devil's gifts.

* Ask the law to satisfy you with good things in life.

* Ask the Lord to bless the works of your hand.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: From this new month, I command the season of poverty and lack to cease in my life and business, in the wonderful name of Jesus.

Set Your House in Order

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 
A Daily Devotional by Bishop David Bakare

Set Your House in Order

Tuesday, 3 September

 

Set thine house in order.... Isaiah 38:1

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: 1 Kings 18:20-40 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. 25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. 30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: 32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. 36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. 40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

 

MORE LESSON: Romans 8:28-29 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

 

The instruction God gave to King Hezekiah through Isaiah the prophet is worthy of our close attention. God said to him in Isaiah 38:1: Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. I believe God that you shall not die but live, and declare the glory of God (Psalm 118:17). However, you need to set your affairs in order.

There are so many people living very disorderly and disorganized lives. The family is in turmoil, business is in shambles, finances are in tatters, relationships are broken down, there are unpaid bills, unfulfilled promises and unmet obligations. Their entire life is a maze of confusion: this is not the will of God for you. His will is specified in Romans 8:28-29: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. You do not have to wait until death is approaching before you sort out your relationship with God and men. Do it now and with the help of the Lord, your life will be at peace.

The following steps will help you in sorting out the affairs of your life.

* Take some time off - probably a few days - to rest, reflect and meditate before the Lord on the issues of your life. Examine your life in prayer and in line with the Word of God.

* Take a closer look at your relationship with God. Is anything amiss? Set yourself apart to humble yourself before God and sort out whatever is the problem.

* What is your family relationship like? Reflect closely on it and straighten out whatever needs attention.

* Examine your career, your business, your profession and means of livelihood. Is everything alright or is there any area where you need God to help you? Pray about it, if there is.

* Closely consider your finances. How is it? Ask for God's help and take definite decisions.

God will be generous in pouring out His mercy upon you. He has said that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

* What about your relationship with other people? Look at it critically and work out a way of peace for yourself. Whatever has disturbed your peace and hurt your conscience should be given proper attention.

Invite God to help you as you take vital decisions. Do whatever you need to do to put the affairs of your life in good order, and the peace of God shall flood your entire life.

 

Prayer/Action

* Give thanks to God who is able to make the crooked affairs straight.

* Ask the Lord to bring order into your life and give you peace all-round.

* Pray that the order of God will reign in every aspect of your national life.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Father, I command September to be for landmark testimonies, in the excellent name of Jesus.

Your Sins are all Forgiven

Your Sins are all Forgiven

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 
A Daily Devotional by Bishop David Bakare 

Your Sins are all Forgiven

Monday, 2 September

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little. Luke 7:47

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: 1 John 1:1-10 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

 

MORE LESSON: Luke 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

 

God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the Father of mercies. 2 Corinthians 1:3 says: Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.

The principal aspect of God's mercy is that He forgives iniquities and sins. He makes the sinner clean through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. When any individual truly repents of his or her sins and asks for the mercy of God, God forgives that person, purifies him or her with the blood of Jesus. That individual thereby becomes a child of God, a new creation. 1 John 1:8 says: The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sins. All sins! That is the mercy of God.

In today’s text, Jesus was in the house of one Pharisee who invited Him for dinner. While our Lord reclined at the dinning table, a notorious sinful woman brought an alabaster box of very precious ointment. Shedding tears of sorrow for her sins, she washed Jesus ' feet with her tears and anointed them with the precious ointment. While the Pharisee was condemning the woman in his heart, Jesus extended God's mercy and grace to this truly penitent soul. Afterall, He had declare that His mission was not to call the righteous but the sinner to repentance (Matthew 9:12-13).

David was a man whose sins were known by all, but he was a truly penitent man, who sought God in brokenness and genuine repentance. He found mercy and grace and sang a new song in Psalm 103:3: Bless the LORD, O my soul:and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities ; who healeth all thy diseases.

God is reaching out to you also, in mercy and grace. He wants to forgive all your iniquities. He wants to cleanse you from all your sins. He wants to make you whole again. However, you have to truly repent of those sins and ask for the mercy of God. He is waiting to show you mercy.

Beware of hypocrisy; beware of pride; beware of insincerity; beware of religiousity. If you are genuine in your repentance, God will be generous in pouring out His mercy upon you. He has said that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Trust in the blood of Jesus today, and He will cleanse you from all your sins. Isaiah 43:25 says: I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Similarly, Isaiah 44:22 assures us: I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

 

Prayer/Action

* Give thanks to God who He forgives all iniquities.

* Pray for someone you know who needs to be saved.

* Pray for any evangelist that you know.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Father, this month deliver my candlelight from the wind of the enemy, in the powerful name of Jesus.

Everlasting Good News

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 
A Daily Devotional by Bishop David Bakare

Everlasting Good News

Sunday, 1 September

 

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. Revelations 14:6

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: Ephesians 3:11-21 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. 13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

MORE LESSON: Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

The Good news of Jesus Christ is to be preached to all the people of this world. It is the power of God that saves those who believe, no matter who they are and where they are (Romans 1:16). This good news is to be preached to people in every nation, every tribe and every language (Matthew 28:18-20). This is God's only plan for the salvation of the world. Acts 4:12 says: Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name, under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved.

We who believe this good news and have been saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ have a solemn duty. We must preach the goodnews with genuine conviction, and true compassion. We must not dilute the message. We must declare it as it is: Christ is the only way to God (John 14:6). As God's angels of salvation, we are to fly " through the heavens, "carrying this everlasting goodnews to people worldwide. This is no longer the age to crawl. Running will not even do the job; we must fly.

How? We can do this through multimedia; the internet, Pod casts, The SMS, radio, television, newspapers. Every available technology that gives a multiplier effect to the goodnews must be employed. We must fly, spreading the goodnews as fast and as far as we possibly can. This is because there is still so much to do, and the time is short (1 Corinthians 7:29).

But if we are going to fly effectively with the gospel, we cannot afford to neglect these two weapons: prayers and money.

1. Prayer is number one. This is the fuel that makes preaching of the goodnews effective. What aviation fuel is to airplane is what prayer is to the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. Psalm 2:8 says: Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

2. Money is number two: money gives wings for the Gospel to fly. Loose change will not do. Solid treasure is needed to make the goodnews of Christ to fly.

This is where God's call comes to you. Do you want the goodnews of Christ to really fly worldwide? Then get really committed to praying fervently, consistently and continuously for the Good news to fly all over the world with maximum impact. Get really committed to giving good money, continually and consistently, for the goodnews of Christ to fly into all nations of the world and great shall be your reward in heaven (Galatians 6:7).

 

Prayer/Action

* Give thanks to God that you have received the goodnews.

* Ask the Lord to use you to bring several people to Christ.

* Ask the Lord to help you to contribute significantly to the advancement of the Gospel of Christ.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Thank You LORD for September. I see lines falling to me, in pleasant places all through the month in the mighty name of Jesus.