KEY SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:30 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment”.

Our love for God is strengthened as we get to know more about God’s love.  The scriptures say in 1st John 4:19 that “We love Him because He first loved us”: Our love for God is always as a response to an encounter with His love.

Sir Isaac Watts, after being gripped by the great love of our Lord Jesus, demonstrated on the cross, wrote in the last stanza of the hymn titled “When I surveyed the wondrous cross”. He wrote:

 Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That’s an offering far too small

 Love so amazing, so demands my soul, my life, my all”.

After coming to terms with such a love, he said, if the whole of creation was his, it would be an offering far too small. This love demands his soul, his life, his all. What are you giving to the Lord?

As we also consider deeply how much Jesus has loved us, we would also say Jesus truly deserves our all.

On the cross, God revealed the consummation of His love for mankind. The scripture said He became sin for us, He who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2nd Corinthians 5:21). The righteous one who had no business with sin. He never desired to sin and would never sin. Because of us, he became sin. This is not just an act, but the very nature of sin, so that sin would be slain on our behalf. Romans 8:3 added that “what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit”. A knowledge of this must send waves of joy and appreciation, for the power of sin is destroyed even in our flesh (this can be realised by faith)

On the cross, the menacing effect of disease was also dealt with. 1st Peter 2:24 “…. By whose stripes ye were healed”. There are so many things that our Lord Jesus’ death has made available for us. Knowing all these, we say with Sir Isaac Watts. “Were the whole realm of nature mine. That’s an offering far too small, Love so amazing, so demands my soul, my life, my all”.

Take time to consider the depth of God’s love and reciprocate with a corresponding love. We demonstrate our love for Him when we joyfully serve Him. First of all , we forsake all sinful ways,  joyfully seek his face in prayer and the study of His word, then we passionately seek the salvation of the lost. All other roles in His house would be a delight as well.

CONFESSION

We love Him because he first loved us. God has shown an amazing love, where the immortal died’, I offer my whole life in response to such a love for Him.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Philippians 3:8 “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ”,

Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death”;

KEY SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:30 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

From our key scripture, our Lord Jesus says God demands total love. He wants your complete love and not part of it.

In the story of the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, king Pharaoh requested in Exodus 10:24 that “… go ye serve the Lord, only let your flocks and your herds be stayed. Let your little ones also go with you”. Dear brother or sister, Satan, who is a symbol of Pharaoh, does the same. He tells you to serve the Lord, go to church, but don’t commit your whole being unto Him. Give your time but don’t give your money. The devil is always requesting that something be left for him. Please listen well, give no place to the devil. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. (1st Corinthians 5:6, Galatians 5:9). Many Christians do not pay their whole tithe. (Malachi 3:10)God our father, always asks for the whole of everything. If you give only a part, in God’s sight, you have given nothing.

Dear child of God, a little space or agreement you give to Satan seriously complicates your challenges and makes things more difficult for you.

When Pharaoh made that request for them to leave their flocks behind, the following was what Moses said to Him,” Our cattle shall go with us, there shall not an hoof be left behind……” Moses was not going to enter into any bargaining pact with the devil. The Lord said, You shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with thy strength. He always wants everything. Israel was called from slavery and their complete response is what makes their liberty whole. Our decision to wholly love the Lord gives us the true freedom God has intended for us.

God is perfect good. He can be trusted with your everything. His word has sustained the universe and has kept it intact in all these years. The scripture says that he spared not His own son but delivered Him up for us all. How shall he not with Him also freely give us all things(Romans 8:32)

It is not safe to leave any portion of your love for other things. God sanctifies and multiplies whatever he receives. Let Him have your everything. (Matthew 14:19).This is the only way to true liberty.

 CONFESSION

I love the Lord with my whole being. Every aspect of my life is to please Him. My way is made perfect as I live to honour Him with my whole being.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Ephesians 4:26-27. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.

Deuteronomy 28:47-48 “Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:30” And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

Lovers of God are high flyers in this life. King David was one man who excelled so much in his life. He was the only king who handed over to his successor in his lifetime. The Lord described him as a man after His own heart. In Acts 13:22, the Lord added that David would fulfil all his will. Love for God is doing the will of God in earnest. It places the Lord above self, family, and ambitions.

 Lovers of God are men and women of great faith. Love is a commitment. It is a commitment of your life to the one you love. The scripture said Greater love has no man than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13). Great faith is expressed by one’s readiness to count on God and trust in God even if it would mean losing his life. It was David’s love for God, which had developed into absolute trust that made him engage Goliath in that open battle. He knew his lover would not let him down. 1st John 4:18 reads “There is no fear in love, perfect love casteth out fear because fear has torment. He that fear is not made perfect in love”. Indeed, there is no fear in love. True love would always trust.

The foundation of love is not to please oneself but to please the object of love. Love always goes out of its way to bring satisfaction to the one he loves. The Lord remarked about this in John 14:20. The one who loves Him would keep His commandments, and He and the Father will manifest themselves to him. When the Lord talks about manifesting Himself to us, He is talking about showing His power in our life engagements. His manifested presence would always be seen. Miracles become the order of the day for the man who loves the Lord.

It is a great life to lead by loving the Lord in sincerity.

CONFESSION

I have set the Lord before me always. I live only to please Him. I honour Him in all I do. My greatest desire is to please Him. O, what a life of encountering God daily in my affairs.

FURTHER STUDIES.

John 14:21” He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:30 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

During a public discourse with the multitudes, one of the scribes asked the Lord Jesus, what is the first commandment of all? The Lord responded with our key scripture. He said, you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength. The Bible is called the perfect law of liberty. Every commandment of the scripture liberates men from all bondage if they obey it.

Love is always an act of commitment. A man is controlled by what he truly loves. You always adore what you love. You will seek to please what you love. You are either a free man or a slave depending on what you love.

Considering all that is said above, loving God with all your being is indeed the greatest thing a man can do. If this is not done, anything else you love becomes a snare to you. Unfortunately, most men don’t truly love God. Most come to Him for what they would get from Him. They love the gifts but do not regard the giver. Romans 1:25 puts it this way, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen”.

The Bible teaches that men would face difficult moments in the last days, because they would love themselves rather than loving God.

2 Timothy 3:1-2 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”

 What you love determines what controls you.

Men would produce all those negative natures because they are controlled by what they love, themselves.

In the Lord instructs all his followers to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him (Matt 16:24). For he that will love himself will lose it. To love God with all your being is the only way to preserve yourself. In Joshua 23:11–13, Joshua tells the Israelites to take heed to love the Lord, yet if they choose to love these nations and marry their women, it would become snares and thorns in their flesh and their eyes till they die.

The sure test that you truly love God is the presence of peace in your heart even in the face of adversity. Dear child of God if there is no peace in your heart, then you have other things there, repent and cast those things out, for your true comfort and peace of mind.

CONFESSION

I love the Lord with all my being. My life is an expression of Himself in me. I live a very fulfilled life because I live for God.

FURTHER STUDIES

Matthew 16:24-25” Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it”.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

The Lord answered Nicodemus in our key scripture that, verily, verily, I say unto you, Expect a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.

From the statement of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is implied that if you are not born again, then your place is hell fire.

Our Lord Jesus spoke extensively about a place called hell fire. What is hell fire? Hell fire is a spiritual place and state of torment by fire prepared for the devil, his angels, all those who are spiritually lost. Any man who dies without being born again is spiritually lost and so is kept in hell awaiting the final judgement where hell, death and all devils would be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14).(Rev 20:14 KJV And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.) When men die, they are no longer humans but are spirit beings. Because they never accepted the life of God or eternal life, they are spiritual criminals that must be kept in prison. Hell is a prison for all spiritual criminals. No human being goes to hell, but humans who become eternally lost spirits by refusing to accept our Lord Jesus as their Lord and Saviour while on earth are sent to hell.

The bible spoke about a certain rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:22-23 “And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom”.

The beggar or Lazarus, when he died, was carried to Abraham’s bosom. Everyone who dies is buried. It, therefore, implies that the beggar was buried, but his spirit was carried to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man was likewise buried, but his spirit went to hell.

Hell is not a figment of somebody’s imagination. Isaiah 5:14 reads ” Therefore hell has enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure; and their glory and their multitude and their pomp and he that rejoiceth shall descend into it”. You may check on the following scripture as well (Mark 5:22, Mark 9:45, Matthew 10:28, Matthew 18:9….) There are many more references about hell.

Some facts about hell.

Hell is located down in the spirit realm for people, always ‘descend ‘into hell.

Hell is full of torment, and the fire is never quenched. It is better to lose anything in this world than to go to hell. Hell and the devil will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).The lost spirits in hell do not die.

Dear brother or sister, many in our lifetime have visited hell and back, don’t be deceived. Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus. Be wise, you have nothing to lose if it is not true, but you have everything to lose if it is real. Well, the evidence is too compelling and undeniable.

 PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins as I accept Jesus as my Lord and personal Saviour, come into my life today and save my soul from eternal damnation.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Mark 9:45 “And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:”

Matthew 18:9 “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Anyone who is born again receives eternal life. John 3:16. Eternal life is the life of God, which he imparts to us through accepting Jesus as our Saviour and Lord. 1st John 5:11-13.

No one obtains eternal life by what he does but by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 19:16-26. A rich young man approached Jesus and asked about what good thing a man could do to earn eternal life. Since he wanted to know about what good thing to do, the Lord answered him in that light. He told him that he must obey the commandments. This man claimed he had obeyed the commandments from his youth. The Lord asked him to go sell his belongings and give to the poor, and he would be perfect. This man became sad and went away. Jesus then remarked how difficult it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. The disciples added that if it was so, then who could be saved? Jesus said the following in verse 26: “But Jesus beheld them and said unto them, with men this is impossible but with God all things are possible”. The Lord implied by this answer that salvation is not by human efforts. No man can be saved by his works. Ephesians 2:8&9 ” For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast”.

In Acts 10:1-9a. A devout Roman centurion called Cornelius, who gave alms, fasted, and was a very prayerful man, received an angelic visitation. The angel asked him to send men to call Peter, who would tell him how to be saved. Please note that despite his good works, he was still not saved. He sent men to invite Apostle Peter to his house. Peter came and preached Jesus, who died and was raised again. Cornelius and his household believed, were saved, and the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 10:34-44).

The scripture says there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we may be saved (except the name Jesus) Acts 4:12. Your efforts can’t save you, believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved and your household.

 PRAYER

Lord Jesus, you came into this life to give your life for my sins. I believe in you and accept you as my Lord and Saviour.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Acts 16:31, And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

John 14:6” Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 4:4” But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”.

Our Lord Jesus said that man can and must live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. This is perfect truth and very refreshing.

2nd Timothy 3:16,17 reads “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work”. God’s word is our standard for living. God’s word has creative power and can cause to manifest that which is not there (Romans 4:17). God’s word is a lamp unto our feet and light for our path (Psalm 119:105). God’s word is medicine for our bodies (Proverbs 4:22). God’s word is alive and powerful. It is also sharper than any two-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12). God’s word is God Himself. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. All things were made by Him, and without Him, it was not anything made that was made (John 1 ;1 2

God’s word is the best choice to rule your life. Indeed, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the word of God. We have to live by it. This vast and unreachable universe made up of billions of galaxies is held in place by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). It is sheer stupidity for a man to ignore God’s word and try to make any headway in life. Some may seem to be making something with their lives without God, yet their loss is too vast. Submission to the word brings peace (Phil.4:6). There is no man * without Christ who has true peace. Some may try to create some mechanical peace, yet they know very well that they don’t have real peace.

Submission to God’s word gives God access to dominate your life and act through you. The Christian is God living in a man acting through Him. What on earth can overcome such a man?

 CONFESSION

God’s word is my delight. It is my life and breath. By His word, I am more than a conqueror, and life is really worth living because of the word that dictates whatever I do.

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 112:1-8 ” Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth forever. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved forever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 4:4” But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

‘TO LIVE BY THE INSTINCTS OF THE FLESH MAKES YOUR ACTIONS COMPARABLE TO THAT OF ANIMALS’

The Lord Jesus answered the devil and said “it is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”.

In this very temptation, Satan wanted the Lord to break the order of waiting for proper time to break his fast and also to abuse his authority to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger. The Lord told him that the things of the flesh are not the ultimate.

This thought is a very important idea to hold.

Many people easily fall for all sorts of carnal things. Many men live as if there is no God who rules in the affairs of men. The Lord Jesus stated in Luke 12:15 as follows,” And He said unto them, Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things he possesseth”. The material things we have and use are good, but they must never dictate our behaviour and actions.

In the Lord’s temptation, Satan was calling on Him to break God’s word and order, to choose something carnal. This area of temptation remains Satan’s number one strategy to trap most men. Christians may be striving with each other because of something carnal. The desire for wealth has caused some people and even Christians to act in ways that are simply out of place. Some people have consulted with devils to be given power to make wealth. Some commit grievous sacrifices of all sorts of things so they could get these money rituals.

Please, dear child of God or dear reader, please heed the caution of the Lord. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? (Matthew 16:26). What would a man give in exchange for his soul?

O men, when are we going to learn? Just go to the refuse dump, and you would learn that. That thing for which you are sacrificing your precious soul would one day become waste and would be a nuisance for you to keep at home. It would be only useful for the refuse dump.

Your soul will live with you into eternity, but none of these carnal things would. .

CONFESSION

Bread or carnal things have their usefulness, yet they are not everything. I would never allow these things to take the place of God in my life. I will always put God and His word first.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Genesis 3:6-7 “” And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matt 4:7 KJV Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

When Satan came, tempting the Lord, He replied with the word of God. At this instant, Satan quoted the word but did not say all that the scripture said. He left out some portion that talked about his defeat. He did not add the following: “Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.” Psalm 91:7.

 The Lord answered him rightly.

What would He have done if He knew not the word of God? Too many Christians are held captives by so many schemes of the devil because they do not have the right answers for the devil. Satan may attack one’s morals, or finances, commitment to the work of God, health, and many more. The Christian must not be defeated in any of these cases. Many Christians have become failure minded such that they accept the saying “to err is human”. This mindset makes them easily give in to the advances of the devil.

Please, child of God, you are born an overcomer. 1st John 5:4” For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world even our faith”. You have been born an overcomer and must not accept any defeatist mentality, No! Get to know the truth, for the weapon of the enemy is lies. John 8:32 says “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”. How can one know the truth if he or she does not take time to study and meditate on the scriptures? 2nd Timothy 2:15 instructs us as follows “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”. The word “study” also means be “diligent “. It means do your best to show yourself approved unto God, right dividing the word of truth.

When you can rightly divide or apply the word, you would have a ready answer for the devil whenever he shows up. The Lord Jesus was never found wanting when He was tempted, He spoke out the sword of the spirit, and the devil was cut to pieces.

Use the sword of the spirit rightly all the time, and you would never be found wanting.  

CONFESSION

The word of God is forever in my heart and on my lips, ready for any eventuality that shows up. By the word Satan and his demons are always cut into size

FURTHER STUDIES.

Joshua 1:8” This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success”.

Ephesians 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”:

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 4:4” But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Our Lord Jesus was tempted by the devil (to break God’s word to satisfy his hunger). The Lord stood His ground and pushed away the schemes of the devil.

Many people fail in such times, why? Apostle James gives us some answers to this. James 1:13-15. In verse 14, the word says, “But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed”. From James’s statement, does it mean that when the individual is not drawn away by his own lust, then he is not tempted? I think that is exactly what he is saying. From this, we  see two aspects in every temptation.

1. The condition that put a strain on one’s desire.

2. One’s negative response (lust) to the condition.

In every temptation, there is the trial that is the condition posing as a test and the person’s negative response, which the apostle James calls temptation. This second aspect is a process:

 It starts with lust drawing one away from God’s word.

The next stage is enticement; where one is deceived or caught by a bait. This is the stage where the heart is hardened according to Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another daily while it is called today: lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”.

3. At the third stage, Apostle James said lust conceives, and finally, the act is committed (gives birth to Sin).

4. At the final stage, when sin is finished, it brings forth death (James 1:15)

Dear child of God, this should not be your portion. The Christian is not in the flesh to live after the flesh. Romans 8:9. “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit…..”.

Use your tongue to reverse this wrong process of temptation. The Lord Jesus said it was written and then quoted the scripture. Tell the devil and your flesh that it is written, “That I am are not in the flesh to live after the flesh”. Tell the devil and your flesh again. It is written. “Sin shall not have dominion over me”. (Romans 6:14).

Remember that the right use of the tongue bridles or controls the whole body (James 3:2).

Don’t go down into the valley of sin. Speak your way unto the mountain of Holiness.

 CONFESSION

I am not in the flesh to obey the dictates of the flesh. Rather, i am in the Spirit, and so I am subjected to the ways and instructions of the Spirit, which is the word of God. I live above every temptation of the devil in Jesus’ name.

FURTHER STUDIES.

James 3:2 “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body”.

Romans 8:9 “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”.