Heart

 

Topic: Heart

Sunday Sermon at Rccg COC 

Highlight: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' Mark 12:30

The heart is the center of physical and spiritual being.  The heart is the link to connect to God that's why Jesus said you shall love the Lord thy God with all your heart.

Proverbs 4:23; Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

 Looking gentle is not the way to heaven it is your heart. Your heart must not be far to God.  Matthew 15:8 - These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

 

My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways, Proverbs 23:26, 

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

 Hebrews 10:22 KJV

The faith that works is linked to a believing heart. Believing heart is linked with faith. (Not thinking that spiritual things are planned out or how it will be planned) A believing heart is linked with faith that works. A believing heart is a productive heart.

Pray to be productive. 

Different Kinds of Heart

1. A Stony Heart. Very mean heart that cannot sit faith. Anyone with such heart must change. cf Exodus 20:26

2. Hard Heart cf Hebrews 3:6. Is a Heart that test God's power to prove its working before it contemplating to believe

3 Evil heart cf Jeremiah 7:24, & Heb 3:12,  A heart that never believe but walk in his own imagination.

The Kinds of Heart God bless

1 Circumcised Heart: Heart that is ready to receive Faith. cf Deuteronomy 10:16 

2 Pure Heart : Matthew 5:4, Psalm 24:4

3. Believing Heart : Heart that believe what is written in the Word of God.

How do you engage your heart

1 Study the Word (Bible) always. 

2 Be prayerful

3. Be mindful of what you say. People will always do something wrong but don't let them push you to make powerful pronouncement that could hunt you.

4. Do not forsake the assembly of the brethren. 

Prayer: Lord I pray for a heart that is connected to you in Jesus name.

Hope of Glory

 An Emoji Devotions for Fri 21 May 21

Topic: Hope of glory

Highlight: 

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

You have this faith and love because of your hope, and what you hope for is saved for you in heaven.  The Son of God paid for our sins, and in him we have forgiveness. 

 

God decided to let his people know this rich and glorious truth which he has for all people. This truth is Christ himself, who is in you. Whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life. Anyone who have Christ will never give up to defeat. Even though they are facing hard times, they will always have hope that help will come soon to them.  

If you have ever lost a battle or you are still fighting a battle, you can rejoice because there is hope for you in Jesus Christ. If you have not received Christ into your life, you must open your heart and invite him through confession to receive the hope of glory. 

For the sick, Jesus Christ is a healer and he is still doing wonders today, for the dead - He is the ressurrection and life. For the desolate - He is the Hope for better life. It is a huge opportunity to call on Christ whenever you need him. Christ sees everyone who come to him for help as gift from His heavenly Father. In John 6:37 He said "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."

Do you know It is the will of God that Christ render to you the help you always need till the end of time?  Once you have that revelation, you will always call on Jesus immediately you need help. Glory to God. Hallelujah. John 6:39

Prayer: Father, I pray that you help me focus on Jesus Christ my only hope in heaven. In Jesus name. Amen

I Hope in Your Word

 

An Emoji Devotions for Thu 20th May, 2021

Topic: I hope in Your Word

Highlight: Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

Psalm 119:114 KJV

As believer, we need grace to stand on His word. God said in Isaiah 43:13 NLT that "From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.” It is advisable that we continue to hope on God's word even when things seems different. Gods word do not fail.  His words are powerful and they never disappoints. When we hope on God's word in the middle of hard times. We will be consistent in knowing and doing what is right till answer comes our way. A man called Daniel Prayed and God answered his prayers but a Prince of Persia delayed his prayer for 21 days but with the help of Archangel Micheal he was able to receive the angel with answers to his prayers. The essence of this story is that Daniel was able to persist in the place of prayer for 3 weeks because he hope in God's word. Daniel 9:2. 

It is good to hope in God's word because God is merciful when keeping His covenant. Psalms 107:20 tells us that God's word heals and saves from destruction. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; Habakkuk 2:3a. We must continue praying for grace to hope on God's word because the entrance of His word gives life. 

Prayer: God grant me the grace to hope on your word. Do not allow enemy to sway me away from hoping on your word. Amen

Hope to live

 An Emoji Devotional Tue, 18th May 2021

Topic: Hope to live

Highlight: 

And everywhere the river goes, there will be many animals and fish. Wherever this water goes the Dead Sea will become fresh. So where the river goes there will be many living things. Ezekiel 47:6 

There is hope for you so long the river has not run dry. River gives hope to every living things. As river flows even the dead sea becomes fresh. Every living things can live because of hope. Hope is like a river; a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen. It flows to give life to whoever wants to live. If you want to love someone and they are not loving you back, but you have hope in love. Hope will bring a better person to love you more tomorrow. In whatever you want to do in life, have hope in it. Jesus Christ is the Hope of glory. Without hope for tomorrow there is no way anyone can survive.  

It is essential to bring the hope of Jesus into your life so you can partake in His eternal glory. This is possible once you have hope in Him. It is the only hope that never disappoints. Are you having difficulty in your life. Have hope in Jesus today.  Jesus told Martha in John 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;" There are many words of hope found in the Bible that can build our hope in Christ. If you have a doubting mind about the future, it is time to call Jesus the hope of hopes into your life today.

Prayer: I am calling on Jesus the Hope of Hopes to come into my life,my family and my situations from now on and forever. Thank you Lord.  In Jesus name. Amen.

Your Eyes

 

An Emoji Devotions for Fri 14th May, 2021

Topic: Your Eyes

Highlight: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. Matthew 6:22 NIV

There is a door to your soul. Are you conscious of that aspect of your personality that sees a situation? Your Eye. 

What are your thoughts? Are you afraid or confident? Angry or sympathetic? Constructive or destructive? Is your eye closed or open to the truth.

If your eyes are healthy your whole body will be full of light. Be honest with yourself. What do you see?

He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." Mark 8:24

Once again, How do you see things?

Every member of thy body shall be enlightened by the light of thine eye, and directed to perform its proper office. But if thine eye be evil it will misguide thy love, thy choice, and all the tenor of thy life: if thy judgment then be blind, which must guide thee, what a miserable erroneous wretch wilt thou be!

There are treasures in heaven. It is our wisdom to give all diligence to make our title to eternal life sure through Jesus Christ, and to look on all things here below, as not worthy to be compared with it, and to be content with nothing short of it. 

Prayer: Please Lord I want to see with healthy eyes. In Jesus name. Amen.

Do Not Hide Your Face From Me

An Emoji Devotions for Thu 13th May, 2021

Topic: Do not hide your face from me!

By H.U.Wenger

Highlights: The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Psalm 27 spreads joy and confidence in the victory of the Lord in the first six verses. The Psalmist is very certain about God’s help. When the wicked will devour him, they will stumble and fall, when war will rise against him, his heart gets not afraid, because he relies on the Lord. He wants to dwell in the house of the Lord to gaze on the beauty and goodness of the Lord and seek him in his temple. He firmly believes that in times of troubles the Lord will hide him in his dwelling place and eventually exalt him above his enemies. He sees himself bringing sacrifices to the Lord with shouts of joy, with hymns and music. Is the psalmist here just in an enthusiastic mood or does he depicts reality? Jesus makes clear that the words of Psalm 27 speak out a spiritual reality, for now in the faith and spirit and once in plain visible reality. (John 14:1 – 3; 17, 24 et alii) 

David has intimate moments with the Lord and gets  glimpses of what will be in the future for ever and ever, and in the same way it applies for us. Good keeps his promises, there is no doubt. David and we with him, do, however, not live yet in that glorious time.  Verse 7 has therefore a slightly different tune. It is the urgent plea to God to hear his voice, to listen to him and to answer him. He is thirsting to meet the Lord, and to look into his face. Do not hide your face from me – you are my only help – do not reject or forsake me. In all of his thoughts he clings to the fact that the Lord is his savior. Although he is afraid of his oppressors, he holds the conviction that he will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. To his own soul and to us he exclaims: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

When I do not see the face of the Lord, when I have a feeling he hides his face from me, I need to keep on searching and like David, I will finally have glimpses of the future kingdom actuality. I need to search the Bible  with patience to see what His word is saying concerning my situation.  Patience in God's promises can be defined as awaiting God’s time without doubting God’s goodness and love. 

Prayer:  Lord God, thank you that you are my light and my salvation. Thank you that you are the stronghold of my life. Let me never fear humans or be afraid of circumstances or powers. Let me wait for you with patience and let me always seek your face – I need you. Amen

Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.

 

An Emoji Devotions for Tue 11th May, 2021

Topic: Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.

Highlight: “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” James 1:21-25

In the Gospel of Luke (Luke 11: 27 – 28) only, we read about a very short, but nevertheless utterly important event. Jesus is preaching to the crowd and a woman who must have been deeply touched by his teaching suddenly exclaims:  “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” As a woman she may have felt the rightful pride and thankfulness of Mary, to call Jesus her son. In his answer Jesus confirms her excitement, but corrects it at the same time. The Greek word that Jesus uses here is mainly used in answers and can be translated with “yes, but much more …”   He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” The exclamation of the woman aims to fleshly human specifics, whereas the response of Jesus gives emphasis to the attitude of the heart. 

It is no coincidence that Mary serves as well as an example with regard to that. When the angel tells her that she will get in trouble with society, by carrying a child from God without being married, she shows a very obedient reaction.  “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38) Not what we are called to do, not what we have done or missed doing is important. We are blessed, we are to be praised when we are servants who willingly hear the word of God and do our best to obey, to live it out in our everydays life.

 “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:16-17

Yes Mary is blessed and to be praised, but although she was the mother of Jesus, she has no special stand among the followers of Jesus. She is not to be praised due to her motherhood, but due to her attitude of heart. If you and I are hearing the word of God and do our best to shape our lives in obedience to the very word, we are to be blessed and to be praised in the same way. Only the obedience to the message of Jesus makes us to salt of the earth and to the light of the world. With regard to history, most of us are insignificant little people, but we all live in an environment in which we are important and significant to some people around us. By obeying the word of God, God lifts us out of our smallness and makes us to a destination boards and to a force that works against rottenness and decomposition. As a follower of Christ, you are a VIP, a very important person and an upholder for the society in which you live.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, let me look away from fleshly privileges and concentrate on the attitude of my heart. Do not let me forget that being obedient to you is the way to true greatness. Teach me your word and make me a professional in living it out in my everyday routine. Amen