Monday, 31st March, 2025
Bible Reading: John 3: 14 – 19
Memory Verse: Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ Matthew 22:37 (NKJV)
The bitter truth is that many of us were not correctly discipled. Many of us entered into the kingdom of God ‘through the back door’ (I use this adage metaphorically). Many only became born again when they were desperate for a divine intervention to one of life’s imminent challenges such as a failing health, persistent spiritual problems, cycle of repeated failures, joblessness, failure at the edge of breakthrough, foundational problems, etc.
Then, as soon as Jesus was presented to them as a healer, deliverer, or provider, they grabbed Him, many atimes, only as a means of escape to these challenges, but not has the only true lover of our soul. Well, let’s thank God you now belong to His kingdom anyway, but there’s got to be more!
Yes, Jesus can heal. Jesus can save. Jesus can protect. Jesus can break yokes. Jesus can lead. Jesus can give direction, etc. But, of what use is a parasitic relationship? What is the use of a relationship that is built only on what you can get, and not what you can offer?
Friends, provided your conviction is not built on the love of God and His kingdom, the foundation of your faith will be standing on sand, and not on a solid Rock. Should the wind of life or storms of life blow, sincerely, your faith may cave in. You should love God more than what He can give you. You should love the Lord more than anything else. Friends, you need to be re-indoctrinated.
Jesus is not only your saviour; He is also your Lord. He died for you. He had always loved you before you ever knew Him. After the fall of Man in Eden, Man did everything possible to reconcile to God. He offered the blood of animals as remission for his sins; all to no avail. All his sacrifices for restoration proved abortive. Intimacy was lost. Then, God began to speak through His Prophets. Moses as the forerunner.
Yet, Man’s intimacy was not completely restored. The blood of animals could only cover the sins of Man, but couldn’t wipe it off. Afterwards, came the Judges as the intermediary between God and Man. The likes of Gideon, Jephthah, and Deborah did their best. Still, intimacy with God wasn’t restored. Much afterwards came a silent period of 400 years, which saw the man, John the Baptist, herald a new era. Then, Jesus, the only Son of God, who was 100% God and 100% Man was born for a singular purpose: To destroy sin and every work of the enemy (1 John 3:8).
After 30½ years on earth of showing the correct pattern back to God, He finally laid down his life for the remission of the sins of man and reconciliation of same, back to God. What the blood of bulls, the Prophets, and the Judges could not do, the Blood of Jesus, which speaks better words did. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).
Friends, isn’t this a good reason to love Jesus with the whole of your heart, soul and spirit, not primarily because of what He is capable of giving you, but because of who He is, and what He has already done. Then, every other thing shall be added unto you (Mat. 6:33). This is the correct mindset to entering into the kingdom of God.
Quote: Genuine love for God is the centre point of our faith
Prophetic Decree: Receive grace to love the Lord more dearly, in Jesus name.
Prayer Focus
1. Thank you Lord for the forgiveness of my sins on the Cross of Calvary.
2. Thank you Jesus for the remission of my sins by the power in your Blood.
3. I receive a greater conviction to love the Lord even till the point of death, in Jesus name.
4. I receive grace to love the Lord with the whole of my heart, soul and spirit, in Jesus name.
5. My love for the Lord shall not grow weak, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 3-5
Hymn:
Day by day, dear Lord,
of thee three things I pray;
to see thee more clearly,
to love thee more dearly,
to follow thee more nearly,
day by day
