Help for the Family Ministry Lagos, Nigeria. THE FAMILY ALTAR Daily Devotional Week Sun. 31/08/2014 – Sat. 06/09/2014 The Family Altar Sunday August 31st, 2014 Topic: To God alone be all the glory Bible Text: Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. (KJV] • Just a Charge God is a jealous God. He will never share the glory due to Him with any, especially with any idol. An idol is anything that takes the place of God in a man’s life. An idol is always a substitute to God in that man’s life. An idol is nothing! It can do neither good nor evil except as man ascribes to it. Only God is the Almighty. He alone can do all things. He is the Creator and Owner of all souls. Nothing can be without Him. He is the All-in-all. Whatever you are in life, whatever you have, know it that it’s all by the grace of God. You can’t be anything in life except as God had ordained it. It can’t be by your power, wisdom, or whatever. It is wisdom to acknowledge this in all our affairs in life. Without God we are nothing, and all we are must be by God. By this, we will know that He alone deserves all praise, honour and glory over our life and our all. We will therefore not be erring in the matter of giving or sharing His glory over our life with anyone else, including ourselves. Enjoy the bliss of His presence today. • Meditate on this: Whatever you are in life, whatever you have, know it that it’s all by the grace of God. • Prayer Points: 1. Throughout today, meditate of the love of God towards you and all yours. Think of who you are today just because of Him. Think of what would have been your lot in life without Him. Give Him the glory due unto Him. 2. Pray diversely for the Church of God in your nation in particular. The Family Altar is a marriage and family-focused daily devotional posted for free use of all by Help for the Family Ministry, Lagos, Nigeria. Except otherwise indicated, all write-ups are authored by the Ministry’s helmsman, Pastor Dayo St. John. You can be a part of this via the Ministry’s website: helpforthefamily or Facebook page: Help for the Family Ministry For further details, comment or requests, please contact: Website: helpforthefamily E-mail: thefamilyaltar@helpforthefamily Telephone: 234-8023072094, -8098032094 The Family Altar Monday September 1st, 2014 Topic: In all things, be circumspect Bible Text: Ephesians 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise [KJV] • Just a Charge The Christian walk is not a haphazard one. It is a discreet and disciplined walk. It is one with definite and defined pattern. It is a way of life that was designed for our walk here on earth just “as it is done in heaven”. As citizens of God’s glorious kingdom, Christians are expected to do the will of God in all things on earth. We are expected to do all things with caution and habitual regard to what is Gods will. We must strive to prove and do only what is acceptable unto the Lord at all times [Ephesians 5:10]. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. We are to walk ….. not as fools. Who is a fool? “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God….” [Psalms 14:1]. “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” [Psalms 10:4]. Every sinner is a fool in the sight of God. The sinners go headlong into their life’s affairs without thinking of God’s will or glory. They are simply full of themselves and self-serving. Anyone that habitually plans or does anything or generally run the affairs of his or her life without prior consideration to God’s will is a fool. A true Christian is not to be such a fool. This is the admonition of our today’s Bible text. Don’t be a fool. Be wise. In all things, see that you walk circumspectly. Have a blessed day. • Meditate on this: Anyone that habitually plans or does anything or generally run the affairs of his or her life without prior consideration to God’s will is a fool. • Prayer Points: 1. By the will of God you are alive today. Adore Him. 2. Thank God for His wonderful plan for your life. 3. Father, today, by the power of your grace, help me to depart from any way of life that I am walking in but is contrary to Your will in Jesus mighty name. 4. Father, release Your grace into my life, so that I might walk worthy of Your glory all the days of my life in Jesus mighty name. 5. Father, I ask for Your favour upon my life and home today. Let Your favour be upon the works of my hands today in the name of Jesus. The Family Altar is a marriage and family-focused daily devotional posted for free use of all by Help for the Family Ministry, Lagos, Nigeria. Except otherwise indicated, all write-ups are authored by the Ministry’s helmsman, Pastor Dayo St. John. You can be a part of this via the Ministry’s website: helpforthefamily or Facebook page: Help for the Family Ministry For further details, comment or requests, please contact: Website: helpforthefamily E-mail: thefamilyaltar@helpforthefamily Telephone: 234-8023072094, -8098032094 The Family Altar Tuesday September 2nd, 2014 Topic: It pays to help the needy Bible Text: Deuteronomy 15:7-11 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. [KJV] • Just a Charge We all crave material prosperity. It is a good desire. God delights in the prosperity of His people. He gives people power to make wealth. However, no matter what, for one reason or the other, there will never be a time when there are no poor individuals or families somewhere lurking around us. You will find some poor brethren in the church. You will find some in your neighbouhood. You will probably find some even in your extended family. Even though you abound in riches, someone around the corner may not be guaranteed decent daily bread, or may not be able to afford good change of cloth. There may be a young brilliant boy who cannot go to school for lack of means, or a poor and oppressed widow, or any of sort. What should be your attitude in such a life? GIVE. “Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.” “But whoso hath this worlds good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” [1 John 3:17]. Stinginess and selfishness are proofs of lack of true love in the heart. Given is the cardinal virtue of godly love. To be untouched by the conditions of the poor and needy around when you have the means and are capable of lending a helping hand is regarded as a manifestation of a hardened or wicked heart in the sight of God. The Christian heart is compassionate. God wants us to give to the poor with a willing and cheerful heart. If you don’t, it will be counted a sin against you, especially should the poor cry unto God concerning your rightly perceived wickedness. If you do, God promised to bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. Truly, it pays to help the needy. You do yourself good for so doing, for “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself” [Proverbs 11:25] May His angels attend you and all yours today in Jesus mighty name. • Meditate on this: Stinginess and selfishness are proofs of lack of true love in the heart. • Prayer Points: 1. Thank You Father for the grace of Your breath of life in me and all mine toady. 2. Father, in any way that I have been hard-hearted and unkind towards the needy around my life though I was able, I repent. Please have mercy on me in Jesus name. Forgive me, O Lord. 3. Father, Please deliver me today from selfishness and stinginess in Jesus name. 4. Holy Spirit, fill me with bowel of mercy and compassion today in Jesus name. 5. Father, let today be a day of great testimonies of Your great works in my life, my home, my family and nation in Jesus precious name. The Family Altar is a marriage and family-focused daily devotional posted for free use of all by Help for the Family Ministry, Lagos, Nigeria. Except otherwise indicated, all write-ups are authored by the Ministry’s helmsman, Pastor Dayo St. John. You can be a part of this via the Ministry’s website: helpforthefamily or Facebook page: Help for the Family Ministry For further details, comment or requests, please contact: Website: helpforthefamily E-mail: thefamilyaltar@helpforthefamily Telephone: 234-8023072094, -8098032094 The Family Altar Wednesday September 3rf, 2014 Topic: Clean up your home Bible Text: Habakkuk 1:13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? [KJV] • Just a Charge Should you hear a knock on your door now and the voice on the other side is God’s, can you open the door unto Him pronto, or would you need to tell Him “Please hold on”? May be He has to keep waiting at the door because you must first put your house in order! Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity. God cannot behold or put up with evil, iniquity and wrongs. If any of these elements is in your home, surely, God will have to “hold on”! What do you have in your life or home that could keep God away? Could it be personal iniquity? Could it be wrongs in your marriage? Could it be unholy objects (like idolatrous images or objects, stolen properties, etc.)? Before He comes, why not deal with these things urgently? Why not clean up your life and home urgently? Why not put your life, your marriage, your home in holy order now? Not only could such “unholy things” lock out God from your life and home, they are equally capable of locking the gate of heaven against you! I beseech you by the mercies of the Lord, today, deal with anything in your life or home that can lock God out of your life or home. May God help you as you attend this issue in Jesus mighty name. • Meditate on this: God cannot behold or put up with evil, iniquity and wrongs. If any of these elements is in your home, surely, God will have to “hold on”! • Prayer Points: 1. Our God is holy. Worship Him for who He is. 2. Do an honest and thorough examination of your life and home today. Are there things that must be taken away in view of today’s message? Act decisively on them today. 3. Father, sanctify me and my home wholly today, not only for Your visitation but, much more, for Your dwelling. 4. Commit unto God the rest of the day. Ask Him for a special visitation with blessings today. The Family Altar is a marriage and family-focused daily devotional posted for free use of all by Help for the Family Ministry, Lagos, Nigeria. Except otherwise indicated, all write-ups are authored by the Ministry’s helmsman, Pastor Dayo St. John. You can be a part of this via the Ministry’s website: helpforthefamily or Facebook page: Help for the Family Ministry For further details, comment or requests, please contact: Website: helpforthefamily E-mail: thefamilyaltar@helpforthefamily Telephone: 234-8023072094, -8098032094 The Family Altar Thursday September 4th, 2014 Topic: Cooling off? Bible Text: Revelation 2:4-5 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. [NKJ] • Just a Charge Are you born again? Can you remember how it was when you first gave your life to Jesus Christ? You remember the fervent love you had for the Lord and for the brethren? You remember the zeal for fellowship? You remember how serious you took personal and congregational Bible study times? You remember how you used to pray with all your heart and great joy? You remember how you love righteousness and hated iniquity? You remember how you separated yourself from corrupting friends and influences? You remember how you were always zealous to tell others about your Jesus? But, now, how is your Christian life? Has your warmth of love for the Lord given place to a lifeless orthodoxy? Have you cast off your first faith? [1 Timothy 5:12]. Jesus had actually prophesied this lukewarm state of many Christians long time ago. In Matthew 24:12, He said, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold”. Iniquity is always a root of growing cold in the things of God. Riches or pleasures of life is another [Matthew 13:22, 19:23, 1 Timothy 6:10]. Carelessness is another [Revelation 3:11]. Of course, inability to bear with persecution or trials of life is another [Matthew 13:20-21]. Whatever the reason may be, God is never comfortable or pleased with a lukewarm Christian [revelation 3:14-16]. Today, lest God spue [expel or eject] you out of His kingdom, I counsel with you to repent and seek divine revival that will usher in new zeal for God and for good works in your life. A fresh breath of the Holy Ghost will surely bring a time of refreshing to your Christian walk, with the blessings following upon your life, marriage, home, ministry, career, etc. It will open the door of heaven unto you once again. The time to rekindle the fire is now. Do not delay. May God touch you afresh in Jesus name. • Meditate on this: Whatever the reason may be, God is never comfortable or pleased with a lukewarm Christian [revelation 3:14-16]. • Prayer Points: 1. Thank God for His mercies whereby He has not given up on you, though you have cooled off from following Him diligently hitherto. Thank Him for hope of revival. 2. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, the Lord says. Do this NOW! 3. Pray earnestly now for a new touch of the Holy Spirit. Pray for renewed love, zeal and commitment to God and the faith of Christ Jesus. 4. Ask God for abiding grace to abide hot in Him very day hence and never to grow cold again. 5. Commit your entire household afresh unto God. Pray fervently for a time of spiritual refreshment to burst out over all in Jesus name. 6. Thank God for answered prayers. The Family Altar is a marriage and family-focused daily devotional posted for free use of all by Help for the Family Ministry, Lagos, Nigeria. Except otherwise indicated, all write-ups are authored by the Ministry’s helmsman, Pastor Dayo St. John. You can be a part of this via the Ministry’s website: helpforthefamily or Facebook page: Help for the Family Ministry For further details, comment or requests, please contact: Website: helpforthefamily E-mail: thefamilyaltar@helpforthefamily Telephone: 234-8023072094, -8098032094 The Family Altar Friday September 5th, 2014 Topic: Bridge the gap now [2] Bible Text: Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? [KJV] • Just a Charge “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” [Matthew 19:6]. In the sight of God, a man and his wife are not two persons but one. Whenever God looks into a marriage, He is seeing only “one person”. Of course, He never created two persons! He created a “male-female Adam” who He later pronounced “not good”(structurally). He then restructured the original Adam unto a new and better Adam – “man-woman Adam” – in marriage. We can see this in Genesis 2:7, 5:1-2, 2:18-23. So, when God joins a man and a woman together in matrimony, He is simply restoring back the man He made but in a better (more functional) format! He will henceforth see and deal with them as one – an inseparable conjugal One. And so He decreed, “Let not man put asunder”. Unfortunately, in most cases, the ones putting asunder are the spouses themselves. Really, I do not think that there is anyone (including Satan) that is capable of putting asunder what (marriage) God has joined together without the passive or active co-operation of one or both of the spouses! Any other may provide the push, but you provide the platform! A lot of things, issues and personality inadequacies are putting asunder many marriages. Many spouses have allowed even sometimes insignificant issues or things to build wall of partition between them. Insignificant differences or conflicts left unattended or not well attended to could overtime end up becoming dividing factors between spouses. Some, money is the culprit. Some, it is their jobs or businesses. Some have allowed friends or families to come in-between them. You may not believe this: even ministry had put asunder some ministers’ marriages! Such gaps built in-between spouses automatically hinders the effective functioning of the marriage system. It makes it uneasy for the two to work together. And, of course, the losers are the two and their home! It is therefore wisdom for such spouses to do all that is needful to quickly bridge the gap, lest the ship of marriage sinks in mucky sea of regrets and disgrace. Let each spouse be willing to be unselfish and sacrificial in this matter. The winners will be both and their home at the end. Be blessed in all your ways today in Jesus mighty name. • Meditate on this: Whenever God looks into a marriage, He is seeing only “one person”. Of course, He never created two persons! Prayer Points: 1. Thank God for upholding your marriage and home unto this day by His grace. 2. Today, take time to consider whatsoever you have allowed to sunder your heart away from your spouse. Be sincere. Ask God for grace to wisely deal with and eliminate each of them from today if you must have your relationship back on healthy track. 3. Are there issues to be discussed with your spouse towards mending broken fences? Pray to God to make your heart and your spouse’s heart appeasable and humble, so that your talking together might be fruitful. 4. Commit the rest of the day unto God. The Family Altar is a marriage and family-focused daily devotional posted for free use of all by Help for the Family Ministry, Lagos, Nigeria. Except otherwise indicated, all write-ups are authored by the Ministry’s helmsman, Pastor Dayo St. John. You can be a part of this via the Ministry’s website: helpforthefamily or Facebook page: Help for the Family Ministry For further details, comment or requests, please contact: Website: helpforthefamily E-mail: thefamilyaltar@helpforthefamily Telephone: 234-8023072094, -8098032094 The Family Altar Saturday September 6th, 2014 Topic: Adversity is a passing whirlwind Bible Text: Exodus 14:13-14 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. [KJV] • Just a Charge I think we are all familiar with the story of how God delivered the Israelite from the hands of Egypt’s Pharaoh. It is one of the most interesting and popular Bible stories. As the Lord had promised, He delivered them from Egypt and took them by His mighty hands to the Promised Land. May the Lord deliver you from all your Egypt experiences and safely land you in your Canaan in Jesus mighty name. However, it is important to factor in the truth that it was not all bed of roses along the way in-between Egypt and Canaan. There were challenges along the way. There were adversities. There were adversaries. Yes, all these were there; yet, the Jews landed in their Canaan. No matter what is along your way, you too will reach your Canaan in Jesus name. One of the adverse situations Israel overcame was the pursuit of Pharaoh and his army just immediately after living their land of bondage. Pharaoh regretted letting the people go, even despite all the punishments he and his people have had to suffer for resisting the Jews’ freedom. You see, the Devil will not just let His captives go so easily! He therefore set out with his army in pursuit of the fleeing freed people. He wanted to bring them back into bondage. When the people saw them matching after them in great number, they were afraid with painful lamentation. But Moses called upon the Lord and the Lord assured them that the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The Lord fought for them, and the enemies were altogether drowned in the sea! The pursuit of Pharaoh and the terror it generated in the people’s hearts became just a passing whirlwind! They ended up singing a new song. That can also be your story today, for the God who did that for Israel is yet the same today. If only you would call on Him! Today, you shall sing a new song in Jesus mighty name. Amen. • Meditate on this: May the Lord deliver you from all your Egypt experiences and safely land you in your Canaan in Jesus mighty name. • Prayer Points: 1. Appreciate God for sustaining you unto this day. He had not allowed life’s troubles to swallow you up for His name’s sake. Bless Him for this. 2. Exodus 3:7-8. Father, today, behold my afflictions, hear my cry and send Your deliverance unto me in Jesus name 3. Father, by Your mighty hands, paralyze every satanic taskmaster oppressing my life in the mighty name of Jesus. 4. Today, O Lord my God, let every enemy pursuing my life to hold me down in bondage be judged and destroyed by Your mighty hand in Jesus name. 5. In my journey to Canaan (heaven), Father lead me in the way and give me victory over all temptations, adversities and adversaries in Jesus name. 6. Let us now pray as a family on each one’s prayer requests. 7. Father, today, let the shout of joy fill this house in Jesus mighty name. The Family Altar is a marriage and family-focused daily devotional posted for free use of all by Help for the Family Ministry, Lagos, Nigeria. Except otherwise indicated, all write-ups are authored by the Ministry’s helmsman, Pastor Dayo St. John. You can be a part of this via the Ministry’s website: helpforthefamily or Facebook page: Help for the Family Ministry For further details, comment or requests, please contact: Website: helpforthefamily E-mail: thefamilyaltar@helpforthefamily Telephone: 234-8023072094, -8098032094
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 17:05:14 +0000
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