Youth Wing Of Christian Association Of Nigeria-Iye Area

15/11/2024

14/11/2024

Depth From the Belly of the Spirit.. listen and be blessed awesomely

11/11/2024

*ESOCS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MANUAL*
*MONDAY 11TH NOVEMBER, 2024*
*TOPIC: THE PORTION OF THE WICKED*
*TEXT: JOB 20:1-29*

*MEMORY VERSE*
"This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and heritage appointed unto him by God.” Job 20:29

The rate at which wickedness is increasing is very alarming. People so recklessly execute wickedness against one another without thinking about the devastating effect their wicked practice will have on the victim. Very worrisome is the fact that we have also brought this dimension of wickedness into the church of God. A place where one is supposed to find refuge from the arrows of family, community, workplace and social wickedness has now become a place for the generation of wickedness.

But hear this, no matter how these wicked persons thrive, God has a portion for them. Yes! That is our consolation in God. The portion of the wicked is so inevitable that they can’t escape it. Psalm 7:11 opens up the box of their portion: *“…and God is angry with the wicked everyday”.* On daily basis, they are faced with God’s anger and wrath. No matter how much they may be succeeding today, let it be settled in your heart that God is continually angry with the wicked and their wickedness. We pray that no wicked man shall escape God’s wrath, in the name of Jesus.

Secondly, Isaiah 3:11 says, *“Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him.”* Then Proverb 3:33 lends credence to it: *“The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked…”* To be wicked is to be cursed by God. Every wicked man is already living under a curse promised by God Himself.

Then, Ecclesiastes 8:13 takes it further: *“But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days…”* No wellness for the wicked. No goodness nor blessing for the wicked. Today, we decree by God’s word to all the wicked fellows out there, it shall not be well with them, in the name of Jesus Christ.

In Psalm 32:10, God surrounds the wicked with multiple sorrows: *“Many sorrows shall be to the wicked…”.* No doubt their destructive portion is endless, as seen in our text and in Psalm 11:6. Therefore, don’t fret yourself over the wicked because they are only a disaster waiting to happen.

*CHALLENGES*
❖ There is no peace for the wicked – flee from wickedness.
❖ Make sure you do not practice wickedness against anyone.
❖ Remain prayerful; God surely will visit the wicked appropriately.

*PRAYER POINT*
❖ Lord, thank you for the portion you have for the wicked, help me not to live in wickedness, as you shall visit the wicked in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

*FURTHER READING*
❖ Proverbs 15:16-end; 1 Corinthians 15:41-49

24/10/2024

ESOCS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MANUAL
THURSDAY 24TH OCTOBER, 2024

TOPIC: WHO IS THE GREATEST?
TEXT: LUKE 22:24-34

MEMORY VERSE
“In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks.” Isaiah 26:1

Before the Last Supper, the Lord Jesus in the Upper Room had spent up to an hour on His knees with a bowl of water and a towel quietly washing the feet of His disciples. It wasn’t long after this happened that these same men began arguing, which of them was the greatest. I hardly think that John the beloved shouted out, “I am the greatest! I am greater than the rest of you because Jesus and I have a special relationship. I rested my head on His chest after the meal! We are bosom friends!” Or that Peter chimed in, “No, I am the greatest, because when I said in Caesarea Philippi that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God, then Jesus Christ told me that I was a blessed man and that Jehovah had taught me that fact.” I doubt very much that it was like that. I guess that they were thinking of a new situation that seemed to be arising; Jesus Christ was going away to prepare a place for them. Who would be the natural leader then? It was more likely that some of the less significant apostles raised the issue and one of those men spoke out and said that he thought John should be the leader after Jesus Christ, John is the greatest, and others responded saying it should be Peter because he was the greatest.

While all this was going on, God the Son was looking at them and listening. Had He failed completely in teaching the nature of true leadership? He was the only truly great man in the room, the Preacher of the Sermon on the Mount, the One who raised the dead, and the One whom winds and waves obeyed. He had just been washing their feet, the omnipotent, humble Jesus. They had just been eating bread with Him, which He said signified His body, which was to be broken for them, and sharing in His cup, which He said was His blood He was going to shed to save them. And if ever they showed that they needed saving, it was then in the Upper Room in this display of naked ambition, and envy. Just like the same stupid emotions can crash into our lives in a second, just after we’ve been at a communion service and were on our way home in the car and something triggered off resentment and jealousy.

This scene in Luke 22 is quite a horrible scenario, like a bitter family argument ruining Christmas Day. Were they actually thinking that they were worthy of having their feet washed by Christ and so they must be great? Did they think that they were worthy enough for the Son of God to die for them? You remember that all this happened before the Spirit was poured out on them at Pentecost. Christ responds, the greatest must be the least who is ready to serve everyone. Think about it.

*CHALLENGES*
❖ The best quality to have is humility. It leads to other godly characters and disposition.

*PRAYER POINT*
❖ Lord Jesus, I want to be like you in humility and other attributes you possess.

*FURTHER READING*
❖ Proverbs 29:11-end; Ecclesiastes 5:1-12; 2Corinthians 8:1-15

23/10/2024

ESOCS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MANUAL
WEDNESDAY 23RD OCTOBER 2024

TOPIC: GOD APPOINTS THE TIMES AND SEASONS

TEXT: ECCLESIASTES 3:1-16

*MEMORY VERSE*
“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

These words are words for every person, in every place, in every circumstance. God has appointed the times and seasons, the events of our lives, the happy and the sad, the easy and the difficult. On one hand, this can bring worry; but on the other hand, it should bring you hope because we know that God is in control. God exalts and humbles the same person. He raises nations up and brings them down. Even the day of our death has been set, God is in control.

Sometimes, you may wonder about that. I mean, it is easy to doubt that God has it all together when you look at the world. It doesn’t seem to be doing all that well: Crime is up, abortion is up, homosexuality is on the rise, the nation is in debt, etc. It can be pretty discouraging but God has got it all under control. God has a purpose in what He does even if we have a hard time understanding what that purpose is. Romans 8:28, *“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”*

The evidence of change is all around us: Spring becomes Summer. Summer becomes Fall. Fall becomes Winter. Winter becomes Spring. The young become aged and the new becomes old. My computer runs slower and my body gets weaker. And the times change. The millennium is here. Wellspring is closing. You will be wondering about where to go to church next year. But don’t worry. God is in control.

Christians go through some of the greatest changes. First, we are blind, dead sinners. Then we are made alive. Then we discover more of our sinfulness and God continues to change our hearts. God wants to make our hearts more like His. It challenges you by causing you to grow through the trials and tribulations of life. However, God does not change. Imagine what it would be like if God changed on us. What if one day He were nice and another day He was mean. Or what if He altered between merciful and judgmental; or one day He decided to answer but it occurred in the next that He did not. I thank God that He is unchangeable (Malachi 3:6). That means you can count on Him to always be there and to do the right thing. He won’t change His mind about you.

*CHALLENGES*
❖ Be confident that God is with you always. You are well protected.

*PRAYER POINT*
❖ Lord, I will always trust you. Let your defence never depart from me.

*FURTHER READING*
❖ Proverbs 28:12-end; Luke 22:14-23; 2 Corinthians 7:2-end

22/10/2024

*ESOCS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MANUAL*
*TUESDAY 22ND OCTOBER, 2024*
*TOPIC: ENJOYING FUTILITY*
*TEXT: ECCLESIASTES 1:1-END*

*MEMORY VERSE*
“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1:2

The writer called himself *“the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem”* (vv. 1 and 12), which would indicate Solomon (since no other king besides David reigned over the whole kingdom of Israel from Jerusalem). We read in 1Kings 3 that Solomon asked God for the wisdom to govern His people, and God was pleased to give him *“a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you”* (1Kings 3:12).

But Ecclesiastes came from a dark place in Solomon’s life. The Scriptures tell us that Solomon himself became an object of lesson in the futility of this world, when late in his life, he abandoned wholehearted worship of God and turned to the other gods of the women in his harem. Here is bewildering folly and futility: the king who built and dedicated the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem to God ended his life building temples to Chemosh and Molech and all of the gods of his many wives! (1Kings 11)

Solomon wrote this book, having seen great blessing from God, and having experienced the depths of apostasy and falling away from Him. He had seen great success and wealth and power, and had seen that none of that success or wealth or power or authority meant anything, when it was all said and done.

Solomon pulled no punches, as he talked about the futility of this world; the bewildering repetition, the meaningless struggles, the dull monotony, etc. What he was going to do through this book was to confront us with the reality that there is no way to escape the futility and meaninglessness of this world apart from God.

*CHALLENGES*
❖ The evidence that we love God is that we hold onto Jesus Christ in poverty and in riches, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and joy, in bad times and in good times.

*PRAYER POINT*
❖ Lord, let me remain close to you at all times.

*FURTHER READING*
❖ Job 19:1-27; 2Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 1 Peter 5:1-11

15/10/2024

ESOCS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MANUAL
TUESDAY 15TH OCTOBER 2024

TOPIC: WHERE WERE YOU?
TEXT: JOB 38:1-21

*MEMORY VERSE:.* "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding." Job 38:4

God's answer to Job was not what he expected and not at all what we expect. Rather than answer our question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" God asks us questions: What's going on here? I think that two things are happening: First, God wants us to know that our idea of who God is, is way too small. We think that our God is a God that mechanically passes out blessings every time we do something good and punishes us whenever we do something bad. But that is not what God is about. God is much more than just a dispenser of blessings and curses. And this brings us to the second thing that God wants us to know.

God is the Creator and sustainer of the whole world. God's responsibility is to make everything work together. God creates each day, sends the sunshine and the rain. God nurtures the seed in the ground to make it grow. But sometimes, the seed dies for lack of water because God has sent the rain to water someplace else. If we focus only on ourselves, we would think that God is unjust. But if we could see things from God's perspective, we would know that God is good and acting justly. So, when we see bad things happening to good people, we need to remember that this is only a small part of the much larger plan that God is managing. Since this larger plan is often hidden from our sight and understanding, we are left with a mystery.

So, when a loved one loses her health, or a family member loses a house or a job, it is OK to ask, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" But we have to be prepared not to receive an answer, at least, the answer we want because the world we live in is mysterious. We don't know fully what God is up to. So, all we can do is trust God to do what is best for the whole world. And if God is at work in the world, we will be truly blessed.

Not knowing fully what is going on around us is difficult for us. We like to be in control. So, we pray to God asking Him to do what we want done. But if our prayers are not answered and we ask God, "Why do bad things happen to good people?", be prepared to receive not an answer but a question. God will ask you, "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?" And you will be left with a mystery that somehow your loss, pain and suffering is part of God's plan for the whole world. We need something to sustain us as we face this mystery.

➤ CHALLENGES:
❖ Learn to trust God in all circumstances and do not question His will.

➤ PRAYER POINT:
❖ Lord, give me the fortitude to endure all things for your sake.

➤ FURTHER READING:
Proverbs 22:1-12; Luke 19:41-end; 2 Corinthians 2:5-end

09/10/2024

ESOCS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MANUAL
WEDNESDAY 9TH OCTOBER, 2024

TOPIC: BE CAUTIOUS
TEXT: JOB 14:1-14

MEMORY VERSE
"Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble." Job 14:1

Job's word that *"man is few be days"* remind us that our lives are short compared with eternity. Even the longest human lifespan is but a speck of dust when placed on the scale of infinity. Yet, when we are suffering, our days seem endless. Because of that, we may make decisions to say and do things we would not otherwise say and do. Satan wants to deceive us into believing that the day of reckoning is light-years away (Matthew 12:36; Hebrews 9:27). But judgement is nearer than we think. James wrote, *"What is your life? You are a must that appears for a little while and then vanishes."* (James 4:14). And Jesus Christ warned that *"You also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him"* (Luke 12:40)

Job said that man is *"full of trouble",* and Jesus Christ confirmed it: *"In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world"* (John 16:33). Becoming a Christian does not protect us from trouble. In fact, taking up our cross to follow Jesus Christ may mean that life gets harder, not easier (Luke 9:23. For centuries, Christian living in countries with oppressive governments have invited more trouble simply by trusting Christ for salvation. Even those in relatively free parts of the world face external difficulties and, internally, their own sinful desires as they strive to follow Christ (John 15:18; Romans 7:18-20).

One reason God allows trials in our lives is that they force us to refocus on eternity. This world is not all there is. In fact, our earthly existence is only a tiny fragment of the life God has planned for His children. Jesus Christ urged us to store our real treasure in heaven where nothing can harm or destroy it ( Matthew 6:19-20). To know Christ is to be thankful that our days are few because to *"be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord"* (2Corinthians 5:8). That knowledge strengthens us to take heart and not let earthly troubles overwhelm us. The trouble we are full of won't last long. Paul gives us a healthy perspective on the fact that man is few of days and full of trouble: *"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal Glory that far outweighs them all"* (2Corithians 4:16-17)

*CHALLENGES*
❖ Understand that life has no meaning or significance for anyone without Jesus Christ in his or her life.

*PRAYER POINT*
❖ Lord Jesus Christ, teach me to live my life for you, I pray.

*FURTHER READING*
❖ Proverbs 4:27-End; Luke 18:15-30; 1Corinthians 15:12-19

04/10/2024

ESOCS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MANUAL
FRIDAY 4TH OCTOBER, 2024

TOPIC: FORGIVENESS: A CHRISTIAN DUTY
TEXT: LUKE 17:1-10

MEMORY VERSE
“Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.”Luke 17:3

Two little boys had quarrelled. But the next morning, Johnny took his cap and headed for Bobby’s house again. Surprised, his mother said, “What! Going to play with him again? I thought you quarrelledd only last evening and were never going to have anything more to do with each other.” Johnny looked a little sheepish, dug his toe into the carpet for a moment, then flashed a satisfied smile, as he hurried away. *“Oh, Bobby and I are good forgivers.”*

Jesus Christ has high expectations for His disciples. This is a common theme in Luke (Luke 9:57-62 and 14:25-33), and it comes through clearly in this text. I want to uncover what Jesus Christ said about our Christian duty to forgive so that we might become good forgivers. A few points to note:
*Offences will happen:* A person may have been unkind, lied about you, called you a name, cheated you, hurt you, harmed you in some significant way, or even been unfaithful or disloyal to you. These things hurt!

*Offences are common in our relationships:* We are sinful people. Just the other day, Melody and I could not find something that we bought. I sinfully put the blame on her. I was wrong. I offended her. She was hurt.

*Rebuke the offender:* Jesus said that if a brother sins against us, we are to rebuke him (i.e., we must tell him that he hurt us).

*We must forgive:* He said that if the confronted sinner repents, we must forgive however the offence hurts us, although forgiving can be difficult. Remember too that forgiving does not justify the wrong; it is simply letting go of the offence.

*What are we to do if the offender does not repent?* Until he does, he will not prosper. Proverbs 28:13 says, *“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: …”* However, we must not hold onto bitterness in our hearts toward him. (Matthew 5:44). Our Lord said, *“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”*

We must clear our own conscience by forgiving even if the offender will not repent. Jesus Christ forgave His unrepentant crucifiers (Luke 23:34). He said, *“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”* He also said we must forgive repeatedly. Even if a person wrongs us seven times in one day and each time repents, we must forgive him. In Matthew 6:15, He said, *“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”* A majority of marriage conflicts could be resolved if the couple practised confronting, repenting and forgiving. The same is true of nearly all conflicts.

*CHALLENGES*
❖ Just keep forgiving people to keep your heart clean. You have no excuse not to forgive.

*PRAYER POINT*
❖ Lord Jesus Christ, please give me your forgiving hearts.

*FURTHER READING*
❖ Job 3:1-17; Proverbs 11:1-12; 1Corinthians 14:13-25

03/10/2024

ESOCS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MANUAL
THURSDAY 3RD OCTOBER, 2024

TOPIC: HOLDING ON TO FAITH IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING

TEXT: JOB 2:1-END

MEMORY VERSE
“And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.”Job 2:3

It was a day when the sons of God were presenting themselves before the Lord. Satan is still doing all what he does: going to and fro through the earth. He is the roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1Peter 5:8). As we saw in chapter 1, God’s question was not for his benefit but for the reader’s benefit. God was showing us the motive and purpose of Satan. Then God drew Satan’s attention to Job again. He was blameless, upright, feared God and turned away from evil. There was only one new statement made in this discussion, which is found in verse 3: *“He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.”*

God declared that Job maintained his integrity. He had remained blameless and had not cursed God to His face, as Satan declared he would do. Job did not have false motives. Job was not hypocritical. He was faithful to God despite losing his children and possessions. Purse and ponder: if I were in Job’s shoes, what would have become of me? Can these testimonies follow my experience even as a believer I claim to be?

We should also notice that God takes ownership of what has happened. God does not say that Satan did this or God is really upset that Satan did that and now God has to go fix everything. We have learned in our studies throughout the scriptures that there is nothing that happens in this world that is not under God’s rule. We cannot try to justify or defend God by saying that Satan did this action against Job outside of the power of God. Satan is not more powerful than God. Furthermore, Satan needed permission to do what he did. Not only this, God constrained what Satan could do to Job (1:12).

What God said here is important for our consideration of how God runs the world, particularly in regard to suffering. This action against Job did not happen without God’s knowledge or agreement. God takes responsibility for what happened in Job 2:3. God did not say that Satan did it (though he did). Rather, God said that He did it himself: *“You incited me against him to destroy him without reason.”* But this is not the only time where the book tells us that God did this. Look at Job 42:11. Learn to trust God, come whatever may!

*CHALLENGES*
❖ Let nothing make you turn your back against God. Remain faithful to Him always.

*PRAYER POINT*
❖ Lord, help me in my trying moments to remain steadfast in the Christian faith.

*FURTHER READING*
❖ Proverbs 10:1-13; Luke 16:19-end; 1Corinthians 14:1-12