Freedom Devotional

Verse Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.(John 14:30) Message I am going to paraphrase what Jesus said. He said, "the prince of the world is coming, and when he comes, he won't find an iota of darkness in me. He won't find anything in me that is in common with him...he has nothing in me."  Let's be honest with each other, can we all say the same? When Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy our lives (See John 10:10) and our families, will he find darkness in us (our souls)? Will we be carnally minded or lukewarm  when he comes? When Satan or his cohorts come along, will they find anything in you? Will they find, doubt, fear, bitterness, hatred, lust, greed, envy and so on? Will they find darkness or will he be expelled by your light? Our protection from the evil one, is dependent on what we have in us.  Throughout my high school and college years, before I got saved (or delivered fro

Tensions are rising between the U.S. and North Korea. The Syria war has left more than 70,000 people dead . Human beings are beginning to act like savage animals: the lowest of any species. We are becoming brutally wicked, heartless and unable to make rational decisions that would move our world forward. As the wars prevail, and these tensions mount between many countries, one would wonder who benefits from all the chaos and our strife. Think about it. Who or what is benefiting from the tears that are being shed and the hearts that have been broken? Ever since the fall of man (See Genesis 3:1-24), we have never been able to live peacefully with one another. Can all of this be attributed to the serpent? If it can, what does he gain from our strife? And why can't he just let us live peacefully with one another? Why did he also come into the Garden to cause division between us and God? "To receive worship" you say. Yes, but more. He wanted to be God (Isaiah 14:14), but

After the gang rape of a 23-year old student in a bus in New Delhi, India, and the case of 17-year-old Anene Booysen who was gang-raped and murdered (her throat slit and body mutilated by a broken bottle) many women began looking for innovative ways to protect themselves from these sex predators. A few months after the above incidents, two high school football players were convicted in an Ohio rape case.  This culminated the fears of many women across the globe. "Are we safe?" They asked. "What do these men want, and how can we protect ourselves from them?" Recently, I read a lengthy article on Facebook.com that gave detailed descriptions on the types of women a typical rapist would like to attack, where they could get raped (if they were not careful enough) and what to do if they ever got attacked. Most of the solutions, were geared at turning young women into amateur ninjas. Other innovative solutions have also been developed to solve this epidemic. According

Verse Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Message It's Easter again, and as usual, many people all over the world are going to be celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a result, it would be typical to hear people screaming out loud, "He is risen" or "Jesus is alive." Many Christians have got the Easter story at their finger tips (after watching 'Jesus movies' on the television every Easter who wouldn't?) We all know that Jesus rose up from the grave three days after He was buried: one of the pillars of our faith. But the question is, do we really understand the significance of the resurrection?  "He died and rose from the grave, because God used Him as a sacrifice for my sins; I am a sinner deserving eternal damnation and Jesus took my

One man died and descended to hell, with the purpose of disarming and defeating the powers that kept the human race in bondage to sin. He fought for and helped us to gain our independence, yet many human beings are still being whipped and controlled by our former colonial masters because, they don't know what Good Friday is all about. It's sad right? Happy Good Friday to you :) "I guess we all know who won this fight..."

Had I not known there was a way out, or had I not tasted freedom long enough to know His word was true, I would have fallen again. Like a persistent sales man, he came knocking at my door again. If only we could all discern his presence, and his paralytic words. He is the serpent, and his words are venomous. It is said, "crush the head of the serpent, lest it shall bite you". Who sees a snake, and draws close to pet it? Who sees a snake and lies comfortably next to it? Who discerns his venomous words, and continues listening without rebuking him? His words again, are venomous and the more we listen to him, the more his poison takes over our lives. Poison so deadly it kills us in seconds, yet we do not die in the natural; we become zombies: alive naturally, but dead spiritually. One bite turns us into zombies in pursuit of freedom/ a miracle cure unknown to many people. A cure that many people — due to the blinding effect of the poison running through their veins — ca

We live in a world where we are surrounded by a farrago of trouser-unzipping self-gratifying images (content). Hence, it is now nearly impossible not to stumble upon content, that act as a catalyst for our indulgence in the myriad forms of sex. "Hot, whoa, delicious" are the words we silently utter as our eyes feast on these images. A part of us yearns to continue feasting, like we have been hypnotized by the thoughts that evade our minds, to gratify our eyes. Another part of us, however, wants to be broken free from the jinx. Like a paralyzed rat being swallowed by a snake — unable to move or call for help — we helplessly watch and hope that someone will help us to "snap out of it". Till then, however, we helplessly gratify our eyes till we are turned on like horny dogs in pursuit of their next lady. People ask, do you really think its possible to quit pornography? That's like asking, do you think God can create an orange or a new planet whenever He feels l

The first question I will like to ask you is, do you love him? If your answer is yes, then you need to pray to God for strength against temptations that will lead you to cheat on him (again). During our moments of weaknesses, that is, when we feel lonely, down or angry, our mind becomes a "temptation playground" and in such moments, it's eminent that you fight off any thoughts that would lead you into temptation, by taking them captive and making them obedient to Christ as Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 10:5, or as Jesus did in Luke 4:1-13.  Thank you...

This is a question that is frequently asked by teenagers and young adults from different religious backgrounds and cultures, and therefore, the best way to answer it, will be to take it first from a neutral perspective before factoring in other views. I will first love to start by throwing a question at you: who determines what is right or wrong? Is it the laws of a country, a God some of us believe in — One who others are yet to know about, or a group of philosophers? Your question, when looked at through a morality or ethical scope, will lead us down a road of endless debates. Obviously not what you are looking for. The question "is it right or wrong?", is usually rooted in the internal battle (temptations) we all go through: to do, or not to do. At the beginning of every temptation, our first reaction is to think of ways to counter it. When this happens, some of us turn to the laws of our religion or country; others, a promise they made to themselves

Today freedomdevotional.com is rolling out a new product called Ask|Me. The story behind Ask Me In October of 2010, I went over to a pastor friend's house. Actually he was a friend to my parents. I went with a lot of questions on my mind. At the time, I was being battered by a lot of temptations and I needed to know: 1) What would have happened to my soul if I fell and 2) The best way to flee from a major temptation that was awaiting me... When I got to his place however, I couldn't ask him my questions; I was scared he would condemn me or tell my parents about my personal struggles (which I had kept secret for years.) I went back home with my questions, and as you guessed it, the temptation caught up with and over took me. I believe many people like me a while back, have similar questions and are scared of asking anyone for the fear of being condemned and so forth. This is why this product was created: for you. Using the product Send your questions to the as

Personality may be viewed as consisting of stable characteristics that explain why a person behaves in a certain way.   Many people would love to to know why Hitler did the things he did. Many of us would love to understand why some people in society, just don't seem to get the basic principles of sanitation. Some would also love to understand why countless innocent kids, who never ever bothered anyone in their schools committed suicide. We would also love to know why the world is in a state of turmoil, and why there is so much injustice in it among other things. Social scientists will tell us that there are many factors that make up an individual's personality; factors ranging from a person's ethnic origin, culture, early family experiences and so forth. However, when filtered, we would realize that there are only two major factors that make up individuals: love and hate. No matter what part of the world a person lives in, he or she can and will only be shaped by the

Verse John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. Message Jesus said, "He that believeth on me, the works that i do shall he do also." Pause! How on earth are we going to do His mighty works, if we do not have the same resources He had? Actually we do. Jesus made the final provision or resource available to all of us on the day of Pentecost. On that day, He sent the Holy Ghost. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. ( Acts 1:8 ) We have all been given a ministry of reconciliation. A ministry that is birthed after the born again experience. This is confirmed in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20,  " Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;

Verses John 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Message One of the things I love most about my kindergarten teachers (like all my other teachers) is that, they taught me all they needed to teach me—the abcd's and how to spell—and held nothing back. They loved me even when I didn't know much about loving people, and disciplined me when I caused trouble in class: they

Verses Romans 7:18-20 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Romans 7:24-25 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. Message If we would all be honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that, there are many things we do that we wish we never did or ever started doing. No theory can explain this, and even the knowledge gathered from the fact that, 'hate-filled experiences from a person's past, have the power to send them on a quest to find love in the wrong places', isn't enough to keep us from indulging in acts

Verses 1 Timothy 1:5-7 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. Message The gospel is so simple that the devil wants to and has complicated it. From the introduction of strange names of demons into the church; to the farrago of doctrines that make us feel devilish every time we fail to live by them; to teachings that are so confusing that, even the preachers, as Paul said, don't understand what they themselves preach. Paul also stated in Colossians 2:18-23 that, many things that were and are being introduced into the body of Christ, do nothing to stop us from indulging in the flesh. So what is the gospel all about? The gospel is a revelation of the person who would enable us to do the things that only God can do: Jesus Christ. In Ga

Verse James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you... Message Many people are looking for God, but when they find Him or are close to meeting Him, they turn away; their decisions are usually based on preconceptions of who He is. People want to worship a supreme being or a god who can offer them all their needs in this life: power, peace and everything they lack. People want a god they can have a relationship with. We all yearn for a Godly Father because, at one point in time or another we felt like spiritual orphans being battered by the cares of life, which took advantage of us because we were all alone. Spiritual orphans jump from temple to temple, church to church or any other place of worship in search of something or someone real. They are looking for God, and He is right around them, waiting for them to draw close to Him: to understand why He sent His Son Jesus, so that they can receive everything in Him. Amen

Verses Romans 1:18-20 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Message Much learning has the power to make one mad. When this happens, doctrines, teachings and theories,  that also cause others to slowly go mad  are birthed. Learning that is geared at challenging the Creator; trying to understand His wisdom by our own might, can lead, and has led a lot of people down the road to madness. Festus thought the same had happened to Paul, after he narrated his profound testimony (See Acts 26:24). But as Paul exclaimed, he received everything via revelation, not when he was on a quest to understand w

Verses 1 Samuel 2:12 Now the sons of Eli [a High Priest of Shiloh] were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord . Message There is a saying that goes like this, "most pastors kids are naughty; or the nature of most pastors kids totally contrasts that of their parents." This is weird, considering the fact that they (the parents) have dedicated their lives to ensuring that other people's kids, and families as a whole, do not stray away from the gospel. It's easy to point fingers at the devil for attacking the weaker ones in these homes, that is, the kids. However, we need to bear in mind that, he (the devil) always looks for an opening through which he can attack them — just like he did with Adam and Eve, who were more or less "pastors kids". The opening he used to gain access into the lives of Adam and Eve, was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or rather one law: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of

Verses Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Message What's the point of having over a 100 friends or followers, if we can not make a difference in their lives? What's the point in calling them friends, if we do not treat them as friends, but rather, like familiar faces on a "friends list"? We all love it when our friend or follower counters goes up. "Oh I have got a new follower...Someone just followed me, they love me or are interested in engaging with my content," we say. We all yearn to be loved, and these counters help in feeding our "love hunger". However, the question is, how hungry are our followers? How hungry are they to

Verse Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Message For many, the desire to quit an addiction fluctuates like a thermostat. At one point in time, these individuals feel like quitting. However, when the guilt they feel after falling into temptation subsides, they once again wrestle with, and fall back into the same old temptations: indulging in the very things they wanted to quit. The question is, why the inconsistency? Why are we hungry for righteousness at one point in time, and for unrighteousness at another? It's hard to fathom our double-minded behavior, however, or thankfully, the Word of God gives us the key to understanding the reason behind our falls. This key lies in Genesis 3:4-5, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Over the years, beg

Over the years, after the death of Jesus Christ, two types of Christians have emerged. They are the lawyers and the "gracers." The lawyers are typically the ones, who like the Pharisees, "pick up stones to kill the woman caught in the act of adultery" (See John 8:1-11).  Lawyers like any other lawyer, know the law, but this doesn't mean they are capable of living up to it — knowledge is nothing without application. The lawyers are — because of their knowledge of the law, good at pointing out people's flaws and sins whiles secretly concealing theirs. For this reason, Jesus called them a generation of vipers (See Matthew 12:34) and hypocrites (See Mark 7:6). 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Matthew 12:34) 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips,

Verses Proverbs 31:3-4 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Message Many of us young folks, have at a point in our lives received advise from our parents or guardians on various topics pertaining to relationships, sex, drugs and probably every other social ill that destroyed the lives of their peers back in their day. We listened to their wise words, and promised never to indulge in certain acts. However as we grew up, things changed. We began doing the very things we promised never to do. Some of us began living secret lives, and this led us to perceive our parents as the enemy. Some of us grew rebellious: a contrast to the kids our parents were advising a few years back. So what happened? Why did we break the promises we made? What caused us to transform into the people we now "hate"? Many of us look in the mirror once in