Freedom Devotional

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...

Verse 1 Peter 1:23 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. Message What is the corruptible seed? Sin (the power source behind the things we do that we do not want to do—things that always leave us with regrets). Romans 7:19-20 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 7:19-20 ) What or who is the incorruptible seed?  The word of God; Jesus; The son of God, life (everlasting life). He (the word of God) came (down as flesh—John 1:14 ) to save us (the people of this world) from the grip or power, sin has over us. He (the word of God) came down to give us a choice. A choice to be born again with  a different seed—the word of God (1 Peter 1:23). This is what it means to accept Christ and to have Him(the word of God) dwell in us. With this new seed, ...

Verses 2 Corinthians 12:9 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Philippians 4:13 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Message "You just don't understand where I am coming from. I can't do it, I can't quit"; "I am tied of trying, maybe I was just born this way, maybe my environment shaped me and made me the way I am". Do you panic when you see the source of your addictions? Do you feel you can never quit doing something you do not want to do? Have you given up on trying? The truth is that in our own power we can never quit; we can never get around our former sources of addictions without being enslaved aga...

Verses Matthew 12:43-45 43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. Message Going back to your old ways after you have been delivered, doesn't bring back the same devil only but seven; not two or four or maybe five, but seven wicked devils. The question is, what makes the house (your body) empty. The answer lies in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in you...

Verses Genesis 1:27-28 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis 2:18 18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Message Have you heard about the story of Adam and Eve? Am sure you have, it's the most famous story in the bible. If you haven't, I will summarize the story here for you. Summary: God created Adam first; Adam was lonely; God created Eve; they were happy together; lucifer (before he became Satan) comes in to cause confusion and to gain what God has given them. End. Now that you know the story (again), I will like you to ponder over the questions below. • Have you ever wonder...

Verses 1 Peter 2:24 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. Psalms 30:2 2 O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. Acts 3:6 6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. Acts 4:30 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. Acts 9:34 34 And Peter said unto him, AEneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. Message They ask: Do you believe in (this thing called) divine healing ? Do you believe people can really be healed by the power in Jesus' name? We retort: Do you believe there are sicknesses that go beyond human understanding; some without cures ? Will you rather die of a disease man can't cure or be hea...

Verses Luke 11:3-4 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Message The verses above don't say deliver ME from evil, or lead ME not into temptation, or forgive MY sins only, or give ME day by day my daily bread—I believe you get the point. The Lords prayer or prayer in general isn't selfish. It isn't all about you, or it isn't ME based. When we pray we are supposed to factor in the needs and requests of fellow believers and non-believers alike; in the words of Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men [not yourself only or for some people you love] (1 Timothy 2:1)". Amen

Verses Romans 8:15-17 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint- heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together 1 Peter 1:23 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. Message Let's face facts we suck at religion, the church has declined in wisdom and power since the days of the early church (and we can't deny it). And the reason is simple, we are not cut out for religion, the Spirit of God in us yearns for a Father-Son relationship and not a distant God and servant relationship (we are not under the law). We are born again by the word of God (who is the Son of God), we are born again in the likeness of Christ...

Verses Romans 8:15-17 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint- heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. Message We (you and I) are not the children of a god, we are the children of God-the one and only true and almighty God. We have so much in common with our Father after we become born again by His Word; but we will never know who we are as His children till we renew our minds with His written Word. The god of this world knows this, that's why he tries to keep us blinded: so that we do never have a revelation of the God we are. We are born of the Word of G...

Verse James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Message Question one: How do we submit ourselves to God? Answer: Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. When we submit ourselves to God it is no longer we who think, act, speak and so forth; Christ lives in us and He does it all. This is why the demon in Acts 19:15 could say "Jesus I know, Paul I know". He knew that they (Jesus, Paul and the other apostles) had one Spirit; in the natural they were known Jesus and Paul, but in the spirit, it was the Word of God working in the two of them. They were both born of God-by the Word of God; Christ came to give us a chance or a privilege to be born not of the will of man but of God. When Christ died and rose up, we who are baptised in His Spirit,...

Verses Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Message We (born-again believers) were once sin. Jesus became sin for us and crucified sin on the cross. We (the real us) were crucified-we died with Him-and when Christ rose up, He rose up with us. He rose up and gave us the same Spirit that rose Him up form the grave-everlasting life. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11) That's the Spirit we are born again with (1 Peter 1:23). We are born again with the Word of God, the creator of the universe. That's the new Spirit we recei...