POWER IN THE BLOOD

DLCM

DAILY ⓂANNA

SUNDAY 25TH MARCH, 2018

POWER IN THE BLOOD

📖 TEXT: LEVITICUS 4:13-26

🔑 KEY VERSE: “And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them” (LEVITICUS 4:20).

Nearly 1500 years before the time of our Lord Jesus Christ, God taught His people, Israel, the sacrosanct power in the blood as an atoning requirement. Because of this, He warned that blood should not be trifled with (Leviticus 17:10-14). He declared that falling short of His rules was so grievous that only a correspondingly potent and weighty force like the blood could atone for it. Therefore, in their daily interaction with God, in worship, during feasts or service in the tabernacle, animal blood was used greatly to deal with the transgression of individuals and the assembly.

There must be a lasting and final sacrifice entailing blood to deal a permanent blow to sin. That comprehensive solution is what we in the Christian era call the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ to deliver the sinful. Jesus is the Lamb that “taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The application of blood to secure victory over sin and death dated back to the Passover night in Egypt. It was an act to foreshadow the coming of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

Ever since, the blood of Jesus has worked salvation for the sinner and restored the backslider. It has upheld the saved to resist sin, temptation and trials. It has healed the sick, delivered the tormented, offered hope to the despairing and has worked a myriad of miracles that have confounded the world. The infallible record of the Bible is this: “(the saints) overcame him (Satan, the author of death and sin) by the blood of the Lamb…” (Revelation 12:11).

✍ THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Victory is denied those who deny the blood of Jesus.

📖📖📖 COVER to COVER: JOSHUA 9-11

📖 BIBLE ACCOUNTS AS THEY OCCURRED

TUTORIALS FROM THE LORD

DLCM

DAILY ⓂANNA

SATURDAY 24TH MARCH, 2018

TUTORIALS FROM THE LORD

📖 TEXT: LUKE 5:12-16

🔑 KEY VERSE: “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed” (LUKE 5:16).

Today’s Scripture reveals yet one more aspect of the supernatural nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Master Healer, who taught valuable lessons about how a servant of God should comport himself. None is more qualified to impart instructions about the dynamics of the kingdom of heaven than the Lord Himself.

After the miraculous catch of fishes, the Lord announced His agenda to convert Peter. When the scene changed, the compassion of the Lord did not change. When He met the leper, the Bible says: “And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying… be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him” (verse 13).

The Lord’s instruction to the delivered leper connotes two lessons. First, He wanted the Jews to know that He was not a religious fanatic who sought attention for His deeds of miracles. He did not seek to impress the people as the sorcerers of His day did. Second, in directing the healed leper to the synagogue to see the priest, “according as Moses commanded”, he was affirming His stand that He did not come to break the law as falsely alleged by the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees.

Following more healing and teaching, Luke records that the Lord “withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed” (verse16). Here Jesus offers more lessons. Ministers of God should be self-effacing. When God has used them to work, they should not hibernate. This contrasts with the spirit of modern times’ ministers whose ostentatious lifestyle separates them from the flock. Today’s ministers must not dwell on the success of the moment. Instead, they should pray for more spiritual and physical strength for greater exploits for the Lord.

✍ THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Being like the Lord means losing oneself in His work.

📖📖📖 COVER to COVER: JOSHUA 5-8

📖 BIBLE ACCOUNTS AS THEY OCCURRED

ALWAYS THERE FOR HIS PEOPLE

DLCM

DAILY ⓂANNA

FRIDAY 23RD MARCH, 2018

ALWAYS THERE FOR HIS PEOPLE

📖 TEXT: ROMANS 11:1-12

🔑 KEY VERSE: “I say then, has God cast away His people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin” (ROMANS 11:1).

The Dark Ages entails when the Barbarian Attackers overthrew Rome, leaving such turmoil and devastation that the world thought Christianity itself had come to a fatal stage in its history, as learning and study of the Scripture sank to depressing depths. The Holy Spirit subdued Rome’s invaders with the biblical teaching of life after death and the attainment of eternity’s endless joy if one believed in Jesus and renounced violence. Thus, Christianity did not die as feared when Rome was overrun.

When Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he assured the children of Israel that God was still at work, preserving a remnant of Israelites that were faithful to Him. He reminded them of the despondent Elijah who lamented that the children of Israel have forsaken His covenant and I, even I only, am left but God said: I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal.

Paul exemplified himself as a product of the grace of God. That same grace that brought the Gentiles into the rich commonwealth of Israel would come into play to restore Israel according to the plan of God, as the backslidden state of Israel would not be a permanent one as prophesied in the Scriptures but that Israel would be redeemed to take its rightful and ordained place.

God does not take pleasure in the perdition of the sinner. He went the extra mile to save him, sending His only begotten Son to pay the supreme price for the salvation of fallen man. No matter the depth the sinner has gone, God can reach out to him if he confesses, forsakes his sins and seek forgiveness from the Lord. He is also always there to protect His people in the face of destabilizing challenge (Matthew 16:18,19).

✍ THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: God is our abiding Refuge and Strength.

📖📖📖COVER to COVER: JOSHUA 1-4

📖 BIBLE ACCOUNTS AS THEY OCCURRED

I’M HAPPY MY DAUGHTER DID NOT DENY CHRIST!

I’M HAPPY MY DAUGHTER DID NOT DENY CHRIST! Nata Sharibu, father of the only student of Federal Government Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe state who is yet to be freed, says Boko Haram insurgents decided not to release his daughter because she refused to denounce Christ.
A total of 110 students were abducted when insurgents raided the school on February 19.
In a surprising manner, Boko Haram fighters returned the girls to Dapchi on Wednesday. TheCable had earlier reported that Liya Sharibu did not make it back to Dapchi apart from the five schoolgirls who reportedly lost their lives.
Speaking on RayPower FM shortly after the students were released, the girl’s father said he learnt that the insurgents gave his daughter the option of converting to Islam but she rejected it.
He expressed delight over her stance but prayed for her return.
“All of them were released. They said some were dead there and my daughter is alive but they cannot release her because she is a Christian,” he said.
“They gave her the option of converting in order to be released but she said she will never become a Muslim… I am very sad but I am also jubilating too because my daughter did not denounce. People of God, please let us raise prayer for Liya Sharibu that the hand of the Lord will be upon her, that the Lord should deliver her from the den of lions and bring her back safely without being molested. Pls let us arise and pray for this girl. If you are a true Christian send this message to other Christian and dedicate at least 3 minutes to pray for this girl till she’s released. God bless you.

FROM REJECTION TO SUCCESS

DLCM

DAILY ⓂANNA

THURSDAY 22ND MARCH, 2018

FROM REJECTION TO SUCCESS

📖 TEXT: 1 THESSALONIANS 2:1-12

🔑 KEY VERSE: “But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention” (1 THESSALONIANS 2:2).

When ridiculed about his serial failures in his attempt to invent the electric bulb, the well- known American scientist, Thomas Edison, said he had not been failing. He had only been trying out different approaches to realising his dream. He refused to accept defeat each time he ran into a brick wall till he finally made history with a breakthrough that has benefitted mankind throughout the ages.

In this epistle, Apostle Paul offers a glimpse into his experience with the church in Thessalonica. Being an assembly of new converts, he uses the well-known metaphor of a loving nurse to portray the unfeigned love he and his fellow labourers had for this young church. They were selfless leaders who did not exploit the church for personal satisfaction. They were not demanding or constituting themselves into financial burden. They worked to earn a living so they would also help fund the growth of the church. But above all, these sincere followers of Christ lived and practised what they taught.

The main route to success in ministry is unwavering commitment in the face of opposition, together with exemplary leadership through personal holy living that reflects the right doctrine preached from the Bible. This was the secret of Paul’s success. He looked for no glory for himself; he forged on even when the odds were stacked against him; he did not enrich himself through the sweat of the church members; he was not ashamed to do manual labour to support himself, never minding that the Greeks of his day viewed such undertaking as fit only for slaves. How we pray to have such leaders today!

✍ THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Success in ministry comes from toiling for the Body of Christ.

📖📖📖 COVER to COVER: DEUTERONOMY 32-34; PSALM 91

📖 BIBLE ACCOUNTS AS THEY OCCURRED

KEEP OFF!

DLCM

DAILY ⓂANNA

WEDNESDAY 21ST MARCH, 2018

KEEP OFF!

📖 TEXT: 1 JOHN 2:12-19

🔑 KEY VERSE: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 JOHN 2:15).

The safest way to keep off danger is to stay far off from it. It is foolishness to play with certain elements that portend great danger with the hope to escape from it before it consumes one. Dangerous zones are usually cordoned off with the warning sign: *”DANGER: KEEP OFF”*. Anyone who ignores such a warning and ventures into such areas will have himself to blame for whatever hurt he suffers.

There is no spiritual state a Christian attains that immunes him from the dangers of the world; hence, the pertinent warning to all categories of believers to stay off the love of the world because the more it prevails, the more the love for God decays. One sad thing about all the glamorous things of the world is that they are all vanities, transient and unsatisfying.

To keep safe from the world, the best thing to do is not to open the heart to it. The vanities of the world are so alluring and their effects so pervasive, corrosive and destructive. The love of the world and the love for God are mutually exclusive and incompatible as one will certainly displace the other. As long as a boat keeps water out of it, it can sail safely on the water. But as soon as the water begins to get into the boat and it is left without bailing, the boat is sure to sink. The Christian is in the world and will have to pass through the world before he lands safely on heaven’s shore. He is safe as long as he does not allow the world – sinful and immoral pleasures, indulgences, covetousness, love of money, pride, vain-glory and so on to get into him.

✍ THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Keep off the world to stay safe in the world!

📖📖📖 COVER to COVER: DEUTERONOMY 30-31

📖 BIBLE ACCOUNTS AS THEY OCCURRED

WHEN WE FORGET

DAILY ⓂANNA

TUESDAY 20TH MARCH, 2018

WHEN WE FORGET

📖 TEXT: PSALM 78:10-20

🔑 KEY VERSE: “They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them” (PSALM 78:10,11).

One of the weaknesses of the human nature is forgetfulness. It is sad that man does not often look back into the past to learn from it. This weakness costs him much. The present is often too loud and allowed to blot the memory of the past, which can enhance a better future. It is true that we must not be so tied to the past; yet, we cannot totally forget those things in the past that helped us to where we are now. Alas, most people are forgetful of God’s faithfulness and are suffering the bitter consequences today.

The children of Israel displayed this problem of forgetfulness repeatedly in their history. They had experienced the miraculous that other nations around them longed for, yet they kept forgetting God. This is the focus of today’s passage. Their failure to remember His great wonders led into unbelief and sinful practices that provoked God greatly. They doubted God’s power and ability to meet their present needs and as such, turned to other gods for help.

Unbelief, fear, complaints and murmuring stem from forgetting God and these bring about defeat, failure and backsliding. If we are careful to look back to recall even a little of the mercies and deliverances God has wrought for us in the past, we will come to understand that whatever present challenges we may be facing, they are no match for God. If God has been faithful to us in the past, He certainly will be faithful to us today.

We need to help our memory in order not to forget God and wander away from Him. Raise monuments of testimonies of God’s goodness. Read and listen to testimonies of His faithfulness and from time to time share the testimonies of the goodness of God in your life to others.

✍ THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Forgetfulness of God’s past dealings breeds fear and defeat.

📖📖📖 COVER to COVER: DEUTERONOMY 28-29

📖 BIBLE ACCOUNTS AS THEY OCCURRED

ON THE HEROES’ ROLL CALL

DAILY ⓂANNA

MONDAY 19TH MARCH, 2018

ON THE HEROES’ ROLL CALL

📖 TEXT: 1 CHRONICLES 11:26-47

🔑 KEY VERSE: “Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem” (1 CHRONICLES 11:26).

It is usually the practice of nations to recognise those who have distinguished themselves in their service to the nation. In the military particularly, those who displayed dare-devil courage in warfare are usually rewarded for their feats. It is noteworthy that not all the soldiers on the war front have their names and deeds entrenched on the heroes’ list.

The chapter in focus recognised those officers in King David’s army that were described as “valiant men”. They must have earned this title and recognition as a result of their bold, fearless and gallant accomplishments in warfare at the expense of their lives. Apart from that, it is obvious that their commitment stemmed from their love, loyalty and devotion to King David and their fatherland.

The lesson is this; the fearful has no honour and recognition. To engrave our names on the sands of time and be accorded the honour of heroes, we must be willing and ready to give our best to our Lord and Master. It is obvious and sad that those who are afraid of what their commitment to the Lord would cost them, have no love for the Lord and show no loyalty and commitment to Him and the cause of the Kingdom.

God has a list of those that distinguish themselves in His service. No sacrifice of love to the King of kings will go unnoticed. The Lord is therefore challenging us to bravery and honourable service for Him. There are captive souls that need valiant men to come to their rescue. Let us courageously and masterfully wield the weapons of prayer and the gospel to dispel the work of darkness and restore light to our path. We will ever, in all eternity, be remembered for what we have done!

✍ THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The fearful has no honour.

📖📖📖 COVER to COVER:
DEUTERONOMY 24-27

📖 BIBLE ACCOUNTS AS THEY OCCURRED

THINK OF OTHERS

DAILY ⓂANNA

SUNDAY 18TH MARCH, 2018

THINK OF OTHERS

TEXT: ROMANS 14:1-9

🔑 KEY VERSE: “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself” (ROMANS 14:7).

Living within a community is such that our actions in one way or the other affect other people therein. The constitution recognises and protects the rights of every individual, yet a person’s right is limited where it tries to infringe on that of another. To make for peaceful coexistence, we carefully ensure that we respect the rights of others and do nothing to hurt them.

No less is expected within the Christian fold.

In this passage, Apostle Paul calls on every Christian to be mindful of others within the fold. We must recognise and appreciate our differences. In love, true Christianity complements one another. The strong must not look down on the weak with disdain. Though we all are united in Christ, yet there are different views, opinions and practices that are not doctrinal. When we hold divergent views on the way we choose to do things based on our background and exposures, we must not allow our differences drive a wedge between us. While we are called upon to defend the Bible and its doctrines even if it has to be with our lives, we should be ready to let go on different views, opinions and practices that hold no eternal consequence.

We should let Christ-like love drive our actions. If this is so, we will be willing to sacrifice those things we may hold dear and help our fellow Christians keep their faith without stumbling. Real Christian life is not measured by physical and material things, but righteousness and godliness.

✍ THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The life and faith of others are worth more than your personal likes!

📖📖📖 COVER to COVER: DEUTERONOMY 21-23

📖 BIBLE ACCOUNTS AS THEY OCCURRED

TRUST ONLY IN GOD

DAILY ⓂANNA

SATURDAY 17TH MARCH, 2018

TRUST ONLY IN GOD

📖 TEXT: PSALM 60:1-12

🔑 KEY VERSE: “Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man” (PSALM 60:11).

No matter how much we try to help it, we cannot but face difficulty at one time or the other. Sometimes, the challenge comes when we think we have done our best to avoid it. We have prayed, planned very well and think that we have well prepared for it, yet we find everything crashing down like a pack of cards! Such an experience can be so devastating to the mind. If one is not careful, the tendency is to become either so dejected and surrender totally to defeat or look for a carnal way out.

The Psalm under consideration records one of such experiences in the life of King David, who feels rejected by God due to the numerous trails that have come his way. As he reflected over this and cried out to God for help, God spoke reassuringly to him. God’s word revealed His promise for His people and dominion over the enemy nations. This brought back faith in the Psalmist and he concluded that only God is to be trusted for victory over the enemy.

When faced with life’s challenges, we must know that we cannot find help from any other. Too often, we see the difficulty ahead and know that it is something we cannot handle ourselves. But we forget to turn to Him who can bring help. We must realise that we have no hope unless God is willing to act on our behalf. Only with God’s help can the seemingly impossible take place.

As we understand this truth, we give up any attempt to self-manage our situations. There is no better help elsewhere but in God and through Him alone, we shall do valiantly.

✍ THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: When all helps fail, God will always be there!

📖📖📖 COVER to COVER: DEUTERONOMY 17-20

📖 BIBLE ACCOUNTS AS THEY OCCURRED