DCLM Daily Manna 15 September 2022 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Perilous Practice

TOPIC: Perilous Practice (DCLM Daily Manna 15 September 2022)

TEXT: 2 Kings 14:1-7 (KJV)

14 In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.

2 He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.

4 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.

5 And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father.

6 But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the Lord commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

7 He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.

KEY VERSE: “But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin” (2 Kings 14:6).

MESSAGE:

Satan makes people believe that they can get away with anything because God is merciful. Soon sin then becomes habitual. Others know the consequences of their actions but as they successfully cover up their tracks each time, they are deceived into believing that the day of reckoning would not come. But surely, they would be called to account sooner or later.

This was what happened to those servants who murdered King Joash. The day of reckoning came and they paid for their sin. Unlike David his father, Amaziah, the son of Joash, king of Judah did not fully do what was right in the sight of the Lord. When his kingdom was confirmed, he caught up with and killed the servants who had slain his father. By so doing, he obeyed the written word of God in the laws of Moses not to kill the innocent children with their sinful fathers.

The judgment of unrepentant sinners is ordained by God. A closer look at the consequences of sin and the brevity of life should make sinners consider their latter end. Most people do not take sin as seriously as God does; yet sin leads the way to hell. So, it must be avoided at all costs. What makes hell so terrible is that it is an eternal and hopeless place of torment. A few seconds in hell will make the sinner forget all pleasures derived from sin because of the pain and inconvenience. Today, many things occupy people’s minds to the detriment of their souls. Many workers and leaders in the church have replaced salvation with service and activities.

As true believers, we should examine ourselves daily in the light of God’s words and preach to every sinner to repent and forsake sin. God is merciful; He will not punish or visit the sins of the parents upon the children who love and obey His commandments. He equally opens the gates of forgiveness, pardon and reconciliation for all sinners and backsliders who repent and return to Him.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
God will hold you accountable for your own sin.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Numbers 16-18

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

DCLM Daily Manna 14 September 2022 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Damned Through Pride

TOPIC: Damned Through Pride (DCLM Daily Manna 14 September 2022)

TEXT: 2 Kings 14:8-16 (KJV)

8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.

9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.

10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

11 But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

12 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.

13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.

KEY VERSE: “Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?” (2 KINGS 14:10).

MESSAGE:

Pride is often defined as an exaggerated sense of self-worth; a supremacist and negative viewpoint that deceives a person into believing that he is superior to others. The proud is always a victim of a perverted mindset, which fails to accept the fact that one’s life is not determined by self-worth.

From the text, Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, king of Israel, for them to look one another in the face; not for play or pleasure but for war. The wise Jehoash replied Amaziah with a riddle of the thistle and the cedar. He warned Amaziah to avoid pride because of the victory over Edom. He advised him to “glory of this and tarry at home” and not cause destruction to himself and his nation. Amaziah refused this warning. He was woefully defeated by Jehoash in the battle and he lost all the gold and silver vessels that were in the house of the Lord and in the king’s treasures. His people were also taken captives.

The Scriptures warn that pride is a sure route to destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Just as Amaziah and Judah fell, so will proud people fall. A humble person is more secure than the proud. A proud person portends a bloated view of himself and exposes himself to unnecessary attack and confrontation. The humble believer however, remains lowly no matter his status. In this state of lowliness, he receives grace to make more progress in life because he depends on God daily.

A true believer who is a product of grace should never permit a strand of pride in his life. Or else, he will lose his peace and attachment to God. Pride is self worship. The moment pride begins to crop up, spare no effort in getting rid of it. Remember, God resists the proud. Let us remain in His grace and keep humble.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
The proud worship self, not God.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Numbers 14-15

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

DCLM Daily Manna 13 September 2022 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Fury On Rebels

TOPIC: Fury On Rebels (DCLM Daily Manna 13 September 2022)

TEXT: Ezekiel 20:1-9 (KJV)

1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the Lord, and sat before me.

2 Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,

3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.

4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:

5 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the Lord your God;

6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:

7 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

9 But I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

KEY VERSE: “But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt” (Ezekiel 20:8).

MESSAGE:

According to Charles R. Swindoll, “When a man refuses to yield himself to God, he creates certain conditions, not only for himself but for others as well, which God has ordained for harm… The absence of God is destructive to human life. That absence is God’s wrath. And God cannot withhold it. He sets man’s sin and His wrath in the same frame.”

Certain elders of Israel, in our text, came to Prophet Ezekiel to inquire from the Lord of the affliction they were going through. The Lord, through the prophet, informed them that they did not need to inquire of Him but to cast off their abominations and forsake the idol of Egypt. The Lord had given Israel this warning whilst they were in the wilderness but they rebelled and would not hearken unto Him. Though the Lord promised to pour out His fury upon them to accomplish His anger, He restrained Himself because of His name’s sake that it should not be polluted among the heathen.

This shows the merciful nature of the God we serve. But the problem with man is that he always misconstrues this merciful characteristic of God. He forgets that He is a consuming fire and that He is able to unleash judgment upon the rebellious in accordance with their deeds. Wrongdoers, if they fail to repent, will taste of God’s fury.

It is imperative that we heed God’s warnings and steer clear of abominations and idolatry. Failure to do so will lead to condemnation and judgment. We must avoid the mistakes of the nation of Israel, who pretended to seek God’s will while they practically disobeyed it. God loves sincerity. Hypocrites cannot abide in His presence. We need to seek Him with a genuine heart and motive before we can find Him.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Rebellious and unrepentant sinners will taste God’s fury.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Numbers 11-13

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

DCLM Daily Manna 12 September 2022 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — The Lord Knows Your Situation

TOPIC: The Lord Knows Your Situation (DCLM Daily Manna 12 September 2022)

TEXT: 2 Kings 14:17-28 (KJV)

17 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.

18 And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

19 Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

20 And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.

22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.

24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

25 He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.

26 For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.

27 And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

KEY VERSE: “For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel” (2 Kings 14:26).

MESSAGE:

When you look at birds in a cage, you will notice that these creatures entirely depend on those who feed them. They cannot help themselves; if grains and water are not supplied, they will die. Yet, they sit and sing with all their might. They never think that their keeper will fail them.

From the text, we read of the reign and death of Amaziah in Judah and the coronation of his son Azariah, who built Elath and restored it to Judah. During the reign of Jeroboam II, the son of Joash, he did evil in the sight of the Lord but he was used to restore the coast of Israel, from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the plain. This was done to fulfil the word of the Lord, which He spoke through Jonah, the prophet. He had compassion on Israel because of their affliction and they had no one to help them. That being the case, God used Jeroboam to restore the coast so that Israel could return and inhabit the land without fear.

Believers in Christ, though assured of God’s continual favour, protection and other manifold blessings, may have experiences contrary to what they expect. Most times, these stormy situations are orchestrated by the devil to divert their attention from what the Lord has ordained them to do and to divert the plan of God for their lives.

The Lord, in His infinite knowledge and mercies, has made available to you many promises in the Bible, which you can hold on to in times of turbulence. You need to trust the Lord and rely on His precious promises no matter what betides. Remember, God knows your situation. His mighty providence cannot fail as long as you commit yourself and your needs to Him in faith.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
God’s providence never fails His children at any time.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Numbers 8-10

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

DCLM Daily Manna 11 September 2022 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — By Sin Hinders Prayers

TOPIC: Sin Hinders Prayers (DCLM Daily Manna 11 September 2022)

TEXT: Ezekiel 20:27-38 (KJV)

27 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.

28 For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.

29 Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name whereof is called Bamah unto this day.

30 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?

31 For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.

32 And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.

33 As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:

34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.

35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.

36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God.

37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:

38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

KEY VERSE: “For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you” (Ezekiel 20:31).

MESSAGE:

Prayer is a great gift from God, which many saints of old have made effective use of, to rewrite destinies, restructure situations and turn around negative circumstances.

In our text, Israel had gone into idolatry and built high places where they go to worship idols and make their sons to pass through the fire. They forgot the mighty deliverance from Egypt and the disobedience of their fathers which led to their destruction in the wilderness. Whenever they were oppressed by other nations, they would remember God and seek Him temporarily. The Lord, in His wrath, pronounced judgment on the rebels and refused to be enquired of by them.

Truly, sin is the greatest hindrance to prayers and a greater enemy of the soul than the devil himself. It is the root cause of sicknesses and afflictions. It exposes the sinner to satanic manipulations and demonic influences. God told the children of Israel, “Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you” (Jeremiah 5:25). Sin will block the way to progress and promotion for anyone who indulges in it. Little wonder many prayers are not answered today.

The quickest way to get out of satanic bondage and affliction is to come out of sin. Salvation is strictly a personal experience. It is not transferable or obtained by proxy. The sinner must confess his sins and forsake them. Those who have right standing with God do not need intermediaries to talk with Him; all they need is simple faith. By so doing, their prayers will be steadily answered and situations changed.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
The greatest hindrance to prayers is sin; not Satan.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Numbers 5-7

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.