DCLM Daily Manna 26 September 2022 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Appointed And Sent Forth

TOPIC: Appointed And Sent Forth (DCLM Daily Manna 26 September 2022)

TEXT: Luke 10:1-17 (KJV)

1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.

5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.

6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.

7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:

9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,

11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.

15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.

16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

KEY VERSE: “Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3).

MESSAGE:

Suppose that all the treasures in the world were gathered together and one man is so honoured to be the account officer, the world would consider this man as indeed privileged. Yet, the answer to the divine call is incomparably greater than possessing all the treasures of the world put together.

After appointing the twelve disciples and giving them power and authority to go and preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick, Christ appointed seventy others and sent them two-by-two for the same purpose. Though they were sent forth as lambs among wolves, it was the sole prerogative of the Lord to determine the scope of their assignment.

The gospel outreach is the great commission of the Lord. The work demands unalloyed obedience, tactfulness, vigilance and peaceful disposition. His appointees are to carry out the mandate despite opposition and hostilities. Obedience to the mandate requires prayer and submission to the guidelines by the Master. A tactful and responsive approach in carrying out the task will yield tremendous result and reward at the end.

It is absurdity to despise the wisdom of God in sending the lambs among the wolves and damning to reject the message of His appointed messengers (Luke 10:10, 12-16). Notably, acceptance of the message of Christ’s messengers is an acceptance of Christ, His redemptive offer and blessings. Accept, believe and comply with His precepts to be saved today. There is always testimony in obedience to His instruction without questioning.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Our greatest task in the world is to preach the gospel.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
James 1-5

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 24 September 2022 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — How Much Do You Love God?

TOPIC: How Much Do You Love God? (DCLM Daily Manna 24 September 2022)

TEXT: Luke 14:25-35 (KJV)

25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

KEY VERSE: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

MESSAGE:

We are often quick to profess our love for God. We put up a public show of it in the way we dress, in the manner of our speech and in our dietary preferences. We present ourselves as God’s favourite children who are regular in church services and dutiful in meeting all our religious obligations. And we therefore conclude that these are all what God needs.

Nothing can be farther from the truth. God’s standard is much higher, and He expects us to abide by it. Great multitudes had followed Jesus Christ. Knowing their hidden motives for coming, He made one of the most remarkable statements in the gospel. He told them that those who would follow Him and become His disciples, must love God far above everyone else – parents, spouse and children. They must, above all, love God more than they love themselves. They must also be prepared to make far-reaching sacrifices, to bear their cross.

Christ did not want them to gather frivolously around Him. They must first count the cost of what discipleship entails. He underscored this point with the illustration of the need to prepare and provide adequately before embarking on a construction project or waging a war against an enemy. Discipleship demands that they forget their achievements and personal preferences, and follow Christ. This is the only way they could be useful in the kingdom of God.

The Lord does not want us to make empty profession of our love for Him, but to demonstrate it by our actions. We must come to Christ without any hidden agenda, or self-serving motive. Our concern should be to follow His footsteps and work for the expansion of the kingdom of God. We must subordinate our personal ego, ambitions and achievements to the lordship of Jesus Christ. We must take Him at His word, and follow as He leads.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
True discipleship matters only when it serves Christ’s interest.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Hebrews 5-9

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 23 September 2022 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Stick With God

TOPIC: Stick With God (DCLM Daily Manna 23 September 2022)

TEXT: Job 27:1-10 (KJV)

1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;

3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

9 Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?

10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?

KEY VERSE: “My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live” (Job 27:6).

MESSAGE:

The best time to gauge the level of commitment you have towards God is when things are not going according to plans in your life. Such a time brings out the best or the worst in you. It shows a clearer expression of your faith or unbelief in God and His promises.

It was not different for Job. He had been experiencing severe affliction. His wife had lost hope of his recovery and his friends had condemned him as a sinner. His condition was so severe that He cursed the day he was born. Yet, now in the face of physical and emotional pain, he vowed never to turn his back on God.

Although he wrongly assumed that it was God that “vexed [his] soul”, he resolved not to utter wicked and deceitful words while he yet lived. He knew that such action would only serve to justify the unwarranted condemnation from his friends. He would instead, retain his integrity and not abandon righteousness because of his suffering. He would not do anything that could attract a reproach to his person, for then, he would be living like a hypocrite who has no hope in eternity even though he has amassed so much in life. God would not hear his cry when troubles come and he would not delight in turning to God at such a time.

Righteousness is the believer’s badge of honour. Whatever our experiences in life, we must look beyond immediate difficulties and focus on living to please God. We must retain our faith in Him and shun all hypocritical lifestyles. We should trust God to deliver us from our present troubles. If in His sovereignty, He decides not to do so, we should rest assured that He still has our best interest at heart.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
God is with us when we are with Him!

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Hebrews 1-4

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.