₦airaland Forum

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
—John 3:3

A person is saved by trusting in the finished work of Christ on the cross, and not by bodily sensations and religious ecstasy. But you will say, “What about feeling? Is there no place in saving faith for feeling?” Certainly, there is room for feeling in saving faith. But we are not saved by it. Whatever feeling there may be is the result of saving faith, but feeling never saved a single soul. Love is feeling. Joy is feeling. Inward peace is feeling. Love for others is a feeling. Concern for the lost is a feeling. But these feelings are not conversion. The one experience that you can look for and expect is the experience of believing in Christ.

Prayer for the day
Thank You, Lord, for Your gift of redemption, which does not fluctuate like my feelings.

Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
—Proverbs 10:12

To hate, to discriminate against those who look different, who talk different, who have different national backgrounds, or who act differently from the dominant group, is a universal trait of human nature. I say that there is only one possible solution and that is a vital experience with Christ on the part of all races. In Christ the middle wall of partition is broken down, the Bible says. There is no Jew or Gentile, or black or white or yellow or red. We could be one great brotherhood in Christ. However, until we come to recognize Him as the Prince of Peace, and receive His love in our hearts, the racial tensions will increase.

Prayer for the day
I pray for Your love, Lord Jesus, to conquer hate or prejudice—whenever these ugly transgressions seep into my heart.

juliebrown:
I. Thought uber don't accept car less than 2008 cos I have a 2004 EOD and I have concluded my car is not qualify

Uber now accepts any car from 2000.
Your car is over qualified sef

If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.
—1 John 5:14

God has said, “If my people . . . pray . . . then will I hear from heaven.” Before three thousand people were brought into the Church on the day of Pentecost, the disciples had spent ten days in prayer, fasting, and spiritual travail. God desires that Christians be concerned and burdened for a lost world. If we pray this kind of prayer, an era of peace may come to the world and the hordes of wickedness may be turned back.

Prayer for the day
Almighty God, burden my heart for those in the world who have not experienced Your peace in their lives.

With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer.
—Isaiah 54:8

If God is all-powerful and all-loving, it would seem inconsistent with His nature to allow anyone to be lost. Here again we rationalize because we do not understand the nature of God. God cannot go against His own laws and against His own nature. God is holy. He cannot tolerate sin in His presence. He created us free to choose how we would live. He invites us to come His way, but leaves us free to pursue our own ends with tragic, natural consequences. We glibly say, “Surely a loving God would not allow a person He loves to be lost. He just wouldn’t allow it.” Far from allowing it, God has done everything He can to prevent it! Talk about love! “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son . . . ” This is good news. Because of what God in love has done for us, we need not be lost.

Prayer for the day
Almighty God, your magnanimous love is felt in my life, as I live each day through the grace of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men . . .
—1 Thessalonians 3:12

One of the growing psychological problems facing people today is loneliness. One of the greatest ministries that a person can have today is just being a good listener. Many people are longing not only to be loved but to have someone who will listen to them. When we love God with all our hearts, then we have the capacity to love our neighbor. The greatest need in the world today is not more science, not more social engineering, not more teaching, not more knowledge, not more power, not even more preaching—the greatest need we have today is for love. And the only way that love can be supplied is by a supernatural act of the Holy Spirit that transforms lives.

The love that God gives is not the ordinary love that we find in the world today. When we love our neighbors, it is not our loving with natural love, it is God loving through us. If you are willing to do this, God will give you His love.

Prayer for the day
I love You, Jesus. How often I take for granted Your immeasurable act of love for me upon the cross. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on You, that through Your supreme example I can reach out to my neighbor.

Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father . . .
—Matthew 10:33

What is idolatry? Idolatry is anything that comes between us and God. Joshua told his people that their nation would be destroyed if they persisted in idolatry, and their souls would suffer eternal death. He said, “You must make your decision today. You must decide whether you want to serve the idols of this life, or the living God.” “Choose you this day,” said Joshua, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” What about you? Are you taking your stand with Joshua? No matter what the cost? I am asking you to choose this day whom you will serve. Our families cannot choose Christ for us. Our friends cannot do it. God is a great God, but even God can’t make the decision for us. He can help, but only we can decide. We have to make our own choice.

Prayer for the day
Lord Jesus Christ, take away the idols in my life so that, completely undivided, I may serve You, my Savior.

Your steadfast love, O Lord, is as great as all the heavens . . .
—Psalm 36:5 (TLB)

Young people talk a lot about love. Most of their songs are about love. . . . “The supreme happiness of life,” Victor Hugo said long ago, “is the conviction that we are loved.” “Love is the first requirement for mental health,” declared Sigmund Freud. The Bible teaches that “God is love” and that God loves you. To realize that is of paramount importance. Nothing else matters so much. And loving you, God has a wonderful plan for your life. Who else could plan and guide your life so well?

Prayer for the day
In knowing I am loved by You, almighty God, my heart trusts You to guide me.

The Word was made flesh . . . full of grace and truth.
—John 1:14

On the cover of your Bible and my Bible appear the words “Holy Bible.” Do you know why the Bible is called holy? Why should it be called holy when so much lust and hate and greed and war are found in it? It is because the Bible tells the truth. It tells the truth about God, about man, and about the devil. The Bible teaches that we exchange the truth of God for the devil’s lie about sex, for example; and drugs, and alcohol, and religious hypocrisy. Jesus Christ is the ultimate truth. Furthermore, He told the truth. Jesus said that He was the truth, and the truth would make us free.

Prayer for the day
Almighty God, I thank You for the truth which You have given me through Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace . . .
—Hebrews 4:16

Praying is simply a two-way conversation between you and God. Thousands of people pray only when they are under great stress, or in danger, overcome by uncertainty. I have been in airplanes when an engine died; then people started praying. I have talked to soldiers who told me that they never prayed until they were in the midst of battle. There seems to be an instinct in man to pray in times of trouble. We know “there are no atheists in foxholes,” but the kind of Christianity that fails to reach into our everyday lives will never change the world. Develop the power of prayer. Man is more powerful when he is in prayer than when he is behind the most powerful guns. A nation is more powerful when it unites in earnest prayer to God than when its resources are channeled into defensive weapons. The answers to all our problems can be had through contact with almighty God.

Prayer for the day
My time spent in prayer with You, dear Lord, is the highlight of my day. To know You are waiting to have this communion humbles me. Yet You say I can come boldly—this I do now, knowing You hear me!

. . we can come to the Lord with perfect assurance and trust . . .
—1 John 3:21 (TLB)

The Bible teaches that faith will manifest itself in three ways. It will manifest itself in doctrine—in what you believe. It will manifest itself in worship—your communion with God and the fellowship of the church. It will manifest itself in morality—in the way you live and behave. . . . The Bible also teaches that faith does not end with trust in Christ for your salvation. Faith continues. Faith grows. It may be weak at first, but it will become stronger as you begin to read the Bible, pray, go to church, and experience God’s faithfulness in your Christian life. You will learn more and more how to rely on Christ for every need, in meeting every circumstance, and every trial.

Prayer for the day
Your Word teaches how greatly You desire for me to rely on Your love and strength. I praise Your name, my Lord and my Redeemer.

Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
—1 Corinthians 15:10

Let us face this fact: We came into the world with nothing, and we will leave it with nothing. Where do we get the notion that man’s idea of success and God’s are the same? You have written a book; you are a clever manager and promoter; you are a talented artist; you are independently rich; you have achieved fame and fortune. Without the gifts of intelligence, imagination, personality, and physical energy—which are all endowed by God—where would you be? Are we not born poor? Do we not die poor? And would we not be poor indeed without God’s infinite mercy and love?

We came out of nothing; and if we are anything, it is because God is everything. If He were to withhold His power for one brief instant from us, if He were to hold in check the breath of life for one moment, our physical existence would shrivel into nothingness, and our souls would be whisked away into an endless eternity. Those who are poor in spirit recognize their creatureliness and their sinfulness—but more, they are ready to confess their sins and renounce them.

Prayer for the day
All I have or am, Lord God, has been given to me by Your almighty hands. Forgive me when I tend to boast about my own accomplishments—for I am nothing without Your grace and love.

I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
—Psalm 34:4

Man has always been beset by worry, and the pressures of modern life have aggravated the problem. To men of all time Jesus said, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow . . . but seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33-34). Many of you are filled with a thousand anxieties. Bring them to Jesus Christ by faith. He will bring peace to your soul and your mind.

Prayer for the day
Knowing You hear me, Lord, as I talk with You brings me peace in the midst of any storm.

When your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character . . .
—James 1:4 (TLB)

This is a high-strung, neurotic, impatient age. We hurry when there is no reason to hurry—just to be hurrying. This fast-paced age has produced more problems and less morality than previous generations, and it has given all of us jangled nerves. Impatience has produced a new crop of broken homes, or more new ulcers, and has set the stage for more world wars.

Prayer for the day
May my heart be still amid all the turmoil, as I remember Your patience with me, Lord Jesus.

Let love be your greatest aim . . .
—1 Corinthians 14:1 (TLB)

What about love? How can you be certain you’re in love? I suggest these simple measures that you can apply to yourself. Is your love patient? Is it considerate? Can it wait until marriage for physical fulfillment? Experience says that true love’s patience is inexhaustible. True love does not assert itself, claim rights, or demand privileges. It always thinks first of the other person. The biblical phrase is it “is not self-seeking.” True love never thinks evil of the beloved. It is never suspicious, but always supportive and inspiring. True love bears all things. Nothing weakens or undermines it. It is a rock, an anchor, a foundation for all the years to come.

These simple tests are a mirror that millions have used. Physiologists, psychiatrists, and marriage counselors attest their validity. They were first recommended almost two thousand years ago by a man named Paul, in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13. That chapter provides the finest definition of love the world has received.

Prayer for the day
Your limitless love causes me to see the narrowness of mine, Lord Jesus. Fill me with Your loving Spirit.

Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
—John 11:40

If you are a young man or young woman hooked on dissent or despair, ready to split, then lend me your attention. My answer concerns your dreams, and the element in your make-up called “faith.” All that God requires of anyone in taking his first step toward Him and toward total self-fulfillment is faith—faith in His Word, that teaches that God loves you and that you were alienated from Him by sin, that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you, that when you make a personal surrender to Him as Lord and Savior, He can transform you from the inside out.

Prayer for the day
Your Word, heavenly Father, brings me hope and redemption through Jesus Christ—thrusts through the despondencies of life and says You love me!

“There is sin in their homes, and they are polluted to the depths of their souls. But I will call upon the Lord to save me—and he will.”
—Psalm 55:15,16 (TLB)

The broken home has become the number one social problem of America, and could ultimately lead to the destruction of our civilization. Since the basic unit of any society is the home, when the home begins to break, the society is on the way to disintegration. It is a threat to the American way of life. It does not make screaming headlines; but, like termites, it is eating away at the heart and core of the American structure.

It is high time that our so-called experts on marriage, the family, and the home turn to the Bible. We have read newspaper columns and listened to counselors on the radio; psychiatrists have had a land-office business. In it all, the One who performed the first marriage in the Garden of Eden and instituted the union between man and wife has been left out.

Prayer for the day
I pray, Lord, for the homes in this beloved country. Without Your love and wisdom guiding us, our society will crumble.

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings . . .
—Philippians 3:10

W.C. Burns of India wrote, “Oh to have a martyr’s heart, if not a martyr’s crown.” Popularity and adulation are far more dangerous for the Christian than persecution. It is easy, when all goes smoothly, to lose our sense of balance and our perspective. The important thing is to walk with Christ, to live for Christ, and to have one consuming passion—to please Him. Then, whatever happens, we know that He has permitted it in order to teach us some priceless lesson and to perfect us for His service. He will enrich our circumstances, be they pleasant or disagreeable, by the fact of His presence with us.

Prayer for the day
Lord, my soul wants to love and know You far more deeply. Forgive the times I have set my eyes on things that keep me from You.

In whom we have redemption . . . the forgiveness of sins.
—Ephesians 1:7

Satan is at work in our world. The Bible is my authority. He exists and he has control over thousands of young people, whose hearts have never been captured by Jesus Christ. He has hundreds of agents writing pornographic literature and producing sex movies to pollute young minds. He has intellectuals in high positions teaching a hedonistic and permissive philosophy.

Daily I come in contact with mixed-up people who are caught in the anguish of their own unpreparedness, intellectuals who have been seduced by false science, and rich men who are held in the grip of insecurity. They have no commitment to any goal. They lack an anchor for their real selves. And I long to take every one of them by the hand and lead them into the presence of the One who said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Prayer for the day
So many are without You, Lord! Use me to lead others from a destructive course to the one which will give them the satisfaction that only You can give.

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
—John 10:10

In God’s economy, you must go down into the valley of grief before you can scale the heights of spiritual glory. You must become tired and weary of living alone before you seek and find the fellowship of Christ. You must come to the end of “self” before you can begin to live. The happiest day of my life was when I realized that my own ability, my own goodness, and my own morality were insufficient in the sight of God. I am not exaggerating when I say that my mourning was turned to joy, and my sighing into singing. Happy are they that mourn for the inadequacy of self, for they shall be comforted with the sufficiency of God..

Prayer for the day
Almighty God, You have given me real life through Jesus Christ. My soul praises You.

Casting down imaginations . . . and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
—2 Corinthians 10:5

Thousands of people have made plans to escape from the realities of life. A new word has come into common usage the last few years. That word is “escapism.” The dictionary defines it as “a retreat from reality into an imaginary world.” The escape of imagination. Solomon spoke of the unregenerate heart as one which is inclined to excessive fantasy. The dream world Satan promotes always ends with disillusionment. Thousands of people live in an unreal dream world, while shirking their responsibilities toward their families and toward God. The Bible teaches that with Christ in your heart, you can face the realities of life. Even though they are hard, the grace of God will give you greater joy and pleasure than any dream world to which you try to escape.

Prayer for the day
Lord, so often my thoughts make a wasteland of what You are wanting to plant there. This day let every one of them be captive to Your leading.

Now you are happy with the inexpressible joy that comes from heaven itself.
—1 Peter 1:8 (TLB)

Christians are to enjoy life and enjoy one another. When children see no joy in their home, no joy in your Christianity, they will not be attracted by it. When they see you excited about going to a ball game, or watching television, and then dragging around to do spiritual things, they will soon get the idea that Christianity does not mean much to you. Your attitude will rub off. My wife says that the best way to get a child to eat his food is to see his parents enjoying theirs. Our children will not be attracted to Christ if we make Him seem dull.

Prayer for the day
May I live so close to You, Jesus, that those around me will see Your joy.

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
—Psalm 118:1

This year as we observe our season of thanksgiving, let us be grateful not only in word but also in deed. Let our gratitude find expression in a resolve to live a life more unselfish and more consecrated to Jesus Christ. When we sit around our tables laden with sumptuous delicacies, let us not forget that half the world will go to bed hungry. As we enjoy the comforts of our cozy homes, let us not forget that great numbers in other parts of the world have no homes to go to.

When we step into our sleek automobiles, let us not forget that most of the people in the world cannot afford even a bicycle. In the Lord’s Prayer as recorded in the sixth chapter of Matthew, we read, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Scripture teaches that the good things of this life are the gifts of God, and that He is the donor of all our blessings. Thanksgiving? Yes. Let us get on our knees humbly and thank God for the blessings He has given us, both material and spiritual. They have come from His hands.

Prayer for the day
You bring me such abundance, almighty God. As I think of Thanksgiving Day, may my heart be completely consecrated to Your Son, Jesus Christ, so that through Him my life will show my gratitude to You.

He that eateth, eateth to the Lord; for he giveth God thanks . . .
—Romans 14:6

Do you think that God would have bothered to send His Son to the world, if man had been able to face life and eternity alone? Christ’s coming to the world proved that God was not happy with man’s unhappiness. He sent Him not only that we might have eternal life but that we might have life here and now, and that we might have it more abundantly—Life with a capital L!

Jesus’ teaching was unique and different. He took religion out of the theoretical category and placed it in the practical. He spoke with authority! He spoke with finality! He spoke as though He knew … and He did! His was not the soft empty conjecture of the philosopher, who professes to search for truth-but readily admits he has never found it. It was more the confident voice of the mathematician who gives his answers unhesitatingly, because the proof of the answers can be found within the problem.

Prayer for the day
Lord God, I know that I am completely dependent upon You. Thank You for daily providing all that my body needs

The Lord is close to those whose hearts are breaking; he rescues those who are humbly sorry for their sins.
—Psalm 34:18 (TLB)

It is the custom of many Christians to bow their heads in public places and give thanks for the food that has been placed before them. I have had scores of waiters and waitresses tell me that when we bowed our heads, it was the first time they had ever seen that happen in their restaurant.

Millions never pause to give a word of thanks to God for the food provided. Few homes have a moment of thanksgiving at the beginning of the meal or at any other time of the day. Even at Thanksgiving time only a minority will pause and give thanks to God.

Thanksgiving is recognition of a debt that cannot be paid. We express thanks, whether or not we are able otherwise to reimburse the giver. When thanksgiving is filled with true meaning and is not just the formality of a polite “thank you,” it is the recognition of dependence.

Prayer for the day
Lord Jesus, I know that apart from You I can do nothing of lasting value. Help me to come to the end of self and allow You to control the reins of my life.

. . . ye might have life through his name.
—John 20:31

“Is life worth living?” To scores of people life has ceased to be worth living. To all of you I have good news. God did not create you to be a defeated, discouraged, frustrated, wandering soul, seeking in vain for peace of heart and peace of mind. He has bigger plans for you. He has a larger orb and a greater life for you.

The answer to your problem, however great, is as near as your Bible, as simple as first-grade arithmetic, and as real as your heartbeat. Upon the authority of God’s Word, I tell you that Christ is the answer to every baffling perplexity which plagues mankind. In Him is found the cure for care, a balm for bereavement, a healing for our hurts, and a sufficiency for our insufficiency.

Prayer for the day
Teach me, Lord, as today I read Your Word, that the life You would have me live is one of joy and fulfillment.

The one who is the true Light arrived to shine on everyone coming into the world.
—John 1:9 (TLB)

The world is stumbling in darkness from one crisis to another. The crises are getting worse and worse, and are coming closer and closer to home. Inflation, population explosion, hunger, dominate vast areas of the world. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. You follow me and give your life to me and I’ll take you out of the darkness of this world, out of this confusion, out of this mess that you’re in, and I’ll give you peace and joy. A light will burn in your heart and mind that you never had before. I will command the light to come on in your life.”

Prayer for the day
Your light shines in the darkest place and gives me hope, Lord Jesus.

Keep a close watch on all you do and think.
Stay true to what is right . . .
—1 Timothy 4:16 (TLB)

In searching for ways to bridge the generation gap, there is no doubt that we, as parents, will have to practice what we preach, by striving more and more to bring our conduct into line with our code of beliefs.

No mother can demand that her daughter abstain from sleeping around when she herself is flirting and on occasion compromising her own moral conduct. No father, who wavers between heavy social drinking and occasional binges to the edge of alcoholism, and who can’t speak a pleasant word in the morning until he has had a cigarette, can yell incessantly at his son to get off marijuana, the route that often leads to hard drugs.

Consistency, constancy, and undeviating diligence to maintain Christian character are a must if the older generation is to command respect, or even a hearing, from the young.

Prayer for the day
Younger eyes see my errant behavior, Lord. Help me to be the right example—one which will draw them to You.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 2:5

It is impossible to live pure lives until we have pure hearts. Many people today are trying to put the cart before the horse. They are teaching purity of motives, desires, and actions to old, deceitful hearts! No wonder we have ended up such moral failures, in spite of our vaunted knowledge and psychological approaches.

Pure motives, desires, and actions stem from pure hearts. Pure hearts will be Christlike. It is God’s desire that we be conformed to the image of His Son. If Christ lives within us and our bodies become the abode of the Holy Spirit, is it any wonder that we should be like Him?

Prayer for the day
Cleanse my heart and make it the home of Your Spirit, Lord.

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do . . .
—Philippians 4:9

Integrity is the glue that holds our way of life together. What our young people want to see in their elders is integrity, honesty, truthfulness, and faith. What they hate most of all is hypocrisy and phoniness. That is why it is important for us to go to church, to read the Bible, and to say grace at the table. Let them see us doing what we would like them to do.

Prayer for the day
Take away the “front,” Father, that so often creeps into my life. I would live in such a way that young people will be drawn to You, too.

The foundation of God standeth sure . . .
—2 Timothy 2:19

On campus the quickest way to security is through the crowd. Precisely where students talk about being independent and on their own, you will find them practicing the most rigid conformity in dress, in speech, in moral attitudes, and in thinking. Sometimes they follow fashion at the expense of integrity. They dread to be alone. They do not want to stand out or be different. They want to conform.

After they graduate from college, many of these young people want nothing more than a good job with a big firm, and a home somewhere in suburbia. But they don’t find security then either. Only Jesus Christ can give you the security that you are looking for.

Prayer for the day
Long-sought-after security I found only in Your abiding love, my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
—2 Corinthians 12:5

Dr. Edward Judson, in speaking of the life of his father, Adoniram Judson, at the dedication of the Judson Memorial Church in New York City, said, “Suffering and success go together. If you are succeeding without suffering, it is because others before you have suffered; if you are suffering without succeeding, it is that others after you may succeed.”

Happy are they that mourn. They can be happy because they know that their pain, their distress, and their privation are the travail of a new creation, the birth pangs of a better world. They can be happy if they are aware that the Master Artist, God, is employing both light and shadow to produce a masterpiece worthy of divine artistry.

They can also glory in their infirmities, smile through their tears, and sing in the midst of their sorrow, because they realize that in God’s economy, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him.”

Prayer for the day
In suffering I will learn to praise You, loving Savior.