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CHAINS: REMEMBER MY CHAINS

“This salutation by my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.” ~ Colossians 4:18   REFERENCE: Colossians 4:14-18   Paul, in chains, concluded his letter to the Colossians with greetings from some of his co-laborers. He also recognized and greeted some saints in the church, charging young Archippus to pay attention to his ministry and to ensure that he executed it well. However, Paul found it necessary to end the letter with a charge to these believers: “REMEMBER MY CHAINS.” Paul must have felt the sting of being forgotten by friends and loved ones when going through tough...
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CHAINS: CHAIN REACTION

“And most of the brethren in the LORD, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” ~ Philippians 1:14   REFERENCE: Philippians 1:12-18   A chain reaction is a series of events, where each is caused by the previous one. In lay terms, it is when something happens as a result of something, which in turn makes something happen. In our last devotional, Paul was in prison in Rome, and we saw how he made it count for God. Paul chose his reaction to his chains. He decided not to sulk or be bitter but...
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SACRIFICE: THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” – John 15:13   REFERENCE: JOHN 15:9-15   I often say, “Love that does not understand the language of sacrifice is not love.” We know love because Jesus laid His life down for us. By that singular act, we who were sinners destined to eternal punishment became God’s children. John said, “Behold what manner of love has the Father loved us with, that we should be called sons of God.” Jesus did many things that showed us His love. His love for us made Him leave...
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ship

NO LIFE WILL BE LOST

“And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.” ~ Acts 27:22   REFERENCE: Acts 27:18-26   It is said, “As long as there is life, there is hope.” Life is the most precious of the gifts God gave to man because you cannot benefit from other gifts without it. The worst the devil can do to a man on a mission is to cut his life short so that he will not reach his destination; for as long as he has life, he will arrive, although he...
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JOB

JOB THE GENEROUS

“I was a father to the poor, and I searched out the case that I did not know.” – Job 29:16   REFERENCE: JOB 29:12-17   Job lived in the land of Uz, a blameless and upright man who loved God and shunned evil. The Bible says He was the greatest of all in the East, for he had great possessions. However, his greatness in wealth was dwarfed by his unmatched generosity; Job had a kind heart. Our text chronicles Job’s extraordinary dexterity in showing kindness without discrimination. He was fair to his servants, regarded the poor, wiped the tears...
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VICTORIA ASCERTA!

“…the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” – Mark 8:31   REFERENCE: Mark 8:27-33   You should be familiar with the slogan used by many freedom fighters, workers’ unions, and student unions across the globe – ‘Aluta Continua; Victoria Ascerta.’ It is of Latin origin, meaning, ‘The Struggle Continues; Victory is Certain.’ Whether you are in a civil group fighting for justice or not, life is full of struggles, but the assurance in God is that victory is certain. That is the assurance God wants...
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LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP IS RESPONSIBILITY

“For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed.” ~ Isaiah 9:16   REFERENCE: Isaiah 9:13-17   Many crave to be in positions of authority and influence, but most are not ready for such. They are attracted to the benefits of office but blinded to its burden. John Maxwell said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” If someone aspires to be a leader, Maxwell implies that he will ultimately bring everything (people or resources) to his level; either they rise or fall.   Samaria would come under severe judgment because of...
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DISTINGUISHED GOVERNOR DANIEL

“Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.” – Daniel 6:3   REFERENCE: Daniel 6:1-5   Daniel was a young man of princely lineage carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. From the day Daniel stepped into the foreign land, the trajectory of his life was nothing short of a miracle. It began with a decision not to defile himself with the idolatrous culture of Babylon but to keep his love and fear of God above other things. God...
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I HAVE HEARD

“And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” ~ Genesis 41:15   REFERENCE: Genesis 41:9-15   What would abruptly end the jail term of a common prisoner and bring him before the leader of a great nation so that he could engage him in a conversation? Recommendation. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have heard it said of you;” this turned his life around. The butler benefitted from Joseph and his gifts while in the same prison and...
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THINK IT OVER

“But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take you Mary your wife…” Matthew 1:20   REFERENCE: Matthew 1:18-25   Joseph had a relationship crisis at hand; his patriarchal society would applaud him if he took the popular decision. His fiancé, Mary, with whom he had just gone through premarital counseling and whose parents he had ‘officially’ met, was pregnant and he knew nothing about it. The culture required that the wedding ceremony process stops, the dowry is returned, and...
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