Elaine Campbell

 'Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also' (1 John 2:23). The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Son of God, and if we deny him we don't have the Father, as the Father and the Son are one. Therefore, if we acknowledge the Son, we have the Father. We are encouraged to abide in Christ and hold fast the precious promises of God. There are many who denied that Jesus is the Son of the living God, and also co-equal with the Father. They are deceiving themselves! We ought to confess in our heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by faith in him we have forgiveness of sin and life eternal.  1 John 2:22 tells us that who deny that Jesus is the Christ is a liar. If they denied the Father and the Son they are claimed to be an antichrist. We must understand that Jesus is the only one who can lead us to the Father and the only way we can be saved. This is truth! Anyone who differs from that messag of the

 'And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed' (Mark 1:35). Jesus the Son of God, who knew no sin, whilst he was on the earth rose early in the morning while it is still dark, went to a solitary place and prayed to His Father concerning all that lay ahead that day, for himself and his disciples.  Jesus needed to develop and maintain fellowship with the Father. We too need to rise up early before day break and pray to God, so we can develop and have fellowship with Jesus Christ our Lord. Sometimes you may have things weighing on your mind when you arise in the morning. It is a good thing to commit your concerns to God and trust Him to work them out. Just as Christ spend quiet time with the Father, he wants us to come aside and spend quiet time with Him, so we will be able to recharge for the days activities. We ought to be filled with God, in order that we may accomplish the mission he has commission u

 'Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord' (Psalm 31:23). The Psalmist encourage us to hope in the Lord. When we do so, it should help us not to be afraid or discouraged. However, at times we take our eyes off Jesus, or lack faith in him, or get anxious and worried. Sometimes we also become overwhelmed by challenges and trials which caused us to be discouraged or afraid. The Lord will not fail or forsake us and his presence is with us. The Lord has promised to strengthen our heart as we hope in him. He will never leave us, but will draw very near to us even in our adversity, and put His own power into us. It is important to note that when Satan throw his darts at us, or make us face danger and tribulation, we need not be afraid as the Lord is right there at our side. Let  us not be caught in Satan's net, but trust in God's ability as our God to protect and keep us from Satan's scheme and deceptions. It is God who is in co

 'His mother saith unto the servants, whatsoever he saith unto you, do it's (John 2:5). Jesus is our problem solver and we can trust whatever he says. Jesus and his disciples had been invited to a wedding and his mother was also there. Apparently the host ran out of wine and Mary decided to mention it to her son, Jesus. He  question how was that her problem or his and reminded her that his time is not yet. But Mary trusted Him to resolve her problems, so she instructed the servants to listen to His instructions.  It is important that when we pray to God, and tell him our concerns that we also listen to what he has to say. Sometimes we pray, telling God our needs, but forget to listen to what His response would be. Jesus' mother have never seen her son done a miracle, but was willing to trust God who choose her to be the earthly mother for His Son, the Saviour of the world. We need to trust God and his plan for our lives. We need to know that all things happen in God's t

 'As many as I love, I rebuked and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent' ( Revelation 3:19). Laodicea is the last of seven churches in in Asia minor. The members of this church were spiritually lethargic. The Bible said, they saw themselves as rich and increased with goods and of need for nothing. They failed to see their spiritual condition of lukewarmness. The Laodiceans were neither cold or hot in relation to God, they were just lukewarm. Have you ever drink water that is lukewarm? It is nauseating! And that was how Jesus saw them and promised to spit them out of his mouth. However, Jesus implored them to mend their ways and repent. He saw them as wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. But regardless of our condition, Jesus still loves us but will rebuke and discipline his children. Jesus sees our lukewarm attitudes as sickening and give us time to repent. God will use hard trial and even physical afflictions to discipline us when we are  erring. God will discipline

 'Some trust in chariots,  and some in horses: But we will remember the name of the Lord our God' (Psalm 20:7) To whom do you put your trust, God or man? The Bible said we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean to our own understanding. But in all ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct our path (Proverbs 3:5-6). God knows everything we are going through right now and in the future, because He is the Alpha and Omega - the Beginning and the End. He knows what is best for each of our situation and the possible outcome for them for He is God. All we need  to do is to simply trust and follow Him. We like David, need to express total confidence in the Lord, because He is more powerful than any army's chariots and horses; any guns and missiles or nuclear weapons. Do you remember what the Bible says God did with Pharaoh's chariots and horses in the Red Sea? They were no match for the mighty power of God!  When we hope in the steadfast love of God, He will de

 'For he that is dead is freed from sin' (Romans 6:7). All who are in Christ will become a new person and will not live under the  control of sin. But those who don't make Christ their life live under the control of sin. As we come to God by faith in Christ, we actually experience spiritual death. It is the spiritual death with Christ, being crucified with him and have been set free from sin. Let Christ take charge of our lives and not sin, that we may walk in His way and not in our own way. We must understand that just as Christ died physically, we have died to sin spiritually as we are  no longer slaves to sin. We must strive to offer ourselves as instrument of Christ's righteousness.  As Christ died, we died too in Him, which freed us from the law of sin and death. As sinners we are to rest in the shed blood of Christ our Lord for  the forgiveness of sins. And as believers we ought to rest in Christ for the deliverance from sin. When Christ died the power of sin was

 'But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak consciences, ye sin against Christ' (1 Corinthians 8 12). The Scriptures tells us we are not to sin against our brethren and wound their consciences when they are weak. In so doing we sin against Christ. When we know that something is wrong, we should not encourage God's children to do them. We should never be a stumbling block to others, because God will certainly deal with us if we do this. Those of us who are stronger in the faith are to help those who are weaker, because Christ died for all people - those who serve him as well as those who reject him. He has finished the work on Calvary to save us. When we understand the freedom we have in Christ, we should be  motivated not to falter in our faith or encourage others to do something their conscience forbid. Our freedom in Christ should not allow us to become a stumbling block to anyone of our brethen in Christ. Everyone should be sensitive to the needs of o

 'Praise be to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort' (2 Corinthians 1:3). When we consider how sinful we are and how great God's love is towards us, it should lead us to humble ourselves and reverence Him. God is a compassionate and gracious God who is slow to anger, but abounds in love and faithfulnes. If we want to please God,  be like Jesus, by being kind and compassionate to one another, as Christ is compassionate and patient with us. We must praise the God, who is the Father of Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort others who are in trouble with the same comfort we ourselves receive from God. Jesus, our Lord is the greatest example of showing true compassion for others. He healed the sick and suffering and best of all, showed great compassion for humanity  when he died on the cross for all our sins. As a sinner it's not easy

 'Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight' (Proverbs 12:22). Lying is a second nature to mankind. Eve was deceived by the lies of Satan, which led her to mistrust God. When a person practice lying it becomes a part of their daily life and diminishes trust between those they have done wrong. The Bible states that lying lips are an abomination to the  Lord. The Lord our God detests lying lips but he delights in those who are trustworthy. In Exodus 20:16 it states, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against our neighbour." When we lie we are rejecting the Lord's commandment. However, when we act with integrity and honesty, being faithful to God we bring delight to him. Let us refrain from lying so that our words ring truth and is trustworthy. Have you make a promise that you didn't keep? How did you feel about it? Have you thought about the other party and how they might have felt? Have you tried to discredit someone by

 'For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy towards them that fear him' (Psalm 103:11). Even though we know that Jesus died to save us, we still cannot fathom the depth of his love for humanity. But His unfailing love towards those who fear him is great as the height of the heaven above the earth. How amazing! When we think of the fear of God, it is about  reverence to Him. When we recognise that he is God and there is none like him, it should lead us to total obedience and humility. Have you ever gazed up into the heaven and marvelled at the creative power of God? Our eyes can only see what the naked eye can see, our mind cannot understand what's beyond. God's love is way beyond and extended further than we can imagine. It is immeasurable! When you recognise what God has done for you, it is mind bogging! You have to give him praise. It behoves us to obey God and walk after him and fear Him because his mercy is so great. We cannot measure the boun

 'Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God' ( 3 John 11). It always seems  easier to follow that which is evil, than that which is good; because we are sinners and as sinners our nature is to sin. The Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore, it is only Jesus in our lives that can help us to do that which is good. John was saying that he who does good is of God, but if one seeks to do evil, is of the Devil and has not seen God - have a personal relationship with him. We see in this chapter where John was offering encouragement to his trusted brother in the faith, Gaius who walked in spirit and in truth. We too are encouraged to walk in sincerity and truth as we allow ourselves to be led by  the Holy Spirit. When we know God and allow him to work in our lives, we will learn to be gracious, kind and tender- hearted tow

 'Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day' ( 1 King 8:61). How can our heart be perfect with the Lord? We have to be sincere in our love for God; be in oneness as we worship him and consistent in our obedience to him. We should have a zeal for God and the work He wants to accomplish in us. We ought to come in His presence each day in prayers of gratitude. It is important to thank the Lord for the blessings He has bestow upon us each day and to express our gratitude for what He has done for us on Calvary. We should seek to devote  ourselves completely to the Lord, as we walk in His statues and keep his commandments, as did King Solomon and the people of Israel in that day. Look to Jesus, and let not your heart be troubled or dismayed, but trust fully on the name of the Lord. We are in a crisis and many people are confused, leaders don't know what to do, but our Sovereign God still has co

 'For thus is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another' (1John 3:11). The message we heard from the beginning is love - the love of Jesus. Jesus demonstration his love on the cross for all humanity. In Matthew 13:34-35 Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one another.' As believers we are expected to act on love, not just feel it, and be selfless as Christ was.  We need to understand that love is foundational to the gospel, its about sharing the love of Christ with others. In order to share the message of love with others we need to be connected to Christ, who is love. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us, not tearing down others, but trust in God's work build and lift others up, as we act love out of our faith. Let us not be jealous and envious

 'The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate' (Psalm 34:22). All who believe in God shall be saved, because the gift of God is eternal life; and there will be no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus . As we seek to follow Jesus and do the will of God in salvation, we are guaranteed deliverance from the judgment. Just know that the Lord watches over those who are righteous and will answer all those who cry for his help. The Lord our God cares for us his children, who trust in him, and will not condemn them, but will condemn the wicked or unrighteous. We ought to come before God with grateful hearts and joyful praise. He has redeemed us with His precious blood in the person of His Son. Therefore, we should rejoice and joyfully serve Him for His faithfulness and what He has done for us. Let us also be grateful for His deliverance and the fact that none of us that trust in him shall be desolate. What a great promise! 

 'Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the Good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein' (Jeremiah 6:16). Israel's wantonness and disobedience led them to turn their hearts from the Lord. Jeremiah cry for repentance, went unheard and Israel paid the price for their backsliding ways. What about us today, are we heeding the call to repentance? Are we listening to the Lord as he speaks to us through his word, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit? We need to heed and hearken to the call of Jesus and consider our ways, lest destruction comes upon us. We need to stand at the crossroad and look; ask for the old path; ask where the good way is; walk in it and we will find rest for our souls. Let us examine ourselves to see if we are obeying the instructions given to us by God. Are we walking in the old path, standing on God's truth that leads us to the way of righteo

 'For thou art my rock and fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me' (Psalm 31:3). Jehovah is our rock and fortress, and in him is our protection. Without Him we are absolutely nothing. In our difficulties we call upon the name  of Jesus, because there is no safety and security outside of Him. He alone is our very present help in the time of trouble. We can always run to Christ, who is our rock. We must understand that not because we are children of God, we think we are  exempt from any difficulties and dangers that may come upon us. But He did promised he would be with us through these difficult times and that is grace is sufficient for us. We should praise Him everyday; make him our first priority as we give him honour and total praise. Let us pray to the Lord to lead and guide us. We should delight and meditate upon Him in each waking moments, knowing Christ is our portion, and of such, we have the privilege to pray even in tough times. Like David, w

 'In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death' (Proverbs 12:28). Righteousness is of God and is only attained by our faith through Jesus Christ. There is no condemnation for all who are in Christ Jesus. Therefore we need to trust in Christ our Saviour, who is the resurrection and the life. In Him we will never experienced eternal death, if we follow the footsteps of Christ. All who believe in Jesus shall not perish but have eternal life. We all have choices in life as well as,  the path we choose to take. Let us choose wisely to follow Jesus all the way, that we may live; not only in this life but in the next with Jesus. We cannot earn righteousness in our own strength, but being justified before God, entitle us for eternal life, as we are justified by His righteousness. When we walk out of the path of  Christ, we enter into danger zone and can easily miss our chances of the pathway to eternity. In the way of righteousness, there is no deat

 'I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye' (Psalm 32:8). God's eye is always upon his children, and as his Children we should acknowledge that He sees us. He promised he will instruct and teach us in the way we should go. Christ desires that each one of us should choose to walk by faith and live by faith. All those who are justified, is called to spiritual maturity through a sanctified life in Christ. If we keep sinning, our relationship with God the Father will be broken and separate us from him. Sin caused a barrier  between us and God until we come forward and confess our sins. Remember, when we come to God and confess our sins, He promise to forgive us of those sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we seek to have a right relationship with the Lord, He said he will instruct and teach us in the way which we should go, that he will guide us with His eye upon us. Let us purpose in our heart to surrend

 'Therfore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the son of man cometh' (Matthew 24:44). We are warned by Christ himself to watch, for we know not the hour the Lord will come. We ought to be in readiness for the Coming of Christ, that we will be not caught unawares. It must be our desire to watch and pray; to study and hear the Word of God; confess that Christ is Lord;  suffer for Christ's sake and in the process bring others to him. We must trust and have faith in Christ and be able to give a reason the hope that is in us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us heed the call to be ready, because in such an hour as we think not, the son of man cometh. Christ warned the Jews that there will be a time when he will be there no more. They will not know the exact moment of Christ's  return, except for the Father, therefore they ought to be ready. We too do will not know that moment either of the coming of Jesus, but we are to live each day as if any moment He w

 'Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?' (Psalm 15:1). We have been granted the privilege to enter into the presence of the Lord and abide in Him, through faith. As a born again believer, our lives should reflect Christ, that we may be worthy to dwell in the house of the Lord. Whether through personal or corporate worship we must praise and glorify, the Father.  We must exhibit honest, sincere and godly integrity in every aspect of our lives. David was considered a man after God's own heart by God, not because he hadn't sin, but because he trusted the Lord. He knew too well what it was like to sin against God, and was therefore, able to acknowledge these attributes and give guidance that we should be truthful in our hearts and to walk uprightly and live godly. That include not backbiting nor do evil against our neighbours; nor to lend money with usury; or accept bribe against the innocent.  All these attributes David alluded to is a

 'He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son' (Revelation 21:7). If we desire to live a victorious life in Christ, we shall be overcomers.  Christ had won the victory on the cross; through his death and resurrection; and being our Judge and High Priest. God promised that all who are victorious will inherit all these blessings he has in store for us, and will be our God and we being his children. Every day we faced temptations and trials, but through Christ, as believers we can overcome them, by handing them over to Jesus. For greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (1 John4:4). Satan knows he has been defeated and that he is doing everything in his power to carry out aggressive onslaught against all who  have been saved by the precious blood of the lamb. We know what Jesus Christ did for us at Calvary and has overcome the world, the flesh and Satan. Satan only has power when we give him control of our lives. Let