Skip to main content

CERTAINTY OF DEATH

THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

DATE: WEDNESDAY, 22ND NOVEMBER, 2023 

TOPIC:  CERTAINTY OF DEATH

TEXT: ECCLESIASTES 9

1. For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works [are] in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred [by] anything [they see] before them.
2. All things [come] alike to all: One event [happens] to the righteous and the wicked; To the good, the clean, and the unclean; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so [is] the sinner; He who takes an oath as [he] who fears an oath.
3. This [is] an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing [happens] to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness [is] in their hearts while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.
4. But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5.  For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.
6.  Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun.
7.  Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.
8.  Let your garments always be white, And let your head lack no oil.
9.  Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that [is] your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.
10.  Whatever your hand finds to do, do [it] with your might; for [there is] no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
11.  I returned and saw under the sun that -- The race [is] not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.
12.  For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men [are] snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.
13.  This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it [seemed] great to me:
14.  [There was] a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it.
15.  Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.
16.  Then I said: "Wisdom [is] better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom [is] despised, And his words are not heard.
17.  Words of the wise, [spoken] quietly, [should be] heard Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
18.  Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good."

MESSAGE: 
An old man asked a young boy, “What are you going to do with your life?” The young boy replied, “I am going to university and get a degree.” The old man then asked, “What then?” The boy replied, “I am going to Lagos, get a good job and get married.” The old man asked, “Then what?” The boy replied, “I guess after I grow old, I will die.” The old man looked at the young boy and said, “What then?” The boy had no answer. Verses 2 and 3 reveal what we all know, yet the thing we try to forget and that is, all of us must surely die! For all the frustration that exists in life, there is one equalizer of life: Every person must die! There is nothing a person can do to avoid this reality. People live their lives forgetting that everyone must face the day of death. Our lives will drastically change if we constantly live under the awareness that death can await us at any moment. Humans like to assume they will live long whereas nobody knows what will happen tomorrow (James 4:14).
 
Many of us would make different decisions in life if we keep in mind that at any moment, we would stand before God’s judgment seat. God created man to have eternal fellowship with Him but the choice to accept His love is in your hands (John 3:16). Your relationship with Jesus here on earth will dictate where you will spend eternity.


PRAYER: 
Almighty God, grant me the grace to die to sin and live holy living. Amen 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHURCH OF NIGERIA ELECTS NEW BISHOPS AND ONE ARCHBISHOP

The Episcopal synod of the church of Nigeria Anglican Communion has elected six new Bishops, and one Archbishop. The election which took place at the Basilica of Grace Apo, Gudu district in the Diocese of Abuja on Thursday October 29, 2009 has the following:- The Rt. Rev. Friday John Imaekhai Bishop, Diocese of Esan, Elected: - Archbishop of Bendel to replace The Primate elect, The Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh The very Rev. Ralph Ebirien of St Stephen’s Cathedral Bonny Elected: - Bishop of Niger Delta Diocese The Venerable Ezekiel Bolarinde Dahunsi of Church of Pentecost FESTAC Lagos Elected: - Bishop Diocese of Ido- Ani The Rev. Canon Justus Emeka Mogekwu of St. Paul’s Kakuri, Kaduna Elected:-Bishop Diocese of Asaba to replace Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh. The Venerable (Prof.) Dapo Folorunso Asaju of the chapel of Light, Lagos (LASU) Elected:-Bishop for Theological Education in the office of the Primate The Venerable James Olaoti Akinola of St. James Iludun Oro, Kwara S
Post a Comment
Read more

EXCERPTS FROM: 24/7 WARFARE PRAYERS AND SUPERNATURAL BREAKTHROUGH MANUAL

INTRODUCTION Right from childhood, the number “SEVEN” has always been an intrigue, an interesting puzzle, a fascination, and a great phenomenon to me. I was actually born on the seventh day of the month; perhaps this was one of the reasons why something leaps inside of me whenever I see the number. But as I grew up in the Christian faith I began to see a regular reference to it the scriptures. I was kind of saying, whoa! Holy bliss! Seven occurs 257 times, or 7 × 41 Seventh, the fractional part occurs 98 times or 7× 14 Seven –fold occurs 7 times. Seventy occurs 56 times or 7× 8 “Seventy” in combination with other numbers occurs 35 times or 7× 5. God is pleased to stamp the number “Seven” with the seal of perfection and completeness. God never down played the importance of the number, because it was the number of God. It is a carrier of God’s mysteries. It pleased God that, the Seventh man from Adam – Enoch sh
Post a Comment
Read more

FIVE NEW FULL FLEDGED ANGLICAN DIOCESES

Five new Dioceses have been created in the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion. The Church's official website - http://www.anglican-nig.org/main.php?k_j=12&d=352&p_t=index.php? posted the information thus: The Standing Committee Meeting of Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion has approved the creation of five new full fledged Dioceses at their meeting at the Cathedral Church of St. Stephen’s Umuahia, Abia State. They are Shendam Diocese carved out of Langtang Diocese, Plateau state, Ido-Ani Diocese from present Owo Diocese, in Ondo state, Igbomina West from Igbomina Diocese,Kwara state, Ilesha North East from Ilesha in Osun state and Ijebu South West from Ijebu Diocese in Ogun state. At the presentation, the head of the Committee responsible for creation of new Dioceses, the most Rev. Joseph Akinfenwa Archbishop Ibadan Province and Bishop of Ibadan who led a team of four assured the house that the stage is set and the New Dioceses have met all the requirements for creation
Post a Comment
Read more