Topic: God Provides [Saturday May 13, 2017]

Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. — John 13:13

He (the Spirit) will never lead you contrary to the Word of God. I hear people saying, “The Lord led me to do this. . . . The Lord told me thus and so . . . ” I am always a little suspicious unless what the Lord has said is in keeping with His Word. God never directs us to do anything contrary to His Word.

The prophet Samuel once said, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” The Scripture teaches, “He that willeth to do His will shall know the doctrine.” When you find yourself up a blind alley, not knowing which way to turn, if you are willing to do His will, He will reveal Himself. He conceals His will only from those who, before they consent to do His bidding, seek to know what He is going to say. Be an obedient Christian. Remember that “where God guides, He provides. Where He leads, He supplies all needs!”

Prayer for the day: Let me be acutely attuned to Your Word, so that each decision I have to make will be in Your will, almighty God

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.

Today’s Scripture: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” – (John 15:11, KJV)

Topic: Be Full of It [Friday May 12, 2017]

Jesus came to give you joy and joy to the full! When your joy is full, it can be seen by others. Joy is supposed to be displayed. As believers, we should have a smile on our face and a spring in our step. We should be kind and friendly. We should be fun to be around. We should be full of His supernatural joy!

Have you allowed the pressures of life to push you down? Have you been more focused on your circumstances than on your God? If you’re not enjoying your life or relationships, it’s time to refocus and tap into the full joy within. It’s time to draw the line in the sand and say, “That’s it. I’m not going to live another day negative, discouraged, sour or grumpy. I’m going to put a smile on my face. I’m going to let my joy be seen so I can brighten somebody else’s day. I’m going to live my life happy and full of joy!”

Friend, when you take that step of faith and choose to trust God with your future, something changes on the inside. Your feelings will soon line up. Your faith will tap into His supernatural joy. And when you tap into joy, you tap into His strength and victory so you can live the full, abundant life He has prepared for you!

A Prayer for Today: “Father, thank You for the gift of joy. Thank You for lavishing Your love and grace on me. Fill me with Your power, strength and virtue so that my joy will overflow and be a blessing everywhere I go in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Topic: Better Days [Friday, 12th May 2017]

The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18

There is one thing that you must never forget about the life of God you have, it is its ever progressive tendencies. Its progress and growth is a constant occurrence. Nothing can hinder the growth that it engenders. It can only get better. No matter what you are experiencing now, be rest assured that better days are ahead of you. God has already programmed it into your life. Better days are just around the corner.

Sometimes, you may want to despair. Anxiety may get the best of you, but don’t let it take you off course. Apostle Paul faced these situations, that was why he said in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 that “we are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” Don’t stay down, no matter how hard the knocks you are taking in life. Stand up. Better days are at hand.

The storms of life can’t do you in, no matter how strong they are raging. Jesus has already declared peace to them. You are crossing to your better days. You are coming into your place of rest. There is a gleam of dawn already. The sun is rising. You might not see it because of the cloud, but I can assure you that the full light of day will certainly come. Hold fast to the profession of your faith, because He is faithful that promised (Hebrews 10:23). Better days are here.

Keep winning daily.

Prayer:

Thanks Lord for the better days which You have already prepared for me. I hold on to the profession of my faith. I trust Your faithfulness. I declare that my better days are here, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Topic: No Man Is Self-Sufficient [Friday May 12, 2017]

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God” – 2 Corinthians 3:5

Deficiency results when a man begins to think he is self sufficient.

When you think you are capable you become incapable. When you think you are able you become disabled.

When Nebuchadnezzar began to think of his efficiency he lost his throne (Daniel. 4: 29-36).

Rely On Him!

God does not call people who are able, He calls the unable so that He can enable them. He looks for people who will rely and even the disabled on Him. “…that no man may glory in the flesh” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

If Jesus, said, “I can of myself do nothing” (John 5:30), then we need God’s help much more.

If you don’t want life to be a burden, let God carry it for you. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Rely on God and let the whole world know He is your sufficiency.

Topic: Identify Who You Are [Friday May 12, 2017]

Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!] —1 Peter 3:11

Paul said, “I want to do what is right, but I can’t” (see Romans 7:15-25). He was a new person on the inside because he was born again, but he still had to resist the temptation to sin.

Paul explained that “the sin [principle]” (v. 20) continues to dwell in us. We want to do right, but we don’t have the power to perform it, because evil is ever present to tempt us to do wrong. Only God can deliver us from this tendency to sin; that is why we must ask Him to deliver us from evil each day.

Topic: Lessons on Vow [Friday 12, May 2017]

Memorise: That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth. – Deuteronomy 23:23

Read: Judges 11:29-36 (KJV)

29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.

33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.

36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 16-17, Jeremiah 29:24-30:9, Hymn: Sing hymn 14

MESSAGE:

Sometimes, some people promise God one thing, but when the time comes to redeem the pledge, they bring something else. Do you think that God does not have records in Heaven? Once you make a pledge to God, don’t try to change it. Ecclesiastes 5:6 says,

“Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?”

After you have committed yourself to a particular thing as a vow, if you later return to say, “It was a slip of the tongue, God will understand”, you are only deceiving yourself. Such an excuse is not acceptable to God. God expects you to stand by your word. Hence, as part of the requirements to stand in God’s holy place, Psalm 15:4 says if you make a vow, you are expected to do everything possible to redeem it, no matter the cost, sacrifice or inconveniencies involved. Do you have this quality? It is part of the integrity we must have as believers.

Another lesson on vows is that you must be extremely careful before making a vow. Think very well before pledging a commitment to do a particular thing, because once it has gone out of your mouth, you may not be able to beat a retreat. Some people get carried away with zeal and make a mouth-watering vow but later find it difficult to redeem it. Be careful! Only vow to give up what is within the limit of your capability and not what you know you cannot cope with! The story of Jephthah is a very touching one. He needed victory so badly that he vowed to sacrifice to God whatever first came out of his house to meet him on his return. After the battle was over, as he returned home with great joy, it was his only child – his virgin daughter – that came out first to welcome him. He felt so bad. He realised the rashness of his vow, but he could not turn back from his promise. Finally, one more lesson on vows is that God does not like to hear the voice of vow-defaulters, and He would ultimately destroy their efforts (Ecclesiastes 5:6). Is God fighting you over a vow you have defaulted on? Repent now and restitute. If need be, seek the guidance of a Spirit-filled Christian counsellor or pastor.

Action Point: Unpaid vows are debts that can hinder you from making heaven. Prayerfully recall your unpaid debts and redeem them fast.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Topic: Let the Captives Go [Friday May 12, 2017]

Text: Deuteronomy 15:12-23

Key Verse: “And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee” (Deuteronomy 15:12).

Generally in life, there are two broad categories of captives: the lawful or willing captive (slaves/servants) and the forced or unwilling captive. Some servants give themselves over to their masters to serve them for a particular period of time on an agreed wage or salary as seen in the case of Jacob with Laban, his uncle. However, at other times, servants are bought as captives of war or from parents or guardians who cannot support them with the basic necessities of life, as a means of raising money for themselves.

These are bond slaves who most often, will have to serve their masters till death or until when they are strong enough to pay for their freedom. In Israel at one time, God gave a commandment specifically about slaves/servants/captives who were Hebrews and were bought or purchased by a Hebrew master. His directive was that they be freed and properly settled on release after six years of faithful service. They, the Hebrew masters, must not see this as a hard thing to do or be grieved at heart when releasing their brethren who had served them faithfully for six years. Obedience to this injunction of God attracted great blessings from Him.

Similarly, today’s masters who are believers and have believers working under them as apprentices, house-helps or workers at their homes, businesses or companies are to faithfully release and settle their subordinates properly, after their service term. They are not to cheat or defraud them or subject them to scorn or ridicule. If Jesus Christ fully forgave ours sins and identified with our frailties, we must also bear with those under us, irrespective of the pressures we face.

A believer cannot revel in acts of slavery and servitude towards others, for Jesus, our Saviour, calls His disciples “friends” and not slaves or servants. If Christ so treats us, so must we also relate with those under us.

Thought for the day: A Christian is he who lives as he that serveth.

Bible Reading in one Year: 2 Chronicles 18-21

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

Topic: Dead Works [Friday May 12, 2017]

John 6:28, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?”

All throughout history, mankind has been seeking ways to do the works of God. Everyone has a knowledge within them of the reality of God (Rom. 1:18-20), and a desire to be right with Him. However, just as with these Jews, few agree with the Lord as to how to do it. These Jews were willing to do something to obtain salvation, but they were not willing to commit themselves to Jesus and accept His gift.

This is one of the major differences between Christianity and the religions of the world. Religion is willing to make sacrifices to obtain right standing with God, but Christianity recognizes our complete inability to ever do enough to save ourselves and calls for total faith and reliance on what Jesus did for us.

No one deserves salvation. It cannot be earned by what the Bible calls “dead works” (Heb. 6:1; 9:14). Dead works include all religious activities, good deeds, or charity that one may do as a means of being justified before God.

Faith towards God and what He has done through Christ Jesus is the only means of receiving His free gift of salvation. He only asks us to believe.

This message was written by The Association of Related Ministries International (ARMI) is an extension of Andrew Wommack Ministries (AWM). ARMI is a unique partnership committed to providing resources to help like-minded ministers succeed in a spirit of excellence and to draw from the experience and expertise of both the AWM and Charis Bible College staff. (www.awmi.net)

Topic: River of Revelation [Friday May 12, 2017]

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. – James 1:22

Have you ever been in the position in the past where every time you opened the Bible you received a river of revelation? Does it seem lately that the river’s run dry? If so, I strongly suggest that you backtrack to the last revelation God gave you. Back up and see if you acted on it, if you did what God showed you to do. If you didn’t, start again, digging in to that revelation and then putting it into action in your life. You’ll soon find new revelations are beginning to flow.

You see, revelation is most prolific when you are acting on the Word. I’ve discovered that for myself again and again. The more I act on the Word, the more I see into it. That’s why James 1:22 tells us to not only hear God’s Word but to do it!

It may seem that the things God has revealed to you are very insignificant. They may not even make good sense to your natural mind. But do them anyway! If you had insight into the spirit realm, you’d see they’re far more important than you think.

Open God’s Word anew today. Come before Him with expectancy of a fresh revelation of the Scripture and commit to Him to follow it up with actions of obedience. Be a doer of God’s revelations and not a hearer only and your river will never run dry.

Scripture Reading: James 1:22-27

This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith – prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.

Topic: He Changes Us [Friday May 12, 2017]

. . . that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel. — Ephesians 6:19

The word “mystery” means beyond human knowledge or understanding. God’s mysteries baffle the unbelieving, but bless the believer. The mystery of righteousness, like some of the other great mysteries of God, we cannot comprehend, but we know it works. We stand amazed at this great mystery which enables God to change the human heart, its attitudes, its desires, and its nature.

God, a holy God, who loves righteousness and hates wickedness, through a process of redemption has refashioned us in the image of Himself. How marvelous! For generations He has been applying His righteousness to the hearts of men. Even in our time, with its complexities of living, God is in the business of changing men and women by the mystery of righteousness.

Prayer for the day: Give me Your boldness to tell others the secret of eternal joy in Jesus Christ.

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.