Topic: Prosperity Without Sorrow [Saturday 22, April 2017]

Memorise: The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. – Proverbs 10:22

Read: Deuteronomy 8:10-18 (KJV)

10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;

14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 12-13, Jeremiah 18:1-18

MESSAGE:

Many children of God dread prosperity because of the challenges associated with it, particularly when it relates to material prosperity. The reason for this attitude can be put down to either ignorance of the word of God concerning prosperity, or ignorance of the need for the children of God to prosper, if they would not live at the mercy of the ungodly. The Bible in Proverbs 22:7 says,

“The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”

In our Bible reading today, we discover some truths about God’s purpose concerning the prosperity of His people. Deuteronomy 8:18 says,

“But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

God gives power and opportunities to His children to get wealth for one singular reason: to prove Himself faithful to His word. In other words, the issue of God’s children becoming wealthy is not about them but about God and His infallible word. This is why those who pick and choose what they feel is suitable for them in the word of God are losers; God cannot be mocked. Such people want the blessings of Abraham, but do not want to keep the covenant that Abraham kept with God. Jesus in John 8:39d said:

“If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.”

Beloved, I have good news for you: God is interested in the prosperity of His people (3 John 2). Not only is God interested in your prosperity, He also gives you the power to make wealth and to prosper. Furthermore, the prosperity from God is without negative repercussions and sorrow. The Lord who prospers is the same Lord who protects. He will not give you a car that will become a death trap. He will not give you a child that will break your heart. If you believe this, you will see the glory of God. Finally, in order to receive the prosperity that is devoid of sorrow, you must ensure that the prosperity you are seeking is from the Almighty God. This suggests to us that there is a counterfeit prosperity which puts its beneficiaries in tight jackets of regret and sorrow. The devil is the giver of counterfeits, but Jesus is the true source of eternal blessings. You can never regret being prospered by His benevolence because He paid the price of your prosperity in full. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says,

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

Key Point: Stop cutting corners. At God’s own time and in God’s own way, He will prosper you.

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: Unconditional Love [Saturday April 22, 2017]

Text: Psalm 116:1-9

Key Verse: “I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications” (Psalm 116:1).

A popular children story named “The giving tree” speaks of the life of an apple tree and a boy. In the story, the boy was always coming to the tree because of what he could get at any stage of his life and after which he would leave the tree alone. The tree gave him apples, branches and trunk until she had nothing to give.

And lastly the boy, now old, came one more time to the tree because he had need of some place to rest, and the giving tree still gave her stump to him because that was all she had left. Although the writer of this psalm expresses his love and gratitude in view of the mercies of God, goodness and deliverance, we love God because He first loved us. Genuinely redeemed Christians should love God unconditionally. Like the boy in the giving tree story, some people love the Lord and come to Him as long as He hears their prayers. What if the Lord delays answers? God wants us to love Him for who He is because He first loved and continues to love us.

Many people find it hard to believe the love story of God partly because we see His love from our point of view and not His. Human love is based on conditions. We love people because they are our relations, because they love us and because we know them. But God is different, He loves us unconditionally and requires no dime from us for the love. If the reason you love God is other than the fact that He loves you and has saved you, then your love may not be a perfect one.

Remember how Satan accused Job, thinking that his love for God was because of the blessings and hedge God built around him. But he found out otherwise. Be sure that your love will always be tested to see what sort it is. We must grow in our walk with God to love Him just for His sake.

Thought for the day: The measure of true love is in its commitment, with no strings attached.

Bible Reading in one Year: Judges 8-10

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: Decide to Believe [Friday April 21, 2017]

Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. — James 1:2-4

Too often people stare at me with a blank look when I urge them to decide to believe. It’s as if I’m asking them to do something they can’t do. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God (see Romans 10:17), but it also involves a decision.

We enter into a relationship with God through believing in Jesus Christ, but that’s only the beginning.

Believing doesn’t end there. As I understand the realm of the Spirit, if we follow the Lord, we live with a growing faith. That means we learn to believe for bigger things. We learn to trust God for things we would never have thought of in our earliest Christian days.

When we become Christians, the Bible says we are adopted into the family of God: . . . but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in . . . which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! (Romans 8:15b).

That’s the beginning. That’s also where too many Christians stop. The Spirit keeps reaching for your hands so He can pull you forward. That’s when you must decide to believe—or you resist and stay exactly where you are in your Christian experience.

Read the verse at the beginning of this topic. It says your faith will be tested, but you must hold onto it and move forward. The testing may come when the devil attempts to make you doubt the promises God has given you.

There is never a stopping place in your spiritual growth—God wants to take you onward. But you have to make the choice to believe. Sometimes that takes courage, but that’s how the Christian life functions. We grow by taking steps of faith.

When God speaks to your heart—to your inner being—you need to learn to say without hesitation, “Let it be so, Lord.” You have to learn to agree with whatever the Spirit of God says or wants.

Instead, many tend to resist. They don’t say no. Satan is too subtle to nudge them to do that. He puts questions in their minds, urging them to ask, “How can that be?” They start asking God to help them understand. If your boss wants you to do a task, you can ask, “Why?” or ask for an ¬explanation.

But that is not how the Holy Spirit works. You say, “Lord, if You’ll help me understand, I will believe and obey.” God says, “Just obey. If I want you to understand, I’ll make it clear to you.” God doesn’t have to explain anything to us.

It frequently happens that believers know something down deep in their hearts—in their inner beings—but their minds fight against it. They may consider themselves unworthy. They may ask, “Who am I that You would use me to change lives?” They waste a lot of energy by telling God why they can’t do what He wants them to do. God already knows everything that is wrong with us or ever will be wrong with us, and He is willing to work through us anyway. God requires availability not ability.

God asks you to do something quite simple: Believe. That’s all. If God speaks, you need to learn to say, “Even though I don’t understand, I’ll do it.” One of the best examples I can think of in Scripture is the story of Ananias of Damascus. God told him that Saul (later called Paul) was blind and in a particular house. He was to go and lay hands on him, and God would heal him (see Acts 9:10-19).

Ananias was afraid. Saul was the great persecutor of Christians, but God told him to go because the blinded man was a chosen vessel. Despite his fear and inability to understand why God would choose a great persecutor to be a chosen vessel, Ananias went and prayed for Saul, and the future apostle was healed.

That’s how God wants us to behave. He wants us to choose to believe Him even if what He’s asking us to do doesn’t compute in our thoughts.

Holy Spirit of God, help me always to believe Your promises, even when I don’t understand Your purpose. I want to learn to trust You more, as I move forward in faith to accomplish what You have for me to do. Help me always to be obedient, in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Topic: Cure for Backsliding [Friday 21, April 2017]

Memorise: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; – Acts 3:19

Read: Jeremiah 3:11-15 (KJV)

11 And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 10-11, Jeremiah 17:14-27

MESSAGE:

Backsliding is such a terrible condition that any child of God who backslides must quickly seek for restoration. The danger with backsliding is that a backslider may perish with his or her enemies like Samson did, or lose all he or she had gained in God like Judas Iscariot (Judges 16:30, Acts 1:16-20). The good news is that God has provided a remedy for backsliding. In today’s Bible reading, we see the loving God calling and inviting backsliding Israel back to Himself. This is a pointer to the fact that God wants to restore all backsliders.

“13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:” – Jeremiah 3:13-14

The above verses of scripture contain the cure for backsliding. Restoration for the backslider starts with an acknowledgment of sins and a contrite return to God. In other words, the cure to backsliding lies in genuine repentance. Repentance is a complete turnaround from one’s sins with a determination never to return to those sins any more. This was what Samson failed to do throughout his twenty years of being judge over Israel. To make matters worse, he always ascribed his victory and achievement to his strength. Hear what he said after one of his victories in Judges 15:16

“….With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.”

There is no record of him giving glory to God even once. When he should have prayed for mercy, he prayed a wrong prayer, asking God to strengthen him one more time, so that he could avenge his eyes! Due to the mercy of God, and because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, God still granted him his request, and he died with his enemies (Romans 11:29, Judges 16:28-30). In Acts 3:19, we see some of the great benefits of repentance. These included forgiveness, the blotting out of sins and the experience of a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Beloved, are you in a backslidden state? I encourage you to return to God through the Lord Jesus Christ today. Read 1 John 2:1-2 for a better understanding of your heritage in Christ. As you do these, the joy of salvation and the victory over sin will be restored to you.

Action Point: Pray for restoration if you are a backslider. If by His grace you are still standing, pray that you will not backslide, and also pray for all backsliders in the Body of Christ that you know.

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: Reduce To Writing [Friday April 21, 2017]

Text: Proverbs 25:1-15

Key Verse: “These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out” (Proverb 25:1).

Can you imagine a world without history, without writing and without documentation? Most important events and persons would have been lost forever! Today’s text starts with the introduction of how the entire chapter 25 of Proverbs came to be. It was copied out by the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah. The basic difference between divinely inspired truth and mere history is that all divine truths started out with the glory of God in mind and God was involved in moving men to write.

Though most historical writings are at best to preserve knowledge, divinely inspired truths are well beyond history. The entire verses of this chapter are laden with eternal truths that are still relevant to us. Verses 2 to 7 speak about relationships with God and leadership. We are taught both spiritual truths and intellectual insights as to how to act before dignitaries. Verse 8 through to 12 focuses on best practices in interpersonal relationships and mediations. Verse 13 through to 15 speak about personal communication skills to acquire, to make one succeed in both godly and interpersonal relationships.

All these rich insights and honey-like revelations would have been lost if the men of Hezekiah were too busy or too lazy to copy them out? Most Christians today, are either too busy or too lazy to take notes during a Bible Study or a Church Service. While some think it not necessary, others think, who will ever read it? It is good to take down notes for emphasis, reference and remembrance. It is also very important to preserve scriptural knowledge and beliefs for the next generation.

In this age of information overload, most of the real tenets of our faith might be overshadowed by a host of other junks from the Internet if we don’t make efforts to preserve the truth by taking copious notes and right living. One way to preserve our common salvation and the faith that was once delivered to the saints is to reduce it to writing. A Christian who dies without declaring to his progeny his/her beliefs and a rich man who dies without a valid will, are both alike: men without far-sighted purpose and focus in life.

Thought for the day: He who preserves eternal truths, expands the frontiers of the gospel.
Bible Reading in one Year: Judges 5-7

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: Truth Is Ever Independent [Thursday April 20, 2017]

Truth has no match neither does it suffer nor is subject to any form of limits/ barrier.

Truth is before time and ahead of time.

The past could not alter it neither can the future adjust, or change it.

It is just absolutely independent.

It doesn’t rely on support from any, neither is it bothered about who is not subscribing to it.

You either take it or leave it.

Truth cannot be intimidated neither does it need anyone to excite it.

We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth.

Truth is constant.

Truth is immovable.

Truth is not subject to any circumstance be it time, age, pressure, places, generation or any such.

It is neither archaic nor modern.

It never once sought to be civilized because it was never outdated.

It does not seek freedom because it was never colonized or ever in bondage.

It was never bound, that is why it has power to set any man free that is in any form of bondage.

Truth needs nobody to exist but everybody needs it to last even beyond his lifespan.

I therefore stand by the truth.

I subscribe to the truth.

I’ll project the truth.

I’ll defend the truth.

It is in the truth that I’m secured.

Topic: Go with the Flow [Thursday April 20, 2017]

But the meek [in the end] shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. — Psalm 37:11

We can learn to get along with people. It is especially important to learn to get along with our immediate family members and coworkers. There are many informative books about personality differences to help us understand why people feel and act the way they do. Understanding helps to smooth over strained relationships.

People make decisions differently. Some give an immediate answer, while others want time to think about things first. Try to understand the people you will see today. Ask God to show you ways to get along with them. He will give you favor as you trust in Him.