Topic: The Power Of Expectation [Sunday April 2, 2017]

…Thy expectation shall not be cut off. – Proverbs 24:14

What you don’t expect you don’t experience

What you don’t desire you don’t deserve

If you don’t know what you want, you may die in want.

Hope is the backup of expectation, it is the anchor of the soul .1 Peter. 1:3; Acts 3:5; Ecclesiastes. 9:4

Expectation (hope) is the switch to proofs.

Psalm. 62:5-8; Romans. 5:5

Build up your expectation by searching God’s word.

 God’s word is the building block for the glorious destiny you desire.

Topic: Seek the Truth [Sunday April 2, 2017]

The sower sows the Word. The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown [in their hearts], but when they hear, Satan comes at once and [by force] takes away the message which is sown in them. — Mark 4:14-15

If you hear or study the Word, the devil will immediately attempt to steal it from you. He does not want the Word to take root in your heart and begin to produce good fruit in your life. When you learn the truth, deception is uncovered and you are set free. Satan hates and fears the Word. He will do anything possible to prevent you from learning God’s Word.

The reason Satan works so hard to keep you from the Word is simple: He knows the Word of God is a powerful weapon against him. It assures his defeat! That is why it is imperative that you learn to wield the spiritual sword. Reading, hearing, believing, meditating on, and confessing the Word cancels Satan’s evil plan. Tonight, determine to make the Word of God a priority in your life.

Topic: Characteristics of the New Covenant I [Sunday 2, April 2017]

Memorise: For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:20

Read: Matthew 5:21-24 (KJV)

21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 4-5, Jeremiah 6:6-21

MESSAGE:

The Lord Jesus Christ came to this world to manifest the nature and character of God to us. He also came to establish a new covenant between God and mankind through His blood (Luke 22:20). By establishing a new covenant, He did away with the old, Hebrews 8:7-8 says,

“7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:”

He showed us the character of this new covenant through the relationship He had with the Father while here on earth, and through the words that He spoke. For this reason, we need to pay close attention to the things He said, if we want to reap the full benefits of the new covenant in His blood.

In today’s Bible reading, Jesus reveals some of the characteristics of the new covenant. He said that being angry with your brother without a genuine reason is tantamount to murder in the sight of God! For this reason, the Bible in Ephesians 4:26 says:

“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:”

It is even better not to be angry at all because being angry can degenerate into having murderous thoughts. We tend to say things that engender strife when we are angry. For this reason, the wisdom of God in Proverbs 15:1 admonishes us, saying:

“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”

Of course you know that most times, you don’t speak soft words when you are angry.

Similarly, Jesus said if you call your brother a fool, you will be in danger of Hell Fire. There are many ways a man can call his brother a fool – not necessarily by the words of mouth alone. When you take a person for granted and take advantage of him or her, you are calling that person a fool. When you cleverly cheat on your spouse, you are calling him or her a fool. In light of these truths, if you have done anything synonymous to murder, you need to repent and make restitution. You may have angrily destroyed the career of a man who has mouths to feed. You have killed such a fellow, because he can no longer perform his obligations as a bread winner. If you are guilty of such, your salvation lies in repentance and restitution: seeking forgiveness from God and the wronged fellow. Whoever had ears, let him give heed to the message of Jesus Christ.

Action Point: Father, keep me away from the spirit of anger, and grant me the grace not to use curse words on people.

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: Use Your Mind [Sunday April 2, 2017]

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind . . . — Mark 12:30

Christ touches every area of our lives. He touches our minds and we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. God invites people to use their minds, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 1:18). We are told in Scripture not to be like the horse or mule, “which have no understanding” (Psalm 32:9). Christ declared that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. We are told to fear God, to love Christ, and to hate sin.

Fear, love, and hate are emotions. Dr. Leslie Weatherhead, preaching at the City Temple in London, said, “What is wrong with emotion? Christianity is falling in love with Christ. Has anyone ever fallen in love without emotion?”

Prayer for the day: May my love for You embrace my whole being, Lord Jesus. Teach me true love.

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.

Topic: What a Future! [Sunday April 2, 2017]

[God] hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. – Ephesians 2:6-7

All my life people told me the reason God saved us was so that when we got to glory, we could spend the rest of eternity loving Him and worshiping Him. But, you know, that’s just not so.

It sounds pretty good, but it’s just something someone made up. God isn’t selfish. He’s just the opposite. He’s the ultimate giver. The ultimate lover. He doesn’t do anything just so He can get something in return.

Why then did He save us? The Word of God tells us He did it so that in the ages to come, He could show us the exceeding riches of His grace.

Think about that! God is going to spend eternity showing the riches of His grace to you and me.

That’s why He sent Jesus into the world. He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. God gave Jesus so that He wouldn’t be His only son. He sent Jesus so He could have more sons to love and give to—and He plans to spend the eons of time doing just that.

As a believer, you have the most glorious future ahead of you that anyone could ever ask. But don’t wait until you get to glory to enjoy it. You can start right now. You’ve already been seated!

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:1-8

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: Inalienable Inheritance [Sunday April 2, 2017]

Text: Joshua 17:1-7

Key Verse:  And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan; Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead” (Joshua 17:5,).

Sir Joshua Reynolds once said, “Make no dependence on your own genius. If you have great talents, labour will improve them, if you have poor talents, labour will increase them. Nothing is denied to well-directed labour. Nothing is to be obtained without it”. God’s gift is without discrimination. As every mortal approaches God, He will never say no, most importantly on the issue of salvation.

We should all approach the throne of grace for every spiritual gift, for He says “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7). In this passage, we see the distribution of the land among the remaining families of the tribe of Manasseh. Manasseh was the first born of Joseph. There was a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families. Even Zelophehad who had no sons but only daughters was not left without inheritance. It was unusual for women to receive inheritance. But our God who does not discriminate, had to give directives through Moses to give them an inheritance.

This, Joshua put into action by conceding to the request of Zelophehad’s daughters. Our God is a God of justice. He does not discriminate. As Christians, we also have an eternal inheritance with God. Jesus said “…I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). Right in heaven, Jesus has sufficient space and mansions suited for every Christian. The narrowness of Joseph’s boundaries teaches us that there is nothing perfect here on earth. It is only in heaven that we can have our desires wholly met.

Those who desire larger possession should cultivate the habit of making the best use of what they have. The little you have becomes great when God is in it. As you obey God and invest in His Kingdom, He will enlarge your coast.

Thought for the day: The Christian’s unpolluted inheritance is in heaven.

Bible Reading in one Year: Haggai 1-2

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: The Riches of God’s Grace [Sunday April 2, 2017]

Scripture: But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10

Thought For The Day: The grace of God covers our errors (weaknesses) and colours our efforts (strengths).

Grace has been defined as God’s unmerited, undeserved favour. God sacrificed His Son Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary to make grace available to us. Grace is God’s seal of approval and acceptance through the Blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The grace of God is a difference maker. For instance, the difference between Paul the apostle and the other apostles was the level of grace he had access to.
No wonder, we are admonished in 2 Peter 3:18 to grow in grace. This implies that if you desire the result of your fellow brother, all you need to do is to connect to the grace with which he operates.

What then are the benefits of grace?

1. Grace is the grease for ease

Grace is a mountain leveller (Zechariah 4:7). Where there is grace, there is ease; where grace is lacking, there is trouble. The grace of God covers our errors (weaknesses) and colours our efforts (strengths)

2. Grace is the companion of mercy

Grace is a companion of mercy and it is mercy that keeps you from the danger and judgement that you deserve.

I prophesy on your life today, the grace of God on your life will make a difference in your life in Jesus’ Name.

Remember this: The grace of God covers our errors (weaknesses) and colours our efforts.

Assignments:

1. Always make demands on the grace of God at the place of prayer.

2. Make the study of the Word of God your daily habit to enable you grow in grace.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE RICHES OF GRACE

Prayer: O LORD, I apply for your grace today. Help me LORD to fully benefit from the grace that is embedded in the shed Blood of Jesus Christ, LORD in Jesus’ Name.

Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 21:1 to 22:30, Luke 9:51 to 10:12, Psalm 74:1 to 23, Proverbs 12:11

Quote: To qualify for the purpose of God, you must surrender your popularity. Culled from REASON FOR LIVING by Dr Paul Enenche

Amazing Fact: Two-thirds of the people on earth have never seen snow.

Today In History: 02/04/1889 – Charles Hall patented Aluminium.

Prophetic Parental Blessing
In this fourth month of the year, I pronounce you blessed. I break every chain that has hitherto tied your life, career and destiny. I decree to you that you shall make visible progress in this month, in the Name of Jesus.

Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), is a powerfully anointed church, headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Dr Paul and Dr Becky Enenche, as the Senior Pastors. It is a power-packed arena where God’s Presence, Principles and Power are at work for the salvation, healing and restoration of human destinies and dignities.

Topic: Behind the Scenes [Sunday April 2, 2017]

Read: Daniel 10:1–14, Bible in a Year: Judges 16–18; Luke 7:1–30

Your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. Daniel 10:12

My daughter sent a text message to a friend, in hopes of having a question answered quickly. Her phone’s messaging service showed that the recipient had read the message, so she waited anxiously for a reply. Mere moments passed, yet she grew frustrated, groaning her annoyance at the delay. Irritation eroded into worry; she wondered whether the lack of response meant there was a problem between them. Eventually a reply came and my daughter was relieved to see their relationship was fine. Her friend had simply been sorting out the details needed to answer the question.

The Old Testament prophet Daniel also anxiously awaited a reply. After receiving a frightening vision of great war, Daniel fasted and sought God through humble prayer (10:3, 12). For three weeks, he received no reply (vv. 2, 13). Finally, an angel arrived and assured Daniel his prayers had been heard “since the first day.” In the meantime, the angel had been battling on behalf of those prayers. Though Daniel didn’t know it at first, God was at work during each of the twenty-one days that elapsed between his first prayer and the angel’s coming.

The confidence that God hears our prayers can cause us to become anxious when His reply doesn’t come when we want it to. We are prone to wonder whether He cares. Yet Daniel’s experience reminds us that God is at work on behalf of those He loves even when it isn’t obvious to us.

Prayer: Lord, help me to trust Your care for me even when I can’t see it.

God is always at work on behalf of His people.

This message was written By Kirsten Holmberg [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]