Topic: Family Government (4)

Dear Reader,

It has been a most exciting time thus far this month, examining some very fundamental and most vital issues that relate to Family Government. I am sure you have benefitted a lot from the issues discussed thus far.

In this concluding part of the teaching, we will examine the aspect of CHILD TRAINING. Why this aspect? Because children constitute immediate members of the family government after the parents.

Both the man and the woman have a joint responsibility to perform in training the children. They both have different roles to play in the family government, in order to ensure lasting success and excitement in the family. Just as it took both the man and the woman to bring about the birth of the child, so also, are they expected to nurture them together.

God’s Word says: Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate (Psalm 127:3-5). Children as members of the family government are additional blessings from God, Himself, sent to spice up the family.  Children are sent to add colour and meaning to your family government.

Can you imagine a nation having a president, governors, ministers, commissioners but no people to oversee? There will not be much governing to do. This case can be likened to the blessings of having children in the family. They are rewards and “arrows” (Verse 4). An arrow is a lethal fighting weapon that is used for various purposes. Children in the hands of God can be likened to such lethal weapon that can be used to destroy the works of the devil. They are blessings from God that are invaluable (Verse 5).

Therefore, you have a responsibility to prepare them the way skilled craftsmen fashion arrows at the blacksmith’s workshop. You have to carefully and patiently groom them to become arrows as faithful and responsible adults in the area of business, education, legislature and gospel promotion.

Daniel was not a preacher, but a politician; yet, he was righteous and upheld the name of Jehovah (Daniel 5:11-12).  Joseph was a prime minister who also upheld integrity (Genesis 39:8-9, Genesis 41:38-41). Other examples include Samuel (1 Samuel 3:19) and Timothy as a Bishop (1 Timothy 4:14). These are some examples of men who were brought up in homes where God’s laws were taught, thereby fashioning them to become arrows in God’s hands.

Two major tools for training your child are LOVE and CONTROL. These two are of equal importance. You cannot control a child you do not love, and you cannot effectively love a child you do not control. You need 100% of both in training your children.

God’s Word says: But Jesus called them to Him and said, let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God (Luke 18:16).  Also, Mark 10:16 says: And he took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them”. These are practical examples of how to demonstrate love to your children. It summarily involves you developing a mutual and trustworthy relationship with them.  Always demonstrate love to them in your actions and words, and when teaching, training or disciplining them.

Children are very sensitive; so, if your actions and words do not portray that you love them, they will doubt you even if you say so. Treat them respectfully and not as inferiors. Remember, they are very important members of the family government too! Never be too proud to say, “I’m sorry” to your child when you make a mistake.  Don’t tell them to do what you won’t do yourself. Allow them learn by examples; children learn faster this way. Remember, children need love, especially when they don’t deserve it.

Control on the other hand, means to have authority and power in order to direct, manage and rule. Love without control will lead to destruction (1 Samuel 2:22, 29). Children should be taught early in life, how to submit to higher authorities. Exercising control in training your child should be done with patience, using yourself as an example for the child to follow.

Having read this teaching, it is important for you to accept the author of every family government by confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. God wants the best for your family and He can turn your home around for the better, if you let Him. Accepting Him will open you up to His help. If you are ready for this, please say this prayer: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the living God. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

If you prayed this simple prayer, you are now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

Congratulations! You are now born again! All-round rest and peace are guaranteed you, in Jesus’ Name. Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through [email protected], [email protected]; OR 07026385437 and 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

Topic: Miracles and the Glory of God [Monday February 27, 2017]

Scripture: This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. – John 2:11

Thought For The Day: Shame cannot exist in the presence of glory.

It is confirmed from the Bible that miracles are the manifestations of God’s glory. Whenever God wants to show forth His glory, He manifests signs and wonders in the lives of men.

In other words, the scarcity of His glory is the reason for the shortage of miracles. Anywhere the glory is scarce, miracles are scarce. The cry for miracles will never be answered until the passion for the manifestation of God’s glory is on ground.
If we must escalate to a higher dimension and greater quality of miracles, then, we must connect to greater dimensions of His glory.

People who are interested in manifesting God’s Glory do not beg for miracles. Glory is the main product while miracles are the by-products. It is the density of God’s personality that sponsors miracle.

The miracle in Cana of Galilee took place because Jesus was invited to the wedding that took place there.  In that wedding, as they sat down with Jesus, they sat down with glory and shame cannot be found where glory is available; shame cannot exist in the presence of glory.

Remember this: Shame cannot exist in the presence of glory.

Assignments:

1. Pursue the Glory of God by engaging in intensive worship, prayer and Bible study.

2. Avoid the lifestyle of sin.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE MIRACLE AND THE GLORY.

Prayer: O LORD, cover my life with Your Presence. Let Your Glory be seen in my life, LORD, in Jesus’ Name.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 20:22 to 22:16, Mark 9:1 to 29, Psalm 43:1 to 5, Proverbs 10:18.

Amazing Fact: Windmills always turn counter-clockwise, except for the windmills in Ireland.

Quote: When a person carries the nature and image of the devil in the likeness of bitterness, satan can lay claim on the life of such an individual. Culled from AM I BITTER? by Dr (Mrs) Becky Enenche.

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: Two Destinies, One Way [Monday February 27, 2017]

Text: Matthew 7:13-20

Key Verse: “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14).

One of the difficulties travelers on first visit usually face is finding their way. The difficulty becomes complex if the traveler comes to a crossroads where he/she has to take a decision which way to go. At such a time, it becomes imperative to seek a guide. The same is true of every person who is a stranger in the journey of life. Two ways are before us all. One is straight and narrow which leads to eternal life; the other is broad with a wide gate. The first way leads to eternal life with God but the latter to hell with Satan.

The text gives an example of broadway travelers – the false prophets and their followers. These are easily identified by the evil fruit they bear. Their evil character and conduct are manifest to them, to onlookers and God. Jesus Christ is the true and only way to life. To find Him, you must humble yourself, turn from your sins and accept Him as Lord and Saviour. That is why the way is narrow but not impassable. When you come on this way, your life is transformed and you are able to bear fruit of righteousness. You cannot be born into this way nor come on it by good works. Entrance is only through repentance and faith in Christ.

The broadway is the way of the world. It is so wide that there is no restraint. All men are born into it. Broadway travelers are also known by the works of the flesh they manifest. The choice is yours today, and your choice will ultimately determine where you will spend eternity; either in hell or in heaven. Are you on the narrow or on the broadway? Are you living a righteous or sinful life? If you are still on the broadway, it is not difficult to come into the narrow way. Jesus has paid the price for your redemption. Come now, for all things are ready for you.

Thought for the day: The way of the cross leads home.

Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Samuel 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: Ring of Invisibility [Monday February 27, 2017]

Read: John 3:16–21, Bible in a Year: Numbers 17–19; Mark 6:30–56

Everyone who does evil hates the light. John 3:20

The Greek philosopher Plato (c. 427–c. 348 bc) found an imaginative way of shining light on the dark side of the human heart. He told the story of a shepherd who innocently discovered a golden ring that had been hidden deep in the earth. One day a great earthquake opened up an ancient mountainside tomb and revealed the ring to the shepherd. By accident he also discovered that the ring had the magical ability to enable the wearer to become invisible at will. Thinking about invisibility, Plato raised this question: If people didn’t have to worry about being caught and punished, would they resist doing wrong?

In John’s gospel we find Jesus taking this idea in a different direction. There, Jesus, known as the Good Shepherd, speaks of hearts that stay in the cover of darkness to hide what they are doing (John 3:19–20). He isn’t calling attention to our desire for cover-up to condemn us, but to offer us salvation through Him (v. 17). As the Shepherd of our hearts, He brings the worst of our human nature to light to show us how much God loves us (v. 16).

God in His mercy calls us out of our darkness and invites us to follow Him in the light.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the light of Your presence in my life. May I walk obediently in the light of Your truth in all that I do this day.

Sin’s darkness retreats when Christ’s light is revealed.

Insight:

Often we think of judgment and eternal life as primarily future realities, but John’s gospel emphasizes that each person experiences either judgment or eternal life now, based on how we respond to Jesus. People experience judgment, are “judged already” (v. 18), when they reject Jesus—through the pain and emptiness of life outside of the fellowship of God. This judgment is not because God is eager to judge. If He was, He would not have sent Jesus (v. 17). Jesus was a pure gift from the heart of a God who loves His creation (v. 16). Those who reject Jesus condemn themselves by rejecting the only solution to the evil and brokenness in the world (v. 18), choosing darkness when God has made His light freely available in Jesus (vv. 19–20). But when anyone turns to Jesus, they experience life—overwhelming, overflowing, abundant life (see 4:14, 10:10).

Questions to consider: Why do we sometimes struggle to believe that God is more eager to show us love than judgment? How can we be more rooted in Christ’s love?

This message was written By Mart DeHaan [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Better Things to Come [Monday February 27, 2017]

But [God’s grace] is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel – 2 Timothy 1:10

Have you ever wondered what it will be like when your body dies and you go on to heaven? Well, according to the Word, when that time comes, this flesh and blood tent you live in will die, but you won’t feel a thing. You’ll just take off the cloak of your flesh, lay it down and go to a better place.

Believers who have died and come back say that they have no sensation of loss—no sting. Their minds stay intact, and they even have arms and legs, but they are spirit and not flesh. One man said he couldn’t even tell he wasn’t in his body until he tried to grasp something. His hand would just go right through the material object. He was spirit and not flesh.

According to the Apostle Paul, to be absent from the body is to be present with God (2 Corinthians 5:1). So, when God calls you home, you’ll just abandon your fleshly body and go to be with Him forever.

It’s interesting though. God doesn’t even refer to our old, abandoned bodies as being dead. He says they’re just asleep. Why? Because He knows that just as sleep is temporary, so is the death of the body. He’s planned a day when our sleeping bodies will be awakened and raised up in glory just like Jesus’ was.

Hallelujah! There’s coming a day when not only our spirits have victory over death, our physical bodies do too!

Death is not the “end” for you. It’s only a change to a better place!

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:1-9

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: God Our Comforter [Monday February 27, 2017]

I, even I, am he that comforteth you . . . — Isaiah 51:12

There is also comfort in mourning, because in the midst of mourning God gives a song. His presence in our lives changes our mourning into song, and that song is a song of comfort. This kind of comfort is the kind which enabled a devout Englishman to look at a deep dark hole in the ground where his home stood before the bombing and say, “I always did want a basement. Now I can jolly well build another house, like I always wanted.”

This kind of comfort is the kind which enabled a young minister’s wife in a church near us to teach her Sunday school class of girls on the very day of her husband’s funeral. Her mourning was not the kind which had no hope-it was a mourning of faith in the goodness and wisdom of God; it believed that our heavenly Father makes no mistakes.

Prayer for the day: Oh heavenly Father, who knows what agony and grief are because of the sacrifice of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ-I thank You for the comfort which embraces all those who love You.

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: Vital secrets for a Successful Family (4)

Dear Reader,

I welcome you once again in Jesus’ name. Today I want to ask this question: Who truly are the real mothers? In this concluding segment of Family Life for this month, we will be looking at what God’s Word has to say about the mother in the home.

One reason God instituted the marital union of the man and woman was to bring forth godly seeds; and if we must have godly seeds, then we must have godly mothers. I always tell people that thieves have mothers, who did not do a good job of caring for their children at the right time. I read an inscription once that says, “It is better to train a child than to repair an adult!” Children are like fresh fish, you can bend them any way, but adults are like dry fish, any attempt to bend them will break them. A wise man once said that the greatest factory, where the most important product in the world is being made, is the home. That is where children are raised.

Who then is a real mother, and what must she offer? After God created the woman, He rested. He was so satisfied after the creation of the woman that He ended His work. He was so convinced that He had put a seal of perfection on all His creation, after she was made. Your presence as a woman, therefore, whether a mother, or mother to be, or mother-in-law, should bring rest to the people around you.

COMFORT is a major characteristic mothers must possess. Even God in His Word reveals this when He said: As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you (Isaiah 66:13). You can imagine the Almighty God comparing His comfort to that of a mother. That means a mother’s soothing touch and presence are meant to bring comfort, encouragement, relief, joy, rest, help and love to her family. In some homes, where there is no rest, the mother of the home is the chief perpetrator of that discord. Mother, you are meant to be a peacemaker. In 2 Samuel 20:19, the Bible talks about a mother-in-Israel who saved a city by her wisdom and brought peace to the land. You, too, can bring peace, rest and comfort to your home, place of work and community.

A real mother is a SOLUTION PROVIDER. She is a blessing and not a burden to her family. At the wedding of Cana in John 2: 5, Mary, the mother of Jesus, guided the servants, who lacked enough wine for the wedding, to the solution. She said: Whatsoever he (Christ) saith unto you, do it.  Someone said about Martin Luther (initiator of the reformation), “Behind the monk who shook the world was the influence of a mother.” What will be said of you?

A child’s first TEACHER is his mother. There is a special link between a mother and the child she carried in her womb, and breast fed at birth. This link gives the mother a unique position and tie with the child, which fathers don’t have, and can be used as a point of contact to pray for the proper development of your child. Susannah Wesley, mother of the well-known Methodist preacher John Wesley, spent one hour each day praying for her 17 children. She took each child aside for a full hour every week, to discuss spiritual matters. No investment made over your child’s life is wasted. Your children of today are the leaders of tomorrow. Abraham Lincoln, a one-time President of the United States of America said, “All that I am, I owe to my angel mother.” Wouldn’t you desire to hear that being said of you?

There is an adage that says, “CHARITY begins at home.” A real mother will do well to initiate it in her home, if it is lacking. Stretch out your heart spiritually and pray for others. Don’t let your prayers focus only on ‘me, myself and I.’ Stretch out your hands physically and give to others.

Always look for opportunities to be a blessing to others, because giving is living. Give to the needy and not just to your friends. Feed the hungry and your children will never be hungry. Whenever you give to the needy, you are doing it for God and He will surely repay you (Proverbs19:17). Your children will learn these virtues from you and in addition, you will be sowing seeds into the lives of your children. What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.

Until Christ becomes the Lord of your life, He cannot in anyway give you all the grace it takes to be a real mother. Therefore, if Jesus is not yet your Lord, why don’t you say this prayer with me with faith in your heart: Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today.  I am sinner.  I cannot help myself.  Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your blood.  Deliver me form sin and satan to serve the living God.  I believe You died for me and on the third day, You rose that I might be justified.  I accept You as my Lord and Saviour.  Make me a child of God today.  Thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! You are now born again! All-round rest and peace are guaranteed you, in Jesus’ Name. Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through [email protected], [email protected]; OR 07026385437 and 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

Today’s Scripture: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9, NKJV

Topic: Greater than You Imagined [Sunday February 26, 2017]

Because God loves you, He has supernatural blessings in store for you: increase, favor, good breaks, supernatural opportunities. His dream for your life is so much greater than you ever imagined. You haven’t seen anything yet!

God has dreams in store for us that are so much greater than our own! You may have a dream to get well again or to be able to walk without pain, but God’s dream for you is not only that you will walk, but that you be able to run and play like you did when you were a child. Your dream may be to just keep your marriage together, but God’s dream is that your marriage would be happier, healthier and more fulfilling than you ever thought possible! Your dream may be to just pay your bills and make it through each month, but God’s dream is that you have an abundance, that you be totally out of debt, pay your house off, pay your credit cards off, and have so much overflow that you can be a blessing to everyone around you! Get ready because God has greater blessings in store for you than you ever imagined! See it, believe it and walk in it!

A Prayer For Today: “Father, thank You for Your hand of blessing on my life. I open my heart and receive by faith all that You have for me. Fill me with Your peace and joy as I continue to trust in You in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Topic: No Condemnation [Sunday February 26, 2017]

Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. — Romans 8:1

I should have known better,” Cindy cried out to me. “All the signs were there that he wasn’t the man for me.” She had gone through two years of a painful marriage, of verbal and finally physical abuse. Then her husband left her for another woman. Now she felt doubly condemned—condemned for marrying him in the first place and condemned that she couldn’t hold the marriage together.

“If I had been a good Christian, I could have changed him,” she moaned.

I could have confronted her and said, “Yes, you did see the signs and you ignored them. You opened yourself up to this kind of treatment.” I didn’t say those words and wouldn’t. They would not have helped Cindy.

What she needed right then was for me to stretch out my hand and comfort her. She was so self-condemned that she finally asked, “Will God forgive me?”

At first, her words disturbed me. The Bible is clear that God forgives any sin. Cindy knew the Bible, so her question wasn’t due to a lack of knowledge; it was due to a lack of faith in a loving, caring God. She felt so dejected, and she didn’t know if God loved her enough to forgive her.

I assured Cindy of God’s forgiveness, but that wasn’t the real issue that troubled her. Satan had whispered in her mind for such a long time that she had failed God, that she had deliberately disobeyed, and that God was angry with her.

The devil tries to stop us every chance he gets. I often use the analogy of a baby learning to walk. We don’t expect that baby to stand the first day and walk across the room like an adult. Those little ones will fall often. Sometimes they cry, but they always get back up. That may be some inborn quality, but I suspect it’s because the parents are there saying, “You can do it. Come on, baby, get up and walk.”

The scene is much the same in the spiritual world. All of us fall, but when we’re encouraged, we get back up and try again. If we’re not encouraged, we tend to stay down, or at least wait a long, long time before trying to get up again.

Never underestimate Satan’s relentlessness. He will do whatever he can to trip you, and then make you feel so condemned that you won’t want to get up again. He knows that his control is finished once you choose right thoughts and reject wrong ones. He wants to hinder you from clear thinking. He will attempt to thwart you through discouragement and condemnation.

I want to tell you what Cindy did. She wrote Romans 8:1 on three 3×5 file cards and pasted one on her mirror, one on her computer, and one on her dashboard. Every time she looks at the verse, she repeats it aloud. Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.

The Message puts Romans 8:1-2 like this: With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

We are free in Jesus Christ, and we don’t have to listen to Satan’s condemnation. When we fail—and we will—that doesn’t mean we are failures. It means we failed one time in one thing. It means we didn’t do everything right. That doesn’t make us a failure.

“Just let Christ be strong in your weaknesses; let Him be your strength on your weak days.”

Lord Jesus Christ, in Your name I pray for victory. When I fail, please remind me not only that You forgive, but that You also wipe away the guilt and condemnation. Please accept my gratitude. Amen.