Topic: Faith, Love, and Hope [Our Daily Bread 12 Thursday April, 2018]

Read: 1 Thessalonians 1:1–3, Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 19–21; Luke 11:29–54

We always thank God for all of you. 1 Thessalonians 1:2

For ten years, my Aunt Kathy cared for her father (my grandfather) in her home. She cooked and cleaned for him when he was independent, and then took on the role of nurse when his health declined.

Her service is one modern example of the words of Paul who wrote to the Thessalonians that he thanked God for “your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

My aunt served in faith and love. Her daily, consistent care was the result of her belief that God called her to this important work. Her labor was borne out of love for God and her father.

She also endured in hope. My grandfather was a very kind man, but it was difficult to watch him decline. She gave up time with family and friends, and limited travel to care for him. She was able to endure because of the hope that God would strengthen her each day, along with the hope of heaven that awaited my grandfather.

Whether it is caring for a relative, helping a neighbor, or volunteering your time, be encouraged as you do the work God has called you to do. Your labor can be a powerful testimony of faith, hope, and love.

Prayer: Lord, may I this day have eyes to see others’ needs, direction from You on any ways I might help, and the Spirit’s power to obey. May I live out the faith, love, and hope You’ve given to me.

The glory of life is to love, not to be loved; to give, not to get; to serve, not to be served.

Insight:

The Thessalonian church was a “model” church known for her “faith in God” (1 Thessalonians 1:7–8). The church was commended for her “faithful work, [her] loving deeds, and . . . enduring hope” (v. 3 nlt). This trilogy of faith, love, and hope is a mark of spiritual growth and maturity. The work God has called us to do is characterized by our love for God and our neighbor (Luke 10:27). To love is hard work, for it is something we have to learn to do. And we “have been taught by God to love each other” (1 Thessalonians 4:9). Paul aptly calls it a “labor of love” (1:3 esv, emphasis added). Highlighting Christ’s second coming at the end of each chapter (1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23), Paul speaks of our “endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:3). Speaking of this trilogy of “faith, love, and hope” elsewhere, Paul says, “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 nlt).

Is your life characterized by faithful work, loving deeds, and enduring hope? K. T. Sim

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Our Daily Bread Devotionals HERE”

This message was written By Lisa Samra [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

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Topic: Weapon of Praise [Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Thursday April 12, 2018]

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. – Psalm 9:1-3

Never underestimate the importance of praise. It’s one of the most powerful spiritual weapons you have.

Praise is more than a pleasant song or a few uplifting words about God. It does something. It releases the very presence of God Himself. And, when the presence of God comes on the scene, your enemies are turned back. Sickness and disease can’t stay on your body. Poverty can’t stay in your house.

Even physical weariness has to flee when it’s faced with real joy-filled praise. I know that from experience. Years ago, when I first began conducting “Healing School,” I had a real battle with fatigue. I’d minister and lay my hands on the sick for so many hours at a time that by the time the meeting had ended, I was sometimes too physically weak even to close the service.

Then, in one particular meeting, I discovered the power of praise. I had just finished praying for those in the prayer line and, as usual, I was exhausted. But instead of rest, the Spirit of the Lord impressed on me that what I needed was to rejoice in the Lord. So, I did. I began to praise the Lord with my whole heart, mind and body. Do you know what happened? The tiredness left me. And I was energized with the presence of God!

The next time the devil tries to stifle your effectiveness, to drain you of the strength and wealth and victory that’s yours in Jesus, turn him back with that powerful weapon. Lift your hands and your voice and whole heart to God. Praise!

Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 20:1-22

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Kenneth and Gloria Copeland’s Daily Devotional Here’’

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.

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Topic: Dealing With Spirit Of Fear [Seeds of Destiny Thursday April 12, 2018]

Scripture: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

Thought For The Day: What you listen to determines what you fear or believe.

It has been established that fear invites disaster, arrests progress and paralyses actions. The fear of failure, for instance, makes people not to take actions; the fear of the future makes people die in the present and makes them move as shadows of themselves. This shall not be your portion in Jesus’ Name.
Having dealt with the dangers of fear, how then can you deal with the spirit of fear?

i) Curse the spirit of fear
Our anchor Scripture makes it clear that fear is a spirit(Romans 8:15, 2 Timothy). This spirit of fear creeps into people’s lives to paralyze their destinies. This is why people suffer panic attacks and their hearts beat uncontrollably. So, deal with fear decisively by cursing it.

ii) Starve your fear and feed your faith with faith-building passages and messages
What you listen to determines what you fear or believe. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17); this means, that fear goeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

iii) Declare the right things continuously
The spirit of faith is communicated by your declarations. Stand before your mirror and in the public and declare; let the devil know that you know who you are and that your destiny is not at his mercy (2 Corinthians 4:13).

Beloved, you must make up your mind that fear will not cripple your destiny; deal with the spirit of fear today.

Remember this: What you listen to determines what you fear or believe.

Assignments:
1. Curse every spirit of fear in your life.
2. Starve your fear and feed your faith by God’s Word.
3. Embark on positive declarations continuously.

Prayer: O Lord, I curse every spirit of fear in my life. I ask for the grace to feed my faith and starve my fear always through Your Word, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: DEADLY ENEMIES OF DESTINY (PART 1).

Daily Bible Reading: Joshua 5:1 to 7:15, Luke 15:1 to 32, Psalm 81:1 to 16, Proverbs 13:1

Amazing Fact: The hands and feet contain almost half of the total bones in the human body.

Today In History: 12/04/1955 – The University of Michigan Polio Vaccine Evaluation Centre announces that the polio vaccine of Dr. Jonas Salk was “safe, effective and potent.”

Quote: As long as your faith is alive; your change must come. Culled from 30 SECRETS TO THE TOP by Dr Paul Enenche.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Seeds of Destiny by Pastor Paul Enenche“

Today’s devotional was written by Pastor Paul Enenche of the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Pastor Paul and 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

Flatimes’ Notice Board: Please do not prolong your salvation if you have not repented. Many are going home daily and tomorrow maybe too late…There is still hope, JESUS LOVES YOU!

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Topic: Idleness Begets Poverty [DCLM Daily Manna Thursday April 12, 2018]

Text: Proverbs 6:6-11 (KJV)

Key Verse: “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man” (Proverbs 6:10,11).

MESSAGE:

Booker T. Washington said, “Success is to be measured not so much by the position one has reached in life as by the obstacles which one has overcome, while trying to succeed. By taking two steps forward and one step back, we still continually move closer to the goal… failure, disappointments and setbacks are part of life… people who accomplish great things believe they can do it.”

The combination of idleness and unwillingness to labour is tantamount to the harvest of emptiness and poverty. Wisdom coupled with hard-work operates in the ant, “which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.”

It is shocking to observe that despite the global economic distress, there are many who sit around idle, claiming they cannot find jobs or gotten enough capital for business. Some of these people include graduates from higher institutions who seek white collar jobs. They allow their brains to rot away and close their eyes to opportunities that abound around them. They keep today for laziness and tomorrow for other things. It is today that will yield the harvest of tomorrow. To have a better tomorrow, you must work today. You must bear the cross today so that you can wear the crown tomorrow. Dig today to discover the wealth for tomorrow. Many who made no plans for tomorrow have ended up miserable in old age.

Not taking risk is detrimental to success. Study your immediate environment and design an indispensable service such as dry cleaning, baby-sitting, gas cylinder re-filling, house and compound cleaning services, etc. Get started with the little that is in your hand and you will be the better for it.

Thought For The Day: Fertilize today to ‘fruitilize’ tomorrow.

Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Samuel 15-17

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Deeper Christian Life Ministry, DCLM Daily Manna HERE

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.

Flatimes’ Notice Board: Please do not prolong your salvation if you have not repented. Many are going home daily and tomorrow maybe too late…There is still hope, JESUS LOVES YOU!

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Topic: His Love Is Our Light [Andrew Wommack Thursday April 12, 2018]

Mark 4:21, “And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?”

Text: Mark 4:21-25

Just as a candle or lamp is not to be hid, but rather displayed so that everyone can benefit from its light, so a Christian must let his light so shine before men that they might see his good works and glorify his Father which is in heaven. God has ordained us to go and bring forth fruit (Jn. 15:16). The great commission of the Church is to reach the world.

The early Christians experienced the love of Christ in an intimate and life-transforming way. This motivated them to reach their known world with the Gospel of Christ more than any other generation of Christians has since. They didn’t have the benefits of our modern technology, but they did have the benefit of being full of the love of Christ. Experiencing the love of Christ causes us to be filled with the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19) and makes us a witness that the world cannot resist (Jn. 13:35).

Today, much of the emphasis of the Church is placed on techniques of evangelism or spiritual warfare. We motivate people to witness through feelings of guilt or punishment if they don’t. Much of our evangelism has become as dead and non-productive as the efforts of the cults whose people knock on doors and argue others into their way of thinking. The Church today needs a revival of our personal relationship with the Lord. When we can truly say with Paul that the love of Christ constrains us, then we will impact our world for the Lord, too. We can’t give away what we don’t possess. We need to personally know the love of Christ in an experiential way before we try to share it with others. Let Him love you, and let His love flow through you to others. The world is hungry for love, real love.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Andrew Wommack’s Daily Devotional HERE

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).

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Topic: Shine Your Light [Billy Graham’s Devotional Thursday April 12, 2018]

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. — Matthew 5:16

One faithful witness is worth a thousand mute professors of religion. Tom Allan, Scotland’s famous young preacher, was brought to Christ while a black soldier was singing, “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” He said it was neither the song nor the voice, but the spirit in which that soldier sang—something about his manner, something about his sincerity of expression—that convicted him of his wicked life and turned him to the Savior. Our faith grows by expression. If we want to keep our faith, we must share it—we must witness.

Prayer for the day: May others be drawn to You, Lord Jesus, as I tell them of Your love.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Billy Graham’s Daily Devotional HERE

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.

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