“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”Ephesians 5:1-2 NKJV
It is clear that God expects us as His children to walk in love just as Christ has loved us. Maybe you are wondering how Christ expressed His love to us. Well, He did so by giving. The Bible states clearly in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. The love of Christ gives. Therefore, as a believer, God expects that you live your life as a blessing to your world. Until your life becomes a blessing, you cannot fully maximize the purpose for which God put you here on earth.
May I ask you today: Who is your life impacting? Who are you being a blessing to? And don’t be so quick to think in monetary terms only, because there are several ways you can be a blessing. When last did you call a brother or sister to just check up on him or her? When last did you spend time in prayer for someone other than you or your family members? When last did you go into your closet and give out the clothes and shoes that are still good, but you haven’t worn in a while, to someone who doesn’t have as much? When last did you bless someone with a smile and some words of encouragement, to let them know that God loves them and is mindful of them?
This is how God expects us to live. He expects us to be a blessing to others wherever we find ourselves. That is how to walk in love. You should live in such a way that when you are not around, people would notice and miss you. This is the whole import of Matthew 5:16. The way you live will determine if people will glorify God over you or not.
Further Reading: Matthew 5:14-16; 1 John 3:11-24; 4:7-21
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- 1 Samuel 19-21; Evening- Luke 11:29-54
Written by Dr. Mike Okonkwo; Is the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM); a versatile man of God with over 30 years of dedicated service unto the Lord.
TOPIC: The Feast of Esther (II) (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 12 April 2019)
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 19-21; Luke 11:29-54
FIRE SCRIPTURE: Esther 7:6-10
MEMORY VERSE: “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” – Psalms 34:17
The MESSAGE:
Yesterday, we learnt about what occasioned the institution of the feast of Esther and concluded by admonishing all believers to borrow a leaf from Esther and make thankfulness as well as praisefulness their lifestyle. Let us examine further, today, how God dealt graciously with the Jews to deserve all their praises.
Again, in the lives of Mordecai, Esther and the Jews, God fulfilled the Scripture that says, “The righteous cometh out of trouble and wicked goeth into it instead. This is what we call the law of divine substitution. The pit of untimely death that Haman dug for the Jews, God made Haman himself to fall into it. Heaven rolled back to Haman, the evil stone he rolled against His children. God preserved the Jews and made Haman to die the death he plotted for the Jews. Finally, it was the gallow that Haman constructed for the purpose of killing or hanging Mordecai that became the instrument of Haman’s self-destruction. He hanged himself on the same gallow out of shame, defeat and frustration. I prophecy that the lot of your enemy shall be as that of Haman, in Jesus’ name.
In Romans 8:31, the Bible says, “What then shall we say of all these things? If God be for us who can be against us?” This account of God’s timely intervention and thwarting of Haman’s plan is a clear fulfilment of this Scripture. God was completely for and with the Jews. Haman was against them. He thought his promotion and closeness to the king would make him have his way. Though he had the backing of King Ahauserus, he still met his waterloo. He suffered terrible defeat and shame. Why? The Almighty God (the God of the Jews) was against him. Beloved, all you need to do is to be in the centre of God’s will. Once that is settled, it does not matter who comes against you (Goliath, Herod, Pharoah, Sennacherib, institutions, nations, physical or spiritual foes), God will defeat them for you and you will sing songs of victory.
In addition, let us note the faithfulness of God in honouring the fasting and prayer of the Jews. Esther brought God into their precarious circumstance. The Jews used the right key. They got God’s attention and help. Haman, their enemy, was confounded and put to shame. Beloved, for those who would trust God, He will bring the best out of the worst situation. No matter how precarious what you are passing through today may be, call on God for help. He will answer you, deliver and bless you as He did for the Jews in Shushan. He is alive forevermore!
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: ONLY THOSE WHO THINK CAN THANK.
PROPHETIC WORD: The Lord shall do to all your enemies as He did to Haman!
PRAYER POINTS:
MORNING
Let every decision taken against me by the wicked be rendered null and void, in the name of Jesus.
I fire back every arrow fired at me and my family, in the name of Jesus.
I break every spiritual mirror and monitor fashioned against me, in the name of Jesus. EVENING
I bind and render powerless all the strongmen troubling my life, in the name of Jesus.
I unseat every stronghold delegated against me, in the name of Jesus.
Let the strongman pursuing me drink his own blood, in the name of Jesus.
Every enemy of my next level, fall down and die, in the name of Jesus.
MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE is a daily devotional by Dr. D.K Olukoya (General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, Worldwide)
Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:
Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.
If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
Key Verse: “And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you” (Joshua 18:3).
MESSAGE:
The children of Israel, under the leadership of Joshua, were beginning to settle in the Promised Land. Five of the twelve tribes of Israel already had their allotments. These were Reuben, Gad and half tribe of Manasseh on the East of Jordan, while Judah, Ephraim and the other half tribe of Manasseh was settled on the West. It now remained seven smaller tribes to receive their possessions. This was why the camp, as well as the tabernacle, was shifted from Gilgal to Shiloh which seemed to be a more central location.
The text reveals how, after two years or more, Joshua blamed the rest of the tribes for slackness, fear and laziness. He therefore encouraged and stirred them up to move on into their inheritance. He sent off men to survey the remainder of the land and divided into seven portions by lot. He drew out lots to decide which area each tribe would possess.
As believers, the Spirit of God constantly stirs us up not to think we can rest until we possess our heavenly possession, the spiritual Canaan. Many believers who have completed their earthly race have gone to heaven to be with the Lord. The rest of us who are still remaining on earth are not to be slack, lazy or timid like the remaining seven tribes of Israel. We would strive until we get to heaven either by rapture or death.
No wonder Apostle Paul declared plainly that he would not count himself to have apprehended, but rather forgets those things which are behind and reaches forth to those things which are ahead (Philippians 3:13). Christians are to forget their past failures, disappointments and shortcomings and forge ahead.
Thought For The Day: Christians, seek not repose.
The Bible In One Year: Acts 9-10
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.
Flatimes’ Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:
Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.
If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
The anointing changes the climate around the life of the anointed. The climate of ordinary existence gives way for the climate of honourable existence. It is an anointmosphere!
SCRIPTURE: And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. Hebrews 5:4.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The anointing turns ordinary men into honourable men.
The anointing of God is a transmitter of honour and dignity. It is evident from Scriptures that the anointing of God that comes upon a person is usually accompanied with honour and dignity (Hebrews 5:4). There is an honour, dignity and decorum that accompany the anointing of God. The anointing turns ordinary men into honourable men. Anointed men carry something that makes cities to tremble. The Oil of God on a person makes him/her a generational dignity. An anointed man is respected beyond his certificate and even beyond his age.
Now, what is the implication of the impartation of this honour and dignity?
The anointing changes the climate around the life of the anointed. The climate of ordinary existence gives way for the climate of honourable existence. It is an anointmosphere!
The anointing positively influences and affects the perception and reception of people for the anointed.
The anointing enhances and upgrades the overall worth and value of the anointed. An anointed illiterate person can have more worth and value than a professor who lacks the anointing on his life. An anointed man cannot be rated based on his educational qualification, family background or social circumstances; he is rated based on the Oil that is upon his head.
Today, I prophesy to you that an unusual level of honour and dignity of the anointing is coming upon your life! Receive it, in Jesus’ Name.
REMEMBER THIS: The anointing turns ordinary men into honourable men.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Ask God to anoint you afresh today for a change of level.
Develop a sense of value for the anointed and the spiritual cover that God has placed over your life.
PRAYER: O Lord, lay Your Hands upon me today. I need the release of Your anointing upon my life and destiny, Lord in Jesus Name.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE BLESSING OF THE ANOINTING
QUOTE: Nothing compels the attention of the multitude like proofs. When the proof is not strong, the pull is not strong. Culled from MAKING FULL PROOF OF MINISTRY by Dr Paul Enenche
DAILY READING: Joshua 5:1 to 7:15, Luke 15:1 to 32, Psalm 81:1 to 16, Proverbs 13:1
AMAZING FACT: Young goats pick up accents from each other.
TODAY IN HISTORY: 12/04/1955 – The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.
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: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:
Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.
If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
Topic: When Fear Becomes A Snare (Open Heaven 12 April 2019)
Memorise: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”- Revelations 21:8
Read: Isaiah 51:9-13, Job 3:25 (KJV)
Isaiah 51:9-13: 9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?
11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
13 And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?
Job 3:25: 25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
Bible in One Year: Genesis 1-2, Jeremiah 16:1-13
Open Heaven 12 April 2019 Friday MESSAGE:
Fear expresses itself as an attitude of anxiety or distress caused by concern over threat to a person’s well-being. While speaking about fear the Lord said in Matthew 10:28
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
This verse of scripture contains some truth about fear which we should all recognize. One important lesson to learn here is that the emotion expressed as fear is not in itself evil; rather, it’s the direction this emotion is channelled to that can make it an evil thing. When Jacob was told that his brother, Esau, was coming to meet him with four hundred men, the Bible says he was greatly afraid and distressed, prompting him to make some critical decisions and to seek the face of God (Genesis 32:7). This is an example of fear being channelled in the right direction. From Matthew 10:28, we understand that God alone is to be feared, and moments of fear should be viewed as opportunities for developing a closer and deeper relationship with him. What exactly is a snare, and how does fear become snare? The word “snare” is used in the Bible to describe a trap. In relation to mankind, it is a situation in which someone lies in wait to lunch a surprise attack against a person, or a trick by which a person he’s misled into acting against his own interest.
In today’s Bible reading, the Holy Spirit speaks on how fear can become a snare. Fear becomes a snare when it comes in response to anything but God. Job was ensnared by the fear of losing all he had, and that was exactly what happened to him. Whatever you fear has a way of controlling you, and that is why the Holy Spirit says that God is displeased whenever we exhibit fear for mere mortals or creatures created by Him. God infers from such an attitude that we have forgotten His awesomeness and the greatness of His works. God wonders why His children, who acknowledge Him as the creator of Heaven and Earth, entertain the fear of mere mortals irrespective of their status or position! The fear of man is a snare that enslaves a person into living by the dictates of a fellow human, contrary to the will of God. No wonder. Proverbs 29:25 says:
“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”
Those who fear and honor God will never have to fear anything again. If you fear God you need not fear anything else, because God is supreme over all. Hallelujah!
Open Heaven 12 April 2019 Friday Prayer Point:
Father, help me to fear you alone for the rest of my life, in Jesus’ Name.
Open Heaven 12 April 2019 Friday Hymn 13: I Am A Victor
1 Yes, I know I am a victor
For the Bible tells me so
God made me more than a conqueror
Much stronger than all my foes
CHORUS
Jesus loves me and I love Him
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word
2 Yes, I know I am a victor
Stronger than demons I am
To Satan I am a terror
I am free, o yes, I am
3 Yes, I know I am a victor
Stronger than lack, poverty
All my needs Jesus provides for
I have life abundantly
4 Yes, I know I am a victor
Barrenness no more indeed
Fruitful is the God I live for
All my dreams shall be fulfilled
5 Yes, I know I am a victor
By His strength I shall succeed
No more loss and no more failure
Glory to glory proceed
6 Yes, I know I am a victor
No more sorrow, no despair
Jesus Christ is my own Succour
Tomorrow is joy and cheer
7 Yes, I know I am a victor
Very soon I’ll reign with Him
His promise is my sure anchor
He’s coming to take me home
8 Jesus loves me and I love Him
We rule this world together
As He is so right now I am
Hear me shout Halleluyah
9 Jesus loves me Halleluyah
Hear me shout Halleluyah
Halleluyah, Halleluyah
Glory be to God on high
Open Heaven 12 April 2019 Friday 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. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven 12 April 2019 Friday Daily Devotional.
Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:
Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.
If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
North Dakota Bans ‘Dismemberment’ Abortions that Tear Babies Apart, Limb by Limb
North Dakota’s governor signed a bill Wednesday outlawing a grisly abortion procedure in which an unborn baby is dismembered, limb by limb, until the uterus is empty.
The signature by Republican Gov. Doug Burgum made North Dakota the 11th state to ban a procedure medically known as dilation and evacuation, according to the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute. Most similar laws, though, have been blocked in court.
The new law, HB 1546, doesn’t use the medical term but instead describes it in graphic detail, calling it “human dismemberment abortion.”
Such an abortion, according to the bill’s text, involves “intentionally dismembering a living unborn child and extracting the unborn child one piece at a time” with the “purpose of causing the death of an unborn child, through use of clamps, grasping forceps, tongs, scissors, or similar instruments.” The instruments, the text says, are used to “slice, crush, or grasp the head, arm, leg, spinal cord, internal organ, or other portion of the unborn child’s body to cut or rip it off.”
Medora Nagle, executive director of North Dakota Right to Life, called passage of the bill a “pro-life victory,” according to The Bismarck Tribune.
Republicans control the legislature and championed the bill. Opponents complained the language was too explicit and that it was tantamount to a…
Pro-Life Women in 50-Foot Times Square Ad Declare: ‘I Don’t Trust Planned Parenthood’
More than 350,000 walk through New York City’s Times Square each day. This week, they’re getting a pro-life message from young women.
Students for Life of America began running a pro-life digital ad on a 50-foot-tall billboard Wednesday showing women who oppose Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider.
The ad features women holding signs reading, “I Don’t Trust Planned Parenthood,” “I Reject Abortion Extremism” and “I Am The Pro-Life Generation.”
Stand-alone text in the ad includes three rotating messages:
“Today, Planned Parenthood Will End The Lives of 910 Human Beings.”
“Only 7% of Millennials Support the Abortion Extremism in New York State.”
“The Pro-Life Generation Has Arrived to Vote out Abortion.”
Each message includes the tag: “Learn More at StudentsForLife.org. #ProLifeGen.”
The ad began running Wednesday at 6 a.m. Eastern and is scheduled to run through Saturday at 2 a.m. Eastern. Students for Life is accepting donations to pay for the ads, which are 15 seconds each. The ads are running as the organization holds its annual Gala in the city.
Nearly 380,000 people enter the heart of Times Square each day, according to Times Square’s official website. On the busiest days, that count can be as high as 450,000.
Corriere della Sera quoted from an 18-page document titled The Church and the sex abuse scandal, which was published by the German monthly Klerusblatt.
Benedict wrote that during the 1980s and 1990s, “the right to a defence was so broad as to make a conviction nearly impossible”.
He took a hard line against clerical sex abuse as the Vatican’s conservative doctrine chief, and later as pope, defrocking hundreds of priests accused of raping and molesting children.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI joined Pope Francis at the Mass
Pope Francis made the promise during a Christmas address to Vatican officials in December 2018.
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Colleges Continue to Crackdown on Conservative Views
Mount Holyoke College placed their newly hired police chief, Daniel Hect, on administrative leave Wednesday after students complained about him liking conservative posts on Twitter.
According to Daily Wire, Hect announced that he was appointed as the Police Chief of Mount Holoke College and Smith College on February 6. Now, just two months later, Hect has been placed on administrative leave.
Daily Wire reports that after Hect was announced as the new Police Chief, students began to dig into his Twitter account. Some of the students seemingly found several tweets that Hect liked to be inappropriate. These tweets include one from the NRA wishing its followers “Merry Christmas” another from the NRA stating, “If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns,” and several other tweets from President Trump regarding the current border crisis.
According to Daily Wire, a student pegged these tweets as hateful saying it is “unacceptable for someone in charge of keeping any community safe, let alone a campus as diverse as MHC’s, to be publicly displaying his support for hateful regimes and organizations, as well as for individuals who demonize migrants from Mexico or other latin american (sic) nations.”
Then in March, Hect and the college’s administration held several events where students would be allowed to talk with Hect.
Joni Eareckson Tada shared a picture on the Joni and Friends website of herself smiling with her hands raised at the entrance of a hospital.
She wrote on the post: “I just signed my discharge papers and I am…Free!
“Praising God for healing of my lungs. Fresh air never felt so good!
“God bless you for praying me to this marvellous release after 14 days in the hospital! Onward and upward.”
Tada shares her health journey regularly on her website.
On 27th March, Tada’s ministry reported that she had been hospitalised weeks after the completion of a series of radiation treatments for a recurrence of cancer.
An update on her personal website later explained that “over the many years, my chronic quadriplegia has put a strain on my heart and lungs”.
She added that doctors were hopeful that “with medication and with a more efficient way of breathing, my condition can be reversed”.
While Tada was first diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer eight years ago, after getting a mastectomy and chemotherapy treatment, she was declared cancer-free in 2015.
But last November, doctors discovered a small cancerous tumour over the site of her mastectomy.
Since Joni and Friends was founded in 1979, Tada has also served as a senior associate for disability concerns for the Lausanne Committee for…
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