Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. — 1 Peter 5:8 (AMP)
I remember sitting in my home looking up the word gentle in Strong’s concordance and saying, “Lord, You’ve got to help me!” I thought I could never be gentle. Finally, the Lord began to do a work in me in the area of gentleness. The only problem was that, like so many other people in the body of Christ, I was such an extremist that I couldn’t “strike a happy medium.”
Once I saw that I was overbalanced in one area, I thought I had to go totally in the other direction. I “adjusted” and “adapted” far too much. I became so “gentle” and “kind” and “patient” that I wouldn’t exercise any discipline over my youngest son, who was born after my other children were grown. I also went overboard in my relationship with others. I let things get out of hand in my marriage, my home, and my ministry. I learned from my experiences that one extreme is just as bad as the other. What we must learn in all this is balance.
On one hand, we must not be harsh and hard. But on the other hand, we must not be weak and excessively soft. We must not be irritable and impatient, flying off the handle and acting out of emotion. On the other hand, we must not be so mild mannered that we become doormats and whipping posts for those who will take advantage of us if we give them a chance. There is a time to be patient and forbearing, and there is a time to be firm and decisive. There is a time to “not be angry,” and there is a time to display righteous indignation. It is wisdom to know when to do which.
Prayer Starter: Lord, help me to live a balanced life in every area. Please show me any areas where I have gone to an unhealthy extreme. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Last week, I explained to you the mystery of two becoming one. Today, I want to show you another mystery of ‘two people one life’. The mystery of ‘two people one life’ is that the bride shares the husband’s life. Two separate individuals are brought together and they live one life. They should not both be going their separate ways within marriage, but both should be submitting themselves one to the other in the fear of God, the husband loving the wife as his own flesh and the wife submitting to her husband. The Word of God says: Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:21). Just as Christ gave Himself to the Church, so also husband should be able to share his life with his wife. The Word of God says: …Christ, who is our life… (Colossians 3:4). The church and Christ are not two but one, for we are members of His body, flesh of His bones, sharers of His life.
When the bride marries a husband, she takes his name. He bestows his name on her and they share the same life and the same name. The same way a person when converted takes the name of Christ and becomes a member of the true church, being called a Christian. The Lord Jesus Christ bestows His own name on the church.
The bride also shares the husband’s dignity and position in life. It doesn’t matter who the bride was before the marriage; the moment she enters the marriage relationship, she becomes one with her husband. The church was as a woman forsaken, but now is the bride of Christ. The church shares His dignity. Our Lord said in John 17:22-23: And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou has loved me. It is an astonishing thing that God the Father loves us just as He loves His Son. The Word of God says: But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-7). He has bedecked the church with His glory and His dignity. In human marriage, the two shall be one flesh, having a shared life, name, glory and dignity.
See this testimony:
“My husband left me for another woman for seven years. In that process, I joined this Commission and became born again. I did not know what to do, since I had two children to cater for. However, I strengthened my relationship with God.
As Shiloh drew near, Bishop David Oyedepo told everyone to come to Shiloh with an expectation. I went with the expectation to find my husband and return to him. God answered my prayer on the last day of the programme. As I was about going out of the gate, he was as surprised as I was to see him there. He took me aside and told me all his problems. I asked if he had given his life to Christ, and he said, ‘Yes’. He confessed that he had married two women, who both divorced him when he lost his job. He had been praying that God would bring me back. To the glory of God, we are back together as husband and wife again. Indeed, Shiloh is a place of encounter!”
The bride’s whole life is in the husband. There is a unity and oneness in the relationship. Marriage is to be an illustration of the apostle’s teaching about love in 1 Corinthians 13. The greatest advertisement for the power of the gospel is the Christian home, and that which will commend the gospel to this decadent age is the Christian marriage, and that is why satan is attacking it with relentless force. We need to prayerfully sit down and take out the Word of God and put our marriages right.
To fulfil God’s purpose for your marriage, the first step is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour. If you want to be born again, you need to say this prayer: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.
Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are born again and 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). With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through [email protected], 07026385437 or 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).
Pastor Faith Oyedepo is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.
Attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes. – Proverbs 4:20-21
Once you’ve made the Word of God final authority in your life, your first step to victory over the attacks of the enemy is to go to the Word and lay hold of God’s promises concerning your situation.
Notice I said, “Go to the Word.” It’s good to have the Word committed to memory. But don’t let that substitute for getting the Word before your eyes on a daily basis.
Think about it this way. It never did a hungry person any good to think about what a potato tastes like. Not even if he could remember it perfectly. The same thing is true with the Word of God. It’s important to keep it in memory, but it’s also necessary to go directly to it and feed your spirit with it. There is power in keeping the Word in front of your eyes and going into your ears. That’s how it gets in your heart, so you can live by it.
So don’t just think about the Word today, read it. Go to the promises that cover your situation. Feed on those promises and grow strong!
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9
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.
Mark 4:16, ‘And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;’
Mark 4:13-20
The second type of person Jesus describes is one who does receive the Word, even with great joy, but his commitment to the Word is shallow. Just as a plant must establish a strong root system to sustain its growth, so we must become rooted and grounded in God’s Word. Too much attention on visible growth will cause us to become impatient and not take the time to become firmly established in the truths of God’s Word. This will always result in fruitlessness.
A seed planted in shallow earth will germinate and grow faster than a seed planted in deep soil. The seed in deep soil will put all of its energy towards the roots first while the seed in shallow soil has no choice but to put its effort into the growth of the plant above the ground. The plant in shallow soil will look like it is far ahead of the other seed for a while, but that will not last. It soon withers and dies, while the seed with roots grows and brings forth fruit.
Notice that afflictions, persecutions, and tribulations are instruments of the devil and are used to stop God’s Word from bearing fruit in our lives. They are not good things that God brings our way to improve us. They are instruments of Satan. These things are designed to take our attention off of God’s Word, thereby stopping the Word from taking root in us. It’s like the runner who spends all of his time in the grandstands arguing with the hecklers over the way he’s running the race. He may win an argument, but he will lose the race. We must not let anything distract us from meditating on God’s Word day and night, for only then will we make our way prosperous and have good success (Josh. 1:8). By consistently putting God’s Word in first place in every area of your life, you will let that Word become so rooted in you that nothing can get it out.
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).
For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ must still be dead. And if he is still dead, then all our preaching is useless and your trust in God is empty, worthless, hopeless. . . . The fact is that Christ did actually rise from the dead . . . —1 Corinthians 15:13,14,20 (TLB)
I was invited to have coffee one morning with Konrad Adenauer before he retired as the Chancellor of Germany. When I walked in, I expected to meet a tall, stiff, formal man who might even be embarrassed if I brought up the subject of religion. After the greeting, the Chancellor suddenly turned to me and said, “Mr. Graham, what is the most important thing in the world?” Before I could answer, he had answered his own question. He said, “The resurrection of Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ is alive, then there is hope for the world. If Jesus Christ is in the grave, then I don’t see the slightest glimmer of hope on the horizon.” Then he amazed me by saying that he believed that the resurrection of Christ was one of the best-attested facts of history. He said, “When I leave office, I intend to spend the rest of my life gathering scientific proof of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” It was the fact of the resurrection of Christ that called the disciples to go out as burning young revolutionaries to change the world of their day. They preached that Christ is alive. This should be our message every day of the year.
Prayer for the day: Father, let my message to others be that of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and of His ability to change the lives of those who believe in Him.
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.
“And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:48 KJV
Whatever you tolerate in your life has the capacity to grow and overwhelm you. If you tolerate mediocrity as a young person, that is what would characterize your life and vice-versa. If you must experience a paradigm shift and take all that is rightfully yours, then you must be ready to get out of your comfort zone and do the unusual. Life would not give you what you want but what you demand of it.
Let me illustrate my point. In 1 Samuel 17, God’s people were daily harassed and intimidated by Goliath. No person could dare challenge him in all the land. Everyone was limited, garaged and literally brought to their knees by one man. David came into the camp at the right time and heard the challenge. He, immediately, decided to put an end to the siege against God’s people. As far as David was concerned, Israel had lost so much ground, Goliath had been in charge for too long and it was time for power to shift.
From our text, you will notice that David ran towards Goliath rather than run away from him. What is that saying to you? Don’t get frightened! Run towards your challenges and obtain the victory. As the seed of the righteous, the scriptures declare that you would contend with the enemy at the gate. When the enemy brings the fight to your gate or place of influence, you have a responsibility to stand up to him. In this case, Goliath brought the battle to the gates of God’s people and it took a son, and a builder of the family name to remove the shame and reproach. That is what you are called to do. Your own ‘Goliath’ may be in your academics, low self-esteem or undue peer pressure. I encourage you to confront your own ‘Goliath’ today and see it bow before you.
Further Reading: 1 Samuel 17:20-58
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- 1 Samuel 4-6; Evening- Luke 9:1-17
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.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own (1 Corinthians 6:19).
In Exodus 25:8, God expressed His desire to dwell in the midst of His people. He said, “…let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” Notice He didn’t say, “…that I may visit them,” no; not a visit. He said, “…that I may dwell among them.”
Moses obeyed God’s instruction, and rallied the children of Israel to bring all the necessary offerings to build a beautiful sanctuary in accordance with the pattern and plan God gave him. However, that wasn’t good enough. God wanted a new sanctuary and showed David a vision of the new sanctuary; He gave him the design and specifications.
David was excited, and laid down much gold and silver for the building of the temple. Nevertheless, it was Solomon, his son, who was approved of God to build the temple, and he built God a magnificent temple. Again, God was still not satisfied. The Bible says, “Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet” (Acts 7:48).
Then Jesus came on the scene and said, “…I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The word translated, “Church” means “assembly or congregation of the called out ones.” It’s therefore not a physical building, but a living tabernacle of human beings, called and chosen of God.
Ephesians 2:21-22 NIV says, “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” We’re God’s habitation through the Spirit! His vision to dwell in the midst of His people has been realized in us.
2 Corinthians 6:16 says, “…for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Each one of us is a temple of the Holy Spirit. He lives and walks in us. God’s dream from the foundation of the world is now fulfilled in us. The mystery that was hidden from ages and generations has now been made manifest, and fulfilled. The mystery is, Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:26-27). Hallelujah!
PRAYER Precious Father, I worship and adore you; thank you for making me your dwelling place. I acknowledge your Spirit living in me, protecting, guiding, and leading me in your perfect will. Thank you for beautifying my life with the glory of your presence, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY: Leviticus 26:11-12; Acts 7:44-49; Colossians 1:26-27
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 12:22-48 & Judges 9
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Mark 1:1-13 & Leviticus 10
Rhapsody of Realities 10th April 2019 Devotional was written by Pastor Pastor Chris Oyakhilome (D.Sc., D.D.). President of Loveworld Inc. aka Christ Embassy Int’l.
Every living mortal soul owes God the unfinishable debt of praise. Paying the debt of praise is endless because even in eternity in Heaven, praise still continues.
SCRIPTURE: Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. Psalms 67:5-7
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Until you release to God the praise that is meant for Him, the earth does not release the portion that is meant for you.
Every living mortal soul owes God the unfinishable debt of praise. Paying the debt of praise is endless because even in eternity in Heaven, praise still continues.
From our anchor Scripture, it is very clear to note that until you release to God the praise that is meant for Him, the earth does not release the portion that is meant for you. Your response to God in praise determines the Earth’s response to you in supplies. No devil can hold your possessions if you do not withhold the praise that belongs to God.
Now, why must we thank and praise God?
For Divine Health: Praise God for the health that you have. Breathing air in and out without any form of assistance is a reason for thanksgiving (Psalm 150:6).
For the Knowledge of God: It is a blessing to know God and His Word; this knowledge changes your mentality and puts you ahead of your contemporaries (Jer. 9:23-24).
For Frustrating the Expectations of the Wicked: Praise God for the traps that were set for you but you escaped them by the grace of God (Psalm 18:1-3).
Beloved, until you are tirelessly grateful to God for where you are, you cannot be continuously fruitful in life. Where you are and what you have is a starting point for your praise to God.
REMEMBER THIS: Until you release to God the praise that is meant for Him, the earth does not release the portion that is meant for you.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Praise God tirelessly and consistently.
Let praise be your lifestyle; praise Him for where you are and where He is taking you to.
PRAYER: O Lord, I praise You for Who You are to me. Thank You for where I am now and for where You are taking me, Lord in Jesus’ Name
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE VIRTUES OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING.
QUOTE: It does not matter what the devil has taken from you, if he has not taken God from you, that evil is a bastard loser! Culled from 30 SECRETS TO THE TOP by Dr Paul Enenche
DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 34:1 to Joshua 2:24, Luke 13:22 to 14:6, Psalm 79:1 to 3, Proverbs 12:26
AMAZING FACT: The femur, which runs from the hip to the knee, is the longest, largest and strongest bone in the human body.
TODAY IN HISTORY: 10/04/1912 – 1849 – Walter Hunt patented the safety pin. He sold the rights for $100.
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.
Key Verse: “But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong” (Joshua 17:18).
MESSAGE:
It is common for many people to want to be great, but unfortunately, not all is ready to pay the price in a legitimate way. Many want to be rich, but they are not ready to put in corresponding effort. They want to eat but they are not ready to work. They want God’s protection and divine intervention but they are not ready to obey Him!
The text under consideration reveals how the children of Joseph (Manasseh) asked Joshua to increase their lot because the one given to them was no longer enough for them. The response of Joshua makes us to understand that the problem was not that the territory was too small, rather, it was because the half tribe of Manasseh still allowed the Canaanites to occupy a large portion of their lot. This is utter disobedience to the command of God. The fear of Manasseh was that the Canaanites possessed iron chariots which they felt they could not confront.
Joshua challenged them to be bold and that their lot would be enough for them if only they were ready to fight to drive away the heathen that wrongly occupied a portion of their land. Joshua was a brave and imperial leader who was ready to tell the people of Manasseh that the solution to their problem was within reach, if only they were willing to pay the price.
If you want your coast to be enlarged, then, you need to obey Christ who has commanded us to resist the devil and that he will flee from us. Then, you need to arise, resist the devil, possess your possession and get your coast enlarged through travailing in prayer.
Thought For The Day: Entrust your “little” to Christ to lift you up.
The Bible In One Year: Acts 5-6
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.
TOPIC: Our Ever-Present Help (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 10 April 2019)
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 15-16; Luke 10:25-42
FIRE SCRIPTURE: Psalms 46:1-7
MEMORY VERSE: “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. – Deuteronomy 31:6
The MESSAGE:
God is a dependable refuge for His people when everything around them seems to be falling apart. He is our strong tower against the foe, a defence for His people, but He does not protect us in order to pamper us. He shelters us so He can strengthen us to go back to life with its duties and dangers. He is an “ever-present help”, but He cannot work for us unless we trust Him (Matthew 13:58). He is the only One that can get us out of tight places when we are boxed to a corner and threatened on every side.
When the Assyrian officials threatened Jerusalem, Isaiah told the king, do not be afraid because of the works that you have heard. The earth may change, the mountains may be hurled violently into the sea, there may come earthquakes and tidal waves, but all things are in the control of our sovereign Lord. Circumstances may change, but God’s covenant with His people will never change. He is our high tower and our refuge in the uncertainties of life.
God’s people have always depended on the hidden spiritual resources that come from God alone. Whenever the enemy comes against us as a flood, the Spirit of God is readily available to lift up a standard against him. The challenges of life confront us differently but the faith and confidence we express in God determines how stable we would be. His promise in Isaiah 43:2 Is that when you pass through the waters, He will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you, when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.
The experience of Job clearly explains what the Bible means by the ‘enemy coming like a flood” against someone. Job’s credentials in terms of relationship with God, and his possessions in terms of blessings of God are what any child of God would desperately desire, but certainly, not his travails. Even satan recognised that Job was untouchable for as long as God’s protection upon him and his possessions was intact. The flood of attacks against Job was permitted by God to put Job’s loyalty to test and prove satan’s allegation wrong. When you imagine what Job suffered, you will begin to feel some emotional pains within yourself that would make you pray that such a fate should never befall you.
Job lost all his children and properties in one day but he did not lose his relationship with God. Despite the calamities, Job still fell to the ground and worshipped God. On another day, satan struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his feet to the crown of his head such that his state of health irritated his wife to the point of telling Job to curse God and die. His three friends initially identified with his travails but later turned against him, claiming that Job was being punished justly by God. Who would job now turn to for help now that his friends and wife no longer see any hope for his recovery? Only God was with him throughout this period of flood of affliction, keeping a close eye on him, and preventing satan from taking his soul.
God did not leave Job alone in his troubled hours. He turned away Job’s captivity and restored double for his losses. God was present with him during his troubles but did not prevent the trouble from coming upon him. As promised in Isaiah 43:2, Job passed through the waters but he did not sink, he passed through the rivers but the river did not carry him away, He walked through the fire but was not burned to death. The enemy was rejoicing over him during his moment of affliction but he laughed last over all his adversaries. His wife and friends that castigated him came around rejoicing with him when the Lord turned his sorrows to rivers of joy. So shall God do for you when you hook on to Him as the ever-present help in the time of trouble. Shalom!
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: THE DOWNFALL OF A MAN IS NOT THE END OF HIS LIFE.
PROPHETIC WORD: God will send you help as soon as you call for it.
PRAYER POINTS:
MORNING
O God, please strengthen me in the hours of my temptation, in the name of Jesus.
Flood of affliction, my life is not your candidate, go back to your senders, in the name of Jesus.
Rage of the waters against my family, be quenched by the power in the blood of Jesus, in the name of Jesus. EVENING
The joy of the enemy over my life, be converted to sorrow, in the name of Jesus.
I shake into fire, every garment of affliction, in the name of Jesus.
I shall bounce back by fire, whether my enemies like it or not, in the name of Jesus.
I recover sevenfold, whatsoever the devil has stolen from me, 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.
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