Our Daily Bread 31 December 2018 Devotional – The Messenger

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Topic: The Messenger [Our Daily Bread 31 December 2018 Devotional]

Read: Malachi 3:1–5, Bible in a Year: Malachi 1–4; Revelation 22

I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Malachi 3:1

“I have a message for you!” A woman working at the conference I was attending handed me a piece of paper, and I wondered if I should be nervous or excited. But when I read, “You have a nephew!” I knew I could rejoice.

Messages can bring good news, bad news, or words that challenge. In the Old Testament, God used His prophets to communicate messages of hope or judgment. But when we look closely, we see that even His words of judgment were intended to lead to repentance, healing, and restoration.

Both types of messages appear in Malachi 3 when the Lord promised to send a messenger who would prepare the way for Him. John the Baptist announced the coming of the true Messenger, Jesus (see Matthew 3:11)—“the messenger of the covenant” (Malachi 3:1) who will fulfill God’s promises. But He will act “like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap” (v. 2), for He will purify those who believe in His word. The Lord sent His word to cleanse His people because of His loving concern for their well-being.

God’s message is one of love, hope, and freedom. He sent His Son to be a messenger who speaks our language—sometimes with messages of correction, but always those of hope. We can trust His message.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, help me not only to understand Your message but to live it.

Ask the Lord to help you share His good news with others in the new year.

INSIGHT
Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, was written by a man whose name means “my messenger.” Malachi, believed to be a contemporary of Ezra and Nehemiah, ministered to the Jews who had returned from the Babylonian exile. Although the temple had been rebuilt (Ezra 6:14–15), the temple service and sacrifices were defiled for several reasons: lack of reverence for God, offering of blemished sacrifices (Malachi 1:6–9, 12–14), and willful neglect of the tithe (3:8–9). Worse, the priests were defiled by mixed marriages and marital unfaithfulness (2:1–16). Because the priesthood—which served as “the messenger of the Lord”—failed in their priestly function (2:7–9), Malachi speaks of a future “messenger” who would prepare the way for “the messenger of the covenant” (3:1). Four hundred years later, Jesus identified John the Baptist as that messenger (Matthew 11:9–10; 17:12–13).
K. T. Sim

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

This message was written By Amy Boucher Pye [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

The post Our Daily Bread 31 December 2018 Devotional – The Messenger appeared first on Flatimes.

Families heading to Christian conferences urged to invite an older person

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Families heading to Christian conferences urged to invite an older person

The Faith in Later Life initiative, which helps churches engage with older people, made the plea as it welcomed a call by the Government’s new “minister for loneliness” that more families take grandparents on holiday with them.

Director, Carl Knightly told Premier: “There are a million older people who are always or often lonely.

 

“We’ve all heard about the statistics; approximately 15 cigarettes a day [equates] to the health impact of being lonely.

“But, more than this, certainly I feel, there is so much more to gain from holidaying with grandparents than just tackling loneliness.”

Mr Knightly spoke after Mims Davies said Britons could learn from how older generations in Mediterranean countries are more involved in family life.

Wikimedia Commons

 

She added: “We are in a weird place when we are very willing to drag our children around into our lives and enjoy our lives with them together – but being that sort of extended family is seen as being a bit more difficult.”

Mims Davies said there was a “moral duty” for people to stop the elderly feeling neglected. She also encouraged employers to give staff more time off to look after parents.

Carl Knightly added: “It might be that somebody in a church doesn’t have a grandparent and they could invite an older member of their church on a holiday to Spring Harvest or New Wine.

CC

 

“It doesn’t even…

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Typical C of E church ‘held just one wedding last year’

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Typical C of E church ‘held just one wedding last year’

Statistics seen by the Daily Mail show the typical Anglican church also held four baptisms and five funerals.

Harry Benson, a Christian from the Marriage Foundation think-tank told the newspaper: “The Church needs to sell marriage rather than weddings.

 

“We are all obsessed with celebrity weddings but, in the long term, more couples will marry in church if the Church of England talks about the benefits of a formal commitment.”

Approximately 38,000 Church of England weddings were held in 2017, a significant decrease compared to the more than 50,000 ceremonies staged in 2007.

Earlier this year, a survey found the number of people who describe themselves as belonging to the Church of England had reached a record low.

 

Throughout recent decades, the proportion of couples choosing to tie the knot in a church has fallen, as rules surrounding civil marriages have become increasingly relaxed.

Venues now approved by local authorities for non-religious ceremonies include stately homes, football clubs and hotels.

During the mid-1980s, Anglican churches in England and Wales hosted more than 120,000 weddings annually.

Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

 

Last year, the largest five per cent of C of E churches hosted ten weddings, 28 baptisms and 32 funerals, the figures show.

Changes to Church of England rules have made it…

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Pope request among most outlandish calls to consular staff

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Pope request among most outlandish calls to consular staff

It has emerged the British embassy in Rome received a phone call earlier this year from one individual who wanted to visit the Vatican.

The unnamed caller also sought help to arrange their wedding and recommendations for a florist.

 

A light-hearted list of unusual correspondence received by UK personnel during 2018 was accompanied by the warning their main priority is responding to emergencies.

The Foreign Office said: “”In all seriousness, getting into trouble abroad can be daunting and upsetting.

“If you find yourself in an emergency in another country, contact the nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate and our consular staff will do everything they can to help.”

Wikimedia Commons

 

More than 330,000 calls were made by Britons who needed help while abroad during the first eleven months of the year.

They included 4,900 people who were arrested and more than 3,400 individuals admitted to hospital.

Among the more bizarre appeals for help was a man asking if Poland was home to vampires because he was due to go on a date with a woman who asked for his blood type.

John Stillwell/PA Wire

 

In the United States, a caller asked which contestant had exited Strictly Come Dancing the night before.

The Foreign Office spokesman added: “I can regretfully confirm that the Foreign Office isn’t able to offer advice on…

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Pray for Hungry Valley Christian Fellowship

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Location: Hungry Valley, Nevada

Pastor: Augustin Jorquez

Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Pacific

Fast Facts: Hungry Valley Christian Fellowship is a Native American Missions church which serves three different tribes in the village: Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe Tribes. The church is 12 years old and facilitates a senior program, kids outreach, and prison ministry. Please pray for their upcoming New Year’s Day outreach and spring outreaches. Also, please be in prayer for their All Tribes Prison Ministry, and that they may provide Christian resources to the Native Americans to which they minister.

“Pray for . . .” is the Sunday blog series at ThomRainer.com. We encourage you to pray for these churches noted every Sunday. Please feel free to comment that you are praying as well.

If you would like to have your church featured in the “Pray for…” series, fill out this information form..

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Bishop of Dover urges kindness amid English Channel migrant concerns

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Bishop of Dover urges kindness amid English Channel migrant concerns

Speaking as the home secretary declared a “major incident” in waters off the south coast of England at the weekend, Rt Rev Trevor Willmott called for a compassionate response.

He was quoted by The Guardian newspaper as saying: “It is crucial that we all remember that we are dealing with human beings here.

 

“Across the nation, we have been celebrating the season of hope and goodwill as we remember Christ’s birth – let’s not forget so soon that every person is precious.”

Bishop Trevor’s comments echo previous messages from the Church of England, which has urged “fair” treatment for everyone affected by global migration – something it describes as “one of the biggest issues of our time”.

Diocese of Canterbury

 

Sajid Javid returned early from his Christmas break to respond to a recent rise in the number of people risking their lives by attempting to reach Britain on small boats.

Writing in the Sunday Mirror, the shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said the Conservatives “cannot seem to get a grip” on the operations by illegal people smugglers.

PA

 

More than 40 people tried to cross the English Channel and enter the UK on Christmas Day.

Mr Javid (pictured above) pledged to do more to tackle the issue.

A Border Force RIB vessel was pictured on patrol in Dover Harbour on Saturday.

Stay up to date with the…

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Rev Franklin Graham says Facebook ‘trying to define truth’ by freezing his account

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Rev Franklin Graham says Facebook ‘trying to define truth’ by freezing his account

The US evangelist claimed he was barred from posting material for 24 hours earlier this month over his comments about a controversial proposed law in North Carolina – known as ‘the bathroom bill’.

Rev Graham, 66, said: “Well, now we know. Facebook has a secret rulebook for policing speech.

 

“I was banned from posting on Facebook last week for 24 hours. Why? Because of a post from back in 2016 about North Carolina’s House Bill 2 (HB2).”

Rev Graham had expressed support for the bill, which aimed to stop people in state government buildings using multiple occupancy toilets which do not correspond to the gender on their birth certificate.

 

In a message published on 9th April 2016, he urged state politicians to “put the safety of our women and children first”.

He continued: “HB2 protects the safety and privacy of women and children and preserves the human rights of millions of faith-based citizens of this state.”

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Joyce Meyer Devotional 30 December 2018 — Rest for the Weary

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Topic: Rest for the Weary [Joyce Meyer Devotional 30 December 2018]

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. — Matthew 4:1-2

The first key to overcoming stress is to recognize or admit we are experiencing it, and look for the source of it.

There was a time in my life when I was constantly having headaches, backaches, stomach aches, neck aches, and all the other symptoms of stress, but I found it very difficult to admit I was pushing too hard physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

I wanted to do all of the things I was doing and wasn’t willing to ask God what He wanted me to do. I was afraid that He would lead me to give up something I wasn’t ready to give up yet.

Although the Lord gives power to the faint and weary, if you are worn-out from continually exceeding your physical limitations, you will have stress.

Our bodies are the sanctuary (home) of God, and we are in disobedience when we push ourselves past God-ordained limitations and live in continual stress. We all have limits and we need to recognize what they are and eliminate excess stress from our lives.

If you wear out your body, you can’t go to a department store and purchase another one, so take care of the one you have!

Prayer Starter: Father, I lift my schedule and activities up to You. Show me areas where I need to change. Help me to do my part to eliminate stress and take care of my body, the temple of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for Your grace to change! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional HERE’’

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries.

The post Joyce Meyer Devotional 30 December 2018 — Rest for the Weary appeared first on Flatimes.

Engaging the Power of Praise for Fearful Blessings! By David Oyedepo

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Engaging the Power of Praise for Fearful Blessings! By David Oyedepo

Engaging the Power of Praise for Fearful Blessings! By David Oyedepo

Topic: Engaging the Power of Praise for Fearful Blessings!

Welcome to the concluding part of this teaching! I hope you were blessed by last week teaching. Today, we shall focus on: Engaging the Power of Praise for Fearful Blessings!

We discover from scriptures that praise is a spiritual platform for fearful blessings. As it is written: 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 (Psalm 67:5-7). Praise is a proven, viable and dependable spiritual platform for encounter with fearful blessings. The reason for that is very simple; every time we praise God, we are blessing Him. The Psalmist says: I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34:1; see also Psalm 103:1). That means, praise is a spiritual way man blesses God. Also note that, whatever good thing any man does, the same he shall receive from the Lord (Ephesians 6:8). That means, by blessing God, we are provoking His blessings on our lives (Psalm 67:5-7). So, we are not entertaining God, we are blessing God; and as we bless Him in praise, we commit His integrity to bless us in return. So, let us go beyond seeing our praises as one of those things we do; let us see our praises as blessing God. That will entitle us to the harvest of His blessings. So, if we want to be blessed, keep blessing God because, nothing enhances destiny like blessings.

What are the Virtues in Divine Blessings?

It Empowers us to live a Struggle-free Life: The blessing of God is the gateway to a struggle-free life (Proverbs 10:22). We also know from scriptures that “sweat” is a curse (Genesis 3:17-19). Christ has redeemed us from every curse of the law, which includes the curse of a life of struggle (Galatians 3:13). Don’t ever think that everybody is struggling; that is a lie of the devil!

Divine Blessing makes us Indestructible: One of the virtues in blessings is our indestructibility. “…Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it…” (Isaiah 65:8). We are indestructible with implanted blessings.

Divine Blessing empowers us to Prevail: We prevail by divine blessings, where others travail. “I won’t let you go until you bless me,” was what Jacob said; and then, God showed up. “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” Then God said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel” (Genesis 32:24-28). Blessings change people’s status. From Jacob to Israel; from a person to a nation! So, his travail ended by an encounter with blessings.

Also Read: Unveiling Success Keys! By David Oyedepo

Three Major Channels of Blessings in Scriptures

  • From God Directly: In Genesis 22:16-18, God swore a blessing on Abraham. So, we can encounter the raw blessings of God directly from Him. However, such blessings always respond to our obedience to His instructions. God’s blessings will always trail our obedience; disobedience is a disqualifier for His blessings. God blessed Jabez directly, and granted him that which he requested (1 Chronicles 4:9-10). Also, God blessed Jacob directly and changed him from a person to a nation (Genesis 32:26-28). God’s Word says: A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time (Isaiah 60:22). That means, God did not stop turning men to nations with Jacob; He still does that. He said, “I am the Lord; I change not” (Malachi 3:6). “What I did yesterday, I am doing today and will keep doing it tomorrow” (Hebrew 13:8).
  • Prophetic and Priestly Blessings: God gave Balaam commandment to bless, and because he proclaimed the blessings, God sealed it (Numbers 23:20). When prophets stand in the name of the Lord and implant a blessing, they commit God’s integrity to confirm it (Isaiah 44:26). It’s not enough to have the blessings of the Lord; we should also reach out for priestly and prophetic blessings, because in most cases, the blessings of the Lord are channeled through His prophets.
  • Parental Channel of Blessings: The blessings of our parents are part of the making of our lives (Ephesians 6:2-3). It was the blessing of Jacob that prevailed in the life of Joseph (Genesis 49:26). It was the blessing of Isaac that caused Jacob to prevail, in spite of all his challenges in life (Genesis 27:22-29). So, there are automatic blessings that accrue to us through the parental channel. We must get to a point where we have such blessings proclaimed on us, so we can begin to manifest them.

Blessings Accrued to us by the Mystery of Praise

  • Divine Favour: Divine presence is a carrier of divine favour and God inhabits the praise of His people (Psalm 22:3). So, when we are in praise, we enjoy divine presence, which naturally engenders divine favour.
  • Deliverance from all forms of Bondages and Captivities: There was a king by name Saul and evil spirits came to torment him. But, every time David played on the harp, the evil spirit left him (1 Samuel 16:14-23). What does that mean? That means high praises guarantee automatic deliverance.
  • Supernatural Harvest: He that reapeth receiveth wages as he gathers fruit unto life eternal (John 4:36). When we sow to the spirit, we reap life eternal.
  • Supernatural Breakthroughs: When God came in the midst of Israelites, the sea saw them and fled (Psalm 114:1-9).

In conclusion, when praise becomes our lifestyle, blessings will become our natural experiences; we won’t struggle for them. That is why men that are addicted to praise don’t run out of blessings. However, without being born again, you cannot praise God acceptably. Are you born again? If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so. Simply say the following prayer:

Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!” For further reading, please get my books: Understanding the Power of Praise and Wonders of Praise.

I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280; or E-mail: [email protected]; Face book: www.facebook.com/davidoyedepoministries/; Twitter: @DavidOyedepoMin

Please click HERE to read other inspiring MESSAGES by Bishop David Oyedepo

David O. Oyedepo is a Nigerian Christian author, architect, preacher, and the founder and presiding bishop of the mega church, Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners’ Chapel

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Thanksgiving & Praise Secure God’s Presence in Your Home (Part 3) By Pastor Faith Oyedepo

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Thanksgiving & Praise Secure God’s Presence in Your Home (Part 3) By Pastor Faith Oyedepo

Thanksgiving & Praise Secure God’s Presence in Your Home (Part 3) By Pastor Faith Oyedepo

Topic: Thanksgiving & Praise Secure God’s Presence in Your Home (Part 3)

Dear Reader,

You are welcome to another interesting segment in the study of God’s Word. It is my earnest prayer that you will begin to experience the wonders of praise in your family in Jesus name! Today, I shall be looking at thanksgiving and praise as a way to secure God’s protection in your home. The Bible says: When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils (Luke 11:21-22). Remember I said where you find praise is where you find God, and thanksgiving is the root of every worthwhile praise. When you are in praise, you are supernaturally protected from every form of evil because you carry God’s presence. A family who embraces praise as a lifestyle is dwelling in the secret place of the Most High where no devil can get to.

After David’s victory over Goliath, Saul became envious of him, one day while David was playing music to relieve Saul of the evil spirit that was tormenting him, he tried to pin David to the wall with the javelin but David escaped from his presence twice (1 Samuel 18:9-12). As long as David was in praise, he was protected. We see clearly from scriptures that David was a man given to praise. The Bible says: Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments (Psalm 119:164). You cannot be in praise and not enjoy God’s protection. The enemy is not your problem when you are in praise. The Bible says our God is our rock, fortress, deliverer, our shield and stronghold (Psalm 18:2). God’s presence invoked in praise becomes your weapon of defense.

Carefully read this testimony:

I was here on Wednesday for the Miracle Praise Service. When the Bishop said we should praise with our might, that we must praise God ‘in the dance’ I praised and knew that was the only praise I had really given God since I was born.

On Tuesday night (the day before), thieves had visited our compound. They went to another flat and stole something there. When I got home, the other tenants said there was a need to raise the fence in front of my flat. I said to them ‘well you can do that, but all I know is that the Bishop of the Church I attend has already said no tragedy is going to befall any Church member. So, God is my security’.

Also Read: Sustaining a Godly Home By Pastor Faith Oyedepo

The thieves returned that Wednesday night, but the most amazing thing about it was that they only went to other five flats! The only one that came to my flat, unknown to us, was cut in the leg. It was when we woke up in the morning that we saw blood in front of my flat.

When I returned from work in the evening, my wife told me that they caught the four thieves and that the thigh of one of them was cut; as if a knife was used to cut the flesh. The thief had bandaged it and when he was asked, ‘where did you get this wound?’ he said, ‘I went to that flat where they pasted “I am a Winner’ sticker that was where his thigh got ripped!-Ajomale, A.

Truly, praise is a protective device available to every believer. Unfortunately, many think it’s too simple to be real, because man naturally doesn’t place much value on anything that doesn’t cost him a price that is why so many miss out on the wonderful virtues in praise. They would rather do something more rigorous to get across to God. I employ you to make thanksgiving and praise a culture in your family, so you can continue to enjoy His supernatural protection. As you praise Him, the God who never sleeps nor slumber will ensure that your spouse, children, and every of your possessions comes under His divine security!

To offer acceptable praise to God, you must be born again. If you are not yet born again and you desire to do so right now, please pray this prayer with faith in your heart:

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 now born again and 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).

“Please click HERE to read other inspiring articles by Pastor Faith Oyedepo”

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.

The post Thanksgiving & Praise Secure God’s Presence in Your Home (Part 3) By Pastor Faith Oyedepo appeared first on Flatimes.

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