Family Happiness Begins with You (Part 2) by Pastor Faith Oyedepo

Topic: Family Happiness Begins with You (Part 2)

Dear Reader,

A successful marriage requires commitment to one’s spouse. Without this, no amount of prayer, fasting, and “sleeping” in church can take the place of commitment in marriage. Marriage is not a temporary arrangement, but a commitment for life. If this is true, you may wonder why the divorce rate is so high, even among Christians. The reason is that many couples are not committed to each other.

Commitment is the framework on which a marriage is built. A man and his wife must, therefore, be totally committed to each other spiritually, physically, emotionally and otherwise. Commitment in turn brings security.

A successful marriage must be exclusive, involving one man and one woman, in one life-time relationship. Each spouse must be committed to “forsake all others”.

Commitment compels love

A husband’s primary responsibility is that of loving his wife, and commitment compels love. That is, where there is commitment to one’s spouse, love becomes automatic. Commitment becomes like a driving force, pushing the husband to love his wife. The Word of God says: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it (Ephesians 5:25).

If any man finds it difficult to love his wife, the problem could be lack of commitment to his marriage. When there is commitment, there will be no need to persuade a man to love his wife; it will come naturally.

Also Read: Dwelling In Understanding (Part 4) By Pastor Faith Oyedepo

My husband, for instance, is highly committed to God and to the success of our home. Therefore, it is easy for him to ravish me with so much love, even without my asking for it. That is commitment! Husbands, you need to hear this. There is no wife who hates to be loved. There is no woman that will not respond positively to love. Someone once said that submission is a response, because when you love your wife, she responds by unquestionable submission. Therefore, tension and quarrelling in a home are an indication of the absence of love.

Commitment compels submission

Just as commitment provokes love, it also triggers submission. Any woman who is truly committed to the success of her marriage will be submissive to her husband. When a woman is stubborn and naughty, it is a sign of lack of commitment to her home.

Submission is simply defined as the willingness of putting yourself under someone else’s authority. Contrary to some people’s thinking, submission has nothing to do with slavery. Rather, it is an act of the will. The Word of God says: Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body (Ephesians 5:22-23). A committed woman needs no advice or encouragement to submit to her husband. Her commitment is a driving force. I am not talking about submission under duress, but from a willing heart.

Many people wish and express their desire that their home be like ours; but as the saying goes, “If wishes were horses, beggars will ride.” Nothing good happens by chance. Commitment must be in place; else family success will be a mere dream.

Thank God for His grace, but we have been committed to playing our parts too. That is why today I can boldly declare that I am enjoying a good home! As you play your part also, God will give you a brighter testimony than ours!

Wherever there is commitment in a marriage, there will be love and submission: both parties working together for the success of their home.

Your commitment to God is the gateway to your commitment to your spouse. Therefore, if you want to be committed to your spouse, you must first be committed to God. This entails surrendering your life to Christ by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. That is how to be born again. If want to be born again, say this prayer and be committed to it: 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.

David Abioye Devotional 19 October 2018 – Keep Touching Lives

Topic: Keep Touching Lives 

Never care for accolades.

Never seek for rewards.

Never be bothered about who appreciate or do not appreciate you or your works.

Just keep reaching out and touching lives. Your reward is sure to come.

The lives you touch are the ones that will keep spreading the values of your life and ministry.

Topic — Willpower: The Fair-Weather Friend [Joyce Meyer Devotional 19 October 2018]

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. — Zechariah 9:12

Willpower sure sounds like a great thing. We are led to believe that we have enough of it to fight off every temptation that comes our way. And sometimes it works. But let me tell you a little secret about willpower. Willpower is your best friend when things go well, but it’s the first friend to check out when you get weary.

I have found that if I really don’t want to do something, my mind gives me plenty of reasons why I don’t have to. My emotions even join in, saying, “I agree because I don’t feel like doing it anyway.”

Our souls (mind, will, emotions) would love to run our lives, but the Bible says we are to be led by God’s Spirit. We are never instructed to be willpower-led, we are told to be Spirit-led.

Willpower and discipline are important and vitally necessary to a successful life, but willpower alone won’t be enough. Determination gets you started and keeps you going for a while, but it is never enough to bring you across the finish line.

Look at Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV): …Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

What happens if, instead of turning first to willpower in your time of need, you turn to God instead? God releases His power into your willpower and energizes it to bring you across the finish line. Willpower does not get the credit for our success, God does.

Jesus said in John 15:5, …apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing (AMPC). This is one of the most important and most difficult lessons we must learn if we want to enjoy the life Jesus died to give us.

Prayer Starter: O, Lord, I turn to You today for Your strength and grace. I can’t do it alone, but by Your Spirit, I can accomplish everything I need to do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries.

MFM Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional 19 October 2018 By Dr. D.K Olukoya – The Greatest Gift

TOPIC: The Greatest Gift (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 19 October 2018)

FIRE SCRIPTURE: John 3: 14-19

MEMORY VERSE: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6

The MESSAGE:

In the beginning, God created man in His own image. Adam failed and God sent him and Eve out of the Garden. From then on, God started looking for the best gift for man that can bring him back to Himself. He chose a people called ‘Jews’ to get to all mankind. Kings were sent; prophets were sent; warriors were sent; individuals were sent; miracles were performed for people to believe in Him, yet man refused to yield completely to God. God finally decided to send His only begotten Son (JESUS) because of His love towards man and to perfect the reconciliation process. Jesus was born into this world and grew up like every other person to rescue mankind, to buy man back and to destroy the works of satan.

Jesus came to make the sons of men the sons of God, to give us eternal life and to give us new birth unto the family of God, in order to restore our fellowship with God and to show us God’s love. He came to show us God’s power, share in our sufferings and to open the door of heaven for us, by dying on the cross for us and shedding His blood for our sake. Before Jesus came, God had on several occasions demonstrated His love for man. He called Cain and warned him while he was going astray. He gave opportunity to Abraham to negotiate the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Despite the murmuring of the Jews, He kept on performing miracles and fought their battles for them in the wilderness. Eventually, He gave His only begotten Son as a gift to mankind to demonstrate the greatest love ever. No matter the gift you will ever receive here on earth, the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most precious and of eternal consequence. Many do not remember this, or think about it. We only cherish the gift of cars, houses, money and other material things from our friends but always ignore this special gift.

JESUS IS A SPECIAL GIFT TO US – Accept Him and be saved, reject Him and perish forever. The contents of this special gift include: (1) The cross, which gives us freedom from satan and the problems. (2) The blood which was shed for our cleansing from sin, (3) The power of resurrection into a new life and victory in Christ. (4) The name of Jesus that compels all knees to bow among so many other provisions. Look up to Jesus today and you shall be saved unto eternal life. Receive Him today as the best gift and your life shall not remain the same.

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE:
DISASTER FOLLOWS WHEN YOU FIX YOUR EYES ON OTHER THINGS APART FROM JESUS CHRIST.

PROPHETIC WORD:
The coming of Jesus to the world and His work shall not be in vain in your life.

PRAYER POINTS:

MORNING
1. Father, I thank You for giving me Your Son as a special gift, in the name of Jesus.
2. Every unconscious gift of death I ever received, which is preparing to kill me now, die by fire, in Jesus’ name.
3. Every gift in my possession, assigned to lead me to hell, catch fire, in Jesus’ name.

EVENING
4. Lord Jesus, the wonderful gift of God to me, empower me to fulfil my destiny, in Jesus’ name.
5. Works of Jesus on the cross and in the grave shall not be in vain in my life, in Jesus’ name.
6. Every content of Jesus as a gift, I receive you, work for me and change my story, in Jesus’ name.
7. As I look up to Jesus today, all my helpers will begin to look for me, in Jesus’ name.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read MFM Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional HERE

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.

Topic: Grace Will Change The Rule For You [TREM 19 October 2018 Daily Devotional]

“And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth His hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will, be thou clean”. Mark 1:41

In the Bible days, lepers are not supposed to be in the congregation of the people. They were not even permitted to walk in the streets freely. They were meant to be quarantined. In Mark chapter 1:40-42, we see the case of a leper. But, here comes Jesus and the man said to Him, if you will you can make me clean. Jesus did not only say I will, but He also touched him. Grace touched the untouchable. Nobody touches a leprous person, but Jesus did.

Jesus identifies with your situation. Who told you, you are alone in your challenge? We have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. He was in all point tempted but without sin. And now He says: let us come boldly to the throne of grace. You don’t have any reason to fear because grace has opened doors for you. Understand that grace will give you that promotion. Grace will elevate you. Grace will cause them to change the rules. The immigration rule will be changed because of you. Hallelujah!

Not too long ago, a young lady desired to travel from one of the African nations to the United States for her studies. Everyone told her how difficult it is to get a study visa, but she dared to believe God. On the day of the interview, as she stood on the line, she realised that everyone ahead of her was being turned down by the interviewer. Of course, she could not change her line, but she bowed her head and prayed for favour. Just as it was her turn, the difficult interviewer got up and someone else stepped in. It all looked like a movie and the new person interviewed her, approved the visa and immediately left for another assignment. That was nothing but GRACE.

No matter the situation you are faced with, don’t give up because grace will change the rule in your favour.

Further reading: Mark 1:40-45; John 5:1-12

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Isaiah 56-58; Evening- 2 Thessalonians 2

“If you missed yesterday devotional click HERE to read TREM Daily Devotional by Dr. Mike Okonkwo’’

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: Christ Being Visible Through Your Life [Seeds of Destiny 19 October 2018 Devotional]

Scripture: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Thought For The Day: God cannot own you and you are looking like the child of the devil.

Previously, we saw that a lot of people answered the call to give their lives to Christ whenever such call is made, but in reality, they did not really understand what they were doing. So, we tried to understand what it really meant to give one’s life to Christ. We saw that giving one’s life to Christ entails, relinquishing the ownership of one’s life to God, amongst others.

Today, we shall consider another important point of what it means to give your life to Christ. This understanding is important because everyone is a product of his understanding.

Now, another meaning of giving your life to Christ is:

Christ Being Seen In You

This means, having the mark of Jesus Christ on your life; it means that you have become the brand of Christ. For instance, when you see a product manufactured in China, on that product, it would be boldly written, ‘Made in China’. If it was made in Japan, it would be written, ‘Made in Japan’. Also, during the era of slave trade, the owners of the slaves engraved their marks on the slaves they owned. A slave is not permitted to bear another slave owner’s mark. As it is in the physical, so it is in the spiritual. God cannot own you and you are looking like the child of the devil; resemblance is also a proof of ownership.

Beloved, my counsel is, come to the point where believers and unbelievers are able to see or feel Jesus Christ when they come close to you by the way you dress, talk or by your attitude.

Remember This: God cannot own you and you are looking like the child of the devil.

Assignments:
1. Take out some time to examine yourself by asking the following questions: Do I look like Christ? Do I act or behave like Christ? Do people hear Christ when I speak?
2. Respond appropriately to your answers above by adjusting your life to God’s standard.

Prayer: O Lord, remove every character or nature in me that does not resemble You. Put Your mark of ownership on my life Lord, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: GIVE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST

Quote: Existing without Jesus Christ is existing without a just cause; life becomes toxic outside of Christ. Culled from 365 WISDOM CAPSULES by Dr Paul Enenche

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 33:1 to 34:22, 1 Timothy 4:1 to 16, Psalm 89:1 to 13, Proverbs 25:23 to 24

Amazing Fact: A hen turns her eggs nearly 50 times each day to keep the yolk from sticking to the side.
TODAY IN HISTORY: 19/10/1870: 1st African-Americans elected to United State House of Representatives

Don’t Forget To Attend: The Home Church meeting tomorrow by 6:00pm at a Dunamis Home Church near you. Invite your neighbours and family. God bless you.

Also Read: Click HERE to read Other Inspirational Messages 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: 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: Break The Barrier [DCLM Daily Manna 19 October 2018 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]

Text: Acts 11:1-18 (KJV)

Key Verse: “But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common“ (Acts 11:9)

MESSAGE:

It is quite important to understand that life throws diverse forms of barriers on our way to progress. The most significant key to success in life is how effectively one handles the barriers. In today’s text, Peter faced two critical situations. One was the confrontation from the elders of the church in Jerusalem who expressed displeasure about his preaching to the Gentiles. His response is a classic example of how to handle misunderstandings among brethren in the church. He humbly and courteously narrated the events that led him to the Gentiles with the gospel of salvation.

The explanation was no doubt convincing because Peter was doing the will of God and was wise in his presentation. “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). There will be less suspicion, bickering, divisions and splinter groups in the family and society, if we all learn to display humility as we communicate with one another. A believer should not feel too big to be questioned.

Peter’s other challenge was the innate Jewish prejudice against the Gentiles which was easily taken away from him once he surrendered to the absolute will and word of God. The Church will certainly be able to do more good in the world by drawing sinners to Christ, if members of the Body of Christ will do away with all forms of prejudice and the holier-than-thou attitude. To win people to Christ requires genuine demonstration of love to others in our neighbourhood, marketplace, workplace or wherever we have the opportunity of interacting with others.

It is not God’s will to discriminate against any on the basis of tribe, status, gender or any other factor either in the church or outside.

Thought For The Day: Barriers separate, but love attracts.

Bible Reading In One Year: Matthew 15; Mark 7

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: 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.

Billy Graham Devotional 19 October 2018 – Joy in Sorrow

Topic: Joy in Sorrow [19 October 2018]

In the day when I cried, [you] answered me, and strengthened me … — Psalm 138:3

At some time in life all of us feel the loneliness of sorrow. Mary and Martha were saddened by the death of their brother, Lazarus, and Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Theirs was a loneliness of sorrow. The shortest verse in the Bible tells us that at the tomb of Lazarus “Jesus wept.” He enters into our sorrows.

When we come to Jesus Christ, He does not promise to exempt us from trouble or sorrow. Tears will come, but deep inside there will be a joy that is difficult to explain to you. It is a joy from God—produced by the Holy Spirit. In the midst of trials and agony and tears which come to us all, a supernatural power is given out, producing joy.

Prayer for the day: Your comfort in times of sorrow, loving Lord Jesus, enfolds me, giving light and hope in my darkness.

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.