Topic: There Is Power In The Word [TREM Devotional Friday July 6, 2018]

“And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret.” Luke 5:1

According to this Bible passage, the people pressed upon Jesus to hear the word of God. They came to hear! They didn’t come for healing; they came to hear. There is no way you will hear, that something will not happen; because His words are spirit and life. At times when I feel low, I want to hear good preaching. I want to hear the good teaching of the word. My spirit comes alive because the word of God is spirit and it is life. The people pressed upon Jesus. There was this desire to hear from Him. They had a hunger to hear.

In Luke 5:15, the multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. Great multitudes came to hear and to be healed. Child of God, something happens when you hear. When you hear, the healing and miracle-working power goes forth and you are positioned to receive. (Luke 5:17)

The Word of God doesn’t say as they went to collect handkerchiefs. And there is nothing wrong with a handkerchief, we can give you a handkerchief if somebody is far off. The Word doesn’t say until He anointed them with oil. And there is nothing wrong with oil, we use oil. The Word doesn’t say until they fasted, and there is nothing wrong in fasting. But they came to hear. The Bible says as He was teaching and ministering the Word the power of God was present because the power is in the Word you hear.(Luke 5:17) God and His Word are one. When you are hearing the Word, you are hearing God. And so, it is your hearing that brings the faith that makes the Word land on you. And once the Word lands, it must produce what He says. Praise the Lord!

Further reading: Luke 5:1-25

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Job 32-33; Evening- Acts 14

“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: Up in Smoke [Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Friday July 6, 2018]

The tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. – James 3:5-6

Words. Use them right and they’ll move mountains. Use them wrong and they can cause your entire life to go up in smoke.

“Now, Brother Copeland,” you may say, “I find it hard to believe that major catastrophes can be caused by a few simple words. I just can’t see the connection.”

Look again at the phrase James used. “How great a matter a little fire kindleth!” Have you ever lit a few little pieces of kindling wood and set them in the fireplace beneath a stack of logs?

What happened?

Most likely, the fire began to spread first to one log then to another until finally you had a great big blaze going. After it was over, you couldn’t go digging around in the ashes to find the kindling that started it all, could you? No! It would be burned. There would be no trace of it at all.

The tongue is like that. It first defiles the body, then sets on fire the whole course of nature with a blaze so great that it leaves no natural trace of its origin. The words that started it end up so deeply buried in the ashes that you’d never even know they were there.

So, don’t ever underestimate the power of your words. I can assure you, Satan doesn’t. He works constantly to get you to turn them in a negative direction. He’ll fire darts of pain and sickness and discouragement at you just to get you to speak faithless words—words that will eventually send your life up in smoke.

Don’t let him succeed. Instead, put out that fire by following the instructions in Ephesians 6:16. Do as the Apostle Paul says and “above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

Speak words of faith and stop the fire before it starts today!

Scripture Reading: James 3:1-10

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

This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith – prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.

Topic: Hidden Beauty [Our Daily Bread 6 Friday July, 2018]

Read: 1 Samuel 16:1–7, Bible in a Year: Job 32–33; Acts 14

People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Our children needed a little coaxing to believe that it was worth putting on snorkeling gear to peer beneath the surface of the Caribbean Sea off the shore of the island of Tobago. But after they dove in, they resurfaced ecstatic, “There are thousands of fish of all different kinds! It’s so beautiful! I’ve never seen such colorful fish!”

Because the surface of the water looked similar to freshwater lakes near our home, our children could have missed the beauty hidden just below the surface.

When the prophet Samuel went to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king, Samuel saw the oldest son, Eliab, and was impressed by his appearance. The prophet thought he had found the right man, but the Lord rejected Eliab. God reminded Samuel that He “does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

So Samuel asked if there were more sons. The youngest boy wasn’t present but caring for the family’s sheep. This son, David, was summoned and the Lord directed Samuel to anoint him.

Often we look at people only on a surface level and don’t always take the time to see their inner, sometimes hidden, beauty. We don’t always value what God values. But if we take the time to peer beneath the surface, we may find great treasure.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for not valuing people based on outward appearances but instead by looking at our hearts. Help me to take the time to see beyond simply what my eyes can see in order to discover true and lasting beauty.

God can help me to see the inner beauty in others.

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

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

Topic: Saved By Grace [Andrew Wommack Friday July 6, 2018]

Luke 10:28-29 – “And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?”

Just as with this lawyer, pride causes many people to resist the truth of justification by faith in the grace of God. This lawyer loved himself and the public recognition his “holy acts” gave him. He was not willing to love God first and his fellow man ahead of himself. His was not a sincere question but rather an evasive question to shun responsibility. This man was seeking to be justified in the sight of God through his actions. He knew he had not loved everyone as he loved himself, so he is tried to interpret the scripture (Lev. 19:18) in a way that would conform to his actions. He wanted to define “neighbor” as just his close friends whom he had treated well.

Self-justification always produces excuses, while repentance and faith toward God produces obedience.

The basis of our salvation is grace – that is, God’s undeserved, unmerited favor toward us as expressed in providing redemption through Christ Jesus.

The means of God saving us is through faith. Through faith we accept God’s free gift of salvation, which was provided by grace. So we are saved “by grace … through faith. “Notice that we are not saved by grace alone. We are saved by grace through faith. Faith grants us admission to God’s grace. Without faith, God’s grace is wasted, and without grace, faith is powerless. Faith in God’s grace has to be released to receive what God has provided through Christ.

Just as sodium and chloride are poisonous by themselves, so grace or faith used independently of each other are deadly. But when you mix sodium and chloride together in the proper way, you get salt, which you must have to live. Likewise, putting faith in what God has already provided by grace is the key to victorious Christian living.

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

This message was written by The Association of Related Ministries International (ARMI) is an extension of Andrew Wommack Ministries (AWM). ARMI is a unique partnership committed to providing resources to help like-minded ministers succeed in a spirit of excellence and to draw from the experience and expertise of both the AWM and Charis Bible College staff. (www.awmi.net).

Topic: The Peace of Jesus [Billy Graham’s Devotional Friday July 6, 2018]

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. — John 16:33

The peace that Jesus came to bring was not the peace of appeasement, or the peace of compromise and conformity. It was a spiritual peace. The world doesn’t give peace, for it doesn’t have any peace to give. It fights for peace, it negotiates for peace, it maneuvers for peace, but there is no ultimate peace in the world. But Jesus gives peace to those who put their trust in Him. If you have received His peace, then you are in His camp. But if you have rejected it, then you are against Him. His peace is available to everyone who will receive it.

Prayer for the day: Deep down I feel Your peace, Lord Jesus, and the storms of my life are abated.

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.

Topic: Functioning As Light [Open Heavens 6th July 2018, Friday Daily Devotional]

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

Read: Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV)

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

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

Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 5-6, Acts 22:30-23:11

Open Heavens 6th July 2018 MESSAGE:

Light is the manifestation of God’s creative word. Having been spoken into existence on the first day of creation, light came into being even before the sun and the moon, which were created on the fourth day. Light was separated from darkness and declared by God to be good (Genesis 1:4 & 18). Light and darkness are contrasted in several verses of the Bible, and in all cases, light is affirmed as superseding darkness. Ecclesiastes 2:13 equates wisdom with light and foolishness with darkness. Light is declared to be the path of righteousness, while darkness is the path of those who rebel against God (Proverbs 4:18, Job 18:5). I pray that the light of God will disperse every form of darkness in your life today in the mighty Name of Jesus.

At the beginning of creation, the world was filled with gross darkness. This prompted to create light as a solution to the problem of darkness, which is why He is referred to as the Father of lights (James 1:17). Jesus also declared Himself as the light of the world (John 8:12). As light, Christ’s role throughout His earthly ministry was to destroy the darkness of this world and enable humanity become children of light through faith (John 12:46, John 12:36). He succeeded in His assignment and raised for Himself a people who are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). As His chosen people, our light must shine before all men to provide guidance and leadership in a world full of sin, confusion, hatred, danger and all kinds of wickedness. Jesus lived an exemplary life as the light of the world, and we also must follow in His footsteps. Jesus illuminated the world by preaching the good news of the gospel with love and compassion. Through His own life, He showed us how to live in holiness and righteousness in a world full of sin. He brought joy to the hearts of men by healing the sick, delivering the oppressed and raising the dead. He was a father to the fatherless, husband to the widow and hope to the hopeless. Functioning as light therefore signifies replicating everything that He did while He was here on earth (1 John 2:6). We are to preach the good news of the gospel to all nations and ensure that lost souls are saved and properly made disciples of Christ. Holiness and righteousness should be our watchword, and truth should be found in us always. We must be agents of peace and progress in our communities as we show good neighbourliness. Through us, the sick should receive healing and the captives should be set free. We must provide succour to the fatherless, widows and the helpless in our society. We must speak out against sin, violence and wickedness in order to turn sinners to saints. The world must become a better place because of our presence and activities as light.

Prayer Point: Father, please help me to function as light in a world full of darkness in Jesus’ Name.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click HERE to read Open Heavens 5 July 2018 – Weary in Well-Doing?

Hymn 16: Stand Up! Stand Up For Jesus

1. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
Ye soldiers of the Cross;
Lift high His royal banner,
It must not suffer loss.
From vict’ry unto vict’ry
His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed.

2. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
The trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict
In this His glorious day!
Ye that are men, now serve Him
Against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger,
And strength to strength oppose.

3. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
Stand in His strength alone:
The arm of flesh will fail you;
Ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the Gospel armour,
And watching unto prayer,
Where duty calls, or danger,
Be never wanting there.

4. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
The strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle,
The next the victor’s song
To him that overcometh
A crown of life shall be;
He, with the King of Glory
Shall reign eternally.

Open Heavens 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.

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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.

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