Topic — The Family: God’s Delightful Place

Dear Reader,

As God is interested in the family, so also is satan. Whatever is not good, is not God because God cannot behold evil. So, satan is behind whatever is not good in the home. God’s plan for the family is revealed in Genesis 2:18, And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make an help meet for him.

God established marriage for the purpose of making life good for man. After He instituted marriage, God confirmed that it was very good. However, it was not long after that the enemy came on the scene. As a matter of fact, it was soon after God performed the wedding ceremony, and declared, “Behold Mr. And Mrs. Adam”, that satan showed up.

Satan is the enemy of everything good. Having lost access to goodness immediately he fell from heaven, he cannot stand anyone else enjoying good. He is envious of any good thing, so he goes about reversing the order of things. This is what makes him wicked.

People attribute the crisis in homes to incompatibility or disagreements; but it is actually satan who is behind the woes in families. He has determined to cause havoc in homes. He would do anything or pay any price to shatter a home. Quite a number, even in the Church, are victims of this satanic onslaught against families.

Some wish they were never married, yet God says, “I created it for your good.” I can imagine Adam wishing he was never created, when he was driven out of Eden into the wilderness. I picture him running away from the wild animals, which had been his pets, before Satan entered the garden and sent him out.

I perceived that satan was envious of the fact that the couple were standing on their feet, while he was crawling on the ground. So, he came with a mission to have them grounded. But the good news is that although satan bruised the heel of mankind, to floor him, man can bruise his head and wound him fatally. This was what Jesus came to do on earth. As the seed of the woman, His mission on earth was to bruise satan’s head and empower us to do the same. God’s Word says: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).God’s Word also says in Luke 10:19,Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

To counteract the activity of satan against the family unit, Jesus’ first miracle was at a wedding ceremony in Canaan of Galilee (John 2). Whereas the first thing Satan did was to destroy a family, the first miracle Jesus performed was to wipe away shame from a family. Jesus summarizes the situation and His mission on earth very clearly in John 10:10; The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Satan’s mission of stealing, killing and destroying is first targeted at the home. His primary concern is how to steal the joy, peace and love that exists between couples. His plan is about how to move the man against the woman, so that one of them would eventually move out of their home; the same way he drove Adam and Eve out of Eden. He still prowls around looking for gullible people to drive away from their homes.

That is why you suddenly find a couple who, just a few minutes ago, were calling each other “Sweety” or “Honey”, pouncing on each other as bulls in a fight. The sweetness in their home turns sour, until it becomes so bitter that there is no trace of sweetness in it again. Perhaps, if the husband used to call his wife “honey”, satan comes in and moves him to say to her, “If this marriage wants to break, let it break. After all, marriage is not the Kingdom of God.” All satan wants is to destroy the union, by destroying the things that join them together.

That is why Jesus said: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.That abundant life is first directed to homes.

Satan hangs around beautiful things, so he can corrupt the beauty. He hung around Job, because his life was beautiful. He continued till he destroyed the beauty around him. Satan has not changed his techniques. Once he sees any joyful couple, he says, “I must get at them.” He hates to see any family being successful, and he would stop at nothing to destroy it.

Every family is vulnerable to satan’s attacks. He still goes about to and fro, as a roaring lion, seeking families to devour. However, it is within your power to oppose him.

One of the enemy’s trump cards against the home is polygamy, particularly in Africa. He deceives a man into marrying another wife under the excuse that the first is not living up to expectation. So, the man takes a second, a third, and even a fourth wife because he soon discovers that the subsequent wives are worse than the first.

Satan is a trickster! He has no power, only tricks. Right from Eden, he had no strength, but tricks. When you are unaware of his devices, he takes advantage of your ignorance to buffet you. He is still looking for families to push out of their gardens of Eden today. His method is still the same. He questions God’s instructions and challenges everything God says. He still whispers to husbands, “Has God said, ‘Thou shalt love thy wife as Christ loved the Church? But can you call that woman a wife? She is a witch! God said you should love your wife, not a witch”.

Then he goes to the woman and says, “Has God actually said, ‘Thou shalt submit to your husband in everything? No, not when it is obviously a stupid thing to do. Remember that the reason you went to school is to be able to reason out issues!

For you to escape satan’s tricks, you need to be born again. If you are already born again, rejoice because your case is settled. 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.

Topic: Be A Kingdom Addict

God is not an opportunist. Life on earth is about investments; it is only those who make deposits that man make withdrawals. You cannot withdraw from a bank that you did not make deposit in. if you aim at nothing, you will hit nothing. In God’s agenda, every harvest must start with a seed; you cannot reap where you have not sown (Ecc. 3:2)

Jesus had to lay down His life before He could take it again. Sometimes, we want blessings but we don’t want the responsibilities that come with it. (John 12:24)(John 10:17-18)

As you lay down your life for His service, you will never remain the same in Jesus name!

Addiction originated from the word ‘Addict’. An addict is someone who is devoted to or surrenders himself habitually to the control and influence of a thing or person. He is someone, who without compulsion, likes and enjoys something so much that he spends time, valuable resources and energy in doing it, for example a drug addict.

An addict is a devotee; a fanatic and one who is obsessed or possessed by something or someone. He is someone who is accustomed to a thing or person that he cannot stay away or live without that thing or person. He is so sold-out to that thing. An addict is someone who allows himself to be influenced and controlled by something or someone he loves and holds in high esteem.

Kingdom addiction is joyfully allowing God to exercise full ownership and control over your life, time, resources, career and decisions towards the advancement of God’s course on earth.

It is to be sold-out to God so much so that nothing in life matters to you except those things that matter to God. Kingdom addiction is to be devoted to God and His work. It is the readiness to live and die for God’s course on earth without due consideration to self.

It is feeling what God feels and allow only what moves God to move you. It is humanity allowing divinity to dominate and exercise absolute control over her; interrupting her activities any day and time; spirit soul and body. It is having the habit of being obsessed with the mentality and lifestyle of promoting God’s course and advancing His kingdom.

Life is of no worth if you are not living it for Christ. Most Christians have accepted Christ as their savior but have not made Him the Lord of their lives; they are not dedicated to Him. There is a great difference between Altar call and dedication.

Altar call does not guarantee heaven; otherwise, Judas would have made heaven. He accepted Christ as his master but was not dedicate to Him. So, do not get carried away by the altar call you made; you must be sold-out to Him if you want to make heaven.

Kingdom addiction calls for total surrendering of all you are, all you own and all you do. It is a total dedication to God. Kingdom addiction is the secret behind earthly distinction. Until you are sold out to God, you cannot stand out in life.

The primary reason you are born again is to save others. You have no justification to condemn a sinner you have not preached to. Your love for God is fake if you are not interested in soul winning. Use everything you have to bring them to Jesus.

When you are addicted to the kingdom, God will cause you to be distinguished here on earth! Your coast will be enlarged and God, Himself will announce you to your world in Jesus name- Amen!

God bless you

Click HERE to read other Inspiring Messages by Pastor David Ibiyeomie

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: Your Words Carry Power [TREM Devotional Wednesday June 20, 2018]

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:21

Don’t join the company of those who speak negative things about themselves, because your words carry power. The Bible says in Ecc. 8:4 “Where the word of a king is, there is power …” and you are kings and priests unto God, so your words carry power.

The scripture for today made that very clear: death and life are in the power of the tongue. In other words, the choice is yours. When the Bible says death and life are in the power of the tongue, it did not exclude your tongue. If you have mouth and you can speak, the death and life are in your tongue. Whether you are enjoying life or death depends on what you are saying.

If you are speaking about death repeatedly, then it will come to pass. No matter how negative your situation is, speak life to it, do not repeat death. Choose to superimpose the Word of God over the situation. Yes, things may not be the way you want it now, but rather than sit down moaning and repeating the negative situation, speak life. Declare what the Word of God has spoken concerning it. Find the relevant scripture and make it your confession.

If it is in your health, remind yourself that by the stripes of Jesus, you have been made whole. Lay hands on the affected area and declare the Word of God over it. Heaven and earth may pass away, but the Word of God will never return void. Keep speaking it. Say it in the morning, noon and night. Don’t get tired or weary.

Form a habit of speaking the word; don’t say it once and stop. Be consistent in speaking over your life. Stand firm on the Word of God and the Word will produce in your life.

Further Reading: Prov. 18:20-21; Matthew 12;25-37

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Esther 1-2; Evening- Acts 5:1-21

“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: Not From God! [Open Heavens 20th June 2018, Wednesday Daily Devotional]

Memorise: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. – James 1:14

Read: James 1:12-16 (KJV)

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

Bible in One Year: 2 Kings 21-22, Acts 13:48-14:18

MESSAGE:

The message from the Holy Spirit to you today is that you must take responsibility for your actions in life. It is important to note that many trials and temptations we encounter in life are neither from God nor from the devil. You may then want to know where temptations emanate from. The Bible is clear on this: we cannot put the blame at God’s doorstep. James 1:13-14 says,

“13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

It is expedient for us to differentiate between temptation and examination. Examination is intended to yield a positive result, whereas temptation is intended to yield a negative result. Concerning temptations, if you are unable to overcome, you end up in a worse place or state compared to where you were before being tempted. However, with regard to examinations, you usually get promoted once you successfully complete the examination. We can conveniently say that God examines those He wants to entrust with divine assignments (Genesis 22:1, Deuteronomy 8:2). Conversely, the devil, also referred to as the tempter, takes advantage of a man’s lust and vulnerabilities to tempt him or her, using the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life (1 Thessalonians 3:5, 1 John 2:16).

The truth of the matter is that man is responsible for his actions and inactions. However, the problem with us is that while we love to enjoy the freewill divinely bestowed on us, we are often not comfortable with being held responsible for whatever repercussions our actions bring to our lives. We can see a classical example of a man denying responsibility in the way Adam responded to God’s query as to why he ate the forbidden fruit. Genesis 3:11-12 says,

“11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”

Beloved, you are responsible for your own actions and inactions. Adam misused his freewill, and his descendants are still suffering the consequences. Misuse of freedom leads to bondage, so beware!

Prayer Point: Father, please give me the wisdom to make the best use of the liberty I have obtained through Christ my Lord.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click HERE to read Open Heavens 19 June 2018 – Deep Thoughts, Deep Thanks

Hymn 15: Nearer My God To Thee

1. Nearer, my God to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be.
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

2. Though like the wanderer,
The sun gone down.
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone.
Yet in my dreams I’d be
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

3. There let the way appear
Steps unto heaven;
All that Thou send’st to me
In mercy given:
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

4. Then, with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I’ll raise
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

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.

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: Beware Of Pride [DCLM Daily Manna Wednesday June 20, 2018]

Text: James 4:13-17 (KJV)

Key Verse: “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil” (James 4:16).

MESSAGE:

Charles Caleb Colton, cognisant of the arrogant contamination inherent in the word ‘I’, offered these edifying supports: “Five things that I keep meekly hid, ‘myself’ and ‘I’. ‘Mine’ and ‘my’. And what ‘I did and said’”. John Vernon McGee put it more bluntly: “The greatest sin in ministry is pride”.

Today’s devotion makes us wonder why people boast of intended exploits, not giving any thoughts to the fact that God alone determines the outcome of every plan men may have.

The irony of life is that man does not know what will become of him the next moment; it is only known to God. Truly, God indeed “giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:25-28). When we boast (hawk pride) and rejoice in it, the Bible spots evil in our actions and we ought to know that what separates evil and the devil is just a “D”. The devil is the mastermind of evil and sin. Sin separates us from God.

Our journey to heaven demands being careful and avoiding excesses. Our privileged position of authority, wealth or academic achievement may be sources of temptation to become proud. To maintain holiness should make us avoid pride as a plague. Sinners must come down from their ivory towers of arrogance and yield to the saving grace offered by Christ, who paid for their redemption with His blood. God resists the proud; but His grace is for the humble.

Thought For The Day: To be full of one’s self speaks volumes of how empty one is.

Bible Reading In One Year: Ecclesiastes 7-12

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.

Topic: Every Moment Matters [Our Daily Bread 20 Wednesday June, 2018]

Read: Philippians 1:12–24, Bible in a Year: Esther 1–2; Acts 5:1–21

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. – Philippians 1:21

When I met Ada, she had outlived her entire group of friends and family and was living in a nursing home. “It’s the hardest part of getting old,” she told me, “watching everyone else move on and leave you behind.” One day I asked Ada what kept her interest and how she spent her time. She answered me with a Scripture passage from the apostle Paul (Philippians 1:21): “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Then she said, “While I’m still around, I have work to do. On my good days, I get to talk to the people here about Jesus; on the hard days, I can still pray.”

Significantly, Paul wrote Philippians while in prison. And he acknowledged a reality many Christians understand as they face their mortality: Even though heaven seems so inviting, the time we have left on Earth matters to God.

Like Paul, Ada recognized that every breath she took was an opportunity to serve and glorify God. So Ada spent her days loving others and introducing them to her Savior.

Even in our darkest moments, Christians can hold on to the promise of permanent joy in the company of God. And while we live, we enjoy relationship with Him. He fills all our moments with significance.

Prayer: Lord, grant me the strength to serve You with every breath I take, so that every moment of my remaining days matters to Your Kingdom.

When God comes to call us home, may He find us serving Him.

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

This message was written By Randy Kilgore [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: A Healthy Dose of Love [Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Wednesday June 20, 2018]

Love…is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, The Amplified Bible

Walking in love is good for your health. Did you know that?

It’s true! Medical science has proven it. Researchers have discovered that hostility produces stress that causes ulcers, tension headaches and a host of other ills.

Now when you think of hostility, you may think of the type of anger you feel when something serious happens. But according to the experts, that kind of thing isn’t what causes the worst problems. It’s the little things: when the dry cleaners ruin your favorite outfit, for example. Or when the cafeteria lady puts gravy on your mashed potatoes after you’ve specifically told her not to. Sound familiar?

Just think how much stress you could avoid by being quick to forgive, by living your life according to 1 Corinthians 13 and not counting up the evils done to you. Imagine the physical and emotional benefits of living like that!

If you’ve allowed yourself to be habitually bound by hostility, that may sound like an impossible dream, but it’s not! Because as a born-again believer, you have the love of God inside you.

If you’ll yield to that love, it will set you free. Remember when Jesus called Lazarus forth from the grave? He was alive but still bound in the grave clothes. Jesus commanded the bindings to be loosed so that Lazarus could be free to walk.

Jesus wants that same kind of freedom for you. So get into agreement with Him. Say to those deadly habits that have you bound, “In the Name of Jesus, loose me and let me go! I’m putting hostility, unforgiveness and selfishness behind me. I’m going on with God. I’m going to live the life of love!”

Remember: It doesn’t take a medical miracle to turn your life around. All it takes is a decision to yield to the force of love. Do it today!

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 4:10-27

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.