Topic: Know God’s Will [Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Thursday June 14, 2018]

Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. – Psalm 127:1

What a time of monumental decisions and changes we’re living in. If there ever was a day when you and I must know God’s will and purpose for our lives, it’s now.

In fact, nothing else is going to work! God is changing and rearranging things, lining them up for the end-time move of the Spirit. If you’re going to keep up, you must know God’s perfect plan for your life—and how to carry it out in His power!

How do you do that? Through prayer.

In fact, God has provided us a prayer in His Word that we can use to receive the wisdom and understanding we need for this critical time we live in. You’ll find it in Colossians 1:9-11.

“For this cause we…do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.”

In recent months, God has instructed Gloria and me to pray that prayer for our ministry Partners and for ourselves every day. It’s a powerful, Holy Ghost-inspired prayer that will not only enable you to know what God’s will is, but to have the wisdom and understanding to carry it out.

That’s where most failure comes in Christian endeavors. We get a glimpse of God’s will for our lives in the spirit, but then we mess things up by trying to carry it out in the flesh. Instead of letting the Lord build the house in His power, we try to build it ourselves and end up doing it all in vain.

Don’t make that mistake in the days ahead. Instead, pray this prayer that God has given us. It was written in the New Testament for you. Put your name in it. It’s a prayer you can be sure God will answer. Put it to work in your life daily and God will fill you with His knowledge and understanding!

Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:9-22

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: Quieting the Critic [Our Daily Bread 14 Thursday June, 2018]

Read: Nehemiah 4:1–6, Bible in a Year: Ezra 9–10; Acts 1

Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Nehemiah 4:4

I work with a team to put on an annual community event. We spend eleven months plotting many details to ensure the event’s success. We choose the date and venue. We set ticket prices. We select everything from food vendors to sound technicians. As the event approaches, we answer public questions and provide directions. Afterward we collect feedback. Some good. Some that is hard to hear. Our team hears excitement from attendees and also fields complaints. The negative feedback can be discouraging and sometimes tempts us to give up.

Nehemiah had critics too as he led a team to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. They actually mocked Nehemiah and those working alongside him saying, “Even a fox climbing up on it would break down [your] wall of stones” (Nehemiah 4:3). His response to the critics helps me handle my own: Instead of feeling dejected or trying to refute their comments, he turned to God for help. Instead of responding directly, he asked God to hear the way His people were being treated and to defend them (v. 4). After entrusting those concerns to God, he and his co-laborers continued to work steadily on the wall “with all their heart” (v. 6).

We can learn from Nehemiah not to be distracted by criticism of our work. When we’re criticized or mocked, instead of responding to our critics out of hurt or anger, we can prayerfully ask God to defend us from discouragement so we can continue with a whole heart.

Prayer: Help me to evaluate the good and bad in the criticism, to trust You, and to continue in my work wholeheartedly.

God is our best defense against criticism.

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

This message was written By Kirsten Holmberg [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Amazing Grace [Andrew Wommack Thursday June 14, 2018]

John 8:4-5 “They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?”

Text: John 8:1-11

This was possibly the most potentially damaging temptation the scribes and Pharisees ever presented to Jesus. Much of Jesus’ widespread popularity with the people was because of His examples of and teachings about God’s mercy and forgiveness towards sinners. This was received with great enthusiasm by the people who, before this time had been presented with only a harsh, legalistic, judgmental picture of God.

The scribes and Pharisees had often tried to portray Jesus as condoning or practicing sin because of His association with sinners and His ministry to them when it violated Jewish traditions, such as the Sabbath. However, Jesus had successfully turned every attack into a victory for the side of grace and mercy.

This time, the Jews felt that they had Him “cornered.” If Jesus held to His teachings of forgiveness and refused to stone this woman, He would be in direct rebellion to the law of Moses. This would give these Jews legal grounds to kill Jesus. On the other hand, if He stoned the woman as the law declared, the people would forsake Him. It looked like they had Him trapped either way He went.

As always, the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and Jesus rose to the occasion. He did not condone the sin nor disregard the law of Moses. He simply told the one who was without sin to cast the first stone. As the Holy Ghost began to convict them of their own sin, they all had to leave. They, therefore, could not fault Jesus for not stoning the woman. Jesus was justified in His forgiveness of this woman because He was operating under the dispensation of grace. Think about God’s grace today.

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: Who Is He? [Billy Graham’s Devotional Thursday June 14, 2018]

. . . for they have rejected the word of the Lord . . . — Jeremiah 8:9 (TLB)

The Apostle Paul once asked, “Who art thou, Lord?” That is a question each of us has to face. If Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, knowing He was not, then He was a deceiver, the greatest liar the world has ever known. If He thought He was God and didn’t know the difference, then He was a mental case. But if He was who He claimed to be, then He is rightfully the Lord of our lives. What keeps us from acknowledging this Christ, if He is what the Bible tells us He is?

Each of us has to face the question that Pilate asked, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called the Christ?” Pilate washed his hands and said he would have nothing to do with Jesus, but God does not let us off that way. We must say “yes” or “no.” We can make fun of Jesus, we can reject Him, we can neglect Him—or we can receive Him.

Prayer for the day: Lord Jesus, with so many still rejecting You, take away everything within me that would stop another receiving You as Savior and Lord.

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.