Topic: Throw Open the Door [Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Wednesday April 18, 2018]

Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money [in]…. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites…. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them…this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. – Mark 12:41-44

Have you ever wanted to get God’s attention? You can, you know. There’s a certain kind of boldness, a certain kind of faith in giving that will get His attention every time. You can see that in Mark 12.

Read that chapter and just imagine the situation it describes. Jesus was sitting by the treasury watching as people put in their offerings. Don’t you know there were some sanctimonious displays going on with Him there watching? There was bound to be plenty of pharisaical robe swishing as those wealthy leaders walked up to put in their gifts that day.

Right in the middle of it all, this poor widow walked up and threw in her offering. I can just see her in my mind’s eye. I can hear her say to herself, “By the eternal Almighty God that liveth, I’ve had enough of this poverty. I’m fed up with having nothing but want. I may just be a poor widow now, but I’m not going to be a poor widow anymore. I’m going to be a broke widow if God doesn’t do something here because I’m giving Him everything I’ve got!”

Then, wham! She threw that last little dab of money she had into the offering.

Do you know what? That got Jesus’ attention. He said, “Listen, everyone. I want to talk to you about this woman,” and He started to preach.

What moved Jesus wasn’t just the fact that she gave. It was how she gave. She gave in faith—not in fear. She didn’t stop and calculate what she didn’t have and say, “Boy, if I do this, tomorrow I won’t eat.” She just boldly threw in all she had, expecting God to take care of her in return.

You and I need to catch hold of that same attitude. We need to start holding our offerings up to the Lord in confidence, throwing them boldly into His service, expecting His blessings in return.

If you have a need right now, get God’s attention by giving with boldness like that widow woman did. Throw open the door of your household by throwing everything you have at Jesus. Let God know that He is your source. Before long, the abundance of God will come pouring in!

Scripture Reading: Mark 12:28-44

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.

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Topic: Servant Power [Andrew Wommack Wednesday April 18, 2018]

Mark 4:41, “And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Text: Mark 4:35-41

When God created this physical world and all of its inhabitants, He gave mankind authority to rule and subdue His creation. Although God still owned the universe and all that was in it, He gave control of the earth to man.

When man sinned, he began to use this power against God’s wishes. God did not ordain all the terrible things that have happened throughout history, and yet He did not take back man’s right to dominate the earth. Instead, He became a man and took back that authority to Himself by conquest. After Jesus’ resurrection, He said in Matthew 28:18, “…All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth,” and then He gave the great commission to His disciples, thereby conferring that authority upon them, also. Jesus becoming flesh was absolutely essential for gaining all power (or authority) in heaven and in earth. Jesus was a “God-man.” As stated in 1 Timothy 3:16, He was God manifested in the flesh, which is a great mystery.

Jesus came in the power and authority of His Father to point men to the Father God. Jesus existed before His advent on this earth in the form of God and was equal with God; yet, He humbled Himself and became a servant while here on earth. He did not come to promote Himself but to give Himself as the way unto the Father.

This is radically different from the way so called “great men” present themselves. The Roman Caesar of Jesus’ day proclaimed that he was God and demanded worship. Lesser leaders ruled by exalting themselves over the people they governed. But, Jesus showed us that “whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:26-28).

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).

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Topic: Christ Is Our Comforter [Billy Graham’s Devotional Wednesday April 18, 2018]

. . . realize that your heavenly Father will . . . give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him. — Luke 11:13 (TLB)

Before He left His disciples, Christ promised that He would send a Comforter to help them in the trials, cares, and temptations of life. This word comforter means “one that helps alongside.” He is the Holy Spirit, the powerful Third Person of the Trinity. The moment you are born again, He takes up residence in your heart. You may not emotionally feel Him there, but you must exercise faith. Believe it! Accept it as a fact of faith! He is in your heart to help you. We are told that He sheds the love of God abroad in our hearts. He produces the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” We cannot possibly manufacture this fruit in our own strength. It is supernaturally manufactured by the Holy Spirit who lives in our hearts!

Prayer for the day: Lord God Almighty, I praise You for Your Holy Spirit who guides and keeps me in all my ways.

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.

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Topic: Forgetting The Past [Open Heavens 18 April 2018, Wednesday] 

Memorise: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,” – Philippians 3:13

Read: Philippians 3:7-14 (KJV)

7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Bible in One Year: Judges 7-8, 2Timothy 1.

MESSAGE:

In several portions of Scriptures, the Holy Spirit admonishes us not to forget several things, especially things that relate to God’s commandments (Proverbs 3:1, Hebrews 13:16). In fact, one of the mandates of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to bring to our remembrance all things the master has told us, so that we don’t forget them (John 14:26). However, in today’s Bible reading, the same Holy Spirit encourages us to forget the things that are behind us. Why does He want us to forget those things? The reason is that if we don’t forget some things of the past, they may prevent us from reaching forth to those things ahead of us, someone once said that ‘good’ is the enemy of better. When you hold tenaciously to the good, something better may elude you.

Furthermore, when you refuse to forget the days of your terrible past, you may never be able to live in the realm of the new beginning God has given to you. This is another danger of not forgetting the past. Many people still hold themselves hostage to their past life, long after they have been forgiven by God Almighty. They fail to recognize the term of the New Testament they are operating under. Here is part of what the Holy Spirit says about the new covenant in the Blood of Jesus:

“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” – Hebrews 8:12

An elderly man was brought to us years ago he was terribly sick. We witnessed to him about Jesus Christ who forgives sins so that he may confess his sins and be forgiven. Surprisingly, he felt that the magnitude of his sins was too big for pardon. We assured him that this was not the case, and thanks be to God, the Holy Spirit eventually convinced him of what we were saying. His problem was tied to his refusal to forget his terrible past. When an old friend of mine came face to face with me after I had become born again and a pastor, she could not believe that God could use me to heal her ailing child. I assured her that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). She believed, and her sick child was healed. Today, many people find it difficult to forgive others because they refused to forget the past misdeeds done to them. This even more dangerous than refusing to forget your own past misdeeds (Mark 11:25-26). Beloved, keeping the record of your ugly past or that of others may rob you of the joy of forgiveness and the peace that emanates from forgetting the past.

Prayer Point: Father, teach my heart to forgive and forget in Jesus’ Name.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Open Heavens 17th April 2018 Tuesday — What To Do To Finish Well

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.

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