Topic: Time is on your side! [Our Daily Manna ODM Friday, February 16th, 2018]

Basic Scripture: Psalm 40: 1-10

I remember the former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who quipped, ‘’I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end’’.

Yes! Patience was one of her secrets to so much success! Note that impatience and hurry can become your decoration stoppers this year! Indeed the whole world today is in a hurry! We know share the most intimate information via email, instant messaging, snap chat and text to get a quick message out! Our televisions host literally hundreds of stations and programs to choose from so we don’t need to wait for our entertainment! We can like an article or a YouTube video and create fame for its publisher overnight! Revolutions can come about almost spontaneously from posts on Twitter.

Ask Donald Trump! We have instant hot, microwave-prepared meals of every cuisine type to speed up our food preparation; no need to make a homemade meal from the scratch. In fact, I heard of speed dating recently. Wow! You can now date and marry in a hurry! But the Holy Spirit is saying to user of today’s devotional that no matter what is happening around your life and ministry, you are not defeated till you lose your patience! The slogan of the US Army of Engineers is, ‘’the difficult we do immediately! The impossible takes a little longer.’’ Give God time! Yes, God can do anything and take you over the mountains that seem impossible, but you must be patient. Patience and time are necessary for your heart’s desires to manifest.

Determine to be patient this year/beyond! Keep seeing the possibilities around you. After the storm comes the rainbow. After the dry season comes the rain! After Defeat, another chance is available! After sin comes forgiveness! After the night comes the day! Problems are guidelines not stop lines! Refuse to rush ahead out of fear! Time is on your side because God owns time! Ask Sarah, Abraham or Zachariah/Elizabeth! Note Vs1 of today’s 1st scripture: I waited patiently for the Lord…Trust God! Refuse to give up! STILL WAIT FOR HIM! Time and God are miracle workers! Wait I say, on the Lord! Pray now!

The Asaba special anointing services starts today Friday 16th, 6pm and ends tomorrow Saturday 17th , 8am.Theme is: HERO TO ZERO ARROW: RETURN TO SENDER! Venue is the CENOTAPH. I shall lay hands on everyone in AGREEMENT PRAYER to begin the year! Call 08034907299 or 08033461818 for details.

Prayer Points: Take any song of worship as led.

• Lord, baptize me with the fire of patience in Jesus name.
• I refuse to die in regrets/depression! God and Time are on my side in Jesus name (Declare it for 3 days).
• Lord, let my life and ministry become your 2018 SHOW ROOM in Jesus name(Pray it seriously today)!

By Bishop (Dr) Chris E. Kwakpovwe (Cek)
Publisher/Writer Of ODM And

Rev (Mrs) Flora E. Kwakpovwe (Fek)
Co-Publisher/Writer Of ODM.

Topic The Power Of Unity [TREM’s Daily Friday February 16, 2018]

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1 (KJV)

The place of unity in the Body of Christ cannot be overemphasized, how much more unity within the local assembly. The devil knows the power of unity and goes out of his way to sow seeds of discord amongst believers. And the sad thing is that we give him room. The seed of discord is a powerful tool in the hands of the devil. Thus, believers end up fighting themselves, brothers against brothers within the same family.

Beloved, there is a bright future ahead of us. God has promised us great and mighty things but they can only come to pass when we join hands together to work in unity.

In verse 2 of Psalm 133, the Psalmist says unity is “like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down the skirts of his garments”. Oil, like you know signifies the anointing. You can see the flow of the anointing in a unified organization. The oil flows unhindered when there is unity. The hand cooperating with the legs and eyes cooperating with the legs and eyes cooperating with the mouth. Every part doing his own and relying on the other in the hour of need. In verse 3, he likens it to the dew that descended upon the mountain and he concluded by saying: “there the Lord commanded His blessings”. There is a commanded blessing in the place of unity. Do you want to enjoy the fullness of the Godhead? Then walk in unity. Offences will come, but victory is guaranteed.

Can you imagine where we will be if we all join hands to help one another? Think of the impact we will make when we rally round ourselves to ensure that we take our locality for Jesus. I have found out that everything a ministry needs to succeed is within it. We must learn to celebrate the gifts that the Lord has brought our way.

Further Reading: Psalm 133:1-3, 1Corinthians 1:10

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Leviticus 19-20; Evening- Matthew 27:51-66

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: A Hidden Treasure [Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Friday January 16, 2018]

The sower soweth the word. – Mark 4:14

Right now, at this very moment, you have hidden within you a treasure that can change the world. A treasure that can change a man’s eternal destiny, that can take him to heaven and save him from hell. A treasure that can turn a person’s poverty into prosperity, his sickness into health, his sorrow into joy.

You have within you the all-powerful Word of God.

Don’t keep it to yourself. Plant it wherever you go! Sow it into the hearts of those you meet. Share it at every opportunity.

“But I don’t know how!” you may say.

Then start learning. Let these three steps help guide the way.

One: Make a decision. Make up your mind and heart today that you are going to share the Word with others no matter what! Determine right now that it’s the most important thing you’ll ever do. Commit to it. Once you’ve done that, you’ll find the rest is easy.

Two: Prepare yourself. Spend time meditating in the Word each day. Allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you. That will make it easy for you to minister to others. You’ll be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and be able to hear His voice. He’ll help you know what to say in each situation.

Three: Stay in faith. Once you’ve shared the Word with someone, trust God for the results. The Word of God does not return void. Even if they seem indifferent to you, even if it appears the Word had no effect, keep believing. Your faith will keep that Word alive inside them, and eventually, it will do its transforming work.

You have, hidden within you, a treasure that can change the world. What are you going to do with it today?

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:1-7

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: Loving All [Our Daily Bread 16 Friday February, 2018]

Read: Leviticus 19:33–34, Bible in a Year: Leviticus 19–20; Matthew 27:51–66

The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself. Leviticus 19:34

I worship in a church located in a large, open field—a rare commodity on the island of Singapore (we’re just twenty-five miles long and fifteen miles wide). Some time back, people from abroad who work in my country started gathering on the church property for a picnic every Sunday.

This evoked a range of responses from fellow churchgoers. Some fretted about the mess the visitors would leave behind. But others saw this as a divine opportunity to extend hospitality to a wonderful group of strangers—without even leaving the church grounds!

The Israelites must have faced similar issues in their time. After they settled in their new land, they had to grapple with how to relate to other peoples. But God expressly commanded them to treat foreigners like their own kind, and to love them as themselves (Leviticus 19:34). Many of His laws made special mention of foreigners: they were not to be mistreated or oppressed, and they were to be loved and helped (Exodus 23:9; Deuteronomy 10:19). Centuries later, Jesus would command us to do the same: to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31).

May we have God’s heart to love others as ourselves, remembering that we too are sojourners on this earth. Yet we have been loved as God’s people, treated as His own.

Prayer: Father, You have made each and every one of us in Your likeness. May we love those from elsewhere and seek to reach out to them with Your love.

Embracing God’s love for us is the key to loving others.

Insight:

The story of Ruth (a Moabitess) offers a moving illustration of “loving the foreigner.” The pagan nation of Moab was situated just east of the Dead Sea. The Moabites were descended from Moab, the son of Lot (Genesis 19:37). During the exodus and throughout the reigns of Saul and David, the Moabites were frequently at war with Israel.

In the time of the judges, Naomi and Elimelek and their sons settled in Moab to escape a famine in Israel (Ruth 1). During their stay, Elimelek died, the sons married Moabite women (Ruth and Orpah), and then the sons also died. With no one to care for them, Naomi and Ruth left Moab and returned to Bethlehem, where Ruth was a foreigner (who may have been despised because of her heritage).

When they arrived, “the barley harvest was beginning” (v. 22). As a widow, Ruth was allowed to gather the leftover grain after the harvesters had gone through. “As it turned out,” she ended in the field of Boaz, a relative of Elimelek’s (2:3). But it was no coincidence. Boaz’s kindness resulted in Ruth and his place in the ancestry of King David (and Jesus) (Matthew 1:5–16).

What would it look like for you to extend kindness to a stranger? Alyson Kieda

This message was written By Leslie Koh [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Familiarity Breeds Contempt [Andrew Wommack’s Daily Friday February 16, 2018]

Luke 4:24, “And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.”

Text: Luke 4:16-30

A modern day equivalent of this verse is “familiarity breeds contempt.” Those who know the most about us also know more of our faults than anyone else. As a general rule, our weaknesses will blind most people to our strengths.

However, in the case of Jesus, there were no faults or failures to bias these people. In this instance, the problem stemmed from the people’s lack of perception. They knew Jesus better than most in the flesh, but they had failed to see who He was in the Spirit.

Jesus was God in all His power and majesty, yet He was clothed in flesh –a human in every respect (1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:3). These people looked on Jesus’ outward appearance and failed to see God within (1 Sam. 16:7).

Likewise, we fail to see the potential in others and even in ourselves because of our preoccupation with the outward appearance and actions. But within every born again person is a new creation which is waiting to be released (2 Cor. 5:17). All it takes is someone who believes.

Today look beyond the exterior in yourself and others and help bring into reality what we can be in Christ.

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: Living Enthusiastically for God [Billy Graham’s Daily Friday February 16th, 2018]

Good salt is worthless if it loses its saltiness; it can’t season anything. So don’t lose your flavor! — Mark 9:50 (TLB)

Columbus was called mad because he decided to sail the uncharted ocean. . . . Martin Luther was called mad because he presumed to defy the entrenched religious hierarchy of his time. Patrick Henry was considered mad when he cried, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” George Washington was thought to be mad when he decided to continue the war after the winter at Valley Forge, when thousands of his men had died and other thousands had deserted, leaving him only a handful of men.

We have become too sophisticated and respectable to be called mad in our generation. Christianity has become so respectable and so conventional that it is now insipid. The salt has lost its flavor. . . . Would to God that the world found us Christians dangerous enough to call us mad, in these days when materialism and secularism are sweeping over the world. Thank God there are those who sacrifice time, talents, social position, and lucrative posts, and who fling aside every advantage in order to serve the Kingdom of God.

Prayer for the day: Instill in me, Lord Jesus, the same savor that the disciples showed as they lived so enthusiastically for You.

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.