Topic: It Will Surely Come! [Monday, December 25, 2017]

Some years ago, a man and his wife were found dead after leaping to their death together as their New Year resolution and agreement in Hong Kong. They leaped from a four-story building in Hon Kong’s Tin Shui Wai district on New Year’s Day. In most cases in Hong Kong, couples that want to die together do so by burning charcoals in a sealed room, but this couple decided to die by leaping. The sad part of this story is not just that they died, but they decided to die on New Year’s Day!

Also, a study years ago by a Sociology Professor named David Philips, concluded this shocker: “There are more emergency department death on Christmas, the day after Christmas, and New Year’s Day than in any other day of the year.” Wow! A New Year is expected to be a time of new goals, re dedication or new beginnings, but for this couple, things were so bad that they felt that it was impossible for a solution to come. Sadly, many people are going rough times worldwide right now and even the rich also cry. The rate of suicide is increasing all over the developed and developing world. Endtime frustration is growing and it is happening in every continent. However, the Holy Ghost is sending me to you that no matter how 2017 has been, don’t believe that you problem is the worst and never believe that all hope is lost.

He told me that 2018 is your year of SPECIAL DECORATION! What will bring out your COAT OF MANY COLOURS is being planned and is about to hit you! That is why you must keep hope alive. That is God’s Word emphasis to you today: Keep hope alive. This year is ending but His plan for you have not ended at all! In fact, you are about to enter into a NEW PHASE! You would not have seen the end of this year and another Christmas day, if God has finished with you! That you are alive to see another Christmas and end of year shows that your best days are still ahead and the devil is in big trouble! Oh! There is a solution coming! our daily manna prayer points

THERE IS A SOLUTION COMING! There will beauty for ashes and there will be dancing for mourning! No situation is hopeless and nothing in the world can take the place of patience. Habakkuk 2:3 declares; “though it tarries, wait for it, because it will surely come.” Believe God and note the word, “SURELY.” For anything worth having, we must pay the price and the price is always work, patience, love and self-sacrifices. A surprise package with your name on it has just been sent from heaven! Merry Christmas to you and family! Wait! Hold on!

Prayer Points: Take song: Because He Lives …

1. I refuse to worry or be anxious concerning this problem (mention any issue of great concern to you now). Begin to thank God for your GREAT AND COLOURFUL FUTURE!

2. I totally reject the power of death and discouragement.

3. As 2017 ends, I shall not hide under drugs, alcohol or depression. Lord, help me! Pray about today and the New Year.

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

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

Topic: Traditions and Christmas — Monday December 25, 2017.

Read: Luke 2:1–10, Bible in a Year: Zephaniah 1–3; Revelation 16

I bring you good news that will cause great joy . . . a Savior has been born to you. Luke 2:10–11

As you savor a candy cane this Christmas, say “danke schön” to the Germans, for that confectionary treat was first created in Cologne. As you admire your poinsettia, say “gracias” to Mexico, where the plant originated. Say “merci beaucoup” to the French for the term noel, and give a “cheers” to the English for your mistletoe.

But as we enjoy our traditions and festivities of the Christmas season—customs that have been collected from around the world—let’s save our most sincere and heartfelt “thank you” for our good, merciful, and loving God. From Him came the reason for our Christmas celebration: the baby born in that Judean manger more than 2,000 years ago. An angel announced the arrival of this gift to mankind by saying, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy . . . a Savior has been born to you” (Luke 2:10–11).

This Christmas, even in the light of the sparkling Christmas tree and surrounded by newly opened presents, the true excitement comes when we turn our attention to the baby named Jesus, who came to “save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). His birth transcends tradition: It is our central focus as we send praises to God for this indescribable Christmas gift.

Prayer: Lord, we thank You for coming to join us on that first Christmas. During a time of the year filled with many traditions, help us to keep You first.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him. Romans 15:13

Insight:

The angel Gabriel told Mary, “[Jesus] will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:32–33). The angel who appeared to Joseph said, “What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. . . . [Y]ou are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:20–21). Mary and Joseph knew Jesus would be the Messiah, and as faithful Jews they would have known the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem, David’s hometown. Perhaps when Joseph was ordered to Bethlehem for the census he thought, So that’s how God is going to get us to Bethlehem!

How does reflecting on the miraculous events that led to the birth of Jesus fill you with renewed awe and wonder?

This message was written By Dave Branon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Beware Of False Prophets — Monday December 25, 2017.

Text: Jeremiah 28:1-9

Key Verse: “The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him” (Jeremiah 28:9).

The emergence of two prophets claiming to be of God but issuing contradictory messages was an embarrassing spectacle in the Bible which the Lord never failed to resolve decisively to teach us not to play pranks with His name. In this case, we have the false prophet Hananiah challenging Jeremiah, the true prophet and servant of God. Hananiah, claiming to report what God had told him, said the king of Babylon who had invaded Judah and exiled the children of Israel while desecrating the temple with the seizure of the holy vessels, would return all these in two years.

Now, this contradicted an earlier prophecy of God in Jeremiah 25:11,12 and later in Jeremiah 29:10 that the captivity would last 70 years. But strangely, Hananiah in announcing his own prophecy said: “Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel.” What an audacity! The difference emanated from the fact that Hananiah sought to please the people and the king with his popular but untrue declaration while Jeremiah’s sole objective was to deliver the Lord’s message even if it was bitter and unpopular. The true messenger of God would cease to be representing the Owner of the message the moment he submits to the whims and caprices of his audience and forges lies. As it was at that time, so it is today. Many false prophets are out there deceiving and being deceived.

They lure unsuspecting people, including believers, away from the truth. Many of them are motivated by what to eat and allure of earthly riches. But they will never escape the judgment of God. Even so, these so-called prophets are sustained by the gullible with itching ears who prefer error to sound doctrine. If there arises a people whose devotion to the true word of God is sacrosanct and treat those who peddle falsehood with disdain, surely, the ranks of false prophets will dwindle.

Thought for the day: It’s foolhardy to walk and work against God.

Bible Reading in one Year: Proverbs 12-14

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.

Topic: The Mystery Of The Birth Of Christ [Monday December 25, 2017]

Scripture: …she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. Matthew 1:25

Thought For The Day: The birth of Jesus bypassed natural order; it suspended the protocol of nature to achieve Kingdom purpose.

Merry Christmas! Christmas is the annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ on the 25th Day of December by followers of Jesus Christ called Christians all over the world.

The Scripture makes it clear in Matthew Chapters 1 and 2 that the birth of our Master, the Saviour of the world was not a normal birth; it bypassed natural orders and protocols.

Let us x-ray some of the mysteries that surrounded the birth of Jesus Christ.
1. The mystery of unnatural conception: This is a conception that happened without the meeting of a man and a woman.

2. The mystery of incarnation: This is not reincarnation but incarnation. It is the mystery of God becoming man.

3. The mystery of surprise for the devil. The devil looked for Jesus to kill when He was in the womb. He did not just fail in his attempt; he also did not know when and where Jesus was born.

4. The birth of Christ was the mystery that changed the order of history and the arrangement of calendar. Everything that happened before Christ was born was termed B.C and everything that happened subsequently was called A.D.

5. The mystery of Jesus’ birth imparted nature and creation. It was the star that recorded His birth.

On this special day, I prophesy to you the impartation of all that the birth of Jesus carries. The end of your strandedness has come, in Jesus’ Name.

Remember This: The birth of Jesus bypassed natural happenings; it suspended the protocol of nature to achieve kingdom purpose.
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Assignment:

1. Passionately ask God to make the mystery of the birth of Jesus Christ real in your life

Prayer: LORD, I thank You for the birth of our master Jesus Christ. Let the mystery of Jesus’ birth be made real in me, Lord in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE POWER OF CHRISTMAS

Quote: It is wise men who seek Jesus. It is foolish men who seek their own ambitions. Culled from REASON FOR LIVING by Dr. Paul Enenche

Don’t Forget To Attend: The Healing and Deliverance Service tomorrow by 9:30am. Invite friends and loved ones. God bless you.

Daily Reading: Zechariah 8:1 to 23, Revelation 16:1 to 21, Psalm 144:1 to 15, Proverbs 30:29 to 31

Amazing Fact: Horses produce approximately 10 gallons of saliva a day.

Today In History: December 25th – Christmas Day, commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

Today’s devotional was written by Pastor Paul Enenche of the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Pastor Paul and Becky Enenche, as the Senior Pastors. It is a power-packed arena where God’s Presence, Principles and Power are at work for the salvation, healing and restoration of human destinies and dignities.

Topic: Thank God For Jesus — Monday December 25, 2017.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” – Luke. 2:11 (KJV)

Thank God for the gift of His only begotten Son that we are celebrating at this time. Take a minute to think of it, where would you be if Jesus didn’t come into this world? Can you imagine being alive in the Old Testament and not belonging to the Commonwealth of Israel? Can you imagine a life of complete alienation from God? Can you imagine what your life would have been like to be without God and without a hope of eternity? Let us even imagine you are a Jew, can you imagine all the rams you will be slaughtering on daily basis for the atonement of sins? Can you imagine what life would have been if Jesus did not come? Beloved, thank God He came. Indeed, He is the Ultimate Sacrifice.

Today, as men and women all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus, the interesting thing is that multiplied thousands are celebrating someone they do not even know. Can you imagine a birthday celebration without the celebrant? That is what multiplied thousands and indeed millions are doing; they are celebrating the season without knowing Him who is the reason for the season.

Do you know Him? If you don’t, don’t feel condemned, you can know Him today. Only pray this prayer: Almighty God, I come to you today, I know that I am a sinner and I cannot save myself, that is why I come. Jesus, I believe that you came to this world, you died and rose again and you paid the supreme price for my sin. I confess you today as my Lord and Saviour. Thank you for accepting me into your family. Thank you, Lord, for opening my eyes to see you today, in Jesus’ name.

If you prayed that prayer from your heart, welcome to the family of God. You can send me an email at [email protected] and I will be glad to be in touch with you.

Remember: Jesus is the reason for the season. God bless you real good is my prayer.

Further Reading: Luke 2: 1 – 20

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Zephaniah; Evening- Revelation 16

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 Time to Forget [Monday December 25, 2017]

Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him…Until seventy times seven. – Matthew 18:21-22

Remember when…? That’s a question we hear a lot this time of year. Reminiscing with family and friends, we browse through Christmases gone by, enjoying the memories until inevitably, we stumble across the memories we would rather forget.

Suddenly, the pain comes rushing back. The sting of a parent’s criticism, the broken promise of a friend, the rejections, the disappointments, the heartaches….

What should we do with memories like that? Do we have to drag them along, like so much baggage, from year to year?

No. We can leave them behind. In fact, we must leave them behind. And there’s only one way to do it—through forgiveness.

Forgiving someone sounds like a simple thing to do. Yet few of us actually do it. We treat forgiveness as if it were one of life’s additional options, something we can take or leave alone. But it’s not. It’s a basic requirement for every believer. In fact, as far as God is concerned, unforgiveness is wickedness. And in Matthew 18, Jesus tells a parable that illustrates the terrible consequences of it. The parable involves a servant who owed his lord a debt equivalent to millions of dollars. When the debt came due, he pleaded with his master, “Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all” (verse 26). His master was so moved that he canceled the entire debt!

Soon after, that same servant sought out a man who owed him $15. Finding him unable to pay, he ignored the man’s pleas for mercy and had him cast into prison.

When his lord heard about it, he was incensed. He called him a wicked servant and delivered him to the tormentors until he paid all that was due.

Look again at the size of that unforgiven debt. Fifteen dollars. The little debts are the ones that most often trip us up. The petty resentments between husband and wife, between brother and sister. Tiny bits of unforgiveness that seem too insignificant to bother with. Beware. Those are the kinds of debts Satan uses to torment you.

After all, Jesus paid off a mountain of debts for you. You can afford to be generous about the nickel and dime debts of others.

Spend time with the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to reveal the unforgiveness in you. Then repent and release it. Make this Christmas more than just a time for remembering. Make it a time to forget.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:21-35

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: Water Baptism Is A Sign [Monday December 25, 2017]

Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

Water baptism is a command of Jesus and is the initial action taken upon believing. Mark’s statement could be rendered, “He who believes with saving faith (i.e. faith that produces actions) will be saved.” In this sense, water baptism is very important. It is an opportunity to act on your new profession of faith. Anyone who refuses to follow Jesus’ command to receive water baptism, may be suspected of not really believing.

However, there are scriptural examples of people being born again before they were baptized in water. Cornelius and his friends were filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues before they were baptized in water (Acts 10:44-48). John 14:17 records Jesus saying that an unbeliever cannot receive the Holy Ghost, so Cornelius and his friends must have been born again before their water baptism.

Water baptism is the sign of the new covenant in the same way that circumcision was the sign of the old covenant. The apostle Paul made it clear in Romans 4, that although Abraham was circumcised, his circumcision was only a sign. Abraham was justified in the sight of God before his circumcision. Paul goes on to state in Galatians 5:1-6, that anyone who trusts in circumcision has fallen from grace; Christ will profit him nothing.

It is faith in the redemptive work of Christ that produces salvation – not our actions. However, James writes that faith without works is dead (Jas. 2:20).

Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone; it must be acted upon.

This is what Mark is referring to when he speaks of baptism.

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: What does Merry Mean? [Monday December 25, 2017]

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God . . . — Luke 2:13

When at this season of the year we wish our friends a “Merry Christmas,” it is essential to realize that true merriment of heart is contingent upon the recognition of the truth that Christ was born in Bethlehem for our salvation. The word “merry” is from an old Anglo-Saxon word which sometimes meant “famous,” “illustrious,” “great,” or “mighty.” Originally, to be merry did not imply to be merely mirthful, but strong and gallant. It was in this sense that gallant soldiers were called “merry men.” Favorable weather was called “merry weather.” Brisk winds were called a “merry gale.” Spenser speaks of London as “merry London.”

The word “merry” carries with it the double thought of “might” and “mirth,” and is used both ways in Scripture. One of the early Christmas carols was “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen.” The Christian is to engage in spiritual merriment as he thinks upon the fact that, through the redemption, he becomes a child of God’s family. The Bible teaches that the angels made merry at Christ’s birth.

Prayer for the day: This Christmas my heart is indeed merry when I think of Your birth, dear Lord. I rejoice with the angels and praise Your holy name!

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.