Topic: Good From Evil — Friday 15, December 2017.

Memorise: For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; –  2 Corinthians 4:17

Read: John 16:4-7 (KJV)

4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Bible in One Year: Revelation 11-13, Zechariah 1:18-2:13, Hymn: Sing Hymn 4 – Through The Love Of God Our Saviour

MESSAGE:

Everybody has a choice to make on the issue of focus in life. Your focus has a way of directing your activities and dictating how well or badly your resources are utilized. It is therefore great wisdom to make Jesus Christ your focus. May the Lord grant you grace to do so in Jesus’ Name. When you walk with God for a while, you will come to realise that He specialises in bringing something good out of something seemingly bad. This is why it is well said that opportunities are wrapped up in unpleasant packages. This truth was demonstrated in the life of Elisha (2 Kings 2:1-15). To Elisha, losing his mentor and master was seemingly a bad thing, but this had to happen for Him to get promoted to the office of the national prophet and become a mentor to others. Similarly, it was seemingly a bad thing when Jesus Christ had to be beaten and His body was torn in shreds. However, this was the price He had to fully pay for us to access healing for all kinds of diseases (1 Peter 2:24). This tells us that not every bad event is truly bad, particularly as it relates to children of the Most High God (Romans 8:28).

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” – John 16:7

After spending just three and a half years with His disciples, the time came for the Lord to leave them. This was an unthinkable scenario for them, and it was most undesirable! The disciples were not ready to let the Master go, not even when they knew that He needed to go to the cross in obedience to God. In fact, Peter was prepared to involve himself in physical combat in his attempt to prevent Jesus from leaving them. However, Jesus needed to depart for the Holy Spirit to come. Some people may have to leave the scene so that you can move from obscurity into limelight. Have you been left out in the cold? Something will happen that will cause a sudden divine remembrance of you this season in Jesus’ Name! King Uzziah had to die for Prophet Isaiah to see more clearly (Isaiah 6:1). The Lord will do something about your matter today! Whether good or bad, things will happen that will favour you in Jesus’ Name. Both good and bad will work in your favour this period! As bad as afflictions appear to be, 2 Corinthians 4:17 says they are actually working great rewards for us. May every seemingly bad event work for your good in Jesus’ Name!

Prayer Point: Father, in seemingly bad situations I have been through or that I am going through now, please open my eyes to see the good inherent in them.

Hymn 4: Through The Love Of God Our Saviour

1. Through the love of God our Savior,
All will be well;
Free and changeless is His favor,
All, all is well:
Precious is the blood that healed us;
Perfect is the grace that sealed us;
Strong the hand stretched
forth to shield us;
All must be well.

2. Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well;
Christ hath purchased full salvation,
All, all is well:
Happy still in God confiding;
Fruitful, if in Christ abiding;
Holy, through the Spirit’s guiding;
All must be well.

3. We expect a bright tomorrow;
All will be well;
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All, all is well:
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
Then in living or in dying,
All must be well.

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.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Topic: From Confrontation To Promotion [Friday December 15, 2017]

Scripture: Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 1 Samuel 17:36

Thought For The Day: God will not allow what will conquer you to confront you; the confrontation did not come to collapse you but to promote you.

Confrontation simply means the challenges and battles a person faces or fights.

David, for instance, was confronted with a death sentence hanging on his life. King Saul wanted to take his life by all means (1 Samuel 19:1). He was confronted by a lion and a bear. He also confronted Goliath that almost turned King Saul and the children of Israel into vegetables out of fear.

Now, David must have complained like most Christians do today, ‘Why all these battles, why does God not like me? Where did I go wrong? What did I do? I pray, I pay my tithe, I am doing everything God said I should do, yet God allowed all these battles to confront me.’ God must have silently assured him, ‘Your confrontations are all for your promotions.’

A genuine Christian facing the battles of life could be faced with endless questions and complaints: ‘Why does God allow me to remain barren for years? Why is He not protecting me from witchcraft afflictions and attacks? I am almost forty years old and not yet married, etc.’

Beloved, the truth is God will not allow what will conquer you to confront you. Remember, it was in confronting the lion and the bear that David had the courage to confront Goliath. And it was in confronting Goliath that David was promoted.
Beloved, today’s battle is the seed for tomorrow’s victory. What you confront today is the foundation for what you will collapse tomorrow. The confrontation did not come to collapse you but to promote you.

By the mandate of God on my life, I prophesy the collapse of every battle around your life – be it the battle of childlessness, chronic singleness or witchcraft affliction, in Jesus’ Name.

Remember This: God will not allow what will conquer you to confront you; the confrontation did not come to collapse you but to promote you.

Assignments:

1. No matter what you may be passing through, never murmur against God or think that God does not love you.

2. In the face of confrontations or contradictions, develop a dogged faith, trust and confidence in God.

Prayer: LORD, I decree that every confrontation around my life usher me into promotion, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING Get the Message: HE TEACHETH MY HANDS TO WAR

Quote: God did not call you to kill you; He called you to colour you. God didn’t call you to mock you, He called you to make you. Culled from 365 WISDOM CAPSULES by Dr Paul Enenche

Don’t Forget To Attend: The Home Cell Fellowship tomorrow by 6:pm. Invite your neighbours, God bless you.

Daily Reading: Micah 1:1 to 4:13, Revelation 6:1 to 17, Psalm 134:1 to 3, Proverbs 30:1 to 4

Amazing Fact: Your upper lid has around 200 lashes and your lower lid has around 100!

Today In History: 15/12/1891- James Naismith invented the sport of basketball.

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: More Than a Hero — Friday December 15, 2017.

Read: John 1:1–5, 9–14, Bible in a Year: Amos 1–3; Revelation 6

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

As Star Wars fans around the world eagerly await the release of Episode 8, “The Last Jedi,” people continue to analyze the remarkable success of these films dating back to 1977. Frank Pallotta, media reporter for CNNMoney, said that Star Wars connects with many who long for “a new hope and a force of good at a time when the world needs heroes.”

At the time of Jesus’s birth, the people of Israel were oppressed and longing for their long-promised Messiah. Many anticipated a hero to deliver them from Roman tyranny, but Jesus did not come as a political or military hero. Instead, He came as a baby to the town of Bethlehem. As a result, many missed who He was. The apostle John wrote, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:11).

More than a hero, Jesus came as our Savior. He was born to bring God’s light into the darkness and to give His life so that everyone who receives Him could be forgiven and freed from the power of sin. John called Him “the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (v. 14).

“To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (v. 12). Indeed, Jesus is the one true hope the world needs.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are our Savior, and we praise You for coming to die that we might live.

At Bethlehem, God demonstrated that to love is to give.

Insight:

Many times when we think of heroes we think of someone who “rescues.” This is especially true of Jesus, who is the greatest hero of all time. Paul wrote in Galatians 1:4 that Jesus is the One “who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” Second Timothy 4:18 declares, “The Lord will rescue [us] from every evil attack, and will bring [us] safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” The greatest hero of all provides the greatest rescue of all—eternal life.

Who might you want to tell about your story of Jesus’s rescue? Bill Crowder

This message was written By David C. McCasland [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]