Topic: Steadfast Love [Sunday December 10, 2017]

Your steadfast love, O Lord, is as great as all the heavens . . . — Psalm 36:5 (TLB)

Young people talk a lot about love. Most of their songs are about love. . . . “The supreme happiness of life,” Victor Hugo said long ago, “is the conviction that we are loved.” “Love is the first requirement for mental health,” declared Sigmund Freud. The Bible teaches that “God is love” and that God loves you. To realize that is of paramount importance. Nothing else matters so much. And loving you, God has a wonderful plan for your life. Who else could plan and guide your life so well?

Prayer for the day: In knowing I am loved by You, almighty God, my heart trusts You to guide me.

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.

Topic: Seek God First [Sunday December 10, 2017]

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. – Matthew 6:33

Whenever Ken and I talk about living by faith, I know there are some people who think, Oh, that’s easy for you. You’re preachers. You have it made! And, in some ways, we do. We have it made because our calling demands that we give God our attention, and giving God your attention always brings success.

But we haven’t always lived that way. In fact, the first time I ever saw Kenneth Copeland, he was about as far from a preacher as I figured you could get. He flew planes and sang in nightclubs. As for me, I was a college girl who said she would never marry a preacher and who had never even heard about the new birth.

Right after we got married, Ken went into a business enterprise that we thought was going to make us rich. So I quit my job and went to work for this new company. Two weeks later it folded.

We ended up sleeping on a rented rollaway bed that sagged in the middle. We had a wrought-iron coffee table Ken made in high school and a black and white TV. Nothing else. No refrigerator. No stove. I cooked in my coffee pot and an electric skillet and used a cardboard box on the porch to keep our food cold.

We were flat broke. Unemployed. Deeply in debt. I had nowhere to go. No furniture. No nothing.

Then one day I picked up the Bible Ken’s mother had given him for his birthday. In the front she’d written this verse, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” I turned and read Matthew 6. It said God cared for the birds. For the first time in my life it got into my heart that God cared where I was and what I was doing. I figured if He cared for birds, He cared for me! I knelt in that bare room and told Jesus that if He could do anything with my life, He could certainly have it. That’s all I remember saying.

I had no idea I had just been born again. Two weeks later Ken found a new job. We moved to a new furnished apartment and bought a better car. In the midst of it all, something else happened—Ken got born again.

Don’t worry if you don’t “have it made.” We certainly didn’t when all this started. Just stick with God and let Him make you. He is a good God who is good to all (Psalms 145:9).

Make a decision in your heart to seek Him first. Then all the other things will be added.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 128

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: What Ghandi Said… [Sunday, December 10, 2017]

Years ago, a company in the USA started delivering the Word of God as a reminder for daily prayers. Alan Westenberg  said, “It began with a promise to pray for each other at 3 o’clock every day. I kept forgetting to do it, so being a computer person, I programmed a machine to send a reminder Psalm to my wife and myself every day. Soon, friends and family started asking if they could join and today, It has grown and reaching out to millions all over the world.”

What was a disadvantage led to an advantage. Also, today, you can get various versions of the Bible in your phone. So, dear child of God, there is no excuse whatsoever anymore, why your knowledge based on the Word of God should not grow. David said, “…give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments. In this age of internet, video, audio, books are now digital Bible technology, lack of knowledge or busy schedule excuses should become history I your life. Hear what former, most powerful men in the world (American president) speak about the Bible you carry: “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face”

(Ronald Reagan). “Take all you can of this Book upon reason, and the balance of faith, and you will live and die a happier man” (Abraham Lincoln said this when a skeptic expressed surprise to see him reading a Bible). Oh, hear the great Dwight Lyman Moody: “Out of 100 men, one will read the Bible; the other 99 will read the Christian.” Be in that 1%. Hear a non-Christian, Mahatma Gandhi:

“You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilization to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature.”

Wow! As 2017 ends, and 2018 begins, conquer laziness and begin reading and studying the Word afresh. You could do a study on a topic you don’t quite understand, for example, the Blood of Jesus, power, holiness or just read the books till you finish your Bible. Many books can inform! Only the Bible can transform! Fall in love with your Bible again. Remember what Mahatma Gandhi said!

TODAY IS THE ANNUAL ODM (INTERNATIONAL) THANKSGIVING FOR THE YEAR 2017.

Prayer Points: Take any song of worship as led.

1. Thank God for the word today. Repent from laziness!

2. Believe God for the grace to finish your Bible as soon as possible.

3. Ask for the grace to be disciplined enough to study your Bible afresh DAILY this year and in the upcoming year 2018.

4. Decree that despite your busy schedule, you will stay with the Word again. The era of excuses is over! Pray about 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: Come Into His Presence Rejoicing — Sunday December 10, 2017.

“Let them praise his name in dance; strike up the band and make great music!” – Psalm 149:3 (MSG)

Today, no matter where you are put on a good music and give the Lord a dance offering. Dance before Him not because every desire has manifested, but dance before Him in trust that He that has promised is faithful and He will do it.

Praise God for His mercies over your life. Praise Him for the seen and unseen miracles. Praise Him for members of your family. Praise Him for His preservation over the years. Stop and think. Take a moment to think of all that the Lord has done for you this year. Think of the air that you breathe; think of the fact that, in spite of the population increase, we are not short of air to breathe and yet it is free of charge. Can you imagine that? If air was for a fee, do you think you could afford it?

Think of your salvation. Out of the multiplied billions all over the world, He saved you. Yes, Jesus died for everyone, but not everyone has come to the realisation of the finished work of Calvary. God singled you out and opened your eyes to see and you accepted Him as your Lord. He died just for you and He saved you free of charge. Again, stop and think: can you pay for your salvation? No matter how wealthy you may be, you cannot buy your salvation.

Beloved, if you can only think, you will burst for thanking Him and rejoicing in His goodness. Stop and make melody in your heart unto the Lord. Thank Him sincerely, not out of compulsion, but out of love. Give Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving, which is the fruit of your lips, and as you do, get ready because the heaven over you is opened and blessings are pouring out. You must have heard it said over and over again that when praises go up, blessings come down. It is not a religious cliché, it is real and it is my prayer that as you praise God today, you will experience incredible miracles and long-standing cases will give way in Jesus’ name.

Further Reading: Psalm 149:1-9; Psalm 150:1-6

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Hosea 1-4; Evening- Revelation 1

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: Restored Failures — Sunday December 10, 2017.

Read: Psalm 145:1–16, Bible in a Year: Hosea 1–4; Revelation 1

The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. Psalm 145:14

A guest band was leading praise and worship at our church, and their passion for the Lord was moving. We could see—and feel—their enthusiasm.

Then the musicians revealed that they were all ex-prisoners. Suddenly their songs took on special meaning, and I saw why their words of praise meant so much to them. Their worship was a testimony of lives broken and restored.

The world may embrace success. But stories of past failure offer people hope too. They assure us that God loves us no matter how many times we have failed. Pastor Gary Inrig says that what we call the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 could well be entitled God’s Hall of Reclaimed Failures. “There is scarcely an individual in that chapter without a serious blemish in his or her life,” he observes. “But God is in the business of restoring failures . . . . That is a great principle of God’s grace.”

I love the comfort of Psalm 145, which speaks of God’s “wonderful works” (vv. 5–6) and glorious kingdom (v. 11). It describes His compassion (vv. 8–9) and faithfulness (v. 13)—then immediately tells us that He lifts up those who have fallen (v. 14). All His attributes are expressed when He picks us up. He is indeed in the business of restoration.

Have you failed before? We all have. Have you been restored? All who have been redeemed are stories of God’s grace.

Our stories of failure can be God’s stories of success.

Insight:

For the believer, the living God is the ultimate safety net. The psalmist says, “The Lord upholds all who fall” (Ps. 145:14). Despite allowing disappointment, loss, and failure, God provides the power and resources to keep us going when we stumble.

How might you praise God today for His steadfast love that reaches out to you after you fall? Dennis Fisher

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

Topic: Do Not Lose Your Head — Sunday December 10, 2017.

Text: Deuteronomy 18:8-13

Key Verse: “When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations” (Deuteronomy 18:9).

There was a story of a successful man who always moved about with a particular box anywhere he went. People wondered endlessly about the contents of the box because he hardly ever opened it in the public glare. But there came a day when he had to unleash the mystery of the box. The only thing in the box was an old picture of his when he was ragged and wretched. Any time the feeling of pride overtook him, he went into a closet to look at the old picture as a constant reminder of his humble beginning.

There was a clear instruction to the children of Israel in our text that “When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations” (Deuteronomy 18:9). But no sooner did they get to the Promised Land than they forgot all the instructions and started doing exactly what they were commanded against. An example was Saul, the first king in Israel, who went to inquire from the witch at Endor contrary to God’s directive in our text not to consult with familiar spirits or necromancers (Deuteronomy 18:10,11).

Many other kings after him soon followed suit, erecting high places for idol worship and leading the people in the wrong direction. Some who were very fervent and humble when they were nothing become proud at the slightest elevation. They have forgotten that their wealth and comfort here on earth do not equate with heaven’s grandeur in any way. Some others patronize Satan in order to keep the position given to them by God. What a pity! These things happen gradually.

A little carelessness here and there, and before long, the substance is gone. Hence, the warning not to go after the abominations of those nations (Deuteronomy 18:9). Believers are further encouraged to watch and pray lest they fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41).

Thought for the day: It is wisdom to always remember the Lord as the Architect of all goodness.

Bible Reading in one Year: Luke 20-21

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 Lord Shall Fight For You [Sunday December 10, 2017]

Scripture: The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14

Thought For The Day: If you are on cause of God, no curse from the enemy can prevail against your life.

From our anchor scripture above, it is established that God is committed to fighting for His children. As long as you are on cause of God, no curse from the enemy can prevail against your life.

This fact was depicted in Numbers 16:26-32 when Korah, Dathan and Abiram rose against Moses. Moses ordered the people to step away from them as directed by God and he decreed that if Korah, Dathan and Abiram died a natural death, then, God did not send him, but if the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, then he was truly called of God. Fearful! Before Moses finished speaking, the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up.

That was the first time people entered hell by direct entry. They entered hell bodily without death. The tragedy of Korah, Dathan and Abiram came as a result of their tampering with the man that was connected to God in prophetic service.

Beloved, as long as you are connected to God, you have no devil to fear; you become untouchable by the enemy.

In this DECEMBER, I decree to you and to everyone connected, related or associated with you that you are not waste-able materials. The Lord shall fight for you in your office, business and family. You are preserved, in Jesus’ Name.

Remember This: If you are on cause of God, no curse from the enemy can prevail against your life.

Assignments:

1. Remain connected to God at all times

2. Maintain a life of holiness, study of the Word, prayer, etc. in order to remain in touch with God.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: TOO NEEDED TO BE WASTED.

Prayer: Lord, give me the grace to remain connected to You. I make demands on Your power to fight my battles, O Lord, in Jesus’ Name.

Daily Reading: Amos 1:1 to 3:15, Revelations 2:1 to 17, Psalm 129:1 to 8, Proverbs 29:19 to 20

Quote: Your assignment is key to your consignment. Your assignment determines your security. Culled from 365 WISDOM CAPSULES by Dr Paul Enenche.

Today In History: 10/12/1950 – Dr. Ralph Bunche became the first African American man awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for his efforts in mediation between Israel and nearby Arab states the previous year.

Amazing Fact: The Sun is 109 times wider than the earth and 330,000 times as massive.

Prophetic Parental Blessing: This week, I decree your deliverance from accident. No devil shall baptize you with sorrow in this season, in Jesus’ Name.

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.