Topic: Stir Yourself Up! [Friday December 1, 2017]

For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love. — Galatians 5:6

God’s love is unconditional and everlasting. I remember how amazed and excited I was when He revealed His love to me. I felt like I was going to burst!

But after awhile, I got used to the fact that God loves me, and I didn’t feel the same passion.

Has that ever happened to you? Are you experiencing it now? If so, I believe there is something you can do about it.

Paul told Timothy to stir himself up, to fan the flame and rekindle the embers of the fire he once had. Paul’s message to Timothy is God’s message to you today: Stir yourself up! Stop living life being tired of the “same old, same old.”

We need to remember this: We make the decision to approach life with passion before it becomes a feeling.

So make a decision today to wake up every morning excited about the relationship you have with your Creator. Stir yourself up and live amazed by Him!

Prayer Starter: God, I want to always be amazed by You! I will not live without passion. Knowing You is amazing, and I choose now to live with passion about my relationship with You.

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries

Topic: His Ears Are Not Dull [Friday 1, December 2017]

Memorise: “Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.” – Job 14:15

Read: Isaiah 59:1-3

1 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

Bible In One Year: 1 Corinthians 5-9. Hymn: Sing Hymn 7: Holy Holy Holy, Lord God Almighty

MESSAGE:

Alienation or banishment is a form of punishment in which a guilty person is expelled from a region and forbidden to return. Alienation is commonly used by God in the Bible to cut off sinners from His presence. A good example is the banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden as a result of their disobedience to God. I pray that you will never do anything that will cause God to cut you off from His presence in Jesus’ Name.

Christians today are daily challenging God by constantly indulging in acts that are clearly recorded as reasons for alienation in the Bible. The Presence of God departs from such Christians, making them easy targets to the devil and his agents. Indeed, the Lord’s hands are not shortened, neither are His ears heavy that He cannot hear our cry for help. Sin is always responsible for alienation from God. In what way has weakness, carelessness, and nonchalant attitude contributed to sin and immorality in your family or the Church of God? Repent and make amends today before it is too late.

Prayer Point: Father, please help me to commit myself to a life of holiness and righteousness in Jesus’ Name.

Sing Hymn 7: Holy Holy Holy, Lord God Almighty

1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

2. Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
Who wert and art and evermore shalt be.

3. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Open Heavens Daily Devotional for Teen’s 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.

Topic: Pilate Violates The Truth [Friday December 1, 2017]

Matthew 27:17 “Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, ‘Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ”?

Although Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent, he looked for some diplomatic way to release Jesus that would not cause him to lose popularity with the Jewish leaders. This is why he sent Jesus to Herod. He hoped that Herod would pass judgment on Jesus and save him the trouble.

When that scheme failed, Pilate drew on an old custom of releasing a prisoner to the people at the feast. He gave them a choice between Jesus, who he knew was innocent, and Barabbas, who was a murderer. Pilate thought that the crowd would certainly choose Jesus. However, through the insistence of the chief priests and scribes, the people chose Barabbas to be released.

Pilate was now out of ideas as to how to let Jesus go, and still save face with the Jews, so he condemned Jesus to death. Pilate violated what he knew to be true in his heart because of a fear of men (Prov. 29:25) and what he thought they might do to him. Without the chief priests’ cooperation, he ran the risk of unrest among the Jews, and possible punishment by Caesar for failing to govern well.

As it turned out, Pilate was deposed anyway, just a few years later by Tiberius Caesar, and died in exile in Gaul in A.D. 41. At the most, Pilate gained a five-year extension of his troubled rule, and damned his soul in the process. What a person compromises to keep, he’ll lose. Sin is never worth the price.

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).