Topic: The Right Cleansing Rite — Saturday October 14, 2017.
Text: Leviticus 14:10-20
Key Verse: “And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean” (Leviticus 14:20).
Naaman, the captain of the host of the king of Syria was described as a great and honourable man, a military strategist who fought and won series of battles on behalf of his master the king. But he was a leper, a stigma that displayed a blight in his otherwise brilliant career. His life changed when he met Elisha who instructed him to take a dip into the Jordan river seven times. Miraculously his leprosy vanished. He became a man without reproach and confessed that Jehovah God was without parallel. The leper was to be unclean until he was purified. To complete the purification of the leper on the eighth day, and before he returned to his own home, he was to be presented to the Lord, with his offering.
The mercies of God oblige the leper to present himself to Him through the priests, who made acceptable sacrifices for his cleansing and atonement. Beside the usual rites of the trespass offering, some of the blood and oil was to be put upon him that was to be cleansed. When God has restored us to enjoy public worship again (after sickness, chastisement, or any other challenge), we should show appreciation for the fact that He cleansed us from our sins, admitted us into His Kingdom, separated us for His service, and reserves a place for us in heaven by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.
No other sacrifice here on earth can secure eternal treasure for us. God’s kind dealings with us ought therefore to reflect in our appreciation to Him and in how we comport ourselves.
Thought for the day: The blood of Jesus bleaches the heart white!
Bible Reading in one Year: 2 Kings 5-6
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.
Ryan Flannigan and his colleague lead congregational song at All Saints Dallas, January 2017. (Photo by Serkan Zanagar)
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Praise team leaders, organists, gospel choir members and other lovers of church music will gather in Dallas this weekend to launch the Center for Congregational Song in an effort to counter the “worship wars.”
The online center is being kicked off at an Oct. 15-16 conference—bookended by a gospel sing in a park and “beer and hymns” at a local brewery—that comes at a time when musicians are trying to re-energize an aspect of church life that often gets mired in feuds about style, volume and the complexity of the songs sung during worship.
“This idea that we need to be at war with each other over worship styles, I find ridiculous, and it’s very unhealthy in general,” said Brian Hehn, the director of the new center, an arm of the Hymn Society. “The center is an effort, in part, to do away with that idea.”
For decades, some congregants have differed strongly over whether traditional or contemporary music should reign supreme in their sanctuaries. Church signs sometimes denote the times for separate traditional and contemporary services. Other congregations have experimented with “blended” worship that includes more than one genre.
As more than 140 people gather to hear from leaders of different racial, ethnic and denominational backgrounds, they will sing songs ranging from Ana Hernández’s simple worship song “Open My Heart” to Isaac Watts’ hymn “We’re Marching to Zion.” Hehn hopes the in-person discussion will help people learn from one another.
Through the online center, the Hymn Society aims to foster new students of church music and aid small-church pastors who have to plan sermons as well as songs each week.
“The center wants to be a part of this kind of renewal of a sense of collaboration and collegiality,” said Hehn, who has led worship for Baptists, Roman Catholics, United Methodists and Presbyterians, among others.
One thing that seems to engender more agreement is a sense that no matter how they sing, they want to sing.
“There’s just a resurgence in acknowledging how important it is that we sing together and it’s coming to a head because I think we have reached a point in our surrounding culture where it is now officially countercultural,” Hehn said, pointing to the popularity of shows like “The Voice” that emphasize solo performances.
He said church leaders are saying that “if we let the surrounding culture tell us what we should be doing in worship, then we will stop singing together and that would be terrible.”
The society, which is based in Overland Park, Kan., is trying to rebrand itself as it nears its 100th anniversary in 2022 and expand its outreach by recommending books, audio tracks and podcasts that can undergird a passion for congregational music. The center will offer retreats and workshops for composers and highlight local singing events, such as an upcoming hymn festival in Los Angeles scheduled to mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
Hehn will join a group of experts from a range of perspectives—a worship pastor at a bilingual Church of the Nazarene ministry in California, an organist at an Episcopal church in Virginia and a graduate student in liturgical studies at Duke Divinity School—to offer additional insights through a new “Centered in Song” blog.
Like other music-oriented nonprofits, the Hymn Society has seen a gradual drop in membership—from 2,100 in 2004 to 1,600 in 2017—as retiring musicians have not been replaced by millennials. Organizers of the new center had hoped to raise $2.2 million for an endowment to support it and have thus far raised about $1.2 million, which Hehn said will cover operating costs, while other funding will pay for programs.
The Hymn Society is not the only one beating the drum of improving congregational song.
Contemporary hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty have encouraged everything from singing at home to a global hymn sing in hopes of encouraging more participation when people gather in the pews.
At the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual Pastors’ Conference in June, Keith Getty spoke about the need for clergy to encourage congregants to sing as a demonstration of their faith to visitors and children who may not yet be believers.
“Pastors, if you love your congregation, you need to take a lead in the teaching of the doctrine of singing and worship and in the songs that you sing,” he said, noting that historically, singing was key to large American revivals. “We need to be building singing congregations.”
Despite the efforts to invigorate the diverse music of churches, congregations do not seem to be in any immediate danger of losing their voices.
The National Congregations Study showed that, while there has been a decline in choirs, more than 96 percent of churches still had singing by the congregation at their main services in 2012, as they did in 1998 and 2006.
Frank Byers, a worship leader at an interdenominational and interracial church near Nashville, Tenn., said that music leaders need to be taught how to draw their congregants into singing with them.
“I don’t think congregational singing has died. I think the leaders have not been discipled well or coached well,” he said. “The congregation that you’re in may be dead but that doesn’t mean congregational singing is dead.”
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TOPIC: BE AN ACTIVE CHRISTIAN [SUNDAY OCTOBER 15TH, 2017]
MEMORY VERSE: “And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.” – Matthew 25:15 BIBLE PASSAGE: Matthew 25:14-30
INTRODUCTION:
One reason for the failure of modern churches is that they become a one-man affair. The pew-sitter leaves the work of evangelism, preaching, teaching and visiting to the pastor. This is not God’s order. At Pentecost, there were one hundred and twenty praying but only eleven of them could be called ‘Pastors’, that is, the eleven disciples. There were women present also. When persecution came, the pastors stayed in Jerusalem and the laymen were the ones who went out preaching – Acts 8:4. It is therefore the duty of every church member to be active for Christ. LESSON OUTLINES
1. From where do I start?
2. What can I do for Jesus?
FROM WHERE DO I START?
The Lord expects you to use the talents He has given you (Matthew 25:15). If you fail to do so, He will take them away from you (Matthew 25:28). You can start by:
1. Being active in prayer (Luke 18:1). When you spend time with the Lord, the Holy Spirit will begin to guide you into areas where you can be useful for the Lord (Acts 13:2-3; 16:9-10).
2. Doing personal Bible study (2Timothy 2:15). Very soon, the opportunity will come to answer a perplexing question authoritatively from the Bible.
3. Understanding senior Christians. You have a lot to learn from them as you will soon take over their responsibilities (1Samuel 3:1, 19-21; 1Kings 19:19-21).
4. Attempting small tasks first, like praying for the preacher of the day, before his sermon, etc. Join the workforce of your local church and be an active member of a department e.g Ushering, Choir, Sunday School, Children, etc (Matthew 25:22-23; Romans 12:4-5).
5. Witnessing to others. Start from your own family members to your friends, neighbours and colleagues (Matthew 28:19-20).
WHAT CAN I DO FOR JESUS?
There are practical ways of working for Jesus. You can:
1. Bring people to church in your car, paying bus fares or simply walking with a first timer to the church. Andrew is a good example of this. He brought Peter (John 1:40-42), the little lad with five loaves and two fishes (John 6:8-9) and certain Greeks to Jesus (John 12:20-22).
2. Contribute to missions’ activities. You can go, give money/materials, distribute tracts, pray for missionaries, etc.(Mark 16:15).
3. Encourage your Pastor. You can minister to his needs (1Corinthians 9:7-12).
4. Make your home available for small group meetings like House Fellowship, Children’s Bible club, etc. (Acts 2:42, 46).
5. Give food to the hungry, clothes to the naked, visit the sick and the imprisoned, care for the fatherless and widows (Matthew 25:34-36; James 1:27).
CONCLUSION:
Your duty as a Christian is to do the work of God while you are still alive and active (John 4:35; 9:4).
QUESTIONS:
1. Where do you start from to be an active Christian?
2. Mention some of the things you can do for Jesus.
Topic: Excellence And The Glory Of God [Saturday October 14, 2017] Scripture:This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. Isaiah 28:29.
Thought For The Day: The glory of God flows in the direction of excellence.
Behind every glory on earth, there is a story. You cannot access the glory until you understand the story. So, there is a story behind every excellent existence in life. We serve a God who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working. Anywhere God sees excellence, He goes to work. The glory of God flows in the direction of excellence.
The God of the universe is never patient with mediocrity; the excellent God will never manage average performance; He deserves nothing but the best.
Unfortunately, today, we have a generation of people who are allergic to information and knowledge. The number of people who read to affect their lives and the lives of others are very few. The Glory of God can never flow in the atmosphere of mediocrity. Mediocrity is a misrepresentation of the Creator.
Excellence is a department of Godliness. God will never put a seal of approval on what does not look like Him.
Beloved, whatever you do for God, ensure that it is done in dignity and decency. Do not let anyone insult God because of you. Let Heaven be excited about you. Be an asset, not a liability; a blessing and not a burden.
Remember This: The glory of God flows in the direction of excellence.
Assignments:
1. Be the best in everything you do.
2. Always study around your career or your assignment in order to upgrade yourself.
Prayer: O LORD, I ask for the grace to be an excellent personality. I refuse every mediocre existence from my life, Lord in Jesus’ Name.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: EXCELLENCE AND THE GLORY OF GOD.
Daily Reading: Jeremiah 23:21 to 25:38, 2 Thessalonians 2:1 to 17, Psalm 84:1 to 12, Proverbs 25:15.
Quote: When you dodge responsibility, you end up a liability. Culled from: WORKPLACE AND CAREER WISDOM by Dr Paul Enenche.
Amazing Fact: Tomatoes have more genes than humans.
Today In History: 14/10/1964 – Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence.
Don’t Forget To Attend: The six over-flooded services tomorrow by 6:00am, 7:20am, 8:40am, 10:00am, 11:20am & 12:40pm. Invite your friends and loved ones.
Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), is a powerfully anointed church, headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Dr 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: Instruct Your Children In The Things Of God — Saturday October 14, 2017. “And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.” (2 Samuel 6:7 KJV)
The bible tells us that for twenty years the Ark of covenant was in the house of Abinadab. But nothing happened in his house. And when they tried to move it back, Uzzah touched it and died instantly because he was not well instructed. That is where parents come in. Instruct your children in the things of God. Instruct them in integrity, lifestyle and being generous. We have a generation today that is so selfish, never caring about their parents. You must care for your parents. The bible says honour your father and your mother that it may be well with you, that your days may be long. Take care of your parents. As a parent, it is your responsibility to instruct your child. Don’t let society teach your child. Instruct your child, more especially, in the things of God. If you don’t instruct them something else will teach them. I’ve mentioned it severally, that there was a child who went to school and the teacher was telling them in his class (seven year old boy) that there is no God. The teacher said God is a figment of imagination. This young boy told the teacher that there is God. The teacher said that if there is God then prove it. Can you imagine how unfair that was for a seven year old boy? But the young boy said: “I may not be able to prove it but I tell you there is God. And he’s here right now. And for your information, my mummy and daddy have taught me there is God”.
Abinadab did not instruct his children in the ways of God. Consequently, Uzzah touched the Ark and was struck dead. He wanted to help God. Apparently, he wasn’t taught that God cannot be helped. Beloved, let God be God. Whatsoever he says, he does. It is just left for you to believe him so that you can receive it. We must instruct our children in these things.
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.
Read: Psalm 131, Bible in a Year: Isaiah 43–44; 1 Thessalonians 2
I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Psalm 131:2
As I was nearing the end of lunch with my sister and her children one afternoon, my sister told my three-year-old niece, Annica, it was time to get ready for her nap. Her face filled with alarm. “But Aunt Monica did not hold me yet today!” she objected, tears filling her eyes. My sister smiled. “Okay, she may hold you first—how long do you need?” “Five minutes,” she replied. As I held my niece, I was grateful for how, without even trying, she constantly reminds me what it looks like to love and be loved. I think sometimes we forget that our faith journey is one of learning to experience love—God’s love—more fully than we can imagine (Eph. 3:18). When we lose that focus, we can find ourselves, like the older brother in Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son, trying desperately to win God’s approval while missing out on all He has already given us (Luke 15:25–32).
Psalm 131 is one prayer in Scripture that can help us to “become like little children” (Matt. 18:3) and to let go of the battle in our mind over what we don’t understand (Ps. 131:1). Instead, through time with Him we can return to a place of peace (v. 2), finding the hope we need (v. 3) in His love—as calm and quiet as if we were children again in our mothers’ arms (v. 2).
Prayer: Lord, we are so grateful for those in our lives who remind us what it means to love and be loved. Help us to be ever more deeply rooted in Your love.
Like children, we can learn to rest in the love of God. Insight:
Psalm 131, written by David, is one of fifteen “songs of ascents” (Pss.120–134). Pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem sang these songs to celebrate the annual feasts (Deut. 16:16). In this psalm, David acknowledged that there are some things about God that he just couldn’t understand (cf. Deut. 29:29; Job 42:3; Eccl. 11:5; Isa. 55:8–9; Rom. 11:33–34). But David chose not to be troubled by matters that properly belonged to God (Ps. 131:1). Instead, like a weaned, contented child enjoying the protection and provision of a mother (v.2), David simply trusted God with a childlike faith and quiet confidence. Psalm 131 is a prayer of humility (v. 1), contentment (v. 2), and hope (v. 3).
How does reflecting on the character and love of God comfort you and allow you to rest in Him? Sim Kay Tee
This message was written By Monica Brands [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]
As Hollywood advertises assisted-suicide film and shows, one new movie is standing out by showing life is worth living even when it’s not perfect.
The upcoming film Breathe stars Andrew Garfield as British disability-rights advocate Robin Cavendish. When Cavendish contacted polio in the 1950s, doctors predicted that the 28-year-old, paralyzed from the neck down and needing a respirator to breathe, would die within months. But with his wife Diana’s support, he beat the odds: Cavendish lived 64 years and used his time to fight for others like him.
Cavendish’s son, Jonathan, served as producer for the film directed by Andy Serkis. The movie hits theaters Oct. 13.
The powerful trailer offers a sharp contrast with the 2016 Hollywood film Me Before You. Billed as a romantic comedy, the film showed a quadriplegic falling in love with his caregiver before choosing to end his life rather than continue living with her.
Instead, Breathe is about a love that inspires Cavendish to not only survive, but thrive.
“I love you, and I want Jonathan to know you,” Diana (Claire Foy), stresses to Cavendish about their son in the trailer.
When he tells her, “You can’t love this,” she responds, “Yes, I can. There must be something I can do.” And there is. She takes Cavendish back home, even though one doctor insists “no one with your husband’s disability exists outside the hospital.
That’s when, in the trailer, Cavendish invents a “wheelchair that does his breathing for him.” And not just for him, but for others like him.
“When I first became paralyzed, I wanted to die,” Cavendish, played by Garfield, says. “My wife told me I had to live to see our son grow up. I don’t want to just survive. I want to truly live.”
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Topic: Your Conduct Can Make Or Mar You! [Saturday, October 14, 2017]
God wants you never to forget that many favours and open doors can be yours through an act as little as a smile. A smile can win friends and open doors! Courtesy, style and success are all connected.
That insignificant smile of approval, that display of pleasantness and emphasis on neatness of profile, all make up the keys that can open greater doors to you or sustain your God-given position. God wants you to be mindful of first impression may be all you’ve got with the people that God will send across your life. Never forget that there may not be second chance when it comes to first impression! A good, working environment is a strong publicity for any organization. Like the human conduct, the environment dictates the true colour and feeling of any organization. It spells out in clear terms, the type of people that populate a given business environment. Learn to smile, shake hands and call people by their names. It was Rebecca’s courtesy that made her the grandmother of Jesus of Nazareth.
Courtesy (your manna and conduct) can make or mar your destiny. Pastors can learn this for church and ministry growth! No wonder years ago, the palace of the Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa, banned the first lady of Nigeria, the late Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, from eating in public.
Hear the Oba then: “Like all Benin chiefs, Mrs. Obasanjo is expected to maintain the decorum of a chief when wearing the bead and is not expected to eat in public.” Oh! You represent a HIGHER KINGDOM FROM ABOVE! Therefore, observe decorum in the way you eat outside, dress or talk and be the first to greet with a smile. Never forget that: There may be not second chance when it comes to first impression. May God restore your lost, past opportunities as 2017 ends and 2018 begins in Jesus name!
Don’t miss the Lagos (Lekki) Anointing Service of Saturday October 28th; Time: 8am-11.30am. Theme: “AHITHOPHEL MUST DIE! HOUSEHOLD WICKEDNESS MUST DIE!” Bring names of your family members! Fire will fall!
Prayer Points: Take song as led.
1. Scatter every plan to demote you as 2017 ends.
2. I uproot ever satanic plan to stagnate my life through my conduct. Lord, use my conduct – my smile, my speech, my courtesy, to take me higher in life and ministry in Jesus name.
3. Lord, connect my life, family, business and ministry to new helpers/clients that will promote my life (Pray it seriously). pray about today now.
Assignment: Which conduct must you change? Which new conduct will you acquire?
By Bishop (Dr) Chris E. Kwakpovwe (Cek) Publisher/Writer Of ODM And Rev (Mrs) Flora E. Kwakpovwe (Fek) Co-Publisher/Writer Of ODM.
Topic: That Glorious Name [Saturday October 14, 2017] And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you may ask in My name [as presenting all that I AM,] so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son. – John 14:13, The Amplified Bible
In Jesus’ Name. It’s more than a phrase we tack onto the end of our prayers. All that God is and does is represented in the Name of Jesus. The Amplified Bible says when you ask in His Name, you present your requests to the Father on the basis of all that Jesus is. So you can boldly expect to have those requests granted—not because you’re worthy, but because He is! What’s more, the Name of Jesus carries authority over all other names. In Philippians 2:5-11, the Apostle Paul tells us, “God also hath highly exalted him [Jesus], and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.”
In spite of all the Word of God has to say about the power of the Name of Jesus, most believers don’t seem to put much stock in it. They’ll pray in the Name of Jesus, then turn right around and say, “I sure hope God answers that prayer.” They don’t realize that if they only had the faith to believe it, Jesus’ Name alone carries enough clout to guarantee their prayers will be answered.
They even let religious slang rob them of the power of using that Name. I’ve heard many a well-meaning believer end his prayer with the phrase, “For Jesus’ sake.” But Jesus didn’t say to pray for His sake. He said to pray in His Name.
I used to make that mistake myself. One night I was praying because I was suffering from a stomachache. “Oh, for Jesus’ sake,” I prayed, “heal my stomach.”
After I’d said that a few times, the Lord spoke up on the inside of me. Wait a minute, He said, whose stomach is hurting here, Mine or yours?
“Mine!” I answered.
Then He very plainly said, In that case, pray for your stomach’s sake, in My Name!
Jesus’ Name. Dig in to the Word and find out just how much power and authority it really carries. Then use that power every time you pray. Stop hoping God will answer and start expecting Him to cause every circumstance in your life to bow its knee in honor of that glorious Name! Scripture Reading: John 16:13-24
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.
He that walketh righteously . . . shall dwell on high. — Isaiah 33:15,16
Being pure in conduct also includes honesty and integrity in dealing with our fellowmen. A Christian should be known in his neighborhood or place of business as an honest person, a person who can be trusted. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Do you want to be happy? All right, apply this Beatitude to your heart. Take it to yourself. The pure in heart are the only ones who can know what it means to be supremely happy. Their hearts are pure toward God and, as a result are pure toward their fellowmen. They are happy because, in possessing Him who is All and in All, they envy no man’s worldly goods. They are happy because they envy not another man’s praise. Because they are the enemy of no man, they regard no man as their enemy. The result is peace with God and the world. Prayer for the day: Forgive me, Lord Jesus, my heart is far from pure. I confess to You all my innermost thoughts.
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.
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