Topic: You Can Preach! [Tuesday September 26, 2017]

And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world . . . — Matthew 24:14 (TLB)

We are stewards of the Gospel. The power to proclaim the greatest news in heaven or on earth was not given to the angels. It was given to redeemed men. This was addressed to humble laymen. Some think that only ministers are to preach, but that is wrong. Every Christian is to be a witness; every follower of Christ is to preach the Gospel.

We can preach by sharing our experience with others. We can preach by exalting Christ in our daily lives. Sermons which are seen are often more effective than those which are heard. The truth is: the best sermons are both heard and seen. They are a sort of audiovisual testimony. We can also preach by giving to others, so they may preach. Missionary gifts, church offerings, and charitable contributions all speak eloquently of your unselfishness and Christian generosity.

In all these things, we are partners with God. We are helping by His grace to redeem the world. God needs our time, our talents, our witnessing, and our money, today more than at any other time in history. Become a full, working partner with God.

Prayer for the day: Wherever I go today, make me conscious of the people I meet. They need Your love. So whether I can speak of You to them, say a kind word or minister in any way, I would be like You, Lord—ever loving, ever giving.

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: Give Agape Love – Tuesday September 26, 2017.

Matthew 23:12 “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Text: Matthew 23:10-12

In Romans 12:10 we are admonished to desire the welfare of others more than our own; to like others better than ourselves. That is an awesome command that is only obtainable through God’s supernatural love. If this very simple, yet very profound truth could be understood and applied, then strife would cease (Prov. 13:10). The world would see Christianity as never before, and we would discover the true joy that comes from serving someone besides ourselves.

There is much confusion today on the subject of love because we have only one English word (love) to describe a broad aspect of meanings. For example, if I said, “I love my wife, I love apple pie, and I love my dog,” obviously I am not talking about love in the same degree or definition.

God’s type of love; the highest kind of love, is AGAPE. This is when we seek the welfare or betterment of others even when we don’t feel affection. AGAPE love does not come from one’s feelings. Jesus displayed this AGAPE kind of love by going to the cross and dying for us even though He didn’t feel like dying. Jesus sought the betterment of you and me, regardless of His feelings.

We, too, can AGAPE love our enemies even though we don’t have a warm feeling of affection for them. If they are hungry we can feed them; if they are thirsty we can give them a drink. We can choose to seek the betterment and welfare of others regardless of how we feel.

If anyone becomes a servant and humbles himself with the motive of being exalted, then he is not truly fulfilling Jesus’ command. Jesus is teaching about a true, servant’s heart, that loves others more than itself and will joyfully go without so that someone else may prosper.

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: Give Agape Love – Tuesday September 26, 2017.

Matthew 23:12 “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Text: Matthew 23:10-12

In Romans 12:10 we are admonished to desire the welfare of others more than our own; to like others better than ourselves. That is an awesome command that is only obtainable through God’s supernatural love. If this very simple, yet very profound truth could be understood and applied, then strife would cease (Prov. 13:10). The world would see Christianity as never before, and we would discover the true joy that comes from serving someone besides ourselves.

There is much confusion today on the subject of love because we have only one English word (love) to describe a broad aspect of meanings. For example, if I said, “I love my wife, I love apple pie, and I love my dog,” obviously I am not talking about love in the same degree or definition.

God’s type of love; the highest kind of love, is AGAPE. This is when we seek the welfare or betterment of others even when we don’t feel affection. AGAPE love does not come from one’s feelings. Jesus displayed this AGAPE kind of love by going to the cross and dying for us even though He didn’t feel like dying. Jesus sought the betterment of you and me, regardless of His feelings.

We, too, can AGAPE love our enemies even though we don’t have a warm feeling of affection for them. If they are hungry we can feed them; if they are thirsty we can give them a drink. We can choose to seek the betterment and welfare of others regardless of how we feel.

If anyone becomes a servant and humbles himself with the motive of being exalted, then he is not truly fulfilling Jesus’ command. Jesus is teaching about a true, servant’s heart, that loves others more than itself and will joyfully go without so that someone else may prosper.

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: Glory of The Millennial Kingdom — Tuesday September 26, 2017.

Text: Isaiah 32:1-8

Key Verse: “And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (Isaiah 32:2).

Biographers of Fenelon tell us that he lived in such intimate fellowship with God that his very face shone. Lord Peterborough, a skeptic, was obliged to spend a night with him at an inn. In the morning he rushed away, saying, ‘If I stay another night with that man, I shall be a Christian in spite of myself. Someone else said of him, ‘His manners were full of grace, his voice full of love, and his face full of glory.’

Isaiah spoke at length about the expected complete transformation of lives during Christ’s Millennial Kingdom in our text. He compared the nature and character of the unconverted man with the newness of life under Christ’s influence and grace. The world under the Antichrist will be so compromised with evil that the coming of Christ to establish the millennial reign will be a very welcome development. Under the present system, the world is polarized by diverse religions and faiths.

But religion without righteousness has done more harm than good when we look at the present system. The fiercest wars the world has witnessed are the interfaith wars; the greatest threat now to world peace and security is the terror unleashed by religious extremists who go to the extent of killing and maiming as part of their religious duties. Life has become brutish and short in our world today because of the evil the human mind is capable of inventing. Yet, Christ did not die to establish any religion; He died to save mankind and bring about genuine righteousness. The Kingdom He will setup during the millennial reign is not about religion but true worship and righteousness of the transformed man. It is a dispensation everyone should look forward to.

Thought for the day: Christ died to impart righteousness, not to establish religion.

Bible Reading in one Year: James 1-5

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: We Need One Another — Tuesday September 26, 2017.

“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” (Philippians 2:4 KJV)

When you truly understand and acknowledge the kindness and the goodness of God in your life, it will enable you to have consideration for others.  According to the scriptures in Romans 9:16 (KJV) “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” We are all products of God’s mercy. And so if God has been merciful to you, why are you not merciful to others? Why are you merciless? Why is it that we don’t care about others?

One of the things we must go back to in church is fellowship. We are too far apart. Fellowship is not that we come and clap hands and in the same group. No! After church what next? Do you call yourselves up to just talk and just exchange pleasantries? Do you ask about your brother/sister’s welfare? When last did you pray for your brother or sister? The church is an organism. We are interdependent. You cannot function on your own effectively. If you function on your own, you will be limited. There is something you can never activate within you. That thing can only come from another person. That is why we need one another.

God never made any one person complete. Only God is complete. All other persons have a deficiency. You are strengthened by others in the area of your deficiency That is why fellowship is important. We are also strengthened when we lift up one another in prayer when we seek the face of God, concerning the need of a brother or sister, that’s what it’s all about. The Bible says that Job was restored when he prayed for his friends. I know you have needs, I know, but how about taking out time in the month of October for maybe two days or three, to just pray for your brother/sister. Beloved, God is calling us back to the place of yoking. God is calling us to care for one another. Don’t be merciless. Remember that you are a product of the Lord’s mercy.

Further reading: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Romans 12:4-8, Job 42:10

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Isaiah 1-2; Evening- Galatians 5

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: Let Your New Man Out [Tuesday September 26, 2017]

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. – Romans 12:1

When you made Jesus Christ Lord of your life, you became what the Bible calls a “new creature.” Inside, you’re not the same person you were before. You have the nature of God born into you. But it’s not enough for you just to have that new nature on the inside. You have to let it take over the outside as well.

Don’t expect that to happen automatically. You have to make a decision to bring your body into obedience to the new man within you. You must determine to do what Romans 6:12 says and “let not sin…reign in your mortal body….”

I know that sounds tough, but remember, you’re not in this alone. You have a Helper inside you to enable you to carry out that decision. His Name is the Holy Spirit. He’s there to strengthen you. He gives you the power to put sin out of your life and under your feet.

Make that decisive dedication of your body today—and let that new man that’s on the inside of you begin to come out!

Scripture Reading: Romans 6:12-23

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: From Empty to Full — Tuesday September 26, 2017.

Read: 2 Kings 4:1–7, Bible in a Year: Isaiah 1–2; Galatians 5

When all the jars were full . . . the oil stopped flowing. 2 Kings 4:6

A popular children’s book tells the story of a poor, country boy who took off his cap to honor the king. An identical hat appeared instantly in its place on his head, inciting the king’s anger for what appeared to be disrespect. Bartholomew removed hat after hat while being escorted to the palace for punishment. Each time, a new one appeared in its place. The hats grew increasingly fancy, bearing precious jewels and feather plumes. The 500th hat was the envy of King Derwin, who pardoned Bartholomew and purchased the hat for 500 pieces of gold. At last, Bartholomew’s head was bare; he walked home with freedom and money to support his family.

A widow came to Elisha in financial distress, fearing her children would be sold into slavery to pay her debts (2 Kings 4). She had no assets other than a jar of oil. God multiplied that oil to fill enough borrowed jars to settle the debts plus care for their daily needs (v. 7).

God provided financially for the widow in much the same way He provides salvation for me. I am bankrupted by sin, but Jesus paid my debt—and offers me eternal life as well! Without Jesus, we are each like the poor, country boy with no means to pay our King for our offenses against Him. God miraculously supplies the extravagant ransom for us, and ensures that those who trust in Him will have life abundant forever.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for paying my debt through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I had nothing; You paid it all for me.

Jesus’s sacrifice pays for our spiritual debt.

Insight:

In today’s account of the never-ending oil, the woman and her sons follow the prophet’s instructions without question. They were in need and knew God could provide. Many of us may wish we had that kind of faith—faith that doesn’t doubt or question.

Some background to their inspiring faith helps put this story in context. Verse 1 tells us that the widow’s husband had been a member of “the company of the prophets”—a group of men who had remained faithful to the true God in a time of paganism. They had also seen God do miraculous things through Elisha, so they knew nothing was impossible. Their faith was the logical conclusion of their experience and gave them the confidence to obey.

God often provides in ways we don’t expect. Is there a situation you need to trust God for today? J.R. Hudberg

This message was written By Kirsten Holmberg [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Because He Is Big — Tuesday 26, September 2017.

Memorise: For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. – Luke 1:49

Read: Luke 1:46-52 (KJV)

46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

Bible in One Year: Nehemiah 12-13, Ezekiel 47:1-12, Hymn: Sing hymn 3 – How Great Thou Art

MESSAGE:

Our God is a great and big God. In terms of size, He is so massive. Imagine that He sits on His throne in the third heavens and His feet still touches the earth (Isaiah 66:1). Due to the fact that our God is so big, He does great and big things. In Genesis 1:20-22, when He said the waters should bring forth living creatures, the oceans were soon filled with all manners of fish and sea creatures. All He has to do is to say “Let there be”, and it will come to pass. The lord will do great and mighty things in your life this season in Jesus’ mighty Name! Doing great and mighty things is His specialty. No wonder in Jeremiah 33:3, He said:

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Coming up next: Open Heavens 27 September 2017: Wednesday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Principles, Not Tears

When He met a young, ordinary and unknown virgin and He picked her for His great purpose, she was overwhelmed and had this to say:

“For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.” – Luke 1:49

In the mighty Name of Jesus, the Lord shall pick and use you for His great and mighty works to demonstrate his Almightiness!

In Genesis 1:28 God said “Be fruitful, and multiply”. When He says “multiple”, He really means it. During creation, when He spoke that command, it was just Adam and Eve, but today, the world has several billions of people in it. Also, when Israel came into Egypt in Exodus 1:5, they were just 70 people, but by the time they were leaving, there were 600,000 men besides woman, who would not have been less than 800,000, and children, who would have been at least 1,000,000 (Exodus 12:37). They kept multiplying in accordance to God’s word, in spite of all that the government of Egypt did to drastically reduce their numbers. From today, no matter what the enemy does to stop your increase, God’s word on increase will continue to thrive in your life! In addition to being a big God, He does big things. His purpose for your life is therefore big. Are you small, little, unknown and a local champion? Because your God is big, you cannot remain small. His size will definitely affect and transform your size. In the Name of Jesus Christ, you are breaking out of every barrier and limitation! You are coming out of every box of limitation that both you and others have enclosed you in! You shall be great, and you shall achieve great things for God’s Name, far beyond your dreams!

Key Point: God cannot be big and you remain small. Your vision should reflect the size of your God.

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: Maintaining divine health!

We recognise from scriptures that God’s divine purpose for the Church is to stay in divine health. This is why God has made a sickness-free provision for all His people and He wants us to know and walk in that. As it is written: Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth (3 John 2).

Essentially, God has done everything possible for us to be in good health. That is why Jesus came. However, there is no short-cut to divine health as there are basic rules to it. If we must get divine health, we must follow the rules faithfully, with determination and zeal. Remember, God is not the author of sickness, the devil is, and he is still in the business of planning and devising new diseases, to release into the world. However, to avoid being a victim of unsteady health, it is important to know our right to health and maintain it. Therefore, to stay healthy, we must engage the following:

The Word of God: For the believer, the Word is the source of life. If we are cut off from it, we are removed from the source of life and that will kill us fast. Unfortunately, many people handle the Word with levity. They allow their Word study to be interrupted anyhow. This is not profitable for us. Look at the example of Mary and Martha; she gave herself to cooking, while her sister sat at the feet of the Master to learn. As a result, Jesus answered and said unto her: Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her (Luke 10:41-42). Jesus told her, one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that part. It is time for us as believers to do the needful by getting acquainted with God through His Word. Let us understand that God’s Word is the only medication that does not only heal but helps us stay healthy. We need to get acquainted with it through studying and hearing. By this, our health is sure to be secured and stable.

Faith: For us to maintain our health, we must be in faith always as it is dangerous to wait to be afflicted with diseases before putting our faith to work. That is one way we can keep sickness off our lives.

Fasting: This is another weapon that must be engaged to stay healthy. Many Christians think fasting is optional. However, Jesus did not give us that impression. As it is written: When ye fast. Not ‘If ye fast.’ (Mathew 6:16). It means fasting is a compulsory part of the Christian walk. Obviously, if we have really given ourselves to prayer and fasting, we will notice the refreshing that follows and our health comes back to us with vigour.

Diligence: A lot of people are sick and weak because they are lazy and idle. It is commonly said that the devil finds work for the idle hand. The truth is, if we are always lazing around, the devil will affect us and strike us at a time we do not expect. Therefore, in maintaining our divine health, hard work is inevitable. Just like an unused and uninhabited building rot easily. Similarly, our bodies are God’s building which we are not to leave idle. God wants us to contribute to maintaining our divine health through hard work. When we do, our sleep will be sound which will in turn help our system to improve.

Wisdom: Wisdom is another important point we need to know. It is also indispensable in all areas of life. Interestingly, hard work must be merged with wisdom. Thus, we do not need to overwork ourselves unnecessarily. This is because when we do, our health is affected adversely. This is why wisdom is essential in all endeavours. If we ignore it, we will most definitely run into difficulties.

Confession: The Bible says life and death are in the power of the tongue. Therefore we must speak health always. We should recognise that the Word of God spoken boldly in faith is a creative force. Therefore, we should speak it loudly and boldly from the heart.

Love: We need a large heart to love the brethren. This will definitely work to our advantage. Remember that we are not losing anything by loving. Everybody, who is acceptable to God, should be acceptable to us. When we do, this will in turn help us overcome lots of difficulties in life.

Holiness: There is no way we can persist in sinful habits and expect to be in divine health. If we are not serving God in holiness and purity of heart, we cannot expect Him to minister divine health to us. Remember, sin brought sickness into the world, so sin must be completely eliminated if divine health is to be established in our lives.

Holy Communion: This sacrament is a way of showing faith in the finished work of Christ in our health. As often as we do it, we show the world and confirm in our bodies that Christ has taken our grief and sorrows in His body and His blood is transfused into our veins.

The Holy Spirit: The ministry of the Holy Spirit is more than what many believers think it to be. Among others, He is the seal of the Godhead in our health. Furthermore, He is the Chief Executive of God’s plan and that includes divine health.

Fellowship: This is the New Testament Mount Zion outlined in Hebrews 12:22-24 and Obadiah 17. According to these scriptures, in Zion, our constant health is guaranteed. We go from strength to strength by appearing before God and innumerable company of angels.

The truth applied and received accurately, will lift us to a place of total health. I pray that as you applied these truths, you will stay in health and always.

Are you born again? If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so. Simply say the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”

For further reading, please get my books: Keys to Divine Health, the Healing Balm, The Miracle Meal and Fulfilling Your Days. I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have five services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:35 a.m., 9:10 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280; or E-mail: [email protected].