Topic: The Heart of Compassion [Wednesday September 20, 2017]

Scripture: And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 1 Samuel 17:26

Thought For The Day: A heart of a deliverer makes you to be passionate after the welfare of people.

In our previous studies, we have been highlighting the secrets of David and why God anointed him. We saw that passion for God’s presence and a fighter’s spirit are some of the reasons he was anointed by God.

Additionally, the heart of compassion was another secret and reason God anointed David.

David rescued Israel from the hands of Goliath and the Philistines because of his compassionate heart; a heart of a deliverer (1 Samuel 17:26).

A heart of a deliverer makes you to be passionate about the welfare of people. It makes you to be passionate about rescuing people; when you see people suffering or are in pains, it hurts you. You are moved when people are under the bondage of poverty and other afflictions of the enemy.

The heart of a deliverer made Jesus to go about doing good and healing all manner of sicknesses and delivering the oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38).

Beloved, develop a compassionate heart for people in order to proffer and offer the solutions to their problems. This is the point where a man contacts the anointing.

Remember this: A heart of a deliverer makes you to be passionate after the welfare of people.

Assignment(s):

1. Ask God for the impartation of a compassionate heart.

2. Be concerned about the welfare of people.

Prayer: I ask O LORD, for increased manifestation of the inexplicable, the incredible, the incredulous and the incomprehensible in my life. Give me a compassionate heart towards people, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: MAXIMIZING YOUR LIFE.

Amazing Fact: Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system.

Today In History: 20/09/1977 – The first of the “boat people” arrived in San Francisco from Southeast Asia under a new U.S. resettlement program.

Daily Reading: Isaiah 33:10 to 36:22, Galatians 5:13 to 26, Psalm 64:1 to 10, Proverbs 23:23.

Quote: Nothing works where love is not at work. Culled from REASON FOR LIVING by Dr Paul Enenche.

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: Let’s Finish the Race — Wednesday September 20, 2017.

Read: Ecclesiastes 4:9–12, Bible in a Year: Ecclesiastes 4–6; 2 Corinthians 12

Two are better than one . . . . If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

In the 2016 Rio Olympics, two athletes in the 5,000-meter race caught the world’s attention. About 3,200 meters into the race, New Zealander Nikki Hamblin and American Abbey D’Agostino collided and fell. Abbey was quickly up on her feet, but stopped to help Nikki. Moments after the two athletes had started running again, Abbey began faltering, her right leg injured as a result of the fall. It was now Nikki’s turn to stop and encourage her fellow athlete to finish the race. When Abbey eventually stumbled across the finish line, Nikki was waiting to embrace her. What a beautiful picture of mutual encouragement!

It reminds me of a passage in the Bible: “Two are better than one . . . . If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up” (Eccl. 4:9–10). As runners in a spiritual race, we need one another—perhaps even more so, for we are not racing in competition with each other but as members of the same team. There’ll be moments where we falter and need someone to pick us up; at other times, someone may need our encouragement through our prayers or presence.

The spiritual race is not to be run alone. Is God leading you to be a Nikki or Abbey in someone’s life? Respond to His prompting today, and let’s finish the race!

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for the encouragement of fellow believers to help me on my journey. Help me to look for ways to encourage others.

We need each other to get where God wants us to go.

Insight:

Ecclesiastes is a very unusual book. For much of this inspired text, life is examined without God in the picture (1:2). Although the book concludes with moral admonitions (see 12:1–8), the majority of the book has almost a secular feel to it. Yet because King Solomon the Wise is its author, remarkable principles of life surface. Today’s reading blesses the reader with insights on the benefits of meaningful relationships. The journey of life is not to be walked alone but benefits from mutual support of another.

Can you recall a time when God used someone to help you carry your load? Dennis Fisher

This message was written By Poh Fang Chia [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Time to Get Serious [Wednesday September 20, 2017]

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee…. I [will] remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. – Psalm 63:1,6

If you’re going to live in divine health, there are going to be times when you’ll have to be downright extreme about the Word of God. Times when you may be facing a sickness so severe that you need more than just a few moments in the Word and a quick prayer to receive your healing.

I want to tell you, in very practical terms, what I would do in a situation like that.

The moment I woke up in the morning, before I did anything else, I’d take Communion. I’d say, “Lord, I dedicate my body all day today to the service of my Lord Jesus Christ. I take Jesus’ pure blood shed for me.”

Then I’d put the devil in his place. I’d say, “I rebuke you, Satan. You’re not going to put any sickness and disease on me today. Regardless of the symptoms, regardless of what my body thinks about it, by the power of Jesus through His Spirit, I have overcome this sickness because He who is within me is greater than he who is in the world.”

Then, all day long, I’d thank God for my healing. I’d choose some teaching tapes that would fill my mind and my spirit with the anointed Word of God, and I’d listen to them throughout the day. In the afternoon, I’d praise God and receive Communion again to remind myself that the blood of Jesus is in my veins, that I’m part of God’s family.

You don’t have to wait until the second Sunday of each month or whatever to receive Communion. Jesus just said, “This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25). And if you’re facing a serious attack of the devil, you need to remember Jesus all day and all night. You need to consider Jesus until thoughts of Him push the thoughts of that sickness right out of your mind.

That night before bed I’d receive Communion again, then I’d praise myself to sleep. If I woke up in the night, I’d reach over and get my Bible and read all the healing scriptures and make the devil sorry he woke me.

When the devil launches a serious attack against your body, don’t mess around. Get serious about the Word. Put yourself under its constant care and it will take good care of you.

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 4:9-16

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: Do You Surrender? [Wednesday September 20, 2017]

It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others. — Ephesians 2:10 (TLB)

Happiness and all of the unlimited benefits which flow from the storehouse of heaven are contingent upon our relationship to God. Absolute dependency and absolute yieldedness are the conditions of being His child. Only His children are entitled to receive those things that lend themselves to happiness; and in order to be His child, there must be surrender of the will to Him.

We must admit we are poor before we can be made rich. We must admit we are destitute before we can become children of adoption. When we realize that all our own goodness is as filthy rags in God’s sight, and become aware of the destructive power of our stubborn wills; when we realize our absolute dependence upon the grace of God through faith and nothing more, then we have started on the road to happiness.

Man does not come to know God through works—he comes to know God by faith through grace. You cannot work your way toward happiness and heaven, you cannot moralize your way, you cannot reform your way, you cannot buy your way. It comes as a gift of God through Christ.

Prayer for the day: Ever impress upon us, Lord Jesus, that it is through grace that we came to know You; that it is because of You that we stand righteous before You.

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: Heaven – Wednesday September 20, 2017.

Mark 12:25 “For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.”

Text: Mark 12:25

The word heaven comes from the Greek word meaning “the sky; heaven as the abode of God”; by implication, “happiness; power; an eternity.”

Paul mentioned being caught up into “the third heaven” in 2 Corinthians 12:2. Since “the third heaven” exists, there must also be a first and second heaven. The first is probably the atmospheric heaven, the second, the abode of supernatural angelic beings, and the third, the place where God dwells.

God now dwells in the hearts of His people, but He also sits on His throne in heaven. The Lord’s commitment to dwell in us and never leave us or forsake us, must be taken as an indication of His great love for us. Heaven has a real temple which is patterned after the Old Testament tabernacle. Saints who die go immediately into heaven and into the presence of God.

Paul had a vision of heaven that made him long to go there. Most people cling to this physical life for selfish reasons. Only when we lose our life (die to self and live for Christ and others) do we truly find out what life is all about. If we seriously thought about what the scriptures teach us about our life with Christ after this physical life, we would all think like Paul. The things prepared for us are so wonderful that we can’t totally comprehend them with our finite mind. We need to value our eternal life more and our temporal life less. This would solve many problems and remove a lot of grief.

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 First — Wednesday 20, September 2017.

Memorise: I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. – Psalm 13:6

Read: 1 Chronicles 16:2-3, Acts 20:35 (KJV)

2 And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.

3 And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.

Acts 20:35:

35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Bible in One Year: Ezra 9-10, Ezekiel 44:1-14, Hymn: Sing hymn 10 – There Shall be Showers of Blessing

MESSAGE:

Generous divine provision is a benefit of those in the sheepfold of the Great Shepherd. God prepares a table of abundance for His sheep (Psalm 23:5). No wonder David, in Psalm 13:6, said:

“I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me”

Coming up next: Open Heavens 21 September 2017: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Abba, Father

This scripture is a personal testimony of David. After God had blessed him beyond measure, he began to testify of God’s goodness through songs. If you carefully study the life of David, you will discover that the secret of his prosperity lay in the principles he lived by. One of such principles is demonstrated in today’s Bible reading: he believed giving to be the key to receiving. Can you imagine a man giving a loaf of bread to every citizen of a country? This was what David did, and he even gave much more! We often wonder why most of us are not flowing in God’s abundance, even though God has resources to cater for more than we could ever need. One likely reason for this is that we do not strictly follow divine financial principles. Jesus, in Luke 6:38, said:

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Let us draw a few lessons from this. Firstly, if you ever want to receive, it is your duty to first give. If you fail to sow, you would be deceiving yourself to expect a harvest. Many of us refuse to give, and yet we continue to pray, fast and do all other things right. If you want to receive, first give. It is important to note that God will never owe anyone. If you give, you will receive a harvest, no matter how long it takes, as long as the seed is not uprooted.

However, the way the harvest comes and when it will come are issues that may not be too clear to you. For instance, you may be expecting you harvest for a particular seed in the form of physical cash, not knowing that God has already given it to you as a harvest of peace in the time of trouble, or as protection when the enemy came calling. Sometimes, you cannot tell how the harvest of a given seed will come, although if you key into the Holy Spirit, He can sometimes reveal to you that a particular harvest you received was from a particular seed you sowed. Moreover, God who knows our needs should be given the freedom to determine when and how our harvests should come. Just make sure that a lifestyle of giving and sowing seeds is an indelible part of you. Do you give to God? Do you give to His servants? Do you give to the needy? How often do you give?

Action Point: Giving is an act. Giving is also a spirit. Pray that God will give you the spirit of giving.

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: The Mystery Snake: Vomit My Glory! [Tuesday 19 September, 2017]

(Isaiah 54:10-17).

It was a scene of shock and of the bizarre, when a mystery snake was killed in Badagry area of Lagos State of Nigeria. The shocker was in the contents of the snake’s belly when it was killed. It contained names of 8 persons written on a piece of paper, 7 passport sized photographs of seven other persons and 3 black candles. The other mystery was that the snake refused to burn even inside a blazing fire, till a pastor was called to pray. Thank God for the Holy Ghost fire! And that was not the first time that such a mysterious snake had been killed.

What God is saying to a user of today’s devotional is that no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper! Indeed, there are many weapons being secretly fashioned in evil prayer houses and witchcraft covens! Indeed, there are mysterious and unknown enemies because this world is a wicked place! A few years ago, I once saw a name tied to a padlock on the top of a very high mountain where I went to pray. On that same mountain, I saw coins with people’s names tied on them – a sign of poverty. ON A PRAYER MOUNTAIN?

What a wicked world! How can the destinies of people be buried in the stomach of a snake? God is sending me to announce to you that all your swallowed or buried/covered blessings shall be released today! Do you know that same people’s destinies are buried in snake bellies, big rivers/ oceans, evil forests, occultic houses, cemeteries and T-juctions?

In this second half of 2017, note that since the grave could not hold Jesus Christ, no snake, fish, animal, coin, cemetery, forest, or coven shall be able to hold your glory, favor and destiny whether they like it or not! As you pray now, they must vomit every swallowed up glory or testimony. Pray now!

THE LAGOS MOUNTAIN SEPTEMBER ANOINTING SERVICES AT LEKKI On Sunday September 24th. TIME: 7:00am. THEME: SATANIC EMBARRASSMENT MUST STOP. (Bring your oil & any point of contact. I shall lay hands on you and your oil). VENUE: Oando or Chisco B/Stop, Besides Oando Filling Station, Lekki, Lagos. Call: +234-706-3324-784, +234-909-0393-966 for more information.

Prayer Points: Take Song 1: Through the love………

1. Thank God for today’s word and pray as you are led!

2. I release my names/properties or body parts from any evil location today in Jesus Christ name (Pray this point seriously).

3. I decree: Every power holding down my glory and testimony, VOMIT IT in Jesus Christ name!

4. Pray the above prayer point for your loved ones name by name (Pray this point and the ones below seriously)

5. I command all evil snakes holding my destiny to vomit it now and die by fire in Jesus Christ name.

6. O Lord, let any stubborn evil power seeking my life and ministry be paralyzed now and be buried this year!

7. Pray any other prayer(s) as led now.

By Bishop (Dr) Chris E. Kwakpovwe (Cek)
Publisher/Writer Of ODM And

Rev (Mrs) Flora E. Kwakpovwe (Fek)
Co-Publisher/Writer Of ODM.

Topic: Overcoming Weariness [Tuesday September 19, 2017]

Weariness is satan’s weapon to frustrate the saints from taking their blessings.

It comes when hope seems gone and waiting seems not necessary any longer.

When weariness is not stemed it extends to frustration which in turn can open the door to all kinds of evil.

If you want to escape weariness, tame your utterances.

To dismantle weariness offer strong thanksgiving and praise to God always. Thanksgiving are hardly worn out, thanksgiving naturally wears out the enemy.

Topic: Fulfil Your Promise O Lord [Tuesday 19, September 2017]

Memorise: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” – Matthew 28:20

Read: John 14:12-18

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Bible In One Year: Amos 1-4. Hymn: Sing Hymn 1

MESSAGE:

The promises of God reveal His specific and eternal purposes to which He is unchangeably committed and which Christians can totally depend on. These promises are conditional upon obedience on the part of children of God. God’s promises are unchangeable and sure, this is to say that God does not go back on His word, whatever He says, He will do (Matthew 24:35).

Whenever the fulfilment of a long standing promise is overdue, He creates an opportunity for divine favour, and God does not only give you an opportunity to tap into it by sowing, but will also personally make a demand for you. After waiting for years for a promise from God, at the time of God’s favour, the Lord suddenly changed His promise to Abraham into an irreversible decree. Every promise that the Lord has made to you and your family shall come to pass soon in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, please fulfil Your promises in my life in Jesus’ Name.

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: How to Have a Successful Courtship (3)

Dear Reader,

I welcome you to the presence of God. For the past two weeks, I have taught on the keys to a successful courtship and the length of courtship. Today, I want you to Beware of These Forbidden Fruits.

Pre-marital sex

Pre-marital sex is simply, sex before marriage. Many couples live together before marriage to see if they are capable of child bearing. Many end up messing themselves up by engaging in the works of the flesh. The Word of God lists the various work of the flesh: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

Marriage was designed to bring honour to man and when the bed is defiled, the honour is taken away. If you are in courtship, you are not permitted to engage in sexual intercourse or anything that leads to it. If you do that, you are committing fornication and you are defiling your marriage bed thereby taking away the honour in your marriage. The marriage bed is for the married only. To engage in sexual intercourse as a single is a sin against your own conscience and God. Defiling the marriage bed, as a single, is the quickest route to shame in marriage; whether you are marrying the person involved or not.

For instance, if you are still single, stay clear of sex till you are legally married. The Bible enjoins singles to present their bodies as a living sacrifice unto the Lord (Romans 12:1). In other words, the presentation of your body unto the Almighty God as a living sacrifice is your reasonable service unto God. It doesn’t matter whether you sleep in the church every day, as long as your body is not kept pure, that service is not acceptable unto God.

Despite the volume of money you bring to the Church, when you defile the marriage bed, whether as a single or as a married person, whatever service you render to God has no record and will never receive a reward. You may be in the choir and your voice is as sweet as honey God’s eyes do not behold you; because, if the eyes of God behold you at all, it will be for judgment. It doesn’t matter the post you hold or your position. You can even be the leader of any board in the Church, Romans 12:1 is still in the Word of God. Until your body is presented to God as a reasonable service, every other service that you render is unreasonable.

Fornication

The dictionary meaning of the word “fornication” is any unlawful sexual intercourse between an unmarried man and woman. In the Bible, the Greek definition of the word “fornication” is to commit illicit sexual intercourse.

Today, fornication is no longer regarded as sin in our society; it has become a way of life. Permit me to say, that the sin of fornication is even more pronounced in the Church of God, today, than anywhere else in the world. As a Christian, your body has been bought with a price; it is not meant for fornication rather, your body is meant to glorify God. The Word of God says: Flee fornication… know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

Young ladies, don’t keep messing up your lives about with men because of the money they offer you. Your beauty is not meant for business. Remember, God who gave it to you can call you back anytime. Refuse to sell your body for money for your soul is more precious to God! You may say, “I have to do something to be able to keep up with my financial needs.” Your life is much more valuable than money. You may be a fornicator and still go to church, sing, clap and dance. When they say, “Lift up holy hands and let’s worship the Lord”; you also lift up yours. It is not your kind of hands they are talking about. The Word of God says: Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully (Psalm 24:3-4).

Moreover, some even claim, “After all, we are going to marry, so why can’t we sleep together on the same bed?” God knows that you are going to get married, but more often than not, you know what happens? After he must have seen your nakedness, the interest is no longer there because the love has waned. As I always tell people, more often than not, it is the lady that experiences more of the shame. Now, that the man has seen your nakedness, he can say, “I’m sorry sister, in fact God didn’t give me the leading, I have made a mistake; now go your way and let me go my way, God will give you your husband. He will also give me my own wife”. Why? You have sold yourself out to him and there is nothing new anymore.

In addition, marriage is honourable so, the bed should be undefiled. For you to experience honour in your marriage as a single, you must lay a good foundation by keeping yourself pure. Parents, begin to teach your children before they get to the stage of committing atrocities.

You need to surrender your life to Christ in order to have access to God’s grace to live a pure life. You surrender by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour. That way, you are born again. If you are ready for it, please say this prayer and be born again: “Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.”

Congratulations, you are now born again! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

Pastor Faith Oyedepo is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.