Topic: Sweet and Sour — Friday September 22, 2017.

Read: Job 2:1–10, Bible in a Year: Ecclesiastes 10–12; Galatians 1

Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? Job 2:10

When our toddler first bit into a lemon wedge, he wrinkled his nose, stuck out his tongue, and squeezed his eyes shut. “Sow-wah,” he said (sour).

I chuckled as I reached for the piece of fruit, intending to toss it into the trash.

“No!” Xavier scampered across the kitchen to get away from me. “Moe-wah!” (more). His lips puckered with every juice-squirting bite. I winced when he finally handed me the rind and walked away.

My taste buds accurately reflect my partiality to the sweet moments in life. My preference for avoiding all things bitter reminds me of Job’s wife, who seems to have shared my aversion to the sourness of suffering.

Job surely didn’t delight in hardship or trouble, yet he honored God through heart-wrenching circumstances (Job 1:1–22). When painful sores afflicted Job’s body, he endured the agony (2:7–8). His wife told him to give up on God (v. 9), but Job responded by trusting the Lord through suffering and afflictions (v. 10).

It’s natural to prefer avoiding the bitter bites in life. We can even be tempted to lash out at God when we’re hurting. But the Lord uses trials, teaching us how to trust Him, depend on Him, and surrender to Him as He enables us to persevere through difficult times. And like Job, we don’t have to enjoy suffering to learn to savor the unexpected sweetness of sour moments—the divine strengthening of our faith.

Prayer: Thank You for assuring us that suffering is never wasted when we place our confidence in who You are, what You’ve done, and what You’re capable of doing.

God uses suffering to strengthen our faith.

Insight:

In the ancient story of Job, we see a devout follower of God whose life has been laid bare by financial, family, and physical suffering. The book of Job asks the perennial question, “Why do the righteous suffer?” Job’s ordeals test his devotion to his Redeemer and Provider. Clearly the book shows how God uses suffering to strengthen believers’ faith and refine their character. Job declares, “But [God] knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

Has God used a trial in your life to refine your character and strengthen your faith? Dennis Fisher

This message was written By Xochitl Dixon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: When You Are Blessed — Friday 22, September 2017.

Memorise: By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. – Hebrews 11:20

Read: Genesis 27:20-29 (KJV)

20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.

21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.

24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank.

26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:

28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

Bible in One Year: Nehemiah 4-6, Ezekiel 44:28-45:9, Hymn: Sing hymn 14 – Take My Life

MESSAGE:

A blessing is an invitation to all the forces in Heaven, on earth and underneath the earth to cooperate with an individual and assist him or her to succeed. When Isaac pronounced a blessing on Jacob in today’s Bible reading, he summoned the dew of heaven, the land, and all the forces on earth to be of assistance to Jacob. As a result of this blessing, Jacob became exceedingly great. Hear what Genesis 30:43 says about his greatness:

“And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.”

Coming up next: Open Heavens 23 September 2017: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Resisting God?

How about his brother Esau? Genesis 27:38-40 says after Jacob had stolen the cream of the blessing from him, Esau came to ask for the remnant. What was the result of this “remnant”? From Genesis 32:3-6, we understand that this remnant got him so blessed that he could afford to retain the services of 400 personal bodyguards. If you become so rich that you require 400 men to go with you wherever you go, that is something remarkable. I can recall the first time a president visited us at the Redemption Camp; he came with an entourage of 250 people. So imagine how blessed Esau was for him to have had 400 people in his entourage! I believe he was really blessed.

Moreover, let me add here that after a blessing is pronounced on you, it may not be obvious how the blessing will be fulfilled. Most times, it may not even make sense. You may not even be able to afford a bicycle now, and a blessing may be pronounced on you that a time will come when you will need a Boeing 747 to airlift those who will accompany you whenever you are travelling. It may not make sense to you, but that is what a blessing can do. I often say that I am where I am today by the grace of God and by the blessings of my mother. Any time I did something that pleased her, she would bless me. She would say, “You this boy, you will call one person, and two hundred people will respond.” l didn’t know what she meant back then, and I didn’t know how it would happen, but I always said Amen”. Today, by the grace of God, I can say this has become reality. Have you provoked the blessing of your biological parents? Have you provoked the blessing of your spiritual parents? Most importantly, have you provoked a blessing from God?

Action Point: When a blessing is pronounced on you, simply sustain a conducive atmosphere for its fulfilment, and it will surely come to pass.

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: Israel’s Infidelity — Thursday September 21, 2017.

Text: Ezekiel 23:1-21

Key Verse: “And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours” (Ezekiel 23:5).

Latimer was raised to the bishopric of Worcester in the reign of Henry VIII. It was the custom of those days for each of the bishops to make presents to the king on New Year’s Day. Latimer went with the rest of his brethren to make the usual offering; instead of a purse of gold, he presented the King with a New Testament, in which was a leaf doubled down to this passage, “Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”

In our text, God presented the unfaithfulness of Israel and Judah with the metaphor of two unfaithful wives. Their unfaithfulness to God in departing from His statutes and the worship of the strange deities of the Assyrians is characterized as playing the harlot. And like a husband who is jealous over his wife, the Lord denounced the idolatry of Israel His espoused wife, who was imitated by her sister, Judah in departing from His ways. God promised to disgrace them and allow the nations to whom they had played the harlot to take them away in captivity.

Adultery is such a sin against society that G. Campbell Morgan said, “The adulterer is the enemy of the state. My personal persuasion is that it is an act of treason to the state to allow adulterers and adulteresses to go free and unpunished. The greatness of a people depends upon the purity and strength of the people, and in every nation where the marriage relation is violated with impunity, the virus of death is surely and certainly at work.”

Immorality in the life of a member of the Church can tarnish the entire work of God. The alarm must be sounded against corruption in the body of Christ. God has promised that judgment must first begin at His house and everyone that names the name of Christ must depart from iniquity.

Thought for the day: Do not be deceived, God still judges sin.

Bible Reading in one Year: Numbers 33-34

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: God Is Faithful — Thursday September 21, 2017.

“Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken…” (Jeremiah 33:20-21 KJV)

Beloved, I want to let you know today that God is faithful. He will not fail you. What he has said concerning you shall come to pass. Every word of God you have declared will manifest. Every seed of the word you declare in your life will come to pass. The devil can do nothing about it.

Sometimes ago, as I was heading to church on a Sunday morning, the Lord reminded me of Noah. You know Noah kept on building and the people felt that he was stupid. He kept on building and kept on building. He kept on telling them that rain was coming and the people said it is not true. And it got to a point that it appeared as if he was stupid. But the rain finally came, because God’s word will never fall to the ground. All you need is consistency! It shall come to pass! The devil will not stop you!

In Mark chapter 4:26-29, Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven is like a man that plants a seed on the ground and goes to bed, but he doesn’t know how it grows. He says the next thing you see is the blade, the ear and then the full corn. But the man cannot explain how. In other words, when it comes to the things of the kingdom, we can’t figure it out with our minds. That is why I know that the devil has come too late in your life. Your testimony shall shake your nation. It will shake your family. That devil is a liar, God has already made a covenant. And his covenant he will never break nor alter that which has gone out of his mouth. If he has spoken it, it shall come to pass. What he has spoken shall never return to him void. He is watching over his word to perform it.

Further Reading: Deuteronomy 7:7-9, Joshua 21:43-45

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Ecclesiastes 7-9; Evening- 2 Corinthians 13

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: Soldiers Of The Cross [Thursday 21, September 2017]

Memorise: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” – 2 Timothy 2:3

Read: 2 Timothy 2:1-4

1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Bible In One Year: Obadiah 1. Hymn: Sing Hymn 12 – My Hope Is Build On Nothing Less

MESSAGE:

A soldier is a person involved in military activity, one who is specially trained for war. In Bible days, the phrase ‘men who drew the sword,’ was commonly used to identify a soldier’s primary function as combatant. In Ephesians 6:14-17, the weapons of a fully armed Roman soldier is not compared to that of a Christian’s spiritual armour. In recruiting earthly soldiers, some are chosen while others who are unfit are dropped. The fact that you are born again shows that you are chosen and have scaled through the first selection hurdle.

The chosen is also chosen to be a soldier. Therefore, if you cannot fight to resist and terminate Satan’s operation in your life, family and church or for God’s promises to be fulfilled in your life, you are a civilian, not a soldier. Soldiers are tough and able to go through tough and difficult terrains, if you run away from spiritual challenges, you are a deserter. You need to answer with all sincerity, are you a soldier of the Cross, a deserter or a civilian?

Prayer Point: Father, I am determined to be a soldier of the Cross, please help my resolve to stand for You and the Gospel 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: Unity of Faith [Thursday September 21, 2017]

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. – Ephesians 4:11-13

Till we all come in the unity of the faith. What this scripture means is simply this: If we’re ever going to become truly powerful in the kingdom of God, if we’re ever going to be any great threat to the devil, we’re going to have to grow up—together.

It won’t be enough for just a few of us to grow up on our own and say, “Too bad” about everyone else. It doesn’t work that way. We’re a part of each other. The Bible calls us one body…the Body of Christ.

Let me give you an example. When I began teaching God’s revelation on the laws of prosperity, I started getting an amazing amount of flack. Preachers started calling me and chewing me out because I wouldn’t borrow money and things like that. Finally God said to me one day in prayer, Don’t teach on the laws of prosperity anymore until I tell you to.

“Why not?” I asked.

There’s strife in the camp, He told me. Other preachers are mad at you and in strife over it.

I didn’t realize then that the level where we stopped would affect us all. I didn’t realize that even I wouldn’t be able to go on and operate in the additional laws of prosperity until the rest of the Body would go with me.

We’re not islands unto ourselves. I can’t do anything without affecting you. You can’t do anything without affecting me. We’re joined together by God but held together by one another (Ephesians 4:16). We can only grow up…together!

Learn to walk in love. Refuse to fall prey to division and isolation. Feed on the Word daily and encourage your brothers and sisters by feeding it to them too, so we can all grow up to be “a perfect [or mature] man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:13-28

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: The Mysteries of God [Thursday September 21, 2017]

Since earliest times men have seen the earth and sky and all God made, and have known of his existence and great eternal power . . . — Romans 1:20 (TLB)

If you try to rationalize God exhaustively, you will fail. There are mysteries about God that we will never understand in this life. How can the small and finite, limited to time and space, understand an infinite God! We should not think it strange that it is impossible to explain many mysteries in the realm of matter.

Who can explain why objects are always attracted to the center of the earth? Who can fathom the law of gravity? Newton discovered it, but he could not explain it. Who can explain the miracle of reproduction? . . . Thus many evidences and many arguments could be advanced to indicate there is a God.

Yet the plain truth is this: God cannot be proved by mere rationalization. He cannot be contained in a tiny man-made test tube or confined to an algebraic formula. If God can be fully proved by the human mind, then He is no greater than the mind that proves Him.

Prayer for the day: Lord God almighty, although my finite mind cannot comprehend the magnitude of Your greatness, I have felt Your presence in the quiet of my heart and I am gladdened.

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: Marriage Is For This Life – Thursday September 21, 2017.

Luke 20:33-34 “Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:”

Text: Luke 20:27-40

It is very doubtful that the situation that the Sadducees were relating ever took place. It is more probable that they were stating a hypothetical case to complicate the understanding of the resurrection and thereby discredit it.

If you accept their basic supposition (marriage continues in heaven), then their reasoning was correct. It would not be possible to administer marriage in heaven with multiple mates as their story described. Their reasoning wasn’t flawed, but rather the “facts” that their reasoning was based on were not scriptural.

The scriptures speak of two becoming “one flesh” in marriage, and angels are not flesh. Paul said, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 15:50). Therefore, marriage is an earthly institution limited to flesh and blood mortals and will not exist in heaven. Marriage, as is death, is temporary for mortals while they are on earth. This is why a person whose mate has died, is free to remarry. Marriage pertains only to this life.

That is not to say that a couple who have loved each other deeply here on earth will love each other less in heaven. God forbid. They will love each other infinitely more, but it will be God’s “agape” love (not romantic love) and it will not be limited to just one person. We can be sure that heaven will surpass any expectations that we may have so that no one will be disappointed.

Today, many people use logical reasoning to try to discredit God’s Word. But Jesus said, “They err because they do not know the scriptures.” Therefore, their arguments have no merit; only reasoning based on scripture has any merit.

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: The Daily Prayer — Thursday September 21, 2017.

Read: Ephesians 6:18–19, Bible in a Year: Ecclesiastes 7–9; 2 Corinthians 13

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Ephesians 6:18

Singer/songwriter Robert Hamlet wrote “Lady Who Prays for Me” as a tribute to his mother who made a point of praying for her boys each morning before they went to the bus stop. After a young mom heard Hamlet sing his song, she committed to praying with her own little boy. The result was heartwarming! Just before her son went out the door, his mother prayed for him. Five minutes later he returned—bringing kids from the bus stop with him! His mom was taken aback and asked what was going on. The boy responded, “Their moms didn’t pray with them.”

In the book of Ephesians, Paul urges us to pray “on all occasions with all kinds of prayers” (6:18). Demonstrating our daily dependence on God is essential in a family since many children first learn to trust God as they observe genuine faith in the people closest to them (2 Tim. 1:5). There is no better way to teach the utmost importance of prayer than by praying for and with our children. It is one of the ways they begin to sense a compelling need to reach out personally to God in faith.

When we “start children off” by modeling a “sincere faith” in God (Prov. 22:6; 2 Tim. 1:5), we give them a special gift, an assurance that God is an ever-present part of our lives—continually loving, guiding, and protecting us.

Prayer: Help me to depend more fully on You in every moment of the day and to rest in the assurance that You are always with me.

Daily prayers lessen daily worries.

Insight:

Ask God to help you model faith and prayer this week to the younger generation—children or grandchildren, youth in your church, or children in your neighborhood.

This message was written By Cindy Hess Kasper [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Abba, Father — Thursday 21, September 2017.

Memorise: And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. – Galatians 4:6

Read: Romans 8:14-16 (KJV)

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Bible in One Year: Nehemiah 1-3, Ezekiel 44:15-27, Hymn: Sing hymn 6 – Deeper, Deeper

MESSAGE:

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray by approaching God as our Father. He said:

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” – Matthew 6:9

Why did He not say “Our God”, “Our Maker” or “Our Deliverer”? It is because God wants us to have a definite, personal relationship with Him. Of all the relationships we could possibly have with God, the father-son relationship is one of the greatest. In Mark 14:36, when the Lord Jesus Christ was facing His greatest challenge dying on the cross of Calvary He addressed God as “Abba, Father which in other words is “My Daddy”. This level of closeness with God is not exclusive to Jesus Christ alone. Romans 8:15 says,

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

Coming up next: Open Heavens 22 September 2017: Friday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – When You Are Blessed

If you compare this scripture with Galatians 4:6, you will realise that both the Holy Spirit and our Lord Jesus Christ have made it possible for us to share the same kind of closeness with the Father that Jesus had. Therefore, we too can unashamedly call God, “My Daddy”. If only you know how much God longs to have such intimacy with you!

Intimacy with God is something you cannot do without if you are to fulfil God’s plan for your life. There is a time of need that everyone will face, which will require each of us to draw on our relationship with God. Those who have God as their creator will approach Him as “My Creator” while those who serve Him will approach Him as “My God”. In such times, those who are intimate with Him will call Him “My Daddy”. You can be sure that one carries more weight than the others. How would you want to approach God? Would you want to approach Him as a distant Creator, as God of the universe or as your personal Father? The choice is yours. When you develop a good relationship with God, He will indeed be a father to you by acting as the fountain from which you came forth (Genesis 2:7). David understood this and he experienced a very intimate level of closeness with God. This is the reason why in Psalm 23, he could testify of enjoying that which a father provides: food, sleep, water, protection, guidance, security, goodness and mercy. These all will be yours today in Jesus’ Name! Do everything possible to build your intimacy with God!

Action Point: Father, draw me close to You like never before.

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.