Topic: Benefits Of Meditation — Sunday September 17, 2017.

Text: Psalm 119:17-24

Key Verse: “Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes” (Psalm 119:23).

The story goes that Henry Ford once hired an efficiency expert to evaluate his company. After a few weeks, the expert made his report, which was highly favorable except for one thing. “It’s that man, down the hall,” said the expert. “Every time I go by his office he’s just sitting there with his feet on his deck. He’s wasting your money.” “That man,” replied Mr. Ford, “once had an idea that saved us millions of dollars.

At the time, I believe his feet were planted right where they are now. From our text, the psalmist in presenting the many benefits of God’s word, highlighted the importance of meditating on it; especially when facing persecution and trials. The writer presents believers in God as strangers in the midst of proud and worldly sinners; whose only hope of survival is the daily reliance on the counsels of God. When it appears the psalmist was almost reaching a breaking point, he turned his attention to God’s word as a refuge in the time of storm.

Meditation on God’s word gave him strength and hope. Meditating on God’s word enables us to see beyond the surface until we get to the rich depths wherein abide the real treasures that will give our souls the victory and the power to rule our worlds. We can easily turn our defense into attack through the confidence we get when we meditate on His laws. He keeps in perfect peace those whose mind is stayed on Him (Isaiah 26:3). The problem here is the discipline to keep our minds stayed on God. Sometimes in life, there are difficulties that cannot be overcome by willpower alone.

Many of us have tried to achieve fulfillment and purpose by our own means, and have fallen short of what God has called us to. Through meditation on God’s word, we can discover our purpose for living and find the strength to achieve it.

Thought for the day: Meditation on God’s word enlivens and empowers.

Bible Reading in one Year: Numbers 22-25

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: Guard Your Heart — Sunday September 17, 2017.

’Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.’’ (Proverbs 4:23 KJV)

I want to tell you something critical about your mind. You must keep your mind busy and not allow it to become idle at any point. The Bible says, “keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” I like the way the message translation of the Bible puts it. “Keep vigilant watch over your heart, that’s where life starts.” You cannot afford to leave your heart fallow. Each time you keep it unoccupied, the devil invests in it. He brings to you all that you thought you have forgotten. That is why you cannot let your guard down at any time. Child of God, forget the sins of your past, that case against you was settled a long time ago.

Your heart is also vitally important because it determines where you are going. It is what is in your heart that your mouth speaks and it is what you say that you get. Your words are very powerful so refuse to say the wrong things, irrespective of what is happening around you. Keep your heart busy with God’s word. Say only the right things. Speak your expectation. Speak where you are going to. The Shunammite woman said to herself, it is well even though her child laid dead at home. In her heart, she saw the child alive and well, and so she spoke what was in her heart and not what her condition was saying to her.

Child of God, start today to think productive thoughts. The scripture says “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.” – Philippians 4:8 KJV As you think about these things, they form pictures of good things in your heart, and that is what your mouth will naturally speak about.

Further Reading: Hebrews 3:12-14, Philippians 4:6-9

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Proverbs 27-29; Evening- 2 Corinthians 10

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: Generating The Hunger That Attracts God’s Presence [Sunday September 17, 2017]

Scripture: Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:8.

Thought For The Day: Worship gives access to God’s Presence.

It has been established that the Presence of God with a person is called the Anointing.

Yesterday, we saw that a permanent longing for God and His Presence is key to attracting His abiding Presence.

Now, how can one generate hunger and longing for God in order to attract His abiding presence?
It is by engaging in prayer and fasting!

Prayer and fasting is key to generating a perpetual and unquenchable hunger for God that will cause the Anointing to rest on a person.

My counsel is, take one or two days of prayer and fasting every week. Your focus in these days of prayers and fasting should not be centred on asking God for material possessions but the desire to know God and His purpose for your life more.

Also, maintain a lifestyle of worship. Worship gives access to God’s Presence. Psalm 89:15 says “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.”

Beloved, maintain a perpetual stand with God in prayer, fasting and worship so that the Anointing of God will flow perpetually in your life.

Remember this: Worship gives access to God’s Presence.

Assignment(S):

1. Ask God for His abiding Presence in your life.

2. Embark on a weekly personal fast of consecration in order to seek His Face for the Anointing.

Prayer: O LORD, I ask for the discipline of prayer and fasting. Help me LORD to pray without ceasing in Jesus’ Name.

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

Amazing Fact: It is physically impossible for pigs to look up at the sky.

Today In History: 17/09/1911 – The first transcontinental airplane flight started. It took C.P. Rogers 82 hours to fly from New York City to Pasadena, CA

Daily Reading: Isaiah 23:14 to 30:11, Galatians 3:23 to 4:31, Psalm 62:1 to 12, Proverbs 23:19 to 21.

Quote: You may lose anything in life but one thing you must never lose is God’s Presence. Culled from 30 SECRETS TO THE TOP 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: The Power of Words [Sunday September 17, 2017]

The tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do . . . — James 3:5 (TLB)

There is a story of a woman in England who came to her vicar with a troubled conscience. The vicar knew her to be a habitual gossip—she had maligned nearly everyone in the village. “How can I make amends?” she pleaded. The vicar said, “If you want to make peace with your conscience, take a bag of goose feathers and drop one on the porch of each one you have slandered.” When she had done so, she came back to the vicar and said, “Is that all?” “No,” said the wise old minister, “you must go now and gather up every feather and bring them all back to me.” After a long time the woman returned without a single feather. “The wind has blown them all away,” she said. “My good woman,” said the vicar, “so it is with gossip. Unkind words are easily dropped, but we can never take them back again.”

Prayer for the day: Might my words about another be ones that are spoken in the spirit of Your loving kindness, Father.

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: Our Righteousness Is In Christ – Sunday September 17, 2017.

Matthew 22:11 “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:”

Text: Matthew 22:8-14

In this time, it was customary for the host to provide their guests with wedding garments to wear to the wedding. It was an insult of the highest degree to refuse to wear the clothing provided since the guests were brought in directly from the highways and streets. The wedding garment speaks of the righteousness of Christ that God so graciously provides for all who accept His invitation into the kingdom. It must be put on by both good and bad (Mt. 22:10).

Right standing before a holy God is not to be achieved in keeping the law but in humble trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ. No one, who is trusting in his own righteousness, can have the benefit of Christ’s righteousness. The righteousness that gives men relationship with God is the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, and it comes freely through faith in Jesus Christ.

The way we obtain this righteousness is by putting faith in what Christ has done for us. When we place our faith in Christ, then the righteousness that Jesus obtained by His faith becomes ours.

Through faith in Jesus, we can receive the very righteousness of God as a gift. God’s righteousness is infinitely more in quality and quantity than man’s puny righteousness. No one can ever be justified in the sight of God based on his own righteousness which comes through acts of holiness. One must have God’s righteousness which only comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. Paul said in Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” This is “the righteousness of God.”

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: Removing the Barriers— Sunday September 17, 2017.

Read: Philemon 1:8–16, Bible in a Year: Proverbs 27–29; 2 Corinthians 10

He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. Philemon 1:16

I saw Mary every Tuesday when I visited “the House”—a home that helps former prisoners reintegrate into society. My life looked different from hers: fresh out of jail, fighting addictions, separated from her son. You might say she lived on the edge of society.

Like Mary, Onesimus knew what it meant to live on the edge of society. As a slave, Onesimus had apparently wronged his Christian master, Philemon, and was now in prison. While there, he met Paul and came to faith in Christ (v. 10). Though now a changed man, Onesimus was still a slave. Paul sent him back to Philemon with a letter urging him to receive Onesimus “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother” (Philem. 1:16).

Philemon had a choice to make: He could treat Onesimus as his slave or welcome him as a brother in Christ. I had a choice to make too. Would I see Mary as an ex-convict and a recovering addict—or as a woman whose life is being changed by the power of Christ? Mary was my sister in the Lord, and we were privileged to walk together in our journey of faith.

It’s easy to allow the walls of socio-economic status, class, or cultural differences to separate us. The gospel of Christ removes those barriers, changing our lives and our relationships forever.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You that the gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives and relationships. Thank You for removing the barriers between us and making us all members of Your family.

The gospel changes people and relationships.

Insight:

After reading the book of Philemon, questions sometimes arise such as, “How can I trust a Bible that tolerated slavery?” and “When Paul had the opportunity to condemn slavery outright, why didn’t he do it?” One thing to keep in mind is that slavery in ancient times was different than our concept of slavery today. For example, in the Roman Empire slaves could work toward and achieve freedom. Paul is actually suggesting a change that goes far deeper than an institution change. When Paul asks that Onesimus be taken back and viewed as a brother, he is ultimately dismantling the mindset that segregates people. The Scriptures deal with how we think and not simply how we act.

This message was written By Karen Wolfe [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Approval without Works [Sunday, 17th September 2017]

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast. – Ephesians 2:8‭-‬9

I often sit and just smile amazingly at God’s everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3 says: “the Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Romans 5:8 goes on to describe this love that He has for us thus: “but God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And do you know what is even more amazing? This show of love was before we were saved, when we were not even close to carrying out His instructions and doing His will. He loved us before we were saved, all before we put faith in Him and accepted this sacrifice of love.

So, why do we start to believe that after we have been saved and reconciled to God through our faith in His Son, He is going to withdraw His approval of us just because did something wrong or approve of us because we did something right. Some folks think that by our works, we can ‘manipulate’ God into approving and loving us. Yes, we are to carry out His instructions as they not only advance the kingdom, but also build us up. We should know that our works are not prerequisite for getting God’s approval and love. For if it were so, Christ wouldn’t have come to die. Galatians 3:1-3 says: “o foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

A lot of us today are like the Galatians. We were saved by faith, but somewhere in our walk, we started believing that our works was going to make us gain God’s approval. You already got it, even without your works. Our anchor scripture states explicitly, “for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” You did not need works to get saved, it was a gift. You got salvation without works, and with salvation comes God’s approval. Your works are products of your faith. Your faith is not the product of your work. Faith is the foundation, and it is what won God’s approval not your works. Never think your works will win you God’s approval. You are approved by God without works. Your faith have settled that.

Keep winning daily.

Prayer:

Dear God, I’m amazed at the love You have for me. And what amazes me more is that I haven’t learnt all of it. Thank You for Your approval given without my works, and also for the grace to work for you. Help me to work from love, and not in a bid to win Your approval. Also, by the Holy Spirit, put me constantly in remembrance that I already got Your approval in Christ Jesus, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

By Esun Tekeme

A Promise For You From Bible Promises:

Topic: Make Use Of What You Have – Gift [17/09/2017]

Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Ephesians 4:8. Read: 1 Tim 4:12-15

Why do we envy others? Why the jealousy when others prosper more than us in their endeavours? Why do we fight and kill one another when we feel threatened by the height that others have attained? Many of us believe that those who are making waves today are more preferred or qualified than us. Many of us believe in them than we believe in ourselves. We run after their gifts and fail to develop ours. We fail to realise that those who are making waves now sat down to discover the gift God Almighty deposited in them, patiently developed it, put it to work and now they’re reaping the dividends.

Everyone of us were wired with potentials to impact his or her generation, sit down, search inward, discover, develop and make use of the discovery about yourself. The Bible says before Jesus ascended, He gave gifts to men which you and I are part of. The story of the talents shows that every gift you fail to use will be taken from you and at the same time suffer for not using it for the profiting of God and humanity. Paul told young pastor Timothy not to leave his gift dormant but stir it up. You must stir your gift up beloved for others to benefit from it. You are gifted, stir it up to avoid losing it.

#BiblePromisesPrayer

* Father, the passion and zeal to stir up my gift for the profit of your kingdom and humanity release upon me now in Jesus mighty Name

Topic: Worship First, Request Last — Sunday 17, September 2017.

Memorise: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  – Psalm 100:4

Read: Mark 5:21-24 (KJV)

21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

Bible in One Year: Ezra 1-3, Ezekiel 42:1-14, Hymn: Sing hymn 3 – How Great Thou Art

MESSAGE:

How you approach a house will determine whether you will be welcomed or chased out. If you approach the door and knock, you will be attended to as a lady or a gentleman, but if you decide to break through the window, you will surely be taken for a burglar, thief or robber and met with severe resistance. Your approach matters! In the same vein, to enter into God’s presence, you must follow heaven’s protocol. The Holy Spirit in Psalm 100:4 revealed this protocol when He said:

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

Coming up next: Open Heavens 18 September 2017: Monday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Restitution: Evidence of Salvation II

If you want to be welcomed into God’s presence and have your requests granted, don’t just crash in, follow heaven’s protocol! Let your heart and mouth be full of thanks for all God has done for you, your family and loved ones. When you approach God, let Him first hear your thanksgiving. Let this be followed by quality praise and worship. Let your request come last, and let the time you use in making your request be shorter than the time you spent giving thanks, praise and worship. Whenever you violate this order, you do damage to your requests and hurt your relationship with the Lover of your soul – the Almighty God Himself.

Moreover, you may want to ask: Why must I approach God with reverence, thanksgiving and praise? It is because worshippers always get what they want. In Matthew 8:1-3; a leper approached Jesus, fell at His feet and worship Him, even before he made his request. In the end, he was cleansed. What of the mad man of Gadara whose story is recorded in Mark 5:1-15? As mad as he was, after approaching Jesus, he knew enough to fall down at His feet to worship Him. For this reason, even without verbalising his desire to be delivered from the demonic siege he was under, Jesus set him free. Effective worship works wonders! Jarius was a top leader in Israel, and yet, when his daughter was seriously sick and he approached Jesus, he forgot his position, power and wealth, fell at the Master’s feet and worshipped Him. Also, when the woman whose daughter was tormented by demons came to the Lord expressing her need, the Lord ignored her; but when she began to worship Him, the tide turned (Matthew 15:21-28). From today, follow heaven’s protocol in approaching God and you will get your heart’s desires.

Key Point: Presenting your request before worshipping God is like placing the cart before the horse.

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: You Have Potential [Saturday September 16, 2017]

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. — 1 John 1:9

It’s amazing how many gifted people there are who just sit on the sidelines of life and do nothing. They never take a step forward to use the gifts God has given them because they don’t believe they’re gifted in the first place. Are you one of them?

The truth is, God has given each one of us gifts, talents and abilities. He has a great plan for you and has equipped you to do great things for His Kingdom. But until you see yourself the way He sees you and trust Him to enable you to use your gifts, you won’t live up to your God-given potential.

If you’re struggling with low self-esteem, a poor self-image and lacking confidence, I want you to know that God created you with amazing potential. And when you trust God and believe you can do whatever He says you can do, you will fulfill His destiny for your life.

Remember, “all things are possible with God.” When you put your confidence in Him, you will be free to live up to your potential.

Prayer Starter: God, help me to see myself through Your eyes, with the gifts and talents You’ve given me. I believe You made me with great potential because You are a great God. Today, I put my confidence in You and believe that all things are possible with You!

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries