Faith is the ability to see God in the dark. You cannot be accused again! Mercy is taken over because God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called!

Topic: Lord, Qualify Me! I Am Not A Dog! [Sunday 3 September, 2017]

(Matthew 15:21-28)

Today’s scripture Vs. 26- “But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.” By telling the woman about the children’s bread and dogs, the Lord was directly telling the woman: “YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED FOR THE HEALING ANOINTING.” The Lord was telling the woman that His primary assignment and message in the 33and half years of His life was to the Jews and not to the Gentiles. In God’s plan, the Gentiles would be saved but after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! That was why he told the disciples after His resurrection and final departure: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations………”The “ALL NATIONA” meant the Gentiles (non Jews).

Also see Acts 1:8 – “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witness unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” The UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH means the Gentiles (non Jews)! But this woman received healing for her daughter even though she was a Gentile. That means heaven QUALIFIED HER by taking the children’s bread and giving it to her and the LORD is telling me right now that He is going to QUALIFY a user of today’s devotional for outstanding testimonies that would defy explanations!

Yes! From the life of God’s people in the Bible (tomorrow’s devotional), God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called by His MERCY! That’s why whatever it is in your life that is being delayed because it is being contested by satan like he did to Job, will receive ACCELERATION after today! Just continue to trust God by faith just as this woman did because: Faith is the ability to see God in the dark. You cannot be accused again! Mercy is taken over because God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called!

GET AND GIVE OUT THE NEXT EDITION OF ODM Booklet as a SPECIAL GIFT item for weddings, anniversaries, dedications, birthdays etc to bless a soul! NEVER MISS AN EDITION! When life ZIGZAGS, ODM creates sanity!

Prayer Points: Take any song of worship as led.

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

2. My Father! My Father!! Show me uncommon MERCY that will qualify me for every blessing from Your table.

3. I resist today the accuser of the brethren seeking my disqualification.

4. Lord God, who qualifies the called, You have called me to show forth Your glory before the last day of this year; do something special that will announce Your name in Jesus Christ name.

5. Pray about today seriously and any other issue(s) affecting your peace.

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

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

Topic: Mind Your Walk with God [Sunday September 3, 2017]

God measures you according to your walk with Him.

Your walk with Him is more valuable to Him.

You may get lost as a worker but you never get lost walking with Him.

I don’t desire to be famous. I simply long to be faithful in my walk with him.

I care less for commendation of men but I desperately seek God’s appraisal.

I want to end as His beloved son rather than His hired labourer.

I don’t want to be used and abandoned. I will rather not be acclaimed a success but to be His secret disciple.

Spend time to build your relationship with God and your work for Him will be a natural sequence.

Your walk with him will equip you to work for Him.

Topic: Are You Responsible? — Monday 4, September 2017.

Memorise: To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:  – Galatians 1:16

Read: Acts 9:1-6 (KJV)

1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 7-8, Ezekiel 36:1-15, Hymn: Sing hymn 14: Take My Life

MESSAGE:

Salvation is great, but you must ensure you are genuinely saved. After having a definite encounter with the Lord that leads to salvation, there are some signs that will confirm to you that your salvation is genuine. One of these signs is that your emphasis would no longer be on what Jesus can do for you, but what you can do for the Lord. The realisation of how close you were to Hell before God’s mercy reached out to save you will birth a heart of gratitude in you the moment you are genuinely saved. You will then feel the urge to serve God wholeheartedly in order to reciprocate His love. Genuine salvation births heartfelt service. If you say you are born again and nothing ever prompts you on the need to work for Jesus, that salvation is questionable. In Acts 9:6, as soon as Saul had an encounter with Jesus on his way to Damascus, he asked the Lord, “What do you want me to do?” Today, after people say they are saved, they only bombard heaven with their petitions and prayer requests. God will definitely meet your needs, but have you ever said, “Lord, thank You for the salvation of my soul. How can I show my gratitude for Your love? What can I do for the One who loved me and died for me? “If you ask the Lord these questions, He would most probably tell you the same thing He said in Mark 5:19b to the erstwhile mad man of Gadara:

“Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.”

Genuine salvation makes you more responsible and responsive to God. After I was saved, I wanted to know what I could do for Jesus, because God had opened my eyes to see how close I was to Hell, and He made me realise I was now on my way to Heaven. This is why I find it distasteful to hear that some people who have been saved for three years have never witnessed Jesus Christ to anyone. After I was saved, I could not keep it to myself. I was ready to tell all who cared to listen that I was saved. I was also ready to serve. On one of such occasions, one of my ex-students drove by me and saw me carrying a big basket of sawdust on my head, and he screamed in surprise that his lecturer could be doing that in a church at Ebute Metta, Lagos. The location of our church at this time was like a slum. However, that did not change anything about my desire to serve my Saviour and Redeemer. Does the realisation of the great things God has done for you motivate you to go the extra mile for Him in witnessing and giving? How committed are you to the expansion of God’s Kingdom on earth? I urge you to become a responsible member of God’s Kingdom today.

Action Point: As a mark of genuine appreciation for your salvation, lead some souls to Jesus today!

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: No Excuses Please — Sunday September 3, 2017.

Text: Luke 14:12-24

Key Verse: “And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused” (Luke 14:18).

A commentator on radio news series about honesty in America said that people use three types of excuses when guilty of wrongdoing. The first is outright denial – a rejection of any involvement. The second is the “it’s not my fault” excuse. The person looks around for someone he can blame (Often it is a loved one – a husband or wife or parent. Sometimes it’s the boss).

A third form of excuse is blaming ‘unavoidable’ circumstances for personal shortcoming. Either he’s been struggling with some illness or the assignment wasn’t clear or the car’s been giving him trouble; or better still: “It’s the devil’s work”. Most excuses are often an attempt to defend or manage an ego.

The story in the text is about a man who invited some friends to a dinner at his home. The invitations went out and everyone had accepted and promised to attend. On the day of the party, the man sent out his servants as was customary, and waited for them to fill the dining hall so the festivities could begin. Rather than be dressed for the occasion, the Scripture says they all began to ‘make excuses’.

Thought for the day: God recognises excuses as expressions self-disqualification and irresponsibility.

Bible Reading in one Year: Leviticus 8-11

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: Keys to Experiencing Divine Proofs [Sunday September 3, 2017]

God had told Abram, “Leave your own country behind you, and your own people, and go to the land I will guide you to. If you do, I will cause you to become the father of a great nation; I will bless you and make your name famous, and you will be a blessing to many others. Genesis 12:1-2 (TLB).

Thought For The Day: God proves Himself in the life of the prayerful.

In one of my books, 30 secrets to the Top, I made it categorically clear that there is no success without secrets. There is no possibility without responsibility. There is also no greatness without responsibility. That is why scriptural promises and provisions come with scriptural conditions.

In the same manner, there are certain keys, secrets or conditions to seeing Divine proofs. Therefore, to experience Divine proofs in our lives there are responsibilities we must take. These responsibilities are the keys to seeing Divine proofs. What, then, are those keys?

1. The Knowledge of God – Psalm 103:7; Daniel 11:32

The knowledge of the ways of God through His Word makes a person to end as a commander of God’s acts. The knowledge of God is a doorway to Divine proofs and exploits.

2. A Life of Prayer – James 5:16-18; Luke 9:29

God proves Himself in the life of the prayerful. A lifestyle of prayer was a major secret of the signs and wonders in the life of Prophet Elijah.

3. A Life of Faith – Hebrews 11:1-3; Hebrews 11:6, 33-34.
Faith is the doorway to Divine evidence; faith is the way of Divine proofs and good reports. Faith moves God into action.

4. A life of soul-winning – Acts 1:8; Mark 16:20

The way of soul-winning is the way of power with God; God moves with those who go out on assignment for Him to prove Himself.

5. The Life of Giving and Tithing – Malachi 3:10; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.

God proves Himself in the life of the giver and the tither; God makes all grace to abound for the giver and tither.

Beloved, make up your mind to take responsibility in order to see Divine proofs in your life.

Remember this: God proves Himself in the life of the prayerful.

Assignment(S):

1. Ask God to help you know Him more intimately.

2. Live a prayerful life.

3. Live a life of faith by taking God at His Word.

4. Commit yourself to a life of soul winning with the target of winning at least a soul a week.

5. Be committed to the covenant of giving and tithing.(FROM SEPTEMBER 2017 SEEDS OF DESTINY DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY DR. PASTOR PAUL ENENCHE)

Prayer: O LORD, I ask for the grace to carry out the five-fold responsibilities for seeing Divine proofs as outlined in today’s assignment in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: DIVINE PROOFS – THE SECRETS.

Amazing Fact: An adult is made up of around 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (7 octillion) atoms.

Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:1 to 6:12, 2 Corinthians 6:14 to 7:7, Psalm 47:1 to 9, Proverbs 22:16.

Today In History: 03/09/1895 – The first professional football game was played in Latrobe, PA. (U.S.A) The Latrobe YMCA defeated the Jeannette Athletic Club 12-0

Quote: The level of your blessedness is determined by the level of your faithfulness. 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 Dr 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: You Are God’s Representative — Sunday September 3, 2017.

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV)

God wants you to represent him well. He wants you to portray yourself as his ambassador in the marketplace and wherever you ply your trade. The fact that your colleagues act in a certain way at the parastatal where you work is not an excuse for you to follow suit. As an employee, are you part of those who connive to defraud the company? Well, you might say that you’re not defrauding your company, but you’re never early to work. There is always a reason why you are late to work. As an artisan, the quality of your work is nothing to write home about and your clients are never satisfied. How then are you different? As the salt of the earth, if you’ve lost your savour, of what use are you?

As God’s ambassadors on earth, we have the advantage. But unfortunately, we are not leveraging on it, because we have allowed ourselves to conform to the world’s style. So rather than the world seeking answers from us, the reverse is the case. We are different from the world and we should stand out, regardless of where we find ourselves. We make bold confessions every day, but we don’t believe and so we don’t live out these confessions?

Beloved, you are called to be a true example of the believer in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith and in purity (1 Timothy 4:12). You are God’s masterpiece and the Excellency of God must be reflected in everything you do. The world is getting darker by the day. This is the time for the church to shine as the light that we have been made to be. I pray for you that as you go into the marketplace; the light of God would be revealed in you and his glory will be seen upon you.

Further Reading: Matthew 5:13-16, Ephesians 2:10, 2 Corinthians 4:7

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Psalms 140-142; Evening- 1 Corinthians 14:1-20

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: Joy Cometh In The Morning [Sunday 3, September 2017]

Memorise: “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” – Psalms 30:5

Read: Psalms 30:1-5

1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Bible In One Year: Ezekiel 28-30. Hymn: Sing Hymn 11

MESSAGE:

The Bible uses joy both as a feeling and an action. Joy as a feeling is called forth by well-being, success, or good fortune. A person automatically experiences joy as a result of certain favourable circumstances. For example in Matthew 18:13, the shepherd had a feeling of joy when he found bus lost sheep. In Luke 13:17, the multitude was joyful when Jesus healed a Jewish woman whom Satan had bound for 18 years. All these confirm joy as a feeling.

On the other hand, joy as an action is the kind of joy that the Scripture commands and it can be experienced no matter how a person feels; the Bible calls it the joy of the Lord. The coming of joy in the morning is such a powerful concept considering what night and morning stand for. Night symbolizes a period of darkness, evil, insecurity, and uncertainty. The morning light uncovers events of the night and provides an opportunity for renewed daily activity. I therefore decree; despite what you may be passing through, your hour of darkness will soon pass away, and joy will become your permanent companion in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, please let there be a new dawn of joy, peace and prosperity 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: Because You Are God’s Dear Child 2 — Sunday September 3, 2017.

Text: Isaiah 54:14-15 & 17(NIV)
In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you…no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.

Last month we established that it is not only the Jews that are God’s special people; everyone who believes in Jesus is special, Eph. 2:11-14. This means that the way God showed His mercy, kindness and power to the Jews in the Bible is merely symbolic or a foreshadowing of how He will show His greater mercies, kindness and power to us who are now in Christ Jesus. Consider this: while Haman was planning evil against Mordecai, Esther 6:13b notes that “…his advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him — you will surely come to ruin!” If this can be said of a single Jew, what do you think will be said of you who believe in Jesus?

In the same way Mordecai’s victory was already predetermined simply because of his Jewish heritage, your victory is similarly predetermined because you believe in Jesus and because you are a dear child of God. So, do not be afraid, dear child of God, regardless of who may be ganging up against you. In the King James Version, the first verse of our text above says: “behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.” Our text above is actually addressed to God’s servants. However, can I ask you a question? Given a choice between your beloved child and your servant, who would you protect and defend more aggressively? By virtue of your status as a dear child of God, you are guaranteed victory and safety in every area of your life.

Prayer Focus: Express gratitude to God for your victory and the safety that have been predetermined and guaranteed because you are His child.

Bible In A Year Reading Plan: Psalm 140-142; 1 Corinthians 14:1-20

Empowered to do exploits…

CGMI Above Only Daily Devotional, was written by Most Rev. M.E. Benson-Idahosa, Archbishop of Church of God Mission International, CGMI.

Topic: God’s Country [Sunday September 3, 2017]

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. – Luke 18:27

Right now you and I are standing face to face with situations in our nation that need to be changed. Some of those situations look totally impossible. But they’re not. Because this country belongs to God.

He’s the One who brought the United States of America into existence. He had a special purpose for it. He needed a country where the gospel could be preached freely and not suppressed.

It was God Himself who stirred the heart and mind of Christopher Columbus and planted within him the dream of charting a new course to the West. Columbus said so in his own journals: “It was the Lord who put into my mind (I could feel His hand upon me) the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There’s no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit because He comforted me with rays of marvelous inspiration from the Holy Scriptures….”

Who brought Christopher Columbus to America? God brought him. This is God’s nation. He raised it up, and it’s not going to be taken away from Him.

The next time you’re tempted to look at situations in this country as impossible, remember who it belongs to. Then you can discover America just like Christopher Columbus did—by faith.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 106

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.