Topic: If Only . . . — Friday August 11, 2017.

Read: John 11:21–35, Bible in a Year: Psalms 81–83; Romans 11:19–36

Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. John 11:32

As we exited the parking lot, my husband slowed the car to wait for a young woman riding her bike. When Tom nodded to indicate she could go first, she smiled, waved, and rode on. Moments later, the driver from a parked SUV threw his door open, knocking the young bicyclist to the pavement. Her legs bleeding, she cried as she examined her bent-up bike.

Later, we reflected on the accident: If only we had made her wait . . . If only the driver had looked before opening his door. If only . . . Difficulties catch us up in a cycle of second-guessing ourselves. If only I had known my child was with teens who were drinking . . . If only we had found the cancer earlier . . .

When unexpected trouble comes, we sometimes question the goodness of God. We may even feel the despair that Martha and Mary experienced when their brother died. Oh, if Jesus had only come when He first found out that Lazarus was sick! (John 11:21, 32).

Like Martha and Mary, we don’t always understand why hard things happen to us. But we can rest in the knowledge that God is working out His purposes for a greater good. In every circumstance, we can trust the wisdom of our faithful and loving God.

Prayer: Father, You have carried me through hard circumstances before. Thank You for teaching me to trust Your heart of love even when I don’t understand what You are doing in my life.

To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark—that is faith. Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Insight:

Jesus’s absence is what greatly troubled Mary and Martha. They cried, “Lord, . . . if you had been here” (John 11:21, 32). But God has promised, “Never will I leave you” (Heb. 13:5). We may not understand why hard things happen, but in confident trust we can say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid” (v. 6). Sim Kay Tee

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

Topic: The Dominion Mandate is Restored in Christ — Friday August 11, 2017

“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17 (KJV)

A mandate means a command or authorization to act in a particular way. A command from a superior court. An authoritative order, an order, a decree or charge, an injunction or an instruction. Right from creation, God has always intended that you have dominion mandate over your life. That is why He said in Genesis 1:26, ‘let us make man in our own image and likeness’. Our God himself is the absolute One in charge. He is the beginning that created the beginning. He began the beginning and so He wanted Man to dominate what He did. For Man to dominate, he must be like Him. You can’t effectively dominate when you are not like God.

Now God himself gave this mandate. He said man must have My nature, My character and My life. So the image is you being like God and likeness is you functioning as God. To function is to dominate while image talks about your personality. In order for you to dominate, you must be like Him.

In Genesis 3, Adam disappointed God, he committed what is called high treason and lost his dominion. He did contrary to God’s instruction. The mandate was lost when Adam fell. Adam is the representative of every man born on the surface of this earth, therefore, when Adam fell, Man fell and death set in. Consequently, every one of us born on the surface of this earth is born dead. Death is not just when you close your eyes. When you are separated from God, you are dead. But in Christ we receive life and the mandate that was lost in the Garden of Eden is restored. In Christ, we are destined to reign in life.

Jesus died and rose again to restore man to rule and reign in life. It is, therefore, an insult to the finished work of Calvary if you refuse to reign. God is calling you to occupy your position on earth.

Further Reading: Genesis 1:26-30, 2:15-17, 3:6-7, Romans 5:12-17

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Psalms 81-83; Evening- Romans 11:19-36

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: Meditate on the Word — Friday August 11, 2017.

And [God] brought [Abram] forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness. – Genesis 15:5-6

Do you ever have trouble believing the Word of God? Not just agreeing with it mentally, but really believing that what it says will work for you?

I do. There are times when the promises in the Word stagger my mind. There have been times when I’ve felt so defeated and the circumstances around me looked so bad that it was tough for me to believe I was “more than a conqueror” even though I knew God said I was.

What do you do when your mind staggers like that at the promise of God? You meditate on that promise.

Scriptural meditation simply means thinking about and reflecting on the Word of God. It means pondering a particular scripture and mentally applying it to your own circumstances again and again until that scripture permanently marks your consciousness.

That kind of meditation can affect your life in a way that almost nothing else can. It can, quite literally, alter your mind. That’s what happened to Abram.

When God first told him that he was going to father a nation, he was an old man. His wife, Sarai, was also old. What’s more, she had been barren all her life. How could an aging, childless couple have even one child—much less a nation full of them? Abram couldn’t even imagine such a thing. It contradicted his entire mindset.

But God knew the mental struggle Abram would have, so He didn’t just make him a verbal promise and leave it at that. He gave Abram a picture of that promise to meditate on. He took him out into the starry night, turned his eyes to the sky and said, “So shall thy seed be.”

Can’t you just see Abram staring out at the stars, trying to count them? Filling the eyes of his heart with the promise of God?

That’s what meditation is all about. Taking time to envision the promise of God until it becomes a reality inside you. It’s tremendously powerful, and by focusing on the scriptural promises God has given you, you can put it to work in your life just as Abram put it to work in his.

Don’t just read the Word. Meditate on it today.

Scripture Reading: Romans 4:13-25

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: Live Forever In Him – Friday August 11, 2017

John 11:26 “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

JOHN 11:26

Some people have interpreted this as saying that it is possible to never die. Therefore, there are people today who are believing that they will live physically until the second coming of Jesus, even if that is thousands of years away. Although it is understandable how someone could interpret this verse in that manner, it is very doubtful that this is what Jesus truly meant.

First, a doctrine as profound as this would certainly be well documented in other scriptures. Other scriptures may sometimes be quoted as supporting this claim but they would not lead a person to this conclusion by themselves.

There would already have to be a prejudice in favor of this stand within a person to lead him to interpret these scriptures in this light. That is not a sound method of Bible interpretation. Also, there is not a single scriptural example of anyone who obtained this. That should make anyone suspect of this teaching. Enoch or Elijah might be cited as examples, but they were translated so that they didn’t die. They are not still in their physical bodies on this earth.

There have been periods in church history where certain truths were suppressed, such as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit or healing, and then revived through a move of God. But there was always a remnant of the church that continually experienced these blessings of God. That cannot be shown to be true with this belief that a believer can remain on the earth in his physical body until Jesus comes. Therefore, this passage of scripture concerning never dying is generally accepted as referring to our eternal life that we receive at salvation. The promise of never dying spiritually is made many times in scripture and it is promised to every believer.

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 Unmerited Favor of God — Friday August 11, 2017

For by grace are ye saved . . . — Ephesians 2:8

“Grace,” according to the dictionary, is the unmerited favor of God toward mankind. The word “grace” is used over 170 times in the New Testament alone. Grace is not bought. It is a free gift of almighty God to needy mankind. When I picture Jesus Christ dying on the cross, I see the free gift of God’s grace in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. I sing with the songwriter, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.” Your human mind, with its philosophy of an equal return for favors done, can hardly comprehend the full meaning of this grace of God. But when you catch, by the inspiration of God, its full meaning, you will leave the limits of human reasoning and revel in the spiritual riches of divine truth and privilege.

Yes, the grace of God is a reality. Thousands have tried, tested, and proved that it is more than a cold creed, a docile doctrine, or a tedious theory. The grace of God has been tested in the crucible of human experience, and has been found to be more than an equal for the problems and sins of humanity.

Prayer for the day: Lord, this day help me to come to a more full and abundant awareness of Your bountiful grace. Stimulate me to serve 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.

When God allows certain trials or disappointments, He is helping you or turning you from a worm to a bomb.

Topic: A Worm Can Be A Bomb! [Thursday 10 August, 2017]

(Isaiah 41:8-15)

Today’s Basic Scripture Vs 14-15 is amazing! Amazing because it is between the word ‘confusing’ and the word ‘misleading,’ and yet it is none of both. How can a worm that is delicate, weak and easily bruised by a stone or crushed beneath any foot become a sharp instrument of war? That is the wonder of the God you serve and that is one of the mysteries of why you are passing through some battles that your brain cannot comprehend. God called Jacob a worm- despised, weak, unconnected, disrespectful, hated, used and dumped, disliked, etc, yet God told him: “Fear not, I will help thee……..I will make thee a sharp threshing instrument having teeth: Thou shall thresh the mountains ( Problems, obstacles and difficulties) and beat them small……”

When God allows certain trials or disappointments, He is helping you or turning you from a worm to a bomb. Only bombs can break mountains. So God can make the darkest disappointment, break it up and discover a precious jewel of grace within. Williams Hazlitt wrote: “Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater teacher.” Coventry Patmore also wrote: “Every evil is some good spelt backwards and in it the wise know how to read wisdom.” Winston Churchill told his nation: “We shall draw from the heart of suffering, itself the means of inspiration and survival.”

Truly, it is a mystery why tribulations produce patience (Romans 5:3), but for a worm to become a sharp threshing instrument ( a bomb) against satanic kingdoms, God allows the worm to pass through the University of Temporary Difficulty (UTD). The certificate you get at the end is an MBA – Mountain Buldozer Anointing! Yes, worms can become bombs! Hold on and hold out forever! ( Pray for me against a blackmailing Syndicate).

GET AND GIVE THIS ODM Booklet as a SPECIAL GIFT item for weddings, anniversaries, dedication, birthdays etc to bless a soul! NEVER MISS AN EDITION! When Life ZIGZAGS, ODM creates Sanity!

Prayer Points: Take Song 2: Stand up for Jesus………

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

2. Lord, turn my life, family amd ministry into a tool for your end-time move in Jesus Christ name ( Pray it very well).

3. Lord, cause a revolution in my life and use my life as a terror to the gates of hell. Lord, use me to buldoze satanic secrets and kingdoms.

4. Holy Spirit, buildoze the following obstacles from my pathway of progress in Jesus Christ name (Mention them now).

SUPPORT THE ONE NIGERIA, ONE ODM PROJECT OF OCTOBER 1ST. SOW A SEED FOR PRODUCTION OF MORE ODM COPIES IN EVERY NIGERIAN HOME. SEE PAGE 29 FOR ACCOUNT DETAILS.

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

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

Topic: How to Cater For Your Needs [Thursday August 10, 2017]

Whatever you lack, sow a seed to terminate that lack.

If you lack health, cater for the lack of health of others.

If you lack money or food give out money or food.

What you need most is what you should give out most.

You’ll never stop lacking until you give out what you lack to those who lack it.

The widow of Zarephath gave out what she lacked most to put an end to that lack.

There she was later eating in abundance as if she never had any lack before.

If you lack fruits gather the seeds that remain of that fruit and scatter them abroad for more fruits to come in.

The most impactful giving is in giving out of your need and not out of you excess.

Topic: Releasing the Weight of Worry [Thursday August 10, 2017]

And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life? – Matthew 6:27

It is one thing to know that we should not worry, but it is quite another to be thankful for that truth and then actually stop worrying. One of the things that helped me let go of worry was finally realizing how utterly useless it is. Let me ask you: How many problems have you solved by worrying? Has anything ever gotten any better as a result of you worrying about it? Of course not.

The instant you begin to worry or feel anxious, give your concern to God in prayer. Release the weight of it and totally trust Him to either show you what to do or to take care of it Himself. Prayer is a powerful force against worry. I’m reminded of an old gospel chorus called “Why Worry When You Can Pray?” When you’re under pressure, it’s always best to pray about your need instead of fretting or complaining about it.

Prayer of Thanks: Father, I thank You that I don’t have to live a life full of worry. I thank You that I can come to You in prayer the moment I begin to worry about something and I can cast my care on You. Help me make the wise choice to stop worrying and start trusting You today.

Topic: Spiritual Armour — Thursday 10, August 2017.

Memorise: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. – Romans 8:37

Read: Ephesians 6:10-18 (KJV)

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Bible in One Year: 2 Kings 5-6; Ezekiel 22:17-31, Hymn: Sing hymn 18: Onward Christian Soldier

Open Heavens 10th August 2017 Message:

Weapons of war usually fall under two major categories: offensive and defensive. Body armour can be classified as defensive weapons of war against missiles, projectiles and handheld combat weapons; they work as protective covering, designed to safeguard vital parts of the body. Today’s Bible reading talks about spiritual warfare, revealing how the different parts of physical body armour mirror the spiritual armour available to us as believers in Christ. We have at our disposal invisible weapons of spiritual warfare that are potent against the wicked assault of the enemy. In Ephesians 6:11, our spiritual armour is referred to as the armour of God, which implies that it possesses divine attributes, making it indestructible by the power of the devil. We are invited to “put on the whole armour of God”. However, this armour is inaccessible to those who have not accepted the Lordship of Jesus Christ over their lives.

Click HERE to Read: “Open Heavens 11 August 2017: Friday Daily Devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Tricks of the Devil I”

Putting on the armour of God is equivalent to putting on Jesus, and He is more than enough to protect us against all evil and temptations we may encounter. Romans 13:14 says,

“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

Putting on Jesus involves accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, meditating on His word day and night, living a life of holiness, and spreading His gospel. I pray that in the heat of the battles of life, the armour of God will be your strong defence in Jesus’ Name.

The Bible used the imagery of physical warfare to communicate a powerful spiritual message to us in Ephesians 6:10-18. Firstly, we are asked to gird our waist with the sturdy belt of truth. It’s with this same belt that our sword is fastened to our body. In the days of old, a soldier girded in this manner was recognised as being on active duty. We are expected to gird ourselves with truth as the foundation of all our spiritual activities. Next, we are to find our protection in righteousness by putting on the breastplate of righteousness. Also, our feet should be ever ready to move with the gospel of peace. We should then arm ourselves with the shield of faith to quench all the fiery arrows of the enemy. To protect our head, the most important part of our body, we must put on the helmet of salvation. The helmet of salvation is required to protect our spiritual destiny. Finally, as soldiers of Christ, we are to wield the “Sword of the Spirit”, which is the spoken word of God. As the only offensive weapon mentioned, this is the soldier’s most important weapon, and it is supplied by the Holy Spirit. I decree that God will fortify you and make you untouchable to the devil in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, please prepare and equip me for battle as a good soldier of Christ in Jesus’ Name.

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: Tricks of the Devil I — Friday 11, August 2017.

Memorise: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. – Proverbs 16:18

Read: Isaiah 14:12-16 (KJV)

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

Bible in One Year: 2 Kings 7-8; Ezekiel 23:1-21, Hymn: Sing hymn 7: O Jesus, I Have Promised

Open Heavens 11th August 2017 Message:

A trick is a cunning act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit a person. One of the greatest tricks by which the devil deceives men today is to cause their hearts to be lifted up in pride. Through pride, the hearts of mankind have rebelled against the knowledge and authority of God. Pride comes with arrogance, pomp, presumption, conceit, self-satisfaction, boasting, high-mindedness and haughtiness. It is especially dangerous because of its silence and the stealth by which it operates. When pride is well seated in the heart and has taken full charge of a person, it becomes extremely difficult to pin down. However, we thank God because the light of God’s word is bright enough to expose it in all its forms. To understand pride, we need to consider the first entity in whom pride was found: Satan. Isaiah 14:13-14 reveals the thoughts of his heart that made God depose him from his exalted position in Heaven:

“13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

A careful consideration of the above scripture shows that pride is basically a sin that has its roots in the attitude of the heart. Hence, Proverbs 21:4 speaks of “a haughty look” and “a proud heart” as sin. The first thing to watch out for in a man or woman with pride in their heart is the emphasis on their person in their speech. The speech of such people is normally laden with the personal pronoun ‘I’. In a single short statement, Satan made reference to himself five times: “I will ascend, I will exalt my throne, I will sit, I will ascend above, and I will be like the most High.” Secondly, the proud displays an unwarranted attitude of confidence and inordinate ambition, such as displayed by Satan. He was not satisfied with where God placed him, and he actually wanted to supplant God Himself. He was so confident of himself that he thought he could ascend into Heaven and exercise dominion over all the angels of God, all by himself.

However, pride cannot remain internalised and hidden. It often finds expressions: through speech (such as boasting), through looks and through behaviour, such as acts of impatience and contemptible treatment of others. The Bible highlights the inevitable downfall of a proud person, and we should learn from what happened to Satan (Proverbs 16:18, Ezekiel 28:16-19). The proud will not escape God’s terrible judgement; therefore, be warned!

Prayer Point: Father, please expose every hidden tendency of pride and related attitudes in my life and completely destroy them, in Jesus’ Name.

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.