Today’s Scripture: “For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you…to give you hope in your final outcome.” – (Jeremiah 29:11, AMPC)

Topic: Flourishing Finish [Tuesday August 8, 2017]

God desires to see you flourish in this life. He wants to see you come out of setbacks stronger, wiser, increased and promoted. He wants to give you hope in your final outcome and see you come to a flourishing finish.

When my father died unexpectedly, all in our family was not well. We didn’t know how everything was going to turn out. We didn’t have all the answers, but we understood the principle that God never ends on a negative. Instead of getting stuck on that page, we just kept moving forward little by little, doing our best, being faithful, being good to people. When I look out today, I can see the faithfulness of God. I can say like David, “Look what the Lord has done!”

Remember, when you encounter adversity, know that God isn’t finished yet. He never ends on a negative. He has more in store for you if you will keep pressing forward. Don’t let your thoughts get stuck on the circumstances. Instead, lift up your eyes to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. Trust that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf, and He will lead you into a flourishing finish!

A Prayer for Today: “Father, today I humbly come to You ready to receive Your favor, grace and mercy. I cast my cares on You. I cast my questions on You. I put my hope in You, knowing that You will bring me to a flourishing finish in Jesus’ name! Amen.”

Topic: Key To Rest [Tuesday August 8, 2017]

The key to rest in life is rest in the Word.

Rest of mind proceeds from rest in the Word.

So, to access absolute rest in life, rest absolutely on the Word of God.

God’s Word is tested and proven, those who rest upon it cannot be shaken.

Men are troubled because they haven’t found the Word to rest upon.

Rest upon the Word to find rest in the world.

“…And the people rested upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”

2 Chr 32:8

Topic: Keep Alert [Tuesday August 8, 2017]

Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are those servants whom the master finds awake and alert and watching when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will gird himself and have them recline at table and will come and serve them! – Luke 12:37

In Ephesians 6:10 God’s word teaches, Be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. We are to put on God’s armor so we won’t be deceived by the devil. Verse 16 says, Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].

In verse 18 we are also told to pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people) (emphasis mine).

Topic: Don’t Just Talk, Communicate!

Dear Reader,

I want to specially welcome you to this edition of your usual column. It is my prayer that as you take practical steps to apply the Word of God that is coming your way, your home shall be heaven on earth indeed, in Jesus’ Name!

This month, via God’s Word, I will be looking at a topic titled “Don’t Just Talk, Communicate!”

Today, many marriages break down as a result of faulty communication. Couples talk and nag until they become weary of each other. Why?  Because there is no effective communication.

Communication is very vital in marriage. You may not enjoy your marriage, if you and your spouse don’t know how to communicate effectively. It is like having gold in a garden, but not knowing how to dig it out. The gold is there, but as long as it is not dug out, you cannot be enriched by it.

That is why the basis of any fruitful and lasting relationship is effective communication. God, our Father and our ultimate example, proved this to us by communicating His plans and intentions to those whom He trusted. He spoke clearly to Moses, Samuel, David, right through to Jesus and beyond Him, to those of us who love and serve Him.

Marriage without effective communication can never work! In times past, particularly in African societies, women were regarded as mere objects and a part of a man’s possessions. They were not consulted on major issues, neither were their views regarded as important.

In those days, women stayed married because they had no choice; but that has never been God’s plan. He made marriage as an avenue for both husband and wife to find fulfillment, and this comes when there is effective communication.

Remember, it takes deliberate efforts to build an enviable home.  Thus, effective communication is one of the requirements for building a successful marriage and family. Note that the need to constantly improve your communication skills and strategy cannot be over-emphasized.

However, no matter how effectively you communicate with your spouse and family members right now, it can still be improved upon;  because, there is always a better way of doing things.  As someone rightly said ‘the largest room in the world is the room for improvement.’

Don’t ever believe that you are communicating the best way.  The truth is: You can communicate better than you have been doing before, if you care to constantly improve on the strategies you engage.

Communication is the key to success in marriage. A wise man said, “If you talk together, you stay together,” and I believe it is very true. Marriage is about living lives together!

Adam’s family, for example, will help you appreciate the importance of effective communication. God commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam, I suppose, believed, but failed to effectively communicate the seriousness of this command to Eve; and she took it lightly.  If you read the account carefully, you will find that in Eve’s dialogue with the serpent, she mentioned that God “said”, not “commanded” (Genesis 3:3). But God did not just say, He commanded.

So, communication must first be one-on-one, between the man and his wife, and then other members of the family. That responsibility cannot be shifted to God. He will not leave heaven to come to your home and speak to your wife or your children on your behalf. It is a non-transferable responsibility.

However, until you are born again, you cannot successfully communicate with God, which is the basis of effective communication with spouse and family members. Being born again entails confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour. If you are set for this awesome experience, please say this prayer of faith with me: “Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today acknowledging that I am a sinner who needs Your forgiveness. I believe You died for me and rose again on the third day. Forgive me my sins, wash me with Your Blood and write my name in the Lamb’s Book of life. Thank You Lord for saving me.”

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

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

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

Topic: Keep Paddling Upstream — Tuesday August 8, 2017

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. – Psalm 141:3

Do you really believe that you need to watch over your mouth? Most believers don’t. You can tell that just by listening to their conversations. They profess, for example, to be trusting God concerning their health. But you’re likely to hear them say something like this: “I’m just sure I’m going to get the flu. I get it every year. I’ll be sicker than a dog too, you’ll see….”

Do people like that have what they say?

Oh yes! Check with them a few weeks later and they’ll be quick to tell you that they got just as sick as they said they’d be. But, odds are, if you try to tell them there’s any connection between the words they spoke and the illness they suffered, they’ll look at you as if you were out of your mind.

Of course, if they’d dig in to the Word of God and find out what it has to say about the subject, they’d realize that the words they speak have a tremendous impact on their lives. They’d see that words quite literally determine their future. If you’re a born-again believer, you’ve already experienced the most powerful example of that. You believed with your heart and confessed with your mouth the Lord Jesus and you changed the eternal course of your life. You know firsthand just how powerful your words can be.

Yet, even so, if you’re like me, you still find that speaking faith-filled words consistently is tough to do. I’ve been at it myself for many years now and, despite all the time I’ve spent on it and all the experiences I’ve had, it’s still something I have to watch all the time.

You see, the world around you is in negative flow. Like a rushing river, it’s always pulling at you, trying to get you to flow with it. Living by faith and speaking words of faith is like trying to paddle upstream. You can do it—but it’s a great deal of work. And there’s never a time you can afford to take a vacation from it. All you have to do is relax a little bit and you’ll just start drifting right back down the river.

Make the decision right now to set a watch over your lips. Determine to consistently fill your mouth with the Word of God. “Attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings” (Proverbs 4:20). Let God’s Word be your watch and everything you say will take you a little farther upstream!

Scripture Reading: Romans 10:8-17

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 Right Knowledge and Deliverance Power [Tuesday August 8, 2017]

Scripture: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32.

Thought For The Day: The absence of the right knowledge is the reason for bondage.

It has been confirmed that knowledge, whether the right or the wrong knowledge, is one of the most powerful forces on earth. The difference is that the wrong knowledge destroys while the right knowledge stabilises, strengthens and delivers.

We have some kind of knowledge creeping into the Body of Christ today, a kind of knowledge that is being preached on the subject of GRACE. It is true that the grace of God exists but some people who preach on this subject have over-stretched it. Some have even gone as far as preaching that the sins a person is yet to commit have been forgiven in advance. This implies that a person can decide to live in any type of sin since his or her sins are forgiven ahead of time. What a damnable heresy!

Kenneth Hagin said that when truth is over stretched to an extreme, it becomes an error.

Imagine the number of people who had been damned to hellfire already by the explosion of this heresy or wrong kind of knowledge. Many are in different bondages of addiction today because of the wrong knowledge they came in contact with.

Beloved, it is the right knowledge that delivers both in time and in eternity (Proverbs 11:9). The absence of the right knowledge is the reason for bondage. Where people do not know what they are meant to know, bondage abounds. If you know the truth in God’s Word, your freedom in life is guaranteed (John 8:32); if you acquire knowledge in your career, finance, etc., your freedom is established in those areas. What you know determines what you can show.

Remember this: The absence of the right knowledge is the reason for bondage.

Assignment (s):
1. Search the scripture and pull out light (Revelation) that will guarantee your freedom in any area of your life.

2. Use the revelations from scripture as weapons against every form of bondage in your life and demand for your freedom at the place of prayer.

3. Avoid being enslaved by the wrong doctrine.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE

Prayer: LORD, thank You for giving me access to Your bondage-destroying Word. Let every form of bondage around my life be terminated by the Power of Your Word, in Jesus’ Name.

Quote: Nothing disarms darkness like light. Culled from 15 KINGDOM STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL by Dr Paul Enenche.

Daily Reading: Ezra 7:1 to 8: 20, 1 Corinthians 4:1 to 21, Psalm 30:1 to 12, Proverbs 20:28 to 30

Amazing Fact: A new born child can breathe and swallow at the same time for up to seven months.

Today In History: 8/8/1974 – President Richard Nixon, in a nationwide television address, announced his resignation from the office of the President of the United States effective noon the next day.

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: Walk In The Light – Tuesday August 8, 2017

John 11:9 “Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.”

JOHN 11:9-10

Jesus compares His decision to return to Judaea to a man traveling during the day. Daytime travel doesn’t guarantee a hazard-free trip but the light does allow us to see the hazards. At nighttime, it’s inevitable that we will stumble. Likewise, walking in the light of God’s direction doesn’t mean that there won’t be problems, but the alternative of “doing our own thing” (that is walking in darkness) is guaranteed to get us into trouble.

Jesus was obeying the leading of His Father to return to Judaea. He could see exactly what was going to take place and He was going to walk in the light that His Father had given Him. Our decisions should not be based on whether or not we will be hurt in some way as a result of our actions, but we must discern God’s will and do it regardless of the cost.

The misconception that, “if God is in it, there will be no problems” is not only wrong, but is dangerous. This kind of thinking has caused many people to “back off” from what God has told them to do when things don’t go the way they expected. Our problems do not come from God, therefore, we should not pray for problems and not embrace them as being “a blessing from God in disguise.” Furthermore, when trials come, we should not be shocked (1 Pet. 4:12) and not let problems or the lack thereof confirm or deny God’s will for us.

Jesus died for each one of us. Each one of us ought to live for Him. Offering ourselves to God is not just a one-time deal. We have to die daily to our own desires. This has to be a living, ongoing commitment to the Lord.

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 Spoiler’s Woe [Tuesday August 8, 2017]

Text: Isaiah 33:1-12

Key Verse: “Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee. ” (Isaiah 33:1).

In the Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration, a story is told of Dwight L. Moody. He was in a city preaching about the value of the word of God in a person’s life. He was interrupted by the loud voice of a man in the audience. “Mr. Moody, I do not believe a single word in that collection of old wives’ tales you call your Bible!” “My dear man,” replied Mr. Moody, “there is one verse in this Bible that you are forced to believe. ‘Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’”

The man sat down as the audience broke into a loud applause. Mr. Moody, of course, did not know the man, but the audience did. He was a notorious, longtime, atheistic saloon keeper and all his children, both sons and daughters, were drunkards. God sent the prophet Isaiah to warn the Assyrian monarch who had come against the righteous Hezekiah who looked powerless against the army of Sennacherib at the initial stage. But against all odds, Israel rallied round and went to God in prayers. The outcome was the total routing of the enemies of Israel by the miraculous intervention of God. Hezekiah and his people were told that God would stand by them and He did. The spoilers are still very much around us today. In churches, homes, private and government establishments, they are there doing what they know how to do best. There are many types of spoilers. Some specialise in destroying youths.

They know that youths are so vulnerable and so they teach them how to do a lot of negative and evil things. Others spoil believers. They go to Christian circles just to pollute saints. Some spoil people with immorality, money and gossips. Others do with music and indecent dressing. Our passage today warns us there is a payday coming. Sooner or later, spoilers would be made to drink of the fruit of their labours.

Thought for the day: Whatsoever a man sows, he reaps.

Bible Reading in one Year: Jeremiah 10-12

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: Your Righteousness Doesn’t Change — Tuesday August 8, 2017

“For He hath made him be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV)

Your righteousness does change because it is of God in Christ. It has nothing to do with what you did or didn’t do. Imagine me as a man coming out wearing a lady’s gown, wearing makeup, putting on high heel shoes and then put on some artificial stuff. I can do all that but like it or not, it doesn’t change the fact that I am still a man. The fact that you made some mistakes, you blew it or fell into one error or the other doesn’t change your standing. You are still the righteousness of God in Christ. And there is no such thing as first class righteousness or economy class. The righteousness that God gave to us is the same you will have when we meet Jesus. It doesn’t change.

The problem believers are having is that they simply don’t accept this fact. But remember the Bible says the just shall live by faith. Our journey as believers starts from heaven and not from earth. The way God functions is that He first tells you what is available to you and releases you to this earth to manifest what you saw. The challenge with most of us is that when we look at some mistakes and some mess you are in, it doesn’t agree with the fact that you are righteous. No! You don’t use your state to judge your standing but use your standing to judge your state. And when you do, what happens is that your state falls off because your standing is eternal. It is of divine origin. It is from God and cannot fail. God has faith in what He has done inside you.

The other day Peter denied the Lord for he thought it was finished; ministry over. He did the same thing that Judas did but the only difference was that Peter did not kill himself he waited for Jesus to die for him while Judas died because he wanted to pay for his mistakes. Child of God, self-effort will only kill you.

Further Reading: Romans 5:17-21,

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Psalms 74-76; Evening- Romans 9:16-33

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: Jehovah Nissi — Wednesday 9, August 2017.

Memorise: Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. – Psalm 35:1

Read: Exodus 17:8-16 (KJV)

8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:

16 For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

Bible in One Year: 2 Kings 3-4; Ezekiel 22:1-16, Hymn: Sing hymn 4: Through the Love of God Our Saviour

Open Heavens 9th August 2017 Message:

Jehovah Nissi is the third revealed compound Name of God, meaning “The Lord is my Banner”. It was the Name Moses gave the altar he built following Israel’s victory over Amalek in Exodus 17:15. The word “nissi” means banner, standard or flag. A banner is the rallying point for warriors in the time of battle. Moses named the altar “the Lord is my banner” to acknowledge God’s active role in fighting for the nation of Israel, and at the same time, to testify to God’s continued war against the people of Amalek from generation to generation (Exodus 17:16). This altar stood as a witness to the whole world that the God of Israel was behind the victory over the Amalekites. You may recall that this battle with Amalek took place under the upraised hands of Moses, holding the rod of God. Moses therefore named the alter Jehovah Nissi with the consciousness of the role that God played in the battle. Starting from today, the hand of God will be so evident against all your enemies and detractors that you will begin to sing “The Lord is my Banner” in Jesus’ Name.

It is amazing to note that the ordinary rod that Moses used in his years as a shepherd had become the rod of God in today’s Bible reading. This shows that anything we surrender to God or commit into His hands in support of His kingdom is made to pass through an unseen divine transformation over time. I therefore pray that as you submit yourself under the mighty hand of God today, He will transform you and your natural gifts into supernatural objects and vessels of honour to achieve great and mighty things for His Name in Jesus’ Name. It is important to note that Amalek came out of the blues and decided to wage war against Israel without any provocation. This provoked the anger of God against them, so much so that He promised to completely wipe out the memory of Amalek from the face of the earth (Exodus 17:14). Therefore, I decree by the word of the Lord that Jehovah Nissi will raise His standard against anyone who is angry with you and plotting evil against you without cause, or fighting against you without any provocation, and they will be completely destroyed in the mighty Name of Jesus. The story in our Bible reading is more like a blueprint of how God’s children should deal with anyone or anything that is identified as an enemy of God’s kingdom. The strategic tools deployed here include fervent prayers, knowledge of God’s word, the advocacy of Jesus, the rod of divine judgement, and believers’ unity. We should learn to deploy these tools to spur Jehovah Nissi into action against the enemy on our behalf.

Prayer Point: Jehovah Nissi, please fight every enemy that is stirred up against the advancement of Your Kingdom in every corner of the world.

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.