Topic: Kingdom Living [Monday July 31, 2017]

[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. — Romans 14:17

God’s kingdom is made up of things far greater and more beneficial than worldly possessions. God does bless us with material possessions, but the kingdom is much more than that: It is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Righteousness is not the result of what we do, but rather what Jesus has done for us (see 1 Corinthians 1:30). He takes our sin and gives us His righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). When we accept this truth by faith and receive it personally, we are free to live and enjoy the life Jesus died to give us.

Peace is so wonderful—it is definitely kingdom living. This is why we pursue peace, crave it, and go after it (see Psalm 34:14; 1 Peter 3:11). The closer we get to God, the more we understand that Jesus is our peace (see Ephesians 2:14). God’s will for you and me is to enjoy His peace that goes beyond understanding (see Philippians 4:7).

Joy can be anything from calm delight to extreme hilarity. Joy improves our countenance, our health, and the quality of our lives. It strengthens our witness to others and gives us a godly perspective on life (see Nehemiah 8:10).

It is clear in the Word of God: Seek God and His kingdom, and He will take care of everything else (see Matthew 6:33).

There is no better life than life in the kingdom of God.

God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to earth, whose short but exemplary life was the standard by which all Christians aspire to. Christ’s death was the ultimate sacrifice our Lord could make but also one that Christ himself questioned. Matthew 27:46 reports that, exhausted and desperate while nailed to the cross he asked his Father “with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ which means ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’” Of course, God had not abandoned Jesus. Subsequently to his death, Christ was resurrected. Luke 24 contains a long passage about finding that the stone had been rolled away from Jesus’ tomb yet Christ’s body was nowhere to be found. When He was resurrected, He visited his disciples and told them, ““How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” In his new life, Christ clearly saw that his suffering was part and parcel of the greater glory – that which saved all mankind.

When human beings are diagnosed with a chronic or terminal illness, we too can question our faith. The most common questions are– “How could God have allowed this to happen to us? Do we not pray, try to lead a Christian life, to be kind and giving to everyone?” This questioning is only human – nobody who is suddenly faced with the burden of illness, can be expected to understand why their health has mysteriously been taken away from them. In the same way that Jesus himself questioned his father, it is to be expected that our first reaction to illness, is to be stunned, angry, questioning. Coming to terms with illness involves flittering through several stages, as espoused by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in her studies on grief. These stages are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.

In the denial stage we may think that what our doctors have told us is wrong – of course, obtaining a second, or even third or fourth, opinion, is always helpful when life-threatening illnesses are involved. Yet despite what we are told, we can continue to deny that something so powerful is happening to us. We can become angry about why this illness has afflicted us in particular, when we may have led a healthy lifestyle and tried to steer clear of habits that impair our health. We can try bargaining – offering our Lord something in turn for health. When we feel at our lowest, we can become depressed. After a long period of moving between these emotions and states, we can final reach the stage of acceptance – an important place to be because it is when we accept what is happening to us, when we understand that God has a plan that we are unable to comprehend, and that eternal life awaits us – that we can begin to make the most of our time on Earth.

How can we live our life to the full, bearing in mind the gravity of our health? There are many ways we can start to prepare for the time when we are no longer here – from taking care of difficult yet necessary administrative and insurance matters, to working on our relationship with God. The material side is mainly focused on those we leave behind – while the spiritual one is internal and profound and is a different journey for every person.

Some people try to squeeze in as much of the beauty of life into the days they have left. They may travel to places they had always wanted to see, take part in adventure activities, or mend important bridges with the people who have meant the most to them throughout their lifetime. For others, the process is more internal; they can find solace and strengthen their faith through The Bible.

Whatever the road you chose is, don’t forget that God is always by your side. As Richard C. Leonard, an expert in Biblical studies advises, “Follow the example of the Psalmists, who sometimes cry out to God as though taking Him to task for their problems, but who persist in their conversation with Him; eventually [they received] an answer, reinforcing His faithfulness to His servants.” We may not understand God’s will in this life, but in eternity, there will be no more suffering and pain, and we will be united in everlasting life with our Savior.

This is an article sent in by Sally Painthorpe

Topic: The Power of Hospitality (5)

Dear Reader,

You are welcome again to this column. So far, I have been discussing with you, The Power of Hospitality. I believe you have been blessed.

I need to refresh your memory on why you must be hospitable. Hospitality is a universal ministry essential to the Christian life, as walking and talking are to physical life.

However, hospitality is applied love. It is the practical application and expression of the biblical command to “love your neighbour as yourself.” Hospitality is the active environment in which spiritual truths become connected in relationship with both God and men. Hospitality is a matter of the heart. How large your heart is, will determine how many people you can accommodate.

Also, during the course of this teaching, I threw light on the motives behind hospitality. My husband, the Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church World-wide, often told the story of his late grandmother. This woman was so kind that she used to cook for the children of her tenants. The Bishop, who was young, then, could not hide his feelings. He asked his grandmother why she bothered herself feeding other children. This was her response, “I am sowing seeds for the future so that my children and generation will not lack help”. Today, this is practically speaking. You, too, can start sowing seeds for your unborn generations.

Thirdly, I taught on the power of hospitality to defend. Lot, Abraham’s nephew was delivered from the destruction in Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). Job also escaped untimely death, because he was a righteous man given to hospitality (Job 31:32).

Last week, we saw how hospitality could be the next step to your desired miracle. The Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:12-17) got her miracle baby and Rebecca (Genesis 24:14) got a husband to marry, simply because they were hospitable.

Lastly, on this edition, I will be discussing the “Re-building Power of Hospitality.” What does it mean to re-build? This connotes that there was a building before, which has been destroyed and it is now put back in shape. Below are the things that hospitality has the power to effect. Hospitality can:

Rebuild community.

Restore relationship.

Reconcile races.

Revive families.

It is possible to say that your community or your race is different. Also, everybody minds their own business. Remember, in your community, you can begin this change. There is a way you can touch someone and the person will pass on such gestures on to others. If you have a broken relationship with someone, be kind to someone that is close to such a person. This will take revenge out of your mind. That relationship that you want to trash, may be the one that you will need, to get to your next level in life.

One of the reasons for racial conflict, is when one race or tribe refuses to accommodate the other. When Israel was moving into Canaan, all the nations that fought against them were destroyed by God. Why? They were not hospitable. This is what Jesus said about the righteous: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me (Matthew 25:34-36).

Hospitality, in addition to your salvation, will earn you the Kingdom of God. Also, things of the Spirit are not to be taken with levity. You must watch over them and make sure they produce fruits in your life.

A change of heart is all you need, in order to effect changes in others. Jesus Christ is the only one that can help you out.

However, being able to re-build the power of hospitality entails confessing your sins and accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour. Are you ready for this new birth experience? If you are ready, 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 of my sins, wash me with Your Blood and write my name in the Lamb’s Book of life. Thank You Lord for saving me.”

If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, congratulations, you are born again! 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: How To Secure Your Seat In Life [Monday July 31, 2017]

Sitting around your work is what creates a seat for you among men.

Never seek after what to be, rather pursue after what to do.

It is what you do that determines what you will be.

Do not envy any man’s seat. Rather covet their works.

The approach to your seat is very clear:

Simply work the way others do and you’ll end on their kind of seat.

Your seat is vacant awaiting your arrival!

Topic: A “New Man” [Monday July 31, 2017]

Read: Colossians 1:3–14, Bible in a Year: Psalms 54–56; Romans 3

Continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. Colossians 1:23

As a group of teenagers visited a home for the elderly in Montego Bay, Jamaica, one young woman noticed a lonely looking man at the end of the room. He appeared to have little left in this world but a bed to sleep on—a bed from which he could not move because of his disability.

The teen began right away to share the story of God’s love for us and read some Bible passages to him. “As I shared with him,” she would say later, “I started to feel his eagerness to hear more.” Responding to his interest, she explained the wonder of Jesus’s sacrificial death for us. “It was hard for this man, who had no hope and no family,” she recalled, “to understand that Someone he’s never met would love him enough to die on the cross for his sins.”

Lord, thank You for the new life we have in Jesus Christ.

She told him more about Jesus—and then about the promise of heaven (including a new body) for all who believe. He asked her, “Will you dance with me up there?” She saw him begin to imagine himself free of his worn-out body and crippling limitations.

When he said he wanted to trust Jesus as his Savior, she helped him pray a prayer of forgiveness and faith. When she asked him if she could get a picture with him, he replied, “If you help me sit up. I’m a new man.”

Praise God for the life-changing, hope-giving, available-to-all gospel of Jesus Christ! It offers new life for all who trust Him (Col. 1:5, 23).

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the new life we have in Jesus Christ. Help us to share the hope of that new life with others so they can be made new as well.

Jesus offers new life.

Insight:

Colossae, the destination of the letter to the Colossian church, was a city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). It was a city of some significance commercially in the first century because of its location on a main trade route east from Ephesus. We are not told in the New Testament how this church was founded, but in this letter Paul writes to encourage and instruct the believers there as if it were one of the churches he himself had founded. Bill Crowder

This message was written By Dave Branon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Don’t Serve the Problem [Monday July 31, 2017]

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him. – Isaiah 55:7

You can’t win a victory as long as the problem is the biggest thing in your life!

The Lord woke me up to that fact a few years ago. At that time I was facing some difficulties in my ministry that seemed so big to me, I thought about them from morning till night. Even though I was standing against them, I was thinking more about those problems than about the scripture promises I was standing on.

Then I saw something in Matthew 6:24-25: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life….”

I’d read that scripture hundreds of times, but that day I saw something I’d never noticed before. I saw that immediately after Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters,” He said, “Take no thought.” Suddenly it hit me: We serve our thoughts!

That’s why Isaiah 55 says for us to forsake our thoughts, and by the Word, take God’s thoughts. That’s why 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to cast down thoughts that challenge the Word and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Do you want deliverance from your problems today?

Then quit serving them! Quit allowing them to consume your thought life. And don’t wait until circumstances change to do it. Instead, realize that circumstances won’t ever change until you switch from wrong to right thinking.

I know that’s not easy to do, especially in the midst of heavy darkness and trial. But you can do it if you’ll do these three things:

First, remember you aren’t alone. You have the Word (God’s thoughts). You have the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and you have the mind of Christ.

Second, get around people who are full of faith. Instead of rehearsing your problem, let them do the talking. Make yourself listen. Join in with their faith and resist darkness.

Third, praise God. Do whatever it takes to make yourself praise. When you begin to praise, God’s presence will turn back those worried thoughts and make them fall!

Your problems are not the biggest thing in your life. Jesus is. Serve Him with your thoughts and He will set you free!

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 55

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: Build Them Also [Monday, 31st July 2017]

Ese Ehimare Dave

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

What is leadership if it does not produce successive leaders. A leader who do not produce worthy and even better leader as successor cannot be said to have lead well. It is incumbent on every leader to produce a better version of himself amongst those he is leading. Jesus Christ understood this, that was why “He ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach” (Mark 3:11). And when they started preaching, people got to know they’ve been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). And, you see, Jesus reproduced greater versions of Himself in His disciples, that was why they could do greater things (John 14:12). This should be the aim of every leader.

Apostle Paul understood this, that was why he told Timothy to also produce leaders by committing what he has heard to them (2 Timothy 2:2). The Greek word for commit is “paratithemi”, which means to deposit by teaching. And these men will also go ahead to teach other people. This process will only birth generational leaders. Another meaning of “paratithemi” is to intrust and to commit to one’s charge. This was what Jesus did with His disciples. He committed sensitive information about the operation of the kingdom and sent them to practice what He has taught them (Luke 9:1-5, Luke 10:1-16). This act of delegating authority and duties was to them build them for what was ahead.

Another thing that Jesus did, was to pray for them. In John 17, we have the record of the Lord’s prayer for the disciples He has been preparing to take over the leadership of the church after He must have gone to the Father. Leaders must endeavor to toe this path, because the lesser is blessed by the greater. Every protege will always fall prey of one misdeed. It is therefore incumbent on the leader, who wants to build a greater version of himself, to patiently correct them and bring them back on track whenever they misstep. Jesus Christ did this with Peter in John 21:1-19. Building leaders that will take over from you is very essential. It’s the most important part of leadership, so that there can be progressive continuity after the leader has left the scene.

Keep winning daily.

Wise Action:

As a leader, consciously build the leadership capacity of your proteges. Equip them with all they need to do better than you will ever do. Make this a legacy to pursue rather than only using them to achieve your own targets.

Topic: The Right Righteousness [Monday July 31, 2017]

Luke 16:15 “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

LUKE 16:14-15

Justification is not something to be earned, but a gift to be received. Seeking to earn salvation is the only sin that will prevent a person from being saved, because you cannot submit yourself to the righteousness of God which comes as a gift through faith as long as you are seeking to establish your own righteousness.

Most people are unaware that there are two kinds of righteousness. Only one type of righteousness is acceptable to God. There is our righteousness, which is our compliance with the requirements of the law. This is an imperfect righteousness because human nature is imperfect and incapable of fulfilling the law. And there is God’s righteousness, which only comes as a gift and is received by faith. God’s righteousness is perfect. Our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). A person who believes that he must earn God’s acceptance by his holy actions is not believing in God’s righteousness, which is a gift. It has to be one or the other; we cannot mix the two.

Righteousness is not what Jesus has done for us plus some minimum standard of holiness that we have to accomplish.

Right standing before a holy God is not to be achieved in the keeping of 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 (Rom. 3:22). It is true that the way we obtained this righteousness is by putting faith IN what Christ has done for us. But when we place our faith in Christ, then the righteousness that Jesus obtained by His faith becomes ours. We are possessors of Christ’s righteousness, which His faith produced.

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: Your Words And Your Survival [Monday July 31, 2017]

Scripture: The sower soweth the word. Mark 4:14

Thought For The Day: Until you value your words, you do not value your life.

Our anchor scripture clearly reveals that words are seeds. What you sow determines what you reap. What you say determines what you see.

So, if you say, ‘It is well with my soul’, it implies that it must be well with you no matter what is happening. It may not be well right away but you are sowing seeds; keep talking, very soon the seed will germinate.

Many of us are reaping today what we said yesterday, and tomorrow’s harvest is being determined by what we are saying today. If you say, ‘I have ulcer’ for example, the question is: how much did you buy it?

Beloved, until you value your words, you do not value your life because life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).

It also important to understand that words are prophecies. In Numbers 14:28, God said to the children of Israel, Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

So, every time you are talking, you are prophesying into your future. When you speak death, you move the spirit of death into action and when you speak life, you move the quickening Spirit of God, the Spirit of life into action. Every word you speak will locate the equivalent spirit.

Beloved, whatever is not your intention, destination or expectation must never be your utterance. If you want to escape the trap of death, destruction and disease, avoid the seed of negative words.

Remember this: Until you value your words, you do not value your life.

Assignment (s):

1. Speak in accordance with the written Word of God, not according to what is happening around you.

2. Take out time and prophesy into your life according to what you want to see.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: ESCAPING THE FORCES OF DISEASE AND DESTRUCTION

Prayer: In the Name of Jesus, I speak life into my body, career and destiny. It is well with me. I cannot be limited or resisted. All things are working for my good. O LORD, my life is in Your Hands so I must end well, in Jesus’ Name.

Quote: What you say determines what you see. Your confession determines your destination… Culled from 15 KINGDOM STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL by Dr Paul Enenche.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 29:1 to 36, Romans 14:1 to 23, Psalm 24:1 to 10, Proverbs 20:12.

Amazing Fact: A snail can sleep for 3 years.

Today In History: 31/07/1992 – The nation of Georgia joined the United Nations.

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: Believe the Word of God [Monday July 31, 2017]

“If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey” Numbers 14:8 (KJV)

From the account of the story of the 12 spies, you will discover that 10 out of the 12 spies saw themselves as grasshoppers, but there were 2 men who thought differently. These were 2 people who knew who they were in God. These were 2 people who dared to believe the word of God. These 2 people must have said to themselves, if God told us that the land was flowing with milk and honey and we saw that, then the fact that He has given us the land too must be true. They valued the word of God above their natural strength and capability.

Beloved, in like manner you cannot believe that God is good and fail to believe that He will be good to you. That would be selective thinking. Remember the scripture says as a man thinketh in his heart so is he. {Proverbs 23:7a} If you think and believe failure then you would naturally attract failure, but if you think increase and abundance then you will have it. You need to understand that what God has promised you, is not a function of your immediate circumstances or what you can do. When God said He will supply all {not some} of your needs, it was not dependent on the state of the economy; neither is it a function of what you have or who you know. That promise was based on the riches of His Glory by Christ Jesus. He is inexhaustible.

I come to challenge you to believe the word of God and begin to see things from God’s perspective and not from your own small perspective because your natural sight is limited. The God you serve can see the end of a matter from the very beginning. He knows how to work every situation out for your good. He knows what is best for you and the best way to bring it to pass. Believe Him for the impossible. Believe that He will hasten to perform His word in your life.

Further Reading: Numbers 13:30-33, 14:6-9, Philippians 4:19

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Psalms 54-56; Evening- Romans 3

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.