Topic: Give and Take [Thursday July 27, 2017]

Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. — Ephesians 6:24

Certain relationships in life require from the parties involved only moderate degrees of devotion. A certain degree of reserve and distance seems to be suitable in such relations as these. But there are other relationships in life where all this is changed when friendship becomes love. Two hearts give themselves to each other to be no longer two, but one. Instead of being separated, their interest and paths are now together. The reserve and the distance suitable to mere friendships is fatal in real love.

Love gives all and must have all in return. The wishes of the other party become binding obligations; and the deepest desire of each heart is to know every secret wish and longing of the other, in order that it may do all in its power to gratify those desires. Is that the kind of love, affection, and obedience you have for Christ?

“The whole Bible is a love story,” Billy Graham once said. Hear more in this 1-minute clip.

Prayer for the day: Jesus, I say I love You and yet so often it is a selfish, “taking” love. Let me love You in such a way that Your desires will be mine.

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.

Topic: Negatives Become Positives [Thursday July 27, 2017]

Luke 15:18 “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.”

LUKE 15:18-19

This is a good example of true repentance. This son did not claim any goodness of his own or try to justify his actions, but he humbled himself and appealed to the mercy of his father. Likewise, we cannot approach God in self-righteousness, but we have to humble ourselves, put all of our faith in a Savior, and turn from our wicked ways (2 Chr. 7:14). That is true repentance.

Repentance is a necessary part of salvation. Repentance may include godly sorrow, but sorrow does not always include repentance. Repentance is simply a change of mind accompanied by corresponding actions.

There is a godly type of sorrow and an ungodly type of sorrow. Godly sorrow leads to repentance. Ungodly sorrow, or the sorrow of this world, just kills.

Our culture has rejected all “negative” emotions. But God gave us the capacity for these negative emotions and there is a proper use of them.

People should feel bad about sin. There should be sorrow over our failures. However, this sorrow should lead to repentance, then when forgiveness is received, our sorrow should be cast upon the Lord (Isa. 53:4).

The sorrow experienced by those who do not turn to God produces only death.

They grieve over their situation because they don’t turn to God (that’s repentance). Christians should only have sorrow until they repent. Once repentance has come, we need to appropriate the forgiveness and cleansing that are already ours through Christ (1 Jn. 1:9). The positive change that our sorrows led us to, changes our attitude towards the things that caused us sorrow. Negatives become positives through Jesus.

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: Sweet Company [Thursday July 27, 2017]

Read: John 14:15–26, Bible in a Year: Psalms 43–45; Acts 27:27–44

The Spirit of truth . . . lives with you and will be in you. John 14:17

The elderly woman in the nursing home didn’t speak to anyone or request anything. It seemed she merely existed, rocking in her creaky old chair. She didn’t have many visitors, so one young nurse would often go into her room on her breaks. Without asking the woman questions to try to get her to talk, she simply pulled up another chair and rocked with her. After several months, the elderly woman said to her, “Thank you for rocking with me.” She was grateful for the companionship.

Before He went back to heaven, Jesus promised to send a constant companion to His disciples. He told them He would not leave them alone but would send the Holy Spirit to be in them (John 14:17). That promise is still true for believers in Jesus today. Jesus said that the triune God makes His “home” in us (v. 23).

The Lord is our close and faithful companion throughout our entire life. He will guide us in our deepest struggles, forgive our sin, hear each silent prayer, and shoulder the burdens we cannot bear.

We can enjoy His sweet company today.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for giving us Your Spirit as our constant companion.

The Christian’s heart is the Holy Spirit’s home.

Insight:

When Jesus talks about the coming of the Holy Spirit, He says the Spirit will live with us and be in us (John 14:17). However, it is the effect of the Spirit being in us that is truly surprising. Instead of saying the Spirit will know us, Jesus says we will know Him! What a thought—we can know the God who knows us and makes His home in us. J.R. Hudberg

This message was written By Anne Cetas [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: It Is Finished [Thursday July 27, 2017]

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” John 19:30 (KJV)

I encourage you today to begin to see yourself as God sees you so that you can truly rule and reign in life. For so long, many believers have lived as if God was waiting around the corner with a hammer watching to see if they would make a mistake. This has robbed many of the joy and liberty of the Christian life.  I come to declare to you that what Christ did for you at Calvary was completely complete and perfectly perfect.

You must believe in this revelation and receive it because it is only then that you will be empowered to function here on earth. I am tired of believers living their lives as if sin is more powerful than what Jesus did for us on the cross. On the cross Jesus bore your sins past, present and future and declared with a loud voice – IT IS FINISHED. In other words, I have paid the supreme price once and for all time. God no longer sees you as a sinner. He now sees you in Christ. There is no point cringing and crying for hours and pleading for mercy when you have already been forgiven. Don’t you ever forget that the Father poured out His wrath on His only begotten Son and He has no more wrath to pour on you. The devil no longer has power to condemn you. You are free and free indeed.

Beloved, I know you still make mistakes every now and then, but that does not make you a sinner. Remember that the fact that you passed through a garage does not make you a car. In the same token, falling into one sin or the other does not make you a sinner. Understand that you can never get rid of sin in your life through your own effort or your own resolutions. But when you see yourself the way God sees you, then the Holy Ghost works in you to change you into what you are seeing.

Further Reading: John 19:28-30, 2Corinthians 3:16-18, 5:17-21

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Psalms 43-45; Evening- Acts 27:27-44

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: Wholeness is Possible [Thursday 27, July 2017]

Memorise: And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. – Luke 17:19

Read: Luke 17:12-19 (KJV)

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Bible in One Year: 1 Kings 3-4; Ezekiel 16:23-43, Hymn: Sing hymn 5 – The Great Physician

MESSAGE:

After reflecting on the goodness of God, David wrote in Psalm 103:1:

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”

The lame man in Acts 3:1-8 must have taken a cue from David in praising God. After his burden of 40 years was lifted, he praised God in a very dramatic way, just like David did in times past. When David praised God, his entire body was fully involved. He went to such great extents as removing his royal robes and dancing before God like one of his subjects (2 Samuel 6:14-16). He was used to leaping in praise and honour of the Most High. Have you ever leaped to give God praise?

After God has lifted your burden, in addition to praising Him, you can give Him generous thanks – not the kind of thanks that has to be squeezed forcefully out of you. Thank Him from a heart overflowing with gratitude. Some people are just too stingy! Not only do they find it difficult to give God a good offering from what He has already provided for them, they also find it difficult to give Him thanks. What such people fail to realise is that stinginess has never helped the stingy. What you hoard will go stale, become useless or be lost. Give God thanks and do it with a heart full of gratitude.

Moreover, if you give God quality thanks, you will definitely receive something in return. In other words, when God does something for you and you thank Him generously, He becomes so impressed that He gives you something else in addition to what precipitated your thanksgiving. When all is said and done, you end up with double blessings. Those who give shabby thanks or do not give thanks at all cannot get a second blessing, and if care is not taken, they may even lose their initial blessing to the devil. If you look at the example of the 10 lepers who were healed by the Lord Jesus Christ in today’s Bible reading, you will discover that thanksgiving opens the door to a very special blessing: wholeness! This is a type of blessing that no gate of hell can prevent. When God makes you whole, everyone will know about it. Wholeness is the height of restoration. It is a return to the original state you were in before a burden was placed on you. As you thank God from today, you shall receive the blessing of wholeness in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, as I thank and worship You today, please make me whole.

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.

Wow! Your end will be greater than your beginning! Yea! Half time is not full time and His calendar for you life is not man’s calendar. Don’t blow the whistle yourself.

Topic: Don’t Blow The Final Whistle! [Wednesday 26 July, 2017]

(Ecclesiastes 7:1-9)

I watched a local football match in a school playing ground. As I sat down, I asked one of the boys what the score was. With a smile, he replied; “They are leading us 3-0!” And I said, “REALLY” “I have to say you don’t look discouraged”. “Discouraged?” the boy asked with a puzzled look…..”Why should I be discouraged when the referee has not blown the final whistle? I have confidence in the team and the managers; we shall definitely overcome”! Truly, the match ended 5-4 in favor of the boy’s team! He waved at me gently, with a beautiful smile as he left; I was amazed, mouth wide open. Such confidence, such strong and unwavering faith. As I got back home that night, his question kept coming back to me: “Why Should I be discouraged when the referee has not blown the final whistle?”

Life is like a game. Why should you be discouraged when the The Almighty God is the Referee of your life? Why should you be discouraged when the Holy Ghost is your Manager? Why should you be discouraged when there is still life? Why should you be discouraged when your final whistle has not sounded? The truth is that many people blow the final whistle themselves. Remember the medical doctor who jumped into the Atlantic Ocean from Third Mainland bridge Lagos in late March 2017. He comitted suicide! But as long as there is life, nothing is impossible and it is never too late for you.

Impossible is just an opinion. Believe in Infinity! This is the second half of 2017 and today’s scripture verse 8 says: “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in the spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Wow! Your end will be greater than your beginning! Yea! Half time is not full time and His calendar for you life is not man’s calendar. Don’t blow the whistle yourself. BE ENCOURAGED! DON’T GIVE UP! With God all things are still possible! Pray now!

THE 2017 UK ANOINTING SERVICE IS AUGUST 5TH!

Theme: THIS DELAY MUST END! Venue: City Temple Conference Center Holborn Viaduct, London ECIA 2DE. For booking details, call: +447818555808. Date: Saturday ( August 5th 2017). Time: 3pm. BUSES NO: 242, 25 & 8 ( Buses To The Venue).

Prayer Points: Take your best worship song now.

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

2. O Lord, scatter every plan to delay my EVIDENCE.

3. Seriously uproot discouragement, depression, self-pity and envy of others.

4. Lord God, make my enemies Your enemies. Arise and roar against them now!

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.

Today’s Scripture: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” – (Romans 12:2, NKJV)

Topic: Retrain Your Brain [Wednesday July 26, 2017]

Living in victory means that sometimes you have to develop new habits. If you’ve been negative for a long time, you’ve got to retrain your thinking from “I can’t” to “I can;” from “It won’t happen” to “It will happen;” from “I’ll never get well” to “God is restoring health unto me;” from “I never get any good breaks” to “God’s favor surrounds me like a shield;” from “I’ve made too many mistakes. I’m all washed up” to “I’m redeemed and forgiven. My best days are still out in front of me.” It’s like reprogramming a computer. Sometimes you have to wipe off the old, outdated, dysfunctional software and load in something new.

If you’ve spent your days focused on how things won’t work, it’s time to focus on how things will work out! It doesn’t matter how bad it looks, how many people have told you no, or how long it’s been that way, God has the final say. It’s not over till God says it’s over. Shake off the self-pity. Shake off the disappointment. Let go of the old and choose to believe Him. Declare His promises over your life and see His blessing and victory as you align yourself with Him!

A Prayer for Today: “Father God, thank You for the transformation power in Your Word! Thank You for giving me hope for my future. I choose to trust You, I choose to believe Your Word, and I choose to declare Your truth and watch victory unfold in Jesus’ name! Amen.”

Topic: Be The Best Version of You [Wednesday, 26th July 2017]

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. Galatians 6:4

One of the best things you can ever do to yourself is to come to the realization that God has created you in a totally unique way from any other person in this world. It is no news that we have over 7 billion people now on earth and that the over 7 billion people translates to over 7  billion unique, different creation of God, who are the best of God’s creation in their own right. It is not also news that, just like we have more than 7 billion people in the world, we have more than 7 billion unique ideas, mindsets, wisdom, etc. With these, God has deposited in each one of us the capability to be the best we can be, individually.

Another reality we must embrace is that, while it seems that there are lots of competitions going on in the world amongst individuals, organizations, blue chip companies, etc, it is best to compete against who you were yesterday and be a better version of yourself everyday. That, like a mobile app, we are always upgrading ourselves to the latest version to be more effective and efficiently productive. That means, we need to pay attention to just ourselves and our work and get better at it, for then we will get the satisfaction and fulfillment of a job well done (Galatians 6:4).

It is natural that as we strive to be the best version of us at all times, we will climb the ladder of success. So instead of competing with others, compete with who you were yesterday, and be better than who you are today when tomorrow comes around. Focus on yourself. Not on someone else. You will be dissipating energy on the wrong persons if you focus on others and try to outdo them. Remember, this will bring comparison, and those who compare themselves with others are not wise (2 Corinthians 10:12). Be the best version of you, not someone else.

Keep winning daily.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank You for creating me in a unique way and for making me the best. I know You have filled me with the capacity to be the best of me always and to keep improving. Help me, by Your Spirit, to always be me and focus on making me the best of me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Topic: Stay Off Sin [Wednesday July 26, 2017]

If you don’t want God to stay off you, stay off sin.

If you must keep God with you, keep off sin, withdraw your hand from sin if you don’t want God’s hand withdrawn from sin.

Don’t touch sin if you don’t want to be out of touch with God.

It takes righteousness to put you right with God.

You either love sin and hate God or love God and hate sin.

When Samson will not withdraw from sin God withdrew from Him.

God “infuses” with those who refuse sin.

Hate sin to aim high.

Sin is a weight, it hinders flight

The lighter you are in righteousness, the higher you fly in life.

Jos.7:10-13, Ex.19:11-14

Living clean is living in mobility

Cleanliness is synonymous to Godliness.

Never toy with sin if you don’t want to end as a toy in satan’s hand.

Topic: Saluting God in Song [Wednesday July 26, 2017]

Text: Exodus 15:1-11

Key Verse: “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11).

Bible scholars have reserved a singular place in history for Moses’ hymn in worship of the Lord after He miraculously parted the Red sea to deliver the Israelites from the threatening Egyptian forces. Moses, the servant of God, appointed to lead Israel, burst into an epic poem which some say is the oldest recorded song in the world, coming ahead of the great songs written by King David, Asaph his choirmaster and Solomon the son of David.

The focus of Moses’ praise is God Himself. It is no wonder therefore, that this humble man of God mentions the majestic name of God “the LORD” ten times in this presentation of worship. Moses alludes to the greatness of God and says He alone will be His God, to whom alone he will give praise. According to him, prodigiousness of God’s power manifested in the phenomenal arrest of nature, namely the roaring sea and the destruction of the army of a world power.

Thought for the day: Praises move God’s hands to do more

Bible Reading in one Year: Exodus 33-36

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.