Topic: Giving in to Jesus [Tuesday July 11, 2017]

Read: James 4:6–10, Bible in a Year: Psalms 1–3; Acts 17:1–15

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11

They call it “The Devil’s Footprint.” It’s a foot-shaped impression in the granite on a hill beside a church in Ipswich, Massachusetts. According to local legend the “footprint” happened one fall day in 1740, when the evangelist George Whitefield preached so powerfully that the devil leaped from the church steeple, landing on the rock on his way out of town.

Though it’s only a legend, the story calls to mind an encouraging truth from God’s Word. James 4:7 reminds us, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

The prayer of the feeblest saint . . . is a terror to Satan. —Oswald Chambers

God has given us the strength we need to stand against our adversary and the temptations in our lives. The Bible tells us that “sin shall no longer be your master” (Rom. 6:14) because of God’s loving grace to us through Jesus Christ. As we run to Jesus when temptation comes, He enables us to stand in His strength. Nothing we face in this life can overcome Him, because He has “overcome the world” (John 16:33).

As we submit ourselves to our Savior, yielding our wills to Him in the moment and walking in obedience to God’s Word, He is helping us. When we give in to Him instead of giving in to temptation, He is able to fight our battles. In Him we can overcome.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I give my will to You today. Help me to stay close to You in every moment, and to love You by obeying You.

The prayer of the feeblest saint . . . is a terror to Satan. Oswald Chambers

Insight:

James’s emphasis on resisting temptation fits within his broader teaching regarding the behavior of believers. For James, being “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (1:22 nkjv) is central to being a believer, which echoes Jesus’s words that true faith is confirmed by obedience (Luke 6:49; 11:28).

In today’s text, James helps believers understand one way how to live with integrity—through humility. James 4:6, a reference to Proverbs 3:34, fits within many Jewish wisdom texts emphasizing the relationship between humility and godly living. Humility allows us to submit naturally to God and His plan (v. 8). Submitting to God means we are “friends” with Him, instead of the world (v. 4). When we are friends with God, we naturally live according to His kingdom and values, not the world’s (3:15, 17). As we live and walk humbly with our God (see Micah 6:8), He lifts us up (James 4:10), draws near to us (v. 8), and makes the devil powerless.

Does it surprise you to think of humility and fellowship with God as essential for resisting temptation? How can we learn to make these virtues part of our Christian lives? Monica Brands

This message was written By James Banks [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Expect Results [Tuesday July 11, 2017]

Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss. – James 4:2-3

Are all your needs met today? If not, why not?

According to the Word of God, it’s either because you’re not praying about them at all or because when you do pray, you’re praying wrong.

What does it mean to pray wrong? In many cases it simply means to pray without expecting results. Many believers do that, you know. They use prayer as a kind of spiritual wishbone. They just play around with it. This probably won’t do much good, they think, but who knows? It won’t hurt to give it a try.

If that’s been your attitude, then change it! Start getting serious about prayer. Stop praying just because it’s proper. Stop praying just because you always pray at this point in the church service. And start praying to get results.

Start praying in the Name of Jesus, according to the Word of God, and expect to receive what you ask for every single time. Isn’t that a little presumptuous? No, but it is bold, and you have a scriptural right to be bold.

According to the Word of God, you have a standing invitation from your heavenly Father to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that [you] may obtain” (Hebrews 4:16). That word obtain is a word of certainty. The dictionary says it means “to get possession of.”

So pray, expecting to get possession of what you need, not just once in a while, but every time! When prayers do go unanswered, don’t just wander away saying, “I guess you never know what God’s going to do.” Tackle the problem with both hands! Go to God in prayer and in the Word and find out where you missed it and get the problem corrected.

When you go to God in accurate, Word of God-based, Spirit-inspired prayer, you do know what He’s going to do. He’s going to answer you. He’s going to meet your need exactly as you asked Him. Start expecting Him to do it today.

Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:4-15

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 Single Life (2)

Dear Reader,

This Week, I will be bringing your way what I titled “Get Connected to Your Creator.” This is your only sure foundation for a secured future in God. The Bible in Ecclesiastes 12:1 says: Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

The days of your youth from the above Scripture means your single years. Those years are the most effective time to be actively engaged in the pursuit and service of your Creator. The foundation for a great spiritual life is usually laid in the single years of one’s life.

The foundation for a secured life and destiny is first and foremost in your connection and commitment to God, the Author of life and Creator of all living. God’s Word says: I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15:5). Your connection with God is what determines how high you fly in life.

Commitment can be likened to a man’s spinal cord. Without it, your life and destiny may suffer a nervous breakdown. For lack of commitment, many destinies have crashed! If you are genuinely and scripturally committed to God, you will be committed to the success of your destiny. Get connected and be committed!

Several years ago, before we got married, my husband wrote a paper he titled “Sailing Under Sealed Orders.” It was a demonstration of his unwavering commitment to God. Your closeness to God while you are still single is the bedrock of your future and the security of your destiny.

Personally, I have found out that the closer you walk with God, the more you see the need to draw closer yet. I love the song of one great songwriter that says, “Just a closer walk with you, grant it Jesus this is my plea…”  Draw near to God! It is for your own good, not God’s. God is not dependent on you rather you are dependent on Him. When you draw near to God, He will in turn draw near to you. God’s Word says: Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded (James 4:8). Your closeness to God has to be initiated by you. Yes, I can hear someone say, “How do you mean?” I am a Christian, I am born again and I even speak in tongues! “Well, thank God for your life.”  But no matter how near you are to God right now, you can draw nearer still.  Apostle Paul declared: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings… (Philippians 3:10).

There are some single persons that chase marriage as a dog chases a rabbit, especially those who are of marriageable age. For you who are in the Kingdom, it ought not to be so. To anybody in this class I say, relax! It should not be marriage at all cost. Remember that Adam was put to a deep sleep before the wife manifested (Genesis 2:21-22). Chase God and every other thing shall be added unto you, including a glorious marriage (Matthew 6:33). Make God your focus in life, not marriage. Remember, God’s Word says: Whosoever findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord (Proverbs 18:22).

‘Find’ in the above scripture means, ‘to discover along the way.’ So, when you are in a close relationship with God, along the way you will miraculously discover your marriage partner. Don’t join those who attend meetings and gatherings primarily in search of a marriage partner; searching, matching and comparing potential candidates.

Look at this testimony:

“I want to thank the Lord for Bishop David Oyedepo’s life. I also want to thank God for His Words that have been coming to us through the Bishop. I joined this Commission in 1997 for the purpose of seeking a husband. However, I started hearing the true Word of God to the extent that I almost forgot what I came here for. On one Sunday in 2004, our year of Harvest, the Bishop ministered on Matthew 6:33: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ It dawned on me that all things referred to in that scripture include a husband. At that time, I was 45 years old.

Subsequently, I started seeking God and looking unto Him. I told myself it was my turn. Again, as if the Bishop knew what was on my mind, he said, ‘Ask for a 24-hour miracle.’ I said, ‘God, if all things are possible with You, then my getting married is possible.’ Miraculously, that same Sunday, I came in contact with my husband!  We got married six months later. I can say that I am happy and fulfilled as I wave this hand of mine with a wedding ring on it.” Williams, P.

God is the only source of true and lasting life. When you let God into the ship of your life and destiny, it can never sink. The foundation for a secured life and destiny is first and foremost in your connection and commitment to God, the Author of life and Creator of all living. Are you ready to be connected to Him today? Then, you have to be born again. To be born again means confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour. If you are ready to be born again, please say this simple prayer of faith with me:  “Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.”

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 to 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).

A Promise For You From Bible Promises:

 Topic: Devilish Influenced. Pt Two [11/07/2017]

And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 1 Kings 12:11. Read: 1 Ki 12:1-10

During a send forth event for a staff in my office, the staff said, in his life he has tried to maintain friendship with three classes of people. First, the elderly because he believes they have experience life than him and he has a lot to learn from them. Second, his age mate which are in the same level of knowledge and third, the younger ones who can still look up to him and learn from his little experience.

Apart from Hanun the son of King Nahash who took his princes devilish counsel and lost his kingdom, the son of Solomon Rehoboam fell into the same pit. After the death of his father, he became the next king. The people came to him to lighten the burden his father placed on them, he told them to give him three days after which he would give them the reply. He went to meet the elders that stood before his father for counsel, they said to him, if you want this people to be your servants for life, listen to them. He abandoned their counsel and went to meet the young men he grew up with. They gave him wrong counsel, and he lost his kingdom and a total stranger inherited it. Seek godly counsel and avoid evil counsel. Beyond all seek counsel from the Holy Spirit. Table your confusion before Him with open mind to receive from Him. He is with you always. Don’t run into the mouth of false prophets all in the name of counsel. The solution you need lies in your mouth and on your knees.

#BiblePromisesPrayer

* Father, help me depend on the counsel of the Holy spirit in Jesus Mighty Name

Topic — Amazing God: She Sowed The Phone! [Tuesday 11, July 2017]

(2 Chronicles 20:20; Luke 8:1-15).

Welcome to today’s devotional hour! Share with me the testimony below: “Dear Dr. Cris, I have held this testimony for too long. I read one of the passages in ODM where users were instructed to sow a seed to a pastor or a man of God but I ignored it, not because I didn’t want to give but because I didn’t have anything to give at that point. On that day, I was instructed by the Holy spirit to give my phone and I told myself, “Impossible” because I had no job and that was the only treasure I had then. I was so restless and my heart was so heavy until I accepted to give out the phone at about 10: 30 am that same day. So, I called a pastor friend who has a ministry at Eleme, Port Harcourt. To my greatest surprise, he was already on his way to Port Harcourt from Eleme,heading somewhere but stopped by to see me.

When I met him and told him the reason why I wanted to see him, he was dazzled and told me that he had been praying and believing God for a phone; that the one he had been using was very bad and had a bad screen. He was happy because my phone was a very recent model of Sony Ericsson Smart. He prayed for me and I left. Exactly seven days later, a call came through my cousin that I should come for a job with all the necessary documents because I was to travel off to start work the next day and that was how my life changed for good. That is why I really don’t joke with this Our daily Manna vision. Praise the Lord! From OSAZUWA osazuwa4jesus!gmail.com).”

What an amazing God! He is ever faithful! This pastor was in exact need of a phone and I was led that day to ask you to sow a seed to any man or woman of God. And thank God for a great testimony out of that obedience. Each prophetic instruction to sow a seed in this vision is for divine assignment to reach you by your God. In this 14-day prayer and fasting program/ beyond, you will never end up in shame as you obey and follow prophetic instructions backed by the Word even as the women ministred in Vs. 3 of today’s second scripture.

As you pray and fast, I am led to instruct you to still sow a sacrificial “ACHAN –MUST-DIE /ANTI-DELAY SEED.” And I shall send you A PSALM to break that delay which you shall pray for 3 weeks. See page 29 of Our Daily Manna or page 44 of “War Against Hama -12 booklet for account details and be at the last-day World Anointing Service at Ogudu-Orioke Lagod where I shall lay hands on everyone present. See page 52 for viewing centers worldwide! ACHAN MUST DIE! This is your year!

Today is DAY 3 of the 14-day fasting program. PRAY THE GENERAL PRAYERS ON PAGE 93 AND PRAYERS ON PAGE 42 OF THE “WAR AGAINST HAMAN -12 booklet. Continue this fast and be at the last-day anointing service at the Manna Mountain Ogudu-Orioke, Lagos, Nigeria on Saturday July 22nd 7am. Come with your written prayer points, any point of contact and expectation! I shall lay hands on everyone present! God of Joshua will show up!

Prayer Point: Take any song of worship as led.

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

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

Topic: Righteousness, the Secret of Power with God [Tuesday July 11, 2017]

Scripture: The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. Proverbs 28:1

Thought For The Day: Every invitation unto unrighteousness is an invitation unto powerlessness.

Sometime ago, I had a radio interview and in the course of the interview, the presenter asked, ‘We hear that there are lots of miracles and great things happening in your life and ministry; can you tell us the secret of the power of God?’ I answered by talking about things like having a sound relationship with God, intimacy with God, dwelling in God’s Presence, living a life of worship,… but because I had not mentioned fasting, my interviewer was not satisfied with my answer.

Beloved, on the matter of experiencing the power of God, until the right things are in place, you can fast until you have gastric ulcer, gastritis or duodenal ulcer, you will not see any result. A major secret of power with God is cleanliness of life.

Please note the following:

1. The way of uprightness is the way of spiritual power.

2. Every invitation unto unrighteousness is an invitation unto powerlessness. When the devil wants to render a person powerless, he traps him/her into unrighteous acts.

3. Every effort at upright living is a worthwhile effort, not a wasted effort.

Beloved, my counsel is, continually rely on the grace of God to live uprightly (Titus 2:11) and you will experience the power of God.

Remember this: Every invitation unto unrighteousness is an invitation unto powerlessness.

Assignment(s):

1. Reject every invitation unto sin.

2. Consistently dwell in God’s Presence in order to acquire or maintain His Nature.

3. Study the Word of God daily and consistently.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: EMPOWERMENT BY RIGHTEOUSNESS (PART 1)

Prayer: Father, I receive the grace to keep my spiritual garment clean. Let Your tremendous power go to work in me and through me for Your glory, LORD, in Jesus’ Name.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 11:1 to 12:18, Acts 28:1 to 31, Psalm 9:1 to 12, Proverbs 19:1 to 3

Quote: To be a slave of the flesh is to imprison the spirit (James4:4). Culled from 365 WISDOM CAPSULES by Dr Paul Enenche.

Amazing Fact: Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.

Today In History: 11/07/2010 – A total solar eclipse occurred in the South Pacific Ocean with thousands viewing the event on Easter Island.

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: We Need One Another To Succeed In Life [Tuesday July 11, 2017]

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.” Ecclesiastes 4:9

Relationship doesn’t only pertain to a husband and wife, it also includes children. The bible says children obey your father and your mother for it is good for you. Honour your father and your mother which is the first commandment with a promise that it may be well with you and your life may be long. In other words, if you don’t want to cut short your life, you must relate with your parents at that level otherwise you may miss the mark because there are landmines you can’t see. It is your relationships with your parents that will enable you discover those landmines which you may walk into and die prematurely. That is why the bible says it is not good for a man to be alone. That is, you can’t function on your own.

When we bring it down to the level of the church, you need me and I need you. We need ourselves; the congregation needs the pastor and the pastor needs the congregation. Members of the congregation need themselves for strength and synergy. That is why you must always aim and shoot for the best interest of one another. I see a situation in the church where people are always setting landmines for one another, waiting for the other person to fall down so they can laugh.  If you understand that if a brother or a sister falls, all of us fall, it will compel you to restore such a one. That is why Paul said in Galatians 6:1 that if a man is taken by a fault, you that are spiritual should restore such a one, considering yourself because you can also fall.

We must begin to relate with one another knowing that God said it is not good for me to be alone. You cannot handle the stress alone. You cannot fight this battle alone. You cannot win alone. You cannot overcome or succeed alone. It is no longer ‘I succeeded’ but ‘we succeeded.’ There is something we have to add to others and there is something others have to add to us.

Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 6:1-8

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Psalms 1-3; Evening- Acts 17:1-15

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: Sinful Imitation [Tuesday July 11, 2017]

Text: 2 Kings 16:10-18

Key Verse: “And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof” (2 Kings 16:1)

On his visit to meet with Tiglathpileser in Damascus, King Ahaz admired an altar that had been built there for sacrifice to pagan gods. He had a copy of this altar built on the courtyard of the temple in Jerusalem.

Since the worship of a foreign god was politicaI practice that manifested one’s allegiance to the nation of the god, it could be assumed that at this time, Ahaz was showing his allegiance to the Assyrians by building a copy of the Assyrians altar.

It could also have been for political reasons that Ahaz introduced the religious influence of Assyrians into Judean religious ceremonies. This could have been very easy for king Ahaz to do since he had gone to the extremity of honouring the detestable god of Molech. The passage today dwells on the dangerous and sinful imitation of King Ahaz. Many countries today are in disarray as a result of their sinful alliance with pagan nations. Alien cultures that are injurious to the moral fabric of their home countries have been imported. By so doing, they have destroyed the true worship of God in their countries. Many believers have had their once-flourishing Christian experiences destroyed by copying harmful practices of others.

Usually, it begins with secret admiration and longing for satanic elements and artifacts; then it graduates to acquiring such objects and habits and allowing them to rule the life of such a believer. Before long, the conscience is deadened, as those concerned now pattern their lives in accordance with the dictates of such strange allegiances. Some have even abandoned the worship of God for idol worship. They now do all manner of blood sacrifices in order to align with the requirements of some influential political and business lords. But like Ahaz, any attempt to abandon the true worship of God will always end tragically in total bewilderment of those irredeemably yoked.

Thought for the day: True worship of God is in “Forward ever and backward never”.

Bible Reading in one Year: Genesis 32-34

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: Leave A Mark [Tuesday 11, July 2017]

Memorise: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Thessalonians 1:12

Read: Acts 19:8-10 (KJV)

8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

Bible in One Year: 1 Samuel 26-8, Ezekiel 5:13-6:7, Hymn: Sing hymn 13

MESSAGE:

If you will be used by God to perform signs and wonders in these last days, you must have the heart of a missionary or church planter. In the days of the early Church, although there was a church in Jerusalem, Philip left his base and went to plant another church in Samaria (Acts 8:5). If God sees you as an incurable church planter, He will gladly use you in the miraculous. Take for instance Paul the Apostle: today you would find him in Corinth, tomorrow he would be in Galatia and the next time, you would hear of him being in Colossae. As he travelled around these countries and cities, he kept planting churches. He hardly visited a city without leaving a mark behind for God’s Kingdom. No wonder the Bible records that the kind of miracles God performed through Paul were quite outstanding. Acts 19:11-12 says,

“11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”

There are some lessons we can learn from the experience of Paul in this regard. The first is that having the opportunity to travel around the globe is a great privilege. There are people who enjoy travelling from one country to another. There are some people who are required by their official assignment or business transactions to move across countries. Some go to other places for school or simply on vacation. Whatever the reason for your travels, it is a great privilege. Every Christian traveller is expected to leave a godly mark behind in the places he or she visits. How can you visit a country for a week or two and not share the gospel of Jesus Christ with at least one person? You as a true believer in Christ should be able to have converts in the different countries you visit, and if you are there for a minimum of three to six months, you should be able to start a house fellowship, or even a church. By doing this, you will be opening the door for God to use you for signs and wonders. Have you travelled away from home without winning souls for Christ or establishing a house fellowship or church for His Name? Are you ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Use the opportunity or your travels across different locations to glorify God. Travelling is meaningful if you can leave a mark of God’s Kingdom behind.

Key Point: One way of becoming a father of many nations is to have converts in every country you visit.

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: Beware Of Opportunities [Monday July 10, 2017]

Opportunity is deceptive, never be trapped by it. Stay within divine plan – that is where your security is.

Whatever opportunity offers is inferior to divine plan. Rather than responding to opportunity be in search of divine plan and abide in the same.

Stay away from anything and everything that isn’t in divine plan.

Stay away from it otherwise it can take you away from your place in destiny.

You need to possess a strong perception and discernment to know what comes from God and what is sent by satan.

Jesus was offered opportunity to be made king among men but He understood that He’s been made king of kings by destiny so He ran away from the opportunity offered by men to abide in His destiny Jh 6:15. Opportunity may appear to be a fast way of assuming prominence but it cannot last.