Topic: The Restoring Shepherd [Wednesday 12, July 2017]

Memorise: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. – Psalm 23:3

Read: Psalm 23:1-3 (KJV)

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Bible in One Year: 1 Samuel 29-31, Ezekiel 6:8-7:4, Hymn: Sing hymn 6

MESSAGE:

For the sheep of the Great Shepherd, the infallible word of God in Psalm 23:3 guarantees restoration of that which is lost. Sometimes, God allows his chosen ones to experience a loss so that they can have the opportunity of experiencing Him as the Great restorer. Be assured in your heart therefore that if you experience a loss that you did not cause by an act of carelessness or disobedience, you can obtain restoration. However, if you fail to ask for restoration, you may not experience it. In Joel 2:23-26, God promise to restore all categories of losses. Every good thing that you have lost shall be restored to you as you hold the Lord to His word, in Jesus’ Name.

Moreover, not only does the Great Shepherd restore physical and material losses to His sheep, He also restores them spiritually. Speaking of spiritual restoration, virtually all believers need this in some measure. In His letter to the Church at Ephesus, the Lord Jesus Christ told the brethren that they had left their first love. In other word, they needed spiritual restoration so that they could embrace the good things they did before, which they had abandoned. Revelation 2:5 says,

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

For many of us, the zeal, love and fire with which we served God when we first became saved have since ebbed. Our commitment, dedication and consecration are no longer the same. In those days, we made some vows to God such as “No Bible, no breakfast”, but are we still true to those pledges? We promised to win the world to Christ, saying that no day would pass without us winning a soul into God’s Kingdom. How true is that today? Some of us are even so shy or afraid of speaking about Jesus at God-given opportunities. We prefer to read books, surf the internet, or visit social media site than to preach in the buses or cabs like we used to. We sure need spiritual restoration! To be restored, you need to recall how committed you were in times past, repent of your lukewarmness and pick up from where you stopped. Go back to consecration and holiness! Go back to reaching out to the lost on a daily basis! Do you know that no day should pass without you prospecting for sinners to be saved into God’s kingdom? Ask God to restore you today!

Key Point: words like consecration, sanctification and dedication which were common place in Christianity of old are now almost completely out of our vocabulary today.

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.

Today’s Scripture: “…’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” – (Zechariah 4:6, NASB)

Topic: How Will You Accomplish Your Dreams? [Tuesday July 11, 2017]

Are you facing a situation that seems impossible? Have you been fighting a battle for a long time? The key is: don’t go around talking about how big the problem is. Don’t go around confessing that you’re never going to make it. No, start declaring, “The gracious hand of God is upon my life!” When you realize God’s hand of favor is upon you, you will accomplish your dreams faster than you thought!

When those thoughts of doubt come, declare the truth of God’s Word! “How are you going to get out of debt?” “The gracious hand of God is upon my life.” “How are you going to get well?” “The gracious hand of God is upon my life.” “How are you going to break that addiction?” “The gracious hand of God.” “How are you going to accomplish your dreams?” “The gracious hand of God!”

The more you brag on God’s favor, the more you declare and believe His promises, the more you’ll see His favor. As you keep standing in faith, as You keep hoping in Him, you’ll see His promises manifest in your life. You’ll experience His favor and victory and see every dream and desire come to pass!

A Prayer for Today: “Father God, thank You for placing Your dreams and desires within me and for creating a plan to bring them to pass. Even when I can’t see a way, I trust that You are making a way. You are good, and today I declare that Your gracious hand is upon every area of my life in Jesus’ name! Amen.”

Have the utmost respect for it. Anyone you are not married to should have ZERO access to your body. Forget about what the world says; your focus should be on what God says. Too many single ladies and gentlemen who are indeed born again are caught in the web of sexual immorality. It’s becoming too normal. Why two people who call themselves “boyfriend” and “girlfriend”, who have not entered into the covenant of marriage, should be having sex does not make sense at all. If you are in a relationship with someone who is pressuring you to prove your love through sex, run for your life!

If you have engaged in sexual intimacy before, please make a U-turn. Go to God and ask Him for forgiveness. He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse from unrighteousness. Once you receive His forgiveness, get rid of any relationship(s) that may be drawing you back and causing you to stumble. If you haven’t had sexual intimacy, Run from sexual sin. No other sin clearly affects the body as this one does. Sexual immorality is a sin against your own body (1 Corinthians 6:18). Come on now! No human being is worth that. Don’t let anybody deceive you. Stop blending in with the crowd. People may call you old fashioned and uptight, trust me, you’ll get over it! The Bible is not old fashioned, no matter what is in vogue and no matter who says differently.

The foundation of God still stands sure; anyone who names the name of the Lord MUST consciously depart from sin. The fact that this person or that person is doing it, will never make it right. People may applaud and even follow them but if God is not applauding, they’re in trouble. Strive to be an individual with a difference. If you’re dating, strive to be a couple with a difference. Focus on building a solid emotional, intellectual and spiritual relationship. Remove yourself from situations that will cause you to stumble and fall. Remember that as a Christian, you have been bought with a high price so use your body to glorify God.

Keep your most sacred parts to yourself until the dotted lines have been signed! Sex is a very important part of marriage but should be engaged in marriage alone. Don’t let anyone or anything tarnish your Christian testimony.

You must have Christ in your life to be able to keep your body and say NO to sin. This simply means that you must be born again and you can only do so by having a personal relationship with Him. You can do this by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. That way, you will be saved. If you are ready to be saved, please say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. I can’t help myself. Forgive me of my sins. From today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me. Now, I know I am born again.”

Congratulations! I am so excited for you and look forward to your testimonies. Till I come your way next time, please call or write to share your testimonies with me through [email protected] and [email protected], Tel: 08141320204; 07026385437.

For more insight, these books authored by Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian Bookstores: Single with a Difference, Building a Successful Family, Making Marriage Work and Marriage Covenant.

Remain ever blessed!

Kemi Oyedepo

Topic: “In” But Not “Of” [Tuesday July 11, 2017]

I have given and delivered to them Your word (message) and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world [do not belong to the world], just as I am not of the world.  — John 17:14

The verse for today teaches us that as believers we are in the world but not of the world, which means that we cannot take a worldly view of things. Not becoming like the world in our ways and attitudes requires constant vigilance. Watching too much graphic violence in the form of entertainment, as happens in the world, can sear or harden our consciences and reduce our sensitivity to God’s voice. Many people in the world today are desensitized to the agonies real people suffer because they see tragedies portrayed so often on television.

The news media frequently delivers negative reports or tragic stories in unemotional, matter-of-fact ways and we often see and hear these things without feeling. We hear of so many terrible things that we no longer respond to it with the appropriate emotions of compassion or outrage we should display.

I believe these things are part of Satan’s overall plan for the world. He wants us to become hard-hearted and unengaged emotionally when we become aware of horrible events that take place around us. He does not want us to care about those affected by such things. But, as Christians, we should care, we should feel, and we should pray. Whenever we hear about what is happening in the world, we should ask God for His perspective and inquire as to how He wants us to respond. We then need to listen for His response and act accordingly. This is one way we can be in the world but not of the world.

God’s word for you today: Take a stand for godly values and never compromise.

Topic: Remain ever grateful [Tuesday July 11, 2017]

Remain ever grateful, life is a privilege not a right.

Gratitude, gratitude and gratitude…then altitude, altitude and altitude.

You’ll never drop in altitude unless you drop in gratitude.

Grateful people are never ambitious or contentious. Because they realized that they didn’t struggle to arrive where they are and will never have to climb up the next level by themselves.

Gratitude teaches contentment which cheaply qualifies you for next lifting.

Gratitude destroys pride, gratitude is the key to continuous supply of grace.

You cannot stop gaining ultitude unless you stop expressing gratitude.

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.