There is no gainsaying that technology is now a major part of our life. Some of these techs are playing significant roles in our lives now- a good example of this is social media; others are for the future. These future techs will soon become widely available and if you are not prepared for it, you may find yourself out of the game because it will change a lot of things especially in the way you work. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, identifies some of these techs that will define our lives in the next decade.

Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of things (IoT) is the ability of different devices to be able to communicate because they are embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity which enable these objects to collect and exchange data. They are usually regarded as connected devices or smart devices. This also includes Wearable technologies.

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer technology that adopts headsets to produce realistic images, sounds and other sensations that simulate a user’s physical presence in a virtual or imaginary environment. Virtual Reality has been around for awhile now but it only recently becomes widely available. The technology has changed the way people explore. A good example of this is Google Earth VR that allows users to fly over a city, stand on mountains and even go into space.

Autonomous Vehicles

Google, Apple, Uber, Samsung, and other car production companies are investing billion of dollars in developing driverless or autonomous vehicles. Driverless cars are vehicles that do not require any human to drive it and does not need any fuel. A network of sensors has made this possible. There have been testing rides as well as several failures. But pretty soon, very few people will drive fueled SUVs.

Augmented Reality

A technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world. It is widely used in the gaming world. Pokemon Go is a perfect example of Augmented Reality.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is the ability of a computer system to perform tasks that usually require human intelligence. Today, you find robots that serve as a receptionist, customer service and perform surgeries. In addition to this, you have voice assistant AIs like Siri, Alexa, or Cortana.

By Adeniyi Ogunfowoke
PR Associate at Jumia Travel
+2348090747241

Topic: Bottom Up [Wednesday, 28th June 2017]

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand… Zechariah 4:10

It’s very important to know that, even as we step out to take steps to accomplish the goals and ideas the Lord has laid in our hearts, we must start from the bottom to build that which God wants us to build. Nothing comes easy, and for our venture to be enduring and productive over time, we must not rush or skip the process of laying a solid foundation for what we want to build. This is a very vital part that we must not take with levity.

According to research, 90% of businesses fold up before their five year threshold, and one of the factors responsible is a bad start. And that deals with the foundation. A man who wants to build a 100 storey building will not lay the same foundation with the man who wants to build a bungalow. The foundation of what you want to build goes a long way to determine the durability of the building. This is very important, not just only to us, but to the end users of the product and services of our venture.

When the foundation is solid, it can take on all obstacles and come out tops. Scriptures say in Matthew 8:25 that “the rain poured down, the rivers flooded over, and the wind blew hard against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock.” Make sure the foundation of that wish you want to do is rock solid so that anything you lay on it will hold and not give way when challenges starts pouring it to test it’s solidity. Take care of the foundation, and you’ve pretty much taken care of 50% of the whole venture. It’s bottom up, beloved.

Keep winning daily.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, I trust in You to teach me how to lay a rock solid in that which You have laid in my heart, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Topic: The Superiority of Divine Direction [Wednesday June 28, 2017]

“Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go” (Isaiah 48:17). Divine guidance is a covenant; God is committed to guiding the believer, but one thing that continually contests for a place in man’s heart as an alternative to divine direction is expertise.

That has to do with knowledge, skill and competence. A man who banks on his expertise would say, “I have sufficient knowledge, I have good understanding of this issue, I am a man of myself, I am competent.” In this Kingdom, competence is not a guarantee for success in life. Apostle Paul said in I Corinthians1:27, “…God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” There are many people who are super-qualified in terms of degrees and papers; they have the facts yet they are struggling in life because they lack direction. There are others who don’t have as much qualifications yet they are doing exploits, all doors open to them, because they are directed by God. Many people disqualify themselves from getting God’s best in life by relying on their skills and knowledge. Please understand that what obtains in the world does not obtain in the kingdom of God. The fact that you can speak good grammar for instance, doesn’t make you a preacher………………. Part 2 continues tomorrow

Topic: What is Grace? [Wednesday June 28, 2017]

. . . The [Holy] Spirit [Who imparts] grace (the unmerited favor and blessing of God). — Hebrews 10:29

Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit available to you to do with ease what you cannot do by striving in your own strength. Grace is God’s power coming into our lives, freely enabling us to do whatever we need to do. God’s grace is always available, but we do need to receive it by faith and refuse to try to do things in our own strength without God.

The Holy Spirit ministers grace to us from God the Father. Grace is actually the Holy Spirit’s power flowing out from the throne of God toward people to save them and enable them to live holy lives and accomplish the will of God.

We can rejoice and be full of peace, joy, and contentment each day because of God’s grace in our lives. It is His grace that allows us to live in close fellowship with Him. With the grace of God, life can be enjoyed with an ease that produces rest and contentment.

We are saved by grace through faith, and we should learn to live the same way!

Topic: Managing Your Home (4)

Dear Reader,

For the past weeks now, we have been looking at how to manage our home.  We have seen from the previous teachings man’s placement in the home. From the Scriptures, we have evidence of some individuals who succeeded in their homes. Also, last week, we saw how effective the tool of prayer is in home management.

This week, we will be looking at Hospitality in the home. You must be sold out to hospitality; it’s the path to God’s presence and honour in your marriage and home. Hospitality is the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests or strangers, especially in one’s own home. Being friendly (Hospitable) is very important in marriage. Before a true marriage occurs, there will be some sort of friendship going on between the two parties. A friendly and open home is commended by God and receives honour and promotion from both God and men.

Genuine and sincere, hospitality brings with it certain honours; though it may take a great deal of sacrifice, it has great rewards also. Rebecca is an example of one whose hospitality led to marriage. When Abraham’s servant came to Mesopotamia to take a wife for Isaac, he stopped and looked up and said a prayer to God: …Let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, let down thy pitcher, I pray thee that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac… (Genesis 24:14).

The servant, knowing the kind of family to which Isaac belonged (a family addicted to hospitality) prayed for a kind and hospitable wife for Isaac. He knew that any woman who would offer water to a stranger and his camels, could take special care of Isaac. The criteria were not possessions, height, beauty or education, just a warm, loving heart.

It is a known fact that where the angels of God are found, signifies God’s presence. It is an honour to have angels as your guest, especially since we know that they never come and leave without a good report.  God’s Word says:  Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Hebrews 13:2).

Abraham is an example of someone who entertained angels. Together with his wife, they both made the visitors feel welcome, relaxed and refreshed. Abraham and Sarah, by their hospitality, received a definite time as to when their son would be born (Genesis 18:9-10). They were to enjoy the honour of parenting by that singular act of hospitality.

Concerning this, the Scripture says: Distributing to the necessity of saints: given to hospitality (Romans 12:13). When you are given to hospitality, you distribute to the necessity of the saints. As a distributor of blessings, you will never lack blessings. At the same time, you never lose your reward.

Many women are easily irritated. They are unapproachable and explode in anger and resentment too easily. Rather than being one of such, be accommodative. Let your home be conducive for people to stay and get blessed.  By so doing, Sarah and Abraham entertained angels unawares and set pace for their long-awaited miracle. Read the story of the Shunamite woman in 2 Kings 4:8-10. She was referred to as “a great woman.” What made her become a great woman? HOSPITALITY! Your greatness in life has to do with your level of hospitality.

If you are not hospitable, your greatness may remain a dream that may never be realized. This woman always constrained Elisha, the man of God to eat and tarry in their home. She made her home a comfortable place for Elisha, the minister. No wonder, her prayer was heard and she bore a son after many years of barrenness, according to the word of the prophet (verses10 –17). Not only that, her dead son was also raised back to life later on. Hospitality will make you more fruitful than you are right now. Don’t always eat all your food and drink all your water alone, sharing with nobody!  Try to be hospitable to others.

You need the grace of God upon your life to be hospitable. This grace can only be accessed by those who are the children of God. You become a child of God by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour.  If you are set for it, please say this prayer:  “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.”

Congratulations! You are now born again! All-round rest and peace are guaranteed you, in Jesus’ Name. Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through [email protected]; OR 07026385437 and 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: Vive la Différence [Wednesday June 28, 2017]

If one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12

There’s power in unity. The devil knows that. That’s why he’s continually fighting it. He takes the differences between us, differences God put there to make us stronger, and tries to use them as a wedge to drive us apart.

Take men and women, for example. He’s deceived us into fighting about which one is superior to the other. But I can settle that argument right now. Women are superior to men. If you don’t believe that, you boys try having a baby. But then, men are superior to women. If you don’t believe that, you women try having one without us.

It’s the differences combined that make us strong!

People have even argued about whether God is male or female. But the Bible itself tells us that. He’s both! That’s right. In the Hebrew language, all words have gender. They’re either male or female. But the Hebrew word Jehovah is both masculine and feminine. He’s as much female as He is male and as much male as He is female.

Originally, mankind was that way too. When God first made “man,” he was as much female as he was male. Then God separated the female part out and made “wo-man” or, “the man with the womb.” After that, man and woman had to come together to be perfectly whole.

That’s still true today. For example, when He puts together husband and wife teams, He often puts people together who have major personality differences. Where one is weak, the other is strong, and vice versa. So, when they become one, they’re more powerful than they ever were apart.

There was a time when I didn’t understand that. I got aggravated with God for calling me a wife who didn’t care for so many things that I liked. But I finally realized God knew what He was doing. If He’d given me a woman who was as nuts about flying as I am, we would have spent the rest of our lives in the clouds. We wouldn’t be preaching the Word. We’d be in some silly air show flying upside down. “The Copeland Team!” or something.

Do you have people in your life who are irritatingly different from you? Don’t let the devil use those differences to drive you apart. Thank God for them! Let Him teach you how to appreciate them. Let Him show you just how powerful you can be…together!

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

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 Unction to Function [Wednesday June 28, 2017]

Scripture: “…and the spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward…” 1 Samuel 16:13.

Thought For The Day: The Anointing of God imparts on a person the Unction to take action and function effectively in life.

It has been confirmed that Unction is needed to function in life.

What is unction?

Unction is the Anointing of the Holy Spirit that is needed to fulfil destiny.

Unction is needed to function in life. One department of the Unction of the Holy Spirit is what I like to call the Instant-Action-Unction. This is the power of God that causes instant and immediate manifestation of miracles right at the instance of making decrees.

Now, when David was anointed, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he began to function in fulfilling his destiny. The Anointing that came on him injected in him the Unction to function.

This was also the case with Jesus. When the Anointing came upon Him in Acts 10:38, He began to function with diverse manifestations in the supernatural. The Anointing of God imparts on a person the Unction to take action and function in life. It is the Anointing of the Lord that makes a person escape struggles so as to function extraordinarily in life.

From these two practical examples, we can deduce that when a person is not functioning or performing in life, it is because he lacks the Unction to function.

Beloved, if you must function effectively in life and destiny, the impartation of the Unction (Anointing) must be your desperate craving. I counsel you to crave the Unction to function in life.

Remember this: The Anointing of God imparts on a person the unction to take action and function effectively in life.

Assignment(s):

1. Ask God for the Instant-Action-Unction in your life.

2. Make up your mind to maximise your life.

Prayer: O LORD, I ask for the impartation of the Unction to function in life, LORD, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE POWER OF THE ANOINTING.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 13:1 to 14:29, Acts 18:23 to 19:12, Psalm 146:1 to 10, Proverbs 18:2-3.

Quote: The Presence of God makes you to stands out in the crowd. Culled from 30 SECRETS TO THE TOP by Dr Paul Enenche.

Amazing Fact: A smooth, pale tongue can signal an iron deficiency. You can treat this with iron supplements; however it’s probably a good idea to check with your doctor.

Today In History: 28/06/1995 – Nelson Mandela set up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa to investigate human rights abuses of the Apartheid era.

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: Life of God [Wednesday June 28, 2017]

John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

John 10:7-10

The Greek word translated “life” here is “zoe” and it means life in the absolute sense or life as God has it. Everyone who is breathing has life in the sense of physical existence, but only those who receive Jesus can experience life as God intended it to be. Jesus came to not only save us from the torment of eternal hell, but also to give us this “zoe” or God-kind of life in abundance. The life of God is not awaiting us in heaven, but is presently possessed by every born-again person in his spirit. We can release this “zoe” life and enjoy it now by losing our natural life and finding this supernatural life. The way we lose our life is to deny any thoughts, emotions, or actions that are contrary to the Word of God, which is life (“zoe” in Jn. 6:63). When we line our thoughts, emotions, and actions up with the instructions of God’s Word, then we will find this “zoe” life manifest in our bodies and souls as well.

The Word is spiritual and must be understood through the spirit (1 Cor. 2:14). The Bible is simply a physical representation of Jesus and spiritual truth. It is inspired of God and therefore, totally accurate and reliable, and yet, until we receive the spirit that these words express, the Bible will not profit us (Heb. 4:2).

If we want to know what spiritual truth is, we must believe the Bible, for it is spirit and life. If we want to be led by the Spirit, then we must follow God’s Word. If we want to hear from the Spirit of God, then we must listen to what God says in His Word. The Spirit (Holy Spirit) and the Word (Jesus – Jn. 1:1) are one (1 Jn. 5:7).

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)

A Promise For You From Bible Promises:

Topic: Too Compassionate To Forget You [28/06/2017]

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Isaiah 49:15. Read: Isa 49:8-16

No matter how wicked a child is, no matter how troublesome a child appears, even if the father runs away to avoid shame, the mother always stay behind to defend her child. Her compassion always hold her back. She thinks about everything, the pains of the nine months and that of delivery. The sleepless nights she experienced while others were sleeping. God bless our mothers, they shall eat the fruit of their Labour in Jesus mighty name. They’re the best in the whole wide world.

God asked a question in the above scripture, “Can a woman forget her suckling child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?” Which means, God Himself understands the compassion of a woman for her child. But He went further to say in the latter part of that scripture, “Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee”. God is actually saying here, it’s still possible for a woman to overlook all her pain and forget her child. I have witnessed the case of a woman who patiently waited for nine months, delivered a baby and strangled the child. Probably you might have heard or seen similar cases. But God says, I will not forget you because I am too compassionate than your mother to leave you alone in that challenge. You are ever in His mind and inscribed on the palm of His hands.

#BiblePromisesPrayer

*Father, in Your mercy, grace, love and compassion, remember me for good today.

Topic: Refining Fire [Wednesday June 28, 2017]

And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself . . .  — 2 Chronicles 33:12

Why do Christians suffer? Rest assured that there is a reason for Christian people being afflicted. One reason why God’s people suffer, according to the Bible, is that it is a disciplinary, chastening, and molding process. From the Scriptures we learn that the chastening of affliction is a step in the process of our full and complete development. Affliction can also be a means of refining and of purification. Many a life has come forth from the furnace of affliction more beautiful and more useful than before.

Prayer for the day: Lord, whatever I have to face, through it let me learn more of Your love and compassion.

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.