Topic: The Power That Creates Vacancy and Opportunity [Thursday June 29, 2017]

Scripture: Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him. 1 Samuel 16:18

Thought For The Day: The Anointing creates opportunities and vacancies for the manifestation of potentials and deployment of talents.

It has been confirmed that everyone is wired by God with one potential or the other. However, much potential has been caged in the lives of people because the opportunities to manifest them were not created. That is why one may have discovered that he is multi-talented, but at the same time, multi-limited.

Now, how do we give expressions to the potentials or talents in us?
It is by contacting the Anointing!

The Anointing creates the avenue for the manifestation of one’s potential and talent. So, the Anointing creates opportunities and vacancies for the manifestation of potentials and deployment of talents.

For instance, the moment the Anointing came on David, opportunities began to open up for him. A vacancy was created in the king’s palace for David to minister before the king. He also became the king’s armour bearer (1 Samuel 16:19-22). So, the Anointing creates opportunities and vacancies for the manifestation of potentials.

The truth is, to the anointed, a problem is a platform for promotion. This was the experience of Joseph. When God wanted to promote him, he made Pharaoh to dream dreams that could not be interpreted by anyone but Joseph (Genesis 41:1-8).

My counsel is, desperately desire the Anointing of God on your life for the deployment of your potentials and talents.

Remember this: The Anointing creates opportunities and vacancies for the manifestation of potentials and deployment of talents.

Assignment(s):

1. Identify the potentials and talents in your life.

2. Ask God for the power to manifest the gifts of God in you.

Prayer: O LORD, I ask for the grace to manifest the potentials and talents in me. Empower me to download all that you have uploaded in me, LORD, in Jesus’ Name.

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

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 15:1 to 16:20, Acts 19:13 to 41, Psalm 147:1 to 20, Proverbs 18:4-5.

Quote: Without the Presence of God, a man is nothing notwithstanding what he has and who he is. Culled from 30 SECRETS TO THE TOP by Dr Paul Enenche.

Amazing Fact: A person can live without food for about a month but only a week without water.

Today In History: 29/6/1917 – The Ukraine proclaimed independence from Russia.

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: Continue In The Word Of God [June 29, 2017]

“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15

If you must serve God with all your heart, faithfully and be ready to make it on the last day, there are things that you will suffer because there are things that will make you to almost compromise your faith. It is not going to come easy. This is the challenge of the last days. There are so many compromisers in the body of Christ today. You may be singing and clapping but I want you to find out if there is any area you are compromising today. Is there any sign of compromise in your life?

2 Timothy 3:13 says, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.” It says evil will become greater. It won’t reduce. It says, “Deceiving and being deceived.” But Paul admonished Timothy saying, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.” Why? “……That from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures.” What are those things you have known from childhood? That means God’s word works every day under any circumstance or situation. You must never turn your back on it simply because there is pressure.

The scripture is what will make you wise and to rise above the wisdom of this world. If you function like the average person you see on the street, then you are not wise. The bible has the answer to all the challenges of life but most Christians see it as a religious book. It has all the answers. It is the book of life. Some of us are falling prey to the enemy because we are not wise. Do you continue in the word? Paul said it is the scripture that makes you wise. Why does it make you wise? It is because the world does not understand it. It doesn’t make sense to the world.

Further Reading: Psalms 119:96-100, 105, 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Job 14-16; Evening- Acts 9:22-43

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: Faith in Action [Thursday June 29, 2017]

Read: James 2:14–26, Bible in a Year: Job 14–16; Acts 9:22–43

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. James 2:18

As a friend drove to the grocery store, she noticed a woman walking along the side of the road and felt she should turn the car around and offer her a ride. When she did, she was saddened to hear that the woman didn’t have money for the bus so was walking home many miles in the hot and humid weather. Not only was she making the long journey home, but she had also walked several hours that morning to arrive at work by 4 a.m.

By offering a ride, my friend put into practice in a modern setting James’s instruction for Christians to live out their faith with their deeds: “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (v. 17). He was concerned that the church take care of the widows and the orphans (James 1:27), and he also wanted them to rely not on empty words but to act on their faith with deeds of love.

Lord, may I never forget the sacrifice that gives me life.

We are saved by faith, not works, but we live out our faith by loving others and caring for their needs. May we, like my friend who offered the ride, keep our eyes open for those who might need our help as we walk together in this journey of life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, You did the ultimate deed by dying on the cross for me. May I never forget the sacrifice that gives me life.

We live out our faith through our good deeds.

Insight:

Good works are the byproduct of our faith. James deals with the evidence essential to show the world that our faith is genuine. He wrote, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds” (2:18). Authentic trust in God will always manifest itself in loving and caring for others.

How can you demonstrate your faith in Christ to someone today?

This message was written By Amy Boucher Pye [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Think In The Spirit [Thursday 29, June 2017]

Memorise: In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. – Proverbs 3:6

Read: Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Bible in One Year: 1 Samuel 3-5, Lamentation 2:3-13, Hymn: Sing hymn 15

MESSAGE:

Life in the Spirit is possible, even though for most believers it still a struggle (Galatians 5:25). To grow your spirit-man, you need to earnestly seek more opportunities to be refilled with the Holy Spirit after being baptized with Him (Ephesians 5:18-19). To live in the Spirit, you need to think in the Spirit. In our thought life, many of us leave out the Holy Spirit, and this is one of the reasons why we don’t go far in our walk with God. Whenever God is left out of an equation, it never balances. This is why today’s Bible reading says we should acknowledge Him in all and not some of our ways. It is only then He will direct our paths. Some of us usually announce to God the decisions we have already reached, instead of consulting with Him earlier, so that He can help us arrive at the best decision. What is wrong with God deciding for you? Who decided that you would be born? Were you a part of that decision? Who decided your sex, nation, looks, height, complexion and the parents you would have? If He could decide all these, would it be too much for Him to be involved in the decision-making process of your life? When He is involved in a decision, He will ensure it does not fail. However, if in playing “mature” boy or girl, you leave Him out and your decisions later backfire, you will have only yourself to blame.

When there is an issue on ground and you present the issue to God, asking for His guidance or instruction on how to handle it, He will be pleased that you are giving Him His rightful place in your life. To what extent do you involve God in your personal and family affairs? Do you see Him as an intruder or as a partner? How often do you involve God in your thoughts and plans? If you really want Him to be a part of your thought life, then shun all evil thoughts. Load your mind with His word. Think often on God’s word and focus on Jesus. By doing these, it will become easy for you to think in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the only Person who can help you see things from God’s perspective. This is why 1 Corinthians 2:11 says,

“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”

When you yield your mind to Him, you will see yourself thinking more like Jesus, and what is important to God will gradually become important to you. When this continues, His likes will become your likes, and you will hate what He hates. There will be an alignment between what He wants and what you want. Start involving God in your thought process from today.

Key Point: The extent to which you involve God in your personal or family affairs shows the extent of your trust in Him.

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: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” – (Philippians 1:6, NLT)

Topic: It is Finished [Wednesday June 28, 2017]

The last thing Jesus said on the cross was, “It is finished.” At that moment, it certainly looked like the end. It looked like it was over. But I believe that wasn’t just a statement of fact, it was a statement of faith. He was saying to Father God, “I’ve done My part. I’ve fulfilled My destiny. Now, I’ve got total trust and confidence in You that You are going to finish what You started through Me.” Even though it looked like the end, in reality, it was only the beginning.

Remember, when things look dark in your own life, dare to make a declaration of faith and say, “It is finished.” What you’re really saying is, “God, I know You are going to finish what You’ve begun in my life. You are going to turn things around.

I know that You are giving me the breaks that I need. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!” Keep looking with your eyes of faith knowing that He is faithful, and He will finish what He’s started in you!

A Prayer for Today: “Father in heaven, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. I thank You that You will complete what You’ve started in my life. Today I choose to put my trust and hope in You knowing that You are working behind the scenes to bring victory to every area of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen!”

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).