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.

Topic: Reward Of False Prophecy [Wednesday June 28, 2017]

Text: Jeremiah 28:10-17

Key Verse: “Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD” (Jeremiah 28:16).

Even though afflictions come from the devil, God, sometimes, allows them as a form of chastisement against His people for their wrongdoing. This was exactly the situation of the Israelites, as the text depicted, when they involved themselves in sin.

Jeremiah, by the Spirit of the Lord, wore a yoke, which symbolised the Jews and other neighbouring nations’ subjection to the king of Babylon. It was not that Nebuchadnezzar was righteous, but submission to him was a form of punishment, which could prevent the extreme evil that would otherwise befall them. Hananiah, a false prophet, who stood against Jeremiah’s prophecy and made the people believe a lie, took the yoke from off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it.

Jeremiah, as against contending with Hananiah, quietly and patiently went his way. But shortly after he left, God’s message came to him against Hananiah and the people. For the people, God had taken away the yokes of wood from them and put the yokes of iron upon their necks. So, they would serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. For Hananiah, he would die that year. In less than two months, Hananiah truly died. We should, therefore, be mindful of the fact that a lie is the breaking of God’s commands and its price is very high. If sin is allowed to go unchecked, it will have a crippling effect and it may ruin the person eternally because no one commits a sin and goes unpunished if he does not repent.

It prevented Moses from reaching the Promised Land and Samson lost his eyesight and life, among others. Therefore, do everything possible to avoid sin.

Thought for the day: False prophecy offers poisonous religious prescription.

Bible Reading in one Year: Philemon

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: Live By Faith, Not By Your Senses [June 28, 2017]

“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” Hebrew 10:38.
   
We are in an age where people are using their senses. We are in an age where the mind power is very strong. And it is sad that people are using the same mindset to serve God. When you serve God with your senses, you are positioning yourself for serious trouble because you cannot serve God with your senses. The bible says without faith it is impossible to please God. You cannot go too far in your Christian walk outside faith. Children of God shouldn’t serve God with their senses because the natural man does not understand the things of the spirit because they are foolishness to him. He cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned.

When you walk with your senses you begin to walk in the realm of the flesh. You cannot serve God with your senses that’s why the bible says the just shall live by faith, not by their senses. It also says those who are of the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. And  those who are of the spirit mind the things of the spirit.  A lot of us believers are allowing the cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches and all the challenges around us to determine how far we can go with God. You are serving God with senses.

In 2 Timothy 3:1, Paul told Timothy to know and  be acquainted with the truth about the last days. It is a time you cannot understand and a time difficult to live in. Incidentally the time is right on us. We are living in a time that is difficult to survive in. He said men shall be lovers of their own selves. They want their comfort. If it is difficult, then they will bail out. If the things that use to excite you concerning the things of God no more excite you, you are already backsliding. David said I was glad when they say let us go to the house of the Lord. But today some believers are unhappy to go to the house of the Lord.

Further Reading: Romans 5:1-11, 2Corinthians 5:1-7

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Job 11-13; Evening- Acts 9:1-21

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: Unfinished Works [Wednesday June 28, 2017]

Read: Romans 7:14–25, Bible in a Year: Job 11–13; Acts 9:1–21

Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:24–25

At his death, the great artist Michelangelo left many unfinished projects. But four of his sculptures were never meant to be completed. The Bearded Slave, the Atlas Slave, the Awakening Slave, and the Young Slave, though they appear unfinished, are just as Michelangelo intended them to be. The artist wanted to show what it might feel like to be forever enslaved.

Rather than sculpting figures in chains, Michelangelo made figures stuck in the very marble out of which they are carved. Bodies emerge from the stone, but not completely. Muscles flex, but the figures are never able to free themselves.

Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:25

My empathy with the slave sculptures is immediate. Their plight is not unlike my struggle with sin. I am unable to free myself: like the sculptures I am stuck, “a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me” (Rom 7:23). No matter how hard I try, I cannot change myself. But thanks be to God, you and I will not remain unfinished works. We won’t be complete until heaven, but in the meantime as we welcome the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, He changes us. God promises to finish the good work He has begun in us (Phil. 1:6).

Prayer: God, thank You that You make us new creatures through the work of Your Son Jesus Christ, freeing us from our slavery to sin.

He is the potter; we are the clay.

Insight:

The war between the good we want to do and the bad we end up doing is a struggle for all Christ-followers. Paul places this tension as being between his “inner man” (his renewed heart and Holy Spirit-guided conscience) and the “flesh” (the fallen nature that still is drawn to sin). The good news is that someday we will be renewed in mind and body—free from the temptation to sin and the impact of our sinful choices.

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

Topic: What Kind of Growth? [Wednesday 28, June 2017]

Memorise: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: – Ephesians 4:15

Read: Ephesians 4: 10-16 (KJV)

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Bible in One Year: 1 Samuel 1-2, Lamentation 1:13-2:2, Hymn: Sing hymn 6

MESSAGE:

If you are a sheep in the fold of the Great Shepherd, you will not lack rest or what to eat. Beyond these, you will not thirst, as He leads you beside the still, calm waters.  This is another way of saying that your thirst will be quenched. The Lord in Matthew 5:6 spoke of this when He said:

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Hunger and thirst are part of the mechanisms that have been programmed into the human body to produced growth. How you respond to these impulses will determine the quality or type of growth you experience. Prolonged starvation and refusal to eat both lead to death. Similarly, while taking only a particular kind of food, some people experience abnormal growth patterns, due to the absence of the required quantity of nutrients, vitamins, fatty acids, and so on, needed by their body. This is why children who are exclusively fed a diet full of carbohydrates tend to have oversized heads and stomachs, rickety legs and hands – a growth problem known as “Kwashiorkor”. For growth to be even and progressive, all the needs of the body must be provided.

The observed effect of food on physical growth in the natural world also applies to what happens in the spirit. Today, spiritual growth is so distorted in the Body of Christ as a result of the nature of food being fed and the attitude of believers towards spiritual food. There are different stages of growth in the Kingdom of God. 1 Peter 2:2 says baby Christians should be fed with milk, so as to grow normally. Today, you have those who claim to have been saved for 5, 10 or more years still insisting on being fed with milk. If a 10 year old child still wants to be breastfed, what kind of growth would result from this? Also, there are so many false doctrines being propagated through the airwaves and in churches today. What kind of growth will such doctrines deliver to these who receive them? In addition, a number of those who are being fed the sound, undiluted truth of God’s word do not have enough time to receive it. What kind of growth do you think will result from such spiritual eating pattern? When you do not grow as you are expected to, you become a problem to yourself and others around you. How are you growing today? What are you feeding on? How often do you feed on God’s word?

Action Point: Change your spiritual diet and feeding pattern to reflect the desire for healthy spiritual growth.

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: Getting the Most Out of Your Marriage [Tuesday June 27, 2017]

Do to others as you would have them do to you. — Luke 6:31 NIV

I wonder how many millions of people think, I just don’t feel the way I once did about my spouse. I wish I still felt excited about our marriage—that the romantic feelings would come back. This is when we need to remember: wishing does not do any good; only action changes things.

If you don’t feel you are getting anything out of your marriage, perhaps you are not putting enough into it. We usually give our spouses the unfair and unrealistic responsibility of making us happy rather than being grateful for them and choosing to make them happy. In the process, selfishness causes both of you to be unhappy. But you can change that! If you want your marriage or any other relationship to improve, just start being grateful for that person and try to bless them every chance you get.

Prayer of Thanks: Father, thank You for my spouse and for their unique gifts and abilities. Help me to appreciate them and focus on their strengths. Today, I choose to be a blessing and let You take care of everything else.