Topic: Very Good! [Monday June 26, 2017]

Read: Genesis 1:24–31, Bible in a Year: Job 5–7; Acts 8:1–25

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! Genesis 1:31 nlt

Some days seem to have a theme running through them. Recently I had one of those days. Our pastor began his sermon on Genesis 1 with two minutes of breathtaking, time-lapse photography of blossoming flowers. Then, at home, a scroll through social media revealed numerous posts of flowers. Later on a walk in the woods, the wildflowers of spring surrounded us—trilliums, marsh marigolds, and wild iris.

God created flowers and every other variety of vegetation (and dry ground to grow in), on the third day of creation. And twice on that day, God pronounced it “good” (Gen. 1:10, 12). On only one other day of creation—the sixth—did God make that double pronouncement of “good” (vv. 25, 31). In fact, on this day when He created humans and His masterpiece was complete, He looked over all He had made and “saw that it was very good!” (nlt).

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! Genesis 1:31 nlt

In the creation story, we see a Creator God who delighted in His creation—and seemed to take joy in the very act of creating. Why else design a world with such colorful and amazing variety? And He saved the best for last when He “created mankind in his own image” (v. 27). As His image-bearers we are blessed and inspired by His beautiful handiwork.

Prayer: Dear Creator God, thank You for creating the world in all its beauty for our enjoyment—and Yours. Thank You too for making us in Your image so that we would be inspired to create.

All creation bears God’s autograph.

Insight:

Do we sometimes get lost in thinking about all that is wrong with the world? When we do, remember how the God of creation asked a man named Job to consider what the wonder of all nature is saying to us about His goodness and wisdom (Job 38:1–42:6).

This message was written By Alyson Kieda [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

A Promise For You From Bible Promises:

Topic: It Shall Not Endure Forever [25/06/2017]

But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 2 Peter 3:7. Read: 2 Pet 3:5-11

From scriptures, we understand that God destroyed the earth and its inhabitants with flood that lasted on earth after one hundred and fifty years. Gen 8:3. And every living thing that had the breathe of life in them died. Businesses, mighty edifices, synagogues, embezzled funds, hoarded goods (that could have been given to the hungry) even perished. From the book of Genesis and other books of the Bible, we understand that the earth cannot endure forever, everything in it shall perish in time to come.

Holy Spirit through apostle Peter has spoken to us about what will happen to this present planet called Earth we live in now. He said, it shall be burnt with fire because, right from the beginning, it has been reserved for fire. Therefore, it’s wisdom to be careful not to lay your treasures upon uncertainty. If all your treasure is on earth, at the end, you will not only lose everything, also your soul would be lost. The earth is temporary so also everything on it. The only thing you and I can take out of the world is godliness and a life well lived for Christ. This only guarantees eternal life. Beloved, nothing on earth is worth dying and fighting for, don’t be greedy for gain, wait on God’s blessings and use it for His glory.

#BiblePromisesReflection

*For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 1 Timothy 6:7

Topic: It Takes Grace To Run The Race! (Part 3) [Sunday June 25, 2017]

You need to have more value for the grace of God in your life because those who do not appreciate the place of grace end up in disgrace. Paul the apostle wrote more about grace than all the other apostles, because compared to them, he was the ‘the least’. He said, ”…I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them-yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Cor 15:9-11NIV).

In order to operate beyond the realms of human smartness, skill and intelligence, you need to exceed your size. And this is only possible with the grace of God. Grace is the size of God. When you have grace you have God and whatever cannot stop God will never be able to stop you. Pray that the grace of God will not fail you, all the days of your life, in Jesus name.

Mediate on these: Ecclesiastes 9:11, Zechariah 4:6-7

Topic: Follow God’s Leading [Sunday June 25, 2017]

Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed. — Proverbs 16:3

Trying to figure everything out before you obey God will steal your joy. God doesn’t have to answer you when you ask, “Why God, why?” Trust means that you won’t always have 11 answers when you want them. Sometimes you just have to get to the other side of a situation to see the whole picture of what God is doing in your life.

God may be trying to separate you from some influence in your life that is keeping you from receiving the better plan He has for you. He may be “pruning” you to encourage new, healthier growth (See John 15:1-8). Use uncertain times to demonstrate your faith by trusting Him.

Topic: Be An Intercessor [Sunday June 25, 2017]

Text: Amos 7:1-6

Key Verse: “And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small” (Amos 7:2).

We are often consumed by our own needs and desires that we shut our eyes to the experiences of people around us. Yet, were we to pause and ponder over their situation, we would realise that compared to them, what we consider giant problems quickly pale into insignificance. We are thus, compelled by those dire circumstances to intervene on their behalf.

Such is the responsibility every believer should assume, as intercessors. The Lord had twice shown Amos a vision of the impending judgment against Israel. He showed him two images here, one, of insects and two, of fire. These were pictures of ordinary things that were familiar to the Israelites and therefore, needed very little elaboration.

The message should be plain enough to the general public and easy for them to understand and assimilate. For their sinful practices, God was going to unleash a swarm of grasshoppers to consume all their vegetation, including food crops. Also, God was to light up a great inferno to consume large swathes of their territory. On each occasion, Amos intervened, pleading for forgiveness and mercy from the Lord. And quite remarkably, the Lord hearkened to his pleas, both times. Bad things happen when good people look away. This should not be the case for believers. God has clearly pronounced an eternity of suffering and doom for all sinful people. If we remain indifferent, this certain fate will befall them. But we can step in and plead for mercy from the Lord.

We can also take the gospel message of God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice to them. We can plead with God to soften their hearts to receive the good news of free salvation for all and to experience a change of life. This is the greatest responsibility we have before God and to man.

Thought for the day: The silent voices of intercessors ring loudest in heaven.

Bible Reading in one Year: Habakkuk 1-3

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: The Power of The Anointing [Sunday June 25, 2017]

Scripture: Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. 1 Samuel 16:13

Thought For The Day: The Anointing of God translates a person from isolation to manifestation.

The Anointing is the embodiment of the Spirit of God on a person. It is God’s ability in a man that makes him do the extraordinary with ease. The truth is, it is possible to be talented but bankrupt of the Anointing. Any talent that is devoid of the Anointing ends in struggle and frustration.

Now, what are the products of the Anointing?

1. The Anointing gives worth and relevance

A major distinguishing force between an ordinary person and a person of relevance is the Anointing of God. The Anointing brought relevance to the life of David (1 Samuel 16:18). So, when the Anointing of God is on a person, it allocates worth and relevance to him.

2. The Anointing moves you from the background to the forefront

The Anointing of God translates a person from isolation to manifestation. For example, people might have given up on you but when the Anointing comes on your life, it translates you into a different person.

Contact with the Anointing of God equals contact with the power to change level.

Remember this: The Anointing of God translates a person from isolation to manifestation.

Assignment(s):

1. Ask God for a consistent infilling of the Holy Spirit in your life.

2. Endeavour to pray in the Spirit consistently.

Prayer: I ask for fresh power and fire in my life, LORD, in Jesus’ Name.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 8:1 to 9:13, Acts 16:16 to 40, Psalm 143:1 to 12, Proverbs 17:26.

Quote: You may lose anything in life but one thing you must not lose is the Presence of God. Culled from 30 SECRETS TO THE TOP by Dr Paul Enenche.

Amazing Fact: The name of all the continents ends with the same letter they start with.

Today In History: 25/06/1975 – After 470 years under Portuguese rule, Mozambique gained independence. Samora Moïses Machel was the elected independent country’s first president.

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: Don’t Tell It Like It Is [Sunday June 25, 2017]

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt…talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up…. and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. – Deuteronomy 6:6-8

One of the reasons Gloria and I have seen the results we have in our lives and in our ministry is because when we realized what the Word of God would do, we literally immersed ourselves in it. We turned off the radio and television, put down the newspaper, and spent nearly every waking moment of the time available either reading the Word, listening to tapes on the Word, or thinking about the Word.

All that time in the Word eventually had a powerful effect on us. It began to revolutionize everything about us. It began to turn failure into success.

All that didn’t happen overnight, however. It took time. A great many believers don’t realize that. They start out devoting themselves to the Word, but they make the mistake of expecting instant, miraculous results, and when they don’t see them, they get disappointed and fall away.

Don’t do that. Be patient. Give the Word time to do its work.

Jesus once said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). The Word of God feeds the spirit man just as bread feeds the body. Food has to be built into your body. The vitamins and minerals it contains have a cumulative effect on it, don’t they? In fact, almost anything that affects your body instantaneously is considered dangerous.

Much the same thing is true with the Word of God. It has a cumulative effect. Yes, at times God will act instantly and perform a miracle, but only to get things back on track. What He really intends is for you to feed on His Word to grow in strength and in faith and to bear fruit in due season.

So don’t get in such an all-fired hurry. Stay in the Word. Be patient. The results will come!

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 7:11-23

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: Soaking Up God’s Word [Sunday June 25, 2017]

Read: Deuteronomy 6:1–9, Bible in a Year: Job 3–4; Acts 7:44–60

These commandments that I give to you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Deuteronomy 6:6–7

When our son Xavier was a toddler, we took a family trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. As we entered the building, I pointed to a large sculpture suspended from the ceiling. “Look. A humpback whale.”

Xavier’s eyes widened. “Enormous,” he said.

We can leave a legacy of faith to future generations.
My husband turned to me. “How does he know that word?”

“He must have heard us say it.” I shrugged, amazed that our toddler had soaked up vocabulary we’d never intentionally taught him.

In Deuteronomy 6, God encouraged His people to be intentional about teaching younger generations to know and obey the Scriptures. As the Israelites increased their knowledge of God, they and their children would be more likely to grow in reverence of Him and to enjoy the rewards that come through knowing Him intimately, loving Him completely, and following Him obediently (vv. 2–5).

By intentionally saturating our hearts and our minds with Scripture (v. 6), we will be better prepared to share God’s love and truth with children during our everyday activities (v. 7). Leading by example, we can equip and encourage young people to recognize and respect the authority and relevance of God’s unchanging truth (vv. 8–9).

As God’s words flow naturally from our hearts and out of our mouths, we can leave a strong legacy of faith to be passed down from generation to generation (4:9).

The words we take in determine the words we speak, live by, and pass on to those around us.

Insight:

Deuteronomy 6:4–9, known as the Shema (from the Hebrew for “hear,” v. 4), has been called the Creed of Ancient Israel. It emphasizes the Jewish belief in one God and the importance of transmitting faith in Him to the next generation. As believers in Christ, we can find creative ways to remind others of God’s truths. We begin by saturating ourselves with the Scriptures. Then we can look for teachable moments throughout the day to instruct others.

What are some ways you can remind the next generation of spiritual truths?

This message was written By Xochitl Dixon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: About Those Pharisees [Sunday June 25, 2017]

John 9:34 “They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.”

John 9:34

Much of the Pharisees’ problem was spiritual pride, as is very evident by this statement. They were so blinded by their arrogance that they couldn’t believe anyone who hadn’t been through their “seminary” could teach them anything.

The name “Pharisees” comes from a Hebrew word meaning “separate.” This term was applied to this sect because of its extreme devotion to the Mosaic law and commitment to leading a separated life. This was a reaction of the devout Jews who came back to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity, and saw the pagan customs and influences of the Babylonians everywhere. Not only their religion but their identity as a nation was being threatened. The Pharisees were patriots as well as religious zealots, who in the beginning served a very needed function in the Jewish nation which was struggling for survival. However, over the centuries the Pharisees had departed from the Mosaic law and had written their own interpretations of the law – interpretations which they held to be God-inspired and equal to that of Moses. In Jesus’ day this group was characterized by hypocrisy and self-righteousness. They, as a whole, persecuted Jesus and His followers and received the Lord’s most stinging rebukes.

The Pharisees, like many people today, were ignorant of achieving right standing (righteousness) with God through the simple act of receiving His forgiveness by faith and were trying to earn salvation by their own acts. No one can fulfill God’s commands (Rom. 3:23) except Jesus (Heb. 4:15). Therefore, to be righteous, we must put our faith in what He has done for us.

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)

Topic: True Happiness [Sunday June 25, 2017]

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward . . . — Luke 12:42

It is not wrong for men to possess riches. But the Bible warns that money cannot buy happiness! Money cannot buy true pleasure. Money cannot buy peace of heart. And money certainly cannot buy entrance into the Kingdom of God. Often money is a hindrance to these things. Money takes our minds off God. Riches, when used selfishly rather than for the glory of God, tend to corrupt in our hands.

Money cannot be a substitute for God. If God has given you more wealth than your neighbors, dedicate it to Christ. Realize that you are only a steward of that which God has given you and some day you will have to give an account of every penny you have spent. The Internal Revenue Service wants a record of how you spend your money, but that is nothing compared to the books God is keeping.

Prayer for the day: Father, I would be a faithful steward of all You have given to me. Make me constantly aware of Your leading so I may wisely spend any money with which I have been entrusted.

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.