Topic: Salvation Is Free [Tuesday May 30, 2017]

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. — Romans 3:24

Salvation is free! God puts no price tag on the Gift of gifts—it’s free! Preachers are not salesmen, for they have nothing to sell. They are bearers of Good News—the good tidings that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Money can’t buy it. Man’s righteousness can’t earn it. Social prestige can’t help you acquire it. Morality can’t purchase it. It is, as Isaiah said, “without money and without price.”

God is not a bargaining God. You cannot barter with Him. You must do business with Him on His own terms. He holds in His omnipotent hand the priceless, precious, eternal gift of salvation, and He bids you to take it without money and without price. The best things in life are free, are they not? The air we breathe is not sold by the cubic foot. The water which flows crystal clear from the mountain stream is free for the taking. Love is free, faith is free, hope is free.

Prayer for the day: Even though my salvation was obtained only through the costliest sacrifice ever made, You freely gave it to me. Lord, I praise You for this gift so lovingly given.

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.

Today’s Scripture: “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” – (2 Corinthians 2:14, ESV)

Topic: Another Victory is on the Way [Monday May 29, 2017]

Are you facing challenges or difficulties today? Maybe something has happened that could easily discourage you and cause you to give up on your dreams. I want to remind you today that where you are is not where you are going to stay. God has a good plan in store for your future. When you stay in step with Him, you’ll walk right into victory.

Scripture tells us that God wants to take us from glory to glory, from victory to victory. Even if you are between victories right now, keep your passion. Keep your enthusiasm. Focus on the fact that God has another level for you—another level of glory, another level of increase, another level of His favor.

Today I encourage you, go out with a smile on your face. Give Him your best. When you thank God for what He has done, you are sowing a seed that He will use in your future. Keep praying, keep believing, keep hoping and stand strong because another victory is coming your way!

A Prayer for Today: “Father God, right now I choose to focus my mind and heart completely on You. I choose to step out of discouragement, step out of complacency, step out of worry and step into Your glory. You alone are worthy, and I thank You for the victory You have in store for my future in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

A Promise For You From Bible Promises:

Topic: Returning To Your Vomit? [29/05/2017]

But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 2 Peter 2:22. Read: 2 Pe 1:1-22.

Prior to the preachers and teachers of “Eternal Security” i.e, once saved is forever saved, God and His word is against such teaching and teachers. No human in his right senses would vomit and go back to eat his vomit and apostle Peter made us to understand that, once saved is not forever saved. He said if the Lord did not spare the holy angels but threw them down to hell, did not spare the old world and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, why would humans think He will spare anyone who has known the way of righteousness but deviate from it? “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning”. 2 Pet 2:20.

After you’ve confessed Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, you are to hold on to Him tenaciously until you see Him in glory. Take a look at what Hebrews said. “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries”. Heb 10:26-27. Don’t renounce your commitment to follow Jesus all the way, rather, ask for grace and divine strength to carry on until you see Him.

#BiblePromisesPrayer

* Whatever will make you deny Jesus and return back to your vomit is destroyed in Jesus Mighty Name

Topic: Let Your Spirit Pray [Monday, 29th May 2017]

For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying. 1 Corinthians 14:14

How sweet it is to pray in tongues. It’s one of the best gifts the Lord gave to the church. God is a Spirit, and we can only relate with Him with our spirit (John 4:24). Because prayer is the chief means for us to relate with God, He gave us this special gift of speaking in tongues. So that through it, our spirit can relate with God, Who is a Spirit. So, when we pray in tongues, our spirit prays (1 Corinthians 14:14). But we must know that it is the Holy Spirit that aids the process (Acts 2:4).

Praying in tongues not only allows our spirit to communicate with God, it helps us overcome any sort of weakness that praying in understanding might engender, especially in our expressions. Romans 8:26 says – “and the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”

Also, when we allow our spirit to pray directly to God, we pray the will of God expressly. This is one of the best part of allowing your spirit to pray through praying in tongues. You don’t have to start ascertaining if you are praying in harmony with God’s will, because “the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will” (Romans 8:27), when we pray in tongues. Wouldn’t you rather allow your spirit to pray?

Keep winning daily.

Prayer:

Go ahead and pray in tongues, as you allow your spirit to pray.

Topic: The Ultimate Satisfaction [Monday May 29, 2017]

Many people think that what they need is money.  Some others think that what they need is job, fame or position.  But the ultimate satisfaction is to be in the likeness of God.

He put His image and likeness in us.  So we are compelled to keep longing for Him. Genesis. 1.26,27

“As for me I will behold thy face in Righteousness: I shall be satisfied when I awake with the likeness”.Psalm.17.15.

The face of God is the cure to the shame of man.  No shame remains with a man who continually beholds the face of God.  Psalm.34.5

The face of God brings change to man. 2 Corinthians 3.18

The face of God is the favour of God-Psalm.30.7, Numbers.6.23-27.

The face of God is our ultimate satisfaction.  Keep looking at Him to ultimately look like Him.

Topic: Come as a Little Child [Monday May 29, 2017]

And He called a little child to Himself and put himself in the midst of them, and said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven… — Matthew 18:2-3

One thing children are not is complicated. Children have no trouble letting you know what they want, running into your arms when they are afraid, or giving you a big generous kiss, sometimes for no apparent reason. They are not sophisticated enough to hide their hearts or feelings very well, and as a result, communicating with them can be easy and refreshing.

That’s the way God wants us to be when we talk to Him. We need to approach God with childlike simplicity and faith. Just as children are naturally inclined to trust their parents completely, we also need to be guileless, pure, and free from doubt as we trust God. Then we can experience God’s miracle-working power and see things change.

We do not want to be childish in our relationships with God; we want to be childlike. The Lord is not looking for complicated relationships. He is looking for sincere hearts and childlike faith. He wants us to approach Him as little children approach people they love. He wants us to let Him know what we want (see Philippians 4:6) and to run to Him when we feel threatened or afraid (Psalm 91:1-7). He wants us to show our affection for Him, sometimes for no apparent reason (see Psalm 34:1) and to share our hearts openly with Him (see Psalm 62:8).

Love God Today: “Lord, help me to have a pure, simple, childlike faith and love for You.”

Topic: Bread or Crumbs? [Monday 29, May 2017]

Memorise: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:  – Proverbs 30:8

Read: Proverbs 30:7-9 (KJV)

7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Bible in One Year: Acts 16-17, Jeremiah 38:1-13, Hymn: Sing hymn 10

MESSAGE:

What you get from God depends on how contented or dissatisfied you are. While some people ask nothing from the Almighty God who has all things and who can do all things, some others ask for crumbs. Your desire and request go a long way in determining what you get in life. In Matthew 15:21-28, when the woman whose daughter was tormented by demons met the Lord, all she asked for was crumbs:

“And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” – Matthew 15:27

Even today, after Jesus had said that the children of the Kingdom are meant to eat at God’s table, many of these children still prefer the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table (Luke 12:32, Matthew 15:26). Where is your focus: the table or the crumbs?

Similarly, there is a correlation between your desire and your trust in God. If you really have faith in God, you will be able to ask big. The Bible says those who know their God shall do exploits (Daniel 11:32). In other words, when you know little or nothing about God, when asked to make a request, you will be afraid of asking for too much, and so you will be confined to asking for so little. However, when you know how inexhaustible the resources of God are, it will stir up courage in your heart to ask for big, great and impossible things. Therefore, if you are asking for a used car, a tiny rented apartment or a job that can barely take you away from starvation, it is very possible that you do not know or trust God enough. In today’s Bible reading, Agur made a very humble request. He asked for neither poverty nor wealth. He feared poverty, lest he might be tempted to steal; and he also feared wealth, lest he deny God. Just enough was that he asked for. Using the children of Israel as a model of God’s plan for your life, you will observe that God took them from the wilderness, where they had Manna that was just enough for each day, to a land flowing with milk and honey, where they had more than enough (Exodus 16:15-19, Deuteronomy 6:10-11, Joshua 5:12). Just enough might mean not having reserves to take care of emergencies. That means, in an emergency, you may be forced to go cap in hand borrowing. Are you asking but asking for too little? How can your joy be full if all you have is little? Are you asking for little in consideration of others who are also asking God for the same things? You can never exhaust God’s resources. Ask big and stop limiting yourself!

Action Point: Ask God for something really big that only He can do for you.

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: Consequences of Defiling the Marriage Bed (4)

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the concluding part of this month’s series. I strongly believe that you have been blessed and edified. Today, I shall be looking into Ways out of Marital Infidelity.

We live in modern times where a lot of virtues our parents upheld are pushed aside as being old-fashioned. Liberality appears to be the password of the new generation. Thank God, the Bible was not inspired by man’s customs and ideologies else several updates would have become mandatory. What is contained therein was inspired by the Holy Spirit, who is eternal. The Word of God in 2 Timothy 3:16 says: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Renew your Mind: For anyone to be free from today’s pollution, renewal of the mind is inevitable. The Bible says: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2). God’s Word cannot become obsolete. The potency of God’s Word is eternal. It is the best ‘water’ that can wash away every contamination.

If you discover that you have a weakness towards the opposite sex, do not fold your hands, fight spiritually and overcome the devil. Lay hold on the Word of God, read, study and meditate on it. Get materials like books, tapes etc. These will help your mind from wandering about. Be careful not to watch or read materials that can prompt you into your old ways.

Be Open: Keeping secrets could be dangerous, especially with the opposite sex. Sending text messages that you would not want your spouse to know about is like sitting on a keg of gun powder. Any relationship that your spouse is not comfortable about should be dropped. If you are a single person, be careful not to stay alone in secluded places with the opposite sex. The Bible says:…For we are not ignorant of his devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). I receive mails on a daily basis from wives suspecting their husbands and men not trusting their wives because of secret calls and text messages. The truth is: There is nothing secret that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad (Luke 8:17).

Marriage is founded upon a very delicate foundation called “trust”. You cannot afford to get caught in the web of adultery. When trust is destroyed, suspicion sets in and eventually the marriage breaks. By committing adultery, you literally take the honour God bestows upon you and cast it before the swine: Give not that  which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you (Matthew 7:6). When your honour is trampled upon, nothing remains of it. Another dimension to this is that the respect your spouse has you is shattered. There are many out there, who are ready to play on your emotions and get at you; do not give them room.

The Bible says: The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery (Galatians 5:19-20 NIV). No one can overcome this nature except by the power that is in the Blood of Jesus Christ.  Give your life to Him and you shall be saved. If you are ready, say this prayer in faith and you shall be born again! “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 to serve the living God. 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, congratulations, you are born again and 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, 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).