Topic: Wasters of Life and Destiny [Thursday May 25, 2017]

Scripture: So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12.

Thought For The Day: Delay equals decay.

Time is a continuum. Its movement is continuous, ever forward without pausing or stopping. It is a vehicle that conveys you into your future without your permission.

That is why the way you handle your time today determines the way your future will handle you. The waste of time is the waste of life. Therefore, in order not to waste your life or destiny, it is important to take note of the following habits that are referred to as wasters of destiny:

1. Procrastination

This is the habit of putting off an activity especially something requiring immediate attention. Procrastination is a waster of life and destiny. The best time to have done what you are thinking about doing now was yesterday. Delay equals decay.

2. Idleness

A person is said to be idle when he is not working or actively engaged. Being idle is more demanding than being diligent. A house that is not occupied soon begins to crack. When the hand is not being used, after a while, it begins to reduce in size. Idleness equals decadence. Idleness brings degeneration.

3. Plan-less living

This is a situation of having no plan for one’s life. If you do not engage time, time will engage you. One who has no plan for his life goes everywhere with everybody. If you do not plan your life, your life will plan you.

Remember this: delay equals decay.

Assignment(s):

1) Determine not to waste your time.

2) Engage your time and life with a meaningful activity per time.

Prayer: O LORD, I ask for the grace not to waste my time and life. Separate me from every time waster in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: PROFITABLE USE OF TIME.

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1 to 8:18, John 14:15 to 31, Psalm 119:33 to 48, Proverbs 15:33

Quote: You exist as a light bearer and a road pointer. Culled from CAREER AND WORKPLACE WISDOM by Dr Paul Enenche.

Amazing Fact: Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

Today In History: 25/5/1946 – Jordan gained independence from Britain.

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: Awake to Righteousness [Thursday May 25, 2017]

Awake to righteousness, and sin not…. – 1 Corinthians 15:34

When your alarm clock goes off tomorrow morning, don’t just wake up to another day. Do what the Word says to do and “awake to righteousness”! Reawaken yourself to the glorious fact that you’ve been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and given right-standing with Almighty God.

Why? Because tomorrow—and every other day of your life on this earth—Satan is going to try to convince you that you don’t have any right to the things of God. He’s going to try to bring you into bondage again to sin in order to control your life. But he won’t be able to do it if you’ll reawaken yourself every day to who you really are in Jesus.

Here’s a prayerful confession to help that revelation come alive in you:

“Father, I confess anew Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior today. Lord, You are the head of my life. I completely yield myself to You. My will is now Your will. My plans are now Your plans.

“As a new creation in Christ Jesus, I accept the gift of righteousness and all that gift includes: health, prosperity, peace, joy and life abundant. I put aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets me. I now look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith.

“According to Your Word, I can now reign in this life as a king. The power of sin and death in my life has been overcome. No longer am I ruled by the forces of evil but by the God above all gods. I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me.

“I determine today to walk conscious of my right-standing with You, Lord, and with every step to draw closer and closer to You. Thank You for the gift of righteousness. Because of that gift, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

“In Jesus’ Name. Amen!”

Scripture Reading: Colossians 2:9-15

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: His Indwelling Presence [Thursday May 25, 2017]

. . . to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. — Ephesians 3:19

To appreciate art, one must either be born with an artistic sense or develop it by training. Only a relatively few people have an innate sense of color, form, and harmony. To such, a love for art comes naturally. Without an artistic appreciation in one’s soul, visiting an art gallery can be a boring affair. Likewise, to appreciate good music one must have music “in him” or develop it. Without a sense of music appreciation, it is possible to sleep through a symphony concert or a performance of the Metropolitan Opera. So it is with the things of God.

Talk about God can become dreary and lackluster if God isn’t in you. Church can become a drab thing and the Bible an irksome Book if the Holy Spirit does not illuminate your soul with His indwelling presence. The wonderful thing about it all is that God has planned life so that if our hearts are dead to spiritual things, something can be done about it.

Prayer for the day: Lord God Almighty, may I daily reach out to You and be filled with the love of Christ.

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: “When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, ‘Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?’ But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.” – (Matthew 27:12-14, NIV)

Topic: No Reply Necessary [Wednesday May 24, 2017]

One time, a reporter asked me what I thought about two men he named, but I hadn’t ever heard of them. I just replied, “I’m sorry. I don’t know them.” He began to laugh and thought that was so funny. I asked, “Well, who are they?”

He said, “Joel, they are your two most outspoken critics. They’re always talking about you.”

He couldn’t believe that I hadn’t ever heard of them. I’ve learned that you can’t waste your time engaging in conflicts that don’t matter. There will always be critics. There will always be naysayers, but we have to follow the example of Jesus. When He was falsely accused, He didn’t try to defend Himself. He gave no reply to the charges against Him.

Remember, the critics cannot keep you from your destiny. They don’t define who you are. They don’t determine your worth and value. You are a child of the Most High God. The Creator of the universe breathed life into you. As a believer in Jesus, you are crowned with favor. Turn away from accusing voices so you can focus on the destiny God has prepared for you!

A Prayer for Today: “Father, today I cling to You because You are my defender! I choose to turn away from accusing voices. I choose to turn away from petty conflicts. I look to You knowing that You are leading and guiding me in paths of victory in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

A Promise For You From Bible Promises:

Topic: Light Expels Darkness. Pt Three [24/05/2017]

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16. Read: Matt 5:14-16

In Genesis 1:3, God commanded light to be when He saw the deplorable state of the earth. When Jesus was given birth to, He brought to the world light which is the life of men. Just as no plant can grow successfully without the presence of light through photosynthesis, man cannot live without light. Jn 1:9. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Jn 8:12

Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He made His disciples know they’re the light of the world and that everywhere they go, they must let the world see the light in them so that His Father in heaven can be glorified. He also said that, the light in us cannot be hidden but be seen by men to lighten us the dark cities. In Isaiah 60:1-3, the Bible says, you must arise and shine because your light has come. Why? Because darkness will cover the earth, gross darkness the people. So that the people – even the Kings shall run to your lighting. Are you shining the light of God in you? Do you bear His light everywhere you go?

#BiblePromisesPrayer

* Father, help me to bear your light and shine it everywhere I go so that men can glorify Your name in Jesus Mighty Name

Topic: Beware Of Opportunities [Wednesday May 24, 2017]

Opportunity is deceptive, never be trapped by it. Stay within divine plan – that is where your security is.

Whatever opportunity offers is inferior to divine plan. Rather than responding to opportunity be in search of divine plan and abide in the same.

Stay away from anything and everything that isn’t in divine plan.

Stay away from it otherwise it can take you away from your place in destiny.

You need to possess a strong perception and discernment to know what comes from God and what is sent by satan.

Jesus was offered opportunity to be made king among men but He understood that He’s been made king of kings by destiny so He ran away from the opportunity offered by men to abide in His destiny Jh 6:15. Opportunity may appear to be a fast way of assuming prominence but it cannot last.

Topic: Spiritual Praying [Wednesday May 24, 2017]

Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also. — 1 Corinthians 14:15

Earlier I referred to “the mind aiding the spirit.” For many people, this is a difficult concept to grasp. I understand what Paul meant because it’s something I’ve learned to use in my own spiritual growth.

For example, one morning I set aside my usual time for prayer. I began to pray, but my prayers felt flat—nothing energized them—and there was no help from my spirit. As I struggled, I reminded myself that I had made myself available to God, and I wanted the Spirit to use me to change lives.

I continued to pray but nothing changed. This had happened before, so I wasn’t discouraged. I kept on praying and telling God the things about which I was concerned. After several minutes, a powerful energy took hold of me. I knew I had touched the area where the Holy Spirit wanted me to pray. This became more than my concern—this was God’s concern.

I began by praying out of my mind—about things that I knew of and thought needed prayer. I was praying in English because that is my normal language, and I understood what I was saying. But when the energizing power of the Spirit came, without any conscious thought, I began to pray with my prayer language, or what many of us refer to as an unknown tongue.

Paul was our example and teacher in this area. He said he knew how to pray with the Spirit, and he knew how to pray with the understanding. This may not make sense to everyone—and it certainly can confuse people at first. However, I encourage you not to reject a gift of God that is available to you merely because you have not experienced it and don’t understand it. Be open to God, and ask Him to teach you about praying in other tongues.

Think of it this way. God calls us to prayer. That’s our joy as well as our responsibility. Sometimes when we talk to God, we hardly know what to say. We pray, but our words feel inadequate. It’s as if there is a depth to our burdens that transcends words. Something is going on that’s so strong within us—so overwhelming—we have no words to speak. To use English feels utterly useless. No matter what we say to God out of our own minds (understanding), we feel we have not broken through and obtained a victory.

Then comes what I call a prayer release. I speak in words I don’t understand—words that are beyond the grasp of my human mind—and yet my spirit “understands,” or bears witness that my prayers are correct and are getting the job done.

The best biblical reference I can give for this experience is Acts 2, which tells the story of Pentecost. The disciples prayed in an upper room while Jews came from all over the world to the city of Jerusalem. The 120 people in that room were so filled with the Holy Spirit that they burst out speaking in unknown languages—unknown to them. But the visitors heard them, “And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together and they were astonished and bewildered, because each one heard them [the apostles] speaking in his own [particular] dialect” (Acts 2:6).

The apostle Paul thanked God that he spoke in tongues, and he also said that nobody should forbid anyone to do so. There has been a great deal of division in the church over the issue of speaking in tongues, but I encourage you to go straight to your Bible and see what the Word of God says about it. Don’t have a closed mind to any of the precious gifts of the Holy Spirit. We need all the supernatural help we can get to help us live our lives victoriously.

Some people teach that the gift of speaking in tongues went away with the early church, but there are millions of people worldwide who speak in tongues today. Those who speak in other tongues are certainly no better, nor are they more spiritual than those who do not speak in tongues, but once again, I encourage you to seek God for yourself in this area, so your prayers can be as powerful as possible.

When we pray in the Spirit, our minds and our spirits work together. Our minds yield to our spirits, and we are praying the perfect prayer that God desires.

Holy Spirit, I desire all the supernatural gifts You have made available. I need all the help I can get to enable me to live victoriously. I want to pray powerful prayers that are led by the Holy Spirit. I know You hear and answer the prayers I pray in my known language, but I am open to receiving the gift of an unknown language that will enable me to speak secrets and mysteries unto You. I trust You, Jesus, to lead me in the right direction. Amen.

Topic: Trying to Corner God? [Wednesday 24, May 2017]

Memorise: But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. – Genesis 17:21

Read: Genesis 17:15-21 (KJV)

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

Bible in One Year: Acts 7, Jeremiah 34:17-35:11, Hymn: Sing hymn 9

MESSAGE:

After Abraham and Sarah used their own alternative means to attempt to solve their problem of childlessness, and Hagar delivered Ishmael to Abraham, they thought that God’s plan for their lives would change to accommodate Ishmael. They were wrong! In fact, in Genesis 17:18, Abraham made a passionate plea for God to recognise Ishmael as his covenant heir, but God insisted on His original plan. In Genesis 17:19, God said this to Abraham:

“…Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.”

A crucial lesson here is that we cannot force, deceive, manipulate or corner God into doing what He did not plan to do. Isaac is a product of the Spirit while Ishmael is a product of the flesh (Galatians 4:23-29). Never expect God to dump the Spirit for the flesh. Do you know that some Christians go against God’s word and will by marrying an unbeliever and then later pretend to be sorry by feigning tears, whereas inside of them they are rejoicing that they have married their chosen heartthrob and have thus outsmarted God? Such Christians would try to justify themselves by asking you whether God would expect them to divorce their unsaved spouse when God Himself says He hates divorce. Oh how smart they think they are! Unfortunately for them though, they will later realise how foolish they really are, when faced with the consequences of their choice.

If you go against God’s word and choose an unbeliever as your marriage or business partner, it is your choice. You will have to live with the repercussions of that choice. You may have 100 “Ishmaels”, but God’s covenant can only be established with an “Isaac” (Genesis 17:21). Isaac is a product of God’s blessings, while Ishmael is a product of man’s lust, impatience and self-government. Do not expect God to legitimize your Ishmael! Some people acquire wealth through illegitimate means and later expect God to sanctify it for them. They are only deceiving themselves. Anything you add to yourself that God has not added to you will ultimately be a curse that will haunt you. This is why it is better to wait on God to receive the blessing that comes from Him and not fall for cheap alternatives. Have you devised alternative to God’s original plan for your life? Repent and dump them today! Go back to God and ask Him to continue from where He stopped in your life.

Action Point: Have you ever tried to outsmart God? Go on your knees and confess how foolish you have been, and ask for His mercy today.

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: Give Yourself A Fighting Chance [Wednesday, 24th May 2017]

We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:9

Yes, we are hunted down, and we get knocked down. Even when we try to pick up ourselves, we receive another punch that seemingly take us down again. But one thing we must never do to ourselves is to give up trying to stand up. We must give ourselves a fighting chance of, not only surviving, but also coming out victorious. This is very important, not just only to us individually, but also to the people whose lives and destinies are connected to ours.

One day, Apostle Paul was caught by some Jews for preaching about Jesus Christ. They took him outside the town and stoned him, supposedly to death. Yes, they thought he was dead, if not they won’t have left him. But as the believers gathered around him, Apostle Paul stood up (Acts 14:19-20). That was a miracle. Why did he not die? It was because he was not finished with his assignment on earth. The truth is, no matter how hard life hunts you and strikes you down, it won’t lead to your death; physically or spiritually. Be rest assured and always give yourself a fighting chance for survival and victory, even if it seems there is none.

God did not abandon Apostle Paul when he was being stoned. So also God will never abandon you when life knocks you down. The Lord allowed them to stone Apostle Paul, and then He showed up and brought him back to his feet, like he was never stoned. Life’s punches might have left you for dead, but God will bring you back to life. It might be your business, career, family or ministry that life’s punches has knocked down. But be rest assured that life is coming into it. It is not over until God says so. Give yourself a fighting chance always.

Keep winning daily.

Prayer:

Thank You Lord for the assurance of Your Word. I might have been strucked down, but I am not destroyed. Life is in me, because You are always there to make me strong and set me back on my way to victory. Be praised Lord, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Topic: Mountain-Top Experience [Wednesday May 24, 2017]

Text: Exodus 24:12-18

Key Verse: “And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights” (Exodus 24:18).

Mountains stand as one of the most monumental displays of God’s power and glory on earth. Their sheer size and distant summits fill men with awe. They occupy a remarkable place in Bible narratives, perhaps because Palestine, the setting for the stories, is full of them. Many significant Bible events took place on the mountain. For instance, Mount Ararat provided the landing for Noah’s ark after the deluge; it was at Mount Carmel that Elijah staged a match between the true God and Baal; Christ gave the Sermon on the Mount Olives.

Moses, acting as mediator between God and the people, had been to the mount and brought them God’s word to which they pledged allegiance. The covenant of obedience they entered into with God was ratified with blood sacrifice. God requested that Moses bring up the priests and seventy of the elders to whom He showed His glory. Moses and Joshua went further until God called only Moses into the cloud of glory on the mountain where he stayed for forty days and nights. Today, perhaps because of the foregoing experiences, many religious people, including some Christians, have resorted to literal mountains in the belief that God’s presence resides there.

But the Lord is not just “God of the hills”. The hour has come when “ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father… the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:21,23). The mountain top experience is about having an intimate encounter with God and being overwhelmed with His presence, glory and power. Such were the cases of Moses and three of Christ’s disciples. When we come away from earthly workaday activities, patiently and sincerely seek God’s face, He will bless us with that transforming and refreshing experience – not necessarily on the mountain.

Thought for the day: The most glorious spot in the world is God’s presence.

Bible Reading in one Year: Ezra 7-10

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.