Topic: Speak Excellent Things [Saturday May 20, 2017]

Hear, for I will speak excellent and princely things; and the opening of my lips shall be for right things. — Proverbs 8:6

In this Scripture, Solomon made a decision about how he would talk, and we should do the same thing. Just as we can direct our thoughts, we can also direct our words with God’s help. We should choose to speak excellent things.

Our words affect us and the people around us. They also affect what God is able to do for us. You cannot have a negative mouth and a positive life. In 1 Peter 3:10, the apostle Peter teaches us that if we want to enjoy life and see good days—even in the midst of trials—we must keep our tongues free from evil. What kind of life do you want? Do you want an excellent life? If so, then you must be excellent in your choice of words. Change your words, and you will change your life!

Power Thought: I choose to speak of worthy, important, noble, and excellent things.

Topic: How Often Do You Fast? [Saturday 20, May 2017]

Memorise: In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. – 2 Corinthians 11:27

Read: Matthew 6:16-18 (KJV)

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 33-34, Jeremiah 32:36-44, Hymn: Sing hymn 6

MESSAGE:

One of my sons was travelling with me for the very first time sometime ago, and after we had been together for two days he asked me, “Daddy, why do you pray so much?” He said he observed that before we left the room, we prayed; when we got into the car, we prayed; on arrival at our destination, we prayed; when we entered the venue of the programme, we prayed; when we finished the programme, we prayed; on arrival at our lodging place, we prayed; also, when he peeped to check on me, he still saw me on my knees. Well, I pray a lot because prayer is an activity we are commanded to always engage in (1 Thessalonians 5:17). How often do you pray? Do you use every available opportunity to pray?

Apart from prayer, another spiritual activity you should regularly engage in to keep you spiritually fit and growing is fasting. Some people believe that doing a long fast for 30 days or 100 days is sufficient for one year. While this is a good spiritual exercise, there is still the need to continue fasting in the course of the year. When the Lord addressed the question of why His disciples were not fasting often like those of John the Baptist, here is what He said in Luke 5:34;

“34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.”

Since the Master has been received into glory, it is clear from His words that we now are expected to fast often. Some people fast for a short period at a stretch and thereafter they want to feast for the rest of the year. This is not good enough. A better practice is to find or create some time monthly or better still weekly to engage in fasting. Fasting was not strange to the patriarchs of old. Fasting does you so much good spiritually, so it should be a part of your lifestyle. You can live a fasted life. While detailing his experiences in life, Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:27 said that fasting was a reoccurring activity in his Christian life:

“In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.”

Most people who find it difficult to fast simply have a problem with discipline. They are so used to eating that they cannot sacrifice a few meals to seek God’s face. Anyone who cannot control his or her appetite may remain enslaved to the body. Fasting helps to subdue or break the controlling power that the weaknesses and desires of your body have over you.

Action Point: Stop talking about your plan to fast; just go ahead and fast. You can start with one day per week.

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: Free From the Curse [Saturday May 20, 2017]

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. – Galatians 3:13

You know the story. Satan came to Adam’s wife in the form of a serpent and deceived her into disobeying God. Adam, although he was not deceived, followed suit.

When Satan came into the Garden that day, he didn’t have any power at all. He had to come in like a sneak, not even talking to Adam directly but talking to his wife.

Now Adam was standing there, and he should have kicked him out right then. But he didn’t. He set aside the command God had given him and did what Satan told him to do instead. And when he did that, he made Satan his lord.

In bowing his knee to Satan, Adam gave Satan the authority that God had given him. He made Satan the illegitimate ruler of the earth. Immediately things changed. Through one man’s trespass, death passed to all men (Romans 5:12).

The earth and everything in it was suddenly cursed.

“OK,” you say, “are we to live under this curse for the rest of our lives? Wasn’t there anything God could do?”

He could and He did! He sent Jesus. Through Jesus, He set us free from the curse (Galatians 3:13).

The moment you made Jesus Christ Lord of your life, you were delivered from the lordship of Satan. You were redeemed from the curse. I didn’t say the curse wasn’t out there anymore. It is! You can see it all around you. But now you have a choice. You have authority over it in the Name of Jesus, so you can stand against it.

God’s done everything that love can do. He sent Jesus to redeem you from the curse. The rest is up to you. Now you must appropriate what has already been done for you.

Scripture Reading: Romans 5:12-21

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: Bruised For Our Iniquities [Saturday May 20, 2017]

Text: Luke 18:31-34

Key Verse: “Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished” (Luke 18:31).

“On the cross crucified. In great sorrow He died. The giver of life was He. Yet my Lord was despised and rejected of men. This Jesus of Calvary. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. Surely, He bore our sorrows. And by His stripes we are healed.” By these verses, the song writer captured succinctly the suffering of Christ for the entire mankind.

The prophets had written about this and Christ Himself had explained it to His disciples. But, they understood none of these things. They were too bothered by the fact of His death to ever remember that He would also rise from the dead. Jesus came to do good. Indeed, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him”. Even separated from the Cross by a few meters, He was still doing good.

He restored sight to the blind, poor beggar who recognised Him as the Son of David. At His first coming, Christ was presented as a man of sorrows. The world rejected Him, nailed Him to the Cross. He died a most humiliating death. Today, many, in spite of the manifestation of God’s power through the name of Jesus, are still in doubt. “Believe the gospel and ye shall be saved, ye and your house. …Only believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

Thought for the day: First, Christ came to die for sinners. Later, He will return to judge all sinners.

Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Timothy 1-6

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: Finding the Way Out [Saturday May 20, 2017]

Read: 1 Corinthians 10:1–13, Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 10–12; John 6:45–71

God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

There’s a street with an intriguing name in the city of Santa Barbara, California. It’s called “Salsipuedes,” which means “leave if you can.” When the street was first named, the area bordered on a marsh that sometimes flooded, and the Spanish-speaking city planners dubbed the location with a not-so-subtle warning to stay away.

God’s Word cautions us to stay away from the “wrong road” of sin and temptation: “Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way” (Prov. 4:15). But Scripture doesn’t just say “leave if you can.” It offers assurance and tells us where to turn: “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

 The promise that God will not allow us to be tempted above our ability to withstand is an encouraging reminder. When we turn to God in the moments when temptation comes, we know He is more than willing to help us stay away.

The Bible affirms that Jesus is able “to empathize with our weaknesses.” But He was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Heb. 4:15). Jesus knows the way out of every temptation. He will show us as we run to Him!

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for Your promise to be faithful to me and provide a way out whenever I face temptation. I praise You that You are willing to give me all the strength I need!

God promises to help us when we are tempted.

Insight:

Paul tells us that some of the children of Israel gave in to idolatry, sexual immorality, and grumbling. In each case they were disciplined for their sin (Ex. 32:1–35; Num. 21:4–8). Yet the hope given us is that God has provided a way out of temptation for all who choose to take it (see Gen. 39:7–12).

Are you facing temptations today? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you resist temptation and to take the way out.

This message was written By James Banks [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: The Exemplary Prayer Life of David [Saturday May 20, 2017]

Scripture: Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. Psalm 55:17

Thought For The Day: No one can do great things without great prayers.

David was a man of great exploits in the Bible. He killed Goliath and took the reproach off Israel when the Philistines engaged Israel in a battle. According to theologians, David fought sixty-three battles and lost none. Through the power of worship, he cast out the evil spirit that tormented King Saul. He was a king, prophet, psalmist, warrior, war general, etc.

What was the secret of such great exploits?

Apart from being a worshipper, David also prayed in the morning, noon and night. As a result of such lifestyle of prayer, he conquered both the lion and the bear; he was able to carry food (baby goat) from the mouths of lions and they could do nothing.

His secret was ‘Three times a day, no matter how tight the schedule is, I must pray. Morning, noon and evening I must go before God.’ (Psalms 55:17 paraphrased) That was the secret of his exceptional life.

Beloved, prayer is the secret of great exploits. No one can do great things without great prayers. Pay the price to prevail with God at the place of prayer like David. Make prayer your daily habit and exercise; then you will experience great exploits in life.

Remember this: No one can do great things without great prayers.

Assignment (s):

1. Have a consistent prayer schedule daily.

2. Ask God to baptize you with the spirit of prayer.

Prayer: O LORD, I ask for the fresh baptism of the Spirit of prayer. Help me to pray without ceasing, LORD, in Jesus’ Name.

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

Daily Reading: 1 Samuel 26:1 to 28:25, John 11:1 to 54, Psalm 117:1 to 2, Proverbs 15:22-23.

Quote: Prayer, like living, is not a delegable responsibility. Culled from PRINCIPLES AND POWER OF PRAYER by Dr Paul Enenche

Amazing Fact: The longest human tongue to be ever recorded was 3.86 inches from back to tip.

Today In History: 20/5/1775 – North Carolina became the first colony to declare its independence.

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: Complete Victory [Saturday May 20, 2017]

. . . greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. — 1 John 4:4

Paul once wrote, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye can not do the things that ye would” (Galatians 5:17). This is the battle or the tension that is present in us to a greater or lesser degree. So, you see, the spiritual lag that you feel is explained in the Bible. That does not mean that you accept it as the way it should be. You should make all necessary preparations for this battle which the Bible says “is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces.”

In Ephesians 6 we read that the Bible tells what preparation you should make. In the meantime, always remember that “where sin abounds, grace did much more abound.” You can have complete victory! We are told to submit ourselves unto God, and the devil will flee from us. We are also promised that “sin shall not reign over us.”

Prayer for the day: Lord, like Paul I battle daily with Satan. I submit everything in my life to You, knowing that already the fight has been won.

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: Tradition Neutralizes [Saturday May 20, 2017]

Mark 7:13, “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”

Deuteronomy 4:2 clearly states “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it . . . .” This same thought is repeated in the New Testament in Revelation 22:18-19 with very stiff penalties. Religious man is very swift to observe the part about not diminishing any of God’s commandments, but there seems to be an unwritten law that adding to them is okay. Every denomination has its own set of “do’s and don’ts” which aren’t found in scripture, and like those of the hypocritical Pharisees, their unwritten laws usually have to do with outward appearance.

We need to remember that adding to God’s commandments is just as bad as taking away from them. We need to speak when the Bible speaks, and be silent when the Bible is silent.

The commandments of God and the traditions of men are not the same thing and must always be clearly distinguished. Any attempt to place them on the same level will always result in making the Word of God of none effect. You have to either “lay aside” the commandment of God to keep the traditions of men or you have to “lay aside” the traditions of men to keep the commandments of God (Ex. 20:3). Church liturgy is tradition, as well as many of the “do’s and don’ts” taught by churches today. We can neutralize the positive power of God’s Word toward us, and nothing will do that quicker than elevating man’s traditions above God’s Word. God’s Word is still true (Rom. 3:3-4) and will not return to Him void (Isa. 55:11).

The Word will not profit anyone who doesn’t believe it, but God’s Word itself doesn’t lose any power. If some do not believe God’s Word, does that make God’s Word of no effect? The answer to this question is a resounding “no!” God’s Word still has its power to save, and it will profit you when you mix it with faith.

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)