Topic – Faith: The Operating system [Thursday, 4th May 2017]

(For we walk by faith, not by sight.) 2 Corinthians 5:7

For the believer, faith is not a bye-word but a very active presence. Our lives is not just a product of faith, it is also hinged on faith. God had faith that the seed of Jesus, sown in the grave, will yield billions of people to Him. He knew that men, women, boys, and girls world over will get to hear about the good news of the gospel and accept it, before sending Jesus to facilitate the salvation process. He worked by faith.

Like we have come to know, it is what is seen that is believed. God saw the result of Christ death, burial and resurrection before He sent Jesus, because He was certain that you and I and many others will accept the sacrifice of Jesus and put faith in His saving grace. Scriptures collaborate this fact in Isaiah 53:11, saying: “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant JUSTIFY MANY; for he shall bear their iniquities.” God operates by faith. So also should you and I.

Faith sees the resultant end even before the process begins. See the resultant end of that project you are unto. See the souls that that evangelical crusade will yield. See the lives that that philanthropic venture will bless. See the wonderful grades that you will get at the end of the semester. See the victories that you will come your way. We are of the stock of Him that declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). And with the end in sight, our operating system – faith – is set in motion to bring us to its reality. Glory to God!

Keep winning daily.

Wise Action:

Declare the reality of the end of all that you are involve in. Speak faith-filled words. Set in motion, by the wisdom of the Spirit, plans to achieve these resultant ends.

Success does not come cheap. It requires hard work, perseverance and a lot of sacrifices to achieve it. It is difficult to abdicate something you are used to. However, when you think of the results of your sacrifice, you should be willing and ready to do away with them. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares the sacrifice you must make to be successful.

Time

We all have 24 hours. For many, this is never enough. However, if you really want to be successful, you have to plan your schedule and invest your time wisely. In addition, you have to cut off the things you waste time on and refocus them on important and relevant things. You barely have any free time if you are pursuing success.

Sleep

In this case, you have no choice than to deny yourself sleep. Yes, you may be tired after work and the weekend is the only time you may have to sleep. So, due to this, you sleep whenever you are opportune. Success full people sleep but they wake up at a point in time at night to do the things that will bring them that desired success.

Friends

The hard truth is you only need friends that key into your dreams and ambitions. If you find that kind of friend, you should keep that person. Of course, you have other friends that you won’t like to lose but you have to. In some situations, you may have them as friends but your level of communication will reduce as you are too busy chasing success.

Personal wants

You have to be very disciplined if you want success. You need every penny. So, you have to quit buying all those extravagant stuff. And even if you do not buy them, you still need to make the personal sacrifice to deny yourself of certain wants.

Social life

Partying and clubbing every weekend has to reduce. In fact, if you are obsessed with success, you are not supposed to have a social life. That is extreme you may say. But the truth is you have to significantly cut down your merry-go-round.

Relationships

It can be difficult to balance relationships and work. But if you have someone that understands that you have to pursue success, then stay with that person. Clearly, you have to find time to also stoke that relationship. If you cannot balance both ends, just quit and focus on one. Relationship or success? Success it is.

By Adeniyi OGUNFOWOKE
PR Associate at Jumia Travel
+2348090747241

Today’s Scripture: “For exaltation (promotion) comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.” – (Psalm 75:6-7, NKJV)

Topic: When God is Your Boss [Wednesday May 3, 2017]

I know this man who was upset because his boss was really against him. The boss was always trying to make him look bad and would never give him any kind of recognition. The truth is that his boss was jealous of him. But, this man just kept being his best, working unto God. There were several promotions that he should have received, but because of this unfair boss, he was passed over.

One day the CEO of the corporation was in town, and this man had to make a presentation. The CEO was very impressed. About a year later, a position became available that should have gone to the man’s boss, but the CEO bypassed the boss and called this man directly. Today, instead of working for the unfair boss, the tables have turned. The boss is working for him.

Always remember, promotion comes from the Lord. When you stay faithful and keep a right attitude, that’s when God will promote you. One touch of His favor and things will totally turn around! Keep abiding. Keep being faithful. Stay on that high road. God will make your wrongs right and promote you in your due season!

A Prayer for Today: “Father God, today I humbly submit myself to You because You are good and faithful. I choose to work and live according to Your Word because I love You and desire to honor You. I receive Your mercy and grace today so I can live a life pleasing to You in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Topic: From Where You Are [Wednesday May 3, 2017]

And the LORD said unto Abrah, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward, For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. – Genesis 13:14-15

Where you are now is the platform for your future placement.

You don’t wait to become big to manage well: you manage well to become big.

Don’t wait to have fruits to be faithful.

It is when you are faithful that you can become fruitful.

Appreciate where you are and you will not cease to appreciate in life.

Appreciation of God is the spring board for appreciation of destiny.

I have never met with an ungrateful progressive man.

Unthankfulness will always lead to depreciation.

There is no doubt a grateful heart will result into a graceful life.

If you want to be graceful, be grateful.

Use gratitude to enhance your altitude.

Topic: A Key to Effective Prayer [Wednesday May 3, 2017]

I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father… — John 15:15

One of the most important keys to effective prayer is approaching God as His friend. When we go to God believing that He sees us as His friends, new wonders are opened to us. We experience new freedom and boldness, which are both things to be extremely grateful for.

If we do not know God as a friend, we will be reluctant to be bold in asking for what we need. But if we go to Him as our friend, without losing our awe of Him, our prayers will stay fresh, exciting, and intimate.

A friendship involves loving and being loved. It means knowing that God is on your side, wanting to help you, cheering you on, and always keeping your best interest in mind. God loves you and desires your friendship!

Prayer of Thanks: Father, I am thankful that You have promised to be my friend. Help me to come to You in prayer, knowing that You love me and You are for me. Thank You, God, that I am never alone. You are my friend, and You are with me.

Topic: Finding Alternatives? [Wednesday 3, May 2017]

Memorise: Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. – Proverbs 3:7

Read: Genesis 16:1-4 (KJV)

1 Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

Bible in One Year: Number 34-36, Jeremiah 25:1-16

MESSAGE:

After several years of waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled, Sarah sat down one day, had a long thinking session, and came up with an alternative plan which she presented to Abraham, and He accepted it. She had been barren for several years and was now obviously tired of being in that state; hence, she decided to give Hagar, one of her slaves, to her husband hoping to get a child through this arrangement. How mistaken she was! Sarah’s experience has a lot to teach contemporary Christians. When God is leading you in a certain direction, or if He has made a promise to you, any contrary opinion or alternative is borne out of impatience, doubt or unbelief. It’s when people can no longer wait for God’s plan that they come up with their own alternatives. One lesson from this story is that man’s alternative charts a new course for you, which can take you completely out of God’s original plan.

Just like Abraham and Sarah, many people have come up with alternatives that have landed them at destination they never expected. But for God’s patience and mercy, the step Abraham and Sarah took was enough to derail from God’s original course. The reason why the Holy Spirit says in Proverbs 3:5-6 that you should subordinate your plans under God’s will is so that He can guide you along His original plan for your life. Believe it or not, God has a plan for your life (Jeremiah 1:4-5). If you follow this plan, you will definitely obey God’s word and remain in His will. God’s word never negates His will for your life (James 1:18). The question is, “Are you still in God’s plan?”

To keep within God’s will, you must be filled with His word and His Spirit, prayerful, watchful, thankful and humble. Why? The natural man within you will always come up with alternatives to God’s perfect plan for your life. You need to be watchful because some alternatives may look like the original plan, but in essence, they are miles apart. If you will access God’s perfect plan for your life, then you must leave no space for the flesh or the devil to give you an alternative. You must trust, rely on and completely depend upon God. God’s choice is always the safe choice. For this reason Proverbs 29:25b says,

“…but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”

If you depend on God 99% and leave 1% for an alternative, that is enough to derail you. Never reply on what you think you know or your assessment of the situation. No matter how brilliant your ideas may be, God has something better. Bring your plans before God’s searchlight and let Him tell you if it’s okay or not.

Action Point: Has impatience made you pursue your own alternatives? Stop and beat a retreat 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: You Must Be Fruitful (5)

Dear Reader,

Children are the generation to come and the Bible says: A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children (Proverbs 13:22). The only inheritance we can leave for the next generation is to raise godly children, who will take off from where we stop. That is why in this concluding part of this month’s teaching, I shall teach extensively on the subject:

Why Must You Train Your Children?

Several reasons make it clear why, as parents, we must embrace child training. Firstly, God commands us to train our children. The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. So, child training is a commandment. When something is a commandment, it is obligatory or compulsory not optional. Thank God, however, that the Bible says: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (1 John 5:3). In other words, as long as a commandment is from God, it is not designed to grieve you but to make life wonderful and fulfilling.

Secondly, you must understand that the children of today will constitute the pillars of both the church and society tomorrow. If this is the case, then our children must be prepared for the future. We must raise them to lead lives of dignity and good morals. If we, as parents, will sow the seed of bringing up our children in the fear of the Lord today, we are guaranteed a glorious harvest tomorrow.
Thirdly, we must raise our children properly because God is seeking godly seeds (Malachi 2:14-15). I believe that if there is a desire in the heart of God, it is to see godly seeds raised by godly parents. May He find you as one!

Fourthly, child training releases the potential in the child. Every child needs to discover who he is and what he can do, because there is no single individual who is not endowed with certain God-given talents and potentials. When you motivate that child properly, he begins to develop himself until the real him begins to emerge.

Lastly, child training brings about total development in the child. When children are born, they are soft and pliable, so whichever way you turn them is the way they’ll go. It is right at birth, therefore, that you should begin to work on them until they gradually develop physically, mentally and spiritually. The Bible says: For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little (Isaiah 28:10). As you train your child in the way that he/she must go, no shame shall be attendant to him!

Children must never be left to go their own way, you must show them which way to go; that is what training is all about. The Bible tells us that a child left to himself is heading very fast for destruction. The Bible also says: The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame (Proverbs 29:15).The Word further says: A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children (Proverbs 13:22). What kind of inheritance do you want to leave? Houses, cars, money, etc are material things that are temporal; the everlasting and eternal inheritance is the godly virtues you leave with these children. These virtues will make them glorify God for your life, anytime they remember you. A common saying in this part of the world goes, “a child not built (trained), will eventually sell off a house built.” In agreement to that, the Bible says: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). A child trained, is a child raised. A child left to himself is the one that brings shame.

The first step in looking forward to a godly generation is to begin with families that raise godly children unto the Lord. The Bible records in Jeremiah 35:5-6: And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine. But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons forever. We can see from this Scripture that the good works of a man called Jonadab was speaking long after him. He commanded his children, showed them the right way to go and instructed them in the way of the Lord. He raised them to God’s glory before he left. When the children needed to make a decision, long after he had gone, they acted based on what they had learnt from him. They were brought up with sundry virtues, which they walked in. No wonder, this man’s name found a place in the Book of books.

Right now, I ask for grace for obedience for every reader in Jesus’ name! You shall make a difference in your generation! Your children shall remember you and declare, ‘Blessed is the God of our mother! Praise God for the life of our father!’ They shall be proud of you as a godly mother or father, who taught and showed them the right way of living, and your names shall appear in the Lamb’s Book of Life, having carried out God’s will on the earth! This shall be your portion in Jesus’ precious name! Amen. I rejoice with you.

I pray that your decision to work with God, and raise godly children for Him, shall not fail! The Lord shall strengthen and empower you! The wisdom to carry out your decision shall be imparted on you! You shall not fail!

If you are not born again, today is another opportunity for you. You have to be godly before you can have and raise godly children because you can’t give what you don’t have. Do you want to give your life to Jesus Christ? Say this prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today acknowledging that I am a sinner who needs Your forgiveness. I believe You died for me and rose again on the third day. Forgive me of my sins, wash me with Your Blood and write my name in the Lamb’s Book of life. Thank You Lord for saving me.”

If you prayed this simple prayer, 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).

Congratulations! You are now born again! All-round rest and peace are guaranteed you, 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).

Topic: Better Than the Fowls [Wednesday May 3, 2017]

Text: Luke 12:13-31

Key Verse: “Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?” (Luke 12:24).

Have you ever seen a worried bird with deep wrinkles on its brow or one with bleary bloodshot eyes caused by sleepless nights of worry? Have you ever seen a bird worried about who would pay rent or mortgage on its nest? Birds don’t worry or fret because they have absolute trust in God for their safety and survival.

Jesus taught His followers not to be anxious about anything, since God, the Giver of life and Feeder of ravens will surely supply all their needs. As a believer, you cannot be compared with innumerable broods of ravens put together. A child of God belongs to God in two ways: by creation and by redemption. God created you with a special purpose to fulfil specific projects for Him in this life. That is why you are extremely and eternally valuable in His sight – far more than the ravens. Your life has present relevance and future significance in God’s programme for the Church and the world. God will never fail nor disappoint His children. What He says, He is able to accomplish.

All we need do is to keep our own part of the covenant. You must resolve to follow God’s instructions diligently. Thereafter, you must never doubt the unfailing power of God. Rather, live daily with the strong assurance of God’s love and power to provide all your needs: spiritual, physical, material, and financial needs. Whenever you find yourself losing sight of your uniqueness in God’s agenda and becoming dejected over the vicissitudes of life, resolve to believe His word, and you will see God’s goodness even in seemingly unpleasant situations.

Thought for the day: “He that feeds the sparrow is too faithful to forget you, His own image and likeness.”

Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Chronicles 9-11

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: Understanding Your Unique Potentials [Wednesday May 3, 2017]

Scripture: Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Thought For The Day: Where there is no study, there can be no stardom.

It has been established that one’s potential is a key ingredient in the maximization of one’s destiny on earth. Everyone is wired by God with unique potentials for greatness in life.

However, there are many people who are multi-talented and endowed with multi-faceted potentials, yet with low level of productivity. Their level of productivity is not commensurate with their potentials. They can almost do everything with ease yet they have zero or little results in life.

This is because the mere possession of potential is not enough for the fulfillment of destiny. Apart from possessing potentials, a person or an organization with potentials ought to study or research on their potentials in order to maximally fulfill their destiny.

The truth is, there can be no fulfillment in life without the investment of time to study around one’s potential. Where there is no study, there can be no stardom.

Beloved, you might have discovered that you are multi-talented yet you are multi-limited. You might have been endowed with great potentials yet your results cannot be compared with your abilities. My counsel is, study around your potentials to know what it takes to deploy them and fulfill your destiny.

Remember this: Where there is no study, there can be no stardom.

Assignment(s):

1. Be an avid student of the Word

2. Endeavour  to study around your potentials

3. Deploy your potentials with all your strength.

Prayer: Help me LORD to push out the greatness in me for the expansion of Your Kingdom and the benefit of humanity, in Jesus’ Name.

Quote: You cannot rub mind with the Almighty God and be a dull person. Culled from 10 PRINCIPAL SECRETS OF PRINCIPAL PEOPLE By Dr Paul Enenche.

Daily Reading: Judges 17:1 to 18:31, John 3:1 to 21, Psalm 104:1 to 23, Proverbs 14:20 to 21.

Amazing Fact: Our tongue is the home of our taste buds

Today In History: 03/05/1952 – The first airplane landed at the geographic North Pole.

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.