Topic: The Privileges of God’s Children II [Saturday 29, April 2017]

Memorise: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. – Romans 8:14

Read: Romans 8:14-17(KJV)

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Bible in One Year: Number 26-27, Jeremiah 22:14-23:8

MESSAGE:

There is a song that was popular among children of God some decades ago which reveals not only privilege meant only for the children of God but also their appreciation of that privilege. It goes thus: “Something more than gold; The spirit of God in the heart of man; something more than gold.” According to our memory verse, as many as are led by the spirit of God, are the children of God. In other words, only those who are children of God have the privilege of being directed and guided by the Holy Spirit. Conversely, only those who are guided by the Spirit of God are genuine children of God. If you take a look at the account of how God formed man from the dust of the earth, you will observe that in spite of the fact that every part was properly fixed and fitted, man could not fulfil the purpose of his creation until God put His Spirit in him. Genesis 2:7 says,

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

After man fell, the Spirit of the Lord departed from him, and he became a shadow of his glorious past. Man became afraid of himself. Adam and Eve lost trust in each another, so much so that they were ashamed of seeing each other’s nakedness. Fear ruled the heart of man because the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him. Man lost his sense of purpose and direction. God appeared in the cool of the day and man took cover with his wife, who he now viewed as the source of his troubles (Genesis 3:12). The certainty of what tomorrow holds eluded humanity, and man groped in darkness, being tormented by different taskmasters until God decided to have mercy on us through the grace of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The moment we accept His grace of adoption, we begin to enjoy the privilege revealed in Romans 8:15-16:

“15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

I believe you now understand the reason why the old-time believers sang with great excitement that the Spirit of God in the heart of a man is something more than gold. The Spirit gives us the assurance that we are children of God. This consciousness gives us the impetus to live like Him in this world, and also grants us boldness based on the assurance that with God, our Father, on our side, no evil can come near us. So, if you are yet to become a child of God, don’t delay further; give your life to Christ today, and you will be adopted into the household of God.

Action Point: Thank God for His precious gift of the Holy Spirit and for all that His Spirit does in your life.

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: Questioning [Saturday April 29, 2017]

Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. — Psalm 51:12 (TLB)

It is not unusual for persons in their early twenties to defect from their early teaching. The reasons are many. Perhaps their exposure to unbelief “took” better than their exposure to belief. This is often the case, for the Bible says, “The heart of man is deceitful above all things.”

The human heart is as prepared by sin to accept unbelief as faith. Some person they regard highly has undoubtedly influenced their thinking; and for the time being they look on their early training as “bunk.” As someone has said, “A little learning may take a man away from God, but full understanding will bring him back.”

Some of the staunchest Christians I know are people who had periods in their life when they questioned the Bible, Christ, and God. But as they continued to examine the matter, there was overwhelming evidence that only “the fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”

Prayer for the day: I pray for all the questioning people today, Lord, remembering times in my own life when unbelief reigned.

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: Don’t Let the Devil Put One Over on You [Saturday April 29, 2017]

When [the devil] speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. – John 8:44

Some people find it difficult to believe God’s promises because they’ve seen so many things in the natural world that seem to contradict them. They’ve seen faithful tithers go broke. They’ve seen sick Christians fail to receive their healing.

In reality, it would be more accurate to say that they think they’ve seen those things. Because, you see, there’s a deceiver at work in the world. A deceiver who’s busily doing the same thing he’s been doing ever since the Garden of Eden: tricking mankind into believing God’s Word isn’t true.

And, after working on it for thousands of years, he’s a master at it. Think about that the next time he tries to make things look as though God’s Word is not going to work for you, when he makes it look like all hope is lost. Say, “I don’t care about appearances. I believe the Word and I refuse to doubt it.”

Let me show you what I mean. Have you ever seen a magic show where someone crawls inside a box and then is sawn in half? You can see it with your own two eyes. The guy’s feet are sticking out one end of the box and his head is poking out the other, and the box is plainly cut in two. Then the magician slides the two halves back together and the sawed-apart fellow jumps out of the box in one piece.

Now tell me, did you really believe, even for a moment, that fellow was truly cut in half? Of course not! You knew that you’d seen a trick, a deception, something that appeared one way when, in reality, it was a different way altogether. You may not have known how it was done. You may not have been able to explain it. But you knew a person couldn’t be sawn in half, then put back together, so you refused to believe your eyes.

That’s exactly the way you need to be where the Word of God is concerned. You need to learn to trust it and rely on it to such an extent that when Satan shows you something in the natural world that appears to contradict it, you just say, “Well, I saw that, but I’m not going to be gullible enough to believe it. I’m just going to stick with the Word.”

If you’ll do that, the father of lies will never be able to put one over on you.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:89-104

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: The Profit of Positive Character [Saturday April 29, 2017]

Scripture: And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. Psalm 41:12

Thought For The Day: Character establishes a person on solid ground in life.

Yesterday, we saw that character is not just powerful, rather, it is power; the real power of man is his character.

Today, we want to look at one positive power of character which is THE GUARANTEE OF STABILITY. A man or woman of character is a stable person. Psalm 26:1 says, ‘Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.’

Character establishes a person on solid ground in life. A person without character stands on slippery ground. This means that nothing about the life of a person without character is stable. Samson was up at one time, but later he was nowhere to be found because he lacked positive character.

There is nothing that can topple a person who has a positive character. Witches and wizards can come against him but he will not be moved. In times of downsizing, rightsizing, recession, depression, inflation, stagnation, starvation, frustration, a man of positive character will be stable in life because character holds a man up.

Beloved, my counsel to you is, be a person of positive character.

Remember this: Character establishes a person on solid ground in life.

Assignment(s):

1. Live with the consciousness that without God you cannot build a positive character.

2. Study 1 Corinthians 10:12.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: POWER OF POSITIVE CHARACTER – PART 3

Prayer: LORD, open my eyes to see the areas of my character that I need to change in order to be stable in life, in Jesus’ Name.

Daily Reading: Judges 9:22 to 10:18, Luke 24:13 to 53, Psalm 100:1 to 5, Proverbs 14:11 to 12.

Amazing Fact: There are about 6,800 languages in the world.

Today In History: 29/04/1813 – Rubber was patented by J.F. Hummel.

Quote: It does not matter how much a person has risen or is seen to be rising; it is character that will keep him up there.  Culled from WHO ARE YOU? by Dr Paul Enenche.

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: Love, Not Hatred [Saturday April 29, 2017]

Text: 1 Samuel 20:24-34

Key Verse: “And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David” (1 Samuel 20:33).

Being loved is the second-best thing in the world, while loving someone is the best. When you love, you do yourself a favour because you open the floodgates of love from others to you. Hatred or a feeling of revenge does more harm to the hater than the hated.

This is because the hater bears alone the tearing within, of a deep-seated, untreated wound everywhere he goes. Oh, what needless pain! King Saul, in our text, displayed so much anger as a result of hatred for David that he almost killed his heir-apparent, Jonathan, with a javelin. Saul had been after David’s life since the day the women of Israel sang and attributed ten thousands victory to David and just thousands to him (1 Samuel 18:6-9).

His jealousy and hatred made him forget the victory that God wrought in Israel through David. He so sought David’s life at all costs that he lost his peace of mind and murdered eighty-five priests including men, women and children (1 Samuel 22:6-19). The Scripture is clear on the issue of hatred. “…He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:14,15).

You cannot harbour thoughts of hatred, malice, strive, envy, jealousy, wickedness or vengeance in your heart against anyone and claim to have eternal life at the same time. The love of God in the heart of many Christians today is decreasing because the devil is stealthily gaining access into their minds through a swarm of iniquities that dug the landscape. Examine your life to see if the true love of God still abides in you. Do you still love people sincerely and unconditionally as you used to when you first met the Lord? Christ counsels: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent…”

Thought for the day: Love, a spiritual force transforms an enemy into a friend.

Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Corinthians 12-14

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: When Morning Comes [Saturday April 29, 2017]

Read: Hebrews 11:1–8, Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 6–7; Luke 20:27–47

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

It was very late when we stopped for the night at a country inn outside of Munich. We were delighted to see that our cozy room had a balcony, although an oppressive fog made it impossible to see into the darkness. But when the sun rose a few hours later, the haze began to fade. Then we could see what had been grimly shrouded the night before—a completely idyllic scene—peaceful and lush green meadow, sheep grazing with tiny tinkling bells about their necks, and big white clouds in the sky that looked exactly like more sheep—huge, fluffy sheep!

Sometimes life can get clouded over by a heavy fog of despair. Our situation may look so dark that we begin to lose hope. But just as the sun burns away a fog, our faith in God can burn away the haze of doubt. Hebrews 11 defines faith as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (v. 1). The passage goes on to remind us of the faith of Noah, who was “warned about things not yet seen,” yet obeyed God (v. 7). And Abraham who went where God directed—even though he didn’t know where that would be (v. 8).

Though we have not seen Him and cannot always feel His presence, God is always present and will help us through our darkest nights.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your promise to walk with us through all of life. In moments of doubt, help us to have the confidence You are in control and we can trust You.

Faith is the radar that sees through the fog. Corrie ten Boom

Insight:

In the generations before the great flood, Abel, Enoch, and Noah responded to the spiritual light they had been given. Abel had his sacrifice received by God in worship, Enoch was taken up into heaven without death, and Noah saved his family from the judgment of the flood. Later Abraham and Sarah were called out of their city to a Promised Land and eventually received a much-awaited child of promise. Hebrews 11 lists men and women of faith who received a positive testimony from God as they set an example in spite of difficulty.

How do these stories of faith help you in your walk with God?

This message was written By Cindy Hess Kasper [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

The average Nigerian dude (not necessarily the f*ckboy) wants to ball. You can’t really judge them either, because…you only live once. YOLO!

Monday to Thursday: you stay on the hustle, money must be made.

Fridays nights: back to back clubbing with the babes.

Saturdays: wedding and after party then lounge/drinking time with your bros.

Sundays: big boy brunch at Oriental and football time at the bar later in the day.

The lifestyle is the dream; however, except you have your own business or solid inheritance somewhere, this lifestyle cannot be sustainable -especially, if you are still a bachelor.

Even when they follow the best financial advice available (they work hard, spend less than they earn, save and invest) quite a percentage of single men still find they have to live pay cheque to pay cheque – with no savings.

Of course, this does not in any way imply that all the unattached men in Nigeria are flunking their finances or are in a hopeless position when it comes to money. Some men just face specific challenges, when it comes to managing their cash.

The state of the country’s economy plays a huge role in this dreary financial picture; as such, opting for just the basics when it comes to making financial changes may not be ideal.

Single dudes should consider taking on some of these hands-on money rules:

Rent must not exceed half of your monthly earnings

Yes, you want to live alone, have your own place and be independent, but you should not spend a fortune or run into debt renting an apartment. Ensure your monthly rent is not more than half of your total earnings per month. For instance, if you earn N100,000 per month ensure you do not rent a place that costs more than N25,000 per month. This means that you would be looking out for a space that would possibly cost you N300,000 per year.

It’s easy to get sold on the dream of emancipation from parents and total independence, but if it’s going to jack up your bills, it’s probably not a wise financial move. If you must rent a space, consider getting flatmates and move up from there.

Opt for hobbies that don’t require an upkeep cost

As a dude, you have a number of hobbies and activities you engage in, to keep life eventful and interesting. It could be fitness, or just games for leisure. The thing is, a number of these hobbies require ongoing upkeep costs; from club membership dues, to cost of supplies, uniforms, and even trips/get-togethers.

While it is definitely alright to have hobbies, just make sure you go for one that requires minimal maintenance or even none at all. For instance, no matter how much you love golf, you may want to put that off for later, when you are more finically stable. Not only do you have to register to use the golf course, you have to get the outfits and the need for fresh supplies are almost endless. You may want to consider alternatives like playing music, on an instrument you already have, or even football with friends or colleagues.

Cut down on eating out

Yes, you want to join in on the Sunday brunches with colleagues; you want to prove to your girlfriend, who loves fancy food, that you are enough for her; you also want to order from ‘The Place’ like your colleagues, instead of brining something homemade or buying from the lady across the road and being the “stingy” or “low-class” one. But if you are concerned with upgrading your financial status, you will have to skip these splurges. They seem small, but actually, they accumulate and take a toll on your finances. You will be surprised to find out that sometimes, the cost of the daily take-out is what, over time, separates the rich dude from everyone another dude the wrong side of the thin money line.

Acquire cars based on reliability and fuel efficiency…otherwise, use public transport

There is the assumption that owning a car makes a dude more appealing. Before using your life’s savings to buy a car, you must at least consider two factors.

Ask yourself: how reliable is the car? How fuel-efficient is it? Answering these questions lets you know if you would be actually making an investment by buying the car, or acquiring a liability.

This is because fuel bills and repair bills are serious money drainers when you own a car. Do not just jump and buy any car just because it is cheap and it still moves. If you cannot say for sure that it is reliable and fuel-efficient, get on with public transport. And by public transport, I don’t mean Uber and Taxify.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with commuting to work in a bus or keke napep. It is actually a better option as it is incredibly faster in rush-hour traffic. It’s also cheaper when you consider the fuel, oil and other maintenance costs of running the car. You save more and you upgrade yourself financially.

When shopping, use the 30-day rule

Believe it or not, shopping is not a “girl” thing. Guys love to shop too. When shopping – online or in-store, it is important that you adhere to the 30-day rule. The rule simply implies that you wait 30 days after your first serious impulse before buying the expensive item, no matter how essential you think it is. Waiting 30-days give you enough time to do research and ascertain the impact it could have on you financially, and whether you even really want it or not. Sometimes we are deluded by brief fascination and end up spend a lot of money on something that we will never use and may not improve our lives in any way.

The 30-day rule gives you the time to come back to reality and make the sane decision.

Don’t borrow money to invest

Every financial guru will tell you to invest your money in something, if you want to be financially stable in future.

While this is great advice, you must also ensure that you do not use borrowed money (money that is not originally yours) to invest…no matter how lucrative the investment seems or how much of an asset you assume it will be.

In the case where the investment you want to make is either a fixed deposit or bond, you will eventually find that the dividends may not able to match the rate of interest you pay on the loan. Again, even investments, such as equities, that offer higher returns, can be too risky.

By Nkem Ndem 
[email protected]