Topic: Loving Your Wife The Bible Way!

Dear Reader,

Happy New Month! A new month has just begun with new opportunities to make life count more for you and your family. I can tell you that God is set to do something more glorious, in your life and family this month.

This month, I shall be speaking extensively to the men, as we examine the topic: Loving Your Wife the Bible Way. It is my prayer that as you open your heart to receive and act on God’s Word concerning your family today, your marriage and home will experience a positive transformation in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

What is love? The Advanced Learners Dictionary defines love as warm liking or affection. It is also described as affectionate devotion. Love is a major requirement for making your marriage successful. It is the major material required in building and transforming your house into a home.

The love I will be examining, however, is not the type of love the world has to offer which says, “If you love me, I will love you in return.” The type of love I am emphasizing is God’s kind of love. It is from the Greek word “AGAPE.”  It is an unconditional love. It is the kind of love that says: in spite of your faults and shortcomings, I love you all the same.

God’s Word says: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Just as God did not wait for you to be perfect before sending His Son to die for you, husband, do not lay down conditions for your wife, before loving her.

The Bible says: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it… (Ephesians 5:25). This love is not optional but mandatory. It is an instruction that must be obeyed.

God is telling husbands to love their wives, sacrificially and unconditionally. This does not depend on your wife’s character; rather, it is in obedience to the Word of God. Christ’s love for His Church is not only when she obeys Him, but even when she offends also (Romans 5:8). God’s Word instructs you to love your wife, in spite of her shortcomings.

This testimony of amazing restoration will encourage you: I have been married for 12 years, but up to last year, my marriage was in shambles. By November, I came to this church in tears. I removed my wedding ring, put it in an envelope and said, ‘God, I put in this ring here because I want you to restore my marriage.’

When I got home, I was ready for another confrontation from my husband who never goes to church; all he does is sit with his beer bottle. But, when I entered the room, he said, ‘Honey welcome. How was church and your Bishop?’ I was surprised! He said, ‘My darling wife, you look tired. Go and take your bath, I have prepared food for you to eat.’ I did not believe it; I thought it was a trick.

He asked if I was surprised, I said, ‘Yes.’ He then told me that while I was in church, he laid down to watch the TV, and suddenly, he heard a voice audibly call him saying, ‘Sit up! What have you done about your marriage? Set your home right.’ That made him go on his knees, weeping and he told God he was sorry and that was the beginning of good things. I never knew that marriage could be so blissful!” – Agbetiku, U.

Your home also could become a place where joy, laughter, excitement and peace are the order of the day. It can be the home God created it to be. Just make it a duty to love your wife not only by saying it, but also showing it, and you will discover that your home will become a delight to yourself and the envy of others.

You can’t, however, love effectively without accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Remember, without Him, you can do nothing; but with Him there is more than enough grace to love. You can accept Him by saying this prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of 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, 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: Say So! [Wednesday March 8, 2017]

Say “so” if you want to “see so”.

The law of life forbids that you say what you see.

Saying it preceeds seeing it.

God saw everything by saying it; the thing He did not see are the things He did not say. Never let your tongue betray your destiny.

The key to everything about you is your tongue.

Your mouth has been licensed to fashion your destiny.

Topic: Positive Minds [Wednesday March 8, 2017]

Jesus said, Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.… — Matthew 8:13

Sometimes when I stand behind the pulpit, and before I speak, I pause and my gaze sweeps across the audience. I look at the faces of the people. I love to see the bright smiles and expressions of anticipation, but there are always a few who look downtrodden and discouraged. I don’t know anything about them and I don’t want to judge them, but their faces look sad. They look as if they have lost hope and expect nothing positive to happen—and too often, they get exactly what they expect.

I understand those discouraged people; I was once one of them.

Here’s a simple fact I’ve learned: Positive minds produce positive lives, but negative minds produce negative lives. The New Testament tells the story of a Roman soldier whose servant was sick, and the soldier wanted Jesus to heal him. That wasn’t uncommon—many wanted Jesus to heal them or their loved ones in those days. But this soldier, instead of asking Jesus to come to his servant, expressed his belief that if Jesus would just speak the word, his servant would be healed (see Matthew 8:8). Jesus marveled at his faith and sent out His word to heal the servant. The soldier’s positive mindset—his faith—brought positive results. He expected healing, and that’s exactly what happened.

Too often, we cry to Jesus to heal us, to take care of our finances, or to deliver us from problems, but we don’t fully expect the good things to happen. We allow our minds to focus on the negative aspects. Doubt and unbelief war against our minds and steal our faith if we allow it.

As I wrote in my book Battlefield of the Mind, many years ago I was extremely negative. I used to say that if I had two positive thoughts in a row, my mind would get in a cramp. That’s an exaggeration, of course, but that’s how I saw myself. I lived with the same philosophy that other people have: If we don’t expect anything good to happen, we won’t be disappointed when it doesn’t.

I could have excused my negative attitude by telling everyone about my disappointments in life and I had many. It wasn’t just my lack of expectation. It was more than that. Because I thought negatively, I spoke negatively. When people told me of their spiritual victories, I’d think, That won’t last. When people spoke of their faith, I’d smile, but inwardly I would think that they were gullible. I could always figure out ways that plans would go wrong or people would disappoint me.

Was I happy? Of course not. Negative thinkers are never happy. It’s too long of a story to explain how I came to face that reality, but once I realized what a negative person I was, I cried out to the Lord to help me.

I learned that if I kept studying the Word of God, I could push away negative thoughts. God’s Word is positive and uplifting. My responsibility was to become the kind of believer who honors God with her thoughts, as well as with her actions and her deeds.

I understood the remorse David must have felt when he wrote Psalm 51: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love… is the way he starts. I especially meditated on verse 9: Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my guilt and iniquities. I hadn’t sinned the same way David did, of course, but my negative thinking and bad attitude was sin. It wasn’t just weakness or a bad habit. When I focused on negative thinking, I was rebelling against God.

The Lord had mercy on me. As I continued in His Word and in prayer, He freed me from Satan’s stronghold.

Freedom is available for all of us.

Gracious God, thank You for every deliverance in my life. Thank You for setting me free from negative and wrong thinking. Thank You for defeating Satan in this area of my life. Amen.

Topic: Spiritual Sensitivity [Wednesday March 8, 2017]

Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love these things you show that you do not really love God . . . — 1 John 2:15 (TLB)

There are certain elements of daily life which are not sinful in themselves but which have a tendency to lead to sin if they are abused. Abuse literally means “extreme use” and, in many instances, overuse of things lawful becomes sin. Ambition is an essential part of character, but it must be fixed on lawful objects and exercised in proper proportion. Thought about the necessities of life and taking care of one’s family is absolutely essential; but this can degenerate into anxiety, and then, as Christ reminded us, the cares of this life choke the spiritual seed in the heart.

Making of money is essential for daily living; but money-making is apt to degenerate into money-loving, and then the deceitfulness of riches enters and spoils our spiritual life. Much so-called worldliness in Christian circles is misunderstood. You cannot confine it to a particular rank, walk, or circumstance of life, and say that one person is spiritual and another is unspiritual. Worldliness is actually a spirit, an atmosphere, an influence permeating the whole of life and human society, and it needs to be guarded against constantly and strenuously.

Prayer for the day: Lord, keep me sensitive to Your Spirit that I may not fall into the spirit of worldliness and its lusts.

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: Like Abraham? [Wednesday 8, March 2017]

Memorise: And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. – Genesis 12:8

Read: Genesis 12:7-8 (KJV)

7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

Bible in One Year: Genesis 40-41, Isaiah 54

MESSAGE:

One crucial question that many people asking God to prosper them have not answered is: what will you do with the wealth you are asking for? While some people are sure of what to do with such wealth, many others are not so certain. Why do you want God to prosper you? Is it so that you can have multiple spouses, build multiple houses or buy a multitude of cars? If you really desire great wealth from God, what you plan to do with it to bring glory to His Name must not be far from you. May you have the right reasons, motives and goals that will be honoured by God in Jesus’ Name!

Let us consider the case of Abraham our spiritual father. After God promised to bless Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 and repeating the same promise in Genesis 12:7-8, what did Abraham do? Abraham immediately built an altar and worshipped God. Note that at this time, all Abraham had was God’s promise; there was no blessing yet. In other words, he was saying, “for promising to bless me at all, You deserve my worship.” Down the line, in Genesis 13:1-4, after the blessings started pouring in, Abraham did not forget his resolve to worship God. He travelled quite some distance to an altar he had earlier built at Bethel to worship God. By the time you get to Genesis 22:1-18, although Abraham had become truly blessed, he still proved to God that he loved Him more than any blessing he had received from Him, including Isaac his beloved son. When God saw all these, He was so impressed that He released greater blessings on him; hence, Abraham’s servant could testify that God had greatly blessed Abraham (Genesis 24:34-35). From the onset, Abraham was focused on worshipping God. As the blessings came, He remained committed to worshipping God. For this reason, the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 51:2 instructs us to learn from him:

“Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.”

Not many of us are like Father Abraham. When you allow the little blessings you received from God to derail you from the faith, how can you then convince God to give you more? If you truly want the exponential blessings that God has reserved for you, you must have a solid plan for how you will glorify Him with such wealth. How are you spending the little you have now?

Key Point: God has a plan for how you should spend every provision He makes available to you. Make it a point of duty to always ask Him to reveal this to 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: Mercy & Grace [Tuesday March 7, 2017]

Mercy overlooks our errors while grace compliments our efforts.

Mercy clears the mess for grace to fill the ground.

Mercy cleans up the vessel for grace to fill up the vessel.

Mercy picks us from the floor for grace to take us up.

Mercy looks beyond our faults for grace to see our needs.

Mercy heals us of our weakness is for grace to empower us to function & perform.

Wherever mercy goes grace follows.

Therefore, before you call for grace, plead for mercy.

It is only those who have obtained mercy that will find grace to help. Heb.4:16

Until mercy draws you near, you’re never entitled to draw from grace.

Grace is drawn only by those that mercy have drawn.

Topic: Worship with Your Whole Hear [Tuesday March 7, 2017]

I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]! — Psalm 57:2

Great worship leaders know to come into the presence of God with their entire being, prepared to give thanks and praise (see Deuteronomy 10:12). They don’t just roll out of bed, throw water on their face, and run a comb through their hair before church. They know that the anointing comes from a sincere pursuit of loving God with their whole heart.

Likewise, as you approach God in the morning, come to Him with a heart full of worship, expressing your awe of Him for His faithfulness toward you. He promises that He will never forsake you, but will be with you all day long (see Joshua 1:5).

Topic: Multiply Your Seeds [Tuesday 7, March 2017]

Memorise: In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. – Ecclesiastes 11:6

Read: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 (KJV)

1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Bible in One Year: Genesis 38-39, Isaiah 52:13-53:12

MESSAGE:

One law that applies to everyone is the law of harvest. The Holy Spirit in Galatians 6:7 says it is what you sow that you will reap. As a universal law, it holds true irrespective of your religious inclinations, race, colour or tribe. It applies, regardless of whether you believe it or not. Similarly, it is common knowledge that the kind of soil a seed is sown in will definitely affect and determine the harvest that will be taken from it. If the soil is good, the harvest will most likely be good, but if the soil is bad, the harvest will most likely be poor. If there are several farmers sowing the same type of seeds in the same kind of soil, is it possible for one farmer to have a more prosperous harvest than his colleagues? The Bible answers this in 2 Corinthians 9:6

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

It is possible for one of the farmers to reap a better harvest, if he or she increases the quantity of seeds sown or the frequency of sowing. In light of this, the preacher strongly advises us to engage in regular sowing of seeds. You should be prepared to sow by day and by night. You should also sow when you are young and continue sowing when you are old. Why? Nobody can determine how the harvest of the seeds he or she has sown will be. Some seeds may come up with a poor harvest, some with a good harvest while some others may not yield at all. All these are pointers to the fact that your input can greatly influence your harvest.

Some people sow once in a very long while and then wait to see the harvest before deciding to sow again. This is why their harvest is kept far away from them. Do you know that in spite of all God has done for us – He sowed His only begotten Son to obtain our redemption – He is still sowing seeds for mercy, love, forgiveness, protection, provision, etc into our lives on a daily basis? This is why He continues to take in a harvest of souls every day. No wonder He tells us in Galatians 6:9

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

How frequently do you sow into God’s Kingdom? Have you stopped sowing because you are now old? Don’t stop sowing! Scatter your seeds today!

Action Point: Looking at the size and quality of harvest you want for the future, go ahead and sow the seeds that will give you such harvest.

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: Foundation for an Enviable Marriage

Dear Reader,

It is a good day and a glorious month!  You are blessed in Jesus’ name.  I welcome you to another refreshing time in God’s presence.  This month, I will be teaching on the Foundation For An Enviable Marriage.

God’s Word says: If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalms 11:3).  It is important for you to know that marriage is not a promise, but a covenant relationship.  An enviable Christian marriage is neither a promise from God, nor does it come by wishing.

The marriage covenant involves two parties: God on one hand and the man (and his wife) on the other.  God is the initiator of the covenant and His terms of agreement are sealed up in His Word.  Man, on his part, is required to obey God’s terms of the agreement.

God instituted marriage and family life.  He made the terms and limits of the marriage covenant available to us, through His Word in the Bible.  Thus, you can enjoy an exciting marriage, if only you understand the terms of the marriage covenant, and live within the limits of the covenant.

God’s Word says: God upholds all things by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). All things here include marriage and family life.  This Scripture clearly reveals to us that God’s Word is power.

If you want God to uphold your marriage so as not to crumble, if your marriage must succeed and become outstanding, you need the power in the Word of God.  This is because all things are upheld by it.  You can’t put God and His Word aside, and expect to have an enviable marriage.  The foundation for this is following what God says about marriage and doing it.

Man’s hardness of heart towards God’s instructions has been a major reason for marital and family failure, all over the world.  The Lord Jesus said … But from the beginning it was not so…

God’s design for marriage and family life in the beginning was set towards fruitfulness and multiplication; it wasn’t designed for failure, heartaches or sorrow.  Even now, you don’t have to suffer marriage failure.  In fact, you can experience a great married life, if you open up to God’s Wisdom.

The foundation of an enviable marriage is God. Do you want to enjoy a most successful marriage?  If yes, then give your life to Christ.  This entails confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour.  If you are ready for this new birth experience, please say this prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today as a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. I believe You died and rose on the third day for my sins.  I accept You as my Lord and Saviour.  Make me a child of God today. Thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.”

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: Expect to Hear His Voice [Tuesday March 7, 2017]

The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. – John 10:27, The Amplified Bible

So many believers are unsure of their ability to hear God or know His voice. They’re always afraid that they won’t be able to tell when the Spirit of God is talking to them.

What they don’t realize is this: Hearing the voice of the Spirit is a privilege that the Bible says belongs to every believer (Romans 8:14). All we have to do to exercise that privilege is to receive it by faith and put ourselves in a position to hear.

Next time the devil tries to tell you that you can’t hear God’s voice, remember that.

Jesus said His sheep will know His voice and a stranger’s voice they will not follow. That is a promise of God to you today. You see, the Spirit of God will never guide you in opposition to the written Word of God (John 16:13). So, if you’re not familiar with what the Word says, you’ll find it more difficult to discern His leading.

Get familiar with God’s voice by meditating and studying the Word of God. Follow God’s instruction to Joshua and meditate on it day and night. Act on what you find in the Word, not just when it’s easy but every time. Be obedient even in the slightest things.

That continual obedience to the written Word will bring you into maturity and tune your inward ear to the voice of the Spirit. You’ll soon be able to recognize it as easily as you recognize the voice of your dearest friend.

So, instead of wondering about it, start expecting to hear from Him.

Then start sharpening your spiritual ears by spending time in the Word.

Scripture Reading: John 10:1-9

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.