Military forces and police armed with assault rifles patrolled the streets leading to churches and stood guard outside the compounds.
Everyone entering was required to produce identity cards and be body searched.
Volunteers were stationed at the gates of churches to identify parishioners and look out for any suspicious individuals.
Parking was banned near the churches and officials urged worshippers to bring only minimum baggage.
Seven suicide bombers struck two Catholic and one Protestant church and three luxury hotels in the attacks last month.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the bombings, which were carried out by a local radicalised Muslim group.
Sunday services were cancelled in the two subsequent weekends amid fears of more attacks, leaving the faithful to hear Mass via live TV transmission from the Colombo residence of Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith.
Church authorities are also considering the reopening of church-run schools on Tuesday if they can be satisfied with security.
President Maithripala Sirisena said last week that “99 per cent” of the remaining suspects in the Easter attacks have been arrested and their explosive materials seized, and it is safe for tourists to return to the Indian Ocean island nation.
Topic: Engaging the Power of Faith for Supernatural Exploits!
Welcome to another exciting week! This week, we shall focus on: Engaging the Power of Faith for Supernatural Exploits! I pray that by the impartation of this teaching, your own portion shall be delivered!
From scriptures, we understand that God is the epitome of exploits, and as offspring of the Almighty God, we are ordained men and woman of exploits. We have an extraordinary father, and as such, we are ordained for extraordinary accomplishments and outstanding success in life. As it is written: But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits (Daniel 11:32). Thus, we need to know that God did not create us a mediocre or a struggler on the earth. In actual fact, God said concerning the redeemed that He: …shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only (Deuteronomy 28:13). This shows that we have a mountaintop destiny in Christ and are also ordained for continuous progress in life (2 Corinthians 3:18; Proverbs 4:18).
But What is Supernatural Exploit?
First, let us understand that supernatural exploit is not about intellectualism, neither is it a product of human intelligence but the source of exploits in life is God. Therefore, by implication, supernatural exploit in this context means extraordinary accomplishments from above. It also connotes setting the pace and blazing the trail. It is all about accomplishing things that eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, and that have not entered into the hearts of men (1 Corinthians 2:9). That is God’s agenda for the redeemed because God has ordained every end-time saint to be a blessing to his or her world!
Importantly, we are indeed a people ordained to experience supernatural exploits after the order of God. For instance, we saw how the Old Testament saints such as Daniel, Abraham, Joseph, etc., achieved outstanding feats humanly impossible while on earth. But the Bible says we possess greater potentials than all the Old Testaments saints. It is written: Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Matthew 11:11; see also Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:29). Jesus further said: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father (John 14:12). That means we are also ordained to manifest greater exploits than Jesus.
While it is true that we are destined for supernatural exploits, it is also true that this cannot be attained outside faith. This is because it takes faith to get any result in the Kingdom, including supernatural exploits. Besides, everything about exploits requires the hand of God and faith is the only way to provoke divine hand in our lives. As it is written: Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? (Isaiah 53:1; see also Luke 1:45; John 15:5).
What, then, is Faith?
No doubt, faith is very vital to our walk as Christians. This is because Christianity is absolutely worthless without it, as it is the principal instrument for doing exploits in the Kingdom. The Bible says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (Hebrews 11:1-3). Moreover, when we walk in faith, we become candidates for exploits because the hand of God cannot deliver ordinary results, but extraordinary results and faith is what brings the hand of God to bear in our lives, thereby empowering us to do the impossible (Hebrews 11:32-33). Supernatural exploit becomes absolutely cheap when we secure God’s hand through the mystery of faith. However, as potent as the force of faith is, it needs to be built in order to produce. Many people do have faith for supernatural exploits, but cannot bring it to fruition because they have ignored this vital faith principle. That is why building our faith is a must, if we must fulfil our glorious destinies in Christ. There is no faith-filled man who is not an investor in building his faith and the school of faith is an ever-learning school.
In summary, we are either building our faith or breaking it. Nevertheless, we cannot ‘wait’ for our faith to be built; we must consciously take steps towards building it through the Word of God and anointed resources of men and women of faith. As we do so, I see God launching us into His glorious plans for our lives, thereby fulfilling destiny in grand style in Jesus’ name! However, supernatural exploits in life is not for everybody but only reserved for the redeemed! Are you born again? If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so. Simply say the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now, I know I am born again! For further reading, please get my books: Following the Path of the Eagle, Exploring the Secrets of Success, Success Strategies, Success Buttons, Success Systems and Ruling your World.
I invite you to fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280; or E-mail: [email protected]; Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidoyedepoministries/; Twitter: @DavidOyedepoMin.
Bishop David O. Oyedepo is a Nigerian Christian author, architect, preacher, and the founder and presiding bishop of the mega church, Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners’ Chapel
17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.
19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.
21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
THE MESSAGE:
Every Sunday is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The resurrection keeps reminding us the crux of our Christian faith, that is, “no resurrection, no Christianity.” Jesus did not only resurrect; He is the Resurrection. Where He is, nothing dies, life reigns. He is the Life, the eternal life. He offers this life to those who believe in Him. In fact, this life is the guarantee of resurrection. This is what Jesus intends to prove to Martha. Martha believed in resurrection intellectually but never knew that the Resurrection Himself was standing and talking with her.
Your life is meaningless without Him; He is the author of life. Like begets like, you will give what you have. Jesus is life and He gives it out willingly to those willing to receive it. You want to enjoy abundant life? Hook up to Him (John 10:10b). It is the assurance of this eternal life that guarantees resurrection.
The Resurrection and the Life is standing with you now. What do you want to do with Him?
Prayer: O Lord, help me to understand that You are the Resurrection and the Life and where You are everything comes alive, in Jesus Name.
TOPIC: The Spiritual Legal Ground (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 12 May 2019)
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 15-16; John 3:1-18
FIRE SCRIPTURE: Galatians 5:19-23
MEMORY VERSE: “He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.” – Ecclesiastes 10:8
The MESSAGE:
That famous verse in Ecclesiastes that tells us that whoever breaks the hedge, the serpent shall bite him. But what does it mean?
A person who is in Christ is a royal priest, a prince, a holy citizen, a peculiar person owned by the Eternal King of Glory (1 Peter 2:9). Angel guards form a wall of protection around him 24 hours a day. This is the hedge, which unfortunately can be broken; and once it is broken, the serpent (satan and his demons) will access the person’s life to bite.
What breaks God’s hedge of protection around a man and opens the door of his life?
Evil inheritance: The most annoying door opener are the sins and iniquities of parents and ancestors. If they are into the occult or witchcraft or worshipped idols or into any other sin, they have signed themselves and generations to the devil. He will certainly claim that person and stays unless the person brings Jesus in to rescue him.
Sins: If a man indulges in the works of the flesh as listed in Galatians 5:19-21, he certainly has broken the hedge of God’s protection upon his life.
Environmental factors: A physically or spiritually unclean environment or cursed objects in the home or body certainly invites the serpent into a life, because the Holy Spirit cannot stay in filth.
Breaching God’s laws on marriage: God has disgust for sexual immorality because it defiles His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). Sex outside marriage, sex with persons of the same sex, oral sex, masturbation, sex with animals are an open invitations to the serpent.
Disfiguring God’s temple: Tampering with the body or soul that God has so fearfully and wonderfully made, through bleaching, tattooing, smoking, hard drugs and alcohol, plastic surgery to tamper with the nose, lips, breasts, hips etc for beauty are querying God’s work.
Uncontrollable tongue: Careless talk, cursing, gossiping, and other wrong uses of the tongue defile a man (James 3:6) and make him abominable to God.
Beloved, if any of these situations is present in your life, then the devil has a strong legal ground to stay, because you or your parents gave him an open invitation. Repentance and total obedience are the only lock against the serpent in your life.
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: AS THE APPLE OF GOD’S EYE, HE HAS WARNED THE ENEMY TO KEEP AWAY.
PROPHETIC WORD: Because you are in Christ, the old order of serpent bites has been abolished in your life.
PRAYER POINTS:
MORNING
Almighty God, I thank You for the supreme sacrifice that You made at Calvary to set me free from satanic harassment, in the name of Jesus.
O God, I confess the sins and iniquities of my parents and ancestors and plead the blood of Jesus to wash away every inherited defilement, in the name of Jesus.
Lord, empower me to repair any hedge I have broken and destroy every legal ground the devil has over me, in the name of Jesus. EVENING
Gracious God, I confess my own sins (mention them); I repent and plead for mercy and sanctification by the blood of Jesus, in the name of Jesus.
O God my Father, empower me to be totally submitted to You, so that I can resist the devil and put him to flight, in the name of Jesus.
Every stubborn power claiming satanic right over any area of my life, let the thunder fire of God kill you, in the name of Jesus.
I Am that I Am, make me the apple of Your eye, in the name of Jesus.
MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE is a daily devotional by Dr. D.K Olukoya (General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, Worldwide)
Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:
Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.
If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
A Promise For You From Bible Promises: [12/MAY/2019]
Topic: What Makes Christianity Unique?
And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. – Mark 1:27.
Read: Acts 10:38
There are so many religions in the world today and other ones are springing up in every part of the world. Among all the religions today, the one and only outstanding is Christianity. Christianity is so unique that it can never be compared with anyone out there. This is because it root is found in Christ Jesus alone. Founders of other religions are humans who dwelt among men, died were buried and never rose again. But Jesus Christ in whom Christianity is named after (due to the behavior of His disciples in Antioch Ac 11:26) came from heaven, dwelt among men, died and rose again and went to heaven with the promise of returning to take us home. The God of Christianity makes Christianity beautiful and awesome above others. Hallelujah!
Apart from the founder coming to take away our sins and making us right with God again as it was in the beginning in the garden of Eden, He came with compassion – deep compassion to see His people free from affliction and unnecessary tears. Jesus was purposely anointed to destroy burdens and yokes of the enemy from our lives. Miracle in Christianity makes it unique above other religions in the world. Without miracle, Christianity would have just been one of the dead religions in the world today, but miracles, signs and wonders make the difference. Christianity is a compassionate religion because its founder or head is full of compassion and love. Most importantly, Jesus is alive forevermore while founders of other religions are dead and gone without any promise of coming back. Jesus is coming back to this world not to save, but to collect His people who believe in Him now to His Kingdom and judge the world because His Father has committed judgment into His hand.
Bible Promises Thought: Glorify God continually that you belong to a unique religion in the world – Christianity. Protect your salvation till the end to see Jesus. Hallelujah!!!
Key Verse: “They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof” (Job 24:13).
MESSAGE:
Right from Cain, one common string linking natural men is the propensity to want to prevent their secrets from being exposed and consoling themselves with the fact that they are better than some others. The natural man would want to do anything to cover his sins from public view and many have even become hardened in wickedness due to their delusional thought that God is ambivalent or care less about what mortal men do. But the Scriptures prove them wrong.
Today’s passage clearly sets out the various acts of wickedness of some men to others. In a world of the “survival of the fittest”, the Scripture speaks of wicked acts such as land-grabbing, cattle rustling, oppression of the vulnerable, perpetrating forced labour, human trafficking, copyright infringements, usury, child abuse and excessive profiteering. It is clear from the passage that the power and influence of the wicked make their actions often go unchallenged. It is however important to note God’s verdict on such. The passage refers to them as “… those that rebel against the light…”
Is your conscience pointing your attention to any of those sins mentioned? Are you already acting like Cain in self-defense? Then it is obvious you are in need of help. You must come out of the darkness of rebellion to the marvellous light of Christ to avoid being added to the list of men like Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Saul, Jeroboam, Herod and others who had faced God’s judgment.
You can escape God’s judgment by simply taking the steps of faith and repenting from all your wickedness. This is your only way of getting delisted from the “Hall of Infamy”.
Thought For The Day: God sees everything and He will judge every act.
The Bible 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.
Flatimes’ Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:
Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.
If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
SCRIPTURE: But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1:8-9
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The best of man comes out in the Presence of God.
Daniel was a young man of the tribe of Judah who was taken to Babylon in captivity along with others (Daniel 1:1-8). It was meant to be a hopeless situation, but Daniel’s access to the Presence of God set him on the pedestal for relevance, excellence and greatness in life. Daniel distinguished himself by purposing in his heart not to partake in or defile himself with the king’s food. Daniel became a man of excellence (Daniel 5:12). He was the first vice-president of the Babylonian Empire, the highest Jew in that realm – he lived at his best (Daniel 6:1-4).
Now, from the life of Daniel, what does it mean to live at your best?
You are at your best when you are beyond stain. The quality of a man’s life is reduced by iniquity. Whatever defiles your conscience denies your destiny.
You are at your best when you live beyond your past; when you do not allow your history to become your misery.
You are at your best when you live each day as if it is the last. Wake up with a determination not to waste any day; approach each day as if it was the last.
You are at your best when you live in God’s Presence. The best of man comes out in the Presence of God. You live in God’s Presence by reading, studying and meditating on the Word, worshipping God and living a life of prayer.
Beloved, I counsel you to make the choice to live at your best in everything you do so you can see the best of life.
REMEMBER THIS: The best of man comes out in the Presence of God.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Do not let any day pass without praying, reading and studying the Word.
Ask for the grace of God to stand upright and be free from guilt daily.
Deploy your best in everything you do.
PRAYER: O LORD, I look up to You for the grace to live at my best. I refuse to be hindered by sin or iniquity, Lord in Jesus’ Name.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: LIVING AT YOUR BEST
QUOTE: Maintain integrity, be known for uprightness and do the right thing all the time. Culled from CAREER AND WORKPLACE WISDOM by Dr Paul Enenche
DAILY READING: 1 Samuel 12:1 to 13:23, John 7:1 to 30, Psalm 108:1 to 13, Proverbs 15:4
AMAZING FACT: Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system and has an average surface temperature of around 450° C.
PROPHETIC DECLARATION/WORD: Receive the grace to live at your best from today henceforth, in Jesus’ Name.
Today’s devotional was written by Pastor Paul Enenche of the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Pastor Paul and 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
Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:
Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.
If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. – James 1:22
Have you ever been in the position in the past where every time you opened the Bible you received a river of revelation? Does it seem lately that the river’s run dry? If so, I strongly suggest that you backtrack to the last revelation God gave you. Back up and see if you acted on it, if you did what God showed you to do. If you didn’t, start again, digging in to that revelation and then putting it into action in your life. You’ll soon find new revelations are beginning to flow.
You see, revelation is most prolific when you are acting on the Word. I’ve discovered that for myself again and again. The more I act on the Word, the more I see into it. That’s why James 1:22 tells us to not only hear God’s Word but to do it!
It may seem that the things God has revealed to you are very insignificant. They may not even make good sense to your natural mind. But do them anyway! If you had insight into the spirit realm, you’d see they’re far more important than you think.
Open God’s Word anew today. Come before Him with expectancy of a fresh revelation of the Scripture and commit to Him to follow it up with actions of obedience. Be a doer of God’s revelations and not a hearer only and your river will never run dry.
Scripture Reading: James 1:22-27
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.
John 6:45, ‘It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.’
John 6:40-45
The Old Testament prophets prophesied of a new covenant where we would all be taught of God. This is speaking of revelation knowledge that comes from within, through our spirit. Under the Old Covenant, God dealt with the Jews through the outer man. He did this because an Old Covenant man (who was not born again) could not perceive the spiritual truths revealed in the New Covenant by the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14). This difference between the old and new covenants is the reason why there had to be two covenants.
The Old Testament man was comparable to a child in his ability to grasp spiritual truth. It is impossible to explain spiritual truth to a young child, and yet, a child must be restrained from submitting to evil. So, the Word of God teaches us to use the ‘rod of correction’ (Prov. 13:24; 19:18; 22:15). The child may not understand resisting the devil, and yet, when the devil tries to entice him to steal, he will say ‘No!’ because he fears he will get the rod if he does steal. Likewise, Old Testament saints were restrained from sin by a fear of the wrath and punishment of God. This curbed sin, but it also hindered them from receiving the goodness and love of God (1 Jn. 4:18).
Under the New Testament, which Jesus is speaking of in this verse, the punishment for our sins was laid on Him. We no longer serve God out of fear of punishment like once we did when we were ‘children’ under the law, but we serve Him out of love; because He has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, making us His sons. We serve Him because our nature has been changed through the new birth. Today, be taught of God through the indwelling presence of Christ.
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).
. . . that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel. — Ephesians 6:19
The word “mystery” means beyond human knowledge or understanding. God’s mysteries baffle the unbelieving, but bless the believer. The mystery of righteousness, like some of the other great mysteries of God, we cannot comprehend, but we know it works. We stand amazed at this great mystery which enables God to change the human heart, its attitudes, its desires, and its nature.
God, a holy God, who loves righteousness and hates wickedness, through a process of redemption has refashioned us in the image of Himself. How marvelous! For generations He has been applying His righteousness to the hearts of men. Even in our time, with its complexities of living, God is in the business of changing men and women by the mystery of righteousness.
Prayer for the day: Give me Your boldness to tell others the secret of eternal joy in Jesus 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.
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