Topic: Free to Fly [Joyce Meyer’s Devotional Friday August 24, 2018]

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. — Isaiah 61:1

Love offers people both roots and wings. It provides a sense of belonging (roots) and a sense of freedom (wings). Love does not try to control or manipulate others.

Jesus said that He was sent by God to proclaim liberty. As believers, that is what we are meant to do also—to free people to fulfill God’s will for their lives, not to bring them under our control.

Have you ever seen parents push their children to do things they do not even want to do just to meet the frustrated desires of their parents? Have you ever seen a person who is clingy and emotionally smothering to a new friend, because he is afraid to lose that person? Both of these examples bind rather than set free.

That is not the way true love works. Love does not try to gain personal satisfaction at the expense of others. Love will always proclaim liberty. When we love God, and when we love others, we will excitedly allow the people in our lives to follow God’s plan—not our plan—and see who they can be and what they can accomplish in Christ Jesus.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to truly love the people in my life, allowing them the freedom to truly be the best they can be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional HERE’’

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries.

Open Heavens 25 August 2018 Saturday Daily Devotional by Pastor E A Adeboye – Rapturable?

Topic: Rapturable?

Memorise: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”- 1 Thessalonians 4:16

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (KJV)

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 64-68, Matthew 25:31-26:5

Open Heavens 25 August 2018 Saturday MESSAGE:

We need to constantly remind ourselves as Christians that we do not have an abiding city in this world. These words of Hebrews 13:14 should continually echo in our ears:

“For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.”

To take us to our abiding home, genuine children of God are expecting an event, called the rapture, which the Holy Spirit describes in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, saying:

“16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

One truth we should take cognisance of from the above scripture is that only the dead in Christ will be raised at this event. The “dead in Christ” does not include those who died as backsliders; only those who died as genuine Christians will be raised when Jesus comes again. That is why the Lord said in Mark 13:13:

“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

To be repturable therefore, you must dig in and take a stand for Jesus Christ, even though this may attract persecution or tribulation. However, we must endure these. Persecution and tribulation are not strange to the Christian faith, as our Lord already told us they will happen (Matthew 5:11-12).

Those of us still running the Christian race today must be more careful because there are many distractions in the world today than there have ever been before. So many things are happening that can distract us, so much so that we may forget the great event we are expecting, which will determine where we will spend our eternity. We should therefore not be caught unawares, because in Luke 17:26-27, the Lord said:

“26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”

I therefore beseech you by the mercies of the God to ensure you are not confronted to this world, and to constantly present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord (Romans 12:1-2).

Prayer Point: Open Heavens 25 August 2018 Saturday

Father, please help me to continually live a repturable life in Jesus’ Name.

Also Read: Open Heavens 24 August 2018 – An Agent of Miracles?

Open Heavens 25 August 2018 Saturday Hymn 5: I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though- none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

Open Heavens 25 August 2018 Saturday 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. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven 25 August 2018.

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.

Topic: Holy Spirit Your Helper

The Holy Spirit is the third person in trinity. He is the voice of God. Without His help, life can be very frustrating. Man can be helpless but God is never helpless and He is ever ready to help you.

Psalm 121:1-2 -I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

There is a limit a man can help you but when the Holy Spirit helps you, you will not have any limit.

John 14:16-17 -And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Human helpers may not be there when you need them but He is always there 24 hours. His schedule is forever; He never sleeps nor slumbers. He abides with you always and His help is supernatural. At the root of every divine help is the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26 – But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The word comforter simply means helper. The Holy Spirit helps you by illuminating the truth which is the word of God. He expounds the word for you to understand. Understanding naturally commands you to obey His word and you cannot obey His word and not connect the help of God.

Many are helpless and frustrated because they don’t understand the word of God. Many cannot find the treasures in the word of God because they don’t have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. They run around men instead of running towards the Holy Spirit. I pray your understanding to be opened in Jesus name!

When the Holy Spirit gives you understanding, you become outstanding in life. Many don’t know the redemptive blessings packaged for them because they cannot understand the word of God. It takes the Holy Ghost to take you to the realm of hearing and doing the will of God. He is the one that helps you to hear what God is saying by interpreting it to you. You cannot hear God and not respond because His voice is powerful. Every time you hear God, obeying Him becomes easy. Many people don’t obey God because they cannot hear Him.

How can the Holy Spirit be in you and you are running after mere mortals? How can God be with you and you are frustrated in life? How can God be with you and you are afraid of situations and challenges of life? It is because you are not conscious of His presence in your life. You are conscious of men more than Him. The Holy Spirit is the one that makes all the difference in anyone’s life.

In times of challenges, it is the Holy Spirit that you should run to first but many people run to men first. Holy Spirit is the one that has the answers to every challenges of life but you are not yet conscious of Him. His personality is so powerful that He can overturn the mountains from the root; He can make a way where there is no way because He never sleeps nor slumbers and He controls all things you can ever think of.

Jesus was never stranded any day while He was on earth because the Holy Spirit was with Him. Therefore, if you want to get results in life like Jesus, you must be conscious of His personality.

Rom. 8:10 -And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

If you know that the Spirit of life is in you which is the Holy Spirit, your life cannot be terminated. The reason many people cannot see the manifestation of the Holy Ghost is because they are not conscious of His presence.

Through worship, you will see the majestic presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. When you worship, you create an atmosphere for Him to perform. Therefore, if you want to stir Him up, you should worship. Another way to stir Him up is to pray in the Holy Ghost. There is a limit you can go as a believer if you cannot pray in the Holy Ghost.

The mission of the Holy Spirit is to shatter the darkness covering your destiny as He did in Gen.1. He takes off whatever that is blindfolding God’s purpose for your life. So, why carry all the burdens of your life when God has given you someone to help you? God has given you the Holy Ghost to make profit here on earth and when He helps you, He does so from the foundation. He does not solve a problem half-way; He solves it from the root.

As you acknowledge His presence in your life, I see you enjoy His help from now on in Jesus name –Amen!!!

God bless you

Holy Spirit Your Helper by David Ibiyeomie

Also Read: Other Inspiring Messages by Pastor David Ibiyeomie

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.

Topic: You Are A World Overcomer [TREM 24 August 2018 Daily Devotional]

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death”. Revelation 12:11

The blood of Jesus has overcome for you. Don’t be in the company of those who believe the devil is accusing them. The bible says: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus………..” (Romans 8:1 KJV) You have a high Priest that sits at the right hand of the majesty on high who always intercedes on your behalf, whose name is Jesus.

Our text today says “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death”. This means that we win always as God’s people. These three ingredients will always cause you to win. We have seen here what the blood can do. The scripture is loaded with passages that tell us about the victory we always have in Christ. In 2 Corinthians 2:14 says “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” You are wired and programmed to win always.

When you are encountering challenges, it is the time to give thanks because He always causes us to win all the time. Always say to yourself ‘I am a winner.’ We are never losers because we are in Christ. Now that you are in Christ, you win all the time because if you lose that means Christ has lost. You are put inside the winner Himself. You have overcome them because you are of God and greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. He that is in you is greater than the sickness, fear and death that is in the world. You are born of God hence you are a world overcomer. Whatever the circumstances the world may present to you, know that you have already overcome.

Further Reading: Revelation 12:7-10, 1 John 5:4

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Psalms 116-118; Evening- 1 Corinthians 7:1-19

“If you missed yesterday devotional click HERE to read TREM Daily Devotional by Dr. Mike Okonkwo’’

Written by Dr. Mike Okonkwo; Is the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM); a versatile man of God with over 30 years of dedicated service unto the Lord.

Topic: We Would See Jesus [Our Daily Bread 24 August 2018 Devotional]

Read: John 12:20–26, Bible in a Year: Psalms 116–118; 1 Corinthians 7:1–19

They came to Philip . . . with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” John 12:21

As I looked down at the pulpit where I was sharing prayers at a funeral, I glimpsed a brass plaque bearing words from John 12:21: “Sir, we would see Jesus” (kjv). Yes, I thought, how fitting to consider how we saw Jesus in the woman we were celebrating with tears and smiles. Although she faced challenges and disappointments in her life, she never gave up her faith in Christ. And because God’s Spirit lived in her, we could see Jesus.

John’s gospel recounts how after Jesus rode into Jerusalem (see John 12:12–16), some Greeks approached Philip, one of the disciples, asking, “Sir, . . . we would like to see Jesus” (v. 21). They were probably curious about Jesus’s healings and miracles, but as they weren’t Jewish, they weren’t allowed into the inner courts of the temple. When their request was passed along to Jesus, He announced that His hour had come to be glorified (v. 23). And by that, He meant that He would die for the sins of many. He would fulfill His mission to reach not only the Jews but the Gentiles (the “Greeks” in verse 20), and now they would see Jesus.

After Jesus died, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in His followers (14:16–17). Thus as we love and serve Jesus, we see Him active in our lives. And, amazingly, those around us too can see Jesus!

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I am humbled and amazed that You would come and live in me. Help me to share this amazing gift with those I meet today.

We can see Jesus in the lives of His followers.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Our Daily Bread Devotionals HERE”

This message was written By Amy Boucher Pye [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]