Topic: Occupying While Waiting? [Tuesday 24, October 2017]

Memorise: “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” – Luke 19:13

Read: Joshua 13:1-6

1 Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,

3 From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:

4 From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:

5 And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.

6 All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.

Bible In One Year: Luke 5-6. Hymn: Sing Hymn 11 – Standing On The Promises Of Christ

MESSAGE:

Sometimes we think the word “occupy” means “keep yourself busy” alone; it means more than that. We must not keep ourselves busy doing nothing substantial. To understand the import of Christ’s command in Luke 19:13 we must take a look at at the Bible reading of today.

It is beyond keeping ourselves busy just for its sake. The question now is, “Are we really occupying while we await His second coming?” We must preach the gospel to everyone we come in contact with, we must not leave any one unspoken to and we must do this while we ourselves remain pure as we await the coming of our Master. How well are you occupying as you wait for Him?

Action Point: Let us set a strategic plan to preach the gospel to everyone we have opportunity to preach to.

STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST

1 Standing on the promises of Christ my King,

Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Chorus
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God. ~ Refrain

3 Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God. ~ Refrain

4 Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God. ~ Refrain

5 Standing on the promises I shall not fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call.
Resting in my Savior as my All in all,
Standing on the promises of God. ~ Refrain

Open Heavens Daily Devotional for Teen’s 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.

Topic: Preparing For Opportunities [Tuesday October 24, 2017]

It is our destiny as God’s children to be brought before great men, but it is our gifts (developed talents) that guarantee our access into such high places.

Opportunities are not as scarce; it is preparation that is lacking.

When opportunity meets with preparation, an unlimited man is about to emerge.

Preparation will always attract opportunities.

Talents are natural endowments. Gifts are developed talents.

Deut.28:1, 2

“And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth.

And all these blessings shall come on thee, and over take thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.”

Prov.22:29

“seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. ”

The more you develop your talents and gifts the more marketable you become. Prov.18:16; 1 Sam.16:18, Dan.1:3-5, 8-9, 12-17.

Your gift is your “Bringer”.

Secret preparation sets the pace for public manifestation.

Topic: The Power of Training in Fulfilling Destiny!

From scriptures, we understand that we have a glorious destiny in Christ. However, training is one of the vital keys in fulfilling that glorious destiny. As children of God, we should be committed to effective and tireless training if we must see our glorious destinies fulfilled. By training, we mean engaging ‘the know-how factor’ in our field of endeavours.  People have great visions but, they lack the know-how. However, it is the know-how that drives our vision to fulfilment.

It is also important to recognise that our impact in life will only answer to the qualitative training we have acquired over time. For instance, I studied Architecture but when Jesus called me into ministry, I had to train myself for it because I had seen a professor fail in ministry. That means my academic capacity was not relevant because ministry is a profession with its own unique skills that must be acquired. So, I selected and studied 39 biographies of great ministries to be relevant in ministry.  By the time I came into full time ministry, I was 39 years ahead and more matured than my colleagues because I have bought into the minds of 39 great ministries which accelerated my success over the years. Therefore, it was an easy flight for me because there was the know-how. When we check through the biography of great leaders, we discover that they sustained their leadership through sustainable readership in their field. Erroneously, there are people in ministry today who have never read any book on ministry. In fact, there are some with a vision of a big church, but they will never learn how a big church is built.  This is because they are using common sense to build an uncommon church. There are some business men who know next to nothing in their businesses. No doubt, many people have great callings but they see little or no results. It is not that their callings are not genuine, but they lack the know-how, which cannot be impacted but acquired.

Furthermore, it is important to understand that schooling is not the same thing as training. Schooling is periodic but training is for life. This is one of the reasons there are many certified but uneducated people in the world. They have degrees but cannot deliver because they are not trained to do so. The account of David in the cave of Abdullam paints a graphic picture of the benefits of training in the life of any man. We saw how David gathered riffraffs under his tutelage and they became the mighty men of David. Although, they were men of no value i.e. human trash, training brought out the treasure in them.  Remember, it is one thing to know where we are going, and yet another to know what it takes to get there (I Samuel 23:8; Ecclesiastes 10:15).

No doubt, many of us know the city but we do not know what it takes to get there. That is where training comes in.

What are the requirements to get to the city?

Learning: Everyone at the top is a committed learner of arts and skills in his or her field. Don’t be deceived, an endowment is not a substitute for the demand of study. No matter the wisdom endowment we have, it is not a substitute for learning the know-how in our field of endeavours.

Discipline: This represents maintaining an orderly life. It is operating as demanded not as convenient. We need self-discipline to make any progress in life. Therefore let’s discipline ourselves so much that people would identify us only with our divine assignment on earth. In other words, go the extra mile, pay the extra price, take the extra steps and we will see ourselves at the top in no time.

Diligence: This means hard work. Many years ago, I saw in my Bible: Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men Proverbs (22:29).  From that scripture, I understood that how much we invest, in terms of time, energy and resources in our destinies today, would determine to a large extent where we stand tomorrow. In other words, it is the quality of our work that defines our ultimate worth. This is because there is no future for the idle man in the Kingdom. This is why the Bible says: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7). Therefore, the harder we work, the greater our level of delivery. If we are not hard workers, we would live hard lives.

Sacrifice: Sacrifice is going the extra mile, taking the extra steps and paying the extra price to deliver our vision. However, if it doesn’t cost us anything, then it is not a sacrifice. David said: …Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing… (2 Samuel 24:24).

As we all know, there is no star without a scar. It takes the key of sacrifice, to gain access into the realm of sweat-less success. We must always remember that the benefits of sacrifice always outweigh its cost. Many want the success, but they don’t like the sacrifice because they forget that the cost is never greater than the glory. That’s why whenever it’s time to sacrifice, we must ignore the present and look to the future. For instance, Jesus for the joy that was set before Him endured the inconveniences of the cross, the beatings and the pains, so that we can be partakers of His glory (Hebrews 12:1-2).

In conclusion, I like you to understand therefore, that while everyone is a potential leader, only those who are willing to pay the price ever emerge a leaders. Thus, if we must actualise the destiny that God has ordained for us, we must be committed to effective and tireless training

Nevertheless, one step to successful living is being born-again. If you are not born-again, you are not entitled to it. 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 Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”  For further reading, please get my books: Success Strategies, Success Systems, Maximising Destiny, Exploring the Secrets of Success. I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have five services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:20 p.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]

Topic: Let It Shine! — Tuesday October 24, 2017.

Text: Luke 11:29-36

Key Verse: “Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness” (Luke 11:35).

Jesus drew appropriate lessons from prophet Jonah’s experience in Nineveh. The sign that was given through Jonah was his deliverance from the belly of the whale after he had been there for three days. In the same vein, the sign of Jesus’ resurrection after three days in the tomb would be the signal to His generation that He was indeed from God. Jesus also talked about the Queen of the South who sought Solomon’s wisdom.

Now, Jesus says He is greater than both, and deserves greater attention and honour. He warned therefore that the generations of Jonah and the Queen of the South would rise in judgment against those rejecting His message. Jesus also talked about the light of the body. He illustrated this with God’s true moral light that had come into the world through Him. However, only those who have an unprejudiced and pure heart are able to see this revelation from God. They are able to see because they are humble in heart.

One’s reaction to the light is proof of whether one’s heart is either full of light or darkness, for or against Him. Today, we should reflect on the redemptive work of Jesus on the Cross at Calvary. We should soberly reflect on the light He brought into the world. Having received the Word, we must continue to walk in it and allow our light to shine to illuminate the path of others to the glory of God.

Thought for the day: No man ever enjoys dominion whose spiritual eye is darkened.

Bible Reading in one Year: Ecclesiastes 1-3

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.