Topic: How to Avoid Communication Breakdown (3)

Dear Reader,

Welcome to your week of blessing in Jesus’ name! I have been examining the issue of communication in the home. Also, I have established the fact that communication is a vital factor in improving your relationship, not only with your spouse, but with other members of your household.

This week, I shall be discussing what I titled “Communication Blocks.” While defining what communication is, I said it is the passing across of information between two persons. Communication blocks are the things that you do, through your words and actions that prevent you from connecting at a deeper level with someone else.

When you want to have a telephone line connected to your house, the first thing you do is to go to the agency responsible and apply for it. The moment you are connected, you can freely pick up your receiver and dial any number of your choice. However, you can only call someone who is also connected. Likewise, in our relationship with God, He expects us to keep our communication lines open in form of relating to Him in prayer. He said in Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. But if the line is blocked there will be no response and it can be frustrating.

Also, if you block your communication line with your spouse and you make it impossible to access you, then you are digging a big grave. Your home and marriage will not end up in the grave!

There are some things that you can do to block your spouse from talking to you. Therefore, you must avoid the following communication blocks:

If you roll your eyes and look exasperated or resigned when your husband or wife talks, all you are trying to say is “I have heard enough.”
When you sigh loudly and deeply when your mate is sharing an opinion then, it means, “I’m not in agreement.”
When you look at the clock or at your watch repeatedly it implies “You are wasting my time with your conversation.”
When you don’t stop whatever you’re doing when your partner wants to have a serious conversation with you, what you are passing across is “What I am doing is much more important than you.”
When you don’t make eye contact and give your spouse your complete attention, then you want him/her to know that “You are just forcing me to be here I have other things to do.”
When you use the time your spouse is speaking, to think about things unrelated to what your partner is saying “all you simply want is for him/her to leave you to your own world.”
These are great communication blocks that have shattered many homes and marriages today. You could probably develop these attitudes because you are reacting to what might have happened in the past but I want you to understand that this will further cause your home to disintegrate.

These attitudes are common among women.The Bible says: Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands (Proverbs 14:1). Do not block your spouse. It shall be well with you!

If you desire effective communication in your home, the right place to begin from is a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. If you want to start this relationship right now, you can say this prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today acknowledging that I am a sinner who needs Your forgiveness. I believe You died for me and rose again on the third day. Forgive me my sins, wash me with Your Blood and write my name in the Lamb’s Book of life. Thank You Lord for saving me.”

Congratulations, you are now born-again! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, 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).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through [email protected], 07026385437 OR 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).

Pastor Faith Oyedepo is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.

Topic: Covenant Success Habits!

Even though success is a universal desire, many people go about chasing shadows because they do not understand how to get there. Interestingly, success is much more a function of character than activity (2 Peter 1:10). Principles and character must go together to maximise result in the pursuit of destiny. A wise man once said, ‘You don’t decide your destiny; you decide your habit and your habit decides your destiny.’ In other words, where we find ourselves in life is entirely a function of our habits. That is why I have often said that it is our attitude that ultimately determines our altitude.

Therefore, there are certain Covenant Success Habits which I believe we need to possess to enhance our success in life. These habits are fundamental in the school of success because without them our success is not in view. They include:

Decision: In the school of success, we are responsible for our decisions. Decisive men are successful men. They don’t look back but are ever forward looking. Also, they don’t take no for an answer as their hearts are fixed, trusting in the Lord. There are so many people that God has shown their destinies but are afraid to take a decision to move. I remember when the Lord called me in an 18-hour vision, I was not indecisive. I made a decision to run with the heavenly vision; else, I would have been stranded today! Let us understand that indecision is a plague. Its effect is frustration, depression and devastation (Revelation 3:16). So it is not enough to have a goal, but we must make quality decision as far as that goal is concerned.

Association: Many believers are victims of wrong associations. Let us understand that our relationship in life can either make us or break us; they never leave us neutral. There are many people around our lives that will never allow us to see the fulfilment of our vision except we separate from them. So, right association is a booster of vision. Don’t be deceived! Friendship is by choice and not by force. We have the responsibility to decide the people we walk with. Many destinies have been ruined as a result of wrong associations. We must understand that anyone who has a negative influence on our lives is an enemy, not a friend. Beware! (Mark 9:38-40; Psalm 106:32-33; Mathew 7:6).

Concentration: One of the factors that will enhance the fulfilment of our vision in life is concentration. This has to do with being focused. Concentration is sticking to our discovered vision. Those who stick to their goals are those who are steadfast in the pursuit of that goal. We don’t know how high we can fly until we stick to our jobs or assignments. When we have discovered our destinies, we must give it all our attention; mentally, physically and emotionally as the power of concentration always guarantees distinction.

Gratitude: This is acknowledging the grace of God, as we move towards the fulfilment of our vision. We should look at where we are and convince ourselves of God’s backing in getting there. Unfortunately, many people despise the hand of God in their little businesses and become stranded in life. As believers, therefore, we must beware of ingratitude because it shuts us off from God’s blessing. We should never take God for granted as it is risky to do so. When we despite the days of small things, we miss the greatness that lies ahead. Grateful people don’t miss greatness. Remember, it was gratitude that brought Solomon into his place of encounter. Those who truly celebrate their God in the Kingdom become celebrities (Psalm 103:1-3).

Joyfulness: Joy becomes part of our nature when we become born-again. This is because; it is part of the fruit of our regenerated spirit. One interesting thing about life is that only excited people excel in it. Interestingly, every moody, long-face person has a long way to go. The longer the face, the longer our way. Until we become depressed; we cannot end up as failures. So, we must beware of depression as that is the bait of the oppressor, the devil. When he succeeds in introducing depression into our lives, he has made us victims of life (Isaiah 3:10).

Uprightness: God’s provision for man’s success has uprightness as its foundation (Proverbs 10:9). For instance, Job was an upright man, and he was the greatest in the East. Many people know the system of success, but don’t have the result. This is because the foundation of uprightness is not in place. Without uprightness, the struggle for success continues.

Faithfulness: There is always a reward for being faithful. It guarantees us a fulfilling future and raises us above limitations. If we have been faithful over a little, God will make us master over much (Luke 16:10). For instance, if someone pays his tithes faithfully, despite having little, he has committed God to move him to abundance. When we eat our tithes with the excuse of being poor, we become stranded in life. No excuse is tenable for disobedience in the Kingdom. As it is written: …if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee( Deuteronomy 28:15). This scripture re-emphasises the truth that our misfortune in life is rooted in our disobedience to the fundamental laws of the scripture. We shall not end as victims! (Deuteronomy 28:1).

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. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the Living God. 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., 7:40 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: Love Comes First – Monday October 16, 2017.

John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Text: John 13:35

Jesus didn’t say that all men would know we are His disciples by our doctrine, our rituals, our hatred for sin, or even by the way we express our love for God. He said very clearly, that the one characteristic that would cause the world to identify us as His followers, is our love, one for another.

This same night, the Lord prayed to His Father using this same thought saying, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (Jn. 17:21). The only way that Christ’s body will be one as the Father and Jesus are One, is through God’s kind of love.

Unity of believers, that can only come through a genuine God-kind of love, is the greatest tool for evangelism that the church has or will ever have, according to Jesus. The early church didn’t have the massive organizational structures that we see today or the ability to travel anywhere in the world in just a matter of hours. They certainly did not come close to spending as much money, in proportion to us, to spread the gospel. And yet, the pagans of Thessalonica said of Paul and his companions, “These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also” (Acts 17:6). They had evangelized the known world in less than thirty years.

Before we can ever fulfill the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20, there must be a revival of love in the church, where doctrine and ritual take a “back seat” to love for one another.

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).

Topic: The Effects Of Praise [Monday October 16, 2017]

Scripture: Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. Psalms 48:1-2

Thought For The Day: When God is greatly praised by His people; He troubles and drives away the conspirators against them.

Praising God is the most crucial responsibility in the life of every child of God. Our anchor scripture tells us that when God is greatly praised, He becomes the refuge for His people. That was what happened in the battle of Jehoshaphat. While they were in battle, they began to praise God, and God became a refuge for them against their enemy (2 Chronicles 20:20).

When God is greatly praised by His people, He troubles and drives away the conspirators against them. God baptizes the enemy of His people with fear, destroys their wealth, investments and establishes the expectations of His people.

Job 23:14 says, For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

I prophesy to you that as you praise God today, your season of disappointments is over. God will disappoint your disappointments. He will cause things that are appointed for you to be performed. He will be your refuge and drive away your conspirators. He shall baptize them with fear and terror. He shall destroy their wealth and their influence and establish your expectations for you, in Jesus’ Name.

Remember This: When God is greatly praised by His people; He troubles and drives away the conspirators against them.

Assignment:

1. Praise God consciously everyday

Prayer:

O LORD, I ask for the garment of praise and thanksgiving in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE EFFECTS OF PRAISE.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 28:1 to 29:32, 1 Timothy 1:1 to 20, Psalm 86:1 to 17, Proverbs 25:17.

Quote: Every time we deprive God of our praise and of our worship, it is like we are choking Him. Culled from ALABASTER BOX by Dr Becky Enenche

Today In History: 16/10/1384 – Jadwiga was crowned King of Poland, despite being a woman.

Amazing Fact: Rabbits often sleep with their eyes open.

Don’t Forget To Attend: The Healing and Deliverance Service tomorrow by 9:30am. Invite your friends and loved ones.

Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), is a powerfully anointed church, headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Dr 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.

Topic: A Rough But Sure Road! [Monday, October 16, 2017]

Basic Scriptures: Matthew 26: 38-44; Psalm 23

Welcome to today’s devotional encounter again! Below is the webbed poem that discusses the mystery journey to success. By the grace of God, you will arrive there in a great way:

“The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called failure. A loop called confusion. Speed bumbs called friends. Red light called enemies. Caution lights called family. You will have flat tyre called disappointments, but if you have a spare tyre called determination, an engine called perseverance, insurance called faith, a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called success.

Thank God for this encouraging piece! The emphasis is that success is a journey and not just a destination. It is a process. So, no devil and indeed nobody can say it is over with you! No matter where you are in the ladder of life, remember that God have not finished with you yet. You are God’s man/woman, passing through God’s process. The best is yet to come!

Did Jesus not ask that the cup be pasted from Him! Did He not ask God why He has forsaken Him?

He had both the DIVINE and HUMAN nature! So, His HUMANITY was temporarily “confused” and down. His DIVINITY as God was intact! WOW! What a mystery! When confused, stay still and be prayerful (Psalm 23: 2).  It will pass away! You meet enemies on the journey, yet the words say, “if a man’s ways please the Lord, He will make even his enemies to be at peace with him” – Proverb 16: 7. Psalm 23: 5 declare that God will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies. Remember: The road to success is always under construction. It may be rough, but sure!

Prayer Points: Take your best worship song to God.

1. Pray about today’s word as it has touched you.

2. As I journey through this planet, I shall never drop my spare tyre called determination (Pray it very well).

3. My family and I shall not be wasted on this earth in Jesus name (Pray it very well)

4. Boldly declare Psalm 23 and deal with discouragement and depression spirits today.

5. Pray about today as led on any other issue(s).

By Bishop (Dr) Chris E. Kwakpovwe (Cek)
Publisher/Writer Of ODM And

Rev (Mrs) Flora E. Kwakpovwe (Fek)
Co-Publisher/Writer Of ODM.

Topic: Be Conscious Of Who You Are In Christ — Monday October 16, 2017.

“Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” (1 Corinthians 15:34 KJV)

One of the things you must understand, as far as the gospel we are preaching is concerned, is the gospel of grace upon man. If you truly receive the gospel of grace, it will make you love God so much that sin will not have dominion over you. In fact, you won’t be thinking about sin and you won’t be sin conscious. You will be righteousness conscious. That is why Paul, writing in our text says awake to righteousness and sin not. He said, be conscious of your righteousness and you will not sin.

You don’t overcome sin because of self will. Your will has nothing to do with it; it is because of grace. When you are conscious that you are in right standing with God, that God has accepted you unconditionally and unreservedly, you won’t wake up with sin consciousness. I don’t know what sin is because grace has swallowed sin. I don’t even pray confessing sin because there is no sin to confess. The Lord said I’m in Christ. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. It is not what you enter and come out of. I am already there. That is where I am seated, in Christ. I have the same holiness that Jesus has, the same thing, the same experience. It is not because I’m a Bishop, but because I believe what the bible says.

Put yourself in Christ and you will have the same quality of holiness Jesus has. Holiness is not how long your dress is. It is not whether you wear jewelries or not, whether you wear a headgear as a woman or not. It is a matter of where you are located. Who are you living in? Christ has been made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. He said be holy for I am holy. Sanctification means holiness. When he said be holy for I am holy, he’s not telling you to try to be, he means you were created in his image. So be and live who God has created you.

Further Reading: Romans 6:1-15, 2Corinthians 5:17

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Isaiah 47-49; Evening- 1 Thessalonians 4

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: Loneliness [Monday October 16, 2017]

My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. — Psalm 84:2

Loneliness is one of the greatest problems people face today. It is a leading cause of suicide-that is now the third greatest killer of students in the United States. People feel various kinds of loneliness. One of the most common is the loneliness of solitude. Or there is the loneliness of suffering. Many people experience loneliness in society, or there is the loneliness of sorrow, guilt, and judgment.

All of us feel at times a loneliness for God. Someone has called it cosmic loneliness. We don’t know what it is. It makes us restless. You see, man was made for God; and without God, he is lonely. But Jesus is knocking at the door of our heart, saying, “I want to come in. Let me in.” He doesn’t push His way through that door. We have to open it and invite Him in; when we do, He comes in to live forever and we are never lonely again.

Prayer for the day: Lord Jesus, I remember the agony of my days without You. Lead me to the lonely people who need to experience the joy of Your companionship, too.

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: Allegiance To The Master — Monday October 16, 2017.

Text: Luke 12:49-59

Key Verse: “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division” (Luke 12:51).

Fire is a destructive agent as well as a purifying one. Gold becomes what it is as a result of the fuller’s fiery furnace, which helps in burning off the unwanted dross which hitherto had rendered the jewel unattractive and worthless.

A woman in labour willingly bears the pain because the birth of a child that ends it. Christ’s sufferings were the travail of his soul, which He cheerfully underwent, in hope that He would, by them, save many souls. His heart was set upon the redemption and salvation of man. He stressed that the effect of the preaching of the gospel will be “division” and discord among relations, when the one turns Christian and the other does not.

In essence, Christ was telling His disciples not to expect peace upon the earth, for they were sent forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Having given His disciples the lesson, Christ turned to the people. In general, he would have them be as wise in spiritual matters as they are in their outward affairs.

Christianity has reason and natural conscience on its side; and, if men would allow themselves the liberty of judging what is right, they would soon find that Christ’s precepts concerning all things are right, and that there is nothing more equitable in itself, nor better for us, than to submit to the revealed will of God, regardless of its cost. God has both right and might on His side; so that it is all together futile to indulge in a controversy with Him.

Let us diligently take steps to embrace Him as a Father and Christ as Saviour by turning away from our sins. We are to live happily in His presence in righteousness and holiness all the days of our lives by grace.

Thought for the day: Live by the grace of God.

Bible Reading in one Year: 2 Kings 9-10

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: Room 5020 — Monday October 16, 2017.

Read: Genesis 50:15–20, Bible in a Year: Isaiah 47–49; 1 Thessalonians 4

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done. Genesis 50:20

Jay Bufton turned his hospital room into a lighthouse.

The fifty-two-year-old husband, father, high school teacher, and coach was dying of cancer, but his room—Room 5020—became a beacon of hope for friends, family, and hospital workers. Because of his joyful attitude and strong faith, nurses wanted to be assigned to Jay. Some even came to see him during off-hours.

Even as his once-athletic body was wasting away, he greeted anyone and everyone with a smile and encouragement. One friend said, “Every time I visited Jay he was upbeat, positive, and filled with hope. He was, even while looking cancer and death in the face, living out his faith.”

At Jay’s funeral, one speaker noted that Room 5020 had a special meaning. He pointed to Genesis 50:20, in which Joseph says that although his brothers sold him into slavery, God turned the tables and accomplished something good: “the saving of many lives.” Cancer invaded Jay’s life, but by recognizing God’s hand at work Jay could say that “God intended it for good.” That’s why Jay could use even the ravages of cancer as an open door to tell others about Jesus.

What a legacy of unwavering trust in our Savior even as death was knocking at the door! What a testimony of confidence in our good and trustworthy God!

Prayer: Lord, difficult things come into our lives so often. Please help us to trust You enough to see that nothing is beyond Your control. Help us to tell of Your love even in the tough times.

By God’s grace, we can have our best witness in the worst of times.

Insight:

While Joseph’s story had a spectacularly happy ending, it did not come overnight. When Joseph became the primary character in the Genesis narrative, he was only seventeen years old (Gen. 37:2). After about ten years as a slave in the household of Potiphar (captain of the bodyguard, a high official in Pharaoh’s court), he had risen to a position of great trust, managing Potiphar’s household properties and affairs. However, after Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him, Joseph was imprisoned for two years (41:1). When he was set free and assigned the post of vice-chancellor of Egypt, he was thirty years old (41:46). But there were seven years of plenty followed by two years of famine (45:6) before he came face-to-face with his brothers. That means that from the time he was sold into slavery to the time of family reconciliation, twenty-two years had transpired!

How does the story of Joseph help you to realize there is no circumstance beyond God’s control?

This message was written By Dave Branon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]