Topic: It’s Who You Know [Saturday June 24, 2017]

John 9:30 “The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.”

John 9:28-30

The “acid test” of whether or not someone is of God is by his actions. Jesus’ actions were so miraculous and overwhelmingly consistent with God’s Word that any reservations about whether or not He was of God should have been set aside. But, as in Mark 7:13, they had exalted their own traditions above God’s Word, thereby making the Word of God of no effect in their own lives. Just as in this instance nearly two thousand years ago, theologians today are sometimes the last to accept a move of God if it violates their traditional beliefs. “The common people heard him gladly” (Mk. 12:37). “Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth” (1 Cor. 8:1).

In spiritual matters, a person can educate himself in theology to the degree that it does more harm than good. It is possible to win a theological battle and yet lose the war for a person’s heart. Arguments over points of theology often distract from the more important issues. There is no premium on ignorance, but love is infinitely superior to knowledge. We should learn all we can, but we must make our knowledge a servant to love. “The greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13).

If anyone’s quest for knowledge leads them away from knowing God, then it would have been preferable for them to stay ignorant. What we know is not as important as who we know (speaking of the Lord). Our most important goal in life must be to love God and be known of Him.

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: Avoid Being Defiled [Saturday June 24, 2017]

Text: Leviticus 21:1-15

Key Verse: “But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself” (Leviticus 21:4).

There are certain ways of life that would be considered to be out of place, inconsistent with and unbefitting for one’s call and social status. As one chooses a way of life, career or profession, he is expected to understand the ethics of such profession and be willing to abide by it. Anything done outside the norms is considered unethical and attracts some measures of penalty.

The Lord, in our text, wanted the priest to understand the uniqueness of their calling and the special position they occupy before Him and the people. As a result, it is expected that their lifestyle and conduct be different from those of the generality of the people. The summary of all the instructions that the Lord gave to them is that they be holy and undefiled. The call to priesthood placed on them a high demand of consecration and devotion to the Lord which they must not break no matter what or who was involved. It also affected what they put on, did to their bodies, where they went and how they related with other people.

If they were to fulfill the call of God upon them and continue to be a blessing to the people they were called to minister to, then it behoved of them to remain separate and be holy to the Lord. This is the same demand the Lord is making on all Christians today. Remember, we have been called to be special people and priests to the Lord. We are, therefore, to see to it that we walk worthy of this call. We cannot afford to live our lives and conduct our affairs like others who do not have this call upon them. It will really be below our calling to begin to dress, talk and conduct our marriages and other affairs like the people in the world do.

As you step out today, don’t lose sight of who you are. Be ever conscious of the great call you have and the high position you occupy and conduct yourself accordingly. Mind your appearance, language and comportment. Always be sure they befit the spiritual status you hold. By so doing, you will remain special before the Lord and be effective in your calling as a “priest” to the people.

Thought for the day: Always be mindful of your calling. Be holy.

Bible Reading in one Year: Nahum 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.

Topic: Impacting Your Generation [Saturday June 24, 2017]

Scripture: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38

Thought For The Day: A weightless person is a useless and impact-less person.

God’s purpose for His children is for them to shake their world by impact. Jesus lived three and half years of impact on earth. The world has not recovered from His impact till date. As followers of Christ, the only way to make God happy is to impact our generation for God.

Therefore, existence without impact or a mark on earth is an aberration to the creative agenda of God for man.

Now, what is the secret of impacting your generation?

It is to carry weight; spiritual weight, weight of passion for impact, weight of affection for divinity and humanity, etc.

It is important to know that the ground feels a heavier impact when a bulldozer moves on it than when a bicycle, motorcycle, or car is driven on it. This is because the bulldozer carries more weight thereby creating heavier impact.

Carrying spiritual weight is the secret of impacting your generation for God. If the anointing on your life is heavy, your impact on earth will be massive. If your generation must experience God, you must carry the weight of insight and revelation, anointing and the grace of God.

Light-hearted people cannot impact their world or shake their generation for God.

Beloved, determine not to be weightless like a piece of paper. A weightless person is a useless and an impact-less person.

Remember this: A weightless person is a useless and an impact-less person.

Assignment(s):

1. Ask God for the grace to live a life of impact in your generation.

2. Draw closer to God in order to matter in your generation.

Prayer: O LORD, I ask for the grace to make impact in my generation. Draw me closer to You, O LORD, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: MAXIMIZING YOUR LIFE.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 6:1 to 7:20, Acts. 15:36 to 16:15, Psalm 142:1 to 7, Proverbs 17:24-25.

Quote: It does not matter what the devil has taken from you, if he has not taken God from you, the devil is a bastard loser. Culled from 30 SECRETS TO THE TOP by Dr Paul Enenche.

Amazing Fact: A bright red tongue can indicate a Vitamin B12 deficiency or a strep infection. In rare cases, a bright red tongue can be a sign of Kawasaki disease, which usually occurs in young children.

Today In History: 24/06/1809 – William Carey completed translation of Bible in Bengali.

Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), is a powerfully anointed church, headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Dr Paul and Dr 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: Here to Serve [Saturday June 24, 2017]

Read: John 13:3–17, Bible in a Year: Job 1–2; Acts 7:22–43

[Jesus] poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet. John 13:5

It was time for our church to commission a new group of leaders. To symbolize their roles as servant-leaders, the church elders participated in a memorable foot-washing ceremony. Each of the leaders—including the pastor—washed each other’s feet as the congregation observed them.

What they did that day was modeled for us by Jesus Christ, as recorded in John 13. In that incident, which happened at what is called the Last Supper, Jesus “got up from the meal, . . . poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet” (John 13:4–5). Later, as Jesus was explaining to His disciples why He had done this, He said, “No servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (v. 16). He also said, “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27).

Dear Lord, help me serve others.

If it is not below Jesus’s dignity to do such a lowly task, it is not below any of us to serve others. What an amazing example He set for all of us. Indeed, He “did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). He showed us what it means to be a leader and a servant. That’s Jesus, the One who serves.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me serve others. Guide me to set aside my personal interests and desires to provide help to those who need it.

No deed is small when done for Christ.

Insight:

In what ways does my heart reflect the serving spirit of the Savior? In what ways has my attitude been in contrast to His example of serving?

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

Topic: An Angry World [Saturday June 24, 2017]

The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. — James 3:17

The world, in the last few years, has reverted to a sort of barbarism. As practical Christianity has declined, rudeness and violence have increased. Neighbors quarrel with neighbors. Fighting is a major problem in our schools and the “gang wars” of the teenagers have come to present a serious menace in our cities. Fathers and mothers wrangle and bicker. Homes are disintegrating. High government officials in Washington engage in name-calling and in heated disputes not at all in keeping with the dignity of their office. Why and how has all this savagery crept into our social life?

It is because we have forgotten Jesus’ words, “Happy are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.” I have seen tough, rough, hardened men open their hearts by faith, receive Christ as Savior, and become gentle, patient, merciful gentlemen.

Prayer for the day: Fill me with Your mercy and love, Lord. In an angry world let me be used to bring peace where there is strife.

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.

We grew up watching classics like Cinderella, Coming to America, Pretty Woman, Nollywood’s Violated and a couple of other movies where love conquered the social class divide.

Fast forward to 2017, the Internet rules; anyone can meet anyone, and nobody kicks up a fuss about cross-class relationships or marriages anymore. It is not considered overtly scandalous. We no longer factor it in when considering the root of our relationship problems, and we look to psychology or gender norms instead when trying to figure out why our partner is being an ass. We pretend that we live in a classless society where background does not matter as much as present compatibility. Things are changing and people’s classes are no longer inscribed in stone.

Believe it or not though, social class or shall we say socio-economic differences, still pose a very difficult challenge in relationships today. Anyone who has dated someone outside their social class can affirm that there are strange tensions and inevitable speed bumps that come with these kinds of relationships. It can be fraught with complications.

For instance, your boyfriend could be from a high-class, wealthy family while you come from a working-class family with less money. He travels a lot and has been to all these places around the world just for fun, while you have never crossed the borders of Nigeria. You start to think you cannot keep up with him because you have to be extremely careful with money. Also, you know that the only way both of you could travel together on a regular basis is if he pays for you, and that just seems wrong.

Likewise, it could be the other way round and you are the girl from an upper-middle-class family, while your man has a working class background. Of course, financial equality does not mean cultural equality, so you wonder why he attaches too much importance to simple things like good food or designer labels. He, on the other hand, gets exasperated by your easy-come-easy-go spending attitude.

A couple of days ago, while having drinks with some friends at Intercontinental hotel (which turned out to be a horrible experience, as the place is nothing like a 5 star hotel…or even a 4 star -the food is substandard and the roof of the bar leaks), a friend mentioned her recent experience on a date. She had gone out with a guy who, although was wealthy, obviously had a working-class background. Being a girl brought up in an upper-middle-class home, the first thing she noticed was the huge gap in their personalities. According to her, his mentality was very different from hers. While he had asked her to pick any venue -a way to let her know he could afford her tastes, he had hinted on the food being overpriced (although, he could clearly afford it) and exhibited terrible table manners. Also, he had felt the need to talk about his achievements and how he had risen above all …as though she made him feel insecure, and he needed a form of validation from her. Again, there was the fact that his diction was flawed, and their experiences growing up were very different.

Of course, her intention was not to ridicule the guy. She had shared her experience to find out if her declining a second date with the guy and refusing to speak to him again afterward portrayed her as being a snob. Another friend who was out with us, *Bisi, jumped in and assured her that she made the right call nipping it all in the bud – she was better off with someone in her class.

Bisi spoke from experience, seeing as she had married into a super wealthy home despite being from a lower middle-class home. Prior to her marriage there had been endless disputes over her husband marrying down, and her family’s wealth being all too recently acquired. According to her, while cross-class pairings or relationships seemed egalitarian, it was complicated and required a lot of work. Bisi stated that stereotypical class prejudices are real – in any cross-social class relationship, both parties would have differing views, beliefs, attitudes, and practices on things such as child-rearing, money management, career advancement, how to spend leisure time e.t.c. This would go on to stir feelings of insecurity, resentment, usually in the partner on the “lower” side of this difference. And as a result, there will be a lot of negative pressure, tension, conflict as well as a sort of imbalance in the relationship, making it difficult for the couple to last long or even survive.

Bisi went on to share some of her experiences in marriage which all seemed a little incredible, and in between laughs, it dawned on me that I’d never dated anyone outside of my socioeconomic strata, which I’d describe as middle class. I have never been with any one of the glitterati nor have I been with a blue collar. Obviously, I have nothing against it, but it certainly would be quite a chore building a relationship with someone from a dramatically different social background, wouldn’t it? Sure, all relationships take work, but with a combination maturity and a willingness to healthily compromise, you can overcome any relationship problem. However, it is better to opt for one which isn’t already threatened by the boundaries of class at the initial point…don’t you think?

Have you ever dated someone with a richer or poorer background than yours? What were the issues? How did it work out?

About Nkem Ndem
Nkem Ndem is a dynamic freelance writer and editor who can be reached for online writing(web content and blog) and editing, screenwriting, ghost writing, copy proofreading and reviews. She has since worked with Jumia, SpiceTV Africa, Flatimes.com and Bella Naija. Check out her Instagram: @kem_dem, twitter: @ndemv and snapchat:@ndemv. Email: [email protected].

There are vital things every lady needs to have in her bag at all times, regardless of the circumstance or situation. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 things every lady needs in her bag.

Hand Sanitizer

Having a hand sanitizer in your bag doesn’t mean you’re a neat freak, it just means you value your health. Especially when a lady goes out to a place where she’s unlikely to have access to water for long stretches of time, having a hand sanitizer can help keep a lady keep her hands clean, particularly when it’s time for you to eat. In addition, every now and then you’ll sneeze and likely do so with or into your hands. As a result, having a hand sanitizer in your bag is just so completely necessary in maintaining good hygiene.

Cash

Well duh, but it’s a list about the top five things a lady needs in her bag so this has to be mentioned (even though it’s stating the obvious). If you prefer to remain cashless or you prefer not have so much cash in your bag per time, ensure you have your debit cards handy at the time. However, be sure to have a little cash in your bag at all times, just in case debit cards disappoint, to avoid being stranded.

Perfume

A lady should always smell good and refreshing (not only ladies, everyone should put effort into smelling good and refreshing). So, having a little perfume in your bag to help keep you smelling good and fresh at all times of the day is essential (especially if your job involves any kind of sweating and physical exertion). Carrying a large bottle of perfume around can be inconvenient and it can also break if you aren’t careful, so having a handy and easy to apply perfume in your bag is best.

Mini Sewing Kit

Wardrobe malfunctions can be a real pain and they can happen at the worst possible time, so to avoid the horrifying embarrassment that comes with this, be sure to have a mini-sewing kit in your bag to help you take care of these kinds of emergencies when they unexpectedly occur.

Identification

You must always have some form of identification on you, be you man or woman. This is very important for a host of reasons and you should ensure you don’t forget your means of identification when going out. Even it’s a photocopy, some means of identification should always be on you because you never know when your identity would need to be clarified.

By Damilola Ojo
PR Associate Jumia Travel
+2348101556883

Topic: Consequences of Sin [Saturday 24, June 2017]

Memorise: The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. – Job 15:20

Read: Genesis 3:8-19 (KJV)

8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Bible in One Year: Judges 19, Jeremiah 51:59-52:11, Hymn: Sing hymn 11

MESSAGE:

Sin can bring unimaginable consequences upon the sinner. Some years ago, I visited the maximum security prison at Kirikiri, Lagos, where I met a man who had been condemned to death. For 27 years, he had waited for the day the executioner would come for his head. While we discussed, I trembled at the repercussion of sin. He said to me, “Even if I am released now, where do I start from, having wasted 27 years of my life?” Do you expect such a man to be joyful during all that period of waiting? No way! He must have been sad for 27 years! Psalm 16:4 says,

“Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.”

According to this scripture, sin and sorrow go hand in hand. If you are living in sin, you cannot be separated from sorrow. If you enjoy sinning, you will be compelled to enjoy sorrow as well. If you are always sorrowful, examine your ways: it is possible your life of sorrow is the product of a sinful life.

Similarly, sin is linked with pain, struggle and tears. Job 15:20 says

“The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.”

This scripture simply means that if you sin and continue in it, get ready to suffer for a long time, possibly throughout life. These repercussions of sin did not just start today; they have been there from the beginning. In today’s Bible reading, after Adam and Eve sinned, the serpent was cursed above all other creatures and lost its legs. For the woman, the process of conception and childbirth became an issue of life and death, while the ground was cursed for man’s sake. Since then, it has been a struggle for man to enter into his harvest. Before you take out your harvest from the fields, you have to sweat, suffer, weed out what you did not sow, and so on. Are you going through a lot of struggle, pain and tears over your efforts to move to the next level? First crosscheck your life to find out if these are caused by sin. If there is sin, confess it to God, ask for forgiveness and beat a fast retreat. Follow after the path of righteousness, because righteousness will ensure sorrow stays far from your life.

Prayer Point: Father, in any way I have brought sorrow into my life because of sin, have mercy on me and deliver me today.

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.