Monday, 1 May 2017
Sunday, 30 April 2017
Open Heavens 1 May 2017: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Overriding Doubts
Topic: Overriding Doubts [Monday 1, May 2017]
Memorise: Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? – Isaiah 43:13
Read: James 1:5-8 (KJV)
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Bible in One Year: Number 30-31, Jeremiah 23:23-40
MESSAGE:
God can make you laugh when He decides to overrule your doubts. Going by the standard set in today’s Bible reading, if you are double minded over an issue you brought before God, you should not expect anything from Him. However, if you doubted God in a given situation and He overlooks your doubt and grants your petition, know for sure He is doing it solely because of His grace. In Genesis 18:9-15, when God visited Abraham and said his wife Sarah was going to have a baby in nine months’ time, she laughed. She could not believe that she could ever be pregnant at age 90. She laughed because she had never seen such a thing happen before. Are you laughing over God’s promises and declarations over your life? Are you laughing because you have never seen anyone who experienced that kind of miracle? Stop your laugh of doubt and believe God today! Why? If there is no precedent to follow, God can make yours the precedence that others would refer to.
A life of faith is so important to God that four different times in the Bible, He repeatedly said “The just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38). However, as a manifestation of His sovereignty, He also says that whenever He makes up His mind to do something, nobody and nothing can hinder Him – not even your doubts (Isaiah 43:13). I pray that every good plan and purpose of God for your life shall be established in spite of your doubts in Jesus’ Name! We see this truth demonstrated in 2 Kings 4:8-17. When Elisha declared to the Shunammite woman that she would have a son after nine months, she replied, “Man of God, please don’t deceive me.” This meant that she did not believe him. Although Elisha did not say anything after that, God had already spoken, and so the matter was settled. She thereafter had her baby in accordance to Elisha’s declaration. This season, God will overrule your doubts and give you that expected miracle! There are some people who believe God’s promise for a little while and then fall into doubt again. Over the years, they have continuously swung back and forth between faith and doubt and so have not been able to receive God’s promise. This season, by the mercy of the Most High God, the Lord will override your doubts and make the impossible possible in your life in Jesus’ Name. God’s mercy will show up for you today! Your laughing season starts now.
Prayer Point: Father, in Your mercy, override my doubts and every stumbling block on my way, and cause my laughter to begin 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.
DCLM Daily Manna May 1, 2017 by Pastor Kumuyi – Claim God’s Word
Topic: Claim God’s Word [Monday May 1, 2017]
Text: Psalm 119:81-88
Key Verse: "My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word" (Psalm 119:81).
One of the mightiest men of prayer of last generation was George Muller of Bristol, England. When it was laid upon Muller’s heart to pray for anything, he would search the Scriptures to find if there were some promises that captured the case. And when he found a promise, with his Bible opened before him and his finger upon that promise, he would claim God’s word. He thus received whatever he asked for. It is amazing how believers sometimes imagine God to be a forgetful Being.
Using our human limitations as a yardstick, we reason that if God’s promises seem to linger from being fulfilled in our lives, He, probably, must have forgotten, got too busy or altogether become unconcerned about our state. This is the situation with the Psalmist in our text as he was being persecuted wrongly by his enemies, who dug pits for him. He was so discouraged and almost at the point of death that his soul fainted while waiting for God’s salvation and deliverance. Fortunately, he was able to still put his hope in God’s words.
Unknown to many, God’s word, His instructions, revelations, prophecies and promises are a reflection of His nature. He is immortal. He is unchanging. He is undying. Likewise His words. Once uttered, they hover around like living forces, until their missions are accomplished. God is not a man that He should lie or say anything He cannot or will not do. Man often proves his natural limitation, when he breaks an agreement. It is a reflection of his innate changeability. But God is ever faithful.
His faithfulness provides a sure anchor of hope and comfort for the true believer – an anchor that remains steadfast amidst the uncertainties and vicissitudes of life. So, child of God, look away from your natural limitations, the instability of your environment and the inconsistency of your fellow humans and abandon all your worries and cares in the mighty hands of the One so dependable. In His immutability lies your security. Trust Him absolutely and claim His unfailing words.
Thought for the day: Faint not, claim God’s Words.
Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Chronicles 1-4
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.
Dunamis’ Daily Devotional May 1, 2017 by Pastor Paul Enenche – The Pathway to Distinction in Life
Topic: The Pathway to Distinction in Life [Monday May 1, 2017]
Scripture: Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. Proverbs 22:29
Thought For The Day: Principles are behind the making of principals.
Many people want to become great in life but few know how to get there. One reason many people remain small in life despite their quest for greatness is the negligence of Divine principles. Principles are behind the making of principals.
One of the principles that make a man great in life is diligence. Diligence, the ability to keep doing it and doing it well, is the bridge between where you are now and where you should be.
I heard the story of a rich young lady who had everything she needed but was single – getting married was a challenge. One day, she travelled to London for a wedding. As part of her diligent disposition, she washed all the used plates used at the wedding and ran errands for the guests. Unknown to her, a man who also left Nigeria for the same wedding noticed her, called the host and asked, 'Who is that lady?' The host replied, 'She is one of our sisters who came from Nigeria for this occasion.' Then the man said, 'I have found my wife.' That was how they got married thereafter.
Beloved, diligence is the bridge between your present and your future.
Remember this: Principles are behind the making of principals.
For Further Understanding, Get This Message: Diligence.
Assignment (s)
1. Determine to be diligent.
2. Refuse to be lazy and idle.
Prayer: LORD, help me to be diligent in life. Deliver me from the lifestyle of mediocrity, LORD, in Jesus' Name.
Amazing Fact: Elephant trunks are stunted at birth, then rapidly elongate over the course of a few days.
Today In History: 01/05/1707 - England, Wales and Scotland were united to form Great Britain
Daily Reading: Judges 13:1to14:28, John 1: 29 to 51, Psalm 102: 1 to 28, Proverbs 14: 15 to 16.
Quote: The higher you want to fly in life, the harder you will have to work. Culled from 30 SECRETS TO THE TOP by Dr Paul Enenche
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.
Billy Graham’s daily devotional May 1, 2017 - God, the Peacekeeper
Topic: God, the Peacekeeper [Monday May 1, 2017]
He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! — Isaiah 26:3 (TLB)
You have an ego-a consciousness of being an individual. Of course, you do. But that doesn’t mean that you are to worship yourself, to think constantly of yourself, and to live entirely for yourself. Common sense tells you that your life would be miserable if you followed that course. God is infinitely more concerned about your happiness than you could possibly be. He says, “Deny yourself, and follow me.” There is many a person in the insane asylum today who thought excessively about himself, to the exclusion of God and others. Hypochondriacs who have a fanciful anxiety about their health will never be well, regardless of their physical condition.
Prayer for the day: Keep my mind on You, Lord, and help me to discipline the thoughts of self which crowd out Your peace.
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.
Kenneth Copeland Ministries Daily Devotional May 1 2017- BREAK THROUGH THE WALL
BREAK THROUGH THE WALL
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:13
You’re running the race set before you, moving full-speed ahead with God’s blessing overtaking you at every step. Then suddenly, wham! You hit the wall. It may be a wall of sickness or financial trouble, of spiritual failure or family problems. But, regardless of the form it takes, the effect of “the wall” is always the same. It stops you cold.
The question is, once you hit a wall like that, what will you do? You’ll be tempted to quit, to turn back in defeat. But don’t do it. Because God will enable you to break through that wall and keep right on going.
I’m not going to tell you it’s easy. The truth is, it’s tough. But you have to push on through the tough times if you’re ever going to have a breakthrough.
Ask any athlete. He’ll tell you that! Because if he’s a winner, he’s been there. He’s pushed his body to what seems to be the maximum. His side has hurt. His lungs have ached. He’s had cramps in his legs and thighs. And just when he felt like he couldn’t go on, he’s heard some coach yell, “Come on! Move it!”
Athletes call that “hitting the wall.” It’s a time when the body says, “That’s it. That’s all I can do. I can’t go any farther. I can’t go any faster. I quit.”
But the seasoned athlete knows that “the wall” isn’t the end. It’s a signal that he’s on the verge of a breakthrough. If he’ll toughen up and push himself a little more, he’ll get a second wind. Suddenly, he’ll go faster than before. He’ll reach a level of excellence he couldn’t have reached any other way.
When you feel the worst, when failure is breathing down your neck, press in to the Word as never before. You may meditate on a particular scripture for days and even weeks sometimes, trying to get a revelation of it, seemingly without success.
Then suddenly, like the dawn of the morning, light will come pouring in. You’ll see the way to break through. All you have to do is punch one little hole in that wall of problems, dig one tiny hole in it with your faith and with the Word of God.
Then keep tearing away at that hole. Don’t quit! And, before long, the forces of God will come bursting through, demolishing every obstacle in their path!
Once that happens you’ll never be the same again. You’ll be hooked. It will only take one breakthrough like that to make a never-dying, never-quitting champion out of you.
Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
OUR Daily Bread Devotional May 1, 2017- Questions for God
TOPIC- Questions for God
Read: Judges 6:11–16, 24
Go with the strength you have . . . . I will be with you. nlt Judges 6:14, 16
What would you do if the Lord showed up in the middle of your workday with a message? This happened to Gideon, one of the ancient Israelites. “The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!’ ” Gideon could have responded with a wordless nod and gulp, but instead he said, “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (Judg. 6:12–13 nlt). Gideon wanted to know why it seemed as if God had abandoned His people.
God didn’t answer that question. After Gideon had endured seven years of enemy attacks, starvation, and hiding in caves, God didn’t explain why He never intervened. God could have revealed Israel’s past sin as the reason, but instead He gave Gideon hope for the future. God said, “Go with the strength you have . . . . I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites” (vv.14, 16 nlt).
Lord, I am reaching out to You for the peace I need.
Do you ever wonder why God has allowed suffering in your life? Instead of answering that specific question, God may satisfy you with His nearness today and remind you that you can rely on His strength when you feel weak. When Gideon finally believed that God was with him and would help him, he built an altar and called it “The Lord Is Peace” (v. 24).
There is peace in knowing that whatever we do and wherever we go, we go with God who promised never to leave or forsake His followers.
For help, read Why? Seeing God in Our Pain at discoveryseries.org/cb151.
OUR Daily Bread Devotional May 1, 2017- Questions for God
What could be better than getting answers to our why questions? Trusting a good and powerful God.
INSIGHT:
Today’s text provides some insight into how we should view situations for which we feel inadequate. Gideon did not feel prepared to go into battle against the Midianites who were oppressing Israel. Responding to Gideon’s understandable concern, God sent the angel of the Lord to encourage him. He said that Gideon should “go in the strength” he had (Judg. 6:14), but he also said, “I will be with you” (v. 16). When God calls us to take on a difficult task, we can rely on His strength and power to help us accomplish it.
Are you facing a situation for which you feel inadequate? Ask God for His strength to help you.
Ray Stedman A Daily Devotion May 1st 2017- Life With Father
TOPIC- Life With Father
Read the Scripture: 1 John 1:1-4
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3).
Why is it that some Christians seem to be transformed by contact with Jesus Christ, but others are not? Some Christians, even Christians of long standing, still seem to be very much conformed to the world around them, even deformed in their views and outlooks. Yet all of them stoutly assert that they are Christians, that they too have been born again by faith in Jesus Christ. It is not strange that the world asks, What is wrong? Why is this condition true? The secret, John says, is fellowship.
What is fellowship? In the Navy we used to say it was two fellows on the same ship, and there is a sense in which that is true. They do have something in common—the same ship. That is the basis of fellowship, for essentially this word means to have all things in common. When you have something in common with another, you can have fellowship with that person. If you have nothing in common, you have no fellowship. We all have things in common. We share human life in common. Most of us share American citizenship in common. But John is talking about that unique fellowship that is the possession only of those who share life in Jesus Christ together. This makes them one, and this oneness is the basis for the appeal of Scripture: to live together in tenderness and love toward one another. Not because we are inherently wonderful people or remarkable personalities or that we are naturally gracious, kind, loving, and tender all the time—for at times we are grouchy, scratchy, and irritating to others. But we are still to love one another. Why? Because we share life together. We have something in common. We share the life of the Lord Jesus, and therefore we have fellowship with one another.
Ray Stedman A Daily Devotion May - Life With Father
We must understand the difference between relationship and fellowship. Relationship is becoming a member of the family of God by faith in Jesus Christ. It is established by asking Him to come into your life and heart. John makes that clear at the end of this letter. He who has the Son has life [that is relationship]; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life [he does not have a relationship] (1 John 5:12). The Christian life starts right there with this matter of relationship. Relationship is accepting Christ; fellowship is experiencing Him. You can never have fellowship until you have established relationship, but you can certainly have relationship without fellowship. Relationship puts us into the family of God, but fellowship permits the life of that family to shine through us. That is what marks the difference between Christians. Fellowship is the key to vital Christianity. That is why this letter, which calls us back to fundamental issues, focuses first on that. The important question is, as a Christian, are you enjoying fellowship with the Father and with His Son?
Father, teach me more of the richness and the glory of this warmth of fellowship with Christ, where everything that I am is made available to Him and I am experiencing all the wonderful joy of everything that He has made available to me.
Life Application: Do we sometimes wonder at the differences we notice in our experiences with professing Christians? What is a key difference between relationship and fellowship?
Gods boundaries by Joyce meyer, April 30, 2017
God’s Boundaries
by Joyce Meyer - posted April 30, 2017
Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.
—1 Corinthians 6:19-20
The word stress was originally an engineering term used to refer to the amount of force a beam or other physical support could bear without collapsing under strain.
In our time, the word has been expanded to refer not only to physical pressure but also to mental and emotional tension. As human beings, you and I are built to handle a normal amount of stress. God has created us to withstand a certain amount of pressure and tension. The problem comes when we push ourselves beyond our limitations, beyond what we were intended to bear without permanent damage. But like so many people, because I have things to do, I just keep pushing myself even though it is causing me physical damage.
Of course, when sickness tries to come on Dave or me, we immediately pray for healing. But if you become sick as a result of running your body down by pushing it beyond the limits God set for you to operate in good health, you need rest as well as prayer to restore your health. The boundaries He has set for us are for our own good.
Saturday, 29 April 2017
Ray Stedman A Daily Devotion April 30th 2017- Controlling God
TOPIC- Controlling God
Read the Scripture: Genesis 11:1-26
Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other (Genesis 11:7).
What is behind God's actions here? Is He jealous of man? Is God threatened after all by this tower of mud and slime that these men have built? Does it mean that He is afraid that men will master all things and that He cannot any longer control them so that the very foundations of the universe will be threatened by these inventive ones? No. That is the way people want to read this. Forever we have been telling ourselves that we can do anything we want, if we want it badly enough! Therefore, we don't need God; God is optional in human life.
It is true that God admits that humans can do things if they put their minds to them. They can do seemingly anything, but what about be? That is the question. You see, there is a fatal flaw in people's thinking. What do they actually purpose or propose to do? The final answer is to glorify themselves—to be God, in other words. God knows that people are incapable of this; they are creatures. The very forces they think they can manipulate to accomplish their aims are forces that are part of their own lives that they did not make and upon which they continually depend. Therefore, human beings are incapable of being the gods they attempt to be.
Remember the story of the boy who hired himself out to a sorcerer to be his servant and to carry his water for him? Like all boys, he looked around to find some easier way of getting the job done. One day when the master was away, he prowled around among the sorcerer's magical paraphernalia.
He found certain books with magic words in them. He learned a few of these and tried them out on the broom. To his amazement, he found that he could command the broom to carry water in buckets. He sat back, opened a magazine, and read while the broom carried in the water, bucket after bucket. But after a bit he detected a little moisture on the floor. To his consternation, he realized that the tubs and basins were all full, and the broom was still carrying in the water. He arose and uttered the magic incantation, but the broom kept on carrying in the water. As it began to rise around his ankles, the boy panicked. He didn't know what to do. He cried out every magic word he knew, but nothing worked. Soon the water rose around his neck, and he began to cry out in anguish, realizing that he hadn't learned enough. He was saved at the last moment by the return of the master, who cleared up the whole situation.
Ray Stedman A Daily Devotion April
That fairy tale reflects the same truths as the Tower of Babel. Human beings, in their inventiveness, think they can master the earth. But the very solutions they work out become the bigger problems that they can no longer manage. The whole vast scheme of things eludes them; they are not able to put them all together. Thus, for the human race's sake, not because God is afraid of them, but for their sake, to protect them from themselves, God says, Let us go down and confuse their language. Let us stop people from destroying themselves from the face of the earth, because they are not God enough to handle it.
Lord, in Your grace You humble me and keep me dependent on You. I confess that I am not You, and I cannot do what You do.
Life Application: In spite of incredible progress in communication technologies the world is as divided as ever. Are we God-playing trying to make God optional with our self-inventiveness?
Open Heavens 30 April 2017: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Spiritual Blessing
Topic: Spiritual Blessing [Sunday 30, April 2017]
Memorise: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: – Ephesians 1:3
Read: Ephesians 1:1-14 (KJV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Bible in One Year: Number 28-29, Jeremiah 23:9-22
MESSAGE:
From our memory verse today, we understand that there are physical blessings and there are spiritual blessings. The best way to distinguish between these two categories of blessings is to look at their lifespan. Physical blessings are temporal, while spiritual blessings are enduring and external in nature. An example of a physical blessing is the rain that God sends on all of humanity. Another example is the air we all have access to breathe. Having a wife or a husband also falls under the category of physical blessings, and so also is having children. Both physical and spiritual blessings come from the Lord.
However, the better of these two categories of blessings is spiritual blessings. Spiritual blessings, though manifesting in the physical world, transcend the present age. This is why Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:19 thus:
“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
Spiritual blessings cannot be quantified in material or monetary terms. They include the Holy Spirit and His gifts, power and victory over principalities and powers, redemption through the Blood of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, etc. The crux of all spiritual blessings can be seen in this response of our Lord Jesus Christ to the question about reward for sacrifice which Peter asked Him:
“29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, 30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” - Mark 10:29-30
The spiritual blessing of eternal life crowns the physical blessings we have access to through our fellowship with Christ. No matter how long we live on earth, we shall depart from it one day. The question is, “Where will you spend eternity?” Would it be in Heaven or in Hell? My prayer for you is that you will not spend eternity in Hell in Jesus’ Name.
Action Point: Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour today, and you will be blessed with spiritual blessings. If you are saved, pray that the Lord will load your life with His spiritual blessings 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.
Kenneth Copeland’s daily devotional April 30, 2017 - Be a Cheerful Giver
Topic: Be a Cheerful Giver [Sunday April 30, 2017]
Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (that is, He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver.... And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance. - 2 Corinthians 9:7-8, The Amplified Bible
Some people say you need to “give till it hurts.” Don’t you believe it. God doesn’t want gifts given in pain. He wants gifts given in joy! In fact, those are the only kinds of gifts that please Him.
That’s why He tacked His promise of abundance onto His command about cheerful giving. The two are connected.
Cheerful, full of faith, even hilarious giving—that is the key that unlocks the treasure house of God. Have you ever seen a group of people give that way? I have. I’ll never forget it. I was at a camp meeting years ago when offering time turned into a spontaneous, supernatural celebration. Ken was singing Bread Upon the Water, and the people were just dancing their way down the aisles to give their money. The joy in that place was glorious. Great healings and miracles were done that night.
But what stood out to me above all was how joyously and hilariously the people brought their offerings to God. The offering wasn’t extracted from them like a dentist extracts teeth. It was brought forth gladly.
The concept of “giving till it hurts” didn’t come from God. He’d rather you give 10 dollars with that kind of joy than 20 dollars grudgingly. In 2 Corinthians 8:11-12, the Apostle Paul urges the church in Corinth to give with eager willingness. Eager willingness. That’s what God looks for!
If you haven’t given that way in the past, make a firm commitment to start. Repent for the times you’ve given grudgingly. Then spend some serious time with God and His Word in your prayer closet, so when you give again, you can give from a willing heart.
Put the “pain” of giving behind. Become “a cheerful, (joyous, ‘prompt to do it’) giver,” and believe me, your blessings will abound!
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
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.
DCLM Daily Manna April 30, 2017 by Pastor Kumuyi – Double Portion
Topic: Double Portion [Sunday April 30, 2017]
Text: Deuteronomy 21:10-17
Key Verse: "But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his" (Deuteronomy 21:17).
In every family, there are some special privileges and rights that every firstborn enjoys. It is generally referred to as birthright, which ascribes to the firstborn the privilege of inheritance. This could vary in form or size from one family to another. In some cases, it could be estates willed to the individuals while in others, it could be a little less than that. But whatever the case, it is expected that the recipient attach utmost importance to it. The first son in Israel had the birthright.
This was usually given in a double portion. God commands that whatever the father’s relationship with the mother, whatever scores there are to be settled between a man and his wife, the husband "...shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his" (Deuteronomy 21:17). There are blessings, promises and privileges attached to birthrights. Esau lost the Abrahamic blessings; Reuben, the blessing of lineage of Jesus Christ and Israel the privilege of undertaking special assignments for God which they ceded to the Levites.
As Christians and members of the family of God, we have birthrights – promises, privileges and rights. We must be watchful and vehemently resist every temptation to despise and give away our birthright. Because the Levites gave themselves unto the Lord, He also gave Himself unto them. In the New Testament dispensation, believers are partakers of the divine nature and holiness is part of the benefits, promises and privileges.
At salvation, we have peace with God when our sins are forgiven; at sanctification, we have the peace of God when the inclination to sin is removed and the adamic nature is purified and purged. The first part of the inheritance is received by confession of faith and the second part by consecration and faith. We should therefore not despise our birthright for temporal need but strive to keep and guard it jealously.
Thought for the day: Do not trade your birthright; it’s doubly packed.
Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Corinthians 15-16
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.
Dunamis’ Daily Devotional April 30, 2017 by Pastor Paul Enenche – The Cares of The World
Topic: The Cares of The World [Sunday April 30, 2017]
Scripture: And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. Mark 4:18-19
Thought For The Day: It is possible to use money to serve God, but you cannot serve God and money.
One of the weapons of the devil to weaken a man’s faith in God is distractions. Satan would attempt to distract a man from his vision especially if he is focused on God.
There are many things that distract a person from following God. One of those things is the cares of this world. A life that is filled with the cares of the world is a life that is passionate for vanity and passionless for spirituality.
Note that, the cares of the world are the enemies of true spirituality. The pursuit for the latest fashions and fads of this life, the craving to belong and the struggle for the things that this world has to offer are the enemies of true spirituality. Our anchor Scripture talks about the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the lust for other things.
Lust is an inordinate affection for that which we are not licensed to get. It is possible to use money to serve God, but you cannot serve God and money. It is possible to master the things of this world and it is possible to be mastered by the things of this world.
Beloved, be focused on God despite the distractions in the world.
Remember this: It is possible to use money to serve God, but you cannot serve God and money.
Assignment:
Refuse to have your passion and affection centred on the transient vanities of this life because everything we see will fade away someday.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: HINDRANCES TO A BUOYANT PRAYER LIFE – (PART 3)
Prayer: LORD, please deliver me from the distractions of the world. Let me glory in You alone. I receive the grace to serve You all the days of my life in Jesus’ Name.
Daily Reading: Judges 11:1 to 12:15, John 1:1 to 28, Psalm 101:1 to 8, Proverbs 14:13 to 14.
Quote: When the rate at which a person masters and conquers his flesh increases, the rate of his progress also increases. Culled from 21 FOOLISH THINGS PEOPLE DO by Dr Paul Enenche.
Amazing Fact: Children laugh about 400 times a day, while adults laugh on average only 15 times a day.
Today In History: 30/04/1789 - George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States of America
Prophetic Parental Blessing
I deploy the judgmental fire mantle of God on my life against every beast in human form after your life, your family and the destiny of this nation. I decree that the earth reject them, I mobilise the forces of nature to fight against them until they are wiped off the face of the earth. I prophesy peace to you, your family and this nation, in Jesus’ Name.
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.
Our Daily Bread Devotional, April 30, 2017 - Forever Loved
Topic: Forever Loved [Sunday April 30, 2017]
Read: Psalm 4:1–8, Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 8–9; Luke 21:1–19
Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself. Psalm 4:3
It’s almost impossible for us to get through a day without being snubbed, ignored, or put down in some way. Sometimes we even do it to ourselves.
David’s enemies were talking smack—bullying, threatening, pummeling him with insults. His sense of self-worth and well-being had plummeted (Ps. 4:1–2). He asked for relief “from my distress.”
Then David remembered, “Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself” (v. 3). Various English versions try to capture the full essence of David’s bold statement by translating “faithful servant” as “godly.” The Hebrew word here, hesed, literally refers to God’s covenant love and might well be rendered “those whom God will love forever and ever and ever.”
Here’s what we too must remember: We are loved forever, set apart in a special way, as dear to God as His own Son. He has called us to be His children for all eternity.
Instead of despairing, we can remind ourselves of the love we freely receive from our Father. We are His dearly beloved children. The end is not despair but peace and joy (vv. 7–8). He never gives up on us, and He never ever stops loving us.
Prayer: Father in heaven, the words of others can wound us deeply. Your words to us heal and comfort, and You assure us that we are loved forever.
The true measure of God’s love is that He loves without measure. Bernard of Clairvaux
Insight:
How could we not care what others think or say about us? So much in life seems to depend on how others regard us. Maybe David wrote his fourth psalm after hearing rumors that he still thought he had gotten away with murder and with his scandalous affair with Bathsheba. Maybe he was told how others accused him of using his false humility and self-centered spirituality as a cover for his lust for power. As if knowing our own weak points he wrote, “How long will you people ruin my reputation? . . . How long will you continue your lies?” (v. 2 nlt).
The answer doesn’t seem to be what we might have expected. Without explanation, the songwriter seems to be like a television viewer changing channels. Suddenly the issue is no longer how long others are going to say thoughtless things about him, but rather how long his God is going to love him unconditionally—forever. The thought is better than warm milk and a soft pillow. With the love of God filling his heart, the words of enemies fade into silence. How does God’s unconditional love comfort you?
This message was written By David H. Roper [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]
Billy Graham’s daily devotional April 30, 2017 - Always Be Vigilant
Topic: Always Be Vigilant [Sunday April 30, 2017]
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. — 1 Peter 5:8
When I was in the hospital in Hawaii, I read again of the shocking events which led up to the destruction of the United States fleet at Pearl Harbor. On that fateful day of December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked. We know now that that attack was invited by our failure to be always vigilant. The result was the destruction of our fleet-the cause was tragic indifference. When comfort and ease and pleasure are put ahead of duty and conviction, progress is always set back.
What makes us Christians shrug our shoulders when we ought to be flexing our muscles? What makes us apathetic in a day when there are loads to lift, a world to be won, and captives to be set free? Why are so many bored, when the times demand action? Christ told us that in the last days there would be an insipid attitude toward life.
Prayer for the day: Take away the apathy, Father, that so often blinds my vision.
Friday, 28 April 2017
Joyce Meyer's daily devotional April 28, 2017- Acceptable Words
Acceptable Words
April 28, 2017
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.
—Psalm 19:14
It is acceptable to God when we use our mouths to bring joy, love, and good to others. It is not acceptable to God when we use our mouths to bring hurt and destruction. We are still acceptable to Him, but our behavior isn’t because it will not produce the good results in our lives that God desires for us.
Ephesians 4:29 teaches us not to use our words to cause the Holy Spirit any grief and gives clear instructions concerning what grieves Him: Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.
Properly chosen words can actually change lives for the better. What you say can tear down or build up, so choose words that are agreeable with God’s will.
Power Thought: My words are wholesome
Joseph Prince Devotional 29 April 2017- JESUS, YOUR GOOD SHEPHERD AND DOOR
TOPIC: JESUS, YOUR GOOD SHEPHERD AND DOOR
Apr 29, 3017
John 10:7
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
Topics
Protection and Deliverance
Keywords
Protection And Deliverance , Good Shepherd , Redeemed , Safe , Protected , Preserves
Scripture Reference
John
Jesus said that He is the “door of the sheep”. What did He mean? Well, a sheepfold during Jesus’ time had no door which could be opened and closed. The door of the sheepfold was just an opening. In this kind of sheepfold, after the sheep had entered it, the shepherd would sleep at the entrance. The shepherd became, effectively, the “door” of the sheepfold.
When Jesus told His disciples, “I am the good shepherd,” (John 10:11) He also assured them emphatically that He was the “door of the sheep”. He was telling them and us, “Inside My sheepfold, My sheep are always safe, completely protected and kept close under My watchful eyes. And since I am just at the entrance of the sheepfold, nothing, not even the muffled bleat of one of My own, can escape My ears. Also, nothing evil outside the sheepfold can enter and touch My sheep without first coming through Me for I am the door of My sheep.”
So when the fight of life comes knocking on your door and when panic threatens to rise within you, see yourself doubly protected! He is both the good shepherd and the door of His sheep. As your good shepherd, He gave His life for you to redeem you from poverty, sickness and every other curse.
As your door, He keeps out everything evil that He has redeemed you from. Because He shed His blood for you, you are covered and protected within the sheepfold by a blood-stained door. Disaster, destruction and death must pass over you and your family because of His blood on your door. Remember that on the night of the first Passover in Egypt, the destroyer could not enter the houses of the Israelites because of the blood of the lamb on their doors. (Exodus 12:13, 23)
Today, you can live life untroubled and unafraid, knowing that Jesus, your good shepherd and door, protects and preserves you and your family. No evil will befall you or your loved ones because He is your dwelling place and refuge!
Thought For The Day
Jesus, your good shepherd and door, protects and preserves you and your family.
Ray Stedman A Daily Devotion April 29th 2017- God's Funnel
TOPIC- God's Funnel
Read the Scripture: Genesis 10:1-32
These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations (Genesis 10:31).
A funnel is an instrument or device for narrowing a flow of liquid or powder from a wide expanse to a narrow one. That is what God is doing here in Genesis 10. Shem, the oldest son of Noah, is listed last because God is narrowing the flow of sacred history down to the Semitic races. Shem is the neck of the funnel. [There is some debate in the translation of Gen 10:21 as to if Shem or Japheth is the oldest son of Noah.] God is restricting the stream of humanity that He will deal with personally and directly down to one family group, the family of Shem. In chapter 11, He takes this up again and narrows it still further to one man, Abraham. From there it begins to broaden out again to take in Abraham and all his descendants, both physical and spiritual. The rest of the Bible is all about the children of Abraham, physically and spiritually. Here we have then a most important link in understanding the Bible.
Ray Stedman A Daily Devotion
Why does God do this? He has been accused of showing favoritism in picking the people of Israel for His link with humanity. But it is not that. God is no respecter of persons. He does this because it is necessary in view of the limitations of our minds, not of His. No one person can grasp the whole widespread, varied world of humankind. We cannot do so even today. At election time we take polls to determine what people are thinking because we cannot grasp or assimilate in any way what the entire mass of a people are thinking. We must take samples. God is doing this with Israel. Israel becomes the sample people. Through the rest of the Bible, whatever is true of Israel is true of everyone; their story is our story. Their stubborn rebellion is the same rebellion that we display, and their spiritual blessing under God is the same kind that we can expect if we open ourselves to respond to the grace of God. One fact comes drumming through all this otherwise dry genealogy: that God is seeking somehow to break through into our hearts and wills. He presses upon us in great historic sweeps and in the minor incidents that happen to each of us.
The great question we must raise is, Are you listening? Are you getting the message God wants you to get? He writes it large upon the landscape of history, and also He writes it small in the incidents of your daily life. But in every case it is the same truth pressing through to us. God is essential to us. We cannot live without God. You cannot fulfill yourself, you cannot find yourself without Him. He loves you, is seeking you, wants you, and is drawing you to Himself.
Father, thank You for Your love, demonstrated through generations of people and kingdoms that have come and gone, but now fully revealed in the sending of Your only Son.
Life Application: The Bible focuses on the nation Israel as a sample of the human story. Are we willing to learn from generational lessons, and respond to God's seeking of us?
Open Heavens 29 April 2017: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Privileges of God’s Children II
Topic: The Privileges of God’s Children II [Saturday 29, April 2017]
Memorise: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. – Romans 8:14
Read: Romans 8:14-17(KJV)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Bible in One Year: Number 26-27, Jeremiah 22:14-23:8
MESSAGE:
There is a song that was popular among children of God some decades ago which reveals not only privilege meant only for the children of God but also their appreciation of that privilege. It goes thus: “Something more than gold; The spirit of God in the heart of man; something more than gold.” According to our memory verse, as many as are led by the spirit of God, are the children of God. In other words, only those who are children of God have the privilege of being directed and guided by the Holy Spirit. Conversely, only those who are guided by the Spirit of God are genuine children of God. If you take a look at the account of how God formed man from the dust of the earth, you will observe that in spite of the fact that every part was properly fixed and fitted, man could not fulfil the purpose of his creation until God put His Spirit in him. Genesis 2:7 says,
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
After man fell, the Spirit of the Lord departed from him, and he became a shadow of his glorious past. Man became afraid of himself. Adam and Eve lost trust in each another, so much so that they were ashamed of seeing each other’s nakedness. Fear ruled the heart of man because the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him. Man lost his sense of purpose and direction. God appeared in the cool of the day and man took cover with his wife, who he now viewed as the source of his troubles (Genesis 3:12). The certainty of what tomorrow holds eluded humanity, and man groped in darkness, being tormented by different taskmasters until God decided to have mercy on us through the grace of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The moment we accept His grace of adoption, we begin to enjoy the privilege revealed in Romans 8:15-16:
“15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”
I believe you now understand the reason why the old-time believers sang with great excitement that the Spirit of God in the heart of a man is something more than gold. The Spirit gives us the assurance that we are children of God. This consciousness gives us the impetus to live like Him in this world, and also grants us boldness based on the assurance that with God, our Father, on our side, no evil can come near us. So, if you are yet to become a child of God, don’t delay further; give your life to Christ today, and you will be adopted into the household of God.
Action Point: Thank God for His precious gift of the Holy Spirit and for all that his spirit does in your life
Billy Graham’s daily devotional April 29, 2017 - Questioning
Topic: Questioning [Saturday April 29, 2017]
Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. — Psalm 51:12 (TLB)
It is not unusual for persons in their early twenties to defect from their early teaching. The reasons are many. Perhaps their exposure to unbelief “took” better than their exposure to belief. This is often the case, for the Bible says, “The heart of man is deceitful above all things.”
The human heart is as prepared by sin to accept unbelief as faith. Some person they regard highly has undoubtedly influenced their thinking; and for the time being they look on their early training as “bunk.” As someone has said, “A little learning may take a man away from God, but full understanding will bring him back.”
Some of the staunchest Christians I know are people who had periods in their life when they questioned the Bible, Christ, and God. But as they continued to examine the matter, there was overwhelming evidence that only “the fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”
Prayer for the day: I pray for all the questioning people today, Lord, remembering times in my own life when unbelief reigned.
Kenneth Copeland’s daily devotional April 29, 2017 - Don't Let the Devil Put One Over on You
Topic: Don't Let the Devil Put One Over on You [Saturday April 29, 2017]
When [the devil] speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. - John 8:44
Some people find it difficult to believe God’s promises because they’ve seen so many things in the natural world that seem to contradict them. They’ve seen faithful tithers go broke. They’ve seen sick Christians fail to receive their healing.
In reality, it would be more accurate to say that they think they’ve seen those things. Because, you see, there’s a deceiver at work in the world. A deceiver who’s busily doing the same thing he’s been doing ever since the Garden of Eden: tricking mankind into believing God’s Word isn’t true.
And, after working on it for thousands of years, he’s a master at it. Think about that the next time he tries to make things look as though God’s Word is not going to work for you, when he makes it look like all hope is lost. Say, “I don’t care about appearances. I believe the Word and I refuse to doubt it.”
Let me show you what I mean. Have you ever seen a magic show where someone crawls inside a box and then is sawn in half? You can see it with your own two eyes. The guy’s feet are sticking out one end of the box and his head is poking out the other, and the box is plainly cut in two. Then the magician slides the two halves back together and the sawed-apart fellow jumps out of the box in one piece.
Now tell me, did you really believe, even for a moment, that fellow was truly cut in half? Of course not! You knew that you’d seen a trick, a deception, something that appeared one way when, in reality, it was a different way altogether. You may not have known how it was done. You may not have been able to explain it. But you knew a person couldn’t be sawn in half, then put back together, so you refused to believe your eyes.
That’s exactly the way you need to be where the Word of God is concerned. You need to learn to trust it and rely on it to such an extent that when Satan shows you something in the natural world that appears to contradict it, you just say, “Well, I saw that, but I’m not going to be gullible enough to believe it. I’m just going to stick with the Word.”
If you’ll do that, the father of lies will never be able to put one over on you.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:89-104
Dunamis’ Daily Devotional April 29, 2017 by Pastor Paul Enenche – The Profit of Positive Character
Topic: The Profit of Positive Character [Saturday April 29, 2017]
Scripture: And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. Psalm 41:12
Thought For The Day: Character establishes a person on solid ground in life.
Yesterday, we saw that character is not just powerful, rather, it is power; the real power of man is his character.
Today, we want to look at one positive power of character which is THE GUARANTEE OF STABILITY. A man or woman of character is a stable person. Psalm 26:1 says, ‘Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.’
Character establishes a person on solid ground in life. A person without character stands on slippery ground. This means that nothing about the life of a person without character is stable. Samson was up at one time, but later he was nowhere to be found because he lacked positive character.
There is nothing that can topple a person who has a positive character. Witches and wizards can come against him but he will not be moved. In times of downsizing, rightsizing, recession, depression, inflation, stagnation, starvation, frustration, a man of positive character will be stable in life because character holds a man up.
Beloved, my counsel to you is, be a person of positive character.
Remember this: Character establishes a person on solid ground in life.
Assignment(s):
1. Live with the consciousness that without God you cannot build a positive character.
2. Study 1 Corinthians 10:12.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: POWER OF POSITIVE CHARACTER - PART 3
Prayer: LORD, open my eyes to see the areas of my character that I need to change in order to be stable in life, in Jesus’ Name.
Daily Reading: Judges 9:22 to 10:18, Luke 24:13 to 53, Psalm 100:1 to 5, Proverbs 14:11 to 12.
Amazing Fact: There are about 6,800 languages in the world.
Today In History: 29/04/1813 - Rubber was patented by J.F. Hummel.
Quote: It does not matter how much a person has risen or is seen to be rising; it is character that will keep him up there. Culled from WHO ARE YOU? by Dr Paul Enenche.