Saturday 31 December 2016

Our Daily Bread - NOW IS THE DAY

Now Is the Day

December 31, 2016

'" Read: 2 Corinthians 5:18–6:2 | Bible in a Year: Malachi 1–4; Revelation 22

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I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

Our preschool-age granddaughter Maggie and her kindergarten-age sister Katie hauled several blankets to the backyard, where they proceeded to build a blanket tent in which to play. They had been outside a while when their mom heard Maggie call for her.

“Mom, come here quick!” Maggie yelled. “I want to ask Jesus into my heart, and I need your help!” Apparently at that moment her need for Jesus became clear to her, and she was ready to put her faith in Him.

Maggie’s urgent call for help in trusting Jesus brings to mind Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 6 about salvation. He was discussing the reality that Jesus Christ’s coming—including His death and resurrection—instituted an era he called “the time of God’s favor.” We live in that time, and salvation is available to all right now. He said, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (v. 2). For all who have not yet trusted Jesus for forgiveness, the time to do so is now. It is urgent.

Perhaps the Holy Spirit has alerted you to your need to put your trust in Jesus. Like Maggie, don’t put it off. Run to Jesus. Now is the day!

Heavenly Father, I now understand my need to have my sins forgiven. I also realize that only Jesus—because of His sacrifice on the cross—can forgive my sin. I put my faith and trust in Jesus today. Please forgive me and become the Lord of my life.

There’s no better day than today to enter into God’s family.

INSIGHT:

Second Corinthians 5:20 provides a marvelous description of our role as believers in the world: ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is a representative sent to a foreign country. When we share the good news that Christ paid the penalty for sin, we are doing the work of God’s ambassadors. The redemptive work of Jesus Christ through His death, burial, and resurrection has provided the means by which human beings—who are spiritually separated from God—can be brought back into a relationship with their Creator. As ambassadors we share God’s promise of a new citizenship in heaven for all who will repent and believe the gospel.

DCLM DAILY MANNA - Looking Back and Looking Forward

Saturday December 31, 2016

Looking Back and Looking Forward

-1 SAMUEL 7:1-12

Key Verse:
"Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us" (1 Samuel 7:12).

Life is short. However long a journey is, it must surely come to an end. Most men wrongly hold the belief that life will last forever, only to discover that it is like a vapour, seen one moment, yet evaporates the next minute. The children of Israel had suffered much from the hands of the Philistines because of their sins. They were in bondage of fear. The ark of God captured by the Philistines had been released because the Lord poured His wrath upon them. At Bethlehemesh, the Lord had smitten fifty-seven thousand for looking into the ark. The men of Kirjath-jearim came and fetched the ark and brought it into the house of Abinadab, consecrating Eleazer, his son to keep it. Looking back, the children of Israel were compassed about with so many occurrences of disaster, destruction and death. It was as if their future was bleak and hopeless. Then Samuel came and preached repentance to them. They hearkened unto him and returned unto the Lord with penitent hearts. Although the Philistines, an enemy that defeated them over the years came again, yet God gave them a resounding victory. Looking at your own life too, you might have passed through the valley of the shadow of death this passing year. It may be that the devil and his agents have been making life difficult for you in your family, academics or business this year, don't give up. "Prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only and he will deliver you." God loves you. Jesus cares for you. Think of what the Lord has done for you hitherto. He will surely perfect everything pertaining to your life as you cross over to the New Year. If the Lord has not abandoned you thus far despite your many failings, indications are that He will perfect what He has started in you, once you make your calling an election sure.

Thought for the day: Trials provoke triumphs which in turn mid-wife testimonies.

Bible Reading in one Year: REVELATION 21 - 22

Faith Food Devotional - LOVER

December 31

LOVER

"For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God." — JOHN 16:27

Nothing can be stronger or more comforting than the fact that the Father Himself knows you, loves you, and longs to bless you! In fact, John 17:23 says that God loves us as He loved Jesus. What a staggering thought! Yet it is true! Jesus said it! God the Father is your Father! He cares for you. He is interested in you individually — not just as a group, or as a body of believers, or as a church. God is interested in each of His children, and He loves each one of us with the same love. Get acquainted with your Father through His Word. It is in His Word that you will learn about your Heavenly Father, about His love, His nature, how He cares for you, how He loves you. He is everything the Word says He is. And He will do everything the Word says He will do!

Confession
"I love Jesus, and I believe He came out from God. Therefore, the Father Himself loves me. God knows me. He cares for me. He longs to bless me. He is interested in my well-being. I get acquainted with Him through the Word. God is everything the Word says He is. He will do everything the Word says He will do."

Open Heavens Daily Devotional - ACCEPTABLE SERVICE

Open Heavens Devotional 31 December 2016:- Acceptable service

ACCEPTABLE SERVICE – Saturday December 31^st 2016

Memorise: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27

Read: Romans 12:1-2 (KJV)

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

²And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Bible in one year: Numbers 7:84-10:10, Psalms 140

The major difference between David and the other soldiers at the war front was simply the fact that David could not stand the insult and blasphemy against the God of Israel. He knew God so well, and he feared and honoured Him so much that he decided to confront the giant warrior called Goliath without any fear of losing his life. David, in this case, took the meaning of acceptable service to another level. It can be very painful when the authority of God is so challenged, you will want to do anything to defend Him even if it means doing so with your life. In1^st Samuel 17:23-26, Goliath came out, boasted exceedingly and asked; “Where is the God of Israel?” For as many as had no intimate relationship with God, this threat, challenge and disgraced meant nothing to them. But then, one day, a little boy who loved the Lord was there, he heard Goliath talk against his God and he got very angry. His love for God propelled him to dare this giant that was bringing shame on God and His people.

It can be very painful when you have problem that has persisted, especially when you know that your God is more than able to solve it. People may even ask, “Did you not say your God can do all things? Why has He not done yours?” Yes, it can be painful, but you must be prepared to love God to the extent of not minding what people say about your condition.

In Psalms 115:1-3, when the unbelievers where asking the psalmist: “Where is your God?” instead of being embarrassed or wallow in self-pity, he was not bothered. In fact, he began to make excuses for God because of his love for Him. He replied them: “Are you asking of my God because of this little problem? My God is still in Heaven. He is still on the throne and He cannot be dethroned. If you must know, my God does whatever He pleases and is not accountable to anyone. Whether He does it or not, you cannot take Him to court. He knows the right time to solve this problem because your time and mine may not be His. Is it not for me? I am prepared to wait for His time; I am not in any hurry”. With that kind of answer, the mouths of the enemies will be stopped. How much do you love God? The proof of your love for God against all odds in the mark of an acceptable service unto Him!

Prayer Point

Father, I commit my life to You wholeheartedly.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Friday 30 December 2016

DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONAL - Every Christian Is a Minister

Every Christian Is a Minister

BY RICK WARREN — DECEMBER 30, 2016

“You come to him as living stones, a spiritual house that is being built into a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5a GW).

God says that you are a priest. Depending on your background, that may be scary or confusing. Peter is saying that the two benefits that priests have are now available to everyone who is a believer.

In the Old Testament, priests did two things:

They had the right, privilege, and responsibility to go directly to God. They could pray and talk to God, worship, and fellowship with God. Everybody else had to go through a priest.
The priest had the privilege and responsibility of representing God to the people and ministering to the needs of other people (serving).

Those are the very two things that are true of you when you become a believer.

You now have direct access to God. You don’t have to pray through anybody else. You don’t have to confess through anybody else. You don’t have to fellowship with God through anybody else. You can read your Bible, talk with the Lord, and fellowship directly with him.

The Bible says that when Jesus died on the cross, there was a veil in the Temple that separated the Holy of Holies, where God’s Spirit was, from where man was. Only priests could go behind that veil once a year. When Jesus died on the cross, God ripped that veil — about 70 feet — from top to bottom, symbolizing that there is no longer a barrier.

You have also been gifted for ministry to serve other people. Every Christian is a minister — not a pastor, but a minister. Any time you use your talents and gifts to help others, you are ministering.

“It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work not because we deserved it but because that was his plan long before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9a TLB). Why did God save you? So you could serve him. A non-serving Christian is a contradiction.

How do you know what your ministry is? Look at your talents, gifts, and abilities. When you use those talents and gifts to help other people, that’s called ministry — nothing fancy or scary about it. It’s just helping others. Can you be a priest in a sales office? You bet you can. Can you be a priest as an accountant? Of course. Driving a truck? Sure. Any time you’re helping other people in God’s name, you’re ministering.

Talk It Over

What are your spiritual gifts and abilities? How are you using them to serve God and others?
With what attitude do you think God wants you to serve? Why?
How do you make the most of your status as a priest? Do you take full advantage of your direct access to God?

Our Daily Bread - Time Alone With God

Time Alone With God

December 30, 2016

Read: Matthew 14:13–23 | Bible in a Year: Zechariah 13–14; Revelation 21

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[Jesus] went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Matthew 14:23

It was a busy morning in the church room where I was helping. Nearly a dozen little children were chattering and playing. There was so much activity that the room became warm and I propped the door open. One little boy saw this as his chance to escape so when he thought no one was looking, he tiptoed out the door. Hot on his trail, I wasn’t surprised that he was headed straight for his daddy’s arms.

The little boy did what we need to do when life becomes busy and overwhelming—he slipped away to be with his father. Jesus looked for opportunities to spend time with His heavenly Father in prayer. Some might say this was how He coped with the demands that depleted His human energy. According to the gospel of Matthew, Jesus was headed to a solitary place when a crowd of people followed Him. Noticing their needs, Jesus miraculously healed and fed them. After that, however, He “went up on a mountainside by himself to pray” (v. 23).

Jesus repeatedly helped multitudes of people, yet He didn’t allow Himself to become haggard and hurried. He nurtured His connection with God through prayer. How is it with you? Will you take time alone with God to experience His strength and fulfillment?

Where are you finding greater fulfillment—in meeting the demands of life or in cultivating your relationship with your Creator?

When we draw near to God our minds are refreshed and our strength is renewed!

INSIGHT:

The theme of rest is at the heart of the Jewish faith. For example, one of the central practices of Judaism is Shabbat (Sabbath rest). In the first century, however, many Jewish leaders were requiring extra faith practices so burdensome that Jesus openly challenged them regarding the damage they were doing to the lives of the people (see Matt. 23:2–4). The weighty tasks of religious duty had robbed people of the relational rest God desired. That may be why Jesus spoke some of the most comforting words of His public ministry: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (11:28).

DCLM DAILY MANNA - NOT AN EASY RIDE

Friday December 30, 2016

Not An Easy Ride

-JEREMIAH 12:1-6

Key Verse:
"If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" (Jeremiah 12:5).

A story was told of a boy who deliberately failed third grade so he wouldn't have to go into fourth grade and write with ink! Today, children are not worrying about using ink in elementary school but are learning to use simple computer programs so they'll be prepared to use more difficult programs in high school and college. There's no growth without challenge, and there's no challenge without change. Prophet Jeremiah had this theological crisis in our text. He found himself struggling with the paradox of wicked people prospering. He couldn't understand why a holy God would permit false prophets, unbelievers, idol worshipers and the unfaithful priests to prosper while he, His faithful servant, was facing trials. God's reply to him wasn't the kind he expected. Instead of focusing on the wicked, he was encouraged to focus on himself. He was told not to expect an easy ride as the life of the prophet involves suffering. Jeremiah probably would have had a comfortable and secure life if he had not accepted the call to be a prophet. He was like a man running a race and having a hard time keeping up. He was now to progress from the level of running with the foot soldiers to racing with fast horses, and from a level playing ground to coping with an overflowing Jordan. As Christian pilgrims, we must not expect an easy ride. Life on the narrow road can bring hardships, misunderstanding and opposition by even members of our own families. Each new challenge (horses, jungles, opposition of relatives) will help us develop our faith and prepare us for more fruitful ministry and heaven at last. Ultimately, weeping can only endure for a night, joy will eventually berth in the morning.

Thought for the day: An easy life stifles maturity; challenges develop spiritual muscles.

Bible Reading in one Year: REVELATION 18 - 20

CGMI ABOVE ONLY - End the Year Victoriously

Above Only Daily Devotional
http://cgmglobal.org/aboveonly

Friday, December 30

End the Year Victoriously

Psalm 103:1-2, Psalm 47:1, Psalm 126:3 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: *O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. *The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
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We do not have to wait for the last day of the year before we begin to praise and thank God for all He has done for us this year and for the things that He is still going to do in the upcoming year. By faith, we can start thanking God now and by faith we must believe God that He can do the impossible in less than twenty-four hours. The thanksgiving and praise you are going to give God today is going to help you to finish strong, to end this year with joy and to enter next year with even greater joy.

Praise and thank God deeply for everything He has done for you, your family, the church and the nation this year. Thank Him that all things have worked out together for your good, Rom.8:28. Do not allow anything to steal your joy today. Keep praising, thanking and rejoicing in God. Focus your heart on God's goodness and His faithfulness.

There is a divine strength that comes from choosing to praise God no matter the circumstance. This joy gives us both speed and strength to achieve great things. Habakkuk 3:17-19 says, although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.

THANKSGIVING GUIDE: By faith, thank God for all He has done for you this year and for the things He is yet to do for you. Rejoice in Him for His goodness and faithfulness.

BIBLE IN A YEAR READING PLAN: Revelation 6-11

Empowered to Occupy Till He Comes...

CGMI ABOVE ONLY - End the Year Victoriously

Above Only Daily Devotional
http://cgmglobal.org/aboveonly

Friday, December 30

End the Year Victoriously

Faith Food Devotional - HUSBANDMAN

December 30

HUSBANDMAN

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." — JOHN 15:1

My Heavenly Father is the Caretaker.

He is the Protector.
He is the Shield.
He is the Sustainer.
He is the Trainer.
He is the Educator.

The Greek word translated “husbandman” involves all those shades of meaning. As the husbandman trains the branches of a vine, so God trains the branches of the Body of Christ. And remember, God is love!

Confession
"Jesus is the true vine. I am a branch. My Father is the husbandman. He is my Caretaker, my Protector, my Shield, my Sustainer, my Trainer, my Educator. I will bear much fruit!"

Open Heavens Daily Devotional - THE LORD’S SPOKESMAN

Open Heavens Manual 30 December 2016:- The Lord’s spokesman

THE LORD’S SPOKESMAN – Friday December 30^th 2016

Memorise: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 2^nd Corinthians 5:20

Read: 1^st Peter 4:10-11 (KJV)

¹⁰As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

¹¹If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Bible in one year: Numbers 7:1-83, Psalms 139:17-24

MESSAGE

The first instruction that God usually gives to any appointed spokespersons in the Bible is to be bold. Moses, Joshua, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were all enjoined to be bold and courageous to face the task ahead of them. This is simply because human beings are always rebellious to God’s commandments, this is more so with the rich, powerful and influential people in the society. Without boldness, it becomes difficult to speak against such prominent people out of fear of reprisal. However, when God surrounds your life with His presence as a mountain, you become immune to all attacks of your enemies. It is not that they won’t try; but their attempts will fail. Many believers take God’s protection for granted, because it is not physical or tangible to them, however, it is very visible to their enemies who operate in the negative spiritual realm. For so long, Satan desired to harm Job but could not, because of the protective wall he called a hedge.

“Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.”

Job 1:10

The enemy knows that areas God’s protection covers in the lives of believers. They know the areas that are exposed, and it is those exposed parts that they usually target. If you are toying with sin, you are gradually exposing yourself to the enemies. From Satan’s reply, he must have been frustrated in previous attempts to harm Job. He could touch just anybody else but Job. As long as you are inside the protective cover of the Lord, the enemies will be frustrated concerning you. They will look for every opportunity to strike at you, but finding none, they will attempt to distract you from the path of holiness into sin. If they can succeed in getting you to sin and especially get you to continue in that sin, God will withdraw, and they will take over. Ensure you remain under His cover.

Prayer point

Father, please, help me never to shed Your covering over me in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Thursday 29 December 2016

Christian Today - 6 Marriage Wreckers That Spouses Must Always Be on Guard Against

6 Marriage Wreckers That Spouses Must Always Be on Guard Against

Patrick Mabilog
Home wreckers have come under the spotlight for the last couple of years in various forms of media. Whether they are praised or ridiculed, they've certainly been getting attention.

We always blame the third party who comes into the picture meant only for two people, forgetting that it takes two to tango—or even three.

Marriages don't fall apart overnight. No spouse wakes up one morning deciding to be unfaithful, get a divorce or end a relationship altogether. When a marriage comes apart at the seams, that is only the outward manifestation of something that started rotting at the core way before that.

Marriage wreckers can come in many shapes and sizes and aren't always people. Here are six sometimes subtle but always dangerous things that spouses must always be on guard against.

1. Financial Mismanagement

A survey by Sun Trust Bank shares that 35 percent of their respondents were experiencing relationship tensions due to financial strains. While money may not always be flowing in, the way we steward it can compensate greatly. Things like transparency in expenses, talking about budgets and planning for provision together make a great difference in a marriage.

2. Complacency

A romantic relationship always starts with putting our best foot forward, only for effort and excellence to dwindle with time. If we want a relationship to thrive and grow, we need to learn to always give our spouses our best as God has always given us His best in Christ.

3. Lack of Communication

Communication is foundational in any relationship. When we fail to communicate, misunderstandings and wrong assumptions come into the picture. Just as God makes an effort to keep lines of communication constantly open between us and Him, He calls us to build communication also with our spouses.

4. Blame throwing

It's so easy to throw the blame nowadays especially since we have social media to openly accuse people and garner the sympathy of family and friends. But in a marriage, there's no one else tasked to protect your spouse from blame and accusation except yourself.

5. No Intentionality

I don't think anyone ever woke up one day with a set of six-pack abs when he had a belly the night before. It takes deliberate effort and discipline to exercise to gain muscle. Marriage is no different. If we want a marriage to grow stronger, we need to be intentional and deliberate about investing in it.

6. Dishonesty

The thing about dishonesty is that there's no such thing as a little bit of it. Dishonesty, whether with little or big things, brings so much betrayal. God thrives in the truth and desires for relationship to be that way as well. When we're honest with the little, we will be honest with the big ones as well.

Christian Life and Purpose: Bishop David Abioye Devotional - GOD IS CLOSER TO ...

Christian Life and Purpose: Bishop David Abioye Devotional - GOD IS CLOSER TO ...: GOD IS CLOSER TO US THAN THE ENEMY IS Today: 2016-12-29 …Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Matthew 28:2...

Daily Hope Devotional - You Already Have God’s Acceptance

You Already Have God’s Acceptance

BY RICK WARREN — DECEMBER 28, 2016

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9 NIV).

Most of us spend our entire lives trying to earn acceptance. We want to earn it from our parents, peers, partners in life, people we respect, and even people we envy. The desire to be accepted drives us to do all kinds of things. It can influence the kind of clothes you wear, the kind of car you drive, the kind of house you buy, even the career you choose.

Would you agree that people do the craziest things to be accepted? As a kid you wanted so badly to be in the in-crowd that someone would say to you, “I dare you to do this,” and you’d do something stupid. You did it because your desire to be accepted overruled the desire for personal safety in your life. When you played baseball as a kid and teams were chosen, remember how great it felt to be picked by the best player? Remember how bad you felt when they got down to the last two or three and you still weren’t chosen?

We love the feeling of being accepted.

Being chosen does tremendous things for your self-esteem. The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen people” (NIV). That ought to raise your self-esteem! Christ has accepted you — not based on your performance, something that you earned, or something that you deserve. God simply says, “I chose you.”

You may have accepted Jesus into your life, but have you ever realized that Christ has accepted you? You don’t have to earn it; you don’t have to prove yourself.

“Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will take care of me” (Psalm 27:10 GW). The fact is, some of you had parents whom you could never please. No matter what you did, it wasn’t good enough. If you got Cs, they wanted Bs. If you got Bs, they wanted As. If you got As, they wanted straight As.

The tragedy is that some of you today are still trying to prove yourself to your parents. You’re still trying to earn their acceptance, but in all likelihood, you’re not going to get their approval if they haven’t given it to you by now, because that’s their problem. The good news is this: You don’t need it to be happy! There are 6 billion people in the world. If two people don’t like you, who cares? As a part of God’s family, you have been accepted by God!

Talk It Over

On what do you base your self-esteem?
How does the drive to be accepted by others affect you physically? What about emotionally and spiritually?
How do you know that you have been accepted by God, just as you are?