Wednesday, 5 April 2017

INSIGHTS FOR LIVING - WORK THE WORD

Work The Word

The bible says we should labour to enter into rest and to fight the good fight of faith. The good fight of faith is when you hold fast your confession of faith even in the face of opposition, conflicting results or reactions. After some time you will surely enter into what is called the rest of God. This is a place where you cease from your own works. It is the point where the situation does not bother you again because you have an assurance in the word of God. You have stopped seeing the issue as a problem at this point and this is because you have moved from the labour phase to the rest phase of faith. The labour phase is where you are fighting the good fight of faith i.e. a point where it is literarily a struggle as you confess the word. From there you move into the rest phase where you cease from your own works and you find peace within.




The dynamics of this is properly demonstrated in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In the death the flesh is crucified. When you start your confession and contradicting things begin to happen or you are struggling with things, just know that the flesh is being crucified with the word of God. What is happening is that you are simply putting to death the deeds of the flesh and that is the labour phase. After a while, even though there is still no change on the outside, you move into the burial stage. This is the stage where everything becomes quiet. There is still no change on the outside but there is total peace and tranquility on the inside of you. That shows you have entered into the rest of God. You have ceased from your own works and from that point God takes over.




The bible says the kingdom of God is as if a man will cast seed into the ground. The seed is the word of God and the word cast means to forcefully put into the ground. Once the seed has entered the ground you automatically come into the place of assurance, rest and peace even without having any visible change on the outside.



 The word works if you will work the word. There is a time when you will hear the word but then the word goes through a process on the inside of you for it to eventually manifest on the outside. There is a labour phase when you are saying it and everything around you is screaming that this thing does not seem real. Your feeling and the circumstances are screaming for you to do something about it on the outside so it can change. But you have chosen to hold fast your confession without wavering. The reward for holding fast your confession is not direct manifestation but entering into the place of rest and tranquility. At that point there is an assurance and that is when the word of God has entered into you. The bible says in returning and in rest shall you be saved, in quietness and assurance shall be your strength. This means when you keep returning and practicing the principle you will enter your rest. Therefore, keep struggling and keep confessing until you enter into the rest of God.


Once you enter into the rest of God you are now at peace with yourself. This place I believe is more powerful than even the place of manifestation. That is the place that people who are in a hurry for manifestation do not get to enter into. They instead go from the place of anxiety into the place of result rather from the place of anxiety into the place of rest and from the place of rest, effortlessly, results begin to come.



 In conclusion, Jesus did nothing to raise Himself from the dead, God did that by His spirit. Always find out what the word of God says about any situation you find yourself in. Get that word on your lips until it enters into your heart and you get into a place of total tranquility, peace and assurance. From that place you have what is called the operation of the faith of God where the power of God is released and that begins to release the resurrecting power for the change of everything on the outside. This is the process of the death, burial and resurrection that the word of God goes through in order to produce results in your life. Don’t forget that what is heard and not said does not produce result. In the same way whatever is said that does not go into the heart does not bring tranquility and peace. It is after you say it that it gets into your heart. This also shows it is coming from a place of abundance from the outside and power is made manifest within your life. Therefore, when you get to that point where you find circumstances and things begin to evolve on the outside, just know that God is at work, bringing about powerful and massive things that He wants to use to create opportunities on the outside for you.
Pastor ‘Poju Oyemade

Tuesday, 4 April 2017

OUR Daily Bread - His Word the Last Word

His Word the Last Word

His Word the Last Word







Read: Psalm 63:1–11 | Bible in a Year: Ruth 1–4; Luke 8:1–25
On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 63:6–7
Dawson Trotman, a dynamic Christian leader of the mid-twentieth century and founder of The Navigators, emphasized the importance of the Bible in the life of every Christian. Trotman ended each day with a practice he called “His Word the last word.” Before going to sleep he meditated on a memorized Bible verse or passage, then prayed about its place and influence in his life. He wanted the last words he thought about each day to be God’s words.
The psalmist David wrote, “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings”  (Ps. 63:6–7). Whether we are in great difficulty or enjoying a time of peace, our last thought at night can ease our minds with the rest and comfort God gives. It may also set the tone for our first thought the next morning.
A friend and his wife conclude each day by reading aloud a Bible passage and daily devotional with their four children. They welcome questions and thoughts from each child and talk about what it means to follow Jesus at home and school. They call it their version of “His Word the last word” for each day.
What better way to end our day!
Thank You Father, for Your Word in our hearts and our minds—our last thought at night as we rest securely in You.
Do you have a favorite verse you have committed to memory? Share it on Facebook.com/ourdailybread.

The Spirit of God renews our minds when we meditate on the Word of God.
INSIGHT:
Psalm 63 can encourage us as we reflect on how the psalmist David brought his struggles to God. First, he expressed his thirst for the living God as being like a thirsty man yearning for life-giving water (vv. 1–2). Second, he observed God’s glory in the sanctuary and compared it to eating and being satisfied by delicious and nourishing food (vv. 3–5). Third, even when he was on his bed at night, he meditated on his Creator and Savior and felt the closeness of God’s love (vv. 6–8). Fourth, he trusted God for protection when he encountered real-life enemies (vv. 9–10). Finally, the psalmist admitted that his power didn’t come from his regal position. Instead, it was rooted in the living God who brings joy to the heart and glory to His name (v. 11).
What can we learn from David’s example? Why not spend some time today reflecting on the character of God.

CGMG ABOVE ONLY - What Is In Your Heart?


What Is In Your Heart?
 
TUESDAY
APR. 4
  

Deuteronomy 8:2&16 (NIV)Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. *He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.

Author PhotoOne thing God endeavored to do as He led the children of Israel through the wilderness was to determine the state of their hearts and how they would respond to their experiences and His instructions. Our attitude in both the good and the trying times that we face reveals the state of our hearts. By attitude, I mean the way you think and the way you respond. Do you think and respond the way God's Word directs us to? Your attitude to the Word of God also reveals the state of your heart.

Hebrews 4:12 in the NIV says, for the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. In both your good and your trying times, will you resist or respond to what God's Word directs you to do? Several scriptures such as Ezekiel 11:19 and Ezekiel 36:25-27 reveal how much God wants to replace our stony or stubborn hearts with a heart of flesh; a heart that is willing and yielded to Him. A heart of flesh longs to please God and do His will; it loves what God loves and hates what He hates.

If you have not responded appropriately in the past, don't be discouraged. Remain motivated to yield yourself to God's Word and Spirit so that God can transform you and give you a heart that is truly yielded to Him. Study and meditate more on God's Word. Pray and yield yourself more to His Spirit.

PRAYER FOCUS:
 Ask God to transform your heart more and more by His Word and by His Spirit.
      BIBLE IN ONE YEAR READING:  JUDGES 13-15   Empowered to do Exploits... - See more at: http://www.cgmglobal.org/aboveonly/index.php#sthash.MLp8Up6K.dpuf

DCLM DAILY MANNA - NEVER DESPAIR!

TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017

NEVER DESPAIR!

-JOB 30:1-14

KEY VERSE:

"They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face" (Job 30:10).




One of the noblest of human vocations is providing encouragement to others. It is easy to laugh at men’s ideals and pour cold water on their enthusiasm. But, Christians have a duty to encourage one another. Many a time, a word of praise or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Today’s text begins with a melancholy: "But now…". This was Job, overwhelmed by sorrow resulting from a sudden fall into horror, into the valley of ridicule and derision from the height of honour and reputation. He was cast down and depressed. It is then clear that the best of saints like Job, have sometimes received the worst of injuries from the devil. Christians should therefore not think it strange when they go through trials because our Master (Jesus) enjoyed no immunity from it (1 Peter 4:12-16). Our duty towards others at such a time of despair is consolation and encouragement. However, in the case of Job, his best friends turned critical against him. They added to his sorrow and complicated his problems by their miserable counsels! But, like David, he encouraged himself in the Lord and held on to his integrity. Prosperity and honour may fade away but a man of dignity with integrity holding onto Christ will rejoice in the end. Believers are admonished not to put their confidence in prosperity or be carried away by popular applause of men. Those who cry hosanna today without Christ may tomorrow cry crucify him! You should not be cast down when you face trials or become an object of ridicule because of the gospel. Never give up. "If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small" (Proverbs 24:10). Whatever the degree of despair, learn never to submit to failure or to any negative situation.
Thought for the day: When down with nothing, God is up to something.
Bible Reading in one Year: DEUTERONOMY 4-6

Faith Food Devotional - THE WORKS THAT I DO

April 4

THE WORKS THAT I DO

"Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he [Jesus] went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? . . ." — LUKE 8:22-25

John Alexander Dowie was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and moved to Australia as a young man. In 1875, while Dowie was pastoring a Congregational church in Newton, Australia, a terrible plague swept through that part of the country. It was during this plague that Dowie first received light on divine healing and the authority that believers possess. I read that Dowie once said, “I have crossed the ocean fourteen times by ship. During those fourteen crossings, many storms arose. But every time a storm came up, I always did like Jesus did: I rebuked that storm. And every single one ceased.” Dowie knew that Jesus had said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also . . . .” Dowie knew that he was linked up with God. You and I are linked up with God just as much as Dowie or anyone else ever was.

Confession: I believe on Jesus. The works that Jesus did on the earth, I can do. Jesus said I could, so I can.

Open HEAVENS Devotional - CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW COVENANT III

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW COVENANT III – Tuesday April 4th2017

Memorise: He saith into them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. Matthew 19:8
Read: Matthew 5:31-32 (KJV)
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Bible in one year: Leviticus 8-9, Jeremiah 7:8-26, Hymn: Sing hymn 9
 MESSAGE:
The paradigm shifts introduced by the Lord Jesus Christ ever since He came to reveal the perfect will of the Father to us are indeed numerous. One of these is in the area of divorce and remarriage. The Jewish leaders hated the teachings of Jesus and the change He came to introduce; for this reason, they wanted him dead fast! Indeed, no man ever spoke like Jesus did. The amazing thing is that these leaders believed they were doing the will of God by killing Him. John 11:49-50 says,

“And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.”

Just like these Jewish leaders of yesteryears, some church leaders and pastors today try to justify their error in the area of divorce and remarriage, thinking that they are doing what is expedient for themselves or for the parties concerned. In our Bible reading for today, in opposition to the accepted standard of His time, Jesus revealed the perfect will of God concerning this. Hear what He said:

“But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”
Matthew 5:32

In Matthew 19:3-10, when Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees on the issue of divorce as applied from the time of Moses, they were shocked to learn His standpoint on this matter. Jesus revealed to them that they had been living under the permissive will of God in this area (Matthew 19:8), and He also reinforced what He had already said about divorce and remarriage in His Sermon on the Mount. Just as so many people are perplexed by this teaching today, even the disciples of Jesus were also perplexed by it (Matthew 19:10). However, that is the verdict of the new covenant. We have to accept the standard the Master has set and walk in it. Whoever has ears, let them hear what Jesus Christ is saying to those who want to enjoy the provision of the new covenant in His Blood.

Prayer Point
Father, help me to meet up to the standard of the requirements of the new covenant, and bless me through it, in Jesus Name.
Open Heaven Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Monday, 3 April 2017

DCLM DAILY MANNA - POWER OF INFLUENCE

MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017

POWER OF INFLUENCE

-2 CHRONICLES 24:1-14

KEY VERSE:

"And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house o







Someone said: "Whenever you hear of a man doing a great thing, you may be sure that behind it somewhere is a great background. It may be a mother’s training, a father’s example, a teacher’s influence, or an intense experience of his own. But it has to be there or else the great achievement does not come, no matter how favourable the opportunity." How true this is especially for spiritual leaders! They must influence worshippers and people who have had personal encounters with God. Jehoiada, the priest, had great positive influence on the young king Joash, in doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord. The single-mindedness and dogged determination of king Joash in ensuring that the task of repairing the temple was accomplished, must be the outcome of the impact of Jehoiada on his life. He encouraged him in the act of teamwork. The church today needs visionary and committed leaders like this priest who would painstakingly lead members to fulfill their necessary responsibilities. As good as delegation of duty is in secular and in spiritual administration, leaders must still remember not to abdicate their responsibilities, but to impact others by exemplary lifestyle. The overwhelming response of all families in Judah is a proof that God’s work will never lack God’s resources. It is unscriptural to solicit financial assistance for the execution of God’s project from the ungodly. If Christians will be faithful in paying their tithes, the church would be richer. Moreso, givers never lack. However, members in the local assemblies should be motivated to faithfully, cheerfully and bountifully give their offerings to raising befitting church buildings and other needful gospel-related physical projects. He who "soweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully".
Thought for the day: Physical temple dignifies God; but spiritual ones please Him more.
Bible Reading in one Year: DEUTERONOMY 1-3

Our Daily Bread - A Heart of Compassion

A Heart of Compassion

A Heart of Compassion






Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12
Seven of us were attending a musical production at a crowded amusement park. Wanting to sit together, we tried to squeeze into one row. But as we did, a woman rushed between us. My wife mentioned to her that we wanted to stay together, but the woman quickly said, “Too bad,” as she and her two companions pushed on into the row.
As three of us sat one row behind the other four, my wife, Sue, noticed that the woman had an adult with her who appeared to have special needs. She had been trying to keep her little group together so she could take care of her friend. Suddenly, our irritation faded. Sue said, “Imagine how tough things are for her in a crowded place like this.” Yes, perhaps the woman did respond rudely. But we could respond with compassion rather than anger.
Wherever we go, we will encounter people who need compassion. Perhaps these words from the apostle Paul can help us view everyone around us in a different light—as people who need the gentle touch of grace. “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col. 3:12). He also suggests that we “bear with each other and forgive one another” (v. 13).
As we show compassion, we will be pointing others to the One who poured out His heart of grace and compassion on us. 
Your compassions never fail, Father. May we mirror Your heart by showing compassion to others.
Compassion is understanding the troubles of others.
INSIGHT:
Compassion is not just feeling pity for a needy person; our emotions must move us to relieve the misery of that person. The apostle Paul calls us to “be kind and compassionate to one another” (Eph. 4:32) and “to follow God’s example” (5:1). Jesus commands us to be “compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate” (Luke 6:36 nlt). In one of the greatest self-revelations in the Bible, God described Himself as “the compassionate and gracious God” (Ex. 34:6). We echo with the apostle James, “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:11).
Imagine a world without compassion. What would it be like? How is showing compassion essential for God’s children?

Faith Food Devotional - BECAUSE I GO

April 3

BECAUSE I GO

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." — JOHN 14:12

Dr. John Alexander Dowie (1847-1907) was used by God to reintroduce divine healing to the modern Church. Dr. P. C. Nelson, founder of Southwestern Assemblies of God College, said, “You can’t follow Dowie’s doctrine, but you can follow his faith.” I heard Dr. Nelson tell about how when he himself was a young Baptist minister, he saw Dowie minister to a woman with a purplish-blue cancerous growth that covered most of her face. Nelson said, “I saw Dowie, in the presence of us six denominational ministers and three medical doctors, just reach out and take hold of that cancer, saying, ‘In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ!’ — and then strip it off that woman’s face. The doctors present examined her immediately, and said the skin on her face was like the skin of a newborn baby.” The reason Jesus gave, was so those who believe on Him would be able to do the works He did, “because He did go unto His Father.” It’s because of Jesus’ seating at the right hand of the Father on High in the place of authority that believers can do these same works.

Confession: I believe on Jesus. Because Jesus went to His Father and mine, and is seated at the right hand of Majesty on High — and I am seated with him—I can do the works of my father in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional - CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW COVENANT II

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW COVENANT II – Monday April 3rd 2017

Memorise: And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members shall perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Matthew 5:29
Read: Matthew 5:27-30 (KJV)
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

 Bible in one year: Leviticus 6-7, Jeremiah 6:22-7:7, Hynm: Sing hymn 9
MESSAGE:
Under the old covenant that God had with the children of Israel, a person was not guilty of sexual immorality, like fornication or adultery, until they performed the act. This was the basis of the poser thrown at Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees inJohn 8:4-5:

“They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?”

What they failed to realise was that Jesus came to establish a new covenant with mankind and not to perpetuate the old. Under the new covenant, Jesus made it clear that it is not until you sleep with someone other than your spouse that you are guilty of sexual immorality. Rather, in Matthew 5:28, He said thus:

“… Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

This is food for thought for us who live in such times as this, where nudity and lust are glorified and glamorised by the world. This however should not be the case in the Church of Jesus Christ. When we promote the lust of the eye by allowing nudity in the Church, we expose members to sexual immorality, even if they do not actually carry out the act. A member of the choir who dresses seductively to lead praises and worship songs will not lead the congregation into the presences of God; rather, he or she will leave the congregation worse off than they were before coming to church. This is not a question of being legalistic; it is a matter of divine principle as put forth by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. We should remember that God can only be worshipped in spirit, because He is a Spirit. When we then, in the name of liberty, promote adultery and fornication through lust, are we operating in the same Spirit as the Almighty God we claimed to worship? Hear the recommendation of the Lord Christ in Matthew 5:29:

“And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”

Based on the standard laid out in this recommendation, if a member of the Body of Christ conducts himself or herself in a way that exposes the people of God to committing sexual immorality through lust, such a fellow should be corrected in love and warned to desist. Further appropriate spiritual sanctions can be applied if the fellow does not heed this warning. Are you in any way living in sexual immorality? Repent and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to save you! 
Prayer Point
Father, restrain me from becoming a stumbling block to my fellow believers in all that I do.
Open Heaven Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye,