The Ultimate Road Trip

August 29, 2016

Read: Isaiah 40:1–11 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 126–128; 1 Corinthians 10:19–33

In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Isaiah 40:3

Madagascar’s National Road 5 offers the beauty of a white sand coastline, palm forests, and the Indian Ocean. Its 125 miles of two-track road, bare rock, sand, and mud, however, have given it a reputation for being one of the worst roads in the world. Tourists looking for breathtaking views are advised to have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, an experienced driver, and an onboard mechanic.

John the Baptist came to announce the good news of the coming Messiah to those traveling on rough roads and through barren landscape. Repeating the words of the prophet Isaiah written centuries earlier, he urged curious crowds to “prepare the way for the Lord” and to “make straight paths for him” (Luke 3:4–5; Isa. 40:3)

God, we need You to do in us what we cannot do for ourselves.

John knew that if the people of Jerusalem were going to be ready to welcome their long-awaited Messiah their hearts needed to change. Mountains of religious pride would need to come down. Those in the valley of despair because of their broken lives would need to be lifted up.

Neither could be done by human effort alone. Those who refused to respond to the Spirit of God by accepting John’s baptism of repentance failed to recognize their Messiah when He came (Luke 7:29–30). Yet those who saw their need for change discovered in Jesus the goodness and wonder of God.

Father in heaven, we need You to do in us what we cannot do for ourselves. Please remove any mountain of pride or valley of despair that would keep us from welcoming You into our lives.

Repentance clears the way for our walk with God.

INSIGHT:

This passage is not a message of hope only for exiled Jews. It is for us all. Isaiah is proclaiming a universal truth: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” For Jesus’s followers, trouble, sorrow, and exile last only for a season. The hope of the Lord lasts forever.

Faith Food Devotional

August 29 DOING PHILIPPIANS 4:7,8

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. — PHILIPPIANS 4:7,8

Many people want what verse 7 talks about, but they don’t want to do what verse 6 says to do in order to get it. In order to get what verse 7 says, you have to practice verse 6, which we studied yesterday. People who worry and fret, continually think on the wrong side of life. They continually talk unbelief. If something isn’t true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report, then don’t think about it. Make it meet all these qualifications. Some things you hear may be true, but they may not be pure and lovely — so don’t think about them. To do so is to give place to the devil, who is always seeking to enter your thought life. That’s why the Bible says, “Think on these things.” Meditate and feed on the letters written to the Church. Through them, God speaks to His Church.

Confession

I do not fret or have any anxiety about anything. Therefore, the peace of God keeps my heart and mind through Christ Jesus. I think on those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report!

Monday August 29, 2016

A Watchman Of God

-EZEKIEL 3:15-21

Key Verse:

"Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me" (Ezekiel 3:17).

Prophets do not have an easy task. If they are going to be true to their calling, then they do not have any control over what they proclaim to the people. They must only declare what they have heard from the Lord, whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, to a foe or to a friend. This is the true test of the faithfulness of a prophet. God made this very plain to the prophet Ezekiel in our text today as He revealed what his mandate entails. He must speak to warn the wicked and the righteous alike so the wicked can turn away from his wicked deeds and receive pardon; and the righteous that have strayed can retrace his steps and get restored. He is not to turn a blind eye to the atrocities of the wicked nor pretend to be unconcerned when a righteous person backslides. He is also not to bother if the message would be received or not. He just must be true to the duty before him. Preachers are not to determine the state and direction of the people with their own personal thoughts and opinions. They must hear from the Lord. Preachers who do not know the Bible are serious aberrations to their calling and ought not to be in the ministry. They do not have the right to just pick and chose what they wish to preach from the Bible. They must be faithful to say all that God tells and sends them. As Christians, we must realize that it is not only the preachers that have that responsibility of being God's watchmen. We have the same calling too. We cannot afford to turn blind eyes to the wicked acts of sinners around us. Together, we watch over and help one another stay on the track. This will guarantee our collective salvation.

Thought for the day: Say all that God tells you, to all that He sends you.

Bible Reading in one Year: PSALM 51 - 60

Open Heavens 29 August 2016:- The Great Invitation

Open Heavens 29 August 2016:- The Great Invitation

THE GREAT INVITATION – Monday August 29^th 2016

Memorise: Come now, and let us reason together saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow: though they be red crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18

Read: Matthew 11:28-30, (KJV)

²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 3:6-5:13, Psalms 44:9-16

MESSAGE

There are numerous invitations we receive during the course of our lifetime, but there is an invitation that changes the life of a person permanently and that invitation is only found in Jesus. Sometimes, people can invite you to great occasions where you dine and wine with very important people in the society but that does not put an end to the trouble you are going through as an individual. You dine with them, but upon returning to your private closet, you carry your problems again. However, when you respond to the invitation of Jesus, He solves all your problems. This is why you cannot afford to respond inappropriately to this invitation. With this invitation, you come as you are. Present yourself to Him the way you are and let Him turn your life around. This is why the invitation of Jesus is the greatest of all invitations; it is also unique because He has all the power and the resources to turn any situation around. No matter how blessed an individual is, there is a limit to how many people he can help. No matter how buoyant your organisation is, there is no CEO that can employ everyone in a country. Jesus is the only employer who can pay everyone that comes under His government. There is no restriction, it is open to all. 

This invitation is to those who live under the stress and turmoil of his world. He wants to deliver them from all their troubles. There are those who have problems with their spiritual life. Jesus is available to release grace and mercy in the state of their spiritual poverty. There are people living under the bondage of emotions and religion, Jesus wants to set them free and deliver them from all their battles both within and without. There are many people who are struggling on the inside. When you see them, they appear alright but they have troubles, fears, worries, anxieties and depression. Jesus is calling you to come to Him. He wants to remove the yoke that the devil and His agents have put on you. He wants to uproot every plant that He has not planted in your life. He wants to deliver you from the burdens of this world that causes frustration and depression. However, you must submit to Him before He can be of help to you.

It does not matter how far you have gone into the world of sin, Jesus is calling you to come. There is no sinner without a future and there is no saint without a past but in Jesus everything becomes new;

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.”

2^nd Corinthians 5:17

One finds peace and rest of mind by understanding that his sins are forgiven by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross of Calvary, because where there is no shedding of blood there is no remission for sins. You can cast all your worries and anxiety on Jesus; it is part of your redemption right because all those troubles have been exchanged for peace through His death. However, you must know that the glory of God is His holiness. His dwelling is in holiness. His way is holy and the invitation to us is not an invitation to lawlessness but an invitation to holiness.

Key Point

There is no sin that is beyond the redemption at cross.

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

THE GREATEST DISCIPLINE

Bishop David Abioye

Today: 2016-08-28

The greatest discipline in life is the discipline of the tongue.

Control of tongue is control of life.

Destiny revolves around the tongue.

Just everything about man dances around his tongue.

Direct your life by directing your utterances. Jam 3:1-7

God respects just what you say. Num 14:28

You can have only what you say. Mk 11:23-24

What you say is what you see.

What you talk is what you take. Gen 1:1-31

Just everything respond to the tongue no matter how big they appear to be.

Your First Step of Discipleship

BY RICK WARREN — AUGUST 27, 2016

68

“God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love — like Christ in everything” (Ephesians 4:15 MSG).

God wants you to grow up: “We are not meant to remain as children” (Ephesians 4:14a Phillips).

Your heavenly Father’s goal for you is to mature and develop the characteristics of Jesus Christ, living a life of love and humble service. Sadly, millions of Christians grow older but never grow up. 

They’re stuck in perpetual spiritual infancy, remaining in diapers and booties. The reason is because they never intended to grow. Spiritual growth is not automatic; it takes an intentional commitment. You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow, and persist in growing.

Discipleship is the process of becoming like Christ, and it always begins with a decision:“‘Follow me and be my disciple,’ Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him”(Matthew 9:9b NLT, second edition).

When the first disciples chose to follow Jesus, they didn’t understand all the implications of their decision. They simply responded to Jesus’ invitation. 

That’s all you need to get started: Decide to become a disciple.

Talk It Over

• Think of the moment when you chose to follow Jesus. What did you understand about what it meant to be a believer?
• What are some of the characteristics of Jesus that God has been developing in you?
• How do you want God to work in your life? Take some time to pray, and ask God to grow you in these areas — and for trust and patience as he does it in his time.

Your First Step of Discipleship

BY RICK WARREN — AUGUST 27, 2016

68

“God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love — like Christ in everything” (Ephesians 4:15 MSG).

God wants you to grow up: “We are not meant to remain as children” (Ephesians 4:14a Phillips).

Your heavenly Father’s goal for you is to mature and develop the characteristics of Jesus Christ, living a life of love and humble service. Sadly, millions of Christians grow older but never grow up. 

They’re stuck in perpetual spiritual infancy, remaining in diapers and booties. The reason is because they never intended to grow. Spiritual growth is not automatic; it takes an intentional commitment. You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow, and persist in growing.

Discipleship is the process of becoming like Christ, and it always begins with a decision:“‘Follow me and be my disciple,’ Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him”(Matthew 9:9b NLT, second edition).

When the first disciples chose to follow Jesus, they didn’t understand all the implications of their decision. They simply responded to Jesus’ invitation. 

That’s all you need to get started: Decide to become a disciple.

Talk It Over

• Think of the moment when you chose to follow Jesus. What did you understand about what it meant to be a believer?
• What are some of the characteristics of Jesus that God has been developing in you?
• How do you want God to work in your life? Take some time to pray, and ask God to grow you in these areas — and for trust and patience as he does it in his time.

Naming God

August 28, 2016

Read: Genesis 16:1–13 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 123–125; 1 Corinthians 10:1–18

I have now seen the One who sees me.Genesis 16:13

In his book The God I Don’t Understand, Christopher Wright observes that an unlikely person is one of the first to give God a name. It’s Hagar!

            Hagar’s story provides a disturbingly honest look at human history. It’s been years since God told Abram and Sarai they would have a son, and Sarai has only grown older and more impatient. In order to “help” God, she resorts to a custom of the day. She gives her slave, Hagar, to her husband, and Hagar becomes pregnant.

God sees us with eyes of compassion.

            Predictably, dissension arises. Sarai mistreats Hagar, who runs away. Alone in the desert, she meets the angel of the Lord, who makes a promise strikingly similar to one God had made earlier—to Abram (see Gen. 15:5). “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count” (16:10). The angel names Hagar’s son Ishmael, which means “God hears” (v. 11). In response, this slave from a culture with multiple gods that could neither see nor hear gives God the name “You are the God who sees me” (v. 13).

“The God who sees us” is the God of impatient heroes and powerless runaways. He’s the God of the wealthy and well-connected as well as the destitute and lonely. He hears and sees and cares, achingly and deeply, for each of us.

Lord, You didn’t sugarcoat the story of Your people in the Bible and yet You loved them—as You love us—in spite of all the dirt and drama. You are the God who sees us, and yet we can still run to You.

Read about some of the names that Jesus is given. See The Amazing Names of the Messiah.

God sees us with eyes of compassion.

The Winning Life. Part 4

The Force of Patience.

Deacon Adekunle Adenuga

Hebrews 6:11-12 WNT

But we long for each of you to continue to manifest the same earnestness, with a view to your enjoying fulness of hope to the very End;
(12) so that you may not become half-hearted, but be imitators of those who through faith and patient endurance are now heirs to the promises.

Faith alone cannot inherit the promises! It takes the combination of faith and patience to inherit and obtain the promises. The Word of God has the inherent ability to perform and produce and reproduce. This ability to perform and produce and reproduce is activated by faith and boosted and sustained by patience. The fruit bearing is only possible with patience. It takes patience for faith to bear fruits.

Patience connected with faith enables you to show diligence and sincerity in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of our hope until the end. Patience teaches us to be spiritual fervent and not be sluggards.

James 1:2-4 WNT

Reckon it nothing but joy, my brethren, whenever you find yourselves hedged in by various trials.
(3) Be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance.
(4) Only let endurance have perfect results so that you may become perfect and complete, deficient in nothing.

A tested faith is a genuine faith. The genuineness of your faith is determined when it is tested. Because a genuine faith is a more precious commodity better than gold. Genuine faith has what it takes to bring praise and honour and glory to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1: 7.

When your faith is genuine, it produces an indisputable winning life for you. Authentic Christian life is a product of a tested, genuine faith. Your faith requires testing for you to be trusted. You cannot be proven and trusted until you have been tested. Luke 16: 10. And a trusted life is a patient life. Luke 12: 42-48.

It is the testing of your faith that produces patience. And when the patience is let to have its perfect work, you become perfect and complete and lacking nothing. You become complete in all things through the work of patience.

Proven character is a product of the force of patience. Romans 5: 3-4. Genuine character comes forth through the quality of your patience.

God is a God of plans and purposes. God requires your patience for the purpose of your completeness and perfection. By the force of patience, your faith is brought to perfection and maturity. The genuineness of your faith is the quality of your patience.

Patience is refusing to quit believing the Word of God. It is being steadfast and consistent on the Word of God. It is standing strong on the Word in the face of all contrary situations and circumstances. It requires the force of patience to keep winning and remain an overcomer.

James 5:7-8 WNT Be patient therefore, brethren, until the Coming of the Lord. Notice how eagerly a farmer waits for a valuable crop! He is patient over it till it has received the early and the later rain.
(8) So you also must be patient: keeping up your courage; for the Coming of the Lord is now close at hand.

The time between your planting and harvesting is patience. A time of patience is a time of continuous watering and tilling and dressing. A time of patience is a time of preparation for the harvest. It is a time to be consistent in diligence and sincerity in seeking God and His righteousness. It is a time to keep waiting on the Lord and increasing in the knowledge of God.

It takes the force of patience to bear fruit from the Word. Luke 8: 15. The force of patience will let the Word grow mightily in your life and cause it to prevail over every situations and circumstances. Be patient and stay focus. Be strong and be courageous. Do not quit on the Word. For God is able to give grace to be patient. Romans 15: 5.  

Faith Food Devotional

August 28

DOING PHILIPPIANS 4:6

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. — PHILIPPIANS 4:6 (Amplified)

A minister once came to me for advice. There were many storms in his life, and I felt sorry for him. He couldn’t eat or sleep. Just to sympathize with him wasn’t enough, so I had to read Philippians 4:6. “But everyone doesn’t have the faith you have,” he told me. “Yes, but they have the same Bible,” I replied, “and it’s a matter of practicing the Word.” Then I showed him how to practice the Word: I read a verse aloud and then told the Lord, “Your Word is true, and I believe it.” When I first started practicing this verse, I believed I could make my requests known to God, but it was hard for me to believe I could keep from fretting. However, God won’t ask us to do something we can’t do. So when God said not to fret, this means we can keep from fretting. So I say aloud, “I refuse to fret or have any anxiety about anything.” Then I bring my requests to the Lord and thank Him for them. This quiets the troubled spirit the devil tried to make me have. If the devil tries to get me to worry again, I simply go back, reread this verse, and keep claiming it.

Confession I am a doer of Philippians 4:6!

Sunday August 28, 2016

Even The Enemies Know

-2 SAMUEL 3:1-11

Key Verse:

"So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba" (2 Samuel 3:9,10).

If only we sometimes knew what is happening in the camp of the enemies concerning us, we will be less agitated and troubled. We will not be disturbed over what we may consider as their threat on our lives and God's plans and purposes for us. The enemies know full well what God has purposed concerning us and they equally know that they do not have the power to thwart or stop the hand of God on our lives. But most times, they take advantage of the ignorance of most Christians and use the tactics of fear and doubt to keep believers from getting to enjoy God's provisions. Abner knew very well that the throne belonged to David, based on the prophetic declaration and anointing on David. He however, for selfish reasons, had been backing Ishboshet, taking advantage of his weakness to perpetuate himself. But as God would have it, confusion ensued between them and Abner finally decided to get the kingdom over to David as God has promised him. We need to take note of the patience of David as regards taking over the entire kingdom following the death of Saul. Though he knew the entire kingdom was his based on God's promises to him, yet he was patient, keeping faith with God's timing and faithfulness. And eventually, the enemies tired themselves out and handed the kingdom over to David. When you know what God has spoken concerning you, you will not be agitated over the wiles and the antics of the enemies. They may take the oath on their lives to stop you from reaching God's goal, but will almost immediately tire themselves out.

Thought for the day: Satan has no power to stop the work of God in a saint's life.

Bible Reading in one Year: PSALM 44 - 50

Sunday, August 28

Don't Sit On the Fence

1Kings 18:21, Revelation 3:14-16
And Elijah came unto all the  people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. *And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; …; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are in the last days and we are in perilous times. These are not times to be lukewarm or indifferent, particularly about our relationship and walk with God. Jesus instructed
us to lift up our heads when we see evidence of the last days manifesting because our redemption is drawing near, Luke 21:25-28. As we await Jesus' return, we must remain even more fervent than ever so that we can continue to occupy till He comes.

In Mark 8:38 Jesus said, whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. The darkness of our world is an opportunity for us to shine brighter for Christ and to preach the gospel. It is not an opportunity to be lukewarm or to shy away from the responsibilities that God has given us.

Romans 12:11 says, do not be slothful in business but be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Choose not to be slothful in anything. God hates slothfulness. Rather, be diligent and fervent in every area of your life. Your time of accountability and reward is drawing nearer. Do not conceal your zeal and the abilities that God has given you. Joshua said, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. What are you saying? Not just with your words but with your heart and your actions? Make up your mind to be hot for God. Let your heart continue to yearn and burn for God. Get off the fence, if you are currently sitting on it.

PRAYER FOCUS: Tell God that you want to burn for Him even more than ever before. Receive His grace to keep occupying till He comes.

BIBLE IN A YEAR READING PLAN: EZEKIEL 9-12

Empowered to Occupy Till He Comes...

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

Today's Open Heavens 28 August 2016:- Unusual Messengers

Today's Open Heavens 28 August 2016:- Unusual Messengers

UNUSUAL MESSENGERS – Sunday August 28^th 2016

Memorise: And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 1^st Kings 17:4

Read: 1^st Kings 17:1-5, (KJV)

1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

² And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,

³ Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

⁴ And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

⁵ So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 1:1-3:5, Psalms 44:1-8

MESSAGE

Messengers are stewards often sent to speak, act, or deliver a message on behalf of their master. In addition to the angelic beings that God normally sends as messengers to speak, deliver messages, or carry our specific assignments, He also uses humans and other living or non-living beings as messengers. The purpose of God’s legitimate messengers is always to inform, enable, protect, empower, and guide the people of God. But they are sent occasionally to punish. I pray that you will never do anything to provoke divine judgment in Jesus’ name. The most prominent among God’s messengers are Prophets, humans and angelic beings. However, unusual messengers are sometimes deployed by God to carry out special assignments. 1^st Kings 17:4-6 says,

“And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there…. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook.”

In the above passage, the most unusual messengers ravens were the stewards sent to provide food for Elijah in the wilderness. Ravens are large heavily built carnivorous birds of the corvine family. God used a great fish, gourd plant, worm and a vehement east wind as unusual messengers to teach Jonah the lesson of his life in Jonah 4:6-8. He used another unusual messenger to play an important role in the story of Balaam in Numbers 22:19-35. Numbers 22:27-28 says;

“…. and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?”

The use of supernatural beings are natural elements as God’s messengers therefore underscores God as the Lord of Hosts, with the special ability to make all things work in favour of His beloved children. Therefore, give your life to Jesus today, and become one of God’s beloved. Then you can be sure that all things will begin to work together for your good according to the Word of God in Romans 8:28.

Prayer Point

Father, please command all things to work together for my good and the fulfilment of my destiny in the name of Jesus.

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

Saturday August 27, 2016

Christ And The Sabbath

- LUKE 6:1-11

Key Verse:

"And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?" (Luke 6:2).

The Jewish Talmud is an application and interpretation of the Scriptures, and is viewed by most Jews, especially orthodox Jews, as valuable instruction for daily living. Yet, a careful reading of the hundreds of pages gives us what seems to be a very curious advice regarding keeping of the Sabbath. For example, knot-tying, writing and lighting a fire is prohibited on the Sabbath day. This includes turning on light switches and starting a car because both of these are examples of lighting a fire of sorts. From the passage, the Pharisees, who made themselves more or less the custodians of the Jewish religion and traditions, confronted Christ about violating the Sabbath. They accused Him of healing the sick on the Sabbath day. And when Christ, who is the Lord of the Sabbath, said it was necessary to heal on the Sabbath since it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath day, they were infuriated and conspired against Him. Many today are blinded by the particular interpretation they receive from their religious leaders that undermine love for their neighbours and help for those who are in need. When we allow ourselves to be animated by the warped zeal for religion without knowledge, the results will do more harm than good. Some even go to the extent of killing their fellow human beings as part of their religious obligation. Christ came to liberate us from the slavery of man-made religion. We cannot be said to be truly serving God if we are shackled by so-called regulations from being a channel of blessing to others.

Thought for the day: Christian faith, not empty religion, has the capacity to truly set free.

Bible Reading in one Year: PSALM 39 - 43