Faith Food Devotional - TO USWARD

March 30

TO USWARD

"Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward . . . ." — PSALM 40:5

Did you notice this phrase in Ephesians 1:19, “. . . the exceeding greatness greatness of his power to usward who believe . . .”? All the demonstration of the glory of God shown in the manifestation of His omnipotence pointed to man — “to usward.” The Cross of Christ — with what is revealed of obedience to God, atonement for sin, and crushing defeat for the enemies of divine authority — shows us a representative Man. Christ was our Representative, our Substitute — overcoming for mankind and preparing a throne and a heavenly ministry for those who should overcome through Him. Therefore, the source of our authority is found in the resurrestion and seating of Christ by God. In the Book of Ephesians, we learn that God wants the Church to gain revelation knowledge of all that this means to us.

Confession: I am a believer. I am receiving the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. The eyes of my understanding are being enlightened that I may know what is the exceeding greatness of God’s power to usward who believe!

Open HEAVENS Devotional - SEASON OF DOMINION

SEASON OF DOMINION – Thursday March 30th 2017

SEASON OF DOMINION – Thursday March 30^th 2017

Memorise: He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Psalm 72:8

Read: Psalm 72:4-9 (King James Version)

⁴ He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

⁵ They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

⁶ He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

⁷ In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

⁸ He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

⁹ They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

Bible in one year: 37-38, Jeremiah 4:19-31, Hymn: Sing hymn 4

MESSAGE:

Beyond fruitfulness, part of the first mandates of God to mankind is to subdue and have dominion over all creatures He has made. Genesis 1:28 says,

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

To dominate is to be in charge or to take control. If God did not want you to take charge, He would not have mandated you to dominate. By the time God stepped into the appalling slavery situation of the Israelites, Pharaoh, who was once in control, became the one begging for help (Exodus 12:30-32). He even asked Moses to pray for him. In that situation where you have been the underdog, God is turning things around and putting you in charge in Jesus’ Name. It is now time for you to suppress your oppressors and tormentors, and to subdue under your feet those who had earlier taken you captive. I command the tables to turn for your good today in Jesus’ Name!

Meanwhile, it is good to know that since God has once turned around the situation of the oppressed, He can do it again. Even if nobody has ever had dominion before in your family, it will start with you. Fear not! In Joshua 10:12-14, while fighting the Amorites, the sun was about to set when Joshua interrupted it. The problem is that most of us run from the enemy rather than confront him. David did not run away from the lion, the bear or even Goliath. Rather, he confronted and fought against them all. In January of a particular year, I went to preach in Denver, Colorado. At that time it was very cold, and I don’t like it cold. Maybe that is partly why God made me a Nigerian. I prefer the Nigerian weather. On receiving the invitation, I asked my Daddy if I should go, and He said yes. I asked Him, “What are we going to do about the cold?” God then assured me that He would go with me.  From the first day I arrived until the day I left, people were wearing T-shirt because summer replaced winter. To know that this was not just a coincidence, within two hours after my plane took off at 5pm, more than 10cm of snow fell. You too can tap into God’s mandate to dominate situations and circumstances around you from today. You will dominate sin, your passions, your body and your finances from today in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point

Father, because it is my season of dominion, please arise and subdue all contrary forces working against me.

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

CGMG ABOVE ONLY - Reigning in Righteousness

Reigning in Righteousness

WEDNESDAY        MAR.29

Romans 5:16-17 (GNB) 
And there is a difference between God's gift and the sin of one man. After the one sin, came the judgment of "Guilty"; but after so many sins, comes the undeserved gift of "Not guilty!" It is true that through the sin of one man death began to rule because of that one man. But how much greater is the result of what was done by the one man, Jesus Christ! All who receive God's abundant grace and are freely put right with him will rule in life through Christ.

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Revelation 5:10 says, Jesus has made us kings and priests and we shall reign on this earth. In Hebrews 1:8, the Bible says, “…a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.” This means that the instrument of authority in the kingdom of God is righteousness. The extent to which you rule and reign both in life and in the Kingdom of God are greatly dependent on the extent of your revelation of God's grace and the gift of righteousness that God has given you in Christ. Because you have accepted Christ, guilt and sin no longer have the power to enslave you. In fact, you should be ruling as a king. In Hebrew 8:12 and Hebrews 10:17, God reminds us that He will no longer remember our sins and so, you also ought not to remember them anymore. What God remembers is what Christ has done for you and He treats us based solely on that.

By His mercy and love, God has made provision for us in Christ (1John 2:1) to receive His love and forgiveness and to also receive His cleansing and purification from every trace of unrighteousness 'if' we fall into sin, 1John 1:9. God does not want sin to be found in us because sin is no more our lifestyle. The more we awake to God's righteousness that is in us, the more we will walk in it and live above sin, 1Cor.15:34. Being awake to God's righteousness produces a level of divine boldness in you. You will be strong to stand against the devil, sin and everything that opposes God's will for your life. You will be confident that God is for you and so no one and nothing can be against you, Rom.8:31-32. You will be above condemnation, you will walk in dominion and you will reign in life

FAITH DECLARATION: I am increasing in the revelation of God's righteousness that is in me and I am reigning in life.

      BIBLE IN ONE YEAR READING PLAN:  JOSHUA 22-24   Empowered to do Exploits... - See more at: http://www.cgmglobal.org/aboveonly/index.php#sthash.SMSZssPC.dpuf

Our Daily Bread - Trial by Fire

Trial by Fire

March 29, 2017

Read: James 1:1–12 | Bible in a Year: Judges 7–8; Luke 5:1–16

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Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life.  James 1:12

Last winter while visiting a natural history museum in Colorado, I learned some remarkable facts about the aspen tree. An entire grove of slender, white-trunked aspens can grow from a single seed and share the same root system. These root systems can exist for thousands of years whether or not they produce trees. They sleep underground, waiting for fire, flood, or avalanche to clear a space for them in the shady forest. After a natural disaster has cleared the land, aspen roots can sense the sun at last. The roots send up saplings, which become trees.

For aspens, new growth is made possible by the devastation of a natural disaster. James writes that our growth in faith is also made possible by difficulties. “Consider it pure joy,” he writes, “whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2–4).

Trials and tests can draw us closer to Christ.

It’s difficult to be joyful during trials, but we can take hope from the fact that God will use difficult circumstances to help us reach maturity. Like aspen trees, faith can grow in times of trial when difficulty clears space in our hearts for the light of God to touch us.

Thank You, God, for being with us in our trials, and for helping us to grow through difficult circumstances.

Trials and tests can draw us closer to Christ.

INSIGHT:

James says trials will reveal whether our faith is genuine (James 1:3), and will strengthen and mature us (v. 4). The apostle Paul also believed that suffering is beneficial. He said, “we can rejoice . . . when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment” (Rom. 5:3–5 nlt). Read James 1:12 and consider what’s in store for those who endure testing through faith in Jesus.

DCLM DAILY MANNA - LOVE OF GOD’S LAW

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

LOVE OF GOD’S LAW

-PSALM 119:97-104

KEY VERSE:

"O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97).

It is wonderful to have people who really love the Lord and commit the whole of their lives to serve Him. It is however more wonderful to have people who serve the Lord even in the face of great trials and afflictions. Charles Wesley Naylor, born in Athens County, Ohio in January 1874 was a man moulded in the above description. In spite of many challenges he faced, he served the Lord with an unabated love, zeal and passion. His story is one outstanding example of how a stalwart personality can achieve happiness, success and usefulness in spite of the handicap of a pitifully afflicted and broken body which lasted for more than 42 years. The eight verses of our choice of meditation today aptly befit a life given to the study and love of the word of God. The knowledge of the word of God gives wisdom and an understanding above the cunning and craftiness of worldly allurement. The disciples of Christ sat at His feet to feast on the Word. They became better skilled than the doctors of divinity. The best way to find the wondrous things of life is to study the Word in prayers which will make it possible for Christ to speak to us through the Holy Spirit. We become more blessed and wiser when we meditate on the word of God every day. Keeping the laws of God keeps us away from all evils. The instructions derived from the holy Scriptures make us useful in every realm of life; they also make us superior and unrivaled in our every day commitment and endeavours.

Thought for the day: Reading the Bible keeps you away from all evils.

Bible Reading in one Year: AMOS 6-9

Open HEAVENS Devotional - THE MIX

THE MIX – Wednesday March 29th 2017

THE MIX – Wednesday March 29^th 2017

Memorise: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: John 10:27

Read: Matthew 25:31-46(King James Version)

³¹ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

³² And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

³³ And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

³⁴ Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

³⁵ For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

³⁶ Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

³⁷ Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

³⁸ When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

³⁹ Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

⁴⁰ And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

⁴¹ Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

⁴² For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

⁴³ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

⁴⁴ Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

⁴⁵ Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

⁴⁶ And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Bible in one year: Exodus 35-36, Jeremiah 4:3-18, Hymn: Sing hymn 6

MESSAGE:

“But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Matthew 10:6

The Lord deliberately refers to His own as “sheep”. He affectionately calls them “My sheep”. From the about scripture, we can see that even when He is referring to sinners or those yet to be saved, He calls them the “lost sheep”. The Lord’s parable in Luke 15:3-7 makes it clear that His sheep can get lost. It also illustrates that the shepherd goes looking for the lost sheep until they are found. This means it is possible for sheep to go astray, but when the shepherd goes searching for them, he finds them and brings them back to the fold. In John 21:15-17, in His post-resurrection appearance to Peter, Jesus repeatedly asked to him to feed His sheep and His lambs. A lamb is a baby sheep. Jesus does not pastor goats but sheep. He never said, “Feed my goats.” Never! This is why I tell my children not to call themselves “Pastor’s kids”, because kids are offspring of goats and rams. God has no place for goats.

However, in our Bible reading today, you will observe that the sheep and the goats got mixed up together. This is so because wherever the sheep gather, goats would subtly infiltrate their fold (Matthew 13:24-30). This is why some people are heading for Heaven while some others are heading for Hell in the Church. The final separation will take place on the last day. God allows the goats to coexist with the sheep, but on the last day, He will separate them: the sheep will be on His right hand, while the goats will be on the left. He will address them separately and send them to their separate eternal destinations. This is very serious! Furthermore, this co-existence of sheep and goats gives room for pretence. That means the fellow sitting next to you might be a goat pretending to be a sheep. You also might be a goat pretending to be a sheep. This calls for self examination. Jesus gave the criteria for discerning a goat from a sheep in John 10:27. He said:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”

Do you pass the test of hearing His voice and following in His footsteps? Does He know you? I was telling one of my sons recently how my father in the Lord use to ask me to pray for patience. In those days, when I saw someone not fully complying with what we were taught, I would go to Papa, compelling him to do something about it. He would just ask me to pray for more patience. Today, I understand better. God allows goats and sheep to coexist. Are you a goat or a sheep?

Action Point:

Use the criteria set by Jesus in John 10:27 to judge yourself to whether you are His sheep. If you have strayed from the fold, return to His loving arms and surrender your life to Him.

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

Faith Food Devotional - RESURRECTION POWER

March 29

RESURRECTION POWER

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection . . . ." - PHILIPPIANS 3:10

Paul was actually praying in Ephesians that the Church would receive revelation knowledge of spiritual things. If you’ve been praying the Ephesian prayers for yourself, as I’ve suggested, you know that Paul wanted the believers at Ephesus to know: “. . . the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Eph. 1:19-21). There was such a manifestation of the divine omnipotence of God’s power in raising Jesus from the dead that it is actually the mightiest working of God! And God wants us to know what happened when this occurred.

The resurrection was opposed by all the tremendous powers of the air. These evil forces endeavored to defeat the plan of God. But these powers were overthrown by our Lord Jesus Christ, and He has been enthroned far above them, ruling with the authority of the Most High. Thus, the source of our authority is found in this resurrection and seating of Christ by God.

Confession: The Power that raised Jesus from the dead is the Corporation behind the authority!

CGMG ABOVE ONLY - The Two Sides of the Cross

The Two Sides of the Cross

TUESDAY MAR. 28

Matthew 27:46 (GNB), 2Cor 5:21 (GNB) At about three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why did you abandon me?"*Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.

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Two things that should come to your mind when you think of the Cross of Christ are how much God hates sin and how much God loves you. Because God hates sin, it had to be punished and its nature had to be destroyed. Because God loves you, He sent Jesus to take the punishment of sin for you and destroy the nature of sin from your life.
Jesus came to save you from sin and bondage of the devil and to restore you as God's righteous child. Although God's grace is free, it was very expensive. Jesus paid for it by shedding His own blood. He did this to save and deliver us from both the punishment and power of sin. On the Cross, God made Jesus sin so that you and I might freely become His righteousness in Christ, 2Cor.5:21.

We must always remember that God's gift of righteousness is not a license for us to continue living in sin. Sin is evil and it is dangerous that is why Jesus came to save us from it. Deliberately living in sin will destroy our lives. God's gift of righteousness gives us the power and the will to be free from sin and to live above sin. Anyone who hears the true message of God's grace in Christ can never love sin or want to continue in sin.
Our understanding and appreciation of the free gift of God's grace produces a strong hatred for sin and passion for living out the new, righteous life that Jesus suffered and died to purchase for us. Our appreciation and understanding of God's grace causes us to love Him more and live our lives to honour and please Him. Understanding God's grace empowers us to love and live for Him.

PRAYER FOCUS: Tell God how much you appreciate the love and grace He showed you in Christ and tell Him how much you love Him and desire to please Him.

      BIBLE IN ONE YEAR READING:  JOSHUA 19-21   Empowered to do Exploits...     - See more at: http://www.cgmglobal.org/aboveonly/index.php#sthash.4aBFI946.dpuf

Our Daily Bread - Bearing Good Fruit

Bearing Good Fruit

March 28, 2017

Read: Psalm 1:1–3 | Bible in a Year: Judges 4–6; Luke 4:31–44

 
 
 
 

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That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season. Psalm 1:3

The view from my airplane window was striking: a narrow ribbon of ripening wheat fields and orchards wending between two barren mountains. Running through the valley was a river—life-giving water, without which there would be no fruit.

Just as a bountiful harvest depends on a source of clean water, the quality of the “fruit” in my life—my words, actions, and attitude—depends on my spiritual nourishment. The psalmist describes this in Psalm 1: The person “whose delight is in the law of the Lord . . . is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season” (vv. 1–3). And Paul writes in Galatians 5 that those who walk in step with the Spirit are marked by “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (vv. 22–23).

God’s Spirit lives in His people, in order to work through them.

Sometimes my perspective on my circumstances turns sour, or my actions and words become persistently unkind. There is no good fruit, and I realize I haven’t spent time being quiet before the words of my God. But when the rhythm of my days is rooted in reliance on Him, I bear good fruit. Patience and gentleness characterize my interactions with others; it’s easier to choose gratitude over complaint.  

The God who has revealed Himself to us is our source of strength, wisdom, joy, understanding, and peace (Ps. 119:28, 98, 111, 144, 165). As we steep our souls in the words that point us to Him, the work of God’s Spirit will be evident in our lives.

God’s Spirit lives in His people, in order to work through them.

INSIGHT:

This pictorial psalm with its word imagery is a suitable introduction for the entire library of prayer, praise, and reflection we know as the book of Psalms. In contrast to “the world” is the believer’s joy and pursuit of gleaning gems of spiritual truth in the Word of God. The law of the Lord is his object of meditation. The Hebrew word for meditate means to “digest over and over again like a cow who chews its cud.” This is a spiritual preoccupation that draws the believer to the Word both day and night (v. 2). The analogy of a “tree planted by streams of water” (v. 3) pictures for us the life-giving water and nutrients of the soil that cause plant life to flourish. The result of a life so rooted in the Word is the overflow of fruitfulness.

DCLM DAILY MANNA - HIS KINGDOM

TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017

HIS KINGDOM

-LUKE 17:20-37

KEY VERSE:

"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke

Children of God begin to experience the kingdom of God within, when they surrender to Jesus. When we become genuinely born again, we start to enjoy untold spiritual blessings made available to us through the Spirit of God. The Jews expected the kingdom of God to supersede the Roman kingdom of their own time. God’s kingdom is universal and greater than the myopic concept of the Jews. Jesus was on a journey to Jerusalem passing through Samaria and Galilee and in one of their villages, there met Him ten Lepers whom He cured. Only one of them returned to show his gratitude. It was in this process that the Pharisees asked Him matters concerning the kingdom of God. This led our Lord to unfold the nature of the Kingdom’s advent. His Kingdom is not of this world but in men’s hearts. The Pharisees were looking forward to a time when Israel would get their own self-government. He answered them to the contrary, that the Kingdom would not come by observation. The working of God’s plan is different from the egocentric view of men. We must first know the nature and components of God’s kingdom before we begin to look forward to its coming. God must need wipe away all corruption and evils from both hearts of men and the world before His Kingdom will come. Our Lord Jesus Christ is certainly coming back again to this earth to reign gloriously. His coming will be sudden and will take the world by surprise. The world will be moving on in its trade and worldly amusements when the Son of man will come. This was why He cautioned us to remember Lot’s wife. We are not to look for blessings in things that are fading away but to the kingdom of God that brings peace and blessings and which abideth forever.

Thought for the day: He who is ruled by Kingdom values, will reign with Christ eternally.

Bible Reading in one Year: AMOS 1-5