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Open Heavens: Divine Alternative by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Memorise:
And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the
kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. 1st Samuel 15:28

Read: Acts 1:15-26,
15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Bible in one year:
1st Samuel 3-5,
Proverbs 3:13-27

Message:
Many people do not know that God has alternatives for all His plans. This is why they behave as if God exists at their mercy. Such people cannot be more wrong in their perception of the Almighty God. The truth is that God cannot be held to ransom on any issue or event. This is why He always provides alternatives that are more often better than the original plan. Our memory verse for today confirms this, as we read about how God saw David as a better alternative to the first king of Israel, Saul. When a child of God becomes swollen-headed and he begins to disobey God in matters that seem very little like tithing and offering, first fruits and soul winning, he or she is on the way to being replaced. My prayer for someone using this devotional is that you will not be replaced in the scheme of divine projects in Jesus’ name.

In the Bible reading for today, there is a great revelation of God’s foreknowledge of all things and how this attribute makes Him provide alternatives beforehand. The replacement of Judas Iscariot was predicted by the mouth of King David who was also a prophet in his right. The implication of this revelation is that before Judas Iscariot chose to be a betrayer which in turn disqualified him among the twelve, God had planned an alternative for him! Another lesson we can learn from this as children of God is that whenever a way seems blocked, God has more than a thousand alternative ways to replace the blocked one. The Bible says:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28

Beloved, learning from the story of King Saul and Judas Iscariot, we must be very careful about the way we lead our lives, so that what happened to them does not repeat itself in our lives, 1st Corinthians 10:6 says;

“Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.”
As I was growing up in my father’s house, I leant to be obedient through the experience of my elder brother with our disciplinarian father. My elder brother was a very strong young man with a good physique, strength and wresting prowess. Only a few young men among his contemporaries could dare challenge him to a fight. However, the day our father disciplined my elder brother and this so called ‘hero’ cried like a baby, I decided never to do anything that would make our father think of punishing me. God has alternatives to any child of His that is not law-abiding. Let us therefore beware of doing things that will make God replace us with someone else.

Prayer Point
Father, help me never to do that which will make You replace me in Your Kingdom.

My Shining City of Light by Deborah Waldron Fry

When your outlook is dark, Beloved, let your thoughts rise to My Shining City of Light. There is no need for the sun, for the Glory of the Son shines upon you, day and night. Heaven is your real home, My Child. I know you are homesick at times.

Here is Truth. You are not of this world although you are in it, Dear One. Your home is where your heart is. Your heart is with Me. My Spirit dwells there. I in you and you in Me. You are seated with Me in heavenly places at the Right Hand of Majesty.

This life on earth is only a vapor compared to eternity. Those who are born again shall be with Me forevermore. There will be no more sorrow or pain or crying for I will wipe every tear from your eyes. Rejoice today Beloved. Let not your heart be troubled. My Face is always shining upon you. Soon, I shall rescue you from this earth.

We shall see each other face to Face. Then the sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting Light, and your God will be your Glory.

John 17:15 "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth."

Ephesians 2:5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await our Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 14:20 On that day you will realize that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.
Song of Solomon 6:10 Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession?

Revelation 1:16 And His face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
Revelation 22:4 They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

Numbers 6:24The LORD bless you, and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; 26The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.

Unlimited Expansion by Bishop Wale oke

The Power and The Spirit by Prophet Uebert angel

Procrastination: Our Underestimated Enemy by Pastor Ken Martin

Impersonation Of Famous Preachers by Pastor Brodrick Rice

Open Heavens: 'Lord Jesus' A Mere Slogan by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Memorise:
Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven.
Matthew 7:21

Read: Luke 6:43-46,
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Bible in one year:
1st Samuel 2,
Proverbs 2:12-3:12

Message:
There are those who know God and there are those who claim to know Him, but do not submit to His Lordship. They come to the presence of God, but their sins do not allow His glory to rub off on them. They are religious in nature and partake in every ritual of the church but it is only for the benefits of being seen as members of the community of saints. They depend on their own righteousness and not the grace of God. They read the scriptures but the scriptures do not reflect in the way they live. They understand all the letters of the commandments but there is no life in their spirit. Their hypocritical nature draws people away from Christ. Do you know God, or you are only claiming to know Him? Is your life in harmony with the message you preach? It is the conduct of your life that will be used in justifying whether you know Him or not. As a tree in the vineyard of God, are you producing good fruits or bad fruits. Is your life a good example whose life does not conform to the requirements of the master cannot enter into the kingdom of God. When you hear the Word of God, do you obey it? Are you motivated by the love to obey Him? One cannot claim to love Jesus and not be willing to abide by His standards. There is no other foundation upon which one’s life can be fruitful eternally outside Jesus. It is not enough to know what is in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation; what is required of us is to live by the Truth in His Word.

The people who are blessed are those who do not have a life style of sin, because true joy comes from doing the will of God. You are to be defined by your desire to do that which is pleasing to God at all times. Your mind should be focused always on godly things. Let Jesus be your source of life so that you can truly live. The faith of a child of God is continually nourished by the Word of God. When you hear the Word of God, it should produce faith in you, and faith should compel you to do what is acceptable before Him. For those who know Him as Lord Jesus, they are blessed. If He is your Lord, there is no room for pride and arrogance in your life. You must empty yourself of self-reliance and submit to His Lordship. The one that is humble will always look to Jesus and place all of his inadequacies before the Cross. Your nature as a Christian who is under the ruler-ship of Jesus must change for good; the focus is no longer on self. If Jesus is Lord over your life, you cannot seek the downfall of others. There will be no room in your heart for evil motives because your heart now reflects the pure nature of God. No room for hypocrisy.

“Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.”
Psalm 15:1-2

Your heart should produce a holy life and be focused only on God. Apostle Paul said “that I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10). Is He your Lord or ‘Lord Jesus’ is a mere slogan to you?

Key Point
If He is your Lord, you will do His will.

From Sons to Servants by Kenneth Copeland

And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke.

Acts 2:18-19

You and I are living in the most exciting days this earth has ever seen. All around us God is pouring out His Spirit in preparation for the endtime revival that will bring this whole age to a glorious close.

Some of God's children are just standing by as spectators, watching Him work. Others, however, have become a vital part of it all. They've volunteered for service in this great end-time army. They've become what the Bible calls the servants and handmaidens of God.

Who are those servants and handmaidens? They are those who have committed themselves totally to their Lord. They are those who, instead of being content simply to be born-again children of God, have gone even further, stepping into servanthood out of love for the Father.

The servants and handmaidens of God are those who've said, "I want to be involved in what God is doing in this hour. I want to be His bondslave, available to do His bidding 24 hours a day."

Those who make that powerful decision are experiencing the great outpouring of God's Spirit that Peter spoke of in Acts 2. They are the ones whose Spirit-inspired words of prophecy and prayer are releasing the power of God upon the earth. They are the ones whose words are opening the way for the signs and wonders.

Do you want to be among them? You can be. God wants you to be. In fact, He needs you to be!

He needs those who will cut every cord that binds them to this natural world. He needs people He can call on in the middle of the night for intercession. People who will get up and do it no matter how tired they may be.

That's the quality and depth of dedication servanthood requires. It's a demanding role but its rewards are rich. Those who are willing to fill that role will be God's mouthpiece here on the earth in these final days. They will be vehicles of His Spirit and of His mighty power. They will be key players in the Holy Spirit's greatest earthly production.

Make a decision now to become one of them. Take the step of faith into servanthood today.

Scripture Reading:
Acts 2:1-21

Speak Blessings To Everything Around You by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).

God wants us to take His Word to the nations, and that means a lot. But you see, when He said to preach the Gospel to every creature, He wasn’t only referring to preaching to someone who doesn’t know Jesus. Preaching the Gospel to every creature means preaching to EVERYTHING that exists! Romans 8:19 says, "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God."

The term "creature" actually means "creation." So, it’s saying, "The earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God." There’s depreciation in the human world, including human life; and so, everything in life is waiting for your manifestation; waiting for you to liberate them. All around the world, there’s fear. Many scientists provide evidence of ozone layer depletion. Global warming remains an issue of widespread political debate, with world leaders in dire need of a solution.

These things aren’t new; the scientists only just found out. The Bible already talked about them: The twentieth verse of Romans chapter eight says, "For the creature (creation) was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope." The creation was made subject to vanity; no wonder it’s in terrible depreciation, groaning in pain. And we’re the ones to bring that deliverance to all creation through the Gospel.

Revelation 21:5 says, "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new…." The renewal has begun. Preach the Word to the things in your home and they’ll have new values. Speak the Word to your finances and they won’t depreciate. Proclaim the Word over your physical body and it’ll never be ravaged by sickness, disease, and infirmities. Speak blessings to things around you.

Use the Word to rule your world! In your home, school, or place of work, speak blessings. For your country, do the same; speak words of blessings, for the Bible says, "By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted…" (Proverbs 11:11).

Confession

I bring deliverance to every creation in my world, taking them out of bondage and corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. I give life to the things around me through the power of my words, for these are the days of the manifestation of the sons of God. Halleluiah!

further study: Luke 6:45; Proverbs 18:20-21

: Joshua 7-9 Luke 8:40-56

: Romans 5:1-11 Psalm 103

Our Relationship With God by Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalm 119:33-40

By trusting in Jesus Christ, a person enters into a lifelong relationship with the heavenly Father. As believers, we have a responsibility to keep that connection healthy.

First, we must learn about our new family. An essential and ongoing part of family life involves knowing and being known by the other members. In the Bible, God gave a detailed description of His attributes, values, and thinking. And since Jesus came to earth, we can better understand His Father’s divine character, which was demonstrated in a human life. As we meditate on Scripture, our sense of connectedness to God will continue to grow.

Second, we should stay in close contact with the Lord through prayer and study of His Word—and resist the temptation to put people, work, or pleasures ahead of Him. Remember: Relationships thrive with consistent interaction but wither if they are neglected.

Third, we must respond to what He has communicated to us. He provided instructions for living and explained what pleases Him. In healthy families, people pay attention to each other. We are to heed our Father’s warnings and obey His commands.

Finally, we’re to grow in likeness to God. Relatives can resemble each other in subtle and obvious ways. As we cooperate with the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, we will start to think and act like our heavenly Father.

God the Father provided salvation through His Son, who died so we could become spiritually alive. Jesus set an example for us to follow: a life of loving, obedient service. God’s Spirit is doing His sanctifying work in us (1 Peter 1:2). Are we doing our part to keep the relationship healthy?

Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 22-24

Get Your Joy Back by Joel Osteen

"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy."
1 Peter 1:8, NIV

TODAY'S WORD:
Have the difficulties and pressures of life taken your joy away? Today is the day to get it back! It's time to get excited about your future and learn to enjoy each and every moment.

If you don't make the conscious effort to keep your joy, as time goes by, you'll get more and more solemn. Not only will the enemy rob you of the joy that belongs to you, he'll rob your family and friends of the gift that you are to them. When you have joy, you can use that joy to influence the people around you for good. Joy is strength, and when you have joy, you can offer strength to the people God has placed in your life.

Today, draw the line in the sand and say, "That's it. I'm not going to live another day negative, discouraged, sour and grumpy. I'm going to put a smile on my face. I'm going to live my life happy." Choose to let your faith in Him fill you with inexpressible and glorious joy so that you can be a blessing everywhere you go!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, thank You for Your love. Thank You for choosing me and molding me into Your image. Today, I invite You to fill me with Your inexpressible and glorious joy so that I can be a blessing to the people You have placed in my life in Jesus' name. Amen."

Your Answer Is In His Word by Joseph Prince

Proverbs 4:20–22
My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

God has given us a sure way to receive the answers to our problems and challenges. It is His Word. Every answer or solution we need is found in the Bible.

Yet, many Christians are not walking victoriously in certain areas of their lives. This is because the devil continuously wages a war of distraction against them. He has managed to take them away from the one thing that can bring them victory—the Word. He will do everything possible to prevent them from opening the Bible because he knows that the Word will deliver them.

The distraction can be very subtle: A lot of things to get done, a lot of TV programs that interest you, or it may take the form of a big problem that makes you feel that you need to focus all your attention on it. The enemy knows that if he can get you to take your eyes off the Word of God, he can keep you from winning the battle.

When you are going through a tough time, it is not enough to know that God’s answer to the problem is “somewhere in the Bible”. Find the scripture in which God has promised the solution. Meditate on it until the truth of that scripture is revealed to you. When you do this, no demon or devil can prevent that word from God from bearing fruit in your life.

Even Jesus Himself used the Word to defeat the devil in the wilderness—“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4) The way to defeat the enemy is with “It is written…”

My friend, there is no substitute for the written Word. God tells us that we will find life and health if we give our attention to His Word and keep it in the midst of our hearts. So get into the Word and let God’s promises abide in you.

Thought For The Day
Every answer we need is found in God’s Word.

Join the Party by Joyce Meyer

A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
— Proverbs 15:13

When Jesus invited people to become His disciples and follow Him, He asked them if they wanted to join His party. I realize He was talking about His group, but I like to think that traveling with Jesus was probably a lot of fun as well as a lot of hard work.

Repeatedly throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus invite people to leave their lifestyles and side with His party, and He is still issuing that invitation today. Yes, there is work to do for the kingdom of God, but thankfully we can have fun while we do it.

When we follow Jesus, we are not going to a solemn assembly or a funeral. We are joining His party that is full of life, peace, and never-ending joy!

Prayer of Thanks: Father, help me to lay aside the burdens and cares of this world and receive Your joy today. I thank You that You want me to have fun and enjoy the life You have given me. With Your help, I will celebrate Your goodness in my life today and every day.

Resist Oppression by Jerry Savelle

You will be established in righteousness. You will be far from oppression, so you will not be afraid. You will be far from destruction, so it won’t come near you. (Isaiah 54:14 GW)

Don’t ever allow yourself to fall for the devil’s trap of yielding to discouragement. Once he has you trapped, his plan is to then take you to a place of feeling hopeless and oppressed.

The moment you recognize a spirit of heaviness coming upon you, take immediate action against it. The Bible says God has given “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3 NKJV). What can you praise God for? Regardless of how you may feel, you can praise Him for who He is:

He is the God of love
He is the faithful and merciful God
He is the God who delivers
He is the God who never fails
He is the God who will never forsake you
Thank God for everything you can think of. For the specific times He’s come through for you in the past; for sending His Son, Jesus, to die for you; for His favor and blessing on your life.

Praise and thanksgiving will change your perspective of your circumstances; they will change how you feel. Praise and thanksgiving will move your focus from the seeming impossibility of your problem to the overwhelming sufficiency of your God.

As you praise and thank God for who He is, oppression will flee as courage, strength, and hope rise up within you.

Confession: I refuse to yield to a spirit of heaviness, discouragement, or oppression. I choose instead to thank You, Lord, for who You are and all You’ve done for me. You are more than enough, Your are faithful, and You are at all times good to me.

Do You Have a Safety Net by Rick Warren

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble” (1 Peter 3:8 NIV)

As a pastor, I see situations daily that nobody should ever have to go through alone. Nobody should ever have to wait in the hospital while a loved one is in life-or-death surgery. No woman should ever have to wait alone for the lab report on a problem pregnancy. Nobody should ever have to wait for news from a battlefield alone. Nobody should ever have to stand at the edge of an open grave alone. Nobody should ever have to spend the first night alone when his or her spouse has just walked out.

Life’s tough times and tragedies are inevitable; each of us will face them. But we don’t need to go through them alone. We need God’s safety net to help hold us up through these difficult times.

What is God’s safety net? It is a group of other believers — a handful of people who are really committed to you. We call this kind of group a community. Here’s God’s plan for community: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26a NIV). Community is God’s answer to despair.

Romans 12:15 expresses a similar idea: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

The first part of that verse is easy. When something good happens to someone, it’s often easy to join in on the party.

But when someone is having a tough time, it can seem more difficult. But, really, it’s simple. When you’re going through a crisis, you don’t want advice; you just want somebody to be there to sit with you, hold your hand, put an arm around your shoulder, or cry with you.

As Paul tells us, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11a). Encouraging someone else doesn’t always mean giving a pep talk or words of wisdom. Sometimes the best kind of encouragement is just sitting in silence, waiting and weeping with a friend.

Do you have a safety net — a group of fellow Christians you know you can count on in life’s toughest times? If not, go out today and begin building those friendships. The hard times in life are inevitable, and only a fool would go into them unprepared.

Talk It Over

Who is a part of your safety net? How do you build community with people and reach that level of commitment?
What are the practical ways you can provide someone with a safety net?
What is the difference in being part of a Bible study and being part of a community?

To 'Test Drive' or Not? Let's Talk About Sex by Ayo Thompson

Walking in Divine Favour by Pastor Idowu Iluyomade

Why Can't I Open The Door by Pastor Van Moody

Do You Model Success Or Failure by Terri Savelle Foy

Open Heavens: The Faith of A Child by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Memorise:
And said, verily I say unto you, excerpt ye be
converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of God.
Mathew 18:3

Read: Matthew 18:1-4,
18 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Bible in one year:
1st Samuel 1,
Proverbs 2:20-3:12

Message:
One of the greatest lessons to learn from little children is that they don’t worry about anything. This is the way God expects us to relate with Him; relaxing and putting all matters in His care, knowing that it will always end up in our best interest. Nothing good can be achieved when we trust only in ourselves, because every step we take will always lead to one mistake or another. Your faith in God must be real.

A father will promise his son an aeroplane even though the man does not own a bicycle, yet the child believes, because his father said so. As a child of the Almighty God, you should humbly come before Jesus, surrendering all your desires and worries to Him. With this attitude, you will always leave His presence with a confirmation that all your requests are granted. Real faith goes beyond the natural to a point in which those things that seemed impossible become possible. Faith causes events contrary to natural laws to take place. Faith is required to move the immovable and to reverse the irreversible.

When you go into the presence of God, focus on Him and worship Him. He will wipe your tears and remove all forms of worries, sorrows and problems from your life. Seek the face of God concerning anything He wants you to do. As you release your faith and follow God as a child who trusts the instructions of his father, you will be amazed at the wonderful things that will begin to manifest in your life.

Sometimes when I go before God with the aim of presenting my requests, He asks me to do something sacrificial myself. At a moment in the history of RCCG, when we were not growing the way I wanted, I decided to seek the face of God by engaging in some spiritual exercises. Suddenly the Lord asked me what I would give to Him, I responded by saying that I was ready to give anything in order to see the kind of Church I was praying for. Then, He told me to sow my Pajero jeep which was as good as a private jet to me at that time. I loved my Pajero so much because it was one car that never gave me problems, but the Lord asked me to sow it into another ministry and I obeyed. The day the representative of that ministry came to pick it up, my driver wept; but that was the beginning of a turning point in my ministry. It was really painful to give out the car, but the pain could not be compared to the joy that I eventually had, simply because I believed in God’s faithfulness.

Faith in God is very vital to our walk as Christians. It is an expression of our confidence in God and on His promises. Nothing ever works without faith. Repentance is impossible without faith. The prodigal son had faith in his father, knowing that the worst that could happen was that he would be made a servant. Through his act of faith and his going before his father in true repentance, his sonship was restored. Do you think you have missed it beyond repairs? Have faith in God. Do you think that opportunity will never come again? Have faith in God.

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”
1st John 5:4

Key Point
Nothing works without

Dig In To Your Covenant by Kenneth Copeland

This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood.

1 Corinthians 11:25, The Amplified Bible

New Covenant. It's a familiar phrase to most of us. But do we really know what it means?

No we don't. Because if we did, every one of us would be faith a giant. Instead of struggling, "trying" to believe the promises of God, we'd be like Abraham: "Strong in faith...fully persuaded that, what [God] had promised, he was also able to perform" (Romans 4:20-21).

That's the kind of confidence that welled up in Abraham when God cut the covenant with him. It was an inferior covenant to ours, made with the blood of animals. Yet it transformed a doubting Abraham into the very father of faith. Why? Because, Abraham understood the significance of it.

He knew that entering into the covenant of blood meant you were totally and forever giving yourself away to someone else. Once you did it, nothing would ever be exclusively yours again. All that you were, all that you had or ever would have became the equal property of your covenant partner.

During the covenant ceremony in Abraham's day, the partners exchanged coats, each one giving their authority to the other. They exchanged weapons as a way of saying, "Your enemies are now my enemies. I'll fight your fights as if they were my own." They walked through the blood of slain animals, pronouncing their loyalty to one another, even to the death.

When God made covenant with him, Abraham knew there was no longer any room for doubt. God had proven how intensely He desired to be God to him. He'd given him everything He had and bound Himself to Abraham in a relationship that could not be dissolved. Abraham comprehended the gravity of a covenant agreement. It convinced him once and for all that God's promises could be trusted. It became an anchor to his soul.

Do you want to be a faith giant like Father Abraham? Then dig in to the covenant you have with God. Study it out in the Word. Let the Holy Spirit show you what really happened when Jesus became the sacrifice that ratified your covenant with God. Let Him show you what it meant when He gave you His Name (John 16:23), His authority (Matthew 28:18-20), His armor and weapons (Ephesians 6:10-17).

Once you realize what Jesus actually meant when He said, "This is the New Covenant established in My blood," your life will never be the same again.

Scripture Reading:
Hebrews 10:1-23

Refuse to Worry by Joel Osteen

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"
Matthew 6:27, NIV

TODAY'S WORD:
Are you worrying about something? To worry means to allow something to revolve in your mind over and over again. God doesn't want you to live worried or anxious about anything. He knows that worry steals your peace and joy. It affects every area of your life. Have you heard the saying, "Don't worry yourself sick?"

That's because worrying affects your physical body. It affects your sleep. You won't ever gain anything by worrying; in fact, you'll lose precious moments that you can never get back again. The good news is that God has promised that you can have victory over worry. It starts by making the choice to trust in Him. When you cast your cares on Him, He will give you His peace.

Today, put an end to worry in your life. Choose to feed your faith and fill your mind with God's promises. As you focus on God's Word, you'll drive out worry and fill your heart with faith and expectancy to overcome in every area of life!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, today I put an end to worry in my life. I choose to feed my faith by studying Your promises and declaring Your Word over me. Help me to totally trust in You today and every day in Jesus' name. Amen."

Intimacy With Or Heavenly Father by Dr. Charles Sanley

John 1:12-13

From the very beginning, God intended to have an intimate, loving relationship with His children. What evidence do we have that this is His desire?

His Son. One reason that Jesus Christ came to earth is for us to know and relate to God the Father. The Bible tells us that Jesus is His exact representation; His words and works were the same as God’s (John 5:19; John 12:50). Therefore, when we look at the Son, we are seeing the character of our heavenly Father.

Invitation. Through the Scriptures, God invites us to join His family. He took care of all the arrangements; the only thing we have to do is say yes (John 3:16).

Adoption. The closest tie we can have with one another is family. At salvation, we are adopted into the Lord’s family. This relationship with our heavenly Father lasts for an eternity and provides us with support, encouragement, and love.

Friendship. By calling His disciples “friends” (John 15:15), Jesus revealed a new aspect to their relationship, which applied to His future followers as well. Jesus Christ is a forever friend, one who will never desert or turn away from us.

His Presence. From the moment of our salvation, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He is even closer to us than any earthly kin can be.

The heavenly Father invites us to join His family through faith in Jesus Christ. This is our highest calling—to believe in Him and to live for Him all of our days (John 20:31). Once we become God’s children, His Spirit will work in us to make our family resemblance stronger and clearer in thought, word, and deed.

Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 19-21

Pray For Your Country by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

As a Christian, it’s important to pray always for your country and the leaders; be it your country of residence or earthly nationality. Some people don’t know this: many a time, there’s a strong spiritual conflict for the soul of nations. In the days of Daniel, an angel had to fight the Prince of Persia (Daniel 10:10-13). Such spiritual conflicts still happen today, over countries of the world. There’re forces fighting for the destruction and impoverishment of nations. But there’re also angels, sent by God for the protection and prosperity of those nations.

There’re very difficult days ahead, for many nations of the world. But the Lord wants His people prepared and ready. As we pray, angels sent by God are able to fulfil their assignments in the nations of the world. So, in your privacy, take time to pray for your country. Pray for the President or the Prime Minister and leaders of your country.

As we pray, we mount pressure in the realm of the spirit against the forces of darkness, and prevail against them. Consequently, God’s purpose for those nations is fulfilled. It’s been said that evil prevail when good men do nothing. So, keep praying for your country, that the Word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified (2 Thessalonians 3:1). Our prayers for the nations enable the Gospel to spread unhindered. And when the Word of God saturates your nation, evil can’t prevail.

Our opening verse says we should pray "For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." When the Bible talks about "peace" here, it means a state of rest, where everything is flourishing and in the right direction. This is the life God expects us to live; and our prayer brings it into reality. Glory to God!

Prayer

Dear Father, I pray for my country today, that wisdom and understanding is imparted to the leaders, to help them make the right decisions for the benefit of the people, and the spread of the Gospel, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

further study: Jeremiah 29:7; Ezekiel 33:6-7; Isaiah 62:1

: Joshua 5-6 Luke 8:22-39

: Romans 4:11-25 Psalm 102

The Force of Joy by Jerry Savelle

For the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV)

In common vernacular, the word joy means “delight, happiness and pleasure.” However, from a biblical standpoint, joy is a powerful force that resides in your spirit once you’ve made Jesus the Lord of your life.

Just because you may walk around all day with a frown on your face doesn’t mean joy is not in your spirit. It just means you’ve suppressed it—you haven’t tapped into it. And if you haven’t tapped into joy, then you are not experiencing the strength of the Lord.

Appropriating the joy of the Lord is a matter of choice, and act of your will. You can get up in the morning and will to be happy, or you can will to be unhappy. Either way, the choice is yours. In order to walk in the joy of the Lord, you must choose to reach down into your spirit and tap in to the joy that resides there.

Of course, the devil will do everything he can to prevent you from connecting to the force of joy, but he can’t succeed unless you let him. He will attempt to deceive you into thinking there is no joy within you. And if he can get you to choose not to tap in to it, you will be a weak and easy target for the devil to overcome.

Regardless of the frustrations and challenges you may be facing at this moment, the joy of the Lord resides within you. Choose today to tap in to the force of joy, and then take a step of faith and choose to rejoice. When you do, you will experience renewed strength.

Confession: I will not be deceived into letting go of my joy. The joy of the Lord is my strength, and I choose to tap in to the force of joy today. Regardless of my circumstances or how I feel, I choose to rejoice in the Lord.

Working Together, We Can Accomplish More by Rick Warren

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

God put us on Earth to do a certain work that only we can do. Ephesians says that God made us to do good works and that he planned in advance what we would spend our lives doing. However, he didn’t plan for us to do that work alone. We need people to work with us.

You know the feeling you get when you do too much work on your own. You get exhausted and burned out. Why? Because you’re trying to do your work alone, while God never meant for it to be that way.

God tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:9 that “two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together” (NCV). When you work as a team, you get so much more done. Plus, having good teammates alongside you is a whole lot more fun and less tiring!

Picture this: Each of us is like a snowflake. On our own, we can’t make a big difference. However, when one fragile snowflake sticks with a lot of other snowflakes, they can stop traffic. Like snowflakes, we can make a big difference if we work together, each one of us doing only our small part.

Did you know that when we work together here on Earth, we’re actually practicing for eternity? In Heaven, we will all have to work, but each of us will have just a small piece of work, so we’ll never get overloaded or tired. Though no one will carry a heavy burden as each one of us does our small part, all the work will still get done.

As you walk through life, remember that you’re not supposed to do everything on your own. You need other people to walk alongside you, but you also need other people to work alongside you. As you share the burden of your work with fellow Christians, you’ll find that you actually accomplish more for the glory of God.

Talk It Over

Have you been trying to accomplish too much work on your own? What has been the effect?
How does/should the Church exemplify working together to accomplish more for the glory of God?
How can you get people to help you in the work God wants you to do? Who can you help?

Ready Minds by Joyce Meyer

Now these [Jews] were better disposed and more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they were entirely ready and accepted and welcomed the message [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] with inclination of mind and eagerness, searching and examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
—Acts 17:11

One of my much-published writer friends taught a series of classes at a writers’ conference on beginning writing. He wanted to reach people who felt God had called them to write and show them how to get their articles and books published.

At the beginning, he asked the attendees how long they had been writing and if they had ever been published. Two women, who sat in the front row, said they had both been writing for almost twelve years, but had not yet published anything.

At the end of the first lecture, my friend overheard one of the women say to the other, “Oh, we know all of that. We don’t need to come back to this class.”

They may have already known the things he was teaching, but there was no evidence they had applied what they knew. He also commented that the most eager students in the classroom were those who had already begun to publish. They wanted to learn and improve. Only people who are humble enough to continue learning will ever succeed.

That incident makes me think of an event in the book of Acts. The apostles Paul and Silas preached in Thessalonica, and the people tried to kill them, so believers helped them flee. From there, they went to the city of Berea. Luke records that the people there were fair in their thinking. They received the message “with all readiness,” or, as I like to say, they had ready minds.

That means those were people who were open to God—they were willing to hear what God said, no matter whether it was good news or bad.

If I asked any group of Christians, “Are you ready-minded?” they would immediately say that they were. That’s what we assume being a Christian means—ready, open, willing to hear God, and to be obedient to what He says.

For many people, being ready-minded means that they are ready and open if the message is what they want to hear. If it’s not what they want to hear, they don’t try to kill the messengers like the Thessalonians, but they say, “Oh, we know all of that,” and stop listening.

What does it really mean to be ready-minded? It means being willing to turn away from every lie and deception that Satan offers. It means being willing to say, “I was wrong.” It means that instead of listening only for what we want to hear, we listen for what we need to hear.

To be ready-minded means we discern the source of the voice. We love to hear words that make us feel good and encourage us, but we don’t like words that make us aware of our shortcomings. In Satan’s battle for our minds, one of his tricks is to convince us that a message isn’t important or that we already know it. He may even say that the message is not correct, and by doing so, he prevents us from hearing what we really need in order to gain our own freedom.

For example, a pastor preached a sermon against gossip one day. He aimed his message at one woman—who delighted in telling people tales about others. What she didn’t know, she allowed her imagination to fill in. At the end of the service, she said to the pastor, “That was an excellent message. A lot of people in this church need to hear that.”

The pastor said she wasn’t being sarcastic or hypocritical. She simply didn’t get the message. She didn’t have that ready mind—the mind that was open to receive a message of grace and help from God. It never occurred to her that she needed the message. To have a ready mind is not always easy. In fact, the more seriously the Holy Spirit wants to deal with us, the more Satan tries to convince us that we already “know all that” or it’s not something we need to hear.

Lord Jesus, please give me a ready mind. Enable me to hear You clearly and easily. Enable me to say, “Yes, Lord,” no matter what Your Spirit has to say to me. I want to have a ready mind that pleases You in everything. I ask this in Your name. Amen.

Receive By Grace Through Faith by Joseph Prince

Galatians 3:5
Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?...

Imagine that you are at a healing service. An alcoholic walks into the church reeking of alcohol. He sits behind the pianist, a nice elderly lady who has been serving in the church for 50 years. Both of them are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The healing power of God is present. In an instant, the alcoholic, who has never been in church before, gets healed. The pianist does not.

Most people, on hearing stories like this, would get upset and confused. They might ask, “Shouldn’t God heal this nice, old lady who has been serving Him faithfully all these years, and not that debauched drunkard?” You see, many people still believe that God heals only the deserving.

But that is not how God works. God looks at faith, not works. His power is made manifest in those who trust His goodness instead of their good behavior. So if we go back to the above example, God wants to heal both the alcoholic and the nice elderly pianist. All they need to do is to receive by grace, or unmerited favor, through faith.

You see, we cannot earn the blessings of God. We receive them by believing God’s love and grace toward us. If we receive the greatest blessing—salvation—by simply believing that Jesus did it all for us and not by working for it, what makes us think that the other lesser blessings can be obtained by our works?

So if my daughter Jessica falls sick, I don’t go to the Father and say, “Father, heal my daughter because I am Pastor Joseph Prince and I preach healing to the people.” No, I go to Him by the blood of Jesus and say, “Father, I thank You that 2,000 years ago, Jesus bore Jessica’s sickness in His body. On that basis alone and by Your grace, I pronounce her healed in Jesus’ name.”

When you simply believe that you receive your blessings based on Jesus’ finished work and by His grace alone, you will receive your blessings!

Thought For The Day
God’s power is made manifest in those who trust His goodness instead of their good behavior.

Everything You Need Flows From My Hand by Deborah Waldron Fry

Everything you need flows from My Hand. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights. If you thirst, come to Me and drink to your heart's content. I shall satisfy your soul. Look not at the circumstances, but look to Me, Beloved. See the crystal clear Living Water flowing to you from the Throne of your God and the Lamb. Though your tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer you; I will not forsake you. Stand in My Waterfalls, and be renewed.

Deep is calling unto deep. Come in all the way, Beloved. Be not afraid. Let the River of God dissolve all those cares as it flows over you and through you. Stand in My waters and you shall live. There is Peace in My Waters. Peace that cannot be found in the world.

The Water is sweet and refreshing and alive with My lovingkindness and goodness. My breakers and waves of Glory are rolling over you, Beloved. Receive it by faith. I am pouring My Spirit out upon you. The anointing shall break every yoke.

Psalm 42:7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. 8The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life.

Isaiah 55:1 "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

John 7:37 It was the last and great day of the religious gathering. Jesus stood up and spoke with a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

John 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life

Revelation 21:6 Jesus said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life."

Revelation 22:1,17 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Ezekiel 47
The River Coming from the House of God

Seven Streams of Anointing by Benny Hinn

In the Bible and till today, every stream of the anointing are activated by faith! In Genesis 12, it was that anointing in the Old Testament that caused Abram, later called Abraham, to prosper wherever he went, even as he obeyed God’s voice and left his homeland to journey into the land of Canaan with at least 400 people who worked for him.

How was that possible? It was God in operation!

Watch and enjoy this great teaching from Benny Hinn

A Covenant Keeping God by Perry Stone

God keeps and honours His covenant with the abiding and committed children.God is not a man that lies but the great One that fulfill everything that has been written in the Scriptures. He who promised will never failed us.

Listen, if you need Almighty God to intervene into your Life and you know quite alright that you desperately need Him please this is a sermon for you. Be blessed as you watch and share with others

Spiritual Keys to Fasting - Jentezen Franklin

Open Heavens: Losing Focus by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Memorise:
The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Luke 12:23

Read; Matthew 16:25-26,
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Bible in one year:
Ruth 1-4,
Proverbs 2:1-19

Messages:
What many believers have failed to realise is that only God knows all our needs and only God can meet all our needs. Sometimes we think we know what is good for us, but time and time again, I have discovered that you cannot have something better than what God has in store for you. We have been given dominion over material needs; therefore the rush for them is uncalled for.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all those things shall be added unto you”

Matthew 6:33
It is the instruction of our Lord and master of think beyond worldly treasures. They are never worth our focus; they are mere additions to the blessings of God in our lives. If you serve God faithfully, He will reward you in return. It is better to stick with Jesus and be a partaker of His blessing than to go after the ephemeral things of this world. It will surprise you to know the strange kinds of satanic covenants people go into to have a few years of access to some material possessions without minding the consequences. The easiest way to have all these things is not to run after them but after Jesus.
Anything we value more than Jesus is a worldly treasure. Such treasures could be popularity, wealth, power, houses, educational certificates, cloths, food, jewelleries etc. Those are things many people find difficult to part with. We want to keep money we will not spend.

We want to get to a position, not for the purpose of making life good for other people, but for our own selfish motives. It is important to realise that it is the Almighty God that can give you wealth without adding sorrow. God is the source of all good things, and if you want these things to last in your hands, you have to put Jesus over and above them all. Give yourself up in total surrender to the Almighty God and begin to store up treasures for yourself in heaven where thieves and robbers will not have access to them. There are cases of people who have stored up treasures for themselves in this world and death came suddenly. There are people who are so wealthy but are suffering from one sickness or the other and so they cannot enjoy their wealth. That will not be your portion in Jesus’ name. Trust God and take your attention off those treasures. Nothing in this world is good enough to replace God in your life.

Don’t bother how your needs will be met. We are of great importance to the Almighty God. He has made us His ambassadors on earth. He dwells in us and He carries out His mission through us, He is more committed to meeting our needs that we can ever imagine. Let nothing distract or divert your attention from God. Focus on Him to meet all the needs of your life. If you serve God faithfully, what to eat, what to wear, the car to drive, the house to live, will not even be a prayer point because He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.

Prayer point
Father, please help me to treasure you above material possessions.

That Your Prayers May Not Be Hindered by Kenneth Copeland

But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another.

1 John 1:7, The Amplified Bible

One area of our lives we believers have particularly neglected is the area of our relationships. We simply haven’t heeded the Word of God where they’re concerned. We’ve fussed with one another and criticized one another so much that we’ve hindered the forces that God has given us to make us successful in this world. That’s right! Strife causes trouble in the spirit realm.

It opens the door to the devil. It keeps our prayers from being answered. It even keeps our angels from moving on our behalf!

Peter wrote to husbands in 1 Peter 3:7 to live considerately with their wives, “with an intelligent recognition [of the marriage relation], honoring the woman as [physically] the weaker, but [realizing that you] are joint heirs of the grace (God's unmerited favor) of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off” (The Amplified Bible). Husbands and wives. Parents and children. Co-workers. Fellow church members. All of us need to wake up to the danger of strife and start walking in love.

Shed the light of God’s Word on your relationships. Dig in to and get a revelation of the fact that we are all part of each other. Recognize that, as Ephesians tells us, we are one Body and of one Spirit, and be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of that Spirit (Ephesians 4:3-4).

Let the power of God flow in all of your relationships. Learn to walk in the light!

Scripture Reading:
Romans 15:1-7

Don't Be Moved by Joel Osteen

"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself,so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."
Acts 20:24, NKJV

TODAY'S WORD:
I think it's interesting that the apostle Paul never prayed for every challenge to go away. He prayed that God would give him the strength to go through them with a good attitude. He sought emotional maturity.

Our level of emotional maturity can be seen by how much it takes to get us upset. You've heard the saying, "A small pot boils the quickest." That means if we don't keep our emotions in check, we'll always be stressed out and make mountains out of molehills. If we lose our cool because our child forgot his or her homework, or we're aggravated because somebody didn't do something we wanted them to do, then we're not passing the test. We've got to grow and mature to the point where we can say what the apostle Paul said, "None of these things move me." He said in effect, "It's no big deal. I'm not worried about it. I trust God. I have a destiny to fulfill."

Today, choose to see things from God's perspective. Keep your emotions in check. Don't be moved by your circumstances; instead, trust God because He is faithful. He's working behind the scenes, and He will fulfill His promises to you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, thank You for doing a work in my life. Thank You for molding me and shaping me into Your image. I ask for Your supernatural joy and strength to stand strong no matter what I face in Jesus' name. Amen."

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