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"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
Jeremiah 29:11, NIV


TODAY'S WORD:
God created every one of us to be successful. Before the foundations of the world, He laid out an exact plan for your life. In this plan, He has marked moments that are going to come across your path. These moments are not ordinary. They are destiny-altering moments. They are designed to thrust you years ahead.

It says in Ecclesiastes that "time and chance come together for every person." That means you'll have opportunities to meet the right people, opportunities to advance in your career, and opportunities to fulfill your dreams. God has already prearranged times of increase and blessing. You may not see a lot of good breaks right now, but be encouraged because there are seasons of favor and increase marked for your future!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, thank You for ordering my steps. Thank You for making a way when there seems to be no way. I choose to step out today with faith and expectancy knowing that You have marked moments for my future in Jesus' name. Amen."

Proverbs 3:24-26
David was confident that the Lord was always right there with him (Ps. 16:8). His psalms reveal that in surveying his life, he saw God’s fingerprints all over it. Like David, we must train our spiritual eyes to notice evidence of the heavenly Father’s presence in our life.


Seeing with spiritual eyes isn’t a now-and-then kind of thing—it’s a lifestyle. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). Those who walk before the Lord with a clear conscience will take captive unholy thoughts, habits, attitudes, and words. They will cast out sin and live in righteousness. As a result, such believers have a spiritual clarity that sharpens their awareness of God’s presence and involvement in their life.

I developed a habit years ago that has helped me to focus on Him. When I lie down and talk to the Lord before going to sleep, I try to recall the events of my day. What I’m really doing is looking for evidence of God’s hand at work. How did He guide this decision? Answer this question? Protect me in this situation? Help me in this relationship? Appreciating the Lord’s handiwork a second time (even when the initial experience may have been difficult) etches the reality of His love deeper in my heart.

The evidence of God’s great power is all over your life, if only you will see it. Viewing the world with wide-open spiritual eyes changes one’s perspective. Instead of saying, “I can’t,” say, “I can because the Lord always enables me.” Live confident in the loving, omnipotent God, who dwells within you.

Bible in a Year: Job 1-4

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (Romans 7:5-6).


Our opening scripture is part of Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, where he admonished them to serve God in newness of spirit, and not according to the old ways of the flesh. To serve God in newness of spirit means to serve Him in your present state as one who’s been recreated in righteousness and true holiness, and not according to the Law or the senses.

This brings us to an understanding of what he (Paul) said in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that if any man be in Christ, he’s a new creation; old things—the old life of the flesh and everything associated with it—are now passed away, and all things have become new. Being born again, you have a newness of life; a Spirit-filled, Spirit-dominated, and Spirit-influenced life.

Romans 6:6 says, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." The old life has been crucified with Christ. You have now put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). It wasn’t just a mere change that took place in you when you were born again; it was an actual spiritual rebirth. It was a translation, a replacement, or supplanting of the old life with which you were born by your parents, with the indestructible life of God. It’s a brand new life.

This new life in you transcends all the distractions and debilitating influences of the earthly realm. Romans 6:4 says, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." The expression, "newness of life" doesn’t refer to, or suggest, a renewed life in terms of reworking or refurbishing what was there before; no. It actually means that the old life has been completely replaced by a new one that never existed before.

Moreover, this new life is higher and different in quality from the human life, because it has its origin in God. Your old nature was taken away the moment you confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord, and now, you’ve been raised to a newness of life, to serve God in newness of spirit.

Confession

Dear Father, thank you for bringing me into a newness of life, a life that transcends this physical realm! I declare that the failures, defeats, and troubles associated with the old nature are passed away, and I’ve put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after Christ, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

further study: Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10

: John 16:17-33 1 Chronicles 7-8

: 1 Corinthians 15:1-10 Proverbs 28

What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
—Psalm 8:4-5 AMPC


Pride is a terrible sin, and we are instructed in God’s Word not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to (see Romans 12:3). That doesn’t mean that we need to have a bad opinion of or look down on ourselves. It does mean that we are to remember that we are no better than anyone else and that whatever God has enabled us to do is a gift from Him. We have no more right to claim credit for a special ability we have than we do for blue eyes or brown hair. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and asked them what they had that did not come as a gift from God (see 1 Corinthians 4:7).

When we are warned not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, it means we are to realize that we are nothing apart from Jesus and without Him we can do nothing. The value we have is found in Him, and we can celebrate who we are only because of Him. Actually, when we celebrate who we are in Jesus, it is a way of celebrating Jesus Himself.

We make this a lot more difficult than it needs to be. It is simple—we are everything in Jesus and nothing in ourselves. I like to say, “I am an everything/nothing!” We celebrate because of the amazing work God does in us, and not because of any worth we have in ourselves. As long as we continue giving God the glory for anything good that we manifest, we are on a safe and right track.

For some reason religion has taught people that to be godly they must have a low, or even bad, opinion of themselves, and I believe this kind of thinking has done incalculable damage to the plan of God. As long as we know we are lower than God and He is always our Chief and Head, then we are safe.

Trust in Him: Say out loud daily, “I am nothing without Jesus, but in and through Him I am valuable and I can do great things.”

Let us therefore come boldly before the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV).


Being constantly aware of your position of righteousness in Christ will not only give you boldness before God, it will also make your fellowship with your heavenly Father more intimate.

God desires that you come before Him with the same boldness and confidence you would show before a best friend. When you know God sees and relates to you based on your righteousness in Christ, you will have no sense of inferiority in His presence.

Jesus said, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15 NKJV). Clearly, God doesn’t want servants; He wants friends.

God didn’t create mankind so that He could have people grovel at His feet with their faces in the dirt. No! He wanted someone He could walk and talk with in the cool of the day (see Genesis 3:8).

Through the sacrificial death of Jesus, the intimate relationship the first man and woman enjoyed with God (before sin entered) is now available to every believer. So, come boldly to the Father today, secure in your righteousness in Christ, and talk to Him as you would a close friend.

Confession: Father, I come boldly before You today, knowing that You see me righteous and clean because of Jesus. As I share my heart and thoughts with You, I believe You will also share your heart and thoughts with me.

Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace



Some Christians believe that although you have forgiveness of sins, you are not free from the penalties of your sins. In other words, you can still expect punishment from God. For example, some married Christian couples have been told that they are childless because God is punishing them for having had pre-marital sex. So although God has forgiven them of that sin, He still has to punish them for it.

I am certainly not for pre-marital sex, but I want you to know that God, who is the only one who can fully appreciate the full value of His Son’s blood and who is completely satisfied by His Son’s sacrifice, is at rest in His heart today concerning your sins! That is why He is not against you even when you fail. Neither is He out to punish you when you sin. No, He still loves you, is for you and wants to help you overcome that sin.

In the Old Testament, the blood of bulls and goats could only “cover” sins and not take them away. (Hebrews 10:4) But the blood of Jesus is not like the blood of animals! For by one sacrifice, the eternal blood of the Son of God has forever removed your sins (Psalm 103:12) and cleansed you of all unrighteousness! (1 John 1:9) In fact, God is so satisfied with His Son’s perfect work that He says to you today, “Your sins and lawless deeds I will by no means remember!” (Hebrews 10:17) And if God does not remember them, why would He punish you for them?

Beloved, you have “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”. Because Jesus’ work is complete, all your sins have been completely forgiven. And complete forgiveness means that the penalties for your sins can no longer fall on you because they had already fallen on Jesus at the cross. (Isaiah 53:5)

So don’t think for one moment that God is punishing you for some sin just because something bad happened to you. Look to the cross and know that all your sins have already been punished fully in the body of Christ. Believe that God is for you and expect victory!

Thought For The Day
Because Jesus’ work is complete, all your sins have been completely forgiven.

“You will all be joined together, and you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other, which will bring glory to God” (Romans 15:6-7 NCV).


There are only two ways to get into a family: You can either be born into it, or you can be adopted into it. God does both for you! It’s called being born again, and it’s called being adopted into the family of God. God does both.

In Roman law, which people followed in the New Testament, you could disown a child you birthed. But if you adopted a child, you were forbidden to ever disown them. God says you are not only born again into his family, but he has adopted you, and there is no way he will ever disown you. That’s good news!

You may ask, “No matter what I do? Really?” No matter what you do!

Once you’re born, you cannot be unborn. Once you are born again, you cannot be unborn again. The fellowship may be broken, but no matter what your parents say, everybody knows you are still their child. In the same way, once you become a child in the family of God, you remain in the family of God!

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 3:15, “I want you to know how people who are members of God’s family must live. God’s family is the church” (GW). We are the family of God. Church is not something you go to. Church is something you belong to. You’re grafted into the vine and the tree of life. You’re born again and adopted into the family of God. He’s saying all these things. You’re joined into the body of Christ.

Most people think that Christianity is a belief system. There are beliefs involved, but it’s more than that. It’s about connection and belonging. Being a Christian means you belong to the family of God. It means you are a part of the Body of Christ.

The Bible says it’s like being born into a family.

Romans 15:6-7 says, “You will all be joined together, and you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other, which will bring glory to God” (NCV).

And this was God’s plan all along — to make you part of his family!

If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior, and want to learn more, visit the Know God section on the Daily Hope website.

Talk It Over

What are the benefits to belonging to the family of God?
What is the evidence in your life that you belong to the family of God? Do you represent your family well?
How can you use your gifts and abilities to serve the Body of Christ and show the world what it means to belong to God’s family?

Memorise: 
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. Psalms 147:3

Read: Exodus 15:26, 
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.


Bible in one year; 
2nd Chronicles 12-13,
Ecclesiastes 1:5-11


Message:
The New Testament is full of accounts of people who were healed, just to convince us that healing is possible through Christ Jesus. There is so much virtue, glory and power in the name of Jesus. Everyone who had an encounter with that Name or with His person never remained the same, irrespective of the degree of their sicknesses. All things are possible through the Name of Jesus (Matthew 19:26). Through the Name of Jesus there is so much power to overcome all forms of sicknesses and infirmities.

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.”
Philippians 2:9-10                            

If only you will see that Jesus has paid the whole price for our redemption so that we might be free from all sicknesses, then you can boldly accept the fact that Jesus is the source of life. The Lord Jesus gave to us through salvation; life, health, peace and so much abundance. He is always willing to do things to manifest His Word, and to let us know a measure of the mind of God towards us.

If you are in need of one miracle of healing or the other, or you have been afflicted with all manner of sicknesses, the Lord will show forth His perfect cleansing and healing power in your life. All you need is to have faith in Jesus. Peter and John were helpless and uneducated, but the fact remains that they had been with Jesus and they knew practically what His name was capable of doing. They told the man at the beautiful gate to stand up and walk, and the man received his healing immediately.

There is someone reading this devotional this morning, it doesn’t matter how helpless or hopeless your medical report has indicated, the Lord will change your story in Jesus’ name. Through the name of Jesus, the incurable can be healed. Through His Name, the lame will walk and the blind will see.

Through His name, lepers have been miraculously cleansed. In this world of ours, where new diseases are always surfacing and doctors sometimes cannot identify them, you need to rely absolutely on the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. He is able to heal those who are broken hearted and destroy all satanic forces. Through faith in His name, deliverances become daily occurrence.  

“They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover”
 Mark 16:18                  

By the special grace of God, Jesus Christ has become my personal physician since I came to the knowledge of this truth. This is why every time I have the opportunity to minister to people, I just follow the instructions of my faithful physician and allow Him to glorify Himself. I don’t bother myself about how the healing will take place I just do as He commands.

One major cause of sickness is sin. If you live a life that is pleasing to God, sickness will never find a place in your body. It doesn’t matter how many people are falling sick around you, the promises of God to keep His children from being affected with what affects others is kept intact. If you are
allowing sin into your life, then you are sending an invitation to sicknesses because sin and sicknesses are related. Repent today and follow the path of life. When we turn back to the Lord, our nations and immediate communities become healed and free from every satanic influence.

Action Point’
Father, destroy every root of sickness in my body, soul and spirit in Jesus name.

I saw in the Spirit that many Believers are afraid to answer your doorbell, afraid to look at your mail and afraid to answer the phone. The devil has been working overtime to cause you to fear and dread his numerous bad reports. But I hear the Father saying that He is sending His own heavenly messengers with tidings of great joy. Those feelings of dread shall be turned into shouts of victory.


"For what does the enemy have in you, My Child? He has NOTHING in you. As I am, so are you in this world. When the enemy comes in, like a FLOOD, I am raising up a standard against him. No longer shall you sit in fear, Beloved. I have drawn a line in the sand. You overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of your testimony. You shall fear no man or demon. Your Redeemer comes like a pent up flood which the Breath of your LORD drives.

You shall experience amazing and SUPERNATURAL deliverances. Like a mighty torrent, My Spirit shall swallow up every evil plan of the enemy. My justice shall roll on like a river, and My Righteousness like a never-failing stream. So do not be shaken, My Love. "Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord of Hosts.

Amos 5:24 But let Justice roll on like a river, Righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Isaiah 48:18 ...Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.

Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in, like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

From the west, people will be in awe and fear at the Name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere His glory. For He will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives. [overcoming the enemy]

In the west they will fear the name of Adonai, and likewise, in the east, His glory. For He will come like a pent-up stream, impelled by the Spirit of Adonai.

Then people from the west will fear the [ name of the] Lord, and people from the east [rising of the sun] will fear His glory. The Lord [ For He] will come quickly like a fast-flowing [or pent up] river, driven by the breath [or wind; or Spirit] of the Lord.

Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

I am your vindication, Beloved. When the evil one reminds you of your past transgressions, mistakes, and missteps, close your ears, Dear One. Tell him to get behind you. The devil is a liar and the father of lies.

He is the accuser of the brethren. By the Blood of the Lamb, I have declared you innocent forever. You are a new creature.There is now NO condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. You have been acquitted, cleared, pardoned, forgiven, and set free from all charges of wrongdoing, Beloved. Your sins and iniquities I remember no more.

They were nailed to the Glorious Cross and destroyed forever. There is no record of them, Dear One. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. So rise up with a clear conscience, My Child. Rejoice and be glad. You wear My Robe of Righteousness. There is no spot in you, My Bride. Your righteous reward shall shine like the dawn, and your vindication like the noonday sun.

No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises up against you in judgment, you shall condemn. For this is your heritage, Beloved, and your vindication is of Me," declares the LORD. I am bringing about justice for My elect who cry to Me day and night, and I will not delay any longer.
Vindication: a setting free from a charge of wrongdoing: clearing, exculpation, exoneration, acquittal, absolution, forgiveness, pardon, remission; atonement.

Psalm 17:2 From Your Presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right!
Psalm 37:1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
Luke 18:7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?
Deuteronomy 32:36 For the LORD will vindicate His people, And will have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their strength is gone.
Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

You hypocrite, first get the beam of timber out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the tiny particle out of your brother’s eye.
—Matthew 7:5


Loving people unconditionally is the greatest gift we can give them (and ourselves). I have learned that one of the secrets to my own personal peace is to let people be who God made them to be, rather than try to make people be who I would like them to be. I do my best to enjoy their strengths and be merciful toward their weaknesses because I have plenty of my own. I don’t need to try to take the speck out of someone else’s eye while I have a telephone pole in my own.

Make a decision not to look at—or for—flaws. We all have them! But you don’t have to focus on them.

Power Thought: God is merciful to me with my weaknesses, and I am merciful toward the weaknesses of others.

Esther 3:13; Esther 4:4-16
Knowing that we have a calling from God is one thing, but living it out is another. Esther reached a point in her life when fulfilling God’s plan became risky. The Lord had placed her in a position of influence, but using that power could cost the young woman her life.


Few are called to be rulers, but we have all been given places of influence to one degree or another. The Lord has placed you in your family, community, and church to fulfill His purposes for your life in this generation. As long as you are breathing, He is still working out His will for you.

How will you respond to His calling? There are only two options: Cooperate by submitting to His plan, or resist Him. Trying to avoid or ignore the opportunities He presents is a form of resistance. Maybe the cost of obedience seems too high, but what about the cost of disobedience?

Eventually, every Christian is going to encounter a situation that tests his or her willingness to obey God. When that time comes, remember the lesson from Esther. If you refuse, the Lord will use someone else, and you will lose the opportunity to fulfill His calling. Maybe you have been placed in a difficult situation “for such a time as this”—to be an influence for Christ in our dark world. (See Est. 4:14.)

Living in God’s calling isn’t always easy, but it is always worth the risk. Each step will reveal the faithfulness of our Lord, encouraging us to trust Him in the next opportunity He provides. As our faith grows, His perfect timing will become evident, and we’ll look with joy and expectation for what awaits us.

Bible in a Year: Esther 6-10

"You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."
Psalm 139:16, NLT


TODAY'S WORD:
Did you know that all of your days have already been written? God has already recorded every part of your life from the beginning to the end. He knows every disappointment, every loss and every challenge. The good news is that even though you've had some challenges, even though you've faced some setbacks, your story ends in victory. Your final chapter concludes with you fulfilling your God-given destiny and experiencing His eternal restoration.

Any time we face a disappointment in life or go through a loss, we have to remember that there's another chapter in front of us. We can't stop on that page, we have to keep moving forward. Instead of focusing on what didn't work out, wondering why we went through a marriage that didn't last, or why we didn't get that position we worked so hard for, focus on the future. Let go of the past and press forward because your story ends in victory, and God will restore everything that has been stolen from you!

PRAYER:
"Father, thank You for setting me up for victory. Thank You for holding me in the palm of Your hand. I choose to release the questions and disappointments of the past so that I can be ready to receive the victory You have prepared for me in Jesus' name! Amen."

Philippians 2:13
for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Have you ever tried to break a bad habit on your own?

You probably found that when you tried to stop it by sheer willpower, you saw improvement for a while, and then bounced back to square one. Worse, you found yourself bringing on the very thing that you were trying not to do. And your condition is worse than before you started your “I’m going to quit” program!


The changes were temporary because it was you doing it.

A church member who had been a chain-smoker used to believe that with willpower, he could quit smoking. He would tell himself, “If there is a will, there is a way!” But he discovered that with willpower, he could stop smoking for a week or two, and then he would succumb to the pull of nicotine again.


When he turned his life over to God and learnt about God’s grace, he told God, “I realize that I cannot stop smoking. I cannot, but You can break my habit, Lord.” And every time he lit up, he would say, “Lord, I am trying to stop smoking, but I cannot. I am trusting You.” He would even say, “I am still righteous because of Jesus’ blood.”

Well, in the very same year, all his cravings to smoke vanished! When asked how he succeeded, he would say, “It is entirely God and none of me! It is all by His grace.” This man lost all the desire to smoke. That is true transformation.

When you receive the grace of God to do for you what you cannot do, you will experience effortless and permanent change on the inside, which in turn changes your actions on the outside. The Bible tells us that God works in us to give us both the will and ability to perform what He desires. It is God who removes the old want to’s and gives us new ones. And He even gives us the power to carry them out!

Beloved, look to His grace to do what you cannot do. Say, “Lord, I cannot, but You can!” Then, what you experience will not merely be behavior modification, but true and lasting inward transformation!

Thought For The Day
It is God who removes your old want to’s and gives you new ones.

And now let me remind you [since it seems to have escaped you], brethren, of the Gospel (the glad tidings of salvation) which I proclaimed to you, which you welcomed and accepted and upon which your faith rests. (1 Corinthians 15:1 AMP)

There are times in each of our lives when it may feel as if our spiritual walk has dried up. Instead of experiencing an abiding joy, we feel only dissatisfaction. Perhaps you may be feeling this way right now.


The apostle Paul may have encountered the same situation, because he knew just what to write to the church in Corinth. These people were born-again, spirit-filled believers, yet he said it was needful to remind them of something: he wanted them to hold on to what they’d already learned. If doing so was necessary in Paul’s time, then it’s even more necessary for us.

Oftentimes we think we just need the minister to bring a new revelation we’ve never heard to get us back on the right spiritual track. But we don’t. What we really need is to be reminded of the truths that have escaped us.

Some Christians have an attitude that says, “I’ve heard that before” or “I already know that.” What they don’t understand is this: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17 NKJV). Faith comes when the Holy Spirit reveals the truth afresh to you, when the God’s Word drops from your head to your heart.

As you review and remind yourself of the truths you learned before, ask the Holy Spirit to make them a fresh revelation to you.

Confession: Holy Spirit, I ask You to give me a fresh revelation of the basic truths that set me free. I ask for a fresh revelation of the power of Your word, of faith, and of Jesus.

…This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven (Acts 1:11).


More than ever, you must take your participation and involvement in the things of God very seriously. Commit yourself to God’s vision. His vision is soul winning; He wants the whole earth to be filled with the knowledge of His glory as the waters cover the sea. Hence, everything you do must be geared towards winning souls for Jesus Christ; it’s your calling. Stay focused and committed to it.

Make no mistakes, He’s coming back again, and He needs to find you busy, doing what He told you to do. He said to His disciples, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). If you truly love Him, do His will; live for Him. Don’t let your life be conditioned to this earth. Let Him come and find you doing what He’s called you to do.

You may ask, "How soon is He coming?" Very soon! It doesn’t matter if it’s in a matter of days, weeks, months or years; as long as you’re in fellowship with Him, walking in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7), when He comes, you’ll be ready. You might just be winning souls on that day, or distributing Rhapsody of Realities when that trumpet sounds, but you’ll hear it. The Bible says, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:52).

Put away every distraction and be afire for the Lord, fulfilling the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Let God, and His work of kingdom expansion, be all that you live for. One day, you’re going to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, and give account for everything He instructed you to do (2 Corinthians 5:10). Let Him say to you at the end, "...Well done, thou good and faithful servant..." (Matthew 25:21).

Prayer

Precious Lord, your zeal and passion have consumed me, and like never before, I’m spreading the message of the Gospel of Christ into the nations of the world. I’m enabled by the Spirit, to proclaim the Word with power and boldness, turning many from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, and into their inheritance in Christ, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

further study: Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 21: 25-27

: 1 Chronicles 5-6 John 15:18-16:1-16

: 1 Corinthians 14:31-40 Proverbs 27

“Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me” (John 15:4 GW).

Right before Jesus went to the cross, he gave his last minute instructions to his followers: “Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me” (John 15:4 GW).

Jesus says that being spiritually connected is like being attached to a vine. You’re not going to have any fruitfulness or productivity in your life if you’re out there on your own. You’ve got to stay connected.

In plants, a disconnected branch can’t bear fruit. When you don’t have the support, you not only start to whither and die, but you also don’t have any productivity in your life if you’re not spiritually connected.

I grow a lot of vegetables and fruit every spring. If I cut off a branch, those branches aren’t going to produce any tomatoes or anything else. They’ve got to be connected in order to produce fruit.

What kind of fruit should you produce when you are connected to the Body of Christ? “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control” (Galatians 5:22-23a NIV).

I don’t know about you, but I’d like to be more loving. I’d like to be more joyful. I’d like to be more at peace, no matter what happens to the economy. I’d like to be more kind to people who are mean to me. I’d like to be a good person. I want to be faithful, not unfaithful. I want to keep my promises. I’d like to be gentle with people who are not very gentle. And I’d like to have more self-control.

That’s called the fruit of the Spirit, and it’s the evidence that you are spiritually connected. If you are not seeing yourself grow in all these things, guess what? It means you’re not spiritually connected.

God says this is so important that you’re not going to have any fruitfulness or any productivity in your life if you’re out there on your own. I’ve got to be connected to the Body of Christ. You’ve got to be connected to the Body of Christ. We’re simply better together.

Talk It Over

What is the evidence in your life that you are bearing fruit?
In what “fruits” do you need to grow? How are you going to do that?
What benefits have you witnessed in your life from being connected to the Body of Christ?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4


As a believer, you actually have residing in you the same new life God gave Jesus when He raised Him from the dead. The old sinner you once were has died. You’ve become a new creation on the inside.

You are full of the resurrection life of God!

But sin, disobedience and living a selfish, carnal life will keep that resurrection life from flowing out. Sin will separate you from the power of God, even though you’re born again. Resurrection life will lay dormant in you if you walk in sin.

You can’t overcome sin by trying to stop sinning, however. You overcome it by walking after the new life God has put within you, by spending time in the Word and in prayer. As you do that, the Spirit of God will strengthen you and enable you to put that sin under your feet.

Remember, though, the Holy Spirit will not subdue those old fleshly habits of yours on His own. He’ll wait on you to take the initiative. Then He will strengthen you to follow through with your decision. He will teach you how to walk in the new life that is on the inside of you.

Take the first step today by asking for His help. Say, “Lord, I desire to experience the power to live by this new life every day. By a decision of my heart, I put down the dictates of sin. I declare myself dead to sin. In Jesus’ Name, I will spend time in prayer and in the Word today. As I do, I believe I’ll receive a Holy Ghost refreshing in my life. I believe I’ll begin to live out the resurrection power that You’ve placed in me!”

Scripture Reading:
Romans 7:1-6

Memorise: 
For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because
ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. Mark 9:41


Read: James 2:14-18, 
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.


Bible in one year: 
2nd Chronicles 10-12,
Ecclesiastes 1:1-5


Message:
The Bible has laid much emphasis on the art of giving, especially to God, the poor, widows, and our neighbours. Galatians 6:9 enjoins us not to be weary in doing good. One good thing we must not be tired of is sowing. To access your greatest financial harvest, continuous, consistent quality sowing is required.

Your first seed may open the door to blessings, but keeping the door open requires persistent sowing. Are you already calling it quits with sowing just because you cannot quantify the returns of previous seeds? Don’t! You may be closing the door it took you so much effort to open! In the case of the widow of Zarephath, it took the sacrificial cake she gave on meeting Elijah the first day to open her door to abundance.

If she had stopped at that, her miracle would have expired long before the end of the famine, but she did not. She kept the door permanently open by making cakes for Elijah daily for the entire period.

Your first seed must have the backing of the other seeds if you will experience your ultimate financial breakthrough. Some people have pegged their blessing or limited the space through which their blessings come. James 2:14 says:

“For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.”

Another relevant example is King Solomon. His first notable seed was when he sacrificed 1000 cows (1st Kings 3:4-15). This opened the doors of wealth, wisdom, and honour to him. But he did not stop there. In fact, immediately he got up from his revelational dream, he responded to God’s answer by offering more. And he continued and increased his seed. In 1st Kings 8:63, he gave God an offering of 22,000 oxen. Solomon continued to increase in wealth because he sustained his giving. He became so prosperous that they lost count of his wealth. In fact, 1st King 10:24-27 says the whole world sought after the wisdom of Solomon and choice things as silver and cedar become common place in his kingdom.

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? He later concluded that faith without works in dead.”

Do you know that like King Solomon, God can bless you to the point that the business idea He gives you could be sought after by the whole world? It is possible for what people consider as priceless treasures to become common place to you. But there is a price you must pay continuously. You must not stop sowing. The door the Lord has opened to you which you were already closing by refusing to sustain your seeds will be kept wide open from today. However, play your part. Like Solomon continue to increase your seeds.

Prayer point
Father, please make me a giver and use me to provide solutions to the problems of many in Jesus’ name.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."
John 15:13, NIV

TODAY'S WORD:
Today is Memorial Day in America. It's a time to honor all those who have given their lives in service for our country. As we remember what these brave men and women did, let's honor the gift they have given us by choosing to show greater love to others.

I'm so thankful that Jesus loved us enough to lay down His life so that we could spend eternity with Him. He was the ultimate expression of love. But did you know that there are ways you can lay down your life to express your love to others? When you let go of having your own way, or when you put the needs and desires of others above your own desires, that's a form of laying down your life. Today, choose to follow Christ's example by putting others first because love is all that matters in eternity.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, thank You for another day to praise You. Thank You for being the ultimate example of love. Help me follow Your example and lay down my life for others. Let everything I do bring honor to You in Jesus' name. Amen."

Esther 2:1-8; Esther 2:17
The story of Esther is filled with romance, adventure, and danger. Her ordinary Jewish life suddenly became remarkable when she found herself crowned Queen of Persia. We clearly see the Lord’s sovereign hand at work as He called her to fulfill a very important role in His plan for the Jews. But can you imagine how upset, confused, and uncertain Esther must have felt as the details were unfolding?


We may feel the same perplexity as we live each day without knowing the future. Sometimes it is easier to see God’s calling in someone else’s life than in our own. His plans and purposes are working out in perfect progression, but from an earthly perspective, the developments may seem chaotic and bewildering.

Esther’s story is an encouragement to trust in God’s will and purpose for our life. Every believer in Christ has a calling from the Lord. He doesn’t save us and then leave us to fend for ourselves; instead, He continually guides each of His children in the work He has planned for his or her life.

God’s calling includes not only what we do but also who we are. Each experience in life is a tool that the Lord uses to shape and equip us to become the person He wants each one to be—with regard to character as well as conduct.

Begin looking for the Lord’s hand in your life. He is working out His plan, sometimes silently and softly, sometimes with jarring disruptions. But He is always there, directing and moving. Never imagine yourself to be insignificant in His eyes. You’re so highly esteemed that almighty God has designed a unique calling just for you.

Bible in a Year: Esther 1-5

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you (Luke 17:6).


Jesus emphasized that the smallest amount of faith can produce great results. Someone may say, "How am I sure I have faith, let alone little one?" The Bible says, "…God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Romans 12:3). Notice that it says, "the measure of faith"; that means there’s a definite measure for everybody.

We all received the same measure of faith at the new birth, but what you do with yours is what matters; you have to make it grow. Some have made their faith grow, some others haven’t; they’re still living at the level of faith after many years of being a Christian. You must exercise and grow your faith by putting it to work.

When you think you don’t have enough faith, then you need to hear more of God’s Word; the Word will produce and impart faith to your spirit. You don’t have to struggle or try to make it happen; just hear the Word, and faith will be stirred in your spirit: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).

A young man walked into church some years ago, having been convinced by his friends to come. He came in with so much doubt and unbelief, but as he listened to the Word being preached, he began to have a change of heart. When I had a chat with him after the service, he said to me, "Somehow, I believed the things you preached." He believed because faith came to him in the Word.

You might have noticed sometimes, as you listen to God’s Word, maybe while in church, or on your own during your personal study, the whole world suddenly seems small. All the challenges you may have been facing suddenly seem like nothing. The reason is that when the Word of God enters your spirit, it sparks up faith in you. Every time you hear God’s Word, your spirit is energized; the Word becomes real in your spirit, giving you a sense of victory and dominion.

Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for the faith that your Word bolsters in me even now! Armed with the Word in my heart, and in my mouth, I surmount challenges, change situations, work miracles, and consistently walk in victory, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

further study: 1 John 5:4; Romans 4:18-20; Hebrews 11:1

: 1 Chronicles 3-4 John 15:1-17

: 1 Corinthians 14:20-30 Proverbs 26

What does it take to live a life of purpose? Of uncommon courage? What does it take to stand your ground in the face of criticism and rejection? The answer is conviction, being utterly convinced of the truth of God’s Word.

In this message, Dr. Stanley explains the power of having convictions and the role they play in our lives.

Be blessed as you watch

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11 NKJV)


Religion portrays God as a harsh judge when, in fact, He is a loving Father who knows how to—and wants to—give good things to His children.

Perhaps you did not have a father when you were growing up, or maybe the one you had behaved in a way that gave you a distorted view of God. When you allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the heart of love God has just for you, then you can enjoy your walk with Him as you fulfill all of the wonderful plans He has for your life. Here’s what you can expect:

Your Father is for you. He will be with you every step of the way.
Your Father’s motive is always love. When you think He is spoiling your fun, He is actually protecting you from something that will harm you.
Your Father wants you to succeed at all you set your hand to do. He will show you how to be successful; He will encourage you to keep going and never quit.
Your Father will pick you up if you fail. He will bind your wounds and set you on your feet again.
Your Father wants the absolute best for you in all you do. He doesn’t want you to settle for less that you can have.
Your Father delights when you come to talk to Him. He loves to share His wisdom and counsel, and to show you the way to go.
Regardless of how you may have viewed God, the Word says He is the perfect Father. The question is, will you let Him be a perfect Father to you?

Confession: Father, I receive you as my loving heavenly Daddy, and I take my place as Your precious child. I trust everything You do for me is motivated by love. I believe You are good, and everything You give me is good.

Sing to God, sing praises to His name, cast up a highway for Him Who rides through the deserts—His name is the Lord—be in high spirits and glory before Him! A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation. God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell…
—Psalm 68:4-6


The world is filled with single mothers whose husbands walked out on them and refuse to support their children financially. Men who merely walk away need to remember that strength does not walk away, but it works through situations and takes responsibility.

More than ten million single mothers today are raising children under the age of eighteen. That number is up drastically from the three million reported in 1970, and it’s estimated that 34 percent of families headed by single mothers fall under the poverty line. Their biggest concerns are much more basic than many two-parent homes—they worry about quality child care for their children, keeping a car running, and living in a safe house or apartment, all within a restricted budget. They work hard and try to be both mom and dad to their children. They sacrifice time, personal pleasures, and everything else imaginable because they love their children fiercely. They are certainly not weak.

These moms are giants in my eyes.

Lord, I pray for the single moms whom I know. Give them the strength and protection and fullness of Your blessings. Champion their cause and provide for them in abundance. Amen.

Deuteronomy 28:10
Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.


Today, we are called by the name of Christ—Christians. Therefore, the blessing of Deuteronomy 28:10, which says, “Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord” is no longer just a promise but reality!

The second part of the verse—“and they shall be afraid of you”—is also true for you. People will respect you. Your boss will favor you and even your competitors will esteem you highly. They know that there is something special about you because good things happen when you are around!

I experienced this blessing when I first started working. I worked in a small third-floor office which constantly smelled of salted fish because there was a salted fish stall on the ground floor. It was in that small, dingy office that I kept on confessing that I was blessed by the Lord, and I experienced divine favor with my clients. My boss could see that there was something different about me.

The company’s business flourished and before long, we moved out of that small office to a building which in the mid-eighties was considered an information technology hub. There, we occupied a couple of offices, and started specializing in computer software and courses. Soon, we occupied the entire floor! That was how much God was prospering us.

God was also blessing me tremendously. I was drawing a very good monthly income, enjoying the favor of my boss and was in his inner circle. A few years later, I decided to go into full-time ministry. When I broke the news to my boss, he cried. I never knew how much I meant to him until then. It was only then that I realized what a blessing I had been to him by the grace of God.

Beloved, because you are also called by the name of the Lord, wherever you go, you are a blessing. His blessing is on you. The people around you will look at you and know that you are a blessing going somewhere to happen!

Thought For The Day
Because the blessing of the Lord is upon you, good things happen when you are around!

God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:19


Very few unsaved people today have ever really heard the “good news.” Why? Because too many Christians are busy telling the world God is mad at them. And telling them that they’re terrible and wrong. Some call that “good news,” but it’s not, and it’s not what God has commissioned us to share.

He’s given us the “word of reconciliation”!

He’s sent us to tell the news that God has restored harmony and fellowship between Himself and men. All men. Not just believers. Not just the people in your church, but everyone!

That’s right. The worst old reprobate sinner in the world is every bit as reconciled to God as you are. Look at Romans 5:10 and you’ll see what I mean. It says that “when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.”

Reconciled. That word is past tense. God has already restored fellowship between Himself and the world. He did it when there was not one person on earth except Jesus who believed in the new birth. He did it when the entire world was lying in sin.

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has cleansed and forgiven and restored to Himself every man, woman and child on the face of this earth. All any of us have to do now is receive it.

That’s the good word God has given us. That’s the word we need to share with those who are lost. If we’ll do it, I can almost guarantee you, they won’t stay lost very long.

Scripture Reading:
2 Corinthians 5:10-21

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11 NIV).


I want you to think of somebody who irritates you — maybe somebody you’ve got a strained relationship with or who just rubs you the wrong way. I have two questions for you: One, do you pray for that person? Or do you just complain and grumble and nag and nitpick? If you prayed more, you’d have a lot less to grumble, complain, nag, and nitpick about. It’s your decision.

Does nagging work? No. Does prayer work? Yes. So why do you do more of the thing that doesn’t work than the one that does?

Paul says in Philippians 1:4, “Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy” (NLT, second edition).

Paul didn’t just pray for people in his life. He prayed with joy!

Positive praying is more effective than positive thinking. All the positive thinking in the world isn’t going to change your husband or your wife or your child or your friend or your situation. Positive thinking can change you, but it won’t change somebody else. But positive prayer can make a difference in someone else.

Do you want to know the quickest way to change a bad relationship to a good one? Start praying for the other person! It will change you, and it can change the other person.

Paul even told us how to pray for others: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11 NIV).

From these verses, we can learn to pray for the people in our lives in four ways:

Pray that they will grow in love: “This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.”

Pray that they will make wise choices: “... so that you may be able to discern what is best ...”

Pray that they will live with integrity: “... and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ ...”

Pray that they will become like Jesus: “... filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.”

Pray these for yourself and anyone else in your life, and watch how God turns around the relationship you thought was hopeless. Nothing is impossible with God!

Talk It Over

Who are the people in your life with whom you have a strained relationship and for whom you need to pray these four things?
How does positive prayer change you and not just the person for whom you are praying?
What is the “fruit of righteousness” that comes through Jesus Christ (see Galatians 5:22-23)?

Memorise: 
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother
had not died. John 11:21

Read: John 11:21-26, 
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

King James Version (KJV)

Bible in one year: 
2nd Chronicles 7:4-9:31,
Proverbs 31:16-31


Message:
 Situations in life sometimes portray God as being insensitive to human suffering, sorrow and pain. On this account People tend to blame God by asking questions such as, where was God when the bad act was taking place. Why did God not intervene on time? Our memory verse says,
“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
John 11:21

By this statement, she was implying that the damage had been done, if the Lord had really wanted to help the situation, He would have arrived much earlier. But I have good news for you, God is never late, He is always on time. He is omnipresent; He is not bound by human timing. He knows the end from the beginning, He does not sleep or slumber, He can do all things, and forgetfulness is not part of His nature. David was obviously in the spirit when he penned Psalms 102:13 which says:

“Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time of favour her, yea, the set time, is come.”
When talking about favour, generally, there is a time requirement involved. Some are born into favour from their first day on earth. Some enter into favour in their childhood or teen years. Others encounter favour as adults while some experience it at old age. In the same vein, some experience favour in one or two areas of their lives, while for some, when favour comes, it covers every department of their lives. Whether if comes early or later, or covers one or all areas of life, the coming of favour is characterized by a chain of goodies: bountiful joy, breakthroughs, miracles and blessings. In the scriptures, the time of favour has been termed a time of divine remembrance.

In Genesis 30:22-24, we see the case of Rachel. For many years, her womb was closed. There could be several factors responsible for this ranging from biological to divine. Although, her husband loved her very much, his love could not terminate her childlessness. Meanwhile, her sister Leah had become a baby making factory. The anguish of the barren in the midst of fruitful people can best be imagined. Genesis 30:1 says it got to a point Rachel preferred death to the unending embarrassment she was going through. Have you been in a similar situation where your high school pals are gainfully employed, own cars, and live in their personal houses while you are still combing the streets looking for a job? How do you feel when you all have to attend a meeting and everyone cruises in with their brand new cars except you? You may be compelled to keep away from them in order to avoid embarrassment. Don’t despair! Thank God Rachel’s time of favour came and God remembered her. At last, apart from having two children, Joseph, her firstborn, became an Egyptian Prince – ruling over the world. Do you know your time of favour is coming? It is around the corner. God will remember you and could even make you overtake those who started much earlier than you. It may appear as if God forgot you all these years, but your time of divine remembrance have come. Celebrate Jesus as you step into your time of divine favour in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, let my time of favour come now in Jesus’ name.