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And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.
- Colossians 2:10 KJV

And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].
— Colossians 2:10

Feeling that something is missing in our lives and not knowing what it is leaves us frustrated and continually searching. We become like the people God talked about in Jeremiah 2:13, those digging empty wells that have no water in them. We try first one thing and then another, but nothing quenches our thirst for whatever it is that is missing in our lives. We might describe our feelings as being incomplete; yet like the verse above says, we are complete in Jesus.

To be complete means to be satisfied, filled up, assured. Without Christ, people are always searching, looking for something. We all want to feel satisfied. We all want contentment. We all want to know we are loved and accepted for who we are. We may think acceptance and approval from people will make us feel complete. However, the Bible teaches us that when we trust in man to give us what only God can give, we live under a curse; but when we believe, trust in, and rely on the Lord, we are blessed (See Jeremiah 17:5-8). The joy, peace, and fulfillment we seek come from being filled with God, and nothing else.

Philippians 3:13—Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.

Forget The Good And Forget The Bad, Because You Can’t Go Back Again
Part One—

So many of you are living your life remembering a past that is gone forever.  America is presently romantically remembering the 1950’s.  It was a time of tranquility and security.  We “liked Ike.”  Everything was wholesome.  Now we have abortion, AIDS, mass murder, homosexuality, pornography, and Satanism.  It is no wonder we are clutching for the security of the past.  But you cannot go back to the past; it’s over and done with.  You can’t go home again.

Many of you are looking at a grand and glorious moment in your past and you’re trying to live in the glow of that glory.  You can’t It’s gone forever.  You can’t go home again.  For some o f you the past was not grand and glorious, but bitter and painful.  You’re looking back at a marriage that failed, buried in guilt and remorse.  You tried your best, but he love of your life is gone, for whatever the reason, and your heart is crushed.  You can’t go back to that.   Some of you are mired in sorrow and heartache, looking back at the yawning mouth of a tiny grave where your precious baby was laid.  You can’t go back to that.  All the tears you can shed won’t change that.  Some of you are remembering a business failure that destroyed your dreams.  Some of you are remembering a bad decision you made that critically altered your life.  It’s in the past and you need to forget it.

If the past was bitter, forget it.  If the past was beautiful, forget it.

"And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth..."
Deuteronomy 8:18, NKJV

TODAY'S WORD:
God wants to do something great in and through you. He has promises and blessings in store for you that you haven’t even thought of yet. The scripture tells us that He gives us power to gain wealth. Wealth is simply having abundance. God wants you to live in abundance so that He can use you to be a blessing to others. When we are willing and obedient, we open the door to His promises. In other words, when we live in excellence and integrity, when we follow the Word of God, we will walk in His blessing. Like a tree planted by the water, your leaf will not wither because you are connected to an unlimited supply line.

Notice one more thing about this verse: it says that “He gives us the power to get wealth.” See, God gives us the ability. He gives us creative ideas and inventions, but we have to be diligent, do our part, and step out and use what He’s given us. We have to sow seed in order to see the harvest that He has promised. Receive His power today and choose a life of integrity so that you can move forward into the abundant life He has prepared for you.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, thank You for giving me the power to live in abundance. I choose to be faithful to You and Your Word. I choose to diligently follow Your commands and ask that You bless everything I set my hands to in Jesus’ name. Amen."

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV)

Did you know that victory is always yours—that it actually belongs to you?

The key word in the scripture above is always. The knowledge that God always causes us to triumph gets rid of the “win a few, lose a few” philosophy people are so fond of.

I’ve had people say, “But, Brother Jerry, I haven’t always triumphed.” My answer is always the same: “Well, we know that’s not God’s fault because the Bible says God always leads us in triumph.”

What some fail to realize is this: just because the Word says God always leads us to triumph in Christ, it doesn’t mean we will never be attacked or have adversity. It is what we do during the attack that determines whether we win or lose.

I made up my mind years ago that I would never accept failure. Since that time, I’ve experienced setbacks and I’ve faced many opportunities to fail. But I’ve learned that the battle is never over until God has an opportunity to turn what seems to be a defeat into a triumph.

No matter what kind of persecution, adversity, or attack you may be under, according to God’s Word the victory is already yours. You can get discouraged and choose to give up before it comes, but I am totally convinced that God already has a victory planned for you.

You have the potential to experience triumph in every situation—if you won’t give up!

Confession: I believe God will turn every adversity into a victory. I believe God has a victory plan for every negative circumstance I face now, or will ever face. I expect victory in every situation because God has promised me that I can always triumph in Christ.

Author: Jerry Savelle

Genesis 12:7
Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

I don’t know about you, but I am not satisfied with just knowing that I am righteous by faith. I also want to get to know the One who made me righteous. I want to have an intimate relationship with my Savior!

Abraham was such a man. He was righteous by faith, but he also had a close walk with God and was blessed by God in all things. (Genesis 24:1) His nephew Lot, on the other hand, although righteous too (2 Peter 2:7–8), had no heart for God. He ended up losing a lot when Sodom, the city he dwelt in, was destroyed along with Gomorrah. He was saved by the skin of his teeth!

My friend, do you want to be a Christian like Lot, righteous but always finding yourself in trouble, or do you want to be a righteous-and-blessed Christian like Abraham? Then, like Abraham, have a heart for God.

From place to place, Abraham would build an altar to the Lord. And in between altars, he grew very rich! (Genesis 13:2) There is no biblical record, however, of Lot ever building an altar to the Lord.

What is an “altar” in today’s context? It is a place where you know that you have a close relationship with God. For example, when my late father was in the hospital, I was worried and did not know what to do. I remember driving down the road and crying. After a while, I just threw my cares to the Lord. When I reached the hospital, I just laid my hands on my father and said, “Be healed in Jesus’ name.” And he was healed!

Till today, I can remember the place where I had cast my cares to the Lord and leaned on His love for me. That is my “altar”. And it is not the only one.

We have got to have this kind of relationship with God, one full of “altars” that remind us of His love, goodness and faithfulness. Let’s not live the Christian life like Lot, saved by the skin of our teeth. Let’s walk closely with God as Abraham did, and be richly blessed in every area of our lives!

Thought For The Day
Choose to have an intimate relationship with the One who made you righteous.

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart (Ephesians 4:17-18).


Our opening scripture gives us the picture of the man that’s not born again; what his spirit is like before God—a very gloomy depiction indeed. Ephesians 2:12 says, "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world."

How could any one live without God? Such people are dead in trespasses and sins and walk according to the prince of the power of the air, which is Satan. Awful! It shows how important it is for us to keep preaching the Gospel and interceding for lost souls. Ephesians 4:18 declares that they’re alienated from the life of God. Ephesians 2:12 says they’re hopeless.

Those who’re not born again are "children of wrath"; that means they’re appointed to the judgement of God (Ephesians 2:2-3). This should get you thinking about your friends, loved ones, colleagues, and associates that don’t know Jesus; they’re your responsibility. Don’t let them die without God, for if they do, they’ll go to hell, and that’s not the will of God for anybody. The Bible says He’s unwilling that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

You’re the custodian of His message of salvation to those in your world; don’t keep quiet. Preach the Gospel like never before. Intercede in prayer for lost souls. Make it your life’s purpose that the sinners in your world won’t die without God; and they’re not going to keep living without hope. Share the Gospel with them. Let them know that eternal life is available from God now; therefore, they don’t have to wallow in sin and guilt anymore. Let them know that the righteousness of God has been unveiled, and it’s imparted freely to anyone who receives the Gospel and affirms the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Dear Father, I thank you for making me effective in the ministry of reconciliation. I pray for those around the world who haven’t known Jesus, that the light of the glorious Gospel will shine brightly in their hearts, destroying the shackles of darkness, and that they’ll respond today to the call of the Spirit to them for salvation, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.


further study: Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 26:16-18

: Ephesians 6:10-24 Isaiah 31-32

: Titus 1:1-16 Jeremiah 49

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword . . .
—Hebrews 4:12

How do we overcome the devil in everyday life? First, we need to recognize that the devil is a defeated foe. The Son of God came to undo the work of the devil. The crucifixion of Christ, which looked like a mighty victory for Satan, turned out to be a great triumph for God, because it was on the cross that Jesus took your sins and my sins.

God laid our sins on Christ, so that when our Lord bowed His head and said, “It is finished,” He was referring to the plan of redemption and salvation. Then . . . we are to resist the devil. If we resist him, Scripture says, he will flee from us. Jesus overcame the devil not by argument but simply by quoting Scripture. That is why it is so important to learn and memorize Scripture passages.

Prayer for the day
Thank You, heavenly Father, for the protection of Your Word as I face everyday temptations.

Memorise: 
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. Matthew 14:23


Read: Genesis 32:23-30, (KJV)
23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.


Bible in one year: 
Ezekiel 25-27,
Psalms 71:14-24

Message
One of the characteristics of the eagle that we learn from the School of Disciples of the Redeemed Christian Church of God is its lonely lifestyle. We learn the virtues of a solitary lifestyle because more often than not, the crowd could be distracting. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in our memory verse for today, demonstrated the need to withdraw and be alone with God periodically. Open Heavens 1 October 2016:-The Blessing of Solitude I The Bible says in Matthew 14:23:

“And when he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.”

What was Jesus doing alone? He was having fellowship with His Father and probably the angels were ministering to Him as we read in Matthew 4:11

In our text for today, Jacob wad facing a frightening situation and he needed to sort some things out with his Maker. So, he decided to be alone after discharging his family to go before him. What he was doing could be assumed in the light of verse 9 to verse 26. There are many lessons we can learn from this story: Firstly, to be alone with God we must separate ourselves from the crowd. Secondly, to be alone with God requires denying ourselves the luxury of family fellowship and affection. Jacob parted with is family including the wife he laboured to have for fourteen years. The only time the Bible allows a temporary separation between the husband and the wife is when it comes to being alone with God. The Bible says:

“Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”


1st Corinthians 7:5

The third lesson we can learn from this story is that solitary living is of no use if you cannot get the best out of it. Jacob did not just isolate himself from the crowd, he had a nice and meaningful time with his Maker, and he did not miss out the essence when he said: “.., I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” (Genesis 32:26). I always pity people when they come for big meetings like the Holy Ghost service, Festival of life, Holy Ghost Congress, etc. and they sleep all through the programme, even while prayers are going on. These people left the luxury of their beds and comfortable houses, only to come here and waste their time in the presence of the Lord. Jacob did not do this; he went for the best from his God. Another lesson we can learn here is that as a result of this separation unto God, Jacob’s terrible past was erased and he was mightily blessed. Finally in this story, we learn that we don’t need the details of how God will perform our desperately needed miracles. All we need is faith to believe whatever the Lord says concerning us, either in His Word or through prophetic utterances from His genuine prophets. Jacob asked for the name of the man with whom he was wrestling and the man said that knowing his name was not necessary; all he needed was miracles and blessings, so he blessed him. This is a mighty reward of solitary living; being alone with God pays a lot. As you choose to separate yourself unto the Lord and away from the world, I pray that the blessings of the Lord shall characterise your separated life in Jesus’ name.

Action Point
Decide to dedicate some solitary time for prayer and have meaningful fellowship with your Maker.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Hebrews 13:15

Great things happen when you continually confess the mercy of God. Faith rises up on the inside of you. The reality that God loves you begins to sing through your spirit.

What's more, it brings honor to your Father when you believe His Word and magnify His love and mercy. You honor Him when you speak of His goodness and lovingkindness, when you talk about Him as your Father of love who does only good. It blesses Him when you praise Him as the great God of the universe who is eager to bless and who even gave His own Son because He so loved the world.

David was a man after God's own heart. He knew how to praise his God. Until you have the Word dwelling in you richly so that you can speak psalms and praises out of your own spirit, use the praises of David to magnify God. Speak them or sing them out loud to the Father.

Put His words continually on your lips. You will soon begin to experience the thrill and the joy of realizing that God is indeed "rich in mercy" because of His great love with which He loved us. Your faith will rise to new heights and your Father will be blessed! And you will be blessed.

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 89:1-18

“Use your time in the best way you can” (Colossians 4:5b ICB).

If you want to get ready to be used by God, first you need to get to know Jesus Christ. Then, you need to use your time in view of eternity.

Colossians 4:5 says, “Use your time in the best way you can” (ICB). Time is our most precious resource. It’s far more important than money. You can get more money, but you can’t get more time. You only have a certain amount allotted to you in this life. You can’t make time, you can’t borrow time, you can’t save time, you can’t extend time. You can only use it. We all have the same amount of time every week: 168 hours. If you don’t learn to manage your time well, you cannot manage anything else in your life, because your time is your life.

God is watching to see how you manage your time on this earth to determine what he’s going to have you do in eternity. He’s giving you a test, because your life on Earth is preparation for eternity. One of Satan’s strategies is to get you so busy doing unimportant things that you don’t have time for the important things in life, and you don’t spend any time preparing for eternity. Satan doesn’t have to get you to sin. If he can’t get you to be bad, he’ll just get you to be busy.

The Bible tells us exactly what we should be doing with our time in Acts 20:24: “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus” (NLT, second edition).

God wants to use you, but he wants to make sure that you’re investing your time in the most important things. You’ve got to use your time in view of eternity. You’ve got to ask yourself, “How much of what I’m spending my time on is going to count five or 10 years from now? How much is going to count in eternity?” Then you’ve got to refocus.

Use your time in view of eternity so God can see that you are focused on the main thing — his purposes.

Talk It Over

Take a look at your calendar or your schedule. How much of your time is spent on things that matter in light of eternity?
What is the work that God has given you to do while you’re here on Earth?
In what ways will you spend your time differently so that you can accomplish the work God has given you to do?

Matthew 16:13-18

The question hung in the air like a thick morning fog. Imagine the complete silence and the small crowd around Jesus looking stupefied—too scared or uncertain to speak. They didn’t know what to say in response to the Lord’s question, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt. 16:15).

Then, as though some invisible hand had flipped a switch, bringing him into perfect awareness, Simon Peter’s head shot up. He looked Jesus in the eye and declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). Peter got it right.

Calling Jesus “Christ” and “God’s Son” was a big deal in biblical times. Such a statement led to the death of many brave believers, as the Jewish and Roman authorities persecuted Christians who were willing to take a stand for their faith. Even those who walked side by side with Jesus and excitedly took part in His ministry would be taking a huge risk to call Him “Christ.” So they sometimes remained silent while continuing to work for the kingdom.

Isn’t it interesting that today’s church often has the opposite problem? Many people are quick to exclaim “Jesus is Lord!” but then fail to go about His work and ministry.

Is there a disparity between what you profess with your mouth and what you’re doing for the kingdom? Jesus calls us to be complete in testimony and in deed. If your confession is “Jesus is Lord,” then your life should reflect your bold stance. What can you do today to reveal your faith to others?

Bible in One Year: Zechariah 6-10

I had a vision yesterday while attending a prayer room online. As the anointed woman of God was praying, I saw a group of believers on their knees in a circle praying. Their heads were bowed. In the middle of the circle was Jesus whom they did not see, but He was there in their midst. He was much much bigger and taller than they were.

We have a BIG God, sisters and brothers. Jesus had on a robe that went to His feet and was spread out before them. It had the colors of a tallit, like Jesus was wearing when the woman touched the hem of His garment. His garment was SO close to their fingers that it only would take a small movement of their fingers to touch it. And I heard for us to just reach out and touch the hem of His garment for whatever we have need of.

Not just healing, but whatever you have been praying for. Reach out to Him in faith, Beloved. He is right there with you. He is in your midst. He is so very near to the brokenhearted and the needy. He hears your cries. It only takes the faith the size of a mustard seed. He has given us all a measure of faith, and it is enough. He shall show Himself mighty on your behalf. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Speak those things that be not as though they were. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

..Matthew 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment: 21For she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole. 22But Jesus turned Him about, and when He saw her, He said, "Daughter, be of good comfort; your faith has made you whole." And the woman was made whole from that very hour.

..Mark 6:56 And wherever Jesus entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought Him that they might touch if it were but the border of His garment: and as many as touched Him were made whole.

Jesus Fulfilled the Prophet Malachi's awesome Prophecy of the Tzit-Tzit
"But unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His WINGS," Malachi 4:2

According to Jewish sages and tradition, this Sun of Righteousness referred to in Malachi's prophecy was understood to be the Messiah, who would have the power to heal who ever touched the tzit-tzit (fringes) on His garment.

..Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
..Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

1 Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
..2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight

..1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.5Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God..

It does not matter where you live, where you work, how much money you do or do not make.

What matter is the good works you do for God and for others. It doesn't need to cost a lot of money or take a lot of your time or keep you from living the life you want.

It only takes a heart to listen, a helping hand, a few words of encouragement or even just a smile. That one gesture, that one good works, can change a life, can change your life. God Bless you.

Psalm 29:11—The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

Living By God’s Principles Produces Love, Joy and Peace
Part Two—
Get rid of grudges everyday.

Ephesians 4:26 says if you’re angry, don’t sin by nursing a grudge.  “Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.”  Get over it quickly, for when you are angry, you give foothold to the devil.

Spend some time every day getting to be more intimate with your spouse, your children your parents your brothers or sisters, because family harmony is essential to your mental and spiritual health.  Unresolved family conflicts will destroy you!

Spend some time each week with committed Christians who are full of the spirit.

Proverbs 13:20 says, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise:  but a companion of fools will be destroyed.”  Get with people of like precious faith and fellowship with them.  When you run with a group of lounge lizards, you’ll be a lounge lizard.  When you associate with crooks, you’ll be a crook.  You want to be depressed?  Go in business with a crook.  You don’ have friends?  The Bible says that if you want friends, you must show yourself friendly Proverbs 18:24.

Go to work on something that brings personal satisfaction to you.

The three faces of happiness are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

Do something nice for a special person every week.

“Give and it shall be given unto you”  Luke 6:38.  What do you want other people to give to you?  Then give that to them.  It can by your time, it can be your love, it can be flowers, it can be a card, or it can be a bowl of red beans, but give something special on a regular basis.  You’ll find that by giving your life away, you’ll find it.

As an eagle that stirs up her nest, that flutters over her young, He spread abroad His wings and He took them, He bore them on His pinions.
- Deuteronomy 32:11

Baby eagles spend the first three months of their lives in the comfortable nest their parents have prepared. But the eaglets get a big surprise when they are about twelve weeks old. Their mother suddenly begins to throw all of their toys out of the nest.

Next, she begins to pull out all of the comfortable material in the nest—the feathers and the animal fur—and leaves the babies sitting on thorns and sticks. This is what the Bible means when it mentions that the mother eagle "stirs up her nest." The reason she stirs the nest is that she wants her babies to get out and fly.

Before long, the mother eagle begins to nudge them out of the nest. The little eaglets, who have no idea how to fly, fall through the sky, probably very frightened. Soon, though, they hear a "whoooooooosh" as the mother eagle swoops up under them to catch them. At that point, the mother eagle takes the babies right back up to the nest and then nudges them out again. She keeps repeating the process, over and over again, until they finally understand that they have no choice but to fly.

The mother eagle does this because she loves them and wants them to have the best lives they can possibly have. Most eaglets won't get out of the nest without this push. Similarly, most of us will also choose comfort over challenge unless we have no choice at all.

Do you feel God is working in your life the same way the mother eagle does with her young? Has He been pulling some of the padding out of your nest so you find yourself sitting on prickly branches? Is He saying to you, "Come on, it is time to fly"? If so, remember the mother eagle's intentions and know that you can trust God's good intentions for you.

Trust in Him: Do you feel as if God has pushed you out of your comfortable nest? Trust Him. He isn't trying to harm you—He's teaching you to fly!

"Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you...I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand..."
Isaiah 41:10, AMPC

TODAY'S WORD:
We all face situations in life that feel out of control. During times like these, it’s easy to get discouraged and allow fear to creep in; but instead, why don’t you focus on the fact that God is holding you in the palm of His hand! There is nothing too difficult for Him; nothing’s impossible; nothing is beyond His ability. When God holds you in His hand, you are safe; you are cared for. In His hand, there is victory. In His hand, there is strength. In His hand, there is provision. In His hand is everything you need.

No matter what you may be going through today, you can trust that God is for you. Instead of getting down and depressed over your circumstances, look up and get a vision of God turning that situation around. Let faith rise in your heart and focus on His favor, promotion and blessing. As you keep your heart and mind focused on Him and choose to obey His Word, you’ll see those supernatural breaks that will launch you further ahead than you ever thought possible because He holds you with His victorious right hand!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, thank You for helping me and holding me in Your victorious right hand. I choose to trust You even when things don’t make sense, even when things seem beyond my control. I release my cares to You knowing that You work all things together for my good in Jesus’ name. Amen."

I’m sure everyone been wronged at one time or another. Because of this, we all have a decision to make. We can either let that wrong affect us the rest of our lives and cause us to sit down and wallow in pity. Or we can get up, wipe ourselves off, forgive and keep going.

“Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13, TLB).

That’s the choice we have to make, and it is never too late to make the right choice!

You cannot expect any change or real growth in your life until you forgive and let go. Give it all to God. Do not pick up that load of anger, resentment, hurt, shame, guilt or whatever it may be that you have been struggling with.

It’s not easy to forgive when you have been treated badly or abused in some way, but it is necessary. We have no choice if we want our Heavenly Father to forgive us of our wrongdoings.

You do not have to suffer the rest of your life for past mistakes or for other’s past mistakes. Your past does not have to be your future. God is a restorer and He will restore all that you have lost if you will seek Him and believe His Word.

Confession: I choose to forgive. I choose to let go of that person or that situation completely. I forgive by faith and by an act of my will and refuse to be influenced by my feelings. I am free.

Author: Jerry Savelle

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Whenever the devil throws something at us, we need not lose hope. In fact, we can be sure that God will turn it around for our greater blessing because He is for us.

When God first made man, He gave man dominion over everything on earth. (Genesis 1:26) But when Adam fell, sin and death entered the world, and man lost his authority to the devil.

So did the devil win? No, God executed His redemption plan by sending His Son Jesus to die for us. And He wants us to know that Jesus’ death did more than just restore us to the same position that Adam had—it placed us in a much higher position!

When the Father raised Jesus from the dead, we who are in Christ were raised with Him. In other words, we are now seated with Him at God’s right hand in the heavenly places, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come”! (Ephesians 1:21) Adam never had this position. So through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have received so much more.

In the Old Testament, we read of how God brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey. The devil thought that he could foil God’s plan by putting giants in the promised land to stop the Israelites from inheriting it. But God outsmarted the devil. He allowed the giants to build their homes and cities, dig wells and cultivate crops until the right time came. Then, He brought the Israelites into the land and evicted the giants!

So the Israelites ended up inheriting large beautiful cities which they did not build, houses full of all good things which they did not fill, hewn-out wells which they did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees which they did not plant! (Deuteronomy 6:10–11) Although the devil tried to prevent God’s plan for His people from coming to pass, they ended up receiving so much more!

Beloved, the devil may throw obstacles and evil circumstances at you, but God will turn those evil schemes around for your greater blessing because He is for you!

Thought For The Day
When the devil throws something at you, God will turn it around for your greater blessing because He is for you.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).

There’s praying in the spirit, and there’s groaning in the spirit. When you pray in tongues, your spirit prays (1 Corinthians 14:14). So, it’s your spirit that prays in tongues, even though the language (utterance) is given to your spirit by the Holy Ghost. Moreover, when you pray in tongues, your spirit is exercised and activated.

Groaning in the spirit, however, isn’t initiated from your spirit but through the Holy Spirit. This happens often to those who are totally yielded to the Spirit. You may start out by praying in tongues and activating your spirit, but it gets to the point where the Holy Spirit takes over. At that point, you’re no longer just speaking in tongues, but communicating with deep sighs and groanings of the Spirit; no words are being formed, and you can’t explain why you’re crying and groaning; the Spirit Himself has taken over the prayer, because there’s something He needs to pray about through you. Hallelujah! This is the highest kind of prayer.

The thing about this kind of prayer is that you can’t just decide you want to groan in the Spirit as in the case of speaking in tongues; it’s the Spirit that initiates it. However, you can get into that spirit of prayer and yield fully to Him. To achieve this, you must have your emotions in communication with the Holy Spirit’s emotions, because this groaning is actually an emotion of the Spirit being expressed. It’s an expression of deep emotions; but this time, it’s the emotion of the Holy Spirit, and He expresses it through us.

So, give your emotions to Him. Let Him express Himself through you. David said, "...Unite my heart..." (Psalm 86:11). That’s what happens a lot of time in worship. Through worship, we unite our emotions with His. These are the secrets from God’s kingdom given to His children to live a successful life. Learn to always yield yourself to the Spirit, and give your emotions to Him in prayer.

Prayer

Dear Father, I thank you for the opportunity to enjoy your grace, bask in your love, and be enraptured in the bliss of fellowship with your Spirit. As I spend time to pray in the spirit today, my heart, mind, and emotions are in sync with your Spirit. I’m guided and inspired to declare accurate words that’ll bring about transformations in my life and circumstances, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

further study: Romans 8:26-27 AMP; Jude 1:20

: Isaiah 29-30 Ephesians 5:22-6:9

: 2 Timothy 4:11-22 Jeremiah 48

I stretch forth my hands unto thee; my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land...
—Psalm 143:6

Not long ago I visited the dean of a great American university. We looked out the window of his office and watched hundreds of students walking to their classes. I asked the dean, “What is the greatest problem at this university?” He thought a moment and answered, “Emptiness.” So many people today are bored, lonely, searching for something. You can see it in their faces.

One girl home from college told her wealthy father, “Father, I want something but I don’t know what it is.” That’s true of many people; we want something to meet the deepest problems of our lives, but we haven’t found it. David said, “I have found it. I shall not want.” The Apostle Paul expressed it, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.”

You don’t have to give up on life, to throw up your hands and cry, “It’s no use.” . . . You can have God’s peace, God’s joy, God’s happiness, God’s security; and yours can become the most thrilling life in the world.

Prayer for the day
Lord Jesus, You quench the thirst and longing of my soul. Praise Your blessed name.

Memorise: 
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Romans 9:33

Read: Psalms 23:1-6, (KJV)
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.


Bible in one year: 
Ezekiel 23-24, Psalms
71:1-13

Message:
Grace is the favour of God to human beings. It is the demonstration of God’s goodwill towards humankind in the person of Jesus Christ, and the effects of that goodwill in human lives. The word is rarely found in the Old Testament but employed frequently in the New Testament, leading some to declare the New Testament period as the dispensation of grace. The Christian life is completely dependent upon the grace of God. God’s grace compensates for human weaknesses in that God shows Himself gracious in His dealings with human beings.

John 1:16-17 says:

“And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

God’s grace is abundant (Romans 5:17). This grace is not only abundant but can be exceeding in one’s life (2nd Corinthians 9:14). Grace is one way God makes up for our short comings. Grace covers our human frailties. Through grace, God uses our very limited strength and resources to do the impossible. This He does by adding His own strength and resources to ours. With grace, you lack, limitations, and defects are fully covered. When you have exceeding grace, it means God’s provision far exceeds your need.  Grace is in action at those times that the Holy Spirit helps us to pray in accordance with God’s will when we do not know how to pray (Romans 8:26-27). When you have prayed, fasted and tried without measuring up to standard, then it is time to fall back on His grace. Grace can be accessed at varying measures. To some people, grace may be unavailable, to some, only a little, while some will have it in abundance, and for some others, grace will outnumber their needs. What level of grace do you have access to? If you want to access extreme levels of grace, do not frustrate God’s grace that is currently available upon you, do not waste it and do not become a storage tower of grace, but rather, be a channel of grace. Always use grace for the purpose it is given to you. Be gracious to others. Be generous. Live a holy life.  2nd Corinthians 6:1 says:

“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.”

God does not wish that we receive His grace in vain; He wants us to be progressive by growing in grace. God wants us to share His grace with others for them to taste and see that the Lord is good. May His glory fill the earth, that His name may be praised forever more.

Prayer Point’
Father, let Your grace be sufficient for me. Please Lord; make me a distributor of Your grace.

Open Heavens Daily, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Matthew 9:36

Compassion. That’s the one thing people need more than anything else in this world. They need someone to reach out to them with the compassion of God.

Compassion is a deep yearning that responds to the needs of people. It’s much deeper than sympathy. Sympathy can just sit around feeling sorry for people. Compassion has to do something for them.

Compassion is what motivates God, and Jesus’ life on earth was a picture of that compassion in action. His whole ministry was driven by it. It was compassion that caused Him to multiply the loaves and fishes, heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead. It was compassion that compelled Him to go to the Cross. And it’s that same compassion that He now longs to pour out through you.

That’s a staggering thought, isn’t it?

It’s staggering to realize that we believers are the only body Jesus has on this earth now. His healing must flow through our hands and our faith. His compassion must move us to provide for the hungry. It must compel us to cast out demons and set the captives free.

“But, Brother Copeland, I don’t have that kind of compassion!”

Yes, you do. If you have the Spirit of God dwelling inside you, you do—because He is that kind of love! You simply need to activate it.

How? Just like Jesus did when He walked the earth. Through prayer and fellowship with the Father. Look through the Gospels and notice how much time Jesus spent alone with the Father. That time activated the compassion of God within Him. It caused Him to feel what God feels about the suffering of mankind. It stirred Him so much that whenever He encountered a need, He met it by the power of God.

Follow His example. Spend time in fellowship with your Father. Meditate on His compassion until it rises up strong on the inside of you. Stir it up until the desire to see others set free becomes paramount in your thinking.

Jesus has sent you to reach out and touch a love-starved world with His compassion.

If you don’t do it, who will?

Scripture Reading:
Mark 6:32-46

“To all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them” (John 1:12b TLB).

Yesterday we talked about why it’s important for you to know the purpose of your life so that God can use you while you’re here on Earth. So, if this life is preparation for eternity, how do you do it? How do you use your life here to prepare for eternity?

First, you get to know Jesus Christ.

The Bible says, “To all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them” (John 1:12b TLB). Notice that not everybody’s a child of God —  just those who receive him into their lives. God wants you to establish a relationship with him by trusting in him.

You establish a relationship with God the same way you establish any relationship. If I want to have a relationship with my wife, Kay, what do I have to do? First, I have to spend time with her. I have to show her that I’m invested in getting to know her by making time for her and making the time count. You cannot have a relationship with somebody you never spend any time with.

That’s the same way you develop a relationship with God. You make time in your schedule for him. In fact, you make him the first and most important part of your day through a daily quiet time. You get alone with God and worship him and learn from him. You spend regular, significant time with him.

The second thing you’ve got to do to have a relationship is talk. There are a lot of ways to be more intentional about your prayer life. Maybe you need to start a prayer journal of requests and answered prayer. You could make a prayer card using Scripture and put it on your bathroom mirror or on your desk at work so that you are reminded to pray God’s Word. Or maybe your family needs to have a set time of prayer together each day. Whatever it is you need to do to increase your conversation with God, do it!

You will never regret investing your time, your energy, and your life in getting to know God better. Take the first step today in getting ready to be used by God by spending time with him and talking to him.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

Is your relationship with God the most important one in your life? What is the evidence in your life that this is true?
What do you need to change about your schedule so that you can be more consistent about a quiet time with God?
Think of two practical ways you can increase or improve your conversation with God, and put them into practice today.

John 14:23

Despite his years of fishing experience, Peter returned from a night’s work with nothing to show for it. The Lord’s request to let the nets down one more time perhaps struck him as unreasonable—after all, Peter and his partners were the professionals. Nevertheless, he complied, and his obedience blessed many.

Scripture demonstrates that divine plans often defy human logic. For instance, who would design a battle strategy that involved only marching and shouting? God told Joshua to conquer Jericho that way, and doing so proved successful (Josh. 6:1-5).

Moses is another example. When he felt unsure about his leadership potential, the Lord gave reassurance in an unusual way—by telling him to throw down his walking stick. When Moses obeyed, God powerfully confirmed His choice of a leader (Ex. 4:1-3).

Our Father may ask us to do something that seems illogical—perhaps to accept more responsibility when we were hoping to reduce our workload, to leave a position that He provided just recently, or to take on an assignment for which we feel ill-equipped. His plan might feel unrealistic in view of our age, stage of life, or health concerns. We must press forward in obedience, regardless of how impractical the request may appear.

To grasp the importance of obeying, think about children receiving instructions from parents or teachers. Careful listening is needed for the task to be done safely and properly. Some steps may seem pointless, but the rationale often becomes clear later. Always make obeying God your priority.

Bible in One Year: Zechariah 1-5

Beloved. Do not weep. The Lamb is a Lion. The Lion of Judah is roaring in victory. You are not defeated, My Child. I came and destroyed the works of the devil. You have been delivered from the chains of darkness and translated into My kingdom of Light.

In My name and by the Blood of the Lamb, every curse has been broken. Sin and death are underneath My feet. You have survived the unsurvival. I have picked you up and placed your feet upon the Rock. I will not let the evil one grieve you, Dear One. I am the God of the impossible. Do not doubt, but only believe.

Declare Whose you are. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so. Take up the Sword of the Spirit and speak My Word, My Child. I am the ALL SUFFICIENT One, your Savior, the God of the whole earth I am called. NONE is above Me. You SHALL overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of your testimony.

Be not afraid of evil tidings, Beloved. There is victory in the camp tonight. Every enemy shall flee from the fire in My Eyes. Hear the thunder in the distance, it is the shout of El-Shaddi. Weep not, My Love, the Lion of Judah has triumphed.

"EL": The All-Sufficient One, God Almighty, the Almighty or Almighty God.
"SHAD" or "shadayim": meaning "breast" or "breasts": One who nourishes, supplies, and satisfies
"DAI": sheds forth, pours out, to heap benefits

...The Hebrew root word "shadad" (meaning "to overpower" or "to destroy") means absolute power. While Elohim is the God who creates, in the name "Shaddai" God reveals Himself as the God who compels nature to do what is contrary to itself. He is able to triumph over every obstacle and all opposition; He is able to subdue all things to Himself.

..Yahweh is the One who mightily nourishes, satisfies, protects, and supplies His people. El Shaddai is our All-Sufficient Sustainer. It is God as "El" who helps, and it is God as "Shaddai" who abundantly blesses with all manner of blessings.

..Rev 5:4And I began to weep bitterly, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. 5Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God sent out into all the earth.…