Abiding TV

"And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ."
Philemon 1:6, NLT

TODAY'S WORD:
The Bible tells us that faith without works is dead. If we don’t put our faith into action, it’s not really faith; it’s just nice ideas. You see, when God truly does a work in our lives, it affects everything about us. It affects our words, our thoughts and our actions. How do you know someone is generous? By their generous actions. How do you know someone is kind? By their kind actions. How do you know someone is gentle? By their gentle actions. How do you know someone is a follower of Christ? By their Christ-like actions.

Can people tell by your actions that you belong to God? We all have areas where we can come up higher, but as believers in Jesus, we can be confident that God is at work in us. He is faithful and will complete what He started. As we invite Him to search our hearts and minds, as we surrender every area of our heart to Him and put our faith into action, He will finish His perfect work in us!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father in heaven, thank You for changing me, for making me more like You. I invite Your love to do a work in my heart so that You are reflected in everything I say and do in Jesus’ name. Amen."

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.
—Proverbs 4:25 NIV

Are you enjoying the life and blessings of God in your everyday life? Or have you made a series of choices resulting in disappointment, pain, or feeling that everything you do requires great effort and produces little reward? Don't spend your time and energy mourning all the bad decisions you have made; just start making good ones. There is hope for you!

The way to overcome the results of a series of bad choices is through a series of right choices. The only way to walk out of trouble is to do the opposite of whatever you did to get into trouble—one choice at a time.

Maybe the circumstances of your life right now are the direct result of a series of bad choices you have made. You may be in debt because you have made a lot of bad choices with money. You may be lonely because of a series of bad choices in relationships or in the way you treat people. You may be sick because of a series of unhealthy choices: eating junk food, not getting enough rest, or abusing your body through working too much and not having enough balance in your life.

You cannot make a series of bad choices that result in significant problems and then make one good choice and expect all the results of all those bad choices to go away. You did not get into deep trouble through one bad choice; you got into trouble through a series of bad choices. If you really want your life to change for the better, you will need to make one good choice after another, over a period of time, just as consistently as you made the negative choices that produced negative results.

No matter what kind of trouble or difficulty you find yourself in, you can still have a blessed life. You cannot do anything about what is behind you, but you can do a great deal about what lies ahead of you. God is a redeemer, and He will always give you another chance.

Trust in Him: If you have a situation that is too big for you to solve, then you are material for a miracle. Invite God to get involved, trust in and follow His directions, make one good choice after another, and you will see amazing results.

Matthew 18:18—Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:  and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

You Can Take Absolute Control Of Your Life Through Prayer!
When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils” Luke 11:2022.

There are two applications to this scripture.  First, Satan is the strong man who kept the palace.  He had everything his way until Jesus defeated him at Calvary.  Second, notice that Satan is totally unarmed—Jesus has stripped him of all his armor.  To share in the victory of Christ at Calvary, we must first bind the strong man.  Who is the strong man in this text?  He is Satan’s representative over a nation, over a people, over a state, over a city, over a family or over a person.  The powers and principalities are that well organized.  Your problems are not with people.  Your problems are with supernatural powers that control people.

Is your husband a drinker?  Say, “Lord Jesus, in the authority of your name, I bind that alcoholic spirit that drives my husband.  I ask you to make him as sick as a dog the next time he picks up that bottle.”

That’s an illustration of binding.  Here’s an illustration of loosing.  In Luke 13 there was a woman who had been bent double for 18 years.  Jesus said, “Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed form this bond?” Luke 13:18.  So you attack sickness like this.  “Lord Jesus, in the power of your name, by the shed blood of your cross, I loose from this infirmity.  Be healed in Jesus’ name.”  And that disease has to let go in Jesus’ name.”

If your relatives are bound by alcoholism…by drug addiction…by adultery…by fornication…by bitterness…by resentment…by prejudice…by idolatry…by Satanism…by witchcraft…by the occult…by Eastern philosophies…by mind control…loose them in Jesus’ name.  Agree with another believer.  Put on the whole armor of God and pierce the darkness through prayer.

Source:  Twelve Sunday Morning Part 3

Genesis 16:1-16

The Old Testament gives us the account of Abraham’s life. While the patriarch had a special relationship with God, his faith was not perfect. Over the years, he came to understand the importance of obedience—and how costly it can be to rebel.

Abraham learned the hard way that manipulating circumstances to gain a desired result can bring heartache. God had promised him and Sarah a child, but they were still waiting for that blessing when they were elderly. Already in her 70s, Sarah suggested that Abraham get an heir by having a child with her servant Hagar. The result was jealousy, family strife, and a bloody conflict that still rages today between the descendants of Hagar’s son Ishmael and Sarah’s son Isaac.

Obedience will bring the Lord’s best, but it requires waiting on Him. Abraham was already an old man when God promised him descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky (Gen. 15:5). This would not be fulfilled until he was 100 and Sarah was well past her child-bearing years, which meant that all the glory for Isaac’s miraculous conception and birth went to the Lord (Gen. 21:1-7). Jumping ahead of God had harsh, long-term consequences. But the good news is that the couple’s mistakes could not prevent Him from carrying out His plan.

The Lord has given us His Word so we might learn from the saints of old. The story of Abraham’s life teaches us that obedience is essential. When we place our trust in a sovereign God and wait upon His timing, He will always prove faithful.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 8-10

Matthew 7:11
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!

Let me tell you a true story I heard. There was a pastor whose young child was diagnosed with cancer. The day his boy was scheduled for an operation, this father cried out to God, “God, I’m almost 30 years old, but my boy is only about three months old. Why don’t you just take some years off my life and give them to my boy?”

Then, from deep within him, he heard the voice of God say, “I am not like that.” When the man heard that, he realized immediately that his son’s sickness was not from God. He also realized that if he, who has faults, could want his child well, how much more his heavenly Father. So he changed his prayer and said, “Father God, I come against this sickness and I ask you for healing for my child.” That day, on the operating table, the surgeons could find no trace of cancer in the child!

Today, God wants you to know that He is not the kind of Father who wants you sick and defeated, keeps you poor and wanting, refuses to provide for your needs and denies you your blessings.

When my daughter Jessica was younger, I bought a beautiful teddy bear for her. Teddy bears are her favorite toys and I could not wait to see her joy when she saw it. My joy is to see her happy. When she is sick and has difficulty sleeping at night, it hurts me to hear her cry. When she is crying, I cannot ignore her cries. I enter into her discomfort and pain even though I know that her sickness is something that will pass shortly. When she is in pain, I feel the pain too. When she is sad, I am sad too.

I believe that God gives us children to help us understand what His Father-heart is like. His joy is to enter into your joy and see you happy. If you, in spite of your faults, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to you when you ask Him! My prayer today is that you will know just how much your Father loves you!

Thought For The Day
God’s joy is to enter into your joy!

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).

Knowing God as your loving heavenly Father is essential if you want to enjoy your walk with Him and fulfill all the wonderful plans He has for your life.

Your Father is for you: He is behind you every step of the way.

Your Father is always motivated by His love for you. When it seems 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 to never quit.

Your Father will pick you up when you fail or fall. 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 is disappointed when you settle for less than what you could have.

Your Father delights to have you come and talk to Him. He loves to share His wisdom with you; He loves to counsel you and show you the way.

Regardless of how you may have once viewed God, the Word says He is the perfect Father. Will you let Him be a Father to you?

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

Author: Jerry Savelle

Do you see the Bright Clouds, Beloved? They are Clouds of My Glory. My Grace has fallen upon you like the rain. My clouds have poured down righteousness upon you through My Son. I have softened your heart with My Showers and blessed your growth.

As droplets on fresh grass and showers on the herb, so My Teachings drop as the rain through My Spirit. It is the time of the latter rain. Press in, My Child. I desire for you to know Me. My going forth is as certain as the Dawn. I come to you like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth. When I utter My Voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens.

I am He who causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; I make lightning for the rain, and bring out the wind from My storehouses. Rejoice, O my sons and daughters and be glad in the LORD your God. For I have given you the early rain for your vindication and I have poured down for you the rain, the early and latter rain.

These rains of Glory have joined together become a River of Grace flowing to you from the heavenly Throne of your Father and of the Lamb. "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, says the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace," says the LORD of hosts.

...Hosea 6:3 So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.

...John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

...Psalm 72:6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.7 In His days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endures
.
...Deuteronomy 32:2 Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, as the droplets on the fresh grass and as the showers on the herb.

...Psalm 65:10 You water its furrows abundantly, You settle its ridges, You soften it with showers, You bless its growth.

...Isaiah 45:8 Drip down, O heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it.

...Zechariah 10:1 Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

...Joel 2:23 So rejoice, O sons of Zion, And be glad in the LORD your God; For He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, The early and latter rain as before.

...Revelation 22:1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Haggai 2:9

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth (Luke 12:15).

Some people rate or value themselves according to the amount of money they have. So, always, they’re punching the calculator to know their financial worth. If your value is according to some money, then you’re putting your life at some great risk. How can you subject your life to the
uncertain and ever unstable monetary system of the world?

Your true value is the Word of God that’s in your spirit. You’ve got to know and have the Word in you. With the Word in you, your success is assured no matter what happens around you. You’ll stay afloat like the ark of Noah that rose higher and higher as it rained and the waters increased, so that the same water that drowned others, buoyed him up. This shows that the circumstances responsible for sinking people’s businesses and careers today will be for your promotion!

What you need to live victoriously at every count in these latter days is the deposit of God’s Word in your spirit. If you deposit the Word in your spirit long enough, others will take notice of you and ask, “What manner of man is this?” because you’ll literally be “walking on water.” No matter the
situation, you stay above only.

Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Your confidence should only rest in how much of the Word of Christ you have in you, not how much money you have in your bank account. Remember, you become the Word of God that you receive into your spirit, and that’s your real value. As you allow the Word to dominate you, it’ll give you the mentality of a victor
such that no matter what happens, you’ll remain strong and unfazed

PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for showing me my true value in your Word. The entrance of your Word floods my heart with light and brings brilliance and beauty into my life. Your Word is deeply rooted in my heart and it grows, prevails and produces results in every area of my life, in Jesus’
Name. Amen.

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Matthew 22:15-46
Exodus 22-23

2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Matthew
11:21-30
Genesis 32

FURTHER STUDY:
1 Timothy 6:17
Joshua 1:8

Memorise: 
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. John 8:36

Read: John 8:31-36 (KJV)
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.


Bible in one year: 
Luke 12-13,
Isaiah 28:14-29,

Hymn:
Sing hymn 11

Message:
A lot of people go to unbelievable an unimaginable places seeking for solutions to their numerous problems and challenges, but all to no avail. Some people even go to the devil to find freedom. How can you seek freedom from an entity in bondage? Today, I pray for you that every wrong avenue from which you have been seeking freedom will be shut in Jesus’ Name. The Almighty God will show you solutions to the challenges confronting you in Jesus’ Name. It is often said that you cannot give what you don’t have. This is very true, and that is why you need to run to Jesus for all of your needs. There is no question in your life that He does not have an answer to. There is no problem He cannot solve, no sickness He cannot heal and no negative report that Jesus cannot overturn. There is no pit dug for you that He cannot close, neither is there any weapon fashioned against you that He cannot raise a standard against.

Beloved, it’s only in Jesus that you can have true freedom. If you really want to be free, you need to become a disciple of His. A disciple of Jesus is a follower of His person and principles.

There are many people who go to church and deliverance meetings who are not disciples of Jesus. They are just among the multitudes who are interested in His miracles and blessing, and yet have no interest in making Him their personal Lord and Saviour. Becoming a disciple of Jesus is a personal decision wherein an individual has to make up his mind to respond to the love of God. It is accepting to be on the Lord’s side. It is a deliberate intention to pay close attention to the word of God and allowing your life to be guided by it. This is the only way your freedom can be guaranteed. Over and over again you hear in adverts that tobacco smoking is dangerous to health, yet some people have remained under its bondage. Even some medical doctors, who know the serious negative effects of smoking, cannot help themselves from the bondage of this habit. Today, there shall be an end to every habit that is injurious to your life in Jesus’ Name. Come to Jesus and surrender to Him absolutely. Only after doing this will you enjoy total freedom from all bondage of strange voices, satanic oppression, obsession, suppression and depression. He is the only Truth that can set you free. Once you are set free in Jesus and you continue to abide in Him, no one can put you back in bondage again. An end has come to all the works of the devil in your life. Now is the dawn of a new beginning. No matter how much you have been afflicted by the agents of hell, your freedom has finally come in Jesus’ Name. I release the power of God to deliver you from all demonic attacks right now, in Jesus’ Name.


Prayer Point
Thank you Father for the victory You have given me through Christ Jesus.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye,
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Click HERE to DOWNLOAD Daily Open Heavens Devotional from January to December 2017

We know that all things work together for good to them that love God . . .
—Romans 8:28

We might never have had the songs of Fanny Crosby had she not been afflicted with blindness. George Matheson would never have given the world his immortal song, “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go,” had it not been for his passing through the furnace of affliction. The “Hallelujah Chorus” was written by George Frederick Handel when he was poverty-stricken and suffering from a paralyzed right side and right arm. Affliction may be for our edification and Christian development. Sickness is one of the “all things” which work together for good to them that love God. Don’t resent it. Don’t be embittered by it.

Prayer for the day
You do not make mistakes, Father. If sorrow comes into my life, let me use it to help others know about You.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Psalm 23:1-2

Have you ever thought about David and wondered how a shepherd boy could become a man after God's own heart—a man so strong in spirit that God chose him to be king of Israel? I have.

In fact, I asked God about it, and He showed me that revelation was what turned David into such a spiritual powerhouse—revelation that came to him through hours of thinking about the things of God. I imagine the day he wrote Psalm 23 he was just sitting and singing praises to God and meditating on His goodness. Just fellowshipping with Him when suddenly the anointing of the Lord came upon him and he said, "The Lord is my Shepherd!"

Suddenly he thought about the sheep he watched over as a boy, I faced death for those sheep. I led them where pastures were green and waters were cool, clean, deep, and peaceful. He kept on meditating on that until it started to thrill him. When the lion and the bear came, didn't He prepare a table before me in the presence of those enemies? He gave me victory. My God! My God will fight for me. The Lord is my Shepherd! I shall not want!

That revelation welled up in David so strong that the devil couldn't beat it out of him. So when Goliath tried to make a fool out of Israel, David went after him. Goliath was able to scare off everyone else, but he couldn't shake David because he had a revelation inside him that said, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for my God is with me. That revelation enabled David to say, "I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts" and to send a rock sailing into that giant's brain.

Is the devil out to destroy you? Do what David did. Meditate on God and His Word. Sing praises to your King. Fellowship with Him until the revelation of who He is in you starts to thrill your soul. Then tell the devil, "You're not going to kill me. The Lord is my Shepherd!" Hit him with the rock of revelation knowledge, and you'll knock him flat every time.

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 23

“Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord. As long as I live I’ll wholeheartedly obey” (Psalm 119:33-34 TLB).

God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly. That means doing whatever God asks without reservation or hesitation. You don’t procrastinate and say, “I’ll pray about it.” You do it without delay. Every parent knows that delayed obedience is really disobedience.

God doesn’t owe you an explanation or reason for everything he asks you to do. Understanding can wait, but obedience can’t. Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions. In fact, you will never understand some commands until you obey them first. Obedience unlocks understanding.

Often we try to offer God partial obedience. We want to pick and choose the commands we obey. We make a list of the commands we like and obey those while ignoring the ones we think are unreasonable, difficult, expensive, or unpopular. I’ll attend church but I won’t tithe. I’ll read my Bible but won’t forgive the person who hurt me. Yet partial obedience is disobedience.

Wholehearted obedience is done joyfully, with enthusiasm. The Bible says, “Obey him gladly” (Psalm 100:2a TLB).

This is the attitude of David: “Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord. As long as I live I’ll wholeheartedly obey” (Psalm 119:33-34 TLB).

James, speaking to Christians, said, “We please God by what we do and not only by what we believe” (James 2:24 CEV).

God’s Word is clear that you can’t earn your salvation. It comes only by grace, not your effort. But as a child of God you can bring pleasure to your heavenly Father through obedience. Any act of obedience is also an act of worship.

Why is obedience so pleasing to God? Because it proves you really love him. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments” (John 14:15 GNT).

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

How can you discern when it is God telling you to do something?
In what areas have you displayed partial obedience to God?
How does your attitude toward obedience change when you consider it an act of worship?

Do you ever feel like there are others who are "luckier" than you, who catch all the good breaks, who always seem to be in the right place at the right time?

Their is no such thing as luck or chance or coincidence. Everything that happens, whether it be good or bad has already been planned by our Father in Heaven.

What we have to remember is that God's plan is perfect, His timing is perfect and we each need to walk the path he has laid out for us and we will receive every blessing stored up for us, every promise he has placed on our hearts.

"So Jesus answered and said to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt...if you say to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea," it will be done.'"
Matthew 21:21, NKJV

TODAY'S WORD:
We've all had seasons when the challenges of life feel overwhelming. During those times, it's easy to be tempted to talk about how bad things are. Maybe you received a bad medical report, or maybe you're facing a financial obstacle. The more you talk about something, the bigger it becomes in your mind. Instead, you've got to dig your heels in and say, "No, I am not going to give life to that defeat. I am not going to speak sickness over myself. I'm not going to speak lack. I'm not going to speak fear. I'm choosing a different report. I believe the report of the Lord which says that I am blessed. I am favored. I am prosperous. I am healthy. I am whole. I'm a victor, not a victim."

Remember, even if you don't see how things could ever work out, God does. You've got to speak to those mountains in your life and declare favor over those situations. Instead of talking to God about how big your problems are, talk to your problems about how big your God is! As you speak to your mountains, they will be moved, and you will move forward into the victory God has prepared for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, thank You for Your Word which is life to my spirit. I receive Your strength today and choose to speak to the mountains so I can move forward in the victory You have in store for me in Jesus' name. Amen."

[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). . . .
—2 Corinthians 10:5

Take captive every thought coming into your mind that does not agree with the Word of God. Lead those thoughts away, and let them be replaced with ones that are obedient to Jesus Christ. In other words, change your mind!

This is something we have to be persistent in doing; and if you feel weary in the beginning of this new endeavor, I understand because I felt the same way. Instead of fighting with negative thoughts, simply replace them with positive ones. If you choose to think something good, then the bad thing cannot occupy that space in your mind anymore. We always overcome evil with good (see Romans 12:21).

Power Thought: My thoughts are obedient to Christ.

Matthew 7:7—Ask and you shall receive.
Ask!!

When you get down on your knees to pray in church, at home, wherever you pray, I’m convinced that God says to the angels, Look, here they come.  They’re going to pray.  Listen, angels.  Get ready.  They’re going to ask for great and mighty things.  Get down there to do it a soon as they ask.”  And then you open your mouth and say, “Oh, God, would you water the grass while I’m gone to Florida?”  God goes, “Aaaaaaagghh.”  He leans back on his throne and says, “I thought they would bind the spirits destroying their marriage.  I thought they would bind the disease that’s destroying their son.  I thought they would pull down the strongholds of abortion and pornography and drugs and pierce the darkness of evil and greed that’s destroying the nation.  No, they want me to water the grass.”
Ask according to his infinite power.  Ask big.  Knock God of His throne by asking things that stagger the human mind.  Attempt to do such great things for God that unless he comes through, you’ll fall flat on you face.  Live in that dimension.


Do you need healing and the doctor says you can’t have it?  “Ask and you shall receive.”  Do you need the supernatural powers of heaven to break the yoke that binds your son or your daughter?  “Ask and you shall receive.”  Do you need peace that surpasses understanding?  “Ask and you shall receive.”  Do you need the stain of sin to be removed from your soul?  “Ask and you shall receive.”  Nothing is impossible with God.

Source:  Twelve Sunday Morning Part 3

1 Peter 1:3-5

Believers are born into a living hope, whereas people without Christ have no foundation for their expectations and desires. Many non-Christians live with a false sense of security. They assume that what is important in this life is the physical and material. But there is no safety in things (1 Tim. 6:9). Those who pursue wealth and health rather than God find that their dreams either go unfulfilled or fail to satisfy.

Christians anchor their hope in the solid rock of Jesus Christ. His words are always true and His promises are never broken. I’ll sometimes hear a person project his or her unfulfilled desires on God and then argue that He came up short. But believers who make a request and submit to God’s will always get an answer: yes, no, or wait.

The Lord does not disappoint those who seek His will. Don’t misunderstand that statement. We might feel temporarily let down when something we hope for is not in God’s plan. But He doesn’t go back on the biblical promise to give His children what’s best (Isa. 48:17; Isa. 64:4). When one door closes, there is another about to open with something better behind it. And remember, the Lord cannot be outdone. We can’t even wish ourselves as much good as God has in store.

The best choice a Christian can make is to fix his or her hope on the Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome whatever fits His will for your life, and turn away from all that does not. Circumstances may shift and change, but Jesus never does. He is a living hope who never disappoints.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 5-7

1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian church, said that he determined to know nothing among them except “Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. In other words, Paul, who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament, had his mind full of Jesus and His finished work.

Beloved, God wants your mind full of the cross of Jesus. He wants you cross-conscious.

But what does it mean to be cross-conscious?

To be cross-conscious is to see Jesus, who loves you so much that He willingly died for you on the cross. To be cross-conscious is to look to Jesus, who offered His own body to be punished, so that your body can be free from all punishment.

To be cross-conscious is to fix your eyes on Jesus, who has provided for your deliverance and victory at the cross. At the cross, all your enemies were vanquished. All your diseases were destroyed. Your poverty was removed at the cross. Your sins were wiped out at the cross.

When the Israelites tasted bitterness in the waters of Marah, God showed Moses a tree, which he cast into the waters, making them sweet. (Exodus 15:23–26) The tree represents the cross, which turned the bitter waters sweet. Today, Calvary’s tree has turned your bitter situations sweet. Because of the cross, you can expect to see the bitter situations in your life made sweet!

When the Israelites were bitten by serpents in the wilderness, God told Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole. The pole represents the cross and bronze speaks of judgment. Those who beheld the serpent on the pole lived because they saw their problem—the deadly serpent—nailed and put to death on the cross. (Numbers 21:6–9)

Today, you too will not die but live when you see all your sins judged at the cross, and with them, all your sicknesses, diseases, pains, failures and defeats! At the cross, all that is deadly in your life has been removed!

Thought For The Day
At the cross, your sins were judged, enemies vanquished, diseases destroyed and poverty removed!

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise (Hebrews 10:35-36 NKJV).

So you’ve made the decision to believe and act on what the Word of God says about your situation. You’ve prayed in faith, believing you’ve received the promised outcome, but you don’t yet have it.

This is where determination comes in.

The Greek word for determination means, “a firmness of purpose.” It also means “to give definite aim or direction; an unwavering resolution,” and “to set a boundary.” In other words, it’s time to become determined, to set a boundary, and then not compromise. Stay with the unwavering decision that you will agree with the Word and be made completely whole in every area of your life.

Either the Word of God is true or it isn’t. Either God can be trusted or He can’t. Well, the Word of God is true and He can be trusted—so why waiver?

Make a firm resolution in your heart and mind that you are not going to compromise. Decide that you are not going to be moved by what you see, feel, or hear. Make the determination right now that the only thing that is going to move you is God, and you will see the wholeness that is yours in Jesus Christ.

Confession: Father, I am determined to do Your will and live according to Your Word. My trust is in You alone, and I refuse to be moved by anything else. I hold on to my confidence, knowing that in due season I will receive all that You have promised me.

Author: Jerry Savelle

Beloved. I have set before you an open Door. You have knocked, and I have opened. You have heard My Voice. You have kept My Word and have not denied My name. You have asked for more, and you shall receive.

You have sought My wisdom, and you have found it in your Savior. I am He who opens doors no man can shut and shuts doors no man can open. Even though you have little strength left, come, My Child, by faith. Follow the Holy Spirit's leadings.

My Light is illuminating your Way. You are not lost, Dear One. Just say YES to Me and NO to the world. Cast down any thought that exalts itself against your God. Fear and doubt are your enemies. I have not given you a spirit of fear, but of POWER, LOVE, and a SOUND MIND. Do not retreat, Mighty Warrior.

Walk through the open door before you. A wide door has been opened for you by My Spirit. I have closed the door of Achor and opened for you the Door of Hope. I have so much more to reveal to you here, Beloved. No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what I have prepared for you, but these things I shall reveal to you by My Spirit. Come Beloved, Walk through the Door of the Hidden Wisdom of your God.

...Hosea 2:15 And I will give her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor (trouble), for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

...John 10:9 I am the Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

Colossians 2:2..so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, 3in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

...1 Corinthians 16:9 For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

....Revelation 3:8 I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied My name.

...1 Corinthains 2:7But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him”—
10these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah (Psalm 68:19).

In Matthew Chapter 6, Jesus gave His disciples a format on how to pray, and in verse 11, He said,
“Give us this day our daily bread.” When He taught them this format of prayer, He hadn’t died on the cross; the New Testament hadn’t started, because a will doesn’t come into existence until the death of the testator. After the death of Jesus Christ, the New Testament was sealed; meaning that every provision from His will had become legal; you could now take advantage of it.

Jesus’ teaching in that prayer does suggest that everyday, in the mind of God, there’s a blessing for you; there’s more than enough supply for you every day. Ever since you were born again and you received Christ, there’s been a daily supply for you; that’s what “daily bread” means; the Master wasn’t talking about a loaf of bread.

That means you probably have a pile of unused supplies with God; supplies and benefits from God that you never took advantage of. Read our opening verse again; it says He daily loads us with benefits; meaning that aside from the supply, there’re also benefits; extras. God isn’t just into provision, He’s into supply as well; He’s not just providing what you need, He supplies them, which means there’s a constant flow, and the reason for the flow is for you to have more than enough for yourself, and to help others.

There’s an accumulation of wealth for you, and just because you didn’t know doesn’t mean you have forfeited it. So, every day in God’s plan—in His structure of things—you have a supply, an amount set aside for you to spend and use. Make a demand for it. Receive your supply for today. Hallelujah!

PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for the supply-system you’ve set in motion on my behalf; I can never be broke; you’ve blessed me lavishly and supplied all my needs. My heart’s desires are granted me as I delight myself in you. Even now, I receive my supply for today; thank you, blessed Lord, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Matthew
21:33-22:1-14
Exodus 20-21

2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Matthew
11:11-20
Genesis 31

FURTHER STUDY:
1 Corinthians 3:21
Philippians 4:19
1 Timothy 6:17

Memorise: 
And Cain said unto the LORD, my punishment is greater than I can bear. Genesis 4:13

Read: Genesis 4:1-15 (KJV)
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

13 And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

15 And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

Bible in one year: 
Luke 10-11,
Isaiah 28:1-13,

Hymn: 
Sing hymn 6

Message:
Do you know that besides physical death there is also material death? One of the most dreaded and avoided passages in the Bible is Deuteronomy 28:15-68. Ironically, one of the best loved and most read passages of Scriptures come from the first 14 verses of that same chapter. People want to read about God’s blessings but they never want to be told about the curses. However, it is very instructive to read the passages that talk about the curses too, so that you can discern if your life is manifesting any of the curses and to seek spiritual help if that is the case.

These passages also help us to know what the God who blesses His obedient children can do to those who disobey Him. It is also good to take a careful study of those who were placed under a divine curse in the Bible, so that you can steadfastly avoid their errors.

One repercussion for disobeying God is material death brought about by several agents of death. According to Deuteronomy 28:15-68, for the act of disobedience, the disobedient fellow shall be cursed everywhere he or she goes. That means, spiritually, such a fellow is wearing the garment of curses! When a person is cursed by God, wherever he or she goes, people will just find themselves opposing him or her, even without real provocation. Divine curses attract other types of curses to the fellow who is cursed. Also, when an individual is under a divine curse, the curses that men placed on him will require no demonic power to make them work; they will just ride on the existing cursed climate surrounding the fellow.

It is a terrible thing to come under a divine curse! If you are under a divine curse, do everything possible today to come out of it! For a fellow under a divine curse, everything God has made will begin to fight against that fellow. Friends will turn against him or her. Opportunity will shut its door. Good health will take its flight. Promotion will be on vocation. Success will run away. The life of that individual will attract all kinds of evils: disappointments, unending struggles, frustrations, sorrow, losses, wasted efforts, and every unpleasant experience. When Cain was cursed by God in Genesis 4:11-12, he understood the spiritual implication of this and he immediately began to pray for divine mercy. If he did not do this, everything and everyone would have worked against him. Does it appear like everyone and everything is fighting against you? Find out if you are under a divine curse and immediately go to God in repentance and ask for His mercy.


Action Point
Are you under a divine curse and you desire to be free? You have placed under a curse and ask for God’s mercy.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye,

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Click HERE to DOWNLOAD Daily Open Heavens Devotional from January to December 2017

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
—Philippians 1:21

Helen Keller, who is a classic example of handling life’s handicaps, said, “I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work, and my God.” Some people with handicaps drown themselves in self-pity, and thus limit their usefulness and service to mankind and to God. The Apostle Paul knew the pangs of suffering. He used his infirmity rather than allowing his infirmity to use him, and he used it for the glory of God. He seized everything, even death, to glorify his Lord. No matter which way fate turned, he was one jump ahead of it, and using it to magnify his Savior.

Prayer for the day
Even my handicaps can be used by You, Lord Jesus. Like the Apostle Paul, let me rise above them for Your glory.

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Mark 11:24

Believing. That's the key to everything in the kingdom of God. It's the way we tap in to the very power of Almighty God. Most of us know that. But few of us are sure exactly how to do that kind of believing. We don't know how to put it into action.

Actually it's so simple, it's startling. It's as simple as saying, "I believe I receive."

Something happens in your spirit when you say those words. I don't understand how, but it does. I don't understand how my digestive system knows what to do when I swallow something, but it does. All I have to do is take a bite of food and it goes to work. I don't have to make it happen. I don't have to feel it happen. It just happens. That's the way the body is made.

In much the same way, when you feed on God's precious promises and "swallow" them into your spirit by saying, "I believe I receive," faith is released. You don't have to make it happen. You don't have to feel it happen. It just happens. The reborn spirit is made that way.

When you constantly say with your mouth, "I believe I receive my healing" or "I believe I receive my financial needs met," and then quote the scriptures that back those things, faith is released to bring power to bear on those needs.

As Dr. Kenneth Hagin says, you need to "keep the switch of faith turned on." And Gloria and I have discovered that speaking out that phrase, "I believe I receive," is one way to do it. We say it when we pray. We say it when we praise God. We say it when we read the Word.

We especially say it in the face of darkness when it looks like we're not receiving. When everything looks the worst, we say it the loudest. I believe I receive!

Do you want to activate your faith today? Then make these four key words the most important words in your vocabulary. Use them every day. You'll soon discover, just as we did...they work!

Scripture Reading:
Mark 11:12-24

“When [Joseph] heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth” (Matthew 2:22-23a NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Tom Holladay, teaching pastor at Saddleback Church.

A lot of people think living an obedient life of faith means putting your mind in neutral and letting God direct you wherever he wants as if you are a robot. That’s not it at all.

The Bible says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27a NIV). You’ve got to engage your brain with God and live out the kind of life he has for you to live.

This is what Joseph did when he obeyed God’s command to move back to Israel. Joseph heard that Herod’s son was reigning in Judea so he was afraid to go there. “Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth” (Matthew 2:22b-23a NIV).

Nazareth is where the Bible prophesied that Jesus was going to live, so Joseph was exactly in the center of God’s will. And he got there by looking at the situation — the politics, Herod’s son as ruler. He realized it wasn’t a safe place to be and engaged his mind with God to make the right decision.

So where should we get God’s command for our lives? We may not have angels showing up to guide us, but we do have hundreds and hundreds of pages of God’s Word. To live a life of obedience, we need to get to know what God has said to us.

Jesus talked about this in Matthew 7:24: “So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock” (GNT).

We have God’s Word to help us live out a relationship with him. It’s not a dry book of directions. It is God’s love letter to us, a Father’s letter of instruction to show us how to live the kind of life he wants to give us.

As you read God’s Word, I encourage you to pray Psalm 119:34: “Give me insight so I can do what you tell me — my whole life one long, obedient response” (MSG).

Talk It Over

Why do you think God wants you to engage your mind when you obey him?
What do you need to do to create space in your life to study God’s Word?
How does your life reveal that you desire God’s wisdom?