Abiding TV

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Romans 8:14, NIV

TODAY'S WORD:

Have you ever really considered your spiritual DNA? When God created you in His image, He put a part of Himself in you. You could say that you have the DNA of Almighty God. You are destined to do great things, destined to leave your mark on this generation. Now here’s the key: He is not just the Creator of the universe, the all-powerful God. He is your heavenly Father. You have His DNA. Imagine what you can do!

When you realize who you are, you won’t go around intimidated and insecure, thinking, “I’m lacking. I’m not that talented. I come from the wrong family.” No, you come from the right family. Your Father created it all. When you know who you are, it changes your thinking from, “I’m unlucky. I never get any good breaks” to “I have the favor of God. Blessings are chasing me down.” When you know who you are, you’ll start thinking like a winner, talking like a winner, carrying yourself like a winner, and soon, you’ll start living like a winner, too! Remember, you have the DNA of God, and that’s enough to overcome every obstacle in Jesus’ name!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, thank You for Your love for me. Thank You for adopting me into Your family and transforming my spiritual makeup. I know that I am empowered in You and through You and give You all the glory in Jesus’ name! Amen.

And in the fourth watch of the night (3:00—6:00 a.m.) Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw them walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out of fear. But immediately He spoke to them, saying “Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!” Peter replied to Him, “Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water.”

— Matthew 14:25-28 (AMP)

Let’s focus for a moment on this part of a well-known New Testament story. The disciples were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee at midnight when they looked up and saw Jesus walking on the water. That is amazing, but as the story continues, Matthew wrote of the boisterous winds, yet Jesus kept walking on top of the waves. The disciples were afraid—and that makes sense. Who would expect to see anyone walking on top of the water, even under the best of conditions?

Then Jesus cried out and told them, Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid! (v. 27). This is the powerful moment in the story. What will happen now? Do they move over and give Jesus a place to sit in their boat? Should they get out and join Him on the waves? Do they huddle in fear, reminding themselves that human beings can’t walk on top of water?

Peter was the only one who responded in true faith. And let’s make no mistake here. For Peter to say, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water (v. 28) was a tremendous act of faith. You’ll notice that he was the only one who spoke that way.

That was a powerful moment of faith. It was a defining moment that pointed out Peter’s great faith and belief in Jesus, the Anointed One of God. He was so convinced that Jesus truly was the Son of God that he was ready to get out of the boat and walk on top of the water with Him.

How many of you would get out of the boat? I emphasize this because it would be easy enough to say, “Lord, I see You walking on the water, and I believe I could walk on the water alongside You.” But would you? Do you have the kind of faith that would enable you to step out of the boat? Of the twelve disciples, Peter was the only one who took that step of faith.

I’m not citing this example of faith to discourage you or to make you feel that your faith is somehow lacking. I’m simply pointing out the great triumph of a man who dared to believe! Peter believed so strongly that he took a step of faith over the side of the boat and started walking toward Jesus.

Most of us know the rest of the story. Some might even smirk, saying, “Big deal! He got out of the boat, started walking on the water, got scared, and began to sink. And he also received a rebuke from Jesus: 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'" (v. 31). But think about it—Jesus didn’t say those words to the other disciples. He directed the words “you of little faith” to Peter. The implication is the others had no faith at that moment.

Think of these words not just as words of rebuke, but also as words of encouragement to Peter, the one who had enough faith to step out of the boat and begin walking on the water. But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, "Lord, save me!" (v. 30).

What if you saw this as Jesus’ great encouragement, not just to Peter, but also to you? What if you looked at this event as Jesus saying to you, “You started so well. You believed Me, and got out of the boat. You did it! You walked on water just as I did. But then you allowed doubt to enter, and when that happened, you began to sink.”

This powerful story is a wonderful reminder that Jesus is always with you, and He will suspend natural laws to reach out to you and care for you.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, please forgive my lack of faith. Increase my faith in Your Word, and help me to trust You enough to follow Your leading. When the circumstances around me threaten to pull me into deep waters of doubt, help me to focus on You. I ask these things in Your holy name. Amen.

Ephesians 1:22-23
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all

For every person who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ, the cross is not just a border of salvation. It is a border of triumph!

When God raised Christ from the dead, He sat Him down in heavenly places and placed everything under His feet. Everything includes every ruler, every power, every authority, every name that is named, in the present age and in the ages to come…everything!

From His throne, Christ directs galaxies and governments, planets and politicians, countries and kings. Nothing is exempt from His rulership. From now and through forever, He is over all.

Today’s verse informs us that God set up Jesus as the head over everything for the church. We are His body. Christ – the One Who fills the whole, wide universe – fills us up in every way. He speaks to us and acts through us so that we are His love and message to the world around us.

When we are full of Christ, His power and authority have rulership in our lives. He crushes Satan under our feet. We no longer are slaves to sin in a lifetime of bondage. The cross opened the door to salvation and liberty. Thanks be to God Who always causes us to triumph in Christ!

Blessing:

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. The cross is the picture of your triumph in Christ. You are the sovereign child of the righteous God. May He fill you up completely so that you may fill up the world with the sweet perfume of His presence. In Jesus’ name…amen.

Today's Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Job 40:1-42:17

New Testament

2 Corinthians 5:12-21

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 45:1-17

Proverbs 22:14

[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:24 AMP)

I want to focus on two particular words found in the scripture verse above: justified and redemption.

The word justified is not one we commonly use in everyday English, but the essence of its simplest biblical definition is “just as if I’d never sinned.” In other words, because of the redemptive work Jesus did at the cross, God now looks at you just as if you’d never sinned.

The word redemption means “to buy back.” Just as an individual who was kidnapped is bought back from their captor with ransom money, so Jesus bought you back from the hands of the devil with His shed blood.

The Bible says, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin” (Romans 4:8 NKJV) and God is “the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26 NKJV). Never again will your sins be counted against you.

Receiving this justification and redemption does not depend on your performance; it depends on your faith in Jesus and the fact that you are “in Him.” And the good news is, because you are in Him, you are justified!

Confession: Thank You, Father, for treating me just as if I’d never sinned. I cast down all thoughts of condemnation, and I meditate instead on the free gift of redemption that is mine because I am in Christ Jesus.

Author: Jerry Savelle

2 Corinthians 5:21

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

God wants us to seek His righteousness and not our own righteousness. When we seek our own righteousness, we will always end up feeling miserable because we can never be righteous by our works, no matter how hard we try. That is why our loving Father wants us to remember that righteousness is not right behavior but a person—Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 1:30), and that we have “become the righteousness of God in Him.”

I know of a lady who, before coming to our church, attempted to establish her own righteousness by confessing all her sins to “clean” herself up. But she found that the more she confessed her sins, the more sins she discovered in herself. She became guilt-ridden and miserable. Feeling stressed out and weary of confessing her sins all the time, she eventually left the church she was attending. In fact, she never stepped into another church again for the next 10 years.

One day, someone gave her my message tape entitled You Will Never Lose God’s Everlasting Righteousness Given To You and she started listening to it. Once she learnt that Jesus was the measure of her righteousness and acceptance before God, she began to seek God’s righteousness by seeing Christ as her righteousness. Before long, peace and joy came flooding back into her life.Today, she worships in our church. She testified of how God has supernaturally healed her of a long-term medical condition she had. Even her husband, once balding, found hair sprouting supernaturally! God was adding all these things to her according to His promise—“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Beloved, seeking God’s righteousness means that you see Jesus as someone who knew no sin but became sin for you, so that He could give you His righteousness and make you the righteousness of God in Him! As you proclaim daily the truth that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, you will see “all these things” (Matthew 6:33) added to you without even asking for them!

Great Are You Lord- All Sons & Daughters

You’re Blessing is Ready, Are You?

How to Pray in the New Covenant by Creflo Dollar
How to Pray in the New Covenant by Creflo Dollar
How to Pray in the New Covenant by Creflo Dollar

Sunday September 1st 2019
Memorise: [Charity] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 1st Corinthians 13:6

Read: Proverbs 17:13-15 (KJV)
13 Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.
15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.
Read: Revelations 2:18-29 (KJV)
18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
28 And I will give him the morning star.
29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Bible in one year: 
2nd Samuel 21-21,
Ezekiel 43:13-27,

Hymn: 
Sing hymn 10

Messages:-
One doctrine of the world that is gradually creeping into the body of Christ is that which says “If you cannot beat them, join them.”

This doctrine is inconsistent with the values of the kingdom of belong to on multiple fronts. Our lifestyle is characterised by love – God’s kind of love – as our memory verse states, this kind of love does not rejoice in iniquity. Because the world is full of iniquity and scoffs at righteous living, we cannot walk in God’s love when we raise our hands in surrender to join the world in their way of life. Not rejoicing in iniquity simply means standing against evil – as defined by standard of God’s word. This is one of the problems facing the Church today. Those who refuse to condemn evil and wicked acts are indirectly rejecting and standing against those who are just. One cannot sit on the fence on issues; we either speak out against evil and uphold righteousness or justify evil in our silence. As seen in today’s Bible reading, justifying the wicked is an abomination before the Lord. In His letter to the Church at Thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29, our Lord Jesus Christ commended their charitable service, faith and patience, and then warned them against tolerating sexual immorality typified by a certain Jezebel, who called herself a prophetess. She was seducing innocent souls in the Church into sexual immorality and taught a doctrine that encouraged this lifestyle. There are such false prophets and prophetesses in the Church today, teaching doctrines that encourage immoral dressing, promiscuity, abortion, masturbation and sexual perversion in the Body of Christ. When you go to such places and see the way their followers are blessed, you will instantly know that the doctrine of Jezebel is being taught there. Thank God our Lord already spoke to us in Matthew 7:20, saying:

“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

God is call on us to stand against evil today. However, we must first reject evil within the Church before taking the battle to the gates of hell out there. As Christians, it must not be mentioned amongst us that we rejoice in iniquity (1st Corinthians 13:6), by applauding instead of condemning acts that are against God’s word and His kingdom’s cause, due to a fear of backlash and condemnation from the children of this world.

This is why believers fear to preach against homosexuality in certain countries; if you do, you may be jailed, and your fellow brethren might condemn you as being foolish or even wrong! Some pastors can’t preach against corruption in high places and gain gotten through illicit means because they fear losing income and members. The truth has indeed been mortgaged in some quarters of Christendom. Beloved, arise and let us in one mind stand up against evil.

Action Point
Pray for the revival of standing for the truth of God’s word in the Body of Christ, and ask the Lord to grant your pastors the boldness to declare His Name without fear.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
—Matthew 4:19

Jesus Himself was the first missionary! He did not sit by passively and let those who happened to be interested in His teaching come to Him. He went out where the sick, the sorrowing, and the sad were, and expounded His message of joy, healing, and salvation.

Even at a tender age, He went to the Temple and “taught” the doctors and lawyers who were entrenched in the old traditions. He found His way to the seaside and intruded upon the life of the commonest of laborers, saying, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Wherever He went He challenged, uprooted, and changed men. And at length they nailed Him to a cross because He had upset their selfish, secure, smug way of life. Not only was Jesus a missionary, but He pledged His followers to be missionaries, too!

Listen: Billy Graham preaches on the cost of not following Jesus.

Prayer for the day
Wherever I go, it is a mission field for You, Lord. Help me to be conscious of this, so that I may tell others the joyous message.

I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

Luke 11:8, The Amplified Bible

If, as God tells us in 1 Timothy 2:4, it’s His will for all men to be saved, why aren’t we seeing more of the masses of lost people born again every day? Have you ever wondered that?

I have...and as I’ve sought the Lord about it, I’ve come to realize that, for the most part, it’s because those of us who are already saved don’t pray persistently for those who aren’t. Instead of persevering—staying before the Father, praying for them to receive the bread of salvation—like the man in Luke 11:8 did for his friend, when we don’t see immediate results, we simply give up and go home.

What we don’t realize is this: Perseverance is the key to success in intercession!

Why? It’s certainly not because you have to change God’s mind. He never changes. His mind’s made up. He wants all men saved. The reason you have to persevere in intercession is to put pressure on the demonic forces that are trying to keep God’s will from being accomplished. Those forces must be broken down through prayer so that strongholds are destroyed and spiritual blinders are removed from the spiritual eyes of the people you’re praying for.

You see, God will not go against the will of any person. But He will move through your intercession to reveal Himself to them. Through your persistent prayers, He will bring them to the knowledge of their need for Him. Then they’ll reach out for Him and spiritual rebirth can take place!

If you’re sitting around waiting on God to save Aunt Mary or Uncle Jim or your best friend...stop sitting around! Get busy interceding for them. Persevere in prayer. Pray the prayer in Ephesians 1:16-23 for them, refusing to give up until they’re safely inside God’s kingdom.

Jesus has already laid down His life so that they can be saved. The question is, will you?

Scripture Reading:
Luke 11:1-10

“I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people” (Romans 1:7 NLT).

The most important calling on your life isn’t to something you do. Your most important calling isn’t to a role. It’s not to regulations, rules, or rituals. It’s not even to a religion.
Your first call, above all else, is to a relationship with God.

Romans 1:7 says, “I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people” (NLT).

God wants you to be a part of his family. He wants you to be his child.

The most important thing that’ll ever happen to you isn’t something you’ll do. It’s something God will do. He’ll call you his child! He wants you to know him and love him and be his beloved son or daughter.

The Bible says it like this: “What an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are!” (1 John 3:1 AMP).

As you follow God, you don’t have to check off all the things you think you should do with your life. Focus on your relationship with God, and he will not only reveal your unique calling, he also will show you how to do what he wants you to do.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over

As a child of God, what are some of the truths you can claim for your life?
How does your family background shape your concept of being a “child of God”?
Why do so many people assume that God’s primary call is to do something rather to a relationship with him?

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7, NLT

TODAY'S WORD:

So many people today are missing out on God’s abundant joy, peace and victory because they keep giving in to a spirit of fear. They are afraid to make a decision, afraid to confront issues, afraid to step out in faith, afraid of the past, and afraid of the future! But we don’t have to live that way.

Always remember, fear is not from God. God has given you power, and His power is greater than any other power in the universe! You have to make a decision to confront and conquer fear head-on with the Word of God. His Word is truth that sets you free!

You can’t be passive and expect to live in victory. The next time you feel fear, declare today’s verse in 2 Timothy 1:7. Tell fear it has to go and walk in freedom. Sing a song of praise and declare God is empowering you. Focus on Him, find freedom, and move boldly into the blessing He has prepared for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, thank You for giving me power to overcome fear. I choose to face fear head-on and drive it out of my life. Show me any areas of my life where fear is holding me back so that I can press forward into the life of victory You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

And in the fourth watch of the night (3:00—6:00 a.m.) Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw them walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out of fear. But immediately He spoke to them, saying “Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!” Peter replied to Him, “Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water.”

— Matthew 14:25-28 (AMP)

Let’s focus for a moment on this part of a well-known New Testament story. The disciples were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee at midnight when they looked up and saw Jesus walking on the water. That is amazing, but as the story continues, Matthew wrote of the boisterous winds, yet Jesus kept walking on top of the waves. The disciples were afraid—and that makes sense. Who would expect to see anyone walking on top of the water, even under the best of conditions?

Then Jesus cried out and told them, Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid! (v. 27). This is the powerful moment in the story. What will happen now? Do they move over and give Jesus a place to sit in their boat? Should they get out and join Him on the waves? Do they huddle in fear, reminding themselves that human beings can’t walk on top of water?

Peter was the only one who responded in true faith. And let’s make no mistake here. For Peter to say, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water (v. 28) was a tremendous act of faith. You’ll notice that he was the only one who spoke that way.

That was a powerful moment of faith. It was a defining moment that pointed out Peter’s great faith and belief in Jesus, the Anointed One of God. He was so convinced that Jesus truly was the Son of God that he was ready to get out of the boat and walk on top of the water with Him.

How many of you would get out of the boat? I emphasize this because it would be easy enough to say, “Lord, I see You walking on the water, and I believe I could walk on the water alongside You.” But would you? Do you have the kind of faith that would enable you to step out of the boat? Of the twelve disciples, Peter was the only one who took that step of faith.

I’m not citing this example of faith to discourage you or to make you feel that your faith is somehow lacking. I’m simply pointing out the great triumph of a man who dared to believe! Peter believed so strongly that he took a step of faith over the side of the boat and started walking toward Jesus.

Most of us know the rest of the story. Some might even smirk, saying, “Big deal! He got out of the boat, started walking on the water, got scared, and began to sink. And he also received a rebuke from Jesus: 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'" (v. 31). But think about it—Jesus didn’t say those words to the other disciples. He directed the words “you of little faith” to Peter. The implication is the others had no faith at that moment.

Think of these words not just as words of rebuke, but also as words of encouragement to Peter, the one who had enough faith to step out of the boat and begin walking on the water. But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, "Lord, save me!" (v. 30).

What if you saw this as Jesus’ great encouragement, not just to Peter, but also to you? What if you looked at this event as Jesus saying to you, “You started so well. You believed Me, and got out of the boat. You did it! You walked on water just as I did. But then you allowed doubt to enter, and when that happened, you began to sink.”

This powerful story is a wonderful reminder that Jesus is always with you, and He will suspend natural laws to reach out to you and care for you.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, please forgive my lack of faith. Increase my faith in Your Word, and help me to trust You enough to follow Your leading. When the circumstances around me threaten to pull me into deep waters of doubt, help me to focus on You. I ask these things in Your holy name. Amen.

Joel 1:3
Tell your children about it, let your children tell their children, and their children another generation

In our nation, we are suffering under the curse of division and discord. In the house of God, though, may we be the city on a hill that blazes forth the light of unity and love.

We believe that Jesus is returning soon for His bride. Until that day, we have a responsibility to work until He comes. While we remain, we must never stop telling our children about our Heavenly Father and the priceless gift of His Son.

We must show them how to love Him with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength. We must teach them the unshakable truth of God’s Word and the unsurpassed power of the Holy Spirit.

The next generation was created to worship Him. If we do not protect them, they could fall victim to the enemy. If we do not provide for them, they might seek out what they need in other places. If we do not prioritize them, who will?

May we give the best of ourselves to the kingdom of Christ. From father to son, from mother to daughter, from generation to generation, let our hearts be turned towards one another as we embrace the wisdom of one generation and the energy of another. Let us instruct our children to live for Jesus and teach the same to those who come after them. And all of God’s children say, “Amen!”

Blessing:

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May the Lord give you His heart towards the little ones that He loves so much. May you diligently tell them about our mighty God and provide an example of His love to them. One generation tells of His greatness to the next! In Jesus’ name…amen.

Today's Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Job 37:1-39:30

New Testament

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:11

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 44:8-26

Proverbs 22:13

Ephesians 5:1-17

Time is a precious commodity. You can’t earn more of it or reuse it. Once it’s spent, it’s gone forever. That’s why no amount of money, possessions, or success can equal its value. What’s more, we have no control over the length of time we’ll be allotted in this life. God alone is sovereign over the number of our days (Ps. 139:16).

If you want to know your true value system, simply look at how you spend your time. For the committed follower of Jesus, activities and pursuits will reflect a life lived for Him. What, then, is required to live wisely?

1. Realize that without Christ, you have no inheritance in God’s kingdom. The Savior offered Himself as a sacrifice to God so that all who believe in Him could be forgiven and receive eternal life. Without salvation, all of your time is wasted.

2. As God’s beloved child, imitate Him. Do this by walking in love, turning from sin, and trying to learn what is pleasing to the heavenly Father. Of course, imitation requires that you know the Lord, His ways, and His desires as revealed in Scripture.

3. Make the most of your time. Thoughtlessly moving through life results in hours spent on endeavors that, in an eternal sense, are fruitless. The apostle Paul warns us to be wise in making the most of opportunities (Eph. 5:15-16; Col. 4:5).

Remember, life is not about how long you live, but about whether you’re living for Christ. It’s never too late to change direction. Place your trust in God, ask Him for guidance for each day, and let Him direct how you spend your time.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 13-16

Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye. (Psalm 17:7-8 NKJV)

When you accept how special you are to God, all negative thoughts about yourself will disappear. Have you ever felt insecure? Insecure about your abilities, your appearance, your job, your personality, your life?

Have you ever felt unloved, unaccepted and worthless?

“I’m not attractive.”

“I can’t do all the things that person can do.”

“I’m not good enough!”

If you battle with thoughts of worthlessness, inferiority, and low self-esteem, then today is the day to let go of all those negative thoughts and insecurity!

How do you get rid of insecurity that’s been there your whole life? By realizing that you are a valuable masterpiece to God. If God had to choose the finest thing He ever created, He’d pick you!

Yes, you!

In fact in Psalm 17:8 we find that God sees you as the apple of His eye.

As you come to accept the truth of how special you are to God, all negative thoughts about yourself will disappear. You will rest secure, knowing that you really are loved and accepted by God exactly as you are.

Confession: I thank you, Father, that I am perfectly made in the image of Christ. You have known me since you formed me in my mother’s womb, and I am the apple of your eye.

Author: Jerry Savelle

John 21:9, 12

Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread… Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.”

Like many parents, Wendy and I pray for our daughter Jessica every night before she sleeps. When Jessica was two years old, we decided to pray that her diapers would not overflow during the night. Her diapers not overflowing might be a small thing, but we knew that it would give our little girl a comfortable sleep every night. And after we started praying for this, we noticed that her diapers did not overflow.

That incident made me realize that our God is not just interested in the big things that affect us. He bothers and cares about the minor things that affect us too. There is nothing too insignificant for Him. So don’t be like some religious people who have this idea that God only wants us to bring the big issues to Him, and that He doesn’t want us to bother Him with small issues.

Nothing could be further from the truth. God cares about everything that you experience, from the small ulcer in your mouth to your concerns about the world’s economy. Even when you tell Him about the inconvenience that might arise if the bus is late, He takes note of that too. In fact, when you come to Him often about anything and everything in your daily life, you compliment Him because you are telling Him that He is your Daddy God who watches over you.

Jesus represented the Father’s heart and will when He was on earth (see John 5:19). He cared when His disciples were out at sea the whole night, cold and shivering. He cared when they caught nothing that night (see John 21:3). He cared that they would not have fish to sell. So He gave them a huge catch early the next morning (see John 21:5–6). He knew that they were cold and hungry, so He prepared breakfast for them, served over a fire of coals to keep them warm.

Jesus showed us that God is our loving heavenly Father who cares about the big and small things that happen every day in our lives. Nothing escapes God’s eyes because He loves you!

Ron Kenoly - I Will Come and Bow Down (Live)
Album: Sing Out With One Voice
Written by: Martin J. Nystrom

Seven Secrets of a Confident Woman by Joyce Meyer

The return of Christ is not a question of "if". It's a question of "when". Will the Lord find you faithful when He returns? Are you even excited to meet Jesus face to face? #AllForChrist

Saturday August 31st 2019
Memorise: He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1st John 4:8

Read: Matthew 22:35-40 (KJV)
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Bible in one year: 
2nd Samuel 19:20,
Ezekiel 42:15-43:12,

Hymnal: 
Sing hymn 9

Message: 
Love can be defined as a strong feels of deep affection for someone, emanating from a firm decision to love that person.

The Bible offers us an understanding of the source, character and value of love based on the nature and actions of God. It teaches that God is the source of love and that His very character is love. If you have ever been so deeply and passionately in love with someone to the point of obsession, you may actually lose your appetite and forget to eat. Your mind may become occupied with nothing else but that person. The object of your love is the last thing you think of when you go to bed and the first thing you think of when you wake up. It is clear from these descriptions that love involves the totality of a person. Love is the central theme of the Bible, and it is a primary characteristic of God’s nature. It is also the fundamental demand that God places on mankind towards Him and towards fellow human beings.
                       
From the words of Jesus in today’s Bible reading, it is clear that we are expected to love God first with all our heart, soul and mind. However, we need to experience the love of God in our hearts before we can truly appreciate what true love is, and only then can we demonstrate this love to others. The love of God is revealed in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as stated in John 3:16, which says:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whatsoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Out of love, God gave His only begotten Son as the ultimate ransom for the salvation of humanity. He now commands everyone who has partaken of His love to reciprocate it by loving one another. Speaking in John 15:12, the Lord Jesus Christ said:

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

The Bible makes it very clear that love is revealed through action, especially what is done in the interest of others. Children of God should never be identified with envy, hatred, pride, selfishness or any form of wickedness, as all these are contrary to the nature of God they possess. We should naturally show forth gentleness, goodness and kindness to our neighbours. As Christians, let us always radiate the love of God with meekness, patience and joy. Love is greater than all spiritual gifts, as the best of these gifts is useless with love. 1st Corinthians 13:2 says:

“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”

Beloved, are you walking in the love of God?

Prayer Point:
Father, please help me to love You with all my heart, soul and mind in Jesus’ Name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

The righteous hath hope in his death.
—Proverbs 14:32

We don’t like to talk about death; it’s the forbidden subject of our generation. Yet it’s real for all of us. Sometimes on television I see motion pictures featuring actors who are no longer living. They seem very much alive in the picture, but they are dead. Some of them were my personal friends. Death is real, and when we die, that is a battle we have to fight all alone. Nobody can be with us in that hour, but David said he had found an answer that would take the fear of death away. David said that there is an answer to death, there is a hope beyond death. That hope is centered in the risen Christ. Paul wrote that to be “absent from the body” is to be “present with the Lord.” So the fear of death is removed.


Prayer for the day
Lord Jesus, with complete trust I look toward that day when my soul will be with You for eternity.

So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer...but the Spirit Himself...pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.

Romans 8:26, The Amplified Bible

As long as you live on this earth, you’re going to be saddled with a weakness. What is it? The flesh and blood body you live in. It’s a body that’s subject to death. A body that’s subject to the physical world around you.

Your reborn spirit doesn’t want to sin. It wants to be completely obedient to God. But the weakness of the flesh causes you to fall prey to the temptations around you.

Does that mean you’re doomed to a life of failure till Jesus comes and that flesh body is glorified?

No! It means you need to build your spirit up, to strengthen it, until it dominates your flesh. We are told to crucify the flesh. Your spirit man must dominate your body. Praying in the spirit by the Holy Spirit applies spirit to flesh. It causes your spirit to rise up and take charge. Just like using barbells strengthens your arms, praying in other tongues strengthens your spirit. You see, your spirit is more powerful than your flesh, and as you give it outflow, the flesh will simply have to yield to it. Most believers don’t understand that. They’ll be overwhelmed by some sin, and instead of conquering it by the things of God such as praying in the spirit, they’ll simply keep struggling to overcome in natural ways. So they end up failing again and again.

If you’re caught in that cycle, take heart! God hasn’t commanded you to be more spiritual than you can be. He knows your weakness and He’s given you a way to overcome it. He’s given you the ability to pray in tongues—and with your understanding to wield the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. And no matter how badly you’re failing in everything else, you can do these things!

Be warned though, Satan will try to talk you out of it. He knows that once you learn how to bring the flesh in line, he’ll have no foothold left in your life. You’ll shut the door on him and he won’t be able to get in.

Renew your commitment to praying in the spirit today. Make a quality decision to follow the command God gives in Jude 20 and “build yourselves up…on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit” (The Amplified Bible)!

Scripture Reading:
Romans 8:14-32