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Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see… (Hebrews 11:1 AMP).

In essence, the above definition of faith means that you know something you’ve hoped for is real, though it’s not visible in the physical realm. Faith isn’t just an idea or an opinion; it’s a substance, the evidence of unseen realities.

Have you ever seen a snake’s tracks? Being a creature without limbs, a snake slithers on the ground, leaving sinuous prints on the path it treads. Now, the snake-track isn’t just an idea or an opinion, but the “evidence” of the presence of the creeping creature. Evidence is proof of something; it can be
made available. Faith, therefore, is the evidence. And if it’s the evidence, then there’s something it represents.

If you had a property situated somewhere and I asked you, “How can I be sure you actually own the property?” you wouldn’t move it from wherever it is to show me; that wouldn’t be possible. What you’d simply do is to produce the title-deed. Faith is the “title-deed” (Hebrews 11:1 AMP). You may not even have been to the property yourself, but the title-deed is your evidence that it is yours. You’re so sure of that document, you can even use it as a collateral. That’s what faith is.

If the devil tries to question your right to prosperity, divine health or any of your blessings, privileges and inheritance in Christ, pull out your evidence—the title-deed. Your faith in the Word of God is your title-deed. Declare with confidence what the Word of God says: “…all things are yours” (1 Corinthians 3:21).

The evidence of your right to divine health is the Word. Romans 8:11 says, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (NIV). 3 John 1:2: “Beloved, I wish
above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

PRAYER
Dear Father, thank you for inspiring faith in me through your Word. My faith is the victory that overcomes the world, for with it, I see only pictures of health, prosperity, victory, and possibility. By faith in the Word, I consciously take advantage of what you’ve freely given to me; thus, my life is characterized by the beautiful and glorious realities of the Gospel, in Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Matthew 2
Genesis 3-5

2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Matthew 1:15-25
Genesis 2

FURTHER STUDY:
Hebrews 11:6
Hebrews 10:38

Memorise: 
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:35

Read: John 6:5-13 (KJV)
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,

9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.


Bible in one year: 
Matthew 4-5, Isaiah 1:18-2:5,
Hymn: Sing hymn 4

Message:
One of the titles of the Lord is “The Bread of life”.
“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
John 6:35


Do you know that no name or title of the Lord Jesus Christ is there just for fun? Each of His names is revealed to accomplish a definite assignment in the life of the one to whom it is declared. May the Lord’s names and titles become real in your life this season in Jesus’ Name!

In John 11:25, the Lord introduced Himself as the Resurrection and the Life. Less than an hour later, just to demonstrate the reality of that name, someone who had died and had been buried for four days came out of the grave alive. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I command every good thing that is dead in your life to experience a touch from the Resurrection and the Life now! Similarly, He announced Himself ad the Bread of Life. In our Bible text, a young boy handed over his lunch to Him, comprising five loaves of bread and two tiny fishes, and when that day ended, everyone present could testify to the reality of that title: The Bread of Life!

Whatever you hand over to the Lord Christ is multiplied by Him. When the young boy gave Him his loaves of bread and fishes, He began to break the bread. As people watched Him, they could not believe what they were seeing. The more they focused on Jesus as He broke the bread. The more they marvelled. He was breaking off thousands of pieces of bread from one loaf of bread, and yet that loaf in His hand did not get smaller! Why? It is because as the Bread of life, He Himself is the heavenly bakery. Having Him as Source means He can supply all the bread that is needed to feed the whole world.

 If He could feed the thousands of people in this passage, and if He could feed the nation of Israel for 40 years in the wilderness (without them engaging in any form of farming, fishing or hunting), He can definitely feed you and your family throughout your stay on earth. Therefore, hand over what He has given you back to Him! How much do you depend on Him for both physical and spiritual bread?


Key point
The Best way to multiply what you have is to hand it over to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee . . .
—Psalm 63:1

Some Christians have learned little of a daily devotional life. Some time ago a policeman asked me what the secret of victorious living was. I told him that there is no magic formula that can be pronounced. If any word could describe it, I would say surrender. The second word I would say would be devotion. Nothing can take the place of a daily devotional life with Christ. Your quiet time, your prayer time, the time you spend in the Word, is absolutely essential for a happy Christian life.

You cannot possibly be a happy, dynamic, and powerful Christian apart from a daily walk with Christ. Christ is calling Christians today to cleansing, to dedication, to consecration, and to full surrender. It will make the difference between success and failure in your spiritual life. It will make the difference between being helped and helping others. It will make a difference in your habits, in your prayer life, in your Bible reading, in your giving, in your testimony, and in your church membership. This is the Christian hour of decision!

Prayer for the day
I long for a deeper devotional life, living Lord. May I consecrate myself completely to You.

“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body” (Ephesians 4:21-25 NLT, second edition).

The secret to personal change is not willpower. The secret is to know and face the truth. You must know and face the truth about yourself, your relationships, and your own nature if you want to change anything in your life.

Why is it necessary to learn the truth before anything can change in your life? Because behind every self-defeating habit in your life is a lie that you believe. If you get in debt, it’s because you believed some lies like, “I can spend and get away with it” or “I can always pay it back.” You might have overestimated how much you were going to make, or you believed the lie that you needed a much bigger house.

But do you? Are you sure it’s the truth? Can you prove it’s the truth? Are you absolutely certain that what you believe you’ve said about your finances is true? What about your relationships? What about the things you say to yourself about yourself? Is the way you think about your past or about some event the truth, or is the truth what God says about it?

The Bible teaches that personal change starts with truth. It is the truth that sets you free! The Apostle Paul says, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him . . .” (Ephesians 4:21 NLT, second edition). Who is the truth? Jesus, and because Jesus is the truth, he will always tell you the truth. His Word is the truth. The Bible is his Word, and that means the Bible is truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

What you hear on television or read in books isn’t always going to help you, because it’s not always the truth. Have you learned that? But what God tells you is always going to be the truth. God’s Word shows you how to get back to the life you were created to live, and then it shows you how to stay on God’s path.

This is why it is so important for you to have a daily quiet time in the Word of God: Change requires learning the truth. As long as you build your life on a foundation of lies, misconceptions, deceptions, or half-truths, you will never change. But when you face the truth and respond to the truth, you will begin to see change in your life.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

Think about a self-defeating behavior in your life. What lies have you believed that led you to that behavior?
How might you change your routine or schedule so that you can spend more time in God’s Word every day?
Why does it seem easier sometimes to keep believing the lies about ourselves or our circumstances instead of facing the truth?

Consider [Jesus] that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Hebrews 12:3

Look up...because in times like these, your very life may depend on it.

Some time ago, the Lord showed me that a spirit of weariness is trying to work its way into our lives these days through all the pressure and bad news that surround us. It's working to get our eyes off the Word of God by bombarding us with negative forces. It's trying to get us to look down at defeat instead of up at Jesus.

If you let that happen, your spirit man will begin to lose his dominion. And the Word tells us what the results of that is. It says you will "be wearied and faint in your minds."

Jesus put it this way in Mark 4. He said that when the cares of this world enter into your heart and mind, they'll choke the Word and cause it to become unfruitful. And since your faith is the product of the Word, that means your faith will wither. Once that happens, you're headed for disaster.

What can you do to stop this chain reaction of weariness?

Look up! Get your eyes back on Jesus. I remember on the field of athletic competition that when an opponent allowed himself to drop his head, he was no longer dangerous. He could be very easily defeated. So keep your head up. Keep considering Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. Consider Him instead of the cares of this world. Consider what God says in His Word. Be moved by the thoughts of God. Let His thoughts become your thoughts.

Look up! Get your eyes off the circumstances around you and onto your heavenly source. Don't be afraid you're going to lose everything. God is your source, not the world. He can take care of you regardless of what happens around you.

If you've gotten weary lately, begin to lift your eyes. Raise your head up instead of looking down. God is up. Jesus is up. The devil is down—under your feet. Look up!

Scripture Reading:
Isaiah 40:21-31

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV

TODAY'S WORD:
As a follower of Christ, you are a new creation! You have a new spirit, a new walk, a new life! Are there “old” things in your life that you are trying to get rid of? Maybe you have old behaviors or addictions that you want to change. Remember, the new has come. It’s a new year, and it’s time to be the new you. Let this year be the year you break old habits and addictions. Let this be the year that you move forward into a new life of victory. And your new life includes all the spiritual blessings the Lord has promised in His Word. You have a promise of peace, health, protection, and provision. Be encouraged today and know that no matter what is happening in your life right now, you can embrace the new life God has prepared for you. Make the choice today to leave the old behind—leave behind old behavior, old thinking, old words. Embrace the new by faith, and you’ll move forward into the life of blessing the Lord has in store for you.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, thank You for making me new. Help me to understand Your plan for me so that I can fully embrace Your promises. I choose today to leave behind the old life and receive Your strength and power for a victorious New Year! In Jesus’ Name. Amen."

When I said, My foot is slipping, Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, held me up.
—Psalm 94:18

Some people seem to start their day on the "wrong foot." They feel all right when they wake up, but as soon as something goes wrong, they lose their footing and walk with a "loser's limp" the rest of the day. Once they are off to a bad start, it seems they never catch up.

If someone offends us early in the morning, our anger can keep us defensive all day. If we start the day rushing, it seems we never slow down. But to¬day our feet can be firmly planted in God's Word.

3 John 1:2—Beloved I wish above all else that you prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers.

Jesus Christ gave us thirty-eight parables.  Sixteen of those thirty-eight parables deal with money management.  Do you realize that more is said in the New Testament about money than heaven and hell combined?

Five times more is said about money than prayer.  There are five hundred verses on both prayer and faith, yet there are over two thousand verses dealing with money and possessions.

You will never prosper until you believe and confess that it is God’s will for you to prosper!

It is God’s will for you to prosper.  If God blessed Abraham with lavish prosperity, He can pour blessings of prosperity upon you that you will be unable to contain.  You must confess His Word for your prosperity.

The fact is that you will either master your money, or your money will master you.  Who wouldn’t want God to explode their prosperity?  Who wouldn’t like the windows of heaven to open and for God to bless them with blessings they could not contain?

Psalm 1:13—Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful…  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Source:  Mastering Your Money