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And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

Luke 12:42

We often praise God for His faithfulness. We’re thankful that we can always count on Him to be there for us. But we rarely consider the fact that He needs us to be faithful too.

It’s true. God needs people He can count on. He needs faithful and wise stewards He can trust over His household. In this final hour, He needs faithful believers to team up with, so He can manifest Himself in the earth more than ever before.

“Oh Gloria, God doesn’t need me!”

Yes, He does. Ever since the Creation, when He gave man dominion over the earth, He’s needed people to work with Him to get His will done here. You can see that all through the Bible. When the children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt and He wanted to lead them out, He teamed up with a man, Moses, to get the job done. Moses’ responsibility was to stretch out his hand in the earth and command the will of God to be done.

Why did He choose Moses? Because He needed someone who was faithful and would dare to act on His Word. He needed someone He could count on, and He knew Moses was that kind of man.

Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.” If Moses hadn’t been faithful to know God’s ways, the children of Israel would never have seen God’s acts!

God needs you just as He needed Moses. He needs you to be faithful and alert to spiritual things. He needs you to be someone He can trust to know His Word and be obedient to it. He needs you to be a steward who will stretch out his hand like Moses did so that He can perform signs and wonders before the people.

Will you be faithful? It’s a decision you have to make. No one can do it for you. Right now, commit yourself to be that wise and faithful servant. Say in your heart and with your mouth, “God, You can count on me.”

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 105:23-45

Memorise: 
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. Proverbs 3:7

Read: Genesis 16:1-4 (King James Version)
1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.


Bible in one year: 
Numbers 34-36,
Jeremiah 25:1-16,

Hymn: 
Sing hymn 4

Message:
After several years of waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled, Sarah sat down one day, had a long thinking session, and came up with an alternative plan which she presented to Abraham, and He accepted it. She had been barren for several years and was now obviously tired of being in that state; hence, she decided to give Hagar, one of her salves, to her husband hoping to get a child through this arrangement. How mistaken she was! Sarah’s experience has a lot to teach contemporary Christians. When God is leading you in a certain direction, or if He has made a promise to you, any contrary opinion or alternative is borne out of impatience, doubt or unbelief. It’s when people can no longer wait for God’s plan that they come up with their own alternatives. Open Heavens 2017 Wednesday 3 May 2017:-Finding alternatives. One lesson from this story is that man’s alternative charts a new course for you, which can take you completely out of God’s original plan.

Just like Abraham and Sarah, many people have come up with alternatives that have landed them at destination they never expected. But for God’s patience and mercy, the step Abraham and Sarah took was enough to derail from God’s original course. Today’s open heavens message. The reason why the Holy Spirit says in Proverbs 3:5-6 that you should subordinate your plans under God’s will is so that He can guide you along His original plan for your life. Believe it or not, God has a plan for your life (Jeremiah 1:4-5). If you follow this plan, you will definitely obey God’s word and remain in His will. God’s word never negates His will for your life (James 1:18). The question is, “Are you still in God’s plan?”

To keep within God’s will, you must be filled with His word and His Spirit, prayerful, watchful, thankful and humble. Why? The natural man within you will always come up with alternatives to God’s perfect plan for your life. You need to be watchful because some alternatives may look like the original plan, but in essence, they are miles apart. If you will access God’s perfect plan for your life, then you must leave no space for the flesh or the devil to give you an alternative. You must trust, rely on and completely depend upon God. God’s choice is always the safe choice. For this reason Proverbs 29:25b says,

“… but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”
If you depend on God 99% and leave 1% for an alternative, that is enough to derail you. Never reply on what you think you know or your assessment of the situation. No matter how brilliant your ideas may be, God has something better. Bring your plans before God’s searchlight and let Him tell you if it’s okay or not.

Action Point
Has impatience made you pursue your own alternatives? Stop and beat a retreat today?
Open Heaven 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 Heaven Devotional from January to December 2017

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

Living for Jesus Christ and making yourself relevant in the ministry of reconciliation are what count the most in life. Everything in your life—your thoughts, ideas, the excellence in your life—should be about soul winning. Refuse to make the lesser things of life your focus; be all out for the Gospel. In 1 Corinthians 9:16, Paul said, “…necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” He was all out for the Gospel. He lived to fulfil God’s dream of making the Gospel known to the Gentiles.

You’re an ambassador and a steward of the mysteries of Christ. You’re a soldier in Christ’s army and must therefore remain militant in bringing God’s Word alive to those in your world, touching them with the love of Christ and the glory of His grace. Don’t be comfortable with ignoring the sinners around you; the Bible says it’s not the will of God that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). He wants them saved, and He’s counting on you for their salvation.

Romans 10:13-14 says “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” You’re the preacher, sent of God to those in your world who haven’t yet known the Lord; don’t let them keep living without hope, and without God in the world. Take advantage of every opportunity to preach the Gospel to them.

CONFESSION I’ve received increased grace and ability to fulfil the ministry of reconciliation to those in my world, and in the regions beyond. I’m fervent in soul-winning and intercession; through me, the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shines brightly in the hearts of men, destroying the shackles of bondage and darkness, and lighting up in them passion for Christ and His righteousness, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

READING PLAN:
John 1:1-18
2 Samuel 15-17

2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Mark 7:14-23
Numbers 6

FURTHER STUDY:
Matthew 28:19-20
2 Corinthians 3:2
Mark 16:15  

Everyday each of us face challenges and at times those challenges may seem overwhelming, to the point where we don't know how to deal with them.

Just as Peter and the other disciples were in the boat and didn't think they could survive the storm, there may be times we feel we can't survive the storm.

But that it is a lie of the enemy, for we have our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to see us through any storm.

When you have Faith, you cannot have fear, for they both can't occupy your heart at the same time.
Remember what Jesus said, "Come."

"It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak."
(2 Corinthians 4:13, NIV)

TODAY'S WORD:
I know a man who was believing to pay his house off. It was a standard 30-year mortgage, and he had 23 years left. In the natural, there was no way he could do it. But he was bold enough to say, “Father, I want to thank You that You are Jehovah Jireh; the Lord my provider. I know my job is not my source. You are my source. It may look impossible, but I know You can do the impossible.”

Several years ago, he received an inheritance from a family member that he had never met before. He didn’t even know they were related. He was able to not only pay his house off, but he paid a friend’s house off as well. What was that? Explosive blessings!

Friend, when you believe God, you position yourself for a miracle. When you obey His commands, you set yourself under the open windows of heaven. When you declare His Word, you open the door for Him to move on your behalf. Keep standing, keep believing, keep speaking and see the victory and blessing He has in store for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father, thank You for Your Word which is alive and powerful! I set my mind on Your promises and choose to declare what You say about me. Thank You for Your faithfulness as I move forward in the good plan You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

And you [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins in which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God].
—Ephesians 2:1-2

I find a great deal of comfort in thinking about who I used to be and who I have become. It helps me not to be discouraged when I make mistakes or find that I still struggle over some issues. I’m greatly encouraged when I consider where I started and where I am now.

In Ephesians 2, Paul described those outside of Christ. He wrote that unbelievers follow the prince of the power of the air, who is Satan, and they follow the way their master leads. In verse 1, he pointed out that all were once dead through their sins, but believers are now alive in Jesus Christ. He tells us we’re not governed or led by our lower nature—the impulses of the flesh.

Many Christians have trouble in this area because they haven’t learned to control their thoughts. A lady once told me, “It simply didn’t occur to me that I needed to direct my mind and keep it healthy and positive. If ministers preached or taught about the control of our thoughts, I never heard it. One day, however, I read an article about the power of thoughts, and God convicted me. That’s when I knew I needed to change my thinking.”

This lady said she drove down the street of a busy city and she spotted a sign, a cartoon of a car with big eyes for the front lights and tears flowing, and the words, “Please help me! I need an oil change.”

As she passed by, she thought, I need a mind change. I don’t like being the way I am, letting my mind go wherever it wants. Part of my responsibility as a child of God is to keep my thoughts healthy and strong.

“I want to make it clear that I went to church,” she said, “and I had been active for years. I knew a lot of Scripture, and I even did some volunteer work at the church. But I didn’t control my thoughts. Even when I sang in church, my mind jumped from subject to subject. We’d be singing about joy and grace, and I’d think about the dishes still in the sink, the unfinished laundry, or what I wanted to eat for lunch.

“I attended church and I was faithful, but I was not faithful in attending to the Word. I listened when the preachers quoted Scripture. I usually followed along with my own Bible, but I didn’t really think about what I was hearing or what my eyes were reading. I was doing the right things outwardly, but I wasn’t thinking the right things. My mind was a mess, and I didn’t know what to do about it.”

“I need a mind change,” she suddenly said aloud to herself. Just then, she actually pondered the words she had spoken. She was like the car on the sign—she needed a change—a mind change. She needed to let the Holy Spirit direct her thoughts instead of the devil. As she prayed, she felt confident there would be a positive change.

She thought to herself, Is there anything I am supposed to do? She realized that if she didn’t make lifestyle changes, the devil would soon make the new thinking as muddy and gunky as the old thinking was.

For the next several days, she looked up all the scriptures she could find that used the word study or meditate. She also looked up scriptures that talked about the mind or thoughts. She read those verses, wrote them on slips of paper, and pondered them.

Here are three of them.

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he… (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV).

And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude] (Ephesians 4:23).

My hands also will I lift up [in fervent supplication] to Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes (Psalm 119:48).

The more she meditated on the right things, the less trouble she had with Satan trying to control her thoughts. That’s how it works with all of us: The more we focus on God, the less often the devil can defeat us.

Thank You, great God, for giving me a mind change. Help me always to be free to serve You with my heart, my soul, and my mind. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.

Destructive Criticism Will Lose Its Hold On Us When We Decide To Become Father Pleasers Instead Of People Pleasers!

If Jesus promised that criticism would be the result of living a godly life in a godless society, why should we be so surprised and upset when it comes?  One reason is that many of us were raised with the notion that we must please everyone at all times.

What rubbish!  Jesus was the Son of God.  He was absolute perfection in human flesh.  He couldn’t please everyone, and neither can we.

I know forty year old people who are still trying desperately to accommodate the unreasonable demands of their parents.  When their parents criticize them for not being attentive enough, they go into a funk.  Scripture says that we are to leave our parents and become part of the new family created when we get married Matthew 19:5.  I believe the same principle applies to single adults who have left home and set out on their own.

Certainly it’s right to honor our parents.  But it is unscriptural to let them dominate our lives.  We must cut the umbilical cord and close the door to continued criticism designed to manipulate us, our spouses and our children.

Source:  Being Happy In An Unhappy World

Hebrews 8:12
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Perhaps you have heard people say of others: “Oh, if only you had seen my husband in the early years of our marriage. He had such an explosive temper that I used to seek shelter in my mother’s house!”

“No one would have ever guessed that she had such a promiscuous past.”

“As a young boy, he would always lie through his teeth and not even bat an eyelid!”

Man looks at you and remembers what you were like in the past. But when God looks at you through the new covenant, He declares, “I will be merciful to your unrighteousness, and your sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

He states it plainly in His Word as if to assure us: “When you come to Me, don’t think that I am thinking about your sins. Don’t think that every time I look at you, I am reminded of your sins. Not only am I not keeping a record, but I am also not mindful of your failures and shortcomings. I am telling you that I will remember your sins no more, never again!”

God can say that all our sins He remembers no more because there was a time when He remembered them and punished every one of them—in the body of His Son at the cross. He punished every single one of them until Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) That is why today, God can justly say, “Your sins I will remember no more.”

We all know that we sin from time to time. But the good news is that all our sins have already been dealt with at the cross. They have been washed away by Jesus’ blood. Now, when we come into God’s presence, He sees us without our sins. So beloved, forget your past failures. Believe that God remembers your sins no more and be the righteous man that you already are in Christ!

Thought For The Day
All our sins have been dealt with at the cross, so we can come boldly into God’s presence.

Romans 12:2

Today’s verse outlines the commitment and steps necessary in developing a godly lifestyle. Paul was urgently warning believers not to be conformed to the patterns of the world. Our susceptibility to compromise is one of the greatest dangers in the church today.

Through ungodly relationships and the impact of media, we’re being influenced by people who are not following God’s ways. Our society tells us to put self first, take what we want, protect our rights, and promote our own interests above others’. In contrast, Jesus said that our heavenly Father will provide what we truly need (Phil. 4:19), we are to deny ourselves and follow Him (Luke 9:23), and the humble—not the proud—shall receive honor (James 4:10). Conformity to the world’s ideals will lead us away from God.

At the same time, Paul urged us to pursue godly transformation of our mind, to set our thoughts on things above (Col. 3:2) and to focus on what is true, right, pure, and lovely (Phil. 4:8). Adopting a Christian worldview will lead to Christlike actions. It requires making adjustments in how we look at life, until our thoughts line up with Scripture. We must also protect our mind with biblical truth and surround ourselves with mature believers who can warn us when we start to stray.

Ask yourself, Am I focusing on what is important to the Lord? Avoiding compromise? Making a conscious effort to adhere to biblical truth? Demonstrating a pattern of godly transformation? Let the Holy Spirit empower you to make the changes necessary to be more like Christ.

Bible in One Year: 1 Chronicles 4-6

“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43: 18-19 NKJV).

Regardless of what may have happened in your past, God has a plan and purpose for your life—and it lies in your future. Even if the path before you appears to be dry, barren, and filled with obstacles, God will make a way for you to fulfill His call. All you have to do is believe Him for the impossible.

Forget about the past, and don’t limit God. Your past doesn’t have anything to do with what God has in store for you in the future. That’s why Paul said, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV).

God wants to do a new thing in your life. And if He wants to do a new thing, my advice is to let Him do it! Look at each new day as another opportunity for God to do extraordinary things in your life. Expect God to do the very things that you could not previously do. Expect those things that people say are rare occurrences to become the norm in your life.

So, stop thinking about the past and allow your thoughts to come into agreement with God’s thoughts: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV).

Confession: I will no longer focus on my past, but will forget what lies behind and set my sights on the future God has for me. God is doing new things in my life, and I will greet each new day with the expectation of His manifest peace, favor, and goodness in my life.

Author: Jerry Savelle

The Holy Spirit woke me up and said," Agree with Me." It was like fireworks going off all around me. Later, as I checked my email, a well known man of God had also received this same word today so wow, knew I had to post this! :)

"Beloved. Agree with Me. How can two walk together unless they be in agreement. Are you agreeing with My Word or that bad report? You are in Me and I in you. You have been born again to walk IN Me. We are so close, Dear One. The new covenant is BETTER than the old one, My Child. You are My Temple in which My Spirit resides.

Walk by faith and not by sight. This is so important for My end time army to understand. Cast down every thought that exalts itself against your God. Reject every bad report and instead speak My Word. I am faithful Who has promised. Do you believe this in your heart of hearts, My Child? You must believe to see your victory manifested.

Behold I have given YOU authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over ALL the power of the enemy, and nothing shall harm you. What fellowship can darkness have with Light? None, Beloved. Darkness flees in My Light. Did I not say that if you believed you would see the GLORY of your God? Oh yes, My Glory shall come upon you and be IN you, My Warrior Bride. When we are agreed, all of HEAVEN shall break loose! And NOTHING shall be impossible to you!
.
...Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they are agreed?

...Job 22:21 Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.

...Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

...2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

...Colossians 2:6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.

...2 Corinthians 6:14 Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

...John 11:40Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

...Matthew 17:20...Jesus answered. "For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Luke 10:19