Abiding TV

I am sending new life into your bones this month. He asked me, son of man, can these bones live? I said, sovereign Lord you alone know (Ezekiel 37:3). This is a month of supernatural healing, not just in the physical body but spiritual and emotional healing as well. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds (Psalm 147:3).

Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 1:2). Just as the leaves begin to fall away from the trees, and turn bright orange and gold. So shall things fall away from you that are no longer needed. You are to encourage your soul to feel lighter....Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). When you are weary, the joy of the Lord is your strength. When you are down cast, the joy of the Lord is your strength. When you are angry, hurt or sad, the joy of the Lord is your strength. Regret, pain, rejection, worry, anxiety and fear all come to zap you of your strength. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9). Don't let the wind of this season break you, be willing to bend like the palm tree. Be flexible, kind, and gentle; slow to anger and quick to forgive. Unforgiveness does no harm to the other person, only daily eats away at you. A thorn of offense here, a spirit of lack there; and before you know it, the enemy has convinced you that this life is not worth living. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of Nations, and in their riches you will boast (Isaiah 61:6). I am removing wealth from the hand of the wicked and transferring it to the godly. Those whom I can trust and will be good stewards of what I have to offer.

He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning (Daniel 2:21). The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land (Proverbs 10:30). The wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it (Proverbs 2:22). But those who follow and trust in the Lord will hear, well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.

Come and share your Master's happiness! (Matthew 25:23). I set a table before you in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5). Come in and sup with Me. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and I will make away where there appears to be no way....
Tammy Lang Jensen

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).

No matter the crises or circumstances you face in life, God’s will is that you always maintain an attitude of thankfulness. He says in all things, give thanks, because He knows that you could never be disadvantaged. All things are working together for your good as the Scriptures declare (Romans 8:28).

True Christianity is living by faith in God’s Word, where you’re forever grateful and giving glory to God, not for what you expect Him to do, but for all He’s already done. You’ve come to realize that there’s nothing He hasn’t done for you yet. He’s given you all things and has made you like Himself. This understanding should make you glorify Him every day, everywhere and at all times.

Someone may ask, “Am I supposed to give thanks for challenges and problems?” The scripture didn’t say to give thanks “for” all circumstances; rather, it says we should give thanks “in” all circumstances. In other words, give thanks, no matter the situation. It doesn’t matter what happens in your life or around you, give thanks to God, knowing He’s already given you the victory

You have to understand that Christ in you makes you triumphant always, in all circumstances. So, when He says for us to give thanks in all things, it’s with this consciousness. The Bible says, “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17). A lifestyle of gratitude activates the blessings and graces of God in your life.

James 1:2 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” He didn’t say, “Cry to God to save you out of divers temptations.” That’s because there’s nothing in this life that can successfully stand against you. Everything that exists, both living and non-living, are working and cooperating for your victory. This is why you should always be full of joy, giving thanks to the Lord.

PRAYER Blessed Father, you’re so gracious and kind! I give you praise for your presence in my life, and for your mighty hand of blessing that rests upon me. I can never be defeated or disadvantaged, because Christ in me means I’m triumphant always, and in all circumstances. Blessed be God!

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Philippians 2:1-18
Isaiah 35-37

2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 3:9-21
1 Kings 8

FURTHER STUDY:
Romans 8:35-39
Psalm 107:1
1 Corinthians 10:13 GNT 

Memorise: 
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7

Read: Proverbs 4:5-9 (KJV)
4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

4:8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

4:9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

Bible in one year:
Romans 7-8,
Daniel 2:17-30,

Hymn 
Sing hymn 9

Message:
King Solomon is considered to be the wisest king that ever lived. How did he become so wise? When God gave Him a blank cheque to ask for anything, in 1st King 3:9, he said:

“Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”

He chose to ask for something that the average person of his time would consider inconsequential: wisdom. Solomon feared that he might misrule God’s people and thereby incur God’s wrath, and so he asked God for wisdom. Indeed, in Proverbs 9:10, he later wrote:

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

It is unfortunate to discover that even among some children of God today, the fear of the Lord is greatly absent. This accounts for the level of character erosion that is being witnessed in the Church, so much so that even pastors are being caught in various acts of sin, such as sexual immorality.
Thing. Joseph was repeatedly tempted and pressured to commit sexual immorality, but he vehemently refused to indulge in it, despite the fact that it was offered to him on a platter of gold. The Bible in Genesis 39:8-9 gives this account of Joseph’s steadfastness:

“But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; there is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

If you ask me what kept Joseph away from this sexual immorality, I will tell you that it was wisdom, brought about by the fear of the Lord. How I wish all of God’s children would embrace the fear of God, so that they can begin to live in wisdom. It is wisdom to run away from sin, because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). A foolish fellow would say, “Death will come one day all the same.” Such a fellow fails to consider untimely death like the one that took Absalom away (2nd Samuel 18:10-17), the agony of death that comes as a result of sin, and the eternal death in the Lake of Fire. Revelations 21:8 speaks of the Lake of Fire in these words:

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abminable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”


For this reason, our Bible reading strongly recommends that we get wisdom. The question is, where can we get wisdom? It is from the word of God (2nd Timothy 3:15). Beloved, seek godly wisdom and don’t be lawless in the name of grace, because grace does not indulge in lawlessness.
Prayer Point
Father, put Your fear in me, help me to love your word and give me wisdom.
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 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.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.1 John 1:9

It's wonderful to know you've been set free from the law of sin and death. It's glorious to know you never again have to submit to the slavery of sin. But what do you do when, in spite of those wonderful, glorious truths, you still miss the mark? What do you do when you stumble and fall into sin?

Run to your Father and repent!

That sounds simple. But oddly enough we often do just the opposite. Instead of running to God, we let fear and guilt drive us further and further from Him. We start thinking things like, Well, I've missed it now. I might as well forget the rest of it and live like the devil.

Don't make that mistake. Don't let Satan talk you into sinning in one area of your life just because you missed it in another. When you get off track with God, just confess it and get right back on.

"But, Brother Copeland, I feel so guilty when I tell God what I've done that it's hard for me to make myself do it."

I know. I used to feel that way too. Then, one day, God said to me, Kenneth, when you confessed that sin wasn't when I found out about it. I knew about it all the time! When you confessed it is when you got rid of it, when you were cleansed of its effects in your life.

When you make a mistake, when you miss the mark, remember, you have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 John 2:1). Run to Him! He knows what you are going through. You don't need to be afraid. He didn't tear you apart for the sins you committed before you made Him Lord of your life, did He? Then how much more merciful and loving do you think He'll be now that you're His own? Now that you're reaching out for Him and have a heart for Him?

Don't run from God. Run to Him. Receive His forgiveness. Receive His cleansing. No matter how badly you've sinned, He's eager to forgive and to cleanse you of all unrighteousness.

Scripture Reading:
2 Samuel 11:1-5, 12:1-13

He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
—Philippians 1:6

Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion. It is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ. When you start out, you start out as a baby. You must be fed on the simple things of the Bible, and you learn to walk in your Christian life gradually.

At first you will fall down and make many mistakes, but you are to continue growing. However, there are many people who have stopped growing. They remain spiritual babes all their lives. I am afraid that this experience is all too common today. Perhaps it is yours.

Do you remember the day when you gave your heart and life to Christ? You were sure of victory. How easy it seemed to be more than conqueror through Christ who loved you. Thousands of Christians have struggles with themselves. The great need in Christendom today is for Christians to learn the secret of daily victory over sin.

Want more on how to grow your faith? Listen to this message from Billy Graham.

Prayer for the day
Father, I fall so many times but how lovingly You give me Your strength to endure.

“Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ‘Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days” (Daniel 1:11-14 NIV).

As a believer, you will face some situations when you need to convince someone in authority which direction they should go or when you need to make an appeal for someone to change their mind about a decision.

Here are six things to do when you need to make a case before an authority. You can see all six of these actions in the life of Daniel, particularly in the first chapter of the book bearing his name.

Develop a reputation for responsibility (Proverbs 22:29) — People with great responsibility notice people who are responsible. The king’s official had great respect for Daniel. That’s why Daniel was able to make his appeal. Christians should have a similar reputation in the marketplace and in their community.

Be humble and not belligerent (Proverbs 25:6) — You don’t demand your way. Daniel didn’t do that. He asked the king’s official to try something. Threats never work with people in authority. Be humble or you’ll stumble.

Don’t be deceptive or manipulative (2 Corinthians 4:2) — God does not honor dishonesty. God says you’re on your own if you lie.

Appeal to their goals and their interests — Start with what they want, not what you want. Daniel told the official, “We have the same goal. We both want me to eat food that makes me healthy. I just want to do it differently. We don’t have a problem with the goal — just how we complete the goal.” You don’t get your way by pressing your own agenda and going to war over it.

Choose the right place, time, and words (Proverbs 16:21) — What’s the right place? Always privately. You never confront authority in public. It just solidifies their opposition. The right time? Not when the person is frustrated, tired, or hungry. The right words? Be polite and pleasant.
Trust God if they reject your appeal (Romans 8:28) — The Bible clearly tells us that God works for the good of those who love him. Not everything that happens in your life will be good, but you can trust God to work it for good.

Guess what? You’ll never have to confront authority on your own. Jesus says he’ll never leave you. You have the Holy Spirit. You have God’s promises. You have God’s family — the church — to stand with you.

You’re not alone.

The Bible says, “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4b GW).

Talk It Over

How have you confronted people in authority in the past? How did that work out? Would you do it any differently now?
Of the six steps listed above, which do you think is the hardest? Which is the easiest? Why?
How have other believers been an important part of your efforts to confront authority?