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Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works (John 14:10).

The Holy Spirit is the doer of God’s work. He’s the power of the Godhead. In the beginning, when the earth was formless and void, the Father gave the Word, and the Holy Spirit went into action, bringing order and form to a hitherto formless and chaotic mass. The Bible says, “By His Spirit He adorned the heavens…” (Job 26:13 NKJV); the beauty and glories of heaven are the works of the Holy Spirit.

This same Holy Spirit is still working today, howbeit, in us, and through us. When Jesus walked the earth, He said, “…the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works” (John 14:10); He was referring to the Holy Spirit. When Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed the lepers, fed five thousand men with a little boy’s lunch (women and children not counted), changed water to wine at the wedding in Cana, it was the Holy Spirit that performed these miracles through Him.

 Jesus attributed every miracle He performed to the Father that dwells in Him: the Holy Spirit. The same Father, the Holy Spirit, dwells in you today. His power is at work in you just as it was at work in Jesus. Recognise it. Philemon 1:6 says, “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” The Father is in you; acknowledge this reality and affirm accordingly.

When you understand that He’s the One at work in you, you won’t have to struggle for anything in this life. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do…” (John 14:12). The Holy Spirit in you is the power for greater works; He’s all you need for a life of the miraculous and the supernatural every day.

How supremely blessed we are to have the Holy Spirit living in us! It means we can never be disadvantaged; we’re eternally triumphant. Hallelujah!

CONFESSION:
Dear heavenly Father, I’m grateful for the Holy Spirit who lives in me, working in, and through me! He’s in every fibre of my being, in every bone of my body, and in every cell of my blood. He walks through me, sees through my eyes, talks through me, and loves through me. He’s made me unconquerable. Blessed be God!

FURTHER STUDY:
Acts 1:8;
Philippians 2:13;
Zechariah 4:6

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Philippians 2:19-3:1-11
Isaiah 38-39

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Philemon 1:1-9
Jeremiah 52  

Thursday October 4th 2018
MEMORIZE: And many lepers were in Israel in the times of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. Luke 4:27.

Read: 2Kings 5:8-14 (KJV)
8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Bible in a year: 
Isaiah 33-35;
Luke 1:57-80,

Hymnal: 
sing Hymn 4.

Message:
Instantaneous restoration is a miracle that occurs suddenly. Immediately resolutions of human problems and challenges like this are highly desired and sought after. The Bible contains several accounts of divine interventions that resulted in instant miracles, signs and wonders, one of which is the healing of Naaman.

Naaman had been a leper for many years, but after he dipped himself into River Jordan seven times, he was cleansed immediately and his skin became like that of a little child (2 Kings 5:14). Similarly, the woman with the issue of blood had suffered for twelve years before she met with Jesus (Mark 5:25-29). As a matter of fact, she had exhausted all she had without any solution. However, immediately she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, her issue of blood ceased. Another example of Instant restoration is seen in 2 Kings 7:1. After about three giant of terrible famine, Elisha prophesied that there would be a food surplus in Samaria within 24 hours, and it happened as he said. In Matthew 8:3, the moment locus touched a leprous fellow who had been in that condition for years, the man became cleansed instantly. Also, in john 5:19, once the impotent man who had been at the pool of Bethesda for thirty-eight years heard the words of Jesus, he was completely made whole. Just as it happened in all these examples, I pray that whatever you are passing through at the moment will receive the immediate attention of heaven, and you will get instant restoration in Jesus’ Name.

Note however that behind every seemingly instantaneous miracle, there has been meticulous obedience, stubborn faith, perseverance, serious fasting and prayers, and sometimes prolonged pain, sorrow and shame. What appeared on the surface as instant restoration did not exactly come easy for Naaman, Joseph, Hannah, the people of Samaria, Zechariah and Elisabeth, and several others. Most of these people paid the price in perseverance, stubborn faith, fasting and prayers, etc. For example, the people of Samaria had to endure a situation where the dung 0f birds became an expensive delicacy and some women actually ate their own children. ln the case of Zechariah and Elisabeth, they waited for so long that they completely lost any hope of bearing a child. The impotent man at the pool of Bethesda had no hope of restoration after thirty-eight years of waiting for an opportunity that kept eluding him.

One thing that kept all these people going was perseverance. Perseverance is maintaining your faith in God even in trying times. Every Christian is expected to faithfully endure hardship, persecution and trials. Through consistent prayers, we are expected to remain steadfast in the face of opposition, attack and discouragement.  (James 5:13; Ephesians 6:18,) I pray that God will grant you the type of endurance that can weather any of life’s storms without giving up in Jesus’ Name.


Prayer point: 
Father, please uphold me and see me through every storm of life 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.

In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

Matthew 18:16

You've been there many times, standing in the valley of decision. Perched precariously between victory and defeat.

On one side of you is the word of the world authored by Satan that says, for example, "You're not going to get healed." On the other side of you, the Word of God is saying, "My Word is yea and amen" and "By whose stripes, ye were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). Who will determine how it all turns out? You will. You're the establishing witness.

I remember a fellow once who wanted me to pray for him. I said, "Now the Word says you're healed." He interrupted me and said, "Yeah, I know it says that, but I've got this terrible pain here...."

I looked him in the eye and said again, "The Word says, 'By His stripes, you were healed.'"

"I know it," he answered, "but I've got this terrible...."

I shook my head. "Listen, the Word says you're healed!"

He turned beet red. "I know it says that, but I've got this...."

Finally, he stopped and stared at me. He didn't realize it, but he'd allowed his physical symptoms to become his evidence. It was what he believed. No matter what the Word said, he believed the thing he could see and feel.

But when he got quiet, I said to him, "Look, you're wanting me to agree with you and you're mad because I won't. But if I agree with you, you're going to die. Now if you'll agree with me and the Bible, we can get you healed."

Suddenly he saw it. His eyes lit up. "Oh, praise God! I see what you mean. I agree with the Word of God!"

I put my hands on his head and God healed him instantly.

You see, when he finally decided to get in agreement with God, he could have received in his bedroom or driving down the road or anywhere else. He could have received any time he decided to become the establishing witness.

You pray and establish your witness. That's your part. If you'll do it, God will back you—and when He backs you, everything else either has to get in line or get out of the way.

You're the deciding witness. What do you say?

Scripture Reading:
Matthew 18:15-20

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All [authority] is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
—Matthew 28:18

Have respect for authority. Jesus Christ was under the authority of His Father in heaven . . . He lived for one thing: to fulfill the will of the Father.

Everyone is subject to some kind of authority. There is one chain of command and the ultimate authority at the top is God.

What is the authority in your life? Is it your selfishness? Your lust? Your greed? Or have you turned it all over to God and said, “Lord, You are going to be my authority?” When you are under authority, you are then able to assume authority.

Listen to this 5-minute sermon from Billy Graham about Jesus as the authority of your life.

Prayer for the day
There are still areas in my life that need to come under Your authority, Lord Jesus. Give me Your grace and strength to yield everything to You.

”[The promise] is not only for those who live under the law of Moses but for anyone who lives with faith like that of Abraham” (Romans 4:16 NCV).

God doesn’t play favorites—regardless of your background, your status, or your sin. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a religious person or a formerly religious person or if you have any religious background at all.

Romans 4:16 says, “[The promise] is not only for those who live under the law of Moses but for anyone who lives with faith like that of Abraham” (NCV). Who are these people who live under the Law of Moses? The Jews. The Jewish people were given the ways of God before anyone else.

Have you ever thought about why the Jews were called God’s chosen people? Does God love them more than he loves the rest of us? No. They were chosen for a purpose: to spread the message to everybody else that there is one true God. They were kind of like the missionaries to the rest of us.

Now God has taken that task and given it to the church, which includes everybody who puts their faith in Christ, regardless of their background. God says his salvation is available to anybody who opens up his or her heart in faith: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13 NIV). There are no quotas in heaven. It doesn’t say only really good people will be saved if they call on the name of the Lord or really religious people or really smart people. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

The sad thing is that even though many people know that God offers his gift of grace, they still try to work their way into heaven. They think that something in their lives makes them good enough so they don’t need to receive God’s gift of salvation through Christ.

You may have done some really nifty things in life, but if you think they’re going to get you into heaven, forget it. The only way any of us gets in is by receiving God’s gift of grace, which is available to every person.

Have you trusted Jesus for your salvation?

The Bible says we can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ. And we don’t have to earn God’s love or work our way into heaven. The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

If you haven’t trusted in Jesus and committed to following him, why wait any longer? If you’re ready to step across that line and make a decision to believe in Jesus Christ and follow him, pray this prayer:

“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess my sin, and I believe that you are my Savior. You have promised that if I confess my sin and trust you, I will be saved. I trust you when you say that salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today I’m turning over every part of my life to your management. You have the right to call the shots in my life.

“Jesus, I want to relax in your love. Thank you that I don’t have to earn it or work for it. I want to use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I humbly commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In your name I pray. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.

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

How do you respond to the truth that nothing you can do will get God to love you more than he does now, or cause him to love you less?
What is your part in the church’s task to spread the message of salvation to those who have not heard?
What does it mean to “call on the name of the Lord”?

Did you know that when you have lost your peace of mind, you have the power to regain it? Anytime you find that you are worrying, fretful, or anxious about anything, release the problem to God through a simple heartfelt prayer and purposely think about something in your life that is good!

Worrying is completely useless. It wears you out mentally, emotionally, and physically, and it doesn’t make your problem any better at all.

Peace of mind is valuable, and it is quite impossible to enjoy life without it. Seek and pursue the peace that is yours through Jesus Christ. Don’t be deceived into believing that you can’t help what you think, because you absolutely can.

You can change your mind about anything! Practice “on purpose” thinking instead of being passive and merely waiting to see what thoughts fall into your mind.

I can share with you that I experience the same mental battles that many people do, and I have to practice having peace on purpose. You are a child of God, and His peace is in you. I recommend that you start recognizing the things that are stealing your peace and deal with them so they can no longer torment you.

Prayer Starter: Father, I love You very much, and I want to enjoy peace of mind. I know that worry is useless, but I often do it and I am sorry. Work with me and teach me how to trust You enough to enjoy Your peace at all times. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

"For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock."
(Psalm 27:5, NIV)

TODAY'S WORD:

Have you ever watched children play hide and seek? They look for the best place to hide in the house or yard and wait quietly for their friend to try and find them. It’s a fun game for kids, but even as adults, we need a good place to hide from time to time. Sometimes we need a place of refuge, we need a place of safety, and we need a place to rest when we feel overwhelmed by the circumstances of life—a place where the enemy of our soul can never find us.

The good news is that God has the perfect hiding place for you! You don’t have to hide in your job. You don’t have to hide in relationships. You don’t have to hide in food or addictions because God Himself promises to hide you! He freely offers you shelter from the storms of life any time you call upon His name.

Remember, there’s only one place the enemy cannot find you. There’s only one place where opposition cannot steal from you. There’s only one true place of safety and rest for your soul, and that is in the arms of Jesus. Know that He loves you, and He is ready to receive you when you call upon His name!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, today I come humbly before You giving You all that I am. Thank You for hiding me in Your shelter and keeping me safe from the storms of life. My soul finds rest in You as I seek You and praise Your holy name in Jesus’ name. Amen.

WEDNESDAY
03
Ephesians 4:30-32

It’s a common dilemma: Someone has hurt us, and we know we should forgive but just can’t. Despite all our promises to God about letting go of the offense, we find ourselves mentally rehearsing the event until we’re once again consumed with anger and hurt.

God has not simply called us to relinquish our bitterness; He’s given us the means to do it. The Spirit empowers us to forgive others just as God has forgiven us (Eph. 4:32). However, it’s not always a quick process—especially if the offense is great and the hurt is deep. Sometimes we must work through steps until we can finally release the burden.

First, we must confess to God that we have sinned against Him with our unforgiving attitude and ask Him to help us repent of it.

Next, we should acknowledge that the basis for forgiving others is God’s forgiveness of us. We didn’t deserve to be pardoned, yet Christ’s sacrifice has released us from our guilt. And it’s good to remember that while offenses against us may seem to be the most grievous, we usually underestimate the magnitude of our own sins against God.

Finally, we must let the Bible renew our minds. Instead of allowing ourselves to dwell on the wrong done to us, we can surrender those thoughts to God and replace them with biblical truths about Him, His promises, and His ways.

So how will you know when you have truly forgiven your wrongdoer? The negative emotions that once arose at the thought of the offender will subside, and you’ll be at peace.

Bible in One Year: Matthew 1-4

Philippians 3:14
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Quit Wading Around In The Bone Yard Of Your Past, Griping And Grumbling About How Pitiful Life Is. Start Rejoicing In Your Salvation And Recognize That You Are A Child Of The King!

Go back with me in the theater of your mind and see two Hebrew men who are on their way to work to make bricks for Pharaoh. They’re talking as they’re on their way to the mud hole. Howard says to Herman, “Look, we’ve been talking about this promise of God delivering us from Pharaoh’s bondage. But do you see any way God could possible get us out of here? I mean, we’ve been here for 400 years. Pharaoh has the mightiest army on the face of the earth.” Herman says, “Yeah, I know. It looks impossible.” Howard agrees. “How are we going to be fed? There are at least two million of us. That would take millions of pounds of food a day. How are we going to be able to do that out in the wilderness? It’s impossible. And where are we going to get water for two million people and our cows? It is impossible. We’ll get out there and die, Herman. You know it’s 120 degrees in the day and at night it’s freezing. How are we going to ever be able to survive out there?"

Some of you have that mentality. You’ve thought, “There’s no way God can get me out of this mess. I know God created the heavens in seven days, he spared the family of Noah in the flood, and he held the sun still for Joshua, but he can’t help me. Poor pitiful me.”

Saints of God, nothing is impossible with our God. Nothing is impossible in your job situation. Nothing is impossible in your marriage. Nothing is impossible in your marriage. Nothing is impossible in your messed up finances, your health, and your addictive habits. You may believe you have no reason to live, with every dream in your life shattered and crushed. But today, you can be free —free because Jesus Christ has made us free…all you have to do is receive it in His name!
Source:  12 Sunday Mornings—Volume 2

Today's Bible Reading

Old Testament

Jeremiah 1:1-2:30

New Testament

Philippians 4:1-23

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalms 75:1-10

Proverbs 24:17-20

October 3, 2018
So you shall rejoice in every good thing, which the Lord your God has given to you and your house. (Deuteronomy 26:11 NKJV)

Good things come to those who are mindful of Jesus and all He accomplished for them on the cross.

God’s Word says, “no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11 NKJV). When some people hear this, they automatically think, “But I’m not upright, I just committed that same old sin again. That verse doesn’t apply to me because I know I’m not upright.”

Others think, “I faithfully attend church, tithe, pray for an hour each day, confess the Word of God, and never watch R-rated movies. Compared to others, I am walking uprightly before God.”

Both of these attitudes are completely wrong. Both focus on the individual and not on Jesus.

The Bible tells us the just shall live by faith (see Hebrews 10:38). Live by faith in what? Faith in Jesus and all He did for you on the cross; faith in what God says in His Word.

If you’ve confessed with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then according to Romans 10:9, you are now saved and therefore stand upright, holy, and blameless before God.

For this reason, every child of God can stand on the Word and rejoice for every good thing that He has given to them.

Confession: Thank You, Father, for every good thing You have given to me. Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, I can walk uprightly before You knowing that You will not withhold any good thing from me.

Author: Jerry Savelle

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you…

In Israel, Jews greet each other with the words “shalom, shalom.” Unlike the English word “peace,” “shalom” does not just mean peace of mind, but also wholeness for your entire being—spirit, soul and body. It means having a sense of completeness and soundness. In other words, shalom encompasses your provision, health and total well-being.

When Jesus spoke to His disciples in John 14:27, He did not use the English word “peace.” He would have used the Hebrew word “shalom,” saying, “Shalom I leave with you, My shalom I give to you…” Interestingly, the word “leave” here actually means “bequeath,” the way a rich man bequeaths his estate to his beneficiary.

The disciples must have been excited when they heard that Jesus was bequeathing them His shalom. They must have known that to receive His shalom was to have His health because they had never seen Him sick. To have His shalom also meant never being in lack because He was never broke. Whenever He needed money, money was there. Once, money to pay the temple tax came in the mouth of a fish (see Matthew 17:24–27)!

The disciples also understood that having Jesus’ shalom meant having His abundance because they had seen Him meeting the needs of thousands with plenty of leftovers. They saw him feeding 5,000 men (not counting the women and children) with 12 baskets full of leftovers (see Mark 6:34–44)!

Jesus wanted His disciples to know that His peace was different from the peace that the world offers. His peace would change whatever trying circumstances that beset them. Even if it was a mega storm, it would have to bow to His peace. The Prince of Peace merely spoke, “Peace, be still!” and the winds and the sea obeyed Him (see Mark 4:39). His peace changed the mega storm into a perfect calm.

Beloved, that is the kind of peace that Jesus has bequeathed to you. Therefore, believe that His shalom which He has left with you will change all your difficult situations, bringing you from sickness, lack and mental anguish to health, provision and total wellness!

In Your Name - Ada Ehi Live in Zambia