Abiding TV

Lamentations 3:22-25
Imagine someone asking you if God has been good to you. What ideas pop into your head? Do you think about material possessions like a luxury car or a big house? Those things are nice, but even if you do not have any external signs of His blessing, you can still say that God has been good.

God’s goodness is expressed through His mercy. We usually talk about the Lord’s mercy in relation to His salvation plan, which provides for our rescue from slavery to sin. However, God is also concerned when we are suffering. The blind beggar Bartimaeus called out to Jesus for mercy, and the Lord responded by healing the man’s eyes (Mark 10:46-52). Nothing in Bartimaeus deserved mercy, but it is God’s nature to respond to the needs of His beloved children.

God’s goodness is expressed through His grace. None of us, no matter how well behaved we might be, deserve God’s favor. Yet because we are helpless to save ourselves, the Lord in His goodness took our guilt upon Himself and suffered the death penalty in our place. Upon salvation, we are invited to live by God’s grace and thereby constantly receive His support and help.

God’s goodness is expressed through His love. The Pacific Ocean, as vast as it is, seems like barely a drop compared to the Lord’s boundless love. No sin we can commit could ever place us beyond the reach of His faithfulness.

Think of all that the Father has done for you! He sent His son Jesus to die for your sins. Now He offers you mercy and grace to live by. The heavenly Father is indeed good.

Bible in One Year: Luke 23-24

October 30, 2017If you have been under the pressure of a trial, it is important that you do not blame the trial on God. God is not the author of trials or heaviness of spirit. Jesus came to bring you abundant life—it is Satan who is out to kill, to steal and to destroy (John 10:10).

James 1:13 tells us that temptations, tests and trials are brought on by Satan, not God. Satan is the tempter; he is the one who brings condemnation to you. He is the one that brings the heaviness, not God.

God wants you to know that, because Jesus was your substitute, you can endure anything Satan brings against you. If you will follow the instructions in His Word, you will come out on the other side of that trial like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did: untouched, unharmed and totally protected. That is when you bring glory to God – when you are a winner.

God is not glorified when His children are beaten down, beggarly, and suffering. Even though Satan will bring situations to you and try to steal the Word of God out of your heart, you can bring glory to God when you take His Word and resist the devil until he flees (James 4:7).

You are a testimony that God’s Word works. You are more than a conqueror through Him. You bring glory to God because you approach every situation knowing that Jesus was your substitute and that He has already given you the victory.

Confession: Thank you Jesus for abundant life! I refuse to blame God for the trials in my life. I will stand on His Word and see the victory in every area of life!

Author: Jerry Savelle

1 Kings 20:23
Then the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they.

In 1 Kings 20, we find the Syrians being defeated by the Israelites. Then, some of the Syrian king’s advisers gave the king what they thought was the reason for their defeat. They said that they had fought on the hills and lost because Israel’s God is the God of the hills. So if they were to fight the Israelites on the plains or in the valleys, they would win.

What stupid advice! They thought that the God of Israel only helped His people up in the hills and mountains, and not down in the valleys.

Now, mountains refer to our good times, and valleys, our bad times. Some people have this idea that God is the God of our good times, but He is not there when we are going through bad times. They think that He leaves us helpless in the valleys, especially when the troubles are of our own making.

My friend, I want you to know that our God is the God of the mountains, but He is also the God of the valleys!

God the Son laid aside His crown of glory, His royal majesty and came down for us, stepping into a human body as a baby. He came down to where we were for the sole purpose of dying on the cross for our sins, so that He could bring us up to what God the Father has for us at His right hand. Jesus came down to crown us with glory and honor, to clothe us with robes of righteousness and make us His bride, sharing everything that He has with us. That is the grace of God. He came down to our valley.

So whatever you are going through right now, know that God is right there in your valley with you. He is holding you in His arms and carrying you through the valley. Victory is already yours. Just as the Israelites were also victorious in the valley (1 Kings 20:28–29), so will you be because the God of the valleys is right there with you!

Thought For The Day

God is right there in your valley with you, holding you in His arms and carrying you through the valley.

Some people only come to me when disaster strikes. Crying out, save us Lord, come to our rescue. My question is, why have you not sought me out before now. 

Fostering a loving lasting relationship, a familiarity between old friends. From hours spent in the darkness, praying and seeking my face. Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice (Proverbs 29:26). Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3).

My children long for success, to have strength, peace, provision and victory! Let me ask you, when is the last time you sat quietly at the Master’s feet. Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things. There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her (Luke 10:41-42). Time in the presence of God is always time well spent. Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need (Luke 12:31).

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams (Acts 2:17). But all these things will only happen if my people are seeking my face. If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). We serve a loving forgiving God, but if you ignore him how can he help you. Call out to him today, Father, forgive me of my sins, I make you my Lord and Savior....Our God works best in your failures.

But he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me (2 Corinthians 12:9). I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Finally, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10)....
Tammy Lang Jensen

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16)

Sometimes, in leading sinners to Christ, some people erroneously tell them to confess all their sins. When the sinner begins to confess his sins, God can’t see them, because He has no records of the sinner’s sins. What He’s interested in is the remission—the removal or blotting away of sin from the sinner’s spirit. Once sin is out of his spirit, he’s qualified to be recreated.

As a Christian, you’re a new creation, born without a past. Your life started when you were born again (2Corinthians 5:17). If, however, at any point in your walk of faith, you make a mistake or do something wrong, the Bible says you have forgiveness in Christ: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2).

That’s why our opening verse tells us to obtain mercy or forgiveness. Notice it doesn’t say, “Ask for forgiveness.” Think about it: If, as a Christian, you’re asking God for forgiveness, at what point will He tell you, “It’s okay; I’ve forgiven you”? You’ll probably keep asking for forgiveness, and you’ll never know whether you’ve been forgiven or not.

But the Bible says, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). To be justified means to be declared not guilty. We’ve been justified according to the Scriptures; meaning God has declared us not guilty of our sins; He paid the full penalty for our sins through Jesus Christ.

Therefore, refuse to be “sin-conscious”; rather, have “righteousness consciousness.” If you’ve done something wrong, be bold to receive forgiveness. Say, “Father, I receive forgiveness for that which I’ve done wrong, in the Name of Jesus,” and walk guilt-free. Hallelujah!

PRAYER Dear Father, thank you for the full package of salvation I’ve received in Christ. I walk in boldness, knowing that I’m justified, unblameable and irreproachable in your sight. I’m conscious of my nature of righteousness, and I walk in the light of it, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Habakkuk 2:3—The vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

If you pray for something and it doesn’t happen right away, keep praying. For some of you, 30 minutes after the prayer has left your lips you are wondering why God hasn’t heard you. Guess what? He heard you. Right this second might not be the timing He has in mind for your big finish. Hang on!

The God of the mountaintop is the God of the valley. Anyone can sing when the sun is shining, but you also need a song in your heart at night. It’s not what you’re going through; it’s what you’re going to that matters. Keep your eye on the prize!

Write down your proclamation of faith and begin watching for every sign that God is on the horizon, diligently working on your behalf. Anyone can look at the bitter facts of life and abandon their faith. Anyone can rush to disbelief. It takes a person of faith, courage, and purpose to focus on the finish line.

Focus on the joy of victory! Focus on the impact of living life without limit! Focus on the fact that the God we serve cannot fail!

Source: Daily Truth Devotional

Daily Living

Memorise: 
The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish. Proverbs 10:28

Read: Psalm 35:15-19 (KJV)
35:15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:

35:16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

35:17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

35:18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

35:19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

Bible in one year: 
Hebrews 11-13,
Hosea 7,

Hymn: 
Sing hymn 8

Message:
God is a specialist at disgracing mockers and giving His Children the last laugh. This season, you shall laugh last in Jesus’ Name! In Mark 10:46-52, when Bartimaeus was crying to Jesus for help, some people were irritated. Do you know that there are people who do not want your voice to be heard at all? “Shut up you blind beggar! With people like us around, do you think the Master would have time for a beggar like you?” They laughed at him with an air of importance, but he ignored their mockery and cried out for help all the more. They got angry at this defiance. “You’ve got some nerve, you noisy fellow! If you know what is good for you, you better keep your mouth shut!” they continued mocking him as the crowd moved along.

 However, to their amazement, Jesus suddenly stopped and said, “There is a blind beggar along this street behind us. Go and bring him here and now.” Immediately, the laughter of his mockers ceased. The laughter of your mockers has come to a permanent end today in Jesus Name! The same mockers became his helpers. They politely took him to Jesus, and after Jesus healed him, he became the centre of attraction. Very soon, you that people thought would never amount to anything will become the centre of attraction in Jesus’ Name!

A particular sister was dying at the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital. Her husband met the doctors and they confided in him that she would not live to see the following morning under any circumstance. So he went to his wife, pretending to care for her, and he told her he would see her the following morning, secretly expecting to meet her corpse by then. As he left the hospital, he phoned his mistress and said, “My stupid wife will pass away tonight. Come over and let’s have fun.” The mistress came to his house and they were “having fun”, but because they never expected anyone to disturb them, they did not even lock the door of the bedroom. They were in for the shock of their lives. After this man left the hospital earlier on, that same night, the Lord Jesus Christ visited his sick wife and said, “I am the Lord that healeth thee; rise up and go home.” As she got up and walked out of the hospital, the nurses thought they were daydreaming and seeing her ghost, and so they did not stop her. She got home and caught the two evil doers in their illicit act. She said to them, “You thought I was dead, but I am alive and well.” Every evil expectation of your enemies shall be disappointed in Jesus’ Name! You shall laugh from now on.

Prayer Point:
Father, turn every expectation of my mockers to disappointment.

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.

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