Abiding TV

Stop trying to figure God out with your head. It’s a heart thing. Watch Joyce encourage you to come to Him like a child, with a personal testimony of her own.

7/28/2019 I saw a Child of God who was in the midst of a sea of chaos. The stormy waters were beginning to overwhelm him and close in upon him. 

And then suddenly, The Winds of the Spirit opened up a way through these stormy waters, and he was walking through them on dry ground.

Beloved. I am still the God of miracles. I am He who has crushed the serpents head at the Cross. The seas of Chaos which surround you shall not overcome you. Though you are in the world, you are not of the world. Do not fear, My Child, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.

I am Yahweh, your God, Abba Father, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Will you believe, My Child? Will you believe one more time that nothing is impossible to Me? You are precious and honored in My Sight and I love you. Do you see the victory ahead, Dear One? Do you see the clearing ahead? It is MY GLORY surrounding you and keeping you. I am He who makes a way where there seems to be no way. Keep praying, keep trusting, keep believing, keep speaking forth those things that be not as though they were. It is already finished, My Love. Keep walking with Me in Grace and Power. Do you hear the Sound of the Spirit? Do you feel the Winds beginning to blow? I shall do what only I can do. Let Me amaze you, Beloved. I will bring order out of this chaos; not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit. Thus says the LORD; Who makes a way in the sea, and a path through surging waters!

4045 chaos: A state of complete disorder or confusion often symbolised by surging waters.

...Isaiah 43:1Now this is what the LORD says, He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine! 2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.3For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cusha and Seba in your place. Because you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you and nations in place of your life.
...Isaiah 43:16Thus says the LORD; He who makes a way in the sea, and a path through surging waters.

...Isaiah 51:10 Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?

... Psalm 104:7-9 But at Your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of Your thunder they took to flight.
......1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Keep thyself pure.
—1 Timothy 5:22

Someone has said, “You cannot help the first look, but the second is sin.” Jesus indicated that you can engage in immorality by a look. The Bible places the “lust of the eye” right along with other major sins.

Listen: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Peter spoke of having “eyes full of adultery.” No wonder Job said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” Your eyes see only what your soul allows them to see.

What’s the difference between love and lust?

Prayer for the day
May my eyes be on You, Lord Jesus, for I need Your purity and love to fill my heart and mind.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalm 119:105

As long as you live by the Word of God, you never have to be in the dark again. You never have to remain in confusion about which path to take. You never have to grope blindly along, struggling to find your own way.

Isn't that great? Isn't it exciting to know that the Word of God will give you all the light you need every day of your life if you'll allow it to?

Build your faith in that Word and renew your commitment to it as you make this confession today:

"Father, in the Name of Jesus, I commit myself to walk in Your Word. I recognize that Your Word is integrity itself—steadfast, sure, eternal—and I trust my life to its provisions.

"You have sent forth Your Word forth into my heart. I let it dwell in me richly in all wisdom. It does not depart out of my mouth; I meditate in it day and night so that I may diligently act on it. Your Word is an incorruptible seed, abiding in my spirit, and it's growing mightily in me now, producing Your nature, Your life.

"I thank You, Father, that Your Word is my counsel, my shield, my buckler, my powerful weapon in battle. It is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. It makes my way straight before me, and I never stumble or fall for my steps are ordered by Your Word.

"I recognize the strategies and deceits of Satan and I put a stop to them by speaking Your Word out of my mouth in faith.

"I am confident, Father, that You are at work in me both to will and to do Your good pleasure. I exalt Your Word. I hold it in high esteem and give it first place in my life. I boldly and confidently say that my heart is fixed and established on the solid foundation—the living Word of God. Amen!"

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 119:89-105

Tuesday July 30th 2019
Memorise: And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Genesis 18:17

Read: Acts 27:21-24 (KJV)
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

Bible in one year: 
Judges 10-11,
Ezekiel 24:15-25:7,

Hymnal: 
Sing hymn 12

Message:
Some information is deemed classified, meaning that it is top-secret. The Almighty God has a lot of such information at His disposal. Thankfully, He releases classified information to His elect from time to time.

As seen in today’s memory verse, Abraham was one who had access to such information. Are you one of God’s favourite? Are you qualified to receive heaven’s classified information? There are prerequisites that must be met before anyone can have access to heaven’s secrets. Speaking on this, the Bible says in Psalm 25:14:

“The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.”

So, the fear of Lord is one of the criteria for accessing God’s classified information. When we look into the lives of those who enjoyed this rare privilege, we will see that they feared God. For example, Joseph was given access to classified information because he feared the Lord. it was this fear that prevented him from sleeping with his master’s wife (Exodus 20:14).

Another prerequisite is the ability to guard a secret in your heart without divulging it. I believe one reason why Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was chosen and given classified information about the Messiah that would come through her was that she knew how to keep secrets. From the time the angel of the Lord appeared to her announcing the immaculate Conception of the time the angels announced the arrival of the Holy Child, many secrets things were revealed to her, and the Bible says in Luke 2:19:

“But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

Beloved, you can be one who receives God’s classified information if only you can refrain from being a talebearer and revealer of secrets. God has the prerogative of revealing secrets and showing unknown things to His prophets, according to Daniel 2:22 which say:

“He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.”

Paul is another example of someone who had access to God’s classified information. In today’s Bible reading, while all the crew and passengers of the ship he was travelling in were in great turmoil, he had peace because he knew what would happen. Paul had credit in his account with God, and so he was privileged to know God’s mind concerning his voyage. Beloved, you can also qualify to have access to heaven’s secrets if only you can pay the price.

Prayer Point
Father, as Your child, let there be a clear difference between me and those who don’t know You.

Please don’t let me operate in the dark on things concerning my life and family, 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.

“Look out for the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:24 NCV).

If you want to serve people through ministry, you need to slow down and observe the world. It helps you be sensitive to the needs of other people.

If you wanted to take a cross-country trip, you’d have several options. A plane would get you there fastest, but you wouldn’t experience much of the country. You could take a train or even a car, and each would give you opportunities to see even more. But if you really wanted to take in as much as possible, you’d walk.

That’s because the slower you go, the more you see.

The Bible says, “Look out for the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:24 NCV). Ask God to give you spiritual radar for people around you who are hurting emotionally, spiritually, or physically.

Maybe you were born with this gift. You automatically sense when people around you are in need. It’s not that you’re more spiritual than the rest of us. You’re just wired that way.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t describe all of us. Some of us have something like spiritual ADD. It’s easy to get distracted. It’s easy to be task-focused. It’s easy to be insensitive to what’s happening around us.

But if you care, you’ll be aware. It’s not always easy to see the needs of other people, especially when you’re too busy and have an overloaded schedule. But it’s an important part of serving others in need. God wants you to help others. Ask him to show you where you’re focusing on the wrong things so you can remove them from your to-do list.

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

What people do you pass every day who are sometimes more difficult to notice? When you keep your eyes open, what new opportunities do you see to help one of those people?
How is ignoring the needs of others also a way of ignoring God?
What are some simple ways you could adjust your schedule so you aren’t overloaded and “too busy” to see the needs of people around you?

My times are in Your hand… 
Psalm 31:15, NASB

TODAY'S WORD:

One thing I’ve learned is that God doesn’t always work on our timetable. In fact, He rarely does. But in a single moment, God can change your life! All throughout Scripture, we see examples of how God was working behind the scenes and instantly turned things around for His people. Scripture tells us He is the same yesterday, today and forever, which means if He did it for them, He can instantly turn things around for you, too!

You may be going through some difficulty today, but be encouraged because your times are in God’s hands. Trust that He has your best interest at heart. He wants to pour out His favor. He wants to take you further than you dreamed possible and work in your life in ways beyond what you have ever imagined. And while you’re waiting, don’t try to figure everything out. That’s only going to frustrate you.

Let this truth sink down into your heart today. Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing, keep hoping and keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. Have faith because your times are in His hands, and He will lead you in the life of victory He has for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, today I humbly come before You giving You all that I am. I trust that my times are in Your hands. I trust that You are working things out in my favor. I set my focus on You knowing that You are working things out for my good in Jesus’ name. Amen.

For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.

— Isaiah 30:19

Our friendship not only benefits us, it also benefits those around us. When people come to us with needs or concerns, we may be able to offer some help, or we may not be able to meet their needs at all.

Even if we do not have what people really need, God does. When we are friends with God, we can say to people, “I don’t have what you need, but I know Someone who does. I’ll ask my friend! I will intercede before God for you.”

We know that God has the power to intervene in people’s circumstances, to help their children stop using drugs, to bring financial breakthroughs, to work medical miracles or to reconcile marriages.

The more intimately we know God, the more confident we are in His willingness and ability to help people. When they come to us, we can go to Him and know He will come through for them.

We can actually ask God to do us a favor and help someone we love even when we know that they don’t deserve it. We can pray with compassion out of a heart of love—and God hears and answers.

God loves you, and He loves the sound of your voice coming to Him in prayer and fellowship. Go to Him often not only for your needs, but also for the needs of others.

Prayer Starter: O, Lord, thank You for always hearing my cries for help. Today, I ask for Your supernatural help and intervention for the needs in my life. I also lift up the needs of my friends and family and pray for peace, provision, healing, wisdom and direction. Thank You for Your amazing love and for answering our cries for help. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

3 John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Investing In The Kingdom Of God Is The Only Eternal Investment.
God’s not up for election every four years.  He doesn’t watch the Dow Jones ticker tape or read the Wall Street Journal.  God says, “Give it to me.  I’m your father.  Let me invest it for you.  I will give it back to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.  On top of that I’ll throw in eternal life.  I’ll give you physical health.  I’ll give you love, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.  I’ll even make your enemies be at peace with you.”  Where can you match that?

There are two words that people confuse when they start talking about these things in the word of God.  One is selfishness and the other is self interest.  Selfishness is cyanide.  Selfishness will destroy you.  It will bring destruction to your relationships and to the presence of God in your life.  It is Satan’s counterfeit for God’s self interest program.

Self interest is not a sin.  God is your Father and you’re his child.  He wants you to have the very best.  When you become a child of God, He immediately wants you to do well.  And the more you obey him, the better you do.

Source:  12 Sunday Mornings—Volume 2

Today's Bible Reading

Old Testament

2 Chronicles 24:1-25:28

New Testament

Romans 12:1-21

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalms 22:19-31

Proverbs 20:8-10

Galatians 6:7-10

Much of our life can be summed up by the decisions we’ve made right until the present. This is why it’s so important to learn to make wise choices that lead to the life God wants for us. And the foundation for doing so is a firm conviction regarding the truth of God’s Word, which will ground us in every area—relationships, finances, work, church, and the use of our time.

The unchanging principle of sowing and reaping is one that should guide every decision we make, because a harvest will eventually result from the action we take. Paul contrasted two different ways Christians can sow—either to the Spirit or to the flesh.

There is a battle raging within us between the desires of the Holy Spirit, who has come to live within us, and the desires of our flesh—those sin patterns and self-serving tendencies remaining in us even after salvation (Gal. 5:17). Our goal should be to put our sinful, selfish desires to death so that we can follow the Spirit as He directs us according to the Scriptures. Therefore, the better we know and understand God’s Word, the more we will be able to discern the Spirit’s leading.

To make this practical, remember that every time you rehearse a wrong done to you, complain with regard to your situation, gossip about a friend, or indulge an addictive desire, you are sowing to the flesh and will reap more of the same later. But if you let the Spirit lead and empower you, you’ll be able to forgive others, be content in every situation, and acquire holy desires and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

Bible in One Year: Isaiah 28-30