Our Daily Bread devotional, December 31, 2016 - Now Is the Day

Topic: Now Is the Day [December 31, 2016]

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:18–6:2, Bible in a Year: Malachi 1–4; Revelation 22

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

Our preschool-age granddaughter Maggie and her kindergarten-age sister Katie hauled several blankets to the backyard, where they proceeded to build a blanket tent in which to play. They had been outside a while when their mom heard Maggie call for her.

“Mom, come here quick!” Maggie yelled. “I want to ask Jesus into my heart, and I need your help!” Apparently at that moment her need for Jesus became clear to her, and she was ready to put her faith in Him.

Open Heavens 31 December 2016: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Acceptable Service

Topic: Acceptable Service [Saturday 31, December 2016]

Memorise: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. – James 1:27

Read: Romans 12:1-2 (KJV)

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 7:84-10:10, Psalms 140

MESSAGE:

The major difference between David and the other soldiers at the war front was simply the fact that David could not stand the insult and blasphemy against the God of Israel. He knew God so well, and he feared and honoured Him so much that he decided to confront the giant warrior called Goliath without any fear of losing his life. David, in this case, took the meaning of acceptable service to another level. It can be very painful when the authority of God is so challenged, you will want to do anything to defend Him even if it means doing so with your life. In 1 Samuel 17:23-26, Goliath came out, boasted exceedingly and asked; “Where is the God of Israel?” For as many as had no intimate relationship with God, this threat, challenge and disgraced meant nothing to them. But then, one day, a little boy who loved the Lord was there, he heard Goliath talk against his God and he got very angry. His love for God propelled him to dare this giant that was bringing shame on God and His people.

Open Heavens 28 November 2016: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – A Faithful Steward

Open Heavens 28 November 2016: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – A Faithful Steward?

Topic: A Faithful Steward? [Monday 28, November 2016]

Memorise: Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. – 1 Corinthians 4:2

Read: Luke 16:1-8 (KJV)

1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

Bible in One Year: Exodus 4:1-6:13-3, Psalms 109:21-31

MESSAGE:

Faithfulness is another obligation that God requires of us as human beings and particularly as His children. God is faithful and He wants us to resemble Him with this attribute of faithfulness. In our text today, we read about a steward who was found unfaithful and the master was about to sack him, this unfaithful servant then went about from one debtor to another to falsify records in order to please his master. The efforts this steward put up to regain his master’s approval did nothing for the expansion of his master’s business, but the master still commended him. If the unfaithful servant could go to the extent he went in order to remain in service, why can’t the children of light go a greater extent to please our Father in heaven? The conclusion of our Bible reading says:

DCLM Daily Manna November 28, 2016 by Pastor Kumuyi – Faith Not Feeling

DCLM Daily Manna November 28, 2016 by Pastor Kumuyi – Faith Not Feeling

Topic: Faith Not Feeling [November 28, 2016]

Text: Genesis 26:1-5

Key Verse: "Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father" (Genesis 26:3).

On November 19, 1863 during the United States Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln delivered a graveyard oration that lasted only a few minutes. Known as the Gettysburg Address, the speech has been hailed throughout the ages for its nobility, brevity and capacity to hold out hope in dreary situations, This God-fearing American leader earns more accolades for his speech when it is considered that as he spoke, he was surrounded by famine, death and sorrow. Many still wonder if blessing, life and prosperity can emerge from famine and hopelessness?

Our Daily Bread devotional, November 28, 2016 - Beautiful

Our Daily Bread devotional, November 28, 2016 - Beautiful

Topic: Beautiful [November 28, 2016]

Read: Luke 7:36–50, Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 33–34; 1 Peter 5

She has done a beautiful thing to me. Mark 14:6

Picture two teenage girls. The first girl is strong and healthy. The other girl has never known the freedom of getting around on her own. From her wheelchair she faces not only the emotional challenges common to life, but also a stream of physical pains and struggles.

Winning Wisdom: Advocate Peace

Winning Wisdom: Advocate Peace

Author: Ese Ehimare Dave

Topic: Advocate Peace [Monday, 28th Nov. 2016]

Follow peace with all men...Hebrews 12:14

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the Ruler and Advocate of peace and peaceful co-existence. One of the things He came to accomplish with His death, burial and resurrection is the establishment of peace, that was in the beginning, between God and man; and He went further to establish peace between humans - Jews and Gentiles - so that, as we individually have peace with God, we can also be at peace with one another.

Winning Wisdom: Truth Trumps Fact

Author: Ese Ehimare Dave

Topic: Truth Trumps Fact [Sunday, 27th Nov. 2016]

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 1 Corinthians 1:20

We appreciate experts in all fields and we hold their opinions in high esteem, because they put in painstaking effort into their research and findings. And, yes, they come up with facts. They've birthed facts in medicine, economics,

Billy Graham’s daily devotional November 27, 2016 - Realities of Life

Topic: Realities of Life [November 27, 2016]

Casting down imaginations . . . and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. — 2 Corinthians 10:5

Thousands of people have made plans to escape from the realities of life. A new word has come into common usage the last few years. That word is “escapism.” The dictionary defines it as “a retreat from reality into an imaginary world.” The escape of imagination. Solomon spoke of the unregenerate heart as one which is inclined to excessive fantasy. The dream world Satan promotes always ends with disillusionment. Thousands of people live in an unreal dream world, while shirking their responsibilities toward their families and toward God. The Bible teaches that with Christ in your heart, you can face the realities of life. Even though they are hard, the grace of God will give you greater joy and pleasure than any dream world to which you try to escape.

DCLM Daily Manna November 27, 2016 by Pastor Kumuyi – Forgiveness Is Divine

Topic: Forgiveness Is Divine [November 27, 2016]

Text: Exodus 21:12-25

Key Verse: "But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die. And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death" (Exodus 21:14,15).

An Iranian woman who was blinded and badly disfigured by an acid attack by a spurned suitor recently pardoned her attacker. The woman was severely disfigured in the 2004 incident, when a bucket of acid was poured on her face and body and ultimately went through at least, 17 operations. In a court-ordered retribution, as a doctor was about to put several drops of acid in one of his eyes in a hospital operating room, the man who attacked her waited on his knees and wept. "What do you want to do now?" the doctor asked the 34-year-old woman, who suffered the attack. "I forgive him, I forgive him", she responded, asking the doctor to spare him at the last minute in a dramatic scene broadcast on Iran's state television.

DCLM Daily Manna November 26, 2016 by Pastor Kumuyi – A Dire Transportation

Topic: A Dire Transportation [November 26, 2016]

Text: Isaiah 27:1-13

Key Verse:"By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up" (Isaiah 27:9).

Our Daily Bread devotional, November 26, 2016 - Unsend

Our Daily Bread devotional, November 26, 2016 - Unsend

Topic: Unsend [November 26, 2016]

Read: 1 Peter 3:8–12, Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 27–29; 1 Peter 3

Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 1 Peter 3:10

Have you ever sent an email and suddenly realized it went to the wrong person or it contained harmful, harsh words? If only you could press a key and stop it. Well, now you can. Several companies offer a feature that gives you a brief time after sending an email to stop it from leaving your computer. After that, the email is like a spoken word that cannot be unsaid. Rather than being seen as a cure-all, an “unsend” feature should remind us that it’s extremely important to guard what we say.

devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Hearing from God

Open Heavens 26 November 2016: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Hearing from God

Topic: Hearing from God [Saturday 26, November 2016]

Memorise: Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: – Hebrews 3:8

Read: Hebrews 1:1-3 (KJV)

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

DCLM Daily Manna November 15, 2016 by Pastor Kumuyi – Torrential Love

Topic: Torrential Love [November 15, 2016]

Text: Song Of Solomon 8:1-7

Key Verse: "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned" (Song of Solomon 8:7).

In the ancient dispensation when Solomon wrote this Song, the culture of the people did not permit public display of intimacy or affection except between close family members. But here Solomon's lover says for the sake of love she is prepared to disregard such inhibition. This self-abnegation underscores the all-conquering power of love. Where it manifests as a genuine fruit of the Spirit, it displaces all forms of evil. The word of God puts it succinctly in 1 Corinthians 13:13, thus: "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity [love]".

Our Daily Bread devotional, November 15, 2016 - Do I Matter?

Topic: Do I Matter? [November 15, 2016]

Read: Ecclesiastes 1:1–11, Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 1–2; Hebrews 11:1–19

[Christ Jesus] made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.Philippians 2:7

I stand in the cashier line of the local supermarket and look around me. I see teenagers with shaved heads and nose rings looking through the snack foods; a young professional buying one steak, a few twigs of asparagus, and a sweet potato; an elderly woman pondering the peaches and strawberries. Does God know all these people by name? I ask myself. Do they really matter to Him?

Spiritual Truths on Prayer by Pastor Wesley. L. Duewel

**

1. Prayer means rushing to the Father as His child. It means asking and receiving. Loving and thanking Him.

Basilea Schlink.

2). Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night. Start the day with prayer, close the day with prayer.

3). There is unusual power in united prayer. GOD has planned for His people to join together in prayer, not only for Christian fellowship, spiritual nurture and growth, but also for accomplishing His divine purposes and reaching His chosen goals.

Author: Wesley. L. Duewel

DCLM Daily Manna November 13, 2016 by Pastor Kumuyi – The Watchful Soldier

Topic: The Watchful Soldier [November 13, 2016]

Text: 2 Timothy 2:1-13

Key Verse: "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Timothy 2:4).

In practical terms, a genuine Christian is a soldier at war all his life. The difference between him and the conventional soldier is that whereas the latter has peace-time, moments of respite when he is not at the war front, the former is always waging war. The fervent Christian is at a spiritual war front at all times, the strife or struggle of which is without borders or timing.

Open Heavens 13 November 2016: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Activating the Glory of God

Topic: Activating the Glory of God [Sunday 13, November 2016]

Memorise: Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? – John 11:40

Read: John 11:39-44 (KJV)

39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

#NotMyPresident: Anti-Trump Protests Spreading Across U.S https://secure.saharareporters.com/2016/11/10/notmypresident-anti-trump-protests-spreading-across-us

Reps warn Nigerians against investing in MMM scheme

Reps warn Nigerians against investing in MMM scheme http://www.news24.com.ng/National/News/reps-warn-nigerians-against-investing-in-mmm-scheme-20161110?isapp=true

VP Osinbajo challenges Super Falcons to remain Africa’s dominant force

Reps warn Nigerians against investing in MMM scheme http://www.news24.com.ng/National/News/reps-warn-nigerians-against-investing-in-mmm-scheme-20161110?isapp=true