Daily Devotional for Friday 3rd May

[Edoman]

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

FRIDAY, 3RD MAY.


YOUR DIVINE DESTINY BEGINS IN CHRIST.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Every human being that’s born into this world has two destinies, a natural destiny and a divine destiny. Your natural destiny is based on your parentage, nationality, education, peers, environment, and everything that’s natural to this world. All of these can affect you and determine the course of your life. For example, there’re some who are rich, not by virtue of anything that they’ve done, but because of the family in which or to which they’re born. That’s natural destiny at work.

Some people suffer, not because they were responsible for the problem but because they just happened to live in a particular place. There’re certain places that are filled with crime and violence and those who live there are victims of the lawlessness. That’s natural destiny. However, there’s the divine destiny, which is based on God’s choice.

Two things affect divine destiny. The first one is the choice that God makes for the sake of other men. For example, the Bible says God delivered Israel from Egypt by a prophet, and by a prophet, Israel was preserved. God chose Moses to deliver other men.

Then secondly, and more importantly, is the divine destiny that begins when Jesus becomes the Lord of your life. When you declare the Lordship of Jesus over your life, God has a right to alter the circumstances of your life to align with His perfect will. That’s when He becomes your Father and starts leading you. That’s when He sends His Holy Spirit to live in you and to guide you. You’re thus separated and distinguished from the rest of the world.

Being born again, the Lord’s mark is on you; His seal designating you a child of divine destiny; His treasured and favoured possession. You’re not of this world, and therefore can’t and shouldn’t be affected by the natural courses of life; the corruption, evil, and decadence prevalent in this world of darkness. Now your journey in life is one direction only: from glory to glory; upward and forward, as you walk in His Word daily.

PRAYER

Dear Father, thank you for the blessing of your Word, which indeed is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Thank you for the enlightenment it has given me. I’m thus better equipped to be all you created me to be, and fulfil my divine destiny in you, for your glory, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
John 1:1-18 & 2 Samuel 15-17

2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Mark 7:14-23 & Numbers 6



#TALKINGSESSION

3RD MAY.

KINDLY SAY THESE WORDS OUT LOUD

I thank You Father for the efficacy of Your Word and its ability to produce life in me, causing all I do to prosper. I’ve been perfected in righteousness, through the power and life of Your Word; besides, my life is a testimony of the wonder-working power of the Word. I thank You for making me in Your

image and likeness, and for the ability You’ve given me to recreate my world and make my life the epitome of Your grace. I am constantly transformed from glory to glory, and my greatness is evident because of the power of Your Word in my life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.


God bless you

[Edoman]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY 3RD MAY 2019

THEME: DIVINE ASSESSMENT OF GIVING.

MEMORISE:

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

READ: Mark 12:41-44

41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

MESSAGE

Many children of God are losing a lot, either because they do not know the Scriptures enough or fail to apply what they know from it. Like Abraham the father of faith, some of them who are millionaires today would have graduated to the level of being billionaire, but they have not moved to that level because they feel they are already doing enough in the area of giving when compared to what others are giving. They do not know that God’s assessment of giving is different from the way people see it. Although today’s memory verse encourages us to be cheerful givers, we should also be conscious of the fact that God is the one who gives commendation for our offerings, and His how much remains after giving! This is clearly seen in today’s Bible reading. Many well-to-do folks among the brethren would be amazed to discover that in spite of the millions they are giving, through commendable, many brethren who are less endowed are actually out-giving them in the sight of God!

Contrary to the misguided opinion of some people, God is actually interested in what we give. In Mark 12:41, Jesus Christ personally observed the offertory in the synagogue, so much so that He knew how many mites the widow dropped in the offering box! I would like to point out here that not all widows are poor. There are actually multi-millionaire widows in our society. However, we are very sure that the widow referenced in today’s Bible reading was poor. We need to get this distinction right because there are certain widows in the Church today who are not supposed to queue up for charity whenever it is being distributed, but they do so. Such charity is meant for the poor among widows. Another lesson we should learn in today’s Bible reading is that in spite of all those who gave fat offerings, heaven commended the poor widow’s giving as being the most sacrificial of all. Let those who specialize in taking offering beware of making uncomplimentary remarks against those who give “tattered notes”, because that might be all that they have!

Beloved, the amount you have left in your storehouse after you have given to God determines your score card in His presence. I pray that you will not only give cheerfully from today but you will also begin to give bountifully, and you will not miss your reward in Jesus’s Name.

ACTION POINT:

Whenever you are giving to God, always consider what you are holding back to determine how sacrificial your giving is to the Almighty God, who gives power to make wealth.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 46-47
Jeremiah 29:24-30:9

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

[Edoman]

SEEDS OF DESTINY:
BY DR. (PST.) PAUL ENENCHE
(DUNAMIS INTERNATIONAL GOSPEL CENTRE-DIGC)

FRIDAY 3RD MAY, 2019

TOPIC:
PROFITS OF DEDICATION TO THE WORD.

SCRIPTURE: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Every new insight from the Word of God raises your faith level.

The Word of God is a mine of inestimable treasure. God’s Will, Plan and Agenda for the welfare of His people are encapsulated in His Word. The Word of God is the promises and goodness of God revealed for the profiting of man.

Yesterday, we saw some of the products of prayer. Today, we shall look at what the study of the Word is all about and the profits of dedication to the Word.

Now, what does the study of the Word of God entail?

The study of the Word of God is the accessing of the ways, thoughts, principles and precepts of God from His Book in order to walk better with Him. It is the act of trying to know what God likes, how He thinks, what His principles are, what you are forbidden from doing if you want to walk with Him; it is not just about quoting Scriptures.

It is important to know that every new insight from the Word of God raises your faith level; light is the food of faith. Every time you see something you have never seen before in Scriptures, your audacity shifts to a new level.

Now, what are the profits of dedication to the Word?

i. The Word of God Builds Strength (1 John 2:14).

You cannot be weak if you are worded. You do not win by size, you win by faith.

ii. The Word of God Builds Hope (Psalm 119:81).

The Word of God keeps hope alive. You are delivered from discouragement by the Word (Psalm 119:81).

iii. The Word of God Brings Joy (Psalm 119:162).

You cannot be worded and be depressed. The Word of God is the therapy for depression and despair. When you access light from scriptures directly or in preached messages, it kills every form of depression and discouragement from your life.

Beloved, my counsel is, study the Word of God habitually and persistently. I decree fresh insight from God’s Word for your life as you study from today, in Jesus’ Name.

REMEMBER THIS: Every new insight from the Word of God raises your faith level.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Endeavour to make the reading and studying of the Word a lifestyle

2. Do not only read the Bible; also act on the principles discovered from reading and studying the Bible.

PRAYER: O Lord, I ask that You open my eyes to see wonders from Your Word (Psalm 119:18). Let me not be a hearer of Your Word only but also a doer of the Word (James 1:22), Lord in Jesus Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: DEDICATION TO PRAYER AND THE WORD

QUOTE: Every man of God who is far from the Book is a loser – a loser in Ministry – for the Scripture is profitable. Culled from MAKING FULL PROOF OF MINISTRY by Dr Paul Enenche

DAILY READING: Judges 17:1 to 18:31, John 3:1 to 21, Psalm 104:1 to 23, Proverbs 14:20 to 21

AMAZING FACT: The first Billy Graham’s Crusade was held on September 13-21, 1947 in the Civic Auditorium in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was attended by 6,000 people. Billy was only 28 years old at the time.

DON’T FORGET TO ATTEND: The Home Church meeting by 6:00pm tomorrow at a Home Church near you. Also invite your friends and neighbours. God bless you as you do so.

PROPHETIC DECLARATION/WORD: The LORD break open His word to you in this season and grant you fresh light in Jesus’ Name

[Edoman]

*OUR DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL*

_A DEVOTIONAL BOOKLET FOR CHAMPIONS_

*DATE: FRIDAY 3RD MAY, 2019*

*TOPIC: BENCHMARKING SECRET!*
*BASIC SCRIPTURES: ECCLESIASTES 1:9; JUDGES 16:18-31*

Be reminded from the last edition of this booklet, of the old formula for success for the ancient Greeks (12th – 9th centuries BC). The formula has three steps:
(1) Find someone who is successful in doing what you want to do.
(2) Discover what they did to become successful and
(3) Duplicate the steps they took and the methods they used.

The 2nd step is called *BENCHMARKING* and it is crucial in any success story! Benchmarking is the practice of comparing business performance to other businesses in the industry. This allows businesses to see how well they are performing and identify ways in which they can become more competitive in the industry. BENCHMARKING is a way of avoiding what brought others down and doing what made others to win. It is a cheap way of NOT PAY THE COST that winners paid and yet you have their RESULTS – because experience is not always the best teacher!

The different types of benchmarking are: *Best practices* - This is a benchmarking report where companies choose to look at a company that they aspire to be like. *Peer benchmarking* - This is a benchmarking report where companies choose to look at other businesses very similar to themselves. *SWOT* – This is a type of benchmarking report where companies gather data by looking at *S*trengths, *W*eakness, *O*pportunities, and *T*hreats to their organizations! *Collaborative benchmarking* – This is benchmarking as a part of a group. Many industries have associations they can join e.g, The Pharmaceutical Society, MMA, COREN, etc. These associations allow for members to provide information to the association.

They then share such reports for the entire membership! Oh, apologies for running you through an unsolicited management school! But the Holy Ghost wants to remind you of Ecclesiastes 1:9 – *“...there is no new thing under the sun.”* That means if you do the little things you already know about success, you will succeed. Check what made Samson to become a victim of DEMONIC SALONS, and run from it!

Check out other success stories in and outside the Bible. That is the reason why I have started *55 SECRETS OF UNCOMMON SUCCESS – THE STORY BEHIND THE GLORY* on Sundays, 8am at the MANNA MOUNTAIN OGUD-ORIOKE Lagos! LEKKI Mountain will always be connected, 8am! Get your notebook and pen ready! It will be awesome/unforgettable! *It started in April and continues this month – for 7 weeks!* I will be picking a success story in the Bible and modern day life and tapping into their secrets! Never forget: *Success Is Simple! It Can Be Duplicated And There Is No New Formula For Success!* Do the simple things you will learn in these 7 weeks and watch your story change! See you!

*PRAYER POINTS: Take any song of worship as you are led.*
1. Cancel every satanic attach against your STORY to GLORY testimony (Pray it seriously today for next 7 days or as led).
2. Pray about today now!
*THE BIBLE-IN-ONE-YEAR: 2CHRONICLES 33-36*
*BY: BISHOP (DR) CHRIS E. KWAKPOVWE (CEK)*
_PUBLISHER/AUTHOR AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

[Edoman]

*THE LIVING WATER*

*DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE*

*Friday, May 3, 2019 - _World Press Freedom Day_*
*TOPIC: HELLO, HELLO GOD, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?*

*Read: Psalm 88:1-9*

*MEMORISE: _O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You. Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry_ (Psalm 88:1-2).*

*EXPOSITION*

Have you been in a situation where it looks like the network to heavenly phone is really bad? You cried, you shouted, you changed your position, from mountain to valley, from river side to a dry place, yet, it doesn’t seem that God is hearing you? This Psalmist has been there!

The Bible scholars consider Psalm 88 as the saddest of all Psalms. Why? Because other Psalm have praises at the end of their trials, complaints and pleas, in Psalm 88, after all the Psalmist’s plea to God not to turn away from him in his time of distress, as his heart is sick and withered like grass, and haven lost his appetite (line 4) and now looks skeletal, the Psalmist simply ended his song with a sad note saying: *_Loved one and friend You have put far from me, and my acquaintances into darkness_* (line 18).

Can you identify with that? Do you feel lonely, forsaken and forgotten? Have you been through a crisis of faith? It is always like that when our prayer seems not to be getting through. But one thing that must be clearly understood is that when it comes to the matter of prayers, delay is NEVER a denial. God knows all about your struggles. God hears all your praises and petitions; because the *_the Lord's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear_ (Isa 59:1).* Therefore, never give up because all things are made beautiful by God in their times *(Eccl. 3:11).*

*PRAYER POINTS*
*1.* Give God praises for He knows and understands your situations.
*2.* Pray that God should give you the strength to persevere, so that you will not give up.
*3.* Confess that by faith, things shall be made beautiful for you in due course.
*EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: 1 Samuel 22:21 – 25:10; Luke 21:3 – 21:24*
*Author: CAC WORLDWIDE*
*Remain Blessed!*