Daily Devotional for Sunday 29th September

[Edoman]

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

SUNDAY, 29TH SEPTEMBER.

OUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY AS KINGPRIESTS

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen (Revelation 1:6).

Every Christian is a king-priest unto God. You may say, “I never answered the call to be a priest.” But the day you made Jesus Christ Lord of your life, you were immediately catapulted to that office. And your primary responsibility as a king-priest is intercession.

In intercession, you take hold together with God; you side with Him in bringing His will to pass on behalf of someone else. That means you must know His will and purpose concerning a person, a country, a situation, or whatever you’re praying about, to be able to pray accurately.

Some Christians have cultivated the erroneous belief that the ministry of intercession is for certain Christians or for only those in the church’s prayer group, but that’s not true. We all have an obligation of intercession (Ephesians 6:18).

In 1 Timothy 2:1-3, the Apostle Paul, by the Spirit, writes, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men…For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.” So, you have to fulfil your ministry of intercession as a king-priest, and in so doing, there’re certain facts to note.

First, the prayer of intercession is always on behalf of another. Secondly, you’ll have to be persistent, because you’re trying to prevail on someone else to align with God’s will. Therefore, you must continue in prayer for as long as it takes, concentrating the influence of God’s power towards the one for whom, or the situation for which, you desire a change. Also, watch out for the note of victory in your spirit; that’s when you become certain that you have what you asked for.

Take up the ministry of intercession and learn to cause changes in the Name of Jesus. God has given you the dominion and the authority to alter the course of events in the earth—the occurrences in your life, in your family, and in the lives of those around you. You can achieve this through your intercessory ministry as a king-priest.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for counting me faithful and committing to me the ministry of intercession. I affirm that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has free course and is glorified in the nations of the World, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY

Ecclesiastes 8:4 TLB; Romans 8:26-28; 1 Peter 2:9-10
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Ephesians 5:3-21; Isaiah 27-28
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 1:43-51; 1 Kings 4

[Edoman]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2019

THEME: IT WILL BE PAID IN ARREARS!

MEMORISE:
Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. James 5:4

READ: Exodus 12:30-36

12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 12:31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. 12:32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. 12:33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men. 12:34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. 12:35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: 12:36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

MESSAGE

Whenever we read the story of how God paid the Israelites the arrears of their 430 years of labour, we are understandably excited, but we need to pay close attention to the lessons God is teaching us through it. The Holy Spirit said in 1 Corinthians 10:11:

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."

Those who know the true God of the universe understand that He is a God of justice and equity, and He created us to live accordingly. In fact, He requires justice and equity not only from mankind but from all His creatures. For example, when rain falls on the earth, God expects the ground to yield her increase (Leviticus 26:4). This might be the reason why the Lord cursed the fig tree that was just receiving nutrients from the ground and sapping the energy of the gardener without producing the expected fruit (Mark 11:12-14, 20). The worst aspect of the Egyptians' ill-treatment of the Israelites was that they did not pay them any wages; they actually subjected them to forced labour. It's therefore not surprising that in Exodus 3:7, God said:

"...I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;"

Thankfully, God made sure that the Egyptians paid in arrears all that they owed the Israelites (Exodus 12:36). Are you in sorrow as a result of taskmasters dominating your life? This verse is a message coming from the Lord to reassure you that He sees your plight. The Lord will hear you as you cry to Him today over those taskmasters in Jesus' Name. Beloved, when the Lord is on your side, you will not only win a battle without a fight, you will also gather the spoils of war, just as the Israelites gathered the wealth of the Egyptians in one night.

Moreover, this story also has a serious lesson for tyrant employers of labour. When the Lord begins to fight for the employees you have been exploiting, you will pay in a hurry, and it will be in devastating arrears! This truth is established in today's memory verse, and the consequences that follow are clearly stated in James 5:2-3, which says:

"Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire..."

If you are guilty of this sin, please repent and restitute your ways without further delay.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please forgive me in any way I have defrauded others, and help me to restitute my ways. Also, let those holding all my wages that have been denied me release them in a hurry.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 23, Daniel 9:16-27

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU

1. While passing thro' this world of sin,
and others your life shall view,
Be clean and pure without, within;
Let others see Jesus in you.

Chorus:
Let others see Jesus in you,
Let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story, be faithful and true;
Let others see Jesus in you.

2. Your life's a book before their eyes,
They're reading it thro' and thro'
Say, does it point them to the skis,
Do others see Jesus in you?

3. Then live for Christ both day and night,
Be faithful, be brave and true,
and lead the lost to life and Christ.
Let others see Jesus in you.

[Edoman]

*OUR DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL*

_A DAILY DEVOTIONAL BOOKLET FOR CHAMPIONS_

*DATE: SUNDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER, 2019*

*TOPIC: ONCE AN ATHEIST!*

*BASIC SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 8:28-39*

I heard of Bill Hayden, the famous Australian politician who made no secret of his atheism! But recently, he became a believer in the existence of God and in His Christ! He was baptized in the Catholic Church, the Australian reports. Hayden, 85, is Australian former Governor-General and was a renowned atheist for all of his life. Typically, as Governor-General, one would also be appointed the Chief Scout of Australia. Hayden declined this office in 1989, declaring that he was an atheist and the Scout Promise, which says,

 “Do my best to do my duty to my God,” was in direct conflict with his beliefs. Can you beat that? But now at 85 years old, this has all changed for the former politician.
In 2014, Hayden was sent to hospital after having a stroke, and according to The Christian Post, it was this event that ultimately convinced him that God did exist. Hayden said the stroke made it evident that there is *“more to life than just me.”* He continued, *“I had to make a dedication of myself for the good of others, before God. I felt that strongly.”* So, after years of denying God’s existence, Hayden renounced his atheism and joined the Catholic Church. Hayden said that his witnessing several selfless acts of compassion by Christians over his lifetime coupled with his stroke inspired his decision to come to Christ. According to the Catholic leader, Hayden was baptized at St. Mary’s Church near Brisbane, on September 9. He said at the time, “This took too long, and now I am going to be devoted. From this day forward, I’m going to vouch for God.”

Oh, thank you Jesus! It was the LOVE (several selfless acts of compassion by Christians) shown to him during his stroke that made him to surrender to the Almighty God! Even if the battles of 2019 have overwhelmed you, refuse to quit trusting this God! If atheist are now returning to the Rock of their souls, why will you allow depression and doubt to locate your address? Arise today and declare to the gates of hell that NOTHING CAN SEPARATE YOU FROM THE love of Christ! Pray now! Today is LEKKI Anointing service, 8am. *I shall be Physically there!* See you there!

*ONE NIGERIAN ONE ODM! GIVE OUT NEXT ODM!*
*Sow towards the 1ST OCTOBER NATIONAL RALLY Tagged, “ONE NIGERIA, ONE ODM.” The aim is to sow ODM into the life of every Nigerian on OCTOBER 1ST INDEPENDENCE DAY EVERY YEAR. Let God use you! Sow into any of the accounts on page 29 of this booklet and send SMS to ODM contacts!*

*PRAYER POINTS:* Take any song of adoration as led.
1. In your own words, pray about today’s word as led now.
2. LORD, help me not to ever forget that ALL is VANITY and that I shall leave this earth with OPEN HANDS!
3. I receive grace to live for the LORD and to live for others!
4. As I go out today, help me to know that I am VANITY/DUST!
5. I forgive the following people now (mention their names).
6. Pray about today now. Use the morning, afternoon and evening devotional prayers.
*THE BIBLE-IN-ONE-YEAR: JOEL 1-3*
*BY: BISHOP (DR) CHRIS E. KWAKPOV

[Edoman]

CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH

THE LIVING WATER {July ~ Dec., 2019}

DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

Sunday, September 29, 2019

- World Heart Day & Inventors Day

TOPIC: CONFESSION IS POSSESSION
Read Genesis 22:7-13

7. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
8. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
9. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

MEMORISE: For as he thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7)

EXPOSITION

When you are confused, disillusioned and do not know what else to do, try to be positive in your utterances and behaviour. This may seem difficult; you will laugh last, if you do.

In spite of the years of waiting to have the son of promise, Abraham obeyed the voice of God to sacrifice his son, Isaac. The boy's curiosity made him to ask his father, the ram for the sacrifice. "God will provide" was the answer from a faithful father. Though it looked like a trick, God was actually speaking through Abraham. He was a prophet of God. According to his word, God did provide the ram for the sacrifice. Most often, we fail to realise that we are what we confess.

The Israelites, because of challenges, exclaimed, 'If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?' (Num. 14:2-3) Little did they know that God was recording their conversations with Moses and vowed to do to them as they had wished themselves.

According to an African wise saying, "Walls have ears". Be mindful of how you react to situations. Are you confessing good things about your children, even in difficult situations? What are your reactions when you have horrible dreams, when your vehicle's tyre bursts on the highway? Let us learn from the Jews who rained curses on themselves and their children as they crucified the Saviour (Matt. 27:25). Are they not still feeling the heat, today? Be positive, even when situations around look otherwise.

PRAYER POINTS

1. Lord, let the power of positive confession fall on me today.
2. Oh Lord, let Your blood cleanse all curses I rained on myself, children and family.
3. Lord, deliver Your prophets from the spirit of anger that leads them to error.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Proverbs 28:27 - 31:1; Galatians 3:5 - 3:26