Morning Devotional For Thursday 23rd August

[Edoman]

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES


THURSDAY, 23RD AUGUST.

YOUR LIFE IS FOR HIS GLORY .

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue (2 Peter 1:3).

God’s Word, apart from showing you His will for your life also reveals your inheritance in Christ. 2 Corinthians 8:9 declares, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” Jesus became poor that we might become rich. So all you’ve got to do to enjoy the life of prosperity He’s given you is to live in His Word! God didn’t create you to suffer and struggle through life; He created you for His glory.

Your submission to God’s Word as final authority in your life is the key to living in your inheritance in Christ and enjoying life to the full. There’s nothing the Lord hasn’t done for you yet. Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, WHO HATH BLESSED US WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST.” He has already granted you every blessing you could ever imagine. This parallels what we read in our opening verse: He’s already given you all things that pertain to life and godliness.

Your life, therefore, should be one of praise, glory, and thanksgiving to the Lord every day, everywhere, and at all times. The Bible says you’ve been called to glory and virtue (2 Peter 1:3), and not to poverty, sickness, disease or infirmity. Your life is for the glory of God.

The Bible lets us know that the prophets of old testified of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow (1 Peter 1:11). Right after the sufferings of Christ, a life of glory ensued. He suffered so that you would live in the glory. You’re in that glory now. If anybody is suffering today, that suffering is unnecessary.

If, for example, you’ve had problems in your physical body, maybe it’s a growth somewhere in your body; command it to die. Don’t complain about the pain. Use the Word against it. Affirm your healing and health. Declare your prosperity. Speak life. Declare that your journey in life is one direction only: upward and forward. Affirm that you’re triumphant all the way, and your life is for the glory of God.

CONFESSION

My life is for the glory of God! I’m triumphant all the way; my journey in life is in one direction only: upward and forward. Today, my faith is strong and alive; the world is subdued before me, because I function by the dominion of the Spirit. Blessed be God!

FURTHER STUDY:

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

1-Year Bible Reading Plan 1 Corinthians 8 & Psalms 120-127

2-Year Bible Reading Plan Colossians 2:1-7 & Jeremiah 8.



#AFFIRMATIONTRAIN

23RD AUGUST.

I affirm that the Lord is my strength and my glory; I am stirred and ready for anything, and competent to excellently accomplish any task, through God’s Spirit that infuses inner strength into me! I am sufficient in His sufficiency! I’ve been qualified to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light.

Darkness has no place in me, for I am native-born to the light. I manifest this light to my world ever so brightly today and always. I refuse to fret today or in the future because the light of the Gospel shines in my heart, showing me the path of victory and success! There’s no darkness whatsoever in my life; my way is bright and my future secure.

I know that my tomorrow is greater than my today because the path of the just is as a shining light that shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. I am confident to face anything that comes my way because I know my victory is assured. My faith is producing undeniable results; I prevail over every challenging situation because the greater One lives in me, and I am strong in Him, and in the power of His might.

I am a success; I am immune to defeat and failure. I can never be disadvantaged because I am an associate of the Godkind! Everywhere I go, I manifest the excellence of the Spirit. The life of God in me makes me superior to the devil and all his works. Glory to God. Hallelujah!

SPEAK IN OTHER TONGUES NOW

• Be bold to say the same things that God has said concerning you in His Word. That is what takes you beyond salvation, to enjoy the benefits of salvation ~ Pastor Chris Oyakhilome.


God bless you.

[Edoman]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL


DATE: THURSDAY 23RD AUGUST 2018


THEME: THE SACREDNESS OF LIFE.


MEMORISE:

Thou shalt not kill. Exodus 20:13

READ: Genesis 21:9-21

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

MESSAGE

Life is very sacred to God. it is so sacred to Him that its sanctity is guaranteed in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:13). Our Lord Jesus Christ also emphasized the sanctity of life in Luke 9:56a, where He said:

“ For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.”

As children of God, we must therefore, ensure that we uphold the sanctity of life, irrespective of the philosophy or ideals in vogue in the world.

Today’s Bible reading shows in vivid terms how precious life is to the Almighty, who is the Giver of life. Hagar and her son Ishmael had been ejected from the household of Abraham by God’s instruction, and with a limited provision of water they wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. When their water got finished, the child became so dehydrated that it cried for survival. At the brink of death, God heard the cry of the lad and He supernaturally provided a well of water for them in the midst of the wilderness. One would have thought that the circumstances surrounding the birth of Ishmael would have made him a total outcast in the sight of God. Instead of being an outcast, God heard his cry as the cry of an innocent lad, and this caused God to come to his rescue. God did not only save his life, he also made him an astonishing promise of greatness, saying in Genesis 21:18:

“Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.”

One lesson from the story of Hagar and Ishmael is that while God was instructing their ejection, He was also preparing for their survival in the wilderness. Another lesson here is for those who abort unborn babies because they do not want them. Such people should know that they are making a grievous mistake against their own future and they are committing a grievous sin against the Giver of life. What they don’t seem to understand is that although they did not prepare for the pregnancy, God who saw what lead to the pregnancy has plans for the life they are bringing to the world, even though they may not know it. That life you do not cherish matters to God who made it, and for this reason, you must be careful about what you do to lives within your sphere of influence. Why take a life you did not and cannot create? Takers of life will not be guiltless before God. Therefore, in whatever form you are taking live, stop it today and cry to God for forgiveness.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, in whatever way I have disregarded the sacredness of life, please forgive me and help me to appreciate lives around me as you do.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 51-56

Matthew 24:36-25:13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: 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*

THURSDAY 23RD AUGUST 2018

*THE LIFESTYLE OF INSINCERITY AND FALSEHOOD*

(FROM AUGUST 2018 SEEDS OF DESTINY DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY DR. PASTOR PAUL ENENCHE)

SCRIPTURE: A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies. Proverbs 14:5

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Anyone who avoids the way of truth has embraced the way of bondage.

It has been established that the lifestyle of insincerity or falsehood is a deadly enemy of destiny. In 2 Samuel 1:6 – 16, there was a man who killed himself by telling lies. He ran to King David and told him that he was passing by and saw King Saul trying to kill himself, so, he helped to kill him and brought the crown for David. He brought this message to David because he thought that David would reward him because he killed David’s enemy. David, however, commanded that the man should be killed and he was killed instantly. Factually, the man did not kill Saul; Saul killed himself. You see, the man brought untimely death upon himself by lying. Lies can lead to untimely death.

I would like you to take note of the following concerning falsehood:
i) The absence of truth is the absence of the Spirit of God
Anywhere the truth is absent, the Spirit of God is absent because the Bible said that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 16:13).

ii) Existing in falsehood is attracting the activity of the enemy
Anybody who exists in falsehood exists in the company of the devil, the father of lies (John 8:44).

iii) There can be no triumph in life without truth
Freedom or triumph is tied to truth (John 8:32). Anyone who avoids the way of truth has embraced the way of bondage; a liar is a natural candidate for captivity.

iv) Truth guarantees longevity and lasting result
Truth guarantees longevity and lasting results but lies cut lives and destinies short (Proverbs 12:19). It does not matter how successful a fake man is, that success would not last. It does not matter how prosperous a deceitful person is, that prosperity has no future in this world and in the world to come.

Beloved, make up your mind to speak the truth always; avoid the way of falsehood.

Remember this: Anyone who avoids the way of truth has embraced the way of bondage.

ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Avoid the lifestyle of falsehood and insincerity.
2. Speak the truth always.

PRAYER: O Lord, I reject every spirit of lies and falsehood. I receive Your grace to be truthful always, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: DEADLY ENEMIES OF DESTINY (PART 5)

DAILY BIBLE READING: Job 8:1 to 11:20, 1 Corinthians 15:1 to 28, Psalm 38:1 to 22, Proverbs 21:28 to 29

AMAZING FACT: An ostrich has two toes on each feet which give it greater speed.

TODAY IN HISTORY: 23/08/1962 - The first live TV program was relayed between the U.S. and Europe through the U.S. Telstar satellite.

QUOTE A lying tongue portrays a certain wrong realm of life – the realm of insincerity, falsehood, and hypocrisy. Culled from WHO ARE YOU? by Dr Paul Enenche.