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WHO AM I Today: 2016-04-25

The greatest sources of crisis and conflict in life is identity based.

Knowing who you are as ordained by God is what rescues you from every form of identity crisis.

That you are not something does not mean you are nothing.
Everyone is somebody and no one is a nobody.

No one is everything, so no one should be allowed to make you feel that you are nothing.

People get into games of comparison, competition, envy and strife simply because they are yet to know who they are.

Knowledge of who you are is what enhances your worth and gives you sense of value; it defines your glory.

I am yet to find who to envy because I’m not like any other person I’ve ever met.

Save yourself from the identity crisis by identifying and appreciating whom and what God has made you to be.
Don’t pride yourself but celebrate who you are.

Make yourself of no repute, yet, maintain your self esteem.

Never be proud, but don’t damage your ego.

You are valuable and distinct.

It’s Beginning to Rain Kenneth Copeland

Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

Joel 2:23

There’s a spiritual flood coming. God has promised it. He’s promised us an outpouring of Holy Spirit power that will bring in the greatest harvest of souls any of us have ever seen.

As believers, we’ve been reading about it in the Word and hearing about it from the pulpit for years. We’ve been staring toward heaven so long, waiting for it to come, that we’ve gotten cricks in our spiritual necks. We’ve had this mental image of God pouring down His Spirit from some sort of big heavenly pitcher above us.

But you know what? We’ve been looking in the wrong direction!

The pitchers God is going to use to pour out His power are right here on earth. Jesus explained it this way. “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).

The end-time flood we’ve all been expecting is going to be composed of living waters that will pour forth from believers. The Holy Spirit within us will be the source of all the signs and wonders and miracles the prophets foretold. And when we begin to fervently pray the prayer of intercession, the flood of that power will begin to flow.

Zechariah 10:1 says, “Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.”

Our prayers, our intercession, are what will release the great outpouring of God’s Spirit. As we begin to join together and cry out to God, the rivers of living water within each one of us will join together and become a flood of spiritual power in the earth.

So, ask, pray for a Holy Ghost gully-washer. Intercede for the outpouring. Make this mighty flood of spiritual power a priority in your prayer life.

Glory to God, it’s already beginning to rain!

Scripture Reading:

Joel 2:23-32

IDENTIFYING WITH JESUS? – Sunday April 24th 2016

IDENTIFYING WITH JESUS?
Memorise: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Philippians 3:10

Read: John 19:38-42; 38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

Bible in one year; 1st Kings 1:1-2:12, Proverbs 4:32-15:10
MESSAGE
From the beginning of the New Testament Church, identifying with Jesus takes dogged determination. Jesus Himself said it in Mark 8:34;
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

In the above passage, Jesus Christ demands total commitment from His followers. Whoever will not totally put himself under the Lordship of Christ does not belong to him. John 8:31-32 says:
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if ye continued in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

Identifying with Jesus is identifying with the Word from above. In the Bible reading for today, we read about two secret disciples, Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus who came forward to claim the body of Jesus for burial. This is noteworthy, because it must have taken very important personalities to go to the governor to demand the body of a ‘condemned criminal’. On the other hand, it must have taken someone who did not only love the so-called criminal but also believed in his innocence, to go through the trouble of asking for Christ’s body and burying it.

Identifying with Jesus has to do with believing and living by His ideals. Many so-called born-again Christians have become so nominal that the Word of God is of no effect to their lives any more. Some pastors have tuned the Christian faith to a mere vocation.

One wonders whether they mean to go to the same heaven that apostles like Paul worked hard for. Our Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples:
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
John 15:18-19

Therefore beloved, let us take the yoke of Jesus Christ upon ourselves with all seriousness and steadfastness. We will all make it to heaven in Jesus’ name.
Action Point
Decide to follow Jesus all the way in spite of the hospitality of the World around you.

LET JESUS WASH YOUR FEET

24
Apr
John 13:8
Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
Can you imagine the Lord wanting to wash your feet? Peter could not. His shocked reaction—“Lord, how can you wash my feet!”—would probably be ours too.

I want you to notice what the Lord said to him: “Peter, if I don’t wash your feet, you have no part with Me.” What the Lord was actually saying to Peter was, “Peter, you cannot flow together with Me, you cannot walk together with Me in ministry, in service and in effectiveness, if you don’t let Me wash your feet.” So Peter said, “Lord, [wash] not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” (John 13:9)

But Jesus answered him saying, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean…” (John 13:10)

Once we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are bathed all over, and cleansed by His blood once and for all eternity! His blood has perfected us forever (Hebrews 10:14), and we only need to wash our feet because we walk in the world and our feet pick up dust and dirt, causing us to stumble.

So how is Jesus washing our feet today? Ephesians 5:25–26 tells us that “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word”.

We, the church, are cleansed with the washing of water by the Word. The more we come under anointed teaching that unveils Christ through the Word, the more the cleansing goes on. And as our feet are washed, instead of stumbling, we will be walking and even running!

Today, though high and lifted up in heaven, Jesus is dressed in a robe with a golden girdle around his chest. (Revelation 1:13) Like a servant who uses his girdle as a towel to serve, Jesus wants us to sit down and let Him serve us—by washing our feet with a deeper revelation of Himself through His Word. Beloved, this is what gives us victory in our daily walk!

Thought For The Day
As we receive a deeper revelation of Christ through His Word, we will see victory in our daily walk!

Inside Out Gloria Copeland

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.

2 Corinthians 3:18

Have you ever thought about the fact that man is the only creature God created who has to wear clothing to cover himself? All the other creatures grow their own coverings. Some grow fur, some feathers, others scales or leathery hide. But all are clothed from the inside out!

Most people don’t realize it, but in the beginning, man was clothed that way too. He was made in the image of God. And, if you’ll look in Ezekiel 8:2, you’ll find that God is clothed in fire from the loins up and from the loins down. That fire is His glory emanating outward from His innermost being.

When man was first created, he was like that too. He was covered with the very glory of God. It radiated from his inner being outward. That’s why he had no sense of nakedness until after he sinned and the glory departed from him.

It was a tragic day when man lost that glorious covering. But I want you to know something today. It’s not lost forever. The Word of God says we can gain it back.

You see, when you put your faith in the blood of Jesus and were born again, the glory of God once again took up residence in you. It may be well-hidden right now, but believe me, it’s in there.

And the Bible says that as you gaze into the Lord’s face by studying the Word and fellowshiping with Him, as you renew your mind to understand who you are in Christ, you’ll be changed into His image on the outside as well. As you learn to hear His voice and obey it, you’ll start giving outward expression of the glory within you. Little by little, you’ll be turned inside out!

Instead of simply staring into your closet every morning, spend some time gazing at Jesus and beholding His Word. Let Him clothe you in His radiant presence. Once His glory starts shining through, anything you wear will look beautiful on you.

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 8

 

START USING YOUR MEASURE OF FAITH

23
Apr

Romans 12:3

…God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

As children of God, we should never say, “I don’t have any faith.” To say this is to say that God is a liar because His Word already tells us that “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith”.

Why then does the faith of some seem to be stronger than others?

Well, faith is like muscles. We are all born with a measure of muscles. But some of us develop our muscles better than others. Bodybuilders, for example, exercise their muscles very regularly to make them grow bigger and stronger.

Likewise, your measure of faith grows when you feed and use it. Each time you hear or read God’s Word, you are feeding your faith. When you confess God’s Word and expect good things to happen to you, you are using it. And the more you use it, the more your faith grows.

So use your faith. You could start with headaches, for example. When you have a headache, instead of always running straight for your painkillers, use your faith. Ask God for healing, and trust and thank Him for the healing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with taking medicine. And if you have to go to the doctor, don’t feel condemned either. Just start using your faith at a level you are comfortable with. If you need to go to the doctor, then go in faith, praying, “Abba Father, I am going to the doctor. I am asking You in Jesus’ name to give the doctor wisdom to give me an accurate diagnosis. My trust is not in him but in You.”

And when you take your medicine, don’t just pop in the pills. In faith, say, “Lord, sanctify this medicine,” then take it. This is because some medicines have negative side effects. So when you ask God to sanctify it, He blesses that medicine. And what will be developing in you, growing bigger and possessing your body until it is too widespread, is divine health!

Beloved, you have been given a measure of faith. Start using it, believing that it is this measure of your faith that causes you to draw from the inexhaustible power of a faithful and loving God!

Thought For The Day

Your measure of faith grows when you feed and use it.

Oppose the Devil Gloria Copeland

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

If you’ve been crying and asking God to run the devil out of your life, stop!The Bible says you’re the one who’s supposed to overcome the devil.

How? By resisting him. By rebelling against him when he tells you to do something and doing what God says instead! When Satan tells you some lie, contradict him with the Word of God. Oppose him. This verse says when you do that, he’ll flee from you. He’ll “run as in terror.”

That means everywhere you go, as you walk in faith and oppose the devil, darkness is pushed back.

So start pushing back that darkness. You can do it! The life of God is within you. Jesus Himself is living inside you. Everywhere you go, He goes. Every problem that rises up against you, every evil spirit that tries to influence your life, is coming up against God when it comes up against you.

All you need to do is become conscious of that. Begin now living your life moment by moment, knowing that the light of God is in you. The Word of God is in you. The Spirit of God is in you.

Live knowing that Jesus, the Son of God, is in you. Then watch the devil run!

Scripture Reading:

Ephesians 6:10-18

– See more at: http://www.kcm.org/read/faith-to-faith?language=en-US&field_faithtofaith_date_value%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=April+23#sthash.VSmSAe3e.dpuf

IDENTIFYING WITH JESUS? – Sunday April 24th 2016

 

 IDENTIFYING WITH JESUS? 
Memorise: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the

fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Philippians 3:10

Read: John 19:38-42; 38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

Bible in one year; 1st Kings 1:1-2:12, Proverbs 4:32-15:10
MESSAGE
From the beginning of the New Testament Church, identifying with Jesus takes dogged determination. Jesus Himself said it in Mark 8:34;
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
In the above passage, Jesus Christ demands total commitment from His followers. Whoever will not totally put himself under the Lordship of Christ does not belong to him. John 8:31-32 says:
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if ye continued in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
Identifying with Jesus is identifying with the Word from above. In the Bible reading for today, we read about two secret disciples, Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus who came forward to claim the body of Jesus for burial. This is noteworthy, because it must have taken very important personalities to go to the governor to demand the body of a ‘condemned criminal’. On the other hand, it must have taken someone who did not only love the so-called criminal but also believed in his innocence, to go through the trouble of asking for Christ’s body and burying it.
Identifying with Jesus has to do with believing and living by His ideals. Many so-called born-again Christians have become so nominal that the Word of God is of no effect to their lives any more. Some pastors have tuned the Christian faith to a mere vocation. One wonders whether they mean to go to the same heaven that apostles like Paul worked hard for. Our Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples:
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
John 15:18-19
Therefore beloved, let us take the yoke of Jesus Christ upon ourselves with all seriousness and steadfastness. We will all make it to heaven in Jesus’ name.    
 Action Point
Decide to follow Jesus all the way in spite of the hospitality of the World around you.

Be Positive by Joyce Meyer – posted April 22, 2016

We have thought of Your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of Your temple. 
—Psalm 48:9

Positive minds—minds full of faith and hope—produce positive lives. Negative minds—minds full of fear and doubt—produce negative lives. In Matthew 8:13, Jesus tells us that it will be done for us as we have believed. This doesn’t mean that you and I can get anything we want by just thinking about it. God has a perfect plan for each of us, and we can’t control Him with our thoughts and words, but if we want His plan, we should think and speak in agreement with His will and plan for us.

I encourage you to think positively about your life and be thankful for the good things God is doing and going to do. Practice staying positive in every situation that arises; even if you’re going through a difficult situation, stand in faith, believing God will bring good out of it as He has promised in His Word.

Prayer of Thanks: Father, help me to keep my thoughts and my words focused on You. I thank You that You have good things in store for my life. I trust You today.

WHEN IT IS MORE BLESSED TO RECEIVE

22
Apr

Luke 10:42

…Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.

If Jesus comes to your home, what would you do? Would you ask Him to sit down and then start serving Him? Or would you sit down and start drawing from Him? Would you let Him serve you and fill you up?

Jesus walked into the home of two sisters, Martha and Mary. (Luke 10:38) Martha saw His weariness. She knew that Jesus had been walking for miles, going about doing good, healing the sick and meeting the people’s needs. Obviously, He must be tired, she thought, so she saw Him as someone she had to care for.

Mary, however, saw beyond Jesus’ external weariness into His divinity. She saw that He was someone she needed to draw from. And by doing that, she made Him feel like God—the Savior who had come to serve her and not to be served by her. (Matthew 20:28) Jesus even commended her for choosing the better portion!

Our human minds just find that hard to believe. Some people tell me, “But Pastor Prince, the Bible says that it is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) When it comes to man, that is true. But when it comes to God, He wants to give. In fact, unless you learn how to receive from God, you will have nothing to give to man.

Which sister gave Jesus the sweeter feast and filled Him up? Martha who was busy preparing food for Him? Or Mary who sat still and drew deeply from Him? It was Mary. She made Jesus feel a sense of His divine glory. She allowed Jesus to be the giver, to be God.

Like Martha, we always reverse the roles. We somehow think that God needs our service, but He actually wants to fill us first. Mary’s ears and heart were more precious to Jesus than Martha’s hands and feet.

We use our ears and hearts to draw from Jesus. We use our hands and feet to serve Him, and there is a place for that. But our sense and appreciation of God’s divine fullness is more precious to Him than all the service we can render Him. And when you draw from Him, you cannot help but become a great giver and server.

Thought For The Day

Unless you learn how to receive from God, you will have nothing to give to man.