SEE GOD AS A GOOD FATHER - JOSEPH PRINCE

March 24, 2017

Luke 15:31

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.


Faith is believing that we have a good God, and that He protects and provides for those who trust in Him. Remember the parable of the prodigal son? (Luke 15:11–32) Jesus shared it to illustrate how good our heavenly Father is. The wayward son had squandered his father’s inheritance before he decided to go home to ask his father to make him a hired servant.

But before he could reach home, his father saw him from afar, ran toward him and embraced him. And instead of making him a hired servant, the father turned to his servants and said, “Bring out the best robe! Get a ring and sandals for my son! Let’s kill the fatted calf and celebrate!”

Now, when the older son returned from work and heard about the celebration, he became angry and refused to enter the house. When his father came out to ask him what was wrong, the older son complained, “Look, I’ve served you all these years. Yet, you never gave me a calf to celebrate with my friends. But as soon as this prodigal son of yours comes home, you kill the fatted calf for him!”

Notice what his father told him: “Son, you are always with me and all that I have is yours. We should celebrate because your brother was dead but is alive again. He was lost but is now found.”

Can you see how the older brother perceived his father? He saw his father as a hard and stingy man. He believed that he had to work to get something good from his father. He didn’t realize that he already had an inheritance! He could have killed the fatted calf any time for a celebration!

Like the father in the parable, God has already given you an inheritance in Christ. Don’t fail to enjoy it by doubting God’s goodness or by believing that you must work for it. See your Father’s heart of love and goodness toward you, and celebrate your inheritance today!

Thought For The Day

Faith is believing that you have a good Father who protects and provides for His children.
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POVERTY - Dag Heward-Mills

March 24, 2017

READ: Deuteronomy 28:45-48
For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

Psalm 72:12


Poverty is a curse because the Word of God puts poverty in the category of a curse.

I am aware that some people take vows of poverty. I respect them for their great sacrifice to the Lord. However, I can see clearly that when God cursed the Israelites, poverty was one of the frustrations to expect. All the curses of Deuteronomy 28 lead to poverty. However, in Deuteronomy 28:48, you see it a bit more explicitly: "God shall set thee up in hunger, thirst, nakedness and in want."

Poverty leads to a lack of education. Hosea 4:6 says that people perish for lack of knowledge. An entire nation perishes when there is a lack of the knowledge of the arts, science, medicine, law, etc. Poverty is a curse because it is a vicious cycle. Poverty brings about an inability to be educated. The lack of education leads to more poverty. The wealthy remain in their riches, and the poverty of the poor deepens.

Poverty causes poor health and disease. The life expectancy for rich countries is much higher than that for poor countries. There is a significant difference between the figures of these two groups countries. This difference is very much related to the state of wealth.

Poverty is also a curse because it causes people to get drunk. Many poor people drink to forget about their insurmountable problems (Proverbs 31:7).

But the good news is this: God is the helper of the poor!
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The Endless Love of God - Billy Graham

March 24, 2017

But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God.
—John 1:12 (TLB)


Who can describe or measure the love of God? God is love. But the fact that God is love does not mean that everything is sweet, beautiful, and happy, and that God’s love could not possibly allow punishment for sin. God’s holiness demands that all sin be punished, but God’s love provided a plan of redemption and salvation for sinful man. God’s love provided the cross of Jesus Christ by which man can have forgiveness and cleansing. It was the love of God that sent Jesus Christ to the cross.

No matter what sin you have committed, no matter how black, dirty, shameful, or terrible it may be, God loves you. Yet this love of God that is immeasurable, unmistakable, and unending, this love of God that reaches to wherever a man is, can be entirely rejected. God will not force Himself upon anyone against his will. It is your part to believe. It is your part to receive. Nobody else can do it for you.

Prayer for the day

Your love overwhelms me, Father. In spite of my sin, Jesus' death on the cross can cleanse me from all the past. Humbly I accept this gift, Lord.
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All The Happiness, None Of Guilt - Bishop T.D Jakes

March 24, 2017

No need to guilt trip.



There’s a never ending list of needs that parents must meet to ensure their child grows to be a happy and well adjusted adult. No parent is perfect and mistakes are bound to be made, but some mistakes have harsher results than others.

For example, recent research has found that high levels of guilt experienced in childhood results in a greater likelihood of psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, and OCD later in life.

This study’s findings raise the question, What’s the source of this guilt? and the data shows it’s originating from their parents.

Parents mistakenly use guilt-inducing tactics as a motivator to encourage or deter certain behaviors in their children. Kids whose parents' use these tactics often internalize the feelings of anxiety and depression that guilt causes. Lack of resolution can cause greater problems to manifest in adulthood if these issues are ignored.



In order to avoid contributing unnecessary guilt, parents must use healthier and more flexible ways to appeal to their children and still get the results they are looking for.

The first step in letting go of the guilt is letting go of perfection. Clinical psychologist Dr Jodi Stoner, Ph.D, believes parents today are obsessed with being "perfect."

The pressure of being perfect drives parents to use practices that offer short term resolution while not addressing the real issue, usually at the detriment of their child. Instead, consider giving yourself a break and accepting that it’s effort and intentions that are more important than perfect results.



Having a clear plan for discipline will also cut the guilt. Children react poorly when they don’t know what to expect when being disciplined. If punishments vary drastically and are noticeably unfair, kids will assume the worst when punished. This uncertainty creates anxiety but it can be avoided with fair discipline and clear communication.

Allowing yourself as a parent to take a break provides the time you need to re-evaluate your approach with a clear head instead of parenting while feeling upset, frustrated, or angry.

You should also understand that not all behavior warrants a response. As a parent, we have to pick our battles sometimes by dropping smaller issues so bigger ones don’t evolve from nothing.



Parenting is as much a joy as it is a challenge but if we work to parent from a place of positivity, we can have all the happiness of raising children with none of the guilt.
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A Pure Heart - Billy Graham

March 22, 2017

Keep thyself pure.
—1 Timothy 5:22


The Pharisees were not happy men. They had furrowed brows, nervous tension, frustration. They were full of resentments, bitterness, prejudices, and hatreds. Why? Simply because they had lost sight of God’s conception of the pure in heart. They thought that as long as they kept the letter of the law that was enough. But this was not God’s plan. This did not produce purity of heart. This did not bring about happiness of soul. Jesus taught that God looks deeper than the outside actions of an individual. He searches and ponders the heart. God judges not so much the outside as He does the inside. He looks to the motives, thoughts, and intents of your heart.

Prayer for the day

Father, give me purity of heart that in true humility I may serve and praise You.
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MOTIVATION - Dag Heward-Mills

March 22, 2017

READ: Ruth 2:1-18

And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven...
Ephesians 6:9



It has been noted that the greatest motivation for people in workplaces, is not money per se. A sense of self-worth and achievement is the highest motivation for workers. If someone does not feel important and appreciated, he often begins to look elsewhere. It is the duty of the head of the organisation (church or business) to make everyone feel important and appreciated. This is one of the most important ways to be loyal to the people who work under you.

The head of the organisation often wants his subordinates to appreciate him and honour him. However, this appreciation and honour must begin from the head. If you have a head who is uncaring, you will have a hard time. I would advise you to find the environment and leader under whom you can flourish. Move away peacefully and do not say bad things on your way out! Close every door gently! You may need to come back through that door one day.

One day, a young pastor said to his senior pastor, "I think the main reason why I am loyal to you is because you are a very loyal senior minister. You are very loyal to me." He added, "I feel that you have my welfare at heart. I feel that you want me to prosper. I sense that you want me to go as far as I possibly can. Because of this, I naturally find myself being loyal to you."

This young pastor was unknowingly expounding on a great principle of loyalty. Loyalty emanates from the head. Loyalty breeds more loyalty!
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GOD CAN TURN YOUR EVIL DAY INTO GOOD DAYS - JOSEPH PRINCE

March 22, 2017

Esther 9:22…rest from their enemies…sorrow to joy…mourning to a holiday…


Today, many Jews still celebrate the feast of Purim. The name Purim is derived from “the lot” which a Gentile, Haman, cast concerning the fate of the Jews when they were in Persia under King Ahasuerus.

Haman, the villain in this story in the book of Esther, hated the Jews and sought to exterminate them. He got King Ahasuerus to allow him to issue a decree to annihilate all the Jews in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar. But God used Queen Esther and her uncle Mordecai, both Jews, to turn the tables on Haman and save the Jews.

Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he had constructed for Mordecai! Then, the king allowed Queen Esther and Mordecai to issue a counter-decree to allow all the Jews to defend themselves and destroy their enemies in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar!

So instead of the Jews being exterminated on that fateful day, their enemies were destroyed! God turned an evil day for the Jews into good days. He turned their mourning into rejoicing and gave them victory over their enemies.

My friend, God can do the same for you today. He only wants you to remain in your position of rest in Christ. You see, because of Jesus’ finished work at the cross, you are seated in heavenly places in Christ, far above every principality, and evil assault the devil can throw at you. (Ephesians 2:6) Just as Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, and refused to stand up and bow to Haman, let’s not “bow” to the devil by being persuaded to move from our position of rest in Christ. Don’t allow him to get you worried, frantic and doing things to save yourself.

Queen Esther was also in a position of rest before Haman was executed. (Esther 7) She was seated on a couch as Haman pleaded with her for his life. While doing so, he accidentally fell over the couch where the queen was. The king, thinking that Haman was assaulting his queen, sent him to the gallows!

Beloved, remain at rest in Christ’s finished work, and He will turn your evil day into days of rejoicing and feasting!

Thought For The Day

Remain at rest in Christ’s finished work, and He will turn your evil day into days of rejoicing and feasting!
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ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGE? - PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

March 22, 2017

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

Read: Deuteronomy 28:11-13 (King James Version)

11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.


13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:




Bible in one year: Exodus 22-23, Isaiah 66:1-14, Hymn: Sing hymn 2
MESSAGE:
If there is any single word that symbolises Jesus Christ, it is the word “Change”. While some changes are good, some others have negative consequences. Encountering Jesus Christ brings positive change to you. Everything about Jesus spells change. The moment He was born into this world, things began to change. Even the old calendar was changed to reflect the years before Christ was born (BC) and the years after (AD). By His virgin birth, He introduced change to the rules of childbirth. This is why “mono-pause” can become “mono-play”. By the change He brought, we have seen a 56 years-old woman testifying before the people of God with her newborn baby. No wonder Jesus said God can raise children out of stones (Matthew 3:9). Are you trusting God for the fruit of the womb but menopause is telling you that your time is past? Tell it that because your Saviour and Master, Jesus, stands for change, it cannot stand in your way. Shortly, you shall celebrate with your own baby!

If you are connected to Jesus, you cannot but experience glorious changes in your life. Nothing that He created can stand in your way. If what He created cannot stop you, how then can the evil forces and evil mechanisms that were designed by the hordes of hell stop you? They also answer to Him! Indeed, the moment He walked on water, He not only defiled the law of gravity, He also made it respond to His will (Matthew 14:23-27). By this act, the man who said what goes up must come down began to have problems with his postulates. If you encounter Jesus, you go up and stay up. This is why Deuteronomy 28:13 says,


“And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:”


Is the law of gravity affecting your business, ministry, academics, family or spiritual life? I command its downward effect to cease dragging you down from now on! From today you shall go up, and your ascent shall be unstoppable. You shall be the head and stay ahead. Ask for a definite encounter with Jesus today. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, that is the best place to start.
Key Point

If you have Jesus, you will be an agent of positive change everywhere you go. Do you reflect this change?
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Building Bridges, Not Walls - Joyce Meyer

March 22, 2017

For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us.

- Ephesians 2:14


One day while I was praying, the Holy Spirit showed me that my life had become a bridge for others to pass over and find their place in God. For many years, I erected only walls in my life; but now where there were walls, there are bridges instead. All the difficult and unfair things that have happened to me have been turned into highways over which others can pass to find the same liberty that I have found. I have learned to build bridges instead of walls.

In Hebrews 5:9 Jesus is referred to as "the Author and Source of eternal salvation." He pioneered a pathway to God for us. He became a highway for us to pass over. It is as though He faced a giant forest and went in ahead of us so that when we came along we could drive right through it without having to fight all the elements and the density of the forest. He sacrificed Himself for us; and now that we are benefiting from His sacrifice, He is giving us a chance to sacrifice for others so they can reap the same benefits we enjoy.

Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus endured the cross for the joy of obtaining the prize that was set before Him. I like to remind myself of that fact when the way seems hard. I tell myself, Keep pressing on, Joyce. There is joy ahead.

Make a decision to tear down your walls and build bridges. There are many, many people who are lost in their messes and need someone to go before them and show them the way. Why not be that person for them? Walls or bridges? The choice is yours.
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HEALING ALWAYS COMES - KENNETH COPELAND

March 22, 2017

And these signs shall follow them that believe…they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark 16:17-18


I used to get upset over people I'd lay hands on who wouldn't get well. I was praying one day and seeking God about it when He spoke to my spirit and said, Healing always comes.

I remember I said, "What do You mean, Healing always comes? Not everyone gets healed."

I didn't say they all received it, He answered. Then He spoke very sternly to me. I do My part. And I said they would recover!

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. He said they would recover. He never lies. So if He said they would recover, then that means healing always comes. It's not God who's holding back. It's the receivers who aren't receiving.

Since then, I've never had any trouble laying hands on people and believing for them to be healed. Whether they walk away well or not, I just keep standing in faith for them. In fact, I know if that fellow who went away still sick ever lines his faith up with God and me—I don't care if it's five years from now—he'll be healed.

If you've laid hands on someone who didn't receive his healing, don't cut off the flow of God's power by withdrawing your faith. Stand fast. Keep believing that healing always comes and somewhere down the line that poor sick fellow may just decide to stand up and agree with you!


Scripture Reading:

Mark 10:46-52
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