Your daily devotional by Dag Heward-Mills (30th September, 2014)

September 30, 2014

STUBBORN PEOPLE

Dag Heward-Mills

READ: 1 Samuel 2:12-17,22-25;3:12-13

He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed…

Proverbs 29:1

A stubborn person is prone to falling away. If you know a stubborn Christian who does not heed counsel, but will always do what he wants to do in spite of all advice, you are looking at a potential backslider “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways…”(Proverbs 14:14).

Often I would counsel Christians, and find at the end of the session that they are still set in their ways. They are bent on doing their own thing. Everybody needs advice. The Bible says there is safety in the multitude of counsel.

“Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished” (Ecclesiastes 4:13).

I remember counselling a young lady not to continue in a certain unhealthy relationship.

I asked, “What makes you different from the other girls he has thrown away? He has had 17 girlfriends, and you are the 18th. The only difference between you and the others is that you are new to him. But one day you will become ‘old’ just like the others. And he will then throw you away.” In spite of this admonition, she persisted in her ways.

Is there anybody who was mightily blessed by God although he was stubborn and rebellious? Never!

Stubbornness to God, to His Word, to His pastors and to biblical counsel is a sign that backsliding is imminent.

Your daily devotional by Dag Heward-Mills (29th September, 2014)

September 29, 2014

DIVINE KEY

Dag Heward-Mills

READ: Luke 7:36-48

Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

Galatians 6:6

The Bible says that a gift makes room for a man (Proverbs18:16). Any gift you give to a man of God provokes the anointing. I try never to miss an opportunity to bless a man of God.

You have just read about the woman with the alabaster box. She gave an expensive gift to Christ. Judas complained when the gift was given to Christ. He said, “This money should have been put in the offering or given to the poor.”

This woman received her blessing, not because she put some money in the offering, but because she ministered to the man of God himself. I encourage you to bless your pastor. Galatians 6: 6, teaches us to give to them who have taught us.

It is our duty to minister back to them in carnal things. Do not be over-spiritual. Do not try to be wiser than God.

Do you remember the testimony of Isaac? When Isaac was dying, he called his children and said, “I want to bless you.”Isaac said to his first born son Esau, “Make me the food I love and bring it to me. When I eat and am blessed, my soul will bless you before I die” (Genesis 27:4).

What was happening here? Why could not Isaac just bless his son and die? Isaac knew that if his son ministered to him it would provoke the true blessing from a father to a son.

Dear Christian friend, this principle is still true today.Giving directly to the man of God is a principal key to divine provision in your life.

Your daily devotional by Dag Heward-Mills (28th September, 2014)

September 28, 2014

WILLFULNESS

Dag Heward-Mills

READ: Romans 5: 12-21

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Romans 5:19

Remember the story of Adam. God put him in a garden and told him that he could eat the fruit of every tree except one. Adam disobeyed God. He was cursed and the entire human race was cursed with him.

All men are now cursed to sweat and struggle in their lives in order to make a living. I know of no human being on the earth that is exempt from this curse. The poor man gives several hours of hard labour and is rewarded with very little. Yet, he has to continue the hard work in order to survive. The rich man works twelve hours a day, seven days a week in order to maintain his riches. He sweats as much as the poor man but in a different way. All of us are struggling under this curse.

Women have been cursed to desire husbands, although their husbands will rule over their lives. I have rarely seen a woman who does not want a husband (Genesis 3:16). Husbands rule and dominate their wives, yet women still want to be married! Women were also cursed in childbirth. There is no pain like the pain of childbirth. They are all a result of Adam’s disobedience. He disobeyed God and his life became frustrated.

But we see a second Adam, Jesus Christ. Jesus was obedient to His Father. God has highly exalted Jesus and given him a name above every name. If you want to be promoted in your life, begin to obey the Lord. Promotion comes through obedience to the Word of God.

Your daily devotional by Dag Heward-Mills (27th September, 2014)

September 27, 2014

TEAM WORK

Dag Heward-Mills

READ: 1 Corinthians 3:3-15

And here in is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

When people of the same kind work together, it is possible to truly play as a team. If I have ambitions for greatness in wealth, my decisions will be different from someone who has ambitions for pleasing the Lord. There will be continuous conflict because we are of different minds.

I have had great joy in transferring some pastors from certain churches to others and replacing them with like-minded pastors. When another of the same kind takes over in peace and love, there is a great encouragement for the church. Such changes bring growth for the church.

Both pastors realize they are transitional servants of the Lord with a limited lease period in which to please the Lord. No one works for personal gain and each one wants to do his best in his season. Because they are of the same kind, they both recognize when it is time for change. However, such moves do not work when there are people with different ambitions.

Paul and Apollos were of the same kind. Paul did not mind laying a foundation for others to build upon; he did not mind starting a work and allowing someone else to continue it. Even though the one who would build on the foundation would look more glorious, he did not mind at all. Paul planted and another of the same kind (Apollos), watered.

Your daily devotional by Dag Heward-Mills (26th September, 2014)

September 26, 2014

FEAR

Dag Heward-Mills

READ: Mark 5:1-20

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

Fear is actually a demon. It is not an attitude or a mood. Evil spirits constantly minister fear. Demons will minister fear about every conceivable thing to you. Fear of sickness, fear of death, fear of tragedy, fear of witches, fear of the night, fear of divorce and the list goes on. When demons are in control of your life, you will be afraid of many things.

Almost all Christians harbour one fear or the other. It hounds us, influences us and guides us. Indeed, the whole human race is subject to many fears. (Hebrews 2:14-15).

The demons that controlled the mad man of Gadara took him to a frightening and lonely place where normal human beings would be afraid to visit; making him actually live in the mountains and in the cemetery, all alone amongst the dead. You can see from this testimony that as long as the devil was in control, he placed this man in a place of fear–a frightening and terrifying location. This is Satan’s wish for you and I; to take us to the place of greatest fear. He wants us to live inperpetual fear.

I cannot over-emphasize the point that fear is not just a thought. It is a demon. For instance, if you are afraid to marry because of the troubled marriages you see around you, I can understand the basis for the fear. Nevertheless, it is still the work of evil spirits in your life.

Get rid of your fears. The ability to walk by faith is the ability to walk free of the fears that plague all of us.

Credit: Dag Heward-Mills http://www.daghewardmills.org/daily-devotional

Your daily devotional by Dag Heward-Mills (25th September, 2014)

September 25, 2014

RECEIVE ARIGHT

Dag Heward-Mills

READ: Mark 6:1-6

…they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13

Peter received the anointing by associating with Christ. Peter was very close to Christ and he could have become so familiar that he could no longer receive. He could have perceived Christ as a mere man with human frailties. The way Peter perceived Christ was very important for Peter’s future ministry.(Matthew 16:16).

This is what the people of Jesus’ home-town were not able to do. Their first response to Jesus was to question His background. He was actually made incapable of performing miracles! The anointing could not flow from Him to others. They were cut off by what I call “human barriers” to the anointing.

These barriers are often the natural features and characteristics of the man of God. Any of these could present a barrier that could keep you away from the anointing! Some people cannot receive from a man of God because of his family background. There are people who cannot receive from a woman. There are people who cannot receive from people of a certain tribe. There are Christians who cannot receive from people of other nationalities.

Never allow any of these human elements to become pronounced in your perception of God’s servants. They will just turn into barriers to the anointing. God is not impressed by our human preferences. If you are too choosy, God will bypass you and give His anointing to a humble person who can receive. Drop all barriers right now! Open yourself to the Spirit of God as He blesses you through special human vessels!

Quote of the day (24th September, 2014)

“Nobody that God ever called to do anything for the kingdom showed up qualified.” – Creflo A. Dollar

Your daily devotional by Dag Heward-Mills (24th September, 2014)

September 24, 2014

PRAYER AIDS

Dag Heward-Mills

READ: 2 Chronicles 5:1-14

But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.

2 Kings 3:15

I always play preaching tapes or music when I am praying. I want you to understand this principle: the speed of preaching/music is a hundred times faster than the speed of silence. This means that time runs a hundred times faster when there is some kind of background preaching or music. Before you realise it, you would have accomplished several hours in prayer!

Pray with preaching tapes. The sound of the preaching of the Word of God creates a very conducive atmosphere for spiritual things. Dear friend, we are constantly bombarded with the secular environment of our jobs, of godless friends and of television. This kind of atmosphere actually prevents prayer. The environment in our homes is often anti-prayer. You need something that will keep you in a prayer mood for at least one hour. Sometimes the message on the tape will spur you on to continue in the Spirit! Try it and you will never be the same again.

Pray with music in the background. Godly music creates a beautiful worship environment. The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you as you stay in the environment of anointed minstrels. Dear friend, the very atmosphere of our world is charged with demonic entities. The prince of the power of the air and his cohorts pollute the very air we breathe. It is difficult to pray in such an environment. This is the reason why many Christians do not pray for long hours; they are operating in a difficult atmosphere. Invest whatever it takes to create the right prayer atmosphere wherever you pray.

Quote of the day (23rd September, 2014)

“If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled,” –  Emma Watson’s (Harry Potter series) speech at the HeForShe Campaign , a U.N. Movement for Gender Equality

Credit: Mashable http://www.mashable.com/2014/09/22/emma-watson-un-speech/

Your daily devotional by Dag Heward-Mills (23rd September, 2014)

September 23, 2014

WEAKNESS

Dag Heward-Mills

READ: Judges 16:1-17

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.

Samson was mighty publicly but the opposite in private. Judges16:3, recounts that he carried the gates of the city on his shoulders. He was so mighty that he killed one thousand people with a jaw bone. However, Judges 16:4-17, portrays Samson as being morally weak. The Philistines recognized this weakness also, and capitalized on it to eventually conquer Samson.

Are you both mighty and weak? If you are weak, but present yourself as strong, you are preventing your own deliverance. You are covering what needs help.

One day, a lady went to see a gynaecologist. When she rose to leave the consulting room, the doctor asked, “Is that really the reason why you came to see me?” She was leaving without divulging the real problem. The doctor had a feeling that there was more to it than met the eye, and that there was something that she could not bring herself to say. This was actually the case.

When you appear strong even though you are weak, nobody can help you. But when you confess, “I’m weak, I need help,”the mighty people in ministry can then come to your aid. If your pastor knows that you are weak, he can pray for you; but if you pretend to be mighty, how can he know that you need help? If you are mighty, nobody will spend time to counsel or minister to you, but if you show that you are weak, attention will be given to you. When you look strong like Samson, you will not get any attention. It is dangerous to be both mighty and weak.