Galatians 6:9

And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.

DAILY READING – Romans 7; 1 Samuel 16; Psalm 61

 It has been called the greatest boxing upset in history.  It was a fight where God showed up and showed Himself faithful, because one man trusted in Him.

In 1996, when Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson signed on for their fight, no one gave Holyfield a chance. In fact at that time, it seemed everything was against Holyfield; He had just suffered the first Knock Out loss of his career.  He also had been diagnosed with heart problems, which caused his boxing license to be revoked. However through faith and prayer Holyfield had a miraculous restoration of his heart, which led to the renewing of his boxing license. Tyson on the other hand, seemed to have everything going for him. He was strong and healthy. He was the ‘baddest’ boxer in the world,  and had just regained both the WBA and WBC heavyweight championships.

Virtually nobody was expecting Holyfield to hear the final bell, much less win the fight. Many feared for Holyfield’s life because of Tyson’s frightening reputation in the ring. When 50 boxing writers were called together and a poll was taken of their opinion of who would win the fight, 49 voted for Tyson, while only one person voted for Holyfield. Yet despite the great odds against him, Holyfield had  unshakable faith in God.

And when the fight eventually came, people in the audience were amazed by the result. Holyfield scored a shocking, 11th-round knockout of Tyson, who was left swaying helplessly on the ropes. Holyfield’s win over Tyson sent a great shock wave across the boxing world. Concerning his historical win Holyfield later said ‘God pushed me ahead.  I prayed during training. I prayed when I got in the ring with Mike, and I still prayed when I was fighting.’  Holyfield publicly glorified God for helping him.

God can surprise your enemies. He can suddenly  turn the tables and give you what you did not qualify for.  In Genesis 48, there is a story of Jacob when he was old and  close to death. Joseph brought his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim for blessings. As Jacob proceeded to bless Joseph’s sons, he crossed his hands and put the right hand on the last and put his left hand on the first son. The right hand in those days always gave the greatest blessing, being reserved for the firstborn son.  Genesis 48: 17 – 10 says ‘And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.’

Suddenly there was a switch. Ephraim was shifted into position he was not qualified for. From the last born he was moved up to receive the blessings of the first born. That is the way our God is. He can suddenly cause things to shift in your favor.  

In the case of Holyfield God shifted him from a zero to a hero, from the back to the front. God can put you in positions you didn’t earn. Maybe you didn’t  even qualify, but God, just like He did with Ephraim, will cross His hands and give you houses you did not build, vineyards you did not plant. The mighty hand of God moves in our favor in situations we cannot handle, when we surrender to Him. When divinity meets humanity, there’s a divine shift which positions men in places they least qualify for. As we near the end of the age, we are embarking upon one of the greatest natural and spiritual shifts in history. God is going to position His people for sudden shifts. Suddenly the wealth of the wicked will be shifted to the righteous. Suddenly the last shall become the first. It is all part of God’s divine plan to establish a glorious Church. Jesus is coming for a winning and reigning Church. The question is, are you in position? Are you ready to see the manifestation of all that God has planned for your life and the Church in this hour?

This is therefore the time to get in alignment with The Spirit of God. This is the time to seek the face of God and hear clearly His plans for you. God is going to be doing amazing things that astound the world. And He will do them through those that trust in Him. When  you have been faithful and honored God, He will put you in a position you could have never gotten on your own. Doors will open that have never opened before for you. What should have taken you many years to accomplish God will do with divine speed. You’re coming into divine acceleration. Suddenly, your story will change as God moves you from the back to the front.

PRAYER; Lord I know You are organizing a change of story  for me even now, please give me the faith to keep believing, knowing you will never fail me, I know it is indeed well with my soul in Jesus Name.

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Praise always guarantees you power for a raise, learning to praise God in season and out of season is key to fulfilling destiny. – WORDBITE 222.. [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Psalm 119:130

“The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple”

DAILY READING- Romans 6; 1 Samuel 15; Psalm 60

One of the most famous pieces of music ever written  is Handel’s Messiah. For classical music lovers, every Christmas the performance of Messiah is an annual tradition all over the world.  Handel who composed this famous piece of music, was a German born in Halle in 1685. He became a successful  music composer, who composed many popular sacred and opera  music. But at 52 years, Handel suffered from a stroke which incapacitated him, making it impossible for him to perform. The stroke paralyzed his right arm so that he could only play the spinet or keyboard, or conduct,. He also suffered from blurred vision. At this same time, he was also faced with a lot of financial problems. Sick, depressed and in debt, Handel almost gave up on life. But somehow, trusting in God he continued to push forward.

Shortly after these calamities in his life, he came across a piece of music, composed entirely of Scripture portions.   Handel was deeply affected when he read this.  It was drawn from the prophecies about the coming messiah, the birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection of Christ. Handel was inspired to compose music, based on this. Thus he began to compose what will probably become the most famous of all Christian musical works. In a surprisingly short period of time the music was composed. And when he came to composing the Hallelujah chorus of the song,  he broke down in tears overwhelmed by Divine Presence. According to him ‘I did think I saw heaven open, and saw the very face of God”.

When the music was first performed during the Easter season in April 1742, it virtually became an overnight sensation. King George of England who came to one of the performances, on hearing the Hallelujah chorus abruptly stood up, in Reverence, recognizing that Christ is the King of Kings. It was normal protocol that if the King stood at any time, the entire audience would also stand up. And from that day it became a tradition even till today, that anytime the Hallelujah chorus is sang , everyone in the audience, stood in reverence to Christ. Handel could never have anticipated that this work would become perhaps the most performed piece of classical music in all of history, all to the glory of Christ.

But then, what if Handel had given up, when he was beset by sickness and troubles? What could have been his darkest night, God  turned around to become the brightest day of his life. This is why you must never give up, no matter how dark the situation.   Where you are now is not your end, it is only a bend in the road. So don’t despair, no matter what it may look like, God is at work. He will give you a testimony and you will have cause to Glorify His Holy name. Though it may sometimes look as if nothing is happening, trust that God is indeed up to something. Your day is coming. It doesn’t matter how difficult things may appear now, your sun will still come up tomorrow, and things will surely get better. In the dark night of the soul, God will give you a song that will bring a dawn of faith and encouragement. With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. Your strength will be renewed like the eagles’ and you will rise and soar to the height God has ordained for you.

PRAYER:  Lord, help me to keep my life covered by your light so that there will be no hiding place for discouragement in my life  in Jesus Name.

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Illuminate your world, for you are a star destined to shine- – WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT ]

Psalm 34:1 KJV

I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. Psalm 34:1-2

DAILY READING  Romans 5; 1 Samuel 14; Psalm 59

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a great preacher in England, who would become known as the ‘prince of preachers.’ Born on June 19, 1834, at the age of 18 months, he was sent to live with his grandparents. His grandfather, who was a preacher, made a profound impact on the young boy’s life. As he grew, Spurgeon spent time in some ministerial training. And as a youth, he served, preaching to a small congregation. As a teenager Spurgeon had preached over 600 times. When he was 20 years old, after a series of events, he was invited to revive what used to be one of the six largest Baptist churches in London.  The New Park church, which once had a congregation of 1200 had ebbed to about  200 souls.  Being quite young,  Spurgeon wondered how he could pastor this congregation. But despite his own doubts, he became an instant success. People began to flock to the church to hear him preach. So great was the impact, that a year later in 1855 a new church building was needed to accommodate their growing numbers.

Eventually over 5,000 would flock to hear him each week. Spurgeon went on to pastor the church to become  the largest independent congregation in the world at that time.  Spurgeon drew to his services the Prime Minister,  members of the royal family, Members of Parliament, Florence Nightingale, and General James Garfield, later president of the United States.

Inevitably Spurgeon’s success also attracted critics. Some pastors in London claimed he was a glory-hound, while local newspapers issued caricatures of Spurgeon as an egotistical and uneducated buffoon.  Several pastors wrote that they doubted his conversion. Others predicted that he would be like a rocket that would climb high and then drop out of sight.

Due to such criticisms, Spurgeon suffered bouts of depression. Feeling greatly discouraged he ended up tendering his resignation several times. However overtime, he began to find a pattern to the discouragements that attacked him. He discovered that any time he was on the verge of a great assignment from The Lord, these discouragements would come. He came to realize that it was a ploy of the enemy to shift his focus. Having known this, he therefore refused to allow discouragement to rule his life. He pressed on in his calling, despite the criticisms and went on to become one of the greatest preachers England had ever known.

Criticisms are inevitable, especially when you are making progress in life. Anyone headed for the top, is bound to face criticisms and slander. These can often lead to discouragement and depression. David faced criticism, when he returned to his home in Ziklag and discovered that the Amalekites, had attacked. It was most discouraging to find that even his own men unjustly blamed him. (1 Sam. 30). Imagine how he felt as he sat among the ruins of Ziklag and listened to his men talk of stoning him. David could have allowed  grief and bitterness to send him into depression, but rather he decided to ‘encourage himself in the Lord his God.’(vs. 6).

In Psalm 34 David wrote. “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears”

And indeed God delivered him from all his fears as he was able to pursue after the Amalekites and recover all.

Whatever you are faced with, learn to encourage yourself in The Lord. Refuse to magnify the negative circumstance, but rather magnify your God. Don’t analyze your trouble with a magnifying glass, this will only lead to deeper discouragement. Rather magnify The Lord and His ability to deliver. Speak of His greatness, His power, His might. Talk about how big and powerful God is. When you make God bigger, you make your troubles smaller.

Psalms 73:26 says ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.’

PRAYER Lord help me not to be discouraged by negative situations, rather let me see them as stepping stones to victory, Thank You for turning my mourning into joy,  in Jesus Name.

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When you apply The Word of God, it will work for you, anywhere and anytime- WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Mathew 7: 24

‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;  and it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock.-

DAILY READING  Romans 5; 1 Samuel 14; Psalm 59

The flight pioneers Wilbur and Orville wright had dreams of producing a flying machine. Right from a young age they had fascination for mechanics. This dream was further fueled through a voracious appetite for reading as instilled in them by their father, Milton Wright who was a Bishop in the United Brethren Church, and a lover of books himself.

But then the wright brothers didn’t just stop at dreaming, they went out and did something about it. Though they had no college education, or formal technical training on how to build a flying machine, they were not deterred, rather they relied on the virtue of tenacious study. They studied everything they could about aviation and aeronautics. And with only what they have read from books they went ahead to begin experiments. At first they faced tremendous obstacles; the experiments were expensive and extremely dangerous. In fact another scientist at that time who was also working on producing an aircraft had been killed in one of his experiments. But despite this obstacles, the wright brothers devoted themselves to their dream, even in the midst of being ridiculed as cranks and fools. And after numerous attempts, tons of failed prototypes and many years of experiments, the wright brothers eventually succeeded as they invented aircraft controls that allowed them to fly. And on December 17, 1903, they achieved the first ever powered flight in history. And from that first flight, came the eventual development of an aviation industry that has today changed the pace of civilization and immortalized the names of the wright brothers. The dream they had as young boys, through faith and hard work had eventually become reality.

One may look at their success today, and think that they were just lucky. But someone has said ‘ I find that the harder I work the luckier I get’. Proverbs 13:11 says ‘Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.’  It’s not about luck, it’s about work. They had a picture, a dream, they believed God for it, and worked until that picture became reality.

God gives you a picture, a vision, a dream, but then that is only the blue print. An architectural blue print no matter how beautiful can never become an actual building except work is put in to it.

Success is achievable in life, it is obtainable for anyone who is willing to pay the price for it. God has His best reserved for those who will pay the required price to obtain it.

You have often heard it said there is no free lunch. That indeed is true. Valuable things have a cost. The more valuable the item, the more the cost. So it’s basically about choice. What do you really want in life? If you want to succeed then you must be willing to pay the price of work and perseverance.

Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it. Proverbs 14:23 says ‘In all labor, there is profit but the talk of the lips only [leads] to penury.’ He that gathers by labor shall increase. Men who have vision work their way into greatness. Vision is the picture, but work is the process.  For your dream to come it must be worked at. Let us therefore receive grace to apply the needed labor to see our God given vision come into full manifestation.

PRAYER:  Lord please help me to always build my life on the strong  foundation of your infallible Word, Give me the grace to work towards the vision You have given to me and not relent in Jesus Name.

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God’s Word is ever unchanging, changing everybody who truly comes in genuine contact with it. – WORDBITE 222.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ESTABLISHED BY THE WORD OF GOD]

 Isaiah 2:2-3 KJV

 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.   

DAILY READING Romans 3:9-31; 1 Samuel 12; Psalm 57

Growth is a necessary component of life. However, often the process is not easy. Butterflies are synonymous with beauty and color. But a butterfly starts out in life, as a larva, then a pupa, and then a caterpillar.  Through the process of metamorphosis the caterpillar finally emerges from its cocoon as a beautiful butterfly, ready to spread its glorious wings and fly. Metamorphosis, is a process of discomfort.  Here, a  caterpillar has to endure the struggle through the tiny hole in its cocoon. When it is struggling to get through the hole it is actually forcing the fluid from its body into its wings. Without the struggle the wings will not get the necessary fluid to grow, without the struggle the butterfly’s wings would never be strong enough to function and fly. And without flight the butterfly will not be able to survive.

This tells us that to get to your destined state, you must force your way out of your present state. There is always a struggle at the point of transition to a greater level.

To go forward in life, one must endure that struggle, as part of the growth  process.  In a man’s life this struggle is reflected  as the continuous succession of small and large challenges that confront him. But such adversities  are what pushes  men  to accelerate the development of their  greatest potentials. Without adversity there will be no growth.

On the other hand this process of struggle is also what discourages many from pressing forward.  To them life is too hard. So they settle for the mediocre or ordinary and are content to live on barely-get-along street.

But God’s plan for us is not to be stagnant or stuck in one spot. We are to keep growing and moving forward. This is why in this race God has made available  grace for His children. The beauty of salvation is that  by covenant our case is different. Where others may struggle, we soar; where others labor we are favored; where others perish, we flourish.  This is the benefit of being part of God’s Kingdom. Therefore whatever obstacles we face should rather be  stepping stones for forward movement.

In these last days God has a plan of forceful advancement for His people. According to the prophetic timetable it is time for the church to be set up above. Our light has come, and now it is time for us to arise. 

Isaiah 2:2-3 says  ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.’

We are now in the last days. And it is God’s plan now to exalt the church above the hills.  Therefore grace has been made available for this rising. We have entered into the season of ease, peace, and speed, where we will be reigning through the display of the manifold wisdom of God. Jesus is coming for a glorious church. And we have come into the time of this glory manifestation.  The wealth of the wicked is about to be converted to the righteous. Grace has been released for a change of level. We must appropriate that grace.  Therefore don’t be content with the status quo. Don’t settle for the mediocre or the ordinary. Stir your faith up for the extraordinary. 

It is by faith we overcome. And faith comes by hearing The Word. To be part of this reigning church we must therefore have a renewed appetite for The Word of God. We must come into greater intimacy and fellowship with God by His Word.

Galatians 6:9 says if we are not  weary in well doing, in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Let us therefore not be weary, let us keep pressing into The Word, so that we can reap the rich harvest God has laid up for us. Maybe you struggled in your finances, but the time for forward movement is here.  God has released upon the church the power to get wealth. Lack is not your destiny, so do not accept it.  Keep pushing forward, Keep believing, keep expecting, keep honoring God, Promotion is coming. There is grace available now for the race.  God has greater things in store.  Be determined to experience them.

The scripture says though weeping may have endured for the night, joy comes in the morning. Maybe you’re facing long standing issues  that had defied solution. You may have wept over them in the past, but now get ready, for a sudden change of story.  It is your time to see beauty for ashes.  It is time for your mourning to be turned into dancing. Zechariah said God will give you double for your troubles. [Zech 9:12].

God is causing everything to align with His end time agenda of a glorious church.  When a plane is on a high altitude everyone aboard experiences the same altitude. As members of the church in this end-time, we are to experience this prophesied glory. Therefore get ready for a sudden change of story. It is time for you to arise and shine, for your time has come. Indeed the time to favor Zion has come. 

 PRAYER:  Lord please help me to understand that my case is different. The season for struggling is over, now I am set to soar. Help me to have a renewed appetite for Your Word, so that I can partake of Your abundant grace being released in this end time in Jesus Name.   

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When God is on your side anything is possible — WORDBITE 222.  

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Isaiah 48;10

Behold, I have refined thee but not with silver, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction’

• DAILY READING – Romans 2:1-3:8; 1 Samuel 10:17-11:15; Psalm 56

William Carey was one of God’s giants in the history of evangelism! His life inspired tens of thousands to give themselves for the spread of the Gospel. Carey is known as the “Father of Modern Missions.” However this great man suffered a lot of tragedies that left him discouraged. But that didn’t stop him from finishing his race.

Born in England in 1761, his childhood was spent in poverty, and he became a shoemaker’s apprentice. Carey encountered Christ, and  entered the ministry, pastoring a small Baptist church as he continued to make shoes. He was a bi-vocational pastor with a love for learning. By the age of 21 he had learned Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Italian. Through his reading and learning God impressed upon him the great need to spread the Gospel throughout the world. However at a minister’s meeting as Carey stood and passionately shared his heart to reach the world, he was shouted down by a senior minister “Young man, sit down: when God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid or mine.”

Though greatly resisted, Carey gathered other missionaries and formed the Baptist Missionary Society. He planned to go to India to spread the Gospel, but the mission to India was not as glorious as he might have imagined. He struggled to convince his wife to join him. She was pregnant and did not want to have a child in a foreign land. Eventually, he talked his wife into joining him in India by convincing his sister-in-law to join them. The British East India Company opposed their trip, they found it hard to sail until a Danish ship gave them passage to Calcutta.  Carey’s family faced extreme hardship as he labored on the field. Carey contracted malaria, his five year old son died, and his wife, Dorothy, literally went insane. She often accused Carey of adultery and even threatened him with a knife. Carey had to confine Dorothy to a single room and keep her physically restrained. For years, Carey worked tirelessly, yet could not make a single convert for 7 years.  Eventually his labour bore fruit and in the course of his 41 year ministry in India, he would see many people convert to faith in Christ. When he died at 73 (1834), he had seen the Scriptures translated and printed into forty languages, he had been a college professor, and had founded a college that still exists and thrives today. As a result of all the hardships Carey faced, this great missionary pioneer sometimes suffered bouts of discouragement. It was what one biographer called ‘sheer black depression’. Yet he didn’t give up, he kept pressing forward, faithful to the calling that God placed on his life.

Anyone who is getting ahead in life is always going to have to overcome discouragement. As long as you are getting up and trying to do something with your life you will have to overcome setbacks. But the difference between the winners and losers is the way they view setbacks and adversities. While losers see it as the end of the road, winners only see it as a bend in the road. You will always find that many of the people who have ever risen to greatness had to pass through roads of discouragement. Even in the bible, we find several stories that indicate this. When Joseph was falsely accused and thrown into prison, it appeared initially to be the end of the road for him. Imagine how discouraging it was to be in prison for 2 years over a crime you did not commit. Yet he didn’t give in to discouragement. He rather chose to spend his time in glorifying God. And God turned it all around for him.

When you find yourself in a situation that is not palatable, it is easy to fall into discouragement. But no matter how it may look like always know that God is greater than anything that you may face. Your life is in His hands. He can pull you out of any pit or prison, as long as you trust in Him.

In Isaiah 43: 1-2 God says ‘ But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.’

Yes, you may pass through the fire, but be assured that as long as God is with you, you will not be burned. Whatever you pass through in the course of life’s journey God will see you through. So don’t accept discouragement, don’t accept failures, don’t settle with depression. Don’t sit back and bemoan your situation, don’t give up. Get up and keep moving forward. When God is with you it’s only a matter of time before you win. Keep looking onto Jesus. Instead of complaining just be thankful to God, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

PRAYER:  Lord please help me to wait upon you, so that by Your Spirit I can  understand what is going on in my life. Despite what it may look like outwardly, help me always to know that even now you are working out your perfect will in my life in Jesus Name..

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To get into the next level of your life, God will always give you a specific instruction. – WORDBITE 222.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]