HORM Devotional

John 4:48 ‘Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.’

DAILY READING • Luke 13:1-17; Genesis 23; Psalm 16

In the early 20th century, John Graham Lake operated in one of the most powerful and awe-inspiring gifts of healing that the world has ever seen.
After doing missionary work in Africa, John G. Lake returned to America in 1913, and went to Spokane, Washington. There he rented a building where he could pray for the sick, which came to be known as the Healing Rooms. Lake and his assistants, who were known as “healing technicians,” prayed for as many as 200 sick people every day of the week and as often as necessary. Over a five-year period, there were 100,000 recorded and authenticated healings.
His congregation fondly called him “Dr. Lake” because he saw more people get healed than the local physicians.
John G Lake became so mightily used of God that sickness was drastically reduced and almost eliminated in the city.
So many healings and miracles were taking place under Lakes ministry that he was even arrested at one point for “practicing medicine without a license”!
Though John G. Lake was initially opposed by some people in government, when they saw how greatly the manifestations of God’s power was positively affecting their city, they Changed their opinion. They turned around to celebrate him.
Even medical scientists recognized his impact and attributed the entire city’s health to his healing ministry.
A time came when the federal government voted Spokane the healthiest city in America because of Lake’s Healing Rooms ministry!
“According to government statistics, between the years of 1915-1920, Spokane, Washington, was the ‘healthiest city in the world’, because of the ministry of John G. Lake.
The mayor of Spokane held a public commemoration to honor his effort.

We need to let our results speak for us. Nobody can argue with positive results. We must let God’s power in our lives generate exceptional testimonies that will silence our mockers and opposers. Truly it takes results to terminate insults.
It is signs and wonders that makes believers out of men.

John 4:48 said ‘Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.’

Though men may oppose us, when they see the mighty manifestation of God’s power in our lives, they will have no choice but to celebrate us.
In Acts 4:16, a notable miracle took place that even the enemies of the Gospel could not dispute. They said ‘what shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.”

Indeed the undeniable miracles and wonders in our lives will convince men and draw them to the Gospel.
Jesus said no one lights a candle and hides it under a bushel, but sets it up to give light to all that are in the house.
Our lights are not meant to be hidden, but to give light to all that are in our environment.
Through us there should be positive transformations in our families, communities and nations.
The world is in such a state of desperation today that people are willing to follow whoever will proffer solutions to their many problems. There are people with health issues that doctors cannot solve, there are those facing insurmountable challenges in their finances, families, businesses, etc.
People are hungry to see the manifestation of power. Speaking mere words alone will not convince them, they need to see proofs and powerful demonstrations!

1Corinthians 2:4 says ‘the kingdom of God is not in words, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power!’

Christianity is not a mere religion, but a relationship with God that manifests His power on the earth. It is living and walking in the supernatural and positively affecting our world.
Every true Christian is meant to be a carrier of God’s power.
We have been given the great responsibility of being solution providers through manifesting miracles signs and wonders.
As last day saints, we are sent to shine God’s light to dispel the encroaching darkness in the world. In our homes, families, communities, offices, we are sent to serve as God’s agents of deliverance.
This is why we cannot continue to be entangled with mundanity and trivialities.
We are to focus on God’s’ purpose and do whatever is required to manifest His power for the good of mankind.
Let us therefore accept the spiritual responsibility of diligently seeking God through a consistent lifestyle of prayers, study of the Word and fellowship with the Spirit.
Through the great shining of our lights in the world, men will see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven

PRAYER: Lord, please enable me to always live a spiritually fervent life. May my light so shine before men, that they will indeed see Your good works and continually glorify You in Jesus Name.

QUOTE
When God is on your side, anything is possible. WORDBITE 222.

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Isaiah 41:13-14 “’For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you,’ declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” ~

DAILY READING; Luke 12:32-59; Genesis 22; Psalm 15

Maria Woodworth–Etter was a painfully timid, uneducated woman, isolated much of the time, sickly and poor. After her conversion at thirteen years of age, Maria had heard the voice of Jesus calling her to go into evangelistic work, but was too afraid and did not respond to the call.
Maria got married and had six children, but then her health began to seriously fail and she was confined mostly to a sick bed. In this period, the health of her children also began to fail, and they began to die gradually.
Heartbroken and close to death herself, Maria began to have vision of Heaven. She felt God was again calling her to the work of the ministry, but still wrestled with answering. Part of her wanted to die and go to be with her children who had passed on. However, she promised the Lord that if He would restore her health and prepare her for the work, she would endeavor to accomplish it. From that moment, immediately, her health began to recover.
The Lord then gave her a very sobering vision, where she saw the bottomless pit, open in all its horror and woe. There was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth as a great multitude of people who seemed unconscious of their danger; tumbled into that awful place.
This vision deeply impressed upon Maria the responsibility of her calling. She then asked the Lord to anoint her for service. In answer to this prayer, she was baptized with the Holy Ghost and power.
From the moment, Maria stepped out into ministry by holding a small meeting, miracles, signs and wonders followed her. Her fame quickly spread and her ministry rapidly grew. By finally agreeing to answer God’s call, Maria Woodworth-Etter achieved unprecedented success and came to be known as ‘Grandmother of the Pentecostal Movement.’

Almost every man or woman used by God to do incredible things started off with either trepidation or doubt. We saw several instances of this in the Bible in the lives of Moses, Jonah, Gideon etc.
Oftentimes, the enemy uses fear to try to convince us to either postpone the call or act as if we did not hear it.
But if we delay in obeying God’s will, we only keep ourselves from God’s best and give room to the enemy to create havoc.
We must not delay in answering God’s call because every day, souls are going to hellfire, destinies are being destroyed, the whole creation is groaning and travailing in pain together as they await the manifestation of the sons of God.
It is God’s plan to use us mightily to manifest His power, to destroy the forces of wickedness and bring deliverance and liberty to mankind.
But oftentimes believers are hindered from answering God’s call due to feeling unqualified or lacking what it takes to fulfill it. The truth is that God will never call you to do anything that He has not already equipped you to do. And He is able to supply whatever you need to enable you fulfill the mission. In His plan, grace, favor, supernatural opportunities and divine connections are all lined up to help us arrive at our preordained place.
This is why we should not be afraid or feel unqualified when we sense God’s call because He is able to help us.
In Isaiah 41:13-14, God says “’For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.’

A strong relationship with God, guarantees us His help and gives us the courage to do what we would never do on our own. And we build such a strong relationship through a lifestyle of diligent study of the Word, fasting, fervent prayers, worship and fellowship with the Spirit.
In these last days, each of us must take our place in God’s mighty army. There is a great work ahead of us. Therefore we cannot continue to delay or pursue things of no eternal value. We must remember that one day we will be called to give account of our lives.
Let us therefore diligently continue to press forward towards the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Certainly, God’s divine help is able to see us through every stage and phase of the vision.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to make following Your will my greatest priority. I receive the grace to constantly feed on Your Word, and maintain a prayerful lifestyle, so that I can fulfill Your mission for my life in Jesus Name
QUOTE
There is something that God has placed within you that the world is eagerly awaiting to see. WORDBITE 222

Habakkuk 2:3 ‘For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’

DAILY READING – Luke 12:1-31; Genesis 21; Psalm 14

The first Protestant missionary to China was Robert Morrison, who laid a foundation for today’s Chinese Church.
After being ordained in London on 8th January 1807, by 31st January, he embarked on his mission to China.
At that time, China was an elusive country, far away from Europe and could only be reached after a 5 month journey by sailing ship. Morrison’s arrival in China was met with great hostility as the Chinese government was against missionary activities and only foreigners on the mission of trade were allowed.
The emperors of China had pronounced the death sentence on any of its nationals that would teach a foreigner the Chinese language. Foreign religions were banned and prosecuted with the death sentence.
Such were the times when Robert Morrison left for China. From a human perspective, it seemed he had embarked on a mission impossible because China was like a closed fortress.
When he first arrived, Morrison tried to go unnoticed by dressing like the Chinese people. However, it only served to render him the more unusual, and to attract attention. A foreigner dressed up in Chinese clothes excited suspicions, as it suggested he was endeavoring stealthly to infiltrate into the Chinese society.
Under these circumstances Morrison resumed the European manners of dressing . Yet, his presence continued to excite suspicions.
Morrison could only find miserable lodgings as it was difficult for him to find anyone to take him in. He paid an exorbitant price for a dilapidated top-floor room, and had not been long in it before the roof fell in with a crash.
After it was patched with some sort of covering, his landlord raised his rent by one-third. Morrison was forced to go out again into the streets to seek another lodging.
Yet despite all the difficulties he toiled until he eventually accomplished his mission of translating the New Testament Bible into the Chinese language in 1813. With another colleague, he was able to translate the entire Bible in 1821.
Morrison also compiled a Chinese dictionary for the use of Westerners. The Bible translation took 12 years and the compilation of the dictionary, 16 years.

Habakkuk 2:1-3 says that the vision is for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie:
This tells us that the fulfillment of every vision will involve patience and tenacity in its pursuit.
Many of us have an understanding of God’s plan for our lives but sometimes, we have difficulties when it comes to fulfilling it, because of obstacles encountered along the way.
When you have been called by God and it seems as if the mission is hard and difficult, you must trust in God’s faithfulness.
Hebrews 12:1-3 admonishes us to run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus. Therefore, to actualize the destiny that God has ordained for us, we must accept the responsibility of running with the vision and looking unto the Lord, to see us through.
If you know of a certainty He has spoken to you then hold on to His Word. Do not be discouraged by the difficult circumstances you may occasionally face. God will fulfill His promise to you in due time. . Just remain spiritually prepared through diligent study of the Word, prayers and fellowship with the Spirit. Surely as you walk in obedience trusting God always, the faithful One that called you, will soon do what He has said He will do.
Therefore do not get impatient or weary if you are not immediately getting the result you desire, keep sowing the seed required of you because harvest is coming.
Those who enjoy multiplied blessings from God are those who go all the way in pursuit of His plans. Therefore in whatever capacity you are serving God today, make up your mind to go all the way, and not stop halfway.
God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent. His promises are always sure.
As you keep serving faithfully, it is only a matter of time before you reap the fruits of your labour and see the full manifestation of your vision.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to follow patiently the path You have set before me. Help me to maintain my spiritual fire and to keep trusting You until I see the full manifestation of Your promises in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
When God places His hand upon a man in life nothing can come against him, this is because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. WORDBITE 222

Luke 21:36 ‘Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.’

DAILY READING’; Luke 11:29-54; Genesis 20; Psalm 13

William Miller was a Baptist preacher who made wrong predictions about the return of Christ. After 14 years of studying the Bible, William Miller became convinced that Christ would return in 1843. When Miller announced April 3 as the day, some disciples went to mountaintops, hoping for a head start to heaven. Others were in graveyards, planning to ascend in reunion with their departed loved ones. Philadelphia society ladies clustered together outside town to avoid entering God’s kingdom amid the common herd. When April 4 dawned as usual the Millerites were disillusioned, but they took heart. Their leader had predicted a range of dates for Christ’s return. They still had until March 21, 1844. The devout continued to make ready, but again they were disappointed. A third date—October 22, 1844—was set, but it also passed.

The truth is that no man knows the date or the hour. Rather than speculate about dates we are asked to live constantly ready.
The Bible teaches much about the Second Coming of our Lord, to stir up our hearts to greater consecration and fervour in our service to God.
Unfortunately, some people erroneously misunderstand these teachings to the extent of trying to pinpoint and predict the exact date of Christ’s return.
But so far, every attempt to set a date has failed. Jesus said, ‘Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.’ (Matthew 24:36)
The best thing we can do, while we await the return of the Lord is to always live ready.
Jesus told 4 parables in Matthew 24 and 25 that indicate we should live constantly alert and ready. These are the parable of the Goodman of the House, the parable of the wise and evil servants, the parable of the ten virgins and the parable of the talents.
In the parable of the virgins, the 5 foolish virgins had every opportunity to get oil, while they could, but they squandered the time of grace.
As believers in these last days, we need to get oil in our lamps while we still can and keep our lights burning brightly.
The long wait in this parable clearly depicts the long time that the church has waited for our Lord to come. Almost two thousand years have passed since Christ ascended up to heaven! Generation after generation of Christians have been looking for Christ to appear in the skies, but still He has not come. His long delay has led some to believe that He is not going to return any time soon or even come back at all. This has resulted in increase of iniquity and spiritual coldness..
The negative responses to the long delay in Christ’s coming today is exactly what the Bible predicts will happen. We see this in 2 Peter 3:3,4 ‘Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.’
The Bible tells us that the day of the Lord would come as a snare upon those in the world, it would spring on them when they least expect it. This is why we should watch and pray always. (Luke 21:35-36).
As believers in these last days, we need to get oil in our lamps while we still can. This we do through investing time in prayers, study of the Word, worship and fellowship with the Spirit.
Our concern is not to speculate about certain dates, but rather to live daily as wise and faithful servants who are prepared for the soon-arrival of their Lord.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace to begin to live ready while there is still time. Please help me to make the needed spiritual investments in fervent prayers and study of Your Word so that I can constantly overcome and live victorious in these end-times in Jesus Name.
QUOTE:
True success is not verifiable in the fact that a man has never fallen before but in the fact that he did not only fall but also got up. WORDBITE 222

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Ephesians 5: 26-27 ‘That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.’

DAILY READING – Luke 11:1-28; Genesis 19; Psalm 12

On September 28, 2000, retired Israeli General, Ariel Sharon visited Jerusalem’s historic Temple Mount under a cloud of tension.
The Temple mount is a point where history, religion and national aspiration converge. The 35-acre site is at the very heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has been the single biggest obstacle to peace between the two sides.
While the Jews claim it as the site of their holy temple and center of who they are as a people, for Muslims it is the site of one of Islam’s most sacred shrines, the dome of the rock.
Many Palestinians were angered to see the Israeli General, Ariel Sharon march up to the Haram al-Sharif, the site of the gold Dome.
When he came down 45 minutes later, there was an eruption of fury. Though Ariel Sharon was surrounded by hundreds of armed riot police, Palestinians heaved chairs, stones, rubbish bins, and whatever missiles came to hand at the Israeli forces.
After Sharon left the compound, more than 200 Arab protesters surged forward, throwing stones in protests and rioting, which the Israeli police put down with rubber bullets and tear gas.
This incident launched a series of bloody battles and Palestinian uprising against Israel which came to be known as the Second Intifada. Palestinian suicide bombings were a prominent feature of the conflict, mainly targeting Israeli civilians. At the end of it all, the death toll, including both combatants and civilians, is estimated to be about 3,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis, as well as 64 foreigners.

Such bloody conflicts mirror the tension that has existed in Jerusalem through the ages. At the heart of the Israeli/Arab hostility is the struggle for Jerusalem.
Jerusalem has been fought over in varying ways and the conflicts over this ancient city go back thousands of years — to Biblical times.
However, this contention over Jerusalem has a spiritual significance. At the end of the age, there is coming a New Jerusalem. It is a city for those who have seen much spiritual conflicts and battles and yet have emerged victorious.
Revelation 21:2 speaks of “The Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband”
This New Jerusalem, which is also called the Tabernacle of God, the Holy City, the City of God, the Celestial City, is literally heaven on earth.
The New Jerusalem is the ultimate fulfillment of all God’s promises. It is where God’s goodness is made fully manifest.
Those who will be part of this beautiful new city of Jerusalem are the overcomers by the Blood of the lamb, who have triumphed in great spiritual contentions and battles on earth.
They are part of the glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle, which Christ is coming to rapture.
To be part of this glorious Church there is a need for us to live in righteousness and be constantly cleansed by the Word.
Ephesians 5: 26-27 says ‘That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.’

Purity begets power. As we live in holiness we will be empowered to live in victory and dominion on the earth.
As believers in these last days, we are ordained to show forth God’s glory and power to the world. We are destined to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. We are to be the head and not the tail; above only and never beneath. We are to take the lead, while others follow. That is our heritage in Christ Jesus in these last days.
To be part of His glorious Church, we must be steadfast in our commitment to live in holiness and never compromise. Despite great trials, temptations and tribulations, we must continue to stand for Jesus. Our focus should always be on the Heavenly race and eternal prize before us. Certainly, nothing in this world is worth missing Heaven for.
Great grace and Anointing is being released in these end-times, we must therefore remain sensitive not to miss our portion.
As we live in purity and righteousness, we will certainly emerge victorious in spiritual battles and conflicts.
The victory with which we overcome the world is our faith. Because, faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word, let us therefore receive grace for a lifestyle of diligent study of the Word.
As we remain spiritually fervent, surely, we will not only live glorious lives on the earth, we will also have the promise of arriving at the New Jerusalem, the city that God has prepared for us.

PRAYER:
Lord, please help me to live in holiness and righteousness as I run the race before me. May my light so shine in the world that many souls will be brought into Your Kingdom in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
The battle you are faced with today is a good warfare because God has already foreordained victorious end for you.- WORDBITE 222.

Isaiah 49:25-26 ‘But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children’

DAILY READING; •Luke 10:21-42; Genesis 18; Psalm 11

The Watson family has served as American missionaries in Niger for many years. Their son, 27 year old Philip Walton continued the legacy by serving as a missionary in the remote Massalata region of Niger.
He was living with his wife and young daughter on a farm in the small village, close to the Nigerian border, when he was kidnapped on October. 26th 2020.
He was abducted by six armed men who carried him off in the direction of Niger’s border with Nigeria.
The kidnappers later demanded a ransom of more than $1 million from Walton’s father, who was also a missionary in Niger.
After the kidnap, concern grew quickly that an opportunity to rescue Walton could become much more dangerous if his kidnappers sold him to Islamist militants as al Qaeda or ISIS, which is common in such cases.
As many people began to pray for Philip Walton’s rescue, God moved miraculously and Protocol was broken to secure his immediate release.
The CIA discovered that Watson had been taken to a very complicated and complex region of Nigeria where fighters loyal to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have established hideouts. A rescue attempt seemed almost impossible.
But in a very rare move, SEAL Team Six which is America’s most elite special operations team were called in. Not all Americans kidnapped overseas receive expeditious liberation by SEAL Team six, but in Watson’s case, there was an unusual and fortunate confluence of circumstanced that worked in the favor of the young missionary.. Five days after the kidnap, in the early hours of 31 October, 2020, SEAL Team Six carried out a “precision” hostage rescue mission in Northern Nigeria.
The operation was so precise that six of the seven kidnappers holding Watson captive, were killed before they knew what was happening. Philip Watson was rescued unharmed and whisked away to safety.

In these perilous last days, we need to be constantly assured of God’s covenant of protection.
God is committed in delivering His people from the plans and schemes of the wicked. No matter how tough or impossible any situation may appear, it is not beyond God’s divine deliverance.
In Acts chapter 16, Paul and Silas were kept in a deep dungeon where rescue seemed unthinkable. But Acts 16:26 says ‘Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.’

When it seemed all hope was lost divine help suddenly arose for Paul and Silas. Certainly, we serve the God who specializes in delivering from impossible situations.

Isaiah 49:25-26 says ‘But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children’

God can cause earthquakes, break prison doors, break protocols and move mountains for your deliverance.
Those times it appears there’s no way out, that is when God suddenly arises for the rescue of His people.
We are never alone in the midnight seasons of life. Jesus says He will never leave us nor forsake us. Whatever we may face in life, He is always there with us. His Name is Immanuel – God with us.
Whatever tough situation you may be facing today, in your health, finances, relationships, family business etc, God can deliver you.
As He has promised in Psalm 91:14, when we call upon Him in trouble He will deliver us and show us His salvation.
Anytime we come to waters too high for us, we need to keep our hope in God’s miraculous deliverance. Despite the raging of the sea God is at work, He is making a way.
When we pass through the water and the fire, we are not remaining there.
God will always appear as the fourth man in the fire to deliver us .
We must therefore always keep our faith alive because faith is the link that keeps us connected to Heaven for a rescue operation.
No matter what comes your way, remain strong and be very courageous. Never quit or give up hope, God is working in your favor.
As you stay steadfast in faith, fervent in prayers and keep blessing the Name of the Lord, you will certainly experience His miraculous rescue from every tight situation.

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to continually renew my mind through In-depth study of Your Word. Through faith in Your word, I know indeed my case is different and I have overcome the evil of these endtimes in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
When we fight by God’s help we are sure of victory. WORDBITE 222.

Matthew 11:28-30 ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’

DAILY READING; Luke 10:1-20; Genesis 17; Psalm 10

Pastor Jack Hibbs is the Founder and Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills located in Southern California. Pastor Hibbs has a remarkable story of survival from his mother’s womb.
Early in 1957, when Jack’s mother became pregnant with him, his father was not happy. Having two children already, he didn’t want another child. As he left their home in California to go to work in Alaska, he told his pregnant wife he didn’t want to see a third child when he returned home.
As the time of her husband’s return drew closer, Jack’s mother began feeling more and more desperate. By Christmas day of 1957, after putting her two children to bed, she boiled a metal clothes hanger, and attempted to abort the baby in her womb. Fortunately, someone came to her rescue, and the abortion failed; but the attempted abortion landed her in the hospital. Then twenty-one days later, on January 15, 1958, God brought Jack into the world.
While growing up, Jack could tell that his father didn’t really like him, and he constantly felt rejected and hurt. He grew up an angry child and later, as a teen, became violent. From a young age, Jack’s life appeared surrounded by difficult circumstances. He was a severe stutterer and didn’t blend in with other kids because he was often teased, mistreated, and abused.
However, when he was 19 years old, Jack’s story changed positively. On June 20, 1977, he surrounded his life to Christ. Afterward, Jack sought God passionately and eventually started a fellowship which became a Church. Today, his ministry attracts thousands of worshippers and he ministers to millions of people in various countries through media outreaches.

The truth is that great destinies attract great battles, even from the womb. Oftentimes, the attacks on your life have much more to do with who you are destined to be than your circumstances.
Sometimes why certain things came against you early in life was because, the enemy realized who you are and so he started early to systematically try to undermine your future.
Indeed the intensity of the attack, could be an indication of your high calling, because the higher the mantle, the greater the battles.
But no matter what you go through in life, no matter the rejections, pains and disappointments, your value in God’s eyes remains the same. You will always be the apple of His eye.
This is why we should always seek to draw closer to Him. He is our burden bearer, He is the glory and lifter up of our head.
The odds can be against you, but when God is for you, you will surely succeed. Therefore, instead of focusing on negative happenings, which can make life burdensome and progress difficult, learn to roll over your burdens and cares to the Lord.
Jesus calls all who labor and are heavy laden to come unto Him. [Matthew 11:28-30 ].
Truly, there is rest for our souls in Christ.
The power that caused Christ to triumph over the grave, certainly guarantees us victory over every pit of life.
Today, as we engage the mystery of the Blood, every attack that has trailed us from the womb, will surely be terminated. Every hindrance against our destiny will be destroyed and we will truly experience the overflow of God’s boundless love and His extravagant grace.

PRAYER:
Lord, I thank You for the price of Your Blood that has been paid to give me eternal victory. By the power in the Blood, I am delivered from every hindrance to my destiny, to enjoy abundant grace and blessings in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
It’s never over in your life until you win. God is still in control of your life. WORDBITE 222

Colossians 3:1-3 ‘Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. .

DAILY READING; Luke 9:28-62; Genesis 16; Psalm 9

Colton Burpo is the son of Todd Burpo, pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Nebraska.
When Colton Burpo was 4 years old, he suffered a burst appendix and was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery. Colton suffered through a number of complications and even his doctors thought that he wouldn’t make it. But God answered his parent’s prayers and he miraculously, pulled through and made a full recovery.
When he came home, little Colton shocked his parents as he shared an astounding heavenly adventure of being with Jesus during his surgery. At first, his parents were skeptical, but when Colton started to reveal private details about his family that he couldn’t have possibly known at such a young age, his parents, were stunned!
Colton said during the surgery, he was able to look down and see his doctor operating on him, he saw his mother in a room calling people to pray, while his dad was yelling and praying in the waiting room.
He further shocked his parents by saying he had met his older sister in Heaven who had died in a miscarriage years before he was born, this was something no one had ever told him about. To make matters stranger, Colton said that he met his great-grandfather during his time in heaven, who had died 30 years before he was born, and correctly mentioned that his great-grandfather’s nickname was “Pops.”
As young Colton Burpo shared impossible-to-know details about his family, his parents had to agree that he must actually have had a Heavenly encounter..
His story about Heaven ignited much public curiosity that led to the writing of the book ‘Heaven is Real’. The book became a number 1 New York Times bestseller and the movie of the same title was a box office success and became the second-highest grossing Christian film of all time.

Indeed Heaven is real!
It’s a glorious destination that awaits true believers in Christ Jesus.
But while living in the midst of the hustle and bustle on the earth, it is sometimes difficult to maintain a Heavenly perspective. While we recognize the need to place our affection and attention on things above, we are often confronted by earthly realities that try to derail our focus .
Because man lives in a fallen world where sin and death abound, the enemy strives to keep him struggling with problems rather than focusing on God’s promises.
But as believers we must refuse to be entangled with the yoke of bondage, of living shallow, earth-bound lives.
We must choose to rise above
and focus our thoughts and heart on things above, and on the promises of God.

Colossians 3:1-3 says ‘Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

The Greek word used for “set” in this verse, means “to seek after, strive for, be intent on.”
In the midst of earthly distractions, we grow in Heavenly mindedness by intently seeking after God’s Word.
Moses told the Israelites to turn to God’s word “when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:7).
Likewise, we must constantly fill our life with God’s Word, through listening, reading and studying it. As we do, our minds will be constantly set on things above, and we will run our race with joy with focus on our Heavenly destination.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me renewed appetite for Your Word so that I can remain spiritually sensitive and always maintain a Heavenly perspective and not be distracted as I run life’s race in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
There is more to you than meets the eyes. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. – WORDBITE 222.

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Psalm 42:1-2 says ‘As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…’

DAILY READING • Luke 9:1-27; Genesis 15; Psalm 8

James Gordon Lindsay is a famous revivalist preacher, author, and founder of Christ for the Nations Institute.
He authored more than 200 books, and played a vital role in the ministry success of scores of healing evangelists during the 1940s and 1950s. He also assisted in the establishment of 100s of churches in various countries.
Gordon Lindsay was born and raised in Zion City, Illinois, which was built by John Alexander Dowie, the famous healing evangelist.
Gordon’s parents were active Christians, and he grew up in an atmosphere of healing and Pentecostal experience. But as he grew up, Gordon lacked a personal experience with God.
It took a life threatening sickness that almost cut short his life, for him to seek to develop personal faith in God for his deliverance.
As a young man, Gordon became stricken with a critical case of ptomaine poisoning. For days he lay dying and it appeared like the end of his life had come.
A number of people prayed for him, including Dr. John G. Lake, the great healing evangelist. Although John G. Lake professed confidence that the Lord had answered the prayer, Lindsay did not experience deliverance immediately.
With his life hanging in the balance, Lindsay was then tasked to develop his own faith to see the manifestation of his healing. He began studying the Word and reading typewritten sermons. While reading these messages, faith suddenly sprang into his heart and he knew for certain that God had healed him! With this revelation he arose from his deathbed, instantly healed.
Gordon Lindsay continued to grow his faith and later became an independent Pentecostal evangelist.
Lindsay, created international outreach programs for the distribution of Christian literature and support for foreign missionaries. He also sponsored international mission campaigns and started a radio program and was the forerunner of the present Christ for the Nations Institute headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

It’s never enough to just have a general knowledge of God without a personal encounter with Him.
You may have been born in Church and been a Christian all your life, but until you have your own encounter with God, you may never experience manifestations of His power and miracles.
In times of trials and temptations, it is your depth of personal faith in God that will determine your level of victory . It is those that know their God that will be strong and do exploits.
Therefore to live a triumphant life of great impact, we must seek our own testimony of personal encounter with God. Every great man or woman who manifests God’s power today, all came to a point of spiritual ‘desperation’ in seeking after God, until He revealed Himself to them.
Likewise, if we desire to see the manifestations of His power in our lives, our hearts must greatly hunger for more of God.
It is a spiritual law that only the hungry shall be filled.
Matthew 5:6 says those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled.
God’s Spirit is poured out in abundance upon those who hunger and thirst after Him.
If our desire is to see the power and glory of God, then we must be thirsting, craving, longing and panting for it through a diligent search in the Word and prayers.

Psalm 42:1-2 says ‘As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…’

Our hearts need to pant after God as a way of life.
Just as our physical body hungers for food to survive, our spirit man relies on our connection to God to survive and thrive. Our nutritional source of spiritual energy and power is God’s Word.
God has sent His Word to heal us and deliver us from the destructions of sickness, poverty, troubles etc. But people perish for not acquiring in-depth knowledge of the Word.
The more we know the Word, the more we will know God personally and develop strong faith that will guarantee us victory over life’s challenges.
More importantly, a deep and intimate knowledge of God, enables us to maintain a Heavenly focus as we run life’s race, knowing that there awaits us an eternal reward and the greatly desired “Well done, good and faithful servant!’.

PRAYER; Lord, Please enable me to always give the study of Your Word top priority in my life, so that I can know You intimately and be empowered to overcome and do exploits on the earth in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
God’s Word is God’s ‘prescription’ for every area of your life, let God’s Word fix every situation in your life. WORDBITE 222

Psalm 37:23-24 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand”

DAILY READING – • Luke 8:1-25; Genesis 12; Psalm 6

In 1996, Kerri Strug was a tiny teenager with a shy personality. She was part of the US Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team, made up of seven women, who came to be known as ‘the magnificent 7’.
In their final competition against the Russian team, for Kerri and her teammates, things were a bit shaky. They were performing well overall, but they had a few costly mistakes and injuries.
Then finally, came time for the last performance from the US team. This last performance was to be taken by Kerri Strug and it would decide the fate of her team. For her team to win the gold medal, she needed to get a near-perfect score.
Spectators held their breath as she began sprinting down the runway; She hit the vault, flipped in the air, but only to come crashing down in a fall. It was a disappointing performance. Her score was not enough to tip the scale in her team’s favor. But worse yet, she had injured her left ankle when she landed. Now unable to walk properly she was hobbling. Yet, she still had one more performance before the final score by the judges. Many people wondered if she would be able to perform that last vault.
As she sat on the edge of the mat with an ice pack on her ankle, it looked impossible that she could make another try. But to everyone’s surprise, she got up and hobbled to the judges, acknowledging that she was ready to take her last vault.
Her ankle and her head were throbbing, but she took a deep breath and said a prayer, “Please God help me make this vault.” Temporarily pushing her pain aside, Kerri once again began her sprint down the runway; she hit the vault, twisted in the air and made her landing without falling. She stood just long enough for it to be scored.
As the score flashed on the large board, the Americans went wild with jubilation. Kerry had hit a high score and the score had given the American team the desired victory. Despite her initial failure, Kerri had endured the excruciating pain of an injured ankle, to achieve an amazing performance. Though she had torn two ligaments in her left ankle and had to be carried and supported, yet her heroic effort had ensured that the American Woman’s Gymnastic Team won their first team gold medal ever! It would become one of the greatest Olympic moments of all time!

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. The worst failure of life is failure to try. Those who try again will often triumph at last.
Failure at some points is inevitable in life, what matters most is how you react to it. We can either choose to bounce back up and fight through the pain like Kerri or we can choose to lie on the floor and wallow in our pain.
We must understand that failure is not equals to defeat. Therefore don’t allow your failure to graduate to defeat. Arise and try to fight again. Never fold your hands if you don’t want life to fold up on you. No matter where you may have fallen, get up and keep moving forward.
We can take advantage of our failure by learning from what we have done wrong. If we have failed God, we need to seek for His forgiveness. We can always swim back to shore, helped by the incoming tide of God’s grace. We serve the God of a second chance, He is the God who prefers to mend rather than discard. God loves to restore the broken and brittle and then parade them before the world as trophies of His grace.
God’s commitment in Christ is to mend, heal and help us along the way, as we travel on this journey of life.

Psalm 37:23-24 says “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand”

God upholds us by His mercy. He is able to keep us strong and standing tall, despite the temptations, trials, troubles and tribulations of life.
The righteous may fall, but he gets back up again, he doesn’t stay down, he rises up stronger.[Proverbs 24:16].
To succeed in life, you must be resilient.
The dictionary describes resilience as the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched.
When David said in Psalm 92 that the righteous will flourish like the Palm Tree, it means that despite the storms of life, they will survive, rise again, and keep prospering. That will surely be our story in this season.
Despite the storms, by God’s grace, we will keep rising better and stronger!

PRAYER: Father please help me to keep moving forward no matter what trials and temptations may come my way. May Your grace always be sufficient for me in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
God is preparing you for the season He prepared for your breakthrough WORDBITE 222.