HORM Devotional

Isaiah 41:10 ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’’

DAILY READUNG; • Revelation 14; Esther 5:1-6:13; Psalm 106:24-48

Gospel artist Blair Monique Walker was devastated when she was diagnosed with uterine cancer in October 2017. Doctors told her she would have to have a hysterectomy, which meant she could never have another child. Surgery was then scheduled for her.
It was a very difficult period for Monique as she battled with fear and anxiety over the diagnosis. But one day, she looked at herself in the mirror and realized she needed to keep her faith strong and not give up on the purpose and assignment of God she still needed to fulfill. She was also encouraged by her husband’s faith, who really believed that God would heal his wife. He had already experienced God’s healing power, when he had a hernia and was healed as he prayed and worshipped.
As Monique and her husband both believed God to do a miracle, many people also joined them in prayers.
Monique was scheduled for a final ultrasound so the size of her tumors would be measured to see if it could just be removed without doing a full hysterectomy.
When the day arrived for her to visit her surgeon for the pre-operative examination, on that day something amazing happened! As the surgeon looked at the ultrasound of Monique’s uterus to see the size of the cancerous growth, he was amazed to find that her tumors disappeared and a fetus had taken its place. Looking at her, he said, ‘It looks like your God removed all of your tumors and left you with a baby.”
Monique was amazed beyond words at how God miraculously turned around the situation. From fears about her tumor, she was totally healed and ended up giving birth to a bouncing baby boy!

Indeed we serve the God of miracles. There is no limit to what He can do.
When we hold on relentlessly to faith in God’s Word, we are on our way to seeing His signs and wonders.
Even when facing situations that seem impossible in the natural, when we dare to believe God, He can confound negative verdicts.
There can be times in life when obstacles may appear insurmountable. At such times it may be easy for fear and anxiety to grip the heart, even as the mind wanders in hopelessness. But if only we can look unto God and learn to hold our peace, God will show up for our deliverance.
When God said to the Israelites: “Stand still and you will see the deliverance of the Lord”, He was not only talking about their physical state, He was also talking about the state of their minds. It doesn’t matter what goes on around you, what matters most is what goes on inside you. It can be understandable to become fearful and anxious if confronted with problems and troubles.
But then never forget that God works behind the scenes. He knows how to suddenly turn things around for our good. God is able to overthrow the plans of the wicked and give us the victory.
This why we must learn to guard our hearts against fear.. When we are dominated by God’s Word, it will control our thoughts and actions, and the peace that passes all understanding will become our portion.
God has you in the palm of His hand and nothing you’re facing is a surprise to Him. This is why your heart should not be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Rather than worry let’s through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make our requests known unto God. And as we keep looking unto Jesus in faith, surely He will exceed all our expectations and give us a divine miraculous turnaround.

PRAYER; Lord I thank You for the faith to believe You for a divine turnaround in my life. Please grant me the grace to continually feed on Your Word so that faith can dominate my heart at all times 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

Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

DAILY READING; • Revelation 13; Esther 3-4; Psalm 106:1-23

Henry John Heinz was a nineteenth century Christian businessman who founded the Heinz company. He based his business on Christian principles and proclaimed that his success was a direct result of his faith in God.
Though he experienced tragedies and set-backs but through faith in Christ, and diligence, Henry created one of the greatest brands in business history that still thrives today. His life story is a fascinating tale that continues tt inspire and educate aspiring Christian entrepreneurs the world over.

Heinz began working very early in life, by the age of nine, he had started growing vegetables in the family garden and selling homemade vegetable products from the farm. Gradually, he expanded his business, and when he graduated from high school, his sales from the garden had grown to such an extent that he had to hire workers.
His mother was an enormous influence on him, whom he credited for playing a crucial role in his success. She was a woman of strong faith who from childhood diligently taught Henry great lessons and principles from the Bible. As the daughter of a Lutheran minister, she had wanted him to become a priest. Henry, however, preferred to serve God through business, by becoming a Kingdom financier.
While in his twenties, his company reached a great success and Henry became a wealthy entrepreneur..
However at this time in 1875, the U.S. financial crisis erupted, resulting in the entire banking system being paralyzed. Heinz’s company was grossly affected like many others and soon the Heinz company became bankrupt. The Collapse of the Company made Henry to experience serious setbacks and emotional stress. But through faith and prayers, he was eventually able to get back on his feet.
At 31-years, Henry Heinz had to start all over again from scratch. As he refused to give up and worked hard, in the span of just a few years, his business became again incredibly successful and expanded beyond his wildest imagination.
Heinz held dear his faith and even on business trips would take the time to pay homage to historical Christian sites. One day, after visiting the chapel Wesley founded, Heinz later stated that “I felt I was upon holy ground.”
Despite all his wealth, he considered his faith in Christ to be his greatest possession. When he died on May 14, 1919, at the opening of his will was found this remarkable statement “I desire to set forth, at the very beginning of this Will, as the most important item in it, a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior.”
Through following God’s Biblical principles, Henry achieved success that has continued to endure even up till today. The Heinz company remains a successful global company that grosses billions of dollars in annual income and is the fifth largest food company in the world.
Heinz’s descendants and relatives have been positively impacted by the legacy he left. Among his descendants are U.S. Senators, great business men, and among his relatives is the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump.

Faith in God is the master key to success in life. Today there is an overhyped message that says becoming rich and successful is all that matters in life, despite the means through which it is achieved. But that’s false. True success comes from living to please God and becoming a blessing to humanity.
It is the blessings of God that makes rich and adds no sorrow with it. The most important thing in life is not the pursuit of financial success but the pursuit of a successful relationship with God.
The only treasure that will accompany us out of this earth will be our relationship with God. That relationship will be the ticket to our eternal location and allocation.
When we have our priorities right and maintain strong faith in God, then we will succeed exceedingly and overcome life’s challenges.
Though we may sometimes experience trials, afflictions, or setbacks, we must always keep our focus on Jesus, keep moving forward, and never give up. When the goal before you becomes more powerful than the obstacle behind you, you will always win. Through faith in God, you can slay the giants on your path and ascend to your destined throne.
Though you may not sometimes understand everything you go through, always know that God is in control and He has a great plan and purpose for your life.
As you keep doing what is right, God is building character in you, and you are passing the test. And remember, the greater the test, the sweeter, the testimony.
Faith in God’s ability enables us to accomplish what seems impossible. Therefore refuse to be daunted by any mistakes or failures, rather stay strong in faith and be resilient in your pursuits.
Though there may be bumps and detours on life’s journey, we must learn to despise present challenges and keep looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.[Hebrews 12:2]

Regardless of what you may have seen so far, your greatest days are ahead. The work God began in you, He will surely complete it. And as you keep moving forward in faith, surely God’s grace will eventually propel you to the amazing heights of success He has destined for you..

PRAYER: Father please enable me to always keep my focus on You as I run this race of destiny. No matter what comes my way I know that through faith in Your Word, I will always succeed exceedingly and abundantly in Jesus Name. .
QUOTE :
The tests you are going through in life today is not for your destruction, it is for your testimony. – WORDBITE 222.

1 Peter 1:7 ” That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

DAILY READING; Revelation 12; Esther 2; Psalm 105:26-45

Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer were two young American women who through their Church signed up for a short-term missions trip to Afghanistan.
In March 2001, they traveled to Afghanistan to join the German-based aid agency ‘Shelter Now International’..
On arrival, Heather and Dayna spent their days working with Afghan street children, feeding widows, and helping market women.
Often when these women shared details of their difficult lives with Heather and Dayna, they would offer to pray for them in Jesus’ Name. Though this was forbidden by the Afghan government, they felt compelled to share the love of Christ with these suffering people. Their desire to share the Gospel, eventually landed them in a Taliban prison.
On August 3, 2001, the two young girls were visiting a private home in Kabul when they were arrested by the Taliban for allegedly preaching Christianity in the strict Islamic state.. The Taliban forbade foreigners from visiting local homes and they were infuriated that the two women had gone beyond their humanitarian activities by preaching the Gospel. This was a crime under Taliban law especially after it was discovered that they had also been showing the Jesus film to those they preached to.
A joint trial began for them on September 1, 2001 in Kabul and eventually they were imprisoned. Heather and Dayna spent more than three months of confinement in Taliban prisons. However in their trials and ordeals they held on to faith in God , even as prayers went on all around the world for their release.
Then at this time came the September 11 attacks on the United States. In the consequent offensive by the US military against the Taliban, the two young girls were eventually released. They were picked up on November 15, 2001, by the U.S. military and returned to the United States.
Heather and Dayna have co-authored a book entitled Prisoners of hope, in which they tell the story of their fiery trials in Afghanistan.

Psalm 34:19-20 says ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken..’

In every temptation, God will surely make a way of escape for you.
When Peter was locked up in prison to be killed the following day, tightly guarded by soldiers there seemed to be no way of escape. Yet, despite the strong security, God sent His angel to come right into the prison and bring Peter out.
We need to stand strong in the face of every trial of faith.
No matter how the storm rages, we must continue to trust in God’s faithfulness against the obvious odds.

God’s promise in Deuteronomy 31:6 says ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’

In times of fiery trials, God never leaves us to burn in the fire. He comes as the fourth man to carry out a rescue operation. God has promised in Isaiah 43, that when you go through the fire He will be with you. And when God is with you, the fire cannot burn you, rather it will only end up refining you and making you better.
Indeed we serve the God of miracles. He is the God of might and power, of glory and grace and eternal authority. To Him, nothing is ever impossible.
Despite the trials of faith we may sometimes face, faith in God we will always bail us out..
Therefore in every situation, the revelation of the Word should be more important to us than the happenings in the world. Through faith in God’s Word we will always have the victory no matter how impossible any situation.
Faith always sees the invisible and accomplishes the incredible. Despite the size of the odds and challenges, faith can turn the tests into testimonies.
Therefore anytime you are faced with impossible battles, never give in to fear, just keep your eyes on the Lord. Fill your heart with faith through study of God’s Word and keep praising God in the face of the raging storm.
Indeed though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we shall fear no evil, when God is with us
Therefore don’t be intimidated by the size of any obstacle or challenge, you may face today.. You may not see it right now, but trust that God is working behind the scenes, turning around things for your good. And when it is all said and done, your life will be a manifestation of the wonder-working power of God.

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me, by faith to always see You at work in my situation. I Thank You Lord for always exceeding my expectations and manifesting Your power in my life in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
When you are living and walking in the supernatural everything natural becomes subservient to you – WORDBITE 222

Psalm 125:3 ‘For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of righteous.’

DAILY READING • Matthew 11:20-30; Leviticus 13; Proverbs 25

The Jewish Mezuzah is a small scroll of parchment on which are written Biblical passages and inserted into a casing with beautiful designs.
The ‘Mezuzah’ which means “doorpost” in Hebrew, is often affixed to the doorposts at the entrance to every Jewish home.
A remarkable story authored by Jewish writer, Nechama Frank, tells of how an Israeli soldier’s life was saved by the mezuzah he carried in his pocket during the Israeli-Lebanon war.
According to the story, a friend of Nechama Frank, named Gershon had traveled from America to visit his family in Israel and had brought with him a Mezuzah in a beautiful silver cover as a gift for his relatives.
Upon his arrival in Israel, Gershon rented a car from the airport and while driving towards town, he stopped to give a lift to a young Israeli soldier named Menachem.
As they drove along, Menachem informed Gershon that he was on a one day leave to see his family because the next day their unit was embarking on a dangerous ground offensive deep into Lebanon.
As Gershon dropped Menachem infront of his family home, he instinctively brought out the beautiful Mezuzah encased in silver and gave it to the young soldier because it was generally believed that Mezuzahs brought protection. The soldier, whose eyes opened in wonder at the gift, thanked him profusely and they parted.
As the days passed, Gershon closely monitored Israel’s ongoing war against the Hezbollah in Lebanon. One day, while listening to the radio, he was shocked to hear Menachem’s name mentioned among soldiers that had been killed. Devastated, he headed to the home where he had dropped the young soldier to express his condolence to his family.
However, as he arrived, he was amazed to see people laughing, drinking and eating. He was even more amazed to go in and find that Menachem was alive.
Menachem who was overjoyed to see him, explained that his name had been mistakenly listed among dead soldiers because it was thought that he had been killed in the attack, but miraculously, he had survived.
Menachem then showed Gershon the silver Mezuzah he had given him only days before. Embedded in it was a single bullet.
Menachem explained that the bullet from a terrorist’s gun, which was meant for his heart, had been stopped by the Mezuzah in his front pocket.

The Mezuzah which contains Scriptural verses, and is placed on Jewish doorposts for protection, can be likened to how the Word of God placed in our hearts protects us.
The mezuzah stems from the Exodus from Egypt, when the lamb’s blood smeared on the doorpost “identified” the Jewish homes for God’s protection and stopped the angel of death from gaining entrance. [Exodus 12:23]

Just as the death angel could not penetrate to slay the Israelites, the Blood of Jesus upon our lives stops evil from gaining access to harm us.
Jesus is the Word and His life contained in His Blood shields us from all evil. Spiritually, the Word is able to stop any arrow of the wicked from reaching us.
Battles are real to life. But despite the fierce warfare in the world, we are assured of constant victory through the protection of God’s Word, which births in us the faith that overcomes the world.
When we carry the Word of God in our hearts, we will be able to steadfastly resist every attack of the enemy and triumph always.
Despite the arrows that fly by day and by night, the Name of the Lord is our strong tower, where we can continually run into and be safe.
Indeed no matter what goes on in these perilous times, God is able to keep and cover our heads in every battle.
As we are equipped with faith, the Lord becomes our refuge and strength, and ever present help in the times of trouble.

Psalm 91: 9-10 says ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.’

In Exodus 7:12 we saw how the rod of Moses, which represented the Word of God swallowed up the rod of the magicians. That is similar to how the Word of God in our hearts consumes every arrow of the wicked sent against us.
Psalm 125:3 says ‘For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of righteous.’
The Word of God in our hearts will always locate and swallow up everything contrary to God’s will for us.
Isaiah 25:8 says ‘God will swallow up death in victory; And the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces;’
This is God’s plan for us, God wants by His Word to swallow up death, sickness, poverty and everything that represents the rod of the wicked anywhere in our lives.
Through the shield of faith we will quench the fiery darts of the wicked.
With the increasing insecurity and dangers of these end times, it is very important that we constantly fill our hearts with God’s Word. As we do, surely, we will be sealed by the Blood of Jesus and shielded from every evil arrow..

PRAYER: Lord, please enable me to meditate constantly on your Word so that my heart can be filled with the faith I need to overcome every attack of the enemy. By Your Word, I know I have the victory in every battle in Jesus Name.
QUOTE:
Your heart needs to be filled with The Word of God to the point of overflow. – WORDBITE 222

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 ‘ Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit’

DAILY READING; • Revelation 11; Esther 1; Psalm 105:1-25

From a young age, Don Moen loved the Lord and loved to worship Him. While he was a student at Oral Roberts University in the early ’70s, Don joined a musical group called ‘Living Sound’ which toured several countries with evangelist Terry Law. Don Moen was hired as a violinist, trombonist and guitarist with the band.
Being very shy, Don’s comfort zone was playing in the background where no one would see him. Don couldn’t even speak in front of a few people without getting nervous. He had failed his speech class at Oral Roberts University, because he was too afraid to get up in front of 15 people to give a speech.
So for the 15 years, Don toured with the Living Sound band, he preferred playing an instrument in the background while someone else was in the spotlight singing.
But when he was 32 years old in 1982, Don began to seek God and pray for a deeper purpose in his life. During this time, one night he was awakened from a deep sleep at 3:00 a.m, and clearly heard a voice that said, “Get up and turn in your Bible to Psalm 40:3.”
That was all he heard, and when he read that Scripture, the message in Psalm 40:3 was very clear: “I have put a new song in your mouth; a song of praise to our God. Many will see it and fear and put their trust in the Lord.”
Something he couldn’t explain happened to him spiritually that night as he meditated on that Scripture. It would become one of the most important prophetic words that began to guide his entire career from then on. Before then he had never led worship and had no desire to get out of his comfort zone of being in the background of the band. But after the prophetic word from Psalm 40:3, things began to change.
Around this time also, he received a letter from his sister in law saying she had received a vision from God where “Don was standing in front of thousands of people and leading them into God’s presence and writing songs that soothed the hearts of kings.”
Knowing how embarrassed he felt on stage, Don laughed off this prophesy and thought that there was no way he was going to stand in front of thousands of people and sing.
But as he continued touring with the Living Sound group, Evangelist Terry Law began to give Don a more visible role in their music band to lead in worship before he preached. Don felt grossly inadequate and embarrassed because he couldn’t play the piano well and wasn’t a good singer. But Terry continued to push him out to lead worship.
In 1984, Don was hired to work for Integrity Music. While working with the Christian focused music group, in 1986, Don recorded and released the song “Give Thanks” .
With the release of this song, Don began to receive several invitations to minister and before he knew it, he was leading thousands in worship as his sister-in-law had seen in the vision.
Don’s career soared for the 20 years as he worked with Integrity Music and produced some of the group’s most successful worship albums.
Then in December 2007, he left Integrity Media and formed The Don Moen Company where he has released several soul lifting albums and songs under his own record label.

While Don was content with leading an ordinary life in the background, he did not know he was destined for extraordinary things. But in the place of prayer, God began to give him a glimpse of the great things ahead of him.
Many times, we are oblivious to God’s plan for our lives. While we are so busy pursuing ordinary and mediocre things, God is planning extraordinary things for our future.
It is only when we draw closer to God in prayer and study of His Word that we will begin to get an idea of the great things stored up for us.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says that God has prepared amazing things for those that love him, but they are only revealed through His Spirit:

The Spirit of God works through the Word to reveal God’s plans to us. As we study the Word it will birth the pictures of faith and possibilities within us. And as we hold on to those inner pictures, they will eventually manifest as our outward reality.
It is God’s plan to turn us into a wonder, but to be correctly positioned to take delivery of this prophetic agenda of greatness, we must fulfill the covenant obligations of building up our faith. We need to go deeper in our relationship with God to experience His great destiny for us.
When we accept the personal responsibility of diligent study of God’s Word, the Spirit will begin to reveal to us the deep things of God and lead us into their speedy manifestations.
Certainly, God’s thoughts for us are bigger and better than anything we could have imagined for ourselves. This is why it is important to take the time to seek Him and receive His revelations.
In this season, as we make the commitment to seek greater faith through diligent study of the Word, we will be seeing amazing manifestations of God’s goodness in ways and manners we could never have fathomed. As we continue to express our love for Him through obedience and worship, surely, He will do in our lives, exceedingly, abundantly, above all we could ever have asked, thought or imagined.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the grace to constantly sow the seed of Your Word in my heart. As I do, I thank You for the release of the faith to believe You for mighty manifestation of your wonders in my life in Jesus Name. .
QUOTE
When you apply The Word of God, it will work for you, anywhere and anytime- WORDBITE 222.

Proverbs 24:10 ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small’.

DAILY READING; • Revelation 10; Nehemiah 13; Psalm 104:24-35

The book, ‘Nerves of Steel’, is the captivating true story of Tammie Jo Shults. She is one of American Navy’s few female fighter pilots who later joined Southwest Airlines in the early 1990’s.
Besides her work as a pilot, Tammie Jo Shults is known for serving faithfully in her local Church, Texas Hill Country church. She is known among the congregation as a woman of faith and compassion, who often taught Sunday School for children and adults.
On April 17, 2018, something happened that put Tammy Jo on international News Headlines.
On that day, Captain Tammie Jo was flying a Boeing 737 on routine domestic flight from New York to Dallas. But twenty minutes into the flight, without warning, there was a catastrophic engine failure that almost caused the plane to crash.
But in that moment of crisis, Captain Tammie Jo displayed such great strength that amazed many people. But it was all as a result of her private devotion and faith in God Before that flight, as she normally does, she had read her Bible and prayed for her crew and passengers and committed the journey into God’s hand.
So when there was an explosion and the aircraft began to shudder violently and the cockpit was filled with smoke, her faith in God remained firm and unshakeable.
The explosion, had torn away sections of the plane, punctured a window, and sucked a woman out from the plane to her death, while injuring seven other people.
As the aircraft rolled over and began initiating a dive toward the ground, passengers screamed, cried and prayed. However, in the midst of this chaos, Tammy knew that God was right there with her. Though the plane had dropped 20,000 feet within six minutes, by God’s grace, Tammy Jo was able to regain control of the plane.
While the passengers thought all hope was lost, Tammie Jo made a bold cabin announcement, assuring them that the plane was not going to crash.
This statement of faith, made all the difference for the terrified passengers and gave them hope. With the plane badly damaged, Tammie Jo had just one shot at either landing it or crashing it. God helped her to make that right landing and saved the lives of 148 people on board. When they finally touched down safely at Philadelphia, Tammy Jo was overwhelmed with gratitude to God, for miraculously averting what would have been a devastating plane crash.
With the media coverage and celebration of her bravery, she continually told everyone that it was God that had landed the plane safely. She said her habit of spending daily time with God, was what had given her the faith and strength to overcome in that time of crisis.

The more time we spend daily with God, the more we know Him intimately and the more faith is built up in us for victory.
When we seek God daily we are making deposits of faith in our spiritual bank account that we can withdraw from in the day of trouble.
We are living in the last days, which are perilous times. It is a time when the world will be confronted by great trials and temptations. Sometimes the challenges will be so sudden that only those who have taken time to develop their faith will be able to overcome.
Therefore, we need to build up enough strength and power so as not to faint in the day of adversity.

Proverbs 24:10 says ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small’.

When Peter was walking on the water to go to Jesus, he was suddenly confronted by boisterous winds that struck fear into him and he began to sink. Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and caught him, and said, ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore, didst thou doubt?’ (Matthew 14:27-31).
From this passage, we see that little faith and doubt was what made Peter to begin to sink.
It takes great faith to stand and not sink, when confronted with the boisterous winds of life.
Therefore we have to accept the responsibility of building up great faith which makes us unshakeable in any challenge of life.

The Bible tells us faith has the capacity to grow. 2Thessalonians 1:3 says: ‘We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly..’

Our faith will grow exceedingly, when we spend quality time daily in God’s Word.
With our foundation built upon the solid rock of the Word, though the storm, rain and winds may come, we will survive them all and still stand strong.
Truly, great faith in God is our greatest guarantee of victory because it is what will always overcome the world and its challenges.
The battles of life have no time table, they often come suddenly. This is why it is important to daily build up our faith and be ready to overcome whatever comes our way.
Therefore today, let us make a fresh commitment to maintain daily fellowship with God, so that in every situation, we will stand strong, immoveable and always giving glory to God.

PRAYER: Lord, Please enable me to accept the responsibility of building up strong faith. By Your grace I will surely be the victor in every confrontation and triumph always in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
There is so much more in your future, you cannot afford to look back at the past, not even for a moment. – WORDBITE 222.

Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith”

DAILY READING; Revelation 9; Nehemiah 12; Psalm 104:1-23

On Sunday, June 3, 2018, the Volcán de Fuego or “Volcano of Fire” — erupted violently in Guatemala..
It spewed ash nearly four miles into the air and buried nearby villages under avalanches of hot lava.
Fuego is one of Central America’s most active volcanoes and had erupted several other times in the past. However, its catastrophic eruption on June 3, 2018, caused more fatalities than any other previous eruptions.
This eruption unleashed deadly avalanches of hot rock, lava, ash and gas that killed over a hundred people and injured many others.
Most of the victims lived in villages on the slopes of the volcano and were killed by what is known as pyroclastic flow, a searing cloud of debris.
Earlier in 2018, the volcano had erupted, without much catastrophe, but the villagers had no idea that something worse was coming.
When the volcano erupted a second time, it sent superheated gas, boulders and lava through the villages below.
Matters were made worse because of poor weather which limited the villagers’ own response. By the time locals realized what was happening, it was too late.
The volcano erupted with ash clouds that billowed nearly 33,000 feet into the air, raining out sharp shards of rock.
It was Guatemala’s deadliest volcanic eruption since 1902 and it affected more than 1.7 million people.
Investigations revealed that the government had been forewarned about the eruption. Yet, despite receiving early warnings of the danger, the Guatemalan authorities did little to avert the situation or evacuate villagers until the fatal eruption occurred.

Throughout the history of the world, God has always made known to his people impending times of trouble, and given them time to prepare for escape.
He warned Noah and his family of the coming flood and directed them how to prepare to survive it.
By faith, Noah obeyed God and prepared an ark to the saving of his house; (Hebrews 11:7).
God also warned Lot and his family of the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and told them to flee. They moved by faith and escaped.
God warned the wicked people of Ninevah, the capital city of Assyria, of God’s coming destruction through Jonah. When they repented, the judgment was averted.
Today, the Bible is again giving us early warnings of coming catastrophes in the world. There have been end-time signs of pestilence, earthquakes, economic woes etc. Jesus specifically gave these warnings that would precede the end of the age. We need to begin to move by faith to obey these divine warnings and take actions to escape the coming judgment.
As believers, we need to take heed to the instructions from God so as to avoid being caught unawares.
Indeed it is not God’s will for His people to perish. This is why He has given us the signs of the times as a way to warn us and to wake us up to our spiritual responsibilities.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 says ‘For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,’

Living a life of faith and obedience to God’s Word, and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit is the way to escape the coming judgment.
Because of Noah’s obedience to God’s Word, he was able to escape the judgment of the flood that came upon the earth.
Likewise, today, God is asking us to make preparations to enter the ark. Jesus is our ark of safety and the more we grow in our relationship with Him, the safer we are.
Jesus said that the last days on earth will be like the days of Noah. The days before the flood were filled with the same violence and wickedness that we see today, and yet in the midst of it all, Noah remained righteous and walked in line with God’s Word.
In the same way, we will also escape the coming judgment, as we heed the warnings of the Scriptures and live in accordance with God’s Word.
Just as Jesus told us in Luke 21:36, let us indeed watch and pray always, that we may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to take heed to the instructions of Scriptures. By Your grace, I shall remain spiritually prepared and alert through going deeper in my relationship with You and seeking You daily in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
God is preparing you for the season He prepared for your breakthrough WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 125;1 ‘Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever’

DAILY READING • Revelation 8; Nehemiah 11; Psalm 103

As a boy John Wesley assumed he was a Christian, because he was born in a Christian home, tried to keep the commandments, read his Bible, prayed, attended church faithfully — and was not as bad as others.
As John grew into young adulthood he still thought of himself as a Christian, because he was doing so much and living a good life. He set apart an hour or two a day for religious devotions. He took communion every week.
John began to study for the ministry and became a student of theology at Oxford. While at Oxford he visited prisons, the sick and impoverished, doing as many good works as he could fit into his schedule.
After his years of study at Oxford, John was ordained to the ministry.
He decided to become a missionary and was ordained an Anglican minister. Yet, despite this impressive regimen, his education at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, and his ordination, John’s religion became a burden. It only made him miserable. He had no joy in his heart, no real faith or peace in his soul.
In 1735, John Wesley, was invited to serve as a pastor to British colonists in Savannah, Georgia. When he boarded a ship in England to head to his new station, he also found that on the same ship were a group of German Moravian Christians, who were on their way to preach to American Indians.
However, as they sailed on the high sea, the weather became very stormy and their ship was caught in serious turbulence. The situation became so bad that Wesley feared for his life. However, while he was worried and afraid, he noticed that the group of German Moravian Christians were not afraid at all. In fact, throughout the storm, they sang praises to God.
John Wesley was astounded by their calm demeanor and approached one of their leaders. “Weren’t you afraid?” he asked. But the Moravian responded with a question, asking Wesley if he had faith in Christ.
Later when Wesley reflected on the man’s question, he realized that if indeed he truly had faith he would not have been afraid. And so this experience led Wesley to a period of soul searching that resulted in a fresh encounter with Christ. Through seeking God earnestly, his life was totally revolutionized and he emerged as a new and better preacher who made profound impact in Church history and founded the Methodist Church whose membership numbers in millions today.

We do not just assume faith, rather we consciously build it through a life of diligent study of God’s Word.
When we succeed in acquiring faith, we will have unwavering confidence in God that makes us immovable despite any negative circumstance.
Such steadfast faith in God is what will keep you calm in the midst of any storm. When you have taken the time to build a strong anchor in God’s Word, you will not be moved or shaken by happenings around you.

Today, the world is full of troubling news and anxieties as fear seems to lurk at every corner. In the News there are often diverse tales of evil occurrence and in the society, the sense of insecurity runs high.
However, those that put their trust in God will have strong confidence in His power of deliverance and will not be moved by circumstances.
Psalm 125;1 says ‘Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever’
No matter the stormy situation in the world, our strong confidence at all times is in our God, who is our constant shield and defense.
Unwavering confidence in God is what makes us victorious in any contest. What defeated Goliath was the confidence David had in God. It was this confidence that made David to run towards Goliath whom the whole army of Israel was running away from. (1 Samuel 17:32-37)
The Bible said concerning Abraham: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; (Romans 4:20-21).

Indeed when you truly trust God, your confidence in Him will be expressed through the praise coming from your mouth. Praise is giving verbal expression to your faith.
The Lord’s promise of protection is to those who maintain fellowship with Him, who dwell in His secret place and abide under His shadow.
In Psalm 61: 2-4 David says, ‘In the midst of this storm I will cry out to You, “when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings”
Indeed under the shadow of God’s wings we have a safe place, a refuge, a shelter. And thanksgiving and praise are covenant platforms through which we can access this hiding place in God. Let us therefore maintain a lifestyle of diligent study of the Word, prayer and praise. By so doing we will be continually preserved from every trouble and kept safe in every storm.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace to build up strong faith and confidence in You through committing to a lifestyle of diligent study of Your Word, and praise. Thank You Lord for always persevering me by Your Presence in Jesus Name.
QUOTE :
Praise is proof that you believe God to do what He said He would do in your life, WORDBITE 222

2 Timothy 1:12 ‘ ..Nevertheless I am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that Day.’

DAILY READING; Revelation 7; Nehemiah 9:38-10:39; Psalm 102

Rees Howell was the founder of The Bible College of Wales and one of the greatest intercessors of the 20th century.
Around 1915, Rees Howell and his wife felt called to ministry in Africa. But they had an only child, a 3 year old baby boy named Samuel, whom they had dedicated to the Lord, just like his Biblical namesake. If they were to answer the call to Africa, they could not take Samuel with them as it would put his life at risk. On the other hand, they were concerned about how Samuel would be taken care of if they were to leave him behind.
Eventually, Rees’s uncle and wife who were childless, were given the guardianship of baby Samuel. It was a huge sacrifice for Rees and his wife to make for the sake of answering the call of God. But while praying together God gave them a remarkable promise. Rees said the Lord told him, ‘For everything you give up for Me, there is the hundredfold; and on this you can claim 10,000 souls in Africa.’
With faith in this promise from God, they stepped out and headed to Africa. Indeed God gave them a great revival and amazing harvest of souls in Africa. When they concluded their ministry and came home, they also found that God had taken great care of Samuel.
God’s hand remained strong upon Samuel as he grew older. He walked in his father’s footsteps and was prayerful and dedicated to the service of God.
In 1950, Samuel became Director of his father’s worldwide ministry when Rees Howells was taken into glory. Samuel successfully led the work for the next fifty-two years; and touched the lives of countless numbers of people all over the world.
His story is contained in the book, ‘Samuel, Son and Successor of Rees Howells:’

Stepping out in faith means trusting God with all our concerns.
Though it may mean leaving our comfort zone and facing our deepest fears, in the end God always reward us for our obedience.
We need to learn to walk by faith, knowing that when we are following God and obeying Him, He will never fail nor forsake us.
Our concerns of protection, provision, preservation of our loved ones are all taken care of as we walk in the covenant of Kingdom service.
Exodus 23:25–26 says that when you serve God, He shall bless your bread, and water; He will take sickness away from your midst, you shall not cast your young, nor be barren and the number of your days He will fulfill.”
God promises that when we seek Him first, He will take care of all else.
Stepping out in faith, means doing what you can and then God will do what you can’t do. When you do the natural, God will do the supernatural.
We do not fret or become anxious, about the future, rather we abide by the statement of confidence in God found in 2 Timothy 1:12, “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

Therefore today, let us hand over to God whatever may be a concern over our finances, health, family, relationships, etc.
As we keep our focus on God, there will be no need to worry over our welfare.
Jesus said “do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the gentiles run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” (Matthew 6:31]
God is indeed mindful of us. And rather than be anxious, through prayer and supplication, let us make our requests known unto Him.
The truth is that we are more effective when pray over a matter than worrying over our fears and concerns. David said, “I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4)
Indeed we are to seek God and cast all our cares upon Him, because He cares for us. Rather than worry, we will have peace by keeping our mind focused on His Word.
Isaiah 26:3 says “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

Peace doesn’t mean that you will not have problems. Peace means that your problems will not have you.
Certainly, through keeping our focus on God’s Word, we will experience the peace that passes all understanding as we step out in faith to obey what He has called us to do.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to keep my mind always focused on Your Word so that I can have the faith to step out boldly and obey Your will for me . Thank You Lord for always taking care of all that concerns me in Jesus Name. .
QUOTE;
Faith is more than just believing, it is acting upon The Word that you believe. WORDBITE 222

Psalm 34:19-20 ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken..’

DAILY READING • Revelation 6; Nehemiah 8:13-9:37; Psalm 101

In 2016, Joseph Ovalbek Turdakuna, a Chinese Christian was approached by his pastor with a warning. She told him that she had a vision and saw Joseph in a dark room full of smoke with no windows and no light. Then, a hand appeared and took him out of the place. Joseph immediately knew what the vision implied: prison.
At first he was afraid, but chose to trust God who reveals to redeem..
Two years later, in February 2018 this vision came to manifestation: Joseph was arrested from his home by Chinese officials and imprisoned for 10 months. He was subjected to different kinds of tortures and kept in a dark room. The dusts in the air often made the room seem full of smoke. This was just like the vision his pastor had told him about . But Joseph was comforted by the thought that in the vision a hand had eventually taken him out of the dark place.
He believed God would deliver him and faithfully held on to God’s Word.
In the meantime, he used his time there to preach to the other prisoners. This was difficult because the pisoners were not allowed to talk to each other and were under constant surveillance by a network of cameras.
But during their daily showers, when about 60 inmates filled the shower room, Joseph could talk to them about Jesus, because the noise of the shower-heads masked their conversations. As he shared from Scriptures hidden in his heart, God began to do miraculous things in the lives of these men.
Ten months later, in December 2018 Joseph was brought out from prison but placed under house arrest. He was forced to work without pay and unable to freely leave his home and constantly monitored by facial-recognition cameras.
In 2019, Joseph, his wife, and their 11-year-old son fled to Kyrgyzstan. Chinese authorities actively sought to repatriate them and his bank account was frozen.
Two years later, Kyrgyz officials refused to renew his visa and his deportation to China seemed eminent. Knowing the horrible punishment that awaited him in China, Joseph contacted some US Christian organizations for help.
Miraculously, Joseph received unusual assistance from the US government as a special authorization was given him to gain entry into the United States. So Joseph and his family finally escaped the clutches of the Chinese government and took up residence in America.
Truly, as was shown in the vision, God’s mighty hand had pulled him out of the dark room and brought him to the light of liberty and freedom.

Faith is a spiritual lifeline that can lift you out of any pit. The entrance of God’s Word gives you the light that will help you escape from any dark place.
As a Christian, your decision to serve God will attract attacks from the forces of hell, but in every situation, be assured that God is able to fight for you and deliver you.

Psalm 34:19-20 says ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken..’

In every temptation, God will surely make a way of escape for you.
When Peter was locked up in prison to be killed the following day, guarded by soldiers there seemed to be no way of escape. Yet, despite the tight security, an angel came right into the prison and brought him out.
There’s no situation too tight for God to intervene.
He is the way-maker who can break open prison doors and break you out of any captivity. When you have faith in God’s Word, you can never be stranded in life.
Faith confers us with supernatural victory over life’s challenges.. Because we are born of God, we are born to overcome the world, through our faith(1 John 5:4).
The power of God resident in a believer, which is the anointing, can be likened to oil. And just like oil will always rise above water, the child of God can never be held down or held back by any circumstance. He will keep rising higher because he that comes from above is above all.
If today, you feel trapped by any situation, or things seem dark and gloomy, keep your gaze on God’s Word, until enough faith arises in your heart to defy that situation and overcome it.. Refuse to be intimidated or defeated, you’re not a victim, you’re the victor. And through faith in Christ you can rise above every valley and reach your mountaintop.
Surely God’s promises will eventually manifest in your life. God is faithful to His Word and all of His promises are “Yes” and “Amen.”
As you keep giving glory to God and keep declaring Him faithful, surely God will turn around every captivity and turn every mourning into dancing for you

PRAYER; Lord I thank You for the release of supernatural faith in my heart to believe You for my own miracles. You are forever faithful and You never fail and I know that even right now You are performing amazing wonders in my life in Jesus Name..
QUOTE
When you apply The Word of God, it will work for you, anywhere and anytime- WORDBITE 222.