HORM Devotional

Ephesians 1:19-20 ‘And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.’

DAILY READING; 1 Corinthians 14:26-40; 2 Kings 9; Jonah 4

Jacob Chamberlain served for 37 years as a missionary to the Telugu people of India.
In September, 1863, he made a plan to go into Central India, an area where no other missionary had ever been, to preach.
This was regarded to be an extremely dangerous journey and other missionaries warned Jacob Chamberlain and begged him not to throw away his life.
But after counting the costs, Jacob Chamberlain decided that the dangers were not sufficient to stop him from obeying the command of ‘Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel’.
Reassured by the promise of Jesus to be with him always, he embarked on the journey accompanied by four Indian natives.
For two months, they travelled seven hundred miles, and distributed thousands of Gospel materials. Though they faced many difficulties, Christ helped them to overcome.
However, their lives became grossly endangered when they came to an interior city, where their preaching angered the people because they spoke of another God than theirs. A mob closed the iron gates of the town, shutting them within, and began to gather stones to stone them to death.
However, Jacob Chamberlain begged them to allow him tell just one story before they should begin the stoning. Surprisingly they agreed to listen. He then began to tell them the story of the Cross. From a revelation Christ gave him, Jacob Chamberlain painted a graphic picture of what transpired at Calvary.
The more he spoke the more the mob became absorbed in the story. As he described the sufferings of Christ, the missionary saw tears begin to trickle down some cheeks among the people.
Soon the mob threw their stones into the gutter, and when the missionary was done, they eagerly received the Gospel materials, hungry to know more about that wonderful God-man who loved them so much that He shed His Blood to redeem them from sin.
Thus the story of the Cross preserved Jacob Chamberlain and his team from death. His missionary adventures are captured in his book titled ‘In the Tiger Jungle’.

The Good News of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection activate God’s power of deliverance.
As Jacob Chamberlain told the story of the Cross, it invoked the power in the Blood which brought sudden transformation to the native Indians and miraculously arrested their evil plot.
Truly there’s power in tbe preaching of the Cross. It is power that destroys the plans of hell and sets the captives free.
Understanding the power of the Cross is our secret to a victorious Christian life.
The Cross is the centerpiece of our lives as believers. It is a constant reminder of the victory we have over the enemy.
As Christians, we may wear crosses around our necks as our identification, but more importantly we need to apply its power to our lives.
God invested so much in the Blood of Jesus shed at the Cross, to ensure we never sufffer defeats in life.

The spiritual transaction at Calvary was Heaven’s most expensive project on earth. It cost the life of the only begotten son of God to secure for us eternal triumph over all satanic assaults.
The Cross was hell’s greatest undoing. It was the devil’s ultimate mistake because if only he had known, he would not have crucified the King of glory.
The crucifixion of Christ released into the earth the greatest weapon against the devil and his agents..And today, they are defenceless anytime the Blood is invoked.
The mystery of the Blood is our stronghold in battle. It conquers death, hell and the grave. It guarantees our divine security and immunity from all evil plans.

In any situation where it seems you have been locked in and the enemy seems set to steal, kill and destroy, invoking the Blood causes your soul to escape as a bird out of the snare of the fowler.
The stripes of Jesus can heal you from even impossible medical conditions.
His Blood is able to arrest the evil forces of financial stagnancy, and reverse any negative report in your life.
No matter where it may seem you have been cornered, today, there is a way out through the Blood.
The power in the Blood is able to close the mouth of the lions and rescue you from the fiery furnace.
As you begin to plead the Blood, a fourth man appears in the fire to carry out a rescue operation.
Surely, you cannot be stranded as long as you can understand and apply the power in the Blood of Jesus to any situation of concern..
Certainly, today, as we begin to engage the Blood in battle, our victory is assured and guaranteed.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You that by the Blood of Jesus I am protected from every plans of the wicked. Thank You Lord for the constant shield of the Blood around me and my family now and always in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
When you obey God’s instruction you are delivered from destruction. WORDBITE 222

Psalm 121:1-2 ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.’

DAILY READING; 1 Corinthians 14:1-25; 2 Kings 8; Jonah 3

The book titled, ‘The Friendship That Shaped Jewish History’, is the story of two men, Eddie Jacobson and Harry Truman.

Eddie was a Jewish boy from New York, who had a close childhood friend, named Harry. They did military service together during the First World War, and later went into business together. But as time went on, they drifted apart into different career paths.
Eddie became a travelling salesman selling clothes, but his friend, Harry took a slightly different route and in 1945, Harry S. Truman ended up as the 33rd president of the United States.
Three years later their friendship would shape history.
In 1948, as the Jews led by Ben-Gurion, began to get ready to proclaim independence of Israel, they sought the support of America.
But the American State Department advised President Harry Truman not to support the new state of Israel as they feared it would antagonize the Arabs and cut off America’s access to oil in the Middle East.
As Jewish leaders and Jewish organizations tried their utmost to see the president in the White House, and get his support, every such single attempt was refused. Even the leader of the Zionist movement, Chaim Weizmann, the man who would become the first president of the State of Israel, was refused a meeting with president Truman.
As time became desperate, somebody remembered that Harry S. Truman had a childhood friend called Eddie Jacobson. So they reached out to Eddie.
Eddie was the only Jew who finally was able gain access to President Truman at the white house and convinced him to support Israel.
Harry S. Truman made the United States the first country in the world to recognize the New State of Israel when David Ben Gurion pronounced it. America’s support helped the new nation to stand on its feet despite the many oppositions faced from surrounding Arab nations.

In Jewish History the role Eddie Jacobson played is often equated to the role of Queen Esther who had access to the King Ahasuerus and was able to convince him to support the Jews at a very crucial time.
Indeed God knows how to strategically position the right people at the right time for the deliverance of His people.
You may be in a situation today where you are wondering how help will arise for you. But if you will trust God and look to Him, you will find that He has already planned the solution even before the problem arose.
We need to keep our eyes on God because our help comes from Him alone.

Psalm 121:1-2 says ‘I will lift up my eyes to the hills— from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth’

No matter how insurmountable the mountains and hills, we need to lift our eyes above to the One who controls them.
We serve the limitless God who holds the oceans in the palm of His hand. He sized the heavens between His fingers, poured out the dust of the earth in a measuring bowl and weighed each mountain and hill (Isaiah 40:12).
When we lift up our eyes to consider our majestic Creator, we will find that truly nothing is too hard for Him!
God is a Master planner, not only in creation, but also in our lives. Before He created us, He had our purpose and destiny already mapped out.
He has appointed times and season for us and designed destiny helpers who will surface at the right time to take us to our next level.
Our life journey is not a haphazard project, neither are we left in the world to fend for ourselves.
As we walk in obedience to God’s will, He places in our paths divine connectors to help us arrive at His preordained place for us.
Success is not accidental. It is the result of deliberately following God’s divine strategy.
But while it is true that God has strategically ordained destiny helpers and divine opportunities, we must be spiritually sensitive to recognize them. This is why it is important to live a life of spiritual fervency through diligent study of God’s Word, prayers and fellowship with the Spirit.
As we keep our eyes on Jesus and look to Him for our help, surely, He will cause us to surpass every expectation and reach amazing pinnacles of success.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for Your marvelous help in my life. Please help me not to miss Your divine opportunities for me this year in Jesus’ Name.
QUOTE
You will never need more than God to experience the impossible in life. – WORDBITE 222..

Isaiah 45:3[NIV] ‘I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name…’’

DAILY READING; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Kings 7:3-20; Jonah 2

Yates Pool is a famous oil field in West Texas which was discovered on October 28, 1926. The oil field was owned by a man named Ira Yates.
Ira Yates’ struggles began early in life when he became an orphan at just 12 years of age. When he grew older, he married the daughter of a Methodist minister and together they began working hard to have a better life.
They were able to purchase a large 20,000 acre ranch on mortgage, to be paid off within three years. However, when the great economic depression hit America in the 1920’s, Ira Yates and his wife, suffered financial setbacks. With little money for clothes or food, their family had to live on government subsidy.
Soon Ira fell behind on his mortgage payments and the bank threatened to foreclose and take away everything he had. As Ira Yates racked his brain trying to figure out how to pay off his bills, he had an intuition to allow an oil company to test his land for oil.
Crews came and drilled an exploratory well on the ranch. To their surprise, they found that a large reservoir of oil lay beneath the property, covering an area of over 41 square miles.
This discovery instantly reversed the Yates’ fortunes. In no time they became millionaires.
In the years which followed many other wells were drilled on the Yates’ property. In 1929, five of these wells produced $133,280-worth of oil per day, which is equivalent to the incredible sum of $1,759,213.64 per day in today’s dollars. Yates’ oil Field would end up as one of the top 10 producers of oil in the United States.

Interestingly, for many years Ira Yates and his wife suffered poverty, not knowing that they were sitting on top of mammoth wealth. They could have lived and died as poor sheep ranchers, if God’s wisdom did not intervene to unveil to them their incredible riches.

God says in Isaiah 45:3[NIV] ‘I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name…’

When God says He will “give us the treasures of darkness and wealth stored in secret places,” it means He wants to open our eyes to things that would otherwise remain unseen, so we can claim what would otherwise remain unclaimed
God alone knows where hidden riches are on the earth.
It’s normal for people to lock their treasures in vaults and hidden chambers. God, too, has His hidden chambers and “secret places” on earth where life’s treasures are hidden.
And the Good News is that He is not trying to hide the treasures from us, rather He’s hiding them for us!
When we follow His guidance He will show us where to find oil and strike gold in life. One idea from God can catapult us to amazing heights of destiny.
Wisdom from the Holy Spirit is the key to profiting, fruitfulness and supernatural overflow in our endeavors.
Wisdom controls success and riches. Solomon who was the wisest king also became the richest king in history.
However, the wisdom we manifest depends on the level of attention we pay to the Word of God.
The Bible is God’s wisdom bank. It is the wisdom of God in print. When we are filled with the spiritual treasures of revelation and knowledge from God’s Word, the Spirit then guides us to the physical treasures on earth.
Many of us could be sitting on top of great wealth today without knowing it, but as we connect to the Holy Spirit He will grant us access to these hidden riches. It is God’s design to reveal His treasures to those that love Him and who are seeking first His Kingdom.
Because we love God, what eyes have not seen, what ears have not heard and what has not even come into the mind of men, will the Lord do for us in this season.
Certainly, this year, God will open our eyes to major discoveries that will reposition us for relevance and cause the world to celebrate us.

PRAYER: Lord, Please give me the grace to connect to Your Wisdom, so that Your foreordained plan and purpose for me, can come into full manifestation this year in Jesus Name. .
QUOTE
The treasures of God are never on the shallow end, but are always buried in the depth of God’s Word. It takes a personal discovery to get there. – WORDBITE 222

1 Peter 5:8 ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:’

DAILY READING; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; 2 Kings 5; Obadiah 1

The Bilderberg meeting is an annual unofficial conference of some of the world’s most influential people. Since its inception in 1954, the Bilderberg Group has been comprised of European prime ministers, American presidents, and the wealthiest CEOs of the world, all coming together to discuss the economic and political future of humanity. However, these meetings are often shrouded in complete mystery and impenetrable security. The press has never been allowed to attend, nor have statements ever been released from these meetings which have ramifications on the citizens of the world.
Expectedly, this secret meeting of American and European elites have attracted huge amount of suspicion and paranoia.
In 2005, Daniel Estulin an award-winning investigative journalist, published a book titled ‘The True Story of the Bilderberg Group’,
In this book, Daniel Estulin provides an investigative report and fascinating account of these meetings of the Bilderberg Group. Using spy tactics and putting his own at risk, —the author did what no one else had managed to achieve by gaining access to what was being said behind the closed doors of the meetings and making it available to the public.
According to Daniel Estulin, the real and actual political power resides not with the publicly elected government representatives but with private individuals who are exercising power behind the scenes, beyond the scrutiny of democratic institutions. He believes there is one world on the surface where most of the world population lives but there’s another world that exists where an invisible government rules the world.
Other authors, literature and movies have also expounded this idea of a secret government.
While their notions are often dismissed as conspiracy theories, there is a spiritual truth we can derive from them.

Beyond the physical world there is a spiritual world that controls what goes on earth.
A believer who only walks by sight is living in spiritual ignorance, because things are established spiritually before they manifest physically.
To be victorious in life, we need to be spirituallly conscious and alert.
If your only experience is of the physical world and you lack knowledge of the spiritual realm, you may end up as a loser in the game of life.
As believers, though we are in the world we are not of this world. Our real realm of operation is the spirit realm.
Our battle is not with flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of wickedness in high places. Our weapons of spiritual warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
In this life, you can’t afford to limit yourself to operating only on the surface physical realm. That is dangerous.
There is a need for us to become spiritually knowledgeable so as to adequately handle the spiritual oppositions against our destiny.
Being born again is only the beginning of our journey, there is a need for rigorous spiritual training through diligent study of the Word, praying in the Spirit, worship, fasting etc
We have to become so controlled by God’s Word that we constantly walk by faith and not by sight.
The things of God ought to be more real to us than the things of this world.
The Christians who will triumph in this end-time are those who are ever vigilant and aware of their spiritual environment.
Certainly as we stay spiritually alert, sensitive and discerning, we will be able to overcome any hidden battle against us and triumph always through Christ.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to always walk by the light of Your Word so that I can be spiritually alive and sensitive to my environment. By Your grace I shall always emerge triumphant over every hidden battle in Jesus Name.

QUOTE;
As a child of God you have to recognize that you are in the middle of an ongoing battle, but through faith we have the victory. WORDBITE 222

1 John 5:3 ‘For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.’

DAILY READING; 1 Corinthians 11:1-16; 2 Kings 4; Amos 9

William Edwin Boardman authored the book, ‘The Higher Christian Life’ which ignited a revival known as the Higher Life movement.
However, he almost missed his calling due to initial disobedience to divine instructions.
Before going into ministry, William Boardman was in a business partnership where he had plans of financial success. When he felt God calling him to leave his business and become a full time preacher, it was a difficult decision for him to make. So he told God that he would obey if someone would buy him out. Within a week his partner came to tell him of someone who wanted to buy out his half of the business. William then sold it and went into the seminary to begin preparations for ministry.
However, he never fully let go of his business ambitions. While in the seminary, he had a chance to make a great deal of money. So he abandoned his studies and went back into business. He later got married and everything seemed to be going well at first.
But soon he and his wife began to suffer one financial tragedy after another. A building they owned burned down, without insurance. A bank failed with most of their funds. As they faced bankruptcy, William’s wife fell ill and almost died. With all these happenings, William became convicted about his disobedience to God.
Finally he repented and turned his life over to God and recommitted his finances into His hands. As he did so, his life began to regain stability.
After seeking God for months he received the revelation about living a higher life of consecration to God. This led to his writting the book titled “A Higher Christian Life” in 1858. This book became a major success and sparked a revival in England, and North America. It influenced great Christian leaders such as A. B. Simpson, who went on to start the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
Through William Boardman’s ministry, many lives were impacted globally for Christ.

Truly, God’s commandments are not grievous, but rather designed for our profiting.
While William was reluctant to obey God because of his local business ambitions, he had no idea God wanted to use him for global impact.
Sometimes divine instructions may not agree with our own thinking or ideas, but obeying them is the key to our breakthrough.
The truth is that it is not everything God tells us to do that is always easy or convenient. But if obedience seems costly, disobedience is far more costly. We can’t afford it.
Walking outside of God’s will can lead to failures, defeats and tragedies.
In our journey of life, the path of obedience to God is always the safest path to follow. We must not promote convenience or personal ambition above doing the will of God because today’s enjoyment could lead to tomorrow’s suffering.
It doesn’t matter how hard a man works, if he is working outside of God’s will, all his efforts will end in futility. Because except the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain that build it and except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.[Psalm 127:1]

We will be bankrupt if we don’t bank on God’s grace. But when we walk in obedience to His divine instructions, we will see great manifestations of His power in our lives and endeavors.
The truth is that whatever plans we may have for ourselves can never compare to God’s greater plans for us.
Perhaps today, God has been nudging your spirit to go in a particular direction, or given you an instruction from His Word..
Prompt obedience is the key to breakthrough.
Diligently study God’s Word to receive the faith and grace to step out in obedience.
Surely, as we commit to always following God’s plans, He will direct our paths into fruitfulness, breakthroughs and supernatural abundance.

PRAYER; Father, today I choose to trust You with all my heart. Please grant me the grace to be more committed in the study of Your Word so as to develop the faith for prompt obedience to Your instructions in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
QUOTE
God knows how to work everything together in your life for your own good . WORDBITE 222.

MARCH 24; BEAUTY FOR ASHES!

Isaiah 61:3 – “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;’

DAILY READING; 1 Corinthians 10; 2 Kings 3; Amos 8

Yaron Bob, is an Israeli artist, who has found a means of transforming weapons of war into expressions of beauty. He is a sculptor who has become famous for transforming ‘rockets into roses’.
He works with missile shards and transforms them into beautiful art.
Israel as a nation grapples with constant security threats. Residents in Israel often face rocket attacks and suicide bombings. Despite the volume of attacks, God’s divine hand of protection has been strongly evident over the nation.
These rockets fired into Israel gives Yaron Bob the materials to work with.
He gathers shards of metal from the missiles and turns them into pieces of art, including jewelry.
Bob knows firsthand how it feels to live in the shadow of terror. He resides in Yated, a small Israeli community near the border with the Gaza strip and he has had several close calls with incoming rockets that could have killed him.
Instead of bemoaning his situation, he decided to turn the rocket shards into something useful.
His unique form of art has distinguished him and many top world dignitaries have been presented with his sculptures of “rockets to roses”.
Interestingly, what the enemy meant for evil has turned around to make Yaron Bob famous and celebrated.

Isaiah 61:3 sys “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes..’

Ashes represent what’s left over after something’s been burned up or destroyed.
In the case of Yaron Bob, it meant the burnt shards of spent rockets. Yet, he has learned how to turn the instruments of death into items of beauty and décor.

It has been said that when life throws you lemon, you turn them into lemonades.
How we respond to issues determines whether we are beaten or blessed, whether we are victims or victors. Certainly, your misery can be turned into your ministry.

It is God’s will for us to be refined by problems rather than to be defined by them. Indeed rather than let situations of life affect us negatively we can affect them positively.
It is not the storm as much as our reaction to the storm that determines its effect upon us.
Through faith in God’s Word, we can change problems into possibilities, and turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.
People may attack you, but don’t let their negative actions determine the outcome of your life. No matter what anyone did to you, you can put it behind you and rise from the ashes.

God says He will give us beauty for ashes, but we cannot receive the beauty if we are still holding on to the ashes. We have to let go and let God. Don’t wallow in the ashes of bitterness or pain.
Life is not always fair, but God is able to take what was meant for your harm and use it to your advantage. You may not understand everything that happens, but trust that God is working out a higher purpose in your life.
Just stay in faith through study of God’s Word and maintain a lifestyle of fervent prayers and praise.
Don’t give in to negative emotions and allow them to keep you from God’s blessings and promotion. Fix your eyes on Jesus and not on the negativity.
Certainly, God is always at work to cause everything to work together for our good.
And today, by His grace, no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper, rather they will become materials for your promotion and decoration..
Though you may sometimes walk through the valley of the shadow of death, never forget that ahead, God has prepared a table for you. Surely, your cup is about to run over with blessings!

PRAYER;
Lord, please help me to always fix my eyes on promises in Your Word and not on problems. I bless and praise You for I know that even right now, You are turning everything around for my good 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

Jeremiah 32:17 ‘Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:’

DAILY READING; 1 Corinthians 9; 2 Kings 1-2; Amos 7

In his book titled, ‘In the Footsteps of a Prophet’, Jerry Savelle recounts an experience that happened early in his Christian life.
One day in 1970, Jerry and his wife attended a Kenneth Copeland meeting and left their youngest baby Terri, in the Church’s nursery.
But while in the nursery, Terri crawled under a rocking chair and her two fingers were accidentally cut off.
As Jerry and his wife sat listening to the Word of God being preached, they suddenly heard screaming in the distance. To their shock, they saw the nursery attendant come running into the hall with Terri in her arms and blood all over her.
The attendant told them what happened and as Kenneth Copeland prayed that the pain would stop, Terri stopped screaming and instantly fell asleep.
When the nursery attendant handed to Jerry the two severed fingers in a paper towel, fear tried to grip his heart. But Jerry chose to stand in faith and began to quote every scripture he knew, believing God for the restoration of his baby’s fingers.
Terri was taken to the best plastic surgeon in the state. But after examining the child, the doctor concluded that there was no hope of sewing back the severed fingers. He said they could never grow back again rather in their place,Terri would just have two stubs.
But Jerry and his wife refused to accept the negative medical report and continued to confess the Word and believe for a miracle. As they continued standing in faith, God miraculously did the impossible. He not only restored Terri’s fingers to normal length, but He gave her beautiful fingernails as well!
Later when the plastic surgeon saw Terri’s fully restored fingers, he was amazed and recognized that it was indeed beyond what medical science could ever have done.

Truly, nothing is ever too hard for God!
It doesn’t matter what the facts or the experts may say, God’s Word is always superior to man’s opinion
Whatever may seem to have been cut off or taken from you, God is able to restore in greater quantity and quality.
If perhaps, you are facing a negative diagnosis or negative report today, be rest assured that we serve the all-sufficient God, the God of all hope. He is the resurrection and the life.
He is our strong tower that we can run into when the storms of life are raging all around us.
Because of the power in the Blood of Jesus, we will always overcome.
We do not allow contrary situations to have the last word, rather we keep challenging them and confronting them with God’s Word.
To be victorious in life’s battles we must learn to rise up vehemently against anti-covenant situations and things contrary to God’s will for us.
Essentially, spiritual warfare is a war of words.
Therefore, keep speaking faith and keep focusing on what is written in God’s Word, because what is written will eventually control what is happening around you.
Whatever you may pass through, always be assured that God is able to bring healing and restoration to you.
Through the power of Christ we can experience divine rescue and inexplicable miracles that beats sense and logic.
No matter how hot the battle, never become discouraged or think that it is the end of the road. No enemy can have the final say over you. Sickness, disease, poverty or lack cannot have the final say. Jesus has paid an ultimate price for our rescue at the Cross with His Blood. Therefore affliction is not permitted to arise a second time anywhere in our lives.
As we engage the weapon of the Blood, every tongue that tries to rise against us in judgment shall be condemned. Truly by the Blood our victory is always guaranteed.
Therefore no matter what you may go through, never give in to despair, because that’s right where the enemy wants you. Rather keep praising God because He is in control and able to fully restore you and turn every mourning into dancing for you.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You today, that I have victory by the Blood of Jesus. Truly, no weapon formed against me shall prosper and every tongue that shall arise against me in Judgment is already condemned in Jesus Name.

QUOTE: When God is on your side, anything is possible. – WORDBITE 201

Deuteronomy 30:15-16 (NLT) ‘Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you’

DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 8; 1 Kings 22; Amos 6

As a young boy, Lester Sumrall was not really serious about God. But by age 17, he lay on a deathbed suffering from tuberculosis. There was no cure and it seemed death was inevitable. But while lying there, he suddenly received a vision. He saw suspended in midair to the right of his bed was a casket; on his left was a large open Bible. He heard these words: “Lester Sumrall, which of these will you choose tonight?”
He made his decision – he chose the Bible and to preach the Gospel as long as he lived. After making this choice, by the time he awoke the next morning Lester Sumrall was completely healed.
Thereafter, he became a fiery young preacher in the backwoods of Florida, Tennessee, and Arkansas. At the age of 19, he founded a Church and was ordained by the Assemblies of God.
Some years later God brought Lester Sumrall in contact with an established older minister, Howard Carter and the two men formed a relationship like that of Paul and Timothy. Together, they forged new territories in the arena of spiritual warfare and established many Churches.
Lester Sumrall traveled the world ministering in 110 countries, and wrote over 130 books.
He was one of the most colorful preachers of the 20th century. He founded the Lester Sumrall Evangelistic Association (LeSEA) which included a humanitarian arm, World Harvest Radio International and World Harvest Bible College.

Life does not get better by chance it gets better by the choices we make.
Though Lester Sumrall was at the point of death, when he made the choice to serve God, he was immediately revived and released into a glorious destiny.
God is able to bring us up from any depth once we make the definite choice to begin following His will.
We may not have a dramatic encounter before choosing to serve God as Lester Sumrall did, but the point remains that each of us must make the definite choice to live for God and serve His purpose.
Our decision to actively work for God, commits Him to preserve our lives and bless our endeavors.
A servant of God is not necessarily someone in full time ministry but someone in full time obedience to God and His Word.
Our choice to serve God and be fruitful in His Kingdom determines the outcome of our destiny.
In Luke 13:6-9, the master asked his steward to cut down the tree that was not producing fruit.
When our lives are fruitful and bringing benefits to God, He will bless us and ensure we are not cut down in life.
It is when we serve God that He blesses our bread and water and takes away sicknesses from us. (Ex. 23:25)
Job 36:11 says -” If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures”.

We must understand that our experience in life is not about our circumstances, but it is basically about our covenant positioning. Sometimes the reason why things are not working could be because we are not fully obeying God and working for Him. Blessings are outcomes of obedience.
It is our degree of commitment to seeking God first that determines our ultimate height in the race of life.
Today, let us make the definite choice to ensure service to God becomes our distinguishing identity this year. Certainly, that will be the pathway to enjoying, preservation, protection, provision and supernatural overflow in every area of our lives.

PRAYER
Father, I come before You today to receive the grace to serve You acceptably. Please help me to make the choice to prioritize Your will above all else, so that Your glory will be manifested fully in my life in Jesus’ Name
QUOTE;
It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 201

2Corinthians 9:6 ‘But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.’

DAILY READING – – – • 1 Corinthians 7:25-40; 1 Kings 21; Amos 5

‘Canzelll Reality’ is an American multimillion-dollar real estate company owned by
Chantel Ray.
Chantel’s success story is as a result of what she learned about tithing.
Before then, Chantel was serving as a youth pastor in her Church, but did not pay tithes. She worked a low income job that left her struggling financially. She was barely able to buy basic things or pay her rent. She was using credit cards to survive, but after several years of this she was $10,000 in debt and her cards were maxed out. She could no longer even buy grocery.
At this point her life was in shambles. In desperation, she went in prayer to God for an answer to her financial woes. As she prayed, she felt God was telling her to “start tithing.”
But she didn’t immediately take action rather she wanted to wait until she could begin making more money. But after months of waiting and seeing things only get worse, she eventually decided to start with the little she had. Her first tithe check was the only remaining $30 in her bank account. After paying the tithe, to her surprise, one week later, she received a $300 check in the mail. As she continued to tithe, a close family member paid off her $10,000 credit card debt and within a few months, she got a better paying job. Seeing that tithing was really working, Chantel then increased the amount of her tithe. She discovered that as she was faithful to keep her part, God was faithful to keep His part.
Soon the door opened into a new career in real estate and eventually she started her own firm.
Chantel Ray grew financially to become the owner of a multimillion-dollar company with over 130 employees. Today, she is an author, public speaker and philanthropist, who continually shares with her audience the power of giving and the faithfulness of God in her life.

Sometimes, sowing financial seeds may appear difficult because of so many needs around us. But if we continue to observe the clouds we may never sow, and if never sow then we will never reap.
Sowing and reaping is a law that controls the universe.
Genesis 8:22 says that as long as the earth exists seedtime and harvest.shall not cease
Whatever any one sows in life, they will surely reap with time. He that sows sparingly will reap sparingly and he that sows bountifully will reap bountifully. Our seeds today determine our fruits tomorrow. Our seed is the custodian of our future.
No matter what little we think we have, we can express our love for God through how much of that little we are willing to give, it is not about the volume it is about the value.
God uses the area of financial giving to test our hearts and our love for Him. Giving is a deep part of our personal connection to God and God is always interested to know how much we are willing to lay down for the sake of His kingdom.
However it takes grace to be able to give sacrificially.

Speaking of the Macedonia Church, 2 Corinthians 8;2 says: “How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;’

Under normal circumstances, the Macedonian Church should not give because of their deep poverty.
But they looked beyond their needs and were able to give because of the supernatural grace of God at work in their lives. That grace
enabled them to give despite their deep poverty and great trial of affliction.

It certainly takes grace to overcome the sense of self-preservation that tries to hinder us from sacrificial giving.
Let us therefore receive the grace today to give to God cheerfully and willingly no matter the conditions around us.
As we respond with prompt obedience to every call for sacrifice in God’s kingdom, it will surely lead to supernatural overflow and open the gateways to our financial freedom.

PRAYER: Lord, I know that it is Your will for me to prosper, I therefore thank You for releasing to me today the supernatural grace to continually sow seeds that will produce rich harvests in my life in Jesus Name ..
QUOTE;
Until your worship gets to your money, it hasn’t really gotten to you. – WORDBITE 222.

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’

DAILY READING; 1 Corinthians 7:1-24; 1 Kings 20; Amos 4:4-13

Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect and poet whose work had a major influence on the development of Western art.
One of the world’s most well-known sculpture “The ‘David’ was sculpted by him. He based the sculpture on the biblical story of David and Goliath.
However, it is amazing that this celebrated artwork was made from a discarded block of Carrara marble that other artists had rejected.

Two other artists had tried to work with this enormous piece of discarded Carrara marble, but had given up on it because they thought it had impurities. But when Michelangelo saw that piece of marble, he saw within it great possibilities. In his mind’s eye he saw what the other artists couldn’t see and quickly went to work. Michelangelo was able to find a way to turn the unworkable piece of marble into the statue that is now celebrated centuries after as the ‘David’.

Our architect and Master builder is God. Though outwardly sometimes, there may seem to be nothing great about us, God knows that within us is a masterpiece.
Men may look at us and conclude poorly, But God looks at us and sees the glorious destiny He has preordained.

God loves to eventually turn the stones which the builders rejected into the chief corner stone.
This is why we should not look to men’s opinion, but rather we look to what God says in His Word concerning us.
And what He says about us, no man can contradict.  
No matter how difficult things may seem, keep your focus on God’s Word and listen only to what He is saying to you.
God says you are created after His image and likeness. You are designed to function as He does.
You are His workmanship. You are His divine project. You are not created to be average. You’re not called to live an ordinary life. There is treasure hidden within you.
You are full of amazing potentials. If you don’t look like it now it is because  your life is still under construction and God that has begun this good work in you will bring it to perfection.
You may be a rejected stone today, but keep trusting in God’s divine plan for you.
Stay close to Him through study of the Word, prayers and worship and see how God turns around your story.
All you need to do, is to be rightly positioned in Christ and every other thing will fall into place.
Surely, God will cause everything to work together for your good.
As you’ stay in faith and keep believing God’s good plan for your life, you’ll soon experience His supernatural overflow. Blessings will chase you down and you will see speedy fulfilment of God’s promises.

PRAYER: Father I thank You for definite change of story in this season.. Everywhere I was rejected, thank You for causing me to be celebrated in Jesus’ name.

QUOTE
True success is not verifiable in the fact a man has never fallen before but rather in the fact that he did not only fall but also got up- WORDBITE 222