HORM Devotional

John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.’

DAILY READING; Luke 2:21-52; Ezekiel 38-39; Isaiah 61

Tony Davis is a Pastor and Gospel musician whose ministry is greatly impacting lives today.
Though he was born into a Christian home, as a young man, he pursued worldly fame through singing Rhythm and Blues. A lifestyle of partying and drinking, left him feeling empty and frustrated until in desperation, he turned to God and rededicated his life to Christ. He then made the decision to sing for the Lord and pursue a Gospel music career.
He got married in 1995, and things seemed to be going well, until one evening when he went to pick up his wife from work. Unknown to him, some street gangs were having their initiation, which involved a shootout, Tony was caught in the shooting, 32 bullets were shot towards him and five of them hit him and he collapsed in a pool of blood.
After a while Tony died and found himself floating up to Heaven, to a huge glowing bright city. But all of a sudden He heard a voice say to him, ‘Tony, your work is not yet done. Go back.’ “
Meanwhile an ambulance had taken his body to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A doctor was just about to throw a sheet over his head, when suddenly Tony came back to life. On seeing Tony’s eyes open, the doctor screamed and ran out of the room. Other doctors and nurses rushed into the room and couldn’t believe that Tony was alive after having been dead for 30 minutes.
Tony woke up to face medical complications; his vocal cord had been cut and his left leg faced amputation. Though doctors said he would never talk or sing again, Tony continued to trust God and that very night he got a miracle. He was healed and his vocal cord was restored.
Today, Tony is again singing Gospel songs and telling everyone about the amazing power of God’s love. His story is captured in the movie ‘I Forgive’.

God is still in the business of doing wonders.
When you dedicate your life to serve God and worship Him in spirit and truth, it is impossible for the enemy to destroy you.
David was a worshipper of God. Saul and the army of Israel relentlessly pursued David for many years and yet couldn’t destroy him.
When you are a worshipper of God, you have a victorious destiny in Christ: you may be challenged, but you are not permitted to be defeated. Christ will always cause you to triumph.
Though you may pass through the valley of the shadow of death, and pass through trials and tribulations, you will always come out victorious.
Even if you face situations that look impossible, as long as you are a true worshipper of God, you don’t need to fret, because you are never alone. God dwells in the midst of praises, and so when you are a worshipper, you are in company with God and if God be for you, who can be against you (Romans 8:31).

Indeed divine presence is a principal factor in experiencing signs and wonders. Wherever God is, nothing can be impossible. Any condition, no matter how dead, can be turned around by the divine touch of Jesus.

In John 11:39-44, Lazarus was already dead and stinking. But when Jesus arrived at the scene, Lazarus was miraculously brought back to life.
Also in Luke 7:11-15, they were carrying the only son of the widow of Nain out to be buried, but when Jesus came, He stopped them and touched the coffin, and the dead man came back to life!
Indeed the Presence of Jesus will always make the difference.

When we are true worshippers, we will attract God’s Presence and never become stranded.
However, worshipping God does not just stop at singing, God is holy and He will only inhabit our praises when we are lifting up holy hands unto Him.

John 4:24 says ‘God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.’

Since our fellowship with God is in the spirit, we need to move away from carnality and begin to truly walk in the spirit. Therefore today, let us dedicate ourselves afresh to a lifestyle of holiness, prayers, worship and obedience to God’s Word. As we do, we will indeed experience inexplicable wonders and become indefatigable in every battle.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace to begin to sincerely worship You in spirit and in truth. I thank You for I know that even right now You are turning every obstacle into a miracle for me in Jesus’ Name.

QUOTE;
God is a good God irrespective of what He does or does not do in your life. Your life’s experience can never change the nature of God. WORDBITE 222

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

DAILY READING; Luke 2:1-20; Ezekiel 37; Isaiah 60

Fuego is one of Latin America’s most active volcanoes. Its catastrophic eruption on June 3, 2018, was Guatemala’s deadliest volcanic eruption since 1902 and it affected more than 1.7 million people.
The villagers living below Volcan de Fuego in Guatemala had little warning of the danger they were in.
Earlier in 2018, the volcano had erupted, without much catastrophe, but the residents 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, as they could not see the deadly wall of lava and rock moving down the slopes above them. By the time locals realized what was happening, it was too late.
More than a hundred people were killed and 12,000 evacuated from the area. Even the Guatemala City’s airport, which was around 27 miles away, was forced to close down due to ash on the runway.
Investigations revealed that the government had been forewarned about the eruption. Major Media organizations blamed and blasted the Guatemalan authorities for receiving early warnings of the danger, yet did little to avert the situation or evacuate villagers until it was too late,

Today, the Bible is giving early warnings of coming catastrophes in the world. There has been end-time signs of pestilence, earthquakes, economic woes etc. Jesus specifically gave these warnings that would precede the end of the age, but how many people are really listening or taking actions to escape?
As believers, we need to take heed to the instructions and warnings 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 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.
When God warned Noah of the approaching flood, Noah heeded that warning and by faith, he began to prepare and his actions saved his family.
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. Enable me to be totally dependent upon You, as I travel in this journey of life. By Your grace, I shall keep going deeper into Your presence as I seek You daily in Jesus Name.

QUOTE;
God is preparing you for the season He prepared for your breakthrough WORDBITE 222.

2 Chronicles 20:12, ‘..For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee..’

DAILY READING Luke 1:26-56; Ezekiel 34; Isaiah 58

In one of the greatest military raids in history, the U.S. Army rescued 2,121 people from the Los Banos prison camp in the Philippines.
During World War 2, Japan held captive many foreigners in the Los Banos prison camp. Among these were nine Assemblies of God missionaries and their children.
In the midst of their sufferings in the prison, these missionaries kept their hope in God. They prayed and praised God believing Him for a miraculous rescue out of their predicament.

In February 1942, an order came from the Japanese government that all the prisoners in the camp should be killed. The Japanese military planned to carry out the execution on Friday February 23, 1942.
The day before the massacre, the Machine guns were made ready to shoot the prisoners at exactly 7a.m of the next day.
To the missionaries and their families, it indeed seemed as if all hope was lost. However they still kept their eyes upon God.
Then as the next morning dawned, with only two minutes left to the execution, a miracle suddenly happened!
At exactly 6:58am, American planes began to fly over the prison camp and American paratroopers began dropping from the sky.
As the American soldiers engaged the Japanese military in battle, a fleet of American amphibian tractors —vehicles that can travel through land and water— burst into the camp and the prisoners were quickly ushered into these vehicles.
These amphibian tractors avoided the road and rather drove across the fields to a lake, where they made their way across the water. They dropped the prisoners on the other shore, from where they were evacuated to safety.
The Missionaries were indeed amazed at God’s amazing deliverance! All the 2,121 prisoners were rescued and no single life was lost. Though the American military had estimated that they would be able to rescue only about 80 percent of the prisoners, God surpassed their expectations and they rescued 100 percent of them.

Indeed God will always make a way of escape for those who trust in Him.
There is no mountain that God cannot level, no sea that He cannot dry up, and no Jordan that cannot be driven back for our sakes.
There is no situation, no matter how desperate, that God cannot handle in our lives. Therefore, any time you feel surrounded or overwhelmed, instead of panicking, keep your eyes on God and keep hoping in His Word.

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat was surrounded by mightier armies. And it looked like there was no way of escape. In 2 Chronicles 20:12, he prayed ‘We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you’.

God responded by telling them that they did not need to fight in the battle. What they needed to do was to set themselves and stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.

And so they set themselves by organizing a praise warfare!
The army stepped back and the singers and instrumentalists went ahead. King Jehoshaphat took the rear and allowed God to take the lead. As they gave God the first place, He took over their battle and won the victory for them.
When you have no might against the things coming against you, invite God into that situation through praising Him in the midst of the difficulties.
No battle or challenge you face is ever beyond what God can handle. Just make up your mind to give Him worthy praise and you will see His amazing wonders. Indeed God is fearful in praises and when we engage His presence in battle through praises, we will see the eruption of miracles, signs and wonders.

PRAYER: Lord, I know that You are more than able to handle whatever comes my way. As I praise You today, I thank You for showing up and showing me Your miracles, signs and wonders in Jesus Name.

QUOTE
When you praise God despite your situation power is released for a raise. WORDBITE 222

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”.

DAILY READING Luke 1:1-25; Ezekiel 33; Isaiah 57

When the 9/11 terrorist attack in America, was traced back to Osama Bin Laden, the CIA and FBI placed him on their most-wanted list and he became a High Value Target [HVT].
But though the U.S. government put out a total of $27 million reward for any information that could lead to his arrest, no one seemed to know where he could be found.

Osama Bin Laden refused to use a cell phone, go on the Internet or use any gadget that could give away his location. .
For 11 years, there was a massive global search for this one man.

Usually the Al-Qaeda terrorist network operated and communicated through people known as “couriers”.
The CIA became interested in one such “courier” who lived in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
They carefully watched him and tapped his phone calls for some years, but he never said anything incriminating or suspicious. But one day in 2010, while in a phone conversation with an old friend, he made a careless statement that linked him to Osama Bin Laden. This made the CIA to intensify their surveillance on him.
Through heat-seeking cameras, the CIA noticed that in the tight security compound where this “courrier” lived, there was a tall man who never left the compound. This man only came out at night times to walk around in exercise inside the compound.
The CIA finally identified this “mystery man” as Osama Bin Laden.
On the night of May 2, 2011, the best and most dangerous of America’s special forces, SEAL Team 6, swooped down on the compound with four helicopters and Osama Bin Laden was killed in the raid.

It is interesting that one careless statement was what led to the capture of the world’s most wanted man.

We can learn a spiritual lesson from this story.
When you are a High Value Target, you can’t afford mistakes or slip ups. They can be very costly.
Samson was a High Value Target. The Philistines wanted to capture him by all means because of the power and anointing upon his life. For a long time, they carefully stalked, studied and watched him.
When Samson fell in love with Delilah, he didn’t realize he had fallen into a carefully set trap.
Though he refused many times to divulge the source of his strength, one day while his head was laid on Delilah’s laps he made the vital mistake of revealing his secret. This led to Delilah giving him the expensive haircut that eventually cost his life.

Every anointed believer is considered a High Value Target by hell. Constantly the enemy stalks, studies and watches such a believer’s every move.
In Psalm 10, the Bible gives us a picture of how the enemy stalks the righteous.

Psalm 10:8-10 says ‘He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages….he lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor:.. he croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.’

The truth is that as a believer, you are constantly being monitored spiritually. Therefore you can’t afford to live carelessly.
No matter how long you may have been living uprightly, you can’t afford to relax for one day or go on a ‘spiritual holiday’. And if ever there was a time to live carefully, it is in these last days. Because the enemy knows his time is short, he is pulling out his greatest temptations to lure many destinies to destruction.
In fact, he will pay any price to ensure that especially those who are anointed are derailed from their purpose and high calling.
At such a time, our only guarantee of safety is to walk carefully in the light of God’s Word. The Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path.
There is so much deception in these last days that anyone who does not carefully follow the light of the Word, will become an easy target of the enemy who is prowling about looking for whom to devour. . [1 Peter 5:8].

But by God’s grace and mercies we will never be victims. Through the covering of the Blood of Jesus we will be shielded from every evil monitoring.
Today we receive the grace to hide ourselves deeper in God’s Presence, through study of the Word, fervent prayers, and passionate worship. As we become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and promptly obey His divine instructions, we will certainly be delivered from every destruction and guided to our glorious destiny.

PRAYER: Lord, please guide me always by Your Spirit, so that I can escape every trap of the enemy and walk in the path You have ordained for me until I eventually arrive at my glorious destiny in Jesus Name.

QUOTE
In the middle of the enemy’s worst, God still proves Himself to be merciful. WORDBITE 222

Habakkuk 3:17-18 ‘Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.’

DAILY READING; Colossians 3:18-4:18; Ezekiel 31-32; Isaiah 56

Christian author, Robert Woods, recently shared in the Good News Christian blog, the amazing miracle that happened in the life of his nephew, Stephen Woods.

On December 18, 2013, a baby girl was born prematurely to Stephen Woods and his wife Aimee.
Although they were excited at the birth of their first child, their joy soon turned into anxiety as the baby developed complications.
As doctors were trying their best to save her, the baby’s condition only worsened.
Aimee and Stephen who are Christians reached out to their family and friends to come to the hospital to pray.
For 12 hours the family and their loved ones prayed, but there was no improvement.
By late afternoon, the next day doctors gave up and said there was nothing more they could do. They believed the baby would die within five minutes and so they allowed the parents, Aimee and Stephen to hold her for the last time to say their goodbyes. By this time, the baby was almost lifeless and according to the medical report, she had no oxygen in her blood and her pH levels were basically that of a dead person.
Though the family had been praying all this while and pleading with God, they then decided to switch to praise and magnify God for His awesomeness and mighty power.
As they began to do that, something amazing happened! The dying baby suddenly came back to life and opened her eyes.

The room erupted with more praises to God for this amazing miracle..
From that moment onward, the baby’s vital signs began to improve, leading the medical team to admit that they had indeed seen a strange thing and witnessed a miracle.
The baby eventually recovered fully and was later released from the hospital in a few days without any disabilities or defects. Today, at seven years old, this child continues to grow strong and healthy and is a constant reminder to all around her of God’s miracle working power.

At a midnight hour of their lives, Paul and Silas began to pray to God for deliverance. As they switched to praising God their situation dramatically began to change. God caused the earth to begin to quake, the prison walls started to shake, the doors were flung open and the chains that bound them broke off setting them free.

Indeed in any midnight situation, when you begin to praise God, you bring Him right into your circumstances.
And when He arrives, all enemies will be scattered.
The enemies of sickness, afflictions, financial troubles etc, are no match for the power of praise.

Praise confounds the enemy and releases the power of God for our deliverance.

Praise brings into tangible manifestation the redemptive privileges that Christ won for us at Calvary.
Jesus died that we might have life and have it more abundantly. As long as you are walking in line with God’s Word, you are entitled to this life of abundance. Any demonic plan to stop you from living a fulfilled life, will be destroyed when you engage God’s Presence through praise..
Indeed through praise we enforce the victory Christ has won for us over life’s afflictions and challenges.

Anytime you encounter troubles, tests, or trials, always know that there is a way out through praise. What you need to do is bring God into that situation by giving Him worthy praise.

Psalm 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me . . . .”

As long as God is with you, victory is guaranteed.

Today, if you have been facing any situation that doesn’t seem to be getting better, it is time to invite God’s Presence by switching to praise.
As you begin to praise God for His wonders, He will turn every obstacle into a miracle and give you a positive change of story .

PRAYER: Lord, I choose to praise You at all times, no matter how things may look like around me. I know You are too faithful to fail and even right now You are bringing a positive, dramatic turnaround to my story in Jesus Name. .

QUOTE

Your attitude always determines your altitude in life. -WORDBITE 222

1 Peter 4:12-14 ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.’

DAILY READING; • Colossians 2:20-3:17; Ezekiel 29-30; Isaiah 55

Laos is in a country in Southeast Asia where Communism is dominant and Christians often suffer persecutions.
In Laos, Christians are a minority while Buddhists are the majority. In a population of just under 7.2 million, there are only around 199,000 Christian believers.
Christian activities are heavily monitored by the communist authorities, and house churches are forced to meet underground as they are considered ‘illegal gatherings’.
Life is especially difficult for converts to the Christian faith, who are at risk of persecution from their family and the local authorities. This can involve damage to property, confiscation of possessions and fines.
Recently there was public outcry over the News of Seven Laos Christians who were thrown out of their homes for their faith.
These seven Christians were driven out by local authorities and forced to live in the open and in the surrounding forests despite a national law that was supposed to protect their free exercise of religion.
Some other Christians in Laos languish in prison because they would not give in to the government’s condition for their release, which is to recant their faith in Christ.
Yet, despite these persecutions, many believers in Laos count it a great joy to suffer for the sake of Christ. Their persistence and refusal to give up their faith continues to strengthen other believers, so that rather than diminish in the face of persecution, the Church in Laos is increasing and waxing stronger to the glory of God.

Indeed God uses trials to reveal His glory in us.
While the enemy may be bringing difficulties and challenges, God turns it all around to manifest His glory and change our story.

Sometimes in life we can pass through seasons of temptations where it seems we are in the fiery furnace. But as we keep blessing God at all times, that test that seemed insurmountable, will turn into a testimony and it will all end in praise.

This is why you should be joyful no matter what comes your way.
The truth is that trials come to everyone at some points in life.
Isaiah 43:2 says, ”When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned.” The Bible didn’t say ‘if’ but ‘when.’
This means we will all surely pass through the fire sometimes.
Apostle Peter says we should not think these fiery trials to be strange, but rather we are to count it all joy.
Joy is a spiritual force that empowers us for victory.
It is the mystery behind rising above obstacles because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Indeed no matter what you are going through, you should always remain joyful and give God praise. The battle is not yours but the Lord’s.
When we choose to praise God in the midst of difficulties, He takes over our battles. And whenever God takes over any situation, it becomes a walkover and our victory is sure.

Therefore today, do not allow any condition to stop your praise. Keep counting it all joy and keep blessing the Lord, because He is working to manifest His glory through you.
Don’t ever let the devil steal your joy. Shake off the gloom he’s trying to cover you with. Instead of looking at what the enemy may be doing, rather use the time to count your blessings. You will be surprised to see what God has done already.
Certainly, the good work God has begun in you, He will bring it to completion. Therefore keep praising Him in the face of challenges. Sing in the midst of your stress. Shout Hallelujah, for indeed the Lord your God is mighty and He will yet do greater wonders in your life.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to always praise You, no matter what comes my way. Let nothing ever stop the continual flow of your praise from my lips. I thank You for indeed doing wonders without numbers in my life in this season Jesus Name.

QUOTE
The prison can’t stop my prayer, the prison can’t stop my praise, praise is God’s power to raise. – WORDBITE 222

2 Chronicles 20:25 -26 [NIV] ‘There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah to this day.’

DAILY READING; • Colossians 1:24-2:19; Ezekiel 27-28; Isaiah 54

Today, there is an area in the Golan Heights named ‘The Valley of Tears’. This place was so named because it was the site of a fierce major battle in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

The Yom Kippur war began on October 6, 1973, when Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a surprise attack against Israel on the holiest day on the Jewish calendar known as Yom Kippur.
Taken by surprise, the odds were clearly against Israel. But, through a series of miracles, the tide of the battle turned in their favor and they eventually emerged victorious.

One of these miracles occurred in the place called the ‘Valley of Tears’ where just 3 Israeli tanks found themselves battling against over 150 Syrian tanks on the Golan height.
Though these few Israeli soldiers fought bravely, they were soon totally out of ammunition. Believing they were about to be all killed, one soldier took a shell casing and etched their names into the bunker wall, so that they would be remembered after their death.
However at this point, when it seemed all hope was lost, inexplicably, the Syrian soldiers all turned around and quickly began heading back to Syria. Some even jumped down from their tanks and began running in fear.
The Israeli soldiers couldn’t believe their eyes as they saw the Syrians retreating without attacking them. The reason for this Syrian soldiers’ actions remained a big mystery.
However, years after the war, Israeli secret police had opportunity to interrogate the commander of the Syrian Army Division that had fought in that battle.
When asked why he didn’t take out those last Israeli soldiers, he told the interrogator, that a whole host of white angels were standing right on the missile lines and a white hand from heaven signaled them to stop right there. On seeing this, they had all turned around and taken to their heels.
The site of the battle ground became known as the Valley of Tears. Today it hosts a Jewish National Fund memorial site.
For Israel, it was a place where tears of sorrow was turned into tears of joy through God’s astounding miracle of deliverance.

Psalm 84 talks about the Valley of Baca. The Hebrew word baca refers to tears or weeping.

Psalm 84:5–7 [ESV] says “Blessed are those whose strength is in you…As they go through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion”.

This Psalm is saying that when those who have God as their strength walk through what should be a valley of tears, it turns around to become a place of blessings for them.

In 2 chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat faced a battle in a valley where his army was greatly outnumbered and it looked like defeat was inevitable. But when he obeyed God’s instruction and switched to praise, God gave them miraculous victory over their enemies and it took them three days to gather all the spoils of war!
King Jehoshaphat named the site of this battle “Valley of Berachah.’ Berachah means “blessings.”
Though it should have been a valley of tears through God’s miracle it became a valley of blessings for them.

Just like king Jehoshaphat, any time you are faced with battles greater than you, do not be afraid nor dismayed because the battle is not yours, but the Lord’s.
Rather than fear, what you do is to rightly position yourself in drawing closer to God, through in-depth study of the Word, prayers and intimate fellowship and worship.
As you stand strong in faith, God will turn your battlefield into your blessing field.

We need to always remember that we serve the God of divine turnaround who can suddenly change our story. He can turn what looks like a valley of defeat into a valley of victory. What looks like a valley of stagnation can become a valley of promotion. And what looks like a valley of sickness can become a valley of restoration.
Indeed God can use what should have defeated you to increase you.

Therefore today, no matter how tough any situation before you, keep your eyes upon Jesus and stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.

As you switch to high praises, you will certainly experience God’s fearful and tearful blessings. Indeed what the enemy meant for your harm, God will turn it all around for your good.

PRAYER: Lord, I truly thank You for Your many blessings in my life. Please grant me the grace to remain ever grateful and to give You worthy praise always, for I know that You are indeed turning every mourning into dancing for me 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 29:13-14 ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity,’

• DAILY READING Colossians 1:1-23; Ezekiel 25-26; Isaiah 53

By 1877, Charles Thomas Studd was a young and famous English cricketer who was widely admired and celebrated. Throughout England, his name was well known.
But despite his great fame and acclaim, Charles knew that something was missing in his life.
One day in 1878, Charles’ father who was a devout Christian hosted a preacher in their home.
While Charles was on his way out to play cricket, this preacher came up to him and started talking to him. Charles, however, did not want to hear any preaching, just like he had not in the past listened to his own father’s admonitions. But as the preacher began asking him about where he would spend eternity, strangely Charles felt his heart being pricked.
He eventually came under the conviction of the Holy Spirit as the preacher continued to speak to him about Jesus and what He did on the cross.
Finally, that day, Charles Thomas surrendered to God and committed his life to Christ.
His conversion was so profound that all his passion turned to serving God. The Bible which used to be so dry to him before, now became his daily delight.
Eventually he came to the point where he chose to give up his interest in playing cricket so as to fully focus on the pursuit of his passion for God’s Presence.
After seeing the hopelessness of pursuing honor from the world through cricket, he decided rather to spend his life seeking the honor that comes from God only.
He would go on to become a missionary to China, Africa and India. At the age of 25, he received an inheritance from his father but gave most of the money away to ministries that helped the poor, including the Salvation Army. He and his wife dedicated their lives to preaching the Gospel and met with much success as through their ministry many people gave their lives to the Lord.

In Joshua 24:15, Joshua addressed all the tribes of Israel saying: “…If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”.

Man is basically a creature of choice.
If we are truly serious about serving God, then we must make a definite choice to totally live for Christ and not for self.
His will must prevail over all our ambitions and selfish pursuits. We must be willing to either give all of ourselves to God or nothing at all.

Indeed the Christian life requires that we choose the will of God over what is comfortable and easy. Christ proved His love for us by giving up His heavenly status and coming to the earth as a man to die on the cross for our sins. And today we must prove our love for Him by being willing to pay the price of following Him at all costs.
The wonderful thing is that when we seek after God with all our heart and find Him, there comes power and miracles into our lives.

God said in Jeremiah 29:13-14 ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity,’

When we seek God and find Him there shall be a reward. Indeed God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. He has not called the sons of Jacob to seek Him in vain.

As we make the decision to seek God and His Kingdom first, surely all else will be added unto us. We can never place God first and come last in life because God honors those that honor Him.
Therefore, today, let us make a fresh commitment to pay whatever price it takes to seek God above all else.
When we find Him, there shall be a reward and our expectations shall not be cut off.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to always choose You above all else. Today, I thank You for granting me the grace to seek You diligently always and live a life that pleases You at all times, in Jesus Name.

QUOTE
It is only when you can see God in the light of who He truly is that you can begin to walk in the overflow of His blessings. – WORDBITE 222.

Song of Solomon 2:15 ‘Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.’

DAILY READING – • Philippians 4; Ezekiel 24; Isaiah 52

In 2013, archaeologists from George Washington University and Tel Aviv University discovered a wine room in an ancient Canaanite palace in Kabri, Israel which gave an insight into the importance of the winemaking culture in ancient Israel.
Other excavation of archaeological sites have shown evidence of how wine production was a flourishing business throughout Israel in historical times

Indeed in ancient Israel, one of the biggest agricultural industries was wine production and so vineyards were considered very important.

The account in 1 Kings 21:1-29 shows us that a vineyard was considered to be so desirable that, it led queen Jezebel to plot to take away the life of the owner of a vineyard. She arranged for Naboth to be arrested on a trumped-up blasphemy charge, and then stoned to death so that her husband, King Ahab, could take over his vineyard.
However while owning vineyards was considered a lucrative venture, there were also great challenges involved because vineyards were very susceptible to attacks.
Lots of things could harm the growing grapes such as bears, thieves, wind and other natural disasters. And so owners of vineyards often came up with plans to protect their property against these threats.
However their greatest problem was not the big things but the little foxes that would sneak in at night, while the grapes were still growing. These foxes would gnaw on the tendrils and eat the flowers before the grapes were set and could end up destroying an entire harvest in a single night.

Song of Solomon 2:15 says ‘Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.’

Indeed small things that seem unimportant can spoil great things
As believers while we may be looking out to avoid the ‘big sins’ sometimes it is the little things that cause the worst damage.

Many of us can see the big picture of our lives and the great destiny before us, but we must be careful with the ‘little foxes’ if we are to succeed.
We must watch out for little resentments, white lies, envies, gossip, jealousy, pet sins, little dishonesty etc,. We must nip them in the bud and deal with them before they become strong habits or spiritual strongholds that end up difficult to uproot.

Indeed “little foxes” can cause great damages in the vineyards of our lives.
Fleeting thoughts of lust that may seem harmless today, can lead to a chain of events that can bring down a great Christian testimony tommorow.

Therefore we must constantly guard our hearts with all diligence and give no room to the devil.

Today, we live in a world where the weight of sin is being watered down.
Some have said it is not possible for a believer to live without sinning. And others have said a saint is only a sinner who sins less, but that is not true. God’s will is not that we sin less — God’s will is that we do not sin at all

In John 8:11 Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery “Go and sin no more!”
If Jesus says it is possible to sin no more, then it is.

James 4:7 says ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’.

We have a spiritual responsibility to resist the enemy.

Through feeding on the Word of God, our minds can be daily renewed to live righteous and holy.

Psalms 119:9 says ‘Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.’

And Psalms 119:11 says ‘Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.’

All these scripture verses help us to understand that the war with sin can be won through the Word. Every struggle with the small foxes of sin can be overcome as we hide the Word of God in our hearts and daily draw closer to Him through intimate fellowship.

To live in victory, we can’t let the little foxes of life spoil the great harvest God has for our future.
Truly when we are faithful in the small things, God will entrust us with greater things (Mathew 25:21).

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to always pursue holiness and righteousness in all I do. As I spend more time in Your Word, the little foxes of sin will never gain a hold on my life in Jesus Name. .
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God is preparing you for the season He prepared for your breakthrough. WORDBITE 222

2 Corinthians 10:4- ‘For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;’.

DAILY READING – Philippians 3; Ezekiel 23; Isaiah 51

In 1187, the sultan of Egypt, Salah al-Din Yusuf, also known as Saladin, prepared to wage a holy war against the Christian Crusaders and take over Jerusalem.
Saladin assembled the largest army he had ever commanded on the Golan Heights, numbering around 40,000 men.
The Christian king of Jerusalem, Guy of Lusignan, also gathered his armies for the impending battle.
Saladin, knowing he could not defeat the Christians in their strong fortifications at Jerusalem, then embarked on a plan to lure them out to a battle in the desert.
He began by attacking surrounding cities that belonged to the Crusaders. Some of the knights saw through Saladin’s plan and warned the king of Jerusalem to ignore him. But the king chose to march out to battle and so fell into Saladin’s trap.

As the Crusaders left their fortified encampment at Jerusalem to go after Saladin’s army, Saladin kept moving his army further back, forcing the crusaders to keep marching in the hot scorching sun. Saladin also sent his soldiers to block access to the water springs and oasis in the desert.
By evening, the crusaders were thirsty and tired, and decided to stop for rest. In the night, Saladin’s army set fire to dry grasses, causing the smokes to blind the crusaders and make their throats even drier.
By the next morning, while still blinded by smoke and weak from thirst, the crusaders were attacked by Saladin’s forces.
Though the Crusaders fought bravely, they were eventually overpowered and greatly defeated.
When news of this defeat and takeover of Jerusalem reached Rome, it caused the Pope Urban III to die of shock. His successor, Pope Gregory VIII, immediately ordered a new crusade to retake Jerusalem.
This third crusade led by king Richard the Lionheart, was a successful military operation against Saladin, which restored most of the Christian cities, yet the crusaders were unable to again retake Jerusalem.

In spiritual battles, we must always stay in our place of strength which is abiding in God’s Word.
When Jesus was on the mount of temptation, He showed us how to fight and win our spiritual battles as He stayed in the Word.
No matter what the enemy said or did, Jesus kept declaring only what was written in God’s Word.
Jesus overcame the enemy by applying the Word weapon.

Indeed the Word is our stronghold in battle. No matter what happens we must abide in what God has said.
One of the deceptions of the enemy is to try to lure believers away from their spiritual fortifications. Through the temptations and provocations of the senses, and emotions, he tries to draw the believer away from what the Scriptures said to operate in the flesh.
Therefore anytime, you face situations that try to get you emotionally or psychologically destabilized, learn to look beyond the obvious and understand the spiritual implications.

Indeed we must not be ignorant of the devil’s devices. The Bible makes us to understand that our battles are not with flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of wickedness.
Rather than react in the flesh, let us learn to always react in faith. No matter the temptations or distractions, keep walking by faith and not by sight. Do not be controlled by the things you feel or see, only be controlled by what the Word of God says.
In the fortified place of the Word, the enemy has no access to you.

Also maintaining an atmosphere of Heaven around you through continual praise makes you inaccessible to the enemy.

Revelations 12: 8 says that the devil could not prevail in Heaven, neither was their place found any more for him in Heaven.

Indeed the enemy cannot prevail anywhere there is a Heavenly atmosphere of worship, joy and praise. God inhabits the praises of His people and certainly evil can never prevail where God abides.

No matter the situation, never allow the enemy to lure you away from a place of spiritual strength to a place of spiritual weakness by getting you fearful, depressed, anxious or discouraged. It doesn’t matter what the medical reports or financial statement may say, God is still in perfect control of your life.
Stay in the place of faith by declaring the Word and praising the Lord. Certainly, as you stand on God’s Word, you will never fall.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for enabling me to always walk by faith and not by sight. Today, I choose to remain ever grateful and continually give You the praise, glory and honor for all Your marvelous doings in my life 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