HORM Devotional

Revelation 5:9-10 ‘..for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.’

DAILY READING – 2 Corinthians 11; 2 Kings 25; Habakkuk 2

The amazing true life story of John Griffith, has been published severally. In 2003, a movie based on it was released, titled ‘the Bridge’.
John Griffith was a bridge operator, who worked in Mississippi in 1937. One day he brought his eight year old son along with him to work. When it was time for him to bring down the Bridge, he instructed his son to “Stay put,” and then he quickly ran to the steer ladder leading into the control house.
Unknown to him, his son had closely followed him behind. As John got ready to pull the lever, he looked down beneath the bridge to make certain nothing was below. However, to his greatest shock he found his son lying unconscious, wedged between the teeth of two main cogs in the gear box. It was then, he realized his son must have followed him, only to accidentally fall into the hole housing the gear box.
John knew lowering the bridge would mean killing his son. But at the same time he could hear the shriek of the oncoming train. If he didn’t lower the bridge in a few minutes, then the train would fall into the river, killing its 400 passengers.
It was a most painful decision! But there seemed to be no other way! The train was now coming at full speed! And so, burying his face under his left arm, John plunged down the lever. The cries of his son were quickly drowned out by the sound of the bridge as it ground into position. With only seconds to spare, the Memphis Express—with its 400 passengers sped across the bridge.
John Griffith lifted his tear-stained face and looked into the windows of the passing train. Many of the passengers seemed to be engaged in idle conversation or careless laughter. No one even looked his way. In anguish he pounded the glass in the control room. He cried out “What’s the matter with you people? Don’t you know I’ve sacrificed my son for you?
No one answered. No one heard. Not one of them seemed to care, as the train sped out of sight.
The true story of John Griffith has often been used as illustration of the sacrifice God made in giving up His Son Jesus Christ to die for the world.
God made the sacrifice of His only Son, as a seed sown for the harvest of Christ-like sons, who would live and walk in dominion on the earth.
The question today is; are our lives reflecting this great sacrifice God made for us? Or like those 400 passengers on the Memphis express train, are we speeding through life, preoccupied with worldly mundane things? it would pain The Father to know that He gave up so much and gave us so much and yet we are giving back so little.
In God’s plan, redemption is not a mere religious experience; It is living and walking like Christ on the earth. It is a spiritual transformation of humanity into divinity.. This is what God paid such a great price to purchase.
We therefore cannot continue to live in mediocrity and defeat. This does not reflect the cost of the cross. As heirs of the Kingdom of God, we are redeemed to be kings and to reign on the earth (Revelation 5:9-10).
And to actualize our great destiny we need to know who we are in Christ. Our depth of understanding will determine our level of authority on earth. However, we can only gain clarity of our picture through study of the Scriptures. Jesus didn’t die in vain, He died to raise a mighty army of sons of God on earth. Therefore as we celebrate this season of His resurrection let us realize that great responsibility is placed upon us. We must through living Christ-like on earth, reflect the great price Jesus paid at the cross for us.

PRAYER; Father, I thank You for sending Jesus to die for me, to enable me live in dominion and power. By Your grace I shall no longer live in defeat. Rather my life will begin to reflect the victory Christ won for me at the cross in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

The study of The Word will keep shame and disgrace far from you.

Philippians 3:10-11 ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.’

DAILY READING – • 2 Corinthians 10; 2 Kings 23:36-24:20; Habakkuk 1

One of the most famous Buddhist temples in the world is the Shwe Dagon. It stands on a hill over 200 feet high and is covered with a pure gold leaf. Embedded in the base of this temple is a gold box. This box contains some finger-bones, teeth, and other parts of Buddha.

There is another burial place in Arabia;, the green Mosque of Medina. Underneath it lies the body of Mohammed. Millions of earnest followers pay homage to him, but despite his greatness, he, too, is dead, and like Buddha, lies buried in the earth.

The burial place of Confucius is a grass covered mound in the province of Shantung, China. Confucius was also considered a great teacher, who influenced the lives of millions of people. Nevertheless, he too is dead and his body is also buried on the earth.

However, there is a tomb in Israel, that was cut into a rock. This tomb was once closed with a great stone, but angels came and rolled it away. The body of the man buried within is no longer in the grave.

The world shattering truth being that on the third day, “Christ rose from the dead!” And today His tomb is empty!

This is the vital difference between Jesus and all other leaders of world religions. While they all succumbed to death, Christ triumphed over death. While their bodies remain in the grave, Christ’s body is risen and He lives forever!

When bones from one of Buddha’s fingers were found in 1981, it became a sensation to Buddhists everywhere, and the bones are now visited by many Buddhists.

However, if today, someone claimed to find a bone from Christ’s buried body no Christian would believe him, because Christ’s Body is not in any grave. Christ is risen and this is the crowning proof of Christianity. The resurrection elevates Christianity above all other world religions.

Jesus was more than a great rabbi or influential teacher. He is the Son of God with power. And just as He lived an extraordinary life, so should we, as His disciples live as a wonder to our world.

Indeed what happened after the Resurrection is unprecedented in human history. Infused with His resurrection power, the small band of Jesus’ disciples took on the amazing task of evangelizing their generation. Defying all obstacles and even death itself, these disciples turned the world upside down. They lived such extraordinary lives, that at Lystra, it was said of them ‘The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.’

Today we indeed need this resurrection power!

In Philippians 3:10-11, Paul says ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.’

Like Paul, our hearts should pant after the manifestation of Christ’s resurrection power. Let us pay the price of dying to the flesh, so that we can begin to live the life of power and dominion that Christ died to purchase for us.

Indeed through His Resurrection, Christ has given us new life and new hope. And because of the empty tomb, we can have peace today. Because of His resurrection, we can have hope even in the most troubling times. Because Christ lives, we shall live also.

And today indeed, we triumphantly declare, ‘Christ is RISEN! He is RISEN indeed!”

PRAYER: Lord, I need Your resurrection power at work in my life today. Thank You for causing me to come out of the grave of mediocrity, to begin to live in dominion and power. Indeed because You live, I shall live also in Jesus Name.

Quote:

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

Revelation 5:12 ‘.Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.’

DAILY READING – 2 Corinthians 9; 2 Kings 22:1-23:35; Nahum 3

Each year millions of people come to the Indian city of Hardwar to bathe in the River Ganges. These multitudes come believing this Hindu ritual will wash their sins away.
An article published in ‘Christianity Today’, told the story of Alila, an Indian woman who sacrificed her son in River Ganges so that things could become better for her family. India’s travelling ‘spiritual men’ called ‘tantrks’ sometimes would prescribe sacrifice as the way to make a person’s life get better. In Alila’s case the solution to her family’s woes, she was told, was to throw her six month old son into the river. And so that day she carried her tiny infant son silently into the river until she was waist deep, and then in a sudden quick movement she threw the baby to his watery death.
At that time too, walking along the same beach was a Native missionary, M.V. Varghese who often preached among the crowds who gathered at the Ganges. He came upon Alila that day as she knelt in the sand crying uncontrollably and beating her breast. He asked her what was wrong, and through sobs she told him, “The problems in my home are too many and my sins are heavy on my heart, so I offered the best I have to the goddess Ganges, my first born son.”. As she wept he gently began to tell her about the love of Jesus and that through Him her sins could be forgiven. She looked at him strangely. “I have never heard that before. Why couldn’t you have come thirty minutes earlier? If you did, my child would not have had to die.”

Indeed many people are suffering and dying ignorantly today because they lack knowledge of the price Christ paid. Not only in India, in different parts of the world, there are people who make all sorts of sacrifices in a bid to achieve a better life. These people lack knowledge that the perfect and final sacrifice was made over 2000 years ago.
This is why it is important that we go into all the world and preach the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection.
While many religions understand the concept of sacrifice, only Christianity teaches the truth about it. There is no Christianity without the Cross and the Resurrection. It is the core of everything we believe.
Jesus died on the cross in our place, taking the full impact of God’s wrath for our sake. His sacrifice is the only acceptable payment for man’s redemption.
The sacrifice of Jesus has opened the door for us to enjoy God’s blessings of grace.
According to Isaiah 53:4-5, Jesus’ sacrifice covered every area of man’s existence. He bore spiritual torment for our sins, mental distress for our worry, care, sorrow and fear, as well as physical pain for our sickness and disease. By His stripes we are healed. Indeed by His blood we can now live a life of victory, glory and power..
Indeed through Christ, God has given us all that pertains to life and godliness. Revelation 5:12 says Christ is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. All these He has received on our behalf.
Through His death Jesus had made an ultimate and final sacrifice for mankind. Therefore no other sacrifice is needed. This is the good news we are to tell the world.
Yes, indeed, we have the total victory through Christ!

PRAYER: Father I thank You for the Blood Jesus shed for me. Today, I believe and I receive the fullness of the benefits He purchased for me at Calvary. Thank You Lord for giving me complete victory in every area of my life in Jesus Name.

Quote :

For you to enjoy victory in The Kingdom of God, you need to develop a kingdom mind, that thinks in line with The Word of God. – WORDBITE 222

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ ‘.

DAILY READING – 2 Corinthians 8; 2 Kings 20-21; Nahum 2

Dr. Joseph Bergeron, is the author of the book ‘The Crucifixion of Jesus.’ He has studied the subject of the crucifixion for ten years. In a recent interview with CBN News, he said until you understand what Jesus went through medically it is hard to fully appreciate just how much He suffered to pay for the sins of mankind. Though it may be tough to face all the painful details of Christ’s death, the doctor believes it can help us love and respect what Christ did by dying for us.
Leaning on his many years of medical practice, Dr. Joseph Bergeron, tried to articulate what Jesus suffered. He said crucifixion was the worst form of death imaginable. The Romans had been using it for three centuries and had well perfected it by the time of Jesus.
Moreover, Romans didn’t like Jews and were anti-Semitic. And so possibly their beating of Christ exceeded what was typical for crucifixion victims. This led to Jesus having extensive blood loss and tissue injury. Shock possibly began to set in even before He reached Calvary. The Crucifixion that followed was the most painful and humiliating execution the Romans could administer. Crucifixion was considered obscene and was reserved for political insurgents, rank criminals and escaped slaves. The crucifixion punished Jesus’ body with a shock so traumatic as to kill him hours sooner than was normal. Dr. Bergeron is in awe of the sacrifice, Jesus made at Calvary. The doctor said it is amazing that Jesus would come on earth to die, and pay the ultimate price to set us free.

Someone may wonder “Why is today called Good Friday? It doesn’t seem a very good thing that Jesus had to die on the cross.’
Well, it is ‘good Friday’ because it is the greatest good that ever happened to mankind. Through His death, Jesus has brought us freedom, salvation and deliverance!
Right from the beginning, the cross was the goal of Jesus. He was born to die so that we might live. The incarnation was for our atonement.
Jesus came to accomplish the greatest rescue ever known to man. Through His death, Jesus dealt a decisive blow against the devil and his demons. The power of sin, death, sicknesses and diseases, poverty, and shame was broken forever. And we have been set free to serve the living God.
When Jesus accomplished His purpose, He summed it up with these last words: “it is finished.”
Finished at the cross was the enemy’s stronghold on humanity. The death of Jesus and His resurrection marked the end of our defeat. It marked the end of the power of death over us.
In Revelation 1:18 Jesus says: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death’.
The key of death is no longer in the hand of the devil. Therefore he has no more right to determine your lifespan. Death has no more power over you. In Psalm 91:16, God says that with long life shall He satisfy you. So until you are satisfied with life, no virus or disease is permitted to take you out of the earth.
Because He lives we shall live also. Our life is hid with Christ in God. We are under a covenant cover. Therefore we do not have to fear and tremble like the rest of the world over a pandemic. Christ has paid the price for us. And therefore affliction cannot arise a second time.
1 Corinthians 15:57 says ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ ‘.
We have the victory. We have been exempted by the Blood of Jesus. This is worth shouting over!. That is why today we bless God and praise Him, for His ultimate love and ultimate power shown to us through Christ’s death at Calvary.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the price you paid at Calvary to set me free. Please help me to live a life that continually brings glory to You. May my heart always pant after You. And may my zeal for Your kingdom never wane in Jesus Name.

QUOTE:
The battle you are faced with today is a good warfare because God has already foreordained victorious end for you. WORDBITE 222

Psalms 110:1-3
‘The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.’

DAILY READING 2 Corinthians 6-7, 2kings 18, Nahum 1

As we all know, we are living in the last days. Though these may be perilous times, they are also the days of God’s power on the earth.
The power of God comes in waves. These waves are the various moves of God we see in each generation. One of those waves came in the 20th century, precisely between 1947 and 1953. This wave was the great Healing Revival that took place underneath the big Gospel tents across America. During this period there were mighty manifestations of God’s power. And many men and women were raised and used by God in this era. Remarkably one of them was Kathryn Kulman. The  power of God rested mightily and very tangibly around her.

On one occasion, after preaching at a full Gospel meeting, at a hotel in New york, when she was to leave, she found people had filled the lobby waiting for her. So her aides looked for a way to try to get her out through the elevator, without people seeing her. The only other available exit was through the hotel’s kitchen. As Kathryn walked by the cooks busy in the kitchen, something amazing began to happen. Suddenly the cooks began to fall under the anointing. Imagine the commotion, as these unsuspecting men and women suddenly found themselves on the floor, overwhelmed by the power of God. This was a manifestation of how greatly the power of God rested upon her.

Now in our present generation again, another wave of God’s power is on the move. We are in the days of His power. The end time is the era of power. We are in the era of the dominion of the church And again God is positioning men and women for what He is about to do.

Psalms 110:1-3. Says ‘The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power..’

It doesn’t matter how things may look like in the world now, Jesus is coming for a glorious Church.
Despite the gross darkness, the church is going to shine in glory and power, ruling in the midst of her enemies.. The time of the greatest darkness in the world will be the time of greatest light in the Church. And just like in the past waves of revival, God is positioning men and women that He will use mightily in these end times.
Let us therefore live ready and prepared so as not to miss out on the mighty move of The Spirit.

No matter what may be going on in the world, always maintain your focus on God’s Word. Understand that it is always darkest just before the day breaks, the enemy knows that great Glory is about to be released.over God’s people, that is why he is trying to distract the Church.
But we will not give in to his distractions. God is too faithful to fail.
What His mouth has promised, His hand is able to perform.
The end time Church will indeed be a glorious Church, living in dominion and ruling in the midst of her enemies.
But we cannot rule except we are empowered. This is why we must maintain our focus on God. Empowerment answers to focus in the place of prayer and study of The Word. And by God’s grace as we take
spiritual responsibility, we shall not miss out on this mighty move of The Spirit in Jesus Name.
.
PRAYER: Lord, please help me to focus on You at all times. No matter what comes my way, please help me never to shift from faithfully serving You. By Your grace, I shall be a partaker of Your power being released in these last days in Jesus Name .

QUOTE

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

Revelation 12:11  “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.…”

DAILY READING –•            2 Corinthians 5:11-6:13; 2 Kings 18; Micah 7

Travis Greene is a popular American Gospel singer and pastor. His songs have featured on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums and the Top Gospel Songs charts. He has also been nominated for multiple awards, including 2 Grammy Awards and 13 Stellar Awards. In 2018, before a huge audience, he gave a powerful testimony of God’s amazing deliverance in his life, when he was just four years old.

Travis revealed that he fell out of the window, from the fourth floor of the building where his family had been living in Germany at that time. Because their house was near a hospital, some doctors who were passing by, had witnessed the fall. They immediately rushed to the scene to assist. But by the time they got to Travis, he was already dead.  He was then taken to the hospital and covered with white sheet and officially pronounced dead.

When his mother, who was a minister of the Gospel arrived at the hospital she refused to accept the doctors’ verdict. She picked up Travis’ lifeless body and began to pray to God.  She called on the name of Jesus twice, and then the third time, she screamed ‘’the blood of Jesus!’’. At her scream, immediately Travis came back to life! This amazing miracle shook the entire hospital!

However when Travis woke up, he told his mother a remarkable story of how right before he hit the ground, a man with a big hand had caught him and held him. And just before he came back to life, he had asked this man what His name, and He had said ‘Son, my name is Jesus.’’

This incident deeply marked Travis life, and made him dedicate his life to serving God. Now more than three decades later, Travis, through his songs, continues to declare the power in the Name and in the Blood of Jesus.

Revelation 12:11  says “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.…”

Indeed there is power in the blood of Jesus. The Blood of Jesus is the greatest weapon that God has given to us. Yet it is not just enough to know about the Blood, we have to know how to engage the power in it.

In Exodus 12, the Israelites were commanded to sprinkle the blood on the lintel and side-posts of their front doors. That night, the death angel passed over every door where there was the blood, but everyone whose doorposts had no blood, lost their firstborn.

What made the difference was the Blood. God’s protection upon the Israelites depended on their application of the Blood. If they had left the blood in the basin instead of applying it to the door post, the death angel would have struck their firstborn too.  And just as God was looking only at the blood then, He is also still looking only at the blood today!

The Blood is what will exempt us from the plagues of Egypt. It was the decisive weapon that delivered the Children of Israel out of  bondage. And in these last days, the Blood is what will make us indefatigable and invincible to the enemy.

We therefore need to know how to actively engage the Blood of Jesus for our victory. Travis Greene is alive today, because his mother knew how to engage the weapon of the Blood.

Under the old covenant, the blood of animals was applied by sprinkling with the hyssop, but today, under the new covenant, we apply the blood of Jesus with our words. Romans 10:10  says “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”.

Every time we plead the blood, we paralyze all satanic oppressions against us. When we apply the blood, there is created a barrier between us and all the works of the devil. Therefore let us continuously apply the blood of Jesus to the doorposts of our lives in faith.

But never forget that the invocation of the Blood is only powerful in the mouth of the pure. Purity indeed begets power. Therefore let us today and always, align ourselves with God’s will and daily live a lifestyle of prayer and diligent study of The Word.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the power in the blood of Jesus. Today I plead the precious blood of Jesus over my life, my family and all that concerns me.  Indeed by the power in the blood, I  have overcome in every area of my life in Jesus Name

Quote

There is more to you than meets the eyes.  Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. – WORDBITE 222.

Mark 16:17-18 ‘And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them’.

DAILY READING – 2 Corinthians 4:1-5:10; 2 Kings 17; Micah 6

William Burton was a pioneer Pentecostal missionary to the Congo, whom God used to do great exploits. He set sail for Africa in 1914, and was later joined by Jimmy Salter (who later married Smith Wigglesworth’s daughter). Their work was called the Congo Evangelistic Mission. However, in the village where they ministered, the native witch-doctor and sorcerer fraternity were relentless enemies of their evangelistic work. To get rid of the missionaries, these evil men plotted against them. Being experts in the use of tree barks deadly roots and fruits to prepare poison, they repeatedly tried to poison these missionaries.

One day the missionaries were enjoying a delicious plate of palm-nuts that had been brought to them as a present. They had almost finished eating when a young man ran to them and whispered to William, ‘White man, on no account must you eat those palm-nuts, they are poisoned’. But the warning came too late, they had already eaten the nuts. Understanding the power in God’s word, the missionaries knelt and committed themselves to God, claiming the promise of Mark 16:17-18 which said ‘if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them”.

Afterwards they felt absolutely no ill effects from the palm-nuts. Some years later William became very friendly with a converted ex-medicine-man and spirit-consultant. To William’s surprise, one day this man confessed to him that he was the one who had sent them the poisoned palm-nuts, but the poison which killed other people had no effect on them. He further told William of all the efforts made by all the witch-doctors to poison him, but eventually they found that their poisons didn’t work on the missionaries.

Mark 16:17-18 says ‘And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them’.

Indeed signs follow us when we believe God’s word. Through faith in the Word what consumes others cannot consume us. However it takes depth of understanding for us to experience the supernatural power of God’s word in our lives. Through their understanding of scriptures, these missionaries developed divine immunity to poison and could not be easily killed.

Indeed through redemption, our case has become different. As a result of our new positioning in Christ, we now possess the mind of Christ. This means we are to exhibit a superior and supernatural mentality in our approach to the issues of life. Proverbs 23:7 says ‘For as he thinketh in his heart’

We have to think in line with God’s Word. And according to God’s Word, we are more than conquerors in every battle of life. We have been given power over serpents and scorpions and over every power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt us. No weapon formed against us shall ever prosper.

But it is unto every man according to his faith. What you believe is what you will receive in life. Despite what is happening in the world today, if you dare to believe that no disease can ever have access to your body, so shall it be for you. It may be killing others, but if you will lay hold upon Gods Word and declare that your case is different so shall it be for you. God has already promised in Psalm 91, that ‘a thousand shall fall by thy side and ten thousand by thy right hand but it shall not come near thee’.

When you sincerely lay claim upon this word, it will certainly become your reality. Therefore instead of daily monitoring the statistics and how many people are dying from the virus ravaging the world, rather spend that time to mediate upon God’s Word and let faith be built up in your heart. Your faith is what will make the difference for you. Our deliverance is indeed a function of what we believe. And the extent of what we can believe will be as a result of our depth in God’s Word.

We are now living in an era where every child of God will have to continually manifest the supernatural in order to survive. The last days on earth are evil, climatic and perilous. And only the spiritually strong can thrive. We must therefore  build up our spiritual depth in Christ. Commitment to our Spiritual growth and development is a non-negotiable price at this time. It is not about how long we have been born again but the depth of our knowledge in the Word of God. Maturity is not a function of age but of depth. Our minds must be continually renewed through God’s word; for us to live in victory. Indeed it is the entrance of God’s Word that gives light and that light shines in darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to continually renew my mind through In-depth study of Your Word.  Through faith in Your word, I know indeed my case is different and I have overcome evil of these endtimes in  Jesus Name.

QUOTE

When we fight by God’s help we are sure of victory.    WORDBITE 222.

Philippians 4:6-7 ‘Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’

DAILY READING; 2 Corinthians 4:1-5:10; 2 Kings 17; Micah 6

Laszlo Tokes was a simple Pastor in Romania whom God used to start a revolution that brought down a strong dictatorship. Laszlo was not a military man, not even a politician, yet God used him to do what seemingly stronger men couldn’t do.

By 1989 Romania was in the iron grip of the communist government of Nicolae Ceausescu. Few dared to speak out against the government.

In the midst of fear and uncertainty in their nation, Pastor Laszlo turned his mind to God.  Drawing strength from God’s Word, he began to teach his congregation to focus on obeying God’s Word and not be afraid of men. His teachings brought hope and many began to flock to the Church to hear him.  However, the government wasn’t happy and ordered him to stop preaching, but he refused. They then tried to arrest him, but the planned arrest was frustrated by the church congregation who formed a human shield around his house. Eventually the police used force to break through the crowd and forcefully arrested him and his wife. Over 50 people were shot dead by the police in the ensuing confusion. For Pastor Laszlo, it seemed the end has come, everything seemed bleak. It seemed certain he and his wife would either be killed or imprisoned by the Romanian government. But then suddenly God turned things around in an amazing way.

While the president was addressing the people in the main square, to his shock and amazement, he was interrupted by jeers and boos. The people suddenly began to revolt and surprisingly even the army joined in the rebellion. The uproar was such that the president and his wife tried to escape the venue by helicopter. But even the helicopter was pulled down and they were captured and later executed.

With this surprising twist of events, from being a fugitive, Pastor Laszlo was thrust into the limelight as a hero of the revolution. He became celebrated all over the world. And uptill recently, he continues to be a key figure in Romania, serving  as bishop of the Reformed Church in Romania and a member of the European Parliament.

Indeed we serve the God of sudden visitations!

There can be times in life when situations may seem impossible and 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 when troubling events unfold in the world around us. Especially at this time, it can be disheartening to observe all the intrigues playing out on the global theatre. But then let’s never forget that there’s a director behind these scenes. There’s a puppet master at work. He is managing the events and knows how to suddenly turn things around for our good. God knows the end from the beginning and no matter how thick the plot, God is able to overthrow the plans of the wicked and give His people the victory.

Indeed God is the Alpha and Omega. He has the script of life’s drama in His hands, and He is aware of everything that is going in the world. Therefore rather than fret or worry, let’s keep our minds focused on His Word. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus, and not on the storm.

We have to be proactive when it comes to guarding our mind. We primarily guard our mind through diligent study of God’s Word. 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 the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

PRAYER; Lord I thank You for giving me the peace that passes all understanding, despite the confusing situations in the world today. 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

Ephesians 3:20
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”  

DAILY READING – – 1 Corinthians 16;  2 Kings 12-13;  Micah 4: 1 -5

During the 2016 Olympics, Abbey D’Agostino was to run the women’s 5000-meter qualifying race. At that time she didn’t know what to expect. However, she knew God was able to exceed her expectations. She greatly relied on Ephesians 3:20 which says: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”

And indeed, God did for her abundantly above all she could ask or think. Before the end of that race, from an obscure athlete, she was suddenly thrust on the global stage, as she found herself basking in worldwide acclaim. 

What led to this was an unusually kind gesture that she showed to her rival.  During  the race, Abbey had helped another competitor whom she had collided with. Instead of continuing her own race she had stopped and helped the other competitor get up from the ground and get back on her feet. Abby’s gesture of selflessness drew acclaim, from millions watching the Olympics from around the world.  
Also her perseverance and indefatigable spirit in the race drew attention. Due to the collusion, Abbey suffered a serious injury in her right knee, that caused her to fall a few times on the track. And though she should have stopped, she continued running with her injury. She essentially ran 40% of the race on one leg. When later asked how she managed to complete this incredible feat, she attributed it all to the power of God and His exceeding grace. 

Her action in the race earned her  the International Olympic Committee’s Fair Play Award. She was also nominated for several other awards. 

Faced with sudden fame and seemingly endless media requests, Abbey  embraced the opportunity to talk to the world about her faith.

Indeed Ephesians 3:20 became her reality. God did for Abbey, far more abundantly than all that she could  ask or think. 
Indeed our God is the God of abundance, a God of miracles, who desires to pour His blessing into our lives in an exceeding abundant way. He is able to do more for us than we can ever ask or think possible. 

God’s capacity to do far exceeds our capacity of asking or our capacity of even imagining. Whatever we can believe, we can receive. And whatever we can conceive, we can achieve. We serve the God of all possibilities.  

This year, God has given us wings to fly! We are to mount up and soar like eagles. No walls can confine us! No barriers can hold  us back!  There is no limit to the heights we can attain. Let us therefore not limit God in our thinking. Let us know that in this year, anything and everything is possible. There is nothing God can not do. There is no height He cannot take us to, if only we believe. As far as your eyes can see, it shall be given to you. All things are possible to him that believes. 

Indeed our God is able. There is no inability in Him. It is possible for man to think and not have the ability to do, but not God. Whatever His mouth promises, His hand is also able to perform. Nothing handicaps Him.
God is able to do infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope—more than we would dare to imagine. God is far above and beyond our finite minds.  

His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways. Our thoughts, even at their best, are not His thoughts! As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are His thoughts above ours. 

God is not only able to do amazing things for us, but also able to do great things for us in  ways and manners that exceeds our imagination. 
Indeed we serve the God of excessive power, excessive grace, and excessive peace. And through study of The Word we build our faith to be able to receive His abundant blessings. Indeed when His Word dominates our mind,, it will control our thoughts, and actions. This will make our lives pleasing to God and cause Him to do exceedingly abundantly far and beyond what we could ever ask or imagine!

PRAYER: 
Lord I know indeed You can do exceedingly abundantly above all I could ever ask or imagine, therefore do in my life that which only You can do. Turn me into a sign and wonder to my world, in Jesus Name. 

QUOTE 

It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 201.