HORM Devotional

Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”

DAILY READING; Acts 28:1-16; 1 Samuel 4-5; Psalm 52

The great evangelist, Smith Wigglesworth began early as a youth to preach the Gospel. However he did not make much impact until he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in 1907, when he was 48 years old.. Until then he had been preaching without being baptized in the Spirit and was hardly known outside of his hometown of Bradford. But when he heard of the great Azuza revival which began in 1906, he hungered to see the same manifestations. And so he travelled down to Sunderland to pray with a group of people who believed in the baptism. There, the Holy Spirit gloriously came upon him, and he began speaking in tongues. From that moment, his life became totally revolutionized. When he came back, to his hometown in Bradford, he mounted the pulpit and preached from Isaiah 61:1 which begins with “The Spirit of The Lord is upon me.”.

As he was still preaching, people began to fall under the power. From then on, a great outpouring of the Spirit began and his healing ministry exploded. God moved Wigglesworth from a small relatively unknown ministry to conducting powerful meetings throughout the world, stirring the faith of thousands to receive healing and salvation.

Everywhere he preached miracles took place; cancerous growths disappeared, blind eyes received sight, the deaf regained their hearing, new limbs were created, and many dead were raised. As a result of these signs and wonders multitude of souls were won and brought into the kingdom of God.

Isaiah 61:1 says ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

The Holy Spirit is the power base of God’s Kingdom, and it is through His manifestations that people are drawn to God. The great commission cannot be achieved by human efforts or exertion of one’s might, it is by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was only after Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit, that His ministry exploded and multitudes began to hear Him. Also it was after the Holy Ghost came, that Peter and the other disciples took the city by storm. Indeed we need the power of The Holy Spirit, to be effective witnesses of the Gospel. We are not called to preach with enticing words of men’s wisdom but in demonstration of The Spirit and power. We have to understand that preaching the Gospel is not fanfare, but warfare. The pharaoh holding men in spiritual slavery will not let them go except through the manifestation of the power of God. And in this battle we are God’s frontline storm troops, who will invade enemy territories to rescue the lost. This is a serious assignment because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. We therefore cannot afford to be powerless, we must be prepared and ready to do battle. And the decisive weapon in this battle is the power and anointing of The Spirit upon us.

The power of the Holy Spirit is what will break the hold of darkness and set men free to serve Jesus. We must therefore stay connected to the Holy Spirit through a lifestyle of fasting, praying and diligent study of The Word.

The world is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, but only those empowered by the Spirit can do exploits in this end-times. A new move of God is already sweeping through the earth. Revival is here again. God is doing a new thing and releasing a new sound. Let us therefore continually maintain an intimate fellowship with the Spirit of God, so that by His power multitudes will be brought into God’s kingdom.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me a fresh encounter with Your Spirit. Set me apart in this generation, to be a shining light, to my world. May many souls be brought into Your kingdom through the power of the Holy Spirit manifesting through me in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

The study of The Word will keep shame and disgrace far from you. WORDBITE 222

2 Timothy 4:2 ‘Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.’

DAILY READING; Acts 27:13-44; 1 Samuel 3; Psalm 51.

On 23 February 2019, Pastor Oluwole Ilesanmi, a 64 year old street preacher in London, was arrested for an alleged “breach of the peace” as he preached the Gospel outside Southgate Underground Station. A passer-by had called the police and accused Pastor Ilesanmi of hate speech.
As the police arrived and tried to arrest him, the preacher pleaded peacefully with them not to take away his Bible. However in a humiliating arrest, they placed his arms behind his back in handcuffs and took the Bible from him. In a verbal exchange recorded in a two-minute video, one officer told the preacher that he was “required to go away” because he was “disturbing people’s day”. The preacher responded, “I will not go away because I need to tell them the truth. Jesus is the only way, truth and life.”
The video of the preacher’s arrest went viral especially in West African countries such as Ghana and Nigeria, with around 3 million views as at that time.
The arrest of the Nigerian preacher turned out to be unlawful, because the police officers had no right to order him to stop preaching as long as his action was not inciting violence. For the unlawful arrest, the Metropolitan Police was later forced to make a payout of £2,500 to the preacher.
However though this story ended in victory for the preacher, it is not always the case around the world. In many parts of the world today, Christians are suffering persecution for preaching the Gospel. Many have shed their blood for sharing the good news. In some countries like Saudi Arabia and Maldives, conversion from Islam is punishable by death, Church buildings are forbidden and it is illegal to even own a Bible. However opposition to the Gospel is not new. In Acts 16 Paul and Silas when in Philippi were stripped, beaten, and imprisoned because of the Gospel.
Yet in spite of the strong oppositions he faced, in 1 Corinthians 9:16, Paul said ” ‘For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!..’
The sense of urgency Paul felt towards the preaching of the Gospel made him to command Timothy to be instant or urgent in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). This same sense of urgency led Paul to serve the Lord “with tears, and with trials, incessantly admonishing men night and day.’’
We must have this same sense of urgency in our efforts to reach the lost. It doesn’t matter the oppositions, excuses or reasons that sometimes try to hinder us, nothing should deter us from the mission of reaching the lost. In this end-times, there is simply no opposition strong enough to stop every effort to take the good news to the dying world. The value of a soul to Jesus is worth more than all the wealth of the world put together. In Matthew 16:26 Jesus said ‘For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul’.
Each soul is very important. This is why there is a serious ongoing spiritual battle and contention for the souls of men on the earth. The battle for souls is the reason behind the great opposition towards the preaching of the Gospel. Therefore for those of us who live in nations where we can still preach the Gospel freely, let us utilize the grace available to us and by every possible means win the lost. If there are Christians willing to give their lives to preach in countries repressive to the Gospel, what are we doing with the window of opportunity we still have? With all the technology and resources we have today, what excuse do we have for not spreading the good news?
Let us not squander the grace of God, but rather through the help of the Holy Spirit, let us do all we can to reach the lost while there is still time.
PRAYER: Lord, please let the zeal to preach Your Word burn like fire in my bones, May my heart never grow cold or complacent towards reaching the lost with the good news of salvation. Please grant me the grace to always preach the Gospel in season and out of season wherever I go in Jesus Name.

QUOTE
There is something that God has placed within you that the world is eagerly awaiting to see

Luke 24;49 ‘And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high’

DAILY READING       Acts 27:1-12; 1 Samuel 2:11-36; Psalm 50

Reggie White has been called the most honored athlete ever to play defensive end in America’s NFL history. They called him the “Minister of Defense” when he played, largely because he was an ordained Evangelical minister. Standing at 6 feet 5 inches tall, and weighing 300 pounds, White was a force to be reckoned with on the field. But off the field, he was known as a “gentle giant” very outspoken about his faith and preaching to everyone he could. He even proselytized to those he was beating on the field; he was known to warn opposing linemen, “Jesus is coming, I hope you’re ready,” before proceeding to pound through them on his way to the quarterback.  In his time, White spoke regularly at churches and often used post-game interviews as opportunities to proclaim Jesus. He has been credited with the rise of Christianity in the National Football League.  Indeed Reggie White was mightily used by the Spirit of God to draw many into God’s kingdom.

Our lives should continually glorify God wherever we go. We should be signposts leading men to Jesus.

Not all of us can stand and preach in a church or go to a mission field, but all of us can play a vital role in God’s work in our world by using what talent He has given us for His Kingdom. For the church to operate as it should, it must have the contributions from the different members, each playing the role and doing the jobs God has equipped them to do. The kingdom mandate requires us to use every possible available means to take the message of the Gospel into all the world.

We must be willing to use the talents and resources that God has given to us in whatever capacity it is needed to spread the Gospel. Do not hide your light. Don’t sit on the fence, doing nothing to reach the dying world around you with the Gospel. Life is about taking sides; it is dangerous to walk in the middle of the road. Be radical for Jesus; proclaim your faith boldly; let your light shine for men to see. However, to live a life of such conviction, we must be deeply impacted by The Holy Spirit.  You cannot impact your world until you have first been impacted by the Spirit of God. The anointing of the Holy Spirit, has absolutely no substitute in the preaching of the Gospel.  Before the disciples could go to preach, Jesus said to them in Luke 24:49 ‘And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high’

They needed to wait and receive the power of The Spirit before going to win souls. No one can be an effective witness without the help of The Holy Spirit. His number one mission on earth is soul winning. In Acts 2:41, when the Holy Ghost came on the day of Pentecost, 3,000 people were saved.  Again in Acts 4:4, the number of men saved were 5,000. Then in Acts 5:14, multitudes of men and women were added to the church.

From the book of Acts we saw that the first major mission of The Holy Spirit is to depopulate hell, and populate Heaven. And as we seek to be effective witnesses  through using the gifts and talents God has given us to reach the world, we must more importantly engage the help of The Spirit of God through a lifestyle of prayer and diligent study of God’s Word.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to use every possible available means, including the gifts and talents You have given me to spread Your Word wherever I go. As I go preaching Your Word, I thank You for empowering me by Your Spirit to be an effective witness for Your Kingdom in Jesus Name.

Quote

God protects and shields us when we are being led by Him. – WORDBITE 222.

Acts. 1:8 ‘But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’

DAILY READING –Acts 26:19-32; 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10; Psalm 49

Andrew van der Bijl, is mostly known around the world simply as ‘Brother Andrew’. He is a Christian missionary famous for his exploits of smuggling Bibles to communist countries, a feat that earned him the nickname “God’s smuggler”.

Although he came from a Christian family,  however as a young boy, Andrew had no desire for the things of God, rather he loved adventure. And when the Nazis, invaded his native Holland, he joined the resistance army. Shot on the knees at 20 years of age, his military career ended after he was hospitalized for a long time. His mother had died during the war leaving him with her Bible. Through studying this Bible he found peace and would later surrender his life to Christ. Later on, after attending a Bible school, he took up the dangerous missionary endeavor of smuggling Bibles into communist states. With his Beetle car he would carry the Bible across borders, all the while praying to God to blind the eyes of the guards from seeing the Bibles in his back seat. Many times his prayers were answered and he would carry these Bibles into countries hostile to the Gospel, there he would spend time encouraging the churches and distributing the Bibles. God protected him throughout the period of these dangerous missions. After a while, other men joined him and their network kept expanding. After the 1960s, the group would go into Middle Eastern and Islamic nations. The mission was to encourage the persecuted church all around the world. Today, because of Brother Andrew’s passion and dedication, there now exists a ministry called ‘Open Doors’ which is an international missions organization that is located in more than 27 countries in the world, and reaches out to over 60 persecuted nations for the cause of Christ. Annually, 2 million Bibles are distributed by ‘Open Doors’. And countless souls have come to Christ because of this great ministry that God started through Brother Andrew. Details of his story are contained  in his book, which has been made into a movie titled  ‘God’s Smuggler’

In Acts. 1:8 Jesus said ‘But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’

When the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon a man it makes him to do extraordinary things. No doubt Brother Andrew was able to carry out his daring exploits through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, God desires us to fearlessly carry the light of the Gospel into all the world, pursuing our calling with passionate zeal.

In Ephesians 1:21 Paul said   ‘For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain’

Paul’s central passion in life was that Christ will be honored and magnified. For him, to live was to show that Christ is magnificent. And this should be our central theme too. We must be on fire and burning for the world to see. It is the blazing fire of The Holy Ghost in us that can overcome the darkness of this end-time. Lukewarm Christianity will not do, we need to be as burning lights.  Our lights must be burning and our lions girded about.  Leviticus 6:13 says the fire shall ever be burning upon the altar, it shall never go out. Indeed as sons of God we are to shine like stars in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.

We must keep our lights constantly burning for the world to see. It is this burning light of the Gospel that will lead men out of the dark regions of sin and bondage to seek the true light of Christ. And to succeed in this, we must be entirely sold out to the cause of the Gospel.  In our lives, God must be Lord of all or not Lord at all. Indeed moderate Christianity will produce moderate results, and extreme Christianity will produce extreme results..  Seeking God first has to be the priority. The place of God in our heart will determine our placing upon the earth. Indeed if you will let God get the throne of your heart, He will secure a throne for you on the earth. When you are lost in His will, He will be lost in your welfare.

May today indeed mark a new beginning for us in our passion and zeal for the Gospel. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, let fresh fire be ignited in our hearts to carry the Gospel into all the world, starting from our Judea, which is our immediate environment.

The Blessing is in the going. Indeed when we start seeking first the promotion of God’s Kingdom, every other thing will be added unto us. Let’s stop living for things and really start living for God and the advancement of His kingdom!

Having come into the second month of the year, it is time for us to begin to run with Heaven’s agenda for the hour, which is soul wining. God has a grand plan for us this year, but for it to be accomplished, we have to seek His kingdom first. And we cannot seek God first and become the last.

Jesus has paid the great price of His blood to save humanity from eternal damnation and we must go into the world and spread this good news. Every spiritual lethargy or laxity that tries to stop us from obeying the great commission is destroyed today by the Blood of Jesus.  By the Blood of Jesus every weakness in us is turned into strength.  May we indeed receive grace for fresh fire and renewed passion to continually run with God’s agenda and preach the Gospel wherever we go.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to make You priority in everything, By Your grace I shall indeed share the good news of the Gospel wherever I go. Please keep my heart always panting after You and the affairs of Your Kingdom, May my zeal for You never wane 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.

Psalm 22:3 ‘But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.’

DAILY READING Ruth 4; 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10; Psalm 49

Pastor Jason David Sluyter, is a youth pastor who recently released a song titled “These Walls”. With millions of downloads, the song is taking the Christian community by storm. However it is interesting to note that just three years ago, Jason was told by doctors that he may never speak, sing, eat or even walk again.
At that time he had just gotten a job as a youth Pastor in a church in San Diego. But barely two weeks into his new job, doctors discovered he had Stage 3 cancer in his tongue. This began an excruciating ordeal of several surgeries, as doctors fought the cancer, which kept coming back more aggressively and spreading quicker. Thirty-five rounds of radiation later, Jason who had lost 80 pounds over the course of the treatments, was left unable to speak for six months and unable to taste food for nine months. When his doctors told him they were going to remove most of his tongue and take out chunks of skin from his arms and legs to reconstruct parts of his body, at that moment with all he had already gone through, it seemed to him too much to bear. He felt the only way out of all the pain was death. And so he began to google easy ways to die. One day at a point of despair, when it seemed all hope was lost, as he lay on the floor, his wife stood over him and began to praise God. As she sang praises, all of a sudden, she sensed God’s Presence enter the room, it felt like an embodiment of peace surrounded them, and in that moment, Jason who had not slept for three days, suddenly drifted off into sleep. When he woke up the next day, it was as if he had received new strength and he began to tell himself – I’m not going to give up,”. And that began his turnaround. Gradually his health began to be restored until he was fully healed. And today Jason David is not only cancer-free, but he is walking, jumping and singing again. Though about 60 percent of his tongue was removed and doctors said he might not even speak again, today he is speaking about the goodness of God as he teaches his youth group every week and he has also released a music album. Jason’s turnaround which began when his wife turned to praising God is indeed a testament of the power of praise.
Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people.
Praise brings God’s presence into any situation. Anything and Everything is capable of changing when you engage the power of praise. Whenever you are faced with a situation you don’t know how to handle, switch to praise. Praise is a very powerful tool in enforcing our turnaround.
There is a mystery about praise that breaks every prison and bondage around you. Anytime you are going through a challenging situation, go into clamorous praise. It is no time for you to complain or murmur, rather it is time to engage God’s Presence for a forceful turnaround. Praise is the platform for effecting supernatural changes. Things are bound to change when we begin to praise. The atmosphere of praise is the supernatural atmosphere of the presence of God. And the atmosphere where God dwells is a liberating atmosphere. When, we begin to praise God and He steps into the scene, every devil will be compelled to bow out.
King David, who praised God seven times a day, understood the secret of maintaining God’s Presence. David committed himself to praise God at all times no matter the situation. He recognized that by praising God, you make room for Him to come and change the situation and turn it all around to your favor. Indeed all things work together for good to them that love God, and they that love Him are those that praise Him. It is God’s will for us to praise Him in every situation because He is able to do even the impossible in our lives
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says ‘In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you’.
There is no situation so complicated as to defy divine intervention. It is not the greatness of a challenge that defeats a man but his attitude towards it. While those who complain, complicate their matter, those who praise are raised up out of it. It is attitude that determines altitude. And an attitude of gratitude will always guarantee a rise in altitude. Indeed you cannot stop gaining altitude unless you stop expressing gratitude.
God reigns in every situation and He is more than able to turn everything around for our good. And it is Praise that connects us to God’s superior supernatural force of intervention.
Having come to the end of January there is so much we need to thank God for. And looking to the months ahead of us, we need His divine power to keep moving us from glory to glory. Let us therefore turn up the volume of our praise! And as we give God worthy Praise for all He has done, He will be set to do yet even greater things for us.

PRAYER: Lord, Please grant me the grace to always give you worthy praise in every situation. I truly appreciate Your amazing goodness upon my life and upon my family. And I know that even right now You are set to do even greater and mightier things for us in Jesus Name. .

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

Mark 11:24 ‘What things so ever you desire when you pray believe that you receive them and you shall have them’

DAILY READING Acts 26; Ruth 3; Psalm 48

The Battle of the Bulge, was one of the single bloodiest battles in America’s history. In this battle, during world war 2, the Germans unexpectedly attacked a section of the American army and overwhelmed and overran them. As a result about 12,000 American soldiers were trapped and besieged at Bastogne in Belgium. General George Smith Patton, who commanded the U.S. Third Army was assigned the responsibility of rescuing these trapped men.

As he battled to rescue the men, unfortunately, his rescue effort was delayed by a month of unrelentingly horrid weather. He only needed a 24 hour window of decent weather conditions to be able to send in the Third Army and reinforce the troops trapped by the Germans. He then gave the Army chaplain Colonel James O’Neill an assignment to organize prayers for a fair weather that would give the American troops the break in the weather they needed to rescue their besieged brothers.

Colonel O’Neill’s prayer was printed on hundreds of thousands of wallet sized cards and prayed by the men in the American Army. The prayer read in part, “Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory,.”

The prayer worked. The weather miraculously cleared, and the trapped men were rescued.

Colonel O’Neill was later awarded the Bronze Star medal “for writing a prayer that worked.”

Mark 11:24 tells us ‘What things so ever you desire when you pray believe that you receive them and you shall have them’

Indeed prayer changes things. . No matter how tight the situation, God will rescue you when you resort to the prayer altar. Prayer invites God to intervene in human affairs. It is a spiritual weapon by which we invoke divine intervention in any situation

Prayer is the spiritual control room of life.. And when you’re in the control room, you are in charge.. Those who travail in prayers, will prevail in life. Prayer is a great spiritual weapon in the hand of the believer who knows how to wield it. Through prayer we bring God into our situation.

When our voices rise in prayer, God’s hand will also arise to deliver us. Heaven acts only in response to the earth. There is no intervention without intercession.

Whatever you may be confronted with today, there is a way out through prayer. When you commit to prayerGod will arise for you deliverance.

If you don’t like what you see around you, speak what should be. Don’t keep silent over the enemy’s harassment. In spiritual warfare silence is seen as consent. But when you roar in the place of prayer, every enemy of your destiny is sent packing.

Prayer becomes more effective when we pray with God’s Word . God is not moved by our tears rather He is moved when we ask according to His will.

In Isaiah 43:26, God says: ‘’Put me in remembrance, let us plead together, declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.”

What do you declare? His word. God’s Word is the effective language of prayer. It is what connects us to the throne of grace, to obtain mercy and help in the time of need.

And we must never forget to seal our prayer with thanksgiving.

Philippians 4:6 says ‘Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God’

Praise grants us access to God’s Presence, and His Presence will always make the difference for us anytime, anywhere..

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me grace for perseverance at the altar of prayer. May I never grow weary, rather I shall keep growing from strength to strength, and from victory to victory 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

Galatians 6:17 ‘From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus’.

• DAILY READING – • Acts 25; Ruth 1-2; Psalm 47

There is one famous and fascinating incident in the life of Dr. David Livingstone who was one of the most popular British heroes of the late 19th-century. This incident has been captured in diverse artworks by different artists and sculptors. It was the moment when he was attacked by a lion. As a pioneer Christian missionary and explorer, he was on a marathon coast to coast mission through Africa, and at this time, was stationed at Mabotsa, in Botswana South Africa. In this town, there were many lions terrorizing the villagers. Dr. Livingstone felt that, if he could kill just one lion, the other lions would take it as a warning and leave the village.

On 16 February 1844 Dr. Livingstone was working on the ditches of the watercourse when some natives ran to him to help them kill a lion that had just dragged off some sheep. On seeing the lion, he fired both barrels of his gun. But the shots only wounded the lion without killing it.. As Dr. Livingstone vainly tried to reload, the lion leapt on him and catching him by the arm, shook him ‘as a terrier dog does a rat’. Dr. Livingstone’s upper arm was splintered at once. He was only saved by the sudden appearance of an elderly convert who snatched a gun, loaded and fired both barrels. Though the gun misfired, it had at least diverted the lion at this crucial moment, causing it to leave Dr. Livingstone. But as the lion tried to attack the convert it suddenly fell down and dropped dead. It had been killed at last by the wounds initially inflicted by Dr. Livingstone’s gun. However the lion had seriously wounded Dr. Livingstone’s left arm. While the broken bones later bonded strongly, enabling him to use the arm again, the scar of 11 permanent tooth marks of the lion still remained on Dr. Livingstone’s arm. These scars became to him constant reminders of God’s saving grace.

Indeed scars can serve as powerful signs and reminders of God’s grace at work in our lives; the enemy may have tried to stop you, but God’s grace had delivered you. And despite what you went through, you’ve come through healed, restored, vindicated, blessed and fulfilling your purpose.

Though we may have scars, more importantly we have the victory. Despite all the battles, we are still here. That sickness didn’t take you out, that financial trouble didn’t give you a heart attack, that family crisis didn’t drive you crazy. Though the enemy gave it his best shot, God still pulled you through.

The truth is that anyone who is serious with God and poses a threat to the kingdom of darkness will fight battles. It’s been said that the reason why the devil is not bothering some Christians is because they are not bothering him either. But every genuine child of God will face battles. And as good soldiers of Christ we will often bear marks from such battles fought and won.

Galatians 6:17 says ‘From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus’.

Here Apostle Paul was referring to the things he had to suffer for the sake of Christ. This could also have included the bodily scars and blemishes from his many persecutions; he was in prison frequently, exposed to death again and again, on one occasion he was actually killed, though God mercifully raised him up, five times he received 39 lashes, three times he was beaten with rods and once he was stoned. [2 Corinthians 11:23-28].

Yet despite all he went through, Paul’s scars were his credentials of the grace of God at work in his life. Indeed when you serve God, you will constantly face battles, but then, thanks be unto God who always causes us to triumph through Christ. Our victory in every battle is guaranteed by the ultimate scar Jesus bore for us at Calvary.

Jesus was betrayed, falsely accused, beaten with rods, forced to wear a crown of thorns, lashed with thirty-nine stripes, His hands and feet and side were pierced, and He was crucified. When Jesus rose from the dead, He had His scars from these sufferings. However, those scars became His marks of victory and triumph over the enemy. And that is why today by His stripes we are healed.

By redemption we bear the mark of the Blood of Christ upon us, which causes evil to pass over us. These marks indicate we have been purchased by blood and set apart for God. Therefore, henceforth no man or devil is permitted to trouble us. Our case is different, we are exempted and made untouchable by the Blood of Jesus. This is why we should continually give God praise, because through the blood of Jesus we have been made overcomers and conquerors in every battle of life.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for the mark of the Blood of Jesus upon my life. I thank You that in every battle, my victory through the Blood of Jesus, is already guaranteed in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

Praise always guarantees you power for a raise, learning to praise God in season and out of season is key to fulfilling destiny. – WORD

Hebrews 12:1 ‘Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

DAILY READING Acts 24:10-27; Judges 21; Psalm 46

On the morning of May 6, 2005 in Charlotte, North Carolina, families of the victims of the Air Midwest crash of January 8, 2003 gathered at the memorial crash site. They were there to witness the public apology by Air Midwest and its maintenance company, Vertex Aerospace. It was part of the legal settlement terms; those responsible for the crash would hold themselves accountable and publicly apologize to the victims’ families. However though the airline company rendered the due apology and made financial compensations, it still was not enough to make up for the loss of the 21 passengers and crew who perished due to avoidable mistakes.

Investigators had discovered that the crash was as a result of excess weight. Before the flight, the pilots had checked the take-off weight of the aircraft and determined it to be okay. But unknown to them, they had mistakenly used an incorrect passenger weight estimates in their calculations. So while they thought the plane’s weight was alright, the plane was actually overloaded and out of balance. When the plane took off, it had climbed steeply as a result of the excess weight. And though the pilots fought hard to control its movement, the plane did not respond, until its eventual crash. After the crash, the weight of baggage retrieved from the crash site and passengers, was found to be 580 pounds above the plane’s maximum allowable take-off weight.

Likewise, on the journey of life, excess weights can lead to a crash of destiny.

Hebrews 12:1 says ‘let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”

God has called us to be champions in the race of life. But, oftentimes certain weights try to hinder each person from running their best race. However, your destiny is too great, and your assignment too important for you to allow anything to hinder the race to your glorious future..

Competitive long-distance runners lay aside every hindrance and run with only what is absolutely necessary. Likewise, let us learn to drop everything that tries to hinder us from our pursuit of glory this year. Most especially we must be careful not to be pulled down by the weight of sin. Sin is indeed a sinker. It is a dead weight that can instantly lead to a crash of destiny.

In this end-times especially we must be very careful, because although we are in a season of glory for the church, it is also a season of the greatest temptations in the world. Isaiah 60, lets us know that the season of our rising and shining, is also the season of gross darkness in the world. This is why every child of God has to be very sober and vigilant, because the enemy is going about seeking whom he may devour.

To overcome sin, we must identify possible areas of weaknesses and deal with them in prayer. You cannot conquer what you will not confront. A besetting sin is like a persistent temptation, that keeps drawing you back each time you want to go forward.

Jesus said in Matthew 26:41: ” Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

To conquer temptations we must therefore keep our prayer altar fervent. Kneeling to pray is often the only thing that keeps men strong enough to stand.

The Word of God also strengthens us against temptations.

Psalm 119;11 says ‘Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.’

The more you hide The Word of God in your heart the more you receive power to overcome sin. Let us therefore receive grace for fresh commitment to fervent prayer and diligent study of God’s Word. Let us also always remain joyful and praiseful because the joy of The Lord will be our strength as we successfully run life’s race..

PRAYER: Lord please help me to focus on You as I run this race of destiny. Please deliver me from besetting sins, distractions and weights that try to hinder me on the way. Thank You Lord, for enabling me to finish my course with joy in Jesus Name.

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When you obey God’s instruction you are delivered from destruction.

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 Acts 23:23-24:9; Judges 20; Psalm 45

Oral Roberts, is considered one of the most recognizable Christian leaders of the 20th century. His televised faith-healing ministry attracted millions of followers worldwide. However, his success in ministry came as a result of his great expectations from God.

When Oral Roberts started out in ministry as a young pastor he yearned to see the dramatic healing miracles that were so prominent in the book of Acts and in the ministry of Jesus. However, when he failed to see the results his heart envisioned, he finally became desperate. Feeling led to read through the Gospels and the book of Acts three times in three months on his knees, and fasting frequently, he sought for a breakthrough in his ministry. So serious was he in his desperation and fasting that he lost 40 pounds and went from a size 46 suit to a 38. At last he got on his face before God and told the Lord he was not going to get up until he heard from Him. He prayed until he could pray no longer and then lay on the floor. After a season of quietness the voice came to him: “From this hour you shall have My power to heal the sick and to cast out demons.” He asked God in prayer to do three things for him as confirmation. At this time he was pastoring a church of only 175 people, he asked God to bring 1,000 people to a healing crusade he was organizing. Secondly he asked for the offering to be up to $160 to cover the rent for the auditorium, and thirdly he asked that someone would get a dramatic and tangible healing in the service. He told God if these three things didn’t happen, then he would walk away from the ministry and become a salesman. At the crusade he organized, God answered all three requests; 1200 people showed up, the offering was $163, and a woman with a gnarled, crippled right hand was dramatically healed. With this confirmation, and a burning heart and passion, Oral Roberts launched out into an itinerant evangelistic and healing ministry. In a very short time he became a national figure and eventually headed a global ministry that impacted many people around the world. He also founded Oral Roberts University [ORU] which is one of the largest, most influential Christian liberal arts universities in the world.

Prov. 10:24 says that the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

The question is; what are we desirous to see?

Every season of prayer and fasting should culminate in the manifestation of glory in our lives. It is not enough to have gone through a long fast, there must be results following. After Jesus had fasted when He came down from the mountain, The Bible says there was an eruption of power and His fame spread abroad.

After paying the spiritual price of fasting and praying we should be ready to see the eruption of power. We can’t go back to living normally. However, it is our expectation that sets the pace for our manifestation. To see the miraculous, we must indeed be expectant. Expectation is indeed the mother of manifestation.

Mark 11:24 says ‘Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them’.

According to the above scripture, God is committed to bring to pass whatever our desire in prayer. However, lack of expectation is the reason for many people’s frustration in prayer. What you don’t desire you don’t deserve. Only the hopeful have access to the help of God. What you don’t expect you can’t experience. God has promised, His word is ready to perform, however it is your expectation that determines when you will be visited.

While hope is a wish for something to happen, expectation defines what we want to see happen. Expectation is hope with responsibility.

And there is nothing that we hope or expect that will be too great for God to accomplish.

Eph. 3:20 which says ‘God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!’… (MSG)

When your expectations are high, you commit God to perform.

Psalm 62:5 – My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

Whatever we expressed to God in the season of prayer, we should continue to expect. Don’t give up hope, keep confessing and declaring your desire. God is faithful to do what He has said He will do. Your miracle in on the way, therefore do not abort the process by giving up on your expectations. We serve the God of excessive power, excessive grace, and excessive love, and He will indeed do exceedingly abundantly far and beyond what we could ever ask or imagine!

PRAYER:

Lord please help me to stretch the limits of my expectations. I know indeed You can do exceedingly abundantly above all I could ever ask or imagine. Thank You Lord for speedy manifestation of my desires in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

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

Psalm 34;5 ‘They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

DAILY READING – – Acts 22:30-23:22; Judges 19; Psalm 44

The goldfish is one of the most common ornamental fishes in the world. They are quite popular as pets. In many homes they are kept in aquariums, fish bowls, or small ponds. The goldfish breed, was developed in China over 2,000 years ago. There are many types or breeds of goldfish. They can vary in size, color, and shape. Their colorful skin  is usually their main attraction. There are many different colors of gold fish, the more popular ones being the orange-gold color.

The gold fish can actually live up to 40 years, when taken good care of. But unfortunately, in home aquariums, due to inadequate conditions, the gold fish has an average lifespan of only 7 years. The key to getting a goldfish to live a long, healthy life is optimum conditions. And one of the main things a goldfish requires to achieve longevity is the right lighting conditions. Like the majority of plants and animals, a goldfish needs light to survive. It uses light for three main purposes; to find food, to protect itself  from predators and to maintain its color. The goldfish has pigment in its skin that reacts to light. It will lose its color if it is  not kept near the light. If  kept in darkness for a certain length of time, or light that isn’t bright enough, the color of the goldfish begins to fade. And over time, they can lose their color and turn white. In other words for the gold fish to maintain its glowing color it needs to stay close to the light.

In the same way we as Christians, like the gold fish, can only maintain our color when we stay close to the light of God’s Word.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says ‘But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord’

In Exodus 33:18-23 when Moses was on Mt. Sinai in the presence of the Lord, his face radiated with the glory of the Lord And the glow continued  even after he came down from the mountain. Moses didn’t manufacture the brightness with his own ability. The light that came from his face was a result of being in God’s presence.

Psalm 34;5 says ‘They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.’

Our shinning is dependent upon our being in the light of God’s Presence.  Men may see you and marvel at your life and the happenings around you, but it is only the reflection of the glory of God through you. You are not the source of the shining, it is the glorious light of Christ shining through you. It is important for us to know this so that we can fervently seek to always dwell in the light of God’s Presence. .

James 1:17 says ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.’

Our source of shinning is our connection to the Father of lights. The moment you disconnect from that source you lose color and become like any other fish in the pond. Therefore for you to keep shining, hang around the light. Always stay in the light of the Word of God. Jesus said without Him we can do nothing. It is only in Him that we can live and move and have our being.

We manifest the glory of God when we spend time in His presence. And when we are truly reflecting the Lord’s light, people will notice it and will be drawn to Him through us.

In Mathew 5:16 Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven”

Let us therefore daily abide in the light of His Presence, through daily meditation in The Word of God and fellowship with The Spirit, so that His glory can continually manifest through us for the world to see.

PRAYER: Father please help me to always walk in Your light so that Your Glory can continually reflect through me. Indeed without You I can do nothing. Therefore, enable me Oh Lord to abide  close to you, so that as You shine through me, I can be a wonder to my world in Jesus Name.

QUOTE :

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