HORM Devotional

Lamentations 3:22-23 – ‘It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’

DAILY READING • Acts 5:17-42; Deuteronomy 25-27; Job 16
Exactly fifteen years ago on December 26th, 2004, a tsunami hit the coasts of several countries of South and Southeast Asia. The tsunami and its aftermath were responsible for immense destruction and loss of lives. The town of Meulaboh in Aceh in Indonesia, was one of the towns that were hit the hardest. However there is a fantastic testimony of God’s divine deliverance from Pastor Bill Hekman of Calvary Life Fellowship in Indonesia. According to the story, in the town of Meulaboh there were about 400 Christians who had wanted to celebrate Christmas on December 25th, but were not allowed to do so by the Muslims of Meulaboh, who were in the majority. They were told if they wanted to celebrate Christmas, they needed to go up on a high hill outside the city to celebrate. Thus these 400 believers left the city on December 25th, and after they celebrated Christmas, they stayed overnight on the hill. In the morning of Sunday, December 26, 2004, there was the earthquake followed by the tsunami waves that destroyed most of the city of Meulaboh, killing thousands. The 400 believers who were high on the mountain were all saved from the raging flood of the tsunami. Somehow by divine exemption, they were all spared from destruction to testify to God’s marvelous goodness.

Lamentations 3:22 says – ‘It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.’

Indeed through the Lord’s mercy we have been saved from so many ‘tsunamis’ this year, some of which we were not even aware. Each time the enemy has come in like a flood, the Spirit of God has raised a standard against him. There are many times we have been at the verge of destruction, yet God’s grace prevailed.
There were things the enemy meant for us as disappointments but God turned them around for our deliverance. God is always watching over us.
Psalm 124:2-3 says, ‘If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us.’
As the year rounds off, there are so many things to thank God for. And as we look back, it is a good time to stop and count our blessings, and deliberately thank God for each of them. Indeed God is the reason we are still here today.
Looking back over the year, it is obvious God’s covenant has been preserving us. Despite all the spiritual missiles sent our way, none has found its mark. God has indeed been faithful. His blessings have prevailed above the attacks of the enemy. Despite all the plans of the wicked to eliminate us, God’s hand of divine protection has kept us. Left to the enemy, this year would have seen the end of us, but God rather allowed us to see the end of this year.
Despite all that we have been through this year, we are still here. And it has only been by the grace and mercy of God. You know that there were times that you could have easily given up, yet you survived all that came against you. Not because you were lucky, but only because of God’s mercy. Throughout every challenge, God has been our ever-present help in time of need.
Indeed God is good and very faithful. And no matter what things may look like right now, be assured that He is working it all out for your good. Truly God has done us well. And in these last days of the year, we have every cause to be continually thankful for indeed great has been His faithfulness.
PRAYER: Lord, I am overwhelmed by Your faithfulness to me and my family throughout this year. I praise You for all Your goodness in my life. I know that even right now, You are working it all out for my good in Jesus’ Name.

QUOTE
Praise is proof that you believe God to do what He said He would do in your life. – WORDBITE 201.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

DAILY READING Acts 5:1-16; Deuteronomy 23-24; Job 15

Today, the Statue of Liberty is perhaps the most recognized American symbol of hope and freedom. It is indeed interesting that the Statue, located in New York, was actually a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States. In a ceremony held in Paris in 1884, the completed Statue of Liberty was formally presented to the U.S. by France and was dedicated later on October 28, 1886.
The Statue of Liberty has a woman holding a torch in her right hand high above her head, and in her left hand carrying a tabula ansata (tablet with handle) on which is inscribed the date of the US Declaration of Independence, which was July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet as she walks forward, indicating freedom.
To the United States, this statue is one of the greatest gifts she has ever received from any nation. Its message reflects the very heart of the American dream, which is freedom for all. It is a gift which the US continues to celebrate. Today the statue has become an icon of freedom in the United States and a national park tourist destination. Indeed, it is a gift that continues to be appreciated more than a century after it was received.
However, while the statue may represent liberty to Americans, there is a far greater and incomparable gift which has truly brought freedom and liberty to all mankind.
It is God’s greatest gift to us in the person of Jesus Christ. He is not just an icon, He is our spiritual liberty and eternal freedom. 2000 years ago through the tender mercy of God, the Dayspring from on high visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. God presented to the world a Baby born in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem. This Baby brought light into a spiritually dark world. He is the light that lights every man that comes into the world. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And this light shines in darkness, and the darkness cannot comprehend it.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
God gave His only Son, born in a humble stable, to shed His blood on the cross as redemption for us. We were doomed to die in our sin, forever separated from God. But Jesus went to the cross and took upon Himself the sin of the world, and saved mankind from wrath. He came and redeemed us, so that we can now be called the sons of God.
Today at Christmas, we celebrate that the Almighty, Glorious God became a man, taking on the limitations of time and space, that we might behold and receive His glory.
And while Christmas is a time of giving of gifts, at the heart of Christmas is the fact that God gave us the greatest gift of all, which is the gift of a Savior. Without this gift we had no hope, but through Him, today every chain of captivity has been broken off us and we are able to serve and worship God in spirit and in truth. Through His blood we have been washed from sin and now have the victory over hell and its horde. Today, we celebrate the birth of this Savior, our Lord and Redeemer, our eternal hope of salvation and our help from ages past. He is indeed the greatest gift of all.
PRAYER: Father God, I thank You for the gift of Jesus that You gave unto me to save me from sin and unrighteousness. I thank You because through Your priceless gift of the Savior, I have eternal victory today and always, 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. – WORDBITE 222.

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

DAILY READING: Acts 4:23-37; Deuteronomy 21-22; Job 14

According to researchers, the last days of each year are often considered the most fatal days of the year. In some nations like America, the Christmas period in particular often records the highest rate of death. A recent CNN report said that several studies show people have a greater chance of dying on Christmas day, the day after Christmas or New Year’s Day than on any other single day of the year. David P. Phillips, a professor in the sociology department at UC San Diego, who was the lead author on some of these studies, noticed this trend when studying U.S. death certificates between 1979 and 2004. He and his team found a spike in deaths on those three days. Other researchers have noticed this trend again and again but there’s no clear indication of the reason, although there are a number of popular theories. Some think excess consumption of alcohol and rich foods could be the culprit. Others speculate it is linked to the winter weather. However, a study in New Zealand showed that even when Christmas and New Year are celebrated in summer, a surge in deaths still occurs. Scientists can’t seem to explain this phenomenon. Obviously, what happens is that the enemy tries to turn the joy of many into sorrow at such a time. However, as believers we know that we are exempted from such evil by the blood of Jesus. Psalm 65:11 tells us that God crowns the year for us with His goodness and good things. His blessings make rich and add no sorrow with it. Indeed for us, the end of the year is a better time, because better is the end of the matter than the beginning thereof. Therefore it doesn’t matter the evil plots of the enemy, our case continues to be different. Indeed the rod of the wicked shall never rest upon the lot of the righteous. By covenant we are preserved and protected always from the evil in the world.

And what it also means is that spiritually we do not go on holiday.  If hell does not close its gates for Christmas and demons work overtime, then neither should we, as believers, rest on our oars. While we celebrate, we should still remain spiritually vigilant and prayerful.
1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
While the Christmas festivities are fun, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to get distracted from the real reason for the season. And while we celebrate Christ’s birth, we should also be concerned with the purpose for which He came to earth, which is to save lost sinners. That is the real reason for the season.
While Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, it doesn’t end there. Actually, the cradle was the first stop on the road that was to end at the old rugged cross. Ultimately, Jesus was born to die, to pay the debt of sin and save men from eternal damnation; and as believers, we must focus on this reality.
Many people in the world are lost and dying. Despite the outer camouflage of fine clothes, many are in deep despair. It doesn’t matter the level of outward success they may seem to be flaunting, it is all vanity when Jesus is not at the center.
For many of such people, Christmas is simply that time of the year for partying, frolicking, shopping, drinking, and fun seeking. And it is many of such spiritually ignorant people that the enemy targets to strike the most during the season. For this reason we must be diligent in reaching out to share the truth of the Gospel with as many people as we can. Apostle Paul said we should preach in season and out of season.
Many of us will be connecting and communicating with friends and families at this time; so while we laugh and celebrate, we should also be concerned with the destiny of their souls.
Let us, therefore, use every opportunity to point men in the right direction. And while the enemy works to increase the death rate this season, let us work with God’s help to bring most men to the saving knowledge of Christ. Certainly, the greatest gift anyone who is spiritually lost can receive in this season is the gift of salvation and new life in Christ.

At the same time, let us also remember to continually give God thanks for our own  salvation. Indeed the best gift God has given to all of humanity is sending Christ to the earth for our redemption. This is indeed something to shout about and to bless God continually for. Therefore as we celebrate, let us always be thankful for the real reason for this season.
PRAYER: Father, as I celebrate this season, please help me to stay focused on the real reason why Jesus came to the earth. Enable me to share Your love with those around me and to shine Your light for all to see in Jesus’ Name.
QUOTE:
You will never need more than God to experience the impossible in life. WORDBITE 222.

1 Samuel 2:30, ‘For them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.’

DAILY READING Acts 4:1-22; Deuteronomy 19-20; Job 13

June 18, 2015 marked the 200th anniversary of one of the most famous battles in history: ‘the Battle of Waterloo,’ which was fought by Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon was a French military leader who led several successful campaigns during the French Revolutionary Wars. His goal was to conquer the world, and he dominated European and global affairs for more than a decade. He won most of the wars he fought, building a large empire that ruled over much of continental Europe. Confident of his achievements, on June 18, 1815 at the battle of waterloo, Napoleon met an army made up of British, Dutch and Prussian forces near the little town of Waterloo in Belgium. Napoleon seemed to have the greater military might, and was set for victory. He boasted that he would have both the English and the Prussians utterly defeated by 2:00pm that day. One of his generals reminded him that, “Man proposes, but God disposes.” But Napoleon, full of pride and arrogance, answered, “I want you to understand, sir, that Napoleon proposes, and Napoleon disposes.”

However, what Napoleon had not reckoned with was the weather. In the days prior to the battle it rained heavily, causing the ground to become wet and muddy. Because of the mud, Napoleon was not able to order an early attack. His great heavy cannons, of which he was very proud and had often boasted, became stuck and absolutely useless. The mud also hindered the advancement of the cavalry, which meant the main attack could not happen until later in the afternoon. When he eventually launched his attack, due to the unfavorable fighting conditions he lost the battle. Napoleon was captured by the British and sent on exile to the little island of St. Helena, where he was placed under guard. He was there till his death in 1821. However, in the years of his exile Napoleon began to study the Bible. He would eventually acknowledge Jesus as the greatest ruler that ever existed.

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Any man that thinks that he can win life’s battles without God’s help will eventually be dissappointed. We must learn to give God His place. The value we place on God will determine our value on the earth. Indeed without God we can do nothing. We all need the grace of God to make any real progress in life. The Bible says God humbles the proud. Pride is failure to see the help of God; and to take God for granted is to be grounded. When we stop acknowledging the hand of God, everything keeps going down; but the more we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, the more He exalts us.

Your breakthrough does not lie in your strength, talent or ability. The grace of God is what provokes supernatural breakthroughs in a man’s life. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “I am what I am by the grace of God.”

Looking at how far we have come this year, we have to acknowledge the help of God at every turn. Certainly, if it had not been for the Lord on our side, where would we be? From January to December God has been faithful. He has fought our battles for us and constantly given us the victory. For anyone to think they have come thus far this year because of their strength or smartness is certainly wrong thinking. There are many smarter people who have died this year; yet despite all our weaknesses and shortcomings, God has preserved us. Indeed it is because of the Lord’s mercies that we have not been consumed.

Failure to acknowledge God’s help is pride, and pride is a silent destroyer of destiny. When you stop acknowledging the hand of God and trust in your own ability, the end result is a fall. Napoleon Bonaparte learnt this lesson the hard way.

James 4:6 says, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Truly humble people are always quick to give God credit for every good thing in their lives. Indeed God is worthy of all our praise. The more we celebrate God, the more He honors us before men.

In 1 Samuel 2:30 God says, ‘For them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.’

The more we praise God for His help, the more He raises us. Praise is our way to cheap victory in every battle. Certainly, nothing defeats the devil like thanksgiving. When we give God praise, we hand over our battles to Him; and when God arises on our behalf, every enemy will be scattered.

PRAYER: Lord, please give me the grace to humble myself under Your mighty hand so that I will be exalted in due season. Please uproot every root of pride in me and enable me to praise You always in every situation in Jesus’ Name

Quote

Faith is more than just believing, it is acting upon The Word that you believe. WORDBITE 222.

Luke 15:8 ‘Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?’

DAILY READING – Acts 3; Deuteronomy 17-18; Job 12

Michael Faraday was a devout Christian and self-taught scientist, who excelled in chemistry and physics to become one of the most influential thinkers in history. He’s been called the “father of electricity,”. Faraday discovered laws of electromagnetism, invented the first electric motor, and built the first electric generator—paving the way for our mechanized age.

Born on September 22, 1791 in England, Michael Faraday was raised in a less-than-affluent household. He was the son of a blacksmith and because he received limited formal education due to his family’s poverty, Faraday educated himself by reading many books during an apprenticeship with a local bookbinder and bookseller.

While reading countless books at his apprenticeship, Faraday took an interest in science and wound up attending lectures given by Sir Humphry Davy, an English chemist and professor at the Royal Institution in London. Faraday would later send to the professor a 300-page book, based on his compiled records. Soon after receiving his book, Davy employed Faraday as a secretary and, years later, promoted him to Chemical Assistant at the institution. In 1825, he was appointed as a life-time Fullerian Professor of Chemistry. His remarkable discoveries in science  has made possible breakthroughs in modern science. Although Faraday had little school education, and did not know higher mathematics, he became one of the most influential scientists in history. For the most part, he was an autodidact: he taught himself. Faraday became the greatest experimental physicist of the nineteenth century.

History has a record of many such men and women who through discoveries marked a turn in human development. For many of them; the process of discovery took time but, they kept at it: studying, researching, finding facts. When they eventually make a great discovery, they not only become celebrated, but also within them there is a depth of satisfaction that becomes a justifiable reward for all the effort and arduous labor invested in their search..

It is the same when you devote yourself to search in The Word to make a discovery. In Luke 15 the Bible talks about the woman who lost her coin and lighted her candle and searched diligently until she had found the lost coin.

Discovery leads to recovery. Sometimes by refusing to act according to the Word of God, we can lose things which originally belonged to us in the covenant. We could lose wealth, health. Peace etc due to ignorance or not walking in line with God’s will.

But we can experience restoration or recovery of these things by simply going to the Book of Covenant, to search out where we missed it. Diligent search in The Word will locate your missing inheritance..  And When you find it there is a reward and your expectations are not cut off. As we prepare to enter into the New year, we cannot come with a casual approach, we must diligently seek and search the scriptures to know God’s plan for us is in the coming year. There is a plan and purpose for every one of us and we must be willing to pay the price in prayers to know it. It is only through following God’s agenda concerning our lives that we can excell.  Searching the scriptures diligently to know God’s will is to our benefit. Indeed when we find it, there shall be a reward and our expectations shall not be cut short in Jesus Name.

PRAYER; Father please help me  to pay the required price in prayer and diligent study of Your Word to make the discoveries that will lead to recovery of all I may have lost in the past, By Your grace there shall be no more loss in my life, only additions and multiplications in Jesus Name.

Quote :

Discovery will guarantee you a recovery of anything ever lost or missing in your life. – WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 23:1  ‘The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want, He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He restores my soul..’

• DAILY READING –    Acts 2:14-47; Deuteronomy 15-16; Job 11

Shepherds are mentioned several times in the Bible. Great men such as Abraham, Moses, and King David were shepherds during their time. The sheep depended on the shepherd for provision and protection. In spring, each day a shepherd will take his flock outside to graze on fresh, succulent pastures. When summer heat sets in, shepherds move their flocks to cooler pastures on higher grounds. And for many days the shepherd would work and sleep outdoors, allowing the flock to graze on the green hills. During the night, he will be awake guarding the sheepfolds. At times, the shepherd might shelter his flock overnight in a cave, where they would be protected from wild animals such as lions, jackals and hyenas. If the howl of a wild animal panicked the flock of sheep in the dark of night, the shepherd’s calm, reassuring voice would still them. Each evening, the shepherd counted the sheep and checked the health of the animals. In the morning, he would call, and the flock would follow him to the pasture ground. Then at midday, shepherds led the animals to cool pools of water to drink. When the pools dry up, the shepherd guides them to a well and draws water for them. When the cold rains began, he would lead them back home to winter, indoors so that the animals do not perish outside in the lashing rains, hailstorms, and snow. The sheep is totally dependent on the shepherd for survival.

So, when the psalmist says ‘the Lord is my shepherd,’ we understand how crucially dependent we are upon God for our provision and protection. The shepherd knows where the green pasture is. A sheep that departs from its shepherd will not last long. It will either be killed by hunger or by wild beasts.

Jesus, our Great Shepherd takes responsibility for our wellbeing, but we must follow while He leads. This is why before we venture into anything, we first seek counsel from God and ensure He is the one leading us into it. When we let God be the one leading us and guiding us, then He also takes the responsibility for our provision.

Understand that God has a purpose He wants to accomplish on earth. He is not just going to take care of you for you to do things contrary to His work. He will take care of you when you are walking and working in accordance with His divine purpose and plan. God’s will is His bill. God will only pay for what He orders for. So, to enjoy divine provision, follow the voice of the Shepherd. Follow the vision God has for your life. The problem is that many people are doing their own things and expecting God to still take care of them. Many times, God out of mercy still takes care of them, but to enjoy true divine provision, we need to align with God’s vision and guidance.

Especially as the new year fast approaches we must make up our mind to achieve a closer walk with God. As His sheep we must  begin to clearly hear His voice. We need to pay the required price in fellowship with the Spirit so as to begin to hear the voice of our shepherd. It is through hearing His voice and being led by the Spirit that we can escape the traps of the enemy and come to the green pastures God has ordained for us in this season.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to submit to Your guidance; help me to hear Your voice clearly and be sensitive to Your spirit so that I can follow Your will into the  great destiny You have for me in Jesus Name.

Quote :

God’s will is God’s bill; God always makes provision for His vision

Acts 16:25-26 ‘And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loose.’

DAILY READING –  Acts 2:1-13; Deuteronomy 13-14; Job 10

During his 8 years reign of terror in Uganda, Idi Amin banned twenty-seven denominations, from operating in the country. He stopped the activity of many churches and was said to have been responsible for the murders of some 300,000 Christians during this terrible period of his rule. When the ban was announced, most churches immediately went underground, and house meetings sprang up throughout the country.  However there were millions of Ugandan believers, regardless of Amin’s persecution, who were willing to die for their faith. Some of these were members of a church in Makerere, run by the Gospel Mission to Uganda. Despite the ban they continued Sunday services.

On April 12, 1978, while service was going on, Idi Amin’s soldiers  invaded this Church and  began firing indiscriminately at the 600-strong congregation. The congregation quickly dropped to their knees between the pews and with upraised arms they began to praise the Lord. When a member of the church orchestra, raised his trumpet to his lips and blew it as loudly as he could, the Idi Amin soldiers fearing it was a clarion call for the Christians to counter-attack, fled the sanctuary.

In the ensuing confusion, nearly 400 people managed to slip away from the church. But at least 200 members still remained on their knees worshipping The Lord. Unexpectedly the Idi Amin soldiers, having reinforced,  returned back to the Church. They again sprayed bullets everywhere, leaving holes on the Church walls, but none of the worshippers were hurt. The soldiers then arrested the remaining 200 worshippers and took then to the State Research Bureau headquarters at Nakasero. There they were mocked and told that as soon as Idi Amin’s second-in-command, arrived and signed the execution order, they would all be burned alive.

However, these 200 believers sat in silent prayer, praising God and calling upon Him to intervene. And as they prayed and praised God, suddenly something miraculous happened. Idi Amin’s second-in-command, who was coming to sign the execution papers was involved in a terrible car crash in which both his legs were badly fractured. He ended up a cripple in a wheelchair and later on, he and Idi Amin turned against each other.

In the meanwhile when the signed order from Idi Amin’s second-in-command, did not appear, the guards then put the believers into prison cells, but after some days they were released. Miraculously through their ordeal, none of them died. They had all survived.

Acts 16:25-26 says  ‘And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loose.’

Indeed God moves miraculously when you praise Him in the midnight hour of life. Those times when we sometimes think it is over, and there is no way out, that is when God moves suddenly for our deliverance. Even those times, it seems we can’t see Him working, God is setting things up behind the scenes. And then, at the perfect moment, He suddenly acts in ways we never expected and that changes the picture dramatically.

Indeed we serve the God of supernatural intervention. As a child of God, you must realize that things are not permitted to happen to you anyhow. Your case is different. No matter how your back may seem to be pressed against the wall, God can suddenly change the picture and turn your mourning into dancing.

But for the law of divine exemption to work for you, you must walk in an understanding of God’s Word and His covenant. God is fearful in praises and when we praise Him, He arises to execute judgment and turn the table around on our enemies. The very pit they dug for you, God knows how to make them fall into it. The snares they set for your feet, God knows how to make it catch them instead. Whatever may be confronting you today, you can turn the tables around by offering God worthy praise.

God crowns the year with good things. As you praise Him, be assured that He has concluded a definite plan of divine completion for you. What is entitled you by covenant, you will not miss it!  Surely every pharaoh that has pursued you this year is about to face divine judgment. The red sea they thought would swallow you up is about to swallow them up. They will fall, but you shall arise to cross over into your Canaan. Surely this year is ending well for you in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Father I thank You for turning everything around for my good. I thank You for Your  sudden visitation that will bring about my positive change of story. Indeed that which is  impossible to men  is totally possible to You. I know by Your grace that this year is surely ending well for me in Jesus Name.

QUOTE :

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

1 Peter 4:8 [NLT] ‘Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.’
DAILY READING: Acts 1; Deuteronomy 11-12; Job 9
On May 13th, 1981, as Pope John Paul II crossed St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City, he was shot four times by an assassin. Two bullets struck the pope in the stomach, while one struck his right arm, and another his left index finger. In intense pain, the pope was bundled away by his security team, and despite severe blood loss, he survived the shooting.
The shots had been fired by Mehmet Ali Ağca—who had escaped from a Turkish prison where he was held on charges of murder. But despite his attempt to murder Pope John Paul II, the pope immediately, openly, and, in his own words, “sincerely” forgave the man.
In 1983, John Paul II even went so far as to visit his would-be assassin, engaging the man in a private conversation, befriending him, and staying in touch with his family. In 2000, the pope requested that Ağca be pardoned.
That request was granted and Ağca was released from his Italian prison, although he was still compelled to serve out the remainder of his sentence in the Turkish prison from where he had escaped.
After the pope’s visit, Ağca, deeply touched, converted to Christianity. Following John Paul II’s death in 2005, Ağca was released from prison in 2010. And in 2014, he returned to Rome to lay two dozen white roses at John Paul II’s tomb.
Mehmet Ali Ağca’s life was changed forever by the forgiveness shown to him. His heart, hardened by anger and condemnation, was softened by the touch of genuine forgiveness.
In Mathew 18:7 Jesus said, ‘For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes.’
Here, Jesus is telling us offending situations are inevitable. Though people may not shoot you with a gun, sometimes they do things that equally hurt. Those times when your heart gets broken, or you feel treated unfairly, can indeed be hurtful. Offences are part of the story of life. People will let us down, break their promises, and say things that hurt. But if we allow these offences to lodge in our hearts, they can keep us from God’s best. Rather than stay bitter and angry, we can insulate ourselves from the damage of offenses by releasing love instead. Indeed love can conquer all offences.
1 Peter 4:8 [NLT] says, ‘Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.’
Love can protect our hearts from the damaging effects of unforgiveness. We are to bless those who curse us and pray for those who spitefully use us. Romans 12:21 tells us not to be overcome by evil, but rather to overcome evil with good. The truth is that God has shown us the example of how to love. Despite the times we have sinned against Him, He has freely given us His grace, forgiving and covering all our failures and all our mistakes. No matter how many times we fail and mess up, God never gives up on us. He is patient and His love will never run out. And as we have freely received His love, so also are we to freely release to others. God blesses us so that we can spread the blessing.
1 John 4:11-12 says, ‘Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.’

Especially as this year rounds up, it is a good time to look back at those who have offended us and forgive them. Don’t carry over anger and hurt into the new year. Every time we decide to forgive people, it is like covering that offense with a beautiful layer of love. And when we release love in the place of hurt, then we are sowing good seeds from which we will reap beautiful pearls of blessings.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace to forgive anyone who may have hurt or offended me in the past years. Help me to manifest Your love wherever I go, and shine Your light for all to see, in Jesus’ Name.
QUOTE:
Your attitude always determines your altitude in life. -WORDBITE 222

Exodus 12:13 – ‘And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.’

DAILY READING – Matthew 28; Deuteronomy 9-10; Job 8

Hematidrosis is a rare, but very real, medical condition in which capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to exude blood. Its cause is extreme anguish. The account of the Gospel written by Luke tells us that Jesus suffered such a condition in the garden of Gethsemane. Luke is the only gospel writer to mention the ‘bloody sweat,’ possibly because he was a physician, well-educated, and a careful observer by profession.

Medically, Hematidrosis occurs under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress. This was a reflection of the intense agony Jesus went through at Gethsemane. In Matthew 26:38 He states “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”

Jesus knew in painstaking details the things He would suffer. He knew He was about to undergo trials where false witnesses would rise against Him. He knew that many who once hailed Him as the Messiah would soon be screaming for His crucifixion (Luke 23:23). He knew He would be flogged to the point where the metal spikes would pull out His flesh, and be beaten so badly that His face would be “disfigured beyond that of any man” (Isaiah 52:14). Crucifixion, the most painful and torturous method of execution ever devised, was so horrific that a word was designed to help explain it—‘excruciating’, which literally means “from the cross.”

But perhaps the worst pain Jesus faced was knowing that as He carried the sins of the world, the Father would turn away from Him. All these things factored into His great anguish and sorrow that caused Him to sweat drops of blood.

It is interesting that ‘Gethsemane,’ literally translated, means ‘the Place of Pressing.’ It was an Olive Garden. This was significant because in that place, it seemed that Jesus was being pressed. He was under such pressure that led to His sweating blood. But in the midst of all the pressure, God sent an angel to strengthen Him. It was the divine strength from above that took Him from the cross to the resurrection. And despite what He had suffered, it all culminated in praise and ultimately to God’s glory.

Today you may be in a ‘garden of Gethsemane’ in your health, career, family or finances. You may feel under a lot of pressure seemingly with no way out, but in the midst of your trying moment, God will send you help and strength from above. And certainly, it will all end in praise.

Today, you may feel like it’s Friday in your Gethsemane. You may feel restricted, under pressure, like you are being squeezed. But recall that Jesus ‘sweated blood’ for your sake, He paid the price to turn your pressures to pleasures. Therefore no matter how tight your situation, claim your victory by the blood.

Despite the pressures, believe and declare that your new season is coming. As the new year approaches, you’re about to shoot out stronger, healthier, promoted, vindicated, and greater.  You will arise into  new levels of favor, promotion, and blessings.

The Blood of Jesus shed at Calvary is the key to our victory. As we invoke the Blood, the plagues of Egypt including those things that cause pressures will pass over us. By the blood, every force hindering your due season of harvest is today destroyed. By the blood, everything tampering with your joy or contesting your glorious destiny is terminated. You have power by the blood. You have overcome by the blood. Truly you are more than a conqueror through the blood of Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord, Thank You for the power You have made available for me through the blood of Jesus. By the power in the blood, every pressure in my life is being turned to pleasure right now. Indeed I have the victory in every area of my life in Jesus’ Name.

QUOTE

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

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Psalm 30:11-12 ‘Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.’
DAILY READING Matthew 27:32-66; Deuteronomy 7-8; Job 7
In her book titled ‘The Inspiring Story of a Girl without a Country,’ Aggie Hurst tells an amazing true life story of God’s faithfulness. Her parents, a Swedish missionary couple, David and Svea Flood, had in 1921 gone to N’dolera, then part of the Belgian Congo in Africa, to reach the region for the Lord. However, on arrival at the village, they met stiff resistance from the local chief who refused them access to the people. The only contact which the chief allowed was a boy who visited them twice weekly to sell chickens and eggs. Svea Flood eventually led this boy to Christ and he became their only convert. Soon after, she had complications when giving birth to her daughter, Aggie, and died. Her husband David was devastated. Deeming their missionary trip fruitless, he gave up the newborn baby girl to another missionary couple and returned to Sweden. From that moment he began to backslide and eventually turned his back on God. However, little Aggie, brought up in America by a missionary couple, grew up and later married a minister of The Gospel, Davey Hurst. Surprisingly, one day in a magazine she read about a great minister of the Gospel in the Congo who was celebrating how a missionary couple, David and Svea Flood, had greatly impacted him. This minister was the little boy that used to sell chicken and eggs to the David and Svea flood. He had been used by God to lead more than 600 villages to Christ and also became the superintendent of their national church with well over 110,000 baptized believers.
Aggie excited about this story of her parents, decided to travel to Sweden to find her father, whom she had not seen since she was a baby. She did find him, and after introducing herself to her shocked father, she showed him the story in the magazine. From the great things God was doing in the Congo, David Flood realized that their labour in the Congo had not been in vain and that God had indeed been faithful. He repented and rededicated himself to The Lord.

No matter the situation, don’t easily grow weary in the battle and think that things are not working for you. No matter what you may have lost, keep blessing God for what you still have left. God works in ways you may not immediately fathom, and He knows how to take what may seem inconsequential and multiply it beyond your wildest imaginations.

Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In every situation we are to give God thanks. When one door closes we trust He will open another. We don’t keep crying over the closed door. We do not allow what is happening to control how we feel.
Do not look at what you may have lost in the course of the year; rather bless God for what remains. And when you do, He will multiply that remnant beyond your wildest expectations. A wise man said if you have lost anything, God is the reason why you have not lost everything. Rather than complain or murmur, let us continue to bless God for His marvelous doings. Don’t let the happenings around you tamper with the joy within you.
Indeed God is too faithful to fail, so let us keep giving Him thanks in all things. Even when we may not see it, we have to trust that He is still at work. And if we refuse to be weary in well doing, soon we shall see the manifestation of His goodness.
No matter what may be happening, continue to judge God faithful, continue to walk by faith and not by sight. Every problem has an expiry date, every storm runs out of rain. Those times when it seems things will never work, may just be the very place and time that the tide will turn in your favor. It is often when you are closest to your breakthrough that the night seems the darkest. But then, though weeping may endure for a night, joy is coming in the morning. This is why we praise God at all times, knowing that He is at work even though we may not immediately see it.
We are close to the end of the year and everything may not have gone the way you envisaged it; still keep believing God to do great and mighty things for you. It is not over until God says so. Engage the weapon of high praises for a forceful turnaround. Be radical with your praise. If you can do the ridiculous, you will see the miraculous. Indeed when you offer high praises to God, He will take you to your high places, He will raise you out of the valley and turn your mourning into dancing.
PRAYER: Lord, please help me to praise You always despite how contrary things may sometimes seem around me. Thank You, Lord, because I know that indeed despite everything, this year shall surely end well for me in Jesus’ Name.
QUOTE
It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 201