HORM Devotional

LUKE 22: 46.  ‘And said unto them why sleep ye, rise ye and pray lest you enter into temptation.’

DAILY READING –  Matthew 11:1-19; Leviticus 11-12; Proverbs 24

A soldier’s life during battle is that of constant alertness. Not knowing when or how the enemy would strike, he remains alert and watchful. And because the human body is limited in its capability, the military resort to drugs to help stretch the alertness of their troops. During the Second World War, U.S soldiers and aviators were given benzedrine, an amphetamine drug, to increase their alertness during long periods on duty.  The  air force pilots also were able to use the drug to remain awake during combat flights. British troops used 72 million amphetamine tablets in the second world war, and the RAF used so many that it was said, that “Methedrine won the Battle of Britain”.  American bomber pilots use amphetamines (“go pills”) to stay awake during long missions. The amount of these drugs consumed gives you an idea of the importance  soldiers attached to alertness

Severally Jesus told us as believers to watch and pray. But unlike the soldiers we don’t need drugs for alertness. The Holy Ghost is the power that will keep us watching and praying.

These are the days of spiritual preparation. Living in the world at such a time as this it is easy to get caught up in the affairs of life. But Paul warns us that no man that is at  war entangles himself with the affairs of this life. And even though we are in the world we are not of the world. Therefore there is a serious call for every Christian to live a life of spiritual alertness and readiness. For no man knows the day or the hour. The apostles in their own time always lived expectant of the Lord’s coming. And so should we at this time. We should not get carried away by the things around us because most of them are passing away.

2 Peter 3:10  says ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.’

Do you know that life on the earth in this time is at the most precarious in history? The possibility of nuclear warfare is at its highest. In fact it has been said that this is the first generation with the capability to destroy the earth, because of the enormous amount of nuclear weapons now in the world.

This is therefore the time to wake up from every spiritual slumber and stay alert. In this end-time, the enemy is unleashing the greatest distractions to shift the focus of believers, because he knows the time is short. There is an enemy on the prowl,  looking for whom to devour. . This is why we must be spiritually alert at this time and not allow ourselves to be carried away by the things of this world. We must keep our eyes on things that are above and not be entangled again in the yoke of bondage. In all we do we must keep our focus on heaven. While we live meaningful lives on earth, let men also know that we are heaven bound. Let our lifestyle reflect it. In Ephesians 4:1 Paul says ‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;’

We must be alert to maintain a heavenly lifestyle. It may not be easy to live differently  while still in the world, but by the help of The Spirit we can. Let our life reflect where we are going. Let men look at us and know that there is something different about us. Let the joy and peace emanating from us be a magnet to their troubled souls. Let them come to us wanting to have what we have. It is the shinning of light that draws moths out of the darkness. Let the light of Heaven shine through us to draw men to God.

PRAYER: Lord, please  give me the grace to live ready and not to be entangled   again in the affairs of this world, give me the grace to live holy and separated unto You …  .

QUOTE

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

Matthew 6:33 ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’

DAILY READING  Matthew 10:26-42; Leviticus 9-10; Proverbs 23

King Solomon was the wisest and richest King in history. He was so rich that precious metals such as silver was  common place in his palace. The Bible says King Solomon mined his gold from Ophir. But the precise location of Ophir, has been one of history’s great unsolved mysteries. Explorers, scientists and theologians through the centuries have scoured the world to find this source of Solomon’s astonishing wealth. One family in particular has dedicated itself to finding the source of King Solomon’s wealth.  A descendant of this family named Tahir Shah, is today a writer and documentary-maker, and author of the travel book  ‘In Search of King Solomon’s Mines’.  Tahir Shah’s grandfather had launched an expedition to search for the hidden gold mine in what is now Yemen. While his father had also launched an expedition in Sudan in search of Solomon’s gold. And today, Tahir has taken up the mantle and has continued the search  for Solomon’s secret gold mine.  In the account of  his journey, Tahir Shah took directions from a mixture of geological, geographical and folkloric sources. The evidence points him towards Ethiopia, the ancient kingdom which claims its descent from king Solomon. Tahir Shah’s trail takes him to remote towns and ancient sites  including the ruined castles of Gondar, and to the churches of Lalibela, hewn from solid rock. But the hardest leg of the journey is to a mountain, which local legend says housed an ancient shaft which was once the entrance of King Solomon’s mines. Shah hired a team of mules and trekked into this mountain. He scoured the peak and searched for hidden caves, but the only one he found ended in a dead end after just 25 feet. All his efforts, time and money spent on this quest only led him to a dead end!. His adventures are documented in his book ‘In search of king Solomon’s mine’. Tahir still has not given up the search for Solomon’s hidden gold. He still believes he will find the gold someday. Such is gold fever. Such is the thirst and quest for King Solomon’s hidden riches.  Indeed in every generation, men will keep seeking the secret path to King Solomon’s riches. Yet if only they take the time to really study King Solomon’s story in the Bible, they will know the secret to his great wealth.

It has been said that the secrets of great men are in their stories. The secret to all of Solomon’s wealth and exploits was because he loved the Lord. Solomon’s breakthrough came not because he sought riches, but because he loved The Lord, and out of that love came the desire to please God, which led to his sacrificing a 1000 burnt offerings unto The Lord. When God visited him and asked what he wanted, he did not ask for riches, rather he asked for wisdom. And God not only gave him wisdom but also riches as well. Indeed when we seek God and His kingdom first, every other thing will be added unto us. When we love God and the interests of His kingdom, God will give to us what other people are dying to get including riches.

1Cor. 2:9 says “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”.

As seen in the life of King Solomon, God has great and amazing things laid up for those who genuinely love Him.  The place of God in our heart determines our placing upon the earth. Seeking God and His  kingdom first has to be the priority in our lives. We must love God for who He is and not only for what He does. The foundation of the love of God has to be in place before other things are added to us.

We need the anointing of love on our lives to make the most of our labour on the earth .  And you cannot love God and not know. When you love Him you will obey Him no matter how difficult it may seem.  If you love Him you will promote His kingdom. The truth is that you cannot make God first, and become the last. If you will let Him 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. And you cannot love God and be a loser. Every lover of God is a star in the making. Every lover of God is highly favoured and ends up a trailblazer and a pacesetter on the earth. And one way to express our love for God is to be thankful and continually give Him praise at all times for His marvelous doings in our lives. King Solomon wrote 1500 documented songs as an expression of his love for God. And the Bible says God is no respecter of persons but is rich unto all who call upon Him. King Solomon expressed his love for God both in words and in deeds and in so doing he connected to unprecedented wealth. And anyone who will today do what Solomon did,  by loving God wholeheartedly,  will also connect to the same amazing dimension of blessings.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to make You priority in all that I do.  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.

Job 23:10  ‘But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.’•

DAILY READING        Matthew 10:1-25; Leviticus 7-8; Proverbs 22

George Whitefield  was an English Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement. He was a close friend to the Wesley brothers, John and Charles, with whom he worked closely in his later ministry. As an evangelist he was part of the Evangelical Revival in England in the 18th century.  George Whitefield  was a man of one passion: to glorify Jesus Christ in his evangelistic preaching. Throughout his lifetime he was known for his passionate and fiery sermons. But not everyone liked that, some people felt he was too outspoken, too bold.  From the moment  George Whitefield preached his first sermon, at age 21, he began to generate criticism. And  persecutions would continue to trail him as he preached the Gospel with even greater boldness. While Anglican ministers of the day were controlled, dignified, and stuffy in preaching; Whitefield on the other hand,  was intense, passionate and dramatic. Because George Whitefield refused to soft-pedal his preaching, his bluntness sometimes offended some established ministers of his time who refused to allow him to speak in their pulpits. Also angry listeners occasionally pelted him with everything from rotten fruit to dead cats.  After the persecutions failed to stop him, eventually the impact of his ministry became so great that he was popular and greatly loved by many. Crowds came to hear George Whitefield by the tens of thousands. Though Whitfield initially suffered great persecutions, as he continued preaching boldly, he ended up as a successful minister because he refused to bend to people’s opinions but rather chose to please God. 

We must be always willing to stand for the truth of the Gospel no matter what it may cost us. Sometimes we may get thrown into the fire for not compromising our faith. But even at those times when it seems we are being persecuted for righteousness sake, God promises to see us through. He says in Isaiah 43:2  “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The flames will not harm you’

When the three Hebrew boys when thrown into the fire, they could not burn because God was there with them as the fourth man.

Daniel 3:27 says  that fire had no power over them, even the smell of fire could not be on them.

when we are persecuted for the sake of Christ, even in the fire, God will be there to carry out a rescue operation. Certainly God will honor those that honor Him.

Perhaps you are suffering certain things today, because you refused to compromise your faith,  or lower your standards. Be assured that God will honor you for honoring Him. Perhaps you were wrongly accused, judged unfairly and going through a trial of faith, but be assured you will come forth as gold. 

 Job 23:10 says ‘But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.’

Indeed you may go through the fire, but you will not be burned. God’s grace upon you will be proven because you will survive.  There will be proof that there’s a grace over your life because you walked through a furnace seven times hotter than it ought to have been and yet you survived it. Anybody else would have lost their mind or suffered a nervous breakdown. But somehow despite all you went through God’s grace has kept you.

And you must understand that what came against you was not random. those were strategic attacks aimed at shifting you from your position of faith. It was aimed at getting you to change your confession and bow to the golden image. 

But as you remain faithful and continue to choose to please God rather than man, God will honor you. God will show you His exceeding goodness. You may go through the fire today, but you are coming out stronger and better. What the enemy meant for evil, God will surely turn it all around for you good. God will bring to you restoration and renewal.

Job 42:10 says  ‘And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

God gave Job, double for his troubles. Likewise God will turn around every captivity for you, and multiply you exceedingly and abundantly. And for all you have been through, God will surely give you double for all your troubles. 

PRAYER Lord please grant me renewed appetite for Your Word so that I can draw the strength to continue to stand in  faith no matter the opposition I may face. Thank You Lord for giving me the victory today and always in Jesus Name.  

 QUOTE 

 When you apply The Word of God, it will work for you, anywhere and anytime- WORDBITE 222.

Colossians 2:14 ‘Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;’

DAILY READING Matthew 9:18-38; Leviticus 5-6; Proverbs 21

Aleksander Solzhenitsyn was one of Russian’s greatest writer and historian. In February 1945, during world war 2, while serving as a commander in the army, he was arrested for anti-government propaganda and imprisoned at the infamous Gulag labor camp. He had to work in the labor camps day after day, in rain and snow, throughout summer and winter.  Backbreaking labor and slow starvation filled his days.  After suffering many days of despair in the death camp,  Aleksander  fell  into despair.  One particular day, the hopelessness of his situation became too much. He saw no reason to continue living and so he gave up.  Laying his shovel on the ground, he slowly walked to the side of the work field, sat down and lowered his head, knowing that at any moment a guard would come to mercilessly beat him to death.  He had seen it happen too many times to other prisoners.

However,  while waiting for death to come, a skinny, old prisoner squatted down next to him.  The man said nothing.  Instead, with his finger he traced the sign of the Cross at Solzhenitsyn’s feet.  Then, without a word, the man got up and went back to the fields.

Solzhenitsyn found himself staring at that Cross drawn in the snow. And in a moment of deep reflection he realized that Christ had died that he might live. And therefore he had no right to throw away his life. Right there and then he  changed his mind and decided to stay alive no matter how hard the prison life might get.  Remembering what Christ did at the cross gave him reason to get back up, pick up his shovel, and return to his labor.  Nothing outward changed, but inside, he received a sign from God – the Cross filled him with hope and strength and purpose to go on. Later, when he was released from prison, he committed himself to writing books that would encourage others in their times of despair, to give them faith and hope that there is indeed power of deliverance in the cross.

The death of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary and His resurrection marked the end of our defeat. Through the price He paid, we were supernaturally transformed from death to life. At the cross, Jesus was mocked, and inflicted with every possible pain for our sakes. He took our pain and bore our infirmities. And through the price He paid, every negative ordinance against us has been wiped out.

Colossians 2:14 says ‘Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;’

The power of Jesus’ resurrection is ordained for the destruction of everything contrary to our destiny and for the restoration of our glory. That means, every affliction of the enemy against our destinies, is destroyed by the power of the cross. . The power of Christ’s resurrection is the demonstration of the exceeding great power of God that no force of darkness can resist.

You must understand that at Calvary the power to overcome was given to us.  We must therefore actively engage that power and secure our freedom by the blood of Jesus. Don’t just keep watching situations.  Christ has given us superior weapons of warfare. And we must engage them to fight the good fight of faith. Our battles are essentially spiritual, therefore we need a spiritual approach for victory. With your heart loaded with God’s Word begin to speak against every thing that is contrary to your destiny. And as we fight we are guaranteed victory because God always causes us to triumph through Christ Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You today, that I have victory by the blood of Jesus, indeed today I declare my freedom from every negative influence in 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. WORDBITE 222.

Galatians 6:9 ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

• DAILY READING;    Matthew 9:1-17; Leviticus 3-4; Proverbs 20

In 2017, a movie was released in the theatres titled ‘Victor’. This movie is based on the real life story of Pastor Victor Torres. In the early 1960’s his parents moved from Puerto Rico to New York City, looking for the American dream. But the dream soon turned into a nightmare when Victor at age twelve joined a street gang and began to get into trouble with the police. At twelve years, he stabbed a young man and was taken to juvenile court; at age fourteen he began to use heroin; by the age of seventeen, he had been imprisoned three times. From using drugs he transitioned to selling drugs. At this time his mother had an encounter with Christ, and became a Christian and that changed everything. Every day, seven days a week and twice on Sundays, she would go up to the church where she worshipped and would pray for Victor. She didn’t just pray for God to save him, she prayed that God would make him a minister of the Gospel and use him to touch people all over the world. Initially it seemed what she was praying for was impossible. The more she prayed the worse Victor became, yet she never gave up. Victor would come home at 3 o’clock in the morning totally stoned from heroine. Yet his mother would be in the kitchen waiting for him.  She would pray and prophesy over him.

Then God began to move. God made a young pastor named David Wilkerson to leave his own state and move to New York to begin a ministry for troubled youths in the roughest streets of New York City. One day, Victor ran into this young pastor as he preached in the street. Right there, God touched Victor’s heart. He knelt down and gave his life to Christ. God set him free from the drugs, from the gangs,  and from the violence.

Today, Victor Torres is not only saved, he is the pastor of a great church in Virginia. He has established drug rehab facilities all over the United States, and has outreaches to drug addicts and gang members. He goes all over the world preahing the Gospel and testfying of what God has done for him.

Indeed God answered his mother’s prayers because she refused to give up! Even when it looked impossible she continued to hold on to God’s Word.

Galatians 6:9  says ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

It can be easy to get weary when we have been praying about a particular thing and yet there seems to be no result. But if you don’t give up your answer will surely come. Why we should never give up is because we often face our greatest battles on the eve of our greatest victories.

In 1 Samuel 16 Prophet Samuel anointed David to be the next king when he was still a youth, but thirteen years went by, and  there was no sign of it happening. Rather it seemed the worst of times for David as he was pursued up and down by Saul.  And one day, David and his men returned from a battle and found their home in Ziklag had been attacked and destroyed. All their possessions were burned  and  their families were kidnapped. The Bible says they wept until they could not weep anymore. And to make matters worse David’s own men turned against him and talked about stoning him. It seemed to be David’s darkest hour. He must have been wondering if the promises of God would ever manifest in his life. But he was closer to his miracle than he knew. Rather than become depressed, David encouraged himself in the Lord his God and pursued the Amalekites and  recovered all that he had lost. And just three days later, in the very next chapter [1 Samuel 31] king Saul was killed in a battle. David soon became the king as God had promised him.

The point is that David was closest to the manifestation of God’s promise when he faced his greatest challenge. Sometimes when it seems like everything is coming against you, it may just be because you are at the verge of your greatest victory.

Weariness is a strategy the enemy often uses to try to get you to give up when you are closest to your miracle. Many times breakdowns come just before the point of your breakthrough. It is often darkest just before the day dawns, This is why you must never get weary in well doing. No matter how hard the road may seem keep going forward. There is a plan and there is a porpose. Every step you take is bringing you closer to your victory.

Understand that it is when you endure to the end that you reap. Like Victor’s mother you may have been praying a long time concerning that situation. Though it may look as if nothing is happening, understand that God is indeed up to something. He is at work in ways and means you may not immediately fathom right now. The important thing is to keep the channel for your miracle open by never giving up. Delay is not denial. Like David, your manifestation may seem to be taking a long time, you may have had some setbacks, but God is still on the throne,  He knows how to get you to your destiny. He is working it all out. In the meantime as you keep praying, also keep blessing God for the soon manifestation of His Word in your life. Keep judging Him faithful and remain obedient to His Word. It is only a matter of time, if you never give you will surely soon have your victory in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for Your faithfulness in my life, thank You for helping me not to grow weary. No matter what situations I face, I know that You are indeed working all things out together for my good in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

God’s promises in Christ in your life may appear delayed, but never forget that delays are not denials.. -WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 127:1-2  ’Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.’

DAILY READING – •   Matthew 8:14-34; Leviticus 1-2; Proverbs 19

Strive Masiyiwa, the founder of Econet Wireless is the richest man in Zimbabwe. He is also recognized as one of Africa’s foremost billionaire philanthropists. He has steadily used his personal family fortune to support and educate more than 40,000 orphans.  Today he is very vocal about his Christian faith and says he is totally dependent upon God. However, years ago when he first started his business that was not the case. At that time he had thought he could make it by his own strength and wisdom. But one day he learned a crucial lesson that made him realise he couldn’t go far without God.

In 1990, he began a small electrical contracting business with $75. And in just four short years after he had a burgeoning multimillion dollar, national business with almost 500 employees. With his outstanding success he had been named both Business Man of the Year and Industrialist of the Year. The future looked indeed very bright. One morning he visited the Mozambique embassy in Zimbabwe to discuss business. When he left the Mozambique Embassy Building, he decided to walk back to his office, which was nearby, rather than be driven. As he walked, being deep in thought, he paid no attention to a car driving slowly behind him. When he finally got into his office, two men rushed behind him, and abducted him at gun point! He was taken to a secret detention centre by his abductors. As he was in the place where he was being held, while his abductors were outside, he did something he had not done since he was a child, he got on his knees and prayed earnestly to God, with tears in his eyes begging God to rescue me. And God heard him. In what could only be termed as divine intervention, he was miraculously rescued from his ordeal that night! He had come very remarkably close to losing his life. And from then on, he learnt the most important lesson of his life; that without God he couldn’t go far in life. He would later dedicate his life and business to serving God who has preserved his life.

Psalm 127:1-3 says ‘except The Lord builds the house they labour in vain that build it.  And except the Lord watches over the city,  the watchmen watch but in vain.’

Indeed except The Lord builds the house every man’s labour is in vain. It is the hand of God that makes the difference, not just our hard work. It is the blessings of The Lord that makes rich and adds no sorrow to it. Riches outside of God come with sorrow, but His blessings are sorrow free. Just like Masiyiwa almost lost his life except for divine intervention, a man could spend years working hard and amassing wealth, only to suddenly lose his life. Thus the Bible’s question; what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?

We must seek God and His kngdom first, so that all else can be added unto us. True promotion and upliftmnt comes from God alone.

Psalms 75:6- 7 says “ For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south, But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another”.

Indeed when God lifts you up no man can bring you down. When God opens  a door before you no man can shut it.  Indeed we need to be totally dependent on God if we want to go far in life. Without Jesus we can do nothing. But through Him we can do all things. Our physical demonstration of love for God is our dependence on Him. When God takes over your battles, you can be sure of victory everytime, but if you choose to fight for yourself, then defeat is inevitable.

1 Samuel 2:9  says ‘By strength shall no man prevail’.
it is the blessing of the Lord, not ‘the sweat or struggles of man’ that makes rich.. Total dependence on God means we are constantly seeking His counsel and guidance every step we take. It means we do not walk by sight, but rather by faith.  God knows the end from the beginning. We therefore need to seek His divine counsel in all that we do. We need His help, we need His guidance at all times. We must realise that life is futile without God on our side. A  man could spend his entire life pursuing wealth and then loose it all in one instance. We should place our priorities right. When we seek God and His kingdom first, then other things including, wealth are added to us.  Without the hand of God, hard work alone, never makes a high flyer. There is place for hardwork and diligence, but ultimately it is the blessings of God that makes the huge difference.

PRAYER: Father please help me to always make You top priority in my life. Please grant me the grace to be always totally dependent on you. Indeed as I seek You first, I know that all things are being added unto me in Jesus, Name.

Quote :

The treasures of God are never on the shallow end, but are always buried in the depth of God’s Word. It takes a personal discovery to get there. – WORDBITE 222.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18    ‘For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.’

• DAILY READING          Matthew 8:1-13; Exodus 39:1-40:38; Proverbs 18

Photographers develop pictures in a darkroom, using the illumination of a special red light. The film would be transferred somehow to the paper and then the paper would be dipped in several different trays holding chemical solutions. As the photos are moved from tray to tray, the image begins to emerge. The process takes a considerable amount of time and care. If someone opened the dark room door while, this process is going on, too much light would flood in and mess up every piece of film, and the pictures would be ruined. The darkness of that dark room made the proper development of those pictures possible.

Often times, God allows us to be developed in the ‘dark rooms’ of life. It is in those tough times, those seemingly dark place of challenges, that we are worked on and processed, until the right image of Christ emerges in us

God says in Isaiah 48:10 ‘Behold, I have refined thee, and not as silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction’.

Indeed there are times it may seem we are in the furnace of affliction. But if we sometimes pass through difficult, trying situations, we must endure knowing that we are only passing through a refining process. At the end of it, we are coming out more colorful and more beautiful.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says ‘For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.’

Also Hebrews 12:6 and 11 says ‘For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it’.

We may sometimes pass through different challenges that represent the dark rooms of life. However, the important thing when we pass through these dark rooms is to know that we are there for development. We are there to come out better than we went in. In the darkroom we need to look at things through the “red” of the blood of Jesus. We must learn to see God at work, no matter how tough things  are. We must learn to look beyond the present, and see the eternal benefit and the divine purpose of God. Whatever challenge you may be facing now, be rest assured that God has not forgotten you. He is at work in you both to will and to do of His good  pleasure. He will give you beauty for ashes, He will turn your mourning into dancing. And though, you may not see it now, you are becoming better, indeed things are turning around for you.  And when the process is complete, you will be fully developed and come forth, more colorful, more beautiful and full of the glory of God.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for granting me the strength and grace to endure every necessary process that will bring forth the image of Christ in me. Whatever I pass through, I know I am coming out a better person in Jesus Name. .

QUOTE

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

WORDBITE 222.

Numbers 23:23   ‘Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!’

DAILY READING Matthew 7; Exodus 37:1-38:31; Proverbs 17

For many centuries, the Jews have often been hated and maltreated by other nations.  They could rate as one of the most hated people of all times.  Yet despite the hatred, because God has been with them, they have continued to thrive and rule in the midst of their enemies. Perhaps the ultimate example of hatred for the Jews is the Holocaust, seen as the ultimate manifestation of evil in all of history when Hitler tried to annihilate the entire Jewish people. Yet despite all these rejections and persecutions, the blessings of God upon the Jews have overshadowed and superseded the hatred of their enemies. At the end of the holocaust many Jews began to migrate back to Israel. And with the influx of a million new immigrants, mostly from the former USSR, Israel accelerated rapidly. It is notable that approximately one out of every three of the immigrants from the former USSR was a scientist, engineer, or technician of some sort.  No doubt this immigration wave has today made it possible for Israel to have more engineers and scientists per capita than any other country in the world. Israel also produces more scientific papers per capita than any other country.  Today, on a per-capita basis, Israel far leads the world in research and technological creativity. Israel, the tiny Jewish country in the Middle East, now supplies us with many electronic wonders. Much of the pioneering work for this began far back in the 80s when Intel’s branch in Haifa designed the 8088 computer chip. That advance allowed computers to finally fit into homes and offices. The Jews have led the world in scientific innovations and advancement.  Although the Jews made up less than one-half of one percent of the world’s population, from 1901-1990 they won an astonishing 22 percent of the Nobel Prize awards in science. and In the 21st century so far the Jews have captured 32 percent or almost a third of all Nobel Prizes.

In a time of worldwide financial meltdown it is of note there are no bank failures in Israel.  In fact, the Jews can boast of a healthy real estate market and a booming economy. After the US, Israel has more companies listed on the NASDAQ exchange than any other country in the world. Obviously the blessings of The Lord upon the nation of Israel has superceded every hatred and attack of their enemies.

Numbers 23:23  says ‘Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!’

The example of Balaam shows that the power of God’s blessing will always overcome the enemy’s attack against a people who are walking with the Lord.

Balak who ruled over the  kingdom of Moab, in his bid to curse the people of Israel, sent emissaries nearly 400 miles to invite Balaam. However, when Balaam arrived, every time he opened his mouth to speak a curse against Israel, a blessing came out instead. Unable to penetrate God’s protective shield around His people, Balaam finally told  Balak, “How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? Or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?” (Numbers 23:8). Balaam conceded that divination was no match for the power of God. Indeed it was impossible for a curse to be pronounced where God had pronounced a blessing! The story of Balaam serves as a perpetual reminder that what God has blessed is blessed, and that fact cannot be reversed. Therefore when you are in Christ and walking in obedience to God’s Word, you are safe, secure, and sealed in the protective blood of Jesus.  It doesn’t matter how much anyone may hate you, it doesn’t how much they may have tried to send spells, enchantment or curses against  you. Numbers 23:23 says ‘For there is no sorcery against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel…”.

When you are in the centre of God’s will you become inaccessible to the forces of wickedness. When you are in the secret place of The Most High you will abide under the shadow of The Almighty, and He will be your refuge and your fortress, In that place of intimate fellowship with The Lord, you abide under a canopy of blessings. Deutrenomy 28 says that when you hearken diligently to the voice of The Lord, blessings will chase you down and overtake you.  And when you dwell in the place of God’s blessings you won’t  have to be afraid of curses. Therefore today concentrate on maintaining an intimate and holy walk with The Lord and you won’t have to bother with any spell or enchantment having any effect upon you. When you are in Christ, you are the blessed of the Lord — and who God has blessed, no man or devil can curse!

PRAYER: Father, I rejoice that in Christ I am more than a conqueror. And because I am blessed of The Lord, no weapon formed against me shall ever prosper in Jesus Name.

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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

Psalm 34:1 ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.’

DAILY READING      Matthew 6:19-34; Exodus 35:1-36:38; Proverbs 16

The Washington Times recently reported that Christian persecution in China is at its highest level since Mao Zedong’s rule ended in 1976. Documented Chinese government persecution of Christians has increased fivefold since 2017. But imprisonment and the threat of torture couldn’t keep one Chinese pastor from singing loud about his faith. Recently Pastor Yang Hua was released from a Chinese prison for state crimes associated with his Christian faith. Yang Hua who is a pastor at Huoshi “Living Stones” Church, in China’s southwest Guizhou province was first imprisoned on December 9, 2015, after Chinese authorities raided his church. In January 2017  the 41-year-old pastor was sentenced to two years and six months in prison and was released on 19 June 2018 after completing his sentence. At his release, he was in poor health as a result of his prison stay and in addition he also faced an accusation of owing the government more than $1 million in fines as a result of his church collecting church offerings which the government termed “illegal donations”.

Yet despite all his challenges, Hua left prison singing loud worship songs. He was thankful for life. Leading up to his trial, Hua had received  threats of torture and harm to his family, The government prosecutor had told him they could turn him into food for pigs. But despite all these, he would not let anything steal his joy or his praise. And at his release despite all he seeemed to have lost he remained  grateful to God that he didn’t lose his life.

Psalm 34:1 says ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.’

Indeed Praise will always precede the victory. Your attitude of gratitude will always determine your altitude. To rise to the mountaintop, you must learn to praise God while in the valley.  In 2 Kings chapter 3, there was serious drought in the valley. It hadn’t rained in a long time, and there was not a cloud in the sky. And yet the prophet Elishah instructed the people to dig ditches in the valley in preparation to catch the water from the rain that was coming. It was a strange command that ditches should be dug in a desert place, where there was no rainfall, nor river at hand from which the wells could be supplied. But Elishah was following a spiritual principle; he knew that if you want to see rain, then you have to dig the ditches first. And when the people dug the ditches, the next day they were filled to overflowing, the drought had ended!

When we offer sacrifice of praise it is like digging ditches in the desert. Every time you praise despite the pain,  you’re making preparation for the rain. In the scripture rain represents blessing, favor, increase. Around you there may not be any sign of these right now but keep digging the ditches, keep praising God, there is coming the sound of the abundance of rain. When you can offer the sacrifice of praise, you can be assured the Almighty God will work in your life. You may not see anything happening, but behind the scenes, God’s getting it all lined up, and at the appointed time, things will change in your favor.

When Paul and Silas were put in jail for preaching the Gospel, they had a choice; either to praise God or to  complain. Bloodied and bruised, they chose to praise God rather. And God came down in an earthquake and delivered them from prison. Today, you may be in a season of drought, but just keep giving God praise. Shake off the complains and just keep thanking God that you’re free, thank God for His goodness and thank Him for His favor. The good news is that rain is coming your way. Downpours of favor, downpours of blessings, an abundance of God’s goodness is headed towards you. Today, if you’ll do your part and dig the ditches, then God will do His part and bring the rain.

PRAYER: Lord, I know You are always good and faithful. No matter what happens around me, I know You are in perfect control of my life. Please grant me the grace to always give You worthy praise at all times  in Jesus Name.

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

Ephesians 6:10-12 “ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil’

DAILY READING    Matthew 6:1-18; Exodus 33:1-34:35; Proverbs 15

On the morning of 16th December 1944, during World War II, the Germans achieved a total surprise attack against the Allied forces, because they came through the Ardennes forest which was a route no one expected they could take. The Ardennes forest was an 80-mile poorly protected stretch of hilly, woody forest. It was so thick, impregnable and difficult to traverse, that the Americans never believed the Germans could ever come through there. However, in the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front, the Germans sent large troops to the area and surprisingly pushed through and struck a hard blow against the Allied forces. The resulting battle is called the battle of the Bulge, because the Germans created a “bulge” around the area of the Ardennes forest by sending 250,000 German soldiers against the mere 80,000 Americans protecting the area. The Germans were able to push the Americans into retreat. The battle raged for three weeks, resulting in a massive loss of American and civilian life. In this battle, the United States also suffered its second-largest surrender of troops of the war: The war would not end until better weather enabled American aircraft to bomb and strafe German positions.

The Germans succeeded because their strategy was to carry out a massive attack against the weakest link of the America’s line of defense. In wars, each side always tries to attack the other side where they’re the weakest. The same principle applies also  in spiritual warfare, the enemy attacks where you are the weakest.  If there is an area of your life, that seems to be your weakness, that is most likely the area the enemy would focus his attack on.

We have to live in such a way that there is no place of spiritual weakness. The Bible tells us to give no room to the devil. And what it means is that every inch of you  is sold out to Jesus, every part of your life is consecrated and devoted to Him. When every area of your life is lighted up by God’s Word, there will no place for darkness to hide. As Christians, we must know our personal danger zones.  Although the elements of his temptations vary, the enemy keeps looking for those unguarded areas of a believer’s life to strike at. We need to recognize our weak spots, and continually work at strengthening them. We must be alert and watchful at all times. We must watch and pray lest we enter into temptation. We need to bring every weakness and temptation to the Lord immediately, asking Him for the strength to resist. When we are constantly vigilant and prayerful, the enemy will find no area of vulnerability in us.

Ephesians 6:10-12 tells us “ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil

Our only hope to overcome is to be strong in the Lord and His might, not in our own power. In times of temptation The Lord  promises to make a way of escape for us.

1 Cor. 10:13 says “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it”

Jesus is the way, and Jesus is the Word. God’s Word is our greatest defense against the devil. God’s Word strengthens us from within so that there’s no place of weakness in us. Psalm 119: 11 says ‘Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you’,  Through God’s Word we have the faith and strength we need to resist temptations. And as we stand on the rock of God’s Word we shall never fall.

PRAYER: Lord, Please enable me to  be vigilant and constantly prayerful. Indeed by Your grace I shall always escape every trap of the enemy, as I press forward on this journey of destiny. No matter what comes my way, by Your grace I will never fall in Jesus Name.

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Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will set you free.- – WORDBITE 222.