HORM Devotional

John 12:24-27 ‘Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.’

DAILY READING  •   Matthew 5:21-48; Exodus 30-32; Proverbs 14

In 2014, a news release in the New York Times by the International Christian Concern (ICC) reported that religious buildings have been targeted for demolition in China. The anti-church campaign eventually saw over 360 churches completely or partially demolished under the guise of “removing or modifying illegal constructions.” For those Churches which escaped demolition, the Chinese government began removing the crosses atop these church buildings.  As a result Christians began to keep vigil around their churches.  In one particular incident, the Police decided to come in the early hours of the morning . At the ShuiTou Salvation Church in Pingyang, Wenzhou City, 1,000 Christians had formed a human blockade and guarded the church. But around 3:00 a.m, on July 21, 2014, around 400 police officers attempted to forcibly remove the cross atop the church building. However the church members who were on guards formed a human shield around the building denying the police access. Reports said that, Police beat some of the Christians with iron batons, severely injuring at least four. Bloody pictures and videos of riots from the incident were circulated on China’s social network. Though the police retreated after a while, the Christians remained ready for any attacks from the government. These Chinese Christians vowed to continue to guard their churches and stop the crosses from being removed.. In many churches members were  divided into two groups and took turns to guard the church building through the night.

The Cross is the most fundamental symbol of Christianity. It is seen  everywhere there are Christians. We identify Christianity with the Cross. It is not then a surprise that many times an outward attack against Christianity is an attack on the cross. The enemy does not only seek to get rid of the cross physically, he also seeks to get rid of the cross in the life of a believer. Just like the Chinese authorities were trying to pull down the cross, spiritually also the enemy is trying to pull down the cross in the lives of believers. But like these Chinese Christians, we must constantly stay on guard to ensure the enemy does not have his way.

Why the enemy fights the cross is because of what it represents, which is the victory that Christ won for us at Calvary. The cross is the symbol of our salvation and freedom. Through the Cross death itself was destroyed and the sins of the world were forgiven. Through the Cross joy came into the world and God was glorified. Daily the cross reminds the enemy of the fact that he is defeated and Christ has won the victory.  The Cross is ultimately a sign of victory and hope, even though it is simultaneously a symbol of denial, sacrifice, and death.

The cross represents death to the flesh. Anyone wanting to follow Jesus must be prepared to pay the price of living a crucified life. It is a life of denying the flesh and living in accordance to God’s Word.  Like Jesus said in John 12:24-27 ‘Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.’

We can only successfully live the Christian life when we are willing to die to the flesh.  ‘Christ crucified,” is the focal point of the Gospel. It is a picture of blood flowing from Christ’s veins as He hung on the cross.  The blood that Christ shed at Calvary is the ultimate price for our deliverance.

Therefore we must hold up the cross and continuously celebrate what it represents to us. Indeed the price of blood Jesus paid has rendered  every works of darkness powerless in our lives. Through the blood we exercise dominion over sickness and poverty and every contrary thing. By the blood we enjoy divine protection, and live in victory as favored sons of God upon the earth.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the great price that was paid for my salvation. Please help me to constantly live a life that glorifies You in every way, all the days of my life in Jesus Name.  

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You have got to learn to ignore what the devil is reporting and acknowledge the report of God’s Word in your life. – WORDBITE 222.

1 Cor 2:4 ‘And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power’.

DAILY READING; Matthew 5:1-20; Exodus 28:1-29:46; Proverbs 13

With the global impact of Smith Wigglesworth’s  ministry, it is amazing that he never went to school. From age seven he was sent to the mills to work, sometimes 12-14 hours a day, to help provide for his poor family. Not until age 26 did he learn to read and write, when his wife Polly taught him. He once wrote a letter to a university graduate. The next time this person saw Wigglesworth, he said, “You spelled the title of the Holy Spirit seven different ways in your letter.” Though Wigglesworth may not have had grammatical command, definitely he had spiritual command.

1 Cor 2:4 says ‘And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power’

Smith Wigglesworth’s life highlights the fact that the enemy has no regard for grammar or education, but has every respect for power. .And Wigglesworth mightily displayed the power of God wherever he went. Throughout his  amazing ministry, countless people were healed of serious illnesses and disease, and thousands came to faith in Christ in his meetings. Known as the “apostle of faith,” Wigglesworth  spearheaded a powerful healing and deliverance ministry that ultimately led to the foundation of the modern Pentecostal movement. When he prayed, broken limbs were healed, people came out of wheelchairs; cancers were destroyed, blind eyes saw. His life exuded the power of God in manifestation in ways few have ever seen. Once, Wigglesworth went to the home of a family mourning the death of their little boy, just five years old. As he stood looking at the boy lying in the coffin, tears ran down his face. He asked the family to leave the room, then lifted the boy’s body and stood it in the corner of the room. Rebuking death in the name of Jesus Christ, he commanded it to surrender its victim. The boy returned to life!  Such supernatural signs followed Wigglesworth’s ministry as he taught and ministered in Europe, Asia, America, and South Africa, impacting whole continents for Christ in his lifetime.

Indeed God is not looking for the qualified, rather He is looking for those He will qualify.  I Corinthians 1:26-30 says “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.’

In a very real sense not one of us is qualified, but rather God calls us and then qualifies us. It is not about our strength, it is about the God who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. It is not about our ability, It’s about our availability. So often we let inadequacies  be excuses to settle for mediocrity. But the good news is that  God’s calling on your life is not put on hold until you become 100% perfect. No, God will use you even when it seems you have inadequacies in some areas. You may not have enough money, have enough education, or have the right background. What matters to God is that you have the right heart; a heart that pants after Him. His eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth searching for those whose hearts are perfect towards Him. God looks at the heart. When you have a heart that desires to please God, and you make yourself available, He will work in and through you to accomplish His will on earth. The scripture says, “We are God’s workmanship”.  This indicates we are His work in progress. God is constantly at work within us to conform us to the image of Christ. And while we are becoming daily more like Christ, God will still use us to accomplish great works.  We must therefore look away from our inadequacies and focus on  God’s great power and His amazing abiltiies. Sometimes we may feel overwhelmed by the magnitutde of what we sense God is calling us to do. When God told Moses to go and deliver the people of Israel, Moses was full of excuses. He felt inadequate especially because of his stutter. But  God let Moses know that He could take care of his limitations and use him anyway. When God told Jeremiah that he was going to be a prophet to the nations, Jeremiah told God, ‘ I can’t do it. I’m too young.’ But God quickly told him not to say he was too young.  God was letting him know He would not have called him if he was not already equipped and well able for the assignment.  Like Jeremiah and Moses, we can come up with excuses: But we need to start seeing ourselves the way God sees us. In the eyes of men, even in our own eyes, we may seem not qualified enough, but God who has called us, knows how to empower us to accomplish His will. What is more important is for us to commit to a lifestyle of fervent prayers and diligent study of God’s Word.  We must also mainatin a life of purity and holiness so that The Spirit of God will have the liberty to work in and through us. And as we remain obedient to His leadings, it is only a matter of time before we come into the full manifestation of God’s plans for our lives. Indeed the faithful One that calls you, is also able to accomplish His will in your life in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Lord, please help  me to stop worrying about my limitations, or how unqualified I may be. Help me to see indeed that through Christ I can do all things. I know by Your grace I will run this race and finish strong  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.

Mark 9:23   ‘Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’

DAILY READING –Matthew 4; Exodus 25-27; Proverbs 12

On Monday, January 19, 2015, 14-year-old John Smith was playing with two of his friends on the ice at Lake Sainte Louise. His mum had just called and while John  was talking with her, he had been walking further down the frozen lake, not knowing that the ice was becoming thinner. The moment John ended the conversation with his mun, suddenly the ice underneath their feet cracked, and the three friends plunged into the 40-degree water. It was a life and death situation!

While the other two friends managed to escape John was trapped in the icy cold water. His friends called 911, but by the time help came and John was pulled out, his heart had stopped beating. He was immediately rushed to the Hospital, where the medical team performed CPR with no success. His mother, Joyce Smith was having her quiet time in prayers when the call came telling her of John’s accident. Stunned, Joyce raced to the hospital praying all the way. She burst into the ER just when the doctors  were about to clinically declare John dead. Joyce who had been participating in the ‘Believing God’ Bible study by Beth Moore, knew that the Power of The Holy Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead, was available to raise her son. With a voice she thought was quiet, but that actually bellowed down the hallway, she declared, ‘I believe in a God who can do miracles!  Holy Spirit, I need you right now to come and breathe life back into my son!” And at that instant, she heard the sound of a miracle.  John’s heart monitor sprang back to life. John’s  pulse had suddenly returned. The doctors were astounded. But that was only the beginning of the many miracles. John was still unconscious and doctors predicted he would suffer brain damage. But Joyce simply  told the doctors to do their best and God will do the rest and refused to have any negative words spoken around him. Two days later, John woke up from coma. And 16 days later, he was fully recovered and walked out of the hospital. His rapid recovery defied every expert, every case history, and every scientific prediction.  John Smith’s miraculous story has been recorded in a book and a movie which proves the power of prayer, the goodness and nearness of God, and that with faith, nothing is impossible.

Mark 9:23 says  ‘Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’

There is incredible power in what we believe.  You may be facing situations that seem impossible. In the natural you don’t see how it can happen. But when you dare to believe, God can resurrect what you thought was dead and bring those things back to life. God will resurrect dead dreams. He will resurrect dead relationships. He will resurrect your health and finances. It doesn’t matter what the experts may have said or how long it has been that way, indeed when you believe all things are possible.

In Ezekiel 37, God took Ezekiel to the valley of dry bones and asked him “Son of man, can these bones live?’ When Ezekiel acknowledged God’s sovereignty and ability to do anything, The spirit of God came upon him and as he started prophesying,  the dead bones came back to life.

God is asking us what he asked Ezekiel. “Do you believe that dry bones can rise and live again?’ The medical report may not look good, and business is slow. But do you believe that God can make it work?  Do you believe God can turn that situation around?  God has good plans, to promote you, to heal you, to restore you, to show you favor. But all the good things God has for you will only be activated when you believe. Nothing can stand against God’s plan for you when you believe. No disappointment, no setback, no injustice, no person, no hater, no jealousy can hinder you. When you believe, all the forces of darkness cannot stop God’s plan from coming into manifestation in your life.

Understand that when you have a great destiny, the enemy will fight you. Infact the bigger your destiny, the bigger the challenges you will face. And perhaps the reason why the enemy is fighting so hard lately is because he knows that God is about to do something amazing in your life. But you can stop his fiery darts by raising the shield of faith. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. When you have faith, you have the victory.  When you believe nothing will be impossible to you. But to have faith  you must commit to diligent study of God’s Word. Indeed faith comes by hearing and hearing God’s Word. When you have faith the surpassing greatness of God’s power is released in your life. Today, if you will only believe, God will do for you abundantly above all you could ever ask, think or imagine.

PRAYER: Lord, Thank You for the glory You are set to still unveil in my life this year. I thank You for granting me the grace to diligently study Your Word so that faith can arise in my heart to believe You always to do the miraculous in Jesus Name.

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

WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 119:130 “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple”

DAILY READING        Matthew 3; Exodus 24; Proverbs 11

A study in New York City has proved that lighting up streets at night can cut down the rate of night-time crime by 39 per cent. In partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, the New York City Police Department and the New York City Housing Authority designed a six-month study in areas which formerly had high  levels of crime. Nearly 80 public housing developments in New York City participated in the six-month controlled trial. In this experiment about half of the housing development areas received new, temporary street lights, and half did not.

The study found that the areas that received the new lights immediately experienced lowered crime rates. The results of the lights project has proved to the New York Police department that it is possible to reduce crime and, at the same time, lower its prison population, through lighting up major areas of the city at night. Indeed in many other nations, governments are coming to realize that one way of fighting crimes is by lighting up dark streets and corners. Hitherto crime zones once flooded with light saw criminal activities drastically reduce. This is because criminals like to hide under the cover of darkness to carry out their evil activities. But when light comes and they have no more hiding place they are forced to quit the area.

Psalm 74:20 says ‘Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty’

Indeed the spiritually dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of evil and wickedness. Likewise, in a man’s life it is the dark regions that gives room to the operations of darkness. Spiritually man is oppressed from the regions of darkness, but when light comes every darkness  must disappear. If you find yourself under any form of evil oppression, what you need to guarantee victory against the evil forces is an introduction of the light of God’s Word.

John 1:5 declares, “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.’

Darkness is the realm from where the enemy operates to perform his wicked works. The evil forces that attack men are from the regions of darkness. This includes sickness, poverty, failure and evil occurence. You cannot fight darkness in darkness! The solution to every work of darkness is introduction of light. You cannot wrestle sickness in ignorance; what you need to do is to go into God’s Word and find out God’s promises for your health and wellbeing and introduce that Word into this area of darkness and the darkness will naturally flee, because light and darkness don’t struggle for right of place. When we put on the armour of light, we disarm the enemy easily. Walking in the light of the Word empowers us to always triumph over darkness. 

Psalm 119:130 says ‘The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple”

There is deliverance power in the Word and its light empowers us for dominion over the powers of darkness. We must recognise that we are contending with invisible forces on a daily basis, but revelation of the Word is our guarantee for victory. It is when you know the truth, that you are made free (John 8:32).  However,  it is your responsibility to access The Word that will give the light to dispel every darkness in your life.  The Psalmist prayed: “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law” [Psalms 119:18.] As you begin to flood your life with the light of The Word of God every darkness will disappear from around you. The Word puts us in command of everything, because all things were created by the Word, and everything remains under the command of the Word forever. Today as you commit to constant study of God’s Word, may your life be permanently flooded with light in Jesus Name!

PRAYER:  Lord, Please destroy every spiritual laziness in my life and give me a fresh appetite for constant study of Your Word, so that faith can arise in my heart to access the victory You have ordained for me in Jesus Name.

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

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 unto Thee’

DAILY READING    Matthew 2; Exodus 22:1-23:33; Proverbs 10

Oswald Jeffrey Smith was a Canadian pastor, author, and missions advocate, who founded The Peoples Church in Toronto in 1928. Smith attended the Toronto Bible Training School, the Manitoba Presbyterian College in Winnipeg, and the McCormick Seminary in Chicago. In 1920, as an 18 year old boy,  he  had wanted to travel as a missionary of the Gospel to foreign nations. But the Presbyterian Church examining board that was selecting missionaries turned down his application. He had failed their physical  health test; indicating he was not strong enough to be sent out on missions. Oswald was utterly devastated, and disappointed by the news. It seemed his life dream to be a missionary had shattered before his eyes. However, after seeking God’s face, he got the assurance that though he may not  go as a missionary, he would build a church which could send out missionaries. Though later ordained as a minister of the Presbyterian Church of Canada in 1918, he however  resigned from the Presbyterian Church, and set up a church in Toronto, which merged with a small Christian and Missionary Alliance congregation in 1921. In 1928, he started another independent church in Toronto, the Peoples Church. Using his base in Toronto for fundraising, he traveled the world to recruit missionaries. The People’s church would eventually send out more missionaries than any other church at that time. Oswald J. Smith raised about $14,000,000.00 for foreign missions, more than any other pastor in his time, and half of this was from his own church. Over the course of eighty years he preached more than 12,000 sermons in 80 countries, wrote thirty-five books (with translations into 128 languages), as well as 1,200 poems, of which 100 have been set to music. Indeed what had seemed a huge disappointment when the Presbyterian board turned down his offfer, had led to a great blessing!  Indeed what men call disappointments, could actually be divine appointments in disguise.

Psalm 30:11-12 says ‘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 unto Thee’

God is able to turn every mourning into dancing for you. There is no dissappointing situation or circumstance facing you today that God cannot handle. If your aim is to get  ahead in life, you will face disappointing situations at one time or the other. But the difference between the winners and losers is the way they view such setbacks. While losers see setback as the end of the road, winners only see it as a bend in the road.  There will be times when situations may not seem fair. But the question is how do you react at such times? Someone said life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Never let people’s actions determine the outcome of your life.  Don’t ever let how someone treated you become the fullstop in your life story. No matter what happened, you can put it behind you, still forge ahead and become all that God said you are to be in life. What the enemy meant for evil, God can always turn around for your good. Therefore don’t just sit and bemoan your fate over disappointments. Rather seek God in prayer and find out what His will is concerning you. Sit down and study The Word, until you feel faith arise in your heart to go forth and by the power of The Spirit accomplish God’s plan for your life. When you follow the leading of The Spirit, no matter how initially disappointing things may seem, God is able to cause all things to work together for your good. Indeed to everyone called of God, what may appear as disappointments at first, soon becomes a testimony. What was meant to be a stumbling block soon becomes your stepping stone to victory.  This is because God causes all things to work together for your good, because you love Him and are called according to His purpose.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for turning every disappointment into a blessing in my life. I know that even right now, You are at work in my life to cause all things to work together for my good in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

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

Isaiah 43:19  ‘ Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’

“DAILY READING —  Matthew 1; Exodus 20:1-21:36; Proverbs 9

On 12^th May 1948, top Jewish leaders met behind closed doors in a crucial meeting that would affect the course of their destiny. They were about to take a decision about the establishment of the new state of Israel. In a few hours the British who had maintained law and order in Palestine would pull out of the region. The British had mediated in the long hostilities between the Jews and Arabs, but now they were about to finally leave the territory and their proposal was that the Jews and Arabs reached a truce and formed a united government. But the Jews wanted to have their own nation as God had promised them in the Bible.  As the top leaders of the Zionist movement met  that day, they considered their options. The reports before them was not palatable. For example, there was a report by Golda Meir on her secret meeting the previous day in Amman with King Abdullah of Transjordanm, stating that Jordan and other Arab nations would fight the Jews if they declared a Jewish state. The prospect of such all-out war was frightening. Another report stated that the American secretary of state George Marshal had made it clear that America would not support a Jewish independence. Though it seemed there was no natiom in support of them, that didn’t deter the decision of the Jewish leaders.  They would declare the modern state of Israel against all odds.  They would simply take the step of faith and leave the rest to God. They were willing to pay whatever price was required to see God’s will fulfilled.  And so by 3:30pm on Friday, May 14, 1948, Jewish leaders gathered at the Tel Aviv Museum, today known as Independence Hall, to announce their independence. The ceremony was kept a secret as it was feared that the British Authorities might attempt to prevent it or that the Arab armies might invade to stop it. By 4pm, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of a Jewish state, to be known as the State of Israel.  The new state would come into effect on termination of the British Mandate at midnight  of that day. And as they took the bold step of declaring the state of Israel, miracles began to happen. That same day, surprisingly the American president going against the will of the secretary of state and ignoring the advise of many on his cabinet, declared America’s recognision of the new state of Israel.  This was quite important, especially when the next day the surrounding Arab nations declared war on the new nation.  However, God helped Israel to miraculously win the independence war and in the years to come through many miracles, God proved His faithfulness as He fought for Israel.  and helped them to stand to become the strong and formidable nation they are today.

Indeed when God gives a word, we need to take steps of faith to fulfill it no matter the odds.   The truth is that when you do what you can do, God will do what you can’t do. When you do the natural, God will do the supernatural.

Today marks the first day of November. It may be the eleventh month, but we serve the God of 11th hour miracles. No matter how discouraging  past months may have seemed, trust that God  will do something new in this season. Despite  all the challenges that you may have faced, you are about to spring forth into great things.  Like a seed buried deep in the ground,  though it may have seemed dark and lonely, you are in the place where new life  will spring forth. God is about to do a new thing. He will make a way in your desert and cause rivers of blessings and favor to flow towards you.  Whatever may have seemed a dark hour for you, God will miraculously turn  around to become your greatest hour as He shifts the odds in your favor.  But you need to trust Him and step out in faith and obedience.  There are things that may seem impossible to still happen at the 11^th hour.  But  God is about to give you divine speed and grant you an overtaker’s anointing.  He is about to open new doors, despite the fact that the year seems to be fast closing. And never forget that better is the end of a matter than the beginning thereof. God declares the end from the beginning.  Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God’s plan is to give us an expected end. His plan for you today is blessing, to give you a future and a hope. . In other words, your expectations for this year shall not be cut off. Those good things you expect can still come to pass. Just stay in faith and never give up on hope. Like Abraham, do not stagger in faith, but rather keep giving glory to God. Keep praising Him for the great and mighty things He will yet do. It is our season of 11^th hour miracles. You won’t end the year in defeat, but rather you will end it in victory! You will end it as more than a conqueror, because we serve the God of miracles.

PRAYER: Lord, I praise You for the new and miraculous things You are about to do in my life in this month. I know that what may seem impossible to men is totally possible with You. Thank You Lord for exceeding my expectations in Jesus Name.

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

2 Chronicles 7:14  ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’

DAILY READING      Hebrews 13; Exodus 18:1-19:25; Proverbs 8

One of the top grossing movies of 2017  is ‘Dunkirk,’.  This movie is a tribute to the miracle that unfolded over 10 days in 1940 during World War II. It all began with an early phone call on May 15  1940, from the French premier, Paul Reynaud to Winston Churchill, the new British prime minister. Paul Reynaud told Churchill that  Hitler’s army had just invaded France and was rapidly advancing to conquer the country. Days earlier, Adolf Hitler’s army had taken Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg, with Denmark and Norway already in his grip. England had sent more than 200,000 troops to help France and Belgium. But part of what the French premier told Winston Churchill was that the troops sent by England and other allied soldiers, numbering over three hundred thousand, had been overrun and overwhelmed by Hitler’s forces. The call from the French leader was a wake up call that made Winston Churchill to immediately swing into action as he looked for a way to rescue the trapped soldiers. Messages were sent out to all the allied soldiers in France to gather in a town called Dunkirk which was close to the sea. The plan was to quickly ferry them across the sea to Britain. However, the problem that faced this plan was that there were not enough boats to ferry all the men across in time to avoid Hitler’s rapidly approaching forces. For Winston Churchill, it was a situation he didn’t know how to handle. And so on May 23 1940, he met with the British monarch, King George VI, and informed him of the situation. To the king, there was only one solution; Prayer. And so the next Sunday, the king called for a national day of prayer. Across Great Britain, Cathedrals and churches, and syna­gogues were packed to overflowing.as thousands of people kept prayer vigil. And as the people prayed something inexplicable suddenly happened; With advancing German tanks just a few miles from Dunkirk, Hitler did the unthinkable and halted the offensive. And for nearly three days, as England knelt in prayer,  Hitler’s tanks and soldiers remained grounded! Nothing moved. Those three days was the exact window of time Britain needed to gather enough boats from all over the country to execute an emergency rescue operation. Quickly allied soldiers were ferried across the English Channel and brought safely back to England. Many years later, historians still can’t explain what made Hitler to halt his army for three days while the allied soldiers escaped. It could only have been a miracle of God in answer to the prayers of the people.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’

Prayer invites God to intervene in human affairs. There is no intervention without intercession. Miracles are not accidental occurrences; they are the deliberate acts of God provoked by the desperate faith of men. Miracles are God’s response to the responsibilities of men. God comes to the rescue of people who are frantically searching for Him and needing His help. We need divine intervention when we are edged in with no way out. When the storms threaten to sink us and we’re at our wit’s end, as we call to Him, God commands the storms to be still. When we call, God goes to work behind the scenes, and puts in motion a divine orchestration of events, that suddenly turns the tide of the battle in our favour. When men turns their hearts to God, then God turns His hands to help. God will perform miracles when we get on our knees and cry out to Him for assistance. Miracles are not magic but God’s response to the heartfelt cries of men. When we engage the power of possibility through prayer, then God will erase the impossibilities. Whatever situation you’re facing today, remember that there is an answer to it in prayer. We can always come boldly to the throne of Grace to obtain help in the time of need. Always remember that God is our ever present help. He has goodness stored up for those who trust in Him.

Ps. 31:19-20 says, “How great is Your goodness that You have stored up for those who fear You, and accomplished in the sight of everyone for those who take refuge in You.’

God has great goodness stored up for you. Therefore, be assured that as you call unto Him today, He will manifest that goodness towards you. He will exceed your expectations. God is set to do some things that will make you marvel! Like the miracle at Dunkirk, you’re going to see some unusual happenings and accelerated answer to prayers. As you pray, things are going to start falling into place. Soon, you’re going to look up and find out that the problem you have been praying about has suddenly become a miracle.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace to always come to You in prayer to obtain help in the time of need. I know that even right now You are set  to  exceed my expectations through the amazing miracles You are bringing my way in Jesus name.

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

Galatians 2:20  ‘The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.’

• DAILY READING – Hebrews 12; Exodus 16:1-17:16; Proverbs 7:6-27

The O’Hare international Airport in Chicago has an interesting history behind it. It is named in tribute to the courage of an ace pilot named Lieutenant Commander Butch O’Hare. He was a fighter pilot who on February 20, 1942, during World War 2, all alone heroically faced 9 Japanese planes and was able to down 5 of them.. Though O’Hare was greatly outnumbered, he heroically fought these 9 bombers alone, before other American Planes arrived to assist. His timely action stopped the Japanese planes from destroying a carrier ship called the Lexington. For that action Butch became the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

However, Butch was only able to receive that honour because years before, his father paid a costly prize to give him a good family name. Formerly their family name had been dishonorable because of his father’s involvement with organised crime. Butch’s father nicknamed ‘Easy Eddie’ had been the lawyer and ally of the famous gangster Al Capone who had run a lot of illegal business in Chigaco. But despite his involvement with crime, ‘Easy Eddie’ loved his family, especially his son, Butch. Knowing that he couldn’t give his son a good name, while involved in crime, he made the painful decision to give it all up. To rectify wrongs he had done, he confessed to the authorities his dealings with Al Capone. Knowing the danger to his life, he provided the government the crucial evidence that helped to convict and imprison Al Capone for income tax evasion. In retaliation, Al Capone’s men later murdered ‘Easy Eddie’. But what he did had cleaned up his family’s name, separating it from crime. His action provided his son Butch with a better future that positioned him for the heroic actions that eventually led to the naming of the Chicago airport after their family name. At the O’Hare International airport are Butch’s memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor.

Easy Eddie was willing to risk his life to give his son a better future. It is indeed amazing how sacrificial a father’s love could be. And yet Jesus said that if earthly fathers Know how to give good gifts to their sons, then our Heavenly father is able to do far  much more. As great as the love of a human father, it is nothing compared to the love of our Heavenly father. God doesn’t just show love, He is love. Love is not what He does, it is who He is. It is the amazing love of God for us that made Him to send Jesus as a substitute to die in our place. The scripture talks about the great love wherewith God loved us. It wasn’t a little love. In Ephesians 3 Paul describes this deep love of God for us as surpassing knowledge. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us.  In other words, we brought nothing to the table. We were without hope. We were spiritually bankrupt. We did not have a leg to stand on. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to shed His blood to set us free from every bondage of sin. And it is because of God’s great love that we can have the victory today. Every benefit and blessing we have in our redemption, is based on Jesus and his triumph at the cross.

Knowing that God loves us so much, how do we then respond to this great love? Galatians 2:20, says ‘The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.’

We must respond to Christ’s love, by living a life of faith and power. We must take up the spiritual responsibility to live the abundant and supernatural life He died to obtain for us. Through His blood, we have been empowered to live in health, wealth, power and glory. Indeed, when we live a life of victory and dominion on earth, God is glorified.

PRAYER: Lord, Thank You for the power you have made available for me through the blood of Jesus. Indeed by the power in the blood, I have the victory in every battle of life in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

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

Isaiah 45:2 ‘ I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:’

DAILY READING   Hebrews 11:23-40; Exodus 15; Proverbs 6:1-7:5

Perhaps the best biography on Dr. David Livingstone  is that written by Henry M. Stanley titled “Livingstone of Africa”. Stanley was the last white man to have seen Dr. Livingstone alive. He was sent on an expedition to find Dr. Livingstone at a time when no news of him had been heard in a longtime. As a medical missionary and an explorer in Africa, Livingstone had kept in touch with the Western world, through letters that related his amazing discoveries and experiences in the African continent. However, when no news was heard from him after about four years, speculations became rife that he was dead. Thus Henry Stanley was sent on a mission to Africa to find him.

Dr. Livingstone who was alive at the time, was however battling with ill health, as he sought to bring the Gospel to as much African tribes as he could. On one of those days after his outreaches to the people, he walked back to his little home in the village of Ujiji,  only to find that someone had stolen the medication that he so needed. And on that day, he got on his knees and called on God. One of the pivotal scriptures that had always given him great assurance was Jesus’ strong promise in Mathew 28 ‘Lo I am with you until he end of time.’ And so now, he prayed “God, you promised you would always be with me! I need that medication!”

As he prayed, he heard steps outside, and as the story goes, he saw a pair of feet planted in front of him. As he looked up, for the first time in many years, he found himself looking into the face of a white man who didn’t live in Africa. The man introduced himself as a press reporter, who had been assigned to find him and more importantly to give him some medications. This was an answer to prayer for Dr. Livingstone and an assurance that God was indeed with him. Mr. Henry M. Stanley started to travel with David Livingstone. And though he came to Africa as a swaggering atheist who boasted he could never be converted, four months later, this atheist knelt down on the African soil and gave his life to Jesus Christ.

While the adventurous life of Dr. Livingstone remains a wonder even to the present generation, his success was because he had learned the secret of God’s Presence. The promise of God to be with him, was the secret of his exploits.

Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people. His presence always inhabits our praises. It doesn’t matter where you may be physically or what’s going on around you, you can alwayss access God’s Presence through a switch to praise. Like Dr. Livingstone, we can  sometimes face situations where we may not see a way out, because the obstacles seem too big. This is  also the way the Israelites must have felt on their way to the promised land. It looked like a mission impossible. But Moses understood the secret of carrying God’s Presence. In Exodus 33,  he prayed God to go with them. And in Exodus 33:14, God said to him ‘My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’ And it was God’s Presence that made all the difference in their journey.

As we journey through the spiritual pathways of life, we need God’s Presence more than ever before. And key to carrying God’s Presence is maintaining a lifestyle of holiness, praise and thanksgiving. Though the Israelites, encountered many obstacles in the way, according to Psalm 144, God’s Presence made all the obstacles, including the red sea, to clear away from before them. Today, you may have situations in your health, finances, relationships, that may seem like obstacles, though the odds may seem high, be rest assured that the God who parted the red sea is still alive today. Those obstacles may look insurmountable, but it is no match for the living God.

When God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites went through on dry ground, Pharaoh and his men knew that it was becuase their God was with them. Likewise, God wants to do amazing miracles in your life and make you an example of His goodness. He will send explosive blessings that is going to catapult you to the next level. God is about to break generational curses, and put an end to every hindrance in your life. On their journey, the Israelites came up against 7 bigger and stronger nations. Joshua 24:12 records that God sent hornets that drove out those nations from before the Israelites.

Likewise, whatever is trying to hinder your journey, God is able to drive them out. Whatever is keeping you from living a life of holiness, peace and joy, as you cry to God, He will drive them out before you. God is going to go ahead of you, and break the gates of brass and cut the bars of iron asunder. He is about to break chains that have held you back. you’re going to see increase, promotion, restoration, healiing and  amazing favour.

We must be grateful to God for all His doings in our lives. Indeed if it had not been for The Lord where would we be? It is His mercy that has made all the difference. Despite all, we are still in the game of life because of God’s faithfulness. And what He has begun in our lives He is well able to complete. Therefore, don’t ever allow the enemy trap you with the feeling of discouragement. Always learn to switch to praise and get into God’s presence where there is fullness, of joy because the joy of the Lord is your strength!  Today, as you remain grateful He will keep taking you from victory to victory, from strength to strength; and from glory to greater realms of glory in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for an endless supply of Your joy. Today, I choose to remain ever grateful and continually give You the praise, glory and honor for all Your doings in my life. I indeed judge You faithful for all You have done for me in Jesus’ Name.

Quote :

The tests you are going through in life today is not for your destruction, it is for your testimony. – WORDBITE 222

Jeremiah 32:17 ‘Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:’

DAILY READING  Hebrews 11:1-22; Exodus 13:1-14:31; Proverbs 5

Zhang Heng is associate director of China Gospel Mission and senior pastor at Zaidao Church in Beijing China. At the Movement Day Global Cities conference  in New York City on October 26, 2016, he testified about his conversion.  According to  his testimony,  years ago as a youth he suffered from an unspecified medical condition that left him paralyzed until 1979. At that time, Heng said he had no hope and there were times when he wanted to take his life. He said he cried out to God for help and in 1979 God sent him a preacher who introduced him to Jesus. The preacher made him to understand that with God nothing is impossible and that God could heal him from his paralysed condition.  For his healing, the preacher instructed the desperate Heng to pray and fast, which he did. Then on the last day of the fast, Heng  suddenly found he could rise up and walk. The Lord had healed him!

The miracle shocked Heng’s family so much they immediately began praising Jesus and repented almost like a scene from the book of Acts in the Bible.  That day, his entire atheist family, knelt down to receive Jesus as their Lord and personal savior. A month later Heng’s family had a thanksgiving party at their house and invited friends and the preacher who had told Heng about God. The preacher shared the Gospel with them and Heng  gave his testimony telling everybody what Jesus had been doing in his life. More than 50 people came to faith and they started a church that very night. In the next eight years, that group grew into a movement that created 200 churches which attracted more than 20,000 converts. They started a nationwide network, sending people to different provinces to preach. And today Zhang Heng is a senior pastor at Zaidao Church in Beijing China and a key Christian leader in China.

Jeremiah 32:17 says  ‘Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:’

There are times it may seem our backs are against the wall and there is no hope. At such times, it may seem we are at our wit’s end and don’t know what else to do, But God always knows what to do. He is the hope of the hopeless, and an ever present help in the time of need. Paralyzed and without any help in sight, when Zhang Heng cried out to God for help, God answered his prayers.

Like Heng, you could be paralyzed, maybe not physically, but in some other areas of life. Perhaps your finances, marriage, relationship, business or career may seem paralyzed, the same God who answered a poor Chinese boy when he cried is available to also answer when you call.  He is able to turn things around to favour you. He is able to lift you up from the ground and take you to the topmost places of life.

He is the God who causes light to shine out of the darkness, He moves mountains and causes walls to fall. It doesn’t matter how paralyzed that situation, God is able to cause you to rise out of it and walk free into the glorious destiny He has for you.  Truly there is nothing impossible to God. Jehovah indeed has the final say. He is the God of all flesh and nothing is ever too hard for him. He can do exceedingly abundantly above all you could ever ask or think. Indeed He is able to deliver you from every form of paralysis or stagnation and make a way for you where there seems to be no way.

So no matter how difficult any situation may see right now, as you cry out to God, help is on the way. No matter how turbulent things may seem, know that you serve the God of miracles who can calm every storm. He raises a standard against the flood and makes a path through the mighty waters. Therefore declare His faithfulness in every situation. Judge Him faithful even in the midst of your trials. Never mind what may be happening, keep looking at what is written in God’s Word, because what is written will eventually control what is happening. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world, and that faith will come through diligent study of God’s Word.

Faith is what makes you to continue to trust God even when it seems you can’t trace Him. Learn to follow Him even when you cannot fathom Him, learn to keep holding on to Him, no matter what comes. His ears are ever open to the cry of the righteous, He will answer when you call out of a sincere heart. He knows how to destroy every stagnation, delay and spiritual paralysis in any area of your life. When you engage His help in every area of concern, He commits Himslef to seeing you through. Therefore as you call upon Him today, be assured that He will arise for you, He will prevail for you. He will surely see you through. Indeed He will perfect all that concerns you. He will put a new song in your mouth and set your feet upon the solid rock.

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to know that You are always there to deliver me,  no matter what I may face in life. Thank You for always answering when I call and thank You for always causing me to triumph in all situations in Jesus Name.  ….

Quote

God’s word is God’s ‘prescription’ for every area of your life, let God’s word fix that situation in your life. WORDBITE 222