HORM Devotional

Jeremiah 17:11   ‘As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.’

DAILY READING –  Hebrews 10:19-39; Exodus 11:1-12:51; Proverbs 4

The famous billionaire John D. Rockefeller, suddenly found himself on the verge of death! And he was only 53 years. Despite being the richest man in his time, and astronomically successful, he was faced with a problem he couldn’t solve. He suffered various digestive disorders which money could not alleviate. He lost his hair, lost weight and his shoulders sagged. With his curved back, he looked like an old man who could hardly maintain his balance. His life was being destroyed, and he nearly experienced a total collapse. Close to death, he eventually came to the realization that his wealth was meant primarily to serve God and bless humanity. Consequently, he decided to obey the biblical injunction on giving, and began to give away his wealth. Then he discovered that surprisingly the more he gave away, the better his health got. He gave away over 500 million dollars and lived to be healthy. He lived on to the ripe age of 98 years, before he died.

Ecclesiastes 7:12  says ‘For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.’

Rockefeller, being the richest man in his time, had money as a defense, but the money could not buy him life. It took the wisdom of God to preserve his life. Though he was a Christian, it was only when he fully realised that giving was living, and began to  give accordingly that his life was preserved. Whatever money we have in this life, the main purpose of it is to serve God’s purpose first and foremost. It is only the God kind of wealth that guarantees life. Indeed the blessings of God makes rich and adds no sorrow with it.

Those who use their money selfishly, ignoring God’s purpose on earth do so to their own detriment. Many who gather wealth, without giving God full focus end up suffering all manner of complicated sicknesses, which  their money cannot deliver them from. They eventually spend their accumulated wealth  travelling to different countries for medical treatment. That is to say laying up wealth only for yourself and not caring about God’s purpose on earth is not to the best of your inetrest.

In Luke 12, after the rich man had gathered all his wealth, built new structures and then decided to relax and enjoy his money, God came to him and said ‘Thou fool, your soul is required tonight, now who is going to enjoy all this wealth you have  gathered’

Why did God call him a fool? Because psalm 53:1 says ‘The fool hath said in his heart there is no God.’ Anyone who will not acknowledge God in his affairs, and try to strive only by his own strength, is regarded by God to be a fool.

God is not against our success, He just wants us to  seek Him first, so that He can guide us aright and preserve our lives. The road to success is full of pitfalls, and downfalls. It is not a journey a man can make by his strength alone. We need the grace of God because by strength shall no man prevail. Anyone  struggling and forcing his way through this road, while ignoring God. may fall and crash in the process. We are not to seek wealth, we are to seek God first and then He will guide us to the wealthy place  He has ordained for us.

PRAYER:  Lord please help me to build my life upon the solid foundation of Your Word and prayer. Let my focus be always on You  help me to pay the required price to lay the needed spiritual foundation for my endeavors by seeking your kingdom first 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.

Isaiah 55:12-13 ‘For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace, the mountains and hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorns shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar, shall come up the myrtle tree.’

DAILY READING –   Hebrews 9:23-10:18; Exodus 9:1-10:29; Proverbs 3

We are living in an age of Information overload. Data is growing faster than ever before and by 2020, about 1.7 megabytes of new information will be created every second for every human being on the planet. More data has been created in the recent years than in the entire previous history of the human race. For instance, worldwide, there are over 2.41 billion monthly active users of facebook  as of June 2019. These Facebook users send tens of millions of  messages and view millions of videos every minute. There is a massive growth in video and photo data, where every minute almost 1000 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube alone. In 2015, a staggering 1 trillion photos was taken and billions of them shared online. Most of these photos are taken on smart phones. Indeed man has created more information in the last decade, than in all of past human history.

Daniel rightly predicted that at the time of the end, knowledge shall be increased. [Daniel 12:4]. That is what we are seeing now. Our minds are constantly under the barrage of news and information. And unfortunately, men seem to have become addicted to the hyper stimulation of this information super highway. Many people simply cannot do without information constantly coming from their  communication gadgets. Indeed, this is the most distracted generation ever.

In this information bombardment, it has become increasingly difficult for people to find time to be quiet, to think, and to pray. Man seems constantly on the run. Early each morning, as the alarm clock goes off like a whistle, the race begins. There seems to be so much to do daily; a job to get to, appointments to keep, places to go, datelines to meet etc. Again Daniel had predicted that at the time of the end, many shall run to and fro. And today, people are in an unending race, racing from one thing to another. No wonder we are called the ‘’human race.”

However, all of man’s race, if it lacks grace, will end in disgrace. Indeed without Jesus we can do nothing. It is the grace of God that makes the race great.We must therefore  set our priorities right. As Christians, in this end-time God must have the first place in our lives. He must have the first place in everything. Time spent with Him each day in fellowship must be top priority. It is none negotiable. No matter how busy we are, we cannot compromise our quiet time. It is a total necessity. We must break out of the vicious circuit of distractions and daily ensure we fellowship with God and maintain His Presence.

To birth God’s divine plan for our lives, we must break out of the circuit and come into the place of worship. It is in this place of intimacy that we receive revelation  from Heaven. We cannot allow the distractions of this age, to keep us from God’s Presence. God is the source of all our victories. When we bow in God’s Presence, men will bow to us.  Job  29 :19 – 21 speaks of how the dew lay all night upon his branch, and  his glory was fresh in him, and as a result men gave ear to him and  kept quiet at his counsel. As you fellowship with God, His Glory rubs off on you. And like Moses when you come out of the place of fellowship, your face will be shinning. It is a light which darkness cannot comprehend, which demons see and flee. Evil people see you coming and they take another route. Because they cannot face the fire emitting from you. Also as a result of  carrying  God’s Presence your environment changes to favor you. Isaiah 55:12-13 declares  ‘for ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace, the mountains and hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorns shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar, shall come up the myrtle tree.’

Indeed God’s Presence makes the difference. This is why we must not disconnect from  fellowship with God. Let us therefore avoid the distractions of this age. This world and everything in it is fast passing away. Let us not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Let us invest time in fellowship with God. Let us feed on His Word. That is what will matter at the end of the age. For the grasses will wither and the flowers will fade, but The Word of our God shall stand  forever.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to make You top priority in my life. May I always spend time in fellowship with You so as to carry Your Presence that will make the difference in my life, in Jesus Name. .

QUOTE

Praise always guarantees you power for a raise, learning to praise God in season and out of season is key to fulfilling destiny. – WORDBITE 222.

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

DAILY READING; Hebrews 9:1-22; Exodus 6:28-8:32; Proverbs 2

In 2007,  major News outlets featured the story of an amazing event that happened in Jackson Mississippi. According to the News story, a man named Donnie Register was saved by his wedding ring, which deflected a bullet meant for his head. On a fateful Saturday, Donnie Register was working at his store located in the Antique Market in Jackson, Mississippi, when two men walked into his shop and asked to see a coin collection. When Donnie retrieved the collection, one of the men pulled a gun and demanded money. A shot was fired at Donnie’s head as he threw up his hands. Remarkably, his wedding ring deflected the bullet. Pieces of the bullet lodged into his neck and fingers, but none of his injuries were fatal. He survived , not receiving the full impact  of the bullet because its force was deflected by his ring. His wife, Darlene Register, was thankful to God for her husband’s amazing deliverance, believing it was only divine intervention that could have saved him. They had been married for 38 years. Donnie who believed being married was part of what saved him, said “I knew being married was a good thing, I just didn’t know it was that good.”

Donnie’s wife gave God all the credit for divinely protecting him, and said his story is a good reminder that men should always wear their wedding rings.

The probability of the wedding ring deflecting the force of the bullet is quite slim and almost none existent. But the truth is that God can use anything to achieve His purpose. God is not limited in how He can save. He said to Moses in Numbers 11:23, “Is the arm of the Lord too short to deliver?”

No, the arm of the Lord is able to deliver us from any trouble. God can save by few or many. He can use ways and means we never even thought of. Sometimes when caught in a tight corner, you may be anxious and wringing your hands in despair. But while you are wondering what is going to happen, God has already set the stage for His divine intervention. His mercy shows up those times we need Him most.

Lamentations 3:22  says ‘It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’

Indeed we are kept by God’s mercy. God didn’t promise that we would go through life without facing adversity. But what He has promised is that He will always be there. He said in Isaiah 43, that when you pass through the waters and the fire, He will be right there to pull you  through. You may walk through dark times and unexpected challenges, but never forget that God is your ever present help in the time of need.

Even those times, it seems you can’t trace Him, keeep trusting Him. When you are down to nothing, know that God is up to something. He is always working behind the scenes. And at the perfect moment, He suddenly acts in ways we never expected and that changes the picture dramatically and completely. Therefore, do not limit how God can fight for you. He can raise help for you when you least expect it. Just stay in faith and He will take care of the rest.

God says in Isaiah 54:15 ‘Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.’ Then He goes further on to say that this is your heritage as a servant of The Lord. Indeed, when you serve God, divine deliverance is part of your redemprtive package. And one key way to engage God to fight for us is through praise. Praise triggers the intervention of the Omnipotent God. Just like king Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, when you begin to sing and praise,  God sets ambushment against your enemies. And today as you deliberately praise God, He will  arise for you. He will grant you deliverance and victory even from the least expected quaters in Jesus Name. .

PRAYER; Lord, I thank You because You are my ever present help in the time of need. Please help me to hand over my battles to You through maintaining a praise-full lifestyle. I thank You Lord for always causing me to triumph 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.’

2 Corinthians 4 :17  ‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’

• DAILY READING – • Hebrews 8; Exodus 5:1-6:27; Proverbs 1

When Nora Lam came face to face with a firing squad in communist China, she thought it was the end of the road for her. But miraculously, in an inexplicable event, God showed up and gave her amazing deliverance. Her story of survival and faith in the face of Communist oppression is recorded in her autobiography, ‘China Cry,’ which has encouraged many people around the world.

Born in 1941, she was abandoned at birth, but was adopted six months later by a prominent couple who were members of one of Shanghai’s wealthiest families. She was given the best of education and in her teenage years was enrolled in the academically prestigious Mary Farnham School, a boarding school for girls run by Presbyterian missionaries. Influenced by many of her classmates, she soon became a Christian. In the 1950’s, a Cultural Revolution occurred in China. This revolution required everyone in China to come under one class of people–the working class. As a result, those who belonged to the upper-class of society were tortured and often killed. Because her family was wealthy, they became targets. Their home was seized and her father was arrested. Nora herself would later be arrested for being a Christian.  When she refused to denounce Christ, her captors commanded her to be executed.  Nora was blindfolded and pushed into a courtyard in the night before a firing squad. But as she cried to God, suddenly a strange wind started to blow, and a storm began. On the official’s command, “Fire!” guns exploded. But at that very moment the courtyard was suddenly bathed in a heavenly light. A lightning bolt from heaven struck the courtyard, shaking the soldiers on the firing squad. Though the guns were fired, Nora was unharmed. God had miraculously spared her. Scared by the experience the soldiers made no further attempt to kill her, rather she was taken to serve in prison. And later through divine intervention Nora was released from prison. She later came to live in the United States at the invitation of healing evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman, who gave Nora her platform to share her testimony.

From there, Nora went around the world sharing her story. She eventually founded the World Children’s Fund, which supports Chinese house churches, Christian orphanages and children’s programs around the world.

Her true story is a testament of God’s awesome power. Indeed we serve a supernatural God.. No matter how tight or tough the corner you may find yourself, God can still do the impossible to bring deliverance to you. God is able to save us in any situation. In fact when you’re in a situation that seems impossible, you’re in perfect position for God to show up in your life. When the 3 Hebrew boys faced the fire, it looked as if it was over, yet God showed up right there in the midst of the fire and brought deliverance to them.

Even when it seems too late to men, it is never too late for God. Sometimes God delays so that greater glory can be revealed. In John 11, it seemed as if Lazarus’ case was hopeless, yet Jesus showed up and did a resurrection mirale that brought great glory to God. In Nora’s case her coming face to face with a firing squad, gave her a great testimony, and opportunity for worldwide evangelism that brought her before kings.

2 Corinthians 4:17 says ‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’

When you’re in a difficult situation, very often this is for greater glory to be revealed in you. Regardless of your current circumstances, keep following God faithfully. As you do, God will begin to turn things around for your good. No matter what circumstances you may face, keep your faith strong in God’s ability to deliver you. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power  and of love and of a sound mind. As long as you trust in God, He is able to turn around any situation for you. Through what was meant to kill you, God will release such an anointing that will take you to unimaginable heights. God will take the very thing that looks like a total disaster in your life and turn it into a wonderful victory. He will turn your tears of sorrow into tears of joy.

Romans 8:18 says ‘For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us’

In other words your sufferings will not be in vain. It will culminate in greater Glory in the end. The difficulties you are passing through are only preparing you for something better. This is why you must hold on to God’s Word, no matter how fierce the battle. That is why you must keep living right and doing right because your labour shall never be in vain. You may be going through a trial today, but if you will be patient and hold fast to God’s Word, He will turn your situation around and give you total victory.  Therefore in every situation, keep thanking God, because  greater glory is coming your way, it will all surely end in praise in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to always remain strong in faith, no matter how difficult things may sometimes look around me.  I thank You because in every situation, Your Glory is being revealed through me, 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.

John 14:12 ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father’

DAILY READING –   Hebrews 7; Exodus 3:1-4:31; Psalm 41

In 2017, the History channel featured an Easter special documentary, titled, ‘Jesus Strand; A search for the DNA of Christ.’ This documentary looked at how the recent tremendous leap in DNA technology, can be utilized in finding the DNA of Jesus. The History Channel sponsored this quest, with the hope that science could deepen the world’s understanding of Jesus. They wanted to combine religious history and science in this documentary, and so Joe Basile, lead pastor of the Encounter Road Church in Visalia worked with Oxford University geneticist George Busby, to search for Christ’s DNA. They travelled around  the globe extracting and analyzing samples from the most famous religious relics from history. They spent many days with a film crew, going to holy sites from Spain and Italy to Israel and the shores of the Black Sea. In their quest, they were able to go to places that few people ever gets to and looked at incredible artifacts. They looked at some of the oldest Bibles and ancient texts at the Bodleian Library at Oxford, one of the most celebrated libraries in the world.

The plan is that if the DNA of Jesus is found, then scientists, would map the DNA and use it to identify living descendants of Jesus’ relatives  today.  So far, their  searches have yielded no results. The DNA of Jesus has not yet been found. However, it is quite interesting that they are looking for Jesus’ relatives who share his DNA and can be identified.

Well, what these scientists need  to know is that Jesus’ relatives already exist today. His brothers and sisters actually are alive all around the world today.

Jesus said in Mark 3:35 ‘For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

As believers, through new birth, we are part of the spiritual family of God and are partakers of the spiritual DNA of Christ. DNA is the code of life. Your DNA  physically defines who you are and also shows your ethnicity. Having the same DNA as Christ means we have become partakers of His divine nature. We are not just human beings we are divine beings. And just like our genetic code reflects aspects of our family lineage, our spiritual DNA reflects Christ in us. Jesus is the center of our DNA strand. Everything comes from Him.  We share the same blood and life with Him. What supersedes everything is that we have inside of us the DNA of the Creator of the universe, the all-powerful God, who is our heavenly Father. We are therefore  destined to do great things. Everyone born of God is destined for a life of exploits and extraordinary accomplishments.

Jesus said in John 14:12 ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father’

Because of the Blood of Christ that flows through us, we are born to do great works. The same blood of a winner and conqueror that flows through Christ flows through us. You have the DNA of a Champion. In your spiritual bloodline, you have what it takes to be more than a conqueror in life. God didn’t create you to be average or mediocre. He created you to excel, to prosper. We are designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness. The seed of God is in you. Eternal life has been planted in you. This life is stronger than any battle the enemy can bring. It is the very life of God that cannot fail in any situation. Through the Blood of Jesus, our victory is constantly guaranteed. By being a partaker of the DNA of Christ, there is  no battle that is beyond you. It doesn’t matter what the enemy may throw your way, you are coming out a winner as you stay in faith. God knows your capacity as a winner. You have divine ability to win in all and every battle that comes your way. You are born of God, and whatsoever is born of God simply overcomes the world (1 John 5:4).

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for constantly granting me victory by the blood of Jesus. Indeed by the blood I am born a winner and an overcomer over every negative situation of life in  Jesus Name.

QUOTE

When God places His hand upon a man in life nothing can come against him, this is because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. WORDBITE 222

Isaiah 65:24 ‘‘And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.’

DAILY READING    Hebrews 6:13-20; Exodus 1:1-25; Psalm 40

After Israel’s independence in 1948, the Jewish leaders worked hard to make the best of the limited land available to them. But millions of immigrants had been arriving into the young nation and the land could no longer contain the teeming population. And to worsen matters there had been increasing tension and vicious border skirmishes between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The Arabs were intent on further reducing even the little land that Israel had. The biggest flashpoint was Israel’s northern border with Syria, where they fought over disputed territory and Syria’s attempts to divert the River Jordan away from Israel’s national water grid. Also the Syrians sheltered Palestinian guerrillas, who were mounting raids into Israel. Things came to a head in 1967, when a coalition of Arab nations came together and decided it was finally time to take Israel off the map.

Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq had formed a military alliance supported by the Soviet Union to destroy the tiny nation of Israel. Each of those nations had more arms, equipment and manpower than all that Israel had. It was obvious that Israel could not survive the planned attack. It looked like another holocaust was pending. So many Israeli deaths were expected that all of the public parks in Jerusalem were designated as cemeteries by the rabbis in advance.

With its back against the wall, Israel did the unexpected, and suddenly made the first strike against the Arabs. The ensuing war became a historical game changer in the Middle East. In the six days duration of the war, many miracles were recorded. The sheer number of “coincidences” that happened in favor of Israel during that war was a clear indication of divine intervention.  And when Israel eventually won the war it became perhaps the most amazing incident in the history of modern Israel. Suddenly, in six days, the Jewish people defended themselves, destroyed their enemies, tripled their land; recaptured control of Jerusalem for the first time in 2,000 years and on the seventh day they rested. And it was amazing that this happened in the year of Jubilee, which comes around only twice in a century –

The amazing victory and sudden expansion of their territory was unexpected by the Israelites. It was something they never thought would happen so soon, But it was obvious that God had brought a speedy fulfillment to His prophecy spoken years ago through the prophet Ezekiel, to multiply Israel. What God did in the six day war was certainly a quick work.

Jeremiah 1;12 says ‘Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.’

That means God is able to do things quicker and faster than we think. In Acts chapter 12 after Peter was arrested, the disciples, were gathered together praying for Peter’s release. But Peter got out by such a speedy divine intervention that the disciples almost couldn’t believe it.  It happened sooner than expected. All the circumstances said he wasn’t going to be released anytime soon, assuming he was ever to be released. But God had an unexpected miracle on the way. He knows how to do things faster than any of us could  ever imagine.

There may be some things you’ve been praying about, that you think will take a long time to come to pass, but  God is going to do it suddenly, unexpectedly, quicker than you thought. You’re still praying about it, and the answer comes knocking at the door.

Isaiah 65:24 says ‘And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.’

While you are yet praying, God has already set the miracle into motion. Like those disciples, you’re going to hear a knock on your door sooner than expected. Your obstacles may look insurmountable.  It may look like you’ve come to a dead end in your pursuit, your health, or relationship. In the natural, the situation may look like what should take years to turn around. But suddenly God is going to do for you what He did for Peter. He’s going to supernaturally open those iron gates and bring you out. Suddenly, things are going to fall into place. Every circumstance may say it will not happen anytime soon, but the moment you began to pray, the tide of the battle began to change and God set the miracle into motion. You’re going to be so amazed, because you never thought  the miracle would happen this fast.

It is your season of divine acceleration and you’re going to see doors open of their own accord. It’s simply the goodness of God. Things will happen, that you can’t explain, because you serve the God of miracles. God will supernaturally expand your territory and give you things that you didn’t deserve, favor will chase you down. Provision and divine healing will come looking for you.  The hand of God is causing it all to fall into place.

Romans 9:28 says ‘For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.’

The Lord will indeed do a quick work for you. The year is quickly rounding up, and there are certain things you already think can no longer happen this year, but do not limit what God can still do. We serve the God of divine acceleration, all things are indeed possible with Him. Therefore, dare to believe God for a quick work in this season. It is still possible, keep praising God for His miraculous intervention. And sooner than you know it, that miracle will soon come knocking at your door.

PRAYER: Lord, I know You are able to do a quick work in my life even right now. Thank You for granting me the grace to meditate constantly on your Word so that my heart can be filled with the faith I need to believe You for a speedy, miraculous intervention in Jesus Name.

Quote

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

Philippians 3:13-14 ‘but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’

DAILY READING – –  Hebrews 4:14-6:12; Genesis 49:1-50; Psalm 39

Madalyn Murray O’Hair is known as  ‘The Most Hated Woman In America’. This was because of the pivotal role she played in the removal of prayers and Bible reading from public schools in America. In 1960 she filed a lawsuit challenging the practice of compulsory prayer and Bible reading in public schools as unconstitutional. She gained national attention following  the landmark Supreme court ruling that banned prayer in public schools. She later founded the American Atheists organization and from that platform, fought viciously to have everything that represented God to be removed from the American government and public places.

Yet despite her battle against the Church, she had a son named William that secretly believed in God. And in 1980 William publicly proclaimed his conversion to Christianity and would eventually go on to become a Baptist minister. His conversion so infuriated his mother that she said of him  ‘I repudiate him entirely and completely for now and all times. He is beyond human forgiveness.”

William’s decision to separate himself from his atheist family may have saved his life. In 1995, his mother, daughter and younger brother who had all remained atheists were kidnapped and gruesomely murdered by an embittered former business manager of his mother. Today, William is an active Christian who tries to undo the harm his mother has done to Christianity in America.  He serves as the chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition, a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C. that lobbies Congress on issues related to aiding Christians. Despite the negative legacy his mother left behind, he is towing a different  line and has become a blessing to his generation.

The truth is that though you may have been raised around dysfunction, that does not have to stop you. Though you may have come from a negative background it is not who you are. Though the circumstances of your birth may seem to have put you at a disadvantage, that still has not thwarted God’s plan for you. Out of the ashes, God is still able to bring forth beauty.

You may have been born into what seems an unfair situation where you didn’t have a choice.  And you may have a 1,000 reasons to be bitter and ask “why me?’ But even in the midst what looks impossible, God is able to make a way for you. In Joshua chapter 5, the Israelites had come to Jericho, which was the last obstacle between them and their Promised Land. These new generation of Israelites were those whose parents had wandered in the desert for 40 years and died there.  Part of their parent’s disobedience was refusal to circumcise their children on the 8^th day as God had commanded.  Now this new generation were in their 20s and 30s and before they could enter the promised land, God commanded Joshua to circumcise them.

They would have to suffer the pain of circumcision in their adulthood, because their fathers failed to do what should have been done in their childhood.  It seemed they had to suffer for what was not their fault. But then despite their parents’ dysfunction and failure it did not stop God’s plan to bring them into the promised land. Because they stayed in covenant with God, they were able to enjoy the promises of God in the new land.

Sometimes we can feel like these Israelites, having to suffer the consequence of a situation that that was not our own making. Perhaps you find yourself disadvantaged today, because of what someone did wrong in the past, or you are being treated wrongfully for what was utterly someone else’s fault. Perhaps you may think that if you had better parents or relatives, or born under better circumstances, your life would have been better. But none of that matters, when Christ is in control of your life. In Christ Jesus old things are passed away and all things are become new. Just as the new generation of Israelites still entered the promised land, despite their parents’ misdeeds, the same way when we remain in covenant with God there is no height He cannot take us to.  You can still get to where God has ordained for you. The gifts and callings of God are without repentance. If you will forget those things that are behind and keep reaching forward to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, God will open for you doors no man can shut. Indeed it doesn’t take time, it takes God. As you stay in God’s will, He can compress time for you. And in these last few weeks before the end of the year, God can accelerate your speed to bring you into the glory He has destined for you. .

PRAYER: Father, I thank You for turning around every negative situation in my life, and establishing Your perfect will and plan for me. Indeed with You, my God, nothing shall be impossible  in Jesus Name.

Quote :

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

Isaiah 1: 19  KJV  ‘if you be willing and obedient  you shall eat the good of the land , but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured’

DAILY READING Hebrews 3:1-4:13; Genesis 48; Psalm 38

Walking initially on the path of God’s will,it may look like things are not working, but in the end we will find it is the best path to have followed. It is a matter of trust.

Zion Oil & Gas is a company founded for the purpose of exploring for oil and gas in Israel and reaching production levels that would help Israel become an energy independent country. Zion Oil & Gas,, explores for oil and gas in Israel in areas located on-shore between Haifa and Tel Aviv. It currently holds two petroleum exploration licenses, the Joseph and the Asher-Menashe Licenses. From its inception, its mission  has been to assist Israel in the restoration of the Land by finding and producing oil and gas helping to make Israel politically and economically independent. Though it has been recording some progress, it has still has not fully met the expectation of Israelis who are often perplexed at their nation’s lack of oil when their Arab neighbors seem to have abundance of it.   

In the old testament God laid out the boundaries of the land He originally gave His people. Looking at the map in modern times, it is an area far bigger than what the modern nation of Israel is occupying today.  And parts of it are rich in oil deposits. But due to disobedience and being cast out of the land through God’s wrath, Israel is not in full possession of its allotted inheritance today. In fact ironically, the land being occupied by Israel today seems to be the only patch of land in the middle east that is not oil rich. While its Arab neighbors revel in oil wealth, Israel has had to look to other source to boost its economy. However, certain Bible verses hint at the oil reserve in the land God originally promised Israel. Jacob, speaking in Gen 49:22 ,he says Concerning his son Joseph, ’The Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath [Genesis 49:22, 25- 26]. Another prophecy by Moses over Asher whose land adjoins Joseph’s, says ‘Asher is most blessed of sons; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil [Deut. 33:24.] Some Bible scholars believe this refers to oil beneath the ground.

They also believe that if Israel had been fully obedient to fully possess all the land, God allotted to them, they would have possessed oil rich lands today; a land flowing with milk and honey as God promised. Indeed disobedience can be costly.

However God in His mercy has made available other sources of income,such as Agriculture, armament  and technology, so that relatively the Israeli economy is not doing badly. And as finding oil has become a major agenda in Israel, perhaps someday too, oil will be discovered. The point is; God knew there was great oil deposit in the land when He gave the original map to Israel. He had the future all planned out for His people and though He wasn’t giving the full picture, they just had to trust Him.

When God makes promises we don’t have to really see it all before we become obedient. We have to trust that He knows the end from the beginning and is indeed leading us into a good land.. God says in Jeremiah 29, that He knows the thoughts He thinks towards us, thoughts of good to give us an expected end.  God has good plans for us, He has good thoughts for us, all we have to be is obedient as He leads us on the path of life.

Psalms 16:11   says ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’

There is a path God has ordained before us. It is a good path, filled with all that we require to excel in life. If we are willing  and obedient we shall eat the good of this land. The laws of God laid out in the scriptures are for our long term benefits. His commandments are not grievous, they are for our good. Perhaps Mary preached the greatest Gospel in John 2:5, when she said ‘whatsoever He says unto you, do it’.

Today, let us be determined not to miss our portion, but to experience the fullness of the blessings. We will not dwell in a corner of our promised land but will possess the full  inheritance. We will not miss out through disobedience or partial obedience but will follow God fully to take spossession of  what has been promised us. 

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for guiding me in your perfect will today, please help me to obey every of your commandment so that I can access the fullness of the inheritance you have mapped out for me. May I never miss or forfeit any allotted portion of my inheritance in Christ, in Jesus Name. .

QUOTE

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

PSALM 34:1 ‘I will Bless The Lord, at all times, His praise shall continually, be in my mouith,’

DAILY READING —  Hebrews 2; Genesis 46:28-47:31; Psalm 37

After the account of St. Stephen’s death in acts of the apostles, the story of Polycarp is the next oldest existing factual account of martyrdom as recorded in the year 156AD. Polycarp was an important leader in the early Church, a disciple of St. John the Apostle and later appointed bishop of Smyrna (in modern-day Turkey).

According to history, Polycarp was betrayed by a servant.  On hearing that he was being sought to be arrested, he escaped, but was later discovered. After feasting the guards who apprehended him, he desired an hour of prayer. When this was allowed him, he prayed with such fervency, that his guards repented that they had been instrumental in taking him. He was, however, carried before the proconsul, who condemned him. The proconsul then urged him, saying, “Swear, and I will release thee;–reproach Christ.”
Polycarp answered, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who hath saved me?”  He was taken to the stake to which he was only tied, but not nailed as usual,
as he assured them he should stand immovable. When the flames were kindled they encircled his body, like an arch, without touching him; and the executioner, on seeing this, was ordered to pierce him with a sword, but then so great a quantity of blood flowed out as extinguished the fire. All this while Polycarp was singing and ptaising God.

When we read such amazing testimonies of early Christians we should indeed wonder and ponder. Imagine a man being burned at the stakes and he chooses to praise God instead. He chose to use his last breath to praise God. Those early Christians walked in the very reality of God’s Presence.  They therefore saw every discomfort or pain  as an opportunity to offer a sacrifice of praise unto God.. In the same vein, today, we should in all things give thanks to God, seeking for ways to constantly bring glory to His Name. This is what we are called to do as Christians. Though we will not be burned with physical fire, yet there are fires of afflictions  and trials that sometimes come to try us. When we face such fire of trials, we should see them as opportunities to give God worthy praise. Indeed we should bless The Lord at all times. And when you praise, you will be raised out of such fires. In acts 16, when Paul and Silas despite their pain chose to praise God, they were delivered out of imprisonment.  Praise will always guarantee deliverance out of every captivity.

1 Peter 2:9 says ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light’.

God called us out of darkness into light to offer Him praise, continually. When we understand this purpose, then we like David can declare, ‘I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.’

In an atmosphere of continual praise, there are no pressures, only pleasures. In His Presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand pleasures forever more.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to bless You at all times, despite any challenge I may face.  let nothing ever stop the continual flow of your praise from my mouth in Jesus Name.

QUOTE ; Praise always guarantees you power for a raise, learning to praise God in season and out of season is key to fulfilling destiny. – WORDBITE 222.

Joshua 6;16 ‘And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city!

DAILY READING     Hebrews 1; Genesis 45:1-46:27; Psalm 36

Jericho is the oldest continuously occupied city on earth. It has also been the object of many major archeological excavations, especially because of the Biblical account of it’s conquest. But after years of doubt among archeologists, a new analysis of excavations has yielded a wide range of evidence supporting the biblical account about the fall of Jericho. A study of ceramic remnants, royal scarabs, carbon-14 dating, seismic activity in the region and even some ruins of tumbled walls has produced impressive evidence that the fortified city was destroyed according to the biblical account. When scientists compare the archeological evidence at Jericho with the biblical narrative describing the Israelite destruction of Jericho, they find a quite remarkable agreement. 

And excavations has continued to uncover evidences consistent with the biblical account,. Just as the Bible stated that the Israelites burned the city, archeologists found buried stones, bricks and timbers that were blackened from a citywide fire. And in 2017, the archaeological community was abuzz after it was revealed that the satellite photo-evidence of the Walls of Jericho actually tallies with what the Bible said about the destruction of the walls. For decades Archeologists had the photo that shows a massive thick and tall underground structure around this ancient site. This satellite photo was unexplained because the Archaeologists didn’t know the truth about the events at Jericho. They had always believed and had been taught that the wall came tumbling down. But that changed after they realized that the term “fell flat” fits in today’s vocabulary with the words “sank flat”. This means the wall literally sank down, into the ground, until the top of the wall was even to the top of the ground.

This explained the underground anomaly found with satellite at the site of the old City of Jericho. After they  realized the truth, it all came together that rather than fall, the walls had actually sank into the ground enabling each man to go straight before him into the city as the Bible had stated. Archeologists have largely agreed and concluded that little doubt can be left as to the reality of such events in Joshua’s time.

In Joshua chapter six, God told Joshua to tell the people to march around the city walls for 6 days, one time a day, and on the seventh day, they were to march around seven times. On the seventh day, on the seventh time around, God told them to release a shout of praise.  On that seventh day, on the seventh time around, after the priests blew the trumpets, they let out the high praises of God. And all of a sudden, the impossible began to happen. At the moment they shouted, the thick walls of Jericho that had stood between them and victory, came tumbling down.  The walls of Jericho were not small. They were so thick and strong that people, like Rahab lived inside the walls.  But at the shout of praise, those thick, fortified walls began to shake and rattle, and before long, they were sinking into the ground. The people were able to conquer the city and crossed over eventually into the Promised Land.

Indeed praise precedes the victory. Between you and your destiny, there will always be a wall of Jericho, that tries to resist your progress. You either have to defeat it, or it’s going to try to stop you. But whatever walls of resistance  you may be confronted with today, they are no match for the power of God that is released through praise.  When you lift up a shout of praise as your battle cry, those walls will surely fall. This is because God inhabits the praises of His people; and when God shows up, every enemy must flee! The shout of praise activates God’s power to work on your behalf. High praises causes God to arise and when He arises every enemy and walls of opposition before you must scatter. When we are faced with high walls that try to stop our progress, we have to turn up our praise. We have to thank God in a greater way. And we have to  keep going forward, knowing it is only a matter of time before those walls fall. Don’t ever lose your shout. Keep pressing forward. Keep believing. Keep hoping, and keep praising because The Lord has given you the victory!

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for granting me the grace to keep praising You in the face of every opposition and resistance. By Your power every wall of Jericho resisting my progress will surely come tumbling down today in Jesus Name.

Quote :

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