HORM Devotional

Psalm 103:3-4 ‘Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;’

DAILY READING – Luke 12:32-59; Genesis 22; Psalm 15

George Müller was an English evangelist and philanthropist greatly used of God in the past century. He was a man of faith and prayer, who founded schools and orphanages while serving as a missionary in Bristol, England. He cared for 10,024 orphans during his lifetime, and provided educational opportunities for them. He also established 117 schools which offered Christian education to more than 120,000 children.

It is however interesting to note that George Müller  started life on the wrong track. As a teenager he acquired the bad habits of lying, stealing and drinking.  When he was just 14 years old, he was out with his friends indulging in his vices while his mother was dying. He lacked a conscience and stole government money from his father. His father later sent him to the cathedral classical school at Halberstadt so that he could study to become a clergyman. Later on he went to the University of Halle to study divinity. There he started attending Christian prayer meetings and began reading the Bible regularly. After having realized the power of God, he left behind his life of sin and asked God to help him. He became an evangelist and began preaching in different churches. In 1836, he began to get deeply involved with orphans. Thousands of orphans were taken care of by him during his lifetime. And as an evangelist he traveled to over 42 countries to share the Gospel. He lived to the ripe old age of 92 years.

Indeed behind every glory, there is a story. George Muller could have lived and died as an unknown criminal, but for God’s grace that intervened. God gave him a change of identity and change of story so that where once he was despised, he became celebrated. In the Holy Bible, we also read the story of Jacob, who started off on the wrong lane, as a supplanter, with a bad reputation. But when he encountered God, God gave him a change of name and a change of story. We see the same Jacob transformed to become Israel, a patriarch and monumental figure in the Bible. The truth is that every child of God has a glorious destiny. However that great position also attracts great opposition. There are destiny -scattering forces whose assignment is to rob people of their glorious destiny. And one of the ways they accomplish their mission is by holding men in the bondage of sin and temptations. People like Joseph, David, Samson, were all confronted with this battle. And while some succeeded, unfortunately some also failed.

1Corithians 16:9 says ‘For a great door and effectual is opened unto me and there are many adversaries.’

Indeed every great destiny is confronted with great battles. And the greater your destiny, the fiercer the battles you will face. But we thank God for His grace that is always sufficient for us. Despite the times we sometimes miss it, God is ever willing and ready to help us get up and continue the race. The story of George Muller shows that there is no destiny so battered that God cannot recover it. God is ever willing to forgive, heal and restore.

Psalm 103:3-4  says ‘Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;’

Indeed if it had not been for The Lord on our side, where would we be? His grace has brought us thus far and we are grateful. This is why we praise Him. We are grateful to God that despite our past, He is able to give us a new song today.

It doesn’t matter how negative your story may have been, what matters is that God is willing to give you another chance. That is to say you can retrace your steps and head back in the right direction. You can recover from a life of sin and begin to live holy and righteous. You can recover from a life of mediocrity and low impact, and move forward to greatness. You can have a fresh start, you can make a U-turn and head back on the path of the destiny God has for you. You can make a comeback. Though the righteous may fall seven times, he gets up and keeps going forward. You may have been knocked down, but you don’t have to stay down. Get up, go back to the fork on the road where you missed it, take the right turn and continue on your journey. With God on your side, you can still make it in life, you can still succeed. There is a glorious destiny ahead of you, the world is awaiting your manifestation. And through God’s sufficient grace you will surely win the race in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for Your grace that has brought me thus far. I know that even now You have so much in store for me. Please grant me renewed  appetite for Your Word so that I can be strenghtened to live a life that pleases You always in Jesus Name

Quote

God knows how to work everything together in your life for your own good.  WORDBITE 222.

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

DAILY READING    Luke 12:1-31; Genesis 21; Psalm 14

A record of an incident from the American Revolution war illustrates the tragedy that can result from neglect. Colonel Johann Rahl,  was a commander of the British troops in Trenton, New Jersey.  On the night of December 25, 1776, which was a Christmas day, General  George Washighton who was leading the American troops,  crossed the Delaware river on his way to attack Commander Rahl’s troops. A Loyalist to the British army who had seen Washington’s forces gathering quickly sent a messenger with a note to Rahl to warn him of the impending attack. But because it Christmas, Rahl and his men had momenterily let their guard down to celebrate the Christmas holiday. Rahl was busy playing cards when he was handed the note from the Loyalist who had seen Washington’s forces. Because he was paying such careful attention to the game, upon receiving the message, Rahl placed it in his coat pocket without reading it. And he didn’t bother to read it until the game was finished. Then, realizing the seriousness of the situation, he hurriedly tried to rally his men to meet the coming attack, but his neglect was his undoing. By the time he could react Washington’s troop was already upon them. During the battle, Rall was mortally wounded. He and many of his men were killed and the rest of the regiment were captured. The letter warning him of the atack was later found in his pocket. Only a few minutes’ careless neglect cost him his life, his honor, and the liberty of his soldiers.

Throughout the scriptures we are constantly warned to be spiritually vigilant. We must understand that we are living in the last days, which are perilious days on earth and we can’t afford to live carelessly. There is an urgent call to believers to awake out of spiritual slumber. Indeed, we have entered the end-time years that are the grand climax of human civilization. And if ever there was a time to live vigilant and prepared, it is now because no man knows the time or the hour when the son of man shall come!

In Matthew 24:48, Jesus spoke of the servant who began to live carelessly because he believed the coming of his master was still faraway, only to have his master return at a time he least expected.

We must live constantly vigilant. Spiritually we can’t afford to go on a ‘holiday,’ not even for a moment. We must always be conscious that we are in a warfare, with an enemy who will attack at the slightest show of negligence. At the slightest breaking of the hedge he would strike.

In moments of spiritual weakness, The Holy Spirit often alerts us through divine promptings. And we need to be sensitive enough to hear and quickly obey such warnings.  Obdience to God’s instructions is what delivers from destruction.  We cannot afford to allow spiritual carelessness rob us of our glorious destiny.

1 Peter 5:8  says “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”.

It is through diligently heeding the warning that  God gives us through His Word and His Spirit that we can escape the traps of the enemy. The capacity of our destiny is at the mercy of our depth in God’s Word and fervency of our prayers.

Maybe you have been getting some divine signals lately. Deep in your heart you know  God has been warning you to quit playing and rise up in the place of prayer.  Well, do not put away the warnings or act as if you haven’t heard God. Do not waste time until there is a crash. Begin now to seek the face of God in prayer, so as to get clear instructions of what He wants you to do. Don’t just assume. Hear clearly for yourself what The Spirit is saying. A daily quiet time spent in studying The Word  and praying, is one way of receiving daily  instructions from The Spirit of God.  God leads by instructions. His Instructions are the high way to distinction. The Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path. It is in His light that we can see light. The moment anyone walks away from the  path of The Word, they begin to walk in  the path of outer darkness, where there is confusion and destruction, where anything can happen.

Proverbs 21:16 says ‘The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.’

Our guarantee for safety in the journey of life is dwelling in the path of light, which is walking in line with  God’s Word. The ways of the world are slippery, their boundaries are continually shifting, you cannot afford to walk on such shifting sands lest you sink.  Not all that glitters is gold, Not all open doors are from God, some are traps in disguise. But it is only by the guidance of The Spirit that we can discern. We therefore need to strictly adhere to scriptural instructions and daily follow the leadings of The Spirit, as He guides us on the path to our glorious destiny.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to take heed to the instructions of scriptures. Please guide me always by Your Spirit, so that I can escape every trap of the enemy and eventually arrive at my glorious destiny 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

Revelation 12:11 ‘And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death’

DAILY READING       Luke 11:29-54; Genesis 20; Psalm 13

In 2007, Guinness World Records certified a specie of pepper in India as the world’s hottest chili pepper. This pepper called ‘Bhut jolokia’ is 400 times hotter than its next rival, and it is rated at more than 1 million Scoville Heat Units (SHUs)

In 2009, scientists at India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced plans to turn this pepper into a weapon. Consequently they  produced ‘chili grenades’, which is a non-lethal weapon used by the police to disperse mobs and also as pepper sprays used in self-defence. Then in 2015  the Indian Army began using ‘Chili grenades’ as part of their weapon against terrorists.

In one such instance in August 2015, it was successfully used when the army flushed out terrorists who were hiding in a cave. According to the report, Indian Army’s technical intelligence had picked up signals about a group of terrorists from Pakistan who had infiltrated through a restricted area into Indian territory on the night of August 25^th 2015.  When attempts by the Indian military to locate these infiltrators proved abortive, a crack team of various units was formed for a search operation. During the operation, a natural cave was found in the area. But as the military team approached this cave, the terrorists who were hiding within opened fire on them. And in the ensuing  fierce gun battle that lasted for almost 20 hours, some of the terrorist were killed. The Indian military, in a bid to capture the rest alive then fired ‘chilly grenades’ into the cave to flush them out. When the ‘chilli grenade’ detonated in the cave, it was so peppery to the eyes and choking to inhale, that the shooting stopped. And when the army eventually went into the cave it was to find one surviving terrorist, who was weeping bitterly from the pain inflicted by the effect of the chilly grenades. He was immediately arrested and sent to Joint Interrogation Centre in Srinagar, India for thorough questioning.

Spiritually speaking, there are times we need to ‘pepper’ the strangers that try to infiltrate our territory. Diseases and demonic oppression are part of these infiltrators. Everything not planted by God in our lives is a stranger and infiltrator. As long as there is nothing resisting them, they will comfortably hide inside the body, causing afflictions. But it is God’s desire to uproot everything not planted by Him in us. And through the Blood of Jesus God has provided us with a weapon to flush out every intruder. When the Blood of Jesus is introduced into our body, the effect is so devastating, that every stranger and infiltrator is forced to flee.

Every time the blood is invoked it brings destruction to the camp of the enemy. In Egypt when the Blood was invoked, vengeance descended on Pharaoh and his people. The blood of Jesus is one weapon the enemy has no defense against, his only reaction to it is to flee. We understand that the life is in the blood, and we also understand that the root of most diseases is demonic. So when we partake of the blood, we are introducing the very life of Jesus into our body. And just as demons used to scream and flee at Jesus’ appearance during His earthly ministry, as they see His Blood appear, they also flee.

In this end-time, we need to invoke the power in the blood more than ever before. We are in the days of fierce spiritual battle against the forces of wickedness. Our winning weapon in this warfare is the blood of Jesus. Daily plead the blood over your life, your household, business and all that concerns. If you are confronted with sin or temptations plead the blood. If you find yourself faced with any contrary situation, plead the blood. By the blood, everyone born of God is bound to overcome.

Revelation 12:11 says ‘And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death’

It doesn’t matter the battle you may face, through the Blood, you are more than a conqueror. Jesus has assured us that the gates of hell shall never prevail against His church. Therefore by the blood of Jesus, we are certified winners. Our overcoming weapon is the Blood. You can decide to ‘pepper’ the enemy every day, by daily partaking of the Blood of Jesus.  You don’t have to watch diseases or demonic afflictions run rampage in your body. You have the weapon to overcome them.  As we engage the mystery of the blood covenant every intruder will be cleared away from our territory. Indeed through the Blood of Jesus our victory over every affliction is continually guaranteed.

PRAYER:  Lord I thank You for the winning weapon of the blood of Jesus,. Through the mystery of the blood, every impossible situation around me is turned to a testimony today, 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.

1 John 5:4 ‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.’

• DAILY READING : Luke 11:1-28; Genesis 19; Psalm 12

On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 carrying 155 people took off from LaGuardia airport, New York,  on what was a routine flight. At first everything appeared fine as the plane continued climbing. But then, only two minutes after the plane took off, there was sudden mayhem. The plane ran into a flock of geese. The plane was  traveling 316 feet per second and could not avoid the birds. And so for the next few seconds the pilots helplessly stared out of the cockpit as the birds struck their plane. They could feel and hear the thumps and thuds as the birds hit the plane, followed by a shuddering, and then a rumbling sound coming from the engines. Some of the birds had gone into the engine, and soon there was a large explosion, followed by the smell of roasted birds that filled the cabin. Soon the pilots felt the engines stopping. The birds had knocked out both engines of the plane, creating near total loss of thrust. The plane was just 2,800 feet up and nowhere near its cruising speed—meaning the pilots had, maximum, a few minutes to find a safe path to the ground. It was an emergency situation, the plane crew were unprepared for. As the plane continued dropping fast, and they couldn’t get to any airport, the only other alternative was the nearby Hudson river. With its engines shut off, the plane headed for the Hudson River which cuts through New York City. The plane even came quite close to hitting the George Washington Bridge. In the midst of the crisis, a number of Christians who were on that flight cried out to God for help  And God did answer them. As the plane eventually hit the river, all 155 people on board that flight escaped alive. It was a miracle! In fact newspapers carried banner headlines calling the accident ‘Miracle on the Hudson’. And  ever since, the incident has become known as one of the most remarkable escapes in American aviation history.

The truth is that the battles of life come suddenly. Troubles and challenges will often come unexpectedly to test our spiritual strength.  And a man will stand or fall based on the strength of his faith.

We need faith to overcome impossible situations. Indeed faith is a spiritual currency of inestimable value and can purchase anything that Heaven has in stock. And faith comes from hearing God’s Word.

Indeed there is deliverance power in God’s Word. Genuine encounters with the Word empowers us to experience the miraculous.

God and His Word are one. That means that since God is Omnipotent, His Word also is all-powerful. Therefore we need to spend quality time building up The Word within us. When you study your Bible, it should be a deliberate action of making daily withdrawals from the Book of life and depositing into your spirit .  In doing so consistently, you are preparing yourself against the day of battle. When challenges come, there should be enough strength within you to rise up to it.

Proverbs 24:10 says ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’

We build up spiritual strength through diligently following God’s Word. And who you follow determines what follows you. The Word of God on the inside of a man ensures his survival and victory in every confrontation. Indeed they that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.  With The Word strong in your heart you become more than a conqueror. A lion heart will guarantee you a lion share.

1 John 5:4 says ‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.’

You can’t fall standing on God’s Word. Whatever confronts you, you have what it takes to overcome it.  The victory that overcomes the world is our faith. And faith comes by hearing and hearing God’s Word. As you fill your heart constantly with God’s Word, it doesn’t matter what you are confronted with, you are coming out the winner in Jesus Name.

PRAYER:  Lord, please help me to build my faith upon the solid foundation of Your Word. I know indeed that no matter what comes my way, through Christ, I am more than a conqueror in Jesus Name. .

Quote

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

Numbers 23:19 ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’

DAILY READING •    Luke 10:21-42; Genesis 18; Psalm 11

An eagle is a very interesting animal. At about 4 to 5 years of age, an eagle is ready to start a family. And when the male eagle finds a potential mate, it engages in dramatic courtship displays that involves swooping flight, aerial stick exchanges and cartwheeling. While all these behaviors are part of courtship, they are also ways to test the strength and agility of the potential mate. And once a pair has succeeded in coming together, building their nest is an activity that helps them bond. They build a nest constructed of interwoven sticks, with the interior lined with grass, corn stalks, feathers and other soft materials. Eagles typically avoid human activity and will chose to build their nests in forest areas, in a place where their nest is protected. The site of the nest usually depends on nearness to water and the abundance of food in that area, and once they settle into their nests, next is to raise a family. Eagles brood once each year and the average clutch or group of eggs an eagle lays is between one and three eggs. And after it is laid, the egg must be constantly kept warm, or incubated, and protected from predators. The female eagle typically spends more time on the nest while the male does most of the hunting to provide food for the female. However what is really interesting about the mother eagle is how faithfully she sits and waits for 35 days before the egg hatches. The eggs are kept warm through her body heat. Like most birds, eagles develop a brood patch, or bare spot on their belly, to better facilitate heat transfer to the egg during incubation. Incubation period for bald eagles is about 35 days. And for golden eagles, it is between 40-45 days. For those number of days, the eagle sits patiently, waiting for the egg to hatch. As she waits, outwardly there is no movement nor sign that anything is happening within the eggs. The mother eagle never feels the baby kick, nor sees the egg grow larger, like happens in human pregnancy, yet she patiently waits. Day after day she sits unmoved by what she doesn’t feel, unmoved by what’s not changing. Her concern is to keep the eggs warm, knowing that one day soon it will hatch.

And while the eagle waits, with no signs of life, on the 35th day, suddenly the little eaglet starts pecking out of the shell, before long it hatches healthy and whole.

We can learn a lesson about faith simply by observing the eagle. God’s promises are birthed in our lives, similar to how an eagle gives birth.  As we await the manifestation of the promise, we have to believe something is happening even when we can’t see it. Even though there is no outward sign it will ever come to pass, like the eagle sits on the egg, we are going to have to sit on that promise, believing, expecting, praying, thanking, God for its manifestation.

You may have promises that you’ve been standing on for a long time, dreams God has put in your heart, but currently every circumstance says, it is never going to happen. But dare to believe God’s Word. Let God be true and let every devil be a liar.

Numbers 23:19 says ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’

What God has said He will do in your life, He is able to perform. Therefore decide not to be moved by what you see. Be moved only by what God has said. What God started in your  life He is going to finish.  God works in secret. Though you may not yet see the improvement you desired, God is up to something. He is bringing it together. You have to trust the process that births the promise. Though it seems you have been waiting, things are coming together. And they are working for your good because you love God. Just like a picture, some things have to develop in the dark, in secret. And you have to keep believing though there’s no sign on the outside.

We have to walk by faith and not by sight. And by faith we have to call those things that be not as though they were. We have to speak forth words of faith in God’s ability. The odds may be against you today, but don’t let the circumstances fool you.  You may not yet  see anything happening on the outside, but that doesn’t mean nothing is happening on the inside. It is God that works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. He is at work within you. Like the Israelites, we have to keep marching around the wall of Jericho, though there is no sign yet that it is going to fall. Keep thanking God for that situation, even though it looks like, it is not improving. Keep speaking prophetically because the clouds are filling up with rain. Keep doing the right thing because your day of manifestation  is coming. Like, Abraham, decide not to consider contrary circumstances, rather remain strong in faith giving glory to God.

And instead of considering how big the obstacles, consider how big your God is. God can do the impossible, He can make ways where there seems to be no way. Therefore don’t be moved by any circumstance. God being for you is more than the world being against you. As a person of vision, you are unstoppable. You are headed for your place in destiny and as long as you remain strong in faith, it is only a matter of time before you arrive there.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to walk by faith and not by sight. Show me the right way to go at every crossroad in life. Please guide me by Your Spirit until I arrive at my destined place in Jesus Name. .

QUOTE

There is more to you than meets the eyes.  Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. – WORDBITE 222.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 ‘Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first.’

DAILY READING –  Luke 10:1-20; Genesis 17; Psalm 10

One of the preeminent scientists in the world today is Francis Collins. He helped complete a groundbreaking research into human DNA and gene sequences. He is a medical doctor and director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. But despite being a scientist, he is passionate about his Christian faith.  He refers to himself as a Bible-believing Christian. He had come to know Christ after reading C.S. Lewis books and also through seeing the impact of Christianity on his patients, especially how faith sustained even the gravely ill patients. In his bestselling 2006 book The Language of God, Collins said God is a master creator and designer, responsible for setting forth the events resulting in life.

However Francis Collins and other Christian scientists are only a minority in the world of science. Majority of scientists tend not to believe in God. And it is indeed quite baffling that Scientists, who study the wonders and intricacies of creation and should be the very first to believe in a great creator, hardly do so. That is indeed baffling.  In the early 20th century, studies showed that scientists were less likely than the general population to believe in the existence of God. A survey conducted, showed that 35% of scientists did not believe that God existed, while in contrast about 90%of the general population believed in God.  Another recent study designed to look at differences in belief among scientists and other academics, was quite revealing. The new study shows that for many scientists their unbelief in God is rooted more in their upbringing and background than anything else. It was found that scientist who were brought up by Christian parents tended to believe more in God than those who weren’t.

Influence therefore has been an important factor. The seeds of unbelief planted in early years is what has grown to blind their minds. And the blindness in these scientists’ hearts has kept them from seeing God at work in creation. Ephesians 4:18 says that their understanding has been darkened because they have been alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them.

The Bible says in Psalm 14:1 ‘the fool hath said in his heart there is no God.’ Unbelief in God will ultimately lead to foolishness. Therefore these scientists, though academically intelligent, are by scriptural standards considered unwise. Is it any wonder then that they have come up with warped ideas as evolution theory and the big bang theory? A wrong mindset will birth a wrong concept. Jesus said a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, neither can a good tree bring forth corrupt fruit. Simply put, you cannot give what you do not have.

In this end-time, the enemy is looking for where to sow his tares. And as Christians we need to be careful not to fall victim to wrong doctrines. Be careful the things you expose your mind to. You can’t even afford to be  ‘open minded’  in this generation, rather be ‘scripture minded.’ Let your thinking and decisions always be guided only by what The Word of God says. That way you avoid the enemy’s subtle traps.  It is amazing how some Christians have already fallen to deception. Some fine preachers who started out preaching the truth have now fallen victim to wrong doctrines. Christians who end up believing such wrong doctrines are those who refused to renew their minds to the truth, until eventually as grasses will grow on uncultivated soil wrong things begin to grow on their minds.

How can a Christian embrace a grace message that gives him license to sin? That can only be the result of a wrong mindset. We must continually renew our minds to avoid the tares the enemy is sowing in the minds of many in this end-time. Some of the messages are so subtle that if you are not careful you may slip before you know it.  We have already been warned that in the end-time many shall give heed to seducing spirits, rejecting sound doctrine. So to avoid being a victim keep your mind constantly renewed by The Word. Don’t think yourself incapable of falling. We can only stand by grace. You will only keep standing in this end-time if you are a diligent student of God’s Word. The Bible said the deception would be such, that even the elect will be deceived.  Therefore daily take a spiritual bath in the Word of God to dislodge any wrong thing from getting a grip on your mind. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ. [Phil. 4:7]. And through the great grace of God, despite the great deception in the world, we shall continue to stand and not fall in Jesus Name.  

PRAYER: Lord, please help me not to become a victim of wrong teachings in this end-time. Please help me to be sober and spiritually vigilant, and keep my mind constantly sound in Your Word 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 60:2 ‘For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.’

DAILY READING – Luke 9:28-62; Genesis 16; Psalm 9

In 1857, two key national events happened simultaneously in America. In October 1857 a financial panic rocked America, with banks failing, railroads going into bankruptcy, and financial chaos arising everywhere. A civil war seemed unavoidable as America tottered on the brink of disaster. However at that same time in 1857, The “Third Great Awakening” began sweeping through the nation, as the country was, once again, being touched by the Spirit of God. Churches everywhere were being shaken by a revival of prayer never before seen in Church history. 10,000 people in New York City alone gathered together daily, even left work, to pray. In this mighty awakening that had come to  America Prayer meetings were being held in every large city, and were attended by thousands of people. As men called on God, the Spirit of the Lord mightily moved, and it was estimated that every month fifty thousand souls received salvation.

The “Awakening” also spread into Canada where groups of 5,000 or more were attending camp meetings daily in Ontario and Quebec. Soon news of the 1857 Prayer Revival in New York arrived in Ireland. Several ministers were sent to verify the reports. Upon the ministers’ return , their reports ignited a passion for prayer which spread everywhere. Over 100 separate prayer meetings per week started, in homes, schools, barns, and work places—run by non-pastoral individuals. The revival spread to family by family, village by village, and town by town leading to the conversion of thousands of people within weeks.

And in America, while the revival fire swept through the Kingdom of God bringing deliverance to many, outside of the church, the national financial chaos continued to shake many, as banks failed and businesses went into bankruptcy.

This is typical of what happened in Exodus 10:23. While there was light in Goshen there was darkness in the rest of Egypt. While the gross darkness prevails in the world, in God’s Kingdom our light shall be shinning more and more.

Isaiah 60:2-says ‘For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.’

Indeed there is coming a separation between those that serve God and those that do not serve Him. We have to understand that we are of a different system with the world around us. Our case is different. When you are a part of God’s kingdom, though the world may be experiencing economic hardship, you will be experiencing revival. While darkness covers the earth, the glory of The Lord will be seen around you. Light shines brightest in the darkness, therefore darkness in the world would be opportunity for the sons of God to shine as lights in the midst of the crooked and perverse generation.

It is not God’s will that we suffer what people in the world suffer. When we make seeking God our priority He concerns Himself with taking care of us.

Truly when we seek first God’s kingdom everything else is added unto us.

Let us therefore make a fresh commitment to keep our focus on seeking God first. Let us take our focus away from running after what to eat, wear and drink and rather genuinely seek a definite encounter with God in the place of prayer. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him and when we find Him surely there shall be a reward and our expectations shall not be cut short. Surely God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine according to the power that works in us.

PRAYER: Father please help me to make seeking You my priority. Please grant me the grace to seek greater intimacy with You in prayer and the study of Your Word, help me to move from the outer court to the inner court in my relationship with You 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.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  ‘Rejoice evermore.  Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’

DAILY READING    Luke 9:1-27; Genesis 15; Psalm 8

In Iran, Christians are often incarcerated for their faith. One of the people who once suffered such incarceration was Mojtaba Hosseini, who was the Pastor of a fast growing underground church in Iran. One day, he was arrested by Iranian authorities, and sentenced to three years in the notorious Evin Prison.

In prison, he was put in the same block with murderers, robbers and drug dealers. At  first he was fearful, pleading with God to release him. But one day, God made him to understand he was in prison to fulfill divine purpose. He was there to bring the Gospel to the lost. He then realized that it would have been impossible for Christians to pass the big gates of the prison to bring the gospel to the inmates. But God had placed him and other Christians inside the prison, to shine His light among the prisoners.

And so prompted by the Holy Spirit, he began to share God’s Word with those around him: Surprisingly many of them received Jesus and were born again. Hosseini did not have a Bible with him in prison and prayed for one. God heard his prayer and provided Scriptures through one of the most unlikely sources. Shockingly, the prison imam, who came every day to pray with the Muslim inmates, offered to help! Getting an actual Bible into Evin Prison seemed impossible, but the imam smuggled in printouts of the Bible disguised as English lessons. These were later translated into the local Farsi language. Hosseini copied the Scripture and gave to the prisoners. As he continued to preach, more prisoners gave their lives to Christ. And instead of seeing his stay in prison as punishment, he faced it with joy, knowing that God’s will was being accomplished. After three years in prison, Hosseini was released and today lives in another country, where he continues to serve God.

Apostle Paul was sharing the Gospel, when he was arrested and put in the prison. But Paul wasn’t defeated and depressed by his situation. Paul wrote over half the New Testament from his prison cells.  While the Romans thought they were stopping him, they only ended up helping him to spread the Gospel.

James 1:2-4 tells us to count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations. Why so ? Because we have a victorious destiny in Christ: Through Christ we are destined to have the victory in every trial. We may be challenged, but we are not permitted to be defeated. Christ causes us to triumph in all our ways. This is why we count it all joy because we know when its all said and done we have the victory. Praise is our expression of confidence in God’s ability to deliver us. It doesn’t matter if goliath is roaring now, we know his head is about to come down!. It doesn’t matter how strong the wall of Jericho resisting us may appear, we know it’s about to tumble down! The God we serve is great and mighty, He has never lost a battle.  And He is fearful in praises.

1 Thessalonians 5:18  says ‘ In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’

The verse doesn’t say to give thanks “for” everything, but rather it says give thanks “in” everything. In other words, in every situation, we should remain thankful. In spite of how things may seem, we keep choosing to be grateful, because we know that God is in control. What the enemy meant for evil, God is turning it all around for our good. This is why the very thing the enemy thinks will steal your joy, should be the very reason why you praise God. When we are thankful, it opens the door for God to move on our behalf.

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were about to be executed, they were in the mid-night of their lives. But they prayed and sang praises aloud to God in the prison. And right there in the prison, God showed up and brought deliverance to them.

There is no mountain that God’s presence cannot level, no sea that He cannot dry up, no “Jordan” that cannot be driven back. But praise is our access to His presence. Once we engage in praise, we have brought God to bear on the situation. Let us face every day with joy, knowing that God is in perfect control of our lives. In everything let us give Him thanks, because in our praise is our deliverance.

PRAYER:  Lord please help me to always give thanks to You at all times. No matter what I  face You are able to see me through, and perfect all that concerns me. And even right now, I know that You are turning things around for my good in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

The truth of God’s Word in the life of a believer is always reflective, the results can never be hidden. – WORDBITE 222

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

DAILY READING –  Luke 8:26-56; Genesis 13:1-14:24; Psalm 7

In 2018, a British woman named Kay Longstaff, who worked as a flight attendant, boarded the Norwegian Star cruise ship on her way to Venice.  But on the morning of August 19^th, as the ship drew near Croatia, she was standing on the deck, when she fell off into the Adriatic Sea. When alarm was raised, the ship tried to turn around to look for her, but by the time it finally did turn, she had drifted out of sight. The Coast Guard was immediately notified and a search and rescue operation ensued.

After falling off the cruise ship, Kay Longstaff threaded water for 10 hours before help came. Fortunately for her, the waters were calm and the temperature of the water was around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. But it was not easy for her to stay afloat. She had suffered haematoma on her right cheek from where she hit the water and she had hypothermia. And after a ten hour battle to stay alive, her body had weakened and she had come close to giving up. However, it was at the very moment when she thought that she could no longer survive that the boat of the coast guards spotted her. What a relief it was for her to be finally rescued!

She told the rescuers she had been floating on the sea all the time and singing so as not to fall asleep and to preserve her body temperature. Doing that for ten long hours., with no help in sight was hard work. But because she persevered, she stayed alive long enough to be rescued. She was saved, because she decided to endure to the end.

Mathew 24:13 says ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.;

Indeed we must learn not to give up too soon. Even if surrounded by contrary situations we must be prepared to keep hoping on God until we see His salvation. At the red sea, the children of Israel were out of options and had their backs against the wall. But when they cried out to God, He told them to stand and see His salvation. Anytime we come to waters too high for us, we need to stand still and hope in God’s salvation. Despite the raging of the sea God is at work, He is making a way. And it is by faith we stand. We need to maintain strong faith in God so as to see Him at work in our situation. And faith comes by hearing God’s Word. Therefore there is a need to keep filling our hearts continually with the Word, until our actions are dominated and controlled by what God says. No matter what comes your way, remain strong and very courageous, God is always there and He is working in your favor.

In Isaiah 43:2 God says, ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you’ (The Amplified Bible).

This verse makes it clear that even in the worst of situations, God makes a way for us. When we pass through the water and the fire, we are not remaining there, rather we are only going through. And we come out on the other side better than when we went in. Indeed challenges are there to make you better and not bitter. And  storms are there to make you stronger. Despite what may seem like a negative situation, God is working out His higher purpose in your life. And He who began a good work in you, will complete it. He is the Author and finisher of our faith. That means, what He begins in us , He also completes. This is why you must keep persevering. Surely there is an end and your expectations shall not be cut short. Important things in the world are accomplished by those who keep on trying despite the odds. People often succeed at the point where others have given up. The point of giving up is often the place and time, that the tide will turn. Therefore stay focused, persistent and relentless. Help is on the way. All things are working for your good. One day, you’ll look back on everything you’ve been through and you will indeed see how faithful God has been.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to make your Word top priority in my life, so that I can always walk by faith, and not by sight. I thank You Lord, for Your continual  faithfulness in my life in Jesus Name

Quote :

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

1 Corinthians 15:57  ‘But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’

DAILY READING  Luke 8:1-25; Genesis 12; Psalm 6

Although crucifixion was a common form of capital punishment for criminals and slaves in ancient Rome, it has been hard for archeologists to find actual evidence of it.  This was why in 2018, researchers from the universities of Ferrara and Florence in Italy were thrilled to find evidence  of a person who was crucified and buried in northern Italy 2,000 years ago. This new finding is only the second time such direct archaeological evidence of crucifixion has been found. The only other time  was in 1968, during an excavation of Roman-era tombs in Jerusalem.

Crucifixion was invented by the Persians between 300-400 B.C, and was ‘perfected’ by the Romans. It was often described in historical writings from ancient Roman times. One of the most  glaring cases was when Roman soldiers executed 6,000 captured slaves after the revolt led by the gladiator Spartacus in the first century B.C.  Crucifixion at that time, was arguably the most painful death, reserved primarily for the most vicious of criminals. It is where the term “excruciating” is derived from.

According to findings from the researches, Roman crucifixions were designed to cause maximum pain for a prolonged period — victims’ feet and wrists were usually nailed to a wooden cross, which would hold them upright while they suffered a slow and agonizing death, often taking several days. As a gesture of “Roman kindness” the prisoner was offered a mixture of vinegar (gall) and wine as a mild anesthetic. According to the Biblical account this anesthetic was refused by Jesus. Consequently, He fully bore all the pain! It is indeed amazing and difficult to grasp the price Jesus paid at Calvary for us.

1 Peter 2:24 says ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.’

Jesus paid a full price for us at Calvary. He not only paid for our healing, He also paid for every possible affliction men would ever face in this life.  The spotless Lamb of God took upon Himself the sins of the world so that we can become the righteousness of God in Him. He was judged so that we would not have to be judged. Before Jesus’ death, we stood guilty in God’s sight doomed and condemned. We were without hope. But that changed when Jesus shed His blood. And that blood today now speaks victory for us.

1 Corinthians 15:57 says ‘But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’

It doesn’t matter what it is you are confronted with, it doesn’t matter how big or small any negative issue you have to deal with, Christ has already paid for it in the fullest and to the outermost. Our savior suffered every pain to ensure we never have to suffer again in this life. Jesus took our place and suffered for our sake.

2 Corinthians 5:21 states “for He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Today, Christ is no longer on the cross and neither is He in the grave; He is raised up and seated at the right hand of God in heaven. The benefit of the price He paid has legally been credited in our favour. And this is why affliction is not permitted to rise a second time in your life.  Indeed through Christ we are born to win in every situation of life.

1 John 5:4 says ‘for everyone born of God overcomes the world’

Through new birth we have been infused with Christ’s overcoming blood. By Him, we are more than conquerors. Indeed through Christ we have triumphed over every negative situation of life.

PRAYER: Father please help me to begin to live in the consciousness of the redemptive benefits Christ won for me at Calvary. Today, by the blood of Jesus I claim my victory over everything  challenging my glorious destiny 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