HORM Devotional

Isaiah 45:22  ‘Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.’

• DAILY READING  Philippians 3; Ezekiel 23; Isaiah 51

Prisoners are often happy to end their term and depart from prison. However in 2016, a prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay prison camp refused to leave his prison, even after he had been set free.  The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a United States military prison located within  Cuba. In 2009, there was an executive order from the US government mandating the gradual closure of Guantánamo Bay. As a result prison authorities began to reduce the number of prisoners at the camp. One of the prisoners was a Yemen-born, Al-Queda militant, who after 14 years of captivity was finally given his freedom. However instead of being returned back to Afghanistan,  he had been relocated to a new town where he would begin life anew, having agreed to put terrorism behind him. Finally on the day of his release, he was taken to the airport to board a plane.  But at the last minute he panicked and refused to enter the plane scheduled for him. He asked to be taken back to his prison, his reason  being that he was afraid of the new environment, he was being sent to, . He didn’t want to go to the country where he was being relocated to. His refusal perplexed prison authorities but when he refused to change his decision, he had to be returned back to the prison to stay on indefinitely with no further hope of soon being released.

 Zechariah 9;11-12 says ‘As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;’

Here, God has not only delivered us from prison but also has promised to render unto us double for our trouble. But due to the limitations of the mind, many are afraid to step out into the great and mighty things God has for them. They look at their circumstances, rather than focus on God’s grace and mighty power. God is displeased when limitations are placed on His deliverance ability. .

Psalm 78;40 – 42  says ‘How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.’

In the wilderness, the Israelites vexed the Holy One of Israel by not  remembering His power and the mighty signs and wonders He showed in Egypt when delivering them from Pharoah. Likewise, no matter what confronts us,  we must always focus on God’s amazing deliverance power.  God has the ability, the capacity,  the power, wherewithal and resources to exceed our every expectations. Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Indeed there is nothing God cannot do.  He is God Almighty, the King of kings, the LORD of lords, the Ancient of days, the Controller of the universe, the One Who speaks and it stands fast.

In Isaiah 45:22 God says ‘Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.’

Indeed our deliverance is only in God hands. He is the El-Shaddai, the All-Powerful more than enough God. Matthew 19:26 says “…with God all things are possible.” This means that God  can go beyond any kind of limitation; He cannot be limited by space. He asked in Jeremiah 23:24 “Do I not fill heaven and earth’.

Jesus , came to the earth to make God’s deliverance power available to us. He died at Calvary to break every barrier in our lives and pave for us a new and living way by His blood. And today, by the blood of Jesus, every wall or boundary that hemmed you in has been broken in Jesus Mighty Name. Today is your day to take the limits off. It’s time to shake off the past and embrace an amazing new future. Do not allow fear to hinder you from taking steps forward. Know today that there is no force in the universe that can stop you from fulfilling your God-given destiny when God is for you. Indeed if God be for you, who can be against you? There is no limit to His power in your life! Therefore don’t settle for less than God’s best. Don’t settle for the ordinary when you were designed for the extraordinary. It’s time to Break Out! Jesus has indeed set you free from all limitations!

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to keep my focus on You at all times. I know indeed that by the power in the Blood of Jesus, I have been set free from every limitations in Jesus Name.

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

Mark 11:24 ‘What things so ever you desire when you pray believe that you receive them and you shall have them’

DAILY READING: – Philippians 2:12-30; Ezekiel 21-22; Isaiah 50

In August 2002, major News outlets carried the story of a young boy who survived multiple snakebites through the power of prayer. On August 26th, 2002, in St. Augustine Florida, seven year old Matthew Carrera and his older brother were waiting for their father to take them to school when they decided to go into a nearby bush to look for a baseball they had lost the day before. But while there, suddenly Matthew was struck by a rattlesnake, not once, but five times. The two boys screaming came running out of the bush. When their father, realized what had happened, immediately he sped off with them to the hospital, praying and calling upon God’s intervention. It was a race against time. As the venom of the snake began attacking  Mathew’s vital organs, the young boy passed out in the car. At the hospital, the emergency room team worked desperately to save Mathew, eventually a helicopter airlifted him to the critical care unit of Wolfsons Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. His chances of survival were very slim, in fact doctors didn’t expect him to survive that day. His  body was in shock and despite the large doses of antivenim being pumped into him, the venom was destroying the tissue in his leg. And his kidneys and liver showed signs of failing.  However Mathew’s  parents being Christians, understood the power of prayer. And so they rallied family members and friends to begin praying ceaselessly for Mathew. Miraculously, Mathew not only survived that day but survived many more days to come. And though various complications arose, Mathew’s family persisted in their prayers, until eventually God gave them the victory. Soon Mathew was well enough to be discharged from the hospital. His recovery totally amazed the medical doctors who saw him as a walking miracle.

James 5:16 says: ‘The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much’.

Indeed there is power in prevailing prayer. A man who will fervently persist in the place of prayer, will have his answers.

Mark 11:24 tells us ‘What things so ever you desire when you pray believe that you receive them and you shall have them’

This is the promise of God. That whatsoever we desire, when we pray and believe, God will answer us. It doesn’t matter how impossible the situation, as long as we can pray about it, God is committed to answer. Getting answers in prayers requires resoluteness and a certain stubbornness. You have to decide  that you will not quit until you get your result. God does not store prayers, He answers them.

But we have to learn to persevere until the answer comes. The key is persistence. Refuse to give up. It is often when God is about to do a great work in your life that the enemy comes against you with his strongest weapons.  The enemy knows that if you persist you will receive, this is why he tries to discourage and weary you to give up before your answer comes. But make up your mind to keep praying because you know God has promised you an answer and He keeps His promises. Indeed prayer works. However we must be willing to pay the price of persistence, because persistence wears down every resistance.

Perhaps in this season, you have been praying for certain things, but are yet to see your desired answers. Don’t give up. Keep pressing in, keep faith alive by feeding on God’s Word. It’s not about the length of your prayer, but the strength of your faith. Keep knocking and don’t give up, your time is coming. You will reap if you faint not. You will see your greatest dreams come to pass – when you refuse to be a quitter. Whatever, you are believing God for today, make up your mind to keep pushing in prayer until something happens. Surely there is an end, and your expectations shall not be cut off.

PRAYER: Lord, please  grant me the grace to persevere in the place of prayer until my answer comes,. No matter how discouraging situations may sometimes seem, please Lord,  help me not to grow weary but rather to persist until I see my desired result in Jesus Name.  .

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Until you cry out in the place of prayer certain things won’t happen. WORD BITE 222

Luke 8:1–3  “He went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.”

DAILY READING –  Philippians 2:1-11; Ezekiel 20; Isaiah 49

500 years ago, the English Bible did not exist. In 1408, the Roman Catholic Church had banned any translation of the Bible into English. And so English people had no access to the Bible, rather it was only read to them in Church every Sunday in Latin, a language they didn’t understand.  At this time, God raised up a man named William Tyndale and gave him a burning desire to translate the Bible into English. Tyndale could read Latin, knew the Bible and desperately wanted to bring God’s Word into the language of the people. However though  Tyndale had the vision, he lacked the necessary  resources  and funds to make it become a reality.  At this time also God raised   a successful cloth merchant  named Humphrey Monmouth who came alongside Tyndale and funded the translation. Monmouth who was greatly affected by the ministry of Tyndale, not only funded the first translation of the Bible into English, but also housed Tyndale for six months while he worked. And when the English Bible was eventually printed, Monmouth used his merchant ships to smuggle the first 3,000 copies of the English New Testament into England. They came hidden in bales of cloth, stuffed in sacks of flour and sealed in watertight boxes inside barrels of oil and wine. These contraband Bibles were sold in secret. People eagerly bought them up, happy at last to have a Bible  they could read in their own language and know God through it. Though King Henry VIII tried to stamp out the influence of Tyndale’s translation, he was unable to stop the spread, due to the sheer volume of Humphrey Monmouth’s ships carrying the Tyndale translations to every corner of the British Empire. The fruit of Tyndale and Monmouth’s partnership did shake England. However they eventually paid a high price; Tyndale, who had lived in exile from England for over a decade, ended up betrayed, arrested, imprisoned and finally burned at the stake — for translating the Bible into English! While Monmouth spent a year confined in the Tower of London.

Today Tyndale’s work lives on: 90% of the King James Version of the Bible and 75% of the Revised Standard Version are from the translation made by William Tyndale and over 600 million English speakers directly benefit from William Tyndale’s life and work.  However, Monmouth’s contribution was no less as important as the work done by Tyndale.

Not all of us can stand and preach in a church or go to a mission field, but all of us can play a vital role in God’s work like Monmouth, by using our resources for His Kingdom. The kingdom mandate requires us to faithfully serve God through supporting preachers to take the message of the Gospel into all the world.  As God raises heroes of faith like William Tyndale, there is also a call for men like Monmouth to arise to support their vision. Luke chapter 8 mentions certain women such as Mary called Magdalene, and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who  ministered unto Jesus out of their substance.

We must be willing to sow willingly towards the work of spreading the Gospel into all the world. God’s financial dominion plan anchors on the covenant of seed time and harvest. To enjoy financial fortune your  desire  must be to see God’s Kingdom prosper. Kingdom wealth is not an achievement, rather it is an entrustment from God to those who will promote His Kingdom. Indeed when we seek first the advancement of God’s kingdom, then He ensures all other things are added unto us (Matthew 6:33).

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for granting me the grace to accept the spiritual responsibility of giving towards the expansion of Your kingdom. Thank You Lord, for Your multiplied blessings upon my life even as I sow in accordance to Your Word in Jesus Name

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When you make that which is priority to God to become your priority, God automatically makes you priority in His own plan. – WORDBITE 222

John 16:13  ‘Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.’

• DAILY READING – •           Philippians 1:12-30; Ezekiel 19; Isaiah 48

The world’s tallest brick lighthouse was built on Cape Hatteras in 1870. This lighthouse which is a staggering 208′ ft. tall, has become one of the most famous and recognizable lighthouses in the world. Its beam of light spans 20 miles into the ocean, signaling ships at sea. In the 18th and 19th centuries, lighthouses were widely used to warn ships of hazardous coastlines. In dark and treacherous weathers, the constant beam of the lighthouse helped to guide ships into safe harbors and kept them from wrecking. As a result, many ships and lives, have been saved because of the guidance provided by these lighthouses.

The Holy Spirit can be likened to our lighthouse. In the journey of life, we need  His ministry to avoid a shipwreck of destiny. You can’t know greatness until you know guidance.

John 16:13 says  ‘Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.’

The Spirit shows us things to come. He shows us what to do to ascend to the next level of greatness that God has in store for us. What He showed Joseph took him from the prison to the palace overnight. As we fellowship with Him, He will show us what eyes have not seen, nor ears heard and neither has entered into the hearts of men. He is our light in the dark and treacherous waters of this world. It is by His guidance that we can keep our ship afloat as we navigate through the journey of life.

The Holy Spirit empowers us for the Fulfillment of Destiny. He enables us to do exploits, to set the pace, blaze the trail, and ascend to amazing heights. Therefore for us to fulfill destiny, we need Him actively at work in our lives.

Without power you cannot go up. And to experience power there is a price to pay. There are no stars without scars. And the scar of stars is sacrifice. The price for power is prayer. It has been said ‘more prayer more power, and no prayer no power.’ The more time we spend in praying and fasting the more we will be guided by The Spirit. And when The Spirit guides you, He also empowers you to accomplish the destiny God has for you. There is a plan God has laid out for us. And we need The Holy Spirit to fulfill it, because what will be accomplished in our lives will not be by might, nor by power but only by The Spirit.

As believers engaged in fierce spiritual battles  we can no longer afford to live anyhow. To live anyhow, is to end up anyhow. As we can never outgrow the need for divine guidance we must therefore submit to the guidance of The Spirit. There are many pitfalls on the path of destiny and we need the light of The Spirit to guide us out of those traps.

In the days of ignorance, or spiritual immaturity, God may have winked at us, but now He wants us to come to the place of sonship, where we are led by His Spirit. Indeed it is only as many as are led by The Spirit that are the sons of God.

PRAYER: Lord, Please by Your Spirit, guide me on this journey of destiny. Help me to be willing to pay whatever price it takes, to experience the empowerment of Your Spirit in my life in Jesus Name.

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

Psalm 107:20 ‘He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions’

DAILY READING          Philippians 1:1-11; Ezekiel 18; Isaiah 47

In past centuries, the South Sea islands have been known for their cannibalism, which only came to a stop in recent times.  Missionaries risked their lives to bring the Gospel to these people. And when the message of the Gospel finally gained a hold on some of these former cannibals, their lives were greatly transformed. Leaving behind their old ways, they served God with dedication.

The story is told of an anthropologist who was carrying out research in the region of the South Sea islands. One day he came upon one of these converted cannibals who was sitting by a large pot reading his Bible. When the anthropologist saw him, he was curious as to what the man was doing. He approached the native and said, “What are you doing?” The ex-cannibal replied, “I’m reading the Bible.” The anthropologist then said, “Don’t you know that modern man has rejected that book?” The cannibal looked him over and said, “Sir, if it weren’t for this book, you’d be in that pot.”

The anthropologist of course became immediately grateful for the transformation upon the cannibal.  The truth is that if it weren’t for the Bible, many of us would have been in various pots of life. But through knowledge of the truth we have been set free. The Word of God is His instrument of rescue to us.

Psalm 107:20 says ‘He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions’. Indeed The Word of God delivers us from destruction. It  is the supernatural force sent by God into the world to rescue us from every negative situation. And don’t forget that The Word is a person and His name is Jesus.

Jesus came primarily to the earth to rescue men and destroy the works of the devil. And whatever works of the enemy may be confronting you today, Jesus through the instrument of The Word is able to set you free. It doesn’t matter how tight things may seem,  there is power in God’s Word to transform that situation and turn it around for your good. Always know that there is a way out . You can be free, you can have your miracle, you can have the victory. You only need to pay attention to The Word  to gain revelation of what to do. Many people’s sufferings are simply because they lack the knowledge of what to do to get out of their predicament.

Hosea 4:6 says ‘My people perish for lack of knowledge’ And a wise man said ‘there is no mountain anywhere, every man’s ignorance is his ow mountain.’

There is a key of knowledge which when you apply it, will open the door for you to walk out free. The knowledge that comes from God’s Word provides us the ticket to freedom. Our depth of knowledge of The Word will determine the height of liberty we can enjoy in life. The Word of God is able to transform any situation. In-depth knowledge of God’s Word is the way of escape from every negative circumstance.

Just sit down with The Word and ask God to show you the way out. As you begin to diligently study The Word, The Holy Spirit will begin to connect scriptures that will reveal to you what to do to be free. Indeed with God’s Word, you can  sort any situation.!

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the freedom and deliverance that has come my way through the instrument of Your Word. Indeed by Your word I am preserved and delivered from every trap of destiny in Jesus  Name. .. ..

QUOTE :

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

Jonah 2:9 ‘But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.’

• DAILY READING; Ephesians 6; Ezekiel 17; Isaiah 46

During Idi Amin’s reign of terror in Uganda, many Christian denominations came under his attack.  At one time, Idi Amin placed a ban against twenty-seven denominations in the country. When the ban was announced, many of the churches immediately went underground, and house meetings sprang up throughout the country.

However a church in Makerere, run by the Gospel Mission to Uganda  continued to hold its meetings. Then on April 12, 1978, Amin’s wild-eyed soldiers invaded this church and begun firing indiscriminately at the 600-strong congregation. Instead of fleeing, the assistant pastor, Jotham Mutebi, who was on the platform sank to his knees in prayer.

Amid the mayhem, hundreds more worshippers also quickly dropped to their knees between the pews. With upraised arms they began to praise The Lord. Despite the hail of bullets, these people praised God even in the face of death. The result was that the church  became filled with a cacophony of incredible sound—a combination of prayer, praise and bullets. At one point, a member of the church orchestra, raised his trumpet to his lips and blew it as loudly as he could. At the blast of the trumpet, the soldiers suddenly panicked, they thought the Christians were about to counter-attack and so they quickly fled the sanctuary. Miraculously members of this congregation were preserved and survived what would have been a horrendous massacre.

Indeed God is fearful in praises.  Despite bring surrounded by bloodthirsty soldiers, members of this church knew that in praise was their deliverance. And despite the contrary situation, as they praised, God arose and their enemies were scattered.

In the midst of negative situations praise will always bring deliverance. It can be easy to praise God when on the mountaintop, but even in the valley we should praise Him still. This is what Paul and Silas did. Although thrown into jail, as they switched to praise, God  brought deliverance to them.

When Jonah was in the belly of the whale, his initial utterances in Jonah 2 were a prayer of complaints. But after about 8 verses of such complaint and seeing it was getting him nowhere, he then switched to praise.

In Jonah 2:9, he says ‘But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.’

And when Jonah began to magnify God, the next verse says ‘And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.[ Jonah 2;10]

Indeed in our praise is our deliverance. When Jonah offered unto  God the sacrifice of praise, his experienced a positive change of story. Don’t allow your situation to pose as your portion, turn things around by offering unto God  a “Sacrifice” of praise, Continually judge God faithful.

Praise always precedes the victory. When you praise, God will cause whatsoever has swallowed you up  to spit you out. When you praise, God will take what was meant for your harm and use it to advance you. Instead of being a setback, it will become a setup for your comeback.

Giving God praise in the midst of contrary circumstances is what sacrifice of praise is about. A Sacrifice of praise will always get God’s attention, because it is praise that costs you something. David said ‘I will not offer unto God that which has cost me nothing.’

When we offer a ‘tearful’ offering of our substance  unto God it is an expression of the sacrifice of praise. And a ‘tearful’ seed will provoke a ‘fearful’ harvest. When we offer unto God that which costs us something, He releases unusual blessings to us.  When Abraham offered his only son Isaac, God swore a blessing over him.

In this season of fervent prayers we can turn the tides of blessing in our favor by offering a sacrifice of praise to God. Despite how difficult any circumstance,  if we can decide to bless God in the midst of it all, things will surely turn around for us. If we sincerely desire a positive change of story, a sacrifice of praise is the key to it. Indeed the altar of sacrifice is the altar of turnaround

PRAYER: Lord, I choose to bless You at all times. I choose to set the tone to receive Your favor, grace and mercy today by offering unto You a sacrifice of praise. Thank You Lord for Your continual faithfulness in my life in Jesus Name. .

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

-WORDBITE 222.

John 15:4-5  ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.’

DAILY READING Ephesians 5:21-33; Ezekiel 16; Isaiah 45

In 1944, a study was done to determine the effect of affection and touch on babies. 40 newborn babies were split into two groups. The first group, which was the control group, grew up normally, while the second group was used for  the experiment. The babies in this second group had a special facility where their basic needs,  such as being changed, fed, burped, etc were met. However, caregivers were instructed not to touch or look at the babies more than needed; No communicating with the babies and no extended interactions, they were just to fill the baby’s basic needs and keep the place clean. But then, after four months, the experiment had to be suddenly halted. because the babies began to die.  There was no physical cause of death as the babies were all healthy. However, scientists noticed that shortly before death, these babies would stop verbalizing or trying to engage the caregivers. Then they’d stop moving, crying and changing expressions. And finally, they died. And the few of these babies who eventually survived would grow up psychologically damaged and mentally deformed. Meanwhile the babies in the control group, who received love, care and constant touch from the caregivers, had no deaths at all; they all thrived and grew up normally.

In the 1960’s, a similar experiment was done, but due to children protection laws, this time, newborn monkeys were used. And the result was the same. Baby monkeys in the control group were fine, but the ones deprived of love would die or become mentally incapable for life. These experiments proved the theory correct, that newborns not only need love but that they depend on it for the best chance at life.

In the same way, our spiritual survival is tied to our closeness to God. God is love and we need Him to survive. Indeed without Christ we can do nothing. But through Christ that strengthens us we can do all things. When we are close to God we thrive, but separated from Him, we wither.

Jesus says in John 15:4-5  ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.’

Indeed without Christ we can do nothing. Without God we have no value. It is only in Him that we can live and move and have our being.  And from Scriptures we know that every lover of God ends up a star on earth. Indeed you cannot celebrate God and not be celebrated. Therefore let us look away from man, and let our total dependence be on God. Man can be used by God to help us, but the helper remains The Holy Spirit. Therefore our focus must remain on Him. Never elevate any man above God in your heart. It is dangerous. Any day God withdraws His hand that will be the end. Therefore keep your focus on Jesus and let your creed be ‘what God cannot do for me, let it remain undone’.

Psalm 146:3-5 says  ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God’

Indeed God is all we need to have all our needs met. He is our source and our sustenance.. Jeremiah 17:5-8 says ‘Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord…’

We must never allow our hearts to depart from The Lord. We must constantly cling to Him and love Him with all our heart, soul and mind. God is our helper and keeper. He is our help from ages past. Those who truly love God end up elevated by Him.  Every lover of God ends up a trailblazer and a pacesetter. However, being in love demands being in constant touch.  And we stay in constant touch with God through a daily time of prayer, worship and intimate fellowship.

Whatever situation you may be faced with right now, learn to run to God and depend on His love.  Psalm 91:14 says that when you set your love upon Him, He will deliver you and show you His salvation,

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to cling to You at all times. In every situation please help me to remain totally dependent upon You. I know that You are ever faithful and as I hope in You, I  shall never be ashamed in Jesus Name.

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

Zechariah 9: 11-12 ‘ As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee’

DAILY READING –Ephesians 5:1-20; Ezekiel 14-15; Isaiah 44

In 1974, a young soldier, Billy Moore, who just returned from the war and desperately needed money made a wrong choice to rob a house. In the process, he mistakenly killed a man and was later arrested by the police and sentenced to death for murder. His aunt who was a Christian prayed fervently for his salvation. And when she sent her pastor to visit him in prison, Billy prayed with him and accepted Jesus into his life. Afterwards, miraculously when Billy’s execution date arrived, his case went to an automatic appeal with the Georgia Supreme Court and he was given a new execution date. And thus began a series of appeals that lasted the next 16 and a half years, where Billy had 13 new  execution dates set and then postponed each time. During this period, he studied the Bible, taught Bible studies to fellow inmates, and even earned his bachelor’s degree from a Bible college. But then after the 16 and half years, Billy’s execution date was finally set for May 24th, 1984. This time, no more appeals, no more court dates and no more postponements. Yet Billy kept his focus on Jesus. Then a few weeks before his execution, he felt the Lord wanted him to write a letter of apology to his victim’s family. This he did and surprisingly he got back letters from them saying that they were also Christians and had forgiven him. And from then, Billy and this family began writing each other every week. Then finally the day arrived when Billy was to be executed. That day, he  heard The Lord speak audibly to him saying “You shall not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” And so he began walking back and forth in the cell saying, ‘Jesus said I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord.’

And when it was almost time for the execution, as the guards were about to shave Billy’s hair to prepare him, they were suddenly interrupted. The officer in charge came out of the office and said he just got a phone call from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal to stop the execution. Unknown to Billy his victim’s family, along with local groups, had petitioned the courts to set Billy free! Finally on November 8th, 1991, Billy was released from prison. And today, he is an ordained minister who travels the globe speaking about the power of God’s mercy and love.

Despite the many times Billy could have died, the grace of God kept showing up. God’s grace is indeed extravagant. Ephesians 2:4 describes God as being rich in mercy. Mercy means receiving, what you are not qualified for. Billy didn’t qualify to ever be released from prison. But God’s mercy prevailed and he was set free. Indeed it is because of The Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed. [Lamentations 3:23]

Likewise, the Blood of Jesus has purchased for us freedom we are not qualified for. Despite our past sins and failures,  through the Blood,  mercy has prevailed  and today we can be free to walk in dominion and power in God’s prophetic purpose for our lives. Christ paid the ultimate price for our freedom, we must therefore not again allow ourselves to be entangled in any yoke of bondage. The price for every affliction was paid at Calvary, therefore  affliction is not permitted to rise a second time in our lives.

When you are in Christ Jesus, the evil that afflicts others, by reason of the blood, passes over you. Every appointment with death is cancelled.  It doesn’t matter how many times death knocks at the door, because of the Passover blood, we are exempted. Indeed we shall not die but live to declare the works of The Lord in the land of the living.

There is power in the Blood to break every chain in your life. Through the blood of the covenant we have been sent forth out of every waterless pit. Jesus paid the price for us to walk out on the devil and every form of slavery.  And  whosoever the son of God has set free, is free indeed. Indeed we are born again not to suffer again, rather we are born again to reign in life.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to understand the amazing power You have made available to me through Your Blood. Thank You Lord for  the practical manifestations of victory in my life today through the  blood in Jesus Name.

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True success is not verifiable in the fact a man has never fallen before but rather in the fact that he did not only fall but also got up- WORDBITE 222

Proverbs 3:5-6 ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’

DAILY READING  Ephesians 4:17-32; Ezekiel 12-13; Isaiah 43

When a scuba diver is deep underwater, it is difficult for him to tell which way is up because the water diffuses the light and he can’t feel the pull of gravity. As a result, he can easily become disoriented and lose his sense of direction. His mind starts playing tricks on him, telling him that up is down and down is up. If the diver panics, he will place his life in danger if he swims in the wrong direction. However, the diver can get out of his predicament if he’ll remember one simple rule–to follow his air bubbles. Scuba divers are taught that no matter which way he thinks is the right direction, the bubbles are always correct. They never go sideways. They never go down. They always go up. The diver must therefore ignore his own sense of direction and trust his air bubbles to guide him. Under the sea, the diver is out of his elements, he is in a different world where he can be misled if he follows only his physical senses, but by following the direction of the air bubbles he can always find his way up.

Likewise, as we navigate the treacherous waters of this world, the bubbles of air that guides the diver can be likened to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We live in  a world of spiritual influences, and when you are dealing with unseen enemies it is foolhardy to be guided by only what you can feel. Because our senses are prone to deception, the  spiritual guidance of The Spirit becomes an absolute necessity.  The truth is that every destiny is at risk without divine guidance. But when The spirit of God leads you, you never miss your way. The  security of our destiny lies in divine guidance. Indeed it takes the hand that formed our destiny to lead us into fulfilling  it.  We must therefore always take the time to seek divine guidance before making any major move in life. If you are not guided, even green pastures can turn to brown pastures.

Proverbs 14:12 says ‘There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death’.

Indeed not all that glitters is gold. And some ‘open doors’ could be traps in disguise. But when we are led by The Spirit we can escape every such traps of the enemy to arrive at our glorious destiny. All our covenant fathers arrived at their glorious destiny through divine guidance. Likewise to succeed in life we must trust in The Lord with all of our heart and lean not on our own understanding. And as we acknowledge Him in all our ways He will direct our paths. Indeed you cannot know greatness until you know guidance!

And one way to be guided by The Holy Spirit is through living a prayerful lifestyle. Praying and fasting helps us to be in the Spirit, which makes hearing from God easy. When we make prayer our priority, we will be in a place of constant spiritual guidance. And never forget that it is as many as are led by The Spirit of God that are the sons of God. Therefore for us as believers there is no substitute for divine guidance. To avoid a crash of destiny we must always go into prayers to hear what The Lord is saying to us. And even when situations and conditions around you seem contrary, always trust God to lead you in the right direction. And just as the air bubbles are never wrong, God’s guidance is always correct and will point you in the right way up.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to maintain a lifestyle of constant praying, so that I can be sensitive to the leadings of Your Spirit. Thank You Lord for guiding me in the right way I should go to arrive at the glorious destiny You have ordained for me in Jesus Name

QUOTE

To get into the next level of your life, God will always give you a specific instruction. – WORDBITE 222

Deuteronomy 7:9 ” Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations”

DAILY READING – –Ephesians 4:1-16; Ezekiel 10-11; Isaiah 42

Modern Israel started off at what was probably the worst starting point in any nation’s economic  history. It had to build an economy while spending millions of dollars on defense.  After it’s declaration of independence in 1948, Israel became engaged in wars where it was vastly outnumbered and outgunned.  At the same time, Israel lacked any significant source of revenue; it lacked oil, gas, gold, iron, coal, timber and even water, and was unable to trade with its hostile neighboring countries. When this fledgling economy was burdened by the costs of the 1973 and 1982 wars, the result was an inflation that by 1985 reached 415%, while national debt soared to 270% of the national product. At that point Israel’s economy was pitiable, and its currency was ridiculed as paper money. Foreign currency reserves dwindled so fast that Israel was almost at a point where it could barely buy a single oil barrel from overseas.

However, the Jews, aware of God’s covenant with their fathers, held on to His promises to prosper them. Though the economy looked bad, the people of  Israel relied on God’s faithfulness. And holding on to His  promises, they  began to do what they humanly could to improve their economy. And a few years later, Israel’s economy has drastically turned around to become  an international success story. Israel’s economic growth has been the fastest in the developed world this past century. Today, the shekel is very strong. The country that in 1985 was on the brink of spending its last dollar now has a trade surplus. What could have caused this spectacular transformation?  In 1985, led by Shimon Peres, the government executed a secretly planned package of drastic measures that added up to shock therapy. A second round of reforms came when they cut taxes, slashed social spending, raised the retirement age, privatized the pension industry as well as oil refineries, banks, ports, the airline, and almost anything else that could be sold. Israel thus completed a dramatic transition from socialism to capitalism. And today their 1985 emergency plan has become a textbook economic reform now studied in universities worldwide. Israel was at the verge of economic collapse, but through reliance on God’s covenant and promise, the situation was turned around and rather than sink, the nation has continued to soar.

Deuteronomy 7:9, says ” Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations”

Israel’s continual existence today as a nation, reflects God’s faithfulness to keep covenant. Despite their shortcomings, God still honors His promises to their fathers.  And if God still honors His old covenant with Israel, He will certainly honor His new covenant with us through Christ. Ours is a covenant based on better promises. And one thing we must know is that in a covenant, we have a part to play.  And if you want God to fulfill His part you must fulfill yours.

For instance Exodus 23:25–26 says: ‘And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill.’

Our part in this covenant is “You shall serve the Lord your God.” Therefore when we fulfill the covenant obligation to serve God, we can expect His promised blessings to come upon us.

Luke 2:37 said Anna the prophetess was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.’

Therefore, part of our serving God is to spend time in praying and fasting. What that means is that as we fulfill the condition of fasting and praying, we can expect the blessings of Exodus 23:25 to come upon us.

In Jeremiah 29:11-13 God promises that when we seek Him with all our heart, He will be found of us and He will turn away our captivity. Therefore as you seek God in this season, expect Him to honor His covenant and turn every captivity in your life. He has not called the sons of Jacob to seek Him in vain. There is a reward for them that diligently seek Him.

When you are in covenant with God, you will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit in its season. When you serve God sincerely favor will come upon your life that will cause you to prosper even in a desert. [Psalm 5;12].

Therefore in this season, as we fulfill the covenant obligation to seek God with all our heart, let us have the expectation for the manifestation of His promises to us. indeed what His mouth has promised, His hand is able to perform in our lives.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to fulfill the conditions set forth in Your Word for me, so that I can receive the blessings You have promised. I thank You Lord, for speedy manifestations of Your promises in my life in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

For you to enjoy victory in the Kingdom of God, you need to develop a Kingdom mindset, that thinks in line with the Word of God. WORBITE 222