HORM Devotional

Proverbs 4:18 ‘But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.’

–DAILY READING •   1 Corinthians 1:1-17; 1 Kings 12:32-13:34; Joel 1

In 2013,  Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the Olympic torch relay race for the following year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi.  As part of the ceremony, he  passed the Olympic torch to a former Soviet swimming champion to begin the longest ever Olympic torch relay race that would  last 123 days and pass through 130 cities in all 83 of Russia’s regions; the route was more than 65000 kilometres long.

However, few minutes  after, the former Soviet swimming champion, began to run with the Olympic torch, the flames went out. A strong wind had blown it out. A fast acting  guard saved the day by lighting it back immediately with his cigarette lighter. But to the Olympic officials the flame from the lighter was not acceptable, because the whole point of the epic relay race was to transport the original flame ignited in Olympia through the many routes that eventually ends with the lighting of the cauldron in the Olympic stadium of the host country. Officials doused the flame ignited by the cigarette lighter and replaced the fire with one from a back-up torch they usually carried with them.

Leviticus 6:12 ‘And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out:’

In the race of life, we need to guard our fire from going out. The journey of life can take us through different roads, some good, some not so pleasant. But whichever road we take, we must keep our fire burning.

Proverbs 4:18 says ‘But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.’

When a  man is on fire, he is like a city set on an hill that cannot be hidden. Apostle Paul tells us that as sons of God we are to shine like stars in a dark world.

Gross moral darkness covers the earth and sin abounds everywhere,  but through the fire in us, men will be attracted to God. This is the fire we must protect with all diligence. However, where no wood is, there, the fire goes out. Therefore, we must Keep our fire burning, through daily fellowship with God’s Word. Just like the disciples on the Road to Emmaus in Luke 24, when you open up your heart to God, His Words will burn like fire in your soul. This is why we must maintain daily fellowship with Christ through His Word. We are in a personal race. And we are not only to run this race but to finish it with our torch still burning brightly. There were those in the Bible who started their race with their fire burning bright, but ended the race with their fire put out. Typical examples are Samson and King Solomon. They started strong, but didn’t stay strong. When Solomon was young, he “loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father”. God was pleased with him. (1 Kings 3:3-5). However it is sad to note what 1 Kings 11:6 says about the Solomon later in his life, “Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord” . Likewise Samson too.

Therefore as we run the race let us keep our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. As long as we keep looking to Him through daily fellowship in the Word, He will enable us to keep our fire burning.

PRAYER: Lord, Your Word is unchanging, and true. Please grant me a fresh appetite for Your Word, so that my fire will keep burning  brighter and  brighter. Indeed by Your grace my fire shall never go out in Jesus Name.

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Reading The Bible gives you over view, Studying it takes you to depths. – WORDBITE 222.

Acts 16;25-26  ‘And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.  And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken’

• DAILY READING –  – Mark 16; 1 Kings 12:1-31; Hosea 14

During world war 2, on 10th May 1940, Hitler unleashed a military onslaught on France and Belgium. Within days the British Army – outmaneuvered and unprepared – along with soldiers of other Allied nations, found themselves with their backs to the sea and hemmed in by enemies. Hitler’s army boasted with confidence that they were ‘proceeding to annihilate the British Army’. Indeed the total destruction of the British army seemed  imminent. Prime Minister Winston Churchill found himself preparing to announce to the public an unprecedented military catastrophe involving the capture or death of a third of a million soldiers.  But it didn’t happen. On 23rd May, King George VI requested that the following Sunday should be observed as a National Day of Prayer. Late on the Saturday evening the military decision was taken to evacuate as many as possible of the Allied forces. On that Sunday, the nation devoted itself to prayer and praising God, in an unprecedented way. Eyewitnesses and photographs confirm overflowing congregations in places of worship across the land. Long queues formed outside cathedrals. The same day an urgent request went out for boats of all sizes and shapes to cross the English Channel to rescue the besieged army. About 800 vessels were eventually gathered for this rescue operation. As the prayers went on across Britain, miracles began to take place. In a decision that infuriated his generals and still baffles historians, Hitler ordered his army to halt their attack on the British troops. Had they continued to fight, the destruction of the Allied forces would have been inevitable. Yet for three days the German tanks and soldiers stood idle while the British evacuation unfolded. Not only so, bad weather on the Tuesday grounded Hitler’s warplanes, allowing Allied soldiers to march unhindered to the beaches. In contrast, the sea was extraordinarily calm, making the perilous evacuation less hazardous. By the time the German Army was finally ordered to renew its attack, over 338,000 troops had escaped from the beaches, including 140,000 French, Belgian, Dutch and Polish soldiers. They had escaped an imminent destruction by Hitler’s army. This was truly miraculous. Sunday 9th June was declared a National Day of Thanksgiving, as the people blessed God for this miracle of deliverance for the British troops.

Indeed God is fearful in praises. Exodus 15:11 says ‘Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?’

God does wonders in praises. Praise is a spiritual medium through which we transfer our battles to God. When you praise God, He makes a way for you.  He sets an ambush against your enemies. When the three enemy nations came against king Jehoshaphat, God set an ambush against them. He caused them to arise and begin to kill one another, till the last person was dead.

Indeed, it doesn’t matter the odds against you, as long as God is on your side you will surely escape. When you engage God through praise, He will always arise for you.  Whenever you find yourself in a tight corner, Praise is the way out.  Instead of worrying, switch to praise. And when you praise God, He will always create an escape for you and ambush your enemies. Whether it is the enemy of sickness, poverty, joblessness. disfavor, etc, as you praise God today, He will ambush them and give you the victory in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace to always switch to high praises in the face of every challenge, so that I can experience total deliverance in every area of 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 119:130

“The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple”

DAILY READING    Mark 15:21-47; 1 Kings 11; Hosea 13

Associating light with safety is one of those feelings that’s so universal. If you walk alone at night in a city or suburban area, you will probably prefer routes that are well-lit, over those that aren’t.  Part of the safety precautions that are given by the police is, if at night you are in a deserted or dark area, look for a lighted place or building and stand there until help arrives.

This is because light discourages criminals from carrying out those  activities, that they normally would hide under the cover of darkness to carry out. Where there is light and they have no hiding place they are not likely to carry out their evil activities.

In many cities, one major way governments have been fighting crime is by lighting up dark streets and corners. Intelligent street lighting is emerging as one of the tools that’s helping to make streets safer .  Hitherto crime zones once flooded with light had criminal activities drastically reduced.

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

Evil likes to hide and thrive  in dark places. When we keep our lives lighted  by The Word of God, then there will be no room for the devil to operate in our lives. Spiritually also man is oppressed from the regions of darkness. It is the dark regions in a man’s life that gives room to the operations of darkness.. But when light comes every darkness  must disappear. What you need to guarantee victory against the operations of evil forces is an introduction of the light of God’s Word. The Bible declares in John 1:5  “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.’

Any challenge faced by any man is from the region of darkness. This includes sickness, failure and repetitive evil cycles. You cannot fight darkness in darkness! The solution to every work of darkness is introduction of light. You cannot wrestle sickness in ignorance; what you need to do is to go into God’s Word and find out God’s promises for your health and wellbeing and introduce that Word into this area of darkness. Whenever light appears. darkness will automatically flee. Light and darkness do not struggle for right of place.

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

This means that it is our responsibility to study The Word until it enters us and floods our lives with light. The light from God’s Word is what dispels every form of darkness from our lives.

In John 8:12 Jesus says ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life’

When we follow Jesus there will be no hiding place for darkness in our lives. It is the light from the Word of God that dispels the works of darkness. A man who will not study the Word will find himself suffering all manner of demonic oppression. It is in the outer regions of darkness, where there is no light from God’s Word,  that men suffer weeping and gnashing of teeth. And according to Revelation 5:3-5, until the Book is opened, weeping continues. It is only when the Book is opened that weeping will cease. Therefore to end the oppressions of darkness, we need to flood our lives with light from God’s Word.

We must make a commitment to study The Word constantly so as to keep our lives lighted.

And as we begin today, to daily open the book of life to access light, indeed every form of weeping, whether in secret or public, will surely cease in our lives in Jesus Name!

PRAYER:  Lord, Please enable me to so study Your Word until my life is filled with Your light. As Your light dominates my life there will be no hiding place for darkness. Thank You Lord for victory through Your Word in Jesus Name.

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

2 Chronicles 20:17

‘ Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you’

DAILY READING –   – Mark 15:1-20; 1 Kings 10; Hosea 11:12-12:14

On the morning of February 8, 2006, when Jameel McGee left his home and headed to the grocery store to buy some food, he had no idea he would not be seeing his home again for the next four years.  When he came out of the grocery store, he was accosted by a policeman Andrew Collins, who  walked up to him and accused Jameel of being a drug dealer. And to his shock the policeman proceeded to arrest him. Andrew  later wrote false claims that indicted Jameel of drug offences and led to his imprisonment.

In prison, Jameel wrote many appeals to the court, declaring his innocence , but each appeal was turned down. He was getting discouraged and frustrated but decided to turn to God for help. He held on to the scripture in 2 Chronicles 20, that assured him the battle was not his, but God’s.” And when he surrendered to God to fight his battles, God put into motion a series of miracles that exposed the false accusations of Andrew Collins and led to Jameel’s release. And in a very strange way, God later transformed Andrew, and brought him together with Jameel. And today, both men are friends and have written a book titled ‘Convicted’, which talks about God’s love, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

It was true Jameel’s situation was bad but when he decided to turn the battle over to God he got speedy release from captivity. Indeed praise works wonders,

It doesn’t matter the situation you find yourself as long as you glorify God He will cause all things to work together for your good.

In 2 Chronicles 20, God instructed Jehoshaphat not to fight but to engage in praise warfare. As he obeyed, God set ‘ambushment’ against his enemies and they were all smitten.

Likewise in Joshua 6:20, it was a combination of a ‘long blast’ trumpet and a ‘long blast’ shout of praise as instructed by God, that brought down the wall of Jericho

Also praise was the weapon used by Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25. Though they prayed but at the instance of their praise, the foundation of the prison shook because of God’s presence in their midst and their liberty was established.

Furthermore, it takes praise for us to see prophecies fully fulfilled. Abraham got his miracle son, because he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform (Romans 4:20-21).

Though God had promised Abraham a son, yet Abraham had to war with the prophesy. Therefore to see a manifestation of this year’s prophesied glory, we must be ready to do battle. Prophesies do not fulfill themselves we war with them to see a fulfillment. And one way to enforce our harvest and experience a forceful turnaround, is to switch to praise. Especially this year, we must decide to give God glory in every situation.

When you learn to give God praise in the midst of your battles, your victory is sure. It doesn’t matter how big that obstacle is, you and God are a majority. He will always cause you to triumph!  If you’ll dig your heels in and refuse to complain but rather, offer up a sacrifice of praise, God will show up for your rescue.

When we turn up our praise, like Jehoshaphat we are going to  see the enemies of our destiny destroyed;  Like Joshua, every wall of Jericho resisting our progress, will come tumbling down; and like Paul and Silas every prison door will break open and we will walk into liberty.

Indeed God works wonders in praise. Therefore let us give Him worthy praise today and watch him take over our battles and  give us the victory .

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for taking over my battles. I know that as I continue to praise You this year, You will give me a change of story and turn around every captivity in my life in Jesus name.

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

Proverb  18;21  ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof’    

DAILY READING – – Mark 14:32-72; 1 Kings 9; Hosea 11:1-11

The most destructive fire in America was started by a very small spark.  From October 8-10, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire burned out of control, quickly spreading far and wide across the city. Eventually, rains came to help put out the fire, but the devastation was massive. By some accounts, as many as 300 people died in the Great Chicago Fire. The fire destroyed over 17,000 buildings and left over 100,000 people homeless. In total, the fire caused over $200 million in damages. In today’s dollars, that would equate to over $3 billion in damages!

Investigations traced the start of the fire from the barn of Mrs. Catherine O’Leary, an Irish immigrant. Some account said her cow kicked over a lantern in the barn, setting nearby hay on fire. Today, over a century later, the Chicago Fire Department training academy is located on the site of the O’Leary property where the Great Chicago Fire had started.

Small spark, big fire. That’s the way James described the damage done by our reckless and careless words. Indeed it is amazing how a great fire can be started by just a spark.  Just like a little spark can set a whole city ablaze so also the tongue. An unwise word spoken at an inopportune time can cause years of problems.The tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! —James 3:5.

We must not underestimate the destructive potential of words. Words are powerful. Careless words have started wars. The best way to avert the fire is to keep from striking that first match. We must let the wisdom of God check our thoughts before they leave our tongues. As we draw on God’s wisdom through His Word, we can smother the sparks of dissension and instead speak words of peace. Our words should be constructive instead of destructive.  This is what Proverb  18;21 means when it says ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof’

Our words, can give life or  give death; words can fight fires as well as start them. We should therefore aim to speak words that solve problems rather than creating them. And if perhaps you have made negative utterances in the past, that could create problems in your future, be quick to repent today and pray for the abortion of the negative harvest. Ask God for His help in taming your tongue. God, by the work of His Spirit through the Word, can tame our tongues. By God’s grace, we can be, with our tongue, fire fighters rather than fire starters. Let our tongues steer our destiny along the line of God’s will. Indeed by God’s grace we shall speak only that which is in agreement with the God’s Word.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to always speak right. May my heart be constantly filled with Your Word, so that out of the abundance in my heart, my mouth will speak blessings to those around me. In everything may my mouth constantly glorify You in Jesus Name.

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Your heart needs to be filled with The Word of God to the point of overflow. – WORDBITE 222

Exodus 12:12  ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.’

• DAILY READING –Mark 14:1-31; 1 Kings 8; Hosea 9:17-10:15

In 2018, evangelicals in the United Kingdom secured a major legal victory for freedom of conscience , as the nation’s Supreme Court ruled on behalf of a Christian bakery that declined to fulfill an order for a pro-gay cake. The case was brought against the bakers, who were Christians when they refused to accept the order to bake a cake and write on it a message that promoted homosexuality. The bakers had refused to supply the cake iced with a message with which they profoundly disagreed.

In other court cases prior to this the state has often tried to enforce religious freedom accommodations, by ordering businesses not to discriminate against homosexuals and to accept whatever orders are brought to them by homosexuals such as decorations or cakes for gay weddings .

But in this case after the owner of Ashers bakery clearly pleaded their case, the high court declared that they could not be compelled to promote a message that went against their beliefs. The court found that there was no discrimination on the part of the bakers on the  grounds of religious bias. And all charges of discrimination lodged against Ashers  bakery owners Daniel and Amy McArthur had been dismissed. This UK court decision was celebrated by Christians as a big victory. The key outcome of the ruling is that no one can be compelled to say anything that they profoundly disagree with.

The owners of this Bakery won, because they effectively pleaded their case.

Likewise spiritually we should know how to effectively plead our case in other to gain victory. And one way of sure victory is when we plead the blood of Jesus.

“Pleading the blood” is actually a legal term. It is like a lawyer pleading his case before the judge. When the enemy accuses us, we do not plead ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’, we simply plead the blood. When Jesus shed His blood on the cross, He accomplished total redemption for us. The blood of Jesus reversed every  curse of the law against us. That includes sickness, disease, poverty, lack, depression, addiction or any type of bondage to sin. By the shed blood the hold of sin and satan is broken over our lives forever. Indeed it is finished.

Therefore by reason of the blood, the enemy has no legal right to any part of your life. When you plead the blood, you have laid your case to rest by invoking the eternal price paid for your redemption. Therefore by the blood you are free from every demonic harassment.

Revelation 12:11 tells us that as believers we have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.

So, when the enemy comes to attack in any area, you plead the blood of Jesus. When He tries to tempt you, you plead the blood. When he tries to bring fear or torment, you plead the blood. Over your health, family and all that concerns you, plead the blood. When you plead the blood, you paralyze all satanic oppressors delegated against you. When you plead the blood of Jesus, The Holy Spirit lifts a standard against every flood coming against you. The mystery of the Blood Covenant is so essential in the days that we live in. The attacks of the enemy seem relentless in these last days. He comes to attack our money, our homes, our children, our health and even our morality through temptation. Thus, it is expedient that we engage the demands of the mystery of the blood in order to command mastery over the forces of wickedness. Nothing can stand against the power of the blood! Indeed the Blood of Jesus is an unbeatable weapon in the battles of life. Therefore start pleading the blood of Jesus over your life today with confidence and boldness, and watch every enemy flee!

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the power in the blood of Jesus. Today I plead the precious blood of Jesus over my life, my family and all that concerns me.  Indeed by the power in the blood, I  have overcome in every area of 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.

  Romans 12:2 . ‘And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’

 DAILY READING – – Mark 13:14-37; 1 Kings 7; Hosea 9:1-16

In every generation there are people who break free from accepted tradition and change the way we think and see things. Galileo Galilei was such a person.  He began his education in a monastery and would later attend the University of Pisa to study medicine in 1581. During the time of Galileo, there weren’t really “scientists” as we know them today. People studied the works of the classical philosophers and thinkers such as Aristotle and believed what they said to be mostly true without running experiments to verify or test out the ideas. Galileo, however, had different ideas. He wanted to test the principals and see if he could observe them in the real world. This was a new concept to the people of his time and laid the foundation for the scientific method.

For many hundreds of years, prior to then,  it had been generally accepted that the Earth was the centre of everything.  In 1609, Galileo built his own telescope and began to use it to view the planets. As Galileo studied the planets and the Sun, he became convinced that the Earth and the other planets orbited the Sun. Even though he was a devout Christian, the Catholic Church of that time considered Galileo’s ideas as heresy. At first they sentenced him to life in prison, but later allowed him to live at his home in Tuscany under house arrest, there he would eventually die. 300 years after his death, the Catholic Church that had punished him admitted that he was absolutely right and gave him a post humous pardon.

Galileo knew that his ideas would be strongly opposed, and he could have kept quiet and held back the inevitable procession of scientific knowledge, but instead he boldly spoke out and though he was persecuted then, today posterity had proved him right and he is celebrated.

As believers we must be willing to proclaim the truth we know. It may not make us popular, but we are called to walk the strait and narrow path. You weren’t born to become what others want you to be. Be different and make a difference. You will always have a choice in life. It’s the choice to accept the status quo, or to stand out; to be unique or to be just a part of a mass.

The decision between being different and following the masses is the decision between making a difference to the world or being like anyone else. You are born to be unique. You are born to follow the path set before you.

Romans 12:2 says ‘And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’

We live in a society that wants us to conform, but we are called by Christ to be transformed, through the renewing of our mind.  It is easy to want to be like everyone else, However 1 Peter 2:9 – 10 tells us that we are different. it says  ‘But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special (peculiar) people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.’

He has called us out of this world (John 15:19). The purpose of His invitation is to make us different! We are set apart from other people in the world! Therefore decide not to compromise, decide to live out your faith.  Be uncommon. Live by a higher standard. People who have uncommon commitment, do the right thing even when it’s hard. And when you live an uncommon life, God rewards you with uncommon favor, uncommon strength, uncommon friendships and uncommon harvest.

PRAYER: Lord, please, grant me the courage and boldness to stand out in my generation and live a life that constantly glorifies  You. By Your Grace I will not conform to the world but will rather be continually transformed by Your Word in Jesus Name.

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

Proverbs 14:12  ‘There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.’

DAILY READING  Mark 13:1-13; 1 Kings 6; Hosea 8

The May 1984 National Geographic showed through color photos and drawings, the swift and terrible destruction that wiped out the Roman Cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in A.D. 79. The explosion of Mount Vesuvius was so sudden, the residents were killed while in their routine: men and women were at the market, the rich in their luxurious baths, slaves at toil. They died amid volcanic ash and superheated gasses. Even family pets suffered the same quick and final fate. It takes little imagination to picture the panic of that terrible day. The saddest part is that these people did not have to die. Scientists confirm what ancient Roman writers record–weeks of rumblings and shakings preceded the actual explosion. Even an ominous plume of smoke was clearly visible from the mountain days before the eruption. If only they had been able to read and respond to the warning from mount Vesuvius!

There are similar “rumblings” in our world today: warfare, earthquakes, the nuclear threat, economic woes. While not exactly new, these things do point to a coming day of Judgment (Matt. 24). People need not be caught unprepared. God is asking every believer to begin to put their house in order, We can’t continue to live carelessly. Especially as judgment will begin from the household of God. .

We need to take heed to the instructions and warnings from God so as to avoid a crash of destiny.  It is only those who obey God’s divine instructions that would be exempted from destruction.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 – For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Indeed it is not God’s will for His people to perish. This is why He has given us the signs of the times as a way to warn us and to wake us up to our spiritual responsibilities. In this season living a life of purity and holiness is the way to escape destruction.

Maybe you have been hearing some rumblings lately. Deep in your heart you know  God has been warning you. Somehow you know you have been stretching the boundaries of mercy. One or two things may have happened recently around you, which you know is divine warning. Well, why keep going in a direction you know is not right?

Proverbs 14:12 Says ‘There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Don’t wait until it is too late. Don’t keep playing  Russian Roulette with your destiny. It is time to take heed to the Word of God and the warnings of scriptures.

A daily quiet time spent in studying The Word  and praying, is one way of receiving daily  instructions from The Spirit of God. We are to trust in The Lord with all our heart and not to lean on our own understanding. And as we acknowledge Him in all our ways, surely, He will direct our paths.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to take heed to the instructions of scriptures. Enable me to be totally dependent upon You, as I travel in this journey of life. so that I can escape the paths of death and destruction in Jesus Name.

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

Galatians 2:20.  “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

• DAILY READING 1 Mark 12:28-44; 1 Kings 4-5; Hosea 7:3-16

Historians have long researched and written on the life of the Spanish explorer and Conqueror, Hernando Cortez. Quite fascinating is the story of how he conquered the great city of Aztec in Mexico in 1519.  At this time, the Aztecs were a large and powerful empire that had been in power for over six centuries. They were known to hoard what was deemed then as the world’s richest treasures, which no army had ever been able to plunder.

However Hernando Cortez, believed he could overcome the Aztec stronghold and cart away their riches. On April 21st, 1519, he sailed into the harbor of Vera Cruz, Mexico, bringing with him about 500 soldiers and 100 sailors with  11 ships. These band of Spanish soldiers were no match for the great army of the Aztec empire, but they landed on the shores of Mexico, with only one objective; to seize the great treasures. Before leading the men into battle, Cortez rallied them round and uttered these  three words “Burn the Ships”. Initially he was met with resistance from his men. Why would they burn the ships they were meant to escape in? “Burn the ships,” Cortez repeated. He then said “if we are going home, we are going home in their ships”.

Finally convincing the men, Cortez and his soldiers burned their own ships. And by burning their own ships, the commitment level of the men was raised to a whole new level. With no more option of retreat, amazingly, the men conquered the Aztecs and succeeded in something other armies had been unable to accomplish. With the victory Cortez and his men took the treasure.

It is believed that why they succeeded against all odds was because they had no retreat plan, no fall back position. Their ships were burned, they had no way to get back, therefore they had no choice! It was all or nothing! It was “succeed or die’’ It was a Complete and Total Commitment to their cause.

The question then is; If these men could be so dedicated in their quest for gold, how much more dedicated should we be in our quest for God?

In Galatians 2:20, Paul states “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

In our Christian walk, we have to decide to burn the ship and follow Christ wholly. We must make a commitment to go forward with Christ and live for God alone. We have to come to the point where we decide it is going to be God or nothing else. We live in a world that loves compromises, and teaches that we are free to pick and choose what suits us religiously. But Christ tells us that to follow Him, means to take up our crosses and never look back. To follow him is all or nothing. Indeed we can never serve God and mammon. There is no cheap grace. To serve God acceptably, means we are to die to everything else and live fully for the one who has saved us.

Dedication has been described as deadly commitment. It means putting your hands to the plough without the option of turning back.

Our commitment as Christians cannot be complete until we come to the decision to serve God totally.  Indeed we have to burn our ships and believe that the only way to go is forward.  Your choice for dedication today guarantees your distinction tomorrow. Glory will not come until the mystery of dedication is in place- When our lives are completely given over to God and the cause of His kingdom, then we will keep advancing from glory to glory. Indeed, when we know that turning back is never an option, our lives can only go one way; forward.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to be totally dedicated to You. Please grant me the grace to make You my top priority in life, Having put my hands to the plough, please help me to never turn back in Jesus Name. .

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Your heart needs to be filled with The Word of God to the point of overflow. – WORDBITE 222.

Romans 1:16 KJV

 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek..

• DAILY READING – Mark 12:1-27; 1 Kings 3; Hosea 6:1-7:2

WINNING SOULS

David Brainard was great missionary to the American Indians. He did great exploits and brought many Indians to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. But while on the mission field, he fell very sick and the doctors told him he was dying of tuberculosis. He was warned that the only chance for him to live more than a few weeks was complete rest.

He reckoned if indeed he had few days like the doctors said, then he would spend those few days burning out for Jesus, he would use his remaining strength to preach to as many as he could. And so he fell on his face before God, and cried , “Give me souls or take my soul!” Then he rose up and went out to preach to as many as he could. Days went and he did not die as the doctors said. in the stipulated time, nut was able to have many years of fruitful ministry among the people God had laid upon his heart, and he won thousands of them to Christ.

Ephesians 5: 16-17 says  ‘Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.’

We must be focused on redeeming the time. we must  realize that we are truly living in the last days. And it has become crucial that we do the most we can with the little time left. A day is coming when we all stand before the Judgment throne of God and give account of how we spent our time on earth.

We must spend time with eternity in mind. Someone said live everyday as if it is your last because one day you will be right. And that is so true! Living everyday as our last places an urgency in our use of time. When we realize that we don’t have forever it helps us to focus on what matters most and not waste time on frivolities. We must use our time judiciously, constantly focusing on what God has called us to do.  As believers our priority is spreading the Gospel. The salvation of our souls and what we do now for the kingdom of God is what will matter most in eternity.  It is not about running around , it is about doing what God has called us to do. Don’t mistake activity for productivity. Always ask yourself ‘what is the eternal value of what am doing now? How is it impacting the kingdom of God?’ and if it’s a question you cannot easily answer, then do a rethink.

Spend time effectively on what matters most.  Eternity is counting. Time is fast running out on earth. You may delay, but time won’t. The clock is always ticking, the hours are always silently going by, many times unnoticed, even as the past increases and future possibilities recede. Unlike the wind, time cannot be felt. Unlike the sun, it cannot be seen. Yet, of all nature’s forces, time has the most profound effect. If we don’t use it well, we end life in regret. Someone once said run the day or the day will run you.  So let us do what we can while we can.

Our time on earth is limited, therefore we must learn to use time well. The Bible tells us there is time for everything. We must apportion our times rightly, so that we don’t waste time on things of no eternal value.

We must learn to invest time in what matters most. And top on the priority of our time investment is our relationship with God which is the very bedrock of our existence. Time spent with God helps us to focus rightly on the necessary things that needs to be done. It is while in God’s Presence that we receive specific instructions on what to do, so that we can move with precision to execute them. Why spending time with God is so important is that if we don’t hear His instructions, how can we then know what to do?  It is His instructions that leads out of destructions.

Eternity is fast approaching, therefore let us make good use of our time on earth now, so that in the end, we can give a good account to God.  Paul said we should preach the Gospel in season and out of season. That means every day, we are to keep sharing The Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as we can reach through any avalaible media. .

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to spend my time well on what really matters. Please help me to be focused to run well the race set before me, so that I can give a good account of my time spent on earth in Jesus Name. 

quote :

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