HORM Devotional

Hebrews 12:2 ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’

DAILY READING  Acts 18; Judges 9; Job 38

The deepest gold mine in the world is Mponeng, a gold mine in South Africa’s Gauteng province. From the ground level, it extends over 4 kilometres below the surface of the earth. The trip from the surface to the bottom of the mine takes over an hour. Yet, every day, 4,000 workers descend into the mine through elevators—or cages. These triple-decked cages fit 120 people at a time. Though the first 1.6-mile shaft takes only 6 minutes to descend, a second shaft takes workers deeper down, and the last part is only accessible by foot or vehicle. Because temperatures increase the closer we get to the earth’s core, underground in the mine it is so hot that ice has to be pumped down to cool the tunnels. To keep the hot temperatures from becoming deadly, ice mixed with salt is pumped down from the surface; huge fans then blow air over the ice, forming a controlled cold-air system within the mine. This means that many tunnels can be kept at an almost bearable temperature. However, without this, the gold mine would quickly become a deathtrap as many of the miners would die from the heat.

Obviously, this process of digging for gold  requires a lot of sacrifice, yet  amazingly people daily  pay the price, because of how precious gold is deemed. The truth is that anything of value has a cost. And the question for us this year is; how much do we value God’s glory and what price are we willing to pay for it?

God’s glory is not found on the surface, or in the realm of the flesh. We must go deeper into the realm of the spirit to find it. The truth is that anyone who wants to encounter glory must be willing to die to the flesh. That is the essence of what God told Moses in Exodus 33:20,. ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!’ Therefore if it is our desire to see His glory then we must be willing to pay the price. There is no star without a scar. And behind every glory there is a story. If our desire is to encounter God’s glory this year, then we must be willing to make the sacrifice of going the extra mile, taking the extra steps and paying the extra price to encounter His glory. Whatever does not cost us anything, is not a sacrifice. David said in 2 Samuel 24:24 ‘Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.’

And part of the price we pay to encounter God’s glory is going deeper in our quest for God. We must be willing to go deeper in our prayer life, in our worship, in our study of God’s Word, in fasting and in sacrificial giving.

Hebrews 12:1-2 lets us know that Jesus for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. He didn’t enjoy it. He endured the inconveniences of the cross, the beatings and the pains, so that we can be partakers of His glory.

Therefore to gain access into the realm of glory, and to actualize the prophesy of this year, we must be willing to pay the price. And just as Jesus did, when it’s time to sacrifice, we must ignore the present and look to the future, knowing that the cost is never greater than the glory and the benefits of sacrifice always outweigh its cost.  

 PRAYER Lord Please enable me to pay whatever price is required of me to see Your glory this year. Grant me the grace to go the extra mile in fasting, praying and study of Your Word. Surely this year will be a most glorious one for me in Jesus Name.

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

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

DAILY READING –  Acts 17:16-34; Judges 7-8; Job 37

Jackie Robinson was an American professional baseball player who became the first  African American to play in  Major League Baseball in the modern era. He is known as one of the greatest baseball players in history. However what many people may not know is that he started life on the wrong track. Growing up in relative poverty as a poor black kid, Jackie joined a neighborhood gang. As a teenager, he became the leader of this street gang that majored in petty thefts and malicious mischiefs. The gang members became such a miserable trouble in the neighborhood, that to the police, Jackie became a priority take-down. However, Jackie’s mother was a woman of powerful Christian faith. She committed him to God in prayer and believed God for a miracle. Indeed, the Lord answered her prayers. Gradually, faith in God began to register in Jackie as he turned from his evil ways and turned his attention back to his studies and sports. An exceptional base runner, he became the highest-paid athlete in Dodgers’ history, and his success in the major leagues opened the door for other African-American players. He is celebrated today as a legendary sportsman.

Many times when men see the glory, they don’t know the story. Jackie started out on the wrong track, he could have lived and died as an unknown criminal, but God’s grace intervened. God gave him a change of identity and change of story and where once he was despised, he became celebrated. In the 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. This is to say that there is no situation so bad that God cannot change it; there is no destiny so battered that God cannot recover it. God is in the business of second chances.

It doesn’t matter what has happened to you in the past or how negative your story has been, what matters is what God says about you, and God has the final say over your destiny. That is to say you can always retrace your steps and head in the right direction. You can recover from poverty, disease, disfavor, etc. You can recover from a life of mediocrity and low impact, and move forward. You can recover from broken relationships and hurts, and have a fresh start. No matter how long that situation may have lingered, you can always make a U-turn and head back on the path of destiny God has for you. Don’t let the past label you or condemn you to a life of running on the wrong track. You can make a comeback. You may not be able to undo the past, but you can change the present and the future with the Lord’s help. Jeremiah 29:11 says, God wants to give you “a future and a hope”, so allow God to heal your past and transform your life into something beautiful. He did it for Jacob, He did it for Jackie Robinson, He can also do it for you. Believe God for a miracle today and a change of story. Trust that God will indeed give you a second chance. His glory will surely be seen upon you. In the place of ashes God will give you beauty. And in the place of shame He will deck you with His glory. And for your troubles, He will indeed give you double in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Lord, I know You have so much in store for me, please enable me to meditate constantly on Your Word so that my heart can be filled with the faith I need for a supernatural change of story in Jesus Name.

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

John 3:32  ‘He that cometh from above is above all’.

DAILY READING Acts 17:1-15; Judges 6; Job 36

A star fish is an amazing creature. It has the tendency to multiply itself when cut up. If one of the arms of a starfish is severed, a new one will grow in its place. Anytime a starfish is cut up, any piece that contains a part of the central disc will develop into a new starfish. This phenomenon  was first discovered by some oyster fishermen who found that out, when their oyster beds became infested with starfish. The fishermen  cut up the starfish they caught and tossed the pieces back into the water. But to their dismay, they found that rather than destroying the starfish, they were actually helping them multiply. This can be likened to what happens to  children of God, when the enemy tries to cut them down. Instead of diminishing, persecution only helps Christians to thrive and grow. When Pharoah tried to destroy the children of Israel through oppression, the more he persecuted them the more they multiplied.

In Acts chapter 8, the church grew after the disciples were scattered from Jerusalem. Persecution sometimes is a necessary fodder for our growth as Christians. This is why the Bible tells us to count it all joy when we pass through fiery trials, because it is all working out  together for our good. By destiny we are created to be above and never beneath. Oil by nature is meant to ascend over water.

John 3:32 speaking about Jesus says  ‘He that cometh from above is above all’. And as He is, so are we in this world. By virtue of carrying the nature of Christ we are meant to be above too. We are seated with Christ in Heavenly places far above.  No matter how much anyone tries to put you down you will only keep coming up and rising higher, because by nature you belong  to the top. Being born of God we are destined to be always above. No matter how many times we may be pushed down we will only keep rising. What may look like a cutting down now is only pruning you so that you can grow bigger and better.

Though it may look as if you are being cut down now in your finances, health or relationships, know that when you are down to nothing God is up to something. Therefore do not give up, because when you endure  in the end you shall reap.

As  believers we are always to be the head and never the tail. So it doesn’t matter how people, situations or circumstances try to put you down, you will only keep rising. Do not be discouraged by what may look like a setback, it is only a set up for your glorious comeback. Through Christ you have all it takes to keep going forward. You can do all things through Christ that strengthens you. And Just like Christ, because you are from above, you will always be above all.

PRAYER: Lord, please give me the grace to keep rising despite how many times situations seem to bring me down. By Your Grace I shall always be the head and never the tail 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. – WORDBITE 222.

Thessalonians 5:18, ‘’In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’

DAILY READING – –  Acts 16:16-40; Judges 4-5; Job 35

Conrad Hilton was born on Christmas day of 1887. His father was a trader and the owner of a general store. At the age of 21, Conrad Hilton started working in his father’s store.. Following his father’s death in a car accident, he took charge of his father’s businesses, he made a successful career as an hotelier. But when  the Great Depression of 1929 that destroyed many businesses came, he was affected. Hilton was bankrupted and lost his hotels. He was in debt and had to sell many of his properties. He lost his hotels but was retained as manager. Imagining becoming an employee in the very hotel which you once owned, but he didn’t give up hope. He  resorted to praising God despite his situation. Eventually Hilton bought back his hotels and paid off his debts. And 1946, he formed the Hilton Hotels Corporation. In 1947, his company became the first hotel chain to be enlisted in the New York Stock Exchange. His business empire continued to grow as Hilton Hotels bought and built a number of hotels around in the world. At the time of his death, the Hilton Hotels chain had about 185 hotels in the United States and 75 in foreign countries.

Psalm 30: 5 says ‘For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’

Life is a learning process. No one ever succeeded who didn’t fail at one time or the other, But the key to rising and going higher is praise. No matter what you may be confronted with, always give God thanks in everything. When thanksgiving becomes your way of life, signs and wonders become your natural experience.

Thessalonians 5:18, says  ’In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’

Giving thanks to God in everything means constantly locating  issues of thanksgiving in all events of your life. And when thanksgiving becomes your way of life, you create a conducive atmosphere for His glory and Presence to constantly abide with you.

Psalm 22:3 says  ‘For God inhibitest the praises of His people’

Praise is God’s natural habitat … so, when praise becomes your way of life, you carry divine presence naturally and His glory will constantly surround you. If it is our desire to see God’s glory in our lives this year, we must commit to constantly praising Him.

Psalms 150:6 says ‘Let everything that has breath praise the LORD”. It is a command not an appeal. Many people are grounded because they take God for granted. Imagine if you are made to pay for each breath you take, do you think you can pay? Yet God gives breath freely to us. We have every cause to constantly praise God, because of His marvelous doings in our lives. We are alive today only because of  His grace. No matter how rough you may think things have been, if God allowed the devil, your story could have been worst, not forgetting the mission of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. So, your being alive today, is because God kept you, this is why we give Him thanks in all things. Indeed God deserves our praise for He had indeed done all things well.  It is the same flight you travel with that others fly and crash.It is the same sleep you sleep that so many sleep and never woke up.  Indeed it is because of The Lord’s doing that we have not  been consumed. This is why we owe Him praise.  And for us to see His glory manifest in our lives we must commit to praise Him at all times.  When you are addicted to giving God thanks, destiny opens to you on its own accord, His glory will surround you and signs and wonder will become natural to you.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for all You have been doing in my life. Please grant me the grace to always thank and praise You at all times, because You have indeed done  all things well for me.  May Your Name be glorified always in my life in Jesus Name.

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When you obey God’s instruction you are delivered from destruction [WORDBITE 222].

Mark 11:23 “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says.’

DAILY READING   Acts 16:1-15; Judges 2-3; Job 34–

The Great Chicago Fire  is the most destructive fire ever witnessed in America. From October 8 to October 10, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire burned out of control, quickly spreading far and wide across the city, destroying many homes and businesses.

The following morning after the fire, a group of merchants stood on the Street, looking at the smoking remains of what had been their stores. They went into a conference to decide if they would try to rebuild, or leave Chicago and start over in a more promising section of the country. Finally they reached a decision to leave Chicago, except for one man . While others decided to relocate to other cities, this one merchant decided to stay back and rebuild. His name was Marshall Fields. He pointed a finger at the remains of his store, and said to the other merchants, “Gentlemen, on that very spot I will build the world’s greatest store, no matter how many times it may burn down.” And this he eventually did.

Though the great Chicago Fire had left Marshall Field’s store in ashes, along with thousands of dollars in merchandise, despite the tremendous misfortune, he began reconstruction. At first he temporarily set up business in a large barn, there he operated until the store was built again in 1872. Business grew again, as Field offered a wide range of goods, many of them imported from Europe. Later, the company set up its own factories to make many of the items sold in the store. Going into the 1890s, Field dominated the department store business in Chicago. He introduced several policies copied by stores around the nation, such as free delivery and an easy return policy. Field helped popularize the idea that “the customer is always right.” The store became a tourist attraction for people who had never seen a department store with such splendor. By 1905, Marshall Field was the largest individual taxpayer in the United States. And he would eventually become the richest man in Chicago and one of the richest men in America.

It is amazing the power that are in words. Our words have creative power. When Marshal Field spoke those words despite the ruins that surrounded him, power was released for accomplishment. The truth is that when we declare something we are giving it the right to come to pass.

Mark 11:23 says “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says.’

Jesus said that you will have whatever you say. Therefore if we desire to see glory this year we must be mindful to speak right words. When you speak you are prophesying your future. You are the prophet over your life. Christ in you is the hope of glory and Christ is the Word of God. So it is the speaking forth of God’s word that will birth glory in our lives. Therefore in every situation let us only speak words that are in line with God’s promise of manifesting glory though us.

Revelation 12:11 lets us know we overcome by the words of our testimony. We will gain victory over every battle that comes our way this season by continually speaking the words of faith. Despite what comes your way keep declaring that you will see the glory of God. Words control your destiny. And we must realize that we are responsible for what happens to us because of the words we speak. To see glory you need to speak glory. When you speak you are calling forth those things that be not as if they were. And what you say is what you see. Nothing happens till you speak. With the heart man believes, but it is with the mouth that confession is made unto salvation. It is therefore not enough to just believe you will see glory, begin to declare it. When you speak angels go to work; favor begins to look for you, blessings seek you out, good breaks find you.  Truly the miracle is in your mouth. Therefore don’t be intimidated by how ruinous things may seem around you, you have the power within you to change things. It doesn’t matter where you may have been burned in the past, this is your year to see beauty for ashes. The more you speak the more things are taking shape around you, Be unwavering in your confession, it is only a matter of time before you see a manifestation. Keep declaring the glory of God in your life, because what you say is what you will eventually see.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to always speak right. In every situation please grant me the grace to always speak only that which is in line with Your Word. Surely I will see Your glory manifested in my life this year in Jesus Name. .

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ILLUMINATE YOUR WORLD FOR YOU ARE A STAR DESTINED TO SHINE. WORDBITE 222

Hebrew 12:2 ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’

• DAILY READING •          Acts 15:22-41; Judges 1; Job 33

The Welsh revival was the largest Christian revival in Wales during the 20th century. However, it happened because one man paid the price. During the spring of 1904 a young Welshman named Evan Roberts was repeatedly awakened at 1:00 a.m and would spend time with God in prayers until 5:00 a.m. Evan Roberts had a thirst for spiritual things from an early age. Having been converted as a young teenager, he prayed regularly that God’s glory would visit Wales, in Revival Power. He prayed continuously  for 11 years. He was away at a Bible school, when he felt led by The Spirit to return back home to begin preaching to his townspeople. On his return as he shared the Gospel, within two weeks, the glory of God came down and revival broke out, sweeping like a mighty fire through the land. Soon the Welsh Revival became national news! Meetings went on for many hours as people lost all sense of time, churches were so full, that overflow crowds gathered outside. Everywhere there was a new spirit of prayer and an urgency to preach the Gospel. The effects of the Revival were not confined to Wales. Reports were distributed internationally in newspaper and magazine reports as the Holy Spirit repeated what He had done in Wales from America to Australia and other parts of the world.

The glory of God came down in a mighty revival in Wales because someone ‘prayed’ the price. Nothing of value is free! If we are to see the manifestation of God’s glory, there is a price to pay.

Hebrew 12:2 says ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’

Jesus endured the cross, and paid the price because of the joy that was set before Him. It is true God has promised to unveil His glory through us, but we must be wiling to pay the required price for it. There has to be a preparation before we can see the manifestation. Glory comes from the Latin word gloria‟ which means fame or renown and is used to denote the manifestation of God‟s presence in a Christian‟s life. However, before God will manifest His glory, preparation must be made.  When God was about to reveal Himself to the children of Israel in Exodus 19, He gave them conditions of consecration. Glory has it’s root in consecration.   

Isaiah 40:4-5 says ‘Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’

To see God’s glory unveiled this year, there is a requirement for us to straighten every crookedness. For speedy delivery of the prophetic verdict in our lives, we must take spiritual responsibility.  Change of levels from glory to glory has been prophesied, but we have to pay the price to see it manifest. It is therefore time to begin to war a good warfare with the prophecy.

It is time to begin to release the Blood of Jesus against any besetting sin, weakness, or evil habit that may try to hinder our access to the prophesied glory. Let us come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain help to live a life wholly consecrated unto God throughout this year, so as to experience the full weight of glory He is set to unveil through us.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to be rightly positioned to see Your glory unveiled through me. Today I release the blood of Jesus against anything that will try to hinder me from seeing  Your glory manifested in my life in Jesus Name. .

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

Isaiah 40:5 ‘ ‘And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’

DAILY READING –  – Acts 15:1-21; Joshua 23-24; Job 32

January 1, each year was celebrated by black American slaves as the day of “The Great Jubilee;”. This was the day of their liberation from slavery.  On Jan 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation. It was a document which proclaimed freedom to slaves, especially in the South of America. At that time there was war between the North and the South. And it was as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war that President Lincoln declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”

The slaves on hearing the proclamation, knew a window of opportunity had been opened up to them and what happened next was up to them. They therefore risked all for freedom by abandoning their owners, arriving uninvited at Union army lines to join in the fight against slavery. These slaves offered themselves to serve as soldiers, laborers, guides spies etc. They knew their full freedom depended on Lincoln’s Union army winning the war and they did all they could to help ensure that. Over 200,000 black men served in the Union army in various capacities and in the end the union army did win and that brought an end to slavery in America. In the end no one was more responsible for smashing the shackles of slavery than the slaves themselves.

Isaiah 52:1-2 says Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city… Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.’

Indeed it is time for us to declare our jubilee and emancipation from every form of spiritual slavery. It is our season to be free from every shackle of shame and see God’s glory revealed. God has declared 2019 as our year to see His glory unveiled. And  today, by the blood of Jesus, we are stepping into this glorious season God has  preordained.

In Exodus 12, it was time for the Israelites to leave the shackles of slavery and walk into freedom. God used the blood of the lamb to separate them into their new season.  While the Egyptians wailed and cried because of the visitation of the angel of death, by the blood  of the lamb the Israelites were spared from the plague and separated into a season of glory and freedom from slavery.

Likewise, it doesn’t matter the gloom and doom that may be prevalent in the world, it is our season to see God’s glory unveiled. And today by the blood of Jesus we have been released from every shackle of shame into our season of glory.

Isaiah 40:5 says ‘And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’.

Indeed it is the season for the Glory of The Lord to be revealed in us. It is time for us to arise and shine, for our light has come and the Glory of The Lord is risen upon us. God has reserved and preserved 2019 as the year to unveil His Glory in us. It will therefore be a year of divine suddenlies and inexplicable blessings. Things will be happening at a pace and rate men cannot understand or explain, because we have stepped into a season of culmination of Heaven’s agenda and alignment of divine purpose..

And we have to be sensitive to line up with God’s preordained purpose so that we do not miss His divine appointments.  Indeed it is a ‘make or break’ year, it is a definitive and pivotal year that requires a great degree of spiritual sensitivity. It will be a year of divine shifts, liftings, promotions and  amazing victories. But only those who are sensitive in the spirit will flow with what God will be doing. This is why we must freshly commit to a higher degree of Consecration. It takes men of the spirit to hear the voice of The Spirit. We must therefore commit to a lifestyle of fervent prayers and diligent studying of God’s Word. The more we look into The Word, the more we will be changed from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of The Lord. We have indeed stepped into a new season of unending glory. And throughout 2019 the journey shall be to us from glory to glory to glory…

PRAYER: Lord, I sincerely thank You for enabling me to crossover into this brand new year. What a joy to finally come into this season of unending glory. By Your grace I will not miss any of the divine appointments You have ordained for me this year in Jesus Name. ..  

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

Psalm 65:11

Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

DAILY READING – Acts 14; Joshua 22; Job 31

The first marathon is said to have been run over 2,500 years ago, during the Battle of Marathon, which is one of the most significant battles in human history. When the Athenians won this battle, a soldier ran from the town of Marathon in ancient Greece, to Athens to bring to his people news of their victory. However the distance was so long that on arrival he could only say “We were victorious!” and then collapsed and died from exhaustion. The race ran by this soldier became the inspiration for the Marathon race, which was first introduced at the 1896 Modern Olympics. And ever since, yearly in Greece the marathon race has always been run from the town of Marathon to Athens, following the original route ran by the soldier who brought the news of victory to Athens. This race from Marathon to Athens, though  considered by many athletes as the ultimate race experience, is also perhaps the most difficult major marathon race in the world. The course which begins in the town of Marathon, features the toughest uphill climb of any major marathon and is a race often only won by expert athletes.

It was however a very big surprise to many when On April 6, 1969, an amateur runner won this tough race. The unlikely winner Bill Adcocks was a gas fitter with feeble knees and who instead of wearing proper running shoes, wore a flimsy plimsolls shoes for this race. It became amazing to many that he covered the fearsome Marathon-Athens race course in an astounding 2hr 11min 7sec. And his record would remain unbeaten for the next 35 years until 2004, when it was broken by a world class runner Stefano Baldini. It is indeed amazing how an amateur athlete could achieve a record that even professional athletes found difficult to break.

However in the race of 2018 that has been our story. We have been like that amateur athlete. At the beginning of this year none of us had  a full picture of what 2018 would be like, we were like amateurs running through the year’s calendar. And it has been a race through 365 days, 52 weeks, 12 months, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes and 31,536,000 seconds. But God saw us through every inch of this race. At each juncture, any number of things could have gone fatally wrong. But God guided us safely on this unfamiliar route.

Isaiah 41:1-2 says ‘Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.’

Indeed God has enabled us to pass safely through a year we had not gone through before. He gave us breakthroughs, open doors and made ways for us where there seemed to be no way. And now here we are at the end of this race about to cross over to the next year. And what can we say but give continual praise to this wonderful God.

We have survived not by power or might, but by the help of The Spirit of The Lord. Indeed if it had not been for The lord where would we be?

We are just a few hours from 2019 and the main way to spend these last hours of 2018, is in earnest praise and appreciation to God. Indeed God has done all things well for us. – Ecclesiastes 7:8 says Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: it doesn’t matter how 2018 started, today we declare it is ending on a good note for us. God has indeed crowned the year with good things, He has given us benefits that we will continue to reap even in coming years. And as we praise Him for a successful year we trust that God has also gone ahead of us into 2019 to make every crooked path straight in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Lord, I truly and deeply appreciate You for all You have done for me this year. If it has not been for You where would my family and I be? Father I am grateful. May all honor, worship and adoration be unto You alone, now and forever in Jesus Mighty Name.

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

Job 23:10-11 ‘But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.’

DAILY READING    – Acts 13:26-52; Joshua 20-21; Job 30

In 1945, when the Communists seized Romania and attempted to take control of the churches, Pastor Wurmbrand, an evangelical minister began an effective, vigorous “underground” ministry to oppressed believers as well as to the Russian soldiers occupying his country. He was arrested in 1948, along with his wife, Sabina, who was imprisoned as a slave-laborer for three years on the Danube Canal. Pastor Wurmbrand spent three years in solitary confinement, seeing no one but his Communist torturers. He was then transferred to a group cell, where the torture continued for five more years. Pastor Wurmbrand was eventually  released through a general amnesty in 1964. And when his wife was released,  again they resumed their ministry of preaching the Gospel, all over the world. Pastor Richard Wurmbrand had endured 14 years of Communist imprisonment and torture.  He is widely recognized today as one of the Romania’s  greatest Christian leaders, author and educator.

Job 23:10-11 says ‘But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.’

When men are brought under fire what is in them really shows up. Some people would do desperate things just to get out of the fire, but those who truly know their God will say to Nebuchadnezzar ‘we will not bow’. The truth is that adverse situations will either bring it out the best or the worst in you, depending on what is in there.

We may wonder how people like Pastor Wurmbrand and his wife could pass through such trials, and still stand for Christ without recanting their faith. Those who say ‘if I perish I perish,’ never really perish. They survive the fire, not only that, they come out with a great testimony. When you decide to stand your ground no matter the opposition, God sends help out of Zion. He will come as the fourth man to carry out a rescue operation. He will never let you burn.

The closer you get to your destiny the tougher the battles. But all that is a sign you are close to your miracle. Often times the battles of life come suddenly, with no room for preparation. At those times when you are confronted, it is what is already embedded in you that will show up, and it can make the difference between victory and defeat. This is why we ensure our heart is always loaded with The Word of God. When you have a consistent prayer and study life, there will be hidden  strength in you. This is what helps you not to compromise or bow no matter the temptations or troubles that come your way. God’s promise in Deuteronomy 31:6 says ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’

Indeed no matter what we may go through, God will never leave us nor forsake us. He is forever faithful and will always help us and give us the victory in the end.

And as we get ready to enter into 2019 we must prepare spiritually to be victorious.  As God promotes us to higher levels we will be required to pass through ‘examinations’ that will qualify us. We must therefore be prepared to overcome these tests that precede our testimonies. Have a daily habit of deeply studying the Bible and praying. Understand that as you do so you are building up strength that will show up for you, whenever opposition arises. And no matter what comes our way in the coming year we can always be sure of victory, because the faith that comes from the Word within us, is the victory that overcomes the world.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to be always spiritually prepared through spending time in Your Word and fervent prayers. In every situation, may Your reserve strength show up to enable me to overcome and have the victory always in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

When you make God your priority, God automatically makes you priority in His own plan. – WORDBITE 222.

Hebrews 12: 2

 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

• DAILY READING –  Acts 13:1-25; Joshua 18-19; Job 29

In 2010, during the Haiti earthquake a Sixteen-year-old Darlene Etienne was pulled from the rubble of her cousin’s home after 15 days of being trapped.  Darlene had been taking a shower when the earthquake hit and the walls collapsed around her, trapping her in a small space. She was entombed in crumbled concrete and twisted steel. In the wake of this earthquake that destroyed the sprawling city of Port-au-Prince, frantic family members and trained search teams had dug through the debris searching for survivors. But after two weeks they had largely given up hope of finding anyone else alive. Then on Jan. 27 — a staggering 15 days after the earthquake people heard Darlene’s faint voice, weakly calling for help through the debris. Soon, a French rescue team went to work digging her out before hundreds of stunned onlookers. Against all odds she survived in this tiny hole for 15 days. When the rescuers eventually brought her out,  she was weak, but very much alive. It was a miracle. Medical experts said there was hardly any chance of her survival. Yet despite her injuries and the prospect of dehydration after so many days without water or food, she still made it. When asked how she was able to stay alive, she said she held on to her faith in God, she believed she would survive.  Faith kept her alive even when the Haiti government had called off search and rescue 4 days earlier believing no one could still be alive under the rubble after so long.

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

Indeed all things are possible when you have the faith to believe. In every tight situation, as long as you can focus on God there is always a way out. He is the God of miracles and with Him nothing shall be impossible. Even if it seems you are shut in, as long as you can keep your focus on  God He will always create a way of escape.

What situation can be more desperate than that of the 3 Hebrew boys? They were already inside the fire, yet God appeared and carried out a rescue operation. Or what situation can be as hopeless as that of Lazarus, who had been in the grave for 4 days? But then, even in the grave, Jesus is still Lord. There is no problem, trouble, situation or circumstance facing you today that God cannot handle..

When we focus on the Word of God in the face of any challenge, our victory is sure. Our focus on The Word invokes the reality of God in our hearts.

And when God dominates your heart, you will talk and act like a man from another realm. When men talk impossibilities, you talk possibilities, because you know you serve the God to whom nothing is impossible.

The truth is that God is the only eternal reality. Other things are temporal. Problems only become real once the enemy is able to shift your focus from God, and get you to concentrate on them. And the law of concentration states that the more you think about something, the more it grows and becomes real in your mind. If you shift your focus from God’s Word and focus on problems, then those problems only grow bigger. What you focus on paints an inner picture in your heart. This is why we must keep our focus on Jesus.

Hebrew 12:2 says ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

As long as we can focus on Jesus we will be delivered in the midst of life’s storms.  it was only when Peter shifted his gaze from Jesus to look at the storm, that he began to sink. All the roaring of the storm was aimed at shifting his focus. Because the enemy is helpless against the end result, he fights the process by trying to shift your focus. Therefore in every situation keep your focus always upon Jesus. Keep looking to God’s Word. The more you focus on the Word, the more faith is imparted into your heart. And when you have faith, then you have the victory that overcomes the world.

PRAYER: Lord, I know with you nothing shall be impossible. Please help me to always focus on your Word so that I can possess the faith I need to achieve the impossible in Jesus Name.  

 quote

 It is only when you can see God in the light of who He truly is that you can begin to walk in the overflow of His blessings.

– WORDBITE 222.