HORM Devotional

2 Chronicles 20:17 KJV

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; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

DAILY READING –Hebrews 13; Exodus 18:1-19:25; Proverbs 8

The battle of ammunition hill took place during Israel’s six day war in 1967. It was arguably the most furious battle of the Six Day War. Ammunition Hill was an extremely fortified Jordanian military post. Israel initial plan was to use airstrike and bombard the hill, but when they learnt there were civilian dwellings nearby, the Israeli army opted for a ground attack, using paratroopers, to minimize the risk of civilian casualties. However, when the Israeli forces got there, they realized they had been given incorrect intelligence report suggesting the hill was being defended by a single Jordanian platoon. They didn’t know there were numerous underground bunkers throughout Ammunition Hill, hiding many Jordanian soldiers. The incorrect information, had led Israel to send only a third of the needed amount of soldiers for this battle. Ordinarily, this is the kind of serious mistake that should have made them lose the battle and possibly the war. But despite this misinformation, which led to being grossly outnumbered by their enemies, Israeli soldiers still fought courageously. And miraculously they won this battle in the incredible time of just four hours! The winning of this battle is accounted as one of the most glaring miracles of the six day. Today, ammunition Hill is currently a national memorial site in Israel.

Indeed God is not limited in how He will save. He can save by few or many. When God arises for your help, no matter how greater your enemies may appear, your victory will be assured.

Deuteronomy 28:7 says ‘The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.’

Do not limit how God can fight for you. He can raise help for you when you least expect it. Just stay in God’s will and He will take care of the oppositions against you. God says in Isaiah 54:15 ‘Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.’ Then He goes further on to say that this is your heritage as a servant of The Lord.

In 2 Chronicles 20, God made the enemies of king Jehoshaphat to fight against  each other, until they were all destroyed.

Indeed, when God arises for you, all your enemies will be scattered. He will turn your little efforts into a wonder that will cause the world to ponder. And one of the key ways we engage God to fight for us is through praise. Praise is what triggers the intervention of the Omnipotent God. Just like Jehoshaphat did in 2 Chronicles 20, when you also begin to sing and praise God, He sets ambushment against your enemies. Praise is God’s hotline anytime! You can pray amiss, but you can never praise amiss! It is therefore time to hand over the battle to God.

And when God steps in, every devil bows out. Today as you praise God, He will  arise in your favour, and surely the victory will be yours in every battle in Jesus Name. .

PRAYER; Lord, Please  help me to hand over my battles to You through maintaining a praise-full lifestyle. Thank You Lord for causing me to triumph always in Jesus Name. .

 quote

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

 [CULLED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

• DAILY READING –  Hebrews 12; Exodus 16:1-17:16; Proverbs 7:6-27

The Moravian brethren were a group of firebrand believers who lived in Germany in the 18^th century. Among these brethren were two young men named Johann Leonhard Dober and David Nitschmann, who burned with zeal for the Gospel. In 1732, these two young Moravian Brethren, felt called to minister to the African slaves on the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix in the West Indies. But when they proposed to travel to these slave islands and preach among the slaves, they were stopped from doing so by the German government.  These missionaries even offered to become slaves themselves, if it was the only way to reach the African slaves and preach to them. But they were still refused to do so. Still seeking passage to the slave islands, they traveled to Denmark, but there also, their plan met with strong opposition. However after some difficulty, the missionaries finally found support from the Danish Queen and her court. And although the Danish West Indian Company refused to grant them passage, a ship was eventually procured. Leaving Copenhagen on Oct 8, 1732, they arrived the slave island of St. Thomas two months later on December 13. While in the St. Thomas, they lived frugally and preached to the slaves. Their mission was successful and they were able to win souls and establish Christian fellowship among the slaves. After two years they both returned to Germany, but other Moravian missionaries took their place and continued the work for fifty years afterward, establishing churches on St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John’s, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbados, and St. Kitts. These Moravian missionaries baptized 13,000 converts before any other missionaries arrived on the scene. 

Philippians 3:13-14 says ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, .. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Despite the oppositions they faced, these two Monrovian brethren pressed forward till they attained their goals.  Truly, when we love God we must be willing to pay the price of obeying Him at all costs. People may reject us, ridicule us, and despise us for our faith. Yet, seeking God’s will has to be our first priority. And you cannot make God first, and become the last. It is the place of God in your heart that will determine your placing upon the earth. If you will let Him get the throne of your heart, then He will secure a throne for you on the earth.

Seeking to do God’s will must be our priority. And in our quest, we must be willing to pay the price of persistence and resilience. Don’t be intimidated by the challenges that try to resist you when you are following God’s will. Often times, giants are the first sign that you are on the road to your Canaan. But in spite of the oppositions, keep pressing forward. never give up. Persist in prayer, be filled with The Word, remain full of praise. Do not be weary for there is a coming a due season for your reaping.

Progress in life calls for a pressing, for every prize demands a press. God has great things in store for us, but we must be willing to press in to where they are. There are mighty manifestations of power and glory, there are miracles signs and wonders.  But you must pay the price of persistence, if you are to see the glory manifested. Pressing forward may be hard, but that’s what makes you stronger. You may get knocked down, but you have to keep getting back up and going forward. Do not let bad breaks, rejections and betrayal cause you to be bitter and become grounded. Rather, trust God to turn your mourning into dancing and give you beauty for ashes. And if you keep pressing forward, one day you will look back and see how each setback played into God’s master plan for your life. Truly, when you put your trust in God, you shall never be ashamed, for He will cause all things to work  out together for your good.  

PRAYER: Father  Please grant me the needed strength to keep pressing forward no matter how hard the journey may seem sometimes. Thank You Lord, for giving me the boldness and tenacity to move forward and upward with You in Jesus name.

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

1 John 1:7  ‘But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.’

DAILY READING     Hebrews 11:23-40; Exodus 15; Proverbs 6:1-7:5

Horse racing, is a multi-billion dollar industry,. And in this industry, there is a special breed of horses mostly used for the races, they are called thoroughbreds.  Thoroughbreds horses are the most valuable breed of horses in the world. They were developed in 18th century in the United Kingdom, when English female horses were bred with mostly Arabian male horses to create horses with great stamina for distance racing.

The total number of thoroughbred horses in the world today are about half a million. However the amazing thing is that recently scientists at Trinity College, Dublin, discovered that the strength and stamina found in these half a million thoroughbreds were passed on to them from just one horse. This horse, which was born in 1700 was called the Darley Arabian. It was an amazing horse full of speed and stamina. Scientists have found the DNA of the Darley Arabian in almost all of today’s winning thoroughbred racehorses.

DNA is a nucleic acid that carries the genetic information in every cell. According to its pattern and structure, the DNA produces after its kind. A DNA match proves that two people are scientifically related. Out of the billions of people on Earth, the chances of your DNA matching someone who’s not your family is almost impossible.

When we get born again we are adopted into God’s family and because, we are members of His family we now have His DNA. It means the nature of God is passed into us., and the power of Christ now resides in us. As He is, so are we in this world.  And whatever cannot be found in His blood cannot be found in us.

2 Cor:5:17 says ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” .

The old things that have passed away include sin, sickness, poverty, ill favor and every contrary thing. Through Christ’s life and blood we have received a new nature of strength and power.  Through salvation, we have entered into a new spiritual bloodline and now carry the spiritual DNA of God. We now belong to a kingly bloodline, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. This means you are no longer ordinary. You are no longer meant to suffer what other men suffer. Therefore anything contrary cannot have a hold on you. Anything not originally in your divine DNA has no place in your life.

1 John 1:7 says ‘But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.’

The Blood of Jesus cleanses us of sin and also removes from us everything contrary to God’s will for us. The Blood of Jesus speaks both blessings and judgement. We receive the blessings and release the judgement. Therefore today begin to release the judgement of the blood against everything resisting you. Whatever your Heavenly Father has not planted in your life must be uprooted.

Because we carry the DNA of God, we are expected to succeed in life. Winning is in our blood. By the power of God at work in you, there is nothing you cannot do. There’s nothing too much for you. You can overcome failure. You can overcome sin and live in holiness. Success is in your blood. Power is in your DNA, and when you are born of God, truly you are born to overcome.

PRAYER: Father I thank You for making me to be a partaker of Your divine bloodline. Indeed through Christ I am an overcomer, surely  by the Blood, I am more than a conqueror 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

Romans 2:13

Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

DAILY READING      Hebrews 11:1-22; Exodus 13:1-14:31; Proverbs 5

‘The king and I’ is a very popular movie based on the real life story of an English school teacher named Ann Leonowens. In 1862, the Siamese King Mongkut, needed a teacher who would teach western education to his 39 wives and concubines and 82 children. Ann Leonowens took the job and traveled to Thailand. But on getting there she found many repressive laws, such as slavery, under which the people suffered. Ann, being just a hired teacher could not immediately change the laws of the land.  But she found a way to make a difference. Through passionately teaching the king’s children the right ways to follow in life, she was able to affect the crown prince.

When  eventually the king died, and his son, the crown prince became king, he brought many positive reforms into the kingdom, mainly due to the influence the teachings of Ann Leonowens. This way, Ann indirectly was able to make a big difference in the Siamese nation.

The truth is that God often positions in places where we can make a difference if only we can play our roles when required.

D.L Moody as a young boy was attending Sunday school but did not understand the Gospel. However, one day, his Sunday school teacher went the extra mile to visit young moody at the shoe store factory where he worked and carefully explained to him the Gospel. And on that day Moody gave his life to Christ. Moody would go on to become one of the greatest evangelists who ever lived and through his ministry many other great ministries where birthed,

No one may hear the name of Moody’s Sunday school teacher, but he played a crucial role in the birthing of the great ministry God intended through moody. As part of the body of Christ, each of us has a vital role to play. You may not be a great preacher or great evangelist, but you can make a crucial difference when you play your role well. When you decide to do the very best you can with what you have, you can make a big difference in the world around you.

Many times people wait for big breaks, but big breaks may never come except you start first with the small steps. When you are faithful in a little you will also be faithful in much. Doing the best you can right where you are now puts you in the best position for that big break. When you decide to simply reflect the love of Christ to all who come your way, you will make a huge difference. A seed of a smile, an uplifting word, a kindness, can make a big difference in the life of someone who is feeling discouraged. It may seem a small thing to do, but you may never know the extent to which that little seed may grow. When we decide to do our best in whatever role God has called us, we will surely make a difference wherever we go in life.

PRAYER: Lord, I know that when I am impacted by You, I will be empowered to impact people positively. Therefore please help me to adhere daily to Your Word, so that I can walk in Your ways in Jesus Name. .  

quote

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

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Isaiah 45 :2

I will go before you and make the crooked places straight, I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron and I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I The Lord which call thee by name, Am The God of Israel. ’

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

By the end of 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps was rated the most decorated Olympian of all time. He has earned 28 Olympic Medals; 23 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze. However, just four years earlier, at the 2012 London Olympics, Michael Phelps had announced his retirement due to the frustrations surrounding his life. At that period Phelps had felt so empty, he  had wanted to end his life. Bad news seemed to trail him everywhere. He was arrested on several occasions for driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding. On more than one occasion, he was suspended by USA Swimming. In the aftermath of all these, he became so depressed, he cut himself off from family and loved ones. He decided the world would be better off without him and thought about killing himself.

In a later interview with ESPN sports magazine, speaking of that period, Phelps said ‘I was a train wreck. I was like a time bomb, waiting to go off. I had no self-esteem, no self-worth. There were times when I didn’t want to be here. I felt lost.’

But at this low-point of his life, God sent him help in the form of former All Pro linebacker Ray Lewis, who is a Christian. Lewis, convinced Phelps to enter rehab and helped him turn his life around. With the help of Lewis, Phelps turned to God and received new faith in Christ. His life was totally changed as he realized God still has a purpose for him on the earth. And at the Rio Olympics in 2016, Phelps made a glorious comeback. Though just few years earlier it seemed his best days were over, things turned around for him. Phelps not only carried the American flag during the opening ceremonies of the Rio Olympics, he went ahead to burnish his already stellar Olympic career.

Indeed Michael Phelps’ story is a reminder to us that success without God is never true success. The journey of life is filled with twists and turns. On the road are giants and oppositions of all kinds. And no matter how carefully you plan, surprises can still await you. You can follow success principles, work hard and make all the right moves and yet things still happen unexpectedly that can throw you off balance. This is why we need God’s help. He alone can lead us out of the pitfalls that constantly confront men on the path of life.

In Isaiah 45:2, God says ‘I will go before you and make the crooked places straight, I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron and I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I The Lord which call thee by name, Am The God of Israel. ’

The gates of brass and bars of iron, talk about oppositions, both spiritual and physical, that resist men’s progress. But God says He will go ahead of us and take care of these things, so that the journey becomes easy. A man depending only on his own strength will have to fight his battles alone without God’s help. And the grief, anxiety, discontent and pain often encountered in this struggle can eventually lead to a mental breakdown. This was what happened to Michael Phelps.

Indeed life without Christ is crisis. We can’t make it in life without God’s help. No matter how gifted a man is, he will always have to make a call at every crossroad, for a definite step out of every crisis. Jesus rightly said,  without Him we can do nothing.  But we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Indeed by strength shall no man prevail.  It is the blessing of God that makes rich, not the smartness of man. And it is only when we give God His place, that we are qualified for our own place. Indeed when we first seek God and His kingdom, then all other things, including success, are added unto us.

PRAYER: Father please grant me the wisdom to walk on the path to true success in life. Give me the grace to seek your kingdom first so that every other thing can be added unto me in Jesus Name.

quote :

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

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ESTABLISHED BY THE WORD]

Ps 92:12

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

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

 There is a wonderful lesson for us to learn from the way an eagle approaches a storm. Did you know that an eagle can detect when a storm is approaching long before it breaks? It will actually fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm.

Isn’t that remarkable? While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above. It does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm. What an extraordinary way to deal with adversity!

God is preparing a people for His glory, a mighty army on the face of the earth. They are a strong race, people who will not bow to any opposition. Whatever they face, they will take the licking and still keep ticking.

When the storms of life come upon us, we, too, can rise above them. We can lift ourselves above adversity by setting our minds and our hearts toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us any more than they overcome the eagle. We can allow God’s power to lift us above them.

Furthermore, the storms (or trials) of life can actually help us in our walk of faith. This is because they build something in us that will be a part of our lives forever. Notice what Paul wrote to the congregation at Corinth. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Here is something to think about. When the eagle flies above the storm, he is in a sense overcoming it. But he does so in a most interesting way. He uses the strength of the storm to rise above it.

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to soar in the storm

Storms make people stronger and never last forever. No matter the kind of storms that come your way, know that you are undefeatable. You have what it takes to rise above the storm and soar free above. As part of the army God is raising in this end-time, understand that your case is different. You are built to last. So no matter what you are facing now, understand the stronger one lives in you, and because He lives, you shall live also. Keep your root grounded in the Word of God, and you will only grow stronger as the storm rages.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to stand strong despite the fierce winds of oppositions. I thank you for the grace to always rise stronger and better. 

quote

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.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Psalm 71:7

‘I am a wonder unto many but though art my strong refuge’.

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

Sequoia trees are known to be massive. It is one of the world’s largest and most enduring trees. It can grow to 300 feet in height, weigh over 2.5 million pounds, and live for about 3,000 years. Its longevity is also due to its twelve to fourteen-foot-deep matting of roots, spreading over as much as an acre of earth. Such complex root system keeps the sequoia tree firmly grounded and stable. The tree’s extensive root system anchors it against storm conditions and allows it to absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Also the root system of this majestic tree is what is responsible for its towering height and astonishing weight.

In the same way, the deeper our spiritual roots are in God, the greater the heights we can attain in life.  In our lives and ministry, we must have a hidden season of developing deep spiritual roots. This hidden season of spiritual preparation must precede a period of visibility or outward prominence. Before attaining great heights there are seasons of preparation when we first develop intimacy with God. In the life of David for instance, we saw how God first prepared him in a hidden season before taking him to greatness.  It was in the bush, in a time of prayerful devotion, a season of serving unseen and unknown, that God prepared David for the throne. In this place God expanded his root system.

When David defeated Goliath many thought he was an overnight success, but nobody saw the lonely years in the shepherd’s fields where he prepared by fighting the bears and lions. In that hidden season of his life, he learned to trust God and make God his strong refuge. Indeed preparation is the mother of manifestation. God first prepares us before He presents us to our world. The season of preparation, is a hidden season of life, where it may seem you are alone fighting the bears and the lions. But God is using the things you are passing through to develop your spiritual muscles, and an unshakeable faith in Him.

Some of the challenges you have had to deal with may actually be God’s way of training you for where you are going. Before you can ascend the throne God has for you, you must first pass through processes that prepare you and cause you to become totally dependent on God.

They say an exclamation mark is only a question mark straightened out. Men may exclaim and wonder at you when you finally ascend the throne, but then they didn’t see the hidden places of preparation where God trained you.

Our seasons of preparation will involve times of separation spent in prayer, fasting and studying The Word.  A hidden season of spiritual establishment and preparation is crucial to our outward manifestation,. Just as the root precedes the tree’s outward growth, things are first established spiritually before they manifest physically. That is God’s order of things. Therefore let us learn to patiently release ourselves to God in the place of training and preparation for the great heights He has ordained for us.

PRAYER: Lord, I submit myself, my plans and everything about my life to your perfect will. Lord  have your way in my life, and  please  grant  me the grace to always submit to you, so as to  be prepared when Your foreordained season for me comes, in Jesus Name.

quote

Everything that ultimately  has a glorious ending usually has a humble beginning.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Isaiah 54:1

Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.

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

The first settlers and founding fathers of America, were a group of pilgrims who wanted to start a new life.

In the 1500s England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and created a new church called the Church of England. Everyone in England had to belong to the church.  Some group of 102 pilgrims, not wanting to adhere, preferring to practice religious freedom decided to leave England and start a settlement of their own.  So the Pilgrims set sail on a ship called the Mayflower in September 1620.  Their destination was new area of lands discovered by Columbus in 1492 called the New World. Here they hoped to start a new life and serve God freely without interference. Their journey was filled with uncertainty and peril. But after two months of braving the harsh elements of a vast storm-tossed sea, they arrived in Massachusetts . After a prayer service, the Pilgrims began building hasty shelters. However, they were unprepared for the harsh New England winter. As a result, half of them, about 50, died from sickness and starvation. Although their hearts were still heavy from these losses, they remained grateful and thankful to God.

The first thanksgiving was held by these pilgrims, in a show of gratitude to God for the bountiful harvest God gave them. They called together their Indian neighbours, and spent 3 days in celebration praising God. And year after year it became a tradition to set apart a particular day of praising God for His faithfulness. And God showed these pilgrims many miracles to prove He was with them. When they lost 50 members of their community but yet chose to remain grateful, God multiplied that little group into the great American nation that exists today. And ever since then, the thanksgiving event has become entrenched in the American tradition. Usually the last thursday in November was set aside for this celebration and in 1941, the American Congress permanently established the fourth Thursday of each November as a national holiday.

There was no way those pilgrims could have seen the greatness of the future generation, but when they gave thanks to God despite their loss, God brought amazing multiplication.

Philippians 4:6,7 exhorts us to “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God…shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

It doesn’t matter what you think you may have lost, when you thank God for what is left he will surely multiply it beyond your wildest expectation.

To feed five thousand men, Jesus had just five loaves and two fishes, but when He lifted up the little that was available in thanksgiving to God,  great multiplication came.

A wise man said if you have lost anything God is the reason why you have not lost everything. So let’s thank God for what is available. When you thank God for His finger, He will unveil His arm to you. Thanksgiving is a multiplier. Do not let any situation rob you of your thanksgiving. When the one leper came back to thank Jesus, his healing was perfected.

In everything we give thanks, trusting that God is working out everything for our good.

Ephesians 5:20 says  “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”.

We do not look at what is happening we look at what is written.

Stay strong in faith and never allow the happenings around you to tamper with your joy. Praise God even in the storm. If you can do the ridiculous, surely, you will see the miraculous.

Like the American pilgrims do not look at what you may have lost, rather bless God for what you still have, and as you do, He will multiply the remnant beyond your wildest imaginations. Indeed He is too faithful to fail!

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to praise you despite any situation, let nothing ever stop the continual flow of your praise from my mouth. You are forever faithful and I know that indeed all things are working out together for my good in Jesus Name.   

quote

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

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK REJOICE]

Proverbs 8:33-34  ‘Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.’

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

On 28 January 1986, millions of people around the world watched live coverage of NASA’s space shuttle launch. However to the dismay of all, barely one minute after takeoff, the Challenger space shuttle exploded in midair, killing all seven astronauts on board. It was one of the most profoundly shocking events in American history.

Perhaps what was most painful was that, it was a disaster which could have been easily averted if only the NASA engineers had heeded the warnings of the experts. The flight had been delayed for several days due to freezing weather. After the long delay, the Challenger was set to take off on the morning of January 28, 1986. It was a cold morning and much of the shuttle was covered with ice. Some scientists, knowing the likely risk the Challenger shuttle may face in such cold weather, had warned the engineers against the launch. The reason for their worry was because of a small part of the rocket called the O-ring, which circles the rocket booster to seal the gasses inside. The fear was that due to the cold weather, the seal would fail during launch; leading to gas leakage that could cause an explosion. However, because the space shuttle had previously been on 9 successful  missions, the engineers felt certain that nothing could go wrong on this mission.

By 11:00 a.m the countdown to lift-off began, and at 11:39 a.m, the Challenger took off. At first, everything seemed fine. The Challenger launched into the sky and was gaining speed. But suddenly, at 50,800 feet, there was an explosion and the Challenger broke apart in flight, killing all 7 astronauts on board. When the disaster was investigated by a commission appointed by President Ronald Reagan, they discovered that just like the experts had warned, the “O-ring” seal on the rocket booster had failed, largely due to the cold temperatures, leading to the disaster.

Proverbs 8:33-34 says ‘Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.’

The truth is that anyone who refuses the spiritual responsibility of obeying God’s Word is living carelessly. Anything can happen at anytime. People who refuse to take heed to God’s instructions are often caught unprepared by life’s sudden storms.  But such could have been avoided if only they took time  daily to pray and hear God’s instructions. Gods Word is our rescue lifeline out of every destruction. His teachings are our bailout agents from the crisis of life. It is through heeding His instructions that we escape the devastation and frustrations of life.  You can’t fall standing on God’s Word. And when you truly stand on God’s Word, you must stand out on the earth. Indeed to know greatness, you must know guidance.

Those who will overcome in this perilious season of the end times, are those  who constantly study God’s Word and vigilantly watch in prayer,to hear and heed His instructions.    

Laziness to study scriptures makes men victims of life’s calamities.  Mathew 13:25 says it was while men that the  enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. In other words, spiritual slumber will put a man  in a  constant state of spiritual emergency.

You can’t be too busy to hear from Heaven. God is trying to get your attention, take the time to listen to Him. There is a way that seems right to men but the end thereof is death. Not every open door is from God, some are traps in disguise. But you can’t know the difference until you hear from Heaven.  Jesus Himself set the pattern of victory for us  during  His earthly ministry,  by  often spending time in fellowship with The Father, to hear and heed His instructions.  May we therefore receive the  grace today to constantly spend time in prayer and study of God’s Word, so as to hear and heed His instructions that delivers from destruction.   

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to commit my life to following Your every instruction. Please destroy every root of disobedience in me and enable me to always go the way of Scriptures in every situation in Jesus Name.. 

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The price you pay to discover anything in God’s word is nothing ever to be compared to the prize of the discovery. – WORDBITE 222

Exodus 12:23

‘For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.’

• DAILY READING –  – Hebrews 6:13-20; Exodus 1:1-2:25; Psalm 40

Oscar Cervantes, who is well known for his prison ministry,  is a dramatic example of Christ’s power to transform lives. As a child, Oscar began to get into trouble. Then as he got older, he became worse, he was jailed 17 times for brutal crimes. Prison psychiatrists said he was beyond help. His case was seen as hopeless. But they were wrong! During a brief interval of freedom, Oscar met an elderly man who told him about Jesus. From that moment, an amazing transformation occurred in Oscar’s life. Oscar placed his trust in The Lord and his life became changed dramatically; from a hardened criminal, he was changed into a kind, caring man. Shortly afterward he started a prison ministry. Prison inmates would come to hear Oscar and sit intently for over 2 hours listening to the Gospel as he preached. God used Oscar to affect many lives for Christ. Hardened criminals were transformed through his ministry. Indeed his life became a living testimony of God’s power to alter lives positively.

Indeed it is amazing the transformation that the power in the blood of Jesus can bring. The yoke of a criminal lifestyle was broken in Oscar’s life by the power in the blood. What professional psychiatrists had failed to do for Oscar in years of counseling, was achieved by the power in the blood of Jesus instantly.  He was set free from every captivity  and became a transformed man.

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.’

There is no pit so deep, that the blood cannot reach in and pull a man out of it. There is no yoke so strong that the blood of Jesus cannot break. There is no bondage so thick that the blood cannot destroy. The blood is able to destroy any form of captivity in your life. Every evil habit, every secret sin, every addiction, every bondage that the enemy has tried to ensnare you with, can be broken off instantly by the power of the blood of Jesus. The Bible records that after the mystery of the blood was applied in Egypt, the siege of captivity over the Israelites was broken. Any battle the enemy has arraigned against you, can be won today through the invocation of the blood.

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

The Blood of Jesus is the Covenant that redeemed us from the curse of the law to enjoy the blessings of grace. Therefore, look around you today, what is that stubborn pharaoh still trying to hold you in bondage? It is time to invoke the blood against him.  By the power in the blood, you can break the yoke of captivity. No matter how long you may have been held back in any bondage, today is your day of freedom. Indeed by the blood, your deliverance is secured permanently in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the  yoke breaking power in the blood of Jesus.  Indeed today by the power in the blood, every bondage and captivity is destroyed in my life forever!  I have victory over everything contesting my glorious destiny in Jesus Name.

Quote;

It’s never over in your life until you win.  God is still in control of your life.

WORDBITE 222.