HORM Devotional

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 -John 4:43-54; 1 Chronicles 17; Zechariah6

In his book, ‘The Precious Blood of Jesus’ Kenneth E. Hagin tells the following story; He said when he first came into Full Gospel circles, he found they were always talking about “pleading the blood,” but he didn’t know what they were talking about. Then he noticed that the full Gospel people who were pleading the blood were getting results to their prayers. So he began to examine the Scriptures on the subject. He said his understanding was really strengthened when one day, he read a testimony published in a Full Gospel periodical. The testimony was by a woman missionary who had encountered a miracle by pleading the blood. She said she had been left behind in a native village to take care of the church while the other missionaries were away. She had gone to the main part of that village and was examining some goods when a scorpion stung her. She was out on the street when it fastened itself to her hand, so many of the people saw what happened. She said, “I just shook it off and said, ‘In the Name of Jesus, I plead the blood!'”

The missionary noticed that everyone was watching her, waiting for her to die, because no one had ever survived the sting of that kind of scorpion. There was no antidote for it, either. But the missionary just went her way, walking back toward the little mission church. The whole village followed, still waiting for her to fall over dead. But nothing happened. She went inside the church, and the villagers thronged after her. In fact, they couldn’t all fit into the church. Since the church was full, the missionary decided to hold a service, even though it was the middle of the afternoon. She was never affected by the scorpion’s sting. She said, “In the Name of Jesus, I plead the blood against this!”  And by pleading the blood, her life was preserved. 

Kenneth Hagin said from then on he too began to use the term ‘pleading the blood’, and saw amazing miracles in his life as a result.

“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. 

Our battles in life are essentially spiritual and we need the mysteries of scriptures, to overcome life’s miseries. Often times there are unseen forces behind the bondages people suffer.   

During Israel’s bondage in Egypt, outwardly Pharaoh seemed to be the captor. However in reality the Israelites were held captive by the gods of Egypt. 

In Exodus 12:12 God said ‘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.’

It was against the gods of Egypt that God executed judgment, because those were the real forces behind the bondage of Israel. In the same way, God needs to execute judgment against the hidden forces behind every oppression in your life. At  the instance of the Blood, everything holding you captive must let go. 

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

It is by the blood of the covenant that you are delivered from every pit of life. Nothing can stand against the power of the blood! Indeed the Blood of Jesus is an unbeatable weapon in the battles of life. And as you begin to engage this Kingdom mystery today, God will set you free from every captivity, as He did for the Israelites. Indeed there’s deliverance in the blood. There is power in the blood. There’s protection in the blood.  So, start pleading the blood of Jesus in your life 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. … 
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 SUPERNATURAL LOVE OF GOD] 

Isaiah 43:2 
‘I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:’

DAILY READING – John 4:27-42; 1 Chronicles 16:7-43; Zechariah5

•

•

Dr. David Livingstone, is one of the best-known missionaries of the 19th century. As a missionary to Africa his work was that of a pioneer, blazing the way, for others to follow. Though he was a thousand miles from the frontiers of civilization, and the darkness and loneliness were indeed depressing; the zeal to keep going forward and open up paths for the Gospel, throbbed in the missionary’s heart.  Nothing would stop him.  Sometimes the journey was so difficult, that Dr. Livingstone with his men tramped through swamps till “with hands all raw and bloody,” and trousers torn, they emerged from the jungle.  

In November, 1853, he embarked on a great journey, to blaze a path through the heart of the jungle to the sea. From Linyanti, on the Zambesi, he spent seven months of untold hardship, until he reached St. Paul de Loanda, on the west coast. Twenty-seven men accompanied him on this journey. Dr. Livingstone was greatly reduced by fever, from which he suffered thirty-one attacks on this journey. Sometimes so difficult was the way that even the men travelling with him, became disheartened, and wanted to return home. However God continually intervened and guided them, until finally on May 31, 1854, they broke through the jungle and arrived their destination, at Loanda. The mighty task had been accomplished; a trail had been blazed through the impenetrable jungle. From then on the path Dr. Livingstone had blazed would be run by thousands of other feet to bring the Gospel and civilization to the African interiors. When the news of his  great accomplishment reached England, the Royal Geographical Society voted Livingstone a gold medal — their highest honor. Yet despite these accomplishment, Dr. Livingstone never rested on his oars, but kept pressing forward on his assignment to spread the Gospel. He is quoted to have said “”Death alone will put a stop to my efforts! Nothing earthly will make me give up my work in despair.  I encourage myself in the Lord, my God, and go forward”  He kept pressing forward until April 30, 1873 when he died while praying on his knees by his bed at Chitambo in present day Northern Zambia. According to Dr. David’s wishes, his heart was buried under a tree in Africa, and his body sent home to be buried in England.

In Acts 20:24 Paul said ‘But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God’.
Obstacles or resistance to our progress should never discourage us. Regardless of what comes your way, you must press forward in your assignment. Do not let your situation or circumstances limit or stop you. 

Whenever you are faced with a challenge, trust God and know that it is only a phase. It too shall pass. Every problem, they say, has an expiry date. Life is in times and seasons. This is why no matter what comes your way, you must keep going forward. Nothing should hinder or stop your forward movement. Obstacles are part of the road map on the path of destiny. 

If you want to live your life with your potential maximized to the fullest, you must press on in your assignment. Even if everything seems to be rising up against you, keep going forward. Always remember, that your destiny is greater than your disaster. And never forget that when God sends you, He goes with you. Therefore you are never alone.   

God said in Isaiah 43:2 ‘I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:’

God is your way maker. He will go ahead of you to destroy the barriers to your progress. The work God began in you He will finish. What God started in you He will complete!

The truth is, your Greatest Days Are Ahead. The path of the just shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. Therefore there is a brighter future ahead for you. Indeed there are greater things awaiting you. You have not reached your full potential yet. To fulfill destiny we must despise present challenges and keep our eyes on Jesus. 

Hebrews 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.”

There is a joy set before you. There is light at the end of the tunnel, there is victory ahead. Therefore never give up. Keep pressing forward until you arrive at your preordained place of victory.  

PRAYER: Father please enable me to keep going forward despite any challenge I may face. Help me to always see that You are with me and indeed You can do exceedingly abundantly above all I could ever ask or imagine in Jesus Name. 
QUOTE : 

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

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS

1 John 4:4 
‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’

•

• DAILY READING  John 4:1-26; 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:6; Zechariah4
Something amazing was noticed in the aftermath of the Indonesian Tsunami.

In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude undersea earthquake, which became the third largest tremor ever recorded, caused a devastating tsunami that killed about 230,000 people across fourteen coastal countries. However, in the aftermath, rescuers noted a conspicuous absence of animal casualties. Whilst human casualties numbered in hundreds of thousands, many News outlets were baffled by the fact that there were hardly any animal casualties. Somehow it seemed that many animals had received prior warning which caused them to flee to higher grounds and thus escaped the tsunami. 

The Indo-Asian News service reported that buffaloes, goats and dogs were found unharmed, and that flamingoes that used to breed at that time of the year, flew to higher ground beforehand. Elephants giving rides to tourists began trumpeting before the tsunami struck, which was something they had never done before. Monkeys in the zoo, refused to take bananas from tourists, which was quite surprising; rather the monkeys kept staring up in a confused mode as if they were reacting to something .

The president of the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society said that about an hour before the tsunami hit, people observed elephants running away from the beach, people saw bats flying away just before disaster struck. Others said dogs refused to go for their daily run on the beach.

However scientists explained the baffling phenomena by saying these animals escaped because they had keener senses and greater awareness of their surroundings. Unlike humans, animals  take a much greater interest in their environment and react quickly. When the sea receded in the minutes before the tsunami struck, animals must have taken notice and fled, while humans who were insensitive, had been caught unawares. 

In Mathew 16:3 Jesus scolded the Jews for their lack of spiritual sensitivity, He said ‘O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? ‘

Indeed we are living in a very crucial time on earth now. And for anyone who will survive in these perilous times, there is a great need for spiritual sensitivity . There is a rumble in the spirit, but only those who are sensitive can pick it up. There is a sound going forth throughout the earth, but only those who are alert can hear it. 

Spiritual things are very slippery and except you develop your sensitivity, you may not be able to grasp divine communications as they come. Every destiny therefore, without spiritual sensitivity is at risk. The sense of warning and restraint that the Spirit gives will be our compass and guiding light in these days. But the voice of the Spirit of God is so gentle that unless you are living in complete fellowship and oneness with God, you may not hear it. 

This is why we need to develop greater intimacy with God, we need to move up to a higher ground in our walk with God. In Exodus 33, God called up Moses alone to Mount Sinai to a place of intimacy and fellowship; and here he saw the glory of God revealed. In the same way for us to see the coming glory, we must separate ourselves, and move up to a higher ground, to a place of personal devotion to God. Spiritually, a higher ground is a place of higher calling.  It is a place of deeper fellowship and intimacy. It is a place where God must have the right of way in our lives, where we live in obedience and are willing to lay down whatever He requires of us.

Getting unto the higher ground can be lonely, it is a place where you have separated yourself unto God. It is the strait and narrow way, where you are walking contrary to the ways of the crowd on the broad way.  But it is also the only place of safety and security from the storms and floods of life. 

In the world the enemy is releasing floods and tsunamis of wickedness. And the only way to escape, is to rise to a higher ground of holiness in our walk with God. 

1 John 5:19 says, ‘And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness..’.  To reign in the midst of such wickedness, we must be spiritually fervent. Though the world may be growing darker, when your spirit is on fire, you can walk safe and live victorious. 

Indeed this is our year of eagle’s flight and greater heights. It is a year of overflow and a year of signs and wonders. It is our year of victory and supernatural change of story.  And we will overcome because of God’s indwelling Presence. 

 1 John 4:4 says ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’

Indeed as we draw closer to God in the higher place of intimacy and deeper fellowship, we will be empowered to overcome the world. 

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to draw closer to You always. Help me to pay the required price in prayer and study of The Word, to rise to the place of intimacy and fellowship with You in Jesus Name. .   

QUOTE 

When you obey God’s instruction you are delivered from destruction.
 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS]

1 Timothy 6:12 KJV

Fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 
 DAILY READING John 3:22-36; 1 Chronicles 13-14; Zechariah3

Every Christian faces a fight of faith at one time or the other. Life is essentially a battle.  And to win, you must be willing to fight. Champions are made from challenges. Warriors are made from wars. However  to win in any fight you need complete focus. You must not allow yourself to be distracted or side tracked. 

When two boxers are in the ring, sometimes something happens which the audience may not see. Often as they war with their fists, they also war with words. A boxer may say something demeaning or provoking, just to get the other boxer to be angered and lose his coordination, thereby opening up his defenses for a knock out. To win a fight, a boxer must therefore keep his mind focused on winning and shut out every distraction. No matter what he hears or sees, he must maintain his focus. A boxer who gives in to his emotions, will lose his coordination, and it’s a matter of time before he loses his fight. In the same way, to win in the battle of life you must keep your focus on God’s Word. The only way to keep winning , is to focus on Jesus, not your circumstances. 

Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…’

Paul kept the faith, because he kept his focus. He said in Philippians 3:14 ‘but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus’.  

As Paul fought the good fight of faith, he kept his gaze locked on his high calling, and nothing could move him from his purpose. He said in Acts 20;24 ‘But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have.’

A man who will not be moved will soon see his mountains move; it is only a matter of time. 

Paul was steadfast, refusing to be distracted by his many persecutions. He realized that as a soldier of Christ, he could not be entangled with the affairs of this life, he could not dissipate spiritual energy on mundane things, he must keep his gaze on finishing his course, on arriving at his preordained victory, because that is all that matters in the end.   

To have victory, you must maintain your focus. The world is full of distractions; so many things calling your name, seeking your attention, trying to shift your focus, trying to derail you from your course. But refuse to be moved. Let your focus always be on the Word. Be controlled by the Word. Keep filling your heart continually with the Word, until your actions are dominated and controlled by what God says. When your heart is full of the Word of God, there will be no room for frivolities. Like Jesus, you will say ‘My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me,’ your primary concern will be only to please God. And when that happens then you can be sure of victory, because God Himself will arise and fight your battles.    

PRAYER: Lord, help me to fight the good fight of faith, help me to remove distractions and focus only on your Word always in Jesus Name. 
QUOTE 

Whatever doesn’t kill you will eventually end up strengthening you. – WORDBITE 222.  

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS] 

Psalm 91:14 KJV
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.      

DAILY READING –  John 3:1-21; 1 Chronicles 12; Zechariah2

Stanley Praimnath is a survivor of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. He worked as an executive for Fuji Bank on the 81st floor of the South Tower , the second tower attacked that day. He was one of only eighteen survivors from the South Tower impact zone where the plane hit. 

On September 11, 2001, Stanley was working in his office on the 81st floor, when he saw an airplane flying directly toward him. Alarmed, he cried out to God as he dove under a desk for protection: “Lord, I can’t do this! You take over!”  The terrible impact of the plane crash trapped Stanley behind a wall of debris. But as he prayed and cried for help, Brian Clark, a worker from another office, heard and responded, and came and helped Stanley out of the debris. The two men made their way through the rubble and darkness, and found their way down 80 flights of stairs to the ground floor and out to freedom.

In Psalm 50:15 God says ‘ call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’

Indeed the ears of God are always open to hear us when we cry. Because we love Him and serve Him, He promises to deliver us in times of trouble. In Psalm 91:14  God says, ‘because he has set his love upon Me, I will deliver him’. 

When we set our love on God He is committed to our deliverance. David enjoyed divine protection because of his relationship with God. In Ps. 71:3, 12 David said ‘Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: …..O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.’

David often cried to God for help being confident of God’s response. And God always delivered him.  When we serve God, He becomes our strong habitation, where we can always hide. And whenever  we cry to Him, He always arises for our deliverance. And oftentimes God is nearer than we know. In times of trouble He is always there to protect and see us through. 

In II Kings 6:8–23, the Syrian army had gathered around the city of  Dotham to arrest prophet Elisha. By early morning when Elisha’s servant went out the whole city was compassed by armies. Fear gripped the servant’s heart, panicking he ran back to report the situation to his master. But to his surprise, the prophet remained calm, ‘Alas Master what shall we do’ the servant cried, still in panic. Elisha simply said ‘they that be for us are greater than they that be for them.’ But perhaps realizing that mere explanation could not convince the servant, he simply prayed ‘Lord open his eyes’.  God did open the eyes of the servant and what he saw was that the mountain around them was full of horses and chariots of fire, angels on the ready to defend and deliver.

Elisha’s confidence came from his intimate knowledge of God. He was not afraid because he knew the God he served. Perfect love casts out fear.

In the same way, we need never be afraid. In whatever situations we find ourselves God is well able to deliver us. When we call upon God He will answer us. He will deliver us because we know His name. He has not called us to serve Him in vain. As long as you love God and are serving Him realize that He is committed to your deliverance. So in whichever area you need His help today, cry out to Him, call upon Him. His ears are open to hear and His arms are mighty to save you. Indeed there is nothing too hard for Him to do and there is no situation around you He cannot handle. He will surely see you through.

Therefore draw closer to God through a more intimate love walk with Him. Set your love upon Him though fellowshipping with Him and getting to know Him personally in His Word. When the love of God has been shed abroad in your heart, when His love dominates your heart, you will have the assurance of His deliverance at all times. 

PRAYER: Lord, help me to know You intimately, help me to draw closer to You in fellowship, so as to experience Your love that brings deliverance.  Indeed I know that when You are with me I am delivered from all fears in Jesus Name. …. 

QUOTE 

When you are living and walking in the supernatural everything natural becomes subservient to you, as long as you can ‘see it’, it is changeable. – WORDBITE 222. 

 [CULLED FROM THE BOOK SUPERNATURAL LOVE OF GOD] 

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

.DAILY READING –    John 2; 1 Chronicles 10-11; Zechariah1

The Christian broadcasting Network [CBN], recently featured a story of a little girl, Ella Stephens, who has come to be known as the ‘Christmas Miracle baby’.  Ella was born prematurely on December 18, 2013.  Her mother was in the seventh month of her pregnancy when she was diagnosed with preeclampsia —a complication of pregnancy that causes a spike in blood pressure and increases the potential for seizures. When her condition became worse, doctors had to induce labor, and at 33 weeks of the pregnancy she gave birth to little Ella.

As soon as the baby came out, she was straining to breathe. Doctors determined she was losing oxygen and diagnosed her with pulmonary hypertension.  She was cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit, and was on a special ventilator, where everything was kept on high settings.  Yet Ella’s condition continued to deteriorate.  Her parents called upon family and friends to come to the hospital to pray.  And though there were a lot of people in her room praying, her vital signs kept going down. Early on Friday morning December 20th 2013, doctors told her parents they had run out of options, and it was time to say their goodbyes to the baby. For 12 hours the family and their loved ones prayed, but still there was no improvement. In the late afternoon of that day, the baby looked blue and lifeless, and finally doctors told her parents she had only five minutes to live. The family was out of time. And that was when her father suggested they switch to praise. And as they began to praise God in the baby’s remaining five minutes of life, suddenly the baby’s eyes opened and she began to look around. The doctors were amazed. A baby who was lifeless only minutes ago, was now awake and alert. The five minutes elapsed and the baby still remained alive. And that was when the family erupted with joy, knowing that God had wrought an amazing miracle for them. And from that moment on the baby’s health began to improve. What would have been a tearful Christmas for the family turned around to become a really praiseful Christmas for them. The baby improved so well, she was released from the hospital in January 2014.  

And today, five years later, she has no disabilities and her development is right on track. A baby who went through what Ella went through would normally, if they survived, have numerous deficits; needing wheelchair, unable to even talk or have a lot of disabilities. But Ella is totally healthy and sound. Her life indeed is a testimony of the power of God in praise. Truly God is fearful in praises. 

Looking at Jesus’ ministry, the two most profound miracles He did were as a result of praise.

In John. 6:5-12 when He fed 5,000 men in the wilderness, thanksgiving was what multiplied the loaves. And also in John 11:41-44, at the graveside of Lazarus, praise was what brought him back to life. 

Indeed Praise is a formidable tool in the working of miracles. When thanksgiving proceeds from the heart, it has the supernatural ability to create miracles.  

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were in the mid-night hour of their lives. They prayed and then switched to praises. As they sang praises aloud to God in the prison, suddenly God showed up and brought deliverance to them. 

When praise becomes your lifestyle, you never run out of signs and wonders. According to Mark 16, signs are meant to follow you as a believer, that is a promise of God. But this promise will not be accomplished until you first do God’s will, which is praise.

Hebrews 10:35 lets us know that it is after we have done the will of God that we obtain the promise. 

And we find what it takes to do the will of God in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which says ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you’.

So Praise is the will of God, which after you have done, you are sure to obtain the promise of signs and wonders. 

Therefore, no matter what you’re going through, praise God and you will obtain the   promises He has made to you.

Praise is a covenant technique that guarantees cheap victory. When you live a praiseful life, God’s presence abides with you; and when He abides with you, He compels signs to attend to you. There is no mountain that God’s presence cannot level, no sea that He cannot dry up, no “Jordan” that cannot be driven back, so that you have an express way to your destination. 

It does not matter what situation you find yourself in right now, as you begin to praise God, signs and wonders will erupt around you in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to praise you despite any situation, let nothing ever stop the continual flow of your praise from my mouth 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] 

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 –   John 1:35-51; 1 Chronicles 9; Haggai 2
Joshua Milton Blahyi nicknamed General ‘butt naked’, became known as one of the most inhumane and ruthless guerrilla leaders in Africa’s history. During Liberia’s 14 years of civil war, he led a feared band of boy soldiers, who would charge into battle naked, apart from boots and machine guns. They carried out war atrocities, that included child sacrifices and cannibalism.  

In 2008, the former warlord  appeared before the Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission  and confessed his past. He began killing when he was only 11 years old and would end up killing about 20,000 people. In a recent interview with Newsweek magazine, he recalled how he encountered Christ. In July 1996 the notorious warlord, was about to lead a band of 18 child fighters—the oldest of whom was 15 years—into battle against the rebel forces of former President Charles Taylor. And as was his custom, before going to war, he had made a human sacrifice supposed to bring protection and fortune in the battle. He had sent his boys down to the river to fetch water for him to wash the blood from his hands. And that was when suddenly he saw a vision where Jesus met him and told him to repent and live or refuse and die. When the vision ended, the general told his boys that they would not be going into battle that day:  He retreated from the battle front and  that would mark his last day on the battlefield.  Overcome by the power of God, the former warlord surrendered to Jesus. He became a Christian and would become known as Pastor Joshua Milton Blahyi. And he says if God can change him, then God can change anybody.

Indeed there is enough power in the blood of Jesus to cleanse any depth of sin, no matter how terrible. It doesn’t matter what you have done or where you have been, it’s never too late to make a U-turn and start anew in the right direction. Jesus came and died just to give us that opportunity for a fresh start.

In the bible we find several instances of people who had terrible pasts, yet God gave them a change of story. Jacob, started off on the wrong lane, as a supplanter, with a bad reputation. But when he encountered God, he received a change of name and a change of story. The same Jacob transformed to become Israel, a patriarch and monumental figure in the bible. We also saw the story of Saul, who persecuted the church and murdered believers, and when he encountered Christ his name was changed to Paul, and he became a chief champion of the faith he once persecuted. 

We all have sinned and made mistakes at one time or the other in life. The good news is that though the righteous may fall seven times, he gets up and keeps going forward. Dwelling on the past and regrets will only hinder your progress. It’s important to learn from your mistake and move on to become a stronger and wiser you. You can’t undo the past, but you can change the present and the future with the Lord’s help. With God you still have a future and a hope. Healing is possible. God is not yet through with you.  You may have been knocked down, but you don’t have to stay down. Get up, go back to the fork on the road where you missed it, take the right turn and continue on your journey. 

Make a definite decision to separate from sin and live holy by God’s grace. Flee from sin by all means, because sin is a sinker, it has sunk many destinies, but yours will not be next in Jesus Name. Desist from every appearance of evil and seek righteousness and holiness. 

With God on your side, no matter how terrible your past may have been, you still can succeed in life. 

In Jeremiah 29:11 God says ‘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.’

God wants to give you “a future and a hope”. So allow Him to heal you of the past and transform your life into something beautiful.  God  loves you and has an amazing future in store for you. God can turn your mistakes into your miracles. And when He restores you, He does so in a way that suddenly you are walking in the light and you can hardly recall how dark your life was. And never forget that God does not consult your past to bless your present and your future. When God restores, He gives you a complete change of story that reflect only His glory. 
It doesn’t matter what has happened to you in the past or how negative your story has been, you can always retrace your steps and head in the right direction. Don’t let the past label you or condemn you to a life of running on the wrong track. There is no situation so bad that God cannot change, there is no destiny so battered that God cannot recover. God is in the business of second chances. 

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 beginning. You can make a comeback from sin into a life of holiness and righteousness. .

With God it is never too late. What matters is what God says about you, and God has the final say over your destiny. That is why we go to His Word to hear what He is saying concerning us. The Word of God is what empowers us to live righteous. Therefore make up your mind today to begin to study The Word like never before. By the power of The Word your mind will be renewed and you will begin to live a life that continually pleases God.  

PRAYER: Lord, 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. Indeed by Your grace my life is being transformed from glory to glory in Jesus Name.   

QUOTE 

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

 WORDBITE 222. 

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK METAMORPHOSIS] 

Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God

DAILY READING :  John 2:1-25. Chronicles 8-9, Haggai 1.

God has given us The Spirit to help us navigate the course of life. It is by His help we can escape traps of the enemy.

 The manifestation of The Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. We profit by the divine guidance He gives. He leads us to our ordained place and also leads  us away from danger.

In Mathew 24, Jesus speaking by the Holy Spirit warned His disciples about things to come. He told them ‘ when you see Jerusalem encompassed about with armies, know that the desolation thereof is near, let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains’.

Though Jesus was speaking prophetically about the end of the age, He was also giving them direct warning of an impending doom. History records that in A.D 70, as the Roman armies began to advance towards Jerusalem, the disciples remembered the warning of Jesus, to flee to the mountains. And so they fled from Judea across the Jordan river to the mountains of Pella. This was how these Christians escaped the Roman invasion.  They were not affected in the destruction of Jerusalem that followed where many Jews died. And today on a tour of Israel, these mountains of Pella, can be seen where the disciples fled to.  

During the time of the disciples, The Holy Spirit was active in guiding them away from danger. In the book of acts when Paul was to go up to Jerusalem, The Holy Spirit spoke through a number of prophets warning  Paul of what lay ahead. It was also through the guidance of The Holy Spirit that Paul was able to escape the several attempts to capture him. By the help of The Spirit Peter was delivered from Prison a day before Herod would have killed him. 

During His earthly ministry Jesus Himself was dependent upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For 30 years, He could do no miracles until the Holy Spirit came and then there was an explosion of signs and wonders. Several times when the Jews tried to kill Him, The Holy Spirit helped Him to escape. One time they took Him to the brow of the hill to cast Him down, but He simply walked out on them. The Holy Spirit blinded the eyes of the Jews so that they could not see Him. Jesus did not die because He could not escape the Jews. He laid down His life in line with the salvation plan. And when He was leaving the earth He prayed The Father to also give us The Holy Spirit, because He knows we need  Him to survive. 

 And as we draw towards the close of this age we need Him more than ever before.  These are indeed perilous days. As the hearts of men grow colder and the world grows darker, we need The Holy Spirit to guide  us to safe havens.  

We need Him to reveal The Father’s will to us and also to empower us to dominate every opposition. We are now in the days of power. It is a season of serious power tussle in the spirit.

 The last days are climatic days of spiritual warfare. We can’t continue operating merely by mental knowledge or common sense. 

There is no more room for spiritual laxity. A believer who will survive must be clothed with power.  

As a believer in Christ Jesus, you must take charge in your environment. We have been given the power to thread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.. And its time now to begin to exercise that power. There is no more room for lukewarm Christianity. Either you are hot or you are not. There is no middle ground. The war is on, and The Holy Spirit is at hand to guide and empower us. Let us therefore begin to take advantage of His ministry.

We need His wisdom for discernment.  It is only by the guidance of The Spirit that we know always what to do.  By His guidance we are able to stay safe even as we pursue the will of God. 
PRAYER: Lord, please help me to seek the guidance of Your Spirit in all I do. Please help me to always seek first your counsel before I make any move in Jesus Name
QUOTE

When you obey God’s instruction you are delivered from destruction 
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK REJOICE]

Matthew 5:16 
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven   
• DAILY READING        John 1:19-34; 1 Chronicles 7-8; Zephaniah 3

Amy Wilson Carmichael is probably one of the most influential women that ever lived in church history. Amy was born in Ireland but travelled to India to serve as a missionary in the early 20th century. She served in India for 55 years. 

In India, Amy’s most notable work was with girls and young women, saved from forced prostitution in the Hindu temples. These young girls, according to the Indian custom, were given away by their families to serve in the temple. However they were forced by the priests to engage in prostitution as a way of earning money for them. 

One day one of these young girls escaped and ran to Amy for help. Amy took her in and sheltered her. And that was how  Amy’s ministry of rescuing temple children started. Soon other young girls  escaping from temple prostitution would run to her for help. Amy took many of these young girls in, providing food and shelter for them. And she would often travel long distances on India’s hot, dusty roads to locate any of these escaping girls and offer assistance. 

Amy opened an orphanage and founded the Dohnavur Fellowship in 1901, which became a sanctuary for over one thousand children who would otherwise have faced a bleak future. 

Her efforts led to India outlawing temple prostitution in 1948.

Amy Carmichael died in India in 1951 at the age of 83. However, the Dohnavur Fellowship she founded, still continues today, now run by Indians. Many years after her death, the impact of her work still speaks in India and around the world. 

Matthew 5:16 says ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’   

Just as Amy went into an evil system and made a difference, God wants us to shine the light of Christ to the dark world around us. 

We are the light to our  world. We are the salt of the earth. We are to positively affect our environment by allowing the glorious light of Christ’s Gospel to shine through us. 

Jesus walked on the earth 2000 years ago, and the Light He shined shattered the darkness of the ages. Today we are Jesus’ legs, and hands and mouthpiece. We are the manifest form of Jesus that men see. 

In John 14:12 Jesus sys ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do;’

We are called to do greater works by the power of God. 

We are called to be co-laborers with God to bring people into alignment with His will. Lives are ruined and our job is to introduce men to the power of God that will make them whole again.

We are invading the earth system with power of God. The kingdom of God must dominate the kingdom of this world. And we are the agents of change God has sent to effect this.

In generations past, God had planted people like Joseph, Daniel and Esther, among a wicked generation.  They went in as agents of God to affect and change the system, And in the midst of the wicked nations, they let their lights so shine that men saw their good works and glorified God. In the same way we must let the light of Christ be seen through us.  

We are ambassadors of Heaven. Everywhere we go, the atmosphere should shift. Lives are to be changed, destinies recovered. There should be a difference, because we came. 

Amy Carmichael made a difference in her generation. In our own generation we can also make a difference. And this will happen when we can truly submit to the pursuit of Christlikeness. As the nature of Christ shines through us, men will indeed see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. 
PRAYER: Lord, please use me in this generation to affect my world. Help me  to submit to the pursuit of Christlikeness, so that my light can shine to bring men into Your kingdom in Jesus Name.   

QUOTE 

There is something that God has placed within you that the world is eagerly awaiting to see. WORDBITE 222. 

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS] 

Proverbs 23:18 ‘For surely there is an end, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.’  

DAILY READING John 1:1-18; 1 Chronicles 5-6; Zephaniah 2

For every crucifixion day, there also comes a resurrection day. 

On Friday, Jesus faced the  cross, it was not easy for Him. He had sweated blood as He prayed, asking the Father to let the cup pass from Him. Though it wasn’t easy, Friday finally came and went. But then came Sunday morning, when suddenly the stones were rolled away and Jesus arose in victory from the grave. 

Indeed for every Friday of persecution in our lives, there comes a Sunday of resurrection.

In the early 20th century the Jews faced their Friday experience. The future looked very bleak for them. They had no homeland and were being persecuted in many countries.  Those fleeing persecutions had nowhere to run to, no place to call home. No country wanted to accept the Jews.  
Their ancient homeland was now a backyard province of the Ottoman Empire, under the control of the Ottoman high commissioner sitting in Damascus. The situation looked really dark and hopeless for the Jewish nation. Indeed it looked as if they had been buried. But then from unexpected quarters God began a resurrection miracle that would reestablish a homeland for them.  First of all God caused the British to defeat the ottoman Turks and take over the land of Palestine from then. Then at this time Britain was involved in world war 1, which lasted between 1914 and 1918. As the war intensified, Britain faced an increased shortage of acetone, the solvent used in making cordite, which was the essential naval explosive. A Jewish scientist named Chaim Weizmann came to the rescue and helped to produce enough acetone to help Britain win the war. Though the British before then, had no interest in establishing a Jewish homeland but as reward to Weizmann for his contribution to winning the war, the decision was taken to give the land to the Jews. The Balfour Declaration was signed on 2 November 1917, officially declaring the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people. 

With this declaration many Jews now had a place to run to. As many returned to Palestine, they were eventually able to in 1948, establish the independent state of Israel that exists today. 

Proverbs 23:18 says ‘For surely there is an end, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.’  Indeed God always makes a way where there seems to be no way. Whenever you face a Gethsemane experience, know that a resurrection day is around the corner.  It’s always darkest just before the day breaks. But no matter how deep or dark the night it has never stopped the day from breaking forth. Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning. So no matter how dark your situation may look like, your joy is surely coming forth. Continue to hold on to God, He will surely see you through. It doesn’t matter how difficult things may appear today, your sun will still come up tomorrow, and things will surely get better. With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. 

This new month which started on a resurrection Sunday will surely speak resurrection to every dead and dying issue in your life. It is your month of victory. It is indeed your month of a positive change of story.  

 PRAYER: Lord, please by Your grace enable me to experience the Power of Your resurrection in every area of my life  throughout this month. Indeed it is my season of continual victory in Jesus Name.   
QUOTE 

When God places His hand upon a man in life nothing can come against him, this is because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 
 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK DIVINE ORDER FOR A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS]