HORM Devotional

Romans 1:16 KJV

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

 DAILY READING – Matthew 12:1-21; Leviticus 14; Proverbs 26

The first liquid ever poured on the moon by man and the very first food eaten there, was the communion. This was done by Buzz Aldrin, a Christian astronaut. He had smuggled aboard the Apollo 11 spaceship a Bible, a silver chalice, and sacramental bread and wine. Though NASA frowned on the display of religion, Buzz had decided to take the risk.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the moon on the Apollo 11 space mission. On Sunday, July 20, 1969, at 3:17 Eastern Standard Time the moon lander touched down, and just before they emerged from the spaceship, Buzz  slipped  out his smuggled items. And as he stepped on the moon, his first act was to celebrate communion. He ate the bread and wine reading from his Bible the Scripture, ‘I am the Vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in Me will bring forth much fruit.’

Taking this action was a risk to his job. Already at that time NASA was embroiled in a legal battle with an atheist opposing Christianity, because on an earlier mission, Apollo 8, the astronauts had broadcast reading from the Bible while orbiting the moon at Christmas. But for Aldrin, honoring God was more important than what the government or anyone else thought. This would be the first time of man ever being on the moon, and he wanted God to be honored in that. And since his mission to the moon, Buzz Aldrin as an evangelist goes around the globe telling people about God’s wonder in outer space.

Men who truly fear God seek to honor Him in everything. We live in a world where the enemy is trying desperately to silence the voice of Christianity. In places like America atheists are fighting every inch to ensure Christianity is silenced. Prayer has long ago been removed from public schools, and Christian religious symbols removed from public places. In Britain even wearing a chain with a crucifix to work can be termed an offensive display of religion. Even quoting Bible verses that condemn sin, can be seen as hate speech! This is no time to be a secret service Christian. In every possible way, we must let the voice of the gospel be heard. Through our deeds, through our speech, we must let men know there is a risen Christ.

In Acts 18:9, Jesus told Paul ‘be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace…’ We must let our light shine. Light shines brightest when the darkness is thickest. God has placed some of us strategically in certain places and offices, simply as ambassadors of His Kingdom. Like Esther, Daniel and Joseph, in this generation, God has placed you where you are, to be a light in the darkness. You are not just on a job, you are on a missionary assignment. And no matter what your job description may be, you are first and foremost a Christian. You are there to lighten the darkness around you.

As the Bible questions, ‘How can they hear without a preacher?’ We must proclaim God’s Word. We must preach it in season and out of season. Daniel so shone his light that even the king respected him. Joseph was revered by Pharaoh, and referred to as the one in whom the Spirit of God dwells.

When your aim is to honor God, He will show you how to effectively share your faith.

God says He will honor them that honor Him, so be rest assured that in honoring God through proclaiming the Word, He will in turn honor you before men.

PRAYER: Father, please help me to shine as light in the darkness. Let Your presence make the difference everywhere I go, let men come to You as they see your light through my life in Jesus’ name.

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

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ESTABLISHED BY THE WORD]

Isaiah 50:10

‘Who is among you that feareth The Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of The Lord and stay upon his God’.

 DAILY READING Matthew 10:1-25; Leviticus 7-8; Proverbs 22

When Wilma Rudolph’s parents received the doctor’s verdict that their daughter will never walk again, it was a heartbreaking experience. They were Christians who believed in God, but a bout of pneumonia and scarlet fever had just paralyzed the left leg of their four year old daughter, Wilma, leading the doctors to declare that she would never walk again. On the way back from the hospital little Wilma asked her parents, “Will I ever be able to run and play like the other children?” Her mother replied, “Honey, you have to believe in God and never give up hope. If you believe, God will make it happen.” Taking her parents’ counsel, she chose to believe God rather than accept what the doctors had said. So as she grew she painfully struggled to walk.

When she was 6 years, she was fitted with metal leg braces on her paralyzed leg. Her parents were very poor and couldn’t afford a therapist, so her mother got her brothers and sisters to massage her legs 4 times every day. Her mother instilled in her that despite her leg, she could do whatever she wanted to do with her life. She told her that all she needed to do was to have faith, persistence, courage and an indomitable spirit. Still believing God, when she was nine years old, Wilma took off her braces and took a step that the doctor told her she never could take. By thirteen years of age she began to enter races in her school. At first she would always come last. People out of pity beg her to stop, but she refused. Finally one day, she was able to win a race; and from then on, she won every race that she ran. God gave her a natural ability she couldn’t explain. By the time she got to University, she was running so well she was enlisted to join the U.S. Olympics team. When she got to the 1960 Rome Olympics, Wilma Rudolph confounded the world. She won the 100- and 200-meter races and anchored the U.S. team to victory in the 4 x 100-meter relay, breaking records along the way. She won three gold medals and became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics game. Most importantly however, was the fact that she ran so fast that she was labeled “the fastest woman in the world”. What an incredible miracle for someone who the doctors had said would never be able to walk!

So it is not over until God says so. Whatever may seem crippled in your life right now can still get up and run. Whatever they said can never be done can still be done in your life. With God all things are possible. Don’t look at the negative things around you. Look unto Jesus. He is able. If He can make a girl whom doctors said will never walk become the fastest runner in her time, then He can do even more for you. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ever ask or think. No matter your situation, don’t conclude yet because God is not yet through with you. Even if it seems you are alone in your struggles, and no one understands or cares, don’t forget that God is always there, and He cares. Just turn to Him and hold on to Him, He will surely see you through. No matter the situation facing you now, God will come through for you. Despite the raging of the storm, you will survive; God will give you a testimony. Serving God does not mean that you will never have challenges, it however guarantees that you will overcome them all.

There is an encouraging verse in Isaiah 50:10 that says, ‘Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God’. You may fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully, yet still sometimes find yourself in a difficult situation. Daniel found himself in this kind of situation, when thrown into the lion’s den, but, did his trial change his confession? No! He still trusted God through the trial. And God saw him through and gave him victory in the end.

When challenges come to us while we are serving God, the Bible tells us in the above verse, ‘stay upon the Lord.’ That is to say, no matter how dark the situation may seem, be steadfast and hold on to Him. Even when it seems you cannot see your way forward, still stay upon the Lord, because they that put their trust in the Lord shall never be ashamed. It doesn’t matter what it may look like now, He will surely see you through. He will make a way for you. He will turn around that situation for you. What men meant for evil, God will turn it for your good. Where you were meant to stumble, God will cause you to soar. He will lift you up, He will turn your mourning into dancing. He will put off your sack cloth and gird you with gladness. He will turn your test into a testimony.

  PRAYER: Lord, please help me to always know that with You nothing is impossible. Help me never to limit You in my thinking. Grant me the faith to believe for the impossible in my life, because indeed You can do all things.

 quote

When God is on your side, anything is possible. WORDBITE  201

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

ACTS 2:2

‘And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

 DAILY READING – Matthew 11:20-30; Leviticus 13; Proverbs 25

In 1854, a sailing vessel was in dire distress. The wind carrying it had suddenly ceased, stalling its movement. Unable to sail forward, the ship drifted towards the shore. A four-knot current carried it swiftly towards some sunken reefs. The danger however was that on that shore was a cannibal island on the coast of New Guinea. Already, the cannibals had sighted the ship and were waiting excitedly for it to land. They had even lit fires in anticipation of a great feast of human flesh.

The English captain and the crew of his ship had done everything they could to change the ship’s course but without success. Alarmed, they stood on the deck awaiting a fate of doom. However, aboard the same ship were some Christian missionaries headed to China. One of them was J. Hudson Taylor, who would later become one of China’s greatest missionaries. When informed about the impending doom by the captain, Hudson replied, “There is one thing we haven’t done. Four of us on board are Christians. Let each of us retire to his cabin and in agreed prayer ask the Lord to give us a breeze immediately.” And so they went into prayers. After a few minutes of earnest intercession, Hudson came up on deck confident that the petition had been granted. Finding the first officer in charge, he requested him to let down the corners of the main sail immediately, because a wind was coming. There was not a minute to waste, since they were so near the cannibals now. The officer however doubted the possibility of a wind, since he couldn’t find any; but as he was still questioning Hudson’s request, he suddenly noticed that the topmost sail was beginning to tremble, indicating indeed the presence of wind. They immediately let down the main sail, even as a great wind descended, engulfing the ship and immediately carrying them away from the dangerous reefs, much to the disappointment of the native cannibals on the beach.

John 14:13 says, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” Prayer works. Through prayer, we engage the wind of the Spirit to carry us to our desired shores. Indeed we need the wind of the Spirit to set sail in life. Without His wind, a man’s life will remain stagnant or much worse, drift to dangerous shores. If there has been no desired forward movement around you, it is because His wind is missing.

Just as Jesus could not do miracles until the Spirit came upon Him, there can be no divine activity until His wind comes. The apostles were locked up in the upper room bound in fear, but when the wind of the Spirit began to blow in acts 2, they broke out into the city and took the world by storm!

Just as movement announces the presence of the wind, supernatural occurrences assure us that God is near. Psalm 75:1 says, ‘for that thy name is near, thy wondrous works declare’. Signs and wonders are indications the Spirit has come. When He came in acts chapter 2, He brought eruptive movements; suddenly things began to happen. We need the wind of the Spirit to move our lives forward. Without His wind every life remains spiritually dormant and stagnant. It is only when He begins to move in our lives that signs and wonders begin to erupt. It is therefore time to engage Him for a forceful turnaround. Things must begin to work, our lives must go forward! Let us therefore today take up the responsibility of maintaining a strong prayer life. As we do, signs and wonders will become the order of our day in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER: Lord, I need the wind of Your Spirit to begin to blow like never before in my life. I need to see Your signs  and wonders manifest; I need the course of my life changed from mere drifting to supernatural progress  in Jesus name.

QUOTE :

Until you cry out in the place of prayer certain things won’t happen

– WORDBITE 222.

 [ADAPTED FROM TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS]

 MATHEW 13:44

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

 DAILY READING – Matthew 11:1-19; Leviticus 11-12; Proverbs 24

Under the world’s sea beds lie treasures worth  billions of dollars. These are mostly from ships that capsized at one time or the other over the centuries. According to UNESCO, there are as many as three million shipwrecks scattered across the world’s seabed, many carrying treasures.

Probably the largest treasure among them is a Portuguese ship called the Flower of the Sea. It set sail from Malaysia, in 1511 carrying the largest treasure ever assembled in Portugal’s naval history. The ship was caught in a violent storm in the Strait of Malacca, split in two and spilled its precious content into the sea.

Another one is Spain’s treasure Fleet; in 1715, at the height of its empire, Spain assembled one of the richest treasure fleets ever seen – Eleven ships, all filled with silver, gold, pearls and emeralds from the New World. The ships left Cuba just before hurricane season in the hope of deterring pirates, but a few days later a storm sank all eleven ships, sending thousands of sailors and tons of treasure to the bottom of the sea. Though seven of the ships have been found, only a small percentage of the treasures have been recovered.

Under international maritime and salvage law, apart from military wrecks, all other shipwrecks are accessible to anyone in international waters. The question is, with so much treasure buried under the sea, and available, why is everyone not out there digging up these treasures? It is because the cost to access them is not cheap. Buried, thousands of feet under the sea, it requires great funds, equipment, time and tireless search to locate them. This is a price not everyone is willing to pay.

In the same way, stored in the depths of the Word of God are treasures, but they are only accessible to those who are willing to pay the price to access them. Jesus said to Peter in Luke 5, “launch out into the deep and let down your net for a draught”. It is only when you launch out into the deep that you can get a net breaking catch.

The treasures of life are in the deep. We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. God has freely given all to us in Christ Jesus, but it takes the depth of revelation by the Spirit for us to have access. Treasures are available, the issue is ability to pay the required price to access them. Jesus said in Mathew 13:45,  “the Kingdom of God is like a man that discovered a pearl of great worth and went and sold all that he had to purchase it.” And God says in Jeremiah 29, ‘you shall seek Me and find Me when you shall search for me with all your heart.’ When you find God you have found great treasure. Good things are found in Him. It is His power at work in us that brings divine supply and all else we need. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think according to the power that works in us. This was why Jesus never bothered about the supply of daily necessities during His earthly ministry; He had God’s presence and power around Him, He could multiply bread loaves and fishes, turn water into wine, bring money out of the mouth of a fish to pay taxes, have people give him their donkeys and houses without fee. The truth is that He didn’t need money, God’s presence guaranteed supernatural supply and favor.

When you find God’s tangible presence, you have found life’s greatest treasures. It is worthy of note that God’s presence is not found on the surface, it is found in the depth of The Word, through spending time in payer and fellowship with Him. Let us therefore make a fresh commitment today to begin to search the depths of The Word. There are treasures embedded there, there are divine encounters that can transform us. Let us seek God like never before. When we find Him, we have found life’s greatest treasure.

PRAYER: Father please open  my eye to behold the wonders and treasures in Your Word. Give me the grace to dig deep and access great depths in your Word, help  me to move from the shallow waters to the depth of The Word where Your Presence abides in Jesus’ name.

 QUOTE :

The treasures of God are never on the shallow end, but are always buried in the depth of God’s Word. It takes a personal discovery to get there. – WORDBITE 222.

  [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS]

 Job 14:7-9 

 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

 DAILY READING Luke 23:1-25; Genesis 41; Psalm 32

 The world’s oldest tree is found in Sweden. It has existed for thousands of years. It is not just one individual tree of great age, but rather a tree that has died severally and regenerated severally. What happens is that each time the trunk dies off, the root grows another new trunk. The trunk may after 600 years die off, but because the tree’s root always remains intact connected to water, after a number of years this root will sprout a new trunk. This new trunk again grows branches and leaves. Through this process, known as vegetable cloning, this tree has survived for thousands of years.

This is what The Bible clearly describes in Job 14:7 when it says,  ‘though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.’

The important thing for the tree’s continual survival is for the root to remain connected to water. The same thing happens when as a believer you are connected to the Word. No matter where you fail or get cut down, God says you can rise again, you can live again. The Bible says the righteous falls seven times, and still gets up. It doesn’t matter the pit where you fall into, through God’s Word, you can always rise.

The story is told of the old mule that fell into a deep pit. When the owner saw he couldn’t bring it out, he decided to bury the animal in the pit. But as he poured sand into the pit, the wise animal began to step on the sand. The more sand the owner poured to bury it, the more it stepped on the sand and rose higher until it was able to get out of the pit. What was meant to bury it became its stepping stone to liberty.

Maybe you have been cut down in your finances, health, or relationships. But what the enemy meant to bury you with can become stepping stones to your victory. It doesn’t matter how long that problem may have lingered, God can turn it all around to your good. The important thing is to remain connected to the Word of God. Because it is the Word that imparts faith into the heart and faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

Perhaps because of how old the problem has lingered men may have written you off, or you could even have written yourself off, thinking there can be no solution. But then God has not written you off. As long as you are still joined to the living, there is hope for you. You can still sprout again. You can still have your miracle. Maybe past years have not brought the desired solution, but let go of the past and face the brighter future. The past is a place of reference not a place of residence. Your car has a big windshield and a small rear mirror, because you are supposed to keep your eyes on where you are going, and less than where you have been. As Apostle Paul said, ‘forget those things that are behind you and press forward.’ There is hope for you. The Bible says everything works together for good, for those that love God. Do you love Him? Then, God is working out everything for your good.

 PRAYER: Lord, by the power from Your Word, let every dead situation in my life be revisited and revived, let the good seed You have planted within me come alive for manifestation in this season in Jesus’ name.  

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

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

 1 Timothy 1:18 

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare.

DAILY READING – Matthew 9:1-17; Leviticus 3-4; Proverbs 20

The prophecies of the Bible could only have come from God alone. Nobody could attempt to forecast these prophecies with such accuracy. Neither could they have come true by random chance or probability. World class mathematicians have said that there is one chance over 87, followed by 93 zeros that the Bible’s prophecies could be true on the basis of random chance. Simply put; only God could have done it.

A scientist picking out 48 of the prophecies concerning Jesus, determined that the probability of one man randomly fulfilling them all is 1 in 10 to the exponent of 157. That is 1 followed by 157 zeros! Yet, Jesus fulfilled ALL the prophecies! Over 300 Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah were fulfilled by the life of Jesus Christ. For instance, it was prophesied that He would be born of a virgin in Isaiah 7:14, this was fulfilled in Matthew 1:18-25. It was prophesied in Micah 5:2 that he would be born in Bethlehem, fulfilled in Matthew 2:1-6. It was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, that He would be called Immanuel (God with us); fulfilled in Matthew 1:22-23.

The Bible is truly the inspired Word of God. It is not at all an ordinary book. It is the revelation of God to man. Any promise spoken by God in the Bible is an open cheque for anyone to appropriate. Therefore, go to the Bible and find out what God has said concerning your situation and hold on to it. Whatsoever God has said He will do, He will surely do. Whatever His mouth has promised, His hand is able to perform. The verdict of man is fallible; only the verdict of God is infallible.

Jehovah has the final say. He is not man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent. Has He said it? He will surely make it good. God’s Word will be still standing when every other counsel has failed. Hasn’t God said you shall be the father and mother of nations? Then claim it and stop looking at the verdict of man. What is that medical report in your hands, compared to the eternal Word of the living God? Whose report will you believe? Hasn’t God said there shall none be barren among you? So why do you want to believe the changeable verdict of the doctor? Hasn’t God said in Isaiah 3, ‘say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him, he shall eat the fruit of his labor?’ Then why are you letting the media reports confuse you, by telling you that there is no job anywhere? Rise up, locate God’s will in His Word concerning your situation and begin to claim it for yourself. Situations do not move until you forcefully speak the Word of God over them. The red sea did not part until Moses stretched forth his hands over it.

Begin to command situations and circumstances in the name of Jesus to bow to you, and as you do, your victory is established in Jesus’ name. The only language the devil understands is the language of force. Speak to your mountains forcefully and command them to disappear in the name of Jesus. You have been pampering that situation for too long that is why it is still with you. Now begin to command it to leave. Use the infallible Word of God to wage war against it. What you do not want, you do not watch. We do not watch prophesies we war with it. The Word of God will work if you war with it.

Life will not give you what you deserve, but what you demand. Speak to your mountains, declare what God has said. As you do so, your victory is established in Jesus’ name. Don’t believe men, believe God. Only God has the final say in your life. You have to, like Paul, declare ‘let God be true and every man a liar.’ If you listen to people’s opinion, you can never make it in life. Because the enemy speaks through people to attack your destiny, he speaks through men to implant fear in your heart, so as to make you doubt the plans and purpose of God and not move forward. You must listen to only what God has said. Who says and it comes to pass when God has not commanded it?

Sit down with the Word and locate the truth. God has said you shall excel, that you shall be the head and never the tail, and no matter what anybody says, what God has said is what will surely come to pass concerning you in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER Lord, I know there are treasures stored up in Your Word for me, I need to find them, please give me the grace to locate them in Jesus’ name.

Quote 

Faith is more than just believing, it is acting upon the Word that you believe. WORDBITE 222.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

John 5:14

Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

DAILY READING Matthew 8:14-34; Leviticus 1-2; Proverbs 19

In the traditional accounts of the Trojan war between Greek and Troy, that lasted 10 years, the war finally ended when the Greeks pretended to withdraw, leaving behind them a large wooden horse with a raiding party concealed inside. When the Trojans brought the horse into their city, in the night the hidden Greeks opened the gates to their comrades, who then sacked Troy, massacred its men, and carried off its women. This is a strategy the enemy also uses. This is how sin enters into a man’s life.

Your mind is like a walled city. Its doors and gates are locked up. But if there are enemies within the walls, it is only a matter of time before that city falls. The enemy’s strategy is to find a way to bring in wrong thoughts into your mind, so that from within these thoughts begin to fight you. The enemy within is worse than the enemy without. The sin that bring down men often comes from the thoughts already lodged within their hearts.

Jesus said cleanse the inside of the cup first and the outside will take care of itself. The problem is what is within the heart of man. ‘As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.’ Thoughts lead to actions. Once a thought takes root in your mind, it is only a matter of time, before it becomes reality. So what do you do? Don’t give room to the devil. If you give him an inch, he becomes the ruler. If you allow him a foothold, he builds a strong hold. So don’t even allow the thought to dwell in the first place. Don’t expose yourself to the words or images you don’t want manifesting in your life. And if perhaps they flew in unconsciously into your mind, then the moment the thought pops up, declare war against it. The Bible says, ‘the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, taking captive every though to the obedience of Christ.’

If the thought persists, plead the blood of Jesus over your mind, take authority over it and command it to be flushed out of you in the name of Jesus. If you don’t fight to uproot it early, you may find that the thought that started as a little fire can burn down what you have spent years to build. You have to be careful the things that enters into your mind. These strongholds of the mind are the root of sin in any man’s life. They are the things that control you from within, that guide your actions and decisions to commit sin, even when you are not conscious of it. The movie industry, music industry and media industry are mind-control industries. Be careful what you give access to through your eye gates and ear gates.

Christ is coming for a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle. So this is also the season of holiness for every true believer. Anyone who must be part of this victorious Church of the end time, must be holy and depart from sin. God says we should be holy even as He is holy. To command the devil and for him to obey you, there must be none of his property in your life. Sin must not be lurking anywhere in your life. The seven sons of Sceva tried to command the demonized man; but he said to them, ‘Jesus I know, Paul I know but who are you?’ and he fell upon them and tore their clothes and they ran away naked. Until you separate from sin, you are in no position to command the devil, because he is still your master. Jesus said a man that commits sin is the servant of sin. Only the righteous can exercise authority over the devil. This is why you must make sure your life is in line with the Word of God. Get rid of sin in your life because sin is a sinker. There is no small or big sin, there is no white or black lie. Sin is sin, and all sinners will have their part in the lake burning with sulphur and fire. Sin is a dangerous trap, it brings all sorts of evil into a man‘s life. Therefore flee from it.

PRAYER:  Lord, help me to keep my life covered by your light so that there will be no hiding place for sin at all in my life in Jesus’ name.

Quote

Letting down your guards exposes you to the attack of the enemy.

 – WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS]

Psalm 102:13 KJV

Thou shall arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time to favor her, yeah, the set time has come.

DAILY READING – Matthew 8:1-13; Exodus 39:1-40:38; Proverbs 18

In 1949 in China, after 150 years of missionary labor that cost many missionaries their lives, it was estimated that there were just only about 1 million Chinese Christians existing in China. But only 60 years later, in 2009, the number of Christians in China exploded to about 120 million. Also in Africa after about 100 years of faithful missionary work by people like Dr. David Livingstone, and many others, by 1900, just about a million Christians existed in the whole continent of Africa. But a century later, in 2009, it was estimated that there were over 500 million Christians in Africa. In fact, there are more Churches in Nigeria alone than there are in the whole of England from whence missionaries once came to evangelize Africa. Christianity today is exploding in amazing numbers all over the world. The Bible has now been translated into 3,850 languages, covering 98% of every one of the major world’s languages.

What is happening? There has been a change of season. The season of dominion has come for the Church. And because we are part of the Church, our season of dominion has also come. This is the time in God’s agenda for the Church to dominate and overcome, because Christ is coming for a glorious Church, an overcoming Church.

Israel suffered for many years, in Egypt. But God has already told Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14,  ‘Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;  and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.’ God already planned their deliverance before their bondage. And at the set time and season, He sent a deliverer. The tables were turned in favor of Israel. God backed them up with His power, and brought His people out victoriously. Why? Because the set season of their deliverance had come.

Today, victory is God’s end time agenda for the Church. Psalm 102:13 says ‘Thou shall arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time to favor her, yeah, the set time has come.’ We are now in the set time and season for God to favor the Church. When it is the season of anything, there is no struggle to get results. When it is rainy season you do not struggle for things in your garden to grow, they just grow naturally because the rainy season has come.

Now in God’s plan and purpose, this is the set season of your victory. And everything that has been fighting you must bow now, because the season of victory has come in Jesus’ name. Psalm 110:1-3 says, ‘The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of Thy strength out of Zion: rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power.’ Christ is seated at the right hand of God, waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool, before He returns for the Church. In God’s agenda, it is therefore the time for His people to terrorize the camp of the wicked. Defeating your enemies at this time should be very easy, because God is backing you up. God is backing up the Church now for victory because this is the season of our dominion.

PRAYER Lord help me to be a partaker of the goodness You have stored up for Your people in this season, may I never miss my portion in Jesus’ name.  

quote 

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

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK OPEN HEAVENS]

 Psalm 34:1 KJV

I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

DAILY READING Matthew 7; Exodus 37:1-38:31; Proverbs 17

Praise is what heaven is all about. When you get into the realm of ceaseless praise, you have entered into the realm of heaven on earth. You have entered the realm where you are always pleasing God. Jesus said ‘the Father has not left Me alone because I do always those things that please Him.’ Jesus was doing the things that pleased God. Praise pleases God. Jesus continually expressed His love for the Father. And in the book of Acts we are told how God anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him. Jesus was careful to maintain God’s presence. And it was because God was with Him that He demonstrated such miracles and power.

Throughout the Scriptures what made the difference in the lives of the men God used was His presence being with them. In Mark 16, the disciples went everywhere, doing miracles and the Lord was with them, confirming the word with signs following.

God’s presence makes the difference. There’s a point you can get to in praising God that His tangible presence goes with you. You can put on praise as a garment. Angels can be sent in answer to our prayers, but when we praise, God comes Himself to receive the praise. Many times in the Bible when people tried to worship angels, the angels refused to receive the praise; rather they told the people to worship God. Praise and worship are reserved only for God. He only is worthy to be praised, and no other.

We must be careful to maintain God’s presence. The way to maintaining God’s presence is through ceaseless praise. There is supernatural praise that comes by the Spirit, where you can look up and be surprised to find you have spent 3 hours, when you thought it was only 30 minutes. Sometimes all you have to do is to just make the effort t to start, after a while the Holy Spirit takes over, and you enter a praise and worship, where you simply adore God and tears can be pouring down your face and you don’t ever want to stop. This place of adoration is where God speaks to your heart.

God wants to be loved. God is not looking for ceremony or title. He is simply looking for a heart that loves Him. Look at how He bypassed all the mighty men and found David, a poor shepherd boy, who was just loving and praising Him in the bush. God said to Samuel, ’I have found for Myself a king.’ Why? Because the eyes of God runs to and fro over the whole earth, looking for those whose hearts are perfect towards Him. God is searching, looking for hearts that will love Him. The devil has deceived man and kept him so busy that man has forgotten the original reason for his creation. Man runs after money and has no time or place for his Creator.

God is searching for worshippers in this end time. May He find you in Jesus’ name. The tabernacle of David is being raised again. This last generation will be a generation of praise. It is time to return back to the horn of the altar and begin to call again upon the name of the Lord, which is our original mandate and purpose.

PRAYER Lord help me to return to the original purpose for which You created me, which is to love You and praise You. Deliver me from the things that try to distract me from Your presence in Jesus’ name.

Quote

When you praise God despite your situation power is released for a raise.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK REJOICE]