Tag Archives: Religion & Spirituality

Broken for a blessing

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Broken for a blessing

Dear Friend,

Remodelling is a way of transforming and updating a house or place of business in order to make it more appealing, efficient, or useful. Usually, it involves a redesign on the inside of a building, but it can also include the outside of the property.

Those who have been through the process of remodelling know how extensive and upsetting it can be. Even in the best of circumstances, workers will still create dust and chaos. Yet, in order to enjoy something old being made new, you have to go through the process of remodelling. The same is true when you view God‘s plan for your life.

There are times in the life of every believer when he or she will go through a time of remodelling. It is a time when God is updating our life by stripping away old thoughts and habits and replacing them with His truths and principles. Instead of calling it remodelling, we call the process brokenness.

Just like the beginning phases of a construction program, it may be hard to imagine a beautiful outcome – especially when things have been torn apart. Sheetrock is missing, and tools are scattered from one end of your home to the other. However, before we can do the same, we have to be willing to allow God to give us spiritual eyes to see life from His perspective. After all, He is the One who holds the blueprints to our lives. Paul knew that there were many glorious benefits to the times he faced suffering. The greatest was his testimony of faith in Jesus Christ. No matter what befell him, Paul continued to trust in the One who had saved him and was in charge of his life. Have you come to a time of brokenness? If so, let God remodel your life, and you will be amazed at the outcome.

For His Kingdom

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Be confident of this very thing that God who has started this good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ

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The Redeemed Christian Church of GOD.
HOLY GHOST CONGRESS!
Theme: A NEW THING.
Date: 12-17 Dec, 2011.
Venue: Redemption camp, KM 46, Lagos Ibadan expressway, Nigeria.
You are invited!

Being confident of this very thing, that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6)

It’s impossible for you to fail

This should be one of our favourite scriptures. It should always remind us of the fact that we’re not walking alone, and assures us that God is more interested in our successes than we could ever be. The Lord is the One perfecting our lives, ensuring success in everything we do. Hence, it’s impossible for us to fail!

Well, your personal experience of life may have been one of failure. However, the Bible says “…as He (Jesus) is so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). Jesus never failed and there wasn’t a moment in His earthly ministry He wished He never came. You also must come to the realization that you shouldn’t fail; failure is inconsistent with your new nature in Christ Jesus.

Ignorance is what leads some Christians into difficulty. Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…”without the adequate knowledge of the Word, you can fail or remain in poverty or even be bound by one form of sickness or the other. So many have died this way in ignorance.

You need to know that God doesn’t get any glory from our failures or sufferings. He is glorified every time we take our stand on His Word!

Get into the Word today and walk everyday of your life in the glory of Our Heavenly Father! Amen!

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for bringing me out of darkness into Your marvellous light. Through the knowledge of the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, I stay strong and victorious every day. I’m more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus, and I declare that I will not fail, in Jesus Christ Name! Amen!

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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The power of humility

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The Redeemed Christian Church of GOD.
HOLY GHOST CONGRESS!
Theme: A NEW THING.
Date: 12-17 Dec, 2011.
Venue: Redemption camp, KM 46, Lagos Ibadan expressway, Nigeria.
You are invited!

The power of humility

“For by grace given me I say to every one of you. Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself only with sober judgement in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”  Romans 12:3

Humility is the opposite of pride. It is a mental attitude of holiness and its major characteristic is not thinking of oneself more highly than one ought to.

Jesus said to the woman with a possessed daughter “it is not right to give bread to a dog.” many would call that a mean statement. At that point she could have reacted negatively to the degrading statement made by Jesus, but she did not. The humility with which she accepted the statement, made Jesus confirm her faith “O woman great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt” and her daughter was made whole immediately.

It is humility that brings a soul to nothing before God, which also removes every hindrance to faith. One can only wonder what would have become of her daughter if she had reacted in pride like many would have.

Pride does not pay; the path to a higher life is from down upward, this is because; humility is the key to total sanctification and exaltation.

I must decrease that He (Christ) might increase!

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Hope and Faithfulness: God cannot disappoint you, His faithfulness is forever sure

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The Redeemed Christian Church of GOD.
HOLY GHOST CONGRESS!
Theme: A NEW THING.
Date: 12-17 Dec, 2011.
Venue: Redemption camp, KM 46, Lagos Ibadan expressway, Nigeria.
You are invited!

God cannot disappoint you, His faithfulness is forever sure. Hope and Faithfulness

Hope links with the future. Moreover, there is a link between hope and God because He is the One who controls tomorrow. Anyone in charge of tomorrow is definitely able to uphold hope.

Revelation 1:8 says, “I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, says the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, The Almighty”.

Hope is linked with tomorrow and God is the One who holds tomorrow. Do not let any man deceive you: no man holds tomorrow except God. This is why James warns against boasting about tomorrow while acknowledging that we need God – the one in control of tomorrow – to enter into tomorrow of our dreams (James 4:13-16). Many who bragged about tomorrow never lived to see it.

Another way God is linked with hope is through His faithfulness. Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that loves Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.”

God is extremely faithful. The quality of His faithfulness in keeping promises and agreements is unparalleled. There are some people around us who make simple promises that they can easily fulfil yet, they fail to fulfil them because they lack the discipline in faithfulness.

Putting all your hope in an unfaithful man can lead to great embarrassment and loss when the fellow suddenly disappoints you at a crucial time.

God cannot disappoint you! Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?”

God doesn’t only keep covenants but He is the greatest covenant keeper as He can fulfil His promise to an individual or a family for up to a thousand generations!

What a wonderful God we serve!

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Excelling In Life

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Excelling  In Life
by Pastor Afolabi

People often busy themselves with some  activity that they believe would give them an edge for excellence in various  areas of their lives. For some, it is enrolling for that extra on-the-job  course to sharpen their business acumen; for others, it’s hiring the services  of a pro trainer or coach to improve their skills in some sport. For some  others still, it is sitting for weeks, months or even years under the tutorship  of world class professors and ultimately obtaining a first class degree from  some renowned institution in well acclaimed areas of the world. And maybe for  some, recruiting the best skilled hands to execute the goals of their companies  or organizations would definitely do the “excelling” trick.

These are undeniably laudable efforts,  worthy of emulation. However, that individual who will become truly excellent  in his or her life must primarily learn and apply God‘s principles and skills  of living. Man is a created being; and must necessarily seek to know his  Creator, who having made the product, understands his full functions and  specified his operations; and thus knows what man can achieve, and how and when  best he can achieve it. The Bible is the product manual and must therefore be  the pivot and reference for whoever will maximize his potentials, and  ultimately excel at his endeavours as God’s divine product.

Excelling is not an act or performance,  which is here for a moment only to disappear into oblivion. Rather, it ought to  be a way of life. Excelling in life requires 100% usage of one’s mind; and  one’s capability and its utilization can be reviewed and improved by choice and  at will. A poet once said, “Few are born with talent that excel, but all  are capable of living well.” Rarely will an infant have an angel descend  at his birth and whisper in his ear “You are among the few born with  talent.” Often times, the infant himself grows up to recognize his  talents, and sets the ball rolling to achieve his goals, with a touch of  excellence. Not many are born into the world with the tag “WINNER”.  Thus, winning and doing so excellently is indeed a matter of choice.

So what you need to do is to always  acknowledge yourself as the best product of a painstaking manufacturer, laden  with innate abilities, great talents and limitless potentials. And these, when  put to the right and timely use, according to the principles provided in the  manufacturer’s manual – the Bible – will definitely produce excellent results.

Constantly apply yourself to training and imbibe fresh and   updated information in your field of expertise, or whatever area of endeavour   you seek to pursue. Become consistent, diligent and continually improve on your   skills and personality, always staying abreast of the facts in your field of   play. Soon enough, excelling in life will be your sweet story to tell.

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Jesus Loves You And He Understands Your Pains And Sorrows! The Lord Is Gracious And Full Of Compassion. Psalm 145:8

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Jesus loves you and He understands your pains and sorrows!

The Lord Is Gracious And Full Of Compassion. Psalm 145:8

I have a friend who was working in his home office one evening, trying to get some necessary paperwork done. His little girl, who was about 4 years old at the time, was playing around his desk, puttering about, moving objects here and there, pulling out drawers, and making a good deal of noise.

My friend endured the distraction with stoic patience until the child slammed a drawer on one of her fingers and screamed in pain. Reacting in exasperation he shouted, “That’s it!” as he escorted her out of the room and shut the door.

Later, her mother found her weeping in her bedroom and tried to comfort her. “Does your finger still hurt?” she asked. “No,” the little girl sniffled. “Then why are you crying?” her mother asked. “Cause,” she whimpered, “When I pinched my finger, Papa didn’t say, “Sorry!’”

Sometimes that’s all we need, isn’t it? Someone who cares and who will respond with kindness and compassion, someone who will say, “Sorry!” or “I love you!” We have One name Jesus who does that for us.

Jesus loves us, understands our pains and sorrows, and gave Himself for us (Eph. 5:2). Now we are to “Walk in love” and imitate Him. –David Roper

Knowing God – what comfort there,

Drawn by His eternal care;

Love from God- what joy we share,

Drawn into His mercies rare. – Branon

God’s whisper of comfort quiets the noise of our trials!

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend them from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Teach Us To Number Our Days That We May Gain A Heart Of Wisdom (Psalm 90:12) Grandfather’s Clock

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TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS THAT WE MAY GAIN A HEART OF
WISDOM (PSALM 90:12)

GRANDFATHER’S CLOCK

In 1876, Henry Clay Work wrote the song “My Grandfather’s
Clock.” The song describes a grandfather’s clock that faithfully ticks its way
through its owner’s life. Childhood, adulthood, and old age are all viewed in
relationship to his beloved timepiece. The refrain says:

Ninety years without
slumbering,

Tick, tock, tick,
tock,

His life’s seconds
numbering,

Tick, tock, tick,
tock,

But it stopped, short,

Never to go again,

When the old man died.

The relentless ticking of the clock reminds us that our time
on earth is limited. Despite the joys and pains of life, time always marches
on. For the believer, our time on earth is an opportunity for gaining wisdom.
The psalmist writes, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of
wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

One way of numbering our days is to ask ourselves these
kinds of questions: How can I become more like Christ? Am I reading the Bible
regularly? Am I devoting time to prayer? Am I meeting together with other
believers? The way we answer these questions is an indicator of the progress
we’re making in gaining wisdom and becoming more like Christ Jesus.

No matter the phase of life – childhood, youth, middle age,
or our senior years – life always afford us opportunities to grow in faith and
wisdom. Numbering our days is the wise response to life’s inevitable progress.

How are you progressing on your journey? – Dennis Fisher

Don’t spend your time
– invest it!

May God Almighty Our Heavenly Father
prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend them from all their enemies in Jesus
Christ Name, Amen!

 

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The Power Of Praise And Worship.

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The Power of Praise & Worship

By Dr. Dale A. Robbins.

Acts 16:23-26 “And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
(24) Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
(25) And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
(26) And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”

This Bible story begins the unjust arrest of Paul and Silas. Because they had cast a spirit of divination out of a girl, the local Philippian authorities beat them and then threw them into a jail cell. Besides the trauma of the severe beating, they were fastened in stocks which clamped their arms and legs in an immobile position, causing cramps and loss of circulation. The atmosphere there was depressing. According to the standards of that day, a prison was more like the resemblance of a dungeon. A dark, damp, stench-ridden place, with no facility for waste or comforts of any kind.

Yet, in spite of the throbbing pain in their bodies and the disheartening atmosphere, at midnight Paul and Silas were heard praying and singing praises to God! What a strange sound this must have been to the other prisoners, who were used to only hearing the groans or cursings of those who had been beaten.

Then suddenly, there was an earthquake that shook the prison! The doors flung open, and amazingly, the bonds of Paul, Silas, and every other prisoner were released! What caused this mighty discharge of power?

Praise Elevates us into God’s Presence and Power

Paul and Silas knew the secret of how to lift their hearts above their troubles and enter into God’s presence and power. Through praise and worship their hearts were raised into the joyous presence and peace of God, and provided God a channel for his power to operate in their circumstances.

The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). In other words, God “dwells” in the atmosphere of His praise. This means that praise is not merely a reaction from coming into His presence – Praise is a vehicle of faith which brings us into the presence and power of God! Praise and worship is the “gate-pass” which allows us to enter the sacredness of His glory. The psalmist writes, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalms 100:4).

This corresponds with Jesus’ teaching, that His presence will inhabit the gathering of believers who congregate in His name: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). A “gathering in His name” means that Jesus must be the focus, the center of the assemblage. He must be the one preached about, sung about — the one praised and worshiped. “I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:12). Consequently, Christ’s presence, along with His virtue and anointing, is manifested in this type of gathering.

Have you ever noticed when “gifts of the Spirit” operate in a church service? The power and anointing of the Holy Spirit usually becomes evident, subsequent to a time of worship and praise. Some think that worship is a response after the Holy Spirit moves upon them. However, it’s the other way around. God’s presence responds when we move upon Him with worship! Lifting up Jesus Christ through praise and worship invokes the Lord’s presence and power to flow in our midst.

What is Praise?

Praise means “to commend, to applaud or magnify.” For the Christian, praise to God is an expression of worship, lifting-up and glorifying the Lord. It is an expression of humbling ourselves and centering our attention upon the Lord with heart-felt expressions of love, adoration and thanksgiving. High praises bring our spirit into a pinnacle of fellowship and intimacy between ourselves and God — it magnifies our awareness of our spiritual union with the most high God. Praise transports us into the realm of the supernatural and into the power of God. “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance” (Psalms 89:15).

There are many actions involved with praise to God — verbal expressions of adoration and thanksgiving, singing, playing instruments, shouting, dancing, lifting or clapping our hands. But true praise is not “merely” going through these motions. Jesus spoke about the hypocrisy of the pharisees, whose worship was only an outward show and not from the heart. “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Genuine praise to God is a matter of humility and sincere devotion to the Lord from within.

Unpretentious praise and worship pleases the Lord. He delights in the love and devotion of His children. According to the scriptures, the various expressions of praise bring blessing to the Lord. He eagerly awaits the fragrance of our affections, desiring to manifest His sweet presence and power in our midst. “…the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23).

Praise to God is a Lifestyle

All too often, praise to God is something that many people leave at church, an event that happens only when they come together with other Christians. However, praise should be a part of a believers lifestyle, inter-mingled as a part of their daily prayer-life. At work, in the car, at home in bed, or anywhere; praise to the Lord brings the refreshing of the Lord’s presence, along with His power and anointing. “…I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalms 34:1).

Praise is an expression of faith, and a declaration of victory! It declares that we believe God is with us and is in control of the outcome of all our circumstances (Romans 8:28). Praise is a “sacrifice,” something that we offer to God sacrificially, not just because we feel like it, but because we believe in Him and wish to please Him. “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15).

Praise Sends the Enemy Running

Since praise manifests God’s presence, we also realize that praise repels the presence of the enemy, Satan. An atmosphere which is filled with sincere worship and praise to God by humble and contrite hearts is disgusting to the Devil. He fears the power in the name of Jesus, and flees from the Lord’s habitation in praise. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God” (Psalms 50:23).

When the children of Judah found themselves outnumbered by the hostile armies of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, King Jehoshophat and all the people sought the Lord for His help. The Lord assured the people that this would be His battle. He told them to go out against them, and He would do the fighting for them. So what did the children of Judah do? Being the people of “praise” (Judah actually means Praise), and knowing that God manifests His power through praise, they sent their army against their enemies, led by the praisers!

So on they went, ahead of the army declaring, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever!” And the scripture says, “…when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten” (2 Chronicles 20:22).

When God’s people begin to praise His name, it sends the enemy running! I challenge you to become a person of praise, and you will experience the release of the power of God!

Some Biblical Expressions of Praise

Declaring of thanks (Heb. 13:15)
Clapping hands and shouting (Psalms 47:1)
Musical instruments and dancing (Psm. 150:4)
Singing praise songs (Psalms 9:11)
Psalms, hymns, & spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19-20)
Making a joyful noise (Psalms 98:4)
By lifting our hands (Psalms 134:2)
By being still (Psalms 4:3-5, 46:10)
By being loud (Psalms 33:3, 95:1-6)
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For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son (Elected by grace)

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FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN
SON (ELECTED BY GRACE)

But ye are an elect
race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession,
that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness
into His marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9 ASV).

In Genesis 6, the Bible tells us of certain angels who
married the daughters of men and produced giants in the earth. Thus their seed
spread upon the earth till they had cousins and relatives everywhere. These were
not godly seeds; satan’s ploy was to pollute the human race. But God put a stop
to this pollution by destroying the whole world.

Satan knew God had promised that the seed of the woman would
bruise his head (Genesis 3:15), so by polluting the human race with the
corruptive seed of the giants, he hoped to nullify God’s plan. But he failed.
God had reserved eight people who were unmixed with the pollution – Noah and
his family! They were undefiled. The Bible says Noah found grace in the eyes of
the Lord, and he was a righteous man, perfect in his generations (Genesis
6:8-9). Thus through him and his family, God started a whole new generation.

Now, the Bible also lets us know that the whole world was
under condemnation for Adam’s transgression. But just as God reserved a remnant
for Himself in the days of Noah, “Even so
at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of
grace” (Romans 11:5). God, by sending His Son, Jesus, as sacrifice for sin,
reserved a remnant for Himself. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”.

Consequently, those of us who believe in Jesus and have
accepted and confessed Him as Lord of our lives are the remnant God has chosen
out of this condemned world. We’re God’s elect today, specially called out by
grace! Not only has He chosen us, He has made us a wonder to our world. Now,
we’re a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar
people, set to manifest His excellent wisdom and perfection to all creation.
What a glorious honour to be elected by God’s grace!

CONFESSION

I’m not of this
world; I’m God’s choice, chosen by His special grace before the foundation of
the world for glory and excellence. My life is a manifestation of the
supernatural because I was born a peculiar treasure unto God. My life is for
the glory of God. Amen!

www.rhapsodyofrealities.org

May God Almighty save
Nigeria and Israel from all their enemies in Jesus Mighty Name! amen!

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Be A Blessing To Others! Choose To Live A Meaningful Life; By Watering Others, You Water Yourself

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BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS! CHOOSE
TO LIVE A MEANINGFUL LIFE; BY WATERING OTHERS, YOU WATER YOURSELF

It is possible to give
away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose
everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he water
himself (Proverbs 11:24-25 TLB)

It’s not enough to live long; it’s what you live for that
really matters. There are those who live for more than a hundred years, but
made no impact in the lives of those around them; there was just nothing
significant about their lives. They really didn’t contribute to their society;
always “taking”, never giving back.

Are you contributing positively to the advancement of the
lives of those around you? This is a question you must ask yourself and truthfully
answer. Choose to live a meaningful life. One that’ll make the world move
forward, touching the lives of others in a positive way. Be a blessing to
others, and you’ll always be lifted, for you are lifted as you lift others!
Your promotion is in your promoting others. Your success is discovered when you
help others become successful. You’ll never discover the treasure God has kept
in you until you reach out to help someone else become something. That’s where
real joy is! This is because “The liberal
soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself”
(Proverbs 11:25). Hallelujah!

God will make happen for you what you make happen for
others. So keep helping those around you stand strong and tall; help them
discover their God-given potentials; be a part of their success story. If
you’re an employer, help those in your employ realize their dreams for success.
In the same way, as an employee in an organization, be diligent; commit
yourself to improving that organization. Make the progress of that organization
your priority, for in her prosperity shall you also prosper.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father,
I ask that You grant me today, the grace, wisdom and strength to always
recognize the need of those around me, that I may bring them hope, and inspire
them to success and greatness. I thank You for making me a lifter and helper of
others. Today, I choose to help someone be a success, in Jesus Christ Name.
Amen!

www.rhapsodyofrealities.org

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God Embraces Our Imperfections,That’s Why Jesus Came And Died For Us

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GOD EMBRACES OUR IMPERFECTIONS, THAT’S WHY JESUS CAME AND
DIED FOR US

God understands our imperfection, that’s why He sent His only
begotten son Jesus Christ, to redeem us from every condemnation (Romans 8:1; 3)

The popular little
story below illustrates it all:

“When I was a little boy, my mom liked to make breakfast
food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when
she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long
ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned toast in
front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad
did was to reach for his toast, smile at my mom, and asked me how my day was at
school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching
him smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite! When I got up from
the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for
burning the toast. And I’ll never forget what he said. “Baby, I love burned toast.”

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night, and I
asked him if he really liked his toast burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, “Little Buddy, your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she’s
real tired. And besides a little burnt toast never hurt anyone! You know, life
is full of imperfect things…..and imperfect people. I’m not the best
housekeeper or cook.”

What I’ve learnt over the years is that learning to accept
each other’s shortcoming – and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences –
is the one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and
lasting relationship. And that’s my prayer for you today – that you will learn
to take the good, the bad and the ugly part of your life and lay them at the
feet of GOD. Because in the end, He’s the only One who will be able to give you
a relationship where burnt toast isn’t a deal – breaker! We could extend this
to any relationship in fact – as understanding is the base of any relationship,
be it a husband – wife or parent – child or friendship!

Don’t put the key to your happiness in someone else’s pocket
– but into your own.

See through God’s eyes and feel through God’s heart, and you
will appreciate the value of every soul including yourself.

People will always forget what you do, and they will always
forget what you say, but they will never, ever forget the way you make them
feel.

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God Is More Willing To Give To You, Than You’re Willing To Receive

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GOD IS MORE WILLING TO GIVE TO YOU, THAN YOU’RE WILLING TO
RECEIVE!

And it came to pass,
when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus
fell on his face, and besought Him, saying, LORD, if thou wilt, thou canst make
me clean (Luke 5:12)

There’re lots of people today whose mindset is like that of
the leper in the scripture above. They know God has the power to do anything
for them but they’re not sure He’s willing to grant them the miracle they
greatly desire. “I don’t know if it’s
God’s will to heal me,” they’ll say, and then run to the doctor for help!

Notice that the leper didn’t question the power of God. He
knew God had the power to heal him. He had heard about Jesus the Healer, so he
wasn’t questioning His power to heal him of his leprosy. His only problem was
he didn’t know if Jesus would be willing to. In other words, he knew Jesus
could, but didn’t know if He would.

It often amazes me how people are quick to say they don’t
know God’s will while at the same time they demonstrate a desire for good
things. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is
God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” In
other words, that desire in you for good things is a reflection of God’s desire
and His will for you to have a good life. There’s no good father who wants his
children to go through life suffering. If you’re a good parent, you won’t plan
for your children to become victim in life; you’d work hard so they won’t have
to suffer.

You couldn’t be better than God in taking care of your
family. God is more willing to provide for you than you could ever be willing
to receive provision. He desires to bless you and give you good things more
than you’re ready to receive them. That’s why Jesus said you don’t need to make
vain repetitions when you pray (Matthew 6:7).

God loves you, and He’s more passionate and concerned about
your success and prosperity in life than you could ever be. He’s more willing
to give to you than you’re willing to receive.

CONFESSION:

Dear Father, thank you
for making your love known to me and enlightening the eyes of my understanding
to know that You’re willing to give me all things. I rejoice in the knowledge
of Your Word today, and declare that success, prosperity, victory and health
are mine in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

http://www.rhapsodyofrealties.org

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The Lord Is My Shepherd. I Shall Not Want.

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THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT.

God’s divine power
has already given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Note
that this scripture (2 Peter 1:2-3) is in the present perfect tense; therefore
it’s not a promise. This means that God has already done it; His divine power
has already given us all things that we need to live the good and prosperous
life. Praise God, all my needs are met and I have no reason to lack anything in
life! No wonder the Psalmist said, “The
Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

You must copy or imitate his mentality. You shouldn’t lack
for the Lord is now your Shepherd. He makes you lie down in green pastures, He
leads you beside the still waters, and He restores your soul (Psalm 23:3).

Refuse to lack anything. Reject the lack mentality. How do
you do this? It is by being supply – conscious! Don’t be afraid of your supply
drying up. Rather, look to your ever-loving Shepherd who supplies your every
need according to His riches in glory. Two men were asked the level of fuel in
the tank. One answered, “It is half-empty”. The other looked and happily
declared, “It is half-full”. Definitely, the first man was lack-conscious while
the second was supply-conscious. Learn to be supply – conscious.

Know this, you’re a child of God, therefore your life is in
the Shepherd’s hands. This is why you can say like the Psalmist, “The Lord is
my Shepherd, I shall not want for money, shelter  or food; I shall not want for any good thing
in this life.” Glory to God! Amen!

CONFESSION

Young lions may go
hungry or even starve, but I trust the Lord, therefore I will never lack
anything good. The Lord supplies all my needs according to His abundant riches
in glory by Christ Jesus, Amen!

www.christembassy.org

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All You Need Is The Word Of God; The Light Of Life; The Lord Jesus Christ Who Is The Word Of God Made Flesh

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Man is hopelessly lost until he receives God’s Word (2
Corinthians 4:3-4). The Word of God is the true light (John 1:9). This is the
light that you need to find your way through life. You see, the world is
pervaded by darkness and until you recognize the Word as the true Light, you’ll
continue to grope in life.

Fear, confusion, poverty, disease and death are all forms of
darkness. They all originated from the same source, the devil, who is himself
darkness. The reason many people fall by the way side in life is that they
didn’t have the light to go through the darkness of life and there was no light
for them to navigate, so they fell and plunged themselves deeper into darkness.

When you get a hold of the Word of God, your path becomes
illuminated and you’re able to find your way through life. If however you
neglect the Word and your choices are made in darkness, you’ll get yourself
into bigger trouble.

The Bible says, “He (God) sent His Word, and healed them,
and delivered them from their destructions” (Psalms 107:20). Therefore, it
makes no difference the type of darkness you’re going through today, all you
need is the Word of God; the Light of life; the Lord Jesus Christ Who is the
Word of God made flesh.

He said, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever
believeth on me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46). He’ll lead you
through the darkness of confusion, frustration, disease, poverty, and fear. You
can walk out of that darkness a victor today for the Light is coming to you
today through this devotional. Therefore, open your heart and receive
direction. Hallelujah! Amen!

PRAYER

Father, I thank You
for You have commanded Your Light to shine out of my darkness and this Light is
shinning in my heart. Therefore, my life is illuminated with the glory of your
Word; prosperity, and God – ideas are coming to me now and I’m making the right
choices in life, in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

www.christembassy.org

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God Has Given You The Victory, So Stand Firm and Be Unmovable

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2 kings
4:8-37 narrates the inspiring story of a Shuna-mmite wowan. Whenever the
Prophet Elisha went to shunem, he stayed in her house. However, this woman and
her husband didn’t have any child. When Elisha discovered this, he told her to
expect a son, and in due course, she had a son.

Trouble
struck few years later when the child died, but the woman knew what to do. She
quickly dashed off to the Prophet Elisha with only one declaration on her lips,
“It is well”. Though there was a problem, she kept affirming that all was well.
She had an expectation, and she held on to that expectation even when it seemed
impossible; she kept on declaring it until she got it.

Just as this
woman did, you have to look at your situation through the eyes of your spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:57-58 says, “…..thanks
be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable…..” Another
translation says, “……stand firm, let
nothing move you” (NIV). God has given you the victory, so stand firm and
be unmovable. Don’t allow your thoughts and senses rule you, let God’s Word and
His Spirit direct you.

When trouble comes, God’s will is for
something good to come out of it. At such times, you must remember He is with
you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. If He delivered you in the past,
He will do it again. Call those times of deliverance to remembrance and express
your gratitude to God for them. That’s how to trust God and hold on to Him with
joy even in adversity.

What problem
are you facing today? Put God’s Word first, declare what He says about that
situation; be steadfast and unmovable in Him and declare with joy that all is
well! Amen!!!!

CONFESSION

I DECLARE THAT IT IS
WELL WITH ME. I’M NOT MOVED BY WHAT I SEE IN THE NATURAL BUT STAND FIRMLY ON
GOD’S WORD; AND THE POWER OF GOD IS RELEASED TO CAUSE A DESIRED CHANGE AS I
SPEAK THE WORD TO MY SITUATION IN JESUS CHRIST NAME. AMEN!

www.christembassy.org

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Follow The Holy Spirit At All Times

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Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth,
is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself,
but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things
to come (John 16:13)

One of the
things you must do throughout this year is to yield to the Holy Spirit and
follow His guidance and counsel in all your dealings. No other personality in
this life is worth following but the Holy Spirit. He’s the greatest friend and
teacher you could ever know; he’s the One called alongside to go with you, and
to be with you and in you! He’s the One who guides you into all truth and
brings His Word to your remembrance.

Following
the Holy Spirit means yielding yourself to Him through the Word of God. You
cannot follow the Holy Spirit except you’re yielded to God’s Word; doing what
He says. This will reflect the beauty of God in you and help you live a more
excellent life. You’ll find yourself making the best decisions and the right
choices always. You’ll do the right thing the first time, be at the right place
at the right time and live an inspiring life.

How
important it is to be led by the Holy Spirit of God in all your affairs! No one
but Him can give you the true counsel and guidance in life. So be sure to yield
to Him with all your heart. Isaiah 30:21 says “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying. This is the way,
walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”
Also, He said through the Psalmist in Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I
will guide thee with my eye”. This is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in
your life, take advantage of it today and you’ll never lose your way.

CONFESSION

I YIELD MYSELF TO YOU
PRECIOUS HOLY SPIRIT TO BE LED, INSTRUCTED AND DIRECTED IN ALL MY DEALINGS
TODAY, AND THROUGHOUT MY LIFE TIME! AND ALSO AS I DO THIS, MY ENTIRE LIFE IS
TRANSFORMED FROM GLORY TO GLORY, IN JESUS CHRIST MIGHTY NAME. AMEN!

www.rhapsodyofrealities.org

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In The Name Of Jesus Christ Of Nazareth Heal The Sick

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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Stained glass at St John the Baptist’s Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus’ description of himself “I am the Good Shepherd” (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: “To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Then He called His twelve disciples
together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure
disease. And He sent them to preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick
(Luke 9:1-2)

God wants us
to pray with faith, boldness and the expectation that what we decree in prayer
will come to pass. He has given us the authority in the Name of Jesus to issue
decrees with daring audacity and have them established.

Some
religious folks however gripe at our boldness, asking, “Who do they think they
are, giving such decrees?” They expect us for instance, to pray and ask God to
heal the sick, instead of taking it upon ourselves to command the sick to be
healed in the Name of Jesus. Well, first of all, the Bible never says we should
pray to God to heal the sick rather, we’re to heal the sick.

There’s no
place in the Scripture where God asks that we pray to Him to heal the sick. In
Matthew 10:8, Luke 9:2, Luke 10:9, Jesus charged the disciples to heal the
sick; He didn’t ask them to pray to Him or to the Father to heal the sick. In
Mark 16:17-18 He said, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my
name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall
take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they
shall recover”. Jesus made it clear that we believers have been given the
authority in His Name to heal the sick.

In the third
chapter of the book of Acts, while Peter and John were at the gate of the
temple called Beautiful, they met a man who was impotent in his feet, never
walked from birth. Notice Peter’s language to the man: “…..Silver and gold have
I none; but such as I have give I thee:
in the Name Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). He
didn’t pray that God should heal the sick man. He was conscious of the
authority he had and knew that though he couldn’t give the man money at that
point in time, he could ‘give’ him healing in the Name of Jesus.

The nature
of God has been imparted to your spirit if you’re born again, therefore you’re
to reign as a king in life (Romans 5:17 AMP).

When you
pray for the sick, made bold decrees! Command the devils responsible for the
sickness to come out and that the sick be healed in the Name of Jesus. Expect a
change every time you issue such commands. This is the kind of prayer James
refers to as the prayer of faith in James 5:15.

PRAYER

DEAR FATHER, I THANK YOU FOR MY WORDS
ARE IMBUED WITH AUTHORITY FROM SPIRIT. THEREFORE, I SPEAK FORTH
AUTHORITATIVELY, HEALING THE SICK, CLEANSING THE LEPERS, RAISING THE DEAD,
CASTING OUT DEVILS, AND DEMONSTRATING GOD’S LOVE TO MY WORLD, IN THE NAME OF
JESUS CHRIST, AMEN!

www.rhapsodyofrealities.org

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