RHAPSODY OF REALITIES TEEVO DEVOTIONAL

26TH MAY , 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

INSERT YOUR NAME

(Put Your Name There In The Scriptures)

TO THE BIBLE 3 John 1:1-2 NIV

“…To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”

LET’S TALK

The Apostle John established the fact, that above everything else, it’s God’s desire that we prosper in all things: spiritually, mentally, physically and materially. God’s dream is for us to be excellent and live in divine health always. Someone might say, “But that statement in our opening scripture was specifically addressed to Gaius; so it’s not applicable to us today.” Well, 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable…”; therefore, this beautiful thought John penned down is from the Spirit of God, and it’s still as relevant today. Gaius has gone to heaven, the apostles are in heaven; we’re the ones on the scene today.

Matthew 24:35 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” His Word is for now; so, 3 John 1:2 isn’t for Gaius today; it’s for you, because it’s consistent with the provisions of the Gospel of Christ. You might as well read the entire opening verse again, and instead of Gaius, insert your name. That’s what you do with God’s Word; you make it personal to you, because His Word is to you personally.

When you hear or study the Scriptures, especially the Epistles, personalise the Word; insert your name. For example, don’t just read Philippians 4:13 as though it was only for the Apostle Paul. If your name is Brian, say, “I, Brian, can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” Take possession of the Word; apprehend it and make it yours. Don’t say, “He’s talking to us”; no! Say, “He’s talking to ME!” The Word of God is for you to live in, and live by. Always personalise the Word for your progress and blessings.

Go Deeper

Acts 20:32; Psalm 119:162

Pray

Dear heavenly Father, I yield to the Word, which prevails in my life, causing me to consistently make progress and walk in your glory. I prosper in my spirit, soul and body, and in every area of my life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

ONE YEAR

John 12:20-50, 2 Kings 18-19

TWO YEAR

Mark 13:1-11, Numbers 29

Act

Insert your name in and make personal confessions out of Ephesians 1:3, Philippians 4:13, 1 John 5:4 and declare them all the day.

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES TEEVO DEVOTIONAL

25TH MAY, 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

DON’T GLANCE; GAZE!

(As You Look At The Lord, You’re Changed)

TO THE BIBLE Hebrews 12:2 CEV

“We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God’s throne!”

LET’S TALK

Everything the Father is and has is in Jesus. Colossians 2:9 says, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” He’s the expression of the totality of divinity. Now you can understand why He said, “…He who has seen Me has seen the Father…” (John 14:9).

In the eleventh verse of the same chapter, He said, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me…” (John 14:11). Therefore, to behold Jesus is to behold the Father.

Today, we see Him in the Word, for He’s the living Word. He’s the beauty of God. Another beautiful thing is that the more you know Jesus, the more you see Him in, and through the Word, the more you know and see yourself, because you’re in Him.

You can’t know Jesus without discovering yourself. The Bible says as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). So, to know Him is to know yourself.

No wonder the Bible says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). The glory of God is Jesus Christ; He’s the effulgence or brightness of God’s glory, and the express image, reflection, and reflector of God’s glory.

Keep your eyes on Him and be continually metamorphosed from glory to glory. James 1:25 says anyone who continues to look is blessed. In other words, he’s like a tree planted by the rivers of water, forever fruitful, productive, and prosperous in all things.

Go Deeper

James 1:22-25

Pray

Dear Father, I thank you for your Word that transforms me from glory to glory. As I study and meditate on your Word, I’m metamorphosed, and positioned for the higher life of glory and triumphs, filled with strength, courage, faith and wisdom to do your will, and fulfil my destiny in you, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

ONE YEAR

John 12:1-19, 2 Kings 16-17

TWO YEAR

Mark 12:35-44, Numbers 28

Act

Meditate on Psalm 17:15 NASB: “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.”

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES TEEVO DAILY DEVOTIONAL

23RD MAY,2018; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME

TAKE A BREAK!

(Rest And Sleep Are Very Vital To Your Health)

TO THE BIBLE Psalm 127:2 GNB

“It is useless to work so hard for a living, getting up early and going to bed late. For the LORD provides for those he loves, while they are asleep.”

LET’S TALK

One of the ways to improve your health is making sure you have good enough rest for your physical body, and good sleep has a role to play in this. It’s recommended to sleep for a certain number of hours every day. Although some people say, “There’re days that I sleep throughout; and then other days, I just stay awake.” That isn’t a normal lifestyle.

If you’re that way, always cutting back on sleep, then you’ve got to reorder your lifestyle. For instance, before bed, switch off your mobile devices and quit the nightly online browsing. You’re not supposed to go on for several days without sleep, hoping to make up by sleeping eventually for twenty-four hours. That’s not ideal.

God made both day and night on purpose. The night has a cooling effect on the natural body. The biological effects of night are to cause you to sleep, to create the instincts of sleep, yet some people will still not want to give in to sleep when it looms. Such a lifestyle isn’t too good for your health, and could even impact your eyes negatively.

God wants you to be at rest, full of vibrancy, health, and strength. He wants you to improve and extend your health by learning to care for your physical body. Your body is your house, and you’re the custodian of it. Also, keep fit and do physical exercises. 1 Timothy 4:8 says bodily exercise profits little; it doesn’t say that it profits nothing.

Keep your body healthy and strong, through the consistent application of the Word of God, and proper hygiene with a basic health regimen. Make your body healthier, so you can serve God better!

Go Deeper

1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Psalm 4:8; Psalm 127:2

Speak

Divinity is at work in me, in every fibre of my being, every cell of my blood, and in every bone of my body! I refuse to let sickness dominate my body, for my body is the temple of the living God, and the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me! I’m guided by wisdom to offer my body as a living sacrifice unto God! I live in health today, and always! Hallelujah!

Daily Bible Reading

ONE YEAR

John 11:1-16, 2 Kings 10-12

TWO YEAR

Mark 12:18-27, Numbers 26

Act

Find out what King Solomon said God did for him in 1 Kings 5:4.

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES TEEVO DEVOTIONAL

22ND MAY , 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

GRACEFUL SPEECH

(Learn To Use The Right Words As You Speak)

TO THE BIBLE Ephesians 4:29 MSG

“Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.”

LET’S TALK

Yvonne wasn’t careful with her words: “Buzz off!” “You must be stupid or something” “Whatever!” were common words from her lips; she always thought it was really cool to communicate that way, until one day while reading her Bible, she came across Proverbs 18:2 which read “Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse; all they do is run off at the mouth” (MSG). From then on, she became choosy with her words and spoke to lift others up, rather than pull them down.

From our opening scripture, it’s clear that the Spirit of God doesn’t want us engaging in unwholesome or corrupt communication. The words that proceed out of your lips should be words that’ll minister healing to a broken heart, courage to the one who’s discouraged and depressed, and comfort to the one who’s in despair.

God wants you to carefully choose the words you communicate with. Colossians 4:6 CEV says “…Choose your words carefully and be ready to give answers to anyone who asks questions.” When you speak, let your hearers get blessed, uplifted and edified because your words are seasoned with grace. Don’t be like some people who are used to only criticizing others. Choose to bless and pray for others instead.

Damaging words are more destructive than physical weapons of war. Thus as a Christian, choose to communicate like your heavenly Father. Let your words be kind and affectionate. Refuse to have itching ears for gossip, and don’t company with those who are fond of discussing the affairs of others. Let your words concerning people be graceful, inspiring, motivating and encouraging.

Go Deeper

Proverbs 11:11, Proverbs 26:20, Isaiah 50:4

Speak

I only speak words that minister grace and edify those who hear me. I refuse to engage in any unwholesome communication. My words are always inspiring, motivating, encouraging and always full of grace!

Daily Bible Reading

ONE YEAR

John 10:22-42, 2 Kings 8-9

TWO YEAR

Mark 12:13-17, Numbers 25

Act

Practise using graceful words today. For instance, you can show appreciation for what others do for you by the kind of words you use e.g. “Thank you”, “I appreciate you” and so on.

TEEVO DAILY DEVOTIONAL

21ST MAY , 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

KICK ALL FEAR OUT!

(Don’t Entertain Anything Of Darkness)

TO THE BIBLE Isaiah 41:10 MSG

“Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.”

LET’S TALK

Some Christians have asked, “What if there’re demons ganging up against me, shouldn’t I go for deliverance?” No, don’t go for deliverance; go for the Word! A Christian doesn’t need deliverance from satan or anything of darkness. If he’d just learn, and apply the Word of God, he’d always win, irrespective of how many demons are out there. Think about it: How many rats will be enough to agree together to attack a cat? There’s a natural fear of the cat inside the rats. Likewise, fear nothing, and fear no one!

God has called you, and sent you as His ambassador to your world; you’re a minister of reconciliation. Everything has to respond to that call. You have a mandate from heaven, which you must fulfil; let nothing stop you, for you’re bigger, stronger, and greater than the adversary. God said of the children of Israel as they journeyed from nation to nation, “This very day I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble and be in anguish because of you” (Deuteronomy 2:25 NIV).

1 Chronicles 16:20-22 NIV also says, “They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. He allowed no man to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.” Have no fear in you. Christ Jesus is greater than all. He said, “…the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (John 14:30). Satan has nothing in you. Give him no room. Refuse to fear.

Go Deeper

John 16:33; 1 John 4:4

Speak

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for the victory I have over the devil, the world, and circumstances. Satan has nothing to his advantage in me, because I’m born of the Word, and walk in the Spirit. Fear, doubt, unbelief, sickness, infirmity, failure, and poverty are not a part of my experience of life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

ONE YEAR

John 10:1-21, 2 Kings 6-7

TWO YEAR

Mark 12:1-12, Numbers 24

Act

Say this continually, “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

TEEVO DAILY DEVOTIONAL

19TH MAY , 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

USE YOUR ABILITIES ;

(Faith, Hope And Love: Three Important Virtues In You)

TO THE BIBLE 1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

LET’S TALK

The Bible shows us that there’re three important virtues that God has given to human beings. Cats and dogs don’t have them, neither do demons nor angels; only human beings express these three virtues, as clearly delineated for us in the above scripture. Now, faith is the ability to acknowledge the invisible and to act, in spite of sensory perceptions. Hope is the ability to confidently expect good and to project into the future.

Love is the ability to give and accept value, trust, and fellowship. If you observed these definitions closely, you’d have noticed the emphasis on the word, “ability.” In reality, these three are abilities; they’re important abilities and virtues.

God gave these abilities of the human spirit to us as tools. If they’re tools, then we must use them. Let’s take faith for example: Jesus was with His disciples in a boat and was sleeping at the rear. A strong wind arose, and water began to flow into the boat.

Agitated, the disciples woke Jesus up and said, “Master, don’t you care that we’re in danger?” But He responded by asking them, “Where is your faith?” (Mark 4:38-40). In other words, “You should have used your faith.”

The problem wasn’t the wind, neither was it the water; it wasn’t the circumstances either. What Jesus asked for was their faith. He was saying to them, “No matter what happens to you in this world, no matter the circumstances in which you find yourselves, what you need is your faith. Always put it to work.” The only principles that’ll exist in the world to come are faith, hope, and love.

That’s why it’s essential for us to understand them and put them to work. We’ve been given abilities that aren’t unstable, but remain always. They’ll always work and produce results for us.

Go Deeper

Romans 5:5; Hebrews 11:1; Hebrews 6:19-20

Pray

Thank you, dear Father, for your indescribable gifts and abilities at work in me. As a good steward of your manifold grace, I’m perfected in every good work to do your will, doing that which is well-pleasing in your sight, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

ONE YEAR

John 8:48-59, 2 Kings 1-3

TWO YEAR

Mark 11:12-26, Numbers 22

Act

Where else can you can find the words “faith,” “hope,” and “love” in Scripture? Scribble some of those scriptures below.

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES TEEVO

18TH MAY , 2018 , PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME

STOP AND LISTEN

(Let The Word Produce In You What It Talks About)

TO THE BIBLE Isaiah 55:10-11 NASB

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

LET’S TALK

“Martinez, why do you get so restless when the message is just about to start?” the youth pastor enquired, “I see you when you stand up to go outside the church halls during the Word. What’s going on?”

“Um, I don’t know,” Martinez began, “sometimes, I get a call that’s very important and I’ve got to receive it. Some other times, my friends online want to video chat with me, and at other times, I need to use the public convenience.”

“Hmm, these aren’t valid reasons to miss out on what the Lord wants you to hear. The Word is your life! Without it, your faith won’t be built up, Martinez.”

“I’m sorry, Pastor; I’ll behave next time,” Martinez said. It would seem contradictory to think that some people who go to church don’t have time to listen to the Word. Some of them love the music; they enjoy the music ministrations, after which they leave the church service. They don’t wait for the message, because they have no value for the Word. The Word of God is too important.

To value the Word is to value Jesus, for Jesus is the living Word. When the Word of God is taught in church, it’s not only so we can learn it or just for us to believe and act upon it, but it’s also for the Word to reproduce itself in us. It’s the greatest benefit we derive from the Word of God. Hallelujah!

As you listen to, and believe the Word, the creative power therein comes into effect and transforms your life. That’s the mystery of the spoken Word! The ministration of God’s Word produces in you what it talks about. God’s Word has the divine power to do what it says, unlike man’s words. Anyone can say anything, but when it’s the Word of God, it has the power to affect our human spirits. There’s a miracle power about it that works.

Go Deeper

Psalm 107:20; Joshua 1:8; Hebrews 4:12

Pray

Dear Father, I thank you for the wonder-working power of your Word; it heals the sick and raises the dead. The Word works in and for me always, producing the results of what it talks about, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

ONE YEAR

John 8:31-47, 1 Kings 22

TWO YEAR

Mark 11:1-11, Numbers 21

Act

Write down what the Word does in you when you study these scriptures: Proverbs 2:10-11, Psalm 119:67, Proverbs 4:20-22, and Luke 10:38-42.

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES TEEVO

16TH MAY , 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

HE’S THE FIRST-BORN;

(Like Jesus, We’re True Sons And Daughters Of God)

TO THE BIBLE Romans 8:29 RSV

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren.”

LET’S TALK

As Christians, we’re not ordinary; we’re like Jesus: glorified, full of power, dominion and authority. We’re not beggars, slaves, or paupers; we’re sons and daughters of God. Some Christians act or talk like beggars when they pray; they’d say, “Father, we’re nothing before you….” How can we be nothing before the One who has brought us into oneness with Himself?

Read the opening verse again; it says we were predestined to be conformed to the image of the Son of God, Jesus Christ—the firstborn among many brethren—not among many slaves.

We’re His brothers and sisters. Let this understanding change your perception of God, and your opinion of yourself. Instead of praying, “Oh Lord, please help me; bless me, do this or that for me” say, “Lord, I thank you that I’m blessed in all things, and with all things, because I’m a joint-heir with Christ.”

Oh, the depth, enormity and magnitude of His love, to have brought us into such a wonderful union with Himself! What a great honour to become partakers of His life, carriers of His glory, dispensers of His grace and the expression of His righteousness!

His plan for us before the foundations of the world has been fulfilled in Christ Jesus. The Bible says now are we the children of God (1 John 3:2); not later; not when we get to heaven, but NOW! Hallelujah! After His resurrection, the Bible no longer refers to Jesus as the only begotten of the Father.

Rather, He’s called the firstborn from the dead (Revelation 1:5); that is, the first to be born again. When we were born again, we became God’s born children just like Jesus. He’s the first-born among a special race of superbeings, and we’re not second to Him, we’re one with Him.

Go Deeper

Ephesians 2:19-22; Matthew 28:10; John 20:17

Pray

Father, I thank you for the privilege and honour to know that you delight in me personally. In your presence, I have mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Before I call, you answer; and while I’m yet speaking, you hear me. I’m conditioned by your love to walk in joy, victory, and prosperity always, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

ONE YEAR

John 7:25-8:1-11, 1 Kings 18-19

TWO YEAR

Mark 10:32-45, Numbers 19