RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL ;

22ND JUNE , 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

SINCERITY ISN’T RIGHTEOUSNESS

For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).

In your walk with God, you have to understand that there’s a huge difference between sincerity and righteousness. Sometimes, we think that God should look at our sincerity and count it for righteousness, but it’s not so. No matter how sincere you are, it’ll never amount to righteousness.

God doesn’t hear and answer your prayers because you’re sincere, but because you’re righteous; because of Jesus; and your righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus. The Bible says, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Romans 5:18). Righteousness is what gives you right standing in the presence of God. Your sincerity never gives you right standing before the Father.

A whole lot of Christians pray and cry to God, pleading on their sincerity, because they’re not aware of the truth of God’s Word. Never use your “sincerity” as a currency; that’s not what works; it’s your faith—your faith in His righteousness—that produces results.

Having been declared righteous, you have a right to be heard in the presence of God; you have peace with God (Romans 5:1). This didn’t happen on the basis of your “sincerity” or personal effort; it happened because He gave you His righteousness. Never think of God as one you need to “impress” with your good works so He’ll accept you or do anything for you; Jesus already impressed Him in your behalf.

So, when you plead your case before God, it shouldn’t be on the basis of your “performance”or self-righteousness. Rather, let it be on the basis of your right standing with Him in Christ Jesus. God’s blessings in your life—His goodwill towards you—have to do with the righteousness of Jesus Christ; that’s why you can be bold in His presence to make demands in the Name of Jesus. Hallelujah!

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for my spirit is enlightened through your Word. I’m the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus; therefore, I reign in life and exercise dominion over circumstances, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

Romans 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

Acts 10:1-23 & Ezra 4-6

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

2 Corinthians 7:9-16 & Isaiah 9

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL;

20TH JUNE, 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

EXCITING BENEFITS OF PRAYER ;

Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

When you understand the importance and higher purposes of prayer, you’ll always be willing and excited to pray, especially in other tongues. One of the beautiful things the Holy Spirit has done in our lives as God’s children is to give us the ability to speak in other tongues.

When we speak in tongues, the utterance, the words we speak, aren’t man-made but from the Lord. Moreover, we aren’t speaking to men but to God: “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries” (1 Corinthians 14:2). When you pray in tongues, you’re in fellowship with the Father; you’re communicating with Him through the Spirit in a heavenly language. What a blessing that is!

Also, praying in tongues helps to stir up the power of God resident in your spirit. Though that power came into your life when you received the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), you’ve got to keep it active and in use for His glory.

Praying in tongues will keep you more “fit” spiritually, and responsive to the guidance and promptings of the Spirit. The more time you spend in fellowship with the Lord, praying in the Holy Ghost, the more His character and personality are revealed in, and manifested through you.

Some are only compelled to pray when they face crises in life, and that’s not right. We’re called into fellowship with our heavenly Father; that’s what prayer, and praying, is primarily for: fellowship!

Take your personal and corporate times of prayer very seriously. Create the opportunities in the course of your day to fellowship with the Lord through prayer, and your life will flourish from glory to glory.

PRAYER

How great thou art O Lord! Your glory, greatness, and majesty are beyond description. Thank you for your presence in my life, and your Word that builds and transforms me in ever-increasing glory. Thank you for the privilege of speaking in other tongues and to fellowship with you in such deep intimacy, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY

Acts 4:31; James 5:16 AMPC

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

Acts 9:1-31 & 2 Chronicles 35-36

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

2 Corinthians 6:11-18 & Isaiah 7

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL ;

18TH JUNE, 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

HAVE NO EXCUSE FOR MISSING CHURCH SERVICES ;

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:25).

A young man told the story of how he hadn’t attended church services for about four years, due to his tight work schedule. Moreover, there was no local assembly close to where he lived. That’s unacceptable. If you’re a Christian, you MUST be a member of a local church, and have no excuse for missing church services.

If there’re peculiar situations or challenges that hinder church attendance protractedly, there’re ways to go about them. You can participate live in church services through several online platforms that are available. If the constraint is distance or even the unavailability of internet service, you can request from your local assembly to pioneer a branch where you are. You can even volunteer your home as the venue.

Moreover, if you’re sure you have the spiritual maturity to be the coordinator, that’s okay too; just let the authorities in your local assembly know. There’s no reason good enough for any Christian to keep skipping church services.

The church is a place of hope, succour and solution. It’s a place of solution because in church, the Word of God is taught, and the knowledge of God’s Word is what puts you over in life. In church, your faith is built strong, and you also have the opportunity for rich fellowship with other believers and the Holy Spirit.

When those who were in Caesar’s house couldn’t come to church, what did the Apostle Paul do? He helped them start a church in Caesar’s palace. Think about that! And in Philippians 4:22 he made reference to the saints in Caesar’s household. We do the same for those who have been incarcerated for different offences and are serving jail terms that could span many years. We set up a “church” right inside the prison, so they’ll learn, fellowship and grow in Christ.

There’s no excuse good enough for continually missing church services. So, like the Lord Jesus (Luke 4:16), have the culture, routine, and personal discipline to always be in church when you should.

PRAYER

I’m so glad that I’m an active member of the church of the living God, where my life is constantly being upgraded with the Word. In your presence and fellowship, I’m continually built, strengthened and established in the truth of the Gospel, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY

1 Timothy 3:15; Luke 4:16

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

Acts 7:54-8:1-8 & 2 Chronicles 31-32

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

2 Corinthians 5:11-21 & Isaiah 4

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL ;

17TH JUNE, 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

RISE ABOVE THE ELEMENTS;

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

Nothing in life, including the weather and its elements, is set to your disadvantage. The different seasons—summer, winter, autumn, spring— were all created for your benefit.

In Genesis 8:22, the Lord said, “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” All the weather conditions have come to stay, because God made it that way. Nevertheless, He made them subject to you. It makes no difference how harsh the weather may be, you can rise above it.

Someone says, “I decided to take things easy, because I’ve been ‘under the weather’”; how could you be under the weather? Be above it! If you confess you’re under the weather, the debilitating effects of the atmospheric conditions will buffet you.

Some believe that during winter, there’s a sharp rise in the incidence of respiratory infections, such as the “colds” and the more severe “flu.” Thus, many never look forward to winter; they dread it. No! If you’re born again, you’re to rise above the weather and all its limitations and effects, with your words. This doesn’t necessarily mean that during winter the weather would suddenly become hot, no. It just means that no matter how cold it gets, it won’t have any negative effect on you.

The earlier you start professing words of faith to recondition the elements and circumstances in your favour, the better for you. When others say, “There’s cold and flu spreading like wildfire,” your response should be different; you’re to say, “In and around me is divine health, because I dwell in a different atmosphere; the atmosphere of the Holy Ghost.”

Even now, declare, “I rise above the weather conditions and the health or environmental issues they bring. I have eternal life in me; I’m indestructible, impregnable, and imperishable. I carry my own atmosphere everywhere I go.” Hallelujah!

PRAYER

In the Name of the Lord Jesus, I rise above all limitations and conditions that seek to put men under. I walk in the dominion and power of the Spirit over and above circumstances, and elements of this world. I acknowledge that all things work together for my good; therefore, I experience victory, prosperity, and success today and always. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY

Job 22:29; Mark 4:39-41; Isaiah 43:2

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

Acts 7:1-53 & 2 Chronicles 29-30

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

2 Corinthians 5:1-10 & Isaiah 3

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL;

15TH JUNE , 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW;

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ… (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).

Being in Christ or now that you’re born again, everything about your life is brand new and of God. If you found anything that’s not of God in your life—something that hurts, binds, demeans or limits you—rebuke it and it’ll be gone. That’s because all such things (old things) are passed away. The failures, sickness, poverty, and defeats of the past are all gone. That’s what the Word says.

The things that are permissible in your life are things that “are of God,” and that cancer isn’t of God. That pain, frustration, or crisis that has brought despondency isn’t from God. Reject it. You have a new life in Christ, and this new life destroys sickness and disease, because it’s the life of God.

You may say, “But I still feel the pain or effect of sickness or disease in my body, even though I’m born again”; refuse to cower. Rather, keep affirming, “I have a new life, and it’s the Christ-life; it burns up every trace of sickness and disease from my body.”

Keep vocalizing your faith like that, trusting what God has said: He’s called you to glory and virtue, not to poverty, sickness or death. The latter part of our theme scripture is equally powerful; it says God has “…reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ….” Some have only understood this from the perspective of being reconciled or made right with God in respect to our sins, but it’s much more.

To understand it better, look at it from the point of view of an accountant, reconciling and comparing records, to ensure they’re correct and in agreement—he reconciles everything to have a balance.

In a similar sense, everything about your life has been reconciled to ensure that the brand new and divine life that God ordained for you to have is what you actually have. There’s nothing good missing in your life. You’re excellent and full of glory; a perfection of beauty. Live with this consciousness, and there’ll be no room for poverty, defeat, failure or sickness in your life.

CONFESSION

I walk in newness of life, living out the glorious Christ-life predestined for me from the foundation of the world. I’m chosen, royal, peculiar, excellent, and full of glory. I walk in victory and dominion always. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY

Colossians 3:9-10; Romans 6:4

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

Acts 5:12-42 & 2 Chronicles 23-25

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 & Isaiah 1

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL ;

14TH JUNE, 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

“PROPHESY TO THE WIND”

…Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live (Ezekiel 37:1-5).

Are you aware that you can change hopeless situations and effect positive changes in your life through the creative power of God’s Word in your mouth? You can change anything through the gift of prophecy. To prophesy means to speak words of divine revelation and potency: words that have, and give life.

In our opening scripture, Ezekiel found himself in a valley full of dry bones, and the Lord asked him, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel’s response was, “Lord, you alone can tell”; it was a hopeless situation. Nevertheless, God said to Ezekiel, “Prophesy to these bones”; He needed Ezekiel’s cooperation.

Now, here’s the interesting thing: the first thing God said would happen to the bones following Ezekiel’s prophecy was that He would cause breath to enter into them. But read what happened: “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and…when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them” (Ezekiel 37:7-8).

Ezekiel prophesied as he was commanded, but the very first thing God said would happen to the bones didn’t happen; there was no breath in them. He brought this to God’s attention and God said to him, “…Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man…” (Ezekiel 37:9).

Notice the difference this time: he was to prophesy to the wind, not the bones now. When he did, the Bible says, “…breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army” (Ezekiel 37:10). This is as profound as it is instructive.

Sometimes, a word of prophecy comes to us, and we’re waiting for it to be fulfilled, and it doesn’t; so we think the prophecy was false. But we never asked the Lord what next to do as Ezekiel did. Ask the Holy Spirit the next step to take; the specific words to speak now. He’s our Instructor; He leads and guides us. He’ll show you what to do, and tell you what to say. Maybe you need to “Prophesy to the wind” too. Hallelujah!

PRAYER

Righteous Father, you have set me over the nations and over the kingdoms, to proclaim your goodness and declare your faithfulness to the ends of the earth. Your righteousness is established in the nations, and the Gospel of Christ prevails and is glorified in all the earth, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY

Romans 10:6-8; Romans 12:6; Hebrews 13:5-6

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

Acts 4:32-5:1-11 & 2 Chronicles 20-22

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

2 Corinthians 3:11-18 & Songs Of Solomon 7-8

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL;

13TH JUNE, 2018 ; PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME;

MAKE WAR WITH WORDS;

Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips (Hosea 14:2).

Being born again, we’re engaged in a spiritual warfare: a fight of faith. Actually, it’s called “the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). It’s a good fight because we always win. If a Christian loses in the good fight of faith, then he or she isn’t using the right arsenal; and part of that arsenal is prophecy.

In 1 Timothy 1:18, the Apostle Paul, by the Spirit, gave an important charge to Timothy, and by extension the rest of us, saying, “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.”

We make war with prophecies. Don’t let the Word of the Lord that has gone forth concerning your finances, health, family, business or career fall to the ground. Use them in your fight of faith. Make war with them. No matter what comes against you; no matter the challenges or crises you face, declare the Word.

It’s time to make war with those prophecies you wrote somewhere in your note or diary. God gave you those words for you to affirm the same in consent. If you don’t say it, it won’t work. “He said; so that we may boldly say…” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

For example, Isaiah 43:2 says, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Don’t just read that and be quiet; respond. Declare, “I’m forever protected and fortified against all evil and wickedness in this world. I dwell in the safety and peaceful habitation of the Almighty; a place of glory, dominion and everlasting joy, where I reign and rule with Christ over circumstances.”

In the face of trouble or adversity, make war with words. Affirm your victory. Hallelujah!

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for the Holy Spirit at work in me, and the ability He’s granted me to speak forth words of power. Even now, I declare that I’m functioning in supernatural supply, strength, ability, wisdom and knowledge; I know things by the Holy Ghost, and I’m walking in, and fulfilling my destiny in Christ, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY

Ecclesiastes 8:4; 1 Timothy 4:14-15; Hebrews 13:5-6

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

Acts 4:1-31 & 2 Chronicles 16-19

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

2 Corinthians 3:1-10 & Songs Of Solomon 5-6