Christian Daily Devotional

The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts..Haggai 2:9

YOUR RICHES ARE THE RANSOM FOR YOUR LIFE

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YOUR RICHES ARE THE RANSOM FOR YOUR LIFE;

“The ransom of a man’s life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke”(Proverbs 13:8).

The material and financial riches the Lord blesses you with aren’t just for you and your family to enjoy and spend. They are also to provide you with the seeds to sow in order to ransom your life from evil. Besides your general offerings and tithes, you also should be smart to give special seed-offerings from time to time. This is a vital aspect of the teaching on prosperity that some folks neglect.

You need to realize that though he is defeated, satan is a rebel and he continuously seeks to snare God’s people, hence the reason you must not give him a foothold in your life. Sowing special seed-offerings is one sure way to silence him and obliterate every hindrance he places in your way. The money and material wealth in your hand could sometimes be your weapon of war in the realm of the spirit! I’ve seen and heard testimonies of folks with terminal and medically hopeless ailments healed only after the afflicted one gave a special seed-offering. That offering became the ransom for his life!

With your riches, you can secure your future and those of your loved ones. If you’re in a situation right now where the walls seem to be closing in on you, it’s time to take a seed-offering; something precious to you-speak over it in faith and offer it to the Lord. That seed should be to you a representation of the value you place on the situation at that time, and surely, the Lord will move on your behalf.

When you operate with this wisdom, evil will be far from you. God Himself will become your security for the future. Your life will keep moving from glory to glory and from victory to victory.

Further Study:
Psalm 20:1-3;
Psalm 50:14-15

LIVE IN THE GREATER LIGHT OF YOUR PROSPERITY

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Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional

LIVE IN THE GREATER LIGHT OF YOUR PROSPERITY;

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich”(2 Corinthians 8:9).

You’re the heir of God: “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). Consequently, all of God’s wealth and resources belong to you. Now, how rich is God? The Bible says the silver, gold, precious stones and the whole world belong to Him: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8). “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine…for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof ” (Psalm 50:10-12).

So, as an heir of God, and joint heir with Christ, the silver, the gold, the cattle upon a thousand hills, the world and the fullness thereof belong to you as much as they belong to God. No wonder the Bible says “all things are yours” (1 Corinthians 3:21). See yourself in this light, for this is the truth about your prosperity. You’re the heir of the Sovereign; like Abraham, you’re the possessor of all things: “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).

There’s a greater truth for you to live by as far as your prosperity is concerned! You’re the heir of God. When this truth dawns on your spirit instead of being lack-conscious you’ll always be supply-conscious. When this becomes your mindset, you won’t see your job or business as your source of income, but as a medium to bless others. Understand this; your prosperity is a done deal. Jesus was made poor for your sake, so that you, through His poverty, might be rich, therefore live in the greater light of your prosperity.

Further Study:
James 1:17

LOOKING AWAY FROM THE CHALLENGE, FOCUS ON JESUS

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LOOKING AWAY FROM THE CHALLENGE, FOCUS ON JESUS;

“ Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”(Hebrews 12:2)

Matthew 15: 21-28 tells the story of the Canaanite woman whose daughter was grievously vexed with a devil. At first, all her attention was on the problem, as she desperately needed a miracle for her daughter who was vexed with a devil. Consequently, she sought the Master’s attention. But the Master didn’t respond, until she consciously turned away from the “distraction”-her present predicament, and shifted her gaze to the Master and worshipped Him.

The Master, in their ensuing dialogue commended her faith, and pronounced that her daughter was made whole. Thank God she had enough sense to take her eyes off her problems to look to the Master in worship. Learn to look away from the troubles, pain and distracting influences of this world, and consciously focus your attention on the Lord and His eternal Word. Rather than brood over pain or sickness, contemplate your healing; see yourself healed! Take the Word of God and meditate on it, and it will produce health and healing in you.

Another example of someone in the Bible who took attention away from her pain, focused on Jesus and got a miracle is the woman with the issue of blood. She suffered twelve long years but “when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.” (Mark 5:27).

Notice she had to press her way through the crowd to reach Jesus. She did that at the risk of her life, because she was hemorrhaging, and according to the Law in the Old Testament, anyone in her condition was said to be unclean. Thus, it was forbidden for her to make physical contact with other people, otherwise she would be stoned to death. But she defied all that.

You can touch Him through the Word. The way to focus your gaze on Him today is to focus on His Word. Look away from your difficulty unto the Word.

Further Study:
2 Corinthians 4:17-18

MIRACLES IN THE MIDST OF PEOPLE

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MIRACLES IN THE MIDST OF PEOPLE

“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”(Isaiah 43:2).

Christianity is a glorious life of blessings, victory and prosperity, but that doesn’t mean you won’t face challenges. However, those challenges are not meant to destroy you; they’re actually bread for you. They’re launch-pads for your promotion.

The Bible didn’t say you won’t go through the waters, but that when you do, you will not drown. Also, it didn’t say you’ll not go through fire, but that when you do, you’ll not be burned. The scriptures show us proof of this. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had refused to bow to the image of gold set up by King Nebuchadnezzar, and were therefore thrown into the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:12). But they got a miracle in the midst of the fire.

The Bible tells us that the bonds with which they were tied burnt off. The soldiers that threw them into the fire died instantly due to the intensity of the fire. Yet, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were unhurt. Why? The Lord was with them in the fire, and gave them a miracle right inside the fire.

So it doesn’t matter the challenges you might be facing right now, rejoice ever more, for right in the midst of that seeming impossible situation is your miracle! The Bible says “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” (James 1:2). There’s a testimony for you today; there’s a miracle for you as you celebrate the Lord and His Word, and the victory He’s brought you into. Don’t focus on the challenges; instead, see and talk your victory.

Let the victory song resound from your lips as you give glory to the Lord; for He commands light to shine out of darkness (2 Corinthians 4:6). Irrespective of the darkness-that difficult or challenging situation you may be facing right now-there’s a miracle for you; receive it.

Further Study:

2 Corinthians 4:6;
Daniel 3: 16-17

DON’T KEEP QUIET!

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Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional

DON’T KEEP QUIET!

“For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”(1 Corinthians 9:16).

The Lord Jesus made a profound statement in Matthew 5:15, He said, “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” We’re all supposed to burn and shine for the Lord with unquenchable zeal in manifesting His glory through the preaching of the Gospel to everyone in our world

This means you can’t keep quiet. You must do something with what you’ve heard. Like Paul, necessity is laid upon you to preach the Gospel. You’ve got to tell somebody else about the glorious life in Christ. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:19, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” This, today, ought to be your motivation for personal evangelism. This should spur you to go anywhere and do anything to preach the Gospel.

This was my inspiration many years ago, that made me go to hamlets, villages, cities, hospitals, schools etc., to preach the Gospel; and it’s still my motivation today. I’ve got to tell the untold about Jesus and the extraordinary life that He has made available to us. The supernatural life that He brought didn’t end with His death, burial, resurrection and ascension to heaven. He’s alive today, and reigns and rules in the affairs of men.

Nothing else in the world should matter to you more than the preaching of the Gospel. Don’t keep the revelations of the Gospel that you’ve received to yourself. Tell it everywhere. Make it known. Many in the world today still don’t know anything about Jesus. A lot of those who do, only know the history told them by some theologians, and not the spirit of it; this is one more reason we must keep preaching the Gospel, and not be quiet.

Further Study:
Jeremiah 20:9;

YOU’RE HERE FOR A PURPOSE

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Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

YOU’RE HERE FOR A PURPOSE;

“But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee”(Act 26:16).

Alot of people live very dull and uninspiring lives. They drift along in life, living without any sense of purpose. You were born for a purpose, and it’s important to discover your purpose in life. You might want to ask, “So what’s my purpose? Why am I here?” To find the answers to these questions, you’ll first have to understand what the word “purpose” means. Purpose is an idea or aim kept in the mind as the goal towards which one’s efforts are directed. It’s a definite intention; the object or reason for which something exists or is done.

Jesus was on earth for a specific purpose and He wasn’t in doubt as to what that purpose was. In John 10:10, He established His purpose: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” He knew He didn’t just come to the world to look around and die; His whole life was in pursuit of a purpose—to save and give life to all men.

In John 20:21, the Lord said, “Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” Thus, this is now your purpose; you’ve been sent to reach all men with the gospel of life. The day you gave your heart to Christ, He gave you His kind of thinking and made you a saviour just like Him: “And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s” (Obadiah 1:21). So, let your whole life be in pursuit of this purpose; be passionate about the enthronement of God’s Kingdom in the hearts of men, and its expansion to the ends of the earth. That way, your life will take on a whole new meaning.

Further Study:
1 John 3:8;
Isaiah 42:5-7

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PRAYER

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GOD CREATES NEW DESTINIES

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PRAYER;

“Never stop praying, especially for others… stay alert and keep praying for God’s people”(Ephesians 6:18 CEV).

Someone once said the only ingredient necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. How true! Many people blame God for things they are responsible for. For example, there’re those who make such statements as “If God didn’t want that thing to happen, why then did He let it happen?” Such people have forgotten or are unaware that the authority to establish the will of God in the earth, and keep the devil and his demons under their feet has been delegated to them.

We have a responsibility to ensure that whatever changes we seek in our lives are effected; and one of the ways we do this is through prayer. Using the story of James the brother of John, who was arrested by Herod during the persecution of the early Church as a case in point, the Bible gives us an example of the consequences of not taking up the responsibility of prayer. Perhaps, the brethren were thinking, “Herod doesn’t know the anointing on Brother James; he’ll be out of prison in no time.” So they did nothing.

Suddenly someone rushed in with the news: “Brother James has been killed!” Now, understand this: James was no ordinary disciple; he was one of the three closest disciples to Jesus. While they were still wondering, “Jesus, why didn’t you do something?” another bad news came: “Peter has been arrested.” Thank God this time around, they received wisdom. The Bible says, “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5).

As they prayed, Peter was miraculously set free by an angel (Acts 12:7). Oh! If only they had been wiser at first, James wouldn’t have been killed! Learn to take up your responsibility of prayer. You don’t have to wait for evil to strike before you learn to pray and cause changes in the Name of Jesus.

Further Study:
Luke 18:1;
Hebrews 13:3

YOUR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS DESERVE YOUR RESPECT

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DIVINE HEALTH; ENTER THE HEALING SCHOOL WITH PASTOR CHRIS

Rhapsody of Realities TeeVo

Friday, September 7

Pastor Chris

HONOUR YOUR FOLKS

(Your Parents And Guardians Deserve Your Respect)

TO THE BIBLE
Ephesians 6:1-3 CEV
“Children, you belong to the Lord, and you do the right thing when you obey your parents. The first commandment with a promise says, “Obey your father and your mother, and you will have a long and happy life.””

LET’S TALK

Isabella was invited to a late-night college party with her girlfriends. She prayed about it and then heard God’s voice ask her, “Have you told your parents about this?” So she told them and they, however, objected saying it wasn’t right for her. Though saddened about their reply, she obeyed and stayed at home that night. The next day, she got to hear that there was a fire outbreak at the venue of the party. Thank God she listened to her parents!

You see, God placed parents and guardians in the world for a reason, and He expects young people to pay them respect and honour. To “honour” means to “recognise, esteem or consider someone with great value.” Thus, honouring your parents or guardians means you recognise their role and value their contributions in your life. You do this by greeting them properly, talking and listening to them respectfully. Don’t be rude to them, and if you disagree with their point of view at any time, don’t react in anger. Rather, express yourself with humility and thank them for their corrections.

For some, the ones who gave birth to them may not be the ones who brought them up. Still, you have to honour both of them: those who gave birth to you and those who brought you up. The Bible says your days will be long in the earth when you do so.

GO DEEPER

Exodus 20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Deuteronomy 5:16
Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Mark 7:10
For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

PRAY

Dear Father, I thank you for teaching me today to honour my parents and guardians. I make up my mind to always love, recognise and respect them at all times in all things, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

DAILY BIBLE READING

ONE YEAR
2 Corinthians 6:3-7:1, Proverbs 20-21

TWO YEAR
Luke 21:20-28, 1 Samuel 26

ACT
Take up some domestic responsibilities or chores at home; don’t allow your parents do for themselves the things you ought to do for them.

GOD KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED!

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Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional

GOD KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED!

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him”(Matthew 6:7-8).

God never intended for you to wear yourself out in prayer just to get Him to do something for you. As a matter of fact, He never asked you to pray so He could do whatever it is you’re asking for, because there’s nothing He hasn’t already done for you. He asked us not to pray like the heathen, using vain repetitions, why? It’s because He already knew everything you’d ever need, ever before you came on the scene, and made them available to you. So, why then does He want you to pray?

The reason for prayer is to get you synchronized with God’s will and destiny for your life, not so you can ask Him for things. The privilege and opportunity granted us to pray in the Holy Ghost and groan in the spirit is to help position us in God’s place, in God’s time, for God’s purpose in God’s way. So as you spend time to fast and pray about the coming year, do so with this understanding. Make it a time of fellowship; a moment of divine ecstasy and intimate worship of the Lord, in spirit and in truth.

Really, what would you want to ask of someone who already gave you everything? According to the provisions of the Gospel, there’s nothing today that you’ll like to have that you don’t already have. The Bible says “all things are yours” (1 Corinthians 3:21). When you know this, it becomes really superfluous, and even foolish to start asking God for things. I get ashamed to ask God for anything; there’s nothing for me to ask for. He already gave us all things in Christ Jesus. He’ll see to it that whatever you need at every point is available to you, and that takes the stress out of your life.

Further Study:
2 Peter 1:3;
Romans 8:32

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT OPTIONAL

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Rhapsody of Realities Teevo

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT OPTIONAL;

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9).

Ayoung Christian lady asked me one time if a Christian without the Holy Spirit could still go to heaven. Such a question clearly reveals the fact that there are believers who are yet to fully appreciate the ministry of the Holy Spirit and its importance in our lives as Christians.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. The Word of God clearly commands us to be filled with the Spirit, (Ephesians 5:18). So the question of whether we should or should not have the Holy Spirit doesn’t arise. The presence of the Holy Spirit in a Christian is compulsory and therefore not a subject for debate. You can’t live a true Christian life without the Spirit.

Even the Lord Jesus couldn’t do without the Holy Spirit. He became “the Christ” only after He had received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38), and needed Him to carry out His ministry. It therefore follows that everyone who truly believes in Jesus must receive the Holy Spirit. The Lord underlined the indispensability of the Holy Spirit to the believer when He commanded His disciples to “wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me” (Acts 1:4).

Also, from the parable of the ten virgins which Jesus told in Matthew 25:1-12, we can understand that the presence of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life is a necessary requirement for the rapture. He said the five foolish virgins missed the bridegroom because they didn’t have extra oil for their lamp, and oil, in that parable, signifies the presence of the Holy Spirit. So having the Holy Spirit is so important for everyone who wants to live the authentic Christian life, in anticipation of the rapture of the Church.

Further Study:
Acts 19:1-2;
Romans 8:14

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