⏰WED. 23RD OCTOBER 2024
❗️YOU DON’T NEED TESTIMONY FROM DEMONS
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And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us…The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour (Acts 16:16-18).
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From what we just read, someone might wonder, why was Paul grieved; wasn’t the girl telling the truth? Paul and his companions were indeed servants of the most high God, and that’s what the girl was chanting. Well, Paul perceived that she was speaking by an evil spirit; that’s why he was grieved, turned to the girl and commanded the evil spirit to come out of her in the Name of Jesus, and she was instantly free.
The girl’s words might have been factual, but we don’t need the testimony from demons to tell us who we are. It brings to mind the words of Jesus in John 5:34, "But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved" (John 5:34). The Lord didn’t need human approval, let alone the testimony of demons. Mark 1:23-25 says, “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.” The Father had already testified of Jesus, and His works also bore witness to His divine mission (John 5:36-37).
Likewise, Paul understood that no testimony from demons, even if factual, was acceptable. Some people might feel a sense of pride or validation if a demon were to recognize their spiritual authority. However, we must understand that our validation comes from Christ, not from the acknowledgement of men or demons.
When the girl declared, "These men are the servants of the most high God," it was not a godly declaration but a deceptive act of the devil hiding behind her voice. Paul’s anger wasn’t from a human point of view; rather, he was spiritually grieved. This is why he commanded the spirit to come out of her. You must also reject any voice of the devil that pretends to speak for God and cast them out when they manifest themselves.
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, thank you for the authority we have in Christ Jesus. I stand firm in the truth of your Word, led by your Spirit always to discern every deceptive voice and reject anything that is not from you. My validation is from Christ alone, and I exercise his authority with boldness and wisdom, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Mark 1:23-25 NIV; Luke 4:41; 1 John 4:1
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Timothy 5:1-25 & Jeremiah 13-14
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 11:17-40 & Ezekiel 22
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
❗️YOU DON’T NEED TESTIMONY FROM DEMONS
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And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us…The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour (Acts 16:16-18).
━━━━━━━━━━
From what we just read, someone might wonder, why was Paul grieved; wasn’t the girl telling the truth? Paul and his companions were indeed servants of the most high God, and that’s what the girl was chanting. Well, Paul perceived that she was speaking by an evil spirit; that’s why he was grieved, turned to the girl and commanded the evil spirit to come out of her in the Name of Jesus, and she was instantly free.
The girl’s words might have been factual, but we don’t need the testimony from demons to tell us who we are. It brings to mind the words of Jesus in John 5:34, "But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved" (John 5:34). The Lord didn’t need human approval, let alone the testimony of demons. Mark 1:23-25 says, “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.” The Father had already testified of Jesus, and His works also bore witness to His divine mission (John 5:36-37).
Likewise, Paul understood that no testimony from demons, even if factual, was acceptable. Some people might feel a sense of pride or validation if a demon were to recognize their spiritual authority. However, we must understand that our validation comes from Christ, not from the acknowledgement of men or demons.
When the girl declared, "These men are the servants of the most high God," it was not a godly declaration but a deceptive act of the devil hiding behind her voice. Paul’s anger wasn’t from a human point of view; rather, he was spiritually grieved. This is why he commanded the spirit to come out of her. You must also reject any voice of the devil that pretends to speak for God and cast them out when they manifest themselves.
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, thank you for the authority we have in Christ Jesus. I stand firm in the truth of your Word, led by your Spirit always to discern every deceptive voice and reject anything that is not from you. My validation is from Christ alone, and I exercise his authority with boldness and wisdom, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Mark 1:23-25 NIV; Luke 4:41; 1 John 4:1
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Timothy 5:1-25 & Jeremiah 13-14
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 11:17-40 & Ezekiel 22
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰THU. 24TH OCTOBER 2024
🌽WE PRODUCE FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
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For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
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We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. This statement is so powerful, and it’s absolutely important that every child of God understands it. This verse clearly states that you’re called to produce fruits of righteousness (Philippians 1:9-11) and manifest works of righteousness. You display the virtues and perfections of Him that called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.
The Lord Jesus, in John 15:1-5, reveals that He is the Vine, and we are His branches. That means we’re the fruit-bearing part of the Vine. Christ is the head, and we are members of His Body, with the same quality of life as the Lord Himself. Hallelujah! What does that make you? A solution package, a problem-solver. Think about Jesus: everywhere He went in Bible days, multitudes thronged Him. They came to Him with their catalogue of problems, and He solved their problems and met their needs. He was the solution they needed.
The Bible says as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). Therefore, when you come into a place, it makes no difference what trouble may have been there prior to your arrival, you come in as the righteousness of God and there’re answers and solutions. You produce fruits and works of righteousness. You bring God’s truth into every situation.
So, whether on the street corner, or in your office, at home, school, or place of business, you’re the expression of the righteousness of God. Your ministry is to produce the righteousness of God everywhere and bring the rightness of God into every matter.
🗣 C O N F E S S I O N
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I’m called to produce fruits of righteousness, displaying the virtues and perfections of Christ in every situation. I’m a problem solver. I bring the truth and rightness of God into every matter. I walk confidently in God’s preordained path for me, the path of glory and righteousness, showing forth His virtues and perfections, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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John 15:1-5; Philippians 1:9-11; 1 Peter 2:9 AMPC
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Timothy 6:1-21 & Jeremiah 15-16
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 12:1-13 & Ezekiel 23
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
🌽WE PRODUCE FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
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For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
━━━━━━━━━━
We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. This statement is so powerful, and it’s absolutely important that every child of God understands it. This verse clearly states that you’re called to produce fruits of righteousness (Philippians 1:9-11) and manifest works of righteousness. You display the virtues and perfections of Him that called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.
The Lord Jesus, in John 15:1-5, reveals that He is the Vine, and we are His branches. That means we’re the fruit-bearing part of the Vine. Christ is the head, and we are members of His Body, with the same quality of life as the Lord Himself. Hallelujah! What does that make you? A solution package, a problem-solver. Think about Jesus: everywhere He went in Bible days, multitudes thronged Him. They came to Him with their catalogue of problems, and He solved their problems and met their needs. He was the solution they needed.
The Bible says as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). Therefore, when you come into a place, it makes no difference what trouble may have been there prior to your arrival, you come in as the righteousness of God and there’re answers and solutions. You produce fruits and works of righteousness. You bring God’s truth into every situation.
So, whether on the street corner, or in your office, at home, school, or place of business, you’re the expression of the righteousness of God. Your ministry is to produce the righteousness of God everywhere and bring the rightness of God into every matter.
🗣 C O N F E S S I O N
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I’m called to produce fruits of righteousness, displaying the virtues and perfections of Christ in every situation. I’m a problem solver. I bring the truth and rightness of God into every matter. I walk confidently in God’s preordained path for me, the path of glory and righteousness, showing forth His virtues and perfections, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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John 15:1-5; Philippians 1:9-11; 1 Peter 2:9 AMPC
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Timothy 6:1-21 & Jeremiah 15-16
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 12:1-13 & Ezekiel 23
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰FRI. 25TH OCTOBER 2024
📖AUTHORITY RESTORED
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For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous (Romans 5:19).
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In Matthew 4:8-9, we read the account where the devil tempted Jesus by offering Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory on the condition that Jesus would bow down and worship him. The devil was not merely offering wealth or power, he was calling for worship, demanding that Jesus acknowledge his authority over the world.
To understand this, let’s examine the same account in Luke 4:5-7, where the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and says, “...All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it” (Luke 4:6). The devil claimed that all the power and glory of the world were delivered to him, but how did he get them? Certainly, God didn’t give them to him!
To answer this, let’s read Paul’s apologia in 1 Timothy 2:14: “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” Eve was deceived by the devil, but Adam wasn’t. Adam wilfully chose to disobey God and obey Satan. This act of treason against God is what led to the fall of man. Adam’s wilful disobedience resulted in the loss of the dominion God had given him over the earth. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).
By yielding to Satan, Adam effectively handed over his God-given authority to the devil, making Satan the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan became the ruler of the world systems, taking dominion over the earth, a role intended for Adam. But thanks be unto God! Jesus, through His death, burial and resurrection, reclaimed the dominion and delivered it back to us. His vicarious sacrifice and resurrection in our behalf was the ultimate victory through which the power of Satan was broken and the authority of Christ was established forever in and through His Church. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, thank you for the victory I have in Christ Jesus. I rejoice in the knowledge that through His sacrifice, the authority lost by Adam has been restored to us in Christ. I walk in this victory every day, knowing that I’ve been translated into the Kingdom of your LoveSon, enjoying the glorious liberty of the saints in light, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Matthew 4:8-10; Colossians 2:11-15; Romans 5:12-17; Luke 10:19
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Timothy 1:1-18 & Jeremiah 17-18
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 12:14-29 & Ezekiel 24
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
📖AUTHORITY RESTORED
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous (Romans 5:19).
━━━━━━━━━━
In Matthew 4:8-9, we read the account where the devil tempted Jesus by offering Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory on the condition that Jesus would bow down and worship him. The devil was not merely offering wealth or power, he was calling for worship, demanding that Jesus acknowledge his authority over the world.
To understand this, let’s examine the same account in Luke 4:5-7, where the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and says, “...All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it” (Luke 4:6). The devil claimed that all the power and glory of the world were delivered to him, but how did he get them? Certainly, God didn’t give them to him!
To answer this, let’s read Paul’s apologia in 1 Timothy 2:14: “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” Eve was deceived by the devil, but Adam wasn’t. Adam wilfully chose to disobey God and obey Satan. This act of treason against God is what led to the fall of man. Adam’s wilful disobedience resulted in the loss of the dominion God had given him over the earth. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).
By yielding to Satan, Adam effectively handed over his God-given authority to the devil, making Satan the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan became the ruler of the world systems, taking dominion over the earth, a role intended for Adam. But thanks be unto God! Jesus, through His death, burial and resurrection, reclaimed the dominion and delivered it back to us. His vicarious sacrifice and resurrection in our behalf was the ultimate victory through which the power of Satan was broken and the authority of Christ was established forever in and through His Church. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, thank you for the victory I have in Christ Jesus. I rejoice in the knowledge that through His sacrifice, the authority lost by Adam has been restored to us in Christ. I walk in this victory every day, knowing that I’ve been translated into the Kingdom of your LoveSon, enjoying the glorious liberty of the saints in light, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Matthew 4:8-10; Colossians 2:11-15; Romans 5:12-17; Luke 10:19
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Timothy 1:1-18 & Jeremiah 17-18
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 12:14-29 & Ezekiel 24
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰MON. 28TH OCTOBER 2024
📢PREACH HIS LOVE AND GOODNESS
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Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance (Romans 2:4).
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When we preach the Gospel, what exactly are we preaching? The Gospel is good news—the availability of the righteousness of God. Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world. The Bible says, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17). So what did Jesus tell us to do? He said, “Preach the Gospel!”
We’re to tell the world how good, gracious and kind God is; He’s not the God of judgement but the God of love. So, preach His love. I remember when I used to go for crusades with the movie titled “Burning Hell.” It scared people to repentance, but only for a while. The fear didn’t last because it was based on emotion, not true repentance. It’s the goodness of God that leads men to repentance, not the judgement of God.
When people hear about the goodness of God, they’re moved to come out of their darkness. Think about Noah; he preached about the coming judgement for years, but how many people repented and entered the Ark with him? It was only his family. The same happened with Lot. But when the Apostles preached the Gospel, the good news, nations were changed. Hallelujah!
The Gospel is the message of hope, love, life and victory in Christ. Of course, there’s a hell and not just hell, there’s also the lake of fire where hell itself will be cast into with Satan and all who reject salvation. But blessed be God; no one who believes in Jesus should be afraid of going to hell because Jesus already went to hell in our behalf. He paid the price and gave us eternal life so we can live eternally in victory and success. He brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I thank you for the Gospel—the good news of your righteousness, love and grace. I declare that I am a carrier of this message, spreading the light of your goodness wherever I go. Thank you, Lord, for delivering me from the power of darkness and translating me into the Kingdom of your dear Son. I rejoice in the victory and eternal life you have given me in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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2 Peter 3:9; Titus 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Romans 2:4
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Timothy 4:1-22 & Jeremiah 26-28
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: James 2:1-26 & Ezekiel 28
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
📢PREACH HIS LOVE AND GOODNESS
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance (Romans 2:4).
━━━━━━━━━━
When we preach the Gospel, what exactly are we preaching? The Gospel is good news—the availability of the righteousness of God. Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world. The Bible says, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17). So what did Jesus tell us to do? He said, “Preach the Gospel!”
We’re to tell the world how good, gracious and kind God is; He’s not the God of judgement but the God of love. So, preach His love. I remember when I used to go for crusades with the movie titled “Burning Hell.” It scared people to repentance, but only for a while. The fear didn’t last because it was based on emotion, not true repentance. It’s the goodness of God that leads men to repentance, not the judgement of God.
When people hear about the goodness of God, they’re moved to come out of their darkness. Think about Noah; he preached about the coming judgement for years, but how many people repented and entered the Ark with him? It was only his family. The same happened with Lot. But when the Apostles preached the Gospel, the good news, nations were changed. Hallelujah!
The Gospel is the message of hope, love, life and victory in Christ. Of course, there’s a hell and not just hell, there’s also the lake of fire where hell itself will be cast into with Satan and all who reject salvation. But blessed be God; no one who believes in Jesus should be afraid of going to hell because Jesus already went to hell in our behalf. He paid the price and gave us eternal life so we can live eternally in victory and success. He brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I thank you for the Gospel—the good news of your righteousness, love and grace. I declare that I am a carrier of this message, spreading the light of your goodness wherever I go. Thank you, Lord, for delivering me from the power of darkness and translating me into the Kingdom of your dear Son. I rejoice in the victory and eternal life you have given me in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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2 Peter 3:9; Titus 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Romans 2:4
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Timothy 4:1-22 & Jeremiah 26-28
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: James 2:1-26 & Ezekiel 28
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰TUE. 29TH OCTOBER 2024
📖OUR NEEDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MET
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He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things (Romans 8:32 AMPC).
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Did you know that as a Christian, it’s pointless for you to keep praying for your needs? The privilege and blessing of prayer in the New Testament is that it gives us the opportunity to establish the will of the Father in the earth, not to pray for our needs; our needs have already been met.
Whatever you desire or would ever desire in this world has already been provided for. What you need to learn is how to use the Word of God to appropriate for yourself whatever you require because ALL things are yours: “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours” (1 Corinthians 3:21). That’s a present-hour reality; it’s not a promise. All things are yours now!
Furthermore, Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Notice that it says you’re already blessed with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; it includes material blessings too because the spiritual gave birth to the physical. The lesser is included in the greater.
The foregoing verses were from the Apostle Paul. What was Peter’s mindset on the same subject? Read 2 Peter 1:3 and see the consistency of truth. It says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness….” Think about it; that covers everything! Can you see why your life should be one of unending praise and thanksgiving to the Lord?
Someone might say, “Well, these are beautiful scriptures, but I don't experience life that way.” That's because you have chosen to look at life from your experience instead of getting your experience to conform to the Word. That's why you need to learn God's Word, understand it and put it to work, and its blessings will manifest in your life. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, thank you for the provisions of the Gospel; I’m confident in all that you’ve done, and I take my place of dominion, reigning and ruling with you, for I know you’ve made all things mine. I’m what you say I am; I have all you say I have; and I can do all things in the Name of the Lord Jesus. I’m rich in all things because I’m a joint-heir with Christ. Praise God!
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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1 Corinthians 3:21-22; Ephesians 1:3; 2 Peter 1:3
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Titus 1-2 & Jeremiah 29-30
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: James 3:1-18 & Ezekiel 29
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
📖OUR NEEDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MET
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things (Romans 8:32 AMPC).
━━━━━━━━━━
Did you know that as a Christian, it’s pointless for you to keep praying for your needs? The privilege and blessing of prayer in the New Testament is that it gives us the opportunity to establish the will of the Father in the earth, not to pray for our needs; our needs have already been met.
Whatever you desire or would ever desire in this world has already been provided for. What you need to learn is how to use the Word of God to appropriate for yourself whatever you require because ALL things are yours: “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours” (1 Corinthians 3:21). That’s a present-hour reality; it’s not a promise. All things are yours now!
Furthermore, Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Notice that it says you’re already blessed with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; it includes material blessings too because the spiritual gave birth to the physical. The lesser is included in the greater.
The foregoing verses were from the Apostle Paul. What was Peter’s mindset on the same subject? Read 2 Peter 1:3 and see the consistency of truth. It says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness….” Think about it; that covers everything! Can you see why your life should be one of unending praise and thanksgiving to the Lord?
Someone might say, “Well, these are beautiful scriptures, but I don't experience life that way.” That's because you have chosen to look at life from your experience instead of getting your experience to conform to the Word. That's why you need to learn God's Word, understand it and put it to work, and its blessings will manifest in your life. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, thank you for the provisions of the Gospel; I’m confident in all that you’ve done, and I take my place of dominion, reigning and ruling with you, for I know you’ve made all things mine. I’m what you say I am; I have all you say I have; and I can do all things in the Name of the Lord Jesus. I’m rich in all things because I’m a joint-heir with Christ. Praise God!
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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1 Corinthians 3:21-22; Ephesians 1:3; 2 Peter 1:3
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Titus 1-2 & Jeremiah 29-30
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: James 3:1-18 & Ezekiel 29
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰WED. 30TH OCTOBER 2024
❗️LOVE NOT THE WORLD
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And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice (1 Kings 11:9).
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Though Solomon was a great king and the wisest man that ever lived before Jesus, he didn’t quite live His entire life pleasing the Lord. The Bible says he loved many “strange women” and followed their gods. He brought them from nations where God already forbade the children of Israel to marry from.
In 1 Kings 11:2, God said, “...Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods....” But the concluding part of that verse says, “...Solomon clave unto these in love.” As a result, the Lord wasn’t pleased with him. Some Christians are that way today. Their closest friends and associates are people of the world. Like Solomon, they cleave to the wrong people and to the wrong associations for the wrong reasons.
Some of them keep these friendships because they help to make them become socially famous or popular. But the Bible says, “…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). 1 John 2:15 says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Solomon chose to become a socially famous king. Read about him; after God’s second appearance to him, there’s no record of him praying anywhere in the Scriptures. Instead, everything associated with him was social. He was in one meeting or the other, receiving visitors, and attending parties, but no meetings with the Lord.
You have to understand that the people you associate with will become the standard for the things that take your time. These include your interests and the things you love. God said to the children of Israel, “…for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods...” (1 Kings 11:2). Don’t say, “I know myself; they can’t influence me”; rather, simply heed God’s admonition. He already said concerning unwholesome associations, “…come out from among them, and be ye separate…” (2 Corinthians 6:17). God knows better than you do. If He tells you the result of taking an action, trust that He’s right and follow His Word.
🗣 C O N F E S S I O N
━━━━━━━━━━━━
I’m discerning in my relationships and guided by the wisdom of God to fraternize only with those who honour the Lord and His Word and have reverence for the things of the Spirit. I prioritize fellowship with the Lord above everything else and set my heart on the glory and realities of the Kingdom. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
1 John 2:15 NIV; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Titus 3:1-15 & Jeremiah 31-32
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: James 4:1-17 & Ezekiel 30
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
❗️LOVE NOT THE WORLD
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice (1 Kings 11:9).
━━━━━━━━━━
Though Solomon was a great king and the wisest man that ever lived before Jesus, he didn’t quite live His entire life pleasing the Lord. The Bible says he loved many “strange women” and followed their gods. He brought them from nations where God already forbade the children of Israel to marry from.
In 1 Kings 11:2, God said, “...Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods....” But the concluding part of that verse says, “...Solomon clave unto these in love.” As a result, the Lord wasn’t pleased with him. Some Christians are that way today. Their closest friends and associates are people of the world. Like Solomon, they cleave to the wrong people and to the wrong associations for the wrong reasons.
Some of them keep these friendships because they help to make them become socially famous or popular. But the Bible says, “…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). 1 John 2:15 says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Solomon chose to become a socially famous king. Read about him; after God’s second appearance to him, there’s no record of him praying anywhere in the Scriptures. Instead, everything associated with him was social. He was in one meeting or the other, receiving visitors, and attending parties, but no meetings with the Lord.
You have to understand that the people you associate with will become the standard for the things that take your time. These include your interests and the things you love. God said to the children of Israel, “…for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods...” (1 Kings 11:2). Don’t say, “I know myself; they can’t influence me”; rather, simply heed God’s admonition. He already said concerning unwholesome associations, “…come out from among them, and be ye separate…” (2 Corinthians 6:17). God knows better than you do. If He tells you the result of taking an action, trust that He’s right and follow His Word.
🗣 C O N F E S S I O N
━━━━━━━━━━━━
I’m discerning in my relationships and guided by the wisdom of God to fraternize only with those who honour the Lord and His Word and have reverence for the things of the Spirit. I prioritize fellowship with the Lord above everything else and set my heart on the glory and realities of the Kingdom. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
1 John 2:15 NIV; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Titus 3:1-15 & Jeremiah 31-32
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: James 4:1-17 & Ezekiel 30
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰THU. 31ST OCTOBER 2024
⚡️COVENANT CONFESSIONS
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10).
━━━━━━━━━━
In these verses of scripture, the word “Confession” was translated from the Greek word ‘homologeo’ and it means “to speak the same thing in consent.” ‘Homologeo’ is actually a covenant confession, that is, a confession that is based on agreement. Glory to God! Thus, with respect to the above verses, ‘confession’ means to speak in agreement with God. There are those who only associate the word “confession” with wrong actions or sins. So, they go before the priest to “confess” their sins: “I stole last week; please I want God to forgive me.” But this isn’t what the Bible teaches here about salvation.
Romans 10:9-10 enlightens us that the God-ordained way to be saved is based on covenant confession, not the confession of sins or wrongdoings. Every time you make the right confessions, God responds because your words are based on agreement with His Word. Remember that God made a covenant with Abraham, and the Bible says, “…if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). That means, even though we’re essentially not in covenant with God, we’re heirs or the beneficiaries of that covenant.
Here’s another scripture where the same Greek word (homologeo) was used. It’s Hebrews 13:15 and it says, “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.”’ A better rendering of the latter part of this scripture would be “the fruit of our lips, making confessions to His name.” The term “the fruit of your lips” refers to words coming out of your lips. Here, the Spirit of God is referring to confessions that are of praise, confessions that carry thanksgiving. Your confession must be based on what’s in the document, which is the Word of God.
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I rejoice in the reality that my words, in agreement with your Word, bring about salvation, healing, deliverance, prosperity, abundance and wholeness. I continually offer the sacrifice of praise, making confessions to your Name, knowing that my life is anchored on your truth. I acknowledge and declare that Jesus is Lord over all; He’s the God of all flesh with whom nothing is impossible. Hallelujah!
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Hebrews 4:14 NKJV; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Hebrews 13:5-6
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Philemon 1:1-25 & Jeremiah 33
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: James 5:1-20 & Ezekiel 31
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⚡️COVENANT CONFESSIONS
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10).
━━━━━━━━━━
In these verses of scripture, the word “Confession” was translated from the Greek word ‘homologeo’ and it means “to speak the same thing in consent.” ‘Homologeo’ is actually a covenant confession, that is, a confession that is based on agreement. Glory to God! Thus, with respect to the above verses, ‘confession’ means to speak in agreement with God. There are those who only associate the word “confession” with wrong actions or sins. So, they go before the priest to “confess” their sins: “I stole last week; please I want God to forgive me.” But this isn’t what the Bible teaches here about salvation.
Romans 10:9-10 enlightens us that the God-ordained way to be saved is based on covenant confession, not the confession of sins or wrongdoings. Every time you make the right confessions, God responds because your words are based on agreement with His Word. Remember that God made a covenant with Abraham, and the Bible says, “…if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). That means, even though we’re essentially not in covenant with God, we’re heirs or the beneficiaries of that covenant.
Here’s another scripture where the same Greek word (homologeo) was used. It’s Hebrews 13:15 and it says, “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.”’ A better rendering of the latter part of this scripture would be “the fruit of our lips, making confessions to His name.” The term “the fruit of your lips” refers to words coming out of your lips. Here, the Spirit of God is referring to confessions that are of praise, confessions that carry thanksgiving. Your confession must be based on what’s in the document, which is the Word of God.
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I rejoice in the reality that my words, in agreement with your Word, bring about salvation, healing, deliverance, prosperity, abundance and wholeness. I continually offer the sacrifice of praise, making confessions to your Name, knowing that my life is anchored on your truth. I acknowledge and declare that Jesus is Lord over all; He’s the God of all flesh with whom nothing is impossible. Hallelujah!
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Hebrews 4:14 NKJV; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Hebrews 13:5-6
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Philemon 1:1-25 & Jeremiah 33
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: James 5:1-20 & Ezekiel 31
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰FRI. 1ST NOVEMBER 2024
🌟 A SET-APART BREED
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people…(1 Peter 2:9).
━━━━━━━━━━
The term “chosen generation” comes from the Greek "Genos Eklekton," meaning an elect or chosen race, breed, or stock. The word "chosen," implies being separated or set apart. It’s the same root word from which we get "sanctified" or "sanctification." So, 1 Peter 2:9 isn’t merely telling us that we’re a choice amongst many; rather, it emphasizes our unique, distinct lineage. You’re of a peculiar lineage; it's got something to do with your birth, your nature!
It’s like someone trying to select a particular stock of chickens; his aim isn’t just to select the best-looking chickens but a specific breed, a chosen breed. There’s something inherent in their nature that he wants. In the same way, you're not like everyone else who was born naturally; you’ve been born again—born of the Spirit and born of the Word. This makes you a different stock, a different race, a set-apart breed.
That’s what our opening scripture accentuates: your inherent peculiar nature. It's about the breed—how you were born. Your ancestry is divine. Everywhere you go in this world, keep in mind that you’re one of a kind. You're not like everybody else. You’re God’s choice. The Bible says He gave Himself for you, cleansed and purified you unto Himself to be His peculiar treasure, zealous of good works (Titus 2:14). Then James 1:18 says, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” “Firstfruits” means the first and the best, the cream of the crop. That’s who you are. Blessed be God!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I thank you for setting me apart as your peculiar treasure, unique and special, born of the Spirit and the Word. Everywhere I go, I manifest your virtues and perfection, living out my divine purpose, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
John 15:16; Ephesians 1:4; Deuteronomy 14:2; 1 Peter 2:9 AMPC
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 1 & Jeremiah 34-35
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Peter 1:1-12 & Ezekiel 32
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
🌟 A SET-APART BREED
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people…(1 Peter 2:9).
━━━━━━━━━━
The term “chosen generation” comes from the Greek "Genos Eklekton," meaning an elect or chosen race, breed, or stock. The word "chosen," implies being separated or set apart. It’s the same root word from which we get "sanctified" or "sanctification." So, 1 Peter 2:9 isn’t merely telling us that we’re a choice amongst many; rather, it emphasizes our unique, distinct lineage. You’re of a peculiar lineage; it's got something to do with your birth, your nature!
It’s like someone trying to select a particular stock of chickens; his aim isn’t just to select the best-looking chickens but a specific breed, a chosen breed. There’s something inherent in their nature that he wants. In the same way, you're not like everyone else who was born naturally; you’ve been born again—born of the Spirit and born of the Word. This makes you a different stock, a different race, a set-apart breed.
That’s what our opening scripture accentuates: your inherent peculiar nature. It's about the breed—how you were born. Your ancestry is divine. Everywhere you go in this world, keep in mind that you’re one of a kind. You're not like everybody else. You’re God’s choice. The Bible says He gave Himself for you, cleansed and purified you unto Himself to be His peculiar treasure, zealous of good works (Titus 2:14). Then James 1:18 says, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” “Firstfruits” means the first and the best, the cream of the crop. That’s who you are. Blessed be God!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I thank you for setting me apart as your peculiar treasure, unique and special, born of the Spirit and the Word. Everywhere I go, I manifest your virtues and perfection, living out my divine purpose, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
John 15:16; Ephesians 1:4; Deuteronomy 14:2; 1 Peter 2:9 AMPC
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 1 & Jeremiah 34-35
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Peter 1:1-12 & Ezekiel 32
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰TUE. 5TH NOVEMBER 2024
⚡️THE AUTHORITY OF HIS NAME
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it (John 14:13-14).
━━━━━━━━━━
Notice carefully that the Lord Jesus didn't say, "Whatsoever you shall ask me in my name, that will I do." Rather, He said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name"; there's a crucial difference here. You can't ask Jesus something in the Name of Jesus.
Often, people pray without thinking about their words. Many pray to the Lord Jesus and end the prayer with "In the Name of Jesus." This is not correct. This is a prayer without understanding, and some pray this way without seeing results because they approach prayer with a religious mindset, not with the understanding of what Jesus taught.
When Jesus said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name," He meant that whenever you make a demand or declare something in His Name, He will make it happen. It's about exercising the authority that His Name represents. In Acts 3, we see a practical demonstration of this by Peter and John when they encountered a beggar who had been lame from birth. In verse 6, Peter said to him, "...Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."
Peter didn't pray to Jesus. He spoke to the man in the authority of the Name of Jesus. Peter then took the man by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately, the man's feet and ankle bones received strength. He jumped up, stood, and began walking, leaping, and praising God. Hallelujah! Afterwards, Peter explained and said to the people: "And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all" (Acts 3:16). Peter and John were demonstrating exactly what Jesus taught in John 14:13-14. They used the authority of Jesus' Name to perform miracles, signs, and wonders.
When you speak in His Name, Heaven responds; miracles happen. His Name carries the same power and authority of His person. So, when you use it, you invoke His presence and direct His glory to the situation you're dealing with. We'll learn more about this in our next study.
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I thank you for the power of attorney to use the Name of Jesus to effect changes. I exercise that authority to establish your will in the earth and in the lives of men. I pray today, that people everywhere will experience the goodness of God, for indeed the whole earth is filled with your goodness, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Acts 3:12-16; Philippians 2:9-11; Mark 16:17-18
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 4:14-5:1-10 & Jeremiah 44-47
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Peter 3:1-12 & Ezekiel 36
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⚡️THE AUTHORITY OF HIS NAME
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it (John 14:13-14).
━━━━━━━━━━
Notice carefully that the Lord Jesus didn't say, "Whatsoever you shall ask me in my name, that will I do." Rather, He said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name"; there's a crucial difference here. You can't ask Jesus something in the Name of Jesus.
Often, people pray without thinking about their words. Many pray to the Lord Jesus and end the prayer with "In the Name of Jesus." This is not correct. This is a prayer without understanding, and some pray this way without seeing results because they approach prayer with a religious mindset, not with the understanding of what Jesus taught.
When Jesus said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name," He meant that whenever you make a demand or declare something in His Name, He will make it happen. It's about exercising the authority that His Name represents. In Acts 3, we see a practical demonstration of this by Peter and John when they encountered a beggar who had been lame from birth. In verse 6, Peter said to him, "...Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."
Peter didn't pray to Jesus. He spoke to the man in the authority of the Name of Jesus. Peter then took the man by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately, the man's feet and ankle bones received strength. He jumped up, stood, and began walking, leaping, and praising God. Hallelujah! Afterwards, Peter explained and said to the people: "And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all" (Acts 3:16). Peter and John were demonstrating exactly what Jesus taught in John 14:13-14. They used the authority of Jesus' Name to perform miracles, signs, and wonders.
When you speak in His Name, Heaven responds; miracles happen. His Name carries the same power and authority of His person. So, when you use it, you invoke His presence and direct His glory to the situation you're dealing with. We'll learn more about this in our next study.
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I thank you for the power of attorney to use the Name of Jesus to effect changes. I exercise that authority to establish your will in the earth and in the lives of men. I pray today, that people everywhere will experience the goodness of God, for indeed the whole earth is filled with your goodness, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Acts 3:12-16; Philippians 2:9-11; Mark 16:17-18
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 4:14-5:1-10 & Jeremiah 44-47
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Peter 3:1-12 & Ezekiel 36
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰WED. 6TH NOVEMBER 2024
⚡️OUR POWER OF ATTORNEY TO USE THE NAME
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all (Acts 3:16).
━━━━━━━━━━
When we pray today, we don't pray to Jesus in the Name of Jesus as that would be incorrect because it suggests using His power of attorney towards Himself, which makes no sense. The power of attorney Jesus gave us is to act in His stead, to use His Name as though He were the one speaking or making a request.
Imagine you have given your lawyer the power of attorney to act on your behalf. This authority isn't used to address you, but to interact with others on your behalf. Similarly, Jesus has given us His Name to represent Him. So, when we say, "In the Name of Jesus, it carries the same weight as if Jesus Himself were speaking. This is one of the greatest honours we have as Christians.
During our Healing Streams Live Healing Services, when I declare, "I bring you healing in the Name of Jesus," it's not a simple statement; it's a declaration of His authority and power. It doesn't matter where the people are in this world or the situation they're facing; when we use the Name of Jesus, every hindrance is removed, and the power of God is released. His Name is an instrument. Hallelujah!
If you've been diagnosed with cancer, for example, you can kill that cancer using the Name of Jesus. Place your hand over that area and say, "In the Name of Jesus, I command the cancer to die and pass out of my body." If you do it the first time and nothing seems to happen, don't despair, refuse to be moved. Remember, "They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy" (Jonah 2:8). You can declare repeatedly that it's dead until it dematerializes.
If you've been feeling intense pressure in your head, tell it to loosen up in Jesus' Name! Perhaps you're usually attacked by fear, to the point you don't like being alone in the house at night; it's time to put an end to it. Even now, address that spirit of fear; say, "In the Name of Jesus, fear, I rebuke you; get out." Then start declaring, "I refuse to fear; I'm bold in the Name of Jesus!"
Maybe you've been job-hunting for a long time now to no avail, you can decide and say, "Today, I'm going out to have the best job I've ever had in my life, in the Name of Jesus" and you'll get it. Hallelujah! The power of attorney given to us to use the Name of Jesus is absolute and ineffable. No circumstance, situation, or demon can gainsay, withstand, or refute that power.
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I thank you for the power and authority of the mighty Name of Jesus. I stand in the victory and dominion of that Name against circumstances and the forces of darkness. Satan's influence and manoeuvres over God's people are frustrated in the Name of Jesus, and the Church revels in the dominion and triumph of Christ, supremely blessed and favoured, in Jesus' mighty Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Mark 16:17-18 AMPC; John 14:12-14; Philippians 2:9-11
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 5:11-6:1-20 & Jeremiah 48-49
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Peter 3:13-22 & Ezekiel 37
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⚡️OUR POWER OF ATTORNEY TO USE THE NAME
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all (Acts 3:16).
━━━━━━━━━━
When we pray today, we don't pray to Jesus in the Name of Jesus as that would be incorrect because it suggests using His power of attorney towards Himself, which makes no sense. The power of attorney Jesus gave us is to act in His stead, to use His Name as though He were the one speaking or making a request.
Imagine you have given your lawyer the power of attorney to act on your behalf. This authority isn't used to address you, but to interact with others on your behalf. Similarly, Jesus has given us His Name to represent Him. So, when we say, "In the Name of Jesus, it carries the same weight as if Jesus Himself were speaking. This is one of the greatest honours we have as Christians.
During our Healing Streams Live Healing Services, when I declare, "I bring you healing in the Name of Jesus," it's not a simple statement; it's a declaration of His authority and power. It doesn't matter where the people are in this world or the situation they're facing; when we use the Name of Jesus, every hindrance is removed, and the power of God is released. His Name is an instrument. Hallelujah!
If you've been diagnosed with cancer, for example, you can kill that cancer using the Name of Jesus. Place your hand over that area and say, "In the Name of Jesus, I command the cancer to die and pass out of my body." If you do it the first time and nothing seems to happen, don't despair, refuse to be moved. Remember, "They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy" (Jonah 2:8). You can declare repeatedly that it's dead until it dematerializes.
If you've been feeling intense pressure in your head, tell it to loosen up in Jesus' Name! Perhaps you're usually attacked by fear, to the point you don't like being alone in the house at night; it's time to put an end to it. Even now, address that spirit of fear; say, "In the Name of Jesus, fear, I rebuke you; get out." Then start declaring, "I refuse to fear; I'm bold in the Name of Jesus!"
Maybe you've been job-hunting for a long time now to no avail, you can decide and say, "Today, I'm going out to have the best job I've ever had in my life, in the Name of Jesus" and you'll get it. Hallelujah! The power of attorney given to us to use the Name of Jesus is absolute and ineffable. No circumstance, situation, or demon can gainsay, withstand, or refute that power.
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I thank you for the power and authority of the mighty Name of Jesus. I stand in the victory and dominion of that Name against circumstances and the forces of darkness. Satan's influence and manoeuvres over God's people are frustrated in the Name of Jesus, and the Church revels in the dominion and triumph of Christ, supremely blessed and favoured, in Jesus' mighty Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Mark 16:17-18 AMPC; John 14:12-14; Philippians 2:9-11
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 5:11-6:1-20 & Jeremiah 48-49
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Peter 3:13-22 & Ezekiel 37
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰THU. 7TH NOVEMBER 2024
💯HE DELIGHTS IN FULFILING YOUR DESIRES
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...Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you...ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full (John 16:23-24).
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Observe what the Lord Jesus said in our opening scripture; He clarifies that we can ask the Father anything in His Name, and it will be granted.
When you walk in love, your desires naturally align with His; therefore, you won't ask for anything outside His will. He thus encourages us to ask and receive so that our joy may be full. What a blessed invitation! It shows the Father's desire to bless us. Unlike earthly parents or others who may become weary of too many requests, God never grows weary of our many requests. He delights in answering us and fulfilling our desires.
Therefore, when you ask, believe that you receive. Jesus did not say to ask and wait indefinitely; He said to ask and receive. This means from the moment you ask, start rejoicing and acting as though you already received because, in the spirit, it's done.
We often deal with disappointments from people who don't keep their promises, but God is not like that. He is faithful, and He keeps His Word. Humans may fail, forget, or disappoint, but God never fails. 1 Peter 3:12 says, "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers...." Hallelujah!
In Hebrews 13:5 (AMPC), the Bible says, "...for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]." Ponder those words for a moment and be overwhelmed by the Father's love and desire for you to live in fullness of joy, peace, confidence, dominion and victory every day. He delights in you and in fulfilling your desires.
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I thank you for our privilege and authority in prayer, and my joy is made full. I refuse to doubt or waver because your Word is ever dependable, ever-sure and ever-trustworthy. Thank you for always hearing me and granting my petitions, for indeed, your Word is yes and amen, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Matthew 7:7-11; Mark 11:24; 1 John 5:14-15
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 7 & Jeremiah 50-51
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Peter 4:1-19 & Ezekiel 38
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
💯HE DELIGHTS IN FULFILING YOUR DESIRES
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...Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you...ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full (John 16:23-24).
━━━━━━━━━━
Observe what the Lord Jesus said in our opening scripture; He clarifies that we can ask the Father anything in His Name, and it will be granted.
When you walk in love, your desires naturally align with His; therefore, you won't ask for anything outside His will. He thus encourages us to ask and receive so that our joy may be full. What a blessed invitation! It shows the Father's desire to bless us. Unlike earthly parents or others who may become weary of too many requests, God never grows weary of our many requests. He delights in answering us and fulfilling our desires.
Therefore, when you ask, believe that you receive. Jesus did not say to ask and wait indefinitely; He said to ask and receive. This means from the moment you ask, start rejoicing and acting as though you already received because, in the spirit, it's done.
We often deal with disappointments from people who don't keep their promises, but God is not like that. He is faithful, and He keeps His Word. Humans may fail, forget, or disappoint, but God never fails. 1 Peter 3:12 says, "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers...." Hallelujah!
In Hebrews 13:5 (AMPC), the Bible says, "...for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]." Ponder those words for a moment and be overwhelmed by the Father's love and desire for you to live in fullness of joy, peace, confidence, dominion and victory every day. He delights in you and in fulfilling your desires.
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I thank you for our privilege and authority in prayer, and my joy is made full. I refuse to doubt or waver because your Word is ever dependable, ever-sure and ever-trustworthy. Thank you for always hearing me and granting my petitions, for indeed, your Word is yes and amen, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Matthew 7:7-11; Mark 11:24; 1 John 5:14-15
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 7 & Jeremiah 50-51
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Peter 4:1-19 & Ezekiel 38
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰FRI. 8TH NOVEMBER 2024
💡HIS WORD—A GUIDING LIGHT
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For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light Psalm 36:9
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Some people allow past experiences or disappointments to shape their relationship with God, and that’s wrong. God’s Word is and must remain the foundation of your walk with Him. Your daily relationship with Him should be guided by His Word, not by what you have faced or what others say. His Word is the light that guides us every step of the way. Hallelujah!
Remember the words of the psalmist, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” Psalm 119:105. Those who ignore the Word grope in the dark and face so many calamities in life: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...” Hosea 4:6. The Word of God is your life and your light; so never be casual or too familiar with the Word.
Let the truths and realities of the Scriptures stir you up all the time. Love the Word. Hear the Word and acknowledge it; and then live the Word. That’s what you need to win every day. That’s what you need to walk in the supernatural every day. The Lord Jesus said in John 8:12, “…I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” How do you follow Him?
You follow Him in the Word, through the Word, and by the Word. Then He says, when you follow Him, not only will you not walk in darkness, you’ll have the light of life. In other words, you’ll have answers; you’ll have solutions to life’s issues and problems. You’ll be a victor all the way. You’ll know exactly which way to go and what the direction for your life is. That’s what the Word gives you. Light gives direction. Light shows the way. God’s Word (His Light) illuminates your path to see, apprehend, and walk in the path God has preordained for you—His destiny for your life. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I thank you for your Word that is a guiding light in my life, illuminating my path as I fulfil my destiny in Christ, guided by your truth and wisdom. Thank you for granting me answers, solutions and the clarity I need to fulfil my purpose, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Proverbs 6:23; John 1:4; John 8:12 NIV
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 8; Jeremiah 52
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Peter 5:1-14; Ezekiel 39
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
💡HIS WORD—A GUIDING LIGHT
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For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light Psalm 36:9
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Some people allow past experiences or disappointments to shape their relationship with God, and that’s wrong. God’s Word is and must remain the foundation of your walk with Him. Your daily relationship with Him should be guided by His Word, not by what you have faced or what others say. His Word is the light that guides us every step of the way. Hallelujah!
Remember the words of the psalmist, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” Psalm 119:105. Those who ignore the Word grope in the dark and face so many calamities in life: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...” Hosea 4:6. The Word of God is your life and your light; so never be casual or too familiar with the Word.
Let the truths and realities of the Scriptures stir you up all the time. Love the Word. Hear the Word and acknowledge it; and then live the Word. That’s what you need to win every day. That’s what you need to walk in the supernatural every day. The Lord Jesus said in John 8:12, “…I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” How do you follow Him?
You follow Him in the Word, through the Word, and by the Word. Then He says, when you follow Him, not only will you not walk in darkness, you’ll have the light of life. In other words, you’ll have answers; you’ll have solutions to life’s issues and problems. You’ll be a victor all the way. You’ll know exactly which way to go and what the direction for your life is. That’s what the Word gives you. Light gives direction. Light shows the way. God’s Word (His Light) illuminates your path to see, apprehend, and walk in the path God has preordained for you—His destiny for your life. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I thank you for your Word that is a guiding light in my life, illuminating my path as I fulfil my destiny in Christ, guided by your truth and wisdom. Thank you for granting me answers, solutions and the clarity I need to fulfil my purpose, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Proverbs 6:23; John 1:4; John 8:12 NIV
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 8; Jeremiah 52
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Peter 5:1-14; Ezekiel 39
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰SAT. 9TH NOVEMBER 2024
✨ALWAYS A GLORIOUS DAY
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This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
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Some people have never truly experienced the day to-day triumphant and supernatural life that God has called them to live. For them, Christianity is just another religion, marked by mediocrity and a lack of results. But I refused to accept that kind of life from the moment I was born again. I made a decision very early in my life to put the Word of God to work and live the divine life as exemplified by Jesus Christ for us in the Word.
Since I made that choice, the results have been undeniably outstanding and astounding. Thus, I’m confident to tell everyone “It works! The Word works!” I’m living proof that it does. Glory to God! I wasn’t going to settle for a religious experience; no, I saw from the Scriptures that we are ordained to win always.
We walk in blessings every day and dispense the same to our world. It’s part of our heritage in Christ. We are the blessed, and we are the blessing. Hallelujah! How could anyone know this and have a blue day? Some believe that the transcendent life ended with the apostles in Bible days; no! We’re living in the reality of the Bible days right now.
Don’t think or say, "Today is just not my day." Every day is your day—your day of victory, dominion and favour. When you wake up in the morning, declare, "Today is my day! I’m excited about today!" Having received the Holy Spirit, you should never have a single day of defeat or despair. Everything that comes your way is an opportunity for progress and promotion. Every challenge is a stepping stone to greater victories. Have this consciousness and enjoy a glorious day every day!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I choose to live by your Word, experiencing the supernatural every day. I walk in health, prosperity, victory, success and joy. I’m moving forward and upward, making progress, always triumphant and victorious, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Acts 20:32; 2 Corinthians 2:14; Psalm 68:19
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 9:1-10; Lamentations 1-2
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Peter 1:1-12; Ezekiel 40
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
✨ALWAYS A GLORIOUS DAY
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This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
━━━━━━━━━━
Some people have never truly experienced the day to-day triumphant and supernatural life that God has called them to live. For them, Christianity is just another religion, marked by mediocrity and a lack of results. But I refused to accept that kind of life from the moment I was born again. I made a decision very early in my life to put the Word of God to work and live the divine life as exemplified by Jesus Christ for us in the Word.
Since I made that choice, the results have been undeniably outstanding and astounding. Thus, I’m confident to tell everyone “It works! The Word works!” I’m living proof that it does. Glory to God! I wasn’t going to settle for a religious experience; no, I saw from the Scriptures that we are ordained to win always.
We walk in blessings every day and dispense the same to our world. It’s part of our heritage in Christ. We are the blessed, and we are the blessing. Hallelujah! How could anyone know this and have a blue day? Some believe that the transcendent life ended with the apostles in Bible days; no! We’re living in the reality of the Bible days right now.
Don’t think or say, "Today is just not my day." Every day is your day—your day of victory, dominion and favour. When you wake up in the morning, declare, "Today is my day! I’m excited about today!" Having received the Holy Spirit, you should never have a single day of defeat or despair. Everything that comes your way is an opportunity for progress and promotion. Every challenge is a stepping stone to greater victories. Have this consciousness and enjoy a glorious day every day!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I choose to live by your Word, experiencing the supernatural every day. I walk in health, prosperity, victory, success and joy. I’m moving forward and upward, making progress, always triumphant and victorious, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Acts 20:32; 2 Corinthians 2:14; Psalm 68:19
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 9:1-10; Lamentations 1-2
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Peter 1:1-12; Ezekiel 40
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰SUN. 10TH NOVEMBER 2024
🗣MIND YOUR LANGUAGE
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For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith (Mark 11:23).
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You must learn to speak in alignment with God's Word, not with the language of fear or negativity that the world teaches. For example, instead of saying, "I'm afraid it's going to rain," simply say, "It's going to rain!" Don’t talk fear!
If you're searching for something and can't seem to find it, or you're trying to move something heavy, what should your response be? Never say, "I can't?" You see, that’s what the world has dropped into the hearts of many that’s so difficult to eradicate. But you’re different. You’re a child of God, and in our Kingdom, we talk differently. We speak faith, not fear, doubt, or unbelief.
Using the expression, "I can't" reinforces a mindset of limitation. One might think it's just about a specific situation, like not being able to move something, but it’s more than that. It’s incongruous with your divine nature. Recall what Paul said: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). In Christianity, we have the “I-can-do” mentality. It forms the basis for our communication.
2 Corinthians 4:13 says, “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.” We speak the Word. We speak in alignment with the divine realities of our heavenly Kingdom. Life is about what you say. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” So, mind your language; speak right. Speak truth; God’s Word is truth (John 17:17).
🗣 C O N F E S S I O N
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I take my place of dominion and reign through words. I walk in divine health, victory, peace and prosperity. I live above the elements and debilitating forces of this world because I live in Christ, I'm seated with Him, far above Satan and the wicked forces of darkness. The world is subject to me. Blessed be God!
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Romans 12:2 AMPC; 1 Peter 3:10; Mark 11:23 NKJV
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 9:11-28; Lamentations 3-5
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Peter 1:13-21; Ezekiel 41
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
🗣MIND YOUR LANGUAGE
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For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith (Mark 11:23).
━━━━━━━━━━
You must learn to speak in alignment with God's Word, not with the language of fear or negativity that the world teaches. For example, instead of saying, "I'm afraid it's going to rain," simply say, "It's going to rain!" Don’t talk fear!
If you're searching for something and can't seem to find it, or you're trying to move something heavy, what should your response be? Never say, "I can't?" You see, that’s what the world has dropped into the hearts of many that’s so difficult to eradicate. But you’re different. You’re a child of God, and in our Kingdom, we talk differently. We speak faith, not fear, doubt, or unbelief.
Using the expression, "I can't" reinforces a mindset of limitation. One might think it's just about a specific situation, like not being able to move something, but it’s more than that. It’s incongruous with your divine nature. Recall what Paul said: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). In Christianity, we have the “I-can-do” mentality. It forms the basis for our communication.
2 Corinthians 4:13 says, “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.” We speak the Word. We speak in alignment with the divine realities of our heavenly Kingdom. Life is about what you say. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” So, mind your language; speak right. Speak truth; God’s Word is truth (John 17:17).
🗣 C O N F E S S I O N
━━━━━━━━━━━━
I take my place of dominion and reign through words. I walk in divine health, victory, peace and prosperity. I live above the elements and debilitating forces of this world because I live in Christ, I'm seated with Him, far above Satan and the wicked forces of darkness. The world is subject to me. Blessed be God!
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Romans 12:2 AMPC; 1 Peter 3:10; Mark 11:23 NKJV
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 9:11-28; Lamentations 3-5
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Peter 1:13-21; Ezekiel 41
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰MON. 11TH NOVEMBER 2024
🙏THE LEGALITIES OF INTERCESSION
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Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified (Isaiah 43:26).
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When we pray, especially in intercession, it’s crucial to understand the legalities involved. Intercession requires a deep comprehension of these legalities because it’s an argumentative prayer, where you present your case, make your claims, and provide the legal reasons for your requests.
Intercession is different from the prayer of faith, although it still requires faith. The prayer of faith is often a single declaration, a one-time statement where you believe and receive, trusting that it is done. However, intercession frequently requires importunity, earnestness, and fervency in prayer because it involves standing in the gap for others. Without such intensity and persistence in intercession, things could go awry for those you’re praying for.
In intercession, you’re taking a stand between God and the person or people you're praying for. You step in on their behalf, presenting your case before God and explaining why what you’re asking for should be done for them. This is why it's important to be clear about your legal position and claims when interceding. This is much more than just asking God for something; it's about understanding the authority you've been given and using it effectively to argue your case.
So learn to stand in the gap and bring the needs of others before God in prayer. Study God’s Word intensely to know it intimately so you can use the Word to plead your case effectively. Remember what He said in Isaiah 41:21, “Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.” Then in Chapter 43 verse 26, He said, “Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.” Our confidence that He hears and grants our intercessions is on the basis of His Word. Blessed be God!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Righteous Father, I thank you for the privilege of intercession, where I can stand in the gap for others to fervently plead their case in accordance to your Word. Thank you for the authority you’ve given to me in Christ to establish your will on earth and in the lives of people everywhere, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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James 5:16-18 AMPC; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; Hosea 14:2
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 10:1-18; Ezekiel 1-2
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Peter 2:1-22; Ezekiel 42
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
🙏THE LEGALITIES OF INTERCESSION
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified (Isaiah 43:26).
━━━━━━━━━━
When we pray, especially in intercession, it’s crucial to understand the legalities involved. Intercession requires a deep comprehension of these legalities because it’s an argumentative prayer, where you present your case, make your claims, and provide the legal reasons for your requests.
Intercession is different from the prayer of faith, although it still requires faith. The prayer of faith is often a single declaration, a one-time statement where you believe and receive, trusting that it is done. However, intercession frequently requires importunity, earnestness, and fervency in prayer because it involves standing in the gap for others. Without such intensity and persistence in intercession, things could go awry for those you’re praying for.
In intercession, you’re taking a stand between God and the person or people you're praying for. You step in on their behalf, presenting your case before God and explaining why what you’re asking for should be done for them. This is why it's important to be clear about your legal position and claims when interceding. This is much more than just asking God for something; it's about understanding the authority you've been given and using it effectively to argue your case.
So learn to stand in the gap and bring the needs of others before God in prayer. Study God’s Word intensely to know it intimately so you can use the Word to plead your case effectively. Remember what He said in Isaiah 41:21, “Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.” Then in Chapter 43 verse 26, He said, “Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.” Our confidence that He hears and grants our intercessions is on the basis of His Word. Blessed be God!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Righteous Father, I thank you for the privilege of intercession, where I can stand in the gap for others to fervently plead their case in accordance to your Word. Thank you for the authority you’ve given to me in Christ to establish your will on earth and in the lives of people everywhere, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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James 5:16-18 AMPC; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; Hosea 14:2
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 10:1-18; Ezekiel 1-2
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Peter 2:1-22; Ezekiel 42
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰TUE. 12TH NOVEMBER 2024
❕WE DECIDE THE TIMING
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And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time
(2 Thessalonians 2:6).
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In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul, by the Spirit writes, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." Who is the "son of perdition"? It's the Antichrist. The Bible describes him as one "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
The Antichrist is someone who not only rejects God but also exalts himself above God, setting himself up as an object of worship. This deception is a hallmark of the end times, a period of great spiritual and moral decadence. However, our theme scripture also gives us a clue about the timeline of these events; it indicates that something or someone is currently restraining the Antichrist, preventing him from being revealed before the proper time.
Who is this restraining force? It is the Church, filled with the Holy Spirit, standing in the gap and holding back the full manifestation of lawlessness. The presence of the Church on earth is the restraining force against the powers of darkness. Paul further clarifies in verse 7, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way."
This means that lawlessness is already at work in the world, but it is being restrained by the Holy Spirit through the Church. We have a significant role to play in these last days. The Church must continue to stand firm, preach the Gospel, and live out the truth of God's Word. Until we are "taken out of the way" we have the authority to dictate the timing of the Antichrist's revelation.
Our mission is clear: Preach the Gospel to every creature, in all nations, because only through faith in Jesus Christ can they be saved. There's no other way (Mark 16:15-16). We decide the timing through our actions, our prayers, and the spread of the Gospel. As we fulfil our mission, God is counting the souls brought into His Kingdom.
He's the one who knows the exact number of those who must be saved and keeps the records. When the full number of the Gentiles is brought in as the Bible says in Romans 11:25, then the end will come. Until then, we continue to haul back the forces of darkness, keeping Satan and his cohorts of darkness where they belong- under our feet!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I stand firm, by your Spirit, against the forces of darkness and hold back the full manifestation of evil until the appointed time. I pray that every Christian remains steadfast in our mission to preach the Gospel to all nations, quickly bringing many to salvation, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Mark 16:15-16; Romans 11:25; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 10:19-39; Ezekiel 3-4
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Peter 3:1-18; Ezekiel 43
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
❕WE DECIDE THE TIMING
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And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time
(2 Thessalonians 2:6).
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In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul, by the Spirit writes, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." Who is the "son of perdition"? It's the Antichrist. The Bible describes him as one "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
The Antichrist is someone who not only rejects God but also exalts himself above God, setting himself up as an object of worship. This deception is a hallmark of the end times, a period of great spiritual and moral decadence. However, our theme scripture also gives us a clue about the timeline of these events; it indicates that something or someone is currently restraining the Antichrist, preventing him from being revealed before the proper time.
Who is this restraining force? It is the Church, filled with the Holy Spirit, standing in the gap and holding back the full manifestation of lawlessness. The presence of the Church on earth is the restraining force against the powers of darkness. Paul further clarifies in verse 7, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way."
This means that lawlessness is already at work in the world, but it is being restrained by the Holy Spirit through the Church. We have a significant role to play in these last days. The Church must continue to stand firm, preach the Gospel, and live out the truth of God's Word. Until we are "taken out of the way" we have the authority to dictate the timing of the Antichrist's revelation.
Our mission is clear: Preach the Gospel to every creature, in all nations, because only through faith in Jesus Christ can they be saved. There's no other way (Mark 16:15-16). We decide the timing through our actions, our prayers, and the spread of the Gospel. As we fulfil our mission, God is counting the souls brought into His Kingdom.
He's the one who knows the exact number of those who must be saved and keeps the records. When the full number of the Gentiles is brought in as the Bible says in Romans 11:25, then the end will come. Until then, we continue to haul back the forces of darkness, keeping Satan and his cohorts of darkness where they belong- under our feet!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I stand firm, by your Spirit, against the forces of darkness and hold back the full manifestation of evil until the appointed time. I pray that every Christian remains steadfast in our mission to preach the Gospel to all nations, quickly bringing many to salvation, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Mark 16:15-16; Romans 11:25; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 10:19-39; Ezekiel 3-4
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Peter 3:1-18; Ezekiel 43
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰WED. 13TH NOVEMBER 2024
⚡️A SUPERNATURAL TRANSFORMATION
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Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
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As a child of God, you have a new nature. This is fundamental knowledge for every Christian, yet many haven't fully grasped it. When you were born again, it wasn't just a religious experience; it was a supernatural transformation. Something incredible took place in your spirit; a new man with a new nature came into being.
The human life you were born with was supplanted by the life and nature of God in Jesus Christ. This is the true meaning of being born again. The very life and nature of God that Jesus brought to this world, the organic and existential attributes of divinity, was imparted to your spirit. This is why Jesus came. He came to give you a new life, a supernatural life.
This is what 2 Corinthians 5:17 means: "...If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." There's been a supernatural transformation now that you're born again. Therefore, it makes no difference what obtained in your natural life prior to your being born again; there's a new you! Whether it was a disease, an infirmity, or any other limitation-now that you're born again, there's been a change.
The old "you" wasn't renovated or revamped but recreated after the image of God that created you (Colossians 3:10). You were recreated to look like God and to function like Him. Glory to God! No wonder He says in Ephesians 4:24, "...put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." This new you is created in righteousness and true holiness, perfected in Christ.
There's nothing that's supposed to be in you that isn't in you now. Also, there's nothing that shouldn't be in you that's in you. Now you can understand why He says, "all things have become new"; everything in your life is new now that you're born again. It's crucial that you know this truth. Your acknowledgement of it activates its power in your life as the Bible says, "That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus" (Philemon 1:6). Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I acknowledge that I'm a new creature in Christ; old things, including sickness, disease, infirmity, and all kinds of limitations have passed away, and all things have become new. I walk in the knowledge of this truth, and its power is fully activated in my life to live the transcendent life and walk in the fullness of my new nature in Christ, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Colossians 3:8-10; Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 6:11
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 11:1-16; Ezekiel 5-7
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 John 1:1-10; Ezekiel 44
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⚡️A SUPERNATURAL TRANSFORMATION
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
━━━━━━━━━━
As a child of God, you have a new nature. This is fundamental knowledge for every Christian, yet many haven't fully grasped it. When you were born again, it wasn't just a religious experience; it was a supernatural transformation. Something incredible took place in your spirit; a new man with a new nature came into being.
The human life you were born with was supplanted by the life and nature of God in Jesus Christ. This is the true meaning of being born again. The very life and nature of God that Jesus brought to this world, the organic and existential attributes of divinity, was imparted to your spirit. This is why Jesus came. He came to give you a new life, a supernatural life.
This is what 2 Corinthians 5:17 means: "...If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." There's been a supernatural transformation now that you're born again. Therefore, it makes no difference what obtained in your natural life prior to your being born again; there's a new you! Whether it was a disease, an infirmity, or any other limitation-now that you're born again, there's been a change.
The old "you" wasn't renovated or revamped but recreated after the image of God that created you (Colossians 3:10). You were recreated to look like God and to function like Him. Glory to God! No wonder He says in Ephesians 4:24, "...put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." This new you is created in righteousness and true holiness, perfected in Christ.
There's nothing that's supposed to be in you that isn't in you now. Also, there's nothing that shouldn't be in you that's in you. Now you can understand why He says, "all things have become new"; everything in your life is new now that you're born again. It's crucial that you know this truth. Your acknowledgement of it activates its power in your life as the Bible says, "That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus" (Philemon 1:6). Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I acknowledge that I'm a new creature in Christ; old things, including sickness, disease, infirmity, and all kinds of limitations have passed away, and all things have become new. I walk in the knowledge of this truth, and its power is fully activated in my life to live the transcendent life and walk in the fullness of my new nature in Christ, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Colossians 3:8-10; Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 6:11
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 11:1-16; Ezekiel 5-7
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 John 1:1-10; Ezekiel 44
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰THU. 14TH NOVEMBER 2024
📖ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR TRUE IDENTITY
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And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).
━━━━━━━━━━
One of the fundamental requirements for the manifestation of truth in anyone's life is the knowledge of that truth. Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...." Ignorance leads to destruction because without understanding, people walk in darkness and fail to realize their true potential.
Also, in Psalm 82:6, the Lord said, "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." This verse reminds us of our divine identity and potential. However, many don't understand and live in the reality of this truth. We see the result of this ignorance in the latter part of that verse: "But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes" (Psalm 82:7).
We're divine beings; we're "gods" because God gave birth to us: "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13). James 1:18 says, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
This is the profound reality of our spiritual identity: we're as divine as He is divine because we have the same life with Him. Every so often, declare, "I know who I am!" Acknowledge your true identity. Knowing who you are in Christ empowers you and causes you to live triumphantly every day.
Consider how the Lord Jesus responded to the gruelling interrogation before Pilate. When questioned and accused, Jesus remained silent until Pilate asserted his supposed authority saying, "I can free you or have you crucified." Jesus then spoke up, summarizing His response with the acknowledgement of His true identity. He said, "You have no power over me at all" (John 19:11). Jesus' initial silence and subsequent declaration demonstrated His unwavering understanding of who He was. Just as the Lord Jesus knew His purpose and identity, you too must recognize and embrace your divine identity. This knowledge equips you to live boldly and purposefully, regardless of external pressures or challenges.
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I know and understand my true identity in Christ. I'm the righteousness of God in Christ, imbued with eternal life, the organic and existential attributes of deity. I'm victorious and vibrant, strong and excellent. I walk in the light of this truth every day, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
2 Peter 1:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:9 AMPC
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 11:17-40 & Ezekiel 8-10
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 John 2:1-14 & Ezekiel 45
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
📖ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR TRUE IDENTITY
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).
━━━━━━━━━━
One of the fundamental requirements for the manifestation of truth in anyone's life is the knowledge of that truth. Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...." Ignorance leads to destruction because without understanding, people walk in darkness and fail to realize their true potential.
Also, in Psalm 82:6, the Lord said, "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." This verse reminds us of our divine identity and potential. However, many don't understand and live in the reality of this truth. We see the result of this ignorance in the latter part of that verse: "But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes" (Psalm 82:7).
We're divine beings; we're "gods" because God gave birth to us: "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13). James 1:18 says, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
This is the profound reality of our spiritual identity: we're as divine as He is divine because we have the same life with Him. Every so often, declare, "I know who I am!" Acknowledge your true identity. Knowing who you are in Christ empowers you and causes you to live triumphantly every day.
Consider how the Lord Jesus responded to the gruelling interrogation before Pilate. When questioned and accused, Jesus remained silent until Pilate asserted his supposed authority saying, "I can free you or have you crucified." Jesus then spoke up, summarizing His response with the acknowledgement of His true identity. He said, "You have no power over me at all" (John 19:11). Jesus' initial silence and subsequent declaration demonstrated His unwavering understanding of who He was. Just as the Lord Jesus knew His purpose and identity, you too must recognize and embrace your divine identity. This knowledge equips you to live boldly and purposefully, regardless of external pressures or challenges.
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, I know and understand my true identity in Christ. I'm the righteousness of God in Christ, imbued with eternal life, the organic and existential attributes of deity. I'm victorious and vibrant, strong and excellent. I walk in the light of this truth every day, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
2 Peter 1:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:9 AMPC
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 11:17-40 & Ezekiel 8-10
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 John 2:1-14 & Ezekiel 45
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰FRI. 15TH NOVEMBER 2024
📖MILK, MEAT, AND STRONG MEAT
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For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age... (Hebrews 5:13- 14).
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Our opening scripture emphasizes the importance of growing to maturity spiritually. It tells us that anyone who lives on milk is still an infant and therefore not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. The Bible talks about the sincere milk of the Word of God. Milk is for beginners; therefore, to stay on milk means to remain in spiritual infancy.
1 Peter 2:1-2 tells us something instructive; it says, "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." Only those who are spiritually immature practice malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and evil speaking. Such folks are to crave or desire the pure spiritual milk of the Word and grow unto maturity.
Take your Bible study seriously, learn the truth of God's Word and grow. There's more to spiritual nourishment than just milk. There's the "meat" of God's Word, and then there's also "strong meat. Strong meat belongs to the mature in Christ, those who have learned to live spiritually.
Recall what Paul said to the Christians in Corinth: "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able" (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). You must mature in the Word and develop a deep understanding of the Scriptures.
Just as in physical growth where a person moves from milk to solid food, there comes a time also when a Christian must transition from the elementary teachings to the deeper, more challenging doctrines of faith and then be ready to handle even more complex truths (read Hebrews 5:11-14).
Make your personal spiritual growth a top priority. Read Ephesians 4:14-15 NIV, and see God's desire for your life: "Then we will no longer be infants...Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, thank you for the spiritual nourishment you provide through your Word. I move beyond the basics and grow in understanding and application of the deeper truths of the Scriptures. I'm strengthened in my resolve to develop and exercise my faith, grow unto maturity, and manifest the glory- life, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
1 Corinthians 3:1-2; Ephesians 4:14-15; Hebrews 6:1-2
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 12:1-13 & Ezekiel 11-12
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 John 2:15-29 & Ezekiel 46
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
📖MILK, MEAT, AND STRONG MEAT
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age... (Hebrews 5:13- 14).
━━━━━━━━━━
Our opening scripture emphasizes the importance of growing to maturity spiritually. It tells us that anyone who lives on milk is still an infant and therefore not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. The Bible talks about the sincere milk of the Word of God. Milk is for beginners; therefore, to stay on milk means to remain in spiritual infancy.
1 Peter 2:1-2 tells us something instructive; it says, "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." Only those who are spiritually immature practice malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and evil speaking. Such folks are to crave or desire the pure spiritual milk of the Word and grow unto maturity.
Take your Bible study seriously, learn the truth of God's Word and grow. There's more to spiritual nourishment than just milk. There's the "meat" of God's Word, and then there's also "strong meat. Strong meat belongs to the mature in Christ, those who have learned to live spiritually.
Recall what Paul said to the Christians in Corinth: "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able" (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). You must mature in the Word and develop a deep understanding of the Scriptures.
Just as in physical growth where a person moves from milk to solid food, there comes a time also when a Christian must transition from the elementary teachings to the deeper, more challenging doctrines of faith and then be ready to handle even more complex truths (read Hebrews 5:11-14).
Make your personal spiritual growth a top priority. Read Ephesians 4:14-15 NIV, and see God's desire for your life: "Then we will no longer be infants...Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, thank you for the spiritual nourishment you provide through your Word. I move beyond the basics and grow in understanding and application of the deeper truths of the Scriptures. I'm strengthened in my resolve to develop and exercise my faith, grow unto maturity, and manifest the glory- life, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
1 Corinthians 3:1-2; Ephesians 4:14-15; Hebrews 6:1-2
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 12:1-13 & Ezekiel 11-12
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 John 2:15-29 & Ezekiel 46
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⏰SAT. 16TH NOVEMBER 2024
⚡️HIS WORKS CONTINUE THROUGH US
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Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father (John 14:12).
━━━━━━━━━━
What we just read are some of the most extraordinary words from the lips of the Master. He said those who believe in Him, not only will they do the same works that He did, but they'll do greater works. This is only possible because Jesus has ascended to the Father, and through the Holy Spirit, His work continues through us.
Recall what the Scripture says in Isaiah 53:10, "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand." This verse speaks prophetically of the Church, the body of Christ, as the seed of Jesus Christ. It tells us that after His vicarious sacrifice, the Lord Jesus will see His seed-the Church- and we shall prolong His days. Hallelujah!
That's what's going on; Jesus multiplies Himself through the Church today; He continues His mission through us. In Acts 1:1, Luke writes to Theophilus about "...all that Jesus began both to do and teach." The key word here is "began"; Jesus started the work, but we continue it. We are the extension of His ministry, teaching, impacting and transforming lives as He did.
The same Spirit that anointed Jesus for His work resides in us, enabling us to continue and expand upon what He started. Through the Holy Spirit, we're empowered to reach more people and impact more lives for the Kingdom of God. Acts 1:8 says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
The Church is the extension of Christ on earth, living in His power and authority, fulfilling His mission. This is a calling of great honour and responsibility. We're His hands, His feet, and His voice in this world, carrying out the will of the Father just as Jesus did.
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, thank you for the privilege of being a part of the body of Christ. I'm forever grateful that through the Holy Spirit, I'm empowered to do your will and establish your righteousness. I walk in this calling with boldness and faith, knowing that my life glorifies you. Thank you for making me an extension of your Kingdom in the earth, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
John 14:12 AMPC; Isaiah 61:1-2; John 20:21; Matthew 28:18-20
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 12:14-29 & Ezekiel 13-15
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 John 3:1-12 & Ezekiel 47
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
⚡️HIS WORKS CONTINUE THROUGH US
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father (John 14:12).
━━━━━━━━━━
What we just read are some of the most extraordinary words from the lips of the Master. He said those who believe in Him, not only will they do the same works that He did, but they'll do greater works. This is only possible because Jesus has ascended to the Father, and through the Holy Spirit, His work continues through us.
Recall what the Scripture says in Isaiah 53:10, "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand." This verse speaks prophetically of the Church, the body of Christ, as the seed of Jesus Christ. It tells us that after His vicarious sacrifice, the Lord Jesus will see His seed-the Church- and we shall prolong His days. Hallelujah!
That's what's going on; Jesus multiplies Himself through the Church today; He continues His mission through us. In Acts 1:1, Luke writes to Theophilus about "...all that Jesus began both to do and teach." The key word here is "began"; Jesus started the work, but we continue it. We are the extension of His ministry, teaching, impacting and transforming lives as He did.
The same Spirit that anointed Jesus for His work resides in us, enabling us to continue and expand upon what He started. Through the Holy Spirit, we're empowered to reach more people and impact more lives for the Kingdom of God. Acts 1:8 says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
The Church is the extension of Christ on earth, living in His power and authority, fulfilling His mission. This is a calling of great honour and responsibility. We're His hands, His feet, and His voice in this world, carrying out the will of the Father just as Jesus did.
🙏 P R A Y E R
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Dear Father, thank you for the privilege of being a part of the body of Christ. I'm forever grateful that through the Holy Spirit, I'm empowered to do your will and establish your righteousness. I walk in this calling with boldness and faith, knowing that my life glorifies you. Thank you for making me an extension of your Kingdom in the earth, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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John 14:12 AMPC; Isaiah 61:1-2; John 20:21; Matthew 28:18-20
*1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 12:14-29 & Ezekiel 13-15
*2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 John 3:1-12 & Ezekiel 47
📯Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional