Be humble my brother my sister be humble. Never say “you can’t stand him or you can’t stand her.” Be humble. Be humble.
Ephesians 5: 1–2 {NKJV}.
IT’S A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP
The Father always speaks; He’s always in communication with your spirit, sharing His thoughts with you. So, it’s not just the words that you say to God during the times of prayer that matter but the opportunity it provides for His Spirit to minister to you as you minister to Him.
Continue readingTRUST IN HIM ALONE
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES SATURDAY 27TH NOVEMBER.
TRUST IN HIM ALONE BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God (Psalm 20:7).
2 Chronicles 14-16 tells us about Asa, King of Judah, who did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord and to obey the law and the commandment, and his kingdom was at peace.
Once, Zerah, the Ethiopian King, invaded Judah with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots. Asa cried out to the Lord for supernatural intervention. The Bible says, “So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled” (2 Chronicles 14:12). Remarkable!
In the 36th year of his reign, another event occurred. Baasha, the King of Israel, made hostile threats against Judah. But this time, instead of seeking the Lord, King Asa sought a military alliance with BenHadad, the King of Syria. He took silver and gold from the treasuries of the temple and the royal palace and sent them as gifts to the Syrian king. The King of Israel abandoned his plans, but the Lord was displeased with King Asa.
God sent a prophet to him to remind him of how He (God) intervened when he fought against a million soldiers from Ethiopia and other lands. Instead of listening to the message from God, the king was angry with the prophet, and he began to oppress the people.
Two years later, Asa developed a severe disease in his feet for which he sought the help of physicians, not the Lord (2 Chronicles 16:12). Can you imagine that? After thirty-five years of a wealthy, successful and productive reign, he turned his back on God. Now, he had enough money to pay mercenaries and physicians.
Sadly, he died of that disease two years later. The Bible specifically tells us that the reason Asa died of that disease wasn’t because the disease was deadly, but because Asa refused to seek the Lord (2 Chronicles 16:12). That’s a major problem with some people today; they trust so much in their wealth and riches and have lost sight of who truly matters in their affairs, because they think it’s all about money.
Never let anything take your attention away from the Lord. Let the Spirit have pre-eminence in your life. Make it a principle for yourself, and one to live by, that you’ll trust the Lord only and always.
PRAYER
Dear Father, I trust you wholeheartedly in all things; you alone matter, and I delight only in your instructions, in your Word. I’m fully convinced that you have the best plans for my life; you’re more interested in and passionate for my success than I could ever be. For this, I’m grateful, and live to love you, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 28:7
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
2 Peter 1 & Ezekiel 37-38
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 15:11-19 & 1 Chronicles 27
WE ARE LIGHTS
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES THURSDAY 18TH NOVEMBER.
WE ARE LIGHTS BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5).
In Ephesians 5:8, the Bible says, “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.” And our theme verse says, “Ye are all the children of light….” You’re a child of light, and if you’re a child of light, you’re light. That’s exactly what the Scripture says. Hallelujah!
The Lord Jesus, talking to the Jews, said, “While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light…” (John 12:36). He told them to believe in the light, that they may be the children of light. But they didn’t. We believed, and we received eternal life and became children of light. Glory to God!
John 8:12 says, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” This is amazing. Also, think about the words of Jesus in John 9:5; He declared, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
What does He want your life to be like? He shows us in Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Philippians 2:15 says, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”
We shine as lights in a dark world. We have the heart of the Father. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son….” Therefore, we must love the people with the Father’s love. It’s part of shining as lights in the world.
When Jesus said to let the world “see your good works,” He was talking about works of righteousness. Put your best into preaching the Gospel, turning men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. That’s the true solution to all human challenges: the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. Glory to God!
CONFESSION
I’m a light in a dark world, and my light shines everywhere! I’m wholly committed to interceding for the souls of men around the world and the spread of the Gospel, knowing that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
Romans 12:11 TPT; Isaiah 60:1-3
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
James 1 & Ezekiel 17-19
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 12:42-50 & 1 Chronicles 18
ALL WRAPPED IN THE WORD.
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES MONDAY 8TH NOVEMBER.
ALL WRAPPED IN THE WORD BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name (Psalm 138:2).
In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself through various names to the children of Israel. Generation after generation, they recognized Him with those names, for they depicted or described His character. Examples of such names are Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner), Jehovah Raah (The Lord My Shepherd), Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals), Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts), etc.
However, our theme verse says He’s magnified His Word above all the revelations of His names. Meaning that whether you knew Him as El shadai or as Adonai or as Jehovah Rapha or Jehovah Jireh—whatever you knew Him to be—He’s magnified His Word above all those revelations.
Those revelations were limited; they’re all wrapped up in the Word. If you know the Word of God, you’ll go beyond the man who knows God as Elshadai or Jehovah Rapha or any of the other revelations of Him in the Old Testament. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the word was God.” This is the Word that’s been magnified above all the revelations of God’s names.
You don’t need all of the Hebrew names of God now; the last of the revealed names was Jehovah Shammah—the Lord is present; and after that, He brought forth “Emmanuel”—God with us—which was Jesus in the midst of His people. But His desire was to be in us: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
Too many have lived in religion and haven’t received reality; they don’t know how to relate with God. Christianity is a living thing; a real relationship with a living heavenly Father and His Son Jesus through the person and power of the Holy Spirit. Get to know the Word and put it to work, and your life will be an unending stream of blessings and grace.
PRAYER
Dear Father, thank you for the revelation of your Word to my spirit. Forever, your Word is settled in my heart and in my life. I walk in success, victory and triumph; my life is an unending stream of blessings and grace in Christ Jesus. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
Psalm 119:160; Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 119:89
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Hebrews 8 & Jeremiah 52
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 10:33-42 & 1 Chronicles 8
GIVE MORE TIME TO PRAYER.
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES FRIDAY 5TH NOVEMBER.
GIVE MORE TIME TO PRAYER BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).
Esther Chapters 3 and 4 give us an amazing account of Haman, a wealthy man who was close to the reins of power; he was the king’s friend. For some reason, he hated the Jews and wanted them exterminated. He presented a proposal to the king to that effect and with the king’s express permission, he drafted and published a decree for the elimination of all Jews, both young and old.
But the Bible says, “When Mordecai (one of the Jews) perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry” (Esther 4:1). Mordecai understood that even though the decree had been made, God could cause a change in their circumstance.
He thus galvanised the Jews, and called for prayer and fasting. The Bible says “…there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes” (Esther 4:3). All they could do was call on God, and they were miraculously delivered from their enemy!
There’s a similar account in 2 Chronicles 32; the Bible tells us how the Assyrians under Sennacherib, King of Assyria, planned to destroy Judah and take over Jerusalem. The Bible says, “And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven. And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria…” (2 Chronicles 32:20-21). Hallelujah!
It makes no difference how many or how strong your adversaries are; in the place of prayer, you can cut off their influence by the power of the Holy Spirit. What you need is to give time to prayer. In the place of prayer, you obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
You have a right to be heard when you pray; therefore, pray often. Remember, He invited us to pray; He’s more willing and passionate to answer you than you could ever imagine. The Bible says, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12). Hallelujah! Think about that!
PRAYER
Dear Father, thank you for your love, your grace, your presence, your Word, and for your wisdom at work in me. Thank you for the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life. As I take advantage of the opportunity and privilege of prayer, I’m victorious always and in all things. I’m making progress from glory to glory, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
James 5:16 AMPC; Philippians 4:6-7 AMPC; 1 John 5:14
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Hebrews 4:14-5:1-10 & Jeremiah 44-47
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 10:1-10 & 1 Chronicles 5
OFFERING SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES.
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES THURSDAY 4TH NOVEMBER.
OFFERING SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
By him (Christ) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name (Hebrews 13:15).
The Kingdom of God to which we belong is a spiritual Kingdom. Therein, we carry out spiritual ministry and offer spiritual sacrifices. This is why it’s so important that we’re spiritually minded, because the sacrifices we offer to God must be spiritual sacrifices. God moved from the sacrifices of bulls and goats that couldn’t take away sin, to spiritual sacrifices.
When we say “spiritual,” we’re dealing with spiritual substance, spiritual tangibility. God’s interpretation of our prayers and sacrifices, for example, is spiritual. Even the prophets could see it that way; in Hosea 14:2, the Bible says, “Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.”
The words we speak to God come up to Him in the quality of those calves that were sacrificed unto Him in the Old Testament. Our words in worship have the same power and effect in heaven as when they brought the sacrifice of bulls to offer to God. Our words are even more important because they go directly to God, but the bulls and calves were killed and eaten by the people.
Our prayers are spiritual sacrifices. In Psalm 141:2, David said, “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” “The fruits of our lips, giving thanks to His Name” is a spiritual sacrifice; that means you’re confessing the greatness of God; you’re confessing that He’s gracious to you, and that He’s been good to you.
When you’re worshipping the Lord in Church, or in your home, or on your knees or standing with your hands lifted, something is actually happening in heaven. But that’s not all! Hebrews 13:16, which is the very next verse to our theme verse says, “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Showing mercy to the poor and looking for opportunities to express acts of kindness to others are sacrifices that are acceptable to God. It means that in heaven, they’re spiritual.
The importance of this is for us to be spiritually minded and understand that these things are real. Do them better, more carefully, and more truthfully.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, you’re gracious and kind; from generation to generation, you’re God! Thank you for your love; thank you for your protection and preservation. Thank you for bringing me into a life of liberty and dominion, to reign and express your will, character and goodness in the earth, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
Hebrews 13:15-16 AMPC; Revelation 5:8
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Hebrews 4:1-13 & Jeremiah 41-43
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 9:28-41 & 1 Chronicles 4
IN CHRIST—EVERYTHING IS ALIVE.
IN CHRIST—EVERYTHING IS ALIVE BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:19).
Everything in man’s world is in captivity (Romans 8:20), but in God’s world, things are different. For example, Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fishes, talked to them and they multiplied, such that about five thousand men (women and the children not counted) were fed with many baskets of leftovers (Matthew 14:17–20).
In Mark 3:1-5, Jesus looked at the man who had a withered arm and said to him, “Hold out your hand.” When the man held it out, his hand was completely restored. He talked to lame legs and they were revived. He talked to a man who had no legs the legs grew out.
When He got to the entrance of the sepulcher where Lazarus was buried, He uttered a simple prayer of thanks to the Father, and then cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” Lazarus, having been dead and buried for four days, came out of the grave alive (John 11:41-44).
He also raised the daughter of Jairus back to life. He took the dead girl by the hand and said, “Get up!” And she came back to life (Luke 8:54). How about the son of a widow who lived in the city of Nain? He was being borne by the undertakers to the place of internment. Seeing the widow in distress, Jesus walked over, touched the casket and said, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.” The hitherto dead young man sat up and Jesus presented him to his mother (Luke 7:11-15). There is a liberty in Christ, and He demonstrated that liberty of the Spirit that He brought to us. In Christ, there’s no such thing as “non-living”; there’re no such things as waste, vanity and death.
The entire creation is groaning in pain, waiting to be liberated into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Now that you’ve arrived on the scene, set the creation free; liberate them. Speak blessings to everything around you that’s “dead” and bring deliverance to every creature in your world. In Christ, take them out of bondage and corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.
CONFESSION
I release words of prosperity, health, blessings and life to every creature in my world, taking them out of bondage and corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Everything in and around me is always new, excellent, perfect and full of beauty, because life is working in and through me. The supernatural is an everyday occurrence, because I manifest eternal life. Hallelujah!
FURTHER STUDY
Matthew 15:30-31; Matthew 6:18; 1 Corinthians 15:22
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Hebrews 2 & Jeremiah 36-37
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 9:8-17 & 1 Chronicles 2
THE CHRIST LIFE IN YOU.
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES SATURDAY 30TH OCTOBER.
THE CHRIST LIFE IN YOU BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:4).
In John 5:26, Jesus said, “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” This means that Jesus had the same life as God when He walked the earth. He had to, because He is Himself God. He said in John 10:38, “I want you to know and believe that the Father is in me and I in Him.”
What we just read is simply extraordinary; it’s the very thing that God wanted with man, for which He created man: to be in us, and us in Him, so we would be one with Him—super beings of His reflection— associates of the God-kind, and His icons in the earth. Hallelujah! This happened when you were born again. The Bible says, “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17).
Even though you were born of a human being, this oneness with Christ makes you supernatural, because the life in you is the life and nature of God; now, Christ is your life. That’s what we read in our theme verse. 1 John 5:11-12 NKJV says, “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” Blessed be God!
If you have Jesus Christ, you have divine life in you now. Romans 6:23 says the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. But that’s a fundamental truth of the Gospel. As you get higher in the understanding of the Gospel, you’d discover that Jesus really doesn’t stand away and give you eternal life; He’s Himself eternal life! In giving you eternal life, He actually gave you Himself. What could be more glorious!
CONFESSION
My life is hid with Christ in God; Christ is my life! The life of sin, failure, defeat and shame was nailed to the Cross, and I arose triumphantly with Christ to a life of righteousness, honour, peace and glory. My humanity has been supplanted by His divinity. Blessed be His Name forever!
FURTHER STUDY
Colossians 1:26-27; 1 John 5:11-13
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Titus 3:1-15 & Jeremiah 31-32
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 8:33-43 & 2 Kings 23
THE JOY OF THE LORD.
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES THURSDAY 28TH OCTOBER
THE JOY OF THE LORD BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
Our God is so gracious and kind; think about what we just read! The children of Israel were in sadness, weeping because they hadn’t quite obeyed God. But while they were weeping and repenting, the Lord said to them, “Go and celebrate, for this day which you’ve assembled to hear my Word is holy; don’t be sorry, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Hallelujah!
The eleventh and twelfth verses say, “So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions….” Now, it’s not about the eating and the drinking, for the Bible says, “…the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17). It’s about the joy you have in Him through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we’ve now received the atonement (Romans 5:11).
In Nehemiah 12:43, when they had built the walls of Jerusalem and it was time for them to celebrate, the Bible says, “Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.” Wow! 1 Peter 1:8 calls our joy “indescribable and full of glory.” Their joy was heard afar off! They were exuberant with joy and rejoicing.
In spite of the terrible things happening in the world today, you can be full of joy every day and express it lavishly. Celebrate the Lord—His greatness, goodness, love, grace and mercies—every day, like you’ve never done before. Give no place to gloom in your life. Joy is a fruit of your recreated human spirit; so, always release it from within you. Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). Glory to God!
CONFESSION
I’m ever joyful and exuberant with praise, because the joy of the Lord is my strength. My joy is independent of circumstances; it comes from my inner man and transcends physical circumstances. My joy is permanent, and it keeps me strong and alive. Glory to God!
FURTHER STUDY
Isaiah 12:3; Galatians 5:22; 1 Peter 1:7-8
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
2 Timothy 4:1-22 & Jeremiah 26-28
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 8:12-21 & 2 Kings 19-20
God bless you.
CHRIST IN YOU IS THE ANSWER.
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES THURSDAY 21ST OCTOBER.
CHRIST IN YOU IS THE ANSWER BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness (Romans 8:10).
it doesn’t matter what your life was like before you gave your heart to Christ; the old, weak, sickly, poor and struggling “you” died with Christ on the Cross. A new you came alive when He resurrected. So, don’t look at the physical anymore; see through the Spirit. Now that you’re in Christ, and Christ is in you, glory, wholeness, perfection, success and prosperity are guaranteed in your life.
The Bible says, “…Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). The assurance that there’s nothing missing or broken in your life is Christ in you. Someone may say, “But I’ve given my life to Christ; Christ is in me now, but I’m still blind” or “I’m still crippled.” I have news for you!
In Acts 9, Peter the Apostle went visiting the churches and came to a place called Lydda. There, he met a man named Aeneas who had been paralyzed for eight years. Even though Aeneas had become a Christian, he was still paralyzed. But guess what? All Peter said to him was, “…Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed…” (Acts 9:34). The Bible says he jumped right out of bed, completely made whole.
If you have Christ inside you, that’s the end of paralysis! That’s the end of blindness, deafness, any kind of sickness or disease, failure and death! Hallelujah! Christ in you is the answer. Our theme verse says if Christ be in you, though your body be dead because of sin, the Spirit gives it life because of righteousness. Why would you accommodate asthma if Christ is in you? You ought to boldly declare, “I refuse to be sick, diseased or afflicted.”
There’re not enough epidemics in the world that can withstand the life of Christ in you. You’re shielded in Him. No wonder He said, “…nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). Your life is divine. Make up your mind you’re going to live the life that Christ has given you, and you’ll be everything He’s called you to be. Hallelujah!
CONFESSION
Christ is in me, in every fibre of my being, in every bone of my body, and in every cell of my blood! I walk in victory and in glory. I’m a success; I’m a victor, because greater is He that’s in me than he that’s in the world. I’m shielded from all evil, with dominion over sickness, disease and the powers of darkness, for I’m in Christ and Christ is in me! Hallelujah!
FURTHER STUDY
Colossians 1:27; 1 John 4:4
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
1 Timothy 3:1-16 & Jeremiah 9-10
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 6:61-71 & 2 Kings 7-8
BE YIELDED TO HIM.
BE YIELDED TO HIM BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them… (Matthew 17:5).
On a certain day, Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John to a high mountain and was transfigured before them. While there, Elijah and Moses appeared and spoke with Jesus. A cloud of glory overshadowed them. The glory was so much and so transcendent that Peter said to Jesus, “…Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias” (Matthew 17:4).
There’re such times when the Spirit of God overwhelms us and we become so conscious of His divine presence that we don’t want to be anywhere else. Many aren’t conscious of His divine presence in, and with them; they’ve thus reduced Christianity to mere religion. They don’t know what it is to carry the presence of the Holy Spirit. And without the Spirit, there’s no Christianity. He is EVERYTHING! If you’d trust Him, He’d walk you on the path of life and glory.
Many don’t know Him and therefore haven’t given Him full control of their lives. Put Him in charge of your life. Come under His sway. Talk to Him more than you talk to anyone else. Talk to Him about everything and anything. You’d be amazed how excellently He’ll guide and lead you. His joy is to see you fulfil God’s destiny for your life.
There’re too many Christians who talk about the Holy Spirit but are not submitted to Him. Every Christian must learn to be fully yielded to the Holy Spirit. You may be a gifted preacher, singer, sportsman, a writer or a politician, but if you’re not yielded to the Spirit, there’ll be no glory in your life. He’s the glory of God. The more yielded you are to Him, the more His glory increases in, and effuses through you.
PRAYER
Dear Father, thank you for the blessing and privilege of being filled with the Spirit, being led and guided by Him in the path that you’ve ordained for me. I’m yielded, fully and wholly given to the Holy Spirit; His glory and blessings are expressed in and through me today, as I impact my world with His divine presence, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
2 Corinthians 13:14; John 14:16-18 AMPC
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
1 Timothy 2:1-15 & Jeremiah 7-8
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 6:52-60 & 2 Kings 6
CONTINUE IN PRAYER.
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES TUESDAY 19TH OCTOBER.
CONTINUE IN PRAYER BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
There’re certain situations you may face and all you have to do is pray once, and that’s it. But there’re other situations that call for persistence in prayer. The Word of God teaches us about different kinds of prayers and what rules apply to them.
For example, when dealing with things about other people, especially when it has to do with their wrong choices and beliefs, you don’t just pray once and go away. You continue in prayer, interceding for them, rebuking the adversary that’s deceiving them. You have to repeatedly mount pressure against the adversary until he lets go and there’s a change.
There’s so much evil going on in the world today and the plan of the enemy is to set up the world of the antichrist before the time. But we have to prevent that. The Bible says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available. We will keep pressing in the spirit, overturning the decrees and activities of darkness.
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God has never thought, and doesn’t think, Satan is a problem, because He gave us authority over demons and the powers of darkness. The problem, for the most part, has been that some of God’s children focused more on personal gains instead of the faith to save men. Our world would surely be a better place if we would focus more on the souls of men in fervent prayers, intercessions, supplications, giving of thanks and preaching the Word.
That’s what He charged us to do, and He told us the outcome and why we should do it: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Follow the Word and pray like this.
Jesus said, “…men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). If we’d follow the order and pray as the Spirit indicates, we’d take this whole world for Jesus Christ. Glory to God!
PRAYER
I break the power of the devil off the souls of men and declare that the Gospel penetrates the hearts of many around the world today, turning them from darkness to light, with the righteousness of Christ established in their hearts. Every hindrance to the Gospel is destroyed in the Name of Jesus Christ, and there’s a massive harvest of souls in the nations. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
1 Timothy 2:1-4; James 5:16 AMPC
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
1 Timothy 1:1-20 & Jeremiah 5-6
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 6:41-51 & 2 Kings 5
God bless you.
DIED FOR THE UNGODLY.
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES FRIDAY 15TH OCTOBER.
HE DIED FOR THE UNGODLY BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled (Colossians 1:21).
The scripture above describes the ungodly as alienated from God, and enemies in their minds by wicked works. In other words, they were enemies of God in their minds because of their wicked works. Evidently, it wasn’t God who declared them enemies; rather, He’s the One reconciling them. The Bible says, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them…” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
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This is similar to what transpired between God and Adam in the Garden. Adam sinned against God and ran into hiding (Genesis 3:8). But God came looking for him; He said, “Adam, where are you?” How gracious He is! While we were sinners, in God’s mind, we weren’t enemies; He was working out how to bring us to Himself; He was working on a plan.
Colossians 1:22 tells us that the purpose and summation of Christ’s redemptive work was “…to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.” He knew what He was going to do before He did it. Romans 5:6 says, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” This is so touching.
He didn’t wait for us to become godly before He died for us. He initiated the reconciliation: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10). Hallelujah! Let this love be expressed through you to the ungodly in reaching out to them with the Gospel. Let them know God isn’t mad at them; they can come to Him just as they are and be accepted.
He said in Isaiah 1:18, “…though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” He’s the One that washes, sanctifies and justifies the ungodly in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Hallelujah!
PRAYER
Holy Father, thank you for committing to me the ministry of reconciliation; I’m grateful for the privilege of being your co-labourer and partner in ministering to the ungodly and bringing them salvation in Christ Jesus. As the Gospel is preached around the world today, I pray that faith is stirred in the hearts of many to receive the message and be converted, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
Romans 5:6-8; Acts 13:38-39; Romans 4:5-8
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-28 & Isaiah 61-63
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 6:1-14 & 1 Kings 22
WE HAVE SOMETHING THEY CAN’T WITHSTAND.
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER.
WE HAVE SOMETHING THEY CAN’T WITHSTAND BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME.
For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod (Isaiah 30:31).
In the Old Testament, God prophetically described the spirit of the antichrist in several ways for us, and He helped us understand what that spirit would do in different phases, until he’s fully manifested in a man. But as long as we’re still in the earth, before the Rapture of the Church, Satan and his cohorts of darkness don’t stand a chance in establishing their evil order. We have something that they can’t withstand: the Name of Jesus and the Word of God spoken in the power of the Holy Spirit.
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Observe something in our theme verse: the phrase, “the voice of the LORD”; it refers to the Word of God spoken by the power of the Holy Spirit. That means the “rhema” of God, which is the sword of the Spirit; it discomfits Satan and the princes of darkness.
Satan puts people in bondage and makes tyrants and despots out of leaders. Think about a man who was very humane when he was elected a government official but suddenly becomes a tyrant afterwards. Why? Satan took over his mind. This is what happened in some countries. Suddenly, some leaders metamorphosed into cruel dictators and the people lost their civil liberties.
But the Bible says, “And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones. For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod” (Isaiah 30:30-31).
“The Assyrian” is one of the prophetic names of the Antichrist. Thus, by the Word of God on our lips we cut off and beat down this evil prince of darkness and thwart his plans. As long as we, the Church of Jesus Christ, are in the earth, only the will and purpose of God will be established. Glory to God!
CONFESSION
By the power of the Holy Spirit, the adversary is beaten down and the plans of the enemy shattered. The hearts of men around the world are stirred and established in righteousness; the glory of God rests on, and influences the nations and all forms of evil, turmoil, wickedness and terror the devil seeks to unleash on the world are thwarted, to the praise and glory of the blessed Lord Jesus. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
Isaiah 10:24-27; Mark 16:17; Ephesians 6:17
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:1-13 & Isaiah 57-58
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
John 5:28-32 & 1 Kings 20
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