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RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 TUES. 14TH MAY 2024
CREATED FOR HIS GLORY
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According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue (2 Peter 1:3).
Pastor Chris Says
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Notice our underlined part in our theme verse; God has called us to glory and virtue. Virtue means excellence. He’s brought you into a life of glory and excellence. All you have to do to enjoy the life He's given you is to live in His Word! That’s the key to living in your inheritance in Christ and enjoying life to the full.
There’s nothing the Lord hasn’t given you or done for you already. 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.” He has already granted you every blessing you could ever imagine. This is in sync with what we read in our opening verse.
Your life, therefore, should be one of praise, glory and thanksgiving to the Lord every day, everywhere and at all times. He’s given you the transcendent life; the overcoming life that makes you superior to Satan, darkness, disease, sickness, failure, defeat and death; life that’s beyond this world!
This extraordinary life, along with righteousness, was delivered to you in Christ through the Gospel. His vicarious sacrifice in our behalf ushered us into the glorylife. The Bible tells us that the prophets of old testified of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow (1 Peter 1:11).
Christ suffered so that you would live in the glory. You’re in that glory now. Blessed be God! If, for example, you’ve had problems in your physical body, regardless of what it is, use the Word against it. Declare that you’re triumphant always and in every place. Hallelujah!
🗣 C ON F E S S I O N
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Dear Father, I thank you for the life of Christ in my spirit that’s made me one with you and brought perfection and excellence into my life. My life is for your glory and I function by the dominion of the Spirit today, in Jesus Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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1 John 5:4; For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Hebrews 2:10; For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Colossians 1:27; 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:
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 6:60-71 & 1 Kings 12-14
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 9:1-10 & Proverbs 10
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 SUN. 12TH MAY 2024
WHAT PRAYER DOES FOR YOU
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...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16).
Pastor Chris Says
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Understand that prayer isn’t about getting God to do something for you. He’s done everything He would ever need to do for and about you in Christ Jesus. So, what does prayer do for you?
Prayer enables your spirit to operate at a level that’s beyond this world. It enables your spirit to get a hold of divine inspiration that helps you communicate at a realm that’s above this world. It helps you to function in union with Deity such that your spirit rises to God’s realm of operation, and then takes control of the situation.
Let’s say you’re praying and asking the Lord for something that you desire. As you pray and trust God for it, the Holy Spirit quickens your spirit to incubate upon that situation with God’s Word. Suddenly, you’re enabled to see. It’s like “stepping on the mountaintop” from where you’re able to look at the rest of the world.
Another way to explain it is like you pulling yourself over a wall to look, and then you see the glory of God! When you pull yourself over that wall and your spirit takes a hold of the vision, suddenly, words will come from your spirit, and you’ll begin to declare, “I have it in the Name of Jesus!”
At this point, nothing in this world can change your mind from it because you’ve already seen it as you prayed. That’s what faith is about; it’s declaring that what you’ve hoped for has presently become yours because you’ve seen and taken a hold of it with your spirit.
After seeing and taking a hold of it in the spirit like that, what you saw could happen on your first day of prayer or in the first week. In some cases, it could even be months or years. But that’s why Jesus said in Luke 18:1 that men ought always to pray, and not to give up. Keep declaring that you have it, for your spirit has already taken possession of it. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for giving me a deeper understanding of prayer and what it does for me. As I remain reverent and consistent in prayer, my heart is full of the revelation of your Word, giving no room for doubt or unbelief, and my faith prevails against all opposing circumstances, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Hebrews 11:1-3; Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
[2] For by it the elders obtained a good report.
[3] Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
James 5:16-18 AMPC; Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
[17] Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months.
[18] And [then] he prayed again and the heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops [as usual].
Luke 18:1 NIV; Luke 18:1 NIV
[1] Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 6:1-24 & 1 Kings 9
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 & Proverbs 8
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 FRI. 10TH MAY 2024
SPEAKING MYSTERIES IN THE SPIRIT
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But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory (1 Corinthians 2:7).
Pastor Chris Says
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Life is full of mysteries, unanswered questions, events and activities beyond human understanding. As Christians, our way of dealing with these mysteries is by speaking mysteries. Rather than wonder about negative circumstances, we cancel them by speaking spiritual mysteries.
The Bible says, “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries” (1 Corinthians 14:2). When we pray in tongues, we’re uttering divine mysteries inspired by the Holy Spirit.
At such times, your spirit reaches into the realm of the spirit, just as the Bible says, “Deep calleth unto deep…” (Psalm 42:7). Then 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 says, “…for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”
These mysteries of the Spirit that are unknown to men are unveiled to us by the Holy Spirit: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth...” (1 Corinthians 2:12-13).
Notice that it says, “...Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth....” Cultivate the habit of speaking in tongues often. As you do, you speak things into your future. You settle matters and take care of things in the realm of the spirit so that when the time of crisis comes, you just laugh your way through.
This is why God wants us to pray all the time in the spirit: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18).
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, thank you for the privilege and blessing of speaking in other tongues and speaking forth mysteries about my life and the work you’ve committed to me. Thank you also for the gift of interpretation of tongues. As I interpret those mysteries, answers flood my mind, and I walk in your perfect will, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Psalm 25:14; The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; And he will shew them his covenant.
Luke 8:10; And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
1 Corinthians 2:6-7; Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
[7] but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 5:1-30 & 1 Kings 4-6
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 & Proverbs 6
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 WED. 8TH MAY 2024
YOU’RE THE TABERNACLE OF HIS PRESENCE
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What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Pastor Chris Says
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In the Old Testament, the children of Israel transported the presence of God from place to place every time they carried the Tabernacle of Witness, which contained the Ark of the Covenant.
In 1 Kings 8:9, the Bible tells us specifically that, “There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.” The only thing in the ark was God’s commandments.
Today, your heart is the ark of God; that’s where the Word is. Remember what the Lord said in Jeremiah 31:33: “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” This was fulfilled in us when we were born again.
We were born again by the Word of God and have become one with the Word; we’re living epistles, “... written, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone but in fleshy tables of the heart” (2 Corinthians 3:3). Blessed be God!
You’re now the living ark of testimony and the tabernacle of His presence, “…for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16). He dwells in you now. His hands are in your hands, and His legs are in your legs. He walks in you and talks through you.
Where you go, God goes. You’re in Him and He’s in you! Not only are you now in the presence of God, you carry the presence of God. Every time you show up, you come with the presence of God. No wonder the Bible says in Colossians 1:27, “...Christ in you, the hope of glory!”
🗣 C O N F E S S I O N
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My life is for the glory of God, because the Holy Spirit lives in and operates from the quarters of my heart. Therefore, Satan and anything associated with darkness have no place in me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Colossians 1:26-27; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
[27] 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:
Romans 8:10; And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
John 14:16-17; And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
[17] even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 4:1-26 & 1 Kings 1
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 & Proverbs 4
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 MON. 6TH MAY 2024
GROWING BY THE WORD
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As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).
Pastor Chris Says
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In Christ we already have everything. 2 Peter 1:3 says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” His divine power has given us everything we require for life and godliness, but you can only enjoy them through your knowledge of Him.
As we grow in the Lord and become more aware of His Kingdom which we're a part of, we learn to apply more of all that He’s granted us. It’s very much like raising kids; though they're heirs of whatever their parents own, they can’t enjoy some of those things until they attain a certain age or level of maturity. That's the way it is in the Gospel.
The Bible says in Galatians 4:1, “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all.” An heir is someone who is legally entitled to an inheritance, rank, or title. He may be an heir to a throne or an heir to some wealth; but as long as that heir is still a child, he’s not different from a servant. Why is this important?
The word “child” is translated from the Greek word “Nepios,” and it refers to one who’s a child mentally and still unable to communicate or talk intelligently. Thus, a Christian who’s still a child (nepios), though all the blessings and wealth in Christ belong to him, he can’t enjoy them because he’s unable to “talk right.”
The blessings are activated by your words—your confessions—which must be based on God’s Word and not on sensory perceptions. But the “nepios” talks according to his senses. From his words, one can tell he’s not trained. That’s why the Bible says he’s placed under tutors and governors, to be trained until he grows to maturity (Galatians 4:2).
It’s one of the reasons everyone of us must grow by the Word. And one of the ways to ensure this is your active membership in your local church where the Word of God is taught and you’re trained with the Word to help you grow and talk right.
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for all you’ve made available to me in Christ and for giving me your Word to live by. As I yield myself to the tutelage of your Word, more grace is released to me and I experience supernatural progress, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Galatians 4:1-2; Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
[2] but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
2 Peter 3:18; But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Hebrews 5:12-14; For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
[13] For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
[14] But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 3:1-21 & 2 Samuel 22
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 4:11-21 & Proverbs 2
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 SAT. 4TH MAY 2024
ALIVE IN CHRIST JESUS
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If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-3).
Pastor Chris Says
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I remember reading a number of books, many years ago, that taught on the Christian dying to the flesh so that we could please God. This got my attention as a young Christian who really wanted to serve God with his life. I would lay on my bed and pray, “Lord I want to die to the flesh so I can please you.” I prayed this way until I came across Colossians 3.
At this point, I had learnt how to accept the Word of God simply like a child. So, I read the first two verses which told me to set my affections on things above and not on things on the earth, and I was ready to do that. I however wasn’t expecting what came next in the third verse; it says, “For ye are dead….”
This changed my life! Then I came across Galatians 5:24; it says, “And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” I began to walk tall with this new information. I went to my friends and said, “Guess what I found? We no longer need to die to the flesh, because we already died; the flesh has been crucified; now we have a new life in Christ Jesus.” Hallelujah!
Then Romans 6:11 sealed the whole thing! It says, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We’re dead to sin but alive to God! This means you can serve the Lord joyfully and confidently; you can live a life that’s pleasing to Him. Glory to His Name forever!
🗣 C O N F E S S I O N
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I’m seated with Christ in the place of dominion and power. I live and see from above, reigning and ruling in the realm of life through Jesus Christ. My life is a daily adventure of the supernatural as I walk in the Spirit and constantly set my affections on Christ and the realities of our glorious eternal Kingdom. Amen!
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Ephesians 2:1 NKJV; And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
Galatians 2:20; I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Colossians 3:1-4; If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
[2] Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
[3] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
[4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 1:19-51 & 2 Samuel 18-19
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 3:10-23 & Psalm 149-150
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 THURS. 2ND MAY 2024
HAVE NO FEAR
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For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4).
Pastor Chris Says
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There’s so much negative information in the world today and this has instilled fear in the hearts of those who aren’t rooted and grounded in the Word. But as a Christian, you live on the mountaintop, because you’re seated together with Christ in the place of glory and dominion.
Therefore, when you face distressing situations, turbulent times, live above them. Even if you were told a certain infectious disease has gotten into your system; it shall have no power over you. Refuse to fear. In Luke 10:19, Jesus said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Live with the consciousness that you’re a partaker of the divine nature. The life in you is divine; it’s not sustained by blood but by the Spirit of God who lives in you: “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11). This verse isn’t a promise but a vital reality now that the Holy Spirit lives in you: He’s the life of your physical body.
Maybe you’ve even been diagnosed with an incurable disease as you read this; have no fear. Declare the Word until the divine life in you gains the ascendancy. With faith in your heart, keep affirming, “The same Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead, lives in me and has invigorated my physical body. I walk in divine health!”
Stand your ground in faith, declaring the Word, irrespective of the symptoms and the circumstances around you. The Word already declares your victory. Satan and the powers of darkness are under your feet. Even now, declare that you live victoriously through the Word and by the Spirit over and above sickness, disease and death. Hallelujah!
🗣 C O N F E S S I O N
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My life is for glory and beauty; and in my path is life, success, victory and health. I walk in dominion over the debilitating elements of this world because I have the life of God in me. I live by the Word and the Holy Spirit triumphantly above sickness, disease and infirmity, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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1 John 4:4; Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Romans 8:35-37; Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
[36] As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
[37] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Romans 8:10-11 NIV; But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.
[11] And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 24:36-53 & 2 Samuel 12-14
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 & Psalm 145-146
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 TUES. 30TH APRIL 2024
LIVING EPISTLES
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Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart (2 Corinthians 3:2-3).
Pastor Chris Says
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1 Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." Every Christian is thus the epistle of Christ, because we're born of the Word; we're offsprings of the Word. 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."
You're the Word in flesh! This is what the Apostle Paul meant by us being "living epistles." Today, anyone who wants to see the Word of God should look at you, for you're the epistle of Christ! This is what the Church is. Hallelujah!
The Lord Jesus was the Word of God in human flesh: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." (John 1:14 NKJV). Jesus was the epistle of God. He was the love-letter sent to the world by God. The same Word that became flesh gave birth to us.
We were born in the realm of the spirit to be like Jesus through the Word. Glory to God. Your life is the life of the Word. You're not born of the corruptible seed of man, but of God's incorruptible seed. This is the reason the life in you is the God-life-the life of the Word. Hallelujah!
🗣 C O N F E S S I O N S
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I live the supernatural life and my potential is limitless because I'm born of the Word. The life in me is the God-life; therefore I'm divinely endued to live triumphantly according to God's mighty power at work in me. Through me, many come to the knowledge of Christ today, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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2 Corinthians 3:1-3; Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
[2] Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
[3] forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
John 1:12-14 NKJV; But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
[13] who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
[14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
James 1:18 AMPC; And it was of His own [free] will that He gave us birth [as sons] by [His] Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures [a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself].
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 23:50-24:1-12 & 2 Samuel 7-8
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 1:22-31 & Psalm 141-142
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 SUN. 28TH APRIL 2024
COUNTERACT THEIR EFFORTS
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Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought (1 Corinthians 2:6).
Pastor Chris Says
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It's important to become more acquainted with the Word and let it dwell in you richly. This is crucial, because we're in the last days, and some individuals and groups have come up with sinister schemes to cause pain, untold hardship, famine, wanton destruction and death in the world. But with the Word in your heart and on your lips, you can counteract their efforts and bring them to naught.
Read our theme verse in the Amplified Classic translation; it says, "...when we are among the fullgrown...we do impart a [higher] wisdom (the knowledge of the divine plan previously hidden); but it is indeed not a wisdom of this present age or of this world nor of the leaders and rulers of this age, who are being brought to nothing and are doomed to pass away."
Observe that as a result of speaking wisdom, that is speaking the Word, the adversary is discomfited, his plans are foiled and brought to nothing. God isn't doing that from heaven, no! It's happening through us. We're His battleaxe and weapons of war (Jeremiah 51:20).
When discussing the actions and activities of wicked and unreasonable men, feudal lords that seek to keep men and nations in bondage, declare only what the Word says about them. The Word says they are doomed to fail. Speak the truth about their failure.
Declare that in the clutches of their sinister agenda, they find no foothold, no progress, and no advancement against the Church and God's people. The greater One lives in us; therefore, the malevolent designs of Satan and his cohorts of evil are doomed to wither and perish as we, the Church, walk on in victory. Hallelujah!
Remember that in the Church age, God has not bestowed any governmental structure, group or individuals with the power of global control. Only what we-the Church-permit will come to pass. Our work and responsibility is to bring forth the will of the Father. Therefore, in prayer, and with your words, enforce and execute the will of the Father here on earth.
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, your righteousness and peace prevail in the nations of the world today; your goodness is heard, seen and experienced by all men, for the earth is filled with your goodness. All the works of the adversary are thwarted, and men of corrupt minds shall proceed no further. We reign through Christ in all the earth; His righteousness overshadows the hearts of men, in Jesus' Name. Amen
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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2 Corinthians 10:4-5; (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
[5] casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Romans 8:31-37; What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
[32] He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
[33] Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
[34] Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
[36] As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
[37] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 22:66-23:1-25 & 2 Samuel 1-3
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 & Psalm 137-138
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 FRI. 26TH APRIL 2024
PERFECT WITHOUT DEFECTS
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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).
Pastor Chris Says
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I want you to notice the expression "perfect soundness" in our opening verse. It's rendered from the Greek word "holoklēria", which means a perfect state of health; a condition of health with no problems whatsoever. This is God's desire for you, and it's one of the many blessings of living in and by the Name of Jesus.
James 1:4 expresses a similar thought; it talks about being "perfect and entire, wanting nothing. The term translated "entire" is "holoklēros," the verb form of "holoklēria." It implies being perfectly sound, complete without blemish. What a life!
Then, to make this happen, God gave us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of life, to keep us perfectly sound. Romans 8:11 says, "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."Hallelujah!
In the previous verse 10, it says, "But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness" (Romans 8:10 NIV). Christ in you, the Holy Spirit in you, guarantees you perfect soundness of spirit, soul and body.
It brings to mind Peter's encounter with Aeneas who had been crippled for 8 years. All Peter said to him was, "...Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately" (Acts 9:34). Aeneas was restored to a perfect state of health because Peter understood the transcendent power of the Name of Jesus and Christ living in us.
As a Christian, Christ lives in you, and you live in Him. Your faith in His Name and consciousness of His indwelling presence will keep you in perfect soundness. Glory to God!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for making me perfect and entire, wanting nothing. I'm righteous, holy, unblameable and unreprovable in your sight, to the glory and praise of your Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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1 Thessalonians 5:23; And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
James 1:4 AMPC; But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 22:1-38 & 1 Samuel 26-28
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 16:1-11 & Psalm 133-134
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 WED. 24TH APRIL 2024
A MANIFESTATION OF HIS GOODNESS
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The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows) (John 10:10 AMPC).
Pastor Chris Says
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The Lord Jesus said He came that we may have and enjoy life to the full. Aren't you glad about that? He lived and died, and came back to life to see to it that nothing cheats you out of His perfect will for you.
In 3 John 1:2, He said, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." In this verse, the Apostle John describes the comprehensive prosperity of the human person, which includes spiritual, material and physical well-being.
God knows that without sound health, you can't enjoy the life that He gave you. That's why He sent us to heal the sick. Divine healing is a manifestation of His goodness. Acts 10:38 further reinforces this truth. It says, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."
God sent Jesus, and He went about doing good, healing all those who were oppressed of the devil. The Bible shows that He gave us the same charge. He said in Matthew 10:8, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give."
Luke 9:2 says, referring to the disciples, "And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." Hallelujah! Think about Peter and John at the gate of the temple called Beautiful. They encountered a man who had been lame from birth, begging for alms. The Bible says, "Then Peter said, 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" (Acts 3:6).
The man, previously unable to walk, was healed instantly, and he entered the temple with Peter and John, praising God. The crowd, astonished at the miraculous healing, saw in the hitherto lame man the manifestation of the goodness of God. God doesn't want people sick, weak, or broken. That's why He sent us to take healing to the nations. Hallelujah!
🗣 C O N F E S S I O N
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I declare that Satan has nothing in me, for I walk in the transcendent, victorious and ever-triumphant life in Christ Jesus. I'm a partaker of the divine nature, with a life that's sickness-proof, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Hebrews 2:14-15; Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
[15] and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Matthew 10:7-8; And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
[8] Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
1 John 3:8; He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 20:20-21:1-4 & 1 Samuel 20-22
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 15:10-19 & Psalm 129-130
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 MON. 22ND APRIL 2024
AN ACT OF VICTORY
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When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up -one on one side, one on the other-so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword (Exodus 17:12-13 NIV).
Pastor Chris Says
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As referenced in our last study, the lifting of our hands to the Lord is an offering to Him, not a mere religious routine as some folks think. It's a ministry. For example, Exodus 17:8-13 gives us the account of the Israelites' battle against the Amalekites.
The Amalekites attacked Israel at Rephidim. Moses instructed Joshua to choose men to fight against Amalek while he went to the top of the hill with the staff of God in his hand. As the battle progressed, whenever Moses held up his hands, the Israelites prevailed, but when he lowered them, the Amalekites gained the upper hand.
Aaron and Hur, the two men who were with Moses noticed that every time Moses lifted his hands, Israel had the advantage, and every time his hands dropped, the opposing side prevailed. Moses, unaware of the impact, was informed by Aaron and Hur that the lifting of his hands influenced the outcome of the battle.
Recognizing the importance, Aaron and Hur provided a stone for him to sit on, and they both helped to bear his hands up on either side. By so doing, Israel prevailed against Amalek. What did that signify? It wasn't about the height of the hands; it was the lifting of the hands.
Remember that he had to sit down; when he sat down, the height was reduced. So, it wasn't about how high the hands were; it was the fact that the hands were lifted. With his hands steady until sunset, Joshua overwhelmed the Amalekite forces.
There's something about the lifting of our hands. If you desire to witness continuous victories and triumphs, always praise the Lord with your hands lifted. When you face challenges, declare, "Father, I lift my hands to you against these issues, against the forces of darkness, against those that war against me." This act has the power to paralyze opposing forces! Blessed be God!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I lift my hands to you today in holiness, to bless and adore you for your glory, majesty and grace. I rejoice in you today, knowing that you're the glory of my life and the solid Rock on which I stand. With my hands lifted in praise, I declare that you alone are God; you're the great King of all. Thank you for your lovingkindness, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Psalm 63:4; Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
Psalm 141:2; Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Psalm 134:1-2; Behold, bless ye the LORD, All ye servants of the LORD, Which by night stand in the house of the LORD.
[2] Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the LORD.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 19:28-48 & 1 Samuel 16-17
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 14:12-23 & Psalm 125-126
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 SAT. 20TH APRIL 2024
HE DELIGHTS IN YOUR PROSPERITY
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If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? (Luke 16:11).
Pastor Chris Says
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There are Christians who make snide remarks when they hear the teachings on prosperity in Christ. Sometimes, they accuse preachers of focusing too much on money and the prosperity message. Ironically, the same individuals work tirelessly all day and all week for money. Some of them even resort to dishonest means to obtain it and often feel distressed when they lack it.
There's no better place to learn about financial prosperity than God's Word. The Lord delights in your prosperity. The Bible says in 3 John 1:2, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."
It brings to mind the words of David in Psalm 35:27; he said, "...Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant." The Lord has pleasure in your prosperity. That should let you know that poverty, lack and want aren't the will of God for you.
2 Corinthians 9:8 (AMPC) says, "And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self- sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]."
His will is for you to be in surplus, ever-prospering. Hallelujah! Read Psalm 1:1-3 (TPT); it says, "What delight comes to the one who follows God's ways....He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree planted by God's design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season of life. He is never dry, never fainting, ever blessed, ever prosperous."
In Christ, you're self-sufficient; you have whatever you require in abundance. Praise God
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, thank you for your grace at work in me for a life of superabundance, where I require no aid or support but furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation. Thank you for delighting in my prosperity, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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1 Chronicles 29:12; Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
Psalm 23:1; The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Joshua 1:8; This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 18:15-43 & 1 Samuel 11-13
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 13:1-14 & Psalm 120-122
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 THURS. 18TH APRIL 2024
ESTABLISHED IN THE TRUTH
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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).
Pastor Chris Says
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The Greek word translated "knowledge" in the scripture above is "epignosis." It means full, exact or precise knowledge. God wants all men to be saved and to come to the full, exact or precise knowledge of the truth. If this weren't possible, He wouldn't have said so. This is His desire.
It's also the reason He set ministers and ministries in place as gifts to the Church: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-13).
God wants you built up and established in the Word until you come to such a high level of faith and knowledge of the Son of God-mature and fully grown in the Lord. As you develop in Christ and in the things of the Spirit, and as you increase in the revelation knowledge of the Word, you're able to tame circumstances and live above the elements of this world.
When you have precise knowledge of the truth-the truth about Christ and what He's done for you and in you-your life will be an endless stream of peace, joy and victories. Get to know the truth.
For example, Psalm 87:3 says, "Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God." Then in Psalm 50:2, the Bible says, "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined." Hallelujah! God shines through you, not cancer, diabetes, kidney failure, poverty or any of the negativities of this world. You're the perfection of beauty.
When you stand in front of the mirror, look at yourself and say, "I know who I am; greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. My life is for the glory of God because Christ lives in me." Be established in these truths. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I thank you for granting me absolute and exact knowledge of your Word, far removed from assumptions, doubts and uncertainties. I function by the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge in all my endeavours, fruitful in every good work. Christ is the glory of my life and by His grace, I reign triumphantly every day, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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2 Peter 1:2-4; grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
[3] according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
[4] whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Philemon 1:6; that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1:9-10: For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
[10] that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 17:1-19 & 1 Samuel 3-7
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 12:1-8 & Psalm 119:145-160
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
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RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 MON. 13TH MAY 2024
PRAY FOR YOUR PASTORS
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Brethren, pray for us (1 Thessalonians 5:25).
Pastor Chris Says
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In the book of Acts, the Bible tells us how King Herod had the Apostle James put to death by the sword (Acts 12:1-2). He found that this pleased the Jews and he apprehended Peter also with a plan to have him killed.
When James was arrested and killed, the church hadn’t understood the importance of intercession. Upon Peter’s arrest, however, they immediately realized that they had serious business to attend to. The Bible says “… but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5). The church prayed without ceasing. They needed to have a change and they got it.
Sometimes, I wonder how many people pray for their pastors and leaders. It’s really important to do this. You have to pray for them because you need them. The Lord put them there to help you and train you in the things of the Spirit.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Hebrews 13:18, “Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.” Why did he say, “Pray for us?” As you study more of the Scriptures, you’ll find there were 2 reasons.
The first reason was so that utterance would be given unto him to boldly make known the mystery of the Gospel (Ephesians 6:19). The second reason was because the Church needed him. In praying and interceding for him, he would be retained for their benefit because he said, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you” (Philippians 1:23-24).
Imagine if Paul had passed on earlier than he did, with all the wonderful revelations God gave him. The world and the Church would have lost so much. They however prayed, and Paul gloriously finished his course.
That’s why he could say in Acts 20:26-27, “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” Glory to God! Pray for your pastors and leaders; it’s very important, because they’re gifts of God to you.
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I pray for pastors and ministers of the Gospel all around the world today, that their strength fail not. I declare that through them, the Gospel is spreading rapidly around the world with the speed of the Spirit. I pray that you grant them utterance and opportunities to impact many more souls as they preach the Gospel with miracles, signs and wonders, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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2 Thessalonians 3:1-2; Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
[2] and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
Romans 15:30-32; Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
[31] that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judæa; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;
[32] that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.
Ephesians 6:19-20; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
[20] for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 6:25-59 & 1 Kings 10-11
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 & Proverbs 9
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 SAT. 11TH MAY 2024
ENERGIZING YOUR SPIRIT
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Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands (2 Timothy 1:6).
Pastor Chris Says
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When Paul told Timothy to stir up the gift of God in him, he was referring to the power of the Holy Spirit—the dynamic ability to effect changes. This was the same power Jesus talked about when He said, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you…” (Acts 1:8).
If you’ve received the Holy Spirit, that power resides in you. That power can however be dormant unless activated, and the quickest way to activate it is by speaking in other tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:4 says, “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself....” As you speak in other tongues, not only are you building yourself, you’re also energizing yourself in the supernatural; you’re stirring up divine power from within to effect changes in every area of your life.
The glory of God is revealed in your life as you charge yourself up in the spirit and stir up the power of God inside you. In Ephesians 3:16, we see the Spirit’s desire for God’s people to be invigorated with miracle-working ability by the Holy Ghost; praying in tongues can make that happen for you.
Praying in other tongues also energizes your faith. The Bible says in Jude 1:20, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.” Faith comes to you when you hear the Word of God. The more you hear the Word, the higher your faith goes. However, you sustain yourself at the highest peak of faith by praying in other tongues.
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I thank you for your glory that’s manifested in my life today as I speak in other tongues. Your power in me is activated, energizing me to walk in divine wisdom, make progress, and rise higher and higher like an edifice, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Acts1:8 AMPC;But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.
1 Corinthians 14:4 AMPC; He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself, but he who prophesies [interpreting the divine will and purpose and teaching with inspiration] edifies and improves the church and promotes growth [in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, and happiness].
Jude 1:20 AMPC; But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 5:31-47 & 1 Kings 7-8
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 7:10-24 & Proverbs 7
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 THUR. 9TH MAY 2024
PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT MAKES YOU GLOW
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Keep your eyes on the LORD! You will shine like the sun and never blush with shame (Psalm 34:5 CEV).
Pastor Chris Says
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Have you ever come out in the nighttime to look up at the stars? It’s such a beautiful sight to behold. But did you know that in the spirit, when you look down on the earth, the same way you see those stars up in the sky, that’s how you see stars of light in the earth? The difference is that these stars you see in the Spirit are us—God’s children.
The Bible 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” (Philippians 2:15). Even though we’re all stars, we glow differently. Some of us glow strongly, while others may not shine as brightly.
In Luke 9:29, the Bible says about Jesus, “And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.” There’s something about prayer that affects your spirit and causes it to glow.
Others may not see the glory all over you; their eyes may not be opened to see it on your face, but as you pray in the spirit, you’re constantly transfigured from glory to glory. It’s one of the reasons we emphasize praying in tongues.
When you pray in tongues often, the glory of God is revealed in your life as you charge yourself up in the spirit and stir up the power of God inside you.
The Lord Jesus said, “Let your light so shine…” (Matthew 5:16). This means you're responsible for making your light glow more and more. The more you pray in the spirit, the stronger your light. That’s what enables you to do the work of God effectively, and keeps you healthy and strong. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit and for giving me the ability to pray in tongues. As I pray in tongues today, I light up everywhere, glowing ever so brightly, radiating your goodness, kindness and graciousness to my world, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Romans 12:11 AMPC; Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.
Luke 9:28-29 AMPC; Now about eight days after these teachings, Jesus took with Him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.
[29] And as He was praying, the appearance of His countenance became altered (different), and His raiment became dazzling white [flashing with the brilliance of lightning].
Matthew 17:1-3; Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
[2] It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
[3] Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 4:27-54 & 1 Kings 2-3
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 & Proverbs 5
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 TUES. 7TH MAY 2024
HE SIDES WITH US IN PRAYER
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Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).
Pastor Chris Says
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The word translated “helpeth” in our opening verse is a complex Greek word: “sunantilambanomai.” It means “to strive to obtain together with” or “to take hold together with, against.” This expression gives us God’s picture of intercession; in fact, it’s the best explanation of how God expects us to carry out the ministry of intercession.
This means that in intercession, God takes hold together with us against the adversary. If, for example, I take hold together with you against someone else, it means I'm on the same side with you.
So, when Paul says “the spirit also helpeth our infirmities,” it means the Holy Spirit joins together with us in prayer against the adversary for those who are unable to help themselves. “Infirmities” is from another Greek word “Astheneia”, which refers to some form of limitation or weakness; when there’s a want of requisite capacity.
Imagine someone who has been sick for a long time and is probably dying. He’s so weak that he no longer can appropriate the blessings of Christ on healing and health for himself. Who’s holding him back? Satan. It’s God who wants to heal him. So, the Holy Spirit joins together with us to pray for that one. We take the place of that person in prayer and then rebuke the adversary.
This means the Holy Spirit is an intercessor and He carries out that ministry through us. It also means that He’s not the one holding back or causing the problem; He’s not the one we’re trying to persuade. He’s helping us.
Maybe you’ve been praying for years for someone to receive salvation. There’s no need trying to convince Him to save that person. The Holy Spirit sides with you in prayer against the adversary responsible for blinding the mind of that person from receiving the knowledge of God. Take advantage of this awesome blessing and ministry of the Holy Spirit today.
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, thank you for the extraordinary ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life as He sides with me in prayer against the adversary. Even now, as I pray, He takes over my vocal cords and gets me in sync with your will, helping me to pray aright, and causing circumstances to align with your perfect will, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Romans 8:26-27 AMPC; So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.
[27] And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will.
1 Timothy 2:1-3; I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
[2] for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
[3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 3:22-36 & 2 Samuel 23-24
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 & Proverbs 3
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 SUN. 5TH MAY 2024
LIFE THROUGH THE SPIRIT
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But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you (Romans 8:11).
Pastor Chris Says
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No one can live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit. It’s impossible! Some believe the Holy Spirit is in us only to help us speak in tongues; no! He does much more in us, for us and through us. Consider for example what we read in our opening scripture: the Holy Spirit in you quickens—vitalizes—your mortal body. He gives life to your body.
That means there shouldn’t be death in any part of your body, because the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of life— lives in you. Hallelujah! Many have chanted our opening verse in songs and quoted it in sermons but have never responded to it as they should. The Word always requires your response. Ponder it again: the Holy Spirit in you makes alive your mortal body. Your response, therefore, should be: My body is invigorated with the life of God. I live in absolute health in Christ Jesus. Amen.
God wants you to be bold and never afraid of death. Be like Paul, who when he was bitten by a venomous serpent wasn’t moved. Others were waiting for him to fall down and die, but he shook the serpent into the fire. This was what he knew; he was conscious that nothing could hurt or harm the one in whom the Holy Ghost dwells.
Now that you’re born again, you’ve been brought from humanity to eternity, which means you’ve become incorruptible, indestructible and imperishable; you’re not subject to failure, defeat and death! This should be your consciousness—a consciousness of life through the Spirit just as the Bible says that if Christ is in you, even though the body may be dead because of sin, the Spirit gives it life because of righteousness (Romans 8:10). Be eternal life conscious.
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I thank you for the victorious life you’ve given me. You’ve brought me from death to life and made me incorruptible, indestructible and imperishable. I’m not subject to death or the destructive system of this world. I’m a partaker of your divine nature; eternal life is at work in me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Romans 8:10-11 ESV;But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
[11] If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
John 1:12-13;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:
[13] which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
2 Timothy 1:9-10;who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
[10] but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 2:1-25 & 2 Samuel 20-21
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 4:1-10 & Proverbs 1
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 FRI. 3RD MAY 2024
YOU ARE THE CHURCH
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And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:22-23).
Pastor Chris Says
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The opening text shows that Jesus cannot operate without His Church. The Church is the completeness or full expression of Christ. In other words, if you desire to know about Christ, receive His blessings, or make contact with Him, the Church is the answer.
Now, who constitutes the Church? Christians all over the world are the body of Christ. Wherever they are, they form the body of Christ in that location. Someone might ask, “Pastor Chris, what if I’m the only Christian in that location?” Then you’re the Church—the body of Christ—in that place.
The body of Christ is that man or woman in whom Christ dwells. We don't have to be many to form Him. For example, in Acts 8:26-39, Philip, one of the disciples, was led by the Holy Spirit to approach a high-ranking Ethiopian official—a eunuch. He preached to him and baptized him.
The Ethiopian eunuch received Christ, alone. When the eunuch journeyed back to Ethiopia, where was the body of Christ in Ethiopia? It was in the Ethiopian eunuch; he was the body of Christ in Ethiopia until he preached the Gospel to other people.
As the body of Christ, operating in your world, you’re His fullness. The fullness of His love, grace, glory and power is in you. This understanding eradicates weaknesses and limitations. Paul declares, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).
He didn’t say "we can" but "I can," because Paul comprehended that he was the body of Christ. This has to be your consciousness. If it’s just two of you in a certain location, both of you are the body of Christ there. If you’re a thousand, all of you are the body of Christ.
But if you’re the only one; anywhere you are, when you operate outside the assembly, outside the Church, you’re the body of Christ there. You’re His full legal representative and representation. That means you’re authorized by Him, and you’re His image or expression. Hallelujah!
🗣 C O N F E S S I O N
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I’m the body of Christ, His full legal representative and representation of Him anywhere I am. And I declare that in the Church, there’s unity, stability, and growth, as we attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, in Jesus’ Name. Amen
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Hebrews 10:25 TLB; Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.
Luke 4:16; And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 1:1-18 & 2 Samuel 15-17
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 & Psalm 147-148
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
WED. 1ST MAY 2024
THE TRUTH DWELLS IN US
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For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever (2 John 1:2).
Pastor Chris Says
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John discovered Jesus in a way that most others never did. He saw something about the Word of God that was unique. He alone shares with us in his gospel writing, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
John understood it because he was there when Jesus taught them and said, “...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). He heard Jesus say, “I am the truth.” And so, when Jesus, in His prayer to the Father, said, “…thy word is truth” (John 17:17), John was able to put it together: The Word is Truth, and the Truth became flesh.
Jesus was more than a man, more than a prophet, and more than a Rabbi; He was God's Truth—God in the flesh. What is truth? Truth is reality—absolute reality. Everything else fades away, but the Truth of God dwells in us, and shall be with us forever (2 John 1:2).
Once this reality settles in your heart, you’ll realize there's nothing you can’t have and nothing you can't do, because the Truth dwells in you, and this Truth—the Word of Truth—created everything, including you: “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures” (James 1:18). Glory to God!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I thank you for your Word. Your Word is Truth, and I walk in truth, because I’m one with the Truth. Your Word confirms my prosperity, divine health, victory, dominion and glorious life in Christ. I make progress from glory to glory as I walk in your truth, established in righteousness, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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John 14:16-17; And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
[17] even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Colossians 3:16; Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
2 John 1:1-2 NIV; The elder, To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth—
[2] because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 24:13-35 & 2 Samuel 9-11
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN 1 Corinthians 2:1-11 & Psalm 143-144
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 MON. 29TH APRIL 2024
JUSTIFIED "WITHOUT CAUSE"
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Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24).
Pastor Chris Says
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In Romans 4:24-25, the Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Justification means acquittal, to be declared not guilty. How did this happen?
First, when Jesus died and was buried, in the mind of justice, we died and were buried with Him. When He was raised back to life, we were raised together with Him, a new creation. It happened at the same instance that God said of Him, "... Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee" (Psalm 2:7).
Jesus was born again when He was raised from the dead. That's where we the Church-came from. We came from the resurrection, not from the Cross. In the mind of God, when Jesus resurrected, you resurrected, you were born a new creature because you were in Him.
2. Corinthians 5:17, says, "...If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Now that you're born again, you're without a past. The question then is, what happened to your past? It died with Jesus, because when Jesus died, the whole world died in Him. So, by His resurrection, all men should have a new life. Hallelujah!
That's why when you were born again, you were born justified. The Bible says, "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). The word "freely" is translated from the Greek "dõrean," meaning 'without cause." To be justified is also to be declared righteous.
This means you were justified, declared righteous without cause; you didn't have to do something about it to make it happen. It was by His grace; you were born that way. Now He says, "... as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Blessed be God!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I thank you for the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus which ushered me into a newness of life. Now I'm a new creature in Christ Jesus, born anew, and justified by your grace, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of the Lord. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Galatians 2:16; knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Romans 4:23-25; Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
[24] but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
[25] who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Acts 13:38-39; Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
[39] and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 23:26-49 & 2 Samuel 4-6
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 1:10-21 & Psalm 139-140
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 SAT. 27TH APRIL 2024
REJUVENATED BY THE HOLY GHOST
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And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness (Romans 8:10).
Pastor Chris Says
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Often, in a well-translated King James Version of the Bible, you'd observe some parenthesized words due to missing links in the manuscripts. Consequently, the correct rendering of our opening verse ought to have been, "And if Christ be in you, though your body is dead because of sin, the Spirit gives it life because of righteousness." The updated New International Version actually renders it similarly.
Then we come to the 11th verse of the same Romans 8; it says, "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." The word translated as "but" doesn't necessarily have to be 'but'. It's best rendered as 'and', 'now', 'then' or 'so'. Either of these foregoing words provide a more fitting connection.
So, let's now put these in the right context and read: "And if Christ be in you, though your body is dead because of sin, the Spirit gives it life because of righteousness. Now, if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:10-11).
Even now, as you read this, if your physical body has already been so battered, bruised, damaged and ravaged by sickness and disease, there can be a change. If it has been paralyzed, the Holy Spirit can give life to your physical body and restore you to perfect health.
It's one of the reasons we speak in tongues. The Bible says, "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself..." (1 Corinthians 14:4). The Greek word translated "edifieth" is "oikodomeo," which means to construct or build up, to embolden or charge up like you'd charge a battery.
Thus, the one who speaks in tongues builds himself up, charges himself, and rejuvenates himself. What happens when you do this is that the power of God within you courses through your being, vitalizing your physical body. Spend some time right now to speak in tongues; the power that's at work in you even now will revive, vitalize and produce life in your body or wherever you require it.
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I thank you for the impact of the Holy Spirit in my life and on my physical body. I activate the power by speaking in tongues; therefore, I'm invigorated, refreshed, energized and vitalized; health courses through my being, and sickness and all that hurts and binds are dispelled, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Acts 9:32-34; And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.
[33] And there he found a certain man named Æneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
[34] And Peter said unto him, Æneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
Romans 8:10-11 AMPC; But if Christ lives in you, [then although] your [natural] body is dead by reason of sin and guilt, the spirit is alive because of [the] righteousness [that He imputes to you].
[11] And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 22:39-65 & 1 Samuel 29-31
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 16:12-27 & Psalm 135-136
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 THURS. 25TH APRIL 2024
BOLDNESS AND ACCESS
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According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him (Ephesians 3:11- 12).
Pastor Chris Says
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If you read the opening text from some Bible translations, they missed the profound simplicity of what Paul was saying. They translated it as having access and boldness into God's presence, but we already have that in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit. So what was Paul referring to here?
First, boldness in this context implies the freedom to express ourselves openly, being able to say whatever you want to say. While worldly systems grant freedom with limitations, in Christ Jesus, we have absolute freedom of speech.
We possess the freedom to speak boldly in the presence of the Father, angels, and even demons, and express ourselves freely anywhere. This boldness extends beyond uttering mere words; it empowers us to speak things into existence.
Secondly, we have "access"; meaning we can go anywhere. No nation can ever close its doors to you; you have access to every country, to every wealth and to all riches. Ephesians 3:12 (MSG) beautifully captures it; it says, "When we trust in him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go."
Even with that, it has a limited understanding of the word "access." It's not just about going wherever you need to go; you have access to the spiritual and the material, to the wisdom of Almighty God. You have access to the unending, boundless, fathomless, incalculable and exhaustless riches of Christ.
When you grasp the depth of your access and vast wealth in Christ, giving and lavishly sponsoring the spread of the Gospel becomes a lifestyle, because you know you have access to an unending supply. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I thank you for I have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Jesus Christ, in whom I've obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to His divine will. I live above circumstances, with access to your wisdom and the exhaustless riches of Christ, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Hebrews 4:16; Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
1 Corinthians 3:21-22; Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's;
[22] whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's;
Ephesians 3:11-12 AMPC; This is in accordance with the terms of the eternal and timeless purpose which He has realized and carried into effect in [the person of] Christ Jesus our Lord,
[12] In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 21:5-38 & 1 Samuel 23-25
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 15:20-33 & Psalm 131-132
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 TUES. 23RD APRIL 2024
AN UNDERSTANDING OF HIS LOVE
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...that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me (John 17:23).
Pastor Chris Says
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God loves you as much as He loves Jesus. Has this reality dawned on your spirit? When it does, it'll completely transform everything about your life. Years ago, when I discovered this verse, I shouted, cried, danced, and screamed for joy!
God's love for us is beyond human description and imagination. In Romans 5:8, the Bible says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Your value to God is the price He paid for your salvation, which is the blood of Jesus Christ: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold...But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19).
This should help you further appreciate the infinite magnitude and boundless nature of His love. In Ephesians 3:17-18, the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, prayed that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend the unfathomable dimensions of the Father's love.
Furthermore, in Romans 8:32, the Apostle Paul raised a thought- provoking question as he reflected on God's matchless love for us. He asked, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" In other words, why should anyone be sick, weak, poor, broke, depressed or live a down life, judging how much the Father loves us?
An understanding of our heavenly Father's love will rid your life of fear, sickness and everything associated with Satan and darkness. Matthew's account of what the Lord did as a demonstration of His love for the people lends credence to this. It says, "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people" (Matthew 9:35). Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Ever-loving Father, thank you for the unfathomable and immeasurable love you've so lavished upon me. It's such a delight to know that I'm special and valuable to you. I walk in the consciousness of your unfailing love today, and I manifest and radiate your love to my world, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
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Ephesians 3:17-19; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
[18] may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
[19] and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
1 John 4:9-10; In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. [10] Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 20:1-19 & 1 Samuel 18-19
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 15:1-9 & Psalm 127-128
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 SUN. 21ST APRIL 2024
THE LIFTING OF OUR HANDS
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Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice (Psalm 141:2).
Pastor Chris Says
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In the Scriptures, there're copious references to the import and blessings of the lifting of our hands. Psalm 134:1-2 says, "Behold, bless ye the LORD... Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD." When we lift our hands, blessings are released; divine power flows through our hands.
Once, I was in a meeting where there were many people with arthritis, and a lot of them couldn't lift their hands. I asked the Lord, "Why do we have so many people in that place with arthritis?"
The Lord's response to me was very interesting. He said, "I said in my Word to lift your hands and worship me; lifting your hands in worship will keep you away from such ailments as arthritis. Sadly, many don't know this.
Then He said, "If those people had been praying, worshipping, praising with their hands lifted, as the Scripture says, they would have never suffered arthritis." The things that God tells us to do are for our sake, for our blessing, such as the lifting of our hands. Every so often, in times of prayer and worship, let your hands go up.
Lifting your hands to the Lord is a sign of your recognition of His grace and glory in your life. Remember, the symbolism of the evening sacrifice offered on the brazen altar is reflected in the lifting up of our hands. Therefore, when you lift your hands in worship, it pleases God more than all the bulls and goats sacrificed on that brazen altar in the Old Testament.
David was well acquainted with the priesthood ministry in the old tabernacle. Also, he was a prophet of God, and by the Spirit, he had a revelation of the New Testament and saw that the lifting of our hands today had taken the place of the burnt offering in the Old Testament.
In 1 Timothy 2:8, the Bible says, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting." The Apostle Paul here was referring to spiritual worship and offering of praise to the Father from a joyful heart, full of love and thanksgiving.
Even now, lift your hands and worship the Lord for His love, mercy and kindness; tell Him how much you love Him.
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Holy Father, I lift up my hands in worship to you, in praise of your majesty, for you alone are God, worthy of all adoration. There's none like you; you're great and mighty. Throughout all generations, you're the same: faithful, just, righteous, holy, pure and true. I love you, Lord!
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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1 Kings 8:22-23; But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.
[23] These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.
Lamentations 3:41; Let us lift up our heart with our hands Unto God in the heavens.
Psalm 63:4 ESV; So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
Luke 24:50; And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 19:1-27 & 1 Samuel 14-15
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 14:1-11 & Psalm 123-124
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 FRI. 19TH APRIL 2024
KEEP BEARING FRUITS
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You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name (John 15:16 CEV).
Pastor Chris Says
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Isn't it wonderful to know that the Lord Jesus chose and ordained you to produce abiding fruits: results that stand the test of time? Whatever you do is expected to succeed and "abide."
The Bible tells us about Joseph who was brought into the house of Potiphar as a slave. However, because the Lord was with him, everything he did prospered. When his master, Potiphar, saw this, he promptly made Joseph the overseer of his house. Potiphar recognized that Joseph was blessed to produce lasting results.
The grace of God is on your life to produce excellence in everything you do. Become conscious of this. Whatever you're required to do should be a success because you're a child of God, and you're fashioned for good works. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Keep bearing fruits. Keep winning. Remain effective. Wherever you find yourself, make a difference. Joseph's excellence wasn't discovered when he became the boss; it was discovered while he was a slave. He only became the boss because of his effectiveness.
Thanks be unto God; the Spirit of God in you makes you an effective and efficient person. Read what the Bible says in Acts 1:8 AMPC: "But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you...."
Psalm 1:3 also gives a vivid description of your ever-fruitful and ever-productive life in Christ. It says, "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, thank you for the inherent ability in me to be effective and efficient in all that I do, producing lasting and extraordinary results. You've equipped and ordained me for a fruitful and productive life. I'm effective in the ministry of reconciliation and every other area of my life, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
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2 Corinthians 3:5 AMPC; Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God.
Psalm 1:1-3 TPT; What delight comes to the one who follows God’s ways! He won’t walk in step with the wicked, nor share the sinner’s way, nor be found sitting in the scorner’s seat.
[2] His passion is to remain true to the Word of “I AM,” meditating day and night on the true revelation of light.
[3] He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree planted by God’s design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season of life. He is never dry, never fainting, ever blessed, ever prosperous.
John 15:16; Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 17:20-18:1-14 & 1 Samuel 8-10
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 12:9-21 & Psalm 119:161-176
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 WED. 17TH APRIL 2024
LIVING IN THE WORD IS FUNDAMENTAL
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So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).
Pastor Chris Says
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It's essential to recognize that not everyone in this world will fulfil their God-given purpose. In fact, many are unaware that God has a unique plan for each person born into this world. Every human being faces two destinies: a natural destiny shaped by circumstances such as birth, family, environment, etc, and a divine destiny initiated when Jesus becomes the Lord of one's life. From then on, He takes charge of your life.
The Word of God has to be the guiding light for your life. Every time you hear the Word, faith is imparted to you. Through this faith, you can please the Lord, serve Him, and accomplish anything in alignment with His will; you can fulfil the calling of God on your life.
The Bible says, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (James 1:18). 1 Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
As one born of the Word, living in the Word is fundamental to fulfilling your purpose. The Word fortifies your faith, guides your spirit, and serves as the nourishment for your spirit; it is your life. Praise God!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, I thank you for the life-transforming power of your Word. As I receive and embrace your Word, faith is ignited and kindled within me; I'm fortified, energized and strengthened to fulfil your plans and purposes for my life. I walk in union with your Word; therefore, I'm guided in your perfect will to fulfil the purpose you have for me, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
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Psalm 119:105; Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.
James 1:22-25; But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
[23] For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
[24] for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
[25] But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Acts 20:32; And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 16 & 1 Samuel 1-2
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 11:25-36 & Psalm 119:129-144
Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES
📅 TUES. 16TH APRIL 2024
POWER TO HEAL
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And these signs shall follow them that believe... they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:17- 18).
Pastor Chris Says
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Do you know that when it comes to healing the sick, we're the ones God asked to do it? He gave us power to heal. In our theme scripture, the Lord Jesus didn't say the believing ones shall pray to me to heal the sick; rather, He said, they shall lay hands on the sick, and the sick shall be healed.
Then in Luke 10:9, He was just as direct when He sent His disciples out to preach the Gospel. He said, "... heal the sick...and say unto them, the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." Also, He told them, "And as ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:7-8).
Remarkably, He didn't say, "pray for the sick"; rather, He said, "heal the sick." Hallelujah! In Acts 3, Peter exemplified this authority to heal the sick when he encountered a man who had been crippled from birth at the Temple gate. He declared, "...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" (Acts 3:6). This wasn't a plea or a prayer, Peter simply acted on the Words of the Master, He used the Name of Jesus as a powerful instrument.
In Acts 3:16, he further emphasized the power of the Name of Jesus when he said that faith in His Name had made the formerly lame man strong: "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."
One of the most beautiful things about Christianity is the blessing of using the Name of Jesus. When you speak or proclaim healing for the sick in His Name, your words are effective, producing exactly what they talk about. Even now, go ahead and make declarations in His Name about your health and that of your loved ones. Proclaim healing for many today who are sick and in hospitals. Hallelujah!
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, thank you for granting me the power of attorney to use the Name of Jesus and bring healing and health to the sick. Even now, I proclaim healing for many today who are in hospitals and might have been given up to die; the handwriting of death concerning them is cancelled, and they're restored to sound health, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Luke 9:2; And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Acts 3:1-8; Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
[2] And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
[3] who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
[4] And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
[5] And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
[6] Then Peter said, 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.
[7] And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
[8] And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Philippians 2:9-11; Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
[10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
[11] and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 15:11-32 & Ruth 1-4
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 11:13-24 & Psalm 119:105-128