Tuesday, 20 December 2016 Curing Unbelief · tuesday

Tuesday, 20 December 2016 Curing Unbelief · tuesday

RHAPSODY DEVOTIONAL Unknown   8:07:00 am

Curing Unbelief · tuesday ·   And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching (Mark 6:5-6).   In Mark 9, we read how the disciples of Jesus tried to cast a devil out of a young boy, but to no avail. When Jesus arrived, the father of the demon-possessed boy pleaded with Him for help. Straightway, Jesus rebuked the demon, and the boy was healed instantly. This marvelled the disciples, because Jesus didn’t do anything different from what they did (at least, so it seemed). Distraught, they came to Jesus privately and asked Him, "Master, why couldn’t we cast the devil out?"  The Master replied them plainly, "…Because of your unbelief…" (Matthew 17:20). The disciples certainly didn’t think their problem was unbelief; otherwise, they wouldn’t have asked Jesus the question in the first place. They believed; that’s why they were with Jesus! They thought they had faith; that’s why they dared to cast the devil out! However, Jesus knew better; He stated the missing link as "unbelief."  Many people find themselves in similar situations today. They wonder why they didn’t get the job or the money, despite all their prayers and confessions. Well, like the disciples of Jesus, it’s because of their unbelief. The fact that you didn’t get what you wanted doesn’t mean the Gospel you received isn’t working. Rather, it simply shows that you need to learn more of God’s Word and act on it. Unbelief is the result of insufficient information from God’s Word. The cure, therefore, is the teaching of God’s Word. Keep bombarding your spirit with God’s Word to rid it of unbelief.  When the Lord Jesus experienced unbelief from the people in His hometown of Nazareth, He resorted to teaching the Word. Mark 6:6 says He marvelled because of their unbelief and went into their villages, teaching the Word. That’s how you get rid of unbelief. When people have difficulty believing, teach them the Scriptures. Explain to them how the power of God works, and faith will be stirred in them to receive whatever miracles they desire, and they’ll be able to retain it.   Prayer  Dear Father, I rejoice at your Word, which prevails in and through me today. I consciously saturate my heart with the Word of faith, which is able to build me up, and propel me in my destiny in Christ, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.  further study: H ebrews 11:6; Romans 10:17   : R evelation 12 Micah 6-7  : R evelation 16:11-21 Zephaniah 3

He Shows Up In You · friday ·

He Shows Up In You · friday ·

RHAPSODY DEVOTIONAL Unknown   11:42:00 pm

He Shows Up In You · friday ·
    …he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand (Isaiah 53:10).   The Lord Jesus did many mighty works when He walked the earth. The Bible says if all the miracles He performed were to be chronicled, the whole world wouldn’t contain the books that’d be written. That’s neither a hyperbole nor over amplification of facts; it’s the truth. His entire life was an unending stream of the supernatural. He brought hope, joy, and life to many. The Bible says He went about doing good, healing ALL that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:38).  Now, this same Jesus, although is in heaven today, the Bible says He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He’s still loving, gracious, merciful, compassionate, and works miracles today as He did in Bible days. He still lifts, blesses, and transforms lives today, howbeit, through us—His seed. We’re the ones prolonging His days. We stand in His stead today; we bear His glory and divine presence. He’s committed to us everything He "…began both to do and teach" (Acts 1:1), that we may carry on in His stead.  He gave us the Holy Spirit, and we can minister His graces, wisdom, salvation, righteousness, love, healing, wholeness and beauty to a hurting, broken, lost, and disgruntled world. When we come before a rendezvous of broken humanity—the sick, the downtrodden, the poor, the rejected, the neglected, and the fainthearted—Jesus shows up in us and there’s a total turnaround for them. He’s the solution that the world is looking for, and we minister Him; we’re partakers of His divine nature, as well as dispensers of His love.  If only the world could see and understand that you carry God’s divine presence, and relate to you accordingly, they’d get heaven’s best. Jesus didn’t leave us hamstrung; He gave us everything we require to affect our world. He’s as present through you in your world today, as He was in Galilee, Capernaum, and Jerusalem. You can boldly affirm when you show up anywhere that Christ is there, because He comes in you. Hallelujah!   Prayer  Dear Father, I thank you for the privilege and blessing of being a partaker, as well as the conveyor of your divine presence. I influence and transform my world with your glory today, ministering life and divine blessings to the hearts of men, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.  further study: 2 Corinthians 5:19-20; Mark 16:19-20   : R evelation 8 O badiah  : R evelation 14:1-10 Nahum 1-3

Meditate On His Love · tuesday ·

Meditate On His Love · tuesday ·

RHAPSODY DEVOTIONAL Unknown   8:29:00 am

 Meditate On His Love · tuesday ·    Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13 GNB).   Mark Chapter 5 tells the story of a certain woman who suffered haemorrhage for twelve long years, but was made whole by Jesus. Her audacity of faith must have come from what she heard about Jesus: that He radiated, manifested, and expressed the love of the Father. She must have heard how Jesus restored sight to the blind, raised the dead, made the lame to walk, and even restored maimed limbs. She must have been inspired to hear how He spoke loving words to the hurting, the rejected, downtrodden, and broken-hearted.  She was therefore convinced that Jesus wouldn’t reject her if she came to Him. Thus, she pressed through the crowd at the risk of her life to get to Him. Remember, the Law forbade her to have physical contact with others; she’d have been stoned to death if discovered, for daring to appear in public in her condition. But she had heard that the Master touched and healed lepers: outcasts that were ostracised by society. This most certainly lifted her spirit and rekindled hope within her that she could be well again.  In the account rendered in the Book of Matthew 9:21, the Message translation says, "She was thinking to herself, ‘If I can just put a finger on his robe, I’ll get well...." Notice that it started with a thought. She thought she wouldn’t even need Him to notice her; she could as well tap into that love-power. She did, and she was healed instantly.  What are your thoughts about the Master? Do you consciously meditate on how much He loves you? Everything Jesus is and represents is love. His miracles that we read about in the Bible were all love-inspired. His communication and actions pointed everyone to the Father’s love. He was the revelation of God’s love. He said in John 15:9 (MSG), "I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love." He’s saying, "Meditate on my love; stay and be at rest therein!" His unrivalled and unconditional love for you should provoke in you such audacity of faith always.   Prayer  Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me the true nature of the Father, which is Love. I meditate, embrace, and take advantage of His love today, which in turn is expressed in and through me to everyone in my world; your love in me continually compels me to reach out to heal and bless others around me. Amen.  further study: 1 John 4:7-10; John 3:16   : R evelation 5 Joel 1-3  : R evelation 12:11-17 Micah 3-4

Glory In A Dry Land · monday Dec 2016

Glory In A Dry Land · monday Dec 2016

RHAPSODY DEVOTIONAL Unknown   11:26:00 pm

Glory In A Dry Land · monday ·
   For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).   The Lord testified of David that he was a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). When you study about David, you’ll discover he was so passionate about the glory of God. The pursuit of his soul was to have and to see the glory of God. In Psalm 63:1-2, he said, "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary."  What a declaration! He described the land as "a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." "Water," in this context, typifies the Spirit of God. "A dry and thirsty land" typifies a place that’s destitute of the Spirit of God; a desolate land. David saw in the visions of God that in the sanctuary of God, there’s glory, and there’s power; so he yearned to see the same glory in a land destitute of the Spirit of God.  That tells us something; it makes no difference what obtains in the city or nation where you live or the demons in that particular region that hold sway over men’s lives; you can seek the manifestation of the glory of God in that place. It doesn’t matter the wickedness that has festered or the hunger, depravity, terror, and fear that have kept men in bondage; in that "dry and thirsty" land, you can establish the glory of God.  You do this through intercession and proclamation of the Word. Get filled with the Spirit and proclaim the Word over such countries, regions, cities, and towns. Don’t be quiet; keep at it until the anointing wells up in you to proclaim the Word of God that’ll change things. Under that unction, declare with boldness that the glory of God in the Gospel of Christ fills that land. Soon enough, the light of God’s Word that brings salvation, deliverance, and prosperity will shine brightly in those hitherto dark regions, and there’ll be a great harvest of souls. Hallelujah!   Prayer  Dear Father, thank you for the glorious light of your Gospel that’s beaming intensely on the dark places of the earth, bringing salvation, deliverance, prosperity, and imparting righteousness to the spirits of men. I declare that your glory covers the earth, lighting men’s lives to do your will, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
 further study: Psalm 74:20-21; Isaiah 60:1-2    : R evelation 4 H osea 11-14  : R evelation 12:1-10 Micah 1-2

Thursday, 8 December 2016 The Message Of Faith

Thursday, 8 December 2016 The Message Of Faith

RHAPSODY DEVOTIONAL Unknown   4:13:00 am

The Message Of Faith · 

thursday ·    

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).   A clear understanding and communication of the message of faith is important, because faith is a principle by which we live in the Kingdom of God. The Bible says, "…the just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17). It shows you just how important faith is. You can’t understand and apply your righteousness in Christ without faith.  In Hebrews 11:6, the Bible says it’s impossible to please God without faith. By faith we activate or appropriate the blessings and provisions of Christ made available to us in the Gospel. It’s the reason Jesus taught the message of faith when He walked the earth; He taught the people the principle of asking and receiving. He said to them, "…whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith" (Mark 11:23).  He said if you have faith, nothing shall be impossible unto you (Matthew 17:20). Recall His remarks to many of those He ministered to; He said to them, "Your faith has made you whole." Don’t be amongst those who underrate the message of faith. It’s the message of victory and triumph. It’s the message Jesus brought, which He’s committed to us to use in changing our world. Glory to God!   Prayer  Dear Father, I thank you for sending Jesus to the world, and bringing us the message of faith through Him. Faith is stirred in my heart even now, and I’m strengthened in my spirit, and positioned for the life of endless victories and possibilities. I’ve overcome the world; I’m more than a conqueror; Christ is glorified in, and revealed through me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.  
further study: Mark 11:22; Luke 17:6; Hebrews 11:1   : Revelation 1 Daniel 11-12  : Revelation 9:11-21 Amos 8-9

The Power Inside You ·wednesday Dec 7th ·

The Power Inside You ·wednesday Dec 7th ·

RHAPSODY DEVOTIONAL Unknown   12:04:00 am

The Power Inside You 

· wednesday ·    

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us (Ephesians 3:20).   The responsibility for your life isn’t so much with God as it is with you. Some people blame God for every unfortunate event in their lives and in the world, and that’s because they don’t know Him.  Indeed, He’s God, and He’s all-powerful; with Him all things are possible. However, the power to change things—His power to produce the miracle you desire or require—is already inside you! It’s your responsibility to activate it.  Our theme verse says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." Whatever God will do in your life is to the extent of the operation of His power in you. So you see, you really can’t, and shouldn’t, hold God responsible for all happenings in your life, neither is He the one "delaying" the fulfilment of His Word in your life; you’re the one to activate the power in you.  It makes no difference what you need; be it healing, increased finances, a new job, a child, growth and expansion in ministry, business or in your career, success in your academics, etc., the power to make it happen is inside you. The Lord Jesus said in Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you…." That power is the dynamic ability to effect changes, and the quickest way to activate it is speaking in other tongues.  1 Corinthians 14:4 says, "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself…." That means the one who speaks in other tongues energises or activates himself in the supernatural; he stirs up divine power from within. In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul told Timothy to stir up the gift of God in him. He was referring to the power of the Holy Spirit, which can be dormant unless activated. Sadly, some Christians have allowed that power lie dormant in them. Don’t let that happen to you; pray in tongues often and stir up that power; put it to work.  The power of God is also activated when you affirm His Word with boldness. God and His Word are one. When you declare the Word concerning any situation, you’re invoking His power to bring about a change in that situation. If you want to see the release of the power of God in your life, maintain the habit of meditating on the Word; contemplate and voice the Word.   Prayer  Dear Father, I thank you for the awesome privilege of activating the power of your Spirit within me, to cause a change in circumstances and situations. As I speak in tongues, I’m transported into higher realms of glory, where I reign in righteousness and excellence, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.  
further study: Micah 3:8; Matthew 17:20; Mark 11:23   : Jude Daniel 9-10  : R evelation 9:1-10 Amos 7