He Always Listens

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July 17, 2014

Receive all the glory Lord, receive all the honour, receive all the adoration in the Name of Jesus.

Blessed be The Name of Lord! He is worthy of all our praises. Our Father in heaven, we bow before Your Throne again and again for You are Mighty. Be Thou glorified in the Name of Jesus.

Beloved, who has the finally say? Over your life, family, career and ministry? The help of man cannot open the heavens for you but Divine Help can. It is so important to note that the blessings of the Lord maketh rich and add no sorrow to it.

When God will turn away the captivity of Zion they will be like then that dream dreams. The prayers of the saints must be answered by the Lord. The fact that nothing has manifested does not mean that nothing is happening, the Lord’s bidding must be accomplish in the lives of His beloved ones in the Name of Jesus, for He listens always:

“The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.” Ps. 6:9

The experience here recorded is mine. I can set to my seal that God is true. In very wonderful ways He has answered the prayers of His servant many and many a time. Yes, and He is hearing my present supplication, and He is not turning away His ear from me. Blessed be His Holy Name!

What then? Why, for certain the promise which lies sleeping in the Psalmist’s believing confidence is also mine. Let me grasp it by the hand of faith: “The Lord will receive my prayer.” He will accept it, think of it, and grant it in the way and time which His loving wisdom judges to be best. I bring my poor prayer in my hand to the great King, and He gives me audience, and graciously receives my petition. My enemies will not listen to me, but my Lord will. They ridicule my tearful prayers, but my Lord does not; He receives my prayer into His ear and His heart.

What a reception this is for a poor sinner! We receive Jesus, and then the Lord receives us and our prayers for His Son’s sake. Blessed be that dear Name which franks our prayers so that they freely pass even within the golden gates. Lord, teach me to pray, since thou hearest my prayers.

Beloved, one of the Names of God is El-Shaddia, the Mighty One, He is the Great provider. He shall supply all our needs and attain to all our concerns because the earth is of the Lord and it fullest thereof. Everything is under His command, including Satan and his agents.

Once again I ask dear beloved, who has the finally say? Come with as read through this message below, l believe God will give you an encounter of a life time that people will see and glorify your Father, Who is heaven:

“Thou shalt see now whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not.” Numbers 11:23

God had made a positive promise to Moses that for the space of a whole month He would feed the vast host in the wilderness with flesh. Moses, being overtaken by a fit of unbelief, looks to the outward means, and is at a loss to know how the promise can be fulfilled. He looked to the creature instead of the Creator.

But doth the Creator expect the creature to fulfil His promise for Him? No; He who makes the promise ever fulfils it by His own unaided omnipotence. If He speaks, it is done—done by Himself. His promises do not depend for their fulfillment upon the co-operation of the puny strength of man. We can at once perceive the mistake which Moses made. And yet how commonly we do the same!

God has promised to supply our needs, and we look to the creature to do what God has promised to do; and then, because we perceive the creature to be weak and feeble, we indulge in unbelief. Why look we to that quarter at all? Will you look to the north pole to gather fruits ripened in the sun?

Verily, you would act no more foolishly if ye did this than when you look to the weak for strength, and to the creature to do the Creator’s work. Let us, then, put the question on the right footing. The ground of faith is not the sufficiency of the visible means for the performance of the promise, but the all-sufficiency of the invisible God, who will most surely do as He hath said. If after clearly seeing that the onus lies with the Lord and not with the creature, we dare to indulge in mistrust, the question of God comes home mightily to us: “Has the Lord’s hand waxed short?”

May it happen, too, in His mercy, that with the question there may flash upon our souls that blessed declaration, “Thou shalt see now whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not.”

If this declaration is for you, repent of your sin of unbelief, turn to God depending only on Him to see you through, whatsoever it may be. Is it your business, family, career, ministry, works of your hand, listen He is able to do what He said He will do, only trust and obey His biddings in your life and you will be amazed at what He alone can do.

Do not trust your own strength but trust in God. In your weakness, His strength will sufficient for you. Praise the Name of the Lord! Somebody, Alleluia! Click here to join God’s Family.

You get to hear this, do not quit from that thing you are engaged in, quitters are not winners, just ask God for fresh insight and His favour and strength upon your life why it last. At the end, you will testify of His goodness over your life. Keep moving; don’t you ever look back. Leave what is behind and press forward (Phil 3:12-14) to obtain. (by God’s grace, we are going to treat this topic “Pressing Forward”) don’t miss it, for it will a great miss. Someone’s light will shine forth after reading through.

Don’t forget to remember us in your prayers as we do remember you and God will bless you in return as your prayer blesses us.

Remain blessed in the Lord.

What Manner of Person Ought You to Be?

By

Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu

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July 16, 2014

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Father, we thank You, blessed Redeemer we adorn You, King of kings we praise Your Holy Name. With the twenty – four elders in heaven we bow before Your Throne of mercy and grace“ Precious Father, we reverence you, be Thou exalted in Jesus Name.

Today beloved, the Lord is going to move mighty in your life; in my life in the Name of Jesus Name. Indeed He is a miracle working God. He will perfect all that concerns you. Be ready when you pray as His presence will be manifested to you afresh in Jesus Name.

Holy Spirit our great companion help us to be what God wants to be, teach us to understand the mystery in God’s Word and enable to live holy and acceptable before God. Amen!

Beloved, don’t forget that every Wednesday is devoted to “prayers” as was directed by the Lord, so as to gain mastery on how to breakthrough in prayers. I therefore encourage you be sensitive as you read along for the revelations the Spirit of God will be bringing your way.

Beloved, have you ever ask yourself what will God want of me in this situation, when confronted with other people’s problems outside your own concern,? Why did God allow me to be aware of this situation or circumstances and not the other person?

It is so important we have an understanding about it as a lot of our breakthroughs depends largely when we apply ourselves at other peoples needs other than the I, me and myself attitude we adopt or use to.

God have used people in the past to bring relief to other people’s needs and He is still in that business of doing good. Will you be part of it? Come along with me as we read concerning other patriarchs used by God in time past so as to adapt ourselves to the moving train if we want to please Him and also receive favour from the Most High God:

Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, [it is clear] what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness—2 Peter 3:11

When God told Abraham He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham’s life was immediately and radically affected. Noah could not carry on business as usual once he knew what God was planning for his generation. Knowing that God is preparing judgment brings a sobering reality to Christians, helping us recognize what is eternally significant and what is not.

Peter cautions us that a catastrophic time of judgment is coming. On the day of the Lord there will be a great noise, and the elements will melt with a fervent heat. On that day, he warns, the earth will be consumed. Peter assures us that this is not mere speculation; it is certain and imminent. He then asks the crucial question that applies to each generation: “What kind of persons ought you to be?” With judgment pending for us and countless millions of people facing destruction, how should we live our lives?

Many Christians attach great value to temporal things. Hobbies and possessions consume us, leaving little time or energy to invest in what is eternal. More than anyone else, Christians should be sensitive to the times in which we live. We should walk so closely with God that if He were preparing to bring judgment upon people, we could warn those in imminent peril.

Since Christ has been long-suffering in His return so that no one might perish (2 Pet. 3:9), should we not invest our effort in building God’s eternal kingdom? Should there not be an urgency about us to complete the tasks that God gives us?

Beloved, what urgency are putting in place to ensure that the great commission is being accomplished? The end of everything is near and this call for those things that matters most in our lives to come to fore. Brethren, what ought we to do? If the fathers of old did not rest when God revealed the needs of those who are perishing, the song writer sang about “rescuing the perishing”. How do go about it somebody needs to know. Alight! Fellow me as we discover more below:

“There fell down many slain, because the war was of God.” 1Chronicles 5:22

Warrior, fighting under the banner of the Lord Jesus, observe this verse with holy joy, for as it was in the days of old so is it now, if the war be of God the victory is sure. The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh could barely muster five and forty thousand fighting men, and yet in their war with the Hagarites, they slew “men, an hundred thousand,” “for they cried to God in the battle, and He was entreated of them, because they put their trust in Him.”

The Lord saveth not by many nor by few; it is ours to go forth in Jehovah’s name if we be but a handful of men, for the Lord of Hosts is with us for our Captain. They did not neglect buckler, and sword, and bow, neither did they place their trust in these weapons; we must use all fitting means, but our confidence must rest in the Lord alone, for He is the sword and the shield of His people. The great reason of their extraordinary success lay in the fact that “the war was of God.”

Beloved, in fighting with sin without and within, with error doctrinal or practical, with spiritual wickedness in high places or low places, with devils and the devil’s allies, you are waging Jehovah’s war, and unless He himself can be worsted, you need not fear defeat. Quail not before superior numbers, shrink not from difficulties or impossibilities, flinch not at wounds or death, smite with the two-edged sword of the Spirit, and the slain shall lie in heaps.

The battle is the Lord’s and He will deliver His enemies into our hands. With steadfast foot, strong hand, dauntless heart, and flaming zeal, rush to the conflict, and the hosts of evil shall fly like chaff before the gale.

Stand up! stand up for Jesus!

The strife will not be long;

This day the noise of battle,

The next the victor’s song:

To him that overcometh,

A crown of life shall be;

He with the King of glory

Shall reign eternally.

The crown of glory is bestow only on only those that overcometh and not those who faint at the war front. Praise the Lord!

Beloved, my prayer for you is that you will be sensitive to the move of the Holy Spirit to join the great commission crusade to rescue the perishing all round you as they come encounter with you, even in that office He strategically placed you. “…..even Christ did same for us (1 Cor 5:7).

Remain blessed in the Lord.

“…when I make up my jewels.”

By

Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu

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July 15, 2014

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Wonderful God, we bow before Your throne and we say let all glory and honour be unto You Alone Who is Worthy of our praise. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord and let the living proclaim of His mighty works among the sons and daughters of men.

Beloved, are you among the living? I heard someone shouting y–y–e—e–e–s-s-s-s! Beautiful, am glad you are! Because it is only the living that can worship and praise the Lord. Repentance quickens your mortal body from the shackle of death to a glorious living.

Ever felt the glory of God around you? Ever imagine how the awesomeness of the Only True God will be (Jn 1:14; 2 Cor 4:6; Heb 1:3; Hab 2:14 )? What is glory? Let us consider the following passages (Ps 3:3; Zech 2:5; Isa 60:1-3) in trying to give answers to the meaning of glory.

Without “glory” life becomes a struggle, a man without glory lives in shame and misery. His head is bow down not in humility but in grieves, living daily with much pains. Hear what the Lord said to Adam in (Gen 3: 13-19). When the glory of a man departs it bring along with it fear (Gen 4:15; 1 Sam 28:5-6).

May our glory not depart from us in Jesus Name. Any lost glory is recovered now as you read through this devotional in Jesus Name. May the Lord establish us and use us to make up His jewels:

“They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.” Mal. 3:17

A day is coming in which the crown jewels of our great King shall be counted, that it may be seen whether they answer to the inventory which His Father gave Him. My soul, wilt thou be among the precious things of Jesus? Thou art precious to Him if He is precious to thee, and thou shalt be His “in that day,” if He is thine in this day.

In the days of Malachi, the chosen of the Lord were accustomed so to converse with each other that their God Himself listened to their talk. He liked it so well that He took notes of it; yes, and made a book of it, which he lodged in His Record Office. Pleased with their conversation, He was also pleased with them. Pause, my soul, and ask thyself: If Jesus were to listen to thy talk would He be pleased with it? Is it to His glory and to the edification of the brotherhood? Say, my soul, and be sure thou sayest the truth.

But what will the honor be for us poor creatures to be reckoned by the Lord to be His crown jewels! This honor have all the saints. Jesus not only says, “They are mine,” but, “They shall be mine.” He bought us, sought us, brought us in, and has so far wrought us to His image, that we shall be fought for by Him with all His might.

Beloved, if The Lord said He has bought you and conform you to His image, accept nothing less. Knee before Him and recount all His goodness and mercy:

“The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.” Psalm 126:3

Some Christians are sadly prone to look on the dark side of everything, and to dwell more upon what they have gone through than upon what God has done for them. Ask for their impression of the Christian life, and they will describe their continual conflicts, their deep afflictions, their sad adversities, and the sinfulness of their hearts, yet with scarcely any allusion to the mercy and help which God has vouchsafed them.

But a Christian whose soul is in a healthy state, will come forward joyously, and say, “I will speak, not about myself, but to the honour of my God. He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings: and He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. The Lord hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad.” (Ps 40: 2-3)

Such an abstract of experience as this is the very best that any child of God can present. It is true that we endure trials, but it is just as true that we are delivered out of them. It is true that we have our corruptions, and mournfully do we know this, but it is quite as true that we have an all-sufficient Saviour, who overcomes these corruptions, and delivers us from their dominion.

In looking back, it would be wrong to deny that we have been in the Slough of Despond, and have crept along the Valley of Humiliation, but it would be equally wicked to forget that we have been through them safely and profitably; we have not remained in them, thanks to our Almighty Helper and Leader, who has brought us “out into a wealthy place.”

The deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to God, who has led us through all, and preserved us until now. Our griefs cannot mar the melody of our praise, we reckon them to be the bass part of our life’s song, “He hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”

Be glad dearly beloved for He created you for His glory (Isa 43:7). Never allow Satan to short change you, he did to Jesus but failed may he never succeed in your life, family, career and ministry in Jesus Name.

Any exchange of God’s glory attract punishment (Hos 4:7) on the offender. God said, “I will share my glory with no one (Isa 42:8), rather let us continually go before Him to be transformed by His glory (Exo 34:29-35).

Remain blessed in the Lord.

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Repentance

By

Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu

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July 14, 2014

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Everlasting Father, hallow be Thy Name. Let Thy Kingdom come and Your will be done here on earth and forgive us our trespasses as we …. Be glorified, O Lord! You are highly exalted. Immortal, invisible God Only Wise. We bow before Your Throne O! My God.

Beloved, you are welcome again to another awesome moment with the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Ancient of Days. It’s promising to be great week with The Only Who knows all things, “omniscience God”.

The word “Repentance” means different things to different folks but us in the Christendom, it means when you forsake your evil, rebellious, disobedient, willful, wicked, sinful ways and come back to Jesus, accept Him as your Lord and personal Saviour. It is a positive and a welcoming development in the life of a believer even rejoices at such a moment.

Repentance is different from being born-again. While born- again is a total surrender and accepting Jesus Christ as your Lordship (being zealous or fervid for the Lord), Repentance is the act of letting go all the vices in you, through actions like being remorse, atonement, contrition or sorrowful. This might occur as many times as possible depending on how steadfast you are in letting go of those things that are contrary to the ways of God.

Brokenness helps a man to seek and thirst for repentance, while a proud heart can never see any fault in self, therefore will remain unrepentant (Rom 7).

Beloved, let us not cross this “Month of Glory” without calling on the Holy Spirit to search us out and give us the enablement to seek after righteousness. Come on let get down to the message and discover more:

After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the good news of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news!”—Mark 1:14–15

Repentance is one of the most positive of all words. John the Baptist centered his preaching on repentance (Matt. 3:2, Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3). Jesus also preached repentance, commanding His disciples to do likewise (Mark 1:14–15; Luke 24:47). The angel predicted that the Messiah would save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). The requirement for this salvation would be repentance.

To repent means to stop going one direction, to turn around completely, and to go the opposite way. Repentance involves a dramatic and decisive change of course. God urges us to repent when the path we are taking leads to destruction. Repentance will save us from disastrous consequences! What a wonderful word! How comforting that the Creator loves us enough to warn us of impending danger!

Our problem is that we think of repentance as something negative. When we recognize our sin, we prefer to “rededicate” our lives to God. We may even tell others we have resolved to be more faithful to God than we were before we failed Him. Yet the Bible does not speak of rededicating oneself. It speaks of repentance! Repentance indicates a decisive change, not merely a wishful resolution. We have not repented if we continue in our sin!

Repentance involves a radical change of heart and mind in which we agree with God’s evaluation of our sin and then take specific action to align ourselves with His will. A desire to change is not repentance. Repentance is always an active response to God’s word. The evidence of repentance is not words of resolve, but a changed life.

As simple as ABC, so it is in repentance. You are either on the Lord side or you are not, there is no sitting on the fence. If truly you are to fellow, serve and love the Lord, you must repent and forsake your evil ways and seek after His righteousness. Click here now to accept Jesus Christ.

“Ye that love the Lord hate evil.” Psalm 97:10

Thou hast good reason to “hate evil,” for only consider what harm it has already wrought thee. Oh, what a world of mischief sin has brought into thy heart! Sin blinded thee so that thou couldst not see the beauty of the Saviour; it made thee deaf so that thou couldst not hear the Redeemer’s tender invitations.

Sin turned thy feet into the way of death, and poured poison into the very fountain of thy being; it tainted thy heart, and made it “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Oh, what a creature thou wast when evil had done its utmost with thee, before divine grace interposed! Thou wast an heir of wrath even as others; thou didst “run with the multitude to do evil.” Such were all of us; but Paul reminds us, “but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

We have good reason, indeed, for hating evil when we look back and trace its deadly workings. Such mischief did evil do us, that our souls would have been lost had not omnipotent love interfered to redeem us. Even now it is an active enemy, ever watching to do us hurt, and to drag us to perdition. Therefore “hate evil,” O Christians, unless you desire trouble.

If you would strew your path with thorns, and plant nettles in your death-pillow, then neglect to “hate evil”; but if you would live a happy life, and die a peaceful death, then walk in all the ways of holiness, hating evil, even unto the end. If you truly love your Saviour, and would honour Him, then “hate evil.”

We know of no cure for the love of evil in a Christian like abundant intercourse with the Lord Jesus. Dwell much with Him, and it is impossible for you to be at peace with sin.

“Order my footsteps by Thy Word,

And make my heart sincere;

Let sin have no dominion, Lord,

But keep my conscience clear.”

Hard preaching someone is saying but that is the only way that you and I will not miss heaven. It is better we are disciplined here and gain heaven than being pampered and miss eternity, God forbid!

Beloved, this week is blessed in the Name of Jesus. You’re going out and coming in will be ordered by the Lord. No evil is permitted around you and every waster of glory is rebuked for your sake in Jesus Name.

Remain blessed in the Lord.

The Terror of the Lord

By

Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu

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July 11, 2014

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Blessed Redeemer, The only Wise One, thank You Lord for another great day before us. You are The One Who sets my feet on the Rock and ensures my going. We praise You forever more. Forever! O Lord! You shall reign!

Beloved, we did a little exposition of the person of God yesterday and how good it is to know that we have a loving Father who cares for His own.

There is two sides to a coin, Our same God, Who is so good, so terrific also have another side of Him that is terrifying and bet me you will not like to experience it (1 Pet 3:12; 2 Pet 2:9; Rev 7:3).

So be careful how you live and daily ask for the grace to live right before God (Eph 5:17). Let us consider the message below:

Knowing, then, the fear of the Lord, we persuade people. We are completely open before God, and I hope we are completely open to your consciences as well.—2 Corinthians 5:11

The fear of God is the greatest deterrent for sin (Exod. 20:20; Prov. 16:6). Those who perceive God as a benevolent and gentle grandfather will treat their sin superficially. They will worship halfheartedly. They will live life on their own terms rather than God’s. But a reverent fear of holy God will dramatically affect the way a person lives. Even though Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ, he feared God and knew that one day he would stand in judgment to give an account for everything he had done (2 Cor. 5:10).

Our world does not applaud fearfulness. We teach our children to love God, but not to fear Him. We want to present a loving and nonthreatening image of God to nonbelievers in the hope that Christianity will be more appealing to them. One of the great condemnations of our day may be that we have lost the fear of God. We promote Him as a “best friend” who saves us and “lives in our hearts,” but we do not fear Him. It is true that we are God’s adopted children and that we are fellow heirs, even friends, with Jesus (Rom. 8:16–17; John 15:14–15), but we are not His equals. He has forgiven us, but we are still His creatures. He is God, and we are not!

If you find that you have become complacent with God’s commands and have become comfortable in your sin, you are completely isolated from God’s holiness. Take time to meditate upon the awesome holiness of God and allow the Holy Spirit to instill into your life a proper reverence for almighty God (Isa. 40:12–26). A deep sense of awe is essential to knowing God.

Beloved you cannot fear God absolutely without a broken heart. It is impossible to please Him and forever live in present without you forfeiting your rights and privileges and be “a fool for Christ” What are you saying, Evangelist? Someone wants to know? Come with us to the second part of our Friday series for this month “Brokenness” and you will glad you did:

Brokenness (part 2)

Brokenness is the product of a person who has come face to face with:

The holiness of God:

“I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted… above Him were seraphs… calling… ‘Holy, holy is the Lord… ‘”(Isaiah 6:1, 2)

His own depravity:

“Woe to me!… I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips… and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.“(Isaiah 6:5)

PROUD, UNBROKEN PEOPLE

BROKEN PEOPLE

Are driven for self-advancement

Desire to promote others

Are driven to be recognized or appreciated

Possess a sense of unworthiness; are thrilled to be used at all; are eager for others to get the credit

Are wounded when others are promoted and they are overlooked

Rejoice when others are lifted up

Think of what they can do for God

Know that they have nothing to offer God

Feel confident in how much they know

Are humbled by how much they have to learn

Are self-conscious

Are not concerned with self at all

Keep people at arms length

Risk getting close to others/are willing to take the risk of loving intimately

Are quick to blame others

Accept personal responsibility – can see where they were wrong

Are defensive when criticized

Receive criticism with a humble, open heart

Are concerned with being “respectable”

Are concerned with being real

Are concerned about what others think

Care only about what God thinks

Beloved, having through all the list, where can you place yourself in the scoring board of 100%. As I was going it, I sure told myself you have a lot of work to do, like Paul I know that I have reach perfection and am working hard to hard to hit the mark, is it how it is with you?

Let us therefore humble ourselves and ask for the grace to walk circumspectly before God. Amen.

Great weekend dearly beloved. Till see again next week by God’s grace.

Remain blessed in the Lord.

I Have A Testimony

By

Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu

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July 11, 2014

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We believe that one of the most powerful things we can do is to encourage one another, and we would like to invite you to share your testimonies of what God has done for you with us. We would also love to hear your Praise Reports about how the Lord has been working in your life.

Sure-Footedness

By

Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu

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July 10, 2014

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Everlasting Father, Great is Thy Faithfulness, how Excellent Thou are. Thank You for answers to prayers and supplications of Your children, we are ever grateful to You, The Only Wise One. We praise you, we magnify you forever and ever in the Name of Jesus.

Beloved, what a Wonderful God we serve, He is the King of kings, the Ancient of Days, the Immortal God , there is no one to be compared with Him (Deut 33:26).

Our God is more than able to do whatsoever He had promised to do. The same God Who gave life is also able to sustain it. He gives salvation to the sinner and healing to the sick, He feed the hungry with good things and the lowly in heart, He set on high.

He said to Moses to tell the Israelite that “ I AM that I AM sent you” (Ex 3:14). Do you have understanding of this statement dearly beloved. It means that God is everything you will ever want Him to be. If you want Him to be a pillar of fire, He will be. If you want Him to be a Mighty ocean, He will be. He is God of all provision, the Omnipotent (Gen 17:1), the Omniscient (Prov 5:21), He is Omnipresent (Jer 23:23) He is father to the fatherless and defender of the widows (Ps 68:5), He set the lonely in families (Ps 68:6). He fills the heaven and the earth (Jer 23:24). Glory be Him Alone.

What more can we say, Our God is Sovereign (2 Sam 7:22) He is inexhaustible and so He is to us; therefore we are sure-footedness.

“The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hind’s feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.” Hab. 3:19

This confidence of the man of God is tantamount to a promise; for that which faith is persuaded of is the purpose of God. The prophet had to traverse the deep places of poverty and famine, but he went down hill without slipping, for the Lord gave him standing. By-and-by he was called to the high places of the hills of conflict; and he was no more afraid to go up than to go down.

See! the Lord lent him strength. Nay, Jehovah Himself was his strength. Think of that: the Almighty God Himself becomes our strength!

Note, that the Lord also gave him sure-footedness. The hinds leap over rock and crag, never missing their foothold. Our Lord will give us grace to follow the most difficult paths of duty without a stumble. He can fit our foot for the crags, so that we shall be at home where apart from God we should perish.

One of these days we shall be called to higher places still Up yonder we shall climb, even to the mount of God, the high places where the shining ones are gathered. Oh, what feet are the feet of faith, by which, following the Hind of the Morning, we shall ascend into the hill of the Lord!

Beloved, we are nothing aside God, for nothing do we have accept that which is given. Any boost outside God is pride and can lead to our destruction. So be careful lest you ignite the anger of God upon your life. Apostle Paul despite all his attainment count it nothing for the sake of cross. Are we not to imitate him?

“Are they Israelites? so am I.” 2Corinthians 11:22

We have here A PERSONAL CLAIM, and one that needs proof. The apostle knew that His claim was indisputable, but there are many persons who have no right to the title who yet claim to belong to the Israel of God. If we are with confidence declaring, “So am I also an Israelite,” let us only say it after having searched our heart as in the presence of God.

But if we can give proof that we are following Jesus, if we can from the heart say, “I trust Him wholly, trust Him only, trust Him simply, trust Him now, and trust Him ever,” then the position which the saints of God hold belongs to us—all their enjoyments are our possessions; we may be the very least in Israel, “less than the least of all saints,” yet since the mercies of God belong to the saints AS SAINTS, and not as advanced saints, or well-taught saints, we may put in our plea, and say, “Are they Israelites? so am I; therefore the promises are mine, grace is mine, glory will be mine.” The claim, rightfully made, is one which will yield untold comfort.

When God’s people are rejoicing that they are His, what a happiness if they can say, “So AM I!” When they speak of being pardoned, and justified, and accepted in the Beloved, how joyful to respond, “Through the grace of God, SO AM I.” But this claim not only has its enjoyments and privileges, but also its conditions and duties.

We must share with God’s people in cloud as well as in sunshine. When we hear them spoken of with contempt and ridicule for being Christians, we must come boldly forward and say, “So am I.” When we see them working for Christ, giving their time, their talent, their whole heart to Jesus, we must be able to say, “So do I.”

O let us prove our gratitude by our devotion, and live as those who, having claimed a privilege, are willing to take the responsibility connected with it.

The grace to live as to please you, we ask in Jesus Name! Amen.

Remain blessed in the Lord.

The Condition of the Heart

By

Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu

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July 9, 2014

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Blessed Redeemer, the Ancient One, the Almighty God, You are Alpha and Omega, the Invincible One. God the Omnipresence, Omniscience, Omnipresence. Be Thou glorify. Thank You for another day to be under Your Canopy of love, security and peace.

Here we are again to pour out our heart before our Father, are you ready? Let’s go before the throne of mercy to obtain mercy for such time like this so that our supplications will be accepted before God.

Our Lord Jesus, having ascending into heaven with the glory His Father bestowed unto Him, continue to intercedes for us His beloved having cleans us from all unrighteousness that we may obtain grace to stand to the end.

Beloved, the condition of your heart determines how ready and willing you are to the things of God. We talked so much about it yesterday, it then means that the Spirit of God is pointing us to something and it will be very unwise not to pay attention to His bidding.

Today, we will be praying and asking God to make our heart a fruitful field that will be receptive to His Word. Your conscience is what distinguishes you from other living things. It’s what helps you to distinguish between evil and good. It is where the Word is accepted or rejected as you listen or read the Word of God.

We will be asking God in prayer, to purge our heart of every pain, bitterness, hurt, betrayers and sins, Satan is using to hardening us thereby making us unaccepted before God. As against open heaven, our heaven will be brass (God forbid). With a brass heaven, wilderness is inevitable as your prayer will return back to you unanswered.

Ensure you purge your heart today and begin to enjoy the presence of God everywhere and every day. Praise God!

Let us consider the heart’s condition that guarantees the highest returns so we can switch immediately:

But the seed in the good ground—these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, bear fruit.—Luke 8:15

At any time, the receptiveness of your heart will determine your response to God’s word (Luke 8:5–18). If your heart is like the trampled ground, hardened by the sin of bitterness and unforgiveness, you will be unable to accept a message from God. Though you hear the words of the message, you will remain unchanged. If your heart is like the shallow soil on top of a rock, you will accept God’s word in your mind, but the truth will not penetrate your heart to make a difference in your actions.

A heart like thorny soil is a life that is distracted by the cares of the world; the pursuit of earthly pleasures prevents God’s word from taking hold and producing righteousness. The heart that is like good soil receives a word from God, applies it, and brings forth fruit in due time. This is the heart that Jesus desires in us, for the fruit will be a Christlike life.

Any time you hear a word from God, whether through Bible reading, prayer, or worship, the way you respond will depend on how you have cultivated your heart (Hos. 10:12). How do you develop a heart that is like good soil? Repent of any bitterness, anger, or unforgiveness that is hardening your heart. Meditate on God’s word until it enters deep into your heart and not just your mind.

When you read or hear a word from God, apply it to your life and let God bring His word into reality in your life (Gal. 6:9). Protect your lifestyle. See that you don’t devote all of your energy to worldly concerns, rather than to pursuing your relationship with God. The condition of your heart will vary, depending on how you cultivate it. If it was receptive to a word from God yesterday, this does not guarantee it is receptive today.

Daily prepare your heart for the word God has for you and be humble enough to know when you have era and plead for forgiveness. If the great soldiers of old will humble enough before our Maker, what will be hindering you to do likewise?

“Behold, I am vile.” Job 40:4

One cheering word, poor lost sinner, for thee! You think you must not come to God because YOU are vile. Now, there is not a saint living on earth but has been made to feel that he is vile. If Job, and Isaiah, and Paul were all obliged to say “I am vile,” oh, poor sinner, wilt thou be ashamed to join in the same confession? If divine grace does not eradicate all sin from the believer, how dost thou hope to do it thyself? and if God loves His people while they are yet vile, dost thou think thy vileness will prevent His loving thee? Believe on Jesus, thou outcast of the world’s society! Jesus calls thee, and such as thou art.

“Not the righteous, not the righteous;

Sinners, Jesus came to call.”

Even now say, “Thou hast died for sinners; I am a sinner, Lord Jesus, sprinkle Thy blood on me”; if thou wilt confess thy sin thou shalt find pardon. If, now, with all thy heart, thou wilt say, “I am vile, wash me,” thou shalt be washed now. If the Holy Spirit shall enable thee from thy heart to cry

Just as I am, without one plea

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that thou bidd’st me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come!” (Click here to continue the hymn)

thou shalt rise from reading this portion with all thy sins pardoned; and though thou didst wake this morning with every sin that man hath ever committed on thy head, thou shalt rest to-night accepted in the Beloved; though once degraded with the rags of sin, thou shalt be adorned with a robe of righteousness, and appear white as the angels are. For “now,” mark it, “Now is the accepted time.” If thou “believest on Him who justifieth the ungodly thou art saved.”

Oh! May the Holy Spirit give thee saving faith in Him who receives the vilest. Amen! If you are yet to receive Christ please click here to receive accept Christ now!

Finally, beloved be generous enough to share this week devotional with someone and you will surely be blessed.

Remain blessed in the Lord.

The kindness and love of God our Saviour

By

Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu

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July 8, 2014

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Eternal Rock of Ages, we worship You and we praise Your Holy Name. Thank You for a blessed day like this, we cannot thank You enough for all You have done for us. You are so Wonderful, so Precious and so Kind. Let all glory, honour, adoration be ascribe unto You Alone in Jesus Name.

Beloved, how sweet indeed is the fellowship with our Creator, the psalmist said how glad he was when he was told “let us go to the house of the Lord”. It is good to have fellowship with the Most High God, no one goes before Him and comes back the same.

Have ever desire to pray or meditate on the Word of God and you cannot concentrate, most times your body will refuse to cooperate with you? The Word of God commanded us to love The Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength (Deut 6:5).

Beloved, can you differentia between your “heart” (flesh) and your “soul” (Spirit)? While the heart is rooted with feelings such as pain, love, fear, ambitions, excitement etc. The soul apart from being nonphysical also have all these attributes. It is that part of human body that continue to exist when the body is dead and it is subject to future reward and punishment (eternal life or eternal destruction).

These two war against each other and will never agree. Your soul desires fellowship with God and brethren but your heart want to relax, it likes enjoyment and sometimes gossips. It is your soul that is edifies when you fast and pray while your heart complains about the disciplines it undergo during such moments (Rom 7and 8).

Yesterday, we taught about going to church when it rains, your soul is on fire for worship but your heart desires at such moment to relax, sleeps and stretch. If you are not careful the heart will win. Why? Because of the feeling sensuality it possess.

It is so important you understand and get this right, so that you know what does what and how to handle each situation as in, case by case. Loving God with all your strength to me depends on where you want to divert it, either to please your soul or your heart. You can also apply your strength to work for God and help humanity or vice versa. Praise God!

Ever experienced the kindness and the love of God? Come along with me for some inner insight as to how your heart and soul respond to it:

“The kindness and love of God our Saviour.” Titus 3:4

How sweet it is to behold the Saviour communing with His own beloved people! There can be nothing more delightful than, by the Divine Spirit, to be led into this fertile field of delight. Let the mind for an instant consider the history of the Redeemer’s love, and a thousand enchanting acts of affection will suggest themselves, all of which have had for their design the weaving of the heart into Christ, and the intertwisting of the thoughts and emotions of the renewed soul with the mind of Jesus.

When we meditate upon this amazing love, and behold the all-glorious Kinsman of the Church endowing her with all His ancient wealth, our souls may well faint for joy. Who is he that can endure such a weight of love? That partial sense of it which the Holy Spirit is sometimes pleased to afford, is more than the soul can contain; how transporting must be a complete view of it!

When the soul shall have understanding to discern all the Saviour’s gifts, wisdom wherewith to estimate them, and time in which to meditate upon them, such as the world to come will afford us, we shall then commune with Jesus in a nearer manner than at present. But who can imagine the sweetness of such fellowship? It must be one of the things which have not entered into the heart of man, but which God hath prepared for them that love Him.

Oh, to burst open the door of our Joseph’s granaries, and see the plenty which He hath stored up for us! This will overwhelm us with love. By faith we see, as in a glass darkly, the reflected image of His unbounded treasures, but when we shall actually see the heavenly things themselves, with our own eyes, how deep will be the stream of fellowship in which our soul shall bathe itself!

Till then our loudest sonnets shall be reserved for our loving benefactor, Jesus Christ our Lord, whose love to us is wonderful, passing the love of women.

Beloved, hope you are experiencing the glory of God upon your life? Like I stated in the previous devotional, “light shines better in darkness” and “calmness is better appreaciated after the storm”, so also it is with glory! We will by God’s grace explain this further before the end of the week or as it pleases the Holy Spirit.

Our Lord Jesus Christ after suffering here on earth was received unto glory. More below:

“Received up into glory.” 1Timothy 3:16

We have seen our well-beloved Lord in the days of His flesh, humiliated and sore vexed; for He was “despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” He whose brightness is as the morning, wore the sackcloth of sorrow as His daily dress: shame was His mantle, and reproach was His vesture.

Yet now, inasmuch as He has triumphed over all the powers of darkness upon the bloody tree, our faith beholds our King returning with dyed garments from Edom, robed in the splendour of victory. How glorious must He have been in the eyes of seraphs, when a cloud received Him out of mortal sight, and He ascended up to heaven! Now He wears the glory which He had with God or ever the earth was, and yet another glory above all—that which He has well earned in the fight against sin, death, and hell.

As victor He wears the illustrious crown. Hark how the song swells high! It is a new and sweeter song: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, for He hath redeemed us unto God by His blood!” He wears the glory of an Intercessor who can never fail, of a Prince who can never be defeated, of a Conqueror who has vanquished every foe, of a Lord who has the heart’s allegiance of every subject.

Jesus wears all the glory which the pomp of heaven can bestow upon Him, which ten thousand times ten thousand angels can minister to Him. You cannot with your utmost stretch of imagination conceive His exceeding greatness; yet there will be a further revelation of it when He shall descend from heaven in great power, with all the holy angels—”Then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.”

Oh, the splendour of that glory! It will ravish His people’s hearts. Nor is this the close, for eternity shall sound His praise, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever!”

Reader, if you would joy in Christ’s glory hereafter, He must be glorious in your sight now. Is He so?

If your answer is YES! Get ready beloved, your glory must shine forth in this month of glory Alleluia somebody! And by the blood of Jesus, it is covered from the glory destroyers in Jesus Name. Amen!

Remain blessed in the Lord.

These were potters,…dwelt with the king for his work

By

Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu

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July 7, 2014

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Glorious God, we are grateful unto You Alone, we bow before Your Throne. Thank for You guidance, protection, provisions and good health last week, we also are trusting You for this week because we know You are sufficient in every circumstance. Let all glory, honour, adorations be unto You Alone in Jesus Name.

Beloved, hope your weekend was good? Just for the asking, were you in church yesterday? Do you want to know why am asking? The temptation of sleeping all through your Sunday is high, especially in this raining season, sometime you wake up with showers or heavy down pour in the morning.

It is very possible to thank God for the good weather and find addition cover cloth to cover yourself and dose off. You can afford to sleep because it is Sunday, but can you do that on a working day (excluding those who are officially on duty on weekends)?

Beloved, gradually, you are allowing cracks here and there and soon it will widening and soon after compromises of various kinds sets in and little foxes here and there, backsliding comes in. Be careful how you exposes your back to the devil because is not guided by the armor (shield) of faith.

Okay. To the business of the day, if you find yourself in a place of inconvenient probably on duty call, is possible you may not complain. What will be your reaction if you find yourself on “mission” or “evangelism” with the same inconvenience? Will you rebel against God or wait until it is ripe for your relocation.

Is good to know that we are to be where the Lord have posted us to be just for the sake of the Kingdom work. That job, place, house, and neighborhood you are complaining about, might just be where God wants to use you to win some souls Himself. Will you obey Him and be where He wants you to be or will you choose to please yourself? Come along with me and be blessed.

“These were potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.” 1Chronicles 4:23

Potters were the very highest grade of workers, but “the king” needed potters, and therefore they were in royal service, although the material upon which they worked was nothing but clay. We, too, may be engaged in the most menial part of the Lord’s work, but it is a great privilege to do anything for “the king”; and therefore we will abide in our calling, hoping that, “although we have lien among the pots, yet shall we be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.”

The text tells us of those who dwelt among plants and hedges, having rough, rustic, hedging and ditching work to do. They may have desired to live in the city, amid its life, society, and refinement, but they kept their appointed places, for they also were doing the king’s work. The place of our habitation is fixed, and we are not to remove from it out of whim and caprice, but seek to serve the Lord in it, by being a blessing to those among whom we reside. These potters and gardeners had royal company, for they dwelt “with the king” and although among hedges and plants, they dwelt with the king there.

No lawful place, or gracious occupation, however mean, can debar us from communion with our divine Lord. In visiting hovels, swarming lodging-houses, workhouses, or gaols, we may go with the king. In all works of faith we may count upon Jesus’ fellowship. It is when we are in His work that we may reckon upon His smile. Ye unknown workers who are occupied for your Lord amid the dirt and wretchedness of the lowest of the low, be of good cheer, for jewels have been found upon dunghills ere now, earthen pots have been filled with heavenly treasure, and ill weeds have been transformed into precious flowers.

Dwell ye with the King for His work, and when He writes His chronicles your name shall be recorded. “Your reward”, did we forget to mention about it? You will be rewarded by the Lord, apart from your earthly reward, your everlasting reward to be with the Lord is guaranteed.

Praise the Lord! Someone does not quite like the issue of settling down among plants and hedges, having rough, rustic, hedging and ditching work to do for the desire of better abode. Hear me beloved, if Jesus think along your thought line, is possible we cannot stand to boost of being with the Lord after here on earth. Also note that Christ humbled himself considering all that was set before Him. can you emulate Him and do likewise, come let’s consider it together:

“He humbled Himself.” Philippians 2:8

Jesus is the great teacher of lowliness of heart. We need daily to learn of Him. See the Master taking a towel and washing His disciples’ feet! Follower of Christ, wilt thou not humble thyself? See Him as the Servant of servants, and surely thou canst not be proud! Is not this sentence the compendium of His biography, “He humbled Himself”?

Was He not on earth always stripping off first one robe of honour and then another, till, naked, He was fastened to the cross, and there did He not empty out His inmost self, pouring out His life-blood, giving up for all of us, till they laid Him penniless in a borrowed grave?

How low was our dear Redeemer brought! How then can we be proud? Stand at the foot of the cross, and count the purple drops by which you have been cleansed; see the thorn-crown; mark His scourged shoulders, still gushing with encrimsoned rills; see hands and feet given up to the rough iron, and His whole self to mockery and scorn; see the bitterness, and the pangs, and the throes of inward grief, showing themselves in His outward frame; hear the thrilling shriek, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” And if you do not lie prostrate on the ground before that cross, you have never seen it: if you are not humbled in the presence of Jesus, you do not know Him.

You were so lost that nothing could save you but the sacrifice of God’s only begotten. Think of that, and as Jesus stooped for you, bow yourself in lowliness at His feet. A sense of Christ’s amazing love to us has a greater tendency to humble us than even a consciousness of our own guilt.

May the Lord bring us in contemplation to Calvary, then our position will no longer be that of the pompous man of pride, but we shall take the humble place of one who loves much because much has been forgiven him. Pride cannot live beneath the cross.

Let us sit there and learn our lesson, and then rise and carry it into practice. As you sing the song with me:

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

The emblem of suffering and shame;

And I love that old cross where the dearest and best

For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Chorus:

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

‘Til my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it some day for a crown.

Click here to continue the song.

Beloved, this week is blessed in the Name of Jesus. You’re going out and coming in will be ordered by the Lord Himself. Deliverance and healing is coming our way. Shout alleluia! Praise the Lord.

Remain blessed in the Lord.