TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR TERRITORY (PART 4)

TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR TERRITORY (PART 4) May 30^th

TEXT: 39: Genesis 39:1-6 (KJV)
¹  And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
²  And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
³  And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
⁴  And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
⁵  And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
⁶  And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

There are things that can be accomplished by our natural abilities but there are others that can only be accomplished by some supernatural enablement. Not all can produce the supernatural result because it only exists in a realm accessible to a few. This realm is called the glory realm. The Gory realm is the womb of the supernatural, anything outside this womb operates by a different set of law. When a man lives in the glory realm he begin to manifest that which affects things in the natural realm in the most unusual way and miracles happens. This is when others begin to realize that there is something special about the individual. When Potiphar saw that the LORD was with Joseph and that this same God is the reason everything under Joseph prospers, joseph immediately found grace in his sight and he made Joseph the overseer over all that he had. When Potiphar did this he had certain expectations and he was not disappointed because the scripture says in verse 5 “And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.”  When a man has such uncommon testimony as Joseph had he begin to rise from one degree of glory to another and in no time they will rise to the highest possible degree of glory. There is no limit to what you can accomplish in life if would let God take the dominant role in your life. Refuse to settle for a normal life, reach out to the high life of glory and you will witness uncommon grace and glory. 

TOGETHER IN ONE ACCORD

TOGETHER IN ONE ACCORD **29^TH MAY

Acts 2:1-3

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”. NKLV.

 One accord from the root word means “To Be Of Like Passion”. The believers where in one accord in Acts chapter 2, God waited till when they were of one accord and when God saw that, the Holy Spirit came on them. The bible says the house was filled, suddenly there was a sound and the Holy Spirit of the Lord filled the house were they where and then the presence of God like cloven tongues of fire rested on each of them.

PRACTICAL ISSUE

Can two walk together except they agree?

(Transcribed from the Fragrance of Glory, copy right, March 17^th, 2012).   

TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR TERITORY (PART 3)

TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR TERITORY (PART 3) May 28^th

TEXT: Genesis 39:1-6 (KJV)
¹  And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
²  And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
³  And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
⁴  And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
⁵  And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
⁶  And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

When a man truly has a living relationship with God it will become obvious in the eyes of others because the Lord will begin to create a strong distinction between his life and work and that of others. When this begins to happen others will be forced to pay attention to him and the power that is behind his success. The scripture in verse 3 says “And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.” It became obvious that Joseph could not have gotten the extraordinary results he got except something mysterious is at work in his life. His master has to acknowledge that it is the presence of the Lord upon him because there must have been others who have been assigned to the same responsibility as he but they did not produce the result Joseph got. It could not have been good luck because the result must have been very unusual for the scripture to say Joseph was a prosperous man. It could not be attributed to good luck because the scripture also says “…and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.” If he prospered in all that he did then it cannot be luck. Luck cannot show up always, it is a factor of chance and probability, but with Joseph it was in all that he did. Any man that is like this is bound to take the lead in whatever he does and this was clear in Joseph’s life because the scriptures further recorded in verse 4 the following “ And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.” This can become your testimony if you would only let God lead.

TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR TERRITORY (PART 2)

TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR TERRITORY (PART 2)

TEXT: Genesis 39:1-6 (KJV)
¹  And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
²  And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
³  And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
⁴  And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
⁵  And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
⁶  And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

Life can be sweet and beautiful if we would allow God lead the way. Often than not many of us are so arrogant in our determination to prove that we can handle the challenges of life ourselves. We may even claim to believe in God but would seldom ask the help of God on various task until we are now having an obvious embarrassment starring us in the face. God is not your emergency rescue number when you are in trouble. He want to lead your life away from the troubles of life that your finite understanding is not capable of comprehending. The various challenges of life can become glorious opportunities for you to smile in victory if you would do all you can to have the presence of God in your life like it was testified of Joseph in our text. Verse 2 says “²  And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.”  What an amazing testimony? Here is a man who just went through one of the most dehumanizing experience of life still taking the lead after his brothers sold him into slavery. But instead of being grumpy and dejected he encouraged himself in the assurance that with the presence of God he can still make it. The word of God says “…and he was a prosperous man” the amazing thing about this prosperity is that it was in a strange land where he was sold as a slave. Your testimony in life can be very outstanding if you are careful to always have the Lord lead you. You can take charge of whatever territory you occupy if you determined to allow your life to be continually overshadowed by the power of the Most High. You cannot be with the Most High and occupy the lowly places of life.   

TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR TERRITORY (PART 1)

TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR TERRITORY (PART 1)   

TEXT: Genesis 39:1-6 (KJV)
¹  And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
²  And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
³  And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
⁴  And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
⁵  And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
⁶  And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

The call to leadership is a call to take up an awesome responsibility that will help define the destiny of many. History is full of the record of what people did or did not do with the divine privilege given them. Joseph came into Egypt as a slave but from the time he was given the smallest task the difference began to manifest. The glory of God in him made the difference and empowered him to take charge of his territory. Under his watch nothing went wrong, they only got better. The major distinguishing factor can be found in verse 2 which say “²  And the LORD was with Joseph,....” the presence of the Lord with Joseph made the difference. You cannot be disadvantaged or in the minority if the Lord is with you. Too many people try to become somebody or accomplish something in life without seeking the assurance of the awesome presence of the Lord. When any man embarks on a journey with the full assurance of God’s presence he becomes as bold as a lion. If you must take the lead and become a dominant figure in your field of endeavor, you must separate yourself from all that will take away the presence of God for your life. If any man would do this it is very possible for him to become and achieve any dream. If you chose to be on God’s side, the Lord will prove to the rest of the world that he is on your side. 

ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK (PART 6)

May 23^rd

TEXT: Judges 1:27-36 (KJV)
²⁷  Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
²⁸  And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.
²⁹  Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
³⁰  Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.
³¹  Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:
³²  But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.

There are many people in history from whom we can learn from their mistakes, we don’t have to add ours to the number. Verse 27 starts with “Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean…” This is a list of failures and average and anyone who desire an exceptional testimony must do all they can to be above this category of people. We are the architect responsible for the design of the degree of success we finally get categorized in. whoever desire to open a new chapter in the record books and carve a niche for him/herself must be prepared to achieve what others are too scared to consider. “No venture, no success” is an expression which recognizes the fact that success require some element of risk and adventure. It is very possible that many of the children of Israel expected their enemy to easily give up their possession but they were surprise that it was required for them to fight for their promised land. In life, those who refuse to fight never make it to their promise land. If you must make it to your promise land you must be ready to wage war against failure, the average mentality, poverty and every other force that is contending with your destiny. It is true that the Lord has promised that He will fight for us but for that to happen you need to step out in faith for faith without work is dead, being alone (James 2:17-20). 

Glory Realm Devotional by

Rev. Igho Yebgeburu

www.gloriousfountain.org

TO HIM THAT BELIEVETH ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE

.                                      TO HIM THAT BELIEVETH ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE** 22^ND MAY

Mark 9:23,

“And Jesus said, (you say to me), if you can do anything? (Why,) all things can be (are possible) to him who believes!” AMP.

        In the above book and chapter, this man brought his son who was epileptic, deaf and dumb to the disciples and they couldn’t do anything. Jesus came down the mount, met the Pharisees questioning the disciples and then he asked what happened, and He was angry that the disciples couldn’t handle the situation, and then He said bring the boy to me. As the boy approached Him, the presence of God overwhelmed him but before that the father came and said help me, help me. He said to Jesus if you do something. Jesus said to him if you can believe, and the man said I believe but please help my unbelief, he confessed the real conflict in his heart.

PRACTICAL ISSUES

Jesus can take care of the unbelief inside of you even as you confess it.

(Transcribed from the Fragrance of Glory, copy right, March 17^th, 2012).

ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK (PART 5) 

TEXT: Judges 1:27-36 (KJV)
²⁷  Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
²⁸  And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.
²⁹  Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
³⁰  Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.
³¹  Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:
³²  But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.

This passage is a sad and unfortunate list of failures and unaccomplished dreams and expectations. It is really sad because these people had no reason to fail considering the divine promises and backing they received from the Almighty God as found in Joshua 1, 23:4-6 and other passages. With the promises of God for their lives their victory was already settled in the spirit realm and all they needed to do was just to step out by faith and see God make it happen. This is the problem with most people today; with all the promises and assurance we get from the Lord many are still unable to step into the blessing of God for their lives.  It is one thing to pray and decree all the promises of God but it is another thing to work out your faith.

From our text, in verse 27 it is says  “Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.”   This is a clear indication that there are things, places, and possessions with our names and destinies attached to it but before they can become ours we must be bold drive out, dispossess the present inhabitants of our possessions. If you have gotten two out of ten you still have a long way to go. This could be your ability to work on your skill so you can become much more effective on your job or career till you become very relevant to the success of that establishment. If you fail to upgrade yourself one day you will become irrelevant and get laid off while others are occupying the place where you have been destined to reign. Do something about your destiny today.        

ACCESSING THE REALM OF GLORY

ACCESSING THE REALM OF GLORY (2 Corinthians 3:7-18)

Sometimes we often become too familiar with the presence of God upon the life of a servant of God or in a place of worship and we begin to loose all that would have been in our favour. Take some time to thank God for the privilege to encounter Him in some lives and places. Do something to show your gratitude.

CONTEMPLATION

“Many are struggling to worship because they can’t see or

hear spiritually. They are trying to access the realm of worship

in the flesh, and this is not possible. Until we respond to

the call like John, we will never be able to enter the throne

room. “…Those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit

and in truth.” FFPW p92.

It is a waste of time trying to encounter God by your intellect. “God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” any man who discipline himself to allow the word to gain access into his being will one day be given extraordinary access into the realm of glory.  The difference between a passive worshiper and a passionate worshiper is the degree of glory they are in fellowship with. Some are limited in worship because they only respond to a planned order of worship but there are others whose worship is a divine response to a divine call. Every man who is continuously in the presence of God has a sweet advantage ahead of others in all aspect of life. Make the Holy Spirit your sweet and active companion and you will begin to take the lead.

PRACTICAL ISSUES

You cannot encounter new degree of glory except your hunger exceeds your present realm of glory.

Nobody, church or body is responsible for the degree of glory made manifest in your life. It is up to you.

If you have lost respect and admiration for people and places that once stirred up excitement in your spirit chances are that you have become insensitive and full of yourself. Jesus was the fullness of the godhead bodily yet he held in high esteem the ministry of the prophets before him. A greater or a peculiar anointing is not a license to disrespect others.

-          REV. IGHO Y.

ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK (PART 3)

 ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK (PART 3) 

TEXT: Joshua 23:4-6 (KJV)
⁴  Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.
⁵  And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.
⁶  Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

Success does not thrive on the wings of wishes but on the working of your faith till your dream becomes a reality. Those who would do nothing but sit down expecting a miracle are only making a mockery of themselves. Until you brace up and rise to the challenge of life you will never be able to overcome the obstacle to your success. Before there is any triumph there has been a trial. Before there is any testimony there was a test. Do not let the divine opportunities and graces made available today be wasted. Make the most of today and you will not have any need to regret tomorrow. “Had I known” is a confession attesting to our insensitivity in past opportunities. Refuse to allow any further opportunity slip by. Rise to the challenge, take your stand and you will be amazed the victories that will follow.

Once more, our text reveals to us that there are lands apportioned to us to conquer. but the good news about it is that verse 5 reveals to us that the Lord ready to help us expel our rivals out of our portion and grant us the grace to enter into our blessing. This can only happen if you rise up to occupy your place. Stop procrastinating, rise up and do something tangible about your task today.   

THE LORD IS CALLING US UNTO HIMSELF

. THE LORD IS CALLING US UNTO HIMSELF ** 15^TH MAY

Exodus 33:9

“And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses”. AMP.

         When Moses entered into the tabernacle the cloud descended, the people where seeing from afar a visible cloud of glory descending. And when he was done the cloud lifted. But the bible says a young man by the name Joshua the son of Nun (verse 11) departed not from the presence of the Lord, he stayed there.  And you know what became of Joshua when Moses needed somebody to continue from where he stopped, who took over? Joshua, because more in the presence of God.

         For  every one of us who says its only those who are ordained that should manifest the presence of god, the work be more easier for your pastor when we begin to manifest the diversity of operations of the gifts of the spirit of God. The work becomes easier and the church will grow better because people will be seeing the manifestation of God upon you and say how it is happening.

          We think that the only way to bring people to church or the ways to get people to come to church is to have evangelism so we go to a place, erect something and do crusade. The fastest way of bringing people to church is by manifesting wherever we are. That’s what Jesus said in Acts of the Apostles, that was the method, the bible says “and the Lord added such that should be saved daily into the church”, they didn’t wait for evangelism.  Jesus said the power of the Holy Ghost will come upon you and you shall be my witness.

          When you work with the Lord people will of their own volition come to you and start sharing their problems with you, you don’t have a title written on your head “Pastor”, they see the glory of God and they come and say “I don tire for life”, and they start telling you their lives. But before they get to that point they have seen something that you carry. And except you are manifesting the glory of God they don’t do that because you don’t have the answers to their problems so they leave you, that’s the reason why we need to get deeper more with God.

PRACTICAL ISSUES

When you stay more in the presence of God you become a candidate for unusual success and progress in life.

(Transcribed from the Fragrance of Glory, copy right, March 17^th, 2012).

ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK (PART 1)

ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK (PART 1)

TEXT: Joshua 23:4-6 (KJV)
⁴  Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.
⁵  And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.
⁶  Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

In the book of Joshua chapter 1 the Lord gave Joshua a clear instruction about the assignment he is called to accomplish. His major task was to bring the children of Israel to the promise land. To be able to effectively accomplish this task the Lord gave him a clear description of the geographical boundary of the land and the possible challenge that he must overcome to accomplish the task.

Joshua was able to bring the children of Israel into the promise land but after many years and many battles, close to the end of his life Joshua saw that there is still many more lands to be conquered.  It became obvious that the task has not been accomplished and that there is little he could do to make that happen. By the time he was speaking in our text for today there was still much to be done about the assignment. With all his heart he has tried to accomplish the assignment but it was not for him. He had great victories but it was not good enough. Along the way, men like Achan who were greedy and self-ce    ntered caused and irreplaceable loss and a major setback to the accomplishing of the assignment (Joshua 7). If any assignment must be accomplished in record time then we must be careful to ensure that the right persons are saddled with the right duty. It is so important to double check again and again. Examine the motives and intent of the heart of people by the help of the Holy Spirit. We must not be in a hurry to entrust the least of the assignment to just anybody. It is better to suffer a little delay than to jeopardise the whole assignment. No vision or dream is greater than the quality and character of the people who carry the vision. The speed with which any vision is accomplished can be determined by the degree of passion and commitment of the people who identify with the vision. so, what is your contribution to the vision you are identified with? Are you a blessing or a curse to the vision? think about this.   

ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK (PART 1)

 May 14^th

TEXT: Joshua 23:4-6 (KJV)
⁴  Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.
⁵  And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.
⁶  Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

In the book of Joshua chapter 1 the Lord gave Joshua a clear instruction about the assignment he is called to accomplish. His major task was to bring the children of Israel to the promise land. To be able to effectively accomplish this task the Lord gave him a clear description of the geographical boundary of the land and the possible challenge that he must overcome to accomplish the task.

Joshua was able to bring the children of Israel into the promise land but after many years and many battles, close to the end of his life Joshua saw that there is still many more lands to be conquered.  It became obvious that the task has not been accomplished and that there is little he could do to make that happen. By the time he was speaking in our text for today there was still much to be done about the assignment. With all his heart he has tried to accomplish the assignment but it was not for him. He had great victories but it was not good enough. Along the way, men like Achan who were greedy and self-cantered caused and irreplaceable loss and a major setback to the accomplishing of the assignment (Joshua 7). If any assignment must be accomplished in record time then we must be careful to ensure that the right persons are saddled with the right duty. It is so important to double check again and again. Examine the motives and intent of the heart of people by the help of the Holy Spirit. We must not be in a hurry to entrust the least of the assignment to just anybody. It is better to suffer a little delay than to jeopardize the whole assignment. No vision or dream is greater than the quality and character of the people who carry the vision. The speed with which any vision is accomplished can be determined by the degree of passion and commitment of the people who identify with the vision. so, what is your contribution to the vision you are identified with? Are you a blessing or a curse to the vision? think about this.    

Glory Realm Devotional

By Rev. Igho Yegbeburu

RESPONSE TO A HIGHER CALLING (Revelations 4:1-5)

RESPONSE TO A HIGHER CALLING (Revelations 4:1-5)

 No matter how small or insignificant your progress in your walk with God seems, there is a reason to stop and appreciate God that you are not where you use to be.

CONTEMPLATION

An invitation to the court room of any recognized king or the state house of a nation often causes some excitement missed with anxiety for any first timer. This describes my own experience and initial reaction as I prepare to lead the opening worship during my first visit to Aso Rock (the state house of Nigeria). It was the dedication ceremony of the first church building. But once I became conscious of my standing in the presence of the immortal God all other became shadow. The authority of the biblical prophets of old comes from their confidence in the presence of God. Any man who is often in the presence of the Lord should not have problem standing before mortals. Men like Elijah would say “...the God before whom I stand” (see 1kings 17:1, 18:15, 2kings 3:14 & 5:16). When a man is often in the presence of the Lord he is able to say “Thus saith the Lord.” Continuous intimacy with the Lord will strengthen your accessibility to divine instruction and guidance. Revelation chapter 4 reveals to us that the apostle John was able to gain access into the very throne room of heaven in the spirit. He saw a door open, heard a voice and was told to come up. He said “at once I was in the spirit.” (See Revelation 4:1-5) If you have never seen or heard by the spirit you need to deepen your walk with God. It is true that God can reveal himself to anyone He desires to but God is not partial. He is accessible to anyone who will maximize the opportunity of fellowship with the Lord. (2 Kings2:9-15, Matthew 20:20-23 & 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 & James 5:17-18 )

PRACTICAL ISSUES

If God seems far away and unreachable go after him with all your heart and you will find Him (See Proverbs 8:17).

If you attentive to God you will get His attention. You can hear from God and have things revealed to you.

The Holy Spirit in you is not different from the one at work in Billy Graham and other men mightily used of God (See Romans 8:11).

-          REV. IGHO Y.

ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK (PART 1)

ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK (PART 1) 

TEXT: Joshua 23:4-6 (KJV)
⁴  Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.
⁵  And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.
⁶  Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

In the book of Joshua chapter 1 the Lord gave Joshua a clear instruction about the assignment he is called to accomplish. His major task was to bring the children of Israel to the promise land. To be able to effectively accomplish this task the Lord gave him a clear description of the geographical boundary of the land and the possible challenge that he must overcome to accomplish the task.

Joshua was able to bring the children of Israel into the promise land but after many years and many battles, close to the end of his life Joshua saw that there is still many more lands to be conquered.  It became obvious that the task has not been accomplished and that there is little he could do to make that happen. By the time he was speaking in our text for today there was still much to be done about the assignment. With all his heart he has tried to accomplish the assignment but it was not for him. He had great victories but it was not good enough. Along the way, men like Achan who were greedy and self-cantered caused and irreplaceable loss and a major setback to the accomplishing of the assignment (Joshua 7). If any assignment must be accomplished in record time then we must be careful to ensure that the right persons are saddled with the right duty. It is so important to double check again and again. Examine the motives and intent of the heart of people by the help of the Holy Spirit. We must not be in a hurry to entrust the least of the assignment to just anybody. It is better to suffer a little delay than to jeopardize the whole assignment. No vision or dream is greater than the quality and character of the people who carry the vision. The speed with which any vision is accomplished can be determined by the degree of passion and commitment of the people who identify with the vision. So, what is your contribution to the vision you are identified with? Are you a blessing or a curse to the vision? Think about this.    

. THE HEART THAT IS OPEN TO GOD WILL ALWAYS RECEIVE DOWNLOADS

. THE HEART THAT IS OPEN TO GOD WILL ALWAYS RECEIVE DOWNLOADS 

Isaiah 44:3 “for I will pour water upon him who is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour My Spirit upon your offspring, and My blessings upon your descendants.”  AMP.

            There are differences between having church and having an intimate relationship with God. We can all be here and then somebody can be receiving the presence of God, I mean in the literal sense but others are just having church. There are songs we begin to sing that addresses God directly, they are the songs we call “The Vertical Songs”, such songs are not songs that you sing they are songs that expresses your heart and longing for Him. When we are singing like that the heavens begin to move.

           From the book of Isaiah 44:3, who will God pour water upon? The one who thirst. So if you lack thirst for Him He does not waste His resources, He keeps it until you are hungry. There are many of us mothers here if you have a child, you give the child food and the child is playing with the food you withdraw the food until that child begins to cry for the food. Now, once the child begins to cry for the food you know that the food will not be wasted, it will be eaten. So our heavenly father does not know how to waste precious heavenly resources, He waits for your hunger, and when you are hungry, He feeds you. He said He will pour water upon the soul that is thirsty and flood upon the dry ground. 

PRACTICAL ISSUES

Blessed are them who do hunger and thirst.

(Transcribed from the Fragrance of Glory, copy right, march 3rd, 2012)           

GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS (Part 2)

.  GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS (Part 2) 8^TH MAY

Acts 10:34-35

“And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons, But in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being received and welcomed by Him”. AMP.

          To restrict God to your denomination is to put God in a box. God showed up in the house of Cornelius and smashed their way of thinking and their tradition back then in the first century. And so Peter addressing the body of Christ in Jerusalem had to say in the above bible passage “I now perceive” because he had had an experiential knowledge, he had seen an unusual manifestation that beat his imagination.

          Sometimes it’s amazing when we listen to ourselves as preachers saying “this is the place to be”, “this is the only place God can be seen”. That’s not the truth, the glory of God can be accessed anywhere as long as God is truly glorified,  God is truly worshipped and reverenced, and that’s what Peter was talking about, he said “I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons”. So God does not respect your title, He does not respect my title nor position. What God respect’s is the hunger in your spirit that’s what he went on to say in verse 25, whether your nation is the smallest (mind you, when He’s talking about nation He’s talking about tribes and tongues), whatsoever tribe you came out from, whatsoever country you find yourself is not an issue, whether you an American or a Briton. Sometimes we feel the anointing of God, the glory of God is residing in the United States, mind you, there are people in America, in Britain, in Germany, even in Israel that have no relationship with the Lord.

PRACTICAL ISSUES                                                                  

It is not an issue of the nation you come out from, nor the denomination you belong to, or the preacher you sit under. It is an issue of what is in your heart, your personal respect and fear, giving your reverence to God in the sense of seeing Him as holy and as awesome, not somebody you need to run away from, but somebody greater than your own imagination.

(Transcribed from the Fragrance of Glory, copy right 31^st March, 2012).

        

THE SPIRIT OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD (PART 4)

THE SPIRIT OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD (PART 4)

 TEXT: Psalm 19:9

⁹The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”

The fear of the Lord is so important that verse 10 of our scripture today says “ More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:” if you are able to let God guide your heart you will save yourself a lot of trouble in life. When a man is guided by the fear of the Lord his life is peaceful because he is content with the will and purpose of God for his life. Many people who lost sight of the plan and purpose of God for their life also have a problem recognizing the place of their leader in their lives, thereby perverting God’s agenda for them and they end up misbehaving and losing their place. 

It was the presence of the fear of the Lord in the life of Daniel that granted him a consistent promotion throughout his life. He was so consistent and God fearing that he was able to remain relevant in the reign of four kings. What an uncommon testimony.  

If any man desire to walk in glory then he must walk in the fear of the Lord from the intent of his heart. If his heart is guided by the fear of the Lord he will begin to ascend the glory realm and walk in the supernatural and he receives uncommon promotion in life. Walk in the fear of the Lord and your life will become rich and colourful

THE BURNING BUSH EFFECT (Exodus 3:1-8)

THE BURNING BUSH EFFECT (Exodus 3:1-8)

Can you remember anybody, whose life was such a radiance of God’s glory to you? Can you remember the impart they made in your life? Take some time to thank God for such vessels of glory.

CONTEMPLATION

In the book of Exodus 3:1-8 Moses encountered God in the most unusual way which led to a series of events. From that time on his life and destiny was never the same. Once he encountered the burning bush people encountered the burning bush in him. Like Moses, once you encounter the burning bush of God either through some wonderful vessels living for Jesus or through some visitation in a dream, vision or out of body experience, you can never be the same again. True worshippers with a passion for God carries a presence that makes others amazed. You cannot meet them and not pay attention. Once touched by the fire of God your life will experience a dramatic transformation. When the prophet Isaiah encountered the glory of God, he cried out “Woe is me! for I am undone;... but as soon as the fire of God touched his lips his life was never the same again.” (See Isaiah 6:1-8). The famous preacher John Wesley was once asked to tell what is the secret behind the crowd, transformation of lives and the miracles recorded in his meetings and he said, “I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn”. If you allow the Lord to set you ablaze people will have no choice but to pay attention.

 Almost anybody can baptize you with water, but only the

Lord can baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (the word

“baptize” means to immerse in something). P74 FFPW.

PRACTICAL ISSUES

The grace to excel in life is more than talent and skill; it is greater than oratory and fluency of speech. It is the presence of God in the life of a man.

It is wonderful to be able to reproduce the work of others accurately but until you come out with what is original you continually walk in the shadow of others.

The man who is consumed in a divine dialogue is miles ahead of his competitors. You can see the invisible and do the impossible if you are willing to spend quality time with God.

-          REV. IGHO Y. 

THE SPIRIT OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD (PART 3)

THE SPIRIT OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD (PART 3)

 TEXT: Psalm 19:9

⁹The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”

Verse 9 of our text says “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever:” when a man truly has the fear of the Lord there is this purity in his words and intentions. You do not need to break your head trying to decode their actions or words. It is just as it is. There is no hidden agenda with this soul because his Yes is Yes and his No is No.

People like Saul failed because his words and actions were at variance with the commands of God and instead of accepting his fault he was always armed with excuses. His words and actions showed he was lacking the fear of the Lord. When he continued like this God called his incomplete obedience rebellion.

The lack of a consistent extraordinary manifestation in our lives is often connected to our inconsistent obedience to God because of the lack of the holy fear of God. It was the fear of God that kept Joseph from the sin of immorality with Potiphar’s’ wife. Therefore, when a man is unable to keep himself from the sin of immorality it is an indication he lacks the fear of the Lord.  It was the presence of the fear of the Lord in Joseph that moved God to set him on the path of glory and rewarded him in such a way that only very few persons ever experience. If you will walk in the fear of the Lord you will be surprise the glory that will manifest in your life. Live for God today.

. HYMN –

ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING

Memory Verse: All thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord; and Thy saints shall bless Thee. They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy power. (Psalm 145:10,11)

TEXT: Psalm 145; Jeremiah 32:17-20; Romans 11:36; Revelation 14:7

All the magnificent wonder of nature reveals the majesty of God and glorifies Him. From the grateful heart of a devoted Italian monk in the year of 1225 came this beautiful message. As a great lover of nature, Saint Francis saw the hand of God in all creation, and he urged men to respond with expressions of praise and alleluia.

Giovanni Bernardone, the real name of Saint Francis, demonstrate through his own life all the tender, humble, forgiving spirit and absolute trust in God that his hymn urges others to have. At the age of 25 Bernardone left an indulgent life as a soldier, renounced his inherited wealth, and determined to live meagerly and to imitate the selfless life of Christ.

Throughout his life Saint Francis appreciated the importance of church music and encouraged singing in his monastery. He wrote more than 60 hymns for his purpose. The beautiful expressions of praise in “All creatures of our God and King” have endured throughout the centuries. A prayer written by Saint Francis has also become familiar and well-loved:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon, where there is discord, unity.

Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is error, truth.

Where there is despair, hope. Where there is sadness, joy

Where there is darkness, light.                                             

For it is in giving, that we receive. It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned.

It is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.

All creatures of our God and king, lift up your voice and with us sing alleluia, alleluia! Thou burning sun with golden beam, thou silver moon with softer gleam: o praise Him, O praise Him! Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong, ye clouds that sail in heav’n along, o praise Him! Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice; ye lights of evening, find a voice: praise Him! Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice; ye lights of evening, find a voice: o praise Him, O praise Him! Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia! Dear mother earth, who day by day unfoldest blessings on our way, o praise Him! Alleluia! The flow’rs and fruits that in thee grow, let them His glory also show; O praise Him, O praise Him! Alleluia, Alleluia! Alleluia!

Let all things their creator bless, and worship Him in humbleness – O praise Him! Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia!  ACTION POINT: Praise God continually for His many blessings and for the wonders of Him creation. TAKEN FROM “AMAZING GRACE; 366 INSPIRING HYMN STORIES FOR DAILY DEVOTION”

HYMN:

THIS IS MY FATHER’S WORLD

Memory Verse: The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love, (Psalm 33:5)

TEXT: Psalm 8;24:1, 2; 145:1-13; Isaiah 45:18; 1 Corinthians 15:25, 26

Even though we are constantly reminded of the violence, tragedy, and ugliness in today’s world, we can still rejoice that the beauty of nature all around is ours to enjoy. Who can deny the pleasure that comes form the sight of a glowing sunset or a majestic mountain, the sound of chirping birds or the roar of the surf, and the smell of new mown hay or roses or lilies.

Maltbie D. Babcock revealed his great admiration for nature in this lovely hymn text. Although he was recognized as one of the outstanding Presbyterian  ministers of his generation, Dr. Babcock was also a skilled athlete who enjoyed all outdoor activity, especially his early morning walks. He would always comment, “I’m going out to see my father’s world.” Since Dr. Babcock was an accomplished performer on the organ, the piano and the violin, we can see why nature seemed to him to be “the music of the spheres.” In addition to being a tribute to nature, however, the hymn is a triumphant assertion of the unfailing power of God and the assurance of Christ’s eventual reign – “ and earth and heav’n be one.”

As follow Dr. Babcock’s example and give praise to God for all the beauty of his world, we cannot help being concerned that much of the loveliness is being destroyed by human carelessness and greed. The real answer to our ecological problems must be a renewed appreciation of earth as “our father’s world” and a greater responsibility for taking proper care of it. Christians should be models of this concern.

This is my father’s world, and to my list’ ning ears all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres. This is my father’s world! I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees, of skies and seas – His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my father’s world – the birds their carols raise; the morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise. This is my father’s world! He shines in all that’s fair; in the rustling grass I hear Him pass – He speaks to me ev’rywhere.

This is my father’s world – O let me ne’er forget that tho the wrong seems oft so strong God is the Ruler yet. This is my father’s world! The battle is not done; Jesus who died shall be satisfied, and earth and heav’n be one.

ACTION POINT: Determine to cultivate a renewed awareness and appreciation of the marvels of God’s creation all around you. Endeavor to be even more responsible as a caretaker of your father’s world.  TAKEN FROM “AMAZING GRACE; 366 INSPIRING HYMN STORIES FOR DAILY DEVOTION”

ANOINTED TO MAKE PROFIT

ANOINTED TO MAKE PROFIT 

1 Corinthians 12:7-8

“But to each one is giving the manifestation of the (Holy) Spirit (the evidence, the spiritual illumination of the spirit) for good and profit. To one is giving in and through the (Holy) Spirit (the power to speak) a message of wisdom, and to another (the power to express) a word of knowledge and understanding according to the same (Holy) Spirit;” AMP

       To everyone is given the manifestation of the spirit so you ought to have certain manifestation in your life that would make the world know that the Jesus we are talking about is real. Whatever went wrong in your life can be corrected; all you just need to do is open up to Him.

      The degree of intimacy between a soul and God determines the degree of the glory made manifest. The deeper you are with Him, the deeper the glory that is revealed. The more intimate you become with Him, the more glorious the glory you carry. The bible says “the road the righteous travels is like sunrise, it goes brighter and brighter unto a perfect day.

PRACTICAL ISSUES

When you carry the glory of God it makes a lot of differences in your life.

(Transcribed from the Fragrance of Glory, copy right, March 17^th, 2012).