AN ACTIVE CONNECTION TO THE SOURCE (Acts 17:23-28)

The Holy Spirit is a personality like God the Father and Son, did you talk with Him today?

CONTEMPLATION

You need more than a place with an attractive and a powerful name to keep an active walk with God.  Many religious houses have only compounded the frustration of many as they try to reach God.  The true longing of your soul is deeper and stronger than mere vocabulary and poetic rhyme.  Don’t be deceived, energetic acrobatic display does not translate into the all-important presence and power of God that transforms the soul. Make up your mind not to settle for dry religious form and activities. Go deeper than the surface into the deep riches in the presence of God. If you must pray let your heart seek and pant for the person and will of God and you will see the extraordinary made manifest. By your union with Christ you belong to a realm far from the ordinary (Eph. 2:6). Until you attempt to step out in the spirit you will never discover the limitless and expressive life in the spirit that is yours.  In Christ you have a new identity and potentials which is far greater than what you have become accustomed to. Keep reaching out in your new life and identity until your talk, expectations and actions conforms to the life of the new man in Christ.  As a man walking in the spirit you can put an end to confusion and frustration by simply stepping up into the realm of the Spirit (see Isaiah 26:3 and Revelation 4:1-2).

The place of your true freedom and joy is in the place of your intimate communion and fellowship with the Lord. Locate it and stay there.

PRACTICAL ISSUES

Any man has the ability to access the realm of the spirit and accomplish great things for God if only they will choose to obey the word of God.

Be careful what you open up your spirit to so you will not have to regret the experience that will follow. You are more a spirit being than a physical being.

The only spirit that has power over you is the one you have empowered over your life. The Glory Realm Devotional by Rev. Igho y; the Glorious Fountain Ministries.

THINK LIKE THE BOSS & GET THE BLESSING (PT. 1)

TEXT: Genesis 41:32-41 Genesis 41:32-33, 37-40 (AMP)
³² That the dream was sent twice to Pharaoh and in two forms indicates that this thing which God will very soon bring to pass is fully prepared and established by God.
³³ So now let Pharaoh seek out and provide a man discreet, understanding, proficient, and wise and set him over the land of Egypt [as governor].

³⁷ And the plan seemed good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.
³⁸ And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find this man's equal, a man in whom is the spirit of God?
³⁹ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Forasmuch as [your] God has shown you all this, there is nobody as intelligent and discreet and understanding and wise as you are.
⁴⁰ You shall have charge over my house, and all my people shall be governed according to your word [with reverence, submission, and obedience]. Only in matters of the throne will I be greater than you are.

Understand and handle situations as though you are the owner of the organization. Approach problems and challenges as though you are the boss and without doubt you will become a blessing to your organization and you will make it necessary for you to be promoted again and again. When you are willing to go extra mile and sacrifice your time, money and abilities to make things happen, you will make it necessary for your organization to invest whatever they can to make you succeed. This is when all kinds of training, seminars and benefits become a must for you. They cannot afford to keep you from such opportunities because your effectiveness and efficiency is so important to the growth and transformation of your organization. When a man has this testimony, he does not need to struggle for position or title, the organization will do all it can to honour him with a title or position. Before the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream by Joseph, the position and title of the Prime minister of Egypt was not in existence. His exceptional gift and abilities created that office and released that authority on him. He was able to see the answer to the nagging problem of the boss of the whole land of Egypt and it became clear that no other person will be able to handle. Of what relevance are you to your organization? A man who is of great value to his organization would always come up with innovations and ideas that will help the organization develop the boldness to venture out to break new ground. But men who are a liability make it difficult for their organization to venture out due to their lack of initiative and incompetence. Where do you belong?. The Glory Realm Devotional by Rev. Igho Y; the Glorious Fountain Ministries. 

FAITHFUL MEN ARE A BLESSING. (PART 2)

TEXT: 2 Kings 2:9-12 (AMP)
⁹ And when they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.
¹⁰ He said, You have asked a hard thing. However, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you—but if not, it shall not be so.
¹¹ As they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire parted the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
¹² And Elisha saw it and he cried, My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen! And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

Men like Elisha are increasingly on the decrease in our present generation. This is the reason why any wise employer will treasure any faithful worker because he knows that such individuals are not easy to come by. When a faithful fellow is at work he is a blessing and everything he/she does begin to prosper. Faithful men do not wait to be forced to go the distance; they take the initiative and accomplish the assignment with great joy.  When the sons of the prophet spoke to him in Jericho it was an attempt to discourage him from his loyalty to Elijah but he refused to be distracted. If you truly have an Elijah in your life you should do all you can to serve with all your heart not giving room to dangerous opinions. If you follow on like Elisha did to the Jordan, you will become positioned and qualified for the double portion blessing. Only faithful servants become entitled to receive the double portion blessing. There are blessings that can never be released by sowing seeds (money) to the life or ministry of a man of God or by fasting and praying. If this were possible, then Simeon the sorcerer would have been able to pay for the release of the power but the apostle Peter said to him “... Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money Acts 8:20 (KJV). Heaven is focused on the heart that is patient and faithful to a divine agenda. This is the soul that knows the true value of kingdom investment and our God will be willing to decorate him with heavens’ glory.  The Glory Realm Devotional by Rev. Igho Y; the Glorious Fountain Ministries.

FAITHFUL MEN ARE A BLESSING . (PART 1)

TEXT: 2 Kings 2:1-3 (AMP).

¹ WHEN THE Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were going from Gilgal.
² And Elijah said to Elisha, Tarry here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel. But Elisha replied, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So they went down to Bethel.
³ The prophets' sons who were at Bethel came to Elisha and said, Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today? He said, Yes, I know it; hold your peace.

The account we read from 2Kings 2 reveals to us the true qualities of faithfulness. From the very day Elisha joined the ministry of Elijah he was faithful unto him and the assignment to the end of Elijah’s ministry.   He was so faithful to helping his master succeed that he became deaf to any other command. He could not stand seeing his master inconvenienced so he made it a point of duty to see to his comfort. This was why when Elijah said to him in 2 Kings 2:2, “..., Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel... Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. He was so committed to serving his master that not even the master could stop him from being faithful. If his service was not from the heart he would have used that as a reason to relax. When they got to Bethel, the sons of the prophet at Bethel said to him in 2 Kings 2:3 (AMP) “... Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today? He said, Yes, I know it; hold your peace. In a sense they were saying to him, since the ministry of your master is coming to an end today why are you wasting your time following him? They could be saying don’t you think you are wasting your time? Not many people are faithful enough to give their very best especially when it is so obvious that the end of the job or opportunity is in sight. Many will begin to arrange for themselves something to fall back on. This is where some become fraudulent, overambitious and self-seeking. They will begin to use their office time, assignment or other opportunity to front their own agenda. Their allegiance will shift from their job to self-gratification and like Gehazi, they will find a way to approach Naaman the Syrian so they can get something for themselves. They will begin to seek the favour of those they perceive to be blessed in material things and not many are wise to learn from the consequences of Gehazis action (See 2 Kings 5 :20-27). Are you a faithful servant? The Glory Realm Devotional by Rev. Igho Y; the Glorious Fountain Ministries.

THE URGENT NEED OF FAITHFUL MEN.

TEXT: 2 Kings 2:1-3 (AMP)
¹ WHEN THE Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were going from Gilgal.
² And Elijah said to Elisha, Tarry here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel. But Elisha replied, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So they went down to Bethel.
³ The prophets' sons who were at Bethel came to Elisha and said, Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today? He said, Yes, I know it; hold your peace.

2 Timothy 4:10 (AMP)
¹⁰ For Demas has deserted me for love of this present world and has gone to Thessalonica; Crescens [has gone] to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

In the book of 2 Timothy 4:10 Paul said “Demas has forsaken me...” he was so disappointed in the conduct of Demas that he had to write to Timothy to express his disappointment. It is not that easy to find faithful men. We have many sycophants parading themselves as faithful men, but we will get to know them when some challenge comes. There are those who will tell you that they are ready to die for you or for a cause but it is only sugar coated words. It is sad today that people now use God as an excuse for their unfaithfulness. They will tell you that they are led of God and that is why they are changing their position or stand. It is so sad and unfortunate because in the first instance, they are the ones who came to say they are very sure God told them to identify with you or a cause. 

Not many who are around us can be trusted. Many people are just in our lives for what they can get out of the relationship. Immediately they discover that they can get what they need from somebody else their allegiance will change. They do not love you; they only love what they can get from you. They like the good things they gain from or through you but they do not care about you. They are the brothers of Demas. The Living translation says Demas because he loves the good things of life. He thought he would make some name or get some reputation by attaching himself to Paul but when he found out that Pauls’ ministry was more sacrifice and hard labour for the kingdom he ran away. Paul experienced the unfaithfulness of John Mark during their first missionary journey, it was so painful an experience to Paul so much that when John Mark returned to join them for the next missionary journey in Acts 15:38 Paul refused to have him in his team. Again when Paul was a prisoner in Rome he was deserted by the Christians in Asia (2 Tim 1:15) Unfaithfulness is a betrayal of trust and it often leads to lose of confidence in such a fellow.  In time past all you need from somebody is their word and you are very sure they will keep their promise, but today even when someone signs an agreement with the evidence of some document you are not really sure what the result will be; the document could be fake.  People no longer know the meaning of promise because it has lost its true meaning. A faithful man is someone who is ready to go through the sun and rain with you. Like Demas many are only passionate after their selfish lust. They are there for themselves. They are like vultures waiting to have their pound of flesh.  The Glory Realm Devotional by Rev. Igho Y; the Glorious Fountain Ministries.

UNDERSTANDING VISIONS (PART 4).

Text: Daniel 5:9-12 (AMP).

⁹ Then King Belshazzar was greatly perplexed and alarmed and the color faded from his face, and his lords were puzzled and astounded.
¹⁰ Now the queen [mother], overhearing the exciting words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house. The queen [mother] said, O king, live forever! Do not be alarmed at your thoughts or let your cheerful expression and the color of your face be changed.
¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the holy God [or gods], and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—the king, I say, your father—appointed him master of the magicians, enchanters or soothsayers, Chaldeans, and astrologers,
¹² Because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, clarify riddles, and solve knotty problems were found in this same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

As we bring this series of teachings about understanding vision to an end we want focus on the lessons to be learnt from the testimony and life of Daniel. The text of today is preceded by the story of the king Belteshazzar terrified by a hand writing on the wall when he chose to use the sacred vessels from the temple at Jerusalem to drink wine with his guest in a party he hosted. He became much more troubled when none of his wise men could read or interpret what was written on the wall. When the news got to the queen she came to the king in the banquet hall to give the king some hope. The lessons to learn from this story include the following;

1. When a man walks with God even unbelievers will recognize that he carries a divine light, understanding and wisdom (see verse 11).

 2. Not everyone has the grace to understand and accurately interpret dreams, visions, signs, riddle and solve uncommon problems. When a man distinguishes himself he becomes relevant no matter the person in power (see verse 12).

3. Those who walk and commune with the Most High God will have no problem walking upon the high places of the earth in boldness and righteousness.

There is much more about your life. Fix your eyes on the Lord and you will live for his glory. The Glory Realm Devotional by Rev. Igho Y; the Glorious Fountain Ministries. 

UNDERSTANDING VISIONS (PART 3).

TEXT: Job 32:7-9 (AMP)
⁷ I said, Age should speak, and a multitude of years should teach wisdom [so let it be heard].
⁸ But there is [a vital force] a spirit [of intelligence] in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives men understanding.
⁹ It is not the great [necessarily] who are wise, nor [always] the aged who understand justice.

In most part of Africa there is the believe that understanding and wisdom is with the elders. Therefore the older you are the wiser you are expected to be. If that is completely true Africa would have been the foremost continent of the world but we all know that is not the case. Without the fear of God there cannot be true wisdom. Experience does not count for the wisdom we speak of. Rather, it is the inspiration of the almighty God that breaths understanding into the spirit of a man to make him exceptional. Someone who is approaching an issue or a problem by his experience does so by the limit of the knowledge he received at a particular time, but when a more serious situation that is beyond his knowledge and experience arises he becomes confused. Jesus once told his disciples to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees but then his disciples completely misunderstood and misinterpreted his words thinking he was angry they forgot to buy bread. When he heard what they were saying he said “...Why are you reasoning and saying it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet discern or understand? Are your hearts in [a settled state of] hardness?”
¹⁸ Having eyes, do you not see [with them], and having ears, do you not hear and perceive and understand the sense of what is said? And do you not remember? (See Mark 8:15-18 AMP).  These are those who were in the position of leadership yet they missed it.

Verse 9 of our text says “It is not the great [necessarily] who are wise, nor [always] the aged who understand justice.” Whenever we take God out of the picture depending on our experience or intellect we will begin to make a mockery of ourselves. Take some time today to ask God for the inspiration you need to go from where you are to the next level of glory he destined for you and you will begin to see the grace of God at work in your life. The Glory Realm Devotional by Rev. Igho Y; the Glorious Fountain Ministries.