Live From Above (Rhapsody of Realities) – Saturday May 8, 2010

And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world (John 8:23).

When Jesus told the Jews, “You’re from beneath and I’m from above,” He certainly wasn’t referring to His physical origin but His spiritual origin. He is the Word of God that came from heaven (John 1:1; John 6:33).

Now, if you’re born again, you’re born, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible seed, which is the Word of God that lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23). This means you’re born of the Word that came from above and you have the same life from above as Jesus. Thus you can as well declare that you’re from above. This consciousness of your divine origin will change your attitude and the way you live. That’s because when you recognize you’re not of this world, you won’t think, talk, or act like the world.

Imagine that you go to work with this consciousness that you’re from above and someone in the office offends you. Everybody expects you to get mad, but you don’t, and while they’re wondering at you, you simply let them know you can’t condescend to such behaviour, because you’re from above.

Or perhaps, everyone in your neighbourhood is catching the flu, but you declare, “No, not me. I’m from above, and we don’t catch the flu where I’m from!” This is how you train yourself in the consciousness of the life you’ve received. Jesus talked like this all the time, and you must do the same. Remember, He also said you’re not of the world, even as He is not of the world (John 17:16).

Be conscious of this truth twenty-four hours every day. The more you walk in this consciousness, the greater and more outstanding your results. You will be distinguished by the supernatural and those around you will know of a truth that you’re from above.

Confession
I know who I am! I may be in this world but I’m not of the world. I’m from above and my life is the supernatural life of God’s Word. Therefore, I think, talk and do the Word, and I receive the results of the Word in my life today and always!

Further Study
Colossians 3:1
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Ephesians 1:21
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come

The Translational Power Of The Spirit! ( Rhapsody of Realities) – Friday May 7, 2010

…Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God (Hebrews 11:5).

Like Enoch, you can walk with the Spirit of God with such translational power that you won’t see death, which is not just the cessation of biological life, but also sickness, defeat, destruction, failure, stagnation and retrogression.

This translational power refers to the transportation of the Holy Spirit that puts you in a place of advantage. Jeremiah 17:8 aptly describes the one who has been so transported by the Spirit: “…he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” This means the problems that destroy other people can’t get a hold of him, because he’s always transported above them by the Holy Spirit to a place of fruitfulness and abundance.

Paul prayed for the Church and said: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:14). “Communion” here is translated from the Greek word “koinonia,” which also means “fellowship,” “union,” “partnership” “companionship” and communication;” a root of transportation. It implies that you can experience the Spirit’s transportation as you fellowship with Him. This is why you feel enraptured during times of deep worship and meditation. You’re taken away from this earth-realm into the realm of God’s Spirit. There, your eyes are opened to see the realities of God’s Kingdom, where there are no impossibilities or limitations. You gain the advantage as you see with the eyes of the Sprit, things that are not visible to others.

This is the glorious life God has given you – the translational life where you’re always victorious. And you can live this life perpetually as you walk in fellowship with the Spirit of God.

Confession
I walk closely with the Spirit of God and I’m constantly transported by Him into the glorious and higher realms of life, far removed from death, defeat, destruction, sickness, poverty, and failure. My eyes of understanding are enlightened; I see the invisible and I’m empowered to do the impossible. Hallelujah!

Further Study
Ephesians 1:17-18
17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Acts 8:39-40
39And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
40But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

The Symbol Of God’s Blessing (Rhapsody of Realities) – Wednesday May 5, 2010

And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand (Genesis 39:3-4).

God has called and chosen you for a purpose, and that is to show forth through you His manifold wisdom and demonstrate His excellence to your world. It’s His purpose and desire to prove His extraordinary greatness in your life. He told Israel, “You’ll be the head and not the tail; you’ll be above and not beneath” (Deuteronomy 28:13).

Now, being the head doesn’t necessarily mean becoming the managing director of an organization. Look at Joseph; he went into Potiphar’s house as a slave, but the Bible says he was a prosperous man. When Potiphar recognized that the Lord was with Joseph and that all he did prospered, he put him in charge of his entire household and everything he had, and God blessed him for Joseph’s sake (Genesis 39:1-5).

It was the same story with Jacob. At the time he worked for Laban, his uncle, Laban acknowledged and said: “…I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake” (Genesis 30:27). Laban noticed that the reason his business had become blessed was because of Jacob. How beautiful this is! Can the same be said of you? Of course! This is the life God called you into – not only to be blessed, but also to be a blessing.

Make up your mind to live up to your calling. You’re the symbol of God’s blessings wherever you are, for you’re the carrier of His presence and His grace. Let others take notice that because of you, favour has come to them; expansion has come to their business, and progress to the entire city. Praise God!

Confession
Dear Father, I thank you for blessing me and making me a blessing. I’m a carrier and distributor of your blessing and grace to my world. Through me, you show forth your manifold wisdom and demonstrate your excellent greatness. My family, workplace, neighbourhood, city, and nation are all blessed for my sake, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Further Study
Genesis 12:2
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

1 Peter 3:9
Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Drive The Word Into Your Spirit Through Meditation (Rhapsody of Realities)– Tuesday May 4, 2010

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night…for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then shalt have good success (Joshua 1:8).

For the Word of God to produce results for you and in you, you’d have to meditate on it. Through meditation, you drive the Word deep into your spirit. The Hebrew word translated ‘meditate’ in the scripture above is “Hagah” and it means “to ruminate,” “to mutter,” ‘to speak of something under your voice”; “to say something to yourself over and over again.”

Thus in meditating on the Word, you ruminate over a Scripture, ponder upon it, and mutter it to yourself continuously. God wants you to meditate on the Word this way because He knows that as you do, it will get into your spirit and become personal to you.

For example, everything around you may look dark and hopeless, and then the devil tells you, “You’re poor, you don’t have anything and you’re not going to have anything.” Now, you already know the scripture that says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19), and you’ve been quoting it, but nothing has changed. However, this time, you think it over, ponder over it, saying it to yourself again and again, until it starts bubbling inside you.

The devil may try to stop you, but refuse to yield; just keep saying: “My God shall supply all my need; therefore there’s no lack in my life! I can never be poor; I can never be broke, because I’m the heir of the Monarch of the universe; I have access to inexhaustible and inestimable wealth!” At this point, something is happening to your spirit; you’re driving the Word deep into your spirit.

It’s important that you purposely drive the Word into your spirit through meditating like this, for that’s the receptacle system for the Word. When the Word gets into your spirit, it mixes with faith and suddenly, the challenges that hitherto looked insurmountable become bread for you.

Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, my spirit is open today to receive the Word of your grace that heals, transforms, renews, strengthens and changes hopeless situations, as I spend time with you in fellowship and meditation, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Further Study
Luke 1:37 RSV
For with God nothing will be impossible.

John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Let Go Of The Baggage! (Rhapsody of Realities) – Sunday May 2, 2010

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye (Colossians 3:13).

Some people get hurt easily. As for me, I’ve asked myself what someone can possibly do to hurt me and I can’t think of anything. I grew through the Word and the Holy Spirit to become that way. Now it’s just not possible to hurt me.

Let me tell you how and why. I found out that as long as I’m after God’s pursuits and the fulfillment of His own dreams and not mine, then it didn’t matter what anybody did to me. I abandoned myself to Him a long time ago, that’s why it’s not possible to hurt me anymore. Or how do you hurt one who’s dead? Like Paul, I’ve been “crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

If you can still be hurt by what someone said or did to you, you’ve not grown enough. You’re still too full of yourself and haven’t known Jesus enough. When you leave yourself behind and become more like Him, you’ll be amazed at the greater life you’ll live. Then, you’ll live above all the wrong things others said or did against you. This means that even though you remember, you wouldn’t count it against them. Instead, you’ll remain friendly and courteous towards them.

Some might think you’re naïve when you act like this, but you’re not doing it for anyone but yourself. That’s because you can’t move with the Holy Spirit while you’re carrying all that baggage of the hurtful things people said or did to you. You’ve got to let them go so you can flow in the anointing of God’s Spirit and move with Him. This takes you away from the class of the uninspiring, and puts you in the league of those who move with the Spirit and do great exploits by His power

Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for teaching me your Word today and showing me how to live above offence and bitterness. I will not hold anything against anyone who may wrong me, but I’ll be quick to forgive just as Christ forgave me. And I walk in love towards all men and move in the power of your Spirit every day, in Jesus Name. Amen.

Further Study
Hebrews 12:1-3
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Hebrews 12:14-15
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

You Can SET A Time For Your Miracle! (Rhapsody of Realities) – Saturday May 1, 2010

Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come (Psalm 102:13).

If you’ve been praying and desiring a certain change in your life, you can decide you want that change TODAY, and it will happen. Many suffer for long because they don’t know it’s their responsibility, not God’s, to effect the change they desire in their lives.

Let’s take the story of Hannah in the Old Testament as a case study. She had been married to Elkanah for several years without a child, and must have been hoping this would change someday, but it didn’t. One day, she got tired of the situation and made up her mind for a miracle. She said to herself, “It’s today or never!” Then she went into the house of the Lord and fell on her face before God and brought forth her case. While she was there, Eli the high priest observed her lips moving but didn’t hear any words coming out of her mouth. So he thought she was drunk and rebuked her, saying, “Woman, are you not tired of your drunkenness?” (1 Samuel 1:13-14).

“Sir, I’m not drunk; I’m just pouring out my heart before the Lord,” she replied (1 Samuel 1:15). We’ve always thought all Hannah did was make a vow to God, but she did more; she argued her case before God. She petitioned God and gave Him strong reasons why she must have a child. Then the high priest answered and said to her, “Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy PETITION that thou hast asked of him” (1 Samuel 1:17). Afterwards, Hannah conceived, gave birth to a son and named him Samuel (1 Samuel 1:20).

“Bring forth your strong reasons,” that’s what the Lord says in Isaiah 41:21. Hannah did and got the petition she asked of Him. What is that miracle you desire? Present your case before the Lord. If it’s concerning your health, 1 Peter 2:24 says, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” This is your evidence; stand your ground, and then take hold of your miracle today!

Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the revelation of your Word to my spirit today, letting me know I can set the time for my own miracle! By faith, I’ve taken a hold of all the wonderful blessings you’ve made available to me in Christ, and I walk in the full manifestation of these blessings in my job, health, finances and family today, in the Name of Jesus! Amen.

Further Study
Matthew 11:12
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

You Are A Watchman ( Rhapsody of Realities)– Thursday April 29, 2010

But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me (Ezekiel 33:6-7).

This scripture was God’s message to Ezekiel concerning the Israelites, but it also applies to every Christian today. The Lord has appointed us watchmen over our world, and it’s our responsibility to take His message of salvation to every man, woman, boy and girl in our immediate sphere of contact. He wants us to tell others about His love, grace and mercy.

This is the same commission we received from the Lord Jesus in Matthew 28:19: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” 2 Peter 3:9 says that the Lord “…is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He gave us this charge because He doesn’t wish for any sinner to go hell. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God already made salvation available to all mankind. But then, He has given us the special privilege of propagating the glorious news of Christ’s salvation to the ends of the earth.

God has committed to you the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). That means you’ve been appointed as a watchman. The Bible however explains that if you don’t take the Gospel to the sinners in your sphere of contact and they die in their iniquities, God will hold you responsible. But if you preach the gospel to them and they refuse to believe, then they’ll suffer the penalty for their sins and you’ll be free.

2 Corinthians 3:6 says, “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament…” Thus, it’s not a question of whether or not you’re able, for He has made you an able minister of the New Testament! All you need is to be willing.

Get vitally involved in telling others about Jesus. Reach out to those in your sphere of contact with the gospel, and be committed to sponsoring the work of soul-winning through your giving. So that at the end, you can boldly declare as Paul did: “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men” (Acts 20:26).

Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for enlightening my heart on the importance of soul-winning today, and for counting me worthy of this responsibility. I give myself devotedly to the course of turning lives around for you, and I declare that I’m successful in my efforts in reaching my world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in Jesus Name. Amen!

Further Study
Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Supernatural Instructions (Rhapsody of Realities) – Wednesday April 28, 2010

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it … (Romans 12:2 MSG).

One of the ways of training your human spirit is educating him to respond to God at once; learning to respond quickly to His instructions. A lot of the problems many of God’s children get themselves into would be averted if only they respond quickly to the Holy Spirit.

Imagine a guy driving on a journey, and somehow begins to feel sleepy, the Spirit says to him, “get a convenient place to stop and rest awhile.” He ignores that voice and continues in his journey. Then before he knows it, he veers off the road or crashed into a ditch somewhere. Unfortunately, many have lost their lives like that because they didn’t respond to God’s Spirit when He tried to warn them.

Sometimes you my even find yourself in fellowship with certain people the Sprit of God don’t want you to make friends with, and then He tells you to distance yourself from them. Obey immediately. Consciously train yourself to respond quickly to His voice. Don’t let Him have to repeat instructions to you over and over again.

Remember, God’s guidance in your life doesn’t have to be spectacular. If it’s from the Holy Spirit, it’s supernatural and can be trusted. If you train yourself now to respond to Him like this, you’ll be able to hear Him in the time of crisis because your spirit would have been trained to recognize Hs voice.

Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for the opportunity I have to be trained by your Spirit. I’ve learned the importance of responding quickly to your instructions and counsel, therefore, not only do I wholly follow them, I respond to them very quickly in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Further Study
Proverbs 4:13
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Ecclesiastes 8:5
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.

Prove God’s Word In Your Life (Rhapsody of Realities) – Monday April 26, 2010

For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth (Psalm 119:89-90).

The opening Scripture tells us that God’s Word is forever settled in heaven; however, it’s your responsibility to settle or prove the Word in your own life. The Bible says, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Concerning your health, marriage, business, academics, ministry etc., you can prove the Word of God. How? By simply acting on it; doing what it says.

In fact, while talking about tithing in Malachi 3:10, the Lord challenged us to prove the Word: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” So you see, God isn’t afraid to be put on the spot; He asked us to prove His Word.

So today, find out some of the things God has said about you in His Word and act on them. Don’t sit idly by waiting and hoping that His Word concerning you will come to pass someday, perhaps in the sweet-by-and-by. No! Take a step of faith and act on the Word now! Act on the knowledge of God’s Word that has come to you, and your faith will prevail.

Confession
I’m walking in the reality of my divine inheritance in Christ because the Word of God is at work in me! I’m not just a hearer but a doer of the Word, therefore my faith is producing results and the wisdom, knowledge and ability of the Spirit are showing forth through me, in Jesus Name. Amen.

Further Study
Isaiah 55:10-11
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Increasing Prosperity (Rhapsody of Realities) – Sunday April 25, 2010

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

There’s been so much fear and apprehension about the economic situation in the world. Some of the erstwhile biggest and richest multination corporations have gone bankrupt, and the economies of several nations are still groaning with the pangs of the global recession. Indeed, so much has happened in the last decade to warrant such concerns.

But if you’re born again you don’t need to fear or fret, for you play by a different set of rules. Thus the economic crunch and hardship that affect the peoples of the world ought not to overthrow you. In the midst of the recession you can have increasing prosperity, for that’s the life you’ve been called to. The Bible says “when men are cast down, then thou shalt say, there is lifting up…” (Job 22:29).

Our opening scripture lets us know that the man whose trust is in the Lord is blessed, and shall be as a tree planted by the waters. He shall not be anxious or full of care in the year of drought, times of recession, scarcity or austerity! Rather, he’ll keep yielding fruit. In other words, he’ll have increasing prosperity. This is akin to Job 22:24: “Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust…” You well know that the most dust is found in the dry season, and in the world today, many have referred to the economy as dry. But the Spirit of God is telling you that even as the dust is hard to keep away in dry season, so is your prosperity – its ever increasing!

You might wonder, “Is this truly possible?” Sure it is! It’s right in the Word. Take some time today to carefully meditate on what we read in our opening scripture, for it reveals the picture of your prosperity.

Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for blessing me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus. You’ve brought me to my place of wealth and prosperity, therefore the heat in the land does not affect me; rather, I flourish as the tree by the rivers of water. I’m bringing forth fruits, in season and out of season! Thank you for bringing me into a life of ever-increasing prosperity!

Further Study
Psalm 1:3
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.