RHAPSODY OF REALITIES MONDAY, 21ST NOVEMBER.

SPEAK THE TRUTH IN YOUR HEART.

LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart (Psalm 15:1-2).

If you’re going to walk in the glory of God and have His grace and power manifested in your life, the Word says you must walk uprightly, work righteousness, and speak the truth in your heart. Now, what does it mean to speak the truth in your heart? This is where a lot of people miss it. They don’t have a problem walking uprightly; they don’t have a problem working righteousness, that is, doing right, but then they have a problem with “speaking the truth in their heart.”

Notice that the psalmist didn’t say, “He that... speaketh the truth to his neighbor”; no! I‘m aware that a few translations render it in a way that seems to suggest that it should read “speaking the truth to someone else,” but when you study it from the original Hebrew rendering, you’ll observe it has nothing to do with talking with somebody else. The Amplified Version renders it clearly: “He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness, And speaks and holds truth in his heart.”

Did you notice that? It’s dealing with speaking and holding the truth in your heart, and what does that mean? It means meditation: speaking and thinking the truth in your own heart. That’s meditating on God’s Word. If you’re going to walk in the glory and anointing of the Spirit; if you’re going to see the power of God manifested in your spirit and in your life, you have to speak the Word. You have to give vent and expression to the Word. The Word of God in your mouth is God talking; it’s a prevailing force that can’t be stopped.

1 Timothy 4:15 says to meditate and give yourself wholly to the Word; hold the truth of God’s Word in your heart; don’t let it go. Refuse to be swayed by circumstances, and your success, victory, progress and prosperity will be inevitably evident, and unstoppable.

PRAYER
Dear Father, thank you for your Word is in my heart and in my mouth. As I meditate and give it voice, I experience progress, promotion, expansion, and spreading on every side. I’m on an upward and forward journey only. Your glory, grace, and power are manifested in my life and in all I do, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Further Study:
1 Timothy 4:15 NKJV Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
James 4:13-5:1-20 Ezekiel 24-26
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
2 John Daniel 7-8

Walking In Love Is Walking In The Glory .

Tuesday, November 22nd .
Pastor Chris

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled (Hebrews 12:15).

In Exodus 23:25-26, God made certain promises to the children of Israel, who were God’s chosen people of the old covenant. He told them: “And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill.”

God didn’t say to them, “After you’ve prayed or fasted, I’ll bless your bread and your water; and I’ll take sickness away from you”; no! The only requirement was for them to serve the Lord, and the blessing will follow: there’d be no sickness in their midst. There wouldn’t be any miscarriages; neither would there be barren women in their land. He’d make sure the women carry their pregnancies full term, and the people lived healthy and strong, full and complete lives. How awesome!

It’s the same today. Ours is to walk in love. Jesus said to His disciples in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Sadly, many ignore this truth, and allow bitterness to take a hold of their hearts. It accounts for the terrible experiences of many, such as debilitating sicknesses that defy all medications. Bitterness, anger, and malice are some of the most common causes of cancer. To walk in divine health, such unwholesome traits must not be a part of your life.

You’re born to love. Love is your life. The Bible says the love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit. Walking in love isn’t a commandment for you as a new creation in Christ Jesus, but the only way for you to live. God is love (1 John 4:16 & 18); thus, to walk in love is to walk in God. No sickness, disease, or infirmity can thrive in your body, because you’re in the glory of God! Walking in love is walking in the glory.

PRAYER

Dear Father, I thank you for the revelation of your love to my spirit, and the ability to express and manifest your love to others. You’ve made my life so beautiful, decorating it with your grace, love and righteousness. Thank you for your glory in my life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Further Study:
|| 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 NIV If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ||

|| John 13:35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. ||

Daily Scripture Reading

1-Year Bible Reading Plan: 1 Peter 1:1-21,
Ezekiel 27-28

2-Year Bible Reading Plan: 3 John,
Daniel 9-10

EXTRACT FROM: Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional

Settle It With The Lord First .

Wednesday, November 23rd .
Pastor Chris

…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16).

A dear brother learnt about exercising spiritual authority and decided to act his faith. It had been cloudy and a downpour was imminent. Stepping out of his home, he commanded the rain to hold its peace. But soon enough, the rain started pouring down. He commanded the rain to cease, but the more he issued those commands, the heavier the downpour, and the more he got drenched.

He had read that Elijah stopped the rains from falling for three and half years (1 Kings 17), and so he thought, “If Elijah could do that, why couldn’t I?” But there’s something the young man didn’t understand.

If you only studied 1 Kings 17, you might run off with the view that Elijah merely proclaimed that there would be no rain, stormed out of Ahab’s palace, and the clouds were shut. James 5:17 shows us there was something more: “…he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.” Before Elijah declared that there’d be no rain, he had already settled the matter with God. He had prevailed with God in prayer in his closet; it was an argumentative prayer, because it isn’t man’s jurisdiction to stop or cause rain to fall.

Jesus made it clear in Matthew 5:45 that sending down rain is solely God’s domain: “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” What Elijah did was to bring his strong reasons before the Lord in prayer, and the Lord granted his request.

This is what you do when dealing with cases, situations or issues outside your personal territory or jurisdiction. You must first prevail in prayer. There must first be moments of intense, heartfelt, earnest prayer, supplication, intercession, and giving of thanks. Such prayer, the Bible says, makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its working (James 5:16 AMP).

CONFESSION

Blessed heavenly Father, it gladdens my heart to know I can set forth and plead my case with you, in earnest, heartfelt, continued prayer, and prevail against unfavourable circumstances. Thank you, Lord, for this awesome privilege, and the right to be heard each time I make decrees and entreaties in the Name of Jesus. Glory to your Name forever!

Further Study: || Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. ||

|| Isaiah 43:26 Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. ||

|| Isaiah 38:1-2 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, ||

Daily Scripture Reading

1-Year Bible Reading Plan: 1 Peter 1:22-2:1-25,
Ezekiel 29-30

2-Year Bible Reading Plan: Jude 1:1-11,
Daniel 11-12

EXTRACT FROM: Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional

Know The Word For Yourself .

Thursday, November 24th .
Pastor Chris

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

2 Timothy 3:16 says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, which means in studying the Bible, you must first yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. You shouldn’t study the Scriptures the way you would an academic journal or a textbook. When you study, you have to cross-reference scriptures, and rely on the Holy Spirit to grant you understanding.

Part of the ministry of the Spirit in your life is to grant you revelation knowledge of the Word; He grants you insight into the secrets and mysteries of the Kingdom. He teaches you the Word. Therefore, relying on Him, and affirming that He’s with you to teach you and unveil the Word to you as you study, is very important.

Furthermore, be sure to have a good study Bible. Not every Bible is a study Bible. A study Bible has cross-references. There, you’d find different terms, words, phrases or sentences that are related in different parts of the scriptures. The Rhapsody of Realities Devotional Study Bible, for example, has cross references, with inspiring articles that’ll aid your study and understanding of the Word. You can order a copy by visiting www.rhapsodybible.org

Until and unless you know the Word for yourself, you’re going to be a victim in life. In Hosea 4:6, God didn’t say, “My people perish because they don’t pray enough, go to church, or are always doing the wrong thing”; no! Rather, He said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge….” He wasn’t talking about knowledge of science or history either; He was referring to the knowledge of the Word.

It’s important that you apply the Word in your own life. However, to apply it, first, you must know it. That’s why He wants you to study. You can be a success, live victoriously, walk in divine health, and win every day. Refuse to be ignorant. Give yourself to the Word and your success, progress and prosperity will be inevitable.

PRAYER

Dear Father, I thank you for your Word which illuminates my path and causes me to walk in your wisdom. By your Spirit, the eyes of my understanding are enlightened, and my mind is renewed in line with your Word, for progress, increase, prosperity, and victory, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Further Study: || Hosea 6:3 Then shall we know, [if] we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter [and] former rain unto the earth. ||

|| 1 Timothy 4:15-16 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. 16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. ||

|| Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. ||

Daily Scripture Reading

1-Year Bible Reading Plan: 1 Peter 3,
Ezekiel 31-32

2-Year Bible Reading Plan: Jude 1:12-25,
Hosea 1-2

EXTRACT FROM: Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional