Saturday 6 August 2016

You Are Not Useless!

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, 6 August 2016

You Are Not Useless!

"Who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me." Philemon 1:11 NKJV

Has anyone ever told you that you are useless? Have you been told that you are a mistake, that you are of no value where you are, and that you are a jerk? Brothers and sisters, they lied to you, do not believe such words about you!

Unfortunately, sometimes it's your spouse who makes you feel worthless; they treat you badly, talk to you rudely and look down on you; for some, it's your parents and siblings who should show you love. I don't care what others think about you, only two opinions about you are important: what God thinks about you and what you think about yourself!

Listen to me: in Christ you are as good as anyone else! Even if you were "useless" before, you are not anymore! In case you didn't know, the Bible says that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise; He chose the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised He has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are! Know it today that you are very valuable and soon it shall be said about you, that the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone; it is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes! Hallelujah!

Prophetic Declaration:
I am who God says I am. I reject every satanic lie about who I am: I am somebody special!

Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim
Twitter: @PastorChinae
PIN:568E2E56

Friday 5 August 2016

Your Money And You

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, 5 August 2016

Your Money And You

"Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him." Psalms 49:6‭-‬7 NKJV

The problem with a lot of us is that we put our trust in money. You notice that you feel confident when you have a reasonable sum of money in your bank account; it's like you are secure. The truth is that it is a false sense of security. For some it's possessions; having lots of assets makes them feel safe: Jesus said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Luke 12:15

Don't get to the point where money becomes everything to you. Money should never be your sole or primary motivation in life. The truth is that it is wrong for us as believers to be crazy about money or anything else of this world, and it's time we told ourselves the truth. Many of us have been trying for years to serve two masters; and some find it hard to give, even to the poor, because it will seem as if a part of them is dying. What a shame.

Paul wrote to Timothy: "Give this command to those who are rich with the things of this world. Tell them not to be proud. Tell them to hope in God, not their money. Money cannot be trusted, but God takes care of us richly. He gives us everything to enjoy. Tell those who are rich to do good—to be rich in good works. And tell them they should be happy to give and ready to share. By doing this, they will be saving up a treasure for themselves. And that treasure will be a strong foundation on which their future life will be built. They will be able to have the life that is true life." 1 Timothy 6:17‭-‬19

Prophetic Declaration:
I declare today that my hope is in God alone. From today I am rich in good works, happy to give and ready to share. I am a blessing to my world.

Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim
Twitter: @PastorChinae
PIN:568E2E56

Thursday 4 August 2016

Dreams Journal

Dreams

A) God wants us to dream

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. Acts 2:17

B) Good and bad dreams

Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his Lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?” And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there  is no interpreter of it.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.” Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” And Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler. When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.” So Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.”
Genesis 40:5‭-‬13‭, ‬16‭-‬19 NKJV

C) Train your mind to think right thoughts

"For a dream comes through much activity..." Ecclesiastes 5:3

D) Acceptable Dreams

1) Dreams of a bright future

Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
Genesis 37:5‭-‬9 NKJV

2) Dreams of ideas

“And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted. Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.
Genesis 31:10‭-‬12 NKJV

3) Dreams of victory

And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, “I have had a dream: To  my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.” Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp.” And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise, for the Lord has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”
Judges 7:13‭-‬15 NKJV

4) Dreams of Divine Direction

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
Matthew 2:13 NKJV

5) Dreams of divine visitation

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it  is this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how  to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” Then Solomon awoke; and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord , offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
I Kings 3:5‭-‬15 NKJV

Prayer: Lord, from today, I am dreaming only acceptable dreams in the name of Jesus. I bring my mind in subjection to the word of God, I think only good and righteous thoughts in the name of Jesus. Satan get out of my mind in the name of Jesus! Satan stop messing with my mind in the name of Jesus!

Why We Should Pray For Our Leaders

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, 4 August 2016

Why We Should Pray For Our Leaders

"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." I Timothy 2:1‭-‬2 NKJV

Have you noticed that murmurings rarely change those in authority? Someone complained that the Nigerian president has been appointing mostly northerners, that is, people of his own ethnic group: he said, "The more we complain the more northerners he appoints! He's not even listening." Well, this is not about the rightness or wrongness of his actions but to prove that murmurings and grumblings achieve little or nothing.

Understand how powerful rulers are: the Bible says concerning kings in Ecclesiastes 8:4, "His command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it." Now, you may argue that we are in a democratic society and not under a monarchial rule, but experience has shown that those in authority are often like demigods who do as they please.

That's why we must pray! Prayer is talking to the King of kings about a king. Get it: Proverbs 21:1 says that "The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes." God is our best hope of changing situations and reversing unpleasant trends. That's why we must pray! The truth is that some leaders sometimes want to do good but are restrained by forces, physical and spiritual, too strong and powerful. Hence, we must support them with our prayers. If we do not pray, then we must also begin to see ourselves as being responsible for their failures.

Prophetic Declaration:
Father, according to Your word, we ask that You guide the hearts of our leaders to do only what is right and pleasing to You. Fill their hearts with Your wisdom, give them a heart for the people, make them bold and courageous to undertake projects and plans that will benefit the majority. We thank You because we know that You will do what we have asked, in Jesus name.

Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim
Twitter: @PastorChinae
PIN:568E2E56

Wednesday 3 August 2016

Labouring In The Lord

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, 3 August 2016

Labouring In The Lord

"Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord." Romans 16:12 NKJV

Some people are so lazy when it has to do with the work of God. Some even say things like, "I don't want to do anything in church"; "I don't want to be an active member". And some think that it's enough to just give offerings and other monies and do nothing else as if God is begging them for money.

People don't realize that Jesus was a workaholic. He worked so much that they often had to beg Him to eat! So how can you be following such a Leader and not try to be like Him?

There are different labours in the kingdom of God. You may wish to specialize in one or two, but be involved in as many as possible. Just because you sing is not enough reason not to evangelize. Do you understand? Sing, win souls, pray, give, teach the word, etc. Don't be a lazy believer. If you labour for God He will labour for you.

Prophetic Declaration:
I am a partner with God. I choose from this day to work hard in the kingdom of God. I am steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord because I know that my labour is not in vain.

Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim
Twitter: @PastorChinae
PIN:568E2E56

Tuesday 2 August 2016

Divine Change Of Name

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, 2 August 2016

Divine Change Of Name

"And he called his name Noah, saying, 'This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed.'” Genesis 5:29 NKJV

Names have a lot to do with destinies; whether names of places or persons. Terrible names have terrible effects on people, they are like prophecies hanging over a person; they follow him or her everywhere. That's why you must be careful about what people call you, whether it's a real name or nickname.

Jabez was so called because he was born in pain. Prophet Eli's daughter in law named her child Ichabod, meaning, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God was captured and because of the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. Rachel died as a result of labour pains; as she died, she named her baby boy Ben-Oni, meaning son of sadness; but his father Jacob, being a prophet changed the name immediately and called him Benjamin, meaning son of the right hand.

When Noah was born, things were difficult for men on earth in those days, but instead of them naming him according to their situation they said, 'This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands'. Today, I reverse every negative impact your name or whatever you have been called in the past has had on you, and I declare that from now you are a blessing to your generation, in the name of Jesus! Today too, I decree a change of name for your family and your origin; no devilish name shall have effect on you henceforth, in the name of Jesus!

Prophetic Declaration:
I am free in the name of Jesus! I am a comforter to my family and everyone around me, in Jesus name. Amen.

Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim
Twitter: @PastorChinae
PIN:568E2E56

Monday 1 August 2016

What No Man Can Do

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, 1 August 2016

What No Man Can Do

"His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them." Mark 9:3 NKJV

I love the song by Ada titled, Only You. Only You can do, what no man can do
Only You can change, every situation at all
Only You are able, Daddy Only you are capable

The Bible says that Jesus' clothes became exceedingly white, whiter than anyone on earth could make them. I like the phrase: "It's the Lord's doing!" Wow! Psalms 126:1‭-‬3 says, "When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.' The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad."

I prophesy to you in the name of Jesus, that God will do for you what no man can do! In this month of August you will see the hand of God at work on your behalf! This shall be a month of gladness for you and your loved ones! Men will hear about what the Lord will do for you and they will testify on your behalf! Say Amen!

Prophetic Declaration:
This is my month of gladness. Whatever it is that has made me weep from January to July has expired in the name of Jesus! I shall see what no man can do in my life, my testimony shall be a global one!

Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim
Twitter: @PastorChinae
PIN:568E2E56