Only One Way To God

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, 30 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Only One Way To God

"There is only one God, and there is only one way that people can reach God. That way is through Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 2:5 ERV

We can't save the lost by being politically correct; as it is, a lot of us have become too friendly with the world that it has become difficult for us to rescue them from the kingdom of darkness by telling them the truth. And it's a shame.

The sad truth is that a number of us are now confused; we aren't even sure of what we believe; we aren't sure if Jesus is the only way anymore, we even argue and reason with other Christians that millions and billions of people of other religious beliefs cannot all perish, and that God will not be so mean to condemn them all.

Brothers and sisters, there is only one way to God, and His name is Jesus. Acts 4:12 says that "There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Jesus Himself minced no words when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me." This truth we must uphold, affirm, preach and teach. God is not willing that any should perish and He has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

Win at least one soul this weekend!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Miracles, Signs And Wonders

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, 29 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Miracles, Signs And Wonders

"He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number." Job 9:10 NKJV

The ERV says that He does things too marvelous for people to understand. He does too many miracles to count! Listen guys, doing miracles is nothing to God! It costs Him nothing, and it's something He loves to do! It's His nature to do miracles.

In just about three years Jesus did so many miracles that it was impossible to record them all! John 20:30 says that Jesus did many signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written; John 21:25 says, "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written." Awesome!

There is no shortage of power in our day! God is still doing great and wonderful things, and He wants to do much more in the world through everyone of us. He wants to heal the sick; He wants to raise the dead; He desires to open blind eyes; to cure insane people, to provide supernaturally, and He wants to deliver the oppressed and everyone in bondage.

God is looking for vessels through whom He can do His wonders in the world! All creation waits eagerly for our manifestation! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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We Are Seeds!

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, 28 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

We Are Seeds!

"Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word." Acts 8:4 NKJV

"They tried to bury us, but they didn't know that we were seeds!" Hahaha.

What the devil meant for evil God turned it around for good! Hallelujah!

Refuse to be moved by what men do to you! See the bigger picture! See beyond the pain! See the opportunities! Choose to be unstoppable! Choose to keep moving forward! Have the mind of an overcomer!

"We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don’t know what to do, but we don’t give up. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed. So we constantly experience the death of Jesus in our own bodies, but this is so that the life of Jesus can also be seen in our bodies."

Oh, glory to God!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Anger Management

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, 27 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Anger Management

"The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression." Proverbs 19:11 NKJV

Have you come across Ecclesiastes 7:9? It says, "Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools." Hmm. Now, I don't want to be quick to call all angry people fools, but if you have a problem with controlling your temper it's time to do something about it.

Someone says, "But anger is justified in some cases." True, but is anger a solution? Okay, you might get angry but for how long are you going to stay angry? Why stay angry at a person or thing for too long? I know that you were very upset, but is the offence really an unpardonable one? Are you really sacrificing a once beautiful relationship just to remain angry? What's the cost of forgiveness anyway? If God forgave us for all we did, and if He forgives us when we ask, why is it difficult to do same for others?

People will certainly upset you; they'll step on your toes; they'll do very annoying and silly things; you might even be insulted: you really can't control the actions of others against you, but how you choose to respond is up to you. You can always control your reactions. Yes, you can control how you react 100% of the time, especially if you have yielded yourself to the Holy Spirit. James 1:19‭-‬20 says, "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Committed To The Ministry

Spirit & Life Devotional
Sunday, 26 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Committed To The Ministry

"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Acts 20:24 NKJV

The man said that he did not count his life dear to himself; in other words, he was not bothered about mundane things of this world, he wasn't bothered about wearing the best clothes, he wasn't bothered about the latest fashion trends, he wasn't even bothered about his health! What mattered to him was fulfilling his ministry! Wow!

Paul and Barnabas were called "men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Acts 15:26. That's the highest level of commitment to a cause!

How committed are you to the ministry that God has given unto you? How focused are you on it? How passionate are you about it? What sacrifices are you making towards fulfilling your ministry?

Have a blessed time in His presence. Happy Sunday.

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Blessed Forever

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, 25 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Blessed Forever

"Therefore may it please You to bless the house (posterity) of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for what You bless, O Lord, is blessed forever." 1 Chronicles 17:27 AMP

Remember when Balak the king of Moab hired Balaam to curse the Israelites, Balaam said, “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?" And instead of cursing the Israelites, he began to bless them. Balak said to him, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!” Hahaha

Listen to me, when God blesses a man that man cannot be cursed; he is blessed forever! Here's what happens when you are blessed: if anyone tries to curse you the curse falls upon the person's head! And if anyone blesses you the person is blessed!

The Bible says that we are blessed! Jesus redeemed us from the curse that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us. God has blessed us with all blessings! So we are blessed! Blessed forever! And everyday the effects of the blessing upon us is manifesting! We are prospering, we are strong, we are healthy and we are successful and fruitful! Hallelujah!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Receiving Your Desires

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, 24 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Receiving Your Desires

"Then Jesus answered and said to her, 'O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.' And her daughter was healed from that very hour." Matthew 15:28 NKJV

A desire is a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen. We all have desires: to start a business, to pursue a passion, to travel abroad, to have a lot of money, to be a great sponsor of the gospel, etc. There's something they say, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride". But what if wishes were actually horses and beggars could ride?

You see, God is not against us having the desires of our hearts! I need to emphasize this: listen, it costs God absolutely nothing to give you the desires of your heart, and it doesn't matter how expensive it is! Solomon didn't ask God for wealth, but God gave Him too much wealth that he is still regarded as one of the wealthiest men in the history of the world! Do you understand what I am saying? We serve a God Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ever ask or think!

Jesus said in 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." It can't be easier than that! If you desire a property, for instance, ask God for a property; after asking Him, believe that He heard you, don't keep asking and acting as if He is deaf or difficult; believe that He heard you and that He has actually given you the property of your choice! Then keep thanking Him while you await the physical manifestation of His divine response. That's how it works. Hallelujah!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Commanded To Love

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, 23 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Commanded To Love

"And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also." I John 4:21 NKJV

You know, God created everyone of us, because of which He loves us all, the good, the bad and the ugliest of us, He loves us despite our flaws and stubbornness; nothing will ever make Him to stop loving us. God doesn't love us because we do good, not even because we serve and obey Him, no, He loved us while we were still sinners!

Two cannot walk together except they are in agreement. In other words, you can't love God and not have some affection for the things that He loves; and of course, it includes men He sent His only begotten Son to die for.

The challenge is to see God in every human being, especially in those who have been saved. There's nothing that will ever justify hatred for anyone in the sight of God, so the earlier you get it out of your system the better for you. We were commanded by God to love. If God is love, then we should also see ourselves as love! And if God never stops loving us, we too must never stop loving one another. His love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Faithful God

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Faithful God

"He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." I Thessalonians 5:24 NKJV

A person is either faithful or not; it's a character trait, the quality of a person's nature; you can't be faithful today and unfaithful tomorrow; nothing like "partly faithful", no; faithfulness is about being consistent, loyal, trustworthy, reliable, stable and dependable. In any situation, a faithful person remains faithful.

God is faithful! According to Merriam Webster's dictionary, someone who is faithful deserves trust: God deserves trust! Hallelujah! He keeps all His promises and He does whatever He is supposed to do. The Psalmist said, "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread." Why? Because God is faithful! God is so faithful, He never slumbers or sleeps!

Lamentations 3:22 says, "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning." God is faithful every day! I can't even imagine what would happen any day God is unfaithful, assuming it's even possible: the sun would not shine; there would be no air to breathe; and the devil would just destroy everything in a matter of seconds! But God is faithful!!! And He will always be! Hallelujah!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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The Power Of A Gift

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, 21 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

The Power Of A Gift

"A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men." Proverbs 18:16 AMP

People have used this verse of the Bible to teach about skills and talents, but it's not about using your skills and talents, it's about the importance and power of giving gifts, something a lot of us tend to overlook.

Are you aware that big and successful corporations make budgets for gifts? And that's one of the reasons why they continue to succeed. People respond to gifts! I have visited men who attended to me quickly while others were waiting; it's not because I had more important reasons for seeing them at that moment, it's just that my gifts were speaking for me. You won't get everything from books, sometimes you need to spend time with the authors.

I Kings 10:24‭-‬25 says that "all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. And each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year." That's wisdom! Open doors with your gifts; gain access to the presence of greatness with your gifts. If you keep giving great gifts you would soon become great as you continue to associate with the great. You will be great in Jesus name. Amen.

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Carry Your Cross

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, 20 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Carry Your Cross

"And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha." John 19:17 NKJV

You know, some people's idea of Christianity is so twisted; they think it's all about fun, and money, living a better life, having the good things of life, living in health, and claiming all the good things of life. If that's what you think Christianity is all about then you don't know anything! You've been wrongly taught! Let me tell you, because I vowed to always teach the truth; there are crosses to carry, there are painful decisions to make, there will be persecutions and tough times, you will sometimes be required to forfeit a good life and comfort, and sometimes it could even cost you your life! That's what Paul called "the fellowship of His suffering"!

Jesus was telling His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things, and be killed; Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But Jesus turned to him and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” And He said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"

Jesus said in Luke 14:27‭‭, ‬33  "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple... So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple."

Luke 9:23 says, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross DAILY, and follow Me."

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Moved By The Spirit

Spirit & Life Devotional
Sunday, 19 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Moved By The Spirit

"For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they  were moved by the Holy Spirit." II Peter 1:21 NKJV

When there was an issue in the Early Church that had to do with the distribution of food, the apostles said to the people, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business."

It's interesting that being full of the Holy Spirit was a criterion for serving food! Merely serving food required that the deacons were filled with the Holy Spirit! That's note worthy. That just tells you and I that there's no room for flesh in the service of God. Your experience, talents, skills and intelligence are secondary; what matters most is that you can be led by the Spirit to accomplish His desires.

If you sing, please ensure that you are moved by the Spirit to sing the songs that you sing! If you teach, be moved by the Spirit to teach! Even the cleaners and instrumentalists should be moved by the Spirit; because it is only then that our service can really be a blessing to men and acceptable to God. It's not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit of God! Hallelujah!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Giving To The Lord

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, 18 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Giving To The Lord

"Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you." Deuteronomy 16:10 NKJV

Years ago, in the university, I went to fellowship with the sum of Five Thousand Naira which I withdrew from the bank; as I was about to enter the venue, a lady met me and asked me to lend her money so that she could give, and she promised to repay as quickly as possible. I obliged, but she didn't keep her word; she's yet to repay me over ten years later. I had to write it off.

Now, was she blessed for that seed she sowed? No! God is not unjust. She merely gave to the church, not to God. You see, I have given many times to God: I have sold my things to give; and when I had no money I have given my belt and shoes! But here's what I have never done: I have never given to God what He did not first give to me! Please take note of what I said.

Here's the truth: you may impress your pastors and leaders but you don't impress God by giving what you don't have. I've seen countless dishonoured cheques that were issued to churches. Does that speak well of us as Christians? It shows that a lot of us lack integrity. God expects us to give as He blesses us! It's that simple. If God wants me to give more He will first increase my capacity to give! Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, AS GOD HATH PROSPERED HIM, that there be no gatherings when I come." 1 Corinthians 16:2

David said that he wouldn't give to God something that cost him nothing. In other words, something he got free from someone else; if you really want to give a sacrificial offering, the honourable thing to do is to work very hard to earn that amount of money! People must begin to give with understanding!

May God prosper you in Jesus name.

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Presents And Gifts

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, 17 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Presents And Gifts

"As the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor." Esther 9:22 NKJV

Giving to one another is not so common these days, in my opinion; I may be wrong. But it's a custom that was prevalent in Bible days. Most of our giving these days are to churches and pastors, not to the poor, and not to other brethren. Now, I haven't asked you not to give to the church or to ministers of God; I'm a pastor and I don't mind receiving things, but it's more important to me that we give with the right intentions and do not neglect those who need our gifts the most.

A lot of us do not realize that Jesus gave to the poor. When Judas was going to betray Him, Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” The Bible says that the other disciples didn't know the reason for that statement; so some thought that because Judas had the money box, Jesus meant, “Buy those  things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.

When you are happy and celebrating is the best time to give. Every time is actually a good time to give! Nehemiah 8:10 says, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Surprise someone who you know wouldn't be expecting anything from you this weekend. God is challenging us to give!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Acceptable Meditations

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, 16 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Acceptable Meditations

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." Psalms 19:14 NKJV

Someone said that God will not judge us by our thoughts but by our words. Well, even though it sounds reasonable to an extent, I don't think that he considered the correlation between our thoughts and our words and actions. Words and actions are products of our thoughts; while we may not say and do every thing we think, the truth is that we are bound to go in the direction of our predominant thoughts.

God cares about what we think about. There were times that Jesus reacted based on His perception of the thoughts of people. He did not wait for them to speak; He spoke about whatever they were thinking while it was still a thought in their hearts.

We can't just think whatever we desire and expect to produce great fruit. We can't occupy our hearts with unholy and unwholesome thoughts and not expect it to manifest in our words and actions in the long run. No wonder we are told what to think about: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are  just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Let God Use You

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Let God Use You

"Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles." Acts 14:27 NKJV

They reported all that God had done with them. They were men used by God; they were men who yielded themselves to God to be used by Him.

I'm actually looking forward to when I'll get to heaven, and I'll sit with Paul, Peter, David, Daniel, Joseph, Philip, Stephen and other mighty men of God in Bible days, and I'll share with them stories of what I did for God and what He did through me! I don't know about you, but that's what excites me the most; the opportunity to be used by God!

God wants to use you: there's no doubt about that. And you mustn't be a preacher like me! There's so much that God needs to do in the world; there are so many lives that need to be transformed, so many hungry people who need to be fed, so many homeless people, so many abandoned people, sick people who need to be cared for, people who need to be clothed! Oh, please let God use you!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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The Blessing: Fruitfulness, Multiplication And Dominion

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

The Blessing: Fruitfulness, Multiplication And Dominion

"For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you." Deuteronomy 15:6 NKJV

"Bless", "blessed", "blessing" are some of the most used words in the Christian community but a lot of us don't seem to have a revelation of what it really is.

When God blessed Adam, He said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” To be blessed is not just to have some money for feeding, rent and gasoline in your bank accounts; no, to be blessed is to increase in such a way that you begin to dominate your environment. With the blessing comes dominion!

God said to Abraham, "I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies." Genesis 22:17. The blessing causes multiplication, it results in expansion, and you really can't expand if you are not taking over what previously belonged to someone else! The more blessed you are, the more places you occupy!

When you are blessed you have no need to borrow because you have everything in abundance. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says that "God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." That's the blessing! It makes rich! Be blessed in the name of Jesus!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Anointing For Global Impact

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, 13 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Anointing For Global Impact

"And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region." Luke 4:37 NKJV

Jesus was teaching in Galilee when a demon possessed man began to cry out with a loud voice, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are— the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked the devil in him and set him free, as a result, all the people were amazed and said among themselves, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And then the Bible says that the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

The report about Jesus spread as a result of one miracle! Here's what God is about to do: He's about to do something through you that will cause men and nations to marvel! Get ready, you are about to be celebrated and sought after by people who will here about your exploits!

When Solomon gave judgement in the case of two harlots, the Bible says that all Israel heard of the judgment which he rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. Afterwards, the Bible says that men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon!

There's an anointing coming on you today for global impact. Receive it in Jesus name!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Prayer: Achieving Success

Spirit & Life Devotional
Sunday, 12 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Prayer: Achieving Success

"Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established." Proverbs 16:3 NKJV

"Turn to the Lord for help in everything you do, and you will be successful." That's the Easy to Read Version.

A paramount ruler (a community leader) in Akwa Ibom said to me years ago, "Live a clean life and have something to lean on." I don't know what he leaned on, but that was a great advice and I'll never forget his words. If there's something achievers know, it's that they need some form of supernatural support in order to achieve their goals. That's why some of them are into occultic activities. But we are children of the Most High; the Most Powerful One; what a great privilege we have!

The reason that a lot of us don't succeed is because we don't pray well enough. We trust in our experience, in our contacts, in our skills and in our own knowledge to achieve success; no wonder we either do not succeed or we underperform. Proverbs 3:5 says to "Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge." We express our trust in Him through prayer. Daniel was a man of prayer; he prayed thrice daily, and he kept on rising until he became the second in command. Be like Daniel: Pray!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Satan Is Very Wicked

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, 11 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Satan Is Very Wicked

"Then one of the crowd answered and said, 'Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” Mark 9:17‭-‬18 NKJV

A lot of people, including Christians, do not realize how terrible and wicked the devil really is, and that's why we do not take our faith and believing seriously, that's why we do not pray as we should, and that's why some of us live carelessly and are comfortable dining with him!

Listen and listen good; Satan hates you so much! But for God, you would have either been miserable, wretched or probably dead by now; Jesus told Peter that Satan desired to sift him like wheat! Satan's goal is to kill, steal and destroy; he goes about with one sole aim, to devour! The Bible says that we wrestle against spiritual host of wickedness!

Just look at what he did to a little child! Look at what he did to Job too, in just a day! No, I'm not saying all these to make you afraid of the devil, but to let you know that you must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, and learn to exercise your authority in Christ. Take your faith seriously; give no room to the devil to operate in your life! Live a holy life! Pray always!

Jesus came to destroy and undo all the works of Satan. Right now, I declare you free from every work of the devil in Jesus name! Amen!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Consider Your Ways

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, 10 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Consider Your Ways

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Consider your ways!'" Haggai 1:7 NKJV

Haggai said to the people, “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people say, the time has not come that the Lord’s house should be built.” “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!"

And for neglecting the temple God said to them, “You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to  put into a bag with holes. Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified. You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?, says the Lord, because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

Your response to the things of the kingdom determines God's response to you. Period. Make the things of the kingdom topmost priority and God will make things about you His topmost priority. Give, and keep giving for the work of God. If you've been doing otherwise it's time to consider your ways.

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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God Forgives And Forgets

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, 9 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

God Forgives And Forgets

"Then He adds, 'Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.'” Hebrews 10:17 NKJV

Only God knows the number of times people have argued about the possibility of forgetting something wrong that's done; well, when you truly forgive you will never use whatever that person did against him or her in anyway ever again.

You'll agree with me that if God were to judge us everyday, or let whatever we've done in the past determine the level of relationship He will have with us, not many of us will be Christians today. Let's not even begin to talk about the kinds of sins we've committed in the past (and still commit!); but we are still here today, able to lift up holy hands to God and stand in His presence, because He is a merciful God. Hallelujah!

When we confess and repent of our sins, in the mind of God it's as if we never even sinned! Isn't that awesome? Yes, it is! Psalms 103:12 says that "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." Wow! Be free from guilty consciousness in the name of Jesus! I don't need to know what you have done, if God doesn't remember it then I don't care to know either! Begin to walk in freedom and refuse to let Satan intimidate you! If God has justified us, there's absolutely nothing that anyone can do about it! We are free indeed!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Divine Provisions

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, 8 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Divine Provisions

"And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan." Exodus 16:35 NKJV

The children of Israel ate manna for forty years; that's a very long time; a lot of us reading this are not up to forty, so you'll agree with me that forty years is a really long time. God fed the Israelites with bread, directly from the heavens, for forty long years!

What that means is that the Israelites did not work for food for forty years! Think about that; all they had to do was to wake up in the morning, and go out in the evening to gather some manna to eat: that was all they had to do! The same thing happened to Elijah, ravens brought him ready made food. It's obvious that birds don't cook; it was a divine provision!

I'm trying to show you how powerful God is to meet your needs. Listen to me dearly beloved, your needs are nothing compared to His ability! We are talking about a God Who created everything you see by His words; all He had to do was say, "Let there be", and there was! How much did you even say you needed? All the monies in the world belong to God and He can distribute, and redistribute it however He wills! Oh, I wish I could share some testimonies with you! If you believe, you too will see the glory of God! You will surely testify in Jesus name! Amen!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Friends Of God

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, 7 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Friends Of God

"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." John 15:15 NKJV

You must go from being just a mere creation of God, from being a servant, from being just a child of God, to being a friend of God; friendship with the Lord is the highest form of relationship a man can have with God. You've got to desire friendship with Him.

When you are His friend, He grants you access into His heart; He tells you things, and He shows you all that He is doing. Abraham was a friend of God. God said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?" Genesis 18:17

So how can we become friends of God? First, know that God is not sentimental, neither is He partial; anyone at all can become His friend by simply doing what He says. Here's what Jesus said, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." God said concerning Abraham, "For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice.” Walking in complete and total obedience, brothers and sisters, is the only way to being friends with God. And we can, because His grace is sufficient for us!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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The Fruit Of The Spirit

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, 6 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

The Fruit Of The Spirit

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22‭-‬23 NKJV

The fruit of the Spirit refers to the attitudes, habits and actions of a man who has yielded himself to the control of the Holy Spirit. Paul said, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." The fruit of the Spirit manifests in a man's life as he walks in the Spirit. You cannot produce this fruit on your own, you must be walking in the Spirit.

The Bible also talks about the works of the flesh: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; and clearly says that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

We've got to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us so that His nature can be manifested through us. Really, the fruit of the Spirit is the manifestation of the nature of God in us. If all husbands and wives had the fruit of the Spirit there probably wouldn't be any unresolvable issues that will cause them to separate; if everyone of us Christians produce the fruit of the Spirit, the atmosphere at work, in school and in everywhere else would certainly be different. It's my prayer that we yield ourselves to the Spirit so that His life and nature may be manifested in us. Amen.

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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From Dust To Glory

Spirit & Life Devotional
Sunday, 5 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

From Dust To Glory

"In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19 NKJV

The very first time God talked to Adam about death was after he disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. That was the first time that God called Adam dust and announced to him that he would return to dust. Man was not meant to die physically when God created Adam, that's why the first men on earth lived for nearly a thousand years. They would have lived longer, but the effects of sin began to manifest in their physical bodies.

Should being born again make us live physically forever? No. 1 Corinthians 15 enlightens us on this: "For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death." Man continues to die physically because death has not been destroyed. What happens to the redeemed man is a resurrection. We die physically but God resurrects us; we die with mortal bodies, but we are raised with spiritual bodies. Even when the rapture happens, our bodies shall be changed! Hallelujah!

So, yes, we will die and our bodies will return to dust, but that's certainly not how the story ends! The Bible says that as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. And 1 John 3:2 says, "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." While our bodies may return to dust, our inner man will be glorified! We will be like Him! This is our hope. Glory to God!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Break Forth In Song

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, 4 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Break Forth In Song

"Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts." Ephesians 5:19 NLT

A lot of us don't realize how powerful and important singing is, so we sing only when we are made to sing in church. But singing should be a part of our lives, it's something we should do all the time.

Singing is as important as praying! At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God, the prisoners listened to them, and then suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed! Hallelujah! Prayer combined with singing shakes every wrong foundation in your life and does wonders!

Psalms 98:4‭-‬6 says, "Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn; shout joyfully before the Lord, the King."

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Stop Crying

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, 3 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Stop Crying

'Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, 'Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.'" John 20:13 NKJV

After the crucifixion of Jesus, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb at dawn to anoint His body, but when she got to the tomb she saw that the stone that covered the entrance to the tomb had been taken away. She ran to Peter, and John, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

Peter and John got to the tomb, saw the linen clothes and left confused and speechless, but Mary stayed back crying. The question is, "Why did she cry?" "Why was Peter and John confused?" The Bible says that it is because they did not know the Scripture! In other words, if they knew the Scripture they wouldn't have felt the way they did.

That tells me that some tears and pains are unnecessary! That tells me that some complaints are unnecessary! If we will spend time knowing and understanding the Scriptures our reactions to certain things that happen in our lives, good or bad, would be different! For instance, the Bible says that all things work together for the good of them that love God! And it says again, "Say to the righteous that it shall be well with him!"

Abraham knew the Scriptures, so even when himself and Sarah seemed barren, he staggered not at the promise of God in unbelief: instead of being sad and worried he gave glory to God! So stop crying; know the Scripture, maintain a proper attitude and give glory to God!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Healing The Sick

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, 2 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Healing The Sick

"And Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.' Then he arose immediately." Acts 9:34 NKJV

Apostle Peter was visiting believers in different cities when he visited the saints in Lydda. There he saw a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” The Bible says that Aeneas rose up immediately! And because of that one miracle all the people who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord. Hallelujah!

Imagine the impact we will have in the world if Christians are healing the sick everywhere - if we visit the hospitals, minister healing to them and they all recover immediately; or if we minister to the sick in our neighbourhoods and on the streets; so many people will be saved!

Jesus Christ is still the same as He was in Bible days, and He is still in the business of healing the sick. God is looking for believers through whom He can restore health to the sick, raise the dead, open blind eyes, cast out devils and perform divers miracles in the world. Ideally, every believer should be involved in taking the healing power of God to the nations, but not everyone seems interested; not everyone is available; not everyone believes. God is looking for courageous men and women who will dare to believe and act on what they believe. Jesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him! Hallelujah!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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The Fate Of Your Foes

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, 1 June 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

The Fate Of Your Foes

"But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten." Jeremiah 20:11 NKJV

The Bible says that when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up and saw a Man standing opposite him with a sword drawn in His hand. Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” The Man replied, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Hallelujah!

Our God is our Father, Saviour, Friend and Lover, and He is also a Warrior! The current situation determines His manifestation: God manifests Himself in different ways depending on what's going on at the moment. What matters most is that He is always with you! When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God will raise a standard against him!

I'm not afraid of the devil, so how can I be afraid of smaller demons and men who have allowed themselves to be used by him? Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world! I don't go about making enemies, but I feel so sorry for people who decide to make themselves my foes! Jesus said it is better for men to wear millstone necklaces and take a swim in the deep blue sea than give any of us a hard time! (Luke 17:1‭-‬2 MSG) Please beg people to like you! Here's what will happen to those who try to fight you: "They will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten." Amen!

Happy New Month!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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