YOU WILL HAVE THE BEST THINGS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, July 7
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Luke 15:22 ERV “But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and good sandals on his feet."

YOU WILL HAVE THE BEST THINGS

The Prodigal Son had asked for his own share of his father's wealth, squandered it all, and after coming back to his senses decided to go back home. His father saw him from afar, had compassion on him, ran to him, and asked that the rags he was wearing be replaced with the best!

Note that the boy did not deserve the best, humanly speaking, because of what he had done; in his own words, he was not worthy to be called a son. Yet, his father gave him the best. Jesus was revealing the nature of God to us. God's desire is to always give us the best! James 1:17 says "Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky." Hallelujah!

I prophesy to you today that you will have the very best things! You will have the best ministry, the best husband, the best wife, the best children, the best jobs, the best contracts, the best ideas, the best opportunities, the best inlaws, the best friends, the best results, in the name of Jesus! Let things in your life begin to go from good, to better and to the very best, in the name of Jesus!

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OFFERINGS ARE SPECIAL

Spirit & Life Devotional
Sunday, July 6
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Numbers 15:2-3 ERV “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: I am giving you a land to be your home. When you enter that land, you must give special gifts to the Lord. Their smell will please the Lord."

OFFERINGS ARE SPECIAL

I have heard a lot of Christians complain about the amount of money they are made to give in church, and the purposes for which the funds are used. While I agree that some churches and pastors seem to care only about money, I must say that it is wrong, for any reason, to decide to stop giving. The Bible has warned that there will be those whose stomachs are their gods; so it's left for you to discern who is who!

Giving is an integral part of our faith. A Christianity that doesn't give to God cannot be a genuine one, because giving is an act of worship and gratitude. Most importantly, giving is an expression of our love for the Lord. Proverbs 3:3, 9-10 says "Don’t ever let love and loyalty leave you. Tie them around your neck, and write them on your heart. Honor the Lord with your wealth and the first part of your harvest. Then your barns will be full of grain, and your barrels will be overflowing with wine." Hallelujah!

God loves to receive from His children. He loves a cheerful giver! He told Moses that the smell of their sacrifices will please Him! But a lot of us give to God carelessly; no wonder we are not being blessed. We are giving like Cain! We don't consider our offerings as special; in fact what we give is the change we got from the Taxi driver. It's so wrong! Read Malachi 1 and hear God talk passionately about offerings. Offerings are special to God!

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CELEBRATE YOUR UNIQUENESS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, July 5
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Matthew 3:3-4 ERV "John is the one Isaiah the prophet was talking about when he said, “There is someone shouting in the desert: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord. Make the road straight for him.’” John’s clothes were made from camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey."

CELEBRATE YOUR UNIQUENESS

John the Baptist was one of a kind. His dad, Zechariah, was a priest and did ministry a certain way, however John understood that he didn't have to be like his dad and that he didn't have to do things the way his dad did them; instead of ministering in the Temple, John ministered in the wilderness, and instead of dressing like priests, he chose to wear clothes made from camel’s hair and even ate locusts and wild honey! And he was very comfortable being himself even though no one else had ever been like him!

The problem with some people is that they don't celebrate uniqueness. Not only do they want to be exactly like others, they also want to force others to be like some other people that they look up to. I'm okay being me! I love being me! I love the way I talk! I like where I am and even though I learn from others, I don't want to be them! I am me! And I thank God for making me the way I am! And I won't stop being me in order to make anyone like me!

Variety is the spice of life. Be grateful for who you are and for where you are at anytime. Don't be upset that you were born in the village by unknown people; or that you started school late; so what? It's what makes you unique! If we all had to tell the same stories, and if we all had the same experiences, life would be boring! That John was in the wilderness did not stop people from coming to him! I'm glad that I am a Nigerian! I'm celebrating my uniqueness! As long as God is pleased with me and I'm in obedience to His word, walking in love towards others, I'm okay!

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OBEDIENCE: UNLOCKING THE DOORS OF GOD'S BLESSINGS

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, July 4
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Isaiah 20:2 ERV "At that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said, “Go, take the sackcloth off your waist and the sandals off your feet.” So Isaiah obeyed the Lord and went without clothes or sandals."

OBEDIENCE: UNLOCKING THE DOORS OF GOD'S BLESSINGS

Imagine a full grown man living without clothes and shoes for three whole years! Not for three days, three years! Well, Isaiah did it in obedience to God! And we do not read that Isaiah argued with God about it; he simply obeyed.

Obedience is hearing the word of God and acting accordingly. Obedience is submission to God’s authority. One of the Greek words for obedience actually conveys the idea of positioning yourself under someone by submitting to their authority and command. And interestingly, obedience in the Bible is also defined as "to trust". You've got to trust God and say, "Lord, Your word may seem difficult and ridiculous, I may not always understand why you want me to do a thing, and it may not always be convenient, but I choose to do all Your word."

Obedience is the key to unlocking the doors of God's blessings. In fact, it is what pleases God. In the Old Testament the Israelites were told, "You will get the blessing if you listen and obey the commands of the Lord your God that I have told you today. But you will get the curse if you refuse to listen and obey the commands of the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 11:27-28), and they were also told, "If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies.” (Isaiah 1:19-20). Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law, but if you will enjoy the blessings of God, you must obey Him joyfully, completely and wholeheartedly.

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WORSHIPPING GOD WITH FASTING AND PRAYER

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, July 3
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Luke 2:36-37 NLT "Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer."

WORSHIPPING GOD WITH FASTING AND PRAYER

Some of us find it difficult to fast. That's a serious problem, even though we haven't realized it. No wonder we are weak spiritually. One thing that is common to men and women who did exploits for God in the Bible is their habit of fasting and praying. Their willingness to deny themselves of certain earthly pleasures to concentrate on God. Paul said he fasted often (2 Corinthians 11:27).

Fasting is a service or an act of worship to God. "In both Hebrew and Greek, there are two categories of words for worship. The first is about body language that demonstrates respect and submission; to bow down, to kneel, to prostrate oneself. The second is about doing something for God that demonstrates sacrifice and obedience; to offer, to serve." Fasting, whether it's abstinence from food, drink, sex (for the married) or sleep, demonstrates sacrifice and reverence for God.

For Anna, fasting and prayer wasn't something she did occasionally, it was a lifestyle. She even dwelt in the Temple, fasting and praying day and night! No wonder she recognised Jesus when He was being dedicated to God as a baby; she had become so intimate with God, and she could see things others couldn't see or perceive.

Today is the last day of our three days fasting and prayer. You are encouraged to participate. Pray concerning your calling, your dreams and visions, for your family, your business or job, etc. Pray for your leaders and for country. And intercede for the sick and the needy. Pray for me too!

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RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, July 2
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Acts 13:1-3 ERV "In the church at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers. They were Barnabas, Simeon (also called Niger), Lucius (from the city of Cyrene), Manaen (who had grown up with King Herod ), and Saul. These men were all serving the Lord and fasting when the Holy Spirit said to them, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul to do a special work for me. They are the ones I have chosen to do it.” So the church fasted and prayed. They laid their hands on Barnabas and Saul and sent them out."

RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT

A Christian that has no fellowship with the Holy Spirit is dead; lifeless, and he will always struggle. The Holy Spirit was given to us to be with us. In other words, without Him we can do nothing; without Him we would find it difficult to achieve our goals. As a matter of fact, our goals should be those inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

When Jesus was leaving, He said He would send the Holy Spirit to replace Him. The Holy Spirit is exactly like Jesus, they are One, therefore, the Holy Spirit is the Head of the Church and we must be fully yielded to Him. Our primary objective daily should be to do His will; to do only what pleases Him. Meaning that we must be led by Him constantly.

But what we have noticed is that a lot of us hardly hear Him and are able to recognise His voice. But it won't be difficult if we fast and pray as often as we should. Praying with fasting makes our spirits attentive to the Holy Spirit and then we can easily receive divine instructions from Him that gives us an advantage over others and causes us to succeed in whatever we do.

Fasting continues until tomorrow.

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THREE DAYS FASTING AND PRAYING (JULY 1-3, 2014)

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, July 1
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Ezra 8:23 ERV "So we fasted and prayed to our God about our trip. He answered our prayers."

THREE DAYS FASTING AND PRAYING (JULY 1-3, 2014)

Fasting and praying produces results. Yonggi Cho said that 90% of the prayers that have resulted in definite answers in his church were prayers that were combined with fasting. When we fast and pray, God answers. Hallelujah! As a new month, a new quarter and a new half begins, it is a good time for us to pray with fasting unto the Lord concerning our needs as individuals, and collectively as a church, as colleagues and as a country.

When you fast and pray, don't do it aimlessly, have goals; specific requests that you want God to answer: focus on them these three days. When Esther fasted she had a goal. Esther 4:15-16 ERV says, "Then Esther sent this answer to Mordecai: “Mordecai, go and get all the Jews in Susa together, and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days and nights. I and my women servants will fast too. After we fast, I will go to the king. I know it is against the law to go to the king if he didn’t call me, but I will do it anyway. If I die, I die.”

There's nothing that God cannot do. If you are sick, you can be healed. You know what you want, you can have it! Don’t miss this divine opportunity to receive answers to your prayers. You may have been praying about them before now, I encourage you to pray again. After this three days of prayer and fasting, you will testify in the name of Jesus; the mountains before you will become level ground, and the valleys shall be exalted; the crooked paths shall be made straight, and rough places shall be made plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed (Zechariah 4:7; Isaiah 40:4). Hallelujah! So shall it be.

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