Making Eternal Investments

Spirit & Life Devotional
Thursday, 7 July 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Making Eternal Investments

"For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him." Psalms 49:17 NKJV

I heard the story of a man who willed that he be buried with all his money. Well, his wife wrote him a cheque for him to cash all his money! What a smart woman.

My pastor in Assemblies of God Church, Ijede, years ago, used to say that he wore his new clothes as soon as he got them so that he would be the first to wear them, instead of unbelievers, should rapture happen suddenly. Funny, right?

Here's the point: whether we leave the world by death or through the rapture, we will leave without all these things we are struggling so hard to accumulate. Then, even gold would be worthless; in heaven the streets are paved with gold! Live therefore with understanding. Pursue what matters most. Set your affections on things above. Store your treasures in heaven. Make eternal investments.

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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A Thousand And One Ways

Spirit & Life Devotional
Wednesday, 6 July 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

A Thousand And One Ways

For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14 NKJV

God has a thousand and one ways, a million and one ways actually, to bless you, to provide for you, to deliver you and to get any other thing done for you. And it doesn't matter if it has never happened before; God will do a new thing if needs be! Hallelujah!

At one time Moses parted the sea by stretching his rod over it; at another time Joshua parted the sea by getting the priests with the ark in the sea first; and then we see Elijah and Elisha parting the sea with a mantle! Never limit God! He fed Elijah through an angel, at another time using ravens, and then by a widow. God is too much!

That's why we don't put our trust in man, but in the living God! Man fails, man disappoints, man gives excuses, man tells stories; but God is capable, dependable and creative. There are some of you who have been disappointed recently, certain persons who promised to help you did not; cheer up, God will do it for you. Glory to God!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Let No One Despise You

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, 5 July 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Let No One Despise You

"Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you." Titus 2:15 NKJV

Twice, the Bible says that we should let no one despise us; the first in Titus 2:15 and in 1 Timothy 4:12: "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

1 Timothy 4:12 has inspired me so much since I was a child. You see, I didn't let anyone make me feel inferior or incapable or unqualified for whatever reason, and I didn't despise myself either! I determined long ago to be an example, not only in the things of God; even in school, and at work, I worked with the same mindset. I live and strive to be the one who inspires others to be the best.

There are people who will attempt to despised you: even Jesus, with all He did some still referred to Him as a carpenter and they couldn't just accept Him as the Son of God! Let no one despise you wherever you find yourself; they may look down on you, but it's your response and your own perception of yourself that really matters! Never despise yourself; there's nothing wrong with you; nothing at all! Lean on the Holy Spirit and let Him take you farther than you ever imagined. Amen.

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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You Are About To Be Discovered

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, 4 July 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

You Are About To Be Discovered

"There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers." Daniel 5:11 NKJV

When a distressing spirit troubled Saul, his servants said to him, “Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.” So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.” Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.”

Daniel was discovered in a time of distress; David too, and Joseph! Troubled times and distressing moments are divine opportunities for your discovery!

I have a witness in my spirit that some of you reading this are about to be discovered; men will hear about you and come from far and near to look for you! Listen, what separates you from others is not just your skills; but the Spirit of God in you! It's your time to shine! Hallelujah!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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The Need For Unity

Spirit & Life Devotional
Sunday, 3 July 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

The Need For Unity

"Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." I Corinthians 1:10 NKJV

The reason that the church is not making as much impact in the world as we ought to is no other reason than disunity. The Early Church was one and you can read for yourself all the exploits they did because they were united. When they gathered together, the Bible said severally that they were together in one accord: can we say same about our local churches today? Not to even talk about the universal Church.

There were contentions in the church in Corinth which had to do with personalities; some said, “I am of Paul,” others said, “I am of Apollos,” and the rest, “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ." It seems like what we do today, right? And Paul asked them, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" He also said to them, "you are still carnal. For where there  are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?"

Brothers and sisters, it's time for us to grow up! If having more churches will further divide us then I dare say that there's really no need for more churches! But having more churches shouldn't be a problem if we stop glorifying ourselves and exalting mere men instead of Christ, the One Who died for us. Jesus prayed that we may be one, and it's my prayer today that God will unite us. Amen.

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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God Knows Your Address

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, 2 July 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

God Knows Your Address

"When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was." Matthew 2:9 NKJV

Never say that you have no one because you have God! Listen, God knows where you are at every point in time and He can get anything across to you anywhere, anyhow and anytime. It doesn't matter if men cannot reach you; even in the deepest depths, God can get anything to you from another end of the world!

God knows your address! The angel who spoke to Cornelius gave him a perfect description of Peter's address; he said, "Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do." And when the Lord spoke to Ananias about Saul, He said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying."

I prophesy to you today in the name of Jesus, that God will locate you in the next seven days! I don't care where you are, favour will locate you there, help will locate you, money will find you, strangers with good news will pay you a visit in the name of Jesus! Amen!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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Holy Is The Lord

Spirit & Life Devotional
Friday, 1 July 2016
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

Holy Is The Lord

And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” Isaiah 6:3 NKJV

One very important revelation of God that everyone of us must have is the revelation of His holiness. We know that God is love, but a lot of us are yet to understand that He is holy, because if we did we would walk in the light of it.

Listen people, if we must walk with God as closely as we ought to; if we sincerely desire to see His power and His wonders, then we must walk in the light of His holiness. He said to Abram when He appeared to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Holiness activates the covenant and the blessing! God will not withhold His blessing and His power from the man who is upright before Him.

Titus 2:14 says, "He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds." And 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Amen.

Happy New Month!

Twitter: @PastorChinae
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