Day 44 Acts 8:14-17

“Receive the Holy Spirit!”

“When the apostles back in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there.  As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new Christians to receive the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.”(Acts 8:14-17)

“When the apostles back in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there.  As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new Christians to receive the Holy Spirit.” I can never stress the importance of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If you are to understand the depth of an apostle, you would only have to look at their day to day activities. As new believer were receiving the water baptism of John, the apostles would sent out to baptize in the Holy Spirit. Why was this important you may ask? And the answer is easy. Jesus promised that he would leave us a counselor who would be with us always. Most importantly is that Jesus knew that it is not by our strength that we are over comers in this life. We need the Spirit of God to empower us to fully walk out our destinies and fight against the schemes of the devil.
“The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.” It was by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior were they received the Holy Spirit. Beloved, if you have not received this Promise and Blessing from the Lord, I would encourage that you seek out those that will pray and Lay hands so that you may receive. Being a believer in Christ, you face many challenges that lay ahead. Be Clothed in the power of the Lord today and seek eagerly for this baptism.

Day 43 Romans 4:18-21

“Against All Hope”

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4:18-21)
“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” When everything around him seemed hopeless, Abraham stood fast on God’s promise to him. I know there are many of us who are in this kind of situation. We have envisioned or received the word of the Lord that tells us we are destine to do something great, but or current circumstances dictate differently.  “Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.” Abraham was hundred years old and knew he wasn’t getting any younger and to add insult to injury, his wife Sarah was about the same age as well. Long pass child bearing years by all standards, Abraham believed in the Word of the Lord. In this life, we face many trails. I know for many of us, we are facing a situation where it seems impossible for God to work things out, but Glory be unto God who is worthy to be praised. God will make a way out of no way,  But it is by our Faith that we are judged.
“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” Abraham did not waver in his Faith in the Lord. I know it is hard to praise him through the storm, but for those who are faithful, the promises that the Lord put into your life is waiting. Against all hope, we are called to have faith.

Day 42 John 4:19-24

“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet.  So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” Jesus replied, “Believe me; the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father here or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know so little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
“Spirit and Truth!”
“So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship…” I remember having several people tell me that they were having issues with finding God in Church. That they had went to Church all their life and never able to have that relationship that he saw with most. All I could say that they were exactly right and I understood why they weren’t God in Church building, because that isn’t were dwells! I used to believe that it was enough to just go to church every Sunday and attend youth meetings, but I soon found that my life wasn’t changing. I would read the Bible and think how incredible how God would use these men and women of Faith, never understanding that the Lord wanted to use me in the same way. Jesus replied, “Believe me, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father here or in Jerusalem .” John 4:19-24
Now why would Jesus state that it wouldn’t matter where we worshiped the Father? To look at this closely, he said a time is coming. Do we as Christians believe that this time is here? For Salvation isn’t found in the Church, it is found within the Father. Jesus goes on to say, “For salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” True worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. We are called not to look at our worshiping in the natural, but how we are in the supernatural and not only that, we are called to worship in truth. Jesus is the way, the Light and the Truth who came to deliver the promise of the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Truth. Meditate and Pray for revelation on the Word of the Lord. God is seeking those who will pray unto in your heaven language in the Spirit. Jesus came to be the Living Truth and we should seek to live or Life after his example. Don’t let Sunday or being within the Church walls be the only time you worship in Spirit and in Truth. We are the People and now is the Time.
 “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” The Lord your God is a Spirit. And as we receive discernment on these things, we must understand that any other king of worship falls short of Gods Standard. He has created us to worship him. A mighty God and us as mortal humans; shall we seek to be consumed in the Spirit! If you want to receive supernatural blessing in your life, you have to be prepared to serve you God in a supernatural way. My Prayer today is that we not limit our worship of him in Jerusalem, but we come and worship him in Spirit and in Truth.

Day 41 Jeremiah 1:4-10

” The Womb of Destiny!”

“The Lord gave me a message. He said, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.” “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” “Don’t say that,” the Lord replied, “for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Then the Lord touched my mouth and said, “See, I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms.” (Jeremiah 1:4-10)

“The Lord gave me a message. He said, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.” Now, I want to read something again that you might have missed. “The Lord gave me a message…” Now who gave him a message? It was the Lord. Now if it was a message that was only for Jeremiah, there would be no use in sharing this Word from the Lord if it was truly for him, but this was not the case. This message that was sent to Jeremiah was intended for him to share to the people of the world. And God’s message is this. “Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.” And that is exactly it. God has spoken and we all should rejoice! But it is man who wants to always question Gods for our life. “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” Beloved, it is not by our strength that we do these things, even more, if we are commissioned by God himself, what do we lack to speak to the nation? Nothing! We lack nothing! If we have a mustard seed of Faith, we are guaranteed to do all things! “Don’t say that,” the Lord replied, “for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.” So let me reiterate, Stop telling the Lord what he can not do! Stop saying what you Lack and start claiming what he has for you! “And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” God has said it and you are commanded in Jesus Name to do it!

“Then the Lord touched my mouth and said, “See, I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms.” See, what we must understand that there is a time between Gods assigning of Jeremiah’s destiny before Birth until the time that he was appointed. Even though he was set apart, he did not know these things until God came to command him to go out into the nations. Even though Jeremiah felt that he was too young to do these things, The Lord reassured him by touching his Mouth and said that he would be with him where ever he went. God has given us the same power of the Mouth, for it is written that live and death is within the tongue. I tell you this today; God has never given up on us. Through it all, God commanded our destinies when we were in the womb. Have faith and believe these things; God has appointed you to be spokes men to the nations! God truly loves you and is calling for every man, woman and child to rise up and answer the calling of your destiny!

Day 40 Luke 17:19

” Not By Knowledge, But by Faith”

“As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, their leprosy disappeared. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God, I’m healed!” He fell face down on the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Does only this foreigner return to give glory to God?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:-19)
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“As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, their leprosy disappeared.” I thank God for listening to my cries. Through every situation, the Lord has delivered me. I know for many of us, the Lord has rescued us in our time of need. Promises and prayers go up and the blessings come down. “And as they went, their leprosy disappeared. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God, I’m healed!” He fell face down on the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done.” One of the ten came back, but what happened to the other nine? Understanding that Jesus did not heal just one of ten or five of ten, he healed all ten of them, but only came back to give him sincere praise. “This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Does only this foreigner return to give glory to God?” Now, when Jesus spoke that only a foreigner came back to praise him, this in our day would be someone who has not received him as Lord as Savior! That the other nine were Jewish and understood the laws and promises of Abraham, but even with all the Word that was inside them, they did not return to give thanks to the Lord.
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“And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has made you well.” You know why Jesus loved the lost some much? Because it was not by sight or by hearing that they understood who he was, it was by Faith. See, believer in his time were the Jewish people; the ones who know of the promise of Abraham, but still they reject God’s own word. Even today, you will find Christians who are stiffed necked and believing that they are worthy of the blessing of the Lord because of works. There can never be a point where we feel we deserve the blessings that we received. Through it all we shall gave praise. We are all unworthy to receive any blessings in our life, but his Grace is sufficient. Through all situations, let us humble ourselves so that we not be so bold to receive the blessing of the Lord in vain.

Day 39 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

“Unity in the Body”

For it is written, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free— we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” I have grown to understand one thing through my Christ walk; God has made way for many to enter the Kingdom of God. I, like many others, believed so strongly in my Faith and domination that I was caught up in the ritualistic tradition of men to understand the power of the sacrifice Jesus made on the Cross. The Lord has shown me through the story of the woman at the well, that the Father seek those who will serve him with Spirit and Truth. For Jesus said, “ Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain or Jerusalem….yet a time will come and has come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in Truth!”

We as the Body of Christ must see that the Lord is not divided in himself. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one Body!” God has destine every man woman and child. If you are reading this Word today, I tell you now, Gods plan for you is not death, but Life! “Whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free- we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” It is written that God is not a respecter of person and do not let anyone deceive you of these things. It is written that when you draw near to the Lord, He will draw near to you. My prayer in Jesus Name is that you seek a deeper understanding of your part in the Body of Christ. Do not measure your calling against others, it will just belittle what the Lord has called you too. Be persistent, press into the Father, seek him daily. For no man who diligently runs after the Lord shall not find Him. You are not alone, seek The Father in Spirit and Truth and He will find you.

Day 38 Jonah 1:1-3

“Go Obedience?”

“The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai:  “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh ! Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction in order to get away from the Lord.” (Jonah 1:1-3 NLT)
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So what did Jonah do? Instead of going to the Great City of Nineveh to announce Judgment as the Lord commanded, Jonah got up and went the opposite direction! Now, it is one to be angry with the Lord about where he is calling you to, but to receive the Word of the Lord and Decide to go the opposite direction is another thing all together. But that wasn’t the worse part of this whole situation. If you read closely, Jonah was going the over direction to get away from the Lord! So, Jonah hears the Word from the Lord and then decides, “Nah, I aint going to Nineveh and on top of that, I will try and run away from God!”
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Running away from God? Sounds silly doesn’t? I wonder how far Jonah thought he would run that God could not reach him and in that exact moment, God spoke to my Heart and said, “Exactly, how many of my children have I called to serve me like Jonah but are running away?” All I could say was Wow. We are living in a world today full of Jonah’s. Men and Women of God who have received the word of the Lord, but since they felt that Calling was too big or too much from them that they started running the opposite direction.
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I know there are many of us at some point in time when we decided to run away from God. We felt that it was easier to just fall back in the same situation that he had delivered us from, because it was to hard living up to what the Lord commissioned us to do. We all know the story of Jonah and how he ran away from God and ended up thrown off the boat and then swallowed up by a whale. For three days and nights he suffered inside the whale, but many of us have been suffering for years. It wasn’t until Jonah cried out and prayed to the Lord for Forgiveness that he was finally released from this horrible situation.
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It took Jonah being swallowed by a whale to see the errors of his ways, but what will it take for us? What kind of situation do we have to go through for us to realize that running from God is just going to put us somewhere we don’t want to be. People always think sacrifice is better than obedience and I will tell you the truth by saying that this is a lie. It was a sacrifice for Jonah to even go the opposite direction away from the Lord. But if he was obedient to the Lord’s will, he would have never had to suffer like he did. There are many of us who suffer today and the Lord is saying,” Just be obedient and you shall suffer no more.”

Day 37 Hebrews 11:1-3

“Faith Hoped For!”

“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.  God gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.” (Hebrews 11:1-3)

 Someone asked me the other day what does it truly mean to have faith? If I was to define what it means, could I find the true definition? “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen.”  When it comes to faith, we are all called to have confidence and assurance in what we hope. The true key to faith is not the word itself, but the word “Hope.” In these times, when you hear the word hope used, it usually means that it is not going to happen. If there is any word that is ever used out of context, it would be the Word Hope. If we look back in Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…” When you have something anchor, it isn’t moving, especially if it is firm and secure! Just think what a difference of live we would have if we were anchored to the word of the Lord, then you would understand what it means to have true hope and faith!
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“By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.” Creation is the greatest gift given to us from God, because it is a constant reminder of who God is. Think about it, when you wake up, do you hope to see the sky, sun and land? Nope, we go to sleep every night having faith that the world will be the same as it was the day before.
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Now hold that thought, we sleep every night with that eternal hope that the world will be in the same in the morning. Now just think about what would happen if we had that same faith with word of God! If we prayed at night and woke the next day to see our faith manifested, Beloved it is a powerful thought, but we have a powerful and mighty God. When the word says, “Faith is the things Hoped for,” this means that when you hope, it will come to pass. Let today be the day that you believe in the Word of the Lord. Letting not things be called chance and luck, but Hope and Faith. The power of Hope will anchor you deeply into true Faith.

Day 36 1 Corinthians 6:18-20

“Temple of The Holy Spirit!”

“Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Or don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

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“Run away from sexual sin!” I remember I once received an email from a young man asking me to pray. He said that he was going through some hard times in his life and was currently battling with lust. Now, I have spoken to many people who have gone through this same situation, but this time when I heard it, the Spirit of the Lord told me that he should not be battling, he should be fleeing! Time and time again, you will hear people say that they are battling with lust and rather they admit it or not, it is a losing battle they fight. “No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.” Now, the bible states that no other sin so clearly affects the body. With AIDS and so many other STD’s in the world, it is not hard to understand the reasoning behind why we should be fleeing and not battling. If you talk to someone and they say they are battling cancer, it means they are consumed by this disease and seeking and believing they will be healed in Jesus Name. But I find when you battle lust, in the same respects; it has consumed you and your thoughts. Run! Do not deceive yourself in believing this is a fight you will by your own strength.
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“Or don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?” We were made to worship. We were design for the Spirit of the Lord to live within and not to be consumed by lust and other sinful acts. We must understand that when we do not flee from these things, we are favoring them over the Spirit of the Lord. Our bodies are called to host the Holy Spirit. “You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” We are all called to a high standard living. When you Honor God with your body, you are putting into action your Faith in His Word. Righteousness not only comes through believing, but acting on what you believe. Favor The Lord with your everything and flee from those things that would bring sin into your life. Always remember, many are called, but few are chosen. Live the Life of righteousness the Lord has called you to live.

Day 35 2 Corinthians 5:6-10

“Faith, Can’t Leave Earth Without It!”
“Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by Faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him,  whether we are at home in the body or away from it, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”(2Corithians 5:6-10)
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“Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by Faith, not by sight.” We must understand that this life in the flesh is one that we live by Faith. For we are away from the Lord, as you may know, Faith is the belief in things unseen. But do we understand what it truly means to be Faithless? It faith is a belief in things unseen, and then faithlessness comes by believing in what we do see. But being people of Faith, our hearts our set on heavenly aspirations. “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” Lord knows that we wait and seek to worship him in Heaven, but the will of God must be done here on earth.
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“So we make it our goal to please him,  whether we are at home in the body or away from it, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” Beloved, let today be the day that you seek to righteousness that leads to ever increasing Faith. For we can not wait until we ascend to heaven to be true believer of the Lord, but now is the time that God has called you to your destiny. If the reward of your Faith is at the finish line of Heaven, then know that you are still running the race of righteous living.