RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

SUBMIT TO HIS DREAM FOR YOU

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Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all

your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight

or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and

acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight

and plain your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6 AMPC).

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Have you ever asked yourself, “Is my life in alignment with God’s

perfect will for me?” It’s important to be sure. Jesus said, “If

any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine...” (John 7:17).

So, if you’re willing to do His will, He’ll teach you.

But sometimes, there’re those who are afraid to let God have His

way in their lives. They think He’ll change their dream that they’ve so

nursed all their lives. They feel He might lead them to become something

they don’t want. Well, that’s because they don’t know Him; if you don’t

know Him, you can’t trust Him. But if you ever get to know Him, you’d

learn to trust Him.

All He ever wants is the best for you. He’s more ambitious for your

success than you could ever be. The day I discovered this truth, I said, “Dear Lord Jesus, now I trust you with my life.” I wanted to be a success

for Him, but He was more ambitious for my success than I could have

been. I found out He loved me more than I loved myself; wiser than I

could ever be, and I became bold and focused!

Remember, He created the whole world, including you. He knows

everything inside you. Not only does He know everything about you, He

knows everything about life. All He wants is that you say, “Yes, Lord, I’m

ready.” He’s experienced in dealing with all kinds of people, and He

knows exactly what to do with someone like you.

Trust Him with your life. Stay at the centre of His will, and you’ll

never lose. 1 Peter 2:6 says, “... he that believeth on him shall not be

confounded" ; that means you’ll never be disgraced or put to the blush

for trusting in Him. Therefore, be confident in the Lord with all your heart

and mind and submit to His dream for you.

FURTHER STUDY:

Acts 26:16-18

Psalm 18:30 & Proverbs 16:3 NIV

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

MONDAY 14 DECEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

WE’VE GOT TO PREACH IT

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In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie,

promised before the world began; But hath in due times

manifested his word through preaching, which is

committed unto me according to the commandment of

God our Saviour (Titus 1:2-3).

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We’ve got to preach the Word; we’ve got to tell the untold, or

they’ll never have the chance to believe it and be saved.

Romans 10:13-14 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of

the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom

they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom

they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

Without a preacher, they can’t hear the Gospel. This is why we’re

compelled to preach the Gospel everywhere. The Apostle Paul said, “For

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto

salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the

Greek” (Romans 1:16).

There’s no salvation without the Gospel. The power of God to bring someone out of trouble, distress, sin and death is in the Gospel of Christ.

We read in our theme verse that God promised eternal life before the

world began; and now, He has fulfilled His promise, manifested His Word,

and made eternal life available through the preaching of the Gospel.

See how blessed we are to be the custodians and bearers of the

divine order; ambassadors of divine realities! They’re not going to get the

Gospel any other way, until we preach it to them. Put your whole life into

this, as it’s all that truly matters. Ensure the Gospel gets to as many as

have been ordained to receive it in your world and in the regions beyond.

FURTHER STUDY:

1 Corinthians 1:18, Acts 4:12 & Matthew 28:19-20

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

SUNDAY 13 DECEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

INSPIRED AND AFIRE ALWAYS

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Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a

good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for

the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest

(Joshua 1:9).

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Since the day I received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in

other tongues, I’ve never ran out of inspiration. The key is

fellowship with the Holy Spirit! That’s the secret of ALWAYS being

inspired and afire for the Lord. The Holy Spirit should be your number

one driving force in life. Without Him, life is a drag; dull, empty and vain!

Christianity without the Holy Spirit is mere religion. In fact, it’s very

difficult to win souls without the Holy Spirit. As a child of God, being filled

with the Holy Spirit every day isn’t negotiable. You have to know Him,

walk in Him and with Him. He has to become a constant part of your life.

Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you

richly....” Your understanding of the Word will drive you to live every day

of your life for the expansion of God’s Kingdom; nothing else will make

sense to you in this world, except the things of Christ. With the Word of God in your spirit, and coming forth from your mouth, you can serve the

Lord faithfully and bring Him glory now, and in the ages to come. Have a

wild and voracious appetite for the Word.

Your love for the Master will compel you to tell the world of His

saving power. 2 Corinthians 5:14 (NIV) says, “For Christ’s love

compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and

therefore all died.” The Apostle Paul is showing us the motivational

force behind his overwhelming passion for the Gospel; it was the love of

Christ. You can’t love Him and not be propelled to tell the world about it.

You’ll wake up every day inspired and aflame to serve God.

Praise God!

FURTHER STUDY:

2 Corinthians 5:14-15,

Jeremiah 20:8-9

& Romans 12:10-12

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

PRAY FOR GOD’S PEOPLE IN DISTRESS

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Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the

Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is

with you (2 Thessalonians 3:1).

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In Acts 12:1-2, the Bible says, “...Herod the king stretched forth

his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James

the brother of John with the sword.” When the Church heard that

James had been arrested, they must have thought, “James arrested?

Nothing will happen to him; he’s a man of faith.” But once James was

killed, it got their attention.

“Where was God? How did God allow it to happen?” some may

have wondered, trying to put the blame on God. But it’s not God that

allows such things to happen. Jesus said, “And in that day ye shall ask

me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask

the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23).

Then in Matthew 28:18, He declared, “...All authority in heaven and

earth has been given to me”; and on the basis of that authority, He said,

“...go and make disciples of all nations...” (Matthew 28:19). Jesus gave us His authority; He gave us His Name. So, it wasn’t Jesus that let them

kill James; it was the Christians that didn’t do their job by exercising their

authority in prayer.

When Peter was arrested next, the Bible says they (the church)

prayed without ceasing; God intervened and Peter was released (Acts

12:5-7). So, every time you pray, you’re making it “legally” possible for

God to intervene in some ways that He wouldn’t have, had you not

prayed.

This is why we must pray for ministers of the Gospel, and

advancement of the ministry of reconciliation in these last days. The

Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Colossae, “Withal praying also

for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak

the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds” (Colossians 4:3).

Since God already told them to go and preach the Gospel, why did they

need to pray to God to open for them a door of utterance? It tells you that

there’re adversaries in the world. So always pray for the churches of

Christ around the world.

Several reports confirm that Christians are the most persecuted

group in the world. Many are in dire distress, made to face the most

inhuman treatments because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Through your

prayers for them, they’ll be strengthened; the Lord will intervene in their

situations. Praise God!

FURTHER STUDY:

2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 & Romans 15:30-32

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

LIVE IN TRUTH

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And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make

you free (John 8:32).

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We were created by God’s Word, and His Word is truth; that

means we were created by truth. This is why truth has an

eternal effect on your spirit; it has an eternal effect of success, victory,

prosperity, health in your life, because truth is your source. That’s why

falsehood, deceit, deception, lies and lying destroy the human spirit.

Lying isn’t consistent with your nature. Some people tell lies out of

fear of punishment, while others do it for plain deception. Whatever your

excuse might be, train yourself to tell the truth at all times. Our theme

verse says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make

you free,” because man was created by God to be free, to be at liberty

to serve Him; he can’t be bound, because truth is his true nature.

Before you were born again, you didn’t have the ability to live the

truth and live in truth, because you were under the dominion of sin. But

now, the Bible says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you...” (Romans 6:14). You have the ability to do away with the habit of telling lies. You don’t need to cry or even ask God to take it away from you.

Simply make up your mind to put away lying. The Bible says, “If you

want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue, and guard

your lips from telling lies” (1 Peter 3:10 TLB).

Proverbs 6:16-19 says, “These six things doth the LORD hate:

yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying

tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth

wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A

false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among

brethren.” Truth is in your spirit. You can live in truth; it makes you

triumphant; your spirit glows. It doesn’t matter in what situation you may

find yourself; truth will put you over, because truth is eternal.

Praise God!

FURTHER STUDY:

Ephesians 4:25 TLB, Proverbs 12:19, Colossians 3:9 NLT &

Zechariah

8:16 GNB

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

THURSDAY 10 DECEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

THE REAL FIGHT

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Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,

whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good

profession before many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12).

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Not many people understand what it is to fight, and by that I

don’t mean physical combat; I’m talking about the fight of faith.

The fight of faith is the conflict between our earthly transient temporal

circumstances and our spiritual realities. It is the unleashing of our faith

on the rebellious circumstances of time to compel changes to correspond

with our stubborn faith proclamations. It’s not a fight with the devil; it’s the

fight in your heart to overcome the challenges that you face in life.

And

it’s a fight you must win.

The Apostle Paul calls it a good fight,because it’s most honourable

and you win. When He tells you to fight the good fight, he’s telling you to

hold onto God’s Word, maintaining your confessions in the face of

staggering opposition. There’s an adversary working on things and trying

to ensure that things don’t fall into place for you. The world itself is hostile

to your faith; hostile to the Kingdom of God. But Jesus said, “...be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33); and because

He overcame the world, you have to keep the world in that position with

your faith. That’s the real fight.

You’re not trying to overcome the world; He already did. So, you

walk by faith in the victory that Christ wrought in your behalf. He said,

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions,

and over all the power of the enemy...” (Luke 10:19). No matter where

you are, you’re triumphant; you know it and you insist on it.

You can do what others say is impossible. It doesn’t matter what

you’re currently faced with; whether it has to do with your health,

finances, business, job, family, academics; you say, “I’m a victor in the

Name of Jesus! It’s impossible for me to fail. All I think is winning, and I

only win, in the Name of Jesus!”

Walk in the glory and strength of Christ and with the boldness of the

Spirit. Take advantage of His grace and the power of His might as you

unleash your faith against rebellious circumstances and compel them to

align with your stubborn faith proclamations.

FURTHER STUDY:

Ephesians 6:16, 1 Timothy 1:18 &

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

WEDNESDAY 09 DECEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

DON’T KEEP GRUDGES

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Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent

prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16).

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A minister once told a story of two women in his church who

were quarrelling for a long time. One of them had a goitre for

several years, and in spite of his prayers for her, it wouldn’t heal. The

second woman couldn’t receive the Holy Spirit; she just couldn’t speak in

other tongues, even though he had prayed for her several times to

receive the Holy Spirit.

One Sunday morning, while he was sitting on the platform during

the service, one of them arrived and found a seat, but soon as she

noticed the very next seat was occupied by the other lady, she stood up

to change her seat. At that point, the Pastor flounced off the platform to

meet them, and said to them, “I’m not having any more of this; you either

get together as sisters, or get out!” Suddenly, both women broke into

tears and began to apologise to each other. Both of them were ready to

take the blame, as they cried and hugged each other. Right there, before their eyes, the goitre disappeared, and the other woman was filled with

the Spirit and speaking in tongues.

Evidently, those grudges had prevented the manifestations of these

blessings in their lives for years, without them realizing it. All they needed

to do was to admit their faults to each other. That’s what we read in our

theme verse: “Confess your faults one to another....” It means

admitting your faults; refusing to keep a grudge.

Even when you think you’re not the one at fault, it makes no

difference; put the matter to rest. Do what the Word says. Don’t insist on

your own way. The Bible says to rather allow yourself to be defrauded (1

Corinthians 6:7) than to hold a grudge against your brother or sister in the

Lord.

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 12:9-10, Romans 5:5 &

James 5:16 AMPC

This message is for you, if you are feeling hard pressed on every side, perplexed and in despair. This is a message for you, if you are feeling persecuted, abandoned and opposed. This is a message for you if you are feeling sad, angry, betrayed, bitter, frustrated and of low self - esteem. This is a message for you to use, for that friend, for that family member that you have been trying to encourage in the Lord. For that brother, that sister, whose faith is weaning and you want to remind them of the power in the name of Jesus. This is for you, if you are looking for a reason to trust Jesus one more time. You are not alone, yes, YOU, you are SURROUNDED.

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

TUESDAY 08 DECEMBER 2020 PASTOR CHRIS

HE DWELLS IN YOU NOW

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And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come

again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there

ye may be also (John 14:3).

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Many don’t understand what Jesus was talking about in the

scripture above. Some have speculated that He was talking

about the Second Coming or the Rapture, but that’s not what He was

talking about in that verse. To understand what Jesus meant, you’ll have

to stay in the context, and understand His message with your spirit, not

with your senses. He continued this interesting discourse till He got to the

16th verse where He said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall

give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.”

The term “another Comforter” is the Greek phrase “Allon paraklēton,” meaning “another of same kind.” So, Jesus introduced the

Holy Spirit at that point. Then He said, “...ye know him; for he dwelleth

with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:17). How did the Holy Spirit

dwell with them at the time? Wasn’t He supposed to come on the Day of

Pentecost? That tells us something. He wasn’t talking about the Holy Spirit alone; He was also referring to Himself!

To drive that point home, He went back to what He said in our

theme verse, saying, “I will come again, and receive you unto

myself...” Then in verse 18, He said, “I will not leave you comfortless:

I will come to you.” How and when was He going to come to them?

In the 20th verse, He said, “At that day ye shall know that I am in

my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” What day was He talking

about? Evidently, He was talking about the day when the Holy Ghost

comes! So, when He said, “I will come to you,” He was saying, “I’ll come

to you in the Holy Spirit!” And on the Day of Pentecost, He fulfilled that

precious promise: “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and

began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them

utterance” (Acts 2:4). He’s in you today in all His fullness. Praise God!

FURTHER STUDY: Hebrews 13:5 AMPC, John 14:23 & 1 Corinthians 3:16

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

MONDAY 07 DECEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

FAITH FOR THE RAPTURE

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In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last

trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be

raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (1

Corinthians 15:52).

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At the Rapture, not everyone will hear the sound of the trumpet.

It’ll be audible only to the Christians who died in Christ already

and those alive at the time. Everybody else won’t hear it, because the

sound of the trumpet would only be heard by faith. It’s not something

you’re going to make an effort to hear, because as a Christian, you

already live by faith. Everything about your life and your relationship with

God is by faith; therefore, you’re going to hear it.

The Bible says, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should

not see death; and was not found...” (Hebrews 11:5). He was raptured

by faith. So, with your faith in Jesus Christ, you have nothing to worry

about; trust that when the trumpet sounds, you’re going to hear it.

As read in our theme verse, the sound of the trumpet will happen

faster than the snap of your finger. In a twinkling of an eye, we’re out of here, and suddenly, we’re in heaven. Every Christian ought to go at the

rapture. It therefore means that anyone who doesn’t make the “first flight”

hasn’t been living for the Lord.

Keep your faith alive, and live for the Master every day. Walk in love

and in righteousness. Focus on getting others ready for the Rapture and

into the Kingdom of God.

FURTHER STUDY: Hebrews 11:5-6 & Thessalonians 4:16-17