RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

Being justified freely by his grace through the

redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24).

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

In John 15:25, Jesus said, “But this cometh to pass, that

the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law,

"They hated me without a cause.” The expression, “without a

cause” is “dōrean” (Greek), meaning freely, needlessly, for nothing,

or in vain. In other words, Jesus did nothing wrong to warrant their

hatred. Even though His expression of love towards them was

unparralled, they hated Him still.

But then, as indicated in our opening scripture, God, in His

infinite love, decided to respond in line with His own character by

justifying man freely by His grace. The word, “freely” is the same

Greek word, “dōrean.” He’s letting us know that just as Jesus didn’t

do anything to deserve the world’s hatred, you didn’t have to do

anything to be justified by God.

To be justified is to be declared not guilty; it’s to be acquitted,

declared righteous. Hallelujah! And it happened without you having to do anything to qualify for it; it was without a cause, but by the faith

of Jesus Christ: “Therefore being justified by faith...” (Romans

5:1).

It’s not about your works or self-righteous acts. The Bible says,

”For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of

yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man

should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Oh, how glorious to know that all

that’s necessary is to submit to God’s righteousness! Now, you can

reign in life: “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one;

much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the

gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ)” (Romans 5:17). Blessed be God!

FURTHER STUDY:

Romans 3:24-27 & Romans 11:6

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

WEDNESDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHO YOU ARE

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his

neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be

delivered (Proverbs 11:9).

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

Imagine that you carried and were playing with your

neighbour’s one or two-year-old child and he suddenly inflicts

a bite on your hand. You see the bite wound but shrug it off as

nothing, because he’s only a child. Then while walking away,

someone walks up to you and says, “I saw that child bite you; but did

you know the child is HIV positive?”

Suddenly, your demeanour changes; you start speaking in

tongues and making confessions. In your mind, you think you’re

putting your faith to work, whereas you’re actually demonstrating a

lack of understanding of who you are in Christ. God doesn’t want you

at that level.

If you have the knowledge of God and recognise what you

have inside you, and who you are in Christ, you’ll remain unmoved,

in spite of the new information about the child. This was what the Apostle Paul knew that made him so different. In Acts 28:3-6, the

serpent that bit Paul was a venomous one, and those who were

around him were expecting him to swell and die right there. But they

were baffled to see Paul unharmed. He didn’t even pay attention to

it; the Bible says he shook it into the fire and went on discussing the

Gospel. Hallelujah!

Someone may say, “Oh, if only I have the kind of faith that Paul

had!” No, it wasn’t faith that Paul demonstrated; it was the

knowledge of God at work. He had the knowledge of who Jesus said

the Christian is. In Mark 16:17-18, Jesus said, “And these signs

shall follow them that believe...if they drink any deadly thing, it

shall not hurt them....” If any poisonous substance ever finds its

way into your system—whether by accident or by intent— it’ll have

no effect on you.

What you need is the accurate and adequate knowledge of

God’s Word; this is what puts you over in life. Many don’t have a faith

problem, for every one of us has faith (Romans 12:3). The issue is

their lack of understanding of who they are and what belongs to

them in Christ. The knowledge of God’s Word gives you an

undeniable conviction of the transcendent life of victory and

dominion. This is why you’ve got to study and meditate on the Word

every day.

FURTHER STUDY:

Hosea 4:6, Acts 20:32

& 2 Peter 1:2

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

FELLOWSHIP OF THE SPIRIT

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love

of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with

you all. Amen (2 Corinthians 13:14).

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

Your highest calling as a Christian is fellowship with the

Lord. Without fellowship, nothing you do on earth is

esteemed in Heaven. To fellowship with Jesus is to fellowship with

the fullest revelation of the essence of deity. But you see, you can’t

fellowship with Him except through the Holy Spirit.

That’s why I often wonder why some people think they don’t

need the Holy Spirit. There’s nothing more void than a life without

the Holy Spirit, because He’s the author of life. Without Him, all you

have will be darkness. He’s the One who gives you light and

quickens the Word of God in your heart. God’s Word won’t mean

anything to you without the insight and revelation the Holy Spirit

gives.

The Bible says His words are life to those that find them

(Proverbs 4:22); and the way to find them is through the Holy Spirit. Your desire should be to fellowship more with the Holy Spirit every

day; I mean fellowship with participation, where you’re actively

engaged with Him in a romance of righteousness.

The glorious thing about this is that, for all the successes that

you achieve through the guidance and wisdom you receive as you

fellowship with Him, He gives you the credit. Another beautiful

impact of your fellowship with Him is that you become so mingled

with Him that your body becomes His body; your tongue becomes

His tongue, your hands, His hands, and your feet, His feet.

Hallelujah!

In this kind of relationship, every limit and barrier is taken off

your way; you experience nothing but progress in life. You’re so full

of His glory and wisdom that they overflow from you to others. He

takes over your life and you experience unprecedented

manifestations of His power that causes many to wonder at you.

These and more are what fellowship with the Holy Spirit will bring to

you. Praise God!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 John 1:3,

John 16:13 & 1 Corinthians 1:9

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020 PASTOR CHRIS

BE MINDFUL OF THE SCHEDULE OF

OTHERS

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools,

but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days

are evil (Ephesians 5:15-16).

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

Did you ever meet someone who had no regard for your time? I’m sure you didn’t enjoy it. Now, if you didn’t enjoy

it, then you ought to always regard the time and schedule of others

in your dealings with people. If you could take the time to plan your

day and prioritize your activities, you ought to expect that those you

meet would have done the same.

Don’t shift or postpone appointments haphazardly; it could

mess things up for someone else. There’re certain things in life that

aren’t in unending supply; they’re limited; one of them is time.

There’s joy and fulfilment you get when you respond to people

promptly and see the look of gratitude on their faces for saving their

time. When people meet you, they ought to be glad they did; they ought to leave you happier, and one sure way of ensuring this is by

valuing their precious time.

If you were to schedule an appointment at work, for example,

try as much as possible not to make open-ended appointments. It’s

better to say, “See me at 5.15pm” and be ready at that time, than to

say, “See me between 5 and 5.30pm,” and keep the person

guessing when exactly to show up. And if for any reason, you know

you wouldn’t be ready at the time you planned, reach out ahead of

the agreed time to cancel or reschedule, tendering your apologies.

Do your best not to destabilize other people’s day. Of course,

there’s the flip side to this; you could be the one who’s supposed to

see someone, but you’ve fixed the same time to see five other

people across the city! You’re definitely going to keep at least one or

more of them waiting for you, and that’s not okay. Even as the boss

in the office, be sensitive to the schedules of your subordinates.

Successful people are time-conscious.

FURTHER STUDY:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 & Psalm 90:12

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

YOU’RE IN THE LIGHT

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal

priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye

should shew forth the praises of him who hath called

you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter

2:9).

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

The underlined portion of the verse above lets you know

your present location; you’ve been brought out of darkness

into God’s marvellous light. That light is the light of life that shows

you the path of righteousness, life and dominion. It’s like what the

Lord did for the children of Israel in the Old Testament; He brought

them out of Egypt, which represented darkness, into the Promised

Land, which symbolizes light!

Darkness represents sin, death, evil and all the negatives of

life. You’ve been brought out of sin, sickness, disease, depression,

poverty and frustrations, into God’s Kingdom of light. This isn’t

something the Lord will do for you as you grow in Christ; He’s

already done it. Colossians 1:12-13 says, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the

inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from

the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom

of his dear Son.”

When you made Jesus Lord of your life, you were translated

into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son; it’s a spiritual kingdom of light,

where you reign in life by grace through righteousness. You’re not

subject to the darkness and failing systems and structures of this

world. You’ve been brought into the supernatural life of glory where

you shine evermore. No wonder He said in Isaiah 60:1, “Arise,

shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen

upon thee.”

FURTHER STUDY:

John 1:4-9, Proverbs 4:18 & Isaiah 60:1-3

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2020 PASTOR CHRIS

EVERYTHING IS SUBJECT TO CHRIST

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud

overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the

cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I

am well pleased; hear ye him (Matthew 17:5).

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

When God said concerning Jesus in the verse above, “...This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well

pleased; hear ye him,” He was talking to all of creation. All of

nature, animate and inanimate— everything in heaven, on earth, and

under the earth—is subject to Jesus. The rocks, wind, trees, water,

fish, angels, demons, etc., are under His dominion and charge.

Philippians 2:9-10 says, “Wherefore God also hath highly

exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in

heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” Now

you understand why everything Jesus said came to pass. He talked

to a tree and it withered (Mark 11:12-22). He spoke to a raging

tempest and it hushed (Mark 4:35- 39). He talked to bread and fish and they multiplied and became more than enough to feed

multitudes (Matthew 14:17-21, Matthew 15:32-38). He talked to

corpses and they revived (Luke 7:11-15, John 11:32- 44).

At His word, maimed limbs grew back, blind eyes opened, deaf

ears were unstopped, and demons scuttled in terror (Matthew

15:30), because they were commanded to hear and obey Him. Now,

the most beautiful part is how this connects with us. 1 John 4:17

says, “...as he (Jesus) is, so are we in this world.” Then in

Matthew 28:18-19, He said, “...All power is given unto me in

heaven and in earth....” Then on the basis of that authority, He

charged us to preach the Gospel to every creature, and tame this

world.

He gave us the authority to act in His stead, the power of

attorney to use His Name. Therefore, our words have the same

power. Everything in life is subject to you as they’re subject to Him,

because you’re one with Him. You can speak to anything in His

Name and have the results you desire. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY:

Matthew 28:18-19 AMPC & Luke 10:17-19

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2020 PASTOR CHRIS

FRUITS OF HIS OBEDIENCE

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment

came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the

righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men

unto justification of life (Romans 5:18).

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

Under the Old Testament, God’s blessings for the children

of Israel were preconditioned on their obedience to the

Law. For example, God had desired that they walk as kings and

priests before Him, but their obedience was a prerequisite for the

blessings to take effect in their lives. In Exodus 19:5-6, He said, “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my

covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all

people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a

kingdom of priests, and an holy nation....”

However, they broke His laws and couldn’t enjoy the fullness of

His blessings and promises. But that isn’t the case with us today in

the New Testament. Colossians 1:12 says, “Giving thanks unto the

Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” We’ve been qualified to be

partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of light.

We’re sharers and participants in the blessings and benefits of the

Kingdom-life reserved for all of God’s saints. This didn’t happen by

your obedience, but by Christ’s obedience (Romans 5:19).

Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law, and then abolished it. You’re the

fruit of His obedience. By His obedience, God’s gift—His blessing of

righteousness was bequeathed to you. Today, it’s no use trying to

“obey” the Law for God to bless you; you were born blessed with all

spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

Nowhere in the New Testament are we told to “obey” to be

blessed; rather, we’re called His obedient ones (1 Peter 1:14). We’re

described as having “obeyed” God’s Word of truth from the heart

(Romans 6:17). So your blessings, your inheritance in Christ, are the

results of Christ’s redemptive work in your behalf. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY:

1 Corinthians 3:21 & 2 Peter 1:3-4

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

YIELD TO HIM AND FOLLOW HIS WORD

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he

will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of

himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he

speak: and he will shew you things to come (John

16:13).

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

Being born again, the Spirit of God lives in you, and He

guides you by the Word, in the way that you should go.

His Word is your sure guide in life. It’s the reason we encourage conscious study and meditation on the Word. Getting yourself

acquainted with the Word is the way to know the counsel of God and

walk in His will. He counsels you from within, in line with the Word.

No other personality in this life can lead you in success, victory

and rest as the Holy Spirit would. His delight is to guide you to make

accurate and excellent decisions, go to the right places at the right

time, and do the right things at the right time, for God’s glory.

Recognise His ministry and person in your life. Talk with Him often.

Listen to Him as well, for He’s always talking to your spirit. He cares about everything you do; He takes interest in the minutest detail of

your life. It’s His pleasure to successfully guide you through all your

endeavours from day to day.

Many have made grievous mistakes in their lives for not listening to Him and following His guidance. His counsel and

guidance are always in sync with the Word. Your life will be the

expression of God’s glory, beauty, wisdom and grace as you yield to

Him and follow His Word. Through the Word, He guides and leads

you from glory to glory.

FURTHER STUDY:

John 16:13-15 &

James 1:22-25

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

IT’S A WALK OF FAITH

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians

5:7).

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

Romans 9:8 says, “...They which are the children of the

flesh, these are not the children of God....” The

children of the flesh are ruled by their senses. Instead of walking by

faith, they’re controlled only by that which they can physically see,

hear, touch, taste, or smell. But Christianity is a walk of faith; it’s life

beyond the senses.

Spiritual realities can’t be perceived with human senses. This is

the reason the natural man doesn’t understand the things of the

Spirit; they’re foolishness to him (1 Corinthians 2:14). Romans 9:8

lets us know that the children of the flesh—those who are sense-

ruled—are not the children of God: but the children of the promise

are counted for the seed. The children of the promise are the

children of the Word.

Paul’s climactic submission in 2 Corinthians 5:7 AMPC is quite

profound: He said, “For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting

man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy

fervour; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance”. Don’t live by

sight or appearance; like those who say, “Seeing is believing,” no!

That’s contrary to faith. Recall what Jesus said to Martha in John

11:40. He said, “...if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see

the glory of God.” You believe to see; that’s faith.

Hebrews 11:1 (AMPC) says, “NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for,

being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of

their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to

the senses].” You can’t please God until you’ve learnt to apprehend

and call real, things that your physical senses can’t perceive, but are

revealed in God’s Word. That’s Christianity; it’s a walk of faith.

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 & Hebrews 11:6-12

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2020

PASTOR CHRIS

LIVING IN HIS MARVELLOUS LIGHT

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

Giving thanks unto the Father... Who hath

delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath

translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son

(Colossians 1:12-13).

×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×÷×

I would to God that all of God’s children would understand how

powerful the above scripture is! It says we’ve been delivered

from the domain of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of the

Son of His love. That’s where you are now! But a Christian who

doesn’t have this understanding will be living the life of darkness,

thinking the thoughts of darkness, from where he’s already been

transferred.

Darkness represents sin, death, evil and all the negative things

that are associated with Satan. You’ve been brought out of

everything that’s of the devil, into God’s Kingdom of light.

Remember, darkness can’t overcome light. So, if you say, “I’m

experiencing demonic oppression in my life,” the question would be,

“Where are you? Where did the demons meet you?”

If you don’t live as one who has been translated into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son, you can’t walk in the authority of God’s

dear Son. You’ve got to understand, recognize and live as one who

knows that he’s been delivered from the domain of darkness and

translated into God’s marvelous light.

Galatians 5:1 says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again

with the yoke of bondage.” Refuse to be entangled by the yoke of

bondage. Relocate yourself; change position by saying, “From this

day, I refuse to be under the influence or control of the darkness that

rules this present world; I’m seated with Christ in power, glory and

majesty, with dominion over Satan and the cohorts of darkness.”

Blessed be God! No wonder Peter declared, “But ye are a chosen

generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar

people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath

called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter

2:9).

FURTHER STUDY:

John 8:36, Hosea 4:6 & 1 Peter 2:9 AMPC