Memorise: Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 Read:  Matthew 6:9-13 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread. 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. MESSAGE “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2 God is a God of purpose, and He is highly organized. He plans far ahead of His deeds. For instance, Ephesians 1:4 says that long before God laid the foundations of the earth, He had already chosen us to live a holy and blameless life before Him. God knows exactly what He wants and where H

AMOS 5:16-27 KEY VERSE: "Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light" (Amos 5:18). The judgment of God upon sinners is imminent. It is going to be a day of catastrophe and calamity, gloom and misery, desolation and astonishment and indeed, a day of a lamentation and confusion. It is a day that no sinner would wish to pass through. This day of outpouring of God’s fury, indignation and wrath upon the world is referred to as the day of the Lord in the Scripture. The day of the Lord as depicted in the text will be the time when the Lord will make the day dark, dismal, and gloomy upon all impenitent sinners and backsliders. A sinner who escapes one calamity will be pursued and overtaken by another. The people of Israel copied the crimes and iniquities of their forefathers by going into idolatry. God frowns at hypocrisy as well as the pretence of piety. God could not be bribed with music or offerings. F

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES WEDNESDAY, 31ST MAY.  http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ LEVELS OF MATURITY. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:13-14). Some Christians get very excited to read 1 Corinthians 1:30: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” Then, they come across James 1:5: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” and get confused. “Should one still ask for wisdom after Christ has been made unto us wisdom?” they wonder. Now, those two verses aren’t contradictory at all; it’s about levels of maturity in Christ. The Scriptures are given to us to guide and lead us, and as you study, you’ll find that there’re differ

 May 31, 2017 The Beauty of Brokenness James Banks Psalm 51 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit.  Psalm 51:17 Kintsugi is a centuries-old Japanese art of mending broken pottery. Gold dust mixed with resin is used to reattach broken pieces or fill in cracks, resulting in a striking bond. Instead of trying to hide the repair, the art makes something beautiful out of brokenness. The Bible tells us that God also values our brokenness, when we are genuinely sorry for a sin we have committed. After David engaged in adultery with Bathsheba and plotted the death of her husband, the prophet Nathan confronted him, and he repented. David’s prayer afterwards gives us insight into what God desires when we have sinned: “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Ps. 51:16–17). When our heart is broken over a sin, God mends it with the p

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES TUESDAY, 30TH MAY.  http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ HE IS GOODNESS PERSONIFIED. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17). God is good (Psalm 24:1). He’s goodness personified, but not many people see or perceive Him as such. They think He wants us afraid and apologetic all the time; so they try to be careful with Him, hoping not to offend Him. God isn’t that way. He’s not waiting to see you slip or make a mistake so He can sniff from heaven and wipe you off the face of the earth. He’s loving and kind. The Lord Jesus unveiled the Father to us as a loving Father. When He walked the earth, He represented everything that the Father is. The Jews knew God as the God of judgment. Then, they heard Jesus call God “Father”; that was new, and they understood what it meant. The Bible says, “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him” (John 10:31). They wa

Memorise:  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Matthew 7:13 Read:  Matthew 7:13-14 (King James Version) 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Bible in one year:  Acts 18-19, Jeremiah 38:14-23, Hymn: Sing hymn 11 MESSAGE God wants to change your life, but beyond this, He wants to change your final destination. Over the ages, many people have had to move from one location to another within the same country. Others have had to relocate to other countries for one reason or the other. However, at the end of the day, irrespective of where we live, we shall all arrive at a final destination. That destination is eternal and cannot be changed after we die. Open H

BETWEEN GOD AND NEIGHBOURS -MARK 12:28-37 KEY VERSE: "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment" (Mark 12:30). Two aspects of Jesus’ personality are here introduced: His humanity and deity. He is both human and divine. In His incarnation, Jesus came to this world in human form in the lineage of David. That is why He is often referred to as the Son of David. However, because He is God, David himself referred to Him as Lord. Jesus, while answering the question of the scribes on which is the greatest commandment, said the most important commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and with all your strength. We, as believers are commanded to love Jesus Christ our Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. He deserves our love and reverence. We show our love to Him by obeying Him and giving our all, includi

  May 30, 2017 Expect and Extend Mercy Xochitl Dixon Luke 18:9–14 God, have mercy on me, a sinner.  Luke 18:13 When I complained that a friend’s choices were leading her deeper into sin and how her actions affected me, the woman I prayed with weekly placed her hand over mine. “Let’s pray for all of us.” I frowned. “All of us?” “Yes,” she said. “Aren’t you the one who always says Jesus sets our standard of holiness, so we shouldn’t compare our sins to the sins of others?” “That truth hurts a little,” I said, “but you’re right. My judgmental attitude and spiritual pride are no better or worse than her sins.” “And by talking about your friend, we’re gossiping. So—” “We’re sinning.” I lowered my head. “Please, pray for us.” In Luke 18, Jesus shared a parable about two men approaching the temple to pray in very different ways (vv. 9–14). Like the Pharisee, we can become trapped in a circle of comparing ourselves to other people. We can boast about ourselves (vv. 11–12) and liv

AVENGE NOT YOURSELF -PROVERBS 25:16-28 KEY VERSE: "If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink" (Proverbs 25:21). The story is told about Jane, a persecuted but non-vindictive and non-retaliatory Christian young lady somewhere in Africa. She sometimes left her clothes on the washing line at the back of their residence. Whenever she went for fellowship or evangelism, her hostile neighbours would never help her pack them inside, perchance there was rain. They never saw anything good in Jane. They maligned, slandered and vilified her whenever she was not at home. It happened, however that one day, Jane was at home reading her Bible when rain started threatening and some of her neighbours left their clothes outside. When she looked outside through the window and saw the clothes, she quickly ran to help pack them inside. When they came back and saw what she had done for them, they were humiliated by shame because, they had ne

Memorise;  Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me. Proverbs 30:8 Read:  Proverbs 30:7-9 (King James Version) 7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Bible in one year:  Acts 16-17, Jeremiah 38:1-13, Hymn:Sing hymn 10 MESSAGE What you get from God depends on how contented or dissatisfied you are. While some people ask nothing from the Almighty God who has all things and who can do all things, some others ask for crumbs. Your desire and request go a long way in determining what you get in life. In Matthew 15:21-28, when the woman whose daughter was tormented by demons met the Lord, all she asked for was crumbs: “And she said, Truth, Lord: yet th

HE MAKES YOU CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE. RHAPSODY OF REALITIES MONDAY, 29TH MAY.  http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ HE MAKES YOU CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). One of the beautiful and amazing benefits of having the Holy Spirit in your life is that He makes you creative and innovative. He opens your eyes to see what others don’t see, and your ears to hear what others don’t hear. He anoints your eyes to see the right things, and your mind to understand and conceive lofty ideas. This brings to mind the famous words of Michelangelo, the great artist. He said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” He saw what he could get out of an ordinary piece of marble, which everyone else thought was just a stone with no value. From that same stone, he went ahead to create the famous statue of David. You’re born of the Master Craftsman, and that

  May 29, 2017 Let Honor Meet Honor Randy Kilgore Matthew 6:1–6 Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Matthew 6:1 I’ve always been impressed by the solemn, magnificent simplicity of the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. The carefully choreographed event is a moving tribute to soldiers whose names—and sacrifice—are “known but to God.” Equally moving are the private moments of steady pacing when the crowds are gone: back and forth, hour after hour, day by day, in even the worst weather. In September 2003, Hurricane Isabel was bearing down on Washington, DC, and the guards were told they could seek shelter during the worst of the storm. Surprising almost no one, the guards refused! They unselfishly stood their post to honor their fallen comrades even in the face of a hurricane. Underlying Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 6:1–6,

OPEN HEAVENS 2017 SOUL-WINNING: A MARK OF LIFE – Saturday May 27th 2017 Memorise:  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. John 15:2 Read:  John 15:1-6 (King James Version) 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. Bible in

BEFORE RETRIBUTION -JEREMIAH 21:1-14 KEY VERSE: "And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon..." (Jerem The maxim, to every action there is a reaction, is not true only in scientific experiments. It holds true in every facet of life and in all generations. If you live all your life in sin without repentance, be prepared to reap the wages. And if by God’s grace you live a life of righteousness, expect the reward: eternity with the Lord in heaven. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, could have saved himself and his subjects all the agonies they passed through, if he had heeded God’s earlier warnings. In today’s passage, we see the message of God to Zedekiah King of Judah. The entire nation had consistently and willfully sinned against the Lord. The King raised the bar of transgression whe

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES SATURDAY, 27TH MAY.  http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ HE'S EVERYTHING YOU NEED. After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward (Genesis 15:1). The Lord is your exceeding great reward. To have Him is to have everything. He’s everything you need in life. He’s your satisfaction, your joy, and your fulfilment. Never think, “If I only had this or that, my life would be wonderful.” No. What you have is all you need, and you have Christ. Christ is everything. He’s all you need to produce whatever else you think you might require. Turn your attention away from everything else, to the Lord and He’ll lead and guide you in the glorious path that He’s destined for you. You belong to Jesus Christ, and He’s more passionate about your success than you could ever be. Therefore, have no fears; refuse to worry. Rest confidently in His love, knowing that He has everything it takes to lead yo

  May 27, 2017 Dysfunctional David C. McCasland Romans 3:10–26 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 The word dysfunctional is often used to describe individuals, families, relationships, organizations, and even governments. While functional means it’s in proper working order, dysfunctional is the opposite—it’s broken, not working properly, unable to do what it was designed to do. In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul begins by describing a spiritually dysfunctional humanity (1:18–32). We are all part of that rebellious company: “All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. . . . For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:12, 23). The good news is that “all are justified freely by [God’s] grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus . . . to be received by faith” (vv. 24–25). When we invite Christ into our lives and accept God’s offer of forgiveness and

STAND UP FOR SOMETHING – Friday May 26th 2017 Memorise:  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:16 Read:  Revelations 3:15-16 (King James Version) 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Bible in one year:  Acts 10-11, Jeremiah 36:4-19, Hymn: Sing hymn 9 MESSAGE “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert could or hot.” Revelation 3:15 If there is one state that God never wants His children to be in, it is the state of lukewarmness. As seen in the above Scripture passage, the Lord speaks His mind on this issue in very strong terms. He says if you want to be hot, be hot, and if you want to be cold, be cold; if you are neither cold nor hot, He will spit you out of His mouth. God has zero tolerance for lukewarmness. As foretold by th

SWEET SAVOUR TO THE LORD -NUMBERS 15:1-16 KEY VERSE: "And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock" (Numbers 15:3).. Many factors conjoin to make our food enjoyable. Food makers know so well the importance of aroma, mouth-feel and appearance when it comes to food consumption experience. The senses of taste and smell are inexplicably tied together and arc critical in food enjoyment and safety. Except for what we consume strictly for medical reasons, food has to pass the aroma and taste test to get our acceptance or approval. God is also interested in sweet aroma. It could have been the missing element in the rejected offering of Cain as opposed to that of Abel whose sacrifice was accepted by God. When Noah appreciatively offered to God after the deluge, "the LORD smelled a sweet savour". Fol

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES FRIDAY, 26TH MAY.  http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ HE'S UNLIMITED. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God (Psalm 90:2). Many people have unconsciously placed a limit on God, who He is, and what He’s capable of doing. Notice what our opening verse says about His illimitable personality: from everlasting to everlasting, He’s God. That means both in the dateless past, and in the dateless future, He is God. Isn’t that amazing? No wonder the human mind can’t easily grasp things about Him. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” For example, there’re those who question the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus. They even say, “How can God, who is neither a woman nor a man, have a son?” When you ask such questions, you’re re

  May 26, 2017 Navigating Rough Waters Joe Stowell 1 Chronicles 28:9–20 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LordGod, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.  1 Chronicles 28:20 I was enjoying the start of my first whitewater rafting experience—until I heard the roar of the rapids up ahead. My emotions were flooded with feelings of uncertainty, fear, and insecurity at the same time. Riding through the whitewater was a first-rate, white-knuckle experience! And then, suddenly, it was over. The guide in the back of the raft had navigated us through. I was safe—at least until the next set of rapids.  Transitions in our lives can be like whitewater experiences. The inevitable leaps from one season of life to the next—college to career, changing jobs, living with parents to living alone or with a spouse, career to retirement, youth to old age—are all marked by uncertainty and insecurity.  In one of the most significant transitions recorded in Old Testament his

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES MONDAY, 22ND MAY.  http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ HE'S ALIVE AND AT WORK IN YOU. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:13 NIV). The thought in our opening verse is such a powerful blessing. It lets you know that there’s a divine force, something supernatural and completely beyond you, that makes you do the things you do as a Christian. That force or power is Christ in you. When you study the life of Jesus in His earth-walk, you’ll see that power at work in Him. Acts 10:38 declares, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” It was God working in Him to give sight to the blind, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, mend the broken hearted, deliver those who were oppressed of the devil, and even raise the dead. That same Christ, in His mighty power, is at work in you thr

A SECOND LOOK AT GREATNESS -MARK 10:35-45 KEY VERSE: "But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister" (Mark 10:43). Whenever we hear the word "great" or "greatness", we often think of certain outstanding and revered people. Truly, history has a rich record of notable people in every field of human endeavour who have demonstrated rare leadership qualities, creative abilities, courage, sportsmanship and other skills. God, however, has a different way of looking at greatness. Greatness subsists in serving others and not waiting to be served by others or attaining a position where we think we can lord it over others. Worldly fame, honour and authority can be quite tantalizing, but they should not be our motive in life or ministry. The sons of Zebedee, James and John had requested privileged positions in Christ’s kingdom. They were willing to suffer for it, but Christ, hinting that they would eventually suff

God Made Us Unique By Billy Graham   •   May 22   •   Topics: Soul & Spirit HomeDaily DevotionGod Made Us Unique group of young people Our soul waiteth for the Lord . . . —Psalm 33:20 I am a soul—and I have a body! The body is the house in which the soul lives. When Oliver Wendell Holmes was in his 80th year, a friend hailed him and asked, “How are you?” “I’m fine,” said Holmes, “the house I live in is tottering and crumbling, but Oliver Wendell Holmes is fine, thank you.” In this materialistic age we often forget that the real, the abiding part of us is invisible. Much time, money, and effort are expended to perpetuate the physical part of us, and too many are unconcerned about their spiritual health and nurture. Hence doctors’ offices are overcrowded, and many ministers’ counseling rooms are empty. When God created man, He made him distinctive, different from the other animals. “He breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soul.” He clothed him with inte

OPEN HEAVEN 2017 SAUL BROKE THE PRIDE BARRIER – Sunday May 21st 2017 Memorise:  The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. Psalm 10:4 Read:  Acts 9:1-11 (King James Version) 1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go int

  May 22, 2017 Blink and Think of God Amy Peterson Deuteronomy 32:1–12 He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye. Deuteronomy 32:10 “God is like an eyelid,” my friend Ryley said, and I blinked in surprise. What could she mean by that? “Tell me more,” I replied. Together, we had been studying surprising pictures of God in the Bible, things like God as a laboring mother (Isa. 42:14) or as a beekeeper (7:18), but this one was new to me. Ryley pointed me to Deuteronomy 32, where Moses praises the way God takes care of His people. Verse 10 says that God shields and protects His people, guarding them “as the apple of his eye.” But the word we translate apple , Ryley told me, literally means pupil. And what encircles and guards the pupil? The eyelid, of course! God is like the eyelid, which instinctively protects the tender eye. The eyelid guards the eye from danger, and by blinking helps remove dirt or dust. It keeps sweat out of the eye. It lubricat