Rhema

A man without the Holy Ghost is a blind man. He may not know it but that’s what blindness is all about. A blind man is not just someone who cannot see, he can see alright, but all he sees is darkness. It’s the same thing in the realm of the spirit. A blind man in the realm of the spirit is one who doesn’t know the things of the spirit, he can’t see the things of the Spirit of God. But when the Holy Spirit comes into your life, you will no longer be blind because He will cause you to see what others can’t see.

"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. Matthew 3:13"
Devotion : Jesus Christ made a profound statement when the centurion came to Him for help. Apparently, he needed healing for his servant. Jesus Christ said, "as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee". In other words, if you come to God with a need, you must believe that He will do it and what you receive will be commensurate your faith. In other words, you will receive little things if your faith is little, and you will receive great things if your faith is great. Some people want great things but their belief or faith is too little to receive them. What they need to do is to grow their faith; they should practice the belief or faith in getting the little things, then move from that level to strong/great faith to receive great things from God. For example, it is better to believe God for a better job than to believe God for a spouse when you have no job.

James 1:5-6 (ESV) says that “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”

Do you need more wisdom to guide you? Of course! We all do. When we turn to worldly things for guidance, we are left stranded and alone. We each need a compass that will always spin around and point north to Christ.

"With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Psalm 91:16" : God is in the business of giving long life to His children. When man fell from grace in the Garden of Eden, he began to die. People used to live for nine hundred and sixty-nine years, but this number started to decline. When man began to commit numerous sins, the years of man on earth were cut to one hundred and twenty years, Genesis 6:3. This is long life in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the just shall live by faith, Romans 1:17; this means that the children of God are given the opportunity to live as long as they can to do the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

"The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. Psalms 103:6"
God Has positioned the saints at every point in time to assist the oppressed in society. The Lord Jesus Christ in His ministry on earth concentrated on the oppressed in society (Acts 10:38). Likewise, Christians are encouraged to minister to the poor, the needy, and the oppressed. This is because the poor, needy, and oppressed are marginalized in society; they don't have a voice that speaks for them. It is only God, according to the opening scripture, who executes righteousness and judgment for all the oppressed. Christians are the children of God through whom God will execute His righteousness and judgment on earth. Dear beloved, have you availed yourself for God to use to execute His righteousness and judgment?

Leviticus 2:1
‘When anyone offers a grain offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. And he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it.
The grain offering in the Old Testament speaks of Jesus’ sacrifice, and oil in the Bible speaks of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. So the grain offering of fine flour, which had oil poured on it, speaks of Jesus’ humanity being anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is fully God. But when He came to earth, He literally emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. (Philippians 2:7) That is why He needed to be anointed of the Holy Spirit before He could begin His ministry. (John 1:33) Though fully God, He did things by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was anointed to bring the blessings of God into the lives of people. He first spoke of His anointing when He was preaching in His hometown—“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor…” (Luke 4:18)

Today, Jesus’ anointing has come upon you. (1 John 2:20) The Bible says that “the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you”. (1 John 2:27) But how is this anointing in you released?

My friend, it is when you call upon Jesus’ name. In Song of Solomon 1:3, the virgins, representing the church, love His name, which is like ointment poured forth when spoken. When they called upon His Name, His fragrance was released and the anointing was poured forth.

So when you call upon the name of Jesus, you are releasing His anointing. Call upon His name when you are feeling down and His anointing will lift your spirit up. If you are feeling dry and empty, just say, “Jesus, Jesus.” Before you know it, a river of refreshing will gush forth as His anointing flows. Call upon His name when you need a breakthrough and His anointing will release it to you.

Romans 10:13 says that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”. So call on Jesus’ name and watch His anointing release your deliverance, healing, protection and provision, and make you whole!

2 Peter 3:17-18

All around the world, people go to church, bow their heads to pray, and hear sermons, but many are not growing spiritually.

It is all too common for believers to assume that these actions fulfill Christian obligations. They may complete a checklist but have an idle relationship with Jesus. Do you see evidence in your own life that you’re maturing in your walk with the Lord?

To blossom spiritually, we must be saved. This happens the moment God makes us new, cleansing us of unrighteousness and adopting us as His own children. Then, we can begin to grow. However, even with this new life, we can be stagnant.

There are several indicators that reveal the quality of our Christian journey. Today, let’s explore a few of them. First, growing believers should sense a deepening hunger for Christ. As we experience more of Jesus, who is the bread of life (John 6:35), our desire for Him will increase. Second, believers dwelling closely with the Savior will notice that their discernment of sin sharpens. Faulty teaching and thinking become more obvious as we accumulate truth within our spirit. Third, our sphere of love should continuously expand. In time, the Holy Spirit enables us to care for people who previously were either unnoticed or difficult to accept.

Do you have a hunger for God and an increasing awareness of sin? Is your love available only for those who match your personal standard of performance—or do you find yourself caring about even difficult people? These are important questions to ask when evaluating your spiritual growth.

Every human being born into this world is facing two undeniable facts. The first is that
we are in this world for a brief period of time and then we face a physical death. The
second is that each one of us will live in eternity. We will enter it either to be in the
presence of God, or we will be eternally separated from him … forever.
Our eternal destiny is determined by the relationship we have with God the Father
through his Son, Jesus Christ. In the meanwhile, we have a life to live here on earth! The
Bible is our guide in how we should not only live our lives here on earth, using our time,
talent, and treasure for God’s glory, but also how we should prepare for entering the
world that will last forever.

Inspiring Christian Stories
Father's Love Letter
The words you are about to experience are true. They will change your life if you let them. For they come from the very heart of God... He loves you...and He is the Father you have been looking for all your life. This is His love letter to you...

My Child…

You may not know me, but I know everything about you …Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up …Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways …Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered …Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image …Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being …Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring …Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived …Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation …Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book …Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live …Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made …Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb …Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born …Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me …John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love …1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you …1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father …1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could …Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father …Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand …James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs …Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope …Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love …Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore ...Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing …Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you …Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession …Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul …Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things …Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me …Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart …Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires …Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine …Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager …2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles …2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you …Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart …Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes …Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth …Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus …John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed …John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being …Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you …Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins …2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled …2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you …1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love …Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me …1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again …Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen …Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father …Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…Will you be my child? …John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you …Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad... Almighty God

An Interview with God
I dreamed I had an INTERVIEW WITH GOD.

"So, you would like to interview me?" GOD asked.

"If you have time," I said.

GOD smile. "My time is eternity... what questions do you have in mind for me?"

"What surprises you the most about humankind?"

GOD answered...

"That they get bored with childhood, that they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again."

"That they lose their health to make money... and then lose their money to restore their health."

"That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future."

"That they live as if they would never die, and die as though they had never lived."

GOD's hand took mine... and we were silent for a while.

And then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"

GOD replied, "To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is let themselves be loved."

"To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others."

"To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness."

"To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them."

"To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least."

"To learn that there are people who love them dearly, but simply do not yet know how to express or show their feelings."

"To learn that two people can look at the same thing, and see it differently."

"To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves."

"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.

"Is there anything else you would like your children to know?"

GOD smiled, and said... "Just know that I am here. Always."

What Do You Want Him to Do for You?
It's just as easy to receive from Jesus today as it ever was. Back in the days when
He walked the earth, Jesus would just be going from one place to another and people
would rush up to Him with faith in their hearts, and in their mouths²and He'd do
whatever they asked Him to do.
It was as simple as that! He did whatever they asked for in faith.
You can see that in the life of blind Bartimaeus. The Bible says he was sitting by the
highway begging one day when Jesus came walking by: "And when he heard that it
was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have
mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the
more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me" (Mark 10:47-48).
Look what happened when Bartimaeus cried out: "And Jesus stood still, and
commanded him to be called" (verse 49). That's always the way Jesus was. No
matter what He was doing, when a person cried out in faith, Jesus would stop and
minister to that person. He's still that way. At the call of faith today, all of heaven
moves to answer that prayer.
When they brought Bartimaeus to Jesus, do you know what He said? He said, "What
wilt thou that I should do unto thee?" (verse 51). In The Amplified Bible it reads,
"What do you want Me to do for you?" "The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I
might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made
thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way"
(verses 51-52) n't that easy? Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted. Bartimaeus answered…and
Jesus did it.
Glory to God! Jesus has that same attitude toward us today. Every morning when
you get up, He's saying, What do you want Me to do for you?

But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6

If they are asked to name some of the Ten Commandments, many people will say, “You shall not steal; you shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery.” But few will mention number ten, which is, in its shortest version, is “You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17). Here are four reasons to watch out for covetousness:
It’s as bad as any other sin

When the Apostle Paul describes the relationship between sin and the law in his great epistle to the Romans, does he mention sexual sin or murder? No, he mentions covetousness!

“. . . for I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead” (Romans 7:7-8).

Covetousness is so significant that Paul uses it here as representative of ALL sin.
Covetousness is Idolatry

Would you build an altar in your home so you could worship a statue? Of course not! So why would you habitually practice covetousness, which amounts to the same thing? “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5-6).
God sees our heart

Why are the commandments about stealing, killing, and adultery so well-known, but covetousness is not? Perhaps because the others are outward and visible, while covetousness is an inward sin, an attitude rather than an action.

But God is as concerned with our heart – our inner being – as our outward behavior. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Jesus’ harshest words were reserved for the religious leaders, who maintained the appearance of holiness, but were sinful in their hearts: “And the Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed (a form of covetousness) and wickedness’” (Luke 11:39).
Covetousness leads to other sins

We may try to appear good, but eventually, what’s in our hearts always shows up in our outward actions. Luke 6:45 puts it this way: “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

The inward sin of covetousness often leads to the outward sins of stealing, killing and adultery – and more. John Piper, in his book, Future Grace, puts it this way: “Covetousness is a breeding ground for a thousand other sins.”
Fighting covetousness

What’s the opposite of covetousness? Contentment. If covetousness means wanting things we don’t have, contentment means being satisfied with what we DO have. We do this by reminding ourselves that the Lord has promised to meet ALL our needs: “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).

Remember that NEEDS and WANTS are not the same. You will always see people who have more than you. If not your neighbors, then people on TV – celebrities with sports cars, big houses and servants, beautiful clothing and dazzling jewelry, and all the latest technology gadgets.

As Jesus spent His earthly days in humble circumstances, we can learn to be content if we have a home to live in and food to eat. In the same letter to the Philippians, Paul said, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13).

As we grow in contentment, trusting God to meet our needs, we will find ourselves desiring the things of this world less and less. The Holy Spirit will free us from the idolatry of covetousness, and we will find our ultimate satisfaction in our Lord Jesus, bringing much glory to God.