Rhapsody of Realities

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3 Rhapsody of Realities...A DAILY DEVOTIONAL Chris & Anita OYAKHILOME LOVEWORLD PUBLISHING

4 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Keys for other BIBLE Translations Used: NKJV -New King James Version AMP -The Amplified Bible TANT -The Amplified New Translation TLB -The Living Bible CEV -Contemporary English Version NASB -New American Standard Bible ISV -International Standard Version NIV -New International Version MSG -The Message Translation WEB -The World English Bible TNLT -The New Living Translation ASV -American Standard Version TEV -Today s English Version RSV -Revised Standard Version GNB -Good News Bible WNT -Weymouth New Testament Rhapsody Of Realities...a daily devotional ISSN August 2013 edition Copyright 2013 LoveWorld Publishing, Believers LoveWorld Inc. a.k.a Christ Embassy. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO PLACE ORDERS: United Kingdom: Christ Embassy Int l Office Loveworld Conference Centre Cheriton High Street Folkestone, Kent. CT19 4QJ Tel:+44(0) Fax: Usa: Christ Embassy Int l Office, 200 E Arrowhead Drive Suite W-3 Charlotte, NC Tel:+1 (0) Canada: Christ Embassy Int l Office, 50 Weybright Court, Unit 43B Toronto, ON MIS 5A8 Tel: South Africa: 303 Pretoria Avenue Cnr. Harley and Braam Fischer, Randburg, Gauteng South Africa. Tel: ; Usa: Christ Embassy Houston, 8623 Hemlock Hill Drive Houston, Texas Tel: ; Canada: 600 Clayson Road North York, Toronto M9M 2G6, Canada. Tel/Fax: Nigeria: P.O. Box Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: , , info@rhapsodyofrealities.org All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written permission of LoveWorld Publishing.

5 Introduction Hurray! Your favourite daily devotional, Rhapsody of Realities, is now available in 189 languages, and still counting. We trust that the 2013 edition of the devotional has enhanced your spiritual growth and development and positioned you for extraordinary success in all your endeavours. The life-changing thoughts in this edition will refresh, transform and energize your faith, as you engage in a rewarding experience with God s Word. - HOW TO USE THIS DEVOTIONAL FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT - Read and carefully meditate on each article. Saying the prayers and confessions aloud to yourself daily will ensure the results of God s Word that you re speaking come to pass in your life. Go through the entire Bible in one year with the one-year reading plan, or in two years with the two-year reading plan. You can also split the daily Bible reading portions into two parts morning and evening reading. Use the devotional to prayerfully write out your goals for each month, and measure your success as you accomplish one goal after another. We invite you to enjoy God s glorious presence and victory, as you take a daily dose of His Word! We love you! God bless you! -Pastor Chris & Pastor Anita Oyakhilome

6 Rhapsody of Realities...A DAILY DEVOTIONAL

7 thursday, august 1st Get To Know Your Features pastor chris But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23). The attraction of a device is in its features. For example, in choosing a new phone handset, you want to know what its features are. You want to know all that device is capable of. In your journey of life in Christ, some of the things to be acquainted with are your features ; what do you have in you? What are the features of this new life you ve received in your spirit? You re God s handiwork, His excellently crafted masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10), and there re specific features that are peculiar to you, such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. These are the features of your recreated human spirit. The fact that they re described as fruits in our opening verse lets you know they re things you can develop, and grow in your life! You can multiply their power and usefulness. Many people never care about the features of their devices; they only use the most basic ones, and therefore don t enjoy the device to its full potential. For example, the love of God is in you; put it to work at all times. Love is victorious over all circumstances; 7

8 therefore, walk in love, and you ll always win, because love-power is the greatest power there is. There re more features in you; study the Word to know them and put them to work. 1 John 4:4 for example says, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. This means you re victorious over the world, and you ve overcome the wicked one and the evil spirits of darkness; including all the negativities of life, because the Greater One lives in you. As you study the Word, you ll discover the magnificent qualities of your recreated human spirit. We can live an extraordinary life through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and excellence. Confession I know who I am. I m a Christ-in-you person! I m conscious of the inherent features of the God-life in my spirit! I ve been fashioned for glory, beauty and excellence; I bring forth good things today, because my heart is a treasury of blessings. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Matthew 12:35; 1 John 5:4 1year bible reading plan: Romans 6:1-14 Psalms year bible reading plan: Luke 12:22-34 Judges 7 8

9 friday, august 2nd Your Name And Your Destiny 9 pastor chris Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee (Genesis 17:5). Whatever name you answer, as a person, has a direct bearing on your destiny; your name gives meaning to your destiny. This explains why it was necessary for God to change the names of certain characters in the Bible in line with their destinies in God. A good example is Abraham, who was formerly called Abram. Abram meant exalted father or assumed father; one who was regarded as a father, even though he didn t have children. However, one day, God spoke to him and said, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee (Genesis 17:4-5). He believed God, and immediately started answering the name Abraham, meaning a father of many nations. Another example is Jacob; he was named Jacob at birth because when he was born, he held on to his brother s heel. Jacob means swindler or deceiver; and true to his name, he obtained his brother s birthright through deceit, with the aid of his mother. However, when he encountered the Angel of God s presence and asked to be blessed, the Angel wouldn t bless him until his name was changed from Jacob (the swindler)

10 to Israel, a prince with God (Genesis 32:28); thus was his destiny transformed for good. Before Peter came to Jesus, he answered the name Simon, meaning a reed shaken by the wind, unstable. As Simon, he wasn t consistent. One day Jesus said to him, And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, (Greek: Petros) and upon this rock (Greek: Petra) I will build my church (Matthew 16:18). Petros means a little rock that s founded on a greater hidden rock (Petra), not just a stone; signifying stability and consistency. If the name you ve been answering isn t consistent with the Word of God, you ve got to change it, because your name is your destiny. It makes no difference that you ve answered the name all your life; if you find that its meaning isn t consistent with the revelation of who you are as a new creation in Christ, you must respond to God s Word and change it as an act of faith. When you do, your new name will be recorded in heaven, and the destiny of the former one will be cancelled. Prayer Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for the revelation of your Word that enlightens me on who I am in Christ. Thank you for leading and guiding me in the way that I should go, taking paths that you ve preordained for me, and elevating me unto higher levels of your glory, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Matthew 16: year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: Romans 6:15-7:1-6 Luke 12:35-48 Psalms Judges 8 10

11 saturday, august 3rd Triumphant In Christ 11 pastor anita Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place (2 Corinthians 2:14). When you confessed the Lordship of Jesus over your life, you were immediately catapulted into the Kingdom of God s dear Son; into a life of triumph. Sadly, many don t understand this glorious truth and as a result, live below their calling. They re up today, and down tomorrow; and to them, Such is life: you win some, and you lose some. But that s not consistent with the life we have in Christ; we don t win sometimes, and lose sometimes; we win all the time! It s a life of continuous triumph. Observe our opening verse again; it says, thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ ; not sometimes, but always. What a life! Christianity is not a religion; it s the life of God lived out through you; it s divinity at work in humanity. You can t have this mentality about Christianity, and be beaten down in life. Until you come to know the Christian life beyond the facade of religion, all you d have is the religiosity of Christian principles; and that s not good enough. You need the understanding of your victorious life in Christ; you need to have the revelation of the triumphant, exultant life of the supernatural that you ve been called to live. Such an understanding will put springs in your steps. To know that you have

12 the very nature of God in your human spirit and His pulsating life in every fibre of your being will change your perception in life. As one who s born again, become conscious of who you are and what you have in Christ. You re different from the rest of the world; you have the God-life, which makes you one with Him. With that life working in you, sickness, disease and infirmity of the body shouldn t have power over you, likewise sin. Sin is the cause of sickness, and Romans 6:14 says, For sin shall not have dominion over you. If sin, which is the parent of sickness, has no power over you anymore, by virtue of the pulsating, triumphant life in Christ, then sickness, which is the offspring of sin, shouldn t have any power over you. Halleluiah! Confession I m a victor in Christ Jesus. I m more than a conqueror. I function by the wisdom of God, and in the dominion of the Spirit over every situation! I live the triumphant life in Christ today, as I recognize and put to work my authority in Christ! Glory to God! f u r t h e r s t u d y: 1 John 5:4; Romans 8:17 1year bible reading plan: Romans 7:7-25 Psalms year bible reading plan: Luke 12:49-59 Judges 9 12

13 sunday, august 4th A Special Breed 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 Christian is a special breed; he belongs to a special class God s class of being. He s a partaker of the divine nature; that means an associate of the God-kind. Therefore, when we say, for example, that a Christian ought not to be sick, it s premised on this reality. You have the very life of God in you. You re born of God s incorruptible seed His Word (1 Peter 1:23); therefore, the life in you can t be corrupted by sickness, disease or death. However, in spite of this truth, there re still many who believe it s normal for a Christian to be sick; but that s completely at variance with what the Word teaches. In Mark 16:17-18, the Lord Jesus said concerning the Christian, And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Could it get better than this? Notice the underlined words. He said if they (the Christians the believing ones) drink any deadly thing they d not be hurt! You re not amongst those that 13 pastor chris

14 can be infected by anything! Jesus said so, and if He did, then it s absolute reality. No infection should have power over you. It makes no difference if this hasn t been your experience, the words of the Master hold true. Meditate on the Word until it becomes your mind-set and experience. You re peculiar ; that means unique; one of a kind. James 1:18 says, Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Being the firstfruit of His creatures means you re the first and the best of all that God created; you re topmost and first-class all the way; you re His glory. He didn t create you to be subject to the devil, sickness, disease, infirmities, pain and depravity; He made you superior to Satan! He created you for glory, beauty, and excellence; therefore, refuse to accommodate anything that s inconsistent with His nature in your life. Prayer Dear Father, I thank you for giving me your life and nature a life of glory, dominion and excellence; free of sickness, disease and infirmities. Nothing shall by any means hurt me because my body is sanctified and preserved from all evil. I walk in the reality of this truth today, and always, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Luke 10:19; 1 Peter 2:9 1year bible reading plan: Romans 8:1-17 Psalms year bible reading plan: Luke 13:1-9 Judges 10 14

15 pastor chris monday, august 5th Train Your Spirit To Discern His Voice If as a Christian, you find it difficult to discern the voice of the Spirit, it s not because His voice is weak when He speaks. It s because you haven t trained your spirit to discern His voice. It s possible to train yourself to discern the voice of the Spirit, and here are a few thoughts that ll help you. First, you must develop a voracious appettite for the Word. Study the Word and know it for yourself. The voice of God s Spirit is made known to you through the written Word. Secondly, learn to act on the Word quickly. When you receive instructions or counsel from God s Word, don t delay; act at once. That s learning to train your spirit. Thirdly, pray the Word. Prayer helps to condition your spirit to become a dependable receptacle of God s ideas, visions and promptings. So, how you pray, what you pray about, and the content of your prayer, on the basis of the Word, determine how sensitive your spirit will be to His voice. Also, desire spiritual things; things that matter to God: desire them from your heart and pursue them. The proof of desire is pursuit. Engage yourself with activities that ll edify your spirit such as soul winning, 15 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27).

16 participation in church meetings and services etc. Commit your resources time, money and attention to the things that matter to the Lord. Prayer My spirit is sensitive to God s voice, and I m able to discern His voice and counsel to me always because I m His sheep. The ways of the Spirit have been manifested unto me, and I m guided from within and through the Word to know and walk in the paths of life, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Isaiah 30:21; Acts 13:2 1year bible reading plan: Romans 8:18-39 Psalms year bible reading plan: Luke 13:10-21 Judges 11 16

17 tuesday, august 6th A Life Of Rest pastor anita For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his (Hebrews 4:10). When you study the account of creation in Genesis chapter one, you ll observe that God created man on the sixth day, in His own image and likeness, after He had created everything else. Satisfied, the Bible says He rested from all His works on the seventh day: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested (Genesis 2:2). When God was done creating man, everything was ready. Man s first day in the earth was God s day of rest. Adam didn t meet God working; he met Him resting. It wasn t that God rested so Adam could finish the rest of the work, no; God finished all the work before Adam was formed. Adam was born into rest. This was God s purpose and intent for man at the beginning. Man is supposed to function from a position of rest; free from struggles, anxieties, turmoil and hardships. No wonder Paul said in Philippians 4:6, be anxious for nothing ; in other words, have no worries. If you ve found yourself struggling through life, though you ve been born again, you can change it. God made you for His pleasure; that means He created 17

18 you to be pleased and happy about you. That s why He has also given you all things richly to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). 2 Peter 1:3 tells us that He s given you all things that are related to life and godliness; in other words, both spiritually and materially, you don t lack anything; because He s already given you ALL things! You weren t born to suffer. The life He s given you is one of supernatural grace, glory, dominion, joy and righteousness; it s an extraordinary life of success, from a position of rest. If you ve been toiling, struggling and battling in life, embrace the Lord s rest. Take His yoke upon you, for His yoke is easy, and His burden is light; and you shall find rest for your soul (Matthew 11:28-29). Prayer Dear Father, I thank you for creating me for your pleasure, and giving me an extraordinary life of success, from a position of rest. I function today with joy, in righteousness, dominion, and power; knowing that you ve given me all that I need for life and for godliness, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Hebrews 4:3; Matthew 6: year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: Romans 9:1-29 Luke 13:22-30 Psalms Judges 12 18

19 wednesday, august 7th True Humility And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name, which is above every name: (Philippians 2:8-9). Humility is a quality of the recreated human spirit that attracts divine favour and promotion. It s an inner ability a vital force which enables you to respond with absolute submissiveness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, through the Word of God. It s often expressed in action by the willingness to take on the responsibility of service to others, in loyalty to the Word. The Lord Jesus lived a practical example of what true humility is. First, He demonstrated His total submission to the will of the Father as it is written in Hebrews 10:7: Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Secondly, the Bible tells us in Philippians 2:6-9, that though He was equal with God, He didn t count His equality with God anything to latch on to. Rather, He made Himself of no reputation, took upon Him the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death. For this reason, God exalted Him and gave Him a name that is above every name. As believers, we re to have the mind of Christ 19 pastor chris

20 and emulate His humility. True humility for us is to be submissive to the Lordship of the Word of God. So you ve got to know the Word, and let the Word guide your thoughts, words, and actions. That s the way to be submissive to Jesus, for He is the Living Word. Moreover, 1 Peter 5:6 enjoins us to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God that we may be exalted in due time. Just as Jesus was exalted for doing the Father s will, you too will be promoted from glory to glory as you live in total submission to the Word. Prayer Dear Father, I m yielded to your Word now and always, guided and propelled by your wisdom, and clothed with humility, as I live to bring you glory, fulfilling your destiny for me, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: 1 Peter 5:5; Philippians 2:5-10 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: Romans 9:30-10:1-21 Luke 13:31-35 Psalms 78 Judges

21 Publish his glory among the godless nations, his wonders to all races and religions (1 Chronicles 16:24 MSG). ReachOut campaigns are festivals; they re massive and elaborate celebrations of God s Word, and their impact is always the same in whatever city or nation they re held. Many are reached at once with the glorious news of the Kingdom, and so many have the opportunity to give their hearts to Christ. These nations also experience development as partners embark on charity projects to improve the lives of the citizens. In the months of September and October, partners of Rhapsody of Realities in South Africa and Nigeria, will organize mega ReachOut campaigns, where they ll distribute several million copies of Rhapsody of Realities. Through these campaigns, the glory of God will increase, and righteousness will reign in these nations. You can also bless your country, city, community, or organization in a special way by organizing a ReachOut Campaign with Rhapsody of Realities. To find out how to organize one, please call: , ,

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23 thursday, august 8th Upgrade Your Life And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified (Acts 20:32). At certain times, we feel obliged to upgrade our equipment and devices, such as cars, computers, phones, and electronics or even our wardrobe, furniture, or the entire house. While this is commendable, we ought also to give greater attention to upgrading our lives. This is possible through the application of God s Word. The Word of God has been given to us to transform and renew our minds, and upgrade our lives from glory to glory. Give more attention to the Word. Study, and meditate on the scriptures. Proverbs 4:20 says, My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. It doesn t matter what state you re in right now, if you d give yourself wholly to the Word, it ll upgrade you spiritually, mentally, financially and physically; your whole life will be improved! The Word of God is a life-builder; you can confidently entrust your life to the Word; it ll build you up, deliver your inheritance to you, and catapult you from one level of victory and success to another level. 2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us, But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are 23 pastor chris

24 changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. The word changed above doesn t mean changing from bad to good; it s from the Greek word metamorphoo ; and it means metamophorsis ; a transformation from one level of glory to another! This happens through study and meditation on the Word. Confession The Word of God is working in me, and building me up daily. In every area of my life, there s development and progress because the Word is my total life-builder. I m effective, excellent, and prospering in all things because I live in, and by, the Word! f u r t h e r s t u d y: Romans 12:2; Joshua 1:8 1year bible reading plan: Romans 11:1-24 Psalms year bible reading plan: Luke 14:1-14 Judges

25 friday, august 9th Blessed Fortified And Protected! pastor anita As a child of God, there s a hedge of protection over your life; it s placed there by God. Sadly, many breach that hedge without realizing it, through perverse or unwholesome communication. Proverbs 15:4 says, A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. 1Peter 3:10 (GNB) says, If you want to enjoy life and wish to see good times, you must keep from speaking evil and stop telling lies. Speaking evil means saying things that contradict God s Word. The cardinal lie is the contradiction of the Word of God. There s a lesson in the story of Job in the Old Testament. Job, through his negative talking, gave Satan the inroad to his life, to wallop him. Job was a righteous man, who feared the Lord, and did what was right in His sight, and God blessed, fortified and protected him on everyside. The devil couldn t afflict Job, despite trying several times. In Job1:10, Satan, admitted this much: hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. Yet, with all the spiritual walls of protection 25 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee (Psalm 91:7).

26 built around Job, he overthrew himself through the perverseness of his lips. He dug holes in the hedge God had built around him through his confessions of fear, discouragement and danger. Read part of his negative confessions in Job 3:25-26: For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came. This is completely at variance with the reality of his life, and what God did for him, which even Satan acknowledged in Job 1:10. Don t speak words of fear, or admit that you re not in safety, irrespective of the perceived danger. Rather, affirm always that no evil shall befall you, because your life is hidden with Christ, in God (Colossians 3:1). Declare that God s angels are watching over you everywhere you go, to keep you in all your ways. Confession I dwell in the secret place of the most high, and abide in His holy presence; therefore, no evil shall befall me, neither shall any plague come near my dwelling. Blessed be God. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Proverbs 18:21; Psalm 91:2-6 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: Romans 11:25-36 Luke 14:15-24 Psalms Judges 17 26

27 saturday, august 10th He Rules In Your Body pastor chris But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you (Romans 8:11). Did you know that the presence of the Holy Spirit in you, vitalizes your physical body? Your body therefore has the capacity for divine health. That s reality. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; He lives in you with all of His glory and power. 1 Corinthians 6:15 says, Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. Notice that Paul used the plural noun bodies, to refer to each one of us in the body of Christ; your body is a member of Christ ; not just your spirit! Christ lives in, and uses, your physical body; He rules and functions in your body. This was again the Apostle Paul s submission in the next verse when he said, And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people (2 Corinthians 6:16). First, he says, I will dwell in them, that means settle down, or make His headquarters in you. This happened when 27

28 you received the Holy Spirit to live in you. Then he continues: and walk in them. Walk, there, is the Greek word emperipateo, which means to perambulate: to walk up and down in a supervisory way, as an official assigned to a border would. That official keeps moving up and down that border, to see if there s been a breach, so he could fix it. The Holy Spirit does this inside you: He perambulates in you, and if anything goes wrong in your physical body, He ll fix it; and if He needs to renew it, He ll renew it. Can you see why no sickness, disease, or infirmity should have the power to ravage your physical body? Let Him rule your body. Confession My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, where His glory, beauty, aura and perfections are manifested. Sickness and disease have no tenancy in my body; my entire being is inundated with the presence of God! Glory to His Name forever! f u r t h e r s t u d y: Romans 8:10; John 14: year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: Romans 12:1-16 Luke 14:25-35 Psalms Judges 18 28

29 sunday, august 11th Courageous For The Gospel Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:14-15). To be an effective witness for Christ, you must be courageous, with the boldness of the Spirit, in increasing measure. It brings to mind the charge the Lord gave Joshua as He prepared to lead the children of Israel to their promised land. He said to Him, Only be thou strong and very courageous (Joshua 1:7). Courage is the ability to face danger and opposition fearlessly. It s also the will and ability to stand for what s right in spite of opposition. So being courageous for the Gospel means being willing and ready to do what s right and necessary for the propagation of the Gospel, in spite of opposition. What s needed in the ministry of the Gospel today are men and women of courage; courage to affirm faith in Christ, no matter the adversity. The Lord Jesus, the apostles, and the early Church stood their grounds for the Gospel in spite of oppositions. They didn t chicken out. They withstood kings and despots of their time; nothing could intimidate them. This courage and passion to minister life, to strengthen others, and bring them into God s light should spur you on for the Gospel. 29 pastor chris

30 We ve been ordained of God to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ; we re to tell the untold about Jesus and reach the unreached. It s a task for everyone who is in Christ; you have a ministry to your world. The Lord knows you d require courage to achieve this, hence He gave you the Holy Spirit, to strengthen and empower you for the task. You have all it takes; therefore, have that inner fortitude to make the Gospel known at any cost. Be willing to do anything that s right and necessary for the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; it s the greatest cause to live for. Prayer Heavenly Father, I thank you for the privilege given to me to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, and minister life to those in my world, through the Gospel. Thank you for empowering me for this glorious task, which I m glad to carry out today, by the power of your Spirit, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: Romans 12:17-13:1-14 Luke 15:1-10 Psalms 89 Judges 19 30

31 monday, august 12th Keep Making Progress Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great (Genesis 26:12-13). Our opening scripture gives us a good glimpse as to the kind of life God has ordained for us: one of consistent progress. Our path in life is as the shining light that shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18). This parallels what Apostle John describes in John 1:16, talking about the life of glory and success that we have in Christ: And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. When it says, grace for grace it actually means success heaped upon success; glory upon glory: a life of ever-increasing splendour. This is the life that we have in Him; therefore, always see increase. Aspire for more; dare to dream bigger. See yourself birthing new ideas and charting new frontiers; see yourself fruitful and productive in the Kingdom. Some people function at a certain level of productivity and wouldn t aspire for more until they get tired of that present level. You don t have to wait until you re tired; keep advancing; keep making progress. There re yet more lands to conquer. Recall that at Shiloh, Joshua challenged the children of 31 pastor anita

32 Israel saying, For how long will you wait here, while there s still so much land for you to possess? (Joshua 18:3). See and apprehend your next levels of success, increase, victory and promotion. Prayer Heavenly Father, I thank you for the life of increase, dominion, and power that I have in Christ Jesus. My understanding is enlightened today, to comprehend and apprehend my next level of glory, progress, and prosperity; I m waxing great, making progress and growing exceedingly in divine wisdom, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Deuteronomy 2:2-3; Haggai 2:9; Revelation 4:1 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: Romans 14-15:1-4 Luke 15:11-19 Psalms Judges 20 32

33 tuesday, august 13th Living Beyond The Senses pastor chris 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 those who are ruled by their senses. Instead of walking by faith, they walk by sensory perceptions; regulated in life only by that which they can physically see, hear, touch, taste, or smell. However, Christianity is a walk of faith; it s life beyond the senses. God is a Spirit; and spiritual realities can t be perceived with human senses. This is the reason the natural man can t comprehend the things of the Spirit; they re foolishness to him (1 Corinthians 2:14). He can only relate to what his physical senses perceive; like those who say, Seeing is believing. That s the language of the children of the flesh; and the Bible says, they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). Read the Apostle Paul s submission in 2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP: 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. The teachings of the Lord Jesus on the subject of faith were unequivocal; He didn t say seeing is believing, rather, He always said, If you believe, you would see. That was His response to Martha s unbelief in John 11:40; He said, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the 33

34 glory of God? Notice the order: you believe to see; that s faith calling real that which the physical senses can t perceive. Hebrews 11:1AMP 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]. Hebrew 11:6 then tells us that without faith it s impossible to please God. This means 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. Walking in the faith-realm means you take God s Word as final authority, and live accordingly, irrespective of physical or sensory pieces of evidence. Thus, it makes no difference how you feel, what you hear or see ; live beyond the senses; keep declaring the Word of faith. Confession I declare that irrespective of what I perceive with my physical senses, I m living in the spiritual realities of our divine kingdom. I experience divine health, absolute prosperity, unending success, abundant joy and indescribable peace, today and always, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Hebrews 11:1; 2 Corinthians 5:7 (AMP) 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: Romans 15:5-13 Luke 15:20-32 Psalms Judges 21 34

35 wednesday, august 14th A Call To Walk On Water So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid (John 6:19). The Christian life is a call to walk on the water ; in other words, it s a supernatural life of endless possibilities, where you recognize no obstacles or limitations. It s a life of advancement from glory to glory. Imagine that God would ask Moses to tell the children of Israel to Go forward, despite being sandwiched in a precipice: the Red Sea in front of them, and the hostile Egyptian army on their trail. As far as God was concerned, the Sea wasn t a factor to them progressing to the Promised Land. Eventually, God instructed Moses to stretch his hand over the water and the Red Sea parted for the children of Israel to walk through on dry ground. In a similar account, Joshua, Moses successor, had to pass through the River Jordan along with the children of Israel. To surmount the obstacle posed by the river, God instructed Joshua to tell the priests bearing the ark of the Lord to step in the water ahead of the others. The Bible lets us know that as soon as the priests stepped in the water, the waters parted for Joshua and the children of Israel to go through on dry ground (Joshua 3:17). Many years later, the Prophet Elijah and his servant Elisha came to the same Jordan. This time, the prophet simply cast his mantle on the water, and the river split open for him and Elisha to go through. Afterwards, Elisha, having witnessed the translation of Elijah, had to go back through the same Jordan. The Bible says, 35 pastor chris

36 he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over (2 Kings 2:14); remarkable indeed! Then came the Lord Jesus: On a certain night, He went up the mountain to pray, and when He was done, His disciples had already sailed out into the sea, and all the boats were gone. He didn t do as Moses, Joshua, Elijah or Elisha did; He had a different mind-set! He refused to recognize the water and walked right on top of it. Extraordinary! This is the Jesus whose icons we are. We have the same life and nature with Him; as He is, so are we in this world. He s blazed the trail for us, showing us the more excellent way to deal with the challenges of life. You don t need to command the Red Sea to open up; you don t need to command the Jordan to split wide open! Like Jesus, refuse to recognize their presence, and walk through: walk on the water! That s the way out of your troubles and adversities! Refuse to recognize obstacles; walk on them, for they re bread for you. Confession I m what God says I am; I m a member of His body, of His flesh and of His bones; invigorated by divinity! Greater is He that is in me, than he that s in the world! I m on an upward and forward journey of progress and success; positioned for glory and excellence, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Romans 8:37 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: Romans 15:14-33 Luke 16:1-12 Psalms Ruth

37 The Pastor Chris Digital Library is a mobile platform that lets you download audio and video messages by Pastor Chris, spanning various life issues, such as Healing and Health, Faith, Christian Living, Fellowship with the Holy Spirit, Prayer, Prosperity and Finance right on your Android device. How It Works Download messages you ve successfully purchased straight to your Android device, and sync all the messages you ve ever purchased to all your other Android devices. It s easy and straightforward! You can also get special notifications of newly published messages by Pastor Chris, and receive alerts on other freebies such as special offers, discounts, and lots more. Available for free download on the Google Play store.

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39 thursday, august 15th He Speaks Through The 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). If you re born again, the Spirit of God lives in you, and He guides you by the Word, in the way that you should go. The Word of God is the voice of God, and that s your surest-guide in life. Getting yourself acquainted with the Word is the way to know the counsel of the Spirit. Jesus said in John 10:27, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. In John 14:16 (AMP), He made another emphatic statement about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in leading and guiding you in life: And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever. The Holy Spirit lives in you and with you; He counsels you from within, in line with God s Word. No other personality in this life can lead you into success, victory and rest as the Holy Spirit would. He ll guide you to make accurate decisions, go to the right places at the right time, and do the right things the first time, for God s glory. Recognize the person and ministry of the Holy 39 pastor anita

40 Spirit in your life. Don t just talk to Him; learn to listen to Him as well; He s always talking to your spirit. Through the Word, He guides and leads you from glory to glory. He cares about everything you do; He takes interest even in the minutest detail about 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 the voice of the Holy Spirit. It s not hard at all to follow His leading, because 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 by following His Word. Prayer Dear Father, I thank you for your glory in my life. Thank you for beautifying me with your grace and filling me with your wisdom; I function excellently today, through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in me and guides me from within, piloting me from glory to glory, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: 1 John 2:27; John 16: year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: Romans 16:1-27 Luke 16:13-18 Psalms Ruth

41 pastor chris friday, august 16th We re The Fruits Of Christ s 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. They had to obey the Law to enjoy the benefits of the first covenant. For example, God had desired that the children of Israel 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 blessings. This 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 made 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 God s children. This happened when you were born again; you were born 41

42 with an inheritance. You don t have to try to obey the Law for God to bless you; you were born blessed (Ephesians 1:3). Christ already fulfilled the Law; you re the fruit of His obedience: For as by one man s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous (Romans 5:19). Through the obedience of Christ, God s gift: His blessing of righteousness was bequeathed to you. Nowhere in the New Testament are we told to obey God or to obey the Law ; rather we re called His obedient children: As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance (1 Peter 1:14). We re described as having obeyed God s Word of truth from the heart (Romans 6:17). So our blessings, our inheritance in Christ, aren t preconditioned on obedience; rather, they are our birthright! Confession I thank you dear Father for qualifying me to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. I reach forth today and take a hold of all that s mine in Christ Jesus, and enjoy the benefits and privileges reserved for me as an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 3:9 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 1 Luke 16:19-31 Psalms Samuel 1 42

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55 saturday, august 17th What Do You Want to Make? pastor chris In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:1-3). God is a maker a creator; He made all things by His spoken Word. In Genesis 1, we read that the whole earth was a chaotic mass formless and empty nothing was working; then God said, Let there be light, and light became. He created the world, and made everything beautiful by His creative Word: By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast (Psalms 33:6-9). Just like your heavenly Father, you re a maker ; a creator; because you re born after Him; you can function like Him. He s given you His incorruptible Word; that s the material you need to make whatever you want. The question is what do you want to make? Is there any unpleasant situation in your life right now that you d want to change? Is it in your health, academics, job, finances, business or family? Speak the Word of God in faith; say what God has said about 55

56 you, or concerning the situation, and keep saying it until there s a change. With the creative Word of God on your lips, you can make your life more beautiful, and move from glory to glory. Jesus said in John 17:14, I have given them thy word... That s the way out of every trouble and dilemma; God s Word! Hosea 14:2 says, Take with you words. Take a hold of the Word today, and create your victorious life. Create that promotion; declare your healing and health; call forth the money you need for that project. Speak God s Word on that chaotic situation for a change. Confession I function in the dominion of the Spirit, having been enthroned over Satan, the principalities of darkness, and all negative circumstances. My life is the manifestation of the graces, many-sided wisdom, and perfections of God, whose glory I am, and whose presence I carry to impact and beautify my world, in the Name of Jesus. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Mark 11:23; Hebrews 11:3 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 2 Luke 17:1-10 Psalms Samuel 2 56

57 sunday, august 18th Conveyors Of Eternal Verities pastor anita She came up in the crowd behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once (Luke 8:44 GNB). In Genesis 12:2, God said to Abraham, I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. All the promises of God to Abraham weren t just to Abraham, but to Abraham and his seed. Galatians 3:16 says, Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. Notice that it says, to Abraham and his seed ; not seeds. That seed is Christ; and as a new creation, you belong to Christ; therefore, you re the seed of Abraham! Galatians 3:29 says, And if ye be Christ s, then are ye Abraham s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Your union with Christ automatically qualified you as the real descendant of Abraham, and by extension, the heir of the Abrahamic blessings. This means that not only are you specially blessed of God, you re also a blessing; you re a conveyor of eternal verities! In you, shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; what a ministry. When you say to someone, God bless you, he or she is blessed, indeed, because you re the distributor of God s blessings. Anyone who associates with you, just because you belong to Jesus Christ, is 57

58 sure to receive a blessing from God, because you re a God-carrying vessel. You re His living tabernacle. Irrespective of what anyone may think of you, God has chosen to live in you, and has chosen you to be the dispenser of His goodness. Anyone who has a need, or is in a predicament, can have a miracle just by touching you. If only the people of the world would get to know this truth, their sufferings would be over! Someone afflicted with cancer wouldn t have to cry or become despondent; he or she could be healed just by touching you, because you re a God-carrier; a conveyor of His love, power, glory, virtue, compassion and grace. Having been born again, you re not an ordinary person; you re a divine package of power; you carry God everywhere you go. You re a conveyor of eternal verities. Prayer Dear Father, I thank you for making me the dispenser of your goodness! What a blessing to have the Holy Spirit reside in me in all His power and glory. Thus, to the hurting world, I am your outstretched arm; to heal, bless, and deliver. I m full of power, even by the Spirit of the Lord, and the glory of God is released into my world through me today, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Peter 2:9 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 3 Luke 17:11-19 Psalms Samuel 3 58

59 monday, august 19th The Importance Of Partnership Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour (Ecclesiastes 4:9). Pointing out the importance of partnership in ministry, the Apostle Paul wrote, I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). Years ago, I would journey to remote villages with videotapes and tracts containing messages preached by T.L Osborn. Through those messages, many souls were won to the Lord, delivered from demonic oppression, and healed from varying diseases. T.L Osborn may never have been to those villages, but both of us will be rewarded by the Lord for the souls won and the lives that were touched by the power of God in those villages. What happened? T.L Osborn planted by preaching the messages, but I watered by ensuring the Word reached many more in those villages in the backside of civilization through those videotapes and tracts. You may not be the one that wrote the books or preached the message on the tapes, but when you participate in the distribution of such materials, you re taking your place as a partner in the propagation of the Gospel. In our ministry, we have several outreaches and media outlets used to reach the lost, and touch the lives of millions around the world. Take advantage of 59 pastor chris

60 such God-given platforms, and make impact with the Gospel around the world. There s so much you can do to ensure God s Word prevails in your environment, city, region or country. For example, at one time or the other, you may have received this devotional free, or perhaps, you ve been receiving it free every month; that s because someone else paid for you to get it free. What you should then do is to make the same happen for others by getting more copies of Rhapsody of Realities to give to others. Let someone else experience the blessing of God s Word through you. The Word of God is the wisdom of God. Studying the Word, and having your spirit suffused with revelation knowledge, will help you live the triumphant life in Christ. Rhapsody of Realities provides millions of readers around the world that knowledge and seasoned understanding of the Scriptures required for a victorious life, on a daily basis. Confession God has anointed me as a minister of reconciliation, to propagate the Gospel of His power with all fervour and dedication. I m not slothful in this great commission but aglow, burning with the zeal of the Spirit to fulfil this great cause. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Isaiah 11:9; Mark 16:15 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 4 Luke 17:20-30 Psalms Samuel 4 60

61 tuesday, august 20th Hear Ye Him pastor chris 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 17:1-5). When God said concerning Jesus,...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 has been commanded to be subject to Jesus. The rocks, wind, trees, water, fish, angels, demons, etc everything in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, have been commanded by God to hear and obey Jesus. 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. No wonder everything Jesus said came to pass; He had absolute mastery and exercised dominion over all things. 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 multiplied them to feed the multitude (Matthew 14:17-21, Matthew 15:32-38); He talked to corpses and they came back to life (Luke 7:11-15, John 11:32-44)! At His word, maimed limbs were restored, blind 61

62 eyes opened, deaf ears were unstopped, and demons scampered in terror (Matthew 15:30)! There were demonstrations of the miraculous each time Jesus spoke; all creation stood to order, and gave heed to His spoken word, acting accordingly. Now, about us, John writes, as He (Jesus) is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). The Lord Jesus gave us the authority to act in His stead; we have the power of attorney to use His Name. Therefore, when you speak, all of creation stands at attention to obey. You have the authority to speak to anything in His Name and effect whatever positive changes you desire. Confession Dear Father, I thank you for giving me the power of attorney to use the Name of Jesus, and utter words of power as a king and effect the desired changes in my job, finances, family and health. I speak life to everything that concerns me today, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Romans 8:19; Matthew 12: year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 5 Luke 17:31-37 Psalms Samuel

63 wednesday, august 21st The Kingdom Of Light 63 pastor anita 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 success, victory, and dominion. It s like what the Lord did for the children of Israel back 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 negative things that are associated with Satan. Meaning that, you ve been brought out of sin, sickness, disease, depression, poverty, frustrations and everything that s of the devil, 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. You ve been brought into the supernatural life

64 of glory, where you reign and rule in life over Satan and the cohorts of darkness by the power of the resurrected Christ. The day you made Jesus Lord of your life, you came into the Kingdom of God s dear Son; it s a spiritual Kingdom where you reign in life by grace, through righteousness. There s no darkness there; that s why it s called the Kingdom of Light! The Kingdom to which you belong is superior to the kingdom of this world where sin, sickness, disease, and infirmities hold men in bondage. You re not subject to the darkness and decadent systems and structures of this world; you belong to the heavenly Kingdom of God s elect: it s a land of glory, prosperity, beauty, honour, and excellence, where you partake of the glorious inheritance of the saints in light. Confession I thank you dear Lord for bringing me out of darkness into the Kingdom of your dear Son, where I reign by grace through righteousness, and enjoy the glorious liberty of the sons of God. You re the light of my life, by which I navigate my way excellently through life in victory, dominion, and success, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: John 1:4-9; Proverbs 4:18; Isaiah 60:1-3 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 6 Luke 18:1-8 Psalms 119: Samuel

65 Start making plans now to attend the Higher Life Conference with Pastor Chris in London, United Kingdom. Scheduled to hold from August 16 th to 18 th at the prestigious O2 Arena, London, the conference is guaranteed to be a life-transforming experience with the Word of God. The man of God, Pastor Chris, will share inspired thoughts from God s Word that ll position you to apprehend and live in the realities of your victorious life in Christ. This is one meeting you can t afford to miss. For more information, please call: or log on to:

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67 thursday, august 22nd Use Your Faith pastor chris Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you (Matthew 17:20). The Word of God is real and true, but that doesn t mean the experiences of your life will automatically line up with it. You re the one to make them so. This is the fight of faith the Apostle Paul talked about in 1 Timothy 6:12: 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. You re the one to appropriate all that Christ has accomplished on your behalf in spite of everything your physical senses may otherwise perceive. You re the one to subdue the circumstances around you, the forces or the symptoms that attack you, and effect the change! There re those who say, I believe the Word, but why are things not working out right for me? It s like someone who s hoping that God will set him free someday; that s not going to work, even though he believes it, because that s not faith. Believing the Word is not enough; your believing must translate to faith. Faith declares the Word to be real and true NOW, and acts accordingly. The contrary circumstances will not change by themselves, or 67

68 change because you believe. Romans 10:10 says, For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness. Believing sets your heart right with God; it makes your heart acceptable to Him; that s the reason you know in your heart that God loves and accepts you, but that ll not change the circumstances of your life. For your situation to change or to maintain a life of continuous progress and triumph, it s got to be by your faith. Hebrews 11:1 says Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is calling real that which you ve hoped for; you count it done now! It s like the title-deed to a property. You don t have to be in the property to know it s yours; faith is the title deed. Take a hold of God s Word and affirm your healing and health, prosperity, success, and victory in Christ Jesus! The second part of Romans 10:10 says, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Confession My faith is the victory that overcomes the world; nothing is impossible unto me! I live victoriously today because I live in, and by, the Word; I ve taken hold of my victorious life in Christ Jesus, basking gloriously in health, peace, prosperity, success, and abundance, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Hebrews 11:1; 2 Timothy 4:7-8; Mark 11:24 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 7 Luke 18:9-17 Psalms 119: Samuel 9 68

69 friday, august 23rd All You Need Is Inside You! pastor chris For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself (John 5:26). I m so inspired by the life of Jesus; during His earthly ministry, it didn t matter what He faced, the solution was inside Him. He had the transcendent life; He was never ruffled by anything; He walked in the dominion of the Spirit. That s the same life He s given us; a life that requires no aid from outside you. Being born again, you ve already been given everything you d ever need: According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus said in John 14:16, And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. God answered by sending us the Holy Spirit. That was all we needed that we didn t have, but which we now have. With the Holy Spirit coming into us, we got everything we could ever want in life. Let me put it this way for you to have a clearer picture: when a man wants anything, which he feels he has no ability for, he prays to God and expects God to answer. However, that isn t God s dream for man. God didn t create man to be limited or disadvantaged; He 69

70 didn t want man to need anything from outside him. That s why He made the God-life available through Christ Jesus. When you received Christ, you received inherent life that requires no aid or support from outside. Like Jesus, you not only have the God-life to the full, you also received the Spirit without measure (John 3:34); thus, all you need is inside you. What are the good things you desire? Bring them forth from within you with your words! What do you want; what do you need; what do you want to see outside? John 7:38 says, out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water. Go ahead and bring forth good things from within you: A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things (Matthew 12:35). Prayer Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the glorious life you ve given me. The power of the Holy Spirit is at work in me mightily. I m making progress by the Word, and have become a distributor of eternal verities to everyone in my world, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: John 6:3; 1 John 4:4 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 8 Luke 18:18-27 Psalms Samuel 10 70

71 pastor anita saturday, august 24th The Right To Use The Name Of Jesus! 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 (Philippians 2:9-10). The nineteenth chapter of the book of Acts gives us an interesting account of certain vagabond Jews, exorcists, who attempted to use the Name of Jesus to cast out devils. The Bible names the seven sons of Sceva as culprits; they had seen the Apostle Paul heal the sick and cast out devils in the Name of Jesus and presumed they could do the same. Acts 19:13 says they took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, we adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. Following their action, the man with the evil spirit attacked and prevailed against them, such that they ran out of the house naked and wounded (Acts 19:16). This shows that not everybody is given the right to use the Name of Jesus; only Christians have such a right! Only those who are born again have the right and authority to cast out devils in His Name; they re the ones given the power of attorney to use that Name by law. Jesus said in Mark 16:17, And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast 71

72 out devils. Notice that He was specific as to those He said could cast out devils in His Name: the believing ones. So if you re born again, happy are you; it means you have the right to use the Name of Jesus; it belongs to you; and you can bless the world with that Name. However, if you re not born again, your only right to the Name of Jesus is to call upon Him for salvation. That s the way to come into Christ. Jesus said in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Romans 10:13 says, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. When you call on His name because you believe in Him, and then confess His Lordship over your life, He becomes your Lord. His Name is named upon you from that moment; and you can use it against the devil, sickness, disease, infirmities and the negativities of life. Prayer Dear Father, I thank you for my salvation, and the legal right it has conferred on me to use the Name of Jesus. I live in and by the power of that Name today; and I declare, that I m making progress with giant strides in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Acts 4:12; John 16: year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 9 Luke 18:28-34 Psalms Samuel

73 sunday, august 25th Superior To Death pastor chris For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith (Philippians 1:23-25). This is inspiring! The Apostle Paul here was trying to decide whether to live or to die. This tells us that death is subject to us; we reign over death. Until Jesus came, Satan had the keys of death. Men and women were all their lifetime subject to bondage because of the fear of death. However, Jesus put an end to that through His victory over Satan, death, and the grave. He thus liberated all men from the fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 says, Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. When Jesus died, He went to hell, the devil s territory, defeated him and the cohorts of darkness, and took back the keys of death and hell: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for 73

74 evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death (Revelations 1:18). He dealt with the problem of death when He arose triumphantly from the dead, ushering man into a new life. Today, no one who s born again need fear death, for Jesus has defeated death: it s the last enemy that will be destroyed, but already, it s been defeated. Today, Satan has no authority to take anybody s life at will because he doesn t have the power of death anymore. He can only make empty threats, and try to deceive men or make them destroy themselves. Refuse to let death have the dominion. Recall the Master s charge in Matthew 10:8; He said, Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. He gave us dominion, not only over Satan, sickness and disease, but over death as well. Blessed be God! Confession Christ lives in me; His life and immortality have been unveiled in my spirit! I m a partaker of the God-life a life that s superior to sickness, disease, Satan, and death! I walk in dominion today over death and everything associated with darkness, for I dwell in the realm of life. Glory to God! f u r t h e r s t u d y: 2 Timothy 1:8-10;1 Corinthians 15: year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Luke 18:35-43 Psalms Samuel 13 74

75 monday, august 26th Be Confident: The Word Never Fails! Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6). There re those who sometimes think the Lord is a bit slow in delivering on His promises, and then they try to help or fix things for Him their own way; that s wrong! The trouble isn t with God, but with men, when they haven t mixed the Word with faith. Take the story of Abraham and Sarah as a case in point. When Abraham was seventy-five years old and Sarah, sixty-five, God gave them the promise of an offspring (read Genesis 17:1-8). Ten years later, they still hadn t seen any descendants. Then, Sarah, who at this time believed she had passed the age of childbearing, proposed that Abraham took Hagar, her Egyptian maid, to bear him a child: perhaps, God s Word could come to pass through her. Abraham concurred to Sarah s suggestion. A child indeed came from this relationship Ishmael. However, this singular act brought untold frustrations to Sarah herself (read Genesis 16), and other incalculable problems to Isaac and his seed, and the conflict continues today between the seed of Isaac and the seed of Ismael. The Lord never fails or disappoints. He however expects us to mix His Word with faith at all times; that s 75 pastor chris

76 what brings about the reality in the now of our lives. Hebrews 11:1 says Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. When God gives you His Word, He expects your absolute trust and confidence in Him to bring it to pass. His Word is dependable; it never fails. Jesus emphasized this in Mark 13:31 when He said, Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. Trust in the Lord wholeheartedly, and rest your faith on His Word. Don t use human wisdom or ideas to try to work things out for Him; don t rationalize His Word. Be confident that He ll deliver as promised, for He s not a man that He should lie. So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word (Hebrews 10:23 AMP). Prayer Dear Father, my confidence in your Word is unshakeable; for I know that all your promises are yea and amen! I thank you for filling my life with pleasantness, and directing me in the path of glory and excellence, through the Spirit and by the Word, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: James 1:3; Psalms 118:8-9 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1 Luke 19:1-10 Psalms Samuel 14 76

77 tuesday, august 27th You re On A Mission pastor anita As Christians, we re on a mission to saturate our world with the knowledge of God s saving power, and there s a special anointing on us to achieve this. 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 says, our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament. Therefore, not only are we sent, we ve been empowered for the mission. Acts 1:8 says, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me. You re on a mission. The Lord Jesus emphasized this in Matthew 28:19 by saying, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations. You re to witness to your friends, relatives, colleagues and associates with the sole purpose of winning them to Christ. The Gospel will only prevail and produce results in men s lives if they get the opportunity to hear it, for only then can they believe. Romans 10:12-15 says, 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? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?... You re that sent 77 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).

78 one anointed and commissioned of God to take the Gospel to the world. Value those in your world, and all those that God sends your way; minister the Gospel to them at every opportunity, for you re God s voice to them. You re the dispenser of His goodness and righteousness. Prayer I give thanks to you, blessed Father, for granting me divine strength, courage, and power to be effective as a soul winner. Thank you for counting me worthy and appointing me to serve as a minister of reconciliation winning the lost in my world turning them from darkness to light, and bringing them into their inheritance in Christ, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Acts 20: year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 11:2-34 Luke 19:11-19 Psalms Samuel 15 78

79 wednesday, august 28th The Touch Of Faith 79 pastor chris And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? (Luke 8:45). Luke 8:43-48 tells the story of the woman with the issue of blood, who having suffered terribly for twelve years, pushed her way through a teeming crowd to get to Jesus. She had said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. Accordingly, she went ahead, touched the border of Jesus garment, and was healed instantly. This wasn t an ordinary touch; it was a touch of faith, because the Lord felt the impact of it; so much so that He asked, Who touched me? His disciples wanted Him to shrug it off and said,...master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? (Luke 8:45). No; God doesn t ignore the touch of faith; so the Master insisted,...somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me (Luke 8:46). The woman, knowing she had received a miracle, came and fell at the Master s feet, and stated for what purpose she had touched Him. Rewarding her faith, Jesus said to her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace (Luke 8:48). The Master identified her touch of faith as what connected her to her healing and wholeness.

80 In the same vein, you can touch Jesus today and receive a miracle. How do you touch Him today? It s through the Word; when your spirit makes contact with the Word. If God s Word can touch you, it s exactly the same as Jesus touching you. This touch is beyond the senses; it s with your spirit. The Bible says with the heart spirit man believes unto righteousness (Romans 10:10); you believe with your spirit. When you believe God s Word, and respond according to your believing, that s the touch of your spirit. At that moment, you make contact with the power of God. The power only works when you believe with your spirit and act accordingly; that s faith: it s the response of the human spirit to the Word of God. Let the Word touch you today, and inspire the necessary faith-response from your spirit to receive the miracle you desire. Prayer Dear Father, I thank you for imparting faith to me through the Gospel. As I study your Word, my faith increases, and as I put it to work, it prevails and grows stronger. I m living the supernatural life of victory, dominion and excellence in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Hebrew 11:1; Mark 5: year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 12 Luke 19:20-27 Psalms Samuel 16 80

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82 82 Notes

83 thursday, august 29th pastor chris Our Righteousness: What It Is And What It Gives But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). One of the things our righteousness in Christ gives us is right standing. Our opening verse in the Amplified reads, But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our. Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God]. Right standing is the right or ability to stand in the presence of God without guilt, fear, inferiority, or condemnation. You received this ability from God when you were born again. You can now stand in His mighty, awesome presence with boldness. This wasn t by your own doing; God made it so. You can now fellowship with Him, and relate to Him as your loving, gracious heavenly Father. Sometimes, when we pray and say, I command such-and-such in the Name of Jesus, there re those who ask, how dare you talk like that before God? It s because we found out what righteousness is, and what it gives: right standing before God. God imparted it to us in Christ Jesus. Jesus is our ability to appear boldly before the Father without blame but in love. Something else that righteousness gives you is rightwiseness ; the ability to be right; the ability to 83

84 know what s good and right from God s standpoint. You have the ability to do what is right in the presence of a Holy God. He alone knows what s right; when He imparts your spirit with righteousness, you re able to see and know what He sees to be right. This is the reason you can live right and practice righteousness; right living is a result of your righteousness. Maybe there s a habit you want to stop, don t say, I don t know how to stop it, because His righteousness is your ability to stop anything. All you have to do is say, In the Name of Jesus Christ, I put a stop to this habit. Don t say, O, Jesus, help me stop it. No! He already helped you by giving you His righteousness. Therefore, you now have the inherent ability to do what is right. Confession I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus; and not only do I have right standing with God, I have the ability to know and do what s right. Therefore, I reign in life over circumstances. I m a success; I m changing lives everywhere as I unveil the righteousness of God through the Gospel. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Romans 5:17 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 13 Luke 19:28-40 Proverbs Samuel 17 84

85 friday, august 30th Anchor Your Life On His Word pastor anita Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35). God s Word is the guaranteed change-agent that can transform you from glory to glory. Whatever positive change you desire in life is possible; you don t have to cry about it; turn to the Word. Find out what the Word says concerning what you re dealing with and then begin to meditate. 1 Timothy 4:15 tells us the inevitable result of meditating on the Word your success and prosperity will be evident: Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Many in the world today live in fear, following the uncertain global economic situation; that s because their lives aren t anchored on God s eternal Word. When your life is anchored on the Word, nothing moves you. When men are cast down, whining and griping about the problems in the world, you re unperturbed. Job 22:29 says, When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up. In other words, when your life is anchored on the Word, you re like a tree that s planted by the waters forever nourished! You don t know when heat comes; you re ever 85

86 radiant, productive, and excelling from glory to glory. Your success and prosperity aren t in the hands of any government; neither are they determined by the vagaries of the world s economy or changeable human opinions. True success and prosperity are based on the Word. If you desire a life of continuous progress and ever-increasing glory; a life that s safe, stable and assured; you have to keep living in the Word. Study and meditate on the Word always. Avail yourself the opportunity to hear the Word through every available medium. If you listen well and long enough, the Word will mingle with your spirit, giving you an extraordinary mind-set of excellence, dominion, victory, success and greatness. Confession The Word of God is my life; therefore, it s natural for me to live in, and by the Word. My profiting through the Word is manifest to all! As I put the Word to work today, I m metamorphosed into the glory that I behold in the Word, and I m filled with all the fullness of God. Glory to God! f u r t h e r s t u d y: Acts 20:32; James 1:23-25; Psalms 119:89 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 14 Luke 19:41-48 Proverbs Samuel 18 86

87 saturday, august 31st The Entrance Of His Word! pastor chris The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple (Psalm 119:130). The verse above doesn t say that the Word gives light, but that the entrance of the Word gives light. It s your responsibility to allow God s Word entrance into your heart your spirit. The Word of God has the ability to nourish and build you up spiritually, physically and mentally: And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified (Acts 20:32). In addition, when the Word gains the mastery over your life, it washes, purifies, and cleanses your spirit, ridding it of fear, doubt, and guilt. The Word in you will give you the right mind-set the mind-set of the righteous. Romans 12:2 tells us how to experience supernatural transformation by the Word: 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. As you assimilate God s Word into you, the Word mingles with your Spirit, making you what it talks about. Some Christians tend to appraise their spiritual growth in terms of how long they ve been born again. Well, 87

88 you may have been a Christian for twenty years, that s not what transforms your life! The Word of God in your spirit is what transforms your life and takes you from one level of glory to a higher level. Settle your heart on the Word today, and watch yourself transformed from glory to glory. Prayer Dear Father, I thank you for the blessing of your Word; with joy, faith and meekness I receive into my spirit your engrafted Word that s able to transform me from glory to glory, and the power of your Spirit to keep me in the centre of your perfect will, in Jesus Name. Amen. f u r t h e r s t u d y: Psalm 119:11; Ephesians 5:26 1year bible reading plan: 2 year bible reading plan: 1 Corinthians 15:1-34 Luke 20:1-8 Proverbs Samuel 19 88

89 PRAYER OF SALVATION We trust you have been blessed by this devotional. We invite you to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life by praying thus: O Lord God, I come to You in the Name of Jesus Christ. Your Word says,...whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21). I ask Jesus to come into my heart to be the Lord of my life. I receive eternal life into my spirit and according to Romans 10:9, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved, I declare that I am saved; I am born-again; I am a child of God! I now have Christ dwelling in me, and greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)! I now walk in the consciousness of my new life in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah! Congratulations! You are now a child of God. To receive more information on how you can grow as a Christian, please get in touch with us through any of the contacts below: united kingdom: Tel:+44(0) nigeria: Tel: , , canada: Tel: ; Tel/Fax: south africa: Tel: ; usa: Tel:+1 (0) ;

90 About the Authors Rev. Chris Oyakhilome, the President of Believers LoveWorld Incorporated, and his lovely wife, Rev. Anita, are dedicated ministers of God s Word whose messages have brought the reality of the divine life to the hearts of many. Millions have been affected by their television broadcast, Atmosphere For Miracles, their outreaches, crusades, magazines, as well as several books and audio-visual materials. Their impact has led to the establishment of thousands of churches and campus fellowships worldwide, which minister the reality of the Word of God to their environs in its truth,simplicity and power. Learn more about Believers LoveWorld Inc. a.k.a Christ Embassy by visiting our website at

91 Saved At The Right Time! I was driving home with some friends when I lost control of the car, left the road and was heading towards a tree. I started speaking in tongues as taught by Pastor Chris in the book, The Power Of Tongues. Amazingly, the car stopped right in front of the tree, and what should have been a ghastly accident was averted. Thank you Pastor Chris for teaching me the precepts of the Kingdom of God! -Ramabulana C., South Africa Winning Souls For Christ With Rhapsody of Realities! A friend of mine requested to join me in studying Rhapsody of Realities. I accepted and we started the study. She was so blessed by the words she read, that she invited me to her home to share the devotional with her family. After sharing with them, I led the entire family to Christ, and they all requested for their own copies of the devotional. Rhapsody of Realities is truly an evangelistic tool, and I m privileged to be able to reach the unreached with it. -Smith N,. Ghana Rhapsody of Realities Kept Me On Track! Few months after I was born again, I started having abnormal feelings towards my fellow man. While battling with this intense feeling, I came across Rhapsody of Realities and began studying it. I discovered during my study, that it didn t matter what situation I found myself, I could put the Name of Jesus to work and have tremendous results. This I did, and before long the abnormal feelings disappeared and I was saved from homosexuality. -Lufefe N., Canada 91

92 of Rhapsody Realities FEEDBACK FORM We trust the Rhapsody of Realities devotional has blessed you. Please take a few minutes to complete this form and return it to us at any of the addresses below. Date: / 2013 Name: Address: address: Tel: Postcode: Country How did you receive this copy of Rhapsody of Realities devotional? Personal Purchase: Chaplain/Pastor/Priest: Hotel reception: Hospital reception: Other: Do you want to subscribe for copies of Rhapsody of Realities for a year? For yourself For a Friend Do you want to pay for free copies of Rhapsody of Realities for people in: Prisons Hospitals Orphanages Hotels Do you want to subscribe for Rhapsody of Realities for Kids? 1 2 more (indicate) Do you want to subscribe for Rhapsody of Realities Topical Compendium? 1 2 more (indicate) Mode of Payment Cash Cheque Credit Card United Kingdom: Christ Embassy Int l Office Loveworld Conference Centre Cheriton High Street Folkestone Kent. CT19 4QJ Tel:+44(0) Fax: Usa: Christ Embassy Int l Office, 200 E Arrowhead Drive Suite W-3 Charlotte, NC Tel:+1 (0) For more information on how to order or pay please call: or check our Usa: Christ Embassy Houston, 8623 Hemlock Hill Drive Houston, Texas Tel: ; Canada: Christ Embassy Int l Office, 50 Weybright Court, Unit 43B Toronto, ON MIS 5A8 Tel: South Africa: 303 Pretoria Avenue Cnr. Harley and Braam Fischer, Randburg, Gauteng South Africa. Tel: ; Canada: 600 Clayson Road North York,Toronto M9M 2G6,Canada. Tel/Fax:

93 FEEDBACK FORM FEEDBACK FORM 93 Rhapsody of Realities We will like to know how this devotional has blessed your life. Please write a brief testimony of the impact of rhapsody of Realities on your life and any prayer request(s) that you may have. We will be happy to pray with you. Thank you for taking time to complete this form. We appreciate your efforts. God bless you. Please return this form to any of the addresses overleaf. cut along this line...

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