BLW NRC Chapter

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES, THURSDAY 9TH JUNE 2022. Pastor Chris

TOPIC: ✨ PRAYER AND THE SPOKEN WORD✨

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17)

In Ephesians 6:10-18, everything the Apostle Paul listed was a protective part of our armour. The only offensive tool is “the sword of the Spirit,” which is the “Rhema” of God—the Word of God that’s spoken from your mouth—the out-breathing of the inspired Word of God for the hour and the season.

This is akin to the Apostle John’s description of the Lord in Revelation 1:16: “…out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword....” We find a similar expression in Revelation 2:16: “…I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” This doesn’t mean a sword protrudes out of His mouth; rather, it refers to the Word of God!

Now, observe the connection between the 17th and the 18th verses of Ephesians 6 in the underlined portion: “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of GOD: PRAYING always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”

It says while you’re declaring the Word, getting on the offensive against the adversary, pray for all saints! He’s emphasizing prayer and the spoken word. So, declare God’s Word always, and pray that God’s people are strengthened and emboldened to continually take their place as agents of change in the nations of the world. Praise God.

PRAYER
Dear Father, I’m fully equipped and fortified with the whole armour of God, strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Your Word from my lips prevails against adverse circumstances, producing righteousness and salvation, subduing darkness and evil and all manipulations of Satan, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 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; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

John 6:63* It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
1-Year Bible Reading Plan: Acts 1:1-26 & 2 Chronicles 1-4

2-Year Bible Reading Plan: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 & Ecclesiastes 9-10

PRAYER OF SALVATION
We trust you have been blessed by thisdevotional. We invite you to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life by praying thus:

“O Lord God, I believe with all my heart in Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. I believe He died for me a nd God raised Him from the dead. I believe He’s alive today. I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life from this day. Through Him and in His Name, I have eternal life; I’m born again. Thank you Lord, for saving my soul! I’m now a child of God. Hallelujah!”

Let us know that you made that declaration by sending a mail to [email protected]

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES, WEDNESDAY 8TH JUNE 2022. Pastor Chris

TOPIC: ✨ THE BATTLE HAS BEEN WON ✨
..help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee (2 Chronicles 14:11).

In the Scriptures, we find certain instances where God’s people were overwhelmed by their adversaries in numbers and weapons. In the days of King Asa, Judah was completely outnumbered by Zerah, the Ethiopian King, who invaded Judah with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots.

Asa cried out to the Lord and the Lord gave him supernatural victory (2 Chronicles 14:12). Then you find the story of Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah. Judah was surrounded by three enemy nations that were ready to attack her—Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir. The king gathered all Judah together to seek the Lord in prayer and fasting, and God said through a prophetic message, “...fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17).

God told them how to approach the war and was definite: He said, “Tomorrow, go out against them!” Not only that, He revealed the exact location of the enemies’ camp and gave them the strategy to defeat them. Employing the strategy God gave them, Jehoshaphat organized and placed singers, the Levites, in front to praise the beauty of God’s holiness.

The result was a great victory for Jehoshaphat and all Judah. Think about it; not a single sword lifted, yet God’s people recorded an overwhelming victory against three enemy nations. This is our reality as new creatures in Christ Jesus; we’re undefeatable. The battle was already won before we came on the scene. What God expects is for us to give Him praise. This is what we must do in our churches. Our churches have to be filled with songs of praise to God.

It makes no difference what you face in this world, be full of praise, and worship the Lord, because the battle has been won! No wonder He says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” (James 1:2). Then in Romans 8:37, He says, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

PRAYER
I thank you, Lord, for the victories, triumphs and successes that I experience always. You’re incorruptible and immortal, invisible, the only God; to you be honour and glory, majesty, might and dominion, power and authority, now and forever. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 20:7 Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Hebrews 2:12-13 AMPC For He says, I will declare Your [the Father's] name to My brethren; in the midst of the [worshiping] congregation I will sing hymns of praise to You. And again He says, My trust and assured reliance and confident hope shall be fixed in Him. And yet again, Here I am, I and the children whom God has given Me.

Hebrews 13:15 AMPC Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.

Psalm 28:7 The LORD [is] my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
1-Year Bible Reading Plan: John 21:1-25 & 1 Chronicles 26-29

2-Year Bible Reading Plan: 1 Corinthians 16:13-24 & Ecclesiastes 7-8

PRAYER OF SALVATION
We trust you have been blessed by thisdevotional. We invite you to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life by praying thus:

“O Lord God, I believe with all my heart in Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. I believe He died for me a nd God raised Him from the dead. I believe He’s alive today. I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life from this day. Through Him and in His Name, I have eternal life; I’m born again. Thank you Lord, for saving my soul! I’m now a child of God. Hallelujah!”

Let us know that you made that declaration by sending a mail to [email protected]

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES, TUESDAY 7TH JUNE 2022. Pastor Chris

TOPIC: ✨ THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT IN YOUR WORDS ✨

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63).

The excitement during our worship, praise and thanksgiving would not produce life if the contents of the songs aren’t delivered in words that are consistent with the New Testament of Christ. No matter the shouting, without the Spirit, it’s empty shout. The Spirit makes the difference.

When you speak the right words, the Spirit acts upon them. For example, it’s the reason we can speak from where we are and say to someone who’s thousands of miles away, “Be healed,” and a blind person in China will receive his sight, or someone in faraway Mongolia who’s been crippled from birth starts walking.

Such things happen because of the power of the Spirit in our words. Words recognize no seasons or barriers. Words are things; they’re tangible and potent with creative energy. So, don’t say, “Well, I wasn’t serious when I said it”; in the realm of the spirit, everything you say is living and active. It’ll work for you or against you. That’s the reason we emphasize speaking the Word only; speaking truth.

The Bible says, “For by thy words thou shalt be
justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). Don’t use words carelessly. Know, think, talk and sing the Word—whether in merrymaking or in praise to God! Let your life be consistent with God’s truths, and you’d be amazed at the resultant blessings in your life.

PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for giving me your Word to live by. I utter words that are consistent with your will, plans and purposes continually, knowing that my words are filled with power to produce results for your glory. I deal and speak wisely always; my words inspire faith in others, for healings, salvation and blessings, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:
1 Corinthians 2:4 AMPC;
And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them],

Mark 11:23
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 20:19-31 & 1 Chronicles 23-25

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Corinthians 16:1-12 & Ecclesiastes 5-6

PRAYER OF SALVATION
We trust you have been blessed by thisdevotional. We invite you to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life by praying thus:

“O Lord God, I believe with all my heart in Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. I believe He died for me a nd God raised Him from the dead. I believe He’s alive today. I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life from this day. Through Him and in His Name, I have eternal life; I’m born again. Thank you Lord, for saving my soul! I’m now a child of God. Hallelujah!”

Let us know that you made that declaration by sending a mail to [email protected]

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES, WEDNESDAY 1ST JUNE 2022. Pastor Chris

TOPIC: ✨ THE RAIN OF THE SPIRIT ✨

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions (Joel 2:28).

It’s quite significant how our opening verse likens the move of the Spirit in the last days to water: “...I will POUR out my Spirit upon all flesh….” Prophet Isaiah puts it this way: _*“Until the spirit be POURED upon us from on high…”(Isaiah 32:15). Hosea 6:3 says “… and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”

Also, in Zechariah 10:1, the Bible says, “Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.” So, the Spirit was going to be “poured” from on high in the last days like rain. On the day of Pentecost, this rain poured out from Heaven on Peter and all the other apostles and they were filled with the Holy Ghost: “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).

From then on, they spoke the Word of God with boldness. One day, while Peter was preaching in the house of Cornelius, a Roman Centurion, the Bible says the Holy Ghost “fell” on all of them that heard the Word (Acts 10:44). He fell on them like rain.

Then in John 7:38, we read the beautiful words of the Master; He said, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” If you’ve received the Holy Spirit, this refers to you. Just like Peter, you can go out in the power of the Spirit to share the Gospel with others and the Holy Spirit will fall on them like He did in Bible days. Chains will be broken and sicknesses will disappear; curses will be lifted and many will receive salvation. Glory to God!

We’re clouds full of water and out of our bellies flow rivers of living water! Through us, righteousness and salvation spring up in the earth, just as the Bible says: “You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it”*_ (Isaiah 45:8 NIV).

PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life, pouring out rivers of living water from my innermost being. I’m a living fountain, and I give life to others, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY: Hosea 10:12* Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for [it is] time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Isaiah 45:8 NASB “Drip down, heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness sprout with it. I, the Lord, have created it.

Joel 2:23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first [month].

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
1-Year Bible Reading Plan: John 16:17-33 & 1 Chronicles 7-8

2-Year Bible Reading Plan: 1 Corinthians 15:1-10 & Proverbs 28

PRAYER OF SALVATION
We trust you have been blessed by thisdevotional. We invite you to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life by praying thus:

“O Lord God, I believe with all my heart in Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. I believe He died for me a nd God raised Him from the dead. I believe He’s alive today. I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life from this day. Through Him and in His Name, I have eternal life; I’m born again. Thank you Lord, for saving my soul! I’m now a child of God. Hallelujah!”

Let us know that you made that declaration by sending a mail to [email protected]