KINGDOM FIRST
(Live For What Truly Matters)
Isaiah 9:7
_“Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
LET���S TALK
Shalom had dreams of living the high life, complete with luxury cars, mansions and global fame. But after a youth camp meeting, her heart was stirred. *“Don’t live like this world is all there is,”* the preacher said. That night, Shalom couldn’t sleep. She realized she’d been chasing temporary things. The next morning, she prayed, *“Lord, help me live for Your Kingdom.” Shalom began volunteering at church, joined the outreach team, and spent more time in prayer.
Our opening verse refers to the eternal reign and dominion of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He’s also the one David prophesied about in Psalm 72:8 when he talked about a king who will rule over the nations of the world: *“He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.”
Our Lord Jesus heads the Kingdom of God, which we’re a part of. It’s a real, functional spiritual kingdom. Therefore, be Kingdom-conscious and focused. Don’t focus your mind on this earth as though everything ends here; there’s a world that’s greater than this.
Colossians 3:1-2 says, *“…seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. To Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”* These are the last days; therefore, more than ever, fix your gaze on the Lord and on His work. 1 Corinthians 15 :58 says, *“…be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”*
Be on fire for the Lord all the time; be instant in season and out of season, proclaiming His truth. Make His Kingdom your focus.
GO DEEPER
1 Corinthians 15: 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
*Matthew 6 :33* But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
*Colossians 3:1-4* If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. *2* Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. *3* For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. *4* When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
SPEAK
_I function from the realm of the spirit and nothing in this physical world matters to me. And indeed, through the unstoppable spread of the Gospel, our Kingdom reigns over the nations. Amen.
*ACT*
Be intentional in aligning your time, thoughts, and energy with God’s eternal agenda. Prioritize soul winning, prayer, and service in the House of God.
#Teevo
#RhapsodySept30
#RaptureModeActivated
#RaptureReady
#FirstFlightGang
HE’S WORKING THROUGH US
(The Holy Spirit Carries Out His Ministry Through Us)
TO THE BIBLE - John 16:8
“And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”
Elijah wondered how mere words could change anyone. He began praying before every conversation, asking the Spirit to go ahead of him. Reproving the world for its wicked works and evil is a core part of the ministry of Christ. He told us in John 16:8 that when the Holy Spirit comes, He’ll do the same thing; He’ll continue this work. He does exactly that today. Let’s read our opening verse again, this time, from the AMPC: “And when He comes, He will convict and convince the world and bring demonstration to it about sin, and about righteousness, (uprightness of heart, and right standing with God) and about judgment.”
The Holy Spirit convicts and convinces the world of sin, showing them the error of their ways and the righteousness that comes through Christ. But how does He carry out this ministry? He does it through us. We’re His vessels, bearing His message of salvation to the world. So, let’s keep heralding His truth and praying for the lost that God will guide them to embrace the truth and be transformed by the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ.
Through our prayers and the preaching of the Gospel, sinners are awakened to their need for salvation. They turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God. Remember that it’s Satan that blinded their eyes (2 Corinthians 4:4), but through our prayers, we extricate them from the dominion of Satan, and the light of God’s Word penetrates their hearts, illuminating the way of salvation and drawing them into the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
GO DEEPER
John 3: 17-18; Acts 26 :16-18; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
PRAY
Dear Father, I thank you for the ministry of the Holy Spirit who convicts and convinces the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. I pray for those who are yet to know Christ that their eyes be opened to the truth of the Gospel. Today, as they hear your Word, it illuminates their hearts to receive salvation. Thank you, Lord, for the finished work of Christ and for the grace that has ushered us into righteousness, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
ACT
Identify three people in your class or neighbourhood who don’t yet know Jesus. Commit to praying for them daily this week. Ask the Holy Spirit to open their hearts and convict them of truth, and be ready to share the Gospel as He leads you.
#Teevo
#RhapsodySept27
A LIFE OF UNENDING PROSPERITY
Genesis 13:2
Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
The Bible recorded great men like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who weren’t only faithful to God but also greatly prosperous. Their secret? They walked with God, listened, and followed His instructions—His Word.
Guess what? That same prosperity is for you, too! It isn’t for a selected set of people; it’s for all God’s children. You’re God’s child—and that means everything He has is yours (1 Corinthians 3 :21).
Always study and meditate on God’s Word and align yourself with all it says about you. In Christ, you’ve been made to prosper in all things.
So, say “No!” to fear or lack. Remember, Jesus “…became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Therefore, walk in the light of who you are in Christ—blessed, favoured, prosperous, and go share His love with someone today!
SCRIPTURE READING
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
SAY THIS
I refuse to see myself as small, for I reign in this world. All things are mine in Christ Jesus. I’ve been brought into a place of wealth and prosperity. Hallelujah!
#RORER
#RhapsodySept24
I refuse to neglect the assembling of myself with other Christians, knowing that in our gathering, there is an impartation of grace, strength and wisdom. I walk in wisdom, and as I honour the structure and order the Lord has set in His Church, there are increased manifestations of God’s blessings in my life, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
https://t.co/6LpH7PIwuW
#RhapsodyOfRealities
#PastorChris
CHRIST IN YOUR SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY
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📖 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory Colossians 1: 27
The greatest thing that could ever happen to a person is to receive and know Jesus Christ. His Word and indwelling presence give your life a meaning and establish your victory over sin, sickness and the devil.
Man is a spirit, he has a soul and he lives in a body. When you were born again, Christ took up His abode in your spirit. However, His manifestation in your life must go beyond your spirit and impact your soul, mind and body. A person can be born again and still struggle with negative thoughts or be oppressed of the devil.
This is because the soul, which comprises the mind, emotions and will, must also be subjected to the influence of Christ. When Christ is manifested in your soul, your thoughts are renewed to align with God’s Word. Instead of thinking fear, failure, or defeat, you think faith, success, victory, dominion and righteousness. You feel the emotions of God and act according to His will. This is why the Bible admonishes in Romans 12:2 for us to renew our minds.
In John 14 :21, the Lord Jesus said, "… he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." This means Jesus can manifest Himself to you, not just in your spirit but also in your mind, filling you with divine thoughts. If you’re sick in your body today for example, what you need is the manifestation of Christ in your body! It’ll keep you in divine health. and will manifest myself to him." This means Jesus can manifest Himself to you, not just in your spirit but also in your mind, filling you with divine thoughts. If you’re sick in your body today for example, what you need is the manifestation of Christ in your body! It’ll keep you in divine health.
His manifestation in your life dispels everything that is not of God. If Christ is manifested in the limbs of one who’s impotent, they’ll be made whole. If He’s manifested in your heart, you’ll never have heart trouble. Hallelujah! Christ manifested in the lives of sinners breaks the power of sin and shatters the chains of bondage for them to serve God in righteousness.
So, let Christ be fully expressed in every part of your being—your spirit, soul and body—so that you may walk in the fullness of His glory. It begins with you being conscious of the Christ-life in you and living every second, every minute and every hour of each day with the understanding that Christ in you is the hope of glory.
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, thank you for the indwelling presence of Christ in me. His life, power and glory are manifested in my spirit, soul and body. Every sickness, oppression, and limitation is dispelled as Christ is revealed in my life. I walk in divine health, righteousness and victory, expressing your glory, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY:
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Romans 8 :10-11; And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness.
11. 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. ||
John 10 :10; The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly
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2 Corinthians 4:6-7; For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
#RhapsodyAug12
📖 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth… (Romans 1: 16)
When the Gospel of Jesus Christ is ministered and people truly believe, it produces a transformation in their lives. If, for example, someone who’s been wayward genuinely receives the Gospel, that’ll be the end of the wayward lifestyle. However, there’s the renewing of the mind that must take place.
The same goes for someone who was a thief but has received Christ. The person will be transformed. Ephesians 4 :28 says, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.”
Likewise, if a lady used to engage in prostitution but she is now born again, her body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit, meaning she can’t continue in that life because she now belongs to God and must glorify God in her body and in her spirit. She must now find a decent job as we read in Ephesians 4 :28. She has to work with her hands that which is good, because prostitution is not good.
Furthermore, such people must be reminded of what happened when they gave their lives to Christ; they were washed, sanctified, and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6: 11).
This is why it’s important to preach the true Gospel: it brings people out of darkness into light, into the liberty of the sons of God. It changes people. It lifts them. It delivers them. So, they need to constantly be reminded of this and be taught and encouraged to study the Word of God for themselves and listen to messages that’ll further inform, enlighten and educate their spirits about righteousness and their new life in Christ.
🙏 P R A Y E R
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Dear Father, thank you for the power of the Gospel that transforms lives and delivers men and women from darkness into your marvellous light. As many hear your Word today, they’re established in the truth and in the liberty of the Spirit, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
📖 FURTHER STUDY
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Romans 12:1; I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. ||
Ephesians 5:8; For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light: ||
2 Corinthians 6 :17-18; Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you,
18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. ||
Colossians 3 :16; Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ||
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING:
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Romans 9: 30-10:1-21 & Psalms 78
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Luke 13 :31-35 & Judges 13-14
EXCERPT FROM => Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional
#RhapsodyAug7
TRUE AUTHORITY LIES WITH GOD AND HIS CHURCH
And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. Daniel 4v26.
The Bible, in Daniel 4, tells of how Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him deeply. In this dream, he saw a magnificent tree that grew tall and strong, providing shelter and food for all living creatures. However, an angelic being ordered that the tree be cut down, leaving only a stump bound with iron and bronze. This dream perplexed the king, and he consulted Daniel, a prophet of God, to interpret it.
Daniel revealed that the tree was the king himself, and he would be humbled for his pride until he acknowledged that *"...the heavens do rule"* (Daniel 4V26). A year later, being yet unrepentant, Nebuchadnezzar was struck with madness; for seven years, he lived like an animal, eating grass and roaming the fields.
According to Daniel 4V17, this decree came from the *"watchers": "This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men."* The *"watchers"* here refer to angelic beings assigned to oversee matters on earth with authority to enforce God's will.
Nebuchadnezzar thought he ruled the world until he was compelled to acknowledge the rulership of the heavens. It’s the same today. Those who falsely claim absolute authority over others, operating under the delusion that their influence gives them control over the nations, don’t realize that true authority lies with God and His heavenly Kingdom. All power belongs to the Lord, and He executes His judgements on earth through the Church: *“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth”* (Matthew 28V18).
We enforce God’s will in our world: *“All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence”* (Ephesians 1V20-23 MSG). Hallelujah!
PRAYER
_Dear Father, I thank you for the assurance that the heavens do rule and that all power belongs to you. I rejoice knowing that all the kingdoms of this world will submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I declare that your will and purpose prevail over the nations, and your authority reigns supreme, in Jesus’ Name. Amen_
FURTHER STUDY:
*Psalm 103:19* The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
*Daniel 7v13-14* I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. *14* And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
*Matthew 28v18-19* And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. *19* Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
#RhapsodyJuly4