*Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional​​*

_​​Pastor Chris Oyakhilome PhD_

_Sunday, 5th June 2022_

*SERVE GOD WITH REVERENCE*

_For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers_ *(Romans 1:9)*

When you study the life of the Apostle Paul, it’ll be very clear to you why he was so successful in ministry. Paul understood what it meant to serve God with, and from, your spirit—with true reverence. Isn’t that akin to what Jesus said in John 4:23-24? He said, *“God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him.”* This was the life Paul lived.

When he said, *“I serve God with my spirit,”* he was simply stating how he lived every day. Now you can understand why he said in Philippians 3:3, *“We are the true circumcision that worship God in the spirit….”* There was a conditioning of his spirit through the Word and fellowship of the Holy Spirit that made him a true worshipper.

This is the life we’ve been called to live. We’re to serve and worship the Lord with, and from, our spirits, with the reverence that He deserves. The Bible says, *“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne…”* (Revelation 4:1. They showed reverence to the Lord in worship.

Sometimes, that reverence could be an outward prostration, but the prostration of the heart is more important. Many don’t understand what it is to have reverence for God. Some Christians speak in tongues irreverently, forgetting that they’re speaking to God and not man. The Bible says he that speaks in an unknown tongue isn’t speaking to men, but unto God: in the spirit, he’s speaking mysteries to God (1 Corinthians 14:2). Why then should a child of God speak to God so irreverently? Such irreverence among some Christians reflects in their lives, in their words and actions.

Always have the consciousness of the presence of God. It’ll help you maintain not just an attitude, but a life of reverence, where you give true worship to God.

*PRAYER*

_Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour, for you alone are God! You’re exalted as head over all, and I serve you with my spirit in the Gospel, in holiness and truth, in Jesus’ Name. Amen._

*FURTHER STUDY

*Revelation 4:10-11* The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, *11* Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

*Psalm 103:1* Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

*John 4:23-24* But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. *24* God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

*1 Year Bible Reading Plan John 19:17-42 & 1 Chronicles 17-19

*2 Year Bible Reading Plan 1 Corinthians 15:40-49 & Ecclesiastes 1-2

*Get Your PDF JUNE 2022 Rhapsody Copy on This link: https://installs.rhapsodyofrea....lities.org/?id=maxwe today​​*

*Follow Pastor Chris: http://pastorchrislive.org/fol....lowpastorchris/ceewc

*For a daily article reading and feedback: www.rhapsodyofrealities.org.*

*Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional​​*

_​​Pastor Chris Oyakhilome PhD_

_Thursday, 2nd June 2022_

*THE DEITY OF CHRIST*

_Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God_ *(John 5:18)*

Until you discover who Jesus really is, you can’t walk with Him. Jesus is Adonai; He’s the Lord God! The very thought of this blows the mind. No wonder the Jews had difficulty accepting Him. They accused Him of making Himself equal with God because He said God was His Father.

They knew that when someone says, *“God is my Father,”* it doesn’t mean God gave birth to that person, because God is a Spirit. They understood what Jesus was saying: He Himself was Jehovah in human manifestation! In John 10:30, He made another staggering declaration that made them angrier. He said, *“I and my Father are one.”* In other words, *“We’re one and the same; if you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.”*

Now, the Jews got really crazy and they took up stones again to stone Him. But Jesus interrupted them and asked, *“...Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?”* They replied, *“...For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God”* (John 10:32-33).

Notice the two charges brought against Jesus. The first one was blasphemy for saying God was His Father. The second was robbery, because being a man, He made Himself God. He was therefore condemned with robbers. But the Bible says in Philippians 2:5-6, *“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”*

This verse was a direct response to the Jewish charge against Jesus that He was a thief for declaring Himself to be equal with God. Jesus didn’t think He was robbing God by being equal with God, because He was in the form of God. The Greek word for *“form”* is *“morphe,”* which means *“nature.”* In other words, He was in the very nature or essence of God. Though He looked like a man, He was in the form of God. In essence, Jesus is God! This is one of the cleverest communications in the New Testament about the deity of Jesus Christ. His claim to deity is right.

*PRAYER*

_Lord Jesus, you’re the great God of glory and the complete embodiment of Deity! Thank you for revealing your divine personality to me. I celebrate your Lordship and rulership over my life and over all of creation. You’re the Most High God, and you alone are worthy of all praise, worship and adoration. Amen._

*FURTHER STUDY

*Titus 2:13 TPT* For we continue to wait for the fulfillment of our hope in the dawning splendor of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus, the Anointed One.

*1 Timothy 3:16* And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

*Colossians 1:15-19* Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: *16* For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: *17* And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. *18* And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. *19* For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

*Colossians 2:9* For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

*1 Year Bible Reading Plan John 17:1-26 & 1 Chronicles 9-10

*2 Year Bible Reading Plan 1 Corinthians 15:11-19 & Proverbs 29

*Get Your PDF JUNE 2022 Rhapsody Copy on This link: https://installs.rhapsodyofrea....lities.org/?id=maxwe today​​*

*Follow Pastor Chris: http://pastorchrislive.org/fol....lowpastorchris/ceewc

*For a daily article reading and feedback: www.rhapsodyofrealities.org.*

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

*Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional​​*

_​​Pastor Chris Oyakhilome PhD_

_Tuesday, 31st May 2022_

*BE VISIONARY WITH THE GOSPEL*

_In such ways I have trailblazed a preaching of the Message of Jesus all the way from Jerusalem far into northwestern Greece. This has all been pioneer work, bringing the Message only into those places where Jesus was not yet known and worshiped_ *(Romans 15:19-20 MSG)*

Paul was a trailblazer, a visionary apostle. What we read in our opening verse reveals his mindset and passion to preach and share the Gospel in places where Christ hadn’t been known. He was in the vanguard of taking the glorious Gospel to new, unconverted souls.

Wherever Paul went, he began to research if Christ’s name had already been known in such a place. And when he found that the Gospel had been established in that city, he simply moved into new cities and regions where the message wasn’t known, and pioneered the work. This was the kind of ministry that Paul had: ever-increasing vision!

It wasn’t that Paul was ignoring other places and looking only for places where Christ hadn’t been preached; no! Read the statement he made before what we read in our opening scripture; he said, *“...from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ”* (Romans 15:19). Think about that!

Emulate Paul’s kind of vision, where you take the map of your city and research to know where the light of the Gospel is still dim or non-existent, with the goal of moving in with the Gospel. If there’re places you can’t go physically, you send in Bibles and Rhapsody of Realities.

*“...This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come”* (Matthew 24:14). Those are the words of Jesus; they must be personal to you. Be passionate about spreading the message of the Gospel, not just in your catchment but also to the regions beyond. Pioneer new cells, fellowships and churches in places where you’re aware they don’t exist. The Lord’s mandate is still in force. He said, *“…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”* (Mark 16:15).

Utilize every opportunity to preach the Gospel. The harvest is ready. Hallelujah!

*PRAYER*

_Dear Father, I thank you for committing to my trust the ministry of the Gospel. Through me, the light of the Gospel shines brightly in cities, regions and nations, resulting in salvation and impartation of eternal life to many who have never known you, in Jesus’ Name. Amen._

*FURTHER STUDY

*Matthew 5:14* Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

*1 Corinthians 9:16* For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

*Romans 15:19-20 AMPC* Even as my preaching has been accompanied] with the power of signs and wonders, [and all of it] by the power of the Holy Spirit. [The result is] that starting from Jerusalem and as far round as Illyricum, I have fully preached the Gospel [faithfully executing, accomplishing, carrying out to the full the good news] of Christ (the Messiah) in its entirety. *20* Thus my ambition has been to preach the Gospel, not where Christ’s name has already been known, lest I build on another man’s foundation;

*1 Year Bible Reading Plan John 15:18-16:1-16 & 1 Chronicles 5-6

*2 Year Bible Reading Plan 1 Corinthians 14:31-40 & Proverbs 27

*Get Your PDF JUNE 2022 Rhapsody Copy on This link: https://installs.rhapsodyofrea....lities.org/?id=maxwe today​​*

*Follow Pastor Chris: http://pastorchrislive.org/fol....lowpastorchris/ceewc

*For a daily article reading and feedback: www.rhapsodyofrealities.org.*