Divine Nature

When it comes to cooking, garlic is one of my favourite ingredients. And it’s such a versatile ingredient that it can be used in almost any savoury dish! Roasted with some proteins, stir-fried in some vegetables, blended into a creamy pasta sauce…. the list goes on and on. Personally, I absolutely love the flavour and aroma of garlic so when a recipe calls for two cloves of garlic, I’ll somehow justify to myself that I really should be putting in five or six. And the best part is that I don’t feel too guilty about it because garlic is healthy! Garlic can be used to help lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and prevent cancer, heart attacks, coronary heart disease, and atherosclerosis. This superfood can also be used to help treat the common cold, the flu, bug bites, fungal infections, and traveller’s diarrhoea. Garlic is great for strengthening your immune system while eliminating toxins, leading many people to consume it after chemotherapy. But while I love cooked garlic, g...

Lessons from the life of Joseph Written by Dan Lee on 28/06/2016 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Sovereignty, Circumstances As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20 Every day, we read or hear about a terrible crime committed against innocent people. Shootings, bombings, attacks, and more. We often wonder, “Why does God allow suffering and sin?” — especially when the victim is someone we know and love. The Bible story of Joseph in the book of Genesis (starting in Chapter 37) can help to answer this question. Here are three things to understand and remember... 1. Know that God is in Control Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob (the founder of the nation of Israel). As a young man, he was sold into slavery in far away Egypt by his jealous brothers. He became a servant to a powerful Egyptian, but then he was falsely accused of a crime and was put in prison. Ev...

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Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:31-32). In Deuteronomy 10:16, the Bible tells us to circumcise our hearts: “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.” What does this mean? To circumcise means to “cut out” something. To circumcise your heart would therefore mean to cut out from your heart those things that aren’t supposed to be there: bitterness, anger, envy, hatred, malice, and all forms of wickedness. Some people unwittingly allow these things in their hearts because they’re ignorant of the consequences. A bitter heart, for instance, is a breeding ground for demonic activity. Not only that, most cancers come from anger and bitterness. Proverbs 14:30 says, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in th...

Avoid taking advantage of someone else Written by GodLife on 21/06/2016 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Sex, Love, Lust, Holiness, Sanctification Don’t violate or take advantage of a fellow believer in such matters. As we told you before and warned you: the Lord will settle the score with anyone who does these things. 1 Thessalonians 4:6 First Thessalonians 4:4-7 is about being sexually dishonest. Getting someone to sin with you is violating them, and God promises those who do these things will face consequences. Has someone taken advantage of you? Have you taken advantage of someone else? Here are some things God wants you to know about your responsibility to your sisters or brothers and how to avoid sexual sin and violation. Flattery can be dangerous Flattery means praise that is not honest. The person doing it always wants something in return. Is it OK to call another person ‘hot’ or ‘delicious’? It is not. These words describe food. Why use them for people? A person is n...

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). It’s the responsibility of parents to train up their kids in the way of the Lord. That’s what the Word says: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Some parents would say, “We try not to impose anything on our children; we just let them make their decisions themselves.” What an error! The Bible says, “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15). Children aren’t allowed to make their own decisions; they need to be trained and guided. Parents have a responsibility to know through the Spirit of God, what their children should be, and raise them in that direction. Some parents act as though God said, “Leave the children to me, and I’ll determine how they’ll grow up”; He didn’t say that. Rather, He said parents should train up the child in the ...

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest , he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his (Hebrews 4:9-10). Notice the underlined phrase above: “For he that is entered into his rest….” That rest, is the rest in Christ; it’s much more than the rest for the physical body. It’s rest for your soul, where you don’t struggle or toil for anything whatsoever. As a new creation, everything required for your success, prosperity, victory, health and greatness has been made available in Christ. So, you don’t have to struggle in life anymore, for you’ve entered God’s rest. There’re many who haven’t realized this truth, and therefore, can’t walk in the vantage position of rest. In their jobs, businesses, projects, or even their evangelical responsibilities, they labour, toil, and struggle. But Christ is our rest. Our struggling doesn’t please God. That’s why the Holy Spirit was sent to help us. John 14:16 (AMP) says, “A...

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Over the years, the Church of Jesus Christ has continued to wax stronger and stronger, marching on in glory, regardless of the many persecutions and oppositions orchestrated against it by the adversary. The Church has remained unstoppable to this day, and will remain so for all time, because the Lord meant it when He said, “…I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The word “Gates” is symbolic in prophetic language for “power and dominion.” So, the powers of hell, the dominion of hell, shall not, and cannot prevail against the Church. It doesn’t matter what they do. The Church, right from inception, has survived and endured many terrible persecutions. There have been kings who threatened to annihilate the Church. Some even boasted that when they were through wit...

For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established (Romans 1:11). Hosea 12:13 tells us that “…by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.” Notice, He didn’t say, “…by an angel,” but “…by a prophet.” God preserves or establishes His people through His servants; His chosen and anointed ministers. He equips them and sends them to those He wants to bless. Ephesians 4:11-12 says, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” This lets us know why Paul could affirm boldly in his letter to the believers in Rome, “…I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end ye may be established” (Romans 1:11). He knew he was a custodian of divine verities; he knew he had something to give. One of the reas...

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you…(1 John 2:27). Acts 19:12 tells us that handkerchiefs and aprons were taken from Paul to the sick: “…and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” This is just wonderful! The handkerchiefs, of course, had no intelligence whatsoever, but they contained the power of God. Paul transferred the anointing of the Spirit to the handkerchiefs, and when the handkerchiefs made contact with the sick, healings took place; demons checked out. If handkerchiefs that had no intelligence could contain the power of God, how much more could you? Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, meaning that you’re a God-carrying vessel. You embody the very power of the Spirit. Be conscious of it. With this power, you can accomplish tasks that are humanly impossible. You have to acknowledge that the anointing is in you. The Bible says, “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the ack...

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15). The Lord Jesus is the visible, physical representation of God, the very image of God. He said in John 14:9, “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father….” God is invisible; you can’t see Him with your optical eyes; so Jesus came as the outward expression of the invisible God. Colossians 2:9 says, “For in him (Jesus Christ) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” Jesus represented God to the whole world when He walked the earth. Whatever men required from God was embodied in Jesus. When you saw Jesus, you saw God. Colossians 1:16-17 tells us that “…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: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Jesus holds all things together by the Word of His power...

The Bible is extremely relevant today as it has been for thousands of years. It contains the living Word of God, and is an effective evangelical tool to reach an unsaved world. It’s also a complete tool for an effective study of God’s Word. This year 2016, the “Year of Spreading,” Rhapsody Bible sponsors are determined to spread the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth with the Rhapsody Bible PROJECT EVERY campaign. This special campaign seeks to reach all men with God’s Word, thus, transforming their lives and careers irrespective of their locations or vocations. The Rhapsody Bible PROJECT EVERY campaign gives everyone everywhere equal opportunities to receive the Gospel of Christ. Join in this campaign today and make a difference in the lives of millions around the world. For more information on how to partner with this campaign as an individual, church, or organization, kindly send a mail to sponsors@rhapsodybible.org or call these numbers: +234 802 501 3710, +...

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us (Ephesians 3:20). Our opening verse shows that there’s power working in us; power from within. It’s the power of the Holy Spirit. You can make that power work for you every time. The onus is on you to put it to work, for it’s in your spirit. 2 Timothy 1:6 says, “...Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee....” We see a demonstration or release of this kind of power from the Master Himself in Matthew chapter fourteen. A great multitude had thronged Him, and He was moved with compassion towards them, and He ministered to them and healed many who were sick and afflicted. However, when it was evening, His disciples suggested He dismiss the crowd: “...It is already very late, and this is a lonely place. Send the people away and let them go to the villages to buy food for themselves” (Matthew 14:15 GNB), they urged Him. Now, something remarkable ha...

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life… (John 3:36). God’s plan for our lives is for us to grow and make progress from glory to glory. However, not many Christians have accepted this as a reality, which can either be attributed to their not-so-good experiences or to their having been wrongly taught. That’s why you may find a preacher say to his congregation, “I too get discouraged sometimes.” One could mistake such comments for honesty and humility, but it actually shows ignorance of spiritual realities. Some people, however, like hearing such things, and even speak against ministers who, according to them, “pretend” as though everything is always all right. It’s not pretense; that’s the reality. Everything is always all right, because we’re in charge and in control. We own, and dominate this world. Jesus made it so for us. Hallelujah. When you find people in whose lives God’s Word isn’t real, they think that everyone else experiences the same thing. But i...

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). There’re people who, as much as they desire to serve God with their lives, find themselves struggling with several things that eventually get them miserable in life. The reason for this is clear: it’s either they don’t have the Holy Spirit, or they’re not yielded to Him. If indeed they’ve received Him to live in them, He’s not in charge of their lives. No one can successfully live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit. He’s the One that brings the power of God into your life to strengthen you, and for you to live effectively as a Christian. He teaches you the Word, so you can know God’s perfect will, and then guides you to live in, and fulfil, your destiny in Christ. With the Holy Spirit, your potentials are limitless. His presence in your life makes you ...

That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus (Philemon 1:6). As a new creation in Christ Jesus, you’re peculiar; you’re the first and the best of God’s creatures: “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (James 1:18). You’re the crowning beauty, and the highest of everything God made. You’re His excellently crafted masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). Psalm 139:14 says you’re exceptional, and wonderfully made; you’re God’s marvellous work of art; and the Psalmist said, “My soul knows this very well!” You should know it too and be conscious that you’re God’s best. Therefore, love and enjoy yourself. Appreciate who you are. Don’t wish you were someone else. There’re so many good things inside you. You’re a pearl of great value. If you don’t love yourself, you can’t really love anyone else. Don’t wait for others to compliment...