Delightsome Agbabo

Health Food – January 1 By Rhema Team, Jan 1, 2021 God’s Word Is Medicine My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.  . — PROVERBS 4:20–22 According to The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the Hebrew word in verse 22 translated “health” actually means medicine. In other words, this scripture actually says, “. . . they (God’s words) are life unto those that find them and medicine unto all their flesh.” Notice that this passage of Scripture begins, “My son, attend to my words. . . .” What does it mean to attend to God’s words? It means to put His words first. Then we are told to incline our ears unto His words, or to listen to them. Finally, we are told to keep His words in the midst of our heart. So there are three things we are told to do with the Word of God: (1) Attend to it or put it first; (2) li

December 31 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.—PHILIPPIANS 2:10 The Name of Jesus Belongs to You The Name of Jesus belongs to us as believers. We have a right to use the Name of Jesus. The right to use Jesus’ Name is a blessing given to the Church, to every child of God. We have a fourfold right to use the Name. First, we’re born into the family of God, and the Name belongs to the family. Second, we’re baptized into the Name. And being baptized into the Name, we’re baptized into Christ Himself. Third, the Name was conferred upon us by Jesus. He gave us the power of authority. And fourth, we’re commissioned as ambassadors to go and herald the Name of Jesus among the nations. We’re representatives of Christ. Now I can’t find in the Bible where it says we need to have any special faith to use the Name of Jesus, because the Name already belongs to us. You don’t need any special faith to get in your car and

30 December 2020 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.— JAMES 1:25 Study the Word Many Christians are trying to have faith. They are trying to believe. They meet together in services, each one urging the other to do what he’s not doing himself. They use scriptural expressions and high-sounding phrases that have no meaning to their inner consciousness. One problem is that they are listening to preachers, but they’re not digesting what they’re saying. They are not doing any original thinking on their own. They are not spending time in the study of God’s Word. They are what the Bible calls “hearers of the Word” and not doers. And that’s the reason these people go under when the storms of life come. Jesus said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain

29 December 2020 . . . Whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.— PHILIPPIANS 4:8 A Testimony Inspires Faith I remember a woman who was bedfast at the age of thirty-six. She had terminal cancer and was living with her mother so that her mother could take care of her. She was brought up in the Pentecostal church so she knew about divine healing. People all over the country were praying for her. She was on her deathbed, and doctors said she could die just any minute. She was brought to one of my meetings. She listened to  healing testimony, and I laid hands on her. The very next day, this woman was perfectly all right! Instead of an ambulance coming to take her body away, her husband came to her mother’s and took her back home. She was able to do housework and tend to her two small children. This is what she did. She said to her mother, “Well, that man who gave his testimony didn’t lie. He’s a preacher, but God is no

28 December 2020 Proverbs  4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Guard Your Heart Proverbs 4:21 says, “Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.” You are to keep God’s Word in your heart. Then Proverbs 4:23 tells you to keep or guard your heart. How do you do that? By keeping the Word in your heart! How are you going to keep God’s Word in your heart? By meditating on God’s Word continually. In other words, think deeply about it until it becomes a part of your inner conscience. Don’t just memorize scriptures and forget them. You can memorize scriptures and say them by rote, and they won’t mean a thing in the world to you. Those verses are just in your mind. But, no, think on them until they get down into your heart. Feed on them. It will take a little time to do that. But, eventually, the scriptures will register on your heart. God’s words are life unto you and health, or medicine, to all your flesh. I don’t know

December 27 Let them [God’s words] not depart from thine eyes. . . .— PROVERBS 4:21 See Yourself Well and Whole I shared with this dear old woman, “The doctors said I was dying. I lived and relived my death over and over in my mind. In my mind’s eye, I saw the doctors turn my body over to the undertaker to prepare it for burial. I saw them take the casket and go to the church. I saw them roll the casket down the aisle and set it before the pulpit. I heard the people sing the last song and pray the last prayer. I saw them close the lid and roll the casket down the aisle. I saw the pallbearers put it into the hearse. I saw the funeral procession. I saw all of this many times in my mind. I watched as a graveside prayer was said. I saw everyone leave. I saw them put the casket into the ground. I saw the flowers on the fresh mound of dirt. I saw the flowers wither and die. I saw the hot sun of summer beat down on the grave. I saw myself dead. But I got hold of Proverbs 4:21 and began to see

26 December 2020 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.   Matthew 1 : 22 - 23 Did you know that Jesus' name is not just Jesus? His name is also Immanuel, meaning the Almighty God is with us. How comforting it is to know that our awesome Almighty God, who is also our loving Father, is always with us! A precious brother shared with me that even as a believer years ago, he had a problem with alcohol, and every night he would be out drinking to the point that he could not even remember how he got home the next day. He tried everything he could to stop drinking, but failed repeatedly. One day, he went out with some friends for a game of squash. After the game, he laid down on the ground to rest. As he was resting, he felt Jesus' presence come upon him and in that very momen

December 25 . . . I [God] will take sickness away from the midst of thee. —EXODUS 23:25 Incline Your Ear In Proverbs 4:20, we find that in addition to attending to God’s words, we are supposed to incline our ear unto His sayings. It’s strange, but we often incline our ears to what everyone else is saying, rather than to what God is saying. One time I was laying hands on the sick in a healing line. I came to a woman and asked, “What did you come for?” She said, “I guess I came for healing.” “What’s wrong with you?” I asked. “The doctor said I have an incurable disease,” she answered. “Well,” I said, “isn’t it wonderful that you and I have inside information! We have information inside the Bible. Himself took your infirmities and bare your sickness. The Lord will heal you.” She said, “Yes, but the doctor said it was incurable. I don’t think I’ll get anything.” You see, she was not inclining her ear to what God said. She was inclining her ear to what the doctor said. She needed to listen

December 24 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.—PROVERBS 4:20–22  Don't Neglect the Word. When God said, “Attend to My words,” He meant to put everything else out and put His Word in. Put His Word first, above everything else! We need to ask ourselves the question, “What does God’s Word say?” Many times we pray without asking ourselves, “What does God’s Word say on the subject?” I think we endeavor to receive just through prayer what God’s Word offers. But sometimes it doesn’t come through prayer. In other words, if we are going to neglect the Word, prayer won’t work. So find out what God’s Word has to say about your situation, and it will change your prayer life! It’s amazing how many prayers you’ll have to throw away when you find out what God’s Word says about your situation. People will turn in the mos

December 23 . . . In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.—MARK 16:17 God Confirms the Word We need to know what our rights are. We need to know what belongs to us. Healing is our Gospel right. It is our redemptive right. It is our family right, because we’re in the family of God. Our right to healing, which was given to us in God’s plan of redemption, has been invested in the authority of Jesus’ Name. Jesus said, “. . . IN MY NAME shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues” (Mark 16:17). God watches over His Word to perform it (Jer. 1:12). Mark16:20 says, “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and CONFIRMING THE WORD with signs following. Amen.” As we go forth to preach and teach, is the Lord with us? Someone might say, “Yes, He’s working with us to save people.” Well, thank God He is. But that’s not what the Bible says. It says that God works with us confirming the Word with signs following. What

December 22 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.—MATTHEW 24:13 Don’t Give Up! I remember hearing about the man who brought in the first oil well to East Texas. (At one time, east Texas had the biggest oil field in the world.) He had made a million dollars and then lost it. This man decided to drill another well. But the people who were financing it tried to get him to shut it down, because he had used up all the money. His fortune was gone.He had borrowed everything he could from the bankers. He owed everyone! But he said, “I’m not going to quit.”He kept telling his men to keep drilling. They were just about to quit because he hadn’t paid them when they hit a gusher! They tapped right into the edge of a great lake of oil. This time, instead of losing all of his money, he was wise and ended up saving his millions. What if that man had quit? What if he had listened to what everyone was telling him? His financial advisors—men in the oil business—had been trying

December 21 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.—LUKE 9:6 Healing Is the Dinner Bell As a young pastor, just before my twenty-fourth birthday, I remember hearing Rev. Raymond T. Richey (a man who was used mightily by God in the area of healing) say, “Divine healing is the dinner bell.” I knew exactly what he meant when he said that. At that time people living out in the country had a big bell on their back porch, and when dinner was ready, someone would ring the bell to let everyone in the fields know it was time to eat. When I heard Rev. Richey say that, I wasn’t having healing services at my church on a regular basis. But I said to myself, “I’m going back home, and I’m going to start ringing the dinner bell.” We had Wednesday night, Saturday night, Sunday morning, and Sunday night services. I told the congregation, “Every Saturday night is divine healing night. I’m not going to preach on anything but divine healing.” So I start

December 20 And these signs shall follow them that believe. . . .— MARK 16:17 Signs Will Follow You People everywhere have clung to the first part of the Great Commission: “And he [Jesus] said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15–16). Why have people clung to the first part? They knew how to use that part to believe and be saved—to receive salvation, and the remission of sin. But many people have turned away from the rest of the Great Commission because they didn’t know how to use it. Verse 17 says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.” One man said to me, “Now that can’t be so. I’m just as saved as you are, and none of those signs follow me.” I said, “It didn’t say that the signs would follow them that don’t believe. It said that the signs would follow them

December 19 MEDIATOR For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. — 1 TIMOTHY 2:5 Man’s condition demanded an Incarnation — man had become spiritually dead with no approach to God. The Incarnation of Deity with humanity provided One who could stand as man’s Mediator. Equal with God on one hand and united with man on the other, this One could assume the obligations of man’s treason and satisfy the claims of Justice, thereby bridging the chasm between God and man. God created man in His own image, just a little lower than Himself; so nearly like God that it was possible for God and man to become united for eternity in one individual! (When Christ became a man and took on a physical body in the Incarnation, He did so for eternity. Therefore, there is a God-man in Heaven today at the Father’s right hand as a result of the Incarnation.) It was possible for God and man to become united! God can dwell in these human bodies of ours, God can impart His life

18 December 2020 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.                       John 3:17 The account of the woman caught in adultery demonstrates something very important. What enables someone to have the power to overcome sin? The threat of the law obviously didn't stop the woman from committing adultery. But receiving Jesus' acceptance—knowing that even though she deserved to be stoned to death, He did not condemn her—that gave her the power to "go and sin no more." Notice that Jesus saved the woman righteously. He didn't say, "Don't stone her. Show mercy to her." What He said was, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." And on their own accord, the Pharisees and religious mob all left. Notice also that Jesus did not ask the woman, "Why did you sin?" No, what He asked was, "Has no one condemned you?" It seems as if Jesus was more preoccupi

17 December 2020 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.                      Zechariah  4:10  It's interesting to see how God never despises the little things. When the boy brought his five loaves and two fish, the disciple Andrew scoffed, condescendingly patted the boy on his head and said to Jesus, "What are they among so many?"(John 6:8). In direct contrast, God did not despise the boy's small lunch. My friend, don't despise the little things that you have right now. See them as your very own "five loaves and two fish" even when people around you mock and belittle you. Learn to disregard such people and lay your little before Jesus. While you and I have no power to multiply, Jesus certainly does! So whatever you are building right now in your career, your ministry, or your

16 December 2020 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.     John 8 : 10 - 11 She never expected to be caught in the act of adultery, much less be dragged to the Teacher and flung at His feet. Those who did it smugly expected Jesus to condemn her. None of them were prepared to hear Him say, "Let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!" Their consciences pricked, they left, one by one. Alone with Jesus, she heard Him say to her, "Where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?" Jesus knew how important it was for this woman to realize and say, "No one condemns me, Lord." The only one who could condemn her, did not, because He was going to the cross to be punished and condemned in her place. Something happens when you know that God does not

15 December 2020 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3: 22 - 23 My friend, here's some more good news: every time you fail, there is fresh grace from Jesus to rescue you. Every time you fall short, confess your righteousness in Jesus by faith. I know you probably won't feel particularly righteous, and that is why you need to say it by faith. I have received so many testimonies of breakthroughs from people around the world who, even as they succumb to their addictions, would confess, "Even right now, I am the righteousness of God in Christ" and eventually found freedom from their bondages. It could be a smoking addiction or an alcohol or pornography addiction. Michael, a brother in Australia, happily shared, "I have just given up smoking by following what you've taught in your books and DVDs (about being conscious of and confessing my ri

14 December 2020 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.    Roman 8:38-39 I often hear people say, "God's love is unconditional!" But the moment they fail, all of a sudden, the love they once said was unconditional becomes contingent upon their behavior. Many believe that God loves them when they do right, but stops loving them the moment they do something wrong. Well, I'm going to shatter that wrong belief into smithereens with the truth of God's Word! While our love for God can fluctuate, His love for us always remains constant. His love for us is based on who He is and not based on what we do. I love just how confident and emphatic the apostle Paul is when he says, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor pri

13 December 2020 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Genesis 7:1 Remember how Noah was safe in the ark when the floodwaters came? While Noah was not perfect, God saw him as righteous because of his faith in God (see Heb. 11:7). When the flood came, everyone outside the ark died, but Noah and his family were protected and saved. Why? Because they were in the ark, which is a type of Christ, who is our salvation (see Acts 4:12). The ark didn't have windows along its sides, only near the roof. The truth here is that God does not want you to focus on all the darkness, terror, and evil that are around you and in the world. He wants you to look up and know that His Son is coming back for you. I want you to see something else: I believe there were times when Noah might have lost his balance and fallen as the storm waters crashed against the ark. But Noah fell in the ark; he never fell out of th

12 December 2020 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:). But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;                              Romans 10:6;8 Let me show you examples of how you can use the written Word to come against the attacks of the enemy. Let's say that while driving to work one morning, you hear some professor saying over the radio, "One in every five women will develop this disease by the age of forty." That's the time you must say, "It is written—'Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence'" (Ps. 91:3). If you do this, you are putting up a shield of faith and you are releasing power as you declare that regardless of what the reports of the world say, your God shall deliver you from every deadly

11 December 2020 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 The feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle Jesus performed that is recorded in all of the four Gospel accounts! This tells us that Jesus wants us to draw out all the hidden revelations in this miracle. Are you ready? Now, did you notice how John records that the people ate "as much as they wanted"(John 6:11) until "they were FILLED"? In other words, they ate and ate until they could eat no more! Everyone ate to his heart's content and still there was plenty left over—12 baskets full, to be precise! God's supply of provision will always exceed your demand! He is such a BIG God, there is nothing He cannot do. My friend, don't look to the world to supply your lack. Be wise—don't touch easy loans with exorbitant interest rates hidden in the fine print, and become trapped in a financially sappi

10 December 2020 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.                 Matthew 11:28-30 Do you feel as though you are trapped on a never-ending treadmill based on your own efforts to try to earn God's forgiveness, God's approval, and God's acceptance? That is Christian religion. If you are trying to earn your own forgiveness and thinking that God is constantly mad at you, I am here to tell you that is not the heart of God. When Jesus spoke of "the unforced rhythms of grace," He means that there is an ease and enjoyment when you walk in His grace. This is in contrast to the struggle and strain found in self-effort. There is such rest when you know there is nothing you can do to earn His forgiveness. Give up on your own self-righteousness, which the Bible describes

09 December 2020  And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.  And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.  And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.               Luke 13:11 - 13 One of my favorite stories is of Jesus healing a woman bowed over with a spirit of infirmity for 18 years. Imagine never being able to see the sky or rainbows, but only the dust of the earth and the grubby feet of people—what a painful existence! I love how Jesus saw her and immediately called her over to receive a miracle from Him. The woman had been bound in this condition for 18 years, a number which represents bondage in the Bible. When Jesus said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity," He was proclaiming liberty over her and setting her free from the bondage of the devil. He

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.                  Romans  6:14  In many places today, all you hear is more teaching on right doing, right doing, and more right doing! But I believe what we need is more teaching on right believing. What we need to do is keep pointing people to Jesus, His grace, His finished work, and His forgiveness. I have no doubt then that their right believing will produce right living. They will become people whose hope is not in the righteousness they can produce, but in the gift of righteousness from Jesus Christ and what Jesus can produce in them. Let me share with you a testimony I received from Lucas that demonstrates this truth: "Even though I was raised in a Christian home with parents who are both totally dedicated to Jesus, I fell into drug abuse. I tried attending church, but listening to the sermons made me feel like I just couldn't confess my sins enough, repent enough, or hate my sins e

Health Food – December 6 By Rhema Team, Dec 6, 2020 A Settled Fact And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.  — MARK 5:34 While on the bed of sickness as a sixteen-year-old boy, I struggled with the subject of miracles. And every time I would have a good scripture about healing, the devil would come to my mind and say, “Healing is not for us today.” And sometimes he would say, “Now that’s not for the Church; that’s just for the Jews.” Well, I’d listen to those words and put the light out. What little light I had on the subject of healing would be gone. I didn’t know how to follow my spirit. I didn’t know that I  could  follow my spirit. I now know that it was my spirit that knew about healing and miracles, because my spirit received the life and nature of God in it when I got born again. And my spirit was picking up things from God and trying to pass them on to my mind. My spirit told me that there was help for me. I had be

RESTORING THE POWER TO PROVIDE Luke 6:6;10 Luke  6:6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.   6:10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. With each of the Lord's blessings you experience, be encouraged to know that many more blessings are coming your way. Just as there are many seeds in one fruit, so each of Jesus' blessings contains many seeds that will go on to provide many more blessings for you and your family. Consider Jesus' healing of the man with the withered arm. The Gospel of Luke tells us that it was the man's right hand that was withered. Now, the right hand is a picture of strength and provision. This man had lost not only his strength, but also his ability to provide! So when Jesus healed this man's right hand, He not only performed a healing m

4 December 2020 1 Peter  2:9 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: It is the Lord's manifested presence, His glorious power working in your heart and through your hands that will cause everything you touch to prosper with the Jesus-kind of results. In fact, even your harshest critic will have to conclude that the Lord is with you and is prospering the work of your hands! Beloved, stop looking at your outward circumstances or the position you are in. Whether your employer is a believer or not, Jesus can make ALL that you do prosper when you depend on His unmerited favor in your career! And believe me, when that begins to happen, your employer will sit up and notice that there is something special about you. You will stand out in a crowd! Remember that the same Lord who was with Joseph is with you today. His name is Jesus and be

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.       Psalms  23:4  My dear reader, today you can experience God's presence in your life. Say to yourself, "The Lord is with me and I have His favor, blessings, and protection." Sense His shadow covering you. His shadow is a picture of nearness. You are not trying to get into the secret place; you are already there in Christ. In Christ, you can't get any closer to God. In the Old Testament, God showed Moses, the great patriarch, only His back parts (see Ex. 33:22–23). That's the old covenant—because of man's failure, God was always departing and the children of Israel only saw His back. The picture of the new covenant is God sending His only Son, Jesus Christ. It is the picture of the father running toward the prodigal son in spite of his failures. Under the new covenant, we are seated with our heavenly Father in Chri

Health Food – December 2 By Rhema Team, Dec 2, 2020 A Desperate Situation 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.  — MARK 16:1822 At a meeting one time, a woman whose husband was a senator said to me, “I want one of those instant treatments.” She was talking about receiving an instant manifestation of healing. I said, “Well, I’m not giving out treatments.” The senator said to his wife, “Honey, the  Lord  is the one who does it, not the minister.” “Yes,” she said, “but I’ve suffered for so long, and I’m tired of suffering. I want one of those instant treatments.” I said, “All I can tell you is that the Bible says,  ‘. . . They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover’  [Mark 16:18]. I can lay hands on you and expect you to recover.” So I laid hands on her and prayed. About ten days later, I saw the senator and his wife again. He stood up in the meeting and asked the asso