ALIVE FOREVER

So you think you have been under attack? You think the whole world has come against you? You think your ideas and projects are subjects of satanic attack? I bring you a word of hope today.

Nothing has been more attacked in human history than the bible – that harmless book.

700 years before the birth of Christ, King Jehoakim of Judah ordered that the scroll of Jeremiah’s prophecy should be burnt. We have the book of Jeremiah still with us.

Diocletian, a Roman Emperor that reigned from 284-316,decreed that all churches should be levelled and all copies of the bible burnt. It was a crime punishable by death to have a copy of the bible or to know someone that does and not report it. Two years after that edict, Diocletian boasted, “I have completely exterminated the Christian writings from the face of the earth.” Then the very next emperor, Constantine was converted to Christianity and he offered a substantial amount for anyone to give him a copy of the bible. Within 25 hours he received 50 copies!

Voltaire, the notable French humanist, devoted his life and skills to proofing the bible wrong. His attack was in the realm of belief, a much more subtle and sometimes more effective attack than the deaths and burning. In 1776, he claimed that within 100 years, the bible and Christianity will only be available on the pages of history. 100 years to the day, Voltaire’s press was being used to print bibles and his very house was used to stock the printed bibles!

The church too has attempted to kill the bible! In 405AD Jerome translated the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin, so the ordinary people could read it. He was condemned by the Bishop. His Latin version became the ‘Bible of Europe.”

John Wycliffe in 1320 translated the bible into English for the common man. ArchbishopArundel described him as “the son of the serpent, forerunner of the anti-Christ who has completed his inequity by inventing a new translation of the scriptures.” He was burned at the stake.

William Tyndale in 1500 started the printing of the bible after the invention of the printing press. Thousands of copies were burnt and he too was burned at the stake. His last words were, “Lord, open the king of England’s eyes!” Three years later King Henry VIII authorised the publication of the Great Bible.

You can begin to see that there has been more attempts from within Christianity itself to destroy the bible. While that may sound strange, one such attempt is unfolding right now as you read this. Recently there has been a series of messages on social media asking people to not read certain versions of the bible because they are inaccurate. Undiscerning Christians do not see the danger in this and they gladly broadcast such message. What the enemy is doing is seek to discredit and undermine God’s word using God’s people. Eventually when you disown one bible you disown all bibles – because erudite scholars will always work to show the errors in every translation.

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 confirmed with fascinating clarity how reliable our biblical texts are, showing that the variations are less than 2% from the texts we have and not a single doctrine nor teaching has been changed.

If God cannot defend His Word that is God’s problem not mine. Here’s the good news – There is no power on earth – no government or business that can kill God’s word. I will show you the implications of this tomorrow. Please don’t miss it.

© SURVIVOR

DeepWords Devotional

THE 7TH LOVER By Aleele Paago

John 4:17-18
The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

What will make a woman get married to six husbands?
Is it betrayal? Is it death? Is it just a sense of sexual adventure? The Bible gives us no clue. But we can be sure of one thing – this lady would have preferred to marry just one husband like others. She would have preferred a lovely home surrounded by her children but what most people take for granted she will never enjoy..

When you have married 5 husbands and is living with the sixth, we can conclude that you have experienced heartbreaks either from bereavement or divorce. If you are looking for a definition of a messed up life this was a perfect example.
Perhaps they called her names – husband snatcher, prostitute, good for nothing.

Perhaps you have been called names too. “are your mates still in their father’s house? Are you not supposed to be employed by this time? Six husbands and nothing to show for it. Perhaps for you it is not husbands but years. Six years and nothing to show. You say you are working but there is nothing to show for it. Or degrees and qualifications but nothing to show for.
Children and nothing to show.
Let’s face the truth. It is not for your lack of effort that you have not made it. This woman has given her best efforts to make her marriages work. But they all failed.

Until one ordinary day like today when Jesus showed up. He became the 7th lover. All others may have failed but not this one.

We don’t know what happened to the sixth marriage but we know the woman became a new person. From a ridiculed and rejected bed hopper she became a renowned evangelist whose message has been preached for over 2000 years.
We don’t know any of the men that took advantage of her but we know her. She is a bold survivor and so are you.
This too shall pass : pain lasts for a moment, shame lasts for a season but your victory shall be forever. Your testimony shall inspire generations unborn. You are the survivor.
©SURVIVOR
DEEPWORDS DEVOTIONAL

THE GREATEST MIRACLE By Aleele Paago

People desire to have miracles in their lives. That is understandable. However, most people who desire these miracles are not prepared to experience them.
If you desire the miracle of healing you must first be sick. If you desire the miracle of resurrection you must first die.
When the Bible says that every Valley shall be exalted what it means is that there will be a great earthquake that will cause the surrounding mountain to break up and fill the valley. Are you ready for the earthquake? Are you ready for a miracle?

It is spiritually unhealthy to look up to miracles and not the God who gives the miracles. It is a mark of how matured you are in your covenant walk with God.

Paul had a thorn in the flesh that all his praying and fasting did not remove. Stephen was stoned to death with all his anointing and faithful service.

The greatest miracles are the ones that didn’t happen. Yes. It is great to give a testimony of how God miraculously delivered you from a ghastly car accident that killed people. But you know it is a greater miracle not to have been in that accident. It is great to testify of how you were healed of a strange sickness but it is greater not to have the sickness in the first place.

Thank God for the miracle that didn’t happen. And if you are in a position to really expect the intervention of God, be sure that He will come through and he will do it just in time, in His time.

©SURVIVOR
DEEPWORDS DEVOTIONAL

AT THE SCENT OF WATER By Aleele Paago

A great warrior and conqueror, Nebuchadnezzar took the world by storm. It was under his leadership that Babylon rose to its greatest height – the fame, the wealth, the power – of his kingdom was uncontested.

God showed this idol worshipper what heaven has decreed concerning him. The revelation was vivid. He remembered every single detail. He recognised that the  main actors of the dream came from heaven – not from his own deities. And Daniel gave him a very detailed explanation of the dream.

He was going to lose his throne, his kingdom, his grandeur. Through wisdom, Daniel counselled him that he can avert this crisis by repenting from his sins and showing mercy to the poor. As it usually happens, the effect of the dream waned off and 12 months later, Nebuchadnezzar started to brag about his greatness.

At that moment, God took away his mind, and gave him the mind of an animal. The great king was deposed immediately. He left the palace and dwelt in the forests. He ate grass like goat and his hair grew like feathers. He lived like a chimpanzee for seven years.

He lost everything. He lost his throne. He lost his palace, his kingdom, his fame, his wealth, and his mind. I don’t know what you have lost. Is it a job? A child? A parent? A spouse? An opportunity? Your health? Your education?

The devil may have taken these from you. But at the fullness of time, there shall be a restoration. Even though everyone knew the King was mad and living in a bush, no one could kill him. The weather could not kill him, even though he had no blankets. The wild beasts could not kill him though he had no weapons. That is the hand of Jehovah. He will protect the things you cannot defend

He will restore to you the years the cankerworm has eaten. He will restore your throne, your virginity, your marriage, your joy. He will at the scent of water.

For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.  Job 14:7

You are a survivor!

© SURVIVOR

DeepWords Devotional

TARNISHED TAMAR By Aleele Paago

Gen 38

My life is filled with bitterness. My heart has been broken into a thousand pieces.

Death moved into my home and made it a permanent address. First it was my husband. Then I was made to marry his younger brother. He had never liked me even when my husband was alive and he never pretended about it. When he inherited me as wife, he showed the disdain even on our marriage bed. He swore to me that I will never bear his children and every time we had sex (we never made love) he would withdraw when the seed of life is coming. God heard my cry and he died. I did not mourn him.

My father in law was kind, but he has lost two sons and believed I was bad luck. So he tactically sent me home to my parents on the excuse that his last son was too young and when he is old enough he will send for me. He never did.

He came to my village and I knew he would be looking for a prostitute to sleep with so I did the unthinkable. I lured him to my bed and what a time we had! (well I say that with shame). Thank God I conceived. That was all I wanted. I wanted to keep my husband’s name alive.

But my father in law demanded that I should be stoned to death. He has found the perfect reason to kill me. But God was on my side after all. Not because I had done the right things. What I did was sinful and I sincerely repent of it. But I was only a desperate woman trying to keep the tradition I was born into.
 

God upturned the yoke of barrenness, took away the death in my home removed the reproach from me and gave me sons that remain a testimony in Israel.

My name is Tamar, daughter in law of Judah and the Matron of the Messianic lineage and I am a survivor. If your story is not as bad as mine, then you stand a better chance. If your story is worse than mine then Jesus – the Messiah is even much more pleased to give you that chance to prove your abusers and haters wrong.

Yes, I am a survivor and so are you.

©SURVIVOR
DEEPWORDS DEVOTIONAL
 

VICTIM OF MERCY By Aleele Paago

Jonah is not the regular kind of prophet. He is a messenger that does not want to go on a message. He is disobedient, recalcitrant, obstinate and uncooperative. God sent him to Nineveh but Jonah decided to flee to Tarshish.

 
When he entered a ship he went to hide at the bottom so that even God will not see him. For his sake a mighty storm came and all the merchants and sailors started appeasing the demons of the sea. They were not just trying to lighten the ship, they were making sacrifices to their gods. But Jonah had forgotten his own God and had gone to sleep.

When the captain of the boat found him, Jonah was bold enough to tell them the truth. He demanded that he should be thrown overboard. Jonah presented and represented God badly. Do you know that all the people on that ship will believe that Jonah’s God is a blood thirsty deity who would only accept a human as appeasement?
 

As far as Jonah was concerned, God was through with him. He had failed his life assignment. He had failed God. There was no point to it. He wanted to end it all and rather than preach in Nineveh, it would be better to die in the sea.

Have you messed up big time? Have you fouled the call and grace of God in your life? Have you stumbled into the sin of fornication, adultery, abortion – with people you know you should never have done it with? Have you taken advantage of the poor girl God placed under your ministry? Have you failed? Maybe you have. Maybe like Jonah you have represented God badly.

But wait! Jonah has been thrown into the sea, the raging storm has stilled immediately and while Jonah gasped for breath, God sent a deliverer. Mercy has found him again! Mercy will find you again.
 

You are never too far from God’s Mercy. Never! All you need now is to drop the pride and self-justification and ask for his forgiveness. You know the only reason you are still alive is because He wants to correct this mistake and restore you.

Thank God you are a survivor!

© SURVIVOR

DeepWords Devotional

BEYOND IMAGINATION By Aleele Paago

 

Who has prayed and not got an answer?   Am not asking the usual rhetorical questions that seek to prove that all prayers are always answered.  

 

I am looking for the real man and woman whose request has been turned down over and again by heaven. Yes, you lost the pregnancy once again. Yes, he walked out of your life and married someone else. Yes, you were not given the job. Yes, you did not pass the examination and it is not because you did not study hard enough. I am looking for the real person who has real questions for heaven.

 

If you have followed God long enough, then you must have come to that point yourself, when you get the dreaded silent answer from heaven. It is at moments like this that religion tells you, “oh, you didn’t pay your tithe that’s why …”  or , you haven’t prayed enough, or the generational sins… Honestly we can never argue with religion because these things are true and they do happen.

 

Elijah led a great national revival and the next day he prayed that God should kill him. He got a resounding silence from God. When God finally spoke it was a resounding “NO”. Do you know why?

 

Heaven had a better answer. Rather than kill Elijah, he was adopted into heaven without seeing death! For God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ever ask.

 

God is set to break the rules that is why your prayer has not been answered. He is set to give you an answer you could never imagine. How on earth could Elijah have imagined that he will not die? Uhm… what was it you were believing God for?

 

Eph 3:20-21  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,

  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

 

You are next in line! You are a survivor…

 

© Survivor

DeepWords Devotional

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UNKILLABLE By Aleele Paago

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 1 Pet 5:8-9 (KJV)

When satan secured permission from God to deal with Job, the only exemption that God gave was JOB. Every other person was easy prey for the devil. The hedge was removed from everyone: from his wife to the rat in his house. Everyone could be taken and killed – heaven has removed the protection. So why did some servants escape death?

 

Peter says the devil as a lion “seeks” that means even though all the sheep and the animals are outside, yet not all are devourable. Not all are killable. Not all are destructible. I don’t know on which side you belong.   

 

How do you explain that everyone is in a building when it collapses and only one person escapes unhurt? Satan did not need to spare a servant to go send the news to Job. Bad news travels fast and sooner or later, Job will know about his loss. Every single servant that escaped the disaster that struck Job’s household that day, met a set of conditions clearly revealed in the bible. They were indestructible. While Job’s children had taken the God of their father for granted and will wait for Job to worship on their behalf, these poor slaves, these houseboys and girls who had no hope anywhere else, decided to take Job’s God as their God. They knew God for themselves. The bible is clear – They that know their God shall be bold and shall do exploits. Escape from destruction is one such exploit. The power is in the knowing of YOUR GOD.

 

The devil can’t take some of us. Let him roar the much he wants. Let him bring the storm from all four corners of the world or cause fire to fall from heaven. Let him send thieves and killers and set accidents on the road. Let him threaten with divorce, or poverty or whatever else he has. The God that exempts from the calamity that befalls all shall exempt you.

 

You cannot be devoured! Roar it if you believe it!

 

© Survivor

DeepWords Devotional