Daily Devotionals- January Edition by Pastor Ike J. Monye
January 26, 2018.

HE IS OUR DELIVERER.
(THE BOOK OF OBADIAH)

Scripture Reading: Obadiah 17. Additional Bible Reading: Isaiah 49:25-26(KJV), John 8:36(NKJV), Romans 11:26-27,
Proverbs 26.

JESUS CHRIST IS OUR DELIVERER.

The word of God tells us today that there will always be deliverance in Mount Zion. Today, the church or the assembly of God's people is Mount Zion. Whenever the church gathers Jesus comes into our midst to deliver and to set free. He came to set the captives free. Indeed in Ephesians, the Bible records that He took captivity captive. Hallelujah!! Beloved, at some point in your life you may be in some captivity or bondage. You may be held down by invisible chains. As you look into your life, it is obvious to you that you should have made far more significant progress than you have made. For some, it appears as if there are invisible barriers and limits all around you. The truth is that we have an enemy who fights a vicious invisible battle with the saints of God. He desires that we should not advance or make any progress. He attempts to manipulate the outcomes of the different areas of your life. For some, there are satanic patterns in your bloodline. It could be a particular sickness or early deaths or systemic poverty or marriage problems. These are all bondages that the enemy has created. The good news today is that you do not have any reason remaining in captivity anymore, you and your loved ones. Jesus Christ came to set you totally free. The Bible says that he that the Son of man has made free, is free indeed!! By the way, the real phrase is "made free" not "set free". (John 8:36).If you are set free, you can be re-arrested and put back in captivity but when you have been made free, you become a genuinely free man, Hallelujah! The Prophet Isaiah asks a powerful question in Isaiah: Isaiah 49:24-25 He says " Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the captives of the righteous be delivered?" He goes on to give us the good news: " Thus says the LORD ' even the captives of the mighty will be taken away and the prey of the terrible be delivered.." The King James Version renders the opening verse in a more powerful way, it says " ....or the lawful captive be delivered?" The answer remains the same. Thus saith the LORD, even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered...". Praise God!! A lot of us may be lawful captives. It may be consequences of wrong choices or covenants entered into on our behalf or covenants entered into without knowledge or generational covenants and bondages or environmental curses and limitations.  No matter what the cause of the captivity, beloved, the good news is that Jesus came to set the captives free. All captives!! In a sense, all of us were lawful captives. We had all sinned and fallen short of the glory of the Lord. Secondly, the penalty for our sins was death. Jesus came and redeemed us from the captivity of the devil, hell and darkness. In all my years in ministry, I have discovered that for majority of believers, the problem is the captivity of the mind. A lot of believers are bound terribly in their minds by ignorance and error. Many who have been set free are still being deceived that they are still in the devil's lock down. Many are also giving the devil and his minions far more credit and power than they have. Friends, your freedom and deliverance must first begin in your mind. Until you believe you are free, your captivity continues.  This is why Jesus "proclaimed" (preached) deliverance to the captives!! Allow the word of God to be your greatest weapon of deliverance. You can deliver yourself any day and any time using the word of God. This New Year, you must locate the word of God for that captivity. Use it by faith, declare it without ceasing until the chains are broken and the siege of darkness is lifted. Remember, Jesus Christ is the ultimate Savior and Deliverer. It is time to posses your freedom.

Today's Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus for being my Deliverer. Thank you for paying the ransom for my deliverance and freedom. This year, I will walk in the light of my freedom. I declare that I am free!!