Zenith of Praise - ZOP

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
John 1:4‭-‬5‭, ‬9 NKJV

Whoever accepts Jesus is translated from darkness into light of life.

John 1:4-9 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for | New King James Version (NKJV) |... In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for

May 10

Singing Over Us

[He] will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

Today's Scripture & Insight:

Zephaniah 3:14–17

A young father held his baby boy in his arms, singing to him and rocking him in soothing rhythm. The baby was hearing-impaired, unable to hear the melody or the words. Yet the father sang anyway, in a beautiful, tender act of love toward his son. And his efforts were rewarded with a delightful smile from his little boy.

The imagery of the father-son exchange bears a striking resemblance to the words of Zephaniah. The Old Testament prophet says that God will joyfully sing over His daughter, the people of Jerusalem (Zephaniah 3:17). God enjoys doing good things for His beloved people, such as taking away their punishment and turning back their enemies (v. 15). Zephaniah says they no longer have any reason for fear and instead have cause for rejoicing.

We, as God’s children redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, sometimes are hard of hearing—unable, or perhaps unwilling, to tune our ears to the exuberant love God sings over us. His adoration of us is like that of the young father, who lovingly sang to his son despite his inability to hear. He has taken away our punishment too, giving us further reason to rejoice. Perhaps we might try to listen more closely to hear the joy ringing loudly in His voice. Father, help us to hear Your loving melody and savor being held safely in Your arms.

By: Kirsten Holmberg

*Reflect & Pray*
What keeps you from hearing God? How can you tune your ears to hear His delight in you?

Thank You, God, for taking great delight in me. May I always listen to your voice as You joyfully sing over me.



To learn more about Zephaniah, visit ChristianUniversity.org/OT226.

Jonah-Habakkuk: The God of Israel and the God of the Nations Jonah-Habakkuk: The God of Israel and the God of the Nations is a course which demonstrates the fact that while God had chosen Israel as His covenant people, His compassion extended beyond Israel t…

ZENITH HOUR DEVOTION
25/08/2020

HE HAS THE FINAL SAY, BUT YOU CAN INTERCEDE.

John 6:44 AMPC
No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.

In the book of Jonah, the story is told of how God wanted to save a wicked and ungodly city, though, He (God) was angry with them. So he sent Jonah to go and warn them. When Jonah proclaimed God's message to them, they repented and God had mercy on the whole city.

In the opening scripture above, Christ Jesus told His followers that no one could come to Him (Jesus Christ) to have life unless the God The Father attracts and draws them. Though God has the perogative to decide who to perish, our intercession on behalf of all humanity for God to save can cause God to have mercy. God on several occasions, wanted to wipe out the Israelites in the wilderness, but Moses stood as an intercessor for the people for God to have mercy, and so God heeded the intercession of Moses and spared them.

In Romans 8:26-27, Paul tells of how the Holy Spirit intercedes for believers. So, we also must intercede for the unbelievers to come to the saving knowledge of Christ.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the ministry of intercession. I pray today, that help me to intercede for the the unsaved in this world, so that they will be reached with the gospel, and to accept Jesus Christ, and to obtain your mercy. In Christ Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Evans Adjei Ghansah
God's servant.ZENITH HOUR DEVOTION
25/08/2020

HE HAS THE FINAL SAY, BUT YOU CAN INTERCEDE.

John 6:44 AMPC
No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.

In the book of Jonah, the story is told of how God wanted to save a wicked and ungodly city, though, He (God) was angry with them. So he sent Jonah to go and warn them. When Jonah proclaimed God's message to them, they repented and God had mercy on the whole city.

In the opening scripture above, Christ Jesus told His followers that no one could come to Him (Jesus Christ) to have life unless the God The Father attracts and draws them. Though God has the perogative to decide who to perish, our intercession on behalf of all humanity for God to save can cause God to have mercy. God on several occasions, wanted to wipe out the Israelites in the wilderness, but Moses stood as an intercessor for the people for God to have mercy, and so God heeded the intercession of Moses and spared them.

In Romans 8:26-27, Paul tells of how the Holy Spirit intercedes for believers. So, we also must intercede for the unbelievers to come to the saving knowledge of Christ.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the ministry of intercession. I pray today, that help me to intercede for the the unsaved in this world, so that they will be reached with the gospel, and to accept Jesus Christ, and to obtain your mercy. In Christ Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Evans Adjei Ghansah
God's servant.

ZENITH HOUR DEVOTION
25/08/2020

HE HAS THE FINAL SAY, BUT YOU CAN INTERCEDE.

John 6:44 AMPC
No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.

In the book of Jonah, the story is told of how God wanted to save a wicked and ungodly city, though, He (God) was angry with them. So he sent Jonah to go and warn them. When Jonah proclaimed God's message to them, they repented and God had mercy on the whole city.

In the opening scripture above, Christ Jesus told His followers that no one could come to Him (Jesus Christ) to have life unless the God The Father attracts and draws them. Though God has the perogative to decide who to perish, our intercession on behalf of all humanity for God to save can cause God to have mercy. God on several occasions, wanted to wipe out the Israelites in the wilderness, but Moses stood as an intercessor for the people for God to have mercy, and so God heeded the intercession of Moses and spared them.

In Romans 8:26-27, Paul tells of how the Holy Spirit intercedes for believers. So, we also must intercede for the unbelievers to come to the saving knowledge of Christ.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the ministry of intercession. I pray today, that help me to intercede for the the unsaved in this world, so that they will be reached with the gospel, and to accept Jesus Christ, and to obtain your mercy. In Christ Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Evans Adjei Ghansah
God's servant.

No conversation with the devil.
Genesis 3:1-15

In the above scripture, after God had created everything, including man (Adam and Eve), He (God), placed man in the garden of Eden, and put Him (man) in it to tend it. He gave man a command. But the devil came and deceived man to disobey God. God came to visit man, and found out that man had disobeyed Him, (NB: God already knew man would sinned against Him). When He questioned Adam, he blamed the woman. When He questioned the woman, she blamed the devil, but God did not question the devil, no converstation with him. He (God), straight away pronounced judgement on the devil. Why? Because, He knows the devil is mischievous, for he once served in His Kingdom, in His court, the devil stood before. And He knew beforehand what the devil will do when creates mankind. So he needed not to waste His time on Him.

What am I trying to say here? Many a time, we try to have conversation with the enemy, try to find out why he is attacking us the way he does, by complaining. We try to negotiate with the enemy, by compromising, only for us to realise that he has drawn us farther away from our goal, blinded us, and eventually destroyed us. But we can disregard the enemy by reading the Word of God, meditating on it, praying always and fixing our gaze on the Lord Jesus Christ. Not turning to the right or to the left, but only looking forward. For turning to look at the devil, is like Peter casting his eyes off Jesus, and given attention to the waves, and we you will eventually begin to sink.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of this world
Will go strangely dim,
In the light of His glorious face.

Shalom.

CHOSEN TO FORGIVE
By Elisa Morgan

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

Luke 23:34

As a middle-schooler, Patrick Ireland first sensed God had chosen him for something. But what? Later as a survivor of the horrific Columbine (Colorado) High School massacre where thirteen were killed and twenty-four wounded, including Patrick, he began to understand an answer.

Through his long recovery, Patrick learned that clinging to bitterness causes further wounding. God showed Patrick that the key to forgiveness is to stop focusing on what others have done to us and to focus on what Jesus has done for us. Christ’s words on the cross toward His tormenters, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34), fulfilled Zechariah the priest’s prophecy of Jesus’ forgiveness (1:77). Additionally, His example revealed a purpose for Patrick, and twenty years after the tragedy, Patrick shared, “Maybe I was chosen to forgive.”

While most of us will not endure an unimaginable calamity such as the one committed at Columbine, each of us has been wronged in some way. A spouse betrays. A child rebels. An employer abuses. How do we move forward? Maybe we look to the example of our Savior. In the face of rejection and cruelty, He forgave. It is through Jesus’ forgiveness of our sins that we, ourselves, find salvation, which includes the ability to forgive others. And like Patrick, we can choose to let go of our bitterness to open our hearts to forgiveness.

REFLECT & PRAY

Dear Father, show me who I’m chosen to forgive today, and give me the strength to offer the forgiveness You died to provide.

Is your heart open to forgive? How might you experience more of the salvation Jesus died to provide by choosing to move toward forgiving someone who has wronged you?

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