PROPHETIC CLASS TESTIMONY

The anointing of ‘champion love’ was very strong this evening in the church. We did ‘a mass wedding’. It was not planned by man, but by the Holy Spirit. Thank God that I am not in charge! The single sisters gathered at the entrance of the sanctuary, the place from where the brides usually come in. Each took an artificial flower from the church. The children volunteered to be the entourage. The single brothers stood at the altar waiting, praying in tongues. Then the ‘bridal train’ marched as Bro Blessing was singing “He is jealous for me!” The married couples were the ‘wedding guests’ encouraging, taking pictures. Pastor Timi stood as ‘the father’ of the brides. Pastor Ebi and Pastor Trish prayed prophetic blessings over them. Brother Emmanuel brought out a professional camera and took pictures…there so much faith and rejoicing, the building shook…nobody took notice that we were all in jeans and T-shirts, for the glory of God covered us all. It is so wonderful to come to church! I testify that God has blessed our church with the gift of happy godly marriages! In Jesus name, Amen!

TRUE LOVE IS A CHOICE AND A COMMITMENT

“There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. We love Him, because He first loved us” (1Jn 4:18, 19; AMP)

True love is a choice. It means to decide, to select freely after proper consideration. To choose it means to make a judgment about a matter, to come to a final conclusion and a course of action. This selection is made against the powers of doubt, fear, wavering, controversy, quarrels or intimidation. Just imagine this scenario: love stands before different doors; love thinks; love prays; then quietly but surely, love comes in front of one; she opens that door; passes thru it and shuts it behind. Love knows when to say ‘yes’ and when to say ‘no!’ Perfect mature fruitful love is never confused! Love knows the power of finality and never regrets its way, never looks back or wishes contrary emotions.

True love is also a commitment, a pledge, an exchange of promises, a vow, an agreement to do something, to be faithful in the future. Love bounds the soul emotionally and intellectually, it restrains its freedom for a better gain. Love is sincere and steadfast keeping loyal to a fixed purpose defeating the enemies of apathy, laziness and indifference. Commitment means to be seriously minded, loyal, mature and responsible. The power of committed love is greater than the temptation to betray, to divorce or to deny the truth.

LUST, FEAR, LAZINESS AND DOUBT ARE BROTHERS IN SIN

Lust is always infatuated with the many options. Lust stands looks and admires the different doors forever. Lust and doubt are brothers in sin.  Doubt is not able to choose only one option; it never shuts the rest of the doors. Doubt and lust are signs of a weak corrupted sick will. Lust hates making life time promises. Lust is slothful; it loves its own freedom to admire many objects; its will is weak and lazy; love and hate look the same, marriage and singleness look the same; God and devil they look the same. There is no compulsion to choose one love and to reject all the fake options. There is no passion to be responsible and faithful to only one love. Lust is a criminal. Reject it!

THE FEAR OF COMMITMENT IS THE ENEMY OF MARRIAGE

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control” (2Tim 1:7, AMP)

There are many people who fear to pledge themselves for the rest of their lives. This fear manifests itself as weakness to choose a life partner, a line of action in school, at work or in making decisions in general. The fear of commitment may be the major reason why men do not marry until late in life. These are afraid of settling down. They are addicted to doubt, lust and laziness. They enjoy looking and admiring the many options. Some, under pressure, they get married, but they still continue to remain under the bondage of this fear and doubt. This is why their marriage is not stable and many end in divorce. They fear losing the many options displayed. They say that they are afraid to make the wrong decision. They too desire true love but they are afraid that it is just an impossible, unattainable dream. Their imaginations are wild. They have a lot of fantasies about an ideal partner. That is why they cannot ‘come back to earth’ and marry what is available. These men live with doubt; they always have a backup plan. These are romantically polluted dreamers, spreading their false hopes and wicked proposals. The danger of living with this fear of making a commitment is a lonely frustrated life of regret. A coward dies many deaths for fear of war.

What is the solution? Pray that you may see the truth of your position. Identify your fears. Fear is a demon connecting you with the powers of hell! Repent of all your fears! Confront them! Call them by name! Reject them! Pray for the Holy Spirit! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! Stop worrying about tomorrow! Trust God who never tempts anyone! Be free to obey God’s Word!

May God’s perfect will (which includes a happy marriage and a successful ministry) be done in your life, in Jesus name, Amen!

REBEKAH THE WARRIOR BRIDE

“We will call the young woman and ask her personally.” Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I WILL GO!” (Gen 24)

The two most important decisions you make in life are these: Give your life to Christ and chose a life partner!

Pray daily, not only for your children’s salvation, but also for their choice of a life partner!

Rebekah was a beautiful virgin! This is a great blessing! By this decision Rebekah’s life was changed completely. For her and for us, old things pass away and everything becomes new! She has not seen Isaac but she agreed to marry him. That is faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Have faith in Jesus Christ and His plan for your life! “Having not seen, you love” (1 Pet 1:18).

In Christ I declare:

I do not see God but I love God!

I love my neighbor as I love myself!

I am lead not by my senses but by the Holy Spirit!

I reject lust, fear and doubt!

My body is my servant, not my master!

I receive the gift of marriage made in heaven and enjoyed on earth!

I am a fruitful vine!

My children shall marry well!

When God calls, I shall say: “I will go!”

To the glory to God!

In Jesus name

Amen

“Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass -The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.”

Now this is the Word which by the gospel was preached to you” (1Pet 1:23-25)

Salvation is a mystery. Salvation is a miracle. Only God can save your soul! This is God’s express wish and command: You must be born again! Religion is not enough; you must be redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. Church is not enough; you must be found in Christ alone. When looking for a church, do not stay there just because you ‘like the worship’. The choir may be excellent, the keyboard heavenly. But God made it so that is only thru the preaching of God’s Word, the true Gospel of Christ Crucified that you can be saved. Good worship in a church is not enough reason to attend it! You need first of all is to listen to the Word of God coming from the pulpit. You are saved by the Blood of the Lamb, thru the anointed preaching of the Word of God. Your spirit, your conscience must bear witness with the ministry of the preacher. You are not saved by songs or by praises.  If you are infatuated with the choir, remember, good worship is like food for the children living in the house. For as long as you are not born again, you are still a foreigner, standing alone, outside, in the rain, looking thru the window. You cannot partake from the food given only to the children. The Word must be planted into your spirit to become a child of God. Then you can come in, and eat all the delicacies you longed for and admired from outside.

The Word of God is not like any other human word. It is described as an ‘incorruptible seed’. In Greek this word means something that is immortal and indestructible. It can never be wasted, defiled, wither or die. It is an eternal spiritual seed that is planted in your spirit producing a peculiar fruit called salvation. It is also an abiding and enduring Word. It is injected in your spirit and it dwells there. It cannot be aborted. No man or devil can uproot the Word planted in a good, welcoming and noble heart. It becomes a part of you forever. Its influence is not just occasionally, but it is permanent, constant. It does not depend of your feelings. It much deeper than that!

The preaching of the Word of God comes with the power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Once you come into contact with it, the Word will reveal to you the truth. You may fight this painful revelation but cannot win against the truth. Thru the Word, you shall be able to believe that you are a sinner and an enemy to God. For the first time in your life you will agree that you need God, that you need a Savior! Repentance is the first good work of the soul. Truth is very painful when coming in. But truth sets free from ignorance and sin. This is the peculiar work done by the Holy Spirit thru the preaching of the Word of God! God bless all true preachers of the Gospel!

My testimony:

The Holy Spirit used Genesis 1:1 to convict me of sin. For the first time in my life, I opened the Bible in January 1986. Slowly, I read the first three words: “In the beginning God…” That was all! I could not read any more! The fear of God fell on me! I tried to fight back! I tried to defend my long standing self-righteousness…I gripped the support of my doubt… I leaned on my skill of religious mockery that saved me in the past… But this time, nothing worked…The Word of God penetrated my heart as a sword and my pride bled to death…I failed completely! From the moment I read those ‘simple and innocent’ words, I could not resist them… I could not rest my mind and I had no peace until I totally surrendered to the God of the Bible! Easy to say, my life was never the same again…

This is a simple test: Do you remember the particular scripture that the Holy Spirit used, for the first time, to inject truth into your heart? Do you remember how you repented and became saved? Any believer, who remembers the details of that encounter with the Word, is truly born again! Selah!

In Christ I declare:

I am born again by the Word of God, by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Holy Spirit!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“The Word of the Lord came to me: “Son of Man, because Tyre said of Jerusalem ‘Aha!’ The gate in the nations is broken and its doors have swung open to me, now that she lies in ruins I will prosper. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘I am against you, O Tyre…I will make you a bare rock…You will never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord” (Ez 26)

GENERAL INFORMATION
Tyre is a city in the present day Lebanon. It was founded around 2750 BC, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. The city was an island not far from the shore. It was heavily fortified (with 150 feet high defensive walls). The port of Tyre was one of the best harbors of the Ancient world. Its merchants were the first to venture on the Mediterranean Sea. They founded colonies in Greece, Carthage, Sicily and Spain. They gathered their treasures in the great warehouses built on the island. Tyre was particularly known for the production of a rare and extraordinarily expensive sort of purple dye, produced from the murex shellfish. Purple color was reserved for the royalty and rich noble men. Thus Tyre became famous and rich.
Tyre had many enemies but survived for centuries. It was attacked by Egypt and Babylon but could not be defeated. In 332 BC Alexander the Great laid siege to the city. He built a connection between the island and the land. Thus he conquered and razed it. From that time on, it never regain its former glory.
Jesus visited the area but not the city. He healed the daughter of a Gentile woman (Mt 15:21). Many from Tyre came to hear Him preaching (Mk 3:8). A congregation was founded there. Today most of its population is Muslim with a small but strong Christian community. Recently, the city was badly damaged during the wars between Israel and Lebanon. Tourism is still a major industry but many sites are decaying due to the lack of maintenance and general neglect.

Tyre is not far from Jerusalem. Spiritually speaking, Tyre stands for the devil’s headquarters, for the gathering of the religious unbelievers. The city was beautiful, rich and famous for many centuries. It seems like it will be so forever. But it became foolishly proud. God became angry when Tyre confessed that its prosperity came from the destruction of Jerusalem. That confession became its downfall. God sent Ezekiel to prophesy its total destruction, as a sign and a warning against all the proud strongholds to the end of time: Anyone who destroys a child of God to become rich shall fall for its sake!
The judgment of God came against the city’s mighty walls and towers. In Hebrew, these words mean spiritual covering, protection, promotion and the power of the pulpit. God judges all false brethren and preachers with their dangerous, reckless, so called ‘gospel of prosperity’ that ignores the Cross. It promotes greed and covetousness. The evil spirit of ‘Tyre’ is still active in the churches. The love of money has brought about the ruin of many ‘men of God’. It is ‘the root of all evil’, a spiritual poison, a source of deadly incurable sorrow and regret for many in the church (1Tim 6:9, 10). Be sure of this: God judges all sin! Take a trip to Tyre, Lebanon and see the ruins for yourself!

What is the solution? Repent from all pride and greed! You cannot love God and money in the same time (Mt 6:24)! Choose to worship God! Reject any infatuation with Mammon and its false ‘gospel of prosperity’! Chose loving the Giver above His gifts! Pay your tithes! Be generous with your offerings! Take your cross daily and follow Jesus! Then rejoice always, for you are free indeed!

In Christ I declare:
I love God!
I hate sin!
I give God all the glory for my prosperity, health, success and all the good things in my life!
In Jesus name
Amen!

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This book is like a puzzle. The daily readings look like scattered pieces, some long and some short. It may seem that there is no particular ‘connection’ between them. You may not see ‘the picture’ initially, but patiently arrange the pieces together. Like a necklace made of pearls, the only string holding them is the Holy Spirit. See these pages as daily food for your spirit and medicine for your body and soul. These are also weapons of righteousness, strong enough to defeat the powers of darkness affecting your environment. Each day has ‘a prophetic’ declaration, reminding us of the treasures we have as believers in Christ. We tend to forget the power of truth spoken aloud. Just to be reminded that ‘I am a child of God!’ is enough to stir my soul each day. This ‘spirit of faith’ is the engine and the power ‘to produce’ miracles.

This is my new book! All glory to God! You can order it from Amazon.com…

Do you have a desire to pray to God? Do you pray from the internal impulse of the Holy Spirit or just because men force you to pray? The truth is that the child of God has a built-in system in his heart that makes him happy to talk to God; anytime, anywhere! The desire has to be there, no man can give it to you. But we still need to know ‘how’ to pray; the royal, priestly protocol of addressing God. Pray Ye was written to help born again believers understand the God given privilege of prayer, and to help the believer develop the will to pray more often, with more faith and passion, not less!

“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves…”

 “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom 1:24; 13:10)

Lust compares with a violent secret spiritual kidnapping of emotions. It promotes an unhealthy relationship. One partner is aggressive like the hunter, the other one is a passive victim. With time the two settle in a type of master and slave relationship. The aggressor may be the husband or the wife. He or she dominates the relationship, leads the way, makes demands, torments and intimidates the other. The leader is usually hot tempered, impatient, demanding and ungrateful. The victim is forced into submission. This is not a happy marriage but an arrangement based on foolishness and false humility. The victim is forced to ‘enjoy’ the marriage ‘if she likes it or not’. Slowly, she becomes passive and spiritually cold. They are liabilities to each other. A relationship based on lust will drain the resources of the couple. They will manipulate and exploit until they destroy each other at last. It takes much stress, labor and resources to sustain a lustful relationship. Even so, it will end in failure, with no one to help.

Love is the opposite. Love blesses the spouse, both spiritually and physically. Love lifts the other when there is need for encouragement. Love is strong and responsible. It is not manipulative or moody.

The major difference between lust and love is their attitude to spiritual growth! Selah! Love promotes a closer relationship with God, makes time for the study of the Word, prayer and church activities.

All relationships based on lust promote backsliding and the love of the world. True love is not self-seeking, but generous with its time, gifts and sacrificial labor. Jacob loved Rachel so much that he was willing to work fourteen years to pay for her dowry. But with all the hard labor, because of his love for her, the time passed by quickly (Gen 29:20).

Lust is a shameful ‘bed fire’!

Love is a pure glorious eternal Spirit fire!

In Christ I declare:

I reject lust and its bed of fire!

I receive the gift of true love!

My marriage bed is undefiled!

My marriage is blessed!

In Jesus name

Amen!

LOVE IS A SERVANT IN TRAINING TO BE A KING

‘Listen! My Lover! Look here He comes, leaping across the mountains bounding over the hills’ (SS 2:8)

Loves serves the other with humility and grace. Love knows how to listen to another’s heart, not just to his voice. We teach our children how to write, how to speak correctly. Do we teach them how to listen? Eliezer listened to his beloved master Abraham, on how to proceed on the journey. He lived with him for many years. He could have easily assumed that he knows it all, for Abraham spoke often to him about his dreams and visions of God. But even so, every fresh word from the mentor’s mouth is life to the one who truly loves.

If you become impatient as you listen to your wife (husband), if you cut short her speech, like she is a child, then stop and pray! There is a danger that you have forsaken your first love and you are falling spiritually. It is possible that you hide a love crime behind your handsome face and a designer suit. It is possible that love has been betrayed in the past, sacrificed on the road of ‘practicality and common sense’. It is possible that bribe has blinded you and the world has ensnared your soul. A backslider is always impatient with his lover. Many have ignorantly strayed to the market where kisses are sold… some are cheap; you forget their taste as soon as the colored lights fade with the morning break. But some kisses are so expensive that their poison on your lips will change your appetite for years, leaving behind much sorrow and pain.

Then STOP! Come to the Cross! Retrace your steps. Be reconciled with your wife! Let the peace of God be restored again! Be wise, quick to listen and slow to speak once more! There is hope! Have faith in God! Pray! The coals of dying love, hidden under the ashes of daily boring routine, shall be revived once more.

LUST IS A TYRANT THAT WIL SOON BE DESTROYED

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” (Jam 4:3, 10; KJ)

Lust is a wicked master, an oppressor, a tyrant. It takes advantage of the weakness and the needs of his victim to exploit and manipulate. Any prayer for marriage that comes out of lust is rejected by God. Many singles have confused lust with love. Be careful! Pray for discernment! Do not ignore the fact of ignorance! Lust has his own desires, his own songs, romance and spirituality. Lust is closely connected with the evil spirit of religion. The prayer based on lust is called ‘amiss’. It is based on deception and it will end in failure. Lust is considered ‘a wrong motive’ of prayer for marriage. The word in Greek means evil, physically and mentally bad; something like an incurable disease. Think of it this way: you are single and lonely. Lust has attacked you and you pray for marriage. God is telling you that if He answers your prayer, it is the same thing like getting married to a womanizer who is terminally ill with AIDS. Is that what you call a marriage? That is a snare, but the lust will confuse you to accept the proposal. It is better to remain single and wait for God to give you the gift of true love and true marriage than to die young with lust in your bosom. “Do not lust in your heart after her beauty…Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burnt?” (PV 6:25-27)

The marriage based on a wrong foundation of lust will end in quarrels, fights and eventually divorce. Pray for forgiveness! Repent! Then pray again this time with a pure heart of love for God!  If you are already married with a wrong foundation, if at least one of you truly repents and prays for mercy, God will intervene. He will reposition you on the Rock foundation of Christ. Then the true love has a chance to bloom and the stale water becomes the best wine in town! In this way, the marriage will be born again, to the glory of God! For nothing is impossible with God!

In Christ I declare:

I am born again!

My marriage is born again!

Lust has been defeated in my heart and in my marriage!

Our love will never fail!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1Cor 10:16, 17)

This morning we had our monthly Holy Communion Service. The Lord’s Table was set before us. It is the Lord’s Table, not any man’s table. The Lord Jesus Christ desired that we should partake from this blessed offer in remembrance of His Person, of His work on earth, of His death on the Cross. He knows that our memory is weak. We may forget the power of the Cross, of the Blood shed there. That is why He commanded that we should eat the bread and drink from the cup, the wine prepared. The word ‘cup’ means a drinking vessel appreciated only by him who is thirsty.

Are you thirsty to know God this morning? Are you hungry for revival? Are you longing for an encounter with God? Do you desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Then come to the Lord’s Table and partake, for that is why He died for.

The Lord’s Table is not ‘a snack’. It is life, healing and strength!  It is also a Holy Communion, a Living Fellowship with the Holy Spirit and with the other saints in the Body of Christ. This Blessed Fellowship means that we, who are many, become ONE in Christ. There is a sharing of rights, responsibilities and privileges. Some may be rich and others may be poor; some may be educated and others jobless; but at the Lord’s Table we are ONE. The ground is level at the foot of the Cross. There is no boasting of any personal success. Only praise to Him who died to save us from sin!

Some denominations ignorantly encourage spiritual passivity. ‘Just open your mouth’- the priest says. He places the wafer in the mouth of the waiting man, the way the nurse gives polio vaccine. There is no faith required. They assume that the bread and the wine in the mouth will on their own miraculously become a form of medicine inside the body. But the Holy Communion is a spiritual exercise. You need faith to believe in Jesus and in His Blood shed at the Cross. You need more than an open mouth! You need an open spirit, an open heart!

May the mystery of Calvary and the power of His Blood heal, deliver and bless you this morning!

In Christ I declare:

Jesus Christ is God Almighty!

Jesus is my Savior and my Lord!

The Blood of Jesus has set me free from the wrath of God!

I am free! I am healed! I am delivered!

I believe!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world; and the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever…

But the fruit of the Spirit is love…” (1 Jn 2:15-17; Gal 5:22)

Lust and love are opposites but have similar definitions. Many confuse lust with true love. Love is spiritual and lust is fleshly. Love is of God and lust is of the devil. There is no middle ground.

Lust is defined as an intense desire in the body or in the soul (mind, emotions and will). Lust will not rest until it possesses its object of infatuation. The source of lust is sin. Lust can be sexual or otherwise but it is always an impatient craving, a longing that cannot rest or wait for its fulfillment. The devil takes advantage of the natural lust and reinforces it until it becomes more and more desperate and evil.

Love is also an intense desire but its source is the Holy Spirit manifesting in the human spirit. Love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Once the seed of love germinates, its overflow will influence the soul (mind, emotions and will) and also the body. True love is a gift from God. It is available only to the born again child of God. It cannot be bought with money and cannot be sold. Love is sacrificial, generous and holy.

In the Bible sexual lust is always defined as sin. It has to power to defile the mind and the heart. Sexual desire is good; it is a gift from God. But when it is separated from God’s love, it becomes selfish and wicked. That is lust, a fake, fleshly, worldly sinful ‘love’.

One of the most successful lies of the devil is that you need to experience lust and ‘to fall in love’ so that you get married. Millions of singles are trapped into this snare. They look around and pray for acceptable religious lust to come. Except the Holy Spirit reveals the evil of this deception, you will never see your need for a change. Love and lust may resemble occasionally in their manifestations, but their roots and foundations are far from each other as heaven is from the earth. Pray for discernment! Pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit into all truth!

LOVE IS A GODLY INSPIRING CHAMPION

LUST IS A FAKE COWARD AND A LOSER

“You have heard that it was said to those of old: ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:27, 28)

The point of entrance of the demon of lust is thru the eyes. The background of the lust ‘drama’ is the world, the system of things running outside the acknowledgment of God. In the world, lust is one of its princes, a spoiled brat, erratic and wild. It has no mercy and no wisdom. The fleshy eyes are busy with looking but never satisfied with what they see. The heart is then filled with the images of visible things, but never comes to rest. Lust is always proud and rebellious. Lust is the poison of peace and the enemy of God.

One of the greatest deceptions of the devil is to convince us that the world system is not so bad. Then be become foolish enough to accept salvation from Jesus but continue to be influenced by the world in our daily life. We are all sinful at birth. The natural man loves and is attracted by the visible things. As children of God we are commanded to reject the magnetic attraction, the addiction of this drug called lust. It is battle unto death. Lust is poison to the mind and to the emotions. If a man cannot pay the price for true love, and uses lust to win the heart of a woman, that man is a wicked coward and a fool.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” (4:18)

In contrast, true love comes by the Holy Spirit as a deposit in your own spirit, in a place that is much deeper than your mind can ever conceive. The love of God comes wrapped in peace and joy. Rest is its strength and wisdom its signature. To appreciate and receive the love of God you have to defeat the demon of lust thru spiritual warfare. All true lovers are champions, worthy leaders of holy inspiration. Lust may be powerful, intoxicating and extremely pleasant. But its major weakness is that it does not last. Lust is temporary. Anyone who ‘falls in love’ thru lust, testifies that one day, the experience disappeared as quickly as it came. It left nothing good behind, except the bitter taste of regret, the lasting wound of failure and the feel of failure and broken dreams. Except for the mercy of God, any marriage that has lust for its foundation will end up in divorce.

Lust starts strong but slowly, daily, it loses its strength, passion and romance. That is why lust is always combined with the fear of losing its best treasure. But perfect love drives out all fears of separation, of disappointment of failure. Pray for your marriage until you are free from the fear of its future. Pray until your marriage is baptized in Hope, stable and pure, a spiritual ministry and holy inspiration.

In contrast, true love may start slowly and quietly, but it gains strength each day, each second. God ‘keeps the best for the last’ (Jn 2:10). The sweetness of love in a mature marriage cannot compare with the youthful love of past decades. I speak from the Word of God and from personal experience. Love gets better with time. What a wonderful provision! What a joyful, exciting journey! What a privilege to love as Jesus loves! ‘Love never fails!’ (1Cor 13:8). Chose love! Reject the loser! Chose life!

In Christ I declare:

I love God!

I hate lust and an all evil!

Jesus Christ is my first and eternal love!

I love as Jesus loves me!

I love my husband with the overflow of the Holy Spirit!

I love my children!

I love my neighbor as I love myself!

In Jesus name

Amen!

A sister in Christ sent me this request: “Dear Malia, I need prayer. For some time I have been bleeding from my private parts. I went to the hospital and did some tests. The doctors do not yet know what is wrong. What do you think?”

My answer:

“It is not important what I think! What God thinks about you is what really matters. And God said that He is your Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals. There are times when the human doctors are like children, ignorant of their ignorance. Keep your eyes on Jesus, not on the circumstances and not on your strength. Calmly abide in the Word of God that you already believe!

In one way, your body is cheap, not more than ‘the sand’ used to make it. But in another way, your body is very expensive, for the Holy Spirit chose to be its Tenant. The rent was paid with the Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross. The price was so much, even more than the body itself. So He has to right to use it as He pleases. There is no fear that your Tenant will destroy it. The Tenant is the Owner too. God loves you with a perfect love. He loves you as a whole person, body, soul and spirit. One day He will transform this ‘lowly body’ into another glorious one, to be just like Him. But until then, He will use this one which is available as a Temple and Sanctuary for Himself on this earth. Like Jesus visited Mary and Martha in their humble home, the Holy Spirit chose to rest in your body. This is a mighty privilege for not all men can say that. His ‘rent’ is paid with many blessings, healing, deliverance, strength, peace and joy.

So I say to you: Be filled with the Holy Spirit! Glorify God with your body! Be grateful for your body!

Pray not just for healing but for a testimony of healing! You are not an ordinary woman so you cannot expect an ‘ordinary’ life style with an ‘ordinary’ healing. This is how the unbelievers do. Let your faith increase! Reject fear and doubt! God is in control! Your body is the temple (not only of your ‘private parts’) but of the SPIRIT OF LIFE, THE HOLY GHOST! Your sickness is an enemy of the Holy Spirit so God will fight His own battle! And God always wins! I am on God’s side! Be on God’s side, Sister…

I plead the Blood of Jesus over you!

Be healed, in Jesus name, Amen!”

“Haven’t you yet learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that He lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you. For God has bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give glory back to God because he owns it” (1Cor 6:19, 20; LB)

In Christ I declare:

My body belongs to the Holy Spirit!

I am healed!

I believe!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Shallun the son of Col-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he built it, covered it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the King’s Garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David…as far as the place in front of the tombs of David, to the man-made pool, and as far as the House of the Mighty” (Neh 3:15, 16)

The city of Jerusalem has twelve gates. Each has a spiritual meaning. In the future, in the New Jerusalem, each gate shall be made of one pearl (Rev 21:21). The oyster is wounded with a grain of sand and it produces a beautiful pearl inside. Therefore a pearl is a symbol of our Lord Jesus Christ, His death on the Cross and His resurrection.

The Dung gate and the Fountain Gate are far from the others. These two are located in the most southern area of the city, near the valley where the rubbish was collected and burnt. The Dung Gate represents the confession of sin. The Fountain Gate derived its name from the fact that it was the primary access to the Gihon Spring, Jerusalem’s sole perennial source of water. It represents the Holy Spirit and the power of resurrection.  In other words, after a valley type experience where the rubbish in our lives is cleared out and burnt, true faith shines forth, like gold that passed thru the fire.  Then the fountain of the Holy Spirit, His power and anointing, true worship and healing begin to flow!

When Nehemiah came to repair the city of Jerusalem, it seems that the Fountain Gate was the most damaged of all. The rubbish was so much that he could not even pass thru it. During the Babylonian attack, the king escaped thru the same Fountain Gate (2Kg 25:4). Spiritually speaking this gate stands for the way of escape during times of temptations (1Cor 10:13). God is faithful. He always provides a way out in the midst of trials so that we do not give up but endure to the end. The devil knows about this wonderful promise. He will do all he can to hid and block the escape so that we start to doubt God’s faithful promise of protection and backslide.

Jeremiah described this betrayal of love as sin. Many forsake God, the Fountain of living waters for the foolish choice of a second hand religion, ‘a broken cistern that cannot hold water’ (Jer 2:13). A cistern was like a well, built into the ground, but had no independent source of water. Water was brought from another source to the cistern, which held it in storage for later use. The Lord likens those who trust in their own resources to those who build broken cisterns – their lives leak joy, peace, faith and strength. Jesus encouraged us to come to Himself – the Eternal Spring of Living water (John 4:10-14).

The privilege to repair this gate was given to Shallun, son of Col-Hozeh. In Hebrew, these two names mean ‘The reward of the prophet’. This prophetic family comes from Mizpah, meaning ‘a military watchtower’. Spiritually speaking, God will use warfare prayers and prophetic declarations to restore the flow of the Holy Spirit. This becomes the source of revival in your life, in your church and your city.

A number of prophetic places are associated with the Fountain Gate:

*The Pool of Siloam (symbol of healing- Jesus sent the blind man to wash so that he can see-Jn 7:9)

*The King’s Garden (symbol of intimate communion and worship of Jesus- SS 4:12-16)

*The Tomb of David (symbol of the hope after death, our bodily resurrection – Ac 2:25-32)

*The Steps to Zion (symbol of true worship that results in blessings and spiritual promotion- Neh 12:37)

*The House of the Mighty (symbol of fruitfulness after the total disgrace and defeat of barrenness)

In Christ I declare:

I believe in Jesus Christ, the Fountain Gate of Life Eternal!

Out of my belly Rivers of living waters shall flow to the thirsty nations!

I shall pray until I see revival!

I am healed!

I worship Jesus!

I have hope!

I shall be promoted!

I am a fruitful vine!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mt 20:25-28)

This incident happened during the last week of our Lord’s life. Jesus called His disciples and told them that He will go to Jerusalem to die. He will be betrayed by the religious leaders. He will be handed over to the Romans to be killed. For a Jew to be given to a Gentile to be killed, that was the height of sorrow.

Jesus has just told them that there shall be a dramatic radical change in the status of many, based on their service to Him. ‘The first shall be last and the last shall be first’. Now He addresses their natural desire to be promoted spiritually. A mother comes and worships Him with a request on behalf of her two sons. She wants them to be His ‘personal assistants’ and the highest rulers in God’s kingdom.

Jews respected mothers and took serious their love for children. For example, that is how Bathsheba got her wish for her son to be king. But here, Jesus refuses the mother’s request saying that He is not able to promote men just because they pray for it. Here Jesus speaks not as God, but as a man, as a slave and servant of His Father. A slave has no rights at all. A slave cannot promote himself or others. The royal holy seat of promotion is lovingly designed and prepared by God the Father. It shall remain a secret until the hour of manifestation. It shall surprise many who coveted it, who honestly pray for it.

There is a price to pay for promotion in the spiritual realm. God looks not just at the works, but at the heart and at the motives for service. The lower you get, the more you humble yourself, the higher you shall be. The Kingdom of God advances by the hidden sacrificial work of the royal servants of God. They are placed in strategic places. It is not the visible ‘men of God’ who always have the greatest impact. It is them who, for the love of their Master, have pierced their ears and hearts, have died to sin and to the world and for the sake of the glorious Gospel of Christ. They paid the price in obedience, faithfulness and love. They sacrificed many hours on the altar of the ministry of prayer and the Word. They do not oppress or manipulate others into submission, like the leaders of this world. But going down on their knees, they have learned the secret how to lift the name of Jesus so that others shall be drawn unto Him. They have practiced the skill of intercession. They have the key to God’s heart thru intimate worship.

Are you a servant of God? Do you wonder about a greater impact in your service? Do you pray for promotion? That is good! But remember, God does not pay daily or weekly. He rewards in His own time and His own style. God never makes mistakes. God does not need a counselor. He is sovereign in all His decisions. The promotion of men is a sign that He is alive and in control of all their affairs.

Do not worry anymore, dear (overworked, misunderstood, oppressed…) child of God! God who sees in secret shall reward you openly! This is His law! This is His promise!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

I am a servant of God!

I shall be obedient unto death!

I shall be faithful unto death!

I leave my desire for promotion in the hands of my Father, who loves me!

I totally trust God with my life and reward for service!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism…Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of Him to whom you belong?” (Jam 2:1-7)

The natural man is attracted by wealth, status and fame. The desire to be rich is deep in the heart of sinful man. We see nothing good in a life of poverty. But when Jesus came to earth, He chose to be a poor preacher. That was God’s sovereign choice. From His birth in a manger, to His burial in a borrowed tomb, Jesus chose poverty as a background for His ministry. Poor people understood Him faster than the rich ones. While on earth, He did not insist to be served, as a ruler of men. He did not use cash to buy food. He lived by faith in God.  His Father provided all that He needed. The rich religious hypocrites doubted and mocked Him. They rejected His Gospel. They resisted and grieved His Spirit. They finally ‘succeeded’ to kill Him on a cross. But on the third day, according to His Word, He rose from the death. On the fiftieth day the Holy Spirit was given to His faithful disciples. The Church was born.

Jesus warned His disciples about the coming persecutions. He told them that they shall suffer for His name sake. They shall arrest some and throw them in prison. Others shall be killed. The evil spirit of religious pride shall oppose them.  Pharaoh said: “Who is Jehovah? I don’t know Jehovah! I will not obey Jehovah!” Men die but spirits live on. It is easy to fall into the snare of prejudice, to respect the rich above the poor, even in the church. The rich men have money and the poor have faith. We like faith but we love money. Then money wins the battle of the mind. Then a stronghold of mammon takes over the soul. The worship of the idol competes with the worship of God. This grieves the Holy Spirit in the church. The rich people try to manipulate the pulpit. The snare is dangerous and real. Pray for discernment and for the power to remain pure and faithful to God until the end.

This is my personal testimony: All my life I was not ‘a materialistic’ person. I did not like excessive display of wealth even as an unbeliever. I preferred modesty in all things. That is why many people thought that I was a Christian. But I was not, and I told them so. As a doctor with a private practice, the temptation to give ‘special treatment’ to them who are wealthy was great. I remember the first time I read the above passage in the Book of James. I was convicted of sin. Then I prayed for forgiveness just in case I discriminated men based on their social status, education level or wealth. I asked the Holy Spirit to take control. I decided that from now on each patient that comes to my office will be treated just like Jesus was there. With each patient (I am not joking) I will make an offer. I will say something like this:

“What do you want? Choose one option! Christ and prayer or medical treatment? If you want Christ, I will pray for you, for salvation, deliverance or a miracle of healing. There is no bill for that. Just give thanks to God. But if you chose medical treatment, then you shall pay money”

Interestingly, the rich chose medical treatment and the poor ones accepted the prayer. The rich men were offended that I offered prayer in my medical office. Thank God it was my own private practice, so I could do anything I wanted. I will examine and treat them; give them the bill and they paid without grumbling. In this way I had enough money to pay my staff and other things. But thru the option of prayer for them that could not afford medical treatment, I opened a door for ministry that has not closed up till today.

May God help you to see the truth; to desire the praise of God instead of the praise of men; to desire faith above money and peace above fame! May the faith of the poor believers challenge you today!

In Christ I declare:

I do not discriminate any man!

I love God!

I love my neighbor as myself!

I honor all men as God’s creation!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it…And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts” (Mal 3:10-12)

This is my testimony: I tithe for many years. I did not tithe immediately after I became saved. I was ignorant and proud. But once God’s light shone on my heart, I repented and started tithing consistently. It did not matter the amount of money I received, salary or gifts. Each time ‘money came to me’ I took it as a privilege from God and obediently I separated the tithe first of all. With time, I saw the difference. My faith matured, my peace and joy became stable, my finances increased and my health became better. I never regretted my obedience to God. Whatever I counted as loss became multiplied gain. The following are simple guidelines to help in the matter of tithing as a child of God. Pray for confirmation!

Definition
A tithe is defined as a “tenth part”. It is the “first fruit” of your material increase. The principle behind it is that you recognize God to be first in your life and your source of supply; He is the cause of your prosperity. Therefore, the tithe is not ‘any tenth’ but the first tenth of your income.
Tithe is worshipping Jehovah Jireh!
What is an offering?
An offering is a financial gift of any amount as God has prospered you over and above your tithe.
Why should I tithe?
Tithing is a spiritual command from God to walk in obedience to God’s Word. I tithe to support the work and vision of my church. Another reason why I tithe it is to cause the windows of blessings to open for me because of my alignment with God’s Word. This is God’s express way to bless me and my finances.
How much should I tithe?
The Biblical tithe is 10% of all your increase
Where do I tithe?
You tithe to the place where you receive your spiritual food and help. Generally, but not limited to it, that place is your local church
What happens if I don’t tithe?
God calls you a robber and your disobedience causes you to live under a curse. Ignoring the tithe you limit God in blessing you and you limit the impact your church has in your environment.
What are the benefits of tithing?
The House of God is well provided for. There shall be no lack of means or money to carry out God’s work. The windows of heaven shall open over you to pour out a blessing so great that ‘there will not be room enough to receive it’. That means God’s pleasure and favor is over you, manifested in many blessings. God will rebuke ‘the devourer’ (satan) so that he will not destroy your harvest. Lastly, you will be recognized by men as ‘blessed’. Your visible blessings, spiritually and materially cannot be hidden.
What should my attitude toward tithing be?
I should be willing to pay my tithe. It is a privilege. I should have an attitude of joy that God has blessed me enough to contribute to the increase of His Kingdom on earth.

This is God’s mathematics: if you tithe well, you shall be blessed, spiritually and materially. What you will notice is that your mental state changes, attitudes of self-righteousness, selfishness, pride and fear will slowly disappear. This will create a fresh flow of visible blessing in your life. All believers who tithe consistently have experienced the supernatural manifestations of increase in their finances. I have not met any believer who regretted paying his tithes. They are all grateful for the privilege!

If you do not tithe well, or if you do not tithe at all, you will limit God in blessing you, spiritually and materially. The Holy Spirit shall convict you of sin, of rebellion and disobedience. You may hide the voice of your conscience but you cannot quench it completely. Therefore, your peace and joy is not complete. In this case you have to repent of sin to God and to your pastor. Let him pray for you. Let him bless you. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you, to remind you, to give you the right attitude in regard to the tithe. Then leave the results with God. It may take some time, but sooner or later you shall experience the effects of the blessings: increase in your finances (even with the same amount of work or less), no more hospital bills, no more accidents and no more sudden losses. Then you shall have your own testimony as an obedient child of God who actively promotes the interests of the Kingdom of His Father. I encourage you to start or to continue to pay your tithes. God bless you and the work of your hands!

In Christ I declare:
I pay my tithe!
I am blessed!
Call me BLESSED!
In Jesus name
Amen!

“The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus
She stumbles through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There’s no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the Master
From her box of alabaster

And I’ve come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary’s alabaster box
Don’t be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren’t there the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
When he wrapped his love all around me and
You don’t know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box

I can’t forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days
Poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box
I’d thought I’d found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul
With the wonder of His touch
So now I’m giving back to Him
All the praise He’s worthy of
I’ve been forgiven
And that’s why
I love Him so much

And I’ve come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary’s alabaster box
Don’t be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And dry them with my hair (my hair)
You weren’t there the night Jesus found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped his loving arms around me and
You don’t know the cost of the oil
Oh, you don’t know the cost of my praise
You don’t know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box”

(by Ce ce Winans)

“But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever” (Ex 21:5, 6)
A servant of God is first of all a born again child of God. The word servant in Hebrew is the word ‘ebed’. It means a slave, a laborer in bondage and a worshipper of his master. To be a servant of God is a free choice, based on a personal revelation of the love of Christ, the Redeemer or slaves. It is a life time commitment to stay in a covenant relationship with the Lord. There is no room for backsliding or betrayal. This is a responsible relationship based on the sacrificial love revealed at the Cross. We do not love God at ‘first sight’. There is ‘no beauty’ in Christ on the surface (Is 53:2). The unbeliever sees nothing good to admire in the Lord or to worship Him. Jesus said that worship and obedience are intimately connected (Jn 14:15). That is why a true servant of God is also a worshipper. He has chosen to forsake his ‘right to sin’ for the greater good of the glory of his Lord. By losing his freedom, the servant gains his true identity, his real life and eternal destiny. The servant of Christ is known by the Father and rewarded by Him (Jn 12:26). A servant is not paid like as a hireling. There is no ‘salary’ for serving Christ. He is rewarded with the eternal intimate assurance that he is God’s friend.

In the Old Testament a Jew that becomes poor can be bought by another Jew one who is rich. This man who buys another is called a Kinsman Redeemer. There are conditions for this covenant. The Redeemer has to be related to the poor one. He has to be rich enough to be able to secure the purchase. Also, he has to be willing to do the transaction. These are the conditions for redemption. The poor Jew cannot be bought forever. He will serve His Kinsman Redeemer for the next six years. On the seventh year he has a choice to go free. His debt has been paid by his uninterrupted service. If he was married before he became a servant, he can take his wife and together, they shall go away free. But if he was not married when he became a servant, and later, he accepted a wife from his master, then on the seventh year if he chooses to go free, he shall leave alone. He cannot take his wife and children. These belong to the master who gave them to him. But if he loves his master, and the wife his master gave to him together with his children, then he can chose to stay as his servant forever. They shall be known as the life time property of the Redeemer. He shall serve the master all the days of his life and shall be buried by is master.
The servant has to make his final declaration in public before the elders. The word means ‘to declare, to boast, to publish, to speak expressly or to promise freely and openly’. There shall be no regret and no second choice. From now on any rebellion will be punished severely as a sin against love and mercy. This decision is made once in a life time, after six years of labor and training under the master. The ear has to be visibly wounded with a nail, as a sign of a life time of commitment and service to his master. The door shall keep the nail as a witness of his pledge. Each time he opens and closes the door, the servant is remanded that freedom was forsaken for the gain of true eternal love.
Jesus Christ died on the Cross to purchase me with His blood. He is the true Redeemer and the Master of my soul. I have no other option than to be His servant and worshipper forever! His pierced hand has pierced my soul!
“This is my pledge: before God, men and angels: I am Yours forever, Lord!”

In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God forever!
I am a servant of Christ forever!
I willingly reject forever the ‘lonely freedom’ of a sinner!
I find my true freedom in my life as a bondservant of Christ!
I will never be ashamed of Jesus Christ!
I openly acknowledge that Jesus is my Savior, my Reward, my Kinsman Redeemer, my Master, my King and my Lord!
I am a living proof of my Master’s love, goodness, mercy and generosity!
My Master shall see the travail of His soul on my behalf, and He shall be satisfied!
In Jesus name
Amen!

“Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich…The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings…

So David received from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your voice and respected your person” (1Sam 25:2, 3, 35)

Dear Sisters,

It is my pleasure to write this letter to you. I desire to share with you my life story so that you can be encouraged to trust God to the very end. My name Abigal means ‘The delight of my Father’. My parents were godly but poor people. They died when I was still young. One day a man called Nabal from the tribe of Caleb came to ask my hand in marriage. He was a very rich man. My uncle accepted the proposal on my behalf because of his wealth. I could not disobey my family’s wishes for I was still very young. This is how I found myself to be the wife of Nabal. At the beginning I was afraid of him for he was much older and a very hard man. He was always drinking with his friends. He had no time for me. He called me his ‘trophy wife’. Many nights I slept alone, my pillow wet with tears. I had no one to talk to. All my dreams died on my wedding day. I wanted to go to school, to be a teacher. I loved children but none came to me. It was the pain of a barren unhappy marriage that drove me closer to God. I prayed and prayed for a miracle of peace, of joy, of life. I used to sing as a girl, but my husband hated music and I could sing no more. Nabal had a big Bible but he never read it. I taught myself to read the Word of God. I memorized scriptures. God revealed Himself to me thru His Word. Little by little my broken heart was healed. My circumstances were still unchanged, but I became a different woman. I made peace with God; found mercy and grace at His throne. Daily I shared my faith with the house servants. Some, like Nabal their master, ignored and mocked me. Few believed in my God and changed too. O, the joy to see a soul set free, even in the prison of foolishness…God granted me an oasis of hope in the desert of life. I became humbled my God’s love for me. I was so grateful…

I prayed for my husband too. I tried to counsel him but he never listened to my words. His name means ‘A Fool’. He continued to behave like a dangerous reckless fool ignoring the grace of God upon our home. He said that he is a believer but I’ve never seen him read the Bible by himself or pray when alone.

I was often embarrassed by his words and actions. I tried to cover him when he made mistakes for I wanted peace for all. But his attitude and his words hurt me often. He never apologized to anybody.  He was always angry, always in a bad mood especially with his servants. The only people he loved were his friends who shared in his passion of partying and drinking. His careless attitude made unnecessary enemies for us. He was rude to strangers and rejected visitors. He was stingy and wicked especially with those in need. Little by little people started avoiding our home…

One day one of our servants came to tell me that Nabal has insulted the messengers of David, the King’s son in law. What I heard about David is that he had left the palace in a hurry and he was now a fugitive in the desert. I did not know all the political gossip. But I felt pity for the young man who once killed the giant. Different people said different things. My husband hated David for no good reason. But as I prayed about this matter, it was revealed to me that David is a good man indeed, loved by God and chosen by Him. I was even more surprised when God told me that one day he will be the king of Israel. I don’t know why I had a feeling that I will meet him one day and that I will never be the same again.

So when the servant said that David was rejected and insulted by my husband, I knew that we are all in serious trouble. I was told that David was coming towards our house with his army. I knew that I have to act quickly or everyone here will die. I quickly gathered a gift of food and other goods and decided to go and meet David, to plead with him to show us mercy. Nabal was drunk as usual partying with his friends so I could not tell him of my rescue plan. This was the only thing in my mind: ‘King David, have mercy!’

I saw David and his men coming down the hill. I hurried to meet him. He looked exactly as the angel said to me. Seeing him I believed he is the true and righteous king of Israel. But he was very angry and impatient. I fell down from my donkey and trembling at his feet I pleaded for mercy. I offered to take the punishment on behalf of my husband.  I also offered to him the gift of provisions and good will. Suddenly a new courage came to me. I openly said to him that I believe he will be a king one day. His throne will be different than the present one. His will be known forever as a wise, patient, gentle and godly king. He will be a worshipper of Jehovah. He will sing and dance for God. I pleaded with him, on behalf of the future glory: no need to kill a man just because of anger. That is what Saul is known for, a wicked man who shed innocent blood. I reminded him that even when a fool like Nabal provokes without a cause, that he should trust God to fight his battles and that vengeance belongs to God alone. Suddenly, I kept quiet… then I waited…on my knees… with my face in the dirt… I waited…

Then David spoke just the way I prayed he will. His voice was like that of an angel to my ears. He thanked me for my words of wisdom and compassion. He accepted the gift and promised peace. He gave me hope that one day, for as long as it is in his power, I shall be free from the curse of foolishness and sorrow. I did not understand the power of his word until few days later. David said that I should go home in peace. I obeyed. I came back to the same house, but I was a different woman. Peace was my royal gift. Nabal was sleeping, vomit all over him. The next day I told him of my journey and he fell down speechless. A week later he died. I became a widow without tears.

Not too long after that David sent his men to ask me to be his wife. I said yes to the man who one day shall be my king. We got married simply, in the desert. Abiathar, the priest blessed our union. The men of valor prayed for us. The stars blinked with joy… the wind touched the strings of the harp…the fragrance of the desert rose filled the air…

For the first time in my life I knew what true love means. I gladly followed my husband in the wilderness and prayed for him daily. I once had money but my life was miserable. I lost all things for the joy of finding true love. Even the desert became like a garden to me. Life was not easy but it was filled with the joy of the presence of God. Once, when David was not around the Amalekites attacked our camp and they kidnapped me. I was not worried for God was with me to strengthen my faith. David and his men rescued us and we worshipped God for His protection over us. Not long after that Saul died and my beloved became king. God also blessed us with a son. We named him Kileab Daniel, meaning ‘Like his Father, the Judge of God’. This little boy brought much joy to me for he was just like David, my lord.

This is my story, dear sisters. I want to remind you that in all situations trust God! Faith has to be tested for a time, in the furnace of sorrow. But the pain is not forever! God will smile over you again! His gifts come without sorrow. Like my husband David used to say, even if ‘weeping endures for a night, joy comes in the morning’. God is faithful! The morning light will never forget to smile at your window, and then your tears will be gone. Trust God for a godly testimony of wisdom, peace and grace! Trust God for the blessing of a happy marriage and good children! Be a woman of God!

Finally, I pray for you…that your wisdom will defeat all foolishness around you…that your peace will overcome the confusion of circumstances…that God’s joy will be your strength even when all things seem difficult and hard to bear…Be anxious for nothing, in all things bring your request to God and His peace shall protect you, His arms shall surround you. Believe in miracles! Believe in the power of a new beginning! May the presence of Jehovah God be with you! God bless you all!

Your sister in faith,

Abigail David.

(ISam 25, 30; 2Sam 3:3; 1Chr 3:1; Ps 30:5; PV 10:23, 11:29, 13:16, 14:16, 17:12, 18:6, 26:4, 29:11, Ecc 7:9, 10:1-3)

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;

Why should I feel discouraged
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home

When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is he
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches over me…

I sing because I’m happy
I sing because I’m free
His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me!
His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me!
(By Civilla D. Martin, 1905)

“Those who sow with tears – will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them” (Ps 126:5, 6)

This is God’s law: genuine repentance of sins is necessary before the entrance of peace and joy. If God shall use you as His servant, He shall first of all break your heart. All hardness of sin and the pride of self must be destroyed. The heart of God’s servant must be a heart of flesh, tender in God’s mighty hand. Without tears Hannah could not have had Samuel. Without tears Nehemiah could not have been sent to build Jerusalem. Without tears Ezra could not have brought in revival. Jeremiah wept for his nation until no more tears were left.

There are tears in hell and painful gnashing of teeth. This is because, while on earth, the cheeks were dry. This is because sin looked like a joke and the fear of God was absent. God answers prayers! But God always answers desperate, tears- on –the- face prayers of His children. It is true that one day, Jesus shall dry our tears for in heaven the songs of joy have overpowered the sorrow of death. But until then, we should weep for our sins and for revival to come to our city. The preacher needs to pray before he goes to the pulpit. His heart must break for lost souls. He must taste the salt of his tears before he will be used by God. Ministry done with a dry heart and a powdered face is nothing but a failure.

When last did you weep for sins, for souls, for the need of revival? Do you want to be used by God? There is a time to weep and there is a time to rejoice. Do not confuse the seasons! Be faithful in them!

The Salvation Army was founded by a Methodist preacher by the name of William Booth.  Its mission was to share the message of repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Booth sent many people all over England burdened to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sent two women Kate and Mary Jackson to Leeds to oversee a mission there. They labored in Leeds for a couple of years and nothing happened. These young ladies toiled every day giving all they had without any return. Then one day they wrote to William Booth, “Would you kindly move us to another station? We’re so tired and disheartened. We’ve tried everything that we’ve been taught to do. Please move us to another location”

Booth sent a telegram back with two words written: “Try tears!”

Those two sisters began to pray and travail for souls and they finally experienced real revival. Kate and Mary did just as General Booth said, and God moved mightily. The Leeds Salvation Army church soon became the largest outside of London.

When it comes to souls, there is no reaping without weeping. When all seem hard and ministry fails…when the worship is on a wrong key and the congregation seems bored… when words fall to the ground hopelessly…when the enemies multiply around you…when you are tired and discouraged…when nothing works…then stop all things, kneel down and pray. Ask God for the blessing of a broken tender heart! Weep before the altar! Pray and trust God!

“Try tears! This is a tasted word, tried in the fire! It shall never fail to move the hand that holds the stars! Your prayers shall be answered! ” – says the Wonderful Counselor!

In Christ I declare:

I am dead to sin!

I am a servant of God!

I pay the price for true ministry!

In Jesus name

Amen!