“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil…” (Ex 23:2, AMP)

A crowd can be evil Stay away from them! This is God’s command! The word ‘follow’ in Hebrew also means to be committed, to entrust your will to others, to expect fulfillment from serving another. The word evil means to hurt, to trouble or to be wicked. Crowds can do good things or they can do evil. This is the question: Why do people follow crowds? Why do they choose to be members of internet groups, clubs or organizations? Why do they open their hearts to strange men?  Why are they attracted by secret societies? Why do men join cults?

One simple reason is loneliness. People feel lonely at home but do not have the courage to make personal friends. So they join a group with similar values. But they soon discover that now they have many ‘friends’ but no one to truly trust. Another reason why men join a club is because it provides security in case of danger. Men follow crowds because they are cowards; they are afraid to stand up for themselves. Some groups are considered ‘elite’ so joining them provide a greater social status. Lastly, they join clubs because most men doubt themselves. A man who has an inferiority complex but still wants to achieve something in life will join a club of friends. He is not sure that he can achieve his dreams alone. He feels the need of a support, of a group; to be accountable and to depend on others who have a similar purpose.

Once you join a crowd, you lose your will to it. You don’t have to decide everything; you can rely on the crowd to make choices and act. You just follow. Hidden in the crowd, like Adam behind the trees, you can avoid being seen and charged as an individual (Gen 3:8). Crowds can be a powerful force of destruction like fighting on the streets, doing damage or even kill. But going home you feel less guilty than if you did the crime alone. Another reason may be pride. Alone at home you feel so small.  But once you are in a crowd, you feel powerful. It is easier to fight for your rights as a group. If the crowd wins, you share in the benefits without fighting directly or personally. You can cheat the crowd and still win the crown.

But there are also disadvantages of being a man of the crowd. The major one is that you learn the skill to deceive yourself and others. In the middle of that crowd you are not yourself!  You act differently; you are more aggressive, more reckless than your normal way of life. Pushed by an invisible power that carries all along, you make mistakes that you shall regret. You become confused about the action and the direction of the crowd and you cannot stop it once you are in.

Crowds are strongholds of gossip, slander and violence. Even so, it is no easy to come out from a group that you belonged to, where you shared your dreams with others. You fear that if you leave, you shall miss the action and the friends. Sometimes you feel bad about the time you wasted when you could have followed your own path in life. You regret missed opportunities, giving up the control of your life to others.

What is God’s will in regard to all this?

Crowds followed Jesus just to receive superficial things, earthly blessings. They wanted food, healing of sicknesses and entertainment. But Jesus ‘dismissed the crowds’ to go away so that He can be alone with His disciples, to teach them the secrets of the Kingdom of God. (Mt 14:22). The word ‘dismiss’ means to divorce, to loose, to send away. You will not like to be in a group that Jesus will divorce. Whatever advantages you may find there, without Jesus all your dreams will fade away. As a member of the crowd, you may receive bread to eat but you will become spiritually passive. Faith cannot grow in such a heart.

God wants you to leave that crowd! He wants you to be separated unto Him, to know and to serve Him! God has a wonderful plan for you alone. Following that crowd will only bring sorrow! God wants that you should fulfill your destiny! God desires that you learn to be alone with Him. Most crowds are noisy and worldly. They are the opposite of what is called ‘the secret place of the Most High God’. Crowds may look impressive but most of the time they move and act by the leading of evil spirits. As part of a crowd, you share in the sins of others. That will bring unnecessary guilt to your soul. Learn to stand alone. If God gives you friends, blessed be His name. But if not, accept loneliness as your portion for this season of your life. When lonely, read the Bible and pray. And find a good living church. Join the Body of Christ. Not a crowd but the Living Body of Christ. Do not surrender your will to the crowd. Do not become a slave to men! Give your will to God! Do not trust the crowd to fulfill your dreams, to fight for your rights or to satisfy your needs. Trust God who created you to do all these things, and so much more.

Lastly, this is God’s word to you:

“Come out from them and be separate -says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you” (2Cor 6:17)

In Christ I declare:

One with God is majority!

I am on God’s side!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“I will give you back what you lost

in the years when swarms of locusts ate your crops.

It was I who sent this army against you.

Now you will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied.

You will praise the Lord your God,

who has done wonderful things for you.

My people will never be despised again” (Joel 25, 26; Good News Bible)

One of the easiest ways to grieve the Holy Spirit is to take God’s promises for granted. God is not a man. God is not my ‘neighbor’. Even in His wonderful humility as the Son of Man, Jesus is God in heaven. I should never forget that! All His promises are ‘yes and amen’! I TRUST THE WORD OF GOD!

God is the only One who can satisfy my soul after losing so many opportunities in the past. The truth is that I cannot blame God for my present situation. The ‘sin factor’ is the hidden source of all deception and pride. If I obeyed God all the time all these years, today I could have been much better. Who knows, I could have been a graduate; I could have had my own house; I could have been married with children; I could have been in fulltime ministry…the list of possible ‘if’ is endless… But the truth is that I wasted much time, resources and opportunities where God could have blessed me more than I can imagine. Thinking of it, I feel ashamed… and sad…

So what do I do now?

I still have to come back to the God I disappointed thru my past rebellion. For there is no other being who can restore what I have lost all these years. If I refuse to come back to God I will be a life time slave to bitterness and regret. Old age shall be a terror and a painful reminder of the sins of my youth. I know many people like that…

So I come back to the God who promised restoration after total loss and failure. The word ‘restore’ in Hebrew is similar with ‘Shalom’. It is one of the greatest words in the Bible. It is also one of the names of God. It means the best God has for you; the fulfillment of your greatest desires and dreams, the answer to your best prayers. Specifically it means blessings, prosperity, health, friends, peace, joy and favor. God promises to give you His Shalom to replace your sorrow, mistakes and failures. God allowed pain to come to you, to humble you. This promised restoration comes after many ‘years’ (plural) of shameful losses and painful disappointments in life. This restoration is always miraculous. No man can take the glory for your sudden prosperity. God alone does ‘wonderful things’. The shame of the past will be totally removed and replaced with sincere praises to God, who alone is worthy to receive all the glory! I believe!

Today chose who you want to serve: the idol of self or Jehovah Shalom?

In Christ I declare:

‘As for me and my household, we shall serve the Lord!’

Jehovah Shalom shall restore all my losses!

For His glory!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“He who loves money shall never have enough. The foolishness of thinking that wealth brings happiness! The more you have, the more you spend, right up to the limits of your income. So what is the advantage of wealth—except perhaps to watch it as it runs through your fingers … And, of course, it is very good if a man has received wealth from the Lord and the good health to enjoy it…To enjoy your work and to accept your lot in life—that is indeed a gift from God” (Ecc 5:10-20; LB)

Money is a great subject, for both believers and the unbelievers. Reading the scripture above we draw some life enriching wisdom. First of all: The love of money is sin and foolishness; it is a snare and a torment. On its own, wealth does do not have the power to bring joy to your soul. It does not matter the amount. By itself, money was not designed to bring fulfillment of destiny, joy or contentment to any man. Wealth does not satisfy.

This is the definition of the word ‘satisfaction’: The fulfillment of a desire and the pleasure derived from such gratification; compensation for an injury or the payment of a debt. In other words, all the gold in the world is not able to fulfill your deepest desires as a human being, cannot heal your broken heart and cannot save your soul.

What then can money do? Money can buy things that perish. Property bought with money feeds your eyes. You see your houses, cars and clothes and you can touch them. That’s all!  Are you ready to work two jobs only to see the things you bought with your money?  For that is the only ‘advantage’ of wealth. This is God’s decree. It is not in the power of man to enjoy money. Sooner or later, money will prove to be a disappointment. It will deceive you to build your life on great dreams and hopes. But wealth alone will fail to satisfy your deepest desires. A greedy man is not able to enjoy the little he has today, for he is always distracted and disturbed by the seducing vision of more money in the future.

What is the solution then? The only way to be satisfied with wealth is to recognize it as a gift from God. It is not a reward for hard work. It is not the result of a wonder financial strategy. It is a manifestation of the grace of God! Please remember this: Health and wealth are gifts from God! In Christ, God blesses you with spiritual benefits. He saves your soul and gives you eternal life. These are eternal blessings no money can buy. But the same God, by His grace, generously provides you with health, wealth, marriage, children and other good things. These things do not come randomly. They come from God!

So, give thanks to God! If you have a job, thank God for it! If food is on your table and clothes cover your body, thank God for them! If you are not homeless, thank God for the house! If you are married (even if your spouse is not ‘perfect’) thank God! If you have even one friend, thank God for sending him!

Lastly, if you are a child of God, even if you lack all these good things, still thank God for eternal life!

In all things give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus!

In Christ I declare:

I love God!

I do not love money!

I hate greed!

My happiness depends on God and not on my bank account!

My wealth and my health are gifts from God!

My marriage, children and grandchildren are all gifts from God!

The gifts of God come without sorrow!

I enjoy my work and my ministry as gifts from God!

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want!

I am satisfied with my portion from God!

Father, from the bottom of my heart I thank You!

In Jesus name

Amen!

 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you….”

“At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord…” (Ex 16:4-7)

For more than four hundred years the children of God lived in Egypt; first as free men, then later as slaves. They groaned under the oppression of their Egyptian masters. Then God sends Moses to confront Pharaoh. Thru great acts of judgments upon the Egyptian gods Jehovah proves that He is the only Living God. Lastly, God commands that each family should kill a blameless lamb and smear their doors with its blood. That act of faith shall be their salvation. Any house without the blood shall be thrown into mourning. The first born of each family shall die that night. In the morning the door of freedom was open. The Book of Exodus tells the story…

A wise man said once: ‘It took only a day for God to bring out His children from Egypt. But it took God forty years to bring Egypt out of them’.  Why was it so hard for the people of God to move on? Why is it so hard for us to trust God for the breakthrough? To change in the image of God’s Son? These are questions we must meditate upon…

In the desert God provided a special food called ‘Manna’. The meaning of the word is a question? “What is this?” The answer is still a mystery. This is what we know about manna: it was God’s idea and provision for His children’s food. But God’s people never really liked it. They continued to grumble against it. It was called ‘the food of angels’. It was a wonderful food found on the tables of heaven. It appeared each morning with the dew. It was like white flakes on the ground. They could grind it, make flour and bake bread with it. It tasted like wavers with honey. It had nutritional and medicinal value. They eat it for forty years and none got sick. Can you imagine such a food?

Manna looked the same but its taste changed during the day. In the morning, after eating it, they saw the glory of God. Worship was dished out for breakfast. In the evening, at dinner time, they experienced the joy of deliverance. It is implied that at noon, they had the feeling of being attacked and persecuted. So they had to learn to trust God and pray. God intervened and gave them freedom. So at dinner they rejoiced in God’s mighty escape. This spiritual ‘drama’ was played daily for forty years. That was God’s menu: Worship- Prayer- Deliverance! This was to increase their faith in God. All this was to be found thru consuming the daily manna, the Word of God.

Jesus is the Word of God. Even today the believers still grumble when they read God’s Word. The Cross is still too bitter, the worship is still unappetizing, the prayer is still tasteless and deliverance is still too hard to chew…But for them who have trained themselves to live by the Word of God and prayer, their spiritual senses have been developed and their appreciation for the Lord grows daily. This is the truth: It takes a long time to come to the place of truly loving and longing for the Word of God. The grace is there, supplied daily. The rain of bread still comes from heaven to water the dry hearts. But you have to wake up in the morning, bend your back and gather it. That is the hard part. But as you open your heart to receive the Word of God, slowly, but surely, the taste of Egyptian leeks shall fade away, the memory of demonic cucumbers shall go… and your tongue touches a new sweetness, the honey of heaven for the bees on earth…and you shall sing new song….

Finally, the angels in heaven and I invite you to God’s table in the wilderness. Whatever it costs you, pay the price and come. I assure you: you shall be healed, delivered and satisfied! If not, send me your receipt! I shall pay your bill!

In Christ I declare:

I worship, pray and study the Word of God daily!

I am healed, delivered and satisfied with God’s Word!

Jesus Christ is enough for me!

In Jesus name

Amen!

 
“As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to” (1Tim 5:11-13)

The words ‘talking nonsense’ in the scripture above mean the following:
To Bubble (like a foam on the sea, superficial, foolish talk); to be a Tattler (an informer against others to gain financial reward), To Prater (long and idle talk); to be a Garrulous person (pointlessly and annoying talkative), Idle (vain, unemployed, lazy) and vain (useless, unsuccessful, over proud in his appearance, foolish, silly)
To be Idle it means to be unemployed or careless, to lack evident means of support, hating work and good holy activity.
A busybody is someone who is more interested in the affairs of others than of his own. He volunteers to help when help is not needed. He meddles and trespasses in the lives of others, giving advice without restrain or good taste. This person is usually curious about others and indulges in gossip. He may be nice and generous but he is rude and annoying when provoked.
These are evil spirits who desire to destroy the anointing, the unity and the peace of the Spirit in the church. Watch them who only talk ‘in flesh’! Avoid them or rebuke them, as the Spirit leads. Do not help them financially, so that you do not share in their sins. Do not be led by appearances when making money donations. Many have ignorantly sponsored the agents of the devil. Go closer only to people who are truly born again and Spirit filled! Be wise!
And lastly, build up this holy habit to always give God all the glory!

In Christ I declare:
I hate to be idle
I hate to be a busybody!!
If I am jobless, I shall go to the house of God and find something to do there!
God will reward me for my labor!
I open my mouth to speak only words filed with wisdom and grace!
In Jesus name
Amen!

“The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man…” (Gen 39:2)

These are strange words… God is mysterious in His dealing with us.

What is the secret of Joseph? He was a successful man, both spiritually and materially. In the Book of Genesis 39 the sentence ‘The Lord was with Joseph’ appears four times. That was his secret. The manifested presence of God affected his life and circumstances in three major ways:

*PROSPERITY

If God is with you as He was with Joseph, then He will bless all the works of your hands. You shall not lose money. You shall make profit. Your boss and business partners shall be blessed because of you. And they shall know it. For as long as you fear poverty, God is not with you as He was with Joseph.

*PROTECTION

Potiphar’s wife tempted him ‘day by day’.. He was a young man in a strange country. Because God is with him, Joseph adapts fast to his new environment. But he does not backslide there. The temptation to sin sexually was not easy to refuse. She is forward, rude and merciless. She has only two words: “Lie with me”. He responds with many passionate words of wisdom, remembering the God of his fathers. He calls adultery “a wicked thing against God”. See how Joseph feels responsible to host and protect the anointing over his life. He is ready to die than to grieve the Holy Spirit. His heart is protected by the presence and peace of God. For as long as you fear backsliding or untimely death, God is not with you as He was with Joseph.

*PROMOTION

Joseph could have been killed by angry Potiphar. But God was with him, so he was sent to prison. This was a special high class type of prison where ‘the king’s prisoners’ were kept. It seems that the same Potiphar was the overseer. The officer in charge saw the same thing Potiphar saw: the visible presence of God on Joseph. He did the same thing and promoted him to be in charge of all the prisoners. Eventually, at 30, he is freed and becomes the Prime Minister of Egypt. None could stop the promotion. For as long as you fear failure God is not with you as he was with Joseph.

God and Joseph had a covenant relationship. Each desired to be faithful to one another. Joseph felt responsible to protect the anointing. There is no other explanation for this type of extraordinary success except the presence of God. It is true that Joseph was hard working, faithful and a good man…but none explain this supernatural success except that ‘the Lord was with Joseph’. That is why all things worked together for good for him. A wise man said once:  “Our disappointments are God’s appointments”. This is true if God is with you.

Lastly, God’s presence was constant but that did not remove the pain of betrayal. God did it to prepare His servant to use him later as His ambassador on earth. God was maturing the character of Joseph!!!! For what Joseph discovered is that God’s heart is never against us even when His hand is against us. Another wise man said: “Joseph was sold so that he may not be honored and he was honored because he was sold”

Emmanuel is the secret of a successful life! This may sound so simple, but this is the truth!

May you covet God’s presence, above all things, above all else…

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

God is with me!

God shall prosper, protect and promote me!

Nothing can stop it!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the Word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop… who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there’s a harvest” (Lk 8:15; NIV; TM)

The Parable of the Sower is basic to understand our salvation and our work for the Lord. There are four types of human beings in this world who call themselves’ believers’. The first three groups hear the Word of God but do not fulfill their destinies. Their hearts are too worldly, too stubborn or too complicated to allow the Word to multiply. They betray God’s purpose for their lives. They go to church, they hear sermons, they like their Bibles, but… the seed of life does not live…their heart refuse to host the power of eternal salvation.

This Parable may sound simple but behind the words of Jesus, there is sadness, too deep for words. I can feel it…But then…when sorrow wants to grip my soul, I am encouraged to read that some people who are true believers. I discover this mystery: Not all men disappoint themselves. Not all men betray God’s plan for them. What a relief…

Long ago I made up my mind that, no matter what, I will belong to this group of gloriously saved souls!!!  I decided that, no matter what, I will never disappoint Jesus and His grace, grieve the Holy Spirit or betray my destiny! Please help me, God!

So this is my testimony…I belong to them who chose to have a good and noble heart; the mind of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. I chose to spend time in God’s presence, to study his Word and pray. This is my choice! I pay the price for my choice! Nobody is forcing me! I am not doing it for money or fame! I am doing it for the joy and pure love of my Lord! I love Jesus too much to remain idle in mind or hard in my heart. I sit at the feet of Jesus hours on end. Like Mary of Bethany, I offer Him the precious gift of my time on earth. I learned to sacrifice any other desire on the altar of this godly heart. I had to perfect and minimize the rest activities… no mistakes in the kitchen… no waste of time when cleaning the house…Thank God for the washing machine, vacuum cleaner, microwave and ‘Indomie’ noodles. I smile as I write this…All is well…

The hardest of all virtues to master is to quietly persevere in spite of body tiredness, sickness, old age, distractions, setbacks, stress or misunderstanding from friends and family. This perseverance also called ‘longsuffering’, to continue to trust God and His Word is the key to fruitfulness in ministry. I love the Word of God. There are days when I am excited with new revelations…The Greek and the Hebrews translations, the commentaries and the dictionaries…these all work together for my good, helping me rejoice in finding light in the darkness and joy in the desert. These are good times…But there are also seasons when all books seem closed, when the Word of God is ‘locked’ from above, when Jesus is too busy with others to remember me… or this is how I feel…During these times of spiritual dryness… of hard to describe loneliness… of asking myself if I did not miss it…of fears… of doubts… I have learned by experience to remain faithful to my choice of long ago…to still continue to read my Bible and pray… to still have hope… to still believe in God…I remind myself of the truth: Jesus Christ is Lord…my Lord… He knows all pains…my tears are not forsaken on the ground but are all gathered in His bottle…my labor of love shall be rewarded and, not too long from now…my harvest shall be revealed and the crown of life securely pinned on my head…

Oh, dear Hope… you have become my twin sister…I agree with you: we shall stick together unto the end…

No matter what!!!

In Christ I declare:

I shall study the Word of God and pray always!

I shall persevere until the end!

No matter what!

The harvest, the crown, the reward and the Joy of my Lord is sure!

In Jesus name

Amen

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“God also says:
“When the time’s ripe, I answer you.
When victory’s due, I help you.
I form you and use you
to reconnect the people with Me,
To put the land in order,
to resettle families on the ruined properties…”
(Is 49:8; TM)

The child of God…

“his path (is) blazed by God, he’s happy.

If he stumbles, he’s not down for long; (for) God has a grip on his hand” (Ps 37:23, 24; TM)

We are building our new sanctuary. Most of the work is done with the willing volunteers from the church. They are lovingly called ‘the men of valor’. The women in the church have decided to cook daily for the workers. This holy project is on for about two years. Every day one of the women cooks for about 50 men. This is not a small job…The men like ‘heavy’ food. Here it is called ‘eba ’and it is made from cassava flour mixed with hot water. It becomes strong like a ball. It is eaten with different soups.

Sister Ufuoma was the one to cook yesterday. Her name in the native language means ‘Peace’. She is a godly wife, a wonderful mother of two and heavily pregnant. She also goes to school intending to be a teacher. This is her testimony: Yesterday, at lunch time, she came with the food to the site. She stopped the car close to the building. She went behind, opened the boot (trunk) of the car and brought down the heavy coolers with the hot food. Then she went back to the wheel and…by mistake…she reversed the car…the tires crushed the coolers and all the food was wasted on the ground… The workers shouted to stop but, somehow, she did not hear…When she saw what happened, she cried…of course… then she did what a woman of God should do…tears on her face, she entered the car and drove back to the market, bought the meat and the stuff…went home and cooked again… before the brethren closed for the day, at about 6 pm, to the shouts of ‘Praise the Lord!’… Ufuoma was back with new coolers and hot food and all…

This is not easy… She had every reason to just cry, then go home and sleep. But she could not declare defeat. God gave her the grace and the strength to redeem the time and make the best out of a hopeless situation. She obeyed the command to conquer evil with good.

Maybe by now you realize that I am very proud of my spiritual daughters here.

To God be all the glory!

In Christ I declare:

If I stumble, I do not fall, for God grips me!

I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me!

Praise the Lord!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor…if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother… And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you…” (Ex 20:16; Deut 19:18-20)

God hates evil. God hates the sin of lying, of giving a false testimony against another. God is the God of Justice.

Perjury is the willful, deliberate act of giving false, misleading, or incomplete testimony under oath in the court. It is the attempt to deceive, misuse or manipulate the judge to do harm against another person. The punishment on the perjurer is determined by the perjurer himself. The harm he planned to do against another shall return back to him.

In The Old Testament, one witness was not enough to convict someone of a crime. At least two people were needed to testify against a suspect. But if any man bore false witness against another, that is considered evil. The liar shall receive the exact punishment he intended for the innocent victim. This reversal of punishment was God’s way to bring the fear of God in the land, to bring to and end the flood of sin and wickedness. There shall be no mercy with any slanderer (Deut 19:15-21).

In the Book of Esther there is classical story on how the God of justice reversed the human manipulations and gave the guilty man the punishment he intended against the innocent. Haman ‘the enemy of the Jews’ was the prime minister in Persia. He convinced King Xerxes to kill all the Jews in the land by saying that they are a very rebellious and evil people. The King was deceived by this false testimony. He agreed to the crime, not knowing that his wife, Queen Ester is a Jew. Also, Mordecai, one of his most faithful servants, one who saved his life in the past, is also a Jew. But the Sovereign God intervenes and over-rules the plans of the wicked. When the king discovers Haman’s evil plan he reversed it. The reward Haman planned for himself was given to Mordecai. Also, the exact punishment he planned for Mordecai was given to him. This is how Haman died and Mordecai took his place. The Jews rejoiced all over the land for God changed their sorrow into joy and brought life out of death!

This is the Gospel of Christ! Jesus died on the Cross to save His people! Anyone who rejects the Gospel is condemned already!

We pray for revival in this land. Revival comes when men shall fear God, when they take His Word seriously. The Holy Spirit convicts all men of the Judgment of God. Jesus shall come again. He shall judge all sinners! There is mercy only for them who belong to Him. The rest shall perish. Sinner, give your life to Christ! Repent of every wicked thought or careless word you spoke against another! You do not have to bring down a man to take his position. Genuine promotion comes only from God! This is not my opinion. This is the truth. Repent and be saved! Come to the Cross! Let the Blood of Jesus speak on behalf of your soul! Jesus is the only way to escape the wrath of God! May God touch your heart today! This is my prayer for you…

In Christ I declare:

I make a covenant with God today: FROM TODAY, I SHALL NEVER LIE AGAIN!

No matter what, I shall always speak the truth in love!

Holy Spirit, help me!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“So I (Jesus) tell you to stop worrying…”

“The Lord is near. Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks” (Mt 6:25; Philip 4:5, 6)

Worry is defined as an aggressive mental attack of anxiety.  Worry is totally useless and even dangerous.

Spiritually, worry is an attack coming from evil spirits. It is a continuous harassment; disturbance, nagging or torment intended to shake your position of peace. Like wild dogs, the evil spirits attack the neck, the most vulnerable part of the body. The purpose is to choke you to death, like with a rope around the neck. The effect of this slow strangulation is that you cannot breathe or swallow well. Spiritually speaking, the breath represents the Holy Spirit. Swallowing food, the bread of live and drinking the living water represent the daily intake of the Word of God. Therefore, worry is the major hindrance against being filled with the Holy Spirit and of the understanding of God’s Word.

The effect of worry is seen upon God’s Word deposited in the heart. It chokes it! It strangulates it from within! The Word cannot grow and multiply. The anxious heart becomes dry and barren (Mk 4:7). It is like a pregnancy that fails to develop! In other words, constant worry is able to hinder the spiritual growth of a believer. You have to identify it and completely reject it!

What is the solution?

It is prayer!

We are commanded by the Lord not to be anxious! This is not just a suggestion. It is His command and we either obey it or not. Dear believer, to continue to worry about your life, brings you close to the cursed and dangerous land of rebellion, which is connected and strengthened by witchcraft (1Sam 15:23). This is a most serious charge! This is the Truth!

Anxiety is a spiritual toxic waste. It spreads like poison, like spiritual pollution, everywhere. One anxious person does a lot of harm to his family and community. As a child of God, my ministry should be ‘a recycling godly factory’ that overcomes evil with good. I diligently replace anxiety with prayer, worship and thanksgiving! Therefore, in obedience with God’s Word, I should stop worrying! Now! I should reject all evil spirits of mental harassment! I should not just quietly tolerate them. I should actively reject them thru spiritual warfare. Instead of worrying, I should change all my anxieties into prayer, worship and thanksgiving to God! From today, this is exactly what I shall do! This is my promise to God!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

I resist and reject all forms of worry!

I pray always!

I give thanks to God!

I am delivered from worry!

Peace is my portion!

I am a blessing to my family and my community!

In Jesus name,

Amen!

 
“I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus” (Rev 19:10)

Are you calling my name?
Do you want me to listen to your testimony…I would love that…but I need to hear your heart first, then your words…is your cross like my cross…tell me how your world came to an end… show me the spot where, without any rehearsal, spontaneously, your spirit’s overflow voiced the eternal ‘It is finished!’…let me hear your silence…when words fail… the hammer’s sound is the only living song…the Cross denies entrance to hope…when the head bows in surrender and the devils rejoice for such an easy victory…
Tell me also how you woke up like from the dead…tell me about the day when your tears dried and all fears died…how you discovered that Christ died in your place…when your cage was broken and you came out with wings of rainbows and stars in your hands… Let me hear the breeze of the resurrection power destroying all opposition… describe to me the terror of the terror of darkness… the fleeing and the falling of wicked opposition…the sudden turning of tables… the new beginning of an untamed hope…the shower and the inspiration of true worship… the impartation of heaven and the gift from the Most High…tell me about Jesus and how He has changed your heart…how His prayer became yours, His song yours and His testimony of death and life yours…All stories make me tired, even before they end…. But the testimony of Jesus makes me happy and strong…I never get tired of the story of Jesus…so here I am, my friend, tell me about my Lord…I promise to always listen… .

In Christ I declare:
I testify about Jesus my Lord!
I am saved by grace!
The Holy Spirit of prophecy is upon me!
I worship God alone!
In Jesus name
Amen!

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that…Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev 19:10)

True testimony is always prophetic. Prophesy means ‘to speak for God’, to tell others God’s opinion about a situation. God’s opinion is truth. Truth sets free. Jesus testifies about the Father. The Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus. These THREE are ONE!

We too must be sensitive and maintain the unity of the Spirit when speaking, preaching, prophesying, counseling, testifying or teaching. Any other type of speech that masquerades itself as ‘a testimony’ is a proud utterance of idolatry and false prophecy. It should be completely rejected!

A true prophetic utterance must follow the testimony pattern of the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. The testifier should prove to us how the Lord Jesus changed his life. He should be able to guide us on the same path of humiliation and rejection to the place of suffering, forgiveness and death. The flesh can never take a stroll on Calvary Hill. The flesh can only boast of self and gossip. Only the spirit can truly minister life thru personal experience and godly testimony. The flesh will soon be tired and fall…but the Spirit leads the way and empowers the willing pilgrim…

In Christ I declare:

This is my testimony: I deny myself, I carry my cross daily and I follow Jesus!

This is my story; this is my song; praising my Savior, all the day long!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“If the LORD had not been on our side—let Israel now say…”

I just try to imagine the feeling of someone who is not saved… I do not have to think too far, for once I was lost but now I am found. I still remember the feeling of not having God on my side…Let us consider this soberly for there are only two positions: God is on your side or He is not on your side. There is no other option. There is no neutral ground between the two. Please quietly meditate on the Word of God. You shall either rejoice or despair!

2-            But…If God is not on your side then you are lost. You shall fail in all things. You are not a child of God. You will be filled with fears, worries, confusion and doubts about your life. You shall not fulfill your destiny as a human being. God will oppose all you do, your work and your plans. Your family will suffer directly or indirectly because of your troubles. You fear all threats and you shall lose all battles. You are weak and but unable to receive strength. You are foolish but there is no wisdom. You are dead and you refuse to receive life. You live and die as a wasted soul. You are God’s enemy and you can never win against Him. No matter who is on your side, even if the whole world votes for you, you shall fail at last. You shall be jealous on the believers and try to deceive or persecute them. But you shall fail for God is with them. Go and ask Pharaoh…the army of Egypt, with all the chariots and the noise, was swallowed by the Sea. Go and ask Nebuchadnezzar…how he felt staring at the face of the Fourth Man in the furnace…Go and ask the great men of Persia how it was when their leaders met the lions in the den…Go and ask Korah, Jezebel, Herod, Herodias, Simon the Sorcerer and all the wicked servants of satan who perish at last…

But it is not only the reprobates that should be concerned. If you are a child of God, but refuse to be filled or lead by the Holy Spirit, if you grieve the Holy Spirit thru un- confessed sin, thru stubbornness and pride, then God is not on your side. You shall not know His sweet smile of approval or His anointing that destroys all yokes. And that is a loss beyond words…Selah!

In Christ I declare:

I am forever grateful for God’s mercy and grace!

I rejoice in my salvation!

God’s favor is on me and mine!

I preach the True Gospel of Christ Crucified!

As I lift up the name of Jesus, sinners shall be saved!

As for me and my household, we shall serve the Lord!

In Jesus name

Amen!

 
“If the LORD had not been on our side—let Israel now say…”

I just try to imagine the feeling of someone who is not saved… I do not have to think too far, for once I was lost but now I am found. I still remember the feeling of not having God on my side…Let us consider this soberly for there are only two positions: God is on your side or He is not on your side. There is no other option. There is no neutral ground between the two. Please quietly meditate on the Word of God. You shall either rejoice or despair!

1- If God is on your side, then you shall fulfill your destiny. ‘Success’ shall be your middle name. You are a child of God, filled and lead by the Holy Spirit. You have joy, peace and confidence in God. You have totally surrendered your body soul and spirit to God. He loves you and you know it. The work of your hand shall prosper. Your children are blessed. Your ministry is fruitful. Your faith increases every day. You are not afraid of any man, devil or circumstances. You move on from one victory to another. You make fast spiritual progress and come closer to God. God uses you mightily as His servant, witness and soldier. God trusts you. You are God’s friend and He tells you His secrets. You are also on the side of God any time He calls for attention. It does not matter who opposes you, you shall win the battle. Even if the whole world rejects you, they shall fail. Mary Slessor, said that ‘he who is with God is in majority’. That is why she did great exploits as a missionary to Calabar many years ago.

God alone takes the glory. It is not me and God…then I can boast of some success…No, it is God alone, Christ alone on the Cross, He died to save my soul…Christ alone kept me and broke the snare of my sin. Go and ask Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…Go and ask Joseph, Moses, Deborah, David and Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego…Mary, Peter and Paul…and all the rest saints in heaven…they will tell you the same thing: God was on their side!

In Christ I declare:
As for me and my household, we shall serve the Lord!
God is on our side!
All glory to God!
In Jesus name
Amen!

 “You shall receive power when the Holy Ghost shall come upon you. And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and unto the ends of the earth” (Ac 1:8)

Just before going back to heaven, this is what the resurrected Christ said to His disciples (I paraphrase):

“You need My Power to be My Witnesses! You need My power to testify to men about Me! Without the power of the Holy Ghost, no man will believe that you are My servants! Desire and pray for that power to come to you! Do not go and do ministry without it! I want you to have My power!”

You need the Holy Spirit’s power to be a witness for Jesus; to give a true testimony about His grace in your life. The word ‘witness’ here is the same with the one translated ‘testimony’ (in Greek ‘marturia’).It means a firsthand confirmation of a fact, made under oath (in a court). You have to testify to what you have seen with your own eyes. No other story or ‘second hand’ testimony is accepted in the court of God.

The word ‘power’ in Greek is ‘dunamis’ from where the word dynamite comes from. This same word really means ‘miracles’. It is the supernatural, violent ability of the Spirit of God to destroy all hindrances in its path. It makes a way for the overflow of grace, the river of blessings at flood tide and the manifestation of eternal life.

To give a testimony is to witness of Jesus; to what He has done in your life and not in another. You need to be born again and Spirit filled to be able to give a true testimony. You need the power of the Holy Ghost! Any ‘testimony’ given in flesh, by a religious unbeliever is not acceptable to God for it does not give glory to Jesus! It should be rejected by the listeners!

One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is power to do ministry, to witness to the Lord Jesus Christ. You can be a Christian, born again child of God and still lack this ‘dunamis’ power. You have to desire it with all your heart. As a ‘baby’ Christian, you may not be aware of its importance. You may try to serve God in your own personal strength. But ‘flesh profits nothing’ – says the Lord. You will become tired, discouraged, distracted and afraid if you try to do ministry in the flesh. You will talk and talk and there shall be no genuine fruit to prove your calling. It is one of the most frustrating things in life to work for God in the flesh. God will not allow true success to come and encourage you. This is because God wants you to desire Him even as ‘Partner’ in ministry. God is jealous and He wants all the glory to be given to Him; not to you or to your ministry.

I know that these are painful words to read. But this is a good pain. It is the pain of the truth that sets free…

I pray that your pain will lead you to the Cross, to see Christ once more. May the frustration of a barren life and of a fruitless ministry drive you to Jesus! May you tarry in His presence… ask and you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost! Your life, your marriage, your family, your job, your ministry, your words, your songs…nothing will be the same again. You shall speak few words and your listeners shall be saved and transformed. You shall sing a little chorus and all will be slain in the Spirit! You shall work a little and make great impact.

May you be willing to give God ‘the good’ in your hand for ‘the best’ in His pierced hand!

Be filled with the Holy Spirit!

In Christ I declare:

The Holy Ghost is upon me!

The power of the Holy Ghost is in me!

I am witness that Jesus is Lord!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice O heavens, and you who dwell in them!” (Rev 12:10-12)

Testimony’ –definition- a true solemn statement or a firsthand confirmation of a fact, made under oath (in a court)

The word ‘testimony’ in Greek is ‘marturia’ and it is translated as witness, giving an honest report, someone who correctly records an event, evidence given in the Temple (in the presence of God). The word is also translated ‘a martyr’; someone who voluntarily suffers torture, pain or even death as a penalty for witnessing for God and for refusing to give up his religion.

A true testimony is one of the most powerful weapons in spiritual warfare. The devil hates it and will try to corrupt its meaning so that we may be deceived.

The weapon called ‘the word of our testimony’ is the Word of God that has produced fruits and manifestations in our lives. Jesus is ‘the Word made flesh’. In the same way, the Word of God must replace ‘our flesh’. The flesh dies and it is replaced with the mind of Christ, the testimony of Jesus in us. The gift of the Cross is this wonderful weapon called ‘the word of our testimony’. Praise the Lord!

When a believer gives a testimony, he speaks in the fear and presence of God, giving Him all the glory. The testifier also intends to disgrace the defeated devil, proving how he tried to stop the testimony but failed to do so. Because the testimony is a banner of victory to the Crucified, it is also an encouragement, a challenge and an inspiration to all the brethren. A testimony proves that Jesus is the center of your life and changes it for good. Each testimony is a miracle that gives glory to the Lamb of God. Genuine testimony is always a firsthand evidence of God’s grace in your own life. When testifying, you relate facts about your own life, not about other people or about things you read in the books. It has to be a personal account of the Living God’s intervention in your life.

This is the commission of Paul by Jesus Himself to be a witness and a living testimony to Him. He shall testify only about the things Jesus has done in his life and he has seen with his eyes!

“So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you” (Ac 26:15, 16)

According to the Bible, any speech, no matter how ‘spiritual’, that cannot fulfill these holy conditions, is not a testimony! Any speech that is not inspired by the Holy Spirit is not a testimony. Any ‘story’ influenced by an evil spirit, bringing doubt in the power of God, or fear of the future is not a testimony! It is a false testimony or a false prophecy. It is intended to bring division, doubt, fear or confusion in the midst of the church. It should be completely rejected and the speaker restrained. Selah!

In Christ I declare:

This is my testimony:

I am born again!

I am Spirit filled!

I am sure of my salvation!

Jesus is Lord!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Jesus cured many who were sick with various diseases…” (Mk 1:34)

Exactly one year ago I stumbled and fell. I bruised my knees and lower legs. It took quite a while for the dark patches to disappear. What was left on both of my legs was something reddish like a rash that refused to go away. I have been using long skirts since then. I asked God for wisdom and I prayed for healing. My husband prayed too. Then we waited…

I am a medical doctor by profession but since March 2000 in full time ministry. I do not prescribe medications anymore, including to myself. I do not forbid medicines but prayer is my first choice always.

Back to my rashes … I had no idea what to call them. In hot water they got brighter. They did not spread. I was not lead to go and see any Doctor here or abroad. I tried some creams and powders, but nothing worked. The rashes were painless and did not itch. Just there, on both my legs, where they do not belong… ugly and stubborn, mocking my faith…

One night, two weeks ago, I could not sleep. I went to the internet and saw some rashes similar to mine. They said it is lack of Vitamin C. I was not convinced that is my problem. I like oranges and fresh fruits. But then I made up my mind to give it a try. I took two tablets of Vitamin C daily. In less than a week, the rashes have completely disappeared. I look now at my legs…not even a shadow of what has been there for more than a year.  Glory to God!

This testimony of healing may be a joke to my former colleagues (I used to laugh at ‘testimonies’ too). But it is the truth. I was sick and now I am healed!  This testimony is given to remind the believers of the power of God to heal. It is also a reminder of the privilege of prayer and of God’s care for you. Jehovah Rapha is the same forever: God our Healer. God never changes! God hears prayers done in the name of His Son! Pray and trust God! Do not be impatient. As in my case, the cure may come late…But do not lose faith in God! He hears every whisper from His children! This was my wish: I did not want an ‘ordinary’ treatment or money spent in hospitals. I wanted the healing, but more so, I wanted a testimony attached to it. For a medical doctor like me, this journey of faith is very exciting…

Please remember…No sickness is too difficult for God to heal!

You do not need money…just FAITH IN GOD!

Now place your hand where you are sick and pray! Fear and doubt, go away! Be healed! Receive your testimony of healing! In Jesus name, Amen!

Lastly, be sure to give all the glory to God!

In Christ I declare:

Jehovah Rapha is my God!

Jesus Christ is my Lord!

I believe in miracles!

I am healed!

All glory to God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it” (Job 1:7).

In the Book of Job Satan is described as a restless wanderer. He is not just an excited traveler or an adventurer. Satan’s condition describes a wicked feverish state of no permanent location. Satan looks for every opportunity, everywhere to practice evil. You cannot predict satan for he does not dwell in any particular place. The name ‘satan’ in Hebrew means someone who opposes. He is an enemy to all that is good, including God. He attacks and accuses anyone who stands in his path, especially God’s children. Satan has no peace. Satan has no mercy. There is absolutely nothing good in him.

In Job we see that he has some power over the natural elements on earth. He can cause tornadoes and storms, strong enough to kill men and destroy property. God also produces these violent winds. So what is the difference between the two? Look at ‘the victims’. God can judge the unrepentant sinners with storms and earthquakes. But when satan attacks, he usually comes against the righteous, persecuting them. That may be a vague difference; so generally, it is not easy to tell. Pray and God will reveal the truth!

When satan attacks a man he gives him no breathing space. In the story of Job he attacks him relentlessly, going on and on using different methods to kill, steal and destroy. Satan is totally evil. Only God can stop his mad pursuit against the children of God. His aim was to force Job to curse God. He wants to destroy our relationship with our Heavenly Father and to make us grieve the Holy Spirit.

But we know that nothing shall separate us from God and His love in Christ Jesus! Child of God, remember this… especially during painful attacks: God has defeated satan! He is a defeated foe! Many forget this truth and they give up the fight. They become weak spiritually, surrendering to the enemy and betraying their Lord. If you know the truth, you do not need to backslide. Satan is too strong for you but he is not too strong for God! Study the Word! Pray always! Stand and fight trusting God for the victory!

In Christ I declare:

I have overcome satan by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of my testimony!

The gates of Hell cannot prevail against the church or against my family!

I command all demons of sickness to leave me and go away!

I command the tormenting storm of my circumstances to be still!

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

All glory to God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“…the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel” (Nu 25:1-3)

This is one of the saddest stories in the Bible. The children of God are ready to cross River Jordan and to enter the Promised Land. Face to face with their hopes, as a nation, they fall to temptation. Prophet Balaam could not curse Israel. So he devised a strategy more deadly than a direct curse. He counseled Barak to send foreign women in the camp of Israel. Balaam told him that Jehovah God is very jealous over His people and He wants them separated from other nations, to be pure and holy like Him. If they succeed in making the Jewish men fall to sexual sins, bringing them to the worship their gods, Jehovah Himself will punish Israel. This wicked occult counsel is called ‘the doctrine of Balaam’.

The strategy worked. The men committed adultery with the pagan women and followed them to worship Baal Peor. As Balaam predicted God got angry with His people and sent a plague among them. More than 24 thousand died as a result.

In the midst of it all, Phineas the priest, the grandson of Aaron, intervened. He saw a Jewish man shamelessly committing fornication with a Midian woman. Angrily, he killed them both with the spear. Then the anger of God subsided and the plague steeped. Because Phineas was jealous for God’s name and reputation, he was blessed by God. For this singular act he received the approval of God as a covenant of peace, to him and his descendants. Then God commands His people to treat the Midianites as enemies and to fight them. They killed the kings of Midian. Balaam was also among the dead.

The idol called ‘Baal Peor’ was worshiped thru acts of sexual immorality in the hope of receiving material blessings. I read that the least sacrifice the worshippers had to do is to get naked in public. The idol has gone but the demon is still active. Even today, the demon tells foolish people to naked themselves for others to see them. Medically, this is called Exhibitionism and it is considered a psychiatric disorder. But the root of it is clearly spiritual, demonic. This unholy practice arises from an evil desire to expose the nakedness to friends or to strangers, with the intent to shock them, for their amusement or perverted sexual satisfaction. The people who indulge in this activity do so for many reasons: to sexually arouse themselves and others, to create admiration, disgust, anger, intimidation or fear in the victims. The root of this demonic sickness is to feel in control of their world, by spiritually polluting the environment. These wretched people want to shock others into submission to their demon. In many countries indecent exposure it is considered a criminal offence. Other demons connected with this idolatry lead to premarital sex, cohabiting together, homosexuality, pornography, pedophilia and other sins. The doctrine of Balaam says that you can call yourself a Christian and in the same time indulge in all these sadistic perverted sins and that God will approve of it. That is a lie! God is angry with the wicked ever day (Ps 7:11).

What are the lessons for us?  The breaking of the seventh commandment leads to the breaking of all the rest.  Adultery leads to idolatry, lying, stealing, slander, rebellion, covetousness and other sins. The devil has used sex as a weapon from the beginning of the human race. Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed until they fell to the sin of rebellion. Then shame became part of their lives. Balaam’s tragic life is a warning to all who desire to do ministry but refuse to give God the glory. The devil can never be a friend. Sometimes he pretends to be a helper, a poor man in need, a victim or a minister of God. But in reality, he hates God and His children. He will attack the believers trying to steal their blessings. It is a dangerous thing to willingly enter the reckless path of temptation. It only leads to more sin, frustration, anger, pain, spiritual blindness, disgrace and eventually, death. There is no safety there. God hates and punishes sin. The Cross is a proof to that!

As a true believer, trust that even in the midst of temptation, God is on your side. He will overturn the counsel of the wicked and change their curses into added blessings! Lastly, be like Phineas, jealous over God’s name and glory! Then the peace of God shall be on you and your children!

In Christ I declare:

I hate evil and sin!

I reject all evil, unclean spirits of false prophets!

I hate all wrong doctrines of demons!

I preach only Christ and Him crucified!

God will turn my enemy’s curses into blessings!

The Peace of God is upon my home!

In Jesus name

Amen!