“When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,

We were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

And our tongue with singing

Then they said among the nations,

“The Lord has done great things for them.”

The Lord has done great things for us,

And we are glad” (Ps 126)

TRUE REVIVAL

Spiritually, this Psalm describes the revival of God’s people, the restoration of the backsliders, their testimony and blessings. God appears to be silent for many years. We pray and ‘nothing happens’. There are no miracles, no supernatural events. The church is ‘business as usual’. The Christians commit sin and nothing happens. It is like God is sleeping.

Then suddenly, God ‘awakes’ and intervenes in their lives. This is called revival. Miracles, breakthroughs and supernatural manifestations become very ‘common’. There are healings and deliverance from bondages in the midst of the people. The ‘captivity is turned’ and defeated. In the past, it was difficult to pray, to go to church. Now it becomes so easy, for the answers come faster than ever before. People like to come to church and rejoice in what God is doing. The power of God is openly displayed. The result is joy and singing. The law of sowing and reaping works very fast. The season of the long awaited harvest has come. People get stronger and richer. The true repentance of the past is producing supernatural increase in all areas of life.

Another peculiar sign of revival: The unbelievers, the other nations, they suddenly take notice of this open, overflowing favor of God upon His people. They talk to one another saying that God is blessing His people. These blessings discriminate. They only come on the believers. In the past, the religious unbelievers were trying to compete with the People of God. But this revival proves that God loves His people more than He loves them. This creates a terror among the pagans. This is the necessary work of the Holy Spirit before evangelism can be successful. In the past you have to beg them to listen to your sermon. Now they beg you to pray for them. The fear of God falls over the land. Many shall see and come into the Kingdom of God. The world knows that this is God’s work and not the work of man. For the blessings are too great to be done by man.

Before Zerubbabel went back to build the Temple of God, this is the Word he received as an encouragement: “It is not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of Hosts” (Zech 4:6). During revivals, this Word proves to be true. No man can take to glory for what God will do!

Pray for revival in your life, in your family, in this city Warri and in Nigeria! The revival is the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit! There shall be overflow to other nations! With all the negativity around the world, Nigeria has great potential to be a blessing to many nations! We can ‘export’ the true Gospel of Christ! There is no greater business than the business of God! Get ready for big things! In Jesus name, Amen!

THE ROYAL LAW OF RESTORATION

“When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,

We were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

And our tongue with singing

Then they said among the nations,

“The Lord has done great things for them.”

The Lord has done great things for us,

And we are glad” (Ps 126)

This Psalm describes the joy of the exiles coming back home. Historically, this is what happened. King Belshazzar of Babylon provoked God when he used the holy vessels that his father carried from the Temple of Jerusalem for selfish purposes. He was killed that night and the Persians took over Babylon. Later, the great king Cyrus of Persia changes his mind and decides to give freedom to all the prisoners of war in former Babylon. In particular, he shows great favor to the Jews, helping them to go back to Israel and to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. He contributes money and resources for this mighty work to be accomplished. Three main groups of Jews leave Babylon (now Persia). The first group was led by Zerubbabel. He was sent to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem. The second group was led by Ezra, whose duty was to go back and restore the Word of God so that the people become strong again.  The third group was led by Nehemiah whose work was to rebuild the city of Jerusalem.

*This is a great spiritual lesson: For a backslider, the first thing to do (is not to deal with his sins, for they are too many anyway…) is to invite back the presence of God the Holy Spirit. He needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit. That is like building the temple for God. All things are not as important as “hosting and settling” God back into your spirit. The second thing is to start feeding of the Word of God. This has to be a daily clear sacrificial labor of love. Lastly, you need to prepare the visible structures: looking for a good living church, making friends with true believers and all. This is the holy royal road of spiritual maturity: The Spirit—the Word—the Church. I assure you that it has been proven to be true by many pilgrims who have walked the road of faith to heaven!

This law applies not only to the backslider but to all things that need restoration: your quiet time with God, your marriage or your relationships.

Prodigals, come Home! Your Father is waiting for you!

“When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,

We were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

And our tongue with singing

Then they said among the nations,

“The Lord has done great things for them.”

The Lord has done great things for us,..” (Ps 126)

The class was willing but weak. There was a religious spirit hindering the flow. This is how it is at the beginning of each new step, or class, I should say. Today we moved to a higher spiritual altitude, following the songs of ascents. We began the study of Psalm 126. We called this level” Dreams come true!

The word ‘ascents’ means the beginning of a journey of faith, going to a higher level, a spiritual promotion. The beginning of each journey, even if it is a good one, has some anxiety attached to it. But as the Word came and we worshiped our Lord, the tension lessened…Praise God!

Historically speaking, this Psalm describes the joy of the exiles coming back home. The people of God proved to be proud and rebellious. They rejected God’s Word and the warning of His prophets. Eventually God allowed Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon to conquer them. Jerusalem was destroyed with fire. All the holy articles in the Temple of God were carried to Babylon. The priests, prophets and nobles were killed or carried as prisoners of war to Babylon. It was only some poor people who were left behind. Israel became a province of Babylon. They removed the capital from Jerusalem to Mizpah, a little town in Benjamin. The disgrace was total. This was the greatest tragedy the nation of Israel has ever experienced.

Once in Babylon, the people of God had to face the reality that their understanding of God was not correct. Their theology made them proud. They believed that no matter what they do, Jehovah shall always protect them, Israel can never be a slave to a pagan nation and Jerusalem will always be honored as the city of David.  It is this pride that made them rebellious against God’s Word. They refused to repent. They took their relationship with God for granted and eventually they had to face the truth. God’s Word said: if you obey, you shall be blessed; if you disobey, you shall be cursed. The fall of Israel to Babylon changed the people of God forever. But God did not abandon His people. He made the plan for their restoration even from the beginning of their bondage. Thru the prophet Jeremiah, God said that after staying in Babylon for 70 years, they shall start coming home (Jer 25: 9-11).

*This is the first lesson: God chastises His people when they become proud and rebellious. But God never abandons His children. He makes plans for their restoration that will increase His testimony among the nations.

*The second lesson is that our God us the God of the second chance, the restorer of the backslider. Praise God!

Historically, this is what happened. King Belshazzar of Babylon provoked God when he used the holy vessels that his father carried from the Temple of Jerusalem for selfish purposes. He was killed that night and the Persians took over Babylon. Later, the great king Cyrus of Persia changes his mind and decides to give freedom to all the prisoners of war in former Babylon. In particular, he shows great favor to the Jews, helping them to go back to Israel and to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. He contributes money and resources for this mighty work to be accomplished. Three main groups of Jews leave Babylon (now Persia). The first group was led by Zerubbabel. He was sent to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem. The second group was led by Ezra, whose duty was to go back and restore the Word of God so that the people become strong again.  The third group was led by Nehemiah whose work was to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. These three groups of willing Jews came during a period of about 100 years.

*This is another great spiritual lesson: when God restores a backslider, the process is slow and requires the application of faith and patience.

 
“Down at Your feet, Oh Lord
Is the most high place
In Your presence, Lord
I seek Your face, I seek Your face

“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Lk 10:38-42)

This is a call to restore your ‘quiet time with God’. Nothing should replace it!

What Martha was doing was not a bad thing. She was cooking for Jesus and His disciples. She was doing a ministry of helps and love. But her problem was that the ministry made her distracted so much that she forgot the most important thing of all. That is why Jesus rebuked her. In Greek, the word distracted means to drag things around the house. These things are like iron weights tied with chains to the feet of the prisoners. The purpose of these iron weights is to make the prisoners slow. They can never run. To be distracted it means to direct your attention far away from the main object, and to get confused with many other conflicting emotions. A distracted person is complicated and confused.  She has lost the purity and the simplicity of Christ (2Cor 11:3).

Mary represents the opposite. In the midst of so many needs in the kitchen, she has chosen to sit at the feet of Jesus to listen to His word. That was her choice. She will not be distracted by any other voice or desire, not even by the need to go and serve Him. All her attention is directed to hear His voice, His Word. Mary is not a fool. What will be her gain by staying at the feet of Jesus, by listening to God’s Word? By hearing God’s Word, her faith in God will increase. She will experience eternal life in fullness. She becomes a teacher of God’s Word to others. The Word will actively work in her, changing her to become like Jesus, long after the visit is over. Light will shine on her path and she will know what to do in the days ahead. Just by being able to listen to God’s Word, she receives the confirmation that she is a child of God. She gains the attention and the respect of God (Rom 10:17; Mt 4:4; 2Tim 3:16, 17; 1Thess 2:13; Jn 10:27; Is 66:2).  These are some of the eternal personal gains which come from believing the Word of God.  Ministry can proceed later. Nothing in this world should make you ignore these gains!

Martha was possibly surprised at the rebuke but that day she learned a great lesson. Mary was confirmed as the wiser sister, and her choice became the best. You can see that the devil will attack your decision to have a daily quiet time, to study the Word of God and to pray. The devil will attack your choice to have a quiet heart that worships the Lord. Anxiety about the cares of this world is a slow poison that destroys your intimacy with Jesus. That demon of anxiety will attack you! Reject it!

Make up your mind to obey God’s Word and be anxious for nothing.  Make up your mind to value your quiet time with the Lord. Make up your mind to sit down and listen to the words of Jesus. Open the Bible and read it. Pray always. Expect God to speak to you thru His Word. Appreciate His fellowship. There is nothing like it! Mary’s gains shall be yours too. Money cannot buy these eternal rewards. Be wise! Learn how to combine the holy ministry of prayer and the Word with other activities for the benefits of men. Be a woman of God first, then a wife, mother and worker! Seek first the Kingdom of God and all other things shall be added to you! The God will help you to do all things with ease and grace!

Lastly, a little bit of my testimony… I wake early in the morning to have my quiet time. I read my Bible and pray…I desire to hear His voice. I wait expectantly. He does not disappoint me. He speaks and my heart is revived! Nothing compares with hearing the voice of my Beloved. Something happens to my spirit. I get happy and strong…then I am ready to do any work for Him…Out of that fire, I am then ready to do anything needed as a wife, mother or worker in the church. God’s intimate fellowship is the basis for all true ministry. You will never be tired!  You will never fall to temptation!

Listen to His voice:

“My Lover spoke and said to me: Arise My darling, My beautiful one and come with Me…” (SS 2:10)

‘That is all I need to hear…Thank You Lord…’

“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Lk 10:38-42)

This is a call to restore your ‘quiet time with God’. Nothing should replace it!

The scene above describes an incident that happened during one of Jesus’ visits at their house.  It seems that Marta was the oldest; for she behaves like ‘the landlady’.  She is the one who opens her house to Jesus and welcomes Him. Jesus came with His disciples.  That makes at least thirteen men. Immediately she knew that work has to be done in the kitchen to feed so many hungry and tired men. I am sure she was a strong woman and a good administrator. She quickly planned her menu and went about getting all things ready. She may have had some friends and neighbors whom she could call in times of need. So the kitchen became a busy place, almost like a battle field. Marta was the queen of the kitchen, no doubt about it. She was telling everybody what to do when suddenly… she discovers that her younger sister was missing. ‘Mary…Where is Mary?’

Mary needs a rebuke- she thought…She went to look for her and to her surprise, she saw Mary sited and the feet of Jesus listening to His words. She may have tried to make some noise to call her attention, but Mary did not even look around. All her attention was focused on the face of Christ, listening to His words. This could have been an embarrassing situation, for women were not supposed to be found in the ‘boys club’. But Mary did not care about the opinions of others. She has been waiting for God to visit her humble home… He came. Now she will not waste any second on any other thing, except to hear what Jesus has to say.

When Martha failed to call Mary’s attention that she is needed to the kitchen, frustrated, she broke the ‘protocol’ and went in to ‘disturb’ Jesus. She complained about Mary’s ‘irresponsible’ attitude. That is when Jesus gently rebukes her. He told her that she is too worried about too many things. He also said that Mary has chosen the only thing truly needed, He called it ‘the good part’ and it will not be taken away from her. Martha was surprised at the rebuke…also, what is that thing needed thing that Mary has chosen?

Yes, it is good to serve God in the home, in the kitchen, as a wife and as a mother. It is also good to serve God in the church activities. But nothing else should make you ignore your quiet time with the Lord, the study of the Bible and the daily holy activity of prayer. The intimate fellowship with the Lord is always the needed thing, the first thing and the good part. Please note that it is much easier to be busy for Jesus than to sit at His feet listen to His word.  It is easier to get distracted than to maintain a quiet holy heart in the presence of God. All things do not have the same value. Be sure you have your priorities right!

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Lk 19:10)
Jesus Christ did not come to make bad people good or poor people rich.
Jesus came to give life to dead people, so that they might live! He died for sinners like me and you! No one but Jesus can save your soul!
This is my testimony: I was a lost sinner, but now I am found by my Lord! I shall worship and serve Him forever! All glory to the Lamb!

“Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead” (Jn 12:1-9)

The story above is one of the most significant in the Bible. It looks like ‘a thanksgiving party’ in the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. His sickness, death and resurrection attracted many people from far and near. As usual, Martha is busy serving. Lazarus sits at the table with Jesus. It is on record that many people did not come to see Jesus, but Lazarus, who is now the center of attention in that party.

Suddenly, Mary does a strange thing. She brings her most precious possession, a perfume bottle filled with fragrant oil. The value of that spikenard was a year wages. To work one year for just a box of perfume, that is expensive indeed. Mary breaks the seal of that bottle and uses the oil to anoint the feet of Jesus. Then she uses her hair to wipe them. This is a public act of pure extravagant worship. What Mary does is to redirect the attention from Lazarus (who is her brother) to Jesus (who is her Lord). Lazarus represents the ministry of Jesus, His wonderful works. But a true worshipper will not be distracted even by ministry. Like Mary, she will direct people’s attention to the person of Jesus Christ, who alone is worthy to receive all our worship.

True worship will force the devil to manifest. Judas cannot keep quiet in the presence of such open love towards Jesus. He criticizes her worship calling it a waste. He says that the money could have been used for the ministry of helps. The traitor and the thief they always look generous but God knows their hearts.

In many churches the worship has been quenched by unholy administrators, business men and politicians. People go to church to see Lazarus first and Jesus second. The Holy Spirit has been grieved. The ‘worship team’ is nothing more than a group of singers. The pastor is a ‘spiritual’ business man. The congregation waits for entertainment, for rice and stew. People like Mary have long been sent away, counted as crazy and disturbing the order of the place. But a church without true worship is dead. Whatever else is offered on that altar, death has the stamp on it.

This is a call to true worship to come back to our churches! To praise God is not easy. Praise is a sacrifice. It is hard to make a choice to reject all other anxious thoughts, to remember only God, to fix your attention on Jesus, even if for few minutes. The cares of this life are very loud, selfish, stubborn and persistent. It is not easy to lift your heart, your hands and your voice to worship God, even when you are sick or jobless. That is a sacrifice indeed. But God blesses this sacrifice with His presence. And the presence of God brings life, peace, joy and hope. The presence of God is the secret of a living church. Nothing else can compare with it.

The Father is seeking worshipers who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! May the true Marys of this world be encouraged today! Continue to worship God with all your heart! Do not be afraid of men’s voices! Do not be ashamed of your Lord! This so called ‘waste’ is the engine that moves the heart of God! Let the worship continue! “Lord, You alone are worthy…”

 
“Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion He understood
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
But He made something beautiful of my life

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

What can mere mortals do to me?” (Heb 13:5, 6)

The devil tempts us to forget the presence of God…yes, we know that God exists in a general way, but we ignore His active manifested power and love in our personal daily walk…that is the temptation you have to learn to defeat… Our needs will never be ‘breaking news’ for they are always with us, one way or another…but even then, Jesus promised “never to leave you and never to forsake you”…this promise has to be active in your soul, working internally, until your faith is purified and the worship rises to God…never be intimidated by your needs, let your faith in God increase and your testimony will come…

If you are born again, Christ is your eternal savings account, that is why you can never be poor and you can never beg! It is only the unbelievers that are worried about money. The believer only needs faith and money will come!

As a believer, your life is a proof that Jesus is alive and that He is God! Your life is a proof that the devil has been defeated at the Cross! Your life should be an encouragement to other believers! This is your destiny!

 
“A man with (a spiritual) experience is never at the mercy of a man with (a religious) argument”

(Leonard Ravenhill 1907-1994)

Pray for a genuine encounter with the Lord! You will never be the same!

“Lord, I want to see You…”

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2Cor 3:17, 18)

This is a great and wonderful revelation: where the Holy Spirit has access and dwells, there is liberty. What does this mean? Generally, liberty is defined as the state to be free; to be a citizen and not a slave; to enjoy the social, political and economic privileges of a country; to be free from burdens, tyrants and oppressors; to be able to do what you please and walk where you want (within some defined boundaries). In other words, liberty manifests as true power and true joy.

The liberty described above is not just religious, but it is a spiritual liberty. It is the work of God. No man can make himself free. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer in Christ. No unbeliever is free. The salvation story starts with the process of justification: Because Christ died for you, God can now declare you free from the bondage of sin.  The next thing God does in your soul is to change you to become more and more like Jesus. This process is called sanctification. It is the peculiar work of the Holy Spirit who uses the Word of God. It is a godly, good and glorious work. No child of God becomes totally sinless in this life but he surely changes into better. God wants us to be holy! This practical holiness in the soul of man is called liberty. The deeper the work of the Holy Spirit inside your soul, the greater your experience of liberty…

This liberty manifests as freedom from the burden, shame and guilt of sin. The conscience becomes free.  No more feeling of condemnation or inferiority complexes. No more regrets or bitterness. No more influenced by the opinions of men. From now on, God’s opinion is all that counts and all that you long for. No more desire to impress men by obeying their set of religious rules. The terrible yoke of legalism and hypocrisy is gradually destroyed. The fear of death and of going to hell is also going away. Heaven becomes more real than ever. We are commanded to ‘grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ’ (2Pet 3:18). This gradual growth manifests as spiritual maturity with the clear and unique stamp of spiritual freedom.

This freedom is a sign of victory. Jesus died for us, to die to no more. He has been crowned as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. This is God’s eternal decree that can never be altered. As the Holy Spirit changes you from inside out, you start to resemble the Lord in speech, choices and actions. Because He lives, and He enjoys life, you shall do the same. The stamp of a winner will appear on your forehead. A loser fears all things, but a winner is able to stand straight in the beauty of holiness, confident of his authority imputed unto him by Christ. Holiness in the soul is the red carpet to heaven. Glory is stamped on your way, dear child of God. This glory increases with each step that brings you closer to your Lord.

This is your destiny, to worship God and to become like Jesus! Meditate upon this revelation! Allow the Holy Spirit to have free access to your soul! Study and obey the Word of God! Then entrance shall be ministered to you, going into the glorious freedom of the children of God! This is God’s promise! Trust God! Be like Jesus!

GOD PUT A NEW SONG IN MY MOUTH

“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord” (Ps 40:3)

For the past 7 weeks I had a bad cough. That was inconvenient enough, for I hate sickness. But my pain was that I could not talk well and I could not sing. My ministry was attacked. Last week Sunday I ministered the Word but I was not confident enough that I can sing without coughing.

Finally, yesterday in Saturday class, led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, I sang…an old song but new and fresh to me…I was ‘shy’ at the beginning, but the anointing took over and like an eagle I soared freely….the devil has lost another battle…the worship must continue…may these words of faith touch you today!

”Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One…Give thanks for he has given Jesus Christ, the Son…and now…let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich, because of what the Lord has done…for us…GIVE THANKS!’

All glory to the Lamb upon the throne! Hallelujah!

“And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness” (2Sam 15:23)
“When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered” (Jn 18:1)

The Kidron valley is on the eastern side of The Old City of Jerusalem, separating the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives. It continues east through the Judean Desert, towards the Dead Sea, descending 4000 feet along its 20 mile course. In Hebrew, the word ‘kidron’ means darkness. This valley was a rubbish dump that collected the sewage of Jerusalem. All the animal carcasses left after the sacrifices at the temple were also dumped there. During the reign of godly kings, al the idols were destroyed and thrown in the Kidron valley too to be burnt to ashes. That is why the valley was permanently covered with smoke, a symbol of hell. The first time the Kidron valley appears in the Bible is when David was betrayed by his son Absalom. To protect Jerusalem, David decides to abandon his beloved city and weeping, he crosses the Kidron Valley going up on the Mount of Olives. He is a symbol of Christ who on the night of his betrayal, He also crossed the same valley to go to the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives. He was arrested by soldiers lead by Judas, one of His disciples.
Both these men were kings betrayed by their people. Both crossed the Kidron valley humiliated and rejected by their own people. Each had just some few men following them. Their friends, Ahithophel and Judas betrayed them. But they both came back victorious. After the death of Absalom, David came back to his throne, and all the nation repented of their sins. Jesus shall come back again and his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, as a victorious King forever (Zech 14:4).

The Kidron valley represents a form of hell, of death. It is the lowest man can go while still alive on earth. David said: ‘Though I walk thru the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me…’ (Ps 23). A mature Christian is not afraid to cross the valley of the shadow of death, for even in hell, God is with him. This valley separates the true and the false believer. The religious person may walk thru fields of flowers and streets of marble, but he can never cross over the valley of the shadow of death. It is at the edge of this valley that your fake friends will draw back, for no amount of money, kisses or promises will be able to buy their confidence to mix with the dry bones. But the true believer will cross over anything, for God is with him.
The lowest points in your life, as unpleasant as they may be these are your protection from evil. The valley is not the end of the story. The mountain of transfiguration is still ahead, where heaven touches earth and all things become new. Your sickness, your needs, your challenges…these are not the end of your story. Your sin foes not define you anymore. Your fears are not your master anymore. Something has happen! You are now a child of God! Old things pass away and everything becomes new! Jesus destroyed death thru death. We shall do the same. As the flesh dies under the power revealed at the Cross, my spirit rises to prove that Jesus is Lord!

“I am forever grateful for saving me, my Lord…”

 
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philip 4:6, 7)

This is again one of the most wonderful scriptures in the Bible. The danger for me is to read it, like it, even preach it but fail to apply it in my present circumstances. That danger ‘to be a hearer and refuse to be a doer’ of the Word, is in fact a very common deception coming from the devil (Jam 1:22).
So this early morning, as I allow the truth of God to sink deep in my spirit, I decide (once more) to obey the Word. In other words, from this very moment, I will completely refuse to be worried about anything at all that concerns me. I shall not worry about my health issues, financial or family things. Let the world divide itself into two, I shall not worry at all. Why? Because God commands me not to, and I really want to obey His Word! No matter the situation, I shall refuse to allow anxiety find a space in my heart. Does this sound as a crazy woman’s wish? Let it be so, let it sound crazy or impossible, but I have made up my mind to honor God’s Word and not worry anymore!

Anxiety takes a lot of energy out of a person. Unchecked, it becomes a mental sickness. Who wants that? Nobody! Then if I don’t worry, what will I use my time, my emotions and strength to do? I shall pray? Pray for what? “In everything by prayer…” From this morning on, I shall pray about all things, big and small. I shall believe that God hears my prayers and that He has all what it takes to solve my problems. I shall believe that prayer is the contact point between heaven and earth.

Question: Is it that God does not know about my problems? Of course He knows all things. But He commands me to pray for everything. I shall accept the challenge to think that without Jesus I can do nothing. But in Christ, I can do all things! So I will take everything that comes my way as a point of prayer. I will pray more and not less. I shall be more grateful for this opportunity to pray for everything. Thanksgiving shall become my foundational thinking. All men have problems and anxieties, but not all know Jesus, and not all pray. I recognize that I am a part of the blessed holy remnant of God’s people; I am not perfect but I am a prayer warrior. I appreciate this wonderful privilege and supernatural way of knowing God, therefore I am grateful. Then the peace of God will come and surround me, cover and heal my soul. Peace makes me happy! Then my body shall be healed too!

I refuse to borrow the chronic anxieties of my parents, my teachers, my neighbors or my doctors. I refuse that burden! I shall be free from anxiety and I shall pray! This life style shall define me from today on. Are you trying to imagine how will my life be? Without the load of daily anxieties and filled to the brim with prayers and praise, how will my life be? It has to be better, no doubt at all! It has to be easier, no doubt at all! Christ in me, the hope of Glory will shine brighter for all to see… I can only win and I can never lose…I shall be happy, free, supernaturally wise and strong. Miracles shall follow me. They have to! So, here the holy adventure begins!

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1Cor 10:13)

This is one of the most wonderful promises of God. I applied it often, especially in times of need. Please read it knowing that it is God’s Word to you. What are the lessons?

*Temptations must come; they are unavoidable. The devil tempted Jesus so he will tempt us too. Do not be surprised when the attack comes, when the evil day comes, when things are hard and they make no sense. Temptation is not counted as sin. But a sinful response during temptation is sin.  God monitors your response to the evil attack. If you endure temptation successfully, you shall be promoted and receive the crown of life. If you fail during the temptation, you shall suffer loss. The intent of the devil is that during temptations, you should forget God and backslide; that you should shift from your stable position, even if a little. He will be very happy if you abandon your sure foundation of faith. Do not let the pain of the attack overpower your mind or emotions to the extent of doubting God. The pain will come and go, but your God abides with you forever!

*All temptations are ‘common to man’. They are ‘ordinary’. There is nothing special or unique about an evil attack. The devil does not create. He only repeats himself. The way he deceived our ancestors, that same way he will try to deceive you too. By studying the Word of God we can find the strategy, how to successfully resist temptation.  For example, God promised Abraham and Sarah a son. There was no need for plan B. There was no need for Abraham to go into Hagar. That was a mistake, a sin of doubt concerning the promise of God. They should have waited until Isaac came. By reading the Bible we are encouraged to avoid their mistakes.

*God is faithful to His promises. God does not tempt you! God does not plan your downfall! God does not lie! If God has spoken, that Word must come to pass. Make up your mind to honor God by trusting Him 100%. If you trust God, you shall not be disappointed; you shall not be put to shame! That is another wonderful promise!

*God is with you inside the problem. He monitors the size of the problem. You are not alone during temptations! God knows your strength too. He is intimately involved in your life. The temptation is to make you better, stronger, not to make you fall. God is in charge of your problem. At the last minute (as God counts it) He will open your eyes to see ‘the way of escape’. This is the exit out of a burning building. It is the miracle open door out of an impossible situation. All your attention is to find this miracle door. When the temptation comes, the door is designed as part of it. God never panics thinking of solutions at the last minute. God is never confused! Your problem does not intimidate Him! The door of escape, the solution, is part of the problem from the very beginning. You shall find it and suddenly you are free!

It does not matter if the challenge is about health, finances, marital and family issues. These things differ. But one thing is sure: God never changes! Jesus is forever the same, yesterday, today and forever! God is always faithful! God has never lost any battle and he will not start with you! Let me tell you this: Even if you plan to prove God unfaithful, you shall lose the game! Because the truth is this: God is faithful to His promises! That is how God is!

May your eyes open to see the faithful door of escape! I say: Enough of this sickness! I say: Enough of this stress!  It is time to leave this furnace and go outside in the cool evening under the rainbow of peace! Let’s celebrate deliverance! Let’s honor freedom! Jesus is Lord!

“A wise man is strong,

Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;

For by wise counsel you will wage your own war,

And in a multitude of counselors there is safety” (PV 24:5, 6)

Recently I had a serious challenge with my health. Sickness is like a prison, makes you lonely and ashamed. I did everything I knew was right. I reminded myself that God is with me in all situations. I also prayed for wisdom, for that is God’s day and night open prayer line. The Holy Spirit comforted me and did not allow me to fear the evil associated with temptation. As difficult as the sickness was, the peace of God that passes all understanding was my permanent companion.

During this challenging time, God surprised me by sending special, trained, loving, faithful, experienced and wise warriors to pray for me and counsel me. The first of the list is my husband of 40 years. From beginning to the end, he was a source of faith, great strength and love. I have never been so sick in the past, so now I know the meaning of being one ‘in sickness and in health’. Yes, marriage is a wonderful thing, no matter the circumstances.

But God surprised me by sending other servants of His, with the right words spoken at the right time. These ‘angels’ reminded me of my own sermons… of my own words spoken to them in the past. Seeds planted long ago to help them in their hour of need, came back to me as a harvest of faith and strength and hope. These true friends helped me to reject the lies of the enemy and to stand for Jesus. They did not waver in their support. Their words brought much encouragement to me. They lifted me up when I was about to fall. How blessed I am that all my friends are wise people, that foolishness is far from my camp, that prayer warriors lifted their voices on my behalf, that together we can share in this wonderful testimony of healing and victory!  Yes, God honored me by sending true intercessors at the lowest point during this trial of health. The time of pain became a door for much grace revealed to me. I am humbled and grateful! Indeed, God is faithful!

“Dear Father, I thank you for Your presence in my life…I thank You for Your Word and for Your Spirit…I thank You for sending Your faithful servants to support me during this battle with sickness…I thank You for the lives of all people who prayed and encouraged me at the time of my need! Please bless them with the blessings of Christ! We share in the joy of healing and the victory against the forces of darkness! We give You alone all the glory! In Jesus name Amen!”

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt…” (Jam 1:5, 6)

In this world we experience many challenges: health, financial, marital, children, ministry, jobs…As different as these trials are, there is a common need in them all: the request for wisdom from God.

Wisdom is the skill, the capacity, to practically apply the scriptures in daily living. Many people memorize and quote the Word of God but they seem unable to apply what they know. The Word of God remains a stranger to their lives, more like a decoration than real food for the spirit. The scriptures do not ‘work’ for them. They lack godly wisdom.

Wisdom is not the same as intelligence or education. There are many men who have PHDs but their lives are a mess. Wisdom is a gift from God giving to the humble that have faith. They recognize the need and the value for it. That is why James says: “If any of you lacks wisdom…” We all lack wisdom, we are all basically weak, ignorant and foolish, but few recognize the need for wisdom from God.

For the people who desire wisdom the advice is to ask, to pray to God. Wisdom does not come from men, so do not look around for none can supply it. Wisdom comes only from God, so look up and pray with faith. God may find fault with other requests when we pray amiss, but the prayer for wisdom is always answered, 100%. This is a great encouragement, for any answer to prayer is a stepping stone to increase your faith for later challenges. When God sends His Word of Wisdom, it is always generously done. You shall know what to do in your present circumstances, and even much more than that. God encourages us to be wise children; this is one of His attributes as a Father. The wisdom of God always leads to victory and greater testimony.

Practically, what can you do? If you are sick: pray for wisdom…if you are in trouble: pray for wisdom…if you have financial stress: pray for wisdom…The prayer is the same, God is the same, but the answers are many, adapted to your needs. O, the sweet power released when God speaks to you… directing your path… His Word of Wisdom may be very different than the human common sense you are used to. But wisdom from heaven never fails. It is the love expression of the Wonderful Counsellor, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of God.

Let’s Pray:

“Father, I have a great need.  I come to ask for wisdom for my situation right now. I believe that You will give it to me according to your promise in James 1:5. I promise to give You all the glory when my problem is solved. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!”

“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity” (PV 28:13, 14)

Your relationship with God will reflect in all other relationships you have on earth, including your marriage. You can only be a good a friend, wife or mother if you are first of all a good servant of God. God cannot be deceived. This is God’s law! God monitors your spiritual seeds and harvests in your matrimonial home! If you are a secretive person, if you refuse to openly acknowledge your sins and if you are not willing to repent, you shall ‘fall into calamity’. In Hebrew, the word means trouble, affliction, depression, misery and evil. A secretive hard hearted person shall fall into temptation and is not protected from evil. Divorce and the bad name of a betrayer are only few of the miseries ahead. Like with Pharaoh, God hardens the heart of some people as a sign of divine punishment. God told Moses in advance that the king of Egypt will be hard hearted that he will refuse to yield to the Word of God. The whole country was destroyed because of the stubbornness of its leader. Once the Blood of the Lamb was shed, Pharaoh eventually had to bow to Jehovah and let God’s people freely go (Ex 9:12).

Dear Friends, Think about all these things. If you are single and you pray for marriage, be sure that you marry a child of God. More than wealth or education, this is the most important quality of all. He may be poor today but if he is really saved, God is his Father and he will never beg for food. The spiritual status is the most important thing as you prepare for marriage. Remember that you cannot change your husband. Only God has access to a man’s heart. You can pray and try your best to help but you cannot convert your spouse. This is the truth!  To marry an unbeliever is a great deception; it means that you want to help a wicked person to practice more wickedness. And remember, God hates that unequal yoking!

Please meditate upon God’s Word…Is the Word of God penetrating your heart? Are you really changing from within? That is a good sign, for it means that the hardness of heart is melting away…Learn from the mistakes of others…pray for your marriage…pray for your children…pray for your heart…humble yourself…every hidden sin should be repented of!. Do not practice secrecy in the home. God’s Word is like ‘a hammer that breaks the rocks’ (Jer 23:29). Study the Bible! Pray always! This is the holy secret of successful marriage! To God be all the glory!

“Some Pharisees came and tested Jesus by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

“What did Moses command you?” He replied.

They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mk 10:2-9)

Marriage has been under attack from the beginning of human race. But recently the danger has increased manifolds. The rate of divorce in the western countries is above 50%.  This terrible statistics includes the Christians too. There are many authors who write books about marriage. But because marriage is designed by God, it follows that coming closer to God will make a marriage successful. Backsliding from God will destroy all relationships, including the marriage.

Our Lord tells the religious leaders that marriage was God’s idea. He quotes from Genesis, chapters 1 and 2. There was no mention of divorce when it was instituted. Even after the fall, divorce is an exception. God allows it because of the entrance of sin and the damage it does. Sin has damaged the image of God in man and the purity of God’s plan for marriage. God ‘hates divorce’ and He only allows it in extreme cases to prevent a greater damage to the victim. The main reason for unhappiness in marriage and divorce is given by our Lord. He said that ‘a hard heart’ will destroy the marriage. If both the husband and the wife have hard hearts, the risk of divorce is almost 100%. If one of them is a committed Christian and the other has this hard heart, the risk for divorce will be 50%.

The word ‘hard’ refers to a stony heart not easily penetrated by the Word of God. It does not easily submit, yield to pressure, repent or change. The heart is not capable of being sensitive, kind, patient or merciful. It is burdensome, oppressive, bossy and proud. It is troublesome; it takes pleasure in causing pain to others; it is easily provoked, angry or quarrelsome. It is difficult, hard to understand, unreasonable and unteachable. A person with such a heart does not finish what he starts, for there are many obstacles in its path.

The source of this hardness of heart is ignorance of God, His Word and His Ways. These are religious people who go to church; they listen to sermons but cannot understand any word. They are spiritually foolish, deaf and blind. It is a spiritual disease that only Jesus can cure. It is a sign of rebellion against God. If a habitually stubborn person provokes God in heaven, how do you think that such a one can have a happy marriage? It is impossible!

This is a warning to pray and be sure that you do not take marriage for granted. You should only marry a true born again believer. For all unbelievers have sinful hard hearts, even if they go to church, pray or read the Bible. Single sisters and brothers, please note: no husband can change his wife and no wife can change her husband. Marriage itself does not change the hearts of men. Only God does that! M\

May God have mercy on us! May the wisdom from above be imparted in this hour of need! May God be glorified in our lives! In Jesus name, Amen!