A sister came with a heavy heart. She has some marital challenges. My counsel was not an easy one. Truth is a sword. But she received the words with humility and faith. We prayed that she will have a wonderful testimony. This is her letter after reading “The wind died down”.

“Dear Malia,
I just read your post on Facebook “The wind died down”. All I can say is waoh.
May God (Jehovah) be continually enthroned in our lives! He has stayed my heart and I am still for He is God over the floods… I returned home yesterday enveloped by God’s presence, I had a smile in my heart. I wasn’t alone, The Lord of Host has gone ahead in the battle, won it and given me the victory… yet He stands by me assuring me, filling my heart with love for my husband…
At night, in the silence, my heart felt troubled but The Lord was near. “Be still” I heard… An owl shrilled, quite differently from the sounds I thought I knew, I was startled, but Encouragement filled me like light bursting through. It was fleeing. Light has come and darkness runs to hide. My Father is a Man of war… “Be still”..
As I write this words, I feel like I need to lie down and sleep but I will not.. I don’t feel like laughing but I sense laughter in my spirit so I’ll laugh… I’ll lift up my voice and sing for the battle is the Lord’s.
In Christ i declare, Mercy shall prevail over judgment continually in my home and marriage.. As God’s will unfolds (goodness and mercy) His grace shall be sufficient for us to bring glory and honor to His name. In Jesus name!

“Jesus stood up and commanded the wind, “Be quiet!” and he said to the waves, “Be still!” The wind died down, and there was a great calm. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Why are you frightened? Do you still have no faith?”
But they were terribly afraid and began to say to one another, “Who is this Man? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mk 4:39-40)

The preaching ended. The crowds were left behind. Then the Lord commanded His disciples that they should go to ‘the other side’. Jesus went to sleep in the ‘stern of the boat’. That is the back of the boat. Then a great storm arose. The winds shook the boat. The big waves filled the boat with water, threatening to sink it. It is night, it is cold, and the storm is ready to kill them all. Then they remember that Jesus was in the boat with them, sleeping on a pillow. Afraid, they rebuked Him for not caring if they live or perish. Jesus stood up and rebuked the wind saying: ‘Peace be still’. The word ‘stood up’ is the same with the power of resurrection! And it was a great calm. He also rebuked them for lack of faith and allowing the fears to torment them. The disciples became afraid at the way the storm died down. They asked themselves? Who can this be? Who is Jesus?

These are some lessons gathered from their storm. We do well to apply them in our trials. First of all we see that it was our Lord’s idea to ‘go to the other side’. That means promotion, breakthrough. We see that storms come, not because we have sinned but because God wants us to learn lessons only storm can teach. What are the mistakes the disciples made? What was the cause for their fears, for their lack of faith? They forgot the miracles the Lord has done in the past. They forgot the promises of God! Jesus promised them: “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. And most important of all, they forgot the presence of God. They forgot that Jesus was with them in the boat. They forgot the power of the Word of God. They forgot the authority of the Lord! All creation exists for His pleasure. Then the wind died down. The voice of the wind was stopped. The voice of the evil spirit of fear was stopped. And the peace of God that passes all understanding reigned supreme. Still afraid, they asked themselves: Who is this Man?’

Do you want to know who is Jesus Christ? Jesus is the second Person of the Trinity. He is God! He is the ‘I AM’!
1. I AM the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51);
2. I AM the Light of the World (John 8:12);
3. I AM the Door of the Sheep (John 10:7, 9);
4. I AM the Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14);
5. I AM the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25);
6. I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6);
7. I AM the True Vine (John 15:1, 5)
Jesus Christ is also my Savior and my Lord! Give your life to Christ today!
In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God!
Jesus Christ rose from the dead and the wind died down!
My breakthrough is here!
My victory is sure!
I am free, healed and delivered!
In Jesus name,
Amen!

From the CNN news yesterday: Armed men kidnapped an American missionary from a school in Nigeria and have demanded the equivalent of almost $300,000 for her safe return, Nigerian police said Tuesday. The Rev. Phyllis Sortor, a missionary with the Free Methodist Church in Seattle, was identified by her church as the U.S. citizen abducted from the Hope Academy compound in Kogi state.

“Dear Heavenly Father, please intervene in this situation. Lord Jesus Christ, please glorify Your name in the life of Your daughter and servant. Dear Holy Spirit we pray that you comfort Sister Phyllis and free her. May the robbers see Christ in this woman and be converted. We come against any evil spirit energizing these men. We bind you and reject you! We destroy the occult power of any charm that emboldens the robbers. Holy Spirit please come down and give us, the Body of Christ a fresh testimony of Your power and grace! We vow to give You alone all the glory! In Jesus name we pray, amen!”

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land” (Ps 37:7-9)

Someone asked the Duke of Wellington why are the British soldiers better than others? Why do they win all the battles? His answer was not what you expect. He revealed the secret of success. He said that his soldiers can hold on five minutes longer than that the enemy’s army. To many, that was a strange answer. He did not say that the British eat better food, that their weapons are better, that their uniforms are more beautiful or that they have discovered a new strategy. No! He said that they do everything the enemy is doing, but a little longer than him.

What do we learn from this? Men look for success in big things. They think that some great revelation will make them leaders of men or champions in conflict. They ignore the simple routine of life. They ignore the power of patience and faith, in doing all things as unto the Lord. Why is it that a cat will always conquer the rat? If the rat hides in a hole, the cat will seat and wait patiently outside. Sometimes later, the rat grows tired of the prison hole, becomes impatient and comes out. He forgets that the cat is still outside. The patient cat will catch the less patient rat. This is a great lesson: the patient man becomes the champion! If you trust God, if you pray, if you wait and if you love a little longer than your enemy, you shall win the battle!

The Bible says that patient people win the battle and become landowners. Now you know the secret of true success! Praise the Lord!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

I am patient!

My enemy shall be cut off!

I shall inherit the land!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him… Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies” (Pv 31:1, 10)

The woman described in Proverbs 31 has always been a challenge to me. Let’s call her Mrs. Noble Grace. I used to imagine her as ‘tall’, masculine in behavior, not friendly and too busy to notice a ‘struggling’ woman like myself. She was the opposite of me (I am not tall). For a long time I admired her at a distance and I could not conceive of a way for us to be friends. Many years have passed since then. Slowly, I started changing.  I became stronger. I turned my tears into worship. I studied the Word of God! I prayed! I really changed. Then one day we met again, quite ‘by accident’. To my surprise, she was the first one who spoke. She invited me to her house. I got to know her husband, her children and her ‘staff’. The image she portrays outside is really different than the way she is at home. She has touched my heart with her godly testimony. She challenged me with the Word of God. We are now friends and co-laborers in ministry. It is my privilege to introduce to you my sister, my friend, Mrs. Noble Grace, the virtuous woman of the Bible!

The most important thing to say is that no man or woman can be truly virtuous except they are born again, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Many women have tried to imitate Mrs. Noble in Proverbs 31, but failed. It is because they tried to do it in the flesh. Flesh profits nothing. Victory is possible only by the Holy Spirit.

This is a good question: who can find the hidden treasure called ‘a virtuous woman’? Rubies are beautiful but very hard to find. Whoever is able ‘to find’ this woman will receive favor from God as a reward. A man that finds such a blessing will be rewarded with a godly marriage (PV 18:22). But this question is not only for men. As women, we are also encouraged to search for her. She is your sister for life, a mentor and a true friend. There are many women but very few among them qualify for the title of ‘virtuous’. These women have a noble character; they are spiritually strong, walking in the fullness of the blessings of Christ.

In Hebrew, the word translated ‘wife’ means women in general. The lesson here is that the single woman has to be ‘virtuous’ even before the marriage. She has her testimony as a woman of God even before her wedding day. She has learned to submit to older women. She is faithful in little things therefore she shall be promoted to the office of a wife (Lk 16:10-12). Marriage per se does not change a foolish woman into a wise one. No husband can change a foolish woman to become a virtuous wife. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of them who a willing to pay the price of rubies. Older spiritual women have a ministry to teach the younger ones how to be virtuous and godly (Titus 2:3-5). This is what I am trying to do right now. May God help me and you!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

I am a virtuous woman of God!

My husband has found me and he has received favor from the Lord!

We are happily married!

I am a godly wife, mother and grandmother!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“A baby elephant does not need to worry if he will be big. His parents are big, therefore he will be big”
“To be a princess, it is a matter of the heart. You do not need to prove that you are a princess by the way you dress. You do not need to over or under dress. Be yourself! Always remember who you are! You are a princess! And God be with you!

These are my husband’s words of encouragement to our daughters. He used to speak these words often, especially when they were children. Now, both of them are adults, married and with children. They are indeed royalty, because they are children of God. Praise the Lord!

During ‘Saturday Class’ prophetic prayers in our church. Even the children flow with the anointing…They came and knelt down before the altar and prayed…There is HOPE for NIGERIA!

From left to right: Ebube, Nanret, Bisola, Udo and Leah

Now praises “to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us; to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Eph 3:20, 21)

The prayer meeting was wonderful. I know that you may say: “are all your services so good?” To the glory of God the answer is ‘Yes’! How do I know the services are so good? It is because the very Person of God the Holy Spirit comes in our midst and He moves freely and un-grieved. What more can we ask? What else do we want? Nothing compares with the feeling of being found lost in God. No other love is like the Love of God! Tonight, the Holy Spirit came, wave upon wave. Like a mighty water fall. The impact and noise was so much that I could not preach. We stood in awe worshiping the King of kings. We sang and danced and prophesied…The Lord is good! All the time!

Jehovah Jireh is still manifesting mightily in our church. The following testimonies were shared this evening. These are to give glory to God, to put the devil to shame and to encourage the brethren.
1. Sister R shared how God bless them. Her husband is a carpenter. No man trained him. He just discovered that he is good working with his hands and wood. For many years they have been struggling financially. They have two small children. According to the prophetic word, they prayed that Jehovah Jireh should come and blessed their home. Two weeks ago they called her husband to present a sample of his work. Many other more ‘famous’ carpenters were there competing too. The contract is a big one. To make all the furniture to a big hotel in town. She said that ‘just like that’ they chose her husband and they are now ‘millionaires’. If a rich man came to the church he could not have chosen them to make them rich, for they are simple people. But God is not a respecter of men. To God be all the glory!
2. We needed a powerful generator for our church. We are planning to move to the new site and the industrial ACs to be used in the sanctuary need a 500KVA generator. A new one is 16 million Naira. A brother from the church saw one for sale. It is not new but it is still good. Pastor phoned the owner. When the owner heard that it was Pastor Leigh that wants to buy it, on the phone he said that he should just take it. My husband said ‘what do you mean just take it’. He said that he heard that my husband is a pastor now; that we are building a new church and he feels in his heart to ‘dash’ us his generator free of charge. That we should take it as a gift from him. Pastor Leigh has never met this man before. To God be all the glory!

God’s blessings are more than we can describe. Maybe you say that you have prayed for a long time and nothing good has happened. The road may be long but ‘just like that’ the rain of blessing comes down. God does not love us more than He loves you. God does not discriminate people. But He looks for faith in their hearts. God will surprise you with ‘much more than you ask or think’. May you come back with a basket full of testimonies! Glory to God in the highest!

“The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him… Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies” (Pv 31:1, 10)

The word translated ‘virtuous’ also has an interesting meaning. It means ‘power’. It describes the strength of an army ready for war. The virtuous woman is strong and courageous, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. She has all the resources needed to be successful in life. It gives the picture of a prevailing force, of holy boldness that always leads in victory. Spiritual passivity, foolishness, weakness, a double mind, laziness, ignorance and fear, these are terrible traits in a woman. The virtuous woman has’ no fear of the future’; she is intelligent, faithful, wise and responsible. The husband may be ‘the bread winner’ but she is the manager of the home. She is called a home maker. That is a good word. She has all the resources to produce good things without supervision. The wise woman builds her home (PV 14:1). Her home is her palace. She’s in charge of people who willingly cooperate with their able leader; like an army following the queen of the castle. Even so she submits to her husband as unto the Lord. The strength of the godly woman comes not from her muscles or gym classes. It comes from her proven mature spiritual fruitfulness. Her character is the source of her strength and beauty and the foundation of her testimony.

The most important thing to say is that no man or woman can be truly virtuous except they are born again, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Many women have tried to imitate Mrs. Virtuous in Proverbs 31, but failed. It is because they tried to do it in the flesh. Flesh profits nothing. Victory is possible only by the Holy Spirit.

Other translations call this virtuous woman as:

*Capable- having attributes (physical, mental and spiritual power) for performance and accomplishment. She has the legal right to own, enjoy and perform her responsibilities. It means that she has the power and skill to always bring about the desired effect.

*Efficient- producing the desired effect without waste. All her efforts produce results.

*Impressive- having the power to make a lasting impression, to excite attention, awe or admiration.

*Fulfilled, satisfied- complete realization, reaching the end of possibilities. No regrets! No fears!

*Proven- tested thru trials, genuine, faithful in little things, given charge over greater things

*Noble- possessing very high or excellent qualities, superior mind, character or ideals

*Famous- widely known and honored for her achievement.

Do you desire to be a virtuous godly woman of God?

Let’s pray: “Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word. We repent of ignorance, foolishness and all evil behavior in the past. As wives, we repent of taken our marriages for granted. As mothers, we repent of not teaching our sons the truth about life in general and women in particular. As older women, we repent for not teaching the younger women how to be godly wives and mothers. We repent for the foolishness of choosing secular women as our mentors and models. We come back to You! We come back to the Bible. We are ready to start afresh with You. Help us Dear Lord…Holy Spirit come afresh on us…In Jesus name we pray, amen!”

“The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him… Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies” (Pv 31:1, 10)

This evening the women’ fellowship was very good. We shared many testimonies to the glory of God, to the shame of the devil and for the encouragement of the sisters. We praised God and we prayed. The presence of the Holy Spirit was strong over us. The number of women attending has increased this year like never before. We need more wisdom and more anointing to fill all the seeking hungry and empty vessels. There is a great responsibility on me to carry the burden of God for them, to pray that the women here fulfill their destiny. Please pray for me…Pray for us… God has great plans for us. God loves us. It is our duty to seek God and to trust in His plan and purpose for our lives.

Then the message followed…

The Book of Proverbs 31 is written by King Lemuel, which is another name for King Solomon. In Hebrew, the word Lemuel means ‘Belonging to God’. He quotes the words that his ‘mother thought him’. In other words, the description of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 is done by a mother to her son. She wants her son to know what a true woman of God looks like, so that when he is ready to marry, he will not make mistakes. The mother tells her royal son to avoid two things: wine and (bad) women. These are addictive and poisonous. They intoxicate the mind and emotions of a leader leading him to disgrace and destruction.

This is an interesting point. Men in general make mistakes when assessing women. The lust of the eyes is a common danger. They admire the superficial, choosing a wife based on their fleshly desires. To avoid this terrible mistake, the mother teaches her son who a true godly woman is, making it easy for him to reject the fake and marry well. This is the truth: Men, young and old, need help. Our sons need help to know what to look for in a woman. No man should be deceived when looking for a wife. The classical description of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 is done by a woman so that men may know the truth about women.

The mother taught her son, Lemuel, preparing him to be a king and a successful man. In Hebrew, the word ‘thought’ means to chastise, to discipline when teaching. The mother uses some level of force when teaching her son. She wants him to know what is good and what is bad in life, especially the truth about the women. Lemuel’s mother is what we call ‘a hard teacher.’ She is drumming wisdom into his head. She does not spare the rod, even when her son is not a child anymore.

Let’s pray: “Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word. We repent of ignorance, foolishness and all evil behavior in the past. As wives, we repent of taken our marriages for granted. As mothers, we repent of not teaching our sons the truth about life in general and women in particular. We come back to You Father. We come back to the BIble. We need help. Please help us…We vow to give You alone all the glory! In Jesus name, Amen!”

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore” (Eph 6:13, 14)

In Greek the word ‘stand’ means to abide, to continue, to be established, to stand up and to stand still. The same word translated ‘resist’ appears in this scripture:  ‘Resist the devil and he will flee from you’ (Jam ).

To stand is a soldier attitude, a battlefield command. To stand your ground means not only to occupy a place but fight to defend that position of victory. It means to be strong and courageous not only in winning but in guarding and preserving your crown. It means to perform your duty to the end, waiting for the Lord of Hosts to come and take over your responsibility. When you successfully stand in faith, you shall encounter the Lord of Hosts. He shall greet you with these wonderful words of life: ‘Well done good and faithful servant! Enter the joy of your Lord!’

You need to stand ‘tall’; to be strong and calm in the face of adversity. You need to believe in God who helps you to stand. This is an active exercise of spiritual warfare. Just the way the trees die standing, so the true champions ‘stand therefore’. The opposite of standing means to fall, to fail, to faint, to be weak, to be spiritually passive, to be a coward, to compromise, to submit to the enemy and to lose the crown. If you do not stand in faith, you become a traitor to your Commander. In the name of Jesus, I forbid all these!

David faced Goliath, a young man, standing alone in the battlefield. Older brothers, uncles, soldiers and generals could not stand and take the challenge to fight for Jehovah. The king was hiding in his richly decorated tent of shame. David had no human encouragement or helper. His armor was his faith in God. His experience as a boy shepherd in the forgotten bush was his only recommendation for the post of the new leader in Israel. He was too young to become a regular soldier, so in his invisible application he went straight for the coveted position of an eternal champion. His destiny was written in the dusty valley of Elah, to be an inspiration for people of all ages and forever. So the stars shine…

Dear Child of God, you are a servant and a soldier of Christ. After you have done everything God has told you to do, you still cannot lie down. You cannot take a break. You cannot drop your armor. Your back may ache, your feet may hurt, your arms may tremble with tiredness, and still, you cannot lie down. You need to stand on your two feet, waiting for your crown. Your Lord has promised to ‘come quickly’. You cannot relax for now. You cannot dis-engage. You cannot afford to become passive. There is a particular moment when you shall know in your spirit that, beyond any shadow of doubt, you have done everything that was expected. You have passed the test. You have endured to the end. You have walked alongside your oppressor that extra mile, and even more than that. God, who gives you breath and who measures the number of your steps, He knows you have done your best. You have labored and ministered and prayed without complain. This has been a long road…You have finished your task and normally, it should be a time to rest… I know…and yet, no rest! For the standing continues!

Men without visions, cowards without dreams, exiled kings without crowns, these may be lazy, may lie down, for that is all they’ve done. They have nothing to lose for they’ve lost everything of value. But we are not losers! Not me and not you! We need to establish the gain and the territory. The devil is persistent. He hates your standing. He waits even for the eleventh hour to come and steal your joy, your crown. Resist him in faith! Do not be tired to do the right thing! Do not fret, fear, doubt or shake! Watch, stand and defeat the plans of your enemy. Disappoint the foe! Defend your position of victory! God is on your side! Your reward is already decreed.  Your crown has been newly polished. The angels happily anticipate your coronation. Be supernaturally strong! Jesus is Lord!

Stand therefore…STAND!!!

“I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ (Mt 25:35, 36)

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim 5:8)

The church as a Body has a responsibility to help people in need, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM!

The first responsibility for financial help belongs to the FAMILY (immediate and extended)

You can show compassion to all and PRAY for them who have needs without giving them money!

The needy people to be helped by the church are these: old men and women who are poor, alone, sick or widows!

Financial help may NOT be given to the younger able people who can work!

There is a difference between one EMERGENCY help and a LONG TIME program!

If it is an emergency help, any person who is truly in evident need can receive it, if he is a believer or not!

If it is a long-time program (like in Acts 6) of commitment to meet financial needs, there must be an interview to asses if that person ‘qualifies’ for that help. The need itself is not enough criteria for help! This is very important! The person who may be helped financially must be a true believer, a clearly godly person with fruit to prove over the years, who has worked in ministry and many people ‘recommend’ him!

Pray for wisdom and discernment of spirits!

Do all things to the glory of God!

For helping the poor and for blessing His children, God will surely reward you!

One of the most famous travelers of modern times was Isabella Bird Bishop (1831-1904). She was born in England. Her father was an Anglican Pastor. As a young girl she was very sick, She has tumors in a spine that made her very weak. The doctors did not give her much chance to survive. She decided to do physical exercise daily. At the age of 26 she could rarely rise from her bed before noon. Yet, she did much of her work lying in bed. She wrote many articles to many magazines and publications. She answered many letters from all over the world. She wrote propped by many pillows with a writing board upon her knees.

‘Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light’ (Mt 11:28-30).

Do you desire to be gentle? That is a great holy desire God will grant to you!

This is the definition of Gentleness:

* To be lovely and gracious; a sign of true royalty

* To be humble, not costly to maintain

* To be teachable, submissive and obedient; calm and sweet

* To be a good listener and counselor, sensitive and wise to the leading of the Spirit

* To be moderate, mild, modest and pleasant, avoiding extremes of speech and action

* To be merciful and compassionate to others

* To patiently endure injury without grudge or lust for vengeance

There is no higher ambition for the believer on earth than to be like Jesus. He is ‘gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love’ (Ps 145:8). We may admire His wisdom and power. But one of the Lord’s qualities that we least understand is His genuine humility, His meekness and gentle heart. Sin has made us hard and harsh. Our words and actions have an irritating ugliness about them that we can’t hide for long behind beautiful clothes or a pretty face. Sinners are not sensitive to the Holy Spirit or to the feelings of others around them. Most of our words hurt and wound the spirit of other people. We pass by ignorant of others pain. Under provocation, we lose our temper and fight back in anger. We may repent later, but damage has been done in other hearts that may take years to heal.

Our Lord is strong but also gentle. We need to be the same. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit who alone produces holy spiritual fruits. Gentleness is having God’s type of heart and the mind of Christ. It cannot be achieved by human strength, education, learning good manners or diplomatic skills. It is the unique exotic fruit of the Holy Spirit dwelling and abiding, un-interrupted and un-grieved in the believer. Gentleness leads to peace and rest of mind. May these words trigger a fresh passion in your heart to be like Jesus!

‘Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near’ (Phil 4:5).

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality” (1Thess 4:3)

Our church is increasing with wonderful people. Recently a young man came to see me. He and his fiancée are new members of Father’s House. They want to marry in our church May or June. He met his wife-to-be abroad, were both of them went to medical school. They are both born again and Spirit filled. They both attended a good church over there and were actively involved in youth ministry. When they knew that God’s will for them is to marry, they informed their pastor over there. He prayed with them and counseled them to honor God and each other by staying sexually pure. They agreed. They also told him that once they finish school and they will go back to Nigeria.

They are now in Warri. They are both young medical doctors. They were led to come to Father’s House. They have peace that this is their church from now on. He confirmed to me that they made a pledge to each other in the presence of God to stay sexually pure. He came to say that on behalf of his fiancée and himself, they want to ‘officially’ submit to the leadership of our church. They do not ask for any recognition or titles. They just want to ‘plug into’ the flow of the Spirit here. They are so happy to come to Father’s House. We give God all the glory for their testimony and lives! God will never leave Himself without a holy remnant of grace!

Please pray for them. We need more shining lights, more living signs to point to Jesus! In a world were purity is so rare to find, where true passion in marriage is almost a lost ideal, the young people in our midst need our prayers, counsel and encouragement. ‘Overcome evil with good!’ (Rom 12:21). We need more good examples and testimonies like these! This is also a reminder of the power of a strong foundation. There is power in a godly testimony. There is great reward for the pastors of good living churches. God bless their former pastor in Russia!

As for you dear young brethren, we gladly, welcome you in our midst. Continue to shine for Jesus! God bless you!

‘Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion’ (Is 8: 18).
The word ‘sign’ means something that advertises a place, a business; it is also a warning to them that walk along the way. For example, if you ignore the ‘traffic signs’ you are in danger of having an accident. .
A sign can also be a gesture from a commander or a coach to his team, telling them to obey his commands. By ignoring the sign of the coach, the team will lose the game. It is also a sign language for them that are deaf.
Generally speaking, a sign is something visible that stands for something invisible or hidden. God uses godly, fruitful families as signs and symbols, pointing others to Christ who is the invisible Source of all their blessings.
Do not ignore the Word of God!
Do not ignore godly families or fruitful believers! Follow them as they follow Christ! In This way, it shall be well with you!

The prayer meeting was very good. We started it slowly, but the Holy Spirit came and increased our pace. We had no other option than to follow. We shared a wonderful testimony of supernatural provision in time of need. God is never too early or too late. We praised God! We prayed two by two, one for another. Our prophetic season is to climb higher in the mountain of God. We shall meet with Jehovah Jireh, God the Provider. This is our confession of faith!
Then the message came:
“So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly…” (Lk 16:8)
This is the parable of the shrewd servant (Luke 16). A rich man had a steward who was in charge of his goods. It is a position of trust. He was possibly a former slave who was set free and now he works for his master One day, the master calls him to give an account for his job is terminated. Immediately the steward thinks of a plan so that he can benefit even in the absence of his job. He knows that his present situation is terrible. But he can do something to secure his future. He calls his master’s debtors and he reduces the amount they owe to the master. He knows that they will be grateful and will remain his friends for life. Favor is repaid with favor. He cheats his master to gain favor with men. He knows that he can end homeless. By blessing his master’s debtors, he secures for himself a place to stay in the future, a home, a family and the fellowship of friends.

There are some things in common we have with this steward. First of all, as believers we are stewards over things God has given in our care and also over the Gospel we preach. Secondly, we all need to deal with money. Thirdly, we need to make the best with the limited resources we have, especially in times of crisis. The steward represents us. We have a limited time to live on earth. The choices we make in investing our present resources will determine our future. We are to think of the future, of heaven and the account there.

Why does Jesus commend this deceitful man? Not because he was cheating his master. But because he uses what he got at the present to invest in a better future. Jesus said that this man was shrewd. He knew that he has a limited time to use the master’s resources. The wealth and position will eventually ‘fail’ him. He could have wasted his few hours at the office in weeping for his loss, or begging to stay. Even in the crisis he did not give up. He found a plan to gain something for the future. He sponsored his future dreams. He invested in his hope.

Please take note: the shrewd servant is not worried in a negative way about his future. We are commanded ‘not to worry about tomorrow’ (Mt 6:34). This is the definition of Worry: a mental nervous tension, to be over anxious and uneasy about the future, which potentially can be dangerous; to disturb your peace of mind; to struggle mentally and be choked emotionally. To worry is a very negative emotion that destroys any desire to plan ahead. You cannot be worried and shrewd in the same time.

To be shrewd means to be prudent and wise; to apply common sense to spiritual things. In Greek the word shrewd means to be intelligent, thoughtful, to be wise and, to be diplomatic and to have practical skill in life. It also means to be discerning, seeing the depth and the difference between things. A shrewd man is discreet, showing good sense in action and especially in speech. He knows when to start and when to stop doing something, when to talk and when to keep silent.

The root of the word ‘shrewd’ comes from ‘the shrew’. There is an animal called ‘the shrew’. It looks like a long nose mouse and lives in the forest. He has an extremely high metabolism. So it is always hungry. He eats its body weight of food every day. So it needs to be very creative looking for food without being detected by the enemies. If the shrew is lazy careless or a coward he will surely die. Either hunger or external enemies will kill him. The God who created the shrew and who feeds the shrew is your God. He knows that your needs have increased. Marriage, children, ministry, old age…these and many more challenges put a pressure on your faith. Be like the shrew and trust God to supply for all your needs. Let your faith increase! Jehovah Jireh is greater than all your (increasing) needs! He is God the Provide, from your childhood until the last hour on earth! Do not worry! Trust God!

GOD HAS OPENED A NEW DOOR FOR YOU! IT IS A MIRACULOUS DOOR! NO MAN OR DEVIL CAN SHUT IT! YOUR TESTIMONY IS SURE! YOU SHALL REJOICE! YOU SHALL PRAISE GOD LIKE NEVER BEFORE! IN JESUS NAME! AMEN!
“But the Lord says:
“Do not cling to events of the past
or dwell on what happened long ago.
Watch for the new thing I am going to do.
It is happening already—you can see it now!
I will make a road through the wilderness
and give you streams of water there.
Even the wild animals will honor me;
jackals and ostriches will praise me
when I make rivers flow in the desert
to give water to my chosen people.
They are the people I made for myself,
and they will sing my praises!” (Is 43:18-21)

Our youngest grand child! God bless you, Baby Oliver Sisan Oakes!

To God be all the glory!

Nepotelul nostru: Oliver Sisan Oakes s-a nascut ieri! Slava Domnului!

“Obey the Lord, be humble, and you will get riches, honor, and a long life” (PV 22:4)
This is God’s way, always perfect! God never makes mistakes!
If you are His child, you must first suffer pain, rejection and persecution. Ask other saints older than you. They will confirm that God is always faithful to His methods of blessing. God humbles you before He promotes and rewards you.
To become humble is never easy. It is the deep work of the Cross, drying off the lusts of the flesh and killing the pride or life.
God alone knows how long that ‘surgery’ must go on. Once God is satisfied with your spiritual progress, once He sees humility’s bloom in the desert, He will immediately change your circumstances and rewards you openly. He will give you your heart’s desires and even more than that! This is your harvest: riches, honor and long life! And even more…So, trust God to the end!