“I was sound asleep, but in my dreams I was wide awake.

Oh, listen! It’s the sound of my Lover knocking, calling…!” (SS 5:2; TM)

“Beloved… I see that you are tired and have fallen asleep… now it is time to wake up and talk… you have tried to please men…. to impress all men… you have helped all the people around you… you have feared them ,prayed for them, worked for them, served them day and night…

Now it is time to serve Me, your God, your Faithful Eternal Lover! Remember the prayer you prayed to Me long ago, when still a youth… when dreams were real and sweet romance was possible… remember the passion you had for Me, before the cold blanket of this world dampened your spirit… before mistakes brought shame and guilt poisoned your soul… remember the dreams we shared together… when the seeds of undying hope were planted in your tender heart… remember your prayers before the tears came, trying to wash away what was left of pure joy… remember the glimpse of glory before the storm destroyed our poems and our books got burned in the fire…  remember what I showed you on top of the mountain of frankincense, when we were alone, and no one applauded the show, for there was no show…

Know this: when you are awake and even in your sleep, I am still God, your God… All power belongs to me… My love for you can never fail… My passion for you can never fade… I am able to make old things new again… I have the power to change all things just because… My love is ready to surprise you…

I am knocking My Darling… Listen to the sound of My coming back…Feel my excitement as I am waiting outside your door…I wait for you to open it… My dreams, your dreams, our dreams can never die… and even if they died, they shall manifest from now on… Just believe that I am He… It is Me, your Life, your Lover and your Lord… The angels are getting impatient already… Let the music begin…Come out My Beloved… It is time!”

PRAYER POINTS FOR THE ALL –NIGHT SERVICE

Scriptures: 1Tim 2:1-4 and Gen 18:22-26
*We pray for the leaders in authority so that we can live ‘a quiet and peaceable life’, so that we can evangelize the people, so that they are saved.
*We pray for the President, the Senate, the Supreme Court, the State and local Government officials, the military, the police, the Intelligence agencies, the traditional rulers…. We pray that they rule with the fear of God.
*We pray for the religious leaders, pastors, missionaries etc. We pray against the evil spirit of religion, we pray that they become truly born again and that they preach true doctrines.
*We pray like Abraham who interceded for Sodom. The place was terribly sinful. But Abraham interceded until God promised that if He finds ten righteous men, he will not destroy the city. If God was willing to spare Sodom and Gomorrah because a righteous man interceded, we know that He will honor our petitions when we intercede for our nation, Nigeria. We believe there are more than 10 righteous men in Nigeria today! God will touch Nigeria and grant revival in the land!

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“A friend loves at all times” (PV 17:17)

I am a blessed woman. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband, children and grandchildren (natural and spiritual). I am a full time pastor and a mother in Christ. This is my calling and I love it. My Father in Heaven has also given me wonderful friends, daughters in Christ, godly women who love God with a passion.  They are not afraid to be adventurous, holy bold, romantic, prayerful, passionate and poetic. They challenge me with their letters, words, poems and songs. Our relationship stays on the altar of the Word of God. We chose to die to the flesh. We rebuke and encourage each other as the Spirit leads. There are no manipulations and no fears. The power of resurrection sustains the relationship. That is why it will never die. We shall be friends in heaven too. We discuss spiritual things. Even the ordinary things of life must be bathed in the Word of God. We are ‘iron sharpens iron’ type of friends. We are ‘a friend who sticks close than a brother’ type of friends. We become better for knowing each other. I am always excited to read their letters. They inspire and challenge me. They live in different places all over the world. But we feel so close… From my ‘office’ in my kitchen in Warri, Nigeria, my spirit soars with theirs and we touch the rainbow above the throne of God. I pray for them, my God given family. They have blessed by body, my soul and my spirit. I pray for you too, that God will give you the gift of true, holy and faithful friends! In Jesus name, amen!

This is a letter from Veronica…

“Dear Malia,

I often wonder if we imagine God’s presence, or do we give way to emotional disconnect, or are we so self-absorbed that we think that just because we are in church, that we deserve a touch.

This is what I observed: while dwelling on our emotions we lose control and focus, at this point it becomes impossible to even sense His presence, the connection is lost. But when we come to that place of brokenness (in humility at His feet), then and only then can we stand up and become His servant, one who shares what has been given with others. God’s love must flow out. We were not created to stay on our knees forever. We need to pray and then get up, walk in His power and in His light. So I put pen to paper in an effort to express my heart. Please see the attachment. And as always feel free to share.

Love in Him,

Veronica

IN HIS PRESENCE

Standing tall I felt that I could reach the heavens

Quickly, I bowed my head and began to pray within

The atmosphere was electric

Yeah, I was where I was supposed to be; I was in ‘Church’

People were falling, they were singing, and dancing

Maybe they felt something, but I felt nothing

I wanted a touch, I needed a touch

Why not me?

I deserved such!

But my body was aching, and I could hardly stand

Yet praises went up and blessings came down

But I felt nothing!

So I ask, why no touch for me?

Doesn’t He hear?

I wanted a touch, I needed a touch

Why not me?

I deserved such!

So I sat down…

Suddenly, my voice burst forth and uttered unknown sounds

Then I screamed above the crowd

My spirit was lifted and it knew no bounds!

And then my knees hit the ground…

“Abba, Father, who art in heaven…”

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“Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God” (3John 11)

To imitate it means to take another as your mentor or example. It means to speak and behave like your mentor. It is quite easy to imitate. Children imitate their parents. This is a warning; be sure that your mentor is born again, a godly person who imitates Christ. Do not imitate a sinner. Do not share into the sins of another. Do not blindly follow another. Do not follow a person who ‘has not seen God’. Such a person is not born again. Jesus asked: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? (Lk 6:39). The answer is ‘yes’! Do not imitate a worldly person, greedy, lustful, over ambitious, deceptive or wicked. It is your responsibility to know the truth about your leaders and mentors. You can’t claim ignorance following a fool. Pray for discernment! Receive good and reject evil!

Almost every Sunday we dedicate babies to the Lord. We pray for them. We prophesy for them. We give all the glory to God for them! Here in the picture is my husband, Pastor Leigh, lifting up baby Joshua unto the Lord! To God be all the glory! In Jesus name, amen!

“Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people” (2Tim 3:1-5; TM)

This is a warning so that we are not deceived or discouraged. There are difficult times ahead. There shall be dangerous times, hard to understand, confusing, hard to deal with, manage or overcome. The word ‘times’ is plural. It refers not only to the passing of time, but also to seasons of greater difficulty than in the past. During these dangerous seasons it seems like hell itself has located you and attacks you without rest. The risk of loss, pain, failure and broken relationships is higher than usual. Your life will be marked by restlessness, anxiety, frustration and anger. Do not be deceived by men. Behind the scenes is the devil. He is the author of lies, deception, fear and confusion. He tries to intimidate and terrorize you. If you panic, trying to protect yourself, unknowingly, you will inflict pain to others. This ends in more sorrow and chronic regrets. From one blow to another, life becomes impossible … The plan of the devil is that you give up on God and on yourself. Never do that!

This warning is to be seen as an encouragement. Once you know your enemy, the victory is sure. Ignorance is the sister of deception.  The devil’s primary tool is lying, deception. Don’t forget: life is a battle field. There are winners and losers. In Christ, you can never lose it all. You may fall, you may lose some things… but by the grace of God you can never lose your salvation! God will not allow you to go to hell! You need to get up and move on. Never envy or admire the wicked people. Just identify them and keep distance from them. Do not look at the surface of things! Look behind the scenes! You shall see the truth about all these people who try to confuse you! Let them deceive themselves but not you. Do not join their evil games of ‘sweet lies’. They may deceive men but they can never deceive God! The end is bad for them. Turn away from them. Make sure your friends are true born again Christians who speak the truth into your life. He who speaks the truth to you and prays for you, that one is your true blessed God sent friend. Truth is painful in the first instance but truth sets free.

May all the bondages in your life be broken! May you walk in freedom! Be healed! By filled with the Holy Spirit! May you fulfill destiny! To the glory of God! In Jesus name, amen!

This is a letter from a brother who attends our church. All glory to God for his salvation and new life in Christ! Be encouraged as you read his testimony! The enemy has failed and will continue to fail! In Jesus name, amen!

“Dear Malia, Today is my birthday, I really want to thank the Lord for his mercies and grace in my life and also in the life of my family. I just want to share this testimony to the glory of God and to the shame of satan. As you know, I was born into a strong Muslim home. My father was strongly involved in the affairs of the Muslim community here in Warri. One faithful day my dad took me and my elder brother to see an Alfa (I call them a sorcerer), for protection. When he got to my turn the man shouted ‘is this your son’? My dad says ‘yes’. He then told my dad that in the future I will deviate from Islam. My dad was furious. He told my dad that he can change my mind. He did some concoction and gave it to me. I drank it. Then he gave me another thing, something for me to swallow and I swallowed it.

“Your gentleness has made me great” (Ps 18:35)

We had a wonderful prayer meeting this evening. I had a great expectation since morning. Today was my birthday. I already told my children, natural and spiritual, that I want to have a quiet day of meditation and thanksgiving. No rice, no cake… Thank God they obeyed. I read my Bible. I prayed. I wanted to focus on what God wants from me today and in the days ahead. Tomorrow our church will be 16 years (not old, but) eternal. The presence of God was so strong. This is my heart’s desire: to host the King of kings in our midst, to welcome the Person of God the Holy Spirit. If He comes, that is success for me. If He does not come, I am sad and I need to repent. Thank God He came…

We prayed for more zeal for God. We rejected the evil spirit of lukewarm religion. Then the praises started. It was not just singing. It was praise warfare. The demons were ‘sleeping’, confident that the chains around our ankles are still strong and the padlocks still locked. But the praises were too ‘hot’ and woke them up. They all ran away. Thank You Jesus! Then we pushed the chairs to the side so that we can dance like David danced. We praised and we worshipped for almost two hours. We did not feel tired. We all felt good and happy. The King of kings was in our midst and He was blessing each person, the adults and the children. Tomorrow will be the official Thanksgiving Day. There shall be many visitors and well-wishers. Thank God for that! But this evening the Lord came ‘unofficially’ to bless His children, His servants and faithful friends with His intimate touch. His Spirit is gentle and strong in the same time. We declared that the sick are healed, the troubled are delivered, the weak are strong and the poor are now rich. All these blessings came because of what the Father has done thru His Son! Glory!

Then there was a prophetic word: “God will give you ‘Grace Money’. It is not ‘bank money’. It is called ‘Grace Money’. It is not Naira or Dollars. It is ‘Grace Money’. It does not smell like money. It has the fragrance of Christ. You shall use it to pay all your bills and debts. With it, you shall start a new business. The business shall succeed. It is not a small business. Receive this Word. You do not need money. You do not need capital. But you need faith to believe that this word is true. It shall come to pass and you shall testify…”   To God be all the glory!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT
We have just ended our women’s fellowship. We shared testimonies of God’s goodness and grace. We praised God with songs. We prayed. The Word was to expose the evil spirit of deception. We have made many mistakes in teh past. But in the Word of God there is hope for the hopeless!
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money… from such people turn away” (2Timothy 3)

As you see in the scriptures above, there is a peculiar attack upon the women in the church. There are religious men who ‘creep’ into homes and take the women ‘captive’. This is the work of the devil, trying to repeat the strategy used in the Garden of Eve, when the woman was deceived first. The aim of the deception in the home is to divide that home. These women read the Bible but are not able to locate and retain the truth, the Gospel of Christ Crucified. These women are called ‘gullible’. To be gullible it means to be foolish, silly, easily deceived and cheated.

Some say that by nature, the women are more easily deceived than the men. They quote this scripture:
“And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression” (1Tim 2:14). They say that because Eve was deceived and not Adam, it means that all women all over the world and to the end of time are more easily deceived than men. They say that is the reason why they should keep silent in the churches and they should not have positions of leadership in the church. It is a pity, but there are many denominations that forbid women to preach the Word of God. What can we say to this? It is true that the man was created first before the woman. It is true that the devil was crafty enough to attack the woman first and he deceived her to sin. But it is not correct to generalize that all women are more gullible than men. In the history of the church, most leaders of cults were men. Most of the warnings in the Bible against deception are given to men. Our Lord warns all believers, men and women, against religious deception. Paul, John and Peter do the same. They do not warn men against the deception coming from the women but from the religious evil spirits. This is a spiritual matter. All over the world, the unbelieving men discriminate the women and they have succeeded in keeping them quiet even when they should speak. A smart man who is married to a foolish woman is foolish too!

What can we do? How can we protect ourselves from deception? The first lesson is to identify these deceivers and to ‘keep away from them’. In Greek it means to avoid them, to turn away and take another path; to deliberately withdraw from these dangerous religious deceivers. This is not an easy command to obey. There is something attractive, magnetic about a hypocrite. The deceivers are more entertaining than the honest people. If you want fun in this life, if you are not born again and filled with the Holy Spirit these wicked and skillful deceivers shall surely lead you astray. But if you desire to live for Jesus, you have to separate yourself from the world and come to the Cross. Then you are safe!

The second advice is to protect yourself against deception by knowing the truth. That means know sound doctrine! That is why the husband is told to teach his ignorant wife at home sound doctrine, so that she will not be easily deceived by false teachers (1Cor 14:35). You need to aggressively ‘preach the Word’! Be known as a serious ‘violent-take-it-by-force’ Christian! Preach the Word of God in season and out of season. That means you preach the Word all the time! When you feel like it or not, in sickness and in health, to people who rejoice and to them who mourn! You preach it to one person or to a thousand. It does not matter. To successfully do this, you need to study the Bible until it becomes part of you.

The last weapon against deception is self-control. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Be filled with the Spirit!

PRAYER REQUEST
I received a letter from a young man who started attending our church. Please pray and counsel. I shall forward your kind words to him. God bless all the faithful intercessors in Christ!
“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations: “The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad” (Ps 126:1-3)

“Dear Malia, I am a young man in my late twenties. I come from a very poor family. No one in our family is educated. Most of my life I lived with richer relatives. I always felt like a house boy. When I became a teenager I gave my life to Christ. I prayed that God will help me to break the vicious circle of poverty and backwardness. I attended a church for more than ten years. I was a member of the choir. I love to sing. God gave me the gift of music. I am so grateful for that. My childhood dream was to be the first graduate in our family. I finished secondary school with good grades. In 2000 I passed JAMB and I was given admission in the University to read music. It was the happiest day of my life. I filled the forms and prepared myself. But I could not pay the school fees. I had to withdraw. When my school mates celebrated their first day in school, I wept like a baby. Then I tried to forget about it. I am now working in a factory. I pay my rent and my bills. I saved some money. I re-dedicated myself to Christ when I came to Father’s House. I love your church. I feel free to worship. You may not know me, that is why I decided to write this letter. I so am happy now… Please ma, I want to ask an advice. Someone said that I should go to Abuja, that there is a private institute of music there. I have gathered the money for the first semester. It is not a real university, but it is better than nothing. Ma, what do you advise me to do? I appreciate your counsel and your time. Your son in the church…”

My advice to him: “Dear…, thank you for your letter. I am sorry for your pain as a child and for the disappointment with your school. I see that you are a born again Christian. That is wonderful! You can never be a loser!
As for the school … I believe that in 2000, if you were more patient and had more faith, God could have provided the money. Anyway, all things work together for good for them that love God. My counsel is not to go to Abuja. Stay where you are. Serve God the best you can! Wait for God to open the real door that no man can shut! I think that going to that institute is a waste of time and resources. It is only to please men. Better please God and your conscience! You wanted to be a real graduate of a university. You prayed about it as a child. God heard you! It is not too late. You are still young. You can still do it! Stay faithful to your original dream! That is the only way your spirit shall be satisfied! Some things cannot be sold and cannot be killed. Do not compromise your vision. You are now more mature. Your faith is greater. You are more stable spiritually and financially. I pray that God will open your eyes to see the hope alive ahead of you! Go back to the university! Start afresh! I see your name on that list over there! God has not finished with you! Have faith! With God nothing is impossible! Love in Christ alone, Malia”

He will separate them “as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left” (Mt 25:32, 33)
In the Book of Matthew 25 you read the Parable of the sheep and the goats. The sheep represent the true born again believers and the goats are symbols of religious unbelievers. Our Lord says that when He will come back, He will judge men according to the way they behaved towards Him. The sheep were kind and generous but the goats are selfish and proud. Salvation is not by works but by grace. These works are the fruits of their hearts. The true believers symbolized by the sheep are blessed; they shall be rewarded and will go to heaven. The religious unbelievers are cursed and shall go to hell.

The following are some facts about sheep and goats:
The sheep and the goats resemble in many ways but each is a distinct specie (the sheep have 54 chromosomes and the goats have 60). They rarely mate with one another and their hybrids are barren. When they are young, it is hard to differentiate the sheep and the goats. With time, the difference becomes clearer. The goat’s tails are up and the sheep’s tails are down. (Spiritually it speaks of the sexual lust and pride of the unbelievers and the humility of the believers). The goats are very intelligent but the sheep are foolish. A goat can survive without human help but a sheep will die without a shepherd. The goats are very agile and walk long distances to find food. They are natural browsers and can eat anything. They stand on their hind legs to eat the top of the branches. But the sheep are grazers, always satisfied with the same grass; they never stand on their hind legs.

Goats are naturally curious and independent, while sheep tend to be more distant and aloof. Goats like to stay in a family but do not like to live as a flock. Sheep have strong flocking instinct and become very agitated if they are separated from the rest of the flock. It is easier to keep sheep inside a fence than goats. Most goats have hair coats that do not require shearing or combing. The sheep grow woolly coats that need to be sheared at least annually. Male goats have glands beneath their tail. They develop a strong odor as they grow in sexual maturity and especially during the mating season. Sheep have face or tear glands beneath their eyes. Sometimes sheep look like they weep. The goats never ‘weep’.

A male sheep is called a ram. A male goat is called a buck. As a general rule, goats are bolder and typically more aggressive than sheep. The goat is a ‘trouble-maker’ and much more persistent than the ram. The ram fights only to protect his flock. The ram is heavier than the buck. In a fight, a ram will back up and charge to butt heads. A goat will rear up on his hind legs and come down forcibly to butt heads. During such a confrontation, such fighting behavior favors the ram.

What are the spiritual lessons? The danger is that the sheep will become deceived by the goat. In other words, the believer may be deceived by the religious unbeliever. You need to pray to receive the gift of discernment of spirits. Do not look at the surface of things. Do not look at the gifts of men, the beauty of women, the strength of their voices or their business in the church. Look for the fruits of the Holy Spirit! The first slice of that fruit is love and the last slice is self-control (Gal 5: 22, 23). A true believer loves and in case of temptation to sin, he controls himself. The true believer is humble, kind, generous, patient, wise and loving. He keeps close to the Shepherd who is the Lord Jesus Christ. The unbeliever is basically wicked, manipulative, seducing, lustful, covetous, wild, wasteful and undisciplined.

Finally, this is the most important question: Are you a sheep or a goat? Are you born again or not?

(In the first picture you see humble sheep staying together, listening to the voice of their shepherd. In the second picture you see an independent beautiful goat with its horns like an expansive hairdo. But do not be deceived… as beautiful as you see it, she is still a goat!!!)

“The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians” (Ex 9:11)
Your enemies who fight against you and your ministry shall fall. They will not be able ‘to stand’ before you because of the ‘boils’ on them. They shall be in pain and the only thing they will think about is how to stop their frustration. Panadol will not work. Their prayer will not work. They will have no more strength to fight you. Except they repent and confess their sins to God and to you, they shall have no peace! Wickedness cannot make progress forever! Trust God! He knows His job!
As for you little flock, have peace! God is fighting your battles! Your victory is sure! Jesus is Lord!

 
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (PV 13:12)

This is a wonderful Cinderella type of story. Misty Copeland is an African American girl who is now a famous ballerina. She was born in a poor home to a single mother. When she was 13, a lady, who was a ballet teacher,’discovered’ that her body is very flexible and balanced. The lady helped her. She introduced her to the world of classical ballet. She was discriminated because of her color. She was rejected by many schools because of her body type. But against all odds she persevered. She was given full scholarship to the best ballet school in New York. She is now famous and rich, She is the only ‘black prima ballerina’ in America. She is an inspiration for many colored girls that they can achieve their dreams. I am happy for her that she rejected the rejection. I pray that she will know Jesus Christ one day. Then she will understand her life better!

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Ps 34:18)

All the promises of God are in Christ ‘yes and amen’! There are many promises in the Bible. Each one you read, just believe it because God is faithful to His Word.  Here we are told that God is ‘nearer’ to some people than to others. These are the ones with a broken heart and contrite spirit. These are the wounded and the oppressed. These are the sinners who truly repent of their sins.  In Hebrew, the word ‘near’ it means ‘to approach and join the other’. God draws closer to embrace and heal His broken hearted people. These are the humble ones who weep for their sins. The tears flow freely when the Holy Spirit touches, softens or turns the heart to Himself.

Tears are good. Jesus collects them in a special bottle. I am not saying that you need to dramatize your prayers and weep like an actor. What I am saying is to pray to God for the gift of tears. The tears will help wash your eyes and your soul. Recently I did an eye test and the optician said that my eyes are too dry and I should add artificial tears, some medicated eye drops from a little bottle. I am not saying this is the solution to your problem. Many Christians are too hard.  Sin has deceived them and now their hearts are hard like a stone. Their eyes are too dry…

Pray for the gift of tears… When they come, it is not because of anything in the natural. I am not saying that you shall experience any tragedy so that you can weep. I am saying that after you pray, the water storage of the eyes will ‘burst’ suddenly. You may be in the market or at home. Suddenly you feel a strong urge to weep for your sins or intercede for the nation. Our country needs our prayers and also our tears.  ‘Them who sow in tears shall reap with joy’. We all expect a harvest of good things and happiness. But without the planting of the Word and tears wetting the plantation, our ministries will remain unfruitful and unsatisfied.

King Hezekiah was sick. God sent the prophet Isiah with a terrible message. He shall die soon!  The King prayed like a baby. He prayed and wept before the Lord who suddenly changes the prophecy saying: ‘I have heard your prayers and I have seen your tears. You shall live another fifteen years from now on’. Hannah prayed to be a mother and God gave her children. The prophets wept as they interceded for Israel.  Jesus, who is the Man amongst men, wept when His friend Lazarus died and he wept for Jerusalem.

The Lord is far from any soul who is proud and self-righteous. The prayer for tears is not only for the women. It is also for the men. These are not emotional tears of frustration. These are spiritual tears that God sees and He will have mercy on you.  You do not justify or explain your sins away. You pray for honest godly sorrow that leads to repentance and salvation. Like Mary, break your alabaster box at the feet of Jesus. Weep and worship there. It is the highest place on this planet. They who mourn shall be comforted. You have no right to rejoice in the church, dancing with the music, if you have not wept for your sins. Let the hardness of heart, the stubbornness, the hypocrisy, the selfishness and the religious pride be broken! Come to the Cross!

Child of God, the Lord is near you… May the Lord draw closer to you today… May the Lord approach and join your spirit! Be one with Jesus! That is all that matters…

“Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1Cor 6:9, 10)

There are 104 million alcoholics in this world. Recently, I had to counsel some women who are married to alcoholics. Their once ‘sweet’ husbands became monsters, abusive and violent. A wife told me that in 20 years of marriage the husband often attacked her with his fists and feet, the kitchen knife, the hammer and the mortar used to make pounded yam. This happened each time the husband was drunk. When he was sober he will apologies and buy gifts for her. But then, he will drink again and the bitter circle continues. She wanted to be faithful to the marriage vows but the violence was too much. She wept and wept… Sadly, for the sake of her life and children, I had to tell her to separate from her husband. It is painful to say that these are ‘Christian’ people.

Read this sad letter: “My addiction to alcohol built steadily and, before I realized it, I had become a morning as well as an afternoon drinker. I decided to stop drinking. I was awake most of that night. By noon the next day every bone in my body ached because I needed another drink. I tried to resist it but I could not. I will run to the place I kept the bottles. In a blind panic, I nervously poured a glass full of gin, my hands shaking so violently that I spilled half the bottle. As I gulped it down, I could feel the agony gradually lessening. Then I finally knew the terrible truth: I was hooked. I couldn’t quit. I became a slave to the bottle…”

I never drank alcohol in my life but as a medical doctor I know and I have seen the ravages of this ‘slow poison’. Alcohol affects the body, the mind, the emotions, the relationships and the social behavior. Most marriages break down because of alcohol. The children suffer immensely.

Why do people drink? Most of them it is to escape the stress of life. Like a child wanting to play with a new toy, they want to try a new pleasure. But the Bible says that you should not use your body to experiment with sin, with alcohol or sex. This is because your body is not your own. It belongs to God!!! Sin leads to sickness, poverty, shame and untimely death! We are commanded to glorify God with our bodies!  (1Cor 6:18-20)

The Bible has two types of messages about drinking alcohol. Some seem to encourage some drinking. ‘Wine gladdens the heart…’ (Ps 104:15). But there are others that condemn it. In Proverbs 23 you see that alcohol is responsible for much unnecessary sorrow, broken hearts, scattered dreams and lifelong shame. The drunkard will come to poverty. He will see strange things and will not be able to separate reality from imagination. That is a crazy troubled man. The drunkard needs Jesus, if not he will go to hell. Sad but true!

This is the counsel I give to you, especially to you, the young people? The best thing you can do is never drink at all! Do not be curious about alcohol, drugs or premarital sex! There is nothing good in sin!  Alcohol is a wicked master, addicting and controlling. No man plans to become an addict with the first bottle of beer. But the truth is that most people who take a sip end up as addicts. For sure: you will regret your first sip. But you will never regret abstinence. Remember that drinking alcohol is a choice! Do your choices bring glory to God? Do your choices are helpful to you and others (to your spouse, children)? Do my choices make me a slave?

Finally, with a trembling heart and praying, I say: you who are already a drunkard, you who are already on the road of destruction, I beg you to listen…Stop now and think!  Please remember God, your Maker!!!! God loves you! Please pray to God! Pray to Jesus!!! I am not speaking as a doctor now! I am speaking as a servant of God, as a mother, grandmother, pastor and friend! If the devil in the bottle tells you that your case is hopeless, that you will die an addict… that is a lie! The devil is a liar! Come to Jesus! There is still hope for you! Jesus Christ is Lord!!!

Today, my husband and I, we celebrate 42 years of happy, blessed and fruitful marriage! To God be all the glory!

“No soldier in active service ENTANGLES himself in the affairs of everyday life (“civilian pursuits”), so that he may please the One Who enlisted him as a soldier“(2Timothy 2:4)

What is the meaning of ENTANGLED? It means to be interwoven, wrapped or twisted together in such a manner as not to be easily extricated. An entangled man is difficult to be freed from what binds or hinders him.

This is a good illustration: In Brazil there grows a creeping plant which forest-dwellers call ‘the matador’ or ‘the murderer’. It attacks strong trees and kills them. Its slender stem creeps along the ground, but no sooner does it meet a vigorous tree, than it sends out an entangling tentacle, which cleaves and climbs up the tree, at intervals sending out arm-like branches that further entangle the tree. As the “murderer” ascends, these ligatures grow larger and their clasp becomes tighter, suffocating the tree.  Up and up the rogue vine climbs until the top of the tree is conquered. Then, as if in triumph, the parasite shoots a huge, flowery head above the strangled tree. From the dead tree’s crown, it scatters its seed to the ground, to begin its deadly work again.

In a similar way the everyday affairs of this world can subtly entangle the soldiers of Christ. The love of the world neutralizes their effectiveness in the ongoing spiritual war with the flesh and the devil. The active warfare mind becomes dull, in a false comfort of a fake peace. The backsliding Christians become weak and confused as their falling begins. They are not aware of it until too late. King David, fell to adultery and murder when he stayed behind at the time kings go to war. The lust of his eyes entangled him until he sinned against God and men.    Another tragic example is Samson who became entangled by his lust for Delilah. Both these great men paid dearly for their sins.

Many of God’s children have suffered a spiritual stroke. They are entangled, anxious, surrounded by imaginary troubles. They fight battles they should not fight. They ignore battles they should go and fight. It is a sad story of failure in the midst of plenty.

What is the solution? The only solution is to desire to please Jesus Christ, your Lord and Commander. He called you to Himself and He enlisted you as a soldier in His army. He did not call you to play around. He did not call you to enjoy sin! He called you to do His work. You need to endure hardship as a form of discipline. Do not make friends with the ‘civilians’, with the religious unbelievers. The battle field is not Disneyland. You need to study, know and obey His Word. You need to pray for the strength to stay faithful! This is the sure promise of the Holy Spirit: if you stay close to your Savior, no devil, no creepy murderer shall be able to surround you, to kill you. No poisonous arrow shall puncture your heart! There is safety in obedience! There is hope in humility and wisdom! Be faithful to Jesus Christ! This is a warning of love!

“So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Ac 9:6)

This month my husband and I, we celebrate 16 years of full time ministry as founders and pastors of Father’s House Bible Church. I still remember the power of God’s call upon my life. It will never leave me for as long as I live. This is our testimony: My husband and I we worked as medical doctors in Nigeria since 1980. We had a successful practice that brought us wealth and fame. In 1998, my husband and I decided to go to America. We were in the US for more than a year. We left behind our successful private hospital in Warri called ‘Lily Clinic’. We went over there with our children not knowing what God has in mind for us as a family.  Because many said that working in America as doctors will bring more money than in Nigeria (and our common sense convinced us that this is a good idea) we decided to enroll and pass the exams so that we can practice there. We bought the necessary text books and paid the fees for the first exam. We started reading the books with all the seriousness of medical students.  But God had a different plan. Some months passed…

Suddenly, the Holy Spirit spoke: ‘I did not bring you here to America so that you work as doctors. That season of your life is finished. I want to use you in My kingdom and for My glory. Go back to Nigeria and do ministry. From now on you shall work for Me! I place on you the apostolic-prophetic mantle of true missionaries. Go back to Warri and sell your hospital. Use the building as a church. Call it Father’s House Bible Church. I will be with you and teach you all you need to be pastors and spiritual leaders. Leave the children behind and I will take care of them better than if you were here with them.  Obey My command and you shall never regret it.  The best part of your life starts now. You shall be leaders of revival in Nigeria. Obey Me and see what I will do. But be sure to give Me alone all the glory for the success that will come…’

Both my husband and I received these same words separately. When we talked to each other about what God has said, we were shocked to discover that He said the same thing to each of us. God wanted each one of us to obey His call separately and together as a couple. In this way, no one needs to explain the vision to the other. Each one of us will be directly responsible to God for the words we speak and the things we do. In this way there is no need to ‘carry one another on the back’. No one will be a liability to the other. Each one will freely move in the Spirit, manifesting his own peculiar gifts without over-depending on another and still keeping the unity of the Spirit intact.

Looking back, I thank God that my husband and I said ‘yes’ to the call of God. We did so independently and together as a team.  We came back to Nigeria in November 1999. We started Father’s House Bible Church in March 2000. It is 16 years since then. God has been faithful. God is good. God’s promise to be with us, to teach us how to be pastors and leaders is fulfilled. It is true that since we chose to obey God’s call and start this church our life is the happiest. God has been faithful in taking care of our children and grandchildren. He has done much more than words can tell.

This morning I want to say “Thank You Father! Thank You Son! Thank You Holy Ghost! For the success of our ministry, for the harvest of souls, for the happiness in our marriage, for the prosperity of our children, natural and spiritual, for the opportunity to preach the truth, to pray and worship freely, for these are so many other blessings, we say Thank You Lord Jesus! All glory goes to You alone!”