“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28)

This is the true story of a young beautiful woman called Lauren Scruggs. She was a fashion model. One day in 2011, she went with a pilot friend in a small private plane to see the Christmas lights from the sky. They landed on a small airport near Dallas where there was semi darkness. By mistake, she walked into the moving propeller of the plane. She survived but the accident left her without the left hand and the left eye. She was a born again Christian before the accident. The doctors told her parents that, because of her head injuries, she may have life time mental problems and depression. But God helped her recover, both spiritually and physically. She now uses an artificial hand and artificial eye. She says that God has a purpose in everything and that she is now closer to God. In the past, she was doing interviews for the fashion magazines. Now she tells people about Jesus. She says that your identity should not come from your physical beauty but from the heart. Let people see Christ in you! That is true beauty!

She wrote a book about her testimony. Listen to her words: “At first, I was angry with God; then came despair. I thought I was ugly and that no guy would ever love me and I just thought that my life was ruined… But God has healed me miraculously… He has healed my body and my soul…I think I’m seeing that this life is way bigger than me and that I think a lot of things that I held important earlier even in my career were quite shallow. II just want to use what I’ve been through to talk to young girls and let them know that our appearances are not what define us, even the insecurities that we hold onto, these don’t define us…. God has called me to just be open about what I’ve been through and just be vulnerable… God has such a different plan, and often times it’s shocking or unexpected but it’s still something really beautiful.”

This is what her mother Cheryl said: “As a mom you never dream your child is going to go through something like this. I couldn’t give her hand back to her. I couldn’t save her eye. There was nothing I could do to change it. But I did know she had a deep faith and I knew God would be our rock and Jesus would be our stronghold and that’s what we had to rely on.”

Let this young woman inspire us today. She has lost parts of her body. But she has gained a closer relationship with Christ and a higher anointing to preach His word, to encourage others. Therefore, in Christ, she is a winner! We should learn from all the experiences in life, both good and not so good. Let’s find the purpose of God in all things that concern us. Things may be difficult today. But we can gain peace, joy, wisdom and spiritual strength thru the pain today. God gives us songs in the night, in the midst of weeping! Do not look at what you have lost. Look at what God has deposited in you in the middle of that ‘loss’. Share your testimony of struggle to glory! Be sure to give all the glory to God who alone makes all things beautiful in His own time!

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you” (Rom 8:11)

In 2010 we all read about a wonderful story of deliverance. Thirty three Chilean miners got trapped beneath two thousand feet below the earth. Their only exit tunnel collapsed. They knew that except for a miracle, they will die there, all of them. They decided to pray for a miracle, for the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. They encouraged one another with memory Bible verses. They made a survival plan: they will eat very little so that they can economize their food. Every other day, they ate two spoons of tuna, a sip of milk and a bite of peaches. For two months they prayed for someone to save them.

On the surface above, the Chilean rescue team worked around the clock, meeting with experts. They designed a thirteen-foot-tall capsule and drilled, first a communication hole, then an excavation tunnel. There was no guarantee of success. No one had ever been trapped underground this long and lived to tell the story. On October 13, 2010, the men began to emerge, singing victory songs. There was a great-grandfather… then a forty-four-year-old who was planning his wedding…. then a nineteen-year-old, training to be a miner… All had different stories of survival but all had made the same decision: They trusted someone else to save them. No one down below was foolish enough to trust in himself. No one said: ‘I can get out of here on my own…’ They all agreed from the beginning that they need help from the outside, saying: ‘We need help. We need someone to penetrate this world and pull us out.’ And when the rescue capsule came, they climbed in. They were all saved! Praise the Lord!

Their story should encourage us to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. No one can come out of the stony tomb of sin and death except by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ who lives ‘outside’ this world of sin. He died that we may live. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us who believe in Him! Dear friend, this is the truth: you cannot make it on your own! You cannot save your own soul! Sin is too sinful. The wicked devil is a slave master who never let’s go of his victims. But Jesus destroyed his claim over you by the Cross. Give your life to Christ! Like these miners in Chile, you shall live to tell the story of His amazing grace and unfailing love!

(see some pictures from the dramatic rescue in Chile: the capsule arrives underground, the miners are taken up one by one and once outside, they kneel to thank God)

“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD” (Jer 9:23, 24)

Today I shall obey God’s command to boast in the Lord! Think of this: God made every snowflake different from every other snowflake. He made every fingerprint different from every other fingerprint. The stripes on the zebra are all different. There are no two alike. He made 9,000 kinds of birds and 200,000 kinds of flowers (see some in the picture). God is so extravagant! He forgives every repentant sinner. He hears every sincere prayer. He supplies every legitimate need. In Nigeria we praise this generous and creative God in a special chorus: “We go de hail-o! Jehovah Over-do! We go de hail-o!” In other words: Glory to God in the Highest!

“So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”… “(Ex 15:22-27)

The evening prayer meeting was very good. We started strong expectations. The Holy Wind was blowing in the sails of our faith. Therefore we made progress. The presence of God was strong in our midst. We declared that we have entered a season of peace (Shalom). One of the hindrances of peace is the root of bitterness. The passage we read is from the Book of Exodus (15:22-27). This story follows the great triumph and deliverance experienced by the people of God. The Red Sea opened for them and they crossed over to the other side. The same Sea closed its watery mouth and all the Egyptians drowned in it. Jehovah God proved that He cares for His people. They praised God like never before. Hopefully, in two weeks, they should reach the Promised Land. But it was not to be. Just three days later after this mighty deliverance and ‘fearful praise’, the same people started grumbling for water to drink. They found a pool of water in the desert. But the water was bitter and after swallowing a mouth full, they cried to Moses, asking for water to drink.

The word ‘bitter’ in Hebrew is ‘Marah’. The word means to rob somebody until the place becomes sore, to provoke somebody for a long time until he becomes angry. The word ‘grumble’ means to complain, to express anger or pain, to find fault, to disagree or to attack. Be careful! The people who complain about their circumstances are not harmless. They are using their tongues to attack your spirit. Their bitter words of complain are like viruses. They inject their poison into your spirit so that you can share in it. One of the most frequent arrows of complains is the lack of money. They will tell you that they do not have food to eat, or clothes to wear, or their school fees are not paid. They may describe a true situation. But as a child of God you must make a spiritual assessment. You cannot act just from your natural emotions. If you give them just money, you have not solved their problem. They will not be grateful and they will come back to you again for more money. Not only that but you have ignorantly sponsored ‘a bitter root that causes trouble and defiles many’ (Heb 12: ). You are to identify such grumbling as spiritual attacks and you are to resist these poisonous words with the shield of faith. You are to tell such a person that the only thing you can do is to pray for their deliverance. Direct their attention to the Lord Jesus. Tell them that they need Jesus as their Savior and Provider. Tell them that you are not God. If not, ignorantly, you are contributing to the spreading of spiritual poison in this land. We prayed against the bitter root! We separated ourselves from any relationship that is a source of spiritual bitterness. We prayed that we may be free form grumbling poisonous spirits. We prayed that we may enter the blessed land of Peace! We pray that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit, sweet, spiritual and strong! In Jesus name, amen!

But there is good news: in the midst of this troubled situation of bitterness, anger and grumbling, the revelation of Jehovah Rapha, God the Healer, is given. We shall continue next week…

“A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones” (PV 17:22)
“And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me” (Gen 21:6)

As a pastor, I often meet sad ‘dry bones’ Christians. Their sadness is like a virus. If I am not filled with the Holy Spirit of peace and joy, their faces and their words will make me sad too. But joy is my strength and my shield. A born again child of God is commanded to ‘rejoice always’! It is true that life in this world is difficult and there are many reasons to be sad. (I live in Nigeria since 1980. I worked as a medical doctor here for about 20 years. In all my practice I did not encounter anyone who desired to commit suicide. But now, I hear now stories of people who are so depressed that they chose to terminate their lives. How sad… This is the devil at work).

If you are not saved, please give your life to Christ! This will be the best decision you can ever make! If you are born again, then have faith and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you! The first time the Holy Spirit fills your heart, it is the greatest experience. Nothing compares with it! You feel life entering your spiritual veins. You feel wisdom entering your tired and confused mind. Hope will enter and you can see the wonderful plans God has for you, you can see your bright future. Peace will come in and you feel a sense of good rest in your soul. Faith will ignite like dynamite and it will destroy all the gates of hell at once! You feel alive!!! You start to sing a new song unto the Lord!

But the greatest of all gifts is joy! I mean heavenly joy! It is the joy of Jesus! He died on the cross to save your soul and to fill you with His own joy! This joy destroys the weakness of the body and mind. Suddenly you feel strong! It is like rivers of laughter overpowering you. Once you start this holy laughter, you can’t stop it easily. It is like the Holy Ghost tickles your feet. You laugh like a baby. Your face will be wet with tears of joy. The only thing you can say is ‘Jesus… Jesus…’ You forget your name and your address. This joy is ‘good medicine’. It cures any sickness like an injection of fire in the bones. God is not the author of confusion. If He gives you the gift of laughter, it means that something good is going to happen. Fear not! Rejoice! And I say again, rejoice! Like Sarah, you will laugh supernaturally and your joy shall spread to many people.

Finally, this is my question: if you are a child of God, when last you really laughed and laughed! As we say in Nigeria, when last you laughed ‘bele-full’? When last you laughed ‘well – well’? The devil is a liar! The devil has stolen your joy! Take it back and swallow that ‘good medicine’! I know that if you are proudly addicted to sophisticated depression you will hate this letter. You imagine that your sadness is better than my laughter. I cannot change your mind. But I can pray for you that you may simply ask God for joy so that you can receive joy! Your breakthrough, your healing, your deliverance is just a prayer away… Trust God for a new (happier) beginning! What do you lose if you believe?

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2Tim 1:7)

I saw this sign inside a lift, in a hotel in Lagos. In Nigeria, NEPA (electrical power) can go off at any moment. Imagine how you will feel, if you are inside the lift between two floors, waiting in the darkness. In the past, just imagining the trouble will make me afraid. To some, reading this sign, could have added to their fears. Somehow, the words ministered to me and gave me peace. I took them seriously and spiritually. I am reminded that just in case the unexpected crisis happens, I should not fear! I should not allow the demon of fear to influence my mind and pollute it with lies. I should reject fear always, no matter how tempting it is to be a sophisticated coward. Jesus never panicked! Therefore, in all situations, I should remain calm and strong for God is with me. My Christianity should be proven to be true, not only when things go well, but even when nothing around makes sense. I made a covenant with God and with my soul, that I will live a life free from worries and fears. Peace shall be my companion! Patience shall be my friend! Faith shall be my shield! The glory of God shall carry me into the forever. Prayer and praise shall be the air I breath. It is good to be alive. It is even better to know that I am saved. God loves you! Give your life to Christ today! Let us rejoice together!

“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Pet 3:7; NKJ)

This may surprise you: Prayers can be hindered in the most unexpected places. I am talking about the area of marriage. Dear husband, if you want that your prayers should always be fast and free, you must pay the price to understand your wife. Spirituality is connected with marriage. God made that connection. You cannot separate them. I am not saying that you should study to understand all the women in Nigeria. I am saying that it is your duty to understand your own wife, especially her weaknesses, if you want an uninterrupted access to God.

I am a woman. I am a wife. I will share with you some of the women’s weaknesses. Let me say it this way: these are some of our weaknesses as women: We are too emotional. We act on impulse. Men think and make plans. We follow our ‘hearts’. Therefore we make more mistakes. We easily feel guilty. We defend ourselves too much. We talk too much. We weep too much. We are too anxious. We are over-forgiving. We forgive our enemies and they betray us again. We are too romantic and we expect our husbands to compete with the movie actors. Our hopes for our marriages are too high. We often talk ignorantly and childishly when we want to sound intelligent. We are easily distracted. It is hard to stay focused. We are too generous. We give too much and we suffer later. We are too self-conscious, especially with the shape and weight of our bodies. We are overly concerned with our clothes and the way we look in the mirror. We are easily jealous when we see others who look more beautiful … These are not things we are proud of. These are our spiritual weaknesses.

What does the Bible say? The husband must not be ignorant about these weaknesses. He must accommodate and help the wife to become a woman of God. It takes many years of painful prayers and patient counsel before the husband is strong enough not to be embarrassed by (what he considers to be) the childish behavior of his wife. It also takes many years of walking with the Lord before the wife is confident enough in her own ‘skin’ and become the woman God wants her to be.

This is our testimony: My husband and I we are married for 43 years. We have passed under many ‘bridges’ of difficulty in our relationship. We are from very different backgrounds. I cried many tears in frustration that my husband does not understand my pain. But he prayed for me. He interceded for me until the Holy Spirit helped him to love me with understanding. This is a great achievement for both of us. That is why our marriage is sweet and strong. I can confidently say this, to the glory of God: my husband understands me!!! I do not have to pretend to be another woman or to be a better version of myself. I can be myself. I can relax and make mistakes. I was slim when we got married. I am not slim anymore. But I am secure in his love and understanding. We grow together in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. We are a team! Our prayers are not hindered and our marriage is sweet and strong. My heart is filled with thanksgiving! May you tap from this anointing! To God be all the glory!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

“Then he answered and said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Zech 4:6)

The prayer meeting was very good. About four months ago we heard a prophetic word saying: “You now enter into a season of Peace (Shalom). You shall do things people do when there is peace: the singles shall marry; the married couples will have children and enjoy their marriage. The plain water shall become sweet wine! You shall not die as a tenant. You shall buy land and build your own house”. The people loved the Word but there was still a hindrance. It was the stronghold of bitterness. We prayed against it. By faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we demolished it using the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.  This was indeed a prayer meeting. Not just sitting in the congregation, nodding your head. We really prayed with all our hearts! The ACs stopped working. It became very hot but the prayer did not stop. We were sweating and sweating but nobody cared about the heat. We prophesied that God’s will be done in our lives. We declared that God is able and more than able to do much more than we can ever dream. We praised God with singing, clapping, shouting and dancing. There was much joy this evening. The angels clapped their wings rejoicing with us. The devil said that ‘after this rejoicing you will weep’. We all rejected the lie. From now on, we shall go higher and higher, from joy to joy! If there was any visitor tonight, he must have said: ‘These people are crazy. Why are they rejoicing so much? Nigeria is still the same…’ It is only a man of faith who is able to understand the joy of faith. Doubt will always look for excuses to be depressed. We chose to rejoice today, for God has done great things in us and for us! Not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts!

The anointing was enough to heal the sick. At the beginning of the meeting, a little girl of 8, said: ‘Malia, I am sick. The doctor said that I have pneumonia”. We just rejected that report. I encouraged her to say: I am well’. I saw her later dancing and laughing with the other children. Pneumonia could not survive in this atmosphere of miracles. Praise the Lord! Like Gideon who destroyed his father’s idol, we destroyed any connection we have with territorial evil spirits, village shrines and familiar ‘poverty’ demons. We declared freedom to fulfill destiny, to do the will of God. There is no doubt in my mind that heaven recorded this gathering. Good gifts without sorrow came down tonight. We received more grace to stand! Victory has come! Things have changed! A new beginning has started! We sang: ‘No man on earth should give glory to himself for all the glory must be to the God!’  Amen!

“As a sign of this everlasting covenant which I am making with you and with all living beings, I am putting My rainbow in the clouds. It will be the sign of My covenant with the world. Whenever I cover the sky with stormy clouds and the rainbow appears, I will remember My promise to you and to all the animals that a flood will never again destroy all living beings” (Gen 9:12-14)

This is a word of encouragement for all God’s children who suffer silently. God knows you! God is with you! This storm is great but it will not destroy you! Just hold on to Jesus! The pain is temporary but the victory is eternal! This is the experience of the saints: Once you are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit strange things will begin to happen to you. I call them strange because these things are peculiar attacks against the true believer. (If these attacks have not happened to you, then you should be worried. It means that you are not yet saved!). The devil will attack you, not because you are good or bad, but because you belong to Jesus. That is the only reason for the attacks. The devil is a coward. He hates your Master and he will try to attack Him thru you. The attacks may come as sicknesses that do not resemble anything you have experienced in the past. The doctors will be confused about your symptoms. The attacks may come as persecution from family, colleagues and friends. You feel betrayed by your dearest. You are punished for doing good, for speaking the truth, for being hard working or for standing for Christ. But God shall judge them who judge you and, if they are wise, they shall repent for their foolishness!

Why does God allow these painful things to happen? For two main reasons: That you may experience His glory and for your good! Yes! Your pain will end in a higher level of peace, promotion and prosperity! The truth is that before these strange attacks come, you are not able to understand the wicked power of evil forces. You cannot appreciate the sinfulness of sin and the power of the Cross upon sin. Thru it all the Holy Spirit is your Teacher! In the pain, you shall experience the eternal power of the Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross. You shall see with your own eyes the defeat of the devil! You shall see how his fiery arrows quench at your feet, how the poison loses its effect and how the sickness stops without medical help. This is a prophetic season when God judges His children to increase their reward. He purifies them as thru fire. The believer who is able to rejoice at the privilege of partaking from the cup of Christ’s shame and suffering shall be highly rewarded with ministry promotion! But he, who is selfish and refuses to enter the furnace of God, shall lose the opportunity of his reward!

Dear brother and sister in Christ trust God! You shall not be disappointed! Do not give up your faith! It is more precious than silver and gold. God is faithful in creating you, in keeping you alive and in saving your soul. He will not leave you and He will not forsake you. Even in the midst of strange trials, let your praise never cease but continue to rise to heaven! And now, I confidently declare that in Christ, I see the rainbow of hope! Peace be still! The storm is over now! Jesus is the Lord!

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Mt 6:31-33)

The subject of worry (or anxiety) should interest us all. I speak to you as a pastor, mother and medical doctor. The first thing I observe in these verses is that Jesus does not want you to worry about the things of this life. To worry it means to be troubled internally, to be over emotional, to be anxious or to fret. The devil rules his kingdom of darkness thru the demons of fear, anxiety and intimidation. All his subjects must worry all the time. No unbeliever can stop worrying about the length and the comforts of his life. Before we became saved, we worried all the time.

These are some signs that you indeed worry:

*You are easily over-emotional. You weep or lose your temper to cover up your fears

*Your eating and sleeping habits are not healthy. You either eat or sleep too much or too little.

*You check your Email or your phone messages too often

*You play things in your head again and again. You imagine the worst

*You are diagnosed with chronic sicknesses: High Blood Pressure, Stomach ulcer, depression, diabetes…

The Lord Jesus Christ commands us not to be anxious. In His Kingdom there is righteousness, peace, provision and joy in the Holy Ghost. Anxiety is a form of doubt. To doubt our Lord is sin. One reason why the Lord says that we should not be anxious about clothes, food and drinks, it is because the purpose of why we are created is spiritual, first of all. We are born to glorify God and we are to change and become like Christ. Clothes and food are secondary to the fulfilment of our destiny on earth. Worry is useless. To worry, it is like working for the devil without salary. The Lord also said that we should not worry about tomorrow. Each day is designed to contain an amount of pain and an amount of joy. Salt and sugar are mixed in the flour to make bread. We need both. There is no need to bring the trouble of tomorrow and add it to the one of today. Each day comes with its own portion of mercy and grace for us to be able to live as conquerors. You live just one day at a time. This is wisdom!

How can you stop this wicked addiction to anxiety? You cannot stop it by fighting it on your own. The answer is given in verse 33. You “Seek God first” in every situation! This verse does not mean that you seek God in general. This seeking God first is the solution to the problem of anxiety. When trouble comes and anxiety knocks at the door of your heart, do not run to open that door. Ignore that knock. Pray and try to find the Word of God that applies to that situation. Enthrone Jesus as King over that troubled water. Confront that negative news with the Person of Jesus Christ. This is what you do FIRST OF ALL. After you have anchored your soul in the grace and power of the Lord, the knock at the door shall suddenly stop for anxiety is a coward and shall run away. You shall face that challenging situation with faith in the unfailing promises of God. You shall be worry-free and you shall enjoy your life!

For example: the doctor says that you shall die in one month. Do not argue with him. Do not foolishly ‘swallow’ such information! Do not panic! Just turn your mind towards the Bible and remind yourself that your life is in God’s hands and that God is Jehovah Rapha. The Word of God will inject fresh faith in you. After you have strengthen yourself in the Lord, then you listen to what the doctor says without giving the demon of anxiety a foot hold in your heart. Another example: Your boss fires you from the job. You do not panic. You remember that God is Jehovah Jireh and that He shall provide for all your needs according to His riches in glory. Anxiety should not be allowed to enter your heart!  The mistake many believers make is that, deceived by anxiety, they open the door to it first of all.  After that they pray to God. That is the wrong way to do things. Jesus said you actively seek God and His Kingdom promises FIRST! Then you are safe! You shall mature spiritually and become a true man or a woman of faith! May the Holy Spirit bless these words into your heart! In Jesus name, amen!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

“Jesus replied: “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots” (Mt 15:13). The prayer meeting was very good. All the evil territorial spirits were clearly defeated tonight. We praised God for who He is! There was a prophetic word saying that we have ‘entered a season of Peace’. We shall have an encounter with Jehovah Shalom, the Lord is Peace. In Hebrew, the word ‘Shalom’ means peace, health and wealth. It also means to be safe (mentally, emotionally and financially). It means to have many good friends, to be rewarded for your labor and to prosper beyond your imagination.

To enter this ‘Promised Land of Peace’ we must be free from any root of bitterness. We read Deuteronomy 29. God gets angry with anyone who is bitter and blesses himself saying: “I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit” (Deut 29:19). There is divine punishment upon any believer who mixes the worship of God with the bitterness of idolatry. In Hebrew, the word ‘bitter root’ means a poisonous plant or venomous snake. The bitter root slowly kills your peace and your joy. Many of the chronic sicknesses (High Blood Pressure, diabetes, cancer, depression, migraines, waist pains …) are connected with the root of bitterness. You need to be free!

Pray for spiritual eyes to see. The seed of bitterness was planted long ago. There was an ugly incident you have tried so hard to forget. The devil sent someone to you. He or she came as a friend. It may be during your childhood. You loved that person. You trusted that one. But you were betrayed. Love turned to disappointment. For the first time you knew that there is a devil in this world. You were deeply hurt. This pain became part of you. You could not process it. You tried to forget it but you could not. After so many years, it still affects your soul. Since then, God has blessed you. But from time to time you still feel sad, angry or moody. You do not trust people. It has affected your health and your marriage. If you are single, it is hard for you to ‘fall in love’ with anyone. You easily find fault with people. You are not able be sweet, happy or content with your lot in life. You have only superficial peace. You have no deep peace. You need to identify this bitter root and uproot it from your spirit. This is called deliverance. During the prayer of deliverance you may experience physical signs: vomit, sneezing, coughing, shaking or fainting. But if you have faith in God, that demon must leave you and go away.   At the mention of the name of Jesus, every knee must bow! Chose today one of these two: Peace and prosperity or bitter poison. You can do it! Remember: Jehovah Shalom, your God, has good and great plans for you. May His plans prosper in your life! I wish you well! In Jesus name, amen!

“Increase our faith [our ability to confidently trust in God and in His power]” (Lk 17:5; AMP)

The Biblical faith that God desires to find in our hearts is the living faith that is intimately connected with the Word of God, which alone is Truth. Never forget! True faith is rooted in the Word of God. Faith and truth are twins!!! In Greek, the word faith is ‘pistis’. This peculiar faith is the personal faith of Jesus Christ, imparted in us, God’s children. It is only the born again child of God that has this faith working in him. The general (religious) faith that says: ‘God is somewhere in heaven…’ is not accepted by God and it will not ‘work miracles’. This ‘pistis’ faith is pleasing to God and is able to ‘produce’ miracles (healing, deliverance, protection, financial breakthrough …).

We shall apply this revelation to the area of marital fruitfulness. But you can apply it to any other area of need in your life. For example: the Word of God says: “Though faith… they obtained promises…” (Heb 11:33). The same Word of God says: “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children like olive shoots surrounding your table” (Ps 128:3). The connection between these two verses has to be done only by faith. The promise of fruitfulness in marriage is God’s will and not our personal wish. I need the ‘pistis’ faith to be able ‘to swallow and digest’ the truth. I need faith to believe that in my marital home ‘children’ (plural) shall surround my ‘table’ (singular). This tells me that it is God’s will for my husband and I to have at least two children (surely not just one). It is not God’s will for us to be a barren, lonely, getting-old sad couple that has money to buy many tables but no children to surround them.

God promises to give us one table and more than one child!!! I must ‘obtain’ this promise! ‘Why then am I still childless’? ‘Why is it that my only child has no brother or sister to play with?’ The Word of God says that I need faith ‘to obtain this promise’ of children. It is not enough to just read Psalm 128. It is not enough for me to just desire children. It is not enough for husband and wife ‘to sleep’ together so that they have children. I need faith to ‘obtain’ my God’s promised children. To obtain in means to possess something thru effort. Faith is not passive! Faith is a fighter and a champion! You go to war against your enemy and you conquer him, ‘obtaining’ his crown. In particular, it means to do warfare in the Spirit realm, until you prevail against the demon of doubt that holds ‘your promised children’ as hostages. You need to defeat doubt until your children are free to manifest into your home. Spiritually lazy people do not have faith for such trophies and testimonies. But for those who prayed and believed the God of the Bible, all the wonderful promises shall manifest in their lives.

Finally, this is a good prayer for you this morning: “Lord Jesus, please increase my faith until I defeat doubt and I am able to obtain Your precious promises to me!” May your life become a testimony that God answers prayers! May your life give glory to God! In Jesus name, amen!

PRAYER REQUEST

“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth” (Eph 6:2, 3)

There is a Christian sister I know. About 20 years ago she came to meet my husband and I to intervene in a ‘heart’ matter. She grew up without a father. Her mother got pregnant for a man who was her boyfriend at the time. The man just traveled outside the country when she discovered that she was pregnant for him. She wrote to him that she was pregnant. Thru letters they agreed that she should do an abortion. She told him that she did it. Later she discovered that the abortion failed and that she was still pregnant. The man refused to believe her story. Anyway, a baby girl was born.

She is now 47 years old. She is a born again child of God. She is a very successful professional woman. She has a very good job. Twenty years ago she came to us that we should convince her father to do a DNA test, so that they know the truth. He refused to talk to her and rejected her proposal. We tried to convince him to do it but he was adamant. We prayed with her and encouraged her to move on in life. Last week, she wrote him a passionate letter to agree to do the test. She sent him an envelope with copies of all her certificates and many pictures. She is praying that this time, his heart will be touched that he will agree to do the test and put this matter to rest. She said that she does not want any material property from him. She only wants the blessings and prayers of her father.

Please pray that God’s will be done in their lives. Pray that God will glorify His name in this situation. Pray that God will touch this man’s heart to do the right thing. Love cannot be forced. The truth is that only God can help them! If you grew up having a mother and a father, you may not know the pain of one who was rejected from birth. But this pain is real to her. God bless you and reward you as you intercede for them!

“Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left” (2Chr 18:18)

There is no way I can describe to you how it feels to worship the Lord, to stand in the glory, to wash His feet with my tears and to just breathe in the holy wind of heaven. My desire is for more of these holy moments of true worship, unrehearsed but hungry for. I know that the footsteps of the Lord lead to revival in the land. Oh, for the willingness to follow the Lord without asking too many questions… “I see the Lord, I see the Lord…Exalted high above the worship of the people of the earth…For my eyes have seen the King, The Lamb upon the throne who lives forever…” Oh, the power of total surrender, complete submission and love freely given… Oh, the power of the Cross that became many crowns… Oh, how I love Jesus for He first loved me…

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

“So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it Jehovah Shalom – The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites” (Jdg 6:23)

Our prophetic prayer meeting was very good. It was easier than other times. The anointing was flowing like oil. Praise the Lord! We have entered a season of peace. Jehovah Shalom shall reveal Himself to us in a new way. We are tired of troubles. Peace shall reign in our lives. What does it take to enter peace and prosperity? We know that there is no peace for the wicked (Is 48:22). The unbelievers do not know the way of peace (Rom 3:16, 17). We shall walk in the ways of holiness and we shall behold the glory of the Lord.  We shall not only dream of peace but we shall have it! In Jesus name, amen!

In Judges Chapter 6 we meet a servant of God called Gideon. His people suffered greatly under the oppressors. The country experiences lack at three levels: food, freedom and fruitfulness. In desperation, the people cried to God! God answered their prayer. Lesson no 1: God invented prayer! God answers prayers! God answers especially the desperate prayers of His children! We need to pray more not less!

Gideon raised an altar to Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace). God was pleased with that. That night God gives him work to do. Lesson no 2: when God gives you work to do, your reward is great!  God tells him to destroy his father’s idol dedicated to Baal. Gideon does not waste time. He destroys the idol that very night. The next day, his family and all the people were angry and could have killed him. But Jehovah Shalom was there to protect him and to promote him. This total and instant obedience to destroy idolatry pleased God! He promoted Gideon to be the new position as ‘the supreme court judge’ of Israel.

Lesson no 3: Obey God’s Word, totally and instantly and you shall have peace and prosperity. God hates idolatry! “Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips” (Ex 23:13)

An idol is anything that makes you laugh or cry. It can be material or spiritual. It is something that takes your time, your money, your strength and your emotions. It is what you love too much outside God. It is what entertains you. (For example: I heard that some pastors hire comedians in their churches. If you have attended any service like that and you have laughed with the comedian, you have shared in their idolatry. God cannot bless you with peace and prosperity).

In Christ I declare: My body, soul and spirit belong to Jesus Christ my Lord. My laughter is sanctified. My weeping is sanctified! I love God with all my heart and with all my soul!

It is time to repent. May God have mercy! Jehovah Shalom must be honored! We speak peace over our lives, our marriages and over this land! Jesus is Lord!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

“God saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His own arm brought salvation to Him; and His righteousness, it upheld Him” (Is 59:16)

The women’ fellowship was very good. I told the women that this month, during my birthday, I do not want any gift money can buy. I made an agreement with God to give me as a gift something from heaven. I want souls to be saved and believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I want people to serve God more than ever before. This is my ‘birthday gift’. Anything ‘more’ is less for me! All the sisters agreed that it is a good idea.

We then preached about the ministry of Intercession. What is that?  Intercession means praying for another as lead and empowered by the Holy Spirit. In Hebrew, the word means to strike against an enemy, to bombard another with petitions or to urge (demanding forcefully and persistently). In Latin it means ‘to come in-between’ which strangely may mean to obstruct the two parties to come together in a wrong way until they align in the correct way.  The scriptures where this word is used: Ruth 1:16; Jeremiah 7:16; 27:18; Job 21:15; Genesis 23:8; Isaiah 53:12 and 59:16; Jeremiah 36:25, Romans 8:26-34, 1Tim 2:1, 4, 5. Intercession is prayer on behalf of another. Its root is the work of the Holy Spirit, who is the Divine Intercessor. He touches the hearts of the intercessors to feel compassion for others and bring them before God in prayer. Intercession kills selfishness and increases agape love. God is not only ‘my God’ but ‘our God’. God loves not only individuals but families and nations.

I believe that there are ‘holy vacancies’ in the Spirit realm. God wants to ‘hire’ some of His Children as Intercessors. Too many of us pray only for our immediate families. God wants to enlarge our vision of Him. God ‘wondered’ why so few want to be intercessors. The Holy Spirit is calling… Come… The applicants must be willing to be used by God to pray for others at any time the Spirit calls them, day of night. They will pray in the Spirit until they know what to pray for in English. We made an altar call for the post of intercessors. The Holy Spirit is the One who calls, choses and prepares us for service. We shall be like Esther or Abigail who saved many thru their intercessions. We shall allow the Holy Spirit to place the burden of prayer on our hearts, on behalf of others. We shall feel other people’s pains. It is not something you can fake. The burden is real. The pain is real, even if for few minutes. From time to time, you shall feel a strong urge to pray for others. Drop everything you are doing, go to a quiet place and pray. You shall feel better after that. The push and the power to pray comes from the Holy Spirit. When the reward comes, it is very great. There is no recession in the Kingdom of God. Say yes to God and He will surprise you with an abundance of blessings. I see good coming out of this and I already rejoice!

This month, my husband and I, are celebrating 43 years of very happy and successful marriage. There are many things to say about this wonderful blessed journey. I thank God, from my heart, for giving me Pastor Richmond Leigh to be my husband. We have three adult children and six grandchildren. When we got married I was an atheist and he was a backslider. I came to Nigeria in 1980. It is here that the miracle of salvation and reconciliation happened to both of us. We became children of God. We worked as medical doctors in Nigeria for about 20 years. In March 2000 we started Father’s House Bible Church in Warri-Effurun Nigeria. We are now pastors, in full time ministry. God has also blessed us with many spiritual children who are all over the world. To God be all the glory!

I want to share a word with you. As many of you know, my husband is Itsekiri by tribe. One of the strangest things I have learned from him is that there is no particular word for ‘love’ in his native language. He remembers that as a little child, his family members did not say ‘I love you’ to each other in Itsekiri. This is because the word ‘love’ does not exist. The family love was expressed thru good deeds and friendship towards one another. I have an Itsekiri Bible and I looked for the word ‘love’. In particular I wanted to see how they translated John 3:16. The word (or the concept) ‘love’ in Itsekiri is translated as this: “ka fe ofo”. Literarily it means: “(I) like the way you speak”. It seems to me that for the Itsekiris love is connected with nice speech. My interpretation: If you speak well, you are lovable. If you do not speak well, you are not lovable. For me this is strange for in my language (Romanian) there are at least two words that mean pure love.

But all languages and tongues are not enough to describe the love of God!!! When I became a born again Christian I have discovered the greatest love of all. It is the Love of God for us, hopeless and lost sinners. It is the Love of Jesus Christ when He died on the Cross for me and you. Anybody who knows God loves God and others. Anybody who does not know the Living God is not able to love anyone. The Bible says that to be like Jesus, we must love not only with words but with sacrificial kind actions done for His sake.

I thank God for saving my soul, for helping me to know the true love of God! I thank God that my husband loves God with all his heart. I also thank God that my husband loves me with the love of God which is ‘shed abroad’ in his soul. He loves me not because of my nice words, but for the sake of Christ, our Lord! I thank God for our marriage, for our children and grandchildren!

I have a new desire to intercede for the Itsekiri people, especially for those who do not speak English. They need the revelation of agape love that only the Holy Spirit can give. I use them as a point of contact to reach all the other tribes who have a similar need. “Father, have mercy! Reveal Yourself to them! May Your glory cover the Itsekiris as the waters cover the sea! In Jesus name I pray, amen!”

Finally, I close with the Word of God: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16)

(In the picture, My husband and I, dressed in Itsekiri fashion. Don’t we look good?)

This is from our mid week service last night:
My husband, Pastor Richmond Leigh shared an old folklore story. There was a Nigerian village where the proud young men decided that they do not need old men anymore. They decided to kill their fathers. They all agreed to do so. Each young man went home and killed his own father. But there was one young man who refused to do so. He took his father and hid him in a little cottage in the forest. He went there daily to give him food and water. One day, the village had a serious problem. The young men try to solve it but they all failed. Then they remembered that the fathers solved a similar problem in the past. But all the fathers were dead, or so they thought. The man who saved his father asked him how was that problem solved. His father told him what to do. This young man came back with the brilliant answer, how to solve that problem. The other young men were surprised at his wisdom. He became their leader. Why? Because the wisdom of his father was given to him! Pastor Richmond Leigh said that the Bible is like that father in the hiding. Other men have ‘killed’ their Bible. But for them who read it and apply it, these shall become leaders of men and shall be blessed! In conclusion: if you want true success in life, read and study the Word of God! Pray to God! Praise God! Serve God! And it shall be well with you! Worship the Lord!