‘And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me’ (Jn 17:22, 23)

The Gospel we preach is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God came from heaven to earth, became Man and died for sinners like me and you. He died to pay for our sins. He died in our place that we might live. This Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of men. There is no other Gospel and no other power given to men on earth by which they can be saved! Be sure that you believe and that you preach the true Gospel!

TESTIMONY TO THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without price” (Is 55:1)

A happy and grateful sister sent me this wonderful testimony about the faithfulness, grace, love and power of God. Her husband, herself and their children are faithful members of our church. They were passing thru a season of difficulty. The devil attacked their finances and their faith. But in their desperation, they humbled themselves and they believed the Word of God. They did spiritual warfare and prophesied victory in Christ! God gave them the expected breakthrough! Dear child of God, may this testimony increase your faith too! I wait for yours too!

“Hello ma, For some time now we’ve been going through some challenges financially. I thought is just a phase that will pass in a month or two but instead things were getting worse each passing day. When we moved to our new apartment, the trials and temptations increased. I went on my knees praying and asking God for a break through, for a turnaround but it was as if nothing was happening. To feed became a problem, to the extent we were unable to pay the children’s school fees this last term. We started considering changing them to another school that is cheaper. Since I’ve been married for the past 10 years, I’ve never gone through this kind of trials and temptations. As husband and wife, we joined our faith together praying for God’s mercies.

Malia, to tell you the truth, at one point, my faith started to drop; I thought God has forsaken us… Not until you started teaching from Isaiah 55. You said God is calling me to a new level of life; He is inviting me to the table to be revived and become stronger. During the prayer, all  what you were saying was directly to me even the next Saturday and for a long time, that Saturday and the next and the next, I prayed through and there was this peace I felt within me and I realize that God has not forsaken us. And also Taleigh started teaching Matters of Indifference and Ephesian 6:10 “Be Strong In The Lord”! And also your admonishments on Sundays have increased my faith to 100%. I found myself doing warfare, praying and trusting the Lord more

Studying the Word more and there is this joy bubbling inside of me and the funniest thing is that this same is also happening to my husband. I remember Taleigh will always say if God wants to talk to you, He will scrap your face and humble you. I’m so blessed to have you has my mother and mentor and Taleigh as my father.

Last week Wednesday, the Lord did a miracle. For some time now, I’ve been trusting the Lord for capital to do business.

During the prayers two Saturday ago, one of the last few words you said before leaving the altar was that “if you want to do business, trust God and not any man” I key in those words even when I know nothing is happening around us. On Wednesday, I was in the bedroom when my husband walked in and asked me how much did you say you want to use to do business? And my reply was “babe you know I’m still trusting the Lord for capital” And he said we should pray. When he started praying, the praying was more on thanking God for his provision and inside me, I was like ‘what has God done this time?” After praying, he told me God has provided the capital for my business and also the children’s school fees for last term and also this first term; that we are not changing them to another school! He said while he was down stairs, his phone beep and he was worried ‘who has sent him message again to come and pay his debt?’ When he looked at his phone, it was an alert of one million, two hundred and something thousand! He was shocked!

I remember, this is what Taleigh said that ‘you will be in your house and your phone will vibrate and you will see an alert’. I use to laugh over it that such a thing is no possible but the Bible say is there anything too difficult for me to do? Certainly nothing!

Now everyday my heart is renewed! I love Jesus! He is faithful! This table the Lord has invited me to come and eat, when He said there is WATER, MILK AND WINE, I will never leave the table! I give all the glory to God! God bless you ma. Good night”

“And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren” (Lk 22:31, 32)

This conversation between our Lord and Peter is just before the Cross. Jesus warns him and encourages him in the same time. ‘Satan has asked for you…’ Satan, the accuser of the brethren has asked for permission to ‘sift’ Peter. Interestingly, that permission was granted by God. The word ‘asked’ is a strong word meaning ‘insisting, demanding to come for trial’. This reminds us that the devil is a personality and not just an ‘evil influence’. To sift it means to violently shake something with the intent to separate the components. In particular, sifting wheat means to shake the grains until both chaff and impurities go away and only the good grain remains. The purpose of the devil’s sifting is to separate you from your shield of faith! A soldier without a gun is useless in the battle field! No matter what trial you pass thru, do not drop your faith! Do not think of backsliding! Holding on your faith is your victory!

“And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper” (2Chr 26:5)

Many Christians are seeking for the way to prosperity. They pray long prayers and fast too, but their lives do not change. This is because they are not willing to pay the price to seek God acceptably who alone is the Author and Giver of prosperity. King Uzziah was a successful king. He lived a long life; he defeated the great enemies of Judah; he became famous and rich; he built cities and had a great army. Later in life his prosperity made him proud and God judged him with leprosy. Nevertheless we can learn from him, what the secret of his prosperity was. We can also learn from his mistakes and be careful to remain humble even when God blesses us financially.

In the scripture above you see the two basic requirements you need to fulfill if you desire a successful life with God at the center. Simply said you need to seek (God) and submit (to the spiritual authority God placed above you). Uzziah did both and God granted him prosperity.  In Hebrew the word ‘Prosper’ means to push forward, to break out mightily and to be profitable.

To seek it means to search for something that is hidden. God reveals Himself and also He conceals Himself. Often God brings a cloud of darkness between you and Him. The purpose of this separation is to stir you up to holy romance and to create a longing in your heart so that you will run after Him. To seek it means to ask questions. Never be afraid to ask God questions. You will not be rude or proud in asking. This is my experience: as a teacher I take pleasure when my students ask me questions. I know the difference, when they want to waste my time and when they are truly serious to learn more. The purpose of asking these questions is to know God better, to understand His heart and His ways. To seek it also means to dream big and to pursue the fulfillment of these dreams. This is my advice: If you want to know God, then you need to ask God questions and wait for His answers. The opposite of seeking is to be passive, to hide or to ignore God. It also means to lose opportunities of intimate communion with God, when He is available and willing to answer your questions.

The second thing you need to do on the holy road of prosperity is to submit to the spiritual authority God has placed over you. King Uzziah’s father was a king. He learned the royal protocol from his father. But Uzziah was wise and humble enough to realize that he needs a spiritual mentor. He knew the power of spiritual covering. He cherished his relationship with a prophet called Zechariah, who ‘had understanding in the visions of God’ ‘who thought him the fear of God’ (KJ; NIV). Uzziah’s prosperity was directly connected with his humble submission to the prophet. It is not easy for a king to humble himself under one of his ‘subjects’. But he knew that the ‘man of God’ was more spiritual than him and he gladly accepted his counsel.

Lastly, this is a warning: any form of passivity, spiritual laziness, carelessness about the affairs of your soul, rebellion or pride will shut the door to prosperity. No matter the level of your education, your past professional experience, skills, gifts or hard work, you will not proposer if you reject the law of God. May God grant ‘a melting anointing’ so that you can truly repent from the heart! According to His Word, may God bless the humble seekers with His promised prosperity! In Jesus’ name, amen!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

The prayer meeting was very good. We praised God, we did spiritual warfare and we prayed. At the beginning there was an opposition in the atmosphere, a stronghold of religion that did not permit us to freely enjoy God’s presence. This hindrance could have been a good excuse to just declare defeat. But we refused to be defeated. The Captain of our salvation commanded us to fight therefore we must fight. We could not think about the danger of the battle. We needed to obey the Word and leave the worry for later. We prayed against every hindrance that blocks our spiritual progress as people, as families and as a church. We declared that no evil person will be able to hide in the crowd and attend church tomorrow. We declared that the fire of the Holy Spirit will drive away from the gate all occult unrepentant people! In the name of Jesus!

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Lk 12:49)

When Jesus came into this world of sin, His express desire was to bring ‘fire on the earth’. John said that Jesus will baptize His own with the Holy Spirit and with fire. God is described as a consuming fire. What is the source of this fire? That volcano is found on the Calvary hill, at the Cross of Christ. It was there, hanging on that tree, the Son of God became a curse for us. It was there, when Jesus died for our sins that the fire of God came from heaven and consumed all things. The history of humanity, nothing and nobody was ever the same, after the Cross. Old things passed away and everything became new.

Fire stands for judgment. We are afraid of fire, for we know that fire has no mercy. All things, all labor and ministry shall be tried with fire. We all have an encounter with the fire of God. There is no salvation, deliverance, promotion or blessings that come without the fire. It purges the hearts and kindles passion in pure vessels. Once you pass thru the fire, you are safe. For example, the patient who survived the sickness called Ebola, has nothing to fear anymore. The wicked virus has tried to kill him but failed. The immunity of the body has won. This survivor is the best candidate to go back to the Ebola infested villages and with bare hands help the others. That is a picture of a man who has passed thru fire and survived. There is no more fear; only power and only joy. That is a picture of a believer baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. Nothing shall hurt him anymore. The devil has failed in his life.

I heard of a story. There was a man and his little son walking in a park in New York. Suddenly a fire started burning along the path. In few minutes they were trapped by the blaze. The father tried to use branches to quench the fire, but all in vain. The wind was driving the flames closer and closer to them. Then the father knew that the only way of escape is to pass thru the fire. He carried his son on his shoulders, comforted him that all is well, and jumped thru the fire to the other side. Behind the blaze all was calm. For all things were burnt off. The fire can never go back to a place that is burnt. That is the law of the fire, it never goes back to where it has damaged.

There is a spiritual lesson here. Whatever things you have suffered, if God was with you during that trial, you shall never go back to them again. The devil tried to kill you. And really, you should have died. That sickness should have sent you to the mortuary. That stress should have given you incurable depression. That loss should have made you homeless sleeping under the bridge…But, by the grace of God you survived…This is your testimony, that passing thru the fire, you did not end up a corpse. Even the things that got burnt, have a new meaning for you, for God promised to give you beauty for ashes, joy instead of weeping and a victory song nobody can quench. In the furnace of affliction, Shedrack, Meshach and Abednego met with the Forth Man, the Son of God who is the King of kings and also the King of fire.

This is my testimony: fire tried but failed to destroy me; its heat was not enough to disfigure my anointing; its flames could only purify my heart and my vision. I passed thru the fire of rejection, misunderstanding, sickness and slander. And I survived. Not only survived, but I am now qualified to encourage others coming behind.

So this is my word to you: Fear not! Like that father and son, let’s jump together to the safe place behind the fire…Follow me as I follow Christ…Let’s go to the Cross where Jesus died for our sins…Let’s go behind the Cross, where no sorrow, no pain, no rejection and no sickness can ever attack. Come on…that is the way…thru the fire, into the freedom of worship, the power of true anointing and the victory of the blessed!

The Saturday Prayer meeting was very good. We praised God and we prayed to God. We destroyed every evil covenant that was made on our behalf, knowingly or un-knowingly, during our childhood.  The lingering effects of wicked utterances spoken by parents, siblings, extended family members, neighbors or friends were destroyed. The memory of negative words like: ‘you are a fool… you be yeye… you are a lazy boy (girl)… you are a loser… you will always be last in the class… you will be poor like your father (mother)… go to hell… Idiot… nonsense boy (girl)… you will suffer in this life…you are a witch…God punish you… ” was destroyed by the Blood of Jesus! We separated ourselves from ‘shadow demons’ that follow us behind.

We declared that God hears the prayers of His children… that there is power in the name of Jesus… that Jehovah is above every other power… that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. We praised the Almighty God in English and Nigerian dialects. This evening ministry was not easy. There was a battle in the atmosphere. Some brethren were afraid to praise God with all their hearts because of the trouble they may encounter once they leave the church’ premises. This fear was a background hindrance for more than an hour. But as we continued to press on, to praise God, with songs, hands clapping, dancing and proclamation of the Word of God, the fear left and we felt free. We are blessed to partake and to contribute to the congregational anointing. Coming to church services is never a waste of time. Once the Holy Spirit moves in our midst, anything can happen (I wanted to say: miracles will happen). We went home refreshed. Indeed, Jesus Christ is Lord! Bless His holy name!

“Dear friend,
I see that there is still much secret desire and dreaming in your heart, to do something great for God, in your life time…
I pray for you… that the Holy Spirit fills you and gives you the power to change regrets into actions and weakness into passion so that you accomplish your good dreams! May this prayer become praise!
In Jesus’ name
Amen!”

The Lord Jesus said to Ananias about the Apostle Paul at the beginning of his ministry: “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim My name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.” (Ac 9:15, 16).

This word applies to all who desire to follow Jesus and do ministry. The word ‘suffer’ means experiential pain, not just imagination. If you want to serve the Lord in any capacity, if you desire to be an ambassador for Christ, then you need to carry this cross that kills the flesh; not all at once, but little by little, and daily… Ministry is not money and glamour. Ministry is pain that becomes praise, tears that supply the river of life, a broken alabaster box that spreads the fragrance of Christ to the whole house. If you can do that, then the money and the fame may come.

This is my testimony: For every drop of the revelation of God’s name, I had to suffer.  I had to become ‘friends’ with loneliness, sickness, discrimination, misunderstanding and painful betrayal from people who were close to me. Why?  So that I have just one desire: to desperately know my Lord and the power of His resurrection! The appreciation of God’s grace is not free. The knowledge of the power of the name of Jesus is not cheap. It is much more than a prayer ‘In the name of Jesus’.  It is not English! It is Blood! The door of God’s intimate treasures is never found by them who just pass by and covet from afar. There were times when I was sick, really sick. In the midst of the sickness I had no desire to go to see a doctor. Why? So that I learn to press on to know who Jehovah Rapha is, how He operates, delivers and heals…in the quietness of my spirit, there came a knowing…that my sickness is not ‘a sickness’, not a punishment, not a dead end… but a pathway, a road… Sickness helped me. Pain became my teacher… I did not like his face at the beginning… I thought about changing classes… It took me long to learn the patience of obedience and the joy of reward coming from suffering. When this inner pain refused to go away, it forced me to come closer to the throne to receive a fresh testimony, not just of healing, but so much more…My reward was the impartation of the Excellency of knowing my Lord, the King of kings!

The strange sickness and the mysterious healing baptized me into the Body of Christ. As I moved on, from victory to victory I started changing. The old Lia died. The new Lia lives on… I can never be the same. I am now so much hungrier to know the Healer and not just His healing touch of the moment…I was once a student in the Medical School… I am now a disciple to Jehovah Rapha…what a privilege…how can I ever describe in words the class room in the clouds…the surgery done on top of the holy mountain…all my new class mates dwell in the same atmosphere and they too have lost the desire to be ordinary…

The first test expected by Jehovah Rapha is to praise Him in all situations, not because I feel like praising, not because my pain is gone, not because I like music … but just because the praise belongs to God!!! God is jealous for His praise.  He forbids that idols should steal it! You too be jealous to give all the glory to God alone!  This is my counsel:  if you need healing, the fruit of the womb, or a financial breakthrough, then praise God with all your strength! Do not cheat on praise! Do not imitate others! Do not compare yourself with others! Praise God! Think of God, think of His power, love, glory, willingness to touch and heal you The presence of the pain, oppression, frustration, anxiety, infirmity, sickness can be the pulpit from where the praise goes up to the Owner.

Like a little flower in the desert, with no water and no shade, but happily blooming by the power of the Holy Spirit within, I will rejoice and praise my Savior, my Lord and my Healer!  “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines; though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food; though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls… Yet! I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in God my Savior!” (Habakkuk 3:17, 18). Glory to God!

“So he ( Namaan) went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel…” (2Kg 5:14, 15)

Please, read again the story of Namaan, the great Syrian general (2Kg 5). He had money, fame and visible success in life. But he also had leprosy. In those days, leprosy was incurable and shameful. Medically speaking leprosy affects the nerves. It manifests as muscular weakness, loss of sensitivity and tumors on the skin. The patient cannot move fast, cannot feel pain and looks ugly and smelly. Without treatment the sickness slowly progresses to death.

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

“Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:18-20)

Our Women’ Fellowship this evening was very good. The Holy Spirit was moving in our midst! The praise, the prayers and the testimonies, in the unity of the Spirit, gave glory to God alone. It was a thanksgiving ‘dinner’ of the daughters of God. We thanked God for our lives, body, souls and spirit, health, marriages, children, protection, provision and ministries. We thanked God for what He has done, for what He is doing at this very moment and what He will do in the future. We rejected every demon of fear (fear of the future, fear of untimely death for our children, fear of poverty, fear of divorce…). By faith, we declared that no parents will bury their children! We rejected every demon of depression, confusion, bareness and religious pride. We welcomed the Person of God the Holy Spirit in our midst. The fire of the Holy Spirit was hot. It only burnt the chains and the cages of limitations. We came out from the fire free and fair.

We could not sit on the chairs. We prayed seated on the floor. Some knelt and some lied down flat still praying. We humbled ourselves so that grace may be imparted to us according to God’s promise. We prayed in English (with understanding) and we prayed in tongues (in the Spirit, by-passing the human understanding). The anointing was too strong for me, the pastor, to preach my prepared sermon. Once the Holy Spirit moves in our midst, there is nothing more man can say. God makes my work easier these days. Looking at us, we look so small, a group of ‘nobodies’…… But looking at God, and what He is doing among us, my faith increases and my worship overflows. I am excited to see how the prayers of today will become praises tomorrow! Fresh testimonies have been approved by heaven and released on earth. The river of blessings is flowing faster…I can feel it… Glory to God!

Dear Sister, do not just stand and look… Do not be jealous on them who are blessed! Enter in the middle of the flow where the speed is at the highest. If God has done it once for you, He will do it again! The Joy of the Lord is your strength! In Jesus’ name, amen!

“How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women?… What’s so great about your lover, fair lady? What’s so special about him?” (SS 5:9; NIV; TM)

My husband and I, we are married for more than 43 years! We married as unbelievers. God’s grace saved our souls and marriage. Both of us are now in full time ministry. The older I get, the more I appreciate my husband’s character. Without fear and without shame, I can boast about my God and I also can boast about my husband. Below is a partial list of my husband’s qualities, blessings that I have discovered over the years. By the grace of God, my husband is ‘better than others’. He is:
*A true man of God!
*A wonderful husband to me, father and grandfather!
*Loving, generous, compassionate and kind!
*Bold for God. He does not take the easy path because of fear. He confronts difficult situations like a soldier.
*Perseveres until he achieves results. He does not get tired in the middle of the problems!
*Honest, truthful and open; he does not lie, steal or cheat!
*Courageous, doing what is right even in the presence of rejection or danger!
*Willing to sacrifice himself and his money for the work of God and helping others!
*Controls himself; he stays calm under provocation, temptation or stress!
*Just and fair; he does not discriminate!
*Good citizen; he abides by the laws of the country!
*Spirit of excellence; he does no compromise his conscience; he does his best and he is happy with his work!
*Keeps his promises; is dependable and trustworthy; he hates to disappoint others!
*Respects others; he honors their rights, dignity and freedom! Hates to hurt them unnecessarily!
*Responsible; he does not shift blame on others!
*Patient; he knows that good things take time to achieve! He is willing to wait.
*Forgiving; he is able to leave hurtful things behind; does not seek revenge! (He forgets my mistakes)
*Peace Maker; he is able to talk things without being violent!
*Very good teacher. Most of the things about life in Nigeria I have learned from him directly!
*Encourager. He encourages me to fulfill God’s plan for my life, to do ministry.
*Lover. He loves me with words and deeds when we are alone and he declares his love for me in public.
And so on… And so on …
To God be all the glory!