“His father told him: ‘My child, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours” (Lk 15:31)

This is what the father told his son in the parable of the prodigal. The backslider has come home. The older son was angry and jealous because his father now lavishes his love on his once lost son. Are you angry? Or are you grateful?

The father stands for God the Father. Child of God, you who feel ignored, neglected and rejected. These feelings are the poisonous arrows of the devil who is a liar. The devil hates families. He wants that the children should fight their parents. He wants the parents to hate their children. The same devil wants to destroy marriages. But listen to the Father! He calls you ‘Child’! “You are My Child!” He is reminding you that you are always in His presence. He loves you. He cares for you. He protects you. He guides you. By His Spirit and by His Word! He promises to never leave you and never forsake you. God is a God of the Covenant. Even when you are not faithful, He is always faithful to the promises He freely gave to you.

Listen again: “Everything I have is yours’. Child of God, this idea that you are a poor person with no hope and no future is a total lie. In Christ, you have everything that is good. What do you want? The past, the present, the future, these are all yours. Death and life are yours, these are your servants. Do what you want with them.  The authority to trample upon serpents and scorpions is yours! Do not look at what you miss! Look at what you have! The presence and God is yours! The blessings of God in Christ are yours!

Jesus said: “If you believe, you shall see My glory!” True faith leads to glory! May your feet walk the right ever shining path of truth and grace! May your eyes see the King in His beauty! May your ears hear the word of God speaking from behind: This is the road of holy success! Walk in it! And now, let us praise the Lord!

“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life… But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere” (Rom 5:10; 2Cor 2:14)

Some say this: ‘I was always God’s friend… Since I was a child, I always loved Jesus… then after I became born again I love God more…’ If this is what you are saying, your testimony is false. This is because we are all born sinners. Before you became born again you were God’s enemy. To become a born again child of God is a miracle of total surrender and the beginning of new life. An enemy of God becomes His friend! This is possible only because of the Cross of Christ!

This is my testimony: Before I became born again on the 14^th of March, 1986, I was an atheist, an unbeliever and clearly an enemy of God. I did not believe in the existence of God. I hated religion and what it does to people. In school, we were thought that ‘religion is the opium of the masses’. They said that religious people are foolish and lazy. I believed that. I hated when people say they believe in God. When I came to Nigeria in 1980 and I saw everybody praying, talking about God and going to different churches, I felt sorry for the Nigerians. I was sure that I will never be foolish like them. I was a medical doctor, happily married with three children. I was rich and famous. I did not need God. Or so I thought…

But God’s hand of love arrested me. I was fighting God and His people with bullets of unbelief and arrows of doubt. God used His people to fight back with bullets of mercy and arrows of grace. I finally lost the war. I was arrested as a prisoner of war. Like the Roman Empire’s triumphal procession, myself and others like me, were dragged in chains behind the Captain of salvation. I had no hope to live. Why should I be spared? I did damage to the faith of many by my proud, foolish and unbelieving words. One by one, the prisoners came before the throne of God. They were judged guilty as charged and sentenced to death. My turn came. I did not want to tremble and show fear before my captor. I tried to stand but I could not. The sentence of death was on me. The angels were looking without smiles and without anger. I was thinking fast… Will I be shut or hanged? I did not know of any other option.

Suddenly, the One who conquered me pointed at me and said: ‘This one should live. I shed My Blood for her. I paid for her in full. I want her alive. I will change her from an enemy to a friend. She shall be My servant and My lover. Loose her chains of wickedness and replace them with chains of everlasting love. She shall be called my Bride. She is a prisoner of hope. She shall work for Me! To the glory of My name and for the expansion of My Kingdom!’ Hearing that I shall live, I collapsed at His feet. Against my will, I was grateful. Mercy triumphed over judgement! The Blood of Jesus spoke on my behalf! My Lord dressed me with His garments of righteousness. He sprayed on my His Fragrance! He breathed in me His Spirit. He puts His words in my mouth. He gave me His strength to do His work. The old Lia died. The new Lia lives forever.  This is my story! This is my song!

Singing:

“Forever You will be

The Lamb upon the Throne!

And I gladly bow my knees

To worship You alone!!!”

“Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:1, 2)

The Christian life is compared with a marathon race. It is not a hundred meters dash. It is a marathon race. We need to learn how to be champions, not just for a day or two, but a life time gold medalists. Jesus is our example and teacher. Follow Him and you shall surely fulfill your destiny. What we need most of all is not strength, wisdom or skill. Surprisingly, the first thing we need to run and complete the race is patience. To tell you the truth, this surprises me. In the past, I did not invest enough effort in being patient. I thought that is an old fashioned strategy. I did not believe that patient people are the real champions. How wrong I was…

Patience is defined as bearing under provocation, pain or delay without complain, anger or change of direction. It is a mindset that helps you never to give up on your God’s given vision of life. Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit growing in the garden heart of the true believer. To be patient it means that I shall be faithful to what God showed me about my life, my marriage, my future and ministry. Sin tries to bring me down, to slow me or to take me astray. Patience will keep me on the right road that ends with a crown. Truly patient people are never disappointed. Patiently I will avoid the devil’s snares. Patiently, I learn to let go of all emotional attachments coming from losers who have no desire to pay the price for a crown. As for me, I want that crown, so I made up my mind to run the race with patience!

What is the opposite of patience? What is the danger of being patient? It is to be impatient, hasty of restless. These are designed to push you to go astray, abandoning the appointed path of the marathon. All unbelievers are impatient. Making close friends with unbelievers will expose you to the danger of impatience. Haste is living in a hurry; it is an over-eagerness to act. Acting impatiently is always the product of foolishness. When you cannot wait before you make a decision, when you cannot pray and think of the consequence or your actions, you become impatient and you shall be disqualified in the race. Remember: Sin is always done in a hurry and haste leads to poverty (PV 19:2; 21:5). To me, this is a serious warning. I do not want to end in poverty. Therefore I shall learn to be patient with people and with myself.

Patience has wonderful eyes! It sees the light at the end of the tunnel and the crown at the end of the battle. Our Lord endured so much opposition from foolish and evil men. But He saw the joy ahead. He never stopped seeing the crown! He passed thru the shame and pain of the Cross. He finished the race. Jesus is now the King of kings and the Lord of lords! Jesus is now the happiest Person in the universe. He is God and He is self-sufficient. But as a Man on earth, He showed us the path ahead. Let us take our cross and follow Him! This is the song of true champions! Can you sing it? Is your heart stir up to desire to be like Jesus?

“Lord Jesus, please help me to be more patient…help me not to be distracted and impatient… Help me to be a champion in the marathon race of the Christian life… Help me to win the eternal crown of righteousness… Help me to be like You! I give You alone all the glory! In Jesus name I pray, amen!”

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

The women’ fellowship was wonderful. It was raining outside but many women came. This is a sign of healthy hunger for the presence of God. May it continue, in Jesus name, amen! The praise and worship was good. The sisters were not ready to stop the praise. This is another good sign of a healthy church. Thank God! Sister D said that she was knocked down by a motorcycle on the Express way. She was lying on the road, in and out consciousness. I her spirit she was saying: I shall not die, but live…my life is in God’s hands. Some young men carried her to the hospital. They did some tests and everything was normal. Sister R said that the toilet cover fell and broke injuring her feet. Her baby was close by but was not injured at all. Sister M testified that God has been with her all these years as a single mother. Men tried to deceive her, to take advantage of her, but she prayed and God helped her to stand faithful and strong. Sister B testified that she needed a surgery for a growth on her lips. The doctor did the operation free of charge. Sister C testified that her new born baby had jaundice and almost died. But she had faith in God to change this ‘story’ into a testimony. The baby is very healthy now. Sister O was sick for months with stomach ulcer and God healed her. Sister H has been suffering with serious asthmatic attacks for more than 15 years. She testified that by the grace of God, she is healed! They all gave all the glory to God! Hallelujah!

Then we had a good time of prayer. I prepared another message but led by the Holy Spirit we prayed for a financial breakthrough. We prayed that God will bless the work of our hands. We declared the Word of God over our lives: “But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day…I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” (Deut 8:18; Ps 37:25)

‘In Christ I declare: You do not need a degree, you do not need business experience, you do not need capital. You need faith in the Living God, Jehovah Jireh, God the Provider! God can produce something out of nothing. God is your helper. Do not look around! Do not look at yourself, at your husband, at your boss or at the promises of the Nigerian government. Lift up your eyes!  Look unto the eternal hills of Zion from where Your Helper comes. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords! His name is Jesus Christ! God will bless you with a supernatural breakthrough. God will open a new door for a new business. You shall work less and make more money. You shall not live ‘from hand to mouth’ because ‘money shall meet money in your hand’. You shall not worry about what to eat, how you pay your rent or your children’s school fees… But you shall have enough money to live a good and blessed life. We reject the evil spirits of doubt, poverty, begging, complaining, fear, poison, depression, in the name of Jesus! Holy Spirit please, come! Fire of God, come! Lord, if you give me, I will take!  We vow to give God alone all the glory! In Jesus name, amen!’

“And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” (Gen 41:15, 16)

Please read again the wonderful story of Joseph. In Genesis chapter 41 Pharaoh has two dreams and wakes up troubled in his mind. He does not understand their meaning. He now needs a man to interpret his dreams. His court magicians are not able to do it. This is now a great opportunity for any man to be promoted and rewarded by Pharaoh. Who is the ‘lucky’ man? Suddenly, the cup bearer remembers ‘his faults’. He recommends a Hebrew prisoner called Joseph who previously correctly interpreted his dream. Joseph is hurriedly brought from his prison cell and he now stands before the greatest man in the world at that time.

Joseph listens to Pharaoh telling him his strange dreams. By the power of the Holy Spirit he correctly interprets them. He even suggests a plan of action that will save Egypt from destruction because of famine. Pharaoh and his royal aids are all impressed. Pharaoh then asks his ministers if there is any Egyptian better qualified than Joseph to become his special assistant. None was found better than him. That is how Joseph became the Prime Minister of Egypt.

The word ‘interpret’ appears seven times in this chapter. In Hebrew it means to open up something that is closed or mysterious. It means to bring light into darkness, to make clear to others something that appears difficult, so that other may understand the true hidden meaning.

From this story we see that ‘interpretation’ of mysteries is the ‘pass word’ to greatness. Interpretation of mysterious words opens doors of wealth and promotion that no man can shut. This is true in all cultures and generations.  In the New Testament it is called the ‘word of wisdom’. It is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Divine wisdom is the well where all great treasures are found. In the presence of divine wisdom, poverty, sickness and trouble bow down and cannot rise. Do you need money? Do you need healing? Do you need freedom from bondage? Then pray and pay the price to receive the gift of divine wisdom which comes from the Holy Spirit. May my words find favor with your spirit today!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

Our prayer meeting this evening was very good. All glory to God! We praised Jehovah God who is ‘fearful in praises and always doing wonders’.  We prayed and worshipped God in English, Tongues and Nigerian languages. We prayed against the evil spirit of homosexuality, foolishness and religion. We declared that God is on our side and that nothing is impossible for Him to do! We sand: ‘Lord, You are able, more than able, to accomplish what concerns me today…You are able, more than able, to do much more than I can ever dream… You are able, more than able, to make me what You want me to be”. Then the word of God came: The sermon was from the Book of Joshua 8 and it was called “How to ambush your Ai” or “Don’t forget your matches”.

The children of God won a great victory of faith against Jericho. But they failed to defeat the small town called Ai, whose name means ‘a heap of ruins’. The defeat was because of sin in the camp. Once the sin was dealt with, the victory is sure. The Holy Spirit is redirecting our attention and memory to the past, to revisit the place of failure. We need to confront that failure again. This time, lead and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we shall prevail.

In the place of past failure God says: “Do not be afraid and do not be discouraged”. There is fear in the valley of failure. But God says fear not to go there are conquer it.  A man’s character is not defined by how he behaves when he is promoted. His value as a man is defined by the way he behaves when he is demoted. The devil wants you to withdraw, to backslide when you are fallen. Do not give up when you are down. In Christ, there is hope for you even in the valley of sin, shame and failure. God says: ‘I have given you the city…’  When you depend on God, His plan, strategy and timing, the victory is sure!

The root of failure: unconfessed sin! Failure means you live day by day for years, in a cloud of defeat, hopelessness, depression and shame! No fruits and no testimonies! Your attitude to sin determines your future prosperity. You can have victory over your failure! If you do not confess your secret sins you can never have victory! Your past does not have to determine your future!

God said that you should attack Ai with an ambush. This is God’s strategy. An ambush is a form of attack that takes advantage of secrecy. You need a word of wisdom from God. In the military textbooks, an ambush is described as a complex battle. It requires a particular timing and a particular place. The soldiers divide themselves into two groups. All the soldiers must know their job very well. All must be coordinated. The unity of the Spirit must be established between the group that attacks and the one behind that provides ‘cover fire’. A successful ambush can take over the resources of the enemy. Husband and wife can pray ‘ambush’ prayers and arrest the resources of the enemy passing thru their marriage. It requires the unity of the Spirit. They need to trust each other with their lives. But the gains are great. You do not need to work hard to have a financial breakthrough. Do successful spiritual warfare and the millions will come. If what I say sounds phony to you, I am not talking to you. But for the rest who humble themselves and desire to stand for the Lord, may God grant you that grace, in Jesus name, amen!

“And He (Jesus) got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm” (Mk 4:39)

This is a word for a child of God who is troubled this morning! Be strong and courageous! Pray! From this moment on you must feel better! The devil has seen your breakthrough and he is trying to distract you with attacks. He is a liar! You need to believe the opposite! For example, if the devil tells you that you shall be poor, rejoice for surely you shall be rich!

Sister Onos went to be with the Lord. She was 29. She was married with two little daughters. It is a painful and untimely death. She died following a domestic accident. She was a committed believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and a member of the choir in our church.

Last week brother Prince asked her when is she coming back to sing with the choir full time. She said that her second baby is still little. But he insisted: ‘When?’ She said ‘Soon’. He said ‘How soon?‘ Then she smiled and answered singing: “Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King…” Looking back, her answer was prophetic. The Holy Spirit prepared her to join the heavenly choir. Great is Thy faithfulness Oh, Lord…

“You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob” (Ps 44:4; NIV)

As children of God, we should never be afraid of defeat, disgrace or failure! Never! We do spiritual warfare from the sure position of decreed victory! On the Cross, Christ totally defeated and destroyed the power of the devil. Knowing this, in Christ, I am not afraid to go to battle under His banner and in His name. Each trial, each conflict, it is a fresh opportunity to prove that I am a soldier in the army that can never fail, a soldier under the Captain who can never lose! This is my confession of faith based on the eternal Word of God!

You need to identify with this scripture until it becomes part of you. The word ‘God’ here is Elohim, the creator of the heavens and the earth. Don’t forget, it is God who also created hell, where the devil shall go at last and be tormented forever and ever. You need to know, especially during the battle, that in Christ, your victory is sure. You do not depend on your strength or on your wisdom. You totally depend on the Lord who called you in His army. Jesus can never lose. Therefore you can never lose. You don’t bargain with the devil! It has been decreed that all your trials and temptations, sooner or later, shall end in victories. Please observe that the word is plural; it means that there are many victories. These are not debatable. They are ‘decreed’ by the Lord. They must happen! A Presidential Decree is a formal and authoritative order that has the force of law and none can appeal against it. It is the same here.

I declare that in Christ God has ordained my victory! It has been decreed in heaven, appointed and ordained on earth that I shall win these battles against me! By faith in His Word and by the grace of God, I decree victory over sickness, poverty, oppression, bareness and all other occult attacks against me coming from the enemy. My victories are not accidental. They are decreed from the foundation of the world! These victories belong to the eternal purposes of God, by which events are foreordained. Heaven has spoken! The earth shall accept the decree! The Lamb upon the Throne, the King of kings and the Lord of lords has proclaimed that I am an overcomer! None can change this decree! My enemies are defeated. Hallelujah! Glory to God!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

The prayer meeting was very good. Because we are in a season of spiritual warfare we need a higher level of anointing than ‘usual’. It is like preparing for surgery. For example, if the operation is just skin deep, you sterilize the instruments a little. But if it is abdominal surgery, the instruments have to be 100% sterile. If not, trying to help the patient, infection will kill him later. Thank God the Holy Spirit was there with us. We praised God. We worshipped God. We were seeking God’s face and strength. There was no rush. Patiently we were praying for fire. Then the fire came. Holy Ghost, we thank You!

We then prepared for attack. We exposed the lies of the devil thru the Word of God. All our prayer meetings are based on direct revelations coming from the Word of God. We need to know the truth about the enemy so that we can be free. These are some revelations about the devil:

*satan is a liar! He never speaks the truth. Lies are chains to keep souls in bondage! Truth sets free!   (Jn 8:44)

*satan is a blinder! He blinds the minds of the unbelievers. They do not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (2Cor 4:4)

*satan is a deceiver! He uses false signs, lying wonders and fading miracles to impress the unbelievers (2Thess 2:9-12)

*satan is a tempter! He tempts men to sin or to backslide (Lk 22:3-6; 2Cor 11:3)

*satan is a thief! He steals the word of God from the religious unbeliever’s heart. He is very busy inside the churches (Mk 4:3-20). He steals peace and joy from the believers (Jn 10:10)

*satan is an oppressor! He terrorizes people. He inflicts sickness (physical or mental) (Lk 13:16; Ac 10:38)

*satan is a very good actor! He is very religious! He pretends to be the ‘holy spirit’ (2Cor 11:13-15)

*satan is a slanderer! He accuses the children of God! (Rev 12:10)

WHAT DO WE DO?

Take your position in Christ! We belong to the army that knows no defeat!  Pray spiritual warfare!

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you!” (James 4:7).

“They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Rev 12:11).

Say No to the devil and his temptations! Pray in human language and in the Spirit (in tongues). We reject the demons of Jezebel, doubt, fear, confusion, religion, lying, blinding, stealing, deception, oppression, hypocrisy, slander, sickness (diabetes, hypertension, bareness, chronic malaria, typhoid fever, anemia, sickle cell anemia, stomach ulcer, arthritis, depression, backsliding, poverty, divorce) In the name of Jesus!!!  Speak the truth in faith and in love! Share the testimony of your salvation and sanctification! Do not fear death! Do not fear failure! In Christ our victory is sure! Jesus died on the Cross for our sins. Jesus is the ‘Stronger Man’ who binds the evil ‘strong man’. The Blood of Jesus ministers entrance before the throne of mercy and grace! Jesus sets the prisoners free. Jesus gives sight to the blind and hope to the hopeless. He binds the devil. Jesus has destroyed the works of the devil! Jesus is Lord! Give your life to Christ! Jesus makes you free indeed! One day, there shall be no more war. In heaven, the victory is final and permanent! The devil shall be judged eternally with torment in hell. The devil has no hope. These words should encourage you!  In Christ, our victory is sure!   JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!!!!

“But the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1Sam 16:7)

This is a note from a young man who attends our church for a while. He is a born again committed believer. He came to my office earlier this year for counselling and prayers. He is successful as a business man. But he had some negative experiences as he was planning to marry. He told me that he has found a lady during his NYSC and that he proposed marriage to her. She agreed to his proposal. He wanted me to pray about it. I told him that the first thing he should do is to bring his plans to marry this particular lady on the altar of God. The altar speaks! Only God knows the people’s hearts. We prayed that if this lady is his ‘rib’ then let God bless them and help them marry in peace. But if this lady is not his destiny then let God (and not the devil) separate them. This is a ‘standard spiritual procedure’ with all young men and women who come for prayer as they prepare for marriage. God has to speak into the matter. It is not our emotions that should rule in a serious decision as marriage. As a Christian, you must be ready to say: let God’s will be done! We prayed and he went home. I did not see him since then. This is his letter. God answered his prayer. Not in a way he wanted it, but he accepted God’s will for his life. He is now recovered from the pain of disappointment and life goes on. If you have any word of counsel or prayer for him, please write as comment. He will read it and learn from you. Let’s help one another. God bless you dear brethren!

“Good morning Malia, I came to you for counsel in the month of April. I couldn’t return much earlier since you weren’t around for a while. It turned out that the answers to your prayers for me came instantaneously. I did as you counselled, I told my fiancée that my Pastor would like to see her and that she could come over to Warri to spend sometime. She gave me some excuses and said she was going to think about it. There was a sudden breach in our communication thereafter until she called me one day to tell me that her former crush was coming back and that she is confused and it seem he has a stronger hold on her.  To cut a long story short, she is presently married. She got married in the month of July. I would have been heartbroken but for the prayers we made. God suddenly intervened. It became clear that I was previously on the wrong track. I am now waiting on God for direction.

I greatly appreciate your counsel and prayers ma. God has been gracious to me in my business and in pursuing His call on me. My life has been much easier since after the prayers, the burden of fear and isolation has left me. Your ministry has blessed me, and that of TaLeigh. I’ll ever be grateful to God for making me a part of His family in Fathers House Bible Church. To God be the glory! Your son…”

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

We just ended our women’s fellowship. It was very good. Glory to God! We praised God and shared testimonies. They all gave God alone all the glory! Then the Word of God was shared. We talked about how to be women of God. In particular we talked about the strategy of being a godly wife to a difficult husband (1Pet 3:1-6)

MY TESTIMONY AS A WIFE
I shall now boast in the Lord! My husband and I are married for 42 years. In Christ and by the grace of God, I declare that I am quiet, gentle, precious and beautiful! The Word of God says so! My husband says so! What others say it does not matter. I have learned over the years to speak less than my husband, especially when we are in public. For example, if he speaks 10 words, I speak maybe 3. If he is not around I can speak 8. You may joke about it, but this is the truth. I mentally count the times I open my mouth. If I do not have something good and godly to say, I am not ashamed to keep quiet. I do not have to prove that I am intelligent by talking.

But when I talk, I make sure that I am on my husband’s ‘side’. I do not come from the opposite side. I do not stand against him spiritually speaking. I do not threaten him positionally. I am never on the side of them who argue with him, even if jokingly. If I do not understand something he says I make a mental note to ask him at home. I do not want to ask him any question while others listen to us talking. If it is an ‘emergency’ I ask him in Romanian. Thank God, most people do not understand this language. I do this because I do not want to be seen as his boss, teacher or mentor. I gladly submit to him because of God’s command. I also do not ask other men questions in my husband’s presence. I do not want to be seen as a foolish ignorant wife. That attitude will place the blame on him implying that he did not teach me well at home.

You may ask… What is my ‘gain’ in all this? My gain is God’s pleasure over our home! The Holy Spirit is free to move, and work in us from inside out. Both my husband and I are ‘work in progress’ but if I obey God’s Word, the progress is faster. I love that!

The devil loves to ask questions causing division, doubts, fears and confusion. I pray before I talk. I choose when to answer or when not to answer a question that is ‘thrown’ at me. My husband is the only one who has the right to demand answers from me. No other person has the same right. I do not regret talking too little but I regret talking too much. This strategy of keeping quiet (well… most of the time) is not legalistic or religious. It is the result of the leading of the Holy Spirit who gives me the power to choose silence when silence is the winner. To God be all the glory!

Let’s close with words from the same letter of Peter. May this be your portion, in Jesus name, amen! “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1Pet 5:10, 11)

This is a letter I received from one of the young men in our church. I told him to share with me about his life… He was one of the ‘men of valor’ who built the building of the church. He is a simple man in the natural but beloved of God in the spiritual. He is spiritual, humble, faithful and very hard working. He is a blessing to us and to the Body of Christ. He is one of our ‘staff’. He is one of the seven ‘security and gate men’. Recently, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, he became the youth pastor in the church. All the glory to God for his conversion, sanctified life and ministry! Please pray and bless him with counsel! The best is yet to come!

“About… Ma, what can I say? My life is a complicated story because I am not used to keeping dates of events and I can’t rightly say when my conversion story begins, and I also can’t say I heard the voice of God clearly in the past, whether directly from him or spoken through someone or in a vision or night sleep. The numerous times I have answered altar call can attest to that. But I know that right when I was tender I have somewhat like apathy for the things of this world. Because I have never felt satisfied with anything I do in this world. I always feel there’s something better that I can’t explain. Among my friends I was seen as a ruthless person because of the way I walk and talk, but in my heart there’s a river of tears, cos I feel trapped, crying always for freedom. So I guess I was portraying a ruthless outward attitude to protect the inward feeble heart of mine, knowing if men see the real me, that would be the end of me.

When I was growing up I have reached death’s gate countless times. In some cases I thought I was dead but somehow I came out alive. I remember then I use to say to myself that I am a strong boy to have survived, only now I realized that it was Jesus all along, making sure His promises must be fulfilled in my life. I came to Father’s House Bible Church one Sunday in 2008, Its like u and Tali traveled, I believe it was another pastor that preached that Sunday, so I left and returned months later to become a member. I would say the presence of God arrested me, held me down and did not to leave again. I would have joined the choir, but there’s a dread of God in my heart that I can’t do the things of God and the world. At that time I wasn’t ready to leave the world so I waited. I was working in the church site, I became close to Tali and I felt a kind of bond that I could talk to him in a way that I can’t talk to any other… I have confessed Christ a long time ago but the growth in the spirit started through this bond with Tali, not only in the pulpit but in the site as well, apparently his presence always minister to me.

The month of May this year, for the first time in my life I declared a seven day fast with just water and fruits (Daniel’s type when they refuse to eat from their kings table) and my prayer is “Lord speak to me” the fourth day into the fast, Tali called me to say that God loves me, that I should work for God, to be the youth pastor… I said ‘Sir that was a mountainous task’. He said he knows but I have to do it. I went home, broke down in tears, wept like a baby… lost and found… thanking God for mercy and grace. I did not understand… I mean, I am just a gate man which is my first paid job in the 30 years of my entire life… This is the first time a man of God called me and prayed for me, to serve God… Ma, I fear God! There’s no end to the knowledge of God. God is infinite in wisdom. I can say much more but some things cannot be uttered with words. God bless Tali and you, my spiritual parents! To God be all the glory!”

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (Jam 4:8)

This is God’s command and conditional promise. It is such a wonderful promise! It says that if you draw nearer to God, He will respond to your spirit move and come closer to you. You need to start this mysterious dance of holy love. The angels can never learn the steps. But you, child of God, you can do it…. You need to come closer to your First Love, Jesus Christ, Your Lord… You need to declare your need of God. Do not be discouraged! Even if your desire for God is little, even if your prayer is just a whisper, God in heaven will acknowledge that and encourage you by coming closer. You shall sense a new deposit of peace, joy, wisdom and strength. It is called personal revival. That is what you need…

 
“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that plants any thing, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase. Now he that plants and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God” (1Cor 3:6-9)

The church at Corinth was gifted but worldly. The brethren quarreled, got jealous on one another and divided the Body. These are the marks of carnal baby Christians. The cure for such a spiritual sickness is to become mature believers. God saves us and ‘hires’ us as laborers for Him and with Him. If you are saved by Christ and refuse to work for Him, you shall remain spiritually immature. You will be jealous on others, on their blessings and you shall quarrel every day. But if you chose to obey God’s call for service, He will reward you. The greater the labor the greater the reward. The more you are faithful to God, giving Him all the glory, the greater shall be your reward. Then quarrels die.

“Hear my cry, O God;
Attend to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For You have been a shelter for me,
Strong tower from the enemy!
I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings…
So I will sing praise to Your name forever…” (Psalm 61)