“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Mt 6:16-18)

Fasting is a spiritual exercise that has great gain. It is one of the greatest Christian disciplines to learn self-control. Simply said, we deny ourselves from food and other pleasure things for the purpose of seeking God. The Holy Spirit helps us to fast and to pray. Fasting is also great weapon in spiritual warfare. We fast especially when things are difficult, when we are under an evil attack.

The Lord attracts our attention to the power of the flesh that can hinder even spiritual things like prayer and fasting. Self wants to be noticed, to be attended to. It desires fame and glory. Religion does not change self. It only adds some superficial beauty that fades with time. Our Lord said that if we desire to be His disciples, His intimate friends, then we must do three things: deny self, take up our cross daily and follow Him (Mt 16:24). More than any other spiritual exercise, it is the Spirit lead fasting and prayer that helps to deny self, to crucify the flesh. Then your spirit can mature, manifesting fruits to the glory of God.

The danger of hypocrisy in religious circles is very high. The word ‘hypocrite’ means to be an actor, to play another character and not yourself. A hypocrite is a liar and a deceiver, a child of the devil. He pretends to be better than he is, to feel high emotions he is not able to feel in reality. The hypocrites look sad when they fast. The word ‘sad’ also means angry, frustrated, depressed and mourning. They give the impression that God’s commandments are burdensome. They indirectly say that the yoke of Jesus is heavy and difficult. They give a false impression of Christ. They break the command to “rejoice always!”. This is the truth: The joy of the Lord is the seal of an ambassador of Christ. He represents Christ who now seats in heaven filled with eternal joy.

The hypocrites ‘disfigure their faces’. In Greek, the word ‘disfigure’ means to hide behind shadows, to vanish away, drawing back towards the darkness, refusing to manifest the truth about himself. Hypocrites are mysterious people. You will not know who they really are. In fasting and prayers they look very religious, but it is just a cover up to impress men with their spirituality. Some are very good in acting the part, they are like professional players. Their intent is to deceive the audience, to attract men (and their money) to them. Any form of flattery coming from men, if accepted, that is their reward. God will not answer their prayers. The applause of men is their salary. The money of men is their wages.

How then shall we fast as children of God? The first thing we remember is that we do it for God. That is why we go into the secret place of the Most High God. We die to men’s opinions and desire only God’s truth. We die to hypocrisy and chose to live an honest life. Our fasting and prayers do not change God. But thru these difficult spiritual exercises, we change ourselves. Pride, selfish ambition, cowardice, doubt, foolishness and others, shall die. We become humble, gentle, bold, wise and faithful. We prove to God that we are serious believers, that we have humbled ourselves ready to receive God’s blessings. We may deceive men but we can never deceive God. He knows all things and sees all things. Please remember this: God is more interested in the motives than in the actions. God looks at the heart. If the Father finds you faithful and true, He will reward you openly. In the presence of men and angels He will say:
“Well done good and faithful servant! Enter the joy of your Lord! Be in charge over cities and nations! Rule them in My name! For My glory alone!”

In Christ I declare:
I fast and pray in the secret place, for God alone!
I reject every form of religious hypocrisy!
I deny self, take up my cross daily and follow Jesus my Lord!
In Jesus name
Amen!

“The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert… She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” (El Roi) for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Gen 16:7, 13)

Here we have a glimpse of the drama in Abraham’s household. It is not a pleasant story to read. Most of the time we ignore its lessons because we think we know ‘who Hagar is’: ‘Is she not the mother of Ishmael, ‘the father’ of the Muslims?’ Biased, we find no beauty in the story. But then we forget that this is the Word of God and our Lord’s glory shines there in all its pages. Let’s read it again…

God promised Abraham that he will have a son. He believed the promise. But he and Sarah, his wife, were ‘well advanced in years’. To have a child at their age was humanly impossible. Frustrated, Sarah devises a strange plan… Let Abraham have a child with her domestic slave, Hagar. Then they will ‘adopt’ that child. This is the strategy of doubt. God may surprise you with the success of a plan not of Him. The arrangement ‘worked’. Hagar became pregnant with Abraham’s child. This should have been wonderful news for all in the house. But trouble came with ‘the blessing’. Immediately, Hagar began ‘to despise her mistress’. She refused to honor, to respect her. Pregnant with the child of promise, or so she thought, she rebels at the idea that she is still a slave to an old, barren, cursed woman. The blessing of God made her proud and foolish. Quickly, Sarah reminds Hagar of her status and mistreats her. Sad story…

Lesson! Sarah’s reaction in hurting Hagar is wrong. We cannot sin and then try ‘to kill’ the consequences of our wrong choices. For example, your fornication may end in an unplanned pregnancy but abortion will not solve the problem. It will only complicate it. There is no ‘short cut’ with God. Al sinful choices should send us to the Cross! We should humble ourselves and repent. Misplaced aggression is always a sign of unrepentant pride.

Hagar runs away with ‘the treasure’ of Abraham. Her name in fact means ‘Flight’. She runs into the desert and gets lost there. That surely means death. Then the Angel of the Lord ‘finds’ her beside a spring that is on the road to Shur. The word Shur means a fugitive, to travel about as a harlot and a merchant.

Lesson! You can never run away from God. He will find you even in the desert of sin!

This is the first time ‘the Angel of the Lord’ appears in the Bible. It is a pre-incarnate appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please observe how He extends grace and mercy to a lost, confused, hopeless woman in deep misery. This scene reminds us of Jesus sitting by another well, asking for a cup of water from another Gentile woman, also ‘a sinner’ (Jn 4).

Lesson! Jesus reveals His deep love to all lost sinners, even to the Gentiles.

You can be Hagar! Appreciate her saving encounter with the Lord. Hagar weeps and prays. God hears her desperate cry and helps her. Hagar’s pregnancy is confirmed by the Lord. She will have a son and his name will be Ishmael, which means: ’The Lord hears’. God is described here as ‘the One who sees’ and ‘the One who hears’ the cry of needy desperate people. He is the merciful God. We may wish that God ignores the prayer of our enemies, but God is God to all His creation. Do not limit God. The sun shines on all, both good and bad. The rain falls on all, both saved and unsaved. This story of Hagar humbles me. I bow at the feet of Jesus who reminds me today of His mercy and grace.

Lesson! Yes, the desert is not too hot for the Angel of the Lord to find you there! Your situation is not too desperate that God cannot help! I wish that you do not waste God’s acts of mercy on only natural desires. I wish that your soul be saved, even as God heals your body from sickness and your heart from slavery sorrow.

Lesson! As I walk with the Lord, I discover that He loves more and He helps more people I could have imagined. Jehovah El Roi is the God who sees you. He sees you right now. Yes, right now! Even before you see Him, He is there with you. Have faith and pray. You lose nothing by crying for help to God Almighty. Your story is not ended yet. Each breath is a sign of hope. Even if men rejected you, pray! God hears! God sees! God answers prayers!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

Jehovah El Roi is my God!

God sees me! God hears me! God answers my prayers!

Jesus will never leave me and never forsake me!

To His glory alone!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Yet now BE STRONG, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord; ‘and BE STRONG, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and BE STRONG, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and WORK; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’. ‘Consider now from this day forward… Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you!’” (Haggai 2)

This is the command of God, Jehovah Sabaoth, The Lord of Hosts and the Captain of the armies of heaven: “Be strong and… work!” God does not ask you to do something without giving you the resources to obey. This strength is not the result of your exercising in the gym, eating good food or taking multivitamins. This is the supernatural strength given by the Holy Spirit. This strength is not given that you waste it in works of the flesh. It is given so that you can WORK!

This year you shall do God’s work like never before. You shall not be tired, easily discouraged, lazy or slothful. You shall not sleep too much, eat too much or waste time in unprofitable adventures. You shall not be afraid to start new things. You shall not grumble or gossip. You shall be prayerful, faithful, zealous and wise with your resources.  The Holy Spirit will be there with you to help you each moment. Others will wonder at the great changes in your life.

God will reward you for your service. For God does not owe any man. There is trouble in the world. The exchange rate goes up and down. The markets are not stable. Not so with God! In the Kingdom of God there is no inflation and no loss. The increase of God’s government, authority and peace is limitless. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb 13:8).

Start using the strength of God to serve Him. Any work for God is good. Clean the sanctuary or the toilets. Preach the Word or intercede for others. All these are ministries and God pays His workers. Even if there is no money in your account today, money will come!!! This is the decree of God that from today on, your breakthrough has started and the miracles will overflow. Faith 100%! Doubt 0%! Glory of God!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

I am a servant of God!

I am strong and courageous!

I do the work of God!

I am not afraid! I am not discouraged!

I am blessed! I am healed! I am delivered!

My financial miracle has arrived!

I will testify about my breakthrough!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Noah entered the ark, as God had commanded. And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth… And the flood was forty days upon the earth, and the waters multiplied and bore up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth… And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth, and all the high mountains that were under all the heavens were covered” (Gen 7)

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty” (Mal 3:10, 11)

I am a medical doctor by profession. Please read this letter carefully. It is as good as when I use to give you drug prescriptions in the past. There is great power released from heaven for they who tithe faithfully!!! The promise given is that of supernatural blessings that no devil can stop. This is God’s promise: ‘the floodgates of heaven’ shall be opened to you and the ‘devouring pests’ shall not be able to destroy your harvest.

When God opens His floodgates, the rain will flood the earth as it was during Noah’s time. The flood is a picture of Baptism or Judgment. Some people shall be baptized in the waters but not able to come up again. Like with the Egyptians pursuing the people of God in the Red Sea, they shall enter alive and drown. The water will be their grave.  The waters will lift up the Ark and drown the rest. The waters of judgment will always prevail Even the high mountains shall be covered completely. This symbolizes the great men of the earth, the proud, rebellions, religious, rich or famous but without Christ. They shall receive no mercy when the judgment is revealed.  But the ones inside the Ark, which is a picture of Christ, shall live and rejoice at God’s salvation.

The same judgment is described by our Lord in the parable of the Builders (Mt 7:24-29). The wise man is the one who hears the Word of God and obeys it. He puts it into practice having visible results to testify to his obedience. But the foolish man only listens to the Word of God and stops there. He quickly forgets what he has heard. He refuses to obey the Word. There is no fruit to prove that the Word is alive, working in his life. When the floodgates of judgment are opened and the rain comes down, it will surely destroy the foolish man’s house. The destruction will be sudden and complete. But the wise man, like Noah in the Ark, will not only survive the flood, but become blessed thru it.  His wisdom and faithfulness shall be vindicated publicly.

If you faithfully pay your tithe, you too shall testify to this: You shall be blessed above your expectations! The judgment will come upon your enemies. All who live around you, planning evil against you, these shall perish as an invisible flood sweeps them all away. You or anyone else will not be able to help them at all. It is God’s judgment released by your tithe. The pests shall not be able to destroy your harvest. The fruit will not fall before its time. The tithe releases the blessing that stops the devil from destroying your wealth and health. You shall not be disappointed. You shall rejoice in serving God. Panic attacks, sudden loss of money, sickness, miscarriage or untimely death shall not be your portion.

This is God’s Promise to faithful tithers: “And all nations shall call you blessed: for you shall be a delightful land, saith the Lord of hosts” (Mal 3:12). This is an international blessing!

The word ‘blessed’ means to prosper in a straight and honest way, to move forward from one breakthrough to another. This is totally impossible for the unbelievers who use only crooked means to make their wealth. God’s blessing will be seen upon you.  The curse of being a thief to God will be seen on them. No matter how rich, suddenly all men will hate and despise them.

This is another promise made by the Lord of Hosts, the God who fights and always wins. ‘Your Land shall be delightful’. That means you shall be a landlord. You shall not die a tenant. The word ‘delightful’ means to have great value, to be favored by God. You shall not buy a land that will be barren, swampy of destroyed by earthquakes. It is a land that has a purpose: to build a house that stands as a sign that God is good! Selah!    .

Lastly, there is no need to argue with me. This is not my idea. It is God’s Word. Pay your tithe (the first 10%) from all the financial increase God is granting to you. Do it joyfully with all your heart, having faith that God sees and God rewards. This is the beginning of the year. Start from now on. I have no doubt at all that you shall be blessed and have great testimonies of healing, deliverance and a supernatural prosperity. Teach your children to tithe too, from their pocket money and gifts from others. They shall be blessed too. This is one of the secrets of a holy, long, blessed and happy life on earth!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God! I am filled with the Holy Spirit!

I am Baptized in Christ! I died with Christ and I live with Christ!

I live in the power of His resurrection!

Jehovah Sabaoth, The Lord of Hosts, the Captain of the armies of heaven, He is my God!

I pay my tithe joyfully and faithfully!

I am blessed! My family is blessed!

My enemies have been destroyed!

My prosperity is supernatural! My health is divine! My joy is complete!

My testimonies shall increase!

At the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is my Lord!

All to the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“A voice was heard in Ramah,

Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children,

Refusing to be comforted,

Because they are no more” (Matt 2:18; Jer 31:15)

This is the story of Christmas. The wise men deceived Herod and went home by another road. The mad jealous king became furious and ordered the killing of all baby boys in Bethlehem. The above scripture is a quotation from the Old Testament (Jeremiah 31) describing the painful going away on exile to Babylon. It was God’s judgment on a rebellious nation. Jeremiah prophesies that after 70 years, humbled and wiser, the people shall return with songs of joy to worship God in Zion once more.

Rachel is chosen by the prophet Jeremiah as an example of a grieving mother who refuses to be comforted. There are many mothers in the Bible. Why Rachel? She is a woman of sorrow and without hope. She was a beautiful woman but always filled with anxiety and doubt. Jacob loved her so much that he was ready to work 14 years just to marry her. But with all her beauty and the husband’s love, she was never happy, for she was barren. She cried to the husband: “Give me children or I will die”. She secretly stole her father’s house idols used to bless and heal in a pagan way. She represents a woman who is ready to do anything just to have her own blessings. She gives the impression of a selfish wife and mother. She was not ready to dedicate her husband and children to God. She died an untimely death losing them all. As she lay dying she named her baby Ben-Oni, which means ‘The son of my sorrows’. She wept until her last breath. She had no peace or comfort until she went to the grave.

Rachel represents the believers who refuse to be filled with the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. Their lives are lived in the flesh. The cross is a terrible thing to them. They refuse its shame and pain. Ignorantly they cut themselves off from the only true Comfort on this earth, God the Holy Spirit. That is a terrible way to live your Christian life. Just tears and no joy…God forbid!

You can see that Rachel is very different from Mary, the mother of Jesus. The sword of sorrows passed thru her breast too but she received the Comfort of the Holy Spirit at last. Leaving the tragedy of the Cross behind, Mary followed John and the other disciples to the upper room. There she surrendered her life to Christ and became filled with the Holy Spirit. She saw the purpose of the Cross, of the pain, rejection, sin and sorrow. She saw the plan of God, forgiveness, redemption and restoration. Then the Comforter came to her, as it was promised.

Today I remind myself of God’s Word: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps 30:5). I should not be impatient when I suffer. There is hope! Healing, deliverance, prosperity and joy shall come! God is able to change things and circumstances in a second. In all trials on earth, I should never sorrow like the pagans who have no hope, faith or peace. It is my holy duty to open my eyes and see the light in the midst of darkness, for God is here with us. I have no excuse to be sad, weak, confused, afraid or doubting. Let every man be a liar, God is forever true to His promises. In 2015 I shall trust God like never before. This is my heart’s desire today.

PROPHETIC WORD

Each time the Light of God shines and the glory of Christ is revealed, there is violence in the land. People weep for sorrow like Rachel of old. But in the midst of tears and loss, the plan of God goes on unaffected. Nigeria is at the edge of a great spiritual breakthrough. The conditions are ripe for revival to come in the land! The elections for a new president will be held next month. I am not a politician. I am not a business woman. I am not a religious fanatic. But I am child of God. I am a servant of the Living God. From the Word of God I see that some, like Rachel will cry refusing to be comforted at their loss. They will resist, grieve and quench the Holy Spirit. But there are others who are humble and faithful, who fasted, prayed, wept and pleaded for mercy, the true believers and intercessors, these shall rejoice with what God will do in the land. For God always has the last say in the human affairs. God can never lose! Nigeria belongs to God! The reign of darkness over Nigeria is over. The disgrace of sin in this country is over. Righteousness shall be seen upon this troubled land. Nigeria, “Rise and shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you!”

I am ready for the elections! I cast my vote for the Lord Jesus Christ, the Desire of all nations! God’s will be done!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God! I am a child of light!

I deny myself, I take my cross daily and I follow Jesus!

God has turned my mourning into dancing!

God has given me beauty for ashes!

God has given me the garment of praise instead of the spirit of depression and despair!

I am comforted!I am filled with the Holy Spirit!

Jesus Christ is Lord over Nigeria!

God’s plan and purpose shall be done in Nigeria!

Revival shall come to Nigeria!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was[a] on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day” (Gen 1:1-5)

Genesis 1:1 is a very special verse for me. I never read the Bible until I was 32. I was a confirmed atheist. I did not believe in God. I did not believe in the Bible. In Communist Romania I was told that God doesn’t exist and the Bible is a terribly dangerous book. I did not even see one before I came to Nigeria with my husband and children in 1980.

Early 1986 for the first time in my life I secretly opened God’s Book and read the first line: “In the Beginning God created…” That is all I could read… A fear I could not explained came over me. “God … what God … who is God?”

These words were like a sword to my soul. I could not fight them; I could not ignore them. Anyway, God had mercy on me. I had a crisis conversion and I became saved. Each January 1^st I start to read the Bible from the beginning. Here the holy words meet me again. What did I learn today reading the first scriptures of Genesis?

The word translated ‘God’ in Genesis 1 is Elohim. This is one of the many names of God. The word means the Supreme God, the Creator of all things, visible and invisible. The word Elohim is in plural. This is a great lesson: from the very beginning we are introduced to the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. May I never forget that!

Another lesson: I see that God loves to create, to start things. There is a beginning when God changes nothingness into something useful and beautiful. The word beginning means: the head, the highest and most excellent part of the whole, the foundation and also, first fruits. This first day or month of the New Year will determine the way your life will be later. That is why I want to gain something spiritual and good to give me the strength to move on. I wait for God to reveal Himself to me today. He knows that I wait on Him this month. He will not disappoint me! My faith, my hope, my excitement is on the increase…this will be a good fruitful year! I can feel it already!

God is not afraid to start new things. I want to be like God. Beginnings use to scare me. I never loved the first day in school. I was not excited to see the faces of new people, potential friends or enemies. After some time I relaxed. Routine fits me better. But now, I want to be like Elohim, my God, like Jesus. “In the beginning was the Word” (Jn 1:1). The Word made flesh came when there was nothing but sin, sickness and despair. Yes, God is not intimidated by darkness, ignorance, hopelessness or nothingness. From now on, me too, I will love new beginnings!

I also see that God created the light by His Word alone. The same God separated them later. For a time, light and darkness seem to be friends, stood there ‘face to face’ waiting for the decree of the Creator. But God separated them. The word ‘separate’ means that God made them so different from the beginning that they can never agree with one another. So, God divorced them. These two can never be one, can never cooperate or produce fruits together. This is another lesson: The children of light and the children of darkness may ‘play’ together, for a season, but they may never settle together. Their marriage cannot work. “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (Jn 1:5)

This is my prayer for today:

I pray to be spiritually bold and courageous!

I pray that from now on I should have more faith in the beginnings of God!

I pray that my faith will increase to trust God for healings, even of the so called ‘incurable diseases’!

I pray that I may trust God in all situations, even when I have no money or human helper!

I pray to be more discerning and reject, from the very beginning, the poisonous flattery of the powers of darkness!

I pray that I believe in God’s grace alone, sufficient to produce any miracle or breakthrough!

I pray to be more grateful, for God is indeed good to me and to my family!

I pray that this New Year will be sweet and wonderful, filled with many testimonies of God’s goodness and power!

All to the glory of Elohim!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“I will be the same until your old age, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will bear and save you.” (Is 46:4)

This is a great testimony proving once more that God loves all people, especially the elderly. I am so happy for that! About a week ago I had a desire to buy some audio Bibles and give them as gifts to older people, most of them blind or too weak to go to church. (I have one in my kitchen and I listen to it when I cook. If you ask me…yes, the food is tastier when the anointing is greater).

There is this man called Papa S. Three of his sons are faithful members and workers in our church for many years. I never met him until recently. What I knew about him is that his wife became born again when he was not. She went to a village to do missionary work, came back and died a sudden death. She was only 52 years old. Her passing shocked him. He was left with ten children to take care of. Slowly, he started going to church. After six years of being a widower he married ‘a good woman’ from his church.

Thru his son, I sent him an audio Bible and invited him to come to Jesus Mega Party. This afternoon he came to our house, grateful for the unexpected gift. He thanked us for taking care of his sons. Then I asked him about his spiritual standing. He could not convince me that he is saved. He was just religious. He said that his primary desire is that his children to be successful in life and good Christians so that they can take care of him in his old age when he cannot work anymore. I said: “Papa S, this is a good thing you said. But I know of something better, the best of all”. He said he wants to know what is better than that. I told him that he should remove his trust from his children and place his life totally in the hands of Jesus. Let Jesus be his Savior, Lord, Lawyer, Doctor, Provider and Best Friend forever. I said that he should live his life like the birds…”of the air” (he concluded for me).

Gently, I lead him to Christ. He prayed from his heart. The Holy Spirit was there to witness, empower and seal ‘the sinner’s prayer’. Then I told him to use his remaining days on earth to preach the Gospel of Christ to all human beings he meets, young or old, religious or not. I told him that God pays His preachers. He was excited to hear that. He promised to do so. He also promised to come in the evening with his wife at Jesus Mega Party.

At last, he was ready to go home. Then he suddenly became shy, telling me that tomorrow, 1^st of January 2015 is his birthday. He will be 75 years old. I had no idea how old he is or when was his birthday. Suddenly he became emotional again realizing that God loves him, that He gave him the best birthday gift ever, salvation for his soul and the Word of God. I too was touched… O, sweet Holy Spirit… Because of the Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross, a simple man became a saint, just like that… After many trials and tears, Jacob was declared Israel, Prince with God! From now on, Papa S shall be called “Israel”…Like Job, his later years shall be better than his youth. To the glory of God!

This is my last entry for 2014. It has been a very fruitful year, more than I could have imagined. God bless you my children, readers and friends. I am already excited for 2015! Your future is better than your past! The sufferings you have experienced cannot compare with the glory that shall be revealed!  Happy New Year!

 
“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?” (Ps 27:1)

Yesterday we had a wonderful Holy Communion service. Pastor Leigh preached a wonderful prophetic sermon based on Psalm 27. The Word of God commands us to be strong and courageous! We ended the year with prayer, praise and prophetic utterances.

This morning, a sister who attends the church sent me a beautiful testimony of the power of the Word of God.

Dear Malia and Tali,

I’m grateful to God for His word that came through yesterday.. It was a reminder of His faithfulness and never ending love.

In 1997, as a student, I’d dedicated my life to Jesus the year before but very much a baby and ignorant concerning God’s word and the sweet guide of the Holy Spirit. Our hostels were poorly managed; light bulbs were hardly replaced so hallways were dark especially at night.

Somehow, I’d managed not using the bathrooms at night.. I was scared of the dark until this night that I was so pressed but the fear kept me in bed.. I kept praying for dawn or at least sound of someone else steps so I could tag along. My roommates were mostly in their finals, couldn’t wake any of them to go with me.

Then, in my heart, I heard psalms 27… I ignored the voice.. Still lying down very distressed Psalm 27 came again.. I brushed it off.. Then the voice completely filled my thoughts.. In frustration, I wondered what psalm 27 was all about and decided to look it up, maybe the thoughts would leave me… Brought out my bible which I hardly ever opened except during fellowship, once or twice a week.. Looked through the contents, got the page number and flipped to Psalm 27…I read…

“The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear

The LORD is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid…”

In shock, I read it again… Instantly, I was bold.. I walked out of my room majestically, no rush, no turning of head to see if anything was coming to get me. I felt like true princess… The hallway, bathrooms were dark but it didn’t matter anymore, The LORD is my light!!!

In fact, I had a challenging attitude to fear..” Come if u dare”

Continued my majestic walk back to my room, I prayed and thanked God.. I slept well.

The experience never left me. I’m grateful for God’s love and His word that never fails…

Truly grateful,

Your daughter in Christ…

“I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brethren…”

“Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. This matter arose because some false brethren had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you” (2 Cor 11:26; Gal 2: 3-5)

In the Bible, we are warned about false believers or false brethren. Their numbers will increase in the last days. Apostle Paul was always watchful against them for they could do much damage to the Body of Christ or to his ministry. These false believers are men and women in the church who speak and behave like they are Christians but they are not. They are hypocrites, wolves in sheep clothing. These men did not truly repent of their sins and did not accept Christ as their Savior. They speak about Him but they do not really know Him. Repentance is not the work of man. You can’t repent any time you want. Repentance is not trying to obey some laws to please God. Repentance is the deep work of the Holy Spirit in the souls of men. It means to have a broken and a contrite heart, falling at the feet of Jesus and begging to be saved like a dying man. Then the Holy Spirit comes and grants peace.

These men come close to you using familiarity. It is very dangerous to say that just because this man is my husband, or this woman is my sister, therefore they are born again. Salvation is a miracle, the work of the Holy Spirit. Do not ‘dash’ the title of ‘born again’ to any person you may admire. That is foolishness. The false brethren are not truly born again. They lack the fruit of the Spirit in their character. They do not manifest love, peace, patience, joy, faithfulness, goodness, kindness, humility and self-control (Gal 5). They may use some religious ‘paint’ to cover up. But they are selfish, restless, unhappy, rude, jealous, unfaithful, harsh, greedy, proud and reckless. Pray and wait for God to reveal the truth about any man. Until proven saved, all men are sinners. That is holy and safe thinking.

The false brethren are spies and agents of the devil. They are sent especially to the churches where the true Gospel is preached, where souls become saved and free. It is your freedom that they are interested in. They look for ways to attack and destroy this freedom.  They are agents of the devil who has lost his slaves. He wants to know the way his former slaves became free and to stop others from becoming free in the future. To better understand them you need to know what freedom is, because that is what they their hate the most.

Freedom means the state of being free; to have the power to do things, free from the oppression of another; to be outspoken; to be bold in conception and execution of projects. To be free it means you are not a slave anymore; you enjoy the full rights of a citizen. You are independent from outside oppression. You are able to choose exactly what you want according to God’s will and your conscience; no man or demon can stop you fulfilling God’s will for your life. The opposite of freedom is slavery to sin and bondage to the devil.

False brethren preach legalism. They say that for salvation you need Christ and something else. This ‘something else’ they tell you is to keep some religious laws. But the truth is that salvation is trusting Christ alone to save your soul, because He died on the Cross to atone for your sins. Christ alone pleases the Father. No man is able to please God. Because of Christ, we are now accepted ‘in the Beloved’. The false brethren tell you that Christ and trust in His sacrifice is not enough for salvation; that you need to please religious men with your obedience to religious laws. The evil spirit of religion produces these unholy counterfeits. Be careful and study yourself! If you have any doubts about your spiritual standing, continue to pray until you receive the assurance of your salvation.

These men are very dangerous. Apostle Paul places them in the same category with bandits and armed robbers. You need to identify and expose them. It is your responsibility as a child of God!  ‘The false brethren’ are people who pretend to be your friends or associates, but in reality, they are your enemies. They are spiritual bastards. They may resemble you outwardly, they may be religious, but they have a different father and a different god. The devil is their father and their god. They ‘infiltrate’ the churches. In Greek, the word means to secretly enter by an illegal side door and not by the main front gate. This is a good lesson: Be careful with your friends. Watch their point of entrance into your heart. As for me, it is simple: anybody that does not love the Bible cannot be my friend! PV

The reason why these false brethren are so dangerous is because they are on the side of your enemy, of your oppressor. They pretend to be friends but they are spiritual spies and oppressors. They try to block the way for more souls to be saved and free. Their strategy is to discover your weakness and attack you there. These men are points of contact for the devil informing him about your plans for ministry. Their strength is rooted in your ignorance and deception. Once the light of God shines and you discover their true identity they run away.

In Christ I declare:

I am born again by the Spirit of God!

I am filled with the Holy Spirit!

I submit to God! Therefore, the devil and his agents will flee from me!

I separate myself from any false brethren, false apostles or false prophets!

I destroy any form of deception in my life!

I preach Christ Crucified and resurrected!

I love the true brethren of the Body of Christ!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name,

Amen!

“Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf” (1Cor 10:16, 17)

Today, being the last Sunday of the year, we had a glorious Holy Communion service. The Lord instituted it as a memorial to Him. The theologians call Water Baptism and the Holy Communion ‘sacraments’. The word sacrament in Latin means something holy, sacred. It is a thing of God. For example, eating bread and butter is a common thing. But the Holy Communion is a sacred thing. In the ancient Roman army, a sacrament was a military term. It refers to the oath of allegiance of the soldiers to their Commander. They promise to be loyal to their commander even unto death. Today, we re-surrendered our lives to Christ! We renewed our allegiance to the Lamb of God!

Today we remembered the Person of our Savior. We took the Holy Communion in the memory of Him. Wine is bitter and sweet. We remembered the bitter pain of the Cross when He died for our sins. We also tasted the sweetness of salvation, of freedom from sin.

The cup is called ‘a cup of thanksgiving’. We thanked God for His love, protection, guidance and grace this year; over us as a people and as a church. The Holy Communion is a fellowship, ‘a participation’ in the Blood of Christ. It does not need a human sermon. It speaks of itself. ‘Participation’ is a very strong word. It means that we share our lives together. “I am Yours Lord and You are mine…” We have fellowship with the Father and the Son (1Jn 1:3).

The Holy Communion ministers grace in a special way. It is true that grace comes thru the hearing of God’s Word and prayer. But the Holy Communion brings a special type of grace, unique in its manifestations. Today we are reminded that though we are many and we have different gifts, at the Lord’s Table we have fellowship with one another by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are also reminded of our responsibility to the Body of Christ. If I am strong, I minister strength to others. If I commit sin, then I pollute the Body, I weaken it. We prayed for the grace to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and to be a blessing to the brethren.

The choir led us in this wonderful “Hillsong”:

“Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand

Will be my guide

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me

You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

Oh, Jesus, you’re my God!

I will call upon Your name

Keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

I am Yours and You are mine”

We hearts full of thanksgiving today worshiped God. O, the privilege of worshiping the Living God…The presence of God was very powerful in our midst. The unique special exquisite grace reserved for the friends of Jesus, at His table, was our portion today. Our God will lead us safely into the New year! We shall serve Him forever! To God be all the glory!

Today we went to Abraka for picnic. Bro. V, wife and their four children came to kneel down as a family near Pastor and I. (This is a Nigerian custom of extreme honor). He was very emotional. He said that exactly a year ago at the picnic 2013, he was a new comer to our church. He said I told him that in one year he will have his own house. He said that he was surprised at my words but he believed.

At that time he was a jobless man, almost begging for food. He previously had a house but a pastor at his former church manipulated him and he gave him his house as a gift. Since then he and his family have lived as poor tenants. He became bitter against all pastors. Until a friend invited him to come to Father’s House. He started building another house but because of lack of money, he stopped at the ‘lintel’ .

ANNOUNCEMENT
The women fellowship in our church, we shall fast daily for the month of January. No solid food until 12, 3 or 6 pm (select one option). You can drink water or fluids. The theme is: “Stop tolerating Jezebel!”. We shall fast, pray and praise God. We shall break our fast at home.
Our prophetic theme as a church for 2015 is “Be strong and courageous!” (Josh 1:9). We shall be strong and courageous and do exploits!
This is warfare against the powers of darkness who try to destroy our lives, marriages, families, children, grandchildren, businesses and ministries. We expect great results. The sick shall be healed! The oppressed shall be delivered! The weak shall become strong! The poor shall become rich! The barren shall become fruitful! The baby Christians shall become spiritually mature! Revival shall come to us!
In Jesus name, Amen!

ATTENTION PLEASE!
We added a new prayer request concerning the prayer and fast in January 2015: anyone, man or woman, who has been abused as a boy or girl, while living in their parents home, sexually, mentally, spiritually or physically shall be healed and delivered from the effects of such sins and move forward in life. The evil spirit of Jezebel who stayed in such strongholds who has tormented many until they are now adults, with unclean thoughts, guilt, strange sicknesses and poverty shall be defeated, In Jesus name, Amen!. These men and women shall be free to marry, be happily married with children, prosper financially, serve God like never before and fulfill destiny! We expect great things in 2015! Let your faith increase! God is on our side! Be strong and courageous! The testimonies shall come! All glory to God! In Jesus name, Amen!

ALL ROADS HAVE BENDS

FEW ARE STRAIGHT UNTIL THE END

WHEN I REFLECT BACK IN TIME

KNOWING NOT HOW MY LIFE WOULD UNWIND

COULD I HAVE CHANGED MY DIRECTION?

SHOULD I YIELD AND BE LED?

WHY DID I KEEP QUIET AND LET THINGS BE UNSAID?

MY PAST DOES NOT REVEAL MY END

IT ONLY TELLS OTHERS WHERE I HAVE BEEN

SO I THANK GOD FOR BLESSINGS SENT

AND I NO LONGER LOOK AT HOW MY ROAD WAS BENT

I DIDN’T CHO0SE WHERE MY FEET WOULD TROD

I PUT MY TRUST IN GOD

ALL I KNOW IS THAT BEFORE I COULD HAVE MY SAY

ALWAYS, A SMALL VOICE WOULD SAY “WALK THIS WAY”

Veronica

“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word; for my eyes have seen Your Salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a Light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the Glory of Your people Israel

And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be Revealed.” (Lk 2:25-35)

There is this old man called Simeon. He waited all his life for just a moment of glory. Then he was satisfied. He was a man filled and led by the Holy Spirit. That is why he was at the right place at the right time. It was the Holy Spirit that revealed Christ to him. It was not his idea or the opinions of the religious elite. Having an encounter with Jesus is all that any man needs. Once saved, he is ready to go to heaven. Life’s climax is to know Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

In this passage above Simeon introduces us to the wonderful Son of God. Jesus Christ is described as:

*The Consolation of Israel (Consolation means to alleviate pain, grief, trouble; to give new strength, hope, comfort, peace and reassurance of a better future)

*The Lord’s Christ (there are many so called ‘Messiahs’. But Jesus Christ is the only true one)

*The child Jesus (born in the manger by a virgin according to the prophecy)

*Your (God’s) Salvation (We are eternally saved by grace thru faith in the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross)

*The Light to the Gentiles (like me and you)

*The Glory of Israel

*This Child destined (not an ordinary child but the Word made flesh, the King of kings and the Lord of lords)

*The Revealer of thoughts (Only Jesus knows the thoughts of men. Nothing can be hidden from Him. He is the Judge of all men. He knows who has received Him and who did not. He will reward all men according to what they have done. Jesus knows what you are thinking right now…)

Dear Reader, This is the Christmas season. There is no better time to think about your life, you soul, your destiny. Are you really born again? No man can take you to heaven. No amount of money can buy your salvation. Peace and joy are not for sale. Jesus Christ was born, lived as a man and died on the Cross to pay the penalty for your sins. This is the Gospel we preach. This is the Gospel we live.

May your ears be open to listen to the sound of truth!

May your eyes be open to see the King in His beauty!

May your heart be open to feel the touch of His hands!

Fall on your knees and hear the angels voices, The Savior of the world is born!

Jesus is Lord!

Merry Christmas to you!

“Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words” (PV 2:16)

It was not Joseph’s choice to be in the place of temptation. He is not like the foolish youth who ‘lacks judgment’, who in the evening goes down the street, towards the place where prostitutes sell their bodies. That street goes downwards to hell. Many mighty men have perished in its spirals of sin (PV 7). As for Joseph, it was not his choice to live in Egypt, in the house of the powerful Potiphar with his seducing wife. He did not go there by his own free will. He was betrayed and sold as a slave by his own brothers. Potiphar liked him and bought him with money. Joseph could have been like any slave, no freedom, no future and no joy. But in the house of his master he proved to be a unique man of character, faithful, humble and wise. He had success in all things. Potiphar gave him total responsibility over the entire household.

Joseph was not yet a free man when he was promoted to the highest position any slave could have. After many lonely nights of silent tears, he finally came to a place of relative comfort and peace. This can be a very dangerous time if you ignore the command to always watch and pray. Immediately after the promotion, Jezebel attacks! Apparently Joseph was prepared for it. When the wayward woman came to seduce him, he was ready to withstand the temptation. His faith in God gave him wisdom much above his years. The wisdom of the world is not a match for the wisdom that comes from above. It is wisdom that saves you from sexual sin. You do not need to protect your genitals. You need to protect your mind with the peace of Jesus that passes all human understanding.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you…And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Is 26:3; Phil 4:7)

Joseph surely had ‘a steadfast guarded mind’ which is able to trust God in all things. In Hebrew the word ‘steadfast’ means to lean upon another of greater strength, to bear up under trials, to rest when need be, to stand fast against attacks, to be established in the grace of God and to be able to encourage others by its choices and actions. How do you know an overcomer? One sure way is that person is a truly generous encourager to others who need help.

The most important lesson is this: it is very possible to overcome sexual sins!!! This is the truth! Do not believe the lie that it is natural to fornicate. The unbelievers accept defeat even before the attack. They do not believe that God has provided a way of escape for them in the mist of trials. In the wild, most animals do not fight back when the lion attacks them. His size and roar paralyzes them and they faint with fear. That is how unbelievers behave. But Joseph was not intimidated or manipulated by Jezebel. His spirit, mind and body were at peace with God and with himself. Wisdom will save you from adultery. Fools end up in the bed of the stranger, paying the price for sex with their health and honor. God forbid! Peace and wisdom are twins. Covet both. Pay the price for both. Study the Word of God and pray always! Desire victory for the sake of Christ and He will grant it to you!

My testimony: Just like you all, I am a sinner saved by grace. I am a human being like you. By the grace of God I was able to kill sexual lust in my flesh. The devil has no place in me. I am filled with the Holy Spirit which kills in me any desire to sin. The same Spirit makes me to love Jesus and to desire to be like Him. When attacked by Jezebel, I am able to remain calm and strong against her wicked offers. That is the power of the Cross of Christ actively working in me. The Cross is not just a doctrine but an experience of life, a spiritual victory and testimony to share with other. Because she knows that I reject her sexual offers, Jezebel attacks me with sickness or trouble. I prefer that! At least the war is in the open, not under the shadows of seduction and deception. My marriage is under the Blood of Christ and on the Rock of Christ. My husband and I do not lust after one another. Lust is our enemy, not a friend. We truly love each other with the overflow of the love of God. Peace and joy surround our marriage. That is why we are so strong and happy. This is the holy secret of our successful marriage. To God be all the glory!

The women fellowship in our church, we shall fast daily for the month of January. No solid food until 12, 3 or 6 pm (select one option). You can drink water or fluids. The theme is: “Stop tolerating Jezebel!”. We shall fast, pray and praise God. We shall break our fast at home.
Our prophetic theme for 2015 is “Be strong and courageous!” (Josh 1:9). We shall be strong and courageous and do exploits!
This is warfare against the powers of darkness who try to destroy our lives, marriages, families, children, grandchildren, businesses and ministries. We expect great results. The sick shall be healed! The oppressed shall be delivered! The weak shall become strong! The poor shall become rich! The barren shall become fruitful! The baby Christians shall become spiritually mature! Revival shall come to us!
In Jesus name, Amen!

“As it is written: “For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter:

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” (Romans 8:36, 37)

There is a danger when you read the Word of God out of context. You need the leading and the illumination of the Holy Spirit to understand and benefit from the scriptures. The following example is one of the most common mistakes the believers make. They only read verse 36 and stop there. They are not able to find strength in the Word.

This is a basic truth: Christians must learn to fight their own battles. Most Christians, today, are like sheep. They refuse to fight. They become easily discouraged. Spiritual warfare is a strange exercise to them. They desire an easy way out of troubles. They do not pray to God for supernatural strength. When the battle rages, they easily get discouraged and become defeated. Many backslide. This is where many of God’s people dwell. Many believers read only verse 36. Thy have overlooked Paul’s next words:

Paul’s first words were ” NAY “! This means we are not to be ‘accounted as sheep for the slaughter’. We should not be foolish, weak or easily discouraged! We should be strong and courageous! We should encourage one another!

In Christ, we are not just conquerors! We are ‘more than conquerors’. We are overcomers in God’s battles. Jesus is not only our Shepherd, but the Captain of our Salvation! We are not only sheep, but soldiers!

God is rising up an overcoming army who has learned to fight. Those who have not learned to fight will be overcome and will fall by the wayside. Be a soldier for Christ! Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! In Jesus name, Amen!