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

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

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

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

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

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

These are some signs that you indeed worry:

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

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

*You check your Email or your phone messages too often

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

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

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

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

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

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PRAYER REQUEST

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

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

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

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

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

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

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

his is me, about 8 years old and my (late) father, Prof. Albai Ion. I just won a prize in school and was given flowers. The wind was strong and he holds my hair for the picture. I remember how caring he was, how safe I felt with him.We are in the old train station in the city of Orsova, Romania.

Eu cu tata meu, Prof. Albai Ion la gara veche din Orsova. Eram cam 8 ani. Mi-au dat un buchet de flori pentru ca am castigat premiul antai. Tata ami tine parul cu mana pentru ca vantul era tare. Ami aduc aminte ce bun tata el era (Romanian)

A young Christian sister has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Humanly speaking, this is terrible news. The doctors are planing for an emergency surgery. Dear brethren, please pray for a miraculous healing for nothing is impossible with God. Jesus is Lord! Thank you and God bless you all!

The mighty Angel Gabriel was sent by God to Zechariah with wonderful news. Face to face with the angel, the old priest became afraid. Listen to the gracious words coming from the angel, spoken in a human language he can understand:  “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (Lk 1:13). The angel gives him a clear proof of God’s love, faithfulness, mercy and grace. But Zechariah doubts the promise of God. He is chastised immediately. For the next nine months he shall be dumb. He will not be able to encourage the worshippers waiting for him outside the temple. He will not be able to comfort his wife. Ministry comes to stand still.

There are great lessons here. We learn that God punishes doubt in His children. The more grace is given to you, the more is expected from you. This story is amazing to me. First of all, listen to this simple but wonderful sentence spoken by the Angel: “Your prayer is heard!” God invented prayer! God listens to our prayers! No matter how long it takes, God answers our prayers! Another thing that surprises me is that even when God punishes, He is still merciful. God could have stroke Zechariah dead, but He did not. Lastly, it amazes me that even in the presence of His servant’s doubt God’s promise was still fulfilled. Even when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful! The long expected son called John was born in exactly nine months from this dramatic encounter.

This is my prayer today: “Let it be unto me according to Your Word!”  Child of God, may you repent of doubt and unbelief! The longer you know God, the less excuse you have to doubt God asking foolish questions. If your faith is weak, pray that it will be strengthen! There is no excuse to continue your Christian life with a handicapped faith! And for you who trust God and remain faithful to the original vision given to you, well done! Rejoice that you know the Living God! Worship this mighty, merciful, faithful, miracle working God! Praise the Lord!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

God has heard my prayer!

My testimony is sure! Faith 100%! Doubt 0%!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name,

Amen!

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His love endures forever” (Ps 136:1)
This testimony is given to the glory of God, to the shame of the devil and for the encouragement of others. This is what happened today: One of our daughters in Christ celebrated her birthday today in a ‘strange creative’ way. She knows that I cannot easily go out to buy things. This morning she woke up very early and went under the Ogunu bridge where the fishermen bring fresh fish. She said that the women who sell fish come and buy the best early in the morning. She went there before the women and bought the best fishes available. Guess for what? Is it to cook something for her guests on her birthday today? That could have been the normal answer. But that is not what happened. She went to buy fishes for my husband and I, as a gift! She came to the door jumping for joy with a cooler filled with fish and ice. She said that giving us the fish is her birthday gift. Jesus!!!!!! I see her like Isaac (Laughter) who planted during a time of famine and God blessed him a hundredfold (Gen 26:12).

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

““I call on the Lord in my distress, and He answers me. Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues… Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war” (Ps 120)

The prayer meeting was very good. We praised God expecting His coming. We left the meeting hall’s door opened throughout the worship time. We turned the chairs and we faced the opened door waiting for the entrance of the King of glory. By faith, He came! Our hearts were filled with gratitude for the gift of His (expected and yet unexpected) presence. The message was about the hindrances against our entering the season of peace (Shalom). In Judges 6 we saw that the revelation of Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is/brings peace) changed the weak Gideon into a true man of God. We need the same revelation. If we really know Jehovah Shalom we shall be transformed from nobodies into somebodies, from useless sinners into fruitful servants of God. We want to know Jehovah Shalom. What is then the hindrance to this destiny changing revelation? It is the evil spirits of lies and religious deception.

Read Psalm 120!!! It is probably written by King David. Here we discover a wonderful secret: how to live among liars and not become a liar; how to live among cheats and not end up cheating others. We see that it is possible, by the grace of God, to live among deceivers, not becoming bitter and still make progress. King David was in distress. The liars oppressed him with their wicked lies. He could not fight them directly. The people of God around him (his elder brothers, King Saul, Nabal and other Jews) were jealous and hated him. They slandered him. They became worse than the unbelievers from the pagan cities of Meshek and Kedar. For example: David wanted peace with King Saul but it was not possible. Saul refused to make peace with David, even unto death. This is a great lesson: there are some people in this world who love war, evil, trouble and confusion. They hate peace and prosperity. They hate Shalom! These people are not far from you. They live among your relatives, in-laws, friends and church members. They do not only lie to you but they block your progress with their lies. They hinder your desire to fulfill destiny.  They want to destroy your faith in God.

What can you do? When in distress, pray to God!!! He shall answer you! God shall grant salvation and deliverance to you! Lies are seasonal but truth is eternal! You shall enter your promised prophetic season of peace, prosperity and joy. You shall know Shalom! You shall be changed from a nobody into a somebody for Jesus! You cannot destroy these wicked liars but God shall judge them! The very fiery arrows of lies they threw at you shall wound them. God is just in His judgment.  Vengeance belongs to God! The oppression of liars shall cease. The gate to freedom and holy success is now opened to you. Pass thru it! Choose today between your cheap entertaining friendship with hypocrites and fulfilling your destiny in Christ. There is no middle ground! The altar of Jehovah Shalom is calling you! As for me and my household, we shall serve the Lord!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances (in everything); for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1Thess 5:16-18).

The women’ fellowship was very good. After one month of fasting and prayers, after giving our best to organize Esther’s Banquet, today we chose to have a day of thanksgiving. We praised God with songs, with our tambourines and with dances. The testimonies gave thanks to God, put the devil to shame and encouraged the other brethren. Sister G testified that God helped her during the delivery of her son. Sister M said that since she came to Father’s House her life has changed for the better. She has grown spiritually and God has provided for all her needs. Sister R said that since she has become a widow, God has provided more than she could have imagined. Sister H said that she prayed for a financial breakthrough and God answered her prayers. Sister Y said that she could not send money to her son who is schooling abroad but the boy’s landlady and other neighbors took care of him all this time. Sister N said that even during this economic recession, God is blessing the work of her hands. All the women gave thanks to God for His love, goodness, faithfulness, provision, presence and protection.

The sermon was titled “Giving thanks to God”. Gratitude is defined as a feeling of thankfulness or appreciation for gifts or favors received. To be grateful to God for salvation and all other benefits is a sign of true spirituality. If you want to know if a brother or a sister is truly born again, look for the sign of a grateful heart! To give thanks to God is a sign that you honor Him, you acknowledge His presence in your life and in the lives of others. Giving thanks to God in all circumstances is God’s Command. It must be obeyed. If you obey God’s commands, He will bless you the more. If you disobey, you grieve the Holy Spirit and problems shall come. You must rejoice always knowing that God is with you. Prayer is a choice and a life style! Chose to pray always! ‘Inform’ God about everything in your life, big or small. If you joyfully pray continually you shall have reasons to give thanks to God! Prayer produces more testimonies and more joy! Thanksgiving shall increase!

In these last days most people become religious hypocrites (2Tim 3:1-5). They go to church but they are also unloving and ungrateful. If you want to learn how to give thanks to God, most people will discourage you. This is the revelation of the Word of God. It should not surprise you. If you believe the Word of God you will not end bitter and disappointed. Jesus knew the hearts of sinful men but He was never bitter. You should separate yourself from any ‘friend’ who does not know how to say ‘thank you’ to God and man. Has anybody accused you for being ungrateful? Well, to be ungrateful is not to show gratitude or appreciation for what someone has done for you. An ungrateful person is proud, selfish, greedy, jealous and bitter. Such a man (woman) always blames God and others for the troubles in his life. He or she cannot appreciate or rejoice with other people’s success, efforts to improve or happiness in life. An ungrateful attitude does damage to relationships. His friends become discouraged and depressed; they feel unloved, unappreciated and insulted. Sooner or later they withdraw from the relationship and stop offer help in the future. With time, an ungrateful person becomes lonely and sad. We must repent from every form of ungratefulness to God and to people. God does not owe us anything. We are saved and blessed by grace alone. Do not be proud! Be humble and repent! In Jesus name! Amen!

Let’s pray: “Father God I ask for forgiveness for allowing bitter ungratefulness to dwell in my heart. I repent! I come back to You! Fill me afresh with the Holy Spirit! Help me to worship and serve you with a pure and grateful heart! In Jesus name, Amen!