‘If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married’ (Deut 24:5)

‘Why should your springs flow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers. Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer; may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love (may you always be captivated, exhilarated by her love… Let her surround you with her love… You should be attracted to her and stay deeply in love… Learn her ways always and think on her love… Be lost in her love forever) (PV 5:16-19)

‘The Lord is the Witness between you and the wife of your youth … God is the Witness when you made your marital vows to the wife of your youth’ (Mal 2:14)

My husband and I are married for 44 years. We have three adult children and seven grandchildren. We married as unbelievers. Later, we became saved and now we have a Bible based and blessed marriage. We are spiritual parents, pastors and mentors to many younger people. For the past two weeks we have been on a wonderful, needed and restful God’s gift to us vacation. We are now ready to come back home, to the holy work, demands and privileges of ministry.

I was thinking this morning about the lessons I have learned during this trip. One very important lesson is how much God loves us and our marriage. I am using my husband and I as point of contact but these blessings apply to all the children of God who are married or who desire to be married. From the scriptures quoted above you see that God is the ‘invisible’ but the Almighty Witness of your marriage vows. He is the Forever Faithful God. He expects faithfulness from you, the husband and the wife. When you are newly married, young and in love, you wonder why is God ‘worried’ about the danger of adultery or of our love becoming ‘lukewarm’? God is never worried but He knows the snares ahead, the wickedness of the devil and the weakness of our flesh. The truth is that Marital love is fragile. It needs nourishing, tender care and protection. Marriage is a temporary covenant. But God designed that marital love is a glorious fountain of eternal blessings, a forever treasure not measured by human words or ended by death. You must recognize the value of your love in marriage and be ready to fight to keep it hot and pure.

Read again the scriptures above. The dangers of marital love failing is ignoring it’s needs, it’s language, it’s destiny. In the Old Testament, the man who just got married was exempted for one year from going to war and having public duties placed on him. In today’s language, it means that trying to solve too many problems, even extended family’s troubles or answering old friends’ demands for entertainment upon the couple will weaken the marriage relationship. Remember that the outsiders (enemies and even friends) do not care about the level of passion of your love in the marriage. But you should care! Be careful and jealous to protect it!

God is especially interested in the marriage with ‘the wife of your youth’. My husband and I fall into this category of blessings. It is a subject I study a lot. The command to the couple is to enjoy one another! This is a practical advise: (if it is possible) marry when you are young! Then stay faithful in your marriage even when you grow old (it is possible)! It is your duty to cultivate passionate and pure love in your marriage! ‘The wife of your youth’ does not mean a young looking wife who has done cosmetic surgery to look young or one who dresses like a teenager. No! It means she is the wife that you married long ago, when both of you were younger. Time changes the size of your waist. Wrinkles appear on your face… But the love you had for each other during your youth must become stronger and brighter not faded and failing! This is God’s wish and command! The husband in particular is commanded to be attracted spiritually, emotionally, mentally and sexually by his wife, to the end of their life! He is to be attracted continuously by her internal beauty (that never grows old) and even by her external beauty (represented by her breasts, whatever size or shape these may be).

This passionate love is described as an intoxication with wine, as getting lost from the world in the safety of her embrace. Do not be afraid or ashamed to display passion among yourselves. This life long special marital love is a powerful antidote against adultery. It is an internal shield! The devil hates this love. But God loves this love and helps you keep it to the end!

Question: Dear husband, how do you keep enjoying the wife of your youth? Advice: Listen to her words! Feel her pains! Try your best to solve her problems and to encourage her! Pray for one another! Listen to the sound of your laughters! Buy gifts for one another! Like us, take some time alone, vacation time, far from the routine work at home and even far from the kids. Have time alone with each other. Talk to each other. Do not stay on the Internet for hours! Discuss new topics, interesting just for the two of you. Pay the price to learn who your spouse is, like us, even after 44 years… You will be surprised that you will discover new good things, new challenges to pray for and new gifts to share…

My husband and I have passed thru many trials in trying to keep the passion in our marital love. We had to fight many battles defending our romantic love. This warfare is not strange. It is to be expected. But we are witnesses that it is possible to marry in love and stay married in love!!! We recognize and honor the presence of God, the Holy Spirit, as the third Person not only of the Trinity but of our marriage. We have proved that ‘a three strands cord cannot easily be broken’. To God be all the glory!

Thanking God for this vacation I pray God’s blessings on all of you dear brethren who read my notes… May your marriage be better and may the wine of joy over flow in your home! In Jesus’ name!

(In the picture, my husband, Past. Richmond Leigh and I)

“I will give you the treasures of darkness; riches stored in secret places; so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name!” (Is 45:3)

Do you want to be embarrassed and overwhelmed by an Account with ‘no withdrawal limit’? Then come to the Cross! Look long on the Crucified! Touch His Blood! Hear His Voice! Feel the death of the past! Sing a New Song! All is for you!
Whatever treasure you find there is yours! And it is free! The price has been paid! The Lamb has overcome!

“Please show me Your glory.” (Ex 33:18)

This evening, the prayer meeting was wonderful. This ‘wonderfulness’ was not because we were smart, spiritual or strong. It was purely because the Wonderful Counselor was in our midst. Initially, we tried to pray some little prayers but ‘the engine oil’ of the anointing was not enough for such a time as this… Wobbling between petty requests, we finally got to the mind of the Spirit. He said: ‘Glory!’ This became was our congregational and individual prayer: “Oh, Lord, Please show me Your glory.” (Ex 33:18). We also prayed: ‘Lord, give me You!’

The religious spirits tried to hinder the flow. They tried to distract us, reminding us about our natural needs. Suddenly, angry voices remembered us that we need to cook for tomorrow; that we need to pay the house rent at the end of the moth and school fees for children… But the Holy Spirit, the Lifter of our heads was pointing to much higher. ‘Where Lord?’…It was a good choice to disengage from looking around, from looking at our circumstances… Nothing new in Nigeria… same old stuff, not worthy to be brought before the throne of grace… but what else should we pray for?…

With the strength that moves the mountains, we looked up on the beautiful face of Jesus… the Author and Finisher of our faith… Without faith no one can pleases the Lord… Faith makes us pleasing to God… it was so refreshing to feel pleasing to our Savior… Then Grace sang a solo song… the song of the unmerited favor money cannot buy… ‘Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me… I once was lost… But now… But now!!! I am found!!! Was blind but now I see! Grace is greater than all our sins… We rejoiced in the grace released at Calvary… Old things passed away before our very eyes… all things changed and became new… It is a newness that lasts forever, the unfading newness of life… Then the heavenlies opened and we were invited in… We steeped in like Moses…Like David… No fear…  we are walking on the clouds of glory… I’m not afraid! ‘Show me Your glory!’

For a second I panicked… I looked around… simple men and women… from Effutun, Nigeria… None was properly dressed… No designer clothes… just some Tee-shirts and jeans… We did not look like much… It flashed thru my mind that if the big men of God knew the release of glory here, they could have come to fill their buckets with it… But none came… It was the glory love of the Father for us… for us… for us… We looked like the servants who filled the jars of water at the wedding in Cana… we were entrusted with the secret of the party when the sadness melted in jars of clay…We kept pouring wine to others…The Bride must be happy tonight… the special wine kept for the last hour… We got drunk in His presence… We ‘managed’ to say ‘Thank You’ to the King of Glory… Shaking, we gratefully piled one crown on top of another, we crowned Him as the King of kings… Fear free and glory gazing we bowed down to worship Him alone…

“There shall be showers of blessing;
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

“A righteous person may fall seven times, but he gets up again. However, one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.” (PV 24:16)

“There is no single definition of holiness. There are dozens, hundreds. This is the basic definition: Holiness is being like God, who is holy. It means being spiritually and morally pure, hating sin! There is another definition that I am particularly fond of: being holy means getting up immediately every time you fall!!! Each time you fall into sin, or you make a mistake, look at your wrist watch and see how long does it take you to get up from your fall! The faster, the better! The more you hate sin, the holier you are! You should quickly acknowledge and confess your sin, repent of it, with humility and joy.

“Let the weight of Your glory cover us
Let the life of Your river flow
Let the truth of Your kingdom reign in us
Let the weight of Your glory fall…”

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me” (2 Cor 12:8, 9).
The thorn in the flesh troubles me, weakens me, oppresses me. It is a hidden pain. I prayed that it may be removed. I thought that its removal will be my healing, my deliverance. But the Lord said: ‘Leave it there. It is the attack of the enemy but I approve of it. It will dry your doubts, fail your fears and oppose your oppression. Thru it all, your spirit shall become stronger and your faith shall stand. My grace is what you need. My favor on you is the key to healing and ministry. Let the Cross do the deep work in you. The fruit is for My glory and it will surely manifest. Trust Me not only at the beginning of your walk with Me; not only for the destination. Trust Me for the journey. Every step together… The beauty of communion…We are in this together. Enjoy My presence. Relax and follow Me! Talk less and sing more! My grace and My love is all that you need… I love you, child…’

I just received a wonderful testimony from a young wife and mother. Since last year, she has been attending our church (Father’s House Bible Church, Effurun-Warri). Reading it, I sense the leading of the Holy Spirit helping this young couple. When the Holy Spirit shuts a door, He opens another. You can see that God blesses spiritually first, and materially second. God rewards genuine faith, humility and spiritual hunger. This testimony is given to the glory of God, to the shame of the devil and for the encouragement of others!

“Dear Malia,
I want to share my testimony with you Ma.Please bear with me Malia its a long write up.God has been so good to me and my family. In July last year my husband stopped attending church services and when i asked he told me he was no longer flowing with the way the message was being dished out and he doesn’t like the pattern of the service (we were members of …. Christian Church).

I felt bad every Sunday when I go alone to church. People that knew us in church will always ask after my husband. But I kept on praying and fasting about it, waiting patiently on God to help me touch his heart.

On the 3rd week of September 2017 I woke up to prepare for service and I was amazed to see that he was willing to attend church that day. We got set and left the house. I noticed he was taking another route driving a different direction from that of our church.i was quiet because I dint want him to change his mind but our daughter curiously asked him where we were going to. And then he said: ‘I am taking my girls to our new church… don’t worry girls you will like the idea…’ At this point I was still quiet and calm, praying and thanking God for the breakthrough in my mind and for God to have his way. I prayed: ‘let it be a church I could relate with…’ Few minutes later we got to Father’s House Bible Church.

He parked the car and while we were still inside he turned to me and said: ‘a few days ago I was driving when I heard the Pastor of this church preaching in the radio and it was an instant connect.I couldn’t stop or change the channel.The Pastor was deeply rooted and so straight to the point. Infact let’s go in so you can hear for yourself. I have never been here and nobody invited me here…’ I said ok!

Prior to this time I have heard about the church so many times and have been invited to come for Nativity and Jesus Mega Party by my friend of over 20 years, who is a member of your church.
But since my husband doesn’t like the idea of going from one church to another I have never honored any of the invitations.

I was so elevated in my spirit that day and I really liked and enjoyed the church service. I started the weekly foundation school classes and also midweek service. In a short while i learnt a lot and it felt like I was so new in Christianity. My faith was increasing and I found my place. (I will like to say at this time Malia that the presence of God is truly really in Fathers House Bible Church)

The first week of October came with a major temptation. I got a call from my husband who left the house few hours ago for work,saying he had an accident on the major expressway and the car somersaulted 3 times into the bush. Let’s thank God because he is fine and without any scar! IT WAS GOD!!! The next day I got 2 different calls from family members saying it’s because we changed church that’s why the accident happened. I just ignored them…

In December I had finished the classes and shared my testimony with my friend that my husband has never missed Sunday church and midweek service since we started attending the Church. And to me it feels like I have a brand new husband. He became deeply rooted in the word of God and in prayers. Our marital life became even sweeter. ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!

In Jesus Mega Party 2017 I held my daughter by the hand and as we entered the field i prayed with faith that God will bless me with the fruit of the womb for the second time after 7 years.

In February 2018, Malia you declared in one of the services that God has answered prayers especially to the new comers. I BELIEVED THE PROPHETIC WORD! That same week I found out I was pregnant. After series of costly medical procedures that failed and after 7 years of waiting, GOD DID IT NATURALLY! First trimester I couldn’t move much. I missed going to church but I always hooked up online to our YouTube live services on Sundays,Wednesdays and all night services. God has kept me with a healthy pregnancy through the months. I am due to have a baby boy this month of October. I have faith everything will be fine! I will keep in touch!

Thank you so much Malia for your words of encouragement in church and on this social media platform.They go a long way in my life. I appreciate your continious prayers.GOD BLESS YOU MA….”

This is a wonderful sermon preached by Pastor Richmond Leigh (my husband):

This Sunday service, Pastor Richmond Leigh preached a sermon called ‘The Burning hearts’. The scripture was taken from the Book of Luke. “And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Lk 24:32). Pastor Richmond Leigh said that this is a post resurrection story. Two sad disciples of Jesus were walking from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus. One was called Cleopas. The other one was un-named. He stands for all disciples to the end of time, including me and you. They were sad because their Lord died on the Cross. As they were walking and talking, the resurrected Christ came alongside them. But they did not recognize Him. This ‘Stranger’ joined in their discussion. He was the same Jesus they knew in the past. But He was different. The resurrected Christ is different than Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus started preaching to them the Word of God. Then their hearts started burning with fire.

Looking at them, we see that the Cross has changed them. They retained some feelings and they lost some. The disciples were sad because Jesus died. But even in their sadness they kept their love for Him. They also kept their faith in Him. Previously, Jesus prayed that, even during trials, they will not lose their faith (Lk 22: 32). God answered that prayer. In this journey of sadness, disappointment and spiritual darkness, they still remained the disciples of Jesus. They continue to love Him. They did not speak unkind words about Him. But you can see that they lost their joy and hope. They lost their confidence that Jesus will fulfill His promises concerning their future. They still believed that Jesus was ‘a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people’. But hope was gone! They thought of Him as a good Man who tried His best but failed. They thought that Jesus failed to achieve His grand plans for the future. That is why they were sad. They lost their hope and their zeal for the Kingdom of God. The fire was burning low in their hearts.

These disciples were going down from Jerusalem to Emmaus. When you see people leaving the city to go and ‘settle’ in the village, it is a sign that they lost their fire, passion, zeal, their vision and desire to fight for victory. It is an interesting observation that Emmaus is still a village and Jerusalem is still a big city, even today. This is the situation with many Christians and churches. They used to pray for revival but not anymore. They have lowered their Christianity to a place of low fire and low passion. Many Pastors preach for and about money. They invite comedians and false prophets to tell them what their itching ears want to hear. They have grieved and quenched the Holy Spirit. Many Christians are sad and some have backslid. Many go to church looking for miracles or money. They do not go to church to seek God’s face or to worship Him. They have become bitter about Christianity. They have forsaken their ‘first Love’.

How does Christ deal with these sad disciples? By joining in their conversation! Child of God, Jesus will always join into your conversation! The Lord is never far from you! The Lord will always appear! He has never left you! The Lord speaks the Word of God to them until their foolishness and doubts are gone and their hearts fall in love with Him again. Immediately the fire starts to burn in their hearts, they turn around and go from the village back to Jerusalem! That is the sign of revival! The fire in a Christian’s heart can never go out completely. Even during seasons of backsliding, there is always a little flame under the ashes of disappointment and complains. What made the fire in their hearts burn brightly again? The voice of the Shepherd speaking the Word of God to them! Observe that Jesus did not tell them something new, a new prophecy about Himself or a new revelation. No! He spoke to them the Word they knew already! The Word of God! What is the source of revival? The preaching and the hearing of the Word of God combined with prayer done in the power of the Holy Spirit!

May your hope of glory be restored! May the joy of the Lord become strength to you! May your hearts be revived again! May your hearts burn again with love, passion and zeal for Jesus! Again! ‘Oh, Lord… set our hearts on fire again! For You!’ Worship the Lord!

“A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet” (PV 29:5)
Flattery is defined as insincere or excessive praise. The difference between flattery and a compliment is the benefactor. Flattery has a selfish motivation. The flatterer hopes to gain approval or advantage over the one being flattered. That is why flattery is dangerous! Flattery is a snare and a bait! Compliments, however, are sincere acknowledgments of admiration spoken to praise someone else. A compliment is intended to benefit the recipient, whereas flattery benefits the flatterer.

The Bible has a lot to say about flattery. The book of Proverbs warns of the “flattering lips of an adulteress” (Proverbs 6:24; 7:5, 21). Flattery is often the first step to an adulterous affair. A wise person learns to recognize it and separate flattery from sincere compliments. Flattery is often coupled with lying, as a flatterer is not concerned with whether or not he or she is being truthful (Psalm 5:9; Romans 16:18).

Unfortunately, flattery can also be used within Christian circles under the guise of encouragement. Since biblical times, some false teachers have used flattery to lead people astray and to benefit themselves. Paul reminds the church that the apostles had never resorted to flattery in spreading the gospel: “You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed.” (1Thess 2:5). Scripture warns of false teachers who use flattery to introduce heresies intended to deceive Christ’s followers and line their own pockets (2 Pet 2:3; Rom 16:18; Dan 11:32).

Some teachers use flattery as a means to increase personal followings. Leaders desiring to attract a crowd sometimes water down their message until the gospel is reduced to little more than a God-tainted self-improvement program. They pepper their talks with cheerful verses and illustrations designed to make their hearers feel better about themselves (and about the teachers). There is much talk about discovering one’s potential and developing personal greatness. This is nothing more than flattery intended to create popularity for the speaker and his message. It sells books and media time, but it often bears little resemblance to the message Jesus proclaimed! Listen to what you listen!

Jesus’ message did nothing to inflate the self-importance of His hearers. Rather, He stressed the need to die to ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him. He said that those who desire to keep their lives now will lose them and that, if we love anyone more than Him, we are not worthy of Him (Matt 10:37–39; Lk 9:23; 17:33). These teachings are the opposite of flattery. Jesus never shied away from stating what someone needed to hear because His motivation was always to do His Father’s will (Jn 8:29). Jesus spoke the truth whether it was popular or not. He refused to compromise the Word, even when great multitudes left Him (Jn 6:66). He spoke in love, but He never resorted to flattery for personal gain. As His followers, we should be careful to do likewise!

Prayer: “Dear Holy Spirit please have mercy on me and protect me from the attacks of the evil spirit of flattery. Open my eyes to see the danger and expose the wicked spirit of flattery. Help me to be delivered from every inferiority complex, from foolishness, from every desire to flatter or to be flattered! Deliver me from every weakness of flesh that desires flattery or manipulation. I reject the flattery spirit! Go in Jesus’ name! By the grace of God, I shall flatter no one. I shall refuse flattery! I am free from the snare of flattery! Abba Father, help me to encourage others with the strength of the Holy Spirit. Help me to be satisfied in You alone! I freely declare that You, Lord Jesus, are all I need, now and forever! Help me to only speak the truth in love! Help me to speak like You, Jesus! Help me to be like You, Jesus! This is my prayer this morning! Thank You Father God! In Jesus’ name I prayed, amen!”