“And bring us not into temptation but rescue us from evil” (Luke 11:4; AMP)

Our prayer should be:

“Heavenly Father, We come before Your Throne of Mercy and Grace! We worship You, we bow at Your feet, Lord Jesus! We need You more than ever! We pray for wisdom! We pray for strength! We need a fresh impartation of Your Spirit!

Please do not allow us to choose the type of test we think we can withstand in life. Please do not let us be independent from Your leading. Please restrain and discipline us in preparation for the future and necessary temptations. You alone know our capacity to withstand different trials. You alone know our weaknesses and strengths. Our hearts are deceitful and we may overestimate our strengths and foolishly ignore our weaknesses. You alone chose our path in life. You alone chose our life partner! You alone chose who should be our children. Please shut any door that will bring failure during times of temptation. Please shut any door of pride and disgrace. May the door of faith be opened!

We desire to glorify Your name at all times, even during temptations, Trusting You to the end, we resist the devil; we reject his lies; we destroy his hold over our minds and emotions!  We trust in You, even today, even right now! There is nothing impossible for You to do! You know the end from the beginning! You never panic and Your never withdraw in crisis! Help us to be like Jesus!

Dear Heavenly Father, I desire to bring a smile on Your face…I desire that You boast of me, Your child!

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen!”

Prayer requests please… Tomorrow we have our annual Drama called The Nativity. Each year we mount a stage in the middle of the town and present the story of the Birth of Jesus, in open air, for all to come and see the glory of God! All the participants are members of our church. There is no ‘professional’ actor.

The girl who plays the leading role for the angels’ ballet just manifested signs of ‘chicken pox’. She is 12 years old. The 3 months old baby boy who ‘plays the role’ of baby Jesus just developed pneumonia (?) and the doctors said that he has to undergo a surgical procedure tomorrow (?). I do not practice medicine anymore so I cannot confirm or not these diagnosis. But both looked sick today at the final rehearsal. The parents had faith and came with them like this. We prayed for both of them for divine miraculous healing. We reject any false report. The devil is a liar and we chose to reject all his attacks of fear, discouragement, confusion and doubt. Jesus is Lord over these two children, over Father’s House Bible Church and over Warri, Nigeria! May heavens be opened tomorrow as we present the story of God’s love for sinners like me and you. We promise to give God all the glory for the healings, for the salvation of souls, for the joy in our hearts and for the mighty testimonies that will surely follow! In Jesus name, Amen!

“Believe in the Lord your God and you shall have success!

Believe His prophets and everything will be all right!” (2Chr 20:20; LB)

This is a testimony from our church. Last month, during or women’s fellowship, a prophetic word was given: ‘No mother shall bury her child’. We all sensed that it was the Holy Spirit encouraging us, especially the mothers. We all believed. We all shouted a loud ‘Amen!’ Then we prayed that the seed of faith concerning this prophetic word shall not be quenched in the future trials, but it shall stand and be fruitful! To the glory of God!

Few days later a sister came to share with me her testimony of faith during trial. She is heavily pregnant waiting to deliver soon. She told me that she was not able to attend the last women fellowship. But she phoned another sister to ask how it was. She was told about the theme of the meeting and about this prophetic word. She too quickly answered: ‘Amen!’ She said that she knew the word was from God. Few days later her faith was to be tried by ‘fire’. This is her testimony:

Her son of three drank half a bottle of ‘Raid’ (an insecticide used against mosquitoes here in Nigeria). She found the boy on the floor, unconscious, with the bottle by him. She held him and ran to the hospital. Many people, friends and relatives gathered to help and sympathize. Most of them could not even pray for the situation seem hopeless. Even the doctor looked worried. But to everybody’s surprise, the mother looked calm, quietly praying in tongues. She told all people that her son will not die because it has been prophesied in the church that ‘no mother shall bury her child’. She insisted that she believes the word of the prophet! She said that she will not be disappointed by God because she believes! She looked foolish with her faith. The doctors tried their best but the condition remained unchanged. The little boy remained deeply unconscious, his body shaken with seizures and foaming at the mouth.

Then something happened!!! After one and a half hour suddenly, to everybody surprise, the boy sneezed and woke up as from sleep. He called ‘Mummy…’ And that was it! He started playing and he asked for food. He was sent home that same day.

The doctor called the mother in his office and asked her: ‘what church do you attend?’ She answered: ‘Father’s House Bible Church Warri, Sir…’ The doctor kept quiet for few seconds then he said: ‘that is a good church…Continue to serve God there…Today you have inspired me with your faith! Dear woman, you are blessed!’

It is so wonderful to be a child of God! It is a miracle to trust the Living God!  It is a great privilege to attend a living church! It is great gain to trust in prophetic words given under the anointing of the Holy Spirit! For the boy’s healing, for the victory of faith, for the testimony of this dear sister…All glory goes to God alone!

In Christ I declare:

I trust God!

I trust in His prophets!

I reject false prophets and false prophecies!

My faith in God shall be rewarded with great testimonies!

I believe 100%!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently” (1Cor 10:13, AMP)

All believers have to pass thru trials and temptations. These are permitted by God to purify our faith and to increase our strength of character. Pray that God will be totally in control in choosing the type of trial you shall encounter. Do not boast of personal wisdom or strength. God alone knows our strength and weakness. He knows what we can withstand and what we cannot. A proud person ignores the provision of strength and wisdom God provides during the trial of faith. Pride will not allow him ‘to beg’. The season of temptation is difficult because we see no way out of it. The devil is not original. The same way he has tempted Eve and Samson that is the same was he will attack you. It is the same ‘old story’ of money, sex and lust for power. The devil will also attack with fear and confusion. You feel trapped in the midst of circumstances that you cannot change. Your flesh loves to be in control. But during difficult times of trial, you painfully discover that your flesh, pretending to be ‘God’, is indeed useless, Trials reveal the truth and truth is always painful to a deceived man. And the truth is that without Christ, we can do nothing. Without Christ, we are doomed. The truth is: we need a Savior! We need God! We need Jesus Christ!

But trials can be a source of spiritual holy adventure. You do not have to fall in the midst of the temptation. You do not have to fail during your trial of faith. This pain may be sent to you as an opportunity to shine for Jesus! There shall be a medal and a crown for the overcomers. God has promised to be with us in the midst of troubles, He has also promised to provide an open door of relief and escape. When all things look that they conspire to ‘quench’ the life in you, please actively look for that door of freedom. It has to be there for God who promised is faithful! God cannot lie! This door may be small or may be not what you expect. But by faith pass thru it and you shall see that it leads outside the grip of darkness and smoke of confusion. Jump outside and you shall land not in death, but in freedom.

For example, this is the simplest advice you should remember: during sexual temptation, the bedroom’s door is your door of escape. It is that simple! May the desire for freedom of sin overpower that wicked deceitful demon of lust! May the desire to please God prevail against the weakness of your spirit! Do what Joseph did! Say NO to sin! Run away, even if half naked. It is better to be disgraced in public than to lose your reward! It is better to be classified by the devil as a coward than to silently fall with him, pretending to be helpless, betraying the God you say you love so much. Go to that door! The landing of freedom is sure! I have tried it many times! It never fails!  You can do it!

In Christ I declare:

I am not alone in my pain!

God is with me in my pain!

I shall overcome!

I shall find the door of escape and the landing of victory!

My testimony as a believer is sure!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“He brings me to the banquet hall, and everyone can see how much He loves me… He took me home with Him for a festive meal, but His eyes feasted on me” (SS 2:4, LB, TM)

Lust desires lust. .Male lust’ will chase after ‘female lust’. The opposite is also true.  Inwardly, the secret lust desires its satisfaction by longing and looking for outward visible lust. Without discipline, a seed of lust multiplies into a poisonous harvest of sin that kills any other good plantation. Do not be deceived that a little ‘innocent’ lust will ‘add spice to your love life’. It is not spice but poison. The sin of lust will exhaust you, mentally, emotionally and physically. What you call ‘a little lust’ is ‘a little viper’ that will betray and bite its owner before she is charmed to cooperate for a show to others (Ecc 10:11).

Even after a thousand years, lust will never develop into true love, for no lie can spring out from truth. For an unbeliever, lust is the only option to experience ‘love’. But for you dear brethren, the fountain of eternal true love is ever available, the well of living water always fresh, the bread of life ready on your table. Why spend money on what does not satisfy? Why go under the table and compete with the dogs for crumbs mixed with dust? Why don’t you give Jesus a chance to teach you how to love?

Now wait…I have to go…Listen…My Lover is calling me to the banqueting table…Are you seeing it… His banner over me is open, unashamed, destiny changing, free and wonderful love! I am singing as I go…Bye…

“He loves me I cannot tell why…

He loves me I cannot tell why…

On Calvary tree, He suffered for me…

Jesus loves me I cannot tell why…”

In Christ I declare:

I belong to Jesus!

I love Jesus!

Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so…

In Jesus name

Amen!

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (Jam 1:2-4)

We should rejoice during temptations, not because they are pleasant, for they are not, but because these difficult times give us an opportunity to mature spiritually. God needs mature sons and daughters. God cannot trust ‘a baby Christian’ but He can trust and use a mature believer.  He is a warrior in the army of God, a servant who pleases Him and a holy vessel in His hand.

During the painful trials, we shall be tempted by the devil to grumble against God. Resist the desire to blame God for your pains! Do not be deceived by the devil that God does not love you or that God does not care for you. These are all lies! The truth is that God loves you! God cares for you! That is why He sent His Son to die for you! There is no other reason! If you believe the lies, you are already falling in the midst of the temptation. Trusting in lies is a sign of backsliding.

Make up your mind that for as long as you live, you will never blame God, you will never doubt Your heavenly Father’s love, goodness, grace and mercy towards you! This is a decision you have to make during your quiet time, long before the fire of testing starts to burn.

For example, Eve failed the test of faithfulness because she doubted God’s goodness towards her and Adam. She believed the lie of the devil that there are other means by which she can become ‘like God’. She believed that God did not offer her the best. That was the point when she failed the test.  But observe Joseph, who was tempted by Potiphar’s wife. He completely refused to yield to her lustful desires. He passed the test of temptation and even though he went to prison for some time, God rewarded him with ‘the crown of life’, according to His promise. That is why each time we read his story we are encouraged afresh to press on in life. That is why when we think of Joseph, we are reminded of our Lord.

A patient man is a strong man. A patient man who quietly endures and continues to trust God’s Word in the fires of temptation being conscious of the presence of God, that man shall become ‘complete’. He will become a source of blessings for many and a true leader. He shall be spiritually ‘self-contained’ like God. He will stop running after men’s approval. He has the resources to live a successful Christian life.

I remember the day I decided that I shall constantly pray to be like the heroes of the Bible: Patient like Sarah, Faithful like Joseph, Strong like Deborah, Bold like Esther, wise like Daniel, humble like Mary, anointed like Paul… God has answered me and I see myself getting more mature spiritually and more confident in ministry. Follow me as I follow Christ! We shall suffer together but we shall rejoice together too! I know it! I can feel it in my heart and even in my bones! Amen!

In Christ I declare:

I rejoice in all things!

I give thanks in the midst of all things!

I trust God to perfect the good work He has started in me!

I refuse to doubt God’s Word!

My testimony shall increase! To the glory of God, to the shame of satan and for the encouragement of many!

To God be all the glory!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him… Do not be misled (deceived), my beloved brethren” (Jam 1:12, 16 AMP)

The greatest danger for a believer is to ‘fall into temptation’, to fail the test of true love, to become infatuated with lust for the world and to betray God and His purpose for your life. Do not ignore the danger to compromise your faith during difficult times! The devil wants you to replace love with lust. That is a spiritual demotion of destiny. Love is a champion. Like a lion, love is a leader and fears nothing. True love never fails any test to remain faithful to its lover. But lust is a loser and a coward. Lust deceives many that he is love. Lust is ‘fake love’ and can only succeed in the heart of them that betray the best. Lust fails all tests to prove its worth. Lust is destroyed in the trial. All who indulged in lust end up regretting it! Lust is a criminal that comes to you with a rose in the hand and a gun in the pocket. Do not be deceived dear brethren!
The word ‘deceive’ means to be misled, to wander, to go astray, far from truth, virtue and safety. Lust is an impostor, a wicked unmerciful leader of the blind, taking them into the pit of shame. Indulging in lust is already backsliding. Repent and come back to the Cross, to the God of the Bible! Even if you have failed the test, you are still alive, so there is hope for restoration! Do not be deceived and chose to dwell in sin! Remember Jesus Christ Crucified!
The word ‘temptation’ in Greek is a neutral word. It is not negative, the way it sounds in English and it is not positive. The word means to test, to try, to prove, to examine or to experience by a piercing pain. It is like enrolling to pass a very difficult examination. Your attitude during the exam shall determine the result. If you pass the exam, like Joseph, you shall be rewarded as a champion and leader, and you shall be given ‘the crown of life’. But if you fail the exam, like Eve, you shall suffer as a loser in life. The consequence for failure during temptation is shame, sickness and death and it affects your descendants too.
We cannot totally avoid temptation. The Lord Jesus was also tempted as a man on earth. Temptation itself is not sin, but betraying God during the process of temptation, that is sin. We are to be prepared to encounter temptations. We are even to rejoice when they come. This is because we can now practically apply all the lessons of wisdom gathered from the Word of God. Temptation comes to prove and to separate the wise from the foolish, the faithful from the rebellious or the winners from the losers.
Temptation does not come from God but from the devil. God permits temptation to visit us so that we become stronger spiritually. Our character has to be tried in the fire, our faith needs to become mature and our testimony needs to be sealed. If temptation is totally absent in your life, you are not a child of God. As parents, we pray for our children that they may not encounter ‘negative things’ or temptations. But in the absence of all temptations, they shall remain weak spiritually, without the confidence needed to be successful servants of God. As parents we need wisdom how we should pray for our children.
Temptation separates love from lust. Even the unbelievers value true love. All the wonderful poems of classical literature, the music of the masters and the art of great artists, all these are inspired from an hour of true love. Even if the love did not last, they counted themselves ‘lucky’ for tasting that that only the ‘gods’ can provide. All these for just an hour of true love…
But as believers we are offered true love that is everlasting!!! True believers are artists, and composers and musicians, creating masterpieces of encouragement and hope and grace that the world will never know!
“Lord Jesus, I bow my knees to You… You loved me first, with an everlasting love that nothing can destroy…I worship You forever…”

In Christ I declare:
I love God!
I love my husband and children!
In Jesus name
Amen!

“Now the Lord had said to Ahijah, “Here is the wife of Jeroboam, coming to ask you something about her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus you shall say to her; for it will be, when she comes in, that she will pretend to be another woman” (1Kg 14:5)

This is a sad story. But it is the Word of God, so we must learn some wisdom even from this. Jeroboam was an ordinary man when he became a king in Israel.  In fact he was one of King Solomon’s officials. Because of national disobedience, God split the kingdom into two. The southern one called Judah will continue in the original royal lineage for David’s sake. The rest of the tribes shall become the northern kingdom of Israel and Jeroboam shall be their king. This was the word given by Ahijah, the prophet of God.

That is how Jeroboam became king. He was told by Ahijah that if he is obedient to God’s commandments his house shall be established. His children will live and become a dynasty. But Jeroboam ignored the warning. Immediately he built golden calf idols in the land calling them ‘God- Jehovah’. Because of this fake alternative religion he provoked God to anger. He made the people forsake the God of their fathers, becoming one of the worst kings in Israel. This went on for some time.

Suddenly the king’s son got sick. Jeroobam told his wife to ‘disguise herself as another woman’, take a gift and go to ask the same Prophet Ahijah what will happen to their son. The prophet was an old man by now and almost blind. But he did not need physical eyes to see the truth. God has already told him about the royal deception. He tells the queen that the boy will die, as a sign that all the male descendants of Jerboam will perish in God’s judgment. This is because of the king’s rebellion and wickedness against the God who made him king. There shall be no mercy to evil ungrateful traitors.

What type of man was Jeroboam? He was ‘a Nobody’ who God made a king. Maybe he considered himself as ‘lucky’. He ignored God’s conditions for blessings, taking God’s grace for granted. He was a spiritual and religious man but not truly saved. He invented a fake religion to mislead many, but when in need, he knew that only a true prophet of God can tell him the truth. He did not really care to know the prophet Ahijah. He only remembered that he prophesied ‘something good’ to him in the past. Maybe he thought that he can have ‘luck’ again. He even thought that he can deceive or bribe him with a gift. Any man who thinks that he can deceive God is truly an idolater at heart. His wife played along, sharing in this deception.

This was a clash of interests. The king’s problem was that his son is sick. All he wanted was healing for his son. But God’s problem was that the king was rebellious to Him. Jeroboam has forsaken God for so long that he had no idea God is offended. He did not know God or His prophets. Some people think that if they can make friends with the pastor or the prophet, then all is well. How foolish! How tragic to discover that when you are really in need God is not there for you. There shall be no healing, no encouragement and no hope from Him. There are many fake churches. When a deceitful religious man stands in the pulpit, when the choir is made of fashionable unbelievers and the congregation becomes ‘a gate of hell’, then that ‘church’ has lost the right to be called ‘church’. There is no more light or connection with God. It is dangerous to attend such a gathering for there shall be no miracles for you and no acceptable worship to God. Why go to a place where you are not spiritually fulfilled? Why pretend when you can be real? God knows all things anyway…Why desire to be somebody else when God has created you uniquely, to be you? Why fake salvation when you can be truly saved by the Blood of the Lamb? Why deceive people about your need when they can truly pray for you?

Blessed are you if the Holy Spirit has directed you to be a member of the true Body of Christ, a genuine Living Church! This is highest royal privilege! You are fed with the bread of Life, healed when sick, delivered when oppressed, prayed for when in need, encouraged and loved by all as Christ loves the Church! Don’t you know that you are blessed? Be grateful and give God all the glory!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

I attend a wonderful living Church!

I bless my pastors and all my brethren in my Church!

Jesus is Lord in my life, in my family and in my church!

The Holy Spirit is acknowledged and freely moves in my church!

Miracles happen in my church!

! worship God in Spirit and in Truth!

I am saved! I am healed! I am free!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

‘Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion; is a fair woman stubborn of behavior…is a beautiful face on an empty head’ (PV 11:22)

This proverb describes how ugly it is to combine physical beauty, which is a gift from God, with bad character, which is our own choice. A beautiful but foolish woman is like a decorated pig lying in the mud. This woman may be religious but she lacks wisdom or even common sense. She does not have understanding of what is right or wrong. She confuses God with the devil. The word ‘discretion’ means to have good judgment on how to behave and what to say. Speech betrays a fool more than any other activity. Discretion also means to be modest, not forward, bold or rude. It means to show respect to others, not to unnecessarily offend their feelings thru speech or mode of dressing. Discretion is related to prudence, the wisdom to understand the consequences of your actions and to avoid danger in the future. A woman who shows discretion is not afraid to stay ‘silent in the background’ and speak only when there is an ‘open door’ from the Holy Spirit. There is something called ‘prudent silence’ when words are not necessary or even dangerous.  A woman, who often does mistakes in behavior or speech and constantly has to apologize for them, is not prudent. She may fall into unnecessary trouble. Selah! But the person who is able to control the tongue has the whole body under control (Jam 3:2). Lack of self-control is very ugly. Even your ‘body language’ has to give glory to God.

There are two opposite women in the Bible; both were queens and married the same man. One was foolish and another wise. I am speaking about Vashti and Esther. The first was not prudent. She started the day with a party; she ended it outside the palace. She did not see the danger of divorce and of losing her crown as a result of just ‘a little disobedience’ to her husband. If she knew that her life will end in disgrace, she could have happily obeyed the king’s command. But Queen Esther, who replaced her, is the very opposite. She saw the danger of her people perishing. She fasted and prayed. She did not take the favor of God for granted. She did what she could to save the people of God. She is known as a godly queen and a prudent woman of God, an example and an inspiration too many, to the end of the ages.

“Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a wise [insightful] wife is a gift from the Lord” (PV 19:14). An excellent, prudent wife cannot be bought with money. She is a gift of grace to a man who will appreciate her. In the area of marriage, the rich are not better than the poor. What is most important is that Jesus Christ is the Lord of the home. Even the wealthy parents cannot provide their sons with gracious, wonderful, wise and faithful wives. But they can pray that such a gift may find their address.

I speak from experience here… Spiritual wisdom is not an easy or cheap virtue. It took me many years to learn how to control my tongue in a way that will always glorify God. I wept often and I prayed hard for wisdom, prudence, discernment of spirits and self-control. I asked God to help me not to be ashamed or have reasons to regret my speech, my choices or my actions. I prayed that I will never be a liability to my husband and that he will never be tempted to regret marrying me. I refused to take our marriage for granted. I prayed to learn how to gain his trust by making wise choices as a wife and mother. I prayed that our children will not be ashamed of their mum. Please note that no unbeliever can ever do that. Their tongue is energized by demons and is ‘on fire from hell’. Even for a believer it is a long process, very difficult and painful. You have to passionately desire to change the way you talk, the way you communicate. You have to be ready to pay the price for that change, however big it is. But the reward is very great. God will bless you with an ever increasing anointing and He will use you in ministry to teach, challenge and encourage many. May Christ be glorified in you!

In Christ I declare:

I am a woman of God!

I desire a godly marriage!

My children shall all marry well!

I desire the beauty of holiness!

Christ is my wisdom!

Jesus Christ is the Lord of my home!

In Jesus name

Amen!

You “have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works…” (Rev 2: 3-5)

To have a good worship team in the church is a great blessing. The choir has to pay the price for a greater anointing so that the overflow will touch the congregation. If not, the doubts and the fears of the people will infiltrate the hearts of the ministers and an evil religious spirit takes over. Many churches are backsliding and are in great danger of losing their ‘light’. Not any gathering is a living church. It’s a tragedy to lose the anointing coming from Jesus; His special Presence that makes a church a living organism and a part of His Body. Without the light of Jesus, without the Holy Spirit, the assembly becomes a spiritual corpse, a dangerous gathering for the benefit of the kingdom of darkness.

The church in Ephesus was busy and zealous working for the Lord. The brethren had endured much suffering and persecution. No one was backsliding, at least not outwardly. All these things are good, the Lord says. But we are confronted here with a love-rebuke: ‘nevertheless’ … The Lord always looks at the heart of worship, at the motives of doing ministry. Their labor looked fruitful to men but it did not ‘impress’ God. They labored out of religious duty and have lost contact with the fire of their ‘first love’.

The love for the Savior Jesus Christ will always be your ‘first love’. It is called ‘first’ because when you got saved, that was the first time you had an encounter with God, who is Love. You love God for He first loved you (1Jn 4:19).  Out of the overflow of such a love, you are able to love others. But the source of this passion can never change. ‘Remember the height from which you have fallen…’ The true passion of Jesus in your soul is able to lift you up, to go to the top of the mountain of Holiness, to worship and dwell in Zion. The power of that first love is stronger than any other attraction in the world. It is a fire that burns and cleanses and changes you, like nothing else can do.

How do you ‘forsake your first love’? It is when you take God’s grace for granted, when you grieve the Holy Spirit, when you neglect the quiet times of prayer and the study of the Word, when you lust after the things of this world; when you indulge in sin and you ignore your wounded conscience…The word ‘forsake’ means to abandon your responsibility to worship the Lover of your soul; to betray your Best Friend; to fail your God’s given destiny. These are all strong words, but the sin against love is a crime that has no cure, except to come back in true godly sorrow and repentance.   Is it possible that the love for Jesus becomes lukewarm, that His name does not ‘move’ you as in the past? Backsliding in the heart is a religious plague, a shameful secret sin that corrupts long before its signs are seen by others.

What is the solution? Two words: REMEMBER AND REPENT!

The devil is happy when you forget the Cross, the price paid to save your soul. Our memory is weak and needs refreshing daily. Gaze on the Crucified until, like a lens in the sunshine, the light start to burn your heart. Remember the nails, remember the Blood!

The devil will also tempt you to refuse to repent; to remain a proud stubborn religious hypocrite; to do ‘church work’ to be seen by others. To repent it means to change the way you think, to turn around and start making new type of choices, always led by the Holy Spirit.

Pray for personal revival and for revival in your church. Do not accept a boring religious routine in your relationship with God. Come back to the Cross! Be filled with the Holy Spirit once again!

May the Lover of my soul ‘strengthen me with raisins and comfort me with apples, for I am faint with love’ for You, my Lord! (SS 2:5)

In Christ I declare:

I love God!

I love Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Lord and the Lover of my soul!

I love the Holy Spirit!

I will never forget Christ Crucified and His Blood that saved my soul!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“How often they provoked Him in the wilderness,

And grieved Him in the desert!

Yes, again and again they tempted God,

And limited the Holy One of Israel” (Ps 78:40, 41; NKJ)

Can the Almighty God be limited by man? Can a worm stop the Niagara fall?

One of God’s titles is the Limitless One. God is omnipresent! How can a man even imagine that God can be ‘caged in’? The word ‘limit’ in Hebrew means to set boundaries, to break to pieces or to grieve. The Holy One means that God is pure, sacred and unique, different than the ordinary and independent from His creation. Can any man limit the power of God who makes Israel stand as a nation in the midst of so many enemies? Is that possible?  Surprisingly, the answer is ‘yes’. The mystery of the Word of God is here, to reveal to us that which is beyond human understanding.

In the above Psalm we are told that God can be limited in the following ways:

*when we forget or refuse to believe in the power of God to perform miracles (when our faith is small)

*when we refuse to do spiritual warfare, becoming cowards and traitors in God’s army (when we do not attend prayer meetings in the church)

*when we pray making provision to satisfy the lust of the flesh (indulging in greed and covetousness)

*when we neglect the spiritual duty to teach our children the Word of God (fail as spiritual mentors)

*when we practice hypocrisy, idolatry or become rebellious to God’s commandments

*when we grieve the Holy Spirit

The main reason for grieving the Holy Spirit is bitterness, anger and an unforgiving attitude (Eph 4:30-32). Repent of those! By grieving His Spirit you limit what God can do thru you. The result is the loss of anointing to freely worship God in Spirit and in truth. Limiting God is one of the major reasons for failure especially in the worship ministry. Another effect of limiting God is the general loss of ‘holy romance’. Practically, the number of weddings in the church will decrease and marriages become unhappy. This is what the Word of God says. There is no way we can argue with it. You cannot rationalize these things. You either believe them as the revelation of God’s Word or your eject them. It is a dangerous thing to attend a church where the leaders limit God! Selah!

May the Word find a place in your heart, as a life giving Holy Seed! We repent of limiting God, of breaking His heart and grieving the Spirit of grace! Let the Holy Spirit move freely in the church once again! May the singles marry! May ‘the water become wine’ in the marriages of the believers! May we worship God with passion and freedom in the beauty of His Holiness! May the power of the supernatural, the long prayed for miracles of God manifest in our midst! May revival come!

In Christ I declare:

I worship God, the Holy One of Israel!

I believe in miracles because I believe in God!

I hate sin and the devil! I do spiritual warfare!

I hate rebellion, idolatry, hypocrisy and pride!

I teach the next generation the Word and the Ways of God!

I submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit!

All glory to God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“O Lord, truly I am Your servant…

You have loosed my bonds.

I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,

And will call upon the name of the Lord” (Ps 116:16, 17)

“My name is John. I am a servant of His Majesty, The Greatest King Jesus.

I live in His palace and I work for Him. I rejoice every day for my dream has finally come true. But it has not always been like this. My past was a tragedy or hopelessness, sorrow and despair. I come from the slump of darkness, from the ghetto of the devil. All my life I was a prisoner of sin, a criminal at heart and a professional hypocrite. I hated all that was good. I stole my food and cheated for my drink. I sold my body to any who wanted it. I was a beggar, a homeless and a tramp. I had no peace, no joy, no hope and no future. That was my life…

Then one day I was arrested for a petty crime. They did not get me when I did my worst. But this time, just for a piece of bread, they bound me and sent me to prison. The judge gave me the death sentence. I got very angry. I tried to argue my case but none listened. Face to face with the electric chair, having nothing to lose anymore, I don’t know why I started screaming and calling the name of Jesus. I did not know Him personally, but I was told that He is a merciful King and a kind Man. I also heard that He has the power over life and death… “JESUUUUUUSSSS…..”

At the mention of His name, the prison officer who pounced on me suddenly became quiet. He let go of my neck…I was really surprised. I also became afraid for all was so strange…The room filled with a cloud of light… I could not stop called His name again and again…I wept… I fell on the floor… I begged for His mercy. I never knew that I needed forgiveness of sins and peace with God until I saw death beckoning to me with its pale long fingers, saying…‘Come!’

‘What do I have to lose’- I asked myself. ‘Nothing…Lord Jesus come into my heart…Have mercy on me, a sinner…I want to be Your friend, Your servant…’

Then my world became still… peace came into my tormented soul. When I lost all that I ever had, all that I imagined I had and all that I ever dreamt to have…naked and afraid… at last, I found my Savior, my Lord! What a day! It started with the fever of death but ended with life eternal before the sunset.

This is indeed my testimony. My words are too weak to describe the change in my life. But I testify before men and angels, against all odds, this is the truth: I am saved! It is well with my soul…The Greatest King lifted me up and came to carry me as His treasured possession. He gave me a new heart, a new song, a new dream, a new family, a new garment and a new name. He called me to live with Him in His presence. Every day is different. I don’t make my own plans. In the morning He tells me what He wants us to do. Most of the time, He just wants me to sit down and listen to His Word. He loves it when I forget all other things and just listen to what He says. I do not understand everything, but we talk…I ask Him questions…He explains things to me…Sometimes I write on the paper, chapters from the song of Songs that never ends…There are other days when I work for Him… sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes sent on errands. Nothing is too difficult; nothing is too small; nothing is ‘ordinary’.  I start the day with a smile and I end it with laughter. If ever I stumble, His pierced hands steady me. If I forget what words to say, He fills my mouth with laughter and that becomes the utterance of power…His joy is my strength…He opens my eyes to see like Him, the end from the beginning…what an adventure…

People pray for good jobs, for promotions. My own is the best. His angels surround me. His Spirit propels me. His grace will ever be sufficient for me.

This page in my diary is to encourage my children and grandchildren, to the end of time…

Yours faithfully,

Royal servant John”

In Christ I declare:

I am a servant of Christ!

I love Him so…

In Jesus name

Amen!

“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding…” (Mt 22:1-4)

“My name is John. I am a servant of His Majesty, The Greatest King Jesus.

I am so happy for my Master. His only beloved Son is getting married. We are many servants in the palace. To each some duty is assigned. Together with some of my mates I shall work in the kitchen, preparing the wedding feast. The King said that He shall spare no expenses. The special oxen and the fatten cattle have been killed since morning. All of us are busy with the preparations. Some of my colleagues were sent out with the invitation cards to the nobles and other great men in the county. They were told “Come and rejoice with Me!”

I was a little surprised that Master went ahead to kill the oxen, even before the guests confirmed their coming. The servants told us that the great men refused them entrance and mocked the invitation. All of us were surprised…Is it that they do not know our Master, the Greatest King of all? Some of the servants did not even return alive, killed by them who were to come here to rejoice at the feast. We did not understand the reason for their anger. Why was it that they hated our Master so much? He is the kindest and most generous Man in the universe…Why?

In the kitchen we were not sure what to do? Shall we continue with the cooking, preparing all the things as we were told? The chief servant went to confirm with the Master. The answer came ‘Yes… Nothing shall change…All preparations shall continue as planned…’ Again we were surprised. Between roasting the meat and peeling the mountain of potatoes we discussed the matter among ourselves. We saw the Master going out angrily with the royal palace guard. We could not even imagine what the end of these rebellious foolish men shall be, for our Master can never lose.  Also, we could not imagine who will eat all the food we have prepared. The housekeeper wisely said to us: ‘Wait and see’…So the work continued as planned.

In the evening we saw thru the kitchen windows all sorts of people coming in. Some were blind, some were limping; all in rags or half naked. They looked afraid but curious to see the majesty of the palace grounds. It was clear that they were strangers. At the entrance, each was given a white garment as a free gift from the Master. No money charged, just thanks given. And the hall was filled with men, good and bad, all dressed in white as the King desired. The food we prepared for days ended in the bellies of the hungry nobodies, the poor, the outcasts and the homeless. They did not have any ‘table manners’ as the nobles. Kneeling on the marble floors, their mouths full with the delicacies of angels, looking up, tears on their faces, hands lifted up in gratitude… they blessed the King. Later, we the kitchen servants joined in the festivities. There was so much joy and gratitude, my heart almost burst with love for my Master, for only Him alone could have thought of such a special celebration.

May my King, His Son and His Bride live forever!

Yours faithfully,

Royal servant John”

In Christ I declare:

I am a servant of God!

I died to the world!

I am the Bride of Christ!

I love Him so…

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Entreat me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you;

For wherever you go, I will go;

And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

Your people shall be my people,

And your God, my God.

Where you die, I will die,

And there will I be buried.

The Lord do so to me, and more also,

If anything but death parts you and me” (Ru 1:16, 17)

Naomi was once a happy wife and mother. There was a season of famine in the land of Judah. Her husband made the decision that the family should go across the river to the land of Moab. It seems that he wanted to stay there just for a short time. The Moabites were ‘far relatives’ but also enemies of the Jews. God said that they should not be allowed to enter the congregation of God’s people. This is because they refused to welcome, feed and encourage them, when escaping from the bondage of Egypt. Later, they hired a false prophet, Balaam to curse and bewitch them. The people of God were not to seek their friendship or to pray for their peace, prosperity, health, rest, favor and happiness (Deut 23:3-6). Elimelch made the rash decision to take his family ‘abroad’, to live among a people Jehovah has rejected. Imagine being an immigrant among men that you can never visit in their homes, eat with, invite to your ‘church’ or pray for. Is that not worse than famine?

When Naomi left Bethlehem, according to her testimony, she was full. There was famine in the land but they were not the worst. Elimelech was impatient. He was afraid of death by starvation. Running away from death, he died in the land of Moab. Mysteriously, his two sons died too. Naomi sees this tragedy as judgment from God. Then one day, she hears that things are better now back home. She decides to go back to Bethlehem, which in Hebrew it means ‘the House of Bread’. This is the best decision she could have made. She is ‘empty’ now; she has lost all things but she still has her God. A backslider should go back to the point of error and deception and seek God and His mercy once more.

Her two Moabite daughters in law, Orpah and Ruth, decide to follow her. She tries to convince them to go back to their families for there is no hope for marriage in her home land. She paints a very dark picture about the future. She cannot promise them any good thing. There shall be no reward for serving her. Half way down the dusty road Orpah eventually decides to go back. She kisses Naomi ‘good by’ and weeps for the pain of final separation. Religious people shall follow Christ for a season but eventually, like the rich young ruler, shall go back to ‘her gods and to her people’.

This is now the moment for Ruth to shine like the morning star in the darkest night. She proves to be a true servant of God and of Naomi. Gentle and firm in the same time, in a wonderful speech filled with eternal glory and true love, she pleads with Naomi. Love is her choice! They shall be tighter to the end of time! She chooses to share in the destiny of Naomi. Mentor and disciple, they shall run the race together, until the very end! They will share in the sufferings and also in the hope of the glory of Jehovah. The people of God who by law are to reject her as a wicked foreigner, they shall be ‘her people’. Naomi’s house, be it a palace or a hut, shall be her shelter too. This is her dream: to live in a Christian home, to read the Bible to her children, to pray and to worship God with her husband, to take care of Naomi. She releases Naomi from any pledge of personal reward. She accepts the responsibility to be a servant for Naomi, without a salary, or the promise of future husband or children. If there is a God in heaven, as Naomi says it is, then that God shall be her reward. His mercy shall sustain her. His grace shall strengthen her. We know that her love, her faith, her commitment and wisdom was at last rewarded by Jehovah. She got married to the prince of Bethlehem, Boaz the Redeemer. Their son became the grandfather of King David and he was in the line of the Messiah. God’s rich and glorious mercy spoke on her behalf: “I will call My people who are not My people; and I will call My Loved One who is not My Loved One” (Rom 9:25)

Do you say that you love God? Do you say that you are a servant of Christ? The Christian confession shall be tested in the hour of affliction. The call of God to serve Him has to be proven in the fire of opposition, rejection and loneliness. The Cross has to be carried. The persecution has to be endured. The religious kiss of Orpah is too cheap to fulfill your destiny. Religion is not enough! You need Christ and Him Crucified! Except you break your ‘alabaster box’ and pour the oil on the feet of the Master, you will not be able to finish the race you have started.  A true servant of God is faithful to his master until the very end. It is easy to ‘confess’ Christ to men. But this confession has to be tested by fire. Men and angels have to see that beneath the dirty soil there is a lump of pure gold as an acceptable offering to your King.

“Beloved,

If you want to be my friend, if you want to marry me, if you want us to be together…then know this, Christ in me is all I have; above titles and fancy clothes, above gifts and hugs, above smiles and dreams to be shared, Christ is the best treasure I have. If my Jesus is not enough for you, then please go away; follow Orpah, for my simple life will disappoint you at last. The earlier you kiss me good by the better… But if the hope of glory in me is all that you desire, if my God shall be your God, and my people shall be your people then fear not, follow me!  And you shall find all things you had to forsake in the past; your sacrifice will not be in vain; your dream will come true and so much more… to the end of time we shall dance between the stars, we shall teach angels to tango and heaven will be our eternal home…

This is my promise! This is my pledge!”

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

I am servant of God!

I shall finish the race!

Christ is my reward!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts. You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord” (Ez 13:4, 5)

The false prophets are called ‘jackals among ruins’ or ‘foxes in the desert’. There are some interesting facts about the desert foxes. They are of the size of a domestic cat. They live mostly in the Sahara desert. They are generally afraid of humans. Their ears are very large. That is why their hearing is extremely sensitive. They can detect the sound of their victims, insects, lizards or rats moving underground. They are skillful hunters. Using a pouncing technique practiced from an early age, they are usually able to kill their prey quickly. They live mostly underground. They dig long tunnels to protect themselves from heat and other predators like the desert eagles. Their dens have up to 15 entrances so that they can run in and out from different directions. They hunt mostly at night when the temperatures are lower.  Desert foxes are social animals. Different families interconnect underground. Their body is adapted to live without water for a long time. They look very friendly and are beautiful. That is why some keep these animals at home as exotic pets.  If taken as kittens and separated from their mothers, they can be domesticated like cats. If not, they remain wild and uncooperative. The desert fox is the national animal of Algeria. In the Arabic superstition and tradition, the desert fox can drive away demons from houses.

Like foxes, the jackals live in the deserts too. They are hunters and opportunistic scavengers. In the Bible they are symbols of desolation, loneliness and abandonment, with reference to its habit of living in the ruins of former cities and other areas abandoned by humans.

In other words, the false prophets therefore are religious unbelievers, men of the dark occult realms. They come only to take advantage of you. They inhabit ruins, like tenants who never pay rent and soon pretend to be the house owners. They may flatter you with their sweet words but their prophecies do not help you at all but indeed they shall disappoint you at last. Like the desert jackals, they are rugged; they have a type of natural strength. They are used to live without the water of life, without the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. This may deceive others saying that this is spiritual strength, but it is not. The difficulties of life do not intimidate them. They look confident when things are not easy. They look for big money but they do not reject any amount. Like the foxes in the desert, they hear the movement of their victims and are attracted by it. They exploit your fears and your confusion. Pretending to pray, they attack the one in need and kill the victim without any mercy. They do not make peace but cause divisions. They do not go to ‘the walls to close the gaps’. They ignore the need for the unity of the Spirit. Their counsel increases the tension in the home. Little quarrels become bigger. A house divided cannot stand! Many marriages have ended in divorce as a result of false prophesies. Be jealous over your soul and over your home!

In Christ I declare:

I repent of any sympathy with the false prophets!

I shut the door to any religious evil spirit!

I reject all false prophets!

I cover myself and my family with the Blood of Jesus!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies nor with the wine which he drank” (Dan 1:8)

Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon had conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and carried many into exile. This is according to the prophets who warned God’s people that if they continue in rebellion, they will suffer, they will lose their place of worship and He will scatter them abroad.

Daniel was one of the young men carried to Babylon. His name in Hebrew means ‘The Judgment of Jehovah’. He was selected to serve the king. That sounded as a promotion. But over there, in the midst of riches and worldly splendor, young Daniel made a decision that saved his life and established his testimony as a true man of God. He also became a great inspiration for all believers, especially for the youth. Daniel decided that whatever the situation, he will not compromise his faith in God. He will not become an idol worshipper, even if he has to die. He will not allow anything and anyone, no matter how precious, to come in between him and God.

This was not an easy decision. Babylon was the greatest nation at that time. They were known for their cruelty and wickedness. They captured the king of Judah and carried him to Babylon. Over there, they killed his sons in his presence. Then they removed his eyes, so that the last memory he will have will be the death of his sons. Babylon was a pagan kingdom, rich, powerful and evil. Daniel knew that he needed the wisdom and favor of God not only to survive but to keep himself pure in the midst of the pagan oppressors. He quietly decided that he will not eat the meat or drink the wine coming from the king’s table. He knew these were a sacrifice to idols. He asked for permission from the eunuch in charge and miraculously, it was granted to him. This ‘simple’ decision was the foundation of his godly, successful and long life.

Please observe the type of ‘Christianity’ Daniel practiced. He did not become rude or proud. He did not become a religious fanatic. He was a man of Prayer and of the Word of God. God does not need an army with sophisticated weapons to judge a nation of a situation where sin abounds. One man ‘sold to God’ is enough! God judged the mighty idols of Babylon thru the quiet final decision of a teenager, who, in a land of darkness and sin, chose to remain pure, separated and faithful to His God. ‘In quietness and trust shall be your strength’ (Is 30:15). His quiet decision was settled in his spirit. From that time on, the mystery of holiness shall define him. That was his secret. That was his strength. That was his inspiration. That became the root of his testimony and the anchor of his soul, all the days of his life. In other words, Daniel honored God and God honored him. Daniel trusted God and God trusted him! So simple, but so profound!

May you desire the same! May you be jealous over your testimony as a child of God! Young people, the world wants to steal your purity, your passion for Jesus and your desire to worship God! Do not fear to be different! You do not have to imitate the culture you live in! Come to Jesus! Give your heart completely to the king of kings! Be a citizen of heaven! Be an ambassador of Christ! Do not fear to stand for your faith! Quietness and purity, these are virtues and great weapons in the hand of God! May Daniel be your brother and your friend! May you be encouraged today!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

I am dead to sin, to the world and to the devil!

The World behind me, the Cross before me!

I no longer live but Christ lives in me!

No matter the circumstances, I shall remain faithful to God!

I will serve Christ, my Lord, all the days of my life!

Daniel is my brother!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for medicine” (Ez 47:12)

Ezekiel saw a vision of a perfect temple. It was located in Jerusalem. From under the altar he saw a river coming down, towards the Dead Sea. The river was crystal clear.

In the natural, there is no river in Jerusalem, which is a very ‘dry’ city. This is a picture of the spiritual reality, things we see by faith alone. The spring was little at the beginning, but then it increased in size. With no help from any other source, on its own, the river became a great mass of water, like a flood no one could stop. Wherever the river went, death was defeated and things became alive. The river was measured by an angel, from one thousand cubits, going deeper and deeper. But there were some places that looked like a swamp; these were ‘left for salt’. Life could not penetrate in these places. There were trees along the banks of the river. Their fruit was good for food and their leaves were used as medicine. Their power to heal and bless never failed.

This is a picture of the power of the God. From the day of little beginnings called Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell on 120 disciples, its influence and power has touched all the nations. The Gospel is preached and souls are saved. Each man who is saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is like a drop added to the river. Out from his belly, the rivers of living waters are multiplied. This is how the power of eternal life increases without the help of any religion or the works of men.

But there are some places where the blessing of eternal life will avoid. This is a mystery no man can explain. These are people who hear but reject the Gospel. They become ‘salty and stagnant’. Like a corpse preserved with chemicals, they are unable to repent even if they hear the true Gospel. These are people with stony hearts that remain unchanged, stubborn, bitter or angry to the end. There is no witness of spiritual life within. No prayer, counsel of church can ‘touch’ them. As a pastor, this is one of the most painful and mysterious tragedies I’ve seen in the church.

The angel measured the waters with a rod. It means that with time, the fruit of the Spirit becomes visible and can be ‘measured’. It is true that the Spiritual realm is mostly invisible but there shall be a manifestation of the increase of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the faithful believers.

For example, my love, my joy, my self-control should increase and become ‘palpable’ to me and to others. This is a miracle, especially when the mature character is manifested under provocation or trials. The spiritual fruit of my ministry becomes food to many. They do not just listen to my words, but something else happens; they begin to ‘eat’ my words and feel satisfied.   Wherever the River of life goes to, whatever the anointing of the Holy Spirit touches, whoever flows with the worship, shall be healed and shall be blessed.

May you desire to take the risk and jump into this blessed flood! Say with Esther: “If I perish, let me perish”. But when love sings its last song called ‘It is finished’…when all fears are gone…for the hope of greater things… for the joy of glory ahead and for the love of my Savior… I am finally ready to let go and die…Suddenly, I discover that for the first time in my life, I live, I truly live… I now discover that this fearful river is the safest and the most wonderful place in the Universe. I find myself swimming in the mighty waters that quench the thirst of every soul and satisfy the longings of all willing hearts…

Lastly, I say: “Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” (Then, and only then, you shall understand my words…)

In Christ I declare:

I am born again!

I am Spirit filled!

I am a minister of Christ!

I am healed!

I am satisfied!

I rejoice in hope!

In Jesus name

“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time” (Mt 24:24, 25)
Jesus said that in the last days these false prophets shall come in greater numbers. We are already experiencing this. They use the name of Jesus to deceive God’s people. We cannot afford to be deceived by them. May God have mercy on us! May God help us to stand against the plan of the devil and to win the victory in His name! Let’s encourage one another for with God nothing is impossible!
What are the main characteristics of false prophets? God has given us two major irreplaceable gifts that can never fail! These gifts by which we may know Him and grow in the grace and in the knowledge of Christ are The Word and The Holy Spirit!!!
Please listen: The false prophets will attack both these gifts, trying to replace them with their own words and their own spirits! The false prophets will attack your emotions, using magic, that you may admire them. They don’t want you to think! They don’t want you to be sober minded and exercise self-control! They don’t want you to pray and repent of sin! They just want you to be happy with them and their wicked lies! Please watch and pray! Resist the devil and he shall run away from you! You can do it! Selah!

In Christ I declare:
I am saved by the Blood of Jesus!
I reject all false prophets and fake ‘men of God’!
I love truth!
I am free!
In Jesus name
Amen!

“Hallelujah! It’s a good thing to sing praise to our God; praise is beautiful, praise is fitting…

He heals the heartbroken and bandages their wounds.

He counts the stars and assigns each a name.

Our Lord is great, with LIMITLESS strength; we’ll never comprehend what He knows and does.

God puts the fallen on their feet again and pushes the wicked into the ditch” (Ps 147:1-6; TM)

LIMITLESS GOD!!! Just the way the crown fits a king, so Praises fit God! To the enemy, praising God is a fearful sound! God loves to be praised and He comes down to bless His people. Praise is the key to enter God’s presence. To the children of God praise is a command and not just an option. We praise God for who He is, for all he does, for His strength, love, mercy, grace, wisdom…the list is limitless…

Elohim is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The same God who made the universe and all the stars, is the same God who knows you, small like a worm. God loves you! In case you ask: ‘who, me?’ – yes it is you! God knows your heart, your address, your tears, your pains…He wants to heal your broken heart. Gove it to Him! Men and devils can break it, but they cannot repair the damage. Even if they say ‘I’m sorry…’ that cannot heal the wound within. Time cannot heal spiritual wounds. They are not like the physical wounds where time works like medicine. Spiritual wounds can be covered with smiles and pretense, but they cannot be healed by men. They can stay silent for years, but they are still there, hidden behind. God waits for you to come and ask for healing. There is no wound too deep or too bad. There is no sin too terrible for God to forgive. Pray and trust God! He knows his job! Jesus died so that you can pray! Jehovah Rapha touches your heart and suddenly, you are made whole. The broken heart leaks peace and joy. The heart made whole is strong and can withstand the pressures of life without exploding or fainting.

God’s compassion, wisdom, understanding, strength and capacity to love know no limits. Adonai, the Owner of slaves, the One who bought me with His Blood, the Redeemer of my soul, He is the God who protects and defends me. He is the Lifter of my head, when shame is all I had.  He is the God of justice who never makes mistakes. He stopped the flood of persecution when I did not know where to run to. He brings down the proud and wicked. He also lifts up the oppressed and the poor to sit with princes. He makes the barren woman a happy mother of children. He sets the lonely in the midst of good families. God loves the fatherless, the poor, the orphan and the foreigner in a special way. I am a foreigner and I can testify to this supernatural favor! He listens to the prayer of the true worshipper. He listens to the prayer of a desperate seeking soul. He gives grace to the humble…He lifts the burden from them who are weary and gives them peace! Of the increase of His Kingdom and peace there shall be no end!

He is the Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent Limitless God! Give God all the praise! Ascribe to Him all the glory due to His wonderful name! Jesus is Lord! Amen!

In Christ I declare:

I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God!

God has healed my broken heart!

I am made whole!

Vengeance belongs to God!

Praise belongs to God!

All the glory belongs to God!

I will praise God forever!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested… that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ…And these things we write to you that your joy may be full” (1 John 1)

There are only two Kingdoms in this universe. The Kingdom of God is manifested in Jesus Christ. Here we find God’s blessings to man: Salvation, the Word of life eternal, Forgiveness and Cleansing from sins, Fellowship with God and with the brethren, the Body of Christ, walking in the Truth, making Progress,  freedom, the Light of God and the fullness of inexpressible Joy.  All these blessings come by Grace, God’s unmerited Favor, and because of the Blood shed at Calvary.

In the kingdom of darkness, the devil is the ruler of all unrepentant sinners.  Over there is sin, sickness, sorrow, bondage, deception, lies, stagnancy, torment, isolation, ignorance, deception and lastly, eternal death in hell. No power in heaven or earth can save an unrepentant sinner.

The Word of Life has come in the midst of sinful men. Jesus is the Word made flesh. We can see, hear and handle the Word of God. It means to personally experience, to gently touch the Spirit’s strings, to produce music, to worship, to sing and celebrate God. True ministry is always amazing, beautiful and musical. The fragrance of Christ fills each room where He is honored and worshipped. We proclaim God’s Word until the spirit of the hearers becomes a worship instrument to the glory of God. The preacher and his congregation, together, they become an orchestra that heaven will bless. Nothing less will do! Ministry is not effective until the Word resonates in the hearts of them who receive it; until it echoes in their innermost being; until the seeds of life become hundredfold; until the faces shine and the hearts are filled with passion for the Lamb! Salvation produces a peculiar joy that nothing can quench.

Eternal life in Christ is not the product of an active imagination; it is not just a longing that weakens the soul, unfulfilled and frustrated. Salvation is more real than the visible universe. It is the embrace of Jesus Christ, touching the punctured side from where the water and Blood came forth to save the souls of men. Salvation comes by the preaching of Truth, the correct doctrine of Christ Crucified. The sinner will be convicted of sin, by the power of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of Truth. Sin is an offense against God; a betrayal of His love, ignoring His mercy and trampling His grace. Sin means to miss the mark, to lose the reward, to trespass into rebellion against the Creator of the Universe.

If you desire eternal life, acknowledgment and humble confession of sin must be made. The word ‘confession’ means to stop defending yourself, to agree with the truth, to accept God’s opinion as final. You have to willingly open the door to truth to manifest, to shine publicly as a proof of victory against sin and the powers of darkness. Then mercy is released from the throne in heaven. God forgives the humbled sinner who has faith in Him. True confession is followed by a flood of supernatural peace and joy.

Then the child of God is baptized in the Body of Christ. He will have fellowship with God the Father, God the Son and with the rest of the born again brethren. Fellowship means intimate communion in the Spirit. Each believer shares in the whole Body. There are common responsibilities and privileges. Together, we become a living company of brethren, of friends, a spiritual family connecting and filling heaven and earth.  The Spirit of God flowing in our veins, we love freely and sing His praises forever.

The Body of Christ is God’s dream and vision. He rejoices in His mighty work that none could imagine or perform. The glory of God covers His Church purchased with His Blood. God’s joy becomes ours, we share in it freely.  Having the same heartbeat with the Father and the Son, the angels marvel at this great salvation of the children of men. Joy becomes a liquid grace, full, influencing, satisfying our bodies and souls, giving strength to love as we are loved. No language can fully describe it, so I stop here…

In Christ I declare:

I am saved by the Blood of the Lamb!

I have fellowship with God the Father, God the Son and god the Holy Spirit!

I am baptized in the Body of Christ!

I love Truth, Light and the Word of God!

I love God! I see God! I hear God!

I love the brethren as Christ loved me!

I am free! I am healed!

To God be all the glory!

In Jesus name,

Amen!

PROPHETIC CLASS TESTIMONY

The anointing of ‘champion love’ was very strong this evening in the church. We did ‘a mass wedding’. It was not planned by man, but by the Holy Spirit. Thank God that I am not in charge! The single sisters gathered at the entrance of the sanctuary, the place from where the brides usually come in. Each took an artificial flower from the church. The children volunteered to be the entourage. The single brothers stood at the altar waiting, praying in tongues. Then the ‘bridal train’ marched as Bro Blessing was singing “He is jealous for me!” The married couples were the ‘wedding guests’ encouraging, taking pictures. Pastor Timi stood as ‘the father’ of the brides. Pastor Ebi and Pastor Trish prayed prophetic blessings over them. Brother Emmanuel brought out a professional camera and took pictures…there so much faith and rejoicing, the building shook…nobody took notice that we were all in jeans and T-shirts, for the glory of God covered us all. It is so wonderful to come to church! I testify that God has blessed our church with the gift of happy godly marriages! In Jesus name, Amen!

TRUE LOVE IS A CHOICE AND A COMMITMENT

“There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. We love Him, because He first loved us” (1Jn 4:18, 19; AMP)

True love is a choice. It means to decide, to select freely after proper consideration. To choose it means to make a judgment about a matter, to come to a final conclusion and a course of action. This selection is made against the powers of doubt, fear, wavering, controversy, quarrels or intimidation. Just imagine this scenario: love stands before different doors; love thinks; love prays; then quietly but surely, love comes in front of one; she opens that door; passes thru it and shuts it behind. Love knows when to say ‘yes’ and when to say ‘no!’ Perfect mature fruitful love is never confused! Love knows the power of finality and never regrets its way, never looks back or wishes contrary emotions.

True love is also a commitment, a pledge, an exchange of promises, a vow, an agreement to do something, to be faithful in the future. Love bounds the soul emotionally and intellectually, it restrains its freedom for a better gain. Love is sincere and steadfast keeping loyal to a fixed purpose defeating the enemies of apathy, laziness and indifference. Commitment means to be seriously minded, loyal, mature and responsible. The power of committed love is greater than the temptation to betray, to divorce or to deny the truth.

LUST, FEAR, LAZINESS AND DOUBT ARE BROTHERS IN SIN

Lust is always infatuated with the many options. Lust stands looks and admires the different doors forever. Lust and doubt are brothers in sin.  Doubt is not able to choose only one option; it never shuts the rest of the doors. Doubt and lust are signs of a weak corrupted sick will. Lust hates making life time promises. Lust is slothful; it loves its own freedom to admire many objects; its will is weak and lazy; love and hate look the same, marriage and singleness look the same; God and devil they look the same. There is no compulsion to choose one love and to reject all the fake options. There is no passion to be responsible and faithful to only one love. Lust is a criminal. Reject it!

THE FEAR OF COMMITMENT IS THE ENEMY OF MARRIAGE

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control” (2Tim 1:7, AMP)

There are many people who fear to pledge themselves for the rest of their lives. This fear manifests itself as weakness to choose a life partner, a line of action in school, at work or in making decisions in general. The fear of commitment may be the major reason why men do not marry until late in life. These are afraid of settling down. They are addicted to doubt, lust and laziness. They enjoy looking and admiring the many options. Some, under pressure, they get married, but they still continue to remain under the bondage of this fear and doubt. This is why their marriage is not stable and many end in divorce. They fear losing the many options displayed. They say that they are afraid to make the wrong decision. They too desire true love but they are afraid that it is just an impossible, unattainable dream. Their imaginations are wild. They have a lot of fantasies about an ideal partner. That is why they cannot ‘come back to earth’ and marry what is available. These men live with doubt; they always have a backup plan. These are romantically polluted dreamers, spreading their false hopes and wicked proposals. The danger of living with this fear of making a commitment is a lonely frustrated life of regret. A coward dies many deaths for fear of war.

What is the solution? Pray that you may see the truth of your position. Identify your fears. Fear is a demon connecting you with the powers of hell! Repent of all your fears! Confront them! Call them by name! Reject them! Pray for the Holy Spirit! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! Stop worrying about tomorrow! Trust God who never tempts anyone! Be free to obey God’s Word!

May God’s perfect will (which includes a happy marriage and a successful ministry) be done in your life, in Jesus name, Amen!

REBEKAH THE WARRIOR BRIDE

“We will call the young woman and ask her personally.” Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I WILL GO!” (Gen 24)

The two most important decisions you make in life are these: Give your life to Christ and chose a life partner!

Pray daily, not only for your children’s salvation, but also for their choice of a life partner!

Rebekah was a beautiful virgin! This is a great blessing! By this decision Rebekah’s life was changed completely. For her and for us, old things pass away and everything becomes new! She has not seen Isaac but she agreed to marry him. That is faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Have faith in Jesus Christ and His plan for your life! “Having not seen, you love” (1 Pet 1:18).

In Christ I declare:

I do not see God but I love God!

I love my neighbor as I love myself!

I am lead not by my senses but by the Holy Spirit!

I reject lust, fear and doubt!

My body is my servant, not my master!

I receive the gift of marriage made in heaven and enjoyed on earth!

I am a fruitful vine!

My children shall marry well!

When God calls, I shall say: “I will go!”

To the glory to God!

In Jesus name

Amen