“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him,

And show him My salvation.” (Ps 91:14-16)

In these last days the Bible says that there will be ‘perilous times’ (2Tim 3:1). The word in Greek means something that is extremely difficult, terrible and dangerous. It means you will often encounter negative situations. You will meet religious hypocrites, people who will let you down and betray you when you least expect it. The devil is behind them, trying to weaken your will and your commitment to Christ so that you will backslide. This is the truth because it is God’s opinion as recorded in His word.

There are only two ways to react to it. You either take the warning seriously and prepare your heart for the battle, or you ignore it at your own loss. The flesh is a coward, hates to be warned and to prepare to please God. But if you walk in the Spirit, the warning is a sign of love from God the Father and you will surely appreciate it.

The main strategy of God in these last days is to manifest His ‘love that never fails’ (1Cor 13:8) to His children. Another word for love is worship. God ‘the Father is seeking worshippers who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth’ (Jn 4:23, 24). Worship means extreme, total and sacrificial love. Because true love never fails, true worship also never fails.  The more you worship God, the fewer mistakes you make in life. God wants His children to live a life of worship, manifested as spiritual freedom and total victory.

To be a worshiper is not just to be a singer. It is not enough to just go to church and ‘do spiritual things’. A worshipper is a true, intimate spiritual lover of God. A true worshipper knows the heart of God! He is practicing the royal art of taking the cross daily and following Jesus. If you pay the price to be a true worshipper, God will protect you. You will live a long and fruitful life. This is the promise of God.

Like any good work, it is hard at the beginning to sustain a life- style of worship. The flesh wars against your spirit and will prove resistant to any change in you. But God has the final say in any matter. God is faithful! If you are willing and truly desire to live for God’s glory, you will become stronger in the pursuit of God. Daily, the Holy Spirit will encourage you by the oil of joy everlasting.

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

I am a Lover of Jesus!

I am the Bride of Christ!

I worship God in Spirit and in Truth!

I obey God!

I am saved forever!

In Jesus name,

Amen!

‘Make haste to me, O God!

You are my help and my deliverer;

O Lord, do not delay!” (Ps 70:5)

King David had many enemies.  After he was anointed as the king of Israel, Saul persecuted him unto death. His enemies actively desired to hurt him, to make him fall and even to kill him. He prays for help and deliverance from enemies who are stronger, richer and more famous than him.

The first request he makes is for God to come down and fight against his enemies. He is asking God to confuse, weaken and embarrass his enemies for their unrepentant wickedness against God’s servant. He prays that his enemies shall fall and retreat from the selfish battle against God’s anointed.

The second thing he prays about is for joy and strength for the people of God, including himself. As God will answer his prayers, the two groups of people shall be separated eternally: some will become weaker and the others, stronger and stronger.

Lastly, he prays that God will answer these two requests ‘hastily’, that God should not delay His intervention in his circumstances. It is an emergency call from an anxious but faithful heart.

There are some things in this life that require an urgent solution. There is no more time to waste. Each minute is a step towards disaster. The pain is getting worse; the call from the bank more insistent, the marriage is on the edge of collapse…This is an emergency call to God for whom nothing is impossible!

But even then, David remembers that the greatest need of the hour, the greatest call for debt payment, is to be grateful to God and to give Him glory. This is the true emergency my heart must acknowledge! As I live my life in total dependence on God the Holy Spirit, as I remember to give Him thanks daily, the anxiety of urgent mundane needs loses its terror. I do not allow anxieties to become ‘old’ in my heart!

Without any delay, each painful fear is replaced by a prayer of faith and thanksgiving. Each exchange becomes a pearl on the string of my testimony as a child of God.

‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus’ (Phil 4:6, 7)

It has worked for me, it shall work for you!

“He who testifies to all these things says it again: “I’m on my way! I’ll be there soon!”

Yes! Come, Master Jesus! (Rev 22: 20, TM)

In Christ I declare:

When I fear, I shall pray to God!

When I fear, I shall praise God!

In all things I shall give thanks to God!

My troublesome and unrepentant enemies shall become weaker, confused and ashamed!

The joy of the Lord is my strength!

God changes my anxiety into peace that guards my heart and mind against further fears!

God has not given me the spirit of fear but of power, love and sound mind!

I am not a coward! Fear will never paralyze my mind!

I am an overcomer with a great testimony that seals my confession of faith in Jesus Christ!

God is never in a hurry, for in all things He knows the end from the beginning!

I shall never panic to the extent that I forget to pray!

Prayer is my oxygen to breathe and thanksgiving my beauty made from ashes!

There is no more delay! The enemy has failed! God has given me my heart’s desires!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name,

Amen!

‘We cannot rely on God’s promises without obeying His commandments’

John Calvin (1509-1564)

“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
Show no mercy to wicked traitors…
They return at evening,
Snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
They wander about for food
and howl if not satisfied…

But I will sing of Your strength,
in the morning I will sing of Your love;
for You are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble!” (Ps 59)

David is surrounded by wicked men. These were his friends in the past. But they proved to be selfish opportunists; visitors coming to steal some left over grace. They are wicked traitors who now slander, curse and lie. They have forgotten the good way of love, mercy and self-control. They are now wayward and take pleasure in evil. They invent ways of doing bad things. Their consciences are seared as with a hot iron. They take pleasure in making others fall. These are like stray dogs, prowling around the city. Stray dogs have no master. They fight with other and are ready to kill for food. They are not completely wild, they are not wild dogs. They are afraid to go to the forest for wolves hate and kill them. They like to live in the cities, close to human habitation but in the same time, they are not domesticated dogs.

This is the story of a stray dog with no name…Let’s call him S. D.
He once had a home but hated discipline. He became jealous on the freedom of some stray dogs he saw through the fence, wandering on the streets. He ran away and got lost in the dark. His owner was heartbroken and wept for him for a long time. He hung yellow ribbons and posted pictures with his lost pet on the trees in the neighborhood. S. D. saw the pictures and urinated on the tree.
He passed the gate once he protected from inside. He still remembers the time when his master’s son comes back from school or when the garden lights go on… From behind some rusty trash cans, S. D. remembers, that once upon a time, he knew a life of love and care…his very name called for dinner or for play…but now…
‘Who needs a name? Not me…’
‘Who needs a home when the whole street is mine?’
‘No, I care not for love anymore…loves makes me weak, like a puppy…I am not a pet…I am now free to wonder about, to do what I want, to sleep where I want, to steal, to kill and to destroy…I am now a true dog…’ –S.D. said to himself…
What a pity…what foolishness…what danger…what a loss!

I just read this counsel given by the specialists about stray dogs:
Stray dogs are not pets!
Do not extend a hand of friendship to a stray dog for he will misunderstand your love and bite it!
Do not bring a stray dog inside your home for he may attack you and kill your pets!
Do not feed a stray dog outside your gate for he is erratic in behavior and violent without restrain. He is sick in the body and mind. He can bite you and give you rabies, a sickness incurable in humans!
If you see a stray dog, call the veterinary police so that they can take it away to an animal shelter!

In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God!
I live inside a mansion in the Kingdom of God!
I belong to Jesus who is the Owner of my soul!
I love my Master, Jesus Christ, for He gave His life for me!
I am safe and protected inside His home!
I belong to the household of God!
I am not rebellious!
I am not unequally yoked with unbelievers, strangers or hypocrites!
I am not sorry for the devil and his agents!
I do not envy the wicked!
Every morning, I will sing praises for the pleasure of my Master!
I am completely satisfied!
In Jesus name,
Amen!

“I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Our feet are standing
in your gates, O, Jerusalem” (Ps 122:1, 2)

After a long and difficult climb, we have now arrived at our mountain shelter. The very sight of it brings tears of gratitude and joy to our hearts. God provides His house for the pilgrims so that they can come and rest from their daily labor, refresh in His presence, show their gratitude for all He has done and meet with other believers who walk the same path of life.
Coming to fellowship with the brethren in the presence of the Holy Spirit should be the holy duty of every believer. It is good to come to church during the week, but it is even more important to attend the Sabbath (Sunday) morning service. God commands us to keep the Sabbath day holy, to make it a special time of fellowship with Him. Ignoring this command meant death in the past.
Question: how do you feel when you wake up on Sunday morning and you remember that today is ‘church time’? Are you happy and excited or not? Are you going because of religious duty, a sense of guilt or for fear of punishment? Just in case you have forgotten, God looks at the heart and the motives of our actions are more important to Him than the action itself.

The Jews were commanded by God to come to Jerusalem, to the Temple, at least three times a year for the holy festivals. Jerusalem is high on Mount Zion so going there meant going up. Climbing My Zion was not easy but the pilgrims were happy to make the long trek up the hill. The temple, the house of God meant rest, refreshing, the joy of obedience and the hope of greater things. This is the general plan of the House of God.
The House of God in Psalm 122 is a wonderful place with seven rooms. It can also be described as the home base of Mrs. Wisdom, which she built high on a hill, overlooking the city in the valley. Her house has seven pillars connected with the foundation built on the Rock, which is Christ (PV 9:1-6). The following are the names of the seven rooms or the seven pillars: Standing and Security; Judgment (of sin) and Joy; Prosperity, Peace and Praise. (For easy remembrance of the rooms, especially for the new -comers, there are 2-S, 2-J and 3-P)

STANDING ROOM
This is the first room in the House of God. All over the walls it is written: Welcome! We have been climbing the mountain for a quite some time. We now arrive at the House of God and for the first time since the beginning of the journey, our feet are now horizontal, standing secure in the gate of the Temple.
The word ‘standing’ in Hebrew means to come to the place of appointment and confirmation. It is a place to be established, to abide securely and safely. No more shaking or fear of falling. This is a place from where backsliding is impossible. When I was down in the valley of the world, I saw this house and this room from afar. I was jealous of them who could enter. I did not imagine that one day my feet will be planted on this Rock. This is the spot I was searching for, where I can put down roots, where I can lay the foundation of my mansion. From here I can grow wings and start rising up in the fullness of Christ!

My dream is just beginning…All glory to God!

“The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
though they cannot compare
with the wings and feathers of the stork.
She lays her eggs on the ground
and lets them warm in the sand,
unmindful that a foot may crush them,
that some wild animal may trample them.
She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers;
she cares not that her labor was in vain,
for God did not endow her with wisdom
or give her a share of good sense.
Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
she laughs at horse and rider”

“Even the jackals present their breasts
To nurse their young;
But the daughter of my people is cruel,
Like ostriches in the wilderness” (Job 39:13-18; Lam 4:3)

THE BIBLE REVELATIONS ABOUT THE OSTRICH
The ostrich in the Bible is described by God Himself as a strong, beautiful but foolish bird. It is one of the wild animals that God uses as a visual aid when rebuking Job for talking without understanding. God created all the animals and each has a function. Man has domesticated some animals but the wild ones still remain a mystery to him. You can catch a lion and keep him in a cage. You can take pictures of his teeth, you can make him jump at the circus or the zoo, but you can never completely tame him. God alone knows everything about the wild animals. He alone is sovereign over all His creation. The tongue is in the same class with the wild animals. None can tame it except God (Jam 3:7, . This mystery concerning the freedom of the wild helps us to fear God – Elohim, the Creator.

What are the revelations concerning the ostrich?
We do not want to be foolish! So, what are the lessons we can learn and apply to be wise women of God?
*DO NOT DECEIVE OTHERS! SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE ALWAYS!
The ostrich ‘flaps her wings joyfully…’ but she cannot use them to fly. Her wings are useless but she boasts about them. The ostrich deceives people with her actions, she gives others false hopes. These lies are foolishness!
*BE A RESPONSIBLE, LOVING AND CARING MOTHER! PRAY FOR YOUR CHILDREN UNTIL YOU GO TO HEAVEN!
The female ostrich is not a good mother; she is careless, harsh and impatient with her chicks. She ‘lays her eggs on the ground…unmindful that a foot may crush them…she treats her young harshly’. Her nest is shallow and vulnerable. The female is restless in the nest. The predominant hen (like ‘the senior wife’) is careless with her eggs; she piles more than she can incubate. She rejects many of the eggs that just get rotten by her side. The other hens (like ‘the junior wives’) in the harem are even worst; they just lay eggs in the common nest and then, they totally abandon any responsibility for the future.
When in heat, the ostrich forgets her responsibilities as a mother and abandons her chicks. She just follows any male that chase her. Her young chicks become lonely, rejected and vulnerable to predators. The male ostrich is a better father. He incubates the eggs most of the time. Later he is the one who mostly takes care of the young.
*BE HARD WORKING AND PRAY THAT GOD BLESSES THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS!
She ‘does not care that her labor is in vain’. If anyone tampers with her nest, she destroys all the remaining eggs and goes away to build another nest. When nesting, there is always great loss; many eggs are abandoned around her. She is not patient to repair the damage and always starts afresh, wasting time and resources. With all her hard work over the years, she has no reward, no harvest and no gain to glorify God!

The ostrich is proud of her beauty, independence and strength. The ostrich has beautiful feathers that are sold all over the world. It is proud of its achievements as a champion in running. The ostrich is lonely most of the time for she looks down on other birds and animals that cannot run like her. She ‘laughs at the horse and the rider’. In particular, she mocks at the horse, once wild and free, but now domesticated and submissive to his human rider. She sees no gain in humility, submission and discipline. She enjoys being wild, wayward, foolish and proud.
The ostrich represents a woman who is proud to be single and looks down on them that are married. She is a career woman and a family home is not one of her dreams. She prefers to buy a car than to have a home. She may have children but she prefers to be a single mother. Even if married, she does not enjoy her home. She delegated all her work to her housemaids and nannies. Her husband is always tired. He is burdened with his business and also does her work. He comes home in the evenings to clean the house and take care of their children. She knows and she exploits the weakness of men. She knows that her husband loves a clean house and good children. She controls and manipulates her staff, both in the house and in the office. They fear her. They work for her, they flatter her; they provide and help her without any reward or gratitude.
She is good at entertaining. She can sing and dance. She is tough, rude, loud and proud of her style. She does not submit to anyone in authority. She can kick anyone who stands in her way. She intimidates and she controls. She trusts in her strength, beauty and achievements. She is wasteful with her gifts and money. She lives like a rich woman even when she loses all. She dresses with expensive clothes even when she has no money in her pocket.

So what is the conclusion?
God- Elohim created the foolish ostrich. God created these women also. Pray for wisdom! Know that not all women who go to church are virtuous women as the Bible describes them. We are commanded: ‘Do not yoke yourself unequally with unbelievers’ (2Cor 6:14). Do not make friends with them! Do not listen to their counsel! Do not trust your children to such women! These are dangerous teachers or fearful maids! Pray before you chose your children’s school! Pray before you employ any house help! Their carelessness is deadly. They are busybodies. Their unending mistakes cause terrible tragedies…May God forbid this!

‘You saved the best until now’ Lord Jesus… (John 2: 10)

All marriages, no matter how strong, will eventually ‘finish’ their wine of joy and passion and end up ‘dry’: no hatred, no love, just ‘water- surviving’ arrangement. There is a moment when you discover that all the love has been exhausted on daily errands and routine of life. There is a moment when fear will grip the heart that your secret failure will become public display; ‘They have no more wine…’

That place of loneliness and shame is the moment for the true friend to step in and help. The best marriage counselors are not found seated at the table waiting to be served. They are found in the background among the servants who know the secret of brewing the miracle of supernatural love that never dies. Once you taste from the latter wine, once you allow God to love your spouse through your heart, your marriage will receive the stamp of heaven and will survive even death. Never forget the power of the latter rain! That is where the glory dwells!

In Christ I declare:
My marriage belongs to God!
Jesus is the Lord of my marriage, the Red Cord that can never be broken!
I will never lose hope in my marriage for my spouse is a gift from God and God never makes mistakes!
My marriage shall last until death will ‘part’ us! Nothing else will be able to destroy it before death!
I hate divorce!
Like the wine, my marriage shall be better as it we get older!
Holy romance shall always ‘bubble’ in my marriage!
The best is yet to come!
In Jesus name, Amen!

“In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had…
Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked” (Jn 5:3-9)

Let’s take a walk by the Bethesda pool…So much sickness… so much sorrow…so little hope…
There is one waiting for 38 years to be forgiven and healed. But no man could help. Even when the Spirit moved, no man was strong enough, or fast enough, or stored enough compassion to help a dying neighbor. Sin and sickness hid the beauty of hope; a downhill fall…

Then Jesus came and with just a word, all things became new. A miracle…The weak feet could now carry the weight of God’s glory in His chosen vessel. Like an ugly worm in his cocoon, the last painful push for breakthrough and behold, the butterfly opens his wings to touch the light he has never seen before!
The Healer commands: ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!’
From now on this is your duty and and your ministry! Walk about for all to see! Walk and dance for the pleasure of your Savior!
Lest I forget, clean your place behind! Carry away your cocoon- mat! There is no need for it anymore! The comfort of sickness and the skill of begging men is replaced by healing testimony and a new step never tried before. Sell the mat and go buy your dancing shoes, my friend!

The enemy hides behind the colonnades; defeated and jealous he wants you to go back into the cocoon again; back to darkness; back to the place before the Encounter. The enemy sees you only as ‘the man with the mat’; with useless legs bound with cords of dried hope. The enemy is blind to the work of your Creator who, one brush in His mouth and another lifted up, designs rainbow wings in His secret place.
Your Friend, the King sees you as His worshiper, His lover, who dances with a banner lifted high.

So, Walk, Dance and in between Fly High! The Cage Door is open and the air on the mountains is clean. Wonderful music from above will teach you the way to be grateful!
“I am grateful, my Lord!”

In Christ I declare:
I am free indeed!
In Jesus name
Amen!

“So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.
Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them” (Ez 33:31, 32)

Many people (I call them ‘spiritual artists’) like prophetic meetings and prophetic utterances. They like to feel the rush of emotions when the secrets of hearts are revealed, when darkness gives way to the light of God. They like the sound of prophetic words spoken aloud in a congregation. They quote the prophet’s words to others, they admire them, they say ‘wow’, they imagine the background music compatible with the utterance for the season, they design T-Shirts and banners or dance to the tune of heavenly bells.
But…Now this is the sad part of the story…
They just like the sound of the words but they do not take them seriously, they do not obey them!
Is this possible? It is very common in fact.
God warned Ezekiel to be careful with people who pay the price for a visit, have the right greeting prepared at the door, have the attached smile and handshake, have all the flattery ready…but, they are not true friends at all! They are gossips and greedy for selfish gain. They came to visit the prophet to glean some ‘garage sale’ prophetic words, cheaply bought but with some little polishing and repackaging, they can make millions in their latest best selling books.

God’s Word is not a luxury, it is not icing sugar on our emotions, it is not chewing gum to keep us awake in the church. The Word of God is not for sale! The Word of God is life, it is salt, it is light in the darkness and the greatest weapon given to men!

In Christ I declare:
I trust in God and I trust in His Prophets!
Because of this, I am established spiritually!
I shall experience victory and prosperity!
In Jesus name
Amen!

“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ…

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (Rom 1:1-17)

These words introduce us to the wonderful letter Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome. The Book of Romans is the most important book in the Bible, by which we can understand ‘the technicality’ of our salvation and sanctification. All major revivals in the history of the church came out from understanding the revelations from this book. The doctrine of justification by faith is the foundation in understanding salvation. It is my counsel that you read it prayerfully. I promise that you shall never be the same.

In these days of so much religious counterfeit preaching, going back to basics is wisdom indeed.

Apostle Paul was saved by the sovereign will of God. There is absolutely no sign that he desired to surrender his life to Christ. In fact it was the opposite. He hated the name of Jesus and persecuted the church. The resurrected Christ met with him on the road to Damascus and thru a crisis conversion he became saved. Here he tells us that the reason why God ‘arrested’ him was to make him a servant of the Gospel of Christ.

In other words, there are available jobs in the kingdom of God. I am talking about being servants to the Gospel of God. This is one of the highest paid jobs in universe! Just be sure you preach the right Gospel and you shall never regret it! To be a servant to someone, that person must be great and rich. The Gospel is greater than all men! To be a good servant you must understand your master very well!

God is looking for men to defend and serve the Gospel of His Son!

Let them who have ears, let them hear!

The word Gospel in Greek is ‘euaggelion’ from which the word ‘evangelism’ comes. It means the public announcement of wonderful news. During the Roman Empire, messengers were sent all over the land to tell people about the victories and trophies Caesar has won. The listeners were not there on the battle field, but thru the royal messengers, everybody was informed, believed and rejoiced.

In the same way, God is sending His messengers to inform everybody that His Beloved Son has completely defeated satan on the field of Calvary. We are to proclaim this total victory to all human beings, telling them to surrender, trust and obey the King of Kings from now on. At the hearing of the Gospel, God’s people rejoice and God’s enemies tremble! All human beings on earth, rich or poor, old or young, they all need the Gospel!

Preaching the Gospel means to proclaim Christ Crucified and the Victory of the Cross!!!

The Gospel is all about the Person and the work of Jesus Christ!!!

The name of Jesus was given to the second person of the Trinity for His work as the Savior. In fact the name Jesus, or Joshua, means ‘Jehovah saves’. The name Christ is the mighty name of power and anointing coming from the Holy Spirit.

God the Father invented the Gospel. No man could have imagined this way to heaven. God the Son cooperated with the desire of the Father and came down to earth in flesh. He lived and died to obey God, to glorify His name and to save the sinners. God the Holy Spirit applies this truth to our spirits so that we can believe and be saved.

Let me be even more practical…

The preaching of the Gospel is this:

Tell people that they are sinners going to hell and that they need a Savior!

Tell them that Jesus Christ is the only Savior!

Tell them that Jesus died on the Cross to save their souls!

Tell them that they have to come and completely and unconditionally surrender their all to Christ!

Tell them that anyone found outside Christ is hell bound!

Tell them that grace is found only in Jesus Christ!

Tell them that the Universe does not have even a drop of grace for anyone outside Christ!

Tell them that once they surrendered their lives they have to learn to be ‘obedient to the faith in Christ’! Tell them that true saving faith destroys the spirit of rebellion against Christ and His commands!

Tell them that if they are still persistently disobedient to God’s commands they are not saved!

Tell them that God ignored their disobedience in the past, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent and surrender to King Jesus!

Tell them that ignoring this word, this warning and command means eternal death!

Tell them that it is appointed to men to die once, after that there is God’s judgment!

Tell them that none of their good works and no man can save them! Only Jesus Christ can do that!

Do not stop hammering the nails in the flesh of your listeners until they bow to Jesus! The Holy Spirit will use your words to trouble their consciences and they shall lose their sleep until they surrender!

If you stop hammering the whole truth about Christ and His Cross as the only way to save men, it means that you are ashamed of the Gospel. If you are tired of evangelism, it means that you are ashamed of His Gospel! For there is no other reason for that!

Be sure Christ Crucified is the center! Whatever sermon you preach that does not have Christ in the center is a fake, useless ‘gospel’ that can never save anyone! The so called gospel of prosperity or approval by religious works, these are of the devil! God holds us responsible to preach the true Gospel and to preach it to the end! There is no favoritism with God! There shall be none with us, His servants! May your arm be strong once more! Hold the hammer and bang the nails! You can do it!

Jesus is Lord!

As for me, I vowed to God who called me to ministry to remain faithful to Him to the end! By God’s grace I shall never be ashamed to preach the true Gospel of God, which is Christ and Him Crucified!

I shall lift Jesus Christ my Savior higher and higher! May He draw your hearts after Himself!

May the power promised by God, to them who are faithful in ministry, manifest even right now!

May signs and wonders follow the proclamation of His Gospel even in this humble letter to all!

In Jesus name,

Amen!”

This is our testimony: I was sick with malaria since Monday. I trusted God for the healing for the pilgrims were waiting for me. I was shivering when I entered the sanctuary at 4:50. Then Pastor Trish started the prayers. Favor, our worship leader sent her daughter with the message that she too has malaria. I told her to still go on and praise God like this. She started slow, then suddenly the Holy Spirit took over and she started singing with power a much loved chorus: “The Church is marching on…the church is marching on…The gates of hell cannot prevail… the Church is marching on!” I felt the fever leaving me and she too was strong.
I confronted them with past unresolved fears and failures. For example, after years of trekking, they pray to own and drive a Jeep. Then let’s say God gives it to them. Happily they enter the car and suddenly they experience a strange fear about armed robbers taking the car away from them. For all the years in poverty, using public transport, they never experienced this fear. We prayed to let go of these fears if not the doubt of progress will hinder them and all of us, as a group of pilgrims going higher on the mountain of God.
Spiritually speaking, climbing mountains is a skill to be acquired. The vision and the heart of a champion shall be provided by God to them who are willing to mature spiritually. Many are called to dwell in the comfort zones of an ordinary Christian life. Few are chosen by God for leadership and inspiration.

CONFRONT INCAPACITATING FEARS
One of the great hindrances we shall experience is the fear of the unknown. Closely associated with this, are the fear of heights and the fear of falling. These are common fear to all men. They start in childhood when the parents instill fear in their children for their own protection. They tell them not to go far away from home, not to climb trees or ladders. For their safety, the parents want to control the children minds and environment. They are told that they should not welcome strangers or new experiences; they should not take risks or to go to dangerous places. If the children try new things, that is equaled with rebellion. This mind set to please their parents becomes a stronghold of fear that kills any desire of adventure later in life. The children, now adults, conform themselves to the world and hate anything different, like travel or understanding other cultures. Their choices are connected with the same environment that they have mastered for years. They make friends from among their colleagues; they marry their neighbors…
Spiritually speaking, they depend on their denomination’s doctrines and values and fear any other perspective. Their growth is stunted and they resist any challenges to mature as Believers. Practically speaking, they may be born again but they hate the doctrine of the Baptism and the Filling with the Holy Spirit. This type of fear accompanied with a number of familiar symptoms like, rapid pulse, dry mouth, constant perspiration, lack of clear thought and speech, trembling in fear, fear of dying, anxiety attacks or breathing troubles.
Once the child becomes saved, he has a new perspective of things. He will be led by the Holy Spirit, feeling safe to go to new strange places. His friends change, his attitude to life change. He knows that safety and peace is not the absence of challenges, but it is where the Holy Spirit is.
As a believer, you have to confront your past fears so that you can keep moving, keep climbing the mountain of Transfiguration. You have to pray and set yourself free from their incapacitating shackles. Your natural parents were full of anxieties and refused to move ahead; that was in the past. But now, as a Believer in Christ you now belong to the family of God and your vision is different. Listen to this:
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12;1,2)
Lastly, this is foundational: all fears except the holy fear of God are from the devil. If you are a child of God you should reject them instantly. Do not bargain with your fears…Reject them in the name of Jesus!
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2Tim 1:7)
I still remember the impact the above verse made on me when I became saved. I sat down and dwelt upon it. I settled with God in my heart that I will always reject fears, that I will not allow any such evil foothold in my heart. This is Rock on which you can stand. It will never disappoint you and you will never be put to shame if trusting God’s word you reject all fears. I tried it for many years and it has worked for me 100%. You go on and try it too…

“Blessed is he who considers the poor;

The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive,

And he will be blessed on the earth;

You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.

The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness;

You will sustain him on his sickbed” (Ps 41:1-3)

This week I was sick with malaria. For the people who do not live in the Tropical areas, I add this information: Malaria is a mosquito borne infectious disease. The symptoms are similar with the flu: fever, rigors, body pains, fatigue and loss of appetite. The total duration may be about a week and then there is recovery. Some cases can be very serious and the patients die.

I live in Nigeria since 1980. I do not take preventive medication against malaria. My body’s immunity is higher than that of visitors to this area. I keep my house mosquito free as much as I can. Then I pray for God’s protection. But occasionally I get sick, like what happened this week.

I took malaria medications and I prayed for healing. Then I waited to see what lessons I can learn from these days of discomfort. For nothing happens by mistake to a child of God. This is the fifth day since the beginning of the sickness. I already feel better and I feel the strength pouring in, little by little.

This letter is not to ask for well wishes from anybody (thank you anyway…). It is so to remind ourselves that we are human and that in whatever trials we pass in this life, we should learn from one another.

I want to say that during these days of sickness, my mind was restless not about my condition, but about preparing the message for the prophetic ‘Saturday Class’. The word for this season was this: ‘it is time to climb the mountain of spices’! We said that as a church, we should let go of the ‘lower, valley’ vision of Christ and that we should press on towards spiritual maturity. The last word was: ‘Keep moving!’

By the grace of God I am the class teacher and the leader of the prophetic pilgrims. I did not expect to get sick half a way the resting place. But this is the reality and I have to wrestle with the Word to find a revelation for this unexpected need. I prayed and pleaded with God for strength and healing. Today is Friday. I need total healing in less than 24 hours. For my students will wait for me and especially for God’s Word. This was the only reason I could plead for God to grant me healing.  I do not have the luxury of a bed rest in a five star hotel by the beach. God’s sheep and lambs are waiting tomorrow for their food and provision.

As I pondered about the situation, my eyes fell on Psalm 41. I read the first three verses…I discovered that there is a provision of supernatural healing from any sickness at all (!!!) for them who ‘consider the weak’. What does it mean? Do I qualify?

The word ‘consider’ in Hebrew describes an intelligent and successful man, one who is prudent in all his ways; because he is so successful he has become  a teacher, an expert in the field of successful living. He is able to find the solution to any problem, no matter how complicated it is. This man represents God in His function as the Wonderful Counselor. This considering man will give you hope in any situation.

The word ‘weak’ is the opposite. It means someone who has failed in life and now he is in great need; someone who is empty, dry, hungry and is dying. His friends have betrayed him and now they are happy that is sick and dying. Without God’s Word and His Blessings, his situation is completely hopeless.

As I pondered about these words, I discovered that there is healing for me. I truly qualify to open God’s pharmacy door and take whatever I need. I felt God’s presence and I saw the open door of His healing!

This is what was in my mind all these days: God’s people are waiting for me…I need to help the weak! I need to teach the ignorant! I need to be in the church tomorrow! How can sickness stop God’s work? It is impossible!

Gently, the Holy Spirit came closer and He touched me. He healed me!

When I started writing this letter, I was slow…Right now my fingers are fast and my heart rejoices…I smile…God heals them who unselfishly ‘consider the weak’! God heals them who are concerned for the progress of His people!  This is the end of the matter!

Lastly, I say to you: ‘By the grace of God…I will see you tomorrow on the slopes… Keep moving!’

“Then he (Elisha) said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow” (2Kg 5:26, 27)

In the Book of 2 Kings, Chapter 5 we find the well-known story of Naaman, the Syrian commander. He was a famous man; a great general in the Assyrian army.  Assyria was the archenemy of Israel. We are told that Jehovah gave Naaman victory in war for He wanted the humble His people. The general kidnapped a Jewish girl who became a house slave to his wife. Life could not have been better for Naaman. But we are told: ‘he was a leper’. With all his successes, social status and wealth, he was dying.

Leprosy in the Bible is described as a hated, infectious and unclean disease. It starts with a little lesion on the skin. Then it spreads and covers the whole body. It is not just the lesion that kills the person. The sickness destroys the nerves and the man loses the capacity to feel pain or pressure.

Spiritually speaking, leprosy wounds the conscience and the believer loses the capacity to feel guilty in the presence of sin. He loses the desire to repent of sin. Compromise becomes easier as time goes by.

In Naaman, this sickness describes the spiritual condition of a sinful unbeliever. We are not surprised that the enemy of the Jews is sick with an incurable disease. The surprise comes when the same leprosy is given to a believer in God, in the case of Gehazi.

The lesson here is that just like in the natural, with infectious diseases, transference of spirits is possible. Leprosy begets leprosy and the church or the pastor cannot protect the backslider. If there is un-confessed sin in the heart of the believer that creates a foot -hold for the devil and the way is open for evil spirits to attack. It is more common during prayers of deliverance. This is a fearful thought…

It is only in Christ that we are free. He that has faith in Christ, pagan or religious, and goes to Him for forgiveness of sins and cleanings, that one is saved.

The slave girl informs Naaman that there is a prophet in Samaria who can heal him of leprosy. Having no other option, without medical treatment for his sickness, he decides to follow the advice. He loads his horses with gifts, money, expensive clothes and with a great entourage he goes to meet the King of Israel. His Master gave him a letter of recommendation. The King of Israel gets angry at the Assyrian king for asking that he should provide his commander with a miracle. Then Elisha sends a message to call Naaman to his house and to see that ‘there is a prophet in Israel’.

O, I like the confidence of Elisha. May I do the same! May I take advantage of any situation that glorifies God! For when kings and kingdoms pass away…there is always hope in the name of Jesus!

Naaman arrives at the door of Elisha’s house. He stands there expecting some level of religious protocol, some hospitality from the prophet. He is used to go to the magicians and servants of the Assyrian god, Rimmon. His priests always provided him with charms and lengthy prayers of success. So, he expected something similar from Elisha. But the prophet does not even come outside. He sends a messenger to him at the door, with a simple command: ‘Dip yourself seven times in the River Jordan and you shall be clean!’ Naaman’s anger flares up. For the sake of his healing, he has humbled himself all this way, but the pride, hidden in his heart for too long exploded, ready to kill. He leaves angry, humiliated and defeated. Along the way, his servants counsel him to humble himself just once more. Grudgingly, he obeys the prophet’s command. He dips in the River Jordan seven times and comes out healed!

Immediately there is a change in his attitude and body language. Faith and miracles are ‘foreign currency’ used in heaven and on earth. No one can dispute that!

He comes back to Elisha and gratefully acknowledges that there is ‘no other God than Jehovah’. He pledges that from now on, he will only worship the God of Israel. He promises that even when he goes back home and he will be forced to attend idolatrous feasts; his heart will silently worship only Jehovah. He offers Elisha money and gifts. Surprisingly, Elisha refuses his offering. Soon, Naaman goes home rejoicing and praising God.

Then something strange happens… Elisha’s servant Gehazi decides to follow the general and ask for the gifts refused by his master. He lies that Elisha sent him. Grateful that the prophet has changed his mind, Naaman gives to him more than he expected. He comes back and hides the gifts in the prophet’s house. That is when Elisha confronts his servant about his lies, deceptions and greed. Then he pronounces a curse on him: Naaman’s leprosy shall cling on Gehazi and his descendants forever. This was the end of Gehazi ministry under Elisha. His greed destroyed his life and his destiny.

What are the lessons?

The first thing we learn is that nobody can deceive God. Sooner or later, sin is always punished by God. Jesus said that ‘the love of money is the root of all evil’ (1Tim 6:10). Greed is a disgraceful sin, more so when is manifested in God’s house. It is said that the way a man behaves with money tells volumes about his character. Greed destroys faith in Christ and the only platform to stand before God, ‘for without faith it is impossible to please God’ (Heb 11:6). God watches the way we handle money. He knows the people who tithe, who continually and sacrificially offer from their substance. God knows who is a giver and who is a thief in His house. He knows the wise and faithful servant who builds His house. He also knows the religious hypocrite who is reckless and foolish enough to destroy it.

Greed is connected with rebellion which is like witchcraft (1Sam 15:23). Gehazi supposed to study the words and the actions of his master. If Elisha refused the gifts, that should be enough sign to him to do the same. But the rebellion and the secret covetousness he nursed for many years manifested one day and destroyed him.

Balaam was ready to curse the people of God for the promise of reward. His greed killed him at last. The wicked king offered Daniel gold and promotion, if he can just interpret the warning on the wall. Daniel refused the offer and interpreted the writing ‘free of charge’. Even the Pharisees refused to take back the money from Judas, calling it ‘blood money’.

These are some questions: Do you experience joy when you give God something? Are you afraid you will end up poor if you work for God? Do you trust your human boss more than Jesus to reward you for your labor and sacrifice? Do you think that without stealing and cheating in business you can never be a rich man? Do you think that your pastor is a fool when he ignores money scattered on the floor? Can you control the muscle of your hands and not grab money each time you see them? Are all your dreams of success in life always connected with a lot of cash? Have you ever imagined a peaceful and successful life without having money? Do you show favoritism? Do you discriminate the poor people in your church? Do you ‘evangelize and pray’ for the rich ones more than the others?

Please pray for deliverance from the sin of greed! Trust that God will supply all your needs with riches free from sorrow and regret. You do not need to make others poor so that you accumulate wealth. God’s blessings are not recycled and are not borrowed. They are freely given from above, as a sign of His goodness and provision. Your blessings are independent on the blessings of others.

The center of this story is River Jordan. The destiny moment is the seventh dip and the healing that followed. Jordan stands for Christ. For an unbeliever, faith in Christ looks like foolishness. Their idolatry is so much more sophisticated. The natural man will never believe that salvation, healing and prosperity are hidden in ‘the muddy waters’ of the Bible. Only faith in God, in His word and in His prophets can open the gate to the supernatural acts of grace money cannot buy.

If you are in need for God’s touch, pray like this: “Lord Jesus, reveal to me where You are. My heart deceives me and the men betray me. The doctors have killed any hope I had in the past. The bank has taken all my money. I lost all things for Your sake…I need You! I need Your healing, Your blessings, Your prosperity. Direct my steps and my vision towards Your throne of mercy and grace. I vow to give You alone all the glory for the change in my heart and in my circumstances!

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen!”

“Prayer without the Holy Spirit is as a bird without wings, or an arrow without a bow” (Charles Spurgeon, 1834-1892)

“In many separate revelations (each of which set forth a portion of the Truth) and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets,

[But] in the last of these days He has spoken to us in (the person of His) Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order].

He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power…” (Heb 1:1-3, AMP)

For centuries, God Jehovah has spoken to men of old thru His messengers, His prophets, whom He has sent. Jeremiah, Isaiah, Amos…each one was given a piece of the puzzle. Each one had a page from the Book of God, a note of His song or a picture of His face. No one knew everything. No one had the final word. They spoke about Christ, the Messiah, whom they saw faintly, like thru shadows. They had a glimpse of His suffering and glory. They opened their hearts to the people of God, calling them closer to their Creator. But the prophets were rejected and their messages ignored.

At last, in these last days, God the Father sent God the Son to become a man. In case you do not know, His name is Jesus Christ. He came to earth and took our humanity upon His shoulders. He lived among people, worked and taught. He did miracles and many good deeds to reveal to them the love of the Father. At last, He took their sins upon Himself and died on the Cross on their behalf. He gave them in exchange His own Righteousness so that they may live and dwell in the presence of His Father.  On the third day Jesus rose from the dead and then He went back to heaven. From there, according to His promise, He sent the Holy Spirit to them who believed in Him.

This is His story, His testimony and His Gospel. This is the truth:

If you believe it, you are saved.

If you reject it, you are lost!

Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh. We believe that Jehovah Elohim created the universe. But now, we come face to face with Jesus Christ who is also the Creator. The eternal Trinity, each One does His Work and together they rule this universe, the visible and the invisible realm. Jesus Christ is the Creator and the Messiah of His people. He came to die so that they can be saved. His Word of power created the world and now the same Word upholds it, sustains it. Each cloud in the sky, each butterfly on the flower, each sparrow and each cricket, they all have their being in Jesus Christ!

In a more special way, the Word of God was sent to save sinful men. The Word of God has the power to produce faith, to give life and salvation to them who believe. After salvation, the same Word has the power to uphold, to fulfill to the end the purpose of His creation.

In Greek, the word ‘made’ means to perform,  to provide all that is necessary for life, to purge the foreign elements, to raise up, to secure and to fulfill destiny.

The word ‘power’ in this scripture means God’s violence, a miracle of force and abundance that creates a wonderful, unique work of God. It is like a waterfall down the mountain that floods the valley. Nothing can stop it. It gives water to the thirsty land bellow. Any hindrance is destroyed from its path.

The word ‘uphold’ means to endure to the end, to bear and carry the responsibility of His creation until the purpose is fulfilled. To uphold also means to give strength and support to someone weak who is under attack; it means to promote the interests of the victim against the oppressor; to actively favor the one who is falling or failing and to bring him to an expected, purposeful end.

Let me make it more personal…

The Word of God and the Holy Spirit convicted me of sin. I could fight and oppose the words of men. I could find fault with the words of teachers and journalists. But once the Rhema Word of Christ met with me, I could not defeat its power, beauty and grace. I tried to ignore it, I tried to fight it…but the more I did it, the more I lost any self-confidence I had in myself, any ideas of comfort as an educated and intelligent unbeliever. From the first time I heard the Word of God telling me I am a sinner in need of mercy, until I finally surrendered to Christ, I lost my sleep, my appetite, my happiness and my courage to live. My defeat was total and His victory was more than total. I did not give my life to Christ because I was smart or that ‘I knew better’. I gave my life to Christ because His Word of Power arrested my soul and defeated all my worldly arguments that I stored for a life time in my corrupt memory. My imaginary castle of success, protected by ignorant greed and foolish pride fell with a great crash. The Word of God showed me no mercy until I totally surrendered to the Crucified. The Holy Spirit did not accept any emotional bribe and refused to bargain with me. I tried to offer some money to the church I once mocked. But nothing worked for me…God wanted my soul or nothing. God hunted me, chased me, blocked my path and isolated me.

I hated God and His Word for so many years. I did not believe that He is interested in my life. I mocked and joked at His people. Their faith looked like foolishness and their prayer looked like incurable mental disease to me. I was too intelligent for them. I defeated their ‘stupid religious’ arguments. They could only pray for my soul. I laughed and mocked…until one day my laughter got frozen like the lips of a painted corpse. I still remember the feeling, the way my body trembled when the fear of God descended upon me. The Word of God condemned me and nailed me to the Cross. I tried to escape but the nails where too sharp, the hammer too strong. Finally, with my dying breath I surrendered to Him who was crucified by my side…The men bellow still rejoicing at my death…my soul hanging between hell and earth…I finally surrendered…and for the first time in my life, I prayed: ”Lord Jesus, You are right! I am a sinner! I need Your mercy and grace! Please come into my heart and stay…Forgive me all my sins…Be my Lord and my Savior…now and forever…”

Then, from the Cross next to mine, I heard Him say: “It is finished!”

Peace came into my heart as I’ve never known before. I forgot about my death…I forgot about my shame…The only word I could say was: ‘JESUS…JESUS …’

Joy and life came like a river into my soul. I was waiting for death when life invaded my soul. Death lost its sting to me. Death had a stroke and died…

What a story…None could have invented it except my wonderful Prince of Peace who is now settled comfortably and forever in every cell of my body, soul and spirit!

The Word of His power saved me and delivered me. He now upholds me daily by the power of the same Word. The more I study the Bible, the more I feel strong in my weakness and confident in the middle of my fears. This peace, this strength that comes from His Word will carry me to the end, for this is His Promise. Jesus amazes me daily with the sustaining power of His Word.

“I worship You Lord Jesus Christ, for who You are to me: Wonderful Creator, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Burden Carrier to the end and my Lord.

All glory to the Lamb who was slain!

Halleluiah!”

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Mt 13:44)

A treasure means great wealth. It can be money, jewels or gold. Simply said, he that has the treasure is rich and he who fails to find it or loses it, is poor.

In the past, people hid their wealth in the ground because they did not have safes and banks like today. Some of these people forgot the place where they buried their treasure. Others died and did not leave a note for their children to find the buried riches. So buried treasures got lost for generations…

The law is this: he that buys the land will have all things on that land, buried or built on the surface.

Jesus tells us that His Kingdom is like a treasure buried in a field. This parable tells us that the promises of God in Christ are very great and their value is beyond words. These are first of all spiritual blessings. But Jesus tells us that first of all we have to pay the price to find these blessings. Secondly, we need to secure these promises found in Christ before we can claim their possession.

Let’s open now the trunk of this treasure:

In Christ we find a completely new life. It is eternal and fruitful. It is the gift of God, the work of His grace. It is God’s crown for man. The jewels are too many to count them all. We find the forgiveness of sins and peace with God. We find imputed righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. We find the beauty of holiness, salvation, healing and deliverance. We find the reality of a new spiritual home and family: brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. We find the hope of glory and the promise that our future is better than our past. We find strength in weakness, comfort in sorrow and friends in loneliness. We find the gold of faith and pearls of anointing for ministry. We find identity for the confused, vision for the blind and maturity for the young. The trunk is bottomless filled with the fulfillment of dreams and prayers beyond all description.

This treasure is real but it is not left hanging on a tree or abandoned on a dead end alley. It is buried in the ground.  God does not reveal Himself to the casual seekers. The desire to seek God and His promises must be given first by the same God. It starts as a hunger for greater things, for a destiny that earth cannot provide. It starts like a ‘crazy’ longing that life needs fulfillment, if not, it is an empty burden.

Slowly, I feel the need to start seeking God, to pay the price for greater things.  At the beginning it is not easy, for I may lose the sense of direction and the passion to push forward. But after sometime, I sense that I am not alone in this mysterious journey…That there is a pull coming from a field of hope, a new desire that if I just persist in this holy seeking, I shall find the treasure at last. The enemy may attack telling me that the effort of seeking and the hope of finding shall be disappointed for the lack of treasure.  I may stumble here, for no man wants greater pain than he already has…But then I ask myself, what I lose if I just continue the seeking…so I get up and keep moving, keep praying…Then the enemy says that even if I find the treasure its value is less than all my efforts and all my goods…that I will be disappointed by my find, that the treasure is a child’s play, not for adults like me…That is the point when I picked courage, for if God indeed  has a treasure for me, it has to be greater than my boredom, my guilt and my the burden of my sins. So I keep moving…now it is too late to draw back…

When I fail, I fear a little, but then I see the wisdom of it all: I learn to lose what I see – to gain the things I cannot see…. so I make up my mind: By faith, I sell my things to buy that piece of land…I want to come to the place where I have nothing to lose anymore…

Now at last…my greed dead… my fears gone…my last tear dried from my face…suddenly I touch the thing I have been looking for…under the ground, beneath the rubbish dumped by the careless, restless world, which was once my home…I touch the jewels…the golden altar…I see the smile of Jesus, no longer a dream…now it is mine…at last…it is mine forever! Hallelujah!

For me, the journey to find the treasure of God, up on the mountain of frankincense, started with a simple prayer…

“God, if You exists…if You really know me…them help me to find You…direct my heart and my vision towards things eternal, towards You…separate me from the bondage to live an ordinary life…deliver me from the duty to please men…pull me towards You with cords that cannot be broken, stronger than any sin of mine…lift me up into Your everlasting arms that I may see Your face, Your smile, Your approval…

I hear Your voice faintly….Even in the midst of many loud voices calling me down to this earth, Help me to respond to Your whisper… For I sense that I am more than I see, more than I can imagine…Help me to find You and myself in You…

Help me Lord to make You happy…I want to work for You, to serve You…I don’t know how but I am willing to submit and follow You, Lord Jesus…

Help me not to waste this precious moment, too good to be true, but true nevertheless…

If You answer this prayer, Lord, I promise to be Your friend all the days of my life on earth, and then enjoy You in heaven forever…

I wait Lord, please come, Here I am…

In Jesus name,

Amen!”

Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Thank You!

For all You have done, for who You are to me…I say thank You!

The Volucella is an insect that has a strong resemblance to the humble bee. They too eat the nectar of flowers. They abuse this resemblance to introduce themselves fraudulently into the bee nests, and they deposit their eggs there. The bees do not seem to identify the foreign insect. It looks like they trust them, for they meet on top of flowers, eating the same nectar and making friends there. When these eggs have hatched, their larvae, which have two mandibles, devour the larvae of their hosts, the bees.
This is the return they make for the hospitality they have received!
Be careful with false brethren, false prophets and deceivers! They take advantage of your hospitality and come to parasite your home, changing its atmosphere and bringing strange, poisonous ideas.
“Test all spirits for not are from God!” (1Jn 4:1)

“If people are loud in the praise of a physician who has cured them of some deadly malady — recommending others to trust and seek his skill, why should not Christ’s people crown Him with equal honors, commend Him to a dying world and proclaim what He has done for them?”
(Dr. Thomas Guthrie 1808-1873)

 “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—

From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth?

He will not allow your foot to be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber…

The Lord is your Keeper…

No harm…both now and forevermore” (Ps 121)

THE DANGERS ON THE MOUNTAIN

Mountaineering is considered to be one of the most dangerous activities in the world. Loss of life is not uncommon. Dangers are divided in two groups:

*Outside dangers come from bad weather, falling of stones, avalanches in the winter, wild animals….

*Dangers that depend on the climber are equipment failure and falls, due to inattention, fatigue or faulty technique.

The most difficult climbs are when the mountain is vertical or covered with ice.

The climbers use a system of ropes and skillfully they tie themselves to the mountain. They use ice axes in both hands to grip the ice. Their shoes are special with spikes on the soles.

Along the paths there are special Shelters. The tired pilgrims can stop for a time to rest. There are people who supply food, blankets and medicines in these isolated cabins. The leader of the group knows where these shelters are located and take advantage of their blessings.

These are some injuries common among mountain climbers: falls (end in bone fractures or death): heart failure (from lack of oxygen and too much effort); frostbites (from ice); blindness (from snow and sunshine); hunger and thirst; depression and mental disturbance from altitude sickness, and others.

The Rock and the climber are intimately close one to the other. The mountain must be his friend. He has to trust the Rock he climbs, if not, he shall fall to his death.

A rock climber needs strength and wisdom. His maturity and experience is shown by his choice of handhold and foothold. He has to be sure that the rock he holds on is secure and strong enough to carry his weight. Many rocks look strong but are loose and not connected with the mountain itself. They can betray the climber and can fall with him to his death.

Mountaineering is basically team work. The colleagues have to trust and help one another. They tie themselves with ropes so that if one makes a mistake, the others can prevent his fall. The great principle is that of co-operation. When one moves, the others must know. Each is to know what the one ahead and the one below is doing. The unity of the Spirit is life.  All arguments and quarrels are fatal. All climbers must submit and trust their leader and one another, if not they all perish.

These are true facts and information I collected from books of mountain climbing as a sport. All these have a spiritual application. Pray that the Holy Spirit may open your eyes to see the truth as we continue to climb the mountain of spices!

THE ETERNAL CLIMB

Psalm 121 in the next step we shall take to climbing higher on the mountain of God. This is the second Psalm in the series called The Songs of ascent. Each year, the Jews were commanded to go to the Temple in Jerusalem to meet with God. The city is on a hill called Zion. Going to the Temple was never easy for it meant going up the mountain.

Please read this Psalm some few times and pray about it. Let the Holy Spirit give you a picture to inspire you in your Christian pilgrimage. God is revealed as my Strength, my Support, my Shade and as my Savior. It is called ‘the traveler’s psalm’. There is a sense of expectation of greater things and the desire to go to a higher place, trusting God to help in the ascent.

Let’s identify with this pilgrim of hope and glory…

The first thing we see is that the traveller recognizes his need of God, to help him in his journey. He starts from the lower ground. Looking up, He openly acknowledges that he needs help. He knows that God alone is the Helper to the helpless. His perceived needs during the climb, the many dangers along the way, they remind him that God alone is his Keeper to the end.

This is the first important lesson: Help comes from outside (God) not from inside (my wisdom or experience)! The devil attacks trying to convince us that ‘God helps them who help themselves: That is a lie! This deception reveals the loss of true vision!

I read somewhere that the female mountain deer comes down to the lower slopes to have her babies. The weather is more gentle and the grass more fresh. But as soon as her children are strong enough to climb, she hurries them to go higher up the mountain. This is because the danger below is greater; the wild animals are many roaming around in the valley.

The call to go higher spiritually is there because of the need for protection from the enemy’s attacks. The higher we go, the safer we shall be, the greater the peace and hope we shall experience. Monitor your spiritual ‘pulse’ and see…the proof that you are maturing…less anxiety, less confusion coming from the world ‘below’ and more assurance and peace with each step. .

The pilgrim has a vision of God and of his destiny. He lifts his eyes to the top of hills. But he does not stop there. He continues to gaze in faith to the sky above the hills, searching for the face of God. He is Jehovah Elohim, the Maker of heaven and earth. This is a journey on the ladder that Jacob saw. Each step will put a distance between the earth, our temporary home and heaven, our eternal and glorious abode. This is a journey of faith and hope, confident that our future shall be better than our past.

If you lose the vision of the One calling you heavenward, your foot may slip and you shall be in danger of falling ‘back to earth’.

God is the Creator of the Universe but He is also my personal guide and strength in this vertical journey. For some time, you shall still hear the voice of the world calling you back to the valley. The religious unbelievers who were your friends down yonder do not want you to move on. These are jealous on your progress but unwilling to pay the price and follow you.

The answer to this temptation is this: Be not like Lot’s wife! Do not look back! Look up! Keep climbing! Helper is coming soon!

Six times God is described as my keeper in this Psalm. The word in Hebrew means a Person who is personally interested in my protection and success. He is a watchman who never sleeps nor slumbers. God never yawns!!! This is a picture that has helped me many times. God knows my weaknesses and the dangers from outside. He teaches me and surrounds me with care. He totally protects me from anything that will make me fall or fail. He strengthens me and encourages me within. He also defends me from ‘smites’ coming from outside. It is His hand that blocks the hand of the enemy who wants to slap me or to pull me down. The word ‘hand’ means power, sense of direction, resources, fellowship and ministry. Practically, the closer I get to God, the more I get involved in serving Him in any ministry, the more I am covered and protected from the attacks from evil people.

The sun and the moon cannot ‘smite’ me as I climb. What does it mean?

During the forty years of wandering in the desert, the ‘shekinah’ pillar of glory directed the people of God towards the Promised Land. It also protected them from the deadly heat during the day. In the night, the cloud of fire provided enough light so that the journey towards the Promised Land can continue. They did not directly depend on the sun and the moon.  But the same cloud of glory that protected and guided the people of God, the same was deadly against their enemies. In this Psalm, God assures me of His total protection and blessings coming from His Glorious presence. I have no excuse wasting time. I should pay the price for sanctification unto spiritual maturity! But just like with the Egyptians who pursued the people of God, my enemies shall be smitten, fall and die if they try to pull me down the slopes, to backslide to the world.

The mountain of God is safe only for the true climbers, for the children of God in pilgrimage to a higher ground of maturity! The same is a deadly trap for the religious unbelievers, for false brethren and magicians.

Read this:

“On the third day God will come down on Mount Sinai and make His presence known to all the people. Post boundaries for the people all around, telling them: ‘Warning! Don’t climb the mountain. Don’t even touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain dies—a certain death. And no one is to touch that person, he’s to be stoned. That’s right—stoned. Or shot with arrows, shot to death… Animal or man, whichever—put to death!’

A long blast from the horn will signal that it’s safe to climb the mountain” (Ex 19:11-13, TM)

The sun and the moon were created by God and given as a gift to the earth for two basic reasons: for light (heat) and to mark the seasons (Gen 1:14). In the valley, I depended on the natural created things, for guidance, encouragement and strength during the transitions in life. But as I climb the mountain, I shall depend less on visible or natural things. My strength and vision shall change and become more spiritual. From now on, I shall depend on God who is my Shepherd and my Eternal Keeper.

‘Going out’ of my home, far from my comfort zone, to work or to war, when taking risk with strange encounters, all these shall be under the loving faithful, watching eye of my God. I shall not fear ‘going out’, travelling to see new things, far from my home.

The ‘coming in’ to my home, back to my routine, quietly abiding in His presence, this shall also be with joy, for God is here.

This is my testimony: In the different seasons of life, in all my transitions, in all my travels and in the long season of home dwelling… God is my peace, strength and joy! Inside and outside, God is my Keeper! I am safe and confident, sure of His salvation and hope!

God is my strength, my support, my shade and my salvation!

Who shall I fear? None!

Looking above the hills, I keep climbing!

This evening we had our women’s fellowship. Most of the women were absent because of heavy traffic, sicknesses and other things. The ones who could come look weak, strangely distracted and anxious. It is a very long time that we have experienced such mysterious weakness in our fellowship. The remnant of them who could find God’s strength perfected even in weakness tried to revive their sisters, but to no avail. Like the foolish Galatians, the women look ‘bewitched’ for lack of spiritual vision. It was a clear attack coming from the evil spirit of religion who blinds the eyes of the believers to the power of the Gospel, which is Christ crucified for our sins! Jesus Christ died that we may live!

This went on for more than an hour…Then we remembered the CROSS…we reminded ourselves of the price Jesus paid and the powerful promises proceeding from there. We directed our gaze to the Crucified!

Suddenly, the Spirit of Grace and Supplication fell on us. In a second, the tired feet started dancing, the weak bodies stood up to pray. The prayer was with faith, in unity of the Spirit, passionate and in earnest. The atmosphere changed! One by one, we called the names of the lies and the sicknesses that have influenced our bodies and minds in the past: malaria, sickle cell, depression, un-forgiveness…Each time a name was called, we shouted even louder: ‘Go out, in the name of Jesus!’

This went on and on for a time…then the place got quiet…there was no more sin to call, no more sickness that clamored for recognition…all the women jumped and sang for joy, like prisoners set free…the only option left was to praise God for His mercy and grace, healing and deliverance granted in time of need. I saw such a difference on these women’s faces and body language…so much change between their coming in to service and their going out to their homes…

The devil lost another battle! God is strong on our behalf! What can I say…

It was so wonderful!

How can I be a pastor without the Holy Spirit?

How can I mother all these women without the Holy Spirit?

It is truly impossible, for Jesus said: ‘Without Me you can do nothing!’

Yes, Lord, thank You for the loving reminder!

Only God knows the hearts of all people!

Only The Holy Spirit can truly empower for ministry!

To God be all the glory!

In Jesus name, amen!

(Gal 3:1-5; Zech 12:10; 2Cor 12:9; Jn 15:5)