(Fasting and prayer day 17)
“We who have believed do enter that rest” (Heb 4:3)

At creation, God worked for six days and rested on the seventh day. This is a divine law: work first and rest later. Faith in God’s Word is the key that opens that promise of rest. Unbelief in God’s Word shuts the gate to that rest. In Greek, the word ‘rest’ it means ‘to settle down’. In other words, if you believe the Bible, you shall settle down. If you do not believe the Bible and rebel against God’s commands, you shall work forever and you shall not be able to settle down. To understand the blessings of faith, the following are some definitions of the words ‘to settle down’. Unbelief will shut you out from these blessings. Please pray and know your heart and your standing with God. You either have faith in God and you shall settle down or you shall be a slave to unbelief and unsatisfied work forever. You cannot be in between. Choose your life style: faith and blessings or unbelief and curses! As for me and my household we shall completely trust and serve the Lord God!

To settle down it means:
To marry and be happily married; to begin living a stable and orderly life; to become mature, calm or composed
To have a home; to start living in a place where you intend to stay for a long time, usually with your spouse
To feel comfortable; it means to become familiar with a place and to feel happy and confident in it
To dwell it means to live as a resident and not a visitor; to become established in your life style
To abide it means to wait, to endure, to dwell patiently without yielding to outside pressure, to continue in the same place without interruptions; as a king on his throne, he cannot vacate that position for as long as he lives
To make roots and fruits
To arrive at your destination and rest
To provide compensation for a claim; to pay a debt

The opposite of ‘settling down’ it means:
To depart, to leave, to move on, to abdicate your throne, to exit, to evacuate, to say good bye, to step down, to resign, to give up, to surrender to the enemy, to forsake your destiny,
To darken, to obscure, to quench the Spirit
To vacate your place for another, to withdraw from your blessings, to work nonstop, to be restless, to worry,

In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God!
I have faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!
I reject the demon of unbelief,the curse of anxiety and the poison of rebellion!
I work now and I shall rest later!
I am settled down in the Holy Ghost!
I am happily married!
My heart is established in the faith! No shaking! No retreating! No surrender to the enemy!
I seat with Christ as a king on my throne! I shall not vacate it for anybody for it is my portion and gift from my Heavenly Father!
Queen Vashti is gone! As Esther sat, so I seat on my throne!
I abide in Christ and His words abide in me! Therefore, all my prayers are answered!
Because Jesus died for me, I am now debt free!
I believe!
To the glory of God!
In Jesus name
Amen!

THE THIEF FAILED
(Fasting and prayer day 16)
“Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit” (PV 10:2)
Last Sunday a demon of stealing manifested in our midst! But he failed to perform. The act happened at the end of the service. There were many people exchanging pleasantries in the lobby of the church. A man of about thirty, well dressed, passed by Pastor T and quickly took his phone from his pocket. He was so fast that Pastor T did not even know his phone was gone. Four children who attend our church were right there waiting for their parents. They saw him and he knew it. The thief quickly went to them and placing his finger on his lips quietly said: ‘Don’t tell anybody what you saw. If you tell, I will come back and beat you!’ But one boy of about ten, whose name is Asher, shouted: ‘Uncle T, this man took your phone from your pocket…’ At his shout, a brother confronted the thief. He brought the phone from his pocket and said that he found it on the floor. But Asher said ‘No! He is lying! We saw him when he put his hand in uncle T’s pocket and took the phone…’ A crowd has gathered by then. They took the thief outside at the parking lot and gave him a good ‘Nigerian’ beating. He had other wrist-watches in his pocket. The senior pastor Taleigh came and said that the beating is enough, that they should let the man go. He warned him to give his life to Christ that if not, he may die as a thief and go to hell. This was clearly a warning from God. The man was led to the gate and set free. We chose not to call the police as the beating was enough punishment for him. This is Nigerian style and it works!

(Fasting and prayer day 15)
“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2Cor 11:3)

We are in a season of spiritual warfare. We try to learn as much as we can about the devil who is our mortal enemy. The primary method the devil uses to attack the believer is deception. If the devil can deceive you saying that he is not the devil, that he is not your enemy, that he is your friend and even your god, then he has won the battle. Being deceived is the same as failing the exam! Pray for discernment even in situations that look simple. For things are not as they look on the surface! The natural covers the spiritual. The natural is temporary and the spiritual is eternal. The natural deceives but the spiritual is the reality. Pray to see what God sees! Then you shall never be deceived by the devil! You shall never regret your choices!

To deceive it means to cause to accept as true what is false; it means to fail to fulfill or to disappoint. Deception causes ignorance, foolishness, helplessness and confusion. Deception is used to mislead. The devil wants to take control of your life so that you follow and serve him. To deceive it means to seduce, to cause you to leave the simple and straight path of truth and light, and to go into darkness, danger and death. Deception is craftiness. Crafty men are skillful in concealing the real motives of their words and actions. These men can be very successful in cheating others. To cheat it means to be a successful happy thief. If you are born again and Spirit filled, you can live a life free of deception! You shall not experience loss, anger or disappointment! Don’t you want that?

Read the scripture above! These are some simple questions: How does the devil attack? The devil attacks ‘By any means’ (2Cor 11:3 KJ) In Greek it means ‘anyhow, somehow, by any method available’. The devil is not choosy. Any method is good enough for him, if he can gain something and you can lose something. He attacks thru the weakness of your flesh or thru the love of the world. He does not mind to come as a serpent (quietly manipulative) or like a lion (loud and intimidating). You need to cover all the areas of your life with prayers. The devil is not afraid of any ‘holy ground’. He is ‘Jacks of all trades. ‘Any means’ is good enough for him.
What is the purpose of his attack? The devil’s aim is to keep you far away from Christ!
What is the area of his attack? The devil wants to control your mind, your thoughts and imagination!
The devil attacks your mind, intending to load it with thoughts that are ugly, lustful, anxious, doubtful, depressive and fearful. He wants to complicate, corrupt and weaken your mind so that you lose that holy child-like God-trusting simplicity of Christ.

What is the solution? What can you do? It is only a child of God that can defeat the devil! Of course you need to study the Word of God and to pray. This is a good advice I personally apply all the time: When the devil knocks at the door of your heart, do not open it!!! Do not open your heart by reflex just because you hear a noise outside! Do not be curious about the person knocking the door! Remember that Jesus is inside your heart! Send Jesus to open the door. The devil will surely run away! That is what I do! That is why I stand and rejoice daily!

In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God!
I reject any demon of deception, stealing, fear, confusion, loss and lack!
Like David, I pursue, overtake and recover all I lost in the past!
I plead the Blood of Jesus over my body, soul, mind and spirit!
I plead the Blood of Jesus over my finances!
My debt is paid by Christ on the Cross!
I stand in the victory of Christ my Lord!
To the glory of God!
In Jesus name
Amen!

 
(Fasting and prayer day 14)
This is the story of a wonderful brother in Christ. Many Africans have gone to America to find better lives. They went there to enjoy ‘The American Dream’. But he was the first Christian to go from Africa to America, just to learn more about the Holy Ghost. He was part of “God’s Dream”.
He was born in 1873, in a small village in Liberia, West Africa to a traditional ruler. His name was Prince Kaboo. While still a child, a neighboring clan defeated his people and demanded Kaboo’s father pay a hefty ransom for his son’s return. His father could not pay so he had to suffer daily intense beatings and torture in the enemy’s camp. He almost died. But one day he saw a light and he heard a voice who told him to flee. He obeyed the voice and supernatural strength came. He escaped running thru the jungle. He arrived to Monrovia where he met with some missionaries from Taylor University in Indiana, US. They thought him English, how to read and write and they led him to Christ. He now had a strong desire to ‘know more about the Holy Ghost’. He decided to go to America where he can be educated and learn more about the Holy Ghost. His plan was to come back and preach to his people about Jesus. His was baptized in water and his name was changed as Samuel Morris.
He had no money. He sponsored himself by working as a laborer on a ship that went to New York. The journey was difficult. By the time they arrived in New York, most of the sailors in that ship became saved because of Samuel’s witness. He later arrived at Taylor University. He did not have money and only walked by faith. When asked by the Dean which room he wanted, Morris replied, “If there is a room nobody wants, give that to me.” He often prayed, day and night. He called prayer: ‘talking to my Father’. Anywhere he went he will tell people about Jesus. When he met Christians, he will always tell them ‘let’s pray’. He had a pure and passionate faith in God. He never doubted God. People will just fall on their knees, repent and surrender to Christ. Taylor University experienced great revival because of him. They called him ‘The Angel in Ebony”. During that winter he contacted cold, had pneumonia, and with all the prayers and treatment, he died. He was only 20 years old. But his impact on the University and on all people he met cannot be described. This is what the Dean of the university said at his burial: “Samuel Morris was a divinely sent messenger of God to Taylor University. He thought he was coming over here to prepare himself for his mission to his people, but his coming was to prepare Taylor University for her mission to the whole world. All who met him were impressed with his sublime, yet simple faith in God.” He is buried at Lindenwood cemetery. At that time the blacks were buried at the back. But he was buried in the middle of the cemetery, as God’s bridge between the whites and the blacks. His story has inspired many to go to Africa as missionaries. To God be all the glory!

(in the pictures you see Sammy Morris, His statue in front of Taylor University Indiana and his tombstone)

 
(Fasting and prayer day 13)
“But He answered her not a word…Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour” (Mt 15:23, 28)

As pastors, we always encourage our congregation to pay the price for spiritual maturity. This is our counsel: Invest time and effort in prayer, and the study of the Word of God. Your very character shall change. You shall become strong, happy and confident like your Lord. You shall become a new person that even you will love to meet. God will be your friend. Even you shall be your best friend. You will never feel lonely. No matter how bad your past was, in Christ, your future is blameless. And also glorious, I may add…

Along the way of spiritual maturity, the Holy Spirit may lead you to a season when Christ will be silent. It feels like God listens but He is not willing to answer your prayers. This is a very difficult test to pass. But the reward for the successful students is wonderful. This training is necessary so that your faith in God will be purified. You shall no longer trust in your feelings about Jesus, but you shall trust in the Lord completely, no matter your feelings. Even when prayers are ignored by God, you need to remain in the Spirit and you need to continue praying. The only exception is if God clearly says NO to you! Then you can stop that prayer. If not, the prayer and worship must go on. Under no circumstances you should withdraw from the presence of God, doubt God’s goodness to you and backslide. That is the devil’s plan. Disappoint the devil!!! Make God happy by staying at the feet of Jesus where the crumbs of mercy, grace, prosperity and healing shall prove to be more than enough for you and your family!!!

This is the story of a mother whose daughter had an incurable disease. She came from the area of Tyre, the place from where the wicked Queen Jezebel came from. No wonder the disciples had no mercy for her. But she is a wonderful teacher in the school of faith. Be like this woman who stayed in the presence of Jesus, even when the Lord kept silent, even when His disciples told Him to drive her away and even when He called her ‘a dog’. She just stayed there in the presence of Jesus, knowing that it the only place of hope. She took it all knowing that in God’s presence all things are possible and there is fullness of joy at last! Her faith, humility and patience were rewarded. Her problem was solved! Her daughter was healed ‘that hour’. Be like this woman! Let her be your teacher today. Go to her class and let her talk. You listen and obey! I am glad I did!!!

In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God!
I believe in Jesus Christ!
Even if he speaks or not, I still believe in Him! Even if He slays me, I will still trust my Lord Jesus Christ!
Nothing is impossible for me, because I believe in Jesus Christ 100%!
My future is blameless and glorious!
I reject doubt, fear and pride!
My testimony has come!
I and my family, we are healed!
To the glory of God!
In Jesus name
Amen!

Our evening prayer meeting was very good. It is wonderful to see humble and faithful believers sitting at the feet of Jesus, expecting to be blessed by God’s Word and ready to pray. We are in a season of spiritual warfare. Today we learned more how to prevail against the evil spirit of unbelief. We preached from the Book of Mark 9:14-32.

Jesus went up the Mountain of Transfiguration with His closest disciples: Peter, James and John. They saw the Kingdom of God coming down with power. They saw the Lord in His glory. Coming down the mountain, they met a crowd, arguing and quarrelling. A man wanted to take advantage of the healing power of Jesus and brought his sick son to the disciples for prayer. The son should have been a young man by now. From ‘childhood’ he was afflicted by a dumb evil spirit that manifested from time to time as epileptic convulsions. The disciples tried to cast the demon out, but they could not. This is the general background of the scene that Jesus and His three disciples met at the foot of the mountain.

The devil manifests in this story as an evil spirit of unbelief. Unbelief is defined as lack of total faith In Jesus Christ or lack of obedience to His Word. Unbelief is the poison that destroys the chance to experience miracles (Mk 6:5, 6). We need to identify, fight and prevail against the demon of unbelief. The battle is done in the name of Jesus! The victory is achieved only in the name of Jesus!

In this story there are three types of unbelief:

THE UNBELIEF OF THE SCRIBES
The failure of the disciples to cast out the demon ignited strong arguments between them and the religious scribes. They ‘questioned’ the disciples. .In Greek, this word means to investigate, to dispute or to question another. This is the first lesson: The devil will argue with you, trying to prove that you can never be successful in casting him out. He will oppose you and intimidate you. This opposition comes mostly from religious spirits. The scribes had a spirit of proud, incurable unbelief in Jesus and His ministry of miracles. They become judges of the disciples, mocking them as failures in ministry. The same religious demon discouraged the father saying that there is no hope or solution for his son. This religious unbelief is the worst of all. Jesus rebuked the religious leaders by calling them ‘a faithless generation’. This unbelief, if un-repented, it will send you to hell! God forbid!

THE UNBELIEF OF THE DISCIPLES
Jesus often rebuked His disciples for their unbelief, lack of faith or too small faith. The nine disciples tried but failed to deliver the boy. Jesus said that it was because of their unbelief. This unbelief is not as bad as that of the scribes. The root of this unbelief is forgetfulness and distraction. They knew that Jesus can do all things. In the past, they had a successful ministry. They had cast out demons and healed people. But this time they took it for granted that they can come and do warfare in their own wisdom and power. That is religious pride. That is why they failed. This is a big lesson: going to confront the devil in your power will end in failure in ministry. If you go in flesh to do spiritual warfare, the demons will either refuse to cooperate or they will attack you. That is why we need to be in the spirit especially during warfare prayers. That is why we need to fast from time to time, as lead by the Holy Spirit. Fasting makes us weak physically. That is a good reminder to pray for the strength of the Holy Spirit. If you are strong in the flesh, you will be weak in the spirit. Remember that the nine disciples who failed in this deliverance exercise were not with Jesus up the mountain. Peter James and John saw Jesus in His glory! It is much easier to exercise faith once you have seen and experienced the glory of Jesus! Another lesson is this: Pray that you may see the glory of Jesus!! That is the final cure of unbelief!

THE FATHER’S UNBELIEF
This type of unbelief is ‘the best’ spiritually speaking. It is the easiest to be cast out and changed into faith. The father was attacked by the religious scribes and disappointed by the disciples. Because of his son, he too had suffered for many years. The little faith he had was enough to bring his son to Jesus. There was trouble but eventually his son was healed. That is a great lesson. If all men fail, Jesus never fails. The father is the only one who humbled himself to acknowledge his unbelief and prayed for deliverance and for faith. This is great lesson: be honest about your doubts. Doubts deceive! Acknowledge them and fight against them. If you are a child of God, you believe that Jesus is Lord. But you may have problems in believing that God will grant you a miracle of healing, for example. Do not ignore your failures. Pray for a change of mind and heart. Your heart will change before the situation will change. Like the father, pray specific prayers, not just general requests! Do not allow doubts to overcome you! Victory is possible! In the name of Jesus! Another lesson is this: we need to continue in battle until there is victory. Discouragement should be fought too. The devil is not defeated until the end of the battle! Pray until you can freely praise, for the victory has come! “Lord, help my unbelief!”

(Fasting and prayer day 11)

“You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows” (Ps 23:5)

The women fellowship was very good. We praised God with songs and we shared testimonies of God’s power and grace. We encouraged one another in the way of the Lord. Then there was a prophetic word concerning marriages in Nigeria. Many couples struggle with the idea of marriage. There are very few successful Christian Spirit filled homes. There are very few role models. Most marriages are based on worldly, pagan, religious concepts or the practice of polygamy. I have lived in Nigeria since 1980. Both as a doctor and a pastor, I have rarely seen truly happy marriages. It is very rare. Most couples are more concern about their children than their marriages.  Couples here do not divorce but they live unhappily.  Most of the wives are not devastated when the husband cheats on them. They even ‘expect to be betrayed’. That is the reason why love is not strong, holy, romantic, pure and passionate. It is more of less ‘practical’ and lukewarm. This is more or less the culture here.

This attitude spills over even in the relationship the women have with Jesus Christ. The spirit of religion allows for a little bit of emotional display but the rest is ‘business as usual’.  Praying is routine and worship is musical entertainment. Men and women are too shy to display their true feelings. They feel guilty to be ‘in love’. The devil has taken advantage of this and quenched the Spirit in many churches. The marriages suffer too. If there is any woman who loves Jesus with all her heart, like the way Mary of Bethany did, that one may be tagged as a witch. If there is any wife who next to Jesus loves her husband with all her heart, she may be called ‘materialistic’. Her in-laws may say that she married ‘their son of brother’ for money. It is hard to fight such accusations.

Tonight we prayed against the demons that hate Biblical marriages; that attack the intimacy with have with our Lord and with our husbands. We declared that we are not ashamed of Jesus and we are not ashamed of our husbands. We commanded the evil spirits of confusion, poverty, fear, sickness (malaria, typhoid fever, diabetes, hypertension, depression…), ogbanje, water spirits and untimely death to leave us and to go away, in the name of Jesus! We asked the Holy Spirit to come and fill our hearts. We declared that we are hungry to know and love Jesus more than ever before. We prayed that God will ‘turn the water into wine’ in our marriages. We prayed that the Holy Spirit will purify our hearts with a new holy boldness to stand for Jesus and to serve Him forever! I am a witness that the Holy Spirit came and filled these needy vessels. All glory and praise to the Lamb upon the throne! In Jesus name, Amen!

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves… rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2Tim 3:1-5)

We live in what the Bible calls ‘the last days’. One day in the future, our Lord shall come back to take His Bride. That event is called “The Second coming of Christ”. The Lord shall not come as a humble man, but as the King of Kings and the Judge of all. Until then, we need to stand in faith, faithful and true to His name. The times we live now are described as ‘perilous’. In Greek, this word means something that is dangerous, difficult, furious and fierce; it is something that is designed to reduce your strength. If careless, things will destabilize you. These are times hard to handle, hard to understand, hard to manage or overcome. You need to be truly born again and filled with the Holy Spirit to be able to overcome the trials and temptations that you encounter daily. The reason why these are dangerous times it is because the devil will use men and women to attack you, trying to injure you; physically (thru sickness, accidents) or spiritually (thru doubt, fears and confusion). You need to watch and pray. You need to study and apply the Word of God daily, to each situation. You pray in English and you pray in tongues, for often, when the storm rises, you do not know what to pray for. The devil will attack you, pushing you to over-work so that you do not have time to study the Word or rest your soul. Many live their lives on a threading mill and they do not know it. The life of many people is truly described as ‘a rat race’. Men behave like animals, slaves to a mindless, crazy, horror daily routine, without rest, without peace, without the joy that spiritual creativity produces. These are furious times, defined by actions proceeding from anger; marked by noise, activity and fleshly over-excitement. The men become worse with time. They are aggressive, rude, easily provoked to fight and kill, falling and failing, trying to intimidate and terrorize, filled with lust, rage and other violent passions, merciless and cruel. They are hard-hearted, indifferent to suffering, even taking pleasure in inflicting pain to others.

These words describe the unbelievers around us. We are sent by Jesus as sheep among the wolves. That is the most dangerous ministry you can imagine. So, what can we do? How can we prevent failure in ministry and even untimely death? How can we turn disappointment into triumph? How can we live holy and successful lives in the middle of so much stress? Here we are advised, better said commanded, to ‘turn away’ from anyone who is religious but denies the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray that you may be willing and able to obey this ‘simple’ command! These religious people are the most dangerous of all. They infiltrate the churches pretending that they are saved, but they are spies and agents of the devil. Just like with Samson and Delilah, the devil pays them a lot of money just to betray and blind you. It is your duty to pray that your spiritual eyes should stay open, that your vision is clear, that you see what God is showing you.

How do you identify these dangerous people? These false believers deny the ‘dunamis’ power of the Spirit!!! They pretend to believe in the Person of God the Holy Spirit, but they do not!!! They pretend to believe in miracles but they lie!!! They are trying to deceive you!!! You may not know who they are in times of prosperity and peace. But when you are sick, for example, and you need a miracle of healing, you shall discover how empty and wicked these people are. They are sent by the devil to deceive you, to weaken your faith and confuse you. They shall rejoice to see that you testimony and your ministry is destroyed. God forbid!

Again I ask: what can you do? Stay close to the Cross of Christ! That is the only safe place in the universe. It is not just safe, but it is the place of power to overcome all enemies and the ground where the flag of clear victory is forever planted. You need to watch and pray. You need to practice spiritual warfare. You need to carry your cross daily, die to the flesh and let the Holy Spirit rise and be fruitful in you. You need to follow Jesus, obey and worship Jesus! Never forget! There is power in the name of Jesus! JESUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

In Christ I declare:
I am a born again child of God!
I am filled with the Holy Spirit!
The Holy Spirit in me is greater than the evil spirit in them!
Victory is mine!
I rejoice always!
To the glory of God!
In Jesus name
Amen!

 
(Fasting and prayer Day 10)

“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” (Philip 4:6-7)

The Word of God acknowledges that even the believers experience times of anxiety. Life is difficult. The devil is wicked and the flesh is weak. These anxieties are called ‘the cares of life’. If un-attended, these cares can quench the Word of God in your heart (Mk 4:18, 19). These anxieties are poison to the growth of the Word of God in your spirit. This will directly affect your faith. You need to choose between your worry and your miracle. You cannot have both in the same time in the same heart. You need to remove anxiety. You need to be free. How do you do that? By praying to God!

In the scripture above you see that the solution is different levels of PRAYERS. The first level is to stop complaining, stop worrying, just shut up your mouth to all negativity and then, pray to God! All doubt must go away! The second level of prayer is called ‘supplications’. It means begging. It is only a humble man that can pray with supplications. All pride must go away! The third level is called ‘thanks-giving’. Remember the past mercies, how God has helped you. Remember the glimpses of the future that the Holy Spirit gave to you. For example, when your daughter is sick, remember that you have seen her graduating from university, in a wedding gown or as a mother with children. The Holy Spirit will show you things to come (John 16:13) so that you can strengthen yourself, you can ‘balance’ yourself spiritually during present storms. “Count your blessings, count them one by one, it will surprise you what the Lord has done…” Finally, you make your requests. This is the last step and not the first. We often pray upside down. That is why God does not answer our prayers. Once you complete the fourth level, the peace of God shall descend on you and shall destroy all anxieties. It will shield your hearts and minds from further attacks of doubts and fears. This is the truth: All actively faithful praying believers are protected, mentally and emotionally. They are spiritually free and at peace with God. They are grateful to be children of God, actively building the relationship with their Father in heaven. Each prayer becomes a higher step of praise and increases their testimony of faith. “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1Pet 5:7)

May the blessed holy work of prayer be revived in your hearts! God is waiting for you. Right now, He is excited to answer your prayers. Therefore pray and praise God! Your day shall end with rejoicing! It is well with your soul!

In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God!
I reject all anxieties and cares of life!
God Almighty is my Father!
God hears and answers my prayers!
I pray to God!
I humbly supplicate to God!
I thank God for everything! All thinks work together for my good!
I make my requests to God who loves me and cares for me!
This present storm is over for God is with me!
I chose to believe in miracles! I am healed! I am delivered!
My future is better than my past!
I rejoice always!
To the glory of God!
In Jesus name,
Amen!

Our dear son and brother in Christ, Fidelis, has gone to heaven. He is now in Zion, the city of the living God, before the Lamb of God. He was a powerful and gentle worshiper in our church. He bravely battled Sickle Cell anemia with faith and courage, never complaining. Next to God, he loved his wife Vivian with all his heart. She loved him too and prayed for him, for a miracle of healing. God made the choice to call His son home. Please pray for Vivian, for the comfort and the peace of the Holy Spirit to fill her heart at this painful time. Rest in peace Fidelis! Jesus is Lord!

 
(Fasting and prayer Day 8)

“Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?” (Ecc 7:16)
A mature Christian is spiritually balanced, just like his Lord; Jesus Christ. This is a common mistake I have seen with many believers. When they repent, they try to move away as fast and as far as they can from an error or sin of the past. Of course, it is good to repent. But do not “over-repent”, for that is dangerous. In Nigerian slang this person is called an “over-sabi”. An evil spirit of religion can mislead you even in the good things you want to do. The farther you move in the opposite direction, like the pendulum, you may move towards an opposite error. Then you have to repent of your false repentance.

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

“The Lord is righteous;

He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.

Let all those who hate Zion

Be put to shame and turned back” (Ps 129:4, 5)

The prayer meeting was wonderful. The ACs suddenly stopped working and the room was very hot. But it did not stop the brethren from praising God and from praying with all their hearts. Today, we’ve started a series on spiritual warfare. We want to lay a strong spiritual foundation for this year. We read some scriptures to remind ourselves of basic strategy in spiritual warfare. Many believers became weak and spiritually lazy.  They now ignore the devil. But we need to enroll in the army of Christ. The devil is the enemy of God, the enemy of the believer and the enemy of Zion (the church). The devil will try all he can to spoil your relationship with God. Resist him and he shall flee away from you!

The devil deceived Eve to doubt the character of Elohim- God (Genesis 3). Lesson: God loves you. He created you to be like Him. Do not be afraid to be like God, creative and inventive, doing something out of nothing! Reject all lies that you are nobody or a foolish man! Pray: God use me!

The Devil attacks King David, provoking him to number his soldiers. The army of Israel was a great army. Counting the soldiers will only produce pride. (1Chr 21:1). Lesson: when you get wealthier, the devil will tempt you to number your possessions.  Lesson: If you know exactly how much money you have in that drawer in the kitchen, or in that account in the bank, then you are becoming proud. Lesson: pray that you become free from the bondage of numbers. You may know generally how much money you have, but do not count every kobo (cent).

The devil attacks the high priest Joshua in the presence of God. The angel replies that Joshua is ‘a burning stick taken out of fire’ (Zechariah 3). Lesson: when the devil accuses you, bringing your past of sin to remembrance, answer that you are saved, not by your merit or by your works, but by the Blood of Jesus. The grace of God released at the Cross of Christ saved you from the fires of hell. The Blood of Jesus will speak on your behalf!

When attacked by the devil, Jesus answered with “It is written…” (Matthew 4).  Lesson: read, meditate and pray with the Word of God! The Bible is the best weapon to fight the devil. You shall experience a fresh hunger for the Word of God. The Bible shall be your best friend. The Son of God was manifested on earth to destroy the works of the devil (1Jn 3:8). Lesson: we shall pray and do warfare until the devil shall become bankrupt. We shall overcome the accuser of the brethren by the Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross and by the Word of our testimony (Revelation 12). Our testimony is that the Bible is the Living Word and it works in our lives. We declared that we are children of God, born of the Holy Spirit. We are the light of the world. We reject the devil’s lies and accusations about our identity. The enemies of Zion, the enemies of worshipping God in Spirit and in truth shall withdraw in shame. We shall see the defeat of them who persecute us for no good reason!  We declare that Jesus is beautiful! Therefore our lives shall be beautiful! We declare all these to the glory of God! Shine Jesus Shine!!!

 
(Fasting and prayer day 7)

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb 10:24, 25)

Today I want to consider you, my readers. I want to stir up your hearts to love God and His Word more than ever before. I want to challenge you to become serious committed mature Christians. I invite you to church! Once you become born again, it is your duty to pray, that the Holy Spirit will lead you to belong to a local assembly. Once there, pray that you may understand, submit and flow with the vision of the senior pastor. If you do not like it, then go away and find another church where you can freely submit to the leadership. But do not stay in a place you dislike and grumble at what you see or hear. This is rebellion and God shall judge that sin more than any other.

Many people are afraid to go closer to others, especially if they look different. From experience I know that many are afraid to go closer to pastors or their wives. This is because of un-healed hurts in the past. Gossip is a killer in all relationships. But you still need to attend a church. It is very dangerous to stay isolated and lonely. In the wild, you have seen that the lion attacks the young antelope that has left the safety of her flock. Even so, the devil will identify and attack the lonely, foolish and rebellious Christian. Attending a living church and being part of a local ministry is a blessing to all the children of God. It is also great spiritual safety. A living church is a spiritual covering. You will grow faster as a member of a Spirit filled assembly than if you stay at home each Sunday. TV Christian programs are good but cannot replace regular attendance to a church, except in special situations.

Attending a local church is not the same as going to a social club. The unique factor is that in the Church of the Living God, Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. He speaks and He rules. The Holy Spirit is there also to oversee, reward and discipline. Some people fear discipline. Fear not! We all need it, to mature spiritually! Pray for supernatural love and wisdom so that you overcome the temptations in your relationship with the other believers. Remember that not all Christians have the same level of faith or spiritual maturity. The church is a ‘mixed multitude’. There are many religious people there who are not saved. There are many superficial things that differ between Christians: the color of their skin, different cultures; the styles of fashion or the mode of worshipping. These are minor things and you should ignore them. Don’t be distracted! Look unto Jesus!

I testify that I have found a true home in my local church. I am a pastor, a pastor’s wife, a mother in Christ and a friend to many. I literally live in the church, both physically and spiritually. It is my privilege to live in the church’s building. It will take an eternity to describe the blessings, the peace, the safety, the joy of living at the center of God’s will. Nothing else matter for me. I have found my place and purpose on this earth. I taste heaven daily. I do not fear challenges, for in Christ I can do all things! I have a great spiritual family, many children and true friends. Together, ‘we are for signs and wonders’ (Is 8:18). No one is ‘ordinary’. They are all beautiful like Jesus and strong in the Holy Ghost. They are faithful to God and to the ministry! All praise and glory to the Lamb upon the Throne!

In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God!
I am an active member of a living church!
I am servant of God!
To the glory of God!
In Jesus name,
Amen!

(Fasting and prayer day 6)

“Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him” (Rom 14:1-3)

 
(Fasting and prayer day 5)

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore RECEIVE one another as Christ also RECEIVED you, to the glory of God” (Rom 15:5-7)

This is God’s command: We have to RECEIVE one another into our hearts. This ‘receiving’ must be done for the honor of the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit. No unbeliever can ‘receive’ you! This sacrificial loving receiving is the privilege of the children of God! Did you forget? The Lord received us as sinners and by His love, He changed us into saints. He was not deceived by our sin. But He knew what He can do with this ‘rough diamond’. In the same way my must receive one another in His name and for His glory!

To receive it means to allow another to enter into ‘your space’ until you are ‘disturbed’. It means to assimilate another’s ideas into your mind, pray for them, until you have ‘a headache’. It means to greet another from the heart. It is not flattery, for flattery is selfish and desires to gain something thru false ‘encouragement’. To receive it means to support the pressure, the weight, the doubts, the inferiority complexes or the suffering of another. The act of Christian ‘receiving’ is a holy sacrifice. It is not easy. There are dangers connected with it. Foolishly, you can ‘drown’ trying to love and encourage another. But this is the command of God. We must still obey the command to love and receive another, for God will enable you to be a holy receiver in His name! He will give you more patience, more endurance than you need! He will give you more love than you can imagine! Be an encourager! Endure to the end! Finish the project that you have started! Practice encouragement daily, on the good and on the bad! It does not matter if you are not appreciated by men. God will surely reward you! The grace of God, the favor of God will shine forth from your life! Let Jesus be Jesus to you and in you! Let the unity of the Spirit be established in your home, your marriage and in your church! Glorify God with one mind and with one voice! Let the testimony of this amazing grace of Jesus increase in your life! You have nothing to lose, for God is with you!

In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God!
I serve the God of endurance and encouragement! Therefore, I am an encourager!
For Christ’s sake, I am patient with my husband, with my children, with others and even with myself!
My husband and I we live in harmony with one another. The unity of the Spirit is established in our home!
I love God with all my heart!
I love my neighbor as I love myself!
I receive others in my heart, as Christ has received me, to save me!
I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me!
The glory of God shines in my life, in my home, in my church!
My testimony as a servant of God shall increase!
God will reward me!
To the glory of God!
In Jesus name,
Amen!

(Fasting and prayer day 4)

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you… But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning” (Jn 15-27)

 
(Fasting and prayer, day 3)

“How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You” (Ps 84:1-4)

What is a good, living church? A good church is a place where the Word of God is preached with the anointing and the power of the Holy Spirit. A good church is a place where the person of the Holy Spirit is welcomed and moves freely in the midst of the congregation. A good church is a place where the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is lifted high, in praises and prayers.

Most men and women know what they want in a spouse. They make lists about the qualities of their future life-partners. But few believers know what they are looking for in a local church. Some are looking for a ‘nice’ building. Some like the music. Some like the preacher. What is the most important thing to look for as you pray for God’s direction in attending a local church? The most important ‘thing’ is the manifested presence of God the Holy Spirit. Once you sense that the Holy Spirit dwells there, He freely moves there, that is a living church to attend. Without God, that church is dead. It is more than useless; it is a dangerous place and a snare to your soul. Run away from it!

The sparrow and the swallow are little birds. But they have found a place to build their nests near the altar of God. We are like these insignificant birds. Without God, we are nothing. Without Jesus, we can do nothing. Humble yourself before God, come near the altar of God and you shall find rest for your soul. The Cross of Jesus is that altar. Jesus died to set you free from sin and hell. These little birds are lonely, restless and afraid. This is because they have many enemies. They cannot protect themselves. They need to settle under the protection of Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts! They need a secure place to hide and have their young.

This is a great lesson for us all. Your life, your love, needs the protection and the grace of the Cross. Your marriage, your family and your children need to settle in the presence of God. At the Cross, God will cover you. The leaders of your church will cover you spiritually with prayers and Biblical counsel. You need to serve God, to pay your tithes and offerings into a place where God sees and God accepts. So, be patient and continue to pray. God does not tempt His children. You shall find a place where God is and where you can find rest for your soul. Now you see why finding a good living church is vital for your peace, joy, security and fulfilment. It is dangerous to just ‘manage’ a church. It is better to stay at home and pray for leading than to attend a ‘church’ where your spirit is quenched.

May God bless the entrance of these words into your heart today! In Jesus name, amen!

 
(Fasting and prayer, day 2)

“Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;
They will see the land that is very far off” (Is 33:17)

Faith is trusting in the invisible things of the Kingdom of God. God rewards faith! But this is the revelation of the Bible: one day our faith will be unnecessary!!! Faith is the bridge to the heavenly sight! One day faith will give way to sight! Jesus healed the blind and he saw the Lord! This is the promise of God: “You shall see the King in His beauty!” The higher is your faith now, the clearer you shall see King Jesus in the future. Jesus said: “Blessed are they who are pure in heart. For they shall see God” (Mt 5:8). The word ‘pure’ means clean and clear.

The opposite is to be unclean and dirty. A dirty heart cannot see beautiful things, cannot see spiritual blessings and cannot see Jesus! An unredeemed sinful heart is a dirty heart that has never been washed in the Blood of Jesus! It conceives wicked and negative things. A dirty heart is possessed with lust and thinks only of fleshly passions. A dirty heart knows nothing about true love! A sinful heart is dull to spiritual things. Sinful lustful eyes are closed to spiritual things. They cannot see the beauty of Jesus. These blind eyes are sad eyes living in a sick body. A dirty heart fails its purpose with each beat in the chest. Failure to see it is failure to love. What a waste…

But you, child of God, you are the promised Royal Seed! In Christ, we are Sons and Daughters of the King of kings! You are Princes and Princesses! “Blessed are your eyes for they see” (Mt 13:16)! You shall see not only Jesus, but you shall see the city and the mansions He has prepared for you! Get excited! We shall have sweet fellowship over there. We shall worship King Jesus forever! We shall see the heavenly Zion. One day, expectation shall change into experience! A clean vision is blessed by God. Your eyes shall be blessed by what you shall see! All champions have clean eyes! All worshippers have clean hearts! A clean heart is protected by the fire of the Holy Spirit. With a clean heart, you shall not see wicked people anymore! God is our Judge, the Lawgiver and King. Jesus is the final authority! Jesus is the Gate! The sinners are not allowed to enter Zion! Holiness is the password to the Spirit realm, the royal seal of safety and the assurance of heaven! When the Spirit moves, there is freedom! Oh, that you may desire a clean heart…

“Change my heart Oh, Lord
Make it ever true
Change my heart Oh, Lord
May it be like You!”

In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God!
I am the promised royal seed!
I am washed in the Blood of the Lamb!
I am a sinner saved by the grace of God, thru faith in Jesus Christ, my Savior, Lord and King!
I believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!
One day, my faith shall become sight!
My enemies are defeated! They have disappeared from my spiritual radar! They cannot chase me anymore!
I am safe in the arms of Jesus!
My eyes are blessed for they have been cleansed by the Blood of Jesus!
My heart is blessed for it has been purged by the Blood of Jesus!
I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God!
I am beautiful for Jesus is beautiful!
All glory to God!
In Jesus name,
Amen!

 
(Fasting and prayer, day 1)

“Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you!
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:1-3)