I LACK NOTHING

“For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.”
“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land… in which you will lack nothing… And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you” (Deut 2:7; 8:7-10)

These days I look at myself and wonder… I am a miracle to myself. I feel like lighter, like something is missing… something bad and negative is not here anymore. So I asked myself: ‘what can this thing be?’ I had to examine myself. This is what I discovered: I have lost my ‘wants’. Do you know what I mean?

“The Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want” (Ps 23:1). This wonderful word of God has been fulfilled in my life. I testify that I have lost my anxiety of wanting things to change, the desire to acquire things for the sake of having them, the passion to please men and the wish to be different than I am today. Like a sheep and her Shepherd, the Lord takes care of me. My faith is now deep, anchored in the promises of God. In the past, I lacked nothing. Even in the difficult season of the desert of my life, when things look hard and often hopeless, looking back I can say that I lacked nothing of value. Then God promises me than even in the future I shall lack nothing.

So why worry? Past, present and future is settled. Things and circumstances may change but God never changes. This is my declaration: I shall not want! I shall lack nothing! For Jesus is my Savior and y Lord! The Word of God abides forever. ‘Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever’ (Hebrew 13:8). To God be all the glory!

THE SOUND OF VICTORY

“A wise man scales the city walls of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust” (PV 21:22)

To scale the walls of a city is a form of spiritual warfare. You place the ladder of the Word of God on the wall, climb on it and enter the stronghold from above. This is the city of the devil, who is a thief and a liar. He has captured the souls of men. Many foolish men are his victims. The devil deceives himself that his victory is eternal. That is a lie! His army is able to fight back against foolish adventurers. But no devil is able to win against the wise children of God who trust Him with all their heart.

You need to learn and practice the spiritual art of intercession. It is not just theory. It is a holy activity lead and empowered by the Spirit. It is a passion that is rooted in true love for God and for the souls of men.

You already know that somebody you love is in bondage, unable to move, to make progress and even to breathe. You feel compassion but you wonder if you can help. Pity without action will end in frustration. In Christ, you have all that you need to be a champion, to win any battle that will glorify The Lord. Do not ‘play safe’! That is the game of the coward, the loser. If Jesus played it safe, no man will go to heaven. Do what The Lord did. The same Jesus who went down from heaven to earth, is the same who, after finishing His work, went back to heaven as the King of kings. Pray for understanding, for wisdom, for strength to do God’s will in your particular situation. Learn the dance of the angels, going up and down, on the ladder Jacob saw in the desert of life. Do not run on earth from left to right, like an hunted terrified antelope, a restless soul with no address. But go up and down the ladder touching heaven, serving God and saving the souls of men. That is what champions do!

Wisdom means to apply the scriptures in practical life. Read and meditate on the Word of God. Then apply them! Armed with faith in the promises of God, boldly attack the stronghold of the devil. There are many victims in that hunted city waiting to hear the sound of victory. Fear not, for God is with you! You shall enter in the territory of the evil one, and he shall retreat. For the devil cannot resist the name of Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit on you!

Have you seen the video clip showing the prisoners at the end of the Second World War? They looked dry like bones. Many of their mates died. But when the victorious army entered the dirty death-smelling prison camp, the survivors came out from their cells, and the chains fell of their ankles. Keep hope alive so that you share with the hopeless! Trust God 100%! Jesus Christ is the Savior of men! He died that men may live! Enroll in His army that knows no defeat. He who thru intercession saves the souls of men is wise and shall be rewarded by the Captain of our salvation! These things are true. I practice them. I see results. As you cannot hide evil things forever, so good things done for the glory of God cannot remain under a bushel for a long time.

Are you hearing the sound of victory? I do! Let the true champions come forth! Let your light shine, for this is your destiny! All to the glory of God! In Jesus name, amen!

SWADDLED BABY

“And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Lk 2:12)

We came to visit our children in Houston. We met the youngest member of our family, baby Oliver Sisan Oakes. He is five weeks old. After his evening bath, his parents wrap him in a special blanket to keep him from being over active when it is time to sleep. This is called swaddling. It is quite common in Romania from where I come from. It helps the children to sleep better, to learn discipline early in life. This method was also commonly practiced in Israel, when Jesus, our Lord was born.

This was the message given by the angels to the shepherds. Baby Jesus shall be found by them. He will be swaddled, wrapped in clothes, like a butterfly in the making, hidden in his cocoon. Soon, the butterfly will be free and fly. But until then, he needs to stay hidden and quiet. He will not move an inch to find anyone. Men must leave their ‘sheep’ and go to find the Savior of the world. Have you find Him, of whom the angels worship? His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God!

In the picture is baby Oliver, in his bed, swaddled and ready to sleep. Is he not just sweet?Oliver 6

PRAISE REPORT

“Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES.” (Mt 13:31,32)

Today our church Father’s House Bible Church is 15 years old on earth and eternal in heaven! We started with 12 adults and 3 children. We are now too many to count. The Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected has been preached. Praise and worship rises to God! Sinners got saved. Lives are changed forever! To God be all the glory!

YOUR LOVES

“For Your love is better than wine” (SS 1:2)

Today is my birthday. The greatest feeling I woke up with this morning is gratefulness. God is good to me, to my family, natural and spiritual. God has completely changed my identity as a person. I once was blind but now I see…not just see, but daily behold the beauty of my Lord. I once was a weak willed silly woman pretending to be wise, but now I have the very mind of Christ, to think after His thoughts, to fellowship with His Spirit. I can’t count my years on earth for eternity has swallowed that number.

In Hebrew, the word ‘love’ in the scripture above is plural. It is better translated like this: “Your LOVES are better than wine”…better than any earthly joy, better than any earthly passion known by men in this world. There is comforting love, sustaining love, encouraging love, directing love, embracing love, healing love, forgiving love, and redeeming love… Love poured out from Calvary to us…nothing equals it…eternally ours…

“Lord, I am grateful…”

NEW EVERY MORNING

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam 3:22, 23)

It is early morning. I am excited about today. Not just about the things to see or do, but about my God, always here with me, faithful and true. I am never alone, not just at home where I live amongst family and friends, but everywhere, even in my travels, in the midst of strangers. Emmanuel, God is with us… He daily dispenses a fresh holy pure passionate complete dose of heavenly love and original mercy.

God’s love is steadfast. What it is the meaning of ‘steadfast’? It means to be fixed in one direction, in one place and one position. It does not waver from its original purpose, faith and attachment. Simply said, if God said that He loves you, then He will love you forever. He will pity you forever. No matter what, His love shall never depart from you. This promise stands because God is eternal and faithful. He alone can afford such a mighty promise. This is so comforting to know…

If you are God’s child, then each morning you shall feel His steadfast and faithful love. It is unshakable, the proof that Jesus is the Rock of Ages. His love will carry you on eagle’ s wings, morning, afternoon, evening and night. That will be your testimony today. And tomorrow, as the day breaks, you shall meet it again, fresh and strong, a sign that God is Ancient but He never gets old. God’s love does not expires, fades, weakens, gets sick or dies. God is not like man. He will never betray you. Be sure you believe this in the depth of your soul.

Do not just worry about today or on behalf of tomorrow. God’s love will swallow your troubles just like Moses’ serpent swallowed the serpents of the magicians in Egypt. Just position yourself to be steadfast and faithful in your praises to God. For He is worthy! Good morning, children…
Praise The Lord!

WISE WORDS

“Thankfulness is a response attitude to grace. And a thankful heart directed to God, is an indirect proclamation to the principalities and powers, about the finished work of Christ’s cross, and the resultant victory”
(Steve Haworth)

“giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:20)

ANOTHER OPEN DOOR

“Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut” (Is 45:1)

We had a good flight and arrived at Istanbul at 6am. We came to the hotel we booked on line at about 8 am. The official time to be allowed in the room is 2pm. The nice lady at the reception said that the room is free and ready that we should go in at no added cost. The room is clean and fresh. Flowers at our window (see picture). The sunshine softens the cold… Their air freshener smells so nice…

I do not want to wait for tomorrow before thanking God. I want to be able to enjoy this moment, right now… As it is, life is beautiful for me. I am happy. I am contented. I also do not want to take these things for granted. These people at the hotel are strangers to us. They did not have to go out of their way to make us feel welcome and special. They do not owe us anything. They are business people. And of a different religion… But when the favor of God is with you, doors open and blessings flow. This morning, I want to appreciate God once more, for His amazing favor on us, His children…

“Thank You. Lord! For Your favor, love, for open doors and for Your detailed practical holy and wonderful care in everyday things… I am grateful and humbled…I am so proud to be called Your child and Your servant!
flowers in Istanbul

In Jesus name, amen! ”

OPEN DOOR

“Knock and the door shall open!” (Mt 7:7)
We have been using a particular Airline for about 5years. Each time we tried to enter their lounge in Lagos airport, they refused us entrance. They said we do not qualify, for our ‘level’ on miles was not big enough. Each time we pass their gate I tell myself, ‘one day I will enter inside…’ Finally… Today… We have entered… we are inside now. Free food and free internet, cool place…
It pays to remain steady in faith and to persevere until the end. I made up my mind to stretch and exercise my faith in all things, big and small. From inside the fancy lounge once forbidden, I send you greetings…

PRAYER REQUEST

I received a letter from a man who wrote on my blog. The subject was how Christians can be bewitched. The text was taken from the Book of Galatians. I do not know this man personally. I do not know where he lives. It does not matter. Please pray for him. He needs help. God will bless you as you intercede for others who need prayer in time of need.

“O, you foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified” (Gal 3:1)

“Hi Mam, first of all I would like to say thank you for the article you wrote regarding the bewitched subject it really gave me insight and knowledge on the subject.

If I may say I am really facing disappointment, fear, icthy ears, depression and some of the things you mentioned on the list. I Google the subject as I thought someone I came in contact with might have tried to bewitch me. All of this stared when me and my aunt shared with this girl a house and during that my luck changed and my aunt started seeing things like dirt splashed on our bedroom’s door she would clean it and it always came back so she went home to do some research and she was told the girl we lived with was no good.

So we moved out and since then everything changed our life’s where disturbed we lived in constant fear, nothing is going well I don’t know what she did to us I even stopped going to school like nothing is going well for me.

I don’t know what to do I am home now and I see some splashes on the door I  am just so scared to think that the dirt splashed on the doors might be her work even though I am far away at home how is this possible. I don’t understand how can I break through this please help me.

Kind regards

M…”

This is my answer to him:

“Dear M…

Thank you for your letter. I see that you need help. I cannot help you directly, but God can help you wherever you are, even right now. According to the Bible, Christians can be bewitched by evil people. These wicked men or women use occult power to place spells on the believers. You may not like to hear that, but it is the truth.

The first thing that you need is to be sure that you are saved, that you are a child of God. Just going to church is not enough. Even reading the Bible or praying is not enough. A spirit of religion is not enough. You need to be born again by the Spirit of God. That is a miracle only God can do. That should be your first duty; to be sure your soul is eternally saved.

Secondly, you need to deliver yourself from the evil spirit of fear. First of all, the devil attacks with fear, to weaken you, before he does other damage. Stand on the Word of God: “God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power love and sound mind” (2Tim 1:7). Anything God has not given to you, reject it immediately!

Lastly, pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will give you the power to live a victorious life as a Christian. He will give you wisdom. He will give you the courage to stand and fight back. You should not fear a witch. A witch is to fear you! I will pray for you! God loves you! Come back with a testimony to the glory of God!

Love in Christ alone

Lia Leigh”

WHEN YOU ARE FULL, PRAISE THE LORD!

“When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you… And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deut 8:10, 18)

The prayer meeting was wonderful. We are still going up the mountain, closer to God, trusting for encounters with Jehovah Jireh. We praised God and shared two testimonies.

Pastor E: when he came to Father’s House was a young man, confused and broken hearted. He is now a happy married man with three children. God has helped him financially beyond his dreams. He bought three trucks to do business and he is now roofing his house. He gave all the glory to God!

Bro L came to our church 8 years ago. At that time he was also a broken man. He went abroad and came back to Nigeria with big dreams. He went into politics. But all things crashed… he lost all his money thru bad investments. The wife is a faithful born again sister. She stood by him, praying for him. She often trekked to church but never missed a service. She is a teacher. She took a loan from her school signing a contract that she will work free of charge for the next two years. She gave the money to her husband for business, but again he lost them all.

To make the matters worse, in 2013 he became very sick, to the point of death. The doctors diagnosed terminal heart failure. He went to different shrines, native doctors, false prophets and even to the teaching hospital here, but there was no good news anywhere. They all said the same thing:  that he will die in September. He lost a lot of weight and could not walk without breathing hard. His wife will often come to my office weeping and praying. One day in August 2013 I told her that he will not die but live to declare the works of the Lord. Under anointing, I told her that he will be healed in January 2014. She believed and like Hannah, she stopped weeping. To my surprise, the husband, who does not attend church, believed too. He threw away all the charms and the jujus. God was indeed merciful to them and in January 2014 he became healed. He then gave his life to Christ!

God then perfected His work. Suddenly they started prospering financially. They now have two cars and a truck. They bought two plots of land but the youths in that area assaulted him. The chief of that clan apologized to him. To pacify him he told him to look for any other land that belongs to the same clan and take it. That he does not need to measure the land. He pointed one to him and now he is the owner of an acre of land. They just laid the foundation for their house. Just like that! He publicly honored his wife saying that it was her prayers that sustained them. He also gave God be all the glory!

The anointing was so strong that we could only praise God! Our eyes are on Jesus! We do not want to forget God, the source of all good gifts. We refuse to be ungrateful! Often you say that you are poor, until you meet someone who is a beggar. You complain of headache until you see a terminally ill patient gasping for air, lying on a dirty bed in a village hospital These are the definitions of poverty and wealth: Poverty it means to have less than your basic needs (food, clothes, shelter and transport).Wealth means to have something more than your basic needs! Selah!

Do you know that 25,000 people die daily from starvation? Do you know that one quarter of all people on earth live on less than 1$ per day? There is danger to become ungrateful, when becoming rich we tend to forget God. This is God’s command: if there is food in your stomach then loudly and actively bless the God! The fellowship with God should be preserved forever, even when you increase from poverty to riches. He that is poor and he that is rich, praise the Lord!!! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

PROPHETIC WORD

“Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit” (Jer 29:5)
Dear Child of God,
This is the Word of God. It is not the word of man. The Word of God is established in heaven and on the earth. It is called the Living Word. The Word of God waits to be manifested in your life!
It does not matter if you are rich or poor, young or old, educated or not. It does not matter if you have ‘capital’ or not. All you need is to have faith in God, Jehovah Jireh, the Provider! Pray! Praise God!
Simply said, go and buy a plot of land and build your house. Then plant a garden around your house: flowers for beauty, herbs and vegetables for food and trees for their fruits. Enjoy your life. Give all the glory to God! Come back with a testimony! That is all!
In Jesus name,
Amen!

LIVING WORDS

This is the promise of God: if you have compassion towards the poor God shall heal you from any sickness! I believe! Be haled in Jesus name!

“God blesses those who are kind to the poor. He helps them out of their troubles. He protects them and keeps them alive; He publicly honors them and destroys the power of their enemies. He nurses them when they are sick and soothes their pains and worries”
“When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord—and He pays wonderful interest on your loan! He will reward you!” (Ps 41:1-3; PV 19:17; LBT)

GOD IS MY HELPER

PRAISE REPORT

I just received this note from a brother who attends our church. His wife just ha a baby. She was at home when the floor tiles started breaking, like there is an earthquake. But there is no earthquake in Warri this week, for I live here too. This is an occult attack. When the powers of darkness cause physical visible harm, they are desperate to prevail. But the devil has failed once more, for this family started praying and praising God. No fear, only faith! Give glory to God for another victory in the family of God! Bellow is his testimony:

“DEAR MALIA,
OUR GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME, ON TUESDAY I WENT OUT TO SEE MY MECHANIC I WAS THERE ALTHROUGH THE DAY FROM 10:30AM TO 5:25PM, I WAS CLOSE TO MY HOUSE WHEN MY PHONE RANG I PICK IT UP I HEAR HER SCREAMING, SAYING: ‘THE ROOM IS TEARING APART IT LOOKS LIKE EARTHQUAKE…’ I HURRIED UP TO SEE FOR MYSELF TO MY SURPRISE I SAW HALF OF THE ROOM FLOOR TILES SWELLS UP AND ALSO A LONGITUDINAL CRACKS ON THE TILES. I ASK HER HOW COME SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE AND HER MUM WERE AT THE SITTING ROOM WHEN THEY HEARD A VERY SHARP SOUND FROM THE ROOM CONTINUOUSLY. THEN THEY RAN OUT.
IMMEDIATELY I WAS ANGRY IN THE SPIRIT. I STARTED PRAYING IN TONGUES AND I ALSO ANOINT THE HOUSE. MA, I AM A CIVIL ENGINEER WITH 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH THING, NO CRACKS ON THE WALL, COLUMNS OR BEAMS AND ALSO NO DEPRESSION ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE GOD THE GLORY AND HONOR FOR HIS DIVINE PROTECTION IN THE LIFE OF MY FAMILY. ISAIAH 41: 10-13 IS MY SCRIPTURAL VERSE, OUR GOD HAS SPOKEN THAT HE WILL HELP ME TO FIGHT ALL MY BATTLES, I HAVE NO FEAR, THEY IMAGINE A VAIN THING AGAINST ME AND MY FAMILY AND THE LORD IS LAUGHING AT THEM, HE THAT WATCHES OVER ME AND MY FAMILY NEVER SLEEPS OR SLUMBER. I LUV U JESUS , THE PRAISE HAS NOT STARTED, THIS IS JUST A PREAMBLE. I WILL PRAISE HIM FOREVER. JESUS IS LORD!
YOUR CHILDREN IN CHRIST…”

broken tiles

“Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
“Behold, all those who were incensed against you
Shall be ashamed and disgraced;
They shall be as nothing,
And those who strive with you shall perish.
You shall seek them and not find them—
Those who contended with you.
Those who war against you
Shall be as nothing,
As a nonexistent thing.
For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ (Is 41:10-13)

PRAISE REPORT

GIVE THANKS
A brother who attends our church for some years sent me this note. He is a believer, in his thirties, educated and a hardworking man. But he is not spiritually stable. He easily gives up on any project. It has been like that over the years, in his school, relationships and jobs. His life could have been much better. He is not married. He still lives in a very small poor ‘ghetto’ room. His explanation for this lack of prosperity is that he is ‘a village boy’ and that Warri city was a great temptation for him. That is why he is so distracted and restless. I told him that in Christ all things are new and he should start living out his faith.
We prayed deliverance and counseled him but there was no change over the years. As pastors, we needed perseverance and supernatural love. God provided that. Finally, the sun shines on this brother and overcomes his darkness. This is his story: Last year he got a good job as a store keeper in a big company. He was so happy. But after few months he fell down from a ladder at his working place and he broke his leg. He was in cast for months. This January he went back to work. His testimony is that against all odds, he kept his job for one whole year. To many, this may not be a great story. But to him it is. We too are encouraged. He gives all the glory to God who helps all His children, even the weak and the slow.

“Praise GOD, praise GOD… Malia, today marks it a complete working full year for me with…. This is the first time in my life that I can say that I have worked for a complete one year. Despite the shakings and massive dropping of workers, despite the injury and all temptations…yet this same JESUS, my Savior and my Lord has kept me still. “Lord, I thank YOU!” Let all the glory be unto HIM alone!!! Amen”

“in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1Thess 5:18)

HEALED THAT SAME HOUR

“And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed… When Jesus heard it, He marveled…Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour” (Mt 8:7-13)

When Jesus finds true faith in men, He recommends them and heals them. The Centurion was a Gentile but he had true faith in Christ. Observe his great faith: the more humility the more faith. He had an assurance of faith not only that Christ could cure his servant, but, that He could cure him even at a distance. There was a group of friends who brought a sick man to Jesus. It was thru hard labor. Jesus commended their ‘working’ faith.  But this centurion had an even greater faith. He believed that the power of Christ knows no limits, and therefore nearness and distance are alike to him. Distance of place cannot obstruct either the knowing or the working of Him who fills all places. ‘Am I a God at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off?’ (Jer. 23:23)

Jesus admired the Centurion not for his money or status, but for his faith, his spirit, his attitude. That is what we should do! Look for genuine faith in men! Thru the Word of God and prayer, encourage faith in men! Forget their status or wealth. That is true ministry done for Christ’s sake!

In conclusion: Faith has many forms. If faith is genuine, Christ will commend it and will surely answer its request!

In Christ I declare:

I am healed!

In Jesus name,

Amen!

PRAISE REPORT

A sister from our church was attacked by men trying to enter her car. Possibly, they were kidnappers or armed robbers. God took control of the situation and she and her baby escaped unharmed. Not to long ago we shared a message called ‘Surrounded’. We prayed trusting God for His surrounding presence of love and protection. This is her testimony, that she was not afraid in a difficult circumstance and that God took control. This testimony is given to the glory of God and for the encouragement of the brethren.

“Dear Malia, Mummy good afternoon ma.truly we are surrounded by God and His angels to protect us. This is what happened: last week Thursday I went to my mother in laws house with my Baby,.At about 7:30 pm I decided to go coz it was getting late. I entered my car. As I was reversing, behold I saw someone trying to open my car and another man in front of the car. Fortunately for me I locked the car immediately I entered so they could not enter. The funniest thing was that when I saw them, I wasn’t afraid @ all,instead special boldness came upon me. I drove away with a very high speed. I was shocked, I almost hit the one in front of me. The truth is, when I saw them,I wasn’t the one who drove. The Sweet Holy Spirit took over and I give Him all the glory alone.
God has really used U greatly in our lives ma. Plz always include us in your prayers. Thank u Ma,
I am your daughter…”

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore” (Ps 152:2)