“The stone which the builders rejected as worthless

    turned out to be the most important of all.

This was done by the Lord;

    what a wonderful sight it is!

This is the day of the Lord’s victory;

    let us be happy, let us celebrate!” (Ps 118:22-24)

There are two opposite words: rejection or acceptance. One excludes the other. You can’t exercise both in the same time, towards the same person. A man can be either a friend or an enemy to you. Read the meanings of these two words and meditate upon them:

*To reject: To refuse to accept, consider or submit to; to refuse to take and use it for some purpose; to push away; to close the ears….

*To accept: To receive willingly and happily a good gift; to give approval; to recognize as true and precious; to extend favor and help; to embrace; to listen to…

In Christ I declare:

When wicked men reject me, God shall accept me!

God has accepted and blessed me ‘in the Beloved’ (Eph 1:6; KJ)

God has received me willingly and happily! I am a gift to God and to His Kingdom! God has approved me! God recognizes me as true, honest and precious to Him! God has given me His favor and His help! God has embraced me and nine can pluck me away from His arms! God listens to my prayers! God loves me! I am safe and secure forever! I am established as a servant of God! I am promoted! God is on my side! This is my day of victory and celebration! The celebration and praise is so beautiful! None can stop it! This is my testimony! I am happy! I am beautiful! I am blessed!

All, to the glory to God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY!

Listen! Listen! Listen, please…
“I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator and King. I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters, making a path right through the sea. I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses, to lie beneath the waves, dead, their lives snuffed out like candlewicks.

But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I’m going to do! For I’m going to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Don’t you see it? I will make a road through the wilderness of the world for My people to go home, and create rivers for them in the desert!” (Is 43:15-19; LB)

“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him…

They crossed the lake and came to land at Gennesaret, where the people recognized Jesus. So they sent for the sick people in all the surrounding country and brought them to Jesus. They begged him to let the sick at least touch the edge of his cloak; and all who touched it were made well” (Mt 14:31-36)

3-JESUS SAVES US

*Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him

The word ‘stretched’ means to enlarge beyond the natural borders. The word ‘hand’ in Greek means a channel thru which the rain, the storm passes. The word ‘catch’ means to seize and to hold securely.

Jesus is the source of ‘God’s storm’. The hand of the Master brings His own storm and saves you from all other storms of life.

When Jesus made His disciples to go to the other side of Galilee, what He had in mind was the place called Genesaret. Today no city remains. The name means ‘the garden of riches’. It was a very fertile area giving to the tribe of Naphtali. It is there that miracles of healing took place. There was a prophecy that in the land of Naphtali a great light will shine in the darkness (Is 9:1-3; Mt 4:15, 16). This is the light of the revelation of Christ.

Jesus wanted the disciples to move from the place of miracles of bread to the place of a greater revelation of the glory of His Person; the place of miracles, of healings. He ‘pushed’ them thru the storm to move from a good place to the best! Please think about this: To arrive at a place of healing, of being made whole, you must pass thru the storm of Jesus! That is the test! That is the price!

Have courage today! Trust God for the impossible things! Remember, there is no limit with God! Peter is not a spectator. He came out of the boat and walked on the water! The same waves that scared him to death, he walked on top of them! When he looked unto Jesus, the author and finished of his faith, against all odds, he made progress! But when he lost his focus, looked at the wind, looked at the devil and the circumstances, he started sinking. But even then, he did not die, for ‘immediately’ Jesus caught him. What do you think about living a life so extraordinary that, when looking at you, people will wonder and give all the glory to God? Do you desire to be used by God? How do you respond to a proposal of miracles? What do you say about being a vessel of honor to the Master? If you keep quiet, then the answer is ‘No, thanks’. But Oh…the glory missed and regretted at last…

As for me and my Household, we shall come out of the boat, out of the religious comfort zone to walk upon the waters…We are ready to take the risk, even to sink, for the blessing of the touch of Jesus, for the grace to hear His voice, to see His smile… ‘He that believes in me shall never die…” He said…so why fear? Love drives all fears away…Mountains are not too high, seas are not too deep, to stop me from moving towards the Lover of my soul!

“JESUSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!…O, Lamb of God I come, I come…”

In Christ I declare:

Jesus Christ is the Savior of my soul and the Healer of my body!

I am lead by the Holy Spirit!

In all situations, I vow to give glory to God!

I am healed!

‘The garden of riches’ is mine!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid!” (Mt 14:27)

2-JESUS SPEAKS TO US

*Immediately Jesus spoke…

The disciples were trying hard to steady the boat. These were experienced fishermen. But this storm was different. They obeyed the command of the Master and found themselves in the middle of the storm. They were confused… Many questions flashed in their mind: Did Jesus make a mistake sending them away? Did He not know that the storm is coming? Does He want them dead? So many questions, so many doubts, so many fears… It was night, not even the stars were seen. The wind was blowing against them… Surely, this is the end…who can survive this…

Then something happened… no book could ever prepare a man to understand it. Jesus was coming towards them walking on top of the angry waves. They shouted in fear: ‘It is a spirit…’ No man of flesh and blood can walk on the water. It has to be a spirit. Maybe they are dead too…or so they thought… Then ‘immediately Jesus spoke’ words of comfort and life: ‘Take courage! I Am! Stop being afraid!’

The word ‘spoke’ is the same with the word ‘preach’. On top of a watery pulpit, in the middle of the night, Jesus ‘immediately’ preached His sermon. His words were clear…this is a command to be obeyed instantly: ‘Take courage!’ In other words Jesus preached to them: ‘Be bold! Dare to believe that I Am God! Reject the fear of death! I AM in charge!’

To be bold means to be fearless, to be full of faith and confidence that God is in control in the midst of danger. To dare means to have sufficient courage to confront an enemy confident that you shall win. Fear is the opposite. Fear is the enemy. It is described as a painful, strong agitation in the face of danger. It manifests as loss of courage and loss of faith. Fear is an evil spirit and it can be hidden during times of peace. Pride makes a man deny the bondage to fear. You need a crisis to recognize your bondage to fear. You need an encounter with Jesus, in the midst of a deadly storm, to be delivered from the merciless grip of the fear of death. The bondage is a life time long, but glory to God, deliverance comes ‘immediately’.

In Christ I declare:

I destroy any bondage to fear and doubt!

I reject any evil spirits of religion, pride, fear and doubt!

God has given me power, love and sound mind!

I am bold like the Lion of Judah!

I am free! I am encouraged!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side…” (Mt 14:22)

It was a rainy day. Most people could not come to church. But the faithful ones came expecting to meet with God. The Holy Spirit helped us all, teacher and congregation. We looked tire. but the we prayed and the spiritual atmosphere suddenly changed. We refused to allow the rain dampen our spirits. We sang: ‘Do something new in my heart, O Lord’. Then we received the Word of God. The title of the sermon was “Immediately Jesus…” Thank You Lord for the privilege to serve You!

This is the wonderful story of how Jesus walked upon the water. Peter too followed; at least some few steps. The word ‘immediately’ appears three times in this story. It gives the feeling of continuous movement, like a quick dance with the Lord. We are not permitted to slow down, to be lazy or to stop dreaming. There is a gentle pushing from behind… There is no time to waste, no delay, no hesitation, no doubt. There is a feverish activity, a sense of urgency… a mystery enveloping the story. We do not understand everything, but we try to believe… Things happen suddenly… the storm… the cold wind blowing in the night… no stars…the deadly waves… And suddenly, walking on top of the water… (‘Yes, you heard it right’)… Jesus comes closer, like a ghost. The congregation in the boat is gripped with great fear and too little faith. But peace comes at last… Such a marvelous story…What are the lessons for us?

1-JESUS LEADS US
*Immediately Jesus made them…
The disciples witnessed a mighty miracle. Five thousand men and women were fed with just five loaves of bread and two fishes. Jesus multiplied this little offering and it became more than enough to feed them all. The disciples were still excited about what they’ve seen, talking to one another.
Suddenly Jesus ‘made’ them get into the boat. The word ‘made’ in Greek is a strong word. It means to be violent, to force somebody, to apply overwhelming pressure to do something against his will. It means to compel, to overcome somebody’s resistance or unwillingness by a superior power. This violent pressure was applied ‘immediately’ or unexpectedly. In other words, Jesus wanted His disciples to enter the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, knowing that the storm is coming. He leads them to meet the storm. Clearly, there are lessons we can learn only in the middle of a trial. We want to go around a crises but Jesus wants us to go thru the middle of it. Without Him applying pressure we shall never leave our comfort zones. Without Jesus forcing us to enter the fire, we shall miss the miracle of victory, the blessing of healing and the gain of proven faith made gold.

In Christ I declare:
I trust the Lord to move, push or send me, wherever He wants!
Even when I do not understand, I shall trust God!
Even when my suffering is long, Jesus shall come ‘immediately’!
I shall not fear! I shall not doubt!
Here I am Lord! Send me!
In Jesus name
Amen!

“Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God;

    He created all the world.

He never grows tired or weary.

    No one understands His thoughts.

He strengthens those who are weak and tired.

Even those who are young grow weak;

    young people can fall exhausted.

But those who trust in the Lord for help

    will find their strength renewed.

They will rise on wings like eagles;

    they will run and not get weary;

    they will walk and not grow weak.” (Is 40:28-31)

This is the promise of God! He shall supply strength to them that need it, to them who are weak. This strength shall be used to achieve things otherwise impossible. Nobody forces God to give a gift. This is His personal pleasure and His precious free promise! Honor God  by believing in His Word! The burdened shall be free; the sick shall be healed; the single shall marry; the jobless shall find good work! The only condition for this transfer of power is to have faith in God! Not in me or in yourself, but in God! You have ‘to trust in the Lord for help’.

Are you tired of life? Are you hopeless? Are you discouraged? Are you lonely or depressed? Did you try to achieve your dreams by your own strength? Did you fail? Are you embarrassed? Are you rejected by others? Did you abandon your plans to improve your life? You used to sing…did you stop? You used to laugh…did you stop? You used to hope for greater things…did you stop? You used to trust God for healing…did you stop? The reason is because you are tired of life, tired of yourself. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, then do this: say ‘Amen’ to this prayer, for I want to pray for you. God will surely answer me for it is His desire to bless you.  It is His promise to strengthen the weak. Just believe and doubt not!

“Dear Heavenly Father, this is Your promise to give strength to the weak. I am asking for the grace of power to come upon my brother (….) and my sister (….). Nothing is too hard for You! May the power of resurrection manifest NOW in their situation. I command every evil spirit to leave them and go away, in the name of Jesus! I vow to give You alone all the glory! In Jesus name I pray, AMEN!”

In Christ I declare:

God’s strength is perfected in my weakness!

I am strong! I am healed!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom,

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:12; NKJ)

This is the eternal song men and angels sing in heaven. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. He died on the Cross to give glory to God and to save sinners like me and you. To be ‘worthy’ it means deserving eternal praise and ready to receive His reward. Jesus has suffered and died. He shall suffer and die no more! Forever!

There are seven blessings enumerated in the song. Jesus has received them all. Outside Christ, for example, there is no more power, riches or wisdom left on earth. Every other being, men or demons, are left totally powerless, wretched and foolish. So, if you need a miracle, power or riches, go to Jesus for He alone has it all.  If you go to any other source, you shall be disappointed. Jesus is the Lord of all!

The following are of the seven blessings (and their meanings in Greek) given to the Lamb:

Power- miraculous power to create and change all things

Riches- overflow of wealth (yes, even money)

Wisdom- counsel that never fails (no more mistakes)

Strength- the force to be able to have a breakthrough and to always be successful in warfare

Honor- what is the value you ascribe to God (is Jesus small or great to you?)

Glory- the intrinsic value of an object (the matchless power and the unique beauty of the Lord)

Blessings- fine speaking, elegant language, the eternal poetry of holiness (the tongue of a ready heavenly writer)

One thing in common with all these blessings is that they flow like a river, better said, like a flood. This is a power that overflows and changes all it touches. Sickness has to flee! Depression has to bow! Poverty has to be defeated! Idleness has to fail! Sin has to resign! Death has to die!

Please listen to this…I want to be as ‘practical’ as possible: if you live ‘from hand to mouth’, if you have to borrow money to survive…then you do not know the power of this royal overflow of blessings. Our God is the God of ‘more than enough’! God is the limitless God! You cannot stop this overflow of blessings! You cannot fight the whole heaven! Better surrender your life to Jesus and join us in the choir! We are ready to learn a new song…

In Christ I declare:

Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior!

I am born again!

I worship God in Spirit and in Truth!

The overflow of royal blessings has come to my home!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom,

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:12; NKJ)

This is the eternal song men and angels sing in heaven. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. He died on the Cross to give glory to God and to save sinners like me and you. To be ‘worthy’ it means deserving eternal praise and ready to receive His reward. Jesus has suffered and died. He shall suffer and die no more! Forever!

There are seven blessings enumerated in the song. Jesus has received them all. Outside Christ, for example, there is no more power, riches or wisdom left on earth. Every other being, men or demons, are left totally powerless, wretched and foolish. So, if you need a miracle, power or riches, go to Jesus for He alone has it all.  If you go to any other source, you shall be disappointed. Jesus is the Lord of all!

The following are of the seven blessings (and their meanings in Greek) given to the Lamb:

Power- miraculous power to create and change all things

Riches- overflow of wealth (yes, even money)

Wisdom- counsel that never fails (no more mistakes)

Strength- the force to be able to have a breakthrough and to always be successful in warfare

Honor- what is the value you ascribe to God (is Jesus small or great to you?)

Glory- the intrinsic value of an object (the matchless power and the unique beauty of the Lord)

Blessings- fine speaking, elegant language, the eternal poetry of holiness (the tongue of a ready heavenly writer)

One thing in common with all these blessings is that they flow like a river, better said, like a flood. This is a power that overflows and changes all it touches. Sickness has to flee! Depression has to bow! Poverty has to be defeated! Idleness has to fail! Sin has to resign! Death has to die!

Please listen to this…I want to be as ‘practical’ as possible: if you live ‘from hand to mouth’, if you have to borrow money to survive…then you do not know the power of this royal overflow of blessings. Our God is the God of ‘more than enough’! God is the limitless God! You cannot stop this overflow of blessings! You cannot fight the whole heaven! Better surrender your life to Jesus and join us in the choir! We are ready to learn a new song…

In Christ I declare:

Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior!

I am born again!

I worship God in Spirit and in Truth!

The overflow of royal blessings has come to my home!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death…He got so tired of her asking him about his secret that he felt like he was going to die. Finally, Samson told Delilah everything. He said, “I have never had my hair cut. I was dedicated to God before I was born. If someone shaved my head, I would lose my strength. I would become as weak as any other man” (Judg 16:16, 17)

The prayer meeting started with a strong ‘deliverance anointing’. It came suddenly as a waterfall of the Holy Spirit. The best way to describe it was an overflow of faith that there is an open door of freedom. Everybody wanted to pray and pray…it was easy to flow with the prayer…We ‘disconnected’ from the family line of curses…there was shouting ‘amen…amen… overflow…overflow…’. Then the Word came, describing what has happened in the heavenly realm: great deliverance from the evil spirit of Dagon (ogbanje).

Dagon was the principal deity of the Philistines, who was ‘imported’ from Assyria and Babylon. He looked like a half man and half fish. He was the god of fertility, harvest and victory in war. The Philistines depended on Dagon for success and they offered various sacrifices for his favor. (In Nigeria, where I live, there is a similar idol called ‘mammy water’ or ‘ogbanje’).

Goliath ‘insulted David by his gods’. He invoked the spirit of Dagon, the idol of the Philistines. David knew that the real battle is spiritual. The victory decreed in the heavenly places shall manifest in the natural. Also, David could have known the story of ‘love and betrayal’ between his ‘brother’ Samson and Goliath’s ‘sister’, Delilah. Samson was defeated by Dagon but only for a time. After he repented, God helped Samson to destroy the temple of Dagon and kill its worshippers. I am sure that David told himself: ‘Jehovah helped Samson. In the same way, He will help him kill Goliath’. He does not need a sword! The Word of God shall be his sword and his strength!

This is the story: Delilah is a beautiful Philistine woman who seduces Samson. She is a worshipper of Dagon. The lords of the Philistines pay a lot of money to her, to betray Samson. I read that the total amount was about $10 million. Their purpose was to discover the secret of his supernatural strength and the way to overpower him.

The long hair of Samson was a visible symbol of his life time dedication to God. But the real strength of Samson comes from the Holy Spirit. Four times in these chapters, we are told that the Holy Spirit came upon Samson and he did great exploits in battle (Judg 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14). In all these episodes, the Holy Spirit moved him, propelled him forward as a champion, to defeat his enemies.

These are great lessons: The Holy Spirit is given that we may receive power, to gain victory in spiritual warfare. The Holy Spirit is the power to salvation and deliverance. The devil wants you to sin and grieve the Holy Spirit. Then you become weak and stumble. The devil wants to steal your anointing and to destroy your strength! The word ‘strength’ in Hebrew means the power to produce wealth and to be fruitful. That is what the devil wants ‘to tap’ from you. Samson said that without the strength, he will be ‘weak, like any man’. The devil wants you to become spiritually tired, not better than an unbeliever, so that he can control you! ‘The Ogbanje spirit’ wants you to be weak spiritually and physically, unable to pray, to read the Bible or to come to church.

David knew this story. He was jealous over the seal of the Holy Spirit in his life. He protected the source of power in his life. That is why he defeated Goliath. Before he attacked the giant, he possibly prayed Psalm 140 and God gave him the victory.

In Christ I declare:

“My Lord God, you are the powerful One who saves me.

    You protect my head in battle.

Lord, don’t let the wicked have what they want.

    Don’t let their plans succeed. Selah

My enemies are planning trouble for me.

    Lord, make that trouble fall on them.

Pour burning coals on their heads.

    Throw them into the fire.

    Throw them into pits they can never escape” (Ps 140)

In Jesus name

Amen!

“It will be like a dream

when the Lord comes back with the captives of Zion.

We will laugh and sing happy songs!

Then the other nations will say,

“The Lord did a great thing for Zion!”

Yes, we will be happy

because the Lord did a great thing for us.

So, Lord, bring back the good times,

like a desert stream filled again with flowing water.

Then those who were sad when they planted

will be happy when they gather the harvest!

Those who cried as they carried the seeds

will be happy when they bring in the crops!” (Ps 126)

This is the time for your captivity to end!

This is the time for your mouth to be filled with songs and laughter!

For you that have sown with tears, faithfully over the years!

This is the time to reap a great harvest of joy!

I see you coming back to the place they have rejected you… the Holy Wind blowing…your white dress flowing… your arms heavy with the sheaves of unexpected blessings from unexpected places…Yes, this is the time!

In Christ I declare:

No more delay!

This is the time for my harvest of blessings!

I rejoice!

I sing!

In Jesus name,

Amen!

“Now here’s a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior” (Lk 16:8, 9; TM)

The parable of ‘The Unjust Steward’ is one of the most difficult to understand. But it is the Lord who said it, so we have to pay the price for a better understanding of it. First of all we remind ourselves that it is not the description of a true event. A parable is a short, imaginary story that illustrates a moral or religious principle. We shall seek to find the lessons to apply in our lives and the spiritual laws that have eternal value.

This is the story: A rich man received an accusation against his manager, that he was wasteful with his goods. He gave him quick notice to bring all his accounting books that he is fired. There was no begging…

This manager was probably living luxuriously. Let’s imagine some details about this man: When he was hired, he was a jobless and homeless man living on the streets. But since working for the rich man, his life has changed dramatically. Possibly, he has hired a big house in an expensive estate; he had a big car; his ‘new’ wife dresses fashionably; his children go to an expensive private school… He maybe had the right to use his discretion in paying his living allowance. But he decided to ‘live big’…That is how (some jealous) people saw it and accused him to his master. Now his wonderful job was terminated… What can he do, to still live happily, according to his standard? He quickly thought about other options…A low paying job like digging gutters is out of the question. Begging is also ruled out for he still needs to keep his reputation as a successful man…

What else can he do, with the little time left at his big desk?

He decided to accept the accusation of ‘wasting money’ and used it in his favor. He quickly made some mental calculations: his master is a good man. But he is disappointed in him and he has lost his respect.  But the manager does not want to completely cut himself off from his master’s life and blessings. If he cannot go and visit his former boss, who has been so good to him, at least he can make friends with his friends and business associates. They all depend on the rich man for their survival. So he calls them, one by one, not complaining about his loss, but blessing them. He chose to invest in their lives. Before his master’s debtors knew about his true condition, he reduced their debt. For the last few minutes at his desk, he still had that right. That was a great favor done to them. This was in his mind: ‘May this sacrificial favor done to others be a seed to come back as an harvest to me and my family…’ He invested in their friendship that may last a life time. Even when his former master shall forget about him, his people shall remember him still, for good, and continue to pray for him. That was a fast wise move…

Much later, when his former master discovered what had happened, he was amazed at his wisdom. He could not continue to be angry with him. He even recommended him to others as an example of a good investor, even if he did it at his own expense.

Jesus then uses this story to give us spiritual laws to apply to our lives. Please think seriously about these:

It is not enough to desire and pray for more money. First of all, pray that you understand how money works, according to the Bible! You cannot avoid money. To be ignorant or intimidated by money is a sin. Pray that you can be the master of money; never its servant. Money should never dominate your thinking until you become an old greedy selfish and foolish man. Money is a bad master but it can be a wonderful servant if you know how to ‘train him’ to work for you. The Bible teaches you that! Use money to gain spiritual blessings. Invest money in God’s work! Invest money in the lives and ministries of God’s people.

Please answer the following questions:

Are you emotionally and spiritually depended on your job…or on God?

Are you afraid of poverty, of riches or you fear God alone?

Do you pay your tithe?

Are you investing money in God’s work and in God’s people, to the satisfaction of your conscience…or not?

Are you spiritually and financially wise and prudent…or not?

Can I recommend you to heaven (in prayer) that God should trust you with more money…or not?

Is Mammon your good and faithful servant…or not?

Is Jehovah Jireh your God…or not?

In Christ I declare:

I depend on God for my very life!

I fear God alone!

I pay my tithe!

I invest in God’s work and in the lives and ministries of God’s people!

I am spiritually and financially wise and prudent!

Jehovah Jireh is my God!

Jesus Christ is my Lord!

Mammon is my servant!

It works for me!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“But thanks be to God! For through what Christ has done, he has triumphed over us so that now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Gospel like a sweet perfume” (2Cor 2:14, LB)

The favor given to Esther by the king is greater than all her imaginations. He quickly answers all her petitions. Nothing is too big or too difficult for the king to give to her. The glory he extends to Esther is so much more than the pain she had suffered. That is called ‘favor of God’.

This is the story of the Bible! This is the Gospel of Christ! Jesus is our eternal and just King who delights in executing judgment on earth. There is a time of reckoning. There is time called ‘the day of the Lord’, when His judgment is revealed. At last, the thief is caught and he has to restore many times over from all that he stole. The victim is freed and promoted above the oppressor. The silent one can finally speak and sing. Sin, the bondage of fear of death, all evil is destroyed and replaced with a life of ‘happiness and joy, gladness and honor’ (Est 8:16)

God ‘delights in judgment’ (Jer 9:24). This is a spiritual law and it is a great encouragement for the believers, for the victims during times of persecution. The devil tempts us to forget it. We have the impression that God has abandoned us and that He is not fair to our suffering. We see the wicked prosper and we feel ‘cheated’. This period may be longer than we expected. But God is training us thru the fire of pain to mature our faith. Every tear that falls is counted by God! The training unto godliness is painful and lonely. The time between suffering and victory is not easy. God alone knows that moment of transition.

The righteous man is rescued from trouble and it comes on the wicked instead” (PV 11:8)

God is always in charge. For the woman in labor, there is a moment when the pain is over and the baby is born. That moment, is pure joy. No barren woman can imagine it. The body has no memory and immediately forgets the pain. Rest, peace and joy follow. This is the testimony of victory for all the saints! God is faithful! God never fails! Suddenly, the tables are over-turned; the innocent victim is released and becomes the judge of the wicked. The glory of the power of resurrection replaces the shame of defeat and death. There is no fairy tale as beautiful and exciting as the Gospel of Christ. In Him, you are invited to partake from the same glory of sweet victory!

The story of Calvary is the total triumph of good over evil. This is the eternal signature of God over His creation. Sometimes is faintly seen and other times is clearer. But it is always there. Look for it! It shall manifest! Like the rainbow after the storm, God smiles in victory.  The whole heaven resounds with the sound of ‘Halleluiah’! Heaven is not a quiet place. It is the platform to reveal the final eternal justice of God and the victory of the saints, manifested in Christ Jesus, the Lord!

Dear Child of God, Fear not! God is able to change and empower you to be His ambassador! He has helped me and He will help you! Power, promotion and visibility are not designed for selfish gain. Serve God! Worship God! Preach His Gospel! Your destiny is to manifest the reality of the kingdom of God on earth for the glory of God in heaven! ‘This is my story, this is my song…’

In Christ I declare:

I am a king, a priest and an ambassador of Christ on earth!

I overcome evil with good! Always!

I am free to serve God and worship Him forever!

My sickness, my bondage, my sins are in my past!

God has given me a future and a hope!

I am a living witness!

The Hope of Glory is my portion!

(Old) age is just a number. The power of Resurrection quickens my body soul and spirit!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

 
EXTRAORDINARY VICTORY IN THE CAMP OF GOD’S PEOPLE!
There is an open door of victory in the Spirit realm! A door of successful warfare! See it open before you! Pass through it to the other side! God has changed your story! From failure to victory! From fear to faith! From poverty to riches! From sickness to health! From barrenness to fruitfulness! God is faithful! You shall see the manifestation of God’s grace in action!
Like the Jews who totally destroyed those who hated them, who attacked them…you shall do the same! You shall rejoice like never before!
There is great wailing in the Kingdom of Darkness! For the devil has promised to give them our blessings…but now, the wicked people are completely disappointed! Good has overcome the evil in the land! Do not be sorry for the devil, for he was not sorry for you! Many people shall hear your testimony of healing, of breakthrough and shall become born again! Nothing can stop your victory! The devil’s effort was too little, too late!

JESUS IS LORD!

Praise the Lord!!!!!
Faith 100%! Doubt 0%! (Esther 8-9)
He that has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches!

In Christ I declare:
I have won the victory!
My testimony as a soldier of Christ is confirmed!
My enemies are all defeated and disappointed!
All glory to God!
In Jesus name
Amen!

 
‘You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord…I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one” (Ez 13:5; 22:30)

God is looking for intercessors. During the time of Ezekiel, He found none He could use. He wanted to see a man or a woman, to volunteer ‘to repair the breeches in the wall’. God expects us to build a wall of protection around our lives, families, cities and nations. This wall is made of prayers and supplications. We are to be watchful to discover any gap, any possible damage or any false door in the wall. It is our responsibility as priests and kings to watch over the protection of our flock entrusted to our care. We are to be the spiritual covering of the weak who cannot pray for themselves. God is seeking for intercessors and for worshippers! God is actively seeking for people who pray!

Why do intercessors are so scarce? What is intercession?
Intercession is a form of prayer when you plead with God for the needs of others. It is the skill of ‘pressing on’ and of ‘taking hold’ of God’s will about a situation, refusing to let go until it comes to pass. Love is not selfish. True intercession is love in action. Intercession is a prayer that doesn’t give up; it endures all setbacks and overcomes every obstacle. True intercession is always successful. It is best described as spiritual warfare. The victory gained in the Spirit realm shall manifest in the natural. Intercession is the secret key of eternal change and revival in the lives of other peoples, families and nations.

There is a difference between an intercessor and a person who prays. Any person can pray, but not all praying people are intercessors. An intercessor is a person who by the calling of God chooses to be a mediator on behalf of those who cannot pray for themselves. Intercessors make requests, urge, plead, beg, counsel, discuss, risk, sacrifice, and make war on different issues relating to the weaker ones. They literarily save people’s lives and actively populate heaven.

In the Bible there are some great intercessors: Abraham, Moses, Esther, Nehemiah, Abigail, David, Daniel and others. These were all bold as lions. Intercessors are not necessarily strong personalities from birth. But they become strong and bold in the Spirit. Watch a mother bird when a threat comes too close to her nest! Suddenly something happens to her. She gets ready to fight unto death protecting her young. In the same way, an intercessor’s heart becomes alive and strong when he perceives a threat against his ‘little ones’.

Why so few intercessors? It is because of selfishness. I know many people who have chronic diseases and pray for themselves for years with no result. But they are slow to accept the call of intercession to pray for others with similar infirmities.
One of the signs of a true intercessor is his willingness to cooperate with God. ‘Forced’ intercession does not exist. A volunteer is someone who is not necessarily asked, but he freely steps forward in order to accomplish something. He is willing to risk his life to save others. He steps in between the good and the bad. He has no fear for God leads him to pray. All intercessors have this in common: they know God intimately. They use that place of favor to boldly pray for others and do great exploits.

The secret and source for true intercession is the ministry of Jesus Christ as the High Priest in heaven. He personally leads and oversees the ministry of intercession on earth. If you are willing to be used by the Lord, then come to the Cross. You yield to the Holy Spirit. Then you do on earth what you see Jesus doing in heaven. You discover that you have the authority to bind satan in the lives of the people you pray for. Then the victory shall come and circumstances change for the better. Sick people get healed of incurable diseases, bondages are broken, the oppressed are set free and revival comes to the city you pray for. The reward for the ministry of intercession is the intimate communion with the Holy Spirit and a blessed fruitful life to the glory of God! There is no greater gift than that!

In Christ I declare:
I willingly present myself as a vessel to be used by God as an intercessor!
Revival shall come to my family, my city and from here, to the nations!
Souls shall be saved; people shall be healed and delivered!
Of the increase of the Kingdom of God there shall be no end!
To the glory of God!
In Jesus name
Amen!

 
“That evening as He sat eating with the Twelve, He said, “One of you will betray Me. Sorrow chilled their hearts, and each one asked, “Am I the one?” (Mt 26:20-22)

Just before the Last Supper, at the table, Jesus reveals the pain of betrayal. This morning, in the church, we took the Holy Communion and asked the Lord the very same question. ‘Am I the one, Lord?’ The reason for the question is this: except the Holy Spirit reveals to you the sin of betrayal, you will never know it at the surface. The Holy Spirit leads us into the deep things of God. We then put on our ‘diving gear’, also called ‘the whole armor of God’ and we jumped into the river of life. Most times the anointing comes slowly as the service progresses. But this morning it came as a hurricane. It stunned the whole congregation. No one was able to even move. We all felt the pain of our Lord like Calvary happened today, here in Warri, Nigeria. We prayed and searched our hearts for hidden seeds of crime against love.
To betray it simply means to become an enemy to your friend. It means to deliver a friend to his enemy; to fail or abandon a friend in time of need; to expose a friend to danger by disclosing a secret against his will; to seduce and then to forsake. Betrayal is a sin against love, covenant friendship and trust. The opposite of betrayal means to remain faithful and honest to your friends, until the end. It means to be romantically holy and to love forever!

Betrayal is one of the most terrifying pains man will ever know. I read that about 25% of men and women commit adultery at least once in their life time. Adultery is a form of betrayal. It means that a quarter of humanity knows this pain. Millions have wept lonely tears on a pillow; if of silk or dirty plastic, it does not matter. Pain is pain.
A wise man said long ago: ‘Betrayal is the harshest pain…the willful slaughter of hope… Before a man betrays his country or his friend, he must betray his conscience. For as long as there is love, and trust, the beast of betrayal shall be hungry for more victims’

Why do people betray one another? The main reason is anger. Each relationship must grow thru little pains, one at a time. Each time truth is revealed, there is pain. No one is perfect but if you want to have friends, if you desire marriage, pain must follow. As believers, we are to carry our pains to the Cross. In the absence of that, the pain will become bitterness and eventually it ends in betrayal. Long before Judas betrayed his Master, the seeds of his anger and frustration with the Son of God started growing in his heart. He was an ambitious man. He slowly discovered that he could not manipulate Jesus. He could not become the leader of the band of twelve. After three years of following Jesus, he saw no visible gain to boast about or carry home. He then decided to steal money; at least he will recover his ‘school fees’. Eventually, bitterness griped his heart, darkness prevailed and he chose to reject the only thing of value that he could have had: his relationship with his best Friend, Mentor and God.
Betrayal is a silent poison long before it becomes visible and has power to hurt another.

But the worst form of betrayal is drawing back from the passion of true love. The worst betrayal is to forsake your first love, Jesus Christ, your Lord. You used to laugh together, share special moments together, you used to pray for and encourage one another…but know the heart is closing down…just greetings from afar…your friend speaks but you do not hear, the iceberg of betrayal has settled in between…You may still go to church, you may sing the songs, or even preach at the pulpit, but the heart is slowly drawing back from the hot passion of loudly calling Jesus as your Lover and Lord and from dancing unashamedly in His presence… The betrayal of the heart of worship, the worst pain even God feels, the grieving of the Holy Spirit…and all the while men still applaud for you and call you ‘great’…
“Am I the one, Lord?’

In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God!
I love God with all my heart!
I love others with the love of God!
I can never be ashamed of Jesus!
It is better for me to die and go to heaven, than to betray my Lord!
In Jesus name
Amen!

ONE SLING, ONE STONE, NO ARMOR, NO SWORD

“So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him” (1Sam 17:50)

Tonight, the devil was disgraced. He tried to deceive us to grieve the Holy Spirit but he completely failed. Where the Spirit is there is liberty. This liberty is so sweet, impossible to describe in words. Sometimes people are tired. But tonight, the service started with strong prayers. Then the praise went up like fire. We sensed that the Holy Spirit wanted us to pray for fire, purifying fire, power fire! We continued to pray for fire! About an hour later the fire of the Holy Ghost came down on us all! There was a strong ‘deliverance’ anointing. I cannot describe in words…We got drunk in the Spirit and danced with the Lord. The whole congregation was touched and became free. Sickness ran away. Discouragement disappeared. The hope of glory became real. People believed. ‘JESUSSSSSSS….’ Faith in the power of the name of Jesus is all that we needed. Truth is simple when truth is believed! You learn more in a minute under the anointing of the Holy Spirit than in one year in a Bible school where there is no anointing. ‘More, Lord, more….’

Then the Word came: How did David killed Goliath? What are the means God wants us to use for victory?

Goliath ‘despised’ David. The word means to look down with contempt at somebody who is weak, small, worthless, and insignificant. A proud person looks down on others as wasting his time, unworthy of notice.

Then Goliath made the mistake ‘to curse David by his gods…’ Dagon was the main god of the Philistines. With this provocation, the battle has now shifted from the Valley of Elah to the heavenly realm. Jehovah is on David’s side. Dagon is on Goliath side. The foolish giant saw only a boy. If he could have seen who was ‘backing the kid’ he could have dropped his sword and ran away to save his life. His pride and blindness killed him even before the stone touched his forehead. For no one can curse a child of God and live!

Dagon was the principal deity of the Philistines, who was ‘imported’ from Assyria and Babylon. Its symbol was a seed or a fish. That means multiplication. He was the god of fertility, harvest and war. The Philistines depended on Dagon for success in battle and they offered various sacrifices for his favor.

Goliath cursed David by the power of Dagon…That is suicide! Without armor, without sword, with just a sling and a stone, David killed the mighty Goliath.

Who is the giant that persecutes you?  What is the hindrance that blocks your way?

Learn from David…do not be deceived: the danger of evil attack is real, but you cannot use the armor of Saul…worldly strategy will fail in spiritual warfare!

What is your sword? You cannot use human resources to promote the interest of the Kingdom of God!

If you want a testimony for the world to know your God, if you want to be more than a champion, then as a believer, you cannot use ‘capital’ to start a business, build a house or buy a car! You cannot use beauty of charm to marry! You cannot depend only on doctors for healing! All these are the swords of men used by unbelievers. These will fail you in spiritual warfare! You need a testimony that will give all the glory to God! You need a breakthrough that will encourage the weak and the needy! Like David, use the sling that you are familiar with! Let your faith increase! Pray that ‘little old prayer’ and the heavens will open! Sing that ‘old chorus’ that you know so well until God comes down! Seek until you find! There is hope for you…

David was a true champion. Sorry, David was more than a champion. Let David be your brother! Let David be your twin brother! Be inspired today to stand for Jesus! Welcome to the family of God!

In Christ I declare:

‘In all these things we are more than conquerors thru Him who loved us!’ (Rom 8:37)

In Jesus name

Amen!

OVERCOMING DOUBTS

“Don’t worry about a thing,” David told him. “I’ll take care of this Philistine!”

 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “How can a kid like you fight with a man like him? You are only a boy, and he has been in the army since he was a boy!” (1Sam 17:32, 33, LB)

Rejected by his jealous older brother, David is summoned by no other man than Saul. Like the rest of his army, the king was also terrified. He was probably searching for any ray of hope in an impossible situation. Hearing that there was a man around who was not afraid to confront the giant, he sent for David to come. But seeing the young shepherd, his first reaction was disappointment, quickly followed by doubt. Just like Goliath later, he calls David ‘a kid, a boy’. Both by size and by age, David was not a match for the giant.

Obviously, Saul is not a man of faith. He is blind to the presence of God in David’s life. He is a man of the flesh, full of fear, doubt and inferiority complex. To him, David looks too young and too small for such a confrontation. He interviews David about his past experience as a soldier. Confronted with royal doubts, ‘the kid’ overcomes them with a great confession of faith. This is the moment when David’s hidden testimony as a friend of God shines in all its glory. The young man who wrote ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…” calmly stands before King Saul. The true royal heavenly anointing glitters on the head of David…Without fear for his life or desire for any reward, he speaks (I paraphrase):

‘It is true your majesty, that I do not have any experience as a regular soldier. I did not kill any man. But I am not a novice in the battle field. God is my witness! I am a shepherd and I love my sheep. I know each one of them by name. I am ready to lay down my life for my sheep. I had to fight in the wilderness with wild animals who wanted to kill my flock. God is always by my side and each time He gave me the victory. I have killed lions and bears, wild beasts that are stronger than men. This pagan giant insults the name of my God, and threatens to kill God’s flock. For that reason alone, He has to die. The same God, who delivered me then, shall deliver me now. I am sure! Don’t worry your majesty, I will kill him!”

Half convinced, and in the absence of any other contender for the position of a national hero, Saul agrees to give David a chance. The last thing he does before the battle, he offers his armor to David. It is possible that Saul’s trust was in his armor. But the king was a head taller than all the men in Israel, so his armor was surely too big for David. Possibly, he wanted to look like a loving protecting father. If David by any chance defeats the giant, he will later patronize him. As a father and a son, or as the mentor relates to his student, Saul wanted to take some glory, in case of an unexpected victory against the giant. Not long after this day, Saul proves to be a wicked, jealous, petty and foolish man. Not only Goliath, but later, even Saul will lose his head and his crown to this ‘kid’.

Dear friend, may you be encouraged today to stand for God, to be jealous for His Name, to redeem all opportunities to glorify Him forever! If God is on your side, as he was with David, no giant will be too big for you! Sickness and oppression have to bow at the name of Jesus! Why are you satisfied with just surviving? Why do you doubt and ‘play safe’? Only faith in God is safe! Be a hero! Be a champion for Christ! Be an inspiration to other young people! Answer God’s call! Come out from your comfort zone! Try something new! Fulfill your destiny!

In Christ I declare:

I reject all doubts!

I trust in God and in His Word!

I shall not look at the size of any ‘giant’ but I shall look unto Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of my faith!

I shall defeat all opposition in my path to glorify God!

My testimony of healing and deliverance shall inspire many!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…”

“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (1Pet 5:8, 9; PV 27:6)

We are warned to be alert spiritually. We are to be care-free from anxiety but not care- less, lazy or forgetful spiritually! The devil is your enemy! Never forget that! You can never settle with the devil! An enemy is one who opposes your progress in life, who actively seeks to injure, overthrow, confuse or kill you.

The devil is like a hungry lion. The ‘fragrance of Christ’ in the mature believers excites him like mad and increases his appetite. He aim is ‘to devour’ the victim. The word means to swallow alive. If you are careless spiritually, the devil is able to attack and in one second you shall be ‘gone’ from the face of the earth. ‘Watch and pray’ –commands our Lord! Your very life depends on your diligent prayer!

One of the most common strategies of the devil is confusion of mind. Under his evil attack you may not be able to differentiate between a friend and an enemy. A true friend may wound you with ‘harsh’ words, give you pain with ‘tough love’. His purpose is to wake you up to the reality of danger. That is a blessing! But an enemy comes with sweet poetic romantic words of flattery. His show of love is excessive, intoxicating your emotions with a magical luxury and an abundance of gifts. This is the prologue of the sad story of Samson and Delilah, a dangerous snare, a burden of false love, oppression too much to bear. The ‘multiplied kisses’ of the enemy are a poison designed to deceive the victim into becoming a foolish loser at last.

The devil has different strategies when attacking the young believers and the mature spiritual man. The lion in the wild can teach us some lessons.

Do you know how a lion kills his victim? If it is a small animal, the lion jumps and kills it instantly with his heavy paw. But if the animal is big, he changes his strategy. The lion attacks and jumps to the face of the animal. With his big open mouth he closes the nose and the mouth of the victim so that he suffocates. Unable to breathe, the animal falls down. Then the lion bites its neck and kills it. The scientists call this method to kill ‘the kiss of death’. This is a great lesson from nature. The devil attacks the mature believer by trying to quench the Holy Spirit in him. He will not be able to breathe spiritually, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to pray, to sing or to shout the name of Jesus. This attack is described as a feeling of drowning, oppression or a sudden heavy load of anxiety pouncing on you. Resist and reject the devil- lion! Do not be intimidated by his roar!  Fight for your soul! Fight for your testimony! Fight for your health! The greater Lion of Judah, the Lion of Praise is by your side!

Help!!!!!!!! JESUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

In Christ I declare:

I resist the devil, he shall flee from me!

I hate all lies, flattery and the deception of the devil!

I stand firm in the faith!

I reject all fears and occult intimidation!

I am free! I am healed! I am delivered!

I am grateful for my faithful wounding friends who saved my life!

My mouth is open to shout the name of Jesus and to give Him praise forever!

In Jesus name

Amen!

OVERCOMING JEALOUSY

“When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”

“Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter…” (1Sam 17:28-30)

David’s three older brothers were soldiers in Saul’s army. Eliab was the oldest. When he saw David talking with other soldiers in the camp, he became very angry. He then insulted David, blaming him unfairly to be irresponsible, proud and wicked. He said that David was looking for entertainment coming to ‘watch the battle’. ‘What battle’- you may ask? For forty days Goliath was bullying all of them and they trembled like leaves in the wind.

Just few days earlier God rejected Elaib as the possible king of Israel. He looked good but his heart was bad. His rejection was confirmed when in the presence of father Jesses and all his other sons, David, the youngest, was anointed as the new king of Israel. It is possible that from that moment he became jealous and bitter against David. Face to face with unjust accusation and jealousy, David did the right thing: He did not waste time quarreling with Eliab. He ‘turned away…’ and continued to do the right thing. Eventually, King Saul heard about him and called him to his tent. What his brother rejected, the king accepted. There is no better rebuke to jealousy than that.

Jealousy can kill. Jealousy was the reason why the religious leaders plotted against Jesus to kill Him. Reject this evil spirit from your heart! If God blessed and promotes you, the spirit of jealousy shall manifest in people close to you. It is very painful when men who are supposed to help and encourage you, persecute you for your faith. You have to detect this evil spirit of jealousy in others. You have to die to it and move on with your life. Men’s opinions are nothing compared with the truth, which is God’s opinion. That should be your desire, to please God and to fulfill your destiny. The following are some clear signs that others are jealous on you:

*A jealous man will warn, rebuke or insult you in public. By bringing you down he feels better. The truth is that we all need to be rebuked sometimes. But a true friend speaks the truth in love and rebukes you in private.

*A jealous man will gossip against you. Gossip is a classical sign of jealousy.

*A jealous man is oversensitive, easily angry and generally moody.

*A jealous man finds it hard to congratulate you.

May God help you to pass the test of overcoming jealousy!

In Christ I declare:

I refuse to be intimidated by jealous and bitter words!

I refuse to be jealous on any other person!

I am satisfied with God’s portion for my life!

I am happy when others are successful in ministry, giving all the glory to God!

If the devil likes it or not, I move on with my life!

God is on my side!

In Jesus name

Amen!

FACING THE COWARDS

“On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified” (1Sam:11; NIV)

David arrived at the battle ground with home supplies of ‘bread and cheese’ for his brothers. Before he could confront Goliath, he had to pass three spiritual tests. David had to successfully stand for God in the midst of three different levels of temptations: the crowd of cowards, the jealous brothers and the foolish king. We too can learn great wisdom from him for these lessons are eternal spiritual principles.

The crowd was ‘dismayed and terrified’. The word ‘dismayed’ means to lose courage, focus and resolution because of fear. All the people were discouraged, confused, depressed and weak. From King Saul down to the least soldier, no one could even imagine that he can stand up and fight Goliath. The evil spirit of fear in the giant has bullied them all into spiritual passivity. Each man was compelled into forced submission. This is how an inferiority complex develops affecting a man’s behavior for the rest of his life.  A coward is forced to bow down thru insults, arrogant speech or aggressive behavior. The evil spirits speak with pride and attack to cause deep damage to the victim, especially his will.

It has been proven that a true champion is one who is prepared spiritually and mentally prepared to stand and fight when necessary. It is not just the strength of the body. The mental preparation to believe that you can win the battle is more important than the readiness of body. The evil spirits attack the soul which is defined as the totality of the mind, emotions and will. Under constant intimidation from demons, the mind gets confused, the emotions go erratic and the will is paralyzed. Spiritual passivity is always the effect of occult attacks and a failure to win against them.

Under the bullying of Goliath, the whole army became paralyzed with fear. Please take note: the king’s promises of material wealth to the winner could not overcome the fear.  Money, royal marriage and social status, all these earthly rewards, could not change a sinner into a saint. Money can pay for a hireling, but it can never change a coward into a champion. Only the Holy Spirit can make a man of God! David’s main reason for fighting Goliath was to give glory to God. His second reason was that by his example, God’s people should be encouraged. These are the true motives for successful ministry! Selah!

In Christ I declare:

I reject the evil spirit of fear!

I shall fear no man and no circumstances, because I fear God!

My life and ministry shall give glory to God!

My life and ministry shall encourage the people!

I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me!

Holy Spirit, please fill me…

In Jesus name

Amen!