‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.’ (2Tim 3:16, 17, KJ)
This scripture has to be memorized and meditated upon! I think of it often, especially when doing ministry. It is especially dear to me …when some people do not believe the Word that I preach. I mean that I do not see visible signs that they receive it. Then I remind myself that the Word of God is the only thing I have to preach, to teach or to counsel. I do not have any other tool, weapon or medicine. I have to believe that it is enough for me and it should be enough for my hearers.
*All scripture- means that each word, each ‘dot’, now and forever has anointing and power of life invested in it.
*God’s inspiration- This word means that God’s Spirit has inspired it, has breath of life in it. It means that when you hear the Word, you’ll be touched by the ‘breeze’ of heaven.
*Profitable- means that the Word has a purpose that can be achieved; you’ll see a profit, results. The Word of God is always practical.
The Word is profitable to the hearers. In Greek the word ‘profitable’ means to be helpful, to give an advantage over others, to make profit, to accumulate reward. Profit is the reward of a successful business man.
Do you want to be rich? Forget the study of economics…Study the Word of God! Then you will be rich! It works!

When you are not yet married, or when your marriage is over and you look back on those years with longing, it is without doubt quite possible to idealize it. But there is one thing which enters into all of life, one thing which will keep us from idealizing life’s best and will make bearable life’s worst, and that is the Cross. The Cross must enter into marriage. “Who loveth suffereth too.”

The Cross enters the moment you recognize a relationship as a gift. The One who gives it may withdraw it at any time, and knowing this, you give thanks in the receiving. Desiring above all else to do the will of God, you offer back to Him this greatest of all earthly gifts as an oblation, lifted up in worship and praise, with faith that in the offering it will be transformed for the good of others.

This is what sacrifice means. This is why the Cross of Christ “towers o’er the wrecks of time.” Love is sacrificial. Sacrifice is giving, and offering up, and the meaning of sacrifice in the Bible is the giving of life to another.

~ Elisabeth Elliot, Let Me Be A Woman, 1976

This was the day the Lord Jesus died. The prince of this world has done his worst. The Roman soldiers stripped Him naked and placed on him a purple robe. On His head they put a crown of thorns and in His hand an ordinary stick for a scepter. They staged a mock worship. They knelt before Him and laughed, singing: ‘Hail, king of the Jews…’ This was a cheap entertainment for soldiers who are bored with their daily routines and bitter with their low wages. At last, tired and sweating, with no one to clap for their improvised show, they disrobed Him again and took Him to Golgotha Hill.
At the foot of the Cross they cast lots for His clothes. The Jewish mothers use to saw a special robe for their first born sons. It is possible that Mary sawed that seamless robe, too good to be torn into pieces. One of the solders won it as his trophy and as a reminder of a day like no other. Mary, John and the other women were there watching, but none could help. Six hours later, the naked King, nailed on the tree, bowed His head. It was all ‘finished…’
A king is known by his robe, his crown and his scepter. The purple robe of Jesus was the robe of sin and shame. He wore it for me and for you so that in Him, we may become the righteousness of God. His second lovingly homemade robe was stolen from Him. The fake ‘queen of heaven’ disrobed and disgraced the true King. Her so called ‘victory’ lasted only a moment in time, when darkness covered the land. That same Cross that killed the Prince of Glory became her eternal shame, as a murderer for whom there is no mercy.
The third robe of Jesus was designed in heaven and none can disgrace or steal that. The King is now dressed with the royal robe of eternal and complete authority in heaven and on earth. He holds the scepter of righteousness. On His head are many crowns. No one can take these away! No one can steal His testimony! The Holy Spirit sent to earth is His royal gift and seal to us who believe. May all who acknowledge His majesty come forward and let the Worship begin…Let’s bring our successes, our crowns and place them at His feet…for He alone is worthy, to receive all power and praise, forever!
“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose Rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire and on His head are many crowns…He is dressed in a robe dipped in Blood and His name is the Word of God…On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords!” (Rev 19)

‘However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband’ (Eph 5:33)
As a wife, I am transparent to my husband. I cannot tell him ‘everything’ because that means I will talk too much and he will be tired of my voice. But all my decisions are done in the presence of God, confirmed thru prayer and also honoring my office as his wife. My testimony as a wife has to be available to my husband for His encouragement. The heart is like glass, clean or dirty. I have to wash mine daily from worldly dust, so it will not hide sin. With just a glance, my husband should look into my eyes and know that all is well with both of us! My submission to my husband should draw us closer to God and to one another.
The Bible is the foundation of a good marriage. Read scriptures in your bedroom, before you sleep. The Word of God should be your delight, sweeter than your daily food, stronger than your personal dreams and safer than your home.
The more I study the Bible, the more I love it! The Bible is a stranger to you except you read it; you study it and daily apply its words in practice. Have you tried to imagine how your life can be if you truly obey the Word of God? Even so, the best you can imagine is still below the vision of who you can be, according to God’s plan and purpose in Christ…
“Father, help me, I’ve wasted enough time…please increase my hunger for Your Word…help me obey You voice…help me to submit to my husband and fulfill my destiny as a godly wife in Christ…I depend on You, in Jesus name I pray, amen!”

I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus,
Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true.
I would tell you how
He changed my life completely;
He did something no other friend could do.

No one ever cared for me like Jesus;
There’s no other friend so kind as He.
No one else could take the sin
And darkness from me;
O how much He cared for me.

All my life was full of sin when Jesus found me;
All my heart was full of misery and woe,
Jesus placed His strong arms about me
And He led me in the way I ought to go.

Ev’ry day He comes to me with new assurance;
More and more I understand His word of love.
But I’ll never know just why He came to save me,
Till someday I see His blessed face above.
(by C F Weigle)

It is our privilege to come to you thru the word of God. We shall give to you from what we have received from the Lord. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified. No other gift compares with Him. We pray that your life will change as we’ll walk together following the Lamb. We promise to give God all the glory for He alone is worthy. Amen.
In these last days the Bible says that there will be ‘perilous times’ (2Tim 3:1). The word in Greek means something that is extremely difficult, terrible and dangerous. It means you will encounter situations and people that will let you down and try to make you fall; strike at you and betray you when you least expect it. The intent is to weaken your will and your commitment to Christ so that you will backslide. This is the truth because it is God’s opinion as recorded in His word. There are only two ways to react to it. You either take the warning seriously and prepare your heart for the battle, or you ignore it at your own loss. The flesh is a coward, hates to be warned and to prepare to please the Lord. But for them that walk in the Spirit, the warning of God is a sign of His Fatherly love and they come to appreciate it.
The strategy of God in these last days is to manifest His love that never fails. If you are a believer, then you are God’s child and you should be ready to represent Him to all people, everywhere. Another word for love is worship. We are told that God is seeking worshippers who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth (Jn 4:23, 24). Worship means extreme, total and sacrificial love. Because true love never fails (1Cor 13:8), true worship also never fails. The more you love and worship God, the fewer mistakes you make. God wants His children to live a life of worship, which means a life of freedom and total victory. (Lk 1:74).
In the natural, it takes about a year for a baby to walk unaided. It takes even longer for a child to come to maturity and to learn how to love His parents and others. In the same way, in the Spirit realm, it takes a long time for a believer to mature and to learn to love God and others. It is a long and difficult journey and few are ready to pay the price. Salvation is the gate that opens and you go into another ‘country’. It is called ‘the Kingdom of God’. Salvation is free because Jesus paid it all; surely not cheap, but free. After passing thru that gate, there starts the road toward maturity, which the Bible calls ‘sanctification’. Not all people are willing to pay the price for spiritual growth in the same way. That is why you see some people are faster than others; they are willing to be trained by the Holy Spirit. They take the word of God seriously, they learn the art of prayer, they value the fellowship of the brethren and so they make great progress. Other are satisfied to be barely saved and they trail behind becoming a source of discouragement to many.
Because we are all born into sin and have bad habits that grieve the Holy Spirit, we all need radical training. God Himself is willing to be your teacher. We are talking in particular about the Person of God the Holy Spirit. He prepares you to meet the King. It is true that the way to the throne has been opened forever by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. But you still need much preparation of the heart to draw near God without your conscience condemning you.
To be a worshiper is not just to be a singer. It is not enough to just go to church or doing ‘spiritual’ things. A worshipper is a true, spiritual lover of God. He is practicing the art of taking the cross daily and following Jesus. ‘For whoever loses his life for Me will save it…’ (Lk 9:23, 24). If you pay the price to be a true worshipper, you will ‘save’ your life, you will live long. It is the promise of God. (Ps 91:14-16).
Like any good work, it is hard at the beginning to sustain a life style of worship. The flesh wars against the spirit and will prove resistant to any change in you (Gal 5:17). But God has the last say in any matter. If you are willing and truly desire to live your life to God’s glory, you will become stronger in the pursuit of God. The more you worship God, the stronger you become, the more you will ‘enjoy’ your Christian life. God will never tell you to do anything that He will not encourage and empower you to the end.
The Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, is the greatest Worshipper ever. Thru this process of sanctification, you will become more and more like Him. Remember this: Nothing and nobody has the power to change the heart of man except God who created it. In other words, none can make you a true worshipper except the God who saved you. As your flesh dies and your spirit rises within you, you will start to reflect the beauty and the glory of God in this dark and dangerous world. The love of many will become cold in these last days (Mt 24:12). Fake worshippers will surely become tired and go back to their life of sin. But God will raise His army of worshippers as a standard against all the wickedness in high places. That is why your life of worship will be a testimony for His love to you, His power and His glory. This is your destiny child of God!
May it be so to you in the name of Jesus! Amen!

‘And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi’ (Ru 1:14)
Naomi, her husband and two sons left Bethlehem because of famine in the land. They went to the enemy country of Moab and settled there. Naomi becomes a widow, having to bury her husband in a strange land of compromise. Her two sons get married with Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. The sons die too leaving behind three widows. Naomi decides to go back to her country, having heard that God has blessed the land once more with good harvests.
Her two daughters in law decide to follow her. It is clear that they saw her as a woman of God, a true mother and a mentor. She thought them all the good things they knew. She was wise, patient, strong and gentle in the same time. She spoke to them about Jehovah and His laws. They both got attracted by the promise of a life full of joy, purity and true worship. They wanted to serve the only Holy God.
That dream was the very opposite of the life style of their people. The god of Moab, Chemosh, was a wicked and erratic god that none could predict. They had to offer many sacrifices to please him. Children were thrown alive in the fire of the altar of Chemosh. But Naomi told them that Jehovah was different; the only Faithful, Wonderful, Loving and Mighty God of the universe. So the decision to leave Moab and to go to Bethlehem was no so difficult at the beginning.
But then, the long journey home started. The road was dusty and the sun too hot. None greeted them along the way. The reality of their decision came before their eyes. They will go to a country where they will be foreigners and refugees. They shall be discriminated by all, for the Jews hated the Moabites. They have to learn a new language, new table manners and new traditions. They have to completely forget about their own childhood country, the fashion of family and friends. They have to accept the situation that Naomi has no wealth, no status and no more sons. There is a great risk that they will become beggars or prostitutes, especially after the death of Naomi. They do not know any single soul in Bethlehem so loneliness shall be their portion for a long time. They shall die and be buried in a land where their families can never come to visit.
Was it worth it? Can a man lose everything for the sake of a dream and not become a loser? Does Jehovah accept them or they are forcing themselves upon His mercy? What if they become home-sick and there shall be no cure for the broken heart? What if they will die poor, unhappy, rejected widows? There is no going back once they cross over…What if they shall regret this radical decision?
In the midst of these painful questions, their true heart was revealed. Orpah wept and wailed but then she made her choice…she kissed her mother in law good-by and went back to her people and to her gods. Let’s see why…
The name Orpah means ‘the gazelle’.
A gazelle is a beautiful animal, a small antelope. In the East, they are seen as the symbols of feminine beauty. They live in family groups. They are hunted by all animals and even by men. They are very vulnerable creatures. Their horns just add to their beauty; these are not used for protection. Their only way to escape the predators is by running very fast. The gazelle is very alert to danger, having as impressive sense of smell, sight and hearing. When the predators chase them, they not only run very fast but they leap high in the air. These jumps decrease the speed but the gazelle uses them to intimidate the hunter. For example, cheetahs go back from pursing a gazelle once she leaps in the air above her.
Orpah, the Gazelle, went back to Moab possibly because she was afraid of the unknown dangers of the future. The threat of living in Israel seems to increase with each step along the way. She did not trust Jehovah enough to feel safe under His care. She already knew the dangers in her home country. She was used to that. But she has to learn new methods of defense. The gazelle cannot survive alone. The thought of loneliness in the new country was too much for Orpah to bear. Her imagination went wild…Any man can oppress, insult, rape or kill her…The fear rose in her heart and won the battle over her faith in Naomi’s God.
Like the rich young ruler, she loved Jesus but not enough to forsake all things for Him. So she wept bitterly for the dreams that died under a tree along the road…She wanted to be a woman of God, but the price Jehovah is asking of her is just too great…That is the end of the road for her…she made her choice…she embraced and kissed her mother in law for all the beautiful memories and gifts of the past…but there is no future for them together…she kissed Naomi once more, the kiss that says ‘I will never see you again’…and taking on her back the few things that belong to her, she went back to her family and to her gods… On my cheeks, tears flowing free…I taste the last kiss from your lips…What a kiss…
Yes, in moments like these, I look up to You, my Lord…may the tears of sadness be replaced with the joy of Your presence…with the power of a new beginning…with the encouragement coming from the faith of another daughter, who passing the same fire and the same pain, remained faithful unto the end…her name is Ruth. But her story is for another time…

‘A man with leprosy came to Jesus and begged Him on his knees” ‘If you are willing, you (alone) can make me clean…’ Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man: ‘I am willing- He said- Be clean! Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured’ (Mk 1:40-42)
Leprosy is a disease that has been known since biblical times. It is contagious but not easily transmitted. It passes on thru the body fluids of an untreated person to another. It causes skin sores, nerve damage, and muscle weakness that gets worse over time. Skin lesions are the primary external sign. Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. In advanced stages the nose becomes flat due to destruction of nasal cartilage. The sound during speech is changed and the face is totally disfigured. People with long-term leprosy cannot use of their hands or feet due to repeated injury because they lack feeling in those areas.
For thousands of years, there was no treatment known for leprosy. There is treatment now but it is effective only if started early. Prevention consists of avoiding close physical contact with untreated people.

In the Bible, leprosy is a type of sin (Lev 13 and 14).
Man is born a sinner. In Greek, the word ‘sin’ is defined as ‘missing the mark, going astray, to do wrong, to break the law of God’. Sin is transgression and lawlessness. Sin separates us from God. Sin is falling short of the glory of God.
Just like with leprosy, sin disfigures man, it makes him ugly. God is a Holy God and we are called to be holy like Him. Holiness is beauty. The devil uses seduction to attract his victims into his net. Seduction is a necessary crime to manipulate, to make a man fall into sin. If the victim could see the ugliness of sin, he will run away from it. Just remember this: sin is ugly like a monster!
Just like with leprosy, sin weakens the will of man. The closer the temptation, the less power you have to run away from sin. Flee fornication! Do not be interested or curious to see how the devil operates. Run while you can! Treasure your soul! Be jealous over your testimony, dear Believer! It is the most expensive thing you possess. It is your weapon and your crown.
Just like with leprosy, in sin the heart becomes hardened. You lose any feeling for others. You lose any desire to love, to have compassion and to help another. Your conscience is damaged. It becomes harder and harder to say ‘sorry’. You cannot feel their pain; you don’t care about others. You quarrel and become violent. Repentance becomes a strange and impossible word. The deceitfulness of sin brings about this hardness and wickedness of heart.
Just like with leprosy, sin is incurable. There is no human cure available for sin. Some try going to church and become religious, others ignore the problem…but nothing works, nothing removes the guilt of sin from the heart of man. The stain, the ugliness, the deceit, the shame is there, destroying the man who was created to be in the image of God.
In the Old Testament, there was no cure for leprosy. Occasionally Jehovah Rapha will manifest and grant a miracle of healing to a leprous. Then the priest will offer two birds as a sacrifice to God. One will be killed and its blood mingled with water. It will be used for cleansing the man who was healed. Then gradually, the man can come back to his house. The second bird will be dipped in that same water with blood and released, to fly free and happy. This is a beautiful picture of the Cross, how the Blood of the Lamb has set us free from sin and shame.
The Holy Spirit is the only Person who can open our eyes to convict us of sin and of the need for salvation. God can use men to preach the truth, but until the Holy Spirit applies the truth to our conscience, we remain ignorant of our need of God. The Holy Spirit work is peculiar. If you have not experienced it, then it is impossible to describe it to you. True repentance of sin is the most difficult and painful experience a man can encounter in this life. The feeling is like seeing hell, touching death…all false hope vanishes and I stand naked before God…I see myself as His enemy and traitor….No hope… No prayer can be said for the mouth is too weak to utter anything. No one can stand on his feet. For the first time you accept the verdict: guilty! Falling at the feet of Jesus and pleading for His mercy with groans that only the Holy Spirit can utter, that is the only thing you can do….
Tested counsel: Do not make it easy for a sinner arrested by the power of the Holy Spirit. Leave him in the hands of God! Let him cry and let him plead for mercy. It may take hours or days…But the moment will come when the peace of God shall descend and cleanse, heal and save his soul…I have witnessed this miracle of life with many…
‘What can wash my sins away? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus!’
Do you rejoice as you read these words? Can you say Amen! Do you identify with them? Do you have a burden to pray that souls be saved? Do you hate sin? Are you dead to sin? Do you love righteousness and holiness? Do you pay the price to be like Jesus?
Then blessed are you, for you are free! Gove God all the glory! In Jesus name, amen!
(in the picture, an Indian widow, former leprous patient, saved by the Lord Jesus, worships Him!)

‘Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, they watchman stays awake in vain. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for He gives His beloved sleep’ (Ps 127)

Sleep is a gift from God. Sleep is a blessed time when the brain shuts down and the body rests from labor. During sleep, the body repairs itself from what was lost or damaged while awake. Sleep is the best medicine for a sick man. The immunity of the body is restored during sleep, so the body can fight diseases. During sleep the growth hormone is released; the muscles, tissues and bones grow mostly during the time of sleep.
The lack of sleep is called insomnia. The principal cause for sleep deprivation is anxiety. Chronic insomnia is a sickness that affects the whole person, body, soul and spirit. It causes weakness of the mind and the body; everything happens in slow motion. Often the patients have hallucinations (they see things that do not exist in reality). The imagination is burdened by unnecessary images. Sleep deprivation results in muscular pains and fatigue, headache, migraines, high blood pressure, panic attacks and depression. It affects the concentration, the memory, the ability to make decisions or risk taking. The person who cannot sleep well loses the skill to be creative mentally. He has problems thinking of new solutions in solving the problems of life. He becomes mechanical and repetitive, making the same mistakes again and again. He is slow of identifying the open door of opportunity and breakthrough. Lack of sleep produces road accidents as often as driving under the influence of alcohol. There is a form of extreme insomnia that is fatal. There is no medical treatment for it. The patient is so anxious to sleep that he cannot sleep at all. Death follows in less than one year.
In some prisons, lack of sleep is a form of torture, to break the will of the prisoner until he confesses some information. According to their testimony, after some days and nights of sleeplessness, a cloud comes upon the mind; the spirit is wearied to death, the legs become weak and the man has only one desire left: to sleep. Not even hunger and thirst are comparable with it.

God blesses His people with sleep to reveal Himself thru dreams, to restore their strength and comfort their souls. God put Adam to sleep to create Eve from his rib. He put Abram to sleep to reveal to him the challenges ahead and the great victory and blessings that follow. Jacob slept and saw God above the divine ladder. He saw his destiny and was encouraged.
God uses sleep to weaken the enemies of His people. He put King Saul and his men to ‘deep sleep’ and made them vulnerable to destruction. God removes sleep when He wants to talk to men in the night. This is how God talked to Kings Nebuchadnezzar and Xerxes and they had to dramatically change their lives.
The devil has his evil strategies. Jonah slept to run away from God. ‘The wicked man cannot sleep until he makes someone fall’. The unbelievers hate or love sleep to the extremes. Some work all the time and forsake sleep, to build and protect personal empires. Some worry to have successful children. But their reward is ‘the bread of sorrows’. Others are lazy, they love sleep until they becomes poor. Samson went to sleep in the laps of Delilah, the pillow of Jezebel and so he lost his eyes and his freedom. The foolish virgins slept carelessly and lost the opportunity to enter into the rest and joy of salvation and marriage.
So what is the secret of successful sleep? It lies in the Word of God: You spend your energy during the day seeking God and His Kingdom. Then in the night you sleep. The blessings will follow. No need to worry about food or houses or children. Sleep will be peaceful and sweet, a ‘gift from God without sorrows’.

Finally, let’s go down under the deck and sleep with Jesus. The waves and billows may crash around, the storm may shake the boat, and people may think I do not care, but for me…that is the best place in the world, lying at Your feet…and when I awake, I shall be like You Lord, strong and refreshed, full of faith and courage… I too shall command the winds and the waves around me to be still, for their Master has spoken!
‘Dear Heavenly Father, just in case I was not grateful enough for the gift of good, peaceful and refreshing sleep…I am sorry…I want to say ‘thank You’ for the day of labor and for the night of rest, for Your constant presence with me, knowing that You do not sleep and do not slumber…I am eternally safe in Your care, so I worry no more… in Jesus name I pray, Amen!’

This is the story of the widow of a prophet in training. He was a member of the ‘company of the prophets’. He borrowed money to train for ‘ministry’. Now he is dead and his wife is in desperate need. She makes an excellent choice: she goes for counsel to Elisha, who has just received the mantle of double anointing from Elijah. She wisely avoi…ds the late husband’s colleagues in the ministry. The company of prophets witnessed the last hours in the life of Elijah and the change of mantle of leadership. But they ’viewed standing from afar’. Like Peter and the rest of the disciples, once the Lord was arrested, they followed the drama from afar. These prophets even tried to discourage Elisha not to follow too closely, lest he will be disappointed. They wanted the title of prophets, of men of God, but they also wanted to ‘play it safe’…
The woman’s husband was in this circle of religious applicants for earthly crowns. He feared the Lord but he feared men too.He was now dead. Nobody knows how many times his wife prayed and wished that her husband will be more committed to God; not just religious; that he will go closer to ‘Oga’ Elijah just the way Elisha has done. Who knows how their life could have been if he was willing to pay the price for ‘the double anointing…’ But he was gone now. No need to pray for the sanctification of a man in the grave. She decides to do what her late husband ignored. She will trust the God who answers by fire and by oil, the God of Elijah and Elisha…and so, the miracle happened…
She heard the story of Elijah, the man who did not die, the man faithful to the last moment, the chariots of fire…She met with Elisha, the only apprentice who came close enough to burn with the fire of Elijah…
(The word to remember is COMMITMENT. It means to be faithful, loyal to the end to somebody who is worthy of your faithfulness; first to God and then to them who open the way and cover your head. When the prophets call you aside, when people hurt you, do you abandon God and go away? No matter how gifted or beautiful, one can be successful without commitment!)
Behind closed doors, far from the greedy eyes of merchants and tax collectors, far away from the rules of the religious ghetto, far away from the lust of the entertainers…she trusted God for life and salvation, for her and children. In the dim light of the Shekinah glory, face to face with God and His mercy, she became a hero and a prophetess; she became free to see the open heavens of Elijah and his chariots of fire…
O, Lord…only You alone know the secret and the power of intimacy and countless stories of unedited miracles that have happened in the kitchens, under the bridges or in the prison cells… To You O, Lord, I bow my knees tonight…
(2Kg 2 and 4)

King David discovered the power and the protection of the God’s secret place (Ps 27). What is this secret place? It is the manifested presence of God, the Holy Spirit. In that secret, closed garden I enjoy the privilege of intimate fellowship with the Lord. I am free to admire the beauty of His Holiness and to become like Him. I spend my time seeking God in His Temple, in His Word. He heals my broken heart from the past pain of rejection. In His presence I am free to worship God, to sing for joy for His favor on me. Under the shadow of His wings I am His student. God teaches me His ways and leads me in a straight path, far from the hidden traps of my enemies. He protects me from false witnesses, from liars who testify with wickedness in their hearts. These are lazy oppressors, greedy men, who are all hungry for unjust gain. They want to expose me, to put me to shame, to wound and to destroy my testimony. Outside His presence I am weak, vulnerable, foolish, impatient and lost. But in His presence my faith increases and I receive daily strength to wait for the justice for my cause.

IN CHRIST I DECLARE:
‘I dwell in the center of God’s presence!
I am dead to the world and the world is dead to me!
I am invisible to my enemies!
My courage to confront my enemies has increased!
My enemies shall be put to shame!
My victory and prosperity is sure!
My testimony is sealed!
‘I am confident of this: I shall see the goodness (and the pleasure) of the Lord in the land of the living’ (Ps 27:13)
All glory to God!
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen!’

William Wilberforce (1759-1833)
He was an English politician and a Christian hero, a statesman-saint held up as a role model for putting his faith into action.
He was born in a rich family and spent his youth in wasteful pursuits. He loved parties, drinking alcohol and having many worldly friends. He was going to Anglican Church but he was not saved. He was a member of the Parliament.
He was never strong physically. His eye sight was very poor. He was 39 years old when he married and he had six children.
At the age of 25 he had a deep crisis conversion. He openly repented of all his sins in an age when people mocked true believers. He promised God that he will do all he can to improve the lives of men. That is when God touched his heart about the sin of slavery.
The British initially became involved in the slave trade during the 16th century. By 1783, the triangular route that took British-made goods to Africa to buy slaves, transported the enslaved to the West Indies, and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar, tobacco, and cotton back to Britain. This represented about 80 percent of Great Britain’s foreign income. British ships carried forty thousand enslaved men, women and children across the Atlantic in horrific conditions. Of the estimated 11 million Africans transported into slavery, about 1.4 million died during the voyage.
William Wilberforce took the lead to pass a law in the Parliament that abolishes the slave trade. He called slavery a sin against God and a national disgrace. The fight against the slave trade took many years of mighty opposition. Pro-slavery advocates claimed that enslaved Africans were lesser human beings and they benefited from their bondage. They said that the black people cannot organize themselves and they will always need a master to tell them what to do. Wilberforce never wavered from his commitment that all men should be free and he insisted that the black man is a brother. His passion for justice was rewarded at last. After 21 years of violent debates in the Parliament, when he lost many friends and supporters, he finally witnessed the passing of the law that made slave trade illegal. The date was 25th of March, 1807. As his colleagues congratulated him for his victory, he collapsed and openly wept tears of joy… Then he said:
“Africa, your sufferings have been the theme that has arrested and engaged my heart. Your sufferings, no tongue can express, no language impart…May God Himself bless and heal Africa!”
Amen!

‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight’ (PV 3:5, 6)
The principle of submission and respect to God, for our daily choices, is revealed in the Bible. Intimacy and communion with God is the foundation for true and lasting success. Bring to God all your proposals for action and wait for His Word before you proceed. Do not be in a hurry! Do not bring preconditions to God when you pray! Let God be God! He directs you ‘with His eyes’. If He says ‘yes’ it is yes! If He says ‘no’ it is no! This is the Word of God leading you to a blessed life, free from unexpected hindrances, unnecessary delays and useless pains. It is a life of peace, joy, wisdom and fulfillment. It is a fruitful life free from ‘menopause’.
Only God can offer such a blessed gift! Only God!
In Hebrew, the word ‘straight’ in the scripture above means the most convenient option. The condition for success is to tell God about everything. Do not ‘move’ without God! Then the journey of your life shall be right, safe, pleasant and prosperous.
Please observe that the command to trust God is to be done with ALL your heart and in ALL circumstances of life. Submission to God’s will, as revealed in the Bible, affects the totality of our emotions. This is a diligent, detailed and patient walk with God. It is step by step; moment by moment. There is no ‘jumping’ when walking with God (except when He ‘jumps’, then you jump with Him, of course…).
Draw closer to God that He may draw closer to you and show you wonderful things from His law! The Word of God should be your delight, sweeter than your daily food, stronger than your personal dreams and safer than your home.
The more I study the Bible, the more I love it! The Bible is a stranger to you except you read it; you study it and daily apply its words. Do you try to imagine how your life can be if you truly obey the Word of God? The best you can imagine is still below the vision of who you can be, according to God’s plan and purpose in Christ…
“Father, help me…I wasted enough time…please increase my hunger and appreciation for Your Word…help me to obey Your commandments…help me to fulfill my destiny in Christ…I depend on You, in Jesus name I pray, amen!”

O, LORD, REVIVE US AGAIN!
DONALD, THE BOY WHO PRAYED…
‘Among those converted the following night was a fifteen-year-old boy who became an outstanding helper in the revival. This lad became a “frontline” prayer-warrior. Duncan Cambe…ll called at his home one day and found him on his knees in the barn with the Bible open before him. When interrupted he quietly said: “Excuse me a little, Mr. Campbell, I’m having an audience with the King.” Donald prayed until the power of God laid hold on all in his village, on those who were dead in sins transforming them into living stones in the Church of Jesus Christ.
But there was much opposition against reveival. Rev. Duncan was assisting at a Communion service; the atmosphere was heavy and preaching difficult, so he sent to Barvas for some of the men to come and assist in prayer. They prayed, but the spiritual bondage persisted, so much so that half way through his address Rev. Duncan stopped preaching. Just then he noticed the same boy, visibly moved, under deep burden for souls. He thought: “That boy is in touch with God and living nearer to the Saviour than I am.” So leaning over the pulpit he said: “Donald, will you lead us in prayer?” The lad rose to his feet and in his prayer made reference to the fourth chapter of Revelation, which he had been reading that morning: “Oh God, I seem to be gazing through the open door. I see the Lamb in the midst of the Throne, with the keys of death and of hell at His girdle.”
He began to sob; then lifting his eyes toward heaven, cried: “O God, there is power there, let it loose!” With the force of a hurricane the Spirit of God swept into the building and the floodgates of heaven opened. The church resembled a battlefield. On one side many were prostrated over the seats weeping and sighing; on the other side some were affected by throwing their arms in the air in a rigid posture. God had come into His house!
Halleluyah!’
Question: WHEN LAST DID YOU TAKE HOLD OF GOD?

(These are testimonies from the revival on the Island of Lewis, Scotland led my Rev. Duncan Cambell, 1949-1952. The revival started in the Church of Scotland in Barvas, Lewis. The revival has stopped but the church still stands as seen in the picture)

This is the Word of God: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech. 9:9).
Jesus entered Jerusalem at last. In the past, He was keeping Hid presence ‘a secret’. This is the only time that He chose visibility because He entered as the King. But even then, it was a surprise entry, a special blessing only for them who had eyes to see…
There was no ‘red carpet’ coming from the religious community. So the ‘ordinary’ crowd along the road, gathered by the Spirit of God, placed their patched coats on the dirty ground for Him…
There were not imported flowers or royal flags to beautify the dusty road. So the people cut off palm branches and offered a wave offering to their King…
There was no ‘mass choir’ singing melodiously, songs rehearsed for the occasion. So the children and the people passing by, they clapped their hands, they danced and cried spontaneously: ‘Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The place was rowdy, noisy and dusty as the King of Glory stepped into town riding on a donkey…
Donkeys are ‘low class’ animals. They maximum height is 1, 6 meters. They are always looking tired for they are generally over- worked and underfed. Even today, all over the world, it is only the poor people who use them. They patiently carry great loads on their backs, from morning till evening.
Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, slowly making progress, His feet almost touching the ground…that is not the picture you have about a great King. He could have chosen to enter riding on a camel, an elephant or a horse. These are big animals that intimidate the spectators. These are the choice of earthly kings. But He came to the Holy city riding on a female donkey with her coal by her side. What a picture…To the religious leaders, Jesus looked more like a clown than a King…
If it was today, if Jesus came to Warri today…He could have not entered in a black Jeep with tinted windows… with many mopols whipping people with kobokos… with sirens making noise and police lights blinding the eyes… with a select entourage of CAN representatives praying in tongues…NO! No! No!
If Jesus came to Warri today, He could have entered in a Keke (very small car on three tires) and the only people who could have known are they who intercede, who pray for mercy and revival on behalf of this land, forgotten by politicians and wounded by violent men.
May God bless all intercessors that have the burden to pray, that the Desire of all Nations shall manifest, that revival shall come and the Glory of God is revealed to this generation! Worship the King!
Against all odds…the doors of Warri have opened wide, all padlocks broken…The King of glory is now in our midst!
Blessed are you if you can sing Hosanna!

‘Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away’ (Mt 21:18, 19)

Let’s look afresh at this incident in the Bible and study the words of Jesus…. We are praying for revival. Surely there is something here to help us in our time of need.
The first thing we see is that Jesus was hungry. God is hungry for fruit, sweet and pleasant. A fig tree is a symbol of prosperity. A barren fruit tree is a type of false hope. The tree had green beautiful leaves, but no figs. That is a symbol of religious hypocrisy. The prevous day Jesus cleansed the House of God. It was immediately after the cleaning of the Temple that the miracles of healing began to happen. The next step was an open door to the praises of the King!
These are very important spiritual principles. If you desire to receive miracles of healing and deliverance, then you have to repent of sin. This repentance has to be from your heart, with fruit to prove its reality. A pure heart shall receive her miracle!
This tree along the road gave false hopes of prosperity but no performance. Then Jesus cursed it and it withered. A tree without fruit planted in the house of God will soon lose its leaves also and become naked and disgraced. The purpose of a tree is to produce fruits. If a tree does not fulfill its God- given purpose, it shall be destroyed. The religious hypocrites in the church are in grave danger and they will be exposed and disgraced when the Master comes to visit His Bride.
‘The sinners in Zion are terrified! Fearfulness has gripped the hypocrites…’ (Is 33:14)
The warning to repent of hypocrisy cannot be overemphasized! Please take note: a sinner is not a hypocrite according to the Bible. When the world talks about hypocrisy, they mean something else than what the Bible says. A sinner is a sinner. A hypocrite is someone who goes to church, says is a believer but in reality he is not. A hypocrite is someone who takes God’s name in vain. This is a very grave charge! Jesus was not angry with the sinners. He was angry and cursed the religious hypocrites! If you look for hypocrites, for these barren fig trees, these are not outside the church. They are seated in the pews and they stand in the pulpits of churches, preaching and teaching. These shall be judged more seriously than the ‘ordinary’ sinners.
The question remains…are you an hypocrite? Are you like a tree along the road, with green, beautiful leaves and no fruit for Jesus? Are you in church advertising yourself and totally lacking the love, the patience and mercy of Jesus? Jesus physically removed the traders of doves from His Temple; so He will physically remove you from the church if you do not repent of hypocrisy! Selah!
Jesus says that we should pray with faith and without doubt. That is the road to experience miracles. That is when mountains shall be relocated into the sea. When Jesus commanded the tree to wither and it did, the disciples were amazed. They did not ask ‘why do you do this” but the wonder was ‘how did You do this’? Then Jesus said to them that faith without the damage of doubt is the key. It is faith in this same Jesus, that He can do miracles, that is the key to open the door! It is then that we can speak to circumstances and things shall change, to the glory of God! Father, grant them a new begining, in Jesus name, amen!

‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life’ (PV 4:23)
The heart is a vital organ. The heart is the center of life, both physically and spiritually. You can live without an eye, a leg or without a kidney. But if the heart dies, you die. We are commanded to be actively interested in the state of our hearts. Ignorance, laziness, carelessness in this matter is suicidal. The natural food comes in and goes out of the body. Sometimes it damages it, being polluted or poisonous. But it is still eliminated at the end of the day. But in the Spirit realm whatever we feed our heart with, good or bad, will be retain inside. There is no system of evacuation except thru the mouth. Sin comes in thru the eyes or thru the ears. Every pornographic material, every gossip that you listen to, will eventually be deposited as scum in the heart. With time, the unholy process fills the heart to overflowing and the mouth will expose the secret sins inside. Un-confessed and un-repented sins lead to heart failure. Sooner or later, your mouth will betray your secrets, your cherished sins stored in the heart for years. You shall prove to be an enemy of God and a traitor to His Kingdom…God forbid!
The only hope for the heart to change, to be purged and cleansed – is God! The heart of each man is in His hand! You need to repent and confess all your sins. You need to ‘vomit’ them and you shall be empty and clean. Then you ask the Holy Spirit to feel your heart. God will do it because it is His promise to all His children (Lk 11:11-13)
Once you are filled with the Spirit of God, you can never be the same again! You speech will change radically! Out of the forever new, fresh and powerful deposit of the Spirit in your heart, you shall bring forth life. You shall preach the truth that sets all sinners free! You shall prophesy revival in your home and it shall be so! You shall pray for the sick and they shall be healed! You shall command death to leave and it shall be so! You shall lift up the oppressed and the weary by the hope of glory in your heart and mouth! Your ministry will be done in the power resurrection of the Spirit of God!
Hell will know your name and tremble! Heaven will know your name and rejoice! God shall reward you for your labor of love, which is stronger than death! Glorious fruit that abide will be your everlasting memorial! Your children shall arise and call you BLESSED!
O my heart, my heart…listen to the Word of God! Be strong, and clean, and holy! Worship the King of kings today and forever!

Mrs. Potiphar was possibly a beautiful women and very skillful in manipulation and the art of sexual seduction. Joseph could not have been her first victim. ‘Many are the victims she has brought down, her slain are a mighty throng’ (PV 7:26). We see here that she was confident of success and her words were arrows directed towards the flesh, to simulate it…. But as experienced as she thought she was, she made a grave mistake. She assumed that Joseph is just a religious man. She did not know Joseph’s God. She underestimated the power of the Holy Spirit in him. She took it for granted that just because she is lusting after Joseph, that Joseph will lust after her.
The evil spirit of Jezebel is foolishly over confident. She assumes that all men are weak and all fall to her seductive power. The devil has a great record of making men fall into sin. But in Christ, we are given His Spirit to successfully resist these attacks.
Apparently Joseph was dead to the flesh. He has been to the Cross of Christ. In fact he stands for Christ, a man who suffered unjustly but overcame at last.
Lesson: Go to the Cross and totally crucify your flesh! The Spirit and the flesh war unto death. There is no settlement for them. At the Cross of Christ the answer is given: Die to sin! Die to the flesh! Die to the world! Die to the devil! Once you are ‘dead’ the devil loses his power to seduce you. For example, a corpse is not afraid to be tempted by a naked woman or by any bribe. This is the secret the devil fears! Die to him and you are free! There is rest in this death and power also.
Madam Potiphar did not know that Joseph was dead to her. She wanted sex with Joseph or he should die. She lost it all. All her fake cries, her manipulations and false accusations achieved nothing. Joseph could have died but God was in control. He was promoted to be a prisoner, a step closer to his destiny. With God, going lower is going higher!

REMEMBER GOD!
Under the temptation to commit adultery, Joseph confronted the evil spirit of Jezebel with the Word of God. This is the same strategy Jesus applied when He was tempted (Mt 4). Read, mediate and pray the Word of God!
Lesson no. six: Preach to the devil!
What Potiphar’s wife called ‘bed’ Joseph called ‘sin against God’. Tell the tempter you are a child of God! Call lust, lesbianism or sex outside marriage by its correct name: SIN! It is because of our sins that Jesus died on the Cross. To sin carelessly it means to crucify Jesus the second time and disgrace His grace… God forbid! I say it again: God forbid!
To remember God it means to study and deposit His Word in our hearts. The greater the deposit of scriptures in your heart, the greater the chance of victory against sin!
‘How can a man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word…I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You….Praise be to You, O Lord!’ (Ps 119:9-12)

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh 1:8, 9)
The children of Israel are ready to cross over into the Promised Land. Their great leader Moses is dead, but the Word is not dead. It is time to move on. God speaks to Joshua, the new leader. He does not tell him about new plans or strategies for battle, for he already knows them. Jehovah speaks words to encourage him and to instill passion for success. These words will carry Joshua on eagle’s’ wings until all is accomplished and victory is attained.
The forty years in the wilderness was a season for seeking God. He gave them a vision of the wonderful Promised Land. He gave them dreams for the future. But a whole generation perished in the desert because of unbelief. Their children are ready to enter into a new season of adventure to possess the land. It is in fact more than an adventure. It will be a battle for their destiny. From now on it will be clear who will taste success and will not.
The word success means to fulfill your God given dreams. All people dream good things…that one day they will have a home, a family, fame, security or riches. But not all people end their lives happily. In other words, not all believers live and die successful lives. Most remain ‘barely saved’ without a clear testimony of a successful and fulfilled life on earth.

What is the recipe for successful Christian life?
*Understand the purpose of God!
God desires that you come to a place of trust having a testimony that gives Him glory. You are to change and become like Jesus. Then all people shall see that your miraculous life change with no other explanation than the touch of the Living God. Remember that your testimony is one of the most important riches that you have as a person. It is better to lose money and friends, reputation or opportunities, than to lose your Christ given seal of ownership! Never forget, it is God that is sending you ahead, to transition into success! God loves you more than any other. Trust Him!
*Have faith in the promises of God!
God said He will give you a land to possess. He will give you total victory against anyone who opposes you. The land or the ministry you receive comes with life time insurance of protection against the jealous, wicked and covetous men around you.
*Be sure of God’s presence with you!
No matter the situation in life, in the deepest valley of trials, in darkness, prison or on the hospital bed, you shall never be alone. God will give you favor with your enemies. God takes pleasure to overturn tables for you. When in doubt, touch your heart, feel the beat and wait for the presence of the Holy Spirit. Once you are sure He is with you, relax, for all things shall work together for good for you!
*Be strong and courageous!
These words speak of the strength to identify your blessings, to be able to grab them with your hand and not let go. It also speaks of clear, steadfast and sound mind. These words are not just suggestions to you. These are commands to be obeyed. They come wrapped with the power to manifest them daily. God commands you to be focused and determined to be successful! When you are confused, tired, afraid or weak it means that you are rebellious to the command to be strong and courageous in life.
*Be not afraid and dismayed!
This is also a command from God. Cowardice is the fruit of rebellion and disobedience to the Captain of your salvation. In the battle for success there is no retreat. Backsliding, like divorce in marriage, these are not options to consider. You can only go forward in war. Even if you die, you have to die fighting, defending your territory. There are too many weak, double minded people who claim to be Christians, but no testimony of manly courage and passion for godly success. Avoid these people!
*Ready, study and mediate on the Word of God ‘day and night’!
This is the true eternal secret of Christian success. Too many people depend on what pastors preach and Facebook says for their daily spiritual bread. The command to Joshua is to eat the Word, to digest it until there is an overflow. In Hebrew it means to read the Bible until you are able to teach and counsel others thru the Word. To study the Word is time consuming. But it is still the shortest way to success.
A practical advice: Study your night dreams, for often they tell you if you are fulfilling the condition for success or not. If you meditate on the Word day and night, you shall dream good dreams in line with the Bible. If you have nightmares often it means that you disobey God’s command to study His Word.! Selah!
Another practical advice: if God has promised that you shall have your own house, there are only two ways to fulfill that dream: One way is to take three jobs and work from morning to night, gathering cement and wood to build it. It will take many years of labor and stress and you may not finish it. That is the unbeliever’s way.
But the way of God is this: take only one job, so that you can pay your bills and use the remaining time to study the Bible, consistently and patiently. Search for the meaning of each word. Pray for the deep revelation and understanding of the Word. Do it like you prepare to pass exams in Bible School. Soon you shall observe that your character changes, your testimony as a believer is shining thru and miraculously, sooner or later, the dream house shall be yours. If you say that you see no connection between Bible study and house building then I say that you are spiritually blind for the connection is there in the Book of Joshua.

IN CHRIST I DECLARE:
I am a child of God!
I and my children, we are prosperous and successful!
I and my children, we are not failures!
Christian success is possible and it is my portion!
I guard with all my might my testimony as a Believer in Christ!
I have faith in the promises of God! These are yes and amen!
God’s presence is with me everywhere I go! If I enter a plane, a car or a ship, I remember that God does not need a visa or a ticket. He is always with me on the land, on the sea and in the clouds!
I am strong and courageous! I do not faint, shake or run away! There is no going back for me! It is easier to die in battle and go to heaven than to go back to the devil! NO RETREAT!
I am not afraid; I am not confused! I am not a coward! God forbid! Nothing shall surprise me to break me; no circumstance of life will make me beg and worship the devil. I am done with him forever!
My eyes are fixed of the face of Jesus, I see Him smile and I hear the cheering coming from the cloud of witnesses.
I read, study, meditate and dream about the Word of God! I see myself preaching and teaching the Word and nothing else!
I press forward until the wine is squeezed from the grapes of my heart.
I press on until God speaks to me thru His Word. If I am tired I shall pray for supernatural strength but still not accept defeat!
I am intelligent for God made me so!
I am not timid!
From now on, my light shall shine and let all people come and see the wonderful works the Father has done in me!
All the glory to the Lamb upon the throne!
In Jesus name
Amen!

I am a soldier in the Army of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.
The Holy Bible is my code of conduct. Faith, prayer and the Word are my weapons of warfare.
I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity and tested by Fire.
I am a volunteer in this Army and I am enlisted for Eternity. I will not get out, sell out, be talked out or pushed out.
I am faithful, Reliable, Capable and dependable. If my God needs me, I am there.
I am a soldier, not a wimp. I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His Name and building His kingdom.
I am Committed. I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around. I cannot be discouraged enough to turn myself aside. I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.
When Jesus called me into His army, I had nothing. If I end up with nothing, I will still come out ahead. I will win. My God has and will continue to supply all my needs. I am more than a conqueror. I will always triumph.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Devil cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me. Weather cannot weary me. Sickness cannot stop me. Battles cannot beat me. Governments cannot silence me. And Hell cannot handle me. I am a soldier. Even death cannot destroy me. For when my Commander Calls me from this battlefield, He will promote me to Captain and then allow me to rule with Him.
I claim the victory. I will not give up. I will not turn around. I am a soldier marching heaven bound. My desire is to know Christ more each day and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings.
Not that I have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brethren, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do; forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
So help me God!
In Jesus name,
Amen!
(Author unknown)