J. Paul Getty, the oil man, was a billionaire–and proud of it. He was at one time considered the world’s richest man, but during the most active years in his business, he lived alone in a 72-room mansion outside London. Over a 25-year period, he had married and divorced five women. “I hate to be a failure,” he said. “I would gladly give all my millions for just one, lasting marital success.”
He lived a lonely life. One of his ex wives said that he loved his business too much and had no time for family or people. How sad…
Proud men hate humility. Did you know that? The proud men hate and fear the humble people. Why? Because they hate to be seen as low, needy and empty. Proud people are ambitious. They are never satisfied with what they have. They always want something more, something else. Humble people are real. Proud men live in a fantasy world boasting to others that they are rich and great. Humble men love to serve others. They make good friends. They are good listeners. They make wonderful leaders. They love to learn and are not ashamed to ask questions to improve their knowledge. Proud men hide their ignorance and pretend to be great. Humble men are never worried about what others say. They need to prove nothing to nobody. Proud men are restless and worried; never at peace and never truly happy! What type of person are you?
The best example of humility we have is of course, our Lord Jesus Christ, who left heaven’s glory to live on earth and die as a Man on the Cross. He wants to be your Savior and your Teacher. Listen to Him: ‘Take My yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls!’ (Mt 11:29)… Oh, that you hear these blessed words! Oh, that you might believe! I pray for you …

“For the Lord your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory” (Deut 20:4)
The battle was fierce but the victory is mine. O…sweet peace…
If you are a born again believer, in whatever situation, you are always the winner. This is not just my wish for you… It is God’s Word! Victory manifests in many ways, but all these ways have something in common. They spread the sweet powerful fragrance of Christ, the Eternal Victor. In times of trials the devil attacks with lies, mostly the idea that the battle will rage on forever and there shall be no clear winner. These are all lies!! The weeping may endure for the night, but morning is faithful to displace the power of darkness, with the songs of joy leading the transition.
At the Cross, the devil rejoiced to see the Son of Man defeated and humiliated. What he did not know was that ‘the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength’. Who said that? God says so! (Read 1 Cor 1:25). Jesus died for our sins, that we may be forgiven, healed and changed, to become the sons of God. If the devil knew that the death of Christ will become the tree of life for so many, he would not have killed the King of glory. But now it is too late, for the power of resurrection has destroyed even the memory of the evil power and shame of failure and death. Too late for the devil…
Child of God, Yes, there is a battle you have to fight. You can’t avoid it. For every spiritual gain, there must be a confrontation with ‘the strong man’ who keeps men in slavery. Do not beg the devil. He will not listen to your begging! Put on the whole armor of God and confront him! Engage him in battle and in the name of Jesus you shall win. God is on your side! Heaven backs you up. You have nothing to fear! You have nothing to lose! The victory is clear and sure. You shall not suffer indefinitely, you shall not weep unto the end. Sickness, failure, poverty, shame, rejection, slander… these evils do not last forever. God will not allow the power of the devil to continue in your life. It is morning time, victory time…the flag of the Cross is raised on the royal castle…the prisoners are free… the worship continues… The sound of revival is heard in this land! Be encouraged by the Holy Spirit! It is well with you!

During the Sunday service, Pastor Richmond Leigh preached on the theme ‘Power from on high’. His main text was taken from the Book of Luke: “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased”… “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high… (Lk 3:21, 22; Lk 24:49; NKJ).

He said that as a church, we are entering a new season, into a higher level of anointing. We need to be Baptized and Filled with the Holy Spirit. Nobody knows all the functions of the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The major work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ! He reveals Him to us; opens our eyes to His Majesty so that we can worship Him. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth and helps us believe and understand the Word of God.

Pastor Richmond Leigh said that it is possible to be born again and not be baptized with the Holy Spirit. It is true that no one can be saved without the work of the Holy Spirit in his soul (Rom 8:9). One of the secret works of the Holy Spirit is that of convicting a man of his sins, of enlighten him about his spiritual state and his need for the Savior. The Holy Spirit does the work of regeneration; therefore, the sinner becomes born again. As you can see, salvation is always a miracle. Without this deep and secret work of the Holy Spirit, a man may become religious, he may go to church, but he is not saved. The Holy Spirit does not force anyone to be saved. He is a gentle but powerful influence on the soul. Thank God for the humility of the Holy Spirit, willing to do this secret work in the heart of man without apparently coercing him! Glory to God for our salvation!

This is a fact: a man can be born again and not be filled or baptized with the Holy Spirit. It is only a child of God that can be baptized with the Holy Spirit. The sinner must repent and come to Jesus, for salvation. This is the first step in God’s wonderful work called salvation! The natural man cannot receive the Holy Spirit, he cannot please God because his mind is enmity against God. For the unbeliever, the spiritual things are foolishness. He cannot understand or appreciate them. He cannot worship God! But to us, the children of God, we hunger and thirst for more of the Holy Spirit. We want to know the ‘deep things of God’ revealed thru the Holy Spirit!

One of the symbols of The Holy Spirit is the water. The effect of the water is that it wets you or it quenches your thirst. There are degrees of these effects. For example, the rain drizzling outside. A man goes in the rain. After some time, he will get wet. But if the rain is torrential, he will get wet faster. If a man drinks a cup of water, he will be filled (gets wet) in the inside. But if a man is dipped into the ocean, he will become ‘wet’ instantly both outside and inside. He will be overwhelmed by the water. All these illustrations, show degrees of ‘wetness’ from the same water. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is when a child of God is suddenly immersed in the ocean of the Holy Spirit by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and fire! It is a unique, specific and powerful experience! Your life will never be the same again. You shall receive ‘power from on high’! You shall receive boldness to preach the Word of God, to witness for Jesus! You shall receive an unshakable assurance that you are saved forever! Once again, it is done by the resurrected Christ, the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and fire!

These are vital questions we all must answer: ‘Are you born again? Are you baptized in water? Are you baptized with the Holy Spirit?’ As we are seeking to be baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, the best example and perfect model we have is that of our Lord. The first thing we see is that He humbly submitted to the Baptism in water performed by John the Baptist. Jesus was sinless. He did not need to repent and be baptized but He said that ‘it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness’. He did it to identify with us, the sinners He came to save. During His baptism the voice of the Father confirmed His pleasure in His Son. The Holy Spirit came on Him in a bodily form as a dove. We see here the Trinity revealed on earth (Mt 3:15-17). After His water baptism, and filed with the Holy Spirit, the Lord was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He overcame all the temptations as a Man filled with the Holy Spirit. The devil failed to distract the Lord from God’s purpose for His life. He did it on our behalf that we may share in His victory. At the end of forty days He came out from the wilderness in the power of the Spirit (Lk 4:1-13).

Immediately after His victory over the devil’s temptation, The Lord Jesus Christ started His public ministry among men. He thought the Word of God in the synagogues. He preached the Gospel of salvation. He delivered the ones possessed by demons. He healed the sick. But what amazed everybody was His words! ‘All bore witness to Him and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth… they were astonished at His teaching for His word was with authority’ (Lk 4:22, 32). The people were amazed especially at the power, authority and boldness in His words. This power is surely the result of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is our Lord’s command: “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him” (Jn 6:27). This seal He is talking about is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Lord was baptized with the Holy Spirit so that He can baptize others who believe in Him!

Apostle Paul commands us to ‘walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh’ He said that the flesh fights against the filling of the Holy Spirit. The flesh does not want to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. We must mortify the deeds of the flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul says that ‘if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law’. In the presence of the Holy Spirit there is liberty, peace and fulness of joy (Psalm 16:11; Gal 5:16-18; 2Cor 3:17). Praise the Lord!

In the same way, we must seek to be baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit! The power of the Holy Spirit is necessary to do ministry. In fact, without the Holy Spirit ministry is not possible! Preaching is intimately connected with the Power of the Holy Spirit. ’Preaching’ without the Holy Spirit is called ‘lecturing’. It does not have the power to touch and change men’s hearts. More than money and happiness on earth, you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will lead you to places you have never been before. He will give you favor among men! The Holy Spirit will embolden you to preach and teach the Word of God with authority. Your words will be like arrows piercing men’s consciences. They will not be able to forget your words. They will repent and be saved. The Holy Spirit will help you to walk in the plan and the purpose of God. You will be able to resist and overcome the devil’s temptations. The Holy Spirit will give you divine wisdom. You will walk in victory! You will grow from grace to grace and from strength to strength. May the Holy Spirit move you! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! Worship the Lord!

The subject of material prosperity and poverty is something that interests everybody. I am speaking only to believers! As children of God we must have the mind of Christ. We must view everything thru the eyes of Christ, as it is revealed in the Word of God. Concerning the doctrine of material prosperity there is a danger. We must avoid and reject the worldly way of preaching prosperity. We must also avoid and reject the preaching of poverty as it is done in some cults. We do not love or hate money! We love God and hate the devil! The Holy Spirit shall lead us safely into the whole truth. “We need You Holy Spirit!”

There are more ‘poor people’ in this world than the ones called ‘wealthy’. But poverty is relative. A hut in your village may be a palace in my village. Let me be more practical… There is something called ‘poverty mentality’. It is a spiritual evil stronghold in your mind. If you are ignorant about it, it will stay there in you for a lifetime. It will affect your thinking in general and the ability to make money in particular. It may have been planted in your youth. It is the devil’s seed. As a child of God, you need to discover this evil plantation, uproot it and destroy it. The Word of God has greater authority than any idea, imagination or theory in your mind! This stronghold affects the rich and the poor, the educated and the illiterate. It is a spiritual structure that forms a hindrance in your mind when you want to think about material prosperity in life.

These are some of the characteristics of poverty mentality type of stronghold in the mind:
*You think that money should not be spent; money should be kept in ‘fix deposit’; you hate spending money; you feel bad and guilty after spending money
*You think that the opportunities to make money are limited
*You think that taking risk to start a business is dangerous
*You think that material success is temporary and non-replicable
*Generally, you choose to stay at ‘the back of the pack’; when it comes to finances you choose to follow than to lead others into a greater level of prosperity;
*You fear that you’ll never be able to save money; that you will never make more money than you need
*You are silently jealous on others who have more money than you;
*You love being on a form of welfare plan and you do not plan to stop it; you love receiving ‘free money’ from others
*You daydream, you fantasize being rich ‘one day’, like wining the lottery; that one day ‘you hammer’ (as we say in Nigeria)
*Your mind set concerning prosperity: you are a consumer and not a creator!
*You have inferiority complex (feeling apologetic, anxious or guilty) when it comes to your finances.
*You see the world through the lenses of the poor people who hate the rich!
*You see wealth as a mysterious stranger who is mocking you from afar! For you to stay poor is easier than making money!

This is the Word of God: “A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest… then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber” (PV 6:10, 11)
In the Bible, Poverty is described as an armed robber that attacks you in the night, when you sleep! Do you love sleep? Pray about that toxic love, that you may have the courage to confront it and reject it! Sleep is a good servant but a bad, selfish master. Do not take sleeping pills! Too much sleep is a sign of sickness, depression or laziness and it will end in poverty. Do you fear armed men coming to attack you at night? The attack of poverty is worse than an EK47. Poverty is a spiritual bandit. It attacks when you sleep, when you relax too much, when you are not watchful and prayerful (ask Samson, he will tell you..) Once poverty pounces on you, it will chain your feet, your hands, your eyes and your mind. It will make you it’s prisoner, it’s servant. It will carry you to it’s smelly dungeon and steal all your dreams. It will kill the wonder of worship. It will destroy the romance of worship. You will not be able to move on in life, to make progress. Your hands will be too weak to do any work. You become easily tired, bored or restless. You will be blind to many opportunities to invest and make money. You will be foolish, fearful and confused when it comes to financial decisions. God forbid! I pray for you…

Let’s pray: “Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word of life. We thank You for the revelation of the root of this poverty mentality and bondage. We take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and we destroy every chain or stronghold binding our minds concerning God’s material blessings. Holy Spirit please take control! Open our eyes to see the freedom and the blessings (spiritual and natural) we have in Christ! We declare that the anointing of the Spirit destroys all yokes of bondage, all wrong ways of thinking! We declare that from this moment on, by the grace of God, we shall make spiritual and natural (visible) progress in life! Our testimony is to the glory of God! The waited season of change has come! We arise and shine for the glory of God is risen upon us! Thank You Father God! In Jesus’ name we pray, amen!”

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates! Give her credit for what she has accomplished, and let her works praise her in the city gates” (PV 31:30, 31)

The godly woman shall be praised by her husband, children and other people. This is the Promise of God! We all desire to be acknowledged, recognized and praised. But there is a danger! There are two types of ‘praise’: flattery and true recognition. Flattery is to be rejected and true recognition for the glory of God should be welcomed.

1/ Flattery is insincere praise. It is sinful, deceptive and manipulative. It is to be rejected. When someone flatters you, he wants to get access to your emotions, to bring you into bondage. You should be watchful with people that flatter you. Avoid these ‘friends. Flattery is a spiritual poisonous bribe! Once you believe it, you become blind to the Spiritual realm and your words will become twisted (Deut 16:19). To be ‘twisted’ it means to become corrupt, to turn into another direction. Bribe will change the meaning of the words you speak or hear. People will always misinterpret what you say. That is the effect of taking or giving bribes and of wicked flattery. I forbid it! (Read Deut 16:19; PV 29:5; Rom 16:17, 18)

2/True praise, acknowledgment and recognition is promised to the godly woman. This holy praise is peculiar. It is done based on the godly woman’s labors and achievements. As you can see, this praise is not instant. It comes late, when you are older, after a lifetime of doing good to others, to the glory of God. Let me be more practical. Do you want to hear good words of praise coming from your husband, children and many other people? Do you want to hear that your business, the work of your hands, has been blessed by God? Do you want to hear people saying that you have used part of your profit to bless them? That you have used the money you made to do good not only to your children, but to many others? There are some conditions… You need to work hard. You also need to remain humble, faithful and patient to the end. Then you shall taste of this special praise given ‘at the city gates.’ Gates speak of entrance into a place. It means that this praise of your labor is given not only on earth, but on the day of the judgment of the saints, when labors shall be rewarded by God. The judgment of labors is the gate to reward and glory in heaven! This great praise based on works comes because you fear the Lord! (Read Ex 20:20; PV 9:10; PV 10:27; PV 14:26, 27)

What does it mean to fear God? To fear the Lord is to take Him seriously. To fear God is godly wisdom. We revere His power and His glory! We respect His wrath! We recognize that He is God and we are not! By the fear of God, you become wise, bold, strong, generous and compassionate. You hate and run away from sin. You run towards God! You live in the presence of God! The good fear of God destroys the bad fear of untimely death. You will live long and well. If you fear God, you and your children will be safe and blessed in life. You will not fear the future. You will rejoice every day in what God has done and is He is doing in your life and your family!

Do you want people to call you a woman of God and to praise your achievements? I know that you desire that praise! I do, too! May it come to us! May this wonderful promised praise manifested at the city gates be our portion! In Jesus’ name! Amen!

(This message was preached at the Women’s Fellowship in our church. In the picture a sister worshipping God during the service)

Victim mentality is a psychological term that refers to a type of dysfunctional mindset which seeks to feel persecuted in order to gain attention or avoid self-responsibility. People who struggle with the victim mentality are convinced that life is not only beyond their control but is out to deliberately hurt them. This belief results in constant blame, finger-pointing, and pity parties that are fueled by pessimism, fear, and anger. A victim is defined as anyone who experiences injury or loss as a result of some event or series of events. The desire for sympathy is crucial. The mere experience of a harmful event is not enough for the sense of being a victim. In order to have this sense, there is the need to perceive the harm as undeserved, unjust and immoral, an act that could not be prevented by the victim.
People like these see life in a negative way. They feel that they were harmed, that they could not prevent the harm, that because of what they suffered they deserve sympathy. They also believe that because they could not prevent the harm done in the past, they are powerless to change themselves at the present. Victim mentality is often the product of violence. Those who have it usually had an experience of crisis or trauma at its roots. The problem is that they did not process their pain in the right way. It’s a method of avoiding responsibility and criticism, receiving attention, compassion and evading feelings of genuine anger. A person with a victim mentality blames others for their misfortunes in life. They gain a little relief from receiving sympathy from others. That is why they always complain about their problems. They are afraid to take any risk. Because of that, they are not adventurous. They are unwilling to take even small risks. They are afraid to walk by faith. They prefer to stay in the comfort zone of their negativity. They seem too weak to change their feelings. They have a sense of helplessness, passivity, loss of control, pessimism, negative thinking, strong feelings of guilt, shame, self-blame and depression. There is a distrust of authority figures because of the expectation of being hurt or exploited by them. If you talk to these people, they give the impression that God does is as helpless as them, that He cannot answer prayers. Be careful! They use their needs as manipulation to exploit the feelings of others. They often say: “I can’t… I must… I have no choice… I don’t know …” If you desire to help them, you will see no improvement!
If you want to discover the truth, if you have this victim mentality, answer the following questions:
*Do you see your problems as catastrophes and blow them out of proportion; the world is a scary, mostly bad, place?
*Do you think others are purposely trying to hurt you?
*Do you keep reliving past painful memories that made you feel like a victim?
*Even when things go right, do you find something to complain about?
*Do you refuse to consider other perspectives when talking about your problems?
*Do you feel powerless and unable to cope effectively with a problem or life in general?
*Do you feel attacked when you’re given constructive criticism?
*Do you believe you’re not responsible for what happens in your life (blaming others)?
*Do you believe that everyone is “better off” than you?
*Do you seem to enjoy feeling sorry for yourself?
*Do you attract people like you (who complain, blame, and feel victimized by life)?
*Do you feel powerless to change your circumstances? Are you’re constantly putting yourself down thru inferiority complexes?
*Do you expect to gain sympathy from others, and when you don’t get it, you feel upset?
*Do you refuse to analyze yourself or improve your life?
If you answer yes to most of these questions, you may have a victim mentality!
What is the solution? First, give your life to Christ! Then be filled with the Holy Spirit! Forgive your enemies. Let the past and its pain go! Pray! Move on into the grace you have found in Christ!! Desire to experience a changed life, a changed heart. Trust God and His Word. Serve God in a good church. Overcome evil with the good you have found in Christ! Your life should not be defined by the past pain or hurt! Let the Holy Spirit design your life in a new way! Be a blessing to yourself and others! Live a life of thanksgiving! Worship the Lord!
“Change my heart, Oh, Lord! Make it ever new!
Change my heart, Oh, Lord! May I be like You!
You are the Potter! I am the clay!
Mold me and make me!
This is what I pray!”

My name is Silvia Lia Leigh. I was born in Romania more than sixty five years ago. At that time Romania was a communist country. Religion was forbidden. We were thought in school that God does not exist; that religion is for the poor illiterate people. I believed that! I grew up in a loving family of four. My parents were teachers in the school which I attended with my younger sister; Adica. My father was also the principal of the school. My parents thought us by example to be kind, respectful, humble and hard working. We did not believe in God and we did not attend church.

In 1973 I got admission into the Medical School in Timisoara. In my first year I met my husband Richmond, a Nigerian. We were class mates. We fell in love and against all odds we got married. After graduation, in 1980, we moved to Nigeria. We became very successful as medical practitioners. We started a private hospital in Warri Nigeria called “Lily Clinic”. We were very happy. We had three children. We had money and fame. What else could one possibly want? Nothing! Or so I thought…

In 1986 I had a crisis conversion. I met the Lord Jesus Christ. This was purely the grace of God in action because we did not attend any church. This is how it happened…. Before coming to Nigeria I have not seen a Bible. In January of the same year, I became very depressed. I saw nothing good in all my achievements. I even lost my desire to live. This was very strange because I was always an optimistic person. The mysterious depression started after ‘accidentally’ I read a scripture on a pamphlet: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). I did not know who Jeremiah was. The scripture was not explained. But after I read it once, I just could not forget it. It seems like the words got stamped in my mind. I tried to forget it but I could not. After reading it I started thinking of God. I fought the thought but I failed. It was like He was calling me. I panicked… I have never prayed in my life. Can I start now? A voice said: ‘It is too late for you. Don’t pray!’ Another voice said the opposite: ‘It is never too late to pray. God loves you!’ These voices made me crazy. What voice I am supposed to believe?

Finally, I made my choice. For the very first time in my life, I prayed. It was 14th of March 1986. I said: “God, if You exist, then come down from heaven and change my heart. Make me Your friend! I am tired of doubting You. I am tired of fighting you. But please God, I can’t wait forever for the answer to this prayer. I give You ‘a month’s notice’ to come down from heaven and change my heart. If You come, I promise to be Your friend forever. But if You chose not to come, then let me die in peace. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!” I did not know the meaning of the name ‘Jesus’ but I heard people pray like that so I guessed it was the appropriate end to a prayer. Immediately I knew that something ‘good’ had happened to me. Not certain of what, I felt a sense of destiny coming down enveloping my soul.

On the 12th of April, 28 days after this ‘a month’s notice’ prayer, the Holy Spirit came and filled my hungry heart. Like an invisible blood transfusion, I felt LIFE entering my veins. I was alone in the sitting room when this event happened. It was much later that I knew it was called ‘the baptism of the Holy Spirit’. I became a child of God, never to be the same again. I started reading the Bible like a mad woman. This hunger for the Word for God and for prayer continues without interruptions until now. After some time, my husband became saved also. We sold our private clinic and together, we are now in full time ministry. We are the founders and the senior pastors of Father’s House Bible Church in Warri, Nigeria. To God alone be all the glory!

May this testimony ignite in you the desire to be truly saved or to experience revival! In Jesus’ name, amen!

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh

Recently, my husband and I (and some brethren from our church) we had an interesting trip to South Korea and Japan. We visited many beautiful places in these countries. Today I shall tell you some of my observations about the city of Nagasaki, Japan. Since I was a child, I heard that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by atomic bombs at the end of the second world war. I was excited to see Nagasaki.

These are some general information about the city itself. Japan is one of the most developed countries in the world. We were amazed at the technology over there. In the same time, it is one of the least evangelized countries in the world. Christianity in Japan is among the nation’s minority religions. Around 1 % of the population claims Christian belief. Nagasaki was and still is ‘the Christian capital of Japan’! Christianity first arrived in Japan in 1549, when the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier landed in the port of Nagasaki. The native Japanese accepted the Christian faith and Nagasaki became one of Asia’s most important Christian centers known as “a little Rome.”

The word Nagasaki in Japanese means ‘covered by a long cape or wrapped in a mantle’. Interestingly, the city is surrounded by hills that helped protect the people during the bombing. They absorbed much of the shock. Because of these hills, the destruction in Nagasaki was less than the bombing in Hiroshima. During the second world war Japan was on the side of Germany. They attacked the US by bombing Pearl Harbor. In retaliation, the American Government dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, to force Japan to surrender. They refused! Then a second bomb landed on Nagasaki. It was on the 9th of August 1945, at 11:02am. Six days later the emperor of Japan declared the unconditional surrender of Japan. These are the historical facts! In Nagasaki, at least 40,000 people were killed instantly and 60,000 others seriously injured. Nobody knows the total number of people who died or were affected. Combined with Hiroshima, more than 250,000 people died from the blasts. In the days and months following the explosion, more people died from their injuries. Since then, the number of birth defects and cancers has increased because of the radiation. Up to this point it is a sad story!

We went to the place called ‘ground zero’ where the bomb landed in 1945. Next to it there is a beautiful quiet garden called “Peace Park”. We saw a big statue they placed in that park. It is like a giant man whose right index points to heaven, meaning that judgment belongs to God alone. The finger is also a warning so that none should use atomic bombs again. The left hand is horizontal like telling men to have peace and to be still. One leg is resting under the body, like we should rest our bodies and souls. The second leg’s position is like getting ready to run, in case there is danger. The foundation where this statue stands is made from burnt stones collected after the bomb. Because of the bomb, it was said that no green plant will grow for the next 70 years. Against the predications, few weeks later, the oleander tree bloomed giving hope to the hopeless. Since then, the oleander is the official flower of the city of Hiroshima.

At the park there is a fountain called ‘the Water of life’. There are many flowers and beautiful works of art. There is a big statue of a mother holding her dead child. On the statue it is written 8-9-11:02 (the day and hour when the bomb fell). The biggest building at ground zero was the city prison. Everything was pulverized. What is left is only the foundation. Next to it there is a monument to the testimony of a man who survived the bomb. He was a prison warden. He was a Christian. He was talking to his boss when suddenly everything and everybody disappeared around him including his boss. He said that he felt a cloud covering him like a blanket. He survived without any injury. This is surely God’s miracle! Praise the Lord! The Catholic Cathedral was damaged but still ‘survived’ from the blast. My husband and I took a picture next to the ruins of this church. Since then they build a new one close by.

I saw that since they rebuilt the city the people decided to add a touch of beauty to everything they do. For example, on some streets, they mixed pink granite with the regular grey one. It looks like a carpet outside. I also saw that the sewage ‘man-holes’ on the streets and the metal grill covers around the trees are beautiful with flowers, each having a unique design. The city is calm and peaceful. Japan is now one of the cleanest and safest places on earth! In a world troubled by many problems, this peace should me supernatural! Praise the Lord!

What are the lessons? A sad story could have ended in eternal sadness! Hurts could have produced bitterness and stagnation. But the people decided to change their story. It takes the grace of God! The truth is that they could fall no lower than that. They humbled themselves, forgave the enemy and started a new life. You can feel the power of forgiveness in Japan, especially in Nagasaki. I have never seen a city that is perfumed with so much grace, forgiveness and peace. This is a reminder that God can change men, cities and countries. It is so good to see how, by the grace of God, good overcomes evil. It is so good to taste hope! And life! I personally needed that! Japan surprised me! Not so much the technology but seeing this peace at the end of suffering! I held that to my heart! This will be my gift from Japan! By faith, I now plant this supernatural hope in the ground of Nigeria where I live and do ministry! For with God, and willing people, all things are possible!

(In the pictures taken at Nagasaki, Japan; me at the fountain called ‘the water of life’; me in front of the pillar of the church that survived the bomb; my husband and I in front of the ruins of the church (in the background you see the newly rebuilt church); walking on a road made from grey and pink granite (just to make it beautiful); two doves at ground zero; the foundation of the prison (that is all that was left from the building); a public toilet at Peace Park (so clean and beautiful looking like a chapel); the main statue at Peace Park; one of many artistic sewage man-hole on the pavement; Oleander flowers, the symbol of Nagasaki)

A dear sister in Christ, a faithful worshipper of God, a godly wife and mother needs your prayers! She and her husband are led by the Holy Spirit to start a private business, a shop. They are almost there but not there yet. She sent me a note saying that they have to take away from their last savings. This is a work of faith. Both of them want not just a shop but a testimony too. I told them that God will not put them to shame!
“For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame!” (Rom 10:11)
This is her note to me this morning: “Dear Malia, We are now going to pull the money from our last resort fund… I’m sharing this with you because I see my heart beating like normal. Only GOD could’ve done this work in me. I used to be so fearful of being poor, not having any money, taking our kids on a dangerous ride… but the truth is… a life without trust in Jesus is dangerously comfortable in a lie. The lie is that it is your job that provides for you, or it is you that works hard to provide for you. But now I see that everything I own is from my Father in heaven, and I have great peace in knowing that He is with us. So watch me as I leap into His arms. I am confident that He will catch me. Here we go!”
Dear intercessors, please pray for them, that they will continue to remain faithful to God’s leading; that they will be re-filled with the Holy Spirit; that Jehovah Jireh will supply all that is necessary for them to start their shop. They have vowed to give God all the glory for their success! I use these couple as a point of contact that God will increase the blessings on you, as you pray for them! You too will open a shop and use it as a testimony giving glory to God! In Jesus’ name!

Recently, my husband and I (and some brethren from our church) we had an interesting trip to South Korea and Japan. We visited many beautiful places in these countries. Today I shall tell you some of my observations about the city of Nagasaki, Japan. Since I was a child I heard of Hiroshima and Nagasaki destroyed by atomic bombs at the end of the second world war. I was excited to see Nagasaki. These are some general information about the city itself.

Japan is one of the most developed countries in the world. We were amazed at the technology over there. In the same time, it is one of the least evangelized countries in the world. Christianity in Japan is among the nation’s minority religions. Around 1 % of the population claims Christian belief or affiliation. Most large Christian denominations, including Roman Catholicism, Protestantism are represented in Japan today. Since the mid-1990s, majority of Japanese people are nonreligious. Majority of the churches have less the 30 adults in attendance during services (Clearly, we need to pray for Japan!).

The word Nagasaki in Japanese means ‘covered by a long cape or a wrapped in a mantle’. Interestingly, the city is surrounded by hills that helped protect the people during the bombing. They absorbed much of the shock. Because of that the destruction in Nagasaki was less than the one in Hiroshima. Nagasaki was and still is ‘the Christian capital of Japan’! Christianity first arrived in Japan in 1549, when the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier landed in the port of Nagasaki. The native Japanese accepted the Christian faith and Nagasaki became one of Asia’s most important Christian centers known as “a little Rome.” In 1614, a strict ban on Christianity was issued. Churches were destroyed, and Christians in Japan faced various possibilities. Some suffered exile, forbidden from ever returning. Others were martyred, refusing to renounce their faith despite, in many cases, being severely tortured.

By the 1640s, not a single priest was left in the whole of Japan. Christians in Nagasaki realized that if they, too, were to die as martyrs, the Japanese church would die with them. As persecution raged and the prospect of the Christian faith’s complete eradication from Japan became imminent, these Christians made a decision that was to have dramatic consequences over two centuries later: to continue their faith in secret. The story of the underground church is one of suffering. Throughout the ban on Christianity in Japan, people in Nagasaki were required at an annual ceremony to trample on an image of Christ or the Virgin Mary, known as a fumie, to prove they were not Christian. These ceremonies haunted the imaginations of the secret Christians, who were without priests to absolve them. Every year they would creep home and utter penitential prayers, begging God to forgive them for what was called “this most necessary of sins” (To deny Christ in public but holding to Him in the heart).

Following the opening of Japan in the mid-19th century, a Catholic church was erected in Nagasaki, the first to be built there since before the ban on Christianity. This ban remained strictly in force, and permission for the church was granted on the understanding that it was solely for use by foreigners residing within Nagasaki’s newly established foreign settlement. It was called the Oura Church. Among the secret Christians, there was silent rejoicing. By that point, they had been underground for over two hundred years. On March 17, 1865, a small group of them gathered courage and approached the church. Here they met a French priest named Father Petitjean. Kneeling before him, one whispered: “All of us have the same heart as you.” They then asked the stunned priest “Where is the statue of Saint Mary?” This moving episode became known as the “Discovery of Christians,” and today the same statue of the Virgin Mary that Father Petitjean showed them can still be seen inside the church. In the wake of this event, thousands more of secret Christians from across the Nagasaki region also came forward and confessed their faith. Later, five more churches were built in the city. Nagasaki’s churches and Christian sites are called UNESCO heritage sites. Many Christians come to see them as a form of pilgrimage. The ground they were built upon is red, from the blood shed by many Christians who refused to backslide under persecution and were martyred publicly. Their testimonies speak to us today of a resurrection that had once seemed impossible. They stand as symbols of hope, inviting us to reflect upon the power of the Blood of Jesus and the Spirit of resurrection! They encourage us to hold on to our faith, the patiently endure to the end, no matter the trials of this world! Oh, the amazing grace of God! To God be all the glory!

“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death” (Rev 12:11)

(In the picture, my husband and I, in front of the oldest Church in Nagasaki, The Oura Church, built in 1853, a national treasure in Japan. It was designed by Father Petijean. It survived even the bombing in 1945. Many secret Japanese Christians hid and came to this church during the persecution. It is also known as ‘The Church of the 26 Japanese Martyrs’. In the second picture, the interior of Oura Church)

Many years ago, there was a man who lived in Bristol, England by the name of George Mueller. To give you some insight to what kind of man Mueller was, he was a mentor to the great preacher Charles Spurgeon who would call upon to come and preach in his church.
Mueller is known for many things. He established several orphanages and it’s estimated that he ministered to over 10,000 children during his lifetime. He pastored the same church for 66 years and at age 70 he became a missionary. He finally retired at age 87. He died at 92. He cared for 10,024 orphans during his lifetime and provided educational opportunities for the orphans to the point that he was even accused by some rich politicians of raising the poor above their natural station in British life. He established 117 schools which offered Christian education to more than 120,000. In addition, he is known as being a man of prayer and faith. It is estimated that Mueller raised millions of dollars (in today’s currency) to support his orphanages, and never directly asked anyone for a dime. He did it all by prayer.
Through all this, Müller never made requests for financial support, nor did he go into debt, even though the five homes cost more than £100,000 to build. Many times, he received unsolicited food donations only hours before they were needed to feed the children, further strengthening his faith in God. Müller was in constant prayer that God touch the hearts of donors to make provisions for the orphans. For example, on one well-documented occasion, thanks was given for breakfast when all the children were sitting at the table even though there was nothing to eat in the house. As they finished praying, the baker knocked on the door with sufficient fresh bread to feed everyone, and the milkman gave them plenty of fresh milk because his cart broke down in front of the orphanage
He is also known as someone who strived to be in the very center of God’s will. Several years ago, I read a biography about Mueller and I remember it saying that he often read the Bible while on his knees. By the way, he read through the entire Bible over 200 times. Rather than dreaming a dream and then asking God to bless it, Mueller went to God’s Word in order to seek God’s will and then he prayed for the strength to do it. One day he read that God desired to be a father to the fatherless and from that Mueller concluded that it was God’s will for someone to take care of orphaned children and on that principle, he by faith, built his orphanages.
At one time Mueller wrote out several principles for seeking God’s will. His number one Principle was – “Surrender your own will to God’s will! He said: “When I pray for something, I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to that given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is. Then God answers the request speedily!”
George Müller prayed about everything and expected each prayer to be answered. We all have needs! May his faith in God inspire all of us! In Jesus’ name! Amen!
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families; He leads out the prisoners with singing” (Ps 68:5,6)

(In the pictures are George Muller’s orphanages)

My husband and I (and some brethren from our church) went on ‘a trip of a lifetime’, as they say. We went to South Korea and Japan. These are countries in the far east with different cultures and attitudes to life than what we were used to. These are very beautiful and clean countries. They both suffered a lot in the past from terrible wars. Many people died! But after much pain they decided to rise again ‘from the ashes’ of sufferings. Most of their development is recent. Together as a people, they decided to leave the ugly past behind and to move on! This is a good story for any person, family or country!
(Just a note: I live in Nigeria. I love Nigeria! My husband and I are pastors in Nigeria. I am not saying that these countries are better than Nigeria. They are just different. As I do not compare people, I also do not compare countries. Each place on earth, each tribe, family and people are uniquely created by the same God. The political, religious and cultural systems may be different but people are people everywhere. Some are good and some are bad. That is the truth!)
After a long flight, we arrived in Seoul on a Saturday. The next day we attended the third service at the famous Yoido Full Gospel Church. (Each Sunday they have seven services.) This is a Pentecostal church affiliated with the Assemblies of God in Seoul, South Korea. With about 800,000 active members it is the largest Pentecostal Christian congregation in South Korea and one of the biggest in the world. Founded by David Yonggi Cho in 1958, the church is presently led by Young Hoon Lee. The building is large enough to seat 12,000 people, with overflow sent to the nearby buildings, where congregants watch events in the main church on telescreens.
We sat at the special place given to foreigners. The sermon was in Korean. They gave us earphones and we listened to the sermon translated in English. They were more old people in the congregation than young. Of course, this is very different than in Nigeria where I am a pastor. The praise session was good. There was a big choir who sang hymns in Korean. The worshippers sang with all their hearts. The presence of the Holy Spirit was evident. The sermon was also good. It was preached by Pastor Y. H. Lee with boldness and anointing. He has a very good tenor voice. From time to time he stopped the preaching to praise God with songs. I especially loved a chorus about our Salvation in Christ. “For I dream that at last I shall look on His face! Oh, this wonderful dream is a secret of grace!” Well said!
The sermon was inspired from the Book of Jeremiah 29. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer 29:11-13). Pastor Lee encouraged all people to seek God until He is found. He led the congregation in prayers for the peace and the prosperity of their country. We observed that the people in Seoul have quite a high level of anxiety concerning their future. Many are on antidepressants, the pastor said. This stress is mostly because of the threat coming from their neighbor, North Korea. Technically, the two Koreas are still at war. The pastor directed their attention to God who alone can protect them. At the end of the service we went with other ‘first timers’ to be greeted by their protocol staff. It was a good Sunday service!
Each time we travel we miss the church services at home. But we know that it is good to visit other assemblies in other parts of the world. The language, the way of dressing and the style of service may be different, but The Spirit and the Body of Christ is One! Praise the Lord!
May God bless the people of North and South Korea! May they come to know the Lord Jesus Christ! May there be peace and prosperity in that region of the world! May God bless the true brethren in these countries! In Jesus’ name! Amen!
(I took some pictures of the church and of the congregation during the service. One of the brethren took a picture of my husband and I as we listened to the sermon. These are memories we shall treasure for a lifetime)

The welfare state is a form of government in which the state protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of the citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for citizens unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life. It is part of democratic or capitalistic form of government. The duty of the Government is to protect and provide for its citizens. The Government builds schools, roads, pays police. This help is for the benefit of all and not for private citizens. Child of God, no government will help you dream and sponsor your dream for a better life. That personal dream is given to you by God! It must be fulfilled by you, working hard, and with the help of God! As salvation is personal so the blessings of God are personal. The Government of any nation does not invest in personal dreams. That is the work of God!

The effects of being on welfare:
*Poverty is a cycle. It must be broken. If not, it will continue!
*Being on welfare is a trap. It affects the spirit negatively. The earlier you go back to work, the better!
*There is a connection between welfare dependency and psychological distress. Even being a short time on welfare has a long-time effect upon the recipients. For many years they feel poor, anxious and guilty. They blame themselves for their poverty; they have inferiority complexes, low self-esteem. This feelings affect the women more than the men!
*Being on a welfare status affects the children. The children too have low self-esteem. They are afraid to dream for a better life; they have less desire to go to school; they want to experience sex early; they want to marry early, be pregnant early (even out of wedlock). When the children are small, they do not know the difference. But when they are in middle school, they start comparing themselves with other children from homes where the parents work and have money and time to take the children to school or after school activities. That is when the inferiority complexes start. The parents who work take interests in their children. They help them to dream imaging a better future. They encourage their children by sponsoring their dreams. But in welfare homes, the parents discourage the children to dream because they cannot afford the money to sponsor. Dreams for a better life seem like a luxury they cannot afford.

The children who grow up in homes who depend on welfare are 3 times more likely to end on welfare themselves when they become adults. ‘Welfare attitude’ is addictive. Many of the children from homes depending of welfare end having low paid jobs, troubled by what is called ‘poverty mentality’. Living ‘from hand to mouth’ kills the creative spirit in the children. Even when they have money later, they still feel poor and ugly. May God help us!

My prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we pray for mercy and wisdom from You. We ask for forgiveness for indulging in a poverty mentality, in a beggarly attitude. We ask for forgiveness for allowing doubt to dictate our destiny. We ask for the grace of a new beginning. We destroy the connection with the demonic negative mind sets! May we be free from demonic poverty and occult hopelessness. We break the comfort zone of just surviving. We ask for the blessing of living godly and abundantly! We bless our children. May their lives be better than ours! May their God given dreams come true! We plead the Blood of Jesus upon our lives, marriages and children! We shall not beg for bread! Our children shall not beg for bread to eat! God give us good business and the strength to work hard with our hands! Holy Spirit please come and take control! We vow to give You alone all the glory for the promised miraculous provision and prosperity! In Jesus’ name we pray, amen!

“I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed” (Ps 37:25, 26)

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul…” (Ps 23:1-3)

A sheep that has rolled over on its back is called a “cast sheep’. It can’t get up because its center of gravity is off, sometimes because it’s pregnant or simply because it has a full fleece. Once fallen, a cast sheep tries to restore itself back on its feet. But it is not easy. The sheep then panics, cries for fear and waste more energy. The gasses start to build up in the abdomen and it can die in a matter of hours. A wild animal can come and kill the defenseless sheep. Most of the times, the sheep is not be able to get up without assistance. That is why the shepherd must be very observant to know when a sheep is missing. It is the shepherd or his trained dogs that can turn a cast sheep back on its feet. The process seems rough, but it saves the sheep’s life. Once the sheep stands, she still needs to be supported for few minutes. The shepherd holds it between his legs until it stops shaking, until the fear is gone, and it is balanced again. After that, the sheep is free!

David was a shepherd. He knew the danger of staying downcast, spiritually ‘upside down’ for too long, just like a cast sheep… “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Ps 43:5). The word ‘downcast’ describes a cast sheep. His soul is upside down, helpless, depressed, anxious, sinking down in despair. The danger for a sheep to lose its balance and to overturn is higher when it is pregnant, or the fleece is too heavy. Spiritually speaking, our soul is in danger of backsliding when we become fruitful or too comfortable in our blessings. The devil attacks in both situations especially with an evil spirit of pride. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (PV 16:18). Never forget! Pride will make you fall! Pride will make you backslide! Pride is extremely difficult to detect. God allows us to fall a little, to stumble, so that He exposes the hidden pride. repent and become humble servants!

MY TESTIMONY
This is my testimony: when I become proud, I start falling spiritually. Suddenly, my life becomes ‘upside down’. Just like a cast sheep, I panic, trying to save myself. My soul becomes ‘disturbed within’. This word means trouble, war, noisy voices and arguments inside my soul. I lose my peace and spiritual balance. I feel hopeless and confused. The more I struggle to restore myself back on my feet, the worse things become, inside and outside. That is when I must exercise self-control. I must stop this crazy, frantic, lonely struggle. I pray! I must remind myself that I am not alone. I belong to Somebody! I have a Shepherd! Elohim, the Creator of the Heavens and the earth is my God! Jesus is my Shepherd! I shall not want…There is hope for me!!I I shall praise God again in the sanctuary…I cannot die as a backslider…God forbid! I claim God’s promise: God will “restore my soul”…I shall humble myself and wait on God…He knows all things…He knows that I am missing from the fold…He said that He will leave 99 sheep to look for me alone, even if I am lost in the ‘bush’…He shall find me and bring me back to His flock where I belong… I am not a wild animal. I am a domesticated sheep. I love my home, my family, my marriage and my church! I am not a ‘street woman’! encourage myself thru the Word of God! I call on Jesus! This encouragement has never failed me! Praise God!

My prayer: “I need You Lord Jesus…I trust in You, Savior…I humble myself…Forgive me for my foolish pride…Please come to help me…I cannot live alone…Nothing else can satisfy but You…No one else can restore my soul, except You…I love You more than any human on earth, more than my own life…I promise never to go astray…Holy Spirit fill me afresh…Thank You Jesus… Thank You my Lord…All the glory goes to You alone!”

In Christ I declare:
The Lord is my Shepherd! I shall not want! My soul is restored! My health is restored! My marriage is restored! My ministry is restored! My finances are restored! My peace, joy, strength and wisdom are restored! To the glory of God! In Jesus’ name!

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Our church is in Warri/Effurun Nigeira!

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal 2:20)

I was born in Communist Romania (in 1954). Like most of my contemporaries I was a convinced atheist. We were thought in school that there is no God, no devil, no heaven or hell. We were also told that there is nothing like the ‘spirit world’. We are to work very hard and leave something to our children. That was life as it was explained to us. I believed it! I met Richmond, who is now my husband (and who is a Nigerian) in the medical school. We were class mates. We got married husband and I came to Nigeria with him in 1980. We both worked as doctors here between 1980 and 2000. When I came here, I was surprised how religious the Nigerians were (Christian, Muslim and Pagan). I saw their religion as an effect of illiteracy and poverty. I ignored, resisted and rejected the religion of my patients. But against all odds, the Holy Spirit arrested me! He convicted me of my sins, especially of pride, unbelief and self righteousness.

I became saved in 1986. The old me died on that Cross where my Savior shed His Blood for me. The Holy Spirit filled me! Since then, my new life is a testimony to the grace and the power of the only Living God! My husband and I are in full time ministry now! This is the truth: no religion, no doctrine, no teaching, no philosophy or social theory can stand against the name of Jesus Christ! To God be all the glory!

WONDERFUL SERMON PREACHED BY PASTOR RICHMOND LEIGH, MY HUSBAND!

Pastor Richmond Leigh continued preaching on the topic of ‘Marriage’. His text was taken from the Book of Ephesians. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Eph 5:25-33; NKJ).

Today, Pastor Richmond Leigh addressed the husbands. He said that the great Apostle Paul made some remarkable statements here. He tells us what Christ has done for the Church and why He has done it. From this he deducts what is the duty of the husband towards his wife. He says that just as there is a mystical union between Christ and the Church, so the husband and wife must be united! The union between Christ and His Body is a mystery. In a similar way the union between husband and his wife is both spiritual and physical. This is also a mystery.

These revelations about marriage are based on the Word of God only! These are spiritual matters that are absolutely essential to our marriage relationship, that it may be successful! But there are other matters, though important, but not absolutely essential to the success of marriage. In these series we are dealing only with the spiritual matters that are absolutely essential to the success of our marriages. Once you seek God in your marriage, thru the study of His Word and prayer, every other thing will fall in its place! This is the Word of God!

In the days of the Apostles, there were three Greek words translated as ‘love’: eros, phileo and agape. The first one is ‘eros’. It describes the erotic lustful ‘love’ of the flesh. It comes from the Adamic nature. It is selfish, sensual and very hard to control. This word does not appear in the New Testament but it is implied. This is the word that today describes a man ‘falling in love’ with a woman.

The second word is ‘phileo’. It describes the love between brothers, sisters or friends. It is better translated ‘I am fond of you’. It is the root of words as philanthropy (Helping your brother) or Philadelphia (Brotherly love).

The third word translated ‘love’ is ‘agape’. This describes the sacrificial love of Christ. Each time the Bible says that ‘God loves us’, it uses the agape love. It is the love of the true shepherd who gives his life for the sheep. For example: “God demonstrates His own (agape) love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). As sinners we deserved punishment, to be tyrannized, but the agape love of God sent Christ to die for us. This is love! Not to punish and destroy, but to redeem! The husband must love his wife in the same way. Not to look for her faults and punish, but to teach his wife, to help her and show her mercy no matter what her weakness is. As you can see, the New Testament raises the standard of love to a greater height. Agape love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the soul of the believer (Gal 5:22). The husband must love his wife like God loves him. Please notice that this type of love does not exist in the unbelieving husband. The man who is not saved cannot exercise this type of love. The command to love like Christ loves the church is given only to the believing husband. God will not ask you to do what you are incapable of doing! But to exercise agape love the husband must be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18). Practically, one of the ways a man can show that he is born again and filled with the Holy Spirit is the way he behaves towards his wife, when they are at home. This is test! Look at the countenance of a man’s wife and you will know the truth about the husband!

The first injunction to the husbands is this: “Husbands, love your wives!” This love is the great emphasis in the godly marriage. Please observe that love is an injunction. It is God’s command to the married men! In respect to the wives, the controlling attitude is submission. The controlling idea to the husbands is love! In other words, for a marriage to be successful, the wives must submit and the husbands must love! That does not mean that the wives should not love their husbands or that the husbands should never submit to the counsel of their wives. Submission and love are both basic spiritual attitudes in the Kingdom of God and must be observed by all.

Describing the love of the husband towards his wife, the Apostle Paul does not rule out the other two elements of love: eros and phileo. There are many Christians who are in trouble over this matter. The Roman Catholic doctrine of celibacy is ultimately based on this misconception. They insist that all priests must be celibate unto death. They seem to think that the Christian is no longer human; he no longer has natural desires. They regard sex as evil. That is a wrong doctrine. The reason why they went astray is because they do not understand the doctrine of the union of the believer and Christ. This is the truth: in Christ, the believer has been crucified, died, been buried and raised with Christ! He is now seated in the heavenly places with Christ. This spiritual amazing union applies to our souls only. Our ‘mortal bodies; are not crucified with Christ. Sin lies in the body. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are commanded to sanctify, to mortify, to kill the misdeeds of the body of sin. “If you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom 8:13). According to the Bible, sex is created by God, for procreation and for pleasure. It is to be used only within the boundaries of marriage. The devil did not create sex. God di it! But all sexual activities outside marriage are sinful and are prohibited.

The natural man cannot receive or manifest the agape love. These scriptures are also a warning against marrying unbelievers! No matter how nice, generous and religious they seem to be, the unbelieving husbands can never love their wives with this supernatural agape love of God! Agape love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit found only in the children of God. Husbands, you must be born again and filled with the Holy Spirit to be able to love your wives with this sacrificial agape love that never fails! Then your wives will submit to you without fear. This is the Bible’s ‘formula’ of success for all godly marriages!

In the marriage, the phileo love must manifest too. Husband, you must not only love your wife, but you must like her as a person! Your wife must be your friend too! You cannot marry a woman that you hate to spend time with. You must like her character, as friend likes a friend. You cannot ignore certain natural affinities. Study each other during the period of courtship. If two people marry based on eros love alone, that marriage will soon fall apart. The effect of phileo love lasts much longer than that of eros love. No matter how great the passion of sexual love, it is good that the people who get married should have similar affinities and enjoy doing things together. The phileo love has a lasting calming effect to the marriage. But never forget! The greatest love of all is agape love. This love will sanctify the eros and the phileo love in the marriage. “Agape Love suffers long and is kind… bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1Cor 13: 4-8). Worship the Lord!

“Test the spirits for not all are from God!” (1Jn 4:1)
The Volucella is an insect that has a strong resemblance to the humble bee. She too eats the nectar of flowers. She abuses this resemblance to introduce herself fraudulently into the bee nests and she deposits her eggs there. The bees do not seem to identify the foreign insects. It looks like they trust them, for they meet on top of flowers, eating the same nectar and becoming friends over there. When the eggs of Volucella have hatched, their larvae, which have two mandibles, devour the larvae of their hosts, the bees. The visitor’s children kill the host’s children! Can you imagine that? This is the return they make for the hospitality they have received!
What is the lesson? Not all ‘Christians’ are truly Christians! The church is always a ‘mixed multitude’. There are many unbelievers who are very religious, very gifted, generous, hard working, humble in appearance and nice in manners! Only the Holy Spirit knows the difference between the genuine and the fake! This is my advice: be slow to make friends! Pray about every person you want to call ‘friend’! Look for ‘quality’ and not for ‘quantity’. Do not live in fear or in isolation, but be careful! There are many false brethren, false prophets and deceivers! They take advantage of your kindness, loneliness and hospitality! They are also fast in detecting your foolishness or ignorance! Soon, they come to parasite your home, changing its spiritual atmosphere by bringing strange, poisonous ideas. Be careful with the people you trust with the vision of your life, with your prayer requests, or people you call friends! Be careful with the people you open your heart to and tell your most intimate desires!
This is my prayer for you: The Holy Spirit will help you to locate the true believers, the real friends and the faithful humble helpers in your ministry! In Jesus’ name!

(In the picture you see the fake ‘bee’ called Volucella)

”For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2Tim 1:7)

“She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet” (PV 31:21)

“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror” (1Peter 3:1-6)

The women’ fellowship was very good. It was raining hard outside but the sisters came to hear the word of God. We prayed and praised God! The sermon was about fear. We identified it as our enemy, confronted and rejected it, in the name of Jesus!

Fear is a very common emotion. Fear is defined as a strong emotion caused by a perceived danger. Both men and women fear many things and situations. Their responses fall into two basic categories: fight or flight. Most of the time men fight the enemy and women run away from him. As wives we are commanded to submit to our own husbands in the way Sarah submitted to Abraham, calling him ‘lord’. But there is a condition! In this submission we must learn to ‘do good and not be afraid with any terror’. It means that godly submission in marriage is not slavery, it is not defeat, cowardice or foolishness. It is godly humility, strength, love and wisdom.

What type of possible fear did Sarah experience? Sarah’s greatest fear was that God’s promise to them to have a son will fail. It is possible that she feared getting old and die as a barren woman. Another fear that she may have experienced, especially after Hagar got pregnant for her husband, was that she will be replaced by a younger (prettier) woman. For a long time, the fear of being disgraced as a barren wife, the fear of divorce, of rejection and of missing destiny, was probably the source of terrible torment for her. Sarah confronted became free from these fears. As women of God, we are commanded to do the same. To submit to our husbands, to continue to do good and to be free from these fears.

The most common fears that women experience are these:
*The fear of rejection, of disrespect and of not being liked!
*The fear of public speaking, of not being able to speak for your rights!
*The fear of working too much and neglecting the family, especially the children!
*The fear of divorce, of losing relationships and friendships!
*The fear of getting fat!
*The fear of being single, of not getting married and not having children!
*The fear of poverty!
*The fear of getting old and lonely!
*The fear of visibility, of being wealthy and successful; of being in a position where you cannot hide!
*The fear that your husband will betray you and commit adultery! The fear of divorce!
*The fear of men attacking you physically or being raped!
*The fear of losing your dreams, of ‘not making heaven’ or failure in life!
*The fear of being judged for your appearance, fashion style, of being a wife or mother!
*The fear of death, the last fear you must conquer!

The antidote to all these fears is to be filled with the Holy Spirit, who will bring the healthy fear of God! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! Be free from bondage fears! You are a child of God!

“Kings will be like fathers to you; queens will be like mothers… Then you will know that I am the LORD; no one who waits for My help will be disappointed.” (Is 49:23)

I was a natural mother to my daughter for 25 years. On her 25th birthday I knew that my time as a mother came to an end. I prayed for wisdom. The Holy Spirit said that I should lay down my labor of love as a mother to His altar. I did not understand. It was hard to understand. But I obeyed. The sacrifice was accepted. Suddenly, like dew from heaven, a new grace came upon me. From that time on, I became a spiritual mother to my daughter. She lives far away from us. But distance and the passing of time is not a barrier to this ever fresh relationship. We both grow in grace. This unity of the Spirit gets stronger ever day. I have a new vision of motherhood. God has enlarged my heart to accommodate and love many ‘children’ who call me Malia. All these holy fruits grow in the light of His presence and for His glory! This is my story, this is my song!