HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT
THE ENEMY SANK LIKE LEAD IN THE MIGHTY WATERS!
“The enemy said, ‘I will pursue,
I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil;
My desire shall be satisfied on them.
I will draw my sword,
My hand shall destroy them.’
But God, You blew with Your wind
The sea covered them
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
“Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods, who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders” (Ex 15:8-11)

We just finished our Saturday evening prophetic prayer meeting. It was very good. The anointing of victory was upon us. Holy courage was imparted in us. What I mean by ‘very good’ is that from the beginning to the end the Holy Spirit was in charge, directing our path, encouraging us to believe for grater things and to move forward. In the presence of the Holy Spirit there is fullness of joy and an unending supply of supernatural encouragement. We started praying and praising God. Suddenly my eyes opened in the Spirit and I saw a vision connected with us. We were a group of believers running. Another group of people, mean looking, like ‘area boys’ or gang men, were pursuing us with weapons, like machetes. We the believers were running together. Then all of us arrived at a airport and a plane was waiting for us. We all entered the plane. The engine was on. After the last brother entered in, the pilot closed the doors. The plane started moving towards the runway to take off. Suddenly, the evil men invaded the airport trying to stop the plane. But they failed. They were totally disappointed and defeated.They started fighting against one other. Then some cursed us and did some incantations to their gods to crash the plane.

In the plane we started singing praises to God for the mighty deliverance. But as the plane was going higher it suddenly entered a thick black cloud. The plane was shaking badly. Our praises stopped. Fear started to creep among the brethren. Some began thinking about going back. Doubt about the journey started rising in some hearts. But if we go back, we shall fall into the trap of the wicked men. We had a choice to make. We needed to be together in this for the plane cannot stop for some few. The unity of the Spirit was necessary for the deliverance of all.

I asked them: ‘Brethren, what do we do? If we tell the pilot to turn back we shall fall into the hands of our human enemies. They have no mercy on us. But if we trust God to pass thru this darkness, to defeat this spiritual enemy, then we shall arrive safely to the other side, the place of breakthrough and victory. Is anybody here ready to go back? Do you want to go back to sickness, to poverty and to oppression? Do you want to betray your success? If your answer is yes, put up your hand’ … Nobody did so… ‘But if you are ready to trust God this evening to carry us on Eagles’ wings, to the other side of the darkness, where the sun shines and there is no storm at all, to the place of shalom and victory, stand up and pray!’

Everybody, adults and children stood up and prayed. We rejected the demons of fear, of backsliding, of doubt, of empty religion, of confusion and of failure! We asked the Holy Spirit to fill us afresh. We started confessing by faith that victory and breakthrough in Christ is ours! We started praising God for the mighty deliverance from both human and spiritual enemies! We praised God even for the trial, for the dark cloud, for because of it, when looking back, we did not see the enemies again! As we were praising God with singing and dancing, a strong smell of burnt wire came into the hall. Some brethren looked for the source of the smell but they were not sure from where it was coming from. I asked them: ‘This is a smell of burning. We do not know from where it is coming from. What do we do? Shall will stop the prayer meeting and run away or continue to praise God! Everybody said we shall praise God even more! The praises increased! We declared that our enemies, both physical and spiritual, have been totally defeated! They fell into the sea of judgment like heavy lead! There is no peace for the wicked! God is with us! Jesus has never failed any battle! Inside the ‘plane of the Holy Ghost’ like the Ark of Noah, there is rejoicing and overflowing praise! Glory!

It is always wonderful to be in the presence of our God. I pity the Christians who only attend Sunday services. Congregational prayer and intercession is always very healthy and uplifting to the soul. To pray is hard, I know. But the reward is much greater than the labor! The gain cannot be described. The spiritual profit multiplies itself. You learn more in one hour under the anointing of the Holy Spirit than one year of going to Bible school (I am not condemning Bible schools, please…). This evening we declare that in Christ, trouble became testimony! Fear became faith! Doubt melted and became dancing for God!

At the end, the Holy Spirit eagle softly deposited us on the platform of greater grace. We landed to earth loaded with great spiritual benefits and blessings untold. Overwhelmed by the goodness of God, we knelt down and thanked God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit for making these things real to us, for the progress, for the protection, for the privilege to partake in His victory and for the manifested gain of the Cross in our lives! Hallelujah Hosanna! Thank You Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

“But others mocking said: “They are filled with new wine.” (Ac 2:13)
This is the definition of mocking:
*To treat others with ridicule, contempt; malicious belittling;
*To imitate, to mimic as to resemble a clown, just for fun 
*To frustrate another’s hopes or efforts; to cause another to appear irrelevant, ineffectual, or impossible

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (Jn 10:27, 28)

I am a child of God. I am also a pastor. Many Christians struggle with the doctrine called ‘the assurance of salvation’. The argue and quarrel about it. They think it is their duty to live in doubt and fear. The evil spirit of religion is the wicked author of this confusion. They assume that spiritual confidence is pride and holy assurance is empty boasting. If they are truly saved, in spite of their doubts and fears, they will go to heaven. But they will not enjoy their journey on earth. What a pity…

“The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes,..So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom 13:12)

My name is Silvia Lia Leigh. I am 64. I was born in Romania. I was an atheist all my life. This is until I met the Lord Jesus and thru a crisis conversion became saved. That was in 1986. I still remember the joy of enrolling in the army of the Lord. The first time I tried the armor, it was too big and too heavy for me. I was surprised because I knew that The Holy Spirit is the greatest Designer of all. Can God make mistakes? No! Then I prayed asking… ‘My Father God, why is the belt of truth too wide for me? Why is the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God too long for me? Why is the shield of faith to heavy for me…’

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9)

I am sure that you have been following the dramatic rescue of twelve boys and their coach, trapped in a cave in Thailand for more than two weeks. My husband and I prayed for them daily. We held to the prophetic word that supernaturally, ‘the iron will float’ (2 Kg 6:6). The story became tragic when we heard that one of the professional divers drowned. He was carrying Oxygen to the boys when himself ran out of oxygen and died. That was sad indeed. It was also a proof of the dangers down bellow. He stands as a symbol for the Lord Jesus who laid down His life to save others.

“So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” So HE CRIED OUT TO THE LORD, and THE LORD SHOWED HIM A TREE. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made SWEET.

There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there HE TESTED THEM, and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. FOR I AM THE LORD WHO HEALS YOU!” Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters” (Ex 15:22-27)

The revelation of Jehovah Rapha, God my Healer, has changed my life and revolutionized my faith. It has helped me to trust God for healing when I was sick and to walk in divine health for many years. I am free from fears of contamination, infection or old age diseases. Child of God, I know that Facebook is filled with trash material but I pray that you find the treasure of God’s Word, even if it lying down in the mud of bitter waters. Honor the Word of God when it comes to you, even thru this unusual platform and you shall be blessed. Pray to have the revelation of God, as your Healer. It is more precious than gold, more useful than the best hospital in the world and more durable than time itself.

The first time Jehovah God introduces Himself as The Healer (Jehovah Rapha) is in this passage, in the Book of Exodus 15. He calls His name: I Am the Lord who heals you. In Hebrew it says: Jehovah Rapha. The Word ‘Jehovah’ means I AM. He is the covenant keeping God. The word Rapha means Healer. The picture is that of a surgeon, stitching the wound at the end of a successful operation, one stich at a time. This is the first lesson: Once Jehovah Rapha manifests in your case, the sickness is finished! Even if it takes some time for the healing to manifest, it must surely come! Hallelujah!

Please read the whole passage in Exodus 15. This is the background story: After 430 years of slavery, the people of God, under the leadership of Moses, have come out from the furnace of Egypt. They crossed the Red Sea thru a miracle. Their enemy, the Egyptians, drowned in the same waters. Lesson: God’s grace saves the believers and completely separates them from their enemies! On the other side of the Sea, they praise their God for this mighty deliverance. There is singing, dancing and national celebration. Then they start moving thru the desert, towards their Promised Land. Just three days later (note this: just 3 days!!!) they start complaining against Moses that there is no water. This complaining is a lie because, after just three days, they still had some little water in their bottles. Thirsty and angry, they see a pool of water. They push one another, running to reach the water… they drink it… but the water is bitter!!! What? This is a serious disappointment for them. The anger and the loud complaining increase to the point of rebellion.

What does Moses do? Moses ‘cries to the Lord’! Second lesson: when you meet disappointments in life, do not follow the crowd in doing bad (Ex 23:2). Do not complain against your leaders (parents, pastors, teachers or even God). Cry to God! Pray!!! God hears and answers prayers!  If you are the only one praying, God will answer you alone! Another lesson: During crisis, the godly leadership emerges. How does God answer the prayer? He points a tree to Moses. He tells him to cut it down and throw it into the waters. It takes faith to obey such a command especially under the pressure of rejection. But Moses obeyed. Lesson: Trust and obey for there is no other way! Immediately the tree touched the water, its bitterness disappeared and the waters became sweet, fresh and good to drink. Lesson: big problems that accumulate for years are solved in a moment by our God. What we need is a revelation Word from His mouth. His Word is the key to unlock all caged treasures. God’s ways are different than our ways. In the natural, the contact of any tree or piece of wood with a body of water does not change the chemistry of the water. It does not remove the bitter poison to make it sweet. Lesson: God’s Word needs faith to be activated! God’s power and our faith combined always produce miraculous results!!!

In Hebrew, the word ‘tree’ in this passage is also translated wood or carpenter. Who is the One they called ‘Carpenter’? His name is Jesus!!! (Mk 6:3). God opens the eyes of Moses to see the Cross of Christ in that tree. By cutting down the tree, (The Carpenter) died. Jesus died for you! His Blood touched the bitter waters of sin and the grace of God was released instantly. The death of the Son of God destroyed the poison of sin. And the water of life became available to the thirsty sinners. Lesson: pray that the Holy Spirit reveals to you the mystery of the Cross, the power of the Blood of Jesus! You can’t have this by the study of the Bible alone. You need the deep personal work of the Holy Spirit in your heart. Do not be satisfied as a superficial Christian. You will be disappointed often, for the pearls of great value lie down at the bottom of a pool of bitter waters. If you are born again, and if you want to walk in victory, then you should know that there is a price to pay for that testimony! Pay it! You will never regret it! The reward is always greater than the suffering you have experienced!

Please note that the tree was planted by the bitter waters. It was not far in the desert (or in the bush, as we say here in Nigeria). Jesus came to earth as a Man living among men. Jesus is closer to you than your sickness is. The solution is ‘planted’ by God next to your problem. Most people panic during trials and they look too far for a solution. God says that when the sickness comes, or the trial comes, it is for a testing of your faith. You need to hear God’s voice and obey. When you are sick, before praying for healing, pray that you hear God’s voice, His express Word, and that you obey it. This obedience signifies that you have passed the test. The healing follows immediately. Lesson: When sick, pray for wisdom before praying for healing. In the midst of the trial, God provides us with an ‘exit door’, a way of escape that we may be free (1 Cor 10:13). Never forget that the solution is planted by the shore of the trial!

At last, they moved forward a bit and arrive at a good place to camp called Elim. There were twelve springs or water and palm trees for shadow and rest. Lesson: The trial of faith is rewarded by God with rest from labor and a settled home. Glory to God!

“Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice” (PV 23:25)
Recently, I was thinking about the past and all… I thank God for the journey of my life. It is very different than the way I planed it. But I know that God knows the best! As a little girl I had many dreams, read books and prepared myself mentally to be ‘a princess bride’. I so much wanted to get married to a Prince. I finally did it (my husband and I are married for 44 years). But I prepared less for my work as a mother. I made many mistakes. For many years, I was overanxious to be ‘a perfect mother’ to our three children. I was too worried for them, for their future. I was always upset when people criticize them. I could not relax and enjoy the journey of life, God’s gift to me to be a mother.

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without price.

Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And let your soul delight itself in abundance” (Is 55:1, 2)

The Saturday evening prophetic prayer meeting was very good.  When humble faithful believers come together, in the unity of the Spirit, ready to become vulnerable, prepared to have their deepest wounds exposed so that they can be healed, miracles surely happen! I have seen it again and again. God is inviting us to come to the Waters of life. He is inviting us to the ancient never failing overflowing satisfying menu on the banqueting table. The only qualification is hunger for God and thirst for His miraculous power. Fear not! In this mighty hall of grace, there is no need for money in the pocket.  As we prayed, I turned my pockets upside down so that the people see that I do not have any cash with me. In the natural, empty pockets cause anxiety. If I leave my house without money I will go back and take some. But God says: ‘There is no need to go back. Forget money! Forget how much money you have or you don’t have! Come as you are!’ As I heard His generous invitation, for a moment I felt like a fool. Is God talking to me? How can I enter the store of God with my empty pockets? I have great and many needs. I need healing, deliverance, provision and a breakthrough. His promises are too great for someone like me… I am a tenant but God said that I will own a house. I fear God… If I calculate how much I should pay the doctor to heal me, the lawyer to take me out of this mess, the agent to show me a good piece of property, the teacher to pay the school fees for my children… all these and more… all these my intimidating needs… I need money… Or God does not know that in Nigeria without money you are called a mad man? I fear God this evening… He said ‘buy without money’… My brain works over-time… If I do a quick calculation, I need millions of Naira to pay for a social upgrade in my life…

But God says: ‘I know your needs. Stop calculating! I am the only Living destiny changer God!  I am not mathematics. I am Jehovah God. I am that I am. My greatness is unsearchable. Don’t forget. I am God! I am calling you to come to Me and eat without money… Buy good gifts without cash…’ Can I believe these words? For a moment I panic again… Can I ever forget about money? Can I ever stop worrying about the cares of life? Can I ever buy property without caring what the price is, what is the tag attached to it? I am used to worry so much that if I stop worrying, I will worry the more… I never knew I was addicted to anxiety, doubt and greed. I repent Father…

But God says: ‘Open your heart to Me! Taste and see that I am good. I created you and I will carry you, to the place of no return, of no backsliding and of no doubts. My food goes deep into your soul and you shall know the delight of My Word! This season I fine-tune your vision. I clarify your understanding of Me. I give you strength to stand and to rejoice. You shall know no lack for in My kingdom grace begets grace…’

This evening I drank from the wine of the Spirit… I forgot how sweet it tasted… It is true… there was no money transaction… Just faith and more faith… Right now, I feel dizzy with happiness… I feel free because joy is fermenting power in my lungs… I breathe hard and long and I rest in these ever green pastures, among the sleepy lambs… I am still surprised at the treasure I found… The rich and the poor are equal in this holy palace… for the proud stronghold of Mammon totally collapsed this evening… money became useless for the glory of the Lamb is revealed… Holy Spirit come… Faith is my currency… I can buy anything thru faith… After a long famine of the Word of God, my soul delights itself once more in Your abundance… Lord Jesus, Your name if Wonderful… Singing at last: ‘What a beautiful name it is, Nothing compares with this, What a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus!’

The prayer meeting is over. Excited, I run home to tell my family that I am hungry no more. That I am restless no more… Shalom has fed me tonight! Two hours ago I came to God’s banqueting table and His freshly painted glory banner over me read: LOVE! Right now, let nobody disturb me! I am full to overflow with the Spirit of Him who quickens all flesh. From this very moment, I promise myself, that I shall believe the impossible. I shall not doubt again. Doubt is a luxury I cannot afford! This evening my eyes saw the King in His beauty! I shall never forget what I saw! I shall be obedient to the vision I released on high. The air I inhaled on the mountain of transfiguration has delivered my spirit from the heavy dust of religion found in the lower valleys of sin. I am free to make others free. Father, Son and Holy Ghost, ‘How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me? To God be the glory!’

The Women’ Fellowship in our church was very good. We praised God and prayed to Him. We also shared testimonies of His goodness. Then the Word of God came. It was a challenge to be like Sarah of old!

“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… then you will not need to fear offending your husbands… without fear of what your husbands might do” (1 Pet 3:5-6; NKJ, TLB; NLT)

Apostle Peter says that the godly wife should imitate Sarah. She was a good wife to Abraham, who was called ‘the friend of God’ (Jam 2:23). What can we learn from Sister Sarah? She was a holy woman of God. She trusted in God. She invested in her spiritual growth. She became a mature woman of God of a gentle and quiet spirit, very precious to God. This spiritual maturity became her wisdom and beauty, approved and blessed by God. Abraham and Sarah lived long and fruitful lives. They were not perfect. They were sinners saved by grace. But they are a great inspiration to us, not only individually, but also as a godly couple who struggled in life but they overcame at last. (They are buried together in Hebron. My husband and I saw their burial sites during our trip to Israel.)

Sarah was both submissive and obedient to her husband. Submission is an internal attitude, a heart thing. Obedience is the external manifestation of a humble heart. This obedience shows especially thru her actions. Just think of this… Sarah followed Abraham in all his journeys of life. She traveled with him from their native town, Ur of the Chaldees, to the Promised Land, then to Egypt and back. It is easier for a man to travel. Men generally love adventure. It is more difficult for women to travel because they love comfort and a stable home. But Sarah obeyed Abraham and was a helper to him until she died. They both made mistakes along the way. For example, she shared in his sin of doubt, adultery, cowardice and lying. But the grace of God ‘abounded much more’ in their lives. As a wife and friend, Sarah stayed faithful to her husband to the end; both in poverty and riches, in good times and bad. This is a wonderful testimony of a married couple!

The word ‘fear’ used in 1 Peter 3:6 appears only here in the New Testament. In Greek it means to be alarmed or to be terrorized by another. It is a fear that will make you fall, fail or run away. King James calls this fear ‘amazement’. You should not be amazed by any man, not even by your husband. Only God should amaze you because He is God! To be amazed it means to be shocked by something so strange, something that you can’t believe is happening to you. The lesson here is that we should pray to understand our husbands. This understanding is based on the Word of God and the revelation of the Holy Spirit. To be a good helper to your husband, you must understand his weaknesses and his strengths. This understanding is wisdom and makes your marriage happy, safe and peaceful.

Finally, let me say this: it was not easy for me to write this letter. I trust the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to you, who to fear and who not to fear! These are spiritual words describing spiritual realities. If you are not saved, you will not understand what I am trying to say. In no way at all I am encouraging rebellion, pride or stubbornness in marriage! Dear sisters in Christ, godly wives and mothers, let us be virtuous women, bold like lionesses, following the Lion of Judah, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, walking in the power of the Holy Ghost! “Those who know their God shall be strong and do mighty exploits… will take action, show strength and prevail” (Dan 11:32). May your marriages be blessed! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! Be a blessing to your generation! Let testimonies abound! Glory to God!

(After the fellowship we all went to celebrate the birthday of one of our sisters in the church. She is 50 years today. The husband spoke so lovingly about her. We were all touched. He said that she has been with him in the valleys and mountaintops of life for more than 30 years. She never complained about any hardship. She was always encouraging him. She saw ‘something good in him’ even when he saw nothing good in himself. God has blessed them with true love, peace and happiness in their home. God has also blessed them materially beyond what they can say. Their children are all good and obedient to the parents. The testimony of this godly couple is a very good example to other couples in the church. The celebration ended a wonderful day in the presence of God. As Pastor Leigh was praying for them, they knelt down and worshiped God. I took a picture of them at that holy moment. To God be all the glory!)

“The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands” (Deut 28:12)

Some time ago, during the Women’ Fellowship in our church, we prayed that God will bless the work of our hands. We repented of pride, doubt, fear, idleness, jealousy, laziness and foolishness. We asked the Holy Spirit to fill us afresh and to do miracles money cannot buy. The spiritual blessings are top of our list. But material blessings are needed also. They are one of the blessings promised by God to His obedient and faithful children.

“He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted…” (Ps 61:1)
Are you willing to help one with a broken heart?
In my experience as a wife, mother, grandmother, (retired) doctor and (practicing) pastor, people hate breaking things, even hearts. They fear a broken heart like it has a virus. The only ‘nurse’ able to handle a broken heart is the one whose heart was also broken in the past but now it is repaired (not by men, but by the Lord Jesus Christ). Like with fractures, once healed, the bone is stronger than before.

‘In all things give thanks’ (1Thess 5:18)
I like fresh cut flowers on my kitchen table. These ones in the picture are taken from my garden. They brighten my spirit. They remind me of the beauty of the Lord who created them. Even in America the flowers are not more beautiful. The flowers in my garden are another reason why I love Nigeria. This reason may be small to you but it is not small to me. This is the truth: these humble flowers taken from my garden in Effurun are fit to beautify the mansions of kings! I am just happy with my life…

“Thank You Lord Jesus!”

God bless Nigeria, my adopted country!

“But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground” (Gen 2:6)

There was a fog over Effurun this morning. I do not really like it. I was waiting for the sun to clear it away. But then, the Holy Spirit reminded me that in all things I should be grateful to God. Before rain came on earth, God used fog (or midst) to water the ground… This is like an upside down miracle of blessing the earth. If you are like me, I do not like upside down things, even if they are good, and even if they are a miraculous blessing. I want the rain to come down from the sky, water the earth and quickly go away. I do not like this mysterious midst coming from bellow, speaking thru silence and covering my vision like with dust. This midst is a reminder that God (and not me) is in control of this earth and He can bless it any way He likes it. This morning, as I am reminded of the greatness of the Elohim Creator God, Him who has no rival, I bow at His feet and worship…

“So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it” (2Kg 6:1-7)

This is a wonderful story that will encourage every believer who has lost something in the past. The loss can be spiritual or material. Many people say to me: ‘The money I don loss for this my life is enough to build me a mansion’. Just imagine that God can bring back to you the money that you’ve lost, or opportunities that you’ve missed in the past to make your life better. For God is able to do all things! Our God is the God of miracles! This story is soaked with ‘a recovery anointing’. Read, meditate and believe the Word of God! Come back with a testimony of recovery! ‘Pursue, overtake and recover all!’ (1 Sam 30:8)- says the Spirit of God!

Prophet Elisha was the ‘president’ of the Prophetic Bible School in Israel. His students approached him saying that ‘the class rooms and the hostel’ are too small for the number of the students. This increase is good news! May it be so in our churches! He agreed with their request and even went with them, to encourage them spiritually. This is a good example of a wonderful relationship between the pastor and his congregation. May it be so in our churches! They all went down to the River Jordan to cut down some trees to build the houses. Suddenly, one of the students shouted for help. As he was cutting the tree, his ax head fell into the River. To make matters worse, the ax was ‘burrowed’. He is a poor student and has no money to buy another ax to return to its owner. As you well know, River Jordan is a muddy river. The ax head sank in the muddy waters. Elisha cut down a new stick and threw it in the River at that same spot. Suddenly, the miracle happened: the iron ax head floated like it was made of sponge. Elisha commanded the student to ‘stretch his hand and pick it by himself’. God, thru the faith of Elisha did the miracle. For no iron floats on the water except by a miracle of God! The student has to exercise his faith by stretching his hand towards the iron and pick it. The stronger faith of the pastor is helping the weaker faith of the disciple. Wonderful ministry!

What are the lessons for us today? The first lesson is that God creates new things and God is able to recover things that are lost! The ax head was lost as the student was doing good, doing ministry. It is possible that as you obey and serve God, you may lose good things. If you are a child of God, you do not lose your salvation, but you can lose your spiritual weapons, your confidence, your testimony, your peace of mind or your anointing. The ax is a tool to work with. By losing it, you lose your usefulness in the house of God. That is great loss! Many people have accepted their losses. Their weapons, testimony, health, peace, joy and miracles are still buried in the mud. This is the time to revisit your failure so that you recover what you have lost! To the glory of God!

The iron is sharp. “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (PV 27:17). Iron sharpens iron. I need to remain sharp to be able to remain a true friend and a pastor to you. To be sharp it means to have a quick understanding, to be spiritually intelligent and have a clear vision of the Kingdom of God. The opposite of sharpness is to become dull, slow and foolish. God forbid! If you lose your spiritual and mental sharpness, you need to labor more before you arrive at the success desired. “If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success” (Ecc 10:10) It is foolish to continue working with a dull iron ax when you remember that in the past, it was sharper and the labor was so much easier. Wisdom says: stop laboring, pray and sharpen your tool! Then labor will be a pleasure and success is assured!

This is my testimony: recently, I lost my spiritual sharpness. Initially I did not realize it. This is a reminder that the devil always works thru deceit. I thought that all is ‘normal’. But then I discovered that when I try to remember a scripture it takes me longer than in the past. When I try to sing a song to God, I forget some of the words. When I preach, I stumble over words, I stammer… It was like I had a spiritual stroke… God forbid! Once I realized that I have a problem, that it affects my ministry and testimony, that this is not normal, that something is seriously wrong with me, I cried for help like the student in the story. Jesuss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (If you keep quiet, you will ‘suffer in silence’ and your testimony remains buried). I almost panicked!!!! I fasted and prayed for a word from God. His word to me is both medicine and light in the darkness! I need His Word to be able to come out from the pit of sickness, blindness, foolishness, deception and defeat. That is when the Holy Spirit reminded me of this story. Once I read it afresh, I knew that my ‘iron will float’ too! Elisha cut a new stick to point to the place of failure. He did not take the old stick that lost its head. This new stick pointed to the old fall represents the Cross of Christ! In the same way, I too needed a new wisdom, a deeper understanding of the Cross! By faith I stretched the hand of my soul and I received my miracle! By the power of the Holy Ghost, my sharpness in thinking, speaking and writing was restored to me! The devil tried to bind me but he failed! Out of the muddy waters of failure and loss, I rise with new wings of praise to God! My Lord who walked upon the waters, has restored my testimony! I rejoice for what God will do from now on! Halleluiah!

“Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. Tremble before Him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “Our LORD reigns!” (1Chr 16:28-31)

For me worship is a life style, a heart attitude… It means to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit who alone can help us worship God… It is an extravagant love that touches the body, the soul and the spirit… in worship no part part of us is idle or left behind…”Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]” (1Cor 13:8; AMP)… Agape love (worship done in Spirit and in truth) never fails to move the heart of God…it’s glory never fades… his joy never ends… Worship is the oxygen of eternal life!

‘As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible’ (Ac 17:10-15)

My husband and I continued to follow in the footsteps of the great Apostle Paul. Today we went to the city of Berea in Greece. Over here it is called Veria or Veroia. We took a local bus and after one hour journey, we arrived at Berea. We went to the site called ‘The Altar of Apostle Paul’. The Christians here have made a special place to remember Apostle Paul. There is a beautiful bronze statue of the Apostle welcoming you. Both my husband and I greeted our spiritual father and mentor. There are three original marble steps taken from a 1st century synagogue where it is believed that Paul preached. There are also two beautiful mosaics there. The one of the left depicts Paul’s vision when a man from Macedonia (present Greece) begged the Apostle to come and preach to the people here. The second, on the right, shows the Apostle Paul preaching in Berea. We took some pictures there.

We trecked from there to an ancient synagogue believed to be the place where Paul preached. We continued walking down the streets of Berea and visited two other ancient churches. We took pictures in all these places. My husband and I held hands and prayed thanking God for the privilege to visit these places that hold so much spiritual value for us the Christians.

Just as we read in the Bible, the people of Berea were more noble and more spiritual than the people in Thessaloniki. It proved to be so even now, after 2000 years since Dr. Luke wrote the Book of Acts. It is amazing how the Word of God is so true! In Berea, two women in particular showed us great respect, kindness and help. They behaved like we are thier family! They could not speak English very well but they went out of their way to teach us the importance of this place, they walked with us along the road to help us find these ancient places. They gave us maps of Berea and cold bottled water free of charge!!!! I do not know their names but and God knows them and will reward them.

Berea is a middle size city, very clean, very nice and with very friendly people. It is about 2500 years old!!! Life is quiet and slow here. There are flowers in front of each shop. In Nigeria where we live people are restless to become rich ‘overnight’. Coming here, seeing these old places, we are reminded that a good life may be simpler than we have imagined in our teenager’s dreams. Peace is more important than money and spirituality is more important than success.

Today is a good day. Thank God for the favor, health, resources and strength He had given us to complete this journey. As Paul left Berea to go to Athens, we too will go home to Nigeria! Dear readers, brethren and friends, may God bless you all! With love from Greece, Tali and Malia!

(In the pictures you see my husband and I at the ‘altar of the Apostle Paul’ in Berea; in front of a first century old synagogue where it is believed that Paul preached, in front and inside a first century church and flowers on the very clean streets of Berea, Greece)

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country” (Deut 28:1-3)

My husband and I we are missionary pastors in Warri-Effurun (south of) Nigeria. This great country has many social and economical problems. It is easy to complain. But one thing I love about the people here: they love to go to church, to be involved, to volunteer to serve God in any capacity. The Nigerian Christians love to sing and dance unto the Lord! Even if you are old, you feel young again. The parents bring their children regularly to church. Another thing I love here is that The Holy Spirit loves the people of God in Nigeria. In each service, the Holy Spirit comes like a rain of grace and glory. The people are healed and delivered just by praising God.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance” (Ac 2:4)
I always thought of myself to be a strong person, creative, intelligent and optimistic. Thank God that the Holy Spirit humbled me so that he can blessed me. I became born again thru a crisis conversion. I was very happy! For some time I experienced what you call ‘the honey moon’ of Christianity. I thought thatI have arrived on top of the mountain of the world. I thought that I am stronger than the strongest. I thought that I can preach like Billy Graham and sing like Cece Winans… I became proud in my salvation. I did not understand the way of the Cross. Then the painful road of coming down the mountain of holy success started…

‘After Paul and his friends had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they went on to Thessalonica. A Jewish meeting place was in that city. So as usual, Paul went there to worship, and on three Sabbaths he spoke to the people. He used the Scriptures to show them that the Messiah had to suffer, but that he would rise from death. Paul also told them that Jesus is the Messiah he was preaching about. Some of them believed what Paul had said, and they became followers with Paul and Silas. Some Gentiles and many important women also believed the message’ (Ac 27:1-4)

My husband and I continued to walk in the footsteps of Apostle Paul. We left Neapolis (Kavala) and are now in Thessalonki. This is the second largest city in Greece, after Athens. It was founded in 300 BC and named after the sister of Alexander the Great. It was an important Roman trading post and an early centre of Christianity. Apostle Paul himself preached here. He was persecuted because of his message. Some of the citizens believed the Word, among them some women of high social status (again, as a woman of God, I feel proud and happy). The Jews living here caused trouble to Paul’s host, Brother Jason. They forced him to drive Paul away accusing him to be a traitor to Caesar. From here, Paul went to the city of Berea.

The believers left behind became very strong. They spread the Word to the whole region of Macedonia. They suffered persecution but they remained faithful (1 Thess 2:14). Later, Paul sent his spiritual son Timothy to encourage them. He gave Paul a very good report about the believers here in Thessalonki. Later, Paul writes two letters to them (1st and 2nd Thessalonians), encouraging them in the faith. Paul’s stay here was short and painful but not a failure.

What is the lesson? A little ministry cannot be destroyed by a great persecution. A little love cannot be drawn by the flood of hatred and envy! The anointing of the Holy Spirit cannot be neutralized by empty religion! Jesus is Lord! Let’s continue to plant the seeds of the Word any place in this world and leave the rest to God. Another great and useful lesson is that we cannot do it all! Some plant the seed, some water it and others reap the harvest. In ministry you cannot be selfish, proud or impatient. Often, things seem unfair. That can be painful! But for as long as your spiritual labor is done to the glory of God, all is well! God rewards His servants! Praise the Lord!

This morning, we took an open roof bus and went round the city. It was very interesting. Most of the city was burnt in a major fire in 1917. Only few ancient buildings were preserved. The city was later rebuild and it is now very nice. There are many markets, shops and restaurants. We saw very few police men. You feel free… The city has many students in the university. The people are friendly and helpful to foreigners. That is good! The general feel is that of an old city with a youthful zeal. Like a man who had suffered a lot, almost died, but survived to tell the story. The journey continues…

In the pictures you see some of the Roman ruins and ancient churches we saw in Thesssloniki. My husband took me a picture on the roof of our hotel as we were eating breakfast. This is from me to you, greetings from Thessalonki… Let me add this … The best cake and ice cream we have ever eating is here… The temptation is great… Vacation is an excuse for me to eat this very good cake!!! But later, I had to ‘manage’ a Greek chicken salad to ‘balance’ the calories… Smile with me…Lastly, the trash cans in the hotel where we stay are transparent… I have to be careful… Let the trash be ‘clean’ a little if not it is seen by everybody… Smile again…