“But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?” (2Cor 2:14-16)

We just came from a nice vacation in Thailand and Singapore. These countries are blessed with many exotic fruits and vegetables. For example, I have never in my life eaten mangoes so sweet like the ones we bought from the river market in Thailand. But one of the most interesting fruits we saw was the Durian. It is called ‘the king of the fruits’. The outside layer is hard and has spikes. If you are not careful it may wound you! It has a very bad smell (like rotten meat). But the inside of the fruit is yellow, sweet and soft like vanilla custard. If you are able to ignore the smell you will be surprised how good the inside is. They say that this exotic fruit has many healing properties: it prevents cancer, diabetes, headache, anemia, insomnia, depression and anxiety. Because of its smell this fruit is not exported. You need to go to Southeast Asia to eat it. It is forbidden inside most hotels, halls and malls. It is always sold and eaten outside on the streets.

“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you” (1Pet 4:14)

As a true believer, there is a peculiar pain that you must experience. From time to time the devil will use people to ‘insult’ you, not because you do bad things, but because you please God and the Holy Spirit ‘rests’ on you. If you do not understand this scripture you may become discouraged during these attacks and think of backsliding. This is the devil’s plan. But you should resist the devil and he will flee from you!

This strange pain comes to the born again Spirit filled believer who has allowed the Holy Spirit to ‘rest’ on him. The word ‘rest’ in Greek means to repose, to remain undisturbed, to stop working, to take it easy, to refresh, to take or to give rest. This is the picture of a mature believer who loves the Holy Spirit. Let me put it this way: Jesus found rest and peace in the house of His friends, Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Others mocked Him or demanded miracles from Him. But in the house of His friends, He could be Himself and He was loved sacrificially. In the same way, the Holy Spirit searches for Believers who allow Him to be Himself without demands, troubles or manipulation. The devil hates this glorious intimate fellowship and will use religious people to attack these humble believers.

In Greek, the word ‘insult’ means to be defamed, reviled, upbraided and taunted. Insult means disrespect and scornful abuse. It means to slander and to bring shame.  One of the names of the devil is ‘the accuser of the brethren’ (Rev 12:10). You need to prepare your mind for these prophesied insults. Do not be surprised when they come! Regard them as a blessing. Thank God for this sign, though painful, that the Holy Spirit of glory rests on you. This pain of persecution cannot be healed by mere human sympathies or kind words. Pray to the same Holy Spirit to comfort, encourage and strengthen you in your ‘inner man’. He alone understands your pain. He alone can heal your broken heart. His comfort is deep and total. It comes ‘packaged’ with a Spirit of wisdom and revelation. You will understand the foolishness of the world and the love of God like never before. Be grateful that even in the midst of the storm the Holy Spirit rests undisturbed on you. Finally, in all things give thanks!

“A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out” (Lev. 6:13)

One of the symbols of God’s Spirit is fire. Jesus Christ is the Baptizer with fire (Mt 3:11, 12). Just like John was baptizing repentant people in the water, so the Lord Jesus Christ will baptize your spirit in a river of holy fire. The purpose for that is to cleanse and purify your faith. Everything you say that you believe must pass thru God’s fire. If your words are true, they will come to pass. If your words are lies, they shall be burnt and you shall be called a liar. It is like gold passing thru the fire. Nothing can produce spiritual purity, anointing and power except this baptism of fire. In the Old Testament the priests were in charge of the fire at the tabernacle of God. This fire was miraculous. God Himself sent the fire on the sacrifice. But the maintenance of that holy fire was the duty of the priests. Even when they traveled the priests had to carry the fire burning with them. The priests received three main instructions about this holy work. There are two additions and one subtraction:  +sacrifice + wood – ashes!

(We too can learn from this)

*They should always place a sacrifice on the altar so that the fire will burn it. Without a sacrifice on the altar the fire becomes ‘idle’ and it is a danger of quenching. For example: a new born baby must be placed at his mother’s breast to suck. The breasts are ‘stimulated’ to produce milk. If not, the glands will stop working and the breasts will dry up. In the same way, the sacrifice ‘stimulates’ the fire. If the fire is quenched the priest is in serious danger. He has failed his work of God. He may be tempted to produce a ‘man-made’ fire which is called ‘the spirit of religion’. This will surely be rejected by God. Many churches and Christians have become lukewarm because of neglecting God’s true anointing and fire. We must daily present our bodies as a living sacrifice on the altar of God. Let God’s fire burn in your bones! You may feel uncomfortable but this is how God’s work is done! Take care of your body the best way you can (diet, exercise etc). Do this not to become stronger, healthier or more beautiful, but because your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit ‘walking’ on earth. Take care of God’s temple!

*They should always place wood every morning so that the fire can burn. You need to daily study the Bible and pray. That is added material (‘wood’) to the fire.

*Every day the priests should always take the ashes outside the camp to a ‘clean place’. The priest who does this special work should be clothed so that the ashes will not stick to his body. These ashes represent the end result of the work of the Holy Spirit. At the end of your ministration (singing worship songs, preaching, giving help to the needy etc) the people are to give glory to God and not to you. But if you receive the praises of people, the holy ashes will stick to your naked body and God will be angry with you. Another reason why the ashes must be removed is because they will quench the fire. The altar must be clean so that the fire can burn brighter. Yesterday’s work is gone! Today is a new day to serve God with a clean, submissive heart!

“Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord” (Rom 12:11). May the Holy Spirit help you desire a pure heart, anointing and power for ministry! May your heart continue to burn for the Lord Jesus Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! May revival come!

“Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river… So Pharaoh awoke. He slept and dreamed a second time… So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream. Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh… Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (Genesis 41)

Pharaoh had a dream. It was not an ordinary dream. God was talking to him about his future. The survival of his country Egypt was at stake. Pharaoh’s sleep was interrupted. He ‘woke’ up. He was supposed to think and pray about the meaning of this strange dream. But this state of being awaken did not last long.  He went back to sleep. In Hebrew the word ‘sleep’ means to be slack, negligent, stale and spiritually lazy like an old dying man. To be stale refers to old dry bread; it is food no longer fresh and not pleasant to eat. This is the description of Pharaoh’s spirit who was not sensitive when God was talking to him about his very destiny. Please observe God’s patience in dealing with spiritually sleepy men. God comes back the second time with another dream. This time Pharaoh wakes up and cannot go back to sleep. ‘His spirit becomes troubled’. The word ‘troubled’ here means God knocking at the door of his heart. It means to shake, to fear and to become agitated. As unpleasant as this troubling is, this is the correct reaction to God’s Word. We must fear God and tremble at His Word. We should not sleep like the foolish virgins when God is near. Troubled and afraid, Pharaoh does not rest until he finds the solution to his problem. Somebody must remind him of the forgotten dreams and interpreted them. His magicians could not help him. He presses on until he eventually finds Joseph who gives him an answer of peace. Joseph is a type of Christ, who is the Prince of peace.

What is the lesson for us? When God speaks to you, thru dreams, thru visions, thru the Bible or thru prophetic utterances, pray that you may hear and respond immediately with the fear of God. Your spirit should feel agitated. Do not ‘ignore’ God! This is not the time to go back to sleep. You must seek God with all your heart and you shall find Him. The only True and Living God has revealed Himself thru His Son Jesus Christ, who is the ‘heavenly Joseph’. You must pay the price and find Jesus! Men in your church may have put Jesus ‘in prison’. They may tell you that Jesus does not exist. Your freedom may be in bondage. Your peace may be in chains. Your hope may be lost. This is work of the evil spirit of religion telling you that there is no hope for you and you should go to sleep. Do not listen to lies! Get us! Stay awake and pray! Go to the Cross! Find Christ! Fight for your soul! It is the Holy Spirit who is troubling you! You cannot fight Him! The Lord Jesus Christ shall come and help you! I am a witness! I know! Awake you sleeper and Christ will shine on you!

“Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:31-33)

These are the words spoken by our Lord just before He went to the Cross. He challenged His disciples to believe that He alone is the Savior of men. His disciples were ‘scattered’ and left Him alone to die. In Greek, the word ‘scattered’ is ‘skorpio’. It means the sting of a scorpion, so painful, that men run away and scatter abroad. Peter, who represents all of us, ran away from Jesus and even denied knowing Him. The devil, the evil ‘scorpion’, has done his worst. But Jesus encourages His disciples by reminding them of who He is. Jesus is Lord! Even when we are unfaithful, He remains faithful. Even when we fail, Christ can never fail! He is the victor over sin, sickness and death! Salvation was done by Jesus Christ alone. We ran away. We cannot share in His glory as the only Savior of men. The glory is His alone, the Lamb upon the throne, slain for the salvation of sinners like you and me. I believe!

Jesus is preparing His disciples for what shall come. His words are eternal. In this world we shall have ‘tribulation’. In Greek, the word ‘tribulation’ means to be hard pressed, to be stressed or to be squeezed into the mold of the world. The world is the system of men who live without Christ. The people of this world hate God but love religion. They strive against one another. ‘Dog eats dog’ is their strategy to succeed. They have bitter envy and selfish ambition in their hearts. They lust for sex and material things. The devil is ‘the god of this world’. He will try his best to make you backslide, for you to enter the world system and to live like them. The devil will try to teach you how to seduce, manipulate and intimidate others so that you ‘succeed’ in this world. Resist the devil and he will run away from you!

What shall we do then? What is our hope and shield against this flood of evil in our minds? It is the peace of Jesus Christ that ‘passes all understanding’. Jesus left this peace to us on earth! This is not the natural peace you may have when all things go well. The supernatural peace of Jesus becomes stronger when things go wrong, when hearts break and tears fall. Filled with this peace Jesus went to the Cross. He died in peace. He rose from the dead in peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace! Our Lord is the greatest Champion who has ever lived. This is His anthem: ‘I have overcome the world!’ Never forget that! Thru His peace Jesus has overcome the world system of greed, lust, envy and wickedness. Peace is stronger than them all. In Him alone we find this peace. ‘In Me you may have peace!’ That is why in Christ, we too, are champions. No matter how loud the world shouts about its success, anyone outside Christ is a loser!!! Do not be intimidated by then! But anyone inside Christ is a winner! We move from one triumph to another, from one testimony to another! Victory is our portion! Jesus says: “Be of good cheer!” Thru all things in this life, be strong, faithful, courageous and confident of the God you serve! There is no one like Him! Give God the Glory! Child of God, I say to you: Be encouraged today! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! May the peace of God fill your hearts today and forever! In Jesus name, amen!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

The prayer meeting was very good. We prayed and praised God with songs and dances. Then there was a prophetic word: Wait for God alone! “My soul, wait in silence for God alone, for my expectation is from Him” (Ps 62:5). My soul, position yourself to seek God, to wait for God! Do not wait for men or for money. Wait for God alone. Waiting is worship! God will not disappoint you. God works on behalf of them who wait on Him. As you wait for God, miracles will happen. There shall be miracles of acceleration. God will increase the speed of your breakthrough. The money you make in one year, you shall make in one week. Do not wait for the healing. Wait for the Healer! Do not wait for money! Wait for Jehovah Jireh. God loves our children. They will not suffer what we have suffered. They will not repeat the same mistakes we have made. Their lives will be better than ours. Give thanks for the breakthrough! Give thanks for the healing, for the provision and for the protection! it is permanent! We danced in the Spirit a dance called ‘permanent’. We give thanks!

“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” (1Cor 5:7)

Today we had a wonderful Holy Communion service. As commanded by the Lord, we were careful to ‘remember’ Him.  One of the symbols of our Lord is the Passover Lamb. The story is found in the Book of Exodus 12. The people of God have been in Egypt for 430 years. At the beginning things were good, for Joseph was the Prime minister of Egypt. But after Joseph died, the new Pharaoh enslaved the people of God. For the past 80 years the Egyptians killed their sons by throwing them into River Nile.   They lost their sons, their hope, freedom and joy. They tried different methods to free themselves but all were in vain.  At the fullness of time God intervenes in their lives by sending a deliverer, Moses. He confronts Pharaoh speaking on behalf of Jehovah God: “Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve Me” (Ex 9:1). Pharaoh refused to obey God’s command. Sending one plague after another, God judged the gods of Egypt.

Finally God tells Moses that the time to leave Egypt has come. This night is the Passover night. He commands His people to do three things:

1. To kill a lamb! The sinless male lamb and eat its flesh with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. This meal must be eaten in a hurry, ready for departure. That night they shall be free. Just like that! The road of suffering and bondage was long but deliverance comes suddenly!
2. To apply the blood of the lamb! It was to be applied on the door posts. That will be the sign that God will Passover that house and show mercy.
3. To stay inside their houses! That night God will pass throughout the land of Egypt and kill all the first born sons in any house where the blood was not applied. In this night of judgment there shall be no hope, no life and no salvation, except behind the Blood! This night God tells His people to make plans for a life outside Egypt. Freedom, just a dream for so long, has become sight. The people bowed their head and worshipped. Worship starts in Egypt but it shall be free outside the land of slavery! (Start worshipping God in the middle of that your trial, for God will take notice of it and heal you, so that the worship will continue!). Just imagine that: in the middle of the night, the Egyptians start wailing: your neighbors, your ‘friends’, your bosses… You are hearing all these cries but you cannot come out to help. This is divine retribution. For 80 years the Egyptians have thrown the male children of Israel into the Nile. Now God pays them in like manner. Pharaoh begs Moses to leave and go away. Suffering was long but salvation comes suddenly. Just like that! No time to waste. God commanded them to celebrate this night of darkness and prophetic dawn.

This is the ‘sermon’ of the Holy Communion! No matter what happens, stay inside Christ! Like Noah and his family were saved from the flood of Judgment, so we must stay inside the Ark called Christ. Any form of rebellion will be punished with the rest enemies of God. In Christ there is life! Outside Christ is only death! Do not backslide! Christ, our Passover Lamb was sacrificed for us. For this sacrifice to ‘work’ on our behalf, by faith, His Blood must be applied on our souls. Have faith in God! Worship the Lamb who was slain that men may be free! Halleluiah!!!!

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mk 11:24; KJ)

Dear Child of God, the revelation faith of this particular scripture has healed the sick, has delivered the oppressed and has opened a great door of freedom for many people. Study it word by word. Pray over each word. The Holy Spirit will help you see the truth that will set you free.

These are the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ. ‘I say unto you…’ He brings our attention to the things we desire. ‘What things soever ye desire…’ This is the truth: each person has his (her) own heart’ desires. Please observe that there is no limit to the desires (plural) expressed in prayer. Of course, God will not approve sinful lusts or those desires that are against His will. But one thing is clear: express all your desires to God, even if you are not sure which one is right or wrong.  God is sovereign even in the way He answers prayers. He has to right to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as He pleases.

The next thing Jesus says is to pray; not ‘if you pray’ but ‘when you pray’. In other words, no matter what, no matter how you feel, no matter the circumstances, you should pray! Prayer is your duty and responsibility as a child of God!

Then you observe that during the time of prayer, you have to do something: You need to ‘inject’ faith mixed with an expectation to receive the answer. To ‘receive’ it means to make space, to make room for the answer. It is like a woman getting pregnant, receiving the baby in her womb. Many make a mistake here.  They just wait passively for God to ‘do something’. But this ‘believing and receiving’ is not passive. It is a pro – active thing. The word ‘receive’ means to ‘greet’ the miracle, to ‘welcome’ the testimony. (For example: you are sick with malaria. You come to God with worship and prayer. During the prayer, you ‘make space’ for this ‘believe and receive’ part. These verbs are written at present tense. In other words: ‘By faith I believed and I received’! You then ‘stop’ the prayer and welcome your healing. You say: ‘Healing, you are my gift from God! I welcome you into my heart, into my spirit, into my body. I greet you, I embrace you. I am soo happy to meet with you. I waited for you for a long time! You are mine….’  Then you end the prayer with thanksgiving, vowing to give God all the glory for the healing).

Here you see the power and the privilege of prayer in the name of Jesus! Once you do all these, you can rest your soul. Start to rejoice! The answer shall surely come: ‘ye shall have them’. This is the promise of God! Please observe that this ‘believing and receiving’ is not done after the end of the prayer, after you say ‘amen’ and you have gone out of the presence of God. You are to ‘believe and receive’ ‘WHEN YOU PRAY’; when you are in the throne room, face to face with the King of kings. The timing and the spiritual protocol is very important. Selah!!!

Finally, remember that God loves you and He wants to bless you with His gifts. God is generous, gracious, loving, kind and powerful. Nothing is impossible for Him to do.  Practice prayer in the Spirit. Worship the Lord! Make friends with men and women who love to pray. Reject the religious evil spirit who pretends to pray but uses doubt instead of faith and fear instead of joy. Also note that even if God does not immediately sends you the answer, the fact that you desire to seek Him, God will reward you for that (Heb 11:6). May prayer become your blessed, faithful and holy ‘work’ from today! Come back with a testimony, that God has answered your prayers! I wait for you! I pray for you! God bless you!

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2Cor 5:7)

Faith in God is very powerful. Faith is the ‘evidence of things not seen’ (Heb 11:1). Like a seed planted in the ground, faith works in the spiritual (invisible) realm. With time, it produces miracles and visible fruits. Once it becomes visible it is no longer faith. It is called sight. Faith is deeper than sight. You use faith to produce sight. You do not use sight to produce faith. In a way, faith and sight are ‘enemies’. Sight represents the natural senses. Faith is a spiritual ‘sense’. Each natural sense has its own function. For example, perfume pleases the sense of smell but it is useless to the ears. In the same way, faith pleases the spirit within you. Faith desires and produces miracles.

Do not be satisfied with a little faith. Pray for a mature faith. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and pray, even before you see the miracle with your eyes. Walk by faith! Make progress in life by trusting God to help you! But if you insist on seeing things, your sight will increase in power but your faith will become weaker. For example, if you pray to get pregnant, and each day you do your ‘pregnancy test’, your faith will become weaker. If you are sick and every day you spend money for ‘blood tests’, whatever is the result of the tests, your faith will not be able to mature. You need to trust the promises of God more than what men say or not say.

Sight is superficial and lustful. It is also called ‘the lust of the eyes’. Like cocaine, lust is an addictive, unfulfilled and unsatisfying desire. The more you see the less you are satisfied with your sight. After some time, you get bored with what your eyes see. “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing” (Ecc 1:8). It is the same thing with the other natural senses. For example: that ice cream you loved to eat as a child will not be as sweet when you taste it much later in life.  Men pay a lot of money to have ‘designer’ eye glasses. They want to see better, even the little letters on the pages. But it is much more beneficial to desire an increase of faith to see spiritually, to see the invisible things hidden below the surface of the natural, but connected with them.

Faith comes by reading and hearing the word of God. My advice is that you read less other books and read more the Bible. Listen less to the daily news on the radio. Go to a living church and listen to the preaching of the Word of God. Invest in your spiritual senses! ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’! By faith, let the weak say: ‘I am strong!’ and strength shall be supplied! By faith, let the sick say: ‘I am well!’ and God will heal you! By faith, let the barren say: ‘I am pregnant!’ and you shall have children! By faith, let the poor say: ‘I am rich!’ and money shall come from heaven to you! Confess your miracle and God will work with and confirm your words of faith. Remember that faith pleases God and nothing is impossible for Him! Your testimony is sure!

May your eyes be opened to see King Jesus in His beauty and glory! May your ears hear a word directing your path ahead! May your faith in God be fruitful! In Jesus name, amen!

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen… And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God” (Heb 11:1; Mk 11:20-22, KJ)

For us, the children of God, faith is one of the greatest and most precious subjects to study. All believers have an amount of faith. This ‘saving faith’ is trusting in the Person of Jesus Christ and not in ‘a religious thing’. We trust the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of our souls and for answers to our prayers. Some have little faith and some have bigger faith. We pray that our faith increases with time. Faith is not an imagination. It is ‘substance’ and it is ‘evidence’. In Greek, the word ‘substance’ means foundation. This foundation is invisible to the eyes but it the underground support of the building (successful life) you see. Faith is intimately connected to hope. Faith works ‘now’ and hope works in the future. Hope is defined as the joyful expectation of the future. You believe God today for the manifestation of things you desire to see in your future. Without faith working today, your hopes for tomorrow are false and deceiving. Work on your present faith and your hope shall not be ‘cut off’. “For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed” (Rom 10:11)

Faith is the opposite of sight. Faith relates to the invisible things of the Spirit. When Jesus cursed the barren fig tree, Peter observes that the tree got dried from the roots up. The leaves were still green but the dryness was going up from the roots. The Lord explained this by pointing to ‘faith in God’. You need faith to curse a sickness and you need faith to bless someone. In both cases, faith starts working from the underground, from the invisible foundation, from the spiritual realm of ‘roots’ and invisible motives of actions. Faith dried the tree from the roots, which is the invisible part. Faith works in the invisible realm but later, it produces visible fruits. Once faith becomes visible it is no longer faith. It is called sight. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2Cor 5:7). May God increase your faith! May your dreams for the future come to pass! In Jesus name, amen!

Let’s pray: “Dear Heavenly Father, right now, in the name of Jesus Christ, I… (Please, write your name)… trust You for salvation, for healing, deliverance and breakthrough. I declare that my future is better than my past! By faith, I command the mountains that block my progress in life to be removed and be thrown into the sea of forgetfulness.  I declare that I trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore I am saved. My miracle has come! By the stripes of Jesus I am healed and delivered from oppression. I declare that I am happily married and fruitful. I declare that it is well with me. As Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, so my life is secure and fulfilled in Him! To the glory of God! In Jesus name’, Amen!”

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

“And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God…  “Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon” (Daniel 3)

I am writing this letter just coming out from the fire, from the other (good) side of the testimony! The prayer meeting was very good. We started slowly. The worship team was ‘trying their best’. But the congregation was spiritually cold and divided. I told them that they all look spiritually stiff, like people whose shirt is buttoned so high up the neck and they cannot breathe. Invisible chains bound them up to their necks. We prayed against the spirit of religion that is responsible for such bondage bringing people to church to torment them, to hinder them not to become saved, healed or delivered. I said that God the Holy Spirit is Omnipresent but He will not ‘move’ in our midst except we invite Him in. We then turned 180 degrees and faced the back door. We invited the King Of glory to come in. Just like Nebuchadnezzar pushed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fire, we felt like the world rejected us and shut us in that room. Our only hope to live was Jesus!!!!!! We pleaded with the Lord to come. From our hearts we welcomed Him.

Suddenly the atmosphere changed and the Lord of lords entered in. He was the Fourth Man in that furnace of death. Life entered the room! The boasting of the flames of death was silenced. The only thing the fire could burn was our fears, sicknesses, poverty and religious bondage. Where the presence of God is there is glorious and joyful liberty. What a change! We came to church tired and sad. We went out from this prayer meeting with dance on our feet, praise in our mouths and a testimony that God is alive! Our mouths are full of laughter! Nobody can speak against our God! Our enemies are confused and disappointed. Their plans to bring us down, to eliminate us, have been burnt in the fire. We came out alive, free, well, happy and strong! According to the Word of God, promotion shall follow. It shall surely come! To the glory of God and to the shame of the devil! Out testimonies shall multiply!  Sing with me: “I will worship my God-o! I will shout Halleluiah! I go worship my God-o! God e do well for me!” Praise the Lord!!!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

From the Bible we see that God invented marriage and God hates divorce. Marriage is God’s idea. As a pastor I counsel many women (and men) who struggle in their marriages. Many wives are ignorant of their husbands’ spiritual and physical needs. The devil takes opportunity of their ignorance and attacks their homes. That is why many marriages are like stagnant waters, dangerous, boring and unhappy. From what the Bible says and from my experience as a wife I bring to you some time tested wisdom. Dear sisters, please try to answer these questions: “What does my husband want from me? What shall I give him so that our marriage will be strong, spiritual and happy?” These are the first five qualities most of the husbands expect from their wives (in this particular order): Respect, Sexual satisfaction, Faithfulness, Friendship and Understanding. Pray about it!

2. SEXUAL SATISFACTION
“Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control” (1Cor 7:3-5)

God created the men and the women. Physically there are differences. The bodies of men and the bodies of women function differently. Generally, men appreciate the physical side of sex more than the women. There are exceptions, of course, but men love to see and to touch their wives more than the women. This is a difficult subject to discuss. Many women are ignorant of their husbands’ sexual needs. One thing is clear: God invented sex. Therefore sex is good! Sex is not sinful, dirty or shameful! Sex is God’s gift given only to the married couples. Any sexual activity outside marriage is sin. It is called fornication or adultery. Sin grieves the Holy Spirit. Sexual sin must be confessed to God and to the injured spouse. Forgiveness is God’s first choice to heal a broken heart and a broken marriage. Dear wife, God will give you the grace to forgive your unfaithful husband. But if you cannot forgive his adultery and you desire to divorce, then you may do so (Mt 5:32). The Bible also says that once married, the husband and the wife should not abstain from sex except they decide to fast and pray together for a limited period of time.. Some women hate sex. This medical condition is called ‘frigidity’. The frigid woman is sexually ‘cold’, unemotional, lacking passion, sympathy or sensitivity towards her sexually active husband. The cause is not known by the medical science. It is also a spiritual condition. It may be related to the stress of life, to hormonal imbalance or depression. Frigidity is a serious hindrance to a happy relationship. Sexual activity is a sign of a healthy and happy marriage. Pray for one another! Pray for deliverance and healing. Remember, nothing is impossible for God!

God bless you with the blessings of Christ and with the gift of a wonderful marriage! In Jesus name! Amen!

“Many waters cannot quench the flame of love, neither can the floods drown it. If a man tried to buy it with everything he owned, he couldn’t do it” (SS 8:7)

From the Bible we see that God invented marriage and God hates divorce. Marriage is God’s idea. As a pastor I counsel many women (and men) who struggle in their marriages. Many wives are ignorant of their husbands’ spiritual and physical needs. The devil takes opportunity of their ignorance and attacks their homes. That is why many marriages are like stagnant waters, boring and unhappy. From what the Bible says and from my experience as a wife I bring to you some time tested wisdom. Dear sisters, please try to answer these questions: “What does my husband want from me? What shall I give him so that our marriage will be strong, spiritual and happy?” These are the first five qualities most of the husbands expect from their wives (in this particular order): Respect, Sexual satisfaction, Faithfulness, Friendship and Understanding. Pray about each of them!

MY TESTIMONY AS A WIFE
My husband and I are happily married for 43 years. We got married as unbelievers. Then we became saved. Now we are pastors in full time ministry. We are parents to three adult children and have six grandchildren. Inspired from the Bible and learning from my experience, by the grace of God, I am now able to teach other women. I see marriage as a gift from God. I do not ‘merit’ to be called ‘a wife’. It is not because I am beautiful or educated. Marriage is ‘a grace gift’. Because I fear God, I fear to damage my marriage. I cannot be a happy wife without the help of the Holy Spirit. I read the Bible daily. I grow in wisdom and knowledge. Therefore my marriage becomes better. I pray daily for my husband, for our children, grandchildren, for our health and ministries. I pray to see Christ in my husband (in his words and deeds). I love peace in my home. I hate quarrels and divisions. I respect my husband not only thru my words and deeds, but even in my heart. I pray to be able to see him as a holy man of God. My prayer has been answered. I like to cook for him and serve his food. I like it when he is hungry and he sits at the table patiently waiting for me to bring the food. I like it when we eat together. I like it when he compliments me for the food I cooked. I like it when he encourages me to do better. I understand him and he understands me. We love each other and we take care of each other.

I like to wake up in the morning knowing that he is my husband. I do not dream about any other man. My imagination is limited only to him. Even after all these years, I appreciate his love for me. I appreciate the fact that out of millions of women he chose me to be his wife. He has his own favorite chair at the table. If a visitor comes and by mistake he sits there, I will not allow it. If we have visitors at the table, I do not use his (particular) plate for other people. These may not be ‘big things’ but to me, these are symbols of respect.

Long ago I knew that my husband will be a man of God and I will be a pastor’s wife. I started studying the Bible with great passion. The knowledge of the Word of God is for my own soul and to help my husband. I love it when we discuss the doctrines and new revelations from the Bible. I love it when I have something good to add to the discussion. I also pray for sexual compatibility. Sex is a great blessing from God that brings happiness to any marriage. It satisfies the bodies and the souls. It brings peace in the bedroom and in the home. We are colleagues in the ministry, we are friends and we are lovers. We rejoice with one another. We ‘gist’ and laugh a lot. Time has not reduced this joy. In fact, it has made it better. The water is now wine. The ordinary taste of life has become sweet. We drink from this cup of intoxicating love and have no apologies for it. We feel old and young in the same time. We feel weak sometimes and strong most of the times. The passion to love God and one another is the holy fire that keeps burning in our home, making it safe and secure. No man or devil can quench it.

May God bless you with the blessings of Christ and with the gift of a wonderful ever sweeter marriage! In Jesus name!

“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Ps 50:15)
A young sister who attends our church sent me this note. She is about 35 years old. She lives with her mum. She is a successful business woman. She is praying to get married. She faithfully attends the church activities. But last Saturday she said that she could not come to church because she had no ‘transport money’. Initially she wept out of frustration. But then she wisely chose to use the pain to worship God. The Holy Spirit filled her afresh. This is a good example how to use your problems to go closer to God. If for whatever reason you can’t come to church, do not give us. It is easy to give us. Pray and worship God wherever you are. The Holy Spirit is omnipresent and He will meet you at the point of your pain and need. To God be all the glory for each disciple of Jesus who pays the price for spiritual maturity! Amen!

“Good evening MaLia and happy Easter. I have a testimony to share with you. It is wonderful to me. Yesterday I attended a wedding and by evening I was unable to attend the prophetic class because of financial constraint. As at 4.30 – 5 pm I started to feel very depressed. So I went into my mum’s bedroom, shut the door and at first I started to cry pitying myself. Then a voice told me to talk to God instead of crying since crying will not give me any solution. So I said to myself that since I couldn’t attend the prophetic class I will just pray and worship on my own and do my own ‘prophetic class’. I started with asking God so many questions amid tears. Why this why that, why He never talks directly to me or show me things like He used to. Why there is so much doubt in my heart… why is He not fulfilling His promises yet…. and so on. For the first time I talked like I was really talking to my friend and father and someone really close and present with me. I asked Him to speak to me directly even if it is through dreams, to help me get rid of the depression and bitterness in me, to help me trust Him more….

Then I started to worship and praise. MaLia!!! The worship took me to another level where I forgot about myself and issues. I really can’t explain all what I prayed about… but I’ve never worshipped that deep or for that long before. I shouted the name of Jesus again and again. I got up at past 8 pm, took my bath and dinner and later went to bed. I then had a dream that I was walking on a road, looking for somewhere to sit so I found this uncompleted shop with no windows or doors and not floored, just sand. I sat on the ground with my knees to my chin like I was patiently waiting for someone to come. Someone came, a woman who looked like you. I know that He is God who came in that form. He asked me what my problem and why I was complaining? Immediately I started to complain again. Stopping me half way He said “why are you complaining? I can hear you! You don’t have the right to doubt. You should never doubt” those were His exact words and He repeated it twice. Although those weren’t the words I was expecting to hear but after hearing them it felt enough, like the answer I needed. I felt peace. Like my restless hunger had been quenched. MaLia!!! God heard me and answered me! I am so happy! I give Him all the glory…”

My answer to her:
“Dear …Thank God for everything! I see that you have allowed an evil spirit of religion, fear, doubt and bitterness to influence you. Now that the Holy Spirit has revealed the truth to you, continue to do warfare until it is completely out of your mind. Do a Bible study on faith which is the opposite of doubt. A grace door has been open to you. Pass thru it. Complete the good work you have started. I wait for you with more testimonies!”

(If you want to counsel her, please do so. She will read your words. Thank you! God bless you dear intercessors)

“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close” (Rev 3:8)
We checked in a hotel. It was an average hotel. The lady at the reception gave us the room’s key. On top of the key it was written: ‘Open doors you never knew existed’. God speaks in so many ways… For a moment I stood there, in the hotel’s corridor, and my heart missed a beat. I felt God’s love come close. Did I forget that God can open any door? It is so easy to forget good things…and so hard to forget negative things, to forgive offences of the past…But that is another story…
Back to open doors…God knows no limitations, no boundaries and no hindrances…Nobody can say ‘no’ when God says ‘yes’. Did I limit God? Did I write a list with possible miracles, breakthroughs and open doors? Do I desire to control God, to lead God? Why such a foolishness? Sin has planted folly in our hearts and we are ignorant of it. But then, the Holy Spirit comes and breaks the bands asunder, breaks cages and padlocks, and the bird is ready to fly, once more…

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

The prayer meeting was very good. We praised God with songs and dancing. We shouted the name of Jesus with all our hearts. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who always directs our thoughts towards the Lord Jesus Christ. Tomorrow we shall celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. We prayed for the Holy Spirit to help us identify with the death and the resurrection of our Lord. Thru a spirit of religion, the devil tried to deceive us. He wants us to come to church and feel ‘spiritually detached and cold’ when the service is going on. But we resisted the devil and he fled from us. For as long as these wonderful events, the cross and the resurrection, remain buried in history, we cannot gain any wisdom or spiritual impartation today. The Holy Spirit helped us to pray to ‘see and touch Jesus’. We worshiped the Lamb of God who was slayed for our sins and rose up for our glorious justification. When the Lord rose from the dead He proved that His victory is total. We prayed and came closer to God. By His death and resurrection the Lord defeated death, man’s greatest enemy. The grave could not hold Him captive! Death was disgraced for it could not keep its prisoner. The resurrection of our Lord is the proof that as believers we can daily live a victorious life. Sin does not have to be our master. God’s dreams given to us but long buried in our hearts can still come to life and be fulfilled. The resurrection of our Lord is the planting of unending hope and glory. By faith, let the sick say: I am healed! Let the weak say: I am strong! Let the poor say: I am rich! Because of what the Lord has done! We rejoiced that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of life! We rejoiced that our future is better than our past! We rejoiced because Jesus lives and we live in Him! I know that tomorrow’ service will be powerful because we have tested a little from the glory revealed! Jesus is Lord!

‘Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels and living creatures and elders encircling the throne, and their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. In a loud voice they said: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever.” (Rev 5:11-13)