PRAISE REPORT

Today it is 11 weeks since I fell I broke my ankle. This has been quite a journey! The devil intended it for evil, but the Holy Spirit turned it for my good, better said, for our good! So many blessings came on our children (natural and spiritual) at this same time. That is how I know that God is in control. This is just one testimony:
Our older daughter celebrates her birthday today! She is a woman of God, a wonderful daughter to us and a amazing mother to her three children. “I pray that God will bless you with the blessings of Christ! Your dad and I, we love you, dearest Alina! In Jesus name, amen!” To God alone be all the glory for the successful lives of our children!

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:8-9)

PRAISE REPORT

Today it is 11 weeks since I fell I broke my ankle. This has been quite a journey! The devil intended it for evil, but the Holy Spirit turned it for my good, better said, for our good! So many blessings came on our children (natural and spiritual) at this same time. That is how I know that God is in control. This is just one testimony:

In just one month, our daughter Jemine Leigh Oakes and her husband Matthew Oakes have sold their little two bedrooms town house. With the money they were able to buy a much more beautiful and bigger house, a four bedroom bungalow, and still have money to spare. They moved in today. In the picture see their sweet son Oliver, ‘helping’ with moving the furniture… This is purely a financial miracle, a gift by the grace of God!

“I returned and saw under the sun that—

The race is not to the swift,

Nor the battle to the strong,

Nor bread to the wise,

Nor riches to men of understanding,

Nor favor to men of skill;

But time and chance happen to them all” (Ecc 9:11)

This expression is attributed to Charles Darwin who brought the idea of ‘Evolution of the species’. He believed that the animal species develop from one another, from the inferior to the superior. He also believed that the weaker species die and the strong ones survive. He said that the fittest survive because they can better adapt to the environment and because they have stronger ‘genes’ to multiply faster. It is Darwin that said that men came out of monkeys. This theory was later applied to the human behavior in general. Even today people believe that the leaders, the champions and the heroes are the strongest men. They are the ones who are physically fit; who eat well and daily train in a gym. It has affected many intellectuals all over the world. It is the basis of racism, discrimination of all kinds and the culture of abortion. The people who believe in this theory say that those who are eliminated in the struggle for existence are unfit to live anyway. They are not sorry for the weak, the handicap, the ugly, the poor and the humble.

This is a worldly theory. The world is the system of men that works without God. The devil is called ‘the god of this world’ (2Cor 4:4). The theory of evolution totally ignores Elohim- God, who is the Creator of all that is created. The survival of the fittest ignores God who is in charge of His creation, who decides who lives and who dies. God promotes and demotes any man He wants. In fact who the world calls ‘strength’ is nothing to God. “That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (Jam 4:6)

When Jesus Christ came to this world He did not seem ‘fit’ as the world describes its heroes. He died on the Cross in weakness. Men and devils thought that is the end of Him. But Jesus ‘survived’ over them all. His descendants are like the stars of the sky and the sea on the seashore. We are His children and we are like Him. We may look weak and foolish but we live forever! In Christ, we overcome the world! The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God.

This is my testimony: I grew up in Romania, a communist country at that time. We studied Darwin and his theory in school and we believed in it. I did not believe in God. I really thought that monkeys were my ancestors. Thank God for Jesus! After I got saved, I repented of all my foolish and dangerous worldly ideas! I now believe and know without any shadow of doubt that God has created me, saved me and sustains me. God loves me! I have no business with Darwin and his world. My business now is to serve and worship my Savior and Hero forever! He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God! Halleluiah!

“I returned and saw under the sun that—

The race is not to the swift,

Nor the battle to the strong,

Nor bread to the wise,

Nor riches to men of understanding,

Nor favor to men of skill;

But time and chance happen to them all” (Ecc 9:11)

This expression is attributed to Charles Darwin who brought the idea of ‘Evolution of the species’. He believed that the animal species develop from one another, from the inferior to the superior. He also believed that the weaker species die and the strong ones survive. He said that the fittest survive because they can better adapt to the environment and because they have stronger ‘genes’ to multiply faster. It is Darwin that said that men came out of monkeys. This theory was later applied to the human behavior in general. Even today people believe that the leaders, the champions and the heroes are the strongest men. They are the ones who are physically fit; who eat well and daily train in a gym. It has affected many intellectuals all over the world. It is the basis of racism, discrimination of all kinds and the culture of abortion. The people who believe in this theory say that those who are eliminated in the struggle for existence are unfit to live anyway. They are not sorry for the weak, the handicap, the ugly, the poor and the humble.

This is a worldly theory. The world is the system of men that works without God. The devil is called ‘the god of this world’ (2Cor 4:4). The theory of evolution totally ignores Elohim- God, who is the Creator of all that is created. The survival of the fittest ignores God who is in charge of His creation, who decides who lives and who dies. God promotes and demotes any man He wants. In fact who the world calls ‘strength’ is nothing to God. “That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (Jam 4:6)

When Jesus Christ came to this world He did not seem ‘fit’ as the world describes its heroes. He died on the Cross in weakness. Men and devils thought that is the end of Him. But Jesus ‘survived’ over them all. His descendants are like the stars of the sky and the sea on the seashore. We are His children and we are like Him. We may look weak and foolish but we live forever! In Christ, we overcome the world! The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God.

This is my testimony: I grew up in Romania, a communist country at that time. We studied Darwin and his theory in school and we believed in it. I did not believe in God. I really thought that monkeys were my ancestors. Thank God for Jesus! After I got saved, I repented of all my foolish and dangerous worldly ideas! I now believe and know without any shadow of doubt that God has created me, saved me and sustains me. God loves me! I have no business with Darwin and his world. My business now is to serve and worship my Savior and Hero forever! He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God! Halleluiah!

“Seek the Lord while He may be found,

Call upon Him while He is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way,

And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

Let him return to the Lord,

And He will have mercy on him;

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon” (Is 55:6, 7)

There are many believers who ask me for counsel, how to have a financial breakthrough. This is my basic answer: Seek God first and prosperity shall be added to the seeker! (Mt 6:33). The devil deceives and confuses people. He tells them to seek wealth first giving them false hopes that God shall later follow. This will never happen, for God wants to be first in your life. Others ask: ‘how do I seek God’? In the scripture above you see how to do it.

*Seeking God is a command. It is not just a suggestion. Jesus is the Captain of our Salvation and He commands you to seek Him. Your answer should be ‘Yes, Sir!’ Start seeking God thru the Word of God, fasting and prayer! Seek God until you find Him!

*Seek God ‘while He may be found’. The Holy Spirit moves as He pleases. There are seasons when He does not move and He keeps silent. If you sense a drawing at your heart, it means He is calling you to seek Him. Do not waste that precious opportunity! You never know if or when another comes.

*Call upon the name of the Lord! Shout Jesussssssssssss!!!!!!! Be active spiritually and desperate to find God!

*Forsake your sinful way of life and your selfish thoughts! Separate from any friend who is not interested in God.

*Once you find God you shall receive mercy for He shall ‘abundantly pardon’ all of your sins! There is ‘abundant’ pardon, beyond your imagination pardon for you when you find God!

Let me use a picture to describe this seeking. A man has abandoned his loving wife for another woman. He now lives with his lover. From time to time he remembers his wife with some regret. That is not seeking! For as long as he only thinks about his wife, with love or with regret, that is not seeking his wife. One day, when the lover is gone shopping, he feels guilty and makes a phone call to his wife. He tells her that he misses her and still loves her. The wife has the right to ask: ‘Did you forsake your lover’ He says: ‘No”. That is not seeking! But if one day he tells the lover: ‘I am tired of this relationship! I love my wife! I go back to my wife!’ Then he phones his wife that he is on his way home. Then he shall find mercy and forgiveness from his wife. It is love, reconciliation and the grace of a new beginning! That means true seeking!

If you have read this note to the end, it means that God is calling you! Come like the prodigal son! Your Father has never stopped loving you! Come to Jesus! Come home!

“For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people” (1Pet 2:15)

Few days ago I remembered something that happened to me when I was in the kindergarten in Romania, the country of my birth. This true story is almost 60 years old. I completely forgot about it but suddenly, the Holy Spirit brought it to my memory. “Thank You dear Holy Spirit…”

I was 5 or 6 years old. I was attending a nice kindergarten close to our house. I remember that from the very beginning, I always loved going to school. I loved the challenges of meeting other children. Anyway, in this kindergarten food was not supplied to the children. Each one of us we needed to bring our own food from home. Each morning, mother will lovingly prepare our sandwiches, for me and my younger sister, Adica.

One particular year, we had a new teacher. She came to the class with a new ‘law’. She said that each one of us should give her part of our food so that she will give it to the poor children who had none. I was impressed. During break time, just before we eat, we make a long line so that one by one we come to the front of the class and place on the table part of our food. Then we can eat what was left. Each day the pile of ‘donated’ food was getting bigger. My mother was also a teacher. When I told her about the new ‘auntie’ in school, mother said that she has no right to do so. I was a little confused about all this, but we all continue to obey her law.

With time I discovered that the poor children still had nothing to eat. Then rumors came that this new teacher has a pig at home and she feeds it with our food. I also heard that if any child refused to co-operate with her law, she will punish that child. She could not do it openly but indirectly. That is why the children feared her.  My confusion increased the more… I became upset with the whole thing… I was not a Christian. I did not know of anybody around me who was religious. But looking back, the grace of God was upon my life, for even then, I never accepted things passively. As a child, I asked questions and I expected answers. I loved reading books. This is how our parents trained us. Foolishness was never seen as a virtue.

Let’s go back to the story… One day, in my little mind, I made a plan. I said to myself: ‘This auntie says that the food is for the poor children. I personally know that some children come to school and go back home hungry. I will not give the teacher part of my sandwich anymore. I will personally give part of my lunch to any hungry child I see. If she asked me why I am not joining the line to place my food on the table, I will explain why.  I decided not to be afraid of her. This was a big decision for a six year old. One day the teacher asked me why I am disobedient to her law. I explained that I do what she said is a good thing; that I gave part of my food to children who have none. I also said that by doing this, I make her work easier. She was angry but she said nothing. Even as a child I knew the taste of victory. I continued to share my food even after this teacher was fired from her job.  I never saw her again.

This incident thought me many lessons:

*You can learn something good even from a wicked person.

*Doing good is a good thing! Goodness may sometimes be misinterpreted. But if your conscience is clear, and if you continue to do good, the wicked people will be silenced. They will be unable to attack you with their tongues, at least not openly.

*The power of goodness is a weapon against evil.

*I can confront wickedness and win.

These lessons remained with me all my life.

Many years have passed since then. I am now a born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.  As a Christian, I now have the backing of the Word of God. I expect much more from myself. I continue to use goodness as a blessing, investing seeds in the lives of my family and friends. I also use good deeds as a weapon in spiritual warfare. It never fails. Practical goodness is very powerful. Pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit and then you will be able to do the same. This life style is a very interesting and joyful way of being a champion. I love it! You too, try goodness and see what happens! All glory to God!

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Jesus said: ‘You should not be surprised at My saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (Jn 3:7, 8)

Dr. Toju Eresanara came to visit us today. Our relationship is quite interesting. He and his wife Trish Eresanara are long time family friends who attend our church. He is my doctor. I am his pastor. He came to see me, for a medical checkup; to see how I am walking now. He was pleased with the improvement. As usual, we discussed spiritual things too. He told me that he lost four of his patients. They all died last week, one after the other. I know how he feels for I practiced medicine for 20 years. When you try your best but your patient dies, it is always painful. Our professors in medicine told us to remain emotionally detached from our patients, but in practice, that is not easy. This is so hard; not only for the families but also for the nurses and for the doctors. Dr. Toju and I, we reminded ourselves of the privilege of being a child of God, of the comfort of the Holy Spirit and that of prayer, especially when life is hard. We prayed for each other before he left.

“The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Lk 10:17-20)

More than ten weeks ago I fell and broke my ankle. For all this time I could not attend the services in the church. I had to stay indoors and wait for my healing. I thank God that the Holy Spirit stayed with me day and night. He did not allow me to become bitter during this trial of faith. The Holy Spirit healed not only my body, but also, my soul and my spirit. One of the greatest lessons for me to learn is this: I can live without church but I cannot live without Jesus, my Savior and my Lord. This difficult lesson was needed because, by the grace of God, as a pastor, I had achieved a level of success in ministry. But there was a danger in this success. The flesh can become proud and take interest in the visible success of ministry, more than taking delight in the simple holy love for the Lord. What I am saying is this: you must love the Lord Jesus, His Person, more than you love serving Him in the ministry! Selah!

The Lord Jesus Christ sent seventy two of His disciples to do ministry in His name. They preached the Gospel, healed the sick and delivered the oppressed. They came back very excited with their success in ministry. It was the submission of the demons at the hearing of the name of Jesus that excited them the most. But the Lord did not join them in their joy. Why? Is happiness for successful ministry wrong? No! But the Lord desires that we should not miss our priorities. We should always remember the joy of our salvation; that our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Our joy should always be linked with our salvation and a promise of living eternally in heaven with Jesus! To be eternally one with Christ, the Hope of Glory, should be the root of all joy! This joy should not be replaced with another joy that comes from successful ministry, which is secondary!

Just like in marriage: the husband wants his wife to be happy just because they were once in love and they got married. This joy should be the foundation of their marriage. Other joys will follow later: having children, working together or buying a house. All these achievements should not replace the primary joy of just being happy one with another. The Lord told them that he saw the devil fall down from heaven. The devil became infatuated with his power and stopped loving God. He tempts us with doing the same. This is a warning to always examine the source of our joy as believers.

Please search your heart! If like Job, you lose all blessings and gifts, you lose your health, your money, your marriage, your privilege of going to church and doing ministry… if you lose all these… will you still be happy, just because of Jesus? Is Jesus truly enough for you? When you remember that Jesus died to save your soul is that enough to worship Him? These are very serious questions that most people do not ask on Facebook. But Facebook or not, you still need to examine your faith and the source of your joys.

This is my testimony, my treasure that I have re-discovered during this painful trial of faith: My Lord and my Savior Jesus Christ is enough for me! He is my true joy, my heavenly Bridegroom and my exceedingly high reward! In His presence nothing else matters! Singing: ‘Take the world but give me Jesus! I am satisfied! I am satisfied!’

PRAISE REPORT

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 Jn 1:4)

I recently received a note from a dear daughter in Christ. It is such a pleasure to see our spiritual children growing in the faith and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is so encouraging for me in particular, to see that God leads and blesses my children even now, in this particular season, when I cannot attend the church services. It encourages me to continue to invest in them, for deeds, good or bad, are like seeds that one day become a harvest. May you tap from this prophetic anointing of spiritual and material prosperity! In Jesus name, amen!

I could not attend our ‘all night’ service. I felt bad… This morning the Holy Spirit encouraged me again… By His Word… And by the love of a daughter in Christ who rang the bell and brought this bouquet of flowers ‘For Malia’… All the glory to God who does not allow me to be sad but always encourages me to have faith in God and to continue to run the race to the end! Praise the Lord for giving us wonderful children in Christ! You can’t buy them with money! You can’t steal them from another! These dear children are a gift and a reward from the Lord! Glory to God!

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over” (Ps 23:5)

When under attack… when fear wants to be your friend… when the bully proposes marriage to you… when the enemies come around you like hungry wolves in the winter night… when you see their sharp teeth and lusty eyes…when trouble comes to kiss your hand… when the doctor says you shall be sick unto death… when the lawyer says that you have lost the case… when the friends betray… when the evil rejoices at your fall…. when you don’t know what to do, what to say and where to go… Run to Jesus! Run to Jesus! He is stronger than them all!

Let your hunger drive you to Jesus! He is the Bread of Life! Run to Jesus and Eat!!! Run to the table set under the banner of His love and EAT! EAT! EAT! Swallow the Word of God! Drink the sweet wine of the Holy Spirit! Fill every empty anxious space with the sure promises of God! Let the anointing oil soak your mind, pouring down on your lips, filling your heart… You need to be satisfied with His Love…You need to rejoice in His presence…this is your hope, your cure, your testimony!

Like the mother bird, EAT more than you need for this present need…. Taste and see that the Lord is good… Eat and carry that food home… Let it be more than enough, more love, more courage, more anointing, more hope, more faith… until it comes out from you…until there is an overflow of grace… until it pours into the waiting mouths of your chicks… Running over into the hearts of them who believe that mother will never be too late to bless… Bread, Oil and Wine… I am satisfied… Love cares until the last breath…Love never fails!

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world… From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Gal 6:14, 17)

After I became born again I discovered that very few believers know the meaning of the Cross or how to apply it in their daily lives. For them, the Cross is just a historical event of the past. They are ignorant of the power of the Cross at this present moment. They ignore the command of the Lord Jesus to carry their cross daily and to follow Him. The Cross means death. It is a unique weapon that kills the flesh. Nothing else can do that! It is a double edged sword. It kills my love for the world and it also kills the world’s love for me. Because of the Cross me the world, we are lifelong enemies. We cannot reconcile. We can never settle. Our relationship died at the foot of the Cross. This lack of friendship between me and the world produced by the Cross of Christ, is my strength, my song and my boast. Nothing else could have done it. I was too infatuated with the world. In fact, I was addicted to the deceitful sweet but poisoned wine produced in the distillery of the world. The Cross killed my taste for it. The Cross killed my desire for it. In its place, I now find a new desire, to love the Lord Jesus Christ and to serve Him forever. This is what the Cross has done to me. It is a radical eternally successful surgery. All the glory goes to Dr. Jesus, who died for me so that I may live to be His servant forever!

This process of double death leaves spiritual scars or ‘marks’ on the mind and on the emotions. After the resurrection, the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus Christ is perfect. All the scars on His back produced by the scourging were healed. But He chose to leave the nail marks on His hands. The disciples in Luke 24 did not recognized Jesus when he was preaching to them. But their eyes were opened when they saw Him breaking bread with His scarred hands.

The Cross divides men into two groups: friends of the Cross and enemies of the Cross. God knows the group you belong to. Are you a friend of the Crucified? Then you should know that you are a candidate to great glory, holy promotion and an exceeding high reward! Congratulations!

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (Jn 16:12-13)

One of the characteristics of a spiritual maturity is intimately knowing the Person of God the Holy Spirit. Each scripture that refers to the Holy Spirit should be studied and prayed upon. Here, the Lord Jesus Christ is telling His disciples about His death on the Cross and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The first thing you observe is that the Holy Spirit helps us to ‘bear’ the Word of God which is Truth. Truth is ‘bitter’ as they say. Truth is too heavy to carry. It means that without the Holy Spirit’s help, we are not able to ‘bear’ the truth. The devil will use this weakness in us to offer lies and deceptions which are easy to bear but deadly at last. Do not take the devil’s ‘easy way’!

In Greek, the word ‘bear’ means to lift up from the foundation, to patiently endure under pressure without breaking or backsliding. It means to carry a heavy load and move on with it. It means to be able to continue thru pain, trials and difficulties; to successfully overcome the tendency to avoid or resist the load God gives me to carry. The Holy Spirit helps me to carry my cross daily and to follow Jesus free from anger or bitterness when truth is revealed. This is great achievement and spiritual fruitful maturity.

How does the Holy Spirit help me to bear the truth and successfully pass thru these trials of faith? He does that by three methods: 1. By guiding me into all truth; 2. By glorifying Jesus to me and 3. By telling me about things to come in the future! Nobody can do these things for me except the Holy Spirit. In His absence I will not know the truth, I will be deceived, I will not be able to see and worship Jesus and I will be hopelessly ignorant about my future. Without the Holy Spirit I will be a failure, always depressed and foolish.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. He never lies and He never deceives. He uses truth to lead the way ahead. Each revelation of truth is a stepping stone to move on, closer to God and to your fulfillment in life. In Greek the word ‘truth’ means something that is not secret, not hidden. Truth is revelation. A lie is the opposite. It is a veil set upon the truth so that you will be blind to the truth. The Holy Spirit comes and unveils the truth so that you can see it and move on. That is why truth and light are twins. Hand in hand, by the power of the Holy Spirit, they guide you to the presence of God.

Remember that we are born sinners. We are spiritually blind unable to see the truth. All we see are just veils that cover things. That is why you pray for your eyes to be open, for God’s light to come and remove the darkness, the veil of deception that covers the truth. That is why you need the Holy Spirit! Prayer: “Send out Your light and Your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You live” (Ps 43:3)

The Holy Spirit will help you to ‘bear’ the truth. He will help you know Jesus Christ. He will help you to move on in life. You cannot make progress in ignorance and darkness. The Holy Spirit will help you to see your future, which is designed by God to be wonderful. ‘Christ in us, the Hope of glory!’ He is the Spirit of hope and joy. If you are not saved, please pray: “Dear Father God, please forgive my sins. Receive me as Your child. Jesus Christ, be my Lord and Savior. In Jesus name I pray, amen!” If you are saved already then pray: “Holy Spirit fill me! Open my spiritual eyes that I may see the Lord Jesus! Help me to see the truth that sets me free! In Jesus name I pray, amen!”

A final note: It is a pity that on Facebook you see a lot of trash, much even religious nonsense. People read these things and they assume that just my writing ‘like’ to a prayer, it means that they have prayed. Do not be deceived! Please take the Word of God seriously! More than bread for a hungry man and more than medicine for the sick, the Word of God is your life. My prayer today: “Holy Spirit help me to write, to encourage others and help them to read, believe and worship God! In Jesus name I pray, amen!”

I was born in Romania more than sixty 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 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 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 did not see a Bible. In January of the same year, I became very depressed. I saw nothing good in 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 14^th of March 1986. I said: “God, if You exist, then come down from heaven and change my heart. 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. 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 12^th of March, 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. 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!

“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility” (PV 18:12)

About nine weeks ago I fell and broke my ankle. I am now slowly learning to walk again. It has been a trying time for the flesh. But the spiritual lessons I learned in the fire are priceless. One thing is clear to me: God permitted this painful trial so that He can humble me. I cannot remain proud while walking with crutches. This is my testimony: when my foot got broken, my pride died too. In the past, I often preached against pride. I said that a proud man does not see himself as proud. I too did not see myself as proud. But, the heart is deceitful. God who knows all things knew that I was proud and needed deliverance. God chose this way to humble me. He is the Potter and I am the clay. God has the right to break and remold me, His vessel. I am grateful that God is interested in me. Pain or no pain, God treats me as His child and I can see that He remolds me for His glory and for my good. Hallelujah!

Look at the scripture above. It was written for me for such a time as this. In Hebrew, the word ‘destruction’ means affliction, hurt or pain because of a broken foot!!! It also means the pain of labor that brings forth children. The word ‘heart’ means the center of everything: the mind, feelings, understanding, wisdom and courage. The word ‘honor’ means the weight of God’s glory. This glory manifests as the power to prevail against any obstacle producing riches, fame and supernatural promotion. These are the marks of holy royalty, the seal of God’s true children. Humility means to become submissive, poor and depressed because of suffering. A humble man has destroyed the power of pride and rebellion.

This is the revelation of the scripture to me: God wants to honor and promote me. I am His child and His servant. He wants to manifest His glory in my life. But there was pride in my heart. That pride could have destroyed me when the promotion came. God had no option than to humble me. My heart needed to bow down in humility before the throne of God. No man could have humbled me. Only God can do this miracle of deliverance. So God allowed the devil to attack me and I fell. I broke my leg. This painful process humbled me ‘by force’. I am not talking of religious false humility, when you are proud because you are ‘humble’. I am talking about the deep work of the Holy Spirit in my heart that will last forever. God despises many things but He promised not to despise a broken humble and contrite heart. Like Jacob who fought with the Angel, he came out from that encounter walking with a limp. But his name was changed to become Israel, ‘Prince with God’. As an old man, he entered rest, leaning on his staff to worship God freely.

The way I see it, I am now positioned before God for a royal promotion that will bring glory to Him. My anointing and fruitfulness in ministry shall increase. This promotion is not stolen from anybody. It comes directly from heaven, from the God who kills and makes alive! If you pay the price for it, you shall have it too! ‘No wahala’ (Nigerian slang saying that there is no need to argue…). My enemies will have no other option than to give glory to God for my life. This is the royal way of the Cross. God promised to give ‘favor to the humble’ (Jam 4:6).

Dear children and friends, please rejoice with me! This favor I see is more than my mouth can tell. All glory and honor and riches and glory be to the Lamb who seats on the throne! Forever and ever, amen!

PRAISE REPORT

I just received this note from a daughter in Christ. She is a very committed Christian, happily married. She was sick for sometime. Her husband was out of job. They prayed and encouraged me all the time.
It is so sweet to hear good testimonies from our children, both natural and spiritual. Parents live to hear such reports. I told all my children that especially at this time of trial for me, the grace of God will increase upon them. I told them that, as a family, we don’t want to hear any bad news. My fracture is enough trial for all of us, for a long long time. Read my dear daughter’s note, tap from this anointing. and be blessed also!

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life… about your body … O you of little faith? For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Mt 6:25-34)

It is more than nine weeks since I fell and broke my ankle. The cast is off, thank God! I now need to learn how to walk (again). During this trying time I had learned so many lessons. This is one of them: I need to be totally free from worry, anxiety and the fear of the future. When I was healthy and strong I ignored these fears. But now, walking slowly with crutches, these worries try to come back, try to mock me and my faith. I know that Jesus commanded me not to worry about my life or about my body.  With all my heart I want to obey His Word. But these questions pushed themselves like bullies in my mind: ‘Will I ever walk well again? Will I be able to dance? Will this wicked pain leave me? Will I be healed completely?’ I know the scriptures. But to apply them now in my life, to my surprise, it is really hard. I say ‘hard’ but not impossible! I must remember that! I want my faith to increase, not to decrease and become ‘little faith’.  I hate to damage my faith….God forbid!

Why worry about tomorrow? As I study myself I discover that worry comes from losing control. In the flesh, we all want to control our lives. This is the power of sin. But control must be given to the Lord Jesus Christ thru prayer and surrender. He alone ‘is able to bring everything under His control’ (Phil 3:21; NIV). In Greek, the word ‘control’ means to subdue all rebellious things and bring them under His authority. All things is created by God and they have to submit and obey their Creator. That is why we say that ‘God is in control!’

Unfortunately, we are deceived to think that we are like God.  We foolishly desire that all things should submit to our authority. We get angry when people around us get stubborn or rebellious. We try to teach them to submit. When things get chaotic we panic for fear of losing control. We want that everybody and everything should bow their knees to us. That is the problem! That was my problem…

The truth is that I am not God. All things and all people do not need to submit to me. They should submit to the Lord Jesus Christ, but not to me. If they chose rebellion, I can only pray for them and let them go. When I lose friends, I should not panic. If people betray me I should remain calm knowing that God is God. I am not in control of their decisions. When I lose my physical strength, even for a little while I should not worry, for my body does not belong to me, but to the Lord. When I lose money, I should not fret, for I cannot control all the businesses of the world. I should still trust God! During this trial of health, I had to learn humility. I remember that God is God and me is me. Truth humbles the flesh. But truth is the best medicine to heal my anxious heart and even my broken ankle. And for that, I am grateful!

“Dear Heavenly Father, I totally surrender to You the desire to control my life. I am sorry for trying to imagine that I am God. I can never be God. Only You alone are God!  Thank You for the lessons of love and truth. Thank You for Your mercy and peace. I rest my soul in You. I receive my healing now. To You alone be all the glory, In Jesus name, amen!”

“Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,

When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,

I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,

For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me”

(Civilla D. Martin, 1905)

PRAISE REPORT

Today it is nine weeks since I fell and broke my ankle. For all this time I had to stay indoors. This Monday the doctor removed my cast. I now have to do physiotherapy, learning to walk again. This has been a most interesting journey. The fracture stopped me from walking, from going to church, from cooking and taking care of my husband and other things where I needed my physical strength. But the same fracture failed to break my spirit. The devil could not stop me doing these holy things: study of my Bible, praise and worship my God, prayer, intercession, writing my books, encouraging my husband in his ministry and encouraging my children (natural and spiritual) in their walk with the Lord!

I therefore conclude that the devil is a liar and a loser. He ‘tried’ his best and his worst and he failed! The more he attacks me, the more I am revived by the Lord! By the grace of God, in Christ, I am a champion and an overcomer! My faith has been purified in the fire and shines like gold. I feel happy! I feel strong! This is a good place to be!

This is a good lesson for all: Do not dwell on your loses! Look unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of your faith! God is your Provider! He will not stop being your Shepherd even when things go rough! The devil cannot stop Jesus to perform wonders in your life! Jesus Christ is still Lord over all!

“Count your blessings, name them one by one! And you shall be surprised at what the Lord has done!”