“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen 3:1)

You may experience spiritual attacks. The devil will attack you, to destroy your testimony. Stand firm in your faith as a child of God. Resist him and he shall flee from you! Your testimony as a believer is more precious than silver and gold. Read Genesis chapter three and see how sin entered that beautiful garden and into the innocent hearts.

Satan comes and attacks you like this:

*DOUBT: he will question your faith in the Word of God, trying to inject doubt in your spirit… “Did God say…?’

*LIES: he will give you false hopes…’you shall not die’…But he is a liar. He gives the false impression that he has authority over death. Only Jesus has the keys of life and death!

*PRIDE: he tries to bring pride…’you shall be like God’

*FAILURE: he will give ideas that will fail you; false covering …’leaves to cover your shame’

*FEAR: He will attack you with fear…Adam and Eve hide behind the trees

The chapter stars with Satan asking questions. Then God comes into the scenes and asks: Adam where are you?

Be careful with the questions you listen to! The fall of Adam and Eve has affected all humanity since then. You and I are born sinners and we need a personal Savior. The only way to be free from the curse of sin is thru faith in Jesus Christ! Give your life to Christ! That is the best decision you will ever make!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8)
We had a wonderful service. We praised God and we prayed. We broke all chains of bondage, of limitations around our ankles (that we may walk and make progress); around our waist, that we may be fruitful; around our chest that we may breathe, around our head, that we may see, hear and think with the mind of Christ. We heard the chains falling down. The chains are broken! We tasted of His freedom. We became free. All glory to God!us Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8)
We had a wonderful service. We praised God and we prayed. We broke all chains of bondage, of limitations around our ankles (that we may walk and make progress); around our waist, that we may be fruitful; around our chest that we may breathe, around our head, that we may see, hear and think with the mind of Christ. We heard the chains falling down. The chains are broken! We tasted of His freedom. We became free. All glory to God!
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8)
We had a wonderful service. We praised God and we prayed. We broke all chains of bondage, of limitations around our ankles (that we may walk and make progress); around our waist, that we may be fruitful; around our chest that we may breathe, around our head, that we may see, hear and think with the mind of Christ. We heard the chains falling down. The chains are broken! We tasted of His freedom. We became free. All glory to God!

We are getting ready to move to our new sanctuary. This is a time of transition. We need God more than ever! Next week there shall be daily fasting and prayers in our church. Please, fast from solid food and drink only water or fruit juice. The fast starts daily by 6am. The fast ends with daily prayers at 6 pm. If you are nursing a baby or you are not able to do like this, I advise you to still join us to fast until 12 or 3 pm. Do it!  We expect great things!

We shall do this spiritual exercise as individuals, as families and as a church. We pray that the transition to the new facility will be easy. The Holy Spirit will lead and empower us! There shall be no loss, no accidents!  We pray for revival! We pray that the Holy Spirit revives our hearts, our families and our church. Out of that overflow, there shall be revival in the city of Warri and from here, unto the nations. We pray that God will draw people to Christ to be saved. We pray that the Holy Spirit will ignite the hearts of the believers to volunteer in different ministries, to glorify God and humbly serve men. We pray for more gifts of the Holy Spirit in our midst!

But more importantly, we desire to come boldly to the throne of grace and to fill heaven and earth with praise and worship. We declare the Jesus is beautiful! We declare that we are excited about God who is already moving in our midst. We pray for healing, deliverance and financial breakthrough! We pray that there shall be no more sickness in our midst! We pray for open doors, for good work opportunities for all, and especially for the believers. We pray that we shall move aggressively towards God’s plan and purpose in our lives. We pray that we remain humble and sensitive to the Holy Spirit even in the midst of prosperity!

We are praying for spiritual increase, maturity, fruitfulness, faithfulness and opportunities to serve God in different ministries! We pray for an increase in our hunger and thirst for the Word of God! We pray for MORE of Jesus in our lives! We pray that we shall be filled with the Holy Spirit and the righteousness of Christ! We are praying that the cross will work in our hearts and kill the flesh! We pray that our emotions will be stable and holy. We are praying for God to birth dreams in us, to revive our youth like the eagles.

We pray for financial breakthroughs, what to do in the future, what businesses to start, to have new ideas. We pray that God’s plan for us become clearer. We pray for miracles in our midst, the peculiar work of the Holy Spirt, for gifts money cannot buy and men cannot give or take away from us. We pray for peace and joy in our lives! We pray the singles marry well and happily!

We are praying for our marriages, for increase in our love for one another, se husbands and wives. That our homes will be godly homes and all who come in shall see Jesus! We pray for a greater desire to draw closer to God as couples. We are praying for our children, that they grow in God’s grace and secure in His love. We pray that they experience the anointing of the Holy Spirit even at this young age; that they love Jesus and choose to serve Jesus for the rest of their lives. We pray for their bodies, for mental and emotional health, for God’s provision for them. We are praying for God’s perfect will to be done in their lives!

Overall, we want to lift the name of Jesus high. We pray to be Jesus chasers with every part of who we are, to passionately desire to worship Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord!  God bless Father’s House Bible Church Warri Nigeria! Let the worship rise…

This is the Word of God for them who fast and pray: There shall be healings, protection, answered prayers, fresh testimonies, guidance; supernatural strength, satisfaction and joy!  To the glory of God! In Jesus name, amen!

“Your light shall break forth like the morning,

Your healing shall spring forth speedily,

And your righteousness shall go before you;

The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am….

Your light shall shine in the darkness,

And your darkness shall be as the noonday.

The Lord will guide you continually,

And satisfy your soul in drought,

And strengthen your bones;

You shall be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail” (Is 58:8-11)

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13)

This is the very first scripture I even read from the Bible in 1986. It was on a tract someone gave to me. I never forget how the fear of God came upon me just by reading this word. I forgot that I have a heart until I read it.

This is the promise of God to His people in Babylon. This is the same promise of God to the backsliders. For God to say that we shall seek Him, it means that we can ‘lose’ Him. God can be ‘lost’. I do not mean that God can be totally lost, but He can be lost to you. You can grieve the Holy Spirit. Joseph and Mary left Jesus behind. They ‘lost’ God for few days and they did not even know it. They took it for granted that Jesus was with them when he was not. As a child of God, you cannot your lose your salvation, but you can lose the joy of your salvation and the sweet fellowship with the Holy Spirit. That is great loss! Backslider, come back!

How do you know that you have lost God, that you have grieved the Holy Spirit? When the hunger for the Word decreases; when the desire to pray is quenched; when going to church is a burden and not a joy; when serving God and men is hard to you; when paying your tithes seems like another trouble; when you have lost the spiritual impact on people around you. You have lost God when love is hard and quarrel is easy. Child of God, you have grieved the Holy Spirit when you make mistake upon mistake, when you become foolish, when you fear the future and have no peace.

What do you do when you discover that these things are true to you? The first thing to do is to stop the going down! Shout the name of Jesus! Be desperate for a restoration! Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you seek God! You shall seek God like He is your very life, your next breath, your last drop of blood. You seek God until you find Him again. Seek God with all your heart. All other things and people can wait. Finding God is always your priority! Jesus is your best friend forever. None can replace Jesus in your life! Holy Spirit please come and fill me afresh! In Jesus name, amen!

THEREFORE I SHALL PROSPER!
“As long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper” (2Chr 26:5)
Right now I exit the long boring and troublesome road of ordinary life traffic, of poverty, and I direct my life towards the wonderful blessed prosperity found in Christ alone! Follow me as I follow Christ! I am excited this morning! Great things will happen to me! In Jesus name, amen!

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple” (Is 6:1)

For the past two months three top traditional rulers died in Nigeria. God is speaking to us. We are praying for revival. This evening we came to God’s presence seeking God. There are great lessons found in Isaiah six.

Isaiah six is a reminder that God is the Living God. We rejected the evil spirit of religion that tells us that coming to church means nothing God. Here we see the prophet Isaiah’s re-commission. He was already a prophet. In chapter six we see that he has an encounter with the Living God. This vision happened in the year that King Uzziah died. That was about 740bc. The heavens opened. The first thing he saw was the Lord Jesus Christ seated on the throne. He did not see the streets of gold or other things in heaven. Just like John, the first thing he saw was the Lamb upon the throne. No man has seen God the Father (Jn 1:18). The train of God’s robe filled the temple. The size of the robe signifies the majesty of the king.

He then saw seraphim above the throne. These are fiery angels. Each had six wings. These are strange heavenly creatures. The first pair of wings was to cover their faces. This is to show respect for God. It also shows the fear of God manifested in heaven for ‘no man can see God and live’ (Ex 33:20). The second pair of wings was to cover their bodies. This shows humility for no one should be seen except God. The third pair of wings is used for flying. Maybe they look like hummingbirds flying in the air. They look active and excited to serve God. There is no laziness and no sadness around the throne. The seraphim worship God, calling one to another “Holy! Holy! Holy!” It is interesting that they did not worship God saying “Merciful! Merciful! Merciful! or Loving! Loving! Loving!”

Holiness is the most important attribute of God. It means to be pure, different, unique, hating sin and totally separated from His creation. The three times calling ‘Holy’ refers to the trinity. The voice of the angels shakes the foundation of the building and even Isaiah’s soul. Immediately he sees himself as he is, a sinner saved by grace. Truth humbles the prophet. ‘Woe to me’ means ‘I am not God’. It means ‘I am dead’. God sends one of the angels with a live coal taken from the altar of incense to cleanse the lips of Isaiah and to purge his sin. This is a symbol of the work of Jesus Christ, for only Him can forgive sins. Forgiven and free, Isaiah offers himself as a living sacrifice to go and preach the Gospel of the One seated on the throne. This is an act of worship (Rom 12:1).

Isaiah said ‘I saw the Lord’. The Hebrew word is Adonai. This is one of God’s names. In Hebrew it means to rule, the sovereign Controller of the universe, the Lord, the Owner or the Master of slaves. As a slave, Isaiah surrenders to his Master and is ready to be sent to work for Him. Later he says that he saw The Lord of Hosts. In Hebrew it means Jehovah Sabaoth. In Hebrew, Jehovah means I AM, the self-existing God, the God of the covenant and of Israel. The word Sabaoth means a great army ready for battle, for hardship or worship.

There is a similar picture in Revelation chapter 4. John sees the Lamb upon the throne. There is worship around the throne. The elders surrender their crowns, the rewards they received in heaven for work done on earth. No one approaches the throne casually. No man enters the presence of God giggling. No one comes before the throne and gives a ‘high five’ to Jesus! The fear of God is all around the throne.  May the fear of God fall on us today!

PRAISE REPORT

I received a letter from a sister in Christ. She was attending Father ‘s House Bible Church here in Warri, Nigeria. She has moved with her husband to America. They attend a legalistic church. In that church they do not believe in the Holy aspiring or the gifts of the Spirit. This church was her husband’s choice. She has been praying for a move of the Spirit both in their lives and in that church. Last Sunday, the miracle happened. Read and let your faith increase. God hears the prayers of a His children! May the Holy Spirit refresh you today!

“Dear Malia,
I wanted to share what happened last Sunday morning at our church. My husband and I were seated in church, on this particular Sunday the assistant Pastor preached. As we worshiped and praised God the atmosphere in the church changed, at least my spirit was heightened with expectation. as usual. The Pastor invited the Spirit. Oh yeah, the title of his sermon was ‘no words spoken’ taken from the scriptures about the woman who came to the place where Jesus was at diner in the house of the pharisee, ‘the Alabaster Box’. As the sermon was preached, suddenly, the Pastor closed his i pad and began to move in the anointing of the Spirit, the whole church was electrified. I stood up and started to praise God. I was not the only one, there were many, but not all. Then the Pastor did something never done at the church since I have been coming. He invited those who want to accept the gift of salvation to raise hands and then to stand. Well, the Pastor called all who wanted to be touched, those who needed healing, anyone who felt the call of God on their lives… he just kept saying ‘no words spoken’. At first no one came, the whole church was uncannily silent. Then all of a sudden a young man from the back of the church came running to the altar ( the sanctuary ). He was broken and crying out as he bowed at the altar. Well, then another ran down, then another, then another, and another until there was no more room to stand at the altar. I was not alone in my rejoicing and shouting of praises to the glory of God, we were many, but not all.
As people tried to come to the altar, the ushers held them back, the space at the alter is so small, one could not even kneel in front of your seats or in the aisle.
i could not get to the altar, but the anointing flowed to those who were in His presence, many, but not all. Then the Pastor started singing and praising God. He was brought to tears, sincere tears! He said that before he came to deliver his sermon that morning, that He would be used in a different way in this service.

Would you believe that some were seated and never seemed to know His presence? I thank God for the Holy Spirit! I thank God that I know Him! I thank God that I was taught the truth! At the end of the service the Pastor led all that had come to salvation to Christ! Then he sang, ‘ I surrender’. I believe that revival starts within each person and then it spreads only if our hearts and spirits receive the anointing. This was a touch that I will never forget. There is more, but I have said a lot for now.
Please, give my sincere greeting to the brethren there. When are you moving to the new sanctuary?

Let me end by saying that i am grateful for the teaching and the anointing that i received at Father’s House Bible Church Warri, Nigeria! I ALWAYS CARRY IT AS TREASURE IN MY HEART. To God be the glory!
Love in Him…”

“This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you” (2Kg 20:5)
Have faith, not in yourself, but in God! This sickness is not here to stay. It must go away! I join my faith with yours to pray for you today! Our eyes are on Jesus waiting for the healing to come. We have no other God and no other hope than Jesus Christ. It does not matter how big your sickness is. Jesus is greater than that! He has helped you in the past. He is forever faithful. God never changes! He will help you now. He can never fail. This trial will end in tears, not of sorrow but of sudden rushing joy! You will have a great testimony to share, to encourage others, to the glory of God! At the hearing of the name of Jesus, all things bow! Even your sickness! Be healed, in Jesus name, amen!

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Rom 12:18)

Peace is more than the absence of war. Peace is internal. It is the blessed state of your soul when you are quiet and emotionally stable. You are free from the attack of wild emotions, oppressive lustful thoughts, depressive feelings and negative self- manipulations. Peace is not found in religion. It is not found among men. Peace is found only in a personal relationship with God thru Jesus Christ. Jesus gives His own peace to His children. It is a royal gift and seal from the Prince of peace.

First of all you need to make peace with God. That is the beginning of your testimony. Then you make peace with yourself. Lastly you make peace with others and with your environment. The children of God are called ‘peace makers’ (Mt 5:9). To be called a child of God you must receive Christ in your heart as your Savior and as your Lord. Then you have peace with God. The Holy Spirit will witness to that peace.

But here there is a problem. Few believers go ahead and make peace with themselves. They continue the war against themselves. Take note: For as long as you quarrel and argue with yourself, you shall have no peace. For as long as you criticize and daily judge yourself, you shall have no peace. For as long as you raise the standard too high to yourself, you shall have no peace! For as long as you enjoy fighting yourself, stirring unnecessary emotional dust, you shall have no peace. For as long as you refuse to settle with yourself you shall have no peace! When you continue to see yourself as your own enemy, as your god or as your judge, you shall have no peace. All inferiority complexes come from fighting within that creates internal divisions. Un-forgiveness is a curse and poisons the soul. How can there be peace?  Life will be hard and trouble will follow.

Child of God, there is a solution! Go to Jesus Christ who will deliver you! Take a moment and think about yourself! Why are you so easily upset? Why do men so easily provoke you? Read the Word of God! Make peace! Love peace! Raise the white flag of peace to your own soul. Settle with yourself! Forgive yourself! Accept yourself! Love yourself! Be your own best friend! This peace is possible! This peace depends on you! Why not do it today?

“He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper… So his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong” (2Chr 26:5, 15)

This is the story of King Uzziah. He started well and but he ended badly. God prospered him but he became proud and fell from that position of grace. He died a leprous man, isolated from God and man. In this letter, we are concerned with the way he became strong, wealthy and famous. The principles he applied to become prosperous are eternal and can be applied even today. Just keep in mind that you need to remain humble even when you become financially blessed. Then you shall be safe.

The general spiritual principle to become prosperous revealed in the Bible is this: Seek God first and all good things shall be added to you (Mt 6:33). What does it mean to seek God? In Hebrew, the word ‘seek’ means to actively inquire, to diligently search for something valuable as if it is lost. It means to ask questions until you find the way to the precious treasure. This seeking does not stop until you find God, until you have an encounter with the Living God. That is possible only in Christ Jesus and with the aid of the Holy Spirit.

It is interesting to know that King Uzziah sought God ‘in the days of Zachariah’ who was a prophet and also his teacher and his mentor. To seek God is a decision you make. Then you pay the price to seek God. The basic things you need to do is to study the Bible and to pray. You need to practically apply your knowledge of the Word of God in your daily life. Another thing you should do is to attend a good living church. It helps if you know a true servant of God who can mentor you along the way, who can cover you with prayers as you mature spiritually. Learn from the mistakes of others. King Uzziah became proud only after the death of Zechariah. Nobody dared to correct him when he was wrong. You need to submit to a spiritually mature servant of God who has the right to correct you when you need that ministry. My husband who is also my pastor has corrected me many times. It is not easy to be rebuked for wrong doing. But it is necessary. God bless and reward him for that difficult ministry from which I profited a lot!

Believe God’s promise: If you seek God you shall prosper! This is the ancient holy and proven recipe to true success in life. In Hebrew, the word ‘success’ it means to be able to move on in life, to experience spiritual and financial breakthroughs and to be profitable. Success is the enemy of failure and stagnancy. The result is that your light will start to shine. Your fame and the area of your authority will spread giving you a platform to give God all the glory for your success.

This is another promise: If you seek God, He will help you ‘marvelously’. This is a supernatural miraculous help to protect you in the midst of your success. It is not easy to be wealthy. God will surround you as a shield and none of your enemies will be able to destroy you. God will use you to proclaim His grace and power and His love to men on earth. God will use you to increase His Kingdom and to be a blessing to many. Your eternal reward will be even greater than your finances on earth. Your testimony is sure and sealed by God.

May these words impact your spirit today! May you trust and obey God! May the blessings of Christ be your portion to you and to your family! In Jesus name, amen!

This is a picture of our daughter Jemine’s phone. She took it while in her office. She missed her baby and face-timed him. He knows his mummy alright. I hope you are happy to see them. the glory of of God is on both of them. 

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1Cor 10:31)
Many people are interested to know: what is the secret of our success, as individual believers, as a couple and as a church? They ask questions… One of the most important keys we have used to open the door of holy success is the genuine desire to give God Almighty all the glory for everything. In a way, we are ‘addicted’ to this way of thinking: we want God to be happy with us, to take pleasure in the things we do in His name and to put a smile on His lovely face. We really believe that God is interested in our lives. We truly believe that God looks down from heaven and sees us trying our best to make Him happy. This faith may look foolish to many but it is pure power that works and changes things. It has now become a part of us. We walk in this faith! We apply it daily! And it works for us!

“But as for me and my house, we will serve The Lord” (Josh 14:15)

After three weeks of wonderful vacation we are back home. Someone asked me: ‘are you happy to go back home?’ The question may be necessary because the vacation was spent in America and my home is in Nigeria. Outwardly, the difference is great. America is beautiful! Coming home means facing the many challenges of life we meet daily in Africa. But still, home is home.

“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Heb 13:4-6)

Each time we come back to Nigeria, we have to fill an ‘immigration entry form’. This is one of the questions: ‘what is your occupation?’ In the past I write ‘medical doctor’. For some years I wrote ‘clergy or pastor’. My husband writes the same on his form. Being a doctor of a pastor correctly describes both of us. But this time, when we came back from vacation, I decided to change my ‘occupation’. I decided to write something different than what my husband wrote. Suddenly I felt a new excitement to write ‘Niger-wife – accompany husband’. The truth is that in the past, I thought that being a doctor or a pastor is a higher calling than being a wife. I tried to impress the officials, to make it easier for myself. But on Sunday, I introduced myself to the Nigerian immigration as ‘a wife’. To my surprise, this made things easier for me. The officials greeted me better than in the past. They ‘hailed’ me as ‘our wife, welcome!’ They did not ask any other questions. Two days ago I discovered that marriage is a stronger ‘visa’ than being a doctor or a clergy. This is wonderful to me!

The Bible says that marriage is ‘honorable’. The word means to have great value, to be costly and precious. The married people will be rewarded with a greater reputation than the singles. But be careful: A successful marriage is not easy and it is not cheap. There is a great price to pay for its success. It takes a full time dedication and sacrifice to make it work. Marriage is ‘honorable’ because it is God’s idea. It is the special holy union between a man and a woman. The marital bed cannot contain three persons. The homosexuals and the adulterers try to make marriage cheap. Sexual sins are not quickly judged by human courts. But have to doubt, God will judge them! Never envy a fornicator! Without repentance, his future will be cut off!

Now I speak as a wife. Marriage is a great place to learn wisdom, love, patience and contentment. To be content it means to be mentally and emotionally satisfied with things as they are, in particular, with what my husband is able to provide for me, materially and spiritually. To be content I must repent of the sin of greed, pride and impatience. I have to repent of the desire to be wealthy by myself, to leave my husband behind, socially and spiritually. For example, if my husband says: ‘My wife, we have such an amount in the bank, but I do not want us to spend this money now because we may needed it later for something else…’ Let’s say I wanted to buy a new dress. As a wife I need to pray for the grace to submit to such restrain especially when I have ‘my own money’ to spend as I please. Not to buy that dress is hard. I have to let go and imagine my life without that dress. Not to spend money when I have money, that is hard. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to reject the natural impulse of buying things when I can afford them, just to keep the unity of the Spirit in the home. In times like these I need the Lord as ‘my Helper’. I need the Lord to give me peace when I cannot buy the things I want, just to keep peace in the home. I need the Holy Spirit to keep me contended just by His presence with me. How many times I said in my heart: The Lord is my Sheppard, I shall not want’. For Christ sake I need to learn to avoid trouble, division and quarrels especially because of money.

If you are married, I encourage you to raise the honor, the value and the price of your marriage! Invite God in all things. Study the Bible and pray about all things. These include health, sex, money, ministry and rising children. Do all things to the glory of God. If you are single, then you do not understand the travails of marriage. Nevertheless, I pray for you to marry, and marry well!

This is hard work, to pay the price to make marriage honorable and successful. That is how I became free from the fear of man, especially of my husband as my authority under God. The devil has lost in my life and in my marriage! I am free from the accusation to be a rebellious, forward, foolish and selfish wife. By the grace of God I became a godly wife who has paid the price to honor my marriage! This is my ‘bold’ testimony! By the grace of God, on Sunday, I entered Nigeria as the wife of a wonderful man called Richmond Sisan Leigh. I suspect that God will use me and will anoint me more than ever before to preach about marriage in the days to come. God will help me! The Lord Jesus Christ has promised never to leave me or forsake me! In Christ I declare: in Romania, America or Nigeria, in my home and outside my home, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father!

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress” (Jam 1:27)

About four months ago a brother in Christ in our church died. I wrote about him in one of the posts. He was in his forties. He left behind a wife and four children. The first two have just gained entrance into the university. The wife is a teacher and a true woman of God. She came today to see me shaking with joy. I have not seen her so happy since her dear husband died. She said that last Sunday, a couple from our church called her and told her they will be responsible for the school fees of her four children from the primary school until they finish their university. She said that they want to do it quietly. But she could not keep such a blessed secret and she came to tell me about their generous gift ‘to give God the glory’. I told her that she and her children are blessed. I also told her that the godly couple who quietly decided to help is blessed.

PRAISE REPORT

Jesus Christ says: “I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me” (Mt 25:36)

Last Friday, our church went to do ministry at the Warri Okere Prisons. All the male prisoners were gathered in their open hall and waiting. There is a great revival going on there. Pastor Leigh preached a message of salvation. He told them that God arrested them to talk to them. That it is better to be in prison and become saved by Jesus Christ, than to be ‘free’ walking in the town and maybe killed by police. At the end Pastor gave an altar call and many came forward to give their lives to Christ. They prayed and prayed with loud voices and tears. Their ‘prison pastor’ brought a plate for offerings. My husband and our church members were surprised to see that the prisoners had money and gave offerings. (The money was for their prison pastor and his ministry and not for our church.)

The next day, the prison pastor called to say that one of our church members forgot his Bible there. The prisoners found it and returned it to him. Inside the Bible they found 700 Naira. They gave the Bible and the money to their prison pastor. This is a miracle. They could have stolen the Bible and the money but they did not.

God bless the prisoners in Okere Prison Warri, especially the ones who are children of God!

To God be all the glory! In Jesus name, amen!

“A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much… I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak” (PV 20:19; Mt 12:36)

Gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about the private affairs of others. It is the work of the devil, a form of spiritual attack. The Hebrew word is defined as “one who reveals secrets, one who goes about as a talebearer or scandal-monger.” A gossiper is a person who has privileged information about people and proceeds to reveal that information to those who have no business knowing it. Gossip is more than just sharing information. The intent of the gossipers is evil! Their desire is to build themselves up by making others look bad; by exalting themselves to be like God, as the source of all knowledge and secrets. Gossipers speak of the faults of others, revealing potentially embarrassing details about the lives of others without their knowledge or approval.

In the book of Romans, Paul reveals the sinful nature of mankind, stating how God poured out His wrath on those who rejected His laws. Because of that He gave them over to their sinful natures. The terrible list of sins includes gossips and slanderers (Romans 1:29-32). We see from this passage how serious the sin of gossip is and that it characterizes those who are under God’s wrath. Men and women practice gossip. But the single or divorced women and also young widows have a higher tendency to gossip because they have more time to spend with one another and learn to talk too much. This is how they bring God’s judgment on themselves (1Tim 5:13).

Gossip is a very dangerous activity. It is a slow poison poured in the midst of families and church. Gossip may look like innocent entertainment but it is sin and God hates it! Because gossip is ‘sweet’ it becomes more addictive that heroin. Demons take control over the heart and the tongue. The character of the persons practicing gossip changes radically. They become trouble makers, liars, boasters, proud and lazy. Gossips need deliverance in the name of Jesus! (PV 18:8). The gossips become traitors, home-breakers, deeply hurting many (PV 11:13; 12:18; 20:19). The gossips ignite quarrels and divisions. They destroy friendships and can lead couples to divorce (PV 16:28; 26:20). The gossips are cowards, untrustworthy and rebellious people. They reject God’s law that says ‘love your neighbor as yourself’.  In fact, they hate their neighbors unto death. God is watching and we are to pay for every careless word we speak! “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the LORD” (Lev 19:16; NLT)

What is the solution? Hope and healing is found in Christ alone! If you are a gossip, repent of the sin and turn away from it. Come to Jesus! Stop this wicked, restless and reckless way of life. Settle down! Learn to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life! If you are not a gossip but you have friends who practice this sin, then separate immediately from them. Do not associate with them so that they may feel ashamed of their conduct. The Holy Spirit will convict them of sin and He will vindicate your choice to withdraw from them. In this way, you avoid evil and you cut off the possibility of hurting your emotions, your marriage and your children (1Thess 3:6-15)! God will help you!

“Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer” (Dan 10:23)

Intercession is a blessed work. The greatest favor and love you can show to someone is to pray for him or her. The devil hates it! But keep on praying! When you pray for someone, learn to keep your eyes on Jesus! Stay focused! Be patient, loving and faithful! The devil attacks with doubts and distractions. Do not get lost in details. Persevere in prayer and you shall be rewarded with God’s presence and a testimony.

The following examples are taken from my ministry as a wife and as a pastor. These are to encourage you to persevere in prayer. The first example: your husband is passive spiritually. You pray for him to be a man of God. Then one day he buys a religious book that is not a Christian book. Or he starts praying in a way that is not good, or he wants to attend a ‘dead’ church.  Do not panic! Encourage him in his efforts. After many ups and downs he will arrive at Jesus and become born again. The second example: your husband is not loving or romantic but you want him to be. You pray for him! One day he invites you to the wrong restaurant or buys for you a gift you hate, trying to be romantic. Do not complain! Encourage him. It takes great effort to improve in life. This is the third example: your husband is lazy and you pray that he will become more responsible. He needs to work so that he can provide for the home. Suddenly, he accepts a wrong job (according to you). Do not be discouraged! God is working in mysterious ways! He may have to learn from a wrong job with a wicked boss.  But the wrong job will force him to wake up in the morning and go to work. That is already a gain. It may be a little gain, but the little gain will increase when God is inside.

These are just few examples to increase your faith and patience. Trust God that once you start praying, an answer shall be released in your favor. The devil will try to stop the work of God but he will surely fail! Do not be afraid! The answer to your prayer has come! God can never lose! Be ready for a great testimony!

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:  looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears” (Heb 12:14, 15; LBT)

The root is the underground (invisible) part of a plant. Roots make up around one-third of the total dry weight of a plant. These are the main functions of the roots:

*To anchor and support plants

*To absorb and conduct water and minerals to the leaves and the fruits

*To store products of photosynthesis (carbohydrates, sugars, proteins)

*For winter survival of perennials

It is difficult to predict the root spread of any plant.  Under favorable growing conditions, the typical root spreads very fast. For example, I read that the total length of root tissues in a single rye plant is around 380 miles!

Bitterness is the result of a past painful injury that has not been healed. It comes from broken promises, lost dreams, proud and unrealistic expectations, childhood neglect or sexual abuse. Bitterness starts with blaming God for the pain. Its root is in rejecting Christ crucified, the only mediator between God and man. Bitterness is lack of peace between God and man. God chastises His people. That is He loving work as a Father. We should be grateful for His corrections. Jonah was angry with God. He eventually repented when rebuked by Him. Absalom was angry with his father and brother but he never repented and died a bitter rebellious man. What a loss…

The work of the Holy Spirit is to create the peculiar loving bond between the believers which is the unity of the Spirit. Bitterness destroys this holy bond of peace and love. Bitterness is a major source of divisions in the churches, quarrels and divorces even among the believers.

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

As much as it is in my power, I shall pursue peace with all people!

I repent and reject all forms of quarrel, division, slander and jealousy!

I pay the price for holiness for I desire to see the Lord Jesus Christ!

I humble myself so that God’s grace, God’s favor may increase on my life!

I repent and uproot any root of bitterness! I have no regrets!

I am deeply grateful for what God has done and what He does in my life!

The deep root of bitterness has been replaced with the deep root of gratitude and peace!

The new root of peace shall be fruitful in my life!

I am a peace-maker!

I separate myself from any loser who lives in habitual sexual sin and idolatry like Esau!

I vow to immediately repent from any sin the Holy Spirit reveals to me!

I vow to give God all the glory for all good things in my life!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” (Eph 5:13, 14)

From time to time I meet believers who are under demonic spells. They need help and deliverance. But mostly they need to hear the truth and wake up from the bewitching slumber. Truth is like cold water in the morning. It is not pleasant but it will do you good! The normal adult needs eight hours of sleep daily to stay healthy. Many have difficulty waking up early in the morning. These are some of the causes: you do not sleep enough; you drink too much coffee or tea in the evenings; you hate the things you do in the mornings; depression and other sicknesses.

What can you do to wake up easier in the morning? You need to get up from the bed immediately you hear the alarm. The longer you stay in bed, the greater the temptation to fall back to sleep. Do not worship sleep! Go to the bathroom and take a (cold) shower. Put on the light. Sleep hates the light but you need to wake up! You also need a good plan for the mornings, something to make you happy. For example, do you remember, as a child, if you have a bad teacher you will not like to wake up to go to school? But if in the morning you plan to go on vacation, you will wake up early, quickly and excited. Spiritually it is the same. The devil brings negative thoughts, fears and depression. These are spiritual arrows and attacks. Sleep is like a drug. That is why going to sleep you will not like to wake up, so that you do not have to face these terrible thoughts.

Sleep in the natural is the same as spiritual slumber. If an evil person places a spell on you, your spirit just goes to sleep. You become like the ‘sleeping beauty’. The mind, the spirit becomes dull and passive. This may be the result of demonic attack. Lack of vision or fears of tomorrow, these are common reasons why you will not like to wake up from the spiritual slumber. It is like you close your eyes hoping the tragedy or the pain will go away. But you need to wake up and stand to fight the battle to free your soul! Do not hide behind food or sleep. It is your duty to do spiritual warfare. Child of God, I encourage you! Stand up! Take the whole armor of God and fight back! May your body soul and spirit wake up and shine for all to see Christ on you! Pray in the Spirit! Pray in your language! But wake up and pray! Pray to be like God who does not sleep or slumbers! God will glorify Himself in you! This is a new season! You cannot afford to be sleepy, lazy or weak!  God loves you!   God will help you! I trust God for you!