Virtuous Living

The Rapture of the Church

Signs of the End of the age

Mathew 24:4-39, ; 36-44( No one knows)

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Scoffers

In 2 Peter 3:3-4, Peter says, “Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep…”—or literally “died”—“…all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’”

So they were saying, “There’s no ‘coming again’ of the Lord! It hasn’t happened yet. It won’t happen in the future.” They were mocking the concept or the doctrine of the return of Jesus Christ.

There will also be mockers in the last days, and those mockers have arrived.

As Christians, we believe in
1. the Incarnation, that God became a man in Christ;
2. we believe in the Crucifixion, that Jesus died on the Cross for our sins;
3. we believe in the Resurrection, that Jesus rose victoriously and bodily from the grave;
4. we believe in the Ascension, that Christ ascended back into heaven;
5. and we believe in the exaltation, that Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father.

But that’s not the end of the story; 6. we also believe in the return of Jesus Christ. He is coming again.

We focus so much on His birth and on His death and on His Resurrection, but we forget that He is ascended, exalted and will come again.

Jesus promised to come again.

In John 14:2-3, Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

I believe His promise. Jesus always keeps His promises. If He promised He is preparing a place and He promised that He would come to “receive” us, I believe that’s a revelation of the rapture of the church.

He said that He will take us to His “Father’s house,” and I believe His promise will be fulfilled.

When was the last time you thought about Jesus return? Are you prepared for it? Should the rapture occur today, where will your soul be headed?

Kindly watch the video below and be reminded of what signs the Bible warns about as we await our Saviour’s return. He is coming again!

Glory Hallelujah!!!

Rev. Ron

Buried Treasure

“The ones that play a major role in old tales of magic, spells, and adventure can be understood as “hoardes” or “troves” from earlier eras, buried or hidden at a time of danger but then never retrieved by those who had left them behind. It was believed that they offered a relatively easy way to get rich– if one knew a few magic words and were willing to brave the curses attached to the treasures… Viewed rationally, the search for buried gold had little prospect of success; the basis for legendary quests may lie in symbolic traditions of late antiquity, like Gnostic doctrine, in which treasures stood for specific attainments sought on the path to knowledge. Guardians block access to these inner treasures and can be commanded only by those who possess secret passwords and geometrical symbols…” (Biederman, 350).

“The search for treasure has a twofold symbolism: either the search is for earthly treasure, such as gold or jewels, usually hidden in a cave or underground, the finding of which brings trials and tribulations and, where greed is the motive, leads to final disaster, or the search is for spiritual treasure, symbolizing esoteric knowledge or enlightenment, the search for the Center, for lost Paradise, the Grail etc… and the goal is guarded by monsters or dragons; this represents man’s quest for, and discovery of, his own true nature” (Cooper, 176).

In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus contrasted what he called treasures on earth and treasures in heaven. Treasures on earth are evanescent and corruptible, whereas treasures in heaven will never pass away or suffer corrosion.

““God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. “Or, God’s kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for exquisite pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.”Matthew 13:44-46 MSG

Thus, God likens hidden treasure to a collection of interwoven things: Understanding, wisdom, the fear of God, knowledge of God, and God’s Word, all of which are positive and powerful factors in living God’s way of life. These are all things God must give, and they are hidden until He gives them.

“When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,” Proverbs 2:10-11 NKJV

From the opening paragraphs we see perspectives on ancient treasure hunting and how people were keen to discover treasure they heard about through tales and folklore even if they had no direct connection to owning same. You may have also heard about pirates and their quest for treasure on the high seas. They literally risk their lives just to capture valuables to enrich their lives.

The kinds of research that men are willing to embark on just to find “supposed“ hidden treasure is utterly amazing. We have certain people whose whole lives are devoted to prospecting distant lands in the hopes of discovering gold and other precious stones. They invest in heavy equipment, deprive themselves of everyday luxuries and travel far and wide to satisfy this curiosity with so much zeal and passion. There are certain shows where people have invested for instance to discover the millions hidden by the famous Pablo Escobar. These expeditions are heavily funded by rich sponsors who may have some personal interest in the results and findings thereof. Are we as christians willing to dig deep into the word of God to discover what he has said, who He is and what he actually has in store for us? Would we go the extra mile to search for the treasures of His kingdom? How zealously affected are you for the Lord?

“But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 AMP

The scripture above refers to the good news of God’s word as treasure in earthen vessels (being us-human frailty-children of God- christians). This reveals what great a mandate we have as believers to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ through our lifestyles and intentionally winning souls. It is imperative that we dig deep to discover what potential God had placed in us and how we can we exploit them to propel His kingdom. However our aim is not to make a name for ourselves but to be tools and vessels that ultimately portray the power and efficacy of His sacrifice for mankind.

“When Jesus finished telling these stories, he left there, returned to his hometown, and gave a lecture in the meetinghouse. He stole the show, impressing everyone. “We had no idea he was this good!” they said. “How did he get so wise, get such ability?” But in the next breath they were cutting him down: “We’ve known him since he was a kid; he’s the carpenter’s son. We know his mother, Mary. We know his brothers James and Joseph, Simon and Judas. All his sisters live here. Who does he think he is?” They got all bent out of shape.” Matthew 13:53-57 MSG

Familiarity breeds in the hearts of many who subconsciously give off the “I grew up in the church attitude”. Working in church corporate offices and being overly familiar with the administrative aspects of running the church account for this blunder. They gradually relegate the crux of service in God’s house to the back bench. They come to church as a job to earn a living and no longer as an act of worship and submission to God. Their service in church becomes more of a means to an end rather that an opportunity to be used by God in His vineyard. The reality is even worse when we consider supposed Christians who work circular jobs and he unexemplary their lifestyles are.

““Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she’ll call her friends and neighbors: ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!’ Count on it—that’s the kind of party God’s angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God.”” Luke 15:8-10 MSG

Your treasure forms a part of your identity. That is why a person may be described as rich or wealthy. We can reasonably assume a person is a millionaire and refer to them as such because they wield millions. In the same vein we can say another loves God because we observe their works through their acts of service in God’s kingdom and their obedience to His word. It is important that we discover the treasure of God’s kingdom here on earth in order to be useful to His purpose. So that while we work here on earth we will also be storing up treasures that do not decay in eternity.

I pray that we all arrive at that point in our lives where we earnestly seek to live out our purpose in God through our obedience to His Holy word and our service in His vineyard. May we wholeheartedly offer up our resources to His service and instruction. That we shall daily search for him through His word and through prayer because we desire His presence just like buried treasure.

With Love, Esinam.

The Paths of the Lord

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” II Corinthians 2:14 NKJV

“The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.” Psalms 25:9 NKJV

What is the reason why we are here and what should we do next? For every age bracket there are common delusions of what should be done. We need to humble ourselves to be led by God through the Holy Spirit on what we need to do next. Only a meek person can admit that they do not know what to do next. Our prayer should be please guide me oh Lord. Forgive my very proud comments. I don’t know what to do next. In everything you are doing somebody knows better but they will only teach you if you are humble to receive their guidance.

Indicators to show that you are on the right track.

“All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great. Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.” Psalms 25:10-15 NKJV

1. You are truthful

All the paths of the Lord are truth. Most decisions are based on some idea and every error is based on some delusion. Almost every wrong way is based on a decision that is not true. No matter how great a prophet is he only knows part or a little depending on what is revealed to him.

2. You are merciful

All the paths of the Lord are mercy. Anywhere you are in the path of the Lord there is mercy. Being vengeful and remembering of everything to repay the changes in your phase are all from unforgiveness. Ask God for redemption, forgiveness and restoration. Make a deliberate effort to forgive someone, to show mercy somewhere and flow in the word of God.

3. You keep the word of God.

Always pause and reflect to be certain whether you are adhering to what the Bible says in all your doing. Ask yourself: “Am I obeying the word of God?”

4. You fear the Lord

You must be afraid of the Lord (and revere Him). God can make you love or die. It is an important truth that keeps you in the right way. Constantly having the consciousness of God. Without this you live in iniquity effortlessly. With the presence of the fear of God, you will definitely be somewhere near, within or around the path of the Lord.

5. You overcome your iniquities (crooked orientations)

An iniquity is a slight in character or crookedness in your orientation. It could be directional orientation, perverseness, deception, manipulation, lying, wickedness or immorality. Without realizing it you always manipulate people or are overly suspicious of everything or everyone around you. Experiences can make you crooked.

6. You know the secret of the Lord

When someone tells you a secret m, it is a sign that you are close to them. When the Lord starts to share some secrets with you it is a sign that you are nearby. May God show you His secrets and reveal things to you.

7. Your eyes are ever on the Lord

When your eyes are ever on the Lord and not on any man then you are near Him. Which moment of your life can you not pray about? You look up to Him for everything and trust Him to lead in you all righteousness.

Let’s say this prayer together if you also desire to discover and stay on the paths of the Lord. “Please Lord, don’t be quiet in my life anymore. Let me be filled with Your truths. Let me not base my life on delusions. Save me Lord from whatever orientation in my life that leads me off the right track. Help me to always fear You and keep my eyes on You alone. I love You Lord, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

With Love, Esinam.

Living in the Consciousness of God’s Glory

My Christian sister was asked by Facebook what was on her mind. Her response, “Do u really want to know? Facebook is asking what’s on my mind. Hmm…It is pain. Pain when I open my Bible. I want to eat it all, but I’m unable. It gives me pain. My inability before God pains me. Inability in obeying His Word. 😪😔😭😢. This is what’s on my mind now.”

Why do we get transactional with God. Basing our requests on specific scriptures that favor our desires and expectations, we ask Him to bless us according to those words. It’s not wrong to ask for stuff (He asks us to open your mouths wide and He will fill it). We must. It is necessary to enable us live the glorious life. We also must not lose sight of the fact that He is Omniscient(all knowing; he knows what we will ask before we do). It is a wonderful thing to know that we do not rely on men for our sustenance but on God because we acknowledge Him as our source. Wouldn’t it be even better to not only acknowledge our Heavenly Father for what we can get from Him but go on to desire to know Him ; to spend time in communion with Him and obedience to His word.

““I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.” Amos 5:21-24 MSG

Pause now and reflect! Is your current love affair with God, (the Abba Father) at it’s rosiest or has it gone stale? Are you rationing enough time to commune with Him on a daily? – Personal communion not just corporate – or are you consumed with finding your feet or making a name for yourself within an institution or in your community. Are you doing it religiously but half-heartedly. Or per adventure just to satisfy your religious conscience?

“Give ear, O my people, to my law: Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come, The praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, Which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, Even the children which should be born; Who should arise And declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; A generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.” Psalm 78:1-8 KJV

Life and circumstances can get us carried away, pursuing frailties with so much zeal that we risk getting distracted from Gods original purpose for our lives. We must choose daily to walk in His perfect will for our lives. After all this world will pass away. When our time on earth is gone may we not have regrets of what could have been but instead shall we be glad that we lived in the consciousness of God’s glory and majesty.

We need to get it right and now. We need to pass on the tangible realities of serving God to the next generation. We have to be the example, a legacy worthy of emulation. This time we have now is our rehearsal for eternity. May we have the grace and wisdom not to waste it. Hallelujah!!!

With Love, Esinam.

God is Good

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The above scripture is one many Christians love to quote to exhort one another that God has good things in store for us. These same words were part of a letter delivered to God’s people when they were taken captive from Jerusalem into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭4‬-‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Amidst their captivity and struggle, God instructed them specifically to build houses and plant vineyards for their sustenance. He further asked them to pray for the peace of the city that had taken them captive because their own peace depended on it. In their moments of hell and high water, they were still required by God to see and act positively in order to thrive.

My prayer and hope for you today is that you begin to see things from God’s perspective regardless of how difficult your situation might be. You don’t need to follow the trends and laws of this world to do well in life. Whether you are inherently a pessimist, optimist, realist or idealist is besides the point when it comes to living out your purpose and walking in the will of God. What is important is that you trust God and His word and stay in sync with Him through prayer, meditating on the word and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

It is important to always be in a place where you are humble enough to seek the Lord. Even when you are thriving, excelling, succeeding according to your desires and the standards of this world, don’t forget that you need God. The above scripture tells us that it is when we call upon God that He will hearken unto us, He will hear us and answer. It is only when we seek Him that we will find Him and we ought to search with ALL OF OUR HEARTS. We have to deliberately and intentionally desire to know Him and commune with Him to understand the depths of His knowledge and Spirit.

The unexpected is only unexpected from our perspective but from God’s perspective it is not unexpected.
Lady Rev. Adelaide Heward-Mills

We have to consciously seek Him in everything we do and no matter the circumstances we face to truly appreciate who He is to us and what He does in our lives. I pray that every moment of our lives serves as an opportunity to know God even better; that we experience Him in more meaningful ways each passing day. Just like He always delivered the people of Israel and took them to their promised land, know that you also are the apple of His eye and He will do same for you if you trust in Him.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The song here expresses this in very few words. It blessed me and I pray it blessed you too. That we all come to that point where our lives continuously proves the goodness of our God.

May your struggles keep you near the cross
And may your troubles show that you need God
And may your battles end the way they should
And may your bad days prove that God is good
And may your whole life prove that God is good

I pray that this encourages you, no matter what you may be going through or where you find yourself, that God cares for you. He loves you more than you can ever imagine and He has your best interest at heart. Just trust His leading through the help of the Holy Spirit every step of the way.

With Love, Esinam.

Fruitfulness

“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””Genesis 1:28 NKJV

There was a Pastor who had observed that a particular member of his congregation was always vibrant during the sermon, chanting his feedback about how a good word was often preached. This person had a very weird attitude albeit. He never brought his Bible to church, took notes or actively participated in other important church activities. He would always exclaim chants like “tell them”, “good word” and the like while the pastor preached.

So one day the pastor prayed fervently to God as he prepared a powerful sermon that this man’s heart should be stirred-up to change through the teaching he was going to give. Incidentally, that weekend was accompanied by very heavy rains and a lot of areas were flooded. On Sunday no one came to church because of the havoc the rains had wreaked except for this gentleman. The pastor was shocked but still went ahead to preach his message.

After the service, the young man walked up to the pastor and said; “that was a powerful message pastor. It is unfortunate that those who needed it were not here to hear it”. Many of us like this man receive the seeds of God’s word and plant them in our hearts but our not yielding the expected fruits.

What does God expect from us? Fruitfulness in our:

Vertical relationship
Horizontal relationships

Your vertical relationship is your relationship with your maker and creator. In your relationship with God, He expects you to be fruitful and not barren. The requirements for developing and maintaining fruits in your vertical relationship with God demands all of you.

Vertical relationship leads to fruitfulness. Love the Lord with all your heart, your soul, your mind and your strength and love your neighbor as your self. You are enabled see the pathway that leads to fruitfulness and success.

“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Psalms 1:1-6 NKJV

Jesus cut the unfruitful tree. We are called to bear fruits that remain. Bearing fruits helps in securing your relationship with God through Christ Jesus.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”Galatians 5:22 NKJV

Horizontal relation that leads to fruitfulness entails loving thy neighbor as yourself by expressing compassion, empathy and concern.

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”” Acts 1:8 NKJV

Why must we be fruitful?

To enable us be ministers of the message of reconciliation and ambassadors of the kingdom of God.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” II Corinthians 5:17-21 NKJV

To help us live our lives as the salt of the earth & light of the world.

““You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16 NKJV

“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.” Isaiah 60:1-3 NKJV

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”” Acts 1:8 NKJV

I pray that you are encouraged to live a more fruitful life, bearing glorious fruits as the word has commanded us. Shalom!

Rev. Ron.

Walking in the Light

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. I have sworn and confirmed That I will keep Your righteous judgments. I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, And teach me Your judgments. My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts. Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, to the very end.” Psalms 119:105-112 NKJV

The word of God is a lamp to our feet. It opens our eyes to our current circumstances, positioning and purpose. It is also a light to our path in that it reveals what the future holds and what direction we ought to follow. The light of God’s word gives us clarity and vision. It divinely enables us to be in sync with the Holy Spirit and God’s original intent for our lives.

Many of us have through prayers and supplication in our low moments sworn and promised to give off our best, our all, in service to God; to keep His word, submit to His leadings and obey His instructions.We oftentimes get distracted by the darkness of this world, the cares of our lives and the troubles that come our way. We usually lose sight of the truth that only His word can revive us and churn us on to remain on the path of righteousness.

Yes we do have our free will and are allowed to make our own choices and take our own decisions. However, we are ultimately accountable to God for how we live our lives here on earth and to what course we channel our resources and talents. It is only by walking in the light of God’s word that the revelation of who we really are and what our purpose is becomes clear to us.

“but if we [really] walk in the Light [that is, live each and every day in conformity with the precepts of God], as He Himself is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another [He with us, and we with Him], and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin [by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].” 1 John 1:7 AMP

And then also sometimes walking in the light is not just about us. It’s also about others. Being in the light, we are able to commune and fellowship with other brethren in the sheepfold ensuring that we do not miss our way or get snatched into darkness by the evil one through trials and tribulations.

We must learn how to walk in the light of eternal life to enjoy the fullness and the reality of it. Sometimes we think if we have something in the spiritual realm, it should work automatically. It doesn’t. In the natural that’s even true. You can have something in the natural and not know you have it and it won’t do you any good. Yes, it’s in your possession, but if you don’t know it, it won’t do you any good.

No, that’s the reason God gave us His Word—so we would take time to find out what we have and then walk in the light of it. You can have eternal life and not know what it really is. You can know you are saved and say, “Well, I’m a Christian. Thank God I’m saved.” And you’ll go to heaven when you die.

But you can’t enjoy the reality of it in this life because you don’t know what it is, or what it is supposed to do for you. We have never majored on this as we should.

May the Holy Spirit open our eyes to see what God has in store for us even in this life through His Holy word. May He grant us the courage to fearlessly walk in the light of His word as we discover who we are in Him and fulfill purpose.

With Love, Esinam.

SUBDUING STUBBORN EVIL SPIRITS

Beloved, Calvary greetings to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As Christians, God Almighty has blessed us with tremendous and inexplicable amount of power, I mean different kinds of power that deal with different kinds of powers of darkness.

However, some Christians have always wondered as to why they have not been able to subdue some demons. Sometimes these Christians see other Christians as superheroes when the latter are able to exercise dominion over some unclean spirits and they obey and leave.

Remember, God’s power comes in different shades. There is power to reign found in Luke 20:20, delegated power among others. Today we are going to learn about another kind of power known as “ isko”, a Greek word. What does it mean?

2 Corinthians 10:6 declares “and having in a readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled”. NLT expresses this scripture in this way “after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains obedient”. This power is based on submission or obedience. Submission or obedience to who? To Jesus Christ of course. How do you then become obedient? Let’s go to John 14: 15, “ If you (Christians) love me (Jesus), you (Christians) will obey my commandments”. It’s as simple as ABCD. This simply means always do what Christ Jesus asks you to do and don’t do what he doesn’t want you to do. Do we understand? Whatever God asks us to do is for our own good.

It was because of disobedience that Lucifer was banished from heaven. Moses couldn’t go to the promised land because of disobedience. Samson couldn’t finish on a good note because he also disobeyed God. Can we really become obedient to God in this fallen world? The answer has also been yes. If it wouldn’t be possible, God wouldn’t advise us to be obedient. If we love pornography and convince ourselves we are married so it’s ok to watch it to spice up our relationship, our obedience isn’t complete at all. We are gradually opening the doors to seducing spirits to enter our souls and destroy us later.

If we can respect our company’s rules and regulations, obey the police or government and if children of darkness can obey their master the devil by going to sleep in cemeteries at ungodly hours for power for a long period and they do it consistently why then do you convince yourself that you can’t always be obedient unto God. No wonder, the Bible says “ as a man thinketh in his heart (mind) so he is. If you think you are a confirmed gossip and you have made up your mind that that is how or who you are so shall you be. You can’t change. God on the other hand believes you can change only if you want to. Find grace and take the necessary steps needed to do the bidding of the Lord.

It’s not all evil spirits like principalities that can be dealt with delegated authority called “ exousia “ a Greek word. You can be a man of God or a child of God and asks a particular unclean spirits afflicting your body to go and it will go because you have used the authority Jesus gave you called “exousia”, delegated authority .

However, some spirits like principalities will only respond to your command because you live in obedience to Christ. If you are a fornicator who believes it’s right because you can’t control your feelings and you feel everyone is like that don’t ever confront the spirit of fornication in another person’s life through prayer. This is because Romans 6:16 says “ whoever you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey…”. So if you are a thief you are a servant to the spirit of theft that’s what the Bible is saying. If you are in that situation, repent and live for God before you confront that spirit. Some Christians went and commanded the evil spirit behind their business and they were seriously attacked, some were slapped and others were afflicted with stroke. Most of these but not all attacks are products of disobedience.

Jesus said in John 14:30, “ … for the prince ( the devil) of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me”. Jesus is saying he’s so obedient to God to the extent that the devil himself is aware of that reality and based on that he cannot lord it over him. Are you an adulterer that has allowed the spirit of adultery or immorality to find expression in your soul and for that matter your marriage is on the verge of collapsing? Go to God in prayer with a penitent heart and ask him to forgive you. When he does, rise up in holy anger and command that same spirit trying to find expression in the lives of your daughters and say “ devil, I was blind but now I can see so in the name of Jesus, you have no property of yours in me so in the name of Jesus, out!”” And you will be surprised your daughters will have their deliverance. You cannot live in disobedience or sin and expect God to help you subdue some spirits. No way! You may have to exercise your authority in your home as a Christian and not as a pastor. It could be an emergency at midnight when your pastor isn’t around to help you. What would you do when you realize the spirit at work in the health of your wife or husband is the spirit of arrogance of which you are also a victim?Think about it.

Finally, to exercise dominion over principalities in our lives, families, businesses or professions one weapon we cannot do away with is the weapon of obedience or holiness. Go and subdue with this knowledge.

Dr. David Tobi Ogoudou.

MAXIMIZING MY MIDNIGHT SEASON (2)

In part 1 of this topic, we said if we want to make important decisions, or hear from the Lord, we really have to maximize our midnight hours.

In our anchor scripture, Luke 6:12-13, the Bible said Jesus went to a mountain to pray and later he chose his disciples. Is it a must for us to go to a mountain to pray at midnight for us to be heard by God? It’s not a must to go to a mountain to pray but for me it’s a must for us to pray at night if we want to change our status quo. Jesus went to a mountain to pray because he didn’t want any distractions or whatsoever. If your home is a distraction free area, you can use it as your place of prayer. You don’t need to go to any mountain if you are comfortable in your home but if the Spirit leads you to go to a mountain or a prayer camp to pray, who am I to stand against it?

In Genesis 32: 25 – 26 “ And when he( the angel) saw that he prevailed not against him ( Jacob), he touched the hollow of his right; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he ( angel) said, let me go, for the day breaketh . And he ( Jacob) said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me”. Until you become serious like Jacob, you may not fulfill your destiny. The Bible says Jacob wrestled against the angel and said if he doesn’t bless him, he will not let him go. In other words, you can also go to God in prayer at midnight and say “ Father, if you don’t give me that child, I will not let you rest until you establish me in marriage. “ At night, you could say sickness you have no power over my life, until you die from my life, this war wouldn’t stop. War it at night. “It’s at midnight, that the enemy sows tares among the weeds” says the word of God. As you undo the works of Satan at night like planned accidents, yokes among others, a time will come you will begin to groan in the spirit. At this level, you may take the form of a lion, an eagle etc without your knowledge. This means that’s who you are in the spirit. You are actually gaining ascendancy in the spirit. Until that satanic covenant is totally broken, don’t give up. Even if demons still fight you after praying in the night, increase the number of hours you pray at that night and be stubborn. You must win! Your forefathers tried and couldn’t win because they had no Jesus but you have Jesus so with the help of God, you will break that prison gates. It will collapse in the name of Jesus. Your problem isn’t your battle. Your problem is actually your bed. Sacrifice that bed until you get the answer from the Lord. Nothing is too late with God. The bed will always be there for you. But for now, you really have to be aggressive and corrosive and change the status quo of your family. If you have to put your legs in water to stay awake and accomplish your mission, do it my dear. No man will fight your battles for you. Men can only sympathize with you and sometimes worsen your case. Stand on the altar of Jerusalem and cry out.

Sometimes when God begins to work on us, we go and relax. Don’t ever give the enemy that advantage. Always strike and be on fire till Satan distance himself from you. Sometimes after destroying the works of the devil in your life, Satan may decide to give you some rest so that you will be deceived that the battle is over. He does this so that you may stop your spiritual exercise and when you stop it he will come and strike back when you are cold. Be set ablaze all the time! Don’t give the devil an opportunity to misbehave. Even if you have to commune with the Lord at night for at least 30 minutes once a week and thwart the expectations of the devil , that will be good for you. With time, 30 minutes will become 1 hour, 2 hours etc……

If you can watch tv at night when you are still unemployed, unmarried, sick or having a particular problem, I dare say to say I’m convinced you are not serious. When will you wake up? When you are old? Don’t say, if God will do it, he will do it in his time and so you don’t need to stress yourself. Who told you that? It was at midnight that Paul and Silas praised the Lord and prayed and the prison gates opened supernaturally ( Acts 16: 25). Force the supernatural to come to your aid like Paul and Silas did at midnight. Get used to this exercise and a time will come it will be part and parcel of your life. You will transfer this grace to your children, and people connected to you because you are it’s custodian by experience.

The Lord cause his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.

It’s good to pray with groups or a pastor at night but you you yourself too need your own altar. There are things God will not tell you in a group but he will rather communicate them to you in your closet.

When you are doing war at midnight it’s not advisable to pray in your mind. No! You got to be acidic. When Jesus saw the epileptic man, he shouted “ come out of him” and the tormenting spirit all of a sudden left him. Exercise authority over powers that are saying no to your rising. If you live in a noise with neighbors, don’t disturb them with your noise. You may have to go on a retreat or pray under tone in your room but authoritatively because powers of darkness only respond to authority and power.

Dr. David Tobi Ogoudou

MAXIMIZING MY MIDNIGHT SEASON (1)

Anchor Scripture: Luke 6 -12 -13 [ It came to pass in those days that he went out into a mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called into him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles).

Many theological questions have been raised as to why we Pentecostal and Charismatic believers stress the importance of praying at night. Some believers say praying during the day is equally important as praying at night. Another school of thought says, Jesus has won every victory for us, which includes he having prayed at night for us so there’s no need to worry ourselves and sacrifice our sleep. Sometimes when I hear some of these comments I don’t blame us because we simply lack understanding.

To maximize our midnight season simply means we should make the best use of that period. The opening scripture says” It came to pass in those days that he went into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God.” I infer from this scripture that one day, Jesus went to pray. One day meaning there was the need for him to do so during that season. During the day, he went about carrying out his normal activities like we do as humans. But at night, he decided to be with the Lord. Are we followers of Jesus Christ? If yes, we really have to learn from him and apply the lessons learnt to our lives and eventually become like him. Have you ever spent quality time with the Lord at night before? Was it consistent or a one off thing ? What did u do at that time? Spent all your quality time on social media and watching movies? The Bible clearly said he prayed and never used that period for mundane things or things that have no eternal values.

The Bible says “ when it was day, he called the twelve.” Thank you Holy Spirit! Meaning that if we really want to make quality decisions in life and destiny, we have to pray at night to be led by the Spirit because after praying at night, the next day he chose his disciples. Pastor, three men want to marry me but I don’t know who to choose. “All of them are believers, gainfully employed and handsome. I’m confused. Man of God, I have seen two women who have all the qualities I need in a woman but I don’t know who to marry. Help me please, servant of God. The Lord has opened doors for me in England and Togo to go and do ministry. Where should I go! This sounds funny right? Most of us wouldn’t even waste our time at all on this decision because England is involved. Brother, you need to go to God in prayer at night and make that vital decision. Don’t always allow men of God to choose for you because you need to grow in the spirit. There’s a place for that where you can go to a man of God to help you but hear this when you learn the art of settling such decisions at night, what a man of God will tell you will be a confirmation of what you know already.

As you pray at midnight, switch in the spirit and begin to pray in tongues. For instance, Lord, you said “I should call unto you and you will answer me and show me great things and mighty things that I don’t know – Jeremiah 33:3. Lord I’m calling unto you now, what business should I do, where should I invest my money? Help me Lord, I can’t help myself without your assistance. Tell me what to do and start speaking in the Holy Ghost. As you do that consistently, something will drop in your spirit either by manifestation or something from the choice the Lord has made for you.

You stop executing that particular prayer point at night when you have peace, I mean the peace that surpasses all understandings. I don’t mean self generated peace. Peace can come as an excited worship or tears of joy and again not a self – generated one. This experience is what theologians term as a “ note of victory “. You can get there if you mean business with the Lord. Just pay the price for most of the conditions of God are conditional.

There’s no man that specializes in midnight prayers that will not be in the prophetic. In 1 Samuel 15:16 the Bible says : “ Then Samuel said unto Saul, stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, stay on.” Then Samuel says unto ( Esther, Yaa, Sia, Diana etc….) stay and I will tell you what the Lord will say to me tonight. If you pray regularly at night, your eyes and ears will open with time. Do you want that grace? Then obey the voice of God. It’s so beautiful to look at men and tell them the plan of God for their lives and to lead them via the voice of Elohim. Don’t say this grace is reserved for pastors only. No it’s not true. John 10: 27 says “ my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. Since you are a believer, you are his sheep. At midnight, tell him to open your ears. Tell him you want to know his plan for your life and for others. As you continue doing it, the Lord may decide how to speak to you. It could be via dreams, visions, your spirit, his audible voice among others. One night while praying or after praying while waiting on the Lord, you may hear “ Give me thanks, give me praise, it’s well”. This means you have entered the realm of the prophetic.

Don’t be surprised, if after hearing that voice, God decides not to speak to you again. He does that to see if you love him and you will persist in communicating with him at night. He may decide not to speak for a long time. Don’t worry! Continue doing what you did for him to speak and at the same time. He will surely come back to you and open you up to another dimension of the prophetic. Believe you me, you will never be normal after after hearing from the great Monarch. Confidence will then be built in you and you will become as “ bold as a lion “ and you will go to places that fowls have not yet discovered”. Your boss at work, your colleagues, family members, friends and loved ones will look for you for you to unveil the blueprint of their destinies to them and these men will too will honour you in kind and cash. You wouldn’t need to ask them for a reward by the Lord Himself will move on their hearts to bless you and all the glory will be given to Jesus Christ. The Lord bless and keep you!

Dr. David Tobi Ogoudou

The Sweet Influences of the Holy Spirit on Your Prayer Life

Foundation scripture: Romans 8:26

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

1. You need the influence of the Holy Spirit to pray because it is not easy to talk to somebody you cannot see.

2. You need the influence of the Holy Spirit to pray because it is not easy to talk to somebody who does not say anything back.

3. You need the influence of the Holy Spirit to pray because you do not know what to pray for.

4. You need the influence of the Holy Spirit to pray because you are spiritually discharged as you go about your daily life. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit you are charged up like a battery.

1 Corinthians 14:4 – The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

5. You need the influence of the Holy Spirit to pray because otherwise most of your prayers will be directed by the flesh and by foolishness.

You need the influence of the Holy Spirit to pray otherwise your prayers will be well-rehearsed phrases. When you are anointed to pray, your prayer is dictated and directed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4).

6. You need the influence of the Holy Spirit to pray because without the anointing to pray, everything you say is listened to by the devil. But when you pray in tongues devils do not understand what you are saying.

1 Corinthians 14:2 – For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

7. You need the influence of the Holy Spirit to pray because through that influence you will know the mind of the Spirit.

When you pray in tongues you can hear the voice of the Spirit by interpreting your prayer.

1 Corinthians 14:13 – Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

8. You need the influence of the Holy Spirit to pray because it is difficult to pray for a long time. When you are under the influence of the Holy Spirit you will be able to pray for long hours like Jesus.

Mark 1:35 – And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Luke 6:12 – In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

9. You need the influence of the Holy Spirit to pray because your mind wanders when you pray. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit you can speak in tongues and to God. This helps you to concentrate on God everywhere you are.

But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and LET HIM SPEAK TO HIMSELF, AND TO GOD.

1 Corinthians 14:17 – For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

10. You need the influence of the Holy Spirit to pray because in the natural you may not have a grateful attitude. But when you are anointed to pray you can give thanks well.

Shalom! Rev. Ron.

The sweet influences of the Holy Spirit

Foundation Scripture: Matthew 13:33

“Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Leaven is an unseen, hidden influence that excites the dough and causes it to expand, rise and become lighter. Jesus Christ taught us that the kingdom of Heaven is also subject to hidden influences that affect everything.

The influence of the leaven on the dough is both real and amazing. Yet leaven is invisible when it is working mightily.

Unseen influences are real. Unseen influences are either good or evil. The greatest good, unseen influence in a Christian’s life is the Holy Spirit. The sweet influences of the Holy Spirit!

I am going to share a list of the different areas in which we can expect the influence of the Holy Spirit. We must look ouf for it and we must pray for it. The influence of the Holy Spirit is vital. It is most important for our survival.

⁃ What is influencing you as a child of God?

⁃ What is guiding you and making you do the things you do?

⁃ Are you under a good or evil influence?

There are three unseen unseen evil influences that are unknown and misunderstood by Christians.

“And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”
‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

⁃ Devils (Devilish influences) – people here are influenced greatly by evil spirits. All unbelievers are under the influence of devils. Christians who are not spiritual can open themselves to demonic influences.

⁃ The world or the earth (Earthly influences)- these are people who have their hearts set on this earth, they are carnally minded, they don’t think about eternal things.

⁃ Our senses (sensual influences) – they follow their appetites, they like to eat a lot, sleep a lot, fornicate a lot and engage in a lot of pleasurable things.

When people are not under the influence of the Holy Spirit they will be under one of these other influences. (Devilish, Earthly, Sensory)

“You were running [the race] well; who has interfered and prevented you from obeying the truth? This [deceptive] persuasion is not from Him who called you [to freedom in Christ]. A little leaven [a slight inclination to error, or a few false teachers] leavens the whole batch [it perverts the concept of faith and misleads the church].”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭AMP‬‬

A little leaven can greatly affect your Christian life, because it has an amplified effect on the Christian.

The ultimate effect of the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit is to make you a spiritual Christian. Spiritual people are usually the active in church serving God. You must aim to be a spiritual person who lives under the influences of the Holy Spirit. If not then you will definitely come under other forms of influences this life.

⁃ The sweet influence of the Holy Spirit on your knowledge of God.

We cannot see God but the evidence that He exist is all around us.

Your knowledge of God is deepened in a very way by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

They Holy Spirit is the key to the knowledge of God.

How the Holy Spirit influences your knowledge of God.

1. Holy Spirit Guidance into truth; under the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit you are led to truths and realities when you read the Bible.

“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.” John 16:13 NKJV

2. Holy Spirit reminders: when you are under the sweet influences of the Holy Spirt you are constantly reminded about the things Jesus Said.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26 NKJV

3 . Holy Spirit direct teaching: when you are under the sweet influence of the Holy Spirit you are taught many things Directly by God.

“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” I John 2:27 NKJV

4.Holy Spirit knowings: when you are under the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit you have a “knowing” about many things.

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.” I John 2:20 NKJV

5. Holy Spirit led ministers of God: when you are under the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit, you accept anointed messengers ,apostles, prophets and teachers who God has sent to you.

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” Ephesians 4:11-12 NKJV

6. Holy Spirit communion: when you are under the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit you will share fellowship with the Holy Spirit and with other believers

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” 2 Corinthians 13:14 NKJV

Shalom! Rev. Ron.