Following God

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Ephesians 5:1-2 KJV

1. To follow God you need to move

How can you follow somebody without moving? There is the need to move in the realm of the Spirit. In the movement itself may even be your survival and your salvation. Many movements that God allows is for life and for survival. And the spirit of God moved and there was life,

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”Genesis 1:2 KJV

When people are complacent and prefer to remain in their comfort zone it means that the person is resistant to movement. Be ye followers of God by moving.

2. To follow God, you need to be creative.

To be creative means to innovate or make something. It could also imply that you merely add an element to an existing thing such that it becomes like a completely new thing.

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1:26-27 KJV

God breathed into us His creative abilities when He made us in His image. God can give you something small (a little idea or decision) to apply to an old thing to make it new.

3. To follow God, you need to be strong.

God is clear. He is not like Pontius Pilate.

“And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him. (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.” Luke 23:13-25 KJV

Pontius Pilate was not strong. He was not clear. One moment he wanted to pardon Jesus and let him go but the next moment he succumbed to the will of the people and gave Jesus up to be crucified. People who seem to be soft are actually evil (not strong). It is not enough to have good intentions. And people who are ambivalent or unclear about their stance are evil. Ambivalence is a very dangerous thing. It is equivalent to being lukewarm.

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:15-16 KJV

Indifference is the greatest enemy in relationships – Rick Joyner.

Pray for the grace to follow God. Grace to move and not be stagnant, that your feet are constantly in motion to swiftly fulfill His purpose according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. May your be creative with bursts in f fresh ideas to enrich whatever your hands find to do. And may you be strong and unwavering in your stance to follow Him.

With Love, Esinam.

Habits of Gratitude

The secret of happiness is to count your blessings while others are adding up their trouble.

William Penn

As we read God’s Word, we can see the theme of being thankful. There are hundreds of verses telling us to give thanks or offer praise to God. Outside of the Bible, you’ll find lots of articles and research stating the benefits that come with being a grateful person. People who are thankful are known to be depressed less, get better grades in school, sleep better, stay healthy, have deeper friendships, and have a brighter outlook on life. Basically, gratitude is good for you!

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Living as grateful people is God’s will for our lives. God knew before the beginning of time how positively gratitude would affect us—long before an article or book was written about the topic. So, whether your life is moving along smoothly or it feels like you’re walking in quicksand, consider adding these daily habits to your life: 

• Create new pathways. Dr. Caroline Leaf, cognitive neuroscientist and author, said, “As you think, you change the structure of your brain.” This isn’t easy. But, we have a choice in what we think about, so let’s allow thoughts of gratefulness to fill our minds.

• Choose five things. Make a daily habit to say or write five things you’re thankful for. You can do it any time of the day—morning or night!

• Set a gratitude alarm. Choose different times in the day. When the alarm goes off, ask God to bring to mind the blessings and gifts in your life and thank Him for them. 

• Tell someone. Every day, talk to someone about what you’re thankful for. Maybe it’s their friendship, the sunrise, a powerful moment with God, or an unexpected blessing you received. Saying it makes it more real.

It’s vital that we make our gratitude habitual so that when life’s storms come upon us, we know how to navigate the rough waters. And part of this is trusting God and even choosing to be grateful when we don’t understand the world around us.

As we build this gratitude muscle, it won’t be something we have to think about—it’ll become as natural as breathing. Enjoy the music using the link below as it ushers you into a place of gratitude.

With Love, Esinam.

Overcoming Insecurities

God has given you an identity, but if you do not walk in your identity, then you cannot operate in the kingdom of God. You cannot walk in your calling until you overcome insecurities. Each one of us may have battled with certain insecurities at some point in our lives, but God teaches us through His word the keys to overcoming deeply rooted insecurities; I hope to teach you glean on these too.

1. First, understand that intimacy cures insecurity.

Never forsake the secret place. Don’t replace time with God for anything else. When you are aware of God, you’ll lose focus on yourself. Get lost in the presence of God again and you’ll notice that the insecurities that seem so big now, will diminish.

It’s when we lose focus on God that our insecurities enlarge. Understand that when you fight to keep your intimacy with God, you’re fighting to keep your insecurities at bay.

2. And secondly, we must read the Word of God until it feeds us.

“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:15-17 KJV

In Genesis 2, God commands Adam to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We know that Adam and Eve disobeyed and ate the fruit. As a result of this disobedience, they began to struggle with insecurities. There will always be a reason to feel insecure, but there is a choice to not feed on that insecurity.

Many insecurities stem from the fact that people have a Bible, but they do not let it feed them. When Adam and Eve focused more on what the serpent said, instead of what God had told them, their perspectives changed.

If you eat from the tree of insecurity, you will hear the voice of the devil. But if you eat from the tree of life, you will hear the voice of the Lord. Think about this, it was not the tree that made Adam feel ashamed, it was his eating from it that affected him. Feeding leads to feeling. If you choose to focus and “feed” your insecurities, feelings of depression, anxiety, and isolation will follow. However, if you learn to feed on God’s words about you, you’ll find that feelings of security, boldness, and love will follow. I want to encourage you to stop eating from the tree of insecurity and heed the voice of God and His Word.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts:” Psalm 139:23 KJV

3. You must not compare yourself to others if you want to be complete.

The Bible says do not covet (Exodus 20:17). As long as you are desiring someone else’s blessing, you’ll stop counting your blessings. There is nothing wrong with finding inspiration from other people. However, when you try and duplicate what God called someone else to do, you will always live feeling incompetent and not enough. God is not interested in making you better than another person, He wants you to be better than you. God wants to make us complete.

4. Learn to not live in your soul, but instead, speak to it.

The Bible teaches us that David spoke to his soul. As Christians, we should be determined to be ruled by the Word of God, not by our soul’s emotions. Don’t rely on your feelings to determine how you feel. Tell your soul how to feel. Command your feelings to be in line with the Word of God.

It’s not enough to just think about it and direct your feelings; you have to live according to the Word, and not according to your feelings. Feelings are a result of what you are feeding your soul, and what you are feeding on depends on where your focus is.

Focus on God, feed on His Word, and tell your soul what to feel.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: And all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Psalm 103:1 KJV

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: For I shall yet praise him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” Psalm 43:5 KJV

5. Be careful to not draw your identity from people’s compliments.

Compliments will cause your self-worth to be inflated, and you’ll find yourself getting easily destroyed by the criticism. The moment you know who you are in Christ, you’ll take criticism, and you won’t let it crush you; you’ll take compliments and you won’t let them inflate you.

Chew criticism, and compliments, then spit them out – don’t let them feed you.

6. Learn to receive correction without feeling criticized.

Many people, when getting criticized, feel as though they are getting attacked. The reason why criticism hurts is due to insecurity. In order for you to step into the call God has for your life, you must learn to take feedback and correction without taking it personally.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11 NIV

When you are being corrected, the person correcting you is addressing your issue, not attacking your identity. If you want to be secure, focus on growing. God will surround you with mentors and people who will help you grow.

Don’t allow insecurities to hinder the calling God has for your life. Let your insecurities dissolve in the presence of God. Find your security and identity in Christ, according to God’s Word. These are things that took me years to learn but have blessed my life enormously. As you put these very simple steps into practice, watch the transformation that will happen in your personal life!

“Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it.” Proverbs 8:33 NIV

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 NIV

Let’s pray: Father, forgive me for putting my worth in other things instead of Your Son Jesus Christ. I want that to change. I want to see myself according to what Your Word says. Holy Spirit, help me to feed from the Bible and spend time in God’s presence to know who I am. I know You have a purpose and a plan for me. Give me faith to believe and know that my identity is found in Jesus Christ.

Please help me to be grounded in Your Word instead of being guided by my emotions. God, You know my battle with insecurities and criticisms. Holy Spirit, give me the humility to accept correction from those around me. Put people in my life who will help me grow, even if it is difficult. I want to be the person You want me to be. Thank you for helping me, in Jesus’ precious Name. Amen.

With Love, Esinam.

The Rapture of the Church

Signs of the End of the age

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

The return

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