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.

The Hiding Place

“Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm.” Psalms 73:1-4 NKJV

One of the most important things in life is not to be alone without true fellowship. You know you are envious based on how you feel and react to someone’s good news. Envy is more serious than lust and adultery. Envy is one of the heavy weights/ weightier matters.

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”Matthew 23:23 KJV

“They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men.” Psalms 73:5 NKJV

Thoughts of ourselves being great and good come to us when everything is going on well in our lives. Trouble humbles you. A man of God who God loves surprisingly has many troubles. The reason why certain people are proud is the absence of pain, troubles and problems. They have everything their hearts wish for. Sometimes the greatest blessing that God will send to your life is trouble or pain. It may be the reason why you will eventually make it to a high and glorious place one day. You need to take your time and be humble in order to get there.

“Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish. They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth. Therefore his people return here, And waters of a full cup are drained by them. And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning. If I had said, “I will speak thus,” Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me— Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image.” Psalms 73:6-20 NKJV

All the questions of your life are answered in the house/ sanctuary of the Lord. You get to understand the reason for the past pains, disappointments and unanswered questions. The end of a rich successful person who has nothing wrong in their life is so sudden.

“Thus my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.” Psalms 73:21-22 NKJV

Watch out for people who are hurt or offended. They can behave like an animal to you. A wounded animal is usually more dangerous. It is advised not to drive over a snake to kill it. It may be wounded and get into the car to attack you later. Try not to be bitter and rather be healed from the things that have hurt you.

“Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalms 73:23-26 NKJV

Can you boldly say too like the Psalmist from the above verses that there is nothing else on earth that you desire besides God? Things like a house, a car, a spouse and children, a thriving career or businesses, etc.

We can clearly learn about the power of being close. There is an advantage for being close to God. Those who stay far off are the ones who will perish. Looks are predators and usually attack buffaloes. Buffaloes on the other hand stay together. But the loose ones who stay afar off end up falling prey to these hungry predator lions.

“For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.” Psalms 73:27 NKJV

Develop yourself depending on your strength. Don’t try to be like someone else. Try to be closer/ inside/ within God’s presence at all cost. Don’t take delight in being afar. Taking pride in being far away may cost you your life.

“But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.” Psalms 73:28 NKJV

The extent to which you are near is for your own good. Why do we spend time with God in the hiding place? Not so that we will get money or riches. Not so that God will kill all of our enemies. Rather we ought to dwell in His presence to enable us tell others about the wonders of our God. May the Lord bless us with closeness to His presence. May we always desire to dwell in His hiding place.

With Love, Esinam.

The Holy Spirit

Foundation scripture:

Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV) And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptised with water, but you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Acts 1:8 (NKJV) 8 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.”

Who is the promise of the Father – Who is the Holy Spirit?

In 2 Corinthians 13:14, Apostle Paul wrote a benediction to the believers in Corinth; “The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, and the communion (Fellowship) of The Holy Spirit be with you all.”

The Grace of our Lord Jesus

The original meaning of the Greek word for Grace was “ The ultimate in beauty “

The second meaning of Grace was “favour” good-will given out of unconditional, overflowing love with no expectation of reward or payment.

A third meaning of Grace referred to a praiseworthy work, exhibiting virtues far exceeding the common.

In this benediction, the apostle Paul must have felt a surging joy beyond description, knowing the unconditional forgiveness of sins and the many blessings of salvation – the full beauty or Grace.

The promise of the Father is the Spirit of Grace, who is The Holy Spirit.

Titus 3:4-7; But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

we have received regeneration and renewal by the Spirit of Grace. (Biblical examples)

God has given us the promise who is the Holy Spirit, our response now is to know Him, fellowship with Him and work with Him.

⁃ knowing Him requires acknowledging Him as the promise of the Father and the spirit of Grace.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV); Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Exactly who is this wonderful Holy Spirit? To have fellowship and to work with Him, we must know Him well.

Though impersonal metaphors such as Fire, water, oil, dove and so forth used for the Holy spirit used have Biblical basis, they have been used to such an extent that some people don’t really know Who He actually is.

Let us consider the Bedrock truth. – The Attributes of the LORD HOLY SPIRIT AS GOD 1. The Holy Spirit is God.

A. Like God the father and God the son, the Holy Spirit is a member of the God head.

Jesus set the Holy Spirit in the same position as God the father, and God the Son in Mafhew 28:19

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,…”

Jesus set the same authority, power and glory for the Holy Spirit as the Father and the Son.

B. The Holy Spirit is God in that He carries out the work that none but God can do.

⁃ The Holy Spirit created the heavens and the earth by the will of God ( Gen 1:2, Job 26:13a )

⁃ He raised the dead (Romans 1:4; 8:11**)

⁃ He causes people to be born again (John 3:5-7)

⁃ He reproves the world of sin, of righteousness and of Judgement (John 16:8)

⁃ His power casts out devils (Matthew 12:28)

C. The Holy Spirit has All the Attributes of God

⁃ Only God is Eternal (Hebrews 9:14)

⁃ Only God is Omniscient (All knowing. – even the deep things of God ) – 1 Cor 2:10

⁃ Only God is Omnipotent (All powerful) Luke 1:35, Psalm 62:11-12

⁃ Only God is Omnipresent (Everywhere at the same time) Psalm 139:1-12***

So isn’t the Holy Spirit who is Eternal, Omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent — God? The Holy Spirit is also majestic and holy and glorious, as the Father and the Son.

Thank you LORD for the Holy Spirit who is the promise of the Father.

Shalom! Rev. Ron

THE WISE CHRISTIAN

Following our wise and only God is supposed to make us same so as to reflect one of His divine characteristics and thereby drawing massive souls to Christ Jesus but unfortunately some of us have decided to become unwise because of the love we have for some of our leaders who didn’t give us the whole council of God through their teaching. In most cases, what these leaders teach or taught us is or was a part of the whole truth or even wrong doctrine that we embrace with all our heart without searching the scriptures for ourselves like the Berean Christians who “ were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” – Acts 17:11. Can u imagine, Paul, an Apostle chosen by God who had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus went to these Thessalonians and preached the word and they still went ahead to see or check whether Paul was right or wrong in his teaching. Isn’t that incredible? These believers were very wise indeed and I’m pretty sure they pleased the Lord. They didn’t behave like unwise fellows. One day when we get to the judgment seat there will be no excuse at all. We have everything at our disposal in this 21st century dispensation to prove to the world that our wisdom is indeed celestial hence higher than the terrestrial one for we belong to the only wise God.

The demonstration of this heavenly wisdom must find expression in all we do here on earth.

Sadly, most of us don’t allow this wisdom to manifest in our lives especially when what we are being taught is a wrong doctrine. We accept everything because of the love we have for a man or the faith we repose in them as Christian leaders who maybe well-meaning people but still hold on to teaching centered on the flesh or legalism.

On the flip side, some other believers just ignore the laws of nature and act foolishly and pay dearly for their actions. Out of zeal without knowledge, a Christian, can go and take poison and drink it and say the Bible says “even if we drink a deadly thing, it shall not harm us”. In as much as this verse is correct, is that how it is to be applied? Do we have to tempt God?

Beloved, a Christian replete with wisdom values his health. I mean they don’t play with their health at all. In as much as they give attention to the spirit, they are also give same attention to their bodies because we are given a body per our life time and not many bodies. Maintaining our bodies in good shape is our responsibility and not the Lord’s. He or she knows when to go to hospital and when to apply herbs for we are spirits but live in bodies. We are dual beings and what connects our body to our spirit is our soul. Genesis 1: 29 says; “And God said, behold, I have given you every herd bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree….” God uses different ways to heal our bodies when we are sick. He is the one who gave us herbs for medicinal purposes. Unfortunately, some Christians will never use herbs to cure their sickness because they believe it’s demonic and to worsen their situation they will prefer using faith than using herbs. This “zeal without knowledge” make some believers lose their lives before their time because they don’t value their health.

Do I believe in faith? Absolutely! But we don’t have the same level of faith in this kingdom. If your faith isn’t helping you and you have another option like herbs why don’t you go for it and get cured my dear brother? After all, all the glory will eventually go back to Jesus. If we value our health, we wouldn’t take some things for granted at all.

I don’t however believe in “herbalists“. I’m not talking about licensed professional herbalists who are believers. I’m talking about Jujumen who hide their true identity under the guise of “herbalists“ and use herbs alright, by speaking to them and invoking demons upon them and giving them to Christians to use. My friend, if you value your health, you would not go to such people. Most people have contacted demons through the instrumentality of such people here in Africa especially.

Discernment is key here. As a believer you should be able to tell whether someone is of God or not. Some of us when we approach such agents of darkness, we sense they are not of God but we still collect their herbs or products and say we prefer living than dying and we consequently establish satanic covenants with these evil people that will need serious hands to destroy in the name of Jesus. In Togo, I was told there was or still is a man who heals people with herbs and he seemed to be getting results. These happened some years ago and I was very sick and my parents were convincing me to go get help from him since modern medicine together with surgery had failed me. As soon as they started talking to me about that agent of darkness I just knew he wasn’t of God. I’m sorry I can’t explain how because I don’t know how to explain it to you my dear brethren. My parents insisted and I asked them simple questions like “where does he live?” and they said in a bush. Is he a Christian? They said; “Well he is not an evil person”. He goes to a church I don’t believe is of God that I don’t want to mention here because of the sensitive nature of this case. My parents went on to tell me that it’s a gift he has from “God” and he uses it to help others. I categorically told them I’m not moving an inch though I was dying. Beloved, that so called man prepared some concoction for a girl who was suffering from epilepsy and she got temporarily healed and after exactly a year the sickness resurfaced in a very violent fashion. Now, they always have to be sending the lady to the place for help thereby establishing satanic covenants without their knowledge. Precious ones, do you know the girl’s father is a pastor? Be wise in these last days and say no to the agents of darkness even if you have to lose your life for Jesus for “…whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it” – Matthew 16-25.

A wise Christian doesn’t disdain modern medicine. If they have to go to hospital for a surgery, they do so without hesitation because they believe it’s God who is healing them through another means. I have seen some believers lose their lives because they were told by their leaders than modern medicine is diabolical but that assertion is not true. These precious souls refused to take medicine on their sick beds and waited for God to come and heal them but that divine intervention never found expression in their lives and they exited this world prematurely and in an unwise manner.

If you value your life, you will go to hospital when your faith fails you. I know of some Christians too who refused to go to hospital and got miraculously healed because of their walk with God or God’s mercy! Please, let’s be wise in our Christian walk and make God proud. Don’t expect God to come and heal you when he has given you doctors to handle what they (doctors) should handle so that God and his servants (men and women) of God can rest. Was Luke, the disciple or apostle of Christ Jesus not a physician (doctor)? Did Jesus downplay his profession? Never! If you have the opportunity to send a loved one to hospital do that as you also pray and believe God for healing. Don’t make a mistake by saying that sending that loved one to hospital is an indication of lack of faith and later lose them and blame your church or pastors later. Please, be wise!

If you value your health too, you wouldn’t downplay regular checkups. I was under the weather last week and I thought it was malaria like we all think in Africa. So I did my self medication to no avail so I finally went to the doctor who conducted a test on me and found out that I was suffering from mild typhoid. He prescribed some medicine for me and here I am hale and hearty. Praise Jesus! Medical checkups wouldn’t cost you a fortune my dear. It’s better to be healthy and enjoy life than to be sick and not being able to enjoy your wealth and life. When we have a headache, menstrual problems, stomachache among others in Ghana or Africa we say conclude by saying it’s malaria. Can u imagine? Hey! God, have mercy! Please, you wouldn’t lose anything if you go and see a doctor as soon as you realize you are not fine. Do you know, if I hadn’t gone to hospital, I wouldn’t be fine and maybe the worst could have happened to me and God may not have intervened though He can heal all kinds of sicknesses and diseases?

Drinking at a least enough water is indicative of the fact that you value your health too. As you drink enough water, you will realize that your urine will be very light and the lighter it is the better. Don’t keep too much urine in your bladder and be procrastinating. Once you feel the need to go to the washroom, please go oh go! Please, don’t be lazy to the detriment of your health. I know you are very wise so if you used to do that, you have put an end to it now in the name of Jesus! Keeping too much urine in your bladder can cause you serious health issues.

Don’t consume too much salt. Read on food and nutrition to become a better person for Daniel said “I understood by books”. We have no excuse these days especially if we are educated. We can get all the information we need on internet, books, in seminars or from specialists. Let’s always avail ourselves to studying and be approved of the Lord.

Eating heavy foods as well as fast food late in the night can be detrimental to your health. Why eat “banku, fufu, kenkey” or any other heavy food late in the night consistently? Isn’t it possible that kind of diet could attract obesity or any other related sickness? I know of some folks who can take indomie late in the night and retire to bed immediately after eating it. That’s opening the door for indigestion or heart burn problems that could have a heavy toll on your health my friend. Please, you can eat your indomie but not late in the night or regularly. Do you want to maintain your shape as a woman? Don’t wait for God to come and do it because he will never do it for it’s your responsibility. Receive the wisdom of Elohim!

Finally, walk with the wise for whoever walks with the wise shall be wise but the company of fools shall be destroyed. Don’t always be in the company smokers and other bad people for if all your friends are 10 and they are all not wise, please I assure you you didn’t count well, they are actually 11 “for evil communication corrupt good manners” – 1 Corinthians 15: 33.

You and I are wise Christians! Folly is not our portion! We shall go far in life and destiny. Because of the display of wisdom in our lives at our workplace, in our homes, churches, areas, we shall be sought after by all and sundry.

The little and great shall come and sit under our feet to be directed and guided in life with respect to decisions regarding all aspect of their lives. The world will notice that grace in us and through that we shall win massive souls for Jesus our Master and King in Jesus name!!!

Dr. David Tobi Ogoudou

Who do men say that I am?

Matthew 16:13-20

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

The Lord asked this question in Mark 8:27-29 and in Luke 9:18-20

The ministry of Jesus had taken off with many wonderful signs and wonders being seen, His fame had gone abroad that multitudes of people would gather at his meetings to hear him preach and be healed.

Jesus asked a very important question when he was in the company of his disciples. He wanted to know who people knew him as. He was not confused about his identity, he knew who he was, he wanted to know if people knew him.

Jesus asked his disciples “who do men say that i am? “ The answers Jesus got were varied and different. They answered him saying

  • 1. Some say you are John the Baptist
  • 2. Some say you are Elijah
  • 3. Others say you are Jeremiah
  • 4. Some say you are one of the prophets

It is amazing the responses Jesus got. They clearly showed the people did not know him at all.

He was certainly not John the baptist, how could he been John the baptist? It was John who Baptised Jesus. Jesus was not Elijah, Elijah was a prophet that that ascended to heaven many years before Jesus was born on Earth. He was not Jeremiah either. It was clear the people has the wrong identity of Jesus.

Now Jesus wanted to know what his disciples thought. he asked “But who do you say that I am?” Out of twelve disciples one had the right answer. Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” One person had sought to know the man. Peter had made it his business to know the identity of Jesus. By seeking he got This knowledge by divine revelation.

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

To know God requires revelation. Three things that come as a result of revelation.

1. Identity change :

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Your identity changes from nobody to the blessed of the Lord. Simone Bar Jonah (Simon son of Jonah) Peter son of the fisherman. I tell you, you are Peter (a rock)

  • ⁃ Abram changed to Abraham ( A father of many nations )
  • ⁃ Sarai ( Barren ) – Sarah ( mother of many nations )
  • ⁃ Saul ( murderer ) – Paul ( A bond servant of Jesus/ Apostle)
  • ⁃ Jacob ( the swindler) – Israel ( the prevailer )

2. Your purpose changes. you become someone God can use, your purpose becomes God’s purpose. He calls you blessed so you become a blessing.

Matthew 16:18 (ESV) And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

When God revealed Himself to Moses as I AM THAT I AM. his purpose changed from being a shepherd of sheep and goats to being a deliverer of God’s people.

3. You receive the keys of the kingdom

Matthew 16:19 (ESV) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Keys give access. An owner of a house without a key will have no access to house. In the kingdom of God ( Heaven and earth ) there are gates that require keys for access. A lack of the right keys will mean you are behind the gate without access.

Jesus is asking; ‘who do you say that i am’?Remember knowing someone requires relationship. Jesus wants you to know him by developing a relationship with Him.

Paul said;

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead” – Philippians 3:10-11.

Shalom! Rev. Ron

The Deeper Life

Luke 8:4-8 – “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The meaning of the parable

Luke 8:11-15 – “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

The parable of the sower gives many reasons why seeds could not grow. There are many factors that affected the seed that was sown, primarily based on the condition of the soil that received the seed. This also represents the heart conditions of Christians. What is the condition of your heart?

Some seed fell on rocky soil. Jesus explained that these are the ones who receive the Word of God with joy and believe for a while. But in the time of testing, they fall away because they have no roots.

A time of testing will come for every Christian. If you are shallow, in the time of testing you will fall.

Not having a deeper relationship with God for yourself will leave you at a disadvantage. Shallow rooted christians cannot even explain why they are christians or why they belong to a particular church. They don’t know why it is important to speak in tongues, they don’t even know why they give offerings, when they face a little criticism they are confused and don’t have a defense.

Without a deeper life as a Christian you can never say “God spoke to me” because your spirit is deaf to the voice of God. Many Christians fall away from the faith because they do not know the difference between the Gospel of Jesus Christ and fables inspired by demons.

There are many Christian’s who are empty, there is nothing in them. They have little or no word in them, they are neither full of the spirit or of love. They may have the outlook of a believer but inwardly they are empty and outwardly puffed up.

Emptiness will attract other things to fill the empty space. A spiritual vacuum will be filled with spiritual things whether positively or negatively. Nature does not like emptiness and so every space is filled with something.

And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

Luke 11:24-27 – Empty Christians are a target for the empty. The devil will to fill you with evil tendencies because of the emptiness within you.

Seven things you must be filled with

1. Be filled with the fullness of God

“to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:19 NKJV

2. Be filled with the spirit of God

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,”Ephesians 5:18 NKJV

3. Be filled with the knowledge of His will

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;”Colossians 1:9 NKJV

4. Be filled with joy

“greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy,” 2 Timothy 1:4 NKJV

5. Be filled with faith

“And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,” Acts 6:5 NKJV

6. Be filled with all knowledge

“Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” Romans 15:14 NKJV

7. Be filled with goodness

“Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” Romans 15:14 NKJV

What are you filling your spirit with? Fill your spirit with the word of God, with faith,with good Christian music. Fill our time with things that edify, exort and encourage. Drive away the emptiness from your spiritual life.

This is the fundamental key to becoming a strong Christian.

Be blessed! Rev. Ron

The Mature “Spirit-man”

“Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:22-23 KJV

Man (woman) is made up of a spirit, soul and body. Your whole spirit, soul and body should be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Education (school) does not affect you wholly. The focus of it is to affect your mind (soul) and maybe your body (if you indulge in sporting activities). The school does not necessarily provide for you spiritually because at the end of your academic journey you are not required to give account of your spiritual growth.

What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and his soul is lost? When you die, you continue to live in eternity. The soul is real. When you are dead it is just the body that stops functioning. All men are sinners and without the blood of Jesus, immediately you die you shall go to hell. Man is not just a body. Where you have people only their bodies (their muscles) by going to the gym to build their biceps, triceps and legs, when you die it is just meat. What about your soul? Some spend all their money fixing their hair, their faces (make up and all manner of skin treatments); you are only developing your earthly house and neglecting your soul and spirit.

When you make it to heaven you will be given another body. The essence of church is to develop another aspect of you which is neglected by the school, the gym, the salon and the make up studio. Jesus did not come to save the outside, He came to save the spirit/soul. That is why when you are born again, if you are fair you remain fair, if you are tall you remain tall and you have kinky hair you still have kinky hair. But rather, you now have a new spirit. Before salvation, all three parts of your being are rotten. You have no consciousness whatsoever f what is good and evil. However when you become born again because one part of you has been changed, when you are doing something wrong you become conscious of it.

Your body still desires to sin but it is your spirit (heart) that prompts you to be weary of that sin. Your salvation has no immediate effect on your physical body. Salvation is something that changes only the spirit. That is why the scripture admonishes us to workout our own salvation with fear and trembling. When you are born again, your spirit is a tiny little baby. Your spirit is a new born baby. Until your spirit becomes mature, the body will have a filled day doing what it pleases. Your body and mind are still operating at their full capacity.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:1-2 KJV

You can be born again in the spirit without your mind being renewed. When your spirit starts to grow, the devil does not like it at all. The fact that you don’t know that something is there doesn’t mean it’s not there. Now that you are born again, God what’s you to grow until you become a spiritual man. What then are the characteristics of a spiritual man?

A spiritual man despises earthly things. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:2-4 KJV

A spiritual man must be able to live by faith. When you are dominated by your flesh, you follow what you see. “(for we walk by faith, not by sight:) we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:7-8 KJV

A spiritual man accepts suffering ( you choose to suffer). When you are immature, you refuse to learn much but if you are mature you sacrifice and pay the price to learn because you value the benefits of it. Don’t be wise too late.

A spiritual man bears fruits. A baby cannot have a child until a certain age. “And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.” Zechariah 8:5 KJV. Children play. They do not engage in productive things to beat fruits. When you are immature as a Christian, you don’t get involved in anything useful or fruitful. When you grow spiritually, you start to bear fruit spiritually. Many of us like to attend church but do not like to contribute to anything spiritually.

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;” Colossians 1:9-10 KJV

God is expecting you to develop until a point where you bear fruit. The more fruit bearing you are the more mature you are. Only spiritual babies will sit in the church doing nothing. You only come to church to receive blessings. When the church is encouraging you to serve, it is an opportunity to grow spiritually. A baby only demands help and attention. They cry about any and every thing. Feed me! Carry me! I want to sleep! I’m hot! I’m cold! Sing for me! Change my diaper!

When you are a spiritual man you become a teacher too. For certain people, you are always receiving counseling all the time for one problem or trouble. You need to grow up and bear fruit to help people (others).

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:12-14 KJV

My prayer for you today is that your begin to desire to be a more ‘spiritual man’. May your focus be hinged towards growing in the wisdom and knowledge of Hod to nourish your spirit and soul in anticipation of living in eternity. May the Holy Spirit guide us in all truth and I. The perfect will of a God for our lives.

With Love, Esinam.

Motives

motive

/ˈməʊtɪv/

noun

a reason for doing something.”police were unable to establish a motive for his murder”

something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act.

something that moves a person; an inducement, something that leads a person on; an incentive, something that inspires a person.

Synonyms: reason, motivation

A persons speech, actions and choices are mainly guided by their motive. There is always a propellant that induces what we decide to do and the choices we make. A good motive will always stir up good actions. A wrong motive however will always end in evil even when the action taken seems like the right thing to do. If the motive is wrong, the thing you do is also wrong/ evil.

A persons motive can be induced or influenced by many things. There are specific reasons backing the actions that we take and the choices that we make. Here are nine motives that influence most people:

  • Love
  • Jealousy
  • Money
  • Competition
  • Power
  • Fear
  • Hatred
  • Spite
  • Tribalism

Love is a universal motive used by many people. Scripture tells us in John 3:16 that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. It was love that caused God to make the greatest sacrifice for us to be here today. Let love be the motive for all the things you do because it will definitely cause you to do the right things. Whatever is within the heart of a thing will come out eventually. The various tests of life will cause your motives to be tried over and over again.

“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, As a seal upon thine arm: For love is strong as death; Jealousy is cruel as the grave: The coals thereof are coals of fire, Which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, Neither can the floods drown it: If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, It would utterly be contemned.” Song of Solomon 8:7 KJV

Love is not just a positive but very intense motive that should not be underestimated. The above scripture likens the strength of love to death. Many waters cannot quench it neither can a flood drown it. A pure motive of love can never be hidden because it will always stand the test of time.

Jealousy as a motive for doing things is ungodly. The same scripture above also says jealousy is as cruel as the grave. The grave symbolizes death. How then can any action taken based on jealousy yield good things. Doing things on the basis of jealousy will only veer you off the original path of your destiny. Being hung up on someone’s progress as an influence to what you do in life is a recipe for distraction from your God-given purpose.

When a persons motive is money, what matters most to them is the end goal; to accumulate money. Whatever means they will have to employ to acquire that money is merely circumstantial damage caused. Bottom line is that the money must be made. Money as a motive will cause you to go any length just to achieve your set goals. No matter how you camouflage your actions, your true motive invalidates your deeds.

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:10 KJV

Competition is the desire to outdo another person. This is a clear characteristic of childish Christians or human beings in general. This is not a motive that will help you because in your quest to compete, you will be running a race that will be too expensive to finish. You may be trying to impress people when you should not even be concerned with what they think.

Power as a motive is the quest to posses a certain authority and influence over others. The end goal is to fuel a persons ego and its root is from pride. Don’t lord it over people if you are a leader. If you are a husband you don’t get power to lord it over your wife because wives also have the ability to resist. Through their resistance your marriage may break.

“Do not try to rule over those who have been put in your care, but be examples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:3 GNT

Fear as a motive for doing things can wreak more havoc than good. Back during our school days, the fear of deadlines was mostly the motivation to get assignments done or prepare for tests. You end up straining yourself I. The final hours when you could have enjoyed the journey to acquiring the requisite knowledge in a more relaxed manner. Fear must not be a motivation or something that leads you because fear in itself is a demonic spirit.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

Hatred is a dangerous motivating factor. The cardinal or classic sign of hatred is murder. “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15 KJV). When you desire to kill somebody or you want them to die by some means then you have hatred in your heart. Where hatred is, there is always a lot of trouble. The killing of people generates a spirit of revenge because even after a long span of time you discover that the hatred is still there.

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:19-21 KJV

To spite a person is is a deliberate desire to annoy, offend or ultimately hurt them. God always wants us to do things out of love and not to hurt somebody else. Many people do things just to ‘show’ someone else and not necessarily for good. Most of the time we either just want to prove a point or we might not even know why we’re doing those things. Spite is a toxic trait that needs to absolutely be avoided.

“Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.” Philippians 1:15-17 KJV

Tribalism is a touchy subject but must be addressed.

“After all this took place, King Ahasuerus honored Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite. He promoted him in rank and gave him a higher position than all the other officials. The entire royal staff at the King’s Gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded this to be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage. The members of the royal staff at the King’s Gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command? ” When they had warned him day after day and he still would not listen to them, they told Haman to see if Mordecai’s actions would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing down or paying him homage, he was filled with rage. And when he learned of Mordecai’s ethnic identity, Haman decided not to do away with Mordecai alone. He planned to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout Ahasuerus’s kingdom. Esther 3:1-6 HCSB

Haman was a racist, tribalistic. He sought to harm Mordecai and his people solely because of his different ethnic identity. We all know how that story ended though. As Christians we need to be objective and spirit led in all that we do. Do not discard someone you would want to marry simply based on where they come from. Don’t form your own opinion about people without getting to know them for yourself. In certain places black Christians hate white Christians and white Christians also hate black Christians. Let those negative ideologies be removed from your mind so that you can be filled with the right motive. People may say all sorts of things but remember that faith comes by hearing. With time you will wound up believing what you have been hearing even if it’s not the truth.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24 KJV

When we have the right heart the God can bless us. Let your heart be filled with love so that your motive with be love. It is the heart that God looks at and not the outward appearance. Lord let my heart be pure. Let me do all I do because of love and not for other motives.

You may progress, excel or be successful when you rely on other motives in the things you do. All other motives will crumble with time but God will bless you when your motive is right. Remember also that the blessings of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow with it. God bless us as we do all things in love.

With love, Esinam.

Loving God

love

/lʌv/

noun

1. an intense feeling of deep affection. “babies fill parents with feelings of love”.

/// fondness, intimacy, devotion, adoration, worship, desire, yearning, regard, friendship, kindness, goodwill, altruism, unselfishness, relationship ///

2. a great interest and pleasure in something. “his love for football”

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16-17 KJV

“Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him.” 1 John 3:1 HCSB

The above scriptures give us a reflection of how valuable a love God expressed to humans. A love that sacrificed itself to die for sinful people. A love that was given without reservations of or requirements from the recipient. A love that went and still goes all out without prejudice or condemnation. What manner of love this is indeed; so great that we have not only been considered to benefit of it but also that we have been found worthy of God’s adoption.

How do we respond to such great love? And with what can we even match up to its lavish expression thereof? We cannot just admire such a show of love. We cannot just like it as a great gesture. Our response to it cannot be mediocre or something average. We need to respond with all of our heart and every fiber of our being. We ought to cultivate a deep love relationship with God.

Any relationship you have with God other than love is not enough.

It’s great to revere God; to fear Him in all reverence, to acknowledge and honour Him as our Heavenly Father. All of that is good and acceptable. However He earnestly desires that we love Him also in response to His love towards us. That is Is perfect will for us.

God will not force us to love Him back. He desires it however (despite His sacrifice for us), He does force us to love Him back. God’s intention is not to weary us with His love but rather to draw us onto Him. He would rather we discover for ourselves the depth of love He has in store for us so we receive it wholeheartedly.

“Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; Lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.”Proverbs 25:17 KJV

People easily get tired of you when you overstay your welcome. In other words, your visit may be expressing more love than the person who is hosting you. As humans, we sometimes get suspicious when people are seemingly too nice, especially when we feel undeserving of their kind gesture. Don’t let God feel like a visitor who is no longer wanted.

Many of us Christians are more concerned about ourselves than the work of God. Jesus is not a genie. The Holy Bible is not a magic teapot that we can rub to make wishes. The church is not a poker house or a political party that you visit solely for personal gain. The church is a place on worship, communion, fellowship! When your reason for being there changes, you change. We usually only focus on what we can get from God and not what we can do for His kingdom. That is why we don’t usually serve God the way we ought to serve Him.

“The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”” John 14:21 HCSB

It is one thing being loved by God (as He loved the world and gave His son to die for us). It is an even better thing to be a beloved of the Lord because you responded to His love with love. It is only at that level that He will reveal Himself to you.

How do I express this love for God, you may ask. When you accept His commands and keep them (obey them), only then do you truly love Him. Such love is evident by your growth in the things of God.

It’s just like little children are expected to grow and hit certain milestones at various ages.i.e. 1year, 2 years, 3 years, 5 years and so on. The average child is expected to crawl by a certain age, walk by a certain age, talk at a certain age, potty train by a certain age, brush their teeth by a certain age and so on. Beyond certain specific ages for specific milestones, if the child is unable to develop that skill it might be a deficiency in growth and might require some medical intervention.

The duties of us as children of God are equally different for various seasons. Being born again, cultivating a habit of prayer, having a quiet time, tithing and giving offerings, serving in the house of God, evangelism and soul-winning, etc.

Hitting the milestone for one age does not automatically make you a fully grown person. You need to continue to learn and grow even through adulthood to survive the journey of life. Similarly attaining one milestone as a Christian does not end your journey of loving God. You cannot just say I have accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour so I’m good to go. If you love Him, you will keep His commandment at every stage of your life in Him.

Attaining each spiritual milestone in due season boils down to us really loving God. When we truly love Him, we will willingly desire to know Him and obey His instructions. We will yearn to be in His presence and make the effort to develop an intimate relationship with Him. Don’t use church as a place to accumulate blessings and ‘things’ but strictly as a place to serve God and love on Him.

Make a reciprocal sacrifice for what He has done for you through His love.

We usually take the hard decision to serve God wholly at the very last minute or when it is too late. Some will spend the youthful years of their lives toiling for Pharaoh. They will work ever so hard in their careers or business to accumulate all the treasures of this world and only factor serving God into their retirement plan. Many of us are just neutral/ mediocre in our service to God.

“After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” He then asked a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep.” Then he said it a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I’m telling you the very truth now: When you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wished, but when you get old you’ll have to stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to hint at the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And then he commanded, “Follow me.”” John 21:15-19 MSG

Feed my lambs! Shepherd my sheep!! Feed my sheep!!! It is evident from this scripture the things we ought to do if we love the Lord. We also see clearly that it is easier to do these when we are young (go wherever you wish). Notice also that as we age our power of choice is dwindled and we are less malleable. We grow feeble and weary and someone else/ other things/ realities of life will take us where we don’t want to go.

May we really truly love God in response to His love for us. May we not be selfish and maintain a one-sided relationship where we only take from Him without giving back in service to Him and His kingdom. May we not be mediocre or neutral in serving God but rather give off our best for His work. Ultimately, may we grow in love for Him through the various seasons of our journey with Him.

With love, Esinam.

Duality – The Double Life (2)

“Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.”
‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Today, we will continue our lessons on living a dual life with some more examples of duality:

5. MATURE AND YET CHILDISH

Samson judged Israel for twenty years. It takes maturity to be a judge, and to be able to lead a nation for this number of years. Looking at Samson’s life, you may get the impression that he was just lustful, chasing one prostitute after another. But he was a judge for twenty years. That is maturity in ministry.

Most Charismatic churches in Ghana have not been in the ministry for twenty years. But Samson was! However, Samson had another side of his personality which made him behave like a child.

In Judges 15:1, he caught three hundred foxes and tied their tails in pairs. Then he set them on fire and sent them into the Philistines’ farms. This was Samson’s revenge on his father-in-law for giving his bride to his best man.

His behaviour was childish. It is a child who would think of running around to catch foxes, tie their tails and light them up with fire. There are simpler ways of burning a farm. The man was clearly childish in his thinking. Yet at the same time, he was a very mature man who gave reasonable judgement for at least twenty years.

There are many Christians like that. Their level of understanding of God’s Word is excellent, yet they are so childish. A child is very unsteady and unstable. A child cannot sit at one place for a long time. There are many childish Christians who despite their knowledge of God’s Word cannot settle down in any church.

Today, you will meet them in this church, the next time, you will find them in another church. They just cannot belong anywhere. Theyareunsteadyandunstable,yettheyhavegreat knowledge. It takes maturity to belong to a church.

One Sunday evening, I ‘tuned-in’ to a Christian talk show on my way home from church. (I usually leave church very late). That night, the discussion was on churches and pastors. As I listened to the discussion I marvelled at how wise and mature the arguments sounded.

Then I suddenly recognised the voice of one of the contributors. He was one of the most unstable Christians I had ever known. He had once been a member of my church, but had since moved to at least two other churches. This fellow had such wise commentaries to make on the behaviour of pastors and churches. Yet he was like a child — unable to belong to any church for a long period. Perhaps, he knows too much to belong anywhere. He is mature and yet childish.

6. LOYAL AND SLANDEROUS

Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued… 1 Timothy 3:8.

There are people who claim to be loyal and yet are very slanderous and double tongued. They have two tongues: one speaks good and the other evil. The Bible describes duality of the tongue as being double- tongued. There is only one animal that seems to have two tongues — the snake!

Some years ago, I was in a fellowship meeting when the pastor took a second offering. I got angry and complained to a sister sitting by me. But the look she gave me shut me up. Immediately, my heart smote me.

After the service I went up to the pastor and confessed to him what I had said. He was very surprised. Stretching out his hands, he told me God was going to use me. I could have complained bitterly about the man of God as I sat there. Then after the service, I could have approached him with a big smile, telling him how much I enjoyed the sermon.

To him, I would have sounded very loyal. But I would have been ‘stabbing him in the back’, pretending to have a loyal tongue. A person with two tongues is a follower of the devil; who slanders the saints before God. The devil is described as:

…the accuser of our brethren… which accused them before our God day and night. Revelation 12:10

7. GOODNESS AND BADNESS

The dual person exhibits both goodness and ‘badness’.

…your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. Hosea 6:4.

The morning cloud and the early dew were things that appeared for a short while and then vanished almost immediately. Some people would know the dual person to be bad and wicked. Another group of people would know him to be a very good person.

If you went to the home of a person living a dual life, the members of his family would readily supply you with tales of his evil deeds. But if you also went to talk to his colleagues at school or in the church, they would tell you of his/her goodness and kindness.

8. GOOD START, POOR FINISH

In Judges 13, we observe the beginning of Samson’s ministry. But in Judges 16:30, we see his end.

And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines…

When Samson began his ministry, the Spirit anointed him for service.

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:8 (ASV)

It does not matter how you start this journey of life, God is interested in how you finish. There are many people who started so well. They were anointed. But because they lived dual lives, just like Samson, they died in the midst of demons and their enemies.

I heard a story told be a pastor who visited a man who has been diagnosed with some dangerous sickness. In their conversation the sick man said to the pastor “ I have prayed to God to heal me, if he heals me I will dedicate all my life to serving Him”

The next time the pastor visited the hospital a week later the man had died. The moral in this case about finishing well. Don’t waste your life on other things and when you have nothing to offer God you make promises you can’t keep. What is the use of starting well and ending very badly?

Samson died in the midst of unbelievers, he died in the midst of his enemies. He was killed by the enemy! It will never be well with us if we play a double game with God. God is not blind! God is not a fool! God is not a man! God can not be mocked. He sees what we are doing.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Proverbs 15: 3.

Behave like a True Christian

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.”Romans 12:9-17 NKJV

You may click on the following link and listen to the podcast sermon: https://spotify.link/C9IxdhAvdzb

May the Lord help us all. Rev. Ron