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

Duality – The Double Life

Foundation scripture Eph 5:1-5

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” Ephesians 5:1-5 ESV

• God’s expectation is that as children of God, no form of sinful living should be found in us.

• So that fornication, uncleanness and the like should never be associated with any Christian.

• People who are called Christians and yet live a different lifestyle underneath are guilty of duality.

WHAT IS DUALITY ?

Duality is the act of living two lives (a double life). It is also the act of having two personalities or two natures embodied in one person. One lifestyle displayed in public, and the other lived in private.

Such a dual person has one behaviour pattern he exhibits when he comes into public. This is to impress the people around. He has another type of behaviour when nobody can see him. For those who claim to be Christians, one lifestyle is displayed in church, and the other, outside of church.

Duality encourages the spirit of hypocrisy, the spirit of lies and the spirit of self-deception. One of the ?greatest forms of deception is self-deception. When you are a fool and you don’t know that you are a fool, your situation is worse than a fool who knows that he is a fool!

In engineering one of the basic proponents of problem solving is identification of the problem. When you are sick and you don’t know you are sick it is almost impossible to prescribe a remedy. But when you are not well and you know the problem the solution to cure is 50% complete.

Deception is a very dangerous thing which comes about by repeated lying. When you knowingly and continuously lie, you begin to believe the lie.

EXAMPLES OF DUALITY

Now I want to show you several examples of the dual life. Samson was a perfect example of someone with a dual life. His dual behaviour was so classic that every Christian must learn something from him.

1. SEPARATED AND UNEQUALLY YOKED

That was the state of Samson — he had a religious separated side of him, which was shown by the fact that he never cut his hair. Yet he was unequally yoked to the things of the world.

There are Christians who appear separated from the world, but yet live in sin. Samson’s life was one that was separated and yet was entangled in the world. He was separated because he was a Nazarite —that is, someone who was not supposed to live like the rest of the people. He was unique, in the sense that he was not supposed to drink, or cut his hair.

He didn’t cut his hair, and it was a sign of his consecration to God. All those around him thought he had nothing to do with the world. It was an open sign to everyone that Samson was a Nazarite, separated unto God. He never drank, and everybody knew him to be so.

But at the same time, he was practising another kind of quiet evil, by linking himself with the devil and the world. These two things were going on in his life at the same time. This was a man who would not cut his hair, who claimed to be Charismatic, who was wearing the Nazarite hair, a sign that he was separated to God. But at the same time, he wanted to have an unbeliever wife (Judges 14: 2-3).

Samson also played with God. He wore the long hair, which was a sign that he was a member of a Christian church, but still dabbled in fornication with the world. Apparently separated, but also with the world.

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 ESV

2. SPIRITUAL AND CARNAL

Samson was a spiritual person and yet he was carnal. At certain times he gave the impression that he was very spiritual. At other times it was surprising how carnal he could be. The contrast is such that you wonder if this carnality and spirituality could be in one person? Judges 13:25 tells us that, “…the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times…”

The Spirit was upon the man and yet he was carnal. He was so spiritual that he was the spiritual leader of Israel for twenty years! However, we realize that he had a woman problem: He was a playboy although he had the Spirit of God.

Judges 16:3 recounts that he carried the gates of the city on his shoulders. What a mighty man! In this sense he was not weak. He was so mighty that he killed one thousand people with a jaw bone.

However, Judges 16:4-17, portrays Samson as being morally weak. This allowed Delilah to take advantage of him. She overcame the mighty man because he was also a weak man! Are you both mighty and weak?

“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 ESV

3. WORSHIPPING WITH YOUR MOUTH, YET REBELLING IN YOUR HEART

God is sick of duality and of all forms of pretence. When the Israelites practised duality, God became so angry that He refused to accept their sacrifice.

He queried, ‘To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me?… Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me. … I cannot, away with it… Isaiah 1:11,13.

God was tired of their hypocrisy; and told them that He would not heed their prayers. Because after praying they turned and did evil. God said, “Away with it! I cannot, and I don’t want it.” Truly, there are so many Christians who sing, lift up their hands, and tell the Lord that they love him — but these are often empty words.

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

4. MEN PLEASER AND GOD PLEASER

Is it possible to please God and men at the same time? In Galatians 1:10, Paul states, ‘…for if l yet pleased men, l should not be the servant of Christ.’

According to Paul, if he pleases men he cannot please Christ. It is as simple as that! There is no way you can please men and think or believe you are pleasing God. Walking with the Lord on this long road of ministry, I have had to do many things that were often not pleasing to men. I simply could not please men.

You can’t look up and look down at the same time. It’s time to please God fully. In conclusion in James 3:17 the Bible talks about wisdom that comes from above

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:17-18 NKJV

To be able to live a single life that pleases God would require us to fully surrender and be yielded to serving Him alone. To do this needs wisdom that comes from above, that is what can bring transformation. Be Blessed!

Rev. Ron Chiarelli

WHEN TO OPEN SPIRITUAL GATES

Calvary greetings to each and everyone of us in the name of Jesus.

Today being a special day in my life, I feel led to bless us with this life transforming message – WHEN TO OPEN SPIRITUAL GATES.

Psalm 107: 16 reads “ For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart their bars of iron” ( NLT).

What’s a gate? A gate is a doorlike structure outside a house or an opening in a wall or a fence. It can also mean a city or castle entrance often with defensive structures (such as towers). This means some gates are protected by agents and can defend it with their blood when they feel their authority is threatened.

I must add that some gates are made up of steel which is an artificial metal produced from iron, harder and more elastic than elemental iron. This simply means gates are made of very very hard substance.

Now with this background information, I think we understand what gates are and made of. The way gates are in the physical is the same way they are in the spirit because the physical world is a representation of the spiritual world. What we see with our physical eyes also exist in the spirit world. Anyone who disbelieves the existence of the spirit world or doubt the existence of the spirit world is in error and very pitiful, trust me. In fact the Bible says Jesus Himself was slain before the foundation of the world. What does it mean? It means before he came to die on earth he had already died in the spirit. I hope we understand that the physical world is a slave to the spiritual world. Don’t let education deceive you into believing that all there is is what you see in this world.

In the above scripture, the Bible says “ he broke down their prison gates of bronze and cut apart their bars of iron”. Prison gates of bronze? This is incredible. This expression is used figuratively but it doesn’t mean it’s not done in the spirit. Who did the breaking and cutting? The Lord of course! The Lord hardly does things for us without our earnest participation we must note. He told Moses, when you go to Pharoah, use your rod and when he obeyed God, Pharoah knew he (Moses) was not an ordinary man. Were the Israelites in prisons with gates? Absolutely! Someone could argue their prison was physical but remember until you are a prisoner in the spirit, you can’t be a prisoner in the physical.

These prison gates represent the evil state in which some people have been in for years and nothing seems to be working for them irrespective of what they do. Some years ago, a friend went to see a fetish priest to solve his problem and that fetish priest through the eyes of evil spirits saw he (my friend) was in a prison surrounded by powerful ancient gates and he told him about it. But you know, the remedy was demonic and my friend ignored his solution. Unfortunately, since this friend of mine isn’t serious with God, he is still in that prison till date. Nothing is working for him in life and he is now blaming his family. Am I happy? No! But you can’t help anyone who is not ready to be helped! My dear, when your life is caged in a spiritual prison surrounded by gates, you’ve got to fight till the mighty Man of war (Jesus) comes in to deliver you. That’s an option. You may also choose to visit witch doctors for solutions and eventually compound your problem or sit down and blame people for your condition. Your are not a confirmed failure until you still have someone to blame for your destiny. According to my observations as the Lord’s servant, I have realized that most of the battles we go through are waiting for our seriousness to give way but we are simply not serious and don’t want to pay the price needed to break gates of poverty, sickness, late marriage, barrenness, employment among others and experience total freedom. We love to pamper the flesh. Brother, evil spirits hardly give up so why give up or empower them to have dominion over us when we are supposed to be free because Jesus paid the price for us. There’s always we have to do to attract God in our lives.

Go with me to Acts 2:15 and let me show you a mystery. Acts 2:15 reads “ These are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day” – KJV. What’s the third hour of the day? It’s 9 am.

What abt Acts 3:1 “ Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour (3 pm). Remember, Peter was an apostle and knew much about when to open up himself to the spirit world. So he chose a particular time for prayer. Why? To move the hand of the God in his favour. When you are going through inexplicable battles, be mindful of the time you pray. Don’t pray any how! I’m not saying praying at a different time other than 9 am would not produce results but rather praying at this time (9 am) brings quick results and scatters gates when you are consistent.

Besides, Acts 10:3 also says “ He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day (3 pm) an angel of God coming in to him …” The Bible makes us to understand that as Peter and John were going to the temple for prayer at that time, they met a crippled man that he (Peter ) together with John healed. This presupposes that it’s something these apostles had been doing prior to meeting the sick man. So it was at that hour that they healed him. Can u be consistent in praying at 3 pm for at least one month over that gate? Beloved, if you do will scatter that gate and it will be like it never existed in the name of Jesus.

Consider Acts 10:9 “ On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour (12 noon). Jesus thank you for this mystery. As a Christian, you have angels protecting you day in day out. You may have heard or read about them but never seen them with your eyes or in the spirit. All you need for an angel to visit you at that hour may be to pray first at the same time. But before the Lord speaks to you through an angel, you may have to learn to be consistent at praying at noon and midnight because the Bible says “ when Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises at midnight, their prison gate were opened “. Hallelujah!

Now, I know most of us are busy and go to work and so maintaining this cycle over a period maybe very difficult. Don’t worry my sister. You can do it according to your schedules. However, if that’s going to be difficult, why don’t you go on leave for a number of days and repeat this cycle I mean praying from 12 midnight to 1, from 3- 4, 6- 7, 9- 10, 11- 12 and you repeat the cycle consistently.

You may not be able to repeat the cycle from 12 midnight till 12 noon but you can still choose a particular time that favours you from the time schedules discussed.

Why? Because you need results! If you work for a private institution, try and find time and fight in the spirit. I assure you you will have angelic visitations, hear God’s voice on sensitive issues and eventually you will be free from that ancient and strong gate or prison. The word of God is true so believe it and practice it and you will have your deliverance.

On this very day which is my birthday, that’s what I do and will do when I go on leave. You are the deliverer of your family so don’t fail them or those who are connected to you because in your rising is the rising of many.

The spiritual gate or prison is broken in the name of Jesus!

God bless you!

Dr. David Tobi Ogoudou

YOU CANNOT DIE BEFORE YOUR TIME

When I was a child I always dreaded death to the extent that I never wanted to see an ambulance or hear its siren because it always reminded me of the end of man.

My fear was so bad that I never wanted to see the dead or visit a cemetery. Remember, the Lord has not given us the spirit of fear but of love, power and of a sound mind ( 2 Timothy 1:7). This means fear isn’t of the Lord at all.

As a child, I always heard, if you die, it’s your time and most of us still believe in it. But is this assertion always true? No, it is not because God’s plan for us is to live life to its fullest ( Psalm 139:16).

But you may ask can someone die before their time? Absolutely! Psalms 55:23 confirms it by saying “ but you, O God, will send the wicked down to the pit of destruction. Murderers and liars will die young, but I am trusting you to save me.”

But can God add to my age or subtract from it or not? Concerning Hezekiah, the Bible explicitly says God added fifteen more years to his age when he pleaded with Him ( 2 kings 20: 5-6). What a kind God we have!

What about some people that died young? Was it a premature death? In most cases, Jehovah has no hand in the premature death of His children. Yes, in few instances, God Himself can allow His child to exit the earth at an age we mortals may consider premature but before Him, it’s not for He sometimes does that in our favour.

Perhaps, living here for more than it is expected may make us backslide so He always has a way of taking us home before the age we consider to be the ripe age.

Sometimes too once we fulfill our mandate, He allows us to join Him in heaven. Jesus Himself left this world after fulfilling his mandate at the age of 33 and half. Archbishop Benson Idahosa died young we say. But was it a premature death?

Let’s see! At 59, the man of God passed away after praying with others on the table and continuously saying ‘thank you Jesus.” I’m convinced per the circumstances under which he died that he was actually called by His Father. He had obviously finished his mission on earth.

When some people are dying they don’t thank Jesus because they know they haven’t fulfilled their destiny. Some struggle, cry and even frown. These factors are indicative of the fact that something is wrong. I declare you shall die peacefully and after fulfilling your mandate on earth in the name of Jesus.

What then are the factors that guarantee longevity? Is it mere confession “ I shall not die”? Is it being a church person or living a holy life? Let’s delve into the Holy book and learn what can make us live long here on earth.

If you don’t want to die before your time, the first thing you have to do is that you simply have to be born again. Being born again is different from you being holy, generous, confirmed in a church or being a church leader. Without giving your heart to Jesus, being righteous or having a pure heart is synonymous with you not being saved.

Why? Romans 10:9 -10 tells us how to be saved “ If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and by confessing with your mouth that you are saved”. That’s the Bible and not any man made principles. Don’t get angry with me because you may have been told that if you say some prayers without “ accepting Christ” like the above scripture said you are saved. Sorry, if you are not born again, it’s not too late, you can be helped. No one is telling you to leave your church. Just do the right thing to have life eternal. Salvation is not premised on Buddha, Mary or Mohammed or any other person. Salvation is Jesus Himself. When you are really born again, you will submit your tripartite being to Jesus and he in return will give you life and resurrect you even if you die.

In John 11: 25- 26 Jesus speaks: “ Jesus told her, I’m the resurrection and the life. Anyone that believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die….” Do you understand? If you belong to the owner of life, you don’t have to worry. He Himself will help you live life to the fullest. It’s as simple as that.

On the other hand if you refuse to submit to Him, you open up yourself to the devil because you have no covering. Besides, you don’t believe in Jesus! Any evil wind or whatsoever kills an unbeliever can easily affect you because you are on your own. But that cannot be your portion in the name of Jesus!

I know I will live life to its fullness because I belong to Him and you too must belong to Him by choice. Remember, salvation must be genuine and you yourself must be convinced by the Spirit to answer His call. When you are saved, you will know that you are indeed saved and you can be rest assured you would not die before your time.

If you backslid after giving your life to God or you are not saved, you can still make amends. Remember you do that for your own good.

Kindly, say the following prayer after me:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.

I declare and decree “Jesus, You are life and resurrection. Thank you for writing my name in the book of life. I’m saved. I cannot die before my time! Thank you Jesus!”

You are blessed!

Dr. David Tobi Ogoudou

Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions Apply, Ts & Cs apply – a very popular statement you would typically hear at the end of radio and television jingles and/or advertisements. It is also common to see these in business contracts, purchase agreements and even with the mobile applications we download onto our devices.

Although for many reasons we ignore the fine details of these Ts & Cs, they largely determine what we stand to gain or lose in a transaction, especially when things don’t turn out in our favour. We casually tap on the “I Agree” or “Accept” button in a heartbeat without understanding the fine print because for some reason we trust that we will not have any issues engaging a mobile application.

When you get a job and you sign a contract, you’re generally offering your services, experience and expertise in exchange for a remuneration monthly/weekly/daily. Any rational person will typically stay within a work environment where their skills are valued and they in return make good money. People hardly work for free unless in rare cases, given the job is not the main or only source of their livelihood, where they would offer their time for the experience.

Similarly when you accept the gift of salvation and become a born again Christian, you have entered into an agreement with God. As part of it, you need to choose His will over yours in order to fully enjoy the benefits of His salvation. You need to trust Him enough that His Holy Spirit will lead you onto better paths than any choices you would have made independent of Him. We cannot only serve Him when the conditions are favourable for us; serving only to enjoy His favour and not because you really revere Him or love Him.

Let us hear the story of an 79-year old missionary who never got married despite her dedication to God’s work:

It is Satan who tries, in every way, to spoil the peace and joy that God’s servants have in their work. Ellen, my new traveling companion, had gone with me to a lonely mission field in Mexico. Our hostess was a lady missionary, unmarried, in her forties. One evening while we were alone in her little abode, she confessed her bitterness and resentment over being unmarried.

‘Why have I been denied the love of a husband, children, and a home? Why is it that the only men who ever paid any attention to me were married to someone else?” Long into the night she poured out the poison of her frustration. At last she asked me, “Why did you never marry?”

“Because,” I said, “the Lord had other plans for me than married life.

“Did you ever fall in love and lose someone, as I have?” she asked bitterly.

“Yes,” I said sadly. “I know the pain of a broken heart.”

“But you were strong, weren’t you,” she said in biting tones. You were willing to let God have His way in your life?

“Oh, no, not at first,” I said. ‘I had to fight a battle over it. I was twenty-three. I loved a boy and believed he loved me. But I had no money and he married a rich girl. After they were married he brought her to me and putting her hand in mine said, ‘I hope you two will be friends. I wanted to scream. She looked so sweet, so secure and content in his love.

“But I did have Jesus, and eventually I went to Him and prayed, Lord Jesus, You know that I belong to You 100 percent. My sex life is yours also. I don’t know what plans You have for my life, but Lord, whatever it may be, use me to realize Your victory in every detail. I believe You can take away all my frustrations and feelings of unhappiness. I surrender anew my whole life to You.

I looked across the little table at the bitter woman in front of me. Her face was furrowed, her eyes hard with resentment. I sensed she had been trying to run away from her frustrations. Perhaps that was even the reason she was on the mission field.

Sadly, there are some of God’s children who go to the mission field to escape the pain of not having a husband. I know others, back home, who spend every evening away from their families, attending Christian meetings, because they are unhappy and frustrated in their marriages. Work – even mission work – can become a wrong hiding place. “Those called by God to live single lives are always happy in that state,” I said. “This happiness, this contentment, is the evidence of God’s plan.”

“But you loved and lost,” she exclaimed. “Do you believe that God took away your lover to make you follow Him?”

“Oh, no,” I smiled. “God does not take away from us. He might ask us to turn our backs on something, or someone, we should not have. God never takes away, however; God gives. If I reach out and take someone for myself and the Lord steps in between, that does not mean God takes. Rather it means He is protecting us from someone we should not have because He has a far greater purpose for our lives.”

This missionary clearly understood the terms and conditions of her calling. She embraced and fully obeyed the responsibilities that accompanied the kind of ministry God had called her to. Rather than blame God for not having what she had originally desired for her life, she chose to trust Him, knowing that what He had planned out for her life would yield an even greater eternal reward. Her consolation was not in her earthly success, but rather in her ability to attain eternal milestones for her Saviour with her life and through fulfilling His purpose.

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan,” Genesis 12:1-5 NLT

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.” Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility.”

“This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.””
‭‭Genesis 17:1-4, 7-14NLT

“On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭17‬:‭23‬-‭24‬, ‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. And Abraham named their son Isaac. Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me.” Genesis 21:1-6 NLT

We are all too familiar with the story of Abraham, how long it took and how old he was before he had the son that God had promised. Our emphasis today is on the terms and conditions of that covenant God made with him. God had instructed him several times and he had obeyed. Even when he told “white lies” about Sarah his wife, God still kept his promises of prospering him. However when it came to the ultimate blessing of becoming a father of many nations, there were terms to that covenant that had to be fulfilled in order for the manifestation thereof.

Abraham’s responsibility was to obey the terms of the covenant. Bible let’s us know that he complied immediately, same day! As soon as he did this (ensuring that every male within his household was circumcised), a year after, Isaac was born. And we see that even after God’s promise was fulfilled, he still obeyed the terms by ensuring Isaac was also circumcised as God had commanded of his household. When God revealed His covenant to Abraham, he didn’t seek the approval or consent of other men. He spoke to him in a language Abraham understood, knowing from His relationship with Abraham that he could be trusted to live up to God’s expectations.

We need to seek and understand the terms and conditions of our relationship with God. What does God require of me? What is He seeking that I do? He speaks to us in diverse ways based on our relationship with Him, so be careful because not everyone will understand your assignment and why you do some of the things you do. Even though it is great to be hopeful for God’s promises to us, we should also diligently obey and execute our responsibility as far as His promises are concerned.

Serving God only with the hope of enjoying His benefits thereof might shatter your joy and eventually leave you faithless. But to even fully manifest the benefits of our service to him, we need to diligently heed to His instructions (terms and conditions) as outlined in His word. I pray you find the courage to trust in God regardless of what your expectations of life are. May we live not by our terms and conditions but by His. Always endeavor to declare; God’s plan, not mine! God’s will, not mine!! God’s way, not mine!!!

With Love, Esinam.

A vessel God can use

Remember how growing up there was that special bowl that was only used for Daddy, or special plates and cutlery that were used to serve special visitors at home? In a typical Ghanaian home, while everyone else ate their weekend ‘fufu’ or ‘omotuo’ in a regular plastic bowl, Daddy or any special visitor got served in that Pyrex bowl reserved only for the head of the household or for special occasions. I’m essence, the vessel that your meal is served in is a reflection of your value to the household. The Bible makes us understand that as servants of God, as children of God, our ‘yieldedness’ determines the kind of vessel we are defined as in the house our our Lord.

“In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.” 2 Timothy 2:20-21 MSG

Some might argue that being a waste can or compost bucket doesn’t render one useless. That’s true. But cast your mind to the typical characteristics of such. They are often broken or worn out containers that are being used till they can no longer serve any purpose. It is just a matter of time before they are replaced or discarded and ultimately rendered useless.

As Christians, one way we can be rendered useless in God’s vineyard is when do not do first things first. When we no longer prioritize what God has called us to do, we don’t commune with God through prayer and His word, we don’t fellowship with the brethren, we don’t obey his commands and we don’t heed to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Rather we are swayed by the happenings of the world, we toil hard and long for Pharaoh (putting work and social events before serving God). We find ourselves in the last days and there is so much going on around us that could easily dissuade us from God’s original plan for our lives. The cares of this world are many, the distractions are many but it is necessary that we strive to look beyond those and yearn to please our Heavenly Father.

“Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.” 1 Peter 5:10 MSG

It can be so hard to keep the faith when everything seems to be crumbling down roundabout you. It’s hard to keep praying when your prayers don’t seem to get any answers. It’s hard to keep giving when you’re not reaping any harvest. It’s hard to keep serving when your labour in the Lord seems in vain. But don’t forget that faith is the substance of thing hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. When that marriage is not happening, when you’re not getting the job you’ve have prayed for, when the baby(ies) you’ve fasted for are not coming even after trying all the medical interventions, don’t lose hope. God is preparing you as a vessel to testify greatly for His glory.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this. Proverbs 3:5-7 MSG

And while you wait, while you hope, while you yield to His discipline and delight in His will you need to work on yourself. You need to keep sharpening your axe. You need to ensure your wine skin is intact, your faith unwavering. That your vessel is ready and able to contain all that He is preparing behind the scenes for your advancement.

““No one sews a patch of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse. No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the wineskins. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”” Mark 2:21-22 AMP

The period of waiting is not the time for trial and error. It is not the period when you float through existence, expecting something magical to happen. Of course waiting is tough and is rarely ever a pleasurable experience but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like the eagle. But while you wait, build up your most holy faith, consciously renew your mind, consecrate yourself to God and focus on things above.

“Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].” Romans 12:1-2 AMP

Being a vessel that God can use is not about how old you are, how long you have been born again or how piously you carry yourself. It is about your yieldedness and availability to His will and in His vineyard. Each one of us has something to offer, you choose to render yourself useless. We each need to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, not depending only on corporate fellowship for our spiritual growth but being intentional about spending quality time in the presence of our Heavenly Father. Only then will we understand His true heart for us and how we ought to bring Him pleasure. May our very lives be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto him; a vessel that He can use, Amen.

With Love, Esinam.

Living a Facade

On billboards and television commercials, we have seen a lot of deception being sold to us as the truth. In the quest to convert those impressions to sales, advertisers in the recent past have gone above and beyond, creating graphics and motion pictures so convincing that you can’t help but try the products and/or services that they show off.

Social media didn’t veer off any further. It actually made such deception easily accessible to everyone who is willing to patronize. Now individuals also churn out information about themselves which are equally misleading and untrue. The use of photo filters and video editors are continually on the rise because everyone yearns to make the best impression of themselves possible. Anything for likes and follows I suppose.

Sadly now, this deception has progressed to people actually altering their body, the vessel that God has giving to us on this earth, to house the true us( our spirits and souls) for this short journey of life. Many have become so consumed with looks and having the perfect body figure. Surgical procedures to alter this flesh, the container in which we live, have become the order of the day. Unfortunately though, some have already lost their lives as a result of complications arising from making these choices. Gone are the days where the worst form of deception was to swindle others to amass wealth. Now that’s almost like normal everyday living. Honestly, Jesus didn’t die only for us to forsake Him. His goal was to redeem us from these selfsame weaknesses.

“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ. And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.” Colossians 3:1-8 MSG

As a child of God who really wants to please the Father, the last thing to keep you awake at night should be what people’s perception of you is. How you look and whether or not people like you based on what they see is absolutely secondary. There’s so much darkness in this world and your desire should be to shine your light, be the salt and light wherever you go and in all that you do.

““Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16 MSG

It’s unfortunate that for many, rather than standing out as the light, standing up for Christ, we’re striving so hard to blend in. To fit into the world’s definition of success and normalcy. People are now unashamedly identifying as all manner of things, including inanimate objects. You, a human being, fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God, now identifying as a tree or a figment of your own imagination. Mercy! How then would our lives prompt people to be more receptive of the Father’s unwavering love for them if we as messengers are utterly confused?

“Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.” Colossians 3:9-11 MSG

Essentially living in sin, the old man, the sinful nature that we were born with is old fashioned. Going back to a messy lifestyle and copying what the world tags as trendy is just recycling garbage and reusing it. These are portrayed in three main ways, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. The old man seeks to satisfy the flesh, satisfy the soul, living in a fantasy and admired by the world. Our new life in Christ Jesus is walking in love and emulating His lifestyle.

“So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.” Colossians 3:12-14 MSG

The latter portion of this chapter goes on to instruct every member of the household on how to conduct themselves. Being kind to one another and giving off our best is the barest minimum. Being a Christian isn’t cover up for bad behaviour or wrong doing. It’s not Christ-like to cover up a bad character with supposed ‘spirituality’. It will be a tragedy to ‘keep up appearances’ and look good to men here in earth while breaking our Father’s heart, living outside of His will for us. He gave us the free will but His will is always supreme.

“All things are lawful [that is, morally legitimate, permissible], but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].” 1 Corinthians 10:23 AMP

May our lifestyles not be like makeup washed off on a rainy day. What joy for our Heavenly Father to look down as His children make choices not based on our flesh but based on our desire to please Him. I pray that the grace of God will help us to always consider things from God’s perspective in order that our lives please Him alone. Let the true beauty of Jesus be seen in us for His glory!!!

With Love, Esinam.

Disguised Blessings

“No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 MSG

I would like to share a chapter from my current read (Tramp for the Lord) that I’ve been meditating upon. It is a testament of author and missionary Corrie Ten Boom on how a newborn infant saved an entire family.

..and a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:6 (KJV)

One of my greatest privileges is visiting with missionaries all over the world. Those of us who live in the comfort and security of our homes cannot begin to imagine what the life of a missionary is like. Many of them have no fresh water and only simple food. They constantly face the threat of sickness and infection. Some live in primitive places where their very lives are in danger.

Much to my sadness, yet to the glory of God, the list is growing longer each day of men and women who are literally laying down their lives for Jesus’ sake on the mission field. These men and women stand on the front lines, often in lonesome places, but knowing that their Master who has placed them there will also stand with them.

Once in a primitive spot in Africa I visited a missionary couple. Their small home was located in a delightful spot that gave a beautiful view of lakes and mountains. They had very little of this world’s goods, but were rich in God’s grace and had been given a homesite that many wealthy people would pay thousands of dollars to have as their own. Crowded into this tiny Shack were six children, the youngest just a few months old. “Come with me,” the missionary wife said as she picked up the baby and walked outside. “I want to tell you a story.” We sat on a bench overlooking an awesome scene of grandeur.

Spreading before us was a mighty view of the mountains, covered with deep jungles and spotted with lakes and waterfalls. “To have many little children can be a burden for a missionary,” she said. “There comes a time when you have to send them to the homeland because there are no good schools here. But while they are small you try to enjoy them.

She paused and looked down at the sweet baby asleep in her arms. Her voice was tense with emotion as she continued. “But when I learned I was going to have another baby, I rebelled against God. We already had five small children and it did not seem fair that we should have to bear another. My health was not good and I looked upon having another child with great sorrow and unhappiness.

Tears were streaming down her face as she talked. “Was it not enough to have five children? Oh, how my heart cried out at God and there were times when I wished He would take the baby from me. “The time for the birth was here. I was very weak and there were no doctors nearby. We had no one to leave the other children with, so my husband put us all in the car and drove us into a town where there was a good mission hospital. There we stayed until the baby was born.”

The tiny child stirred in her arms, stretched her little arms and yawned. How precious she looked! The mother’s voice grew soft. “When we returned to our house with the new baby we learned that in the short days we had been gone the dreaded Mau Mau had come. They had murdered every white person in the entire area. Had we been home we would have all been killed.”

She hugged the little baby to her breast, tears flowing down her face. “This little darling was sent by God to save all our lives. Never again shall I rebel against His ways for our lives.”

Such an unexpected deliverance. What were the odds that of all times, it was during their absence in their mission home that people evaded the town on a rampage to slaughter. Couldn’t God have found an alternative way to deliver them? That’s a valid question but had He chosen to deliver them some other way, would they have heeded in the manner that they did? Would they have been rebellious/stubborn? An alternative escape might have even gone unnoticed and cost the entire family their lives.

I am not sure who this message is for and what you may be enduring in this season of your life. These words are a reminder however that if you’re walking this journey with God, you are fully reliant on His will and trusting His leading, you will emerge with a testimony too.

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” James 1:2-4 MSG

For many Christians, we battle with low moments and/or periods in our lives when we feel like we’re at a dead end. When nothing you try doing seems to be working. When your hard-work and toil are yielding nothing. When your service to ministry is not showing forth any rewards. Like someone put it, you feel like you’re between the devil and the deep blue sea, as though every day your life is graduating from frying pan to fire.

You may feel tormented. You may feel rejected and dejected. In such a period of life, you probably have no one else to look up to but God. And even with that, your prayers seem unheard or answers to them are delayed. Rest assured that the God who knows the end from the beginning has it all worked out for those who trust in Him and hold on to His words.

“I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” Isaiah 65:24 NLT

I pray these words uplift your spirit, if for nothing at all. The word of the Lord is true and His promises are unfailing. Amidst the turbulence and uncertainty, never let the enemy steal your joy nor your praise. If you are still here, with breath in your lungs, then God is still worthy of your praise. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Our Heavenly Father is working behind the scenes on your behalf. I pray for you that one day very soon, your answers will manifest practically in your life and your praise and thanksgiving will resound in the corridors of heaven.

With Love, Esinam.

Scorpions and Vipers

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” 1 John 4:20-21 KJV

Several years ago as my father drove along the narrow and rough village road to his allotted work bungalow, we were obstructed by a small herd of sheep. We were there from the city to visit him for the weekend. After several honks, they barely moved as they had just stopped to graze on some patches of fresh grass. We patiently waited till they moved along to continue our journey. Not far off we met a few stray goats and just at the sound of the vehicles engine they took off.

He proceeded to share a tall tale about sheep and goats. And it went thus: “the sheep and the goat picked a vehicle to a nearby village. The bus already had a few passengers. While in transit, the bus conductor fell asleep and forgot to take the fare. When they arrived at their destination, the sheep quietly paid up what it owed and walked away but the goat snuck out and didn’t pay a dime. Till date the goat is avoiding being caught by the bus conductor, hence it running away when it sees vehicles. However the sheep walks in confidence knowing it owes no one.”

We shall dwell on the actual parable of the sheep and goat as told by Jesus in another post soon. However, our focus today is on deceitful and dubious lifestyles that many Christians are unfortunately living. We live in a time where many people are driven by lavish and socialite living. Many will do anything to be perceived as belonging to the high class of society. Some will even resort to scamming innocent people and hacking others accounts just to finance these lifestyles.

Although many do so crudely, many others are also very intellectual in carrying out similar activities. Living a victorious life is not slandering others for your benefit. Living a victorious life does not give you the right to manipulate those you seemingly have an advantage over for your personal gain. It is not seeking out opportunities to enrich and nourish yourself to the detriment of the unassuming and gullible. Bottom line, living a victorious life is not equivalent to being a usurper!!!

““Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves [have no self-serving agenda].”Matthew 10:16 AMP

“So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is! Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction. In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors. When you arise, O Lord, you will laugh at their silly ideas as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.” Psalms 73:16-20 NLT

Regardless of how much of life’s treasures you enjoy or the wealth you store up for yourself, you won’t leave earth with anything. It is better to store up treasure above and focus on serving God. Jesus came down to die for us as a lamb (the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sin) but when He does show up in the clouds of glory soon, He’s coming as a lion (the Lion of the tribe of Judah) and a Judge.

How much more easy life would be if we just stuck to the golden rule:

“And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31 KJV

“Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain and envy.” Psalms 119:36 AMP

The above scriptures admonish us to love our neighbours as we love God. NO OTHER COMMANDMENT IS GREATER THAN THESE. We must also be careful to not yield our hearts to dishonest gain and envy. It might seem normal and even “ethical” in certain circles governed by the laws of men to carry out dishonest acts. As Christians though, the principle to our actions must be whether or not they please God and are aligned with His purposes for our lives. In the eyes of men you might look stupid and be mocked, but your ‘suffering’ is accounted for righteousness in God’s eyes. Be encouraged by the scripture below:

“And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” 1 Peter 3:13-17 KJV

If you find it a tough challenge to love on, be kind to or treat fairly your brother(sister) whom you see here on earth, how then can you prove your love for the Lord your God who you don’t see? After all, He said in Genesis 1 that he made man in His image and likeness. If your brother(sister) is the express image of God here on earth, then loving him(her) is loving God.

Don’t be a scorpion or viper, stinging others with your venom of deceit and causing them pain and hurt. Better yet, don’t be a goat and shortchange others. Let us endeavor to do better (with the help of the Holy Spirit) because this life is but a short journey and judgement awaits. Living like Christ can be tough but it is possible.

With love, Esinam.