Consequences

Physics teaches us that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, according to Newton’s law of motion. There are consequences to the choices that we make no matter how big or small. Many times these consequences are not linear but may either positively or adversely impact many people connected to us somehow even without us realizing it. This is an important reason why we have to be intentional in our Christian faith because aside the evident consequences that are often overlooked, we will also give an account to God for our time here on earth.

I bet you’ve heard about the terms ripple effect, domino effect and chain reactions. A ripple effect is the continuing and spreading results of an event or action. A situation in which one event produces effects which spread and produce further effects. The ripple effect can be huge depending on the circumstances. Similarly, a domino effect is the cumulative effect produced when one event sets off a series of similar or related events, a form of chain reaction. The term is an analogy to a falling row of dominoes. It typically refers to a linked sequence of events where the time between successive events is relatively short. Finally a chain reaction is a series of events, each caused by the previous one.

Let’s take the case of the African country, Rwanda. Even after a genocide that was stirred up by “extreme Hutus” to take out the Tutsis (because colonial masters had designated Tutsis as “superior” to Hutus), we still see how much progress that country has made since 1994. My emphasis is not on the genocide that killed over 800,000 people but rather on the strides they have contributed to Rwanda’s growth as a country by virtue of their intentionality and independence.

Source: Google

The results of their recent election portrays the trust of the people in a selfless leader. This overwhelming trust over the last 30 years is a manifestation of the impact that a single man, with the assistance of his government. They have consistently made decisions that have positively impacted the nation. The ripple effect/ domino effect or chain reaction of a great visionary is evident in this country’s economic growth and prosperity.

A consequence is a result or effect, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant. In a world where choices are based on self gratification, be the Christian whose choices are not stirred up by personal whims but are guided by the Holy Spirit towards the fulfillment of your God-given purpose. The time we have on this side of eternity is relatively brief and each breath we take b inches us closer the our journey’s end.

““While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.””

Genesis 8:22 NKJV

The concept of sowing and reaping is a natural phenomenon of life. Just as evil seeds will cause negative consequences, good seed will also bear a positive harvest. Note that the above scripture in Genesis speaks of seed time and harvest. It does not say seed time and harvest time. This goes to show that the seed time might be a limited season. However, the harvest can span over a longer period and the fruits thereof may come in leaps and bounds. It behoves on us as children of God to be sensitive to the times and seasons while being careful the kinds of seeds that we sow along the journey of life.

This doesn’t also mean one should pack up their tools and just avoid being fruitful altogether. Remember the master who gave His servants talents. Don’t bury yours and be found wanting when it’s time to give an account. Always look up to the heavens and trust the Holy Spirit to nudge you onto the right path. And when the adversary comes whispering to water down your faith and kill your zeal and passion to do that which it good, counter his baseless accusations with scripture.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Romans 8:1 NKJV

When you walk in the way of love every step you take is holy. The signs that God is at work in you are your very surrender of your life to him, your service in humility and constantly choosing to trust him. You’ll find that you exhibit the fruit of God’s Spirit in various ways. When you look up to Him, His Spirit fills you up. keep doing the good that is already at work in your life. His love is unfailing and his faithfulness is steadfast.

“that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

Colossians 1:10 NKJV

It is my prayer that this encourages you to live a life of consecration unto God. That everything you say and do will be in accordance to His will for your life and for His glory alone. Let your impact and legacy have a domino effect that raises a standard against the adversary. May your good works fill up the trenches of this world with God’s glory.

With Love,

Esinam.

Fallow Grounds

Are you in a hard place and asking God to send help and resources so things can be sorted out? Are you at that point where you are going further to even ask that He gives a door of supply so you don’t have to keep coming to Him to ask? But that’s the whole point. God wants you to keep coming and acknowledging Him as your source.

When He gives you everything and you can figure it out yourself, you won’t have need for Him again.

He says He doesn’t want you to drift away from His presence hence why He sends the fallow seasons as a reminder that He is the ultimate satisfaction that we should seek. He wants us to seek Him the creator and stop chasing after His creation.

Seeking God from a place of insufficiency makes us see the true nature of the all sufficient God. In our weakness His strength is made perfect.

“lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;”

Deuteronomy 8:12, 14 NKJV

In the midst of abundance, there is a tendency to forget the provider of the provision. You can easily forget God when life is going very well for you. In that season of abundance where you feel self-sufficient and self-reliant, there is the risk of forgetting that your existence is tied to the Creator. You end up being consumed by the carnal nature of this world.

There is a tragedy with humanity and that is the inability to remember when things are well. You can easily forget your struggles and how you depended on God daily for sustenance. When you are able to provide for your needs and wants you can forget God.

In Deuteronomy 8:17-18 the Bible says ”You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”

Dependence on God not only brings your daily bread but it comes with peace of mind and gratitude. It makes you count your blessings and name them one by one. When you consciously and deliberately remember God as your source and sustainer your approach to Him is with gratitude.

In Psalm 34:9-10 the Bible says “Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.”

The day by day provision of God is so timely and profound in the life of God’s children. His mercies are new every morning and He gives us our daily bread.

These are needs which are necessary for living a quiet and peaceable life. Our daily needs for provision will always bring us back to Him. I believe He has made it this way so He can maintain relationship with us. This is not the case of God keeping us on a leash, not at all. For we know that every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord, this includes our daily bread and His awesome mercies.

”The name of the LORD is a strong tower: The righteous runneth into it, and is safe. The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And as an high wall in his own conceit. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, And before honour is humility.“

Proverbs 18:10-12 KJV

The Lord desires to sap with you consistently. He wants you to dwell in His presence always not just because you will receive sustenance but to ground you and form your heart to fulfill His divine will and mandate for your life.

”Those that be planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; They shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD is upright: He is my rock, And there is no unrighteousness in him.“

Psalm 92:13-15 KJV

When a seed is sowed it relies on nourishment from the ground to sprout. When that seed becomes a fruit bearing tree it still depends on the soil for nourishment. Their relationship becomes even deeper with the trees root deeply planted in the soil for more nourishment.

Beloved, reliance on God will keep us alive and cause us to be fruitful. Stay connected in your fallow season and season of abundance.

“For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.”

Hebrews 10:36-37 NKJV

A fallow season is a season of testing and proving. Many times we are impatient to go through the season to be built up. The purpose of God for us is that we are all built up in such a way that we rely on him totally completely. We have need of Patience that we’ve done God will then we receive the promise as the pattern God has prescribed.

Blessings,

Rev. Ron and Esinam.

CANCEL THAT BAD DREAM (2)

Following last week’s post, a question was asked that “who reveals bad dreams to us, God or satan?” Today’s word will throw a little more light on that.

God is the one who reveals the plans of the evil one to us believers through dreams with the aim that we stop it.

“And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.”

Matthew 2:13-15 KJV

God will always reveal it to you, child of God. Through the contradictions between their actions and statements, through the study of His Word, through dreams and visions, by wisdom and intuition. He is ever willing to expose all their secret agenda to you if you will remain connected and committed to Him

“He discovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.”

Job 12:22 KJV

However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.

Daniel 2:28-29

The king answered Daniel and said, “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.

Daniel 2:47

Many Christians quote this a lot about dreams that “God reveals to redeem”. He has empowered us with the word as a sword to deal with every circumstance that we might encounter on our journey through life. When you have bad dreams, don’t be silent deploy the word of God by the leading of the spirit and take dominion over whatever situation you are facing.

You will emerge victorious and the Lord will be glorified.

Dr. David Tobi Ogoudou

CANCEL THAT BAD DREAM

Dreams can come from different sources ranging from the flesh, Satan or God. Anything we have a good dream, we must pray towards it with scriptures that relate to it for it to find expression in the physical and by extension in our lives.

On the other hand, if it’s a bad dream, we also have to pray against it so that it doesn’t manifest physically.

So in most cases for a dream to manifest physically, it will certainly depend on us. Bad dreams instill fear in us, or are always not In concordance with the word of God. Bad dreams can come in the form of having sex, eating demonic foods, being involved in a ghastly accident among others.

Silence in the realm of the spirit is consent. What I hate to hear is “ I saw it oh”! When you saw it, what did you do concerning it? Did you pray? Even if you did, did you pray till you had a note of victory in your spirit or you didn’t pray at all? Ignore those who intimidate you with bad dreams without providing a solution.

Bad dreams are plans of the enemy revealed to us trying to seek manifestation in the physical depending on what we do with them. If God reveals the plans of the enemy to us and we consistently do nothing about them, he may not show us those plans again because we are unable to stop them and for that matter we may be disconnected from God and may lose some blessings from God. I declare and decree this shall never be our portion in the name of Jesus!

When we wake up from a bad dream, let’s pray against it immediately without delay. How do we pray and cancel it?

The scriptures below can be utilized to cancel it in faith.

Lamentations 3: 37 – Who is it that sayeth a thing and it comes to pass when the Lord commandeth it not . So we may pray like this though there are other countless scriptures that can also be used.

Elohim, I come in agreement with your word that nothing can happen in my life without your permission and no harm can happen to me unless you allow it therefore I reject the evil plan and agenda of the devil against my life and destiny. I declare and decree that it will not manifest physically because it doesn’t align with your plan for my life in the name of Jesus. Devil, whatever you showed me in my dream will never come to pass because it’s not God’s will for me therefore I reject, cancel and counter this evil dream so let it be reversed in the name of Jesus Christ. This accident, premature death has no power or influence over me because the Lord has not decreed it. I decree and declare that only the will of God will be done in my life in Jesus name! Amen!

John 5:12 says “he disappoints the device of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.”

Lord, I come in agreement with your word just as you always thwart the plan of the devil. I cancel and render ineffective any effect of this dream of delay that might come from this dream. I nullify its negative outcomes by the blood of Jesus! Whatever the devil projected in my destiny through this dream where I was eating demonic dreams, let it fail and never manifest physically in Jesus name.

Isaiah 54:17 – No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises up against you shall be condemned in judgment…..

In the name of Jesus Christ, I cancel any negative effect of this dream. No weapon formed against me shall prosper including this dream. This dream is declared powerless and has no effect on my life and my family. No weapon formed against me, my family, my career, the works of my hands shall prosper in Jesus name. I’m covered by the blood of Jesus and God’s righteousness protects me and everything that is connected to me.

Remember, until you have a note of victory in your spirit, don’t stop praying and after praying, say confidently, “ Thank you Jesus for answering my prayers by rendering the plans of the enemy ineffective in my life and destiny.”

Don’t entertain fear and you shall experience the expected victory because you are a prophet who has access to the voice of God, a priest who has access to the presence of God and a king who exercises authority.

That evil dream will never materialize in the name of Jesus!

Dr. David Tobi Ogoudou

Productive Faith

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Hebrews 11:1, 6 KJV

As children of God, our faith in Christ is the anchor that grounds us. The hope and conviction we have in Christ however cannot be isolated with regards to our attitudes and behaviors. You cannot proclaim to be a child or of God or “Christ-like” if you do not portray certain traits, attributes, characteristics, attitudes and a certain overall lifestyle.

As is said in our local parlance, “The crab does not beget a bird” or “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. Both sayings insinuate that every creature produces like unto itself. Therefore if indeed we are purchased by the blood of the lamb and call ourselves children of God and joint heirs with Christ, how then do we portray attitudes that are not Christ-like?

In typing out this write-up, I had a strange encounter. Midway through, my device suddenly froze and a chunk of the thoughts I had already typed out began to erase before my very eyes. I was able to salvage the crux of my write-up which included the key scriptures. Although painful because the note had not backed up within the few minutes that this happened, the core message that this piece of writing seeks to teach us all was tested there and then. Was I going to exercise productive faith and start afresh or would I give up. Purpose prevailed and we have this blog post which I believe will impact your life.

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 1:5-8 KJV

The scripture above shows us that if you have certain “things” in you, you will not be barren, unfruitful or unproductive. Those things being referred to by Apostle Peter are in reference to specific virtues including faith, diligence, temperance and so on. A person who has these characteristics is bound to be productive and fruitful in everything they do.

Notice that people who do not demonstrate such virtues are usually very unfruitful no matter how hard they work. Because even if you manage to deploy dubious means to achieve certain feat, these victories are always short-lived. The word of God serves as a map and compass to help us navigate every aspect of our lives. Our productivity here on earth is dependent on our ability to walk in obedience to the word of God and allowing the light of ahis word lead us into all truth. These attributes are diligence, faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly love and charity.

Diligence means a the persistent and relentless effort by an individual to solve a problem, to overcome difficulties and to accomplish great things. A diligent person is most likely to become a leader because they strive to excel at everything they do. They always explore new ideas and tend to be wealthy. (Proverbs 10:4, 12:24, 21:5, 22:9)

Faith is a firm belief in something for which there is no proof. It is also a belief in God. Faith will cause you to overcome problems and obstacles and live a victorious life. It delivers you from foolishness and equips you to please God. (Mark 11:23, Psalm 14:1, Hebrews 11:6)

Virtue is the quality of doing what is good and right and avoiding wrong. Children of God must exhibit the virtues of justice, prudence, temperance, fortitude, faith, hope and love. A virtuous person is a good person who hates evil, is genuinely helpful and hardworking. (Romans 12:9, Proverbs 31:10)

Knowledge is the condition in which you are aware of facts and realities that are true, important and relevant. Knowledge is a treasure that should help us live a good and humble life, fill us with grace and peace and escape the corruption of this world. It increases our knowledge understanding of different situations and deal wisely with people. Unfortunately, some people become pompous when they acquire a little knowledge which is unfortunate and not Christ-like. (James 3:13)

Temperance is the trait of avoiding excesses and living in moderation. This trait helps a person to be self-disciplined and cautious in all things. A temperate person is usually one influenced by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 9:25)

Patience is the good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence. A patient person is steadfast even amidst opposition, difficulty or adversity. A patient person bears pains and trials without complaint. Patience will cause you to bear fruit and inherit good things. ( Luke 8:15, Hebrews 6:12)

Godliness is the quality of being like God. Godly people pray often and at the right time because you acknowledge God as your source. Godly people are set apart and are not carnally minded.(Psalm 4:3, 32:6)

Brotherly love is the love that a person has for a brother. This means that you humble put others before you, you prevent strife between close relationships and you sacrifice yourself for others. (Romans 12:10, 1 John 3:16)

Charity is the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another. The natural man will only love you given a reason but the love of God loves without reason. Charity leads to unity and is a good foundation in everything you do for God is love. For God so lives the world that He gave…, else we all would not be here identifying as children of God. (Colossians 3:14, Ephesians 3:17-19)

May we not be like the children of this world who deny their true selves as created by God and would rather claim to identify as personalities alien to what God has ordained them to be. Do not abandon your identity while rather seeking for the world’s pity or applause.

Some may say that doing all of this will allow people take advantage of you and use you. Would you rather please self or please God. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you can walk in faith and be productive with these attributes without being destroyed by the evil one. (Psalm 23: 4). Yearn to walk in the light of God’s word in obedience to His instructions and fulfillment of His purpose. Think big! Dream big!! Attempt great things for God and watch Him launch you into fruitfulness and abundance.

With Love, Esinam.

WHEN YOU SEE A MAN/ WOMAN OF GOD IN YOUR DREAM…

Every human being dreams because God blessed us all with that capacity. I mean, no matter our religious backgrounds, our age, our social status and gender we all dream. Pharoah was not a Christian or a believer but he had a dream in Genesis 41:1-2

“After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, and there came up out of the Nile seven sleek and fat cows, and they grazed in the reed grass.”

Throughout much of ancient history Egyptian religion was polytheistic. Meaning it recognized many gods and goddesses, as well as a variety of other divine beings and yet this man had a dream and it came from God. Other vessels of God like Daniel, Joseph, Mary also dreamed in the Bible so it’s biblical and normal to have a dream.

Now, we see a lot of things or people in our dreams but today our focus is going to be on the vessels of God we see or may have seen or be seeing in our dream lives. What do those dreams mean? Who was actually revealed to us? God, our man or woman of God, an angel or the dream was just a figment of our imagination?

When you see a vessel of God in your dream, you must be rest assured that you didn’t see the man of God in question but you actually saw an angel of God who was sent to minister to you. Why then did you see the face or appearance of your man or woman of God? It’s because, God knows you submit, respect, admire or even trust such a person that’s why God he chose to talk to you by using his image. God gives you a life changing information that could turn your business or even family around when he uses the image of your man of God. These beings that manifest themselves to you are actually angels sent from heaven. Read the confirmation in Hebrews 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?. Someone can succeed in their business because they got an information, a key, to unlock the door of success from an agent of Zion because the Lord loves them. If someone else uses the same key for the same business, they may not do well because God blesses us differently with different methods. Say something to Elohim about your ‘pure water business’ and ask him to help you prosper in it diligently and see what happens.

God can use the face of your man/ woman of God to also warn you of an impending danger or concerning a life changing choice you want to make or a serious decision you are about to take – Job 33:15-18 New Living Translation (NLT) He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride. If you receive such dreams from heaven and you ignore them, you will do yourself a great disservice. If God doesn’t love you he wouldn’t warn or lead you to make a good decision in life. Pastor Benny Hinn, for example said it was the Lord Himself who led him to marry his wife. You may not believe it but it happens. When you start with God, he ends with you. He doesn’t meet you half way or at the end of your plans. While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” – Matthew 27:19. Have you been warned about someone in your dream before? Did you obey or you discard the dream as “it was just a dream” like what most carnal people say and regret later?

When you see your man of God in a dream praying for you, it could be God bringing you healing or delivering you from demonic shackles. In my darkest hours, I had the privilege of being ministered to by God by using the image of my pastor and other ministers I admire in the world in my dream because I was spiritually sick and when they laid their hands on me, I felt power surging through my body as if it was a physical prayer meeting where a man of God would pray for you. The experience was the same and in fact I was drunk in the dream and the effect was same in the physical. Glory be to Jesus! Right in my room and on my bed it happened. You are next if you’re sick! Ask the Lord to visit you and heal you permanently!

God can also impart you by using the image of your man or woman of God. In this visitation, He gives you a grace or an anointing that you will need in your sphere of influence to represent Him here on earth and promote His Kingdom. Such graces could be the prophetic, miraculous, teaching, administrative or business anointings just to mention but a few. By the mercy of God, I received several graces from God when he used the image of my pastor who has gone to be with the Lord and other ministers in the body of Christ. I have seen them impart me when I fell asleep listening to their messages or worship and I knew God visited me. Such visitations were as real as day and night.

Finally, when God wants to train you or mentor you in ministry or in life, he uses the images of your man of God. I used to be in an established and Bible believing church for years where I served as an interpreter but I left there under the leadership of the Spirit and joined my current church where God taught me more things and trained me through my father in the Lord who is now in heaven and I have never regretted leaving because God asked me to.

Henceforth when you see a vessel of God ministering to you in your dream, remember you are having a life changing encounter with God, His Spirit or his ministering angels and not the man of God in question. For divinity to visit you, you might have attracted His mercy or love. He can also visit you and your loved ones anytime and anywhere, for Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever ( Hebrews 13:8)

Dr. David Tobi Ogoudou

God’s Kingdom Principles

Definition: Kingdom: (Oxford Dictionary)

1. a country, state, or territory ruled by a king or queen. Eg “the Kingdom of the Netherlands”

2. the spiritual reign or authority of God.

“Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him. Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.””

John 18:33-36 NLT

Many nations have different political parties that govern at a time. In Ghana you many belong to some party but as Christians, we need to remember not only our blessings of freedom here and the opportunity to participate in the government of our nation, we must also remember that we belong to the government of another world as well. This government is referred to as the Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of God.

Jesus explained the duality of our situation when He answered Pilate concerning His true identity as the King of this other nation, or of this other government. the Kingdom of God, the government that we actually belong to that is present in this world and will exist in the world to come, when this world will no longer be. The first thing the Bible teaches concerning the Kingdom that is not of this world is the following:

1. This Kingdom was the subject of prophecy – Daniel 2:31-44 (READ)

We’re familiar with the book of Daniel so let me just summarize what it said about the Kingdom. Daniel and other young Jewish men of noble blood were carried off into Babylonian captivity where they were, by the grace of God and their faithfulness to Him, raised to high levels in the court of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. Soon after, Daniel was called upon to interpret a strange and disturbing dream that the king experienced. In this dream, God revealed the sweep of history that was to come, as well as historical markers for the arrival and the development of God’s own Kingdom here on earth. Daniel’s inspired interpretation of this dream was recorded in Daniel chapter two, and its accuracy concerning future earthly kingdoms was firmly established as history unfolded.

If we examine his interpretation we note that the statue is made of many parts: a head of gold, a breast and arms of silver, a belly and thighs of bronze, and legs and feet of a mixture of iron and clay.

In the dream, a stone cut without human hands appears and strikes the statue not on the head, but on its feet of iron and clay, reducing the entire statute to dust, which is blown away. Daniel then describes that in the place of the statue the stone used to destroy it becomes a mountain that eventually fills the entire earth. And so, in his interpretation, Daniel names five separate kingdoms :(Babylon, Medo-persia, Greek, Roman,The kingdom of God)

2. The Kingdom is on Earth, but it is Spiritual in Nature

Daniel predicted that the Kingdom was to come, John the Baptist preached that it was at hand, and Jesus proclaimed that it was here. For Jews, as a people, who had actually lived through the four empires mentioned by Daniel, this was exciting news. For some it rekindled nationalistic aspirations that had appeared throughout their history.

The Kingdom that Jesus and His Apostles announced,

• was small enough to exist in one person’s heart

• was big enough to include all who would enter in

• was powerful enough to dominate every other kingdom

• was so precious that when someone found it they would abandon everything they owned in order to possess it

And yet, was so elusive that some people stood right next to it, but didn’t even see it. Finally, the Kingdom that Jesus spoke of was being built in their lifetimes, exactly as Daniel had spoken.

3. The Kingdom was Something that has been Established – Matthew 6:9-10

In this passage Jesus mentions one Kingdom existing simultaneously in two spheres. One kingdom is on earth, that had yet to be established and the other one was in heaven, already established. Therefore, Jesus was praying that the will of God be done on earth as it was already being done in heaven. An important point to note here is that the Kingdom of God exists wherever His will is being done, because the word kingdom comes from a Greek word which means sovereignty or will.

In Matthew 6:9-10 Jesus prayed that God’s will be done here on earth as it was done in heaven. In essence He was praying that God’s Kingdom be established here just as God’s will was being done in heaven. When this happens, God’s will (the Kingdom established) is being fulfilled in both the heavenly and the earthly realms. And so, if we want to know what the Kingdom looks like, we need to examine what God’s will is for all men, because the Kingdom exists wherever and whenever God’s will is being done.

Shalom! Rev. Ron.

The Dimensions of Honour

Honour means to demonstrate high respect or great esteem for someone. By honoring another you are saying you see great value in them.

Types of Honour

The three types of honor are bad honor, good honor, and eternal honor. People use the same word “honour” for all three, and this causes confusion. Failing to note the three kinds of honor affects our discipleship and theology.

Bad Honor

“Bad honor” is when people are respected for the wrong reasons. Everybody can sense the difference between the “honor” of (1) a corrupt official with an entourage and Land Cruiser and (2) a wise, gray-haired elder in the village. People acknowledge the “status” of the official out of fear rather than genuine respect.

Common biblical terms for such honor are “pride” (when ascribed to self) or “idolatry” (the false worship ascribed to others). The Bible has many examples:

• King Nebuchadnezzar forced everyone to worship him, and many did, but that honor was fleeting (Daniel 4). Bad honor is a defining characteristic of “Babylon” throughout the Bible.

• Eli and sons honored themselves by keeping the preferred sacrifices, but at the expense of despising God – 2 Samuel 2:30

• Jesus told the Pharisees to not seek the places of honor at a feast, lest they be humiliated. Luke 14:7-8

• Paul said of his opponents, “their glory is their shame” Phil 3:19

Good Honor

The Bible speaks positively about being an honorable person in the eyes of other people. In certain ways, Christians should seek to be honorable before people.

• “Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge” – 1 Peter 2:12

• Paul took pains to do “what is kalos [i.e., beautiful, proper, good], not only in the eyes of the Lord but in the eyes of man” 2 Corinthians 8:21

• The book of Proverbs contains many verses about earning a “good name” or “honor” for wise living. Good honor is a part of God’s common grace for people who live wisely and respect others (Proverbs 12:8; 13:18; 15:33; 21:21; 22:4; 27:18).

• Being an honorable and respectable person in the community is a key qualification of leaders in the local church (1 Timothy 3:7-8, 11).

Eternal Honor

There are five heavenly crowns mentioned in the New Testament that will be awarded to believers. They are the imperishable crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, and the crown of life.

Proverbs 21:21

The Dimensions to honour

The vertical dimension of honour

Vertical upwards

⁃ Honour For God

1 Tim 1:17, Psalm22:23, Mal 3:10

⁃ Honour for parents.

For example, whether we had fantastic parents or not so fantastic ones, we are told to honor them (Exodus 20:12).

⁃ Honour for those in authority

We are also told to honor those in authority (Romans 13:1-7). Yes, even if we disagree with their politics.

⁃ Honour for the elderly

Others we are specifically commanded to honor in Scripture include the elderly (Leviticus 19:32), our church leaders (1 Timothy 5:17) and God (Psalm 22:23).

Vertical downwards

⁃ The reward for honour – God honours those who honour Him (1 sam 2:30)

⁃ Prov 22.4 Honouring God results in riches and honour and life

⁃ 22:4

The lower portion of the cross is long- thus it signifies

⁃ process and diligence : it takes more to receive this honour

⁃ You cannot pretend your way into this honour

⁃ This honour as a result of your heart condition.

The reward for honour

– God honours those who honour Him. 1 Samuel 2:30

⁃ Honouring God results in riches and honour and life

“By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, and honour, and life.” Proverbs 22:4 KJV

Horizontal dimensions of honour

Romans 12:10 says, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Contrary to most competitions, this game is won by lifting others up, not ourselves. Our goal is to help others be successful.

Shalom! Rev. Ron.

Forget me not

The love that God has for you cannot be exaggerated. The scope of His love is immeasurable. Those that love the Lord loyally are held so close to His heart, hidden and their names are engraved on the tables of His heart. God does not discriminate based on nationality or “race”.

His precious blood was shed for each one of us alike. He does not love the “well-behaved” more than the struggling souls. Even when we indulge in the filth of this world, He gently and lovingly reminds of of the depth of His love, His active and extends us the grace to turn around and come back into His embrace. This is how great a love that our Father bestows upon each one of us.

“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” Isaiah 49:15-16 KJV

A mother would usually or forget her child that she bore. But even if somehow she did, God can never forget you. He created you in His image, carved you into His own flesh. You are always on His mind, never hidden from His sight. Let your heart take courage in the confidence of His unfathomable love.

You are His child, a splitting image of Him among all of His creation. He is with you. He is for you. Let the boldness of your identity grow brighter as you allow His presence surround and strengthen you in ever-increasing measure.

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.” 2 Corinthians 13:14 KJV

Stay close to the Father and hear what instructions He has for you. Always have Him in your heart and on your mind. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross has granted you unlimited access to the Father. We have the liberty to fellowship closely with Him through the gift of His sweet Holy Spirit.

Let the Spirit fill you with the consciousness of God’s presence. Learn to give attention to the subtleties of the here and now as you focus on and enjoy His presence. Do not give in to the distractions of this world.

The Father offers His perfect love to you in spirit and in truth. Don’t be in a haste to exit His presence. Stay in fellowship as long as possible and be consistent. Never forget the Lord your God. You will find rest and endless mercy in His presence.

With love, Esinam.

Faithful God

“being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Today, I’m led to share a word of encouragement with anyone who is downcast, weary, troubled with the cares of life or struggling to make a lifelong decision.

Please listen to the music linked below and I pray the lyrics remind you of the faithfulness of our God and fill your heart with peace and hope.

With love, Esinam.

JESUS IS WORTHY OF WORSHIP

We all have reasons why we do some things in life and destiny. For example, some people go to school to be literates, get degrees and most importantly get good jobs so as to make ends meet.

Some people also worship idols, their partner, their children, money, certificates, among others for reasons known to them because men and items take the place of God for them which is not good.

Some even argue that only God should be worshipped and not any other person or entity. At the end of our teaching we will know whether Jesus is worthy of worship or not. Remember, the name God, Spirit or Jesus maybe used interchangeably to make reference to the Christian God.

To begin with, He’s eternal. This means he exists outside time, meaning He has no beginning nor end.

Lion of the tribe of Judah

To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17. Immortal means he can’t be killed. He’s invisible means he can’t be seen with our optical eyes for He’s Spirit but can manifest Himself to men through love ( John 3:16, light ( 1 John 1:5), fire ( Hebrews 12:29). Now, if He is eternal and we are His children bought by the blood of His Son and we transit the world some day, we shall also live with him eternally where there will be no sickness, crime or any sort of evil. This essential attribute of God, makes Him deity and not man. No man in existence has ever manifested and will never manifest this attribute. With this in mind we as believers can be comforted when we are experiencing battles of life which are not and cannot be eternal for we know they are fleeting and it’s only God who is eternal. Your battles have an expiry date in the name of Jesus!

This entity is also self existing. Here him in Exodus 3:14 “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. See the way He introduced himself. “ I am that I am….”. This also means he wasn’t created and cannot be created. His existence is not dependent on anyone. Religious leaders that walked the surface of this earth depended on Him for He created all of them as the Creator. They couldn’t have existed without Him. He is Jesus Christ, God who manifested Himself in the form of man when he visited the earth. He existed before time began. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth – Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1 -3 “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word (Jesus ) was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. This proves the deity and self existence of Jesus Christ. This self existing God, replaces weak or destroyed kidneys, liver, pancreas in your life now in the name of Jesus!

Besides, the reason why we worship Jesus is that he’s immutable. This means he doesn’t and cannot change. I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. – Malachi 3:6. If he’s immutable, we can trust Him in all our dealings. It’s His counsel and purpose that stands and nothing else. If He told you he would give you a husband and time seems to be elapsing and men are questioning your God, forget them and believe the One that made that promise to you. The song writer said “ He’s never failed me yet, He’s never failed me yet, Jesus Christ, has never failed me yet. There’s one thing that I know, everywhere I go, Jesus Christ has never failed me yet “.

I declare and decree , He’s immutable so he will never fail you if you trust and believe in Him. We can change as men when we make promises to other people but our God, Jesus is not like that.

The Spirit of God is also omnipotent. He controls all power on earth and heaven and is more powerful than everyone and everything. In fact, all things are possible with Him. In Matthew 19:26 we read “ But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Men are limited in their operations but this God has all power to do whatever He wishes to do. By His power, he feeds fowls of the air, beasts of the forest and fishes that live in the sea. Sicknesses like diabetes, congestive heart failure , asthma among others that are only manageable by medicine but not curable can be healed by the power of God. I therefore declare now that, let every incurable disease in ur body like hypertension be healed right now in the name of Jesus! I repeat no man or woman that exists or has ever existed or even angels is omnipotent. So don’t be crestfallen that a particular sickness will kill your before your time. Remember what men cannot do, your Father in heaven can so be happy and trust him.

Finally, what makes God deity is that He’s omnibenovolent. This simply means He’s kind to all. He protects everyone and demonstrates love to all his creation irrespective of their religious affiliations and even gives himself to all. This is confirmed in John 3:16 “ 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”. When a good and wicked man sow seeds on a fertile land, both of them will harvest bountifully because of the law of sowing and reaping that God put in place for all that will obey it whether they are Buddhist or Christian. That’s how God is. He’s omnibenevolent. The qualities discussed above make Jesus and only Him deity and that’s why we worship Him.

The Lord bless you!

Dr. David Tobi Ogoudou

Who do men say that I am ? 2

”When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.“ Matthew 16:13-20 KJV

From our previous exposition, we discovered who Jesus is according to the scriptures. We also went on to explore witnesses of Him according to some of His apostles. Today we will delve further by understanding e testimony of Jesus Christ base on those who experienced Him firsthand.

The Testimony of Jesus

This leaves us with one last person to examine and that is Jesus Himself. Our description of Jesus would be incomplete if we did not examine at least a few things that Jesus said about His true identity. Here are three things He said about Himself to three individuals:

1. The Samaritan Woman

In a conversation with a woman while travelling Jesus answers her question about who is the true Messiah.

25The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

– John 4:25-26

Jesus describes Himself as the savior spoken of by the Jews.

2. Peter the Apostle

We have looked at Peter’s declaration earlier in this chapter but this time let us focus on Jesus’ response to what Peter says.

15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

– Matthew 16:15-17

Note that Jesus confirms what Peter says about Him and even goes on to reveal how Peter has come to this realization.

3. To the Apostles

After His resurrection and appearance to over 500 disciples, Jesus gives His Apostles (and future disciples) their mission.

18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

– Matthew 28:18-20

Note that in this passage Jesus claims exclusive divine authority over all. These are only a few of the things that are recorded concerning Jesus, but from these we see some of the things the Bible teaches about Him:

  • A true historical figure
  • The Jewish Messiah
  • The Son of God
  • The Lord God Himself
  • Resurrected from the dead
  • An eternal being
  • The agent of Creation
  • The head of the church
  • The supreme authority in heaven and earth

I could go on and on about what the Bible actually says concerning Jesus but I will close this with a quote from the gospel of John who faced the similar dilemma of trying to list all the things he actually heard and saw Jesus do. Faced with the mountain of information before him John writes in the 20th and 21st chapters of his gospel record:

”And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.“
‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

”And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.“
‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭25‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I pray that you find a revelation of who Jesus is for yourself. May you discover who He is to you, who you are in Him and how to be in tune and always in His presence all the days of your life.

Shalom. Rev. Ron