Category: Worship

Dr. David Oyedepo

Welcome to another exciting week! I hope you were blessed by last week teaching. This week, we shall focus on: Engaging the Breakthrough Power of Faith!

From scriptures, we discover that it is only our faith that can make us become what God says. The Bible records, Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised (Hebrews 11:11; see also Isaiah 14:27, 55:11). God has sworn, yet it will take our own faith to become what He has declared. Two things brought about the fulfilment of the prophetic word in Sarah’s life: her faith got the job done; and she also believed in the set time (Genesis 21:1-2). Thus, every prophecy is ordained to be fulfilled at the set time because we serve a God of appointed time (Habakkuk 2:3). God is committed to His timing and when we are in line with the appointed time, our next levels will come. As it is written, And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment (1 Chronicles 12:32). Therefore, if we don’t have an understanding of the time, we stand to be messed up. There are things we must do to experience continuous breakthroughs in our lives. Thus, every breakthrough story in the Kingdom is rooted in specific Word encounters (Isaiah 9:8; John 2:3, 5, 9; Luke 5:4-7). Many people heard the Word but the Word did not produce in their lives because the Word we don’t put to work will never work. It is written, Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works (James 2:18).

What Then, Is The Breakthrough Power Of Faith?

• Faith Is Sharing Responsibility With God In The Face Of Scriptures, So As To Commit Him To Make Good His Promise: Any faith that seeks to make God absolutely responsible for the outcome of our lives is an irresponsible faith. Real faith makes us take responsibility to see God in action. Until our part is played, God is not committed.
• Faith Is The Spiritual Virtue That Establishes Partnership With The Invincible God, Thereby Empowering Us To Do The Impossible: It is written, What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). Every time our faith comes alive, God’s partnership with us on that issue of concern is established. So, it is our faith that establishes our partnership with God in dealing with the issues of our lives. For instance, Abraham’s faith was a partnership faith (Genesis 17:1). Every time we believe God, we remind Him of His partnership with us, thus empowering us to do the impossible (Romans 3:3-4). Also, when the Israelites believed Him by going towards the Red Sea, the sea saw them and fled. Their partnership with God made them more than conquerors.
• Faith Is Not Just Reaching Out To God Who Is In Heaven, It Is Bringing God Down To Where We Are: This means that we are both on the battlefield. His name is called the omnipotent God, and with the breath of His nostrils, He will slay our enemies.
• Faith Is Putting God’s Word To Work, Believing: We must maintain a thought pattern that is in line with what we believe (Proverbs 23:7).
• Faith Converts The Word Into Flesh: It converts the spiritual to physical and the immaterial into material (John 1:14).
• Faith Is Not Just Getting God To Do Something; It Is Securing God’s Partnership In Getting Things Done: As it is written, …for we are labourers together with God (1 Corinthians 3:9). It is that partnership that turns men into living wonders in the world. Faith brings us into partnership that makes us dare the undareable, speak the unspeakable and deliver the impossible.

In summary, if faith is so powerful, why then do we appear so powerless? It is because our faith is not well rooted. Every change of level meets people suddenly, and except our faith is set, we will trash it and miss our set time. We need to build our faith or it will fail us when our lifting comes because we need a set faith to take delivery of our next levels. Therefore, we should invest in making our faith set by tapping into the depth that God has given to those who have it. But, to make your faith set, you must be born again. Are you born again? If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so. Simply say the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me! Now, I know I am born again! For further reading, please get my books: Unlimited Power of Faith, Exploits of Faith, Born to Win and Satan get Lost. I invite you to fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280, or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org, Facebook: David Oyedepo Ministries International, Twitter: @DavidOyedepoMin.

By Yetunde Oladeinde

Suffering in any form is not anything anyone wants to subscribe to. This is why the message of prosperity gained a lot of ground when it started years ago and it is spreading. In nine out of ten churches, people prefer to listen to messages that lead to prosperity and liberation than holiness without which no one can see God!

As uninviting and unwelcome to suffering is, Pastor Oluwatomisin Jonathan Ogunsanlu the man in charge of Gethsemane Prayer Ministry, Abuja wants everyone to embrace suffering for, contrary to people’s opinion, suffering is a blessing in disguise in most cases.

Perseverance is the tonic and the get way door to whatever be the level of suffering. Many, because they cannot persevere have lost their place in destiny in business and marital platforms.

In this book “Why Believer Suffer” Ogunsanlu who is also the Mission Coordinator, Rural Crusade for Christ Ministry Nigeria (MC-RCFCM) pointed out that it is the lack of wisdom of individuals that made them to stay in the school of suffering without reaping its benefits.

He started his argument on suffering by explaining from different perspective what suffering is all about. He also enumerated different types of sufferings and their peculiar sources.

The author of “Why Believer Suffer” explains that suffering could manifest physically, mentally and spiritually but that in all these as a true believer in Christ Jesus, no suffering is permitted to “swallow” you. It has come to pass!

“Most often as a child of God, suffering is allowed to test our patient, faith in God and to bring out the best in us that shall be to the glory of God in our lives, a blessing to us and our generation. He cited the examples of saints who today we are reading about. Their ways to sainthood was not paved with gold.

The book also teaches believers and all who cares what their reaction should be in the time of suffering so as not to miss the positive packages that accompany it.

“Pastor To Pastor Care Initiative” a product of the suffering Ogunsanlu has seen in the society is also packaged to be launched alongside the book “Why Believer’s Suffer” in Abuja

By Moses Emorinken, Abuja

In its effort to see that there is easy access to qualitative health services, especially among the poor and most vulnerable, the Christ Embassy Church has commissioned a multi-million Naira state-of-the-art primary health care centre for the Waru community in Abuja.

The community, which is home to several camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), had been bedeviled with little or no adequate health services, which had led to several deaths in the community, especially women and children.

However, when the Innercity Mission arm of the Christ Embassy Church visited the area, they decided to improve on the lives of the people by building the modern health care centre in the heart of the community.

Speaking during the commissioning of the health facility, the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, who was the special guest, said the FCT authority would post one doctor and two midwives to the health centre to improve on the standard of child delivery and other health services in the community. She emphasized the urgent and critical role, purposeful partnerships with government can elevate the health indices of the country for good.

According to her, “We are aware of the deplorable state of primary health care facilities and the enormous amount of money required to rehabilitate them not only in the FCT but across the nation. We can draw programme and plans to reach out to the community just as this organization has done and we are aware of their sacrifices”.

Dr. Aliyu said in 2020, 12 primary health care facilities would be renovated in Abuja while six more would be upgraded across the six area councils of the FCT. She said this was in line with the aim of the government to uplift the downtrodden and give succor to them.

While officially handing over the health centre to the authority of the Federal Capital Territory and the community, Rev Tom Amenkhienan of Christ Embassy, Abuja Ministry Centre, said the newly built facility had two wards with 10 bed spaces, state of the art medical equipment, doctors’ lodge, consulting room, pharmacy, laboratory, sanitary facility unhindered water supply and power generating house.

Read Also: Christ Embassy to launch pidgin version of Holy Bible

He said, “Upon discovering the harsh realities on ground in Waru community, we decided to intervene by providing this health facility that will offer sustainable health care to the people.

“The community is densely populated and hosts some IDP camps. Though there was in existence a primary health care facility, we felt that the available facility was grossly inadequate to cater for the needs of the large population.

“This project was made possible by the unflinching support of the leadership of the Abuja Primary Health Care Board and the Abuja Municipal Area Council. I thank the president of the Love World, Dr. Chris Oyakhilome, who founded the Innercity Mission many years ago to reach out to indigent children all over the world”.

By Sunny Nwankwo, Umuahia

 

The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Southeast and South-South has asked the federal government to deploy modern in its fight against terrorism, banditry and other crimes that have bedeviled the country.

This is even as the religious body also called on the government to improve on intelligence gathering to track and monitor the operations of the insurgents in the Northeast and other parts of the country facing insecurity.

CAN in communiqué issued at the end of a one-day colloquium on insecurity in Nigeria with the theme: The Sacredness of life, held at the Vision Africa Complex, Umuahia, Abia State capital said that they were concerned and pained by the level of insecurity witnessed in every part of the country and called on the federal government to strengthen security surveillance within and around our land borders.

According to them, the porosity of Nigeria’s borders has guaranteed free inter-country movement with little or no checks, demanding for a reversal of the Visa-on-arrival policy which they claimed has worsened insecurity in the country.

In the communique signed by South-South CAN Chairman Archbishop Dr. Ege Isreal Eniyekemini and his southeast counterparts; Bishop Dr. Goddy Okafor urged the federal government to seek the help of international community to nip the outrageous spate of terrorism, radicalism and insecurity of lives and properties of citizens in on the bud if it must ensure reconciliation and sustainable peace.

The Christian group while calling for the rejigging of the service chiefs, however, backed the formation of Amotekun security outfit in the South-West and also called for the adoption and enactment of the Anti-open grazing bill into law in all the Southern States, so as to preserve farmlands and secure our households in the region.

“We all value the principle of the sanctity of life, and we call for its practice in truism. The violence that is conducted in the name of God is a desecration of his name, a crime against those who are created in His image, and debasement of Faith. The proper means of solving conflict and disagreement is by deliberate negotiation and dialogue only.

“We vehemently call for the cessation of incitement, misrepresentation, and distortion of the image of the other and of the neighbor. Drawing upon the religious traditions, and our understanding of what is best for our communities and peoples, we call for a solution that recognizes the rights of Christians to exist in Dignity.

“Religious leaders bear a special responsibility to contribute to the desired peace. We urge the political leadership to work toward solutions as they are accountable before God and the communities of believers to advance peace, and tirelessly strive to stop the wanton killings and waste of precious lives.

“We call on the government to improve on intelligence gathering and deployment of modern technology to track and monitor the operations of the insurgents.

“There is urgent need to sincerely rejig and decentralize Nigerian security arrangement for efficiency.

“We acknowledge and totally adopt the security formations in the South-West and join an alliance with our brothers’ efforts in securing their borders and communities.

“As leaders who are concerned and pained by the level of insecurity in the land, we call on the government to strengthen security surveillance within and around our land borders. The porosity of our borders has guaranteed free inter-country movement with little or no checks, worsened by the Visa-on-arrival policy. We demand a reversal of this policy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We call on the government to make it a point of duty to inform Nigerians what is being done to curb the insecurity in Nigeria. Nigerians on a daily basis are being fed with different kinds of security information with the government sometimes saying something on the contrary. Nigerian government should protect Nigerians no matter the tribe and religion.

 

“The leaders also expressed worry about the speed in which arrested terrorists are being released, rehabilitated and sent back to the society as repentant terrorists. We are deeply worried why the government should be pampering such killer terrorists who have not in any way justified their action against Nigerians. This development is not only worrisome but demoralizes the morale of gallant soldiers.

“The Anti-open grazing bill should be adopted and enacted into law in all the Southern States, so as to preserve our farmlands and secure our households.

“Rape of our women and children is an aberration and a total disregard for our rights as a people. We stand together to condemn this intrusion and call on all faith leaders to form a synergy to stamp out this slap on our collective faces as a people,” the release read.

Earlier in his speech, the convener of the event, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, urged Christian leaders to rise above sentiments and sensational headlines of the media to focus on peacebuilding.

Onuoha who is the President of Vision Africa International, explained that it is high time religious leaders put up some non-violent resistance to ensure security of the people, build bridges, strengthen the case against killings, speak out against injustice, monitor human rights and assist victims of violence.

In his words, “The fact that religion has been implicated in conflict and violence in our communities is a desecration of religion itself as the political manipulation of religion is the order of the day.

“The use of religion as a mask for violence should spur us to play our part in both preventing and resolving faith-based terrorism and radicalism. It looks as if our intelligence gathering system is porous, thereby making the Nigerian society vulnerable.

“We live in a society where you could be kidnapped, robbed or killed just for the sake of it, where churches become smeared with blood and flesh of bombed congregants, where long-standing conflicts and faith-based terrorism continue and new ones are emerging.

“Religious leaders have a great role to play in peacebuilding and stability through promotion of peaceful coexistence and reconciliation among communities. The relationship between religion, peace, conflict, and diplomacy shows that religion plays an important role in conflict resolution.”

Delivering his goodwill message at the event, Chairman CAN, Plateau state, Rev. Yakubu Pam stated that the solution to security challenges in the country does not lie in the hands of politicians, but church leaders.

By Venerable Henry O. Adelegan

 

Text:”….. I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten…….” (Joel 2:25)

 

Restoration is the bringing back of a person or state to a former position or condition. In spiritual circle, however, it is the destruction or annulment of the enemy’s agenda to “kill, steal and destroy” (John 10:10a). It entails a process of laying the ‘spiritual axe’ unto the root of unprofitable trees that brought not forth good fruit to hewn them down and cast into the fire (Matthew 3:10). The good news about restoration is well spelt out by David in Psalms 126:1 that “When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion (restoration), we were like them that dream”. A time of restoration is a time  of endless laughter, joy, peace and prosperity – it is transition from sickness to health, austerity to prosperity, valley to the top of a mountain, joblessness to employment, seemingly unending family squabbles to everlasting peace and bliss, a bad life to a good life, a movement from a house to a home and a worrisome society to a peaceful environment.

God is not giving to frivolities; He is not like men of this world that will make promises when soliciting support and give excuses when the time for indemnification is nigh. “….  The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent” (1 Samuel 15:29). Therefore, whatever He says, He has the capacity to fulfill because “…. the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof (1Corinthians 10:26;  Psalms 50:10-11; Roomans 11:36)- He can suspend the laws of nature, reverse order, put logic to shame and make “… foolish the wisdom of this world” (1Cor. 1:20). It consequently does not matter what you may be passing through at such a time as this, as God lives, and according to His word, it shall end well, and it shall end in celebration. This is your season of restoration! Weeping may endure for a night, according to David, but joy unstoppable shall come in the morning (Psalm 30:5b). This is your morning of joy!

God promised in our text that there is hope for restoration for every “down syndrome situation” of personal life, economy, matrimony or nation. Naaman, once a commander of the Syrian army, was afflicted with leprosy and ought to have been confined to the colony of lepers had his lost years restored when he obeyed the words of the man of God. Naaman left Syria as a leper but he returned with the skin of a new born baby (2 Kings 5:1-14). Restoration makes an outcast a celebrity!

There was a man named Jabez because he was conceived under a sorrowful situation. God created him with honour that surpassed the endowments of his brethren, he had the destiny of a leader but experienced the jaundiced life of a nobody and the happenstances of an unfortunate being. When he identified this error, Jabez cried to God and was restored (2 Chronicles 4:9-10). Gideon too had this same fate. God created him as a mighty man of valour but untoward circumstances of life reduced him to a lilliputian – instead of leading God’s army against the ‘Boko Harams’ from Midian, he was hiding his wheat from them until God found him out and restored him (Judges 6:11-12). Restoration brings back latent capabilities!

The devil’s assignment in this world is to kill destinies and turn the journey of days into years, steal the joy and peace of homes and marriages, destroy the family unit, frustrate bonds of love in churches and fragment national cohesion by reverberating delimiting sectional cum political cleavages (John 10:10). Now that the devil is aware that he has but a limited time, he is more committed to his destructive agenda more than ever before (Revelation 12:12). The devil’s onslaught is launched in the affairs of men and polity when men are spiritually asleep (Matthew 13:25); that is, when spiritual things matter less, when vain glory of life is lifted high and celebrated, when love of/for money is placed above selfless service to humanity, when aspirants to political offices discountenance God’s plans for “getting there at any cost”, when people abhor the light, which is Jesus Christ, and cling more to darkness and its works (John 3:19).

Brethren, it doesn’t matter how grave your situation is, there is hope for you. Are you an economic or social outcast like Naaman? Have you been rejected by your family like Gideon? You are not hopeless. The power that restored his lost years is still available today; is it that what is in your plate is far less than what you are truly worth? All is not lost as the power that restores is same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8 cf Job 14:7-9).

What you need to do, is to return to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the scent of water, during this Lenten season, He will accept you like the Prodigal Son and restore all the grounds that you have lost (Luke 15:11-24). He has promised in John 6:37 that “….. him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out”. He is a loving father. He is concerned about your state and all that you are passing through now, more than your parents or anyone else (Isaiah 49:15-16). If only you can return to Him today, He will do “exceeding abundantly above all you may ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). Above that, there is an assurance of eternal life which is more valuable than whatever pleasure that is available in this world (John 14:2-3). May you get there at last, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer: Father, pay my life a visit today, wash me clean of my sins and restore unto me the joy of my salvation, in Jesus’ name.

By Venerable Henry O. Adelegan

Text:”…. Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” – 2 Samuel 9:1

Grace is God’s presence or intervention in human life; and, when grace is available, human race, work or assignment is very easy. Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan, who was the son of King Saul and a special friend of King David. When he was five years old, his father, Jonathan, was killed in battle. Fearing that the Philistines would seek to take the life of the young boy, a nurse fled with him to Gibeah, the royal residence, but in her haste she dropped him and both of his feet were crippled (2 Samuel 4:4). He was carried to the land of Gilead, where he found refuge in the house of Machir, son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar (2Samuel 9:4). He was a hopeless case but one day grace lifted him up and terminated his long years of lack, agony and misery. The king remembered Jonathan and decided to show kindness to the lame. Mephibosheth woke up in the morning depending on friends, families and neighbours to move round and eat but when grace stepped in for him, he slept at the king’s palace with servants at his beck and call.

The race of Mephibosheth was darkened until grace stepped in for him. It was grace that separated him from the comity of beggars, overlooked his physical status and positioned him in the palace among the league of the privileged few that eat on the king’s table. Besides, it was grace that made power to change hands for him. Mephibosheth that hitherto depended on family members and friends for sustenance now had them depend on him to have access to the seat of power. Beloved, for a person of grace, it is not over. When grace steps in, disgrace flies out.

Human efforts are without enviable result in the absence of His grace. It is His grace that determines human race and not efforts. Race is a subset of grace; grace validates race and without grace, life is fraught with endless struggles. No wonder Solomon declared that “the race is not to the swift, battle not to the strong, riches not to men of understanding and favour not to men of skill but time and chance happens to them all.”(Eccles. 9:11). While it is good to work (2 Thess. 3:10), it is imperative to note that His grace is the needed catalyst that speeds up life reaction (Romans in 11:5, 6; Zechariah 4:6). Grace makes all things happen. Even if you are a nuisance to the society and unwanted in the polity today, your stardom shall be revealed in grace. Smith Wigglesworth was a nuisance as a plumber but grace found him out at age 48; he was called home on March 12, 1947, at 88 years but his star is still shining not because of educational degrees or human work or efforts but by the grace of God.

The success story of Paul the Apostle was predicated on neither his works nor his worth. In fact, his works were grievous and he was worthless of being a celebrity in Christendom but grace found him out and lifted him.  Paul told the Corinthians that “… by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me (1Corinthians 15:10). Grace qualifies the unqualified. When grace steps in, physical disabilities are overlooked. Moses, like Apostle Paul, had a terrible background such that he was declared a persona non grata in Egypt (Exodus 2:11-15) but where he was hated and forsaken that no man came to him, grace made him a celebrity (Isaiah 60:15). He was a stammerer hence not qualified to be God’s spokesman but grace qualified him (Exodus 4:10-12).

Esther also was a lady that was unqualified to be a Queen but grace qualifies the unqualified. She was, unlike other competitors, unskilled in the art of cat-walking, make-up or modelling but “….the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti” (Esther 2:17). Joseph too experienced that grace beginning from when he was born as a special son to his parents (Gen. 37:3), to when he worked as a special housekeeper in Potiphar’s house (Gen. 39:3-5), served as a special prisoner (Gen. 39:21-23) until he rose to become the Prime Minister in Egypt without any degree or need to be confirmed by any arm of government (Gen. 41:40-44).

Grace puts an end to suffering, perfects the ways of the helpless, stabilises marriages and economy, strengthens the weak and settles the hopeless (1Peter 5:10); it disgraces disgrace and raises a person’s head above peers (Psalm 94:17-19). Grace gives direction and does exceedingly abundantly above thoughts and prayers (cf Ephesians 3:20). It, therefore, doesn’t matter the obstacles you are facing now at home, work or family, the grace of God has capacity to lift you above every mountain, pick you up from where you are, give value to your life and revive your lost hope (Romans 9:15-16).

Beloved, don’t lose hope no matter what, it is not over with you. There is greatness inside you. Your greatness is in your race and your race is hidden in His grace. Peter was a fisherman but grace lifted him (Luke 5:1-11). He was a nuisance as a fisherman but a star when grace found him and made him a fisher of men. Jesus was the son of a Carpenter but the grace upon His life lifted Him up. Jephthah was forsaken by his people because of the circumstance of his birth but grace found him out (Judges 11).

During this time of lent, grace shall lift you up. What you need to do to obtain grace that will navigate your life to greatness and testimonies is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour (Colossians 1:27; John 6:37, 10:14) – He bought you with a price so that you will be fulfilled in life and not a servant of men (1Cor. 7:23). In addition, you must develop increasing knowledge about Him through His Word (2 Peter 1:2-3; Joshua 1:8), humble yourself (1 Peter 5:5b), have heaven in view and be a kingdom investor (2 Corinthians 9:8).

 

Prayer: May the Almighty God make grace available to me, place my feet on the chosen race and make me a blessing, in Jesus’ name

By Venerable Henry O. Adelegan

Text:”… Thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel….” (2Kings 7:1)

 

Following the besiegement of Samaria and the concomitant effect on the economy of Israel, things were so bad as price increases were out of control and the concept of inflation became meaningless.  Things were economically so bad that an ass’ head was sold for 80 shekels of silver which would be $52 and a quarter of a cab of dove’s dung was sold for five shekels of silver which would be about $ 1. Cannibalism became a feeding option and the King of Israel was not only helpless but was hopeless concerning the future of Israel.

Suddenly, God, who dictated what happened yesterday, who is in charge of happenings today and will determine what He wants to happen tomorrow (Heb. 13:8), intervened and sent Elisha to go and inform the King of Israel that, against every economic indices, tomorrow shall be the beginning of things that eyes have not seen, ears have not heard and things that are yet to come to human imagination (1Corinthians 2:9). He said that tomorrow, the land’s economy shall be taken away from man and the economic portfolio of the land taken over by God, and that within 24 hours, scarcity shall disappear for advent of prosperity, sicknesses shall be a thing of the past as divine health shall step in, roads that had hitherto been closed shall open of their own accord, help from above shall be available where support from abroad had been abated, sadness shall surrender to joy, the unmarried shall heave a sigh of relief for they shall locate the bone of their bones, marital problems shall die and barrenness of whatever sort shall give way to fruitfulness, etc.

This new beginning promised by God in Isaiah 43:18-19 that “I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” led into a debate between the King of Israel’s Personal Adviser, maybe a Prime Minister or his Minister of Finance and the servant of the King of Kings on what bordered on economic principles and what the One who directs life economies without a recourse to economic principles can do within 24hours. The learned man, who was adept in the things of the world carried out an empirical analysis of the political, social cum economic situation of the country, viewed and reviewed the prevailing indices juxtaposed them with global best practices and declared that it was an impossible stunt. He concluded sarcastically that such a feat was even beyond the capacity of the Unlimited God to perform. For doubting what God can do, the man of God replied him thus:  “…thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof” (2 Kings 7:2 cf 1 Corinthians 1:20)

The Almighty God, the God who has all powers, went into action, turned the unimpressionable ambulation of four lepers into deafening noises of chariots, horses and a great host in the hearing of the Syrian army. They consequently ran for their lives leaving behind food, clothing and other utilities thinking that the king of Israel had hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to fight against the Syrian army.  By the time the lepers got to where the soldiers were, they didn’t meet anyone but food. On God’s promised morrow, all He said through His servant that ” two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria” came to pass. Besides that, the man who countered God’s word was trodden upon in the gate and he died.

Doubting God’s supremacy over human knowledge and political permutations has been from time immemorial. When Paul alongside other prisoners were being taken in a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy, using spiritual binoculars he said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives” but hence this was contrary to the postulations of the professionals, the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship more than those things which were spoken by Paul. At last, the words spoken by Paul, through leading of the Holy Spirit prevailed over the professional counsel and they had no option but to surrender to the leadership and direction of Paul the Apostle after they had suffered unimaginable losses (Acts 27:1-36).

The Unlimited God has ability to turn the challenges of today to  a glorious tomorrow. With Him, a cock that isn’t clinically dead still has hope to eat corn tomorrow. In fact, even a dead cock can be brought to life by the Resurrection and the life who raised the dead Lazarus back to life (John 11:25-44; Job 14:7-9). God can make a nobody of today into somebody for tomorrow. It is possible in Him to sleep as a miserable person and wake up the following morning with a change of story. As He lives, this shall be your testimony during this lenten season. All that you have hope of ever acquiring shall locate you in the name of Jesus.

Are you experiencing storms in your home, family, finances or health today, it is not over as in Christ, there is a better tomorrow. Don’t lose hope concerning the things you are seeing and experiencing today because “weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Tomorrow is coming and it shall be the dawn of a new beginning. This month of March shall herald a beginning of peace, an advent of pervasive security, the baseline of economic revival, the kickoff of celebrations unlimited and the morning of unity of purpose, peace, joy and tranquility in the name of Jesus.

To experience this power of a new tomorrow in your life, family and work, you need to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, who is the power of God and the author of creation, like Apostle Paul. You must be dead to yourself and be ready to say that “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 cf 1 Corinthians 1:24; Hebrews 1:3; John 1:3). Secondly, you must allow the Holy Spirit take over the leadership of your life, ask Him to lead you and you follow His directives (Ephesians 1:19-22). You must also have faith in Him and His ability to do all things  (Hebrews11:6; Philippians 4:13) and lastly, you must be ready to stand by His word, which is the truth (Hebrews 4:12), you must hold on to His promises no matter what (John 2:5) and confess what is written as against what you are seeing today for a glorious tomorrow, which is going to be the beginning of new things.

 

Prayer: Oh Lord, use what make you the Almighty to give me a new beginning this month and turn things around for my good in the name of Jesus.

 

 

 

 

Text:”…..ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good….” (Genesis 50:20)

 

THAT you have failed or failing in a life bid, marriage, business venture or political office aspiration does not translate to a permanent life loss. The swing of life pendulum is managed by the mighty hand of the Almighty and He oscillates it to whatever direction it pleases Him (Ecclesiastes 8:3b; cf 1 Sam 2:6-8). In His scheme, He can qualify an “unqualified” to become the Queen of the most powerful kingdom on earth (Esther 2:17), by His prerogative, the elder person can serve the junior (Romans 9:12), in His wisdom, a chronic stammerer can lead a battalion (Ex. 3:7-10, 4:10), and He can choose a man with a jaundiced background to be the most successful Evangelist in biblical history (Acts 9:1-7; Mark 5:1-20). It is never over with anyone that is in Christ until it is over. “A fowl that is not dead is still at liberty to eat corns”, say the elders.

Paul, in his epistle to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 3:6-7 cf Philippians 4:13) elucidated that inasmuch as determination, discipline and diligence are principal to success in life, they are of no consequence without the backing of the Almighty God (John 15:5). When God backs a person up, the backing of men, oratorial poweress or ability to churn out statistical figures with mechanical accuracy during political discourse or debates amount to nothing. It therefore does not matter how much of conventional efforts one puts into the things of life or the atrociousness of opposition from close or far quarters aimed at eliding God’s purpose for man, life or nation, the Almighty God has the final say, and His will superimposes other wills, schemes and desires (Romans 9:15-16; Ecclesiastes 9:11).

Joseph was a man that God loaded with horrendous moral cum spiritual abilities and prepared for the top. Israel, his father, in a show of love made him a coat of many colors which became the kickoff for strong antipathy from his brothers. To compound this envy and animosity, Joseph in obvious innocence, shared his dreams with the brothers that hated him (Genesis 37:7,9) this made them desire further to truncate divine purpose and consequently sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:25-28). He suffered a big loss! The will and desire of Joseph’s brothers was to annul God’s plan forgetting that the Almighty God has the capacity to disappoint the devices of the crafty so that their hands are forbidden from performing their evil enterprise (Job 5:12). From slavery, God took over, guided his steps and ordered his movement to the place of dream actualization. He was transited from the hands of the Midianites to the house of Potiphar, moved to the prison for an offense he never committed and from there he was catapulted to the highest position in Egypt. He suffered a loss which translated to a gain. Beloved in Christ, it doesn’t matter where you are now and what you are facing, God has the capacity to, and shall, take you from where you are to where He has destined for you, in the name of Jesus.

At what crossroad are you presently in life? Have you aspired to a position in this country and “lost” despite your “popularity” and huge campaign cost? Are people ganging up against you because of your “coat of many colours”? Are you being maligned and destroyed by people that are close to you as a result of your dreams? Has opposition been stirred against you by agents of darkness and the kingdom of wickedness? Have you been sold out to a location where they opine that your star will not be manifest? Are you in trouble without having your hand in sin? Have you, even in your innocence, been convicted by powers that are superior to you or have you been consigned to the prison and it looks like all is lost? There is hope for you! The Almighty God has the final say, and not any man. Even if you have been tried in the court of public opinion and found guilty, It is not over with you as God has the capacity to turn your loss into gain.

When God steps into your life, He suspends opinion polls that had confirmed you as a failure and changes you from a perceived underdog to the favourite (Isaiah 60:15); when He steps in, He changes stories and reverses everything that had previously been against you. Besides, He will ensure that as people associate themselves against you, they are broken in pieces and as they gird themselves, the anointing of God shall break them into irreplaceable pieces. As they gather to take take counsel against you, their counsel shall come to nought and whatever evil word they have spoken or are still speaking against you and God’s plan for your life shall be made ineffective (Isaiah 8:9-10). This shall be your portion in the name of Jesus.

What you need to do is come to Jesus, confess your sins to Him, depart from every evil ways, stop mourning over your loss, trust in Him with all your heart, look up in faith towards a more glorious tomorrow (cf 1 Samuel 2:9). Do not lean on your own understanding, In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear God and depart from evil (Proverbs 3:5-7). God shall frustrate every evil counsel against you and all yours in the name of Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, I commit my affairs unto you, frustrate the counsel of man and let your will alone be done in my life, in Jesus’ name.