The Nation Newspaper

Category: Worship

  • Unlocking the supernatural through favour!

    Welcome to July, the seventh month of the year. “Seven” signifies perfection; I therefore prophesy perfection into your life.

    We are in the latter days, the era of supernatural favour in the body of Christ. As a result, there shall be an unusual release of supernatural favour in the church of Christ before Jesus returns. Also, the church will begin to possess the land and wherever the soles of our feet shall thread upon shall be given to us. As it is written: We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them (Psalm 44:1-3; see also Haggai 2:3-9).

    But, what entitles us to favour?

    Redemption: Redemption is a product of favour. It is written: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).

    Grace, which also means favour, is the heritage of the redeemed and everyone that is born- again is listed among God’s beloved. As it is written: To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6; see also 2 Corinthians 5:21).

    ‘Beloved’ here means to be favoured or a favourite. That means every child of God is God’s favourite on the earth. Thus, we have our roots in divine favour by redemption. The Bible says: For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield (Psalm 5:12). As a result, everything about our lives attracts favour.

    What then are the Scriptural Examples as regards favour?

    • The ‘Church in the wilderness’ was claded with favour: For instance, concerning the

    Israelites, God said: And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty (Exodus 3:21; see also Exodus 12:36).God is committed to giving His people favour and we are privileged to be His people by redemption. Hence, we are entitled to divine favour

    Also, during the sojourn of the Israelites, described as the Church in the wilderness, for forty years, they experienced the tangibility of favour. It was a highly favoured and struggle-free church. The Bible records: This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us (Acts 7:38).

    They enjoyed manna twice daily and the Bible says that: Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years (Deuteronomy 8:4). We must understand that there is nothing in the Old Testament that can be compared to what is available to us in the New Testament. If the church in the wilderness was that favoured, how much more shall the church of the Living God bought by the Blood of Jesus be favoured?

    • The Church in the Upper room enjoyed favour: As it is written: Praising God, and having

    favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:47).

    Favour was the identity of the first church. That means the church of Christ is ordained to swim in favour.  Furthermore, Jesus Christ, the Head of the church was robed with favour. The Bible says: And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man (Luke 2:52).

    Jesus said: As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world (John 17:18).  We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus. That means whatever pertains to Christ pertains to us. Thus, we are highly favoured individuals (Romans 8:17).

    What, then,  are the virtues of Favour?

    • Favour terminates tears: Favour turns our tears into testimonies. It is written:

    For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled (Psalm 30:5-7).

    • Favour in a man’s life defines the quality of his life
    • Prosperity: And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand (Genesis 39:2-4).It is impossible to secure favour with God and not have favour with man.
    • Favour is the cure for man’s struggles: Joseph didn’t struggle; favour positioned him from one level to another (Psalm 105:17-22).
    • Supernatural enlargement: Grace (favour) is the covenant mother of greatness. It is grace that makes great, not skill or strength. Every giant in the Kingdom is made of favour. No one can be greater than the grace of God at work in his life and grace simply means divine favour. Apostle Paul said: But by the grace of God I am what I am… (1 Corinthians 15:10; see also 1 Samuel 2:9; Ecclesiastes 9:11; Romans 9:16).

    However, favour only answers to the redeemed; that means, to experience the reality of divine favour, 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 my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the Living God. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!  For further reading, please get my books: Commanding the Supernatural, Walking in the Miraculous, Operating in the Supernatural, Releasing the Supernatural and All You Need To Have All Your Needs Met. I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have five services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:35 a.m., 9:10 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:20 p.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

  • Diocese of Lagos West gets 16 new ministers

    Sixteen new ministers were last Thursday ordained by the Diocese of Lagos West Anglican Communion.

    The Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev. James Odedeji, who presided over the ordination, admonished them to serve God and mankind in total humility.

    He charged the newly ordained not to be polluted, corrupted and be overly ambitious.

    Odedeji said: “Do not be polluted, corrupted and don’t be too ambitious.

    “When you serve God, God will serve you. The water you will drink will not pass you and whatever God has promised you will come to you.”

    The Bishop also advised them to respect the congregation and church authorities.

    The Bishop said ministers must have exemplary families, saying their households must lead others to Christ.

    In his sermon, Most Rev. Edmund Akanya said God only uses busy people.

    “God does not call those who are lazy. Rather he calls those who are hard working.

    “That the gospel of God is the word of salvation. Therefore, they should go with the Lord and he will bring out the potential in them.”

    He warned the newly ordained ministers not to take their call for granted or allow circumstances around them to discourage them, pointing out that they should strive to make a difference in the lives of the people.

  • Make up for lost grounds, women charged

    Christian women have been tasked to make up for lost times of ignorance as well as rectify past failures and complacency by being active in the service of God.

    Pastor- in- Charge of Lagos Province 15 Redeemed Christian Church of God(RCCG), Pastor (Mrs.) Deola Mensah, stated this at the Province 59 Sisters’ Conference with the theme “redeeming the time.”

    Mensah noted there were still rooms for women to do God’s works in all forms.

    While charging them to emulate the likes of Mary Slessor, she said women remained important in the schemes of God’s works.

    To redeem time as Christians, she said they must disciple others, teach and imbibe the principles of eternal life as well as allow themselves to be taught by more enlightened Christians.

    The convener, Pastor (Mrs.) Funke AyinOluwa, pointed out time was short, stating that women cannot afford to toy with it.

    According to her: “The good news is you can still right your wrong and make the best use of your time.

    “There is nothing that you cannot change about your life if you focus on your future.”

    AyinOluwa therefore explained that the only way to redeem the time as women is for them to be hard working.

  • Badejo seeks execution of looters

    Former General Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church Nigeria, Rev. Wilson Badejo, has recommended death sentence for looters to tackle the scourge of corruption in the nation.

    Badejo said since all measures to fight the monster seemed to have failed, death sentence appeared to be the last option left for the nation.

    The option, according to him, has worked to perfection in China, saying corrupt-minded Nigerians will have a second thought if they know death await them.

    The cleric spoke on Thursday with reporters ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Wilson Badejo Foundation (WBF) on Friday in Lagos.

    He warned that corruption will kill Nigeria and Nigerians if it is not killed on time.

    Badejo said: “I strongly advise that we copy China, which only last year decided that those found guilty of high-sum embezzlement or bribe-taking should be executed.

    “Maybe if we try the death penalty for corruption and implement the policy steadfastly without minding whose ox is gored, maybe people will stop this madness called looting.”

    He went on: “Maybe it would stop people from stealing our commonwealth blind and flaunting their blood money on our faces, spraying and dancing on mint-fresh dollars at social parties, making millions of honest and hard-working Nigerians look like fools.”

    Badejo admitted the option would be controversial, being a pro-life priest but said corruption had become so bad that it would take something drastic to stop the bleed.

    He called on Nigerians to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari instead of mock his health challenges.

    Badejo pointed out at 74, the president is naturally expected to have health challenges, which could happen to anyone.

    On the foundation’s anniversary, Badejo noted it has changed lives with scholarship scheme, provision of boreholes and rehabilitation of destitute.

    The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and Research), Prof Ogundipe, will present a paper on building a nation devoid of poverty and corruption.

    The lead speakers would be legal activist Femi Falana and his wife, Funmi.

  • ‘Why I’m always on the move’

    ‘Why I’m always on the move’

    General Overseer of Elshaddai Covenant Ministries Lagos, Dr James Iruobe, speaks with Sunday Oguntola on his recent apostolic trips as well as plans for the church, which clocked 30 recently. Excerpts:

    You have not been so much around in the last few years. What took you away?

    I was away to England. I went primarily because I wanted to take advantage of the fact my wife is a citizen of the UK but at the back of my mind was a plan to plant a church in the UK, which I succeeded in doing.

    The spiritual weather there is not terribly favorable. Even to get a place to put is one problem. Things are done differently there. No doubt, it is the blacks that actually go to church in the UK and we eventually succeeded in planting a church. The challenges are still there but the church is also there. I have been back since last November.

    Fully or partially?

    Fully

    You are not going back?

    Not that I won’t go for overseeing, holidays or preaching engagement. I will but I am back to my base. Lagos is my base. I have not changed base yet and I don’t know if I will but for now I am a Lagosian.

    So how was your UK experience? Was it palatable? What have you learnt?

    I learnt a few things helping me because there you do everything by yourself. I have learnt to be more independent and one thing that I learnt in the UK is that whatever you are looking for is written somewhere. It is your job to find information and if you don’t understand it, get people who will explain it to you.

    I have imported that to my job here in the sense that I try to write things down. Anybody can pick it and read instead of holding meetings upon meetings. Another thing I gained is the fact that I was alone most of the time and I was able to pray.

    Here it is just too busy. If someone wants to see you, you can’t say no. But when I was there, I had a lot of time to myself even though I was in a sense still busy. I was still overseeing whatever was going on in Nigeria.

    From Jos to Lagos to UK, why are you always on the move?

    I see myself as a church planter and sometimes I see myself as a missionary. My missionary work is not to the villages but urban missionary. The work in Jos, I did very well. We started small but with time we began to grow. That is why I am not worried about England.

    I know that if God caused Jos to grow, He will do the same over there. Jos did very so well that at a time we were a household name there. It appeared to me I was jobless because people were doing everything I should be doing.

    I just went to church, preached and left. They took care of everything. I saw myself as being jobless and began to ask God what next. I started feeling I should relocate. In my mind, I started wondering where to go – Port-Harcourt, Abuja or Lagos. Eventually, I felt God was directing me to Lagos.

    That is why I came to Lagos and from here to England. And everywhere I went, I have been planting churches.

    Would you describe yourself as an apostle or pastor?

    My basic calling is pastoring but I am doing the work of an apostle now. That doesn’t mean I should change my title to that of an apostle. I don’t know if it would make any difference. But my basic calling is that of a pastor. I have only grown into becoming an apostle.

    But there are people who still haven’t forgiven you for leaving Jos

    Yes, many people could not understand. Everybody has his/her mindset about issues but I know people find it difficult to see how I could have given up such a church to go and start with nothing.

    I was a big man in Jos only to come to Lagos and start leading house fellowship. It was no joke but again it has paid off in the sense that we are not where we were in Jos but I am hoping we would get there. I am still doing a lot of works.

    I want to raise people because what we actually did in Jos was to raise leaders who could handle anything with minimal supervision. Once we get there here, I don’t know the next thing to do.

    Lagos taught you lots of lesson. Could you recap some of them?

    Yes, the first lesson I learnt in Lagos is don’t trust anybody you see on the streets because in the north you could easily trust people and I have this nature of always trusting everybody.

    I have suffered from it a lot. I came to Lagos and met a lot of disappointment. When I started thinking of coming to Lagos, I didn’t have anyone in mind. But along the line, I met a man who was a member of our church in Jos.

    He asked where I was going in Lagos and I said Ikeja. That was the only Lagos I knew. He said I should come to Victoria Island and he would pay for my house and church hall. I changed my plans because of that.

    I got to Victoria Island and started coming up with policies. He didn’t like it and that was the first shock. In fact, he felt I should forget El-Shaddai and start a new work. He stopped paying for the hall. He did some others things that even an unbeliever should not do.

    So I decided to move to Ikeja because that was where I was going originally. So when I left, he inherited my congregation, pastors and drivers.

    He took over everything. I came to Ikeja and encountered many troubles. The first accommodation we got for church, we paid over N1 million and till date we couldn’t use the place. We couldn’t get our money back. It took God to take us to where we are now.

    Would you consider your constant movement a result of your restless nature?

    I don’t know if I am restless. I just want to see things done and I like new challenges. I want to grow people. I want to disciple people. I want to see people mature and once I see that I am satisfied.

    Have you started thinking of retirement?

    Yes, people say there is no retirement in this work but I don’t know how true it is. What is bothering me is not retirement but succession. I haven’t quite found somebody I will hand over the ministry to.

    I had someone that started with me who I was grooming to take over.  Eventually, he told me he was going to the US for training, only to say he wasn’t coming back.  He has started his ministry over there. I felt disappointed but I trust God to provide someone else.

    In over 30 years, shouldn’t that have been taken care of?

    Yes, it was not taken care of because the person I had in mind disappointed me. He felt he wanted to be on his own and that was just last year.

    What kind of succession do you have in mind? Hand over the ministry, take a back seat and watch someone do it?

    Yes.

    You could have used any of your children.

    I have three children – two ladies and one young man. I think it is better for God to work things out than for me to think that my son should come and take over. He may be interested and he may not be. But we have never seen it as a family affair.

    That is why I always involve people in whatever I am doing, even in decision-making. I think if somebody will ask me what has accounted for the success we have today, it is the fact that I involve others.

    You wouldn’t mind if your successor comes from anywhere?

    No, I don’t mind. I don’t care where the person is coming from.  I only care where he is going to. The person can be from anywhere so long he is genuine, sincere, god-fearing and understands the vision of the ministry as well as willing to run with the vision.

    Emmanuel College is one of the leading educational institutions in Jos. Why haven’t you been to replicate the same in Lagos?

     Settling down in Lagos took more than I thought it would have taken. Then when we eventually settled down, we found out that there are too many schools around here. What led us to start the Jos school is the fact that parents were looking for admission and the schools were not just there.

    The good school then was the Baptist High School and it was like Carmel going through the eye of a needle to get admitted there. Emmanuel College came and provided what people wanted.

    What has become of the vision to have a Christian estate?

    Omo Onile people have dealt with us. We had 110 acres of land fully paid for in Ota, Ogun State, just a few minutes’ drive after Covenant University. We have been battling Omo onile who encroached on it.

    We went to court and got a ruling they should give us another land. Till date, they haven’t. We involved police to no avail. We bought another 25 acres somewhere in Ota again.

    This was fenced but somebody broke in and started building on it. To be honest, we have been very unfortunate with landed properties.

     

  • Motailatu inaugurates another parish in Abuja

    The growing rank of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide (MCCSW) further swelled last Saturday with the inauguration of another parish in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

    Hundreds of enthusiastic members and well-wishers witnessed the colourful ceremony of the Word of Faith Chapel of the church in Lugbe.

    The inauguration brings to two the number of parishes of the fast-growing church in the FCT.

    The Prelate and Supreme Head of MCCSW, His Eminence Dr Israel Akinadewo(Omoeri), said the essence of the ongoing expansion project is to penetrate the nooks and crannies of the nation with the Aladura zeal and spiritual orientation.

    He stated that the plan is to plant no fewer than 25 branches of the church in the FCT in the next one year to reach more souls.

    The church, he reiterated, is committed to “quality in Spirit, service and impact through creation of conducive atmosphere for the spiritual and general well being of members.”

    In his prayers of dedication for the parish, Akinadewo, who is the general secretary of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Lagos branch, asked God to fill the auditorium with the Spirit of truth, excellence and godliness.

    He specifically requested that God will meet worshippers at the point of their needs, asking that none of them will miss eternal rest.

    The guest preacher, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, praised the church for the impressive expansion plans.

    Bamgbola, who spoke on the theme of the inauguration all things are possible, urged members and leaders to keep the zeal of evangelism burning.

    He said God was determined to change lives and destinies through the unique spiritual impact of the MCCSW.

    Calling for great faith to conquer more lands, the chairman of Lagos CAN said only those who have unshakeable belief in God accomplish great things for the kingdom.

    He advised members of the church to continue to seek expansion of the kingdom because only then will God be committed to taking care of them.

    “If you can just be faithful to God in righteousness and holiness, God will take care of your affairs,” he reiterated.

    Launching into the prophetic realm, he declared: “I see the day this parish will have the largest land in Abuja filled with people.

    “The beginning may be small but God will surely make this parish great.”

    To underscore the commitment of the church to God, Akinadewo stated: “Only those interested in making heaven are welcomed to this church.”

    He hinted that the next point of call will be a strategic state in the South West.

  • Church celebrates ‘fall of Jericho’

    Church celebrates ‘fall of Jericho’

    May 23, 1999 remains evergreen in the memory of members of The Saints’ Gospel Church of Christ, also known as Hand of Fire, Igando, Lagos. It was the day the ‘Wall of Jericho’ built around them collapsed.

    The state government had built a wall around their church to force them out of Igando, a Lagos suburb in the then Alimosho Local Government Area.

    They have observed the anniversary of the fateful day for 23 years.

    According to the founder, Pastor Jacob Shodeinde, the government fenced the church round in 1999, claiming that it encroached into its scheme.

    Not a few, including church members and friends, urged the pastorate to take on the government for erecting a fence, blocking access to the church.

    Shodeinde relived how he declined human counsel and waited for God to fight the battle.

    He described as miraculous that after much trouble and hardship, the walls crumbled.

    According to him, it started with a vision by a member, Mrs. Grace Omiesan, who was praying for the fruit of the womb.

    During the December 1999 Passover, she was laying before the altar when she heard a voice, saying “the fence will be pulled down today.”

    With her concern for the ministry, she asked whether it will affect the building but she was told no but the fence will be pulled down in the exact place where she sat.

    God also spoke to Shodeinde through his wife, during their daily devotional.

    He was then instructed to return to the tabernacle the same day.

    On arrival at the church premises, he started a procession, singing praises to God.

    “By this time, the rain was falling with heavy thunders when, suddenly, the wall fell at the exact location which God revealed, and three other places. This was in 2000 after a little shower with heavy thunder,” he said.

     

    The cleric said the four gates erected at the points where the wall fell were named after the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and Trinity.

    Recollecting the events which led to the yearly celebration, Shodeinde said: “We are celebrating jubilee, which, to us, is a mysterious programme here in Zion. And it’s not the usual silver or golden jubilees celebrated in other churches.

    “The Lord has been counting the years for us, and we marked the first jubilee when we clocked seven years on this land.

    “It is celebrated every May 23 because it is the day the Lord pulled down the wall of Jericho which had been barricading us, precisely in the year 2000.

    “The government, while fencing the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) camp, which is next to the church, fenced part of our land, saying it belonged to it.

    “There was nothing we could do but wait on God to fight the battle himself and he did.

    “He gave members revelations on what he wanted to do and how he would do it. I also vowed not to wear English attire until fulfilment of the prophecy.

    “Today, we are happy and celebrating the fulfilment of that prophecy.

    “Not only that, we are also celebrating that the people of God have continued to experience the fall of their personal Jericho. People have been testifying and it’s incomparable.”

    Members of the church also emphasised the importance of the yearly event in their lives.

    Pastor James Ajibade said he brought his father, who was diagnosed with diabetes to the church, where he received his healing.

    “When my father was sick and diagnosed with diabetes, I brought him here and he received his healing during a jubilee celebration like this,” Ajibade stated.

    Pastor A.B Adewusi, who contested a councillorship seat several times without winning, became victorious when he joined the church.

    Adewusi said: “This jubilee celebration has impacted my life tremendously. I had tried several times to win a councillorship seat to no avail until I joined this ministry and I won in 1996, under a zero party. I won again in 2003-2007.

    “The government fenced the church, saying the land belonged to it, though my father in the Lord bought the land when he was in England.

    “But Baba, with faith, urged us not to fight, that God, who called him, would fight the battle. And it was so in May 23, 2000, when the wall finally came down.”

     

  • Unveiling the miracle power of thanksgiving! (2)

    In our teaching last week, we saw from scriptures that thanksgiving is a kingdom mystery designed for turning any situation around. We also established that thanksgiving is not a subsidiary demand; it’s a demand for our destinies to flourish and for us to be fulfilled in life. In this week’s teaching, we shall conclude some of the miracle powers embedded in thanksgiving, which include:

    Perfection of miracles: It perfects our blessings: We understand from scriptures that the perfection of all that concerns us resides in heart–rooted thanksgiving. For instance, when that leper returned to glorify God, the Bible states that he was made perfectly whole as it is written: And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God. And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole (Luke 17:15-19, Psalm 138:8). Thus, the provision of preservation, answers to the covenant of thanksgiving and praise. That means, imbedded in the mystery of thanksgiving, is the perfection of whatever may have been damaged in our lives.

    However, we must recognise that it is not enough to give God thanks; we must do so on time. Concerning the leper who returned with thanksgiving, the Bible says: …when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole (Luke 17:15-17).

    Thanksgiving enhances our dominion on earth: Thanksgiving secures God’s presence in our lives, which in turn guarantees our dominion on earth. That is why David said: O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet (Psalm 47:1-3; see also 2 Chronicles 20:21-30; Psalm 100:4).

    When we are not thankful to God, our ‘tanks’ run dry because we are disconnected from heaven’s supplies. As a result, we become helpless and vulnerable to the attacks of the wicked. That will not be your portion in Jesus’ name!

    Furthermore, we understand from scriptures that we cannot be grateful and not be joyful. Also, we cannot be joyful and not be praise-ful. Furthermore, we cannot be praise-ful and not be ‘God-ful’; and we cannot be ‘God-ful’ and not be ‘wonderful’, [being full of wonders] (Exodus 15:11; Psalms16:11, 22:3, 92:1-2; James 5:13).

    Addiction to thanksgiving is one of the mysteries that has kept this Commission going from one level of glory to another for the past 36 years. I pray that as you engage this mystery, the next 36 years of your life shall be far more glorious than what we have seen as a Commission in Jesus’ name!

    Thanksgiving also engenders our access to Health and Vitality: The Bible says: A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones (Proverbs 17:22; see also Proverbs 18:14).

    Again, Prophet Nehemiah said: …for the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

    This helps us understand that thanksgiving insures our health and vitality on earth.

    It provokes the supernatural: For instance, the Bible records that when Jesus gave thanks, the supernatural occurred and Lazarus who was dead for four days rose from the grave (Psalm 114:1-9; John 11:40-44).

    It is also a platform through which our inheritances are delivered: It is written: Oh, clap your hands all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. He will subdue the people under us, And the nations under our feet. He will choose our inheritance for us. The excellence of Jacob whom He loves (Psalm 47:1-4).

    The word “choose” here means to release our inheritance to us, which includes our deliverances, breakthroughs, etc. That means the more thankful we are, the more our inheritances manifest.

    It is also important to know that thanksgiving is not just what we do casually, but it is a mystery that facilitates amazing access to what pertains to us in Christ. That is why the Psalmist said: For God is the King of all the earth; sing praise with understanding (Psalm 47:7).

    In other words, we must understand what to expect when we engage the mystery of thanksgiving and praise. For instance, the Bible says that at the instance of thanksgiving and praise, we begin to see and hear our desires upon the wicked that has stood against us. It also states that thanksgiving empowers us to grow like a cedar in Lebanon and flourish like the palm tree (Psalm 92:1-2, 10-12).

    In conclusion, we must recognise that if we have ever lost anything in life, God is the reason we have not lost everything. That is why we must give Him quality thanks from the depths of our hearts. Remember, it is timely and heart-rooted thanksgiving that provokes His continuous manifestations in our affairs. Nevertheless, for our thanksgiving to be acceptable to God, we must be born-again. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord? Are you born again? If you are not, you can do so as you say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the Living God. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”

    For further reading, please get my books: The Wonders of Praise and Understanding the Power of Praise. I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have five services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:35 a.m., 9:10 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:20 p.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

  • THEME: THE FULL ARMOUR OF GOD (12)

    THEME: THE FULL ARMOUR OF GOD (12)

    Sub-Theme: The Strong Belt of Truth

    Topic: The word of Truth

    To be victorious in all things like Jesus is possible only if we will hear His voice and obey Him. His voice is His word and we have this written for us in the Bible.

    “…the sheep hear the voice of the good shepherd and come to Him; and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. He walks ahead of them; and they follow Him, for they recognize His voice.  They won’t follow a stranger but will run from him, for they don’t recognize his voice.” Jesus is the one being talked about as the good shepherd, the sheep are those who hear His voice and follow Him. The true sheep recognize their shepherd’s voice and they follow Him; they grew into recognizing His voice and are able to differentiate it from a stranger’s voice because they fellowship one on one together with the good shepherd. Through continuous personal fellowship with the good shepherd they mastered His voice, no one can deceive them for they will not follow the voice of a stranger who comes craftily to kill, steal and destroy. Just like Jesus when tempted could not be deceived into following the suggestions of Satan who quoted scriptures to deceive Him, so also the true sheep of the good shepherd will not be deceived by Satan and his agents.

     

    We are in the age of great deceit where many are being deceived into believing all kinds of false doctrines/teachings, all because they have refused to see the great importance of knowing God by themselves but prefer to go through mediums to reach God which of course is impossible. Only Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the life, He is the good shepherd who came to give us life more abundantly and opened the path to true fellowship with God.

     

    After my encounter with Jesus, He got me into fellowship with Him, this made me love to study His word- the Bible and my life truly has been awesomely changed through this. I am incomplete without my daily study of God’s word; not knowing what He has to say to me daily.

    I would have gone astray and fallen into deep pits; but His word has kept me safe, it has been a lamp guiding my feet and a light directing my path.

     

    To be a sheep who recognizes and follows the voice of the good shepherd, you need to prayerfully start studying God’s word (the Bible) systematically daily. To do this you need to start your QUIET TIME.

     

    What is Quiet Time and how is it practiced?

     

    As the name implies Quiet Time is a time, which is QUIET, devoid of distractions and disturbances; a time set aside to hear the good shepherd and relate with Him intimately. This builds in us a lifelong, ever-abiding loving relationship and fellowship with God. As a relationship without proper communication dies, so also one’s relationship with God dies without proper communication; and remember communication should be 2- way; hence the need for quiet time.

    What you will need/How of Quiet Time:

    • Prayer: Ask for God’s grace for without Him it will be very impossible; it will become an uphill task. For we are weak bodily but He is strong- only Him will help you wake up at your chosen time and empower you to study, revealing deep truths in His word to you.

    When God asked me to make my Quiet time earlier than it used to be, at first, it was quite difficult for me to accept mentally. I had so many excuses and reasons why it would be impossible. As long as I didn’t accept it mentally and believe in Jesus’ strength to make it possible, it would remain impossible for me. The truth remains that no one who desires to be used to do great things on earth, thereby fulfilling purpose, can do without his/her time alone with God. Until I accepted it and asked God’s help was I able to do it and for years now, God has remained faithful. I would have missed out of a great opportunity of a deeper intimacy with God, if I didn’t submit to Him.

    • Create a regular time– a time you will not be disturbed or distracted. Most ideally, early/ wee hours of the morning, set aside at least one hour daily. You can set your alarm for this.
    • A quiet place: where you will not be disturbed.

    Jesus’ intimacy with His father and His quiet time habit kept Him focussed on His assignment and helped Him end well. Continually Jesus withdrew from the crowd, daily life activities, and the demands of His ministry to be alone with His Father and communicate with Him.

    • A Bible: In a simple translation you can understand. It will be nice to have other translations to compare text for better understanding.
    • A Notebook: where you write down lessons learnt from your study and your daily dealings with God.
    • Your reading note/devotional booklet: There are a lot in circulation but prayerfully seek the best for you; one that will help you study the Bible systematically and deeply every day. I’ve found DAILY GUIDE to be very good for adults, DAILY POWER for youths and DAILY MILK for children, all published by Scripture Union Nigeria. You can prayerfully choose from other good ones in circulation. NOTE: Your devotional booklet should NEVER replace your Bible, it’s meant to help systematically arrange the Bible text and also highlight some important revelations from the day’s text for full and better understanding, it’s wrong to read only the booklet.

    Aside quiet time, we need to study God’s word always. God’s word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

     

    TEXT:  Ephesians 6:10-18, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:11, 2Timothy 3:16, John 10, Mark 1:35, Psalm 119:105.

     

    FROM: FAITH NWACHUKWU

     

  • RCCG Lagos Province 54 to host Breakforth 2017

    The Lagos Province 54 of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) will on July 2 host a special family programme, tagged: Breakforth 2017 at 7 a.m.

    The programme, which will be held at the Museum Centre of the Lagos State University (LASU) on Oba Ogunji Road, Pen Cinema, Agege, Lagos, will have Pastor Charles Kpandei, the pastor-in-charge of RCCG Region 11, as guest speaker.

    His wife, Pastor Bola, is special guest.

    Host Pastor Ben Femi Ayanda, the Pastor-in-charge of Lagos Province 54, said the programme is designed to impact the lives of families.

    Ayanda said: “This programme is designed for all to receive and enjoy Father’s blessing in the second half of this year so that we can break forth into all-round enlargement.”