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Tag: Holy Spirit

  • Accessing the anointing of the Holy Spirit for conquest!

    Welcome to the concluding part of this teaching! I hope you were blessed by last week teaching. Today, we shall focus on: Accessing the Anointing of the Holy Spirit for Conquest!

    From scriptures, we understand that conquest has its roots in God. This is why the Bible categorically states that He has made us more than conquerors. It is written: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us (Romans 8:37).Conquerors are made by God. They are men who consistently win in battles through the backing of God and as such know no defeat. They are men that can only be defeated when it becomes possible to defeat God. Of course, we all know that God cannot be defeated.

    Conquest is the act of conquering. That one is involved in a battle does not make him a conqueror. That he is a winner does not make him a conqueror either. The conqueror is one who consistently wins in battles. A conqueror is someonewho is permanently registered on the winning side. They are men with the hand of the Lord upon them. As long as the hand of the Lord is upon us, our conquering is established. Every time Samson conquered, it was always preceded by the phrase “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him.” As it is written: And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house (Judges 14:19). The Holy Spirit is the power backup of God. He is the generator of the anointing. As long as the anointing was upon Samson, he prevailed. There is an anointing that makes battles cheap and there is power that makes conquerors out of ordinary men. There are two people in the Bible that lived a conquering lifestyle. They are David, the man after God’s heart and Jesus, the First Begotten of the Father.

    What, then, are the Weapons of Conquest?

    • Fearlessness: We live in a world where the fearless reign and the fearful are slaves. Fear is a thief and a robber that has robbed great men of their great destinies. It brings a glorious future to naught. It holds kings captive. The man who will conquer is the one who will not be afraid. Fearlessness is the conqueror’s backbone for exploits and achievements. Fear leads to destruction. It takes one to the depth of hardship and frustration. Remember, it is written: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).A fearful believer is powerless against satan. For instance, Elijah was a great man of God, known for his fearlessness. Also, King David was a fearless warrior who knew no fear and he conquered. We saw how Goliath and the host of the philistines fell into his hands because of his fearless stance. In the same vein, Jesus Christ knew no defeat. He was fearless in the face of every situation. Fear is a spirit, and it does no good to anyone. So,resist it and you will prevail in every circumstance of life. The cure for fear is the presence of God. This connotes that the presence of God drives away fear. The Bible says: …I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20). Only those who are conscious of God’s presence with them and the power He wields will conqueror. They are the strong ones who will do exploits. David knew His God and was constantly conscious of His presence. This eliminated fear from him and he spoke out boldly: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4). The valley of the shadow of death is one place greatly feared by men.
    • Obedience to Divine Instructions: Divine instructions are very vital in the accomplishment of any task. The man that will conquer is the one who asks for and receives instructions from God. Listening to the voice of God leads to enthronement. One of the greatest secrets for David’s outstanding success was his reliance on divine instruction. Every step he took was based on instructions he received from God. He was a master at making enquires and he took nothing for granted. In Jesus’ ministry, He always listened to and obeyed the voice of the Father. He never did anything by Himself. He operated on divine signals. He knew the power of God is only manifested when one follows God’s signals. This was why He did not rush to Bethany to heal Lazarus when He was told he was sick. He waited for God’s instructions and the power of God was made manifest. Concerning Jesus, the Bible records: …and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things (John 8:28). He acted on God’s instructions, no wonder He was the Conqueror of conquerors.
    • The Blood: Every life is sustained by the blood and life is also embedded in the Word. This means every time we release revelation from the Word, we release His blood missiles against our enemies (Revelations 12:11).Thus, when you begin to unleash the Word, you are engaging the strong hold of the blood to get back whatever is stolen from you.

    In summary, there is strength that goes with heeding divine instructions in getting tasks accomplished. This is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This is the Anointing that makes conquerors out of ordinary men. It is available to us as members of the body of Christ. We can register ourselves with the conquerors today by being 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. 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: Anointing for Breakthrough, Understanding the Anointing, Anointing for Exploits, Release of Power and Manifestation of the Spirit. 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., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:20 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; Face book: www.facebook.com/davidoyedepoministries/;  Twitter: @DavidOyedepoMin

  • ‘Holy Spirit inspired my book’

    Sixteen years ago, Mr Olurotimi Ajibowo, was tinkering with the idea of writing a book following a persistent urge to also read the Acts of Apostles. He was actually inspired by God to read Acts of Apostles. But not until much later, after he tried to ignore it that he realised that it was God that was pushing him.

    “Around 2005, the Lord spoke to me to begin to go to the books of the Acts of Apostles and read it. At first it was just like a casual thing. I found myself reading the book of the Acts of Apostles and as I got into it, I was amazed. But, before that time I have been reading the Bible, I will read and put notes but this time around it was different,” according to Ajibowo, the author of Christian, Arise!

    He spoke at the launch of his new book in Lagos, which coincided with his 60th birthday.

    The 263-page book with 12 chapters, challenges Christians to arise to the true purpose and role of their calling.

    Ajibowo, who does not believe in denominations, said reading Acts of Apostles again was different because revelations kept pouring at him and it looked like God was transporting him to the Apostles’era.

    “It was different because not only were revelations from it jumping at me, but it looked as if God was transporting me to that era. And I could visualise in my mind a lot of things that happened at the time of the Apostles. So, I found out that as I started out, I started to write short notes. When the short notes couldn’t do anymore, I have to find an exercise book. By the time I got to chapter five, I was amazed at the amount of things I have written. I wondered on it, but so many things that I saw and wrote were so strange. I wondered what’s happening. So, I compared the things I was reading with the things that were happening in church universally. I couldn’t reconcile the two.  But, God started to explain it. I started deliberating on the issue and then I will veer off to other things. Yet, the thought of the book will come again. I told God, what is my own with this one. I don’t have anyone that I’m preaching to … ,” he said.

    Ajibowo reflected on his life journey and gave thanks to God for keeping him to 60 years in good health and sound mind.

    “I looked back and I wondered am I 60 years? What did I do with all the years? But to think of it, God has been faithful and glorious. He has been my strength and salvation,” he added.

    Chairman of the occasion, Pastor Rufus Adegunju described Ajibowo as a voice God is raising to be heard as well as a man, who does the will of God with strong faith without compromise and fear just like Esther in the Bible.

    Speaking on “The Church: God’s New Direction”, Pastor Ebenezer Kayode urged Christians to look beyond what God will do for them and focus on being their brothers’ keeper, serving God in truth and in spirit.

    “Let us look into the mandate that God has given us as a nation and let us see how we are doing with that mandate and work with it. It is also important to know what we stand for. What brings division among church or brethren today is because we do not have the same vision. What will be the recipe that will make someone from Fountain of Life Church, Catholic and another person from The Apostolic Church and Celestial Church all stand and hold hands as brothers?” Kayode asked.

  • CAN President to grace Evangelism and Fire Conference

    The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev.  Samson Ayokunle will attend the Evangelism and Fire Conference 2018 organized by the Global Outreach Day Nigeria It holds on 12th May 2018, at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.

    Other Pastors billed to attend the programme are Pastor Paul Eneche, Senior Pastor, Dunamis International Gospel Centre, National Coordinator, Global Outreach Day, Nigeria, Evangelist, Oguazi Onyemobi, and Prof Durojaiye Adegboye, Senior Pastor, President Gospel Unlimited.

    The programme tagged “Changing The Nation through the Gospel” is poised to attract Christian faithfuls from across the country which will feature song rendition, drama, prayer and ministration of the gospel.

    Pastor Onyemobi announcing it recently in Lagos, said that the global outreach is an end-time response to the great commission and a catalyst to mobilized the whole church for great harvest of soul.

    “The Global Outreach Day is a worldwide initiative that has taken root in over 150 countries of the world. The vision of God is to raise the entire believers to share the gospel of Jesus on the last Saturday of May each year and adopt soul wining as a lifestyle” he said.

    “recent statistics shows that 93% of church members rarely share the Gospel with others. After His victorious resurrection from the grave and before his glorious ascension to Heaven, Jesus declared to His disciples, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth”.

    “Jesus, then commissioned them, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 28:18-19). That Great Commission is what Global Outreach Day is all about, and that is why we are gathered here today.”

    He also said that millions of Christians in over 140 nations are already sharing the Gospel on the Global Outreach Day.

    “The goal is for every Christian to reach at least one person with the Gospel message on this day. In our world where many are spreading messages of hate, killings, destruction and deception in the name of God is enough reason for raising unto God the greatest army of believers that will stand as one to preach the good news of God’s love”.

    He further said Christians should share the gospel and adopt the diverse soul winning strategies that suit them best in their different community as the world celebrate the world Global Outreach Day.

    “one-on-one evangelism,  reaching out in small groups, meetings in the church, visiting the needy, hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, children’s homes, use of concert, open air mob, banners, sharing of tracts, posting on face book can be done to commemorate the day”.

    It be recalled that the first edition of World Global Outreach Day for this year was held earlier this week in Lagos where believers across the federation converged to reach everyone via the gospel of Christ.

  • There would be a great harvest of souls in Cross River – Kolenda

    There would be a great harvest of souls in Cross River – Kolenda

     

    President of the Christ for All Nations (CFAN), Evangelist Daniel Kolenda, says there would be great harvest of souls in Cross River State in their Crusade which kicked off today and will run till Sunday.

    Kolenda, who is the successor of world renowned Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, told reporters when he arrived Calabar at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport said he was thrilled to back.

    Tagged Great Crusade Calabar 2018 and expected to attract over two million people, Kolenda said they were looking forward to an amazing week in Calabar.

    “It would be a week of miracles, signs and wonders and healing, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and most importantly I believe there is going to be a great harvest of souls. A wonderful time of salvation in the presence of God,” he said.

    Read Also: Calabar ready for CFAN two million man crusade

    Speaking about his predecessor, he said,” We are two different people, but the good news is that we have the same Jesus and the same Holy Spirit. I have been with Evangelist Bonnke for 12 years and we have been all over the world together. About nine years ago, I took over the ministry of CFAN as president and for many years now I have been preaching in this gospel crusades. So we come in the same spirit, the same fire, the same anointing and I believe that because of the way it works in God’s economy, nothing diminishes. It goes from glory to glory. So whatever it is you experienced last time with Evangelist Bonnke, we believe for a double portion.”

    Kolenda, will be having the crusade from February 15 to February 18 at 3.30pm daily, while the fire conference for gospel ministers and church workers will be on the same dates but at 7amdaily at the Cross River University of Technology field.

    President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria in the state, Rev Dr Lawrence Ekwok said the events would be the biggest spiritual event of the decade in the state and probably the South-South and South-East regions of the country.

     

  • THEME: THE FULL ARMOUR OF GOD (21)

    Sub-Theme: The Strong Belt of Truth

    Topic: The Spirit of Truth

    Jesus said to His disciples, “…the Helper, the Holy Spirit will teach you All things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you…” Indeed the Spirit of Truth knows All things for He is the Spirit of God, He teaches those who allow Him to lead them. Those who have the Spirit of God and are led by the Spirit of God are truly God’s children. One cannot receive anything from God without the Holy Spirit, God fellowships with His children through His spirit, for God is a spirit and those who worship Him must do so in Spirit and in truth. God ministers to us through His spirit, He will teach you anything you do not know or understand, anything is anything. I tell my students that the Holy Spirit will teach them and make them understand all their subjects, especially the difficult ones, making them excel. The Spirit of Truth is an excellent Spirit and we need Him more now in this day of great battles, He teaches you how to fight in a godly manner as it pleases God. He teaches you to live in ways God wants, all you need is to be full of the Holy Spirit and walk in the Spirit; be obedient to His leading. Ask Him to lead you and He will, ask Him to teach you and He will. The world would be a great place if people are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, how presidents and leaders of nations need the Holy Spirit to counsel, direct and teach them what to do, how to be good and godly leaders that will bring great joy to their people. No one can make right decisions continually and live righteous without the help of the Spirit of Truth.

     

    When the Holy Spirit is in a man, He changes him into a different person, for God’s Spirit will begin to manifest His life/fruit and gifts through the man, such that what he could never do, he will begin to do. When the Spirit of God came upon King Saul, he prophesied and was turned into another man, this surprised those who knew him and they asked, “Is Saul among the prophets?”

     

    Young boys, girls, men, and women who were filled with the Holy Spirit did great things in/for their generation e.g.

     

    • Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit and he became a just and perfect administrator and also a powerful preacher who worked signs and wonders.
    • Saul of Tarsus who persecuted Christians was transformed after his conversion and when he received the Holy Spirit, he became a different man who had a better understanding of God and was used to do mighty work for his generation and generations after him; teaching deep truth about Jesus who encountered him, to the glory of God.
    • The apostles of Jesus whose lives and acts encourage us mightily were men who lived for God and served Him, they did many great things in their generation with the help of the Holy Spirit. Common/ordinary men became uncommon/extra-ordinary men who did uncommon/extra-ordinary things in/for their generation.
    • When a great persecution arose in Jerusalem against Christians, many of the disciples of Jesus fled the territory, but they did not stop preaching in the name of Jesus in the towns they fled to, rather they spread the Good News even farther. Meanwhile, the apostles remained in Jerusalem amid the death threats, they did not act based on fear, showing good leadership example; these were men who were fearful prior to the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gave them boldness and courage; they died to self and were willing to die for the sake of the gospel.
    • Philip’s four unmarried daughters were filled with the Holy Spirit and they all prophesied. They must have been of great help to their generation.

    The Bible which is God’s word was inspired by the Holy Spirit and contains no error. God speaks to His children through it. God’s word is alive and powerful; changing souls.

     

    The acts of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers in Jesus Christ is inexhaustible….

     

    I became a totally transformed lady after my encounter with Jesus Christ, He set me free from the bondage of sin and filled me with the Holy Spirit, making me do things I could never have done and using me to save souls from hell, to no end is His work in my life daily. I recall my academic excellence after my conversion, I was honoured after my professional examinations as the best student in a course and also as the overall best graduating student of my set, this is me who was never known as an excellent student and had never received any academic awards. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, He worked in me excellence; He made me study tirelessly as He taught me and gave me an understanding that I can simply describe as awesome. The spirit of excellence made me excel academically.

    The Spirit of Truth teaches me God’s word, revealing deeper truth therein, He is the Spirit that is teaching and helping me to love where hated, He is the Spirit that gives me the courage and boldness to preach the gospel of life even in hostile environments; saving souls and delivering lives from the bondage of sin just as Jesus delivered me, I can go on and on. Without the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing and will be nobody, the wealthiest man in the eyes of the world is one with the highest net worth in monetary terms, but this is wrong, for what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and losses his own soul (living for only money and material things is not wise at all), a wealthy man is one who is godly and Holy Spirit filled and controlled; for he is used to win souls for Christ, he delivers souls from the bondage of Satan, he helps people live right on earth and made ready for heaven, he himself is sure of eternity in heaven.

     

    The most important need of man is spiritual not physical, when his spiritual need is met, his physical needs are added to him, then will they be best harnessed. Only Spirit filled men/women can meet the spiritual needs of people. The Holy Spirit led Jesus to pass through Samaria on His way to Galilee, to meet the spiritual need of a Samaritan woman, she became transformed after the encounter from the lifestyle of a prostitute to becoming an evangelist, through her Samaria became full of light and of course where righteousness reigns there will be progress. We need spirit filled and spirit controlled men and women in Nigeria especially as leaders.

     

    The Holy Spirit reminds us of God’s word stored up in our hearts. When overwhelmed, God’s word gives us victory over the battles of life….we need the Spirit of Truth to help us live victorious in this perilous times. When you are in constant fellowship with the God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, no battle will crush you.

     

    In this world of increasing deceit where Satan’s agents are parading themselves as angels of light, we need the Spirit of Truth to guide us into All truth, He helps us discern the truth, exposing the spirit of error.

     

    The Holy Spirit teaches us All things… I love this! God has given us all we need to live godly and victorious in this world, we only need to make use of all God has graciously provided for us and we will be victorious eternally.

     

    Jesus showed the importance of the Spirit of Truth when He instructed His disciples before ascending into heaven that they should wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, to be empowered for God’s service and for life’s battles.

    You and I are not exempted from this instruction. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to those who believe in Jesus. The qualification for this gift is genuine repentance from sin and believing in the Lord Jesus, then you can ask Him in prayer for the gift of the Holy Spirit for He is yours to have.

     

    The Holy Spirit is our seal and guarantee of our inheritance as God’s children. Without the Spirit of Truth living in someone it is impossible to live victorious on earth and also impossible to make heaven, He is our guarantee of eternal life in heaven.

     

    TEXT: Ephesians 6:10-18, john 14:26, John 8:32, John 14:15-18, John 3:16, Romans 8:14, 1 Samuel 10:6 John 4: 1-42, Acts 9, Acts 8:1-8, Acts 21:9,Hebrews 4:12, Mark8:36-38, Ephesians 1:13-14, Galatians 5:16-25.

     

    FROM: Faith Nwachukwu

     

  • Follow in His Steps (7)

    FOLLOW IN HIS STEPS (7)
    In the last edition, we got to know the need to hear and obey the voice of the good shepherd-JESUS, to be able to be His follower. Only His word has the power to transform us and make us like Him as we obey Him through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us.

    To fully understand the scriptures one must first believe in Jesus Christ, He is God’s plan to take away the veil of misunderstanding of the word of God. Some people’s hearts and minds are still covered with thick veil making it impossible for them to understand the word of God- the scriptures. This veil was taken away by the death of Jesus on the cross. So for anyone to understand fully THE WORD OF GOD and His ways, such MUST believe in Jesus Christ- as the Son of God who died to save us from the power and bondage of sin, making us a light of the world and giving us the hope and assurance of making heaven at last. Without believing in Jesus one’s understanding remains dulled.
    For a believer in Christ Jesus, we have no veil covering our hearts and minds so we are to reflect God’s glory as the Spirit of the Lord works within us to become more like Christ.

    In the last edition, I also wrote about how God took me to a remote village for my NYSC just to get my full attention and how He taught me to practice 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 also relate with Him intimately. This builds in us a live long, ever abiding loving relationship with God. Quiet Time should be a daily practice.
    What you will need/How of Quiet Time:
    • Prayer: Ask for God’s grace for without Him it will be very impossible. For we are weak bodily but He is strong- only Him will help you wake at your chosen time and empower you to study, revealing deep truths in His word to you.
    When God was asking 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 I couldn’t do it; waking at such early time. As long as I didn’t accept it mentally and believe in God’s strength to make it possible I couldn’t do it and I was going to miss out of a great opportunity of deeper intimacy with God. The truth remains that for every one who desires to be used to do great things on earth, thereby fulfilling purpose, such cannot do without his/her time alone with God. Until I accepted it and began to pray for God’s help was I able to do it and for years now, God has remained faithful.
    One fateful day, prior to my dad’s demise, we had an emergency; we had to transfer him from the hospital he was in to another one, because he needed to be in the intensive care unit- that night we got back home very late after a very hectic day. I didn’t have up to 2hours to sleep before my quiet time but when it was time, God woke me up very strong, after which I started another round of a hectic day. God’s grace makes it possible, not by might or power. For we are weak but He is ever strong and His power will be at work in you if you believe.
    • To 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.
    • A quiet place: where you will not be disturbed.
    What kept Jesus strong to finish His assignment on earth and end well was His intimacy with His Father; His quiet time habit- 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.
    Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. Mark 1:35. To be like Him, u must find it important too.
    • A Bible: in a simple translation you can understand. It will be nice to have other translations to compare readings for better understanding.
    • A notebook: where you write down lessons learnt from your study and also your daily dealings with God.
    • Pen and ruler: I usually divide my note book by ruling 2 lines in the middle of the page; on the right I write the lessons learnt and God’s word for me for that day while on the left I write down fully the Bible passage that ministered to me most from the text read. In the middle of the lines, I write the verse of the Bible that ministered most to me.
    Date: Text:
    Sample:

    • Your reading note/devotional booklet: refer to your booklet for more insight on the text. There are a lot in circulation but prayerfully seek the best for you; one that will help you read/study the Bible daily, systematically and deeply. I’ve found DAILY GUIDE to be very good for adults, DAILY POWER for youths and DAILY MILK for children. There are other good ones you can choose from. NOTE: Your devotional booklet should NEVER replace your Bible, it’s meant to help refer you to the text to read from the Bible as systematically arranged for full and better understanding of God’s word, 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: I Corinthians 3, John 10, Mark 1:35, Psalm 119:105.

  • How the Holy Spirit Empowers for Exploits! (3)

    In previous parts of this three-part teaching series, we established that without the Holy Spirit, we cannot manifest the exploits that God ordained for us (Luke 4:18-19, 37, 7:17; John 20:19-22; Acts 2:1-41).

    Furthermore, we explored the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, and the Spirit of Guidance as the operations of the Holy Spirit that engender exploits in our lives.  In this concluding part, we shall yet examine another dimension of the Holy Spirit that empowers us for exploits, which is:

    • Spirit of servanthood: Let’s recognise that serving God’s interest requires the Spirit of servanthood for continuity, sustenance, steadfastness and maintenance of the tempo. Concerning Jesus, The Bible says: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name (Philippians 2:5-9; see also Isaiah 42:1-4; Luke 22:25-27).

    When the Spirit of servanthood comes upon us, we don’t make noise to make news because that Spirit changes our status noiselessly. Furthermore, serving God’s interest secretly qualifies us for open rewards. Therefore, maintaining the tempo of our stewardship continually enhances the rate of our impact on earth. For instance, Jesus said to those who had served with Him: Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:28-30; see also Exodus 23:25-26; Job 36:11; Luke 22:26).

    We also discover from scriptures that the Spirit of servanthood is the platform for the rise of giants and leaders. For instance, when Prophet Samuel went to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as king, the Bible records that all his sons were rejected by God except David, the servant (1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalms 89:20-24).

    God only positions and elevates servants, not good talkers and supervisors. No one truly serving God’s interest ever ends as a beggar or in regrets, but as a record breaker. Concerning Job, God said unto satan: …Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? (Job 1:8).

    In the preceding verses, the Bible records that Job was the greatest entrepreneur in his days: His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east (Job 1:3 see also Job 1:1-2).

    Serving God’s interest wholeheartedly is one of the requirements for exploits. Therefore, let us not allow man’s “well done” to confuse us because it is only applause; it is God’s “well done” that brings the rewards (Luke 19:12-26).

    In addition, it is important to note that Job suffered because he was ignorant and afraid. However, because God has not given us the spirit of fear and we have access to the truth of scriptures, we are not permitted to suffer the setbacks that Job experienced. Also, the devil has no right to afflict our bodies because they are the temples of the Holy Spirit and we are ordained to glorify God with them (Job 1:10, 3:25; Proverbs 29:25; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Timothy 1:7).

    In conclusion, it is important to know that every redeemed child of God has a golden destiny that is loaded with treasures, but until we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can never manifest it. Therefore, we must partner with the Holy Spirit in order to manifest the exploits that God ordained for us. Our places will not be lost in Jesus’ name! Remain ever blessed!

    Are you born again? If you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord, 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: Anointing for Breakthrough, Understanding the Anointing, Anointing for Exploits and Release of Power.     

    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

     

  • How the Holy Spirit Empowers for Exploits! (2)

    Last week, we began this teaching series with the understanding that the anointing of the Holy Spirit, among others, empowers the redeemed to command exploits. “Exploits” in this context means to set the pace, blaze the trail, achieve outstanding feats and bring to bear unimaginable accomplishments on earth.

    In this week’s teaching, we shall examine two dimensions of the Holy Spirit that empower us for exploits.

    • The Holy Spirit operates as the Spirit of wisdom and understanding: It is important to recognise that the Spirit of wisdom is not the spirit of wise talks, but the Spirit of mighty deeds. This is because mighty words are accessible from the schools of psychology and philosophy but the Spirit of wisdom is the Spirit of mighty works. Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says: And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? (Matthew 13:54; see also Isaiah 11:1-2; Luke 4:18-19).

    Wise talks are cheap; it is wise deeds that are scarce. In addition, it is common knowledge that the story of creation remains the greatest epitome of exploits as the order is unique and the sustainability is out-of-this-world; yet, it is a product of wisdom. The Bible says: The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens (Proverbs 3:19; see also Psalms 104:24; Jeremiah 10:12).

    Thus, it is by the Spirit of wisdom that creation came to be and is sustained. In the same vein, when that Spirit comes upon a man, it makes him of quick understanding and he commands exploits cheaply. For instance, Joseph’s life was without form and void just like the earth was at the beginning; but at the instance of the Spirit of wisdom, his destiny was recovered. The Bible records that when Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, Pharaoh declared to his servants: …Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou (Genesis 41:38-40; see also 1 Kings 3:1-13, 4:29-34, 10:1-7; Job 32:8; Isaiah 11:2; Daniel 2:16-19, 46, 6:1-3; John 6:63).

    What this Spirit does is to show us the way to do things and the way to go about a given task that nobody else knows. He also shows us how to go about our lives to make the most of it. That is why the Bible says: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come (John 16:13).

    The Spirit of wisdom and understanding is simply a showing Spirit. What He showed Joseph took him from the prison to the palace overnight. I pray that as you fellowship with the Holy Spirit, He will show you what eyes have not seen, nor ears heard and what has not entered into the heart of any man!

    • He is also the Spirit of guidance: We understand from scriptures that the Holy Spirit receives guidance from God concerning our lives and shows it to us. That means the Holy Ghost is the intermediary between God and us; when He receives from God, He reveals it to us. That is what makes Him the Spirit of guidance (John 16:13-14).

    Also, He is our covenant gateway to a world of unlimited greatness. For instance, when this Spirit guided Abraham, the Bible records that he became great (Genesis 12:1-3; 13:2).

    Therefore, every guidance from the Holy Spirit takes us to the next level of greatness that God has in store for us. That is why we can never outgrow the need for divine guidance. Furthermore, we saw an army in the Book of Prophet Joel, who operated absolutely under the influence of the Spirit of guidance. The Bible says: And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word… (Joel 2:11; see also Genesis 22:1-18; Exodus 9:1, 8, 13; 2 Samuel 5:18-20, 22-25; Joel 2:1-10; John 5:30).

    The steps of this unique army are accurately guided for their greatness to manifest without struggles. In these last days, there shall be a rise of this kind of end-time army; one that the world has never seen but divine guidance will be very pivotal in their operation. I pray that we will all be a part of this army in Jesus’ name! (Zechariah 4:1-6).

    Are you born again? If you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord, 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: Anointing for Breakthrough, Understanding the Anointing, Anointing for Exploits and Release of Power.  I will continue this teaching next week.

    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

  • How the Holy Spirit Empowers for Exploits!

    Jesus Christ once read the scriptures saying: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. …And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about (Luke 4:18-19, 37).

    From scriptures, we recognise that the anointing of the Holy Spirit, among others, empowers the redeemed to command exploits. For instance, Jesus Christ was a carpenter’s son for 30 years, without an identity. However, when He returned in the power of the Holy Spirit, He was loaded with divinity and the Bible records that His fame went throughout all Judea and to all the regions roundabout. We also saw in scriptures how 120 fearful disciples, who hid in the Upper room after the death of Jesus, commanded exploits in Jerusalem and around the world after being empowered by the Holy Ghost (Luke 4:18-19, 37, 7:17; John 20:19-22; Acts 2:1-41).

    Furthermore, it is important to know that at redemption, we possess greater potentials than all the Old Testaments saints such as Daniel, Abraham, Joseph, etc. Concerning the potentials of His disciples and every redeemed child of God, Jesus said: Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Matthew 11:11; see also Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:29).

    Jesus further said:  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father (John 14:12).

    That means we are also ordained to manifest greater exploits than Jesus and we saw this in the scriptures when Peter’s shadow healed the sick but Jesus’ shadow didn’t. That is what redemption guarantees. However, it is important to note that though we are candidates for exploits at redemption, we cannot manifest exploits without the empowerment of the Holy Ghost.

    But, what is Exploits?

    “Exploits” simply means an extraordinary, record-breaking and record-setting accomplishment. It is setting the pace, blazing the trail, achieving outstanding feats and bringing to bear unimaginable accomplishments on earth. In other words, exploits is accomplishing things that eyes have not seen, ears have not heard and what has not entered into the heart of any man (Matthew 5:13-14; 1 Corinthians 2:9).

    How, then, does the Holy Spirit empower us for exploits?

    First, it is important to know that the Holy Ghost is a multidimensional and multi-tasking Spirit because He manifests Himself through diverse operations. We saw His seven-dimensional ministry mentioned in Isaiah 11:2 and the Bible says: Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal (1 Corinthians 12:4-7; see also Ephesians 4:4-5).

    The above scripture refers to the gifts of the Holy Ghost. That means, the phrases “same Lord” and “same God,” are referring to the Holy Ghost because He is the third Person of the God-head and these three are One. He is the same Holy Ghost operating in diverse dimensions (1 John 5:7-8).

    We must also understand that without the Holy Spirit, our bodies are helpless and dead spiritually. This is because no matter what our flesh can handle; it is nothing compared with what the Holy Spirit can empower us to do. As it is written: It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing… (Isaiah 45:1-3; see also Isaiah 61:1-7; John 6:63; James 2:26). In other words, until we become born again, we are limited to the operations of the flesh and the Holy Spirit cannot empower us for exploits. Are you born again? If you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord, 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: Anointing for Breakthrough, Understanding the Anointing, Anointing for Exploits and Release of Power. I will continue this teaching next week.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

  • I invoke the Holy Spirit to ward off men’s advances -Two-time beauty queen Enemchukwu

    I invoke the Holy Spirit to ward off men’s advances -Two-time beauty queen Enemchukwu

    As a single lady and youth corps member, Mrs Ebele Ememchukwu won the Miss NYSC beauty pageant. As a married woman years after, shw contested and won United Nations Miss Tourism held in Kingston, Jamaica. In this interview with OKORIE UGURU, the Mrs. Tourism (UN) talks about her life and the implications of being a beauty queen.

    What is Mrs. Tourism (UN) all about?

    The United Nations pageants is one that aims at giving both men and women the opportunity to come together in a pageant setting, regardless of their background, to build relationships with other men and women who are working diligently to leave positive impacts on their communities and the world at large. The ‘Mrs’ category happens to be one of the six categories of the pageant.

    At the prestigious grand finalé, which took place in Kingston, Jamaica, on July 18, 2015, I clinched the tourism title, thereby emerging Mrs. Tourism United Nations World. I should equally mention here that the international leg of this competition followed my winning the Mrs. Nigeria United Nations title in May of the same year. In other words, my National title earned me the ticket to fly our beloved country’s flag on the world stage.

    Many go into beauty pageantry as singles but you did as a married woman. How did you come about the idea?

    You are very correct. The Mrs. category of pageantry is new in this part of the world, as opposed to the Miss category. The maiden edition of the Mrs. Category only took place last year under this pageant system. I developed interest in the competition when I heard the advertisement on the radio just as I arrived my place of work. I took down the web address and looked it up much later in the day.

    All I can tell you is that there was an instant connection between me and all that the pageant system represents. It represents charity, volunteerism, relationship-building, celebration of womanhood, celebration of family, service to humanity and lots more. The exclusion of swimsuit segment made it more interesting for me. That is not to say I have anything against pageant systems that include this portion.

    Why did you go for the Mrs. Tourism?

    Well, first of all, the Mrs category is only open to married women who live with their husbands. So, having competed under this category, I emerged Mrs. Tourism United Nations World. I equally won the keenly-contested award for the People’s Choice Ambassador for having the highest number of votes (63,900) across all categories of the competition.

    What has been your experience so far as UN’s Mrs. Tourism?

    Wow! I’m not even sure where to tackle this question from. I am not sure what experience to recount and which to leave out. But in simple terms, it has been an amazing journey thus far. I give God all the glory. I’m currently halfway through my two-year reign as both national and international queen, and it has been purely about charity and tourism.

    For charity, I have carried out several projects in schools, orphanages, treatment homes, hospitals, and so on, ranging from distribution of material items to borehole drilling projects, sharing of life experiences and delivery of inspiring lectures. Tourism has not been left out, as it has been all about contributing my own quota towards the revival of the tourism industry in Nigeria and beyond. I share the same vision with other like-minded individuals and groups who are equally looking to continue promoting tourism and giving it the positive visibility needed, particularly now that the watchword is diversification.

    I have so far made my contributions both by way of physical presence and sharing of intellectual property at various fora, such as at the annual general meetings of the Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) and the National Association Of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), which took place in Calabar, Cross River State and Ibadan, Oyo State respectively. I equally moderated the tourism and hospitality plenary session at the maiden Enugu State Investment Summit tagged Oganiru. I was a participant at the Culture and Tourism Summit organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, which held in Abuja recently.

    I am also billed to attend this year’s Accra Weizo event in Ghana, which aims at promoting seamless travel and, by extension, tourism in Africa. In addition to all of these, I have met, and still meeting, lots of amazing people in the course of my reign, some of whom I would like to refer to as mentors.

    Was your husband comfortable when you told him you wanted to go for a beauty contest?

    Naturally, he had his reservations. But after we had the time to think it through holistically, he okayed it and provided unwavering support from that moment till now. I have no doubt it will remain that way throughout the duration of my reign. Once convinced on the cause, we often provide support for each other.

    So, to answer your question in clearer terms, my husband was fine with it. As a single lady during my national service, I won the Lagos State Miss NYSC title, and my husband and I were courting at the time.

    What was the contest like?

    The contest was fierce but beautiful. We made various appearances in different outfits – sports, haute couture, national, evening wear. We were all in competition with each other, but we didn’t lose focus of the more important reasons for participating. It wasn’t just about the crown or other material things; it was equally and, in fact, more importantly, about meeting people from various nationalities, with different backgrounds, religious beliefs and building relationships that will last way beyond the competition, and possibly forever.

    So, for both the national and international competitions, there was a one-week grooming period before the grand finalé. Most of the bonding happened during this time, and I’ll always be grateful to God and the pageant system for the opportunity.

    How many countries have you visited as Mrs. Tourism (UN), and what was the reception like?

    Upon winning both the national and international titles, I decided that the first half of my reign would be largely dominated by various acts of humanitarianism, while I devoted the second half more to tourism, while still not neglecting charity. It is in line with this that over the past four months, it has all been about tourism. The plan is to start at home, then extend my contributions outside the shores of our beautiful country. Thus far, I have contributed my bit at the various events in the eastern, southern, western and northern parts of the country.

    Taking it outside Nigeria now, I am scheduled to continue in this effort in Accra, Ghana in a few days. The Accra Weizo event, that is. This year’s event is looking to promote seamless travel in West Africa, and it is being put together by the organisers of the annual Akwaaba Africa Travel Market, ably championed by Mr. Ikechi Uko, publisher, ATQ Magazine. I’m excited about the progress which this is sure to bring in the area of tourism. In all of these, putting smiles on faces through various types of kindness will not take the back burner.

    Let’s talk about your childhood. How was your education?

    My childhood was beautiful. My primary education was in Abia State. My secondary education was at the Federal Government College, Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State. My tertiary education was at the Abia State University, Uturu, while my master’s degree programme was at the University Of Lagos. I was just about obtaining another qualification before this came up. No regrets whatsoever on that. It’ll still happen.

    How will you describe your family and how was growing up like?

    Growing up, like I said, was beautiful. I grew up with my parents and four siblings. In a family of seven, I am the second of five children but the first girl. So I was taught so many things about life and responsibilities early in life. From time to time, extended family members came around on short visits. At other times, we did the visiting and holidaying in their homes. But there was never a time any relative lived permanently with us.

    What was the influence of your parents while growing up?

    My dad is a pharmacist while my mum is a retired permanent secretary. My mum in particular was a strict disciplinarian while we grew up. She was a no-nonsense woman, and certain values which she and my dad instilled in us are gifts we’ll forever be thankful for. My dad was the professor of English who always challenged us to learn new words, listen to the news, read newspapers, read books, and the one who was overly sensitive to bad use of English language.

    To a large extent, I believe that has influenced how I turned out as per how I write, speak, and my general communication skills. My colleagues at work may have a lot to say in this regard. I work as a training specialist with one of the telecommunications companies in Lagos, Nigeria, and I am told I carry out this function so effortlessly. I’d attribute that to my teacher-mother, which is where she started her career before retiring as a permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education. My mum is equally the reason I developed a ‘healthy’ fear of pageantry. My first real attempt at pageantry came after marriage, and it’s all good because now I am better informed, far from naive, and definitely more certain of what being a beauty queen is all about.

    In summary, my parents moulded us (my siblings and I) into the responsible adults and parents we now are. My marriage to my ever-supportive husband, Mr. Emeka Enemchukwu, is blessed with three children, and we are passing on the same values to them. So help us God.

    Many women run away from such contests because they believe they attract unwanted attention from men, especially as married women. What has been your experience in this regard?

    It is true that unwanted attention doesn’t just disappear because you have a ring on. So for me, I’m never rude to the menfolk who wish to appreciate the many wonders of God by way of say, compliments. But where and if the intentions are beyond compliments, extending across the borders, I involve the Holy Spirit (laughs) and in some cases, my husband. If this occurrence is in the world of social media, such features as ‘block’, ‘unfriend’ and ‘delete’ options come in handy, and have so far proven to be simply divine (laughter).

    How do you manage to cope with your responsibilities as a wife and a beauty queen?

    I would be telling lies if I say it has been easy in any way. But I can tell you it has been very interesting and truly rewarding. I would choose this path a hundred times over. Well, to answer your question, I would say it has been the grace of God and other graces which I am blessed with. I am blessed with the great skills in time management. So I am able to understand at any given time what is important and what is urgent, and allocate my time accordingly. Moreover, I have a fantastic support system of which my husband is number one. So, with all these, things just fall into place. I’m happy my marriage is happy, our children are happy, my career is happy, my crown is happy, and hopefully, we’d make tourism and Nigeria even happier.

    Let’s talk about your attire. Are you more comfortable in native or Western attires?

    That actually depends on the occasion. Aside being a beauty queen, I equally belong to the corporate world with experience in telecommunication spanning over 10 years. What this means is that while at the office, I’m usually clad in western outfits as the job demands. At tourism events, I try to keep it native. At traditional marriages for instance, I dress accordingly. So all in all, I’m comfortable either way. The occasion decides what I wear. That said, I also see that whatever I put on has the appropriate fit and is a true reflection of my personalty.