Behold how these Christians hate one another

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Bode Ososami

Have you ever met believers who are so anointed but who still avoid the company of other Christians… regarding some only from a safe distance … except even at Church meetings, where they smile patronizingly through others with plastic prepared superior glances. Of course this does not describe your own Church family… if the word family can still be used. There is more warmth indeed in the local bar – but do not venture there. God wants to do wonders but wait … He wants us to get rid of the foxes…Joshua 3[5] And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.

Despite man’s advancement in many areas, human relationships continue to present problems all over the world. Business concerns and agencies spend huge sums employing personnel to promote harmony among workers. Well, one might think it is understandable that self-centred, unconverted people find it difficult to get along with each other, but surely when people are born-again and have become new creatures in Christ, such problems can never arise. For, after all, when God is the center of one’s life and service, what possible room can there be for the petty problems that besiege others?

Yet, sadly, no proof is needed of the fact that Christians fight and quarrel with each other, all over the world. Many are not even on speaking terms with some of their fellow-Christians; some cannot even stand the sight of certain other Christians. The Name of God continues to be disgraced in the world by the behaviour of professing believers. Jesus said that the world would identify His disciples by their intense love for one another. This was – generally speaking – literally fulfilled in the first two centuries of the Christian era. The world looked at the Christians with amazement then, and exclaimed, “Behold how these Christians love one another!” Today, the story is different and the world often says, “Behold how these Christians hate one another!”

Relationships are indeed most important. Gifts, talents, methods, techniques, programmes and finances are all secondary to people and to inter-personal relationships. The church can fulfil her God-ordained function as the light of the world only when there is true Christian fellowship among her members. Likewise, an individual believer can become a minister of life to others only when he himself has learned to live according to the law of love with his fellow-Christians.

The Bible plainly and repeatedly teaches that no Christian can have fellowship with God without fellowshipping with other believers. You cannot walk with God if you do not walk in love with your fellow-believer. The cross on which Jesus died had two planks – a vertical one and a horizontal one: Jesus came to bring peace not only between man and God (vertically) but also between man and man (horizontally). The vertical and the horizontal relationships go hand in hand. You cannot have the former if you ignore the latter.

John, the apostle of love, has some very strong words to say on this matter. One of the evidences, he says, of genuine conversion is that a man begins to love his fellow-Christians. If a man does not have this love, it is a sure indication that his conversion is spurious and that he is heading for eternal death (1 John 3:141 John 3:14
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

WP-Bible plugin). Doctrinal correctness was not the only test that the apostles applied to ascertain where a man stood in relation to God. Later on in the same letter, John says that if a man claims that he loves God while hating his brother, he is a liar. Mark that! The proper name for such a man is not “believer”, but rather, “liar”! And John’s logic is irresistible. He says a brother is visible whereas God is invisible. If you cannot love the visible, it is impossible to love the invisible. (1 Jn. 4:201 Jn. 4:20
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

WP-Bible plugin).

Now compare this with the experience of most “believers.” Love for God is usually assessed in terms of busy activity in Christian work or in terms of rapturous feelings of delight experienced in a meeting. These can be most deceptive. I have come across believers who are out of fellowship with other Christians, who testify nevertheless to “wonderful times of prayer” and to “amazing results in service.” How could they possibly be walking with God when they have not even made an effort to settle matters with other members of God’s family against whom they have a grudge? Surely Satan has blinded their minds to the truth of Scripture!

Often, we do not realise what we deprive ourselves of, when fellowship is broken with other believers. The Bible tells us that we can discover the breadth, length, depth and height of Christ’s love and be filled with all the fullness of God only along “with all the saints” (Eph. 3:17-19Eph. 3:17-19
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; ¹⁹ And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

WP-Bible plugin). It is only as we know the reality of fellowship with the believers God places us with, that we shall be able to enter into an experiential understanding of the love of Christ and of the fullness of God.

The one – no matter the level of anointing, who cuts himself off from any fellow-Christian ( no matter how high or low in hierarchy), even for perhaps so called good reasons, thereby deprives himself of the experience of Christ’s love and grace which could have been his through that person. When we fail to live by the law of love, we rob ourselves of some of Christ’s riches and some of God’s fullness

Adapted from article by Zac Poonen

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Money and the Bible

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Bode Ososami

Money is to be regarded as a gift from God to be used to the glory of the giver, God. We worship the giver and not the gift. We cannot therefore spend as we wish even if we can afford it knowing that we will give an account someday to the giver, God.

We are only stewards of all that has been entrusted in our care. There are some principles worth recalling as we begin the year, even as we are blessed with funds.

I Corinthians 4[7] For who maketh thee to differ from another ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it , why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ?

James 1 [17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

1.God should be the ultimate beneficiary of how we spend money. Money is thus another tool to be used to please God. We must be thankful of the opportunity to steward even the smallest portions as for large sums, with the understanding that it may indeed be as difficult or even more tough to be found faithful when we are in possession of great wealth.

2.Do not allow money to master you by seeking for it at all costs. This leads to devilish clamouring for opportunities and intrigues disguised as business savvy. This love of money has led to murders of born and unborn, robbery, fraud or the more civilised sins of envy, subtle misrepresentation and exaggeration.

3.Do not be a borrower at all if you can help it, nor be a lender. What you cannot afford to give, do not give as a loan so as not to create a chain of bitterness instead of love. If you must borrow, be very certain that the means of redemption is already within your reach…never borrow for lifestyle expenses. Live as simply as the means God has made available to you dictates.

4.Enjoy simple living and resolve to be contented, never envying another for what they have or making comparisons. God may have very good reasons for permitting certain persons to have a higher standard of wealth and living to accomplish their specific mission. Do not imagine that the wealthy have an easier kingdom assignment. To steward great wealth can be a very difficult examination requiring a greater reservoir of self control and patience than most have been prepared for. Having more money than we can steward for God turns wealth to a destroyer. Many families have generations gripped in various bondages …drugs, alcoholism, perversions, depression and early deaths etc. mainly because of lack of disciplines that are needed to match great fortunes. Do not pray for wealth you cannot steward for God.

5.Impulsive buying and accumulation of non-essential gadgets will grieve the Giver who needs you as a conduit to direct funds to a need crying for provision. The prayer of the one with excess funds should be for God to reveal the needs the extra funds are meant to meet.

6.God is not against luxury, entertainment and leisure, but how does this glorify God if this consumes most of the money of a Christian? Visitors should be properly entertained and our homes should be comfortable and open to show a warm hospitality always. Partying and many celebrations are simply opportunities to show off and eat gluttonously and cannot glorify God. Certain forms of leisure such as viewing some films and some “innocent” games and music genres can expose us to youthful lusts we have been admonished to flee from. We are cautioned to be watchful.

7.The Christian keeps good records of money spent and budgets wisely. The Bible is a book of records, numbers and specifications suggesting that God is exact and cares about the fine details and so should we. Living carelessly expecting a miracle when we run out of cash is like testing God by jumping down a cliff.

8.Enjoy being a generous giver, giving without grumbling to several worthy causes also remembering to thank God always for the privilege of giving. Investing more in people’s lives and the work of God than in shares or investments can be more satisfying and pleasing to God.

My favourite Bible verses as it relates to God and Money are from Philippians;

Philippians 4[12] I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. [13] I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Remain Blessed.

Adapted from Christian Conduct by Kayode Adesogan and Wealth Out of Ashes by the Blog Author, Bode Ososami.

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The Blessing of Growing Clouds

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Bode Ososami

A cloud is often associated with lack of visibility, impaired judgment, uncertainty, unseen dust and an approaching experience that has adverse implications. Aircraft would often seek to avoid them, as in the worst of weather, poor visibility has been responsible for disasters. Clouds can be so thick, low and dark causing a fog – all motion slows down and eventually stops till it clears. Yet clouds are an aggregation of tiny drops of water …floating in the sky over the dry ground carrying seed begging for fresh moisture. Elijah the Prophet witnessed a growing cloud … starting grey and little, like a man’s hand and growing to cover the entire windy heavens, black. And a great downpour follows.

I Kings 18[44] And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot , and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. [45] And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.

Dear friend, that which has caused your confusion, blurred vision, despair and even sometimes ingratitude to God, murmurings and unforgiveness can be likened to a growing cloud. A fast growing situation that seemed to get darker and more frustrating. For some it is a loneliness cloud or a family cloud, for others it is a scandal cloud and even worse for some a bereavement cloud. Many seem to be under health-related clouds and others have found themselves in finance clouds. For others, prayers and time seem to have cleared the clouds when still small …while yours seemed to get darker and larger and now looms pitch black.

Proverbs 16:15Proverbs 16:15
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
15 In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.

WP-Bible plugin says “ … his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain” …but what favour can be latent in growing clouds… I have adapted a story recently read to illustrate this …

“ A man, born in a small town, migrated from the town to a nearby city hundreds of miles away, and lived in the city for several decades. One day, he told his grandson who had never been to this town, he would want him to see the house grandpa was born. They embarked on a journey which started very well on a modern and smooth wide road, and his son chatted happily with grandpa in the public bus …laughing and enjoying the scenery, stopping for refreshments at a nearby restaurant. Soon they arrived at a bus park … “we must walk now, it’s not far – under an hour or so” …Grandpa, took his nervous grandson who could not see any road but a rough dusty path which seemed to be leading nowhere. “ Are you sure, Grandpa …surely this cannot lead anywhere?” ..as they travelled on the path, the road seemed to get narrower and all that could be seen was dark forest and skies now black – covered by huge trees. Now the younger boy clings very nervously “shouldn’t we be turning back?” and then suddenly they could see an open field and they had arrived at the beautiful small town …”

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. The shepherd of our soul who guides us through all the issues of life to our eternal home from which He came. If only we would cling to Him all the time and not just when the dark clouds come. We cannot learn as well when we are distracted and preoccupied with pleasures and our eyes on trivial pursuits.

Psalm 119[71] It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

The Bible reminds us that all we call afflictions are light. The time of great rain came as Ahab was told to go and “Prepare …” A Great Rain requires preparations … I need to learn afresh to steward the downpour from open heavens as God intended. I need to learn to get my seed ready and understand afresh the principles of sowing as the ground will again receive the rain from heaven. How must I be ready for the coming revival? What we need most before times of great blessings are times of intensive tutoring at the feet of the master. Indeed the greater the rain, the greater and darker the cloud needs to be. Soon the heavens will open, again.

Another story. In 1773, William Cowper, became insane, imagining not only that he was condemned to hell eternally, but that God was commanding him to take his own life. After a year or so, he began again to recover. The last hymn Cowper ever wrote was “God moves in a mysterious way”

Cowper who often struggled with depression and doubt, one night decided to commit suicide by drowning himself. He called a cab and told the driver to take him to the Thames River. However, a thick fog came down and prevented them from finding the river and after driving around lost for a while, the cabby finally stopped and let Cowper out. To Cowper’s surprise, he found himself on his own doorstep: God had sent the fog to preserve him from death. Even in our darkest moments, God watches over us as Cowper writes in the famous hymn …

God moves in a mysterious way –His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea – and rides upon the storm.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break – in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,but trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err and scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter, and He will make it plain.

Do not despair at the sight of the black clouds that has enveloped nations, the church, families, businesses and even individuals. It is an unusual act of preservation and an opportunity to rediscover the source of our strength, God – and to be prepared so we can be used to steward His favour and coming showers. The clouds are to preserve us … also helping us to recognise and repent of our selfishness, self reliance, human limitations and idols hampering the coming great revival. Painful experiences and uncertain cloudy periods that lead us to cling closer to Jesus are great and necessary acts of divine providence as we approach final laps of history and the ushering of the greatest Holy Ghost revivals ever seen.

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NO LONGER AT EASE IN ZION by Okey Onuzo

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Bode Ososami

Okey Onuzo

All over the world there is a war going on that a Christian cannot afford to ignore. The Bible warns us that we must fight this war in the realm of the spirit if we do not want to fight it in reality. The prophet Amos captured this dangerous state of complacency when he stated:

Amos 6:1-3Amos 6:1-3
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
6 ¹ Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! are at...: or, are secure chief: or, firstfruits ² Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? ³ Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; seat: or, habitation

WP-Bible plugin (GW) ¹How horrible it will be for those who are at ease in Zion, for those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, and for the heads of the leading nations, to whom the nation of Israel comes. ²Go to Calneh and look. Go from there to the great city of Hamath. Then go to Gath, the city of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours? ³How horrible it will be for those who think that a day of disaster is far away. They bring the reign of violence closer.

There is nothing as tragic as dead religion because it leaves desensitized about spiritual realities that control life on earth. Here is a way to recognize dead religion: Amos 3:6-8Amos 3:6-8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? be afraid: or, run together? the LORD...: or, shall not the LORD do somewhat? ⁷ Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. ⁸ The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

WP-Bible plugin (ESV) ⁶Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it? ⁷“For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. ⁸The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?”

The lesson is in verses 6&7: Only what the LORD permits is allowed to happen on earth (Lam. 3:37Lam. 3:37
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

WP-Bible plugin). In verse 7, we are told that if you and I are in the area, we should pick-up the spiritual signals from heaven. This is similar to Genesis 18:17Genesis 18:17
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

WP-Bible plugin (ESV) ¹⁷The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?

The LORD God Almighty is calling us all to a heightened state of spiritual vigilance that will nip many demonically engineered troubles in the bud. We are called to engage in strategic praying that will define and determine the course of His story in our lives and in our world. History is actually His story – the unveiling of all the divine permissions that came through in our world in our time. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ revealed this when He said to Simon Peter:Luke 22:31-32Luke 22:31-32
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: ³² But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

WP-Bible plugin (ESV)

³¹“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, ³²but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Where did satan make this demand? Here are Scriptures to help us: Zechariah 3:1Zechariah 3:1
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
3 ¹ And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. Satan: that is, an adversary to...: Heb. to be his adversary

WP-Bible plugin (ESV) ¹Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. This man of God went before the LORD of all the earth for empowerment and instruction necessary for effective and successful pilgrimage here on earth. But satan was there to resist him on the basis of his failings.

Revelation 12:10Revelation 12:10
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

WP-Bible plugin (ESV) ¹⁰And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

When we step out of the glory of His righteous covering over our lives to meddle with sin and the world, we empower satan to accuse us before the God of all the earth. When we pursue self-will rather than God’s will, we open our lives to attacks. This is because our covering is assured on the path of God’s will for our lives. When we pursue God’s will in God’s ways in our lives we reduce the avenues of attack on our lives to the barest minimum. Our God is a God of justice. He deploys His justice to protect His love from abuse. His longsuffering and mercy offered us grace so we the guilty can be covered and so be protected from His righteous judgments on sinners.

Psalm 85:6-8Psalm 85:6-8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? ⁷ Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation. ⁸ I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.

WP-Bible plugin (ESV) ⁶Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? ⁷Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. ⁸Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

God’s mercy has given us rest in His salvation and has empowered us to live in His peace in our time. But this is on the condition that we do not go back to folly. If we stay with God, He will reveal to us the plans of hell and the things that we do which empower them to seek permission to hurt us.

This is why we can no longer afford to be at ease in Zion in the year 2012. Abraham’s intercession revealed that we avoid disaster when we have enough righteous men and women in a place. Genesis 18:23-26Genesis 18:23-26
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? ²⁵ That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? ²⁶ And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

WP-Bible plugin (ESV) ²³Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?²⁴Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” ²⁶And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

What we must never do at anytime is to rely on another to carry the anointing that will keep the powers of hell away from where we are. We must take on the challenge of walking closely with God everyday of our lives so that heaven can endorse our spiritual authority here on earth for when we bind on earth, the LORD must bind in heaven for us for our authority to be effective. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ warned the people of His day of presumption: Luke 13:1-5Luke 13:1-5
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
13 ¹ There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? ³ I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? sinners: or, debtors ⁵ I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

WP-Bible plugin (ESV) ¹There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ²And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? ³No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? ⁵No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

So much is happening around us here in Nigeria that we need every Christian soldier at his/her post exercising spiritual authority to kill off evil in the heavenly places. Lamenting about incessant tragedies now and again is like closing the door after the animals have all escaped. The Book of Job revealed to us that the day in heaven must precede the day on earth ( Job 1:6Job 1:6
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. Satan: Heb. the adversary among: Heb. in the midst of

WP-Bible plugin & 13). We must join our battles long before the devils get a chance to accuse us before God. It is our lapses that empower the hordes of hell to seek permission against us for our God is righteous, true and just and so cannot permit without cause.

Take your authority and bind all vagabond spirits masquerading under the guise of religion all over this land. Release the twin angels of judgment and mercy to ravage the land – mercy to those who repent of their evils but judgment on those who persist in order to bring them to repentance, that the land may know peace again to the glory of God, Amen.

Dr. Onuzo is an acknowledged conference and seminar speaker in different parts of the world. He continues to be available for the work of the ministry despite his busy clinical work. He is also the Associate Pastor of the National Headquarter’s Church of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria. He is married to Mariam, a medical doctor and they have four children: Dilichi, Chinaza, Dinachi and Chibundu

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Rain of Heaven – God’s Wealth

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Bode Ososami

The Bible presents two broad ways and dispensations when speaking of prospering and the principles of enterprise. Both ways involve diligence particularly in sowing seed which refers to applying an input. The input could be our business ideas, our career efforts, and our investments in skill development, sacrificial giving or even financial investments of our surplus. These two ways are different but we often can confuse one for the other or be found in a mix, not really having left one approach fully while seeking to enter the other.

Egypt, in the Bible, was a luxurious and wealthy empire but for the children of Israel it represented the place of their captivity and bondage where they were enslaved to deliver target productions of bricks. It represents a dispensation of wealth which enslaves the child of God to mammon – a wicked and crafty hard task master. Egypt can appear welcoming, rewarding and fair – but has a natural disposition to kill, steal and destroy when the opportunity presents itself. Canaan is the land of promise, flowing with milk and honey, but occupied by hostile tribes occupying cities with mighty walls, representing strongholds of thought – which must be pulled down.

Between Egypt and Canaan is the wilderness experience, a place where the Israelites grumbled and murmured – never understanding the ways of their God, but often seeing His acts of deliverance and miracles of provision. In the wilderness, the Israelites though not in Egypt still think like Egypt but on a journey out of Egypt to the place of promise. Only few of those who left Egypt enter the Promised Land, but a new generation of Israelites enter and become the citizens of the Land of milk and honey – the land of rest.

When we consider wealth, we see the three environments. Egypt, The Promised Land, Canaan and The Wilderness. We also should know where we are. Many Christians are still struggling in the wilderness having left Egypt. The unsaved are in Egypt. But wealth and beauty is in Canaan.

Deuteronomy 11[8] “Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess, [9] “and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ [10] “For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; [11] “but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, [12] “a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.

[13] ‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, [14] ‘then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. [15] ‘And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’ [16] “Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, [17] “lest the LORD’s anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you.

Ezekiel 29 [3] Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. (KJV)

Psalms 95[8] “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, [9] When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. [10] For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.’ [11] So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”

In Holy Scriptures, we can locate our environment and seek salvation to enter into rest. One can also see that the experience and expectations differ depending on where they are with God. My prayer is that you enter the land that drinks water from the Rain of Heaven

Extracted from Wealth out of Ashes.

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An End to Recession and Oppression. A Prophetic word for 2012

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Bode Ososami

All over the world there seems to be crises – a siege of evil, be it in politics, economics, education, morality and particularly so in religion. Depression seems to be lingering even longer than the over three years that God had ordained for it to be in the times of Ahab … causing many to ask, when are we going to experience the “rains” again. The Bible indicates that God will often use dearth and oppression to draw the attention of His own to their false altars and remind His own, that the juxtaposition of Baal worship and worship of Jehovah in the palaces of Ahab may be convenient for Jezebel but is not acceptable to God who demands purity. Still, at the appointed time God turns the hearts of His own back by His divine intervention, and there will be showers again.

These are like the days of Ahab, an evil King, married to Jezebel the epitome of idolatry. Most prophets have been already killed –silenced by Jezebel’s baits, others dine and serve Ahab in his palaces – useful only to hide the hundreds who must remain concealed to protect their livelihood and thousands who had not bowed the knee to Baal but who also remain quiet as the altar of God remained in ruins, and the people who remain uncommitted, neutral … and Jezebel likes it so. A broken altar always leads to trouble. It is man’s prerogative to boastfully scatter the altar of God … it is God’s to withhold rain and close the heavens.

And there was one isolated – Elijah (a man subject to like passions as we are, who prayed earnestly) and who at the appointed time was told to go and show himself to Ahab. The encounter of Elijah with Ahab is bizarre …

I Kings [17] And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? [18] And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

At the United Nations, a world leader recently proclaimed that Religion is in the way of progress in advancement of Human rights without which peace is evasive … even as the liberal press all over the world continually labels the “narrow” paths of Christianity as offbeat to a search for global harmony and to be shunned if the troubles of civilisation are to cease. We seem to miss the link between evil and continued recession… comatose to the decay that is the real undoing of the times.

At the time appointed God locates Elijah who lays the blame boldly at the feet of Ahab – the King that oversees the forsaking of God’s commandments (now termed legalism) and follows after Baal alongside the worship of Jehovah. Elijah says it is Ahab’s creative syncretism and wickedness that has caused the recession and oppression. Elijah knows something that Ahab does not know – and that is God has decided to end the period of suffering and usher in wellness and turn the hearts of His own back to Him again.

The confidence in God causes Elijah to challenge Ahab to a spiritual duel, repairing God’s altar and crying to God in prayer culminating in a dramatic divine intervention and slaughter of 450 of Baal’s prophets and another 400 prophets of the grove.

I Kings 18 [37] Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

I found an old prophetic message that speaks to the heart by Revd. Jackie McCullough delivered at an arena that dramatically foretells Elijah challenging Ahab and his alliances.

In 2012, God does a new thing and it will be well. The prophets of Baal and the prophets of the groove are in for a most horrible and terrible surprise. The sound of abundance of rain will be heard again unexpectedly even as God raises His own to repair the broken altar of the Lord. A new purity of worship will be heralded as power is transferred from the wicked grip of Jezebel’s prophets and her political proxies and a new revival of justice, righteousness and Godliness will be evident. This is the doing of the Lord.

Be on the right side. Reflect on a previous blog post on Resolution to be a serious Christian in 2012.

I Kings 18[21] And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

Do not fret – if in Christ, instead be still and know … If you are not in Christ, it is time to return. The fire of God is about to fall.

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