Tag Archives: God

Relationships, Happiness and Aspirations by Alan Pasho

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Relationships can be complicated. Often they put us in new and unexpected situations and they  can be a drain on our energy and strength. Sometimes we can develop negative attitudes toward those who are closest to us. Often, we expect too much from others, that they should be the answer to fulfilling our needs so that we will be happy. And herein lies the real problem that first, we fail to recognize that we are looking to the wrong persons for satisfaction. And second, we fail to recognise that happiness, joy and satisfaction depend on what we do and how we respond.

The truth is that it is not possible for human relationships to fulfil all of one’s needs. There is only one source of fulfilment and satisfaction which is through  Jesus, God’s Son, and the Anointed One. He is and has all that we will ever need.

While the world tells us that we need certain relationships and certain things in order to be happy. The reality is that true satisfaction comes primarily from the Lord rather than from others or from things. Our relationship with him will minister to and bring fulfilment of our deepest needs and produce the happiness and joy that we are all searching for.  Plus, He fills us up with joy, wisdom and strength so we can minister to to others; to our spouse and our family, to our neighbours, co-workers and community so that we can be a blessing to them. So it is our relationship with the Lord that should be our first priority. If he is satisfied with us, we too will be satisfied with our lives and our relationships.

How do we apply this then? What steps should we follow to find this happiness in our lives?

1. Spend time with the Lord Jesus each day in worship, praise and prayer; to learn to listen to his voice; and bring your thinking in line with his by meditating on his word.

2. Discover what your assignment is during your time spent with the Lord. Assignment? What assignment. Yes, we all have an assignment. You see, we are his representatives (2 Corinthians 5:202 Corinthians 5:20
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20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.  

WP-Bible plugin), the Lord has things he needs us to do and people he needs us to assist, just like the disciple, Ananias, in Acts 9:10-18Acts 9:10-18
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10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.  

WP-Bible plugin. We all have a calling and a purpose to fulfil in the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:30Ephesians 5:30
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30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.  

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3. We stay obedient to his word following the guidance of his Spirit.

4. Practice loving God and showing his unconditional to love to others (Matthew 22:36-40Matthew 22:36-40
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36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  

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5. Walk by faith and stop relying on what you see (Proverbs 3:5Proverbs 3:5
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5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  

WP-Bible plugin, Romans 1:17Romans 1:17
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17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.  

WP-Bible plugin, 2 Corinthians 4:182 Corinthians 4:18
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18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.  

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6. And learn to stop following the impulses of our flesh by yielding to the control of God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26Galatians 5:16-26
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16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ye...: or, fulfil not 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. affections: or, passions 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.  

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What happens as we follow these steps? We discover that joy does not come by gratifying our own desires but by bringing gratification to the Lord and fulfilling his desires. And as the Lord’s requirements are met, our needs will be taken care of, just like He promised in Matthew 6:33Matthew 6:33
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33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  

WP-Bible plugin, “But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.” Thus, we never have to worry or be anxious. He will take care of our needs. We just need to be faithful in fulfilling what he has called us to do.

It is normal for us to focus on pursuing our hopes and dreams for a better future. Some are working toward completing an education. Others are looking to be employed with a bigger salary in better position or with a new company. Another may be seeking to be the best in his field of expertise or the best in her sport. Some may be seeking to move to a better house in a better neighbourhood. And others are desiring something new in their lives: to start a new business, to have a baby, to take a trip to visit a new destination or to start a new relationship. Most of these aspirations have to deal with our daily physical existence. But what goals and aspirations do we have concerning our spiritual lives, concerning our relationship with God and concerning our effectiveness for God’s kingdom?

Seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33Matthew 6:33
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  

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How often do we ever hear believers say things like:

  • “I aspire making abiding in Christ my daily habit.”
  • “I want to learn how to receive God’s guidance and direction for every difficulty and challenge I may face.”
  • “My goal is to excel in bringing people to Christ through personal evangelism lead by the Holy Spirit.
  • “I want to bring glory to Christ though my testimony and talents.”
  • “My goal is to see people delivered and healed through sharing and proclaiming God’s word.”
  • “I want to dedicate my life to prayer and intercession for individuals to be delivered, peoples set free and nations opened to hear the gospel of Christ”

For most of us Christians it often seems that these goals that we have to satisfy the physical, emotional and financial needs of ourselves and our families should take precedence over our spiritual development and our relationship to the Lord Jesus and his kingdom. Yet, after being a Christian for 37 years I have come to see things differently. For over these years I have had the opportunity to discover, among those things which I aspired to obtain, which ones were worth pursuing and brought satisfaction. Too much of the way we think and our  desires and aspirations have been shaped by the world’s standards. We have been taught by the world to value possessions, status and power and even sin; but these things will never completely satisfy us; they are not enough in themselves to make us happy. Meanwhile, as we were busy seeking the things that the world tells us are important, the Lord has been busy also. He has been trying to get us into the position where we can hear from him, learn his principles and receive his blessing that will bring us true satisfaction.

So what about your current dreams and aspirations? How do they related to the Lord and his kingdom? Perhaps you are putting too much emphasis on your self and your earthly life. But there is more, much more if we would bring our aspirations in line with the Lord and his kingdom as Jesus explained to his disciples:

Most assuredly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be…John 12:24-26John 12:24-26
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24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.  

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See more in  God is my Source Blog by Alan Pasho

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I cannot Come Down.

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Aiden W. Tozer

A.W. Tozer’s impact for the Kingdom of God is immeasurable. Like the prophets of old, he proclaimed the Word of God as he understood it – without compromise. His call was clear – repent from all sin, wholeheartedly embrace the cross, and follow Jesus in complete obedience.

I just read his biography by Lyle Dorsett “A passion for God”… refreshingly different. I have quoted the last paragraph in this book which is an extract from the timeless writings of Tozer.  Remember we are in the last days …whatever you want to do for Christ do it quickly, if you need to repent do it quickly.

It may be justly said that the writer of these lines is of all men the least worthy to call Jesus Lord or to speak in his sinless Name. Amen. So be it. Nevertheless I have a soul to save, a God to glorify, and no one can stand sponsor for me before the great assize. There I must stand alone; and if it should be necessary that I stand alone for a little while here, I shall not wish it had been otherwise when the day comes. If my fellowship is worth asking then it will be given to the saintly man, the humble man, and the holy. He who would call me to his side must have garments that smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces. Let him show me his scars and then command my service. I shall not withhold it. Gladly will I toil beside the man who reminds me of my Saviour. As for the others, let them not trouble me. I am trying to show forth the glory of Him who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light. It is a great work and I cannot come down.

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The Journey of ‘The Cake’ by Bemigho Omayuku

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I was thinking about cakes recently and how much “joy” they bring to my life; but of course, well made very sweet and lovely cakes. Only those who have an appetite for the wrong things will understand what is going on in my mind.

Anyway, cakes were on my mind and I was smiling. Then I began to think of the trouble it goes through to become this thing that I see and seemingly fills me with joy. The thought of what the cake goes through to become what I like amazes me. The journey of cakes is interesting because before it gets baked, you don’t even want to taste it; it doesn’t look anything like what it will become. For some cakes, even after they are baked, they still are a far cry from what is presented at the event for which it was made. Indeed, the grander the event is where the cake will be presented, the worse the experience of the cake. Various ingredients are added to the flour and as each gets added, the cake goes through an experience because it has to be properly mixed. The mixing experience is no better even when the mixer is a machine.

The baker also has to be careful. He is required to pay attention to every detail so that the cake comes out just as it should. A little more of one ingredient than necessary may create another kind of cake. It has to be the right ingredients in the right quantities and at the right time. From one cake to the other, quantities and ingredients are different. Finally, the mix is ready and it goes into an oven for baking and at the right temperature. There is no cake without the mix getting in the heat. If the heat is too much, it burns the cake; if it is too low, mix becomes something else.

You would think that is where it ends but when it comes out, it has to be tidied again. Rough edges have to be trimmed to make it look nice and then if it is going to a real grand event, it needs to be iced beautifully. Icing is another experience altogether for the cake. Then as they say ‘voila’ cake is ready. It gets to the event and gets pride of place. It is absolutely on display. It displays the skill and craftsmanship of the maker.

I then realized that the story of our lives as Christians is just like the journey of the cake. When God is done, we put on display; displaying the manifold wisdom and craftsmanship of our God. We are like the cake in a grand event, on display and taking pride of place wherever we are. We are a city set on a hill and covered with the glory of the one who made us. What people see when they look at us is greatness of our maker.

Right now you may not be the finished cake ready for eating; you may be getting mixed or even in the oven and people are wondering what is going on. Take heart, it is because they don’t know what you will become. It is not their fault either; God has not revealed it to them. Only those that know about baking will understand what is going on and will begin to see the end even from the beginning.

What you are now, does not almost describe where you will end up or what you will become. The master baker Himself is at work. He is very skilled and has never produced terrible cakes. He always completes all his baking; never leaves any half baked. I can say confidently that He is good at what he does.

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“A Wall of Fire” by Zac Poonen

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Zac Poonen

In Zechariah 2:5Zechariah 2:5
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
5 For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.  

WP-Bible plugin The Lord says: “I Myself will be a wall of fire round about Jerusalem (the church).” The church does not have any earthly, denominational walls. You can’t come inside it by signing a doctrinal statement. Everyone has to come through that wall of fire if he is to become a part of the true church. That fire will burn up all his earthly ambitions and his desire to live for himself. Only then can he become a part of the Body of Christ.

Picture a city surrounded by a wall of fire. How can you enter that city? Only by going through the wall of fire. Everything that can be burnt will be burnt up by God as you enter through that wall. Only what cannot be burnt will go through the fire. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb.12:29). “Who can dwell with the consuming fire?” (Isa.33:14).

Preachers, through the years, have thrown water on that fire and quenched it so that nowadays anyone can walk in and join the church, while still retaining all their worldly ideas, their worldly ambitions and their love of the world. You can be certain that God is not in such a church, because wherever He dwells, He will be a wall of fire around that church.

And then God goes on to say, “I will be the glory in the midst of it.” If you want the glory of God to be in your church, then you must allow Him to be a wall of fire around your church. The two go together. If you say that God’s standards are too high and you throw water on the fire, then God’s glory will not be in your church either. When the wall of fire goes away, the glory goes away too. Doctrine is important. But no doctrine can be a wall of fire. God Himself has to be the wall of fire. The most important thing in a church is not right doctrine but the glory of God. If that is there, right doctrine will follow. If that is not there, mere rightness of doctrine is useless.

“Come away from Babylon. Escape to Jerusalem” (2:6,7). What a word that is! We need to proclaim it to God’s people even today! Every believer has to make a choice to come out of Babylon. God will not catch anyone by the scruff of his neck and pull him out. The responsibility is the individual’s. You have to make that decision. But personally speaking, I never want to be part of any religious system that does not honour God and His Word. I want to be with the wholehearted people of God who are gathered within a wall of fire having the glory of God in their midst.

If you are seeking to build a church, then build a church like this. Any other type of church is useless. But you have to pay a price to build a church like this. You can’t just imitate a pattern that you have seen somewhere and try and reproduce that. God has to burn up everything that can be burnt up in your life first, before you can build a church that pleases Him. So make sure that every earthly ambition in you is burnt up. Make sure that you don’t love anything that God does not love, and that you hate everything that God Then you can be a man/woman whom God uses to build His church.

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Bible Perspective – Should Dead Men Father Children?

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Time Magazine June 3, 2011ne 3, 2011
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
 

WP-Bible plugin reports on Fertility-treatment innovations creating new possibilities for people who would ordinarily not have been able to have a baby a generation ago but now able to bring life into the world. Should the ranks of the newly fertile include the dead?

As medical and preservation methods advance (though there are rules today on how long cells are legally preserved) it may soon (if not already) be possible to have a child from a man that died decades and perhaps centuries ago.  Imagine how this is explained to the child. Consider the emotional challenges and potential for abuse.

In the Old Testament fertility was so important we saw the Lord instructing relations to give birth for other family members… the New Testament however did not embrace these practices that can be considered to be only singular acts of God’s permissive will. But still a living father existed in these cases.

Genesis 38 [7]  And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. [8]  And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

Once we saw the dead body of Elisha bring life back into the world as a corpse was thrown into the grave and the body touched the bones of Elisha.  But this is far different.  Would the Bible oppose fertility treatment innovations that bring life even from fathers long dead?  What does the Bible say about birth?

Psalm [127:1] Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. [2]  It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. [3]  Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. [4]  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. [5]  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

The word of God teaches that children come from God as a reward bringing joy and happiness, covering shame and safeguarding the future for families and civilisations.  Having many children is a blessing from God – unfortunately many alternative mindsets seem to project otherwise. Having only two (fast becoming the norm) children is not what we can call a quiver full. A healthy population growth rate is also important to sustaining cultures and defending civilisations from threats.

Exodus 23 [26]  There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

God loves fertility but the Bible in Psalm 127 also emphasises that the Lord must build and seeking anyhow from any source may not be right.  Some medical alternatives to normal child bearing though not clearly sinful may prove in some cases to be vain – ultimately unhelpful to a fulfilled Christian family life.  We are still to examine findings of studies on children born through modern medical laboratory feats and have no way of concluding that God has not sent these children. We only conclude that God is mercifully using medical science to improve quality of life of His creation. But is He?

The case of using the sperm cells of the dead for fertility treatment is not the same as where the father dies after the child is conceived. The role of a father is very important to God … and deliberately setting out to have children without a father may not please God. The nuclear family is important to God.

Abraham is commended in Genesis 18[18]  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? [19]  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

What the Bible clearly opposes is adultery, fornication and seeking children out of traditional (man and woman) wedlock…surrogate mothers may have neither committed adultery nor fornication and so we do not have universal positions on these matters and the Holy Spirit must lead on these issues.

But how far should families go to have children? Would Hannah have been relieved of waiting for Samuel by medical innovation? How would Sarah’s long wait for Isaac have differed if medical advancements existed for her to have a child? Do we fully understand the hidden costs of these innovations?  How far will these treatments go? Will child bearing become more of a medical innovation as people pay for what they want?  Why should I not just hire a poor lady in need of the cash to carry our family pregnancies?…What happens to the foetus observed to have medically challenges?  Will decisions to destroy foetus be easier to make once these are perceived more as laboratory production orders and not sent by God? (Goods to be returned)

Nigerians were recently shocked at discovery of an illegal thriving facility where women were generously paid to be pregnant (and not by artificial insemination) … obviously this entailed sinful acts of adultery, fornication if not prostitution. … But the same motivation to carry a pregnancy for money fostered this indecent illegality …only the technology to do this artificially was not as prevalent.  And did God not say He looks at the heart . Many will say they do this to give joy to others. In reality, many of these end up used for occultic rituals, undergound labour markets or bred for body parts.

What should be the ethical boundaries for these issues … can mankind be trusted (given our track record on ethics)  to draw these boundaries?  How should we counsel on these matters? Will people someday be bred like hamsters in a cage for military, entertainment or commercial purposes?

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When Heavens Open

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Mark 1[9]  And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. [10]  And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: [11]  And there came a voice from heaven, saying , Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. [12]  And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. [13]  And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. [14]  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, [15]  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

There are times of unusual mercy and favour …not because of anything we did really but … for the special mercy of God the heavens open…God hears our cries and we can sense a sudden change…

What are some of these signs…

  1. Unusual openings and fruitfulness
  2. Willingness to serve and zeal to work that cannot be explained
  3. Accelerated elevation and fulfilment
  4. Unprecedented results for little effort
  5. Hunger for God suddenly increases

But there are other not so encouraging signs of open heavens … Satan brings temptation to abandon the prayer altar…beasts gather to frustrate the saint.  Darkness also observes that heavens are opened…it is no coincidence that John is soon imprisoned.

Matthew [17:1]  And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, [2]  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. [3]  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. [4]  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. [5]  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. [6]  And when the disciples heard it , they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. [7]  And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. [8]  And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

… [14]  And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, [15]  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. [16]  And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

Again you see unusual promotion for Peter, James and John … but soon after a terrible attack that the disciples could not handle…

What do you do when the heavens open?.

  1. It is time to climb…go up apart and get closer to God … leave many things behind
  2. It is time to watch closely your consecration and personal discipline… fasting and prayer to win and sustain spiritual victories …. new battles require divine strength at new levels.
  3. It is time to work hard and diligently…exhibit unusual zeal for God by the Holy Spirit
  4. It is time to be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit … a fresh visitation to be marked out and helped afresh to please God
  5. It is time to see Jesus only

Acts 1[9]  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight…. [13]  And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. [14]  These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

  1. It is time to continue… do not be tempted to give up.
  2. Do everything to be in accord in prayer and supplication – unity is important.

But what if the heavens are closed … what do you do?  Retreat … withdraw from public gaze… and ask God to reveal your heart to you …Psalm 139:23Psalm 139:23
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:  

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1 Samuel 16 [7]  But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

What happened when the heavens opened as Elijah was taken up to Heaven?

2 Kings 2[9]  And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. [10]  And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless , if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so . [11]  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. [12]  And Elisha saw it , and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. [13]  He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

Elisha tore his own clothes.   When the heavens open we need to reaffirm our confidence only in the Holy Spirit and die afresh to the flesh … tearing up the old carnal ways of the flesh and putting on a new confidence in Christ…

As Elisha parted the Jordan, made the bitter waters sweet and cursed the little children that mocked Him …we will also exercise the power of the Holy Spirit in new mighty ways, having crucified the flesh and doing the impossible, spreading the gospel that makes lives sweet and cursing every voice seeking to mock, discourage or terminate God’s will, agenda and purpose in our lives.

May our heavens never close…Amen

 

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Prominence or Importance

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The Bible speaks of many silent labourers such as Mordecai who did not seek advantage from Esther’s position as Queen … nor demand reward for his contributions to protecting the King.  For him the gate was his position until God gave fresh instructions. Eventually God moved on his behalf at the right time.

Sam Kputu writes below on Prominence or Importance … we may be prominent but just irrelevant or an outright nuisance.

In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honourable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honour and care are given to those parts that have less dignity – 1Corinthians 12:22-24

‘’In this life, there are elephants and there are ants, there are eagles and there are chicks’’, the preacher said. ‘’To be a star and shine for God, you must give up your ant mentality for an elephant’s, your chicken mentality for an eagle’s’’The crowd clapped and yelled hallelujahs, some standing on their feet. The preacher had just stroked a salient human desire for prominence and recognition; and this because we so often equate prominence with importance, and the headlines with the frontlines. With God, this is not often so, ‘’… In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary…’’ (1 Corinthians 12:221 Corinthians 12:22
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:  

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In the movie industry as in car racing, and indeed many other sports, there is always a back up team working behind the scenes. Many times the headlines belong to those in front of the cameras, but you ask those involved and they will tell you how critical the back up team or backlines were. This is also so true of the Christian life and ministry. So often, we regard the ‘’great men or women of God’’ as those ones who grab the headlines (sometimes for the wrong reasons) and those who attract the celebrities and cameras, yet our scripture of meditation today says, ‘’…. And the parts we regard as less honourable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen…’’ (1Corinthians 12:23)

Two accounts in the Bible serve to bring out this truth to me; in Exodus 17, the Amalekites attacked Israel, Moses asks Joshua to take an army and go down the valley to battle while he went up the mountain to pray. The Bible records that this battle against the Amalekites was decided, not by the soldiers in the frontlines but by Moses, Aaron and Hur in the background.

Another account is in Romans chapter 16, the ministry of Paul the Apostle; there are at least thirty (30) names Paul acknowledged as people who helped his ministry among the Romans, but how often do we hear of Epenetus, Andronicus, Aristobulus or Junia? Yet these were some of the many who laboured in the background to make Paul’s ministry the glory and success that it was. And heaven holds a record of them.

Are you labouring faithfully in the background and somehow feeling or being made to feel unimportant? May be you are one of those silent but effective intercessors behind a ‘’great man or woman of God’’? Or you may be a faithful, sacrificial contributor to a great mission and kingdom cause but you never get a mentioned in the newsletters? Or perhaps you are effectively building God’s kingdom in some suburb or by-way of society and there is the temptation to move to the highways of society in order to attract the headlines? Do not yield to such a temptation. Bloom where God has planted you.

Remember friend, that in God’s kingdom, prominence does not necessarily equate to importance, and the frontlines do not always make the headlines.

Remain faithful.

Sam Kputu

 

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Prayers for Unstoppable Resurrection Triumphs in Christ

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There are many lessons yet to be revealed and great mysteries locked in the powerful narration of the death and resurrection of Christ.  Old and New Testament scriptures point to the awesome resurrection power in Christ Jesus and unstoppable triumphs available in Christ for the saints.

For instance a shadow of the merciful restoration that defies death and the grave occurred when a  dead man is revived as his corpse is tossed into a tomb and touches a dead prophet as wicked invading Moabites passed. Indeed all glory must go to God and God alone who is in perfect and complete control always… as we pray.

2Kings 13 [20]  And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. [21]  And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men ; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

I pray not to be as the two disciples on the way of Emmaus with no understanding of the reality of Christ’s resurrection and the implications for glorious victory – also called doubting fools by Jesus Christ.

Luke 24[25]  Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: [26]  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

There are 3 sets of points for prayers we can take to the throne of grace and mercy to obtain our victories in His will – based on meditation on scriptures describing the events following His death. As we die to the world and the world dies to us we can equally experience the inheritance of glory reserved for the saints crucified in Christ.

Matthew 27 [52]  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, [53]  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

1.The closed graves opening (v.52)…represent huge and massive stones that seal unfortunate circumstances (corpses) from public access.  The grave is the place where dead situations are firmly sealed up as unpleasant decomposition progresses – soon to be forgotten as others get on with their lives.

Prayer: Father, where there is no way out in my situation…let your resurrection power make a way.  Unseal what men have sealed. Remove all spiritual and physical obstacles to the miracle needed for my restoration.  Let every stench of reproach receive a fresh reviving breeze of the Holy Ghost and be changed to an aroma of beautiful testimony. Amen.

2.The bodies of the saints include the body of Joseph (v.52)…who wisely begged that his bones be not allowed to remain in the beautiful and luxurious crypts of Egypt centuries before. Exodus 13 [19]  And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

Prayer: Father, in your mercy…give me grace to be repositioned in the right location (released from the doubts and deceptions of worldliness ) that your resurrection power may reach and touch all my dead situations … Let me arise from slumber and all forms of paralysis and begin to soar again like an eagle on the wings of the Holy Spirit. Amen

3.The saints came out of the grave walking to the Holy City and seen by many (v.53)… Even if the saints were now arisen, they still needed to come out of the grave to a destined unlimited space above principalities, powers … to be seated with Christ in heavenly places.

Ephesians 2[6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Prayer: Father, let the power of resurrection bring me out of all earth bound limitations placed on my life.  Let me arise above all wicked principalities and oppression of all earthly powers…to be seated with Christ and reigning with Him in heavenly places.  Lord let me begin to shun other journeys and to rediscover and walk the narrow path leading to Heaven.  Lord, do not let me be restored unto a path that will lead me to perdition.  There is no wealth, popularity, honour or restoration that is worth ending up eventually in hell fire and leading others astray.  Help me O Lord to be a true witness to millions of your unstoppable power that reverses the irreversible that many souls all over the world may come to know you by the testimony of your work of restoration in my life.  Amen

May the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, our strength, helper and our redeemer … O Lord, we need your divine assistance. Help us. Amen

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Better Than Being Blessed

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“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:” (Gen. 12:2Gen. 12:2
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:  

WP-Bible plugin). The state of being truly blessed is when you receive blessings with no curses to negate them.

The presence of a curse in one’s blessing can gradually erode all of one’s gains and put that fellow in the same state with the cursed. That shall not be your portion in Jesus name. When you are blessed, not only will your efforts be crowned with great harvest, but lost opportunities will also be restored (Joel 2:23-27Joel 2:23-27
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. the former rain moderately: or, a teacher of righteousness moderately: Heb. according to righteousness 24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. 26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.  

WP-Bible plugin). The blessings on the blessed have a way of attracting lost blessings and opportunities. This is why the so-called losses of the blessed are only temporary.

In the process of time, they are recovered. It is my prayer that you will be so blessed to the point of recovering lost opportunities of several years this season. It is so wonderful to be blessed, but being a blessing is far greater. Being blessed is just an addition of blessings to you. On the other hand, being a blessing means you have become the headquarters of blessings—that is, you are so full of it that the blessings you are carrying overflows to others.

In today’s reading, there is a list of seven blessings the Lord gave to Abraham. It is possible that my training as a Mathematician motivated me to scrutinize the arrangement of these blessings. After carefully listing them, I discovered that being a blessing was right at the middle of them all. That is, every other blessing in that passage revolves around it. It is better to be a blessing than being blessed. The one who is a blessing is characterized by an overflow.

If there is no overflow, that person is yet to experience what it means to be a blessing. Let’s take David as an example. In Psalm 23, he listed several blessings of the blessed – no lack, plenty to eat, good sleep, thirst quenched, provision of guidance and direction, restoration of the soul, protection in time of danger, access to provision in the presence of the enemy, being anointed, then cup overflowing.

When your cup overflows, the focus is no longer you but others. If you observe God’s order of blessing His children, you will find out that He first blesses before making the fellow a blessing. The way you handle the blessings is of keen interest to God and it will determine whether you will move to the next level—being a blessing. If you are stingy, tight-fisted or covetous, you may never become a blessing. If money is like god to you, you cannot be a blessing.

Remember… In the life of the blessed, a blessing is a visitor. In the life of the one who is a blessing, a blessing is a permanent resident. Is blessing a visitor or a permanent resident in your life?

From OpenHeavens devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

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The Quarry Site not Harvard Business School…have you been there?

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‘’Though God desires to use men on earth to accomplish His divine purposes; He does not rush any man into spiritual leadership. He takes time to prepare every vessel before He presents him or her to men as His mouthpiece on earth’’

This is so crucial and of great importance as many are of the opinion and belief that becoming a leader has a great deal to do with the quality of your academic qualifications, the amount of knowledge and information you have, the kind of association and institution you belong and have studied etc. Well, as good and necessary some of those things are, it is never a substitute for yet a training that comes as a result of God Himself sharpening such men and women to fit into what I will call ‘’ an Enduring and Effective Leadership under God’’.

Such kind of training in order to become an effective leader is not something new, it has and will always be the only proven means by which God makes the men and women He uses. For example, looking at the life of John the Baptist, he ‘’was a child born with a prophecy around his neck of what he would accomplish for God, in preparing the way of the Lord. Yet God took him to the wilderness to prepare him for thirty years before the day of his showing unto Israel…’’

God’s credentials of making a leader that would become a mouthpiece for Him only comes to be when such men have only been formed at the Quarry Site. God is never in haste to fill any vacuum in responsible and correct leadership.

He might even permit the enemy to continue to occupy the arena until He can find a man or a woman whose life He can pour Himself into them, then will the purposes of God be revealed to all to see. Oh! Not even my zeal can make Him be in haste.  Eloquence and being charismatic is not enough to occupy the seat for God.  Even if you want to prove a point, it won’t be Him sending you to the Gates. It is a serious concern that many haven’t been formed by the hand of the Almighty and they are assuming positions of authority in the Church.

‘’No matter how urgent the need for a leader is in God’s work, God does not become nervous and hasty in rushing unprepared, untrained and untrimmed men into the helms of affairs in His Church. Crash programme of Leadership development and placement is alien to the biblical pattern of ministry.’’

What is the Quarry Site?
The quarry site is a place every man being prepared for spiritual leadership must go through. Bible Colleges, Theological Seminaries and training institutes are very useful, but do not replace the quarry in God’s evaluation for making men fit for divine assignments’’

When King Solomon in 1Kings 6 was given an account of the Temple that the Lord had commissioned him to build, it was as it were a graphic illustration and an heavenly mandate by God of any man that wishes to build along-side Him His Church, His people(the Temple).  It is important to understand that God has no new method other than the one that has always been, meaning that whatever He does and command has the ability and capability and the potency to transcend generations……God’s word is eternal and ever relevant.

At this point, can we settle it in our hearts that God’s word is eternal and ever relevant…..His position on what He intends to do through us is still the same? In fact when we seem to get it wrong, He reminds us of His promises and the ‘’terms and conditions’’. Hallelujah!!!

When Solomon gave the account of the temple that was built, he said ‘’ And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.’’

It is clear that the living temple God is building in our time is the one where the stones are lives of men and women called out the darkness into His marvellous light. The critical issue in all this is that all the stones that were used in the building of the Temple were stones pre-finished, cut into shape and size, dressed to fit into specific and specified positions in the temple.  All chiselling, all hammering, all filing and smoothening had been done at the quarry under the instrumentality of various machines and the supervision of the quarry manager.

There was no cause for noise or trial and error. The stone used for the building was made at the quarry site, not at the point where the building was taken-off. There was no reason to cause disruption, distractions because the building was taking-off. It was a noiseless exercise where every ‘’stone’’ served a specific assignment and there was no jealousy, division as to what ‘’stone’’ is important or not. There was no much sweat, no human effort and human activities, these all fitted in to one purpose, the building of the Temple.

God’s ministry today is experiencing a short-fall in men whose mission is to see the ‘’temple’’ built, several have started well but suddenly at the point of getting them admitted to the quarry site where men are formed, they roll away as undone and uncooked men with no definite assignment. It has led to several “break-aways” we now see on our streets in the guise of ministries with big and bogus names. Men give titles to themselves at will, just to appear to be the greatest. At the quarry site is where God prepares and trims men to fit the specific calling He has placed in their lives. When God calls a man, He also creates a space for him or her in the Body of Christ to operate. It is during the quarry experience that all the issues of life and character, the need for enlargement of capacity in grace and spiritual gifts are perfected.

The Quarry is the first place God calls His choice men into. No one became anything significant in God’s service until deliberately positioned in this challenging place.

Extract  from  Pathway to Leadership by Bro. Gbile Akanni –  Peace House Publications visit www.livingseed.org or www.livingseeduk.org for details.

 

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