Micah's prophecies

 Micah's prophecies as seen in the above-shared verses, have not yet been fulfilled but will come to happen when Christ comes on earth and rules for 1,000 years.

Micah prophesied also on the exact place Jesus was to be born.. ie Bethlehem. This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus was born there. So Micah's prophecies were God-inspired and will be fulfilled.

Note he says, Christ will instruct strong nations from far off.. think of the US, Russia, Japan, Germany, etc. These are strong nations and they are far off from Jerusalem. At Micah's time, the nations that were strong were not far off from Israel.

Brethren, even as we prepare to go to church, let us walk confidently, knowing that Bible prophecies vindicate the truth of the Bible. We serve a true, mighty God. Let us be loyal to Him, as we await His appointed time when all shall know Christianity is a faith that makes sense, it is true and we are so blessed

God’s answer to Middle East woes.

Some very dangerous statements have been coming from the Arab league on the Middle East crisis. Some proclaiming a match on Jerusalem, the capital city.

 The Bible gives a clear account of the origin of the Arab’s and the Israelites. They all have s common ancestor called Abraham. He came from the town of Ur in the Persian Gulf. God called him and led him to Canaan (the present day Israel). He promised him a great nation. Genesis 17:6.

Since Sarah his wife was barren and aged she convinced Abraham to get a child with her Egyptian house maid called Hager. This led to the birth of Ishmael, the father of present day Arabs. God, however, told Abraham the person to inherit His promise to him was a son born by Sarah. A son, Isaac was born. To Ishmael, God had specific blessings --- a great nation (Genesis 21:18) and countless descendants. And to Isaac there was a promise of two sons, Esau and Jacob (Israel). Gods plan was to make Jacob the inheritor of His promise to Abraham.

God also confirmed the blessing of land to Israel when He spoke to Moses at Horeb. (Exodus 3:8). After capturing a big portion of Canaan, Joshua the successor of Moses, was old and advanced in age. The Lord reminded him that there was land that was still to be captured. This included the area of Philistine, Geshrite, from Shihor River on the ease of Egypt to Ekron, including Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, from Aran of the Sidomans as far as Aphek of Amorites, the land of the Gebalite. The Lord told him; “be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance as I have instructed you” (Joshua 13: 1-7).

This knowledge should help us to identify the rights of the nation of Israel and the Arabs. The Arabs are more numerous and cover a wide expanse of land stretching from the Persian Gulf to North Africa. This proves God’s promise to Ishmael.  On the other hand Israel’s inheritance was and still is the small piece of land in Canaan whose borders were clearly defined. This means that Gaza, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jerusalem and all the other pieces that the Palestinians are claiming belong to Israel. Every time the Arabs are fighting Israel for this land, they are therefore fighting God’s Word. That is why they can’t win.

The Arabs should accommodate the Palestinians in their big lands where they are importing labour from Asia and Africa.  Concerning the mosque in east Jerusalem  (the dome of Rock) , the question is, when Caliph Abdel-El-Malik built it in 691 AD, was he not provoking the Jews by locating it where the temple of Solomon was?

Praise: my sickle for miracle harvest.

Three keys that make your harvest come your way.

1.       No problem, or challenge is beyond God.

He is the most High. Proverbs 3:5-6. God is a trustworthy, reliable, and dependable. The problem of men is doubt; he is unable to trust God with all his heart. Read… Psalms 91:1. You may have a challenge, mountain, but before the Almighty it can be subdued. Sickness, disease however their strength can be subdued. Our God is the Most High there is no height can intimidate him. See God as the most high above all your problems. As you praise, and do as the Word of God says all this problems will be solved by faith, in God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

2.       Giving commits God to bring harvest your way.

Psalms 126:1-6, Genesis 8: 22. So note, do not withhold your seed as you praise. As we praise we are giving and we are filling our grounds. Every time you appear before God carry you seed with you. By giving your time, money mentality that we should embank on for not giving includes money.

Evert member should bring a soul to Jesus. There should be harvesting of souls and God will bring your desire to pass. People should pray to be anointed, to go launch out and to bring the harvest. Sit with the word and God will put it in your hands to reach the un-reached in the dying world. With the word let God anoint you for harvest. Luke 14: 23.

If you are serving God you are a servant therefore go into the estates, high ways, town, and encourage people to come to Jesus. As you obey Gods voice and fill his house that which is lacking in your life God will provide sufficiently.  Psalms 35:27. When we do his will God is happy with us.  

3.       Praise brings the Almighty God down in your life.

As you praise him, the Almighty comes to your rescue. Psalms 22:3.

Faith in God

Many of us must have for the longest time wondered what might have been wrong with Abraham – taking your long waited son to some mountains to slaughter Him in the name of obedience unto his so called God!

But today God has laid to eternal rest many questions regarding how far one ought to go in obedience unto God and brought to light the stronghold of faith.

Mary having understood this dimension of faith, spoke thus, to the savants at the wedding of Cana, John 2:5. And as they obeyed their breakthrough came.

Your own break through has knocked at the door of your life for far too long. It is time you believed in the word of God in this message, and put it to work in faith that you may receive of the wonders of faith. Peace!

Let us begin from the book of Zechariah 9:11-12. Today we have come to partake of the stronghold that we may step into our inheritance. The blood of the covenant is one stronghold against the bulwark of the enemy. Every stronghold of the enemy, be it fear or sin holding you in captivity shall give you way from today. You shall advance in life. As you feed your faith every Jericho or wall of opposition in your life shall crush down in the name of Jesus!

The strongholds of faith.

It takes faith to destroy the work of the Satan. Revelation 12:11. There is one thing though that once in place it makes faith potent. Where faith will never fail but deliver the desired results. This thing is obedience. Obedience to God is the stronghold of faith. Breakthrough never occur except when barriers, oppositions and strongholds (of the devil) are destroyed in the spirit.

The devil shuts the doors for people but God opens them up. And if God is to open your doors you need to provoke him by faith. Faith in obedience moves God but fear, agitations or tears will never. At the red sea Israel wailed and murmured in fear but it was only when God moved in via the faith of Moses that the barrier was destroyed. Exodus 14:11.

Faith that established breakthrough is that which has overwhelmed the heart thereby dictating your actions. This is faith that professes and not just confesses. Exodus 14: 15. And Moses stretched forth his rod while Israel moved forward in obedience. The red sea parted. That barrier was brought down and their breakthrough established.  Faith does not see the problem but the solution as God has said it. Faith celebrates not nor regards problem but despises them. Hebrew 12:2.

But understand this, as we look deeper into our message. Faith actions compliment your belief in obedience to divine instructions for your breakthrough.  John 2:5. Following the story as we know in here from the miracle wine came by reason for their faith action in line with the instructions Jesus gave them.

Faith without action is dead. It is faith that is wrought by work that compels the devil to bow and give way by virtue of God moving into action in your favor. Abraham our father was justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the alter. Rahab a harlot was justified by works when she received the massagers and did not send them away. James 2:14-25. Faith is not a confession but a profession because faith without actions is dead.

What are blessings?

The blessing of soul winning

Spiritual blessing is what every believer wants. It is a good thing to feel blessed in the Lord. In this article we are going to learn on how to be blessed through soul winning.

 

There is a difference between blessing and blessings. You may note this has been explained in our previous teaching but the emphasis is crucial. Because many have confused the two and end up missing both. People out there have property and are multi-millionaires but lack peace in their heart and mind. Instead their lives are sorrowful. They have the blessings but are not blessed.

What is the blessing?

Ø  It is an anointing through which divine favor overflows.

Ø  It is the ability to prevent misfortunes in the lives of others. That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate. 1 Timothy 6:17-8.

Ø  It is a covenant of God that overrides the curses of the earth. The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it... Proverbs 10:22, Genesis 3:17-19

Ø  It is the power to produce.

 

Benefits of soul winning.

If you are a soul winner then you are blessed. What do you enjoy in the physical? What are the benefits of soul winning?

Ø  Answers to prayers. Not everyone that asks receives. It is because of failure in the area of soul wining. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye shall ask of the father in my name, he may give it to you. John 15: 16

Ø  Divine health. When you are fruitful God ensures you enjoy good health. Serving God compels him to keep sickness far from you. And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless your bread, and thy water; and I will make sickness away from the midst of thee. Exodus 23:25., Proverbs 13:17, John 15:2

Ø  Divine wisdom is permitting God to use your mind to be a blessing to the lives of others. Divine wisdom is thinking kingdom wise in order to invest spiritually into the lives of them.

COVENANT PATHWAY TO SUPERNATURAL PROSPERITY

 

In the book of Jeremiah 6: 16 the Holy Spirit admonishes “Thus says the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good ways, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein”. Because the children of Israel did not walk in the ancient paths, they did not enjoy the rest that God had predestinated for them. For 430 years the children of Israel were in slavery.

You will agree with me that slavery comes with heavy poverty.  That was until God remembered his covenant and visited them. Then the York of poverty was broken and their status was changed overnight from slaves to free millionaires. Psalms 105: 37. It was on the basis of the covenant that they received a transformation. This shows that the children of Israel went into slavery and continued in it because they forsook the covenant of their fathers; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Let’s understand this covenants:

 

THE COVENANT FOUNDATION

 

Friends, as believers God has left for us the promise of blessings and this promise only works on the basis of his covenant. When you walk in the covenant of God, he will confirm his blessings upon your life. This promise of blessedness is not a vague promise but rather it is founded on a solid foundation. The bible says that his works are already complete before the foundation of the word (Hebrew 4:3) therefore, your blessedness in life has already been settled in Christ Jesus. The foundation of your blessedness is the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. 2 Corinthians 8:9. so the end reults of the grace of our lord Jesus Christ to us as believers is blessedness. And the proof of this blessedness is the abundance of all things. 2 Corinthians 9:8. But you provoke the the blessings into practical manifestation in your life as you walk in the covenant of the Almighty God.

Reference: Pastor Ada Adekunle ( world mission agencies march 2018 )

You Can Be Free From Captivity!

One major benefit of prayer is captivity turning. The righteous is always Satan's target and he has just one objective for doing that; he wants to frustrate the believer and wear him out. He wants him to stop believing God, and to curse God so that he can be drawn out of the safety of divine covering to the open where he will be made an easy prey for satanic forces to deal with. But Psalm 34:19 says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous but God delivereth him out of them all." Not out of 'some', but out of them all. That means, all afflictions are resistible and destructible. There is an answer to every kind of oppression and a way out of all captivities.

God said in Jeremiah 29:12,14, "Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you... and I will turn away your captivity..." God is ever ready to turn away our captivities, but only on one condition - when we call upon Him and pray unto Him.

In Acts chapter 12, we are told that Herod had killed James the brother of John and because there was no reaction from the Church, he proceeded further to take Peter. He put Peter in prison, intending to bring him out to be killed after the Easter celebrations. But the Bible says, "...Prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him..."

Peter was in captivity and would have been killed. He was put in prison, bound with two chains, kept between two soldiers and there were keepers outside the prison doors. Maybe you are in a similar situation, it looks as if you have been chained on every side. But we also see in that chapter that as the saints kept praying for Peter, the night before he was to be killed, the following happened: (1) The angel of the Lord came down, (2) a light shined in the prison, (3) the angel smote Peter on the side and raised him up, (4) Peter's chains fell off from his hands (5) the iron gate that led into the city opened to them of it's own accord (Acts 12:4-12).

Until the oppressed prays he cannot be free from oppression. But when you pray God will send His angel for your deliverance, the light of heaven will shatter every darkness around you, your chains will fall off and new doors of opportunity will begin to open to you on their own accord so that you can enjoy total restoration of all that you may have lost. In the model prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, one of the recommended prayer points is, "...Deliver us from evil" (Luke 11:2,4). Prayer is the gateway to freedom from oppressions and turning of captivities. That is biblical prescription. "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray"(James 5:13)

Meditate on these: Psalm 50:15, Psalm 34:17

Work It Out!

Faith is all it takes to become a living proof. But faith does not work without a working hand. Philippians 2:13 says, "Work out your salvation..." God is at work in you, He is carrying out His work in your life. But you have to work out what God is working in you for it to manifest physically. God works within, you work without. God puts in you the potential; you turn it into kinetic force through your motion and action.

Jesus said, "...What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24). If you believe that you have received, then you start working it out. If you believe you will be great, you start working out your greatness now. There is a place for the work of faith. All our covenant fathers were men of faith but they were also workers.

Many people are busy working with their mouths; they are making great confessions, but they are not working with their hands. It takes a working hand to make faith work. In Hebrews 11:32-34 the Bible talks about men of faith like Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae, David, Samuel, etc, who through faith wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire. But how did they express their faith? What did Barak do for instance? He took his weapons and fought against the Midianites. That was his faith. What did Samson do? He took the jawbone of an ass and killed 1,000 Philistines. David took five stones with a sling in his hand and confronted Goliath.

There is no cheap victory in life, every victory is worked out. If you truly believe, then work it out. Do something! Don't let any day pass by without you recording victory for that day. Determine to be an history maker and not a story teller. Be determined to make a mark! Add something new to your life! Work out your salvation; your dreams, your aspirations and visions. I know you have a vision to be very great but you must work it out.

Please note that I am not asking you to go looking for fame or striving for recognition. Remember, it is not a name that makes a man, it is a man that makes a name. So let the man in you do something that would earn you a place among men of faith. Let your work speak for you.

Faith will always work where there is a working hand. Jesus the greatest man that ever lived, was a worker. He said, "I work and my father worketh hitherto." So, as you get out to your work today, put your mind in it, be innovation and creative.

When you work, everything will work for you.

Meditate on these: John 9:4, 14:11

The Liberation Mandate Validated

The nation of Liberia witnessed a spiritual tornado, as Bishop David Oyedepo, the apostle of faith invaded the city of Monrovia, Liberia from the 20th-22nd, July, 2009, with over 14,000 people giving their lives to Christ in a 2-day outreach and over 31,000 people jammed into a 20,000 capacity stadium. Among others a blind woman regained her sight while the praise and worship was going on. To God be all the glory.

However, the following outstanding testimony was captured in the National Chronicle of Friday July 24, 2009, a national Newspaper in Monrovia, Liberia.

“QUEEN OF SHEBA” FLEES LIBERIA - GOD ONCE MORE TRIUMPHS OVER SATAN The National Chronicle of Friday July 24, 2009 reports of the unceremonious departure of the “Queen of Sheba” from Liberia following the Empowerment Summit and crusade held by a known Nigerian Preacher, President and Founder of Winners’ Chapel International at the ATS and HQ of the church in Liberia.

“Queen of Sheba” is known as the infamous follower of Lucifer and has for the past 46years practiced deep and superior Satanism. The paper reported that the queen has been coroneted with blood on three different occasions in 1995, 2003 and 2007 when she was enthroned as matriarch of the sovereign imperial empress of a special cult called the African Nubian nation.

Her arrival at the invitation of certain groups and traditional leaders in Liberia had raised concern in some Christian quarters but it took the arrival of Bishop David Oyedepo and the thrilling crusade to send the queen of witches hurriedly scuttling out of Liberia. The Queen of Sheba’s visit was planned to last for an extended period of time but her sudden departure has raised eyebrows and left people wondering as to what must have hit her.

The Bishop made a declaration in one of the evening crusade “cast the devil out of Liberia for prosperity”, and the next day the so-called “Queen of Sheba” left the country without the fanfare that attended her arrival. She was lodging in the hotel where the Bishop was lodging in and immediately the Bishop step on the hotel ground, the “Queen of Sheba” immediately packed out of the hotel without the hotel authorities knowing, on her way to the airport.

Most leaders of the Pentecostal Movement in Liberia are full of praises to God for this triumph over Satan. Bishop Dortus Doe of the Deliverance Life Ministry Arena was one of the leaders of the Church in Liberia who could not hide his delight about the news of the departure of this blood-thirsty sorceress.

It is interesting that a late surge of crowd arrived at the ATS on the evening of Wednesday 22nd July 2009 to attend the empowerment summit not knowing that the programme ended Wednesday morning and there was no Evening Session that day. Thank God for victory over Satan once again. To God be all the glory!

Enhance Your Relationship With God!

One way to overcome spiritual dryness is by enhancing our relationship with God. And our relationship with Him is basically that of love, we are called into a love relationship. Jesus made us understand in Matthew 22:37-39 that loving God is the greatest commandment of all, and next to it is love for your neighbour. He also said that on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. That means, love is the foundation for all that we do in the Kingdom of God.

You know, when Jesus sent to the seven churches in the book of Revelations, one of the things He had against the church of Laodicea was their lukewarm-ness. He said, "...Thou art neither cold nor hot...So then because thou art lukewarm...I will spue thee out of my mouth" (Rev 3:15-16). Lukewarm-ness and compromise are the reasons so many believers have been over taken by evil today; their love for God has gone cold. Apostle Paul praying for the church in Thessalonica said, "And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God..." (2 Thess. 3:5). You need to pray that prayer for yourself: "Lord, direct my heart to love you! Make me hot in my love for you!"

Also in Revelations 2:4-5 Jesus said to the church in Ephesus, "...Thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent..." So, when we talk about fighting spiritual dryness, we are not talking about struggling with sin, it's all about generating hot love for God in your heart. Repent and return to your first love! When you are filled with the love of God, it becomes natural for you to hate sin because love for God produces godly fear, which is also respect for God. Let your soul keep longing for God on a daily basis, when you are confronted or tempted with evil, let the love of God in your heart prevail.

Loving God also means loving your neghbour. 1 John 4:20 says, "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?" In my view, anybody who can't relate well with humans that he can see, can't relate well with God. Love your neighbour as yourself! You can't love your neigbhour and plan evil against him or go about castigating and pulling him down!

Apart from his love for God, I believe that Joseph also loved Potiphar his mater. He said to the wife who was trying to lure him into immorality, "...My master has committed all that he has into my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither has he kept back any thing from me but you, because you are his wife..." (Gen 39:8-9). Joseph considered the fact that Potiphar trusted him enough to leave all his possessions and wealth in his hands and for that reason he preferred to go to prison than to lie down with his wife. The way you relate with people is a reflection of the way you relate with God. If you truly love God, it will show in your relationship with men. May God's love fill your heart today.

Meditate on these: Matt. 24:12-13, Psalm 18:1

God Has Answered Your Prayer

By Winners Chapel International Nairobi

Your understanding determines your benefits in life. The reason many are weary in prayer is because they lack understanding of what happens in prayer or what to expect when they pray. Understanding is what sustains interest and excitement in prayer.

It instills faith in the heart and you know with faith nothing is impossible. One thing that will enhance your participation and results in prayer is the understanding that God is committed to answering your prayers.

We know God hears us when we pray according to His will (1 John 5:14). But, it is one thing for somebody to hear you and another thing for him to answer or grant your request. Many Christians lack assurance in this aspect. But Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you…” (Matthew 7:7). Not “It may be given you” but “it shall be given.” And in verse 8 He said, “For every one that asketh receiveth…”So, answer to prayer is not reserved for a selected few, God will answer all that care to call. He is that committed.

Nobody gives his telephone number to somebody he doesn’t want disturbance from. So the reason God said you should call upon Him is because He is ready to hear you and give you your heart’s desires. And Ephesians 3:20 assures us that when God answers He does beyond what we can ask or think. There is no request you will ever make that can threaten or intimidate God. He is more than able to meet your need, because in Him consist the fullness of all things. Ever before you make your request, He has an answer ready. For “…Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matt 6:8).

And why will God answers your prayer? Hebrews 4:15 says, “…We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” During His earthly life, Jesus was attacked, opposed, and tempted as we are today. So He feels for us and identifies with our pains when we face challenges in life. God is compassionate towards you, and it is on this basis that verse 16 of Hebrews chapter 4 says,

God wants you to approach the throne of grace with the understanding that you are not alone in that battle, you have a God who cares about you and will not leave you to suffer. That is the mentality that will make you a full partaker of the grace you require for your help in the time of need.

God brought the Israelites out of bondage in response to their prayer because He saw their afflictions and was moved with compassion towards them (Exodus 3:7-8). I see that compassion flowing towards you today.

Meditate on these: Matt. 7:11, Psalm 50:15

God's Faithfulness

By Margaret D. Mitchell

"God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord."  -1 Corinthians 1:9

Recently, I’ve watched firey sunrises blaze up over mountaintops, burning off the low haze that tries to settle in on the placid river below my glass chapel in rural Tennessee.

Yes, a glass chapel that is pitched on a craggy riverbank, surrounded by decking and trees that stand around and hang over what I have lovingly dubbed The Son Room.

"But Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory."  -Hebrews 3:6

God led me to a cabin in the woods on the river’s edge to come away and finish my book and watch—in the stillness of the early mornings—His faithfulness shine upon me and His creations on earth.

And I sit silently. And I whisper praises.

To Him.

Of gratitude.

And birds sing in the glory of His new day—rejoicing over His fire of light, His strength of mountains, His peaceful waters, amid His provision. They are assured.

And I take it in. And I am thankful. For Him.

And I am assured, even more, that God is faithful in the simple and in the important, that…

·         Every morning brings an invitation for joy and new mercies.

·         No matter how small or large my faith, His faithfulness is certain.

·         He patiently and faithfully endures with me, even when I know I don’t.

·         His faithfulness never tires.

·         I can do nothing to earn it.

·         I can extend my faith to believe Him at His word to produce through me what He said He would by His grace.

·         I can trust Him consistently…in all things as I persist and as I rest. In all things.

And the sun rises and sets on another day of His glory. And I know that I am His beloved and that He is mine and that we will finish this assignment together because He is the author and the finisher of my faith (Heb. 12:2). Amen.

God’s Promises

In addition to salvation through Jesus, what has God promised you? What assignment is He helping you fulfill?

Hebrews 10:23 assures us that “…He who promised is faithful,” regardless of whether we are.

Do you realize that the fulfillment of God’s promise to you has an appointed time, that even if you waffle in your faith along your journey or you feel impatient at times, God will still faithfully lead you to receive the deliverance of His promise to you? You don’t have to fear that you will miss it. You don’t have to try to force it or forge out ahead unbridled or give up because you know you are not perfect. No, just follow The Holy Spirit’s promptings, and He will bring it to pass. He may lead you to speed up or slow down or to simply wait at times. But He is always on time.

And He is faithful. In all things. All things, even when we are not.

Just trust Him. Simply trust and obey and you will see the fulfillment of His promises.

Pray…

Dear Lord, Thank You that Your mercies are new every morning. Thank You that You took my sorrow at the cross and that You continue to faithfully turn my mourning into joy. Thank You that You will use everything I endure for good. Thank You for the reminder that You endured much more than I ever will, for which I am grateful. And thank You that your faithfulness meets my faith as I believe You at Your Word to fulfill all of Your promises in my life, according to Your righteousness. You are God, and I am not. I repent of all rebellion and arrogance. And I choose to yield my will to Yours, trusting in Your timing and strategies for Your purposes in my life and in others’ lives. Please open the eyes of my heart and mind to see life from Your perspective and to know You more and more along the way. I invite You to deliver me where You desire I be in this season and forevermore. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

How to Retain Your Blessing

“And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings…”- Malachi 2:1-2

“And now, O ye priests…” According to Revelation 1:6, God has made us kings and priests, so this passage refers to every believer, not only to pastors or preachers. “… Now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart…” It's one thing to hear, it's another thing to lay it to heart. You may forget what you hear but you can't forget what you lay to heart. God is telling us here that thanksgiving is a thing we must lay to heart; we must impress it upon our hearts.

When you lay something to heart it means you have made a decision to do it, your circumstances notwithstanding. Perhaps, the reason you are not consistent in some pursuits of your life is because you have not decided. The strength to carry out any duty or assignment is decision based.

God said, “…If ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you…” When you don't glorify God what looks like glory around you turns into shame. The absence of thanksgiving attracts curses. So, thanksgiving sustains blessings, it protects and shields your blessing from corruption.

We don't only thank God for what He has done we are also thank Him to retain what He has done. We thank Him to fulfill Eccl 3:14, “Whatsoever the Lord doeth it shall be forever.” Your blessings will endure only as long as your thanksgiving remains.

Thanksgiving will never leave you where it met you. Paul and Silas were in prison but as soon as they began to sing praises and give thanks to God, their chains gave way (Acts 16:25-26). No matter the pit you are in, when you start thanking God you start going up. Start thanking God in your low estate; you will soon end up in your high estate. I see you going up today!

Meditate On These: - Psalm 100:1-4

The wonderful ministry of Jesus Christ

The declaration of Jesus' coming to the world was unquestionably wonderful. The 40th verse of Luke 2 demonstrates that He likewise was Wonderful in youth: 40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. He was Wonderful in youth. No big surprise His Name ought to be called Wonderful. Later, He was Wonderful in ministry. When we consider His ministry, we contemplate the healing and the deliverance; we consider His whole ministry. It comprised in Word and works. Jesus said in John 14:12, “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.”12 We ought to deliberately examine and follow the work of Jesus. The Bible says concerning His ministry, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, TEACHING in their synagogues, and PREACHING the gospel of the kingdom, and HEALING every sickness and every disease among the people” (Matt. 9:35). Our ministry ought to comprise of the same thing. We additionally see something about the ministry of Jesus in Luke 4:14, “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.” The Bible says He returned in the force of the Spirit. He was Wonderful in ministry. So we see that Jesus' ministry comprised first of instructing, then teaching, and, at last, healing.

During his ministry on earth Jesus accomplished more teaching than anything else. You'll find this on the off chance that you read through the four Gospels and underline the words "teaching" or "taught." Yet when we consider doing the works of Jesus, we typically consider healing the sick or maybe casting out demons. Those things are a piece of it, however showing the same is doing the works of Jesus. Presently see the 32nd verse: “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.” Hallelujah! Then we note the 36th verse of this same chapter: “And they were all amazed, and spoke among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commanded the unclean spirits, and they come out.” They said that in response to what had happened in the 33rd verse: LUKE 4:33–37 33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. 35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. . . . As it were, Jesus said, "Be silent!" That's the way you need to address the devil instruct him to shut up. You can't be decent when managing the fallen angel. Whatever remains of verse 35 says: “And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.” That devil wanted to act up before he left. He knew it was his last chance, so he threw that fellow in their midst, but he came out and didn’t hurt him. 36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! For with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. 37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. Obviously His popularity spread. At the point when individuals get healed and demons are cast out, individuals discuss it. . Jesus was Wonderful: In  ministry, Wonderful in works, and Wonderful in his Words. Peace be with you. In Jesus name.

Encounters With The Powers Of The World To Come.

Until one does what makes things happen he may never see things happen’- So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breathe entered them, and stood up upon their feet – a vast army.… Ezekiel 37:10

Covenant day of breaking invisible barriers.

Barriers are strange invisible forces at work against your glorious destiny but today you shall see them no more in the name of Jesus. Your deliverance is guaranteed.

What is heaven on earth?

Upon marveling at the authority of and dominion that Christ walked in over evil forces, his disciples could not help but seek to know their masters secrete.  ‘Teach us to pray; they said, almost from a standpoint of envy over johns disciples (who were well versed in prayer by then) but in reality were driven by a genuine desire to dominate the earth through the heavenly order, just as he did.

As their request was granted Jesus showed them the very essence of all prayer and that is to bring heaven down to earth.  Prayer is fellowship with the Father so as to command the super natural – bringing God’s will to play on earth.  Matthew 6:9. It is practically living in the Fathers will on earth; a heavenly lifestyle in the now. Heaven’s reality shall become tangible in your life ‘in the now ‘and not in the ‘by and by’.

The powers of the world to come rule in the world to come.  And if we can be able to hold of the power then we can exercise rulership and dominion on earth to the glory of God. This is only but a test of the grand reality to become our lifestyle when we ascend to glory.  Hebrew 6:5. Jesus tested the power hence he could manifest it. When the tax collector came knew how the heavenly banking system worked. He sent his disciples to the sea of God’s wisdom, dominant in the world to come, to make the needful withdrawal from the first fish they caught. The heavenly ATM responded accordingly..and the outstanding debt /tax settled!

Understanding the workings of the power of the world to come will always put you in charge of every contrary situation. Having known the mystery of the miracle meal and the authority a believer’s tongue commands as a surprise how one can become healthy for 22 year without medication or lying in hospital. The challenges do come but in the name of Jesus everything happens at your command and authority!

The powers of the world to come are essentially to wipe the tears off your face. No more tears or crying for in heaven there’s unspeakable joy in eternal proportions.

The power of the world to come is divine enabling and not of man. This is what Jesus meant when he constantly referring to his father. He did not make it a secret that he could by his own self do nothing  but as he saw and heard his Father so did and spoken he. Joseph also admitted before Pharaoh that it was not him but that God in heaven would manifest his power and favorably address pharaoh’s dilemma and confusion. Jesus was living by the power of the world to come by the Father who sent him. And as Jesus has sent us so do we live and manifest in the same, even greater order of the supernatural. John 6:57. The power of the  world to come ushers us into a world free of curses. It is only the blessing of God that reigns there.  Revelation 22:3.

The power of the world to come put you above all the forces of darkness, not ceremoniously but in unquestionable dominion for you are blessed and cannot be cursed.  Numbers 23:23

The enemy has to depart your life in the name of Jesus. When satan was defeated in the war in heaven he was eternally cast out. Revelation 12:7-9. It was a word of wonders without end. Revelation 21:1-5 read also verses 22-26.

The connection to this power is prayer. Prayer and fasting, such as the ongoing 21 days of fasting is the gateway to endowment of the power of the world to come. Effectual events fervent prayer; intense and focused in every sense running through to at least an hour. Jesus, Moses, Elijah all ascended mountains (of prayer and fasting) to call on God for power; the powers of the world to come. 

Daniel’s prayer life.

Daniel was a man given to tireless and ceaseless praying. And it was due to this aspect of his walk with God that earned him a place in the den of lions. Even the threatening of wicked men and law he did not fret nor waver but continued along his pattern and lifestyle of prayer. Upon  being thrown into the lions den ‘his night vigil’ turned out to the glory of God with him sharing his testimony of heaven coming down unto the earth causing the lions mouths to be shut. He must have continued in prayer despite the seemingly obvious death sentence upon him. The lions could not eat him. Daniel 6:22.

Daniel was also able to decipher heavenly writings while nobody else could. Read Daniel 2:16-23, 5:11-12, 25-28.            

How did he get in to this level of empowerment.

Daniel sought after the word of God on all matters and whatsoever we receive from heaven will always be above  every other. .Daniel 9:2-3 Daniel operated in righteousness and prayed tirelessly. As mentioned earlier his prayer was accompanied with fasting. Daniel 9:20-22. Daniel was not a priest but a politician yet he excelled beyond even the priests of the days. He was a consultant for various governments in four different regimes. They could not do without him… he fasted and prayer his way into the unusual order. He operated in the power of the world to come…… the supernatural. You cannot walk in this powers without prayer and fasting.  Daniel 10:2-3, 12-14.  

The Fundamental Cost Of Leadership

Everything of value carries a cost. In fact value is a function of cost. How much you are willing to pay for something will determine how much you can get out of it. We have various categories of believers. And, how much you are willing to leave (forsake) will determine the category you belong to finally. Leadership is not an exception. Vehicles, houses are in categories, determined by how much you are ready to pay to get one. How much you are willing to pay will determine what category of leadership you belong to.

 Every child of God is a potential leader, by redemption. You have been redeemed out of every tongue kindred, people and nation to reign (Rev. 5:9). However, leadership is not occupying a seat, it is accomplishing a task, it is not in the titles we wear, and it is in the values we add. To be called great does not guarantee greatness. It is one thing to play a game and quite another to be a star in it. But every player is a potential star. 

But how much you are willing to invest in training, dedication, discipline and sacrifice will determine whether you become a star or not. Leadership is not talking the lead, it is taking the lead. Talk is cheap. Take the lead in your assignment or field, not just talk it.  Now, if we are all potential leaders, it is important to determine the price, we must pay to be effective leaders. Luke 14:28-30 it is vital to count the cost first. You have a towerly destiny in Christ, but there is a cost to it and that’s where many fail.

Many do not know the cost. Some know the cost but are not ready to pay the price. Greatness is not born, or thrust on you.   It is consciously worked out, just like you do not stumble into success. You can’t just wake up one morning and become an expert doctor. You train into it. Greatness is either achieved or it never comes to be Jeremiah 1:5 before God formed Jeremiah in the womb he had called and ordained him prophet. But does it stop there? Jer. 15:16 Jeremiah had to find the word and eat it in order to become what God called him to be. What about David? You say leadership was thrusted on him? No! The brothers came to town, but David was left behind caring for animals. His responsible lifestyle took him to the top. God’s eyes watched David defend animals from being destroyed. He knew David would take care of Israel, with such a heart. Matt. 20:20-23 Mary mother of Zebedee’s sons wished leadership for her sons. Jesus said he must drink of his cup and be baptized of his baptism. Greatness is not prayed for, it is paid for. There is a cup into it and a baptism into leadership.

The covenant of leadership.

What must you do for the leadership seed in you to grow, blossom and flourish? We call the covenant of leadership. Eccl 109:5-, There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceeddeth from the rules folly is set on great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. I have seen servants upon horses and princes walking as servants upon the earth. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and who so breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him the covenant of leadership. Read (Eccl. 10:10).

a)      Vision

This is a fundamental requirement of leadership knowing where you are going is called   the wisdom of direction. Until you identify your field, you have no future in leadership. Prov.29:18 Where there is no vision the people perish. Vision is the foundation upon which leadership is built. You discover your purpose and stay on with it. God has a plan for every one of us. Your journey of leadership begins with discovery of God’s plan for you. Once you do this and abide by it, you have secured your future. To miss vision is to lose value, and to be stripped of honor and dignity. Your future is in God’s plan not in your plan. Until your task on earth is defined, your leadership, your leadership will not find expression. Whatever comes to your mind, check it in line with God, so you don’t misinvest your energy. There are three ways to discover God’s plan for your life;

(i)           It may come to you as a heavenly vision, like Moses and the burning bush, Paul on his way to Damascus Acts 26: 19 or  1^st May, 1981 (my encounter God)

(ii)          It can come to you by a burning passion like Nehemiah, check on your inside, you may have God’s plan inside.

(iii)       By discovery of the divine gifting God has given you. They may be pointers to your God-given plan. The gift can help define where you belong. So locate your field for the leadership potential in you to come alive.

(b) Wisdom

Eccl. 10: 15x The labor of the foolish weareth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. He knows the city to go to, but he doesn’t know how to get there. Prov. 8:15 By me (wisdom) kings reign and princess decree justice. Even though you are destined to reign, wisdom is a requirement or ascending to the throne. Unfortunately many have mistaken common sense for wisdom. Wisdom is an intelligible application of acquired knowledge. Commonsense will beget common results, Matt 7:24-28 wisdom is acquired and applied sense, not common sense. Many are grounded today because they mistake commonsense for wisdom. The principal raw material for wisdom is knowledge. Covenant University is emerging as the leading university In Africa in 7 years! But before she was founded, I engaged in an exhaustive study of nine world class universities like Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, Yales etc. How they started, their growth pace, how they developed their programs. Universities that were hundreds of years old. I needed an understanding of how these great universities had acquired their greatness, so as to lay out our administrative structure. That’s how wisdom is cultivated. Many people in Africa are weary because they have no value for wisdom. They mistake native intelligence for wisdom. God called me to ministry in an 18-hour long vision. But before I started off, I studied 39 selected biographies of great ministries. So when speaking as a full time minister, I was speaking with 39 borrowers senses which goes on to enhance the quality of our decision making. Am therefore not surprised where we area today. There are people in business who have not read even one book on the business they are doing in their life. Common-sense! Poor leadership in African politics is a result of having too many empty headed politicians, who don’t belong to any school of thought. There is no president in America who doesn’t belong to a particular school of thought in politics. There are ministers of the gospel who may not have read any book of ministry, or some even can’t define ministry. Careful acquisition of facts is what guarantees you a step into practical leadership. Don’t stop learning .Keep your mind young. Wisdom is a growing virtue. Luke 2:52 Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, favor with God and man. Prov 1:5 A wise man will hear, and increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. Wisdom shall attain unto wise counsels. Wisdom has unlimited capacity for growth. Never forget that wisdom    demands acquisition of knowledge and applying intelligibly. There is a common saying in the West; that if you want to hide anything from a black man, write it in a book. He may never find it! Anything you engage in without acquiring adequate knowledge and applying that knowledge you get ordinary results at best.

(c)     Discipline

Eccl. 10:16-17Woe to thee o land, when thy king is a child and thy princes eat in the morning. Blessed art thou, o land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength and not for drunkenness! This statement defines self-discipline. Every truly distinguished person must be highly-disciplined. 1 Cor 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 1 Cor. 9:24-27 Race runners are many, but the winner is only one. We keep our bodies under subjection. Discipline is operating as commanded. Not as convenient. Whatever demand your envisioned future   places on you, you subscribe to it.

(d)     Diligence

Prov 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule; but the slothful shall be under tribute. You can get out of life more than what you are willing to put into it. Seed time and harvest not just about money, but also about investment consciousness. You need to invest time, energy and resources. Bill Gates labored to be where he is today. Prov. 22:29seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. Billy Graham is sold out to kingdom business only. He’s a world ruler in the gospel realm. The whole world gathered to bury his wife. A diligent man in his business. Therefore, it is impossible to reign without  vision, wisdom,   discipline and diligence. Those are four fundamental costs of leadership.

(e)   Sacrifice

That’s the capital price to pay, going all the way, Luke 12:49-50 I am come to send fire on the earth, and that will I, if it be already kindled? But if I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straightened till it be accomplished! Global impact places global demand. Stretch yourself! It is a baptism of sacrifice that births great leaders. This means putting your life on the line. David was not going for Goliath to get title but to stop the harassment of Israel by this giant, at the risk of being killed. Where you say, “I rather die than watch this shame”, is what sacrifice means. Moses didn’t fear going back to Egypt Israel free. Daniel didn’t fear being thrown into a den of lions. They fulfilled their leadership destinies by sacrifice. The altar of sacrifice is broken down in Africa, it must be repaired. You never have a star without a scar. The scar of every star is sacrifice. Matt 20:20-23 it takes the cup of wisdom and the baptism of sacrifice for great leaders to emerge. Your leadership potential will find expression on this platform. If it means crawling, get at it. I have brought enough funds to cater for everything including whatever needs to be paid here. Those that in the world to get don’t amount to much at the end, but those that are in the world to add don’t loose value. Great leaders both in the Bible and contemporary history are products of sacrifice. Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David, Daniel, Nehemiah are examples. Think of Esther, Ruth, Martin Luther King Jnr., and Nelson Mandela.  The sacrifice of such men gave birth to free nations today. The quality of your sacrifice determines the quality of your leadership rating. How much are you willing to give up in driving the plan of God for your life? Always on your assignment, doing beyond normal. We are all redeemed to reign, but not without a cost. Doing more than what others do, you will be a leader in your area of endeavor. There is nothing extraordinary without extra-ordinary investment. Africa has an army of men who don’t know where they are going don’t care to learn how to get there, and those who care to learn how to get there are not disciplined enough to apply themselves to their finding. Find out what will make a difference. I went on a search of three days into financial prosperity in 1982 and found the secret. I follow it. You cannot blame God for blessing me. I’ve never had any stress helping to see others smile; you can’t blame God for sending me favors. It is one thing to find the truth and quite another to line up with it. It takes self-discipline to do it. God told me spiritual impact is the best way to enter into supernatural supplies. The people you preach to must have heart to show for it or else you won’t have access to supernatural supplies. Labor in the word and doctrines, it takes plenty of discipline, fresh preparation for every meeting, fresh noted. You can’t wish leadership. You build yourself into it. The grace to commit yourself to the fundamental cost of leadership is released upon you today. Go and work hard, anointing is no substitute for hard work. You are either a worker today or a beggar tomorrow. Prov. 13:4 Too many non-working people abound in Africa today, some at 30, they are still in their parent’s homes! God blesses what you do. Doing nothing multiplied by one million equals nothing. You don’t have a future without a working hand. You drive 80 kilometers perimeter to cover Canaan land today. Why? A mind to work. If ministry is not work for you, you can’t have results. Many say I resigned work to go for full time ministry. That’s a misconception. You make a living by working 8 hours a day, but you can only make impact by working beyond 8 hours. Receive grace to actualize the leadership potentials embedded in you by applying yourself to the price involved. Peace!!!