ALEXANDER DOWIE opened several large rooming houses called “Healing Homes.” Here, the sick who had come for healing could find shelter and rest between the services held at Zion Tabernacle. Once there, they were able to receive constant ministry from the Word until their faith mounted to the place of complete manifestation. But the newspapers, mainly the Chicago Dispatch, were merciless, calling the homes “Lunatic Asylums” and continued to print every lie iBecause of these healing homes, Dowie’s enemies thought they had found a vulnerable spot. So early in 1895, they arrested him on the charge of “practicing medicine without a license.” Obviously untrue, Dowie would have been the last person to allow medicine into his homes He hired a brilliant attorney, but he only kept Dowie advised of the legal matters. So Dowie chose to represent himself in court because no one else could articulate his call as accurately as himself. Dowie’s superior intellect was not enough to overrule the evil jurisdiction of the court. Despite his profound arguments, the court fined him. But they never dreamed he would take the case to a higher court, costing much more money than the fines they had issued. When he did, the higher court denounced the evil of the lower court, and reversed the decision. The city hoped Dowie would get discouraged if they continued to arrest and fine him. So before the year was over, he had been arrested one hundred times. Although severely persecuted, he was never discouraged. Persecution brought out great resiliency in his character. He actually thrived on his persecutor’s affliction and interrogation. Evil will always try to persecute the power of God. But Dowie was super-naturally secure and anchored in bis godly authority. The supernatural never bows to the natural.
Matthew Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, Killed by a sword wound.
Mark Died in Alexandria, Egypt , after beiing dragged by Horses through the streets until he was dead.
Luke Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous Preaching to the lost.
John Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution In Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered From death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully
Peter He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died.
James The leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club.
This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.
James the Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer Walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and Knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.
Bartholomew Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.
Andrew Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: ‘I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.’ He continued to preach to his tormentors For two days until he expired.
Thomas Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Sub-continent.
Jude Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.
Matthias The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.
Paul Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.
Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their times For the sake of the Faith. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Pass on to encourage other Christians Why Do we feel sleepy in Prayer, But stay awake through a 3 hour movie? Why are we so bored when we look at the HOLY BOOK, But find it easy to read other books? Why is it so easy to ignore a msg about God, Yet we forward the nasty ones? Why are Prayers getting smaller, But bars and clubs are expanding Why is it so easy to worship a celebrity, But very difficult to engage with God? Think about it, are you going to forward this?
God said: If you deny me in front of your friends, I will deny you on the day of judgment:
When one door closes, God opens two: If God has opened doors for you, Open your heart to Him
Make this message your contribution to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, be blessed.
Introduction Biblical eschatology refers to the study of end times or the last days as described in the Bible. One significant aspect of biblical eschatology is the glorious return of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that Jesus will come back to earth in a triumphant and glorious manner. According to the New Testament, Jesus himself spoke about his return. In Matthew 24:30, Jesus says, “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” This verse portrays Jesus returning in a visible and majestic manner, with all people witnessing his arrival.
The Apostle Paul also writes about the glorious return of Jesus in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, stating, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” This passage describes a resurrection of the dead in Christ and a gathering of believers to meet Jesus in the air.
The book of Revelation also provides vivid imagery of Jesus’ glorious return. Revelation 19:11-16 describes Jesus as a conquering king riding on a white horse, leading the armies of heaven. He is depicted as having a name written on his robe and thigh, “King of kings and Lord of lords.” This passage emphasizes the authority and power of Jesus as he returns to establish his kingdom on earth.
The glorious return of Jesus is seen as a time of judgment and reward. Jesus will judge the living and the dead, separating the righteous from the unrighteous. Those who have put their faith in Jesus will be rewarded with eternal life in his presence, while those who have rejected him will face eternal separation from God.
Overall, biblical eschatology teaches that the glorious return of Jesus will be a momentous event, marked by his visible and triumphant arrival. It is a time of judgment, reward, and the establishment of his eternal kingdom.
THE DEFEAT OF SATAN AND HIS FORCES Biblical eschatology refers to the study of end times and the events that will occur in the future according to the Bible. One significant aspect of biblical eschatology is the defeat of Satan and his forces.
According to the Bible, Satan is portrayed as a powerful spiritual being who opposes God and seeks to deceive and destroy humanity. However, biblical eschatology teaches that Satan’s ultimate defeat is certain and will occur at the end of time.
The defeat of Satan and his forces is described in various passages throughout the Bible, including Revelation 20:7-10. In this passage, it is written that Satan will be released from his prison and will gather an army to wage war against God’s people. However, God will intervene and defeat Satan and his forces. Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire, which is a symbol of eternal punishment and separation from God.
Additionally, other passages such as Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-19 provide insights into the fall of Satan and his rebellion against God. These passages describe Satan’s pride and his desire to exalt himself above God, resulting in his eventual downfall.
Furthermore, Jesus’ ministry on earth is also seen as a significant event in the defeat of Satan. In Matthew 12:28-29, Jesus states that he has come to bind the strong man (referring to Satan) and plunder his house. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus has ultimately defeated Satan and his power over humanity.
Overall, biblical eschatology teaches that Satan’s defeat is certain and will occur at the end of time. This victory is accomplished through God’s intervention and the work of Jesus Christ.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF BELIEVERS In biblical eschatology, the resurrection of the dead and the transformation of believers are significant events that are believed to occur at the end of time. These events are described in various passages throughout the Bible, particularly in the New Testament.
The resurrection of the dead refers to the belief that all people, both believers and non-believers, will be raised from the dead and given new bodies. This concept is mentioned in several passages, including 1 Corinthians 15:52-53, which states, “For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.”
According to biblical eschatology, believers will experience a transformation during the resurrection. Their mortal bodies will be changed into immortal, imperishable bodies, similar to the resurrected body of Jesus Christ. This transformation is described in Philippians 3:20-21, which says, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
The transformation of believers is seen as a fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem and restore all things. It is believed to be a glorious event where believers will be fully united with Christ and experience eternal life in his presence. This transformation is also associated with the final judgment, where believers will be rewarded for their faithfulness and receive their eternal inheritance.
Overall, the resurrection of the dead and the transformation of believers are central aspects of biblical eschatology. They represent the hope and assurance that believers have in the future resurrection and eternal life with God.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CHRIST’S MILLENNIAL REIGN ON EARTH. Biblical eschatology refers to the study of end times and the events that will occur in the future according to the Bible. The establishment of Christ’s millennial reign on earth is a concept found in the book of Revelation, specifically in Revelation 20:1-6.
According to this passage, after a period of tribulation and the defeat of Satan, Jesus Christ will return to earth and establish His millennial reign. The term “millennium” refers to a thousand-year period, during which Christ will rule over the earth.
During this time, Satan will be bound and unable to deceive the nations. The righteous believers who have died will be resurrected, and they will reign with Christ for a thousand years. This period is often referred to as the “Millennium Kingdom” or the “Millennial Reign of Christ.”
The Bible does not provide a lot of specific details about what this reign will look like, but it does mention some aspects. It suggests that there will be peace, justice, and righteousness during this time. The earth will be restored, and there will be harmony among all creation.
At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released for a short time to deceive the nations once again. However, he will be ultimately defeated, and there will be a final judgment where all the dead will be raised and judged according to their deeds.
After the final judgment, the new heaven and new earth will be created, and God’s eternal kingdom will be established. This is described in Revelation 21-22.
It is important to note that interpretations of eschatology, including the concept of Christ’s millennial reign, can vary among different Christian denominations and theologians.
The Rapture means the catching up of the believers
Different views on the timing of the rapture. There are various views on the timing of the rapture within Christian theology. Here are some of the different perspectives:
Pre-Tribulation Rapture:This view holds that the rapture will occur before the seven-year period of tribulation described in the book of Revelation. Proponents of this view believe that believers will be taken up to meet Jesus in the air, escaping the hardships and trials of the tribulation.
Mid-Tribulation Rapture: According to this view, the rapture will take place in the middle of the seven-year tribulation period. Advocates of this perspective believe that believers will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air at this point, just before the most severe judgments of the tribulation occur.
: This view suggests that CHURCH rapture will happen at the end of the tribulation period, just before Jesus returns to establish His kingdom on earth. Supporters of this perspective believe that believers will experience the entire WORLD will be raptured to meet Jesus as He descends to earth.
It’s important to note that these views are based on different interpretations of biblical passages, and there is ongoing debate among Christians regarding the timing of the rapture.
THE TRIBULATION
The purpose of the tribulation, according to Christian eschatology, is to serve as a period of intense suffering and turmoil before the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is believed to be a time of great tribulation and judgment upon the earth, where God’s wrath is poured out on those who have rejected Him.
The duration of the tribulation is a topic of debate among different Christian denominations and interpretations of biblical prophecy. Some believe it will last for a literal seven years, based on passages in the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation. Others interpret the seven-year period symbolically, representing a longer period of time.
The concept of the tribulation is primarily derived from the book of Revelation, particularly chapters 6-19, which describe various events and judgments that will occur during this time. These include the rise of the Antichrist, the sealing of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, the pouring out of the seven seals, the sounding of the seven trumpets, and the pouring out of the seven bowls of God’s wrath.
The purpose of the tribulation is seen as a means for God to bring judgment upon the wicked, purify and refine His people, and ultimately establish His kingdom on earth. It is believed that during this time, many people will come to faith in Jesus Christ and be saved, while others will harden their hearts and reject Him.
Overall, the purpose and duration of the tribulation are important aspects of Christian eschatology, but there are varying interpretations and beliefs among different denominations and individuals.
THE ANTI CHRIST AND THE MARK OF THE BEAST. In biblical eschatology, the Antichrist is a figure who opposes Christ and his teachings. The concept of the Antichrist is mentioned in several books of the Bible, including Daniel, 1 John, and Revelation.
According to biblical prophecy, the Antichrist will rise to power in the end times and deceive many people with his charisma and false teachings. He will be a global leader who seeks to establish a one-world government and religion, ultimately leading humanity away from God.
The mark of the Antichrist, often referred to as the “mark of the beast,” is mentioned in the book of Revelation. It is described as a mark that people will be forced to receive on their right hand or forehead in order to participate in the economic system controlled by the Antichrist. Those who refuse to receive the mark will face severe persecution and will be unable to buy or sell.
The mark of the beast is seen as a symbol of allegiance to the Antichrist and his kingdom. It represents a rejection of God and a submission to the Antichrist’s authority. The exact nature of the mark is not specified in the Bible, leading to various interpretations and speculations throughout history.
Christians are warned against receiving the mark of the beast, as it signifies a rejection of their faith in God and allegiance to Christ. The consequences of receiving the mark are severe, as it signifies eternal separation from God.Overall, biblical eschatology teaches that the Antichrist will rise to power in the end times and deceive many people. The mark of the beast represents allegiance to the Antichrist and his kingdom, and Christians are warned against receiving it.
GOD’S PROTECTION AND PROVISION FOR HIS PEOPLE DURING THE TRIBULATION During the tribulation, God promises to protect and provide for His people who remain faithful to Him. This period of intense suffering and persecution is described in the Bible as a time of great tribulation, where believers will face various trials and tribulations.
In Revelation 7:14, it says, “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
This passage highlights God’s protection and provision for His people during the tribulation. They will be sheltered by His presence, and their needs for food, water, and protection will be met. God will be their shepherd, guiding and leading them to safety and sustenance.
Additionally, in Matthew 24:22, Jesus says, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” This verse indicates that God will intervene and shorten the duration of the tribulation for the sake of His chosen people.
It is important to note that while God promises protection and provision, it does not mean that believers will be exempt from suffering or persecution during the tribulation. However, God’s presence and provision will sustain them through these difficult times. Ultimately, God’s protection and provision during the tribulation demonstrate His faithfulness and love for His people. He will not abandon them but will be with them every step of the way, providing for their needs and ensuring their ultimate victory.
PASTORS AND THE ANOINTED MEN OF GOD AVOID THE FOLLOWING SO THAT YOU DON’T GET INTO TROUBLE
… But wisdom is profitable to direct. Ecclesiastes 10:10
As a Pastor, you need to live your life and do your ministry with wisdom so that you can last long in ministry and avoid trouble from law enforcement agencies.
As a pastor, please don’t do the following:
Don’t guarantee or surety loans for people.
Don’t introduce businesses and investment schemes from the pulpit.
Don’t collect pictures from people for prayers.
Don’t sign bail bonds for people you are not sure of, especially new members or people whose family members you cannot trace or locate.
Don’t wed a couple when their parents have not consented or dowry paid.
Don’t hide anyone that law enforcement agencies have declared wanted, in your house or Church premises.
Don’t matchmake people for marriage. If the marriage have issues, you will be blamed.
Don’t try to make decisions for the members or control them. Teach the word and leave decision making for members. Except where your opinion is asked, don’t force your ideas on people. When your ideas or decisions backfire, you will be denigrated.
Don’t allow sick people to sleep in Church or in your house. If you must admit them, let them sign some documents that extricate you from any form of issue, should anything happen to them.
Don’t allow your members pass huge amount of money through your account You could be arrested as an accomplice for advanced fee fraud, money laundering, kidnapping or drug peddling.
Don’t conduct a christening ceremony service of a child whose gestation history you don’t know. What if the baby was kidnapped? You could be arrested as an accomplice for kidnapping.
Once again, wisdom is profitable to direct
Let me add little:
Don’t bury a corpse that the family are not available with full medical report and death certificate. I have encountered situations where we were asked to exhumed a body four days after burial
Limit your direct involvement in politics, as a clergy you are supposed to be non partisan.
Don’t visit a family when the husband or either parents are not around, you may be tempted or implicated.
Don’t allow a woman that has quarrel with her husband to pass night or remain under your custody
Don’t take anyone to hospital without the family been aware or possibly present
A lot of men of God today, innocently in the name of clear conscience have fallen into these ministerial landmines and destroyed their ministry or sent into undeserving prison term. God bless you as you adhere to the above pieces of advise.
So, what I do when I see things like this in the Bible is to adjust my categories in my head. I won’t say, “Oh, well that can’t be, because I’ve got this category in my head.” No, no, no. You fix the categories in your head.
If once I thought of grace only as a character trait or a disposition or an inclination in the nature of God, which moved him to treat sinners better than they deserve — if that was my only conception, once upon a time — now, having seen all the texts, I broaden my understanding of grace as the Bible uses the term. Now I say, “Well, it appears that the word grace in Paul’s use not only refers to God’s character trait or disposition or inclination to treat people better than we deserve, but the word grace also refers to the action or the power or the influence or the force of this disposition, which produces real, practical outcomes in people’s lives, like being sufficient for good deeds or enduring the thorn in the flesh or working harder than everybody else, which Paul says about his own apostolic work.”
Now, that does not mean you have to give up that simple definition of undeserved favor. That’s true. That’s a good definition. It just means that the word also embraces the encouraging truth — at least I love the truth; that’s why these verses are so precious to me — that this favor overflows in powerful, practical helpfulness from God in your daily life where you most need it. That help is also called grace because it’s free and it’s undeserved.
Draw Near with Confidence
So, let me end with a precious verse that we all know and love and maybe have never thought about in this term of grace. Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace.” That’s a throne with the quality and the character and the inclination to treat people better than they deserve. That’s the kind of throne we’re coming to. But then it says, “that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Or a more literal translation: “that we may find mercy and grace for a well-timed help.”
It is incredibly encouraging that God’s grace is both the inclination of the divine heart to treat us better than we deserve and is the extension of that inclination in practical help.
Why Are You being Deceived By the Presence of the Anointing While the Character and Integrity are missing? Why do you think the Anointing Would cover up all those Character flaws? Why do you think your sonorous Voice and Gifted skills of Praises and Worships is all the Lord needs above your Personal Intimacy?
You are a gifted Actor, Who have blessed multitudes of Souls and heal many lives, But you are an Unrepentant lustful Child of God, Who Wins Souls for the Lord And Whose Soul is Sliding to Hell.
Why are you being Deceived By the Anointing of God you carry,
You Preach with all Conviction!
You Teach with all Persuasion!
You Sing with All Inspirations!
You Act with All Unctions!
And yet the Integrity is Lacking!
Your Lustfulness has injured many.
Your Covetousness have wounded a lot.
Your Pride had baffled multitudes.
Your Arrogance has astonished countless.
Yet, once you Mount the Stage and hold the Microphone, The Anointing descends like a shower! And the Congregation are soaked in the Power of His Presence!
Ah!ah!
I am seriously scared of this type of Anointing! I don’t want it! Anointing that Deceives the Carrier of it!
I don’t want it! Oh God! Don’t Anoint my Message If my Ways are not Right in Your Presence.
Don’t Show Up if I have missed it!
Why should I be Deceived to think that all is well When all are Wrong?
Why should I believe you are happy with me When You have long left me alone!
This Anointing of Samson! I don’t want this Anointing!
Anointing that would still be Working till Delilah shaved off the Dreadlocks of Power?
No warning Signal? Or the Signal wasn’t loud enough? Or it was Samson that never paid Attention?
No! I don’t want it! Did you noticed that, Samson was still powerful and Anointed even after….
After Samson had had a One Night Stand with the Harlot of Gaza, He still had the Power to uproot the bars and posts and iron gates of the City of Gaza! He carried them all On his shoulder up to a journey of more than ten kilometres and carried them up to the mountain to dump them there. Anointing that Works after rising from the Harlot’s bed!
Why must Someone Trek A Thousand Miles, Before knowing he is on the Wrong path And turning back to start all over?
Beat me Now, if I am wrong!
Flog me Now, if I miss it.
Deal with me.!
Correct me.!
Prune me.!
BUT DON’T LEAVE ME!
STOP THE ANOINTING, WHEN I MISS IT!
Don’t let it be like Pressing Iron, that is still Hot After the Power is removed from Socket!
So, my Brother! So, my Sister! That you Carry incredible Anointing to fulfill your Ministry of Teaching, Acting and Singing, Does not Give you the License not To live RIGHT !
DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY THE ANOINTING.
You could carry the Anointing And still Miss it in the End! IF YOU DO NOT LIVE RIGHT!
May the Lord God of Heaven grant us Sense with His Anointing!
Brother Clifford made it a duty upon himself that come sunshine or rain, he will be at the Train Station distributing Gospel Tracts to passengers as they board or leave the train! This he did faithfully for several years! One day at the church service after a rendition by the choir members in church, the choir was appreciated, praised and given a standing ovation. Brother Clifford, instead of being happy for them was very sad. He thought his soul winning efforts was not being acknowledged, rewarded and recognised by the church members and ministers. He also noticed that nobody from the station has met him to say thank you for what he has been faithfully doing over the years. Brother Cliffird decided to abandon the trips to the Train Station. Instead he joined the choir and started singing with them. To his surprise he was warmly welcomed. He discovered also that very soon he was singing and receiving standing ovations. He concluded in his mind he has just made the right decision. One day, he sang Psalm 23 as a solo and by the time he finished singing, the whole church including the pastoral team and the elders were on their feet clapping and giving him a standing ovation. Suddenly there arose an old man, a stranger in the midst of the congregation who asked to sing the same song while the church was still on their feet clapping for the soloist. Against protocol, the pastor cynically allowed the old man to sing. By the time the old man finished singing, the whole church was on their knees, some weeping, others praying in repentance. That day, there was no more sermon but an altar call. With sinners giving their lives and backsliders returning to their first love and the whole church rededicating its life. Brother Clifford, the evangelist in choir robe, felt a deep hole in his heart. He felt empty. He saw the difference between entertainment for the appreciation of men and the ministration for the appreciation of heaven. He left the church with a heavy heart. Without thinking of removing his choir robe, he headed for the Train Station empty handed as if in a trance. Getting there he met a man in the same spot where he used to stand to distribute gospel leaflets before. The man was distributing gospel tracts and handed him one. The Tract read “I WILL BE A FAITHFUL SOLDIER, I WILL DIE AT MY POST”. It ended asking, “are you a faithful witness of the WORD?” With tears in his eyes and a shaky voice, he asked the man how he came to start distributing the tracts at the spot in the Train Station. The busy man, not looking at him, told him of a dead man who used to come there come sunshine and rain to distribute tracts. That for months the man has not been there. He told him that he believed and concluded the man must be dead. He said the dead man once gave him a tract before that changed his commitment to Christ. And since the man was dead, he felt God wanted him to replace the dead man to continue the good work in the memory of the dead man. The man kept emphasising, “The Dead Man, The Dead Man” which further sent Brother Clifford back to his knees weeping and asking for God’s forgiveness. Hmm… If you are still reading this believe me, God has set you up to read it because He has a purpose for your life. Have you left your assignment because of some discouragements from cynics and critics? Have you abandoned the unheard, unseen and unsung praise of heaven for the standing ovation of men? Are you like the evangelist in choir robe? Or are you like the singer singing to entertain in church – the place of entertainment is in the theatre not the church. The church is for ministration in the Spirit by Worshiping God in The Spirit and The Truth. GOD ASKED ME TO TELL YOU TODAY THAT HE IS A GOD OF SECOND CHANCE RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE TODAY
DO THE WORK OF AN EVANGELIST BY SHARING THIS POST TO GROUPS FOR OTHERS TO GET THIS MESSAGE
SCRIPTURE: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Sensitivity to the leading of the Spirit is key to being led by the Spirit.
Our anchor Scripture makes it clear that being led by the Spirit is a mark of sonship in Christ. True sons of God are led by the Spirit of God.
It is very important to understand how the Spirit leads. Sensitivity to the leading of the Spirit is key to being led in the Spirit.
Let me give you examples: There are times you wake up in the morning and you don’t have a leading to eat. Food may be available but you just don’t feel like eating. The truth is, you do not eat just because food is ready; you eat because there is a need to eat.
When you slept the previous night, you did not plan to fast at all, but when you saw food, you just lost your appetite. In such a case, do not force yourself to eat by all means because food is on the table. Sensitivity directs that the Spirit is leading you to fast for that day or at least for some time.
You might also have planned a journey you wanted to embark on but you just lost your peace about it. Everything has been planned but you do not feel like going. Do not force yourself to go on that journey; listen to the Spirit of God.
Sensitivity is key to the leading of the Holy Spirit. People who are not spiritually sensitive would find it difficult to know how God leads.
My counsel to you today is to be sensitive to God’s instructions. Do not be in a hurry to do anything. Always try to know what God wants you to do per time.
Remember this: Sensitivity to the leading of the Spirit is key to being led in the Spirit.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Go through today’s message again.
Be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. Do not force yourself to do anything you have lost your peace about.
PRAYER: Lord, I ask for the grace to be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. Sharpen my spiritual perception and sensitivity, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE SPIRIT OF GLORY.
QUOTE: If you need the power of God in your life, if you need the visitation and move of the Holy Spirit in your life, then Word must combine with Spirit to generate power! Culled “GO IN THIS THY MIGHT” by Dr Paul Enenche.
DAILY BIBLE READING: Nehemiah 12-Esther 1.
AMAZING FACT: Israeli academics produce more scientific papers per capita than anywhere else in the world. Being connected to God is the secret of wisdom and greatness.
PROPHETIC WORD/DECLARATION: May God assist you with true sensitivity in this season in Jesus Name.
He was once the richest man in the world. The first billionaire in the world.
By age 25 he controlled one of the largest oil refineries in the nation. By age 31 he had become the world’s largest oil refiner. By age 38 he commanded 90% of the oil refined in the U.S. By the time of his retirement at age 58, he was the richest man in the country. By the time he died, he had become the richest man in the world.
As a young man, every decision, attitude, and relationship was tailored to create his personal power and wealth. But at the age of 53 he became ill. His entire body became racked with pain and he lost all of his hair. In complete agony, the world’s only billionaire could buy anything he wanted, but he could only digest milk and crackers. An associate wrote, “He could not sleep, would not smile and nothing in life meant anything to him.” His personal, highly skilled physicians predicted he would die within a year. That year passed agonizingly slow.
As he approached death he awoke one morning with the vague remembrances of a dream about not being able to take any of his successes with him into the next world. The man who could control the business world suddenly realized he was not in control of his own life. He was left with a choice. He called his attorneys, accountants, and managers and announced that he wanted to channel his assets to hospitals, research, and mission work. On that day John D. Rockefeller established his foundation.
This new direction eventually led to the discovery of penicillin, cures for malaria, tuberculosis and diphtheria. But perhaps the most amazing part of Rockefeller’s story is that the moment he began to give back a portion of all that he had earned, his body’s chemistry was altered so significantly that he got better. It looked as if he would die at 53 but he lived to be 98.
Rockefeller learned gratitude and gave back the vast majority of his wealth. Doing so made him whole. It is one thing to be healed. It is another to be made whole. He attended the Baptist Church. He was faithful in working for God in the church, cleaning the house of God, until he died!
Before his death, he wrote this in his dairy: “I was early taught to work as well as play, My life has been one long, happy holiday; Full of work and full of play I dropped the worry on the way And God was good to me everyday”
I hope the true story of the life of this man, who happens to be the first billionaire, will make many wealthy ones or those chasing wealth have a rethink to show more LOVE to mankind.
He was once the richest man in the world. The first billionaire in the world.
By age 25 he controlled one of the largest oil refineries in the nation. By age 31 he had become the world’s largest oil refiner. By age 38 he commanded 90% of the oil refined in the U.S. By the time of his retirement at age 58, he was the richest man in the country. By the time he died, he had become the richest man in the world.
As a young man, every decision, attitude, and relationship was tailored to create his personal power and wealth. But at the age of 53 he became ill. His entire body became racked with pain and he lost all of his hair. In complete agony, the world’s only billionaire could buy anything he wanted, but he could only digest milk and crackers. An associate wrote, “He could not sleep, would not smile and nothing in life meant anything to him.” His personal, highly skilled physicians predicted he would die within a year. That year passed agonizingly slow.
As he approached death he awoke one morning with the vague remembrances of a dream about not being able to take any of his successes with him into the next world. The man who could control the business world suddenly realized he was not in control of his own life. He was left with a choice. He called his attorneys, accountants, and managers and announced that he wanted to channel his assets to hospitals, research, and mission work. On that day John D. Rockefeller established his foundation.
This new direction eventually led to the discovery of penicillin, cures for malaria, tuberculosis and diphtheria. But perhaps the most amazing part of Rockefeller’s story is that the moment he began to give back a portion of all that he had earned, his body’s chemistry was altered so significantly that he got better. It looked as if he would die at 53 but he lived to be 98.
Rockefeller learned gratitude and gave back the vast majority of his wealth. Doing so made him whole. It is one thing to be healed. It is another to be made whole. He attended the Baptist Church. He was faithful in working for God in the church, cleaning the house of God, until he died!
Before his death, he wrote this in his dairy: “I was early taught to work as well as play, My life has been one long, happy holiday; Full of work and full of play I dropped the worry on the way And God was good to me everyday”
I hope the true story of the life of this man, who happens to be the first billionaire, will make many wealthy ones or those chasing wealth have a rethink to show more LOVE to mankind.
circa 1930: American oil magnate and philanthropist, John Davidson Rockefeller (1839 – 1937) at work in his study. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
If you want to be worded, please feel free to study scriptures without reading the whole Bible. Just go for Greek and Hebrew, you know, katakrino, epiginosko, hasedagape, and so on. Very soon you will be a rhemified wordsmith and bible teacher extraordinare. Listeners will slap their laps as you tear them word, shouting Shanda! Yes Sir!! Preach it!! And several tonguings like Zualakate and so on BUT if you want to live the Christ-Life, you have to read the Book. I maintain that it takes the whole Bible to make a whole Christian. It takes the whole Bible to make a healthy church. The whole Bible is the Christian doctrine. Three times the devil tempted the Lord in the days of His flesh, and not once did He say “the greek word for stone is ajeokuta mamomi” or “the context of that verse you quoted in the greek is not jump but glide…”. Mba. He simply replied “It is written..” or “It is also written” Not once did He say, that is Jesus; “Have you not studied the rhema of this or that?” Rara. He said “Have you never READ…” Both reading and studying are important, but reading comes first. Reading is fundamental to studying. Paul did not only write to Timothy saying “Study to show yourself a workman who rightly divides the word of truth.” He first said to him “Give attention to reading.” Before you can specialise in advanced calculus or space geometry, you have to do mathematics at a basic level. Before you can read books and write poems, you have to learn A to Z. Before you become a specialist in any area, you need a foundation in the general knowledge of that field. No one gets into school and starts learning obstetrics or heart surgery. No. You will learn nonsense. First you have to know about the whole human body – how it is structured and how it works; then later you can focus on the heart. The whole Bible is one message. Reading the whole is the proper macro-context for studying any part. You know, a doctor can look at someone’s feet and know that there is a big problem with their heart. He or she will treat the heart and both the heart and feet will be fine. Another person who never studied medicine but calls themselves a foot specialist will see the same feet and start massaging it, making marks on it, and applying all kinds of substances until the person dies. That’s why we have so many dead doctrines that massage the itching ears of some but do nothing for their hearts. It is because the teachers are trying to explain Paul’s algebra but they don’t know Isaiah’s arithmetics. They cannot count 1 to 100 but are trying to solve (yx + 2xy – y)/(x – 1) = 12. Disaster. Jesus said to the Jews “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?” When He explained the gospel to His disciples, He began with the writings of Moses and went through all the prophets. Some of you don’t know how to pray with the understanding at all, because you have never really read the Psalms. Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message Translation said the Psalms are the prayer language of the church. That book is an anatomy of all kinds of prayers; whether intercessory, supplication, warfare or others. Jesus on the Cross prayed with the words of the Psalms. The apostles in Acts 4 prayed from Psalms 2. Some of you want to be deep worshippers and worship leaders but you don’t know the Bible. Don Moen sang “You make me lie down in green pastures (Psalm 23)”; “He never sleeps (Psalm 121)”; “God is the strength of my heart (Psalm 73)”. Ron kenoly sang “The Lord be magnified (Psalm 40)”; Ancient of Days (Daniel 7) and so on. Nathaniel Bassey sang “Your name is a strong tower (Proverbs 18)”, Casting Crowns and Book of Life (Revelation) But you want to be doing deep spiritual chants and you think it’s only when you do unknown tongue chants that you are doing a Holy Ghost ministration. No! The Bible says – be filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking to yourselves IN PSALMS and hymns and spiritual songs…but you have never read the Psalms or the Prophets. You want dance like David danced but you haven’t read what David said You never hala! Some of you cannot preach and prophesy because you don’t know the prophets. When Jesus got to His hometown, He said the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me. Isaiah 61. It was powerful! The first time Peter preached, He said “This is that which was spoken by the prophet…that’s right. Joel 2.” You want to teach like Paul taught but you haven’t read what Paul read. You never hala! And some cannot live for God alone because you have never read the Scriptures. If you’ve read Abraham’s story, impatience will die If you’ve read Joseph’s story, complaining will be hard If you’ve read the young prophet’s story, no false prophet can easily deceive you If you’ve read of Ham, you will shun dishonor If you’ve read of Hezekiah, you will be more careful what you post about your personal life If you’ve read Hosea, you will understand love better If you’ve read of Gehazi, you will serve more sincerely If you’ve read of Ananias and Sapphira, you won’t tell lies in church If you’ve read of Paul and Silas, you will praise God when the odds are against you Until you see that you are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses; and not just Paul’s witness; you will find it difficult to run the race with patience, the race set before you. Unless you know that everything was written as an example to you, for your learning, comfort, teaching, rebuke, correction, and training in righteousness; you will be a drop out from the school of the Spirit with an incomplete kingdom education. And Jesus who began to do and teach quoted Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Deuteronomy etc and Peter quoted Exodus, Leviticus, Isaiah, Psalms etc and Paul quoted Isaiah, Malachi etc; then if you must know the Christian faith; and you must live as they lived Then you have to read your Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Nothing less will do. Good evening.
TEXT: JEREMIAH 29:20-32 🔑KEY VERSE “Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD” (JEREMIAH 29:32).
“Thus saith the Lord” has become a common tune in the mouths of many in our society. There are so many self-appointed prophets showcasing themselves and their ministries on radio, television and the social media. They use high sounding words, push people down under a purported anointing and are always quick to make prophetic declaration on every trending issues in the society. The most unfortunate fact of their life is that they have no knowledge of the God they claim to represent. They have, in turn, made their followers “twice children of hell”. These are impostors and deceivers in the world.
Today’s passage opens with the declaration of God’s displeasure and judgment against three impostors in Jeremiah’s day. Zedekiah, Ahab and Shemaiah arrogated to themselves the office of prophets that God never gave them. God declared them to be adulterers and liars, and placed a curse upon them in Israel for their hypocrisy and misleading utterances. These impostors had something in common; they were all involved in telling the people what they would like to hear.
This passage presents some salient lessons to us. First, God honours, supports and defends His faithful servants. Second, unregenerate minds cannot be used of God to liberate those in captivity. Third, we should be wary of ministers who preach only what people want to hear but avoid the bitter truth of God’s word. Fourth, God will definitely cut off the remembrance of impostors.
Faithfulness to God’s word will definitely draw criticisms and persecutions; but like Jeremiah, we must be resilient in our commitment to the truth. We are to rebuke sin and corruption but should not forget to spread the word of peace in the gospel of Christ to the society in a difficult time like this.
✍THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Test every Spirit and hold on to the truth.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 1 CHRONICLES 9-11.
MEDITATION
Rebellion in the house of God
The divine verdict a. The self styled prophet Shemaiah was accused of not only rebelling against the word of God but also teaching rebellion to others, v32. b. Severe judgements that also affected his lineage was pronounced on him, v32. c. Untimely death of all the male child that will be born to the family including his own untimely death were the evil verdict pronounced on him, v32. d. This agrees with Matthew 5:19 where Jesus said “whosoever shall break one of these least commandments (on the sermon of the mount) and shall teach men so” shall be cut off from the “kingdom of heaven”. e. Observe that his children who did not know the Lord will partake of the calamity even though they might not have been born by then. How wonderful is it to be truly saved and free from inherited curses!
The defining villany What really constituted what God called his rebellion against the Lord? a. He presumptuously sent a message to people of God in the name of the Lord when God had not sent him, vv25,26. b. His love for preeminence made him to hijack leadership authority of God’s appointed prophets, vv25,26. c. He was calling the appointed ministers of God unprintable names, like “mad” people out of self inspired overzealousness, v26. d. He was exercising the authority of a priest and judge, which God had not giving him, to dictate punishments and imprisonment of God sent servants in the name of the Lord, v26. e. He was guilty of enviously instigating the people of God against His truly sent servants and their messages, v27. f. He defiantly contradicted the clear word of God or prophesy of Jeremiah, the true servant of God, vv27,28. g. He, using his communicational ability, successfully and convincingly carried along the naive people of God and gave them false hope by causing them “to trust in a lie”, vv28,31. h. He lowered the standard of God’s word by speaking to please the people, telling them that captivity will be brief when the word of God said the opposite, vv28,31. i. He deliberately and consciously justified what God did not approve in the name of the Lord, vv31,32.
Ponder to make sure that traits of rebellion are not in you or those that are your ministers you enjoy listening to🤔
The demanded virtues a. It is easy to see the virtues that God demand from every child of God. Those virtues are diametrically opposed to rebellion and its “innocent tendencies.” b. Presumption, pride and self are root causes even though they may be justified with the name of the Lord. c. Meekness, humility, commitment to do the will of God, self crucifixion etc are virtues that God demanded from every true child of God. Jesus said, “learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls, Matthew 11:29.
Question Can you in your inward heart honestly claim that you are meek and lowly in heart?
The standard of God is not generational biased. The grace of God in the life of those who lived in the generation past will produce the same virtues in those who live in the modern time🤷♂️
Prayer points I want the old time grace of meekness and humility of Christ to be made deeper in my heart🙏 Let you word and your Spirit scan through my heart to expose and remove all tendencies towards rebellion in my heart 🙏 Take away all adoration and admiration that I have for rebellious ministers posing as servants of God🙏 Pray for convictiom and repentance for all ministers that are already treading the path of rebellion in order to have large followership🙏
Memory Verse: “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).
This chapter of the book of Revelation reveals many things concerning “the great whore”, a woman “with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,” and who has corrupted “the inhabitants of the earth… with the wine of her fornication” (verses 1,2). She was “arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold”, holding “a golden cup… full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication” (verse 4). The woman, “drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (verse 6) was also pictured as sitting upon “many waters”. John, the Beloved, who saw the vision of the woman sitting on the scarlet-coloured beast, was astonished at her appearance and apparel. He wondered with great amazement at what the woman and the beast symbolised. “And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns” (Revelation 17:7). One of the seven angels, pouring out the vials of God’s wrath observed that John was amazed at what he saw and offered to interpret the vision to him.
DEPICTION, POSITION AND PERVERSION OF THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS (Revelation 17:1-6; 13:1-6; Deuteronomy 18:9-12; Jeremiah 25:6,7; 51:47-49; Ezekiel 8:5-18; 24:13,14; Matthew 4:10; Ephesians 5:5; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; Colossians 2:18; 1 John 5:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; Revelation 18:12-16,20-24)
Apostle John was invited to closely observe the judgment determined by God upon the whore: “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters”. The judgment of the great whore and the inhabitants of the earth who have drunk the wine of her fornication is certain. Who does this whore (harlot) represent? A harlot or prostitute is an unfaithful and sensual woman who engages in sexual activity for money. The Scripture uses harlotry to express non-committal to a single person in relationship or involvement with multiple persons for filthy lucre. She is different from a faithful, upright and loyal woman who remains attached to her husband. In the Old Testament, Israel was portrayed as the wife of Jehovah (Isaiah 54:5; 62:5; Jeremiah 2:2,3) but her unfaithfulness to God made her to be tagged a whore or harlot (Hosea 2:2-13). In the New Testament, the true Church is pictured as the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-30; Revelation 19:6-9). So, this “great whore that sitteth upon many waters” represents the unfaithful, false, apostate church – a worldwide church that loves the world instead of Christ (1 John 2:15-17). It is the nominal church that calls Christ “Lord, Lord” but would not follow His teachings (Luke 6:46). This is the counterfeit church that persecutes true followers of Christ (Matthew 23:34-38; Galatians 4:29). The apostate church will have world-wide control during the great tribulation. The religious system of the last days will be an unmistakable manifestation of Satan’s counterfeit of true Christianity.
Question 1: What does the “mother of abominations” represent?
The lewd and abandoned whore or harlot, representing the corrupt, unfaithful, idolatrous and apostate church of the last days will be influential during the great tribulation. Her position of sitting “upon many waters” shows her intercontinental perversion. “The waters where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (verse 15). Here, “waters” symbolise nations as explained in Revelation 17:15. This harlot or false religious system will have and exercise great, world-wide and sovereign power. Her position is that of a ruler seated on a throne, ruling and controlling the nations of the world. Historically, the apostate church had seduced the rulers of the earth, leading them to idolatry, false worship and corruption. Even today, many princes, nobles and great men are entirely under the influence of the corrupt, unrighteous religious organisation. “And the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” When the Lord showed Apostle John the Bride of Christ, He took him to a mountain, great and high. But when He showed him the apostate church, he was carried into the wilderness. “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy.” Wherever there is spiritual adultery, there is desolation and a desert of dreary waste. Scarlet is the colour of luxury, splendour and royalty. The scarlet-coloured beast, the Antichrist, for a time will support and use the false religious system to bring about world unity. Eventually, he will openly bear names and titles of blasphemy. “And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls.” The woman, representing the church that has departed from the faith, is portrayed as a prostitute who has plied her trade successfully and become extremely wealthy. There is “a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication”. The life and secret acts of leaders and members in the apostate church are full of abominations, filthiness and all forms of uncleanness.
Question 2: What do the name and clothing of the great whore signify?
The name on the forehead of the harlot referred to spiritual Babylon, the mother or source of harlotry and abominations of the earth. The name identified the whore to be a religious system fostering and tolerating all the abominations that go with idolatry and spiritual fornication. As a harlot, she would promote the amalgamation of all false and Christ-less religion with a common purpose to defile and persecute the true Church. False religion has killed millions of believers over the centuries and the false religious system of the last days will be far deadlier than any that preceded it. “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration” (verse 6). History tells us that Queen Mary was a religious woman who ruled England from July 1553 until her death in 1558. She was also known as “Bloody Mary” because under her reign, over 280 Christians were burnt at the stake because of their Christian stand. Believers will surely experience trials but the comfort of the Scripture is, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
Question 3: Describe the method used by “worldly churches” to draw people away from true gospel.
DESCRIPTION AND DESTINY OF THE ANTICHRIST (Revelation 17:7-13; 9:1-3; 13:1-18; 11:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10; Daniel 7:7,8,20-26; 8:23-25; 11:36,45; 1 Timothy 4:1; Zechariah 1:18,19)
“The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit.” This refers to the Antichrist. He had an existence in the past (in the form of evil, wicked, anti-God government), but ceases to exist for a time. Then he would ascend from the bottomless pit, that is, he will be an incarnation of Satan and evil beyond anything ever seen before. He will embody all the terrorising traits of the ancient empires. “The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth” – undoubtedly referring to Rome, the seven-hilled city. The kingdom or government of the Antichrist will subdue and embody seven great kingdoms. His power will be great and supernaturally evil. He will conquer three more kingdoms. “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings.” These ten kingdoms will be under the power of the Antichrist and form a great alliance with him. The beast carrying the woman is connected with that of Revelation chapter thirteen; the beast will flourish for a while but will eventually be destroyed (Revelation 17:10,11). “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (Revelation 17:12,13). These ten horns on the seven-headed monster are united in the promotion of the same evil plan – to fight against Christ, the Lamb of God. These ten horns are ten kings which receive power to reign as kings one hour (for a brief period) with the beast (Revelation 17:12). The revived kingdoms of the end-time Roman Empire will be united in support and submission under the government of the Antichrist. The Antichrist will be so mighty and powerful as all the kings would give their power and strength to him. There is currently a high level of fraternity between the apostate church and the world. This is part of the satanic conspiracy to deceive multitudes and cause them to remain in wickedness which will lead to the eternal damnation of their souls. Believers must be wary of Satan’s subtle allurements which are aimed at inducing them to fall from steadfastness and faithfulness to the Lord. Christ’s warning remains, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4,5,11,24). Question 4: Why is it needful for believers to be watchful in these last days? As believers, we must not allow anyone to deceive us. Multitudes have been deceived from the simplicity of the gospel and have fallen into a false system of worship that permits a worshipper to call Jesus “Lord, Lord” but do not the things which He says. They blindly follow leaders who “promise them liberty”, but “they themselves are the servants of corruption”. Such people who follow the pernicious way will, no doubt, partake of the judgment reserved for the mother of abominations. The judgment of all who sell their souls to the apostate church and false religions will be terrible, fearful and eternal. The path of wisdom today is to repent genuinely and have faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.
DEFEAT AND DESTRUCTION OF THE ANTICHRIST AND APOSTATES (Revelation 17:14-18; 16:14,19; 19:15-20; Psalms 2:1-5; 21:8-12; 110:5; 149:5-9; Jeremiah 51:13; Micah 5:7-9; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Isaiah 14:27; Revelation 16:19; Romans 8:37)
“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” The ten kings and the Antichrist shall join forces to make war with the Lamb but He shall overcome them. As believers, we should rest assured that the Antichrist and his mighty army will fight against the Lamb but will not prevail. Christ must reign till all enemies are put under His feet. Though there are and will be myriads of opposition against His kingdom, He is sure to have the victory. Though many affronts may be raised by the enemy to frustrate us on our heavenward journey, we are more than conquerors through Jesus our Saviour (Romans 8:37). Christ’s victory is certain and predetermined over all forces of evil, the power and army of the Antichrist. Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings. He has supreme power over all the earth, and all kings and powers will be conquered and subdued under Him.
Question 5: What assurance does a believer have considering Satan’s inspired onslaughts against the Church?
“And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (verse 18). The woman represents mystery Babylon, religious Babylon, that is, the apostate church with all systems of false religion. The false worship of mystery Babylon, the mother of abominations, will influence and control the minds of multitudes of people on earth. The Antichrist will use the false prophet who will perform deceptive miracles and lying wonders to sway, win and hold the minds of men. After achieving his purpose, gaining control over the whole world, the Antichrist and his political alliance will turn against the religious movement of Babylon. Religious Babylon will be destroyed. “And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire” (verse 16). The Antichrist will eventually strip religious Babylon of its formidable power. Such destruction and overthrow of false religion is ordained by God; “For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled” (verse 17). And when God’s purposes are fulfilled, the beast and his alliance shall go into perdition. Believers should be determined to make the rapture so that they will not be here when all these things begin to happen. Let those who profess Christ commit the keeping of their souls unto Him who is able to save us to the uttermost.
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Pa Syndey Elton and the prophetic destiny of Nigeria
Dr. Sunday Adelaja.Pa Sydney Granville Elton was a towering apostolic and prophetic vessel in the hand of God specifically for Nigeria. This man lived in Nigeria for 50 years from 1937 to 1987, you can say he gave his life for Nigeria. Before he died he made this profound prophetic declaration about Nigeria.Pa Elton was no stranger to the prophetic. When he was a young man growing up in England God specifically spoke to him to move over to Nigeria and locate a town by the name of Ilesha. He searched and low and behold, he found such a town in Nigeria, it’ll be home for the next 50 years of his life.When he got to Ilesha, he became a part of an ongoing revival there led by Apostle Ayo Babalola. He ended up becoming a mentor to Apostle Babalola, and many other known Christian leaders in Nigeria. He was the spiritual father of Archbishop Benson Idahosa.Benson Idahosa testified of how God specifically gave him the name Ilesha and told him to go look for a white man there who will mentor him. There are other great names that came out of Pa Elton’s prophetic revelation to raise up future Christian leaders from Nigerian universities.The list of names that came out of that obedience is impressive; Pastor E.A Adeboye, W.F Kumuyi, Emeka Nwakpa, Gbile Akanni, Francis Wale Oke etc. His only daughter Ms Ruth, just like her father gave her life for the service of humanity in Nigeria. She got a Nigerian passport and refused to marry or move back to England.Listen to his prophecy about Nigeria and Nigerians: “Nigeria and Nigerians will be known all over the world for corruption. Your name Nigeria will stink for corruption but after a while, a new phase will come a phase of righteousness. People from the nations of the earth will hold to a Nigerian and say, We want to follow you to your nation to go and learn righteousness.”
Pa Elton and family
I believe that just as this man saw it in the spirit years back, Nigeria is presently going through that phase of shame and humiliation. I hope we will not give up on ourselves thereby spoiling the purpose of God for us as a nation. The name Nigeria is not only stinking to those afar but as we see today that it’s now having a bad odour to Nigerians themselves, such that many are now clamouring for any other state other than Nigeria.If we however can only persevere through these hard and difficult times, I’m certain there’ll be light at the end of the tunnel. Every dark night no matter how dark will eventually end up in a new dawn. I believe better days are still ahead for Nigeria, I pray we shall live to see and partake in those days in Jesus name.Dear Nigerians, our population is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to us. Our population is our trump card. If we had not had the population we have, things would have been gloomy for us. It is a pity that Nigerians talk more about tribalism and other things dividing us instead of celebrating the beauty and the majesty we possess, thanks to the fact that we are together. It is a pity that some parts of Nigeria now talk of breaking away. It is a shame that some Nigerians now see fellow Nigerians as enemies.It is unacceptable that there is now fights for separation in Biafra, Oduduwa nations all over the land. This is unacceptable, for it is aimed at bringing down one of the countries that have the capacity of becoming one of the greatest in the world, just by diversity of size and population alone. In the case of Africa it will be detrimental because this is the only country that has the real potential to fly the flag of the black race to greatness.Just for comparison, let’s assume that the United States of America did not have the population it has, let’s say it had only 30 million people, there is no way they would have become the super power of the world that they are today, neither economically nor militarily.Small nations don’t become super powers, not economically or militarily. That is why when America was smaller and consisted of only 13 states, they embarked on a mission of buying and taking over more lands and territories for the purpose of becoming a super power in the future. That is what led to the addition of other territories like Texas, California, Florida, Colorado, Porto Rico, to the entity of the United States of America, making them a super nation on the earth.In the history of the world at large, almost all nations went to war only for this purpose to expand their territory and population. It was obvious to them then just as it is to us today that only countries with bigger populations and bigger territories will be respected and honoured in the world.Can you imagine Russia being a super power without its population? When Russia was a super power, there were about 300 million people as well. After losing half of that population, Russia is not the same anymore even though they are still a large nation of almost 150 million people. As the case may be, if Russia had 10 million or 20 million people, their production capacity would not have been able to pull them through to become a super power.Only large populations create large economies. I know there are Nigerians who will say they don’t need a big country neither do they need a superpower nation, that they only need to eat and drink now. What if the Chinese have said the same thing at their trying hour, what if Americans have been satisfied with only 13 states, none of them would have become the beacon of hope they presently are to the world.Egocentrism and selfishness are what have brought Nigeria to the state she is in now, and it’s that same selfishness that makes people say just give me what to eat I care less for a great nation. This mentality of instant gratification is what is killing Nigeria, no matter how many smaller nations we are divided into we will take this demon with us. Great nations we run to for economic refuge were not built by people who thought about themselves and what to eat or drink only.Hence JFK the former President of America says not to ask for what your country could do for you but rather ask what you could do for your country. This is the mentality we need to build a great Nigeria. We need to begin to see the big picture in regards to the future of Nigerian, we need to know that we must sacrifice today to get a greater tomorrow.By the way, what we call hardship in Nigeria today is nothing compared to the hard price paid by those who built the nations we admire today, be it in Europe, America or Asia. Government doesn’t build great nations, only citizens do. Nigerians must stop their mindset of waiting for the government to do everything for them and begin to take charge of their nation’s themselves, just as they do in developed countries.There are many factors that make great nations great. The most important of those factors is the population. Are you not glad that Nigeria has that in abundance, why should we break that away into smaller, insignificant segments whatever it’s called; Oduduwa republic, Biafra or Arewa republics? Apart from the production power of a huge population like China, there is also the vantage position of their purchasing power.Still taking China, for example, people used to say China has the largest number of poor people in the world, but that was only a matter of time. In fact, right now, the events of the last few decades and the rapid development of the Chinese economy has left no one in doubt that China indeed is the future of our world.It is on its way to overcoming the USA to become the strongest and largest economy in the world. The same thing with India. Even though there is a large number of poor people in India today, it also has one of the largest number of millionaires, the same as China. The same will be the story with Nigeria, the Nigerian economy will recover and become like China or India sooner or later.If China or India had given up on their nations while they were the capitals of poverty in the world then they won’t have the results they have today. The tide shall turn for Nigeria too, nothing remains the same forever, change is the only constant in life, we won’t be the poverty capital of the world forever. By 2050 Nigeria will become one of the largest economies in the world this is the projection of the World Bank.Today India, not minding the fact that it is a developing country, now ranks as the 4th largest economy in the world. This is all thanks to their population. Nigeria and Nigerians therefore should be rejoicing and bragging about their good fortune to have managed to live together with so many diverse nations under one umbrella.Have you ever heard of The European Union coming together? Why do you think they did so? Do you think they had no reason in doing that? No, my friends, it is because they know the power and the strength of numbers. They know the place of the population in human development. Small, small nations even if they are 50, scattered all over Europe, are weak and defeatable without the strength of a combined population. They are vulnerable economically and militarily.We don’t need to begin to go through that process of bringing tribes and ethnic groups together all over again in Nigeria. It is already done for us either by chance or default. Whatever the case might be, Nigerians should be some of the most hopeful people on the planet, especially if we get our act together politically and economically.It is my firm belief that our nation Nigeria is just on the verge of announcing her arrival on the world stage as the Rising Sun of the new age. This is not the time for us to begin to use tribalism to pull ourselves down. It is not the time for us to begin to lay emphasis on our old and outdated stereotypes, blaming one tribe or the other for all the woes of our nation.Lastly, some people tell me, “But you are in Ukraine and Ukraine broke away from Russia, why do you not want Nigeria to do the same? Yes. Countries that broke away from Russia were fifteen. But do you know by name any of them right now? They broke away into insignificance, troubles, and instabilities.Hope you know what is happening in Ukraine right now? Have you heard about the civil war in Ukraine after they broke away from Russia? As Ukraine broke away from Russia, some parts of Ukraine are now fighting to also break away from Ukraine. It has already happened in Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia was a respected country until the voice of secession began to raise its ugly head.Today, you can hardly remember the names of the new nations, their plight has only worsened the direct opposite of what they aimed to get. There is no end to secession, as seen in the example of Yugoslavia once a country disintegrates, it continues to disintegrate.It was Kosovo that started the call for independence, but that one secession didn’t stop there, it led to Croatia clamouring for their independence too, once they are gone Slovenia became the next one. Now we have Republic of Serbia, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia. Bosnia and Hercegovina, they all have one thing in common, once glorious now unnoticed, unknown, unsung and ingloriousIt is true, countries indeed broke away from Russia, but they all broke away into insignificance, some into oblivion. Russia, still remains great until now. When they were part of something big, their strength was unmatched and they could not be conquered.I have made a strong argument in this article against the disintegration of Nigeria. I am convinced that secession is not nearly the end of Nigeria’s problems, it would rather be the beginning.If God forbid Biafra or Oduduwa manage to break away from Nigeria, that might only be the beginning of sorrow, because they too might end up breaking down into smaller segments, it’ll be good if they do without bitter civil wars among themselves. It’ll be a tale of woes and gory.Throughout these 20 articles,(check my facebook wall for previous) I have tried to make a case for why Nigeria is better together. I have tried my best to present arguments why Yorubas are better off in Nigeria.There is no doubt that we can create a great nation, a world superpower together. If all the 371 tribes in Nigeria bring together their strengths we can make the case for the black race. We can overcome all our challenges. We can stick together to create a better and greater Nigeria.Many countries have stuck together to resolve their problems. East and West Germany were two troubled states, but they chose to heal from the bitterness and hatred that was passed down their throats. They chose to heal from the wounds of a bitter war.As a result of that choice, Germany is a world Superpower today. Nigeria too can do the same. Nigeria can heal from the wounds of our present divides. Nigeria can move from the pains of our economic failure, overcome the bandits and the kidnappings. Nigeria can choose to be a nation in brotherhood,if we do this, Nigeria will one day sit on the same table as America, England, China, France, India and other great nations as equals. It is our place to carry the flag for the black race and become the pride of Africa and all Africans everywhere.Dr Sunday Adelaja is the Nigerian born founder and senior pastor of the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations, an evangelical–charismaticmegachurch and a Christian denomination in Kyiv, Ukraine.
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1902-1966 Church of the Lord (Aladura) Nigeria Multiple versions are available: (A)(C)(D)
Josiah Ositelu was the son of an illiterate pagan farmer from Ogere town in Ijebuland, about three miles west of Iperu. His mother hailed from Owo, but his father Asaye Dawodu belonged to the Lisa family, which is traditionally the second chieftaincy house in Ogere, and his grandfather was a highly respected person in the community.
The children born before Josiah all died at a young age, allegedly through the evil forces of witches and so when he was conceived, his parents consulted an Ifa priest who assured them that he would survive. Josiah was born on May 15, 1902 and was called Ifakoya meaning “Ifa has avenged my cause” [1]. The Ifa priest prophesied that the boy would distinguish himself and would be endowed with spiritual authority and virtues.
As Ositelu was growing into boyhood, his spiritual endowment and mental alertness made him a very unusual child. He was reported to have prophesied about the future, revealed unknown secrets from the past, read signs in the sky, detected witches, and to have had unusual dreams of being taught by holy beings [2]. His parents were anxious about these signs because they feared he might be under evil influence. Diviners however assured his parents that the signs were that of a great future, and also that Ositelu would lead both Europeans and Africans into the ways of the Lord.
When he was of school age, his parents did not want him to go to school because of the natural fear of losing him especially as an Ifa prophecy stated that he should not be flogged or sent on errands. Dr. Turner told the story of how this fear was overcome when he was eleven years old. He had been sent by his father to go and help on the farm and was punished when he played on the way. On the third day his father fell from a palm tree and was seriously injured and it took him two years to recover from the injury. This experience was given as a reason why his father sent him to school. If he could not help in the farm or be punished for his behaviour, he could not be of any use in the community [3]. He was therefore sent to the Anglican school at Ogere, his hometown, in 1913 and completed his elementary education in standard five (the highest class at that time) in 1991 at Christ Church School, Porogun in Ijebu-Ode. He was thus able to convey his ideas, though not fluently in English.
It was almost automatic in those days for any child who attended a church school to be baptized and become a member of the church. Consequently, Ositelu was baptized on August 28th, 1914 by the Anglican minister at Iperu, and took the Christian name Josiah. He loathed name given to him at birth (Ifakoya) and preferred to call himself Oyenowo(“chieftaincy has honour”) and later still, Olunowo(“God has honour”). He thus became known as Josiah Olunowo Ositelu, the last being his grandfather’s name. In 1922, he was confirmed by Assistant Bishop Oluwole in St. Peter’s Church, Abeokuta. At school, Josiah had shown a peculiar interest in the spiritual realities of the Christian faith.
After his education in 1919, he was appointed a pupil teacher and taught in a number of Anglican schools, first at Orile-Imo (Abeokuta) and then at Asha, a town about fourteen miles from Ogere. He was at Asha from 1921 to 1923. While there he received training as a catechist under the clergy at Ishara, another Remo town, some ten miles away. From Asha he moved to Erunbe where he spent eighteen months before he was sent to Erukute to relieve a teacher-catechist who had gone for a year’s course at St. Andrew’s College, Oyo. Ositelu was made to believe that he was a prospective candidate for such a course.
At Erukute, he served as the only teacher in the Anglican School as well as the catechist responsible for conducting services and Bible classes under the supervision of Rev. D. M. George the clergy in charge of Ishan sub-district. He was also the secretary for the Ishan local church committee. The future actually looked rosy for Josiah in the Anglican Church but his boyhood experiences returned to change the course of his life.
Perhaps, the turning point in his life was his vision on the night of May 17th, 1925, when he saw a large eye “reflecting as a great orbit of the sun” [4] which was as big as the head of a cow. Although this vision might have represented God, Ositelu thought it symbolized the influence of witches in his life. He was so disturbed that he could not sleep that night and on the following day, he consulted the elders. On hearing the story they advised him to return home to Ogere for the vision might have caused tragic events in his family. When he narrated the vision to his parents, they were very much disturbed and it was said that his mother spent over a pound consulting with native doctors to make protective medicine for him. But all these initiatives produced no results and his fears increased. Disillusioned, he returned to Erekute, his station, and when the trouble continued, he was granted a long leave from his work to give him time to find a permanent solution.
It was suggested that an elder, Samuel Shomoye, who lived at Dada Village near Erekute could help him resolve his problem. Shomoye was a man of the Spirit and had been a follower of an evangelist, Aiyelabola. He told Ositelu not to have any fear and that his experiences were not a bad omen but indications that he was being called by God. He recommended that by reading the Psalms and through prayer and fasting he would overcome the evil powers haunting him. The Church of the Lord came to believe that God had sent evil forces to “whip Ositelu into the right way.” This phenomenon is not strange in the Christian church for examples abound like St. Paul the Apostle who was smitten with blindness on his way to Damascus where he had intended to persecute Christians [5]. Although his blindness was later cured, he remained partially blind for the rest of his life [6]. There are many modern church prophets who allegedly received such afflictions as a consequence of their reluctance to accept the call to preach [7]. Shomoye advised him to do away with native charms and medicines which he did. It is the view of Turner that this simple gospel of faith in God alone, with prayer and fasting, become the working basis of the church that Ositelu subsequently founded [8].
Ositelu returned to his work at Erekute with this new conviction. Even though he had more evil dreams, he reported that he was helped by a holy man in his dream “who dealt the witches with heavy blows until they were turned into cows, horses, rats, cats and some deformed creatures” [9]. On the 19th of June, 1925, he commenced fasting as Shomoye had advised and from the 27th of June, 1925, he began to hear voices that invited him to become a prophet and promised him divine authority and support. This continued for six consecutive months. He carefully recorded these messages in massive journals in which nearly ten thousand entries were made. The following are the central messages he heard between June and November 1925:
Your prayers are heard. After many afflictions. I will uplift you. Be not afraid. I am with you. (27th of June)
I will anoint you as my prophet, even as Elijah anointed Elisha with oil in the olden days, so it shall be unto you. (28th of August)
Gradually, the seals of power will come to you. Your good time draws on apace. (28th of September)
The Lord will give you a strong constitution and people will be streaming after you. (24th of September)
Thou shall teach the Oyo students, and those that are beyond the seas. (lOth of October)
The Elders will hold council to change your heart, but you will prevail. (4th of November)
I will build new Jerusalem in you. You are the one whom Jesus Christ has sent like the last Elijah to repair the Lord’s road and make His way straight. (5th of November}
I will give you a key of power like Moses, and will bless you like Job… I am the God of Kah… the God of Jah. (15th of November) [10]
Thus, the call of Josiah was predicated on God’s promises of authority, power and divine leadership to guide a group of people along the way of the Lord. The appearance of Elijah and the references to the “seals of power” and the new divine names thus formed part of the holy words found in the Church of the Lord, even today.
Throughout his nocturnal battles with the witches he continued to call upon God under such revealed names as Alljohnan or Anomonolnollahhuhah which he might have been taught by Pastor Shomoye. It is believed by Turner that some of the practices and taboos of the Church of the Lord seem to have their origin in this early period [11].
Ositelu could no longer remain in the Anglican Church or the Anglican Church could no longer tolerate (or contain) him. He was questioned about the innovations and “irregularities” he was introducing into the church. In addition to the problems he had with the authorities regarding his future in the Anglican Church, he had a very frustrating problem which had a direct bearing on his personal life and future. The girl he proposed to marry threatened to break up with him if he refused to change his ways and obey the orthodox (Anglican) way. To this, Josiah gave the same reply Peter gave to the Sanhedrin, that he would obey God rather than men [l2] and bade her farewell.
Further trouble began on February 2, 1926 when he was summoned before a group of seven clergymen at Ishan in the house of his immediate superior, the Rev. D. M. George, to defend himself against the charges of introducing irregularities or innovations into the church. There was no way he could win against a committee that was already prejudiced. No one who had made seemingly heretical statements in public about the beliefs of the church had ever won against the church leaders. Thus, Arius lost his case at Nicaea in 325 A.D. and many others after him. One is not surprised therefore, that Josiah was unable to defend himself against the allegation that he had made heretical statements. His suspension was subsequently announced by Rev. D. M. George on February 25, 1926.
On the 19th of April, 1926, the district council met at Abeokuta and decided to dismiss Josiah from the Anglican Church. This decision was communicated through Rev. D. M. George. Ositelu’s dismissal from the Anglican Church hastened the establishment of his church, the Church of the Lord (Aladura), even though this came much later.
After his dismissal he worked for some time as a clerk in one of his aunts’ shops but he spent most of his time there praying, fasting and recording the series of messages he received in dreams and visions. In fact, in order to have time to do these things he withdrew like St. Paul [13] from public view to ostensibly work for his aunt. The revelations continued and he made more and more entries in his journals until the more fully developed “holy script” appeared a year later. Like Arabic or Hebrew it was written from right to left. The script was said to be quite similar to both Greek and Syriac forms. The conjecture was that Ositelu might have seen a Greek Testament and some kind of Arabic text. The most significant of the messages he received was that of August 31, 1926, when he was asked to preach the gospel and give the water of life to those who listened and repented.
Even after a year of revelations as a prophet, Ositelu did not start evangelical work. In order to gain more experience and therefore more confidence, he decided to return to his spiritual master, Shomoye, to continue his apprenticeship. On the 13th of February, 1927, he returned to the small village near Erukute where Shomoye placed him under spiritual guidance for two years. Shomoye had identical experiences and he (Shomoye) was establishing Aladura churches for the surrounding villages. He later had a large church building at Dada and he trained his assistants to man the branches. Ositelu served his apprenticeship satisfactorily and developed his power of prophecy and continued to record many revelations.
One of his April 1927 revelations was his own personal holy name, Arrabablalhubab. He used the sign for the next twenty years as a personal signature. This formed the content of the Great Seal of the Organization described in its 1954 constitution. Other revelations confirmed the promise that “the fame of the glory of God’s name shall be spread up to Syria and America.” In reference to the church Ositelu was to found as the Church of the Lord, many coloured diagrams, drawings and symbolisms were revealed to Josiah during his stay at Dada, under the guidance of Shomoye. During this period, evangelist Aiyelabola who brought with him a follower named Daniel Ajayi Adefola, a young Ekiti man, visited Shomoye. Ajayi and Ositelu became friends and, consequently, Ajayi decided to stay back with Shomoye and later became Ositelu’s assistant when he started his ministry. They were both companions for a year until a rift between them caused Ajayi to return to his hometown of Okemesi where he founded a small church along the sames lines as the Church of Lord.
While it is true that a prophet is not without honour except in his own home [l4] Ositelu nevertheless found it necessary to return to Ogere, his birth place. Ositelu felt commissioned to preach to his own people in Ijebuland and in Egba and Ibadan. The period of preparation for the spiritual battle against evil powers was now over. He now had the secrets of victory and felt armed for bigger battles as a prophet of God among his people.
Mission in Ijebuland
Assisted by Ajayi, the Ekiti man, Josiah started his mission to Ijebuland with open air preaching at Ogere on June 9th, 1929. For about one year, he concentrated on Ogere before spreading the message to other territories. This was not without opposition from certain quarters. Ositelu spoke in tongues in meetings by using holy words which he derived from his vision. Important Aladura leaders from Ilesa and Ibadan made contacts with him for he had begun to acquire the fame of a renowned prophet during this period.
This growth bore some similarities to the parable of the mustard seed [15] and the revelation and events which soon followed had some biblical overtones. For example, on July 27, 1929, there was an inaugural service of the Church of the Lord which was held in Lisa compound at Ogere at 9.00 am with ten people in attendance. Ositelu based his sermon on Acts 2:39: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children and to all that are far off even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” It was an appropriate passage for the foundation of a church. He also had hanging in his parlor at Ogere, a framed picture of the water of life with statements containing the three main revelations of June and July which gave divine approval for the establishment of a new church. To give grace to these revelations the first church building of the Church of the Lord was dedicated on New Year’s Day in 1931.
Ositelu was accepted by the revival movement in Ibadan in July 1930, but by January 1931 the short romance had broken up. Two new leaders joined the Church of the Lord: Aina (who stayed for four years) and Abimbolu (who has remained one of the strong leaders at the Ibadan Assembly).
From Ogere, Ositelu went to Ibadan in 1931 to live with Pastor Aina, then a prophet in the Faith Tabernacle Church. Pastor Aina was also a Bible teacher and he had many disciples among whom were prophet Orekoya and some others, all living together happily as brothers in the church.
A schism between Ositelu and the Ibadan congregation took place when Ositelu tried to impose his peculiar strange teachings on the group. He declared that God had to be called some strange names before their petitions could be granted. Such names were Adusa-Kataburra and Lamulamugora. Orekoya and others rejected this new form of worship but some supported Ositelu and they went with him to form the Church of the Lord. The rest left to form the church later known as the Apostolic Church.
Ositelu at Home
Prophet Ositelu lost his father in 1927 before the Church of the Lord was born. His mother became the first lady president of the church and lived till 1948. After her death, Mrs. Dorcas Oyebola Sodipo succeeded her.
Having regarded his first failed attempted at getting married as part of God’s plan, Ositelu went on to marry seven wives. In fact, it was first predicted to him at the Ibadan meeting that he would have three wives but that number was later changed to the next spiritual number, seven. Ositelu saw this as God’s reward to compensate for his first disappointment, a sacrifice he made in obedience to God’s call. His first wife was Orebo. He married his second wife, Agnes Odutayo, in 1932 in a service conducted by J. Ade Aina, at the Ogere church. Orebo and her children all died within a few years and Agnes, a tall and beautiful woman, became the senior wife. Second to her was Susannah, who became a prophetess in the Sagamu branch of the church, returning later to Ogere.
Ositelu was blessed with many children and his oldest surviving son is Gabriel Olusegun born to Agnes in 1938. After his secondary school education, Olusegun was trained as an agriculturist but was satisfied with helping the church as a layman. The eldest surviving daughter, Susannah, was born in 1940 and received secondary school education. She remained very loyal to the church.
The first residential building at Ogere, called “Faith Home” was completed between 1932 and 1933 for Ositelu and his household. The house had seven rooms. One room containing the framed texts of the 1930 covenants is known as the “Covenant Parlour” and another with a framed picture of Michael stamping on the devil is called the “Michael Parlour.” More impressive headquarters, Oluwaseyi Mansion(“God has provided this mansion”), was dedicated in 1954 after the foundations were laid in 1949. It provided accommodation for the entire family of the primate, his secretaries and assistants and guests from distant places. It has remained the personal property of the founder, the criticisms by some members of the church notwitstanding. Ositelu’s name is painted across the front walls of the building.
Prophet Ositelu was a gentle, humble and hospitable man with a magnetic and compelling personality when he was called to the work.
Ositelu’s Christian background was derived entirely from the Anglican Church in Ijebu and Egba areas. Thanks to the religious and secular instruction during his six years of elementary school he was well versed in the study of both the Yoruba and English Bibles and this helped him acquire a “biblical cast of thoughts.” This Christian education was supplemented by the supervision and supplementary classes he later received as a teacher/catechist for about seven years. Turner holds the view that there is no evidence he was influenced by overseas religious literature that played a large part in the Faith Tabernacle section of the Aladura Movement. Such evidence may have been suppressed by the emphasis on Ositelu’s charismatic personality and the dominant position he occupied in his own church for his lot was not cast in Lagos, Ibadan or Ijebu Ode, where foreign literature might more easily be found, but rather in a small town of Ogere and in the bush villages of Erukute and Dada which are still, over thirty years later, not easily accessible [l6].
Thus, we see the characteristic features of the Aladura Movement in Ositelu but strange enough, he was not a follower of any other Aladura group, as some people claim. A leader in the Cherubim and Seraphim Organization has claimed that Ositelu “grew up” in that society. It is a historical fact that this society (Cherubim) was only beginning during Ositelu’s formative years in 1925 and 1926 and was founded in Lagos, fifty miles away. He did not hear of them until 1928. The claim by the Cherubim and Seraphim Church that Ositelu was a member of that society for some time is contrary to Ositelu’s account of having first come into contact with the Cherubim and Seraphim movement at Ogere late in 1930.
Josiah Ositelu’s spiritual history, though based on Anglican training, and coloured by the Scriptures, occurs within the climate of the Aladura Movement and it remained the independent development of an unusual and charismatic personality [17]. He parted with the Faith Tabernacle because the leaders could not accept the “Holy Names” which he saw in vision [18]. After the initial growth pains the Church of the Lord spread not only within Ijebuland, but as far as Egbaland, the Ibadan and Lagos areas and throughout former Western Nigeria. In spite of many secessions, the church has continued to grow from strength to strength.
Northern Nigeria
The pioneering efforts for the spread of the Church of the Lord in northern Nigeria were made by Mr. S. A. Ogunnaike, an Ijebu man, who was converted in Lagos by Adejobi in 1944. He went to the North in 1950 and remained there for over ten years. He was responsible for establishing the church in Kaduna, Kano and Jos in the early fifties. The story of the church in the North is full of personality clashes between church leaders.
Eastern Nigeria
The establishment of the Church of the Lord in eastern Nigeria was somewhat delayed, consequently the church did not gain reasonable ground there. A survey made from Sapele in 1945 for the establishment of the Church in eastern Nigeria, did not bear fruit until January 1956 when an Igbo minister started work in Aba. The work progressed reasonably well. The primate travelled all the way from Ogere to Aba covering over six hundred kilometres to inaugurate the church on June 17th, 1956 before a congregation of seventy-four men and ninety women [l9].
In 1957 Rev. Sonoiki visited from Ogere, and baptized fifty-three members and appointed twenty-six cross bearers. An outstation was opened at Port Harcourt in 1956. In 1957, Sonoiki visited it and baptized some members and also appointed cross bearers. It is reported that when Aba withdrew her support in 1956 [sic] the branch collapsed [20].
The only other centre of work in the East was at Enugu. A branch was started in July 1957 and Sonoiki included a visit in his itinerary during his tour of the East in 1957. The slow expansion of the Church in the East and the relatively small number of stations after six years (1956-1962) with only two ministers and no permanent church building was most unfortunate. Turner speculated that it was all due to rivalry between the Yoruba and Igbo peoples and that many Yoruba preferred to work in other West African countries or northern Nigeria rather than in eastern Nigeria [21]. This couldn’t have been true, especially as they did not fare better among the Ijaws, Efik, Annang and Ogoja tribal groups that are not Igbo. One would also wonder why the Port Harcourt branch outside Igboland could not survive while those at Aba and Enugu in the heart of Igboland survived. His view that it was difficult to persuade the right type of ministers to go to the distant and strange world of the East is not very acceptable [22] considering his own argument that: “The recruitment and training of his ministers has been a major problem to Ositelu from the beginning of the church, and it remains unsolved today” (1967) [23].
The problem then seemed to be a staff shortage. Turner also made a point when he attributed the church’s slow expansion to the political system of Eastern Nigeria where there are no large indigenous towns under traditional kings which could support in turn, a host of small independent churches and healing homes [24]. Added to this was the fact that there were many other Aladura churches in the East before the Church of the Lord arrived. Since all of them were associated with drumming, spiritual healing with water, prayers and the wearing of white robes, the church easily passed for a branch of the existing Aladura churches. It was necessary for the Church of the Lord to go through a period of adaptation in order to succeed among the indigenous population of the east which had many local prophets and religious movements.
According to the vision of the primate, the spread of the Church of the Lord would not be restricted to Nigeria alone. It was revealed to him that his church would spread not only in West Africa but also as far as England and America.
Liberia
A Liberian lawyer, Hon. Justice Barclay visited Nigeria in September 1946, on a healing trip. During the course of his visit he was impressed by the activities of the Church of the Lord. He visited Ogere, the church headquarters, where he met the primate. He and his men discovered the use of consecrated water for healing and were impressed by the prophecies which revealed many things about their own lives and other signs of the power of God in the church. Primate Ositelu later discussed with the Barclays the possibility of establishing a branch in Liberia. By January 1947, the primate received a reply from the Barclays’ stating that the time was not ripe due to a lack of accomodation. They however added that a prophet could be sent to make a survey and return with a report. The primate replied that one Prophet Oduwole would be in Liberia not only to make a feasibility survey but “to establish the church at once, in God’s name” [25]. Two weeks later, Oduwole whom the Barclays met in Ogere set off for Liberia. He was joined in Lagos by Prophet Adejobi who was scheduled to go to Sierra Leone without a definite invitation. On Thursday, April 3rd, 1947, Oduwole landed at Monrovia and lodged with the reluctant Barclays.
He began his evangelistic work on the same day. His first patient was Mrs. Barclays’ brother-in-law whom he prayed for and healed to the astonishment of many people. This caused many to visit him in the Barclays’ residence the following day. It was reported that the Barclays’ cheerfully gave him the ground floor of their residence for use as a chapel. It was there that the Church of the Lord was established in Monrovia, Liberia. Because of the close connection between the Barclays’ and president Tubman, Prophet Oduwole was introduced to the president who showed special interest in his work.
Due to an unfortunate quarrel between the prophet and the Barclays’ he was thrown out of their residence, but in October 1954 he moved to the residence of Mrs. Abul which was given to the church free of charge. The church continued to grow not only in Monrovia but throughout Liberia, with quarrels here and there. Training institutes for the prophets, divine healing hospitals and maternity centres were established. By 1962 the church had been firmly planted in twelve centres in Liberia.
The relationship between the Church of the Lord and the state continued to be cordial. This is illustrated by the tragic event of April 7th, 1965 when a patient in the faith home murdered prophet Oduwole who was praying for him. President Tubman and a number of the members of his cabinet attended the funeral and businesses were closed at noon, while flags were flown at half-mast. The president also made some provision for Oduwole’s family.
Gold Coast (Ghana)
Prophet Adeleke Adejobi started a church in Ghana in March 1953, and by June of the same year, barely three months after Adejobi, Oduwole also started his own missionary work in the Gold Coast because he resented Adejobi’s mission and saw it as an infringement on his territory [26]. It is reported that he established a church in Accra and another branch along the coast at Komenda.
Prophet Oduwole did not restrict his work to Liberia and the Gold Coast. He also founded a branch of the church at Lome, Togo in 1961. This was the first mission to be established outside the English-speaking area of West Africa. Oduwole regarded the French-speaking neighbouring country of Côte d’Ivoire as part of his allotted territory. Though he did not launch his mission there he made reasonable contacts towards establishing the Church of the Lord in the country before his death.
Sierra Leone
Adeleke Adejobi distinguished himself as a hard-working prophet in the Lagos area. In 1946, he was in charge of the main branch at Elegbata. That year he received a vision directing him to go to Freetown to establish the Church of the Lord. Primate Ositelu permitted him to go on this mission. But there was no definite invitation from Sierra Leone or any contact made, as had been the case in Liberia. Adejobi commended his mission to God. A Creole couple, Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Bell, who worked in the P.&T. Department in Lagos in 1947, were attending Adejobi’s church at Elegbata. Both Adejobi and Oduwole,–the latter reputedly established the Monrovian mission,–accompanied the couple who were going on leave. They provided accommodation for the two missionaries at their home in Freetown when they landed there on March 21st, 1947. Oduwole stayed there for nine days before proceeding on to Monrovia.
It is said that the people became interested as soon as they saw Adejobi and Oduwole in their white gowns. The people inquired whom they were and started to visit them in their residence for prayers. After the departure of Oduwole, Adejobi inaugurated the Church of the Lord on Easter Day, April 6th, 1947, with a congregation of forty in the morning and fifty-eight in the evening. He was offered free accommodation by Mrs. Laura Dove Savage and within a month of his arrival he had a congregation of about six hundred. In less than four months, Adejobi laid the foundation stone of the first branch of the Church of the Lord in Sierra Leone. But the infant congregation however suffered many tribulations which involved police and court cases. It took a year for the tumult to subside. By 1952 a magnificent church building which cost seven thousand pounds had been completed in Freetown. The primate travelled from Nigeria to dedicate it in October 1952. The church was also established in the interior part of Sierra Leone.
At the request of the people of the Gold Coast, through the primate when he visited Sierra Leone in 1952, Adejobi was asked to extend his mission work there. He arrived the Gold Coast in March 1953, and stayed there for eight months, travelling extensively. He established many churches in the course of his mission. In the next seven years, he reportedly paid at least eight more visits,–some for periods of up to six months,–to this distant section of what soon came to be known as his “Sierra Leone-Gold Coast See.” A chain of churches spread along the coast eastwards from Takoradi into the far comers of Ashanti country growing from strength to strength in spite of the rivalry between Adejobi and Oduwole.
Europe
The divine service for the inauguration of the First West African Church in Europe was held on the 12th of April 1964 at St. Andrew’s Congregational Church in London [27]. This was through the commendable effort of Prophet Adejobi who went there for further studies. This church was mostly made up of Africans and West Indians residing in England.
America
Through spiritual revelation the primate had known that his church would extend to America in his life time. He therefore assigned the territory to Oduwole, one of his able lieutenants. The mission was fulfilled through Mrs. Angeline Toles whom Oduwole had healed and to whom he had given his consent to proceed overseas for further studies. While studying at Atlanta University, she told the story of her life to some Negro Christian brothers and sisters. She formed a prayer group which she called “Samuel Oduwole Spiritual Club.” It is said that the club spread into several Methodist and Baptist churches in Atlanta, Philadelphia and New York, with weekly meetings and annual conventions. Between September 1956 and December 1957 there were eighteen recorded cases of healing overseas through the use of handkerchiefs, prayers and fasting.
One cannot tell the story of Primate Ositelu, the founder of the Church of the Lord, without telling the story of the church during his life time, because it was through the church that he became a prominent figure. Separating him from the church is therefore impossible. Ositelu’s Aladura church started only in 1931, after many others had taken off. Although he did not see himself as competing with them, yet his church quickly became a force to be reckoned with. There is no doubt that his results were not spectacular within the first ten years, yet when the church started to grow, Ositelu recorded more remarkable success than other Aladura churches predating his. Admittedly, he had administrative problems especially as eighteen splinter groups developed from his church. He was also lucky to have such energetic workers as Adejobi, Oduwole and Ogunnaike and he must nevertheless be commended for winning the confidence of such workers who could have safely started their own Aladura churches, as was the practice then.
It is on record however that the church could not satisfy the demands of all those who wanted branches of the Church of the Lord established in their area. For instance, the invitations from Calabar, Gold Coast, Gambia and London were not fully met. A lack of manpower was the primate’s most serious constraint. There is no doubt that the church would have expanded more rapidly if there had been enough hands. The Taborah [29] of the church was inaugurated as a unifying factor.
It is to the credit of the primate that he did not impose his son’s leadership on the church, thus making it a family or hereditary business. He did not want the church to disintegrate in a battle for leadership. Thus, before his death on July 12th, 1966 he appointed Apostle Adejobi as his successor. He even went as far as grading other leaders for the same reason. There is no doubt that Primate Ositelu died a very satisfied man.
African Church history is rich with stories of renewals across the continent. Garrick Braide is one of the pioneers of revival in Africa. Braide was born ca. 1882 in Obonoma, a small Kalabari pagan village in the Niger Delta (now Bayelsa, Delta and River State in the South of Nigeria). This village was noted as one of the leading places of pagan worship and pilgrimage in Nigeria. His parents were servants of the Ogu cult which was a titular deity of Obonoma. His parents were very poor; therefore Braide did not have the opportunity of being educated. He later became a Christian and was baptized on January 23rd 1910 at St Andrews Anglican Church in Bakana. Garrick Braide was an Ijaw man by tribe, but he had to learn the Church catechism in Igbo language, as this was the language of instruction in all the Niger-Delta Pastorate. Braide had to learn the Ten Commandments, The Lord’s Prayer and the Creeds in Igbo before he was baptised. After his baptism, he was confirmed by Rev. James Johnson. Around 1912 Braide was beginning to be noted for his enthusiasm and religious exercises. He later felt called by the Lord into ministry and was accepted as a lay preacher in the Anglican Church of the Niger-Delta pastorate.
Braide’s method of teaching and ministry was very different from that of the Mission Churches. While they introduce Christianity through the teaching of the Creeds, The Lord’s Prayer and catechism, Braide adopted a more practical approach and contextualized the Gospel among the Delta people. He taught the people to renounce their gods, destroy their fetishes and to simply believe in the Lord Jesus. This approach is Biblical, as reflected in 1 Thessalonians 1: 9-10. Braide was convinced that the approach of the Mission Churches did not deal with the root problems of the Delta people; namely idol worshipping. He knew that until the Delta people lost faith in their witch doctors, idols and fetishes there could be no true conversion. To this end he organized a crusade against charms, idol worshipping and the use of fetish objects. The following are some of his teachings:
(1) He emphasized absolute dependence on God and explained sin and suffering as cause and effect. He taught the people to depend on God for physical and spiritual healing. He encouraged his hearers not to seek traditional medicine nor seek the help of medical doctors.
(2) He also preached that people should abstain from alcoholic beverages and refrain from dealing in magical practices.
(3) Braide demanded a strict observance of Sunday, because in the traditional religion the day of rest was every eighth day, Fenibene, ceremonially observed for the gods. Sunday was the Lord’s Day; therefore no normal activities should take place.
(4) He recommended a liturgy in which the indigenes should praise God in their local songs, prayers and worship. Braide taught Africans how to worship God in an African way. He castigated the missionaries for not taking the world-view of the Africans into consideration in presenting the Gospel. The Mission Churches made Christianity too remote and intellectual to meet the ritualistic needs of the Delta people’s traditional religion.
Braide’s methods of ministry redefined Christianity as a practical religion for the people of the Niger-Delta, and the result was a large number of conversions to the Anglican Church. Braide, using and encouraging the native language of the Ijaw people and not Igbo, made Christianity available to the average person. He reasoned from his own personal experience of learning the Church doctrines in Igbo that it took a long time, making it burdensome to become a Christian. Aided also by his ability to demonstrate the gift of healing through prayer, he was accepted by his people as a Prophet commissioned by God. The effect of Braide’s preaching was evident in the number of those coming to the enquirers’ class (a modern day equivalent of The Alpha Course). At the Anglican Church the number of people enquirering about Christianity ca. 1909 was 300, but by 1912 (when Braide was already involved in evangelistic activities) the number increased to 2,933. Another influence Braide’s preaching had on the Ijaw people was to convict them to set on fire their fetishes and charms. Like the Biblical Gideon he stopped people from offering sacrifices to the great divinity of Kalabari. Visitations to witch doctors also dramatically decreased as the people relied on God for healing. Another change that occurred was the fall in the sales of alcohol and beverages. As a result, the British administration faced a deficit of £576,000 in 1916, a loss which was ascribed to Garrick Braide’s movement. Braide moved from one village to another preaching the Gospel and telling the people to renounce their fetishes. His ministry spread from Bonny to Urhoboland, Benin and Yorubaland. Some Anglican ministers who supported Braide’s ministry noticed that the statistical figures of those becoming Christians had risen steeply. The cross of Christ was erected in the place of idols, revival meetings were held with thousands of people attending and people were healed faster at Braide’s meetings than in the care of the traditional or European doctors.
Garrick Braide achieved in three months what the Church Missionary Society (CMS) had not attained in half a century. Bishop James Johnson, the supervisor of the Niger-Delta, believed that Braide was gifted by God, but only as long as Braide acknowledged that he was endowed by God. Braide used his gift to win thousands of converts into the Anglican Church under James Johnson for a period of seven years. Braide’s ministry was a success in that there was an awakening in Nigeria which had never occurred before. Initially, several Anglican clergy declared their approval of Braides’s evangelistic crusades because of the obvious increase in Church membership which resulted in mass baptisms, especially in the Anglican Churches.
Later the Anglican Church authorities became suspicious and ultimately very critical of Braide’s activities because he did not apply the discipline of the Anglican Church. He was accused of tolerating polygyny and calling himself ‘the second Elijah’ (Elijahredivivus). Braide had inevitably become the object of adoration because he was popular among his people. It was even reported that people wanted to drink his bathwater in order to be healed. Personality worship, something common in Pentecostal circles today, took the place of true worship as people regarded disobeying Garrick Braide as disobeying God. The final straw came in February 1916, when chiefs from all over the Delta assembled to meet with Bishop James Johnson. The purpose of the gathering was to persuade the Bishop to give Braide an officially recognized place in the Delta Church. The request was tantamount to asking Johnson to institute the office of the Prophet in the Anglican orders. His rejection of this request led to a great schism. From this time on Braide’s followers rejected the leadership of Bishop James Johnson and the Anglican Church. Later on, as the situation deteriorated, James Johnson appealed to the Colonial administration to intervene. This intervention was welcomed by the Colonial Authorities for obvious reasons. Firstly as mentioned earlier the reduction of the sales of alcohol as a result of Braide’s preaching caused a huge deficit for the Colonial government. The Government had largely depended on the sale of alcohol for its revenue, hence their willingness to intervene. A second reason for intervention, was the prophetic movement of William Wade Harris (1865-1929) which was contemporaneous with the Braide movement and which the Colonial administration in Ivory Coast (now Cote d Ivoire) had claimed was associated with political matters. In 1915 the French government in Ivory Coast had thought it expedient to arrest and expel Harris, so the British government thought it wise to follow suit. It must also be reasoned that the Colonial powers felt threatened by a strong local man with a large following.
In March 1916 Braide was finally arrested and accused of insurrection, blasphemy and schism. He was pronounced guilty by the Colonial Authorities and was sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour. Shortly before he was to be released in November, eight further charges were brought against Braide and his followers. He remained in prison until January 1918. His activities after release from prison are unknown, and he was said to have survived only eleven months. He died on 15 November 1918 following an illness.
After his death his followers founded the Christ Army Church and flourished under the leadership of Rev S.A. Coker. Braide himself had never intended to start a Church of his own; he had always insisted that his mission was that of a Prophet. The Christ Army Church constituted a rival Church to the Anglican Church in the Niger Delta Pastorate, with Christ Army Church in control of Delta Christianity. However, by 1939 Christ Army Church began to decline as a result of poor funding and weak organizational structures. There was also a split in the Church because of power struggles amongst the leaders. Later, S.A. Coker was able to bring together the various strands in the Church. The Braide Movement continues today with its prophetic distinction, although they are not very prominent. In conclusion, Briade was the first revivalist and Prophet Nigeria ever witnessed to pioneer mass gatherings, which have become typical of African Christianity today. He will be remembered for his contextual approach to ministry which resulted in the Niger-Delta revival.
When you make up your mind to serve God and service your generation, supernatural supplies will naturally flow to you.
SCRIPTURE: And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. Exodus 23:25
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: When you make up your mind to serve God and service your generation, supernatural supplies will naturally flow to you.
It has been confirmed that service to God is a covenant blessing connector. Service is a connector of supernatural supplies.
The Book of Exodus 23:25 makes it clear that if you serve the Lord, you shall be blessed. And please note that it is not just serving God but servicing your generation.
When God blesses you greatly, what would you do with the money? Of course, it is to service your generation. When you minister welfare to people, you would realise that there are many people in need. Many times, you will not even know where to start from in meeting the needs of people.
Let me give you an example: After preaching on a Sunday service one day, as I was attending to people, I saw many of them in diverse needs. One of them told me, “I don’t have where to sleep this night; I don’t even know what to eat tonight”. Many people are genuinely in need.
God wants you to come to a point where you begin to service your generation; a point where you are positioned to service your generation with supplies; where you don’t look for money for personal comfort but to service your generation. When you make up your mind to serve God and service your generation, then supernatural supplies will naturally flow to you.
Remember this: When you make up your mind to serve God and service your generation, supernatural supplies will naturally flow to you.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Make up your mind to be of service both to God and to your generation.
Be involved in service in the House of God.
PRAYER: Lord, I receive a heart of a servant. I receive the grace to dedicatedly serve You and service my generation Lord, in Jesus’ Name.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: ABUNDANCE IN THE GLORY
REFLECTION: Have you wiped the tear of anyone recently? Have you put the smile on the face of anyone recently? Have you cared enough to listen to anyone’s plight recently? Have you made a positive difference in the life of anyone recently?
PROPHETIC DECLARATION/WORD: May the Lord put in your hand, what is in your heart to do for others in Jesus’ Name.
“At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him” Jonah 1:16NIV
Some time ago, a gang of highway robbers stopped a lorry and ordered the women (traders) to climb down from the lorry. One of the women (a non-Christian) started shouting the name of Jesus. The leader of the gang pushed her aside and said, “Stay aside, Jesus’ mother”. She was the only person who was not robbed; this led to her becoming a Christian. God can use any situation to save the lost. The people who traveled with Jonah were obviously pagans and didn’t know the God of the Hebrews. Jonah told them to throw him into the sea and as they obliged, the trouble stopped. Indeed, the experience brought them to the saving knowledge of God. They worshipped the God of Hebrews and made vows to Him. They yielded their lives unto Him and became “born again”. Have you given your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If no, today is the day of your salvation. Bow down, open your heart unto Him, and invite Him into your heart. You will become a new person. If you have given your life to Jesus, know that He can use any situation in your life to bring men to Himself. Corporate with God in the Kingdom’s business.
Insight: “Our behaviour is nothing more than a reflection of the depth of our conversion to Jesus Christ.”
Prayer: Father, let all the weapons of the enemy against me be destroyed in Jesus name!
Service to God is a covenant. When you do your part in serving God, God does His part in blessing you.
SCRIPTURE: You shall serve the Lord your God and He shall bless your bread and your water… Exodus 23:25.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Service to God is a covenant. When you do your part in serving God, God does His part in blessing you.
There is something called the covenant of service. Service to God is a covenant. When you do your part in serving God, God does His part in blessing you.
Things produce for you according to your revelation of them. It is possible to work in church or render service to God for donkey years without any commensurate reward. Maybe you think you are merely assisting the church or God by your service.
People struggle to work for oil companies, the United Nations, the World Health Organization or some foreign embassies because they think the pay is big. But the truth is, the pay of God is much bigger.
If you function with revelation, you exist with manifestation. You must function with the appropriate revelation to see the blessing of God in service. As you serve God, you must know that you are not wasting your time. You are not just assisting the church; you are in the most lucrative employment of Jehovah. You are in the appointment of El-Shaddai, the mighty-breasted God. This is the revelation that sponsors the blessing of God in Kingdom service.
So, I like you to do the things you do for the Kingdom with the right revelation and mentality. Don’t think that you are trying to help a church. Always know that you are in God’s employment via your service in the Kingdom, and God will pay you.
Remember this: Service to God is a covenant. When you do your part in serving God, God does His part in blessing you.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Go through today’s message again.
Make up your mind to play your part in serving God.
PRAYER: Thank You Lord for Your Word to me today. I receive the grace to play my part in the covenant of service with the right mentality, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: DIMENSIONS OF DEDICATION (PART 1B)
QUOTE: Be a servant of God. Live in His service. Serving God preserves life. Culled from “15 KINGDOM STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL” by Dr Paul Enenche.
DAILY READING: Psalm 19-21
REFLECTION: How have you contributed to the expansion of the Kingdom on earth through service? And how have you served? As a favour done to the church or as a covenant walk with God? More important than what we do is the heart and the revelation with which we do it.
PROPHETIC DECLARATION/WORD: The Blessing of service finds expression in your life in Jesus’ Name.
