Your Season of Blessings Is Here! Be Prepared For Battle!

I woke up this morning; very distracted. Everything else paled to insignificance leaving only a very frightening issue. Suddenly I was very panicky. It seemed like I may not get some of the blessings I already know to be mine in this season. I am a teacher of the word, and teach that as Christians, we have to fight for what is ours since satan is always fighting to steal what is ours: but in truth, there are some battles I hate to fight. I don’t mind helping someone else but please why do I need to fight these battles? After all, the things are mine, given to me by the all powerful God.

What is grievous to me is that some of these battles, I already fought years ago and thought I had won. Then suddenly they appear; and I am persuaded that God is speaking to me and asking me fight in the spirit, which is where I am empowered to fight, for what is mine. Unfortunately, I am so ill equipped for these battles physically that even if I wanted to fight physically, I will fail woefully. So really, my best bet is to heed God’s voice but won’t it be easier to deal with these things physically and then move on?

One thing is certain; there is something about the enemy and our blessings. No wonder in the midst of talking about blessings, God begins to talk about how He would also give us victory over our enemies. I just realized that it is an endless fight because God’s outpouring of blessings in our lives is endless.

Deuteronomy 28: 7NKJV “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways”

The bible says seed time and harvest time will never cease as long as the earth remains. So there will always be the season of harvest which is the season of blessings as long as the earth remains. In every season of harvest, the farmer has to be smart because the seed is no longer hidden. It has come to full bloom and is no longer hidden from any animal or insect that has desired it for food. If for example, it is tomatoes, it would be bright red and the healthier it is, the more attractive. The farmer would have to move fast to harvest; and maybe put a fence around his farm so that no thief would enter and harvest. Some thieves don’t even want your harvest, they just destroy it. Our harvest will always attract the enemy in every harvest season: so will our blessings.

Genesis 8: 22NKJV “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and Summer, and day and night shall not cease.”

When the seed is first planted, not a lot of people know how it would end up so the enemies are very few but the harvest season becomes dangerous and our God uses different strategies at different times. He is a master strategist. We have to discern His voice telling us what strategy is best at each point. Jesus had to be hidden in Egypt from Pharaoh at some point. God could have told his parents to war in the spirit but he did not. There is a time to be physical and a time to fight in the spirit.

This explanation has given me a better understanding of why we seem to need to fight even harder in the season of blessings and I am not weary anymore. As I type away, I feel better emotionally and “very prepared to the battle.” Understanding truly strengthens; no wonder God says we must acquire it.

Pauline. Sarah. Ifeoma.

Pauline and Sarah both believed God for new jobs. They both did not know how it would come but trusted God for their miracles. Pauline was desperate and had great expectations that God would make a way for her. Sarah was also expectant. They both sowed seeds, that they hoped would activate their miracles, by giving of their time to God and trusted him to reward their labor of love.

Whilst people made fun of them as they invested their time in God, they knew God would reward their labor born of love being mindful of the scripture that says God rewards our labor of love. Sometimes it was tedious and difficult but they kept at it. Sometimes they barely had enough money to transport them to church but managed to get there. Sometimes, they got there and found that Ifeoma, who also had no job, was there and the church had paid for her to get there. But they kept at it without complaining or murmuring. They trusted God to answer their prayers.

After a while, Sarah began to lose faith but Pauline kept her expectation high and refused to meditate on anything that would destroy her faith. She reminded herself of the scriptures and was certain that God is not unrighteous, so He would reward her labor of love. She was so full of expectations that she woke up everyday thinking that was the day she would get the job. Her expectation was so high it affected her confessions and attitude. She always acted like a person that had little time to sort out several things because she was about to start work: but Sarah was different.

Sarah loved God and labored for Him out of love but her confessions were wrong. Sometimes she murmured against God and also complained, particularly whenever she struggled to trek to church and met Ifeoma just arriving in a cab paid for by the church. She saw Ifeoma in new clothes purchased from the money she got from the church while she got nothing. Not that she wanted the money but it just felt bad. Also, she listened to people who told her that she had no right to have expectations forgetting that His word encourages and says we should.

Eventually, Pauline got a job. A good job that paid her much more than she ever imagined and one she really enjoyed. Her expectations were not cut off. Thank God that when Pauline got the job, Sarah rejoiced with her, despite her pain, and encouraged herself. She stirred herself up to believe God again. Though it took a little longer, she eventually got a good job. Unfortunately, Ifeoma continued to be without a job. The church continued to give her money for her upkeep. Eventually, Pauline and Sarah also started to contribute to the church purse so that Ifeoma could be given more money.

Only then did Ifeoma, who was very satisfied with her life previously, become sad. She started to lament the fact that God would not answer her prayers. She complained bitterly to her friends who then reminded her that she was satisfied with her state until they got jobs. They encouraged her to believe God if she wanted more and also that with God; it is never too late but that she had to change her attitude.

Which one of these personalities are you? God has not changed and is still in the business of rewarding people. Choose the right attitude, that you may enjoy the benefits that accompany walking with God.

It's Time To Come Up Higher!

Why do Christians often choose to live the low life? Isn’t it sad that we make ourselves less important than God has made us? God saves our souls and causes us to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus yet we choose the low life. We forget that we are no longer mere mortals by reason of the Holy Ghost indwelling us. Our spirit man has been released into life and is empowered to control our lives so that we no longer have to live at the low level of the flesh or if you like emotions.

Ephesians 2: 4 & 6NLT “But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much…for He raise us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus”

Before a man gives his life to Christ, his spirit is dead; so he cannot help but be guided only by what he feels, sees or hears. At that point, man is led by his heart or intellect, all of which is at the low level of the soul. Without Christ man has no choice but to be guided by anything but his spirit because his spirit is dormant, without life and so unable to guide him until it is quickened by the Holy Spirit.

A number of unsaved people recognizing the need to be guided by something bigger than the soul but not wanting to accept Christ; get involved in several spiritual journeys that they hope will take them to another level, but end up nowhere. They perceive that the next level is somewhat spiritual so they want to project their minds, which they call spirit, hoping it will take them into that next level. They are like their master, the thief, who never wants to enter through the right door. Anyone who does not enter through the right door is a thief and that includes anyone trying to project in any way into a realm that is open only to as many as give their lives to Jesus.

John 10: 1 & 9NLT “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber…Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.”

As soon as a man turns his life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to give life to his spirit. It just happens; he doesn’t need to do anything to make it happen. From that day, the Holy Spirit is then available to guide him in all things pertaining unto life. The man begins to learn a new way of life which is higher and better than in the past. The sad thing though is that a lot of us prefer to remain where we were. God assuages the need of man and yet man prefers to operate as he used to.

Romans 8: 15 & 16 NLT “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call him, Abba, Father. For His spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

Unfortunately, we have so exalted the wrong things that we think it is okay to make all life’s decisions based on emotions. It is sadder still for women, because we often think it is okay for women to live at that very low level of making decisions based on emotions and we say it is feminine. It is an insult to the woman God made. God is calling us to higher grounds. It is time to come up higher in God. It is time to operate like royalty that we now are.

The Journey of 'The Cake'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Am I An Idol Worshipper?

According to the dictionary, idolatry is the worship of a physical object as god; immoderate attachment or devotion to something other than God. The words in italics are mine. As we look at these words, I would like us to pause and think deeply. Then ask ourselves this question – am I in idolatry? Recall that the bible says if you judge yourself, then you shall not be judged.

Very often when people talk about idolatry, our minds go to traditional worship of strange gods. These are gods that people worship in specific ways. Indeed the worship of these gods is a form of religion and the worshippers have beliefs and/or doctrines that guide them in their worship. They even have altars on which they offer sacrifices to these gods. This is very obvious idolatry but idolatry is much more than that. Whenever our attachment or devotion to a thing becomes immoderate, we tend towards idolatry.

Psalm 115: 3 – 8 “Our God is in the heavens and he does as he wishes. Their gods are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

It is sad to observe that there is an inclination in man to worship everything but the one that ought to be worshipped - GOD. Sadly, we even now idolize self. Our attachment and devotion to pleasing ourselves even at the expense of submitting to God, has become unprecedented. Meanwhile, God says no man can serve two masters at the same time; you will either serve one or the other. So that it is impossible to serve God and any other jointly or even be immoderately attached or devoted to any other thing.

Mathew 4: 10NLT “Jesus told him. For the scriptures say, you must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”

What is even sadder is when those who have been saved from a life of enslavement to the devil and brought into the liberty we have in Christ; allow themselves to be lured again into slavery through the worship of any object or immoderate attachment or devotion to anything. The flesh of man is powerful enough to keep going on and must be brought under control of the Spirit of God so we don’t end up in the wrong place.

Galatians 5: 19 NLT “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

It is time to ponder and contemplate very deeply so that we can make the required changes in our lives.

Gossip? You? Please NO!

Truly Jesus was correct when He said if you want to be a disciple, you have to deny self, then carry your cross and follow Him. You will have to say “no” to self if you must succeed in this walk with God. Self-indulgence tends towards poverty of the soul. Denying self, empowers our Spirit man thereby strengthening us to live a life in the Spirit.

One of the “little foxes that destroy the vine” is gossiping; or if you like tale bearing. My dictionary tells me that a gossip/talebearer is someone who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts; or carries rumor or report of an intimate nature. Please stay away from gossips or kill the seed if it’s in you.

Proverbs 20: 19NLT “A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don’t hang around with chatterers.”

The sad thing about the talebearer is they think they are destroying their victim but gossiping is more self destructive. It is a habit that eats the gossip up slowly so he does not realize he is being destroyed. God is against gossiping; clearly, it attempts to destroy the church that He is building.

”Proverbs 26: 22 - 23 NLT “Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart. Smooth words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a clay spot

It is so sad that in the church today, gossiping is rife; not just mere gossip but ferocious gossip where we truly tear down one another with total disregard for God and His presence in our midst. Worse still, you lie so much to make the victim look bad and the story more interesting. Why won’t it cause a lot of fighting? Clearly it is not a fruit of the spirit.

Proverbs 26: 20NLT “Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.”

Christians have perfected several ways of gossiping. It could even be through raising a prayer point or sharing a testimony and in a “seemingly reverential” attitude. The sad thing is sometimes, we actually feel the restraint of God but we ignore the voice and go on to say things that should not be said and tell lies potent enough to destroy the victim but sadly the gossip is so self absorbed he can’t see beyond self. Be certain that like a boomerang it will return to destroy you.

Be true to yourself, every gossip knows when they are just gossiping. It is not something that is done inadvertently. The objective is always clear in your mind as you start the story. Please STOP whenever you know its gossip. If we cannot deny self, we would only be going round the cross which we must carry, to be disciples.

Two 'Skills' You Don't Need!!

A few weeks ago, in one of the articles I asked this question – how can we be “possessed” by the Holy Spirit and yet manifest, consistently, the fruits of the flesh? If we are filled with the Spirit, then this is what we should be manifesting.

Galatians 5: 22NLT “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Hostility and quarrelling are two other things that we must ask God to deliver us from. You may want to add outbursts of anger, which until now, I did not realize is listed as one of the manifestations of the flesh. Indeed I always thought a little outburst of anger from time to time is okay so that nobody takes advantage of you.

I looked up quarrelling and hostility. Here is what I found - To quarrel is to argue vehemently or to disagree with something in an indecent way but hostility is intense aggression or anger. It could be very strong hostility.

Galatians 5: 19-20NLT “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties and other sins like these. Let me tell you again as I have told you before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Do you know that some people think they deserve an award because they really can quarrel? They even boast about it. Sometimes we think it is a joke to confess that we can be very quarrelsome but the bible list them as some of the things we need to do away with. It is time to give up these “skills”.

James 4: 1NLT “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?

Though it feels necessary to have these skills to survive in this very tough world, we really don’t. It is the wisdom of the world that makes one think it is necessary to be hostile or quarrelsome. If we are born of the Spirit, then we must begin to manifest the fruits of the Spirit and do all we can to kill all traces of the flesh in us. The victories that are won from any of these will definitely not last forever but that which is of the spirit shall last forever.

Though the bible says we can be angry, it says we must be careful not to sin even in the anger. Also, we must not teach these things to our children. When we see them manifesting any of these vile things, we must do all we can to help them kill that nature. It is time to begin to teach them that true strength is controlled strength. We apply it only when it is necessary and in the right measure.