Open Your Mouth WIDE.

There is no doubt that our God is a good God and still in the business of filling our mouth with laughter and putting a new song in our mouth. Even if I was confused, as I listened to the sermon on Sunday, any doubt that may have existed in my mind was taken away. Sometimes, He doesn’t even do anything to warn you that He is about to work a wonder in your life, He just moves to bring it to pass. He does it just when you are thinking you may be out of time. He just takes one from a very terrible state directly to a place of honor, just like a dream; so that suddenly from a place of weeping, one is launched into a place of fullness of joy. He did that with Joseph, Daniel, Esther and a few others.

Psalm 126: 1-2 “When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.”

No wonder He says we should open our mouth wide and He will fill it. It is worthy of note that He fills it with good things; never with bad things. The challenge is in the opening of the mouth because sometimes everything looks so contrary and one’s strength is so small that the last thing you want to do is to open your mouth wide; worse still, one may not open it wide enough. God can go with you as far as you can open it: it never gets too wide for Him to fill. He is the same God that takes a beggar from the dunghill and causes him to sit amongst princes.

Psalm 81: 10b “open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things”

I want to encourage you to hold on to God. It is true that in a few days, we shall begin our count down to the end of the year and our hope may begin to waiver. I want to reassure you that it does not take God all the time in the world to do what He has to do. It takes but a moment for Him to do what needs to be done that our mouths may be filled with laughter. God is not a man; He is God. These things are but very light and simple things for Him to do. He works suddenly when He wants to and then sometimes His blessings unravel slowly. Absolutely nothing is too difficult for Him. 

2 Kings 3: 18 “But this is only a simple thing for the Lord”

I know preachers say these things often and the devil also tries hard to undermine the word of God by making people think those are mere empty words. To some of us, they are now mere words used to encourage or excite us but as long as you continue to think so, they will be mere words to you. What it means is that you are wittingly scoffing at the word of God thereby scoffing at God but one thing I can reassure you of today, is that God is still a miracle worker so you need to do everything to change that state of mind. He doesn’t need all the time in the world to do what He needs to do. Please do not let go of the confidence you have in Him. It will be your turn to testify shortly and His timing is ever perfect.

Hebrews 10: 35-36 “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.”

Never Say NEVER.

I used to laugh at people who say “never say never.” I thought it was one of the silliest principles ever, not that I have changed that opinion, but I kind of understand it better. The only things that can never change are the things God says and God’s person. Do you know that every thing else is subject to change and most unpredictably? It is so bad that I can’t even trust myself.  Though I know what I never want to be, I realize that the only way I will not become that which I never want to be, is by leaning on the unchangeable God to deliver me from myself. In me, is not even enough strength to keep me from what I don’t want to be; only the grace of God can deliver me.

I have seen a number of people who thought they were one thing, upon which they put themselves forward as such: eventually they disappointed themselves and other people as well by doing all the things they had sworn they could never do thereby becoming all they said they could never be. Some such people are downright fraudulent but some actually believed in themselves instead of leaning completely on the one that fully understands the flesh and subdues flesh submitted to him. Paul said in 

Romans 7: 21-23NLT “I have discovered this principle of life-that when I do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me”

I have found that so many things change in life and so many realities affect one’s life. All of these changes affect and/or influence man so that man also begins to change- sometimes for good and sometimes for bad. No wonder they say one is a product of all that he has been through; but in truth, it doesn’t have to be so. Sometimes, you may not even know that you have changed; it may take someone else pointing it out to you. It used to surprise me greatly when “men of God” seem to alter their position concerning interpretation of the word of God. A man who in the past was known for preaching the truth suddenly begins to compromise on his position…but I realize that the snare of the enemy is well laid out.

Another reality hit me; some other men have run this race, finished their course and well too. Of course some people would like us to believe that even those we think ran the race well have “skeletons in their cupboards” but one thing I know – some people definitely ran the race well. Apart from the fact that the bible tells us that their witnesses, I know God would not set standards that are impossible to meet. Also, if He abolished the law, despite the steep price He had to pay, because nobody would have run the race of life well under the law then He must know that through Christ, we definitely can finish well. He couldn’t have given His son to die, if His death couldn’t accomplish that purpose.

Romans 3: 20 – 23NLT “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him…we are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”

Our challenge is that we know our race in life, run in our lane and then get to the finishing line. Our God is a great help and coach. One who delights in the praise He gets when we finish well.

Stop Worrying. Trust God COMPLETELY.

I have been meditating on the scripture immediately below for a while now. I trying to learn to truly cast my worries on Him and then not worry about it again. This is something I always try to do but I find that though I tell Him all of my cares, I don’t leave them with Him. Worse still, after telling Him, I increase my load of cares and worry because I then start worrying about whether or not He would answer and if so, when would He answer. Trust is important, for you cannot cast your care upon He whom you do not trust. Even when you act like you have done so, you still bear the burden and are still very weighed down. 

1 Peter 5: 7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares.”

God has done everything He will ever do to let us know that there is nothing too difficult for Him. It means we have to learn to trust Him. It is true that trust is built; with God, it becomes your responsibility to do all it takes to trust Him. He is not going to do more than He has done. Unfortunately, God does not appear to make it easy. Whilst you are in the process of trusting Him, He allows all sorts of things go wrong. Sometimes it is to prove us, at other times, to prepare us for the challenges that lie ahead and also to build character in us. These things however, only seem to weaken our faith because we focus on the experience instead of the testimony. The testimony remains only long enough to be shared in church and then all our memories retain is the painful experience; but God encourages us to trust Him.

Hebrews 10: 35-36 “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.”

I know that from time to time, we like to make other people know that we have challenges. Soon as we get the opportunity, we reel of our challenges, like we are the only ones challenged and only because we want to be pitied. You are doing yourself a disservice. God, it is, that sends good helpers and the right help required to resolve your worry. He doesn’t need you telling everyone about your burden to send the right help. He is all you need to tell help may arise from anywhere. It may be dependent on whom He is planning to favour and the person may not even know of His plan to favour them yet but He causes them to will and to do of His good pleasure that He may reward them.

Philippians 2: 13 “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.

As we wait for God to resolve our cares, it is of utmost importance that we stay away from murmuring and complaining. It is important that we remain in the right attitude after we have cast all our worries on Him. Instead of complaining and murmuring, let us make every effort to build our trust as we wait on Him. You have to be deliberate if you want to trust Him. Read your bible, talk with people that encourage your faith and keeps your eyes on Him. Of course, praying always with all prayer and supplication.

Philippians 2: 14 “Do everything without complaining or arguing.”

It Is Time To Take God Seriously

Indeed the blessings of God make rich and add no sorrow but it is not so with the blessings of satan. His blessings give joy in the immediate but add sorrow ultimately. If he gave it, he knows how to withdraw it. He can’t help himself; he can’t help wanting to steal that joy. His thoughts toward you and I are thoughts of evil to bring us to his own expected end - destruction.

John 10: 10 “the thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy”

In this season of God’s outpouring of blessings, we must be careful not to take the wrong turn toward our blessings. A wrong turn may take one into satanic blessings. The reality of life is that even when faced with our blessings and we are walking toward it, the enemy may open a route that is much easier than the path God has chosen for us. Our prayer is that we never take the devil’s option because God has a purpose in taking you and I through that route. It could have been a shorter journey for Israel to the Promised Land but God took them the long route to reduce their warfare.

Exodus 13: 17 “when Pharaoh finally let go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the promised land. God said, “if the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”

Since the journey into this season of blessings has been long, at the mere sound of an abundance of rain or at the appearance of the cloud, it is so easy to heave a sigh of relief and let go. After all, you have heard the sound and seen the cloud; so what more should you expect but the rain of God’s blessings. We must remember that Elijah tarried in the place of prayer until the rain just about started.

My biggest lesson learnt as I think of that story yet again, is that though Elijah waited in the place of prayer until the rain just about started, he knew that there would be no excuse for the rain meeting him in the wrong place. He ran with the help of the Holy Spirit to the right place. He understood God enough to know that if the rain met him in the wrong place, what was meant to be a blessing from God might actually destroy him. Truly we have to understand God; for His ways are truly mysterious.

It is of utmost importance for those that choose to follow God and want to enjoy the full benefit of doing so, to understand His ways. I have often wondered how men like Demos Shekarian, Kenneth Hagin, Oral Roberts, Pa Elton, Billy Graham and several others served God through their long lives, enjoyed serving Him despite the challenges and yet prospered. One thing I found common to all of them is the fact that they never took God for granted. They took His word seriously and were obedient to Him even when it cost them a lot in the immediate. They made an effort to understand the ways of God.

Understanding God is the secret that influences our relationship with Him. It is time to take God seriously. I also realize that when the world is seriously going in a direction, then we must seriously go in the other direction. The world is seriously gravitating toward evil: it is time for us to seriously know our God. Them that know their God shall be strong and do exploits. We are in the season of exploits.

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.