WHERE FAITH AND PATIENCE MEET

How long can you wait on the Lord? How long is long enough? Well, time has a way of proving a man. Time has a way of proving a thing. Time has a way of revealing to us the actual state of our hearts. The genuineness of our faith is based on how long we can wait without questioning God’s ability. If you can’t wait on the Lord in absolute trust after making your request in prayer, then your faith is not active – it’s weak. Patience is the proof that you really trust God. Hebrews 6:12 tells us “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” One thing that is always missing when we are being taught about faith is the link between faith and patience. A message that addresses faith without showing the link between faith and patience is not only lopsided, but also produces weak believers who lack persistence. Your faith is not perfect without patience. In other words, patience is the perfection of our faith. Patience keeps hope alive while faith is at work.

No one really likes to wait. Everyone would rather go for a quick fix. It is really not easy to wait, but when dealing with the Lord, we must learn to wait. Waiting on the Lord speaks of brokenness and total dependence on Him. We learn a lot when we wait. So why do we have to wait for so long sometimes before we see the manifestation of what we asked the Lord in prayer? The answer to this is two fold. First, because we don’t wait long enough in the place of prayer to hear what the Lord has to say about the matter. This makes us to wait as a consequence for our impatience in the place of prayer. Secondly, Because God is a Father and not a prayer answering machine. God knows what we really need and when we really need it just like our earthly fathers do. God is not just interested in you having your desires met; He is also interested in you enjoying it. There are people who, as soon as their desires are granted by the Lord, walk away from Him. They simply lose out on God’s presence and big plan for their lives. This class of people simply have quick satisfaction and can’t see the bigger picture – they’re spiritually immature. So God is interested in meeting our needs while He concurrently wants to grow us into maturity.

Patience is highly connected to spiritual maturity. It’s an act of true worship. It is a major mark of those who really know God, not just for what He can do but also for who He is. Mature Christians know God. They know that He never fails. They know that though it tarries, it will surely show up. They might not know the when and how of it but they know the Who they have trusted. Life in Christ is such an amazing adventure. So, whenever we ask the Lord for a need and we do not get a quick result (after being sure that we are in faith and are walking in holiness before the Lord), it is an opportunity to grow into maturity. Dr. Joyce Meyer said something I will never forget. She said “Patience is not just about waiting. Patience is waiting with the right attitude.” It is really not just about the waiting as it is about how we wait. At the end of the day, after we have seen the manifestation, we’d then realise that not only did the situation change, we also changed! That’s the goal!

Hebrews 10:35-36 say “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” In James 1:3-4 we read “Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” Be encouraged today. Blessings!

THE SPIRIT OF GRACE

Few days ago, while studying the Book of Hebrews, the Lord opened my eyes to the phrase ‘the Spirit of grace’ in Hebrews 10:29. I had often read and even preached on this portion of Scripture. But I never saw it in the light of this revelation. I never really understood what it meant in essence for the Holy Spirit to be called the Spirit of grace. I never really considered His association with grace. What a exciting moment I had when the Lord opened my eyes to see by revelation what it meant.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of grace. That means the Holy Spirit is personally responsible for administering the manifold dimensions of God’s grace released through Jesus Christ to everyone on earth. The Holy Spirit is the One Who sees to it that your life is full of grace. He ensures it. He takes personal responsibility for it. He looks out for opportunities to impart grace to anyone in need of it. The Holy Spirit Himself is gracious – full of grace. The Holy Spirit is the only Person who knows everything about you – your weaknesses, short comings, sins, faults, deficiencies etc. – but still identifies with you as a friend. He never gives up on you. He stands by you to help you stand firm. He comforts you when you’re hurting. He takes personal responsibility for your welfare. This is amazing! The lack of the influence of the Holy Spirit in your life is the lack of grace in your life. The ministry of the Holy Spirit to the Believer and non believer is the ministry of grace. If we sin, He helps us draw near to the Lord for His forgiveness and He helps us repent instead of running away from the Lord. The Holy Spirit helps us receive the fullness of God’s grace. John 1:16 says “And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.” But all these would only happen if you let Him. He never forces Himself on anyone.

So what is Grace? Grace is so vast that I will attempt to give just three Scriptural definitions of grace:

1. Grace is Unmerited favour – receiving what we do not deserve.
2. Grace is Divine empowerment – the Anointing
3. Grace is The outward working of an inward ability – Manifesting The Blessing.

Anywhere you see the word ‘grace’ in Scripture, you equally see the activity of the Holy Spirit. I discovered that grace is the biggest thing God can give to a man here on earth. We are saved by grace and still keep on receiving grace in our daily Christian life. The Lord never runs short of grace and we can never survive on earth without grace just as much as we can never get to a point in life where we wouldn’t need grace anymore. In II Cor. 12:9, the Lord said to Paul “…My grace is sufficient for thee…” The word ‘sufficient’ here means ‘surplus’. That means God’s grace was all Paul needed even in His desperate moment. Many believers do not know how to receive more grace from the Lord. Many believers don’t experience grace in their daily walk. Many believers simply live a graceless life. All these happen when we don’t invest in our fellowship with the Spirit of grace. We need grace to love, we need grace to serve, we need grace to minister to the Lord and to men, we need grace to relate with people, we need grace to live the Christian life, we need grace to win the lost, we need grace to pray, etc. When we lack the understanding of the grace supplied to us by the Spirit of grace, we end up struggling in our own limited human effort. Ain’t you tired of struggling? Ain’t you tired of living a life of trying to make everything work? Ain’t you tired of living a life void of grace? This is the time to identify with the Spirit of grace. He has a ministry in your life. Make room for Him. Let Him take the wheel. Surrender totally to Him because He knows your past, present and future – He knows the way to your destination!

Whenever I think of what is happening all over the world and how the Lord’s coming is at hand, I thank God that I have the Holy Spirit. I am comforted by the knowledge of His presence in my life. This is because no one can live right in this last days and corrupt age without the help of the Holy Spirit. No! This is the worst time to trust in your human ability. My hope of not missing heaven is not in my good works but in the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life because He is my standby! He’d see to it that I stand strong and firm till the Lord arrives. Glory to God! The Holy Spirit cares for you and wants to minister God’s grace released by Christ into your life. He wants to invade your life with grace. Zachariah 4:6 says “…This [is] the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel (you and me), saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

The Lord says this is our Season of Grace. Well, this could sound familiar and ordinary because we are so use to the word ‘grace’. However, I believe this is a deeper dimension. We are going to experience, in reality, the wonders of God’s grace starting from this very year, even now! It is not just the year of grace but The Season of Grace for us. The Lord works in times and seasons not clocks and calendars. Psalms 102:13 says “Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.” II Corinthians 9:8 says “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” It’s a season of rest for us. We have come into our rest and we have ceased from our labours! It is called the rest of faith. Glory to God! HAPPY NEW SEASON!

THE CALL

The call of Abraham was a type of the call to the Christian life. Genesis 12:1 says “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:” I believe these instructions are clearly spelt out. It’s a call to a life of consecration to God and to His divine purposes. But unfortunately, there is a lot of compromise in our response to the call today. It is very common to find believers who want to mix earthly culture with their Christian life. I believe this is because these believers have not really understood that Christianity is a call that entails leaving and cleaving – just like marriage. You see, there can’t be a mix of the both! I’m yet to see a culture on earth that doesn’t have a demonic influence in it. 2 Cor. 4:4 tells us that the devil is the god of the system presently operating here on earth. It says “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” The devil tries to influence everything on earth, but as New Creation in Christ, we must stand out and refuse to bow or condescend to his influence.

The Word of God clearly tells us in Philippians 3:20 “…our citizenship is in heaven…” (NIV). In the Kingdom of God, dual citizenship is illegal. Some believers still cling tightly to their earthly descent to the point that the Heavenly citizenship has no reflection or expression in their lives. 1 Peter 2:9,10 makes it so clear that “But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past [were] not a people, but [are] now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” also we see in 2 Corinthians 5:17,18 “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things [are] of God…” The Christian life is a call to a new identity – entirely! John 1:12,13 says “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

This is not to say we should have nothing to do with our earthly relatives. But if we claim to follow the foot steps of Jesus, then we must ask ourselves intelligent questions like: what was the place of earthly culture in the life of Jesus during His earth walk? When we ask the Holy Spirit questions like this and upon critical research, we would easily put things in the right perspective. Then we can follow in Jesus’ steps. If not we would miss it greatly. It’s about total consecration to God and His eternal purposes on earth – nothing else!

IN THE NAME OF JESUS

I bring you a seasoned Word from the heart of the Master to your very heart. I believe that the greatest gift a man can ever receive on earth is the gift of access to the Name of Jesus. This gift is obtained at the new birth i.e. when you become born again. At the new birth the seeker uses the Name of Jesus for the first time and this introduces him or her to a world of possibilities, a place where everything is possible through that Name called JESUS. God has given the New Creature the power of attorney to use the Name of Jesus. Glory to God! I believe Christmas should be a celebration of Jesus Himself, the salvation that He brought to the world and the gift of His awesome Name. The Name of Jesus is a defence (Prov. 18:10). The Name of Jesus is a place of authority and power. The Name of Jesus is the hope of the believer. The Name of Jesus is access. The Name of Jesus is the key that unlocks the unlimited resources of Heaven. The Name of Jesus is God’s greatest revelation of Himself. The Name of Jesus is all the Names of Jehovah and their benefits combined in one – all in one! Hallelujah! With the Name of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips we become armed and dangerous, too hot for the adversary to handle. It is the Name of Jesus that makes the New Creature endangered specie. The New Creature in Christ is not only to use the Name of Jesus to claim things or to get things done but he is primarily designed to live in and by that Name.

Now take a look at this, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. Did you see that? The first emphasis of the Archangel Gabriel about the Baby-Son (Jesus) Who was to be birthed by Mary was the Name and the Name is directly linked to the salvation of mankind. A name is that which describes the character of a person or thing. The Name Jesus means ‘saviour’, the same meaning for the Word Joshua or Yeshua in Hebrew. Every New Creature was baptized into the Name of Jesus at the point of salvation (Matthew 28:19). I hear the Holy Spirit say that the reason this is so, is because the moment that salvation connection is made through any man, woman, boy or girl, all the resources of heaven is at the disposal of the one who got saved. This is to say that salvation is the door that introduces us to all that God is and has. Through salvation, a new relationship is birthed and by virtue of that relationship, all that God has now belong to the believer. Salvation is the door that leads to an eternal experience in God. God now becomes your Father. The word ‘father’ means source. The Father then becomes responsible for us. This all happens because of the Name of Jesus. Peter understood this revelation and spoke these words to the people in Acts 4:12: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” This is the time to let the world know about this. The world need help, it is searching everywhere. Never has the Gospel been more relevant than at this moment. The world needs to know that there is salvation in no other than in the Name of JESUS. We dare not be silent at this moment. We must speak out. This is our season, this is our time.

Every believer in Jesus Christ ought to use the Name of Jesus Christ every single day we live. We ought to undo the works of the devil in the lives of people every where we go through that powerful Name. We must be conscious of that Name every moment just the way we are conscious of our senses. We do this through meditation on the Name. Think on that Name. Ponder on the power of that Name, let the Holy Spirit flood your spirit with the Wonders and realities of that Name. Then you can do as Peter did in Acts 3. “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6). Peter was conscious of what he had to give in this situation. It is so good to know that even if you don’t have money in your pocket you can get things done through faith in the Name of Jesus! This makes us unlimited. Glory to God! It doesn’t matter what and what and what we don’t have. What is most important is what we have – the Name, that awesome Name of Jesus. Hey, it’s time for us to start giving what we have – the Name of Jesus! Philemon 6 helps us to understand that the communication (expression) of our faith will be more effective by acknowledging the things that we have in Christ Jesus. I want you to observe what Peter said to the crowd that gathered to see what has happened “And when Peter saw [it], he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?... the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus… And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.” (Vs. 12,13 & 16)! I believe that the Church is yet to understand how powerful we are with the Name of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips.

Please prayerfully consider these Words. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [Phil.2:9-11]. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him…And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” [Col.3:17,23].
“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].” [John 14:13,14]. “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” [John 16:23]. “Blessed [be] he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.” [Psalm 118:26].

My prayer for you today is that the Holy Spirit will flood your heart with light along this line. I pray that every limitation you have ever known will give way as you begin to use the Name of Jesus by revelation. Please give someone the gift of introducing him/her to the Name of Jesus this Christmas season. Make your season count for the glory of God! I pray that you have a blessed Christmas and an exceptional New Year!

LIFE DIGEST - VOL. 12

This is fresh & real! Get inspired to live as God has ordained for you. Check out the 12th Edition of LIFE DIGEST. Read great articles from Dr. E.W. Kenyon, Dr. T. L. Osborn, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, Evangelist David Hathaway and from Billy Graham’s Ministry. Just click on this link: http://www.lifecommissionministry.org/WebPDF/ld12.pdf to open and download the PDF version. I pray it blesses you!

FIRE FIGHTERS

The Word of God tells us “but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” (Jude 23, NKJV). The first thing I want you to note here is that before you can go on fire rescue, you must be sure that you’re fireproof, meaning that you must ensure that you are not putting on or holding anything that can be burnt. This is very important and significant in the realm of the spirit just as it is in the physical. Sin is flammable and before we can do what the opening Scripture says, we must be sure that we take this caution! We must live right before God so that we can be useful to Him in helping the lost out of the flame of destruction and redirecting them to the path of life. The Word of God also shows us in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 that there are things that are flammable and things that are not. Please take out time to check that out today!

When dealing with fires, we have this sense of urgency. Those in the fire service understand this too well, that any delay in responding to a fire outbreak spells disaster or loss. Fire is wild! As a soul winner, you are likened to a fire fighter. There are certain people the Lord will show you who you will know are surely on their way to damnation – hell – and don’t even know it. You will need to fight for their lives in earnest intercession and, as surely as the Lord leads, you must speak to them. When the Lord sends us to pray on behalf of a lost soul or to speak to them for Him, He expects immediate action. God wants us to approach soul winning with the urgency of fire. It’s about life and death. A life is at stake and something must be done immediately.

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, in his classic ‘Evangelism by Fire’ described delay in taking the Gospel to the unsaved as a fire fighter who is informed about a fire outbreak, instead of acting immediately, decides to shave before going to quench the fire. It is unfortunate that that’s really how many believers approach the preaching of the Gospel. We must think differently. We must change our approach to the Great Commission. The way that leads to destruction is a wide road and many blindly follow that road. We can’t afford to watch them get into the eternal flames of destruction. Now is the time to act. Now is the time to do something urgent! Let’s have them saved for the glory of God! Great shall be our reward. God bless you!

SPIRITUAL HUNGER

There’s a longing in the heart of every man (or woman) for God whether he acknowledges it or not. Also, deep down in the heart of every believer is a desire to know God the more. Man was created for God and he must only find full satisfaction in God. There is a place in the heart of every many that only God can fill – nothing else! When Jesus was teaching on the mount in Matthew 5, the first thing He said was “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 5:3). By the phrase ‘poor in spirit’ Jesus was referring to those who see or acknowledge their need for God. Everyone needs God but not everyone acknowledges their need for God. That’s why today we have Atheists and folks who tag themselves as ‘Godless’. Further in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6). Righteousness means right standing with God. So Jesus was still dealing with the same issue but in a different dimension. When the Lord fills your present hunger and thirst for Him, it only means that you should step up into a higher level of hunger and thirst for Him. It is progressive. As long as you are on earth, you will never get to the point where you have it all.

I believe one of the worse things that can happen to a human being here on earth is to live a whole life time without the divine influence. Also, one of the worst things that can happen to a believer here on earth is for him to lose his hunger for God. We can never get to a place where we have enough of God. We just keep needing Him every single day we live and every single moment we breathe here on earth. The Psalmist says “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” (Psalm 42:1-2,7). Spiritual hunger is the inspiration for spiritual advancement. Something’s got to keep you going! If a man is not hungry for something, there won’t be any form of urgency in his life or pursuit. It is hunger for accomplishment that drives a man to pursue his dreams. It’s a desire for success that causes a student burn the night candles. It’s a desire for money that causes a man to work so hard especially where there are incentives and a good reward system.

The Holy Spirit is the One who stirs up a spiritual hunger in the hearts of people. Even though this spiritual hunger is birthed by the Holy Ghost in the heart of every believer in Jesus Christ, it has to be nurtured by the believer. Smith Wigglesworth was a man who had a great understanding of what spiritual hunger was. I came across some of his sermons compiled in a book titled: ‘Cry of The Spirit’, and was so amazed at how deep this man was hungry for God and His manifestation. His major hunger was to know God in reality. His knowledge of God sparked up an unusual flow of the supernatural from His life. Spiritual hunger is the key to walking in the Supernatural. When you become so hungry for the Lord, it stirs up the manifestation of His personality in and through you. Your hunger for the Lord will spur you to seek for the Lord earnestly, not because He is missing but because you want to know more of Him. It’s just like the Psalmist says: “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.” Psalm 63:1-8.

A major indication of your hunger for God and the things of the Spirit is seen in the way you desire God’s Word and your response to what It says. What physical food means to a hunger body is exactly what the Word of God means to the human spirit. Your spiritual hunger is displayed by your ardent desire for the Word of God. I believe every real Word from the Lord must end up stirring an ardent desire or hunger for God in the hearts of the hearers. We can’t know enough of the Lord. Our desire to know Him more and more will spur us to price the knowledge of Him above all else. Paul says: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:7,8,10-14

Spiritual hunger drives us to go the extra mile for the Lord. Spiritual hunger keeps us longing for more of the Lord every single moment of our lives. Spiritual hunger brings us to that point where nothing else can satisfy us but the ultimate – the Lord Himself. Spiritual hunger helps us activate the flow of the Supernatural in our lives. A man who is spiritually hungry never settles for anything spiritually substandard. One of the ways the devil successfully keeps a lot of believers in a state of lukewarmness is through quick satisfaction. He makes them believe that they have arrived. It is time to let go of anything that makes you let go of the Lord. We must keep laying hold of the Lord. If it means fasting and praying, if it means locking up yourself for days, if it means crying out loud to the Lord, what ever it is you can do to revive your hunger for the Lord, please do and the Lord will rain upon you afresh. The Holy Spirit brings revival to the life of the believer and helps him lives a revived life – always alive towards God. Spiritual hunger keeps a man humble before God, because he always sees his need for the Lord. I believe that one of the things that will sustain us and help us stay unadulterated with the filthiness of this world in these last days is spiritual hunger. I pray that the Lord will stir up in you a new and undying passion and desire for Him that will cause you to go deeper in the Lord and be useful for Him in His end-time harvest. Amen!