REDEFINING PATIENCE

I woke up one morning [July 17, 2012] just wanted to start talking to the Lord but amazingly He started speaking to me. It was such a beautiful moment and I will never forget it. I mean, the Lord started the gist for the day! I shut up and just listened. And the Lord said something to me that virtually staggered me. This is the best way I can describe what He said “Patience is not just waiting but working while waiting.” He immediately gave me a picture that further explained it. It’s the picture of a farmer who had finished ploughing a field but now is waiting for the rain. Meaning that God’s definition of patience is to busy ourselves with doing what He has already empowered us to do while we wait for Him to do what He alone can do. That is so powerful! I immediately began to think about many believers who say that they are waiting on God but with unploughed fields, they might as well have to wait all their lives and nothing will happen for them except they catch this revelation and navigate appropriately. Friends, there is the Kingdom way of being patient: We work while we wait. There is no pausing moment with the Lord. A lot of Christians wouldn’t even spring into action in service to the Lord because they claim that they are waiting on the Lord while time is ticking ever so quickly. Hey! Wake up and get to work – do what you’ve been empowered to do. As you work the Lord would be working on you too. This is the right way of positioning ourselves for the supernatural. There is no dull or idle moment in the Kingdom. Hebrews 6:12 says “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” That doesn’t sound like it means for us to just sit down and wait, expecting to receive the promise. The devil always takes advantage of lazy and idle people. Never give the devil that opportunity. A lot of Christians talk about waiting for revival, but I have never heard of any revival that ever happened without someone stepping out and taking faith-filled action to propel its manifestation. While they waited in anticipation of what the Lord would do, they kept working at it – doing their own part. This is why revival is God’s response to the expressed desire of men. Revival doesn’t just happen! Sometimes we say we are waiting for God while God is actually waiting for us. Revival doesn’t come by waiting but by doing what Elijah did. He prepared the sacrifice, prayed and he didn’t have to wait for long before the fire of God fell to burn-off the sacrifice and announced the supremacy of God to apostate Israel. This also applies to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We can’t just fold our hands and say we are waiting for Him, but we must busy ourselves with ensuring that everyone hears what God has accomplished for man through His Son Jesus Christ. We must press on with this Gospel of Jesus Christ till everyone hears it and have the fair opportunity of accepting of rejecting it. This is a call to action!

LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE

Light is so important to God and humanity alike that the first thing God brings on the scene in creation was light. He spoke forth those powerful words: LIGHT THERE BE LIGHT and that was it! There was light. While Jesus was on earth, He made staggering declarations which the people of His day couldn’t handle. I mean, Jesus was an enigma. They couldn’t just figure out what manner of man He was. He was just different. He confounded the ‘know-it-alls’ of His day. He said words like: “…I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12). “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5). Also in John 12:46 He says “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” Wow! Power-filled declarations. But then He knew that in a short while He would be leaving the earth and He must transfer this responsibility to the New Creations, the results of His redemptive work. The Lord Jesus made a profound statement in Matthew 5. He said “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16). He transfers the light commission to us. What a privilege to be God’s light bearers! In verse 14 Jesus lets us know who we are. He let’s us know our true identity on earth – the light of the world. He also showed us our position on earth, He lets us know that we are a city set on a hill and we cannot be hidden. The Believer in Jesus Christ is the illumination the world needs today. The earlier we come to acknowledge this the more effective and influential we become. In verse 15 of Matthew chapter 5, the Master addressed the issue of hiding our lights. It’s really amazing when you hear Christians – the lights – complaining of the world situation. There is so much darkness in the world today simply because the lights are not shining. The questions are: who turned off the lights? Why is the light not shining? Who is to blame? And the answers to these questions are in the Church. The word ‘let’ simply means to consciously and willingly allow something or someone. When Jesus used the word ‘Let’ in Matthew 5:16, it is for us to know that it’s our responsibility to allow the light to shine before men. That means we can either allow the light to shine through us or we can inhibit it. It’s up to us! Someone rightly said that the only condition for evil to thrive is for the good people to do nothing. One thing is always certain: Darkness can never over power the light. In the real sense, darkness doesn’t even exist! As a matter of fact, darkness is only the absence of light. So when the light refuses to shine, the natural result is the presence of darkness. In verse 16, the Master calls us to action. He said “Let your light so shine before men…” in other words, take action! This is a call to action. He didn’t just say that our light should shine, but He specified the degree to which it should shine. He said “Let your light SO shine before men…” In other words, get radical about your light! Let your light shine with a shout! Get to work with your light and expel every darkness with your light! I know in our world today we do a lot of things with light like designs; special effects etc. but suffice me to say that the number one purpose of light is to shine and get darkness out of sight! Light is for shining! Light is for illumination! I believe John the Baptist understood this demand of Heaven. The Lord Jesus tells us in John 5:35 that John the Baptist was a burning and a shining light. That’s just about what it means to let (allow) your light to SO shine before men. Just as John’s light did, our lights ought to shine with some special effects – I mean with heat! Men cannot ignore this manner of shining because they would either see it or feel it! That’s the attitude Jesus had. Glory to God! When your light shines in this manner, men wouldn’t only see your light or good works but they would also feel it! I strongly believe the Lord Jesus spoke as a Prophet here, resounding the very words of the Father God on the lips of the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 60:1-3 which says “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” This is to say, we’ve been empowered to shine forth the glory of the Lord all over the world! And this light would attract men to the Lord. Remember that the sole purpose of our shining the light is not for selfish purposes but that men would see our good works done in Christ and glorify the Father Who is in heaven. No wonder 1Peter 2:9 tells us “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:” It is right about time for us to get loud about the light we’ve got. We’ve got something to shout about! So how do we get to work with this? By heralding the Gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere everyday! Never be silent about that which we’ve been called to preach. The world needs it. The world is desperate for a Saviour. As we shine forth the light, they would be pointed to the One who has shined upon us and whose light we reflect. In conclusion, it is also important for me to say that good works matter. Faith without works is dead as the body is without the spirit. Our good works done in Christ matter a lot and the Lord promises to reward them both now and in eternity!

MANIFEST!

Manifestation is one word the Church needs to come to terms with if we must fulfil our eternal destiny. It must become our watchword. It must become the inspiration behind all our kingdom work. Looking through the Scriptures, especially under the New Covenant, we see that God gives the Church a perfect picture of what is on His mind. After the Lord Jesus Christ had finished all the work the Father had committed unto Him, on that cross He said these 3 staggering words “IT IS FINISHED” and really that was the end of the eternal work. Now the Divine commission for the Church is simple: Manifest what Jesus Christ had already accomplished for the world – show it forth! This is the very reason the Holy Spirit is at work on the earth today. This is the very reason the Holy Spirit is poured out upon the Believer. The Holy Spirit is the Manifester of the finished work of Christ and He manifests this through the Church! The summary of the great commission is: Go and manifest Jesus everywhere! This is the reason why the Gospel must be preached everywhere. The Gospel is not for hidden corners, it’s for the rooftop. This is the reason why the Gospel is not to be whispered in secret but declared with every authority and audacity. Because of the power the Gospel releases when declared out loud, the devil would do anything possible to silence those who herald it. But we’re not going to give up or give in. We have set our hands on the plough and there is no looking back! This is it! The Word of God tells us in Colossians 1:27 “...Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The word ‘glory’ here means manifestation. In other words, Christ in us is the hope of manifesting, revealing, showing forth, displaying etc. What are we manifesting? The grace of God within us! The work of Christ in us! The Father always desires to show forth Himself through His children. And He so desires to do that through you and me today. We must let Him do so in and through our lives. How do we let Him manifest in our lives? We see that in Isaiah 60:1-3. It says “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” It’s time to arise. It’s time to get up and shake off the dust. We are the light of the world. We are the salt of the earth. We are the yeast of the world. I sense in my spirit the Lord is saying to us: “This is the time to let my grace be displayed to the world through you.” Praise God forevermore! I Peter 2:9 says “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:” The Spirit of the Lord tells us through Apostle Paul that “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Romans 8:19). Saint, the world needs to hear this Gospel today. The Word of God on your lips would change destinies and determine the eternal destinations of many. Just like Paul the Apostle, we must never be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ “...for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16). So, Manifest Jesus everywhere everyday!

READY FOR CHANGE?

Everyone desires change in one area or the other of his/her life but only very few are experiencing changes in their lives. What could be the problem? Why is that so? This is revolutionary! Job asked a major question in Job 14:14 “If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” Many people so desire change but when it comes down to the matter, they are not really ready for change. When you study through the Scriptures, you will realise that whenever change is needed there is always a part for the seeker to play. Romans 12:2 shows us the method by which we can achieve the greatest change we could ever experience after our salvation. It says “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed [changed] by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Bible in Basic English puts it this way “And let not your behaviour be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God.” (BBE). It is then so clear that change is a decision and not just an incidence. Change is a decision that starts up a process that eventually manifests the desired result. It is so important that we understand this if at all we would make reasonable progress in this life. Change is responsibility. If you want anything to change, the only way you can tell how serious you are about it is by taking up the required responsibility attached to such a change and we can only see that in the Scriptures. Many a times change seems almost impossible because we haven’t understood our role in bringing about the desired change. God has a part and we have our own part and God wouldn’t play our part neither can we play God’s part. It’s a kind of specialization. However, if only we could understand, by revelation, that God has already played His part in whatever change we desire, it would change us. If only we could see, by the Spirit, that we are the ones causing the delays having not played our own parts, it would inspire us to action for change. As a result of what He has done, God could rightly say to us “whatever is not right or you don’t like in your life change it!” God has given the New Creation the ability to change anything whatsoever! We’ve got the Word. We’ve got the Holy Ghost. We’ve got the Anointing and every empowerment we need to have it. Change is ours for the taking! We must believe and receive this if we must function in it. It is a conscious decision we must make to see this happen in our lives or situations. It’s really up to us. There is never a significant change without a price. When I talk of the price for change, I’m talking about getting involved in the process of change – facing it! Many would rather give excuses and reasons why they or their situations wouldn’t change than facing the challenge for change headlong. Humans naturally fear change because of this one thing. Change will always be a process. Of cause some changes could happen instantaneously but maintaining them would be a process. For instance, you might receive an instant healing from the Lord, but you would need to be ready to keep your healing by staying in faith no matter the symptoms that might try to make you feel as though the sickness is returning. It’s real work! Humans are naturally afraid of treading new grounds because of the uncertainties. This is the reason why everyone is talking about change but only a little is actually changing. We must be ready to face and go through the process of change if at all we must have it. The question then is: how serious are you about a change. The very word from which change is gotten (metamophoo) speaks of a process – the process of a butterfly (from laver to pupa to maggot to the full grown butterfly). Romans 12:2 shows us that. The mind of every man is the platform for change. Remember that sometimes for change to happen, the mind might have to unlearn some things it had previously learned in under to accept change. It is impossible for a man to experience change when the change hasn’t happened on the mind first. Hence Romans 12:2. There is a great connection between change and the Word of God. This is the reason why those who aren’t born again would find change very difficult or even impossible. This is because the power for change is in the hearing and doing of the Word of God. Remember Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” This portion of Scripture is so powerful and revolutionary. God has a will concerning every area of our lives. The will of God is the Word of God and so to find out what His will is about a matter you must look into the Word. Once you locate what His will is about a matter, you are then empowered by that Word to produce the desired change! This is so important because the Lord is showing this to you so that you can change anything, no matter how seemingly impossible it is. Friends, understand that change doesn’t come by crying. Change doesn’t come by trying. Change comes by the Word. There is so much power in the Word of God to change any situation. Change can happen to anyone. It’s just a matter of how crazy you are for change. One amazing thing about change is that after we have experienced a change in any aspect of our lives under God, God takes us to a higher level in that area such that we become the change. We begin to help people who need those same changes in their lives. It is my earnest prayer that you will truly experience change in whatever area of your life you need it most and then be the change the world is searching for. Get ready! Change is coming! It will come big!

STEP OUT & STAND OUT!

Every man created by God was created for a purpose. It is quite unfortunate that a bulk of humanity end up dying only to discover that they never lived in the first place. Every man is either living – fulfilling purpose and destiny or existing – just breathing through life. It is often said that when the purpose of a thing is unknown abuse is inevitable. Every human being has the major assignment of studying and discovering himself. You must know to what purpose you were born. You must know and understand your divine assignment on earth. This is really what brings about real fulfilment here on earth. A lot of Christians, though born again, are not experiencing a fulfilled life and they wonder why. It’s time to step out and be about something beyond yourself. A lot of people are living for themselves only – self-centred living! Me and mine kind of living will take you nowhere. You were born for something bigger than yourself! 2 Corinthians 5:15 clear states “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” This is amazing! So who or what are you living for? What in the world are you waiting for? Step out! Time is attached to your purpose and when your time is up nothing can keep you here on earth for another micro second. Excuse is one of the greatest enemies of man. Excuses only exist in the mind of the person who chooses to accommodate them. Excuses are not substantial in the sight of God. A lot of people give a lot of excuses why they cannot do a lot of things. What excuse are you accommodating in your life? Excuses would only put you down and stop you from doing what you were born to do. Romans 8:19-22 tells us “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” So what are you going to do about this? Time is short so step out! You are uniquely structured to solve a problem so stand out! You are the solution to a specific problem here on earth. It is very easy to make a difference, just be different! Accept no excuses! They don’t exist. The Word of God says in 1Peter 2:9 says “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:” Please step out and stand out!

CONTAINERS OF HIS GLORY

The day the Believer in Christ actually understands what it really means to be a New Creation in Christ Jesus; he will automatically stop seeing him/herself as ordinary, natural or normal. We are not ordinary people. There is Some One inside us that makes us extraordinary, supernatural and abnormal. This is reality friends. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” (NKJV). Glory to God! Did you see that? It says we carry in us the excellence of the power of God. I pray, in the Name of Jesus Christ, that the Lord will grant us a special revelation through His Spirit on this matter. It will change us. What a privilege it is to be conveyors of God’s holy presence. What a privilege to be reflectors of the Person of God. Wow! How staggering it is to even imagine it! Acts 10:38 is one Scripture that has so inspired me personally. Whenever I read it I feel the stirring of the Holy Ghost in my spirit. It says “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (NKJV). The Lord Jesus Christ was a pattern for us. Today, we, the New Creations, carry and convey His glorious and mighty presence. The Lord Jesus is no longer on earth, He is seated at the right hand of the Father. Now the same Holy Spirit by which He was anointed to manifest the glory of the Father is living inside of us for the same purpose. Hebrews 1:1-3 says “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (NKJV). Today God wants us to be the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person – that’s the purpose of the Holy Spirit in our lives and not just for goose bumps! The Word of God also tells us something amazing in Acts 19:11,12. It says “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.” (NKJV). This is amazing. What do you think would happen if every Believer in Jesus Christ chooses to step out and walk in the authority and consciousness of the New Creation that we are in Christ Jesus? Be sure that God didn’t work through Paul in this manner because he was more righteous and holy than the other Apostles. This happened because Paul walked in the consciousness of what he truly was in Christ. He walked in the power and authority of the Holy Spirit living inside him. This is available today to you and me. If we dare to step out in simple faith, God will honour His Words on our lips and through our mortal bodies. 1 John 4:4 tells us something so staggering. It says “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (NKJV). Glory to God forevermore! I was so overwhelmed the day I saw by revelation that The Holy Spirit has no physical body and that we, the New Creations, are His body. The Holy Spirit can only operate on earth through Believers in Jesus Christ. He can’t carryout His Ministry to the world without the New Creations. Think about that for a moment! Wherever we go the Holy Spirit goes in actual substantial manifestation. The Holy Spirit is Omnipresence but He doesn’t manifest His presence everywhere except in places where He is welcomed. He is always eager to manifest Himself through us every single moment. Saints, let Him do so through you! We ought to carry this active presence about, glorifying Jesus everywhere! You see, spirit beings cannot manifest fully on earth without a physical body. God created the earth to be inhabited by spirits with physical bodies – men. Spirit beings don’t have full operation on earth without a physical body. So the Holy Spirit operates fully through Believers who yield themselves to His person, influence and leading. The Holy Spirit never forces Himself on anyone. Devils use men too to carryout his threefold ministry – steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10a) and he will do anything to possess any human being who opens the door or yields to him. When he can’t find a human being, he possesses animals. The good news is that Jesus Christ carries out His Supreme ministry on earth through us – the saints – the ministry of imparting eternal life to men (John 10:10b). The Great Commission means to spread the divine influence everywhere from our Jerusalem to the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8 says “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (NKJV). We unlock this power by getting involved with the Great Commission – that’s the purpose of Pentecost! God wants all men saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1Timothy 2:4). This is how it works. Also, Romans 12:1 tells us what to do to activate this power in us. It says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (NKJV). Jesus did the same. We see that in Hebrews 10:5-7 “Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come--In the volume of the book it is written of Me--To do Your will, O God.'"” (NKJV). It’s a total abandonment to the will of God – spirit, soul and body – that that releases the glory in us!

LIFE OR RELIGION?

Jesus didn’t come to give the world another religion. In fact the world was already chocking of religion when Jesus came. Jesus brought Abundant, Eternal Life to man. That’s Christianity – the life of God to the max in a man! The world has religion, the Christian has eternal life. So what have you got? A life or a religion? The word ‘religion’ is quite relative. It all depends on the usage and what it seeks to communicate. From Scriptures we actually see that there are two kinds of religion – the negative and the positive. The negative kind of religion is that which tries to connect with God through acts and deeds, not taking advantage of what has already been accomplished in Christ for them. This is the reason a lot of folks would go to hell. Salvation is just about taking what God has accomplished in Christ and personalizing it. It’s a vital decision we mu

st make in this life before we die or before the rapture if not we end up in the lake of fire. Romans 10:9,10,13 is the basis for this salvation. It says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” A lot of people who go to Church would still go to hell for eternity because they ignored God’s pattern of righteousness and set up their own standard for connecting with God. This is actually the current problem of the Jewish race (Romans 10:1-13). This is so unfortunate! Jesus called those who practice this kind of religion thieves in John 10:1. He says “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” This is terrible! It is important we understand that we are not made righteous because of what we deed or didn’t do but because of what God did for us through Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:21). In 1 Corinthians 3:11, we read “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (NKJV). The Word of God is so clear about this matter. The positive kind of religion has to do with consistency in doing the right things according to God’s Word. For instance studying your Bible, praying, walking in love etc everyday must be carried out religiously. In this case, it is an attitude not just an act. The Christianity of the Bible is not a religion at all. However, the positive kind of religion is a vital part of Bible Christianity. It is not the whole but a part of Christianity. Christianity is the life and nature of God expressed on earth through mortal men. This must be properly understood. James 1:26,27 tells us “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (NKJV). This is true religion. Blessings!