Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Stay Away from Jezebel!

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou
sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to
teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat
things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her
fornication; and she repented not.
Revelation 2:20-21

This is written to Thyatira, a corrupt, self-promoting church. Jezebel
is a self-promoter who calls herself a prophetess, but the Holy Ghost is the real promoter. If you are always trying to promote yourself, to
get to the pulpit, or to do something that gets you noticed, you will
not get very far. The Holy Ghost gives you the gifts. He gives you the
talents you have. He gives you favour where favour is necessary. Your
responsibility is to do what your hands can find to…

Jesus did not come to accept our sacrificial acts, but to make Himself a sacrifice for our sins. He did all this to give us new life in Him

SOMETHING NEW

Luke 5:36-37, “And he spake a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.”

MATTHEW 9:11-17, MARK 2:16-22, LUKE 5:30-39

These two parables are in response to the scribes’ and Pharisees‘ criticism (v. 30) and the question from John’s disciples about why Jesus didn’t act according to their religious traditions and expectations (Mt. 9:14; Mk. 2:18). The gist of…

You are favoured by The Lord

By acknowledging and giving thanks for the little things, we open the door to the much

If nothing could stop you…

How much could you accomplish?

If you woke up tomorrow morning with an unfair advantage…

How far could you go?

If the universe worked with you and not against you…

How would your reaction to your circumstances differ?

Favour can change your life.

And whether you realize it or not, you are favoured.

You see, Jesus purchased favour for you on the cross.

He gave up His life so that yours could be abundant. (John 10:10)

In Romans 8:32, Paul asks, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

It’s a rhetorical question which means God is not going to…

Victoria Falls (Photo credit: tonymz)

God is absolute Truth

The Greatest Power

“By my great power I have made the earth and all its people and every animal.” (Jeremiah 27:5)

Much mystery (and ignorance) results from the fact that God’s Spirit transcends our five senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. He can only be perceived by our spirit–that unseen part of us that is renewed at salvation.

David Livingstone was the first European to explore much of central Africa over one hundred fifty years ago. He led expeditions that pushed deep into the jungles and savannahs–often thousands of miles at a stretch.

While traveling along the Zambezi River in south-central Africa, Livingstone became the first European to set eyes on Victoria Falls. The massive falls plunge 360 feet to the earth below. Some in Livingstone’s party might have thought they had discovered the world’s greatest source of…

Free Gift Of God

Acts 21:21

“but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.”
NKJV

What are some of the traditions you hold that keep others from Jesus? In the verse above, you see the Jewish and Gentile conflict within the church and the traditions that the Jews wanted the Gentile church to follow. Although they rejoiced that God was at work among the Gentiles, they slipped in the word ‘but’ revealing their ‘religiosity’. They were concerned for the traditions set within the church.

It is important as you walk in relationship with others to speak leaving out the ‘buts’. Often, you’ll hear that word come up as you talk to others. We all…

Love God and Live by Faith

Deuteronomy 8:6-7 says:

“Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, and to fear Him. For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills.”

We are Christians. We obey God, not to get something, but because He has already given us something. We obey Him, giving Him reverence and honouring Him. We walk in His ways and His paths. We represent Him to the world. We walk in righteousness and purity. Why? Because He has brought us into a land of such abundance, a land of goodness. God loves us so much, we can do nothing but love Him back. This is the heart of true faith. When we discover His love for us…

For us, death is not a goodbye; it’s a “see you later”

Culled From:  www.odb.org.

READ:1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. —1 Thessalonians 4:17

As a boy, I had a collie named Prince Boy, a great dog that I really loved. One day, he disappeared. I didn’t know if he had been stolen or if he had simply run away—but I was devastated. I searched everywhere. In fact, one of my earliest childhood memories is of climbing a tall tree from which I could scan our neighborhood in hopes of spotting him. I desperately wanted my beloved dog back. For weeks, I was always watching and hoping to see Prince Boy again. But we were never reunited.

There’s a much greater sense of loss when…

Let us learn to wait upon the Lord.

Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Oh how often do we ask God to either help us with something or give us an answer to a specific question? And then, in our impatience, we run ahead of God and just do it in our own strength and understanding. We run and get weary, because we are doing things in our own way. Let us learn to wait upon the Lord, as hard as it might be at times, just wait! For He promises that we shall run and not be weary, walk and not faint.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD…

Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Naturally Holy

John 5:14, “Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”

JOHN 5:1-15

In saying this, Jesus shows that sin causes the tragedies that come into our lives. The reason for holiness in the life of the believer is that when we obey sin, we yield ourselves to Satan, the author of that sin. Yielding to sin is yielding to a person – Satan. God doesn’t impute the sin to us but the devil does. Our actions either release the power of Satan or the power of God in us.

Although God is not imputing our sins unto us, we cannot afford the luxury of sin because it allows Satan to have access to us. When a Christian sins and allows the…

Detail – Glory of the New Born Christ in presence of God Father and the Holy Spirit (Annakirche, Vienna) Adam and Eva are represented bellow Jesus-Christ Ceiling painting made by Daniel Gran (1694-1757). Post-processing: perspective and fade correction. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Spirit and Jesus

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there
are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are
diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all
in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to
profit withal.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

There is only one Spirit, but there are many different manifestations
of the Spirit. There are gifts. There are ministries. There are
operations of the Spirit. The book of Isaiah says that a number of these expressions are upon the Lord Jesus. And indeed, we read in John
14:16 that…

4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern California provided by LivingWaters Ministry. Obeying the great commission of Jesus Christ. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone” Mark 16:15 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God.

Isaiah 61:10, NKJV

United in Praise

Who is praising Jesus because you are? If your praise – and mine – is interrupted by . . .

our circumstances or our complaints,

our selfishness or our suffering,

our desires or our depression,

our indifference or our insistence,

or by anything at all . . .

the light will grow dim in our lives as we sink into the mire of self, and instead of causing others to praise Him, we will drag them down into the darkness with us.

So would you praise Him? And keep on praising Him! Praise…

Games the Devil Plays

And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled
then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I
pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy
herdmen; for we be brethren
Genesis 13:7-8

Abram’s men were upset with Lot’s men, and Lot’s men were upset with
Abram’s men. Abram’s men began to whisper in Abram’s ear about Lot, and
Lot’s men began to whisper in Lot’s ear about Abram. Most of you have
experienced this nasty old game of the devil in your own lives because
the devil knows that strife will derail God’s plan.

Abram, however, understood the divisiveness of strife. He didn’t say,
“Let there be a little strife.” You might think at times that it’s okay
to…

Acknowledged by Our Lord Jesus Christ

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their
garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and
I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will
confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Revelation 3:4-5
The Bible is the book of life. Your name is in this book. If God has to
say “I will not blot out your name out of the book of life,” that must
mean that your name can be blotted out, that you can lose your
salvation. Just because you were once saved doesn’t mean you’ll go up
in the rapture. He is telling this church that their lethargy and
religion could cause them to become…

Jesus Shared His Father’s Glory

John 5:18, “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”

JOHN 5:16-27

When the Jewish authorities heard Jesus call God “my (own) Father”, they immediately understood that Jesus claimed for Himself deity in the highest possible sense of that term. That claim was either blasphemy, to be punished by death, or else Jesus was who He claimed to be.

Jesus never associated Himself with His disciples by using the plural pronoun “our” Father. Rather, He always used the singular “my” Father, since His relationship was unique and eternal, whereas theirs was by grace and regeneration.

We should ponder carefully our Lord’s own conception of who He was. He said “I am from above” (Jn. 8:23); “Before Abraham was, I AM

Selfish Desires

“Me First”

READ: James 4:1-10

Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. —Ephesians 4:22

A man once asked me, “What is your biggest problem?” I replied, “I see my biggest problem every day in the mirror.” I am referring to those “me first” desires that lurk in my heart.

In James 4:1 we read: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” The words “desires for pleasure” refer to our self-serving desires. That’s why in James 1:14 we are told: “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” James warns that such “me first” desires will destroy our friendship with God (4:4) and cause divisions, wars, and fights (vv.1-2).

Therefore, we are told to put off…

4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern California provided by LivingWaters Ministry. Obeying the great commission of Jesus Christ. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone” Mark 16:15 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Absolute surrender to God’s will.

James 4:7 “Therefore, submit to God…”

The time has come for absolute surrender to the will of God. As we grow, God starts demanding more from us. And times will come when we are not sure that we will be able to do what God wants us to do. But if we surrender, something new happens. Our faith grows and our intimacy with Him deepens. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be…

Remember God!

Deuteronomy 8:10-14 says:

 “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which He hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes, which I command thee this day. Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”

There are people who forget God, but you are not like that. You remember the way of transgression; you remember that it was a…

The Lesson of Elijah

God is A Personal Spirit!

“Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for Him to act.” (Psalm 37:7)

Do you ever ask, “Why don’t I experience God dramatically as the early believers did? Why do I not see anyone experiencing God that way?” A man from Old Testament times, a prophet named Elijah, struggled with this.

Elijah lived in a day, much like today, when many people doubted or scoffed at God. He longed to see God move with tremendous power and silence the critics. Sometimes God did that. But there was a time when Elijah’s very life was in danger, and God seemed silent. An evil and godless queen named Jezebel sent her armies to kill Elijah. Was this his reward for being loyal and faithful to God? His depression and despair cut so deeply that Elijah finally asked…

Psalm 118:24  “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

All we have is today!

You are not in control of your life…in fact, the only decisions you can make on your own is how you will react to the things that come your way. You can choose fear or faith. You can get depressed or determined to find the best in a situation. The choice is yours with either response.

As humans, sometimes we let the need to be in control taint the good that God brings to the day. We shouldn’t forget that this is the day that He has created. These are the circumstances that He’s aware of and while they may not contribute to our ideal day, remember everything works according to His plan.

The very fact that you’re breathing is reason enough to rejoice! Be happy…

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Grief Takes Time

James 4:4 says, “Your life is like a mist. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away.”

We speak of a short life—but compared to eternity, who has a long one? But in God’s plan every life is long enough and every death is timely. And though you and I might wish for a longer life, God knows better.

Ecclesiastes 7:3 says, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.”

Egyptians dress in black for six months. Orthodox Jews offer prayers for a deceased parent every day for eleven months. Some Muslims wear mourning clothes for a year. Am I the only one who senses we hurry our hurts?

Did you know that 70% of the Psalms are poems of sorrow? That the Old…