Carrier of God's Glory - Part 4

Praise the Lord Beloved! 

In the end of last year, we were learning on what it means to be a "Carrier of God's glory" and what is required of every believer.   The three previous articles covered two aspects of God's glory: presence and power.  In this article, I will finalize the discussion by looking at the third aspect of God's glory which is authority.

When you see authority, you know it.  In Genesis 1, we see demonstration of God's authority as He spoke the universe into being: "let there be light" and there was light; "let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water" and it was so; "let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let the dry ground appear" and it was so; "let the land produce vegetation" and it was so; "let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night" and it was so; "let the water teem with living creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky" and they were created; "let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds" and they were produced; "let us make man in our image, in our likeness" and he was created.

Authority is the legal ground to exercise power.  Christ's death on the Cross resulted to among other things, legal restoration of mankind to his/her position of rulership.  When Adam and Eve committed sin at the Garden of Eden, they lost the legal ground to fulfill their mandate as prescribed in Genesis 1:28: to be fruitful, multiply, subdue and rule.  The written code and its regulations (the Old Testament law) stood against mankind, for he was subject to the penalty of sin that required death.  Thank God for the Cross!  At the Cross, Jesus cancelled the written code that stood opposed to us, and He nailed it to the cross which resulted to a permanent nullification of its claim against man.

Colossians 2:13-15 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Those who choose to accept the work of the Cross by repentance and to welcome Jesus to be Lord over their lives are made sons of the Most High God (John 1:12; Romans 8:14-15).  They are spiritually delivered from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:15).  They are made citizens of a heavenly kingdom (Philippians 3:20).  

During His earthly ministry, Jesus exhibited authority because He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15); He was in right standing with the Father (John 5:19-21).  It is worth noting that there are numerous accounts in the Gospels that demonstrate Jesus' authority.  For example, when Jesus was confronted by Satan with temptations after conclusion of his forty day fast in Matthew chapter 4, He did not call for a prayer meeting.  He countered Satan's deceptive lies by proclaiming God's Word, which was a demonstration of authority over Satan's schemes.  After delivering His sermons to the crowds in Matthew 5-7, the crowds were amazed at Jesus' teachings because He spoke in authority (Matthew 7:28-29).

Jesus coming from the mountainside in Matthew 8:1 met a leprous man who asked Him for healing.  Jesus' said, "Be clean" and the man was immediately cured.  On entering Capernaum in Matthew 8:5, Jesus met a centurion whose servant was unwell.  The centurion beseeched Jesus to speak a word and when Jesus did, the Bible records that "his servant was healed at that very hour."  

In another incidence, Jesus was visiting Peter's house and many who were demon-possessed were brought to him (Matthew 8:16).  The Bible records that Jesus "drove out spirits with a word and healed all the sick".   At another time, Jesus was sleeping in a boat in which His disciples were also on board.  Tossed by a life-threatening, furious storm, Jesus awoke and rebuked the winds and the waves.  The Bible records that following the rebuke, the lake "was completely calm" (Matthew 8:23-27).

At the region of Gadarenes, Jesus met two violent, demon-possessed men (Matthew 8:28-34).  The demons recognized Jesus just like in the incidence in Acts 19:11-17 where the demons acknowledged to knowing Paul.  Spiritually, those in right standing with God are no secret; you cannot fake righteousness.  Rather than Jesus playing it safe to avoid trouble arising from any form of provocation, He spoke to the demons and said "Go".  The Bible records that the demons "came out and went into pigs".

In another time of ministry, a paralytic man on a mat was brought to Jesus.  When Jesus spoke the words, "Get up, take your mat and go home," the man immediately got up and went home (Matthew 9:1-8).  Time does not allow for me to cite all the examples in the Gospel of Matthew that demonstrate Jesus' authority.  One common lesson we draw from almost all the incidences is that Jesus did not passively wait for God to do a miracle.  After investing His time in prayer, He stepped out in faith to speak forth what He desired to see manifest. Consequently, His life was characterized by not only what He said but also what He did.  

Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

The great news is that Jesus delegated His authority to His disciples when He commissioned them in Matthew 28:18-20: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you".  Jesus said that "all authority in heaven and on earth" was given to Him.  Not some authority, but all authority!  Jesus has sent us forth with ALL authority.  

The disciples of Jesus are to execute their mandate of making and training disciples, by exercising the delegated authority of the Anointed One, who is seated far above all rule, authority, power, dominion and title in this present age and in the age to come (Ephesians 1:21).  

I grew up during the popular Faustin Munishi's (Swahili gospel musician) days in the 90s.  He had an interesting song that described how believers who understand their authority in Christ Jesus live a victorious life. 

Wale walio asi, wakimbia ovyo, hakuna afukuzae, wao wenyewe.  Wakipatwa nalo jangwa hata liwe ndogo, hao hutimua mbio ati wamelogwa. Wenye haki ni wajasiri, wameokoka, wanaye Yesu, wana imani ya Mungu Baba.  Wachawi wote hawababaishi, mapepo yote hayatetemeshi, shetani naye hawatishi tishi.

English translation of song lyrics: Those that have sinned run when there is no reason to run; when no one chases after them.  When faced with little trouble, they flee and claim that they are bewitched.  The righteous are bold; they are saved; they have Jesus; they have faith in God the Father.  Witches, demons and the devil do not bring anxiety or fear to the righteous.

One of the conditions of a believer exercising their authority is that they be in right standing with God.  Secondly, they must have faith in God and not allow their hearts to be plagued with unbelief.  Thirdly, they must be wholly submitted to say and do the bidding of the Spirit.

1 Peter 3:18-22 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. …. saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand- with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Ephesians 2:4-6 But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. 

Mark 11:20-24 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.  Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"  "Have faith in God," Jesus answered.  I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, "Go, throw yourself into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

John 14:12-14 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 

James 1:6-8 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all he does.

John 15:7-8 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Our right standing in God is in the finished work of the Cross, for Jesus became unrighteousness so that you and I might become the righteousness of God.  This is purely a work of grace, the justification of those who were condemned to eternal death.  Having believed, the grace of God continues to work in a believer's life both to will and to do for the Lord's pleasure.  The believer must surrender to God's sanctifying grace, and choose to follow the narrow path that leads to life.  He must daily take up their cross and follow Jesus.  This is a life of faith, for the righteous live by faith.  

Faith is not passive; faith takes action.  Faith urges us to speak forth that which we desire to see manifest in the physical realm.  Faith urges us to take action when human logic says we shouldn't.  Faith sees what the natural eyes cannot see.  Faith aligns a believer's heart to the heart of God.  Without faith, there cannot be demonstration of authority.

Faith is not doing what you wish to do, at whatever time you wish it done, without regard to God's will.  Faith is saying/ doing what Jesus Christ is saying/ doing, fully persuaded of His faithfulness.  For a believer's faith in God (not in human resources, talents and abilities) to bear fruit, the believer needs to be in total submission to God.  As a branch grafted to the vine, he/she must abide in God (John 15:1-5).  The follower of Jesus must rely on the Holy Spirit to guide on the what and how of ministry.

The demonstration of authority by believers is not confined to the four walls of the church.  On the contrary, authority is what should characterize a believer's daily life.  

At the Cross, Jesus gained the victory for every disciple to be able to exercise their authority in Christ, for the building up of the Body and the advancement of the Kingdom of God on earth.  As Jesus was about to give up His Spirit at the Cross, He said "it is finished".  The perfect sacrifice had been offered for every person to be reconciled to God, and consequently walk in power and authority. 

Unfortunately, the Church today is caught up in calling and waiting on God to do that which they are supposed to be doing on earth.  This revelation causes me to tremble at the thought that many of us on the Day of Judgement will be accused of abdicating our responsibilities while on earth.  I am guilty, and may God help you and I to live in the revelation of His Word.  Spiritually, God already healed our diseases and liberated those in bondage through Jesus' death at the Cross.  It is for the disciples of Christ to exercise their authority in physically effecting healing to the sick and liberty to the bound.

Psalms 115:16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord but the earth he has given to man.

Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it.

Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Jesus has won the victory!  What hinders you from living in the full victory availed through the Cross?  Will you partner with Jesus to fully live in the victory of the Cross?  Jesus wants us to shake off all sin and weight that so easily besets us, and hinders us from effectively executing our responsibilities as Christ's Ambassadors on earth (Hebrews 12:1-2).  He wants us to get rid of unbelief which is sin, and shake off the weight of religion.  

I look forward to the testimonies that will arise from us obeying this word.  Feel free to share your testimony/ prayer through info@reflectontheword.com.

 

Carrier of God's Glory- Part 3

Believers are ordained to carry God's manifest presence, power and authority.  Part 1 of this article helped us to objectively evaluate our current status against God's expectation for His Children as expressly prescribed in Scripture.  I hope that since that read, you have been making steps to move from "Biblical Abnormality" to "Biblical Normality".  Part 2 helped us understand that God is beckoning us into the depths of His manifest presence.  It is my prayer that you are prayerfully taking time to plunge deeper in God.

Deep waters are scary for rookie swimmers.  In fact, if you ever visit a beach, you will realize that the shallow waters are more concentrated with human population than the deep waters.  I had an adrenaline-packed experience once, at Shela beach in Lamu.  It was my first time to visit the breath-taking archipelago of islands, inhabited by one of the most hospitable people.   On this particular day, I had a day off from work.  I took advantage of my free time to tour the island.

After breakfast at my hotel, I set out for Shela beach which was about 45 minutes walk from the Lamu town.  The beach was a spectacular sight to behold.  The coastline was donned with meticulously, naturally-formed hills of sparkling white sand; and the tranquility of the deep-blue Indian Ocean waters was therapeutic to the soul.  I was overly-excited to say the least and I quickly chose a spot for my self to lay my items and ready my self for a good morning swim.  The basis of my choice of spot was that it was less congested.

I immediately got into the waters and began to swim.  The winds were a bit stronger than what I was used to in the coastal city of Mombasa where I live.  The waves were building up a bit, but nothing to worry about.  Though the winds were pushing me further from the shoreline, in my mind, I knew I was still within safe distance.  

When I finally got tired and needed to take a break, I decided to lower my feet down to stand.  Alas! Alas!  I felt my body descending fast into the waters and not reaching the expected floor of the ocean.  I looked down into the waters and saw that the floor was no where in sight.  Immediately adrenaline kicked in and I knew I was in trouble.  I had definitely ventured into much deeper waters than I had ever done.  That explains why that side of the beach had few users, a couple with two young kids and my self.  I pushed my self back up and frantically begun to swim against the winds to "safe" grounds.  Considering that I was already physically tired by the time I considered taking a break in the deep waters, it definitely took God's strength for me to return to shore safely.  

In my return to the shore, I intentionally headed towards the family that I had earlier spotted, just to increase the probability of being rescued in case there would be any need for that. Once I arrived at the shore and caught some breadth, we engaged in a conversation and the gentleman and his wife indicated that the waters in that section were very deep and so many people avoided swimming there.

The truth is, I panicked at the thought of how deep the waters were and I swam from the deep spot as fast as I could.  Why?  Because I felt that the place was not safe.  The shallow waters felt safer for me.  Like those visiting Shela beach, could believers be avoiding the deep waters of God?  I have shared this experience just to emphasize that as God calls us to be deep-enders, He requires that we lose control of our lives and live a life of faith, which rationally speaking is a risky life.

Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

In this part of the article, I wish to focus my discussions on God's power.  Every power has got a source.  The source of the power I talk about is not carnal (does not arise from the flesh) but is from Elohim, the Ancient of Days.  That power brought into being the universe. That power parted the Red Sea and paved the way for the Israelites to pass through safely.  That power brought down the fortified walls of Jericho. That power made very dry bones scattered in a valley to be joined to each other and to acquire flesh and be brought to life. That power raised Jesus from the dead.

Recently, God gave me an analogy about activation of power.  Consider a socket that is supposed to switch lighting bulbs on or off.  Though not usually visible, underneath a wall there is an electric circuit set up that is connected to a power source.  The power from the source flows through the conductors in the electric circuit.  However, for the bulbs to light, the switch must be switched on.  What happens when somebody presses the switch on?  The electric circuit is completed.  The power is present and available but the key as to whether we will have light or darkness in a room, all other factors held constant, is the turning on of the switch which often required pressing.

For a person to press a switch, he/she is required to have knowledge about its use in lighting the bulbs.   Such knowledge is the basis of the person trusting that when they press the switch, the bulbs will actually light.  Such a person may have no scientific understanding of how electricity works, but they know that once the switch is pressed, the bulbs will light.  Friends, a believer who acts on their knowledge of Jesus Christ by faith, will cause the power of God to be manifest in and through their lives.

2 Peter 1:3-4 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 

The knowledge of Him [Jesus Christ] produces faith.  While the Church endeavours to teach on various keys to living a life of power, one of the fundamental requirements is for a person to act by faith in response to the revelation of the knowledge of Christ.

Jesus taught that the amount of faith required to move a mountain was the size of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20).  How much faith is needed for you to start moving mountains?  Mustard seed size of faith.  The truth is, many believers do not exhibit God's power in their daily living because they do not act on the Knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Faith without deeds is dead.  

Undoubtedly, the Church today exhibits spiritual weakness.  Underlying this weakness is a lack, not of intellectual knowledge but a lack of revelatory knowledge of Jesus Christ.  I can assure you that pure intellectual knowledge will not enable you to be a Carrier of God's glory.  It is not more PhDs in Theology and Divination that we need in the Body of Christ for us to experience revival (as important as schooling may be).  It is the revelation of the Risen Christ that we need today more than ever.

The Apostles obtained revelatory knowledge of Jesus and not mere intellectual knowledge.  No wonder they were willing to die for their faith, and gladly so.  They were bold, non-apologetically speaking of the One they had heard and seen with their spiritual ears and eyes, respectively.  Their preaching was not mere words of wisdom.  On the contrary, they demonstrated the Spirit and power. 

Matthew 16:15-19 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”   Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Peter received a revelation of who Jesus was- "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God."  Jesus expressly confirms that such knowledge was not attributable to Peter's intellectual quotient but was rather attributable to the Holy Spirit.  Jesus asserted that He would build the Church upon "this rock".  Which rock?  The revelation of Jesus the Messiah!  A church founded on Jesus will advance in power, taking over territories for Jesus.  No demonic schemes and ammunition will be able to stop such a church!

The Apostle's ministries were founded on the revelation of Jesus Christ.  Looking at the life of Paul, we see this clearly.  I pray that as you read the following scriptures, there will be a stirring of hunger within you to know the Lord.

Acts 9:4-5 He [Paul] fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"  "Who are you Lord?" Saul asked.  "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.  "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ--yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

2 Corinthians 12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven.  Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know- God knows.  ... He heard inexpressible things that man is not permitted to tell.

Have you ever wondered why Scripture permits believers to boast only in knowing the Lord.  Knowing Jesus ought to be our daily endeavour and highest priority.  Dear Lord, give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we may know you better!  Enlighten the eyes of our hearts in order that we may know the hope to which you have called us and the riches of our glorious inheritance.  Illuminate our minds to grasp the incomparable great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:17-19).

Having known God, you need to act in accordance to the revelation which you have received.  We live in an information age and many Christians find themselves seeking for more knowledge daily, whether on earthly matters or eternal matters.  It is good that we seek to know God, but that is not sufficient for a victorious Christian life.  We must seek to exercise our knowledge in our daily living.

Envision a trained soldier who is given a gun to restore peace in the community in which he lives. Suppose that the soldier though trained, never responds to the enemies’ attacks by pulling the trigger. In this case, the gun is as good as a walking stick. Is it the gun that has no power or is it the trained soldier who fails to exercise His knowledge to utilize his gun?  Is it the gun or the soldier with a problem?

Sadly, many of us blame the Spirit for our powerless state. The truth is, the problem lies squarely with us.  What have you been doing with the knowledge of Christ which you have received.  Have you been exercising it by faith?

Apostle John received the revelation of Jesus while at Patmos island and the record of this revelation is detailed in the last book of the New Testament.  The Book of Revelation ought to be a favorite for believers because it is "the revelation of Jesus Christ".  However, the devil has kept believers away from the Book with deception that the Book is difficult and a preserve for a few who have special gifts and callings.  Do not fall into that lie!  Delve into studying the Book of Revelation as often as you can and under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, you will receive divine knowledge of the Risen Christ.

Revelation 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.

2 Peter 1:3-4 says that we have received divine power for life and godliness through the knowledge of Christ, which God has provided by His own glory and goodness.  Through the glory and goodness of God, God has reconciled us to Himself and given us great and precious promises that enable us to participate in His divine nature and escape the corruption of the world.  Believers are called to participate in the divine nature: heal the sick, cast out demons, liberate those in prison, bound up the broken hearted, declare the year of the Lord's favour, loose on the earth the purposes of God and bind on the earth the works of the kingdom of darkness.  

Do you want to participate in God's divine nature?  Know the Risen Christ and respond to that knowledge in faith to practically apply it in your daily life.  Do you want to escape the corruption of the world?   Know the Risen Christ and allow His Spirit Who is purification fire, to work out sanctification in your spirit man.  

Many hear God's Word but few respond by faith to the Word.  Few stand on His great and precious promises, for how can they trust He whom they have not known?  

The Risen Christ and the Holy Spirit are One.  Christ physically departed from the earth, but He did not leave us alone.  He left us a Helper, the Blessed Holy Spirit Who is the power of God at work within us.  While spiritually we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places, physically we live and move with the Holy Spirit who indwells us. What a privilege!  

The Holy Spirit endows us with power from on high, to enable us to do the good works which Christ entrusted to us: preach the Gospel; make disciples; heal the sick; bind up the brokenhearted; give sight to the blind; give liberty to the oppressed; and declare the year of the Lord’s favor.  That power is not thousands of miles away. It is within us and freely accessible for our daily living. 

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.  

1 Corinthians 2:4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith may not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

I ought to teach and do the Gospel. This is what Jesus and the Early Church did.  This is the modus operandi that our Saviour modeled.  The Apostles taught Jesus the Healer and they demonstrated Him as so. They taught Jesus the Deliverer and they demonstrated Him as so.  The “teaching and the doing” is the full gospel!  I pray to be an effective Ambassador of Christ- teaching and demonstrating the Kingdom of God! 

Carrier of God's Glory- Part 2

The song that has been in my heart this season is a simple Swahili song that says, "Shuka roho na utakaso, shuka na uwezo wako, ndani yako tunazo nguvu, wewe hututosheleza x2."  The translated message is, "come upon us Holy Spirit and fire, let your enablement be upon us, in you we have power, you satisfy us."  I am persuaded that this song is prophetically speaking of what God desires to do in this season, in the life of every believer.

God is calling us to be carriers of His glory in our generation.  We are the Samuel's of the 21st century, since God is calling us to carry His glory in a generation that is very familiar with religion and knows not Yahweh, the God of Israel.  In fact, some Christians are not perturbed by the state of affairs because when  they were introduced to Christianity, they never found the glory of God in their churches.  They therefore do not know God's manifest glory, and so they think that spiritual dryness and vicious rituals are the norms of a believer's life.  However, we learnt in part 1 of this message that many of us are "Biblically Abnormal", for our lives and faith are not comparable to that of the Early Church.

Be consoled if you fall under the category of believers who have not encountered God's Glory or have been nurtured in a church where all you know is religion and not God's glory.  Samuel, dedicated to the Lord as a young boy to serve in the temple of God, found himself in a similar scenario.  1 Samuel 3:1 states, "The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli.  In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions."  The Word of God, which is God Himself (John 1:1) was rare.  What a tragedy!

What is the Glory of God?  The Glory of God is His manifest presence, power and authority.  Physical things often replicate spiritual truths, and may serve well to bring us spiritual understanding.  The analogy of an earthly king/ ruler may better help us understand this subject.  This discussion will focus on the first aspect of God's glory, His manifest presence.

There is a certain presence that comes with an earthly king's physical appearance to a place.  In my high school days, we were privileged to have numerous visits by the late President Moi.  He was fond of passing by the school, sometimes just to have a good time with the school community, even when there was no particular agenda/ occasion.  I remember whenever the President decided to come over on an impromptu late afternoon/ evening visit, there was an indication that the President would be coming even though we had not been officially notified.  One of the signs was that I would see new faces in the school; they would often be men in suits "pretending" to take a walk around the school, but I was smarter 😊.  I knew that they were screening the school to ensure that it was safe for the President.

Once the President arrived, "presidential presence" set in.  The ordinary school with ordinary girls and teachers enjoyed "presidential presence".  The security in the compound stepped up to "statehouse security" level.  Often, these moments with the President were held at the school hall and drinks, snacks and food would be served.  When the President stepped into the school, the community stepped up to presidential status in terms of the meals 😂 (trust a boarding school student to remember about the food and not the speech).  In the presence of the President, there was "life", especially to our tummies 😂.

When the Lord comes to us, He comes in His manifest presence- sometimes it may be through the baptism of the Holy Spirit; through angelic visitation, Christ Jesus appearing in person, only to mention but a few.  When the Kingdom of God comes upon a place, God's presence is felt.  The effects of the intense, godly, spiritual presence are seen in the physical realm.  

Jesus gave His disciples a promise in John 14:22 saying, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."  The King of Glory is willing to come and make your heart His residence!  If you obey Him, God is willing to make your heart His Statehouse/ Whitehouse!  However there is a condition: obedience to His teaching.  When He comes to us, He does so in the fullness of who He is!  We however must be thirsty and empty to allow His fullness to fill us.

Paul made a prayer for the believers in the Church of Ephesus that they may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19).  When the fullness of God indwells us, our inner man is transformed into His image.  Just like Christ, we become a representation of God.  Hebrews 1:3 states, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."  God desires you to be a radiance of His glory!  God desires that many will know Him through you, because you will be a true representation of His being.

You and I must desire God's habitation in His fullness, more than any earthly thing.  Samuel is introduced to the God of Israel at a time when God's Word is rare.  I can only imagine the havoc that the spiritual famine had caused in the lives of men.  The physical attributes of the priest in the temple, Eli, reflected the pitiful spiritual state of the nation.  Eli is described as a man "whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see," (1 Samuel 3:2).

All was not lost though.  While Eli "was lying in his usual place", Samuel "was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was," (1 Samuel 3:2-3).  Scripture does not tell us where Eli's usual place was, but we know for sure that it was not where Samuel was lying, near the ark of God.  This is evidenced by the record of Samuel's response when God called out his name.  The Bible records that Samuel ran to Eli because he thought that Eli was the one calling him.  Three times, the priest instructed Samuel to "go back and lie down."  

At a time when God's word was rare, Samuel was positioned near the ark of God, which signified God's presence.  Samuel was rightly positioned to hear and commune with God.  The right position of today's believer before God, can only be attained through the righteousness that is provided for in Christ Jesus.  God wants you to leave your "usual place" that perhaps is corrupted by unbelief, traditions, spiritual complacency and compromise.  He is beckoning you into His presence, for therein is sweet, satisfying communion and lasting transformation.  The way into His presence is through the Blood of Jesus.  For this reason Christ Jesus died on the Cross, so that you may be able to access the Holy of Holies.  

Disobedience, unbelief and religion, I think, are the greatest enemies of the Church today.  These three work hand-in-hand to hinder believers from enjoying the blessings of their reconciliation to the Father.  Often, God has kept off from us because He is Holy and cannot have fellowship with a person who is living in sin.  In fact, He keeps away from us for our good, because He is also a Consuming Fire.   

In the past few weeks, God has been challenging me that many believers want God's presence but they do not want to prepare for His presence.  The presence of God is fire.  When His presence falls on a righteous man, the man is set ablaze for Christ.  His inner man is sanctified to the likeness of Christ.  His spirit is strengthen and re-ignited for God.  However, when the manifest presence of God comes to a person abounding in sin, His wrath is provoked.

Have you been blaming God for His conspicuous absence in your life or church?  Stop blaming God and prepare for the King's presence.  That preparation is simply through repentance.  The Word of God that came to Samuel reveals to us that Eli and His sons were under God's judgment.  This explains why God had withdrawn from the nation.  In His mercy, He was giving Eli and his family time to repent and to return to Him.

Moses was a man distinguished by God's presence.  The legacy that Moses left to Israel, was that of a man who was a friend of God.  Exodus 33 is a powerful portion of Scripture that reveals Moses' priorities with regard to pursuit of God as well as God's faithfulness in rewarding those who diligently seek Him.  Moses was so dependent on God that he refused to go forth to Canaan without God's presence. 

Exodus 33:15-16   Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.  How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

Moses lived under the Old Covenant when God's manifest presence would come upon Him periodically.  Today, you and I, living under the New Covenant, have an invaluable blessing of God indwelling us!  Not just in a Sunday service, or at a Gospel campaign meeting, but in every moment of our day to day lives.

In the age we live in, it is unfortunate that many believers are pursuing distinction through various initiatives other than God's presence.  We are living in an age where "branding" is highly exalted.  Sadly, some churches are on branding and rebranding sprees, not cognizant that all these is futile without God's presence.  The preacher who needs their church to be packed with people needs to only set themselves on fire with the presence of God.  Certainly, people will come to see them burn.  This was John Wesley's response to those who wanted to know the secret to his ministry success.  

Are you willing to burn, or are you afraid that some of the worldly things that you hold dear may be consumed by the Spirit's fire?  The wisdom of God is foolishness to the world, and yet it is life to those who believe. 

Exodus 33:13-14 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.  The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Exodus 33:13-14 as quoted above is very profound.  Moses asked God to show him His ways so that he could know God.  God's response was, "My Presence will go with you."  Do you want to know God's ways?  Do you want to know the Lord?  What you need is God's presence.

Those who spend time in God's manifest presence never remain the same.  They are distinguished.  They become firebrands for Jesus.  They become vessels of honor.   The Late Evangelist Reinhard Bonke severally gave a story about how Jesus used to peep through his eyes.  He had experiences where people would be so convicted when they looked at his eyes, and in that moment they would break down in tears and surrender their lives to Christ.  The manifest presence of God that indwelt Him was impacting people and nations.

God is calling you and I to be rightly positioned, so that we may know the unspeakable joy of His manifest presence.  His presence, not our talents, achievements or affluence, truly distinguishes believers.  Samuel, a young boy, with no much knowledge of priestly functions and practices, was distinguished by the presence of God in his life.  1 Samuel 3:19-21 states, " The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.  And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.  The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word."

God shows no favoritism.  He was willing to introduce Himself and speak through a young boy who was rightly positioned, rather than maintain communication with a duly appointed, disobedient priest.

Desire that God will often peep through your eyes to introduce Himself to the lost.  Desire that God will flow through you to be the comfort, healing and deliverance to those who need it.  Ask Him to showcase Himself on earth through you.  Ask Him to make your heart His home.

Moses was not a stranger in God's presence.  Exodus 33:7-11 indicates that it was Moses' practice to seek God at the tent of meeting.  While there, "the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend."  Moses might have been considered as one who had attained the mark in terms of knowing God.  Yet Exodus 33:18 suggests otherwise.  Moses, a man who had seen God's manifest presence said to God, "Now show me your glory."

What was happening to Moses at this point?  His request seems, at least to me, misplaced.  It seems that Moses had a holy thirst that desired more of God and refused to settle for yesterday's experience and knowledge of God.  Moses was taking a step of faith to launch deeper into seeking to know God.  I pray that God will give you an insatiable hunger and thirst for Him.  I pray that your pursuit of the depths of God will indeed lead you into His depths (Psalms 42:7).

Exodus 33:18-23  And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.  But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”   Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.  When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.  Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

In the depths of God, where God reveals Himself in new ways to us, absolute surrender is mandatory.  I have a clue in how to swim and I have had the privilege of teaching a few friends how to swim.  One of the greatest hurdle that a learner must overcome is the fear of drowning.  This fear is fanned by the awkward feeling of losing control in water.  Once they overcome this fear, they are able to relax and allow the buoyance of water to enable them to effortlessly float.  I know not fully this struggle because I learnt how to swim when I was young.

At the age of about 11 years, my friends in the neighbourhood told me that they were going swimming.  I was excited since I had a swimming costume that I had never used (I had bought it with my savings, which reveals the desire I had to one day swim).  I rushed home excited at the thought that I could actualize my dream of swimming. My elder sister was home and so I convinced her to give me permission to go out for swimming.  Thankfully, permission was granted on condition that I returned home before my parents did 😂 (this is not to be emulated).

When I got to the swimming pool, my friends jumped onto the swimming pool, enjoying the splashing of the warm waters.  Since I saw none of them drown, I followed suit.  There was no thought of drowning in my head, and so the ability to float was gained easily.  As we left the pool in the evening, I expressed my excitement that I had finally known how to swim.  My friends were utterly surprised that I was a learner when I first jumped onto that pool, because I had not shown any signs of fear.

In my young mind, I did not think of maintaining control in water and so I had no reason to fear.  Consequently, I thoroughly enjoyed the swim and learnt many things within a short time.  For all who desire to plunge deeper into God, you need to let go and trust God to guide you through the deep waters.  Some need to let go of their programs, knowledge and experience of how things need to be done, religious "niceties", and so on. In His hands you are safe. Will you surrender to God and ask Him for more of Himself?

Ezekiel 47:3-5 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits[a] and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.  He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist.  He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross.

Move out of the shallow waters!  God is beckoning you into His depths that require you to swim.  He beckons you to depths that you cannot cross on your own; where you will need to lose control and flow with the Spirit's guidance.  God, the Master Trainer, wants you to become a deep-ender!

Carrier of God's Glory- Part 1

Have you ever felt that you are not the kind of disciple that you read about in the New Testament?  Have you felt like the Church today falls short of the power and influence of the Early Church.  Emma Stark refers to it as a feeling of being "Biblically abnormal".   If yes, then this article is for you.  

Think about the Spirit-filled, tongue-speaking group of disciples, set ablaze for Christ on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4.  Take a minute and reflect on the boldness of Peter who spontaneously utilized an opportunity to share Christ to men and women so ignorant of the Gospel, that they considered the disciples drank when they saw them speaking in tongues (Acts 2:5-13).  Think about the devotion, unity of mind and spirit, exhibited by the believers in Acts 2:42-47.  They were committed to teaching of God's Word; genuine fellowship; selfless giving; and earnest prayer.  

Think about Peter and John who as they walked to the temple for a time of prayer, they engaged in a conversation with a lame beggar at the temple courts, and the end result was ministration of healing to the beggar (Acts 3:1-10).  Notable also is Peter and John's peculiar response to the beggar's healing?  Acts 3:12 quotes their response to the amazed crowd, "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you?  Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?"  Wait a minute!  Peter and John were disturbed by the crowd's amazement, because healing of the sick, blind and the lame was their normal.

Reflect a bit on Peter and John when they were thrown into jail for preaching about the resurrection of the dead in Jesus' Name, to a crowd that had gathered to witness the temple court beggar's healing (Acts 4:1-21).  The two apostles did not allow people to exalt them or engage in a publicity campaign in order to benefit from the healing.  Instead, they took opportunity to preach the Gospel.  Salvation of men was the fruit borne out of the healing, deliverance, signs, wonders and miracles that characterized their ministry.

Consider the courage of these two unschooled, ordinary men (Peter and John) when they were brought before the rulers, elders and teachers of the law in Jerusalem.  They saw an opportunity to preach the Gospel to their accusers (which could attract dire consequences including death) rather than to waste time defending their case in order to secure freedom.

Recall the believers who embarked on fervent, united prayer for Peter and John when they received news about their arrest (Acts 4:23-31).  Rather than chicken-out at the risk that was now imminent in preaching the Gospel, the disciples called down the reign of the Kingdom and the place in which they were was shaken, and filled with the Spirit, they were re-ignited with heightened boldness to speak God's Word.

Think about the excellence in the grace of giving/ sharing that was among the believers such that "there were no needy persons among them" (Acts 4:32-37).  The believers did not give under coercion.  The Apostles who were entrusted with the distribution of the wealth, were trustworthy stewards.  Among the believers, were "Sons of Encouragement" who sold their possession for the welfare of the Body of Christ.

Remember how the unholy could not dwell comfortably in the presence of God (Acts 5:1-13).  Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for testing the Spirit.  In the times we live in, the couple's action could have been overlooked as a mild lie.  Great fear of God was upon the Church.  The obedience of many believers was complete, thus they could punish all acts of disobedience (2 Corinthians 10:6).  So intense was the fear of God, that those whose hearts were bent on evil dared not join them.  The Church was regarded highly by the people.

Now, now ... recall how the sick and demon-tormented were brought to the streets and as Peter's shadow fell on them, they were ALL healed (Acts 5:14-16).  When the Apostles were imprisoned for what they were doing, an angel of the Lord appeared to them at night and opened the doors of the jail (Acts 5:17-41).  At day break, instead of the Apostles retreating to take some rest or holding a strategic planning meeting on how to survive the oppressive regime, they headed to the temple courts and there they taught the Word of God.  When re-arrested for disobeying the orders that required them not to preach the Gospel, their defense was, "We must obey God rather than men."  Consequently, the Apostles were thoroughly flogged and their response to the ruthless actions was,"... [they] left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name."

The choosing of the Seven Deacons is worth remembering (Acts 6).  The requirement for those chosen to do what seemed like a very carnal job of serving tables was "men ... known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom."  One of the Deacons, Stephen, is described as a man "full of God's grace and power".  Even in the face of death, Stephen was so connected with the Father that his face appeared as like that of an angel.  When given an opportunity to defend himself, he preached such an intense sermon that the accusers gnashed their teeth with conviction!  As each stone was throne at Stephen, he made a prayer, not for punishment of his enemies but for God's mercy to prevail upon them (Acts 7).

Notable is how the propagation of the Gospel was not a few special people's responsibility.  Instead, "those who had been scattered [by persecution] preached the Word WHEREVER they went."  Philip, for example, preached the Gospel in Samaria in the demonstration of the Spirit's power, and there was a great revival in that city.  The writer of the book of Acts, Luke, describes the effects of Philip's ministry of the Word: "with shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and crippled were healed.  So there was great joy in that city".  Guided by the Spirit on whence to go from Samaria, Philip divinely met an Ethiopian Eunuch to whom he ministered the Word of Truth.  Through the obedient action of one believer, the Land of Cush [present day Ethiopia] was reached with the Gospel (Acts 8:4-40).

Think about the day to day miracles that accompanied the preaching of the Gospel.  Aeneas, for example, had been bedridden for ten years.  At Peter's declaration, "Jesus Christ heals you.  Get up and tidy up your mat," the paralytic was miraculously healed.  Again, Peter's command to Tabitha, "... get up," caused her to rise from the dead.   Thirdly, at the preaching of the Gospel by Peter at Cornelius house [who was a Gentile], the Holy Spirit filled Cornelius, his family and servants, such that they spoke in new tongues (Acts 9:32- 10:48).

Guided by a prophetic word predicting a famine, the disciples responded by mobilizing help for fellow believers in Judea (Acts 11:27-30).  There were many dangers that confronted the disciples, and yet they were not ashamed of the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation.  They spoke God's Word even when the consequence were dire, including death and imprisonment.  For example, Apostle James the brother of John, was slain by King Herod (Acts 12:1-2).  Peter was imprisoned by the same King but before his trial, an angel of the Lord rescued him (Acts 12:3-19).

The believers were so cognizant of the role of angels in their day to day lives that when Peter showed up at Mary the mother of John's house after being divinely released from jail, the believers gathered at the house thought that the person knocking was Peter's angel (Acts 12:12-14).  They understood that the Hosts of the Lord were at work on their behalf.  The Church was wholly reliant on the Holy Spirit for ministry.  In the Church of Antioch for example, the prophets and teachers gathered for a time of prayer and fasting.  While they sought God's face, the Holy Spirit directed them to "set apart ... Barnabas and Saul for the work" of ministry.  

The Spirit initiated the Commissioning of Barnabas and Saul to the Gentiles (Acts 13:1-3).  The two ministry companions began their ministry in the Spirit and kept in step with the Spirit.  Their programme was subject to the Spirit's guidance and was open to alteration, any minute of the day.  At Troas for example, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia begging, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."  Their response to Paul's vision was immediate obedience: "... we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia ...." (Acts 16:6-10).   

Acts 13-21 detail Paul's missionary journeys and his ministry can be summarized by the phrase, "demonstration of the Spirit and power.  In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Paul reminds the Corinth church which he had established during his 2nd missionary journey in Acts 18 that his preaching was never about eloquence and superior wisdom.  Paul had resolved to teach nothing else, other than Jesus Christ and him crucified.  His aim was that the faith of the Church be anchored on God's power rather than on men's wisdom.

Again, the selflessness and absolute abandonment of the Apostles to the will of the Father is demonstrated by Paul's arrest and trial in Acts 21:27-28.  The prison bars and hardships did not hinder Paul from advancing the Kingdom of God.  In fact, he was so focused on God's purposes that he totally overlooked his desire for freedom.  When given an opportunity to defend himself before rulers and kings, he chose what was eternally significant - to preach the Gospel. It is also during this period of imprisonment that Paul penned the letter of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon.  What the devil purposed for evil for a submitted and fully surrendered vessel of God, became a catalyst for the advancement of the Kingdom to the "ends of the earth"!

The concluding remarks of the Book of Acts is profound: "Boldly and without hindrance he [Paul] preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."  Rather than Paul agitating for his release, he partnered with God for fulfillment of eternal purposes.  To the end of his life, Paul preached the Kingdom of God.  Indeed, he ran the race and kept the faith to the very end of his life.

I have attempted to briefly describe the Early Church from the record in the Book of Acts.  When I read this, and much more in the New Testament, I realize that I have suffered from "Biblical Abnormality".  I do not mirror the Early Church in many ways.  Remember that the Kingdom of God is an advancing kingdom.  It progresses from strength to strength, and from glory to glory.  This means that the Church today (you and I) needs to be operating at a greater glory than the one recorded in the Book of Acts.

Reflecting on the Book of Acts makes me so aware of my guilt for not being a carrier of God's glory as purposed by my Heavenly Father.  I am guilty of nullifying God's Word by non-biblical traditions and beliefs, that have so corrupted my spirit and mind (Mark 7:13).  I am guilty of maintaining a form of godliness but denying the power of God through unbelief (2 Timothy 3:5).  I believe that this conviction of His Word comes to us since God wants us to arise and take our positions as "carriers of His Glory" in our generation.  God wants you, and the whole of you, for that matter.  Not only some parts of you, but to be Lord in all aspects of your life.  You and I must be fed up with the "niceties" of Church which I can liken to junk food, and consequently return with babe-spirits to the Truth of His Word.  

If you feel that God is speaking to you today through this message, join me in making this prayer:

"Dear Lord, I am sorry for living a life that is fashioned by the systems of men and not by your Word.  I am sorry that instead of obeying God, I have sought to please men.  I am sorry for my narrow, earthly mind that is so corrupted by materialism, selfish ambitions and unbelief.  I am sorry that I have sought human wisdom more than I have sought your Word.  I am sorry that I have gotten so busy and distracted by the ventures of religion that I have missed out on being a carrier of your glory.  Forgive me; renew my mind; and restore me to my purpose of being a Carrier of your Glory.  

Amen."

Yeshua, my Lord!

I celebrated my birthday three days ago and I am elated to see another year.  It has taken God's hand for me to have come thus far.  To Him belongs all glory and honor!

I have desired to write a message this week, though I was not clear on what to write on.  Now that I have received the guidance on what to write, I am overjoyed to be writing to you about my Love, Yeshua.  I am forever grateful to Him for the gift of salvation.  He laid down His own life at the Cross so that I may be God's chosen, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a child of God (1 Peter 2:9). 

My prayer is that by the time I am done talking about Him, you will be stirred deeper in love with Him if you are already a believer.  And if you are not yet a believer, that you will open up your heart to receive Him into your life to be Lord and Saviour.

God captured my heart as a young girl in primary school and in response to His love, I committed my life to Christ.  Some might say, "That was a childish decision.   You did not know what you were committing to."  I assure you that children do get born again and on that Sunday morning in 1993 when I walked to the altar in response to my Sunday school teacher's preaching, I became a new creation.  The moment I confessed my sins and welcomed Christ into my life, something divine happened within me and my heart overflowed with peace and joy.

I received the deposit of God's Spirit that serves as a witness that I am a child of God (Ephesians 1:13-14).  Undoubtedly, Yeshua, my Love saves the young and the old alike.  When you encounter Him, your life cannot remain the same!  

Please allow me to briefly describe to you Yeshua, my Lord (based on Revelation 1:12-16):

• His head and hair is white like wool; as white as snow- The white hair represents the wisdom of Christ. 

Colossians 2:2b-3 Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

1 Corinthians 1:24 Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Are you in need of wisdom and knowledge, on which you faith can be firmly anchored on?  Ask Yeshua!

• His eyes are like blazing fire- Christ's eyes have a penetrating scrutiny and knowledge of all things.  They are like flaming torches that illuminate light (Daniel 10:6), and darkness has to flee. His eyes are favor to the righteous and judgement to the wicked.  The blazing fire is also sanctification fire that burns away chaff.

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

Malachi 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.  Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness.

Are you in need of God's light to guide your way? 

Are you in need of God's favor? 

Are you in need of inner sanctification?  Look to Yeshua!

• His feet are like bronze glowing in a furnace- Christ's feet is likened to fine brass burned in a furnace, which represents His triumph over all wickedness.  All powers, principalities, spiritual hosts of wickedness and rulers of this present darkness are under His feet!  He is the Head of the Church and by His grace, He has commissioned us by that authority to be His ambassadors here on earth (Matthew 28:18).

Psalms 8:6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.

1 Corinthians 15:27 For he "has put everything under his feet."  Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.

Ephesians 1:22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.

Are there lions and cobras that threaten your destiny? 

Are there strongmen holding your life, family, community or country in captivity? Trample the devil in the Name of Yeshua!

• His voice is like the sound of rushing waters- Christ's voice is life!  His voice quenches the thirsty and makes the belly of believers a wellspring of life.

Isaiah 41:17 The poor and needy search for water but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst.   But I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

Isaiah 44:3 I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

John 4:14 ... whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

John 7:38 If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.

As you sojourn in a parched and sun-scorched land, have you become thirsty? 

Are you thirsty for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit?  

Do you desire to be life-giving?  Drink the waters that Yeshua gives!

• In his right hand he holds seven stars- In Christ's hand are the armies of heaven (angels) following His Word to accomplish it.  The angels move at His command to accomplish His purpose.

Hebrews 1:7 He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.

Revelation 19:13-14 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.  The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.

Are you facing a battle?  Hand it over to Yeshua!

• Out of his mouth comes a sharp double-edged sword- Jesus Christ is the Word of God.  The Word of God is light and life.  Through the Word all things were created.  It is the standard by which every believer must live their life.  The Word of God equips the righteous for every good work. The Word of God is an offensive weapon in battle.  The Word of God is sure, like silver refined seven times in the furnace.  It is established in the heavens!

John 1:1,3,4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. .... Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

Hebrews 4:12 For the Word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Are you desiring to grow in righteousness?  Hear, read, study, meditate and memorize Yeshua's words!

Are you weary and hungry?  Listen to Yeshua! 

Are you in need, prayerfully waiting for a breakthrough?  Stand on Yeshua's Word!

• His face is like the sun shining in all its brilliance- Christ's face radiates God's glory.  Those who encounter God's glory are forever transformed.

Acts 26:13 About noon, O King, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions.

Revelation 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the kings of the earth will bring their spleandour into it.

Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. 

Are you hungry for God's manifest glory?  Seek Yeshua!  

If you are a believer, and have already committed to following Christ, hold on to Him for behold He comes soon.  I pray for my self just as I pray for you, that our love for Him will deepen.  I pray that hearts that have grown cold will be rekindled with Yeshua's love, and be restored to the first love.  I pray that in this season, you will have a new encounter with Yeshua.    If there is an aspect of Yeshua that you have desired to know, may your prayer be fulfilled speedily in this season in Jesus' Name, Amen!

If you have never given your life to Christ, today is the day of salvation.  In response to the love of God, confess your sins and receive Jesus Christ into your life to be Lord and Saviour.  Make this prayer: 

"Dear Jesus, I thank you for dyeing on the cross for me.  I recognise that I am a sinner and I repent of my sins.  Please forgive my sins and write my name in the Lamb's book of life.  Fill me with your Holy Spirit and break away all bondages that hold me in captivity.  By your grace, I will live for you.  Thank you Jesus for saving me. I accept you to be Lord over my life.  Amen."

NB: Congratualtions to you who has made the confession prayer and has surrendered your life to Christ.   Please write me an email on mathengenyokabi@gmail.com informing me of the decision you have made.  God bless you and sustain you in Him!

Spirit and Fire, Pour Out on Me!

I am most delighted to be writing about the Holy Spirit and fire, on this Pentecost Sunday.  In the history of my walk with the Lord, I have never been as conscious of the Pentecost season as I was this year.  I believe this is applicable to many believers, who took time to prepare their hearts for the infilling of the Spirit.  I believe that such consciousness and preparation is not a mere coincidence.  Undoubtedly, the Church has spiritually entered into a new era of God's glory!

The promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit is an inheritance for God's children in the New Covenant.  The Holy Spirit is not "good to have"; He is "must have" for every believer.  The believers today have been born again in the era of the New Covenant where the indwelling of the Spirit of God is available to all who ask of Him.  The Spirit is a prayer away and the Father promises to give Him to us when we ask (Luke 11:11-13).

However, there is an inherent danger of taking the Spirit's indwelling for granted, considering that He is freely given and available to them who ask.  Remember that Christ had to pay the penalty for our sin through death on a cross, for mankind's reconciliation to God and empowerment for victorious living through the Holy Spirit.  Please note that the blessings available to you as a believer, were costly!  They costed God pain, grief and separation from His Only Begotten Son!  Please note that the men of Old looked into this blessing from a far.  The Fathers of Faith longed for the blessings that are now our inheritance.  Though they were spiritually enlightened to see and understand the glorious riches of God's inheritance for His children, they did not have the privilege to experience, while alive, Christ's salvation nor the indwelling of the Spirit.

Hebrews 11:39-40 These [fathers of faith] were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.  God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God used to come upon men and women temporarily, in particular occasions.    For example, the Spirit of God would come upon men like King Saul and the prophets, and they would prophecy.  The Spirit of God would rest upon King David to play his accordion under great Anointing and this caused demons to flee from King Saul.  The Spirit of God filled men like Bezalel and Oholiab and endowed them with skill, ability and knowledge in all kind of crafts, for the building of the Tabernacle.  However, the measure of the Spirit's release was constrained and the manner inferior to the New Testament Spirit outpouring.  The prophets saw the coming blessedness, and they prophesied about it.

Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour out water on the thirsty ground; and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

Ezekiel 39:29 I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.

Joel 2:28-29 And afterwards, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

When the time for fulfillment of prophecy had fully come, God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Christ.  His message was REPENTANCE.  Repentance prepares the way for Christ to enter our hearts and be Lord.  During John's ministry, he baptized with water those who confessed their sins.  However, he was particular about the confession.  It had to be genuine, from an earnest heart that desired God, and not a mere religious exercise.  The evidence of true repentance being their spiritual fruit: love, peace, joy, kindness, meekness, gentleness, faithfulness, patience and self-control.

John's baptism with water was a public declaration of those who confessed that they were choosing to die to sin and to resurrect to a new life in Christ.   Now, more excitedly, John repeatedly wet his followers' appetite to what was coming thereafter: the baptism of the Spirit and fire!  Jesus Christ's ministry was to actualize this blessing.  In fact, when some disciples of John started to follow Jesus, John was excited and reminded his followers, "I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.  ... He must become greater; I must become less" (John 3:28-30).

Have you ever wondered why the glorified Christ had to depart from the earth?  Why couldn't He stay with us and continue serving as our Advocate and Great High Priest?   The glorified Christ was not subject to physical death, so why would he leave us to go to His Father?  Couldn't He have chosen to make earth His dwelling place?  Scripture is clear that Christ went away for our good: what a loving Saviour!  He went away so that His disciples may receive the indwelling of the Spirit.  

Christ departed so that you and I (believers), may live in the blessing of the Spirit's indwelling.  He was releasing God's people from an Old Covenant where the Spirit dwelt with men and into a New Covenant where the Spirit dwelt in men.  

John 14:17b But you know him [the Spirit], for he lives with you and will be in you.

The precious blessing of the Holy Spirit is allotted to all believers (Acts 8:39) but we must do something to possess it: ASK!  God requires us to ask, which is consistent with His Nature when dealing with man.  God does not force His blessings on man or His children.  He gives the blessings and then gives His children a choice to either take hold of that which He has given or not to take a hold of it.  For example, throughout Scripture, He has given promises that we must take possession of through obedience and faith.   To the Children of Israel, He promised Canaan and allotted land to the twelve tribes of Israel, but they had to TAKE POSSESSION of their promise.   

The benefits of the Spirit's outpouring are as follows:

I. Benefits discussed in John 14:15-31

• Counsel God's people and teach them truth
• Companion to believers; His presence is an assurance of the hope in which we have believed; The Deity of God through the Holy Spirit makes a home in us.
• Giver of life, thus making us well springs of life in a dry and weary land
•  Reveals God the Father and the Son to believers

II. Benefits discussed in John 16:7-14 

• Conviction of the world of sin, righteousness and judgement
• Guide believers into all truth
• Reveal to believers what is to come
• Revelation of the glorious riches of the inheritance of the saints

III. Benefits discussed in the book of Acts 

• Make believers effective witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem (immediate locality), Judea (province, county), Samaria (neighbouring provinces) and to the ends of the earth.
• Endow on believers the gifts of the Spirit- Acts 2:4; 3:6-7; 19:6
• Enable believers to speak God's word with boldness e.g. in large crowds like during Peter's sermon in Acts 2; before persecuting authorities; amidst opposition and suffering etc. Acts 4:13 & 31; 5:29; 14:3.
• Enable true fellowship amongst believers as evidence in Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-33.
• Confirm God's word and bring forth a holy fear for God- Acts 5:11-13
• Make believers unstoppable dynamites for advancement of the Kingdom- Acts 5:38-42; 6:8-15
• To give joy unspeakable- Acts 5:41; 13:52; 21:12-13
• To be the Comforter to believers, as they go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God- Acts 14:22
• To give guidance in ministry- Acts 16:9-10; 23:11

IV. Benefits discussed in 1 Corinthians 2:9-16

• Giver of God's secret wisdom and understanding
• Bear the mind of Christ to judge all things and not be subject to man's judgment

The above list is far from exhaustive, but is provided to help us realize the blessedness that the Spirit avails to God's children.  In the past week, I have been introspectively assessing my self  with regard to how much I have been walking in the blessedness of the Spirit's indwelling.  How is my reliance on Him as a Counselor, Teacher, Guide, Revelator, Empoweror, Convictor etc.  In my reflection, I realized that I had hardly scratched the surface with regard to the Spirit's blessings.  

Join me in making this prayer:

 

Dear God, I ask for a fresh outpouring of God's Spirit upon me and that I may walk in the full blessing of the Spirit's indwelling.  I am in need today for a new infilling, for this End-Time era in which I live.  I desire to be drunk with the Spirit today.  Privilege me with such a plenty measure of your Spirit, that my cup may overflow.  Amen.

Jesus Christ, was not just to baptize us with the Holy Spirit.  He was also to baptize us with fire.  The last Old Testament prophet, Malachi, had a revelation of the baptism with fire.  He foretold of Christ being like a refiner's fire.  This fire is necessary for refining; for SANCTIFICATION.  God does not just want empowered saints, He also wants REFINED saints that reflect His glory by their inward nature and offer sacrifices that are a sweet smelling aroma before Him.  

Malachi 3:2b- 3 For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap.  He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.  Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness.

Christ is a refiner's fire!  The Apostle John in the book of Revelation describes Christ's eyes as "blazing fire".  To the Church of Thyatira, Christ reminded them that He was "the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire". As the fire of God burns, it EXPOSES DARKNESS and BURNS AWAY CHAFF.  It permeates our most inner being and causes all worldly lusts and bloodline faults hidden therein to be extinguished.  The more we behold Christ, the Word of God, the more we are refined into His likeness.  

This fire not only works in us, but also works through us for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.  As the fire of God burns within, it also burns without to consume works of darkness and to disarm principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual hosts of wickedness.  When we allow God to refine us by His fire, He also MAKES US FLAMES OF FIRE!

Psalms 104:4 He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.

Hebrews 1:7 He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.

Join me in making this prayer:

Dear God, baptize me with your fire.  Sanctify me through and through, that my life may be a reflection of the image of God.  Make me a flame of fire, so that I shall expose darkness whenever I be and stop the works of darkness from prevailing.  Use me in the End-Time Revival to preach the gospel and harvest souls for you; to set captives free; and to minister healing to the sick.  As I burn for you, I pray that many will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. 

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When On A Free Fall

Some life experiences remain indelible in our memory.  One of such experiences happened to me in my pre-school years.  It is actually among the earliest memories that I have of my self.  One of my brothers, three years older than I, was my defacto playmate and so he too had a privilege to witness first hand, my experience.

Just like many other kids, we saw our house first and foremost as a playground, and secondarily as a shelter.  I guess I was about four years old.   Each of the house's two bedrooms had four unusually wide shelves that were neatly arranged upward on one wall, towards the ceiling.  My four older siblings had made the top shelf at my parents' bedroom to be their day-hideout joint.  They had stacked the shelf with story books and pillows, and they would often retreat there to play and relax.  To a four year old's mind, this was the coolest thing on earth.

The disturbing fact was that due to my height, I was never able to make it to the top shelf.  The best I could do was reach the second shelf and envy my siblings having the time of their lives at the fourth shelf.  However, I was determined to change this narrative.  One day, my older brother and I (the two of us being the youngest in the family) were home alone with the house assistant.  We got a brilliant idea to go and relax at the top shelf.  I was not only lucky to have the required determination to go up the shelves, I also had a cheer leader to motivate me to do so.

Both of us needed a stool to help us place our feet on the first shelf (it shows you how short we were).  My brother went first.  It was an exercise that required precision and muscle, because we had to first place our feet on one shelf and concurrently, our hands would hold the next shelf.  Then we would literally pull our bodies up until we climbed into the next shelf.  That was to successfully happen three times, if I wanted to reach the coveted destination of shelf number four.

My brother went first.  He was confident since he had made it to the top shelf before.  I imagine that this time round, he even felt more "phantom 💪" because he was demonstrating to his small sister how to make it to the top.  I watched him keenly, knowing that I would need to execute his tactics to reach the top.  Within a short time, my brother was at the top and the time to conquer my limitation had come.  I was ready! I was determined!

I stepped on the stool and onto the first shelf.  The space next to the shelves was usually vacant and we had actually moved the stool to this space just to help us climb the shelves.  I followed what I had observed my brother do to the letter.  I could hear him cheer me on from the top.  I could tell the excitement from his voice; he was ready to usher me in, into their world of classic relaxation.  My hands held on firmly to shelf number two and with all my strength, I pushed my self up and was eventually able to climb into shelf two.

I gasped for air and then positioned my self to repeat the exercise into shelf three.  I pulled myself up again and the joy of landing on shelf three was tangible.  I was only a shelf away from the coveted destination, and it would soon be my reality.  I caught my breadth and resumed to reposition my self to conquer the last step.  Looking down from the fourth shelf, my brother's eyes were right on mine, this time he was not saying much, perhaps just crossing his fingers that I do it right.

My feet on the third shelf, I lifted my hands to hold the fourth shelf.  Sadly, before I could hold the fourth shelf well, one of my foot stepped on something that made me slip.  Everything after that happened terribly fast.  I saw my self in the air falling backwards.  My brother's face was now one of "electrocuted phantom" (just joking 😅); to be honest I did not have time to think about him.

The first thing I remembered was the stool we had used.  It was the only thing on the space next to the shelves, so it was either I would have hit the ground or the stool hard.  The second thing I remembered was my need to repent because I knew I might die from the accident (thank God I knew how to pray because my parents had taken me to church at an early age).  I made a simple prayer, "God I know I have not been a good girl, forgive me and receive me in heaven."  Then I closed my eyes hard to await my fate.

The next thing that happened is that I opened my eyes only to find my self lying on my back, placed on the stool.  I had actually felt a presence gently place me on that stool.  Today, I know that God's angel did place me on the stool.  Of course I was shaken to the core.  Even with our young minds, we understood that something divine had happened.  We understood that I had escaped from a serious accident.  My brother quickly came down the shelves and advised that we go to bed and sleep (that is how shaken we were!).

During the 2019 Christmas holiday, my brother and I recalled this story and told it to our parents, this time with much laughter.  We let the cat out on our childhood mischief.

From the time of my fall, it took me an year or so later, to safely reach the coveted shelf number four.  However, one thing has remained beyond doubt, that on that particular day, God's hand rescued me while on a free fall.  I do not know what could have been the result if God had not intervened; whether a broken limb or a head concussion, only God knows.  We are forever grateful that God's hand reached out to me when there was no way of escape.

Science can never explain what I experienced that day.  You see, even if I had fallen exactly back to the same position where I had started my ascent from, I would not have safely lay on the stool.  I would have most likely hit it with a thud and then fallen to the ground.  The law of gravity required that I hit something (the ground or the stool) with the force occasioned by my velocity and weight. That day, God over-rid the laws of gravity to rescue a little girl.

This week, I have felt an unusual impression to share this story.  Perhaps those going through a free fall in an aspect of their life can relate with my fears as I fell back-fast towards the ground.  Perhaps some can relate to the helplessness that comes with a fall that you know you can do nothing about.  Perhaps some know the disappointment of having been so close to a breakthrough and then slipping away from it into an uncontrollable downward fall.  Perhaps some are at that point where you have closed your eyes and are waiting for the outcome- may be a broken rib, fractured limb or fatal head injury.

The good news is, God's hand is swift and able to reach out to you, hold you and place you onto a safe landing!  The physical reality are the facts before you and it is okay to acknowledge that what confronts you is beyond your human ability.  The truth however is that God is not over with you yet.  The things that confront you are not to destroy you and so you can bank on God's rescuing hand to come through for you.  There is no dungeon that is too dark for God; no pit that is too deep for God; no mire that is too messy for God; no valley that is too difficult for God.  Nothing, absolutely nothing fashioned against you, will destroy you.  This needs to be the faith in which you live by.

What does God require of you while in that situation that feels like a "free fall"?

We can learn from the life of Job.  Job, though a blameless and upright man, who feared God and shunned evil, faced testing.  Not once, but twice, he was tested.  Job moved from being a wealthy, prosperous and respected man to losing all his wealth and children in a single day.  Job (unlike the adventurous little me 😊) had not done any wrong to cause his troubles.  If anything, God's boast of his righteousness had made Satan to request for permission to test him.

Job lost seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred oxen, five hundred donkeys, a large number of servants, seven sons and three daughters, in one single day.  Everything happened so fast and Job was on his free fall.  Humanly speaking, Job should have entered into depression or may be he should have suffered a nervous breakdown or a heart attack.  However, his response to the situation is noteworthy:

• Job mourned- Job faced the facts and expressed his grieve for the loss.  Faith does not deny fact.  Instead, faith chooses to trust God, in spite of the facts.  During your free fall, do not deny the facts, do not suppress your feelings, but CHOOSE FAITH IN GOD.

 Job 1:20a At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. 

• Job worshipped- Job had an eternal perspective of life such that he admitted that, what he owned was very temporary and its source was God.  He acknowledged that all his possessions, including his children, was not a right but a blessing from God.  The giver had the right to take away the blessings whenever He chose to.  Job understood that God is forever worthy of praise, irrespective of our loss, pain, grief, disappointment and misfortunes.   During your free fall, GUARD YOUR PRAISE.

Job 1:20b-21 Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall depart.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."

• Job guarded his mouth-  It was expected for Job to murmur and grumble before God, and accuse Him of being unjust.  He could have accused God of repaying righteousness with pain and shame.  However, Job understood the Sovereignty of God and he did submit to His Lordship.  No wander he never charged God of wrongdoing.  Your tongue, normally speaking from the abundance of your heart,  is a great weapon for in it lies life and death.  In a time of turmoil, do not allow your emotions to overrun you, such that you speak defeat, shame, dishonor and death.  During your free fall, TAME YOUR TONGUE.

Job 1:22  In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Job 2:10b  In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Job's response is not the usual, expected human response.  Assuming that Job's wealth was a business corporation, the corporation's CEO upon encountering such massive losses would have called a special board meeting to brain storm on the crisis and rushed helter-skelter to at least salvage something, albeit little.   Job's response, on the contrary, is one of rest.  It is one of utmost surrender.

Such a response is only possible when a person has a personal relationship with God.  God was no stranger to Job.  Job knew God, and for this reason he stood his ground even when his own health was in danger and his dear wife failed to understand his faith.  In times of shaking, what truly matters is your relationship with God- not even your Pastor's faith is enough to help you. 

Job 13:15a Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; ....

Job 19:25-27  I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes- I, and not another.  How my heart yearns within me!

Just as I called on to the God I knew, as a four year old girl, in my minute of crisis, you too will be required to call and trust God in your hour of need.  You can only hold fast to God if your faith is firmly rooted in Him.  Such rooting is personal and not congregational.  Your faith must be founded on an absolute trust in God; the God whom you have known and experienced as a person.  Such faith can be likened to that of a little girl who trusts his Father's ability to save, even in the most grim situation.  Such faith is founded on the understanding of God's immeasurable and unconditional love.

Just like in my case and in the case of Job, God's eyes are on you even as you be in your free fall.  During our fall, our faith is tested and it is brought forth as gold (Job 23:10).  We gain a right perspective of our lives as well as the world and its offerings.  More importantly, we experience God.  Our test becomes a testimony that no human philosophy or religious argument can take away.  Our eyes get a privilege to see God, and our hearts are forever imprinted with the divine encounter.

Job 42:5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

Your fall is not your end.  Perhaps for some, you have started getting accustomed to the conditions of your fall and you are slowly resigning your mind and heart to settle at the dungeon or in the valley.  God's plan for you is good; it is for a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).  Trust Him to bring you back (restore) to a place of higher glory.  Only believe.  Job's life's ending is a testimony of God's Faithfulness.  Only rest in God's Faithfulness. 

Job 42:12-17 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.

He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.

And he also had seven sons and three daughters.  The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch.

Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.  And so Job died, an old man and full of years.

 I do not know what may have caused your free fall situation.  For some perhaps it is not even one challenge but rather several misfortunes happening concurrently.  God has got your back.  Trust God that He will show case the glory of His Might through you.

Join me in making this prayer: 

Dear Lord, I am in distress.  I realize my helplessness and apart from you I cannot carry the weight of all that confronts me.  It is dark Lord, and yet I acknowledge that you are the light.  It is scary, and yet I realize that you are always with me.  I ask for your intervention in my situation.  I ask that you may help me to remain steadfast in faith even as I wait on your deliverance and restoration.

I worship you Lord, because even in my situation, you are faithful.  I thank you for what you are working in me in this season, because my faith is being brought forth as gold.  I receive your victory.  I entrust my self to your hand that is able to give me a safe and victorious landing.  Receive my adoration, for you are worthy of worship.  Amen.