Living a life of purpose (I)

Jeremiah 1:4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

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God is a God of purpose, He created us for His pleasure, it is His desire that all we are and do would bring pleasure to Him.

Rev 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honour and power; For You created all things, And for your pleasure they are and were created.

He also desires that the world would be reconciled back to Him through the sacrifice of Jesus. 

2 Cor 5:19 “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.” (NLT)

Over the past few months, I’ve been seeking His face diligently to reveal His purpose and plans for my life, in order that I may walk in it in fullness, I’ve come to realize that He will not reveal everything thing to us at once, He wants to guide us step by step, the sun doesn’t just rise at dawn and go full blast like it’s midday, and as it is written, the path of the just is as a shining light that shines brighter unto the perfect day.

Prov 4:18 "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day." (NKJV)

He unveils to us His plans as we mature in Him as it is also His desire for us to grow and become more like Him, He reveals to us by His Spirit, the much we can handle per time. If a child wants to become a lawyer or a doctor in future, the school is designed to help that child get the required education per time, no matter how much the child would want to be in the hospital attending to patients, he or she would have to go through the process of learning the ropes, taking the required exams, develop physically, mentally in order to handle the demands of being a doctor, a lawyer or any other profession.

The same way it is in our walk with God, we would have to keep growing, keep learning, keep moving with His Spirit and His word as our guide until we fully mature in character to handle some of the demands of the office or purpose for which He has called us, we need to be patient, have absolute faith in Him and expect that it is also His desire to take us to that place in His good time.

Along the way, we may pick up things that have been useful for a season and may try to hold on to it, we must learn to let go of those things, structures, systems and mindsets that would no longer be useful in the next phase or season for our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father I thank you for your love for me, thank you for your divine purpose for my life, grant me the grace to trust you absolutely for the outworking of your purpose for my life. Help me to remain in you and not be distracted, but to remain focused as you lead me in this journey of life. In Jesus Name. Amen

The Way Maker

Last month, I strolled into my children’s bathroom only to discover that the WC was out of order, water was leaking from the pipe below the toilet seat after flushing. We called a plumber to inspect and fix it.

The plumber said we would have to replace the pipe below the toilet seat and remove whatever item that must have blocked the passageway to the sewage system. We gave him money to replace the pipe, he did all he could do and the issue became worse. This time around after flushing the WC the whole bathroom floor became flooded with water. He advised that the only way to rectify the problem was to break the bathroom wall, locate and replace the entire piping system or create a new bypass along the wall (which would look awkward anyway).

His suggestion didn’t sit well with my husband and I and we ask him to give us some time to think about it. After the plumber left, I went to the bathroom and began to pray in tongues and declaring that the Lord is the Waymaker, asking and trusting Him to make a way through the pipe system whatever had blocked it should give way.

We got a second plumber about four days later and to the glory of God, the problem was solved without having to break down the walls of the bathroom or change the entire piping system of the WC.

God is interested in every detail of our lives, even things we consider as mundane. He made a way through the Red Sea, He will make a way for you because He is the Waymaker. In Isaiah 43:19 - He said I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert... He specializes in making the impossible become possible.

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Prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank you because there is nothing too hard for you to do! I receive grace to trust you at all times and to walk in the revelation knowledge that nothing is impossible for you. In Jesus Name. Amen.

The Dangers of Being at Ease in Zion - by Dr. Elvis Ukpaka

Friends, greetings in Jesus Name! Today I will be sharing with you on what I title, "The Danger of Being at Ease in Zion". Let me begin by saying that Christianity is a call to action. It's a call to take dominion. Unfortunately, you can't have dominion by sitting back on a rocking chair and sipping a cup of coffee. No! You have to conquer territories to achieve that. Meaning, there are battles to fight. You must roll up your sleeves and engage in warfare. It is unfortunate to note that many believers in Christ are at ease. Unknowingly, many are in captivity. It is pathetic that majority of Christians today do not understand spiritual warfare. They go about wallowing in ignorance. Joyfully, the enemy is having a field day because he thrives on people's ignorance. It's time to arise and take your stand. 

Listen, you can't afford to be sleeping at this hour. Why should you be at ease at the expense of your joy, peace, prosperity, good health, promotion, success, and all the good things of life that the Lord has earmarked for you? Why would you rather prefer to be bound in sickness and disease, failure, pain, and depression when you have power in the name of Jesus to overcome? Does it make sense? Really, you deserve the best things of life. But it won't fall on you with ease. There is a price to pay for it. You must arise and engage in warfare to reclaim what is yours that the enemy has stolen from you. Yes! There must be no retreat no surrender. Jesus has given you victory but the devil is still laying claim to it. So, you must arise and command Satan to get out, otherwise he will sit on your progress for as long as you keep mute. 

I was watching a preacher ministering on TV. Then he raised a prayer point and said, "O Lord, give my enemies basket to be fetching water - an unending assignment - that will keep them busy for eternity so they will forget about me." I laughed when I heard it. You know what? That prayer is dangerous! Why do I say so? The opposite is the case for many individuals. They are the ones assigned by Satan to be fetching water with basket. But that has to be reversed in Jesus Name. The bible said in 

Psalm 89:8, "O Lord of Hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? Or to thy faithfulness round about thee?" 

According to Rick Joyner in his book, Breaking the Power of Evil, he said, "God is love, yet the most common title given to God in Scripture is The Lord of Hosts, which literally means the Lord of Armies." Therefore, if we call ourselves followers of the most high God, then we are in army. We are God's soldiers here on earth. What do soldiers do? They defend territories against intruders. So, why should you be in a docile state, not standing against the intruders militating against your life.

As a child of God, if you do not take up your place of authority, the enemy will undermine your power and authority given to you by God. 

Luke 10:19 says, "Behold, I give you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." 

From the above scripture, it is evident that there are serpents and scorpions out there - not to favour you - but to hurt and harm you. Now, it takes a battle-like mindset to arise and stop them. You don't have to pretend that those things do not exist. They are out there on the streets with weapons in their hands, ready to fight against you. They don't care whether you are prepared or not, they are out to fight dirty and injure you. Therefore, you can't afford to be at Ease or Ignorant about their operations. As you go this week, raise your spiritual antenna to pick every satanic signal hovering around your environment, and then deal with it accordingly. 

Happy New year!

Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Welcome to the year 2019, we thank God for the privilege to be alive. It’s my prayer that we would continue to grow in our relationship with Him and be transformed more and more into His likeness.

Yesterday during my quiet time, the Holy Spirit dropped a word in my spirit– The Kingdom of God is…  righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. I let it sink in, even though it’s a word I’m familiar with. I was hoping that during the day, the word would continue to unfold and I would gain clarity as to what He is pointing at.

http://www.amazinglovehawaii.com

After I rounded up my quiet time, I went to my room to take my bath and get ready for work. I discovered that the tap was not running, I went to the children’s bathroom and it was same.

I asked the housekeeper if she had pumped water to the tank the previous day and she said yes. Then I knew something was fishy, there must be a leaking tap somewhere. On getting to the guest room downstairs, while looking for the leaking tap, I found out that the place was flooded with water, the valve in the toilet tank was faulty and water had leaked out – a full overhead tank of water!

Already I was beginning to get upset, because I was running late for work, and I had planned to leave the house early enough to beat traffic and get to the office on time. Amid this chaos, the word the Holy Spirit dropped in my spirit rose up within me – The Kindgom of God is… righteousness, PEACE and JOY in the Holy Spirit. I chose by His enabling grace to align my emotions with the word of God. Thank God for the comfort of the spirit. I remained calm and my hubby found the central lock and turned it off, the water stopped leaking. We were able to pump water again into the overhead tank and I got to the office in good time.

In this I learnt that in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we must remember that the kingdom of God is within us and the Holy Spirit who lives in us is always there to help us overcome every negative emotion or reaction if we would yield to Him and His promptings, allowing the peace that flows from Him (…Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit) to permeate our soul. His grace is sufficient for us.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I thank you for our indwelling Spirit, help me to always respond rightly in every situation or circumstance I find myself that my life will reflect your glory. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Give Thanks

Psalm 100:4 (NKJV)
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 

It’s the end of the year again and as I reflect on the days gone by, I am full of thanksgiving to our Father God.
For saving me and for the precious gift of the Holy Spirit, His work in me and through me.

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The trials, the tests, the things I understand now and ones I’m yet to understand. 

God is faithful and I know that He has been good to all of us.
I pray that we will continue to seek Him daily and continue to draw near to Him.
He will indeed manifest (reveal) Himself to those who seek Him and keep His commandments as promised.

John 14: 21 (NKJV)
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2019.

Our Walk with God - A Walk of Patience

Heb 10:36 - For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise (NKJV)

Walking with God involves patience, there are some promises the Lord has made to us that will not happen immediately, however we must understand that God is never late and not bound by time. 

Abraham received the promise of a son, and it took about twenty-five years for the promise to be fulfilled. It looked like it wasn’t going to happen and Abraham and Sarah decided to help make it come to pass and the result was Ishmael. However, God still fulfilled His promise to him.

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Waiting patiently is not easy on the flesh, because while you are waiting, the enemy will sometimes taunt you, thoughts of unbelief may overwhelm you, anxiety will also try to make you do things outside of God’s help as we see in the life of Saul who couldn’t wait for Samuel to come before offering an unlawful sacrifice.

1 Samuel 13:11-13
11 And Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, 12 then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. (NKJV)

Pressure from people who mean well may also lead us astray as seen in the life of Sarah who asked her husband to take in her maid Hagar and Ishmael was born.

God expects us to wait patiently with the right attitude, He is also interested in what we are becoming during the process of waiting. 

James 1:4 Let patience have it’s perfect work in you that you may be perfect and entire lacking nothing. (NKJV)

He expects us to rejoice in hope - Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient[a] in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; (NKJV)

God’s word will surely come to pass, no matter how long it takes. It may not be there when you want it, but He is always on time.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father I ask that you grant me the grace to wait patiently for the fulfillment of your promises in my life. Help me to maintain a right attitude always. Thank you because your faithfulness is forever, and I know you will never fail. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Our walk with God – A walk of Love

In recent times, the Lord has been quickening this scripture in my heart – 

1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)  And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 

In the Message translation it reads: Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything.

Love is God’s nature and He desires for His children to walk in love. One of the ways to walk in love is by the words we speak, our words should be filled with grace that edifies those who hear us.
Eph 4:29 (NKJV) Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Our response to people who hurt us is to forgive, not wishing them evil or seeking revenge. Even when we see our enemies fall, we are not to gloat. The Word of God says we should love our enemies, pray for those who spitefully use us.

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1 Corinthians 13 summarizes the Love walk, Love is the fruit of the spirit and fruit takes time to develop. Same way we become more and more mature in our love walk. Philippians 1:9: And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.

Walking in love is also walking the path of wisdom 
James 3:17 (NKJV) But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
To be continued…

PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask for grace to grow in love each day, help me to respond rightly to people I meet and situations I face daily.

I thank You

The month of August is significant for me because it is my birth month.  When I look around me I see a lot to be thankful for, including but not limited to the list below.

a)     The gift of life -  Many babies were born on the same day I was, not all survived, some didn’t get to celebrate their 5^th birthday, others didn’t make it to their 10^th birthday, etc, I have fallen sick severally, admitted in the hospital for illness, His power has healed and quickened me and last week I celebrated my 40^th birthday, I bless God for the privilege of reaching this milestone

b)     Provision -  The Lord has supernaturally supplied all my needs, like the Psalmist says: The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. From ensuring that I had food (breast milk) on the day I was born to breakfast (an orange 😊) this morning as I write. He has also provided for my family and beyond that which I even know. I cant quantify the number of fishes, plants, rice, beans, yam, spices etc I have consumed from the day I was born, but He alone has provided through various means

c)      Protection – The Lord has been my protection, I have been in several journeys, beginning from being transported from the hospital after I was born to my parents’ house, night journeys, day journeys, in the air, across continents, on motor bikes, in a boat across a lake, in ferries around the coastal areas of Nigeria, many more than I can mention here, His mercy has kept me, never encountered robbers, twice I was involved in a motor bike accident, but not one limb is broken. Praise be to the Lord most High!

d)     Salvation – I got saved sometime in 1985, the Lord extended His grace to me through my mother and I accepted Him as my Lord and Saviour at the age of 7. Why He chose me I still can’t comprehend, but I’m forever grateful to Him for catching me that young. I thank Him for sending Jesus to die for me, the precious blood that was shed for me on the cross

e)     The Holy Spirit - Shortly after I got saved I was baptized with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit has never left me. I have failed severally in my walk with Him, yet He keeps strengthening, chastening and encouraging me in this walk of faith!

f)       Family and Friends – The Lord has surrounded me with beautiful and wonderful people for which I am grateful, my husband, my children, parents, lovely siblings, in-laws and colleagues at work. I bless His Holy Name and do not take it for granted

g)     Destiny Path - I’m grateful for the great destiny He has ahead of me, opening my eyes and ears to heed him, an understanding heart to begin to walk on the path of destiny, I’m not at my destination yet! He who began a good work in me, would be faithful to complete it

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h)     Opportunities/Privileges – I’m grateful for opportunities and privileges He has given me to be a blessing to my generation through intercessory prayers (I have indeed seen results - God answers prayers); being a blessing financially to family and friends and to His work; blogging about my walk with Him; the privilege of a unique voice to be a music minister – it’s sometimes overwhelming being used as a vessel to lead people in worship unto our God. He is magnificent! Our little minds can’t comprehend His greatness, I stand/bow/prostrate in awe of Him. What is Constance that thou art mindful of her? I’m yet to get the answer to this question

i)       His Word – The availability of the Bible, I understand there are some countries where the Bible is banned and so Christians in these countries do not have access to the Bible, but here I am, I have access to as many translations as I desire to explore/study… I seriously need to study hard.

j)       Ongoing Transformation – I’m still on this journey of transformation to become more and more like Him, it’s a life-long goal, I trust Him his able hands, I’m not where I used to be. I bless the everlasting God, for His work in me and through me

k)     Church/Choir – I thank God for planting me in a living church where I am fed with the Word of God, I thank God for the Serving Overseer and all the members, I also thank Him for New Dawn choir and for prompting me to join this wonderful group and serve Him, the best choir in the whole world!

l)       Battles and Trials– I thank God for battles He has won on my behalf without me knowing, for protecting me from the arrows of the wicked, for preparing a table before me in the presence of my enemies, I thank Him for the trials I have gone through, going through and will go through. It’s all working out for my good and I know lives would be blessed by them too.

m)   Last but not the least, I thank God for the opportunity and mental soundness to publish my thoughts on this blog and for the lives that would be stirred up to thank Him more and more for who He is and what He has done, is doing and will do. Hallelujah!

Preparation Time is not Wasted Time

Today I will be sharing with you on what I title, “Preparation Time Is Not Wasted Time”.  The post below is one of my hubby's devotionals, which he writes and issues out on Mondays. Read and be blessed...

In life, personal growth is a decision. No one will grow for you. Nobody eats on your behalf when you are hungry. There is a saying that a hungry man is an angry man. No hungry man will pick up a loaf of bread and put it on someone else’s mouth. It is your duty to do what necessitates growth and maturity in life. Meaning, in life you must be prepared to do the needful. Really, greatness in life is not for the unprepared. Someone once said that, “Success occurs when preparation meets opportunity. Those who get prepared are always ready for every opportunity that presents itself before them.

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That reminds me of David. While at the back side of desert watching over the family flock in his care, he was busy acquiring skills and preparing himself. As a shepherd boy, he encountered a lion and bear which came after his flock, he killed them both. He became skilled in the art of war at a very tender age. While also watching over the flock, he was not idling away time, but also busy sharpening his musical talents. Now when the opportunity presented itself by Goliath degrading and insulting the army of Israel, David was so mad at the Philistine warlord. While his brothers tried stopping him, he looked at them and said, “Is there not a cause” (1 Samuel 17:29). This uncircumcised Philistine stands here insulting the God of Israel, and you are here hiding and afraid. God forbid! 

But what really gave the inexperienced David the impetus to face Goliath, when all the experienced warlords of Israel were afraid? It’s just one simple word: Preparation! David allowed God to prepare him by staying in God’s presence. He knew what and what not to be doing per time. He got prepared both physically and spiritually which most armies of Israel never had. By his relationship with God, David became so confident in His maker. No wonder when he stood before Goliath, he looked at him and said: “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:45). We all know the end of the story. The question is: How prepared are you in the things that God has committed to your hands. If opportunity suddenly presents itself – are you ready – will you be able to handle it? 

Like the unjust steward who buried his talent (Matt.25:18), many people today have allowed their talents to lie fallow without cultivation. Listen, the seed of greatness is in you, and until you plant it, and nurture it, it will not germinate. If you know you have a gift and talent in music, drawing, teaching, writing, cooking, or whatsoever, do not leave it lying dormant. It is your route to greatness. Just maximize it by putting it to use, learning all you can in that area. Remember, “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men” (Proverbs 18:16). Why? “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men” (Proverbs 22:29). Like David in the back of desert, you should just keep practicing and sharpening your talents. Yes, it calls for diligence. You may not be known or recognized by anyone at the moment. But as you remain faithful in working at it, the Almighty God will showcase you to the world like He did to David. Never forget, “Preparation time is not wasted time”. Have a fantastic week. With love, Elvis!

You can read more here:
www.changemakersforchrist.org

Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of...

Some days ago, my daughter complained to me about an issue she had in school with a school mate, I calmly asked the Holy Spirit for wisdom on how to address it and promptly He directed me on what to say and how to counsel her. Shortly after she left for bed, I went to my room and relived the issue again, and then I became angry and started praying “fire and brimstone” prayers. Well the Holy Spirit faithfully interrupted my prayers and told me I wasn’t responding rightly as I had counselled my daughter to.

He reminded me of the sons of Zebedee James and John who asked Jesus to call down fire from heaven and consume a community that had rejected Jesus in their city. And Jesus replied them saying… Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

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Luke 9:54 -56 (NKJV)

And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village

I repented and asked God for mercy, the flesh always goes contrary to the spirit, I’m learning everyday to walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit Who is ever near to convict, correct and help us in our journey to becoming more and more like Him.

No one is panicky in Heaven

As a final year student in the University I was entitled to school accommodation, but in my set, there were limited bed spaces available, so the school management decided that students would have to ballot for the available spaces. Before then I had always desired to stay in a Lecturer’s BQ (Boys Quarters’) in my final year, BQ which was like the GRA of school accommodation then 😊. I prayed about it and specifically asked God for 2 roommates He would use me to reach out to.


I didn’t want to sell my allotted bed space as the norm was, if I succeed in getting a bed space from the school. So, on the day of the balloting I picked a “No”. The next step was to get the accommodation I was believing God for. I didn’t know any lecturer to approach. I asked friends for help but it looked like it was not going to happen.

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School had resumed and I was going to school from my cousin’s house which was far from school and stressful also. I was beginning to get worried about the situation. One morning before I left for school, I was getting ready to “PRAY THROUGH” but the Holy Spirit interrupted my thoughts and said to me “in heaven no one was worried or panicky about my accommodation because it had already been provided for.” It suddenly dawned on me that indeed there’s no place for worry in heaven. Through His abundant supply of grace I began to thank God and magnify Him, I was overwhelmed with joy. Then I began to ask God to lead me to where the provision was.


A few days later, I went to school for lectures and met a friend who told me she was looking for a room mate to share accommodation with in a Lecturer’s BQ. I couldn’t believe my ears. She told me there was a clause though – there was another lady she had told about the accommodation who was interested, but she was not moving in till second semester. Long story cut short, we agreed to share, but just before I moved in, the lady said she didn’t want a third person in the room for some personal reasons.


She was adamant about it, I felt like all I had hoped for was crashing before my eyes and I didn’t have another alternative. Lectures were already in full swing and I wouldn’t have the time to start scouting for another place to stay. I began to pray for favour, and trusted God to change the situation. Eventually she changed her mind and accepted. We even became very good friends before we graduated. The Lord indeed used me to minister to her when she was having some marital challenges. 


The Lord who did it for me is still in the business of helping His own. When all hope is lost, hang in there, NO ONE IS WORRIED OR PANICKY IN HEAVEN ABOUT YOUR SITUATION! 😊


The just shall live by faith!

We are co-creators with God

According to the freedictionary.com to co-create means to create jointly.

1 Corinthians 3:9 (NKJV)
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.

God created the heavens and the earth, vegetation, animals by speaking them into existence. It is the nature of God to create and everything He created was beautiful and good before the fall of man.
We are partakers of His divine nature which includes His creative ability.

To effectively co-create with God, we should come into alignment with Him so that we do not work at cross-purposes with His plan for our lives, families and spheres of influence.
We co-create by the words of our mouth, the choice of words we speak over our lives, families and nation. Let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich, declare His word over your life, family and nation

Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
As we begin to speak His word concerning us, our families, etc, things will begin to line up. 

James 3:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 

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We get our words to come into alignment with Gods words through 

Prayer 
Asking God and desiring earnestly for our tongues to come into alignment with His words, He shall grant us the desires of our heart. Ask and ye shall receive. When Isaiah had an encounter with God, his tongue was changed:

Isaiah 6:5-7 (NKJV)
5 So I said:
“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin purged.”

Study and meditating on God’s words 
Thoughts produce words, and therefore we guard our hearts with all diligence!

Luke 6:45 (NKJV) 
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart[a] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) 
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Joshua 1:8 (NKJV) 
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Note
Proverbs 15:4 (KJV) 
4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Prayer
Father bring my tongue, the words of my mouth to align with your word, that instead of creating chaos, You will bring order through my tongue

Keep the main thing the main thing

Happy New year! 

It’s that time of the year again when we make new year resolutions, decisions to improve on ourselves, family relationships, work, etc.

However, for me this year, I trust God to keep the main thing the main thing.

Jesus visited Mary and Martha, Martha was busy serving (there is nothing wrong in serving though) but Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening to Him, Martha was upset that Jesus did not ask Mary to help her, Jesus answered her saying. “But one thing is needful …

Luke 10:42 (KJV)

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

What is that one thing that the Lord will have you focus on this year? When He reveals this to you, keep it in focus all the time. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who is always with us to guide us into all truth and to bring all things to our remembrance. 

John 14:26 (KJV)

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Our relationship with God is so important that Jesus prayed for us shortly before His crucifixion in John 17. It is His desire for us to become united with Him and this comes by regularly spending time with Him in His Word and obeying Him, Prayer, singing His praises and giving Him thanks. 

John 17:21 (KJV) 

that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Ministry should be the outflow of our personal walk with the Father, we come to Him not because of what He wants to do through us but because of who He is and we have been bought with a price – the precious blood of Jesus.

Before the fall, God used to come down to fellowship with Adam, this relationship was restored after Jesus died and resurrected. He is a God that longs to fellowship with His own – Man. So many times we get caught up with the busyness of the day and even “ministry” and neglect the place of intimacy with the Father.

It is in the place of intimacy that the Lord deposits His substance in us. Proverbs 8:17,21.

Proverbs 8:17, 21 (KJV)

17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

This year, let us endeavor to keep the main thing the main thing – Fellowship with the Father.

Song/Prayer

Draw me close to you

Never let me go

I lay it all down again

To hear you say that I’m your friend

You are my desire

And no one else will do

'Cause nothing else can take Your place

To feel the warmth of Your embrace

Help me find a way

Bring me back to You

You're all I want

You're all I've ever needed

You're all I want

Help me know You are near

Knowing God Intimately

My post today is from my hubby’s Monday Devotional. I trust you will be blessed by this article, which can also be found here: www.changemakersforchrist.org

Friends, greetings in Jesus Name! Today I will be sharing with you on what I title, “Knowing God Intimately”. As a believer, your endurance and perseverance in your walk with God can only come by your depth of knowledge and understanding of His ways – knowing who He is, what He stands for, what He hates, what He loves, and how He operates. This clear knowledge of His personality enables you to clear the fog off your eyes from any wrong perception about His person. I know some people who fell out of the way just by a slight trial of life. Unfortunately, many of such people have made God their enemy. Simply because certain things did not work out as expected, they blame God as the cause. Remember, our God is loving, tenderhearted, caring, and kind. He cannot tempt you with evil, and neither does He tempt any man (James 1:13). He is never the cause of our problems as some thinks. He is the one who tries every possible means to save you from your problems. The real enemy of your destiny is the devil. He hates you with passion!

The bible declares in John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Why? It is in knowing God and His son Jesus Christ, that you can truly live and lead a successful life. Apostle Paul said, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10). Listen, what distinguished Moses from the rest of Israelites was his knowledge of God. Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of Israel.” There are certain things others don’t know but you know when God makes His ways known to you. Unfortunately, God cannot make His ways known to you when you do not thirst after Him. Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are they that thirst and long after righteousness for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). What is righteousness? It is having right standing with God. This occurs when you constantly desire to fellowship with God, walking intimately with Him, and learning His ways like Moses did.

Many years ago, when I was learning to drive a car using the manual gear system, I remember starting out with gear one, then I move a while and change to gear two, and to gear three, and to gear four, and finally to gear five depending on my speed or traffic on the road. Really, you don’t start out with gear one and quickly change to gear four. If you do so, the car will stall and malfunction. The general rule is to understand the law of “gradual process”. Likewise, walking with God requires a process. You do not start with God from gear three. No! You have to start from the basics, and learn through the ranks. Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, “Learn of Me”. Therefore, as the year draws to a close, seek to know God, learn of Him, and walk closely with Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. Do not carry-over your mistakes, failures, disappointment, and setbacks of 2017 into the year 2018. You must desire to cross-over to take-over in the New Year. Have a fantastic week. With love, Elvis!

Thanksgiving

Psalm 100:4 (NKJV) 
Enter His gates with thanksgiving, 
And into His courts with praise. 
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Thanksgiving according to the dictionary.com is expression of gratitude especially to God and the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, especially to God.

Most times it is difficult to give thanks to God when we are overwhelmed by unfavorable situations, however it is important that we look beyond our circumstances and thank God for who He is, He daily loads us with benefits and His word is true, so for each day if we would look closely we will see the benefits for the day irrespective of whatever the situation is.

When Jesus went to Lazarus tomb, He lifted His eyes and said, He looked up beyond what the situation was at that time and gave thanks. 
John 11:41 (NKJV) Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 

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Thanksgiving or gratitude to God shows that we have complete trust in Him and we appreciate who He is. It is the will of God that we give thanks. 
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV) in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

We see ten lepers who were healed and only one returned to give thanks.

We must ensure that we give thanks to God daily for His benefits, there is always something to appreciate God for. We cannot operate in an attitude of gratitude and complaining at the same time, they are mutually exclusive.

Philippians 4:6 (NKJV) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God 

Even when we pray and ask God for things, we thank Him in faith knowing that He has answered, He already knows what we need before we ask and He is able to do exceedingly above all that we could ever ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father I thank you for loving me, thank you for sending Jesus to die for me, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit, thank you for the outworking of your purpose in my life. Thank you for who you are. Help to always remember to appreciate you in every season of my life, to look beyond what I face and be grateful at all times. In Jesus Name. Amen