God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that will aid our growth.
Everything God has given us is to our advantage, for our life to be in alignment with the intentions of God.
If you are not manifesting the Kingdom of God in whatever business you do, then you’re not living by the government of God.
Jesus Christ is an example of how a man should operate under God design.
Several believers are not working under the design of Christ, rather, they have chosen to work under the design of their denomination.
Until we manifest the kingdom of heaven as Christ did, we are living below God’s intention.
“Your lives are like salt among ppeople But if you, like salt, become bland, how can your ‘saltiness’ be restored? Flavourless salt is good for nothing and will be thrown out and trampled on by others.“Your lives light up the world. Let others see your light from a distance, for how can you hide a city that stands on a hilltop? And who would light a lamp and then hide it in an obscure place? Instead, it’s placed where everyone in the house can benefit from its light. So don’t hide your light! Let it shine brightly before others so that the commendable things you do will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-15.
God’s design is for us to be salt to season the earth and to light up the world. Adam’s fall made the world to lose its illumination and seasoning.
Believers as the salt of the Earth means we are to better the lives of people.
It means we are to bring healing to the sick, hope to depressed and freedom to the oppressed and light to the dark-hearted. We are add value to our society. This is the purpose of the Church!
Isaiah 60:1: “Arise, shine… “
The Gentiles will not come to us if we remain in a slumbering state.
There is so much darkness on the face of Africa because of the absence of illumination.
To become light is to break people out of the bondage of religion and culture and bring them to experience the excellent knowledge of Christ.
To lighten up the Earth is to fill the earth with the knowledge of the Glory of God.
For believers to take over the marketplace we must be ready to as Light and Salt unto the world.
Do not stay idle in the Church! Go into the world and become a Kingdom advocate today!
Within the scope of the body of Christ, prayer is the ONLY channel or means of communicating WITH GOD. Prayer is a face of fellowship through which believers can worship God IN TRUTH and IN SPIRIT.
In other words, it is the mode of ‘fellowship with God’ which is done through the name Jesus, else, it’s not consistent with what the Bible calls prayer.
The reasons for prayer varies from person to person, the reasons underlying our prayers, are reflectives of the benefits we intend to receive. However, there are fundamental benefits of praying, which includes:
1. INTIMACY WITH GOD
Our degree of intimacy with God differs because the CAPACITY of our relationship with God is not the same. Intimacy is the platform upon which the church is espoused to Christ (the head of the church).
Intimacy also exists between a husband and his wife, the basic purpose of their marriage is to live together as ONE FLESH. In likewise manner, we’re joined with Christ and our intimacy with him is maintained and explored through prayer.
In marital relationship, sex is not just for satisfaction, it is a language of intimacy which strengthens the oneness of the couple.
In relationship with God, prayer is not a ritualistic exercise, it is a language of intimacy which sustains the oneness of the body of Christ.
Intimacy with God Is primarily concerned with ‘walking with God’ before working for God. It is a facet with emphasis on “the secret place.”
Genesis 5:24: “And Enoch WALKED WITH GOD: and he was not; for God took him.”
The above text is the account of Enoch’s testimony, he’s the facet dimension which depicts the christian journey into the depths of the realities of God.
2. SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Both individual and collective growth is the product of consistent intimacy with God, when every believer is growing, the body of Christ will eventually reach ‘the unity of the faith’.
Growth is a characteristic of believers, it is the evidence that one has not just walked with God, but has TOUCHED realities of God which are encrypted in his spirit.
Growth becomes part of your benefit when you’re GIVEN to many prayers which concerns the matters of the kingdom.
Nobody grows by default, Never! Therefore, it is not enough to ignite intimate relationship with God, you must endeavor to GROW, if not, you’ll remain a new-creature-infant.
Growth is concerned with spiritual maturity. Prayer helps to draw you closer to God, it serves as a mode for approximating to a higher realm. When this happens, it shows you’re actually growing.
Ephesians 4:13: “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto A PERFECT MAN, unto the measure of the stature of THE FULNESS of Christ”
From the above mentioned text, ‘a’ perfect man is used to typify THE BODY of Christ as ‘one perfect personality’ which has attained the fullness of Christ. This is why WE pray for THE BODY, until this benefit is achieved.
3. IT IS A MODE OF WARFARE OPERATION.
Isaiah 9:4-5: “For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.”
From the above scripture, the war scenario is the immediate devastation of the Midianites, which is used to compare the conflict and a sudden conquest that Christ obtained over sin, satan, the world, and death.
As christian soldiers, we know that we are not permitted to wrestle against our fellow human, we are rather approbated to fight against evil forces.
Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against PRINCIPALITIES, against POWERS, against THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS of this world, against SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS in high places.”
The wrestling and the victory over these evil forces, can ONLY be possible through praying, else, we can’t be able to fight those forces. This is one of the outstanding benefits of praying.
Due to the powers that be, whenever you pray, it turns to be a war in the spirit world.
David was a man who uses songs to pray. Those songs are called ‘songs of prayer’ or ‘intercessory songs’. More often than not, he sings prayerfully, that’s why he was not just a singer, but a worshipper THROUGH prayer.
Prayer was actually the life of his songs.
Prayer is the life of ALL believers. This is the emphasis behind what Jesus said in Luke 18:1
“….Men ought ALWAYS to pray, and not to faint
He said, ‘always’.
When something is done always, it will automatically become a lifestyle. When something is your lifestyle, it is already an addiction, there will be no day you won’t do it, there will be no day you will relent in doing it.
Pray more often in your secret place, intensify your prayers and maintain it as your lifestyle.
Mr Fast and Mr Food had great controversy on the earth that it’d reached God’s hearing. He came then to intervene in the dispute, bringing peace. Below is the case in a court where God was Judge, to bring peace;
Mr Food: My Lord, Mr Fast here in his excess kills men. He makes them weak and kills them. I save them. Thus, he should be done with.
Mr Fast: That’s not true my Lord. It’s Mr Food in his excess that kills men. He makes them fatigue and kills them. That’s why doctors always tell their patients to engage me as to clear the toxins that Mr food has placed in them.
Mr Food: What!!! That’s not true. Can they fast without haven eaten. Can they live without eating? You don’t even stand a chance against me! The Lord didst plant all trees in the trillions and made animals in the billions all for men to engage me(feed). Why should they then leave me for you and lay waste all the Lord has made them for their consumption?
Mr Fast: It’s you who don’t stand a chance against me. In the Lord’s sight, I’m of more value than you. Now Mr Food, a question for you. Does the Lord eat? Of course not!
Did the scripture not say men were made in His image and likeness and are His children? Of course! Now if He doesn’t eat and men are His children, made in His image, why should they? Aren’t they missing something?
Perhaps a truth when they eat that they’re not supposed to? There’s a realm the Lord operates in which His people and children has got to operate in as well otherwise, they’ll just keep on eating, not realizing themselves.
Mr Food: You’ve asked me yours. Now, I ask you: ”When the Lord Jesus came to earth, didn’t He eat? Did he fast everyday? I thought you said he doesn’t eat? I just think you’re just under deception Mr Fast which does brings men to destruction.
Mr Fast: It is you who is under deception Mr Food. You used the Lord as an example and I will too. With what did He begin His ministry? Food? Of course not! For the power and Life He sought, He did with a fast! Do you think men can access the Lord’s depth with you? Of course not! It’s I they need. Enoch, almost always! Moses, 40days. Elijah, 50days. Daniel, 21days. Esther, 3days. The Lord Himself, 40days! What does that tell you Mr food? Watch out the lives of these people that engaged me if they remained the same… How about those that engage you? Anything changes? Nothing of course except toxins added to their system. That should tell you why they need me and the Lord ever recommended me to them.
Great tension arises in the atmosphere between these two opponent. Thus, the Lord steps in to settle them,
The Lord: Let the dispute end. Let me come in:
You all should know that I did all at creation and made no mistake. I made food for man and not man for food. I made fast too for man.
As my word says, ‘a time to eat and a time to fast’. Man shouldn’t eat all the time nor should he fast all the time.
I never intended food for man as he’s spirit but nevertheless, I made food still for him as I gave him flesh. As long as he’s on earth, he’ll need food or he’ll die.
When he returns to me, he won’t need food as I originally designed but will live in fast. Till then, as long as he lives on earth, he should do both in proportion. For stability, he shouldn’t eat than he fast nor fast than he eats.
In all, they should do whatever either eat or fast to my Glory. That’s what truly matters!
He loves, He cares, He is passionate, He looks beyond our weaknesses, He sees beyond our condemnation.
He became everything, So in Him, we lack nothing!
In sickness, His stripes became our solution. In confusion, He is our ever sure way. Worried about safety, then He tells us “He never sleeps nor slumbers”
In chains and bondages, we look up to Him and He shows up as The Great Deliverer!
Oh what an insurance we have in the only begotten Son of God. In Him, we have been given the right to become sons and daughters of the Great King. Abba! Father!
Yet again, even now, Strength and Grace will rise, When we all look unto Him for life.
Yet again, can we trust in Him? Christ, The Saviour and King!
1 Corinthians 3:12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
1 Corinthians 3:13 Their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.
It is weight that counts. Wood, hay, stubble are cheap, light, temporary; gold silver, precious stones are costly, weighty, eternal.
Here is the key to value.
The heavy metals, the gold of the divine character and glory, the silver of His redemptive work: these are the materials He prizes.
Not merely what we preach, please note, but what we are, weighs with God; not doctrine, but the character of Christ wrought out in us by God’s orderings, by God’s testings, by the Spirit’s patient workings.
Work that is of God is work that has been to the Cross. When our work has been that way, we can rest assured that it will in the end survive the fire.
Not, “Where is the need most evident? What ideas and resources have I got? How much can I do? How soon can I put that doctrine into practice?” but, “Where is God moving? What is there of Him here? How far does He will for me to go? What is the mind of the Spirit on this?”—these are the questions of the truly crucified servant. He recognizes God’s “Go” and His “Speak,” but also His “Wait,” and His “Go,” but say only so much. Aware of his own weakness and emptiness, the greatest lesson he has to learn is to commit his way to God and wait to see Him move.
The problem lies in our failure to understand that, in God’s work, man in himself is of no use. Wood, hay, stubble, these suggest what is essentially of man and of the flesh.
They imply what is common, ordinary, easily and cheaply acquired—and of course perishable. Grass today may clothe the earth with beauty, but where is it tomorrow?
Human intellect may give us a grasp of Scripture; natural eloquence may have the power to attract; emotion may carry us along; feelings may seem to supply a guiding sense—but to what? God looks for more solid values than these.
Many of us can preach well and accurately enough, but we are wrong. We talk of the flesh but don’t know its perils; we talk of the Spirit, but would we recognize Him were He really to move us?
Too much of our work for God depends not on His will and purpose, but on our feelings—or even, God forgive us! on the weather. Like chaff and stubble, it is carried away by the wind. Given the right mood we may accomplish a lot, but just as easily, in adverse conditions, we may give up entirely. No, as the fire will one day prove, work that is dependent on feelings or on the wind of revival is of little use to God. When God commands, feelings or no feelings, we must learn to do.
The God-prized values are costly. Those unwilling to pay the price will never come by them. Grace is free, but this isn’t. Only a high price buys costly stones.
Many a time we shall want to cry out “This is costing too much!” Yet the things wrought by God through the lessons we learn under His hand, though we be long in learning them—these are the really worthwhile things.
Time is an element in this. In the light of God, some things perish of themselves; there is no need to wait for the fire. It is in what remains, in what has stood God’s test of time, that true worth lies. Here are found the precious stones, formed in what
God graciously gives us of sorrow and trouble, as He puts us “through fire and water” to bring us to His wealthy place. Man sees the outward appearance; God sees the inward cost. Do not wonder that you experience all sorts of trials. Accepted from His hand they are the sure way to a life that is precious to Him.
May God have mercy on the clever people who pass on merely what they have read or received from another. Not even speaking for God can be done without cost.
It is all a question of whether the person’s life is light or weighty, for weight shows the quality of the material. Two men may use the same words, but in the one you meet something you cannot get past; in the other— nothing.
The difference is in the man. You always know when you are in the presence of spiritual worth. No amount of theorizing about the Lord’s return, for example, will take the place of a life that has been daily lived looking for Him.
There is no escaping this difference, and no substitute for the real thing. Alas, some of us are so unlike our words that it might be better if we said less about spiritual things.
Do not wonder, then, at God’s concern for the materials of His house. Imitation jewelry may have a certain beauty, but what woman who has once possessed the real thing would give it another thought?
The apostle Paul leaves us in no doubt of his own valuation. Ten coolie-loads of stubble can never approach the price of one single gemstone.
All flesh, all mere feelings, all that is essentially of man, is grass and must vanish away. What is of Christ, the gold, the silver, the costly stones, these alone are eternal, incorruptible, imperishable.
It is this lasting character of God’s Church that must now claim our attention.
Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Faith is confidence in God’s promises. It is a strong persuasion that God will fulfill everything He has promised.
The Life we live is a life of faith. It is a life of absolute trust and dependence on God. Faith is the pillar of Christian living.
This is why Satan is desperately after the faith of believers. The reason he stirs men against them is not mainly because he hates them. He would never have disturbed them that much if they were in the world.
Satan is after you, because of your faith in God. Everything he does against you, is done to cripple your faith. Because once your faith has been crippled, Satan finds it easy to dominate your life.
Churches were locked up, and many believe it is because of the Pandemic. The question is,
Ever since the churches got locked up, has the pandemic’s mortalities increased or reduced?
Whether we accept it or not, it doesn’t deny the fact that the locking up of Churches is part of Satan’s attempt to weaken the faith of believers.
Because our Faith is strengthened when we gather as a Body in fellowship.
But there’s little we can do to get our churches opened back in times like this, other than to pray.
So how does one build up his faith. How does one stay strong even when there is no reason to be strong.
How does one keep living, when everyone he’s ever loved, are dying?
1. THE WORD OF GOD IS OUR FAITH FEED
Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope”
God’s word is the feed of faith. God’s Word feeds our faith. It strengthens it and makes it to blossom.
HOW TO STUDY THE WORD
A. Study the lives of those who have been in similar conditions as you are. Are you facing persecution for your faith? Are you living a place where Christianity is banned, and the punishment for bring a Christian is torture or death?
There are people in the Bible days who experienced the same thing.
People like James, who was killed by Herod.
People like Peter, who was arrested and thrown in jail for the Gospel.
Stephen, who was stoned to death for preaching the Gospel.
Or shall I speak of Paul, who suffered from several assassination attempts because of his resolve to preach the Gospel.
The Book of Acts is full of stories about the travails of the Early Church. Create time to read it; it will bless you beyond doubt.
If your faith isn’t wavering because of persecution, but because of the harsh conditions and circumstances of life. The Life of David and that of Joseph is worth reading.
Joseph – Genesis 35 down to the end
David – 1 Samuel – 1 Chronicles
No matter the situation you find yourself in, God’s word has something to say about it. Spend time digging it up.
B. LISTEN TO SERMONS
God speaks faith to us through His Prophets.
1 Thessalonians 2:13: “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”
The Word of God that we receive from genuine men of God, has a way of working faith into our spirits. When you’re depressed, confused, not knowing what to do, instead of listening to the complaints of your mind and emotions, listening to the word of faith from your pastor.
But, be careful the kind of Pastors you listen to. The Bible instructs us to, ‘Test all spirits’.
The true word of God will make you love God more. It will boost your faith and make you cling unto God. It will instruct you and guide you in the path of light.
Only Pastors whose teaching can work this into your spirit should be given ears to.
2. SATURATE YOUR ATMOSPHERE WITH GODLY AND INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC
Music is one of the greatest gifts of God to man. Good music has a way of lifting the heavy burdens of grief away from our souls.
Good Music puts our thoughts and our emotions in order. It is like a good mistress, that massages our turbulent emotional storms into tranquility.
Good Music helps, Godly music helps better. Godly music doesn’t just soothe our soul, it edifies our spirit.
Godly music is like the balm of Gilead that heals the broken hearted. When your faith is weakening, and you’re falling into despair, saturate your Atmosphere with songs of praise and worship to God.
This was David’s secret to surviving the greatest of his challenges.
He had a lifestyle of singing Melody to the Lord. He strengthened himself through his songs.
Act 16:25: “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
Paul and Silas were beaten severely for casting a demon out of a slave girl.
Have you ever been tortured for doing the right thing? Have you ever been persecuted just because the right thing you did negatively affected other people?
Paul and Silas were in such condition. They were not just beaten, they were thrown into a dark prison and held bound by chains and painful cuffs.
Imagine Paul and Silas, two educated preachers of the Gospel, in the prison, with criminals.
Picture the blood flowing from their lips, the stripes on their bodies and the swelling on their legs.
Yet, in the midst of these, at the midnight, they lifted up their voice and sang unto the Lord.
They had the option to complain and wail faithlessly. But they heard songs in their spirit, and they released these songs of praise to the Lord.
When you are the depressed, and weak in faith, that is the time to praise God more. That’s the time to play songs of worship and sing along with them.
Because Praise exalts God above our condition. The Psalmist called it, ‘Magnifying the Lord’.
Praise makes us see the light in the tunnel. And nothing strengthens faith than seeing God in the midst of darkness.
3. AVOID THE VOICE OF UNBELIEF
1 Kings 18:41: “Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
1 Kings 18:42: “So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,”
1 Kings 18:43: “and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea. So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”
What befuddles me in the aforementioned text, is that when Elijah told Ahab that there was the sound of rain (Verse 41), there was no evidence of rain anywhere.
Normally, it is the downpour of the rain that causes the sound. But in this text, Elijah was hearing the sound, even before there was any evidence of rain.
This is what Faith is all about. In the midst of the drought, famine and hunger, he heard in his spirit, that it was about to rain.
He sensed it in his spirit.
He sent his servant to check the clouds for any sign of rain, while he prayed.
But his servant checked six times and saw nothing.
Sometimes, your can be in a situation where your spirit is bubbling even when there is complaining all around you.
God’s word in you at that moment, could be rising up to keep you strong, that something better is coming.
But when you talk to your neighbors or even church members, their statement almost renders you hopeless.
Like Elijah, you heard the sound of the rain in your spirit,
You heard God’s word in your spirit, that you will not be struck by the plague.
But no other person could feel what you felt in your spirit.
Every other person claims there is no sign of hope.
The clouds are empty,
as well as our stomachs,
And our bank accounts
They wail.
In conditions like this, be like Elijah. Choose not to let listen to the voice of people when it is contrary to the voice of your spirit.
Those things only cripple your faith. Know how to look into your spirit and hold unto what the voice of the Lord is speaking to you.
If you claim to be too busy to live for and serve God like the early church because of how your city is, remember that Jesus did not die for only the early church. He died and rose for all men everywhere in every age until He returns. There is no special Holy Spirit in Acts of the Apostles. It is the same God, the same faith, the same baptism, the same commission, the same gospel.
Don’t be deceived, Rome was far busier and more secular than New York or Tokyo or Lagos. There were no phones or airplanes or even air conditioners then. It was probably harder to be a Christian. It will always be hard to be a Christian; hard for the flesh and hard in this world. The distractions may be more today, but the argument may be made that it is easier today than it has ever been to serve God. You have a Bible on your phone! Wow! People died to get copies of these things to us.
And know this: in this same Abuja, this same London, this same Boston, this same Montreal, this same Johannesburg – you have Acts of the Apostles believers and churches. People like you- business people, educated people, busy people who are living for the King and ready to die for Him; who pray like their hearts will break, who give like there is no tomorrow, who fast like a bride on her wedding morning- with great joy, who cast our demons, who speak with new tongues, who love nothing in this world though they have so much, and who fear no one though they serve and work with many people; whose eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; right here in this 21st century.
Drop the excuses therefore; Jesus is available for the taking. He is here for as many as will receive Him. The Bread of Life. The Word of God. The Prince of Peace. The Redeemer. The Saviour. The Author of salvation and the Perfecter of all those who come to God by Him. He is here calling for you to be with Him – the One who will remain long after this world has been judged and has passed away; to know Him and live for the eternal gain during your extremely short period on this terrestrial plane.
Many great cities have come and gone. Babel. Egypt. Assyria. Babylon. Athens. Rome. But He is forever. To see the ultimate will deliver you from the burden of the immediate. He is beckoning on you to lift up your eyes from the distractions of Lagos that you may behold the glories of the everlasting Logos.
KOINONIA ART 