PRAY

26th November 2012

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
    may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
² May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and grant you support from Zion.
³ May he remember all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.
⁴ May he give you the desire of your heart
    and make all your plans succeed.
⁵ May we shout for joy over your victory
    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

⁶ Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They are brought to their knees and fall,
    but we rise up and stand firm.
⁹ Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us when we call!

 

·       Let your season of glory appear in the name of Jesus

·       you shall  sing of the goodness and the mercy of the lord forever in Jesus name

·      Thank you  Lord for answered  prayers

 

Amen

 

Deckoness Jane

At Temple of Praise Geneva

REMEMBER O LORD

12th November 2012

Beloved,

FOCUS: And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore (Isaiah 38:3)

Throughout the scripture, people stand on the integrity of their service to make demands on the supernatural. Think about Hezekiah. God himself told Hezekiah he was going to die. He turned his face to the wall and challenged that verdict. This was how he put it:Remember Lord how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart. You know what? God did change his mind because for Hezekiah to die would have gone against God’s own word. This might tickle some religious folks but that is the truth. God cannot go against his Word. He fulfills the number of days of those that serve him (Exodus 23:26). The main question is this: when your work is tested, shall it validate who you claim to be?

One guy appeared in the palace of Ahad, the king. They called him Elijah the Tishbite. This was what he told the king: As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word (1 Kings 17:1). Did you notice the last phrase, “according to my word”? That is being audacious; the word of a mortal man (a man of like passion) controlling heaven? His actions tested the validity of who he claimed to be. Read that verse again. Did you notice something? He said As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand. His demand was based on where he stood. Before whom are you standing? Psalms 24:3  said Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?  He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. Let’s break this down. The person that shall stand before God is someone that lives a holy life, whose mind is renewed by the word of God, takes the word of God as the final authority and speaks the Word of God at all times. Do you think that God would have known if Elijah was just making mouth? His word (Elijah’s word) said there shall be no rain and there was no rain.

Now let’s talk about another man, Elisha. In most of the miracles he did he just spoke as if he was God himself. You can study it for yourself. When the widow whose husband owed so much came to him, he just gave her instruction and that gave birth to the oil that stayed (2 Kings 4:1-7). No prayers! With the shunammite woman that had no child, Elisha simply spoke “About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son” (2 Kings 4:16). With Naaman, he did not even talk to him directly. There was no mention of God and no long prayers. Friend, the long hollow prayers we pray are simply a reflection of how far our walk with God is. True! Find out for yourself how much prayer Peter and John prayed to get the lame man healed (Acts 3:1-9). They just spoke. We are talking about testing the validity of our walk with God.

Paul was in danger in a strange ship. All hopes were lost and then he had an encounter. Look at his next words Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me (Acts 27:25). What a certainty; what a confidence! But see what he said earlier For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve (Acts 27:23). Thus he was not just a christian, he also rendered quality service to God.

What is the quality of our service? When circumstances test the validity of who you are, will it stand?  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward (1 Corinthians3:14).

Hezekiah said “Remember O lord”. Elijah said “before God whom I stand”. What are you saying? Do you know what? Where you stand is a powerful tool for your manifesting divinity or deliverance.

When you speak, how shall God respond?

Shalom

Brother Godwin Enwere

Elder at Temple of Praise Geneva

Ask God for grace to major on love and not on judgment

29th October 2013

Beloved,

FOCUS:  When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (John 8:10-11).

His life has been full of troubles over the past few months due to the choices he made. Not only did he walk out on the father, he joined himself to riotous people. In no time the royalty in him was reduced to a beggar. He was so low to the extent that the foods served to pigs were considered good for him. And suddenly he remembered home, and his father.  “ I have been disobedient but I am still a son”. What a thought! As he walked home filthy and guilty, he rehearsed in his mind what his opening statement to the father will be. It is interesting that it did not occur to him that the father could of his own will, decide not to take him. What a confidence; a confidence in the love of the father! He knew and believed the love that his father had for him, and therefore had no torment because fear was cast out (1 John 4:16). How much confident do you have in the love of the father (God) for you? This love does not reject anyone.  This love encourages us to boldly come to him in order to obtain mercy no matter what we may have done (Hebrews 4:16).    

The interaction that the prodigal son had with the father when he got home was very revealing (Luke 15:11-32). While he was interested in highlighting his own errors and what he deserved, his father on the other hand was desperate to make him comfortable. The father was eager to celebrate the value of his son; value born out of his decision and not based on what the son did.  Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life (Isaiah 43:4). The older brother of the prodigal son had a different mindset. He accused the father and his brother, and reminded the father of all the bad things the brother did. In fact as far as he was concerned, the boy was the father’s son, and not his brother.

You can see clearly the two types of hearts.  There is the heart of love that is interested in mercy, comfort and forgiveness, and the heart that highlights and emphasizes faults, judgment and condemnation. When I had an understanding of Romans 5:8  [But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us], it dawn on me that God was ready to lose Christ for nothing because of love.  What if no one believed? Did you see that Christ died while we were yet sinners? It was not that we were good and ready to come to him. What an awesome love!

Those folks confronted Jesus. It was so obvious and there were witnesses to the lady’s sin. The law said she ought to die, and the law must be fulfilled. Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground. What do you think he was in his mind? The woman sinned and the law must be obeyed, but there is something weightier: the need for the woman to experience love. To Jesus that trumps everything. There must be a way to set her free. “Father, help me”! And bang, the wisdom came. ‘Let him that has never sinned cast the first stone’. Note that the primary goal of Jesus was to free the woman and what he told the woman was revealing. “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more”. The woman did not confess; she did not repent; she did not promise not to do whatever she did again but yet Jesus did not condemn her (John 8:1-11). What a love!

The time has come for us to lay less emphasis on people’s errors. Should we condone evil? I did not say that but the Psalmist said: If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand(Psalms 130:3)? We should look for ways to free people instead of condemning them. Give them benefit of doubts. We should love people. We can love like God because the love of God is shade abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5). Enough of the judgments! We have judged our spouses for too long; we have judged our children enough; we have judged our colleagues so much. We should rather have mercy than sacrifice (Matthew 9:13).

I found out something else. Faith stops the enemy and deprives the world of the power to hurt us (Ephesians 6:16; 1 John 5:4). So faith is a weapon of war but love is the instrument of dominion. With love you do not fight; you dominate. How do I know that? Read the account in Job 29:1-25. Why did Job dominate?  Here it is: I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.  I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.  And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth (Job 29:15-17). He was in charge!

1 Corinthians 13:13 said And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Friend, the greatest is love! Love is far greater than faith.

Ask God for grace to major on love and not on judgment!

God shall crown 2013 with his goodness for you in the name of Jesus Christ

Shalom

Brother Godwin Enwere

Elder at Temple of Praise Geneva

TOP CAROL SERVICE 2012

JESUS CURSED THE LYING FIG TREE

Beloved,

FOCUS: And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it (Mark 11:12-14).

I worked for 6 years in a remote area in West Africa. One of the disturbing things I encountered was that they had a major health centre that serious cases were referred to but the place was not well staffed. I saw very ill people who travelled a long distance through dirt roads only to meet untrained and ill-equipped staff. That was false hope and at best wickedness. What was Jesus attitude to such deception? We saw it from his attitude to the lying-fig tree. Jesus cursed the tree. Are you who you say you are or just deceiving people like the fig tree? Are you giving the output that you represent?

Christians are light of the world. We are solution to our fellow Christians and the world at large. When we find a hundred and one reasons why we should not fulfill our role, we disappoint God. For instance, the Bible says this of the church: Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King (Psalms 48:2). Anytime anybody comes to a church where we belong and goes away same, we are partly responsible for that failure. People enjoy answering big names but do not realize it carries implication: pastor, bishop, apostle, prophet and born again but had no realization of the implications. Friend, each of are expected to give account. Just like Jesus approached the fig tree, if people come to you and you are found wanting, you become a lying bishop or pastor or prophet or Christian. And for the tree that gave false hopes, Jesus cursed. Friend, we shall not be cursed in Jesus name.

We need to sit down and ask ourselves some questions. If it were in my time, would Jesus have sent me to restore the sight of Saul and tell him what he ought to do like he did Ananias (Acts 9:11-16)? Could God has been confidence in my faithfulness to send Elijah to me as he did the widow (Luke 4:25-26)? Could I have sold my land as Barnabas did so that the brethren could have food (Acts 4:36-37)? Yes, could God have depended on me to be the mother of the Savior? I mean, could Naaman have been sent to me because I am anointed and ready to use it? I am a Christian, so what (Luke 4:27)? This is what the scripture said: And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire (Luke 3:9). Friend, Jesus cursed the fig tree! We shall not be hewn down in the name of Jesus Christ.

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin (James 4:17). Negligence to equip yourself to do the work you are called to do, according to the Bible is a sin. Hey, do you realize that the whole creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:19)? Are we working towards fulfilling our purpose here? We have been so busy in our own things that we are almost not useful to God. Think! And just like was done to Jesus, church members actively shut-off the anointing on their pastors through their unbelief (Mark 6:5). Others refuse to commit themselves to any responsibility whatsoever. What is it really that you are after?

Now is the time to sit up. Are we born again? Then let’s bear fruits that befit our repentance. Let’s live the kind of life that Jesus typified. His environment recognized the virtues that he carried. He displayed a life that had passion and commitment. Friend, his meat was to do the will of him that sent him, and to finish his work (John 4:34). We need to make a choice on where we belong.

Jesus committed himself to study the Word of God (and found where it was written concerning him Luke 4:17). He committed himself to prayer and fasting (and returned in the power of the Holy Ghost Luke 4:14). Jesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38). He loved righteousness, hated wickedness and spoke only the Word (Psalms 45:7, John 3:34). The result was that he was anointed above his fellows. Friend, these are how to get on key with God.

Who do we represent? Do we represent who God has called us or are we living a lie like the fig tree?

God has loaded you with his nature. You have a lot to give to this generation. Don’t waste it.

Shalom

TOP CHURCH FOR KIDS AFRICAN DAY - 21ST OCTOBER, 2012. YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO MISS OUT

EDEN IS GOD'S IDEA

Beloved,

FOCUS: And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.  And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5  

Get this straight: God’s idea has never been suffering. Don’t let anyone confuse you and refuse to endure adverse situations. They are never God’s idea. Till eternity comes and last, God’s will is that we prosper and be in good health (3 John 2). Let economies fail and earthquakes happen, none changes God’s purpose for his children. Let science proclaim their discoveries, and let their analysis say what they like: they can never change God’s idea. Friend God’s idea is Eden.

In the beginning God created everything that will make man comfortable before he created man. This was what he said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth (Genesis 1:26).  To ensure that man did not miss anything, God carved out the garden of plenty with every good thing you can imagine and put man into it. Let nothing confuse you, God’s intensions has always been for us to enjoy good. Think about it, who among us wants suffering for his household or relations? If we don’t, why do we call God wicked by thinking that he wants us to suffer? Friend, Eden is God’s idea; not just an idea of supplies. God’s ideas included man operating in power and glory. The glory was so much that Adam and Eve did not know they were naked. They had the power that controlled their environment.

God has not changed. Even when man messed up and listened to the devil, God set mechanisms through which man can get back to living the life in the Eden. The difference was that this time, man would work it out using the tools God gave him. I mean he set tools to lead us back to that edenic life. This is clearly detailed in Deuteronomy 28:1-14, but for space let’s see verse one:  And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth. So to get back to the Eden, man needed to diligently hearken to God’s word and obey them. There is no other option. This was how he put it to Joshua. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (Joshua 1:8). Good success and prosperity were at their reach, and at their command. “Thou shall make thy way prosperous and successful”, God told them. So Eden has always been God’s, but now man had to work it out using the tools God provided.

Let’s fast forward to Jesus. The son of God brought back Eden with a different kind of work. This was what he said about his coming: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). The more abundant life is life in the presence of God: delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13). So we are not going to have eternal life. We already have eternal life. To avoid any confusion, the scripture said These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:13) . But a different kind of work is required to enjoy the fullness of eternal life. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent (John 6:29). Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all (Romans 4:16). I see from these scriptures that the fullness of eternal is sure and available to everyone and how much of it anyone enjoys in this side of eternity is defined by the person. Do challenges come?  Plenty but the tool of faith can deprive them of power to harm you (1 John 5:4). Hallelujah!

The beauty of it is that a time is coming, and very soon too when there will be no challenges for those in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation22:1-5). There shall be no tears or suffering or pains. The question is: how well are you preparing to be there?

Eden has always been God’s idea. Fight the good fight of faith, so that you can lay hold on that eternal life from now on and till eternity (1 Timothy 6:12)  

Shalom