YOUR LAST DAY OF AFFLICTION

Exodus 12:41 says, “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.” Who said that it is late for your prayers to be answered? Who said that God cannot do anything about your situation anymore? Who said that you will have to enter the New Year with that pain and burden? Who said that the promises of God will no longer come to pass? That devil is a liar! I have a word of prophecy for someone; today is your last day of affliction! Today, you are coming out of your Egypt, in the name of Jesus! For many years, the Israelites suffered in Egypt, but the Scripture says that on the very last day of the four hundred and thirtieth year, God delivered them. Don’t know for how many years or months you've suffered that sickness or disease; don’t know for how long you've suffered as a result of the curse, don’t know for how long you've been oppressed and tormented, don’t know for how long you have been sad, sorrowful and worried, I have good news for you, it is expiring today! I speak life to your body, be free in the name of Jesus! I command the pains to go! You chains of oppression and infirmity, be broken, in the name of Jesus! By the reason of the anointing, I command those yokes to be broken now, in the name of Jesus! You evil spirits of pain, sickness and disabilities, I disallow your continued activities, let go in the name of Jesus! Thank You Lord Jesus for the victories and deliverance: glory to Your name forever! Amen. Follow @PastorChinae

2012 in pictures

THE FIRST DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH

Follow @PastorChinae “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.” Exodus 40:1-2. If you are familiar with the Scriptures, you’ll have noticed that God values the first things; He talks about giving Him firstfruits, firstborns, and so on. In this case, all the things needed for the setting up of the tabernacle were ready, but God asked Moses to wait for the first day of the first month before he set it up. That’s noteworthy. Not only was the tabernacle to be set up, Aaron and his sons were also anointed and clothed for their ministry on that same day. After all was done on that first day, “a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:34. As we enter a new year, I suggest that you make good use of the first day of the year: let it be a special day between you and God. I need you to understand that you can determine how good and glorious your year will be by what you do on day one. Permit me to quote Abraham Lincoln: he said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Isn’t it wise for us to use the first day of the year to prepare for the remaining 364days of the year? I think it is. God will give some of us personal instructions on what to do: if you are a parent, gather your family together for prayers and prophecies. Commit your ways to the Lord, talk about the things you want to see and achieve, pray for your promotion, prosperity, protection and fulfilment of your purpose. If you are a businessman, pray for your business; pastors, pray for your ministry. Here’s what will happen: the glory of God will rise upon you, your strength will be renewed and your entire year shall be glorious!

FROM ‘NOTHING’ TO ‘TOO MUCH’

Let’s talk about God’s ability to meet our needs. If you’re like most people, you’re tired of not having enough, you’re tired of having to call people for money whenever you need to get anything done, you’re tired of having empty bank accounts, you’re tired of having today and not having tomorrow, and you’re tired of receiving some salary that cannot meet your needs. As it were, you've got nothing. The good news is that, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8. God is able to make you to always have all things in abundance. I’m not referring to your ability to make money, nor am I talking about the quality of your contacts, neither am I extolling your high financial IQ; I’m saying that God is able to take you from the place of nothing to the place of abundance where you have too much of everything. He has done it several times before, to people in every generation. Guess what, it’s your time! The blessing of the Lord makes rich: and I’m asking the Lord to bless you today. How old you are is irrelevant at this point, I've read stories of people who made their first millions in their teen years, they are people like you and me. If God could bless them, then He will bless you too! Psalm 72:18 says, “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.” He only does wondrous things; in other words, He doesn't do small things, He doesn't do insignificant things, He doesn't do unnoticeable things – only things that cause wonder and excitement! This time next year, you will testify of the wonders of God in your life! Amen. Follow @PastorChinae For enquiries and information, please send a mail to spiritandlifedevotional@gmail.com

THE LORD’S OFFERING

Before we go further, may I say that a truly saved Christian has no problem with giving; it is carnal men and women like Ananias and Sapphira who withhold things from God. Check yourself whenever you find yourself grumbling about giving to the Lord, you’ve most likely begun to fall in love with the things of the world. The believers of the Early Church sold their lands and houses and laid them at the feet of the apostles! That’s remarkable: something for you and me to seriously think about. God said to Moses, “Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD.” Exodus 35:5. Here’s how the people responded: verse 21 says, “And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD’S offering.” Verse 29 says, “The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.” Why do people want God to speak to them first before they give to Him? Meanwhile, these same brethren won’t wait for God to speak to them before they pay their children’s school fees, build a new house, buy a new car, pay house rent and contribute to associations they belong to, or causes they believe in. If you consider those to be necessities, how about something God Himself wants done? Paul noted that the Philippians continually gave to him to meet his needs; they gave again and again even when no other church gave to him; they even gave to him when he was in Thessalonica, another land. What they gave him made him full; he called it, “an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.” That was when he said, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:15-19. Get this: If your willing offerings have not been going up as a sweet smell to heaven, don’t expect supply from heaven in time of your need! Follow @PastorChinae If you want the messages sent to your email daily, please send a mail to spiritandlifedevotional@gmail.com. Thank you.

GLORIOUS PEOPLE

As soon as I entered a friend’s room, while in the university, he said he saw the glory of God on me. At another time while at work, a woman told me she saw the glory of God on me. People of God, we are glorious people! For lack of words, I’ll say His glory is upon us, but it’s actually more than that, the glory is not just on us, it is who we are: we are glorious people. It might not be visible to the human eyes, but we are glorious: the disciples didn't see the glory of Christ until He was transfigured before them – His face shined as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light (Matthew 17:1-2). Moses was with God for forty days and forty nights receiving the words of the Old Covenant; all the time he was receiving those words, he was being “glorified”. The words he received so affected his physical body to the point that it shined. And he didn't even know – of course he won’t have known, since he had stayed in God’s glorious presence for quite a while (Exodus 34:27-35). If the words of the Old Testament had such tremendous impact on the human body, then we can imagine how great the glory of the New Testament is. Here’s what Apostle Paul said, “If the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.” 2 Corinthians 3:7-9. The glory we have is greater than that which Moses had. But amazingly, we haven’t even attained fullness of the glory! 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Hallelujah! The more you have fellowship with the Lord and His word, the more glorious you become, and by reason of that, darkness will flee from you effortlessly! Follow @PastorChinae

LESSONS OF CHRISTMAS

1. When God sought for a man, Jesus volunteered Himself. We should always be willing to work for God. 2. Jesus did nothing except the will of God. He said, "I come to do Your will O God." Stick to God's will for your life. 3. Jesus sacrificed the riches and glories of heaven when He came. How much we love will determine how much we sacrifice 4. Jesus was humble. Though being in the form of God, He took the form of a servant, and the likeness of men. Be humble. 5. Christmas is a proof of God's faithfulness. He never stopped loving us, even when we did. Be faithful to your spouse 6. God gave us His only begotten Son. There's nothing too big or precious that we should withhold from God whenever He needs it. 7. Christmas is a fulfilment of prophecies. God fulfils every word He says. If He says it believe it; it'll come to pass 8. God did this much for us even though we didn't deserve it. We should love one another even when they don't deserve it 9. It was us who sinned, yet God took the first step to save and forgive us. We should quickly forgive those who hurt us 10. Jesus' humble beginning didn't affect His future greatness. You may have been born poor, but you can still be great! Merry Christmas!!! Follow @PastorChinae

JESUS, GOD’S GLORY REVEALED

One day, Moses said to the Lord, “I beseech thee, show me thy glory.” Exodus 33:18. Not many could have requested for it, Moses was a friend of God, and God spoke to him face to face as a man speaks to his friend. God granted Moses’ request – oh, what a rare opportunity that was! But as awesome as it was, God allowed Moses to see only His back, not all of His glory. But on one certain day, that which had never happened occurred on earth, God came to earth in human form! What a great day that was! Unto us was born God! John said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:1, 14. What Moses begged for was offered to us! And that’s what Christmas is about: the revelation of God’s glory to man. Jesus was God in human body. Paul wrote, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.” 1Timothy 3:12a. What an amazing thing it was to be with Jesus at that time: John couldn’t hide his feelings, he wrote, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled.” 1 John 1:1. Today, you and I are the most privileged people on earth! Because God lives in us! Jesus was born in the world so that He could from then on be reborn in our hearts. Awesome! God is in us today and you and I possess that glory that Moses earnestly desired to see! What a treasure we have in our jars of clay! Carrying the glory of God from place to place, and manifesting it to our world! I wish you all a Merry Christmas! This season, manifest the glory of God to your world. Follow @PastorChinae

WISDOM TO DO

Most of the church is acquainted with only wise words, wise quotes, wise sayings, and not the wisdom to do, or the wisdom to produce excellent and outstanding results. We take courses, attend seminars, understudy our colleagues but have never really asked God to fill us with His wisdom. There’s such a thing as the spirit of wisdom (Exodus 28:3), and it comes from God. We hear people talk about the difference between those who work hard and those who work smart. This is more than being smart; it is working with the wisdom of God. When God wanted Moses to get a job done, He asked Moses to call for those He had filled with the spirit of wisdom: the spirit of wisdom that was in them made them produce the very best results possible in their time. Joseph was filled with the spirit of wisdom, and by that spirit, he being just a man preserved the whole world for seven full years! Christians should be relevant in music, medicine, technology, science, management, politics, economics, education, agriculture, et cetera. We should be inventing and propounding mind blowing theories, we should be many times better than our peers! I think we’ve been talking too much: it is time to do! The world is looking for cures for many sicknesses and diseases; as well as solutions and new ways of doing things: guess what? It is time for the manifestation of the sons of God! You were born again to be a genius! The same God that made Solomon wise is our God! Follow @PastorChinae

TO BE HOLY IS TO BE GLORIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL BEFORE GOD

Start to talk about holiness, and some believers become scared and concerned. Why is it that everyone wants to re-define holiness? The truth is that Satan’s greatest fear is a bunch of holy brethren and he is doing all he can to ensure we do not understand it, and that we corrupt ourselves. On the other hand, there’s nothing more pleasing to God than seeing His holy kids. Truth is, when we are holy we are glorious and beautiful in the sight of God. God said to Moses, “And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.” Exodus 28:2. May I speak to the unmarried for a moment: the most handsome brothers in the world are men who keep themselves from sin, and the most beautiful ladies are the daughters of God who have refused to stain their garments with sin and worldliness! You want to marry a truly beautiful sister or a handsome brother? Now you know whom to look for! When we worship the Lord, what truly gets His attention is our beauty that is a result of the radiation of His holiness and glory upon us. Psalm 29:2 says, “Give to the LORD the glory due to his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” The International Standard Version says, “Worship the LORD wearing holy attire.” That holy attire back in the Old Testament was called beautiful! That’s why God made us holy and wants us to remain holy. Every time we sin, we become people with scars and the glory disappears. What makes us truly special before God is holiness. That’s why He made us holy by the new birth when we believed. Here’s God’s word to someone today, “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy.” Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT. Follow @PastorChinae

DIVINE INSTRUCTIONS

God doesn’t send a man on an errand without instructing him on what to do. As simple as it sounds, it is very important. A brother met me for advice; he was beginning to doubt his calling and was getting discouraged. I asked him, “What exactly did God tell you when He called you?” When God asks you to do something, you won’t just “think” that He did, He will give you specific instructions. As we mature in the faith, we live by knowledge rather than assumptions. God is not an Author of confusion: He gives specific instructions about what He wants done and how He wants it done. The very first thing God did when He created man was to give him instructions (Genesis 1:28). Almost every page of the Bible is full of instructions, because that’s how God leads us. The Christian life is a life of obedience to instructions; how successful you will be in ministry or in your walk with God will depend on how well you obey His instructions. Noah received detailed instructions about building the Ark, Abraham received instructions to leave for a land that He would be shown, Moses received instructions about making the Tabernacle, when Jesus sent the disciples to preach He gave them power and instructions (Matthew 10), Peter was instructed to go to the house of Cornelius, and Paul was told, “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” Acts 9:6. The Bible is an instruction manual: when in doubt about anything study the Bible for instructions. By the way, to instruct means to furnish with information and directions. A man without information and directions is as a blind man walking around without a guide. Cheers.

THE BLOOD OF SPRINKLING

When God was to pass through the land of Egypt to slay the firstborn sons, He asked the Israelites to strike the blood on the doorposts of their houses, so that He would pass over them when He saw the blood. Revelations 12:11 says, “And they overcame him (Satan, the accuser of the brethren) by the blood of the lamb.” Based on these two instances, many believers erroneously “plead the blood of Jesus” over their lives and their properties, hoping to overcome Satan and evil thereby. Brothers and sisters, it is wrong. May God grant us understanding of His word. Amen. According to Hebrews 12:24, when we believed, we came to the blood of the sprinkling, that speaks better things than the blood of Abel. As you may know, blood speaks and God hears it: Abel was murdered by his brother, Cain, and his blood cried for vengeance against Cain; and God heard it. Contrariwise, the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross for us speaks peace, grace, mercy and many other good things for us. Hallelujah! Now, when we believe, something happens: we are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus. This is similar to what Moses did to the Israelites (Exodus 24:8). Hebrews 10:22 says our hearts were sprinkled from an evil conscience. 1 Peter 1:2 says, we were “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Christ.” By the sprinkled blood of Jesus on us when we believed, we became the elect of God, and overcame Satan. In other words, we overcame Satan the very day we believed! Go back to Revelations 12:10 where we are told that Satan accuses us before God: he is just wasting his time! We are God’s elect, having been sprinkled with the blood of Jesus! Romans 8:33 says, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.” Verse 37 says, “We are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Or, through Him that died for us and sprinkled us with His blood when we believed. Glory to God! That sprinkling was enough: Jesus doesn’t need to sprinkle us all the time. Hebrews 10:14 says, “By one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.” Verse 12 says that after He offered that one sacrifice, He sat down at the right hand of God. What it means is that everything about your protection, salvation, deliverance, healing, peace, sanctification, etc, have since been settled! It is a done deal! Do you understand? Satan is forever under our feet! Stop living in fear! Pleading the blood upon your life, your car, the road, your food, and so on is absolutely unnecessary because the blood was always on you since you believed!

HE HAS GIVEN HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER YOU

I discovered some time ago that many people pray because they are afraid – Christians and Unbelievers alike. Some years ago, while I travelled with a luxurious bus, this big guy led prayers in the bus; you needed to have seen him pray all manner of prayers for protection, sweating profusely as he prayed; you would have thought he was a prayer warrior, until he quarrelled with another passenger in the course of the journey. The truth is that he was a very fearful man. I say only a little prayer when I’m travelling, whether I’m flying or going by road. To be sincere, sometimes, I pray just to fulfil all righteousness. Why? Because I live by knowledge! Here’s one of the truths I know: that God has given angels instructions about me! They are with me all the time to ensure my safety. I so believe it to the point that I do not believe in falling down physically; and they make sure I don’t. I can testify of many times I’ve been delivered. God said, “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.” Exodus 23:20. Psalm 91:9-12 says, “Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” As you travel this period, going from place to place – to the village, to visit friends, to work, or market, or school; wherever – go with the knowledge that you are never alone. God has assigned some angels to you, and charged them with your safety. Believe it, relax, and have a safe journey! Cheers.

BEING YOUR BROTHER’S KEEPER

According to The Phrase Finder, to be your brother’s keeper means to take interest in your fellow man and to share his burdens. Joy has been defined as putting Jesus first, others second, and then you. God expects each and every one of us to be concerned about each other’s welfare. Refuse to be a selfish man or woman. When God elevates you, prospers you and put you in a position of power and authority, He expects you to use it for the wealth and welfare of others, rather than for only you and your immediate family. Please don’t tell me you love me until you’ve shared my burdens with me! True love is in deed and not in word only. I have very little respect for people who only profess love. People are quick to say how much they love you, but very slow to prove it. Truly godly men and women have a heart for others. They are full of compassion for others, and they are touched by the pains and sufferings of others. Such men and women are like Nehemiah who was moved to action when he heard about the sufferings of his people. If you can help, help! Don’t say that things will be okay, do something about it! Brotherly love must continue, the kind of love we saw in the Early Church – where true love is, there is no lack because everyone is responsible for the welfare of the other. Esther 10:3 says Mordecai sought the wealth of his people. Don’t be a stingy man or woman; life is not all about you. Meet the needs of others; lift up people who are down, not because of your selfish reasons, but because of love. Love your neighbour as yourself! Follow @PastorChinae

Introducing My New Book!

Hello It's finally here! I'm so excited to introduce my new book: Laying The Foundation For A Great Future. A skyscrapper must have a very deep and solid foundation, unlike a bungalow, and sometimes it takes so many years to complete one. Life is like a building and we are all builders. The kind of lives we'll have will be determined by the choices we make and the actions we take. Your past and present may not be okay, but you can start afresh NOW. That's why I wrote this book: to help you lay a very solid foundation for a great life, to inspire you, and to encourage you to pursue your dreams and to never give up. It's full of so many inspirational stories of those who made it despite being told that they couldn't; stories of people who seemed to have no future, but who succeeded despite the odds. I am looking for distributors. Be your own boss by buying and re-selling my book! Kindly contact me for more information. Thank you.

DESTINED TO BE GREAT!

Will the Almighty God dwell in a man and that same man will remain small and insignificant? If it happens, it shouldn’t be. When God is with a man, that man is destined to be great! When God is with a man, if he were a “nobody” without a voice, he will become someone to be reckoned with; if he was dull, he would become smart; and if he was timid and shy, he would become bold. I’ve got good news for you: your life began to change the very moment you gave your life to Christ, and you are waxing greater and greater every day! Isn’t it written, that the path of the just is as the shining light that shines brighter and brighter? It is only normal for a man who associates himself with the Greatest to become great. Great is our God! And He makes men great. He made David great: 1 Chronicles 11:9 says, “So David waxed greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts was with him.” He made Isaac great: Genesis 26:13 says, “And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great.” God also made Mordecai great. Esther 9:4 says, “For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.” I’m ready to prophesy: May God make you great where you are and wherever you go! May God uplift you and make you many times greater than your fellows. May God anoint you with the oil of greatness, and crown you with glory and honour! Your enemies shall grow weaker and weaker by the day, but you shall grow stronger and stronger, says the Lord! Not by power, not by might; not by your intelligence or skill, but by the Spirit of God! Fret not because of your present circumstances, they that look down on you now will soon look up to you! Those who have written you off, and mocked you, and despised you, will bow to you! It will be the Lord’s doing, and it will be marvellous in the eyes of all! Amen! Hallelujah! Follow @PastorChinae

DIVINE REVERSALS

We’ve seen bad things happen to Christians, and we’ve seen Christians suffer terribly for several reasons. But the truth is that there was always a way out for them. And even now, there is a way out – in Christ, there is always a way out! The Scripture is full of stories of faithful men whose lives were changed; men and women whose destinies were altered by God. The Bible is full of testimonies of how God rescued people from death, debt, sickness, slavery and curses. Today, I came to decree a reversal of ugly trends, experiences and conditions in your life! You see, Jesus is a restorer. One of His ministries to the church is to restore, and He desires to restore all that the devil has stolen from us or withheld from us. Listen to me: I don’t care to know how far the actions against you have gone; neither do I care how much damage has been done: it may seem irreparable and all hope may have been lost, but in the name of Jesus, I command a reversal! Maybe you’ve been suffering losses in your business, maybe you are headed for a divorce, maybe someone is at the point of death right now, maybe you’re about to lose your job or something dear, I decree a reversal in the name of Jesus! God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm. O my God! I see things turning around! And they are saying, “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dreamed!” Hallelujah! Curses are turning to blessings! The weak are becoming strong! The poor are becoming rich! Borrowers are becoming lenders! The helped are becoming helpers! And those who have been crying are becoming leaders of praise and worship! Glory to God! Follow @PastorChinae

WILL YOU BOW?

I think that many Christians today are compromised. We rarely hear of a Christian who insisted on doing what is right and godly; we hardly hear of a Christian worker being sacked based on refusal to do wrong or something contrary to the will of God. How about our so-called Christian politicians and leaders, how many of them do you hear of condemning injustice and practices that do not conform to the will of God? I think we are now more interested in being friends with everyone; we’ve found a way to live amicably with the world. We couldn’t beat them, so we joined them. Every day, people do unimaginable things in order to win favours and to make money – including Christians! We lie, we steal, we do not repay our debts, we give false reports, we give and take bribes and the best of us are blind, deaf and dumb to all the evils going on. Is that the meaning of light? Sincerely speaking, I put all the blame on our pastors, because we have become the image of their messages. Gone are the days when a person was afraid to attend church service because he sinned: now, a person will sin, not even repent, and then boldly lift up his hand in worship before God. We now have different definitions of sin, and of right and wrong. We have changed the standards. But while we were changing, God remained the same! Mordecai refused to bow to and reverence Haman even though the king ordered it and others did, because he would not give the worship due to God to another. The man refused to bow even though he knew he could die as a result. Brothers and sisters, will you bow? If you cherish that your sin more than doing God’s will, if you prefer to continue in your ways rather than in God’s ways, if you think that you can live as you please and do as you wish and still attend church and be a church worker, I beg you to think again. The pastor is not God and God is not the pastor! If you can read then you must read the Bible for yourself! Let God be true, but every man a liar. “Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; consider your ways.” Haggai 1:5. Today is a new day and I urge you to stand out. “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.” Lamentations 3:40. Good morning. Follow @PastorChinae

YOUR MONTH OF FAVOUR

I know what favour is because I have experienced it countless times. I like how it is defined by Dictionary.com, “something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for remuneration.” It also defines favour as, “the state of being approved or held in high regard,” and as “excessive kindness or unfair partiality; preferential treatment.” Certain things happen to you when you are favoured: 1. Things are done for you speedily. For instance, if it normally takes a week to get a thing done, favour will make it done in a few days. Not because you paid a bribe, but because someone does it out of goodwill. 2. Favour makes you accepted and loved. While others seek attention and affection, favour will make you the preferred one. 3. You will get the best things. When you are favoured, you are given preferential treatment. People will not give you crumbs or leftovers or patched things; you will get the best. 4. An enviable position or a position of honour. You see, you can get a promotion or occupy an office because you worked hard for it or because you are favoured. Remember, favour is unfair partiality. Esther enjoyed divine favour. The Scripture says she obtained kindness of Hegai, and he speedily gave her things for purification; and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women. Also, Esther 2:15 says, “Esther obtained favour in the sight of all that looked upon her.” And verse 17 says that the king loved her above all the women, because of which a royal crown was placed upon her head! There’s a woman whose story is about to change; God is granting you favour in the sight of your husband! Your days of mourning and weeping have just come to an end. I prophesy to you all in the name of Jesus, if you will receive this word, this shall be your month of favour! And not only for this month, it will spill over into every other month of your life! Glory to God forever! Amen. Follow @PastorChinae

BEING A POSITIVE INFLUENCE

Influence is defined as “the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behaviour, opinions, etc., of others.” As children of God, we are cities set upon hills that cannot be hidden. In other words, we are capable of influencing people who look up to us in one way or another. We must choose to be positive influences. King Ahasuerus, being in a very happy mood, asked that his very beautiful queen, Vashti, be brought before him so he could display to his people and princes. But she refused. She disgraced her husband publicly. Of course, the king got angry and consulted with the wise men on what to do. It was decided, that because she was in a position where she could influence other women and girls in the kingdom, a royal commandment be issued that she never appear before the king again, and that her place was to be given to another (Esther 1). Consciously or unconsciously, you are helping people become better or worse by your actions. Parents, how well have you influenced your children? Teachers, how well have you influenced your students? Bosses, how well have you influenced your subordinates? Leaders, how well have you influenced your followers? Celebrities, how well have you influenced your fans? Listen to me, whatever you do, if you are not influencing people for God you are not doing well. Today, I ask you in God’s name to be a positive influence in your sphere of contact. Being a living epistle known and read by all men is an opportunity we have to lead men in the right way. We must not disgrace God at all. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven. Follow @PastorChinae

STANDING IN THE EVIL DAY

I was a little boy when a very vibrant brother in fellowship abandoned the faith because armed robbers visited his house and took away some of his property. He was angry with God. We all pray for good days and happy times, we confess positively and do not wish for evil days; but we have adversaries! And we must be prepared for his onslaught. If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is little (Proverbs 24:10). Apostle Paul wrote, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13. Nothing surprises a well prepared man. A well prepared man leaves nothing to chance; long before anything happens, he prepares himself for victory. People rarely succeed accidentally. Every day, you must engage yourself in activities that will enhance success. Put on the whole armour of God: tie the belt of truth around your waist, put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God, shod your feet with the gospel in preparation to face the enemy with firm-footed stability. Lift up over all the shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked one, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. Praying at all times in the Spirit. Even if all men fall in times of trouble, the one who does the above will say like David, “It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.” Psalm 18:32-34, 46. Hallelujah! Follow @PastorChinae

THE LORD WILL RECIPROCATE

There’s nothing that leaves you that will not return to you. Not only that, what leaves you usually returns to you many times more than it left you. It’s only a matter of time; it will definitely come back to you. So, if you give kindness, expect to receive kindness in future; if you give love, expect to be loved in return; sometimes, it happens almost immediately, but at other times, it comes later. Ephesians 6:8 says, “Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.” In other words, the Lord will reciprocate every action you do. Meaning that, life is like a continually swinging pendulum with our actions going back and forth. We are taught that the time for one complete cycle of a pendulum, a left swing and a right swing, is called a period. The period it takes for the Lord to reciprocate your good deeds may vary, but one thing is certain, it will come back to you. The more reason why we should be careful of the things we do to others! And it doesn’t matter whether someone else notices or not. 1 Timothy 5:24-25 says, “The sin of some are conspicuous (openly evident to all eyes), going before them to the judgment [seat] and proclaiming their judgment in advance; but the sin of others appear later [following the offender to the bar of judgment and coming into view there]. So also, good deeds are evident and conspicuous, and even when they are not, they cannot remain hidden [indefinitely].” Amp. If you’ve been doing well, continue doing well. And if you’ve been doing bad, cheating people, lying to people, using people, abusing people, etc, I think it’s time to give it up. Consider repenting: if you do, the Lord will forgive you. Good morning. Follow @PastorChinae

THE MISSION OF CHRIST

I listen to a lot of preachers (not all), and like many of you, I have my favourites. I have both been blessed and terrified by the so many words I’ve heard over time. About six years ago, I heard a preacher say that his job is not to take men to heaven but to make men prosper. After six years, nothing has terrified me more. If you’ve listened to me for long, you’ll know I believe in prosperity. But prosperity is a by-product of salvation! As a matter of fact, men do not need to be born again to prosper; the world is full of ultra rich unbelievers. Therefore, it cannot be my most important message. I’d rather spend my time and utilize God’s gift to bringing men to Christ, keeping them in faith, making sure that they grow up to be like Christ, and ensuring that they are always ready for His return. Apostle Paul wrote, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27. The first reason why Jesus came was to reconcile man to God. That He did by purchasing us with His blood. Therefore we are His. Being His, He empowered us so that we might have dominion over Satan, sin and sickness, as well as over any other thing we were subject to in the past. Also, He also purified us, so that we could have a perfect and blissful relationship with God the Father, with Himself and with His Holy Spirit. He justified us, so that we could stand before God without fear, and so that Satan the accuser of the brethren would no longer make us feel guilty. And He beautified us with His divine nature that is holy and righteous, so that God can always be delighted in us. Hallelujah! That’s why He came, and that’s exactly what He did! There are two men who will go back to the world: ungrateful men and men without understanding. When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all He has done, and is doing, and will do for me, my soul shouts hallelujah! And I say, “Thank You Jesus for saving me.” Good morning. Follow @PastorChinae

BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

Being filled with the Spirit is an experience every believer should have often, but it’s not so; unfortunately. To be filled with the Spirit is different from receiving the Holy Spirit. We receive the Holy Spirit once, but we can be filled with the Spirit again and again (Acts 2:4, 4:31). You can be filled with the Spirit when you receive the Holy Spirit, but it’s got to be continuous. It’s an experience that must be relived. I’ll try to explain what it means to be filled with the Spirit in the best possible way I can. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14. According to John chapter 7 verses 38&39, the water Jesus spoke about is the Holy Spirit. Now, receiving the Holy Spirit is drinking the water, but being filled with the Spirit is having that water springing up within you. Hallelujah! Do you understand? God’s will is for us to be filled with the Spirit all the time. The words of Jesus according to the Amplified Bible is that the water He gives us will become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) continually in us. Amazing things happen when we are filled with the Spirit: we are filled with boldness (Acts 4:31), we speak with other tongues (Acts 2:4), we do great wonders and miracles (Acts 6:8), we speak amazing words of wisdom (Acts 6:10), our spiritual eyes are opened and we see the glory of God (Acts 7:55), we can issue decrees and say words that come to pass (Acts 13:9-11). As we pray, remain in touch with the Lord and fellowship with the brethren we are constantly filled with the Spirit and we are renewed. You see, a Christian who doesn’t pray will continue to be hungry and thirsty because there will be no flow, no bubbling, no welling up and no springing up. Hmm. No wonder Paul wrote, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18 (AMP). Glory to God! Follow @PastorChinae

WALKING IN WISDOM

When we discussed the topic, You Need Knowledge, I defined wisdom as the ability to discern and judge what is right and true. What could be righter or truer than the will of God? That being said, I wish to further state that wisdom is first, understanding the will of God, and then acting or speaking in accordance with it. Ephesians 5:17 says, “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” Every day, we meet with entirely new people, we are required to make decisions faster, deal with challenges, solve problems, offer advice, and take actions, and we don’t always have all the time to think things through or pray thoroughly as we ought. What will guide us and enable us make the best decisions and take the right steps is the amount of wisdom available to us. When you know the perfect will of God concerning an issue, it becomes easier to walk in wisdom in that area. There are two ways to know and understand God’s will: through studying the Word of God, and by being taught by the Spirit. The Scriptures contain God’s will; the more we know and understand it, the wiser we become. Colossians 3:16a says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” John 16:13, reveals that the Holy Spirit’s job is to guide us into all truth. The Holy Spirit will tell us what is not clearly stated in the Scriptures. As we do the Word and follow the instructions of the Spirit, we will be walking in wisdom. There’s a will of God concerning everything you do: raising children, getting married, working, relating and interacting with people, eating, drinking, giving, speaking, and living, and so on. In other words, the Word of God contains dos and don’ts. The world may consider you to be foolish for doing what God says to do and vice versa, but you will never regret it. Doing God’s will, will prove you to be wiser, and will assure you of peace, promotion, prosperity and protection. Have a fantastic week. Follow @PastorChinae

NO MORE SACRIFICE

I beg you to read this one, even if it will be the last of my writings that you read. We’ve been wrongly taught about righteousness and grace, and many Christians have been endangered as a result of it. We are being told that what we do won’t affect our righteousness before God, or how God perceives us, that God will overlook our sins because Jesus became sin for us and imputed righteousness to us. We are being taught that our past, present and future sins have already been taken care of. But is that what the Bible really teaches? While it is important that we are not held captive by the consciousness of sin, we must understand that wrong teachings won’t set us free. What did Jesus really do? I read a verse some years ago that literally shook me. That verse is Romans 3:25. I encourage you to read the entire chapter, but let’s read from verse 24. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of SINS THAT ARE PAST, through the forbearance of God.” Notice that it talks about the remission of past sins. The Amplified Bible says God ignored our former sins without punishment. So how about our present and future sins? Romans 6:1-2 says, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Does it mean we will never sin? No. 1 John 2:1 says, “Sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” If you sin, immediately receive forgiveness. But do not sin wilfully hoping that God will overlook it because of grace or righteousness! Hebrews 10:26-27 says, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” Let’s conclude with Ephesians 5:3-6. “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” Today, I hope that we can genuinely repent and decide to live for Jesus as we ought to, in true appreciation of what God and Christ did for us. Good morning. Follow @PastorChinae

HELPING THE NEEDY

Helping the needy is one of my passions and lifetime goals. I don’t believe in “Live and let live,” instead I believe in “Live and help live.” If Jesus tarries, I intend establishing an orphanage and a foundation through which I can reach out to the needy and less privileged. I really wish I could help everyone who meets me for help, but so far I’ve been unable to. The purpose of work is not just to provide for your daily bread, to be able to live in a nice house, go for holidays, and acquire property, and so on. One major reason for work is that we might have the means to support the needy. Ephesians 4:28 says, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” As we grow in Christ, our “receiving-consciousness” is replaced with a “giving-consciousness.” We begin to understand that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35. The truth is, the more you give, the more you will receive. God loves givers, and He will ensure that they are always delivered from trouble. I can personally give many testimonies to prove it. Psalm 41:1-3 NLT says, “Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor. The LORD rescues them in time of trouble. The LORD protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity and rescues them from their enemies. The LORD nurses them when they are sick and eases their pain and discomfort.” Never be scared of giving, and never regret doing an act of kindness; sooner or later, you will get so much more than what you gave. Follow @PastorChinae

MAKING SPIRITUAL ADVANCEMENT

Childhood is inevitable, but remaining children is a choice. Stagnation is very unpleasant and also dangerous, because children are easily deceived, tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, according to the Scriptures (Ephesians 4:14). We will not grow and advance spiritually as a result of how long we’ve been in the faith, neither will it happen by chance, it requires deliberate effort. Hebrews 6:1 NASB says, “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity.” Your willingness, passion and ability to receive spiritual things determines your growth rate. Jesus put it this way, “Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6. And Apostle Peter said, “Desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” 1 Peter 2:2. Dr. Mike Murdock said pursuit is the proof of desire. Making spiritual advancement demands sufficient investment of your time and resources. How much of your time you spend studying the Scriptures, attending church, listening to messages, watching and reading edifying programmes and materials, and communing with the Holy Spirit determines how much spiritual advancement you’ll make. We were given apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for our perfection (Ephesians 4:11-12). Thank God for Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Amazon, Blogs, Television, Books, etcetera. Via these media we can have constant access to people and resources capable of aiding our growth, development and advancement. They are not just “social media,” they are also “spiritual media!” Cheers. Follow @PastorChinae

OMNIPOTENT PROVIDER

Omnipotent means “having unlimited power.” It also means “able to do anything.” Only God is Omnipotent, and the good news is that He is your provider. What it means is that providing for you is no big deal for Him! He can reach the deepest depths, the highest heights, and the widest widths just to get anything for you. In fact, the truth is that He doesn’t need to move an inch in order to meet your needs, just a word from Him is sufficient to get anything done. What are your greatest needs right now – a healing, a job, a car, a husband or wife, children, starting a business or project, money, the salvation of loved ones, a deliverance, an idea, protection? I’ve got news for you today: God is able to do exceeding abudantly above all that you can ever ask or think! Listen to me child of God, your greatest need is the least of what He can do. I need you to believe God, because unbelief is capable of limiting His ability on your behalf. God will not do what you don’t believe He can do for you. Your faith is what determines how much He can help you. You must believe that with Him, nothing is impossible. Remember this: we receive from God by grace (that is, His kindness and love) through faith. Faith is the key that unlocks the doors of grace. There’s someone asking God for a hundred thousand Naira; I want you to know that God will give you millions instead! Don’t ask how? That’s His business! Yours is to believe. Believe and you will see the glory of God. God is a God of abundance. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says that God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. Dismiss your fears, little flock; for it gives your Father great happiness to give you the kingdom. Cheers. Follow @PastorChinae

THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF GOD’S GRACE

What is grace? As I studied this subject this morning, it dawned on me that grace is the manifestation or revelation of God’s kindness and love toward us. In other words, grace is the effect of God’s kindness and His love for us. So, kindness and love are “the cause,” grace is “the effect.” Hallelujah. Titus 2:11 says the grace of God appeared, and in chapter 3:4, it says it is His kindness and love that appeared. With the coming of Christ to the world came the grace of God. John 1:17 says, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” I love Jesus! Have you seen someone liked or loved by the boss? He enjoys privileges that others don’t enjoy, and he is sometimes exempted from certain tasks. When he errs, it’s easier for him to be pardoned. That’s grace! And here’s what John 1:16 says, “And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.” Wow! No boss can like you more than God! God’s grace makes us His favourites and it entitles us to enjoy His very best. His grace towards us also emboldens us to rule among His creation. Romans 5:17 says, “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Glory to God. And here’s the most beautiful part, and it’s what makes me excited about going to Heaven! Boy, I’ve got to go to Heaven! I can’t even attempt to imagine a life in Hell and in the Lake of Fire. Here’s the most exciting part: Ephesians 2:7 says, “That in ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus.” Meaning that whatever we seem to be enjoying now is nothing compared to what awaits us! This is definitely something to shout about! Give God praise!!! How I wish I could share these truths with the whole world! I’m so desperate to do that! This is two years since I’ve been sharing in this Facebook group (since October 19, 2010) and I’m pleased to announce to you all that SOMETHING IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!

CONTROLLED BEINGS

Have you ever wondered why a person did what he did? You know, there are things people do that make us wonder and ponder. I want you to know that every man is under some influence, good or bad. Men are either controlled by the Spirit of God or by the spirit of the world, that is, devils. It’s a fact. Apostle Paul wrote, “You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the heart of those who refuse to obey God.” Ephesians 2:2 NLT. When we gave our lives to God, He gave us His Spirit to lead and control us. 1 Corinthians 2:12 says, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God.” Now you see why we are different from others, and why we must be careful about the people and things that we allow to influence us. The Spirit of God in us differentiates us from the world. That’s why David wrote, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Psalm 1:1. What God expects from us is that we yield to His Spirit all the time. When I was younger, I used to call myself Jesus’ Robot. Well, God didn’t make us robots, He gave us the ability to choose and to be influenced, but as His children, purchased by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ, we should willingly yield ourselves to Him. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the true sons of God. Follow @PastorChinae

FAR ABOVE ALL

There is no single justifiable reason why a Christian should live in fear. But what do we see, Christians, who are afraid of everything – animals, people, places, devils, things, et cetera. I am aware of the fact that some people do not visit their villages because of fear of being killed by so called “Evil men” or witches and wizards. Terrible, it should not be the case. The Bible says that Jesus is “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.” Ephesians 1:21. Now, that’s not the end of the story. The Bible also says that God raised us up, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). In other words, we are far above everything imaginable! Why then do we fear? Ignorance! They that know who they are in Christ shall be strong and do exploits. We are not ordinary people. We’ve got power! I mean real power and authority. I mean, we should be casting out devils instead of running away from them! Jesus gave us power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and He said that nothing shall by any means hurt us (Luke 10:19). If only you knew and truly believed what you knew, you will never live in fear anymore. Here’s what you should do now, look at fear in the face, and tell it to get out! Dare to believe and you will do exploits. Cheers. Follow @PastorChinae

NOT BY CHANCE

God does not do things by chance or accidentally. He knows the end from the beginning, and as a matter of fact, the Scriptures tell us that all His works were finished before the foundations of the world were laid. God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5. Same with us, Ephesians 1:4-6 says, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” We are the ones who are surprised by events and concerned about the future, God is not. If only we can fully trust in Him, we would be at rest all the days of our lives. There are jobs He has predestined us to do, there are people He has predestined us to meet, and there are experiences that He predestined us to have! As long as we co-operate with Him, we can always relax even in the midst of trying times and situations, knowing that all things work together for our good. If parents can plan for their babies to attend certain schools in future, and also prepare in advance for that future, how much more God, our Heavenly Father. He cares so much about us! Follow @PastorChinae

SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS

What I’m about to share with you is revolutionary and capable of transforming your life! If you are able to receive it, you will never remain the same again! It’s a guarantee. Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” God’s Word Translation says, “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer.” O my God! He has blessed us with all that heaven has to offer? Did He really say that He has already blessed us with all that heaven has to offer? Yes, He did! When did that happen? The moment you believed! So why have we been going around seeking blessings? Because we did not know! Receive this if you will: you are loaded with blessings! Stop asking for what is already yours! His divine power has given to us all that pertains to life and godliness! (2 Peter 1:3). Think of any blessing whatsoever; it’s yours already! Hallelujah! Someone is asking, “If God has actually blessed me, why am I still suffering, sick and broke?” The answer is simple: because you’re yet to have a revelation of it. And you cannot truly believe and receive what you don’t know. Now that you know, live a life of thanksgiving and always insist on enjoying what has been made available to you in Christ. This is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it. Cheers. Follow @PastorChinae

FAITHFUL TO THE END

Faithful is defined in the dictionary as, strict or thorough in the performance of duty; true to one’s word, promises, vows, etc; steady in allegiance or affection, loyal, constant; reliable, trusted or believed; adhering or true to a fact, a standard, or an original. The good news is that many people attend church and claim to be Christians, but the bad news is that not many are faithful. Listen to me, dear children of God, faithfulness to the end is what will get us to heaven; and it is what will get us rewarded. Jesus said to the church in Smyrna, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Revelations 2:10. Have you been following the Master faithfully? Have you been working faithfully in His Vineyard? Have you been faithful in walking in the ways He prescribed for living and ministry? Are you still deeply in love with Him as you used to? Jesus said, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matthew 24:12-13. Hebrews 3:13-14 NLT says, “You must warn each other every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.” The song says, “Keep me true Lord Jesus, keep me true, keep me true Lord Jesus, keep me true, there’s a race I must run, there are victories to be won, give me power, every hour, to be true.” Make it your prayer today, and His grace will be sufficient for you. Cheers. Follow @PastorChinae

SHARETORI

Hey, Sharetori went live yesterday you should sign up via www.sharetori.com and earn while you share stuff with friends and family! Don't forget to claim a N100 airtime bonus...simply quote SHARETORI as you sign up via Facebook Follow @PastorChinae

Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim: YOU NEED KNOWLEDGE

Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim: YOU NEED KNOWLEDGE: King Solomon told a story: “This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: There was a little city, and a few men ...

YOU NEED KNOWLEDGE

King Solomon told a story: “This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: There was a little city, and a few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered the same poor man. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.” Ecclesiastes 9:13-16. I was troubled by the above. Why was the wise man ignored despite what he did for the city? The answer is because he was poor. Why was he poor despite being wise? This is the one that got me concerned. Think about it for a moment. There are many wise men and women in our world today, many great preachers and teachers, many brilliant guys full of ideas that can change our world, but who have no voice and are unknown today. Why? Because there are poor. But why are they poor? Why can’t their wisdom be converted to riches? You won’t know the answer until you discover the difference between wisdom and knowledge. Let me help a little. Wisdom is simply the ability to discern and judge what is right and true. And knowledge is simply information obtained through observation, experience and learning. Let me explain further with examples. There are people who can analyse football matches; they can tell you what to do to win, but can’t play football. Here’s another example: a wise man can tell that moving with a car will get you to your destination faster than walking with your legs, but a man of knowledge can drive the car and achieve the desired results. Do you understand? Now, Proverbs 24:3-5 says, “Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: and by knowledge shall it be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.” So, the poor wise man in Solomon’s story was poor because he lacked knowledge. You need knowledge. Follow @PastorChinae

JOY IN THE HOME

When couples get married we wish them a happy married life and pray that their marriages last till death separates them; but how many marriages and homes are truly happy today? Only a few. I have seen and heard of failed marriages: it ought not to be. The Scripture says, “Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labor which thou takest under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 9:9. Proverbs 5:18-19 says, “Let thy fountain be blessed and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.” Love is the secret of every happy, joyful and successful relationship. Without it, a marriage will crumble like a pack of cards. Love must permeate every part of your home and must be the sole reason for every action. Husbands, love your wives and always be ravished, enthralled, enamored and captivated by her love. In Song Of Solomon 2:4, the Shulamite woman wrote that Solomon’s love was a banner over her. In other words, it was her shield, her defense. In like manner, every one – husband, wife and children – should feel secure in a home and be confident as a result of each other’s love. I pray for you in the name of Jesus, that your marriage will endure till death, that your love for one another will never end but be multiplied continually. I pray for you, that the peace of God will reign in your home, that the joy of the Lord will prevail in your home, and that sorrow will cease forthwith! May God keep you from strange women and men, and from every thing that causes division. You are blessed. Amen. Follow @PastorChinae

THERE IS HOPE

Jesus healed a man who was blind for forty years, since birth; He restored strength to a man who was crippled for thirty eight years, and the woman with the issue of blood was made whole after twelve years! What am I trying to say to you? That as long as there is life, there is hope! Ecclesiastes 9:4 says, “For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” Hey! What you’re going through is not sufficient to make you give up! What you’re going through now is not enough reason for you to quit and throw in the towel! I came with a good word for you; there is hope! Romans 5:5 says, “Hope maketh not ashamed.” In other words, if you can maintain your hope in God, you will not be disappointed! Hallelujah! I speak as a prophet, in a very short while from now, you will have a new story! I can hear the cry of a baby! Rain is coming! I speak life to your dry bones, in the name of Jesus, live! Be made whole by the power of the Holy Ghost! This is more than a devotion, it is God’s now word for you! It is a ministration of life to your body, soul and spirit! Rejoice! Follow @PastorChinae

IN OCTOBER, IT SHALL BE WELL WITH YOU!

Ecclesiastes 8:12 says, “Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him.” To be well means to be prosperous, to be in a satisfactory and pleasing state, it means for something to be desirable, to be healthy and to be fortunate. God says to tell you, that this month, it shall be well with you! Isaiah 3:10 says, “Say to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” You’re about to have the best life you’ve ever had! This month, God will wipe all your tears away! This month, there will be a turnaround for your good! Get ready, a wind of change is coming your way! This is your month of healing, your month of joy, your month of fulfilment, your month of peace, your month of prosperity and your month of progress! No more oppression, no more depression, no more worries, and no more weeping! Your joy has come! “Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.” Psalm 128:1-2. This is your portion, now and forever, in Jesus’ name. Amen! Happy New Month. Follow @PastorChinae

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

For some, this is an extremely miserable world, and they never anticipate any good thing. They might be right, because it is possible. But not in Christ! As children, we sang, “Beautiful, beautiful, Jesus is beautiful, and Jesus makes beautiful, things of my life.” Yes, in Christ, life is very beautiful and sweet! Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God has made every thing beautiful! It didn’t say that God will make things beautiful later, neither did it say that He made only some things beautiful: no. My Bible says, He hath made every thing beautiful in His time! Wow! Hallelujah! He gives beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning, and peace for the storm! I prophesy to you right now in the name of Jesus, receive beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning and peace for the storms. Receive the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, receive double for your shame, in Jesus’ name! I see the Lord reaching out to you now! It is written, that we were called to inherit blessings. I pray for you, that the windows of Heaven will be opened for you, and that the blessings of God will be poured out to you like rain! And I also pray for you, that from today on, everything in your life will be good, and that from good, it will continue to get better! May all the days of your life be beautiful and may God keep you from all evil. Say Amen! Follow @PastorChinae

DIVINE REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH

A divine redistribution of wealth has been ongoing for a very long time. God has been transferring wealth from the sinners and the wicked to His children, especially those who will use it for worthy righteous causes. Ecclesiastes 2:26 says, "For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God." Job 27:13, 16-17 says, "This is the portion of the wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver." Now, if you wish to participate and benefit from this redistribution of wealth, do this: become a helper of the poor and needy. Proverbs 28:8 says, "He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor." Do have a great day. Follow @PastorChinae

USE YOUR HEAD!

This is not to de-emphasize the need to trust in the Lord with all your heart, but to stress the need for thinking properly about what we want to do before we do them. Wise man, Solomon, wrote: "The eyes of a wise man are in his head." Ecclesiastes 2:14. Sometimes, we erroneously make decisions based on how we feel. At other times, we make decisions based on what others tell us. To succeed, we must patiently analyse, carefully observe, meditate and look deeply before we act. Not everything can be seen with the eyes. Many have run into serious problems with both eyes wide open. Trouble is sometimes well wrapped and beautifully packaged. You need to pause for a while and carefully examine the steps you wish to take before you take them. Follow @PastorChinae

WORKING RIGHT

It’s Monday again! Not many people like to go to work, if there were perfect economic conditions, many would prefer to sit idly and do nothing. But work is good, especially when you’re doing something you love. God worked, Jesus worked, Adam worked, and so should we. But it’s not enough to just work, or have a job that you do. There are many believers who are mediocres at their places of work; they do bad jobs, they are not loyal to their employers, they are not committed, and don’t take their jobs seriously. Righteousness simply means right living: are such people truly righteous? There are others who are not just smart. They have good minds and attitudes, but don’t don’t win, neither do they excel. They are faithful but unwise. According to the Scriptures, there are three things that will make any worker or businessman in any field shine and succeed, they are, wisdom, knowledge and skill (Ecclesiastes 2:21). Wisdom is the principal thing: get it! Without wisdom, work will be war. You need wisdom, not only to work, but also to conduct yourself properly! 1 Samuel 18:14-15 says, “And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.” David was an employee of Saul. Until you behave yourself wisely, you will never earn the respect and admiration of your bosses and peers even if you’re the smartest. Be wise! Finally, you must be knowledgeable and skillful. You must continue to learn and improve your skills. Manufacturers of apps and operating systems continue to upgrade them so we can have the very best experiences with their products. They do that to remain in business and to remain your preferred brand. In the same way, you cannot expect to excel without adding value to yourself continually. Dedicate yourself to continuous learning and skills acquisition. Learn new things and ways of getting things done; that’s what sharpens your axe. Follow @PastorChinae

WE HAVE OVERCOME

We will not overcome some day, as a song says, we have already overcome! In fact, we overcame the very moment we believed. Hallelujah! I John 5:4 says, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Note that the faith referred to is that of believing in Jesus, for 1 John 5:5 says, "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth the Jesus is the Son of God?" Now, I want you to think of what the world represents - the prince of the world, its systems, principles, peoples, its lusts, its powers, its ways, and anything else - we have overcome them all! And it was from day one! In Christ, you are a victor! In Christ, you're far above the issues and problems of this world. Here's what we must do: learn to live and operate from a position of rest, authority and dominion (over sin, over Satan, over situations, over sicknesses, and even over self!). Glory to God! Follow @PastorChinae

WHAT IS LOVE?

In my book, Getting Along With People, I defined love as doing something that's in the best interest of another person. Love has feelings and emotions, but love is a spirit. God gave us the spirit of love (2 Timothy 1:7), without which love will be a struggle. Romans 13:10 says, "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour." In other words, love doesn't seek to hurt others, to offend others or to seek their downfall or demise. Love will never lead a man astray, love will never rob a man of his peace, love will never cause a man to sin against God, and love will never cause another to stumble. When you do whatever it is that you do, do you consider it's effects on others? Our words, attitudes, decisions and actions tell how much or how less we love one another. Maybe your faith is too strong, and it permits you to do certain things a weaker brother or sister doesn't understand, if it will cause him or her to stumble or abandon the faith, you are compelled by love to desist from such. Love seeks to uplift others continually. And even when love has to discipline, its aim is to correct and restore. To love like God is the most important thing we should seek to achieve because it is what will give us boldness in the day of judgment (1 John 4:17). We must grow from loving our neighbours as ourselves to loving them as God loves us. Cheers. Follow @PastorChinae

LOVE – THE SECRET OF RECEIVING FROM GOD

We pray, but we don’t always receive – for a number of reasons, one being that we ask amiss (James 4:3). Another reason is unbelief. We must believe that God is a rewarder of them that seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Impatience is yet another reason we don’t receive from God. With the story of the persistent widow in Luke 18, Jesus taught us to persevere in prayer. Delays are not necessarily denials. Receiving from God becomes very easy when we do things that are pleasing in His sight. 1 John 3:22-23 says, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.” If there’s a secret, that’s it! By doing the above, we’re operating in the realm of God because God is love. That’s what John meant by saying that he that keeps the commandments dwells in God, and God in him. When we begin to truly walk in love, God draws nearer to us and will hear us speedily when we pray! If there’s anything we are to gauge often, it’s the level of our love. God is love, and we must continue to grow in love until we become love! Being perfect in love is the greatest level of spirituality anyone can attain! I pray, that God by His Spirit in us, will cause us to be perfect in love as our Father in heaven is. Amen. Follow @PastorChinae

MANIFESTING THE LOVE OF GOD

The love of God is in us, but sadly, not many of us manifest it. We talk about it, sing about it but rarely manifest it, yet it should be a lifestyle. 1 John 3:18 says, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” Like we say, action is louder than words. One way to manifest the love of God is by giving to the needy. It’s funny, but many of us give to those who have more than enough or that can afford what we give to them, and ignore those who are in need. The needy should be our first priority. 1 John 3:17 says, “But whoso hath this wolrd’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” Don’t always wait to be asked before you act; be motivated by what you see! Deuteronomy 15:7&8 says, “If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth.” If we really can do all things through Christ, then we can reach out to the needy around us. God’s grace, His blessings and promotions are to enable us abound to every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). By so doing, we’ll be manifesting the love of God. Cheers. Follow @PastorChinae

ARE YOU REALLY WALKING WITH GOD?

We live in a time when many people claim to be christians, unlike in the days of our fathers when most of them were traditional worshippers. Christianity is perceived to be a religion of civilised people, and attending church services, especially on Sundays is a norm. We all claim to be children of God, but the truth is, many are far from God inwardly. 1 John 1:5-6 says, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. What does that mean? Psalm 145:17 says, "The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." Therefore, God being light in whom is no darkness refers to His holiness and righteousness. Now, Apostle John wrote that if we say we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness, we lie! In other words, it is practically impossible to profess to be a child of God and not live like one. The question now is, have you being lying? Going to church, praying to God, reading the Bible, and even talking about God, but still living in sin? No brother, God is light and in Him is no darkness at all; He is righteous in all His ways and holy in all His works! The essence of this is firstly, for us to judge ourselves, and secondly, to challenge us to live lives worthy of our calling. His grace is sufficient for us. Cheers. Follow @PastorChinae

TRUE STARS

There are many known and celebrated stars in our world today, mostly musicians, actors and actresses. But there are true stars recognised by God, they are the soul winners. Daniel 12:3 says, "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." Soul winners might not be celebrated and rewarded by us now, but on Judgment Day, and in the life to come, they'll be the true stars. He who wins souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30). Dearly beloved, there's nothing greater in this life than winning souls for the Lord. Nothing manifests our love for God and for fellow men than this. It also shows we really understand God's purposes here on Earth. It is not enough to serve God, you and I must be very concerned about the eternal destinies of the men and women we relate with every day. When you pray, what exactly do you pray about? There must be people you're praying for; specifically about their salvation. It is God's will that all are saved and we must engage ourselves in evangelism. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. There's no price that can be too much for a soul. Feel free to go to the highest heights, to the deepest depths, and to the farthest places to seek and save the lost. And remember those closest to you too. Seek to be a true star in God's eyes. Cheers. Follow @PastorChinae