ABSOLUTE SAFETY IS IN THE NAME!

Safety involves not picking your phone while driving, right? Wrong, apparently, because it may be an urgent or life-saving matter. I remember seeing a WhatsApp broadcast about someone who lost his life because he didn’t pick his friend’s warning phone call about highway bandits. Like me, you have probably seen a bunch of other messages about various dangers and how to stay safe from them. Some are very valid, some are conflicting/contradictory, some are far-fetched; some are simply baseless. There’s so much information going around about safety from criminals; traffic, fire & home accidents; diseases ranging from infections to cancers; natural elements & disasters; dangerous foods, parasites, animals & plants.

Is that bad? Not necessarily. In fact, having knowledge and using it right is good. However, there’s only so much knowledge you can be conscious of and also use. There are only so many safety rules you can keep. Safety rules are fast becoming like the Law of Moses (impossible to keep). In the midst of all that, there are new discoveries every single day that sometimes contradict the previous information; demanding a shift in thinking & practice where health & safety are concerned. There are certain foods & drugs that are recommended for certain purposes and are later "un-endorsed" based on new discoveries. A classic example: wheat-based meals for diabetics. The drug examples are too numerous to count.

There’s another category of dangers: the ones an individual can do absolutely nothing about. You’ve heard of stray bullets, planes crashing into homes, freak accidents, road traffic accidents where passers-by die, idiopathic diseases & random acts of violence. That’s not to mention the activities of demons where sickness, accidents & natural disasters & other evils are concerned.

Behold, I show you a mystery…..

There is no such thing as absolute safety in the natural world. It’s a world fraught with dangers; everything is a potential harm. That’s because the world system lies under the influence of the wicked one (2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19). Absolute safety, then, can only be found in living above the currently prevailing influence in this realm; living in a different realm that is untouchable by death. The good news is: you are already in that realm, child of God! We are seated with God in heavenly places in Christ, FAR ABOVE (Ephesians 1:20&21; 2:6).

One secret of the believer’s safety is to live in the name of Jesus. The name of the Lord, for us, is not just a strong tower that we run into (Proverbs 18:10); it’s our dwelling place (Psalm 91:1). We are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). David said it this way: because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation; there shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling (Psalm 91:9&10). For us, the name of the Lord is no longer just a refuge we run into; it’s a habitation, a dwelling place. We live there! And in His name, no evil befalls us, no plague comes near there!

The name of Jesus is a location. We live in it. Our realm is different. Live in the name and death can’t touch you. Walk in the name and your feet will never slip. Eat & drink in the name, nothing deadly will harm you. Drive in the name, no accident will touch you. Commute in the name. Travel in the name and you will return in peace. Sleep in the name and you will wake up refreshed & whole. Go in the name and your goings will be made sure. Even if you use drugs, use the drugs in the name! There’s absolute safety in the name & only in the name!

By all means, eat a balanced diet, avoid harmful foods & food quantities; exercise, follow general safety rules; be aware of your environment, do all you can to live healthy & safe; but always be conscious of this; live by this truth: after all said & done, your safety, your absolute safety is in the name of Jesus. Live in the name!

NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS, LEST WE FORGET

First, let me state unequivocally that I neither voted for PMB nor agreed with those who did. I thought an entirely different person was what Nigeria needed & neither GEJ nor PMB fit that bill. However, having voted him in, I am astounded at how a number of Nigerians have so quickly turned around to berate “change”, all because of economic difficulties. Some have even gone so far as to say that Nigeria was better off under the previous administration. What?! Have we so soon forgotten what we suffered in Egypt? Are we now, like Israel in the wilderness, so eager to go back to Egypt; to cucumbers & onions (Exodus 11:5)? Are we going to murmur and grumble all through the wilderness journey?

PMB may not be a Christian, but like Cyrus, I believe he has been raised by God to fulfill His counsel (Isaiah 45:4); raised as a Moses to bring this nation out of bondage. After his victory at the polls, these words kept ringing in my heart: calling…..the man that executes my counsel from a far country (Isaiah 46:11). God was saying to Israel that His counsel would stand, one way or another, even through unexpected channels. Though human beings voted him in, I believe he is God’s minister for our good (Romans 13:4). This attitude of bad-mouthing & criticizing the government from a distance has not, is not & will never do us any good.

There is a place for constructive criticism, but it is not in the confines of our homes, offices, churches & places of business. We need platforms. There is a place for positive action. There is also a place for prayer & for blessing our nation. This is a reminder, a call to arms. God needs men in this country who will use their mouths to call in the answers to prayer. We prayed for this country when elections approached. We rejoiced at the elections & the results of it. Have we so soon returned to the old GMC (grumbling, murmuring & complaining)? Blessing this nation goes against our culture, training & conditioning; but we can retrain ourselves & recondition ourselves. We can be established in the kingdom culture by the renewing of our minds with God’s Word (Romans 12:2).

Do not be like the average Nigerian who knows how to grumble, murmur & complain. Do not be like the average Nigerian Christian who prays for Nigeria (when he remembers) and then turns around and curses Nigeria by his daily conversations. There is a greater call, a higher responsibility. We are righteousness, we exalt Nigeria (Proverbs 14:34). It is exalted by our blessing (Proverbs 11:11). My message here is NOT “give PMB time”. Make no mistake about it, we can find ourselves in worse condition in 2019 than we were last year. It’s not a function of PMB per se. It’s a function of the body of Christ. God holds us responsible (1Timothy 2:1&2).

The message is and will always remain three-fold: prayer, prophecy & politics (PPP). It’s time to take our place in prayer and in blessing Nigeria with our words continually. It’s also time to take action. I believe God is bringing the Nigerian church into economic power as a prelude to political power. If we don’t see it, we’ll just keep bad-mouthing the prophets God has sent to usher His people into higher realms of prosperity (2Chronicles 20:20). Financial prosperity as an end in itself makes neither natural nor spiritual sense; but as a tool for propagating the gospel & taking political power, it makes strategic God-sense. God is raising Daniels, Josephs; you take your place in your assignment.

I see a Nigerian church that is as powerful in the Senate as it is in the mission field. I see anointed politicians, as conscious of their heavenly calling as the bishops are. I see Aso Rock being taken as Caleb took the mountain. I see state houses occupied by Spirit-led sons of God, visionary men & women; well-groomed leaders operating under the influence of the Spirit of wisdom. That is the future, but there’s something we’ve got to do in the now: stop the GMC, start the PPP.

Shalom!

ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY

Absolute power corrupts absolutely; so they say.

I know one person who has absolute power and is not corrupted…..pardon me, incorruptible.

His name is Jesus and He has absolute authority in three realms: heaven, earth & hell. He didn’t always have it though; He earned it.

Remember when the Pharisees asked Jesus where He got His authority from? He replied with a question they dared not answer, though they knew the answer: God. Heaven. This was the same authority Moses, Gideon, David, Elijah and others like them had. It was this same authority God the Son had & used to full capacity when He was on earth. By it, He dominated darkness & nature (Matthew 21:24-27).

When He walked the earth, Jesus had only heavenly authority. Satan held earthly and hellish authority (John 16:11). He got the earthly authority from Adam. It was man’s authority, but as long as man was in Satan’s grip, the earth was in Satan’s grip (Genesis 1:28; Romans 5:12&21; 1 John 5:19). He offered Jesus earthly authority on one condition: worship me. It was a trap. He wanted to get heavenly authority from Jesus the way he got earthly authority from Adam (Matthew 4:8-10). Jesus would have gained temporary earthly authority & Satan would have ultimately ended up with authority in all three realms (Romans 6:16). Jesus saw right through it: I’m still gonna get earthly authority, but not this way!

When Jesus died on that cross & went to hell, carrying man’s sin, Satan thought he’d gotten his malicious desire. The bells sounded, there was a festival in hell: we finally got him! Demons swarmed Him, terrible principalities and powers; floods of them (Luke 22:53; Psalm 18:4). Bow to the master! Bow and worship him!

A light shined in hell. The Holy Spirit invaded the deepest, darkest regions of hell (Romans 6:4 & 8:11). Power surged through the Son; He came alive, He shined again. He threw off principalities and powers & made an open show of their utter nothingness & wretchedness (Colossians 2:15). Satan cowered in the corner, never had he beheld such power; such glory, such majesty! Jesus turned to Him: give Me the keys, earth & hell are Mine now!

Satan is a homeless wretch, beloved! That’s why he wanders about like a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Even the place he thought was his to rule is now under the authority of the Son (Revelations 1:18). Hell is no longer his kingdom, it’s the eternal prison waiting for him (Matthew 25:41).

Jesus returned to His body, walked out of the tomb and said to His followers, “all authority in heaven & on earth has been given to Me, therefore go…..” (Matthew 28:18&19). He wasn’t kidding. Paul, speaking by the Spirit to the Philippian Christians, said that the name of Jesus is the highest authority in heaven, on earth & under the earth (Philippians 2:9-11). That’s absolute authority sir! Jesus confirmed it in Revelations 1:18: I have the keys of hell and death.

Every name & every being/creature in heaven, on earth & in hell is subject to the name of Jesus. As God is sovereign, yet has chosen to give man free will; so Jesus’ authority does not bend the will of man; but one day soon, every knee will bow to Him (Romans 14:11). They will have no choice, for He will come as earth’s King. Even now, everything else responds to the name of Jesus, so use the name!

Use the name, for it is yours to use
Use the name, for all that is required
Use the name, for the name is supreme
Use the name, for all authority resides in it
Use the name, and everything will submit to you

All powerful, all glorious; there’s nothing like the name of Jesus!
Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess to the mighty awesome name of Jesus!
There is no one like You Lord, none can compare to You; there’s nothing like Your name, oh Jesus!

SPEAK TO IT

Good morning friend. What’s the first thing that came to your mind when you woke up? For me, I woke today with one clear & dominant thought: GOD IS NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF SPEAKING TO YOUR SITUATION. The thought hit my mind even before my feet hit the floor.

As I considered it, I came up with these four truths:

God is not in the business of speaking to your situation, but speaking ABOUT it

God is not in the business of speaking to your situation, but speaking to YOU

God is not in the business of speaking to your situation, but YOU ARE

God is not in the business of speaking to your situation, but DOING your words (the words you speak to your situation)

Simply put, God is not in the business of speaking to your situation, but He is in the business of speaking TO YOU ABOUT IT and PERFORMING the words that YOU SPEAK to it.

Also note, it is not mainly about the words you speak to Him about it but the words you speak TO IT. Do less of talking to God about your situation, do more of speaking to your situation, speaking the Word that God has spoken in the bible & in your heart, telling that situation what to do (disappear, be removed, be resolved, be turned around etc.)

I strongly believe this is the Word of the Lord to me this year, but He would also have me share it with you: SPEAK TO YOUR SITUATION.

When was the last time you spoke to a mountain? It’s time to take Mark 11:23 literally once again: whosoever shall say unto this mountain, “be removed and be cast into the sea” and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says.

Finally, Jesus said: if you will ask anything in my name, I will do it (John 14:14). He wasn’t talking about prayer here, because He said in John 16:23 that we should not ask Him anything as the disciples did when He was on earth; but ask the Father in His name and He said “the Father will give you” (John 16:23 paraphrased). In John 14:14 then, Jesus was talking about a Christian asking/calling for/desiring something to happen in the earth. The Holy Spirit is the PERFORMER where the Godhead is concerned. The angels of God are the messengers/sent ones; the enforcers/executors. When in the name of Jesus I demand/command that thing to be, Jesus says He Himself will do it. Jesus doesn’t come down from His throne; but by His Spirit and by the ministry of His angels, every word I speak to my situation or my mountain is PERFORMED.

Speak to your situation. Give God what He needs to work in your situation, to PERFORM His Word. Don’t moan, cry or complain about it. Praying about it is good, as long as you come away from prayer with an active Word to SPEAK or clear direction on what to DO. When you’ve got that, you’ve got all you need brother!

Enjoy your year. Live full! No more emptiness, no more barrenness, it’s the year of HIS FULLNESS!

GOD'S MAN

God is always looking for a man.

Isaiah 59:16 - And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him.

Ezekiel 22:30 - And I sought for a man among them; that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

When He created the heavens and the earth & then the earth became formless & void because of the destructive activities of the deposed archangel Lucifer; God restored it by speaking light and everything else into being, then He created a man out of Himself, gave him a body of clay and put him in charge of the earth (Genesis 1 & 2). God was God of all & Adam was god of the earth. Under God, Adam ruled. Through Adam, God ruled.

Lucifer, taking on the form of the snake, deceitfully yet legally obtained that heavenly mandate/authority from Adam by getting him to disobey God and obey him. Man no longer held direct authority over the earth, because Satan now did; but man’s authority was still in force, only being used by Satan (legally) until such a time as that authority would expire.

Since that day, God has needed a man’s cooperation, a man’s partnership, a man’s prayer, a man’s authority to operate in the earth realm. When God wanted an ark built to keep a remnant from the flood, He looked for a man: Noah. The Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8); but when God wanted to institute & preserve a lineage through which the Lamb of God (Jesus) would be born into the world, He looked for a man (Abraham). At different points in that lineage, He looked for women like Rebecca, Rahab, Ruth & Mary. In order to preserve that lineage also, He looked for men like Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samson, David & Elijah.

In Ezekiel 22, the sin of the nation of Israel was multiplied and God’s just nature required harsh judgment, yet His mercy sought for a man to intercede for the land as Abraham did for Sodom & Gomorrah (JUST ONE MAN). However, God found NO MAN, so He had no choice but to pour out judgment on the land, even though it was NOT His perfect will. How many things happen on earth & in our lives despite the fact that they are not God’s perfect will?

When it came to redeeming the world (Isaiah 59:16), God found NO MAN once again; but this time, God did something special: GOD BECAME THE MAN HE NEEDED! John 1 makes it clear that God the Word is the same One that became flesh and dwelt among us and ultimately died & rose for us and forever lives for us! God is ALWAYS looking for a man. God became a man once, He’s never going to do it again. NOW GOD LIVES IN MAN. The only challenge is that the will of man is not automatically redeemed/saved when he receives Jesus Christ. He has to begin the process by yielding his will to the Word & the Spirit of God. However, when God finds a man whose will is given over to Him, God has everything He needs!

God can pray to God through that man so that God can do what is God’s will to do in the earth realm (praying in the Spirit).

God can reach out through that man to other men to do them good.

God can channel material resources through that man for the purpose of advancing His kingdom.

God can channel divine thoughts, ideas, concepts & innovations through that man into the worlds (the worlds of fashion, music, entertainment, industry, economics, medicine, education, arts, government etc.)

God can meet people’s needs through that man.

God can execute His will through that man.

God can manifest His power & presence in the earth through that man.

YOU ARE THAT MAN.

You are God’s man where you are; yes, right there!

You are God’s man in business, government, fashion, entertainment, medicine, ministry, your school, your nation, your family.

You are God’s man, woman, boy & girl.

If you have received Jesus & you’ve received the Holy Spirit, you are the perfect candidate to execute the will of God the Father in this world. You are God’s man.

Being a “man of God” is good, but whether you’re a “man of God” or not, YOU ARE GOD’S MAN; I AM GOD’S MAN!

All God wants is your will. He wants your will, He wants your body. He wants your unreserved “YES”. He wants your attention. He wants YOU.

Will you give God what He wants, what He needs?

You can only be better for doing so. All your ambitions, aspirations, dreams & plans are nothing compared to what He wants to do THROUGH YOU on a day-to-day basis and in your entire lifetime; the temporal and eternal rewards FOR YOU.

1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him”

The Kingdom City: THE UNGUARDED HOUR

Again and again in the New Testament, believers are commanded to "watch", "be sober" & "be on guard". Jesus said in Mark 13:37, "what I say unto you, I say unto ALL: watch!" Therefore, these instructions are as relevant to us today as they were 2000 years ago to those who first received them. We are to watch for His coming (Mark 13:35), watch against the thief, the enemy of our souls (Mark 13:36 & 1 Peter 5:8), watch against false doctrines and deception (Matthew 24:4 & Acts 20:31) and watch against the weakness & works of the flesh (Matthew 26:41 & Luke 12:15).



If indeed we are to watch for/against all these, then there is no time a believer can truly afford to let his/her guard down. Why? We do not know the hour of His coming (Matthew 24:42), the thief is always on the prowl (1 Peter 5:8), deception keeps getting worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:13) and the flesh is something we will have till we leave this earth (2 Corinthians 5:4). So, there's no holiday from watchfulness! It is in that hour, that unguarded moment when we think we have arrived, attained or are infallible that the devil easily gains a foothold (Ephesians 4:27).



One of the easiest times for a believer to let down his/her guard is...The Kingdom City: THE UNGUARDED HOUR:

SHADOWS

They saw in shadows

Darkly, looking through a veil

Secrets for tomorrow

Hidden, reserved for some other

The Spirit to them did signify

The works of Christ to sanctify

The plan: Adam made whole again

The promise: to pour out the rain

Of it they saw; for it they sought

Condemned to hope; in darkness to grope

They longed for it; thirsted for it

'Twas kept for us; only for us

For us, the darkness is lit

In Christ, the veil is slit

No longer in darkness crawling

No longer in shadows we see

The day has come; the hour is now

The promise is here; the promise is now