GOD�S GOAL�THAT CHRIST BE FORMED IN EACH OF US - Sept 2007

Overcoming Prayerlessness - 2   - June 2007

Overcoming Prayerlessness - 1  - March 2007

Where is God? He is right here - Aug 2005

Becoming a Blessing Bearer - May 2005

Anointed to Serve - Feb 2005

Remember God's Faithfulness - Nov 2004

Are You Prepared? - Aug 2004

Setting the Right Priority - May 2004

Circumcision at Gilgal - Feb 2004

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HOW TO RECEIVE FROM GOD

From Heart to Heart Conference 2009

Ephesians 1 v 3 tells us that we ‘have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.’ Few are walking in these blessings. Many Christians are struggling with various issues. This should not be: something is wrong. In our churches this is not addressed and people go home the same. There problems are still there and often they are miserable Christians.Jesus said He had come to give us life and give it abundantly and the devil comes to steal and destroy.

I heard an illustration at a conference. A woman wanted to move away from her street because every night a witch who lived just a few houses away came and made spells right outside her front garden. The woman was very scared. She came to a conference and spoke to the speaker, asking for prayer. He just whispered in her ear. She went home. When she switched out the lights to show she had gone to bed she stayed in her living room, watching from behind the curtains to see if the witch would come. When she did, the woman suddenly switched on the light and started praising God in a loud voice. Within a week the witch had moved away from the street.

Most of us are fearful of God, think he is angry with us, punishing us because we have done something wrong. We are not familiar with God. He wants to be our friend. A friend loves you no matter what you do and is always there for you. We think we must do all sorts of things to reach God – pray, fast, read the Bible, ask for prayer etc. We have made God’s Word of nil effect.

There is a mindset which says that sin separates us from God. This applies only to the non believer. When we are saved we are children of God. If you are a parent and one of your children will not listen to you, does his own thing or keeps wrong company would you go out and renounce that child to the neighbourhood?

No! He is your child. If it was someone else’s child you would send them away back to their

parents.God is our father and he is a good God. If you regard God as wicked you will not receive.

Romans 5 v 1-2 says ‘since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.’ Jesus gives us peace not because we are qualified but because He gives.

V 6 says ‘While we were powerless (without strength) Christ died for us.’ God loved us so much He died for us in Christ. How dare the devil come and suggest God will punish us for doing wrong or will hand us over to satan! Christ died for us. God is our father indeed. Let us meditate on this. We know it, we have heard it, but it needs to get into our heart.

In Romans 12 v 1-3 Paul beseeches us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. God loves us. He has nothing more to give us because He has already given us all He has. 

When we start to praise and worship God in truth the devil knows that we know that we have our inheritance, but if we are in ‘Please help me’ mode the devil will sit down and start tormenting us.

God loves us passionately. When we suffer He suffers. If we are going through any physical, emotional, spiritual or relational God does also. There are Christian parents whose sons or daughters are in prison and they never give up on them, yet stupidly we treat God as if He was harsh and punishing us. Thinking we have do pray much before we can get to God is a lie of the enemy.

Jesus came to gives us eternal life but that starts now, not when we get to heaven. We need to ask ourselves, ‘Do I really know God?’ We can be saved and not know God.

Romans 5 v 9 says, ‘Since we have been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!’ We are the redeemed of the Lord. We are not under a curse because the blessing of Abraham is over us.  All the Father is wanting from us is love expressed by obeying His commands to love God and neighbour.

How do we love our neighbour? In the same way as Christ. He died while we were ungodly. Do likewise for ungodly neighbours. If they are hungry feed them, if thirsty then give them a drink. Go and love God and do not worry about ANYTHING in prayer. If God is round you then nothing bad can come near you.

When you set yourself to seek God or when you are fasting you will have strange visitations. But when you know you are in Christ the devil will flee from you. We do not need to pray for one another but stand together and acknowledge the goodness of God.

The battle belongs to the Lord: it is not yours. As you continue to worship God will tell you what to do and how to do it. We do not have to go and do traditional things or methods of warfare etc.

We cannot manipulate or presume on God. We must only go on what we know of God in heart knowledge. God loves us. No weapon fashioned against us can stand. We need to stand on the promises of God and thank Him for our inheritance.

Think if we told our children that after school they would find something in the fridge which they can heat and eat but they went to school and asked others to help them find food or they would not eat! Yet this is how we treat God. We need to take hold of His Word. For example God says He is the Healer and we receive it then we thank Him and praise Him for healing. We are to speak to the mountains and they will go. We are not to speak to God about problems.

Knowledge of God is the fundamental thing.

RECEIVING GODS SERVANT.  Part 1

March 2008

 It is difficult to believe that God will do nothing without man's involvement.  Since He created Adam, He had never once  interfered with the operation, rulership of this planet without doing it through a man or a woman. He leads, directs, speaks, comfort, encourage, shows mercy, favour, saves and controls the climate through man.

 Every one of us has the potential to be laid hand on by God to bless, save, guide, and lead others. Whoever God thus lays hands on is mainly a channel through whom God flows. No one can work to attain to it, we don't merit it.

God chooses whom He wills and ask the rest of us to listen. We submit to Him by listening to His instrument. He can choose to send young or old, educated or illiterate, black or white, able or disabled. He does what He likes. We do ourselves favour by having a perception of God's authority among us and submitting to it.

 In Mark 6:1-13 we see the example of how too familiar we can get with those God sends to us, and the cost.

Jesus, before now has been renowned for His work, teaching and healing Ministry. Earlier on in Chapter 3 His mother and brother had come to fetch Him because everybody was saying, �He was beside Himself, deranged.� So they said, and His family believed. The Nazarenes lacked perception of who Christ was. They despised Him and missed their time of visitation.

But when the woman at Jacob's well, in John 4: 19  saw and heard Him, she saw beyond an ordinary Jewish man. She saw a prophet.

Perception means �ability to discern intuitively.

 That is, the Spirit of God quickening you to know whom God's servant when he is standing before you.

The way you receive such a person is the way you are open to God, or God opens to you. Your blessing also flows in the same measure. Receiving God's servant stands at the root of our relationship with God.

He means what He said in Romans 13:1,2 � Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers�  the powers that be are ordained by God� and they that   resist shall receive to themselves     damnation.� God  is very protective of His delegated authority.

Many of God's children are deceived   today, thinking they can reach out to God and receive from Him while living in    rebellion against His servants.  However, In spite of those special times of "prayer and fasting", deliverance ministrations and laying on of hands by the same God's servant they despise, these rebellious Christians still remain in   bondage.

No matter what they do their attitude towards God and His servant will determine their victory. 

 Joshua was able to lead those who came with him into their inheritance because these Israelites whole-heartedly followed God by recognising and honouringHis

How do we receive God�s Servant?

In 2 Corinthian 7:15 Paul gives us a break down of what the acceptable  reception of God's servant is in His sight. Paul says, �His (Titus, God�s   servant�s) heart goes to you more abundantly than ever as he recalls how submissive (to his guidance) you all were, and the reverence and anxiety (to meet all requirements) with which you accepted and welcomed him.�  (Amplified Bible)

 ï¿½His inward affection is more abundant toward you, whist he remembers the obedience of you all how with fear of God and trembling you received him.�  KJV   

 This scripture gives us light on how we should handle God�s delegated authority. God want us to honour them and receive them, enabling them to serve us with joy. Heb 13:7.

 You ask, "What if I do not agree with what they are doing� To this I will advise that you ask God if that is where He wants you to be. If �yes�, then this is where God wants to plant you to flourish. This is your home. he servant of God in this home is the one He has assigned to you for the journey into your inheritance.

 Remember he or she is put in that   position by God who knows they are human and mortal like anyone else, yet He chose this vessel. Yours is to see them as such and leave the judgment of their work to Him.

Hannah honoured backsliding and callous Eli and called him "my Lord" after his insensitive response to her presence in the house of God.1Sam. 1:14-19. God showed that He still  regarded his delegated authority though the vessel was in bad shape.

Eli prayed for Hannah and Samuel was born!

How many children of God are missing on this vital principle? Instead of blessing, they  place curses upon themselves by looking down on God's servant and speaking evil of them. May God give understanding to His people.

THE UNGHANGEABLE LOVE OF GOD

December 2007

 Numbers 23:19-23 �God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath He said, and shall not do it? Or hath He spoken and shall He not make it good?�

Rom 5: 8 �But God commended His love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly�

God loves you! This is what the gospel is all about. His love for you is eternal, He loves you passionately, no matter what you think or feel about yourself. God�s love for you does not depend on your performance, your actions or reactions to or against Him. GOD LOVES YOU ANYWAY.

 The Children of Israel could not be further away  from God when Balam and Balak came together to curse them. The Israelites were committing adultery with these  heathens, yet God maintained His stand, His promises with the people He choose to love.  THERE IS NO SHADOW OF TURNING WITH OUR GOD - He does not turn in     reaction to our unfaithfulness.

 When we have the revelation of God�s love, this will change us and our perception of life will also change. Whatever we are going through will just be nothing compared to the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus and His unconditional love! Paul in Phil.3:7-14, Paul expresses his willingness to sacrifice everything which he was and  had for the knowledge of Christ. This is how much value he placed on this truth. God is immutable in all His ways. �

1 Sam.15:29, Mal.3:6

 When we sin and disobey God, He still loves us, even this will not change His heart.  1Cor. 5:19 says � God was in Christ  reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them�.  This means God is not counting the sin of the world against them. God has forgiven all sins.  Jesus did not just die for the sins committed in the past and present, He also paid for the sins that we will commit in the future.  This is the meaning of the unconditional love of God.   Jesus was punished for your sins, therefore God will never punish you again for the same sin. You are free and free indeed.

 But someone may ask does this mean we can continue in sin? If you are truly born of God you can not continue in sin. 1 John 3: 6 says whosoever abides in Him sins not, whosoever sins hath not seen Him. You can not receive this great love and would want to hurt Him who loves you so much and gave His life for you.

 Whoever remains in sin has not seen Him. Whoever has seen Him and  deliberately allows sin in their life opens the door for the enemy to torment them. 1Pet 5:8  Peter warns us to �be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking who to devour.� Though the Love of God is still as strong and fervent as ever, nothing changes as far as this is concerned, this tells us that when we sin as Christians we have deliberately opened our life up to the enemy to kill, steal and destroy. John 10:10

 So it is not God that punishes a sinning Christian. Jesus has once and for all been punished for all our sins but we have the right and ability to continue to dwell in the secret place of the  Almighty and abide under His shadow (Psalm 91:1,2) by keeping ourselves pure, living in obedience to the Word of God and in sensitivity to His Spirit in us. Rom 8: 14.

GOD�S GOAL�THAT CHRIST BE FORMED IN EACH OF US

September 2007

Jacob and Joseph's Life journey can be summarized in a sentence, "the way to spiritual maturity" This word MATURITY seems to be a priority on God's agenda for all his children. We can be saved and go to heaven but none of us can enjoy the full benefit of our salvation here without taking God seriously on the issue of SPIRITUAL GROWTH or MATURITY.

 From Joseph in the throne room in Egypt in Genesis to John in the throne room in heaven, in the book of Revelation God uses the same approach to get His people from where He started with them to where He wants them, which is from ordinary man to a glorious image of Christ.

This is His goal; this is His heart, that Christ be formed in each one of us.

 It is clear that there is no other way to grow than the way of the cross, or death to self, or to put it in a mild way, experience. In fact, it seems God has designed all His creation to blossom and multiply through the principle of death. With a little observation you will discover that there is nothing in creation that reproduces itself without going through a season of discomfort. From human beings in their mansions to every tree in the forest, God has designed that all must go through the death of old life to be fruitful. The day a woman becomes pregnant some changes begins in her physically and mentally, that compels her to stop living just for herself, this change is not temporary, but for her lifetime.

 Jesus said in John 12:24 "Except a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies it produces much fruit." This kind of death therefore is not a cessation from life, but cessation of old the life that makes way for a new blooming, radiant, flourishing and fruitful one. This is God goal for His children, "to bear fruit and that your fruit will remain our life"

However the experience that makes this viable is always disagreeable to our comfortable normal self, but somehow God will have to bring each of us to the end of our self to be of any use to Him. He who is dead is not conscious of himself, therefore self-centredness; the root of most sin must go out of the way. This does not mean we become numb to situations around, but because of our experience with God, we have outgrown the old self that is always defensive, throw tantrums, flares up tempers, and make us vulnerable to foolishness of sinful life.

The situation we are facing or the environment may still remain the same, but our reaction has changed. Jesus has been so beautifully formed in us that things that used to bother us don't any more.

This is where a new and fruitful life begins to shoot out. John 15: 2-4. For some of us the process is quicker than others. God will let us move at our own pace. The more attention we pay to every revealed Word of God the earlier we will reach that stage of fruitfulness.

 Whatever discomfort you are going through now is the very vehicle God will use to bring you to your purpose, but you need to "holdfast to the faith we profess" Heb 4:14

 Jacob was seen earlier on blessing Pharaoh, but also said to him in 47: 9 It has been a long and hard journey of life to do this. For Jacob it was many years of struggle, pain and sorrow. God has an eternal purpose for this man. He will not allow Jacob to remain the same. God changed him, using all that he went through. Jacob eventually gets to a stage where God can trust him to stand face to face with earthly glory and riches as in Pharaoh's palace without the 'Jacob' in him desiring a wink of it.

This is the same Jacob (deceiver) who was so named even from the womb and acted it out with both Esau and Laban. God eventually brought him to such maturity that he becomes a blessing bearer to Pharoah, the most powerful man of his days.

What took Jacob most of his year to attain, it took Joseph few years. Both have a destiny to be a blessing, but one is more open and surrendered quickly to God's dealings THAN the other. Our submission to the ways of God makes a lot of differences in how and when each of us becomes a blessing bearer

 Our God will not treat us differently. He will bring us to a place of maturity through His dealings with us. In fact many of us are right in the middle of painful experience presently or are going through the consequences of past mistakes, ours or others, rejection, unfair treatment, loss of relationship, loss of material thing, abuse, betrayal etc. We are hurting, angry, devastated, broken all kinds of emotional scars here and there, because of what we suffer.

Both Jacob and Joseph went through it all. Paul studied this closely and said in 1 Cor. 10; 13 our dark hours to bright days, when we look back in years to come we will appreciate God's wisdom in allowing this and also His faithfulness through it all. "No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down, He will never let you be pushed past your limit. He will always be there to help you."

God has a way of turning our dark hours to bright days, when we look back in years to come we will appreciate God's wisdom in allowing this and also His faithfulness through it all.

How we handle these times, how we conduct ourselves is most important to determine how we are going to get out of the situation.

The story of these men shows us some principles on how to handle bad times and good times.

 A FEW PRACTICAL LESONS FROM THEM

 1.In slavery at Portiphas' house, Joseph kept his face shining until that man saw him. Portiphah did not see a depressed man who spent all his spare time feeling sorry for himself, regretting and telling everyone his woe blaming his brother for his situation. But He saw a radiant, joyful, faithful young man; he saw something he lifted him up.

If anyone going through hard times at work or in their relationship today will change their attitude and countenance, and learn to keep their tongue from destroying those who misuse them; if they will purposely go after helping and doing good to them, transforming the atmosphere around to a peaceful one, someone will take notice of the gem in them for appreciation.

 2. Don't let your mistake stop you from trying again, reach your goal.

 3. Continue to trust God that He can rectify that which has been destroyed through your action or that of others.

4. Joseph spent this time to improve his life. God did not tell him his dream will come to past in Egypt, but finding himself there as slave, he did not allow this to put a hold on his life. He studied the language, the culture, their way of life, and trained himself academically too.

By the time he appeared before Pharaoh, there was nothing that could limit him mentally, academically, or culturally to meet with the demand of his new challenge. He was able to die to self-pity and get on with life. This is maturity

 MISTAKES OF OTHERS

A broken vehicle in the tunnel causes delay, but we eventually get through. Hurting people hurt others. Joseph brothers were insecure, they sold their brother. Many are hurting today because of someone's mistake. Broken families are left with broken members.

But what do we learn from Joseph?

 I believe Joseph would have thought, "I am not going to allow my self to take responsibility for other people�s actions.� Stop punishing yourself for what others do.

If Jesus said to the Israelites "God can bring children for Abraham from stones?", then it is not who brings me to the world that matters to my destiny, but the fact that I am here, and here for good.

 1 Chr. 4:11 a woman gave birth to her child and called him a child of sorrow. When he grew up and discovered this he prayed that God would change it to blessing and God did.

 Only God and you hold your future. Joseph quickly took responsibility for his life when he discovered he might not see his loving father again. That is death, and it brought Joseph maturity that leads to life and glory.

Finally, in time of pain, look for someone you can speak to for strength, prayer and comfort in the word of God. God will send a friend to you.

 Joseph did not seclude himself in the dungeon; he went out and made friends. Through one of them the Lord brought Joseph out of prison to palace.

 God will send someone to you as you continue to trust him and pursue doing well in hard times.

 OVERCOMING PRAYERLESSNESS -2   June 2007

WE WIN ONLY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE DICIPLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

True repentance is when we come face to face with sin and judge it.

We all learn by experience that it is not just our determination but the grace of God, with discipline, that causes growth in the things of God. 

Determination (Oxford Dictionary) Determine, to decide, fix precisely, calculate, find out precisely, decide firmly, resolve, make up one�s mind.

Discipline (Oxford Dictionary), from disciple. Follower of any leader, learning, the twelve personal followers of Jesus, training � especially of the mind, character to produce self-control, habits of obedience e.g. school discipline, military discipline. The result of such training.

On our way to true repentance we must be diligent to be aware of the sneaky trap of self-determination that has always dragged us into embarrassment and dismay. Let us be careful to listen to Jeremiah�s warning about turning. �If you want to turn, turn to the Lord.� Jeremiah 31:18

Making resolutions and decisions for change is turning to oneself. This will always set us up for defeat, because it is not God�s method for change, it cannot work.

 Turning to God with all our heart, by getting to know Him through His Word. This is where we need discipline, for prayers will flow in our heart when His Word abides in us. The bible is very clear on this, without Christ we can do nothing, including serving Him!

There is no way around the truth as revealed in Rom 8: 26:- �The Spirit helps our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought�. The Holy Spirit is given to us to this end. Prayer becomes enjoyable with Him because we will be praying for the right reason. 

If Christ dwells in us, then the Spirit of prayer is in us. Prayer is more than activity, it is knowing and loving our Father, getting to know Him intimately, making quality time to enjoy His presence. When this becomes our passion and focus, prayer will be so natural to us. Then we will know that praying without ceasing as Paul admonished is natural. It flows without effort.

The sin to confess is our lack of discipline to make time to love Him. Loving Him means more than locking ourselves up to pray, it also include diligent study of His Word, seeking to understand His love, character, attributes, feelings etc. 

The sin is not the failure to keep those promises and resolutions to pray more. Of course they are bound to fail, because they are carnally inspired. God will personally stand in the way to make sure we walk only in obedience to His discipline. 

How should we position ourselves after repentance?

a) Take time to meditate on the importance of prayer by meditating on every scripture until the word becomes flesh in you. Andrew Murray says, �Prayer is the pulse of life, by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart.� The sin of prayerlessness is a proof that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness. The heart is where true prayer is found. This is where the issues of life are found. Prayer keeps our heart in a channel that receives from and flows back into God�s mainstream every minute of the day and night.

b) Take time to receive discipline or be disciplined by the Holy Spirit � Spirit of Prayer. Pray and ask Him to help you discipline yourself. First, your time with Him must be fixed with Him. (Note: - �fixed with� not just �fixed by�). Have a meeting with Him and ask Him to wake you up at a regular time in the morning. He will do it without your alarm system. This is where discipline or a disciple is tested. Will you come with Him in prayer when He wakes you up according to the agreed time or do you switch off the siren/alarm in your heart and go back to bed? Do you want to discipline yourself to stay there in the closet even when you do not feel like prayers? There are initial sacrifices to be made that our soul/flesh will not comply with, but eventually we will be glad we submitted to the Holy Spirit�s discipline. This is abiding in Him.

c)     Seek to pray from the heart. David said, �Therefore hath Thy servant found in his heart this prayer unto Thee.� Prayer is more than bended knee, uplifted hands, words on lips. All these are worth nothing if the heart is absent. Many Christians pray as a mere matter of form or routine. Heart work is the kernel of prayer. Spurgeon said, �Words are the oyster shell, the desire of the heart is the pearl.�

 If prayer is from the heart it will be presented with certainty of acceptance.

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OVERCOMING  PRAYERLESSNESS - March 2007

1 Thess. 5:17 Pray without ceasing

On becoming a Christian you are not just a prayer house but also a powerhouse where the Spirit of prayer dwells.

Teaching on prayer is not to get you to pray but to help you make way for the prayer that is in you to flow out and do its work in and through you.

 The Spirit of prayer lives in you, He is given to every believer as the seal that flags you out as God�s very own. You belong to God. Rom 8:9, 2 Cor: 1:22

This Spirit of the living God in you is He that cries Abba Father,  helping you to articulate that which He Himself is praying on your behalf to the father. 

Rom 8 : 27.

Therefore, prayer is not a duty for us to perform. God understands our weakness. As far as doing anything in His kingdom is concerned, He will not burden us with any unattainable assignment like �praying without season�. We can�t just do it!

 Yet a lifestyle of prayer is a most important, life maintaining exercise for our soul. Without unceasing effective prayer, we cannot live the full life we are given in Christ Jesus. Therefore, God sends His Spirit to dwell in us to do what we can not do  and expects us to do what we are able to do. That is, to submit our bodies to His activities in us. This means discipline. Even with this also, The Spirit in us helps us Phil. 2: 13 �God works in us both to will and to do according to His good pleasure.

 Sometimes we feel frustrated, empty, agitated and unrest in our spirit, and at the same time we are conscious of our prayerlessness. We know that if we can get back to the place of prayer, we will feel better.  We determine and tried to get back, but fail!! Why is God not helping us to sustain our pledge to Him? It is because we have not come to the place of revelation of our inability. The more we depend on ourselves to serve God the more we will fail.

 This shows how important it is we need to respect the presence of the Spirit who is actively seeking to bring us to a place of prayer and restoration.

There is a world of difference between determination and a disciplined life when it comes to God�s Kingdom.  We will deal more on this in the next issue.

 It is not how long and hard we pray but how comfortable the Spirit of Prayer feels living in us that makes any difference. Long prayers do not determine the effectiveness, but our sensitivity and co-operation with the Spirit of prayer.

Often we think prayer is talking to God. But in prayer, we do not know what to say to God. He initiates the dialogue, we can only join in.

Rom 8: 26

We may know our situation very well or what we need, but The Spirit of God who sees the bigger picture, knows what and how to pray for and with us.

I believe this is what the psalmist thinks, when he figured out all the troubles and tribulations around him

David declared a joyful noise to the Lord, and determines to enter His gates with thanks giving and into His courts with praise. This is the only acceptable approach to the thrown room of God for effective prayer. Our dialogue with God is � �to serve the Lord with gladness and come before Him with singing� Psalm 100: 1-5.

This is the way to make our temple ready for effective prayer. When we know the love of Christ for us, prayer will not be a chore but a privilege. The Spirit of prayer who leads us to worship, will show us what and how to pray where there is  need .  This knowledge will bring you to a powerful experience of effective and ever flowing prayer life.

To be continued

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Where is God? He is right here

 August 2005

Thinking about these bomb incidences in London, I am overwhelmed with the sense of God�s mercy, His longsuffering and patience with this nation and His church.

 God rules in the kingdom of man, and the Church is His habitation  on earth through which He will exact His rulership. This is living truth  we all give assent to.  I wonder sometimes how we, the Church, can live comfortably with the knowledge of the truth that God does not have any reserved solution  than what the world already has, THE CHURCH. God In and among Us.  The thought is awe inspiring.

Many of us must be asking questions and trembling with holy fear as we ponder at the present state of the church. At the same time, It is exciting to hear God saying He will raise intercession up for this nation.  He will call His church to listen and attend to Her responsibility, which is the preaching of the Word of truth with Power and Prayer. The kind of intercession God is raising up It is not going to be just in big prayer gatherings alone,  but God will use people  who are not known  or carry the title 'intercessors'. They  are only known by the God who dwells in the secret place.

A few years ago, the Lord warned us and said, �The work of intercession for this nation is not going to be accomplished by much noise on the street�.

While I believe God appreciates and honors our obedience in mobilizing cooperate prayers, I believe He is raising up a generation of pray-ers who will only be known by heavenly hosts in the secret place. 

The Lord therefore gave us this  instruction �Concentrate on building people so they can offer acceptable offerings of prayers to Me� 

 As we sought the Lord�s guardian on this, that is, building people whose very life will be an offering to God,  we came across Pastor Francis Frangpane�s In Christ Image course. This has been an answer to prayers and great blessing to many for whom prayer has taken on a new meaning after being through the course. .

This course is a training tool for anyone who is serious about their calling to pray.  It is not a manual on prayer, but a key that unlocks the mystery of  human's involvement in prayer.

Like someone said 'God listens to the person and not prayer per se'  This is what the course is all about.  Has God not said He will make you into a new sharp instrument to break His enemy to pieces? Isa. 41:15, Jer. 51: 20. It is you who God wants to sharpen,  not your prayers, and this is what the course is for -To sharpen God's saints for effective warfare.

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Becoming a Blessing Bearer

from Mind The Gap May 2005

From Joseph in the throne room of Pharaoh in Egypt, to John in the throne room in heaven, in the book of Revelation, God has the same approach to get His people from where He started with them to where He wants them, which is from ordinary man to a glorious image of Christ. This is His goal, this is His heart, that Christ be formed in each one of us.

 It is clear that there is no other way to grow than the way of the cross, death to self, or to put it in a mild way, experience. In fact, it seems God has designed all His creation to blossom and multiply through the principle of death.  With little observation we will discover that there is nothing in creation that reproduces itself without going through a season of discomfort. From human beings in their mansions to every tree in the forest, God has designed that all must go through the death of the old self to be fruitful.

 The day a woman becomes pregnant some changes begin in her physically and mentally, that compel her to stop living just for herself. This change is not temporary, but for her life time.  Jesus said in John 12:24 �Except a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies it produces much fruit.� This kind of death, therefore, is not a cessation from life, but cessation of the old  life that makes way for a new blooming, radiant, flourishing and fruitful one.  This is God�s goal for His children, �to bear fruit and that your fruit will remain�

  However, the experience that makes this viable is always disagreeable to our �comfortable normal self�, but somehow God will have to bring each of us to the end of our �self� if we will be of any use to Him.  He who is dead is not conscious of himself, therefore self centeredness; the root of most sin, must go out of the way for new life to emerge.

 This does not mean we become numb to situations around us, but because of our experience with God, we have outgrown the old self that is always defensive, throws tantrums, flares up tempers, and make us vulnerable to the foolishness of sinful life.  Our situation and the environment may remain the same, but our reaction has changed.  Jesus has been so beautifully formed in us that things that used to bother us do not any more. This is where a new and fruitful life begins to shoot out and prayer becomes powerful and enjoyable John 15: 16.

For some of us the process is quicker than others. God will let us move at our pace. The more attention we pay to every revealed Word of God the earlier we will reach that stage of fruitfulness in prayer.

Whatever discomfort you are going through is the very vehicle God will use to bring you to His purpose, but you need to  �hold fast to  our  profession , for we have not  an High Priest which cannot be touched with our infirmities� Heb 4:14-15

 Jacob was seen in Gen 47: 8-10 blessing Pharaoh who seems to observe something different and desirable in the presence of Jacob and the blessing.  Pharaoh could not resist asking Jacob a question that probably could give him the clue to what he felt and saw as Jacob stood before him. �How old are you� Pharaoh asked, probably thinking the grace he touched in Jacob must be a direct result of his age.  Jacob�s response was astounding, he said �The days of the years of my pilgrimage ---are few and  evil have the days of the years of my life�. 47:  9, 10. In other words, �what you see are not just a result of long years in age, but a result of things I have been through in those years. It   has been a long and hard journey of life to bless you, as I do, Pharaoh.�

  For Jacob it was many years of struggle, pain and sorrow. Laban defrauded him, Jacob paid twice for the price of one wife. As if this was not enough pain, he could not get the greatly desired child from his beloved wife. God closed Rachel�s womb for years. Even when she had the children, Jacob lost her when she was most needed, and he had to bring Joseph and Benjamin up without Rachael. Dinah, his daughter was raped, Simeon and Levi became terrorists. Jacob had to flee for his life in fear of revenge. His beloved son was sold into slavery. Reuben slept with one of his wives, Judah had children by an incestuous relationship, and the list goes on.  God is dealing with this man. He had an eternal purpose for Jacob and He will not allow him to remain the same. God changed him, using all that he went through.Jacob eventually got to a stage where God can trust him to stand face to face with earthly glory and riches as in Pharaoh�s palace without  the �Jacob� in him desiring a wink of it.

This is the same Jacob who was so named even from the womb and acted it out with both Esau and Laban. God eventually brought him to such an understanding that he even referred to his tenure in life as pilgrimage, just passing through life, this is not home therefore all things are temporal. His perception of life has changed totally  No wonder he becomes a blessing   bearer to Pharaoh, the most powerful man of his days. God can trust Jacob at last.

 What took this man most of his life to attain, took Joseph only a few years. Both have a destiny to be a blessing, but one is more open and surrendered quickly to God�s dealings than the other. Just as Jacob found himself in the house of Laban serving a wicked master, so also Joseph found himself in the house of Portiphar.

But Jacob was always busy scheming his way out of situations,  while Joseph sets his face to seek and serve God by serving Portiphar. Joseph quickly took responsibility for his life when he discovered he may not see his loving father again.  This is death, and it brought Joseph maturity that leads to life and glory.    In prison, he was not bitter or seeking revenge by exposing Portiphar�s wife. He committed his life to God who quickly lifts Him up.

Our submission to the ways of God makes a lot of difference in how and when each of us becomes a blessing bearer.

Finally let us listen to Peter,   �Let all that suffer commit themselves to God�

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Anointed to Serve

Mind The Gap Feb 2005

Now is the time when the Spirit of the Lord will rise upon the Church and a spirit of prayer will overtake Her.

In Isaiah Chapter 61 verses 3 and 4 God is speaking about those who mourn in Zion, the city of God. Those who mourn are the few   who see the desolation of the city and mourn over the situation. But these verses show us that God has appointed to such people �beauty for ashes, oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness�

It is God who pours out the spirit of prayer and intercession for Zion.  The morning and heaviness we often experience in our prayer times for the Church, Her leaders, and this nation is a torrent flowing directly from the heart of God Himself It is awesome to know that our feelings of discomfort and pain for the state of things around us are not just ours but the passion in the heart of God.  Intercessors are called to be faithful and willing vessels to carry this torrent of passion back to God through prayer. Rom 8:26, 27 states this clearly. �The Spirit makes intercession for the saint according to the will of God.�

God who initiates the prayer promises a reward for the pray-ers: beauty for ashes, oil of joy and garment of praise as they continue mourning over the state of the church, the Body of Christ and the nation. 

But these rewards are not given not just for the intercessor�s enjoyment.  The beauty is not to make us feel we are something special in the Body to be noticed. Rather we are being equipped to be builders of the devastated city; the people who carry the pain are the same ones He will send out to build.

In verse 6 God says that we will be called �priests of the Lord� and �ministers of God� when we are called to this ministry of prayer and work of rebuilding. We will go out to minister to those hurting inside and outside our churches and �build the old wastes�raise up the former desolations�repair the waste cities� Isa 61:4).

Therefore, God is calling us to rise up and reach out to who His heart is breaking over. There are many around us whose life is a description of ruined places. They are hurting and crying for help. Unfortunately, many hurting non-church goers today were once very active in the church. They were wounded in the House of God and turn their back on the church. These are the people the Lord, the great shepherd, speaks of in Ezekiel 34:  �I will seek my sheep� . Even in their seemingly backslidden state, God loves them and see their hurt. He wants to heal and feed His sheep. This is the purpose of our reward of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy and the garment of praise.

So let us discern the call to rise up from the closet and go out and minister the love of God to those we have been praying for.

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Remember God's faithfulness

From Mind The Gap November 2004

Lamentations 3 v 21 � 24

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord�s great love we are not consumed for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, �The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.�

What situation was Jeremiah in when he remembered and spoke about the faithfulness of God? Read chapter 3 from verses 1 � 27. He was a man who had been afflicted, who knew bitterness and hardship; what it was to be broken physically; emotionally and spiritually.

None of our lives have been as bitter as Jeremiah�s. He knew pain and agony, yet he could see a ray of hope as he remembered the faithfulness of God.

He chose to remember � �This I recall�..therefore I have hope.� In other words he tells himself that what God has done in the past he will do again. Remembrance of the faithfulness of God in the midst of trouble will give rise to thanksgiving and praise to Him.

If we are focussed on the present situations we are facing we will not stand in victory.

Walking in victory does not involve the situation changing. Victory has to do with how we position ourselves in a storm when it is raging around us. It is not that the storm will disappear, but that we will still be standing when it is past. It is standing on the faithfulness of God and remembering what God has done in the past. Victory is having the attitude � �I will not allow this storm to take my joy.�

A practical example :- coconuts have water in them. In a storm they are swung about by the wind or even knocked off the tree. The water remains in them no matter how bad the hurricane.

Psalm 46 speaks of the river which flows in the city of God. It is a river of peace. This is victory.

We will thank God for those difficult times if we stand in peace and victory, remembering God�s faithfulness. In them we develop and grow in our dependence on Him and in our understanding and experience of His faithfulness.

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Are you prepared? 

From Mind The Gap August 2004

At the Coordinators Away Day in May this year a message came powerfully from the Lord: persecution is coming to the church. Therefore, the question we must now ask our-selves is: how prepared are we to face that persecution?

Jeremiah 12:5-6 says: You have run with the foot-men and they have wearied you then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace wherein you trusted they wearied you then how will you do in the swelling of the Jordan?

In other words, if the foot-men, that is, the personal battles we face, have made us ineffective in the place of prayer, praying for this city, what will we do when a greater enemy comes?

When, for example, we have to take our stand, in this multi-faith society, on the truth that Jesus Christ is the only Name by which man can be saved? The time is fast approaching when anyone who makes such a statement will face a fine or imprisonment.

Or what will you do when evangelism is banned and street ministry becomes illegal?

How will you respond if as a ministry leader you are forced to employ some-one who is categorically opposed to the Christian faith?

What if under new legislation on transexuality you are forced as a minister to marry two people you know are of the same sex, or face a �5000 fine?

How will we contend with such 'horses' when so many of us are overwhelmed by the 'footmen' that oppose us in our personal lives? There is no-one who is immune to challenging situations in their lives: problems with our health, marriage, children, employment, or finances. But these are the things the Lord uses to accomplish His work in us. It is through His grace we will bear our cross with joy and become more like Him. If we do not carry our cross with joy, looking unto Jesus then we may miss him when he comes.

Psalm 46:4 speaks of: �a river the streams thereof make glad the city of God�

The city of God is on the inside of us and the river flowing through us is the Holy Spirit bringing joy into our lives, no matter the circumstances.

The Psalm continues:

�God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved: God shall help her and that right early�.

Therefore do not allow the oppression of the enemy in your personal circumstances to distract you and stop the flow of joy into your life. And the key to this is keeping an attitude of praise and worship in every situation.

Also on that day, the Lord reminded us that we are soldiers. In fact, Jeremiah's talk of footmen and horses is military terminology. As Paul told Timothy, as soldiers we cannot entangle ourselves with the things of this world if we are We must endure hardness as good soldiers. (2Tim 2: 3-4) We cannot leave our duty posts on the walls of the city because of personal problems. As soldiers we must be determined, faithful and physically fit.

The enemy is not going to stop or back off. In fact his oppression will increase because 'he has come down to earth with great wrath because he knows that he has a short time. (Revelation 12:12). Therefore, we must prepare ourselves now to stand as soldiers on duty. A flood is coming and we will not be able to get out of its way; we will need to stand or be swept away. Once again praise is a key weapon in our armour. (See 2 Chronicles).

Setting the Right Priority

from Mind The Gap May 2004

Our Lord's last words to His disciples and His last prayer clearly reveal that the healing of the nations will flow from the Church. This will not come by much preaching or prayer, as important as these are, but by the Church lifting up Her Lord and the members of the Body embracing one another in unconditional love. Then the world will see that, although it may hate and reject the church, it cannot resist it. Our prayers for the nations are of tremendous power because they are fervent and come from well-meaning hearts. But unless the church wakes up to Her Lord's command to lift Him up and love one another, the result of our painstaking prayers for the world will not justify the effort. We can clearly see, therefore, why the enemy will do all he can to keep the Church of Christ in its current condition, especially in the western world.

If our spiritual eyes are open we can observe that this nation is going further and further downhill. But we must ask ourselves, is the Church any
different? The state of much of the Church today is the same as that of the Seven Churches described Revelation (Rev 3).

There is immorality, witchcraft, lawlessness, fornication and adultery. The divorce rate is as high in the Church as it is in the world, and worse among leaders! There is little regard for authority at any level and no accountability. In fact, there is more resentment of authority in the church than there is in the world.

Right-minded people in the world are conscious of and obey the law of the land, but many in the Church are not even aware of the law or culture of our land - Canaan, (see 2 Kings 17: 24 - 34, Isa 1: 3).

Many of God's shepherds are currently facing situations in their ministries that are crippling and heartbreaking. Some even doubt their call because of circumstances around them. But God chooses men and women, and plants them in a local church to feed, guide, and nurture His people:

"And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them and they shall fear no more neither shall they be lacking, says the Lord" (Jere 1:24).

I believe there are many in the church who may not understand the implications of the scripture to their relationship with Christ. Therefore, the church is not as strong as it should be. We can see why the church needs our prayers more than the world. The call for intercessors is coming loud and clear. We need to pray for workers in the field of intercession and the harvest field of the world.

In Ezekiel 13: 5 God rebuked His people for not going 'into the gaps and make up the hedge for the house of Israel'.
I pray that the church will be challenged by this and rise up, go into the gaps and make up the hedge of prayers for herself.

Intercession is an awesome task. Your prayer moves God, God moves in His church and then in the nations. It all starts with one person praying

For this reason the Coordinators of the GLPW have been asked to list all the churches in their boroughs. We will intercede for these churches that God's purpose be fulfilled though them. In those churches which have gospel purposes, God will start to build, strengthen, encourage and bring forth His purposes. Satan will then have to flee.

God has given the Church the mandate to preach this Gospel to all nations before the end of the age. Peter even gives us a hint that the church can hasten the coming of her Lord if she pays the price.(scripture)

We must get our priorities right.
God will rescue this nation, but first the church must be changed.

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Circumcision at Gilgal

From Mind The Gap February 2004

At Gilgal another generation of the children of Israel was standing in the presence of Joshua, Moses' successor. Their fathers had been promised the land of Canaan but that generation did not understand the ways of God. They rebelled against Moses and perished in the wilderness. Here at Gilgal, the God of Moses and Joshua would test their hearts again. God commanded Joshua to make sharp knives and circumcise His people on His behalf. In submitting to God they would also have to submit to Joshua's knife of circumcision.

The foreskin, the symbol of their identification with adulterous Egypt, must be cut off, and it was Joshua's job to do this. Would they submit to the painful process of circumcision? Would they endure of the humiliation of such an act in adulthood?

Joshua 5:8 says, 'And it came to pass, when they had done the circumcision, that all the people abode in their places in the camp, until they were whole'. After this the Lord declared, 'Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you'.

In our generation, we are dealing with the same God. How many in our churches can endure the sharp knife of rebuke, correction, or discipline, with the right attitude? Many move from one local church to another to avoid the knife of circumcision of the man of God. Many even resent their 'Joshua' for this reason. However, it is a great deception to believe that we can get involved in prayer, intercession and spiritual warfare when we refuse to submit to spiritual circumcision from our 'Joshua' - the Godly authority in the local church.

Sometimes we do not need much prayer, or even to pray at all, concerning certain issues in our lives. All we need to do is to consider our ways. Many fast and pray fervently for personal victory and breakthroughs; we bombard heaven with constant warfare, but to no avail. This does not mean that every delay to answered prayer is caused by a form of rebellion in the pray-er's life. But the body of Christ must wake up to the truth that God holds the office of spiritual leader in high esteem. Defiance of this leadership can be a major cause of unanswered prayer. God wants to roll away the reproach from His people, but we must understand His ways.

'Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you' (Heb 13:13).
'Honour your father and your mother, which is the first promise with blessing' (Eph 6:1).

Our pastors are our spiritual fathers or mothers. We are commanded to honour them then we will inherit the blessing. That reproach of Egypt in your personal life or in the church's life will not have a chance to stay, it shall be rolled away.

If you have already taken the wrong step by leaving when the wound was fresh, the Lord wants to heal, deliver and bless you. Do not leave that church, that ministry, while you and everyone else are still hurting. Go back to your leader to receive his/her blessing. Stay there and let God heal your wound and that of others, so you can rise up together - healed, restored and strong to take the land.

This is God's way and principle for blessing His children.