Living with Criticism - Part 1

THE VICTORY OF LOVE

I gave my heart to Christ in 1983 in secondary school. It was an early Sunday afternoon in February. We had just concluded what, at that time, I considered to be a truly boring protestant Sunday Service; that is, boring with the exception of the music. At that time, I went to church just to sing to God, because i really enjoyed singing.

And so it was, that right after the service, there was an announcement for a fellowship meeting to hold. Without thinking, I went to the section of the school hall arranged for the fellowship meeting. Till this day, I don’t know what was said or done, but I can recall that I found myself at the front, giving my heart to Christ alongside some other people. After that, it was like being the same person on the outside, but with the knowledge that something seemed to have changed but I couldn’t place a finger on it.
There was a feeling of contentment and satisfaction in me after this experience. I have always enjoyed having people around me but even with all that, I was never really close to anyone, as there was just some kind of fear that if you allow people too close, they would inevitably hurt you, so while having people around me, I kept them at arm’s length in my mind. It was therefore easy to observe after I gave my heart to Christ that I was no longer afraid of being hurt or betrayed. I just wanted to love everyone and to help everyone in all sincerity.

Of course, at home it was not so easy because I was the first to commit to Christ this way. My parents were, at the time, committed to the Anglican Church and although my siblings were not so interested in the Church, they nevertheless were hard on me for going the fanatic way. But I weathered the storms. In February of 1985, several of us (members of my dormitory) gathered together on the school field to pray during the siesta break.

We were led by one of the A’ level students who had just experienced something wonderful – the infilling of the Holy Spirit. We prayed and asked God to fill us with His Spirit and we received him and began to speak in other tongues. I remember that it was such an amazing experience that we did not want to stop. We went back to our dormitory and continued to pray; I remember that we prayed on and on till the housemistress came to drive us all out, to go for prep.

What a glorious day that was! From that time, the persecutions became so bearable that they almost did not exist. I spent more hours praying and enjoying fellowship with God that it was all I could do to get into other things in the day. This story can never be complete without talking about what this gospel has done for me: I remember reading so hard for my examinations and then by the time we were to start, I developed a fever, then it relapsed. I only suffered fevers like that every 4-5 years, as I had been an asthmatic patient and the attacks were incessant.

I had suffered over several years with migraine headaches, peptic ulcer and rheumatic pains but to have all these attack one’s body at the same time was almost unbearable. I sat for most of those examinations in the hall because I insisted, that I wanted to be with others, but I was always led to the sick bay afterwards. It was amazing how I insisted on writing the exams when, sometimes, i could not even see what I was writing; One of the teachers invigilating described then that I had written one line on another in a particular subject. It was so bad that the principal told my mum that, she should register me for the Nov/Dec GCE exams, as he was not sure about what I was able to write; I had even missed part of a practical exam and couldn’t really write one paper.

A glorious encounter was when my mum told me that I had to write the GCE exams, I felt like a complete failure; I recall feeling so sad one afternoon, like everything was over. I don’t recollect leaving the house or even locking the doors, I only recall that I was leaving a shop on the main street leading into the estate where we lived. It was a bookshop of some sort and I had picked up a book by the late Oral Roberts. It was a re-print and prior to that time, I had never been able to read a book that was a local re-print.

I found myself with the book in my hand, couldn’t even recollect paying for the book, I only realized where I was, when I was on the way back home. The book in my hand had an amazing title, “Don’t Give Up. ” I read the book as though my life depended on it and I was thoroughly blessed. But this beautiful encounter did not end like that.

The next day, I went back to the bookshop, because I wanted to get another book and I was shocked that it was not a bookshop; It was a spare parts shop. Nobody could even remember ever seeing a bookshop there. What a discovery. I had an encounter of the God kind!!! He ministered to me by himself, telling me not to give up.

So rather than give up, I prayed for some kind of miracle and I changed my expectation, to that of a miracle, and I got it. I passed my exams in an amazing way.   After the encounter I had to ask God in prayer: “Lord, why did you really save me?” I recall hearing in my heart these words “I want you to show my love in a way that people have never known, so I have put within you the ability to love the most seemingly unlovable people in the world. ” And those words has shone a light in my heart, and it has been burning brighter, daily.
How true and important it is that, ‘knowing your calling is the first step to success. Knowing your assignment is the first step to accomplishing it. ’ I have found out that, with such great ease, I am able to love people, no matter who they are or where they are. It just flows and no matter what a person does, God’s love just overshadows and takes over.

As I went about sharing God’s love, the infirmities simply disappeared from my life. Today, it is still my joy to influence people with God’s love and to share that love with them and help them to understand him in a whole new dimension. Another glorious encounter, was my first encounter with Pastor Chris was in 1988 in Benin City, at a program, “Word Assembly. ” There we were, when Pastor ministered and at a particular time, the thoughts that came to me were in the exact words: ‘This just has to be Jesus.

’ At that same point in time, Pastor spoke of a recurring experience that the he’d had at many programs, when the people came to him afterwards to tell him that at some point during the program, they thought that it was Jesus ministering to them. At the end of the program, my friends and I gathered together to discuss the meeting and we asked ourselves to know what each person was thinking when Pastor said the thing about Jesus ministering and I was shocked! At that point, everyone was thinking the same thing: “It just has to be Jesus. ” For me, that was another encounter with Jesus, in that program in Benin City, Nigeria. I recall that, there was a particular ministration of the Spirit when Pastor made a call, for some people who just knew within them that they would be ministering to the sick etc.

to come out, to which I responded. One would have expected that he would have laid hands on us or something, but he didn’t. To my utter amazement, when I was in front of him, with my hands lifted up, he simply said to me, ‘Look into my eyes. ’ And there I was, looking into his eyes, but something was happening inside me, and the center of my palms were burning.

Pastor had called for the sick and they were standing out in front, then, Pastor said we should go to them and minister to them. It was awesome! The people fell under the power and got up, completely healed. There were testimonies all over the place. From that day till now, I have been winning souls and doing the things that the Lord wants me to do, through the power of his love.

I have so much more to say. Do visit this page often, because I will add more to my story. God bless you. .

Manifesting Increased Glory- You Are The Express Image of God

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth (Psalm 50:2 AMP).

Zion is revealed as the perfection of beauty, from where God’s glory shines forth. This means we’re meant to radiate the glory of God as citizens of Zion because we have received eternal life, the God-kind of life. The world ought to see the expression of God’s beauty in our lives, for we’re the bearers of His splendour.

In Hebrews 1:3, the Bible describes Jesus as the effulgence of God’s glory, “…and the express image of his person….” And the Lord Jesus himself proclaimed, ‘…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…” (John 14:9). As a Christian, the same truth applies to you today, “…because as he (Jesus) is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:1 7). You’re the express image of God’s Person and the out-shining of His glory. That’s the reason fear, sickness or lack can’t rule over you; you’re too beautiful to be sick or live a beggarly life! You’re ordained to function in divine health, strength, abundance and prosperity. You see, when the Bible says you’re the perfection of beauty, it means that the fullness of God, with all the totality of His power, dwells in you. So you’re complete in Him (Colossians 2:10).

However, it’s important that you let this truth dawn on your spirit irrespective of the circumstances around you. Jacob only recognized the presence of God around him after he had a dream in which he saw angels of God descending and ascending into heaven on a ladder. Then he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not” (Genesis 28:16).
Recognize today that God dwells in you today, and learn to fellowship with Him with your spirit, for the bible says, “God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Then you will be able to manifest His glory to the world! Hallelujah!

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Bible Study On Joy: 7 Things You Have To Know

The word ‘joy’ is defined by Merriam-Webster as, “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires…the expression or exhibition of such emotion…a state of happiness” .  Let us look at the biblical understanding of ‘joy’.

Worldly Joy Is Fickle And Temporary

The joy that the world offers is a pale imitation of the true joy only God can give us.  The joy that unsaved people experience is a temporary joy that comes and goes depending on the situation that person is in at the time.  If things are going well, there is joy.  When things are difficult, there is no joy.  In the book of Job, one of Job’s friends utters some insightful words:  “…the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?”  (Job 20:5 ESV cf. 20:18).  There can be no true joy apart from God.

Wherever people know, love, and worship God, His love instills a joy, that only He can give, into the hearts of His worshipers

In The Old Testament, Joy Was Associated With The True Worship Of God

Joy is a prominent feature of the true worship of God in the Old Testament.  Wherever people know, love, and worship God, His love instills a joy, that only He can give, into the hearts of His worshipers (I Chronicles 15:16; Ezra 3:12, 6:16; Psalm 16:11, 32:11, 51:12 and many more).

In the times of King Hezekiah, the Israelites rededicated themselves to God and we read, “So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem” (II Chronicles 30:26 ESV).  The people’s renewed commitment to God reignited the joy in their hearts that only He can produce.  Believers today can experience this same joy when he or she is dedicated to Jesus.

Joy Is A Gift From God

Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, who resides in the heart of the believer, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…”  (Galatians 5:22 ESV).  Since God is the author of all these good things, when one becomes a Christian, and is united to God through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit imparts these qualities to the believer.  Joy is also an integral part of the Kingdom of God and will exist wherever believers are present, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17 ESV).

Doing God’s Will Increases Our Joy

As many Christians can attest, being involved in the spread of the Gospel brings joy to the believer’s heart.  Personally, when I see someone become a follower of Jesus or I know that someone has discovered a truth from God’s Word that will encourage him or her in their walk of faith, I cannot help but feel a sense of joy.  The apostle Paul also experienced this often in his ministry (II Corinthians 1:24, 2:3; Philippians 1:4, 2:2; I Thessalonians 2:19, 20, 3:9; II Timothy 1:4; Philemon 1:7; and many other passages).  The writer of Third John experienced the joy of ministry, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4 ESV).

Circumstances Cannot Take Away Our Joy

In Second Corinthians 6:10, Paul says that Christians can even be “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (ESV).  This means that even when we are in the midst of a situation that legitimately brings us sorrow, our inner joy is never taken away.  The very core of our being can still rejoice in the fact that we are forgiven children of God who enjoy an intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe.  Our joy is strengthened when we remember that, no matter what the circumstances, God is with us and He is above all.

We see this in the writings of several New Testament authors:

James says that we should, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2-3 ESV).

Again, we read of the inspired determination of the apostle Paul as he faced incredible hardships, “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.  Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me” (Philippians 2:17-18 ESV).

The apostle Peter encourages us with, “…rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (I Peter 4:13 ESV).

The Only Thing That Can Steal Our Joy Is Sin

Godly joy is a wonderful thing; it is a supernatural gift from God to every believer.  However, one warning must be issued.  Sin can steal our joy.  It is difficult to experience the joy of our relationship with God when we have done something that damages that relationship.  Joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit; when we grieve the Holy Spirit by our sin, we interfere with the flow of joy (among other things) from God.  If we find that we are experiencing joy less and less, we may need to reevaluate our relationship with Jesus Christ to make sure we are living as we should.

Christians Should ‘Rejoice Always’

Merriam-Webster defines ‘rejoice’ in this way, ‘to feel joy or great delight’.  There are several passages in the New Testament where Paul instructs us to ‘rejoice’.  These passages carry a sense of urgency or command, as if Paul were saying that a Christian is to be full of joy and he is urging believers to make sure that their relationships with God and others are relationships that produce joy (Philippians 3:1, 4:4).

Paul writes in First Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (ESV).  This joy, prayer, and thanksgiving should characterize the life of the Christian.  It is God’s will for the believer (see v. 18); this is how God wants us to live.  “Rejoicing always” does not mean that we are to paste a fake smile on our faces no matter what is going on in our lives or the lives of those we love.  It means that we are to remain steadfast in our knowledge that God is our strength and comfort, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves.  If our relationship with Jesus is right, and we confess and repent of any sin of which we are aware, we will experience this supernatural joy at all times…whether those times be good or bad.

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/bible-study-on-joy-7-things-you-need-to-know/#ixzz2AD5urUue

Manifesting Increased Glory – Align Your Thoughts With The Word

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:23-24).

God’s desire is for us to think at His level, so we can talk and act like Him. That’s why He gave us His Word as the material to renew our minds. A Christian who is yet to renew his mind with the Word will not live a victorious life here on earth. In fact, the Bible refers to such Christians as carnally minded. To be carnally minded is to be sense-ruled. It means to think, talk and act according to the dictates of the flesh, and contrary to the Word of God.

God’s thoughts transcend the sense realm; they are spiritual. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church in Rome gave the importance of giving up your thoughts for His: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,  will of God”(Romans 12:2).

In the Old Testament, the children of Israel couldn’t experience God’s best because they couldn’t relate with Him from the perspective of faith. They were men and women of the senses; hence they didn’t know the ways of God—the faith lifestyle, though they were familiar with His acts. But over in the New Testament, we have the mind of Christ; therefore to experience increased glory God expects our thoughts to align with the provisions of His Word.

This month you must refuse to think defeat, poverty, sickness or fear; give up every thought of negativity. Think abundance, strength, victory, success, faith and the good-life only. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Consciously practise this today and watch your life move from one level of glory to another. Hallelujah!

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Experience The Glory of His Presence

Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filed the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35).

This month of October has truly been filled with Increased Glory as the Spirit of the Lord declared concerning us and we’ll like to urge you to continue to share your experiences and testimonies with the world. It’s always a joy to read your inspiring comments and to know that the Word of God that we share with you daily on this platform is alive and working in you. The glory of God’s presence is revealed when God’s children come together in unity to worship the Lord. The glory of His presence in such an environment causes upliftment and transformation in the life of everyone present. No wonder the Psalmist declared: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing even life for evermore” (Psalm 133:1-3).

The presence of God transforms your life. At the mount of transfiguration Peter, James and John experienced the glory of God’s presence so much that Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here” (Matthew 17:4). The glory was so overwhelming and fulfilling that they didn’t want to leave. That experience transformed Peter’s life forever. In fact, he referred to it many years later, in his letter to the churches (2 Peter 1:16-18).

The Bible says, “The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth” (Psalm 97:5). When you experience the glory of the Lord’s presence, His power becomes more real to you and all your problems melt and fade away. It dawns on your spirit that God is truly bigger than your adversaries. The Psalmist described it as “the dew of Hermon” (Psalm 133:3); thus in the presence of the Lord, your life is condensed with His blessings; you’re divinely rejuvenated.

No wonder the Bible says times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19). There, you’ll find answers and solution to your nagging concerns and doubts. In that presence, you’ll see a new picture of yourself—you’ll see yourself the way God sees you in His Word. This is why you can’t afford to miss your church services for the Lord is in the midst of His people: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Hallelujah!

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You’re The Effulgence of God’s Glory!

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one (John 17:22).

Romans 8:30 says, “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” As God’s children, we’re the carriers of His glory. In Exodus 33:18, Moses begged to see the glory of God. But today, in the New Testament, not only does the glory reside in us, we have become the effulgence of God’s glory. God’s purpose isn’t just to have His glory reside in you, but for you to be immersed and completely inundated by it until you become inseparable from the glory, thus becoming the glory.

This is the reason the new creation, in the New Testament, is called the glory of God. Just as the Lord Jesus is the glory of God you too are the effulgence of the Father’s glory. So when you walk, it’s the glory of God walking, for your life is the expression of the glory of God. You need to understand that you’re not journeying to become the glory of God; it’s already a present-hour reality. You were born to be the glory of God and to radiate God’s beauty in an ever increasing fashion. Wake up to this truth, and it will change your mentality!

To continuously manifest increased glory this month, say concerning yourself daily, “I am the glory of God; I don’t fail! I’m a success forever, praise God!” It makes no difference the challenges you might be facing, the glory of God is going to be manifested in that situation! Why? Because you’re involved in it, and you’re the glory of God, therefore you’re being manifested. Romans 8:19 says “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” The whole creation is waiting for your showing up; it’s not the showing up of the weak and low-minded, but the showing up of the glory of God, the Sons of God.  Live confidently today with this consciousness that you’re the manifestation of the glory of God, the brightness of God’s beauty in the earth and experience that glory in your life’s circumstances! Praise the Lord!

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Walking in Increased Glory by Doing the Word Consistently!

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge… (Hosea 4:6).

At our Global Communion Service, we talked about some of the ways in which you can manifest increased glory this month as the Spirit of God had said, and one of those ways is by walking in the Word. The only thing standing between some folks and the experience of the glorious life in Christ to which they’ve been called is their ignorance of God’s Word. If you lack the knowledge of God’s Word, you’ll live at a level far lower than where Jesus brought us to. The Bible says through knowledge—revelation knowledge of the scriptures shall the just be delivered into their inheritance (Proverbs 11:9).

You must never be too busy to study the Scriptures, or attend Church regularly for the Church is the place God has ordained for His children to learn and be built up in the Word. If you want to live the glorious life this month, you must go for the Word and walk in it consistently.

Though God has brought you into the glorious life, ignorance can keep you from enjoying your inheritance in Christ; for you have to know what belongs to you to appropriate same into your life. The quality of life you’re living today is directly proportional to your measure of knowledge of God’s Word. You can’t have a life greater than your understanding of spiritual truths. The enemy may take advantage of a man’s ignorance and keep him in bondage, but the moment the knowledge of God’s Word dawns on that man’s spirit, he’ll walk out of the chains of bondage. That’s how powerful knowledge is! When you store up God’s Word in your heart, you’ll live to your highest potentials in life and manifest His glory. So, this month you must consciously go for the Word and consistently apply it in your situations!

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Don’t Accept Defeat

Friends, Jesus gave us a truly glorious admonition that we need to pay special attention to and heed: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33). Do you realize what great news that is?! Jesus overcame everything that the Devil and this world could throw at him, up to and including death itself! After all, death is the ultimate gloom and doom of this life, is it not? If we have received his Spirit, then we know he overcame both sin and death, because we have the one and only witness of this glorious reality (I Jn. 5:6,9,10). And if we are in him by means of his Spirit being in us then we have access to that same victory (I Cor. 12:13; II Cor. 3:17; II Cor. 5:17). John laid it down like this: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (I Jn. 5:4,5). We too can overcome the world and everything it can throw at us, if we are in him, and if we continue to be led by his Spirit; because through these means we become partakers of his victory (Rom. 8:14,31, 35-39). But we must understand that ‘believing’ on Jesus is not a casual thing that is determined by what we think ‘believing’ means. Jesus plainly stated that all who truly believe on him will be baptized with his Spirit into him (Jn. 7:38,39; I Cor. 12:13). And James made it clear that ‘believing’ on Jesus means that what we do from day to day in our lives will very much show forth whether we truly believe on him or not (Jas. 2:14-26). And the apostle Paul made it clear that ‘believing’ on Jesus means that we can and must live our lives without giving space to sin within us (Rom. 6:2-7, 12). And of course John clarified that if we do fall short, then ‘believing’ means that we will honestly repent of our faults and be forgiven and renewed in spirit (I Jn. 1:9). Now if we agree and comply with these terms of true faith in Christ, then we can and will be partakers of his victory over sin, affliction, sickness, and everything else up to and including death; because we are literally in him, and he has overcome these things. Jesus clearly said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (Jn. 11:25,26).

So if we really believe that we will be delivered from death itself, what would hinder us from overcoming any and every kind of obstacle that comes our way while we’re alive here? God has made a living making a way for his people where there absolutely and positively is no way, even as he did for the children of Israel when he opened up the Red Sea before them and allowed them to cross through the sea on dry land. The old and new testament scriptures alike proclaim that we are healed of all physical affliction through faith in the stripes that Jesus took on our behalf (Isa. 53:5; I Pet. 2:24). In time of famine God fed Elijah at the brook Cherith with meat from ravens twice daily, and water from the brook (I Kin. 17:1-6). When the brook dried up God sent him to a gentile woman who had just enough food left for one meal for her and her son, and God multiplied that food daily so that both they and Elijah were sustained until the famine was ended (I Kin. 17:7-16). In the days of Elisha a widow of a prophet was strapped with a debt and the threat of losing her two sons as bondmen. God multiplied from one vessel of oil that the woman had into many vessels of oil with which she was able to pay the debt and also sustain her sons and herself in their lives (II Kin. 4:1-7). Friend, the point is, if we can comply with God’s terms of believing on his Son, then we simply do not have to accept defeat on any level in this life. Period! I think that is just the best news I can possibly think of! In fact, if we expect to be “accounted worthy to obtain that [glory] world, and the resurrection from the dead,” then we must learn to not accept defeat in anything; because we have been called to be “more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Lk. 20:35; Rom. 8:37). I know that it sometimes looks and feels like defeat is eminent, and that there simply is no way to get past something in our way. I’ve been there and done that more times than I can remember, and it is supposed to seem that way, so that our faith can be tried and proven, and we can be established in the faith (I Pet. 4:12; I Pet. 5:10). But we are called to “walk by faith, not by sight” (II Cor. 5:7). Just hold your ground my friend, and refuse to let Satan steal what God has allotted to you, regardless of his empty, lying threats (Jn. 10:10). God has appointed you to be the king of your hill for his glory. Amen.

OH LORD HELP ME TO LIVE BY FAITH!