BONDAGE OF UNBELIEVE

Exodus 6:6. Accordingly, say to the Israelites, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will free you from their bondage, and I will rescue you with an outstretched arm [with special and vigorous action] and by mighty acts of judgment. 7.And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that it is I, the Lord your God, Who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8.And I will bring you into the land concerning which I lifted up My hand and swore that I would give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage. I am the Lord [you have the pledge of My changeless omnipotence and faithfulness]. 9.Moses told this to the Israelites, but they refused to listen to Moses because of their impatience and anguish of spirit and because of their cruel bondage.

The hard times and difficulties of life if not properly checked can begot a serious bondage of unbelieve. This situation births to:

1. Impatience.

2. Anguish of spirit.

We have to be careful and always alert in the spirit so that when the Lord sends His word to us, we will be able to receive it, accept it, and believe it.The message that Moses brought to them was an answer from the Lord to their cry for redemption and relieve from the bondage of the Egyptian. The message was to cause them to enter into rest prepared by the Almighty.

The bondage of unbelieve born inside of their spirits was heavier than the physical bondage on their lives. This hindered them from believing the word of God of their deliverance and entering into rest.The bondage couldn’t allow them to mix the word with faith, Hebrew 4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

Many are times that the Lord’s visitation finds us heavily and tightly held down by impatience and spiritual anguish because of the hardships, trying times, difficulties, ‘delayed’ response or visitation, disappointments and discouragements. At that point we are unable to receive the redeeming grace being released to us.

It’s paramount to keep your life on check.

GENESIS OF PRAYER

Also expressed as ‘Calling upon the Name of the LORD’.
Gen 4: 26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.

Primary Responsibility of Man.
Man was not created by God to pray; in other words, to call upon Him. Instead, God created man to exercise the ‘God-ness‘ authority and Dominion over all creation; Created for stewardship, Genesis 1: 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.

God put all that He had created subject to man for stewardship which was the primary and principal responsibility of man: well demonstrated in the naming of the beasts and the fowl of the air, Genesis 2:19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. This is stewardship where Adam was giving identity to every beast and bird that God created.
The highest level of worship I have seen in life so far, is exercising stewardship over the creation. Stewardship was and still is the epitome of worship that man can give to God. It is the exemplary exceptional manifestation of the mature Sons of the kingdom to the earnestly expectant creation, Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

Worship is when we shelve our ideas, desires, passion and mission etc, in order to seek to please one who is greater than us- That is God, greater than the greatest that we have heard of or seen, and sovereign than to whom power and authority have been bequeathed by all nations of the earth.

How better can we do this than exercising stewardship.

Spirit’s Longing
The separation that occured between God and man when man sinned was the separation that made the spirit of man unaware or no longer awakened to the presence of God and fellowship of our spirits with God {His presence}. The spirit of man through disobedience became veiled to the presence of God; hence, disassociated with and from the constant consistent fellowship with the Triune God {The Holy Trinity- God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit}. Genesis 3: 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
The ‘spirit of man’ was driven out and sent out of the constant consistent fellowship with God which was happening in the garden, East of Eden. This was a physical and geographic place here on Earth and not imaginary place in the Space!!

The garden was a divinely conceived place for constant consistent fellowship of man with God . The place belonged to man; a gift from God as a place of communion with Him. The disobedience of man resulted to the dismemberment of man from the divinely conceived place, and from the constant consistent communion with the Divinity. Man was created as a member of the Fellowship; one who was visible and physically present steward of the Creation, acting and propagating the vision of God in the full capacity as God, Genesis 1: 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all b the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

This dismemberment of the spirit of man from the Fellowship did not go down well with him in the long-run. The spirit of man that God Created in His likeness and image; for He himself is Spirit began to yearn for the fellowship with God. Just as human being will naturally long to be among other human beings and not beasts and birds; the longing of a human or animal is after it’s kind. Henceforth, the spirit of a man longs after the Spirit of God { Fellowship with God Himself}. The response of man to this longing was to call upon the name of the Lord. Genesis 4: 26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord. Hallelujah, what a response.

This was the genesis of prayer or praying, which was a response of man to the inner longing for the Fellowship with God. The genesis of prayer was not founded or birthed on the basis of troubling times and new problematic hard to earn lifestyle that Adam and his generation were experiencing!!! Rather, it was a response to the longing in their spirits for fellowship with God. The premises of prayers should not be our needs and the perpetual response to our unfortunate experiences; prayers should preliminarily be a response to the yearning of the spirit to be in fellowship with God.

When prayer is a response to the spirit’s longing for fellowship with God, then our needs and desires are supplied for…that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, Romans 9:23… As our spirits re-member in Communion with God. It’s only on this premise of understanding, that we are able to enter into rest regardless of what we are currently experiencing. Our needs should not be the principal reason why we call on God; instead, they ought to be very secondary to the primary cause which is to Fellowship with God; He knows what we need and even the un-expressed desire.
When prayer is the expression of the desire for Communion with God, it principally becomes an expression of confidence in God. Fellowship with God breeds confidence and great trust in Him. A man constantly consistent in Communion with God is a man at rest, and subsequently with great confidence in God. If and when needs are the propeller in a man to call upon the name of the Lord, he lives in great frustration and discouragement. Man’s greatest need is the need in his spirit for fellowship with God and when this need is not met or prevailed and superceded by the natural needs {material}, man plummets into great frustration… But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you, Matthew 6:33…the Words of Jesus. The radar and timer that guids the seeker of the Kingdom is the spirit in the seeker and not structure and programs… O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water, Psalm 63:1. This is how David expressed the longing in his spirit, even in his predicaments in the wilderness of Judah.

Frustration in prayer is a fruit or symptom of unfulfilled spiritual longing for Communion with God. Though the natural needs may be supplied, this will never substitute the longing of the spirit; thus, you may encounter a loaded man with wealth, a nice family and great achievements yet very much frustrated and restless. Rest by essence is not a place (destination) or an achievement; it is a product of Communion of our spirits with God. It is the evidence of the presence of God in a man, Exodus 33:14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

My prayer for you is that your prayers and praying be a response to your spirit’s longing for Communion with God; your spirits’ originator. AMEN

SPIRITUAL COGNISANCE

SPIRITUAL COGNISANCE

Cognisance definition: Awareness, Realization, or Knowledge; Notice/Acknowledge; Perception:

Spiritual cognisance has to do with the ability to acknowledge with tounderstanding of the intent of the unusual presence of Yahweh our God. He is Jehovah Omnipresent; present at all time in all places, but not manifest at all times. That’s why it’s paramount to have a high affinity of Spiritual cognisance of Him in the Divine visitations or manifestations. The Spirit of God in us witnesses to our spirits (Rom 8:16) when these moments of visitation happen in our lives, ministry, working space, jobs etc, thus He is called our helper.
Spiritual cognisance is the interplay between the spirit of a man and the Spirit of God in a man. The is that link we ought to work on continually and relentlessly. In as much as the Spirit of God is witnessing of the visitation, our spirit has to be in sync with the Spirit of God to receive the witness. The disposition of our spirits with respect to the witness of the Spirit of God determines our spiritual cognitivity of His unusual presence or manifestation. Matthew records an account of Jesus Christ visiting Gennessaret:
Matt 14: 35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick,
36 and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.
God’s Visitation is a two way encounter; He visits you and in-return you recognize His presence. Divine visit is never a visitation unless/until there is recognition of His presence. Spiritual cognitive is key is every visitation or encounter with the Lord Almighty; I love referring Him as, ‘The Ever Presently Present God.’ The readiness of Christ to reveal The Father to us is ever beyond our preparedness to accommodate Him in many instances of our lives. This dictates how much we are committed to working on our spiritual cognitive. Abraham mastered His desires and spiritual alertness so well so that he detected the presence of the Lord among the three men passing by his tent.
Genesis 18:1 Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,
3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.
It is our sole responsibility to work on the link between our spirit and the Spirit of God. The fineness of the link dependent on:

1. Our commitment to seeking God:– (But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29). It’s important to have a commitment to seek God. The more seek Him, the more our spirits become alert and aware of His presence. (Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Isaiah 55:6). God is not revealed to those who are not waiting on Him. Our waiting is not dictated by lengthy prayers and fasts; but the expectations of Him in our hearts.
2. Our sincerity and genuineness in seeking Him:– (You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. James 4:3). The sincerity of seeking Him is the first witness of our prayers and supplication at the Highest throne. Our sincerity and genuineness in wanting Him and endowment with power will testify for or against us before Him. (“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! Joshua 24:14).
3. Our consistency in fellowship with Him and with one another:– (And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Genesis 5:24). Fellowship with God is a deliberate thing that we do without coaction. We choose to remain in communion with Him until it is testified of us that in Him we live, move and have our being. Many are living by their means and by the time they are called home or the tent is unpegged, they are perfectly exhausted. A man in fellowship consistent fellowship with God is a revitalized man- But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; Isa 40:31.Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, Psalm 92:13,14.
4. The indwelling fear of God in us:– (Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble. Proverbs 3:34). The proud He will overthrow and humble them, and the humble He will exalt. This kind of exaltation is not the earthly exaltation as so understood, but the elevation to the disposition of understanding Mysteries of the kingdom of God. It is the elevation to the realm of the knowledge of God. Proud men get wealth and become rich but mystery of the knowledge of Him is the heritage of the humble.

The link should not be mastered by our selfish desires, or subject to fleshly ambitions, pressures of life and pleasures of living as though we have already arrived. The only luxury that we have in this side of eternity is the breath that we breath every second and not luxury of time; every breath should be a reminder that you have task to accomplish and an instruction to heed to; hence, you ought to be alert.Dr. Luke in his gospel records in chapter 19 the account of Jesus entertaining Jerusalem where He would be condemned and; 41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”The men in Jerusalem had been mastered by the Roman lordship and this changed their expectation of their delivery as a savior to a deliverer who would redeem them from the Roman lordship. Their priests and scribes were even worse; their spirituality was subject to legalism and commandments of men; they taught this commandments as doctrine which was an inhibitory to acknowledgement of a savior born in their midst; And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.` Mark 7:7). Sometimes hardships and tough times may overwhelme you but do not allow them to hinder your spiritual cognisance. They should not overshadow your sincerity and genuineness in seeking God, neither your commitment and consistency in seeking Him, nor be your detractor from walking in the fear of God. Do not be mastered by your desires and earthly whims, that you forget to work on your Spiritual cognitivity. AMEN. Shalom!!

CHRISTIAN MANNERISMS

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Acts 2:

46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Principles of obtaining favour with all men as believers are in the Christian mannerisms!! It all circumspect how we converse with one another irrespective of the forces working contrary to purposes of our Koinonia.
The apostles together with the disciples of the first church were committed to various conducts around one another, but there are these that stood/stands out as cannons that cemented their favour that they were constantly and incredibly increasing.
They had a mannerism that was consistent with the purpose set before them. They-:

1. Continued daily with one accord: Anyone who overlooks and underestimates unity is doomed to destruction. Psalm 133. God’s blessing among His people abides and flows along/in the bonds of oneness.
2. Broke bread from house to house (Unconditional fellowship with one another): The strongest bond between men is only instilled/captivated in fellowship (Koinonia). The Apostles observed this religiously until non had his own-thing, but everything was everyone’s.
3. Ate their bread with gladness and singleness/simplicity of heart: A complex/proud family no matter how organized it is or can be will not attract favour. The Apostles and the disciples of the first church walked in great humility which should be the manner of believers. No matter how much sophisticated our hardware of ministry and its congregations are, this cannon is central to obtaining favour.
4. Praising God: When all is said and done, forget not to ascribe praises and honour to God. Divers achievements should not overshadow the grace of God neither His centrality in our exploits. Do not be carried away by great exploits and forget the God of the great exploits. When He is exalted in our midst, He will invite many into the praise of His people… “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

When the mannerism of a believer is contrary to the God given purpose, there will be obscurity on the believer and they become repellant to favour with God and men.
Let our mannerism be a reflection of the purpose of God as the body of Christ and the world we dread stepping into will come to us for a saving.

Hallelujah to God.

BEACONS OF DOCTRINE

How we relate with the Holy Trinity is doctrinally personal though the church is a corporate body- the body of Christ; (And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:22-23|NKJV). You don’t become a son in God by association with believers or observation of Christian liturgy. The relationship is anchored on the Holy scriptures -Logos and the revelation through the Holy Spirit -Rhema. One has to appreciate both the Logos and the Rhema- Logos as the pure breath of God- Prov 30:5 “Every word of God is pure;” 2 Tim 3: 16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”. That suffices for a man to relate with God through the written Word of God knowing that it was authored by Him through His Spirit ministering to men as inspiration in divers ways.
The teaching and the doctrine of Christ is not primarily based on revelation; it is founded on the written Word in which hidden is wisdom and knowledge that is revealed to us bit by bit; The backbone of any revelation that points to the Divinity is the Logos. Not all revelation points to the Divinity since some will point on issues in life and others to actions and things we need to do for life and existence as human- Words of wisdom. It’s important to note that Logos alone is not enough to produce a perfect man, neither the Rhema- the proceeding Word of God; we need both for edification and teaching to produce a perfect man. Jesus when responding to the Enemy in the wilderness of temptation, He said, “But He answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. ” Matthew 4:4|NKJV. This quote is more than the physical bread and the word we hear; it is figurative and symbolical language: The word ‘living’ is not reference to physical existence, but the means or system through which believes and doctrine are curved out. On the other hand, the ‘bread ‘represent the Written Scriptures while the ‘The Word that proceeds’ is the Rhema.

• Living by the bread alone:- Is assuming the Logos alone as it is as the system through which teaching and doctrines are founded. Believes are based and revolve around the written Word without any allowance to the interpretation of meaning through the Holy Spirit. This produces a legalistic system of believe and practices. Legalistic system is like flesh without blood.
• Living by the Proceeding Word from the mouth of God:- Is adopting the word that is coming to us by the Spirit of God which is the Rhema. Teaching and Doctrine cannot be based on revelation alone without the written word since the Written word is the mirror of the Rhema. A ministry tha whose system of believe and doctrine is founded on revelations alone will become a house of diviners and spiritists. When the Enemy knows that you do not reflect revelation and words of wisdom in the light of the Written word, he will creep in and establish a throne in your midst. This Apostle Paul affirms the position of the Scripture in our lives “as profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instructions in righteousness”.
  We need to exercise our spiritual lives to maintain a balanced lifestyle of living by the bread and the proceeding Word from God through His Spirit. We will strick the balance when our systems and teaching and curving of doctrine is based both on the Logos and commitment to listening what the Spirit is saying in the present times; while believing and acting in obedience to that voice in light of the Scriptures.
  Our relationship with God as a Father is dependent on our understanding of the manner in which He has come to us. Relating with God as a Father is primarily personal, revelatory and dictated by our acceptance of His Fatherhood over us. There are Believers who, though being born again, they are unable to see and receive God as a Father. It’s paramount to understand that God has not imposted His Fatherhood over anybody. Instead, He “sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying, Abba Father” Galatians 4:6b. The Spirit of His son is what makes a difference in us in the way and pattern of our relationship with God. This scripture remains as a rhyme and well sounding phrase until one receives the revelation that enlightens our understanding- the Rhema is the breath of God that gives fresh life and understanding to the Logos.
  receiving His Son, we receive the Spirit who adopts us into the Fatherhood of God. “And because you are sons” Galatians 4: 6a; If one be a son then there has to be a father; hence, we being sons of God, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John 1:12|NKJV”, He is our Father because we received His Son who gave us the right (authority, power) to become sons of God. This understanding of God as a Father is vital in preparing us to allow His exercise Fatherhood authority over us. We are at liberty to allow God to discipline us or not. Mark this, allowing God to exercise Fatherhood authority over us means you are able to positively and obediently relate with His corrections and re-direction. “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?” Hebrews 12:6-9|NKJV.
  This portion clearly illustrates that God is our Father and thus He treats us as His sons. We became sons of God through His Son Jesus Christ in whom we are adopted into the Fatherhood of God, and for that reason, we are legitimate sons and He exercises authority to chastise us. Hence, reading this scriptures without the receiption of the revelation is futile. As we believe in this Word and exercise our spirits in waiting on the Lord, we receive the rhema in respect to this scripture; the life in this word that births the Father- son relationship. The understanding of God as a Father completes the knot of the relationship. We are perfectly known to God as His sons but our knowledge of Him as our Father is a progressive revelation.
  This understanding is important for a believer lest he/she views and relates with God as a commander and Judge yet even in His unmatched sovereignty, He is a Father to us. It is for us to have this revelation through His Spirit who in us cries out ‘Abba’ (Which means Father)
  The revelation and understanding of Christ as The Son (The Son of God) is of equal breath of importance. He was acknowledged by God (His Father) as ‘My Son’. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17|NKJV. Before He was Jesus Christ, He was and is the Son of God. Christ appears before God as The Son. This name Son is not a title of identification but the position of Him in the Trinity.
  The mention or declaration of Christ as ‘Son’ is not of words and context contention in a Christian’s life. It is a matter of Spiritual consciousness with respect to our relationship with Him (Christ). Christ completion of the work and ascension back to His glorious throne did not change the manner and way He was given to the world by God the Father. He was sent as ‘a Son’ and we need to abide in that understanding consciously for the purpose of correct and accurate doctrine. “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6|NKJV). We do not relate with Him as ‘a child’ (one who is immature and untrained) but as to ‘a Son’ (perfected in wisdom and knowledge) because He is of and from God.
  In conclusion, Calling God ‘Father’ and Jesus Christ ‘Son’ is a matter of relationship with Holy trinity and Spiritual consciousness through the ministration of the Spirit in us.

EXPELLING ANXIETY

Philippians 4: 6 Be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and minds through Christ Jesus.

Anxiety-: A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with uncertain outcome.
-: A strong desire or concern to do something or for something to happen.

When we are anxious about something, it ceases from arousing necessary concerns in us to becoming fearful and exasperated. There is a degree of concern that is allowed for every situation that will help to perpetuate soberness, commitment, integrity and diligence in the expected process and outcome. This kind of concern is backed by the fear of God.

Paul tells the church at Philippi to exercise their minds not to worry about anything but rather, in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving to make their requests known to God. In other words, advance from being excessively concerned about everything; about your lives, families, ministries and careers. By so doing, you will open the gate to your hearts and minds for the peace of God – the Shalom that keeps our hearts and minds from the spiritual pollutants. In contrary doing, you are unable to experience the peace of God to your hearts and minds. By anxiety, you lock out the peace of God that has been given expeditiously to guard your hearts and your thoughts – your minds – your thought process and will the mind that need the peace of God through Christ Jesus.

There is only one way to know the peace of God – by expelling anxiety. Anxiety is vice that frustrates the advance of the peace of God toward humanity. It stands between as a barrier, that our hearts regardless of how much we love God, will never experience that peace. Though we may resolve in our minds to seek after God, when anxiety is detected, that terminates the progress of accessing the peace of God to our minds. The peace of God is a shield that guards our minds from the influence by the statutes and canons of the world. When our minds are exposed from the shield, one who was an ardent Christian starts to conform to the world.
When we are confronted in our hearts by concerns, it’s a perfect time to respond to the concerns through prayer and supplication in the Spirit. When responding to anxiety we need to be careful not to trade on the isle of fear and pity petting but navigate through the realms in the Spirit to the coffers of the peace of God. Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints–. The Spirit helps us to navigate and soar higher above the ripples of anxiety. Prayer and supplication are the pedestal upon which our eyes are lifted to the mountains – the reservoirs of the Shalom. The strength to our mind is accessible through prayer in the Spirit as it experiences the renewal. Ephesians 4:23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. When the spirit of our mind is renewed, it is empowered to conceive the mind of God for us.

The shrine of praying in the Spirit is ‘with’ thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the modesty and paradigm in which we present our request to our God. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. When we depart from this mannerism as Christians, we miss out on accessing the peace of God. It’s more than peace that we access; as we are able to expel anxieties besides exposing our minds to the mind of God. Our prayers and supplications are wrapped in thanksgiving. Making our requests known to God without thanksgiving is like going out in the savannas for a hunting spree without the arc. You may have the means but lack what it takes. Our prayers are like arrows. They are shot at a call – when we fight our battles – and these arrows are propelled by thanksgiving. No matter how noxious your arrows are, without the arc which is thanksgiving you will go home empty, confounded, and defeated. Thanksgiving is the premise of launching offensive attacks to the gates of the enemy.

Anxiety is a spiritual battle that is focused to the heart. The enemy wants to keep the hearts of men occupied with anxiety such that no one will have time to express their petitions and supplications to God. The devil knows that any battle outside the heart of a man, he has no chances to triumph. That’s why we need to guard our hearts with all diligence, Pro 4:23, Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Anxiety will never allow anything good to flow from the heart – be on the look-out and guard your heart.

Lord Help us in Jesus name. AMEN.

TICK-TOCK

THE HOUR ARM IS ABOUT TO STOP.
I would like to leave this here friends. A portion of scripture that gripped my heart some time back as with cold hands on the account of thinking how brief this breath we have can be. Men and women say that life can be cruel at time but I choose a different vine of perception as far as life is concerned. In light of this scripture, life happens within the parameters of God’s righteousness to all. What makes the difference between those who have a life account full of #life while another account is full of lifeless works and achievement is these:
Eccl 9: 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
11 I returned and saw under the sun that– The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.
12 For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.

Do not be caught up in the evil that is in this side of eternity. Evil has no power to rule but only if man offers to be a medium or a carrier around. This breath that we have is too brief compared to the timeless time in glorious eternity. We need to keep a conscious soul that is tuned to the works of righteousness that are given to us. When I reflect on how short time on this side of eternity can be and infact it is, I find it expedient of a man to fill his account with #life. Life goes beyond the termination of this temporal tent…. A good man leaves an inheritance to his children`s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. Prov 13:5,22|NKJV.
The best inheritance that a man can leave behind that will live beyond his time and still accounted for him/her in eternity are the works of righteousness. An inheritance of estates and flocks is not to last for generations and beyond; it will be transferred from your name to a stranger and that’s the end of your memory. We do not know much about the life and estates of generals like Martin Luther, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa… You can mention them better than I can, but here is the point; their accounts that were heavily loaded with works full of life and ‘righteousness’ (allow me to use the quote in quote) are presently modeling lives and ministries across the world. That’s an inheritance we are talking about. One that will outlive hundreds of generations. Even though we know and are assured that God will satisfy us with a long life, yet, we ought to Live as though it were our last moments friend.

Covid-19 has taught me/us though not fast hand or directly that life ought to be done Making most of every chance and opportunity given to us “Whatever (our) hands finds to do, (we)do it with (our) might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where (we) are going… To do the works of grace and mercy; works of righteousness in our place of assignment. There is no other time to change the course that your life has taken for years which is not in coherence with the purposes of God but now. There is no other better or best time to right the wrongs that we are witnessing and some we facilitate than now. We were all created for glorious works. Do it and be free from the inside out friend. Tick-tock tick-tock, ticking-tocking and on and on and time is out.

Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come and heal our land. As you heal our land, heal our lives and restore unto us the joy of salvation. The jubilation in the knowledge of your will that you may teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom in our lives. May our hearts be turned towards you with our countenance not covered in shame but in the boldness of the forgiveness of our sins and the assurance of your loving-kindness. In your goodness Lord, remember us in Jesus name. Amen.

THE FRINGE

The reminder of the covenant and the laws.
Numbers 15:38-41
[38]Speak to the Israelites and bid them make fringes or tassels on the corners in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and put upon the fringe of the borders or upon the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.
[39]And it shall be to you a fringe or tassel that you may look upon and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, that you may not spy out and follow after [the desires of] your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to follow and play the harlot [spiritually, if not physically],
[40]That you may remember and do all My commandments and be holy to your God.
[41]I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.
The Israelites failed to keep the commandments and committed harlotry not because they didn’t have a reminder, but because they were inclined to worldliness. They were easily enticed into the ways of the foreign nations around them.
See, “And it shall be to you a fringe or tassel that you may look upon and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them”; they moved about with a reminder of their covenant and consecration. This was a physical mark that would not result to spiritual transformation of a people sold out to their fleshy desires. Transformation of a man comes with the knowledge of God as we encounter His glory. As we behold the glory of God, we are transfigured into his image.
2 Cor 3:18
[18]And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.
The Spirit of God is the enabler of the transformation of a man. Without the Spirit of God, man will remain a stiff necked being unable to please God. The tassel was to help the children of Israel and even the strangers among them, to remember the laws and obey them. It was a mirror of a better thing that God would do to humanity; the giving of a life companion to everyone who believe. One who will reside in the inside and not physically attached on our physical garments; rather, one who will abound in the inside, an enabler in obeying the voice of the Lord. He is a spiritual tassel or fringe that reminds us of all things we have heard. He teaches us the hidden things bringing them to our understanding and knowledge as a messanger of the Lord to our Spirits;
John 14:26
[26]But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

What we receive in the new covenant is more the a hanging string on a garment.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10
[9]But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed].
[10]Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny].
If we remain unchanged or untransformed yet we testify to be christians, we have no reason or argument to stand as a defense for this status. It’s a clear indicator of a people who do not believe; who have rejected the power and the glory of the gospel- Christ the express image of God and have chosen the world. They are spiritual legalistic; a religious people who do not subscribe to the power of the gospel that saves and transform.
2 Corinthians 4:4
[4]For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God.
Being in church does not mean that the enemy has no access to you! The Wall of truth and our genuine relationship is what keeps us out of reach of him. The moment unbelieve clips into our hearts, it’s an enough breach on this wall and the enemy will come in like a flood. Satan can be so close, yet too far from you: “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Matthew 4:3″. Jesus being the Son of God did not prevent satan from tempting Him! The church will not keep satan away from blindfolding you. Only the truth will establish the wall. It is impossible to behold this transfiguring glory while the eyes are blinded. Our consistency and insistency in beholding this glory is what sets us apart in degrees of transformation in glory. There are worldly aspects of humanity that will fade away immediately after a man get born again. At the first gaze upon His glory and those specs of adam will disappear; yet there are those that will linger for a long time and only vanish and fade away as we continue beholding His glory. Though the children of Israel beheld at the fringe on their garment, it didn’t transform them. The fringe was a reminder but not the power and truth; the power and truth was in them but they didn’t mix it with believe. When power and truth of the gospel meets with believe in a man, the results is transformation and transfiguration of the man’s image. Our transfigured image does not appear to men but before God.
It’s good to understand that we are responsible of the rapidness of our transformation. We are not like plants which entirely depends on the soil properties and the geographical weather for their productivity; the responsibility of growth and transformation into the image of Christ squarely depends on us. Henceforth, we need to make up our minds to have a steady gaze at Him. The gospel is the mirror of His glory and the only power that will transform a man. We can increase the rapidness of our transformation by remaining steady in reflecting our spirituality against the gospel which is the manifest glory of Christ. Us we behold Him, He is revealed to us and we are imparted with His knowledge; we are exposed to the understanding of the make up of Christ into which we ought to conform.
Colossians 3:10
[10]And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it.
You know what! The struggle is real but we have a tassel that is indwelling in us to help us; The Spirit of truth; the Holy Spirit of God. We do not only have a reminder of all things, but also a helper in all things. He will make sure that as long us we abide in Him, we are transfigured into the heavenly glory. Hallelujah.

HEARING CAPACITY.

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. Mark 4:33|NKJV.
Our capacity to hear the word of the Lord determines the level, amount and weight of the revelation that Christ through the Holy Spirit ministers to us. Hearing is the receiving a voice with understanding of the message or instructions therein. The higher the capacity in us to hear the word, the deeper and greater is the release of the Spirit of God to us. Jesus spoke to his listeners to the ability of their hearing. Hearing capacity can be a limitition to the extent ministry is released from the Spirit of God.
“1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. 1 Cor 3”
The church in corinth was ailing big-time; they had not developed the capacity to understand the word and produce the substance of the Spirit in the word spoken to them by Paul. This restrained the ministry of Paul to them even though he was living spring among them. When a person or a church is incapacitated in hearing, there is great limitation in the ministration of the spirit. Inability to hear is like a locked valve in the fountain of the rhema word.
Receiving the voice with discretion is sign of maturity in spirituality. Our hearing maturity is demonstrated in our transformational response to the voice of God. This hearing by our spirits determines how ‘much Spirit of God we receive, of the season of that word’. The spirit of a season is carried or harboured in the rhema word sent to us.
“Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. Amos 3:7|NKJV. The Lord will send His word to the prophet; one who is disposed in the Spirit to listen and understand the mind and the purposes God: This office is given life by functioning in grace. When the prophet or a servant of God speaks this word, he releases the Spirit of God for the season. Those matured in hearing prospers in the Spirit released. :…Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper. 2 Chro 20:20.” The words spoken are spirit. Everytime the word of God is released in it’s entirety and accuracy, there is an immense release of the Spirit and life of God into the spirits of the listeners. Whether they are believers or unbelievers, the release of the Spirit and life is not hampered. “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63”. The miracle of the Spirit and life in the word is bridged by our capacity to hear; believing that word W/holily. Those who believe produce the substance of the Spirit of God in that word in it’s season.
Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. Acts 16:14. The disposition of our hearts to the word of God is key in how God responds to our yearning. This woman Lydia a seller of purple; trading in a rare or precious marchandis in the city… She must have been a rich woman yet a worshipper of God. What a disposition. She heard Paul’s message and the Lord responded by opening her heart to heed the words. The Lord opened her heart to be able to bridge to the Spirit and life in the words spoken by Paul.

Prayer:
Father may you increase the hearing capacity in us to hear the voice in your word. May we hear your will for us in every word that you speak to us. May our spirits be tuned to transformatinal response to your word that we may receive the Spirit and Life that you give through your word. Help us to work on the disposition of our hearts that you may have room to open our hearts to heed to your word in Jesus name. Blessed be your name forever more. Amen.

THE SANCTUARY

A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary Jeremiah 17:12
A glorious throne:– One that is attractive, full of glory and great magnificent; adorable and worth of reverence. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. (Psalms 139:14-15
Exalted from beginning:- Placed as a standard measure of godly pattern. Set as a template to give order to every other throne, domain or creation. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28|NKJV

This is the place and the dimension of operation of the sanctuary of Christ. The sanctuary is the doctrine of Christ. The sanctuary is the place of worship- the consecrated place for sacrifice to the Most High God. The doctrine of Christ is what sets us apart to become a holy sanctuary to our Lord. We are the pattern that demonstrates the doctrine of Christ.“… in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, (Titus 2:7|NKJV).
When we totally submit to the doctrine of Christ, we become a sanctuary to our God. You are a sanctuary to what you have submitted and devoted your allegiance to; a wicked man is a sanctuary of demons. A righteous man is a sanctuary of the Divinity-The holy trinity.
The intensions of God for us is to be a glorious throne, and one that is operating in its place as a standard measure of a pattern of righteousness in the earth. Our place is already appointed and we are not contending for it. We only need to submit to the doctrine of Christ and become a pattern of the order. We are not to contend to be manifested; the Lord has choosen a high place for us- His sanctuary where the earth that earnestly wait will see and gather for salvation, “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19|NKJV)”. This high place is called righteousness. Righteousness is the ‘mountain’ of revelation or manifestation of the pattern of the Son of God. The pattern that will bring order in the systems of the world. He is not worldly yet He has power over the worldly system that are there to serve His heritage.
The world ought to look at the sanctuary and build after the pattern displayed. But how will it if the appointed people to become a sanctuary are not submitted and totally sold to the doctrine of Christ!!? If we are to become a pattern to the world that is worth using as a template, then we have to become servants to the doctrine of Christ. The choosen people might end up being a dark shadow in the earth instead of a city on a Hill. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. (Matthew 5:14|NKJV)”.

Lord help us to become a perfect sanctuary to you. Amen.