“How can someone be led by the Spirit? Must I hear an audible voice to be sure? I would not want to miss the road at all.” Being led by the spirit is not all about hearing voices, there are several ways God communicates with His people. “What do you mean?” Take for instance how we communicate on a day to day basis; is it only when you see me and hear my voice that you know it is I? Apart from hearing me speak face to face I could phone, send a text, email you, write a letter, or send a messenger. “Any of them could be faked!” Hah! But you are correct. You could always check if those are consistent with my character, and with what I had earlier said. “Please explain further.”
Luke 2 is rich in God’s leading. See how Joseph was led to Bethlehem to fulfil the birthplace prophecy about Jesus: a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be registered. Joseph, too, went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem… While they were there, the time came for her to have her baby Lk 2:1, 4, 6(ISV). Obeying constituted authority thus was being led of God’s spirit. It’s the same way Saul was led to Samuel and David to Goliath.
In consistency at your duty post you are also led. “How?” Those shepherds were on duty when the angel met them. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, watching their flock during the night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them Lk 2:8, 9 (ISV). “I’d love to hear the angelic voices and see the visions but am afraid of error.” Good for you; God has more common ways He speaks to us.
When Joseph and Mary took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord Lk 2:22, 23(ISV) they were being led by the spirit to meet Simeon. Obey the scripture’s teachings: that’s being led by the spirit most certainly. “How was Simeon led?” Oh, he was prompted within to go there at that time. Moved by the Spirit, Simeon went into the temple courtyard. Mary and Joseph were bringing the child Jesus into the courtyard at the same time. Lk 2:27(GW). Anna the prophetess was similarly led Lk 2: 36,-38. Obedience to authority, following the teachings of the bible, angelic visitations, promptings of the spirit; all are equally the leadings of the Spirit.
“How do I avoid error in being prompted within?” Consistently obey the teachings of scripture and constituted authority. You’ll be less likely to err in the courts of promptings and visions; Simeon was practiced in obedience you know. Simeon… was righteous and devout Lk 2:25(ISV).
Sunday 25 December 2011
Friday 23 December 2011
Where is my daughter? Week 51, 2011
Fred is fine brother, regular at the fellowship and willing to do anything asked of him. Even when the numbers in fellowship dropped below 10 you could count on him to be present. He is regularly cheerful and committed to prayer. In fact he was a member of the fellowship’s prayer team. At that time the fellowship had 2 functioning activity groups meeting within the week: evangelism and prayer. Fred was in prayer, and he was constant. During programmes he would do the manual work necessary to make things work.
He worked faithfully at the hospital’s plant house and would have no part with any of the unrighteous works of darkness called sharp practices. Even when his supervising officer would dream up a plan to raise money by false declarations through the plant house and generator Bro Fred was a constant stumbling block to such plans; needless to say he and his job had been threatened more than once. On a number of occasions he had brought such incidents for prayer. In the course of interacting with him and listening to him his inner burden was made known: he had a missing grown up daughter.
It was a painful thing for him to discover his over 17 year old daughter was missing. And she had been gone for over a year. A neighbour had threatened to deal with Fred, and now Fred was sure through diabolical means that man was responsible for her continued disappearance. He’d resorted to fire for fire. Fight my enemies, LORD! Attack my attackers! Shield me and help me. Aim your spear at everyone who hunts me down, but promise to save me. Let all who want to kill me be disappointed and disgraced. Chase away and confuse all who plan to harm me. Send your angel after them and let them be like straw in the wind. Make them run in the dark on a slippery road, as your angel chases them. I did them no harm, but they hid a net to trap me, and they dug a deep pit to catch and kill me. Surprise them with disaster! Trap them in their own nets and let them fall and rot in the pits they have dug. I will celebrate and be joyful because you, LORD, have saved me. Ps 35:1-9 (CEV)
Bro Harcourt (then fellowship president) gently rebuked him, urging him to forgive and telling him things would change when he stops praying in such a manner. Reluctantly at first, but gradually he stopped praying in that way. Weeks passed, months went by and nothing seemed to happen. But he held on in faith, convinced God would hear his prayer and return his daughter. Then one day news came from the police that someone fitted the description of his daughter and was searching for her father. Could it be true? He followed it up, and lo it was true! After over 2 years she that was lost had been found. Whole, healthy, and intact.
Bro Fred has since retired from the National Orthopaedic Hospital
He worked faithfully at the hospital’s plant house and would have no part with any of the unrighteous works of darkness called sharp practices. Even when his supervising officer would dream up a plan to raise money by false declarations through the plant house and generator Bro Fred was a constant stumbling block to such plans; needless to say he and his job had been threatened more than once. On a number of occasions he had brought such incidents for prayer. In the course of interacting with him and listening to him his inner burden was made known: he had a missing grown up daughter.
It was a painful thing for him to discover his over 17 year old daughter was missing. And she had been gone for over a year. A neighbour had threatened to deal with Fred, and now Fred was sure through diabolical means that man was responsible for her continued disappearance. He’d resorted to fire for fire. Fight my enemies, LORD! Attack my attackers! Shield me and help me. Aim your spear at everyone who hunts me down, but promise to save me. Let all who want to kill me be disappointed and disgraced. Chase away and confuse all who plan to harm me. Send your angel after them and let them be like straw in the wind. Make them run in the dark on a slippery road, as your angel chases them. I did them no harm, but they hid a net to trap me, and they dug a deep pit to catch and kill me. Surprise them with disaster! Trap them in their own nets and let them fall and rot in the pits they have dug. I will celebrate and be joyful because you, LORD, have saved me. Ps 35:1-9 (CEV)
Bro Harcourt (then fellowship president) gently rebuked him, urging him to forgive and telling him things would change when he stops praying in such a manner. Reluctantly at first, but gradually he stopped praying in that way. Weeks passed, months went by and nothing seemed to happen. But he held on in faith, convinced God would hear his prayer and return his daughter. Then one day news came from the police that someone fitted the description of his daughter and was searching for her father. Could it be true? He followed it up, and lo it was true! After over 2 years she that was lost had been found. Whole, healthy, and intact.
Bro Fred has since retired from the National Orthopaedic Hospital
Tuesday 13 December 2011
Ben's testimony Week 50, 2011
It was a dark Wednesday night as I went for the night vigil and was assaulted by a vigilante man. His blow to my eye caused it to start bleeding. I could no longer see. Immediately I cried out “Blood of Jesus protect me from evil men”. I was rescued by another man who listened to my story. My night vigil was spent lying down in prayer bleeding from the eye. You see I had previously been operated on both eyes, and that left one was the good, seeing eye. In the morning I was examined by the ophthalmologist. She mourned at the condition of my eye. It was collapsed, I could not open it, and I could not see with it, I had been bleeding from it. She said “Only God can save the situation now. My taking you to theatre is just a formality.” Later she counseled me that everyone has a cross to bear. I did not argue with her, but convinced blindness is NOT for me cancelled that statement in agreement with my wife.
Brethren came to my aid financially, prayers were offered up by so many on my behalf. The ophthalmologist was seeing me without demanding consultation fees. God gave me a word: Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; that frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; Isa 44:24-26(KJV) I held to it, speaking it into me incessantly day and night.
Since the police became involved in the incident I was to be examined by the police doctor and on the way there 2 months after the incident my eye kept bleeding that the brother with me turned back and said “Only the living pursue cases. Let’s leave the matter”.Sometime later following examination sight had come to the eye. A professor of ophthalmology told me “If what is written on the folder is what happened to your eye then it is impossible for you to see!” Did God not say I am the LORD that maketh all things; that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers? The assailant’s family wanted an out of court settlement, but when we presented a bill of about N200, 000 they balked, and had a lawyer represent them.
Pus and blood were coming intermittently despite all medication; and the vision was unclear. I decided to forgive and informed the police I was no longer interested in the case. My wife had been encouraging this. From then on the vision became clearer and today over 2 years after the incident there is no further discharge or bleeding from the eye and I read with the eye even without the aid of glasses!
Ben lives in Enugu, a printer and prominent member of the FGBMFI
Brethren came to my aid financially, prayers were offered up by so many on my behalf. The ophthalmologist was seeing me without demanding consultation fees. God gave me a word: Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; that frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; Isa 44:24-26(KJV) I held to it, speaking it into me incessantly day and night.
Since the police became involved in the incident I was to be examined by the police doctor and on the way there 2 months after the incident my eye kept bleeding that the brother with me turned back and said “Only the living pursue cases. Let’s leave the matter”.Sometime later following examination sight had come to the eye. A professor of ophthalmology told me “If what is written on the folder is what happened to your eye then it is impossible for you to see!” Did God not say I am the LORD that maketh all things; that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers? The assailant’s family wanted an out of court settlement, but when we presented a bill of about N200, 000 they balked, and had a lawyer represent them.
Pus and blood were coming intermittently despite all medication; and the vision was unclear. I decided to forgive and informed the police I was no longer interested in the case. My wife had been encouraging this. From then on the vision became clearer and today over 2 years after the incident there is no further discharge or bleeding from the eye and I read with the eye even without the aid of glasses!
Ben lives in Enugu, a printer and prominent member of the FGBMFI
Monday 5 December 2011
Everything is double, double Week 49, 2011
“What reward could there be for forgiving others? Isn’t it just If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you. But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins Mat 6:14, 15(CEV) ”. Is that so? What song were you singing? “Everything is double, double. I am believing God for a double portion before the year runs out.” Is that scriptural? “Of course; that happened to Job. All Job's brothers and sisters and former friends came to visit him and feasted with him in his house. They expressed their sympathy and comforted him for all the troubles the LORD had brought on him. Each of them gave him some money and a gold ring. The LORD blessed the last part of Job's life even more than he had blessed the first Job 42:11, 12(GNB). But I thought we are discussing the reward of forgiveness.” We are, we are. Why and when did he get it? Did he do seed faith, did he give to a powerful man of God? “Oh God just compensated him.”
Not quite; there was something he did first: Then, after Job had prayed for his three friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had had before Job 42:10(GNB). At no time did Job ask for a double portion, nor did he have to pray for restoration but he gets twice as much after he interceded for his friends who were so insensitive to him.
“Are you saying asking for a double portion is sinful? Elisha asked and got.” Did you also notice Elisha forgave his enemies when he could have destroyed them? When the king of Israel saw the Syrians, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, sir? Shall I kill them?" "No," he answered. "Not even soldiers you had captured in combat would you put to death. Give them something to eat and drink, and let them return to their king." So the king of Israel provided a great feast for them; and after they had eaten and drunk, he sent them back to the king of Syria. From then on the Syrians stopped raiding the land of Israel2Ki 6:21-23(GNB). You have been desiring promotion and a double portion from God; now you see how to get them. “Just one thing: are you against seed faith and sowing into men of God?” By no means, but Gal 5:6(GNB) teaches: For when we are in union with Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor the lack of it makes any difference at all; what matters is faith that works through love. If you do not forgive you do not love and faith won’t work!
Not quite; there was something he did first: Then, after Job had prayed for his three friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had had before Job 42:10(GNB). At no time did Job ask for a double portion, nor did he have to pray for restoration but he gets twice as much after he interceded for his friends who were so insensitive to him.
“Are you saying asking for a double portion is sinful? Elisha asked and got.” Did you also notice Elisha forgave his enemies when he could have destroyed them? When the king of Israel saw the Syrians, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, sir? Shall I kill them?" "No," he answered. "Not even soldiers you had captured in combat would you put to death. Give them something to eat and drink, and let them return to their king." So the king of Israel provided a great feast for them; and after they had eaten and drunk, he sent them back to the king of Syria. From then on the Syrians stopped raiding the land of Israel2Ki 6:21-23(GNB). You have been desiring promotion and a double portion from God; now you see how to get them. “Just one thing: are you against seed faith and sowing into men of God?” By no means, but Gal 5:6(GNB) teaches: For when we are in union with Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor the lack of it makes any difference at all; what matters is faith that works through love. If you do not forgive you do not love and faith won’t work!
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