Don't drive me me out Week 42, 2011

In Jesus’ name, in JESUS’S name you spirit of darkness leave. I say leave me in Jesus’ name! Why are you struggling and trying to drive me out? You invited me here. Invite you? You have no place in me. OUT I say. Ohh, but I am at home here. At home? There is no fellowship between you and I: For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? 2Co 6:14-16 (ESV) you cannot be at home. You do what I like, you use my methods, practice my craft, send men to where I desire; I am at home. What a laugh. I send men to God’s kingdom and don’t practice your craft. You are a liar and father of lies. There is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie he speaks in character, for he is a liar and the father of lies Jn 8:44(ISV).
You command death on all who offend you. There is no forgiveness in your heart for any enemy. “Pursue them, destroy my enemies! Do not cover up their iniquity, let their light be turned into darkness and blot them from your book.” That is your well established rote. It has led to so many coming over to our side and we rejoice with you. I am at home here I say. How can I be having this discussion with you, I said GET OUT! Why send us away?
Us? There is no us. Unforgiveness has been living here for a long time and whenever and wherever he is established I go also. You can’t separate us. I said you are a liar. I simply pronounce God’s judgement upon sinners. Certainly it is right for God to pay back those who afflict you with affliction 2Th 1:6(ISV). I have no such unforgiving spirit. You talk as if you do not know what you do. Did not Isaiah say of the Holy One of God : yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors Isa 53:12(ESV)? But you do what I want, what we want. You intercede against them and send them to us. I have nothing to do with it. It’s God’s judgements. Did you not know what we said to the Holy One of God when He came against us? " Have you come here to torment us before the time?" Mt 8: 29(ESV). Hah! 2Thess1:7, 10 give the time. Is it time? God! Help me, JESUS! I repent. And the LORD said, "The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?" Zec 3:2(ESV) Alright, alright I gooo.
Will the oppressive spirit attack you too?

Have you been paying tithe? Week 41, 2011

That is what my wife asked me. Things had not been getting along well with us for no reason, as I could see. It got so bad that once about four months ago when my wife was about entering the car I had repaired twice that month, the latch came off on her hands. She wondered aloud what was going on and pointedly asked me if I had been faithfully tithing. I had not.
I became a Christian over 20 years ago and started tithing as soon as I began receiving a salary. I have been quite irregular with the tithe, and it would appear to me things were not going on as expected for a Christian. I had several devourers up my purse. Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you Mal 3:8, 9 (ESV). People would just get sick in the house, and my car just kept breaking down. I would repair it and it would again break down about twice in the month. I had sold land four years ago and received N2.7M from it. My wife asked me to tithe the money but I felt that I should not. I invested N1M of it in bank shares that same year in oceanic, first bank and bank PHB, but now the net worth of those shares is about N200, 000. But I did tell them this, 'Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Live the way I told you to live so that things will go well for you.' Jer 7:23(GW)
I now remembered an incident after my wedding seven years ago which should have taught me the lesson. I had been saving up money for the wedding but when the right bride did not come I used up the money. In short I took loans to wed. After my wedding was owing a friend about a N100,000; when I got my next salary I told myself if I pay my tithe it may not be enough to settle my debt but I conferred with my wife and I decided to pay the tithe . I took the tithe out of the salary and left the remaining money in the house and went to church. I paid my tithe and on coming back to the house discovered thieves have entered my house.
They removed the burglary proof from the wall, broke all the locked wardrobes about four in number ,my heart took a leap as I remembered that I left a big sum at home. My neighbour lamented that the thieves broke his wardrobe and took his money. Lo and behold I checked the my wardrobe and discovered that my money was intact then I knew that as He said in Malachi that when we pay our tithe he will rebuke the devourer for our sake is very true: I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. Mal 3:11, (ESV). My car went to repairs recently, and has remained ok, and my children have stopped being sickly. Coincidence? No. It pays to tithe.
Ifeanyi lives at Trans Ekulu and works at the Orthopaedic Hospital

Abraham's reward Week 40, 2011

“Abraham’s blessings are mine, Abraham’s blessings are mine! I am blessed in the morning, blessed in the evening ...” So what is this blessing you claim so forcefully? “His reward; the LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys Gen 24:35(ESV).”
Was that THE reward? Hummer jeeps, fat accounts, houses... “Wait now, read the next verse: And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has Gen 24:36(ESV). God really rewarded Abraham. What greater blessing than to have children after you who receive the heritage from you?”
That was not the reward God promised. Let’s not see the reward of obedience from the standpoint of things; things gotten from God, and perhaps always in comparison with others. When God promised a reward it was far greater than any thing: After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward Gen 15:1(RV). “I don’t mean to sound disrespectful but this sounds nebulous. What does that translate to in tangible things?” Abraham also wanted tangible things, in fact he said "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Gen 15:2(ESV). Here God offers you Himself, saying “I am your reward”, and you say “What will you give me?” I feel years later God now asked “Is it Me or the child?” and was relieved when Abraham emphatically said “It’s you Lord”. So God now knew Abraham fears God Gen 22:1-12. Unbelievers and sinners can and do have flocks, money, and children after them Mt5:45, but only the righteous have the LORD as their portion. The LORD is my inheritance and my cup. Ps 16:5(GW). Don’t reduce God’s reward to mere things.
“Can one really blame Abraham? We live in a tangible world...” My dear if you have a husband all he has is yours too. Because God was Abraham’s portion his tangible inheritance is the world. “The world?” Yes God promised Abraham and his descendants that he would give them the world Rom 4:13(CEV). So when you claim Abraham’s reward know what you are claiming. “Yes: the whole world!” How slow you are to learn: God Himself. He has given us his promises that are of the highest value. Through these promises you will share in the divine nature because you have escaped the corruption that sinful desires cause in the world.2Pe 1:4(CEV).

The reward of obedience week 39, 2011

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed Gen 12:3(ESV). “My reward shall be plenty, never mind these people who do not know God!” That’s what I used to say. In fact I often compared myself with others in terms of what I have and would feel, “Yes, I deserve this. I have obeyed God more than they have, so I deserve more than they.” So if I do not get material things I feel I have not been rewarded, or if I get what every other person gets I feel unrewarded too. Remember the labourers in the vineyard? When the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each received a denarius as well. When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner Mat 20:10-11(ISV).You think the blessing is only for you and your family? Not at all. The blessing promised Abraham is that he becomes a focal point to bless others, not that he monopolises the blessings.
Indeed the truly blessed man is he through whom all people get blessed. Consider what Laban said to Jacob: "Listen to me. I've learned from the signs I've seen that the LORD has blessed me because of you." Gen 30:27 (GW). Did not Potiphar get blessed because of Joseph? And from the time when he made him overseer and gave him control of all his property, the blessing of the Lord was with the Egyptian, because of Joseph; the blessing of the Lord was on all he had, in the house and in the field Gen 39:5 (BBE). What’s been happening since you have been in charge?
When you look at the reward of Jesus’ obedience it went beyond Him. While it is true He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death--- his death on the cross. For this reason God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name Php 2:8-9(GNB); yet recall Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God Rom 5:19(CEV). The blessing of obedience makes you a giver, an exporter of the same. You become a contact point and cannot hoard it. Jesus himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Act 20:35(ISV).
So how much are people around you being blessed? How about your home? How much profit has your work place since you came? How many souls have come to salvation through your obedience? Or will your own blessing be different? Yet that’s not the fullness of Abraham’s blessing.

Sowing in tears (2) Week 38, 2011

“Why are you crying?” I just sent off my beloved to the NYSC, that battle ground, and the parting hurts. “You should not cry. Are you not convinced it is God’s will?” Leave me, let me express my emotions. You do not understand. “Yes I don’t. When you obey God it should be with all your heart. He did what the LORD considered right, but he did not do it wholeheartedly 2Ch 25:2(GW).” Why have you decided that I do not have a perfect heart? Because of my tears? “Yes of course obedience that is real, that pleases God is a delight, a joy. Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." Psa 40:7, 8(ESV). We were taught obedience that is acceptable is knowing the will of God and then doing it with the heart with joy. If you know it is the wish of God you should be rejoicing not mourning, singing and not weeping.”
I agree true obedience is with joy, but tears do not necessarily mean reluctance to obey God. You know, sometimes obedience comes first and joy comes in the morning. Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him Psa 126:5, 6(ESV). Our emotions being expressed do not necessarily mean we are less than wholehearted in our obedience. “I don’t understand.” Do you remember when your daughter was to marry, how you felt? “Oh, I still feel it.” Were you smiling then? “No, I cried.” You see! Yet I know we had prayed for her marriage and would you say you did not give her away with your heart? “Hmm!” So why did you cry then? “Just the thought of my baby now going away; it hit me hard but you know I never let anyone see me cry. You just happened to be around; why are you reminding me?” I am coming yet.
Did Jesus fully obey the Father? “Yes he was the pattern of wholehearted obedience.” Correct yet have you read: In the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his devotion to God. Son though he was, he learned obedience through his sufferings Heb 5:7, 8(ISV). Obedience is deliberate submission, even with tears.
“So Jesus did not always obey with joy?” He did, beloved, he did. The presence of tears is not the absence of joy. It is joy, not happiness. I have joy in my heart my beloved has reached the stage of NYSC, but pain in parting company.

Sowing in tears? (1) Week37, 2011

“I wish sometimes I did not know what God’s will is. It’s very painful at times; I wish I were hypnotised not to fall into temptations or disobey God.” Well for one thing ignorance of God’s wish will not protect you from judgement. But servants who don't know what their master wants them to do will not be beaten so hard for doing wrong Lk 12: 48(CEV). It is God’s design that we know His will for our lives and scripture explicitly instructs us to find out what is pleasing to Him. “Well I wish then to be led to obey without knowing it was God’s will.” What? Don’t you know that is the portion of those outside the kingdom? “Is that so?” The soldiers ignorantly fulfilled the scripture but Jesus knowingly did things to fulfil scripture Jn 19:24-28. Genuine obedience implies knowing God’s will and doing it with joy: I delight to do your will, O my God Ps 40:8.
Why are you so depressed? “I was at a meeting yesterday, the preacher said he wanted to bless us and asked us to bring all the money we had for prayers. After praying he now asked us to keep up our hands until the ushers came, and that we drop the whole money inside the bag so that we be truly blessed.” So why are you upset? I give all sometimes, and am at peace doing so. The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously 2Co 9:6(ISV). “Ah! My electricity bill was there as well as the money to pay my child’s school fees. I just struggled with myself wanting to run out but dropped in the money. But you know, I really wish I did not give like that and feel used. O my God! Who is going to pay my electricity bills and child’s school fees?” Clearly you have not given by faith, for if you had you would be at peace. And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever Isa 32:17(ESV).
“I met the usher but he laughed and said I was sowing in tears and would reap in joy.” Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him Ps 126:5, 6(ESV). Well you did sow in tears and he’s gone off with glee! “Is that obedience, it resembles extortion.” God never intended for us to give with murmuring and a feeling of being ripped off.Then you will have the chance to give because you want to, and not because you feel forced to 2Co 9:5(CEV).
“So have I lost out?” It was God you gave to, He will definitely take care of your needs, but know that you must give what you have decided in your heart, not with regret or under compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver 2Co 9:7(ISV). Give generously with joy always. You can do better next time.

Let it rain! Week 36, 2011

It was a hot evening in March, and became even hotter as flames arose from within a building close to mine. An electrical fault had resulted in a fire which threatened to consume the building and others around.
You see I live in a crowded place; a shanty of several wooden structures with zinc roofs clustered together so close you could hear conversations in adjacent buildings. There was little space between buildings, and ventilation was sparse, but it was home. It was the home we had been in for a while with our life belongings. My husband worked as a security man and sexton while I made a living selling “okpa” for people to eat. Life insurance and fire insurance were definitely not in our dictionary. As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! Psa 40:17(ESV).
The fire had now spread to the building next to ours, and the occupants were frantically removing property and attempting vainly to douse the flames with detergent water. Clearly it was time to evacuate! What can I take? What should I go for first? Where are the children? We quickly began taking some things out of the house; our neighbour was not spared, it appeared the house would be engulfed: the flames were already pouring into our building! When you cross deep rivers, I will be with you, and you won't drown. When you walk through fire, you won't be burned or scorched by the flames Isa 43:2 (CEV).
“Won’t you help move out the property?” my husband asked. I had stopped moving things about. What use was it? I paced around and prayed “God, you can’t allow this to happen to us. No God you just cannot. Today I shall know if I serve a living God! God I have to see your hand in this matter.” He rescues the poor who call to him, and those who are needy and neglected Psa 72:12 (GNB).
Suddenly the rain began, slowly at first. Could it be? It was too early for rains, was it a drizzle? It picked up strength and poured, boy it poured water down! My God had heard! This was His answer. When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses Jer 10:13(ESV). The fire was completely put out by the rain. We were saved.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles Psa 34:3, 4, 6(ESV).
Sr Florence still lives in the shanty in New Haven.