The Authorized Man
One of the verses of scriptures that thrilled me most while growing up as a young Christian is John 1: 12-13 ‘However, to all who received him, to those believing in his name, he gave authority to become God’s children, who were born, not merely in a physical sense, or from a fleshly impulse, or from man’s desire, but of God’ (ISV). I could not just get over this scripture. Since then, it never stopped ringing in my subconscious that I was given such right freely. As I kept pondering over this scripture then, it dawned upon me that if I am authorized to be God’s child, it therefore means that I have been given the mandate to act on His behalf; as some would say, like father like son.
Using the relationship that we have with our biological parents as an example, you do not need to be told that you can act on behalf of your father; you easily find yourself doing it. It therefore means that I can act in His capacity. Simply put, I am an heir to my father. I can speak, command, demand, reject, resist, control, etc like my father does. It doesn’t matter if I am still a kid growing up or already a full grown man. The fact remains that once a child, ever a child, I have been born already. While growing up as a child, I might not know so much about what I have got but it does not change the fact of what I have. Though it may take me time to realize the potentials, abilities and privileges because of my level of maturity, it does not change the fact that I am my father’s child.
Jesus said, as my father works so I work. My father and I are one. Whatsoever I see my father do, I do. Amazingly, Jesus never equated Himself with God before the Jews, but they interpreted his statement of referring to God as His father to mean equality with God. We are sons of God, heirs to the throne and have supernatural abilities embedded in our lives.
In the days of Jesus, people around him could not get over simple statements that changed various tides such as: ‘Peace, be still’; ‘Be thou made whole’; ‘Thy faith has healed you’; ‘Your sins are forgiven’; ‘Ephrata …, be opened’; ‘Lazarus come out’; etc.
Traits of a man under authority:
He doesn’t get jittery when suddenly called upon to rescue a situation. Knowing so well that He who lives in him is greater than he who lives in the world, he speaks to stormy seas with an ease of command tone.
He acts with confidence. He is undisturbed about seemingly unachievable task, but always resolute about the inherent abilities that he has received of God. He is convinced that he is a solution going somewhere to happen. However how long it may take to prevail over people’s doubt and faithlessness, he remains firm and fully convinced that the tide must change.
He sees every challenge and difficulty as a means to prove God’s sovereignty over all things. Rather than attest to the reality on ground, you should affirm the supernatural abilities of God’s power to transform every given situation.
Another wonderful trait of an authorized man is that, he must always complete every assignment at every given time and make sure there is no stone left unturned. Jesus in John 11: 44 instructed that the linen cloth be unwrapped from Lazarus body. His words were instructive and informing; ‘… loose him and let him go’. It shows that he was not willing to give room for chances so he capped it with freeing him completely after being raised from the dead. When the leprous man was healed in Matthew 8:3-4, he told him to go and show himself to the priest and offer gifts commanded. This will serve as testimony and path way to societal freedom and acceptance.
But friends, remember that these things do not just happen except you have given yourself over to a continuous prayer lifestyle. By so doing, you are guaranteed a medium of obtaining depth of understanding during study of scriptures and more confidence is built in your abilities in God.
– adeyiga awomuti
There is always that last pill. Difficult to swallow. Sometimes it is the colour, other times it is the shape. Could be the smell as well but most times it is the size of the pill. The bigger the tablet, capsule, caplet, etc the further down it gets on the list of pills to be swallowed.
Are you finding it difficult to swallow a pill today?
Let’s take a look at one such pill. The apostles quite believed in the return of Jesus. I mean they anticipated and waited for fifty days and then the great revival with the ushering in of the Holy Ghost. That was a bit easy to swallow at first but then came the difficult one.
Just about anybody had access to this seemingly exclusive regard as well.
Suddenly it wasn’t meant anymore for the small group that waited for so long nor their converts alone but also for some who they could not have imagined.
The loser’s, the nobody’s, the “no – nation”, the…gentiles.
They too had access to the magnificent Grace of God. I love the way Peter puts it. It is clear that God gave those Gentiles the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; who was I, then, to try to stop God!” (Acts 11:15) No difference at all. It was one and the same experience. Not second class or second grade.
The pill today is that the Grace of God includes all and does not exclude anyone. You are as much legible to it as that man across the street or that “Man of God” in the fine suit. If Christ ever died to select some few then that few must be the whole world of which you and I are a part. Aren’t you glad you are not left out? Aren’t you glad it does not matter where your roots may have sunk into? Surely this pill might not smell right but I’ve just swallowed it….and it didn’t hurt at all.
– Dr bolaji akanni
Christians are the most powerful beings on earth. The same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in every believer. In our previous message in this series, I emphasized that God’s power is not given in measure. You either have all of it or none of it. Today, I’d like to highlight one reason why many of us are not expressing God’s power.
Romans 8:11 GNB says “ If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from death, lives in you, then he who raised Christ from death will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of his Spirit in you.”
This verse of scripture never ceases to amaze me and I’ll tell you why. The normal human mind would expect that giving life to our mortal body is a “lesser miracle” to raising Jesus from the dead. Therefore, we expect God to release just a small “amount of power” or “spirit” for this so called lesser miracle. But the bible says “the same Spirit” will perform both miracles.
That’s one big mistake we make that deters us from expressing God’s power. When we see a bigger problem, we think we need a bigger power from heaven to confront it. But that’s a lie! Therefore, if you have ever experienced a miracle in your life, then you can also experience any kind of miracle.
The same power that heals headache also heals HIV/AIDS. The same power that settles a minor couple’s dispute can restore a broken relationship. The same gospel that saves a life can deliver a million Souls. The same power that gave you $100 can help you to raise $100 million. It’s like using an ATM machine; it’s the same PIN that you used to withdraw a thousand bucks that you use when you want to withdraw five thousand bucks. You don’t run to your bank and ask for a longer PIN because you want to withdraw more money. No! So, stop limiting what God can do through you!
I remember about six years ago, I was involved in a ghastly motor accident and our vehicle somersaulted and I found myself in a bushy dish. The accident was so terrible that some passengers lost their lives instantly. My body was covered with bruises and my clothes were shredded. About 5 hours after the accident, I could not even move my hands or legs. Wow! I thought “What do I do?” I had a speaking engagement in 2 days time. “Would I send a message to them that the man of God was incapacitated?” Was there ever a time in Jesus ministry when people were waiting for him to come and preach and, news came that he could not stand up? How would that sound? As I was ruminating over this, I just remembered …that same power.
And then I prayed to God … believing ‘that same power’ that delivered me from the accident could heal me from every bruise and pain. I wanted to keep up with my speaking appointment.” Beloved, within 6 hours, all the pain was gone and all the bruises dried up. I was able to embark on a 10-hour journey to preach the gospel. That same power did it!
What area of your life needs the touch of God’s power? Is there any loved one that is in dire need of you to express your nature? Please act using the mindset that it is ‘that same power’. Our generation is in dire need of the power of God, and that’s one reason why God has left you and I here. We have been preserved for greater things. Will you start acting today?
tope aladenusi
Colossians 3:22-24
When he is harsh
Do not reply with a hiss
Unnecessarily he may be angry
Soothe him with a sincere answer
He shouts like a tyrant
Act from a heart so tender
He treats you like a labourer
Follow like a meek lamb
Sometimes his face looks sour
Face him with a warm smile
When he denies your reward
God’s promises remember
Bear in mind your real boss is Christ
Not the man that signs your pay cheque
At last you’re answerable to Christ
Never can tell you may win him to Christ
– okenna igbokwe
Psalms and Strings, the unavoidable duo
Much as I have heard wonderful things that manifested after praise and thanksgiving session, I have also witnessed some with my very eyes. Sometimes the experiences are unbelievable. Though in most cases, people are found subsequently attributing the great feat to their personal efforts, thereby consciously or unconsciously making attempt to down play the main reason for the miraculous performance.
Once you have scaled the hurdle of affirming the veracity and authenticity of God’s ability to turn around any situation (as discussed in the two previous articles of this series), you have withstood the challenge of distraction and discouragement. Now is the time to turn from people and their doubts and focus on God who holds the key to unlock miracles. Your attention should strictly be to see the manifestation that transcends the norm.
At this juncture, you can’t afford to ignore the fact that the surest way is to concentrate on making your supplications and request known to him with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6).‘By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of ourlips giving thanks to his name’ (Hebrews 13: 15). Praise is an act that is long tested and proven to yield amazing results.
In John 11:41, Jesus exhibited the power inherent in thanksgiving. ‘So they took away the stone. And Jesus, looking up to heaven, said, Father, I give praise to you for hearing me’ (BBE). Offering thanks and praise to God could be as simple as He said it. After Jesus gave thanks over 2 fish and 5 loaves, the multiples fed in thousands were overwhelming.
Fundamentally, praise offered to God must stem from a faith-filled heart. ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him’ (Hebrews 6: 11). Faith is the triggering force that praise acts upon. Without it you may be acting like a man who intends to build a castle without a foundation which it can stand on.
After executing the seven days order, the Israelites capped the pulling down of Jericho walls with the shout of praise. With faith in God, Paul and Silas preoccupied themselves in prison with prayers and praises to God. At the event of this, scriptures recorded that there was an earthquake and the prison gates flung opened and their chains broke. Through praise, the depths are broken, gates are opened, revelations are obtained, visions are understood, and testimonies abound. Within the tribes of the Israelites, the Levites were skilled in playing various musical instruments and offering praise to God. In some battles fought or while conveying the ark of covenant, they sang praises ahead of the ark or sometimes ahead of the army. Perhaps, this was God’s way of showing that it is an integral part of exceptional results.
It does not matter in what form, how, or where you carry it out, what is most important is that you should make a habit to give thanks to God even in the face of great challenges. Such an act has done great and marvelous things and history can always repeat itself in newer dimensions. You may sound very foolish and stupid before people when you do it, but remember that God used the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.
Reality may suggest you spend time thinking, crying, wailing, lamenting, complaining, or doubting. Faith on the other hand, insists that all things are possible to him that believes. For the expectation of the righteous shall not be cut short. Faith sings, praises, and appreciates God when reality is busy weeping. Faith patiently waits to see miraculous manifestation of thanksgiving, while reality on the other hand, quickly suggests that we should dismiss the possibility of change.
– adeyiga awomuti
Who do you think is the most powerful Christian on earth? Let’s assume his name is B.A. and that he is born again. The bible says the same power that is in B.A is also in you (if you are a believer). But you may say “B.A heals the sick, raises the dead and sees visions, but I have never experienced any of such things before”. This is understandable. But first you must realize that possession is different from expression; Identity is different from activity; and having power is different from acting based on the power you have.
The bible says in Romans 8:9 (GNB) “Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” In other words, as long as you are a believer, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. That is what makes you a Christian. The good news is that when the Holy Spirit comes into your life, he doesn’t come in bits. He comes with his ENTIRE person; he comes with all his attributes. You either have all of him or none of him. Please keep this in mind, it will help you understand this series of messages and also help you better understand your bible.
The Holy Spirit is not a fluid or a gas; he is a personality. Just as I cannot come into your house with only a part of my body, he cannot come into your spirit without coming in totality. No wonder John 3:34 says “God does not give his Spirit by measure”. I like the way The Message translation puts it – “Don’t think he (God) rations out the Spirit in bits and pieces”. Therefore, no born again person, no matter his/her title, has ‘more Holy Spirit’ than another.
The same thing applies to God’s power. Acts 1:8 (GW) says “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you.” Do you have the Holy Spirit? If yes, then you have His power. His power is also not given in measure. It is not measured in kilojoules or kilowatts. You either have all of it or none of it. Does B.A. do “powerful” things that you do not do? It is NOT because he has more power than you have; it is probably because he has learnt how to express that power. So instead of running to God all the time and claiming he has not given us power, we should start looking within – what we need to do is ACT!
Gal 6:7-8 (KJV) is clear on this – “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
Beloved, where have you been sowing recently? Perhaps when B.A. was praying you were watching Indian movies; or when B.A. was studying the word you were running from pillar to post for money; perhaps while you were sleeping, B.A. was having a tête-à-tête with God. Would you expect to see the same results? Impossible! You have been sowing different seeds, and God cannot be mocked. But, you can start sowing in the Spirit from today. God’s power is in you and you should start expressing it today. It is time you began to align your activity with your identity. Let everything you do show who you really are. Let the world know that the ‘most powerful’ believer on earth is … YOU!
– tope aladenusi
Procrastination is such a thief of purpose. What has been laid upon our heart let us do quickly. It is so easy to push of things till the next hour but before you realize it the next hour becomes the next year. Let us learn to work while it is day making the most of time and purpose and not allowing that evil attitude cause us to count losses.
You would be wondering why I should be saying this but I really ought to have shared this article a while back but nearly lost it no thanks to my yielding to the temptation of “it should be set by tomorrow”.
Here is the article, which has been a blessing to me; I hope it would minister to you as well.
God’s word knows no boundaries. It has no walls. It has no off limits sign. God’s word is living and active. We must learn to separate God’s word from the things around us especially the circumstance or the situation we find ourselves in.
Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost said, “Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer,even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.”
The truth is the situation we find ourselves is not a testimony to the efficacy of God’s word in our lives. God’s word is true all by itself. Had the children of Israel understood this they would have been of more cheerful countenance when they saw the giants in the promise land. Because they would have been looking to Jehovah – their deliverer. We’ve mentioned here that at a time when it was impossible medically for Sarah’s womb to give a child Abraham yet believed because he considered the one who had given the promise.
“And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.”
God’s word is not bound. Are you a student? Are you searching for a job? Are you married? Whoever you are God’s word over your life is not defined by the situation in your life or by your status. Way back in the university, I remember at times I made the mistake of viewing God through the glasses of the four walls of school. Prosperity for instance meant passing exams and having a meal on campus. Peace meant having good grades. Now that I am out of school it is so tempting to think peace is having a good job. But friends we should not think this way. God’s word is defined in itself. There is a peace in God which no one can fathom, which no career can satisfy.
God’s word is not bound dear friends. Take your eyes of yourself and that situation you are in and latch onto the Truth of His Word. I love that song we sang back in those days
God is bigger than all my problems
Bigger than anything
God is bigger than any mountain I can or cannot see
God is bigger than all my problems
Bigger than anything
God is bigger than any mountain I can or cannot see.
God’s Word is not limited, constrained by the things you go through. Hallelujah!
– Dr. bolaji akanni
| One of the greatest problems facing most believers today is that they suffer from an identity crisis. They do not know who they really are. They do not stand for something (the right thing) and so they fall for anything. This has resulted in mismanaged potentials. A cat that does not know its identity will attempt to swim and an eagle that forgets its identity will scratch with the chickens! Are you scratching when you should be flying?
There was a time in my life when I used to wake up every night to pray to God to give me more power and grace to do exploits for him. Sometimes I would be so moved by my prayers that I would begin to cry. I did this for several months with no visible progress in my life. But glory to God, I later understood Ephesians 1:3 and immediately realized that I had been scratchingall the while. What do I mean?
Ephesians 1:3 says “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hathblessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
I was scratching because I was telling him to bless me with more power but His word says he has blessed (past tense!) me. I was asking for power and grace, which are spiritual blessings, but His word says as far as spiritual blessings are concerned, then it has already been given to me. And then I wondered … but that man of God used to tell us to pray hard for these spiritual blessings, or I think I have seen it somewhere in the bible. Then these words echoed – whose report will you believe? Wow! I was wallowing in an identity quagmire. But why hadn’t somebody enlightened me all the while? It could be likened to me asking God to make me male, it does not make sense. Did that mean that all those nights of waking up to ask for what was already mine was a waste? Several questions kept running through my mind.
But what I do now, I asked. I shared my experience with a friend and he said – “don’t confuse me, I have been doing this all the while and it has been working for me”. Many Christians make similar statements when their lifestyle is in contrast with God’s word. But if a 2 year old boy cries every time he is hungry, does that make crying for food a good thing, even though it “worked” in the past? Our God may overlook our time of ignorance as babes but he desires we grow up (Acts 17:30). He wants us to stop scratching when we should be flying. He wants us to stop crying when we should be teaching. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and that makes us the best set of people living on earth. As we continue in this series, we will discuss how to express these blessings in our daily lives. Till then, keep basking in the euphoria that you have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
– tope aladenusi
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| Finishing Strong with Knowledge
I remember someone once told me that a bird can only fly with what it has swallowed. It is impossible for a bird to fly with what it is hoping to pick up along the way. It is what a man has that he gives; likewise, man only acts upon what is within his scope. Once it is beyond his scope of understanding, it most likely has eluded him. The more informed you are about a given situation the better your actions will be. Why do you think when companies are recruiting they require certain years of experience? The reason is simple- the more experienced the person is, the better and faster the job will be done. In addition, it will take off the cost of training the individual for a start. Also, while on the job it is the same experience that will keep you on the track of effectiveness and prompt delivery.
What then is experience or how is it acquired? Simply put, it is the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities. Without knowledge, opportunities will be squandered and abuse definitely inevitable. It was the level of Jesus’ knowledge about His rights, abilities, and mission that stood him out. It was same knowledge that afforded him outstanding performances when confronted with issues. He knew He had the authority and power from God to raise the dead.
For example, Jesus gathered enough experience over time through knowledge to handle cases such as: 1) John 9:4; He knew He had to work hard at the assignment handed over to Him by the Father while it is day because the night was coming when no man will be able to work. So while going about, He had the mind of mission. He was duty bound in all that He did to the extent that He prepared ahead. As Christians, we are duty bound to solve the world’s problems. We should be an embodiment of solutions anywhere we find ourselves. Remember, we have been given the ministry of reconciliation; reconciling the world back to God. Interestingly, there is no way we would go about reconciling the world back to God without introducing them to the entire package that is in redemption; Life, Righteousness, Healing, Fruitfulness, etc. 2) He made preparations ahead of his time because He was well informed of the task before Him. In recognition of His link to the Father, Jesus himself regularly spent time in the wilderness, mountains, etc, to pray and enjoy communion with God alone. These periods of one-on-one fellowship seemed to help Him prepare for the activities ahead. Matthew 4: 1- 11 3) Lastly, he proudly displayed His level of knowledge by informing His tempter of the details in the written Word, when he was tempted in the wilderness.
A closer look at John chapter 11 earlier discussed in the introductory article, indicates Jesus’ authoritative response in verse 4 to information relayed in verse 3. He stated that the sickness was not unto death but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified. I won’t be surprised to discover that he had the wind of the incident while praying prior to that moment, since he was regularly given to prayers. He had a ready answer for every given situation brought to His notice. He knew right from time that He had the power of life. This same mindset propelled Him to call Lazarus’ death a sleep in verse 11. Though He was still not informed that Lazarus had died, He must have perceived it in the spirit.
Friends, these things do not just happen by chance but by giving oneself over to much prayer. However, the battle of Jesus gaining access to Lazarus was still not over. He encountered obstacles on his way such as: the four day old dead body, the weeping sympathizers, the faithlessness and doubtful insistence of Martha and Mary, the sealed tomb, etc. Nevertheless, Jesus persisted in reiterating the fact that he is the resurrection and the life; though Lazarus was dead, he will live again.
Friends, contrary realities and circumstances will always attempt to prevail over our situations; we need to take a firm stand like Jesus did. Instead of getting discouraged or defeated with the reality and factual statements made by Martha and Mary, Jesus took charge and said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believed?”Verse: 40.
Being filled with knowledge puts us at the edge of trailing the blaze. Most times, such knowledge should motivate us to take out time to pray. Praying could be as simple as that of Martha and Mary. They simply prayed Jesus to come because their brother was sick. It could also be as simple as saying that ‘even now, whatsoever thou will ask of God, God will give it thee’. We need to affirm our conviction. No wavering or compromising even in the face of reality. The reality may be like it was said of Lazarus that he should be stinking by now but you need to affirm your control over it like Jesus did.
– adeyiga awomuti
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As a young boy, we reared ducks and chickens. Overtime, I realized that the eggs of the ducks were usually bigger than that of the chickens. So one day I said to myself, ‘if I could take some of the duck eggs and replace them with hen eggs during incubation, the hens would hatch bigger chicks (since the duck eggs were bigger)’. So I went ahead with my idea and swapped the hen’s eggs with that of a duck, while hoping my dad wouldn’t detect my experiment.
The eggs were hatched after a few weeks. I was expecting to see some giant chicks but alas, I saw small ducklings. I became confused; I thought to myself – ‘but this hen sat on these eggs all along, how come it hatched ducklings?’ But because I did not want anyone to know that I was experimenting with the poultry, I could not voice out my confusion. However, as I was reading my bible some years later, that experiment came alive to me again and it helped me understand our identity in Christ.
What made the difference in those ducklings’ lives was not the source of the heat that hatched the eggs but the source of the seed that brought them forth. The sperm/egg came from a duck. Wow! That reminds of I Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God...” So how do you think this affects your new life in Christ?
The identity of those ducklings was not misplaced because they were hatched by a hen; I never called them chicks. Their origin affected their identity. No wonder the bible called us gods (Psalm 82:6), because we proceeded from Him. 1Cor. 15:47-48 sheds more light on this: “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.”
Those ducklings never behaved like chickens; they could swim even though the hen could not dare do that. Likewise, we should make it a priority to ensure that all our lives activity is aligned with our identity. We should be found doing miraculous things unbelievers cannot dare to do. We should also not be found messing around with sin. I John 3:9 (MSG) says “People conceived and brought into life by God don’t make a practice of sin. How could they?God’s seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It’s not in the nature of the God-begotten to practice and parade sin.” Hallelujah!
To be continued …
– tope aladenusi