The first two weeks of this year will remain very memorable to many Nigerians. On the 1st of January, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced the removal of subsidy on petrol, and the price of petrol jumped by over 100% in few hours. This announcement led to a week-long nationwide strike by the labour union and gave rise to different types of protests around the country in the course of which many people lost their lives. Beyond all the sad events that occurred, the incident brought to my notice once again something I have observed before –many believers don’t live intentionally; their actions are not usually based on a decision to follow The Word or a direction from the Holy Spirit, but on pressures from their environment.
During this period, I heard people make unprintable statements and some occupied the streets vowing not to return home until the government’s decision was completely reversed. But it is quite surprising that many who occupied the streets then are currently occupying the bed of another man’s wife, beer parlours, cinemas, employers’ gardens, church politics, night clubs, etc. and I’m wondering why all the passion I saw then was able to readily dissipate into thin air. Also, people who suddenly became social commentators during the heated period are now sports commentators, security commentators, church commentators, death commentators etc. It could be the same problem manifesting in different ways; when God is not in control of a life, the devil uses the environment to control that life. Unfortunately, believers are sometimes beguiled to act like them. Such people are swift to grumble about anything. Someone puts it right by saying “some people would grumble at the accommodations in Heaven if they ever got there.” Beloved, do you know that Jesus said in Matthew 12:36 (CEV) “I promise you that on the day of judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken”?
There is nothing wrong in occupying the streets or voicing our grievances, but was that action a reaction to a nudging from within or a pressure from without? I Corinthians 6:19 (GW) says “Don’t you know that your body is a temple that belongs to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit, whom you received from God, lives in you. You don’t belong to yourselves.” The believer cannot just decide where his body goes and what he does with his body. You cannot just say you want to occupy the street today and say tomorrow you want to occupy the sea. The body belongs to God and you should be conscious that you are subject to instructions from Him on the use of your body. In Christianity, the standards are high; “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” Romans 14:23.
One thing we should always be conscious of is that the devil wants us to act like a chameleon, always reflecting the colour, pattern and pressure of the world. But God also wants us to act like a different chameleon attuned to Him, always reflecting the pattern, purity and power of the Word. 2Corinthians 3:18 says “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Will you allow the Spirit of God to guide your actions no matter the pressures from without?
Finally, I noticed that I did not see any ambassador from other countries join the street protests or make any statement (not to talk of a vulgar one) about the situation. Do you know why? They are on a mission to Nigeria and were sent here temporarily by their home country. They dare not take any action without the approval of their President. How come many believers who are God’s ambassadors to this world didn’t even bother to take instruction from heaven about the course of action to take during the strike? Could those vulgar words (some of us uttered) have originated from heaven? Let’s face it; many of us are missing it and are living like mere men who are puppets of the devil. The message I want to pass across is simple: we must all learn to live intentionally, following the guidance of the Spirit of God within us no matter what pressures we experience from without.
Tope Aladenusi
One of the challenges we face as Christians in this information age is that we have numerous information clamoring for our attention. Most of the information we are bombarded with is meant to waste our time and derail us from our purpose. Have you ever counted the number of emails, blackberry messages, Facebook updates, tweets, SMS, etc. that you receive on a daily basis that are not compatible with God’s message and direction for your life? If you did that, you may agree with me that in this age, for you to be effective as a believer, you have to be very selective.
First, you must decide to live by the rule of the new creature. Galatians 6:15-16 reads “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them …”
There is a principle that should govern our lives as believers, and this principle is 100% compatible with our new life in Christ. When we follow this rule, we experience the peace of God every day. In this rule – real success is a default setting; good health is natural; prosperity is your birth right; fulfillment is common place. Unfortunately, many believers are trying to live by worldly principles.
That is why some factory workers would rather work extra hours to get more money than pray for more hours. Many will prefer to pick a “get rich quick” secular book than spend time with the Bible. Some would do anything to have a 15 minute meeting with the top guys in their career line, and would never spend 15 minutes to speak in tongues and get an idea from God that will make those top guys come and knock at their doors in 6 months’ time. It’s quite unfortunate that the most powerful beings on earth (believers) are today using weaker, underhanded and corrupt means to get results, and are dwelling on worldly materials in a bid to be successful.
Imagine if you were in a university and you were told that there are 1000 courses. If you pass the first course, you automatically pass the remaining 999. However, you can try to work through the last 999 in order to be successful, but it is very doubtful you would make it. Which option would you go for? It’s clear right? Then why do we not follow the Word that says we should seek first God’s kingdom, and every “999 thing” in the world shall be added unto us. Isn’t that the height of foolishness? I know I have been foolish in the past, but every day I make a renewed commitment to succeed in God. Friends, we cannot afford to continue to live like the world.
No matter how good worldly principles may appear, they are not designed for our new makeup. An eagle does not go for swimming lessons. No matter how fast a train has been designed to operate, once it leaves the railway, it is finished. Beloved, stay on track! Career, social media, friends and gossips should not come before our relationship with God. Learn to stay with the Word. You will be shocked at what God will do in your life, if you can truly follow Him. When next you listen to that news or get that message on the internet, phone, any media, ask yourself: “is this principle compatible with my new nature?” If the answer is “no” for the opinion being passed across, please reach for the “ignore” or “delete” button. Have a goal to spend quality time in personal bible study and prayers every day. Make it your goal to walk with God wholeheartedly this year, and see yourself step into real success.
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16).
– Tope Aladenusi
Jesus while teaching his disciples on how to pray told them to start with the following statements; “And He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father, who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as in Heaven, so also on the earth.” (Luke 11:2)
Jesus clearly defines the father as heavenly, which logically means that the children and consequently the divine siblings of Jesus are also heavenly. They come from a kingdom which is superior to any earthly kingdom. In other words, they are governed and constrained by a superior constitution. He gives credence to God’s kingdom – God’s ability, ingenuity, creativity, wisdom, authority, governance, love, immortality, superiority and omnipotence. Jesus also taught that we should desire God’s will to be done on earth as God desires from heaven.
The strength of every kingdom is known by the territory it controls and influences. That’s why the most influential countries in the world like the USA, Japan, France, etc. are also the most powerful. These countries have tested political cum government institutions, good educational systems and in-depth technological development. They’re always putting in place measures to improve their present state. These countries have put in place structures that always make them relevant in current world affairs. For instance, most of their nationals or scholars produced from their educational system are at the helm of affairs of the biggest organizations and conglomerates in the world. Today most of the cultural, economic, technological, educational and political systems in the world are designed after the systems that have been designed and deployed in these nations. These great nations have colonized and are still directly or indirectly colonizing many nations the world over.
Christians have the ability to control and influence even more territories than the earthly kingdoms above do. We are of the supernatural Kingdom; we have the creative ability and divine dispensation of God, which is far greater than what best human kingdom can offer. The most startling revelation I’ve ever gotten as a Christian is the fact that I’m not just from the breed with a heavenly lineage (Phil.3:20), but I’m also a holy nation (1 Pet.2:9) – the kingdom of the Father of Lights. Every Christian has been gifted with this status. We’ve been fully equipped with the ability of God (Col.2:10). God the author of heaven and earth, who lives in eternity with His awesome glory inhabits in us (1Cor.6:19-20). God has made us to display his unlimited glory, ability and wisdom to spirits and to humans (Eph.3:9-11).
I’d admonish every Christian today to live in line with the perception of our Kingdom by understanding our power and ability. Our prerogative is to subject ourselves to the dictates of heaven so we’ll always do what God dictates to us. If we live this way we’d naturally replicate our lives and kingdom values in our spheres of contact and beyond.
Emeka I. Ofia
Now then WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
II Cor5:20
Traditional Christianity teaches that we are poor citizens of the earth hoping to someday somehow qualify to become esteemed citizens of heaven. It paints the Christian race as a hurried escape from a sinful world to a holy heaven and it doesn’t matter how beaten and battered you are along the way, as long as you make it to heaven, that’s O.K.
Brothers and sisters, THAT’S NOT O.K! Its not O.K. for Satan to come dump some cancer on you to speed up your journey to heaven. It’s not O.K. for him to inflict you with Tuberculosis, Liver Cirrhosis, and Diabetes or immobilize you with a stroke. Jesus died and paid not only for your sins but also for your sicknesses. So if it’s not O.K. to sin, then it’s not O.K. to be sick either.
True Christianity does not paint us as the poor citizens of earth trying to make our way to heaven. True Christianity presents us as the esteemed citizens of heaven who have been sent by God to establish his kingdom upon the earth as his ambassadors.
It therefore follows that only spiritually lazy Christians are in a hurry to escape to heaven. Those who know who they are and why they are here are busy establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth in the hearts and lives of men all around.
What kind of Kingdom is it? It is a kingdom of Righteousness , Health, Prosperity, Divine Security, Peace, Joy and all-round Wholeness. When you begin to take your place as an ambassador of this Kingdom, not only will you experience it in your life, but through you many more people will come into the glorious experience of the Kingdom of God in their own lives as well. Hallelujah!
Dr dan oyebamiji
The first man is of the earth, earth: 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.
1 Cor15:47-48
There are two races of men on the face of the earth today:
- The Earthy race.
- The Heavenly race.
These two races of men have two different origins, two different destinations and two different sets of principles for living.
The Earthy race originates from the first man, the fallen Adam. They haveSatan as their father, the lake of fire as their destination and living by the senses as their principle for living. You will hear such people say things like: ‘I live my life the way I FEEL’ or ‘I can’t believe anything that I cannot SEE.’ They are slaves of their senses.
The Heavenly race originates from the second man: the risen Christ. They have God Almighty as their father, the new heaven, the new earth and the New Jerusalem as their destination and walking by faith in every word that comes out of the mouth of God as their principle for living.
The question now is: ‘which of these two races do you belong to?’ ‘The Earthly’ or ‘the Heavenly?’ If you belong to the Heavenly, then live like the one whom you resemble. Walk by the heavenly principles of faith and stop being a slave to the testimony of your senses.
When faith sees sickness, faith does not look at what it is; faith declares what it should be and it is so! Walk by faith and live a life above sickness and disease.
Dr dan oyebamiji
HE THAT COMETH FROM ABOVE IS ABOVE ALL AND WHAT HE HATH SEEN AND HEARD THAT HE TESTIFIETH; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. John3:31-33
A lot of us believers today do not fully appreciate the things that we have in common with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. We often tend to think that though we are the Sons of God, we are not really Sons of God in the same sense in which Jesus is the Son of God.
The Bible however teaches to the contrary. The Bible teaches clearly that we are Sons of God in the same way and to the same degree to which Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:17) and it therefore follows that whatever applies to him equally applies to us.
Therefore, the above quoted portion of scripture applies both to Christ and tothe Christian for through the cross, the grave, the empty tomb and now the glorious throne, Christ and the Christian have become one (1 Cor6:17).
So not only is Christ from above, the Christian is from above as well and like Christ he testifies of the things he has seen and heard from above. Like Christ also, men do not receive his testimony, but the few who do declare plainly that God is true irrespective of what they may see, hear, smell, taste or feel in this earth realm.
What am I saying? He that is from above never talk’s sickness for there is no sickness above. He speaks of the things he has seen and heard above and all that can be seen and heard above is THE GLORY OF GOD. And though men do not receive his testimony, the more he testifies to that glory the more that glory begins to manifest in his earthly life. Hallelujah!
– Dr deji oyebamiji
HE THAT COMETH FROM ABOVE IS ABOVE ALL: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. John 3:31 (KJV)
Where do we come from? Wherein lays our root? Who are we and how does that knowledge affect our lives today?
Scripturally speaking, there are only 2 races of men on the face of the earth today.
1. Those who come from above i.e. the citizens of heaven.
2. Those who come from beneath i.e. the citizens of the earth.
Where you come from will determine how you live and the principles by which you live your life. Put an American in any city on the face of the earth and within a short time without announcing himself he’ll betray the fact that he is an American. How? By the way he thinks, by the way he talks, by the way he dresses, by what he eats and so on. Every action of his betrays his origin. So also ought it to be with the citizens of heaven. The way we live our lives must betray who we are and where we come from.
One trait that the above quoted scripture presents as a mark of those who come from above is that THEY ARE ABOVE ALL!
This is the supernatural life of the believer. This is what Jesus brought to us: ‘A life that is ABOVE ALL.’ A life above sickness, Disease, pain, weakness and even death. A life above everything that has a knee and everything that has a name. Embrace this life today and begin to live ABOVE ALL. It’s your life, live it!
– Dr deji oyebamiji
“And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life BECAUSE OF RITHEOUSNESS”. Romans 8:10 (KJV)
‘Righteousness’ is the password of recreated human spirit. It is the password of the new creature. Like a computer system, without this password you simply cannot log in.
The life that can swallow up the mortality in your flesh is within your spirit but righteousness is the key that unlocks that storehouse.
What is righteousness? It is the embodiment of our rights in Christ based on the new birth. It includes a lot among which are:
- Our right to stand before God without a sense of shame, guilt or inferiority.
- Our right to stand before Satan with a sense of authority.
- Our right to stand before the whole of life with a sense of dominion.
But righteousness will only do us good when we walk in the consciousness of it. What does that mean? It means living a life un-haunted by sin consciousness.
The spirit is the life of the body ‘because of righteousness’. And righteousness operates through our consciousness of it. Therefore, embrace the truth of righteousness today and unlock that fountain of life with your spirit to reform your mind and restore your body.
– Dr. deji oyebamiji
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit, who lives in you”. Romans 8:11 (NIV)
Christianity is supernatural! I could say that a thousand times and still not have said it enough. As believers, one of the many things that mark us out from the pack is our ability to live above the blood level.
Leviticus 17:11 tells us that ‘the life of the flesh is in the blood’. But as we have seen in the previous article, for a believer, the life of his flesh is not in his blood but in his spirit as expressed in Romans 8:10.
How is this possible? When you got born again, you received eternal life into your spirit. That ‘eternal life’ is the life of God. The very essence of divinity coming to tabernacle in your spirit. It is the life by which God walks and talks, creates and heals.
Now when you received that life, it was never meant to be locked up within your spirit. It was God’s full intention that through certain means that life will flow out from your spirit to transform your mind and heal your body.
Those means are revealed to us in Romans 8:10-11 as (i) Righteousness (ii) The Holy Spirit. In the next two articles, I will be talking about how to use these means to bring the supernatural life of God in your spirit to bear upon your mortal body.
– Dr deji oyebamiji
“And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but THE SPIRIT IS LIFE (or ‘the spirit is the life of the flesh’) because of righteousness”.
(Brackets Mine) Romans 8:10 – KJV
Christianity is supernatural! This is not an overstatement; it is a statement of fact. To be a Christian is to be an extraordinary man or woman. One out of the many things that mark us out as extraordinary is our ability to live above the blood level.
In the portion of scripture quoted above, we are told of the extraordinary make-up of the believer. We are told that because of the presence of sin in his flesh, his body is dead (or subject to death) like the body of any unbeliever. But through the gift of righteousness we are told that his spirit becomes the life of the body.
So what’s the meaning of all this? When you are born again, the righteousness of God in you enables the life in your spirit to overrule the death in your body so that you begin to live in your mortal body as though it were not mortal.
The Bible tells us in Leviticus 17:11 that the life of the flesh is in the blood and medical science confirms that the majority of infections and diseases are carried by the blood. But when a man becomes born again, he has gone beyond the blood level. The life of his flesh is not in the blood. The life of his flesh is in his spirit.
Acknowledgement is the button of operation. Embrace this truth and put an end to the rule of sickness and death in your body. Today!
– Dr. deji oyebamiji