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Make The Above Declaration of Faith With All Your Heart

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The 3 Vital Signs of the End-Time

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The Law of the Spirit of Life

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Mastery Over Sin--Part 1

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The Miraculous Power of Confession

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The Purpose of Divine Wealth

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The Secrets of Divine Peace

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“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” 1Timothy 6:12 In the above opening text, the Holy Spirit through Paul the Apostle, commits a huge responsibility to every believer. He says we should fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal

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Righteousness Consciousness

“Awake to Righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame”—1Corinthians 15:34 The above scripture calls us to awaken to righteousness. That is, we should be righteousness conscious. As it is the ultimate cure to sin. This clarion call is so crucial, as many today in the Church of Christ are sin conscious. And that is the major reason many of them are still struggling fruitlessly with sin. Many Christian still believe and confess that they are sinners like every other person. They say everybody is a sinner, including themselves. And somehow, they believe they are being honest… When you ask them, are you righteous? They quickly answer, no—nobody is righteous, even the bible says so. And this is because of their lack of proper understanding of God’s righteousness. They believe the scripture that says, “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10) and the scripture that says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God “(Romans 3:23) still applies to them as believers in Christ Jesus. Then on the other hand, many are struggling to attain to righteousness by their own self works. Hoping that as they keep on struggling to live right, someday, if God keeps them alive long enough, they may attain unto righteousness. This group of people are ignorant of the scripture that tells us that we are not justified by our own self works. And that our righteousness is as a filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). They are ignorant of the scripture that says, ‘by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight’—Romans 3:20. And these delusion of many a believer about God’s righteousness, is the major reason, amongst others, for the multiplication of sin in the Church. Because no one can actually gain dominion over sin or sinful habits with these kind of sin and self-work (the works of the Law) consciousness. Hence, we will be exploring the true meaning of righteousness that the word of God calls us to awaken to in this dispensation of God’s grace… How Do We Attain to Righteousness? Righteousness is a gift of Grace that is freely received by faith in Christ Jesus (Romans 5:17). We don’t get righteous on our own qualifications but by the merits of Jesus. By the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth and by the price of his death and shared blood on the cross of Calvary, every believer in Christ Jesus, is made absolutely righteous by God. Here is what the word of God says concerning this in 2Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” Thus, any and everybody can easily obtain righteousness by faith in Christ Jesus. No matter how evil the person has been; even if he had murdered a million persons in the past. Even if he had fornicated for years; even if he cursed God in ignorance or said there is no God… Immediately he believes in Jesus and confess him as his Lord and saviour, he becomes as righteous as Jesus—Romans 10:10. So if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and saviour, you are born again; and you are absolutely righteous. Now that you know you are righteous—that you are a saint—God’s clarion call in our opening scripture, is that you should awake to righteousness… That is, you should awaken to the consciousness of whom he has made you –a saint. Let this consciousness saturate and change your mind-set. Let it change the picture you have about yourself. Let this consciousness inform your action. Let it inform your choice of words, dressing, places and events to attend. Being made the righteousness of God is similar to a great king picking out a condemned criminal from prison, cleaning him up and adopting him as his son. Then to be righteousness conscious or awakening to righteousness, is likened to the adopted son, comporting himself in tandem to his newly conferred, gracious, royal status. He is to jettison his past personality and identity and put on his present personality and status as a prince. Along this line, the word of God tells us in Romans 6:11: “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Now that we are in Christ Jesus, we are to reckon or consider ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord in righteousness. Then another scripture buttresses this very fact thus: “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” Ephesians 4:22-23 The word ‘conversation’ in the above scripture refers to behaviour. The Lord is saying, now that you in him, you should jettison your former, corrupt behaviours which are pertinent to unbelievers… And that after putting off these corrupt behaviours, we should be renewed in the spirit of our mind (our hearts). In order words, we should change our consciousness and mind-set from corruption to righteousness. The remaining part of the chapter spells out specifically how this change should go thus: “Wherefore putting off lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”—Ephesians 4:25-32 The above scriptures depict righteousness consciousness in pin-point detail. So there you have it. Awake to righteousness and sin not. Don’t see yourself anymore as a sinner. Never confess again that you are a sinner. That is who you used to be. But now you are righteous. You’re the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That is what the word of God says you are. And that is what you should confess. Yes, it is true that if we say that we have not sinned, we make him (God) a liar (1John 1:10). At the same time, it is also very true that after we have come into Christ we still say we are sinners, we are also calling God a liar. So from now on, begin to confess to yourself and whoever cares to hear, that you are righteous—the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. And as you do continually, it will soon practically become evident in your life in Jesus Name! Remain Blessed! Emeke Odili Read the full article

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“About Divine Healing and Health”

“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet, saying, himself took our infirmities, and bare our sickness”—Matthew 8:17 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and BE IN HEALTH, even as thy soul prospereth”—3John2 For the sake of this discuss, two scriptural texts from two Apostles (Matthew and John) have been provided. Because a matter must be established in the mouth of two or three witnesses. In the first opening text, Matthew by the Spirit tells us that Jesus’ healing acts in the preceding verses were a fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Jesus’ Atonement for our healing and health. It says “himself took our infirmities, and bare our sickness”. And of course, if Jesus took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses, then our infirmities and sicknesses are gone. Then for the second opening text from John, the scripture is also very straight-forward. John by the Spirit says “He wish above all things that we may prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers”. The word ‘wish’ as used by John in the above scriptural quote, is from the Greek word, ‘euchomai’ meaning ‘to wish’. Which by implication means: to pray to God or to will. And since these John wishes or prayers were motivated by the Holy Ghost, it means John was praying the topmost will of God for us believers. And amongst these topmost will of God that John prayed for, is health. So we can safely again assert that divine health (amongst others) is God’s topmost desire for his children. With the above two scriptures, every believer can confidently trust God for their perfect health and healing at all times. And of course, this becomes the rule. So Can a Believer Be Sick? Having established from the two opening text above, that perfect health and healing is the believer’s heritage in Christ Jesus, the very next question that quickly comes to mind is ‘can a believer be sick?’ The answer to the above question is yes. A believer in Christ Jesus can be sick or challenged in his health. And that is why part of the health providence of Jesus is called ‘healing’. Of course, your health has to be challenged for you to get healed. But in as much as a believer’s health can be challenged. The believer can by his faith in the healing atonement of Christ, as we have discussed earlier, deny the fact that he is sick.  Even when the symptoms are very glaring… When he does that, he is walking by faith and scriptural understanding. The believer who denies being sick even with symptoms of sickness, is not to be judged as a liar. Any more than the believer who confesses that he is righteous, even though he fails sometimes and repents would be called a liar. To call a person talking by faith a liar, is to be judging from a very high level of spiritual parochialism. When a believer is having a health challenge but says he is not sick or he is strong, he is simply speaking in line with the scripture that says, when I am weak, then am I strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). The person may be lying on hospital bed and yet still maintain his confession of divine health, looking up to God for intervention. And of course, most of the time, God does intervene in response to such faith. Testimonies of such divine interventions abound so much to deny. What About Those That Die Saying They Are Not Sick? A major attack brought against divine healing is the fact that many a believer had said they are not sick. And even confessed they can never be sick. Yet they ended up dying with some ailments. People ask; is that not deception? Well, from scriptures their words and acts can never in any way be called deception. The proper classification of their words and acts is simply faith. Now most of these folks that actually made such confessions actually enjoyed undeniable divine health and healing from God through their faith in God for years. Then eventually some of them couldn’t recover from their health challenges before their death. The reason for such occurrences can vary. Especially, it may be a call home time for them by God… This may be the reason, for the exceptional overriding of their faith by God. And that does not in any way make their profession and earnestness of faith a deception like many call it. Even when they die like that, they can also be counted as heroes of faith.  Including those who refuse medication for the sake of their faith. Hebrews 11:35 tells us that some of the heroes of faith, were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. So to die in one’s earnest faith in God’s word, is never a deception; but rather, a righteous act in commitment to God’s faithfulness. And like I always tell people, we have a better hope of a believer that dies in his earnest faith, than the ones who die in unbelief and doubt. Yes, it’s true that many have died believing absolutely in God for their healing and health. But many more have died in unbelief and doubt. What About The Unbelieving Believers? Most of the attacks and criticism against those who believe in divine healing even unto death come from the group of believers who don’t believe in divine healing. Most of them once believed in divine healing and health. But like the folks with stony hearts in Jesus’ parable, when they faced some tribulations and persecution, concerning their faith in divine healing, they were offended. Then consequently, they begin to bring up one baseless attack after the other against the healing gospel. They say, ‘Many believe in divine health and healing yet they get sick and die; so the healing and health doctrine is false’. And yet with the massive failure of medical science, they still have great confidence in it… Even much more than God’s word. When they or someone gets any health challenge, it never occur to them to look up to God first for divine healing. Instead, they first run to the hospital. And when medical science eventually fails them, in self-justification, they claim the sickness is their thorn in the flesh. They claim such things just to attract pity from people. Instead of repenting of their unbelief so God can heal them… They say their ailments are thorns from God, yet they keep on investing a larger share of their income in medicine. But I find that absurd. If someone claims his ailment is God’s will, why then fight the ailment with much assiduousness with medicine? Some even get off medical science to witchcraft science. Some run to self-help materials to help themselves. Some to hypnotherapy. While some others run to one of the many new-age healing practices for relief. A cousin of mine told me of how a sick Pastor died in the hand of a witch doctor while he went to him for treatment… Instead of believing solely in the healing and health provision of God unto death. I have often told people. I live above sickness and diseases. Because Christ had taken them away from me. And I will keep on confessing that even if I am lying down on the basis of health challenge. And I will keep on with that confession even when I’m about to take my last breath on the basis of health challenge… Anyone that wants to mock is very welcome. But I will believe and confess the Lord’s word unto death. I will never twist scriptures to align with my experiences or failures instead of the undiluted word of God. In conclusion… God’s desire for all his children is perfect health and healing. And he had already sufficiently provided for it through the stripes of Jesus. As such, divine health and healing for every believer, is the rule. And that being so, for other reasons, the believers health can be challenged… And of course, this becomes the exception to the rule of divine health. Then even when this exception occur in the life of a believer, the believer can resist the health challenge by faith and divine wisdom even unto death to the honour and glory of God. Remain Blessed! Emeke Odili. Read the full article

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4 Steps To A Winning Faith

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”—Hebrews 11:1 The above opening text is the most popular scriptural verse that gives the most accurate definition of Christian faith. It says faith is the substance (concrete essence or abstract assurance) of things not seen. Now inasmuch as the above scriptural definition of faith in the opening text is impeccably correct, it requires expounding for better understanding of the Christian faith. In summary, the definition says faith is the concrete essence or assurance of things we hope for or expect to get from God. Then the second part of the definition says faith is the proof or conviction of things not seen – that is, the things we expect, that we are yet to see or perceive with our physical senses. With this definition of faith above, the very next question that comes to mind is “how can I be assured of an expectation I am yet to receive?” or “how can I have the proof or conviction of an expectation I have not yet seen or gotten a physical perception of?” This question above is what this particular post sets out to answer scripturally.  In this post, I share with you the four scriptural steps to walking in the Christian faith that gives you triumphant results every time. These four steps I will be sharing with you here are basically an expansion of the definition of faith in our opening text. The 4 Steps To A Winning Faith Like I already mentioned above, the four steps of a Winning Faith I will be sharing with you here are basically the expansion or elaboration of the definition of faith in our opening text (Hebrews 11:1). And more interestingly, these four steps are also revealed in the same chapter as our opening text. These four steps to a winning Christian faith can be found in Hebrews 11:13. And it reads; “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth”. From the above scriptural text, the four steps to a winning scriptural faith are as follows: - See It Afar Off: The definition of faith in our opening text says, faith is the substance of things hoped for. So the first step to a winning faith is a clear vision or picture of the thing you want from God. For instance, if you desire a child from God, your first step of faith, should be a clear vision of the kind of child you want from God. You need to clearly, with your eyes of faith, catch a clear vision or picture of the kind of child you want. If it is a male child you want, you specify it before God. Then you can even go ahead and even pick a name for the male child. I have used a child’s example for this first step, but this can be applied to anything whatsoever you desire from God. The emphasis here is in clear vision or picture of what you want from God, with detailed specification and description, with your eyes of faith. - Be Persuaded Of It: Once you have clearly envisioned and specified what you want from God, the very next thing you need for your faith to produce is persuasion. And of course, you cannot persuade yourself. Persuasion in this context is the same thing as the substance and evidence as used in our opening text. Persuasion is the spiritual assurance, proof or conviction in the heart that you have what you desire from God, even when you have not received it physically. And this spiritual persuasion, substance, assurance, proof or conviction in the heart is the work of the Holy Spirit. So how do you get persuaded that you have what you desire of God? The answer is prayer. Having specified what you desire from God, you earnestly go to God in prayer asking the Lord for your desire. As you pray, you study the word of God concerning what you’re asking for to know if it is in line with the word of God. As you pray earnestly and study the word of God, and you’re not yet persuaded of your answer from God, you can also add fasting to your prayer. You pray, asking the Lord for your heart desire until the Lord gives you assurance in your heart that your desire has been granted. Don’t give up or stop praying until you receive definite assurance or conviction in your heart from the Holy Spirit that your request has been granted. As you receive the evidence or conviction in your heart from the Lord, give thanks and celebrate him for the answer to your prayer and move to the third step of faith below. - Embrace It: Once you’re fully persuaded in your heart that God has granted your heart desire, the next step of a winning faith is for you to embrace your answer. Yes, the answer may not have appeared physically, but since you’ve already received the assurance of the Holy Spirit in your heart, you go ahead and embrace the answer in faith.  By embracing, it means you start walking in the reality of your answer as if you already have it. For instance, if you requested the Lord for a child and received the assurance that God has granted it to you, you begin to see yourself as a pregnant woman.  You can even go a step further to start acting as a pregnant woman. Then to embrace it much more, you can go ahead and start shopping for the baby things as a proof of your faith in God’s assurance. That is an example of how to embrace your desire after being persuaded by the Holy Spirit in your heart. When you do that, you affirm that God is reliable, faithful and dependable, and your miracle will be on its way to physical manifestation. - Confess It: As you embrace your desire by faith, in the final step, you begin to confess it. You begin to say to yourself and others that God has finally granted your heart desire. For instance, continuing with the child example, as you embrace your gift of a child, through your acts of faith, you begin to confess or say to yourself and others continually that you have finally taken in. As you say it, you thank God sincerely for it continually. Then you also say it with all boldness and conviction. Never mind any unbelieving thoughts or words the devil or people will say to you. Never mind any mockery you may receive from people, just go on acting and confessing what you believe with patience and persistence. And before long, if you do not give up for any reason, you will see the practical manifestation of your miracle to the glory of God. So that is it. Those are the four steps to a winning Christian faith. I always practice what I have shared here continually and I can tell you the result is always miraculous and awesome. Then apart from me, several other Christians who also practice the above 4 steps have also been enjoying miraculous interventions from God. For the Lord says if thou can believe, all things are possible to him that believes. If you do have any question or comment concerning this post, please feel free to leave them at the comment section below and I’ll reply as soon as possible. You may also like: Understanding The Christian Faith The Triumphant Faith Exceedingly Growing Faith The Secrets of Exceedingly Growing Faith Read the full article

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The Fruit of The Spirit

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” --Galatians 5:22-23 While it is very scripturally true that every born again child of God has the Holy Spirit indwelling in him, if the believer does not walk in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit becomes of little benefit to him. And this is why the Apostle Paul in most of his epistles admonishes us by the Spirit, to walk in the Spirit. In Galatians 5:25, Paul by the Spirit says; “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” As we walk in the Spirit, we enjoy the manifestation of the gifts and fruit of the Spirit. I have already discussed about the gifts of the Spirit here. So in this post, we will be looking into the fruit of the Spirit. Because inasmuch as God desires us to covet earnestly the gifts of the Spirit (1Corinthians 12:31), He also desires us to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Colossians 3:12-17). The fruit of the Spirit means divine characters or attitudes that are made available to the believer’s heart or Spirit by the Holy Spirit in them. And as believers yield themselves to the influence of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, these fruit of the Spirit gains free expression through them. So What Are The Fruit of The Spirit? In our opening text, Galatians 5:22-23, Paul by the Spirit lists out the fruit of the Spirit. And in this section, we are going to briefly discuss each of the fruit of the Spirit: - The Fruit of Love: The number one fruit of the Spirit, listed in our opening text, is love. The word of God says, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Romans 5:5). Love is the fruit of the Spirit in our hearts that enable us love God and our fellow humans, even when it is not convenient. The love of God helps us love God and our fellow men selflessly and sacrificially. It enables us show love to even our enemies as the Lord Jesus instructs us. - The Fruit of Joy: The fruit of Joy helps us, believers, to remain joyful in the Lord, no matter whatever circumstances we face in life. The Joy of the Holy Spirit is a supernatural manifestation in the heart. It is a supernatural manifestation in the heart that is undeterred by the happenings around the believers, whether good or bad. - The Fruit of Peace:  In John 14:27, the Lord Jesus says; “Peace I leave with you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” This peace of the Lord is brought to our hearts by the Holy Spirit of God in us. The peace of God puts the believer’s heart at rest. Regardless of whatever situation he finds himself. Then the peace of God also removes fear from our hearts, no matter what we face in life. - The Fruit of Longsuffering:  The fruit of longsuffering helps the believer with the fortitude to go through some tribulations of life, as permitted by God. Longsuffering helps the believer to forbear his fellow brethren’s offences. So in summary, longsuffering means patience with God and with our fellowmen. - The Fruit of Gentleness: Gentleness as stated in our opening text, is from the Greek word “chrestotes”, meaning-- usefulness. That is, moral excellence; in character and demeanor. So the fruit of gentleness confers moral excellence on the believer. Part of the moral excellence, is the attitude of not being apt to hurt his neighbor. The fruit of gentleness removes rascality from a believer. - The Fruit of Goodness: The fruit of goodness makes believers to be beneficent. That is, it makes the believer to be always apt to do or seek the good of others. The fruit of goodness enables believer to do good to even those that despitefully treat him. - The Fruit of Faith: Faith is from the Greek word ’pistis’. Which means persuasion or assurance. So the fruit of faith helps us maintain our assurance or confidence in God, at all times for all things. Because the bible says, the just shall live by faith.  And it is the fruit of faith that helps us maintain a lifestyle of faith. - The Fruit of Meekness: Meekness means humility. So as we walk in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit impacts our hearts with humility. Such that no matter whatever height God lifts us to in life, we don’t get puffed up and proud. Among other things, meekness makes us teachable. - The Fruit of Temperance: Temperance means self-control. So the fruit of temperance helps us to control ourselves, especially our emotions.  All our human emotions and desires, if not controlled, can lead us into troubles and sins. So the Holy Spirit in us, believers, helps us to discipline ourselves. By the Holy Spirit, we are able to control our food appetite, sexual appetite and every other natural appetite which can lead to sin. So listed above, are the nine major fruit of the Holy Spirit in us.  And according to the word of God, these fruit of the Spirit, find expression in our lives as we continually give ourselves to walking in the Spirit. If you do have any question or comment on the fruit of the Spirit, please drop them at the comment section below and I’ll respond back to you as soon as possible. Then if you are blessed by this post, you can use the social media widgets below to share it with your friends. And as you do, God will richly bless you. You may also like: How to Receive the Infilling of the Holy Spirit The Gifts of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit And His Features The Anointing of the Holy Spirit Read the full article

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The Fruit of The Spirit

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” --Galatians 5:22-23 While it is very scripturally true that every born again child of God has the Holy Spirit indwelling in him, if the believer does not walk in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit becomes of little benefit to him. And this is why the Apostle Paul in most of his epistles admonishes us by the Spirit, to walk in the Spirit. In Galatians 5:25, Paul by the Spirit says; “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” As we walk in the Spirit, we enjoy the manifestation of the gifts and fruit of the Spirit. I have already discussed about the gifts of the Spirit here. So in this post, we will be looking into the fruit of the Spirit. Because inasmuch as God desires us to covet earnestly the gifts of the Spirit (1Corinthians 12:31), He also desires us to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Colossians 3:12-17). The fruit of the Spirit means divine characters or attitudes that are made available to the believer’s heart or Spirit by the Holy Spirit in them. And as believers yield themselves to the influence of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, these fruit of the Spirit gains free expression through them. So What Are The Fruit of The Spirit? In our opening text, Galatians 5:22-23, Paul by the Spirit lists out the fruit of the Spirit. And in this section, we are going to briefly discuss each of the fruit of the Spirit: - The Fruit of Love: The number one fruit of the Spirit, listed in our opening text, is love. The word of God says, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Romans 5:5). Love is the fruit of the Spirit in our hearts that enable us love God and our fellow humans, even when it is not convenient. The love of God helps us love God and our fellow men selflessly and sacrificially. It enables us show love to even our enemies as the Lord Jesus instructs us. - The Fruit of Joy: The fruit of Joy helps us, believers, to remain joyful in the Lord, no matter whatever circumstances we face in life. The Joy of the Holy Spirit is a supernatural manifestation in the heart. It is a supernatural manifestation in the heart that is undeterred by the happenings around the believers, whether good or bad. - The Fruit of Peace:  In John 14:27, the Lord Jesus says; “Peace I leave with you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” This peace of the Lord is brought to our hearts by the Holy Spirit of God in us. The peace of God puts the believer’s heart at rest. Regardless of whatever situation he finds himself. Then the peace of God also removes fear from our hearts, no matter what we face in life. - The Fruit of Longsuffering:  The fruit of longsuffering helps the believer with the fortitude to go through some tribulations of life, as permitted by God. Longsuffering helps the believer to forbear his fellow brethren’s offences. So in summary, longsuffering means patience with God and with our fellowmen. - The Fruit of Gentleness: Gentleness as stated in our opening text, is from the Greek word “chrestotes”, meaning-- usefulness. That is, moral excellence; in character and demeanor. So the fruit of gentleness confers moral excellence on the believer. Part of the moral excellence, is the attitude of not being apt to hurt his neighbor. The fruit of gentleness removes rascality from a believer. - The Fruit of Goodness: The fruit of goodness makes believers to be beneficent. That is, it makes the believer to be always apt to do or seek the good of others. The fruit of goodness enables believer to do good to even those that despitefully treat him. - The Fruit of Faith: Faith is from the Greek word ’pistis’. Which means persuasion or assurance. So the fruit of faith helps us maintain our assurance or confidence in God, at all times for all things. Because the bible says, the just shall live by faith.  And it is the fruit of faith that helps us maintain a lifestyle of faith. - The Fruit of Meekness: Meekness means humility. So as we walk in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit impacts our hearts with humility. Such that no matter whatever height God lifts us to in life, we don’t get puffed up and proud. Among other things, meekness makes us teachable. - The Fruit of Temperance: Temperance means self-control. So the fruit of temperance helps us to control ourselves, especially our emotions.  All our human emotions and desires, if not controlled, can lead us into troubles and sins. So the Holy Spirit in us, believers, helps us to discipline ourselves. By the Holy Spirit, we are able to control our food appetite, sexual appetite and every other natural appetite which can lead to sin. So listed above, are the nine major fruit of the Holy Spirit in us.  And according to the word of God, these fruit of the Spirit, find expression in our lives as we continually give ourselves to walking in the Spirit. If you do have any question or comment on the fruit of the Spirit, please drop them at the comment section below and I’ll respond back to you as soon as possible. Then if you are blessed by this post, you can use the social media widgets below to share it with your friends. And as you do, God will richly bless you. You may also like: How to Receive the Infilling of the Holy Spirit The Gifts of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit And His Features The Anointing of the Holy Spirit Read the full article

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The Secrets of Divine Peace

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”—John14:27 From this opening text, the Lord Jesus himself tells us that he leaves his peace with us. In other words, every believer has access to Christ, the divine’s peace. Then he went further to tell us that the kind of peace he gives to us is not as the world or the things of the world gives. This means divine peace is different from natural peace. The divine peace the Lord gives believers is a perfect peace. It is a permanent peace. Unlike the world’s kind of peace, God’s kind of peace is unconditional. Christ’s peace is accessible in times of good goings as well as in times of adversity.  But on the other hand, the peace of the world is incomplete. It is a mixed feeling. In the world, someone may be peaceful in one facet of life, while in a great turmoil in another area of life… As such, the peace is only short lived. All around the world, people seek for peace-- especially the peace of mind in several ways, to no avail. Some seek it through hard drugs. Some through financial wealth. While others through academic and spiritual practices… …such as self-help and new age practices. But in all these, there is no true peace. True peace or rest of the spirit and the soul of man is only accessible in Christ Jesus. And this is why the Lord cries out always to mankind; “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”—Matthew 11:28.  For so many generations, the Lord keeps on making this clarion call of grace to mankind for peace. As he calls, a greater number of people continually refuse the call.  Many others accept the call but never experience the peace or rest. Then a fewer number of those who answer the call, actually experience this divine peace. This is not supposed to be so. Everyone that heeds to Jesus’ call to peace ought to enjoy the rest of God… But in reality it’s not so. And from the Lord’s word, it is clear that the rest he gives may not be enjoyed by every believer. In the last part of the opening text, the Lord instructs us not to let our hearts be troubled, or let it be afraid. This last part of his statement in that verse, explains why many believers do not enjoy the peace of God. Because many believers still let their hearts to be troubled and also let their hearts to be afraid. And this, regardless of the Lord’s instruction. The Lord gives us his peace. In other words, he makes his peace available and accessible to every believer… But it is the choice and responsibility of the believer to keep his heart from troubles and fear. And to keep our hearts from trouble and fear, we need to engage some scriptural secrets…  The Secrets of Divine Peace To keep our hearts from trouble and fears; and enjoy divine peace, below are the scriptural secrets: - Redemptive Faith in Christ Jesus: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”—Matthew 11:28. The number one access to divine peace is being born again in Christ Jesus, by repentance and faith. Redemptive faith in Christ Jesus, gives the repentant sinner access to divine rest of heart and mind. - Trust in God: “Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee”—Isaiah 26:3.  Our first point talks about the redemptive faith which gives us access to divine peace. But then to enjoy the perfect peace, we need to live a lifestyle of faith in God. The scripture above says God keeps the person, whose mind stays on God in perfect peace. Because he trusts in God. So trusting in God for all things helps us enjoy the perfect peace of God in our lives. Because trust in God removes fear and trouble from our hearts and minds. - Righteousness and Uprightness: “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever”—Isaiah 32:17. Sin is the major reason for the troubles and fears in the heart of men. Anyone that indulges in any form of unrighteousness consistently can never have peace of heart or mind…  Even if he is already a believer in Christ Jesus. But on the other hand, according to our text, the work of righteousness (righteous living) gives peace. And its effect is quietness and assurance forever. - Casting Your Care on God: “Be careful for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts in Christ Jesus”—Philippians 4:6-7. This is one of the major secrets of divine peace. Being careful (worries and anxiety) is the major reason why many believers lack peace in Christ. They allow their hearts to be troubled by the cares of this life. But if we must enjoy the peace of Christ in our hearts and minds, we must throw our cares on God. Through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. - Prayers and Supplication: “I exhort  therefore, that, first of all supplication, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty”—1Timothy 2:1-2. Here the Lord tells us through the Apostle Paul, that for us to lead quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty… we should supplicate, pray, intercede, and thank God for all men. For kings, and for all that are in authority. So we can enjoy divine peace by prayers and intercession for people and leaders. - Divine Wisdom: “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding… she is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her…her ways are the ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace”—Proverbs 3: 13, 15, 17 We see here that another way to access divine peace is to be walking in divine wisdom. When we receive divine wisdom in any area of life, we enjoy divine peace in that area. For Example, when we ask and receive wisdom from God concerning our marriage, we enjoy perfect peace in our matrimonial homes. - Meekness: “But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace”—Psalm 37:11 Meekness talks about humility or lowliness of heart and mind. And in the above quoted scripture, the Lord says the meek shall inherit the earth. And they shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. So to enjoy divine peace in your life, you must be humble or lowly in heart and mind. In conclusion, there is perfect peace in Christ Jesus. And it’s available and accessible to every believer in Christ Jesus. But to practically experience this divine peace in our hearts and minds, we need: Trust in God, Righteousness, Prayer and Intercession, divine wisdom and meekness. If you do have any question or comment concerning this post, please drop them at the comment section below and I’ll respond to you as soon as possible. Then if you are blessed by this post, you can use the social media widgets below to share it with your friends. And as you do so, God will richly bless you in Jesus name! You may also like: The Joy Of The Lord How To Receive Divine Deliverance  The Secrets of a Miraculous Lifestyle Read the full article

[emekrus]

The Unpardonable Sin

 “Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.  And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” – Matthew 12-31-32 “Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith so ever, they shall blaspheme. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. Because they said, he hath an unclean spirit” – Mark 3:28-30 From the above quoted scriptures, we want to discuss about the unpardonable sin. Which the Lord Jesus says is the sin or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In this article we want to fully understand the scope or context of this sin; and also to find out who is qualified to commit this unpardonable sin. In the context of the opening scriptural text, they brought a man that was possessed with a demon, blind and dumb; and Jesus healed him, so that the blind and dumb man both spoke and saw. While people were in awe and amazement of Jesus’ miraculous healing and deliverance, the antagonist Pharisees said Jesus was casting out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. Now in all honesty, the Pharisees that made that statement knew very well that Jesus was operating with the Spirit of God, not with an evil spirit. By their knowledge of scriptures and observation of his character, they knew very well that Jesus was the Son of God and was operating with the Holy Spirit of God. But out of envy, they maliciously and willfully accused Jesus of casting out demons with the power of Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. This fact can be buttressed by Jesus’ statement in verse 33 of the same chapter. Here is what the Lord says in Matthew 12:33; “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit”. In the above verse, Jesus is saying you cannot say a good tree produces a bad fruit. Neither can you say a corrupt tree produces good fruit. So What Is The Unpardonable Sin? From the above scriptural analysis, it is very clear that the unpardonable sin is the conscious, willful and malicious blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit also means, renegading or turning away from Christ after receiving the knowledge of Christ and the truth of God’s word (Hebrews 10:26-29; Hebrews 6:4-6; 2Peter 2:20-21) Are Blasphemous Thoughts Unpardonable Sin? Now concerning this matter of unpardonable sin, there are those who believe they have committed the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit, just because of some blasphemous thoughts that come to their minds.  But just having blasphemous thoughts against the Holy Spirit flow to our minds, is not committing the unpardonable sin. Every believer at one point or the other do have sinful thoughts float to their minds, including blasphemous thoughts, but that does not translate to the unpardonable sin. When thought projects into your mind, either from the devil or from any other source, all you have to do is to resist the evil thought. And of course, God will not count an evil thought you resisted as sin against you. The only thought that becomes a sin against you is the one you embrace with all your heart. So getting a sinful or blasphemous thought against the Holy Spirit, is never an unpardonable sin, especially if you feared and resisted that thought without embracing it. And as a matter of fact, if you feel scared that you might have committed the unpardonable sin, that’s a sure sign that you have not committed the unpardonable sin. Because it is only the person with the Holy Spirit in him that fears God. The people who commit the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit, loose the fear of God completely and are possessed of the devil. And they can freely speak against God without any fears whatsoever, because the Holy Spirit of God has departed from them. So, if someone still fears God, and by reason of floating blasphemous thoughts against the Holy Spirit, thinks that he has committed the unpardonable sin, it is very clear he has not committed the unpardonable sin. Who Is Qualified To Commit The Unpardonable Sin? “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gifts, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” – Hebrews 6:4-6 From the above text we can see the qualifications for committing the unpardonable sin. For someone to be able to commit the unpardonable sin: - He must be Enlightened: In other words, he must have a good revelational knowledge of God’s word. - He must have tasted of the heavenly gifts: That is the person must have had experience of the manifestation of spiritual gifts. - He must have received the gift of the Holy Ghost and even had good communion with the Holy Ghost. - He must have tasted the good word of God-- that is, the person must have had a deep understanding of God’s word. - He must have tasted or experienced the manifestation of the power of the word to come, especially the manifestation of the anointing in his life. It is only the person who passes the above five listed criterial that can commit the unpardonable sin. So, with the above stated scriptural fact, it is practically impossible for an unbeliever in Christ Jesus, to commit the unpardonable sin. And it is also very difficult for a baby Christian, without much revelational knowledge of God, his word and power to commit the unpardonable sin. So, an unbeliever who is yet to be enlightened about God and his word may blaspheme God, Jesus and his Holy Spirit out of his ignorance. But when he gets enlightened and repents his sins and blasphemies will be forgiven.  Along the same line, a baby Christian without proper enlightenment about God, his words and power can out of temptation or anger blaspheme against God and even the Holy Spirit, so long he does that in ignorance, if he repents and asks God for mercy he will be forgiven. So How Do I Know I Have Not Committed The Unpardonable Sin? In case you are still in doubt whether you have committed the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit or not, here is how to know you have not committed the unpardonable sin… If you think you have committed the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit; and you still have the fear of God in your heart; you are still very dreadful of consciously sinning against God and his eternal judgment, then that is a sure sign you have not committed the unpardonable sin.  Because those who commit the unpardonable sin, against God, do not have the Holy Spirit anymore, instead they get possessed by an adversarial spirit. And as such, they don’t have any iota of fear of God or his eternal judgment. So, they can easily blaspheme and sin against God with no fear whatsoever. So, if you think you have committed the unpardonable sin against God, and yet you still have the fear of God and his eternal judgment in your heart, then know that you have not committed the unpardonable sin. Just go ahead and ask God to sanctify your heart and mind afresh with the blood of Jesus Christ. And also ask God to cast out that spirit of condemning fear from you, and fill your heart afresh with his divine faith and love in the name of Jesus Christ. And as you ask him, your joy of salvation and sonship will be restored back to you in Jesus name! If you do have any question or comment concerning the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit, please drop them at the comment section below and I’ll respond to you as soon as possible. Then if you are blessed by this post, you can use the social media widgets below to share it with your friends. And as you do so, God will richly bless you in Jesus name! You may also like: How to receive the Infilling of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit and His Features The Gifts of the Holy Spirit The Anointing of the Holy Spirit Read the full article

[emekrus]

The Gifts of The Holy Spirit

“Now there are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.”—1 Corinthians 12:4-6 The Greek word translated as “gift” in our opening text above is “charisma” meaning: divine endowment; or qualification to stand in a spiritual office or service. It also means divinely endowed miraculous faculty or ability. Yes, all good abilities or gifts come from God. But in the context of this post, we will be dealing specifically with the gifts of the Holy Spirit as clearly stated in the scripture.  In John 7:37-38; the bible says; “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying , If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified)” The rivers of living water, which is the Holy Spirit, as clearly stated in the scripture above, was poured out on every believer on earth, on the day of Pentecost. And since then anyone that repents and receives Jesus as his Lord and personal Savior, receives the Holy Spirit.  As the believer receives the Holy Spirit at salvation, the rivers of living water comes into his belly and begins to flow in him to quench his t Read the full article