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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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Seven Signs of a True Son

One day, a couple sat before me at the counselling table. The lady said to me, “Oh Bishop, I am your daughter.” But I corrected her and said, “You are not my daughter, you are just a church member.”

She looked hurt but I continued, “You are a very nice church member who is always smiling around and encouraging us but that doesn’t make you a daughter. You are a VNP but you are not a daughter.”

There are five types of church members: very nice people (VNPs), very encouraging people (VEPs), very important people (VIPs), very significant people (VSPs) and very dangerous people (VDPs).

I went on to explain:

I asked her, “When you see my children running around in the church, how do you know that they are my children?”

She didn’t answer so I answered myself, “They look like me. Can’t you see that my children look like me?”

She nodded.

Then I asked her, “What similarity is there between you and I? You are not involved in the work of ministry. You are not a shepherd, you do nothing to help, and you do nothing in the church. You are a very nice person but not a daughter!”

She finally understood the point I was making. Just being around and being nice does not make you a son or a daughter. On that day, there were many children playing around after church, but only two of them were my sons. Being around doesn’t make you a son. So what are the things that make you a son?

There are certain things that make you a son or a daughter, and that is what I want to share with you in this chapter.

Seven Signs of Sons and Daughters

1. A SON / DAUGHTER RESEMBLES HIS FATHER.

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER…

John 14:9

When you see my sons and daughters in the ministry, you will find that they have some resemblance to me. The similarities between sons and fathers are the telltale signs of the link between the fathers and the sons.

In the natural, my children look like me and even have my colour. Spiritually and in the ministry, there are many similarities between my sons in the Lord and myself. Jesus said, “He that has seen me has seen the Father.”

The reason why I don’t have to run around all the different churches preaching is because my sons and daughters are ministering powerfully. If you have seen the son, then you have seen the father.

A son is not a clone or a photocopy of the father. But he has very important and essential traits that he received from his father. Every son has his father’s genes, blood type and DNA. There are some sons who take after their fathers so closely that they look very much like their fathers. On the other hand, there are sons who have very few similarities to their fathers even though they are real sons.

2. A SON / DAUGHTER IS FOREVER.

And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

John 8:35

Real sons and daughters will always belong to the house. No matter what your natural child does, he always belongs to the house. He may have different beliefs but he belongs to the house. In his heart he knows where he belongs, he knows who brought him up and how he came to be what he is. A true son will scarcely rise up against his own father.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

1 John 2:19

3. SONS AND DAUGHTERS BELIEVE IN THEIR FATHERS AND TRUST THEM FOR EVERYTHING.

…Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven, Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…

Matthew 6:9-13

Real sons are filled with lots of trust. Most work places are filled with untrusting people. The junior staff do not trust their manager. The managers do not trust their subordinates either.

But in a family, the children usually trust their father absolutely. I have never heard of children going on strikes or demonstrations against their parents.

The more we trust God, the more of His blessings we experience. Differences between children of the same family usually stem from different levels of trust they have for their father.

In the ministry, I notice the same thing. More of God’s blessings and anointing flow through me to sons and daughters who are more trusting. Some sons and daughters are wary and suspicious. Others are more trusting and filled with faith. The trusting children always get more of their father’s blessings. These differences come from the different extents to which they trust their fathers and what their fathers say.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children…

Luke 11:13

Jesus believed in His Father’s ability. Jesus believed that His Father was powerful. Jesus understood the power of His Father. His very last words on the cross were to entrust Himself into His Father’s care. “Father, into thine hands I commend my spirit.”

With those words He plucked His soul out of the jaws of death and placed it into the hands of His Father.

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Luke 23:46

He believed in His Father and even when the terrors of death were closing in on Him, He knew who had the power to rescue Him. That is the power of a father, which Jesus respected. Is it not amazing that His very last words on earth shed such light on the son’s belief in His Father? Stupendous!

4. A SON HONOURS HIS FATHER.

A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour...?

Malachi 1:6

Don’t expect honour from servants or employees. You can only expect lip service and fake smiles from employees. You can expect honour from a real son. In the Old Testament, priests were essentially a group of children who ministered alongside their father.

One megachurch pastor said to me, “I have had many bad experiences by appointing pastors from other churches and Bible schools. Now I only have my own spiritual sons and daughters working with me in the ministry.”

That is the way it should be! Your true sons and daughters will only bring you honour. Apart from a few prodigal sons, most sons and daughters bring honour and joy to their father.

God has often led me to honour people who have been fathers to me. I have tried to honour them in private and in public. I have honoured them with my words and with my substance.

True sons and daughters honour their father with their substance. It is a shame for your father or mother to struggle financially when you could help them. Do you want your parents to beg you for money? That is not honouring your father! That is humiliating him.

Even when your father and mother do not need anything, you must honour them with your substance because that is what the Bible teaches.

A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: IF THEN I BE A FATHER, WHERE IS MINE HONOUR? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 1:6-8

5. SONS OBEY THEIR FATHERS.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise ;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Ephesians 6:1-3

Lots of rebellious people love to call themselves sons and daughters. They are no more sons and daughters than I am an astronaut. True sons obey their fathers! Do not try to exert authority over people who are not your true sons or daughters in the ministry. They will only disobey you because they are not your true sons and daughters. Your real sons and daughters will obey you.

When I sense that someone is not a son or daughter, I am very limited in what I tell the person to do. It is only true sons and daughters who obey.

6. SONS AND DAUGHTERS DO WHAT THEY SEE THEIR FATHERS DO.

…The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

John 5:19b

A true son is looking out for what his father does. He is interested in what his father is doing and thinks that his father knows the right way. This is what Jesus did. He healed only those He saw His father healing and He preached only when He saw His father preaching.

Sons are rarely wiser than their fathers. Why didn’t Jesus heal the whole multitude by the pool of Bethesda? He healed one man and left the rest untouched. It is like going into a hospital and healing only one person. It may not make sense to you but that is what the Father did. Jesus was content to do what He saw His Father doing.

I have sons and daughters in the ministry who flourish when they do what they see me doing. They preach what I preach and they teach what I teach. They see me healing the sick and they start to heal the sick. They do not do this because they are mindless clones; they are simply good sons and good daughters! Good sons are fast followers.

Of course, any human father (like me) is imperfect and his life will never be the perfect example of things to follow. Our ultimate example is Christ! But God gives fathers on this earth so that we have practical examples to follow.

7. SONS CARRY THE WORDS OF THEIR FATHERS.

A sign of a true son is that he carries the words of his father. He hears the words of his father often and he repeats them whenever he can. Sometimes you hear him repeating the words of his father in conversation and sometimes he preaches what his father has preached. As Jesus said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”

People ask the sons, “How do you know all these things? Where did you get this wisdom from?”

But they are simply repeating the words of their fathers.

When I was a son to my father, Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, then he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live;”

Proverbs 4:3-4 (NASB)

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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Assorted Biblical Principles 1-12

No. 1 Principle of Humility in Sex

Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekelsof silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not puther away all his days.

Deuteronomy 22:29

(a) It is necessary for both the man and woman to be humble in order to have sexual happiness in marriage. It takes humility to be naked or to bare your private parts and be in certain positions for sex.

(b) Some people are just too proud to get deeply involved in sex. Humility will open new chapters in your sex life.1

No. 2 Principle of Staying Together to Discover Each Other

When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shallcheer up his wife which he hath taken.

Deuteronomy 24:5

(a) We recommend that newly married couples spend their first night together at a place where they can have maximum privacy e.g a hotel, and also to take some time off for a honeymoon.

(b) It is also important that they avoid pregnancy in the first few months or even a year so that they can adjust to each other.2

No. 3 Principle of Drinking from Your Own Cistern

Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

Proverbs 5:15

(a) A man must make a conscious effort to be continually satisfied with his wife. This applies to the woman as well.

(b) It is possible to be satisfied by one woman or one man all your life.3

No. 4 Principle of Sex Likened to Drinking Water

Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

Proverbs 5:15

(a) Having sex is likened to drinking water, which is a natural process that is done often and on reflex. How often do you drink water?

No. 5 Principle of the Blessed Fountain

Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

Proverbs 5:16,17

(a) The fountain is likened to an ejaculating penis or vice versa. A fountain is only blessed when it is flowing with water and that is the same with the penis.

(b) One must have sex often and regularly to keep the fountain blessed and the marriage blessed. The fountain is for the home and not for strangers.4

No. 6 Principle of the Satisfying Breast

Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at alltimes; and be thou ravished always with her love.

Proverbs 5:19

(a) The husband should be satisfied with his wife’s breast. In much the same way, her lips, buttocks, thighs, clitoris, and vagina must satisfy you. Let all these be a joy to you because they are a gift from God.

(b) Have sex with her as often as possible! She is for your enjoyment and satisfaction.

No. 7 Principle of Satisfaction at All Times

Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

Proverbs 5:19

(a) You must satisfy each other at all times. This means in the morning, afternoon, and evening. It means after one year or ten years in marriage, at anytime, anywhere; you must satisfy each other.

(b) Always means ALWAYS.

No. 8 Principle of Being Ravished with Your Spouse

Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

Proverbs 5:19

(a) You must make a conscious effort to admire the different parts of your spouse’s body and beauty. Stand and gaze at each other; be overwhelmed with the beauty of your partner.

No. 9 Principle of the Importance of Kissing

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

Song of Solomon 1:2

(a) Kissing is an important form of intimacy between a couple. It is a way in which a couple can be intimate without going all the way to make love all the time. It is an important form of contact and it is encouraged in marriage.

(b) Kissing whilst making love is exciting.

NB: The practice of kissing can easily and gradually fade out of marriage––a couple must beware of this. Make it a point to greet each other at home with a long mouth to mouth kiss. Outside the home, a short mouth to mouth peck will do.

No. 10 Principle of Having Confidence in Oneself

I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.

Song of Solomon 1:5,6

(a) Confidence is very important in any relationship. You have to have confidence in yourself.6 You are nice, you are comely; fearfully and wonderfully made. You may be black or fair but you are beautiful and comely. You may have big or small breasts, but you are beautiful, comely and UNIQUE.

(b) You must also have confidence in your ability to have sex as you learn to do it better.

(c) Avoid shattering your spouse’s confidence by refraining from making derogatory statements about the breasts, hips, size of genitals, stomach, legs, spots, and scars.7

No. 11 Principle of Enhancing Your Beauty with Jewellery

Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.

Song of Solomon 1:10,11

(a) Jewellery makes one more beautiful. Learn to wear jewellery, even at home.

No. 12 Principle of Arousing Love

I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

Song of Solomon 2:7

(a) Love can be stirred up by speaking nicely to each other, treating each other nicely and surprising each other with nice little things.

(b) When you have something nice to say to your partner, don’t keep it, speak up.

Notes

1. Beverly LaHaye et al, The Joy of Marriage God’s Way (Nashville, Tennessee: Integrity Publishers, 2003), 12 - 13.

2. Tommy Nelson, The Book of Romance (Nashville, Tennessee:Thomas Nelson, 1998), 2 -14.

3. Kay Arthur, Marriage Without Regrets (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Pub. 2000),172.

4. Tommy Nelson, The Book of Romance (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 1998), 100 and Jay E. Adams, The Christian Counsellor (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1973), 392.

5. Ed and Gaye Wheat, Intended for Pleasure (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Fleming H. Revell, 1997), 82 - 83.

6. Tommy Nelson, The Book of Romance (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 1998), 103 - 104.; Kay Arthur, Marriage Without Regrets (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2000), 162.

7. Robert Lewis and William Hendricks, Rocking the Roles (NavPress Publishing Group, 1991), 129.

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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The God-Type of Marriage

And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:21-25

Five-Fold Pattern

1. One man/One woman1

And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

Genesis 2:22

2. Leaving and Cleaving2

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Genesis 2:24

There are 4 ways of leaving:

(a) Physical (location).

(b) Economic/financial.

(d) Close friends, especially of the opposite sex.3

3. Companionship4

(Man was alone, without a friend.)

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Genesis 2:18

4. Openness5

(Let your spouse know all about you to avoid surprises, mistrust and suspicion.)6

And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:21-25

There are 4 ways to be naked/open/transparent:

(a) Historically e.g. past relationships, children

(b) Financially e.g. debts, income, assets, obligations.

(d) Spiritually e.g. aspirations in future, personal sins.7

5. Sex and Reproduction

God’s plan is for sex and reproduction within the context of marriage. Sex and reproduction outside the context of marriage lead to all kinds of problems––step homes, stepchildren, and sexually transmitted diseases.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 1:26-28

Notes

1. Carl J. Laney, The Divorce Myth (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany, 1981), 26; Robert Lewis and William Hendricks, Rocking the Roles (Colorado Springs, Colorado: Navpress, 1991), 41 - 47.

2. Ray Mossholder, Marriage Plus: The Bible and Marriage (Lake Mary, Florida: Creation House, 1990), 148; Walter Trobisch, I Married You (Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 23 - 28; Carl J. Laney,

3. The Divorce Myth (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany, 1981), 20.

Dennis and Barbara Rainer, Starting Your Marriage Right (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 15 - 19.

4. Jay E. Adams, Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1980), 11 - 12; Gordon Mac Donald, Magnificent Marriage (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House, 1982), 6 - 7, 44 - 46.

5. Evans A. Laryea, Joining of Lives (Accra, Ghana: PAL International, 2002), 67 - 69.

6. Dennis and Barbara Rainer, Starting Your Marriage Right (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 26 - 28.

7. Bob and Jan Horner, Resolving Conflict in Your Marriage (Loveland, Colorado: Group Publishing Inc., 2000), 28 - 31.

8. David Searle, ed., Truth and Love in a Sexually Disordered World (Edinburgh: Paternoster Publishing, 1997), 64 - 66.

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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Standard Wedding Ceremony

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:24-25

1. SONG: O Perfect Love (Whilst Ministers file in and take their seats.)

O perfect Love, O perfect Life,

All human thought transcending, Be Thou their full assurance,

Lowly we kneel in prayer Of tender charity and steadfast faith,

before Thy throne, Of patient hope

That theirs may be, and quiet, brave endurance,

the love which knows no ending With childlike trust

Whom Thou forevermore that fears nor pain nor death.

dost join in one. By Dorothy F. Gurney (1883)

2. BRIDAL MARCH (Whilst bridal party files in.)

3. WORSHIP TIME

4. INTRODUCTION (Whilst at altar; couple stands, congregation sits.)

MINISTER: Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony, which is an honourable estate, instituted of God Himself, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and His Church. Which Holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with His presence in the first miracle which He wrought in Cana of Galilee. And is commended in Holy writ to be honourable among all men, and therefore is not by any to be enterprised nor taken in hand unadvisedly, lightly or wantonly. But reverently, discreetly and soberly and in the fear of God, duly considering the causes for which matrimony was ordained.

FIRST, it was ordained for the increase of mankind according to the will of God, and that children might be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, and to the praise of His Holy Name.

SECOND, it was ordained for a remedy against sin, and to avoid fornication; that such persons that have not the gift of self control might marry, and keep themselves undefiled members of Christ’s body.

THIRD, it was ordained for mutual society help and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other both in prosperity and adversity. Into which Holy estate these two persons present, come now to be joined.

5. LEGAL CHARGE

MINISTER: I require and charge you both as you will answer at the day of judgement, when the secrets of all hearts will be disclosed, that if either of you know of any impediment why you may not be lawfully joined together in matrimony, ye do now confess it, for be ye well assured, that so many as are coupled together otherwise than God’s Word doth allow, are not joined together by God, neither is their matrimony lawful.

MINISTER: (Bridegroom repeating after.) I do solemnly declare/ that I know not of any lawful impediment/ why I, ...(Name of bridegroom)... / may not be joined in matrimony to...(Name of bride)...

MINISTER: (Bride repeating after.) I do solemnly declare/ that I know not of any lawful impediment/ why I, ...(Name of bride)... / may not be joined in matrimony to ...(Name of bridegroom)....

6. “I WILL” VOWS

MINISTER: (To the Bridegroom.) ...(Name of bride-groom)..., wilt thou have this woman standing by your side to be thy wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance, in the Holy estate of Matrimony; wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as you both shall live?

GROOM: I certainly will.

MINISTER: (To the Bride.) ...(Name of bride)..., wilt thou have this man standing by your side to be thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the Holy estate of Matrimony, wilt thou obey him and serve him, love, honour and keep him, and forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as you both shall live?

BRIDE: I certainly will.

7. GIVING AWAY OF BRIDE MINISTER: Who giveth this woman to be married to this man? (Father stands, comes to the microphone)

FATHER: I, ...(Name of father)... on this ...(date)... do freely and willingly give away my daughter ...(Name of bride)..., in marriage, with all my blessings. (Father thanked and applauded by congregation.)

8. EXCHANGE OF VOWS (Minister instructs couple to face each other.)

MINISTER: (Bridegroom repeating after.) I, ...(Name of groom)... /according to the Word of God, / leave my father and my mother /and I join myself to you, / to be a husband to you. / From this moment forward, / I shall love you, / and I shall give myself to you, / and we shall be one.

MINISTER: (Bride repeating after.) I, ...(Name of bride)... / according to the Word of God, / submit myself to you, / to be a wife to you. / From this moment forward, / I shall love you, / and I shall give myself to you, / and we shall be one.

9. INTRODUCTION TO RING SERVICE

MINISTER: May I have the rings please. These rings are precious ornaments, made out of pure gold. May the gold in these rings remind you of how pure your marriage shall be. These rings are given as a token and a symbol of your love and trust. When you see these rings on your fingers, let them remind you of your love. Let them always remind you of the vows and promises you have made to each other this day. Remember that real love is as strong as death and many waters cannot quench it, neither can the floods drown it. If anyone would break up this union, it would be Satan. Therefore give him no place. Give him no place. This marriage is forever. Let us pray.

10. PRAYER OVER RINGS

MINISTER: In thy name O Lord, we hallow and dedicate these rings that by thy blessing, he who gives it and she who wears it keeping true faith for one to the other, may abide together in thy peace, continue together in thy favour, live together in thy love, and finally dwell together in thine eternal Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

11. EXCHANGE OF RINGS

MINISTER: (To Bridegroom whilst giving him Bride’s ring.) I want you to place this ring on her finger with these things in mind. You are the Head of this union. This woman stands by your side, not at your feet.

I want her to wear this ring in remembrance that she is your help mate. It is not a symbol of domination but a reminder of love. So place this ring on her finger, and as you do, say this to her:

MINISTER: (Bridegroom repeating after.) ...(Mention first name of Bride three times).... With this ring,/ I thee wed./ I give it as a token of my faith./ I believe with all my heart/ that this marriage is forever./ It is all my love and all my faith,/ in the name of Jesus.

MINISTER: (To Bride whilst giving her Bridegroom’s ring.) I want you to place this ring on his finger with these things in mind. This man is your Head. You have been called to help and support him.

Stand by him in all things, spiritually, physically and socially knowing that two are better than one. Now place this ring on his finger and as you do, say this to him.

MINISTER: (Bride repeating after.) ...(Mention first name of Bridegroom three times)....With this ring,/ I thee wed./ I give it as a token of my faith./ I believe with all my heart/ that this is forever./ It is my love, my sweet love,/ in the name of Jesus.

12. PRAYER AND LAYING ON OF HANDS (Bride and bridegroom kneel)

13. PRONOUNCEMENT OF MARRIAGE (Couple Stands.)

MINISTER: For as much as ...(Name of bridegroom)..., and ...(Name of bride)... have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of rings, I pronounce that they be man and wife together in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

14. SONG: In His Time He Makes All Things Beautiful

In His time, in His time In Your time, in Your time

He makes all things beautiful You make all things beautiful

in His time in your time

Lord please show me everyday Lord my life to you I bring

As you’re teaching me your way May each song I have to sing

That you do just what you say Be to you a lovely thing,

in your time in your time

By Maranatha Music

15. REMOVAL OF VEIL AND SALUTATION OF BRIDE [Ask the Bridegroom to remove the Bride’s veil and salute (kiss) his Bride.]

16. COMMUNION

MINISTER: The couple will now receive Communion together. Hitherto they have come to the Lord’s Table as separate individuals but now they come as one flesh. The celebration of communion is to remind us all that it is because of what Christ has done for us that we are here in the first place. The Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks broke it and said, take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood. This do ye, as oft as ye drink in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come. Let us pray. (Bless the bread and the wine. Thank God for Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.)

17. SONG: Love Divine

Love Divine, all loves excelling, Come, almighty to deliver, Joy of heaven, to earth come down, Let us all thy grace receive; Fix in us thy humble dwelling, Suddenly return, and never, All thy faithful mercies crown. Never more thy temples leave. Jesus, thou art all compassion, Thee we would be always blessing, Pure unbounded love thou art; Serve thee as thy hosts above, Visit us with thy salvation, Pray, and praise thee, without ceasing, Enter every trembling heart. Glory in thy perfect love By Charles Wesley (1747)

18. SIGNING OF REGISTER & OFFERING

19. SCRIPTURE READINGS

Genesis 2:18-25

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Ephesians 5:20-33

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

20. SERMON

21. CHARGE AND BLESSING (Couple stands, congregation sits.)

MINISTER: I now charge you in the presence of God Almighty that you trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him. And He will direct your paths.

These blessings will come on you and overtake you, if you will hearken unto the voice of the Lord your God.

Blessed shall thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

Blessed shall thou be when thou cometh in, and blessed shall thou be when thou goest out.

The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

The Lord shall command the blessing upon all that thou settest thine hand unto. The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself.

And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body. And thou shalt lend unto many and thou shalt not borrow.

And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God.

22. PRAYER OF BLESSING

23. PRESENTATION TO CONGREGATION

MINISTER: (To Bride & Groom) Please turn and face this congregation.

MINISTER: (To Congregation) Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Dr./Mr./Rev./Pastor/etc. and Mrs./ Dr. Mrs. ...(Last name of bridegroom)...

24. WEDDING MARCH

25. COUPLE FILES OUT (Followed by officiating ministers, then families.)

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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What it Means to be Married to A Divorce-Prone Beauty

My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change.

Proverbs 24:21

There are some women who do not have the ability to marry. Their personalities are incompatible with a marriage setting. Anyone who gets into a marriage with such a person is sure to be divorced after a while. These are women who are creators of divorce and I call them “ Divorce-Prone Beauties”.

If you ever marry one of these, you have married someone whose very life and behaviour will cause a divorce to happen. The Divorce-Prone Beauty is a woman who is sent into your life to marry you so that you will be forced into divorce one day. Through your marriage to her, you are certain to become a divorcee.

One day, as I looked upon a certain lady, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “Anyone who marries this lady will get divorced.” Some people have an “unmarriageable evil spirit” in them. It takes a certain spirit of humility, love, obedience and holiness to enter into marriage and stay married. Some people do not have what it takes to be married. It is simply a defect in their souls.

Also, there are countries and cultures that are more prone to divorce than others. In some countries, the women are very strong and very independent. Sometimes the women are like strong aggressive men. If you look closely, you will find that the women in these places rarely get married. They may have sex and they may have children but they do not get married.

A doctor friend of mine told me about a clinic that he runs in a particular community in the United States. He said, “It is rare for a couple (husband and wife) to come to the clinic with their child.”

He said to me, “All the children I see in the clinic belong to single mothers. There are no fathers to most of these children.”

A teacher once told us about a school that he worked for on some islands. On this island, it was only foreigners whose children had two parents! Every single local child in the school was from a home with a single mother. After four years of working there, he still did not have any students who had both a father and mother staying together.

There are many reasons for such situations. Sometimes, it is irresponsible men who just impregnate women and run off. At other times, the women are Divorce-Prone Beauties who simply do not know how to live with a man. It is possible that many of the women on this island simply could not submit themselves to a man and be humble wives.

Woe to you if you marry any of these Divorce-Prone Beauties! Your possible days of a happy marriage are limited. You will soon receive your marching orders from a difficult, unyielding, unsubmissive, uncompromising, inflexible, stubborn, defiant, belligerent, bad-tempered, argumentative, challenging, confrontational, quarrelsome, distrustful, suspicious, aggressive, irritable and hostile woman.

A man of God described how happy his marriage was until he found himself in a divorce court. He pleaded with his wife to stay with him, but she would not. This man of God was forced to divorce his wife after ten years of marriage even though he did not want to. He had married a Divorce-Prone Beauty but he did not know it. Whilst in court, his wife smiled at him and sent him texts him from the other side of the bench saying, “I love you.”

Another great man of God described to me how he begged his wife not to leave him. “Please don’t leave, ” he said. But she would have none of it.

He told me that his children came to join in the pleas. “Please don’t leave Daddy ” they said. One of the children told their mother, “You have taught us for many years that we should obey the Word of God. Please obey the Word of God now and don’t divorce our daddy.”

But she would have none of that and insisted on divorcing.

Once upon a time I was in Asia and I had the privilege of having dinner with a great man of God. He described a divorce situation that he had encountered close up. He described how his pastor’s wife had had an affair with her boyfriend. His pastor was so provoked by his wife’s affair and ended up also having an affair with someone else.

He said to me, “On hindsight, the best thing my pastor should have done was to have divorced his wife. But he could not bring himself to divorce his wife even though she was sleeping with friends right under his nose.”

He continued, “My pastor was so concerned about his reputation that he refused to divorce his wife even though he had the biblical grounds of adultery. Instead, of divorcing his wife, he got himself a girlfriend to avenge his wife’s behaviour. Unfortunately, this only brought him more trouble.”

Many men of God enter into marriage with ladies who are incompatible with ministry and marriage. Just as people have defects in their kidneys, hearts or livers, some women have defects in their souls and are unable to marry. There are some women who do not have the ability to marry!

Surprisingly, many pastors prefer to carry on living with their adulterous wives than to get a divorce. Only a few husbands are bold enough to leave. I can understand that because no one will really believe that you have any good reason for getting divorced. People will secretly think that you are having an affair with someone else! Amazingly, God Himself decided to divorce Israel when He could not take it any more. Notice the scriptures below, which show how God took the decision to divorce Israel.

Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of YOUR MOTHER’S DIVORCEMENT, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

Isaiah 50:1

And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I HAD PUT HER AWAY, AND GIVEN HER A BILL OF DIVORCE; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

Jeremiah 3:8

When faced with such a difficult situation, it may be better for you to be like John Wesley and remain separated and unmarried till you die. You must realise that people have an inherent mistrust for men when it comes to marriage and relationships. Even when a pastor’s wife is dead, people are not happy when he remarries. They think that he is not showing love and respect to his wife by marrying again.

The Dangers

1. Divorce and Loss of Favour: The dangers to the man of God are many. People rarely understand and accept a divorced person. He finds himself in a kind of trap, between a rock and a hard place. When he tries to explain himself, no one believes him. Upon divorcing his wife he loses favour with many important people and even with the congregation. This is the great danger of marrying a Divorce-Prone Beauty. You enter into a divorce you never bargained for.

2. A Stormy Marriage: The pastor married to a Divorce-Prone Beauty may have a stormy marriage. The children in such marriages are greatly affected by living in a tumultuous situation.

3. Revenge: Some pastors are so provoked by their wife’s behaviour that they decide to revenge by having affairs with other ladies. This type of sexual retaliation only leads to more complications. As the Bible says, “Do not respond to a fool according to his folly otherwise you will become the same as him.” By responding to the provocation of your spouse, you become just like her.

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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Warning: Women Can Be Used As Weapons

And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:13

Women have done great things for God and the Lord will use them even more in the future. The Holy Spirit has been poured out on both the sons and the daughters. This notwithstanding, the Bible gives us a long list of women who have been used as weapons of destruction.

The subject of this chapter is to understand how women have been used as weapons to destroy God’s work. It is important for a minister of the gospel to recognize that women are likely to be used as weapons to destroy his life and ministry. Women who can destroy you range from strange women whom you hardly know to women whom you know very well, such as your wife!

Let me share with you several examples from the Bible. Below is a list of ways in which women have been used to afflict great men.

1. THE DESTRUCTION OF ADAM: A woman brought down the very first man. A wife, the only woman in the world, was used as a bridge to gain access to the only man in the world. By causing her to fall, satan gained access to Adam. Adam tried to help his wife but landed in the same difficulty as she did. Eve was used as a bridge. Satan gained access to Adam, the head of the created world through his wife Eve. Satan destroyed man by using his wife.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Genesis 3:6

2. THE DESTRUCTION OF JOSEPH: Through a woman, one of the heroes in the Bible was given a prison sentence. A lying woman was used to damage Joseph’s life. Through Potiphar’s wife, Joseph went to prison and spent a long time in captivity.

And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.

And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

Genesis 39:19-20

3. THE DESTRUCTION OF KING DAVID: There was a snare for the man after God’s heart and that snare was a woman. A bride, was used as a weapon against king David. The plan was to use David’s love for Michal to gain access to him.

And Saul said, I will give him her, THAT SHE MAY BE A SNARE TO HIM, AND that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.

1 Samuel 18:21

4. THE DESTRUCTION OF SAMSON: The captivity and death of God’s strongest man was accomplished by a woman. A girlfriend was used as a weapon in the life and ministry of Samson. Delilah was used as a weapon to gain access to Samson, the leader of the Israelite nation. Through Delilah, Samson was destroyed, blinded and silenced.

And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, ENTICE HIM, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, THAT WE MAY BIND HIM to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

Judges 16:4-6

5. THE DESTRUCTION OF SOLOMON BY WOMEN: The destruction of the wisest man on earth was achieved only by women . Wives and concubines were used as weapons in the life of Solomon. The subtle influence of Solomon’s wives was the power that neutralized the great wisdom of Solomon. All the wisdom that God gave to Solomon was destroyed by these wives.

But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;

Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

1 Kings 11:1-4

6. THE DESTRUCTION OF STRONG MEN BY WOMEN: The slaying of strong men is blamed on the strange woman. Strange and unknown women are described as hunters in the book of Proverbs. These hunters are to destroy a man and turn him into a piece of bread. Under the influence of the strange woman, a great man is turned into an ox in the slaughter house. The wounded and the strong are destroyed by strange women.

For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Proverbs 7:26-27

7. THE DESTRUCTION OF ARMIES BY WOMEN: Entire armies have been corrupted by women . Daughters were used as weapons in the wars described by the prophet Daniel. They were sent as weapons to neutralise and to fight the enemy. Many people do not go to war because of their love for women. Mark Anthony who fought to be the leader of Rome was mocked because of his love for Cleopatra.

He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and HE SHALL GIVE HIM THE DAUGHTER OF WOMEN, CORRUPTING HER: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

Daniel 11:17

8. THE DESTRUCTION OF PROPHETS BY WOMEN: A fornicating woman is described as having destroyed the ministries of many prophets and saints. In her was found the blood of many prophets. She has destroyed many men of God.

Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

And IN HER WAS FOUND THE BLOOD OF PROPHETS, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Revelation 18:20, 24

9. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE REDEEMED BY WOMEN: The defilement of the redeemed is by women. Women are used to defile the saints. The presence and effect of these women, somehow, defiled the church.

These are they, which were not DEFILED WITH WOMEN; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Revelation 14:4

10. THE DESTRUCTION OF KINGS BY WOMEN: Women have destroyed many kings. Amazingly many wrong decisions taken by authority figures are influenced by women.

Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which DESTROYETH KINGS.

Proverbs 31:3

11. THE DESTRUCTION OF MEN OF GOD BY WOMEN: According to the Bible, there is trouble waiting for those who get married. Marriage to a woman will introduce trouble into your life and ministry. This is probably why Jesus did not marry. He allowed women to minister to Him, but He did not marry any of them.

But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such SHALL HAVE TROUBLE IN THE FLESH: but I spare you.

1 Corinthians 7:28

12. THE DISQUALIFICATION OF BISHOPS: Bishops are tested for their ability to stay with one woman. Marriage to one woman brings about the first test that a bishop has to overcome in order to rule the church. Failure to overcome the challenges posed in your life through marriage will disqualify you from being a leader in the house of the Lord.

A bishop then must be blameless, THE HUSBAND OF ONE WIFE, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

1 Timothy 3:2

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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What Is a Strange Woman?

And why wilt thou...be ravished with a strange woman...

To keep thee from the evil woman...the...strange woman.

That they may keep thee from the strange woman...

Proverbs 5:20, 6:24, 7:5

I first noticed the phrase, "strange woman" in the Bible some years ago. I was then a young Christian growing up in the Lord. I often wondered to myself, "What is a strange woman?"

We understand a strange woman to be an unusual person. But what is unusual about this person? What unusual things does this person do?

A Strange Woman Is a Destroyer of Precious Lives

For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

Proverbs 6:26

This book is all about these hunters of precious lives! I believe that God will use this book to deliver the unsuspecting Christian from her deadly traps. I realize that the devil can recognize the precious life from afar. He knows when God's hand is on you, so he targets you. One of the devil's oldest and most successful agents is the strange woman.

Although our topic is “The Strange Woman”, we also recognize that a man can be “strange”. I am only using the female gender because the story in the seventh chapter of Proverbs depicts a woman who is “strange”. This is a very important topic, because it is necessary for every Christian and minister to survive the journey of this life without falling prey to the common sexual sins of our day.

Strange people are those whose behaviour sows the seed of fornication, adultery, homosexuality, etc in others.

An innocent brother or sister, or even a man of God who has otherwise lived a pure life, can easily fall prey to these strange people. Strange people are not only in the world, but they also abound in the church.

The Bible calls her the strange woman. Some people call her the prostitute, but I prefer to call her the strange woman. Many people have had sexual experiences, even though they never planned to have them.

There are some men who hate certain women, because when they looked back they realized that there had been a long-term plan to destroy them! There are some ladies who lost their virginity when perhaps, they were too innocent to even know what was happening to them! Unfortunately, they had an encounter with a strange person.

As Christians, we do not war against flesh and blood but our enemy works through flesh and blood. The Bible has described these strange people in graphic detail. God wants us to know who they are, and to recognize this syndrome in ourselves.

Fornication is not an easy sin to deal with. Often those who get involved in fornication have a hard time overcoming it or ever stopping. Sometimes they are unable to ever overcome it. This therefore makes it a favourite area of attack by the devil.

Fornication is not only present in the world, but also in the church. Hundreds of ladies are ready to go to bed with their pastor if they get the chance to.

I remember when an altar call was made for ladies who had come to the church with the intention of enticing and tempting the head pastor. The response was amazing! Many ladies came and were prayed for. All these were strange women who admitted openly that they were hunting for the precious life of the pastor. There are four types of strange women.

1. The calculating strange woman.

This type of strange woman is the one who knows exactly what she is doing. She is conscious of who she is and what she is doing.

Her aim is to entice men, and to lead people into sexual affairs. Watch out for the calculating strange woman. She may look innocent and harmless but she is calculating and moving closer, step by step.

2. The unintentional strange woman.

This strange woman is not aware that she behaves like a strange woman. She has many of the symptoms and signs of “strangeness”. Sometimes people grow up in a culture of lewdness and immorality. They inadvertently take on the characteristics of strange women. They dress in a half-naked way and do not think twice of it.

I remember attending a conference one day when a lady from another country gave a speech at a dinner. She stood by the side of her daughter and made a presentation to some of the most noble men of God of our day. Unfortunately, most of her breasts and her daughter’s breasts were sticking out. Actually, it was just their nipples that were not showing. They were completely unaware of their presentation. It was so normal in the country where they came from. Indeed, your culture can turn you into a strange woman without your knowing what you are doing.

3. The professional strange woman.

The people in this group are known all over the world as prostitutes. Prostitution is one of the oldest professions in the world. Prostitutes are usually seen on dark streets and corners trying to entice people. Apart from the women who call themselves prostitutes, there are many ladies who would sleep with a man in exchange for a dinner, a pair of shoes or a nice outing. These are informal prostitutes but they are also prostitutes because they trade their bodies for something. There are people who get promoted in their jobs by sleeping with their bosses. In other words, they sleep their way to the top. Watch out for informal prostitutes. They abound in our modern world.

4. The spiritual strange woman.

Many churches are full of strange women. Women are naturally spiritual and they love to seek God for the security He provides. They speak in tongues, they read their Bibles but they also readily have sex with everyone.

The church is full of precious lives. The Bible says she hunts for precious lives (Proverbs 6:26). These precious lives are men and women who love God and who would serve Him with all their hearts. Satan is not just going to sit around and allow people to serve God. The more people serve the Lord, the more dangerous it is for Satan and his cohorts. Young people are the special targets of sexual demons.

Sex, is an act of the flesh. Sexual tastes, sexual appetites, and sexual styles are learned features of the flesh. Just as a man acquires the taste for certain foods in his youth, a man also acquires the taste for certain sexual experiences as a young person. It is usually difficult to get away from what you have learned in your youth. This is why people who grow up on a diet of sex, homosexuality or pornography find it very difficult to ever stop doing these things. Sometimes they try and try but the body has acquired the taste and needs to do it to be at peace. Sometimes, many years come and pass and you find a pastor descending into what he used to do as a youth. For instance, an African may be married to a European lady for many years. Sometimes thirty years after they are married he finally blurts out, “I am tired of this bread, salad and sausage and bland pepper-free sauces. I want some chilies, some stews and some fiery soups, some corn meal and some pounded yam.” You see, the flesh has grown up on a diet of these things and it is not easy to get away from what your flesh learned to like.

This is why the strange woman’s work is so significant. Once she is able to train you in sexual delights and exotic experiences, you will have a taste for that kind of excitement. Once you have been trained in watching strange women act out frenzied and energetic sexual orgies on pornographic films, your flesh may always have an appetite for it. Unfortunately, these appetites may be stirred up later in life.

When Satan identifies you as a precious life, he seeks to attack you through the works of a strange woman. Through a strange woman, a precious life will become an irrelevant life as far as the ministry is concerned.

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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Daughter, Don’t Be Tired of Doing Your Duties

When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.

Genesis 30:9

Leah gave another woman to Jacob. She told her maid, “Go into his room and sleep with him.” Zilpah was very willing to have an opportunity to replace her mistress.

Someone may wonder at this strange practice. However, it continues in other ways today.

Many women are welcoming a third party into their homes by their character and attitude. The Bible teaches that it is better to dwell on the rooftop than in a large house with a ferocious woman.

It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

Proverbs 21:9

There are also many women who are not interested in sexual happiness in a Christian context. By doing this, they open the door to the numerous other women who are more than willing to be a replacement. Daughter, you may not say openly, “I want another woman to be with my husband,” but by your attitude and constant accusations you are saying the same thing.

Regain Your Husband’s Attention

And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

Genesis 30:14-16

Many years after Leah had her children, her husband was no longer interested in her. This is a common experience in many marriages. But it is possible to regain your husband’s attention.

Woman, you are beautiful. Woman, you have tender eyes! Daughter, there was a time you enchanted your man. If you did it in those days you can do it again. Do not think you have lost your ability to be a wife because you are older. Do not think that you are no longer beautiful. Do not think that your tender eyes are no more. In fact, with the passing of many years, your tender eyes can be even more tender.

Leah regained her husband’s attention by using her son’s mandrakes. She was a determined woman and nothing was going to stop her from regaining her husband’s attention. Woman, I have good news for you. There is no younger girl who can replace you. Your age and experience make you a more suitable person for your husband. The changes in your physical features over the years have only made you a more suitable wife.

Rise up into your place and do not allow any young whippersnapper to intimidate you. Take your place! Pay the price! Stop accusing, stop criticising, and stop opposing. Be warm, energetic, youthful and interesting! Your husband will be forever charmed with your love!

Support Your Husband

And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me. And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked. Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.

And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is our’s, and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, Do.

Genesis 31:5-10, 14-16

One day, there was a crisis in Jacob’s life and he had to flee from his uncle. He could no longer work for his uncle’s company. When it was time to leave, he told his wives about his new vision to relocate. His wives supported him. A woman with direction supports her husband when he has a new vision.

Daughter, try not to be the greatest opponent of your husband. It is true that you are the best person to correct him when he’s wrong. This does not mean that you must lose your divine position as the one who supports and encourages your husband.

You must learn to balance your role as a corrector and your role as a supporter. When it is time to bring your husband into line, you must certainly do so! When it is time to support him, you must also do so wholeheartedly.

Some wives are always correcting their husbands so much that they see no good in them anymore. They can no longer receive or be led by them.

Leah had lived with her husband for many years, but when he came up with a new idea, she said unto him, “Whatever the Lord is telling you, please do it. We are with you.”

Daughter you have tender eyes. Seek the wisdom of God and he will help you to do whatever you have to do!

Daughter, you have tender eyes!

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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The Temptations of the Daughters

There are many types of women in the world. Some of them have done great things for God and others have brought many problems to this world. A ‘woman with direction’, is a woman who has discovered her real reason for being in this world. The real reason for every woman to be in this world is not to find a husband. Neither is it to bring forth children, per se. Your purpose in this world is to serve the Lord and to do his perfect will. I see you as a woman with direction!

A woman with direction learns from the past. The Bible teaches us that there is nothing new under the sun. Whatever has been in the past is what will happen in the future. No one reading this book should see herself above the mistakes of the past. Your life is just a repetition of someone who has gone on before you.

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

Ecclesiastes 1:9, 10

THE FIRST WOMAN Was Tempted

Genesis 3:6

Many things can be said about Eve. She was the one who was tempted. Today many women are tempted. Eve was tempted and so will you be tempted. A woman with direction is someone who overcomes temptations. Did you know that a set of distinct temptations exist for women? Every woman must know that there are temptations that are peculiar to women. You see, the temptations of men are different from that of women.

When I became a minister, I was told that ministers are tempted in three main areas: money, sex and fame. Somebody put it this way, “The gold, the girls and the glory.”

Tailors are often tempted with the spirit of lying. Doctors are often tempted to have affairs with nurses. Lawyers are often tempted to be immoral.

Daughter, you must understand that there are temptations that are peculiar to you because you are a woman. A woman with wisdom is someone who knows about these temptations. You must be determined to overcome them.

The Temptations of Women

1. The temptation to marry unbelievers

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

2 Corinthians 6:14

Many ladies are tempted to marry unbelievers. There are many non-Christian men who come knocking at the doors of young ladies. When no Christian brother is in sight, you are tempted to marry an unbeliever. This is very common. A woman with direction is able to resist this temptation and keep herself.

Many women are tempted to sleep with men. Often ladies sleep with half a dozen or more different men before they eventually settle down. Woman, you will be tempted to do this in order to secure the love of a man. When you go looking for tenderness and love you may receive it, but at a high price. Are you a woman with direction? Then keep yourself pure. Be a woman who overcomes her temptations.

2. The temptation to trust in your beauty

Daughter, do not be taken in by the lies of the devil. Did you think that the devil had stopped whispering lies to women? Certainly not! Demons whisper lies and deception to women all the time. Many women believe that their beauty will last forever. This is why they say “no” to prospective young men when they propose to them.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Proverbs 31:30

Many women are deceived into thinking that their beauty will charm a man forever. A woman with direction knows that beauty is vain. She may be beautiful but she is also spiritual.

I have seen a young beautiful girl move in to replace the wife of an older person. If you have seen this before you will know how it usually ends. The younger and more beautiful replacement is also thrown out after a while.

One lady told me that she was going to get somebody’s husband. I said to her, “The man is already married.” She smiled and said to me, “I am more beautiful than his wife.”

Woman, your charm and beauty have an expiration date. They will not last forever. Seek for spiritual things. It is the inner spiritual commitment of the man that makes him faithful to you and not your beauty. Do not believe that beauty is everything.

3. The temptation to sleep with many people before marriage

Some women are deceived into thinking that if they sleep with a man, he will marry them. Woman, be not deceived! Woman, the man you are currently sleeping with has slept with dozens of other ladies whom he did not marry!

I once read an interesting scientific report about AIDS in Africa. Some people wonder why AIDS is spreading so rapidly in Africa. While AIDS is primarily transmitted through homosexual and bisexual activity in North America and Europe, in Africa, Asia and South America it is primarily transmitted through heterosexual activity (normal male-female relations).

Doctors in the Third World countries confirm that the average sexually active adult in these countries will have between twenty-five and one hundred different sexual partners every year. This level of promiscuity has produced a tragic and widespread epidemic of AIDS. Think about that! Twenty-five to one hundred different partners in one year!

Woman, be not deceived. When a man sleeps with you it means almost nothing. If he can sleep with twenty-five to one hundred people in a year, then you are just an insignificant addition to his list. Woman with direction, do not believe these lies. Do not believe that sex can keep a man attached to you.

4. The temptation to follow material things

Some women have their confidence in material things. This is also a deception. They believe their happiness hinges on having nice carpets, chairs, furniture, cars, clothes, etc. Remember the Word of God! A woman’s happiness does not come from the things she possesses.

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Luke 12:15

5. The temptation to be fearful

… whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

1 Peter 3:6

Perhaps the commonest temptation of women is the temptation to be fearful. The Scripture above teaches that the daughters will do well if they are not afraid.

The Common Fears of Women

The fear of not getting married The fear of not having a child The fear of marrying the wrong person The fear of poverty and financial difficulties The fear of your husband becoming interested in someone else The fear of your children not doing well The fear of your husband not loving you anymore The fear of becoming a widow The fear of in-laws The fear of not being liked by others The fear of being mistreated in the future The fear of giving your everything and losing it all The fear of experiencing what you’ve seen happen to others The fear of investing your everything into marriage and then losing it all.

Fear is the opposite of faith. Fear influences many women to do the things they do. Humbly analyse your thoughts. See if you are doing what you are doing because of fear. Remember that fear is a demon.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

Fear is not a good reason for marriage. Fear is a demon. A demon should never make you do anything. Fear should never make you criticize and accuse your husband. Do things for the right reasons and God will bless you.

6. The temptation to be emotional

… whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

1 Peter 3:6

“Amazement”, speaks of the emotional nature of women. The Scripture teaches that women will do well if they are not amazed (emotional). When the emotions of a woman dominate her, she loses her focus. Emotions can make a woman forget all the Scriptures and principles she knows.

Do not allow emotions of sorrow, fear, jealousy, hatred, and insecurity to overwhelm you. Remember, you will do well when you are not dominated by your emotions.

7. The temptation to be proud

Because women have suffered greatly from discrimination, they tend to be reactionary. Many women display the pride of a “no-nonsense” person. “I will not take this from any man,” they say.

“I will not allow a man to disturb my life. You can’t keep me in a cage! Why must I do what you say? I am as good as any man; I can do the job any man can do.”

One wife repeatedly told her husband, “I am more intelligent than you are.”

There is no need to be proud; there is no need to be reactionary. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up! God can promote you better than you can with your words.

8. The temptation to be unforgiving

I often say that women have fish-hook hearts. This is a deep, narrow and retentive heart which stores up all the hurts and experiences of this life. Even non-Christians sing songs that say, “Forgive and forget”.

God will not hear your prayers when you do not forgive others. Your life will change dramatically when you learn forgiveness.

Woman, remember that your sins are numerous. It is in your interest to walk in love and to forgive those who have hurt you. This will make you a daughter that pleases the Lord.

Daughter, you can make it. In spite of all these temptations, I see you making it! His grace will see you through.

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Forgetfulness

God warned the children of Israel…AND THOU FORGET the Lord…which brought thee forth...

Deuteronomy 8:14

Christians fall away from Christ because they forget where they came from. They forget that their source is Christ. Don't ever forget that it is Christ who brought you to your position, and blessed you.

Don't Forget Where You Are Coming From

Many of us have forgotten who we used to be. We have forgotten what it was like to have a hangover in the morning.

We have forgotten what it was like to have your different girlfriends “clashing”. We have forgotten the fear of not knowing whether you have contracted gonorrhoea or AIDS.

Let us remember where the Lord brought us from. When we bought our first church building, we were all so excited. We marched from the Korle-Bu Hospital in Accra, to our new headquarters location, amidst singing and dancing. The building was an old cinema that we rebuilt into a beautiful cathedral. Indeed, we played before the Lord.

Somebody who watched me later on video laughed and commented: "It seems that old cinema hall meant a lot to you". I replied, "You don't know where the Lord has brought me from. I have not forgotten, and I do not intend to forget."

Many churches have forgotten the vision and principles of their founders. They have forgotten the ideals and standards which their founding fathers stood for. That is why many of them are in a backslidden condition. If some founders of churches were to rise from the dead now, I believe that many of them would not join the very churches they founded. The current leaders would even reject them.

I always try to remember why I came into the ministry. Why did I leave the respected and noble practice of medicine to come into the often controversial and ridiculed job of being a pastor?

My original motivation was to win souls. I keep that at the forefront of my mind and I keep pressing on to win more souls. If I forget that, I can easily slide into education, medicine, social work or even politics. Anybody who forgets can slip and slide into things he didn't intend to involve himself with.

Not Fasting

Fasting keeps the believer from backsliding. In the Bible the word associated with fasting is affliction. In fact, the word affliction can be interchanged for fasting.

Wherefore have we FASTED…wherefore have we AFFLICTED our soul…

Isaiah 58:3

Be AFFLICTED, and mourn, and weep...

James 4:9

Before I was AFFLICTED I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Psalm 119:67

How do you afflict yourself? According to the psalmist, one way you can afflict yourself is by fasting.

Fasting Keeps You on Track!

He said that before he fasted he went astray, but when he fasted, he was able to keep God's Word and stay on track. They gradually move away from God.

Then in Psalm 119:71, he says, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes." Do you think that God is saying it is good to have sickness and disease? Affliction in that sense is not sickness. In this context God is saying that it is good for the Christian to fast.

Fasting Makes You Humble!

Another word that is associated with fasting is humility. In James 4:10, the Word of God says, "Humble yourself in the sight of God and He will lift you up." When the psalmist fasted in Psalm 35:13, he said, "I humbled my soul with fasting". Carrying your pastor's bible, speaking softly, or walking slowly are not signs of humility. God says you can humble yourself by fasting.

During a fast, especially when you have not eaten for several days, you experience extreme weakness in your body. This kind of suffering in the flesh sobers you. It makes you humble. And if there is anything we need in this modern age of Christianity, it is humility. Remember that pride comes before a fall, and fasting will take away the pride that leads many to a fall.

As a believer you need to fast, otherwise your flesh will dominate you, and lead you into fleshly sins. To be carnally minded is death.

Some Problems Will Be Solved Only When You Fast

Another reason for fasting is that there are particular problems that can only be solved through fasting. Some people have problems that are going to make them backslide.

Some of these problems that cause backsliding must be solved through fasting. Jesus told his disciples after they failed to heal an epileptic,

…THIS KIND goeth not out but by prayer and FASTING.

Matthew 17:21

Jesus meant here that not all problems are the same. Some difficult ones can be solved only through fasting. It is no wonder that Christians who do not fast are weighed down by all kinds of problems.

Even winter should not prevent Christians from fasting. I have heard Christians in Europe and America complain that it is not possible to fast during the winter. It is possible.

During several of my church-planting exercises, I have had to fast during the winter.

I remember once when a brother visited and realized I was fasting, he could not believe it. He asked me, "How can you fast when it is so cold?" He explained that eating helps to keep warm.

Fasting Prevents Spiritual Coldness

But this is the very reason why many African Christians who live in Europe and America are a far cry from what they used to be in their own countries. They have stopped fasting for various reasons, and have grown spiritually cold.

Fasting is not an option. Jesus said in Matthew 6:16: "when ye fast…" He didn't say if you fast. This means He expects us to fast.

Fasting has its rewards. In Isaiah 58, God has listed some of the rewards of fasting.

Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine HEALTH shall spring forth speedily… Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer: thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am...

Isaiah 58:8, 9

One of the rewards of fasting is that you will stay spiritually healthy.

Fasting Less

The next symptom of a person who is backsliding is the symptom of fasting less. Fasting is a spiritual exercise that keeps us on our toes.

The more you fast, the more spiritual energy you generate. The more you fast, the more spiritually tuned up you will be. If you used to fast regularly sometime ago, but now fast less, it is a possible sign that you are becoming “cold”.

Fasting Is Not an Option

The prophet Daniel was eighty years old when he fasted for three weeks. Even pregnancy should not make a Christian woman abandon her fasting life. During pregnancy, you should be able to fast to some extent, and still remain healthy. 'The baby may become anointed and grow even better'.

Fasting less is a sign that your investment into spiritual things is gradually decreasing.

Anger at Correction

Any believer who gets angry at correction must be watched closely.

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

Proverbs 9:8

A wise man will be happy at correction because he will think through it and realize that he is being helped. Often the truth is painful. When Jesus told the crowd in John 8:44 "…ye are of your father the devil…” they were offended.

Jesus Called Peter Satan

On one occasion, Jesus addressed Peter and said to him, "Get thee behind me, Satan." Notice that Peter was not angry at being called Satan. After this rebuke, Peter went on to become the great man of God who preached to thousands!

A friend at school told someone who was irritating him, "Satan, get thee behind me." This person was astonished, amazed and very offended at being called “Satan”. His reaction was very different from Peter's!

I have never referred to anybody as Satan (although I have seen many people behave just like the devil). I wonder what would happen if I dared to correct someone by referring to him as Satan? He would probably explode in anger!

The Musician Was Not Offended

During a visit to one of my branch churches, an instrumentalist was very rude to his choir director. The pastor in charge sternly rebuked this musician. I watched this scene quietly from the side, wondering what would happen next.

Fortunately this musician did not get angry at his pastor's rebuke and is doing well up until today. I know some musicians who would have walked out at that kind of correction.

Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

Ecclesiastes 4:13

A Good Father Will Correct You

God gave us fathers and mothers to correct and advise us. You should thank God if your parents are alive.

There are many people who do not have strong fathers to guide them. Such people often go astray. My wife tells me that she wanted to be a secretary for the wrong reasons, but her father counselled her. He encouraged her to study law. Today she is glad that she followed her father's advice and became a lawyer.

Those who do not have good parents to guide and correct them are at a disadvantage. Correction will help you stay on track, so do not be angry at correction!

Allowing the Cares of the World to Choke the Word

And the cares of this world…choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:19

Jesus told the story of a sower who went out to sow. Some seeds fell on the wayside, some on stony ground, some among thorns and the rest on good ground.

Jesus compared the four types of ground to four types of hearts. In one heart, thorns choked the word. In another, the heart was like a stone, so that the Word could not enter. In another heart, the Word fell by the wayside.

Only 25% of the Seeds Will Survive

It was only the good heart that bore fruit. This story implies that only about a quarter of all those who hear the Word of God will eventually remain in Christ and be fruitful.

What are the cares of the world? Paying your debts, your bills, and all the responsibilities that go with family life fall under these “cares”.

There is nothing wrong with paying your bills or looking after your family. Indeed, if you have a wife or family, you ought to look after them. A husband's duty is to fellowship with his wife and to take care of his children. These are legitimate challenges that every one in this world will have to grapple with.

God warns us against becoming over burdened with these responsibilities. These cares should not dominate our lives. When they begin to dominate your life, you are in danger of backsliding.

As a pastor, I have observed that when Christians take on new jobs, they become so engrossed in them - to the detriment of their spiritual lives. Sometimes because of such new jobs, they neither go to church nor have their quiet times any more. The cares of the world have begun to cause backsliding.

Every student's "care" is to pass his examinations but God should not be excluded from your life because of your books.

As a medical student I successfully combined my schoolwork with my pastoral work. For years I was a student as well as a pastor. I have never put the Word or the work of God aside because of school.

In my ministry, I have had medical students pastoring large branches of the church faithfully. It is not an impossible task. As a medical student, I often asked, "Is being a medical student a curse? Does it mean that I cannot serve God anymore? Does it mean I have to backslide?" The answer is no! Being a medical student is just another 'care' of this world which must not be allowed to choke God's Word and work.

Don't Backslide Because You Are Pregnant

A new baby or a pregnancy should not make you backslide. Other Christians have made it, and so can you!

When our first son was born, I carried him to church when he was only seven days old. I had a preaching appointment to honour, and had to go with my wife and my newborn son. I remember how we carried our seven-day-old baby through the cold weather onto the buses, and in the streets in order to keep this preaching appointment in Geneva.

My baby didn't die. Neither will yours, if you continue to do the work of the Lord. I am sorry to say that many new mothers are backsliding Christians, because they are allowing the cares of the world to choke their Christian lives.

Allowing Riches to Choke the Word

…and the deceitfulness of riches...choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:19

Those who are very rich have certain problems which poorer people do not have. These problems of the rich tend to keep them away from church.

When we first purchased the Lighthouse Cathedral property, we ran into a new problem which we did not have before. We had to think of security! We hadn't thought of security before, because we had never had any property to protect.

I have noticed that as people become more successful they tend to stay away from church. When the Lord blesses you, do not make the mistake of allowing the responsibilities associated with new blessings to choke the Word.

Remember that it was God who gave you the power to acquire wealth. God, by blessing you, did not intend to keep you away from Him!

You rarely see the so-called “big-shots” at prayer meetings and crusades. They do not turn up for all night prayer meetings probably because they are tired from all the work they do, or because the time could be spent doing something “profitable”!

Learn how to maintain the glow in spite of your newfound treasures. Don't allow your riches to crowd out the Lord.

The Lust of the World

…and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:19

Lust for anything apart from God's Word is dangerous. It can ruin your life because you will sacrifice so many things to get what you want.

There are Christians who will sacrifice anything to ride in a mercedes benz. They will steal, cheat and lie to own one. Such Believers have a strong desire to have some material possession, and they will do all they can to have it.

This strong overpowering desire is what God calls lust. But lust is dangerous! It destroys.

…having escaped the CORRUPTION that is in the world through LUST.

2 Peter 1:4

Corruption has come into the world through lust.

Governments are often corrupt because of officials who have strong desires to acquire certain possessions. These officials take bribes in exchange for illegal favours.

They also receive gifts and handouts in exchange for signing bogus contracts which ruin the economies of entire nations. Lust (strong desires) corrupts people.

Desire the Will of God

As a minister I have learnt not to have a strong desire for anything in particular. It can easily destroy your ministry. Mind you, I also have desires, but they are subject to the Word of God in me. The strongest desire in a Christian's life should be for the will of God to prevail.

...Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Luke 12:15

There is nothing that is worth sacrificing your Christianity for. You will only live (or die) to regret it. If you see someone who has a very strong desire for material things, you are looking at a potential backslider. One day the devil will dangle that thing in front of you, and you may just walk out on Christ to get it.

Some Christians desperately want a husband, and therefore they will break all the rules, and sacrifice every moral principle in order to get one. Others desperately want to have a child. And they will go as far as having sex with other men if their husbands are sterile.

He Said, "I Don't Trust Any Woman."

Once when I was working in the hospital, a doctor friend explained that his work in the gynecological department had made him distrust women. He said he had seen female patients whom, when they realized their husbands were sterile, went ahead and sacrificed their marital vows in order to become pregnant. He related how one husband had come to his house weeping for joy after his wife had had a baby.

He marvelled, "This man did not know that his wife had cheated on him and had had a child by another man."

Do not let your craving for material possessions make you backslide.

A Poor Quality Conscience

A person who does not have a good conscience is a potential backslider. A good conscience is necessary to keep you on track. It is the next symptom of backsliding I want us to consider.

Holding faith, and A GOOD CONSCIENCE; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

1 Timothy 1:19-20

Two church members, Hymenaeus and Alexander, put away faith and a good conscience, and thus, they made shipwreck of their Christian lives. As long as we put our conscience away, we will have the capacity to do greater and greater evil until the day that we forsake God.

Your Conscience Is a Voice - Protect it!

The conscience is the voice of that better component of a human being (whether a Christian or non-Christian). It is the conscience of a man that tries to keep him from doing evil. It is important to have a good and strong conscience (inner voice). You can either have a strong conscience or a weak one.

Paul, the great apostle, said he had a good conscience. He also revealed that he had always maintained a good conscience, even as an unbeliever.

I dare say that some unbelievers have better consciences than some Christians.

When our conscience becomes hardened, it is difficult for God to speak to us. I have always tried to have a good conscience, because I know the danger of a hardened conscience.

It is this conscience which pricks me everyday and keeps me from backsliding.

When your conscience is gone, that element within you that can stop the backsliding process is also gone. You are no longer touched by the anointing, by the Word of God, by the preaching, or by the Holy Ghost.

Your conscience is like the palm of your hand. Some of us have soft hands, whilst others have callous ones. Your hands will become hardened, and the softness will go away as you do hard work with your hands. In the same way, your conscience will become hardened as you continue to sin without repenting.

When believers become indifferent to the promptings of God, it is a dangerous sign.

No Preacher Could Reach Him

A pastor friend of mine whose entire family is saved except for one brother told me his story. He related how his mother had taken his brother to so many Full Gospel Breakfast meetings that he had become hardened.

He had heard many different testimonies from several speakers but these no longer made an impact on his life. Indeed, he knew when the speaker would make an altar call. He knew what the next item on the programme was.

Many Christians can lie and their consciences will not prick them anymore. Some of them can even invent false stories without batting an eyelid.

I have heard of pastors who say they preach best after fornicating. The difference between these pastors and you is just a gradual process of hardening. You become harder and harder as you become used to sin. Then at a point when you sin you won't be bothered anymore.

You can commit bigger or smaller sins depending on your conscience. If you have a very sensitive conscience, the sins that you can commit will be "small" ones. But as your conscience becomes more hardened and more worn out, your ability to commit 'wilder' sins grows.

I Don't Care if I Go to Heaven or Hell

Recently, I sat before a certain rich man, and I said to him, "You must be prepared to meet your God at anytime." He was with two of his wealthy friends. He replied that he was not prepared, but he really didn't care.

When you get to the stage where you don't care whether you go to heaven or hell, then you are in danger. Perhaps, when you were younger you would have cared, but now, you are so hardened that you don't care anymore.

Every Christian needs to have a sensitive conscience. Do not get used to sin. Do not get to the stage where you do not care anymore. Be sensitive to the little promptings of the inner voice, so you don't backslide!

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Confessions for Bearing Much Fruit

I am fruitful in every aspect of my life! I am fruitful spiritually! I am fruitful physically. I have no problem with childbearing or fertility!

God has made me fruitful! I am abiding in Christ. I am staying in the church. Because I am staying in the church and in Christ, I am always bearing much fruit! I am doing well spiritually! I bring many people to Christ everyday! When I get to Heaven, Jesus will say to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant"! I have overcome the distractions that prevent people from bearing fruit! I am not distracted into other unnecessary things! I read my Bible everyday. I pray everyday. I have my "quiet time" everyday. And I bear much fruit everyday! Through me, my colleagues in my office have been born again! Through my life, my colleagues in school have come to know the Lord! Through my life, people I meet in buses and taxis are born again! When I stand at the bus stop I bear fruit! When I am in my office, I bear fruit! When I am in school, I bear fruit! I am always leading people to Christ! I invite people to church on a regular basis! I am not a hypocrite. My life as a Christian does not drive people away from God!

I bring people to Christ because they see in me Christ-like behaviour! I do not have any spiritual disease. I am spiritually healthy! I am a real Christian! Christ is working through me! I abide in Him and He abides in me! Whatever I ask of the Lord, He does for me! The Lord has made me plenteous in goods, plenteous in the fruit of my body and plenteous in the fruit of my hands! I am blessed in the city and blessed in the country! The Lord has given me His good treasure! My business is a good business! The heavens over me are open. I see the rain coming down over the land! I am like a tree planted by the rivers of water! At the right season everything works out perfectly for me! I have children. I have spiritual children. I have physical children. The Lord has blessed my bank account. My bank account is full everyday! I am blessed in the fruit of my body. My children are blessed. They are good children! My handbag and wallet are blessed!

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

Text

How to Take It!

Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Joshua 1:6, 8

Joshua was the army general who took the Promised Land. If you want to walk into your possession, study the life of Joshua and follow his example.

Joshua was told to be strong and very courageous. He was also told to meditate on the Word of God. All these were to enable him to obey the Word of God. To “take your claims”, means to act on the Word of God. It means to act on your faith and thereby possess your possession.

It takes courage to act on your faith. That is why God told Joshua to be strong and very courageous. It takes courage to do an altar call.

It takes courage to pray for the sick. What about if no one is healed? That is where courage comes in.

If you want financial prosperity, you must obey the Word of God, which tells us to work hard.

Galatians 6:7 teaches us that we reap whatever we sow. Whatever you put in, you will reap either a thirty fold, a sixty fold, or a hundred fold.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Galatians 6:7

Proverbs 6:6-8 tells us that ants are prosperous.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

Proverbs 6:6-8

They mind their own business and work without supervision. If you really want the financial prosperity that you are confessing, then you must decide to work without supervision - like the ant. Do you want to experience a financial breakthrough? It is not enough just to confess great things. You must obey the Word of God.

You must obey the Word of God which instructs you to give your tithes and offerings regularly.

Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

1 Corinthians 16:2

BRING YE ALL THE TITHES into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and POUR YOU OUT A BLESSING, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Malachi 3:10

Without tithing and giving offerings, your confessions about prosperity will have no effect. You might just as well say, "Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are; up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky"!

When God decides to honour your confessions and comes to the earth with your blessings, He will be looking for your seed. God will be looking for the seed that you have planted so that He can bless you supernaturally. But if there is no seed, what can God bless? He has nothing to work with.

It is not enough to just name it and claim it. You must go a step further and obey the Word of God. That is how you take it! You must act on your faith. Every time you give money to God, it is an act of faith. We believe that your money is not a stone, it is a seed. It is going to germinate and bring forth much fruit.

Generosity is honoured by the Lord. When God sees your acts of generosity which confirm your claim to prosperity, He will supernaturally pour out His blessings upon you.

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

Proverbs 11:24, 25

Are you confessing for a happy marriage? Then be courageous and obey the biblical instructions of marriage. If the Bible says submit to your husband, be strong and submit! You will receive many blessings because of your submission.

Husbands, decide to love your wives practically. It is not enough to confess that you have a happy marriage. It is time to take a happy marriage by obeying the Word of God courageously.

Take your miracle healing by acting on the Word of God! Believe that you have the healing and act as though you have it. If you need to take medicine in order to stay alive, then take it. But keep confessing the Word. There are times that the confessions in themselves, amount to an act of faith. God will honor your faith and prolong your life.

Are you believing God for an anointed ministry? Confess it!

In 1983, I made important confessions about my future ministry. I confessed that I was fruitful. I pronounced over my life the blessing of fruitfulness. I believe that those confessions are working out after almost fifteen years. But it is not enough to just speak. You must pray and study your Bible.

A personal knowledge of God is the greatest key for anointing. Knowing God personally is something that many ministers lack. Do you listen to tapes? If you do, you are doing something right!

But you need to go a step further and know God personally for yourself. You can have what you say, but you must act on it. Faith without works is dead faith.

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?

James 2:14

When Abraham stretched his hand to sacrifice Isaac, God saw one of the greatest acts of faith in human history. That act gave life to the promises and confessions of Abraham. Abraham had a name which meant that he would be the father of many nations. He believed that his descendants would be like the stars in the sky, the dust of the earth and the sand on the sea shore. How could such incredible things happen? Only through living faith!

Abraham's faith came alive when he courageously obeyed the Lord. Decide to obey God. Fear is what will make you disobey. If you have faith in the Lord, you will obey what He tells you to do.

In the account of the last judgement, the sheep are moved to the right and the goats to the left. It is a similar thing with your faith. The real ones are separated by the fake ones by the acts of faith that accompany them. When a confession has no confirming actions, it is actually a dead and useless claim. If you make a claim to prosperity, you must courageously go to work. You must work very hard.

The Tightrope Walker

You may have heard of the story of the man who walked across a tight rope that was tied over a waterfall. The tourists around cheered and clapped as the man performed this amazing feat. Next, the man pushed a wheelbarrow across the same tight rope. Below him was a fall of several hundred feet. This man amazingly pushed the wheelbarrow successfully to the other side. He was met with cheers and declarations of support.

He then asked the crowd, "Which of you believe that I could put a human being in the wheelbarrow and push him across this tight rope?"

The whole crowd shouted in approval saying, "We believe and know that you can do it!"

The tightrope walker then asked for one volunteer from the supportive crowd to sit in the wheelbarrow which he would push across the waterfall. There was a hush among the crowd and no one came forward. You see, the crowd claimed that they believed the man could do it, but no one was prepared to act on his claims. This meant that their faith was actually dead and useless.

If you do not back your confessions with positive actions, your faith will be a dead and useless item, worthy of the rubbish dump.

Christian friend, it is time to act on your faith. You have named it. You have claimed it. Now take it, in Jesus name!

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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The Origin of the Bible

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Deuteronomy 4:2

The Canon

Many so-called inspired writers claimed to be inspired of God. There were many letters and books that were available to God's people. There was therefore the need to define the officially accepted writings of inspired men. These officially accepted books and writings are what are known as the Canon of scripture.

The Canon means "the body of sacred writings that are accepted as genuine and inspired." The Old Testament Canon is the list of Old Testament books and the New Testament Canon is the final accepted list of New Testament books and writings.

An important truth you must not overlook is that the Church did not create the Canon or the books that we call Scripture. The Church simply recognized the books that were inspired by God and publicly approved of them.

Notice what F.F. Bruce said:

4When at last a church council - the Synod of Hippo in AD 393 listed the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, it did not confer upon them any authority which they did not already possess, but simply recorded their previously established canonicity. (The ruling of the Synod of Hippo was re-promulgated four years later by the Third Synod of Carthage.)

Since that time, there has been no serious questioning of the twenty-seven accepted books of the New Testament by Roman Catholics or Protestants.4

5As far as the Old Testament is concerned, the Christian Church and the Jews share the same Canon of scripture. Although the Christian Church has the same Old Testament Canon, the number of books differs because:

i. The Christian Church divides the books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles into two books each.

ii. The Jews consider the Minor Prophets as one book whereas the Christians consider them separately.

iii. The order of the books in the Christian Bible is different from the order in the Jewish law.

Here is a breakdown of the Jewish Old Testament Canon which is divided into the Law (Torah), The Prophets (Nebhim) and The Writings (Kethubhim).

Section 1:………………….Section 2:……………………………..Section 3:

The Law…………………....The Prophets…………………………The Writings

(Torah)………………………….(Nebhim)…………………………..(Kethubim)

FormerA. Poetical Books

Prophets

Genesis……………………..Joshua…………………………...….Psalms

Exodus…………………… Judges……………………………….Proverbs

Leviticus……………………Samuel………………………………Job

Numbers……………………..Kings…………………………… B. Five Rolls

Deuteronomy…………........B. Latter …………………….………Song of Songs

……………………………….Prophets…………………………… .Ruth

……………………………….Isaiah ……………………….……..Lamentations

……………………………….Jeremiah ……………………………Esther

………………………………..Ezekiel……………………………...Ecclesiastes

………………………………..The Twelve…………………..….C. Historical Books

…………………………………………………………………………………Daniel

…………...……………………………………………………….Ezra – Nehemiah

……………………………………………………………………Chronicles

FIVE REASONS WHY THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE WAS DEFINED

61. The Jewish people established their Canon of scripture, which we call the Old Testament. Christians accept this Old Testament Canon primarily because Jesus accepted it.

The Jewish sacrificial system was ended by the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD. Even though the Old Testament Canon was settled in the Jewish mind long before 70 AD, there was a need for something more definitive. The Jews were scattered and they needed to determine which books were the authoritative Word of God because of the many extra scriptural writings and the decentralization. The Jews became a people of one book and it was this book that kept them together.

2. Christianity started to blossom and many writings of the Christians were beginning to be circulated. The Jews needed to expose these Christian writings vividly and exclude them from their writings and their use inthe synagogues.6

73. The New Testament Canon became necessary because of the emergence of heretics. Heretics were people who held opinions and practiced things which were contrary to accepted beliefs. For instance, Marcion 140 AD developed his own Canon and began to propagate it. The church needed to offset his influence by determining what the real Canon of New Testament scripture was.

4. Many eastern churches were using books in services that were definitely incorrect. It called for a decision concerning the Canon.

5. The Edict of Diocletian 303 AD, declared the destruction of the sacred books of the Christians. Who wanted to die for just a religious book? They needed to know! 7

Twenty Reasons Why Some Writings Were Included or Excluded from the Bible

When writing is not part of the Bible it is called a non-canonical writing. The more well known rejected writings are the books of the Apocrypha as well as other writings. They are not accepted as canonical and therefore have been excluded from the Bible. What was the basis for their inclusion or exclusion from the Bible? Were they just haphazardly thrown in or were there very sound reasons for their inclusion in the Bible?

Below are several reasons why some of the writings were accepted or rejected for inclusion in the Bible.

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

2 Peter 1:20, 21

81. Many books and writings were accepted because Jesus Christ accepted them and quoted from them. Our Lord's endorsement of these books is more than enough to justify their inclusion of these writings as Holy Scripture. In the upper room Jesus told the disciples "that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms concerning Me." (Luke 24:44) With these words "He indicated the three sections into which the Hebrew Bible was divided - the Law, the Prophets, and the 'Writings' (here called 'the Psalms' probably because the Book of Psalms is the first and longest book in this third section)."8

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Luke 24:44

9 Jesus disagreed with the oral traditions of the Pharisees (Mark 7, Matthew 15), not with their concept of the Hebrew Canon. "There is no evidence whatever of any dispute between Him and the Jews as to the canonicity of any Old Testament book." 9

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

John 10:31-36

From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Luke 11:51

That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

Matthew 23:35

10 "from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah." Jesus here confirms His witness to the extent of the Old Testament canon. Abel, as everyone knows, was the first martyr (Genesis 4:8). Zechariah is the last martyr to be named (in the Hebrew Old Testament order. Having been stoned while prophesying to the people "in the court of the house of the Lord! (2 Chronicles 24:21). Genesis was the first book in the Hebrew canon and Chronicles the last book. Jesus basically said "from Genesis to Chronicles," or, according to our order, "from Genesis to Malachi."10

112. Some of the books were accepted because they were authoritative. Some books were not authoritative and were believed not to have come from the hand of God.

3. When a book was not written by a holy man of God or a prophet, it was rejected. The Scripture says that holy men of God spoke the words of prophecy as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. We cannot accept books and writings that do not come from holy men of God who were moved by the Holy Spirit.

4. Writings were accepted because they were authentic, genuine and original. The Church Fathers had the policy of "if in doubt, throw it out!" This enhanced the validity of their discernment of canonical books.

5. Some writings were accepted because they were powerful and dynamic. Writings that did not come with the life transforming power of God were not included.

6. Books that were received, collected, read and used by the people of God were accepted. The Apostle Peter recognized, received and used the writings of Paul as scripture. (2 Peter 3:16). The fact that Peter recognized the writings of Paul gave credence to the letters of Paul. 11

127. Books that were excluded from the Jewish Canonical Scripture were rejected. Such books were therefore excluded from the Christian Old Testament. You will notice that the Christian Old Testament is the same as the Jewish Torah (The Law), Nebhim (The Prophets) and Kethubhim (The Writings).

8. Jesus and the New Testament writers never once quoted from the Apocrypha and other unacceptable writings. However, there are hundreds of quotes and references to almost all of the canonical books of the Old Testament. This is a fact that is even more striking when we realize that Paul, who even quoted twice from heathen poets, did not quote from the Apocrypha.12

139. The last Old Testament prophet predicted that the next messenger coming to Israel from God would be the forerunner of Christ (Malachi 3:1). Most of the apocryphal books were written during the period of Malachi and Christ. These apocryphal writers were not the forerunners of Christ and therefore were not considered as significant enough for inclusion.

Divine authority is not claimed by the apocryphal authors; and by others it is virtually disowned. 13. These five books of Jason I shall try to summarize in a single work; for I was struck by the mass of statistics and the difficulty which the bulk of the material causes to those wishing to grasp the narratives of this history.

2 Maccabees 2:23, 24 (The New English Bible)

At this point I will bring my work to an end. If it is found well written and aptly composed, that is what I myself hoped for; if cheap and mediocre, I could only do my best.

2 Maccabees 15:38 (The New English Bible)

1411. Some of the writings were rejected because they were at variance with Bible history. Such inaccuracies were not acceptable in the Bible.

12. Some unacceptable writings, as well as the Apocrypha, are self-contradictory and in some cases opposed to doctrines of Scripture.

13. The Apocryphal books were not a part of the ancient versions of the Scripture. They were first added after 300 AD. The Laodicean Council in 363 AD rejected them as being uninspired, thus proving that by that time some were claiming inspiration for them.

14. The Apocrypha is unacceptable because even the Roman Catholic Church did not accept it as canonical for 1,546 years. One wonders why they included the Apocrypha after so many years.

15. Jewish historians did not regard the Apocrypha as Scripture. Josephus (AD 30-100), a Jewish historian, explicitly excludes the Apocrypha, numbering the books of the Old Testament as 22.

16. Jewish philosophers did not regard the Apocrypha as Scripture. Philo (20 BC - AD 40), an Alexandrian Jewish Philosopher, quoted the Old Testament prolifically and even recognized the threefold division, but he never quoted from the Apocrypha as inspired.

17. For the first four centuries after the death of Christ, no canon or council of the Christian church recognized the Apocrypha as inspired.

18. Many of the fathers of the early church spoke out against the Apocrypha; for example Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Athanasius.

19. Jerome (340-420 AD), the great scholar and translator of the Vulgate (4th Century Latin Version of the Bible), rejected the Apocrypha as part of the canon.

He disputed across the Mediterranean with Augustine on this point. He at first refused even to translate the Apocryphal books into Latin, but later he made a hurried translation of a few of them. After his death, and literally "over his dead body," the Apocryphal books were brought into his Latin Vulgate directly from the Old Latin Version.

20. Many of the Reformers and even Roman Catholic scholars through the Reformation period rejected the Apocrypha.

Martin Luther and the reformers rejected the canonicity of the Apocrypha.14

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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The Three Greatest Prayer Topics

Someone may ask, “What do I pray about for one whole hour? I do not have anything to say after five minutes!” I have had that experience many times. Many Christians begin to look at their watches after one and a half minutes of prayer. Somehow, it seems there is nothing left to say. That is why you need prayer topics.

What is a prayer topic? A prayer topic is something that gives you guidelines for prayer. When you read through the Bible, you will discover exactly what to pray about. These are the prayer topics you need. I want to share with you three of the most important groups of prayer topics so you can develop a powerful prayer life.

1. The Topics in the Lord’s Prayer

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13

One of the things that struck the disciples about the Lord Jesus was His ability to pray for long hours. They wanted to know what strategy, formula or trick He used in order to stay in prayer for such long hours.

That is why they approached Him and said, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” They needed to have a sort of guideline for their prayer lives. Jesus sat them down and gave them eight steps to enhance their personal prayer lives.

1. Give Thanks and Worship the Lord

...Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Matthew 6:9

Jesus taught us that the first step is to say thank you and to worship the Lord. The first thing to do in this prayer formula is to spend time giving thanks to the Lord. For most people thanksgiving lasts for approximately forty-five seconds.

However, we need to be grateful to the Lord for all that He has done for us. Thank Him for allowing you to see that day. Many people die every day, it could have been you. The fact that you are alive is a miracle. Thank Him for your pastor and your church.

Thank Him that you can read this book. I have members in my Bible school who cannot write. During the classes, they have to record what is said on tape. They simply do not have the ability to read or write. I thank God for the fact that I am in the ministry. The fact that you are reading my book is a miracle of God.

Some people can only see problems. God is touching your eyes right now! He is opening your eyes to see His blessings all around. In this first step of prayer, you must thank the Lord for what He has done for you.

A Sad Visit

I recently visited a friend of mine. He lived virtually on the street. He had become a drug addict, and he had no food or money. As I took some money out of my pocket to give to him, tears welled up in my eyes. I thought of how pathetic this young man’s condition was. I realized that it could have been me. Somehow, by the grace of God I had come to know the Lord. I could have been smoking marijuana. After all, I saw many people doing it when I was younger. I could have been dead and buried long ago.

I have been in near-fatal car crashes. I have been in planes that almost collided with other planes on the runway. On two different occasions, I have been in aircrafts that landed and had to do an emergency takeoff in order to avoid a collision on the runway. But I am still here and I know I have something to thank God for.

My friends, if you cannot find something to thank God for you may have an ungrateful spirit.

2. Pray for the Kingdom of God to Come

Thy kingdom come...

Matthew 6:10

The second important step is to pray for the kingdom of God to come. This step is my favourite step. I can spend three hours here. But if you do not have much time, you can spend just ten minutes on this. Please note here that the order is very important. The first thing is to pray for the church and the kingdom. Ask God to bless the church.

When the church is growing, it is an indication that more people are being saved every day. Everybody is developing his personal kingdom. People are developing their financial strength. Most people do not really care about the church. Every Christian must first pray for the church to develop and grow.

Pray for your pastors instead of criticizing them. Men of God are human beings just like you. Pastors make so many mistakes every day. Pray that God will protect His leaders from attacks of all sorts.

3. God’s Will Be Done

...Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:10

The third step is to pray for the will of God to be done. Anyone who prays that God’s will should be done in his life cares for himself. If you love yourself, pray that the will of God be done in your life. I have come to believe that God’s will is better than my will or anybody else’s will. Nobody knows the future, but God knows what He has in store for you.

Jesus prayed for three hours in the garden of Gethsemane that the will of God be done. After you have prayed this prayer you can relax and allow events to unfold. When Judas and the Pharisees came to arrest Christ, he did not resist them. He believed and accepted that the events that were happening were the will of God, and indeed they were. Those events were leading him to his greatest victory over Satan.

If you want to have peace and confidence in this life, spend time praying that the will of God comes to pass in your life.

Many years ago, I was a young medical student. I had no idea that I would be where I am today. In 1985, during the first term of my third year, I spent many hours praying that the will of God be done. Our school campus was near the Atlantic Ocean. Every night at 10 o’clock I went along with four other friends to the beach. I clearly remember standing on the rocks on the beach and praying, “O Lord, let thy will be done.”

As I stood on the dark shores of Ghana, I remembered how missionaries came to our nation and sacrificed their lives. I lifted up my hands on the beach and said, “Use me Lord. Let your will be done.” I cried to the Lord and said, “You brought me here. I do not know the future. Whatever you want to be done, let it come to pass.” I believe that today I am walking in the answers of those prayers. For several weeks, I prayed those same prayers.

Begin to spend time praying to God for His will to be done. Do you think the will of God will happen naturally? Certainly not! If it was going to happen naturally why would you have to spend time praying about it? The very fact that Jesus taught us to pray about it means that it is not automatic that the will of God will happen.

I see your future unfolding in a positive way! I see God lifting you up as you pray about His will! I see you marrying the right person as you spend time praying for the will of God to be done!

4. Our Daily Bread

Give us this day our daily bread.

Matthew 6:11

The next step is to pray for your daily bread. Jesus taught us to pray for our daily needs. That means we are to pray about our jobs, marriages and everything that concerns us.

Some years ago I felt I was too spiritual to marry. But no one can be more spiritual than God. Do not be too spiritual to ask God for your physical needs. Ask him for a house. Ask him for bread. Do you want a husband? God is granting him to you right now as you read this book. Pray to the Lord for yourself. Spend some minutes mentioning your needs to the Lord. If you spend another ten minutes asking the Lord for your daily needs, your life will change dramatically.

When it comes to prayer do not depend on anyone, depend on yourself. Do not expect somebody to pray for you. Many times, people who you think are praying for you are actually sleeping.

God is giving you a formula for prayer. Operate in it and walk in your blessings.

5. Pray for Forgiveness

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Matthew 6:12

The next step is to pray for forgiveness. We all need forgiveness for our sins. There are two types of sins: sins of commission and sins of omission. We must be aware of our sinful nature as we approach the throne of grace.

Appropriate the blood of Jesus for yourself. Ask the Lord to see you only through the eyes of the blood.

One of the first sins of commission is the sin of the mouth: lying, flattery, backbiting, gossip, etc. Another arena for sin is the mind. Many of us have committed murder, adultery and stealing in our minds. Our minds are often polluted with sin. We must come before the Lord and pray for mercy. As we ask the Lord for mercy, we must search our hearts to see whether we have forgiven the people around us.

Sometimes I listen to the way people condemn those who have made mistakes. It makes me sad! Are we not all human? Are we not all subject to the same temptations? Is it not by the grace of God that we survive? When we come to this part of the prayer, we must correct any judgemental or arrogant attitudes.

One of the important sins to confess is the sin of omission. There are people who go to Hell because a neighbour did not witness to them. There are friends who die and go to Hell because we never told them about Christ. As we come before the throne, God sees all our mistakes. If we act as though we are perfect, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Spend time asking the Lord to have mercy on your life.

6. Pray Against Temptation

And lead us not into temptation...

Matthew 6:13

The next important step in The Lord’s prayer formula is to pray against temptation. We are all human beings. When I hear of great men of God falling, I become so frightened. I wonder about myself. Many times I just pray that I will just make it safely to Heaven. It is important for you to pray against temptations in your life. You may not know, but prayer strengthens you against temptations.

Fasting Without Prayer is Dieting

On the night of betrayal, Jesus gave the disciples an eternal command, “Pray in case you fall into a temptation.” Many years ago, I remember fasting for three days. By the third day, I was so weak that I could not rise out of the bed. This was the first time I had fasted for three days without any food at all. Because we had not prayed, I was almost unconscious.

Some months later I decided to try this fast again. This time I decided to wake up at 4 a.m. and spend a couple of hours in prayer before the day began. By the third day of the fast, I was still strong. There was a great difference between the two fasts. I had such strength because I had been more prayerful.

My Christian friend, prayer is a supernatural act and provides strength even when your flesh is weak.

7. Pray that God Delivers You from Evil

...deliver us from evil...

Matthew 6:13

The seventh step is to pray that God should deliver you from evil. It is important for you to pray against the evils in this world. Cover yourself with the blood of Jesus. The Israelites would sprinkle the blood of lambs over the lintels and doorposts. This was to prevent any evil from coming into the home. We are to do the same thing now but in a spiritual way.

And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post...AND WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I WILL PASS OVER YOU...

Exodus 12:7,13

How do you sprinkle the blood? You sprinkle the blood of Jesus with your words. Apply the blood of Jesus over every part of your home and family. Place an injunction over every flying witch. Declare that your household is a no-fly-zone for every witch, wizard or evil presence. Cancel every enchantment, spell, charm or lamentation that has been taken up against you. Declare that you will live and not die. Bind Satan and his agents. Have faith in God. Command angelic beings and the forces of Heaven to be on guard around you. God will keep you as you pray against evil in your life.

8. Thank Him and Give Him Glory

...For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Matthew 6:13

The final topic in the Lord’s Prayer is to thank Him and to give Him glory. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Thank Him over and over. Declare that He is more powerful than the walls of opposition in your life. Declare that every mountain of impossibility is possible because of His power and His glory.

Lift up your hands and speak about his glorious power in your life. Declare that every serpentine agenda for your life cannot happen because of the power, kingdom and the glory of God. Thank Jehovah that He has time for you to listen to your prayer. Thank Him that it is well with your soul. Thank Him that it is well with you.

If you follow these steps, you will have at least an hour of effective and fruitful prayer every day.

It is my prayer that these strategies for prayer will revolutionize your spiritual life. May you move into greater heights in God’s kingdom, as you apply the principles in this book.

2. The Ephesians Prayer Topics

Many people just gloss over Ephesians chapter one. They think it is too complicated to understand. However, God reveals to us major topics for prayer in this chapter. I call them the Ephesians prayer formula. The Ephesians prayer topics have six important components.

• The 1st step is to give thanks with a grateful heart.

• The 2nd step is to pray for wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.

• The 3rd step is to pray for the eyes of your understanding to be enlightened.

• The 4th step is to pray to know your calling and the hope of your calling.

• The 5th step is to pray to know the riches of the inheritance of the saints.

• The 6th step is to pray to know the power of God.

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may GIVE UNTO YOU THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION in the knowledge of him: The EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEING ENLIGHTENED; that YE MAY KNOW WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And WHAT IS THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO US-WARD who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Ephesians 1:15-23

Give Thanks

Cease not to GIVE THANKS for you...

Ephesians 1:16

First of all, you must give thanks. Many people have become hardened and ungrateful. It is nice when you meet a few grateful people among the masses of ungrateful people in the world! The first thing to do therefore, under this prayer formula, is to spend quality time thanking the Lord in prayer. Thank Him for His goodness and mercies, thank Him for His protection, thank Him for His provision — the list is endless!

Cry to the Lord for Revelation

The second important step is to cry out to the Lord for revelation. This is one of my favourite prayer topics. You may know something, but until it is revealed to you in a deeper way, you do not really know it! There is a difference between “head” knowledge and “revelation” knowledge.

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM:

Ephesians 1:17

I have always known that it is dangerous to drive very fast. I have seen large billboards that declare, “The speed that thrills is the speed that kills.” One day I travelled to Tamale in the northern region of Ghana. I was driving at over 120 kilometres per hour when suddenly a cyclist crossed my path. I soon found myself somersaulting in the air. After that experience, I had revelation knowledge about driving too fast!

I remember one night I was on a highway driving at about eighty kilometres per hour when suddenly three cars overtook me with the speed of a bullet. Such was their speed that it looked as though my car was stationary. I smiled and thought to myself, “There was a time no car ever overtook me on a highway. These people do not have revelation knowledge.” What I had experienced had given me a deeper understanding of the knowledge about driving fast. We call this type of knowledge - revelation knowledge.

There is a difference between knowing something and having a revelation about it. The more I pray for revelation, the more I understand the Word of God. The cardinal thing that has taken me forward in my walk with God has been the revelation I have had in His Word. When you have had a revelation, you change. The cardinal sign of revelation is a change in your life.

Every year I have a deeper and progressive revelation of God and His Word. If you are a pastor, spend hours praying for wisdom and revelation. God anoints people who know Him. When I say know Him, I am talking about having a revelation of God through His Word. The things I am sharing with you in this book are things I know by revelation. They are more real to me than facts from a history book.

Life is short and the only thing worth doing is the work of the ministry. Jesus Himself said to “lay up for yourself treasures in Heaven”. The revelation of this Scripture is deep in my heart. But most people do not have a revelation of it. Although many people know this Scripture, it has not been revealed to them. That is why I could give up a lucrative medical career for the ministry. I believe I will one day reap great heavenly rewards that are more valuable than any amount of money.

That is why I could give up a quiet life of wealth and privacy in exchange for a public, often criticized role of a spiritual leader. I have a revelation of the truth, that, “Vanity of vanities...all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).

The Lawyer Received Revelation

I once visited a dying man in the hospital. He was a young and successful lawyer struck down in the midst of his years with a deadly disease. I will never forget something he said to me: “If God would raise me up from this bed I will serve Him. Even if it means becoming a full-time preacher.”

As this man lay dying, he realized how futile everything in this world really was. He suddenly had revelation knowledge about many things that are written in the Bible.

Somehow we read the Bible but we do not get the revelation of it. When you pray for the Spirit of Revelation, things which you have read over and over will come alive to you in a different way.

c. Pray for Understanding

The EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEING ENLIGHTENED; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 1:18

The next step in the Ephesians prayer formula is to pray for understanding. When you have understanding, you know why you should obey the Word of God. I often pray for the Spirit of understanding. When you have understanding, it helps you to obey God’s instructions. Because I ask for understanding, God often shows me many deep things in His Word.

That is why I can preach “Twenty-five Reasons Why We Should Have a Mega Church”. I once taught, “One Hundred and Twenty Reasons Why We Should Win Souls”. Believe it or not, each of those reasons was different. When you have the Spirit of understanding you will know why God is speaking to you the way He is.

There are many Christian wives who are unwilling to do their duties in their marriage. The reason is, they do not have an understanding about the duties of a wife. I notice how the revelation of the importance of the duties of a wife comes alive when tragedy strikes the marriage.

d. Pray about Your Calling

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the HOPE OF HIS CALLING, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 1:18

The 4th step in the Ephesians prayer formula is to pray about your calling. Every Christian is called to a ministry.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

Christians were not recreated for nothing. God intends for every one of us to fulfil our divine call. We are called to do good works. We are called to be unmovable, steadfast, always abounding in the work of the Lord. I watch modern-day Christians attend service after service. Christianity has become a kind of ritual for many people. They just attend church, sing songs and listen to a thirty-minute sermon. But there is more to the calling of God than that. When I became a Christian, I joined a vibrant ministry that went around preaching the Word. To me, Christianity has always been an experience of soul winning and establishing other Christians in the Lord.

The Taxi Driver Did Not Believe Me!

I was once chatting with a taxi driver in London. He asked me where I was coming from. I told him, “I’ve just flown in from Amsterdam.”

He said, “Oh, there are a lot of prostitutes there; did you have a good time?”

I answered, “Oh no! I’m a Christian. We don’t live like that!”

He exclaimed, “Are you sure Christians don’t do that? Do you really believe that stuff? Do you actually believe in Heaven?”

He went on, “If Heaven is really so nice then why don’t you commit suicide and go there right now.”

Unfortunately I had got to the end of my journey and could not explain the hope (the reason) of my calling as a Christian. This taxi driver brought up a very valid point. If we are all just waiting to enter Heaven, why not just go there right away?

The answer is simple: Christians are not expected to kill themselves! Christians have an important calling to save souls and to establish people in the Lord. We cannot just rush to Heaven now! The hope (reason) for our calling is to bear fruit and win souls in this life. That is why we are still here and have not left for Heaven yet. According to Revelation 14:13, your works will follow you into Heaven.

…Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Revelation 14:13

What you do on earth will determine how your stay in Heaven will be like. If you know why Christ has saved you, you will have a lot to do for Him here on earth.

e. To Know the Riches of Your Inheritance in Christ

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the RICHES OF THE GLORY OF HIS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS,

Ephesians 1:18

The next step is to know the riches of our inheritance in Christ. This means we need to know what we have inherited as Christians.

When my father died, he left properties for his children. A few months after he died, we assembled in Court to listen to the reading of his will. We all wanted to know what the riches of our inheritance were. We took the time to find out what we had inherited. I did not know what my father had given to me. I had to go to the Court to find out for myself. It is sad to say that many Christians do not bother to find out what God has in store for them. When you begin to discover what God has in store for you, you will be amazed. We need to pray to know what God has given to us.

Are We Supposed to Be Poor?

Many people think that Christians are supposed to be poor. They think that pastors, in particular, are supposed to be impoverished. There are people who want ministers to come crawling to their doorsteps to beg for a tin of sardines and a loaf of bread. Is this what we have inherited from our heavenly Father? No, certainly not!

Apostle Peter wanted to find out how he would benefit from following Christ, so he asked:

...Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.

Mark 10:28

In other words, how do we benefit from serving you? Jesus answered him clearly. That answer applies to all of us:

…There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

Mark 10:29, 30

The heritage of Christians and ministers is not lack and poverty. But if you do not find out or pray about it you will live in the darkness of that deception all the days of your life.

f. To Know the Greatness of God’s Power

And what is the EXCEEDING GREATNESS of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Ephesians 1:19

The last step of the Ephesians prayer formula is to pray to know the greatness of God’s power. There are certain Christians who do not want anything to do with the power of God. In the last days, the Bible teaches that some people will have a form of godliness but will deny the reality of the power of the Gospel (2 Timothy 3:5).

One of the things you need to pray about is to know the power of the Holy Spirit. There are two types of churches in the world: teaching churches and power churches.

Some churches emphasize the teaching of the Word and have nothing to do with the power of God. That is a mistake! You cannot take away miracles from the Bible. Without the miracles of the Bible all we are left with is philosophical literature.

It is because people do not believe in the power of God, that they are frightened by weird looking witches and fetish priests. We need to pray for the power until we experience it. You will not taste of God’s power unless you pray for it! Thank God for nice teachings on Sunday. Thank God for good administration. However, there is a power dimension to Christianity and God wants you to experience it too.

3. Timothy’s Prayer Topics

Timothy’s prayer topics are the next important set of topics. Here it goes:

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, 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. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

1 Timothy 2:1-3

This Scripture tells us the types of prayers we must pray, and whom we must pray for. It tells us to pray for all men and specifically for leaders; Heads of State, and anyone who has some form of authority over our lives. This prayer formula does not teach us to curse our leaders or to wish them evil.

There are four types of prayers we are to offer for each person who is in authority: supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks. We are to take each leader and pray that God would supply their needs. We are to thank God for their lives. We are to pray generally for them. Finally, we are to intercede for them.

Anyone who uses Timothy’s prayer topics will experience four blessings from the Lord. You will experience a quiet life, a peaceful life, a godly life and an honest life. Whoever you are, this prayer formula can apply to you. There is always someone who has some form of authority over your life.

In my country, we have a President and a parliament who rule in the affairs of our nation. One way or the other, the decisions they take affect everyone. Recently, the entire country experienced a major power crisis which led to severe power rationing. Our church activities were greatly affected. Whether we liked it or not, the decisions taken by those in charge of electricity generation were affecting us.

The Word of God says that prayer for our leaders is important if we want to continue living a godly life.

Years ago, I was going to a broadcasting station to do a recording with a Christian group. When I got to a place called Danquah Circle, I realized that there was not a single car or human being in sight even though this was normally a very busy area. When I heard the sound of heavy artillery, I decided to retreat to my home for my dear life’s sake. I later found out that there had been a military coup in the city. Some soldiers had decided to overthrow the government of the day. Because of this coup d’état, our Christian recording for television could not take place. Once again, we could not lead our godly lives because of instability in our nation’s leadership.

Kings and Princes

There are certain parts of the world which are no-go zones. Missionary work and church work have grounded to a halt because it is not safe to be there. This is why God tells us to pray for kings and people in authority.

If you study Ezekiel, you will find out that although there was a King of Tyrus in the natural, there was also a King of Tyrus in the spirit realm.

…Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, Because your heart is lifted up And you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, In the heart of the seas’ ;YET YOU ARE A MAN and not God, Although you make your heart like the heart of God--

Ezekiel 28:2, NASB.

“Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

“YOU WERE IN EDEN, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared.

“YOU WERE THE ANOINTED CHERUB who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.”

Ezekiel 28:12-14, NASB.

Tyrus had a supernatural being that ruled its affairs. This fellow was also called the king of Tyrus. Why was he called the king of Tyrus? Because he actually governed and ruled in Tyrus!

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, one of the offers that Satan made to Him was to give Him all of the kingdoms of the world. If Satan could not have given the kingdoms of the world to Jesus, it would not have been a temptation. It was a real temptation to Jesus because Satan was actually the one in control of the kingdoms of the world. You cannot give something that you do not have!

You and I can see that the world is headed towards eventual annihilation. There will probably be a nuclear war one-day. Some people sing, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.” I do not believe that is true. If the Lord had the whole world in His hands, the world would not be in the mess that it is in. If Jesus was ruling this world, there would not be wars in Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Central African Republic, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine and the list goes on!

If Jesus were in control of this world there would not be such injustice and wickedness throughout the world. The Bible tells us clearly that Satan is the god of this world.

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

2 Corinthians 4:4

For some reason, Satan seems to have legal control over the nations of this earth. Before God can intervene in the affairs of men, He has to be invited by a legitimate citizen of this world. You and I are legitimate members of the world community. If the Lord gets involved without a legal invitation, Satan can accuse Him of the crime of illegal takeovers, such as happened with Iraq and Kuwait.

God is waiting for our invitation through prayer. When we invite Him to build our nations in freedom, justice and peace, He will do just that. Whenever Christians pray for leaders, there is a change.

Once, Abraham’s wife was illegally taken by the king of the day. God appeared to the king called Abimelech, and said, “You are a dead man. You have taken somebody’s wife to be your own.” The king was scared; he thought he was going to die. But God told him, “Tell Abraham to pray for you.”

Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he [Abraham] shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

Genesis 20:7

Why did God not deliver Abimelech right away? After all, He knew about the prayer that Abraham was going to pray. But no, God has to wait for the invitation of men before getting involved in the affairs of this world.

There are three main reasons why we need to pray for those in authority. First, we have to pray that the decisions of the nation will not be based on selfish and political desires only. The second reason is that the nature of all men is to grab and take as much as they can. We have to pray against corruption. Thirdly, we must pray for peace and freedom so that we may go about our Christian duties without any hindrance. We need to pray that our leaders will truly love the nation. How can you know when a leader loves the nation?

For he loveth our nation and hath built us a synagogue.

Luke 7:5

When a leader loves the nation, he will build the nation and not his personal wealth. If you do not pray for those who have authority over you, your life may become frustrated. The Bible tells us that the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord, and He turns it whichever way he wants.

The king’s heart is in the hand of The Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

Proverbs 21:1

In Genesis chapter 40, you will find a very interesting story. There was a king who had a butler and a baker. The butler was in charge of everything in the home. The baker made biscuits, cakes and pies that the king enjoyed eating. Something happened in the workplace that made the king angry with both the butler and the baker. In his wrath, he had them thrown into prison. Whilst there, each of them had a dream which Joseph (who had been wrongfully imprisoned) interpreted. He predicted that the butler would be re-instated and the baker would lose his life.

Now, understand that both the butler and the baker were in trouble. Their very lives depended on the one they had displeased. Everything depended on how Pharaoh thought. Depending on his decision, someone would live or die. In this particular case, the baker died, just as Joseph predicted. There are times when your life depends on what someone thinks about you!

The more you pray Timothy’s prayer, the more favourable the thoughts of your boss will be towards you. I see you having favour in all that you do! I see the heart of the king having mercy on you!

Many young people must pray for their fathers in order to have the favour of God. I remember when I was in the university, I asked my father for a car. I realized that my father was spending a lot of money on horse racing. You see, my father had one of the largest horse racing stables in the country. He employed many people and bought horses from all over West Africa. I thought to myself, “If my father wants to, he can buy a brand new car for me.”

One day, my father decided to buy a car for me. My prayers for him made the Lord turn his heart in my favour. I received a brand new car when I was in fifth year medical school. I rejoiced and used that car for the glory of God. I was the first church member of Lighthouse Chapel International to own a car. My car became the church bus and the church taxi. And I was happy to do it, because I knew that the Lord had provided. God can bless you through those who are in authority over you.

As you pray for them, God will give you favour! Things are changing in your favour! I see God turning the heart of every king in your life! They will decide not to kill you anymore. They will decide that you must live! I see many blessings rising up to embrace you! As you pray for fathers, bosses and presidents, you will experience only godliness, peace and quietness.

From today, every wife that prays for her husband will experience quietness in her house! From now on, your “unbeliever” husband will allow you to go to church! He will not stop you from going for all-night prayer meetings. He will not oppose your Christian life anymore because you are praying for him!

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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Develop Yourself by Speaking in Tongues

1. Speaking in tongues is a promise to every believer.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Mark 16:16,17

2. Speaking in tongues helps you to pray according to the will of God.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:26,27

3. Speaking in tongues builds you up to become a strong and powerful Christian.

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Jude 1:20

4. Speaking in tongues is talking to God directly in a language only He understands.

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

1 Corinthians 14:2

5. Speaking in tongues gives your spirit the opportunity to pray.

For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

1 Corinthians 14:14

6. Speaking in tongues makes your spirit pray best about things concerning you.

Your spirit knows deeper things about yourself than any other part of you.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:11

Sometimes you may not understand what you are going through in order to pray meaningfully in your normal language. However, you can still pray very effectively in tongues because your spirit knows many things that your mind hasn’t yet grasped. Therefore allow your spirit to pray!

7. Speaking in tongues makes you pray for a long time.

You are not limited by language, vocabulary and how to express yourself and so you can pray for a long time.

For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

1 Corinthians 14:14

8. Speaking in tongues is a better way to express thanks and appreciation to God.

Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? FOR THOU VERILY GIVEST THANKS WELL ...

1 Corinthians 14:16,17

9. Speaking in tongues makes you more aware of the power of Christ.

You will become bold as you become more and more aware of the power that is at work in the believer. You can stand boldly as a true witness for Jesus. You are fearless in the face of demonic activity and your faith to deal with them is firm.

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 1:8

10. Speaking in tongues makes you become more conscious of the presence of the Holy Spirit in you as you continue to communicate with God in tongues.

The Holy Spirit is in us to help us. Being more aware of His presence helps you to develop a personal relationship with Him and engage His participation, contribution and influence in our lives.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 14:16-17

The Journey on the Ship

Why should you go to heaven without experiencing all the blessings promised to believers to help our Christian lives here on earth? It will be like a man who saved all he could and bought a ticket to go to New York on a ship. He managed to use the rest of his savings to buy a box of cabin biscuits and drink.

Throughout the journey he never mingled with the other passengers nor visited the restaurants, cinema halls, etc. He never used any of the facilities like the swimming pools, gyms and saloons.

He thought to himself, “I’m not rich. I can’t afford all that! Some people are really blessed!” He would then retreat to his cabin to enjoy his cabin biscuits and drink.

A few days to the end of the journey the captain spotted the lonely traveller and asked why he had never seen him the whole time and whether he had any problems with the services they offered. He replied that from what he saw the services were excellent only he couldn’t participate because he couldn’t afford any. The captain’s jaw dropped in utter amazement and shock – the reason? Everything on board was already paid for!

The price of the ticket covered every facility on the ship! The man did not know! He had suffered needless pain and hardship throughout the journey. How sad!!

Unfortunately, many Christians are just like this lonely traveller.

There are many things included in our “salvation ticket” but we are not enjoying them either because of ignorance or we refuse to accept them for ourselves.

Speaking in tongues is part of the salvation ticket! Rise up and flow in it!!!

by Dag Heward-Mills

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ilovefunreading-blog · 6 years ago

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Read Your Bible: The Ten Major Messages of the Bible

As you read the Bible regularly, God will show you the overall messages that He has for mankind. These messages can be gleaned from the Bible. There are eight major themes that run through the entire Bible.

1. GOD’S HOLY CHARACTER

A. God is your Creator.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. SO GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Genesis 1:26-30

B. God will provide your needs.

But my GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Romans 8:32

C. God is holy.

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, IS THE LORD OF HOSTS: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Isaiah 6:1-7

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

1 Peter 1:15, 16

D. God is loving.

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for GOD IS LOVE. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:8-10

E. God is just and has two sides: His goodness and His severity.

Behold therefore the GOODNESS AND SEVERITY OF GOD: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Romans 11:22

2. GOD CREATES THE WORLD

A. God is the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:1, 2

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Colossians 1:16, 17

B. God created the universe by speaking it into existence.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Hebrews 11:3

C. God is the giver of life.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10:10

D. Man is created in God’s image.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...

Genesis 1:26

E. Man was given dominion over Earth.

...and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth...

Genesis 1:26

3. SATAN DESTROYS THE WORLD GOD CREATED

A. Lucifer is lifted up in pride and rebels against God.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Isaiah 14:12-15

B. Lucifer, an angel in Eden, falls into sin.

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

Ezekiel 28:13-17

C. Lucifer turns the world into a wilderness.

They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

Isaiah 14:16-17

D. Lucifer, now called Satan attacks God’s creation, Adam.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Genesis 3:1

E. Lucifer, now called Satan attacks God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

Matthew 4:3

4. MAN FALLS INTO SIN

A. Man interacts with the devil and is contaminated forever.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Genesis 3:1

B. Man falls into sin.

And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, BECAUSE THOU HAST HEARKENED UNTO THE VOICE OF THY WIFE, AND HAST EATEN OF THE TREE, OF WHICH I COMMANDED THEE, SAYING, THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT: CURSED IS THE GROUND FOR THY SAKE; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Genesis 3:13-19

C. Sin entered into the world and through sin death came.

For if BY ONE MAN’S OFFENCE DEATH REIGNED BY ONE; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Romans 5:17, 18

D. Death shortened the life of mankind.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

5. GOD CHOOSES ISRAEL

A. God chose Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

NOW THE LORD HAD SAID UNTO ABRAM, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Genesis 12:1-3

And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with ISAAC, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

Genesis 17:19-21

And JACOB went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

Genesis 28:10-15

B. God used Joseph to deliver Israel from starvation and famine.

C. God used Moses to deliver His people from bondage and teach them His laws.

D. God’s people Israel, like the Church, kept going astray to serve other Gods.

Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Isaiah 5:1-7

6. GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

...There is none righteous, no, not one.

Romans 3:10

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death...

Romans 6:23

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3:16, 17

He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God...

John 1:11, 12

Christians are released into a new life of blessings in Christ Jesus.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:3-14

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Peter 1:3, 4

7. THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES INTO THE WORLD

A. Jesus Christ prophesies about the Holy Spirit.

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.)

John 7:37-39

B. Jesus promises the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8

C. The Holy Spirit arrives on earth and people begin to speak in tongues.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:4

D. The Holy Spirit anoints the preaching and thousands are saved.

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Acts 2:41

Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

Acts 4:4

E. The Holy Spirit causes the salvation of multitudes.

And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

Acts 5:14

F. The Holy Spirit causes the salvation of entire cities.

And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

Acts 13:44

8. JESUS CHRIST BUILDS HIS CHURCH

A. Christ will build a church, an army of believers who will win the lost at any cost.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18

B. Every single believer is a member of the army and is created specially to do good works for the Lord.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

C. The Church is fearless, powerful, anointed and full of God’s authority.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

John 14:12

D. Christ gives all believers a duty to go into the whole world and preach the Gospel.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:19, 20

Acts 1:8

9. THE ETERNAL JUDGMENT OF NATIONS, SINNERS AND CHRISTIANS

A. God will judge all nations. Jesus spoke of the judgment of the nations.

And before him SHALL BE GATHERED ALL NATIONS: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Matthew 25:32

B. God will judge all Christians.

For we must all appear before THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:10

C. God will judge all sinners.

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Revelation 20:11

10. ETERNITY: A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Revelation 21:1

by Dag Heward-Mills

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