06 - I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN! 6

Whose Son is That Young Man?

As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is that young man?" Abner replied, "As surely as you live, O king, I don't know." The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is." As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head. "Whose son are you, young man?" Saul asked him. 1 Sam 17:55-58NIV

King Saul watched an unknown teenager who walked into a battleground but was not afraid of an enemy that everyone else fled from. It was some of the soldiers that brought him to the king. They took time to properly brief David about the risky situation at hand, but he was surprised that nothing intimidated David. He heard David trash all the reasons he had for not going to confront Goliath himself. The young man even turned down the specially designed armor of the king but went in to the battle without a sword. He observed his audacity as he moved towards the deadly enemy. In our characteristic way of judgment, he thought the father of David must have done a great job in his life.

Then, he watched as David exchanged words of threat with Goliath. King Saul was clutching to his heart in apprehension. Then came the moment when Goliath charged towards David and King Saul thought in his heart, this is the moment the lad will flee, but to his shock, David ran further towards the battle line. King Saul said in his heart, this can be nothing but sound home training from a father who was a military man himself.

He turned to the general commander of his army and said, “I want to know and meet the father who raised this boy”.

We already know that the king was wrong in this matter. It had nothing to do with David’s father or the family he came from. Let me explain; before David came, there were three members of David’s family in the army and they were in the number of those who repeatedly ran away from Goliath for forty days. It is possible that the King did not know but just few days ago a prophet visited the family of Jesse of Bethlehem, after passing the seven other sons of the same father through the test, none of them were fit to be a king in Israel. God Himself declared them unqualified.

When Abner could not answer his question, King Saul kept watching as David ran towards the battleline, picked out one stone from his porch, loaded it into his sling, took an aim at the rampaging giant and while everyone watched, Goliath came crashing down to the ground. As if that was not enough, David ran towards him, took the giant sword of the giant warrior of the entire Philistine army and cut off the head of the once dreaded champion.

Try to follow the electrifying moment and hot pumping of the blood through the veins of the King as the young man started walking back to king Saul with the head of the giant in his hand.

Whereas the rest of the armies of Israel charged out to pursue the fleeing host of the Philistine armies, I imagine David lift the head of Goliath before King Saul and said, “My king, I told you that it is going to be easy”.

King Saul was not looking at the Goliath’s head in his hand, “Young man, who is your father? Who raised you?”

How often do we give credit to those who have nothing to do with the success in question? This has nothing to do with Jesse of Bethlehem; he was not a warrior and if he contributed anything to what David has become, it is the rejection and disregard he showed for David.

We are taking time to explain all this because of someone among my readers who would argue that his life would have been better if he came from a different background. Yes, some people say, if only I had a rich father or if only, I came from this other country or if only I belonged to that other Christian denomination, etc.

Like King Saul, people believe that people from good backgrounds have a better chance to make it in life.

My friend, it is not true. In this moment of truth let me tell you some things. Some people think that I am making this kind of wave in the ministry because my father was a missionary with the Scripture Union, Nigeria and the Anglican Church. It is not true. My father died while I was less than ten years. I got nothing from my father. I got nothing from the Scripture Union, not even a bible study follow-up. I got nothing from the Anglican Church. It is true that I spent some time with the Assemblies of God and Foursquare Gospel Church but there is nothing I have today that came from them. There are a number of other Christian organizations that I passed through, but they did not give me anything that has kept me where I am today. I am not saying that the time I spent with them was useless. Far from that. what I mean is that what God has brought me through was different from what they meant to my life.

There are those who talk about the schools they attended; after listening to me teach, a pastor asked to know the bible school I attended, but believe me this has nothing to do with a bible school, secondary or university education. If not for the mercies of God, some of those places would have ruined what God has done with me today.

About family background; even though I came from a supposing wealthy family background, I can say it here that I have not received any kind of support from them. What Joy and I got from our families was antagonism and witchcraft attack. I can count the three times that I am sure that people from my immediate family made attempts that would have taken my life.

Yes, lest I forget, the witchcraft attacks, antagonism, betrayals and inexplicable hatred we suffered from them contributed to make me an international authority in the field of deliverance and spiritual warfare. Those were the secret resources that enabled me to write more than twenty different book titles on the subject of deliverance and spiritual warfare.The rejection and lack of support contributed to make me a self-sufficient person, because I learned it very early that no one is coming to save me. This life has been between me and my God. It is not about my family.

Let me not make this too personal, go and ask some of the people you believe are successful in life and you will be shocked that their stories are not different from that of David and mine.

You might have come from a bad background but you must not let your background to pin your back to the ground. One time in my life, I took time to check the backgrounds of some people I considered very successful ministers of the gospel, but I was shocked that they did not get to where they are today because of what they got from where they came from. Most of them were disowned by their families because they picked up their bible to follow Jesus Christ. Now they have become successful and their families are claiming them. There are a good number of them that were doctors, university professors, lawyers and bigtime businessmen; almost all of them took nothing from their past. They trusted God like David did, put in some quality time for self-discipline and development, and that was how they got to where they are today.

 Unfortunately, few people know what I am talking today about the so-called successful people. In my years of relating with different Christian denominations, I discovered that the so-called large congregations only steal trained church workers from the smaller ones. You are free to investigate this yourself; most pastors in the large congregations are the disciples from other churches.

I want you to know that you can become the richest person in your country

I want you to know that you can fulfil your dreams in your career.

I want you to know that what people say or think about you can only govern you if you let them.

I want you to know that your background does not have the power to pin you down if you do not let it.

There are eight things you have to bear in mind as you enter into the next phase of your life.

1. You need to have a very strong relationship with God. He is the one that can truly bless you. Somewhere the bible says that a man receives nothing unless it is given to him from above (John. 3:27). Do not joke with your prayer and meditation time because this is how you build the closest tie with God. Fear magnifies your problems and doubt diminishes your God but it is in the place of prayer that you cage the two enemies of your purpose.

2. You need to invest time in self-training and development. This is different from going to school or attending church fellowships and programs. You need to deliberately train yourself for what you want to become. It may involve taking an additional academic program or discipleship training or exposure to some kind of apprenticeship. That is how you prepare to be qualified for your expected elevation.

3. You need to intentionally seek out people who are serious with their life and connect with them. Connect with people who motivate you. You did not have the opportunity to choose your parents or siblings. The only thing that is within your power to choose is your friends and you must not joke with it. That includes the church denomination you identify with and the person you relate with as a personal mentor or pastor. If the church you currently belong to is not building you up, child of God, walk out of that place. If the person you take as a mentor is not building you up, prayerfully seek out for someone better for yourself. When you get to heaven, you can explain.

4. You need to walk away from any relationship that is draining your energy spiritually or emotionally. You must not hate them before you walk away. You may need to walk away for awhile just to fix what was broken in your life. That includes people who refused to improve despite your years of investment in them. That also includes people who kept making promises to support you but never keep their words. When you walk away, you will free your mind to check out for new opportunities.

5. You must not let the pains from your past drain your energy or dampen your focus to where you are heading to. Like we learned from David, be thankful for them. Each time the devil throws thoughts from your past at you, cover them with thanksgiving. “I thank God for carrying me through all of these”.

6. You must be ready to serve in small things while you wait for the great things. David was anointed as king of Israel, but while waiting for the day he would be crowned, he kept taking care of his father’s sheep and carried food to his brothers in the battlefield.

7. You must be on the standby every moment because you do not know when the opportunity you have been praying for would come. David did not know that his connection with the king of Israel will come the day he was told to send some food to his brothers. He did not know that killing Goliath was the first step of the ladder to joining the mighty men in Isreal’s army.

8. You must not allow the opinions of those who do not understand what God is doing with you to push you out of God’s direction. Some give their opinions out of ignorance; some give their opinions out of envy in order to sabotage you, and there are those who weaponize misleading opinions to derail you. Only you know what God has told you in the private. Hold to them firmly.

I need to let you know that if you have read to this point in this meditation that you are almost ready to shake the world around you.

Keep following

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

05 I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN 5

Trained and Perfected in rough Places

But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." 1 Sam 17:34-37NIV

David said to King Saul, “I have come thus far through the pathway of challenges and suffering”.

I know you will wonder how I got that.

Shepherding has never been a job for the weak minded. It involved moving about in lonely places to guide the flock to find pasture. Somewhere the bible said that every shepherd is detestable to the Egyptians (Gen. 46:34); shepherds smell like their sheep and sheep don’t smell wonderful.

When David started by saying that he was a shepherd, King Saul could relate and he knew that David was used to tough times.

Then he added, “I kill lions and bears and I kill them when they are hungry”.

It is important that you take a special note of that; lions and bears are harmless when they have been fed and they are not provoked. But these animals are deadly when they are hungry. Now, imagine what the situation was like when they came into the fold of David’s flock, picked one sheep and started walking away; yes, imagine that David approached them to recover his sheep. David said that, as expected, they always turned towards him to feed on him. That was the time he took hold of each of them and killed them. 

Then he went further by saying, “My King, I do this often”.

He presented these as part of his credentials to seek the King’s permission to confront Goliath. At this point King Saul understood that this man may be young, but he knew what was involved in this situation.

It is easy for us to understand that David’s family members did not love or value him but I have a problem with it when God who claimed that He loved David dearly would allow David to face all that danger. It is even safe to say that it was God who made David’s father to neglect him like that and so David lived a life in daily danger in taking care of the family flock of sheep. It was in this difficult situation that he encountered and killed lions and bears.

Years later David wrote,

Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. Ps 144:1-2NIV

He was giving thanks and praises to God for exposing him to those dangerous situations and he referred to them as his training school; his war college. I strongly believe that this was not the way David saw this situation when he was going through it. It was after he had passed through it and now, when circumstances came up, he discovered that those tough times he went through have prepared him to face them.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Heb 12:11NIV

I could not believe my ears when my then mentor made a prayer of release over me; he prayed that God will expose me to suffering at an early time and grant me the grace to overcome. He specifically mentioned Rev. 2:10

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. Rev 2:10NIV

Well, fortunately or unfortunately, God granted his request and I really faced difficulty in the early days of my ministry. After going through the bible, I discovered that even the Apostle Paul would have made the same prayer for me if he were my mentor;

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs — he wants to please his commanding officer. 2 Tim 2:3-4NIV

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Rom 8:16-17NIV

The suffering should come before the glory, just as planting should come before harvest. Even though Jesus Christ was God-incarnate who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born by a virgin, it is recorded thus about Him;

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Heb 2:10NIV

There is the perfecting of God’s children and especially God’s servants, that is only possible through suffering.

During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him Heb 5:7-9NIV

Did you observe that being prayerful and submissive to God’s command do not exonerate God’s chosen ones from the season of divinely apportioned suffering?  It is a perfecting process; it is like tearing off layers from our souls in order to bring us to the size that fits us to enter into God’s perfect purpose for our lives.

Contrary to what some theological schools of taught say, in God’s economy, those who would follow Jesus Christ should determine to follow Him even in His suffering.

And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27NIV

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21NIV

There are many who follow Jesus Christ today but they avoid the pathway of His suffering. To be frank, there were other young men like myself in those early days who stepped into the ministry but they were afraid of suffering. They looked for early gratification and chose terrains that were soft and easy. They were focused on how to look good outwardly and offered their services as God’s servants to the highest bidders. They joined groups and organizations that promised to make their walk with God stress-free. 

Some of them rose very fast and became rich and popular, but today they are no where to be found. A good number of them are no longer in the ministry. This is not only about those in the gospel ministry, but concerns everyone in any other field of human endeavors; the suffering must precede the glory, otherwise the glory will be a fading glory. 

Yes, there is a fading glory and there is an enduring glory. 

There are two bible examples like that. they were exceptionally anointed, one was anointed with power like no other man who ever lived on earth, his name was Samson. The other one was gifted with exceptional wisdom like none other ever had, his name was Solomon. These men enjoyed relevance and power but they did not pass through the wilderness of suffering to get to the top. I believe that this contributed to their woeful fall from glory.

 David was trained in God’s war college. It did not make his training easier but tougher. It was a process in loneliness. He was there all alone and the dealing was personal. The beauty of it was that one hundred thousand “wild animals” of the Philistine army did not scare him.  

It is a very necessary part of your Christian growth and development. If that is where you are now, do not be afraid, you will come out stronger and better.

Keep following!

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

04 I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN 04

HE DID NOT CALL HIM A GIANT

Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." 1 Sam 17:36-37NIV

(1 Samuel Chapter 17)

While reading through our text chapter, did you notice that David never referred to Goliath as a giant? That was not because he did not see him the first time. 

Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers. As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. 1 Sam 17:21-24NIV

Note the charged atmosphere that he met and how everyone else fled from the fear-inspiring presence of the giant champion from Gath, but only one person stood immune of that atmosphere of fear and that was David. 

But, why?

He did not judge things from the public opinion.

They saw a giant, called him a giant and fled from the giant.

David saw an animal, called him an animal and confronted him like an animal.

We have our eyes, ears, nose and the sense of touch; they are not called sense organs for nothing. When your eyes catch something, they transfer the information to your brain, your brain analyzes what it has received and sends a processed report to the mind, that is what is referred to as heart in some circles. The kind of mind the person has determines the final report. If the mind is tilted to the world and controlled by the flesh and the views of this corrupt satanic system, its final report will be according to that order. The mouth will then declare what the mind has sent it. If the mind is controlled by the Holy Spirit because it has been renewed through the knowledge of the word of God and fellowship with Christ, the report will obviously be different.

What we are trying to say is that same old statement by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45NIV

The people the Lord addressed here came to His healing and deliverance service and declared that Jesus Christ was using satan’s power to cast out demons. They saw some formally demon possessed people walking home restored in their minds and bodies and when they opened their mouths to talk, “BOOM!”, they said He was using the power of satan.

It is not as much about what the eyes saw as it is about the definition or interpretation that the heart gave to what they saw. The subsequent labeling of what they are dealing with and their reaction towards it, is governed by what they processed in their hearts.

Ok, let us put it this way; it is not that the Israelites were afraid of Goliath or that David was courageous, it was about how they analyzed it in their hearts. 

Pause for a while and ask yourself some simple questions, “Why do I react to these things the way I do?

“Why am I always afraid?

” Why do I feel insecure?

“Why do I always feel that everyone hates me?

“Why do I always believe that I will not succeed?

“Why do I just believe that I will soon die?”

The Lord told His people somewhere,

"Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy, do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. Isa 8:12-13NIV

Do not call a giant everything the people who do not know your God call a giant and do not fear what they fear. In my opinion, that was why David did not refer to Goliath as a giant. In that same text chapter, he referred to the entire army of the Philistines as mere animals. When human beings die, they are referred to as corpses and animals at death are referred to as carcasses. 

Now, read this,

This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 1 Sam 17:46NIV

Whereas the rest of the armies of Israel saw an army from Philistine, David saw some animals running loose. 

He did not call Goliath a giant.

Do not think that this would be an easy thing. Far from that. Especially when you walk in among your own people like David did and everyone is screaming the same thing. They even attack anyone who does not agree with their popular opinion just like Eliab attacked David. You will need some kind of faith to continue to insist that Goliath was not a giant but an animal. Remember that you need to convince yourself first before you would be able to convince those who disagree with you.

You will need another kind of mind;

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. Rom 12:1-2NIV

That word, offer in this scripture is in the present continuous tense, which means to continue to offer your bodies to God every day and moment of your life. David lived his entire life in daily declaration that He belonged to Jehovah and he continued to testify to it in spite what he met around him.

Then, it goes on to say, “Do not switch to their general opinion”. 

Yes, you read me right; to conform means to switch over to their channel of general opinion. It goes on to say that instead of conforming to their standards and general opinion, let there be a transformation in your inner person, your mind. It says that it is the only way you would be able to know God’s perfect will. 

I know you will agree with me that you can only stand to defend what you know. 

How would one receive this kind of knowledge that will generate this dimension of faith?

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Rom 10:17NIV

You must surround yourself with channels that expose you to the word of God. You have to relate with and go to places that keep you in touch with God’s word. Besides reading your bible, you need to keep in touch with ministries like PNUR that keep reminding you about prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the way you develop this kind of faith.

Sister Amaka returned home from evening fellowship to meet her child stretched out on the floor, lifeless. Her then unbelieving husband kept shouting to all the neighbors who gathered in their living room, “Who among you have not heard me telling my wife to stop attending all these fellowship meetings with all these fake churches and pastors? But she would not listen. Now, while she was at one of those evil churches, our only child has died. Is it not clear now that the evil spirits from those churches have killed my child?”

Amaka reached down and took the lifeless body in her arms and went to the second floor of their house. Amaka and Amarachi, her prayer partner, locked the door behind them and began to pray. After about two hours, she walked down with the same child on her feet. 

They said that her child was dead.

Amaka saw it as an opportunity for her God to manifest His power.

Everyone said it was a hopeless situation but Amaka and Amarachi said God can change anything.

The King Saul and all the armies of Israel called him giant Goliath.

David did not call him a giant. He called him an animal. 

What do you call that thing before you?

Yes, what do you call that thing before you?

You can go into prayer now.

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

03 I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN

 

MY GOD AGAINST THEIR gods

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands." 1 Sam 17:45-47NIV

(Read 1 Samuel 17).

It does not matter who you are or where you live, every one of us has our own giant. We just must defeat this giant or we will be stuck in a place like King Saul and the rest of the armies of Israel. Another vital point is the way we see our enemy; whether they are spiritual, physical or circumstantial. It is important that we know our enemy and that is what we do when we study deliverance and spiritual warfare.

In this matter David was wrong in his assessment of Goliath; Goliath did not come against David or the armies of Israel relying on his spear, javelin or even his track record as a fighting champion. We have scripture to prove that.

Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 1 Sam 17:41-43NIV

Take note of how the narrator presented the same battle implements that King Saul had warned David about. Also take note that even after Goliath had taken a careful but military assessment of his opponent, he saw that David was a harmless young man with no sophisticated weapon; now also take note that he still cursed David in the name of his god. 

This was not an ordinary word but the same kind of curse that Balak had invited Balaam to place on the Israelites in order to weaken them.

So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the River, in his native land. Balak said: "A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed." Num 22:4-6NIV

Those curse words were invoked to draw down the forces of nature to rise up against his enemy and weaken the enemy and then make his defeat easy. But who is the enemy in this case? A small boy with a stick and sling and just five pieces of stones. He despised him but still invoked the spiritual weapons of curses against him. What an irony? 

For Goliath, the battle was more of spiritual than physical. Goliath was not relying on the things King Saul and the rest of Israel feared. It is even safe to say that the fear the people of Israel experienced was demonic. They were under a demonic spell of fear and the bible said that for forty days they could do nothing but run from their enemy. Having being conquered by that spirit of fear, they joined their voices to magnify the power of their enemy. They kept repeating and magnifying it among themselves; just like they did to David, they would paralyze anyone who came to the camp who could have helped them. Yes, they will tell the person about the problem and still tell the new comer that it was a helpless situation. They would attack one another the way David’s brothers attacked him but no one dared to face the enemy.

It is unfortunate but this is the way some church members relate in their neighborhood; they are too scared to face the satanic powers in their territory but engage in persistent infighting. That is the way some families coexist; they are not ready to deal with their enemies from outside but they focus on fighting among themselves. Even if they dared to talk about their common enemies, they magnify them; they talk of the great powers of witches and wizards; they talk of how one powerful native doctor strikes his enemies with madness; they talk about the devil and his servants in a magnifying way. They keep viewing God with the lens of their enemy. It is not that their enemy is too strong but it has to do with the way they view him.

Who is the Holy Spirit talking to here?

Who is that servant of God who has yielded his voice as a loudspeaker for the devil?

Who is that child of God who has become the propaganda channel of the devil?

Now, you have talked about the satan and his power so much that you no longer remember the power of your God.

Now, you have spoken so much evil about the Body of Christ that everyone around you have accepted your definition and now no one is moving forward in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The environment around you has become so charged with the negative current coming from your confession that no one remembers to put their trust in God.

I am sorry to say it but you may be under the influence of the demons projected into your space to render you impotent. 

That inability to pray maybe demonic.

That depression and hopelessness could be demonic.

Now, say with me, “I command every satanic atmosphere over my life to scatter in Jesus’ name!”. 

Shout, “the blood of Jesus Christ!” 7x before you proceed with reading this meditation.

Why could David move beyond the atmosphere of fear and defeat that he met in the camp?

Look at our main text again.

1. David knew that he belonged to a greater and stronger God

2. David knew that he was not fighting his own battle but God’s battle

3. David was not looking for a personal glory but the glory of his God

4. David was not relying on his power but he relied on God’s power to fight God’s battle

5. David knew that the God who did it yesterday is going to do it even now

6. David openly declared to the enemy that his size was different from the size of his God

7. David viewed the enemy through the lens of his God, hence the enemy looked smaller than others saw him

8. David ran to the battle line to give his God the opportunity to prove Himself

9. David’s confession was in line with his actions and his battle strategy.

10. David understood that it was God that was under a test, not David. His God could not have failed him because he never fails.

Beloved child of God, read this short prayer to yourself and personalize it.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Eph 1:18-19NIV

It is true that there are just a few days to go in this year but a miracle could still come your way.

Remain under the anointing in Jesus’ name.

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

THE CAT IN THE MONASTERY

 *The cat in the monastery* 

Some monks  that lived in a cave discovered that rodents were disturbing them. They tried different kinds of traps on the rats, but that was also distracting them because any day they don't set up the traps, the rats would destroy more things. So they decided to buy cats, and that also kept the rats away, and so the tradition of keeping cats in their monastery

That generation of monks passed on until the fourth generation. Soon, there came up a generation that did not know the reason the first monks brought in the cats but began to see the presence of cats as one of the principal requirements to set up a monastery. Even priests who lived in places where there were no rats still purchased cats. It soon became a subject for theological misunderstanding

Some world refer to books written by great teachers to support the presence of cats in the monastery. Others argued against it and also quoted great scholars as they condemned the practice. Time was wasted arguing about cats or no cats. Some monks broke away to set up their own monastery because the mother monastery accepted or rejected cats

Today, we have many such useless disagreements in the Body of Christ. One major one is the question of which version of the Holy Bible is the best. Even though some honest scholars have done their best to show us why modern day translations are making some changes in some translations, some believers still insist that devil had used some people to change some passages in the holy Bible. Yet, not to mention my humble self, great servants of God like Bonnke, Benny Hinn, and Kenneth Hagin, to mention a few have used the New International Version of the Bible In fact, NIV has remained my official version for anywhere I ever pastured and for my new converts. I can boldly recount many places where those I ministered to fell under the power of the Spirit as I read from NIV

There are those who still insist that William Shakespeare grammar is the only correct language that Jesus Christ and the early saints spoke. 

This is because they don't know how the CAT CAME IN TO THE MONASTERY

I've met many Roman Catholic faithful arguing for or against the cat in the monastery

Pentecostals and Charismatic faithful also argue against the cats in the monastery as they discussed Christmas or other Christian ceremonies. 

In all this, they don't consider the danger and confusion they are causing for new comers to the faith and the resources they are providing for the enemies of the Church

In the face of the encroaching rampage of Islam abd violent revival of idolatry across the world, some prominent Christian leaders started some arguments, CHRISTMAS IS NOT A CHRISTIAN CEREMONY. We all saw what played out, Roman Catholic and Anglican faithful rose, and began to call them names. The Roman Catholics and Evangelicals mocked the Pentecostals on social media in the open view of the enemies of the Church 

That argument was still on when a church leader was killed in Adamawa State for refusing to renounce Christ. As if to balance up a Roman Catholic seminarian was killed in Kaduna State for the same reason. Their killers did not ask them whether they believed in Christmas or not. They were killed because they believed in Jesus Christ. 

Those for and against this argument did not care to know that the enemies of the Church were nodding their heads.

There are many of such argument today that are based on irrelevant disputing about words that have no use to the souls of men

I would not bother myself if some people I respect have not gotten lost in this kind of thing and make posts on social media, which I consider unfortunate

Here is what the Holy Spirit said through Apostle Paul 

Romans 14:1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling over disputable matters.

Romans 14:3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.

I don't mean that we should not try to correct one another and where need be, outrightly rebuke, but before you take such a step, just ask yourself, what will I achieve by this? Is it possible that what I say about this could become a tool in  devil's hand to disturb the faith of someone?

I'm often tempted to post some things on social media, but when I remember that I have thousands following me, I just back down One time, I posted something I love about Donald Trump, President of the USA, and only discovered too late that an American lady who was following me for teaching and counselling was anti-Trump in her political ideology. Argument erupted between her and another follower that lasted for days, and I had to block her. But then it wasn't her fault; I was the one that messed things up

On another occasion, I made a  post concerning  a minister of the gospel whom I felt was in error. It also turned out that one of my online followers held that man highly and, in fact, a member of his church. The subject I posted on was not that serious to turn it to an issue. I apologized and deleted my post, not because I was wrong but because of what my post meant to somebody

There are some men I respect who would post a joke. For an American, that could be a joke, but for me, a typical African, I may misunderstand it to be news. So, I humbly ask us the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ not to lose sight of the battle before us as we do anything.

More importantly,  is to make distinction between substance and chaff as we argue some matters. IIn fact, you may be twisting the Bible as you try to argue for or against the cat in our monastery because those that brought in the cat were not looking at the Bible, but their environment

Christmas 

For those who celebrate it, Happy Christmas and remember to share your delicacies with me.  Those that won't celebrate it, but would rather organise gospel campaign or prayer retreats,  please remember me in your prayers. Let's keep our focus on the harvest of souls in a perishing world. 

Emma, your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com 

02 -I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN 2

 I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN 2

When People Doubt Your Capabilities

Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." 1 Sam 17:33NIV

That was King Saul expressing doubt on David’s ability to fight Goliath.

If we may ask, why do people express doubts about a person’s capabilities?

They may be sincerely concerned. That is what we see in the case of King Saul concerning the venture David wanted to undertake. This was a teenager who came to the battlefield to handover some meals to his elder brothers, and there was no proof that he had any prior training in military combat. To be candid, if David had failed in his bid and gotten killed, King Saul would have had a difficult time convincing his parents and the rest of the nation of Israel that he did not fail in his duty as a father.

To support the fact about his sincerity, the king even offered David his own amor and prayed for him before he stepped out. We are saying all these to support the fact that not all who express doubt on your capabilities hate you or have the intention to sabotage your progress. I often tell my children, if I express any doubt about your sincerity or ability to take care of yourself, it is because you have not convinced me you can handle things.

There are those who express doubt over your capabilities because they were blinded by jealousy. This is where the three brothers of David fall in.

When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." 1 Sam 17:28NIV

Unlike the king, he did not speak out of concern for David but weaponized his words to hurt him, “Look here David, do not think that because last time that Prophet Samuel anointed you as a future king over Isreal, that your status has changed from a good-for-nothing shepherd boy. You belong to the realms of animals and you have no business in a place like this. The most you can do is to sit around to watch real men fight in the army but I am not going to let you do that”.

Calling David names like wicked and conceited was only the expression of the hatred he had for him. His intention was to dampen whatever confidence he had left in him. It was targeted at sabotaging David.

Just like David did, once you find yourself in this kind of company, walk away. Do not try to convince them. There is nothing you could do to change their mind because they already decided never to agree with you or support you.

There are those who doubt your capabilities because they are ignorant of what God has put in you or working out in your life.

The Lord Jesus Christ had such an experience;

Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Mark 6:1-3NIV

 They knew Him as a child and that familiarity was the cause of their doubt. Further reading in the bible showed that at another time, they welcomed Him. Even His immediate family expressed such doubt but all that changed towards the end of His earthly ministry.

The worst of all these doubting is when you doubt your own capabilities. Yes, there are many people who are stagnant today because they are not able to see what deposits they have existing in their person. We said earlier in this meditation that the first persuasion you need to persuade is yourself.

David faced every level of external doubting we have mentioned in this meditation but he remained internally motivated. When the King expressed his concern for David’s safety, this was David’s response,

Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you." 1 Sam 17:36-37NIV

He walked away from his offensive brothers, he walked away from the other soldiers who kept talking about the problem and the reward courageous men would receive if they solved the problem and finally, he boldly proclaimed his conviction before the king. It was the confidence he expressed before the king and the proven testimonies (or should we say, credentials?), that convinced the king.

Even though he turned down the king’s amor on the grounds that he was not used to them, we can see that the king would have given him anything else if he asked for it. Yes, when we complain that people do not support our projects, perhaps it is because we failed to convince them that we know what we are going for.

Having said all that and having stressed the internal confidence and faith that David expressed, we also need to make it plane that confidence should not be vague and faith should be built on something or someone. David was not just a courageous person but his courage was based on his relationship with God and the several instances that his God had proven faithful. If you read through our text chapter, you will observe the several points he referred to his God before King Saul and in his confrontation with Goliath. His faith and confidence were built on his God.

So, my reader, on what have you been basing your confidence? Can you boldly say that your relationship with God is solid and you are sure that this God will stand where you stand?

 This year is coming to end and we are stepping into a brand-new year. Perhaps, you should take a sobber reflection and reevaluate your past walk with God. However, if you are sure that your walk with God has been on the positive side, I encourage you to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

 The remaining days in this year could be your miracle season.

You can still end the year in jubilation.

I would love to hear what you think about this message.

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN

 I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN!

Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you." 1 Sam 17:36-37NIV

(Please read 1 Samuel Chapter 17)

David said to king Saul, I can take this fight and I will win. His brothers considered his claim as an empty boasting but it happened that day in their presence.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. 1 Sam 17:50-51NIV

There are just few days before the end of this year and I want to send you this word of encouragement. I want to tell you that you can still end this year as an overcomer. I know that some of my readers will doubt this prophetic word and that is because of what life has been for them.

Maybe I should remind you that fear and doubt are elements of self-sabotage. It is possible that the first person who you should try and convince is yourself. Once you are able to convince yourself it will be easy to convince those who doubt your capabilities.

Times and circumstances have taught me that it is not the lack of resources and power that has obstructed the success of most people but their mindset. In their mind and belief system, they do not see how this could be. Let us put it in another way; those who are successful in life do not necessarily have more resources and favorable positions than those who are not successful.

Our main text was curled from the response David gave to King Saul when the king advised him against confronting Goliath. The challenge before all Israel at the time was a giant called Goliath. Goliath was a national embarrassment on the battle field. King Saul even offered his daughter as a reward to anyone who would erase that condition from the nation.

Where all the known warriors of Israel retreated in fear, David accepted to fight Goliath. Here is the advice that the king Saul offered to David, and it was borne out of a genuine concern for David’s life.

Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." 1 Sam 17:33NIV

According to the king, David could come another day but this particular challenge is beyond what you can handle, David. This kind of sincere advice has kept someone who is reading this message in a position he should have moved beyond. This kind of advice is the reason some people are not married at the age of 50. This kind of advice is the reason someone has not written a book yet. This kind of advice was the reason a deacon of a living church committed abortion six times because he felt he did not have money to raise children. There are many sincere counsels we hear everyday and read on the social media platforms but they are not correct. If you follow them, you will not fulfill the purpose of God for your life.

When I was working on my first book, a bible school instructor advised that I was too unknown as a minister of the gospel to write a book. In his opinion no one will read my book. Anyway, he was among those who read the book when it was published.

Fortunately, David did not heed the advice and it is a common knowledge that he eventually succeeded in defeating Goliath in keeping with his own confession.

If we make a comparison between King Saul and David, we will see that the advantage tilted in the favor of the former. King Saul was anointed a king before David and it is interesting that the same prophet anointed them. King Saul was more experienced as a warrior and he had thousands of soldiers under his command. With regards to their spiritual affiliation, they served the same God under the same prophet and they depended on the same Book of the Law.

On his side, David was a young man who was struggling under rejection in the family he came from. He was the youngest of eight male children and there is every indication that he was born out of wedlock. Unlike Saul who a favored only son of a rich man,

David was not even valued by his father. How can we say that? On the day the prophet Samuel came to anoint a king for all in Israel in his family, even after his seven elder brothers failed the test, it took the prophet to remind his father he had one sone left.

We celebrate it that David killed a lion and a bear, but have you wondered what kind of father would ask his young son to return to a place where he kept encountering vicious wild animals. David was not valued.

In spite of all these negative situations around his life;

1. He kept his devotion to God very strong. He relied on God for every new challenge.

2. He did not retain the records of the past rejections, betrayals and the things he lost. He kept his positive past experiences as a motivation for his everyday life, that is why he kept the records of only the good things

3. He saw every new challenge as another opportunity to express more confidence in God. He went out against the giant in the same way he went out against the lion and bear.

4. He believed that God will be with him wherever he found himself

5. He did not allow the opinion of others to dampen his faith in himself and God

6. He never permitted anger, bitterness and hatred to control or dictate his actions. He moved away from the position he could hear his offensive brothers.

7. He remained consistent with the way God was training him. That was why he rejected the armor of the king and used his sling.

8. His faith was in an advance mode; he ran towards the giant

9. He remembered to give credit and thanks to God for every success

10. He did not permit pride to overshadow his mind because of the victories that God has given to him. Even though he had killed lions and bears, he was still willing to carry food to his brothers.

I don’t know the challenges that are before you as we are coming to the end of this year.

Borrow lessons from David with the same confidence.

I am praying for you

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com 

HOW DID I FIND MYSELF IN THIS MESS?

 

ONLY FOR SERIOUS CHRISTIANS

HOW DID I FIND MYSELF IN THIS MESS?

Someone sent the following message to me seeking for help; “Pastor Emma, I don’t know what to do about this my condition. I do not like doing this thing but I have tried everything I know to stop it but I see myself going back to it. It is affecting my marriage and finances adversely. I have tried fasting and confessing the word of God; it may stop for a while but I see myself going back to it again”.

There are many people who are facing similar situations in their life but what th

ey fail to confess is how this thing first started in their life.

Pay careful attention to what I want to say next.

Some years ago, some men reportedly died because they drank some inorganic alcoholic beverage. We will need to make some explanation here. Ethanol is the chemical name of an alcoholic beverage that is commonly known as kai-kai, Ogogoro or by whatever name it is called on the streets on your country. It is organically sourced from the palm tree nectar known as palm-wine. After boiling under high temperature the palm wine is brewed into ethanol (Kai-Kai or Ogogoro). It is an alcoholic drink and so intoxicates when taken in excess. There are other natural sources of the same beverage. As an organic beverage, its side effect is minimal because after some time its effect fades off. It is the cheapest alcoholic beverage in Nigeria hence there is a high demand for it by the street community.

There is, however, a problem associated with its production; if the demand shoots high above the supply, the sellers of Kai-Kai run out of stock. Besides, there are industries that also require ethanol for their production. The result is that the natural sources of ethanol are not able to meet with the market demand.

To meet up with the market demand, scientists have developed the totally inorganic or chemical version of the same product. It is sourced from the alkane family in the petrochemical field. After breaking down petrochemical elements of the industrial ethane family, they have ethanol that is also alcohol with the same chemical structure in the alkane family. It has the same composition as Kai-Kai but it is a chemical.

So, we have two chemical substances with the same chemical composition; one is naturally sourced, hence it is organic and so can easily be absorbed into the body system with little or no side effect. We also have another substance with the same chemical composition that is purely a petrochemical product, which is not compatible with the human body system. When it goes into the human body, it can never be absorbed, rather its agents destroy the cells and organs in the human body. This other inorganic version is easy to source in the refinery through petroleum and it is far cheaper. Industries and beverage makers have generally resorted to this inorganic version to meet with the rising demand for their products. They dilute them with water and anytime you see 11% or 9% on the label of an alcoholic beverage, it means that it contained 11 or 9 per cent of inorganic alcohol and any knowledgeable scientist will tell you that it is still on a high percentage of harmful alcohol. They use it not only to satisfy the demand for alcoholic beverage but as a preservative for their products and beverages.

Back to where we started; somehow someone introduced this inorganic version to street vendors of Kai-Kai and the consumers drank it in the same manner they used to drink the organic version and it resulted in the death of more than 100 persons in different locations in Rivers State alone.

Let us bring this home now; there is a natural anger. Even the Lord Jesus Christ was angry at one point. We are told in the bible that we cannot keep ourself from getting angry, rather we are told to quickly take back control of our mind so that the natural anger does not lead us into sin.

"In your anger do not sin" Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Eph 4:26-27NIV

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. James 1:19-20NIV

Now, we are told that even as the children of God, we could get angry and it is a natural thing. But the bible goes further to say that if we permit this natural anger to linger in our heart, the devil could take advantage of it and release the demon of anger into our life. Here is the difference between the two kinds of anger; in one case it will fade off naturally and you will forget about it. In the second kind which is the demonic kind, a spirit of anger is now resident in you. It will come to a point when the person who is angry cannot say specifically why it is so. Once this demon has gained access, it will open door to other kinds of demons. What started as a simple anger, will lead to malice, hatred, bitterness, murder or even suicide.

In the state of natural anger, the person can be talked out of it, but it is different from the demonic anger.

King Saul became angry about the song the women sang about David and himself. He became envious and sought means to kill David. More than thrice, he was talked out of it and he promised that he will never go after David again but he was never able to keep his word because it was not within his power to do so. This is because he was besides himself; he was under the influence of a demon.

Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. 1 Sam 16:14NIV

The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice. 1 Sam 18:10-11NIV

What started with a natural anger over an offence has turned King Saul into a terrorist, murderer and customer to sorcerers and eventually led to his death. We are warned that if we do not keep our heart clean, even after deliverance, demons could regain entry and then invite more wicked demons.

Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first." Luke 11:26NIV

This final worst state is where many people realize that something is wrong with their entire life. I want my reader to know that this is not only with regard to anger. It applies to urge for sex, pornography, gambling, hard drugs, alcohol consumption and every other ungodly practices. It is within your power to start but it might not be within your power to stop it. Some very complex demonic problems started when the victim tried to play around.

Now, read the following line carefully;

Some street vendors of Kai-Kai take some steps to retain their customers and so they consult witchdoctors and occult altars. They are given things to add to their beverages or to plant in their business places. Through these demonic channels, they cast a spell on those who visit their stalls and the person will come under a demonic spell that keeps driving him to go and buy from them. In the deliverance ministry, we have met prostitutes who confessed to have used this method on men. Male prostitutes who prey on rich women also employ this ungodly method to keep their victims under their control. It is not only in the area of sex or alcohol consumption; they employ this method for whatever area they wish.

What started as a mere bad habit, now becomes a serious deliverance matter.

Let me conclude by saying that if you are currently in this inorganic level, what you need is the casting out of demons. No amount of counselling will deliver the victim. It is not a mater to change their thinking or read books or to sit under the teaching of the sound word of God. Some people you are advising to quit alcohol are under bondage to the demons of addiction. They would want to stop but they cannot. Some men who squander their earnings on street women while their families are suffering are under the influence of demons. Some who into masturbation or pornography are under the control of demons. What they need is deliverance.

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Rom 7:18-20NIV

I will love to get your reaction.

Emma your brother pnurnigeria2gmail.com