Your body is not yours

All believers have 2 kinds of life: the physical and the spiritual. Both types of life have bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:44. Anyone born of a woman has a physical body. At the resurrection, we shall acquire a spiritual body. The focus of this article however is on our physical body.

In order to lay a foundation for this exposition, please note that every human being is made up of spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). These three parts of us are not ours; they belong to the Creator. Therefore one can categorically say that your life is not yours. Your spirit, soul and body are not yours. They are God’s.

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The Bible says that Christ is our life. (Colossians 3:4). This makes the Lord Jesus the hub of our life around which everything revolves. You are not your own; you are a caretaker of yourself. Imagine that you own a rental property and you appoint a caretaker to manage the property for you. The caretaker may collect the rent, pay the mortgage and taxes, carry out necessary repairs on the house etc. But that does not make him the landlord. He can be the caretaker for the next 50 years but that does not change the title deed to his name. Similarly, everything about you is a gift from God. You own nothing. You are a caretaker of God’s bountiful blessings.

Dick Rasanen writes: “Dear God, I find it so easy to try to be the one in charge. I find it so painful to realize that I am not the one in control. Help me to know when saying “I just work here” it’s a confession, and not just a way of evading responsibility.”

Your life is not about you. Your money is not about you. Your job is not about you. Your children are not about you. Your relationships are not about you. They are all given to you by the Almighty God to be used for His glory. It is in this context that we shall now focus on your body.

And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Genesis 2:7.

The prototype body was formed from the ground by God. Therefore God made and owned your body originally. Due to the sin of Adam and Eve, you and I were sold to the sin market. It was from this market of sin that Christ bought us back unto God. This is why the Bible says, “You were bought with a price”. Christ paid for your sins with his life and blood. Now He owns you, body and all. Not only does Christ own us, we are His body parts.

Do you not see and know that your bodies are members (bodily parts) of Christ? ……….1 Corinthians 6:15a Amplified.

You are Christ’s hands, eyes, mind, legs and heart. That is your eyes, hands, feet, abdomen, etc are Christ’s eyes, nose, hands, feet, and abdomen. Your eyes should not look at that which Jesus would not approve. Your hands should not touch anything abhorrent to the Master. You feet should not go to anywhere that will grieve His Spirit within you. If you need to fast, so be it. The grumbling stomach is His and He can do whatever He wishes with it.

Whatever unions you enter into, if you are also in union with Christ, those unions should meet with Christ’s approval. They need to be pleasing to him. If you are in union with Christ, a sexual union with someone who is not your spouse is totally unfitting.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:15-18.
Your body is not your personal possession. It is not to be used and abused a t your discretion. Always remember that it is not yours. The dignity of the temple is derived from who dwells in it. When we defile the body, we sin against the Resident of the body (Holy Spirit). When we defile the body, we sin against the Redeemer of the body.

“Drink water from your own well – share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in public, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Don’t share it with strangers. Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving doe, a graceful deer. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, with an immoral woman, or embrace the breasts of an adulterous woman? For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes” (Proverbs 5:15-21, NLT).

We live in an age of loose sexual relationships. God created sex and we should listen to Him and not to the society in the last days.

“…do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God” 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10.

The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines “fornication” as “consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other.” Sex is unacceptable before God outside of marriage. Fornication and adultery do not come cheap especially to a Christian. Proverbs 6:32. Satan has trivialized sex in order to populate hell. Don’t fall for his deceit.

Your Eyes
The use of our eyes is an issue especially for men. A man’s sexuality is visual, a woman’s sexuality is relational. Men are therefore more easily affected by what they look at. It is easy to commit fornication or adultery just by what and how you look. Consider the words of our Lord Jesus:

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28-29.

Sexual gratification for a man should come only from his wife, not from others scantily-clad ladies, billboards, magazines, advertisements or pornographic media. Your eyes are not yours. Dedicate them to the Lord. Follow the example of Job, described as blameless and upright in his days

I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. Job 31:1

Impurity is a habit. Purity is a habit as well. When you eyes bounce toward a woman lustfully, they must bounce away immediately. Initially this is not easy and you may fail to arrest those filthy thoughts on many occasions. But as you keep at it, you will gain mastery especially if you persist for 3 weeks or more.

How you treat your body affects your destiny. It can be a source of selection or rejection.

No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:27

Your body is not your master. As the caretaker, you are the master. Your body was made for you, not you for your body. The desire of your body must be controlled by you. You are responsible for how your body is used and what it’s used for. Learn to discipline your body so it does not lead you to sin.

Do not let sin control you puny body any longer; do not give in to its sinful desires. Do not let any part of your bodies become tools of wickedness, to be used for sinning; but give yourselves completely to God – every part of you—for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes. Romans 6:12, 13 (TLB)

Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. As God’s house, your body is a prayer house.

It is written," he said to them, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.' Mat 21:13

Always remember this when you don’t feel like praying or you want to avoid a prayer meeting or all night prayers. The admonition, “pray without ceasing” is not for pastors and bishops alone. It is for all believers.

Your body is a worship factory. You ought to bless the Lord at all times and let His praises always be in your mouth.

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name. Heb 13:15

Secret Weapon of Satan
You need your body to fulfill your destiny. Just as Christ could not become our Redeemer without His body, you are of no use to God without a sanctified body. Heb 10:5. Your authority over Satan partly depends on the sanctity of your vessel. This is why the enemy does his very best to defile, pollute and desecrate our temple, making us unfit for our Master’s use and powerless towards him.

Meanwhile, God's firm foundation is as firm as ever, these sentences engraved on the stones:
God knows who belongs to him. Spurn evil, all you who name God as God.
In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing. 2 Timothy 2:19-21 (Msg).

Ministry
Your body is a ministry tool, an anointing carrier and a healing vessel.

And God did unusual and extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,
So that handkerchiefs or towels or aprons which had touched his skin were carried away and put upon the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. Acts 19:11-12
They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. Mark 16:18.
Conclusion
Give your body to the Lord. Dedicate it to Him. He made it, bought it from the sin market, sanctified it and wants to glorify Himself with it.

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. Romans 12:1

How you treat your body either qualifies you for the Master’s use or makes you unfit for any work of righteousness.

What is life?

This is an important question for all of us to answer. What is life? The answer tells you what your life should be about. Different people have different answers. For some of us, life is about work, death and taxes. For others, it is to train till age 25, work till 65, and die at 80. Some may think life consists of milking their parents till 25, work and pay bills till 65, and then milk their children till they die. What about money, fun, movies, fun, sex, fun, vacation then more fun?
Conservative individuals may think life is about having moral values and raising a good family or being alive to see your great grandchildren. Some simply want to “make it”, whatever that means. A few will consider going to heaven.
If you really think about natural human life, it can be depressing. Why were you born? For what purpose are you here? Are you simply a product of 2 individuals with uncontrolled sexual urge? Does your date of birth have any significance?

"Why, oh why, did I ever leave that womb?
Life's been nothing but trouble and tears,
and what's coming is more of the same". Jeremiah 20:18

There are two important truths to keep in mind whenever you think about your life: it is very temporary and it is empty without Christ.

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes". James 4:14

"We live for seventy years or so (with luck we might make it to eighty),
And what do we have to show for it? Trouble.
Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard". Psalm 90:10

The human life is very short compared to eternity. If you are now 35, you have only 12,000 days left. That is a snap of the finger compared to eternity. The best way to live is to live with the reality that you will live forever and make decisions based on that principle. The expected duration of an assignment impacts planning for it. For example, if you need a car for 3 months, you probably will consider leasing. However, if you need a car for the next 6 years, buying one is preferable.
Many of us live our lives as if there is no life after death. We allow ourselves to be bogged down by issues of no eternal value such as paying bills, gossip, peer pressure, pride, sports, pleasure, financial accomplishments etc. This is the low life approach to living. You cannot understand life by looking around you. Your parents, neighbors, coworkers, friends or relatives may not know the answer to life. Government and human institutions cannot help you either.

"So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ,
Act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides.
Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground,
Absorbed with the things right in front of you.
Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective". Colossians 3:1-2.

The best way to live is to first realize your life is not about you. Your life does not consist of your wants, needs, desire, pleasures, personal goals, ambition, and preferences. Life is not about things. It is not about net-worth.

"Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot". Luke 12:15

"What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?" Mark 8:37

Every time you and I focus on “stuff”, our lives become stuffy. Clogged. Messy. Suffocating. Unfulfilling. Confusing. We are primarily spirit beings and spirits cannot be satisfied with natural things. Hear these words from the Lord Jesus,
"What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax,
Not be so preoccupied with getting
So you can respond to God's giving.
People who don't know God
And the way he works fuss over these things,
But you know both God and how he works.
Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.
You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met". Luke 12:29-31

True life consists of letting go of you and letting God. You are not made to be self-made. You were created to be Jesus-made. Most of our anxieties, worries, sleepless nights, dissatisfaction and confusion come from the fact that we are the boss of our lives. We can’t handle the stress on our own but we are the master. We are no match for the devil, but we insist on being in charge. We have no control of our today but we remain the manager of ourselves. We do not know what will happen tomorrow but we try to do our very limited best. No wonder many of us require pills to sleep, pills to wake up, pills to keep us calm when awake and pills for memory and clear thinking!

"One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one's own self!—can't be my disciple". Luke 14:26.

Everyone has 2 types of life: the physical and the spiritual. Your physical life consists of your human body and soul. Your spiritual life is your real you. You are primarily a spiritual being living in a physical body. You are not an “it”, you are a person. Similarly, your life is a not an “it”. It is a Person. Jesus.

"......For the LORD is your life, ......Deuteronomy 30:20.

"Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life" Col 3:3.

The Lord Jesus is my life. He is my interest, my passion, my goal, my orientation, my success, my future, my educator, my counselor, my teacher, my healer, my pastor, my banker, my insurance agent, my security, my helper, my protector, my employer, my supplier, my moral standard, my owner, my king, my lord, my master, my savior, my everything! He is not part of me. He is all of me and I am His. This is why I can say with Paul,

"Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ.
My ego is no longer central.
It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you
Or have your good opinion,
And I am no longer driven to impress God.
Christ lives in me.
The life you see me living is not "mine,"
But it is lived by faith in the Son of God,
Who loved me and gave himself for me.
I am not going to go back on that". Gal 2:20

You were made for God. You will never find fulfillment without God. The human race was made to seek after God, not material things which will never satisfy the longings of our hearts.

"Starting from scratch,
He made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable,
With plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God,
And not just grope around in the dark but actually find him". Acts 17:26-27

In summary, life is Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. John 14:6. Your life is Jesus. Your body, soul and spirit are his. “You are not your own” 1 Corinthians 6:19. Let us stop stealing our lives from Him. He owns us. We are the sheep of His pasture. Life is meaningless without Christ. Give everything back to Him. Your past, present and future. Who you are and what you have. All are His, not yours. As you do this, you will begin to experience life at a level never before known to you. Let Him own your body. He is the Creator and the best Mechanic of it. Let Him own your mind.

"People with their minds set on you,
You keep completely whole". Isaiah 26:3.

Start your day with the Word of God. Meditate on His Word. Talk to God constantly. If you are born-again, the Holy Spirit lives in you. Maintain dialogue with the Spirit day and night. Stop running from pillar to post; you will never make it on your own. Stop running after things that should be running after you. Stop living a mediocre Christian life. It does not pay. You are neither useful to the devil nor to God.

“Father, today I declare I am yours totally, body, soul and spirit. My past, present and future I give to you. I dedicate all that I am and all that I have to you. Use me, mold me as you will. Take over everything from now and grant me the grace to remain yielded to you all the days of my life in Jesus name. Amen”

What is your worth?

What is your self-worth? Your net-worth is not your self-worth. You are much more more than the sum of your bank accounts, check balances and investments. You are worth much more than all those. To understand your real worth, take a look at what God has done for you.

1. You existence on the earth was preplanned by God before the earth began.

“Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ”. Eph 1:4-5.

You are not an after-thought at the end of the 6^th day of creation. Your coming was predicted and planned.

2. Not only did God plan to create you before the foundation of the earth was laid, He also predetermined your race, nationality, tribe, parents and birthday. You had an appointed time in history to be born to your specific parents in a locality that determines your nationality.

Acts 17:26 (Today's New International Version)

“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands”.

Your race and nationality are no accident.

3. Your conception was a product of divine intervention. God is responsible for the union of egg and sperm that brought you into being. Psalms 139:13-16.

“Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.”

4. After you were born, the Lord Almighty continues to be your pillar of support all the days of your life. He upholds, carries, makes, bears and delivers you.

“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
Who have been upheld by Me from birth,
Who have been carried from the womb:
Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.

Is 46:3-4 (Message).

5. Why are you here?

You are wherever you are today by the will of God. You are alive because He wants you to live. All your past, present and future achievements are because of Him. You talents, gifts, abilities, opportunities, skills, positions, standing and status all come from Him. There is nothing that is yours that did not come from Him.

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11 (KJV)

Whatever your current position in life is, it is posting of the Lord. Just as the army has military posts, so have you been posted to your current location by Him.

“Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this." Esther 4:14b

You are the sum of your personality, abilities, talents, education, temperament, interests, experiences, passions , body, soul, and spirit.

No other human being is exactly like you. You are one-of-a-kind, original masterpiece and only you can be you. There is no copy of you in the universe. You are custom-made. You are as unique as your thumbprint and DNA. See yourself as God sees you.

“We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” Eph 2:10.

In the world to come, I shall not be asked, "Why were you not Moses?" I shall be asked, "Why were you not Sola?”

Violent Prayers

You are made to dominate this world. (Genesis 1:26). It is God’s will for your life. You cannot do it without God. You cannot do it by working with the devil. Dominion is knowing that you can do what God said you can do, have what God said you can have and be what God said you can be regardless to what things looks like, seems like, sounds or appear like.

You were made by God to be like Him. You were created by God to be god to your sphere of influence. We were created in God’s image to rule on this earth in His place. We are God’s ambassadors. We represent His interest, not ours. However, we are not omnipresent, omnipotent nor omniscient.

Each human being was created to have dominion over a particular realm of influence. Our task on earth, aside from knowing and loving God, is to faithfully steward and transform our particular area as if we were God over that realm. Such an area may be your family, your neighborhood, your workplace etc.

Why are we not exercising the control as described in Genesis? Man’s sin.

Adam and Eve committed sin, thus ceding their dominion to Satan who now rules this world. And for that same reason, Satan even ruled us before we came to know Christ. The Scriptures describe the devil as follows:
John 12:31b describes Satan as “the prince of this world.”
Ephesians 2:2 says he is “… the ruler of the kingdom of the air…”
1 John 5:19 says “… the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”

If Satan rules this world, how can you and I who are no longer part of his kingdom survive? This is why prayer becomes an indispensable tool in the life of the believer. Everything that was lost by the first Adam had been regained by the last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore if you are in Christ, you are subject to Satan’s rulership. Rather, you can dominate just as God intended in the beginning. Christ modeled this for us when He walked the face of the earth.

The challenge is that many of us lack understanding. We allow the enemy to run over us because we think we think the only difference between us and our next door neighbor is heaven. The truth is spiritually, you deserve what you tolerate. I cannot dominate for you neither can your pastor, elder, parents or friends. You have to rise up, resist the devil and He will flee from you.

A person that prays has an advantage over the devil because the devil cannot pray. He can dance, sing, entertain, and preach but he cannot pray. He has no God to pray to. Even angels don’t have the privilege of praying. Out of all that God created, only born-again believers have this privilege. The devil knows this and will do all He can to prevent you from developing this essential spiritual discipline.

When you spend time with God in prayer, it is the most useful thing on earth. Therefore, the most important pre-occupation of the devil is to keep you from praying. The man who can really pray has nothing to fear. Prayer makes us benefit from everything that God wants to do in our lives. There can be no fresh anointing without a visit to the school of prayer. It is prayer that converts the 1260 promises of the Bible to performance in your life.

The Bible does not say: “Preach all the time” But pray all the time” 1 Thesalonians 5:17, “pray always…”Ephesians 6:18, “men ought always to pray…” Luke 18:1.

The other grace we advised to engage in all the time is praise. Praise all the time. Heb 13:15. Praise and prayer go together. Praise opens the gates of heaven unto us (Psalms 100:4, 95:2). Praise is prayer-carrier. If you want your prayer to rise up unto God as a sweet incense, pray with thanksgiving. Philippians 4:6.

There are 3 levels of receiving from God. The 1^st level involves receiving because you are on this earth. God sends His rain on the just and the unjust. You don’t need to do anything to receive the rain, sunshine, snow etc. The 2^nd level of receiving is because you are in Christ. Certain blessings come to you automatically because you are in a member of the kingdom of God. The 3^rd level of receiving can only take place if you ask. Most of the things that you need to fulfill your destiny require asking before you receive them. You have not because you ask not. A prayerless Christian is therefore unable to please the Lord because of substandard living.

There are 3 heavens. The 1^st heaven is the sky or firmament. You can see it with your physical eyes by looking up outside your window or house. The 2^nd heaven is the residence of evil spirits. Remember, the Bible talks about spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. This is the headquarters of principalities and powers. Eph 6:12. The 3rd heaven is God’s throne. 2 Corinthians 12:2. Prayer becomes hard sometimes because it has to pass through the first and second heavens, before it gets to the third heaven; and evil forces try their best to prevent it from passing through to the third heaven.

The 2^nd heaven is often a checkpoint of darkness. The devil sets up a checkpoint at the second heaven such that answers to prayers are prevented from reaching us on earth. Daniel 10:12-13. Many good things belonging to the children of God are confiscated at evil checkpoints and stored in satanic warehouses. For example, success, children, money, prosperity, wedding gowns, breakthroughs, health, etc. Everything that comes down to us from God passes through the second heaven. There is a spiritual border there with satanic immigration and custom officers. It is at this point that a household strongman stays.

Daniel prayed for 21 days on a particular issue: he refused to give up until he received the answer. His answer was held up at the 2^nd heaven by the prince of Persia. He just kept praying until after 21 days when the angel of the Lord came to him and said: “Daniel, since the first day, the Lord answered but when I was bringing the reply, the prince of Persia met me and has been fighting with me.” Daniel 10:12-13.

The Bible says that no man enters into the house of a strongman and plunders his goods except he first binds the strongman. The strongman himself does not have any personal goods, what he guides is what he confiscates from people. Matthew 12:29. We must learn to pray like Daniel without giving up on our prayers. We must learn to pray until we have an inward confirmation that our prayer is answered.

Be ready for change. Be ready for the next level. You either change or harden. It is a terrible thing for you to allow the enemy to harden you. The mystery about change is this; No change is made without inconvenience. It is not convenient to shout; it is not convenient to stay awake and hold night vigils. It is not convenient to fast and stay for days without eating or drinking. But beloved, you cannot get a problem solved, at the same level of the awareness of the power that created it.

It is time for violent praying. Be ruthless in acknowledging sin. Be thankful always. Remember prayer is a prayer-carrier. Pray with all your heart. Persist until you get confirmation. Profess victory until you see the manifestation of your prayer.

Why Some Tithers have Financial Problems

Many Christians are not known to be faithful in tithing. From different surveys, only 4-8% of believers tithe. For those few Christians, the Bible promises abundance galore. According to the Scriptures,

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10 NIV).

Why is it then that for some tithers, one cannot see the evidence of any floodgates? In fact, it would appear that there is no difference between these faithful givers and others who don’t. If you are one of these people, take some time out right now and pray as you read this article. Ask the Lord to speak to your heart and change the course of your life.

Giving is one of the most important virtues of life. Many spiritual principles and natural laws are bound to it. While the people of the world can give and be otherwise unfaithful in other parts of their lives, the believers live by a different set of rules. When a tither disobeys God in other aspects of his life, he shuts off the windows of heaven. The Lord Jesus explains this principle as follows:

"This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God (Matthew 5:23-24 Message).

Relationships affect the effectiveness of your giving. When you neglect to relate to others according to Godly principles, you negate the impact of your tithes and God’s response to your giving.

Abraham was a tither (Hebrews 7:1-2). He was also very careful with his relationships. When there was a potential for conflict between him and his cousin, Lot, he handled it in a way that showed He had a relationship with God which overshadowed all other relationships. He allowed Lot to choose before him because he was confident His God will bless him regardless of what land he was left with. A tither gives God 10 percent because he believes he will do better with a blessed 90% of income than 100% without God’s blessing. Tithing says, “I trust the Lord to meet my need with less because he is God”. Such an attitude must permeate every relationship of a tither and indeed everything he does.

Isaac had the same attitude. He knew one or two things about sowing and reaping. In a time of famine, he sowed and reaped 100% in one year (Genesis 26:12). How did he handle enemies? The first 2 wells he dug were disputed even though they belonged to his father, Abraham (Genesis 26:19-23). He simply moved on until he dug a well that was not contested. The same night the Lord appeared to him at night to renew his covenant with him. He threw a party for the same people who expelled him from their land. The Bible says we should do nothing out of strife (Philippians 2:3). How you handle your relationships affects the acceptance of your giving.

Giving is a spiritual activity. When it comes to giving, the hand is as important as the heart. It is only effective when you have given yourself to the Lord first. Offering gifts to God without offering yourself is unacceptable to Him. It is Cain-like. This principle was demonstrated by the Macedonians Christians:

“…….What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives” (2 Corinthians 8:5-6 Message).

When we tithe out of a sense of duty, compulsion, or any other purpose rather than out of our relationship with God, we miss the point and our giving does not generate the divine response promised in Malachi 3:10. As a tither, commit yourself to wholesome relationships. Honor the Lord in the way you relate to others (spouse, children, neighbors, coworkers, business partners etc), and the windows of heaven shall remain open to you in Jesus name.

The Power of Night Prayers

Introduction

How many of you have walked on a dry seabed with huge waves of water on either side?

How many of you have eaten drop-from-heaven sandwich without making or paying for it?

How many of you have experienced 48 hours of continuous daylight? Joshua 10:13. All these extraordinary things took place at night.

Bad things happen at night. Demonic activities are higher during the night compared to during the day. It is while we are sleeping (inactive) that the enemy attacks us.

“But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way”. Matthew 13:25

Terrifying things tend to happen at night. (Psalm 91:5). Witches commonly fly by night.

Good things also happen at night. Manna fell on the camp of Israel at night. Numbers 11:9.
The children of Israel woke up to their daily heavenly-prepared food. Our Lord Jesus walked on the sea at night. Matthew 14:25:
“During the fourth watch (3-6am) of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake”.

Deliverance at night

Deliverance was a common occurrence at night. Our Lord Jesus was delivered from Herod’s mass killing by being taking to Egypt at night. Matthew 2:14. The Passover took place at night. Exodus 12:6-8. The Israelites were delivered from Egypt at night. Exodus 12:12. The

Red sea became a walkway at night. Exodus 14:21. The apostles were delivered from prison at night. Acts 5:17-19

Warfare at night

In Genesis 14:14-15, Abram rescued Lot and his family at night. 185,000 Assyrians were killed by the angel of the Lord at night. 2 Kings 19:35

God communicates a lot at night

He spoke to Abimelech, Abraham, Laban, Jacob, Gideon, and Balaam at night. Genesis 20:3, 26:24, 31:24, 46:2, Judges 7:9, Numbers 22:20.

The Lord also appeared frequently to His people at night. He appeared to Solomon, Samuel and Nathan at night. 2 Chronicles 7:11-13, 1 Samuel 3:2-4, 15:16, 2 Samuel 7:3-5. He also appears to Paul in a vision on 2 occasions. Acts 18:9, 23:11. In Acts 27:23, an angel of the God appeared to Paul to reassure him.

The Lord gives us spiritual songs come at night. Job 35:10, Psalm 42:8

Visions also occur several times at night in the Scriptures. Daniel had several night visions. Daniel 2:19, 7:2. Paul also saw a vision of night in Acts 16:9.

Prayer and praises

The first gospel concert took place at night in a prison cell when Paul and Silas sang praises to the hearing of other prisoner Acts 16:25. David said, “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments”. Psalm 119:62. The Lord Himself kept a vigil the night He delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt. Exodus 12:42

Night ministration and meditation happened at night. Servants of God stood by night to minister to Him. Psalm 134:1-2. Night meditation was mentioned in the Bible on different occasions. Psalm 16:7, Psalm 63:6 (NLT), Psalm 119:148, Psalms 1:2, and Joshua 1:8.

A night spent with the Lord in prayers can change the course of the following day and destiny. Before the Lord Jesus chose His disciples, He spent all night in prayers. Luke 6:12-13.

“Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night”. 1 Thessalonians 5:6-7

Spiritual activities are at their maximum at night. Therefore be eager to pray at night. If most of the missiles directed against your life take place at night, your warfare should take place at the same time for maximum effectiveness.

Sleep expecting the Lord to speak to you in dreams and visions as well as when you wake up.

Sacrifice of Praise

“Most Americans tend to worship their work, to work at their play and to play at their worship”. Warren Wirsbe.

What is sacrifice? To sacrifice means to “surrender”, “give-up”, “to offer” something of value that we would rather hold on to. The reason it is called a "sacrifice of praise" is because we often have to give up our convenience and feeling. Abraham was the first individual in the Bible to mention the word “worship” in Genesis 22:5. Abraham learned about worship when God not only stopped giving TO him, but instead required something OF him. He spoke about worship when he was on the way to offer Isaac. From the very beginning, we learn that worship is often sacrificial. It is not something we do only when it is convenient.

Michael J Fox has had Parkinson’s disease for about 10 years, and its getting progressively worse. He said in his book that "if you made a deal with God that he would take away my Parkinson’s disease and cancel out the last ten years of my life, I would tell you to take a hike. My life is so good now. I’m helping a lot of people cope with the stigma of this disease. And it makes me appreciate life as a precious gift."

Job is another example of sacrificial praise. He was wealthy and healthy. Within a short time, he lost all his 10 children, his possessions and his health. Rather than curse God and die as suggested by his wife, he said:

“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised" Job 1:20-21.

How do you lose everything and still worship? That is the sacrifice of praise.

Frank Foglio’s daughter was injured in a car accident. Her brain was severely damaged, and her condition grew steadily worse. Finally she had to be placed in institution for the mentally ill. 7 years after the accident, things had not improved. In fact his daughter had once clawed her way out of a straitjacket and tried to hang herself with a bed sheet.
The absolute hopelessness of the situation had started to take its toll on Frank, and his faith started to waver. On one very difficult journey to the institution, Frank was arguing with God."How could You be a God of love? I wouldn’t permit such a thing to happen to my daughter if I had the power to prevent it. You could heal her. But You won’t”. Frank felt his anger rising against God. "Praise Me," a Voice said to him. "What for?" Frank replied. Praise Me that your daughter is where she is. “Never!" he spit out. "I would rather die than do that" The Voice said again, "Thank Me that your daughter is exactly where she is," Frank said, "God, I couldn’t praise You if I tried. And I’m not going to try, because I don’t believe I should" As Frank continued toward the mental home, the Holy Spirit worked in his heart, and he felt his attitude begin to soften. A little further along, he confessed, "I would praise You, but You would have to help me."

After arriving at the institution. Frank went through the procedures to get clearance to get into the most restricted part of one of the buildings. Sometimes, he wondered why he continued to come. His daughter didn’t recognize him. Finally, Frank was in the last waiting room, the one that separated him from the ward. One steel door remained to be opened. Standing before it, Frank Foglio heard the calm and firm voice of God one more time: “Thank Me that your daughter is exactly where she is." Frank finally whispered his surrender: "Okay, God. I thank you that my daughter is where she is. I know that you love her more than I do." At that moment a vaguely familiar voice cried out, "I want my daddy; I want my daddy” The attendant opened the door, and Frank raced to his daughter’s compartment. Clothed in her right mind, she threw out her arms and embraced her father. Nurses, attendants, and guards gathered around in disbelief and joy. Daughter was able to come home that day, after 7 years.

We learn from the 3 Hebrew men that worship is great when you serve a God who can deliver you from any circumstance no matter how difficult. But what will you do if He doesn’t? Their attitude to worship was unchanged despite Nebuchadnezzar’s threat of capital punishment:

“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3:16-18 NIV.

Sacrifice of praise involves all of you. It involves your spirit, soul and body (Rom 12:1, Ps. 51:17).

The sacrifice of praise = sacrifice of our spirit + soul + body (Heb 13:15.)

There is no such thing as partial sacrifice. In the Old Testament, the animal for sacrifice paid for it with its life. It was a total sacrifice. However, the animal could only be offered once because it was dead. The Lord Jesus modeled for us an example of a living sacrifice. He died once like the Old Testament lamb but He rose from the dead to become a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice can be offered repeatedly as long as there is life. A living sacrifice should be useful to God throughout his/her life. You life and mine can be continually offered unto God as a living sacrifice until we see Him face to face. When we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, our usefulness is just beginning.

How does anyone go through the ups and downs of life and still give thanks to the Lord always? 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:19-20, Colossians 3:16-17. It is impossible to do so except you learn to praise him during the “valley” days when the fig tree does not blossom. You praise Him when every fiber of your being is against worship. The thirty years of war in Germany was possibly the worst war in the history of mankind in terms of the sheer number of deaths. Historians estimate that the population of central Europe dropped from 21 to 13.5 million during the war. Toward the end of the war in 1636 there was a pastor whose name was Martin Rinkert. In a single year, this pastor buried 5,000 people because he was the only pastor left in his city. He averaged 15 funerals a day, but sometimes did as many as 50.
During that time he wrote one of the best loved hymns.

Now thank we all our God,

With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,

In Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms

Has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,

And still is ours today.

Bob Reccord wrote, “I suffered a severe cervical spinal injury. The only way I could relieve the pain was to use a strong, prescribed narcotic and to lie on bags of ice. Sleep, came only by sitting in a reclining chair. Approximately 48 hours from the onset of the injury, doctors estimated that I lost about 80 percent of the strength in my left arm. Three fingers on my left hand totally lost feeling. Even the slightest movements would send pain waves down my left side and shoulder. I was required to wear a neck brace 24 hours a day for five weeks.

About halfway through that experience, I found myself sitting on the screened-in porch behind our home. The day was cold and blustery, but I was committed to being outside, just for a change of scenery. Suddenly a bird landed on the railing and began to sing. On that cold, rainy day, I couldn’t believe any creature had a reason to sing. I wanted to shoot that bird! But he continued to warble, and I had no choice but to listen. The next day found me on the porch again, but this time the atmosphere was bright, sunny, and warm. As I sat, being tempted to feel sorry for myself, suddenly the same bird returned. And he was singing again! Where was that shotgun?

Then an amazing truth hit me head on: the bird sang in the cold rain as well as the sunny warmth. His song was not altered by outward circumstances, but it was held constant by an internal condition”

The story of Paul & Silas is often told with the emphasis on miraculous deliverance. It becomes more impressive when you read that they were severely beaten before being thrown into jail in shackles. What led to the beating? They delivered a girl from demons.

“When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities……..The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. Acts 16:19-24.

Is it not remarkable that after an ordeal such as this, Paul and Silas will keep awake at midnight offering a sacrifice of praise? This is one of the best examples of a living sacrifice. May you be unto God a living sacrifice for the rest of your life in Jesus name.

ORIKI OLORUN (in Yoruba)

Oba tin be ki bebe o to maa be
Baba alai ni baba, oko okpo
Oba tinshi ilekun teni kan oleti,

Oba tin ti ilekun teni kan ole shi
Ogbo ti kii-ti
Omini mini tin mi ile aye
Okunrin ogun…Erin lakatabu
Ogbamu gbamu oju orun oshe gbamu
Kiniun eyaa Judah, ekun oko Faraoh

Gbongbo idile Jesse
Eleyinju ina,
Inajojo, Eru Jojo
Ashoro kolu bii ogiri gbigbe
Oba tin san lawo sanma ti awon alaimokan npe ni sango
Abiyamo lojo ija, abiyamo lojo ishoro
Kabiesi ti awon agba agba merin le logun foribale fun, ti won ke mimo, mimo, mimo
Eleyinjuana oba tio ngba okan irora lowo ibanuje
Alamo tin mo ori eda
Atori ina tina satani sare
Baba mimo, Omo mimo, Emi mimo
Oba to ngbe nu wundia shola, oro gbe inu omo eniyan foun
Ariiro ala! Oba to gbe iku mi nii isegun,

Obiriikiti oba to kpa oko iku da laye
Eleti gbaroye eda
Arewa ti n be lorun, oba waa, oba woo, oba wawa wowo
Pari pari ola

Alfa ati Omiga
Ibere ati Opin
Ale we le se
Ale se le wi
Arugbo ojo
A yin yin tan Eledumare.
Oba adeda Aseda
Ameda, Aweda
Oba tinje emi ni emi ni
Oba tinje emi ni mase beru
Oba mimo, tin wo mimo
Ti'nso mimo, tinje mimo
O ranmo nise faya ti
Awiiro alaafia
Adagba matepa ojo
Adagba ma paro oye
Oba nla tinf'oba je
Oba ti kii ku
Oba to to to bi aro
Eledumare, Eledumare
Kabio masi, Kabi yi osi

Oda da, to da gbogbo aye, ologo didan
O gbi gba ti ngba alai lara
Oka soso adaba ti nmi igbo kiji kiji
Omi mo to mo iye awa eda to da
Egbo lehin eni ada loro

A ko ma ti ika lehin
Oba nla ti nfi ola wo ni bi aso
Otiti nla ato fi ara ti bi oke
Ounje nla ato fi bori ibi
Baba mi, oro nla ojo nla tobori Ogbele
Oba nti je emi ni lojo gbogbo
Eru Jeje ti nbe leti okun pupa
Oju kan nti wo igba aye
Olorun ajulo, atobiju iba re
Aye ka o won ko ri e ka
Aye wa o titi wo ko ri o
Won ba e nibi toju gbogbo aye lo
Eni ti o se ohun ti o tobi, ti a ko le se awari
Ohun iyanu laini iye
Oba aiku airi
Orisun ogbon Olubukun julo
Ologo julo iba re
Olorun ti ki rin irin ajo
Okan naa loni, okan naa lana, oba titi ayeraye
Oyigiyigi
-Atobiju oba iyanu
-Ologo mimo julo.
-Oba aseyi owu
-Oba awimayehun,asoro ma tase
--Oba to lohun gbogbo,to si le sohun gbogbo
Okan loba, ijoye le kpe ogbon
olorun oba alagbara
olorun oba, okiki imole
gbirin leyin asododo
irawo owuro, oko maria
Oba mi okiki okaka, okaka okiki
ti n ki omo re leyin, kiki okiki
kiki imole, kiki ogo
oba mi oba adun bii oyin
Alagbara ninu awon orun
Oba ti o ti wa ki aiye to wa
Oba ti o wa, nigba ti aiye ko si mo

Kabiyesi Oba Alagbara giga
Oba awon oba,
Olorun awon Olorun

Akoda aye
Aseda Orun
Awamaridi
Apata Ayeraye,
Arugbo Ojo
Atobiju,
Atofarati bi oke,
Ato ba jaiye,
Alade Alafia,
Alade Wura,
Awole iro tipiletipile,
Alagbada Ina,
Alawo tele oorun,
Awogba arun magbeje,
Abeti lu kara bi ajere,
Atayero bi agogo,
Alagbede ode orun,
Arinu rode,
Olumoran okan,

Adake dajo
Akiri sore,
Afunnima se regun,
Apanla to sole ayero,
Alewi lese, Alese lewi,
Akiikitan, Ayiiyintan, Apeepetan,
Awimayehun,
Adimula,
Adimule,
Adesina ti sina aye f’eda
A joba mati,

Adagba ma tepa ojo
Adagba ma paro oye
A ja segun

Abiyamo lojo ija
Alatunse
Alaabo
A ji dara
A gbomo lowo iku
A ji pa ojo iku da
Aji bori oso
Ayipinu Esu pada
Ate rere kari aye
Agbeni ma deyin
Olusegun,
Alabaro
Aduro gbonin gboin leyin asotito
Olu Orun tinje Emi ni
Oluwa awon Oluwa
Olorun Imole
Oloore Ofe
Oga Ogo
Obangiji
Oluso agutan eni tire
Olowo gbogboro tiiyo omo re lofin
Olutunu (Comforter)
Olugbeja (Defender)
Oludande (Deliverer)
Olupamo (Protector)
Olukoni (Teacher)
Olupese (Provider)
Olubunkun (Benefactor)
Eru jeje leti okun pupa
Ako ma tika lehin
Ijinle ife
Ipin lese ohun gbogbo
Oba iyanu (AWESOME GOD)
Irawo Owuro
Jehovah Jireh
Jehovah Nissi
Jehovah Shalom
Jehovah Shama
Jehovah Rapha
Jehovah El Shaddai
Olorun Meshaki, Olorun Sederaki ati Abednego
Olorun Arahamu, Isaac ati Jacobu
Oba to la oju afoju

Oba to nji oku dide
Oba to po nipa ati agbara
Olorun owu (JEALOUS GOD)
Oba to pa kiniun lenu mo fun Daniel
Oba to ta oju orun bora bi aso
Oba to fi gbogbo agbaye se apoti itise re
Oba tin la ono nibi ti ona kosi
Oba to mu riri jade ninu airi
Oba Ibere ati opin ohun gbogbo
Oba ti ngbe niiga loju aninilara
Oba Aiku
Oba Airi
Oba a soro ma ye

Oba ti ko ni ibere ti ko si lopin
Kaabiyesi ooooooo

Mimo! Mimo!! Mimo!!!

Oba awon oba

Names of God

Adonia-Jehova--the Lord our sovereign

El-Elyon--The Lord most high

El-Olam--The everlasting God

El-Shaddai--The God Who is sufficient for the needs of His people

Jehova-Elohim—the eternal creator

Jehova-Jireh—The Lord our provider

Jehova-Nissi—The Lord our banner

Jehova-Ropheka—The Lord our healer

Jehovah-Shalom—The Lord our peace

Jehova-Tsidekenu—the Lord our Righteousness

Jehova-Mekaddishkem—The Lord our sanctifier

Jehova-Saboath—The Lord of hosts

Jehovah- Shammah—the Lord is present

Jehova-Rohi—The Lord our shepherd

Jehova-Hoseena- The Lord our Maker

Jhova-Eloheenu—the Lord our God

A branch (Jesus)

A chief cornerstone (Jesus)

A consuming fire

A covert from the tempest

A crown of glory

A diadem of beauty

A father to Israel

A God that hidest himself

A governor

A great high priest (Jesus)

A holy God

A jealous God

A just God and Savior

A hiding place for the wind

A high priest of good things to come

A high priest over the house of God

A judge of the widows

A light to lighten the Gentiles

A living stone (Jesus)

· Advocate - 1 John 2:1

· Almighty - Revelation 1:8

· Alpha - Revelation 1:8

· Amen - Revelation 3:14

· Angel of the Lord - Genesis 16:7

· Anointed One - Psalm 2:2

· Apostle - Hebrews 3:1

• Author and Perfecter of our Faith - Hebrews 12:2
• Beginning - Revelation 21:6
• Bishop of Souls - 1 Peter 2:25
• Branch - Zechariah 3:8
• Bread of Life - John 6:35,48
• Bridegroom - Matthew 9:15
• Carpenter - Mark 6:3
• Chief Shepherd - 1 Peter 5:4
• The Christ - Matthew 1:16
• Comforter - Jeremiah 8:18
• Consolation of Israel - Luke 2:25
• Cornerstone - Ephesians 2:20
• Dayspring - Luke 1:78
• Day Star - 2 Peter 1:19
• Deliverer - Romans 11:26
• Desire of Nations - Haggai 2:7
• Emmanuel - Matthew 1:23
• End - Revelation 21:6
• Everlasting Father - Isaiah 9:6
• Faithful and True Witness - Revelation 3:14
• First Fruits - 1 Corinthians 15:23
• Foundation - Isaiah 28:16
• Fountain - Zechariah 13:1
• Friend of Sinners - Matthew 11:19
• Gate for the Sheep - John 10:7
• Gift of God - 2 Corinthians 9:15
• God - John 1:1
• Glory of God - Isaiah 60:1
• Good Shepherd - John 10:11
• Governor - Matthew 2:6
• Great Shepherd - Hebrews 13:20
• Guide - Psalm 48:14
• Head of the Church - Colossians 1:18
• High Priest - Hebrews 3:1
• Holy One of Israel - Isaiah 41:14
• Horn of Salvation - Luke 1:69
• I Am - Exodus 3:14
• Jehovah - Psalm 83:18
• Jesus - Matthew 1:21
• King of Israel - Matthew 27:42
• King of Kings - 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16
• Lamb of God - John 1:29
• Last Adam - 1 Corinthians 15:45
• Life - John 11:25
• Light of the World - John 8:12; John 9:5
• Lion of the Tribe of Judah - Revelation 5:5
• Lord of Lords - 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16
• Master - Matthew 23:8
• Mediator - 1 Timothy 2:5
• Messiah - John 1:41
• Mighty God - Isaiah 9:6
• Morning Star - Revelation 22:16
• Nazarene - Matthew 2:23
• Omega - Revelation 1:8
• Passover Lamb - 1 Corinthians 5:7
• Physician - Matthew 9:12
• Potentate - 1 Timothy 6:15
• Priest - Hebrews 4:15
• Prince of Peace - Isaiah 9:6
• Prophet - Acts 3:22
• Propitiation - I John 2:2
• Purifier - Malachi 3:3
• Rabbi - John 1:49
• Ransom - 1 Timothy 2:6
• Redeemer - Isaiah 41:14
• Refiner - Malachi 3:2
• Refuge - Isaiah 25:4
• Resurrection - John 11:25
• Righteousness - Jeremiah 23:6
• Rock - Deuteronomy 32:4
• Root of David - Revelation 22:16
• Ruler of God's Creation - Revelation 3:14
• Sacrifice - Ephesians 5:2
• Savior - 2 Samuel 22:47; Luke 1:47
• Second Adam - 1 Corinthians 15:47
• Seed of Abraham - Galatians 3:16
• Seed of David - 2 Timothy 2:8
• Seed of the Woman - Genesis 3:15
• Servant - Isaiah 42:1
• Shepherd - 1 Peter 2:25
• Shiloh - Genesis 49:10
• Son of David - Matthew 15:22
• Son of God - Luke 1:35
• Son of Man - Matthew 18:11
• Son of Mary - Mark 6:3
• Son of the Most High - Luke 1:32
• Stone - Isaiah 28:16
• Sun of Righteousness - Malachi 4:2
• Teacher - Matthew 26:18
• Truth - John 14:6
• Way - John 14:6
• Wonderful Counselor - Isaiah 9:6
• Word - John 1:1
• Vine - John 15:1