Fred Hammond & RFC - You Are the Living Word

The Seventh Vessel

John 2: 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine…6 And there were set there six water pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

This story speaks to me about God’s divinity in comparison to our own ability. You see, there were six earthen vessels waiting for Jesus, and He commanded that those six vessels be filled to the brim. The number six represents man or flesh, and in this scripture I see this number six as my own ability. We are earthen vessels, and we do not come into this world empty, God fills us up with ability, potential, talents and so on, we even inherit some traits from our parents. Either way, we are filled to the brim by God, just like the six water pots were. Then comes the seventh vessel, nothing like the six earthly vessels, this one isn’t just filled with potential, ability or talent (all raw materials!), it is filled with the finished work, and the raw material has already been processed. It is filled with life changing power, filled to the brim with the Spirit of the living God.

In this story, Jesus was that seventh vessel, When He got to the six water pots, they were there ready, waiting to be used to glorify God and touch the hearts of many and what did this seventh vessel do? He poured Himself out into those six water pots, and turned their water into wine. He turned their potential into accomplishment, the water they had was the raw material for greatness, and when Jesus touched the water in the pots, the water became wine. The wine glorified God and blessed the party crowd. After His touch, their greatness was seen by all.

You see, it is not until Jesus touches us and fills us up with the Holy Spirit that we can become who He created us to be. Many of us measure our lives based on our ability and sometimes we really have achieved a lot, but do you know what? Even those great achievements are nothing compared to what you can achieve if you are filled and led by the Holy Spirit, if you allow Jesus to pour Himself into you. Those water ports could have been there to give water to the thirsty; they could have remained filled with just water, but why have just water when you can have sweet wine?
Where our own ability ends, this is where God’s divinity begins, because we surrender to God and say you know what, I can’t possibly do it without you, I have done the best that I can do, please intervene, and then His divinity kicks in, and you wonder why you didn’t surrender much sooner.
This is truly what I call the supernatural; where our own ability is lost in God’s divinity and it becomes apparent to those around you and the whole world that you couldn’t have achieved this without God’s divine intervention.

I believe that this story wasn’t just written in the bible to give an account of Jesus’ first miracle, I believe it was recorded as the first miracle for a reason, and I strongly believe that it was to make us aware that Jesus is the life and soul of the party, it all starts and ends with Him, if you surrender to Him first, He will bring such joy into your life (sweet wine) and people will be touched by that joy. When the master of the ceremony drank the wine, even though he did not know where it came from, he was so impressed that he called the bridegroom to praise Him. Do you see that? Let me bring it home to you; Matthew 5: 16 (KJV) "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven". The people at the party including the master of the ceremony (Men) enjoyed the wine (good works) and they praised the bridegroom (glorified the father).

Let’s face it; we can achieve nothing except Christ does it through us and with us.

Be all that He has called you to be, surrender to Him today and let Him pour His Spirit into you, so you can pour into others and glorify His name.

(Written by Yewande Erinle 2009© All rights reserved.)

Ask - No tantrums!

Mat 7:7 – Ask and it shall be given you... Isa 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear (KJV).

Looking at these two scriptures, they seem so contradictory (though they are not, as God’s word isn’t confusing or contradictory at all).

Isaiah 65:24 implies that God knows you are going to call on Him before you do, so He answers even before you call and He is able to give you an answer to your request before you’ve finished asking. So if this is the case, why tell us to ask at all? He says we must ask to receive in Matthew 7:7. Also, Philippians 4:6 (KJV) says ‘Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. I ask again, why would He tell us to make our requests known to Him as if He already knows? We know that God is the omniscient God (the all knowing God), so why make us ask Him for something He already knows you need or want.

Need and/or want: those two words are very important when it comes to prayer, you see, God already said He would provide all our needs according to His riches in glory. What you want may not be what you need, God determines what you need. For example; if you’re a parent, you determine what your child needs (and you provide it before they even know they need it) until he or she gets to a certain age, the age of maturity, where they are able to determine their needs for themselves. At this age, hopefully, they know the difference between a need and a want.

A want is a desire for something and that something may or may not add any value to our lives. A need on the other hand definitely adds value, so you don’t need to ask God for food, He knows you need it, and He says He feeds the birds of the air and since you mean much more to Him than the birds of the air, He will definitely feed, clothe and protect you. These are basic needs in life and God will not deny any of His children those needs (remember that the enemy can steal the provisions if you let Him, but we won’t go there today).

When it comes to wants or desires that’s a different matter. So in this case, God tells you to ask Him. This is not because He doesn’t know your desires, but He wants you to learn to desire what He desires. He wants to see your level of maturity, and He wants you to see it for yourself too. If you truly are a mature son or daughter, you will know the difference between a need and a desire or want, and you will ask appropriately.

Come with me to Gethsemane, let’s hear Jesus’ prayer again; Matthew 26: 39 - And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
It was Jesus’ desire for the cup to pass, but He was willing to submit Himself unto God, to place His own will/desire under His father’s will/desire, to allow His father’s will to consume His own will. Just to show you that this was a true battle between the spirit and the flesh, see what He says to His disciples in vs 41 Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. But guess what? The spirit overcame, see vs 42 - He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, "O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." Here he has fully accepted that His father’s will must be done, that His own desires are irrelevant because the root of those desires is the flesh, self, and He has kept this under, He denied the desires of His flesh.

Selflessness comes with maturity; mature people don’t throw tantrums, only children do. God will give you the power to pray effectively when you are able to prove that you are selfless in prayer and that you do not allow your own desire to interfere with your prayers and with the will of God for your life, when your motives are righteous. Jesus showed that He was ready to do His father’s will, He wasn’t afraid to show that He had His own desires, but He knew that those were not real. The real thing was God’s will, because it is God’s word, and God’s word will never ever pass away. Everything will pass away, but His word will remain and because God had spoken that Jesus will die, Jesus had to die, both His flesh and His will, this is why that cup could not pass as Jesus desired. Moreover, His desire for His father’s will weighed more on His heart than His own will. That is true love and relationship.

We need to get to a place where we are able to demonstrate selflessness to God, not to people, but to God. This is where real power lies, this means that you have given the Holy Spirit full control, because it is the Holy Spirit that knows the heart of God and He places God’s desires in your heart.

So next time you ask God for a fancy new house or car or anything else you think is very important to you, and He doesn’t give it to you, don’t throw tantrums, just do the following;

1. Thank God for the ability and opportunity to ask freely
2. Thank Him for providing your needs according to His riches in glory
3. Cover your provisions with the blood of Jesus
4. Ask the Holy Spirit whether what you are asking for is God’s desire or your own (remembering that your needs have been provided)
5. If it is your own desire, and it is not in line with God’s desire, repent and ask God for His desire instead.
6. Ask the Lord to help you die to self daily so you can be like Jesus
The closer you are to God, the more you know Him, after a while you will not need to ask Him what He desires, you’ll know, just as Moses knew the heart of God.

So feel free to ask, but be ready to listen to and accept the answer you’ll get.
(Written by Yewande Erinle 2009 © All rights reserved.)

The Real You!

When God looks at you, He sees what He created you to be. He does not see your weaknesses or short comings; instead, He sees His original blue print of you, His end product, His perfect will.
Take father Abraham for instance, he was named Abram by his parents, but God always saw Him as Abraham. Abram means ‘High father’ which is great, his parents definitely got that right, because he was a great man of God, a priest and a prophet, definitely a high father, but in Genesis 17:5, God confirmed his name and his destiny by calling him Abraham and asking him not to answer to the name Abram anymore. You see, his destiny was tied to his name in that his name confirmed his destiny.
God told Abram that he will be the father of many nations while Abram was childless at a ripe old age. You see God wanted Abram to be confronted with his destiny every moment of his life, so that he could work towards achieving it. Write the vision and make it plain! Sometimes the best way to remember who you are and what you are about is by your name. God did not want Abram to see himself as just the high father anymore, no! He was created to be more than that, he was created to be the father of many nations, but how was this going to happen if he didn’t even have a child of his own?
God had to deal with Abraham’s mind. If Abraham heard the prophecy regularly enough, he would believe it, he would become it and therefore fulfill his destiny. God didn’t change Abraham’s name, the name Abraham was not an afterthought for God, God always knew Abram as Abraham, even when Abraham didn’t know it, God gave him his new name at the appropriate time, at His own desired time. God had to prepare Abraham’s mind for his destiny. Each time Abraham heard his name, he heard the prophecy all over again, he saw in his mind’s eye the day he fell on his face before the Almighty God, the day God re-confirmed His covenant with him. It’s interesting that God chose to do this after Abram tried to help God by sleeping with his maid for a child (Sarai’s advice of course, see Genesis 16). You see if you don’t know who you are and what you were created for, the world will give you a name of its choice and assign another destiny to you. Sarai gave Abram an advice, her own take on things, she told Abram how she thought things would come to be and Abram weakened because he forgot who he was, he failed to tell his wife what God had shown him. He failed to let her know who he really was, he answered to the wrong name. God saw that Abram was giving up, it seemed he had forgotten who he was, and God wanted him to have a constant reminder of his destiny, so God called him exactly who he ought to be. This is God that calls things that are not as though they are and this is because they are, but we are just not aware of it. The seen is created from the unseen, there has to be the unseen (the spiritual) first, before the seen (physical), and this was a classic example.
The Lord said to Abram at the beginning of Genesis 17, ‘Walk before me and be perfect’. It was done, Abram was perfect in God’s eyes, Abram then, was not childless before God, he was the father of many nations, and the number of his children was like the number of the stars in the heavens. In chapter 15 of the book of Genesis, God gave Abram a mental picture, He took Abram out into the night and told him to look at the stars, and He compared it to the number of children Abram would have, innumerable! But by chapter 16, Abram was losing this mental picture (image), it wasn’t that clear in his mind anymore, so in chapter 17, God called him by his real name, Abraham – the father of many nations.
When anyone called the name Abraham, they would be prophesying and re-confirming destiny because life and death are in the power of the tongue (proverbs 18:21) and whenever Abraham heard his name and answered to it, he was agreeing with them (the person (s) who called him), as in Matthew 18:19, ‘Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven’. This way, God ensured that His will was done on earth as it was in heaven.
Let’s look at Simon Peter’s case in John 1:42, Jesus told Simon that he would be called Cephas, which means rock. This is what God saw Peter as, this was Peter’s destiny, to be the rock upon which God would build His church (Matthew 16:18). Jesus prepared Peter for this, by calling him the ‘rock’ everyday, till it came to pass.
My question to you now is, Do you know the real you? Do you know what name God calls you? Cause if you don’t, it’s time to find out and work with Him to fulfill your divine destiny. Go on; let His will be done in your life, as it is in heaven. Find out the real you today, your name matters...
(Written by Yewande Erinle © 2009 All rights reserved.)

When He Speaks

Psalm 29: 3 (KJV) the voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters 4 the voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty 5 the voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon 6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young Unicorn. 7 The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. 8 The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory...

Have you ever been to a party where you were unfortunate enough to sit beside very massive and powerful loudspeakers? The noise is so loud that it causes your ears to ache, and you go home with a loud ringing in your ears and you probably end up temporarily deaf.

Well, God’s voice is similar to that except you can’t begin to imagine how loud it can be (spiritually) and the effects of it. It’s amazing, how that still small voice can be so loud. Look at the scripture above;

When God speaks to the waters, it’s like thunder upon the waters and it causes sound waves to move through the waters leading to a ripple effect (that’s a bit of physics for you from the omniscient God right there).

His voice is so powerful that it breaks the cedars of Lebanon. The cedar tree is a very strong tree, it’s roots are described as tenacious, it was the glory of Lebanon, this is what king Solomon used to build the pillars in God’s temple, and if you remember, inscribed on two of the pillars were Jachin (establish) and Boaz (meaning strength) respectively. The cedar tree was established in strength, and the voice of the Lord caused it to break and skip like a calf. Wow!

When God speaks, flames of fire are divided and the wilderness shakes. When you are in the midst of fire, all you need is God’s voice, and the fire is divided, making a way for you. You are able to walk out of that fire as if you had been sitting in a well air conditioned room, no burns. Likewise, when you are in a wilderness situation and you can’t see the wood for the trees, God’s voice will shake that situation, causing trees and bushes to fall, your vision becomes clear, you can see for miles and miles, and a path is created for you to lead you out of such a situation.

When God speaks, a female deer that isn’t even pregnant will give birth, can you imagine that? God’s voice causes the barren to give birth; it impregnates those that have no vision and causes them to bring forth beautiful ideas that will initiate their breakthroughs. His voice brings order where there is chaos, for example; barrenness is not of God, this is out of order because God asked us to multiply, so when God speaks to such a situation, His voice gets to the root of the barenness and the womb is restored to order. Remember, when God spoke in the very beginning (Genesis), the earth that was void and covered in darkness heard His voice and all of a sudden there was light. He spoke everything into being and into order.

What can I say? Except that you need God to speak to that hopeless situation and it will become hopeful. Troublesome situations will cease to exist at the voice of our Almighty Father.

Be still, and let your Daddy speak through you to that situation; see Jeremiah 22: 29 (KJV) O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. Command that situation to hear the voice and word of the Lord today.

(Written by Yewande Erinle 2009© All rights reserved.)

A Word To My Child

Life is going to knock you down sometimes,

That's okay.

The problem is when you allow life to keep you down,

Thats not okay.

Just remember that everything is going to be okay,

You are not going to be down for long.

You have gone too far from where you started from -

To allow life to knock you back,

Especially now that you know the Lord God

Who knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb,

Who knows your end from your beginning.

So, I encourage you treasured brothers and sisters.

FINISH STRONG!

(Written by Afolabi Ajumobi 2008 © All rights reserved.)

The Grace

2 Corinthians 13:14 - The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen (KJV).

This is a very popular scripture, even unbelievers know this one. We say it every day, most of the time without thinking. Why did Apostle Paul sign off his letter to the Corinthians with this prayer, what does it really mean?


Well, let’s dissect this scripture.


The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; now this isn’t just any statement, the apostle was very specific, after all, he could have said the love of Jesus be with you, or Jesus be with you, but he said the grace. So what is so special about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ? You see, the Greek word for grace is charis, which means divine influence upon the heart. Luke 2:40 says, "and the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him", this means that it was the grace of God that enabled Jesus to die on the cross for us, it was this grace that caused him not to falter knowing what horrible death He would die. John 1:14 also says, "and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." The grace caused Jesus to fulfill divine destiny, that grace led Jesus to the cross of Calvary and because of it we shall be saved, see Acts 15:11 "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." That same grace that was made available for Jesus Christ through His life’s journey, is available for you and I today throughout our life’s journey. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you, it’s in you, influencing you and cheering you on. It’s your driving force.



...And the love of God; this part of the closing prayer speaks for itself. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God so loved us that He gave up His only son to gain us. It was that love that sent Jesus Christ to die for us, so that we should not perish but come to the knowledge of God. This is the amazing love that was evident even while we were sinners. It’s the same love of God that picks you up in its arms and keeps you safe from harm; it wipes away your tears, grants you sweet sleep and wakes you up every morning. How great is that love? Nothing can separate you from that love, see Romans 8: 38-39. Nothing can keep you away from our Father’s love. I’m falling deeper in love with Him just thinking about that love.



...And the communion of the Holy Ghost; I could write a whole book on this one right here and still have more to say about it. The Greek word for communion is koinnonia, meaning fellowship/intercourse/participation. The words here describe what our relationship with the Holy Ghost should be like. The Holy Ghost is my inseparable partner, my best friend and my lover, our hearts beat as one, and my spirit is one with Him. Jesus did not want to leave us comfortless; He didn’t want to leave us without a guide, a teacher and a friend, so He prayed the father to send the Holy Ghost. John 14:16-19, 26. The Holy Ghost teaches us all things, He reveals God the father and Jesus to us and He is always with us.


As a born again, Holy Ghost Filled and led Christian, I have with me at all times, the following;
1. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
2. The Love of God
3. The fellowship of the Holy Ghost
And let’s not forget the angels that have been assigned to us as well, but I won’t talk about that now.


This is the three in one, the Holy Trinity (the father, the son and the Holy Spirit), all with me? Wow! Philippians 2:1 "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies". Consolation here reminds me of grace as in; if Christ did it so can I because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, that consoles me.


What a powerhouse you are. You are carrying the fullness of God on the inside of you. You are the living Ark of the Covenant and you carry the kingdom of heaven in you. Next time you say ‘the grace’, remember that you are declaring that you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar person who should show forth the praises of God (1 Peter 2:9).


You have the Holy trinity on the inside of you, and the world must know it.


Rise up! Hold your head up high and walk like you know that you have JEHOVAH on the inside of you, you’re full of God.

(Written by Yewande Erinle © All rights reserved.)

The Chosen

Matthew 22:14 - "For many are called, but few are chosen." (KJV).
Many of us are called to do more than give our lives to Christ. Becoming born again is not the end of our Christian walk on earth, as a matter of fact, it’s only the beginning, a very important beginning, but still the beginning none the less. Many are called to preach Christ, to heal the sick to show forth the mighty works of God to others, many of us have been called to greatness, that is, to manifest the greatness of God on this earth. Being called by God, does not qualify you to be chosen by Him.
It’s like the game shows we watch on television, if you want to take part in the show, you must apply. When you apply, you might get a call, if you do, you need to participate in an in initial competition, the first stage. Those that win the initial competition are then chosen to come and compete on television. So the called are those that got the call backs for the first stage, while the chosen are actually those that got past the first stage, and then you have the winner, but that’s for another day.
I want to focus on the chosen today. To be chosen, you need to pass the test at the ‘called level’, the scripture tells us that many are called but few are chosen, this means that only a few of the called ones are chosen, there must be some sort of a criteria for being chosen, let’s see what God has to say about this.
Isaiah 48:10 - "Behold I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."
It is only those that stand firm in the furnace of affliction that get chosen. You cannot afford to crumble or faint in the furnace of affliction. If you want to be one of the elect or chosen, you must be able to stand under the pressure of the affliction and the heat of the furnace. The hotter it gets, the purer you are. The longer you stand in the furnace, the stronger you are. Here’s a little biblical formula for you;
Strength/Power = Length of time in the furnace of affliction OR
S/P = Heat + Affliction
Proverbs 24:10 - "If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small." (KJV)
To make ground nut oil, the peanuts need to be shelled and cleaned first and then they are pressed with some type of machine (it’s called a press), the machine exacts pressure on the peanuts to extract the oil. The oil that is extracted is valuable; it can be used for many things from cooking to beauty products.


Now imagine if you will, that you are a peanut, capable of doing great things, capable of touching and changing lives when you are tasted, you are an essential commodity. The world needs the oil that God has placed in you. Remember, that only God can release that oil in you at His appointed time, until then, the oil needs to be purified and refined (by the word of God) to make it more valuable than you could ever imagine. The oil needs to be exposed to heat, which will cause it to flow freely. This is what we call ‘the anointing’. This is that anointing that breaks every yoke. It’s very costly and you pay the price in the furnace of affliction.
2 Corinthians 4: 8 - "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." (KJV)
Listen to this, this will blow your mind, I love this bit; 17 "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory."(KJV)
So our affliction is for a purpose? God isn’t just ignoring me in my calamity? I’m in this mess for a reason? YES!!! And guess what, the results are tangible, and the reward will manifest while you’re on this earth as well as in heaven. What am I saying here?
We go through this, to set others free. Jesus was afflicted upon the cross to set us free, He died that we might live. Then He commands us to do the same, to love one another like He loves us, to die to self that others may see God in us. The apostle Paul says it like this; we bear about in our body the dying of Jesus that His life might be made manifest. Dying to self is not easy; it is a daily process, a process that requires the kind of fire you find in the furnace. This kind of fire reveals what is really in you; it shows you whether you’re a man/woman (of God) or a mouse – so to speak.
Listen to what David said about his affliction; Psalm 119:71 - "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." (KJV) Affliction gave David the opportunity to know the word of God and we all know what this lead to, he became the man after God’s own heart. It was in the midst of his affliction (whether self inflicted or not), that he was able to find out what God had to say about what he was going through and why, he started to find out what God liked and what He didn’t like. David was tried and tested, he fell in the furnace sometimes, but he stood up again, and the result was the greatest King Israel ever had and a man that God boasted about. This was down to his light momentary affliction that worked for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. David was great in the eyes of God and great in the eyes of man. His testimony still stands today, both on earth and in heaven. You see, even though God called David to be king while he was a shepherd boy, the manifestation of royalty did not come till after he went through the fire. We can safely say that the furnace, by the power of the word, brought out the king in David.
Look! The weight of affliction or adversity is nothing compared to the weight of the anointing or the glory of God that God intends to deposit in you. God will not deposit His anointing or glory in your life if you falter under the weight of affliction or adversity. How well you carry those afflictions or adversity in your life, determines how well you will carry the glory of God. So God shoves you right in the middle of that furnace, sometimes He puts you in the hottest part of it, and watches you. The word of God in you will keep you standing, sometimes you just have to get on your knees or even lie down, but never give up in that furnace. Speak the word of God, whether standing or laying flat on your face and when the fire is out, you’ll come out as pure gold. The fire in your present furnace, also gives you resistance for the next furnace. You are reassured that if God could get you out of this furnace alive, He’ll surely get you out of the next one. Praising God also keeps you standing in the furnace.
Now, if you’re void of the word of God, you will collapse under the pressure and heat of the furnace. This shows that you lack power and you’ll bring forth nothing, you’re like an empty vessel. You’ll be amazed at how much revelation (Rhema) of the word you’ll get in the furnace, it’s almost as if the outside pressure of the adversity (which can be the desires of your flesh coupled with situations and circumstances as well as attacks from the enemy) presses out the word of God in you. The manifestation of that word in you is the anointing or the Glory of God, which people see and admire, but may never know what you went through to get it. It’s like they say in the world today; garbage in garbage out. If you don’t put the word of God in you, divine power is not made available to and for you.
The good thing is that, this anointing brings deliverance to people, which in turn brings people to Christ. They realize that God is real and that He doesn’t just exist in a book called the bible. The word of God comes alive in you and people want to know God for themselves.
Paul said it perfectly, 2 Corinthians 4:12 - "So then death worketh in us, but life in you." (KJV)
The disciples suffered, so we can have life, they suffered to bring the word of God to us; they got the revelation of the word of God in the furnace, so that we might enjoy God’s goodness. They silenced their flesh in the furnace, so that they could bring the pure unadulterated word to us. Now it’s your turn to face the furnace, so that your brothers and sisters can see the power of God at work in your life.
Christ did it so that the disciples could live it, the disciples did it so that we can live it, and now YOU CAN DO IT so others can live it IN JESUS’ NAME.
Isaiah 24:15 - "Wherefore, glorify ye the Lord in the fires." (KJV)

(Written by Yewande Erinle 2008© All rights reserved.)

Like Enoch did…

My favourite bible character is Enoch. Why? It’s simple really he pleased God. David said ‘Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.’

Enoch was truly blessed. Imagine God being so happy with you that He wants to spend all His time with you. He refuses to allow time or space, or even realms to separate you from His love. Well, Enoch knows how that feels. Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (KJV).

Every time I think of my relationship with God, I remember Enoch and I think what did He do? Scripture doesn’t say much about Him, He didn’t perform miracles or rain down fire, he didn’t part seas or raise the dead, he didn’t give sight to the blind or heal the sick, and he didn’t cast out demons or teach the word. He wasn’t an evangelist, a prophet, a teacher, an apostle or a pastor. No, none of that, he simply walked with God.

Can you imagine? All the other men and women of God have stories written about them, good stories for that matter, but Enoch has one or two lines written about him in Genesis and about three lines written about him in Hebrews.

But look at what was written about him, ‘and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him’.

This is so beautiful. We have been given divine purpose and the results of walking in divine purpose in just thirteen words. What did Enoch do? He walked with God (divine purpose) and what happened? He was not (result), how and why? For God took him. Wow! I want that said about me when I’ve gone home to be with the Lord ‘she walked with God, she pleased Him’

Back to Enoch. Paul tells us about Enoch’s testimony. He didn’t do much really, just as I pointed out above. His testimony was that He pleased God. What a testimony. This shows true faith in God, he experienced God. He knew God.

Some of us worry so much about what we want to do for God, how much work we’d like to do for Him. We run helter skelter, trying to find the next opportunity for a good deed, our time and energy is spent on being super helpers, home builders, ‘friend in need’, intercessor, good listener, good employee, fellowship leader. Some of us are actually called super woman or man because of all we do for God. We are well known in our homes, jobs and churches for the love we have for the work of God. We tend to love His work more than we do Him. We look to please people, but we don’t think of pleasing Him.

Enoch got it so right. His only concern was God. He had family, because scripture tells us he had sons and daughters, one of which was Methuselah. If he had family, he must have been a provider, because in those days, God commanded the man to till the ground i.e. to provide for his family. He must have had neighbours, friends, family members, fellow farmers and so on. But he still found time to please God. How?

He got His priority right. He put God first, he focused on Him. He sought God and His kingdom first and God took care of Him. He truly is a friend of God. Everything he did, he did with God by his side. No compromises, Enoch gave his all to God, he made God His best friend.

All our works for God are nothing if we don’t have a genuine relationship with Him. He loves you much more than he loves what you can do for Him and without Him you can’t do anything worthwhile. In Him we move and live and have our being.

Let’s put down all our baggage, every self imposed mission and turn to the one who loves us so much that He would not allow anything to separate us from Him.

I want to walk with you Lord, just like Enoch did and still is…

(Written by Yewande Erinle © All rights reserved.)

Fix Me I'm Broken

I went to the doctor’s today, and as the nurse was about to take my blood pressure, her Sphignomometer fell apart. The cord just got separated from its source. Now, how was she going to take my blood pressure with a broken Sphignomometer? A broken Sphignomometer cannot do what it was created to do; it is useless when it is broken. It’s just not fit for purpose.

The nurse just looked at the Sphignomometer and said, “Oh! It’s come apart”, and without a thought, she put it together again. It was that simple. I found that quite interesting, and I began to wonder, if God could put me together again that easily. You know, make me what He wants me to be. I mean who am I kidding, I know I’m not perfect. I want to be perfect though, I want to be holy, and to be what he wants me to be, but it’s not that easy, I feel so broken.

I see my secret faults and think, ‘Lord I wish you would put me back together, just like the nurse did that Sphignomometer, I want you to put me back together right now, I want to be perfect right now’.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord”. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

The truth is, God wants to make me perfect, but because I’m a spirit with a soul and a body, it’s not that easy. The Sphignomometer is a non-living thing, and therefore can be fixed easily, it has no feelings, it has no idea what it is and what it was created for, in fact, it isn’t aware of its existence. Unlike you and I, the Sphignomometer cannot learn from its mistakes and doesn’t understand the word consequences. So if it gets broken, we just fix it, and if it gets broken again, we fix it, we continue to fix it till it can’t be fixed anymore and then we just throw it away.

God wants us to appreciate who we are, He wants us to learn from our mistakes, to love our weaknesses as much as we do our strengths, so that when He fixes us bit by bit, we appreciate Him and we acknowledge our growth in Him. We know that it isn’t by our power that we got fixed, but by His grace, His mercy and His love. When He delivers us from certain sin, and helps us to rise above that sin, we are enlightened and aware of how difficult that process of deliverance was, that we become determined not to fall back under such bondage (you’ve paid too much a price for deliverance, you can’t afford to go back into bondage), and we move up higher in Him, wanting to be more and more like Him, with each fault being nailed to the cross of Calvary as we grow in Him. We look upward and onwards to a higher calling; step-by-step we attain perfection. Yesterday disappears and today brings a new opportunity for us to better ourselves, an opportunity for God to start the fixing process.

God loves you the way you are, He created you for a reason, divine destiny awaits you, do not let your secret faults or weaknesses hold you back, expose them to God and He’ll fix you, but you have to be patient.

Prayer:
In the mighty name of Jesus, I command your spirit to arise, for the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Stand up, step out of brokenness and lack of purpose, and step into your divine destiny in the mighty name of Jesus.

I rebuke every spirit of self-pity and worthlessness. Receive the spirit of peace and love, the spirit of thanksgiving to make you realise who God has called you to be. Receive the spirit of truth that tells you every day who you really are in Christ Jesus, and reminds you of just how much God loves you.

Begin to do what you were created to do in Jesus name. The blood of Jesus has set you free to step into Divine destiny; it has loosed every chain of wickedness holding you back and broken asunder every shackle.

Get up and go in the mighty Name of Jesus, you are fit for divine purpose; you are free in Jesus Name. Free to be who He has called you to be. You’ve been fixed.
(Written by Yewande Erinle, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

My Watch, My Tower!

Oh Lord, I have just about had it, everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong and I can hardly see my way through this situation. My soul is sick within me and I can’t go on any more.

This must be how David felt when things went horribly wrong for him. Speaking of David, how did he overcome? Yes! I remember, when he came back from battle and met disaster (the same way I got home and discovered that I’ll be homeless, jobless and kicked out of university for lack of tuition fees by this time next week), his wives had been taken away, his village had been trashed. To top it up, his men wanted to stone him.

What did David do?

‘...But David encouraged himself in the Lord.’ (1 Samuel 30: 6)

Lord how do I encourage myself in you? Let me search the scriptures. It’s 2:00am now and I can’t sleep anyway, so speak to me Lord.
Let’s see…..

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

So, to make my way prosperous and have good success I must meditate on God’s word? O.k., what else can I find in the word?

‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you’ (John 15:7)

So if God’s words abide in me and I abide in Him, I get whatever I ask for?
Lord, it’s obvious to me that your word is very important, but I’m still missing something, I need more Lord, I need that ‘word in due season’ for this situation, how do I get it Lord?

Son!

Lord?

Open up your bible to Habakkuk 2:1

‘I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved’

My watch, stand upon my watch and set me upon the tower?

Son, where is your watch? What did the writer mean by ‘my watch’?

In prayer!?, my watch is in prayer! I mean that’s very obvious Lord, you know ‘watch and pray?’ You can’t watch if you’re not praying!

And the tower? What happens on a tower?

You get a picture of things around and beyond?

Yes son, you get a true picture of things on a tower, you can see further into the night. So, the watchman is able to look and give a report of what is happening.

Lord what you’re saying is that the true picture of my situation is revealed on the watchtower and the watchtower is in the place of prayer.

Exactly son, your watch tower is in your prayer closet and your watch is the time that has been appointed unto you to meet with me, when you’re in your closet, you set yourself upon the tower, ME, and see the true picture of things, SEE WHAT I SEE. Receive divine wisdom, knowledge and understanding for the situation. See verse 2.

‘And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it’

So I must always write down what you have revealed to me on the tower, meditate on it and eventually run with it?

And verse 3?

‘For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry’.

Yes Lord I see, sometimes it may look as if the vision will not come to pass, it may take time, I might even want to give up on it, but you are saying that it will not be late, but it will come at the appointed time, the time that you have chosen. I must wait for it and not grow weary, after all if I have set myself on you, I am waiting on you and those that wait upon the Lord shall not grow weary.

Now read verse 4.

‘Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith’

Lord this sounds like me, in fact this is me. I feel disappointed and sick within me, but I must not be moved by what I feel, as the just shall live by faith. Faith! Yes Lord, faith. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. I need your word desperately Lord, if I am to have enough faith to go through this.

Remember Joshua 1:8, son. My word must not depart out of your mouth, it is the very thing that shapes your world, but that is a lesson for another day my dear. We’ll talk more about this tomorrow, Good night child, looking forward to meeting with you during your watch.

Thank you Lord, whatever would I do without your lessons, thank you for your word, help me to keep it in my heart and practice it daily. Good night Lord! I love you.

I love you too son.

(Written by Yewande Erinle, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

You Are A Treasure

Like a store of precious metals
Like a store of precious stones
Like a mountain of riches and wealth
You are a treasure

Waiting to be discovered
Waiting to be used and valued
Waiting to be opened up and found
You are a treasure

Valuable treasure
Precious treasure
A treasure of wealth
Is what you are

This is what you are
A treasure
Precious stone
This is what you are

God would have you know
You are His treasure
The work of His hands
A precious stone

He would have you know
He sees you this way
His own treasure
He loves so dearly
He cares so much
He watches over you
His dear treasure

God would have you know
You are His treasure
Apple of His eyes
Child of His dreams
A treasure beyond compare
Beyond your wildest dreams
Believe it or not
This is what you are
A treasure
His unique work of Art!
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE SPECIAL?

Do you know you are special? You are a treasure. Can you imagine God had to put His all in creating you? You were fearfully and wonderfully made. He took His time to make you a special being. You are beautiful. He took you from clay, from ashes and He made beauty from ashes. He imagined you as beautiful before He made you. He knew you before He formed you. When He created you, He was so proud of you. He boasted about you. What He made was beautiful in His eyes. He predestined you before you knew it. He had a plan for your life. No wonder the devil is jealous and tries to destroy your soul! Can’t you see, God watches over you jealously and He cares about you. How dare someone call you “ugly”, how dare someone say they don’t like you and you worry when you have One who is greater and He cares about you. All the love in the world can never match up to His care for you. Like a mother with a new child, he dotes over you and he carries you in the palm of His hands. He also said in His word that He has given His angels charge over you lest you dash your feet against a stone (Psalm 91). He loves to protect you. Can you imagine, angels are watching over you lest you dash your feet against just one stone, just one, not loads of stones. Wow, how special is that! You must be something else! You are unique, He made you with just one unique DNA. No other DNA matches yours. Your fingerprints are all unique, there is not one other on the face of the earth that equally matches yours. You are indeed beautiful! Look at you! Take a glance at yourself, no matter what anyone else says, He will never change His mind about you. So, be proud of yourself. You are unique, you are special and you are the apple of God’s eye. Think on it, do you really know you are special? Believe me, you really are. You are God’s special Treasure and you are blessed. I hope you’ll see yourself differently from now on.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

We Fall Down but We Get Up!

Proverbs 24: 16 “for a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief” (KJV).
I went to the park today to watch the children play, I learn a lot just by observing how they relate to one another and handle themselves on the playground.
There was this one boy in particular, about five years old I guess, but very energetic. He went from one climbing frame to another, one minute he was on the seesaw, and the next he was doing the rolly polly. I sat down there thinking surely this boy would get tired soon. I tell you, boy! Did I get tired just watching him!

Finally, the little boy decided to get on the swings, he went up really high, very fast. I could see the delight on his face with each trip he took up and the exhilaration as he came down again. About two minutes into swinging, he fell off his swing. It was a nasty fall. He cried out really loud. From nowhere his mum came running, she stretched out her hands to him and he got up. She picked him up, dusted all the dirt off him, got some water from her flask and rinsed off all the blood on his badly bruised knees, before finally kissing him and taking him to the bench where she was sitting. There he lay in his mother’s arms sobbing away, while she cuddled him and reassured him everything would be okay and that his knees would soon get better.
Twenty minutes later, the boy suddenly sprung up from the bench and was back on that swing again. You should have seen the determination on his face. He wasn’t about to let that swing dictate to him how hard he could play, how high or how fast he could go. He would master that swing and you know what? He did! He swung higher and faster than before. He had learnt from prior experience to hold on tight to the swing and not let go and even though he had plasters on his knees, he had completely forgotten the pain. There was pure determination on his face at first, but later I could see that he was enjoying being the boss of that swing.

Just like that little boy, we fall down and we get up. That is what separates a saint from a sinner; a saint falls down but MUST get up. And when we fall, our father is right there (He suddenly steps out from nowhere, responding quickly to our cry) to dust all the dirt off, rinse off our bruises with the blood of Jesus, and cuddle us in His arms, kissing the pain away. He allows us to recuperate, and as soon as he’s made us whole again, we must get back out there. Congratulations! Because you fell, you are now an expert on how not to fall that way again, you have now been equipped to deal with that same situation should it arise again and you now await a new challenge.

When God stretches out His arms to you after a fall, you MUST GET UP! Do not be ashamed to run into your Daddy’s arms screaming, there’s no shame in falling down as long as you GET UP AGAIN. The shame is in the staying down. It is the portion of the wicked to fall and not to rise again, Psalm 141:10 “Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape” (KJV).
Did you trip? GET UP IN JESUS’ NAME. Were you pushed? GET UP IN JESUS’ NAME. Did you run out of energy and pass out on the floor? Well, GET UP IN JESUS NAME! It doesn’t matter how or why you fell, just GET UP IN THE NAME OF JESUS. I command your spirit to rise in Jesus name. Wake up! Get up! Get back into the race. Do not let the fall or the pain from the fall dictate to you how hard or how fast you’ll run the race, master that race in the name of Jesus Christ. Run like never before! Depend solely on the strength of the Lord to carry you through, forgetting the past and looking on to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith. Looking ahead and upwards, pressing on, eager to get to the finish line and collect the winning prize.
Philippians 3:14 “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (KJV).
FORGET HOW HARD YOU FELL, OR IF YOU’RE GOING TO FALL AGAIN. IF YOU FALL JUST GET UP! FINISH WELL AND FINISH STRONG IN JESUS NAME. LISTEN TO THE CLOUD OF WITNESSES CHEERING YOU ON, SHOUTING YOUR NAME, TELLING YOU HOW CLOSE YOU ARE TO THE FINISH LINE. DON’T GIVE UP, JUST GET UP.
Hebrews 12:1 “ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (KJV).

(Written by Yewande Erinle © All rights reserved.)

Valentine Gift

A very long time ago, well, about 11 years ago, February 14th 1997, I received a red paper cut in a heart shape from someone very dear to me. It was my valentine gift – I loved it.
Sitting down in my office, for some reason I remembered that heart and I still love it. My friend took time to cut out a paper in the shape of a heart signifying an undying love for me and he meant it and even after so many years I remember and it has been my best valentine gift so far…. I can also bet you that if he could, he would have given me his heart…….okay, enough of this love graphic stuff….

What am I getting at? Imagine how the love of God is…. He gave us Jesus Christ, HIS only son – a big sacrifice – If we receive this gift from God, that is Jesus (love), we’ll forever remember this and we’ll be blessed.

If I can still remember that paper heart gift even after 10 years and could still smile, knowing fully well my friend gave me the gift genuinely, how much more the love of God through Jesus Christ.
It is indescribable and it cannot be fathomed.
It is real yet irreplaceable.

Give God a chance and things will work out and guess what?
Our little secret…..just the way I smiled when I remembered the gift, and especially “the person”, which made me feel good, you will also smile and feel great about God’s love whatever the situation or circumstance, forever….

Give God a chance, love is real…..when you accept love, you can also give love and this world will be a better place.

This is from me to someone there that needs love x.
(Written by Modupé Mabel Ade-Onojobi Daniel © All rights reserved.)

God Still Loves You

Have you done something very very bad?

God still loves you.
Have you killed someone in any form?

God still loves you.
Are you on drugs? Getting high at your convenience?

God still loves you.
Do you constantly bear false witness against your neighbours?

God still loves you.
Do you hate your sibling's children?

God still loves you.
Do you beat your wife and children violently?

God still loves you
Do you disrespect and plan evil against your husband?

God still loves you
Do you hate your mother–in-law?

God still loves you
Did you step on someone’s toe to get that promotion at work?

God still loves you
Did you steal the money you used in buying that house or car you boast of?

God still loves you
Are you fraudulent in your ways?

God still loves you
Do you bring strife wherever you go?

God still loves you
Do you curse and use swear words?

God still loves you
Do you get angry for no apparent reason leading to crime?

God still loves you
Do you hear voices that prompt you to do evil?

God still loves you
Do you hate yourself?

God still loves you
Do you devalue yourself?

God still loves you

We are all human beings and at one time in our lives we have done terrible things, yet we still feel guilty about it. We are all human beings and at one time in our lives we have had someone do terrible things to us, yet we still hate the person(s).

God is asking me to tell you now that HE STILL LOVES YOU, irrespective of what you’ve done. And guess what? HE STILL LOVES THAT PERSON that did something terrible to you.

Please let go, ask God to forgive you and know that there is abundant grace and mercy, if you sincerely promise not to do it again. (It might be difficult to stop, but God is willing to help you….allow HIM). Please let go and forgive that person or persons, let God be the Judge, for there is abundant grace and mercy for that person also.

God is real and He wants a relationship….HE STILL LOVES YOU SO……
(Written by Modupé Mabel Ade-Onojobi Daniel © All rights reserved.)

Let Me Introduce You To...

What’s happening outside the city today? I hear drums, tambourines, trumpets, and a shophar? I see red carpets, a huge crowd of dancers and even an announcer? What’s he saying? Royalty is coming? Who’s this royal one? I see them approaching the gates of the city. It seems the guard is a little confused as to who this royal one is and he’s not opening up the city gates to let him in. Wait!

There’s a conversation between the announcer and the guard, listen;

Announcer: ‘Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Guard: Who is this King of glory?

Announcer: The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Guard: Again! Who is this King of glory?

Announcer: Who is the king of Glory?! Let me introduce you to Him;

He is the uncreated creator, the One who uses the heavens as His throne and the earth as His footstool. The One who uses the skies as a blanket, and holds the waters of the world in the hollow of His hand. The One who set a band as a boundary for the sees and said to them, ‘you shall come thus far and no further’. The One whose finger is the axis on which the universe sits.
He is the One who speaks and the trees stand tall in reverence, their leaves bow before him. When the seas hear His voice, their waves rise up together in humble adoration, they crash to the seabed, bowing before the Almighty. The One whose wings span the universe. The One who wears fire as a gown. He is the man of war, the God of war. THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH is His name. The King of kings, the Lord of Lords, the Lilly of the valley the bright and morning Star. The One for whom time stands still, He rewinds and fast forwards time at His will, because He is time. He has no beginning and there is no end to Him. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end and all that is in between. Ancient of days is His name.

Shall I continue? He is the I AM, the I Am that I AM. The One with so many names that you can have one for each day of the year and still have more names left over to call Him. He is the Sovereign One, the unchangeable changer and the unsearchable finder. The One whose Spirit is in your nostrils, without Him you are non-existent. The one in whom you live and move and have your being. He is the Big God, the awesome God, and the only true God. The One who has numbered every hair on your head, the one who loves you so much, that he sent his only Son, Christ, to die for you. The One whose spirit quickened up Christ from the dead on the third day, that you might have abundant life forever. He is the God that speaks and doesn’t change his mind. The words of His mouth do not fall to the ground void, they must be accomplished. With the words of His mouth the worlds were formed and with His hands he shaped Man. He is the one who RULES IN THE AFFAIRS OF MAN, the heart of the kings are in His hands.

I could go on and on and you’d still be in awe. So, to answer your question, THE LORD OF HOSTS, HE IS THE KING OF GLORY.

Immediately! the guard opened up the gates and bowed before the King of kings. As soon as the King stepped into the city, everyone bowed, even the winds whispered His name, the palm trees waved in honour of the exalted One. The whole city rejoiced in the presence of this King. Let the King of glory into your hearts today, let I Am step into your situation and watch all your problems crumble away. Let Him bring joy into your life, as He did the city. Don’t live Him at the gates, LET THE KING OF GLORY IN TODAY.

(Written by Yewande Erinle © All rights reserved.)

Joy Will Come

How‘re u doing? Why are you feeling down as though there is no tomorrow? Why are you disappointed? Why are you angry? Why do you have vengeance in you? Why are you biting yourself for the mistake you made? Why do you feel all hope is gone? Why are you giving in to that circumstance? Why are you willing to compromise for what you know is wrong? Won’t it put you in trouble? Why are you selling yourself short of the standard God wants for you.

My friend, I’ve been through all these and I fell into the trap… I have come to tell you that you are special, you are beautiful, you are handsome, you are a loving person, you are a compassionate person so please don’t fall into that trap…

Since you have life there is hope. Weeping endures in the night but joy will surely come in the morning. Just as there will be morning and night, your victory is sure. The joy of the Lord is your strength, look, it is well, close your eyes, relax and be calm… feel the breeze, allow God to move into you and feel HIS love….that is healing… in your soul. I love you, but guess who loves you more? Jesus.

Peace to you. Remember, with God all things are possible.

(Written by Modupé Mabel Ade-Onojobi Daniel © All rights reserved.)

LETTER FROM GOD - Are You Armed?

Dear Child,

How are you today? I can see that you are feeling tired and worn out already. You feel that you cannot run the race any longer, but the race is not finished yet. Don't feel tired, there is still quite a way to go. There is one thing that I always remind you to do everyday which you keep forgetting to do. You always forget because you are too much in a hurry to get on with the rest of the day but the rest of the day may not go well if you do not put on your whole armour. I would encourage you to take a few minutes everyday to put on your whole armour just like you put on your clothes. I have given you the armour for your protection so that when the enemy comes to attack, you will be able to defend yourself. I placed the armour there to protect and shield you but if you keep forgetting to wear it, you will be open to attack and you will not be able to defend yourself when the enemy comes against you. Please child, do not leave yourself open to attack, always put on your whole armour of God. It is the armour that helps you to withstand the attacks of the enemy. Put on the whole armour today my dear child and stand therefore.

What is the whole armour? You ask

The whole armour is:

1. Helmet of salvation
2. Breastplate of righteousness
3. The shield of faith
4. The Girdle of Truth
5. Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
6. The sword of the Spirit

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Saved By Love

It’s 12:00pm and there’s a storm brewing, the rain’s come in and it’s very windy. I hear the rain drops on my window pane. I walk over to see what’s happening outside, and I see a bird’s nest with five chicks in it. They must have hatched a few days ago.

Poor little things, they’re out there in the storm. I’m sure their mum’s gone to get them some food but couldn’t make it back before the storm. I’ll check on them later.

It’s 2:00pm and the storm has worsened, I must check on those little chicks. Oh my! The wind has blown the nest off the branch unto a twig and any moment now that nest will fall 200ft to the ground. That will not be pretty, they can’t fly. I must save them.

So I lean out the window, stretching my right hand as far as possible, I can’t reach, they’re too far from my window. I need something, something long with which I can reach the nest and bring it safely to my window seal. I look round my apartment frantically, I desperately need to find a stick of some sort, knowing fully well that time is running out and any moment now, a strong wind will blow the nest away.

Suddenly I find a fishing net with the right handle length. Great! I can lift the nest off the twig and bring it safely into my apartment. With so much excitement I run to my window, and to my horror, a strong wind had just blown the nest off and it was just falling off the twig just past my window so I quickly stretched out the fishing net, lowering it just in time to catch the falling nest of five chicks.

Boy! Was I glad. I was so happy that after I placed the nest safely on my window seal, I danced round my apartment, shouting for joy. What a save!

Then a thought suddenly crossed my mind. Is this how God rejoices when He saves his children from the clutches of death? Wow! He gets to us just in time, never too late even though we worry that He might not reach us in time or that He is not aware we are in trouble.

We, the saints, are tools in His mighty hands. Just as I was looking for the perfect tool for the job, we Christians are tools in the master’s house. We need to have the right unique spiritual and physical characteristics, so that God can use us to save others (Christians and non-Christians alike) from the clutches of death.

What can separate us from the love the Father has for us?

Not a storm, not great heights, not strong winds, not even a deadly fall. The truth is nothing can separate us from the love of God. We can depend solely on his love to save us every time.

(Written by Yewande Erinle, 2008 © All rights reserved.)