THE CROSS!

When the Bible said Jesus' will was surrendered many do not understand! "Not my will but yours be done" In plain language is I strip myself of every Identity and ability as God. This was the main reason for this Prayer, because in other to deliver Humanity God had to die as a man to bring about his glory...

I always wondered why Jesus would pray this prayer since He knew right from the beginning He would die, but then it occurred to me that the stripping of all of His heavenly glory was the biggest challenge He had to face, because He had to die powerless. His No. 1 will was His Godness. i.e ability to be God and perform as God. He couldn't access His God nature. If He was to toll the way of the cross, HIM that had authority over the devil had to become a subject of the devil and the only thing the devil could do when he had the opportunity to get back at God was to humiliate Him, and further humiliate Him by hanging Him on a tree! (Even the devil didn't understand the mystery of God, it never occurred to him that God also had authority in hell in other-words, God can bring anything back from Death or hell; Kumfayakum)
 
This was all part of the plan because He was fulfilling prophecy! God surrendered his Godness, He lost his existence, His Identity, His ability. His essence. Now Divinity had to look for how to reinstate this Glory because without the presence of the word, the heavens will be bare! So God had to create a permanent body for the word and uphold the symbol of redemption, He had to fast forward eternity as He gave us a glimpse into incorruption. As Earthly flesh mastered heavenly weather!

But what struck most were His words "not my will but yours be done!" it was possible for Him to die with all the Glory of Heaven, the implication of which I do not know!

But rather so that there would not be a revolt he had to feel all that we felt, the emotions, the doubts, the pain the confusion, all were pointing for His Glory, because of the enormous Glory that would be revealed! Before It was only God that was mentioned there were no distinguishing of Father, Son and Spirit, In order to restore! Divinity had to come out in their raw form. God made himself vulnerable and the mystery surrounding God was simplified!
It was in this surrendering of his glory that the "prayer not my will" find it's significance. There was no doubt of whether He would die! He agreed to die that was why He came but it was in the manner and mode of His death that we find the real struggle, He had to die helpless and powerless. scorned!!! He was powerless He couldn't control the circumstances around Him, He was a mere man! Ordinary!! stripped of every  Glory. Those that saw Him as divine changed their perception, His worth reduced! All His pride gone, His achievements were forgotten because He seemed to men as fake! The pain, the emptiness, all were pointing to redemption, for once He lost sight of what was ahead! He became a natural man! His visions lost, He didn't know what lay ahead! For the first time He was clueless! And if all this happened to Him it meant there could not be communication between Him and His Father! Separated! alone!!

He had to face the cross, with no way of escape ahead! He didn't know if a lamb would be provided in His case to take His stead as it did for Abraham, such hopelessness was too much! Must we do it like this He asked can't I retain few of my powers! All He relied on were prophecies! He also had to rely on the things He created! Even though things looked hopeless He couldn't see the future, He had to believe that the divine plan would work. So He went helplessly and dumb as a sheep before his shearers! Hopeless(Humanly but not divinely) utterly helpless. Scorned, buffeted, speechless, humiliated, ridiculed.
Dereped! O what a life! What a Sacrifice, What a Price! to have my sins taking away. If someone I care and love can go this extent to show His love, Shouldn't I respond! Shouldn't my response match He's in zeal and passion!

What a Mystery.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH SIN – By Brother Ransome

At the cradle of my Christian ordeal, I was more concerned with DOING than with BEING, more meticulous of what I should do rather than who I am. I did all I was told with continuous zeal and innermost calm.

I lived almost 2 decades of my Christian life thinking being a Christian is all about having a CHANGED LIFE. But I gradually reach out on my own accord to get a glimpse of the truths with several hours of meditations and contemplation in the inner light. I was thrilled as words from the other realms flooded my soul and I finally got the answers for the numerous questions I have always had.

What God offers the believer was not a CHANGED LIFE, rather an EXCHANGED LIFE. The life of a believer was not ATTAINED but OBTAINED. True victory is not in a suppressed life, but the expressed one. My life was not changed but exchanged. I did not give my life to Jesus Christ, He gave me his life. But before, all I ever knew was that Jesus died for my sins, once I have believed and confessed, then that would be all.

But far beyond that, Jesus did not just die for my sins. I gradually understood that He took my place (Of sin, sickness, poverty etc). It was not just the understanding alone, the experience followed suit several months later, and this was the beginning of my transcendent life.

So what am I to do now? Does God still want me to keep the 10 commandments? What is Grace? What is the Law? Is the Law inferior or superior? What or who is a new creation? These were prevailing questions in my heart then, but all vanished just as the dust before the wind or better still in a flash. You either learn by knowledge or experience. But in my case, I learnt by tears and joy.

Below are few of them:

Of my entire struggle, the highest of them was not with sin per se but the consciousness of sin. I tried to do what has been done, and undo what can never be undone. Nothing has done more harm to me than having an awareness of sin consistently. But I found that God’s way of deliverance is different from my approach.

I tried to suppress sin by seeking to overcome it. I mourned over my weakness, thinking that if only I was stronger, all would be well. But God’s approach is not by making me stronger and stronger; rather, it is by making me weaker and weaker.

God fixed my sin consciousness not by helping me do anything to come out of the situation, but by entirely removing me from the scene of action. I felt I must always to something for God, but I realized it was not based on what I should do, but what has been done. As long I try to do anything, He can do nothing. It was because of my trying to do that I failed many times. (Reference: Galatians 2:20)

God does not hate the sinner, He hates the sin, He does not remove the sin out of the sinner, He removes the sinner from his sins (from the scene of action) so he would cease to sin. I prayed as a lad several times that God would remove my weaknesses and sin consciousness. The more I pray, the more it increased.

DEALING WITH SIN AND SIN CONSCIOUSNESS

The Christian is not supposed to deal with sin. It has been dealt with. My salvation was completed in two twofold works: I was saved from the penalty of sin, then from the power and the control sin had over me. But sadly, I only took advantage of the former abandoning the latter.

I thought God’s word said the old man was washed and that was all, but little did I know that the old man was corrupted beyond repair. The only way God dealt with my old man was to put it to death. My old man was not crucified by a touch, or some sense of feeling or a physical death, but a spiritual one.

My old man was crucified by “RECKONING, REGARDING and CONSIDERING” (Romans 6:11), and whenever I fail to reckon or fail to consider or disregard this fact, my old man would revive again, because Satan is always looking for an opportunity to reactivate my old man.

Each time I commit sin. It produces two major effects in me. First, the pleasure of sin, and second, the craving for more sin. I attempted to hold on to victory several times with my strength, but as soon as I am tempted, I easily err and miss the mark.

I have been to cross; I know the address, the exact spot where all my stuffs were nailed. The cross terminated my first creation, and out of death a new creation came into being. This is the ultimate of glorification. I have been taken and the journey was worth it. Of a truth, It is possible to live without sin.

This is not self righteousness; it is not the case of trying, but of trusting, not of struggling, but of resting on Him whom all things are opened before His eyes. I stop to do what I cannot do myself, I have ceased to live, and He now lives in me.

What is in Adam can sin, what is in Christ cannot. I never worked for my salvation, why should I work to maintain or keep it? But Brother Ransome, didn’t the Bible says: …Work out your salvation with fear and trembling? Even Faith without works is dead?

My friend, God never looks at good works; He looks at the source of the good works, and the motivation behind what you are working out. If Abraham was justified by works, he had something to glory of and boast about, but not before God.

What is the source of your good works? Self or the Spirit? Satan is not afraid of Christians with good works, he is afraid of the Christians doing the will of God.

In the second part of this series, I will share with you “The Difference between a Christian who commits sin and A Sinner who commit sin normally”. Then also the 4 Major aspects of Salvation : ***Confession of sin ***Forgiveness of sin ***Repentance from sin and ***Forsaking of sin.

Be encouraged, of writing many words, there is no end. For His time is at hand and Glory to His name, even us. Grace to your heart.

  

The Light That Does Not Fail,

Brother Ransome.

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Benefits of Rest

Imagine that you are coming from the market and you see someone who is willing to help, one of your neighbours who has a car is also coming out from the market, she even offered to carry you since you stay in the same area! Imagine you have about 80 to 100kg to carry.

Imagine you refuse and there is no drop! you have to gan Molue to get to your destination. Such an act is what we refer to as foolishness.

Imagine that a farmer carrying heavy tubers of yam boards a car and leaves the tubers on his head while he is seated in the car, That my friend is what is called ridiculous!

Imagine someone who went to the incinerator to drop refuse, later decides to go back with the refuse and the smell all around town, that is what I call kolo mental

Imagine someone dressed in rag for an executive Job Position. That is what we call Ogun Idile.

Ook, You get my point

All these scenarios play out when we go to church and claim with our lips to love God and surrender all to him and then as we are leaving church such commitment ends.

How do we fully benefit from rest? Tongues is meant to refresh but it is obvious not everyone who claims to speak in tongues now rests or his refreshed. Why is that so. Trends and pattern have shown that there are people who are addicted to the music of church but not the lifestyle of christ. The only thing they practise is music, they don't practise a daily christian Living.

I can't help such a person, who prefers to sing empty songs or talk empty talks. I can only help those who are sincere to want and seek after rest.

When we leave church after a restful service we must not allow the practise of rest stop. It is not only in organised service one can engage in rest, personally in our closest we will find that the joys of individual worship increases unto abundant rest. Closing the chapter of worship after we leave church is a sure way to live a life of turmoil, because the bible says tomorrow has enough trouble of it's own. We must learn to take up the yoke of christ on our own. And build a personal fellowship with God. It is Jesus that brings the rest it is as we seek to know him more that rest comes. Imagine you had a wonderful restful moment in church and you repeat it when you are alone and this becomes a practise, In the longrun you would have learnt to activate the fullness of the life of rest.

Gathering in church only compliments your rest bank and no longer to activate it. Build your rest bank because you won't know when you'll have to make a quick rest withdrawal.

I have come to realise that the christians that flourish more are those that don't wait until Sunday for God to meet their rest need, immediately they sense an emptiness they go to God, any other just serves to compliment that rest. The best is to keep building our rest bank regardless, to enjoy worship unrestrictedly.

Engaging the gift of tongues, meditation and worship are sure ways to walk in rest.

  

In conclusion, what is your business with your load of worry? Since you dropped it at the feet of the master leave it there. Because you placed your worry at the master's feet and you still see it during worship does not mean he won't carry it, yours is to place it at his feet, His, his to carry it. Drop your load and go your way shikena! As long as it's no longer on your neck you are free, no one can force it on your neck except you pick it back again.

But this is what we do we pick back the load because it's still visible, we become impatient to see it carried away! A load you have dropped when you pick it back again It becomes heavier.

Intimacy through Rest

God began to talk to me about INTIMACY. Throughout the month of May. As a church, we've been talking about the Life of a Believer using Col 3:1-10, Romans 8:16 and Romans 6. But God began to give me a new Dimension to the Life of a Believer in the Paradigm of Rest. The popular verses for rest are Heb 4:1-11 and Matthew 11:28-30 : Come unto me all ye that labor and heavy laden and I'll give you rest. It further goes to say take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am lowly and meek and you shall find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

I became puzzled, for it became obvious that true rest only comes from taking up the yoke of Jesus, so I thought. Looking back at Hebrews 4 : Labour to enter into God's rest, I assumed taking upon the yoke is labouring to enter into rest. But those I've Known before, this is not where I am going... Tag along for an interesting Journey.

  

My curiosity led me to dig into my Dake's and I saw references to Rest in Isaiah 28:11-12 read yourself and discern what God says.

But I am writing to share what God showed me according to the Paradigm of rest.  I share my story!

I have always wondered about rest and it has been vague (I like to be articulate). I kept searching and groaning in the spirit, moreover being the chosen topic for Maturity School. God dropped Matthew 11:28 into my spirit but I it passed as insignificant. I didn't want to teach what didn't minister to me, my mind couldn't wrap at it, I could explain the literature (logos) but I couldn't find it applicable in principle. For one, taking up the yoke of Jesus appeared to be the undoing, so I read it over, prayed in the spirit and then began to search further! As I searched my eyes fell on Isaiah 28:9-12 and I had one of those Aha! Experience suddenly a light bulb flickered. This is what I learned;

I've been used to believing that taking the yoke of Jesus meant evangelizing, soulwinning. If you have being actively involved in winning souls, you would agree with me to say one of the ways to get yourself worried most is praying for souls, you sometimes feel without your prayer God can't do anything (Error). Not about to start another discussion.

What then is taking up the yoke of Jesus that gives rest? I will say it as Isaiah said it: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people, To whom he said this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet the world will not hear. Isaiah 28:11-12

What then is the refreshing: Direct reference to the stammering lips and another tongue (Worship), one of the ways we find rest is through spiritual exercises, but here it clearly spoke about tongues. If I will paraphrase; this verse seems to say through tongues and the ministry of the holy spirit will I  give the weary rest and refresh them. The world will not accept tongues as the rest. They will not hear it, they will abuse it, so therefore they can't benefit from it.

God began to broaden my mind and let me see that tongues truly refreshes, but not only tongues but every spiritual christian exercise, singing, worship and meditation when truly utilised brings rest. That's the secret of our rest. By seeking to know Jesus more we are chasing (Labouring for) hungering for rest.

David found so much rest through worship, no wonder the kings that preceded and succeeded him acted almost like mad men.

As we come together in church and gatherings with our brethren and lift up holy hands to worship and be enlightened we only show that we are interested in the yoke of Jesus! Whose Yoke when taking up brings rest, why is it that worship and praise does more in making one light in the mind than request making?...

I have not come to talk about abuse of worship or malfunction of it, I am aware that for some church is just a feel good experience their heart is not genuinely seeking (read the next article for that) because they are not surrendered, I am talking about typical busy christians who go to work and have a bad day, and become weary, who have tried things their own way and they need a break, they so desperately need help. To these people, worship (tongues, psalms, hymns, meditation, thanksgiving, adoration singing and making melody in the heart) brings rest. Our worship experiences must not be taken lightly they are meant to rest us.

  

N.B. We know that In Jesus is rest found, I am talking more on living a restful life a life free of worry. Engaging rest on a daily basis.

Saul and Solomon became irrational at the later stages of their life cos they didn't embody david's attitude towards worship. David was more restful than them.

We must endeavour to make new converts realise the importance of our gatherings. It's not Joblessness to go to church.

Watch Out for how to benefit totally from rest.

Healing!!!

Bible reading: Matthew 8:1-end

Watch word: Jesus is always ready to render help are you willing to receive.

The first step in receiving Healing is to believe that Jesus is always ready to heal Matthew 8:3,7.

This principle is also true for receiving gifts or answers to prayer. God himself said in Matthew 7:11 I am always ready to give gifts to those who are ready to receive (Paraphrased). He is not Just giving it he has already given us all that we would need, all we need do is accept and claim it. In receiving from God we need to take a position so we will receive in abundance. God is faithful, merciful and gracious. To understand or relate with God we must come to him on his own (God's) terms

The Same Principle

The same principle of faith for salvation works for healing.

We received salvation By faith even though we didn't see we believed, likewise the baptism of the spirit was by Faith.

Without Faith it is impossible to please God, Faith is the path conceived by God for the christian to flourish and succeed in every endeavor, Faith is the No. 2 virtue of the spirit after love, Faith actually makes us to function, Faith is the power to function. The challenge of most is exercising faith in it's degrees, the faith is tested by time. But there is good news, we can build faith.

How do we build faith?

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom 10:17 there is no crime in being weak in faith. At a point all our faiths will be tested and we might return weak, but there is good news faith can be stirred, built and established, this happens by fellowship with God on the particular issue.

 

Another Principle

Say It, It is with the mouth that confession is made unto salvation. When we have prayed and sure that faith has been stirred, God would have us say it. When you pray, believe that you have received what you have said and then you will have it Mark 11:24 Sometimes it is as we say it that the healing comes. Then God sees that we have come to believe the end of our infirmity that we have obtained healing already. The power of God (Holy Spirit) swings to action to bring what we have said to pass.

A New order

The surest way to receive healing is under the barn! We christians are the luckiest because God made special provision for our healing, Those of us who have a relationship with Jesus can be assured of healing all the time. We our guaranteed healing each time we pray though things could delay with patience we will definitely see results. It is those who are outside the covenant I fear for.

Two ways!

There are two basic ways healing is administered but there is only one way it is received and that is by Faith.

Healing is either administered By faith or By the Anointing.

What you need know to receive Healing!

We are going to Highlight Matt 8: to extract how Jesus administered healing

1.) Jesus is always ready and willing to heal Prove Matthew 8:2-3 the leper said to Jesus if thou wilt Jesus said I will be clean.

2.)Then you need to activate faith, it is always advisable if you are weak in faith to build faith and then when power intersects your faith healing occurs.

An example is d centurion in Matthew 8:5-13 who told Jesus I'm a man under authority and I also know you control all the elements of the world speak the word my servant will be healed, Moreover a gentile like me is not worthy to receive. It would be inappropriate for your holiness to be seen with me.

 

The Authority of God.

Like we just highlighted the centurion acknowledged and believed in the authority of God. Greater is he that is in me. If God be for us who can be against us, nobody...

Love(word of God)

How many master's would go outta their way to get the servants healed. It was the persistence of this master that God the healing of this servant. All he did was to act on the word, he believed on the word that Jesus spoke he had confidence in Jesus and the words of his mouth. I'm sure he must have being told the master might not come into your house, he prepared himself beforehand to only act upon the word.

  

Questions are encouraged for better enlightenment.

Shalom!!!

Slain and Discipled

I am revival,

I love to see supernatural moves of the spirit, I just love the way the power of God defies the law of gravity when it is in operation! I am crazy about power so the name DUNAMIS.

But as crazy as I am about power I also love discipleship, I believe the inner life is important and so must be taking care of.

I believe in building character.

In order to give a vivid picture of where I am going... I love Gbile Akanni discipleship, It has helped me to stay conscious and not to be carried away by manifestations of the spirit, it has taught me to watch out for excesses. I've garnered many a wisdom from this.

But the challenge is merging this two school of thought and getting them to agree, but as for me I benefit tremendously from both.

Ooooo how I love to be under Benny Hinn and Chris Oyakhilome, ooo how about Papa Hagin.

All this people have added to the richness of my life.

In trying to define my theology a senior friend described me as CEC (Charismatic Evangelical Conservative)

My spiritual background is the foundation of my theology, I grew up in a church with strong doctrine and emphasis on Power.

I believe for us to experience sustained revival we must strive to demonstrate the power of God and also get men discipled. 

Our Heritage in Christ! Freedom! Romans 7 and 8

The reason why sin is more appealing to us is cos of the presence of Law. If there was no tree of knowledge of good and evil will man have fallen? No.

The presence of Law brings about bondage to sin. As long as d devil is present he magnifies sin, by increasing the desire for sin.

The reason why Jesus christ came is to abolish the law, and destroy sin and the power of sin, Having destroyed the power of sin, How can we benefit from Christ's Life, By Living a spirit filled life, God doesn't want us to focus on d law again because d law makes us to stumble. 

Christ is the new Garden. Now all we are asked to do is stay in the garden, there is no longer an occasion to stumble in this garden. 

In Christ there is no law, no stumbling, all we are asked to do is stay in christ. 

When we are in Christ the desire for sin dies. As paul said the righteous requirement of the law can only be met by those who walk after the spirit, cos the flesh has no power against sin, even determination fails against the flesh. The flesh magnifies sin.

Truly the flesh wants to live freely but the kinda freedom it desires is freedom to sin. 

Because in Christ the law/condemnation doesn't exist. And also fellowship with the spirit frees from the bondage of sin and death. 

Utmost care(attention) must be given to our fellowship In the spirit that's the only way the flesh would not have dominion, and then the weak flesh can also be made alive as of our spirit, this can only happen through progressive fellowship with the spirit. Romans 8:1-11. 

Building a strong spirit is one of the keys of fellowship. Thanksgiving, Praying in the spirit, fellowship with one another, and also fellowship with the word. 

When we invest in spiritual things the holy spirit has free access to speak to us and we to him.