Be Sensitive to the Holy Spirit 4

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

The Holy Spirit teaches, instructs and directs the people of God to profit by leading them in the way they should go. Please see Isaiah Chapter 48 verses 17 to 18, Psalm 81 verses 10 to 16 so that they do not labor in vain like the Ostrich who lacks wisdom because it is the will of God for His children to labor for profit. Please see Job Chapter 39 verses 13 to 18, Isaiah Chapters 65 verses 19 to 24, 28 verses 23 to 29. God in His infinite mercy and wisdom gives believers the Holy Spirit to instruct them for profit so that they do not partner with destructive partners like the wild ox described in Job Chapter 39 verses 10 to 12.

Quite instructive, planting seasons, maintenance seasons, types of maintenance, harvest seasons and care of the harvested produce differ. Therefore, believers should follow the instructions of the Holy Spirit to ensure that a very ready ripe harvest is brought in immediately, cared for and some left over to plant to bring in other harvests as in the case of the Church in Philippi. That Church as well as other Churches in Macedonia became so kingdom minded and kingdom projects supportive that even at a time of great trail of affliction, they supported kingdom people, projects and activities, ministering to the needs of the saints and the Church. Please see 2^nd Corinthians Chapter 8 verses. Please see 2^nd Corinthians Chapter 8 verses 1 to 5. It is instructive that they also completely surrendered to God as the Bible records that they first gave themselves to the Lord. Please see Philippians Chapter 4 verses 10 to 19. Paul prayed specially for their needs to be met by God; especially the Church in Philippi. 

Therefore, take advantage of the planting seasons God gives to you through His Holy Spirit and plant promptly. Do same for maintenance and harvest seasons and remember that methodologies differ (Isaiah Chapter 28 verses 23 to 29). The Holy Spirit will guide you if only you will pay attention. 

Be Sensitive to the Holy Spirit 3

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

The Holy Spirit is key to fruitfulness and multiplication and increase because He is the One Who gives divine direction which leads to fruitfulness. One of the ways to labor for profit is to walk in divine direction – obey the instructions of the Holy Spirit (Genesis Chapter 26, Psalm 127 verse 1, Proverbs Chapter 23 verse 4, Isaiah Chapters 45 verses 13 to 14, 48 verse 17, 58 verses 11 to 12. Fruitfulness, multiplication and increase come by the Holy Spirit. Please see Isaiah Chapter 63 verse 23, Ezekiel Chapter 29 verses 18 to 20.

It is quite instructive that because Paul and his team members were sensitive to the Holy Spirit and also obeyed the Holy Spirit, much result oriented work was done where the Holy Spirit directed them to, a field ready for harvest. Significantly, it buttresses the fact that it is not by might nor by power (Zechariah Chapter 4 verse 6). Paul and his colleagues wanted to go and preach in Asia (preaching the word of God is doing the work of the kingdom and this should gladden the heart of God); yet they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach in Asia, including Bithynia. This was because God had a different location for them; a place where souls ripe for harvest were waiting to hear the gospel but unfortunately no one was preaching the gospel there and then. Fortunately, Paul and his team members obeyed the Holy Spirit and allowed their steps to be ordered of God to Macedonia in response to the Macedonian call. Lydia and her household were harvested into the kingdom. Additionally, the girl with spirit of divination was set free.

Your Tongue can be a Healing Stream

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

The wise use of the tongue can ensure that your tongue becomes a healing stream. Please see Proverbs Chapter 15 verses 7, 23, 28, 14, 40, 4; 10 verses 11, 13, 20 to 21, 31 to 32; 12 verse 18, 16 verses 20 to 24; 15 verse 30.

One of the most pressing problems in the world today is the way people use their tongues. Hate speech is pervasive in spite of laws that have been enacted globally against the trend. People enjoy cursing; using four letter words, invectives at the slightest provocation. Unfortunately, this trend is fast becoming pervasive among Christians as some Christians are quick to use their tongues to make negative pronouncements against people who hurt them and abuse people who misbehave or are rude to them. This worrisome trend has assumed frightful dimensions as even some ordained Ministers of the gospel pronounce curses on people who offend or hurt them, use invectives against other people even from the pulpit. Beloved, this is not right.  The Scriptures do not permit such behavior. Please see Numbers Chapter 16 verses 12 to 35, 17 verses 1 to 7.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ consistently and always used His tongue as a healing stream just as God ordained for Him to do. Please Luke Chapter 4 verse 18 to 19, Isaiah Chapter 61 verses 1 to 3, John Chapter 6 verse 63. Severally, Jesus Christ used His tongue to bring healing, comfort, hope, life, deliverance and freedom from all kinds of oppression to great multitudes. Please see Acts Chapter 10 verse 38, Mark Chapter verses 17 to 27, Luke Chapter 9 verses 38 to 43 for details of His ministration to the epileptic boy; Luke Chapter 13 verses 11 to 16 for details of His ministry to the woman who was bent over for eighteen years; Matthew Chapter 9 verses 20 to 22, Luke Chapter 8 verses 43 to 48, Mark Chapter 5 verses 25 to 34 for details of the kind words He spoke to the woman with the issue of blood; Mark Chapter 5 for His ministry to the Gadarene demoniac. A number of other examples can be found in the gospels, Matthew through to John.

Women in Nation Building

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Women are relevant to God in diverse ways. This is because God also uses women as vessels of honor in nation building as well as healing the nations. However, for any woman to be relevant in God’s scheme of affairs, that woman has to be relevant to God in His own ways and timing. Significantly, you and I can become such women, vessels in the hands of God for nation building and healing the nations. How, you may ask? By possibly taking a cue from some of the women of relevance in the Bible; the women who were strategically positioned to fulfill purpose so that you and I are relevant in nation building and healing the nations as the world celebrates Mother’s Day on Sunday, 11^th March 2018..

By being Prayerful

Prophetess Anna was both prayerful and kingdom minded. After being widowed at an early age, Prophetess Anna spent her entire life working with God for the manifestation of God’s plans and purposes for humanity. She did this faithfully for about seventy years. After setting her eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, she willingly departed the earth for greater glories. Please see Luke Chapter 2 verses 36 to 37. Other women who were prayerful and in the process birthed divine destinies include Hannah the mother of Prophet Samuel, the mother of John Mark whose house was a house of prayer where constant prayer was made for Peter and he escaped the death trap of King Herod who killed believers for the fun of it. These women prayed down God’s plans and purposes. They were not asking God for the latest designs from the luxury designers of the world; neither were they asking for luxury homes. They were concerned with the will of God and were praying down the will of God, warring in the heavenlies against forces opposed to the will of God for humanity and His saints.

Honor the Giver of the Gifts

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

The Giver of the gifts is more important than the gift. The Giver of the gifts know when it is necessary to use the gifts, how to use the gifts, where to use the gifts, and to what purpose to put the gifts. Besides, He knows best what measure of the gifts to administer at each point in time. Gifts serve specific purposes and after the specific purposes, they may not be necessary or relevant again until God wants them used again.

However, we all need the Giver of the gifts; that is God at all times and at every point in time in our lives. Without Him, the gifts really would not be effective and we would not be any different from unbelievers who use their gifts for purposes that do not glorify God, do not honor or acknowledge God as the Giver of the gifts and do not use the gifts for His purposes. Unbelievers celebrate their gifts and believe that the gifts are more important than God; and a relationship with God. They therefore boast about their exploits from the use of the gifts and believe that their achievements are based on their own power. They do not give the honor to God, do not allow God to direct them on the use of the gift and therefore use it at will and for purposes that do not glorify God. They then behave like Sennecherib who boasted about his conquests thinking he conquered those lands in his own might and like Nebuchadnezzar who learnt the hard way.

Unfortunately, we are experiencing the same challenges in the Church today. Genuine spirit filled believers, ministers of the gospel who commenced ministry fully yielded to God progressively ignore God and His directions to them and begin to emphasize the gifts of God and ministry in them rather than God who called them and gave them the gifts. That is where some believers and ministers miss it. It is great to seek the gifts but is best and greatest to seek and honor the giver of the gifts. This is because in reality the gifts do not really function outside the Giver of the gifts. So if you focus on the gifts at the expense of the Giver of the gifts, you may lose the power and consequently seek power from other sources if you do not make a quick return to the Giver of the gifts.

The Significance of Light in Healing the Nations

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

In the creation story, the earth lacked form; there was chaos, lack of order, total disorder, and lack of direction. There was no clear cut direction, everything was done haphazardly; void and darkness was on the face of the deep. To give the earth form and fill the void, light was required to take away the darkness and give direction to the creation process. So God created light first. In like manner, light is required to bring order out of chaos and that light is the word of God, which comes through salvation by faith in Christ Jesus. Darkness symbolizes ignorance, absence of light, lack of understanding, lack of wisdom, foolishness, rebellion, confusion, unbelief, lack of direction.

Righteousness symbolizes light, right direction, clear cut specific direction, knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and obedience. It is only the righteousness of God that exalts a nation. Please see Proverbs Chapter 14 verse 34, Romans Chapters 3 verse 21 to 22; 10 verses 1 to 13; 9 verses 27 to 33 and 1^st Corinthians Chapter 1 verse 30. The morality of a person or persons in a nation/s cannot exalt the nation; neither does the supposed righteousness of the nation established outside of the righteousness of God. This is because the righteousness of man is like filthy rags.

Light represents clarity, knowledge, and understanding. That is why light excels darkness – Ecclesiastes Chapter 2 verse 13. Visibility and clarity is enhanced with light and greater mobility is assured in the presence of light. Light gives speed, leverage, an edge or edges over your competition. Light causes you to excel as you will have greater understanding of what to do, how to do it better; when to do it to achieve greater and better results – Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 verses 1 to 11, 17, 1^st Chronicles Chapter 12 verse 32 and where to do it.

Prayers for Missionaries in Healing the Nations

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Missionaries working in mission fields so that the unreached and unchurched can hear the gospel and be saved and become churched so that they can build Christian communities are almost always in the forefront of spiritual warfare. How? They are the ones in the front lines of battle, taking over territories from the enemy so that nations can be healed spiritually of spiritual ignorance and blindness. These courageous and brave people of God alongside their family members require fervent and unceasing prayers from the Church of God. It is therefore my plea that the Church takes up prayers for these wonderful sons and daughters of Zion. I have listed some prayer/praise items to which you can add as many as the Holy Spirit leads you to add. God bless you as you do so in Jesus mighty name.

Ask God to give missionaries favor and wisdom before the government and peoples of the lands in which they serve. Please see Acts Chapter 7 verse 10.

Ask God to strengthen missionaries to continually give themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. Please see Acts Chapter 6 verses 2 and 4.

Pray that God delivers missionaries all over the world from every form of persecution and afflictions. Please see 2^nd Timothy Chapter 3 verses 11, 4 verse 17, 2^nd Thessalonians Chapter 3 verses 1 to 2; Romans Chapter 15 verses 30 to 31.

Ask God to stand with missionaries all over the world and strengthen them so that the message of the gospel of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will be preached fully through them so that all the unreached peoples of the world will be reached with the saving gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please see 2^nd Timothy Chapter 4 verse 17.

Pray for open doors to countries and peoples that have shut their doors to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please see Colossians Chapter 4 verses 3 to 4, 2^nd Corinthians Chapter 2 verse 12, 1^st Corinthians Chapter 16 verse 9.

Ask God to break down all such resistance and opposition to the preaching of the gospel. Scripture cannot be broken – Psalms 2; 24 verses 7 to 10; 107 verse 16, Joshua Chapter 6.