Articles

If you have had an encounter with Jesus – if you have received Him as your Lord and personal saviour – then you have something very powerful to share with others. John 4 tells a story of a Samaritan woman who met a man at the well who actually revealed to her that He was indeed the Messiah. I encourage you to read the whole chapter. The woman of Samaria understood her mission. Immediately she had an encounter with Jesus for the very first time, she ran back to the city and told everyone, “Come, see a man, who told me all things that I ever did: is not this the Christ?” The Bible says they all left the city and went out to see Jesus (John 4:6-30).woman of Samaria… Woman of Samaria The woman of Samaria had never been to an evangelism event when she decided to share her testimony, at a short notice, with the whole city after she had an encounter with our Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ. Although, the woman anticipated the Messiah’s coming, she never expected to meet Him personally at that moment in time, let alone, be His witness – she ended up with the whole city following her to meet Jesus. She went into the city to tell the people to see if they were interested in meeting the Messiah, saying: “come, see a man who told me all things I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (John 4:29). It was her encounter with Jesus which made this Samaritan, a woman living morally depraved life, from a prostitute to believer in Christ and soul’s winner. On that afternoon, Jesus met her spiritual need for conversion and cleansed her of her sins. Straightaway, she became a powerful witness for Christ as she mobilized the men in the city to come and meet Jesus. ” You don’t have to be an apostle, evangelist, prophet, teacher, or pastor to be concerned about souls and share your faith. “ We’ve been introduced to the gospel of Christ for a while, if not long time ago. We’ve known enough to tell the message and impact on other people’s lives. I wonder, why haven’t many believers stood up and shown that they have the most important message that the world needs to hear? After going into the city to share her testimony, generating great interest and curiosity, the people of that city climaxed her story with the following powerful statement: “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42). You may think you can’t be Christ’s witness, but yes you can. The life of the Christian is to tell the gospel and disciple the world (Acts 1:8, Matt 28:18-20). What’s the most important message that you can give to people in order to change their eternal destiny? Nothing, but the Gospel of Christ because it’s the power of God to salvation (Rom 1:16). Many are on their way to destruction because the harvest is great, but the labourers are few (Matt 9:36-38). You don’t have to be an apostle, evangelist, prophet, teacher, or pastor to be concerned about souls and share your faith. We’ve all been called to be Christ’s witnesses. Don’t be afraid to share your faith, the Holy Spirit communicates through you, so you have a good working relationship. For the woman of Samaria, it was extraordinary to be thrust into the centre of such vibrant movement of a city to meet the Messiah because of her story. My friend, arise and share your story from today, for your light has come. Go and tell your friends and family what Christ has done for you and it will not be just a one-off, but the beginning of something huge because there is great harvest of souls out there to be won. My own experiences as a soul winner have driven me to encourage you. It’s the gospel of Christ that saves lives. I was saved when someone told me about heaven and hell. When I started going to church and studying the Bible, I realized that putting God’s word into practice was the best way to live a successful Christian life. But then I came across Matt 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8. I set up a prayer group and eventually started witnessing to unbelievers. There comes a point in your life where one decision has a big impact. And it has for me. Now I organised evangelism outreaches and conferences calling on believers to make soul winning their number one priority and also unbelievers to be reconciled to God. I travel around preaching the gospel of Christ with the demonstration of God’s mighty power at work in meetings – conferences, churches and open-air crusades. We’ve nothing to do in this world but to preach, teach and heal because we’ve been commissioned to go and make disciples of all nations and we are obliged to heed to our master’s command. Sharing your faith or making disciples is not always easy, especially for someone taking on a witnessing role for the first time, but Christ is clear about our cause: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20).  He is with you in your community and across the globe. Believers engaging in any sort of evangelism campaign, Christ is with you. We need to unify and stand together for Jesus and propagate the gospel because that’s the only way souls can be won. Witnessing for Christ must be demonstrated, and the easiest presentation is to say, “come and see”. Having known Christ, invite others to Him. I pray that soul winning will be on your top agenda from now on. Amen!

James chapter 4 verse 7 says ‘Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.’ So many times, when people quote this verse, they’ll talk about ‘resist the devil and he will flee.’ Well, what’s key about that verse is not only resisting. You and I can learn to resist the devil and we understand when we resist, he has to flee. But what’s key about this verse is ‘therefore submit to God.’ Sometimes, many prefer to pursue their own methods. They may think, “I’ll do it my way, according to my desires, on my schedule, and by my own means. And if any challenges arise, I’ll confront them using my own abilities, because I’m charting my own course.” Be encouraged to know that submitting to God can unlock a new level of anointing, discernment, wisdom, and power in your life. By surrendering your way, will, agenda, timeline, and emotions to God, He can help eliminate worldly thoughts and desires from your heart and mind. Trust in His guidance to lead you towards a more fulfilling path and you will realize that certain actions or decisions taken in the past were not aligned with God’s will. Grateful for this realization, it will cause you to express gratitude to the Lord for revealing this truth to you. You will acknowledge that those actions were carried out solely through your own effort, prompting a request for divine guidance and direction. When we submit ourselves to God, we become infused with his strength, wisdom, and energy. This allows us to resist the devil not by relying on our own self-control, willpower, or tenacity, but through our submission to God. By being submitted to God, we are already in a position to resist the devil, who will then flee from us.  Don’t worry about what you see ahead. What matters is who’s standing behind you, or better still, who’s living inside of you. Who’s inside us is the all-powerful God who’s greater than all. “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). On the outside you may look feeble, weak, or smallish; but tell the devil, don’t make a mistake about how I look. I’m stronger inside than I am outside. That’s the way to respond to the word of God. We are to live by the word of God. Because of this text of scripture, I can declare that I have the resistive ability of God in my Spirit. I’m not weak. I’m strong. The spirit of God has strengthened me. I’m resisting the devil so he will flee. God is our protector. He protects his children. You don’t mess with his children. I’m submitting to God. I’m totally backed by the King of kings. I understand that my strength comes not from my own little fortress, but from my submission to the almighty God. By cooperating with the Spirit of God and drawing strength from Him, I can resist the devil and he will flee. The lion of the tribe of Judah lives inside of me, and my ability to resist comes from my submission to Him, not my own strength. Isaiah chapter 54 verse 17 says ‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord. Take a moment to reflect on your current life situation. Are there any challenges that you may be facing and attributing to negative external forces from the enemy? Note what it says: It shall not prosper. Look at those things and refuse to accept them. Look at all your challenges and refuse to accept them. Be confident that you will overcome any challenges that may come your way, whether it be health issues, relational tension, debt, lack of funds, fear, anxiety, or depression. Know that no weapon formed against you shall prosper, and your submission to the Lord should always stem from this victory, rather than futile resistance and reliance on your own strength. The scripture goes on to say that ‘every tongue which rises against you in judgment, you shall condemn.’ There’re all kinds of tongues of judgment trying to rise up against you. Sometimes people make negative judgments about us that can be hurtful, like telling a spouse that they’ll never have a good marriage or that they’ll never change. The news also sometimes predicts negative outcomes, like inflation affecting our lives and dreams and the future of our children. However, it’s important to recognise that these are all tongues of judgement. Who are you to tell me what inflation is going to do to my family? Who gave you the right to be jury and judge over my life? No way! Who do you think you are? When you listen to the voice of God, and you know what God is saying to you then you get an attitude. Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass when the Lord has not commanded it? 38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that woe and well-being proceed? (Lamentations 3:37-38). The deeper my relationship with God goes, the bigger my attitude in a good way. The more you submit to God, the more you get the word of God inside of you. The more you die to yourself, the bigger God gets within you and the bigger your attitude. Don’t ever approach the enemy with a timid excuse and express your discontent with his influence in your life. Instead, boldly confront him with the fact that he has no authority, he is a defeated foe, and you possess the power and authority. Let him know that your words have power and it can cut through any situation like a two-edged sword. Strive to distinguish truth from falsehood and reject anything that attempts to elevate

Is there an area of weakness you’re struggling with? If there is a situation in your life where your strength has failed, it’s time to let God’s strength take over! When you see the insufficiency of your own strength, the answer is to depend on the Lord’s strength. You see, the Spirit’s desire is for you to be strengthened with might in your inner man. You don’t need to have all the answers or hold everything together with your own strength. Instead, labour to enter into rest and allow the Lord to lead you and His strength to carry you through. The key to all victory in the Christian life is learning how to depend on the Holy Spirit for strength. In this article, learn the keys to seeing God’s miracle-working power abound in areas of failure and frustration. Discover how to get the divine inner fortitude and strengthening in your spirit to forge ahead in life, and be blessed as you read. There’s a strength of God that has been placed in our inner being. So, I want to share some amazing scriptures with you, because I believe that these verses are something that you need. You can pray and ask the Holy Spirit that you need a revelation of his strength. Let’s look at this incredible and amazing scripture. Here is a prayer of Apostle Paul for the church recorded in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 16. It says, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being”. This is one of the key principles when we talk about the strength of God in our inner being. This text of scripture says that we are strengthened by his Spirit in our inner being. We need to rely on his strength. This is one thing that we must consider and do. The reason is that there’s a tendency for every single one of us to make our own way, become our own person, and have the type of mentality of the world, where everything is based on our strengths, talents, gifts, initiative, hard work, and opportunities. We are in a world where everything is supposed to come out of you, and so it’s very much the self-made man and the self-made woman, but God has given us such a great privilege that we don’t have to rely on ourselves. We have access to the strength of God that not only supports us but also resides within us. If we can keep renewing our minds to relying on God’s strength and not our own, we will soon realize the immeasurable strength of God that we can truly access for our everyday lives. It’s a fact that if you keep trying to do things with your strength, you get worn out, tired and frustrated. You reach a point where you don’t care anymore even though it is something you care about. You have just tapped your strength and there is nothing left to give. This is a really easy thing for all of us to do. How do we rely on his strength? How do we get to a place where God’s strength and only his strength is the thing that is our constant source? You need to recognise who is living inside of you. Maybe you are in a situation right now and you don’t know what to do. You could say to your heavenly father, ‘Lord I don’t know what to do but I know you live inside of me. Therefore, wisdom, power, strength and ability can come out of me at this moment because I’m going to rely on your strength and not my own.’ Your strength comes from who he is inside of you and once that’s established in your mind, the next step is learning how to access it. How do I draw out the strength? It’s not about you trying to get God to notice you by saying, God, ‘look at me: I’m praying, serving, loving, and doing. Therefore, I’m worthy of your endowment of strength and power because I’ve been so good this week’. No, that’s not how it works because you’ll never be good enough to access the things of God. That’s why he died for us so that you and I just had to receive him. Because He lives in us, you’re not performing to get access to his strength. You just go and you have access and that’s the beauty of it. Even for praying, studying, and serving, I don’t want to do that out of my own strength. I don’t want to have a relationship with God out of my own strength. I want to do that out of the strength of God inside of me. Therefore, I run to him and say ‘Lord, show me the best way to do it. What should I be reading, and Lord, how do I pray and how do I interact and serve’? So that I’m relying on the Spirit rather than trying to do it by the flesh. The Bible says in Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17 that ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new’. We need to understand the new creation reality that when we became born again, the spirit of God came to live inside of us. Not a spirit, nor an angel came to live inside of you. The spirit of God himself came to live inside of you. That means all the might, all the power, all the fullness of the Godhead bodily live inside of you and the enemy does not want us to realize that.  You need to understand that all the character and potency of God and the personification of Christ are in you by the Holy Spirit. Christ in you the hope of glory. So, when you say Christ is in a person, you are looking for all of

Is God first in your life? Seeking God first is a transformative practice that impacts one’s identity, purpose, decision-making, character, and relationships. By believing in God and seeking Him, you can experience a sense of spiritual connectedness that can bring deep joy, peace, and a sense of purpose. You see, faith involves not only a mental acknowledgement of God’s existence, but also a deep trust in His plan and a desire to cultivate a personal connection with Him through prayer, study of scripture, and living out your faith daily. Believing in God and seeking Him first have profound implications for a believer’s personal growth and overall well-being, and they are foundational to living out the principles of the Christian faith and experiencing a fulfilling and purposeful life. This article encourages you to renew your commitment to believing in God and seeking Him first. Make Him the priority in your life, and He will never let you down. Be blessed as you read! Don’t let your fears, worries, or troubles overwhelm you – focus on the One who is able to supply all your needs. So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:31-34). Matthew 6:33 tells us that when we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, He will give us everything we need. It is a matter of putting God first in our lives. Simple? Yes. Easy? Not necessarily! Sometimes we can get our priorities out of order and begin putting things ahead of Jesus in our lives. It’s important to reaffirm day and night that you are not seeking the things that God gives but instead, you’re seeking God and because of that, you will receive his abundance in your life. Seeking God first requires building an intimate relationship with Him that will sustain you every day of the week. God knows what we need better than we do, and He longs to provide it. However, He requires that we make Him a top priority in our lives. You always have to keep that fine line there and make sure that your attention is always upon the supplier rather than upon the supply that He provides. That’s what Christ is drawing our attention to in Mathew 6:33. God must be our first priority. And I can tell you, no matter what the rest of them are, if God is not first nothing in your life will work out. I believe that this article can be a source of comfort and guidance for those who are seeking prosperity and the blessings of God, including healing. If you have been side-tracked and lost focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, I pray that you may find renewed strength and direction through these words. You might have been caught up trying to believe God for something. But why do we believe God for things? Why can’t we just believe God? We have to prioritize seeking God and trust that everything else will fall into place. “Seek first the Kingdom of God,” and here comes the promise, “and all these other things will be added unto you”. So, really, I mean, what else do you need to say? What is it that you want? You may say, ‘Oh, I want a boyfriend, I want to get married’. Well, you know what? Seek God and trust him to bring the right person into your life at the right time. You may be believing God for prosperity – you may be believing God for a new house. But why can’t you just believe God and let the new house come? It’ll be added unto you, the Bible says. You think it’ll be hindered if you don’t believe God for it. But did you know you’re hindering it by believing God for it because you’re diverting your attention to the things God gives instead of focusing on God, the producer and our provider? The Bible says to seek God, to seek peace, to seek holiness. And, there’re a couple of other things, but it never tells us to seek money or prosperity. The Bible never tells us to seek promotion or bigger houses. It just says to seek God and the things that are important to God. But the word ‘seek’ means to pursue and go after in a very strong way. “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug for themselves wells that have no water in them” (Jeremiah 2:13). I love this because it conveys the idea that rather than trying to find me, you’re preoccupied with pursuing things you believe will bring you happiness or success. However, after obtaining these things, you realize they don’t really fulfil you. The vast majority of Christians love God, yet they get to a stage where they spend so much time believing God for things in such a way that they can stop believing God if they don’t get what they are believing for. So, many are moved by problems. They aren’t content with what they have. They are preoccupied with the need to have things and they forget that those things will be added unto them when they seek God. I’m not saying that those things are evil, but I’m saying that if you are not content with food and clothes, it shows a vital deficiency in your life. It shows that you have not kept your attention focused on Jesus, the author and the finisher of your faith. That’s one reason your faith hasn’t got you all the things that you’ve lusted after. It’s because your attention hasn’t really been

There are so many things that call for our attention and devotion. Our jobs, kids, spouses, pursuits in life and hobbies can all become demands and distractions of life. We must however take caution not to allow anything or anyone to surpass our relationship with God in importance or priority. Most people tend to seek first things that meet their physical needs. As long as they have enough money to cover all their needs, they’re content. But this isn’t what God’s word teaches. Don’t let the busyness of life keep you from putting God first in your life. And know that as a child of God, it is your Father’s pleasure to meet all your needs. Choose to put God first. Acknowledge that without Him, you can do nothing and invite Him to have His way in your life as you seek Him first in all that you do. This article encourages you to put God first in your life. Be blessed as you read. The way you get things isn’t by seeking things, but by seeking God. We seek God and he adds the things. Seek him first and let him give you the things. We are supposed to have things but my friend, seek first the one thing that matters most. Seek God first and he will give you the things. That’s the best thing to do. Matthew chapter 6 says it’s by seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all things shall be added unto you. But seek first his kingdom, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). What are you seeking today? Is it a relationship, finances, or spiritual growth? Sometimes we can get our priorities out of order and begin putting things ahead of Jesus in our lives. Jesus reminds us why it’s important to seek him first. The main aim of the Lord’s teaching is to move us from a mind that seeks the things God produces to a mind that truly seeks the almighty God Himself who supplies all our needs. Jesus wants us to understand that God desires our wholehearted commitment to him (see Matthew 6:33). We fill our minds and lives with what matters most to us, while the people of this world fill their hearts with desires that can only be fulfilled by the things of this world. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:4-5). So let me ask you a question. Is the Kingdom of God first in your life? In case you’ve forgotten this let me just remind you that you don’t have to seek things and neither do I. We seek God and he adds the things. Do you want to get married? Seek God and let him give you the right person. You want to make sure you wait on the Lord and rely on him to get a good wife or husband. This is because if you get a bad one, you would wish you were single again. Are you looking for a job? Seek God and let him give you the right job. Seek God and let him do the right things in your life. All other things God has promised, therefore we must expect them. But we need to seek first the Kingdom of God. When Christians set priorities in their lives it is good, but what things are you prioritising? The Bible says, “Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth” (Colossians 3:2). When my mind is set on the things above I will “seek” God’s “kingdom and his righteousness” above all else in this life because I will get knowledge, wisdom, discretion and prudence (see Proverbs 2:1-14). “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17). I love to just look at that verse over and over again. I want you to look at this. It’s so intriguing. And he himself existed before all things and in him all things consist and are held together. He’s holding everything together right now. If it weren’t for Jesus, everything would fall apart. Look at verse 18: “18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the pre-eminence” (Colossians 1:18). He is the head of his body, the church, seeing that he is the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead. Just get this last statement: That in all things He may have the pre-eminence. So that he alone in everything and in every respect might occupy the chief place, stand first and be preeminent. That’s such a great scripture. So, what are some of the things that could be first in our lives that probably shouldn’t be? Well, how about making money? 1 Timothy 6 says “6 Now Godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”. Matthew chapter 6 tells us not to take any thought about the things that we’ll eat, or the things that we’re clothed with, or any of the details about how this life is going to be supplied. In 1 Timothy chapter 6, the scripture says that we didn’t bring anything into this world and it’s certain we can carry nothing out. If you will not take thought for those things and seek first the kingdom of God, you will be rich. He will add these other things unto you. But

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). We’re just earthen vessels but we have an extraordinary treasure on the inside of us. The earthen vessels that the Bible is talking about are our physical bodies. This is a metaphor to compare the relative worthlessness of our bodies to the matchless value of Christ in us. Our bodies are like clay pots that contain the precious and extraordinary treasure of Christ. We have the presence of God, His Holy Spirit, living inside of us. This is what God has designed for every believer. But if we don’t know what we have been given, then obviously we cannot participate and cooperate with him in this new life that he has given us. This is what God wants for every believer. If we understand the privilege that we have and cooperate with the Spirit of God in our generation today, we will begin to see the supernatural power of God flow into the ordinariness of everyday life. God will take that ordinariness and turn it into extraordinary. Something natural becomes supernatural because of the presence of God. The presence of God is a game changer. We are not in the old covenant anymore. We are the temple of God. We are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. We carry God’s presence. This truly is a treasure, far beyond the price of money. It was purchased with the precious blood of Christ. “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19). The Bible is talking about our present union with Christ and all the benefits that we have. We have an extraordinary treasure – the light of God, shining in our hearts through Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Bible in 2 Corinthians 4:6. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ”. We have extraordinary benefits in Christ. Christ is the light of the world and He has given us his light, and that’s an extraordinary treasure. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). He also said to every believer “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mathew 5:14-16).  “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own”? (1 Corinthians 6:19). Many still don’t know today, because they are calling the presence of God to show up, or to come from heaven. They go to church and they think if the music is just right, then the Holy Spirit will come. If the sound is just right, then the Holy Spirit will come. If the singing is just right, then God will show up. Christ was with us, Emmanuel God with us, but now He’s in us. He’s an extraordinary treasure that we have. We now house God, and that’s a great privilege. We are God’s dwelling place. This is a vivid illustration of the mystery of God (Colossians 1:26-27) and our responsibility is to present our bodies as members of righteousness unto and in union with Him (Romans 6:13). The Apostle Paul asked, do you not know that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, who you have from God, and you are not your own? Do you not know that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you? Notice he didn’t just say who is with you, but the key here is that He is in you. When the Apostle Paul asked “Do you not know?”, it’s important to acknowledge that many people didn’t know then, and many Christians still don’t know now. This can be attested to due to what we hear many leaders saying. They often call for the presence of God to “fall down,” but it’s not clear what they mean by that or how it translates into practical actions. They’re calling for the presence of God to come from out there somewhere and I think that’s a wrong belief that has crept into the body of Christ. This is how it was in the Old Covenant. Nobody had the spirit of God living in them in the Old Covenant. It was God with them but that’s not so in the New Covenant. All that we celebrate today because of God’s grace is the fact that the presence of God is now in us. Therefore, the Apostle Paul wanted to ensure that people understood. This is because lack of knowledge leads to perishing in areas where we lack knowledge. The word of God clearly defines for us what the New Covenant looks like and how we can operate in this New Covenant. I’m sure you’ve heard it like I have, that in the right atmosphere, the presence of God will descend upon the congregation during service. That when the music is just right, you can imagine the Holy Ghost just saying I’ve got to go down there and be a part of this. But that’s not true. Aren’t you grateful that we carry God’s presence as the temple of the Holy Spirit, independent of any atmosphere as stated in scripture? Unfortunately, many people today are teaching things that

What is it in your life that you treasure? Is it someone? Is it something? Is it some experience in your life? What is it that you treasure? When we consider what we treasure the most, what does it really mean? To treasure something means to hold it dear, close and protected. That thing holds a high value to you and you love it dearly. So, what is it that you truly treasure in life? When you think about treasure, what do you imagine? Most people would answer, “Money, prosperity, and riches.” However, if that is the only thing that comes to mind, then you must be very poor. The best things in life are not material possessions, for they transcend the material realm. The best things in life are of a higher quality, beyond the grasp of material possessions. So, let me ask you again: what do you possess that you treasure most? Is it your spouse, children, job, or your friends? Do you know that you possess Christ? If you’re not a Christian, that won’t make one bit of sense to you, and I understand that. But most of you are, and a lot of you who are reading this are. You’re believers. And of all the people who had many things to treasure, Paul, the Apostle and bondservant of Jesus Christ, was certainly one of them. It’s interesting in the Scripture that he mentions that we have this extraordinary treasure in us. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). This treasure is Christ Himself living inside of us, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). We have the presence of God, His Holy Spirit, living inside of us. This is what God has designed for every believer. We have the hope of glory. As believers, we need to treasure what we’ve received, heard, seen, and experienced. We are to treasure it in our hearts, quietly holding it there, pondering, examining, and enjoying it. The apostle Paul said: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8). God wants us to put him first. He wants us to treasure him most. The reason he wants us to put him first is so that we will not have our hearts drawn away from the things of God. The Bible says when we hear the word; because of the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things can come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful (see Mark 4:19). A key to success in the kingdom of God is singleness of purpose. The apostle Paul said:  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13). We need to have singleness of purpose because we don’t have the capacity to do our best in two areas at the same time. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). Yes, there’re some material things that are good, and God is a good God. He gives us what we need and much more than we deserve – much more oftentimes than we expect or anticipate (Ephesians 3:20). Therefore if we will simply put God and His kingdom first in every area of our lives, He will add unto us all the wealth that we need (Matthew 6:33).

Your belief activates God’s power. Faith, at its core, is deep-rooted in the expectation of good things to come. It goes beyond hope. True faith keeps an expectant heart – that means trusting God no matter what the circumstances may look like. The Christian life is a life of faith in God’s grace. The more of His grace we receive, the more faith springs forth. Without faith, we simply cannot please God. Faith in God’s character and promises motivates us to trust, love and obey Him. Faith causes us to act on what we haven’t experienced yet, to believe promises in the Bible that haven’t been fulfilled yet, and to trust God when our situations haven’t changed yet. I want to encourage you to build your faith in God and trust Him in everything. Be blessed as you read. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Many of us are familiar with this popular scripture and we often quote it. “Without faith it’s impossible to please God”. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, he constantly commented on faith. He looked at people and evaluated them in many cases by their faith or their lack of faith because faith is very important to God. We, as humans don’t often think about these things. Two kinds of faith amazed Jesus: great faith and little faith. He’d say you have little faith, or you have such great faith, or your faith made you whole. He used those terms constantly because God can’t do any more for you than you believe. For example:“When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Matthew 8:10).  Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour (Mathew 15:28).    And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” (Mark 5:34). There were times when Jesus marvelled at the little faith of His disciples.But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm (Mathew 8:26). If there’s any day in our lives or any time in our lives where faith was important, it’s today. If you want to be happy with all the madness going on in the world, then you just need to learn to walk by faith because it’s available. It doesn’t matter what’s happening around the world.  It won’t affect you when you have faith. God put you on this earth with your destiny intact. So, don’t be distracted by the negativity out there. Anything you need can be found in God, so have faith in the one who knows tomorrow. We can laugh, love, and live the life that God has for us no matter what happens. It’s a lie to think that just because our country, economy, and the world situation have taken a certain direction, you can’t become the person that God intended you to be or accomplish what you could have at a different time. That’s just not true.  We possess our destiny by faith. Yes, there is war in Ukraine, we have a high cost of living, and getting on the property ladder is so difficult – but these factors can never affect the destiny of a child of God. Our focus must be on God, and not on living independent lives. “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps” (Jeremiah 10:23 NIV). Your faith will enable you to accomplish whatever God created you to be and to do on this earth. Therefore, you can protect your destiny by how much faith you have in God. Your destiny depends on your obedience to the will and plan of God for your life. We look not at things which are seen but at the things which are not seen. The things which are seen, which is what I call bad news is all around us. It’s pumped into our lives 24/7 from every device we have. Any time you spend listening to or watching negative things on these devices is akin to listening to the devil. But there is good news out there. The program on some Christian television channels is called Good News because the gospel is being preached. There is good news in the world. It just doesn’t get as much coverage. Just know that there’re lots of good news going around. And the good news is so good that the bad news doesn’t matter. The good news can overcome and overrun all these negative things. Darkness cannot comprehend the light. The good news is so powerful it’s going to outlast the bad news.  It’s going to outlive the fake news. In fact, when the good news is fully manifested on earth, there won’t be any bad news left. We know God’s promises and accept them by faith. It’s so important to understand that faith pleases God, it honours God, and it’s important to God. He wants us to have faith in Him and therefore we need to be steadfast in our faith, which is possible. It’s very important to know that since we’re saved by faith, faith is something every person can exercise. Most of the things God has provided can only be accessed through faith. God will not act against your will if you won’t receive him. “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11-12).  “For God so loved the world that He gave His

Faith receives that which grace supplies and faith in Christ always honours God. When God speaks and you dare to believe him, he rejoices to bring his word to pass. It honours God that we believe in him even when every sense contradicts him. As new creations in Christ, our faith journey leads us to a profound experience of God’s love, a deeper understanding of His character, and more revelation of His blessings and miracles. The longer we walk with Him, the more evident these become. God is calling you to a deeper level of faith in him. He wants you to believe in His love and goodness towards you. So, start making decisions that honour God. In this article, you will learn about desiring to live for God’s honour through the expression of your faith. God wants us to walk by faith. God likes this method of relating to Him. He invented this method for us. He operates this way himself and he loves to interact with us by faith. The Bible says ‘for we walk by faith, not by sight.’ This concept of a walk, in scripture, is symbolic of a lifestyle. A walk is progressing through life. We read in the book of Genesis that Enoch walked with God, and we are encouraged in the New Testament to walk in the light as he is in the light.  So, the walk has to do with life here in this world, and walking by faith is what honours God. Walking by faith is a simple principle that is very difficult to do. Most of us are more dominated by our sense of sight than we are by our faith, and therein lies our basic problem. When we renew ourselves to the point that faith dominates sight, then miracles happen. The Christian life is to be regulated and conducted by faith, as opposed to the external and outward appearances of physical sight. There is a sense in which sight is involved, but it is the spiritual seeing of faith rather than seeing with the physical eye. We may not like faith, but God wants us to operate in faith because faith honours Him. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. The object of all true faith is God Himself, and not having faith in one’s faith. Faith must always go back to the promise of God and the God behind that promise. Faith carries the idea of being certain and assured of the reality of what is believed (Hebrews 11:1).  We walk by faith, not by sight, and these two principles of life of course are contrary one to another: Faith and sight. Faith is believing God as being God as he’s revealed himself to us. Faith is responding positively to God’s promises. A particular promise of His Word must be seen, heard, understood, and believed in the heart (Matthew 13:15, 23; Romans 10:8, 10) so that it may be acted upon and bear fruit. Faith is believing God’s word. Sight on the other hand is when we go by what we see even though God says something very different. So, these two principles of life are in opposition to one another. The big question is of course, which principle are we following? Do we walk by faith, or do we walk by sight? Even though sight says something completely contrary to what we’re given to believe, many of us don’t like to walk in faith. Humans prefer written records in a natural world context. We’d rather have substance. It’s all about seeing is believing. You don’t want your manager to pay you by faith. Employers don’t want their employees to show up by faith. They want them there in person. When you go to the bank, they don’t loan you money by faith. They want security, insurance, and guarantee. So, we don’t operate that way on the human level. But when you begin to relate to God, everything you do with God is by faith. He’s invisible, you can’t see him, you can’t touch him. And so, when you pray, you pray in faith. When you get saved, you get saved by faith. When you believe God for his blessings and his promises, you do it by faith. Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it’s impossible to please God. I love that because I want to please God and I hope so do you. I’m glad he rewards those who please him by seeking him in faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). He answers the prayers of those who please him. “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22). So, in this life who do you want to please the most? As for me, I want to please God and I hope you want to please God too. Faith is something everyone can do, so God has his kingdom set up this way so that we interact with him by faith. In God’s kingdom, you get what you believe for, and we receive by faith. In fact, you don’t even get what he’s paid for, you get what you believe for. So, grace makes everything provided by God available to us with no limit, but each Christian or each person on earth receives as much of God’s grace as he or she believes for. You don’t get what you deserve in God’s kingdom, you get what you believe for. For example, salvation is available to everybody through Christ, but only those who believe in him are saved. “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His

Do you want your life to be fruitful and fulfilling? Jesus commands us all to be fruitful, and He empowers us to be productive, maximizing every bit of our skills, talents and resources so that we may fulfil His purpose for our lives. We were created to be examples, testimonies that prove God’s faithfulness by being a blessing to the people around us. God calls us to make a difference as we abide in Him. We’re called to bear fruit in this world so the world will know God. Whether it’s being a blessing in the office place, the campus or even in your own home, God has called us all to be a light. The proof that you are a disciple of Jesus is that you bear spiritual fruit. Spiritually fruitful people express the image of God to those around them. This article shows you that living a fruitful Christian life is the calling of every believer. God wants you to be fruitful, so He talks about how important it is to abide in Him. It’s impossible not to bear fruit if you are connected to Him. In John 15 Jesus starts talking about how important it is for the disciples to abide in Him and He makes a comparison that I am the vine, you are the branches, and you have to remain in me. A branch can’t produce unless it’s attached to the vine.  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). So, how can you bear fruit? He’s the vine and all we are is a branch. All you’ve got to do is stay connected to Him and it’s impossible for you not to bear fruit, it’s impossible for God not to flow through you. The “fruit” is not produced by the believer, but by the Holy Spirit as we live in union with Him. Our part is to yield and trust; God’s part is to produce the fruit. He specifically chose you so He can flow through you to bear fruit.   “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you” (John 15:16). He says you didn’t choose me; I chose you. You’ll often hear people say things like “I found the Lord”. Well, the Lord wasn’t the one who was lost. God found us and we don’t always perceive it this way, but God has pursued you. You didn’t choose God. God has chosen you. He’s persuaded you; He’s drawn you towards Himself and what did He choose you for? The Bible says “I’ve chosen you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain.” God didn’t call you and choose you so that you could live a miserable life. As a matter of fact, in Galatians chapter 1 verse 4, the Bible says that Jesus gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil world. Not just the world to come, but now, this present evil world. We indeed have heaven waiting for us and that is a guarantee to all people who have a true relationship with God, and heaven is going to be full of joy, but the Lord came to deliver us from this present evil world. He saved you not just to live, but to bear fruit and let Him flow through you to benefit others. We are here to live profitable lives. Don’t be like the unprofitable servant. Make your life count. He said He came to give you life and to give it to you more abundantly (see John 10:10). The Lord’s will for you is to be above only and not beneath, the head and not the tail (see Deuteronomy 28). He ordained you to bear fruit that remains so that whatever you ask the Father in Jesus’ name, you will receive. God’s will is for you to be blessed and be a blessing. Perhaps you look at your life and feel like it’s not yielding results. Even if you create something, it seems to be temporary and not long-lasting. This is because you haven’t experienced the best yet. I’m not saying that to condemn you but so I can encourage you that God has more for you. If you don’t wake up in the morning and say; thank you Jesus for everything you’re doing in my life, if you aren’t excited about your future, it’s because you aren’t bearing fruit that remains, but know that this is God’s will for you. He wants you to bear fruit so that whatsoever you ask the Father in His name, He may give it to you. God wants you to be fruitful. God wants you to have an abundant life. If you’re not experiencing it, don’t assume you’re not good enough. I’m trying to get you to recognise that many people have not been bearing fruit because they aren’t expecting much. Many Christians are not looking for an abundant life. They’re just looking to get by, and that attitude will stop you from bearing fruit.  One of the things that is such a godly thing is to really be hungry for God. It’s not your choice whether to share the gospel or not. We don’t live for ourselves.  14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15). “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and