YOUR DESTINY, YOUR CHOICE - RICK WARREN

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

Your life isn't an accident. You have a destiny, one that only you can complete. The Bible says, “All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old” (Psalm 139:16 NCV).

God knows everything that’ll happen in your life. He’s not surprised by anything. And he knows your days have a destiny. We all get about 80 years, the Bible says. In the scheme of eternity, those 80 years are insignificant. So the Bible says this life is preparation for the next. God wants you to practice on Earth what you’ll do forever in eternity.

And he has given you a destiny —

something to do in this life, something only you can do . Before you were born, God wired you with certain ambitions, desires, and drives to play a particular role in history — one that only you can play.

The Bible says in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (NLT). Before you were born, God gave you a unique mixture of spiritual gifts, passions, abilities, personality, and experiences. There’s no one like you in the entire universe because, in part, there’s no one with your unique mix of talents. It’s why your destiny is so unique. It’s your destiny. Not your mother’s, not your father’s, not your pastor’s. It’s your destiny.

FACTORS AIDING CLOSED OR OPEN HEAVEN

"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him" (Matthew 3:16). 

We have evidence in the Scriptures that there is a general heaven and there is a personal heaven. Thus the heaven over a nation or a congregation could be open while the personal heaven of a particular individual in that nation or congregation could be closed. In the same vein, an individual may experience a personal open heaven while the communal heaven remains closed. Elijah and the widow of Zarephath were examples of people who experienced open heavens at a time when the rest of the society were under a closed heaven. In our Bible verse for today, many people were there for baptism, but it was only Jesus whose heavens were opened. 

HANDLING IRRESISTIBLE TEMPTATIONS prt 1

And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 

And he said, When all of you do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then all of you shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. 

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive" (Exodus 1:15-17, Updated King James Version).

JUST BREAKING: THE WAR AGAINST THE CROSS IN CHINA

By IAN JOHNSON

SHUITOU, China — Along the valleys and mountains hugging the East China Sea, a Chinese government campaign to remove crosses from church spires has left the countryside looking as if a typhoon had raged down the coast, decapitating buildings at random.
In the town of Shuitou, workers used blowtorches to cut a 10-foot-high cross off the 120-foot steeple of the Salvation Church. It now lies in the churchyard, wrapped in a red shroud.
About 10 miles to the east, in Mabu township, riot police officers blocked parishioners from entering the grounds of the Dachang Church while workers erected scaffolding and sawed off the cross. In the nearby villages of Ximei, Aojiang, Shanmen and Tengqiao, crosses now lie toppled on rooftops or in yards, or buried like corpses.
On a four-day journey through this lush swath of China’s Zhejiang Province, I spoke with residents who described in new detail the breathtaking scale of an effort to remove Christianity’s most potent symbol from public view. Over the past two years, officials and residents said, the authorities have torn down crosses from 1,200 to 1,700 churches, sometimes after violent clashes with worshipers trying to stop them.

ARE YOU LIKE JESUS?

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16.
Each time we go to church, we hear the message of Jesus. We are humbled at the message, and declare we are the light of Jesus. Monday morning finds us perhaps going to work, and that person pulls his car right in front of us, almost side-swiping ours. What do we do? Are we shining our light - asking Jesus to take care of him on his way this morning, or do we quickly drown him with our words? Then, we get to the office and things aren't any better. Someone does something or says something that we doesn't set too well with us, and what do we do? Do we open our mouth without thinking and speak the words we want to speak? Or do we take a moment to ask God to give us the words to speak, so that we won't offend?

THE PAIN OF A GOOD MAN

"A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just" (Proverbs 13:22).

We often hear about generational or foundational curses that need to be broken, but we hardly hear about generational blessings that has to be inherited. However, it is right to suppose that if there is something called generational curses, there must also be something called generational blessings. If there are foundational curses, there must be foundational blessings as well. Ishmael, Isaac, Esau, and Jacob were all beneficiaries of generational blessings.

YOU NEED TO GET IT RIGHT

excerpt from the pulpit
John 4:19-26
Jesus reveals that questions over where we worship are not as important as how and why we worship. Toward the end of the Book of Hebrews the writer explains, let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him (Hebrew 12:28 TEV)    .
That is our objective this morning. To discover from these words of Jesus how to worship God in a way that will please Him. We can observe from this passage that the kind of worship that pleases God has our characteristics:
- GOD IS PLEASED WHEN OUR WORSHIP FLOWS FROM BEING SAVED
- GOD IS PLEASED WHEN OUR WORSHIP IS SCRIPTURAL
- GOD IS PLEASED WHEN OUR WORSHIP IS SPIRITUAL
- GOD IS PLEASED WHEN OUR WORSHIP IS SACRIFICIAL

WHEN IS IT SAFE TO DIE?

Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word:

For my eyes have seen your salvation" (Luke 2:29-30, King James 2000 Version). 

There are a number of things said about the man Simeon in our passage for today. But the one that interests me most is Simeon's request to depart which literally means to die. How could a man opt to die when he is not frustrated nor tired of life? How could someone who did not have any problem whatsoever tell God, "Now, permit me to die?" I have never seen or heard of any man so joyfully asking for death like Simeon did. This dimension to Simeon's story raised a question in my heart which I want us to consider. The question is, "When is it safe to die?" When is it really okay to depart this world? Here are three answers we can get from Simeon. 

THE GRACE OF GOD TEACHES THE DENIAL OF WORLDLY LUST - ISAAC BOLUWATISE

Copied from www.isaacboluwatise.org

We need to carefully look through the whole scriptures before jumping to wrong conclusions.

Grace selected the #ten #virgins, same grace taught them what to do.

We did nothing to become partakers of His grace. Grace teaches us what to do after we have become partakers.

Right response made the first five wise; wrong response made the second five foolish.

The teaching of grace to us is for us to deny all ungodly lusts and to prepare for He that will come without tarrying.

Wisdom responds by being prepared, taking enough from the abundant provision we have been furnished with.

Foolishness takes things for granted by being carefree and presumptuous, living on yesterday provision without knowing to respond with tender heart when His voice speaks to us today.

While we live in the age of his grace, we must walk wisely, for the time comes when there will be no room for remedy.

Then the wise will walk into the kingdom of their Lord and the foolish, left outside where there will be everlasting regret.

Let us not take His grace for granted nor use it as a license for promoting the wrong.

The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying all ungodliness worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously in the present age, Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. Titus 2:11-15

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. Tit.3.3-8.

YOU DIDN'T TOUCH THE ANOINTED BY SAYING NO

You were running the race beautifully. Who cut in on you and stopped you from obeying the truth? 

Such influence does not come from the one who calls you" (Galatians 5:7-8, International Standard Version). 

There is the story of a lady whose pastor made consistent sexual overtures to, telling her there was nothing wrong with it and that it is better for her to do it with him rather than with an unbeliever. In fact, the pastor told the lady that it was a spiritual relationship he was inviting her into. I also heard the story of a businessman who was being taught by his pastor how to cut corners and engage in unethical business practices so that he could make more money and bring more offerings to the church. And I was also told of a pastor who intentionally introduced a woman to someone who would help the woman's high school ward to cheat in an examination. 

When your pastor asks you to do something that is unbecoming of a Christian, what do you do? How do you respond when a spiritual leader invites you into an unscriptural venture? How should you answer to an invitation to an ungodly journey by a supposedly godly person? The answer, of course, is to respectfully decline. Saying "No" in such a situation is not a sin before God, neither are you in anyway touching the Lord's anointed. You are only taking heed to ensure that no one stops you from obeying the truth. This is a very important matter because we are living in an era when more and more charlatans keep infiltrating the Body of Christ, claiming to be shepherds, whereas they are chronic wolves. 

Another thing to do is to seek counsel from mature Christians. Although you should be able to draw counsel from any mature Christian you can access, it will be easier and a lot more helpful if you have been in a spiritual relationship with such mature brethren. One of the very first person to consider is your pastor's spiritual father, if he has one. This is one of the reasons why it could be dangerous to put yourself under a pastor who submits to nobody. However, you have to be careful that in seeking counsel from others, it doesn't become a case of backbiting, mudslinging or embarrassing the person of your pastor. 

But the best thing to do is to fortify yourself against or ahead of such incidents. You do that by truly consecrating yourself to God. Consecrating yourself means completely setting your life apart unto God. It literally means dropping your whole life into God's offering basket and becoming His, absolutely, permanently and irretrievably. Genuine consecration will purify your conscience and make the voice of your spirit a reliable guide in your spiritual journey. Also, a truly and fully consecrated vessel is not easily susceptible to abuse. God's seal of ownership over his life serves as a repellant to abuse. If you suffer abuse or you are being invited into what is unbecoming of a believer, the first place to check is the level and sincerity of your consecration. 

The second way to fortify yourself is by taking time to study the word of God for yourself. It is the Scripture you know that you can stay true to. We have been admonished that studying the word is what keeps us from shame, error and embarrassment (2 Timothy 2:15). I have found that generally in life, what is in you determines what comes to you. The truth is that those who don't have time to study the Scriptures must necessarily have time to be misled. If you don't have a place of importance for the word of God in your life, you have unwittingly created ample space for deception to creep into your life. Errors of life have a way of finding those who are in the habit of dodging moments of personal study of the Scriptures. 

My dear friends, I urge you therefore to do what you need to do so that you may keep running your Christian race beautifully well. Fortify yourself so that no one would be able to cut in on you to stop you from obeying the truth. By the special grace of the one who has called you, may you be continually shielded from satanic errors designed truncate destinies. 

GOD HAS PREFERENCE - REVD MUYIWA OKUSEINDE

The LORD said, ‘Go to my servant

David. Tell him, “The LORD says this to you. You are not the right person to build a house for me to live in" (1 Chronicles 17:4, Easy English Version).

God has preferences. And whereas man could become helpless to the point that he would have no choice than to settle for whatever is available, the almighty God is never without choices. No one is indispensable to Him, and there is nothing that you have that God cannot do without. At a point, He literally did away with the whole world, wiping it clean by a flood of water, sparing only a single man with his family of seven. And like someone said, God didn't apologize. At another time, He told Moses that He was going to destroy the entire Hebrew race and raise a new nation for Himself through Moses. Moses knew God and understood that this was not a mere joke or an empty threat. It cost him forty days without food to partially appease God. Therefore, treating God as if He has no choice but to accept whatever we offer Him or do for Him is to demonstrate gross lack of knowledge. In fact, it is to belittle Him as God. 

David had a good, godly and commendable desire to build a house for God. He observed that while he lived in a beautiful house of cedarwood, the Ark of God abode under a mere tent. Observe his deep love and passion for God and His house. Consider the eagerness of his mind to show forth his love for God. But God sent a message to him, saying, "You are not the right person to build a house for me to live in". In effect, God was saying, "David my servant, while I appreciate your love and concern, I have my preferred candidate for this job, and you are not just the one". Remember that David had a fantastic relationship with God, to the point that the Almighty labelled him a man after His own heart. David was His treasured servant by the hand of whom He won many victories for Israel. Yet, God in His own wisdom decided that the man who had been valiant in the Lord's battles should not be the one to build His temple. So then, when His choice servant is not fit for a particular assignment, what becomes of the fellows that God has not classified as "my servant"? 

Today's pastors and General Overseers must especially give attention to this message. If the man with a right heart coupled with a passionate desire is not the right person to build for God, how then do we think that men with perverse mind and without the slightest desire for God would be accepted of Him? It is hightime today's church world recovered herself from the erroneous assumption that the God who made everyone could be boxed into a corner in which He would have no choice than to accept men He did not call who we throw up through carnal selection and election to shepherd His flock and lead His people. It makes no sense to think that the One who made everything cannot do without something or someone. If He made you, surely He can do without you. Simple common sense should confirm this to us because even humans dispense with what they have made from time to time. Friends, God has choices; He has preferences. He made that clear in the house of Mr. Jesse Obed when He sent Samuel there to anoint a king for Him. May God give us leaders in the Body of Christ who would hear Him like Samuel did. 

It is the same error of the mind that makes some folks in the church to become swollen-headed, acting as if God cannot do without them, either because of their giftings or the resources they control. They have conveniently forgotten that God owns all gifts and resources, and that He could at any time raise others with greater endowments. It is the same evil spirit that is responsible for all the miserable and beggarly offerings given in our churches. God told them during the days of Malachi that He is a great King, and that people should be mindful of this when bringing offerings to Him (Malachi 1:12-14). God has preferences, and if you care to ask Him, He would let you know who or what He wants, including the kind of offering He wants you to give Him. Let's stop treating Him as though He has no choice than to accept anything or anyone we foist on Him. He is not helpless, and therefore not bound to whatever we present to Him. Remember that we don't set standards for Him, He sets for us. Stop insulting divinity with the vilest from the stable of humanity. 

REPORT THE MATTER NOW

"LORD, turn your ears to me and hear (me). LORD, open your eyes and look (at this letter). Listen to the words of Sennacherib. He sent them to laugh in a bad way at the God who really is alive" (2 Kings 19:16, Easy English Version). 

During the reign of Hezekiah, Sennacherib the king of Assyria came to fight with the kingdom of Judah. The military challenge that Assyria represented was too great for Judah to confront. In his helplessness, Hezekiah reported the matter to God and the outcome was fantastic. Today, I want to encourage you to report to God whatever is ailing you, irrespective of the intensity and gravity of the challenge. 

Friends, I want you to know that there is no ailment known to man whose cure is not known to God. There is no affliction or plague in the human space that is too great for the Ancient of Days to neutralise. There is no crisis facing our world that will not bow before the Lord our God. And there is no problem confronting the sons of Adam that can stand before the Son of God. Indeed, it was for this purpose that the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). All the demons terrorising people tremble before the Most High. 

So what is it that is making life unbearable for you? What siege has the enemy laid against you to hook you up in one spot? You have every right as a child of God to report the situation to your heavenly Father, and I tell you, He will take care of it. Who is he that is seeking your life or threatening your peace? Who are the ones trying to frustrate the life out of you? Report them to the King of kings and LORD of lords. By the time God is through with them, they would be sorry they ever attempted to stand in your way. 

Child of God, your life is not meant to be trifled with by Satan or any of his agents. Whoever fights against you has called the almighty God to a contest. That is why God says, "I will contend with him that contendeth with you" (Isaiah 49:25). If there is anyone anywhere, fashioning an evil agenda against you, may thunder from heaven strike them down. If there is any damaging petition written against you or any evil letter to scare you, may such letters catch fire in Jesus Christ's name. 

But there is a caveat. Those who would report others to God must themselves live in such a way that others would not need to report them to God. In other words, your own obedience has to be complete before you ask God to punish another fellow's disobedience towards you (2 Corinthians 10:6). You cannot in all good conscience ask the Lord to punish evildoers when your own hands are filled with evil works. We must learn from Hezekiah, of whom it was written that he walked uprightly before God with a perfect heart and did that which was good in His sight (Isaiah 38:3). 

MY CHURCH, YOUR CHURCH

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD" (Psalms 122:1). 

Church is good when you've found yours. A lot of the frustrations people encounter in our various houses of worship is because many have not discovered "their own church". I want you to know that God has a specific church for you where He has ordained that you would serve Him and fulfill destiny. Until you locate that place, going to church would be no more than an unexciting religious routine. If you are not glad to go when it's time for church fellowship, something is definitely wrong. Perhaps you've not found your church, the place where God has written your name. 

I need to let you know that it is not every church that can be your church. Not even every good church will be good for you, just as it is not every good woman that can be a good wife for you. Going to church goes beyond the aesthetics of the building, the titles of the pastor and the caliber of the congregants. Going to church is a matter of destiny. This is why I believe that a lot of prayers should preceed your decision to pitch your tent with any particular church. If you are sincere in your desire to walk with God and you are willing to see church as a tool to advance that desire, you would have no problem with this message. 

At this stage, we must distinguish between righteous gladness and carnal rejoicing. I remember a young man who told me of his excitement to attend a particular church because he was sure to find gullible girls who he could fool and sleep with. Others are glad to go to a particular church because they would find business opportunities there. For some others, a particular church caught their fancy because of the physical food that is available there for free. All these may be called carnal rejoicing which would never last. Of course, the temporary nature of these sources of gladness partially explains the high rate of incessant church migration among today's church goers. 

However, there is the joy that comes from the Lord which is not dependent on material things and the padding of human ego. Such joy that the Holy Ghost gives is pure. It is the joy of salvation, the joy of knowing the Lord. It is the joy of a dynamic walk with one's creator, the joy of increasing in the knowledge of God and being fruitful in kingdom service for Him. It is the joy of pleasing the Lord as one gains progressive revelation of the nature of God and the principles of His eternal kingdom. Such joy can only be found in "your church", the place where God has ordained for you to serve Him. 

David experienced such gladness which made him to declare that a day in God's house is better than a thousand elsewhere. Then he added, "I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin" (Psalms 84:10, The Message). If you are part of a church that is not giving you this type of joy, then you have not found the right place of worship. If the church you attend makes you glad for other reasons apart from the ones enunciated above, you had better "talk to your legs" to take you away from that place because you are yet to find your church, the place where God has ordained for you to serve Him. The house of God must once again become a place where we may find God and experience the fullness of joy because we have found the presence of Him who is the joy of the whole earth.

SERIOUSLY SPEAKING, IT IS AN HOPELESSNESS SITUATION

"But godless people will die. They are enemies of the LORD. You will not see them. Like something beautiful, or like smoke, they will disappear" (Psalms 37:20, Easy English Version). 

While posting a comment on a recent edition of blog spot, a dear friend wrote, "a godless life is a worthless life. Everything is complete in God and with God. And all is emptiness without him. Even what appears full soon vanishes!". How true, indeed! 

The Bible confirms in so many places that a life without God is a life without worth. What is a godless life? It is that kind of life lived by a godless man. The Authorized Version uses the word 'wicked' to describe the godless man. In Psalms 36:1-4, the Bible in the Easy English Version gives us a good description of such a man: 

"The godless man does not obey (God). This tells me that: he is not afraid of God 

he does not see (that this matters) 

he tells himself that (God) will not see the bad things (that he does)

(he thinks that God) will not hate these bad things 

he says things that are bad and not true

he has stopped being honest

he does not do anything good 

he makes bad plans on his bed (at night)

he decides not to do things in a good way

he does not turn away from doing wrong things". 

A godless life is a hopeless life. Paul made reference to this when he was drawing attention to the blessings that Christ has brought to us (Ephesians 2:12). The "godless are like chaff". The wind could blow anytime and they are gone (Psalms 1:4). There are no certainties to their lives. They live for nothing, because once you are not living for God, whatever else you live for is worth nothing. "They (the godless) know nothing and they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness" (Psalms 82:5, Easy English Version). 

But the eternal dimension to this discourse is even more scary. A life without God ends up in hell. That's what the Bible means when it says, "the way of the ungodly shall perish" (Psalms 1:6). Another translation puts it very clear, "the way of the godless leads to death" - eternal death. That's really, really bad. And to think that once you get into that eternal realm, there would be no room for adjustments and amendments. This means that you've got to do what you've got to do right now to allow God in your life. 

Allowing God in your life begins with accepting His Son Jesus Christ into your life. Jesus is sent to the world as 'Emmanuel'. He is "God with us", that the Almighty might be revealed in us (Matthew 1:23). God did this so that we humans can quit living the godless life. And indeed, Christ came and demonstrated to us how to walk with God and partner with Him here on earth. Submitting to Christ and learning from Him is the most crucial employment we all should be engaged in for the rest of our time on the earth. I pray that the Lord will grant every willing heart sufficient grace for this in Jesus name. 

Direct Descendant Of Muhammad Sees Vision of Jesus 3 times, Gets Saved and Escapes Execution By Muslim extremist!

Credit: God's report

Direct Descendant Of Muhammad Sees Vision of Jesus 3 times, Gets Saved and Escapes Execution By Muslim extremist!

A devout Muslim whose family has direct ties to the prophet Muhammad saw a vision of Jesus Christ on three occasions, leading him to turn his back on Islam and follow the one true God, even if this means being labelled an “infidel” and marked for death by Muslim radicals.

Ali Sayed Husnain ShahDirect Descendant Of Muhammad Sees Vision of Jesus 3 times, Gets Saved and Escapes Execution By Muslim extremist!

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A devout Muslim whose family has direct ties to the prophet Muhammad saw a vision of Jesus Christ on three occasions, leading him to turn his back on Islam and follow the one true God, even if this means being labelled an “infidel” and marked for death by Muslim radicals.

Ali Sayed Husnain Shah narrated his astounding spiritual journey in his new book, “The Cost: My Life On a Terrorist Hit List,” according to God Reports .

Ali said his conversion began when at 15 years old, he traveled from his home in Pakistan to Oxford, England to visit his ailing aunt Gulshan.

After his arrival in England, he was shocked to find out that his aunt was no longer a Muslim, having embraced Christianity several years before he was born.

Ali could not understand why his aunt would dishonour their prominent Shia family by following Jesus. He became curious. After reading a book written by his aunt about her embrace of Christ, Ali decided to attend church service with her to learn more.

During the church service, the pastor asked the congregants, “Who wants to see Jesus?”

Ali said something inside him compelled him to rise up and walk towards the pastor, saying, “I wanted to see Jesus.”

The pastor then began praying for Ali. While this was going on, Ali said he felt heat coming from the pastor’s hand. At the same time a light behind his eyelids shone brighter and brighter. Ali said he suddenly felt weak as he crumbled on the floor.

Then Jesus appeared to him for the first time in a vision.

“My son, You wanted to see me. I’m here. Obey me. I will forgive your sins and give you eternal life.” Ali said Jesus spoke these words in his heart.

That night, while sleeping at his aunt’s house, Jesus appeared to him a second time in a dream.

“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Ali. “I will protect you.”

When Ali returned to Pakistan, he stopped worshipping in the mosque and secretly prayed to Jesus instead on the rooftop of their house so that no one could see him. He said whenever he prayed to Jesus, he felt totally at peace.

Although he was trying his best to keep his faith hidden, he got into a discussion with his classmates about religion and he inadvertently blurted out the name of Jesus. “If you want to know how to deal with sin, you have to pray to Jesus,” he told his stunned Muslim classmates.

He knew that he had placed himself in great danger by revealing his faith. Soon enough, his classmates attacked him and pinned him to the ground. An old man with a beard and turban then appeared with an angry face.

“You tried to make kafir out of our children,” the man shouted. “Islam gives me the right to kill any infidel who does that or speaks against our beloved prophet.”

The man then drew a knife and stabbed Ali in the chest, just narrowly missing his heart but puncturing his lung.

Ali felt an unbearable pain and then lost consciousness. Then—for the third time—Jesus appeared to him.

“You were injured because you were defending me. I will not let you die … I will protect you,” Jesus told him.

Ali survived the attack and is now a devoted disciple of Christ. narrated his astounding spiritual journey in his new book, “The Cost: My Life On a Terrorist Hit List,” according to God Reports .

Ali said his conversion began when at 15 years old, he traveled from his home in Pakistan to Oxford, England to visit his ailing aunt Gulshan.

After his arrival in England, he was shocked to find out that his aunt was no longer a Muslim, having embraced Christianity several years before he was born.

Ali could not understand why his aunt would dishonour their prominent Shia family by following Jesus. He became curious. After reading a book written by his aunt about her embrace of Christ, Ali decided to attend church service with her to learn more.

During the church service, the pastor asked the congregants, “Who wants to see Jesus?”

Ali said something inside him compelled him to rise up and walk towards the pastor, saying, “I wanted to see Jesus.”

The pastor then began praying for Ali. While this was going on, Ali said he felt heat coming from the pastor’s hand. At the same time a light behind his eyelids shone brighter and brighter. Ali said he suddenly felt weak as he crumbled on the floor.

Then Jesus appeared to him for the first time in a vision.

“My son, You wanted to see me. I’m here. Obey me. I will forgive your sins and give you eternal life.” Ali said Jesus spoke these words in his heart.

That night, while sleeping at his aunt’s house, Jesus appeared to him a second time in a dream.

“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Ali. “I will protect you.”

When Ali returned to Pakistan, he stopped worshipping in the mosque and secretly prayed to Jesus instead on the rooftop of their house so that no one could see him. He said whenever he prayed to Jesus, he felt totally at peace.

Although he was trying his best to keep his faith hidden, he got into a discussion with his classmates about religion and he inadvertently blurted out the name of Jesus. “If you want to know how to deal with sin, you have to pray to Jesus,” he told his stunned Muslim classmates.

He knew that he had placed himself in great danger by revealing his faith. Soon enough, his classmates attacked him and pinned him to the ground. An old man with a beard and turban then appeared with an angry face.

“You tried to make kafir out of our children,” the man shouted. “Islam gives me the right to kill any infidel who does that or speaks against our beloved prophet.”

The man then drew a knife and stabbed Ali in the chest, just narrowly missing his heart but puncturing his lung.

Ali felt an unbearable pain and then lost consciousness. Then—for the third time—Jesus appeared to him.

“You were injured because you were defending me. I will not let you die … I will protect you,” Jesus told him.

Ali survived the attack and is now a devoted disciple of Christ.

ADORNED OR NAKED?

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 

For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands" (1 Peter 3:3-5). 

"What matters is not your outer appearance—the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes—but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. The holy women of old were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their husbands" (1 Peter 3:3-5, The Message). 

One of the greatest errors of humanity is the thought that the face, arms and feet we see are all that there is to the creature called man. There is therefore overt concentration on adorning and beautifying the visible parts of our being. But the real you is far more than a nice haircut, muscular arms, athletic built, and designer suits. Lady, you've got to know that the real you is much more than trendy hairstyles, a smooth face, a nice figure, designer perfume, shoes and bags, and all the stuff that makes you a social celebrity. The Bible would have us know that the more important dimension to human being is the hidden man constituted by your soul and spirit. 

You may not have realised this, that your soul wears clothes just as your body does. This is what the Bible is trying to get us to understand in today's Scripture verses. But whereas your body needs shirts, trousers, blouses and skirts which could be of silk, woollen or cotton material, the clothing of your inner man is of a different substance. The adornment of the soul consists of 'garments' like meekness, gentleness, kindness, patience, humility, submissiveness, and a quiet spirit. The apostle Peter urges us, for instance, that all children of God should clothe themselves with humility (1 Peter 5:5). In another place, the Bible refers to the garments of the inner man as the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). 

A naked soul in a gorgeously dressed body is of no spiritual value. Ultimately, it will also be of no physical value. It is like a hungry soul in a well-fed body; it will continually breed inner frustrations and general dissatisfaction. Many marriages have crashed because the contracting partners rated external comeliness above inner beauty. Many other social relationships have gone sour for the same reason. If you are of them that prize external beauty at the expense of inner beauty, get ready for frustrations and disappointments in the journey of life. External beauty without inner beauty would ultimately be found to be a waste of life. 

This is why the Bible admonishes Christians to place emphasis on inward adornment. Moreover, God relates more with our inner being than with our physical presentation. That which catches God's fancy is not man's facial beauty but the beauty of the heart. Let us note also that even though women are particularly mentioned in today's Scripture, there is no gainsaying the obvious fact that both men and women are expected to take equal heed to this pious admonition. For as we have women who are obsessed with fashion, so do we have men who are crazy about swag. However, the Christian that will please God must learn to dress his soul in fine linen which is "the righteousness of saints" (Revelation 19:8). 

Maximize Every Opportunity Where You Are - Introduction - Dr Segun Oshinaga

In every phase you find yourself, there will be abundant opportunities to ‘serve’ and ‘minister’. In our text today, Joseph had every reason to be sad and disinterested in the welfare of others. Never make the mistake of ‘sulking’ and preoccupied with regret and pity party. No matter how bad where you are may be, look for opportunities to bless somebody else. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to think that just because they are in ‘winter’ in ministry or career, they cannot be useful to anyone. Don’t spread misery just because that is your temporal lot. In the midst of your misery, do some ministry!

“And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?”

Genesis 40:6,7

That is the lesson we learn from Joseph. He was locked down like a common criminal for a crime he didn’t do, yet found the time and strength to proclaim liberty for someone else. Remember I said earlier that one of the reasons why we go through these phases is to test our hearts. Can you be sad and wish that others be happy? Can you be struggling and genuinely be happy for those who are successful? It’s a test. And unless you pass this test, promotion is not certain.

That A Chapter Ends Does Not Mean The Book Has Ended (3) - Dr Segun Oshinaga

Let me just say here that our most important responsibility is to be in a position always to hear divine instructions. This miracle would have been lost on Elijah if he could not ‘hear’, talkless of obeying Him.
“Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.”
1 Kings 17:3,4
It is important to know that destiny is worked out in phases and we grow in sizes. From one level of glory (revelation and grace) to glory (achievements and advances). And nothing we experience is ever without the knowledge and plan of God. God knows every detail and He supervises every level.
1. Every phase has a preordained purpose. Every phase has a specific purpose in our life.
‘I have commanded the ravens to feed thee.’
Elijah going to the brooks was by divine instruction and direction. Therefore the provision was assured and protection certain. Throughout that phase of his life, the ravens performed as instructed. God has our lives planned out. Make no mistake about, every minute detail, down to feeding was planned by God.
The ‘means’ have divine instruction to sustain you. Whatever ‘means’, ‘infrastructure’ or ‘platform’ that you find yourself already has divine order concerning your life and destiny.

That A Chapter Ends Does Not Mean The Book Has Ended (2) - Dr Segun Oshinaga

More importantly, you must remember that you have no control over the ‘means’. Be they people, offices, appointments or circumstances, we have no control over them. They are entirely at the mercy and discretion of God. Our part is to be faithful and wise in the use of the opportunities that God provides.

“Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.”

1 Kings 17:3,4

Let me just say here that our most important responsibility is to be in a position always to hear divine instructions. This miracle would have been lost on Elijah if he could not ‘hear’, talkless of obeying Him.

“Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.”

1 Kings 17:3,4

It is important to know that destiny is worked out in phases and we grow in sizes. From one level of glory (revelation and grace) to glory (achievements and advances). And nothing we experience is ever without the knowledge and plan of God. God knows every detail and He supervises every level.

DESTINY LINK - DR SEGUN OSHINAGA

The death of Moses was a devastating blow in the historical march of the people of Israel to the Promised land. He had played such an almost irreplaceable role of leading God’s people from a land of bondage, slavery and hopelessness through the dessert, disappointments, rebellion and many trials.

“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses assistant, saying: Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, the children of Israel.”

Joshua 1:1-2

To fully understand the gravity of the calamity that the death of Moses represented to the children of Israel, we must understand that he was all they had or knew in their walk with God since they left the land of Egypt. So in their minds they had reached the end of their ropes. They could not imagine how they could continue without the man who had been their singular middleman between them and God, their hopelessness and hope, between where they were coming from and where they were headed.

So it was natural that they were in a state of shock, extreme despair and utter confusion. It was in that dark, drab and gloomy circumstance that God spoke to Joshua, who had served as helper and assistant to Moses. “Moses, my servant is dead,” was God’s way of bringing home to them the finality of Moses departure. It was time to put paid to their dreamy, eerie rationalization of the absence of Moses. He had to jolt them awake from their state of despondency and the resulting immobility. It was a ‘stop-press’ moment – Moses is dead! Gone! Get used to it.

There are several spiritual applications in this drama. Many of us are still cradling, pampering and romancing ideas, dreams or projects whose time and purpose had passed. We still hold these dead babies in our hearts and hug their carcasses. God has moved on but we are tied down to this stage that God wants to graduate us from. It could be in business, or in relationships; we just don’t know when to move on. We squander precious time and resources on battles that have been lost though we don’t seem to know it. We are still in the trenches fighting causes whose time has passed.

CHARLES FINNEY

CHARLES FINNEY: AN EXAMPLE OF A MAN MIGHTY IN PRAYER

Those who have been mighty in prayer have always been those who have come before God and have reminded Him of His promises and of His Word. I suppose Charles G. Finney was one of the most outstanding exponents of prayer who ever lived. He is known as the man who prayed down revivals. As far as church history is concerned, he had the greatest success concerning converts of any other minister since the days of the Early Church.

Supposedly, more people remained saved under his ministry after conversion than in any point in history since the days of the evangelistic journeys of the Apostle Paul. Whole cities were stirred because of Charles Finney's prayers. For instance, I read in his autobiography that in 1829, Finney went to Rochester, New York, and conducted a meeting, and practically everyone in town got saved. All of the honky-tonks and beer joints were closed down. There wasn't a place in town left where one could buy anything alcoholic to drink. Nearly everyone in town had to have gotten saved in order for that to happen. The only theater in town closed up. Vaudeville was popular then, but there was no need to put on a show if no one went to the theater! There was such a move of God that when the circus came to town, there was only one performance and only two people showed up! The circus had to close down and leave town. Everyone was interested in God. The revival was on.

The people just weren't interested in anything else. You can learn something from a fellow like Finney. I also read from Finney's autobiography that he was a Presbyterian minister and then a Congregationalist. When Finney was a Presbyterian, he was holding a meeting sponsored by the Presbyterian church. He told about going to another place in New York to preach in a Presbyterian church on a Sunday afternoon. Finney had been talking for about fifteen minutes when suddenly the power of God fell on him, and four hundred people fell off their seats onto the floor (there were more than four hundred people present). They fell to the floor under the power of God. Finney hadn't seen that happen before. He found out that all four hundred people had gotten saved; they had all been sinners.

When you read about Finney, you find that he was a real man of prayer. I read in his autobiography years ago, and he said that he'd had some experiences in prayer that alarmed him. (I wish we could say in the same way Finney meant it that we had experiences in prayer that alarmed us!) What Finney meant was that many times in prayer, he found himself saying to the Lord, "Lord, You don't think that we're not going to have revival here do you! You don't think that Thou couldst withhold Thy blessings. You said in Your Word to ask and it would be given us."

Finney said he found himself telling the Lord what the Lord had said in His Word. He found himself telling the Lord that He was obligated to perform His Word because He had said it. The following is an excerpt from something Finney said, and it shows us that Finney prayed for results, basing his petitions firmly on the promises in God's Word. I was constrained to pray without ceasing. [I could not rest in the house and was obliged to retire to the barn frequently through the day, where I would unburden my soul and pour out my heart to God in prayer. I had wonderful faith given to me at that time, and had some experiences that alarmed me.

When alone I would wrestle and struggle, and my faith would rise till I would say to God] that He had made a promise to answer prayer, and I could not, and would not, be denied. [I could be so burdened as to use such strong language to God in prayer.] I felt so certain that He would hear me, and that faithfulness to His promises, and to himself, rendered it impossible that He should not hear and answer, that frequently I found myself saying to Him, "I hope Thou dost not think that I can be denied. I come with Thy faithful promises in my hand, and I cannot be denied."' (Kenneth Hagin)

YOUR TESTIMONY

EXCERPT FROM THE PULPIT

Halleluyah , welcome to the month of May, may you enjoy exceeding grace this month in Jesus name.

Don’t be surprise when God surprise you this month, I am very sure that you will share your testimony with me and mine with you.

How weighty is the word of your mouth?, what do you report about yourself? The picture you see of things depend wholly on you.

While Joshua and Caleb saw through God’s eyes, the other 10 decided to report their fears.

I would like you to note this your confession becomes your possession. Not until you start looking forward, you can’t move forward.

Severally times, Solomon echoed in Proverbs about the danger attached to using the tongue negatively but before I highlight any of this, let me share with you factors that influence the way you talk.

YOUR WORD POSSESSION, Joshua 1:8
Lack or abundance of God’s word influence what we say with our mouth, you could detect this when satan quizzed Jesus. Each of Jesus reply was from the old testament. Whatsoever, you devote your time to dictates the pace of your life.

YOUR MIND POSSESSION, Proverbs 23:7
The dominant thought in your mind becomes the nearest respond to things around you. Note Matthew 12:33, every one of us must allow the word to influence our mind for us to influence our world. Poverty in the mind will result to impoverished lifestyle. A mind bereft of ideas tend to complain and criticize even the ant on the floor.

YOUR PEERS POSSESSION, Psalm 1
Joshua and Caleb were always close to Moses, no wonder they came up with a good report, it is left for us to investigate how the other ten have been living their life before this mission. People around you could influence how you see things. You can loose your independent mind merely walking with some people.
We will be  deceiving ourselves if we think our environment does not influence us. It is a reality, you must know.

YOUR SPIRIT POSSESSION, Ephesians 5:18
Never forget that the Holy Ghost in us is the grace we possessed but if He does not live in us, we are control by the spirit of the world(Eph 2:2), we talk like them, think like them and act .
Let me share these few scriptures with you as I round off this piece, Proverbs 18:21, 21:23, note Proverbs 12:18, Ephesians 4:29, James 1:26, 1 Peter 3:10, Joel 3:10 and Proverbs 27:18.
Your words are your testimony, change it with the help of the Holy Ghost and you change your destiny. God bless you.

That A Chapter Ends Does Not Mean The Book Has Ended

The death of Moses was not the end of their journey but only the close of an era. It gave them an opportunity of a new and exciting beginning. As it were, it was the changing of guards, not the cessation of the march of history. We must never mix up the end of a chapter for the end of the book. Moses was dead but the plan of God for His people was just beginning. It was Moses that died, not God or His purpose for His people.

The fact that a ‘means’ or ‘channel’ closes does not mean that the assignment is over. We must understand that there are phases and stages in the lifespan of every vision or dream. The devil wants us to panic and therefore frustrate God’s purpose when we misunderstand the cycles or phases of our vision.

We must constantly be sensitive to the moves and direction of God for our lives particularly at the junctures of the phases and stages. We see this in the life and ministry of the prophet, Elijah.

“And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.”

1 Kings 17:7

There will be many transitions, twists and turns on the road to destiny. Knowing what to do and adjust in the various circumstances is the key to eventual victory. We see from the life of Elijah that God uses different people, circumstances and challenges to advance His purpose in us. We must not feel ‘lost’ or confused when the ‘brook dries up.’ The brook did not dry because God was through with His purpose for Elijah. The brook dries up because God was through with that phase or stage in Elijah’s mission.

Never build your life or ministry on the ‘means’. Means can change. Platforms are only temporal infrastructure used for fulfill specific ‘ends’ in time. Never become attached to the means or platforms that God uses in the fulfillment of His purpose in our lives. Don’t put your faith or trust in men of God but the God of men. Never depend on people and things that God uses to promote your vision and bless you. They change. Only God is constant. When people and things shift, you can trust God to remain faithful throughout the span of His purpose for your life