THE MESSAGE NOW
Vol. 3, No. 11 – Monday, 12th March, 2018
(Judges.14:1-20, esp. 20)
Welcome to this edition of The Message Now. I pray for every reader of today’s edition: that storm of life which will make you regret being a Christian or such that will warrant you to say, I wish I was not a Christian, will not come your way.
Every storm of life – unemployment, delay in marriage, poverty, sickness, badluck, failure at the gate of breakthroughs, near-success syndrome and the likes battling with your life and destiny, I command them to cease right now. Let a fresh page be opened onto you. Your miracle shall suddenly appear, in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
WHO CAN ONE TRULY TRUST
The following question and arguments ensued in a Sunday school class many years ago. Sunday school teacher (question): Should armed robbers with their barrage of fiery assault rifles visit your luxury home one night, who would you send to answer the door as they keep knocking?
One would have thought that the answer was pretty straight forward. But to one’s amazement, the Sunday school class room was immediately clouded with barrage of answers of diverse meanings and views.
One student said: ‘I will wake my father up from his sleep’. When asked why, he said, ‘because my father is very wide and he often wears a very thick cloth called soot. No bullet of any gun can penetrate it’.
A girl sitting close-by said: ‘I will send my mother because my father said her beauty sustained his attention that was why he married her. Maybe her beauty will sustain the attention of the robbers until we all escape through the backdoor’.
It was the turn of yet another student. This time it was another boy. ‘since we have an intercom connecting to the security and alarm linked to the nearby police station, I will simply phone our security man or alarm the police’.
Then a serious quiet followed because to the amazement of everyone including the Sunday school teacher, three men with assault rifles suddenly appeared and began to rough-handle the teacher and the sitting church pastor.
It was at first like a dream then reality soon dawned on everyone. Then Julie, the last daughter of the church gardener burst out in speaking in tongues with a loud voice. One of the robbers cocked his gun in Julie’s direction but the bullet refused to be triggered.
Julie went on in heavenly tongues and finally her tongue was loosed into clear language. Hear what she said. ‘You evil men I have seen my father confront demonic persons and overcome them in the name of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, in the name of the Lord, I ask you to leave the church now, in the name of Jesus’.
As soon as she mentioned the name of Jesus, it was as though strength was released into everyone. Suddenly, everyone shouted ‘thief, thief’ and rushed at the men who were at this time fleeing for their lives having dropped their guns.
Do I hear you say what a story, where mere question for mere illustration turned into true life event? And, what sort of a girl can little Julie be? You can ask as many questions as possible about little Julie.
The fact remains that:
(1) since the battleground of man is either foundational or on the inside of the man, victory can only be gained by either digging deep to repair that foundation or by overcoming first and foremost from within. For the within determines the without.
(2) The man who lost chose to lose. For he ought to have known (as it is often said) that ‘everything will be okay in the end; and even if it is not okay, then it is not the end yet’.
No man can ever be better than who he is on the inside. Every man’s outward show is a perfect reflection of his inward show. The one Julie trusted in was the one she displayed. The question is when your own armed robbers come in the form of delay, request to divorce, in sickness or affliction, failed expectation or disappointments; who would you call onto?
Psychologists and especially those who study psychometrics tell us to trust three kinds of people with certain emotional display. First, they say ‘trust the sorrow behind the smile’. My question to psychologists is: what if the sorrow is but mere pretence? Second, they say, ‘trust the love behind the anger’. Again, what if the so-called ‘love’ is nothing but hypocrisy?
Third, they tell us to ‘trust the reason behind the silence’. The reason behind the silence sometimes is nothing but an admittance of guilt that the guilty one does not want to openly express.
Who really and truly can we trust? Life has fast (in our days) become not a haven of peace but a den of liars, deceitful and traitors. Who then can one truly and really trust.
Hear the words of the wisest man that ever lived. The man Solomon informed us in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 in verse 16 that: ‘and moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgement (meaning place of justice), that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness (meaning church or alike), that iniquity was there’.
If injustice is found in legal circles and unrighteousness among servants of God and people of God. If Samson’s bestman could accept Samson’s wife, who is to be trusted?
Let us stop talking about politicians, spurious police dudes and people in the world who clearly fake the name of the Lord. Let us concern ourselves with our own lives. Church leaders eating church money and still preaching holiness.
Church leaders who cannot keep the confidentialities of church members. Christians that Christ cannot trust. Since you cannot trust yourself or be trusted by others, that is one reason why you cannot trust God too.
No wonder, your trust is facing another direction. Listen to me, for 2018, I tell you once again by the Spirit of the Most High, blessings will flourish like never before. But understand that the currency of trade before God in 2018 is trust.
The man whose trust is in man in this year must prepare his grave because heartaches, disappointments and depression are on the way. For you, your pastor has become your ‘look-up-to’.
You have turned the General Overseer into a demigod. Have you forgotten that that General Overseer is being overseen too by a more superior Overseer? They trusted in themselves until the day the floods appeared in Noah’s days. Were they able to save themselves?
IN THE END, THE STEEPY ROAD ON WHICH YOUR LIFE’S JOURNEY IS TOEING IS A SPEED IN THE DIRECTION OF DOOM AND GLOOM. TURN AROUND 180 DEGREES IN THE POLAR DIRECTION TO GOD TODAY. THEN YOUR FUTURE IS GUARANTEED.
Take note that the above story used in this edition of The Message Now is merely an allegory. Allegory is a skill in English literature used to paint a story as being but it is merely an illustration designed to express a message deserving very serious attention.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Counselling, Prayers and Appointments: Please contact contactus@expressimageglory.com or 08098198155.
Donations and Financial Supports – Please support the work of Christ by paying your hard-earned money to only this account and no other: Express Image Glory Ministry, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Account number – 0020881228.
Further information: Be informed that this Ministry has only one Facebook page and no other. Any other facebook page or account is counterfeit; the pastor of this Ministry therefore pleads and urges you to desist from all such fake and ungodly facebook pages or accounts. Be informed also that there is only one medium for soliciting donations and that medium is via our weekly magazine – The Message Now through our facebook page.
ALTAR CALL:
Backslidden – living in sin – needing fresh recommitment (say):
Christ Jesus, You are the Anointed One of the Most High. I come to you today as I am. In your mercy, help me out of my situation. Heal my soul, my spirit, my body, my life and my destiny. I acknowledge you as the only true lover of my soul. Please, deliver me on every side and save me through and through. I promise from the depth of my soul to be yours from henceforth, in Jesus name. Help me now O God. Be my Lord, my Saviour and my all in all from this day. Thank you Lord (read Psalm 54 in closing and pray more).
HYMN: Trust And Obey
PRAY NOW:
- O God, help me to rebuild my broken altar of trust in you.
- Every challenger of my prayers and afflicters of my good dreams, the power of God collide against you.
- O God which forces, powers, personalities, demons, fallen angels or spirits are using my spoken prayers against me, O God, turn their words and prayers to sin and collide against them.
- O God, bless me with the gift of the Spirit of faith.
- You deceitful fellow castigating me before my boss or helpers, the hand of the Lord fight you and disgrace you.
- Who are you that are saying where is my God now. Ah! O God, reveal yourself to them on my behalf.
- O God, defend your interests in my life.
- Mighty hand of God, draw back to this Ministry as many that have left for one justifiable reason or the other and give them speedy testimony.
- Cords and padlocks of darkness against my womb, progress and hands, I shatter you by fire.
- O God, the day you have appointed for my glorification shall not be postponed.
Pastor Mike
