LOVE (THE MANNER OF LOVE; LOVING THE FATHER)

PART TWO
Lorna was prayed for and led to a counselling section with the evangelism unit in church who, showered her with so much love. Lorna got home after service to meet her parent's absence. According to Jonathan, they were still not back from where they went. Lorna quickly made dinner by warming the food she brought back from church for Jonathan and Ruth. Sandra gave Lorna two extra plates of food when Lorna told her about Jonathan and Ruth. She slept early that night reflecting on how much her life had changed just within hours. She prayed for the first time in years. She felt happy and relieved for some reason after that.

Lorna was early to church the next day in  the evening after school. Lorna took Ruth and Jonathan with her. She received a phone call from a church member that day who called to check on and pray with her in the afternoon.
The same pastor who preached the previous day continued the second day. The topic for the second day was
"Love (loving the father)". The pastor started
"I  have a personal belief that, a person who receives Christ into thier lives and God's abundant love will surely know how to love another. This is why, it is hard for the people in the world to be able to love one another genuinely. Especially, when there is no form of payback, benefit or blood relationship involved.
The love from God is very genuine, true and unconditional. If one believes or has a good knowledge ( this knowledge is revealed in the word) of God's love and accepts it, then one can love another really. God is love. God making us perfect and righteous through Christ is love. Making us joint heirs in the kingdom with Christ is love in abundance.
God's love sees no imperfections. If we truly have God in us we will love above imperfections.

1 John 4 vs 4

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.

16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.

The wrongs people do or people making mistakes in thier lives doesn't make them unfit for love. For instance, someone you know got pregnant at an early age out of wedlock, came to worship at your church and you decide to shut the doors against her or look at her with judgment in your eyes, because you feel they have taken themselves out of God's love or are unfit for your love. This is you not knowing God and you trying to discourage or stop someone in need of fellowship with God. But you can never take them out of God's love. They are never out of it.
Because he/she makes alot of mistakes, is too clumsy, too dirty doesn't make him/her unfit for your love.
Knowing God is loving another. Loving the father is by loving another.
Mathew 25 vs 34 to the end, Jesus explains that on the last day those who served the people in need served God.

Mathew 25 vs 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'"

Knowing God is loving another and it means God lives in us. Therefore his love is made complete in us.
The body is like a house, temporarily for us on earth. If the body fails, the spirit still lives. But, if a man is down in his Spirit, it is evident in his body either by bodily movements, facial expressions, loss of weight as well as other signs even without the presence of diseases.
If God's spirit lives in us, our existence is in him and his existence is in us and through us and because he exist in us, we will be able to fulfill his purposes for our lives. God works in us and through us. He lives in us. He acts through us. He is behind our existence. His spirit quickens our mortal bodies. His Spirit in us strengthens us in spirit and body. His Spirit in us gives our bodies healing and Vigour. His spirit in us leads us right.

If we confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in us and we live in him. Because God's love is perfected in us, we will be confident in the day of judgment because we have the love of God in us and so we are like him in the world.
We should manifest God's love in us by loving others, loving others should be from our hearts. It should be evident in our thoughts, actions and words towards them. Love God by loving one another. Loving God and loving another is one.

Actions can be driven by different reasons. Even some actions, most people might misinterprete to be love are driven by selfishness or for selfish gains. The basis for them is deceit because love is never backed by selfish reasons or interest. Love is genuine.

Let the children of God take and reveal the manner of love to the world and not be led by the world's principles of love. Love sees value in people.  Love is expression of good to another.  Affection is love lavished on another.

Please read: Romans 12 vs 10, I peter 4 vs 10. Galatians 5 vs 13.

The sermon ended. Lorna shed tears she tried to hide with her handkerchief from her siblings who watched on. In her life of fifteen years, she was wronged by so many people including her own family. She saw love in another new dimension. During prayer time, she found herself praying for each of the people who hurt her that she could remember. She prayed in tears for them with love from her heart. Lorna always thought she wouldn't be able to forgive her parents for all the hurt. She asked God for help in forgiving them. Lorna cried more in prayer as she let go of all the hurt and forgave all who hurt her.

Months after, Lorna found herself at peace. This was what she never felt in years. In the midst of struggles she had peace. She was happy. Lorna got a personal bible for herself and God revealed to her his mystery from his word.

The vice principal in school threatened to fail Lorna after her refusal of his sexual advances. Lorna was afraid. She didn't know who to talk to about it because she felt no one will believe her. The vice principal was admired and looked up to by the staff of the school. Lorna felt reluctant to pray about it because she felt it was odd to pray about such, especially when she willingly allowed the Vice principal in the past. She finally talked to God about it and believed God to fight for her. She knew God had forgiven her since and she accepted God's forgiveness.

Three weeks later, a parent of a child came to school to arrest the vice principal after thier daughter reported being raped by him to them. He threatened her not to tell anyone. There was evidence of this rape because,  the girl ran from his office to the house directly, her parents took her for examination and treatment in the hospital afterwards they preserved the evidence. A case was made against him, victims of abuse and threats from the vice principal were told to come forward and testify. Thirty three girls came forward and testified against him, including students who graduated already, to the prosecutor in charge. Lorna testified too. Some confidently witnessed in court against him. The vice principal was duely sentenced.
Lorna's mum stopped drinking, her Dad became more understanding and considerate towards them. As months passed, the family grew in love. Lorna's parents later accepted Christ and apologised to thier children. Christ completely healed thier family.

LOVE (THE MANNER OF LOVE )

PART ONE

Lorna collapsed into the soft sofa in the sitting room. She was already exhausted. Lorna suddenly realised how much her body hurt. Her feet especially as she extended her hands to  massage gently. She had to tuck in her drunk mum to sleep, who seem not to realise what she was doing. Still trying to process how much of a day it had been with her younger siblings creating big messes round the house, her dad walked in. Patrick walked in calmly at first then stared at her for seconds. Lorna felt an eye on her, she quickly sat up to face whoever it was. It was her dad,  still staring in disgust.
"Dad...good eve..ning" she stammered and acted like she was cleaning the sofa she was now sitting on.
Her dad gave her a quick stern and warning look and went into his room. That look meant she shouldn't mess his sofa with her sweaty body. Lorna sighed, a sigh of relief and disappointment. Relieved that he left, disappointed that he hadn't even sat to eat his meal she prepared which was on the dining. Lorna began to feel sleepy. She got up quickly to use the shower before she fell asleep. Lorna planned to return back to check if her dad has eaten and then finally clean up before going to bed.
Lorna stood in the shower, she put back the sponge she used to scrub her body in the green coloured bowl in the sink across but close to the shower. It was a pretty small bathroom built for one. Hot tears began to run down her face, when did her Dad become so cold? She asked herself. Lorna remembered the days he use to carry her on his shoulders and run round their small courtyard, she caught her mum's smile through the kitchen window as she watched each time while cooking. Lorna would laugh so hard and look at her mum excitedly.
Lorna remembered her parents arguing seriously one sunday night, that was the last sunday they went to church together as a family. Her mum kept screaming at the top of her voice that she wasn't in love with her father anymore and that she found someone else whom she was so in love with. Her dad was mad at her mum but Lorna could hear him plead. Lorna held her siblings so close to herself that night in in her room. All two had run to her room crying. Lorna was just ten then. Her younger ones Serah and Jonathan were two and four respectively. Lorna's dad refused to sign the divorce papers, he pleaded with her mum to consider the children but her mum insisted. The man her mum wanted to leave her dad for soon left her for another woman after seven months of their affair, claiming he couldn’t go out anymore with a woman who was still legally married. Her mum blamed it on Lorna's father Patrick. Lorna's mum then resulted to drinking and neglected them all. Rebecca her mum became a shadow of herself, she lost her job due to negligence and started keeping late nights. 

Each time, she returned home drunk. Her father was good to them at first but soon felt burdened as he had to take care of them on his own. Lorna tried to help out to ease his burden but he soon neglected them. They lived like strangers, even strangers who shared an apartment were better. At least most of them talked to each other. The only people Lorna talked with were Jonathan and Serah.
Lorna soon realised how much she had spent showering. She hurriedly rinsed and left the bathroom.

The next morning was pretty bright for 6am, the sun sank right deep into her eyes, Lorna turned to other side of the bed. Lorna quickly sat up to face the clock, it was 6.30! Lorna sprang to her feet. She ran to her sibling's room to get them ready for school. After that, she ran downstairs and met her mum who seemed to have just woken, complaining of headache, though talking to herself.
"Whose daughter are you, useless child, are you just waking up?" Rebecca asked her daughter as she sighted Lorna, irritated. Rebecca hissed and went on to sit on the sofa. She yawned and stretched at once.
"Good morning mum, I'm sorry" Lorna responded and briskly walked to the kitchen to get breakfast ready. She stumbled upon piled up dirty plates she was too tired to wash the previous night. Lorna packed them out of the sink into an empty basin to make breakfast first. She had to get to school by 7.30.
"How am I gonna do this" she thought to herself. She hurriedly prepared boiled plantain and fried egg. She heard her mum complaining about everything in the sitting room from the kitchen. Lorna wiped the sweat out of her face as she served breakfast. 

Breakfast was ready, her siblings soon came, ate and left for school. Lorna hurriedly did the dishes, cleaned the house and went to shower, she dressed up quickly in her rumpled school uniform she had not had time to iron and was on her way to school. It was 9.05am. She hadn't seen her dad that morning. Lorna prayed he was fine. Lorna felt something in her uniform pocket on her way, she put her hand in to check. It was a condom, she quickly put back the condom that fell out with another paper but held on to the paper in her hand. It was a flier, a church flier. Sandra, her junior in school gave it to her. Lorna rolled her eyes at the flier. She thought to toss it to the nearest bin, she couldn't find one around, so she held on to it. Lorna was used to cleaning up messes and got used to not making one herself. Still walking to school, she got tired of holding the flier and decided to read it because she was bored from walking to school.
The church's name was written at the very top. It was three days evening program, tagged " Love ( the manner of love). Lorna laughed and then suddenly frowned. Lorna thought Sandra gave the wrong person the flier. She didn't even know what the word love meant anymore and if it existed. Out of frustration of not finding a bin, Lorna put the flier into her school bag, the space she left for later throw outs.

Lorna soon arrived the school premises, she was punished by the staff on duty for coming late to school despite her pleas and excuses, the staff was already tired of hearing same story everyday that week. Lorna got to class by 10.15 am and was sent out by the teacher for lateness. It was her SS3 geography class. She brought out a bubble gum and chewed loudly outside the class by the door, it got the teacher so irritated and mad at her. The vice principal took them geography. He flogged her on her palms severely for her rudeness in which Lorna didn't resist or cry for. The teacher stopped amazed and asked to see her in his office immediately. 

Few minutes after, Lorna came out of the vice principal's office, she went to a corner and counted the naira notes he gave her. She thought of buying new sandals with it for herself and for her younger brother. She thought of buying another condom to replace the used one and she would then use the money she took from her mother's purse the night before to buy foodstuffs for lunch. It was two months since her dad last gave her money for upkeep and her mum laughed in her face when she asked. Patrick was well to do. They lived in a good house. He still worked but he stopped giving her money two months back. Lorna decided to do something about it when she came back home from school one afternoon and saw her siblings crying their eyes out due to hunger. They barely ate everyday for weeks.
As Lorna was done counting her money and planning her budget, she noticed the highly esteemed girls of the school coming towards her direction in a group, she quickly arranged her uniform as she watched them chatter and stroll towards her. They were her classmates. The girls soon met up with her. Lorna exchanged pleasantries with the girls and agreed to help the girls get snacks from the school's canteen after they asked. She was glad they asked and was happy to help. She felt so happy each time they stopped to talk to her. It made the other kids in school notice her and that she knew the highly esteemed girls and sometimes walked with them.

Lorna soon got home from school, she felt a bit stressed but not too tired. It was 3.30pm in the afternoon.  She quickly made lunch for her siblings who were already at home before her. She was thankful her parents weren't home. Before arriving home, Lorna quickly went to the market after school to get the sandals her younger brother Jonathan and her needed for school. She was about to clean up after they ate when she noticed the frown on Jonathan's face. Lorna didn't bother to ask, she was already used to him being unhappy if he didn't get what he wanted so she pulled up her school bag underneath the dining table and brought out his sandals and gave it to him. The excitement on his face, Lorna couldn't explain as she watched in awe. Jonathan and Serah soon left the sitting room chattering happily over his new sandals after thanking her. She was happy he was happy.

 
Lorna thought to it was time to dispose the unwanted stuffs in her bag,
"Here, we go again" she said to herself when she saw the church flier in her bag. Lorna tried her best to avoid Sandra through out that day in school. She read the flier again out of frustration, something got her interested. There was music concert too. Lorna loved music. Music was the only thing that ever loved her, so she thought. It gave her some sort of peace and made her forget her troubles when she listened. She wondered what kind of music they actually were going to present. According to the flier there was refreshment. If not for the music, then the food. She decided to go.

Lorna took a quick shower, she wore a mini blue skirt that exposed a great part of her thigh with a long black top, she had opted for a crop top revealing her navel but thought church people would judge her She had other plans, who knows, she could meet her helper. Lorna tip toed into her mother's room, used her mother's brown powder and light pink lip gloss and ran out hoping no one would see her. She told her younger siblings she was going to collect a note from a classmate and will be back soon.

Lorna soon arrived the church. It was a bit far from her house. She sweated a bit and tried to pat her face at the entrance with her hands.
"Lorna!" Sandra screamed in excitement.
"I'm glad you came" she said.
Lorna was shocked and confused, she didn't realize Sandra was the Usher who stood in front of her, previously backing her, she wore a blue jean trouser and a white t -shirt.
"Hope you are good, come let me lead you to a sit" Sandra said excitedly and led the way into the church.
"Yes, thank you" Lorna responded. The only response she gave since her arrival. Lorna felt odd. The atmosphere was strange to her. She tried to pull down her skirt a bit as eyes were on her. Lorna was a bit surprised as they mostly smiled at or welcomed her. Sandra noticed her discomfort and squeezed her hands to reassure her.

Some people were singing on the podium, Lorna kept staring at the congregation. A lot of people were on their feet some just up and others jumping, some cried while some danced. She wondered why people would cry for just a song. She relaxed and watched.

A tall slender, light skinned man soon went up the pulpit. After a short prayer. He announced his topic.
"Love ( the manner of love)"
"My text is from....all the scriptures in the bible". The young man said and paused as if to get an expression from the congregation . All the people in the church marvelled at what he said. Some thought he was in sane to want to get the text from all part of the bible. Where was the time for that?

"Basically, the bible Is God's love letters to us. From Genesis to Revelation. God tells us everything he has done and will do because he loves us. The basis for God's action from the beginning is love. Have you ever thought of it that way? What manner of love! A lover reveals himself to his love, how he feels about his/her love, what he wants to do for him/her and that is what God has been doing, through his word. I thought of getting a text for today's message from a particular book or chapter of the bible but I just couldn't because i found it in every part i read. God's love is everywhere in the bible and evident in creation. In you and I. 

Lorna was interested but, nobody has ever really loved her. She felt the message wasn't for her. She felt undeserving and unworthy of any love. She has always felt that way since she was ten. People only looked at her twice if she had any thing to offer in return for their favour. She didn't feel she was beautiful. So why would someone love her. She felt she was too wayward. She felt responsible for breaking up her family. Her parents cursed at her everyday. She moved her chair back to stand up and leave but the noise the chair made drew attention to her so Lorna pretended to pick something from the floor and sat back. She didn't like attention.

"From the beginning, for God to take out that special time to create us in his IMAGE, what manner of love! And God said that what he made was good. We stare at our beautiful reflections and image through the mirror everyday and nod to ourselves because of how good we look. Then when God looks at you, can you imagine how much he nods in admiration? He sees himself in us! He loves what he sees, you are God's reflection and image, you are beautiful.

Nobody ever called Lorna beautiful. But hot or sexy was frequent. She felt so special after he said that. It got her interested. 

"If there is no mistake in God, then there is non in you. He is not a God of mistakes". The pastor said.

His last statement made Lorna cry. Her class supervisor once called her a mistake. Her mum did frequently. She wiped her tears because she didn't want to attract attention to herself.

"You are so loved and special that he had to make a special and  beautiful place for you before creating you to enjoy it, the earth.  He placed you in charge. Hence, you must possess the earth. He gave you plants for food, plants to admire, oceans to drink from and bath from. God would have made it that you wouldn't need to bath but still be clean but he knew the pleasure of having water run over your body and made it for you as well as other pleasures like food, you could just eat to grow without tasting but he made you able to taste it by creating those taste buds. What manner of love! 

Then came sin, he still loved despite that. His love was more than his chastening. The bible said he chastens the ones he loves. He wanted to put an end to sin and give you victory over it. To break that barrier holding you back from coming into and accepting the fullness of his love. What manner of love! So he sent his son Jesus to die for you. John 3 vs 16 says " For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life". 

Because he so...loved you and me. He sent his only son. His priceless son to pay the price he didn't owe. And his son came full of love from the father, in abundance he showed us an incomprehensible amount of that love by dying on the cross. How many would have borne the pain and trauma till the end? Jesus did it. For us all. You just need to believe in Jesus and be saved. That's how much he loves you. You are the righteousness of God through Christ. He did all the work on the cross for you. His blood cleanses you. His blood presents you purified and perfect before the father. What manner of love! Just come as you are to him. That is what he is telling you today. He would have just come into the world and probably be killed at infancy for us. But he did the work, he set the pace, he lived in the world full of sin but sin had no power over him and he showed us it could be that way with us. He didn't come to condemn but to save you. Jesus loves you. This is the strongest and most powerful love. You can't even classify it or fully understand why he loves you. But he loves you. Once God loves you, it doesn't matter who doesn't. God's love conquers!

The pastor did not do an altar call yet but Lorna found herself kneeling in front of the podium, she was in tears. She was happy Jesus loved her family and would make her family whole again. Lorna poured her heart to God knowing he loved and accepted her just the way she was. Lorna prayed for her family too. 

ALL ROUND PROTECTION PART TWO

If this is the first time you will be seeing this, its important you go through the part one of this topic on the blog.

VERSE 5-16
Most times fear creeps in when we see the actual danger before us. It's important we see Jehovah Sabaoth ( The Lord of Host. Joshua 5 vs 13-14, Isaiah 31 vs 4, 2 kings 6 vs 16-17 KJV) at that moment because the truth is, he is always on standby. His army is greater in number and might than any army on earth. When the Syrian army came to capture Elisha the prophet after the king of Syria found out that Elisha was the one who kept telling the king of Israel of thier plan to attack him and they couldn’t succeed. The Syrian king ordered his army to sorround the city at midnight thereby making no way for Elisha to avoid being captured, Elisha's servant was frightened but God had another plan. God's army was  on standby, greater and stronger than the Syrian army. kings 6 vs 16-17 (NIV)

16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Most importantly, in times of danger, listening to God's instruction is very necessary.  If God wants to quietly lead you out of that danger, it's important you follow suit, If God wants you to pass through that really burning fire and not avoid it, pass through it by faith and you won't be burned. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were bound, and thrown into the burning furnace because they refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's graven image. They were bound with the intention of making them helpless, and thrown into the burning furnace, they passed through the burning furnace and came out unhurt. No matter how hopeless and helpless that situation might seem, God will untie you from the chains that held you bound and bring you out of it unhurt (Daniel 3, read Isaiah 43 vs 2). Jesus was led to the cliff by the people  with the intention of throwing him down but he walked out in thier midst, nothing happened to him. He could have allowed himself to be thrown down and safe himself, he had the power to fight against and destroyed the people who planned to kill him at that point but he did it in God's way for a greater purpose to be fulfilled (Luke 4 vs 29). At the end God won against Satan.
Also, God can choose to slay our attackers or put them into confusion and chaos for our sake. In what ever way God chooses to save us, it is for his purpose to be accomplished and his name glorified. Always listen to God while in danger or difficult situations. God's way out of that situation or danger may not be how you want it but his way is the best. Always know that God's mighty hand of protection is always there to protect you and guide you.

Sometimes, in the case of an attack by the enemy, depending on the severity of the attack, we anticipate the death of the people involved. Offcourse, God fights for us even more than how the mother hen does for her chicks but God can choose to deal with our attackers anyway he wants to according to his purpose. The men who set Daniel up to be thrown into the den of Lions afterwards were thrown into that same den and were eaten by lions before reaching the floor of the den. By this vengeance was given to Daniel and the people of that Kingdom turned to the Lord based on the King's command after witnessing Daniel's ordeal and seeing the fate of the conspirators (Daniel 6 vs 16-26).
Read 2 kings 6 vs 18 

18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike these people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

19 Elisha told them, "This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria.

20 After they entered the city, Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see." Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.

21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?"

22 "Do not kill them," he answered. "Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master."

23 So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory.

The Aramean(syrian) soldiers realised how powerless and helpless they were when they came to capture Elisha because of Jehovah Saboath. Later on, Elisha showed them kindness by making a feast for them and then sent them away. The Aramean soldiers stopped raiding Israel's territory afterwards.  God made them helpless, useless and powerless by striking them with blindness and gave them into Elisha's hands. That's what God can do to our enemies. Elisha would have killed them all but he let them go because he was a man of God working alongside with God and according to his plan. Let God carry out the vengeance in whichever way he pleases, do not take it upon yourself. God planned to make this soldiers useful in the future . This same soldiers later formed a siege around Samaria. Reading through chapter 7, when some lepers who were hungry, helpless and forsaken went to the camp of the Aramean soidiers, the soidiers  heard the approaching  footsteps of the lepers and thought it was a great army coming up against them from different Kingdoms in which the king of Israel must have invited to fight against them. This soldiers ran away and left thier belongings including food in thier camp. This way those lepers were fed and the whole of Samaria was fed too and delivered from famine. God can decide to use our enemies for our good. God works our enemies for our good. Our enemies may plan evil against us with the intention of prevailing but God has another superceding plan that the enemy doesn't know about. God nullifies the plan of the wicked against you, It does not matter how seriously the've planned or how many times they come around to attack, soon you will see them no more. Just as the Israelites saw the Egyptians no more. God is working it out.  At times you may be weary from the trouble the enemy is causing or just being aware of the plans of the wicked against you can weigh you down but know God has already put things in place. Sometimes, through the plan of the wicked for your good. People can set you up to bring you down or destroy you but God will put things in place to turn that plan to favour you and lift you. God can decide not to kill your enemies just to use them for your good. They continually are worked up for your sake, they become your servants unknowingly. He makes them our footstool. You keep trampling over them.

God can also use circumstances in which our enemies set up against us to turn them to God. In the case of Saul, an enemy of the Christians, God later used Saul to preach the gospel of Christ to the world, he travelled round the world before, looking for Christians to persecute when he repented he travelled round the world to preach the gospel of Christ. Turning an enemy to God who previously was an agent of the devil to destroy God's people  puts the devil to shame. This is the devil not being successful. God can as well mightily use them to punish the devil . Some people might be asking or wondering why God will spare the people who in one way or the other have risen up against them or decide to use them for his work and purpose. It is true that God is the God of vengeance. This vengeance he gives based on how it seems right to him and it must be justified. God loves the people in the world dearly, even the ones who are blindly uses by the devil. The problem there is the devil fighting aimlessly through them not this people. The bible says we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers and rulers of darkness in thier high places (Ephesians 6 vs 12).
It is Satan that uses this people to do his evil and dark things. God can decide to ruin the plans of the devil and rescue this people from darkness. This people too are loved by God and need to be protected from being used as tools by the devil. If God stretches his hands to them filled with love and grace and they hold on to him, they will be saved. That is why it is important to pray for people who allow themselves to be led by the devil or your enemies. Being repentant of thier past which gave them failure, left them in darkness and deprived them of thier lives in Christ is a thing of Joy. The grace of God is sufficient to all regardless of what we've done or do. Believing in God is a major success against the devil. God punishes the devil by depriving him of souls. This punishment is deep! God does things most times in the way we cannot comprehend.
There are unrepentants who refuse to hold on to God's hand and allow themselves to be continually used by the devil who eventually leads them to thier distruction.

Pestilence is an epidemic disease that is highly contagious, infectious, virulent and devastating - English dictionary.
Trusting in God and having God as our shield creates a supernatural immunity over us against any form of pestilence. Even the non contagious diseases, God protects us  from them. It is possible to live without sickness or live sickness free. God's protection over us is far more than  a mother hen protecting her chicks. A mother hen guides her Chicks agressively from predators then how much more God guides us. Even if the people around you are plagued, it can't come near you.
Verse 7- Even if half of the community dies from it, that pestilence itself will avoid you. Some people can't get infected from drinking water from a source because they have a strong immunity but others get infected. Stop saying "I have a sensitive system " . Don't give yourself an excuse to be susceptible,  it is the devil's lie. God will always keep you alive to put the devil to shame.
Verse 9-6
It brings us back to believing, trusting and accepting God as our shield. No harm or disaster can come close. You see the earthly princes, they have guards sent by thier fathers the  kings to protect  them, that is how God sents angels to guide us. The earthly guards may not be capable but God's angels will never be defeated or run away from you in the face of danger. God fights so many battles for us that we are not aware of .
Jesus trampling on the head of the serpent was to fulfill God's word and also to expose us to the authority we have through Christ.  The  battle no matter how fierce, we will triumph victoriously. Study the scriptures which will reveal to you the Truth and God's promises concerning your life.

God wants to have a very special kind of relationship with us. Very intimate more than what best friends have. He wants to communicate with us, he wants to use us to achieve great things. God loves you! God loves you! God loves you! accept him, acknowledge him, reverence his name.
The signature and stamp of a governor can open doors for people or give authority through it. In fact, just people knowing you are a governor's child can be highly favourable. How much more when you are the child of God, his name will open doors no man can close, his name  makes demons tremble and flee. God's name is like a master key and he delivers from any circumstance. Being a child of God, you receive God's stamp of protection over you. His name gives you a higher level or stamp of authority. That name makes demons who came in one way to flee in seven ways.
God will be with you through thick and thin and he will bring you out of it like you never went through it. He will deliver you out of it with honour.  God's satisfies us with long life. A mother breastfeeds her child till he/she is satisfied. In fact,  the child being overly satisfied releases his/her grip and mouth from the mother's breast. God satisfies even more. It doesn't matter if there is a certain age people die in your family just step into that gap for your family and table it before the Alpha and Omega ( The beginning and the end) and he will so satisfy you with long life. Colosians 3 vs 1-3
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God

His word never fails.

God's salvation to us is a very special gift which will continue to be abundant and permanent in our lives.

I pray for the person reading this, that God's promises in his word be established  in your life in Jesus precious name. I pray the joy and peace of the lord will continue to be your inheritance. For Christ in you the hope of Glory! Amen.

ALL ROUND PROTECTION

Hello beautiful people.
One of the daily concerns we have in life is about our safety. A lot of people worry everyday about themselves, their families, friends and loved one. Most people have general concern for their nations as well. Today am going to help you understand how concerned God is about our safety.
They would have two parts in this (part one and two). We would be considering various scriptures from the bible but our text will be taken from the book of Psalms 91.  

PSALMS 91:

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

The translation used is the New International Version. I copied the whole chapter here so that we will be able to make reference to it easily. Please feel free to refer to the version you understand better if you want. I might switch versions too for more understanding.

Verse 1
Most of us are aware of asylum seekers. For those who are not, they are people who leave their home countries to seek refuge in a safer country they trust. This is to make an illustration. Off course, we shouldn't live in constant fear of the enemy but if we don't establish our place in Christ, then we are vulnerable and of the world.
Establishing our place in Christ opens our eyes to see the authority God has given us over the entire world and creation. Having this knowledge gives us upper hand over the enemy and allows us to accept God's protection over our lives rendering the enemy powerless.

The people in the world are dearly loved by God but they are blinded from the truth and life in Christ, and this is an be a hindrance. It will be easier to be deceived by the enemy because they don't know the truth. Hence, they are left in bondage and darkness when it shouldn't be that way. We will have to go quickly to verse 4b which says "his truth shall be thy shield and buckler" (king James version). Having the knowledge of who Christ is and believing in him is everything because he is the truth! John 14 vs 6a  Jesus answered "i am the way the truth and the light" Having the knowledge and understanding  of the word of God gives us deep insight of our place in God's Kingdom. John 1 vs 1 says "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". The word of God is the truth so God is the truth we need.

The Prodigal son from one of the parables of Jesus in the bible (Luke 15 vs 11) was so loved by his father but at some point, he left his father's covering  and became vulnerable to a lot of circumstances which succeeded in bringing him down to nothing. He made the decision to leave his father's covering due to his ignorance. The bible says we shouldn't be ignorant of the devices of the wicked (2 Corinthians 2 vs 11). You may be wondering why his father didn't stop him from leaving, because he was a grown man and has his free will. As much as God loves us we still have the freedom to make our decisions. There is a feeling in which being forced to do something gives even if the result is meant to turn out good. Nobody loves force or the feeling of being held hostage or to feel incapable to decide or to be seen as immature. Rebellion can arise from being forced or threatened as well as fear, complying as a result of fear isn't the best way.  Our drawing nigh to God should be willingly and not as a result of being afraid or being forced. Even before we stray, plan to stray and when we stray, God still cares and loves us. He still speaks to us through various ways and he still fights for us and protect us but during that period he wants us to come to the reality of the truth. God wants to have a special relationship with us and love us and if we have to love God he wants it to be willing from our heart (don't forget you love God because he first loved you, and his love and care for you is by his grace you don't earn it). You can't force someone to love you, if you do then it's not genuine and you will eventually get frustrated. If love has to be special then it has to be willing, from the heart.
When the the prodigal son went back home,  on his way his father saw him first before he saw his father. His father ran to him with compassion. His father was waiting and expecting his return. God will always be waiting for us and once we make that decision sincerely and willingly to come back to him, he will come to us and lead us all the way. God wants us, in fact he sets events to reveal to us that we need to go back to him and then eventually brings us back to him. Sometimes we don't know this.
The Prodigal son acknowledged his mistakes and unworthiness but his father had already forgiven him, he was filled with joy on his return. It is evident when he ran to meet him. God knows we can stray and even when we stray he doesn't hold it against us but the devil takes advantage of that and we should not give the devil a chance. We just need to come back home. 

Once we are home, he will clothe us like the princes that we are.
He will change the rags we had on to royal robes. He will clean the dirt and take away the filth no matter how thick it is on our bodies. We don't need to come to God with something worthy , we don't need to be clean before we come to him, we just need to come the way we are. He will take us in and transform us into his marvellous light and his glory will be revealed through us.
The Prodigal son was ready to work to earn his father's generosity as a servant but his father didn't let him work for it. You can't earn God's love no matter how much you work for it. You just need to believe in Christ totally and be a partaker of everything he offers including protection. When the prodigal son left the father's protection he was vulnerable but when he returned, within few minutes he was shown a lot of love, care and protection.

VERSE 2-4
A fortress is a large place, Castle, stronghold, a place of defense or security. A position that if obtained by the weaker side will prevent penetration by the opposing side. A refuge is a place of safety, protection, or shelter. Synonyms for refuge is haven, sanctuary and zoar. This definition is gotten from the dictionary.

Do you now realise that in Christ and through Christ you are constantly shielded. God's presence is constantly with us. Let's consider the last phrase of verse 2, " in whom I trust". Once God is your shield you can trust him. You can find a security man on duty dozing off maybe because he is tired but God doesn't sleep or slumber. God as a shield is  not shaky or exposed. He is not strong some days and weak or wear off some days. His shield is constant and permanent. Just trust!
When  Peter was walking on the waters looking up to Jesus who was walking on the waters too ( Mathew 14 vs 22-33). He trusted him but when the wind came he was afraid and began to sink.

A common example most people have had is sleeping at night in the dark. At that time of the day, instead of recognising God's presence with them they choose to see the devil in the dark. They believe he is somewhere staring at them or moving towards them. God created the earth and made day and night, night had the lesser light. In fact when he made the earth, the bible says darkness was upon the face of the earth and he spoke light into the earth. After that he separated light from darkness ( read Genesis chapter 1). Because it is dark doesn't make the devil more powerful. God created the earth, in the earth and made day and night he made night dark! I know the devil is constantly associated with darkness but in the case of the devil, it means bondage, blindness, negativity, inferiority and any DARK Trait one can think of. Because we have the knowledge that powers operate at night doesn't mean they don't operate during the day. The God who made the earth, regardless of the time, place or condition is in charge and has given you same power. Christ is seated above principalities, powers and authorities (Ephesians 1 vs 20-21). Even in the dark God sees us very well. Learn to see God in the dark instead of the devil. He doesn't lie, If he has promised to shield us then he does it.  If one believes they are in God's care they will be at rest and sleep comfortably.  If one believes the devil is somewhere around then they are making way for him. One might not be tormented but the fear alone is enough to destabilise them and make them restless. Fear is the devil's weapon. 

Most bullies in School or any environment have a weapon against their victims which is fear. Once the victims realise this themselves and show confidence,  strength comes in and the bully is scared off. Bullies are weak people who derive their sense of belonging or false power from bullying fearful victims, most victims are people with great personalities and potentials but are blinded by fear. They have something the bullies are intimidated by. That is how the devil is. Never let yourself be bullied by Satan.  Even in fear you can call out to God and he will help you. Because you are afraid doesn't mean God will walk away still call on God and believe. Peter cried out to Jesus in fear when he was sinking while walking on the sea and Jesus stretched out his hands and helped him. Afterwards Jesus said " you of little faith. why did you doubt?" We are expected to grow into spiritual maturity as Christians were the constant meditation of the word has left no room for fear.

 
This should not be related to sleeping at night alone but every other area of our lives if Satan chooses to come as the wind to make you afraid and sink. Still look up to Jesus and walk till you get to your destination. The bible says once Jesus saved Peter and they climbed into the boat the wind died! Jesus stills every storm and wind and the devil flees! And he has given us the power to do this too.
The problem lies deeper when we let our fears drive us away from God's shield. Fear drives us away from God's shield by making us think we can protect ourselves or we need to do certain things to protect ourselves. God is capable! There are people who claim to believe in God but have gotten diabolic means of protecting themselves. Another example, one can expect God to provide a need and when it doesn't come in their own time because of the fear and doubt they do things not part of God's will for their lives.

Fear and worry can dominate the mind and that alone can be tormenting and can give one restlessness. It is what the devil does. Meanwhile God's wish for us is PEACE.
Satan doesn't want us to have that. The bible in many places warns against fear. Fear can make one believe the lies of the devil and comply with his ways.

END OF PART 1.