THE PLEASANT FRUIT

“Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits”
Song of Sol. 4:16KJV

Sanctified and righteous souls are gardens unto the Lord. The seed, which is the Word is planted in them. Their hearts are fertile land for the Word of God. And they’re espoused to Christ Jesus. He lives in these beautiful gardens adorned with the riches of heavenly flowers of love. The heart of the bride of Christ where this garden dwells, is full of spices — the spiritual gifts.

The Lord Jesus said, “The wind blows where it lists, and you hear the voice of it, but knows not whence it comes, and whither it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.(John 3:8) The north and south wind in the verse represent the Holy Spirit. The north wind arises strongly, showing the work of the Holy Spirit as a reprover; clearing the heart of all kinds of sins. Then comes the warm south wind which reveals His work as a comforter.

The Holy Spirit has been quickened in us, He came with a great wind on the day of Pentecost and his gifts were imparted in the early Christians even to our time. The spices had been smelled by the world since that time. Now is the time to bear fruit! Now has come the time for the bride to invite her beloved— Christ Jesus into His garden and eat of His choicest and pleasant fruits!

Child of the most high God, have you been awaked by the Holy Spirit? Are there lively spices in your garden? Are you bearing pleasant fruit for the Lord?.
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PRAYER: Lord Jesus please come into my heart and help me bear the choicest fruit for you in your name I pray.
AMEN

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HEAR AND OBEY

_”Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”_(Matthew 13:9)

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Physically, we all have ears to hear from others and act according to the information we receive. The ear is an irreplaceably important organ which finally receives messages from the brain, before communication can take place in human relationships.

In the same way, we have spiritual ears to accept and believe in the Word of God before acting accordingly. Any one who is unable to hear the message of our Lord Jesus Christ is spiritually deaf and dead. How do we respond to the Word of God? Are our ears functioning appropriately? Hearing and obeying the Word of God is the main reason why our ears are to be always active. The more you hear the Word of God, you will be empowered to stick to righteousness without considering the impact of evil conversation. Be enlightened by the Holy Word you hear.

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*PRAYER*: Father in Heaven, grant me the ears of Jesus Christ. *AMEN*

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MANY IN, MORE OUT

_”For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath..”_(Matthew 13:12)

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Much working experiences on the part of workers with rich human resources, their quality delivery of services with the requisite logistics, are responsible for the success and popularity of so many great and well known companies across the world. Expectations to boost and keep the wheels of their businesses from running at a loss will encourage their employment of hardworking labour force. 

They expect to employ those who have rich years of working experiences and competence gathered over a period of time. These people sacrifice themselves for the development of their businesses in order to make history for themselves as heroes. They bring all their energies, acquired knowledge and expertise on board, under better conditions of service to retain and attract more customers for their conglomerate expansions.

Fellow Christians, look further beyond this earthly achievements. Bring yourself into thinking about how God has given you so much to help in the accomplishment of His work. When God immeasurably gives us the spirit of stewardship and many experiences to help in the growth of His Church, don’t hide them. You could be the only one sweeping the Church auditorium, cleaning the seats and arranging the place for periodic Church services, running errands for the Church, representing the Church in various meetings, leading a number of Church departments and embarking on weekly visitation of souls.

Possibly, you do more than what is mentioned above but in all that, there is something you should know. God loves you and has given you many duties as His reliable stewards and more rewards shall be your portion even here on earth and also in Heaven at last. Who told you that it is a burden without hope of glory? It isn’t. Never approach the work of God lackadaisically; because He has given you what it takes to be useful in all His ways. 

As vessels of Yahweh, we shall be glorified only if we offer all that is in us without feeling big to do any work entrusted to us in the ministry of Christ Jesus. Do it better because those who don’t do so cannot share your huge reward with you. Enjoy the service as the reward itself which is yet to come our way.

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*PRAYER*: Lord God, may I never complain in your ministry. Let me give out my best to you in Jesus name. *AMEN*

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BLESSINGS OF THE KINGDOM

*👤MINISTER: _PASTOR RICHIE DOMFEH_*

👉MEMORY VERSE: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) 

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Jesus Christ is the embodiment of blessings. In our world of today, many people have the wrong perception that blessings are all about owning cars. At the time of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth, wealthy people surrendered themselves and their wealth to Him.

Some people define blessings as reward or good fortune. Beatitudes are seen as Supreme happiness. Anything that helps someone to fulfill his or her happiness, is a blessings. Have you had a complete happiness after you get the things of your heart desires? God is the only one who can give blessings to man. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ famously preached the sermon on blessings on the Mount. He knew that we all had to know and get to the bottom of blessings because God is blessing. If someone who is Godfearing, pronounces blessing on you, he or she is not giving you the physical things that you expect to gain; but they are rather pronouncing the presence of Christ Jesus in your life.

One who is poor in spirit is very much blessed because Heaven belongs to them. This person relies strongly and totally on God. Spiritually, he needs the word of God as food for the satisfaction of our souls. He sees God as His protection and Heaven as his greatest shelter. God is the shield and exceedingly great reward of the one who solely depends on Him. (Isaiah 66:2)  David was able to defeat Goliath because he was poor in spirit and needed only in surest strength of God, unlike Goliath who believed in himself, his weapons and every other thing.

In Ezra 7:10 and Ezra 8:21-23, we will have a great lesson to learn about the need for our total dependency on God and not on man. We all have to be poor in Spirit until our death. In doing so, we will need a contrite spirit to bear the nature of Christ. There are many hurdles in life but the poor in spirit has patience to stay put on the Lord alone. Impatience of King Asa of Judah, shifted him into becoming a servant of the King of Assyria when he needed him to help defeat the people of Israel. Don’t let the flesh lead you astray by making you a slave of Satan.

Continue to the poor in Spirit and know that our blessings are based on how we love to remain poor in Spirit for the Lord God. The devil is willing to provide for you what isn’t from God but your purpose is to be poor before God. You may be in need of work but know that if you don’t remain waiting for that of Gods, Satan will lead you astray and you can’t make Heaven.
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*PRAYER: Lord, grant us the power to remain in dependency on you in Jesus name. AMEN*

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RISE UP

“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
Song of Sol. 2:10KJV

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The sheep know and hear the voice of the Shepherd, so does the Shepherd knows the voice of the sheep. Christ Jesus always and daily longs to be with his bride. He pants for intimacy with his beloved; He doesn’t want her to be with the world. Nothing is so disgusting as loving someone wholeheartedly and not receiving that same love from the person. We are very aware of the love that Christ had shown to us by laying down His very life for our salvation. None of our siblings or friends can do that. He saw our wretchedness before we even realised it. But are we showing Him that same love? He has done everything to show to the whole world that He dearly loves you and desires company with you.

We’ve slept for a very long time, the sun is already shinning, the day is far spent, therefore, He is saying to us, His beloveds that we should rise up and come to Him. We should awake from the slumber of this world. The world is still singing a lullaby to cause us to sleep, but Christ bid us awake. He had stretched forth his hands to help us stand upon our feet, but alas! We’re not responding, we’re not willing to hold His hands.

Darkness has catch the Church for she has forsaken the only Light of her existence and the little foxes are readily spoiling the tender grapes of the vines. The church is filled with the world because she has consciously abandoned her intimacy with the Shepherd —Christ Jesus. Therefore, He is standing behind the wall of our love of the world and sins, and looks forth at the window of our hearts, showing himself through the lattice of His word and with a sweet and lovely voice He speaks and says to each of us, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
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PRAYER: I love you Lord Jesus, please help me have an intimate relationship with you with my whole heart and being in your name I pray.
AMEN

DIVINE EXEMPTION FOR GOD’S SAINTS

_”And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.”_ (1Kings 17:4) 

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Before anything happens, God has to allow it. He knows every thing that lies ahead of us and that is part of the reasons why His accolades will continue to be reserved for Him alone. After Israel had been detached from the House of Judah, King Ahab became one of the idolatrous kings of Israel who provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger. He did what was evil in the sight of God even more than his predecessors.

Due to this infamous desecration in the House of Israel, God through Prophet Elijah, commanded the cessation of rain and dew from falling until His Prophet declared otherwise. By that time, God knew that Elijah His mouthpiece needed a place where he could enjoy reliable food and water supply. He made advance preparations for the welfare of Elijah His prophet because He did what was righteous in the sight of God. Birds had to feed Him, and a brook had to produce water for him in spite of the acute shortage of water in Israel. What an exemption!

Beloved, this world and God’s saints herein, are continuing with the biblical incidence which we have just cited for our memory verse. We are living in an evil world where idolatry, worldliness and wickedness of all shades are taking place. People are not looking for God’s Word and for that matter, they are thirsty without any effort to quench it. However, the Saints in Christ are the chosen ones who are carefully selected to walk in the righteousness of God because they have believed in Christ Jesus. 

The Word of God is the inexhaustible brook and food for their satisfaction. We are carefully chosen to enjoy ourselves under the safe wings of God. Bring others under the wings by recommending the safety in Christ Jesus to them. We are blessed to drink more of God’s inspired Word of satisfaction.

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*PRAYER*: Yahweh, let your Word be enough for me always in Jesus name. *AMEN*

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SENSITIVE TONGUE IN A LIVING CONDITION

_”Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?”_ (Job 6:30) 

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The tongue is the right sensory organ for tasting the sweetness or bitterness of a substance. At the same time, *it is the only organ which aids us to speak and communicate our ideas to others by making an individual’s mind known in verbal expression.* In a situation whereby a person drinks a very hot liquid substance or eats a very hot food, the tongue will lose its sensitivity and for a while, find itself malfunctioning.

A case like that is the main reason why a person’s mind cannot send the information of right taste to a consumer. Did you think of how useless the mind will be if the tongue is unable to discern good and bad tastes?

*God’s Living Word renews your mind. It is the tasty food in the mouth of a Christian who feeds himself with it.* The more we hear and keep God’s Word in our minds, the greater our ability to discern between good and bad words, choosing the good and tasty word to utter. Insults, gossips, guiles and lies are only going to kill your senses and deliver you to perversion because you can’t taste of the right Words from God. 

Our tongues mustn’t accept perverse things and we can do so by being knowledgeable about what is perverse in order not to speak them. Bridling of one’s tongue will teach him or her the right thing or response to say at the right time. *Eat God’s Word regularly, and declare it in recommendation to others. Yea, it tastes great on our sensitive tongues!*

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*PRAYER*: Oh God, let your Word condition my tongue and roll it away from perversion in the name of Jesus Christ. *AMEN*

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GOD NEVER CHANGES

_”For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”_ (Malachi 3:6) 

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Age can change a person’s physical appearance. Hardships in life can change a good and morally upright person. Poverty can change an innocent man to join a cultic group and lose his soul. Politics can turn a person into a propagandist or a liar. Money can control a person to disregard and look down on the less privileged. Sickness can befall someone and he cannot carry out any responsibility given him at the workplace or in any given environment. These and many more can bring about changes in the life of an individual.

Does God change for just a second? No! Jehovah is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is as old and unchangeable as His creative Word by which we were made. His decrees or Word cannot pass away after a period of time because He is Word. It will never happen that the Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient God of Israel will ever lose any of His supernatural qualities or entitlements. He loves those who believe on His Son Jesus Christ, fear Him and keep His Word.

Whatever that was sinful to Him in thousands of years ago, cannot be right in our generation. Who can be compared unto this God. Our God doesn’t grow old, He doesn’t make mistakes, He doesn’t sin, He doesn’t lose His authority; but He is always sovereign in holiness. Great God!!! This God never changes and for that reason we as His children have His Holy Spirit in our hearts to direct us, and we cannot change either. He is reminding us to walk in the Way of our Lord Jesus Christ in order to escape His wrath. We are not greater than those of old who disobeyed Him and received all sorts of deadly and eternally disastrous punishments from Him.
Can you think of the mightiness of the Almighty Yahweh? Don’t waste your time because it’s never going to be possible. We are fortunate to be called by Him into His family in order for us to be in His unchanging realm of wonder for eternity. 

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*PRAYER*: Lord God of Israel, may I not ever turn away from you in Jesus name. *AMEN*

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DESIRING YOUR OLD LIFE.

“Remember Lot’s wife”.
Luke 17:32KJV

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This verse is worth meditating. When our Lord Jesus tells us to remember something, He really knows what we can learn from that thing. He is beckoning us to flash back and mindfully skim through and examine the life of Lot’s wife and her instant judgement. She was in Sodom, an idolatrous and sinful city with all worldly living. Graced by God to be led out of that place, she disobeyed the words of the angels who led her out by turning back and she was immediately judged by God and turned into a pillar of salt.

Her desire for the way of life in which she was taken from led her to disobey. She was out of Sodom but the life and ways of Sodom were still in her. Our Lord Jesus is reminding us to reminisce her life and remember what happened to her for we’ve been graced even more than her and if we’re living the same life and looking back as she did, then we shall surely receive a full measure of our judgement as she had.

Christ Jesus came to save us from the world into His word. He said, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) Irrespective of the miracles that God did in the midst of the Israelites, they desired to return back to Egypt —where He took them from because of food. Though the Lord had saved us from the world, many Christians are still in love with the world and its things; they still desire to live their old way of life. They’ve accepted Christ but are still looking back to the world. So the Lord is still saying to us all that we should Remember Lot’s wife.
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PRAYER: Father I glorify your holy name. Please help me set my affections on things above that I will not look or turn back into the world in Jesus ‘ name.
AMEN

SLUGGISHNESS TO OBEY

“Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken”
Luke 24:25KJV

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The book of proverbs have a clear distinction between the wise and the fool; the wise has wisdom and the fool has none. Christ Jesus describing his two followers on the way to the village of Emmaus as fools is a very considerate thing. Here, He isn’t referring to them as wicked men, but as weak men whose faith is runty. They’re not infidels nor have they no knowledge about God; they know Christ but are very slow in believing in Him. Christ esteemed them as fools because they’re sluggish in heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken.

The wisest thing ever on earth is to believe in the only Son of God — Christ Jesus and His words. Doubtfulness is foolishness in the sight of God. God has given all the inarguable facts about His existence and the way to Him and His kingdom, yet many are those who don’t even believe in him and His words. Most Christians are very laggard in believing some facts about the deity and kingship of Christ. Believing in Christ isn’t a one day thing, it’s a lifelong work. We must believe in Him every moment and seconds of our lives till we depart to Him in Heaven.

Unbelieve and doubt are the diseases of faith; they extract the vitamins in faith leaving it unhealthy. A healthy faith grows in grace and in the words of the Lord.
Dear, never allow these diseases into your heart to be described as a fool in the sight of God. For fools are not in Heaven, only the wise who believe are there.
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PRAYER: Destroy any spirit of doubt and Unbelieve from my heart Lord Jesus, and help me be quick to obey you in all my life in your name I pray.
AMEN