By Ide Y.
(June 5th, 2011)
[For a printable version click here.]
QUOTABLE QUOTES
I have been getting more afraid of God in recent times, because I am realizing that whatever God says, He would do. He says if you defile the body, I am going to destroy you. He says the body is not for fornication, you are not your own. That body is not your own, Praise the Lord. You know some mornings when I wake up and the devil tries to do some things, I say “look devil, God made me and I belong to God. God says that I am his, so you cannot come and do what you like in or with my body; this body belongs to God completely”. When I was made, there was no impute from the devil, my making was not a joint business were shares were advertised and sold. The devil has no claim on me or you, Praise the Lord. Halleluiah!
Stand and resist Satan brethren, tell him that he does not have any part in this business because God made you andyou are going to respond to Him ( God). You know brother Laban in the book of Genesis, God told him, do not speak to my son either good or evil. Hallelujah. Satan we declare to you this morning, in the name of Jesus Christ, we are not interested in your good or your evil. Both of them take it away. We are God’s property and God is saying to us today that if we believe we are God’s ;THEN we have to live our lives, knowing that we belong to Him.
When Jesus (Yesuah) was with his brethren (disciples) he began to teach them doctrines (way of life). Some of the people despised him and men began to say “where got this man all this knowledge having not learned’. You know they were not only referring to the words that he was speaking, they were talking about the authority by which he was speaking and the power that he was demonstrating. Hallelujah. We have been thought over the years that there are three dimensions; there is the natural dimension, the spiritual dimension and then the fullness. The natural dimension is the lowest dimension, it is the dimension where you can see and relate to things. It is the dimension of the flesh. The flesh is that which we see and can relate to. Flesh is the lowest thing in God’s creation. God put His glory in earthen vessels of clay that the Excellency might be of him. So we are made flesh but we carry in us His glory.
2Co 4:7 but we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Brethren our flesh and all it represents has only one destination. And that destination is called decay, flesh is going to die. Flesh will be destroyed. The calamity of man is that he is doing everything he can to keep flesh alive, it is surprising that even when the physical flesh dies, men would keep it for few weeks in a mortuary and one morning someone goes there and they bring it out and wash it, and sometimes they even paint the fingers, they rub perfume on them, wear them their best clothes, they even put lipstick on them so that it would look alive, but no matter how much you paint, it is dead. You cannot keep flesh from decaying no matter how much you try. Flesh’s destination is decay. You spend a lifetime trying to beautify the flesh and make it look good, but it is going to decay. Flesh (carnality) is going to decay. The good news is that, there was one, of whom it is said, that his body, did not see corruption, hallelujah.
Ac 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption .v 36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell a sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: v 37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
God formed man from the dust of the ground/earth and HE quickly put his breath on that piece of clay ( if He had left it like that it would have decayed) and it became a living soul. It is written; the same spirit that raised Jesus (Yesuah) from the dead shall also quicken your mortal body, so though flesh is destined for decay and rottenness, something can happen to that flesh and it would not see corruption. Praise the Lord.
Is it not such a wonder that the glory of God can be put in a mortal being , in a person like you and me, so that the Excellency of it, that is when it is done you would know that this thing is 100 % percent God, halleluiah. If you buy a keyboard for instance, and you dedicate it to God by the “laying on of hands” by the church, the piano being dedicated now belongs to God. The thing that was ordinary when God touches it becomes a piano with a difference. Anybody can own gold and it is yours but when you bring that gold as an offering and give it to God, that gold is no longer what you brought from the shop, it becomes gold with a difference. When God becomes involved in what is mortal, something miraculous happens. Brethren we are saying that God has become involved with you, so you are holy.
Let us look at some implications of the thought expressed in the paragraph above. The scriptures tell us that that he that defiles the body, God would destroy. Hallelujah. The scriptures also say Lu 9:24 for whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. Can you imagine using 3 million naira to save your life, only to realize that you have lost it? The scriptures cause us to understand that if you would lose the life, i.e. if you give it to God, only then can you save it. God is saying to us today ‘give that life to me’. Whatever I have belongs to God and I am asking God that he should have mercy on me that I would live in the consciousness that I am not my own, hallelujah. Apart from the fact that He made me: can you imagine making something, stamping your logo on it and then someone comes to ask you to buy it? The question was asked from whom do the gentiles collect tax, is it from their children or their servants? The conclusion of that story is that the children are free. You do not tax them, but however he instructed that they go, get the fish, get the silver and pay on behalf of the children. Amen. The import of the story is that God is saying “yes it is mine” but to make assurance, double sure, he decided to buy it again. Amen. What a wonder indeed, he that made (created) you and I, has bought us again. We are not for sale any longer , brethren, you are not to be negotiated for, the person that made you, to make assurance double sure, decided to pay the price to redeem you on to Himself again.
I discovered the other day that the things that the devil uses to tempt me are the things that God has not just promised me but has given to me already. God of His own volition, of his own free will said “let us make man in our image, after our likeness” so Adam was made the son of God. The son is the inheritor. When the son arrives the scene, he commands like the father. Remember the parable; the servants were sent to the vineyard and they beat them and treated them shamefully, the same was done to the second group but when he sent the son, they said let us kill him because they knew that if killing the son was the only way to get the inheritance. So when God made man he said let us make man in our own image and likeness so that we can beget sons of God, God wants you to exercise the authority of a son. It was God’s idea. God said it. We did not beg him to say ‘God can we be like you’. He said it out of His own majesty. It is the intention of God, and Gods intention is not expressed in mere words. It contains the energy, power and authority to bring the matter to pass. Hallelujah God decided and He has put everything into place. The scriptures say he has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness so that by this we may be partakers of His divine nature. Know these brethren! Whatever you need to manifest God’s authority on earth has been made available, hallelujah. So he made man in his image after his likeness, and gave him authority over the fish of the seas, over the land, over everything. Now when the devil came around, what did he tell the man? If you would just obey me, you will be like God. What a liar; God already said He made man in his image and after his likeness
God told us that none shall say that I am sick and (that word has been running in my soul) I know it is true, but I find that my leg still aches me, yet I know God has said in Isa 33:24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. You know what brethren? Whether your leg aches or not, it is of no consequence. If God has said it, let us believe it, irrespective of the circumstances. Brethren your sickness is not known in heaven and we are in the business of bringing the heavenly things to be manifested in the physical body (that is actually what fullness means). Fullness is when natural men, manifest those things which you see spiritually in Christ. The fullness is that that thing that you see in the spirit, which begins to work in your life. When you are in a situation where you should be angry and you smile, that is fullness. I was in my office the other day and someone had been bugging me for weeks and that morning I got upset and I said I would show you that I am the Principal (head) of this School, I did not realize that dark clouds that had no rain were gathering in my heavens. I picked up my phone and called my Director and when I started to talk, I started weeping, I couldn’t talk and the line cut, when I came to myself as it were I called again and said “do not worry about it”. Brethren I had decided to lay my life down. Hallelujah. As I decided to lay my life down, all those voices that were saying “you are a fool” vanished. Brethren, we need to die that we may live again. You do not know how sweet it is to die, ( to self) until you begin to die, it is a pleasure to be dead, I wish I could die some more, for where I have died, I experience sweetness, because in those places where I have died I haves seen the life of God replace it.
The devil came saying Ye shall not surely die: v5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.( Ge 3:4)
Those that deal with medical science know that what we eat affects us. When someone is sick and recovering, diets are prescribed for them. God knew that part of the diet that man needed to get, to the high point of his calling, that point of being in his image and likeness did not need at that time, that tree or its fruits. God said forget about that tree, and man was not ‘malnutritioned’. Hallelujah. Man lacked nothing. He did not eat that fruit for a long while and he was going on normally, he was not falling sick. What God has given you I tell you is what you need. If you want to eat rice and chicken every day, and god provides you with garri and groundnuts instead, I am telling you that it automatically becomes a balanced diet for you. You will discover that in that your sipping garri and groundnut, there is nothing that God wants you to do that you would not be able to do. Praise the lord. I was driving an old Volvo at one time. I tell you, wherever I wanted that car to go, it went. Why? Because the lord was there .Once that Volvo, carried 50 chairs from B.M.H to Aluu for a camp meeting and the car arrived there in peace. I did not need a jeep or truck to get the job done. In whatever state I am physically, whatever God wants me to do; I have the grace and capacity to do it. Amen. Now sometimes I fail, but I know that if I trust and continue to stand in the Lord that there will be no limitation, Praise the lord.
The devil came to Adam tempting, saying “this fruit has some hidden nutrients that you do not know about; if you can eat it you will get a certain pleasure”. God says to the young men keep your vessels clean. Keep the young ladies at a distance and be chaste but the devil tells you, oh no! There is something that you are missing. Brethren you do not need whatever the devil says you are missing. What the devil says you are missing is called death. Whatever God has not prescribed for you, when you take it, it may look nice in the eye but what you are taking is called death. May we remain within the confines of what God has given us. Brethren having food and raiment, let us be content. Learn to be satisfied.
You may hear a voice whispering to you that you are poor. I will tell you the story of one of our Sisters here, Sis Pat is her name, sister Pat with her small blue beetle car. I want to calculate her poverty for you: when I was a student she fed me and many others. In those days we used to go to her kitchen in Uniport and eat up all the food. She was not afraid of the young brethren coming to finish her food and the poverty that may arise as a result; do you know now; she is so poor that she drives a jeep, she is married with children going to school, and she recently has been made a professor. What about you Brother Ken, see your babe by your side. Can anyone show or tell me what poverty has overtaken anyone sitting in this room. Do not believe the devils lies.
Let us look again brethren, we are rich in Christ. If I measure the amount of riches God has given me, with how I have responded to him, I need to be crying in repentance. God has provided me with loads of benefits and I have not responded to him, instead I am still getting angry. You want to buy a car, you ask, when I buy the car, how will I fuel the car? You forget that God has been providing you money to transport yourself to work. Now you have a car, you are asking how I would fuel the car ? You are saying, my wife and I ,we are just struggling on our own, now this child is coming, when I give birth to this child how will feed him or her? You know what? When the child comes the provision comes with the child. Hallelujah. When they sent ladies off in those days in marriage, they sent some maidens along with them, to help them keep house; God sends maidens brethren! When he sends you a son, he sends you provisions for them, Praise the Lord.
Back to the story; the devil came saying, “if you disobey God your eyes would be open and you would be like God” What he was actually saying, is “if you eat of this tree, you would be blind and you would be like the devil. I guarantee you that you would not die; I the devil would give you life. Forget about God. Eat the fruit.” Unfortunately man agreed. Thank God that we have the opportunity in Christ, to change our minds. The devil was promising man what God has given to him free of charge, Amen. What the devil is promising you is already yours. You do not need to negotiate with the devil. Cast him out. The devil came to Jesus and said turn these stones into bread, you are hungry! God said somewhere in the scriptures, if I was hungry would I ask you for food? The cattle on a thousand hills are mine. So how come the devil has the impudence to come and say ‘turn the stones into bread’, who gave him that kind of right? If I am hungry, I would cry to God. Some of us get hungry and we cry to the devil. You have a need and you go to men, instead of God. One of those kings in the scripture, when he was sick, he sought for the physician. It wasn’t that the physicians were bad but he sought them as one would have sought his God. God was upset with him and said you would not go down from this bed that you have risen from. If you are hungry, go to God, if you have a need, go to God, and do not go near the devil’s camp. You want a wife, go to God, He would give you one. If you want a husband look to God and He would give to you one. And I advise you by the way, to look in the place that God has provided for you, Amen, hallelujah.
The devil came to Jesus and said turn these stones into bread, I realized that Jesus did make bread, but he made bread at the appointed time (Gods time). Jesus made bread out of nothing, so we see that Jesus did not need the advice of the Devil. You do not need the advice of that “nice devil” that comes to you, when you have been fasting to look at your face to say , “sorry oh, we know you are the son of God, you are a powerful man, you know you can do it, you are a man of God, 40 days fast!, oh you have really tried now turn these stones into bread so you can eat. That “nice devil” was also the one that appealed to Jesus. Praise the Lord, Jesus rebuked him saying man doth not live by bread alone. My problem is not bread, there is nothing that concerns bread but when and if it is time to make bread, bread will be made. Hallelujah. Did he not take five loaves and five fishes and they ate until they were well fed and gathered 12 baskets? In another instance, they were hungry God rained down meat. Imagine you were hungry and then one day it starts raining chicken and rice. Brethren, we do not need the devils advice. God is able to provide a table in the wilderness, He can and He has and will do it, Praise the Lord. I am learning to keep the devil out of my affairs. I do not need the devil or his impute. “Let us help you” the devil says, “you people are going on a long journey; let us help you to build those walls”. Do you remember what the man replied them? The man said “you have no business in this matter”. It is good to reject the world, brethren! Tell the world that you do not want their impute, that the thing would be 100 percent God; because once you add man to it, you defile it. In the Old Testament when you had to build an altar of stone to worship the Lord, if you put a tool upon it, you defiled the temple
God is providing for us, hallelujah, whatever you want God is able to provide. Look neither to the right nor the left brother. God told David, after he did the mistake with Bathsheba; I made you king over Israel, I gave you all the things in Israel, and if that was not enough you would have asked me and I would have given you more, you did not need to go and meet Bathsheba. (Maybe if he had just said “God, I am sorry for looking at this woman”. I believe God would have created a woman sweeter than Bathsheba and given to him). It is one of the commandments that you shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife, land etc and do you know why? Because it can be yours, just as it is his. God can give you that same thing and more besides .In a sense He told the five foolish virgins, you do not need to look for their oil, when you can get even better oil than theirs and they went and got it. It is just that they got it late, Praise the Lord, hallelujah.
Clay is the lowest thing, flesh is the lowest thing, but God is putting his glory in this piece of clay, you have God’s seed in your heart. I will tell you something about seeds. God made the fruits and there is the seed in the fruit. I discovered that the only living thing you have in a fruit is the seed. It is the embryo of the seed that has the life, everything else is going to get rotten. No matter how fine the mango is, you better eat it quickly, else the flesh will rot. The scriptures say I espouse you to one husband to Christ. I am not my own brethren; you are not your own. He put a seed in your heart so it can bring forth life. God has put life in us so we do not decay and we must be careful to nurture that life.
CONCLUSION
The devil is saying, your soul belongs to him. The anti Christ wants to sit as God in the temple of God (your soul) showing himself as God. That place where God is sitting, the devil is saying ‘that that is my seat’. In the six day war, the Nations surrounding Israel aimed at wiping Israel out of the map, they were set to exterminate Israel (the seed). Israel in a miraculous move, the night before they were to attack, sprung a surprise attack on them and beat them hands down. Not only did they deal with their enemy, they took their land . Now if God did that for the natural Israel, how much more will He do for the spiritual Israel. The Prime Minster of Israel while speaking in response to the demand by the U.S congress to give up the land ( Gaza) to the Arabs, testified to the fact that their land was given to them by Abraham their father. So you see he believes the bible. Praise the Lord. He mentioned to the whole world that David slew Goliath, and that this is the land that Isaiah prophesied about.
The devil is making the same demand on us: give up your inheritance in God he says or else you will not rest .You know it is not a new threat. In the Psalms, it is recorded that he said” let us remove their name from the earth” but HE that sits in the heavens shall laugh, HE would put them in derision and HE will judge them. Hallelujah. Do not look at your weakness, if you fall down, rise up, because there is “a coming of God” and you are going to overcome by the strength of His coming, hallelujah. We are in for victory, for it written Lu 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
The walls shall be built in troublous times and they that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits. This is the day brethren, awake from sleep, it is time for war, it is time to put aside and turn to your first love brethren. Rise brethren, begin to fight, hallelujah begin to pray and worship the Lord. God is saying to us that there is a new page opening, there are things in the Spirit that God is releasing to us, brethren, let us lay aside every weight, and God means every weight, the weight of your weakness, whatever it is, lay it aside. You wake up and you are weak, but when you turn to a scripture you experience an explosion and strength comes. Let us awake, there are things to be done. Hallelujah.