Family Tree

Another lesson the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see in the story of Ishmael (in Gen 16-21) is that automatic blessings can be allocated to an individual without needing to work for it.

For background to Ishmael, please read my post here. At some point Sarah could no longer tolerate Hagar and Ishmael in the house and she sent them away. Abraham was grieved with this decision and God comforted him in 21:13 saying, “And I will also make a nation of [Ishmael] the son of the maid, because he is your descendant.” The same words were spoken to Hagar in 21:18.

Ishmael need not work for it. He automatically qualified for it due to the lineage. Whao! Some stash of inheritance awaiting him – his Father’s, Abraham, will so to speak.

In Luke 13, Jesus referred to a woman who was bound over as ‘a daughter of Abraham’. And here, he said this woman qualified to be healed! I have tried to plot out this woman’s family tree to check out the connection and which generation she was in: 1st, 2nd, 3rd…, 20th….40th? It was not easily traceable however there were 42 generations between Abraham and Jesus Christ. Therefore, I guess this woman will possibly be in either the 41st or 42nd generation. The point is that she was not in the 1st generation yet she qualified for automatic healing. The question is what made her qualify?

According to Galatians 3-5, if an individual confesses Christ as his Lord and Saviour, then he automatically qualifies for this stash of inheritance too, irrespective of the place you are in the family tree. Apart from being established as a nation and healing, the contents of this stash can be found in Gen 12 -17 and other chapters of the bible.

I study and claim those promises today and continually. From the story of the woman in Luke 13, apparently, she knew God however she was bound over for 18 years! Could it be that she was unaware of her full right to the stash?

The Word as seeds

I was studying the scriptures some hours ago and a spiritual nugget dropped in my heart. This is in relation to the fig tree in (Mark 11:12-25). To summarise the story, Jesus Christ and his disciples whilst on their way to Jerusalem saw a fig tree. He was expecting to see fruits on it that he might pluck some. Unfortunately, there was none! Consequently, he cursed the tree to dry up. Nothing seemed to happen physically after those words. Bear in mind, that the same Jesus Christ spoke to situations (the sick, blind, the lame, the storm etc) and there were immediate manifestations in the physical.

You might wonder – why then is the “fig tree” different? Let us carry on with the story, the following day (could be between 6 – 12 hrs after the initial incident) on their way back, they  passed by the fig tree. And Peter raised an alarm, “oh oh the fig tree has dried up!”.

The nugget for me is: there are varying challenges in a man’s life. Some will respond to the Word quickly to produce a physical manifestation. Some will take a day, days, a month, months, a year or years. It might not be clear-cut as to how to categorise the situations but one thing is sure that prayer ahead of time yield tremendous benefits.

I have heard several pastors, across the world, advice to pray for the future of ones’ children even if they are not yet born; to pray for ones’ marriage whilst still single etc.

Prayers/the Word are seeds. If sown at the appropriate time, they bear fruits at the appropriate time.

Grace – it can be activated

Following on from the lastest post, “Singled Out”, I asked the Lord another question, “does that mean I must wait till Grace locates me, I get the fact I needed to prepare for my day of visitation like Esther. But like Naaman and the widow of Zarephath, what preparation was needed?

I was led to Hebrews‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭AMP‬‬ “Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment]”.

The commonality in the scenarios in the ‘Singled Out’ post was that ‘they all had a need’.

Is it not wonderful that I can activate that Grace? You could also  activate it, this is a directive from God. Activate it by asking for it.

On my bended knees, King of Glory, I boldly approach your throne to receive Grace and Mercy for my life, my marriage, my home, my children, my career, my ministry, my finances, my health in the name of Jesus. Amen

Why demarcate?

Demarcating a plot of land with tall strong walls and barb wires is rife in my native country – Nigeria. Some of the land lords will go an extra mile to put a big sign board on the wall which reads, “this land belongs to Mr XYZ. Trespassers beware”. Some will actually place sharp-edged broken bottles on the fences.

I had often wondered why this was commonplace, bearing in mind that the landlord legally bought the land and was issued a title-deed. Whilst that was the case,  bandits will try to take hold of the land especially when the land is unoccupied.

I recall my dad had a practice of visiting his lands at least twice a month when I was growing up –  checking that hoodlums had not broken through.

I find this practice essential in the spiritual too. Jesus Christ has purchased a good life for us by giving himself as a ransom, he has handed over the title-deed to us. However if I don’t put a stamp on this title-deed or enforce my ownership, the devouring lion will devour my possession.

A lady shared with me how she lost her two pregnancies during the first trimester. She said it started by having horrible dream where she bled and few days after it’s reality. She searched the scriptures and came across “who gave himself as a ransom for all 1 Tim 2:6”. If the price had been paid, if the blood had been shed and a life had been given as a ransom, then her pregnancy is fulfilled. She held on to and  confessed this scripture through out the 9 months despite the odd dreams. She delivered safely!

Have you aligned your life with  Christ’s and yet you are being tormented? Rise up dear reader! Check out what the scriptures say about your situations. Confess them- these are your barb wires.

Ready to serve?

The stories below made me ponder on my “faith journey” specifically the call to serve.

Story A. On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is your guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover”. Mark 14:12-16

Question: Was the owner expecting a request from the Lord or was he just prepared and ready to serve at his Lord’s beckon and call? Perhaps he had planned engagements to take place in the guest room which he cancelled?

Story B. “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ ” They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. Mark 11:2-7

Question: The colt was tied by someone, the owner. I assume the owner was among those standing by otherwise, it seems an awkward place to tie an animal.

Was the owner expecting a request from the Lord? Or was he just prepared and ready to serve his Lord at any time required and with anything? In this case, a virgin colt- none ever rode on it.

A call to serve. Service to the less privileged; motherless and fatherless;  those in need of words of encouragement.

“Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matt 25:40.

Daughter of Your Father

In Luke 13:11-13, Christ referred to a woman as “daughter of Abraham”. I have been wondering why He did not call her by name for Christ knows all things. He could have identified her by her issue (bent over woman)? Why did He make reference to Father Abraham? Could it be that there is an underlying message here? This woman had been bent over for 18 years!

In my culture, when people call you in reference to your parents, i.e. are you not a daughter of Mr X or Dr Y, or Pastor Z, depending on the context, it means that individual has demonstrated a behaviour that doesn’t quite conform to the identity of her parents or perhaps she condoned herself according to the attributes of that family. Most often than not, the former is the case.

Let us check out Father Abraham’s profile. He is the father of faith and the blessing. God separated him from of his brethren to establish a new covenant with God (Gen 17). He was blessed with the promised land and this promise was passed on from his son, Issac to grandson, Jacob/Israel and Joseph and on and on. Whilst these generations sojourned to the promised land, God itemised the blessings in Deut 28:1-14. One of these blessings was divine healing and health.

What is the connection between this woman and Abraham? She was a Jew/Israelite therefore descendent of Abraham. Consequently, healing and divine health were her entitlements. She was meant to stand straight and walk uprightly but she had been bent over for 18 years- such a long time and she probably just got used to it. Also, the encounter between her and Christ took place in a place where Christ was teaching; showing she had a heart for God but did she call out to him for healing?

How does the above relate to you and I in Christ? Gal 3:7, 9, 13, 14, “…those who are of faith are the seeds of Abraham”. “So they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham”. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us…”. “That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive of the Spirit through faith”.

Are you in Christ? Have you confessed Him as Lord and Saviour? Are you serving Him wholeheartedly? But are you bent over in any area of your life? You ought not be bent over. Stand up and take your entitlement. Confess and believe your divine healing and health. Thank God for it. For His leading.

Note:Study Gen 17, Deut 28 and Galatians.

A glimpse of your promised land

Caught a glimpse of your promised land – what is your report?

Twelve spies were sent to spy the land of Canaan. They (excluding Caleb and Joshua) came back with a frightening report, “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan. We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are. The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (Numbers 13)

The Israelites were thoroughly shaken and they said, “Only if we had died in Egypt! Or in the wilderness!” We would be taken captives! Shall we just go back to Egypt? (Numbers 14)

But Caleb replied with a sentence “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” Again in the succeeding chapter, he said, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” (Numbers 13, 14)

Prior to this event, Moses had told them about the promised land and they had experienced few miracles to boost the confidence needed for the journey. However, they were not 100% convinced so they had a plan b – go back to Egypt/serve the gods of Egypt. As a result, they complained, murmured and disobeyed. What was the result? – the generation was wiped out!

In Joshua 5, “all those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt. All the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not. The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way”.

In a nut shell, the elders of Moses’s era who entered the promised land were Joshua and Caleb. Why? I believe it was the word of their testimony!!

When God grants you a privilege to catch a glimpse of your promised land (via through logos or rhema), no matter its state, do you align your thoughts and speech with His or do you tell Him reasons why you think you can’t reach the land? If latter, would that be a reason why some promises seem unfulfilled or delayed?

The Audacious Five

Anytime I read about the Zelophahad’s daughters, who I tagged the “audacious five”, I get excited in my spirit and I will tell you why.

After the Exodus of Israelites, God instructed Moses to divide the promised land among the families of Israel according to the number of names. These were identified by the male head of each family.

Zelophahad, one of the heads, had no son and he died before the land allocation. His family was not mentioned and therefore could not partake. However his daughters reasoned among themselves and were not going to accept a loss. They were Israelites and therefore deserved a piece of the land not withstanding their Father’s death. Hence they approached Moses and made a demand. Moses checked this with God, God approved it.

But they could have said, “indeed Moses operated strictly under God’s instruction and thus we ought not go challenge him about our share. Let us keep mute and try marry into the other tribes so we could partake “. I think this would have been very polite of them. But again, they would have lost out.

It reminds me of the Canaanite lady who approached Jesus for her daughter’s healing (Matt 15:21-28). Despite an initial rebuff from Jesus, she pressed further and it was said of her to have had such a great faith!  Finally, her request was granted. Same applies to the audacious five- they had faith their request would be granted afterall they were Israelites!

We, as believers, have an inheritance in God (Romans 8:17). We have the right to make a demand on this for our names are written on them. “What inheritance?” you may ask. I can write a couple but please go through the word of God.

1. Psalm 34:20 the Lord guards the bones of the righteous and none of them is broken

2. Psalm 127:2 he gives his beloved sleep

While making the demand, remember Mark 11:24 tells us that if we asked for anything in prayer we should believe we have received and it will be ours.

 

Effect of hearing

We, hubby and I, named our daughter Deborah years before her conception. We consistently called her by that name soon after she was born so she could familiarise herself with it.

There was no guarantee she would turn her face towards the direction where the name was said for she was too young to connect. And when she happens to turn, we knew it was not a conscious effort. This did not deter us from calling her that name. Now that she is 7 months old, she is beginning to make connections. The more she hears (present simple) the name, Deborah, the higher her awareness levels. And this results in more conscious efforts to turn her face to the direction.

In time, when she is asked what she name is, she will proudly say “Deborah”. This is because she internalised it and believe that is the truth. If for some reasons someone called her ‘Puah’, I am sure she will politely correct such a person.

The above scenario resonant with Romans 10:17 (NLT). “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ”.

The more we hear the word of God, the higher our faith level rises because the word of God produces faith. Faith to access divine health, sound mind, direction, peace, the blessing etc…

Likewise, the Father gave us names even before we were formed e.g. Jer 1:5, 1 Peter 2:9) e.g. God’s special possession. The more we hear (by reading and meditation) 1 Peter 2:9, the more alive those names come to our spirit. Consequently, we respond to them. If some one called us any name that is not in God’s list, our spirits will immediately correct and reject such. This is possible only when we have heard what the word of God calls us.

“So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ”.

Safe and secure from all alarms

I woke up quite early the other day to participate in a prayer meeting. My gorgeous daughter was wide awake and showed no sign of sleeping hence I took her with me to the meeting.

It was a meeting where everyone prayed in the spirit passionately and earnestly. Listening to such combination of voices and utterances would not be symphonic, I don’t think. Quite surprisingly, my daughter slept off peacefully on my chest in the noisy environment. It seems to me that the more the prayer intensity, the deeper my daughter slept. It was either she could not be bothered with the noise or she was feeling really sleepy or she had an assurance that all is well for she was with her mother.

🎼🎶Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

There and then I remembered the story of Jesus Christ in the boat during a storm. Christ slept off in that noisy state not necessarily because He could not be bothered or He was feeling really sleepy but for the truth that He was assured of the presence of His Father.

Likewise, Christ has extended his invitation to many. Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matt 11:28-30

“For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world”. Heb 4:10