What is your reaction in the face of adversity?

"So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown."

Job 2 :1-7 KJV

Bible passage: Job 2: 1-10

Sometimes, God allows us to pass through some challenge, because the will of God sometimes takes us through a path full of thorns. God boasted of Job to Satan who told God that the only reason Job served God was because of the hedge that was formed around him.

Satan cannot touch your life and nothing can kill you except God permits it. The devil took Job through a path filled with thorns but even under so much pressure and through a lot of trials not once did Job sin against God.

What is your reaction in the face of adversity? God permitted Job to go through illness. Spiritual illness is manifested as physical illness. Hence, it is important that we take our spiritual life very seriously. A lot of us do not dig deep enough into the spirit and allow the enemy to have its way. All the spiritual exercises that we should engage in, we fail to do it.

The fact that we seem to get away with sin doesn’t mean we are getting away with it. What it means is that God is giving us a wide rope, a wide rope of repentance. No one gets away with sin, every sin has its repercussion. All the corruption that we see around us is a result of sin, spiritual illness. We may think that we have gotten away with the way we live our life, but each and every action of ours is written in a book and recorded.

Know this, that everything here on earth is temporary, at the most we live for 150 years what happens afterwards? How do you ensure that you make it to heaven? Everybody wants to live for now but there is no guarantee of tomorrow. We have become too entrenched in the affairs of this world, not thinking about the things to come and where we would spend eternity.

A lot of people do not want to experience a little pain or pressure. We need to do the right spiritual things, we need to simplify our life and save our soul for eternity.

God is waiting for that time to judge our thoughts and actions. God is going to judge they way we think. What are the things that makes our body weak? The things that makes our body attract sickness?

1. Sin! We cannot continue to sin and expect grace to abound. Romans 6:1
2. Dishonour to parents. The funeral for a dead parent is not more important as the parent. Exodus 20:12
3. A curse that is sent someone’s way. Parents bless your children. Life and death are in the tongue Proverb 18:21
4. God gives permission to Satan to test us
5. Envy, bitterness or the despising of others opens us to illness. Proverbs 14:30 

What foundation are you building on?

What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? Ezekiel 18:2 KJV

What harvest are you sowing? Is the journey of your life that which God has planned for you? For God himself says “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29: 11 KJV. Or is the journey of our life that which our grandfather, and other preceding generation has mapped out for us? Or maybe it is one we have unknowingly choosing for ourselves?

A lot of us are reaping what we did not sow, with lives built on a foundation that we have no idea about. Some of us because of our foundation and lineage, we find ourselves facing challenges that we should have overcome. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11: 3 KJV 

What our forefather sowed has in many ways affected us. If you find out you have been stuck in a rot, everything happening in the same way in spite the effort in prayer and hard work, then we need to find out the reason behind being stuck in one place.

The parents have eaten sour grapes, yet it is the children who are on edge. This is the case for a lot of us. We reap the result of the seeds that generations before us have sown. However, the word tells us that this should not be so. As I live, says the Lord GOD, you shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezekiel 18: 3-4

Accepting that this shouldn’t be so I the first step to freedom, acknowledging and accepting the gift of salvation and freedom that Christ gives is the key.

We must enjoy serving God. While we serve God, things must change in our lives and if they don’t then it is important for us to find out where the problem is and work it out.

Sometimes all that we need to do is to make positive confessions with out mouth. A lot of us have heaped hardships and challenges on ourselves just by the words of our mouth.

How does illness manifest in the physical? pt 2

And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. Exodus 15: 26 KJV

Physical carelessness can bring sickness our way. The food we eat and the way we eat result in illness for a lot of people. We are what we eat. Some eat too much without knowing when to not eat and how to not eat. A lot of us we physically mess up ourselves because of what we eat. We are to eat those meals that will benefit our lives and health. A change in diet can result in the change in the physical well being of an individual.
Sometimes illness comes because of bad hygiene.

Lastly some illness are manifested in the physical due to emotional problems that we put ourselves into, most of which can be avoided. The word says, Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. Prov 13:12 KJV. Some people are sick not because they have spiritual or physical problems but because they are emotionally down. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4: 23 KJV. A lot of us are bitter, weak, frustrated in our heart. We have allowed the challenges of life to dictate how we see life. Our bad emotional state embitters us and sours our life. This is manifested in physical illness that has no medical solution. This is why we go to the hospital and doctor says they can’t find anything wrong in our life. Emotional illness can also result from trying to living above our means; wanting to have more than what we can afford and pay for. 

There is a reason that people have spiritual illness that leads to physical illness.

1. Living and walking in sin. The word says the soul that sins will die. Death is the ultimate result of living a life of sin. The death is spiritual and when the soul is dead all forms of physical manifestations begun to happen. 
2. Disobedience to or dishonour of parents. Exodus 20: Our days will be shortened when we dishonour our parents. It doesn’t matter who or what your parents are it is only important that we abide by the words and command of God to honour our parents. 

It is more important to go to the one true God who is the source of all life. Life will turn out right for you if you just take things easy. Make a conscious decision to have a change today. Living in spiritual, physical and emotional wellness. When you are connected to God your emotion will be flowing with the joy of God and this will be your strength. This strength will become strength manifested in your physical.

How does illness manifest in the physical? Pt 1

And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. Exodus 15: 26 KJV

In the life of the early fathers of the bible, people lived to a very long time. They slept in the Lord and there was no record of any dying as a result of sickness. At the beginnings of time man lived long because they were close to God and lived right, however, as man become distant from Him the length of their days became shorter.

God’s original plan is for us to live in good health. He said, beloved I wish above all things that you prosper and be in good health even as your soul prospers. Therefore, God does not desire for us to be ill. It is God’s desire that we are in good health. Now, Elisha was falling sick of the sickness of which he died. 2 Kings 13: 14. 

People fall ill or die for several reasons, but all sin can be from 3 main areas of our lives. These are;

1. The spiritual
2. The physical
3. The emotional

These are the 3 main sources of people’s illnesses. Really, the main source of ailment is the spiritual and this spiritual sickness is manifested in the physical and this may result in the emotional. Sickness is a messenger of death. Every time we are ill we depreciate in body and strength but it is death that is registering its register and it is telling us that we are not immortal..

The spiritual itself is broken down further. Some spiritual illness arises from foundational problems, foundation inheritances and agreements that our parents or their parents have entered into on behalf of the family. So many afflicted with one illness or the other have been appointed to die because their is a family covenant hovering over their life.  Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die. Psalm 79:11 KJV. 

From the day of birth some of us have been marked as a result of things that occurs in the generation and lineage we are born into. Some people have been bound by Satan; Satan has overwhelmed their life and these people have difficulty getting healing. In Luke 8: 43-48 the woman with the issue of blood was bound by Satan and she went through the physical manifestation of the bondage for 12 years until she found release by touching the hem of Christ’s garment.

Sometimes the spiritual illness may be as a result of fresh attack by the enemy. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. Job 1: 9-10 KJV. Satan attacks children of God for no other reason than what he gave to God concerning Job.

Who is your child before God?

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. 

Psalm 127: 3-5 KJV

Children are a mirror of their parents. Thy pick up from their parents what they see them do or how they see their parents act and do same. So it is advisable that before we discipline our child we must first look inwards at ourselves.

The training of a child is the responsibility of both parents in the family. The father as the leader in the home is expected to lead the children in the way of God and the mother is the one who shows love.

Your children at an early age are not your best friends. They need you to show them the way, the right path, even if they feel it is not the way things should be. Prov 29:15

In the home the child should be trained to be able to fulfill destiny. To become that person that God has created to be. It is whatever we do to them, for them that determines who our children would be in the future.

God wants us to inculcate the truth of the word in our children. Joseph was taught to walk in the fear of God and this is why he was able to say no to Portiphar’s wife. It was from the training he had from childhood, precept upon precept. Even after he had left his home he never departed from it.

It is important to not ignore the opinion of our children or their comment. We should let them have a say because they are also human beings and have a mind. We should pay attention to what our children and saying and never try to shut them down. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Eph 6:4 KJV


As part of building the confidence and growth of the child we are to not compare them to other children or put them down. It is also bad to say to their face that you wish they were like another child.
As our children grow this behaviour stays with them and helps shape who they become.

Pray for your children always. Teach them to pray for themselves. It is important that children learn about the need to communicate with God by themselves.

Parents ensure you do not resolve your argument and issues with each other in front of your children. Try as much as possible to do this without involving your children.

Let your children understand what you can afford. Do not live larger than life and make them believe that things are rosy when they are not.

Does your faith reflect God?

God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them

reflecting our nature

So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,

the birds in the air, the cattle,

And, yes, Earth itself,

and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.”

God created human beings;

he created them godlike,

Reflecting God’s nature.

Genesis 1: 26-27 MSG

Have faith in God, believe in Him and trust Him. Do you believe that He can do what He has said concerning your life? Is your life a reflection of the one and only living God? Is your business, your marriage, family and life successful? Are you connected to the God of the whole earth? Is your faith a reflection of God the creator of all things seen and unseen?

Before we were born God know us. He has already written out the plan for our life. He knows our victories and all we are meant to achieve. At the same time he knows all the challenges we would face for every choice we may decide to make even before we chose what path to follow.

What made Abraham strong and made the children of Israel strong, they know their God and they trust him and they were obedient t Him. So when they obeyed God things worked out for them and they succeeded as a nation and when they disobeyed God things didn’t go well for them.

What is the level and things happening in your life today? Your life is reflection of your knowledge, obedience to God and to His words. A lot of us have not obeyed God and the t=strength of God in our life is not evident. If you want to be strong and successful in Life we have to believe God, trust Him, Obey Him and follow him to the end. The God that led that gives power, that reveals the hidden things, God that makes whole, God that proves and gives victory.

If you go to any Jewish home you will see inscription of the word of God around their homes. Why? The bible tells us in Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

So God created you and I godlike reflecting His nature. Does the life you live now reflect God's nature? Are you a winner, do have dominion, are you fruitful in all that you do? If your answer is no then you need to return to source (God) for a factory reset so that you can reflect the nature of God.

What makes a nation strong? pt 2

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.  Genesis 12:1-5 KJV

Most of the best things that happen in the world today was made by a Jew; technology, medicine, weapon, agriculture and lots more is a result of the involvement of the people of Israel.

Sometimes it takes a little bit of craziness to do the things of God.
Why are we celebrating Israel today? They are indeed a very strong nation. It is the only country that has the same name, located in the same land and speak the same language they spoke in the past. 22 percent of Nobel Prize winners are Jews. Approximately 1000 letters arrive in Jerusalem every year all addressed to God. Everything in the world revolves around this small peninsular called Israel.

What makes a nation strong? What makes a people strong? What makes it possible for you to overcome your enemies? What makes you strong enough to rise above the challenges of life? What the things the Jews have that has made them so strong?

1. The bible says when you are chosen by God you shall be strong Jeremaiah 1: 4
2. When you know God, believe His word, trust Him and follow him to the letter you become great and strong. Daniel 11:32; Galatians 3:6, 2 Chronicles 20:20, Joshua 1:8
3. If you trust God you shall be strong and succeed Proverbs 3:5, Daniel 11: 32
4. If you hold fast unto the Lord not letting go, you shall be strong.

Therefore, as a nation and as a people we can also be strong and great if we follow the example that God through his people has lid down for us. They are simple and easy and we need is to forget and let go of every other thing we think and focus on God alone. Hear God, believe Him, have faith in Him, trust Him and follow him completely and blindly.

Just like Abraham did when he was told to leave the familiar and the place and people he loved. It takes great insight and strength to leave the known for the unknown. Whatever we are passing through now it is up to us to make the choice of whether we want to remain where we are or we want to move forward into that person and nation that God had created us to be. A great people and a great nation that is blessing to other and a person that the whole world wants to bless and be affiliated with.

What makes a nation strong?

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.  Genesis 12:1-5 KJV

God had a conversation with a pagan who lived in the land of Ur of the Chaldeans. What God told him was to go the way that He would show him, a place that only God knew, that He (God) would lead him to a strange land he knew not but which would be given to his sons for an heritage. Every promise that God made to Abraham has all being fulfilled. Not only is Israel great, even Ishmael and his generations are great.

The Lord said to Abraham Gen 12:1 - Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee. 

He was 75 years when he departed to the land God would show him; 70 being a year of perfection and 5 the years of grace. The people of Israel has been the most conquered place in the world. Their home had being the site of the greatest battles in the world.

Why does the world and we in particular celebrate Israel?

1. Everyone of us takes our spiritual root from this same Israel
2. We are the spiritual Israel
3. It is fulfillment of prophesy. The bible tells us that the end shall come and the nation of Israel coming back together is the 4th sign of the end time
4. Israel is our example of breaking free and breaking through into victory, freedom and perfect liberty. 
5. The land and people show us that if we stay with God we can rise above anything and everything

To be a realistic person you must believe in miracles. The people of Israel are examples of God’s miracles. In spite of being scattered all over the world, they never lost their heritage and what they stood for as a nation. They were able to recreate themselves and become great again.

The choice of greatness and strength is yours and yours alone. No one can make it for you and if people had their way they would prefer you remain where you are today so they can continue to overpower you. You can also become a force to be reckoned with today by doing what Abraham did; have faith and trust in God that He would take your to the place He promised. 

That place called Lodebar?

 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake? Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.

 2 Samuel 9: 1,5, 7, 9 KJV

The place Lodebar is a ghetto and the word means "no pasture,"(2 Samuel 17:27) "no word" or "no communication". In Lodebar the people living there were in the bondage of poverty, it is a place where the inhabitants have lost communication with their maker, with the outside world, with all the things that matters to growth, destiny achievement, purpose and success. Lodebar is the place where the residents are continually looking for a word from God, a word that would lift them up and out, a place that would bring the change they seek.

It is important not only to get out of Lodebar but to get Lodebar out of you…..We need to get out of the place of no communication, a place where is do no get the word from God. We must move to a place of pasture.

Mephiboseth was born into a royal family but ended up in a place where he lost the communication to royalty, a place where his life had no pasture and yielded no fruit. He was taken by his maid from the royal home to Lodebar to keep him alive. A lot of us find ourselves in Lodebar - we are at a place where there is no pasture, a place where our life does not yield any fruit. Some of us are at that point where we seek a word from God and have found none. While other are in the place where no communication takes place. We either can not communicate or are finding it hard to communicate -simply because we can’t pray or we find it hard to do so for one reason or the other.

However, we have a sonship with God through Christ Jesus. The King is asking today is there not another son/daughter of mine yet that He can bless? You need to come out of Lodebar….because there is a restoration coming your way.

Just as King David asked if there was yet no one from the house of Saul (the former king) that he could bless, the same way God is seeking you to bless you and restore to you everyone of those things that is your which had being taken away from you.

David restored all; and God is going to restore all!

Are you doing your part?

39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. 

Whatsoever you can do and should do, God will not do it. God will do that which He alone can do and you as a person must do that which you should be able to do (for yourself and for others around you). For this reason God created man in His image after His likeness and gave man the ability to create, reason, invent, decide, and chose.

For example when Christ went to raise Lazarus from the dead, He told them to roll away the stone before He raised Lazarus from the dead by calling out to him that he come out. Afterwards He told them to remove his covering. The miracle did not occur until the people had done their part.  Jesus said, Take ye away the stone…. Loose him, and let him go. John 11: 39, 44 KJV

We must understand this concept and know what our role is and God’s role is. It is important for us to know that we have a part to play in the whole scheme of our own success.

What are some of the stones we must remove from our life?

1. Unbelief
2. Prayerlessness
3. Sin
4. Anger
5. Unforgiveness
6. Pride (God resists the proud)

These are stones that blocks the power of miracles and breakthrough in our lives.

We must be persistent - employ shameless persistence - to get to that place where we want to be in our life. Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. Like 18: 5 KJV. Doing this without destroying our values. We must be ready to keep on asking for what we want until we get it in humility and patience.