THE SAME OLD DEVIL

I wish to tell you some reliable facts about the devil, it will help us “lest satan should take an advantage over us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). The Bible says “his devices”…other versions say “his schemes”, and note that the Bible did not say “his power”. It means that the devil succeeds not by power or by might, but by “his schemes, his cunningness, his skills”…not by any power. And the word “advantage” is also interpreted as “outsmart”; meaning the devil only tries to “outsmart” his targets, and not by power but by “his craftiness and deception”.

There is no new devil but the same old devil that lost many years ago. He has only become older and not stronger…this is why he is called the old man. Literally, old men get wiser not necessarily stronger. The same way the devil does not acquire new power apart from the one he had from the beginning which was paralyzed at the cross of Calvary. If he did not win before, he cannot win now.

Many times we are told that in these present days we need more power (of course we do) because the devil has become more powerful…and I ask, ‘who gave him the new power they seem to be talking about, or where did he get it from? Certainly not from God…and of course from nowhere’! The devil has not become any more powerful than the one he had in the beginning, and he cannot become more powerful…if at all there is any new addition to him, then I think because of his age, he gets wiser. What people mistake for new powers of the devil are nothing but new strategies he has developed overtime from experience. He is the most experienced being under the heaven. He has become more sensible, and this is why we need to be more sensitive as believers.

The devil is a deflated balloon who is floating on the wings of craftiness. He is a defeated and toothless dog that barks but cannot bite…his powers went crashing at Calvary, but for us, the same Calvary was the birthplace of power and glory. The devil cannot get any stronger; there is no where he will get the new power because all powers in Heaven and on earth have been given to Jesus…and it is we who have access to this power. We are able to become stronger every day…we grow and go from strength to strength…our powers have a capacity to increase, but the devil cannot increase his power, so he devices strategies. This is why a 5-year old boy can call the name JESUS and the devil goes crashing under supernatural thunderbolt. Even when he tempted Jesus and did not succeed after exhausting all his strategies, the Bible says he decided to leave Jesus until another opportune season, but that season never came, Halleluyah!

Below are some facts about the devil;

-          He was never among the trinity

-          He was created, and was an angel. God was not created, Jesus was not created, the Holy Spirit was not created…they were with God in the beginning

-          He is not omnipresent; he only moves from one place to another. God is at all places at all times!

-          He is a copycat…he copies many things from the Kingdom of God and adulterates them. He knew that Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, so he tried to make himself LIKE a lion, but he is never a lion…he is only “LIKE a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8).

-          He can be arrogant and hopeful of victory, if not he won’t take war to Heaven (Revelation 12:7).

-          He can be sometimes “quiet” and “patient” when he is looking a way to outsmart his target. This is when he disguises as an angel of light. He patiently planted Hagar in the family of Abraham for ten (10) years until the opportunity to act came and he took it.

-          He gets very angry (Revelation 12:3, 4).

But whatever strategy he takes to, we are more powerful than the devil through Jesus our strength! God has given us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome ALL (not some or a few, but ALL) the power of the enemy.

WE ARE VICTORIOUS IN CHRIST!!!

AN EXPERIENCE OF RAPTURE AS SHARED BY A SISTER

I saw myself and another sister walking side by side jesting normally.. A man was walking at the other side; suddenly the man turned and said hey,the rapture has just taken place 30 seconds ago, and looking at the time it was 1.00.30s AM. The man proceeded by saying go in the left direction you will find other Christians there, do not go in the right direction. They are taking the mark already. Go now I give you one minute.. I asked him what about you? He turned and said I am the antichrist who has lived in your midst for so long waiting for this day. I was confused but my spirit said run, my son run. We ran and on covering some distance. I turned back; lo and behold the man we left has turned to the antichrist. We kept running and saw many other people running as well. We got to a very large auditorium too large to be described and behold multitudes of Christians... Brethren it was a terrifying experience. People of high standing with God, Prominent men and women of God, loved ones and friends. I couldn't comprehend this so I screamed, all of us, God what happened? The Lord now took me in the spirit to five churches: In a predominant church of one tribe, I saw the pastors announcing that the rapture has just taken place and that people should start receiving the mark right there in the church that this will substitute the said beast mark and enable them to buy and sell. Brethren, what made me weep was that the innocent and ignorant members started receiving this mark not knowing it was actually the mark of the beast. The Lord then said all these pastors are agents of the beast who has been ordained to mislead the people and who already has the beast mark before his manifestation, and I saw marks on the right arm of all these pastors. A brother who was fortunate to see who to call him to start running down to the place where all other Christians are was shot in the leg as he was about climbing the top of the Christian's hide out. Then the Lord took me again to another church where the pastors were just speaking of the good things of the scripture and didn't talk about the second coming of Christ and warn the people of the wages of sin. The irony of it was that all these pastors and their members were left behind. Then I saw another church where people did really emphasize the coming but all the people didn't go as a result of the hidden sins which weren't known to man and they had not counted as sin. I wept bitterly because this was a church where holiness was professed and held in high esteem. I saw another church where people concentrated mainly on attacking demons and where the true word was also preached but the people also didn't go due to malice and lack of spiritual concentration. I saw yet another church where the people were actively involved in preaching the word and talking about the second coming, however these people did not go. The whole lot was full of hypocrites who disguise themselves in shepherd's clothes. I was then taken back to the place where the multitude were and then I saw that the people of the beast came and Christians started scrambling for safety. Brethren it was a terrifying experience. Women forgot their children, husbands their wives. We ran and got to another place of hiding but the surprising thing which should make all shiver was that the population was now so small that it was easy for every one to identify each other as family and friends started pairing up. The Lord then said others have received the mark. Brethren the people I saw made me weep uncontrollably. Prominent men of God all over the world, Christians and loved ones. I now asked the LORD why all these one and God showed me different people and men of God saying: this man was perfect with me until 2 hours ago. That other had a small portion of his heart released to the devil. That other brother was too occupied with the things of the world in terms of land and  property acquisition that they took over his life. That other one, I gave him a mandate to pay a certain portion of money to the church and he procrastinated it till now: sin of disobedience. That other so much loves his cheque book than his life. You can even see that he has his cheque book with him I wonder what he can buy with the money now: hope you know they are no more his. I wept because so many little things which we humans don't count were counted by God. I now spoke with a confused voice, help us Lord. The Lord then said all these things which have been happening on earth have all been pointing to the end but despite all this, my people do not take heed. I am giving the last warning. Consecrate your hearts to me, my people. The trumpet would have been blown one hour ago, but I pleaded with my father. However, I can plead no further. The trumpet is already in the mouths of the Angels ready to be blown. SO PREPARE YE THY WAYS OH MY PEOPLE. Tell my people to read Matthew 16:3. And warn all the ministers who has gone in the ways of BAAL THIS IS TRUE AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT THE RAPTURE IS AT HAND. HELL AND HEAVEN ARE REAL..REPENT YE MY BRETHREN. PLS HELP ME OUT BY SPREADING THIS WORD TO ALL YOU KNOW. I received this information from a dear friend few minutes ago. I do hope it will bless Ur life as U will take urgent and positive step(s). Shalom. PLEASE KEEP IT GOING for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." ANYTHING WORTH DOING, IS WORTH DOING WELL.

“AND ELIJAH PRAYED AGAIN…”

Elijah was a man of prayer, and he never gave up praying. When he prayed and the Heavens closed and did not give rain for 3 and half years, he did not stop praying. And when it was time for the Heavens to be re-opened again, he did not depend on the prayers he prayed 3 and half years ago, he had to pray again. It was not the prayer that stopped the rain that brought the rain; he had to pray again.

“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six month…And he prayed AGAIN, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit” (James 5:17, 18).

The prayer you prayed 3 & half years ago may not be able to carry you for a lifetime…there is always a need to pray again, and then after that, you pray again; this is praying without ceasing. And sometimes, you just have to “remind” God about those things, not because He did not hear you or you do not have faith, but because among other things, He is a Father, and like every father, there is a delight when His children ask Him (in prayer).

There is something interesting here, and I want you to see it. It was God that told Elijah that it was time for Him (God) to send rain. Look at this, “And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth” (1 Kings 18:1). But, when Elijah finished declaring the word of God to Ahab, he (Elijah) did not go to sleep, rather he went to pray; “And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain… So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees” (1 Kings 18:41, 42). I was thinking that because God had already said He would send rain, then the rain should just come without any need of prayer…but not so, Elijah had to still pray again. The truth is that every prophecy remains hanging until a spiritual force of prayer (and other kingdom spiritual dynamics like Faith, Praise, Seeds, etc) is applied. This is God’s law of release. In Physics, Isaac Newton states that, “Every object will remain in the state of uniform motion in a straight line until it is acted upon by an external force”…meaning nothing moves unless it is moved; the same way in the spiritual, God has laws/principles that govern divine supernatural release, and one of them is Prayers. Please, do not say that since God has said it, then you don’t need to pray anymore; “pray until your joy is full”.

Prayer is anchor for faith and prophecy…you can get connected to a prophecy through prayer. Never give up praying. And if you desire a new dimension of change in your life, then setup a new dimension of prayer. Elijah prayed AGAIN!

HELP IS ON THE WAY FOR YOU!

When Jesus' mother sought His help for the couple who ran out of wine, Jesus said something, He said "My time has not yet come" (John 2:4)...but He still went on to help them by performing a miracle that did not allow those people to see shame. Now, if when "it was not His time" He intervened, how much more now that it is His time...He says "The Lord shall arise, and have mercy over Zion: for the time to favour her, yea THE SET TIME HAS COME" (Psalm 102:13). This is your time and your season for change! HELP IS ON THE WAY FOR YOU!
The other day I explained that everyone needs help in order to fulfill his/her life's purpose. You can never be too big not to need help. Even angels (with all their power) require help. Here the words of an angel; "For from the day that you started praying, your words were heard, and God sent me to you; But the prince of Persia stood on my way for 21 days: but, lo, (Angel) Michael, one of the

top commanders of the Heavenly armies came to HELP me...and now I am come to make you understand" (Daniel 10:12-14, paraphrased).
Did you see that even angels need help? The angel was on assignment but until help came, he was stagnant, unable to fulfill his purpose. This is the same way men and women are stagnant in life because HELP is lacking. But, the Lord is telling me to tell somebody, HELP IS ON THE WAY FOR YOU!!!
Every stagnation in your life is overthrown by the help of God. You are receiving help to breakforth from breakdown into breakthrough! Everything that has stopped working in your life is receiving the spirit of life from God this moment. I command in the name of Jesus, RECEIVE HELP FROM ABOVE!!! Your life will be a living testimony, and men will follow you to know the God you are serving. Go and represent God.
Say it loud, "I REPRESENT GOD!" You are the best!

BREAKING NEWS: GOD WANTS YOU TO BE BLESSED (PARTS 1 & 2)

It is never the will of God that His children should live in shame, poverty and reproach. In Heaven, we shall walk on gold, which is about the least of the Heavenly resources. So, living in poverty is not God’s plan for our lives. God is not poor, Jesus is not poor, and so the gospel of poverty is error.

Paul speaking by revelation declared God’s mind; “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3John 2). There is this scripture that is like fire in my spirit, it says, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad” (Zachariah 1:17). The word “city” here refers to me and you. Remember that Jesus called us a “city” set upon a hill (Matthew 5:14). We are a city and not a village. We are a city and not a common community. Even in Nigeria, there are few cities; city like Abuja that has facilities for millions of people. So, a city has a capacity to meet the needs of a generation. And God says we are “a city” spreading abroad through prosperity. Our lives are reservoir of resources and by all shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. I believe in prosperity!

Sometimes ago I was reading the physical description of Jesus as seen by Angelica Zambrano and I was “impressed” by her details. She described Jesus as “tall”, handsome and that His feet were “beautiful”, and He wore a golden shoe. So, I honestly feel it is a form of insult to the Kingdom for we to say that it is humbleness of spirit for a fellow brother to dress (to church or anywhere at that) putting on a tie and then a sandal…This is purely a lack of dressing coordination, lack of understanding and overzealousness which the Bible says can destroy.

Friends, God is our Father and a father will not have all the resources in the world and derive pleasure in seeing His children putting on rags and living in permanent poverty. Even the devil is continuously enriching his children and helping them to promote his works of pornography, tattoos, occultism, secular music, etc…how much more we that our Heavenly Father owns all things. God wants to bless you; and as a matter of fact, you have been blessed already…and these including money, houses, businesses, resources, estates, family, friends, etc. You need to know that when the Bible talks about riches, it is not just money, it is everything!

But, I tell you a truth, God is not happy with many ministers of God, prosperity and faith preachers and motivators. God is frowning deeply at the unprecedented rate at which the church and the altars have been taken over by prosperity, prosperity, prosperity, and no more preparation of God’s people for rapture and Heaven. In some churches, the pastors see it as a taboo for any guest minister to mention Hell fire to the congregation. Witness Kenpaul Obieke who has seen Jesus on a number of times said that on each of those account Jesus has not shown a happy face…what is the problem? The church He died for is been misled by pastors and ministers, and Jesus is crying because of many souls that are going to Hell because of these shepherds.

Let us see the blessing God wants to bless us with. Proverbs 8:22 says; “The BLESSING of the Lord, it maketh rich, and added no sorrow with it”. The word “Blessing” here, not Blessings, is two-edged; spiritual and physical, but it is 1 blessing. Let us leave this briefly and look at the ‘fruit’ of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22; “But the FRUIT (not fruits) of the Spirit…” There are 9 of them, yet they are referred to as fruit, not fruits, meaning it is 1 fruit with 9 dimensions. Now when a man manifests 8 out of 9, he simply manifests 8/9 (8 over 9), and this by simple division (8 divide by 9) is 0.88888, 0.9 by approximation. Do you see that this is not up to 1? So, it is not complete. But when he manifests 9 out of 9, that is like 9 divide by 9 which is 1…a complete life. This is why it is called fruit (not fruits) of the spirit.

Let us get back to the issue of the blessing of God. It is 1 blessing, with 2 manifestations: spiritual and physical. When people begin to sing and shout aloud about physical prosperity, it is a lopsided life, a phenomenal 1 out of 2, which is 0.5; never complete. It is this emphasis on physical blessing of money, businesses, connections, prosperity, etc with little or no attention to the spiritual component of this blessing that is causing tears in Heaven.

Friends, there are tears in Heaven because the church has lost focus. Ministers have been declared as eternal disappointments, and many are in Hell because they are misleading and misled the church by not preparing the flocks for the coming of the Lord and judgment to come. God does not respect anyone and there is no favouritism with Him.

The blessing of God is first and above all spiritual, which is a saved and sanctified life, living with eternity in mind and Heaven in focus. Mathew 6:33 says, “Seek ye FIRST (not second or later) the Kingdom of God His righteousness, and other things (money, riches, etc) shall be added onto it”. The order of priority is Heaven and Righteousness (spiritual component of the blessing) FIRST, and the other things like money, houses, cars, prosperity, businesses, etc (physical component of the blessing) will be added-they are additions. But today, the devil has reversed the trend, people are now “unknowingly” taught to seek FIRST life’s pleasures and then rest in God. But this is a fatal error with eternal consequences. Unfortunately, many will get all the blessings, be fully motivated to succeed, but go to Hell because they were either not told about or prepared for rapture and Heaven, and were never warned about Hell.

I believe in physical prosperity; I believe in building faith; I believe in motivation, but I will be a disappointment to God who called me and gave me this mandate if I put these things above and ahead of telling you about rapture and Heaven. This is not only my mandate but the mandate of every believer and minister of God. God in His mercies has been sending messages to men of God and also urging the church to pray for these ministers because many names are not in the book of life, including those of very top and prominent ministers. And I reason to conclude that a spiritual giant before God is not the founder or leader of a church or ministry, but the one who makes rapture when it does happen.

God wants you to be blessed, to have a large bank account, a wonderful house, beautiful cars, and all that you will use to support the work of the Kingdom and live a good life, but of what use will be these blessings if at the end they cause sorrow (in Hell). Remember that the first thing is to be Born Again and living everyday and moment for Jesus with sincere consciousness of Heaven, and the other things (money, etc) will take their places in your life.

God is not against our prosperity, but He is certainly never pleased when we do not make Him first in our lives. Remember that money will not open the gates of Heaven to you…It is the life of God in you that will. God expects us to live a balanced life with a predominant bias for the things of God, the spiritual component of the blessing. You can make that decision to make your life right with God now because eternity might just be a tick of clock away, and by that time it becomes too late. God bless you.

(I encourage you to get the teaching; WHY GOD HAS DECIDED TO BLESS YOU. It is on the blog @ www.drwilliamsbukola.blogspot.com)

BUILDING FAITH BY HEARING

 It was Paul and Silas that prayed and praised, but when the manifestation came, it didn’t happen to the two of them alone, but all them that were there were set loose. How did it happen? Let us see, and please take note of the emphasis.

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners HEARD them…And suddenly there was a great earthquake…and immediately all the doors open, and EVERY ONE’S HANDS LOOSED” (Acts 16:25, 26).

Did you notice that the only link between the prisoners and what happened was that they (the prisoners) HEARD? What did they hear? The word of God that was coming from the prayers and praises…and because “faith comes by HEARING, and HEARING by the word of God” (Romans 10:17), what they heard was so powerful that it had a positive impact on their lives; they were freed. There is power in what you hear. Many of us have become what we heard.

What do you listen to? How many times do you hear God’s word in a day and in a week? Do you know that some things happening around you are manifestations of the things you have heard consciously and unconsciously? Faith has the ability to make things happen and you wonder how they are happening because you have not done something active…I tell you, many of those things happening are manifestations of things you have heard consciously and unconsciously.

It you must live a life of supernatural evidence, you have to build a wall that emits the word every moment-your phone, computer, and every possible way you can, and stop being a Sunday-Sunday Christian. Build your life on the word…by all means keep hearing the word and it will work for you in ways unimaginable. The word works. God bless you.

WHY GOD HAS DECIDED TO BLESS YOU

When Jesus sent Peter to get money from the mouth of a fish, He told him categorically the purpose of the money that was coming Peter’s way. Let us briefly see;

“Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them FOR ME and YOU” (Matthew 17:27)

Does God want to bless you? YES! And then, what is the purpose of that “money/thing” He has and will bless you with? Jesus said for; one, ME…and two, YOU! Note that He did not say for YOU and ME. He put Himself (Jesus) as the first and then Peter after that. Whatever God gives you or bring your way is first for His purpose primarily, and then you secondarily, not the other way round. Whatever you have-money, job, etc, (remember what do you have that you have not received, 1 Corinthians 4:7), should first be to serve God’s purpose ahead of your own. But today, the trend as changed, and there is a reversal of trend that has predominated the lives of those whom God has given things (money, job, career, success, family, life partner, etc), and it has now become difficult to serve the purpose of God first above theirs and their friends, families and businesses.

Amazingly, the devil in his craftiness may not stop you from being a “Christian” (see in quote), but he simply takes that first place that belongs to God and replaces it with something that looks like “God” (see in quote)…but in truth, if it is not God, it cannot be God. Anything that takes the place of God however glorified it is, it is a god, and it will cost a man eternity because God hates gods!

When last did you use your money and your time (the most evident) to support the widows, the needy, the gospel? You do not have to take all to church before you give to God. Jesus said, “Whatever you do for any of these, you have done FOR ME”. So, when He told Peter, “give unto THEM FOR ME”, it covers; one, anything that moves the heart of God like helping the needy, less privileged, the sick, etc; two, anything that will move the gospel forward and includes your tithes and seeds for God’s work and God’s people. I try to imagine Peter taking the money from the mouth of the fish and then forgetting that Jesus was waiting, literally unable to move forward in the kingdom work He was doing, and then he (Peter) rushing home to use the money for some other issues like his sick mother in law. Do you imagine that Christ perhaps might not advance from there (we agree the children are free like He said). This is what we cause the kingdom work when we divert God’s blessings in our interest…the work suffers stagnation, why then won’t God ask us in judgment.

Friend, your job is not an excuse to serve God less, and your business and busyness are no excuses why Jesus has not retained first place in your affairs. Sometimes ago I read the revelation of how Jesus told a minister who was taken to be shown Heaven that he was guilty of praying less because the church he pastors had grown big. And Jesus said before Him nothing is an excuse…and then I understood better that scripture that says “Thou art inexcusable oh man!” (Romans 2:1). It means that there is no excuse that your personal evangelism, personal holiness, personal prayer and fasting life have diminished because of the blessing He has given you.

He told Peter, ‘that money that you are going to get, it is firstly, FOR ME (Jesus) and then you (Peter), not the other way round’. And He is telling me and you now that what we have (job, career, knowledge, money, etc) should serve His purpose first above all things. Have you ever used that job to tell somebody about the love of God to sinners, share a tract or stand for the truth in the midst of compromise? One day we shall give account and many would find that their jobs that took the place of God in them were actually meant to have been used to tell men about God.

It is not unlikely that some of us really need to as a matter of urgency redefine our pursuits in life and consciously take Jesus back to the front ahead of our jobs, friends, families, money and ourselves. This could have an eternal significance.

God bless you.