2014 AND DIVINE EXPECTATIONS

You have heard many such prophetic declarations for 2014 ranging from God's blessings to preservation. Praise God! Those are exactly what God has in mind for you.

Now, I wish to add to these blessed words by emphasizing on something that may have been omitted from all these prophecies, and that is the prosperity of your soul. Beloved, the prosperity of your soul should be the MOST important spiritual component of your life in 2014 (3 John 2). What does this implies? It entails:

1) Being more committed to the things that are eternal ABOVE the pursuit of physical things. It means more spiritual service to God, increased passion and fire for evangelism, and pure charitable causes among others should come above the quest for more money, more cars, more properties and the likes.

2) Knowing God more and becoming more like Him in all you do. 2014 should see you pursue God above all other things. It is setting God's purpose above your desires and enforcing God's will on earth as it is in Heaven.

3) Being ready for the Lord's return (The Rapture). It is getting yourself prepared than ever before for the home eternal.

2014 is another opportunity for humanity to repent and turn to God. 2014 is less about you, but all about God. It is about walking in the fullness of power for the fulfilment of purpose. 2013 has been glorious, but 2014 comes with an 'exceeding glory'...Halleluyah! We thank the Lord that we have not kept back any truth from anyone.

Friend, it has been wonderful knowing and meeting you. You have been a blessing to my walk of faith, ministry and eternal dream of Heaven. I am a testimony to God's grace and glory. The Lord added severally to us and we are thankful to God and for bringing you our way. As you seek God and continue the righteous walk, may He do for you and your family what only He can do. 2014 shall come bigger and better, first spiritually and in every positive way. Testimonies shall pour forth from your life and your home. Those who despised you will come celebrating with you.

2013 is drawing to a close and we are thankful to all who prayed for and supported us. In truth, we have taught righteousness, holiness, eternal realities (Heaven, Rapture, Hell, etc), God’s blessings, divine favour, good success, pure prosperity, revival, relationship/marriage, spiritual warfare/deliverance, leadership/discipleship, dreams – visions & greatness, and as much as we have been led. We have not attained and confess our insufficiencies while we look to God for His eternal grace and mercies. Pray for us!

And so, on behalf of my family and the ministry, I wish you a Happy New Year and an exceedingly glorious 2014. Maranatha.

Dr. Bukola Williams
TreasuredHouse International Ministries, Umuahia.
www.treasuredhouse.org

THE DEVIL AND HIS WISDOM

In the past the devil would prevent people from going to Church. Then the church was actively and practically the lifeline (of hope) for an erring generation. But now, the devil has re-strategized and might not necessarily stop people from going to Church. He allows them go to Church but he takes their hearts away from God through the love for the world knowing that “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). And for this reason, there are (now) many people in Church BUT few people in God!

The world crept into the church and found it a comfortable habitat - the fire of revival and holiness gone down and passion for souls gone extinct! And gradually, the once fire-full Church has gone worldly with much entertainment than preparation for the Bridegroom...and the world has gone "churchy" because almost everyone on the street (even with the naked dressings and odd lifestyles) claim to be "Born Again", but are nothing but "Born Against". Only a genuine revival from the altars and pulpits can prevail over the atmosphere of coldness, lukewarmness and backsliding that the enemy blew over the Church.

(Modified excerpts from the teaching: FUNDAMENTALS OF PURE WISDOM by Dr.  Bukola Williams – 11/12/2013)

CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Though He was slain from the foundation of the earth (Revelation 13:8), He practically came in the New Testament. But several times He appeared in the Old Testament, bringing salvation to them in need. What a merciful Saviour. Let us see how Jesus saved a generation from perishing.

It happened when the son of Hagar was at the point of death and she had lost hope, saying: “Let me not see the death of the child. And she wept” (Genesis 21:16b). And suddenly something happened!

“And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad to drink” (Genesis 21:19).

That well of water was Christ! He appeared and saved a generation from death! “For in Him was life” and “in Him we live” (John 1:4; Acts 17:28).

Remember when He said: “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). It was the same well of water that saved Hagar’s son.

What a merciful Saviour! Even when He said “mine hour is not yet come”, He still brought them wine and glorified Himself in their lives (John 2:4).

I do not know which area of your life you want Jesus to “appear”, but I can say to you that if you will but open your eyes of faith, He is already there with you and for you. All Hagar needed to do was to see. And so I say to you, God is working for you and things are falling in positive and pleasant places for you. You shall not be put to shame. You shall end 2013 with joy and gladness and 2014 shall be exceedingly glorious (Isaiah 35:10).

Maranatha.

WHICH PATH DID YOU FOLLOW IN 2013?

2014 is fast approaching and the prophecies are already pouring forth. Some people who followed ungodly paths to success and shared testimonies to the applause of others are also warming up for "greater testimonies" in 2014 forgetting how they "made it" in 2013. Truly, there is 'good  success', and there is also the success that is not of God. Here below is a few sinful way to success;

- You slept with a man so as to get a job...and out of many who were interviewed, you got the job. Stop saying it was God's favour that gave you the job...it was iniquity that gave you, and like Judas, you have purchased a "field with the reward of iniquity" (Acts 1:18). Can you face judgement this way?

- You paid a bribe to get a job, and you continue to say 'Heaven help those who help themselves.' For how long shall you deceive yourself? Show us where that sentence is written in the Bible. No doubt, the devil helped you, and the job is his...in eternity and in hell, he will come for his job, and ofcourse you!

- You were a part of a conspiracy against somebody that made them lose their job, and you were promoted to take their place. You are celebrating your new place, sharing some evil testimonies that 'It is the Lord's doing.' Only if you realized how much tears you have brought their homes. Their children are in pains, yet you are in gains. Oh, if only you see how many altars that men and Heaven have raised against you in prayers. You won't last! Not a curse, but a scripture: "As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool" (Jeremiah 17:11).

A corrupt mind cannot produce a correct life! If your life, status, achievement is built on nothing than God's pure favour, integrity and the fear of God, you sure have a case to answer in hell. Repent today and seek counsel on necessary steps to restitution.

"Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth." (John 9:31).

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confeseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18)

"The LORD is far from the wicked: but He heareth the prayer of the righteous" (Proverbs 15:29).

YOU CAN NOT ENTER 2014 WITH THIS KIND OF HEART AND THIS KIND OF LIFE. REPENT AND TURN TO THE LORD AND HE SHALL HELP YOU LIVE READY.

For as many with genuine and pure motives and following the path of righteousness, here is God's word for you as you enter 2014:

"Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace" (Psalm 37:37).

For you abiding in holiness and truth, 2014 shall be of peace and glory. Amen.

“THEY SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED THAT WAIT FOR ME” SAITH THE LORD

(Understanding the Power of Trusting in God and Manifesting the Virtues of Patience and Purity in waiting times)

This year is gradually going to an end; what a privilege to be alive! Thank God for your life and all yours. I hear something like “WAIT” in my spirit and I want to share with you.

When the year began you had positive and God-centred plans as well as divine promises made by God to you. For some it is in the area of marriage, others it is their career, and yet others it is ministry, and altogether the list is endless. You not only had the plans, you prayed and you believed God, but now the year is ending and it seems nothing is changing. If this is you, then the Lord is telling you to WAIT and trust Him.

The salvation of the Lord is to them that trust in Him and wait upon His promises. “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD” (Lam. 3:26). I charge you to have hope in God and look beyond the present condition of things around. There is a bigger glory ahead: see with the eyes of faith: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

It is not possible to wait for God and be ashamed in life “for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me” (Isaiah 49:23c). You cannot be a “waiter” and be a loser! Yes, it may appear you are behind and others have gone ahead. But your life is not built on competition; you have a better covenant of manifestation (Romans 8:19).

What then does it mean to wait on the Lord in the context of keeping hope alive in His word?

1)      It means to stick to God whether or not things are working.

This is called faith. It is believing and confessing that GOD IS REAL even when you cannot explain situations around you.

It is not turning attention from God to man, for: “If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee?” (2 Kings 6:27). It is making His throne (prayers) your first point of call in distress and hardship and not your phone.

2)      It means to continue in prayers without ceasing and setting up an altar of thanksgiving in your heart

It is thanking God even when nothing has shown forth. It is lifting up (holy) hands when life is down. Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; John 16:24.

3)      It is maintaining positivity even when it appears negative

It entails not allowing your five senses to override your heart (which is of faith). It is professing the positive when in the storm and calling the things that be not as though they are (Romans 4:7).

4)      It is maintain holiness and absolute integrity no matter the delay or frustration.

There is no need to compromise and ‘attempt’ to help God. People will suggest to you worldly and smart ways out of your situations, but you must follow the WORD and not the world, for: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly” (Psalm 1:1a).

Others will mock you as if to say: “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die” (Job 2:9). But you, like Job, must maintain purity and hold on to God (Job 27:5-6).

5)      It is focusing on Heaven and being rapture-ready

There are people whose search and pursuit of happiness and greatness have taken them miles away from Heaven. The hardship they faced sailed them away from spiritual commitment and effective service. They have made money but have ‘lost God’ in the process. They are now existing but not living because any life not lived in God’s will does not count for eternity.

Beloved, that point where you get to and sound it loud and clear to anyone who needs to hear (including the devil) that what defines your life is not the abundance of resources and materials but the presence of God; this is the point of genuine followership of God. It is the point where you believe with no shadow of turning that no matter the situation and irrespective of whatsoever delayed promises, GOD IS REAL!!!

And as you wait on the LORD, I announce to you that God shall glorify and beautify your life. He will take you beyond your imaginations (Ephesians 3:20). You cannot look upward (waiting for Him) and end up backward in destiny and eternity, for: “they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). God shall give you a reason to be joyful this season in Jesus’ name!

(TreasuredHouse International Ministries, www.treasuredhouse.org)