Get Out of Lodebar!

Have you ever been at a particular place in your life where you feel as though nothing seems to be changing? Have you ever questioned your very existence and why you were created? Is the place where you are at seems very unfulfilling, devastated, bland, gloomy and in despair? Does the question of, what am I doing her keeps lingering in your mind?  I've got news for you! Perhaps you have been dwelling in Lo-debar.

Lo-debar was a place or town in Canaan.  The word Lo-debar means, a place of no word, nothingness, uncertainty, no pasture or insignificant.  

We see in 2 Samuel 9, the account of David, wanting to give back to or bless the house of Saul. Hence, David asked Ziba, Saul's servant if there is anyone left of Saul's lineage to whom he can pay homage.  Ziba told David that Saul's grandson, Mephibosheth was still alive but he was crippled and was in Lo-debar.  David sent Ziba to get Mephibosheth out of Lo-debar and he blessed him and restored to him his due inheritance.

Some persons can very well attest to the fact that at some point in their lives they felt like a Mephibosheth.  Mephibosheth was robbed of his destiny and purpose when he became crippled in Lo-debar.  Lo-debar is a place that will thwart our dreams, motives, desires and kill our potential and kill our opportunities to succeed.  

Some of us may have been born into a community, an area, town or vicinity where when we look around; the young people have been held hostage, their dreams may have been cut short by being dropped out of school because of one reason or another, they become hooked on guns, drugs and living a life of partying, reveling and the like.  Individuals suffer a lack of employment so they tend to turn to illicit activities and, they either in the end are killed or imprisoned.  The spirit of witchcraft and obeah may have become rampant in the vicinity and no one seems to be moving up the ladder to success but are faced with dire hardships and difficulties whenever they seem to push for progress.  My friends, these are all indications that such is a LO-DEBAR situation. It is time for you to flee from Lo-debar!  Your David awaits you and is calling for you!

Lo-debar is a Place of No Productivity!

I want to encourage you today, if the place where you are at is not welcoming to you, if it is not blessing you or uplifting you, granting you success; such maybe an indication that it is time to chance your environment or location!  Most persons become loyal to a particular place, location or vicinity because they were born there, their family lived there or they have certain ties there and so they refuse to move.  Let me say to us that Mephibosheth could only experience and reap his long awaited blessings by being obedient and willing to move out of Lo-debar.  He changed his location! 

 Mephibosheth broke the ties and whatever linked or had him bound in a place of no productivity, unfruitfulness and nothingness.  Often times our blessing and breakthrough is tied to us being aware of when our season comes around and acting in that particular season.  Mephibosheth acted in a season that came to him!  He was made aware! When Mephibosheth help came, he accepted his help.  Sometimes our help may come from unexpected places and people who we are not accustomed to or we have no prior dealings with but when that time comes, I pray that the Lord will cause your eyes and spirit to be receptive so that you do not miss your time and season.  Many persons missed their season because God moved in a total different way from what they were expecting.  God is no Respecter of persons!  He will always do what is best for us and what will bring Him glory in the end.

Today is your day! I am causing you to become aware of the season that you are in if you are a Mephibosheth.  It is time to get going! It is time to move out and change your location! It is time to leave that environment and that place of nothingness and step into your newness.  It is a season for you to embrace new territories and branch off into new avenues.  It is time for you to be proactive and do something that you have never done before.

Many times we may receive different prophetic words and utterances but we are unable to see them manifesting, because the area or place where we are at is NOT conducive for it to manifest.  Therefore, there is a need to do something different.  It is time for a change!

GET OUT OF LO-DEBAR!  There is great potential in you! There is greatness inside of you waiting to come out!  The man, woman, boy or girl that the Lord would have you to be is still waiting to be made manifest.  

God bless you! SHALOM!

Strike Again!

Often times as believers, we are tempted to wonder why we are yet to see answers to the prayers that we have been praying.  We may be concerned about what direction to take, we are worried about our future goals and plans, our destiny, purpose and calling.  In light of such, we tend to labour in prayer for a release of our blessings and deliverance but at times we cannot help but to wonder, why is it taking so long? Has God heard my prayer? 

I want to remind us that it often takes a battle/ fight before victory can be had.  We see the account of Daniel in Daniel 10:12-13, (Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.) when Daniel sought the Lord, the Lord heard him but the prince of Persia blocked the answer to Daniel's prayer.

I want to encourage you that, from the first day you've prayed earnestly and penitently, God heard you but you may just be in the same situation like Daniel, where the prince of the air has blocked the answer to your prayer.  This is where we now have to prevail in prayer.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 declares, "Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]."

Have you been persistent in prayer?  It often takes a prevailing and persistent effort in prayer to birth our desired breakthroughs, deliverance and blessing.

A Prevailing Effort Will Require Us To Strike AGAIN!

Let us not get tired too quickly and discouraged that we tend to give up in the heat of battle.  Remember, that your enemy, the devil is very subtle and he never cease from launching his attacks and carrying out his assignments.  The prayer you prayed last month, last week or yesterday may very well set the pace for spiritual warfare in your spiritual atmosphere but since you've set the atmosphere, have you kept up the momentum unto victory or you've stopped praying since?

Where Is Your Bow & Arrow? It's Time To Dust Them Off!

2Kings 13:14-19 stated, "When Elisha was in his last illness, King Joash visited him and wept over him. “My father! My father! You are the strength of Israel!” he cried. Elisha told him, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did. “Open that eastern window,” he instructed. Then he told the king to put his hand upon the bow, and Elisha laid his own hands upon the king’s hands. “Shoot!” Elisha commanded, and he did. Then Elisha proclaimed, “This is the Lord’s arrow, full of victory over Syria; for you will completely conquer the Syrians at Aphek. Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the floor.” So the king picked them up and struck the floor three times. But the prophet was angry with him. “You should have struck the floor five or six times,” he exclaimed, “for then you would have beaten Syria until they were entirely destroyed; now you will be victorious only three times.” 

Here, we see where Joash, the King of Israel was gonna go up to battle with Syria and he sought instruction from the Prophet, Elisha.  He was told to look to the east and shoot.  The first time that he shot the arrow, the prophet told him that it is the ARROW OF VICTORY.  King Joash only shot three times and so the prophet Elisha told him that if he has shot five or six times he would completely destroy his enemies but because he only did so thrice, he will only be victorious three times.

I want you to picture yourself holding onto that bow and arrow having received an instruction like that one.  A bow and arrow is a weapon of war physically, but in the realm of the spirit, your prayers are your bow and arrows. 

It is time to strike again! The one time that you've strike will only allow you to have victory over your enemies just once.  

This time as a mouthpiece of God, I give you the COMMAND, I give you the SANCTION to shoot, because it is the arrow of the Lord's deliverance concerning you!

Hallelujah! Glory to God!

Your deliverance, your breakthrough, your blessing is tied to your obedience to divine instruction.  

Go ahead and shoot your bow and arrows (prayer) and prevail against the enemy!

Shalom, shalom!

Bloom Where You Are Planted

Have you by any chance, at some point in time, planted a flower in a pot of clay but somehow, you happen to transplant the flower into a different spot or location in the ground because you believe that the flower will survive in the ground rather than in the pot? Then, without the slightest warning, the plant that was healthy began to wither and die.

When this happens, we may want to question ourselves what could have happened why the plant did not survive. There are quite a few things that could have cause the plant to die.  It maybe the change of environment or it could be that the roots got destroyed in the process or the plant lacks water or sunlight based on its' new location.  Thus, having an untimely or premature death.

So is it with us as children of God, we have to be very careful about our spiritual location and to what spiritual office the Lord has called us into.  Many times the Lord has called us and has anointed us and has placed us into a role or office to lead in, and we tend to shy away from such or we play a blind eye.  Some persons even upon being appointed into an office or position, will even try to shun their duties or assignments because they are busy paying attention to another area or 'lane' that they were not called.

Many individuals in doing so, are not able to see the manifold will of God manifested in their lives because, they are busy coveting someone else's gift, anointing or calling.  They believe that they should be the ones to be anointed or called to a certain office and so because of that, they are not able to bloom where they are planted.

When this happens, there is often a spirit of power struggle and 'competition' that raises up among those individuals.  This spirit will keep on pushing up it's ugly head by being covetous, jealous, by telling lies, by defaming the character of the person whom God has called into the office he or she wishes to be placed in, by spreading propaganda on the individual and by passing uncanny remarks and hurling negative comments at the other.  

If such an individual(s) does not receive deliverance from this spirit, it can cause a premature ending of his or her ministry or spiritual connections and associations that the Lord has ordained may very well become warped or damaged.

It is very important that as believers, we stay in our own lanes and become a blessing there, by fulfilling the call of God on our lives (blooming where we are planted).  Don't try to covet someone because of where God has placed them! If you are instrumental in the field, 'lane', office or area in ministry that the Lord has called you and you served well, without a shadow of a doubt, God will promote you and elevate you.  

Where Are The Davids?

David was a shepherd boy who was given the task or duty of caring for his father's sheep.  David did this very well and mastered the art and by doing so, he learned the different tactics of protecting the sheep from danger or harmful prey.  David bloomed where he was planted!  This was demonstrated when Goliath sought to go to battle with the Israelite army and David in 1 Samuel 17:34-37 declared, "...Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.  Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.  David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee."

David won the battle against Goliath because he was well trained, and well prepared because he bloomed where he was planted.  David had the anointing of God upon his life for leadership and ministry because in 1Samuel chapter 16, the prophet Samuel anointed David to be King over Israel.  When Samuel went and anointed David, Saul was already King over Israel but God had rejected Saul because of his disobedience in previous chapters.

Although David was anointed, He still reared his father's sheep until his time came to be elevated as Saul's assistant after he won the battle with Goliath.  It was there that David also learnt some of the things he needed to take over after Saul's demise.  Again, David BLOOMED where he was planted.

Many individuals today, their ministry is short lived or they suffer spiritual death because they refused to bloom where the Lord has placed them and wants to occupy a role, position or office that the Lord did not call them into.  It is very important that as believers we ensure that we are in the right environment to grow, blossom and bloom.

Never envy or covet a person's gift, anointing or office. Bloom where you are planted!

God bless you.

Humility- A Kingdom Principle

When we hear of the word 'humility' what comes to mind? For many, they believe that humility means; silence, quietness, being gentle and reserved or not outspoken.  From observation, that is what I have come to realize that some people believe humility is.  I am so sorry to burst your bubble so quickly but, such is FAR from the truth.

As a teenage christian, I grappled with the thought that, one has to reflect a certain personality and or wear a particular persona to be considered humble.  It has been observed, that persons who were very outspoken, very confident and is well-rounded would be classified by many as not being humble.

Let's look at HUMILITY God's way  

It was in 2013 that the Lord gave me an understanding of how He looks at humility and I have held on to such ever since.

• True humility is NOT denying the fact of who you are and what God has called you to do but it has to do with accepting it and at the same time NOT pretending as if you don't know.
• Not becoming too proud and boastful is true humility while recognizing who you are.
• Humility God's way says, Yes! I know who I am but, I am not going to get too comfortable thinking, 'I am all that' or getting too self-centered and thereby, miss what God is doing in the process.
• Admitting who you are or what God has called you to do is NOT a problem because when you do so, you emphasize Kingdom authority (The authority that God has given you through the power of the Holy Ghost).
• True humility does NOT allow you to hide under the covers, but rather takes the covers off you and helps you to release what is inside of you.
• Humility God's way helps you to step into ANY realm and also helps you to get rid of pride.

Are you struggling to demonstrate humility? Let's do it "God's Way!"

Let me say to you today that, humility is a key principle in walking and manifesting the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives as believers.  Humility is the key that allows us access into different realms of power and glory and allows us to function in the school of revelation and manifestation.

The word of God reminds us in 1 Peter 5:6, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time."  Such is a reminder to us that a precursor for  exaltation (advancement, elevation, upgrading, promotion) is and has always been HUMILITY.

It never pays for a child of God to be a braggart!  The character of God is one of humility and so should His children's character be as well.  If we want to be used by God in all His fullness and power, we must cultivate humility.  Psalm 138:6 tell us, "Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off."

Your humility will change the very atmosphere over your life.  Humility says, " I am well able with God."

Living a life of humility is key in Kingdom living.

Proverbs 18:12 reminds us, "A man’s heart is the proudest when his downfall is nearest,

for he won’t see glory until the Lord sees humility." (Passion Translation)

Every blessings now, Shalom!

The Sin of Disobedience

Most of the times when God gives us a command, an instruction or an assignment, we wrestle with our will versus God's will.  We tend to try to figure it out to assess whether or not it lines up with what we desire or we try to find out how it is going to work out.  Even at such point in time, many of us fail to carry out what God has said because we cannot seem to find the answers to such.

When man fails to do what God wants of him, then it is indeed disobedience.  Maybe the Lord has been impressing it on your heart to go ahead and start that business, that ministry, to write that book, that blog, to apply for that house, to go and bless a sister or a brother but because you don't know how it is going to turn out you keep putting it off and putting it in the back.  Days, weeks, months, years has passed since the Lord impressed on your heart what He wants you to do.  When last have you given it a thought?

In 1 Samuel 15, we see the account of Saul, when God instructed him that he and the people of Israel were to go to battle with the Amalekites.  Saul was told that he should go and completely destroy the entire nation of the Amalekites; men, women, cattle, oxen... and just about everything.  He must NOT leave "no stone on-turned." But, when Saul mobilized his army and they went up to battle, he butchered/ killed all the Amalekites and captured Agag the king of the Amalekites.  It didn't stop there! Saul and his men kept back the best of the sheep and oxen and the fattest of the lambs and just about everything that caught their attention.  They only destroyed what was worthless or of poor quality.  Because of Saul's disobedience the Lord told him that He would take the kingdom away from him.  That was the result of Saul's disobedience.

I want to say to us that, the sin of disobedience stops the flow of our blessings in our lives.  Many times we wonder why some of the things God has spoken has not yet bloomed or has not yet come alive in our lives.  Sometimes we also question ourselves as to whether or not the prophetic words spoken over your lives were indeed a lie or if God had spoken for real.  

But, it is time for us to ask ourselves what is it that God has told me to do that i have not yet done? It is time for us to also ask ourselves what has God said that i chose not to do because it is not what i want to do?  Let me remind us that half obedience is still disobedience.  

God is waiting on us to keep our end of the bargain! Many times we say, God if You do this, then I will do that... and even right now, God is still waiting on us to do our part.  Some of the blessings that the Lord has in store for us, He is waiting on us to do what He has commanded, so he can release them into our hands.  

Let us not allow our blessings to be with-held or the source of our blessing to dry up as that tree because we have become disobedient unto the Lord.

God bless you richly! I hope this was a blessing to your heart and if it had, then share it with someone else so they too can be blessed.