REBUILD THE TEMPLE BEFORE YOU DO ANY OTHER THING.

Haggai 1:8 (TLB)
“Then go up into the mountains, bring down timber, and REBUILD MY TEMPLE, and I will be pleased with it and appear there in my glory,” says the Lord.

When the Israelites returned home after their time of exile in Babylon, their first and main assignment from the Lord through the Prophet Haggai was for them to rebuild the Temple. In God's plan, for His children, Israel, to be considered as a nation, they needed to build a Temple of God for God. Israel would never be a nation without a Temple of God for God to rest in. To be a nation, Israel needs a Temple for God, not a human governmental structure.

The Israelites in this scripture happen to be believers like you and me who once lost our way in the world and have finally returned home to God by rededicating our lives to Him. Again, Prophet Haggai is giving us the first step we need to take for a fruitful and lasting walk with God. Prophet Haggai is asking you and me to rebuild the Temple for God before doing any other thing.


1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (TLB)
16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the house of God and that the Spirit of God lives among you in his house?
17 If anyone defiles and spoils God’s home, God will destroy him. For God’s home is holy and clean, and you are that home.

1 Corinthians 6:19 (TLB)
Haven’t you yet learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you and that he lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you.


If you still do not understand what I am driving at, I am not talking about you going to buy land to start a building project for God. The Temple of God today is far different from what it used to be then. The Temple of God is YOU and ME. It is YOU! The Temple of God is YOU, the person reading this.
Our ignorance of the above fact is the reason we are facing difficulties in our Christian walk. When we, therefore, come to the realization that the Temple of God is not the beautiful edifice we meet in every Sunday or Thursday or Friday to worship but our own bodies, we will begin to better understand our Christian walk.

Like the Israelites then, most of us know or knew this before we fell for the things of the world.
Like the Israelites then, most of us started rebuilding the Temple but stopped because of external opposition, discouragement, and self-interest.
Like the Israelites then, we had seemingly good reasons to stop rebuilding the Temple.

But, what we are not considering now is what they also did not consider then – the danger of NOT BUILDING THE TEMPLE.
Like them, we are not considering the absence of an Almighty Ruler, the absence of divine law and order, the absence of divine development or developmental structures, etc.

Then, the Lord was very surprised at the actions of the Israelites; and He is surprised that we are walking in the same ignorance today. The Lord did not expect the Israelites to think of themselves when the correct structure – A Temple of God for God – was not in place.
It did not make sense or look right for His people, called by His name, to think of themselves first when they knew very well that they had to put the correct structure in place first, which was God's Temple

It is the same today. The Lord does not expect you to be thinking of your worldly needs when you have not thought of your spiritual need, which is Him (GOD). Why? When your attention is on the Spiritual need (GOD) first, the physical needs will automatically align themselves to you.


Matthew 6:33 (TLB)
And He will give them [(food, drink, clothes)] to you if you give Him first place in your life and live as He wants you to.


To the Lord, it did not make sense for the Israelites to think of settlement when they did not have a Temple in place for Him to rest in.
And it is the same story today. We are thinking of our physical needs more than our spiritual need – GOD. We are more concerned about what we need to eat, what we need to wear, where to sleep, the business to establish, who to marry, the car to buy, etc.

What happened to we knowing Jesus for ourselves? What happened to us understanding salvation with fear and trembling? What happened to us walking in faith like the heroes of faith in Hebrew 11? What happened to us praying without ceasing? What happened to us putting on the whole armor of God so that we will be able to stand safe against all the strategies and tricks of satan? What happened?!


Haggai 1:2-4 (TLB)
2 “Why is everyone saying it is not the right time for rebuilding my Temple?” asks the Lord.
3-4 His reply to them is this: “Is it then the right time for you to live in luxurious homes when the Temple lies in ruins?


If like the Israelites then, you are still saying or thinking this: “IT IS NOT THE RIGHT TIME FOR ME TO REBUILD MY TEMPLE”, you are walking or living in a demonic delusion from the pit of hell my brother/sister.


THE TIME TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE IS NOW! (…to be continued)

CHURCH FLYER DISTRIBUTION IS CHURCH FLYER DISTRIBUTION, NOT EVANGELISM!

"If your specialty as a believer is to distribute your church's flyer every week or weekend in the name of "evangelism" without speaking to the recipient about Jesus, then you are Church Flyer Distributor doing Church Flyer Distribution; that is not evangelism and you are surely not fulfilling the Great Commission as a believer."

I was one day walking in town when a beautiful lady walked up to me and gave me a beautifully designed and neatly printed flyer. First of all, I was amazed at the quality of the print as a wannabe designer so I quickly decided to scrutinize the print work. As usual, it was the flyer of a growing church. It had the name of the church and talked about a three-day program which the church was about to organize for people having financial problems or who wanted to see a dramatic change in their financial status. It was a front-and-back print work so I turned it to read what was written at the back. At the back were testimonies given by people who had attended previous sessions of the program, and this served as a motivation of a sort for the reader to take advantage of the upcoming one.

All I could say in my head was, “This is a good marketing strategy!” But, I had a problem with the flyer and with the one distributing it. The flyer NEVER SHOWED ME OR SPOKE TO ME ABOUT JESUS. The flyer distributor also DID NOT SPEAK TO ME ABOUT JESUS.  It was more about the Pastor and his gift, and less of THE PERSON THAT CREATED THE PASTOR AND GAVE HIM THE GIFT.

I quickly asked, “How could this change my life or save my life from Hell if I am to die some minutes after reading this?”  How?!

There was nothing in that flyer to speak to me about the Saviour Jesus. There was nothing in that flyer to speak of the Heavenly Father’s love for me. There was nothing in that flyer to convict me of my sins. There was nothing in that flyer to show me the power Christ has to cleanse my sins with His blood. There was nothing in that flyer to encourage me to draw closer to God. There was nothing in that flyer to talk to me about Holiness. There was nothing in that flyer to speak to me about true repentance. There was nothing in that flyer to speak to me about my Adamic nature. There was nothing in that flyer to speak to me about the Cross of Jesus Christ and its benefit to me. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing!

You may be thinking that I am being too hard because some Pastors use these programs as an opportunity to talk about the power of Jesus Christ to change lives. That is very true. But you said "some", not all Pastors. What happens to the poor souls who attend programs that have no connection to Jesus Christ? What happens to them? For some, the world has already given them the money and the worldly materials that they desired and made them lose focus on God. Why then is the church trying to offer them that same thing when we know the consequences of being very desirous or lustful of money instead of God?

I expected the testimony to focus on the power of Christ to change situations. It rather went on and on about how the man of God made people sow certain seeds and had millions afterward. It rather went on and on about how the man of God saw demons fighting the finance of a man and had to cast them out for the man to become a millionaire today. If the lady had even spent a minute or two to share Jesus with me, she would have been fulfilling the Great Commission given by Jesus Christ. But she didn’t! She was far interested in making sure that the flyers in her hand were all distributed in the shortest possible time so that her church would be full of people on the said date, unlike a few others who use the flyer as an avenue to speak to others about the changing power in the name and person of the man Jesus Christ.

SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT JESUS, not your Church.
INVITE THEM TO JESUS, not your Church programs.
CONNECT THEM TO JESUS, not your various Church groups.
SHOW THEM THE LOVE OF JESUS! The world needs Jesus, not our programs, structures, strategies or gifts. 



"If you cannot speak to me about Jesus, do not approach me with your church flyer. My attending your church would not assure me of my salvation. It is my connection to Jesus Christ that will."

REVEALED: UNMASKING FAMILIAR SPIRITS by Kakra Baiden

WHY EVERY BELIEVER NEEDS THIS BOOK IN HIS/HER LIBRARY. 

Three years ago I lost my father. It took us by surprise but it was long expected because of his age and health condition. For some elders in the extended family, his death needed to be investigated spiritually. They needed to know the cause of my father's death, but they wanted to hear it from his own mouth. Yes! You read it right. They wanted to hear from the spirit of my dead father. They must have thought, "why wait for months for a medical report when a bottle of Schnapps, some kola nuts and a small amount of money can do the "magic" within minutes".

Prior to this, I had heard stories from close relatives about this so I was eager to ask if I could join the elders as a rep on this mind-blowing quest. For reasons unknown to me, I later changed my mind; and I have not stopped thanking God for that divine intervention.

The day they had set for the inquiry came, they went and returned later with several stories from my father. Some were confirmed as truth because he had told certain people about them secretly before his death. For the others, I would have to confirm with my father when we get to heaven.

I thought that was all I/we had to deal with spiritually. I am saying this because it was the first time someone very close to us as a family had died. Strange things started happening months to my dad's burial. Some of my siblings were communicating with dad in their dreams. He told them certain secrets and gave them explicit instructions concerning certain things. I thought they were making it up until I had a similar experience. I was disturbed so I shared it with some of the elders. They were quick to brush it off with this, "It is normal. Your father is only telling you things he forgot to tell you when he was alive".

As a staunch holy ghost-filled, tongue-speaking, devil-chasing, mountain-moving believer, I needed to hear a fellow believer confirm this before I could accept it. I called a few friends who had had similar experiences and they supported the elders a hundred percent. They even added that the dreams would end after the funeral because he would finally be laid to rest. Just like me, they were holy ghost-filled, tongue-speaking, devil-chasing, mountain-moving believers so I accepted what they said and moved on.

I got worried and was deeply disturbed when some of my siblings were still communicating with our father in their dreams months/years after his burial.

This is where Bishop Kakra Baiden's REVEALED: UNMASKING FAMILIAR SPIRITS comes in. 

This life-transforming book taught me extensively on the experiences my siblings and I had using relevant scriptures from the Holy Bible as well as the prophet's God-given visions and personal experiences.

Prophet Kakra, through this book, spoke on the activities of certain evil spirits called familiar spirits and explains how they use the face, voice, and stature of both the living and especially the dead to manipulate the living.

Although Prophet Kakra affirms that the Lord speaks to us through dreams, one learns from the book to be cautious of the way he/she handles or interprets certain dreams.

For example, a young man whose parents have struggled to get him through primary school to the University finally completes his tertiary education, gets a job, and breaks through financially. Months later he suddenly decides to distance himself from his parents because of a dream he had had of his parents trying to sacrifice him.

This is the story of many broken families, and Prophet Kakra has the answers in this life-transforming book. 

I will like to conclude with this. Yes, God truly speaks to us through dreams; yet Romans 8:14 admonishes every Bible-believing, tongue-speaking, mountain-moving believer to be led by the Spirit of God, and not by dreams. This is where the danger lies for most believers. Being led by dead people in your dreams opens up your spirit to the activities of these familiar spirits. Though you are a believer, you will end up being led by another spirit instead of the Spirit of God if you continue following dreams instead of the Spirit of God.

"A lot of discernment is needed in the spirit realm" - Kakra Baiden, (Revealed: Unmasking Familiar spirits). 

PLEASE COME BACK HOME (II)

IN SEARCH OF A LOST SIBLING

My Dear Brother/Sister,

Months after writing you the first letter, daddy was very worried when we received no reply from your end. To this, he quickly asked me to come and look for you with the thought that something bad may have happened to you. Knowing the kind of world we now live in, all I could do was agree to it.

Romans 8:3b (KJV)
...God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin...

It was a difficult decision for him to take yet it meant more to him to risk the life of one for another than to comfortably stay with one while wondering what was happening to the other.
I thought the day you drove out was the worst until I watched daddy's eyes through my windscreen as I drove out of the house to come to your end. His eyes were so red that I could finally conclude that I indeed heard him crying the night before. I could not imagine his thoughts as I drove out. Maybe he was thinking of the possibility of losing a cherished wife, a beloved second child and his first child all in a short period. I would never wish this for my worst enemy. But it was a good mission that needed to be completed.

Isaiah 53:10a (KJV)
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin...

I was wrong to think it was going to be a short and easy journey. It was full of numerous vehicle problems, nights spent in dark cold villages, days without a bath, days without food and water, bad roads among many others. If you did use those roads then you must be going through a lot now. This is where I remind you of your comfortable bed, plasma screens, and hotel suite-like bedroom. Please consider the thought of coming home soon before it becomes too late. I will prefer you to die at home than in those filthy streets.

Isaiah 53:6 (KJV)
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

When I met your friends, I finally thought the opportunity to see you was going to be a reality. But the worst part of my journey took place when the very "good" friends of yours I played games and ate with, took turns at inflicting wounds on my innocent body. The inflicted wounds on my body meant nothing compared to the pain I felt in my heart as I watched them try to kill me. 

Each time I explained to them that I was only there to fetch you so we go home, all they did was to punish me the more. Like soldiers trying to break a hardened criminal, they used the heads of their belts on my back till my screams were no more audible to myself. When I thought they had had enough fun with me for the night, they took turns to shower my head and fill my mouth and tummy with the hot yellowish fluid which flowed profusely through their urinary device endlessly. Others standing by could not imagine themselves losing out on the fun so they decided to throw whatever they had in hand or could find around at me. 

Within minutes, I saw myself slowly lowering my body into the pool of my own blood and vomit until I totally blacked out.

Isaiah 53:5-8 (KJV)
[5] But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
[6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
[8] He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Their level of hatred and envy was something to write home about. But, I didn't mind going through that torture and humiliation over and over again that day if it was the only way I was going to finally meet you and bring you home.
Sincerely, though the pain was excruciating as they had their turns whipping and mocking at me as I laid in my own blood and filth, all I could think about was YOU. Why? DAD LOVES YOU SO MUCH THAT HE SENT ME TO YOU.

John 3:16a (KJV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son...

The pain meant a lot to me because all I can imagine now is you walking boldly through the gates without a feeling of any form of guilt or shame. Why? I have already paid the debt.

Matthew 18:27 (KJV)
Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

I love you and will forever do so. Please consider coming home soon.

Your Dear Brother,
JC.

PLEASE COME BACK HOME

(A LETTER TO MY LOST SIBLING)

My Dear Brother/Sister,
It has been ages since you left home in search of "fun and freedom". Yet, each time I look around the house, it still looks and feels like Friday the 11th of May, 2001, no matter the day or year; a date which has left Daddy's eyes teary every morning and evening, just like the period mummy got sick and spent her last days in and out of the hospital. A date which has left Daddy in so much pain that I always fear it may lead to his death one day. To me, it keeps reminding me of the day I lost my future best man.
I have been unable to write since you left home because it has been the most difficult exercise to undertake though I am a committed body builder. It may sound funny but we (daddy and myself) all lost our basic abilities the very day you drove out of the house with those friends. My careful choice of words as a prolific writer is not because of my fear to hurt you with them, but my inability to gather my thoughts any time I try to sit and pen down a note to you. Most often when I try to, I get so emotional that I am unable to either start or continue because of the tears which keep soiling the sheet. Like now, as I sit in the garden looking towards the main gate of the house, I can still picture the very day Daddy and myself had to watch you and your friends drive out of the house with your portion of his inheritance.

2 Corinthians 2:4 (KJV)
For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

The house which was once full of life has now become a monument with several memories of you. Though we have tried our best not to look back, the very thought of not looking back has always been worse than the pain we went through the day you left us. For me, forgetting about you has always been like taking a blunt knife and trying to cut off my arm by myself. The thought has always been as difficult as the act. We really miss you.

John 15:9a (KJV)
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:...

Anyway, have you finally been able to achieve your goal/dream of sleeping with the 200 ladies daddy advised you against? Have you finally been able to learn anything different from what Daddy told us about ladies or it is just as he said? Have you finally been able to buy the dream car daddy never wanted to buy for you? Have you been able to visit the 56 countries you were hoping to visit with your several sugar daddies? Have you finally become the drug baron you always wished to be? Have you finally become the madam you always wished to be? Do you finally wake up to see naked models sleeping by you as you dreamed of? Have you finally been able to drink the alcohol you always yearned for? Can you finally tell the difference between tobacco and cigarette? Have you finally been able to taste both effects of cocaine and tramol? Was King Solomon right as Daddy advised?

Ecclesiastes 1:2 (KJV)
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Anyway, daddy has a short message: PLEASE COME BACK HOME. He keeps asking me to remind you of HIS UNFLINCHING LOVE for you whenever I have the opportunity to contact you.

John 16:27a (KJV)
For the Father himself loveth you...

Strange as it may sound, what keeps him going each day is the party plans he keeps polishing for your return.

Luke 15:20-23 (KJV)
[20] And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
[21] And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
[22] But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
[23] And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it ; and let us eat, and be merry:_

My beloved brother/sister, DADDY is patiently waiting for your return.

Your beloved brother,
JC.