WHO TOLD YOU?

 

Genesis 3:8-13 (NLT)

[8] When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the Garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees.

[9] Then the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"

[10] He replied, "I heard you walking in the Garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked."

[11] "Who told you that you were naked?" the LORD God asked. "Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?"

[12] The man replied, "It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it."

[13] Then the LORD God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it."

 

 

These passages are excerpts from the full story in the third chapter of the Book of Genesis, which discusses the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. The 11th verse, where our Heavenly Father asked Adam, 'Who told you that you were naked?', is pivotal. This simple yet fully loaded question opens the Christian's eyes to the devil's deceptive strategy and how, if not correctly handled, it can lead to our eventual fallout with God.

 

Let's dramatise the scripture so you can understand what we need to discuss. Adam and Eve eat from the forbidden tree and realise they are naked. Quickly, their fashion design sense kicks in, and they make some Ad-Eve clothing from fig leaves. Before they could think of making more for their daily activities in the Garden, they heard our Heavenly Father walking in the Garden. Knowing that God is a Spirit, they still wanted to play hide-and-seek with Him by hiding among the trees. God played along and called out, "My baby man, Adam, where are you?" Adam hesitantly responded, "I heard you walking in the Garden, so I hid." God stopped in His tracks. Something wasn't right. The man he has created in His image and likeness is deliberately hiding from Him. He thought it was one of the usual days when Adam and Eve wanted to play with their Father.

 

Adam added, "I was afraid because I was naked." God immediately knew that something unusual had happened in His absence. Adam is speaking the thought of another being. Adam is stressing a known fact that was previously never a problem. God needed to get to the root of the matter, so He asked, "Adam, who told you that you were naked?" Adam is silent. Eve is silent. One could hear the droplets of water sipping through the rocks into the flowing river if one would pay attention in this silence. "My son, have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?" Adam was scared. He has betrayed the one instruction our Heavenly Father gave him. "But it wasn't my fault", Adam thought to himself. "It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it," he quickly stated. Eve couldn't believe her ears. "Is this the man who said I was the bone from his bone? Is this the man who said I was the flesh from his flesh?" she thought. Then the Lord God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "THE SERPENT DECEIVED ME. That's why I ate it," she quickly replied. Our Heavenly Father finally found the root of their strange words and perception - the devil.

 

My brothers and sisters in the Lord, our thoughts, statements, and actions are not random, as some have been made to believe. Every thought, statement, and action you have made or will make is based on a specific knowledge intercepted while it is being transmitted either from the kingdom of light or darkness. The Christian who constantly finds excuses to distance themselves from a relationship with the Holy Spirit through reading, studying, and meditating on Scriptures, prayers, worship, and fasting would always be a perfect prey for the numerous demonic insights. However, with discernment from a close relationship with the Holy Spirit, we can recognise and reject these deceptive influences. The failure of the Christian to spend time with the Holy Spirit is why many Christians still find it challenging to live the crucified life.

 

Like he did with Eve in Genesis chapter three, the devil always starts by either questioning what God has said or stating what he wants you to believe. The only way a Christian would be brought to the consciousness of his deception is through a relationship with the Holy Spirit born from consistent reading and studying of the Bible, prayer, worship, and fasting. Scripture is our guide, providing us with the thoughts of God on all matters of life. We can only fight the thoughts of the devil with the thoughts of God, not the thoughts of men. No wisdom from the wisest man or woman on earth can ever outdo the devil's wisdom. All dead men (sinful men) transmit from the kingdom of darkness, so do not be surprised when their opinions or 'wise counsels' offer results in a world principally ruled by the devil, the prince of darkness.

 

Who told you you will fail in life?

Who told you you are a failure?

Who told you you are daft?

Who told you you cannot live a holy life?

Who told you you cannot be successful without being corrupt?

Who told you you cannot surpass the achievements of your parents?

Who told you you could not take over territories, although you were born into a low-income family?

Who told you a Christian cannot own industries and run them with godly principles?

Who told you virginity is a scam?

Who told you marriage is for the weak?

Who told you women are weak?

Who told you?

 

If the statement you have heard doesn't have a well-explained scriptural basis, you have no right to believe it and speak it. The fact that it makes sense doesn't mean it is a truth to run with. Be like the Berean Christians; go home and search the scriptures until you find the truth.

If the success keys of the Christian are at par with those of one from the kingdom of darkness, then that Christian needs to question the transmission they have intercepted. How are you a successful Christian, and the man or woman in darkness cannot testify of a certain strange Grace at work in your life? How is the man or woman in darkness comfortable that you two are doing the same thing the same way and getting the same result? Where is Grace?

 

Let's go back to the days when we spent hours reading the Bible, studying verses in the context of a chapter or story, and long hours of worship and prayers based on the scriptures studied until the Lord speaks. Let's spend time in the Word of God. Let's acquaint ourselves with the speaking patterns of our Heavenly Father. I can differentiate between the voices around me because I have spent time with the people around me. You cannot know the voice of God if you haven't spent time with God.

 

CONFESSION

I am a child of God. I have been bought with the blood of Jesus. I have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to light. I am hidden in Christ and Christ in God. I have the life of God, so I cannot based on the decree of men. I have the mind of Christ, so I think and live based on the thoughts of God. I live in the will of God. I am favoured wherever I find myself. I am Graced for every and any assignment the Lord has communicated. All that concerns me is soaked in the blood of Jesus. I carry the fire of God wherever I go. I operate with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. I depend on the Holy Spirit. I am not a failure. I succeed at everything I do according to God's success standard. I flourish wherever I find myself. My presence changes any atmosphere I find myself in because I carry God wherever I go. I am a blessing to every man and woman who encounters me. God loves me dearly. I am forgiven and free of all guilt because of the blood of Jesus. I am seated in heavenly places far above all principalities and powers. I am blessed. I am victorious. I am full of joy, no matter the circumstances.

 

Remain in the blessings of God as you remain in Christ.

MD.

JESUS IS EVERYTHING

“Would you mind going to church with me this Sunday?” I asked. The question was directed to my cousin. I did not know whether to call her a Christian or a churchgoer. She never missed Friday All Night Services at any church, but would never go for a Sunday service or any teaching/worship service or program. If it were a prophetic prayer meeting, it was a big plus for whoever invited her. If the focus of the service isn’t prayer, she was not interested. So, asking her to join me for service on a Sunday was not just weird, it was completely off her books.

All she could say was, “Sunday would be a problem, but I wouldn’t mind joining you for any prayer meeting on a weekday, especially Friday All Nights.” Per her understanding, there is a big difference between a prayer meeting and any other church service/program. And surprisingly it is the understanding some "Christians" sadly carry around today.

Unbeknownst to Christians, the church has found a formula to solve every possible problem any Christian can ever think of. As a matter of fact, most church members already know which Psalm or passage in the Bible to read when in trouble, in need, sick, vulnerable, etc. For some bizarre reasons, the spiritual or “Christian” cure to every problem in the 21^st Century Church is PRAYER. If the problem is weighed and found to be weightier than imagined, the next additional drug to complement PRAYER is a three (3) or seven (7) day dry fast with some minutes or hours of worship and praises. For others, some days or weeks or months away from family, friends and loved ones on some mountain without food is the greatest solution. And to show how important these activities – PRAYER, FASTING, RETREAT, etc – play in the lives of Christians, not only do pastors or spiritual leaders preach them as the only solution, but the acclaimed gospel musicians also compose songs to emphasize these teachings as well. One of my favorites was “PRAYER IS THE KEY.”

PRAYER is the Key.

PRAYER is the Key.

PRAYER is the Master Key.

Jesus started with Prayer,

And ended with Prayer.

PRAYER is the Master Key.

Raise that song among zealous prayer warriors and like a wild spark close to a leaking gas you would set the whole room on fire. For the next hour or more, you should be ready for heavy tongues that can make any demon mistake the sound from that meeting space as the sound from the last day trumpet. No witch or wizard in their unstable evil mind would even dare to come anywhere close to the vicinity than to the building where the meeting is taking place. And after whatever number of hours spent in prayers, the men and women in that room would ignorantly trust that their effort and long hours spent in prayers would surely expedite the answer to any prayer request raised during that prayer meeting.

Brothers and Sisters, if PRAYER is the Key or Master Key, who is JESUS? Was JESUS lying when He said He is the way, the truth, and the life? If not, why are we giving more attention to activities in the Kingdom of God instead of Jesus? Why are we looking unto Prayer, Fasting, Worship, Praises, Retreats, etc for solutions instead of Jesus Christ? Why do we think performing activities in the Kingdom is the key to getting anything in the Kingdom of God when God said He has already placed these things in Jesus Christ? Wouldn't it be wise for us to spend more time with the gift keeper to get the gifts than to struggle by ourselves hoping to get it? Are we not twisting the truth? Are we not twisting the way? And are we not twisting the life?

Until we know Jesus, nothing is relevant. And I mean absolutely nothing in the Kingdom of God is relevant. If we do not know the Son of God, Jesus Christ, our numerous activities – the long hours of prayers, fasting, retreats, singing of worship songs, praises, bible studies, etc, are all absolute "rubbish". We are not Christians because we follow laws or principles in the Kingdom or perform some activities; we are Christians because we believe in Jesus Christ.

Please do not get me wrong. I am not saying that prayer, fasting, retreats, worship, praises, bible studies, etc are not relevant. I am saying they are worthless when they are performed outside the knowledge or revelation of Jesus Christ.

I am a spiritual son of a prayer and fasting machine. I am a prayer warrior who used to judge my spirituality and the spirituality of others by the number of kingdom activities I or they perform daily until the Holy Spirit enlightened the eyes of my understanding. The key isn’t the activities, THE KEY IS JESUS. And until we know Jesus, our kingdom activities aren’t different from the rituals a fetish priest/Muslim/Buddhist/Hindu performs daily.

We do not pray to get things, we pray to draw closer to our Lord Jesus and maintain our fellowship.  We do not fast to expedite answers to prayer requests, we fast to draw closer to our Lord Jesus and maintain our fellowship. We do not go on retreats to become God’s favorite child, we go on retreats to draw closer to our Lord Jesus and maintain our fellowship. We do not worship and praise the Lord to trick Him to answer our selfish desires, we worship and praise the Lord to draw closer to our Lord Jesus and maintain our fellowship.
If the focus is not to draw closer to our Lord Jesus and maintain our fellowship but to satisfy our selfish desires, we have totally lost the focus of these kingdom activities; and we are no different from the members of other religions.

JESUS is the Key.

JESUS is the Key.

JESUS is the Master Key.

God started with JESUS,

And will end with JESUS.

JESUS is the Master Key.

Prayer is not the key. Fasting is not the key. A retreat is not the key. Worship is not the key. Praises are not the key. Bible studies are not the key. Church activities are not the key. Stop worshipping activities and start looking unto JESUS. JESUS is the Key. JESUS is the Door. JESUS is the Doorknob. JESUS is the Path. JESUS IS EVERYTHING. 

Remain in the blessings of the Lord as you remain in Christ.

MD.

YOU ARE NOT ALWAYS PRAYING BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT READ AND UNDERSTOOD LUKE CHAPTER 18 VERSE 1 TO 8

“Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night” – George Herbert

Luke 18:1 (KJV)
And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY, and not to faint;

According to Luke chapter 18 verse 1, Jesus was about to share a parable with a believer – it could be a pastor, evangelist, prophet, apostle, pastor’s wife, choir member, sanctuary cleaner, youth member, prayer warrior, drummer, keyboardist, usher, banker, journalist, politician, professor, teacher, DJ, filmmaker, etc, to affirm a statement and way of thinking as the son of God; which is, “MEN HAVE TO ALWAYS PRAY, and not to FAINT”.

In other words, Jesus is sharing this parable with us with just one agenda: TO MAKE YOU AND I SEE THE NEED TO ALWAYS PRAY, AND NOT TO FAINT. This parable has no other meaning to a believer than to teach him/her the importance of prayer.


“The opposite of a PRAYERFUL man is a FAINTING man, not a PRAYERLESS man” – Apostle Arome Osayi

Luke 18:2-4 (KJV)
2 Saying, there was in a city A JUDGE, which FEARED NOT GOD, neither REGARDED MAN:
3 And there was A WIDOW in that city; and she came unto him, saying, AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY.
4 And he would not for a while: BUT AFTERWARD he said within himself, though I FEAR NOT GOD, NOR REGARD MAN;

According to Jesus, there was a city which had a Judge who did not fear God, nor had respect for people. In that same city where the Judge lived was a Widow who needed urgent judgment against her enemy. So, she decided to visit the chambers of this Judge in that city for him to grant her justice.

On the first day the Judge, who did not fear God nor had respect for people, ignored her. And this attitude and decision of the Judge continued for a long time. But, this Widow kept going to the Judge with the same request daily.

After a period of time, the Judge decided to change his mind and grant the Widow the justice she needed. The Judge did not want to grant her the justice initially, but he finally did it. WHY?

Luke 18:6 (KJV)
And the Lord said, HEAR what the unjust judge saith.

At this juncture of the parable, Jesus gives you and I a quick assignment: “HEAR WHAT THE UNJUST JUDGE SAID”. In other words, you and I must go back and reread what the unjust judge said to himself before granting the widow her heart's desire.

To Jesus, that statement is the key you and I need to better understand; what He is trying to say about US (BELIEVERS) ALWAYS PRAYING. And that statement can be found in the fourth and fifth verse of Luke chapter 18.

Luke 18:4-5 (KJV)
4 And he would not for a while: BUT AFTERWARD he said within himself, though I FEAR NOT GOD, NOR REGARD MAN;
5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I WILL AVENGE HER, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

I will use the original Greek translation for us to better understand what Jesus is driving at. I am doing this because our understanding of OUR NEED TO ALWAYS PRAY stands/rests on our understanding of what the unjust Judge said within him before granting the Widow her justice.

This is what the unjust Judge said within himself, “Though I do not fear God nor have respect for people; yet because this Widow KEEPS SHOWING UP/PRESENTING HERSELF BEFORE ME, I will grant her justice. If not, her continuous coming to me will annoy me.”


“Is Prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” – Corrie ten Boom

Luke 18:7-8 (KJV)
7 And shall not God avenge His own elect, WHICH CRY DAY AND NIGHT UNTO HIM, though He bear long with them?
8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?

From the above, this is what Jesus is trying to tell you and me; “If the unjust Judge decided to grant the Widow justice because she KEPT SHOWING UP/PRESENTING HERSELF BEFORE HIM, why would God not do something for you and me, believers who have been bought and washed by the precious blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, if we would only continuously CRY/TALK/PRAY unto Him day and night according to His Will.”

In other words, God will surely answer the prayers of believers if they will continuously pray unto Him day and night according to His Will, and be patient with Him.

Brothers and sisters, STOP expecting answers from God if you only SHOW UP/PRESENT YOURSELF to Him weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly.


"Our continuous SHOWING before God is proof of our faith in Him" - MD