O DEATH WHERE IS THY STING?………….

As we prepare for the remembrance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I was thinking of the best gift to give to the whole world. Suddenly, I remembered years ago, in 2002, when I was sick and the doctor confirmed that I would die. I also saw my coffin in the spirit realm and I was scared of death because I had just accepted the life of Christ about 6 years before then. Sincerely speaking, no one wants to die. But at times we just pretend that we want to die when we get tired of the situations and circumstances surrounding us. If most of us are allowed to commit suicide, most of us won’t want to try it. I pray that none of us will be a victim of untimely death in Jesus's name. (Amen) I was scared of death. How old was I then that I would die? So I ran to God and He assured me I wasn’t close to my grave at all. That’s why I'm still alive today. Have you ever asked yourself why you are afraid of death? Below are the things that ran through my mind when I was told I was going to die: 1. My parents and sister would cry and be sorrowful because I am the only son. 2. My friends and loved ones, especially in school, will miss me. 3. I will not have the opportunity to propagate the gospel as I promised. 4. Thank God I don't owe people. But at a point, I tried to remember if there was anyone I owed. 5. How can I give the things I have (property) including the little pocket money left with me to people I love dearly? (What property did I have at my age then?) 6. Will I make it to heaven? And will God give me another chance to return to the world to achieve my dreams, go to the university, do my master's, start my company, get married, and have good children? Etc Thank God that even after those thoughts, Jesus gave me victory over death. Jesus didn't die and resurrect for us to be scared of death, demons, witches, or wizards. Why are we scared of death, if we are truly sure of our eternity? The things we do makes most of us scared of death. If death comes, what next? Check yourself! Jesus did not die for cheap or small things, His death brought us healing, deliverance, salvation, freedom from being slaves to sin, and the privilege of being His child. He took away our shame and reproach, paid for our sins with His precious blood, and assured us of a home in heaven and the grace to carry on in difficult circumstances. And His resurrection gave us total victory over death which is why the tomb was not even enough to hold Him down. The grave could not hold him back. Revelations 1:18 says Jesus has the keys of death and hell, that’s why He lives forever more. Being a Christian is not a title. Christian means "Christ-like”, which means we represent Christ here on earth (Psalm 82:6; ye are gods). Whatever could not overcome Jesus will not have power over us, that is why He even said we shall do greater works (John 14:12). If Jesus who saved us lives forever and has the keys of death, why should we be afraid of death? Most of us already die before the real death comes, due to fear of the unknown. When the Bible wrote FEAR NOT more than 365 times, it wasn’t a joke. You need to be strong and bold (2 Timothy 1:7) by believing in that word. There is at least 1 FEAR NOT to serve you for each day in a whole year. I need to share a song we all need to sing and meditate on this season. In Christ Alone by Natalie Grant In Christ alone, my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song; This Cornerstone, this solid Ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled when strivings cease My Comforter, my All in All, Here in the love of Christ, I stand. In Christ alone, who took on flesh Fullness of God in helpless babe This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones He came to save Till on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied For every sin, on Him was laid Here in the death of Christ, I live There in the ground, His body lay Light of the world by darkness slain Then bursting forth, in glorious day Up from the grave He rose again And as He stands in victory Sin's curse has lost its grip on me For I am His, and He is mine Bought with the precious blood of Christ. No guilt in life, no fear in death This is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His hand Till He returns, or calls me home Here in the power of Christ, I'll stand Whenever I sing this song, tears always run through my eyes. It makes me remember the death and suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let me stop being emotional, but I need to make emphasis on the last verse. I encourage you to listen to the song and meditate on the lyrics. No power of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His hand Till He returns, or calls me home Here in the power of Christ, I'll stand. No power of hell means if we are in Christ Jesus, no plans of the devil, demons, witches, wizards, spells, enchantment, jinx or evil incantation can kill us until He calls us home. No scheme of man means if we are in Christ Jesus, no hired assassins, armed robbers or poison can kill us until He calls us home. Neither the power of hell nor the scheme of man is capable of plucking you from the hand of Christ if you are sincerely His own. Till we are called home, continually standing in the power of Christ, nothing is capable of plucking us away from the hand of Christ. If you have been suffering from the spirit of fear (fear of death or the unknown), all you need is to be a genuine Christian and you are secure. In 2002, a medical report said I would die. 13 years later, I am still alive by His Grace and not by works, standing in the power of Christ. Please read the entire book of Romans and Revelations prayerfully. Jesus already gave us victory over death 2,000 years ago. So I ask; O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15:55) Death and grave do not have power over you if you are in Christ Jesus. Jesus died and was resurrected, so we could have victory over death, sicknesses, diseases, fear, power of darkness, grave, challenges, and scheme of men. As you celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, please share this on your Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, WhatsApp, Viber, PalmChat, Instagram, Skype, Line, LinkedIn, 2Go, Hangout, and every other social media platform you are on. Also, remember to drop your comments as it blesses you. Happy Easter! Celebrate Jesus, celebrate His victory! Your brother and friend, AYODEJI ANIFOWOSE Twitter: @gfatherghusband Instagram: @gfather_ghusband, @ayodeji.anifowose Facebook: www.facebook.com/greatfathergreathusband, www.facebook.com/ayodeji.anifowose E-mail: ayollc.company@gmail.com www.ayodejianifowose.com

I WILL ARISE………. LUKE 15:11-32 – PART 2

The first part of this article made us realize where we need to arise from in our daily living and return to our maker. It is better to return now because if you realize late, you might not even get a chance to become a servant like the prodigal son. You won’t even get an opportunity to become a gatekeeper in God’s Kingdom. So return now. I'm not saying tomorrow might be too late (popular saying), but waiting till tomorrow is very dangerous. Like the prodigal son, it is time to arise and disappoint the devil so that his plan according to John 10:10 will not be fulfilled in your life. You might be an expert in stealing by trick, forgery, scam, fornication, or adultery. Or you might be exhibiting pride, anger, greed, idolatry, lasciviousness, sedition, drunkenness, or homosexuality (Galatians 5:19-21). No matter what you have done in the past (even if it is committing several abortions), return to your maker now like the prodigal son. Jesus is waiting to receive you back, like the prodigal son was received back home and a celebration party was organized for him. Don’t allow the devil to cheat you, arise in humility like the prodigal son. Admit you have been living a sinful life and you are ready to confess your sin to Jesus and accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior (for those that have never had any relationship with Jesus). Or rededicate your life (for those that have fallen already). Jesus is calling you and waiting for you. Revelation 3:20. Like I did sometime ago, return to your maker and disappoint the devil. This is not a sermon, but a moment we all need to listen to the truth. When you return, Jesus will not even take you back as a servant but as a child. This is because your value as a child was never lost. It was just kept till you come back to your senses and do the right thing. As we journey through life, we need to be fully aware that we can never exist without the Almighty God. Don’t be deceived, we all need God. In the parable of the lost sheep, out of 100 sheep, one sheep was lost and the remaining ninety-nine were left to find the lost one. If you keep getting lost, a time will come when you won’t be found. Be found now and be saved forever. As for me, I have decided there’s no going back. No matter what comes my way, I won’t leave Jesus. A song sung in the 80s in a Bible study at RCCG Ebute Metta says; “I take Jesus as mine (twice), You may have the whole wide world, I take Jesus as mine”. Part of my thoughts about the prodigal son is that he must also have contracted some diseases and fell sick along the way. But when he returned to his father, he must have felt better. Many of us might have been injured or wounded while we were in sin, either in any kind of sickness or disease. When you return like the prodigal son, your healing is certain. According to 3 John 2, Jesus doesn't want any of His children to live in sickness. No herbalist, spiritualist, or power can give you joy or deliver you from any bondage of sin, debt, sickness, or disease except Jesus. When you try to use other powers, they only make your situation worse. Return to Jesus in humility. For those who have already decided to arise and return to God, but are still struggling with the process of transformation, be patient. It will eventually happen, but it will be in stages. Be patient for your transformation process to be completed and you will no longer struggle with all those sinful habits. If all you have is taken from you but you still have Jesus, you have not lost anything because your greatest asset is having JESUS. We all need Jesus. Like the prodigal son, you will say “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him; Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants”. As we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we need to allow our sinful nature to die with Him. We need to arise as we resurrect with Him as a new man prepared for the master's use. And I say welcome back home. I love you and will always do. Let’s remember Jesus this Easter period by having a reflection on our Christian lives. AYODEJI ANIFOWOSE Twitter: @gfatherghusband Instagram: @gfather_ghusband, @ayodeji.anifowose Facebook: www.facebook.com/greatfathergreathusband, www.facebook.com/ayodeji.anifowose E-mail: ayollc.company@gmail.com www.ayodejianifowose.com

I WILL ARISE………. LUKE 15:11-32 – PART 1

I gave my life to Christ less than 20 years ago. When I started the journey, my zeal was so strong that I could preach to anybody anywhere. I'm sure it’s relatable to many of us. It was a sweet experience living for Christ alone in my secondary school days. I was fully involved with Scripture Union and the school fellowship because I was in the boarding house. Although I struggled with some sinful habits at the beginning, God helped me to overcome them. I went to several places for the gospel, led many Sunday School and Bible study sessions, and ministered at several Christian events. I even remember starting the first Acapella group in my secondary school. There's this kind of joy that comes into one’s life when you newly accept the life of Christ Jesus. I remember an occasion when I preached to a family friend with so much zeal. It was like I wanted to force him to receive Christ. He almost got angry but we later resolved it and he’s now a believer. I always look for every opportunity to preach in buses or cabs, pray with passengers, and also preach to them when I use public transport. The salvation experience for me was a good one. I grew up as a young man who had issues with my speech like Moses in the Bible. God settled it for me and I could preach in the bus and everywhere I had the opportunity. After some time, things went wrong and the zeal reduced. I struggled for years and it was difficult to return to my first love, although I was still committed to the things of God. This is the main issue most of us face. We are so proud to return to God after backsliding. It was difficult for me to return, because of pride, asking myself what people will say. How will the brethren who have been looking up to me feel? Like the prodigal son who wandered away for a very long time, messed up, and failed in so many ways, he needed to move forward and had to return to his father. So many times we fall into sin. When we do, we must rise from our sinful state to be better Christians. We are all going to face one temptation or the other (James 1:12-15). We also need to know that the higher we go in life, the higher the temptation we'll face on our journey to Heaven. Every temptation is meant to make us stronger in faith. The solution to getting out of sinful habits you have gotten yourself into is not suicide. If you kill yourself, you are only preparing your journey to hell. An adage in Yoruba says “Ogun ori fifo, ko ni ori bi be”. It means the cure for headaches is not cutting off the head. You cannot pray against temptation or bind temptation. The only thing you can do is to pray for the grace to overcome every temptation that comes your way and also decide and determine to live right. Shall we continue in sin and claim to enjoy grace? Thank God for the sufficient blood of Jesus that washes our sins away. If we were all given a particular quantity of the blood to wash us from our sins, some of us would have even exhausted it. But Jesus is never tired, even with the fact that you have fallen and risen so many times, all He is concerned about is your repentance. The more trials and temptations you overcome, the higher you go. But we must not be deceived. When we fall into sin, we are not supposed to remain there. We are supposed to rise and tell the devil I will not remain here, I'm moving up. Rise high above sins and become a better Christian. I remember when Peter was sinking in the sea and he had to be helped by Jesus. Jesus reached out to him because he wasn't too proud to receive help. God doesn't only despise the proud, but the proud cannot receive help or learn. This is because the proud believes he or she is the best and doesn't need help from anyone to get better. Don’t allow pride to kill you in your sinful habit. When the prodigal son realized he had failed, he told himself that his present location wasn't where he belonged. So he said “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him; Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants” Luke 15:18-19. The prodigal son did something I respect. He wasn't looking for an opportunity to return to his father’s house as a son, what was more important to him was remaining under the father’s cover. He wouldn't mind becoming his father’s servant. This is humility at the highest level. I am sure so many things would have gone through his mind before he made that decision that changed his life forever. Some of us have allowed sin to hold us to a position for a very long time. Especially because of the shame of people knowing you have been wallowing in sin. Like the prodigal son, arise and return to your maker now. One important lesson we need to learn is that when we backslide as believers, our value in Christ Jesus is kept (it wasn't lost). Immediately we realize our sinful ways and decide to return, our value becomes reactivated and we begin to enjoy our Christian living as we should. To be continued… AYODEJI ANIFOWOSE Twitter: @gfatherghusband Instagram: @gfather_ghusband, @ayodeji.anifowose Facebook: www.facebook.com/greatfathergreathusband, www.facebook.com/ayodeji.anifowose E-mail: ayollc.company@gmail.com www.ayodejianifowose.com