Season of Change

We seem to be in a season of change...I'm seeing a lot of change happening around me as well as dreaming about change in different ways. I'm also reading about others who are seeing changes happen around them as well. You say, change always happens, so what's so special about this change?

I'm no prophet but this change is definitely different; it's a change to establish all change, if that makes any sense...it seems to be a turning point change for the Kingdom of God and the whole world as well. The word change is defined as, " the act or an instance of making or becoming different; a new experience".

The other cool thing is I've been dreaming of picking up change (coins) for a few months now, while another friend I know has been physically seeing change (coins) in different places...I know the Lord is emphasizing the season of change we are entering or the new experience we shall be experiencing if you will.

So what does one do in change? Watch carefully, ignore the distractions of the enemy, listen closely, and remain connected to Jesus; this is the key, remaining connected to Him and the others will likely fall into place.

Get ready for change!

I Can Smell the Rain !

I know oh so well, the smell of rain having grown up in the tropical city of Lagos. First the dusty swirl, then the winds pick up quickly and the sun darkens and you rush to close already rattling windows while doors slam ahead of you...And through all this, you actually smell the rain before it comes pouring down; I can't explain it but it smells like a mixture of dew, dust and wind if that makes any sense.

I can smell the rain now! This time it's a different kind of rain - it's the rain of His Presence. You see when you're used to smelling physical rain, smelling spiritual rain comes naturally to you...I can only say that His Presence is set to be released all over the earth. We have enjoyed the 'dew and dust' for years, we have also enjoyed the 'wind' as well and they were all good; but what's about to come now is the all-encompassing, release of God Himself.

How do I know this? Well the the earth is getting darker, the windows of my soul are rattling and the doors of hell are slamming in terror of the coming King...so get ready! He comes again as in Wales and Asuza, only much more! Get ready for a huge downpour!

The Book of Revelation

Have you ever read through the Book of Revelation in the Bible and wondered, 'what on earth...?' about all the symbolism and prophecies. I literally have always read it as a storybook while asking the Spirit of God for understanding but recently, a flurry of God-incidences have led me back to study it in-depth.

I believe we're about to see very soon a lot from the Book of Revelation begin to transpire, God is drawing so many back to this book to study and be aware of the next phase the Body is about to enter. I also notice my interest for the Book of Ezekiel and the study of the history of Israel is beginning to increase; we are getting set for the end of the world as we know it and transitioning into a world that we need absolute guidance from the Holy Spirit to live and move and have our being.

Israel is like a prophetic time-clock and watching events unfold there is a sign to the Body of Christ; even the heavens are declaring it. A couple of years ago I saw a sign in the skies - clouds 'dancing back and forth' like lights. I called my family to behold the unusual sight with me and even though we could not explain it, I sensed it was a sign of the end times as spoken of in Matthew 24.

What should we be doing in this season? Become fearful? No! We should rejoice and draw even closer to Him, that will be our saving grace. As the world gets darker, the promise is that we will shine brighter...but we need to be one with Jesus, not with the world, but with Jesus and Him alone.

War Cry From Heaven!

I feel in my spirit that this year we will bring forth the shout of the Lord that has been embedded deep in our spirits. We all have a deep cry in our hearts of unfinished, prolonged and delayed promises, some of which have been hindered by hell; but this is the year for them to begin to come forth! Not without a shout...not without A SHOUT! A war cry from Heaven!

We are only in the third month of 2009 but I have already on several occasions found myself letting out a loud shout from my spirit into the atmosphere such that I even surprised myself saying, "where did that come from?" But I believe we are releasing on earth what is currently happening in heaven - the victory shouts of the heavenly hosts who are preparing for the final confrontation with hell's forces.

Joshua 6:20 says "...they gave a loud shout, and the walls collapsed..." [Good News Bible]; I believe this encapsulates what the year 2009 is all about. As we give A LOUD SHOUT, all walls keeping us hedged in and preventing us from accessing our Promised Land and destiny for this new season SHALL COME DOWN!!!

Taking Out the Precious From the Vile

I think the major culture shock for me in relocating to North America was the bad language or 'swearing'; I always winced (and still do) everytime someone let out expletives beside me and as I took an unscientific poll, I discovered it was a common occurrence.

While reading my bible, I came across this verse a few days ago in Jeremiah 15:19 "..If you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as my mouth.." I realized that this is a big issue for God that we keep our language pure, not only in Church on Sundays, but everyday so we can hear Him and speak on His behalf.

Swearing has become a way of life for most here but there is still a remnant who have refused to be drawn into the ways of the world just to belong and instead have decided to watch what we speak. It requires a dedicated 'watching' and a determined adherence to the ways of the Holy Spirit by His grace like all other things in the kingdom.

I know it makes a difference but never knew how much of a difference it made until Jesse came back from school one day with an interesting story of how one kid swore beside him and the other 'shushed' his friend up saying, "Don't you know Jesse doesn't like swearing...he's religious". So the world knows the difference, they're watching what we say and do even closer than we are! So take the vile out of your language and speak only precious words of blessing to your hearers.

How Deep and How High Can You Go?

I just came out of a conference in my home church called "Going Deeper, Going Higher", and it literally was a life-changing experience...how so? Well for one, I went deeper and higher! But you think I'm playing on words here, truth is it was a conference with a difference.

Interestingly the first so-named conference in our church and not with any preconceived agenda but to wait in His Presence and 'see what He would say'; and oh, did He say! The prophetic worship of the Rivieras took me straight into His presence and I found myself basking there for hours even after the speakers came up...I still felt the 'glow'. I came away with a deep resolve to go after Him harder, but much more, to do the works of the Lord boldly and proclaim Him at any given opportunity! How awesome He is, selah!

I also came away with a burning fire in the depths of my belly to impart this to my 'marketplace'; you know that's where we are called to, where we interact everyday.
For me this would be my workplace and my immediate neighbors...where would this be for you?
This year promises to be very exciting and intense already, let's engage with Holy Spirit to prepare for the glory! Shandai!

Broken for His Glory

Who would have thought when I look back over the past 5 years that I would be the way I am today...broken for His glory. When I look back and remember my character, religious pride and performance mentality over the the years, I cringe. Yet, the cleansing is still going on, I am being broken and cleansed, broken and cleansed, broken and cleansed; all for Him.

I believe the Father is preparing us to wear the mantle of holiness in this new season of Praise; holiness, virtue and godly values is the foundation behind this new wave of visitation that will be long-lasting. He wants the world to see His glory...how? Through ordinary broken vessels like you and me, just being a light in an increasingly dark world that is crying out for the supernatural - you can see the hunger in the surging increase of 'supernatural' books in bookstores and movies. But the light shines brightest in the dark...

The bible says that the whole creation is "crying out for the manifestation of the sons of God". That's us! We were meant to manifest His glory in our everyday lives, not necessarily as Pastors or Evangelists or Prophets etc., but as Kevins and Chiagozies and Dirks! What a thought! But oh so true! If only we can grasp that we don't have to be a 'famous preacher' to do the works of the Lord...meditate on this, selah!

I pray that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened that you may know the truth of His Word; and also that you remember in this New Year that you have the mind of Christ. Prophesy spiritually over all that concerns you and declare the glory over your atmosphere!
Let us walk in it. Help us to grasp this reality in 2008 Father, amen.

The Waiter Sets the Tone

I’m onto this waiter theme again…

Our family was recently at a restaurant and the waiter showed us to our table which I immediately didn’t like; it was right in the middle and we would probably have to keep moving for people to go by. So I asked for another table and she immediately replied that none was available.

Another waiter came by and suggested she take us to another section where corner tables were, but she wasn’t eager to do this and eventually my hungry husband went off to help himself to the enticing buffet not understanding what the fuss was about, while I sat down reluctantly with an increasingly sulky attitude….did I enjoy the rest of the lunch? You guessed it, no!

The waiter had set the tone for me and it hindered my appetite or “receiving mode”. That’s how it is when we wait on the Lord with a grumpy and ungrateful attitude, there’s less chance of receiving anything from Him. Also, the blessings go right over your head when they come because you’re too busy making a fuss over what you didn’t get in the past, that you miss the new things He's doing.

Hebrews 6:15 - And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

Unstop The Wells!

A loud cry
comes forth from the sky,
UNSTOP THE WELLS!
Just believe that
this is the start
of your miracles…
Throw up your hands
and rejoice in bounds
now is the time…
A voice of authority
giving top priority
UNSTOP THE WELLS!!!

Lord, send forth Your deluge...
Come and tabernacle with us in this new season!

Victory is Sure...

I've been away from my blog for about 2 months now, catching up on the mundane and tying up loose ends that couldn't be put off but during these two months I've also been meditating.

Victory is sure, that's what has been hammering over and over in my head as I faced one challenge after the other these past couple of months. I know how to abase and abound, the Apostle Paul said...but do we?

I must confess I love the 'abounding' phases of my life but the 'abasing' phase usually comes first so that I can abound wisely and with humility and compassion; sometimes we even abase and abound together. In my family, here we are rejoicing over having our Dad back after a long absence due to travels but at the same time, my heart is heavy with compassion and intercession as I agree with a close friend for a complete healing of cancer. But isn't that how our christian walk is, full of real-life examples and opportunities to share His joy and compassion all at the same time.

Nothing is impossible...the tide comes in at night not in the day, so victory is assured even in our most broken places. I believe that we're finally coming into a phase and lifestyle of victory that will be a part of us as we keep proclaiming and believing what we have been reading for years in the Word.

I find myself in the second half of this year being more sure of His Word and believing that our time of re-visitation is very near - I am so anxious to see the manifest glory of His presence on the earth that it's like a deep passionate well of hunger within me, spouting forth at the first sign of revival! Come Lord!

What Makes You a Christian?

I remember the day I first gave my life to Jesus; I was at Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor's church in Warri and had literally come to the end of myself in terms of chasing after the things of the world with one disappointment after the other.

There was this persistent Christian friend of mine who had preached Christ to me in a non-threatening and interesting way and eventually I found myself at the altar in this church, crying my eyes out as I said the famous 'sinner's prayer'. But that was only the first step of a journey I'm still making even now; a journey of uncertainty but knowing Jesus is with me, a journey of mistakes but knowing I'm forgiven, a journey of learning and re-learning with dashes of revelation received directly from above.

It has been a hard road to travel in some seasons and a smooth sailing one in others but I know I would do it all over again because this relationship and these experiences are actually what makes you a Christian; not just the 'sinner's prayer' at the altar or elsewhere.

So next time you want to share Christ with someone, let them see the bigger picture of what salvation or "sodzo" entails; let them know it's the beginning of a brand new journey where this time they have a faithful partner rooting for them through thick and thin, through mountains and valleys and even in the plateaus when things are at a standstill.

Let them know the whole truth, it will make them a better Christian.

Parched

What does it feel like to be really thirsty? I come from a part of the world where it was common to have dry taps for days; we would walk around the neighborhood with kegs and other such containers seeking any running water we could find. It wasn't hard to spot the taps that weren't dry, because the lines extended as long as your eye could see but clustered at the beginning in a swirl of dust. This dust cluster at the beginning of the line was always the kids fighting for a drink to quench their thirst first before filling up their containers.

Isn't that how it is when we're seeking desperately the rain of the Spirit? We don't care if we look mannerless as we cry out for His presence, desperately flinging ourselves at the altar and lying prostrate before Him. I have been watching the Miracle Channel 'Power of Partnership' running throughout this week and I'm made so aware of the level of hunger openly displayed among God's people in the nation of Canada. People were calling in and writing in from all over, and believing for an outpouring on this nation; it was wonderful to see that I was not alone...sometimes we feel like Elijah who thought he was alone until God reminded him that a whole host of believers existed who hadn't bowed their knee to idols.

So visit us Lord! Send the rain of your presence Father! We need the taps flooded and a full release!

Peace

I felt the tug
on my heart
and the gentle
whisper,
of the Holy Spirit
urging me to
let go...
and let God...
so I put the wheel
into His hands
and let Him steer
me to a quiet shore
called peace.


This poem I wrote in March 1995 is what came to mind after the news of the Virginia Tech massacre broke.

JP copyright 1995

Have You Seen the One I Love?

That is directly from the book of Song of Solomon, chapter 3 verse 3; it is an allegory of the Lord and His love, us. Some of my favorite verses in the Bible tell of deep hunger for the Lord's presence and deep love for Him. Coincidentally, they're all in the book of Psalms:

• Psalm 27:4 - One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple.
• Psalm 63:1 - O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
• Psalm 84:2 - My soul longs, yes even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Yes you guessed it, I'm a worshiper and I love to spend time in His presence. I used to say I didn't have enough time to spend with the Lord as much as I would love to, especially as I'm a wife, mother, work a day job, attend weekly evening classes and still do a host of other things!

But I found out when you really love, you make time to spend with the one you love, or else the relationship will deteriorate and eventually die. Instead of setting aside a certain time every day which may work for some, I decided to be in His presence all the time. This meant I was constantly aware of His presence everywhere I went and in everything I did or said; it was hard at first to get into this mode, but as I practised His presence, it became easier to be aware of Him.

So I ask again, "Have you seen the One I love?" Write me your experiences of your personal journey on seeking Him and staying in His presence....

Have a blessed Easter and don't forget, He's alive!

I Am Not In Control, He is

When I became a Christian, I attended a Church where the Word was taught and prayer was emphasized; nobody talked much about dying to the flesh and getting conformed to His image except in the annual conferences. Rather, the emphasis was on praying and fasting, binding and loosing, and becoming a spiritual warrior.

There's nothing wrong with those themes but if that is all you do, you eventually wind up a one-sided Christian like I did. You feel invincible to the devil and are blind to your shortcomings which leads to pride, a heavy dose of it. So there I was seven years ago, new in Toronto from Nigeria, and feeling like a 'spiritual star' well above everyone I met...until I went on a spiritual retreat and realized I had no control over my life and I was full of gunk that needed to come out. The love emanating from the retreat ministry staff was my undoing and it totally changed my life.

I remember this retreat everytime I'm overwhelmed with prayer needs from friends and family; these past two weeks was one of those times when I realized that no matter how much I prayed, fasted, stood on scriptures, and cried out to Him...that was really all I could do. I was not in control He was, and I had to remember that.

It is not a feeling most of us are comfortable with, because we always want to be in control of everything happening around us; but He unfolds His plan on a daily basis as we come to Him daily.

Isn't He amazing? I love you Precious Lord!

The Waiter Serves the Wine

I'm onto this waiter thing again; that's because I was at a restaurant recently and watched a waiter serving wine. Now that is an ordinary everytime-task for a waiter but if you consider yourself a waiter, who waits on His promises, here are some tips I picked up watching the waiter, yet again...

• Serve the wine openly - let the joy of the Spirit overflow in public worship not only in private worship.
• Let the guests taste the wine - let the people partake of His Spirit by introducing them to the river of His presence and let them rejoice in Him by having longer worship times.
• Fill up their glasses intermittently - don't have a one-time revival worship and expect the people to be continuously joyful, fill them up to overflowing like Jesus did at Cana, and let the revival be endless.
• Ask them if they enjoyed the drink - the joy on their faces will let you know and they will do the evangelizing for you as they invite their friends to "come and see", like the woman at the well.

So go ahead and practise being an excellent waiter while you wait on His promises to be fulfilled....have another drink!

Which God Who Cannot Lie....

Did you ever notice that phrase in the Bible? It's in Titus 1:2 and I stumbled across it a few days ago while reading my Bible and preparing the children's lunch for school (talk about multi-tasking!). There it stood out all of a sudden, jumping off the page at me and I thought to myself, "Wow! God cannot lie, not God will not lie...but cannot; which means He is not able to lie and He doesn't have the capacity in Him to lie! The phrase 'cannot lie' there is interpreted from the Greek and means 'veracious'; the root English word being 'veracity' or 'truthfulness, accuracy'. Get a load of that! His word to you is always truthful and bang-on target.

Then I started to 'backthink', if God cannot lie, then whatever promise He gave me personally, He will bring to pass, it's that simple! I took a deep breath and began to understand why certain people 'rested' in the midst of spiritual warfare...they had a personal word from God who cannot lie and they knew for sure that it would definitely come to pass! They did not need fleeces, signs, or 'supporting words', they just waited on Him to bring the word to pass.

Now that's faith! What new revelation have you received or re-learned recently? Read the Word and let Him speak...

Hopeless, Helpless and Hapless Without Jesus

It wasn’t such a cold day outside and I decided to take a prayer walk, as I usually did when I’ve had a busy day. I had a long list of prayer topics on my mind, uppermost of which was my husband’s imminent trip home. Led of the Spirit, I walked north on University Avenue, I turned east on Wellesley and got to Bay Street (not that most of you out there know where these streets are!), praying in the spirit all the while.

Being led to return to my office I started south on Bay doing a loop but was drawn immediately to a nearby bus shelter. Inside it sat a man who looked well over 70; I stopped praying, smiled and asked him his name.

Jimmy McNeil is a homeless drunk who sleeps on the streets; he speaks perfect English and was married to a gambling addicted wife. According to him, she gambled away all their money while he drank himself to despair. They were eventually evicted from their home, and penniless, she continued her habit in clubs, etc. while he became a drunk. he doesn’t know where she is today.

Jimmy is actually only 56 years old knows the Bible very well; he also made a few insightful statements which included:

“God has no favorites!”
“Kids are getting kids now, that’s why there’s so much trouble.”
“People are no more content, that’s why there’s so much divorce.”
Then he said, “Thanks for stopping to talk; you’re a Proverbs 31 woman...”

We had quite a conversation and I was surprised at the depth of his knowledge…
I find myself drawn regularly to the homeless because it reminds me of my brokenness and utter dependence on God.

Thank you Lord for making me see that without you I’m utterly hopeless, helpless, and hapless.

Tear Through the Veil

Boundless feelings
Eternal depths
Searching for the meaning
Seeking and standing
Yet stumbling through
To see stabs of light
Through the dimness
Coloring outside the lines
in a desperate attempt
to see the big picture
Pushing aside the hills of thought
and mountains of need
Just to focus on You
Just to see Your face
Just to hold Your hand
as I tear through the veil
and fall before You
I love You deeply

JP Copyright 2007

Watch What You Say – Literally!

Recently, I have had to watch what I’ve been speaking over myself. I’m actually more careful in watching what I say over my children or other people, but fail more often in watching what I say over myself.

There I was unpacking the groceries on Saturday afternoon with my children, and Naomi turns to me and asks, “Mom did you get the flatbread for the wraps?” “How silly of me, I forgot – and it was on the list…how could I have forgotten?” I berate myself. But my daughter immediately cuts me off, “Mom! You’re NOT silly! Don’t call yourself silly! You’re smart!” I stopped short, realizing that what I had so patiently and consistently taught my children, they were teaching me right back!

What if God gave us what we spoke over ourselves – literally? That would be really scary in a lot of cases; you would agree with me that we would regret so many words we spoke if they literally happened before our very eyes. Take my example above for instance, what does silly mean? It means, ‘weak-minded or lacking good sense; stupid or foolish’. Did you know calling yourself silly and calling yourself foolish, meant the same thing? I bet you didn’t; you probably thought like I did, that silly was milder. Well you thought wrong…

So why don’t you try this with me this week; watch very carefully what you speak over your family, but more importantly over yourself and see how many times you catch yourself speaking negative words; when you do, speak the reverse immediately, like Naomi did over me.

[Eph 4:29 ‘Watch your talk! No bad words should be coming from your mouth. Say what is good. Your words should help others grow as Christians – NLV]