The Power of divine Influence

“ You are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:14

We thank You our heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ for the abundant mercies that was showered into our lives and families in the year 2014. You gave us life, provided for us on daily basis, kept our families together and protected us from various demonic attacks through the power of Your great name. We praise You Jesus as the Lord of lords and the King of kings. You remain forever the Sovereign Lord over the affairs of men, and most worthy to be praised. Hallelujah!!!

We bless You Jesus that You have ushered us mightily into this great year of 2015. Through the mind of Your Spirit we greatly rejoice for the exceedingly great triumph Your people will experience this year. Your Word inspires us with the everlasting truth that Your divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. We prayerfully stretch and tap into this awesome promise as we prophesy victory in all aspect of our Christian walk. We lean on You Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the great God who opens doors that no one can shut. We ask for the grace of transformed life and power to possess the gates of our enemies through the power of Your Holy Spirit in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

Last year was quite exciting and adventurous for us. We both experienced great victories in our personal walk of faith and observed the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people close to us. At our place of fellowship here in Phoenix, Arizona, Pastor Dan Brodeur ushered us into the year 2015 with such a powerful and empowering message. He emphasized the crucial significance of lifting Jesus up to His well deserved pre-eminence over every aspect of our lives and the increasing need for believers to be enriched and armed with the truth of God’s Word as we prepare to victoriously gain new grounds for the Kingdom of God. His timely message was like fire to my soul. I petitioned the throne of grace for the ability to proclaim the love of God and the power of the Cross, regardless of the season, as the Holy Spirit provides the opportunity. The Lord Jesus honored the prayer and we soared on wings like the eagle and transitioned into this 2015 with amazing triumph. Thank you Jesus!

As I sat reflecting on the previous visions and revelations shared through this forum, the incredible chronology and sequence in the spiritual themes discussed was very striking. I was particularly amazed that the Holy Spirit inspired me to start with the Fear of God which is the bedrock of our Christian walk. It is surely the beginning of true wisdom and the mother and stimulus of other grace. Without a progressive growth in this unique heavenly gift many powerful men and women of God had tragically became shipwrecked. Many prospered tremendously in various ministries but eventually brought dishonor to God and shame to the body of Christ. With this foundational truth in mind, I prayed to be directed by the Spirit as to what our next message should be. It is the beginning of the year. It must be one that follows the same train of thought as my pastor, but must also be fitting for the entire body of Christ for this 2015. I strongly desired a message that would be both spiritually awakening and powerfully stimulating as we gear up to reclaim our inheritance in the power of the Spirit.

Usefulness to the Kingdom of God

I am often intrigued at God’s ways of  communicating with our spirits, either as we meditate on His Words or through dreams and visions. At times it comes as symbols or imagery that captivates our attention. As we reflect on these things, His Spirit speaks to our hearts bringing meanings and insights as revelations of His Will in accordance to the Scriptures. God certainly has surpassing mastery in the art of communication. Mankind only needs to wait on Him to receive His wonderful Counsel.

Several years ago I had a dream that got me rattled. Before going into this dream, it will serve us well to understand my situation at the time. I was already practicing medicine in United States, was financially stronger and many people overseas would say the guy has finally arrived. I had this unquenchable drive to eradicate poverty from every member of my family in Nigeria, both the single and married ones. However, my noble gestures only brought more and more frustrations in my life. I was taking more calls to meet more financial demands but their lives was not really getting better. I observed more bickering, manipulations and contentions among them. In my human calculations, a little financial boost is all they need to revamp their living condition, but how gravely mistaken I was!

I was shown in a dream of the night a mighty tree. The stem of this tree was huge and very tall. It had a very lush and luxuriant branches and full of green leaves but shockingly no fruit at all. The contrast between the greatness of the tree and luxuriant green leaves on one hand but complete lack of fruit was strikingly impressed on my mind that I wondered what this could mean while in this dream. As I wondered two maidens walked intently towards this tree. For unknown reason my curiosity was heightened by these strangers. The setting of this dream was Izuogu, my mother’s village. As I walked away from this scene, I saw my family members lying on bare ground in the front of the house. They were in a deep kind of sleep and then one of the ladies made attempt to get up from the slumber.

“ For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds. Then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction. In order to turn man from his deed, and conceal pride from man, He keeps back his soul from the Pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.” Job 33:14-18.

I pondered on the meaning of this disturbing dream. I sensed my brother and sisters I cared so much about and wanted the best for where in a very bad state but I just couldn’t decode the meaning of what God was trying to communicate to me. I had grown in knowledge, thriving medical career, financially buoyant but plagued with increasing frustration and without peace in my soul. My sense of self-worth, meaning and satisfaction was at an all time low. What is missing in this equation beats my imagination. I was an esteemed Mathematician in my Secondary school days but this problem was very elusive. It was not until I finally surrendered my miserable life to Jesus after hearing the Good News of His Unconditional Love and Acceptance for wretched sinners like me that understanding of this dream flowed into my mind’s eyes.

“ Now we have received, not the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinth. 2: 12-14.

Isn’t it funny and just like most of us that when I began to gain divine insight as to the meaning of this dream that my initial focus was to see how wrong my siblings had been. I judged them as being completely the architect of their spiritual dullness. They had abused my kindness and resorted to all kinds of mischief to manipulate my mind for more and more money. I failed to see the connection between my former spiritual darkness, poor judgments and their own situation. They looked up to me, but ironically the same worldly spirit at work in me at that time was also operating in their souls. I was totally blinded to the woeful and stark connection between the mighty but fruitless tree and their consequent spiritual apathy and sleepiness. Talk of removing the plank in your own eyes first so you can see clearly to remove the speck in your brother’s eyes!

“ For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.” Hebrews 6:7-8 NASB.

The key word in the text above is useful. The Webster dictionary defines the adjective useful as “ capable of being put to use; especially : serviceable for an end or purpose. That mighty tree in the dream represented me. The Almighty God had supernaturally raised me up to that remarkable height for a purpose best known to Him. It was a most humble beginning and an astonishing success story that defied the expectations of many people who knew my family. However, I did not know the Lord, neither did I understand the inherent worth He wrought in my person. How my life was to influence my family and the Kingdom of God I did not know until much later. I had grown in knowledge and affluence but pathetically lean in soul and spirit.

“ They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days men will seek death and will not find it, they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.” Revelation 9:4-6.

Was I persistently tormented! All kinds of ungodly emotions and fear reigned in my life but nobody noticed. All people saw was a façade of the boiling turmoil inside my soul and years of sleeplessness. I was disillusioned, paranoid and at the verge of being suicidal but everything was within God’s ultimate plan… Humbling of self-exaltation, pride and idolatrous existence. My minds eyes had been erroneously turned towards my accomplishments and glory. I must look upwards to gain perspective, balance and return the glory to Him who initiated my existence…the Lord Jesus.

“ And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘ Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17.

The story of this amazingly remarkable and enticing tree continues to perplex me. I find myself coming back to the Genesis account. By rebelling against the counsel of the Most High and making a covenant with what this tree symbolized, Adam and Eve passed the same spirit of rebellion on the entire human race. They negatively influenced their seed or offspring for generation unto generation. The Bible says our goodness is nothing apart from Christ Righteousness. All mankind with the spiritual DNA of Adam and Eve can never please God without His covering of grace. God’s righteous judgment is abundantly clear. “ For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

The Creator of all things made humans to be unique among all created things. None was made in His image and likeness but exclusively mankind. Not even the angelic beings! We are endowed with incredible package and do excel in performing extra-ordinary accomplishments. But everything God made has intrinsic usefulness and purpose that reflects His goodness and ultimate plan. To fall short of the ‘glory of God’ will then mean a state of faultiness and inadequacy to fulfill His original purpose and intent for that creation. It means an interior distortion or aberrations in the heart or mindset of this wonderful creature. Who can know this terrible error but only the One who designed man and woman. God sees, knows and hopefully has a faithful solution and prescription for our redemption. Hallelujah!!!

“ For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” Romans 8:19-21.

The Riches of God’s Grace

In my opinion, one of the greatest aspects of God’s grace is His surpassing patience with man. Apostle Peter discovered this profound truth when he penned, “ the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.

The good Lord will do everything necessary to frustrate, oppose, hinder our thoughts of self-rule and independent existence apart from Him because the consequences of such lifestyle is grave not only in this life but worst still after this life. There is certainly a hereafter in the judgment throne before your Maker and righteous Judge of all flesh.

A tree regardless of its size and beauty without the necessary fruit is unprofitable to the One who planted it. The people of the world may glory in the size or beauty of the tree but the Lord had a purpose in mind when He designed the tree and in the original plan God’s evaluation was adjudged good and beneficial. The spiritual seed of corruption impairs the ability for the unregenerate man to live a life that brings glory to God. In His abundant grace, God’s sounds His warning of impending judgment and those who are sensible do not continue to ignore those feelings of futility, frustrations and emptiness. In humility, they sense their need for divine intervention and cry out relentlessly for mercy. Not only do these humble souls recognize imminent jeopardy but that the outcome of their lives will influence the choices and decisions of people around them.

The people of God recounted their propensity to rebellion and God’s grace in unleashing warning signs to bring them to repentance. “ Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted….Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saves them out of their distresses.” Psalm 107: 17-19.

Prophet Isaiah came to a turning point in his life when the light of God revealed the seed of corruption in his heart. He also cried out to the great physician and healer of all souls. “ Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” Isaiah 6:5.

The esteemed Apostle Paul despite his enviable background, academic excellence and works of righteousness according to the law was humbled to realize that his zealousness failed to produce the expected fruit that brought glory to God. Just like other sensible children of God, he cried out in repentance and great desire for a rescue surgical excision of this corrupted seed in his soul and corresponding connection to the Tree of Life. “ But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Roman 7:23-24.

What is God’s Expectation when He examines His handiwork?

It is common sense that what is created those not know the mind of the Creator. What He designed in man or woman and their full potential and capabilities, only Him the Maker knows that fully well. When corruption is sown into His perfect work, no matter how subtle this aberration may be His probing eyes sees. Because of the principle of inter-connectivity of mankind, God’s earnest desire is to correct this mole so the evil does not spread. Put in another way, a pure seed would eventually impact others positively.

“ Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind both will fall into a ditch.” Matthew 15:13-14.

The Lord God has given me the privilege of being the first son in my father’s house. It comes with a great responsibility. To be a true leader and have the right influence I must submit to the great Shepherd and Overseer over God’s household. The watchers in the form of maidens where sent to sound warnings of impending judgment over my reckless existence and the terrible impact among those closest to me. I was deeply grieved in my soul. Then, the battle began whether to ignore these divine warning signs and continue my life of self-indulgence or submit to God in total repentance and surrender to His Will. And what a struggle!!!

A Life of heavenly Purpose

“ A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘ look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘ Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’” Luke 13:6-9.

The God of the spirit of all flesh had examined my life and found it lacking in essential ingredients necessary to produce the result He expected. It was humanly impossible for me to heal my heart and mindset to live according to His Will. God had revealed His displeasure. My response was critical. Despise His forbearance and kindness or cry out in repentance and need for a Savior.

How about you my brothers and sisters? How about you my mothers and fathers? What of you my pastors and ministers? Leaders in the secular world are not exempt in this moment of self-reflection. God is no respecter of persons. Does your life measure up to God’s righteous standard of holiness? It is impossible for created beings to honestly answer these questions. Have you humbly looked upwards in prayer and earnestly asked God to reveal what He sees in you so you can quickly run to the Cross. A life of godly purpose can only be initiated when fallen mankind hears the Word of Faith and give the appropriate response towards the Keeper of God’s vineyard. Hallelujah!!!

Prayer

Heavenly Father I thank you immensely for the outpouring of your grace in sharing this dream and accompanying revelations with those whom you invite to glean insights from this forum. I have honestly and faithfully presented all You have graciously given me with the rest of the world. I pray that all those who have the grace of patience to go through this piece will also diligently study the Scriptures and ask for discernment. I pray that the Spirit of conviction be released into our hearts. May the Holy Spirit soften every hardness of heart and transform the children of God to bear the necessary fruits that bring glory to You, in Jesus mighty name. Amen.

I give Jesus my Praise