Times and Seasons

 

Times and Seasons

There’s a rhythm to life that heaven sets in motion - a divine calendar that moves not by clocks or calendars, but by seasons of the Spirit.

Just as the earth shifts from winter to spring, summer to autumn, so does God lead us through spiritual seasons - each with its own lessons, timing, and purpose.

Recognizing these seasons doesn’t just help us understand what God is doing - it helps us flow with Him instead of fighting Him.

1. The Chronos Season - Time of Preparation

The Greek word chronos simply means chronological or measured time - the regular, everyday flow of life.

This is the season of faithfulness in the ordinary - where nothing seems dramatic, but everything is forming.

It’s where you build roots, discipline, and patience.

David had his chronos years tending sheep before becoming king. Joseph had his chronos in Potiphar’s house and prison.

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time (kairos), we will reap if we do not give up.” -  Galatians 6:9

Chronos prepares you for what’s coming next. Stay faithful. What feels like delay is often divine development.

2. The Kairos Season -  God’s Appointed Time

Kairos is different. It means a divinely orchestrated, opportune moment - when God’s timing meets your preparation.

It’s when long-prayed prayers align with heaven’s calendar and doors begin to open.

Esther’s moment before the king was a kairos -  “for such a time as this.”

Jesus began His ministry declaring, “The time (kairos) has come. The kingdom of God is near.” (Mark 1:15).

Kairos moments don’t come every day -  and when they do, they demand faith, courage, and obedience.

3. The Epoch Season - The Beginning of a New Era

An epoch (pronounced EE-pok) is more than a moment -  it’s a divine turning point, when God shifts you into a new chapter entirely.

It’s when the old season no longer fits, and God says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing.” (Isaiah 43:19).

It can feel disruptive -  but it’s often the very thing that births your next dimension.

The resurrection of Jesus was an epoch shift - a new covenant, a new age of grace, a new reality for humanity.

If you sense transition, change, and stretching - don’t resist it. You might just be standing in your epoch season.

4. The Wilderness Season -  A Time of Testing and Refining

Before every great assignment comes a season of pruning. The wilderness isn’t punishment; it’s preparation.

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness - not by the devil -  to be tested and strengthened. Israel spent 40 years there before the Promised Land.

The wilderness teaches dependence.

It empties you of self so God can fill you with purpose.

If you’re in one now -  don’t despise it. The wilderness is where God purifies motives and forges strength that glory will later require.

5. The Birthing Season -  Bringing Forth the Promise

Every seed of destiny eventually comes to labor.

It’s a season of travail - of pressure, contractions, and spiritual warfare -  but also of imminent manifestation.

Hannah cried in anguish, and Samuel was born. Sarah laughed, and Isaac arrived. Mary said yes, and the Savior came forth.

“Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the Lord. - Isaiah 66:9

When you feel the pressure increasing, don’t give up -  something divine is about to be born.

6. The Waiting Season -  When God Seems Silent

Every believer walks through this -  a time when prayers linger unanswered and heaven feels quiet.

But silence isn’t absence; it’s strategy.

In the waiting, God builds trust and matures faith. David was anointed long before he was crowned. Abraham waited years before holding Isaac.

“Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” - Isaiah 40:31

Waiting seasons aren’t wasted; they’re where endurance grows roots.

7. The Harvest and Due Season - Reaping What Was Sown

After plowing, sowing, and waiting comes reaping.

This is the season of visible fruitfulness -  when obedience pays off, prayers are answered, and promises manifest.

“At the proper time we will reap, if we do not give up.” - Galatians 6:9

But remember: harvest requires stewardship. Don’t abandon the field when it’s time to gather.

8. The Rest Season - Renewal and Restoration

God also gives seasons of rest -  moments to breathe, heal, and regain strength.

Even Jesus withdrew from the crowds to pray. Elijah, weary from ministry, was told by God to eat and rest.

Rest is not laziness; it’s trust / the kind that says, “The world will keep turning while I sit in God’s presence.”

“He makes me lie down in green pastures; He restores my soul.” -  Psalm 23:2–3

If God is calling you to stillness, honor it. You can’t pour from an empty vessel.

​The Appointed Season -  When Heaven’s Timing Manifests

Some moments are purely sovereign. You can’t rush or earn them - only recognize them.

Jesus was born “in the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4).

Abraham received the promise “at the appointed time” (Genesis 18:14).

An appointed season means God’s perfect timing has arrived - no delay, no denial, just divine completion.

How to Recognize What Season You’re In

​Ask the Holy Spirit. He reveals what God is doing beneath the surface.

​Pay attention to patterns. Closed doors, recurring lessons, or inner stirrings often mark shifts.

​Measure your pace. Every season requires a different rhythm - sowing, resting, or reaping.

​Stay faithful. No season lasts forever, but faithfulness bears fruit in all of them.

Final Thought

The same God who appoints seasons in nature governs the seasons of your soul.

Whether you’re waiting, birthing, resting, or harvesting -  He’s working.

Don’t rush what He’s refining.

Don’t quit what He’s cultivating.

And don’t fear what He’s shifting.

Because in every season, God’s purpose is unfolding - one moment, one chapter, one heartbeat at a time.

It’s your Prophetic season of New Beginnings - Have a Wonderful Week.

Disgracing Evil Patterns

       

Disgracing Evil Patterns

Evil patterns are negative cycles or destructive behaviours that repeat from generation to generation. These patterns can manifest in different forms—poverty, sickness, broken marriages, untimely death, and more.

The Bible addresses such issues as generational iniquities or curses that can affect a family line, but the good news is that through Jesus Christ, we can be delivered from these evil patterns.

UNDERSTANDING EVIL PATTERNS

a) What are Evil Patterns?

Evil patterns are recurring negative events that follow a predictable cycle, often seen within family lines or personal lives. These patterns can be financial struggles, health issues, or relational breakdowns that repeat across generations.

Sources of Evil Patterns:

Evil patterns often stem from ancestral curses, spiritual covenants, or unbroken iniquities that persist due to unconfessed sins or spiritual ignorance (Lamentations 5:7).

The Influence of Generational Curses:

The Bible speaks about the sins of the fathers visiting the children, indicating how patterns of iniquity can pass from one generation to another (Exodus 20:5). However, in Christ, we are given the power to break free from these curses.

Biblical Example: The Israelites suffered generational iniquities until they turned back to God for deliverance.

IDENTIFYING EVIL PATTERNS IN YOUR LIFE

a) Recurrent Failures:

Do you notice a pattern of failure in specific areas of your life—businesses failing at the same point, relationships breaking down in similar ways, or constant health problems?

b) Patterns in Family History:

Often, evil patterns are identifiable by looking at the family tree. Is there a history of untimely deaths, poverty, barrenness, or addiction that seems to affect multiple generations?

c) Spiritual Discernment and Prayer:

Seek the Holy Spirit’s help to discern if a particular issue in your life or family has its roots in spiritual bondage (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).

Biblical Example: Gideon realized that his family had an evil pattern of idolatry, and God instructed him to tear down the altar of Baal (Judges 6:25-27).

BREAKING FREE FROM EVIL PATTERNS

a) Repentance and Confession:

One of the most powerful keys to breaking free from generational curses and evil patterns is genuine repentance. Confess your sins and the sins of your forefathers, seeking God’s mercy and deliverance (2 Chronicles 7:14).

b) The Power of the Blood of Jesus:

Jesus’ death and resurrection broke the curse of the law, giving believers authority to declare freedom from every generational curse and evil pattern (Galatians 3:13-14).

c) Prayer of Deliverance:

Intense, persistent prayer is needed to break free from spiritual strongholds. Pray specifically against the evil patterns you’ve identified, using the authority of God’s Word (Matthew 18:18).

Biblical Example: Jabez prayed a specific prayer for deliverance from the evil pattern of pain in his life, and God granted his request (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).

4. MAINTAINING DELIVERANCE

a) Living a Righteous Life:

After breaking free from an evil pattern, it is important to walk in righteousness, staying close to God through prayer, studying His Word, and living in obedience (Isaiah 1:19).

b) Renouncing Evil Alliances and Agreements:

Many evil patterns persist because of covenants, oaths, or spiritual agreements made by previous generations. Renounce any ungodly ties to ancestral practices or spiritual connections that may keep these patterns alive (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

c) Spiritual Vigilance and Warfare:

Continue to engage in spiritual warfare through fasting, prayer, and declaring God’s promises over your life. The enemy will attempt to reintroduce old patterns, but through vigilance, you can maintain your victory (Ephesians 6:12-13).

Biblical Example: After being delivered from evil, the Israelites were commanded to avoid the practices of the nations they conquered, ensuring they did not fall back into old patterns (Deuteronomy 12:29-31).

- You must determine to change the pattern or enforce a change on the cycle or pattern e. g Jacob Matt 11-12.

You must break up from the habit you’ve gained from your Pedigree

​You must say it out that your case is different from the usual occurrence from your background.

-You must possess the spirit of a fighter I.e battle the matter in the place of prayer.

​you must fight to win and to break up your cycle. Isa 25: 3-4,Isa 10 :27

​when you make up your mind to be strong , God will be your refuge in the storm.

​when you are ready to fight the enemy,

God is ready to fight the enemy and he will supply strength to you.

-Engage the power of His Spirit to brake the cycle. Act 10:38, Rev 12:11, Zach 9:11 -Engage the power from the blood of Jesus

​Engage ​the power from the word of God -Involve the power of fasting Isa. 40:31

It is possible to be free as if the devil does not exist if you can fast and pray .

CONCLUSION:

Evil patterns are real, but they are no match for the power of God. Through the blood of Jesus, we have victory over every generational curse and evil pattern. Today, as we pray and declare God’s promises, every evil pattern in your life and family will be broken, and you will walk in the freedom Christ has given.

The Oil of Favour

 

Divine Favour!

This morning I took some break since I was working remotely before joining some core meetings and started thinking on the Power of Divine Favour.

The concept is deeply tied to the stories of prominent figures in the Bible who experienced exceptional turnarounds:

Joseph: Went from being a slave and a prisoner to the prime minister of Egypt because of God's favour.Esther: Found favour with the king and was elevated from an orphan to a queen, which ultimately saved her people.

Jesus Christ: The Bible notes that He "increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52).

Almost immediately, I wrote down five key points. Here are the Five keys.

1. Believe in and expect continual supernatural moves of God in your daily life.

2. The Doing Principle : By doing what you say you're going to do. when you say you’re going to do it.

3. intergrity Pays : Being a person of integrity even when no one else is around.

4. Godly Character: Being a person of character instead of being a character.

5. Live an Ephesians 6:8 lifestyle.

Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

Treat people the way you want to be treated.

A greater tomorrow is not achieved by strength or skill alone but by divine advantage. When God’s favour is activated, closed doors open, delayed matters receive approval, and opposition loses its power.

Walk in Divine Favour!

2025 Prophetic Perspective: Engr. Sam Ezeokoli

                                                                 Υπέρβαση χάριτος

This is our year of Manifold Grace meaning the year in which the Grace of God will be manifested in exceeding dimensions.

God's grace is manifold. It is like a heavenly diamond with innumerable facets. Every vantage point reflects a new insight into the gracious resources of our Lord.

– Noah – found grace – brought forth an Ark –Gen.6:8

– Abraham –found grace –brought forth a nation

– Lot – found grace – brought forth life – Gen.19:19

– Moses – found grace – brought forth people –Exo.33&34

– David – found grace – brought forth throne

– Mary – found grace – brought forth son

Ephesians 2:8, 9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

We know then from these scriptures that grace is a gift of God. It would be easy for us to misunderstand where grace originates and attribute it to the Spirit, but grace came by Jesus;

John 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Do you want to be a joint-heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17)? Then receive the necessary grace to enable you and give you a place among the sanctified! Let us look closer at what the Apostle Paul said of the abundance of grace in his ministry through Christ Jesus;

I Timothy 1:12 – 14 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Please receive from verse 14 that grace, faith (Jesus is the author and finisher), and love are in Jesus! If you are not receiving exceeding abundant grace you are falling short of your calling! Let Him build you! Paul further notes that it was the grace of God that made him a wise masterbuilder;

I Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

There is grace for anything that you need to accomplish the will of God! There is grace for faith. There is grace for utterance, for knowledge, for all diligence. There is grace for love. The grace for diligence is what we were speaking of with Paul above; Paul knew and received that diligence given by grace! If we begin with seeking Jesus for grace for … all diligence… we will abound when we receive, for when we receive diligence we will find the ability to tarry and receive the other gifts of grace. If you have difficulty expanding these promises for your particular need of grace from this scripture, please consider again the following verse from the ninth chapter;

II Corinthians 9:8 :- And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

The Almighty God in His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and love is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you may have all sufficiency in all things, and may abound to every good work. This fullness of availability of grace for all things is lacking today because we do not understand the depth of this grace, we do not seek the fullness of this grace, and we do not receive grace in God’s plan. 

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Welcome to AD 2025 : The Year of Manifold and Exceeding Grace

2023 Prophetic Perspective: Engr. Sam Ezeokoli

 Welcome to AD 2023: The Year of Total Victory

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

(I John 5:4-5)

Victory as it is defined by Vine’s Expository Dictionary means to conquer, overcome, and prevail, and that is exactly what God wants in His children. From Genesis 3:15 to Revelation 15:2 God has promised that the Saints will prevail. Satan is destined for the Bottomless Pit and desires to take as many souls with him as is possible. We are in a battle for our very souls and the thing to be feared the most is not merely the death of our physical bodies, but the eternal damnation of our souls.

FOUR BASIC TRUTHS TO NOTE

1. Life is not a play ground but a battle field

2. Life is not a funfair, it is a warfare

3. Whether you are interested in fighting the battle or not, the battle is interested in you

4. It is a known fact that the Spiritual rules the Physical

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Let me share with you another mighty Scripture: "Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:14). Think upon this verse for a moment - GOD ALWAYS CAUSES US TO TRIUMPH IN CHRIST! Not sometimes, but always! God has a complete and continual victory for us in Christ! Praise His name.

God has provided us with mighty spiritual weapons which, when used, will "pull down strongholds, imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (God's revealed will for us), and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). If we do not use these weapons that the Lord has given us, then WE will be brought into captivity. 

In Romans 8, Paul again reveals the complete victory which is ours through Jesus Christ. We can name anything we like; but he was persuaded that IN ALL THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH CHRIST THAT LOVED US - MORE THAN CONQUERORS! The strongest onslaught the enemy can bring against us, we are able to effectively conquer, with plenty in reserve! We are more than conquerors through Jesus Who loves us! This is the kind of victory that God has for those who love Him and who believe the promises of His Word. We cannot go under for going over!

In Romans 8, Paul again reveals the complete victory which is ours through Jesus Christ. We can name anything we like; but he was persuaded that IN ALL THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH CHRIST THAT LOVED US - MORE THAN CONQUERORS! The strongest onslaught the enemy can bring against us, we are able to effectively conquer, with plenty in reserve! We are more than conquerors through Jesus Who loves us! This is the kind of victory that God has for those who love Him and who believe the promises of His Word. We cannot go under for going over!

Irrespective of your situation, there is surely hope for you if you accept the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Appropriating the Power of the Blood of Jesus Christ reverses all negative situations (Revelation 12:11, Isaiah 53:4-5).

Why would you remain in that situation when the Blood of Jesus Christ is readily available for you to appropriate? There is no situation in life beyond redemption by the Power of the Blood of Jesus Christ. All you need to do is call on Jesus Christ right away in faith, accept Him into your life and begin to appropriate His Blood for your total victory.

Say this prayer genuinely from your heart… “Lord Jesus, I call on You today for help, I accept You into my heart as my Lord and Saviour, please forgive my sins, wash me in your Blood, break every yoke of the devil off my life by the Power in your Blood, and give me total victory in life in Jesus Name, Amen”.

Remember that in Egypt, the children of Israel were saved from death by the blood of goats and rams which was placed at the doorpost of their houses and when the destroyer came, he passed over their houses. All that the people needed to do to be free from death was to stay in the house. Jesus is that house and all you need to do today to be saved is to stay in Christ. 

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” Revelation 12:11 KJV

 Your salvation has the provisions of heaven for your victory over the adversary. God did not bring you out for you to fail, but to live a victorious life. It is easy to understand that we have been redeemed with the blood of the lamb. You must also have an understanding of the reality of the blood that makes you acceptable in the presence of the Lord.  Ephesians 1:7 declares: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (KJV).

 The blood of Jesus gave us redemption. We were bought back from the adversary; so, Satan has no right to accuse us of anything. The price has been paid in full with the blood. As a result of the victory which we have in Christ Jesus, we are supposed to live a life of ease. You must understand that the blood of Jesus has given you complete and total victory over every opposition that comes against you.

 Welcome to an Era of Possibilities and Total Victory! Please attend any Bible-believing and Holy Spirit-filled church near you to be deeply rooted in the Word of God to sustain your victories. Feel free to connect with us

Former President Olusegun Matthew Aremu Obasanjo endorses Obi for presidency

 

MY APPEAL TO ALL NIGERIANS PARTICULARLY YOUNG NIGERIANS

-FORMER PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN MATTHEW AREMU OBASANJO ADDRESS.

Happy New Year! May all our national calamities disappear this year.

I am constrained to write this letter to all Nigerians, especially young Nigerians, friends of Nigeria globally as well as our development partners because of the gravity, responsibility and implications of the collective decision Nigerians, both young and old, will be making within the next two months.

The last seven and a half years have no doubt been eventful and stressful years for many Nigerians. We have moved from the frying pan to the fire and from the mountain top to the valley. Our leaders have done their best, but their best has turned out to be not the best for Nigeria and Nigerians at home and abroad. For most Nigerians, it was hell on earth.

Those of us who are alive should thank God for His mercies, brace ourselves for the remaining few months of this administration and pray and work very hard for an immediate better future – future of liberation, restoration and great hope and expectation.

We have had campaigners going up and down the country feeding us with what they mean and what they do not mean, what they understand and what they do not fully understand, what is possible and what is not possible, what is realistic and what is unrealistic, what is true and what is untrue. I believe that we need not be confused nor be gullible. Let us be cautious, not to be fooled again.

I have interacted with the major contestants and I find it interesting that, in one form or the other, each of them claims to want to do what I did during my Presidency and to take Nigeria back to where it was at the height of my Presidency and immediately after. I was pained that most of them do not realise that the Nigeria of today had been dragged down well below Nigeria of the beginning of my Presidency in June 1999.

Although at that time, Nigeria was in very bad shape and was tottering on the verge of collapse and break-up. Even then, Nigeria was not faced with the level of pervasive and mind-numbing insecurity, rudderless leadership, buoyed by mismanagement of diversity and pervasive corruption, bad economic policies resulting in extremes of poverty and massive unemployment and galloping inflation.

For these reasons, I kept pointing out to them that the instruments used in 1999 to 2007 and methodology used will grossly be inadequate for the perilous situation we now find ourselves in.

Without prejudice but with greatest respect to each individual with utmost regard for the best for Nigeria and all Nigerians and from my personal experience, all the major contestants claim to be my mentees. I will not deny such positions since I have worked with all of them directly and indirectly in government.

I have come to realise a number of factors in character, attributes and attitude that are necessary in the job of directing the affairs of Nigeria successfully and at a time like this. These characteristics or attributes are many but let us be mindful of some key ones together.

From interaction and experience, and as mentees as most of them claim, I will, without prejudice, fear or ill-will, make bold to say that there are four major factors to watch out for in a leader you will consider to hoist on yourself and on the rest of Nigerians in the coming election and they are what I call TVCP: Track record of ability and performance; Vision that is authentic, honest and realistic; Character and attributes of a lady and a gentleman who are children of God and obedient to God; and Physical and mental capability with soundness of mind as it is a very taxing and tasking assignment at the best of times and more so it is at the most difficult time that we are.

Let me say straight away that ‘Emi Lokan’ (My turn) and ‘I have paid my dues’ are one and the same thing and are wrong attitude and mentality for the leadership of Nigeria now. They cannot form the new pedestal to reinvent and to invest in a new Nigeria based on an All-Nigeria Government for the liberation and restoration of Nigeria. Such a government must have representation from all sectors of our national life – public, private, civil society, professional, labour, employers, and the diaspora. The solution should be in ‘we’ and ‘us’ and not in ‘me’ and ‘I’.

Mind you, I reiterate that no human being is an angel let alone a Messiah, but there are elements of these attributes and on comparative basis and by measure of what we know of, and what some of us have experienced from the front-runners, we must assess judiciously and choose wisely. If anybody claims he or she has anything to the contrary, it will be up to him or her to prove to us.

I pray not to be proved right again in the bad sense but rather to be proved right in the positive and glorious sense of Nigeria becoming what God had created it to be – a land of plenty and prosperity united for common purpose of inclusive society, common security, shared prosperity, equity, egalitarianism, justice, and equal stake in the Project Nigeria with leadership role of Nigeria for the black race and fair share of global division of labour.

One ridiculous point that has been touted to justify unjustifiable appointments and selections is ‘competence’. In truth and in reality, genuine competence can be found in any region or section of Nigeria through track record and performance if only people will honestly and sincerely look hard for people with such attainment and attribute. Most of us in good conscience can testify to competence when we see any anywhere. What is masqueraded as ‘competence’ is self-interest and nepotism.

We have a unique opportunity to correct ourselves by ourselves for the good of ourselves. Those who are preaching division, segregation, separation, and want to use diversity for their own self and selfish interest are enemies of the nation, no matter what else they may disguisedly profess or proclaim.

The Challenge Is For Nigerian Youth:

If we fall prey again, we will have ourselves to blame and no one can say how many more knocks Nigeria can take before it tips over. To be forewarned is to be fore-armed. Future is not emotion. I challenge the youth to arise. Let nobody pull wool over your eyes to divide you and/or segregate you to make you underlings. Nigerian youth, wherever they come from, North or South, East or West need education which is now denied to over 20 million children; Nigerian youth also need skills, empowerment, employment, reasonably good living conditions, welfare and well-being.

My dear young men and women, you must come together and bring about a truly meaningful change in your lives. If you fail, you have no one else to blame. Your present and future are in your hands to make or to mar. The future of Nigeria is in the same manner in your hands and literally so. If for any reason you fail to redeem yourself and your country, you will have lost the opportunity for good and you will have no one to blame but yourselves and posterity will not forgive you. Get up, get together, get going and get us to where we should be. And you, the youth, it is your time and your turn. ‘Eyin Lokan’ (Your turn).

The power to change is in your hands. Your future, my future, the future of grandchildren and great grandchildren is in your hands. Politics and elections are numbers game. You have the numbers, get up, stand up and make your numbers count.

Let me say it again, loud and clear, Nigeria has no business with insecurity, poverty, insurgency, banditry, unemployment, hunger, debt, division and disunity. We are in these situations because advertently or inadvertently, our leaders have made the choices. They have done the best they could do. Let them take their rest deservedly or not and let them enjoy their retirement as Septuagenarians or older.

I became Head of State at 39 and at 42, I had retired into the farm. When it was considered necessary, I was drafted back into active political life after twenty years of interregnum. I came back at 62 and by 70, I was on my way out. Others like General Gowon and Enahoro became national leaders at 33 and 27 respectively and General Gowon at the helms of leadership of Nigeria at the highest level.

The vigour, energy, agility, dynamism and outreach that the job of leadership of Nigeria requires at the very top may not be provided as a septuagenarian or older. I know that from personal experience. And it is glaring out of our current experiences. Otherwise, we will be fed with, “The President says” and we will neither see nor hear him directly as we should.

Yes, for some, age and physical and mental disposition are not in tandem. But where and when they are with obvious evidence, they must be taken into account for purpose of reality. And yet it is a job in our present situation where the team leader or captain of the team should be up and doing, outgoing inside and outside and speaking to the nation on almost daily basis visibly and as much as possible interactively and meeting his colleagues all over the world on behalf of Nigeria.

Youth of Nigeria, your time has come, and it is now and please grasp it. If not now, it will be never. I appeal to you to turn the tide on its head and march forward chanting ‘Awa Lokan’ (Our turn) not with a sense of entitlement, but with a demonstrable ideological commitment to unity and transformation of Nigeria.

Leave The Past, Face The Future:

Can we let the past go? I appeal to the young Nigerians to stop inheriting other people’s prejudices and enemies. Make your own friends and stop inheriting your father’s enemies. Let’s stop criminalizing and demonizing one another on the basis of the civil war on which we are all wrong.

And let’s praise and thank God for preserving the oneness of Nigeria. The Scripture says that if God would take account of all our wrongdoings, nobody would be able to stand before Him. While not suffering from amnesia, let us stop still fighting and reacting to the civil war in our hearts, minds, heads and our attitude acrimoniously. Let’s stop living on our different wrongs or mistakes of the past: treasonable felony, Tiv riot and its handling, first military coup and its aftermath, second military coup, araba, pogrom and the civil war, all in the 1960s.

And more recently OPC, Egbesu, MASSOB, IPOB, Boko Haram and banditry. No region can claim to be innocent or to be saintly. And no justification will suffice. In our respective individual or regional positions, we have done right and we have done wrong. It is therefore not right for any of us to be sanctimonious to see ourselves as saints and the rest as devils incarnate.

Just let us agree to move forward together in mutual forgiveness, one accord, inclusive society, equality and equity. Together and without bias and discrimination, fear or favour, we can have Nigeria of one nation in diversity, in truth and in practice. Let us honour, cherish, respect and even celebrate our diversity which is the basis of our potential greatness and strength. If we will only continue to harp on wrongs done by each of us individually or collectively, we will never be able to stand together.

If we will continue with wide brush to paint a national or sub-national group as bad and never to be trusted with leadership because of past error or mistakes that some of them were responsible for and treat their offspring as inheritors, it will amount to great injustice that will surely lead to no peace, no security and no stability for development and progress.

First, no group is faultless; second, for the greatness of the whole, we need one another as constituents of the whole; third, we cannot be talking and working for Africa’s integration and for Nigeria’s disintegration at the same time. Why for instance should I be stigmatized or despised because of my place of origin, place of birth or where I come from? Where I was born, by whom I was born and when I was born were not choices made by me. They were choices and prerogatives of God.

Any antagonism against me on that basis is unfair and is tantamount to fighting against God, the Creator. Such derogatory attitude and mindset do not build any human institution let alone a nation. While not forgetting the past, let us put the past behind us for it not to continue to mar our present and our future and that of the coming generation.

We must rise above primordial animalistic instincts and behaviour. Yes, we are human and higher than animals in the wild. Let us develop national ethos and national characteristics that can take us collectively to the promised.

My dear young men and women, let me assure you that there are only two tribes of people in Nigeria a tribe of good people and a tribe of bad people. You are either a good Nigerian of Igbo extraction, Kanuri extraction, etc, or a bad Nigerian of Yoruba extraction, Ijaw extraction etc.

I will at this juncture want to commend the politicians as they have generally been reasonably civil in their campaigns without making politics as a call to war against opponents. Genuine and fair competition conveys greater legitimacy in any political rivalry or competition.

A situation where people in authority and power assume such positions through foul and despicable means and continue to espouse and act in ways that only engender conflict or war by subverting legitimacy of power and authority does not augur well for the polity and as such, the moral foundation of the government and the society will be terribly weakened.

May God help, save, protect and sustain Nigeria for all Nigerians, for Africa and for the human race. We can only continue to play politics of ethnicity, religion, region and money bags at the peril of our country and to self-destruction. We need selfless, courageous, honest, patriotic, in short, outstanding leadership with character and fear of God beyond what we have had in recent past.

None of the contestants is a saint but when one compares their character, antecedent, their understanding, knowledge, discipline and vitality that they can bring to bear and the great efforts required to stay focused on the job particularly looking at where the country is today and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge.

Others like all of us have what they can contribute to the new dispensation to liberation, restoration and salvaging of Nigeria collectively. One other important point to make about Peter is that he is a needle with thread attached to it from North and South and he may not get lost. In other words, he has people who can pull his ears, if and when necessary. Needless to say that he has a young and able running mate with clean track record of achievement both in public and private life.

In conclusion, I want to bring to our remembrance part of the great speech that Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa made on October 7, 1960, on the occasion of Nigeria being admitted as the 99th member of the United Nations: “Cooperation is for each man to be true to his religious belief and to reaffirm the basic principles of his particular creed.

It may be that, when we hear the world crying out for peace, we may receive the inspiration to deal with these intractable problems and be able to really devote all our resources to the advancement of mankind by applying those eternal truths which will inevitably persist long after we ourselves are utterly forgotten”.

The Tafawa Balewas are gone. But the eternal truths inevitably remain and persist that cooperation, friendship, justice, equity, love and fear of God which are hallmarks of the three religions practised in this country are the basis of our full and fulfilled lives and living as Nigerians. In faith as Nigerians, we must pray and relate with God as it depends on Him and at the same time, in faith also we must work as it depends on us. Then we will win.

May God continue to help us individually and collectively.

#Obident #ObiDatti #2023Election

The Gates of Hell Shall not Prevail

The Gates of Hell Shall not Prevail!

Jesus said:

“I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” (Mt 16:18)

The phrase pulai hadou (gates of hell) is a Jewish expression meaning “realm of the dead.” The same two words appear in the Septuagint version of Job 38:17: “Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness [ puloroi de hadou]?” They appear again in Isaiah 38:10: “I said in the middle of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol [pulais hadou] for the rest of my years.” In both passages, pulai hadou is a euphemism for death.

There is no doubt that we are involved in an intense spiritual warfare. God is impressing upon us that we are in a battle against an enemy who is taking the offensive against us. Satan’s kingdom is not divided and disorganized as some would believe, but is a highly organized array of spiritual powers and principalities. However, God is also impressing upon us that we have the authority to take the initiative against our enemy, and effectively counteract his ruling spirits and influences.

In fact, if we do not take the initiative against Satan, he will take the initiative against us. Whether we like it or not, we are at war with the kingdom of Satan, and we must not settle for a negotiated peace. We must utterly dominate Satan and his co-workers.

As I pondered this, I realized that Satan has a place, a gate, where he counsels together with his forces and exercises authority out of that council. To effectively counteract those satanic forces then, the Church needs its leadership, under the head of Jesus Christ, to gather together in unity and harmony in a sense of government. When this happens the gates of hell will be no match for the Church.

some Christians are not even aware of who or what the Church is. My understanding of the Greek term which gives us the ward "church," is that it is similar to the governmental houses in the United States which used to be called "assemblies." It is men coming together in right order, exercising a certain amount of rule and authority. This type of order and unity represents a tremendous threat to Satan, because his basic strategy towards the Church has always been to divide and conquer. As Jesus said, "Any kingdom divided against itself would be no match for its opposition. For this reason it is necessary for the leadership of the Church to assemble together, counsel together and exercise the corporate authority needed to defeat the government of Satan.

Adam failed in his delegated responsibility to rule the earth for the Lord, and that enabled Satan’s rulership to be established. But Jesus won the right of rulership back, and as we come together and align ourselves with Jesus, once again exercising the authority and dominion that Adam forfeited, there is a clash of governments — a conflict between the government of Satan and the government of God.

Satan, through trying to influence governments in the world, is trying to take dominion over the earth or at least regain his former dominion.

Jesus follows this by saying “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven” so that what the church binds and looses on earth will be bound and loosed in heaven. Whatever the church locks up when it bashes down the gates of Hades will be locked up in heaven, and whatever it unlocks and sets free will be set free in heaven.

Another corporate picture, in addition to the one of our being the army of God, is a picture that we are still trying to come to grips with in many ways, that or being God’s government on earth. To successfully attack the strongholds of the nations, "binding the strong man" and "plundering his home" and thus ultimately fulfil the Great Commission to disciple not only individuals but nations, is going to take the authority of Christ invested in His people as a corporate Body under the government of God. Against this type of Church assembly the gates of hell are no match.

2Cor. 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

The Realm of Death and its arrays cannot Overcome the Triumphant Church.

REFERENCE:

1. Chuck pierce - storming the gates of hell(Spiritual Warfare)

Zoe- God Kind of Life

THE REIGN OF ETERNAL LIFE

ROMANS 5:17: "For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in the realm of life through the one individual, Jesus Christ."

Here is the story of Satan's seizure of man's dominion in the Garden when he changed man's spirit nature, made his body mortal, and made that body the master of his spirit. Man became the servant of the senses; his spirit no longer ruled him. Man's spirit became subject to Satan's nature, Spiritual Death. In this we witness the tragedy of Love. God's love creation became the slave of hate. Gen. 1:26: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

Study this with Psalms 8:3-6: "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers: the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him but little lower than God, and crownest him with glory and honor. Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands ; thou hast put all things under his feet." This is a picture of God's man in the Garden before sin came.

And Hebrews 2:5-8: "For not unto angels did he subject the world that was to be created, whereof we speak. But one hath some-where testified saying, what is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than God ; thou crownest him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet."

This vast authority, this great honor God had conferred upon man, was turned over into the hands of the adversary. Man became the subject of Satan. He had been God's under-ruler. What a wonderful being he must have been with a mind so capable that he named the entire animal and vegetable creation, with a dominion so vast that the very Heavens were subject to him! Then he fell under the dominion of Satan. We can now understand the scripture which we first quoted. Satan seized the sovereignty. He became the lord and head of man. He became the god of this world. He became the spiritual father of the human race. Politically he became the prince of this world.

Down through the ages we have seen the reign of Spiritual Death. Satan's nature is death, just as God's Nature is Life.
The first manifestation of the Satanic nature is hatred. Hatred, selfishness, bitterness, and murder are the dominant features of Satan's dominion. The reign of Spiritual Death is the reign of Satan. It is sin that rules in the realm of Spiritual Death. Sin is organized evil. Man has become the servile subject of the devil. He has no Revelation Knowledge, so he is utterly dependent upon the knowledge he derives through his senses. His body has become his master. Into this maelstrom of hatred and sorrow, tears and anguish the Son of God was born. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Love was manifested in the flesh. It was Love's intrusion. It was God breaking into Satan's dominion.

Then they crucified Love. They nailed it to the cross. But Love arose from the dead.

Did you ever notice this scripture 1 Tim. 3:16: "He who was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit." God is describing His Son as a Substitute after He had left His body and gone to the place of suffering. God had laid upon Him our sins and diseases. God had made Him to be sin that we might be His Righteousness in Christ.

He stayed there until He had satisfied every claim of Justice. Then He was justified in spirit. 1 Peter 3:18: "Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit."

This is not referring to the Holy Spirit, but to His spirit. He had died spiritually.
He had become a Partaker of the Satanic nature on the Cross. When God laid our sin upon Him, He became sin. He had never known sin. He became identified with Satan. His body became mortal so that He could die. He could not have died physically unless He had died spiritually. John 10:18: "No one taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again." He could not have died until His body had become mortal. This could not have been until He was made sin. Then He was justified-declared righteous-and given Eternal Life. Col. 1:18: "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead."

Jesus was the first person ever Born Again. Out of that New Birth the Church has been born. Eph. 2:10: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus." Acts 13:33: "Thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee." This has reference to His resurrection. Then Jesus stripped Satan of his authority, conquered him, and arose from the dead; and the reign of the new life began. It is important that we understand the teaching of identification. (Read my book, "Identification.") Paul teaches us in this great revelation that we were crucified with Christ, that we died with Christ, that we were buried with Christ, that we suffered with Christ, that we were made alive together with Christ, that we were justified with Christ, that we were raised together with Christ, and then were seated together with Him at the right hand of God. This is the mystery of substitution.

Jesus was our Substitute. It was the same as though we had been nailed to the cross with Him, had died with Him, had been buried with Him, had suffered with Him, had conquered Satan with Him, had been justified with Him, had been made alive with Him, had arisen with Him, and were seated with Him. His victory over Satan was real.
What He did, He did for us. What He is, He is for us. He is the first born of the Church.
As our Substitute He conquered Satan and stripped him of his authority. He did it in our stead. We were credited with that victory. God sees us as He has made us in Christ.
So the Spirit can say through Paul that we reign as kings in the realm of Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are Satan's masters. We reign over him. Today, as sons of God we are masters of our old enemy.

It is the "abundance of grace" and the "gift of righteousness." It is the reign of righteousness. We must learn to see ourselves as the Father sees us in Christ-victors in every field. Don't take Satan's estimation of yourself. This is the reign of the "righteous ones," those whom God calls His "righteous ones" in Christ. Hebrews 10:38: "My righteous one shall live by faith." We are those righteous ones. This New Creation is enthroned with Christ. We are seated with Him in the heavenlies. The New Creation is master of the adversary. The old creation was a failure. The New Creation is a success.

We have the very Nature and Life of God that makes us righteous. It gives us access to the very Throne of God. We can go into the Throne Room just as Jesus did in His earth walk. I was almost tempted to say, as a child goes into his father's room without knocking. A stranger wouldn't dare to do it.

We have a legal right to the use of the Name of Jesus. He has given us the power of attorney to use it. He said : "All authority has been given unto me in heaven and on earth." "Whatsoever you shall ask in my name the Father will give it you." This is dominion over the adversary. This is mastery over demoniacal forces and their works.

Now 1 John 4:4 is a reality: "Ye are of God, my little children." We are born of God. We have overcome the evil one. Why? Because "greater is he (God) that is in us than he (Satan) that is in the world." Satan knows that we are masters. His success depends on keeping us in ignorance of it. He knows that we will make mistakes, so he uses our mistakes to keep us under condemnation. The Church has never recognized the ministry of Jesus at the right hand of the Father. He is there as our Advocate, our heavenly lawyer.

1 John 2:1: "And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." All we need to do is to whisper, "Father, in Jesus' Name forgive me for that foolish thing I have said." At once our fellowship with the Father is restored. Satan knows that we are taking Jesus' place in the world. He wants to keep us ignorant of it.

It gives us strength and courage when we read Matt. 28:20: "And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age." If He is with us we are afraid of nothing. Romans 8:31, 32: "If God is for us, who is against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?"

Can't you hear Him say in the next verse: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." What a standing we have before the very Throne of God! What recognition we have from the Father, Himself! What limitless ability is ours! Shall we live on in ignorance of our rights? Let us study His Word until we know what is ours in Him. Faith comes with the knowledge of our rights in Christ. When you act on the knowledge of what you are in Christ, you glorify the Son and make the Father's heart glad.

Say it over and over, "I am what He says I am; I can do what He says I can do. He will do in me all He did in Christ for me. "I have His Nature in me-His Love Nature, His creative Nature, His faith Nature. I am His very child. "All things are possible to the believing one. I am a believer, so it is I of whom He speaks." Three blessed facts that have never been stressed

1. What God really did for us in Christ in His great Redemptive work.
2. What God does for us in the New Creation, through the Word, and by the Holy Spirit-building His Nature into us and making us like Jesus in our Love walk.
3. What Jesus is doing now for us at God's right hand as Mediator for the lost, as High Priest for the believer, as surety for the New Covenant, as the Advocate for us when tempted, and as our Lord and Sustainer.

The Two Kinds of Life