FASTING, The Reason Why Christians do.

1.To chasten ourselves:

Dan 10:2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.
3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

Here, Daniels way of mourning or chastising himself was by avoiding certain kinds of luxurious/pleasant foods.

2. To set our heart on a purpose 

God responds to Daniels fasting:

He sent His Angel:

V. 12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

It's a continuous supplication for a purpose,  for as long as the period of the chastising lasts. 

Be Church Smart. Survival Tips

I have been a serious member of Four churches including the college Christian Union and these are important things I have come to learn that are key to being at peace in any Church.

I like talking about testing spirits but somethings are not always so easy.

1. Guard your heart.

Never be so quick to share everything about yourself. Limit your stories to spiritual things. If it's not about God, keep it. Or else that information may be used by unscrupulous leaders to instigate fear, anxiety, worry, hopelessness just in an attempt to get you to become psychologically needy and dependent on the church.

Don't answer every question and say it's personal when the person wants to know too much.

Proverbs 4:23 |
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.


2. Avoid Gossip

If you keep company with gossips, just know that the moment you turn around, you will be the topic of discussion and if you have a pastor with itchy ears for gossip, may God have mercy on you when he will take sides with the church gossips against you.

Get in and get out and only have friends that are useful. You do not need to be friends with everybody in your church ...


John 2:24, 25 |
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,

And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

3. Limit your involvement
There is alway something that needs a volunteer. Ushering, serving water/ tea, etc.

If you cannot say no, you may find too much being lumped on you because you are the easy way out of every task. If you find leaders who have an attitude of entitlement, you may end up being overstretched, stressed and misused. Which will negate the purpose of the church for you.

4. Be financially Smart
There is always a send off offering for the visiting evangelist, a special offering for the women, an impromptu fundraising for a some electronic that got burnt during the service, a love offering, tithe, or just seed offering during the service, rent and other bills, etc. You cannot give all those offerings without overstretching yourself. Learn to say no, when the giving is not cheerful, because any offering, if it's God's, has to be given from the heart, cheerfully.


2 Corinthians 9:7 |
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Identity of Woman Giving Birth And The Son is Caught Up (Rev 12:5)

The woman is the coming age.. and the woman is the earth. Compare a parallel prophecy...

".. Isaiah 66:7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once?..."

We are waiting for a very specific nation / or Kingdom upon the earth (of Christ) it should be the nation birthed at a moment of travail (which means it comes at a very unlikely time of distress on the earth) and remains hidden for a while.

Three points we get from Revelation 12:5

1. The nation will rule the world

This is how the nation takes rule:

Daniel 7:18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. (From the powers of darkness)

2. With an iron rod 

I believe this refers to a strictness that was not before. It's also used to refer to strength as in Daniels interpretation below...

Daniel 2:40
And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

The coming Kingdom will be also strong and hard. This scripture, refers to the same people, also called daughter of Zion:

Micah 4:13 |
Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

It's a promise, to rule and subdue in the coming age, to those who shall overcome the powers of this world...says Christ;

Revelation 2: 26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 | And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

The scripture above, referring to saints who had overcome;

The same also refers to Christ, because it shall be a new age of His rule and we are His body. Heirs with Him...

Revelation 12:5 |
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Revelation 19:15 |
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Am referring to that child to Christ and a nation interchangeably because Christ reigns with a people when He takes the Kingdom.

Dan 7:22 ... judgment was given to the saints of the most High...

3.The Nation is caught up to God's throne...

This is a time of hiding, from the enemy in pursuit according to revelation. Protection at a time of distress. Many interpret this as a literal disappearing of the chosen elect, the heirs of the from Kingdom the face of the earth. Daniel describes the events of the day as a time when indeed the very elect shall be tested, purged, and there will be power specifically for their comfort..

Dan 11:32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. 33. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

Remember the saints are a nation of priests and Kings. They have inherited the Kingdom. The same people have always been sitted at the right hand of God. God is still King over all even in the new Kingdom. And the Power to rule is His Power. Just as Christ was exalted by being caught up to God's presence, the Child gets exalted over the powers of the earth by being caught up to God... The son of man is already with God. 

Acts 2:33 |
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

So the child...is the body of Christ...whose exaltation was also promised, at start of of a new age, the Kingdom of God that Christ declared was at hand.

Colossians 3:24 | 

Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

 And, the heritage is a Kingdom....

James 2:5
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

STRENGTHENING AND TRAINING YOUR SPIRIT MAN

The human spirit is under a lot of pressure and there is so much distracting the spirit such that it is sometimes the most distant aspect of the human being. The Spirit starts getting strength against some of these vices upon receiving Christ, and with that, the power to overcome flesh - your own flesh is the greatest huddle to a powerful spirit. Flesh in this instant meaning the powers of the age which are inbuilt with vices that wrestle against righteousness. 

There is no greater power in heaven or eath than the power of Holiness.  So this teaching is geared towards the build up of the human spirit towards a power that comes with holiness. The power of God Himself.

The point of training the mind it that it is very closely joined to the spirit. You can get access to the spirit through the mind. In fact, God will communicate alot inaudibly through the mind and having a clear mind gives to more of such conversations. A clear mind is a factor of intentionally avoiding negative or unholy input through sights and sounds and even self ( flesh.) Then take in the good, which works well when it is combined with God's word. Put out good conversations. Rest your mind on things of God or things that are good, right, truth.

It does not have to be a challenge for a person who has busy days, and is mostly engaged in a mind consuming activity the whole day. The revelation of God is not limited to the bible. You will find God, his character and his principles in everything around you. In good. In the environment, in every work.  God is inseparable from any situation / place. That is how the mind can remain continually on meditation mode. With no effort at all. And the presence of God will not depart from you....

This scripture summarises it all...

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
https://bit.ly/kjvbibleapp

Training the mind to be spiritual and the spirit to be strong and powerful is that simple. For a beginner, it may take some effort, but after a while, it will become your second nature. Now be translated into the presence of God,

SUCCESSFUL EVANGELIZING MISSION IN AN AFRICAN RURAL VILLAGE AREA.

In our student years, we organized crusades, door to door preachings, and the most complex, travelled deep into the country sides for the same purpose. These are some of the things that can determine the success of gospel missions targeting specific tribes, villages or generally, an African setting, regardless of all the planning and resource facilitation. African settlements in the rural areas have special governmental structures that are to an extent deeply spiritual.

1. INFORM THE ELDERS.
Find the village elders, traditional chiefs and local pastors of your mission. Some of these can even refuse to admit strangers in their villages and there is no need to insist when one is rejected. In many remote villages, their word is law. These are rulers of the people whe are to hear and may frustrate a mission even spiritually. Most African elders will agree when approached reasonably.

2. UNITY OF TEAM MEMBERS
People are human and it's important to lay down the ground rules before departure. There will not be personal confrontations during the time of the event. This rule should not be broken and should be enforced. Breaking it could be the weak point of the chain that crumbles what had been built on for months. The devil can work through a member of the group just as efficiently as any outsider.

3. DO NOT TAKE IN HITCH HIKING STRANGERS ON YOUR WAY TO THE MISSION.
We were given this rule by a missionary organization that specialised in the unreached people's category. The essence of it is to avoid spiritual attacks that may be hidden in a good thing but lead to crippling the whole mission.

We did not consider this warning very much on our way to a remote area. The sun was setting, and a girl waving us down was right there on the roadside. This was a semi arid, bandit ridden area. (Its also territory that is reknown for its potent witchcraft.) She must have been a teen. So we ignored the warnings and took her in. A short distance later, after we had dropped her off, our vehicle stopped and we were trapped in the middle of bandit territory, and it was dark.

People then really started praying and binding things.

If the mission is something you had spent time seriously praying for, the principalities of the area would be watching keenly and ready to resist you. Some things can be easier with more caution.

4. ALWAYS LEAVE TWO (2 ) INTERCESSORS BEHIND
During the mission, it's important to not break the chain of prayer. It could be two volunteers for each of those days that should not be distracted by your planned activities.

These villages are usually under some age old powerful demonic covenants and carrying your sound system and pitching it at the center of the village does not guarantee a successful open air preaching. All of them can stop working, or be so distracting that the message will not get out.

5.SET ASIDE TIME FOR PRAYER
It is the Spirit of God that eventually convicts. His absence and involvement would render the mission absolutely useless. Least to say, powerless. It could be a few hours a day. Pray for God's speed and execution of his will. Pray that he softens the people's hearts, and most importantly,  make your mission prosper. Pray for spiritual power. 

6. INVOLVE EVERY BODY
Send people two by Two into the villages, and all should speak. The power of God gets stronger with increased fellowship and involvement with people of similar mind. Do not be worried about someone being too young in salvation. What they know has kept them in Christ. It's all we need. And, it's the spirit of God, not the preacher, who convicts.

THE PRESENCE OF GOD DISTINGUISHED FROM THE PRESENCE OF DEMONS

Many times people believe they are in the presence of God, when they are actually in the presence of demons.

The powers of darkness are just that. Powers. The presence of a Supernatural being in the material world (because these things are never that far, but mostly remain in the spirit realm) is power. Both the power of God and the power of demons can be sensed when they manifest in the material world. It's important to distinguish the two because the powers of darkness have negative effects. At the beginning, it entices and it's a presence you would want to linger in. But it's a trap.

>>>>Effects of the presence of demons to the christians partaking/lingering in their presence.>>>>

1.Quenches the spirit of God - It's corrupted form of glory that corrupts pure glory. It's like a fly that causes the ointment to stunk

2.Ressurection the flesh. The flesh is ressurection by the demonic presence or powers. The more you take in that presence, the more your flesh gets its urges satisfied. The rise of the flesh is equivalent to being demon possessed. It torments when their season comes. Because the spirit realm is restricted to seasons. Basically, this is a spirit joined to you that will rise Against you. Because it's a power of darkness. And that's what the devil does for a living.

3. Turns to a spiritual bondage. Following the above, the flesh will be like a door flung open for all kinds of mischief in the spirit realm. I have met people at this stage and they are at the age of madness, especially if they have been led (of course by their leaders) into engaging in spiritual warfare. This done when not in God's time with a weak spirit, which would be the case, can destroy. It breaks down a person - and it's the kind of season when you know your true friends.

If you are at this point, know that your are spiritually disrobed. Unclad with little power. Thr little power is enough to keep you in a safe place . The best thing to do is to calm down. The most important thing at such moment is inner peace, and it is hard to find but not impossible. This is why the church you join can be a matter of life and death.

The presence of demons for the elect is like a thorn planted in the flesh. It starts like something nice. But there are usually warnings, which is what I will be demonstrating;

SIGNS OF THE PRESENCE OF DEMONS COMMONLY IGNORED

1.A Light But Firm Grasp

It's like the feeling of walking through a place with balls of cotton floating around. You can feel as they come in contact and even grasp you firmly but they cannot drag you down.

This is actually one of a heightened presence that should be as a result of a great presence in the spirit.

2. Contraction Of The Body Muscles

This is a way of the Spirit of God in a righteous person being repelled by the presence of unholyness. It's almost like the same feeling one would have when they observed something they find repulsing. It can go as far as the teeth feeling the same way as when a person scratches their nails against a smooth surface.

This feelings would be ignored as at that time, your pastor is yelling about the presence of God at that place. So you say, and get spiritually disrobed in the process.


3. The Warm and Fuzzy Feeling.

This is sudden warmth filling you. You feel it in your flesh(as involving the senses as opposed to your spirit(which does not involve the flesh).

Things that the flesh rejoices in should be re analysed.

4. Electric Current.

The powers of darkness are many times manifested in this form. It's a combination of the feeling of repulse and a force full penetration of the flesh by a current that you would feel as if it were a real electric current.


5. Feeling Dizzy, Dazed

This is also one of the demonstrations I've seen in the presence of a powerful Demon. Am sure you've come across people either in traditional African religion or even on Christian t.v, or you local church, with people looking dazed and doing these back and forward movement of their upper body. They are experiencing that kind of a presence.


6. Pain That Is Intangible

You can even give a sharp scream but immediately arise and think, what was that? There was pain (especially in the stomach) but it wasn't really there.

Some would describe it like this: - I felt like something grabbed my stomach and painfully squeezed it.

Leave quietly from such Places. At times, the safest churches are places where nothing seems to be happening.

THE PRESENCE OF GOD DISTINGUISHED

The presence of God is in God's Character. Who God is will become his presence. One major distinction from demons is that God ignores the flesh. His presence does not have the effect of pride, self importance or seduction that accompanies the presence of demons.


1. Love

Realization of God's love to you and other men. This sounds simple but it's not. It is an actual, sudden flow of this revelation into your spirit.


2.Joy

Being filled with joy in its simplicity.


3. Peace

The feeling of relief. An unsettled soul or anxious spirit suddenly becomes calm. It's the feeling of offloading a heavy burden or being hit by a breeze of cold, moist air on a hot day.

5. A Seasonal Word

The presence of God is really quiet.  The right word for the season will be brought to your understanding.

6. Felt Actual Power But It feels Like Nothing
At times, God's power can be dramatic. It can feel like something just hit you, but that thing was a huge ball of nothing. It just hit off the spirit and cleansed it and left peace.

The power or presence of God is simple. It does not impose or cause discomfort. And it relieves and fills with peace, love and joy. It also comes with the power/Command to wage war. The understanding in the presence of God will help with the knowledge of what the power is for.

THE ORIGIN/KNOWLEDGE OF SIN/WICKEDNESS

The devil, who personifies iniquity, was created as a precious cherub, a glory in fact, of the most high. (The glory of God is his power. Cherubim are in fact principalities of the heavens, Princes over realms or powers of the Most High.) Iniquity is therefore, as a matter of fact, a currupted principality. A heavenly place whose good was, is destroyed, turned into darkness/evil.

This is the description of a prince, a cherub serving before God. One who fell into iniquity;

Ezekiel 28:14 |
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

He did not create him(the devil) to destroy him per se. Just like he did not create man just to destroy him. If you read Ezekiel 28, the devil, the great Cherub is only sent away when iniquity is found in him. He bought his ticket out of the presence of God.

V.15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Now we know that everything on earth has no ability to exist if not by God. The question is how that iniquity was.

Colossians 1:16 |
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

God did not create iniquity (sin).  But  the knowledge of how to create it. The knowledge that he had, though not keeping it away from Adam and Eve,  told they not to take for their own use. They did become curious later and sought after the knowledge - of evil in addition to knowledge of good. Not just to know how to do good, but how to do evil. For they had  not done evil. They did not know how to convert the beauty of God's holiness into an abomination. They learnt it on that day.

 That is the wisdom she observed when she listened to the serpent;

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Now you would wonder where that evil was in a perfect world. Using the knowledge available to them from that day, both the Cherub(who already had the knowledge) and the humans actively propagated iniquity.  And There is formular To It.  That formula is what you may call the knowledge of evil.  It is the intimate communion with what is termed as the flesh (which in actual fact is a spiritual power/ruler of darkness). Or the works of the flesh. The rising of the flesh signifies the death of Man,  just as God said,

Gen 2: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Of all the powers and principalities that wrestle against men, this "flesh" is the greatest of the battle. So seductive and easily empowered, but a tenant that fights to keep his tenure. He can has even turned against his many hosts to torment them.

Here is the formula in the creation of evil. Which works the arisen ruler over the spirit of man, the flesh does commit in men. The first was rebellion. Rebellion against anything that qualifies as righteousness.  And second, the glory of God, which both the cherub and the man were in literal terms, was desecrated by the two, being converted into a "vain" glory. This done by a lot of vain, (unexplained useless activity with no gain) indeed all activities that may be described as "sin" or " wickedness". They are just done for the heck of it. That is how iniquity, even now, fills the earth. Both man and the fallen cherub know when they convert the beautiful glory of God into a vain thing, an iniquity.

The following refers to the wicked men, and as demonstrated, their fall into wickedness (iniquity):

Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.