SHOCKING RESPONSES FROM JOB IN TRIALS

The Bible says in Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, Rejoice". This is a secret of having Dominion and the presence of God. The Bible says God inhabits the praises of His children (Ps. 22:3). We should not in hard times translate that scripture to "Complain and cry to the Lord alway; and again I say, Complain and cry".
Let us study some interesting responses of Job in his trying times.

1. Job 1:20-21
"Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord"
I mean Job had just lost all except his life and wife. The news came in series, tail to head from Chapter 1 vs 13, yet when they had finished, all he could do was to fall down in humility and submission to God and worship, not complain, query or cry. I covet the faith and devotion of Job.

2. Job 2:9-10
"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips".
Even when the tides were against Job and he knew God was all sufficient and could save him if he wanted, he still defended God when his wife advised him to curse God and die. If only we can stand strong on God's side even in the storms of life without complaining, murmuring or backsliding, God will show us His power to save beyond measure.

3. Job 9:32-33
"For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, and we should come together in judgment. Neither is there any days-man (or umpire) betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both"
In his trials, Job acknowledged that God is still supreme and cannot be questioned or judged. He understood that God's ultimate thought towards us is good and not evil, to give us an expected end (Jer. 29:11), and so there was no point accusing God for keeping silent in those times, for he knew God is alive and will make his 'tomorrow' alright.

4. Job 13:15
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before Him"
This is my favorite and it is very deep, but self explanatory. Such faith!

5. Job 19:25-27
"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me"
Wow! Job was ready to trust God even till death. Here he talks about his hope of being saved from this body and seeing God. He even talks of Jesus, the redeemer, who shall stand at the latter day, the end of time (1Thes.4:16).
Beloved, I want to trust God with everything I have and I am. I know you feel the same way too, let us make up our minds together to love and trust God in good times and in bad times too, knowing that our God cannot lie.
God bless you.

Ikpa Onwuka

GOD WILL NEVER DENY HIS OWN

I attended a traditional marriage ceremony on the 24th of October 2015 in the eastern part of Nigeria and something happened which triggered a thought in my heart.
There were a set of friends that came together for that wedding amongst whom were four guys and a few young ladies. One of these ladies was part of the 'asebi' (young single ladies in uniform who dance out with the bride). In the course of the ceremony, after the ladies had danced out, the Master of Ceremony told the ladies to go into the crowd and pick out a guy each who would pay N500 to 'set them free' from the stage. Then the war began... Men and boys began to dodge their faces. It happened that non of them knew me, except for the groom. This lady came to her friends and pleaded that one of them should come out for her, but they all refused. She pleaded earnestly but I noticed they were not even willing to go out. I saw disappointment coupled with embarrassment on her face as a result of this. She went back without anyone. What baffled me was that before the ceremony began, these guys were so free with her, talking to her, laughing together and all of that. You know, I saw a feeling of being accepted on her face at that time. Only for the time to prove the 'acceptance' to come and they all rejected her (probably they didn't have money-but went in such splendor).
Then I thought, man has never been sufficient, so it's of no use to put trust in him. Blessed is he that trusts in God rather than man (Ps. 118:8). First of all, God will never deny you for any reason if you sincerely come to him. He says draw nigh to me and I'll draw nigh to you (James 4:8). Jesus said he that comes to me I will in no wise cast out (Jn. 6:37). Secondly, He is all sufficient, He does not have any cause to be ashamed when you're in need of Him because He is sufficient.
After considering this, I just felt at ease because the "All Sufficient God" is my father and friend. I have all I will ever need because I have him that owns all- Ps. 24:1.
Note: I'm not blaming those guys or the lady for any reason, I just used that experience to explain the truth that unlike men, God will never deny you!
SHALOM!

Ikpa Onwuka.

ENVY

I was having my quiet time on the 29th of October, 2015 when the Lord made me understand just with one verse of the bible how envy begins and ends. I'll love to share it with you:
"And when Rachael saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachael envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die" (Genesis 30:1).
This single verse of the bible was exposed by the Holy Spirit and He started by saying "Envy begins with seeing". The truth is you cannot envy what you've never seen, or what you've never thought of before. You can see with your physical eyes and with the eyes of your heart too (thoughts).
"And when Rachael SAW... ", she saw and then her 'seeing' led to her pondering on many pros and cons of her not having children, this brought about comparison between her state and that of her sister which further birthed envy. I'm sure in course of living in this world we've seen so many things: money, young millionaires, men with beautiful wives, women with 'tall, rich and handsome' husbands, latest models of cars, luxurious homes, men and women of reputation, titles and many others. But beloved, permit me to tell you that if you see these things and don't begin to compare yourself with their possessors, you would not end in the ditch of envy. Envy is the end point of discontentment. When you SEE and compare with yourself, then you begin to see your inadequacies and end up in an unholy craving for those things you saw.... envy has come!
Now notice... "and [Rachael] said to Jacob". Rachael did not say anything to her sister, she did not say anything to God, she said to Jacob whom she was closest to at that time... "Give me child, or else I die"... Envy begets violence, whether you like it or not, it never allows you to ask God to bless you as He blessed that neighbor, it will not even allow you to celebrate with that neighbor. No matter how small that seed of envy is now, it will one day lead to violence, destruction and even death... "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work" (James 3:16).
Out of envy, Rachael voiced out a threat of death to her beloved husband if he did not give her a child "now!". We must note that our words are very powerful, we build or destroy ourselves by the words we release everyday. Gehazi was cursed even to his generations as a result of envy. In fact the generations of Dathan, Korah and Abiram were completely wiped out. Envy will always end in destruction and violence so let's beware and with the help of the Holy Spirit expel every trace of it no matter how insignificant it might be.
God bless you...

Ikpa Onwuka.

WHEN GOD REFERENCES YOU

"The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, Son of Man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: Though these men, NOAH, DANIEL, and JOB, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God" (Ezek. 14:12-14).
This is a very vital part of the scriptures that would encourage us to live a consecrated life unto God. In the text above, God testified about NOAH, DANIEL and JOB. For God to say "though these men... were in it", it means their presence could cause a change in that situation. It means they got to the stage where God can leave off destroying the land because of them. God repeated this statement in verses 16, 18 and 20. This leaves us with the question: "What was special about these three men, that God would have to reference them like this?".
One thing they had in common is consecration. They presented themselves living sacrifices meet for the master's use. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation (Gen. 6:9) and in the sight of the Lord (Gen. 6:8) even in the midst of a crooked and perverse world. In addition to this, He obeyed God in faith, carrying out an instruction that would take him several years to complete; building the ark, when there was no rain. Daniel also made up his mind not to defile himself in anyway (Dan. 1:8). Job was a man who stood firm with God through thick and thin. Even when life and death 'played chess' over his life, he stood his ground in God's promises to be with Him always, despite his condition (Job 42:2). Beloved, God can reference you for good, but you've got to humble yourself (2Pet.5:6) and remain consecrated in your duties, in worship and in all you will ever be engaged in. David was called a man after God's heart because he humbled himself before God. He sought for God diligently and found Him.
May we find grace to abide till he comes to take us home in the name of Jesus.

Ikpa Onwuka.

ELISHA’S QUESTION (2Kgs.5:20-27)

God had just healed Naaman the great man by the words of Prophet Elisha and so Naaman offered gifts which the prophet refused. Now Gehazi the servant of the prophet who was supposed to be a candidate of a ‘four-fold’ anointing was so careless that he allowed himself to get possessed by the spirit of greed. He said in verse 20 of our text; “My master has spared Naaman and received nothing from him” (paraphrased). Can we see Gehazi’s notion and view of ministerial power and anointing? He felt every beneficiary of God’s healing anointing or any other form of power must pay and so anyone who did not pay was ‘spared’. This is the notion some people (also supposed ministers) have today. They monetize and materialize the grace of God upon their lives, without knowing they are in Gehazi’s path; a path to spiritual leprosy.
Gehazi ran after Naaman- it is only one who has lost the essence of his anointing that would run after someone because of material things. Such a person is a man-pleaser and ends up prophesying for his/her belly and not the will of God. Gehazi not only ran after Naaman for the gifts, he also lied in the name of his master-the prophet Elisha- saying “my master sent me, he said there are two young men of Ephraim, give them (not ‘give me’) a talent of silver and two changes of garment” (paraphrased). Of course Naaman was equal to the task; he gave the young man much more than that for which he asked. When Gehazi returned, Elisha asked where he went to, but Gehazi lied again saying he did not go anywhere. This is the state of some potential glory vessels today, people who God wants to empower as Ambassadors of Heaven. They allow greed to fill their hearts and they make a mess of God’s grace upon them, they begin to lie easily and even commit all sorts of immorality, yet most are under training to carry the ‘anointing’ just as Gehazi- sinning in active training. Of course God cannot be mocked, whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap- the scriptures say.
Elisha who already knew what happened asked a rhetorical question which I ask us today. Think about it and walk in its light;
Is it a time to receive Garments, and Oliveyards, and Vineyards, and Sheep, and Oxen, and Menservants, and Maidservants? (2Kgs. 5:20b)
We need to answer this question, is it a time for all these? We perform a miracle by God’s grace and we’re already clamouring for honour of men, combating with God for his own glory which He doesn’t share.
We seek material gains when we’re supposed to be tarrying in the presence of God and diligently seeking his face. I mean this is what led to the sudden death of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. There was revival in the church, much manifestations were happening and the Holy Ghost was fresh in action, but even in this atmosphere of Power, they chose to sin in covetousness, they never knew it was not a time for ‘these material gains’. Gehazi instead of getting a ‘four-fold’ anointing got a full dose of leprosy and he also became an ancestor to a leprous generation. May we not fall in into such in the name of Jesus.
Let me show you what Paul did according to his account in Galatians 1:16-24. God had called Paul and shown him mysteries that even the other Apostles had not seen or experienced, yet he did not go about boasting or robbing shoulders with other Apostles or even try to go to the headquarters of the church-Jerusalem. He went rather into Arabia, then Damascus- supposedly small quarters. Then after three years he went to Jerusalem to see Peter and was with him fifteen days, not seeing others except James the brother of Jesus. Paul understood the importance of waiting and working with God’s time in holiness and used it judiciously. He knew it was not a time to receive any rewards; he was just starting and needed to get trained. So he spent three years away, tarrying and learning under the tutorship of the Holy Spirit and some people who God placed in his path. After that he came just to Peter in Jerusalem, the head at that time and learnt from him for a period of fifteen days. If young ministers would learn to wait on the Lord and serve diligently and faithfully, God himself would take them into lime light and we would have few or no ‘Gehazi-ministers’ who have become leprous as a result of greed and just working without God in their lives.
Please don’t be a Gehazi; our generation needs more Elishas that would have the anointing to raise the dead even if dead.

God bless you.
Ikpa Onwuka

NOT JUST ABOUT THE MONEY

When someone or some persons need you, don’t turn your back on them. No! Not even because you think you have no money or nothing to offer. Your attention alone could mitigate their troubled waters. Your encouragement could brighten their cloudy day; your reminding them of the fact that God is still alive would beam a floodlight of hope in their hearts and you’ll wonder; “what did I even say?”
But trust me you said a lot when you made them feel safe in the hands of Jesus. The things that matter in life look small and negligible at times. So let us not tie our joy or relevance to material things for they are fleeting.
If Jesus needed money for everything, he would have travelled overseas with money to buy and ship bread over; and probably by the time he returned the five thousand would be gone with lost hope and in hunger.



Still your brother and friend,
Ikpa Onwuka

COMMITMENT

Many people’s love stories are like that of Abraham and Sarah’s, some others are like Isaac and Rebecca’s. There are however others whose stories are like Jacob and Rachael’s. Know where your story falls in and don’t act ignorantly; do what you’ve got to do at the right time, not just any time. If you’re to wait like Jacob, then wait; if you’re to walk to the field and meditate like Isaac, do it. Be sensitive to the tides of the Spirit!
It is COMMITMENT that can make a man to wait even longer than fourteen years for his Rachael. Not just “love” alone, but love with commitment. This is what will keep him faithful to her “till death do us part”
If a man is not committed to God, trust me he can’t be committed to his wife.
How far can you go to get what you want?
How long can you wait when you get to the bridge of patience in you pursuit for that which you want?
A time comes when your speed has to be one word per week, but also at the right time it accelerates to a steady speed of three words per three minutes. It all dwells on diligence, faithfulness and commitment.
We’re in mid February; love is in the air right? I admonish everyone to be circumspect, knowing what exactly the will of God is, for the days are evil.

Ikpa Onwuka