Weekly Sermon


THE APOSTLES MANDATE (2)

April 28, 2023

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that, He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that, He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all, He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so, we preach and so you believed. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-11; 1 Timothy 1:1

Apostles are not self-made or man-made, it is not a title but an office; it is God who calls and makes one such. An apostle is one with a distinctive message and a mandate covered by divine grace and nothing else. It is not a sign of wealth or ability or command; it is not given because of wisdom or knowledge or eloquence. It is a call by grace, covered with grace, made effective by grace, justified by grace, and secured by grace. Without grace, the office of an apostle is nothing before men, but by working of God’s divine grace in a person’s life, the office is effective in the message of the kingdom to the salvation of souls for the kingdom of God.

Christ Jesus did not just send the apostles to preach the gospel, He gave them a mandate to keep their eyes and hearts on, a matching divine order, and a promise to ensure effectiveness, safety, and fearlessness in delivering the message and fulfilling the mandate.

There are things to expect as an apostle in the services you are being called to perform in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comfprted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.” 2 Corinthians 1:1-7

Apostles are equipped for the mission – “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:1-6

Apostles are after godliness and acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the true Lord and Savior and nothing else – “Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior.” Titus 1:1-3

LET US  PRAY                                                                                             

Dear Father, my desire is to be in you, to walk with you, and to do your will. I ask for help and guidance in this walk of faith, keep me holy and righteous for your name and the work you have called me to in Christ Jesus. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

U.S.A.

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506




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THE APOSTLES MANDATE (1)

April 21, 2024

Christians are delivered from the powers of sin and saved for a purpose, they are sent into the world for a mission. Not all Christians have the same mission, but all have a duty, and a mandate from God. Discovering what God wants for you and what He sent you into the world to do will help you live a purposeful life, a life free from the pitfalls of envy, wickedness, jealousy, the pride of what you are, and emulation of others in what they do, how they live, why and how they do what they do. “Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Psalm 73:1-3

The first mandate to all Christians after salvation is to love God and to love our neighbors before anything else. Loving God, Christ Jesus, and His word is the first foundation of a Christian faith, worship, service, and loving others follow after. “Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first, and great commandment. And the second is like it; You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40. The laws of God are good but His commandments are mandatory.

This is what Christ said to all Christian believers – He insisted that love should be the defining mark of the Christian faith. If we should keep the first commandment faithfully, we would easily keep the second and all other commandments, but if we fail in the first, we would fail in others. We cannot ignore the first while pursuing others.

The other mandate of Christians is to pray for the harvest, pray that God will send people into the field for the harvest – “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38

He saw the people, He had compassion on them, and commanded His disciples to pray, He did not say to them at that time to go, but to pray God to send out laborers. He is the one who sends and He will, when we pray in that regard. – “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written.” Romans 10:13-15

The query, - how can they hear without a preacher? This is the necessity of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people, regardless of their age, ethnicity, or background. This implies that people cannot believe in Jesus unless they hear about Him from someone who is sent by God to proclaim the good news of salvation. The verse also emphasizes the urgency and importance of evangelism, as the only way for people to be saved from hell is to call upon the name of the Lord. This is the sequence of the demand –

1. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

2. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?

3. How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?

4. How shall they hear without a preacher?

5. How shall they preach unless they are sent?

Calling on the name of Jesus involves not merely hearing the word and stating His name, but turning to Christ in faith, receiving forgiveness, and salvation thereafter.

The gospel is not about decent people going to heaven. It is about God transforming the lives of sinful people to make them truly decent before Him by hearing the gospel, accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, forgiveness of sins, and washing by the blood of Jesus Christ. We must evangelize with gentleness and respect, acknowledging that God is at work through us to draw people to Christ. A lost world must hear the good news about Jesus, but no one will hear without a preacher. “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying; whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then I said, here am I, send me. And He said, go, and tell this people, keep on hearing, but do not understand, keep on seeing, but do not perceive.” Isaiah 6:8-9. Here I am, send me LORD

 LET US  PRAY                                                                                             

Dear Father, my desire is to be in you, to walk with you, and to do your will. I ask for help and guidance in this walk of faith, keep me holy and righteous for your name and the work you have called me to in Christ Jesus. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA.

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506 


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FIRST IN HIS GENERATION (2)

  April 14, 2024

It is not impossible for you to be the first and to sustain it. God is still doing amazing things in this day and age. He is still using ordinary people to do extraordinary things. He has all the power to do whatever pleases Him in the lives of whoever pleases Him, in obedience and in faithfulness to His word. While we desire His blessing and to be blessed, let us first of all give all of ourselves to obedience and to faithfulness and He will do the unthinkable for, in, with, and through us in this generation. “Therefore, do not worry, saying, what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or what shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. “Matthew 6:31-33. That was the secret of the blessings of Abraham in his generation.

Cornelius did what was unthinkable in his days to the household of God and to God’s people, and God blessed him with the unthinkable, far beyond all the expectations of the devout Jews in his days. Continuing from last week

4.     Cornelius was the first to gather other Gentiles to listen to the gospel

The church is an assembly of people for the single purpose of glorifying God and Him alone. Cornelius did not gather them to listen to him or to show them his good deeds or to tell them what the angel said to him.  He gathered the Gentiles so they may listen to what Peter will say on his arrival. “And on the following day, they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for and expecting them, and he had invited together his relatives and his intimate friends. As Peter arrived, Cornelius met him, and falling down at his feet he made obeisance and paid worshipful reverence to him. But Peter raised him up, saying, Get up; I myself am also a man. And as Peter spoke with him, he entered the house and found a large group of persons assembled; And he said to them, You yourselves are aware how it is not lawful or permissible for a Jew to keep company with or to visit or even to come near or to speak first to anyone of another nationality, but God has shown and taught me by words that I should not call any human being common or unhallowed or ceremonially unclean. Therefore, when I was sent for, I came without hesitation or objection or misgivings. So now I ask for what reason you sent for me.” Acts 10:24-29

5.     The first Gentile to listen to and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Besides His daily blessings to all humanity, God has an approved method of bringing someone to salvation. That method is not in any of our brilliant and acceptable good deeds. It is firstly by listening to and accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross through the preaching of the gospel. That was God’s intent in the angel asking Cornelius to send for Peter. By following the instructions of the angel, Cornelius became the very first Gentile that Apostle Peter preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to directly. “And Peter opened his mouth and said, most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being received and welcomed by Him. You know the contents of the message which He sent to Israel, announcing the good news of peace by Jesus Christ, Who is Lord of all. The same message which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee after the baptism preached by John. How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by the power of the devil, for God was with Him. And we are eyes and ears witnesses of everything that He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And yet they put Him out of the way by hanging Him on a tree, But God raised Him to life on the third day and caused Him to be manifest (to be plainly seen)” Acts 10:36-40

6.     Through Cornelius, the first group of Gentiles received the Holy Spirit

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the message. And the believers from among the circumcised [the Jews] who came with Peter were surprised and amazed, because the free gift of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed and poured out largely even on the Gentiles.” Acts 10:44-45

7.     The very first to Speak in tongues

“For they heard them talking in unknown tongues, languages, and extolling and magnifying God. Then Peter asked” Acts 10:46

8.     The very first to receive water Baptism

“Can anyone forbid or refuse water for baptizing these people, seeing that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). Then they begged him to stay on there for some days.” Acts 10:47-48

God will never forget or look down on any good deed. Every good deed that you will joyfully carry out continuously despite the inconvenience that glorifies God will be adequately rewarded beyond your wildest thoughts and imaginations.

LET US PRAY                                                                                               

Dear Father, my desire is to be in you, to walk with you, and be physically and spiritually active and productive. I ask for help and guidance in this walk of faith, keep me holy and righteous for your name and the work you have called me to in Christ Jesus. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA.

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506



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FIRST IN GENERATIONS (1)

  April 07, 2024

“Your prayers and your generous gifts to the poor have come up as a sacrifice to God and have been remembered by Him. Remember this, he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly and he who sows generously will also reap generously and with blessings. Let each one give as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves, He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without a cheerful, joyous, giver whose heart is in his giving. Watch therefore for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.” Acts 10:4; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Matthew 25:13-15

In the presence of God, no one is inferior, none is without a purpose and a duty, regardless of our status in society, whether you are a believer or a non-believer. We are all God’s stewards for good and we have a divinely assigned responsibility which is different from that of others. What we do with those responsibilities matters because outstanding performance will attract outstanding rewards. God will never fail in noticing every good deed of any man in every nation or location.

Every deed starts from the heart, good deeds are from good hearts, and evil deeds are also from evil hearts. Every good work you do will cost you something substantial before bringing in a reward. Whatever good and acceptable things that you give yourself wholeheartedly to do continuously despising the pain, the abuses, and the funny names that men will call you while rendering such services, God will use the same vessel of frustration to establish and bless your life.

Cornelius was a man who enjoyed his military career and believed in his responsibilities, which he performed with joy. Though not a believer and acting ignorantly but joyfully, his dedication to this divine assignment pleased God and in response, God rewarded him. His life testimony, recognition by God, and his subsequent recorded reward began in the carrying out of His divine responsibilities to God and not in his military duties. While God respects all professions, the actions we take in our divine responsibility is what attract God’s magnified love and reward beyond everything else.

By his action, Cornelius became the first in his generation to achieve many things and to receive divine rewards and blessings from God directly. Let us look at Cornelius’ rewards from his actions:

1.     Cornelius became the first recorded Gentile to see God’s Angel

The bible says in one of those good days while carrying out his usual divine activity with joy and without expectation, Cornelius saw clearly, the angel of God in a vision. This was his very first time having such an unexpected vision and he believed it outrightly. God will not send His angel to anyone for fun. In his days, this was an exclusive right of the apostle of Jesus Christ, and he did not take it jokingly. “About the ninth hour (about 3:00 p.m.) of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God entering and saying to him, Cornelius, and when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, what is it, lord? so he said to him, your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.” Acts 10:3-4

Though Cornelius was an active military officer, he spent time in prayers and giving arms to the work of God until heaven noticed and responded with a reward. Would you do the same?

2.     Cornelius became the first recorded Gentile to receive a direct message from God.

God speaks to every one of us in diverse ways but He will never force anyone to obey or follow His words. The angels of God will always deliver God’s word and it is our responsibility to believe and to follow such words. Cornelius did not hesitate to believe and respond to the words spoken by the angel. “And now send men to Joppa and have them call for and invite here a certain Simon whose surname is Peter; He is lodging with Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside. When the angel who spoke to him had left, Cornelius called two of his servants and a God-fearing soldier from among his own personal attendants. And having rehearsed everything to them, he sent them to Joppa” Acts 10:5-8

Contrary to popular expectations these days, the angel did not come with a direct message of blessing but an instruction without further explanation. We all expect direct blessings from such an encounter or a clear reason for such a vision, but God knows exactly what He wants to do if we would follow all of His instructions. Every step of obedience we show in following God’s instructions will definitely lead us closer to every blessing we expect and the ones we do not expect. Cornelius did not expect any blessing in return for his services but he was quite willing to follow the instructions of the angel.

3.     The first Gentile to receive an Apostle of Jesus Christ into his house

Until that very moment, the Jews had nothing in common with the Gentiles and the gospel of Jesus Christ had not been preached to any of the Gentiles. It was generally thought and believed that the gospel was for the Jews alone, but thank God for the continuous and courageous activity of Cornelius that broke the jinx and opened the door for the Gentiles to also hear, accept, and follow the gospel of the good news. “And while Peter was earnestly revolving the vision in his mind and meditating on it, the Holy Spirit said to him, behold, three men are looking for you. Get up and go below and accompany them without any doubt about its legality or any discrimination or hesitation, for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men and said, I am the man you seek; what is the purpose of your coming? And they said, Cornelius, a centurion captain who is just and upright and in right standing with God, being God-fearing and obedient and well-spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, has been instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house; and he has received in answer to prayer a warning to listen to and act upon what you have to say. So, Peter invited them in to be his guests for the night. The next day he arose and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.” Acts 10:19-23. While the angel of God was instructing Cornelius on what to do, God was at the same time speaking to Peter on obedience. did you know God is speaking to someone on your behalf and you will never miss His blessings and reward if you would decide to follow His instructions before meeting that individual?

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, my desire is to be in you, to walk with you, and be physically and spiritually active and productive. I ask for help and guidance in this walk of faith, keep me holy and righteous for your name and the work you have called me to in Christ Jesus. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA

TO BE CONTINUED


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HE SEES AND KNOWS ALL. (3)

March 17, 2024

You can hide many things from people but nothing is hidden from God. He sees all and knows all regardless of size, place, language, knowledge, and wisdom. “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:11-13

Nothing in the whole universe is hidden though human beings often try to hide things from others and within themselves. God from His throne in heaven, sees all that is on earth, beneath the earth, in the depth of the sea, and in shallow waters; He sees that which is hidden by men in all the universe and there is nothing that is not open before Him regardless of what it is, who it is, and where it is. Remember, God does not only see all things, He also knows all things, and can do all things. “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Therefore, take heed of how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.” Luke 8:17-18

God is watching over you and is waiting for His appointed time and place to come forth, so He will do and fulfill what He had said. Because He made you, He knows you and knows what He had destined you for and will make you what He said. Be prepared to seek Jesus Christ, believe Him, obey His commands, and do them. He will guide you and will do all that is in His books concerning you. Be encouraged by these divine facts:

1. “For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance. The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling, He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.” Psalm 33:4-15

2. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones, not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.” Psalm 34:15-22

3. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil, He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” Psalm 121:1-8.

4. “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” 1 Peter 3:12-17

5. “Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands, they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.” Psalm 91:9-13

6. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore, from now on you shall have wars.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I desire to be in you, with you, and be productive physically and spiritually. I ask for your help and guidance in this walk of faith and faithfulness, keep me holy and righteous for your name and the work you have called me to in Christ Jesus. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA



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HE SEES AND KNOWS ALL. (2)

March 10, 2024

He made all things for His glory; and created all things for His honor; He is in all things and will take all the glory and honor due Him. In whatever situation you are in, look out for His glory, ask for it, pray for it, and wait for it because all things exist for His glory whether good or bad. Nothing is too far or too near from Him, He is in all things and knows all things. “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:9-13

Job knew that God knows and sees all things, this is what he said, – “But if I go to the east, He is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find Him. When He is at work in the north, I do not see Him; when He turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of Him. But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed His steps; I have kept to His way without turning aside. I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread. But He stands alone, and who can oppose Him? He does whatever He pleases. He carries out His decree against me, and many such plans He still has in store. That is why I am terrified before Him; when I think of all this, I fear Him. God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me. Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.” Jon 23:8-17

This is what David said about God seeing all things and knowing all things – “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” Psalm 139:1-12

Remember, God made the world and everything therein even those not yet seen and known by men. He reveals whatever He wants to men in His time and for His glory and honor no matter what we do with what He gives and reveals to us. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day and the darkness He called night. And there was evening, and there was morning the first day.” Genesis 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him, nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I desire to be in you, with you, and be productive physically and spiritually. I ask for your help and guidance in this walk of faith and faithfulness, keep me holy and righteous for your name and the work you have called me to in Christ Jesus. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA



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HE SEES ALL, KNOWS ALL. (1)

Match 03, 2024

Is there anyone or anything in any location, situation, or moment hidden from God’s sight and knowledge? There is none. In your daily Christian work, never neglect God’s love and obedience to His word, even when it seems God is nowhere near what is happening. It might seem He is not seeing and does not know, remember, His silence does not mean He is absent. Take this to heart today and remember, nothing takes God unaware, nothing is hidden from Him, nothing escapes His eyes and knowledge, and no word escapes His ears. All things we had ever done in the past, we will do now or in the future privately or openly, in secret or anywhere else are ever open before Him, they are all seen and known by Him and preserved for His action. Because He rewards every deed. After escaping from Egypt and the wilderness experience, Moses turned around and spoke to the children of Israel concerning their future in the place God had promised them and was taking them into. Coming to Christ, believing in Him, following Him, church affiliation, and attendance are one step to the blessings promised by the Father. Obedience opens the next door; love keeps those doors open, and consistency ensures the reward and promised blessings keep coming. “Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to Him and revering Him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil, and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws, and His decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your ancestors, as it is today.” Deuteronomy 8:1-18

Obedience to the words and commands of God is the greatest love we can ever offer to Him; it is the greatest way to respect Him, to worship Him, and to honor we can ever offer Him, everything else is just an addition. If we discard loving Him by obedience and do other things, we will not be able to be our best in anything else in His name. To love God is the first and the greatest duty of a Christian, a true believer, and a true follower of Jesus Christ regardless of office, location, title, name, and affiliations. This is the answer that Christ Jesus gave to the experts in religious law about the greatest of the commandments. “One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap Him with this question; teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses? Jesus replied, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important; Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:35-40

The Lord is omniscient and all-seeing, meaning He knows the thoughts and actions of all people everywhere. King David said, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth, He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” Psalm 139:7-12; 33:13-14

He is present in all moments of life, in all locations, and all situations. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Hebrews 12:13; Romans 8:27

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I desire to be in you, with you, and be productive physically and spiritually. I ask for your help and guidance in this walk of faith and faithfulness, Keep me holy and righteous for your name and the work you have called me to in Christ Jesus. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA




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IN ALL, BE MINDFUL OF ALL. (2)

February 25, 2024

Salvation is God’s plan for everyone and everything that is in it is from Him. He sent Jesus Christ into the world and wants everyone to know Him, believe Him, and follow Him. He wants everyone who follows Him to obey His commands and every word in the scripture, but God will not force everyone to do that but will bless and reward everyone who obeys Him. The Scripture says – whoever believes and everyone who believes. “For this is how God loved the world, He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:16-17

God saved us to do what He says and what He wants, not what we think. He wants us to do things that will bring us close and keep us close to Him so that we will have His blessings and be a blessing so that He can make us useful to ourselves and others. He wants us to enjoy His peace and His presence in this life, and He wants us to be with Him hereafter. Christ came to show us the way and to destroy the works of the devil, He came to lead us and to make us God’s children indeed in all things. “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” 1 John 3:7-9

Be mindful in all things in all places and from all people. “All things are lawful but not all things edify. We are allowed to do all things, but not all things are good for us to do or profitable. We are allowed to do all things, but not all things help others grow stronger. So, do not look out only for yourselves. Look out for the good of others.” 1 Corinthians 10:23-24

Job did not suffer because of sin; he suffered for being righteous; ungodly things happened to him, to his family, to his business, to his source of wealth, and to his marriage. Yet Job remained mindful of the fact that God was still with him and would restore him. This is what Job said to all his friends, - “Oh, that my words could be recorded. Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument, carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead, engraved forever in the rock. But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and He will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God. I will see Him for myself. Yes, I will see Him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought. How dare you go on persecuting me, saying, it’s his own fault? You should fear punishment yourselves, for your attitude deserves punishment. Then you will know that there is indeed a judgment. God might kill me, but I have no other hope. I am going to argue my case with Him. But this is what will save me, I am not godless. If I were, I could not stand before Him. Listen closely to what I am about to say. Hear me out. I have prepared my case; I will be proven innocent. Who can argue with me over this? And if you prove me wrong, I will remain silent and die.” Job 19:23-29; 13:16-19

Job was ready to remain in righteousness no matter what and was mindful of the people even his friends who came to console him. Ungodly things are happening to God’s people; difficult and ungodly challenges, insults, confrontations, shame, and accusations, yet God wants you to stand and remain in Him. ungodly things are happening and we have to be mindful of them. We have to be mindful of what we do as things are happening. We have to be mindful of preserving our faith, growing of faith, and being close to our Lord and His words.

The test is growing faster than we think and know, the details are often hidden and the impact very powerful, but in all these things, God is with us, He will take us through because He is able and has done it before. He took the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness, He preserved them and protected them until He led them into the place He promised. God was the one who kept Job, protected him, defended him, restored him, and made him seven times better than he was before. This was what Job was - “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.” Job 1:1-3

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I desire to be in you, with you, and be productive physically and spiritually. I ask for your help and guidance in this walk of faith and faithfulness, Keep me holy and righteous for your name and the work you have called me to in Christ Jesus. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA




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IN ALL, BE MINDFUL OF ALL. (1)

February 18, 2024

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again, rejoice, let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:4-8

God is calling us to excellence, not shame, and has redeemed us from the corruptions of this age and time. Our salvation is being questioned and every word we speak is opposed, yet God saved us for a time like this through Christ Jesus, He will keep and deliver us from the effects and punishments of these times and days. He has done that before and will do it again. We will live to praise Him even in this generation regardless of what they will do against us and our faith.

Our God is not behind, or under, He is above all, ahead of all, and knows all. There is nothing hidden from His presence and knowledge. His desire and plan for us are far beyond the physical blessings and financial breakthroughs we desire and will see and have. He wants us to have His peace within ourselves and be at peace with others in love and fellowship. He wants us to have and be able to give without lacking or losing anything in doing so. He wants us to have life here, be in good health here, and have the assurance of being in heaven with Christ Jesus before Him. He wants much more than we can ever ask, think, work for, and imagine for ourselves while we are here on earth. He wants us to be mindful of all things, in all places, and of all people.

He wants us to be mindful of our faith, words, works, and fellowship with others, and be disciplined with determination, faithfulness, and obedience in keeping His commands. He wants us to be mindful of heaven and heavenly things; He wants us to be mindful of that that qualifies us or will disqualify us from being there. He wants us to be mindful of the qualities we have in Him and in Christ Jesus. Because, We have a priceless inheritance, an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So, be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold, though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So, when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:4-7

Be mindful because ungodly people have taken leadership positions in the church. Ungodly men are appointed and elected to preach and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ; people without respect for Christ and godliness, without the fear of God, and people without faith in His word have taken hold of all things in the household of God. “You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days, there will be very difficult times. People will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Be mindful because your faith is being tested, will be tested, and your flesh is being tempted and will be punished for being and desiring to be righteous and obedient to the will of God in Christ. Be mindful because your actions will always be questioned and your flesh will be punished for being a true Christian and follower of Jesus Christ in all righteousness. Always fight the good fight, not for self-glory or fame, but for the truth, justice, and love of the word and commands of Christ Jesus. Fight the good fight against darkness, raise the word above all, defend, honor, and follow His principles. Be mindful by being spiritually and physically present in moments like this, pay attention to your thoughts, words, and feelings with love, without judgment, and fear. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. A time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.” Hebrews 9:27; Matthew 12:36; 2 Timothy 4:3-4. Therefore, be mindful of all things. God is interested in all things concerning you.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I desire to be in you, with you, and be productive physically and spiritually. I ask for your help and guidance in this walk of faith and faithfulness, Keep me holy and righteous for your name and the work you have called me to in Christ Jesus. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA




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BENEFITS OF GOAL SETTING.

February 11, 2024

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” 1 Corinthians 10:23; 6:12.

Paul said all things are lawful to the ordinary person, but he will not be brought under the power of any because not all will edify you; not all things are included in the goal, and not all things are necessary for the goal to be achieved. The benefit of setting a goal is what the goal will do in you, in your daily life, your spiritual and physical life, family, habits, relationship with God and man, prayer life, daily decisions, and daily engagements. Goal setting will help you to be focused in life no matter what and no matter where. Christ Jesus said this about His goal, and about His life and mission focus – “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.John 6:37-40

There are many distractions in life, many things to engage in, many to follow, many to give up, and many to take up. The list is endless, but you should not allow your goal or desire to be everyone's person, everyone's favorite, and everyone's pleaser. There will always be the attraction or distraction of wealth, of poverty, fame, failure, challenges, and fear. There will be the distractions of lack and the uncertainty of daily challenges, but God wants you to be focused on the goals of being a good Christian, follower, and obedient believer. You do not have to be distracted by the pains caused by your goal or the challenges that will come because of your goal, that is one reason for setting goals. The scripture says, - “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:10-11. Remember, no good thing will God withhold from those who are upright.

Goals are plans that stand tall before you daily; plans that should guide you in all things, all day and everywhere. There are plans you want to see, you want to achieve, you want to be seen in you, you want to be identified with and plans you know will elevate you beyond where you are what you are, they are plans that will give you profit physically and spiritually, and plans that will give you the foundation you need for your future. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death. The violence of the wicked will destroy them
because they refuse to do justice. The way of a guilty man is perverse; but as for the pure, his work is right.” Proverbs 21:5-8

Setting goals and achieving them is vital to success, even though the process can be confusing and painful. Goals are the best things to pursue in life. In reaching those goals, seek partnership with God, seek His purposes with your plan and He will help you through. Don’t let your goal be a desire of greed, or a desire to be like others, but to be what God wants, what God desires, and what God had destined for you. When setting goals, don’t be in haste, don’t fail to pray, and don’t fail to commit it to God. Make it a lifelong walk, a lifelong desire, a lifelong determination, and a lifelong investment in yourself and in things that will bring everlasting profit with peace from God. Your goal should set you up not bring you down. “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord. Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, and will not call back His words, but will arise against the house of evildoers, and against the help of those who work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, both he who helps will fall, and he who is helped will fall down, they all will perish together.” Isaiah 31:1-3

Your goal should be profitable beyond just the monetary reward. But regardless of your goals, you cannot outsmart God or Satan, you will reap what you sow and get what you deserve from whom you serve, either self, Satan, or God. “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” 1 Corinthians 10 21-22

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I desire to be useful and productive and I ask for the ability to increase in the grace that You have given me in Christ Jesus, I ask that You will help me fulfill this desire. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA




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TESTIMONY OF GOAL SETTING.

February 04, 2024

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-7; There will always be a testimony in goal setting, either a success or failure, but God desires your success if you will do it right and remain in it despite the pains associated in keeping the goals to the very end. In setting goals, there will be alternatives and plans on the table; distractions, and other things demanding attention; there will be oppositions and your flesh will seek to fight back, refusing to comply with the demands by seeking comfort, but persistence will give you victory.

Paul is our example in goal setting. He called his goals a fight; calls his determination to keep and follow every detail of the goal a good fight. Though he ended up in prison because of his goal to follow Christ Jesus, he said he fought a good fight. Though he was restrained and his freedom taken away, he said he kept the faith and finished the race. He did not give up the goal because of adversities, shipwrecks, punishment, lack, and all the things he suffered in keeping the goal his number one priority in life. Paul affirmed his unwavering faith and unyielding love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and his determination to be in Him, remain in Him, and suffer for Him regardless of the cost of his goal.

Paul was never a quitter, never lagging in zeal, and never taking the easy route as others, He stood out tall and remained strong. In pursuing his goal, Paul testified of the things he suffered – “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So, I am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool, I am more, in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness, besides the other things, what comes upon me daily; my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.” 2 Corinthians 11:22-33

Goal setting is very easy, but remaining in the goal and running the entire race for the sake of the goal is never easy. A good goal will demand from you, take from you, discipline you physically and spiritually, train you, build you, teach you, take you through rough places and difficult times, and will keep you thereafter. If your goal does not become your motivation in life, then you have missed the good mark of the goal and the success therein.

In remaining in the goal, Paul told Timothy – “You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also, if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.” 2 Timothy 1:7

In the arena of living a goal-guided life, battles will rage, but you will need to stand your ground, undeterred by age and failures. Through trials and storms, pressed ahead, with courage as your armor. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:10-18

Do not take it lightly and do not take it physically. God is in it while you are in it. the hearts of men are not empty regardless of religion, position, status in society, wealth, age, and race. Paul did not end with regret, he ended well and we would.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I desire to be useful and productive and I ask for the ability to increase in the grace that You have given me in Christ Jesus, I ask that You will help me fulfill this desire. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA




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SET GOALS (2)

January 28, 2024

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:7-11

Paul counted all that he had gained in life before his call as dung; he counted them as nothing in his entire life because of his new goal in life which he knows he will gain thereafter. Have you done that after setting new goals? Are you still holding onto your past behaviors, past ideas, past sins, past work habits, past beliefs, past ways of talking, and relationships while desiring the future based on your new goals? Goals are expressions of the future now, a vision of what will be if this is done, and a desire to break out of the past. Remember, an old wine has nothing to do with a new skin, one will have to give way for the other. It is either the wineskin will give way and burst or the wine will old wine will be lost. A new goal demands a new lifestyle.

“No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:16-17. New goals require new ideas or new practices they cannot produce new benefits within old structures or systems of living. It is either the bottle will break, the wine will spill out, or the bottles perish. New goals or wine needs new containers or new bottles, so both can be preserved.

Paul said one thing he does, forgetting the good and bad things of the past and taking hold of the future that he desires in his new goal. Your future will cost you something substantial and will profit you immensely thereafter.  Philippians 3:13-16 “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.”

Look at this warning from Paul – “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” Philippians 3:17-21.

Paul said some people set goals because of what they will gain physically and eat, because of their greed, and what people will say of them, they take Christ and righteousness away from their goals even though they are in the church, work in the church and aim and desire to be better preachers and Christians. He said there are many enemies of the cross working in the church today; enemies of true Christianity and Christians, enemies of righteousness, enemies of peace, salvation, repentance, forgiveness, godliness, and enemies of the word of God.

If your goal costs you nothing, it will profit you nothing; if you are not willing to pay the price for the goal, don’t set it; if you are waiting and praying that others will pay the price for you to achieve your goal, then quit the race. Your goal requires your laying down of yourself first before others

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I desire to be useful and productive and I ask for the ability to increase in the grace that You have given me in Christ Jesus, I ask that You will help me fulfill this desire. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA




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SET GOALS

January 21, 2024

“Therefore, know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments, and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. Therefore, you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them.” Deuteronomy 7:9-11

Whatever God had promised is possible, attainable, and will be visible if you are willing to pay the price, follow the rules, remain in Him, walk in obedience, and remain in faithfulness. Apostle Paul said of himself about setting personal goals to grow – “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” Philippians 3:7-16 

In seeking goals to grow, we should always have our eyes on fixed that goal, fixed on the result that will come regardless of what we will see, what we will come to know and experience along the way. There are things we will lose, things we will gain, and things we should always do as Paul said he did with himself. Christ our Lord also said, if we want to grow, we should not be mindful of the cross before – “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26

Christ told us there will be challenges but we will overcome them; there will be hindrances but we will succeed, and there will be fears but we should fix our eyes, our hearts, and our minds on always on Him. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

Christ Jesus our Lord gave us the things that will make us lose our focus on growing and also lose in seeing the expected growth in our lives in the parable of the Sower and his seed. – “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” Matthew 13:18-22

These are the things that hinder our goals and growth. (1) Lack or little understanding of the word of God in the scriptures. (2) Hardness of our hearts to the word even when we are in the Church, our heart is referred to as a - rocky ground, (3) No determination or self-discipline - no root in himself (4) Lack of consistent personal endurance, (5) When tribulation and persecution arise on the account of your following the word of God. (6) The cares of the world, and (7) The deceitfulness of riches. These are the seven hindrances but God can give us victory if we will do what Apostle Paul did – “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

 LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I desire to be useful and productive and I ask for the ability to increase in the grace that You have given me in Christ Jesus, I ask that You will help me fulfill this desire. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA



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DON’T WALK OR RUN ALONE (2)

January 14, 2024

Walking and running alone have killed many and are still killing many today. It destroys dreams and diminishes strength and success. Loneliness is a worldwide problem with no medication in sight to stop or control it except the divine companionship. Do not underestimate what being alone and your weakness can do. It can wreck your best anywhere, anytime, and in everything you do. Small as they seem, they are powerful enough to be used by Satan to bring you down, and keep you in pain with sorrows, and lots of uncertainties. Loneliness for any reason or in any place is not God’s plan. The only reliable solution is not being alone, not running alone and not walking alone, that is what the scriptures want for you. You are certainly saved, are in the church, and have prayed, but you need someone to pray with, walk with, and consistently run with.

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:19-25

“Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.” 1 Corinthians 10:24

You may be very smart, knowledgeable, intelligent, wealthy, strong, and healthy, but the most dangerous time in your life is when you are alone, walking alone, and running alone. Champions are confirmed when they compete with others. You cannot run alone, walk alone, practice alone, remain alone, and claim the championship or the gold medal. “There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. For whom am I toiling, he asked, and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment? This too is meaningless, a miserable business.” Proverbs 4:8

Many have missed the path; many are living in self-condemnation and self-pity, and many are confused in things that others are well able to help them with. Remember, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior did not walk alone. He needed the disciples as much as they needed Him. Christ did not send His disciples alone; He sent them in twos. “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:13-20

This is what God said concerning Adam. “It is not good that man should be alone.” Genesis 2:18. To walk alone, and run alone had never been plans regardless of who you are, what you are, what you have, and where you are.

LET US PRAY

I am grateful Father for Your forgiveness, love, mercies, grace, and kindness towards me, thank You for being my God and my helper. Father, help me to find someone who will walk and run with me in the Christian journey of following You, keep and enable me to humble myself before You in submission and obedience. I ask this with thanksgiving in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued



------------------------------



IN 2024,

DON’T WALK OR RUN ALONE (1)

January 07, 2024

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. In your spiritual walk as a true Christian, redeemed by the word of God and washed clean by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, besides giving you His Holy Spirit as a companion, God does not want you to be physically alone anymore. Not in relation or business alone but in your spiritual walk with Him.

There are greater and better things ahead and a companion is needful, someone to walk with you, and someone to run with you will be better than walking or running all alone. God wants you to be accompanied, the Scripture wants you to be accompanied, God wants someone to be with you always, someone with a similar desire to always please God, someone with a similar conviction of His true holiness, someone who is also led and guided by the word of God, someone who fear the Lord, respects His word and someone who obeys and keeps His commandments; someone who understands the importance of grace, the impact of forgiveness, the level of His mercy and the meaning of the love of God and Christ Jesus; someone who is committed to following the Lord no matter the cost, the place, the people like Job did; someone who is ready to do what Peter, Matthew, and Paul did, forsaking even that which seems very lucrative to follow the Lord.

Someone who knows that God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and His blessings are more important to them than the money and favor they may drive from you directly or indirectly by helping you – “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:24-26. Or what can a man gain if he or she exchanges his or her soul for material things that perish or diminish as soon as they arrive? Material blessings are good but they are accompanied by exceptional unseen and unknown troubles except the Lord Jesus is with you and is in them.

Remember wealth comes with troubles, worries, high-stake competition, and fear from every side – “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom. The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow to it. To do evil is like sport to a fool, but a man of understanding has wisdom. The fear of the wicked will come upon him, and the desire of the righteous will be granted. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Proverbs 10:20-24, 1 Timothy 6:10. Not money or favor, but the love of money and favor has taken many out of the faith into greed and all kinds of trouble and sorrows.

“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, what shall we eat? What shall we drink? What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:27-33

LET US PRAY

I am grateful Father for Your forgiveness, love, mercies, grace, and kindness towards me, thank You for being my God and my helper. Father, help me to find someone who will walk and run with me in the Christian journey of following You, keep and enable me to humble myself before You in submission and obedience. I ask this with thanksgiving in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued



--------------------------------------


2024, 

A YEAR TO WALK WITH GOD

December 31, 2023

“But the time is coming; indeed, it’s here now when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. Then He said to the crowd, if any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when He returns in His glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.” John 4:23-24; Luke 9:23-27

A true work with Jesus Christ after genuine repentance and salvation will involve working to extend the kingdom of God on earth everywhere, every time, and in everything you do. This is not a call to be a pastor, but a call to be a responsible child of the living God, who wants to show love for the word and work of God as a servant serving the Almighty God. The gift to enable you to do God’s work is in you already; it is up to you to use what has been given to you freely to achieve the purpose and desire of God on earth in expanding His kingdom.

Paul told Timothy, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.” 1 Timothy 4:14-16

The mission of Jesus Christ on earth was to fulfill that which was written concerning Him as He read in Luke 4:17-21 to the people in the synagogue. “The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written; the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come. He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at Him intently. Then He began to speak to them. The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day.” Luke 4:17-21.

Sending Jesus Christ into the world was to fulfill His Father’s will and our mission should be to fulfill our Savior’s will and complete what He started. Jesus Christ paid the price required for Him to fulfill the mission and it is required that we will have to pay the price to truly work with God as Jesus did. A true walk with God will require a surrendered will, a willing heart, an obedient mind, a committed and faithful fellowship to His words, and readiness to do all of His commands and instructions as written in His book wholeheartedly.

Walking with God faithfully will cost you something; what the cost may be is nothing compared with what you will gain thereafter on earth and in heaven. A true walk with God will begin when we decide to walk in obedience to His word and follow His instructions before seeking anything else. We should know that the cost of following Christ is high and the reward is even higher. God is not calling us to lose our lives but to deny ourselves and gain more through obedience and submissiveness to Him, that is, by following His word in complete obedience.

One of the most influential reasons for not walking in obedience is self and it’s ever demanding attention and interest in various ways. Self is the most powerful opposition we will have if we want to follow God and walk with Him continuously. If we can surrender it to God, then we can be assured that God will do the rest for us and it will be the very best. Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior was convinced that He would be able to fulfill His mission because God had anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. That same assurance is with you because God has given you His salvation, saved your soul, forgiven your sin, and given you the Holy Spirit to guide you every time, and in whatever way He leads. Jesus Christ gave us this assurance, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John14:12-14. Yes, you can walk with God and you can fulfill the mission. 2024 is a new year and it can be a new beginning for you regardless of the past failures and shame.

LET US PRAY

I am grateful Father for Your love, mercies, and kindness towards me, thank You for being my God and my help. Father, as I follow You, keep me in your love and enable me to humble myself before you in submission. I ask this with thanksgiving in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued





----------------------------------------




MIRACULOUSLY PRESERVED 

December 24, 2023

“Behold, the Lord God will come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His counselor hath taught Him? With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and showed to Him the way of understanding?” Isaiah 40:10-14

One thing in life the devil will never let go without seriously fighting back is the desire and determination to walk in and to ensure the will of God is fully implemented in life, family, job, and on earth. The devil went after Mary because she accepted the will of God. Went after Jesus Christ because He subjected Himself to ensure He did the will of His Father in heaven while on earth. The greatest danger we are facing today as Christians are doing the will of God in our ways rather than God’s ways.  Doing God’s will your way is dangerous, and unacceptable by God, but that is what the devil wants and that is approved by Satan.

Mary’s experience immediately after she accepted the will of God for her life was beyond the best of her imagination. Do not be afraid of what will happen to you when you set out to carefully do God’s will. You can never do the will of God without the devil coming after you in anger with the intent to either stop, destroy you, or destroy whatever you do. Mary enjoyed God’s preservation from the moment she accepted the will of God as pronounced by the angel. The devil went after her marriage with the intent of stopping Joseph from marrying her. The devil also tried to instigate Joseph to reject and disgrace her publicly. But God intervened by giving Joseph a convincing dream with an instruction. When you accept God’s instructions and follow His will for your life despite the pains you will have hard times with people, but God will make a way for you in the end.

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God with us. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” Matthew 1:18-24

When the devil could not stop the marriage, he went after her child Jesus from the very moment of conception to the day of His birth through various wicked rulers whom the devil wanted to use to destroy Christ. But God preserved Joseph, Mary, and the child from their powers as God kept moving Mary and Joseph from one location to another until Christ was born and throughout His mission on earth. The angel informed Mary of the conception in Nazareth, a town in Galilee and she conceived Jesus there. Jesus was born in Bethlehem a town in Judea, relocated to Egypt, relocated again to Nazarene a town in Galilee, and finally to Israel. All was done by God to preserve Joseph, Mary, and Jesus.

“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up, he said, take the child and his mother, and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. So, he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and left for Egypt. After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead. So, he got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene” Matthew 2:13-14; 2:19-23

When the devil failed again to kill the child Jesus, he went after the life of Mary, to kill and to destroy her but God was there again to preserve Mary throughout the period. “The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth, the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.” Revelation 12:4-6; 13-17

Mary knew some of what would happen to her the moment she accepted the will of God, but she was not afraid because she knew God was with her and would be with her to the very end. There is no way that God will forsake you irrespective of what the devil will do against you. Jesus said, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has the authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God” Luke 12:4-9

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, thank You for Your promises to me, thank You for Your will for my life, help me Father to follow You and to do that which You have destined for me. I know that You will surely preserve me to the very end. I ask this with thanksgiving in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong  

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued




-----------------------------------



I WILL COME BACK.

IN HIS WORD

December 17, 2023

Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, see that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God. And He said to me, do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers, sexually immoral, murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 22:7-15, Revelation 1:7-8

There is no second-guessing, Christ Jesus is truly coming to complete the final part of what He came for in His first coming. Before His birth, the coming of Jesus as the Messiah was told and prophesied but now, it is no more a prophecy, it is a reality we all believe and look forward to based on His own words. There is no new prophesy, but a joyful expectation to those who have believed in His birth, death, and resurrection; those who have been washed in His blood, and those who are living faithfully in obedience to His commandments with love and a settled mind. But to the ones who are unfaithful worshippers, unrighteous followers, and those who are not committed to believing or following or obeying His commandments it is a life of real fearful expectations, doubts, darkness, and sadness in their hearts and their minds.

The promise went out and the call was heard loud and clear - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18. Jesus Christ did not come at first to condemn anyone but to prepare everyone for His second coming.

The testimony of John the Baptist - “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, this was He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me. And of His fulness, we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." John 1:10-18

Salvation is much more than worshiping God and going to church, it is accepting Jesus Christ as your only Lord and Savior, being born again and transformed spiritually and physically only by His word, living by, loving and obeying His word, and keeping all of His commandments. That is the surest way to show your love for Him and to be in Him and Him in you. “I loved you as the Father loved me. Now ·remain in my love. I have obeyed my Father’s commands, and I remain in His love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love. I have told you these things so that you can have the same joy I have, my joy may be in you and so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy. This is my command, love each other as I have loved you. The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” John 15:9-14

Our responsibility is to be prepared and ready, to spread the joyful news unafraid to all. “O Zion, you who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, behold your God. Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales; look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.” Isaiah 40:9-15

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, Your words are true and final. Christ will come back and every eye shall see him. I pray that no believer will fall by the way and none will fall to the deception of the world in any way. Thank you because your word will be fulfilled as you have said, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued




---------------------------------------



I WILL COME BACK (3)

December 10, 2023

“He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, Yes, I am coming soon. Amen, come, Lord Jesus. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted. When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.” Revelation 20:22, John 15:4-9

We need to remind ourselves as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We read about His birth and His death, and we have enjoyed the benefits of these two events in human history, but the greatest joy is coming, at His second coming and no one should miss that pending joy. It will be amazing, unprecedented, and beyond all imagination

These are the words of Jesus Christ concerning His return.

“Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to Him privately and said, tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world? Jesus told them, don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Messiah. They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then the end will come. The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about, the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place. Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones. Then if anyone tells you, look, here is the Messiah, or there he is, don’t believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. So if someone tells you, look, the Messiah is out in the desert, don’t bother to go and look. Or, look, he is hiding here, don’t believe it. For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather His chosen ones from all over the world, from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know His return is very near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.” Matthew 24:3-37

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, Your words are true and final. Christ will come back and every eye shall see him. I pray that no believer will fall by the way and none will fall to the deception of the world in any way. Thank you because your word will be fulfilled as you have said, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued






----------------------------------




I WILL COME BACK (2)

December 03, 2023

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, surely, I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this, they willingly are ignorant that by the word of God, the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water. Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” Revelation 22:18-20, 2 Peter 3:3-12. Regardless of the expected signs, the most important message to all is that Jesus Christ is coming soon and will never fail.

I will come back is one of the many promises made by Christ Jesus and is certain to be fulfilled. His words had never failed and His coming back to this world will never fail no matter what. There is power in all promises both that from God and men, while that of men may fail for many reasons, that from God will never fail. A promise is a commitment and it is meant to be taken seriously. It is not just empty words, it was made to encourage, strengthen, and keep us in active faith and hope while we walk this earth. Promises hold an important value in all of humanity and most Christianity. It fills a gap and restores confidence and peace in times of trouble and doubts. It holds values in the mind, in the spiritual and physical well-being of all things.

Jesus Christ knew the importance of a promise. He knew what they meant to a true Christian and we can count on the peace and assurance we have on those promises. Because He will never back down on His word or change any of His many promises.

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, and He will show Him even greater works than these so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so, the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father, who sent Him. Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself. And He has given Him authority to judge because He is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me.” John 5:19-30

Jesus told His disciples a time is coming, and it is true, that time is coming. When will that time be? What will happen at that time? He told them this before His crucifixion, signifying His return to the world to finish His Father's plan, to reward everyone in the world for their actions, and to have the final victory over death and sin. Are you ready for His return? He is coming soon.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, Your words are true and final. Christ will come back and every eye shall see him. I pray that no believer will fall by the way and none will fall to the deception of the world in any way. Thank you because your word will be fulfilled as you have said, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued




----------------------------------------------



I WILL COME BACK

November 26, 2023

Christ coming is imminent, He said it and what happens before and after then are well stated in the bible for us to know, but the most important thing to expect is that He is definitely coming to this world to finally fulfill the divine word and promises of God. “He said to them, it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. Men of Galilee, they said, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Acts 1:7, 9-11John 14:3

Christ Jesus told His disciples that He will come back. That is a statement Christians should never take lightly, never forget, and never take for granted. He said it and it will be done as He said no matter what. It is a promise that is definite and nothing can change it, and its timing is fast approaching regardless of the delays and present-day pessimism. He is definitely coming. The believers of old believed it and expected it, and the believers of today should keep believing and keep expecting until that day comes because He will unfailingly come.

God does not only save souls and the people go navigate the world and all its systems by their own knowledge, wisdom, or strength. When He saves, He also delivers from past sins, evils, and their hindrances; He also rescues from the present-day troubles, defends from unseen and seen evils, and thereafter, He leads till His plans are fulfilled in the lives of those who believe in and follow His word. Christ Jesus, the Messiah told the disciples who had believed and dedicated their lives to follow Him – “And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself so that you will be where I am.” John 14:3

Believing in Jesus Christ means believing in His second coming. Believing and following His word is trusting that He will come back and will never fail.

Reasons for His coming back are –

He personally promised He would come back.

He said we do not know the way to heaven even though we have believed and that without His physical guide, we will miss the way.

He is coming to take us through the way to the place destined by the Father.

He is coming to prevent any form of failure in navigating the path on the final day

He is coming to douse the fearful and troubled hearts because of the activities of the devil.

He is coming to give hope and assurance that we do not believe and follow Him in vain

He is coming so that, we can be with Him where He is currently, a place prepared for those saved through Him – in heaven.

He is coming, so we will finally be united with God the Father Almighty in heaven – our final place of destiny forever.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to Him, Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him. Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. Jesus answered, don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father living in me, who is doing His work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or at least believe in the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. Then Judas, not Judas Iscariot said, but, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus replied anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” John 14:1-24

There is no going back on His word and promises, Christ is coming, He will definitely come and put a final and permanent seal on every word, every promise, and every covenant that God had made, and that will be the end of the world.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, Your words are true and final. Christ will come back and every eye shall see him. I pray that no believer will fall by the way and none will fall to the deception of the world in any way. Thank you because your word will be fulfilled as you have said, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued




-------------------------------------



GOD IS NOT LEAVING.

HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU. (2)

November 19, 2023

Know this, no man or circumstance determines what happens to you next because God is alive and He is not leaving you to the contradicting things in the world. He is sovereign in your life, At the end of the day, as you put your faith and trust in Him and in His word, you will come forth as gold purified seven times by fire. Many things will seek to influence and seek to trespass against God’s words and promises over you but fear not any of them. He will cause you to rule and reign over those contradictions. He will take all those contrary situations and bring Satan shortly under your feet. “Everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:15-18

Be thankful that you have a God who is dependable, faithful, worthy, and trusted. Even when the world refuses to acknowledge Him, you have the right to be faithful to Him, acknowledge Him, and worship Him with all that is in you. Fear and discouragement are on the rise because of life uncertainties and delays in the things God had promised; the faithfulness of Christians is fading because they see themselves as failures while the nonbelievers and none followers of Jesus Christ are progressing even in their well-known, open, and continuous wickedness. Fear is never a new thing, but in their fears after forty years in the wilderness, Moses stood up to encourage the children of Israel, that the promise of God to their ancestors and to them according to His word are still effective and within their reach. He told them they would definitely reach the place He had promised, and assured them of His presence.

Moses demanded they put on courage, continue in courage, and believe the word spoken by God. “And the Lord will do to them what He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom He destroyed along with their land. The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. So, Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.” Deuteronomy 31:4-9

These were the words Moses used to encourage the children of Israel of the presence of God;

------- The Lord will do to them what He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites,

--------The Lord will deliver them to you,

--------Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,

--------The Lord your God goes with you;

--------He will never leave you nor forsake you.

--------Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people

-------The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you;

-------He will never leave you nor forsake you.

-------Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

No matter what we are going through, no matter what we have heard people say concerning our God and godliness, no matter their views on true Christian practices, God had promised never to leave us no matter what and we can stand on those words and promises. We are never alone for God has said He will never leave us. He is always with us and in us even when we do not see Him or feel His presence.

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely, I will help you, surely, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.” Isaiah 43:2

“Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. God and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20

“I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.” John 14:18

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, Your word is true and a relief to all of our troubles, help us to trust in you and your word and to them in our hearts meditating on them always in all things and all situations and not ceasing. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued



--------------------------------------



GOD IS NOT LEAVING.

HE WILL NOT LEAVE. (1)

November 12, 2023

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4.

Men are never in control of what God has made and said. God is in absolute control of all the things He made. He is actively involved and engaged. God will not leave, and He will not be taken out of and from this regardless of what people want and speak. He cannot be counted out of what He started, whatever He started, He will definitely finish; whom He calls, He will lead, whom He leads, He will defend and give victory. When God chooses you, He gives you His word as a daily guide and a promise never to leave you. When He accepts your repentance and decision to recognize and accept Jesus Christ into your life, He gives you salvation and the covering assurance of His presence. Salvation is of God, from God, and only through Jesus Christ, not of man, and not of anything else. It is not because of our good deeds or works, positive thoughts, and encouraging words; not because of the charitable services and works we render to people, not because of positive mindsets and encouragement to others. Salvation is the first reward of accepting Jesus Christ into our lives and allowing ourselves to faithfully follow His word in all things.

Salvation does not stop at accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, it is calling on the Almighty God to action in our lives everything that concerns us; it is walking with Him, listening to Him, talking to Him, accepting His word, and following wherever He leads. It is having a sustaining hope beyond what we see, and know; it is following His understanding of events and knowledge of all things, not our understanding or knowledge; it is allowing Christ Jesus in our hearts, homes, and affairs. The power of salvation is beyond the comprehension of men, and God does not want us to comprehend before He leads, guides, and guards us, He wants us to follow Him with the assurance that He is able and will do whatever it is that will guarantee our peace and safety no matter what according to His word.

The verse above is a reminder that God is with us every day and every time, from the cradle to the grave. He cares for us from the womb to the tomb, from the start to the finish, from birth to death every day and every season in between. He is not only interested in us during the flush of youth years, our years of vigorous right actions, when we are in our prime of life. He is deeply interested in us as we advance into our twilight years, and even on into the frailty of old age. He is with us when we make all kinds of mistakes, take the wrong turns, and make wrong decisions. He promised never to leave us. “If you love me, keep my commands, and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:15-21

These are the words He gave to Joshua. “After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua, son of Nun, Moses’ aide, Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them, to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates, all the Hittite country to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:1-9

Fear and uncertainty, the rise of evil and the power of evil, injustice and the rejection of men will never make God leave you no matter what you have experienced and will suffer, He is able to guide, guard, and lead you, and He will – be strong, and be courageous.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, Your word is true and a relief to all of our troubles, help us to trust in you and your word and to them in our hearts meditating on them always in all things and all situations and not ceasing. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued




--------------------------------------



WARNINGS,

TAKE HEED (4)

November 05, 2023

Besides everything else, God wants every Christian to succeed and be with Him in heaven, so take heed to yourself – it is God’s desire that no one falls. Beware and take heed of all things in your life, none is insignificant, and all have a purpose and a desire in your life now and in the future. Therefore, take heed to every word of God.

An overwhelmed spirit

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:33-36

Beware of legalism.

Serving God and following Jesus Christ is not by reasoning but by faith in what the word of God says. Matthew 16:6; Mark 8:15

“And when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, it is because we have taken no bread. But when Jesus perceived this, He said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spoke it not concerning bread, but that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees? Then understood they that He bade them not to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” Matthew 16:5-12

Take heed that no man deceives you.

“Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? And Jesus answering them, began to say, take heed lest any man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be ye not troubled, for such things must come to pass; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. But take heed for yourselves, for they shall deliver you up to councils, and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten. And ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them. And the Gospel must first be proclaimed among all nations. But when they shall lead you and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak; neither need ye premeditate. But whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated by all men for My name’s sake; but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Mark 13:4-13

Take heed - Thinking that one could never fall.

“Now all these things happened unto them by way of example, and are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Therefore, let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken hold of you but such as is common to man. But God is faithful; He will not suffer you to be tempted beyond that which ye are able to bear, but with the temptation will also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Therefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” 1 Corinthians 10:11-14

Stumbling another through one’s freedom

But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.” 1 Corinthians 8:9

Building one’s Christian life improperly

“For we are laborers together with God; ye are God’s husbandry; ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For no man can lay another foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man’s work shall be made manifest for the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall test every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abides which he hath built thereon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy, and ye are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:9-17.

Not hearing God’s word. Hearing God’s word incorrectly.

If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. Then He said to them, take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore, take heed how you hear.” Mark 4:23-25; Luke 8”18

One’s light turns to darkness.

“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore, take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.” Luke 11:33-36

LET US PRAY

My dear Father in heaven, help me to be aware of the things you have said and to beware of what I do always. Help me to pray without ceasing. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued



-------------------------------------------



WARNINGS, TAKE HEED (3)

October 29, 2023

GOD’S JUDGEMENT will begin from the house of God; PRESENT SUFFERING

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test you, to test the quality of your faith, as though something strange or unusual were happening to you. But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, keep on rejoicing, so that when His glory filled with His radiance and splendor is revealed, you may rejoice with great joy. If you are insulted and reviled for bearing the name of Christ, you are blessed, happy, with life and comfort in God’s salvation regardless of your circumstances, because the Spirit of glory and of God is resting on you and indwelling you, He whom they curse, you glorify. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or a thief, or any sort of criminal in response to persecution, or as a troublesome meddler interfering in the affairs of others; but if anyone suffers ill-treatment as a Christian because of his belief, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God because he is considered worthy to suffer in this name. For it is the time destined for judgment to begin with the household of God, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not respect or believe or obey the gospel of God? And if it is difficult for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the godless and the sinner? Therefore, those who are ill-treated and suffer in accordance with the will of God must continue to do right and commit their souls for safe-keeping to the faithful Creator.” 1 Peter 4:12-18

Having an evil heart of unbelief.

Your heart and the state of your heart are important to God and to what you do and will do in life. “Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart that turns away from the living God. But continually encourage one another every day, as long as it is called today and there is an opportunity, so that none of you will be hardened into settled rebellion by the deceitfulness of sin, its cleverness, delusive glamour, and sophistication. For we believers have become partakers of Christ, sharing in all that the Messiah has for us, if only we hold firm our newborn confidence which originally led us to Him until the end, while it is said, today while there is still opportunity if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart, as when they provoked Me in the rebellion in the desert at Meribah. For who were they who heard and yet provoked Him with rebellious acts? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies were scattered in the desert? And to whom did He swear an oath that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed, those who would not listen to His word? So, we see that they were not able to enter into His rest, the promised land because of unbelief and unwillingness to trust in God.” Hebrews 3:12-19

Letting slip what we have in Christ Jesus.

Our greatest possession is nothing else but the salvation we received by grace through Christ Jesus. We have to do all we can to cherish, preserve, and keep it alive in us.

“For this reason, because of God’s final revelation in His Son Jesus and Jesus’ superiority to the angels, we must pay much closer attention than ever to the things that we have heard, so that we do not in any way drift away from truth. For if the message given through angels, the Law given to Moses was authentic and unalterable, and every violation and disobedient act received an appropriate penalty, how will we escape the penalty if we ignore such a great salvation, the gospel, the new covenant? For it was spoken at first by the Lord, and it was confirmed to God and proved authentic by those who personally heard Him speak, besides this evidence, God also testifying with them confirming the message of salvation, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles carried out by Jesus and the apostles and by granting to believers the gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” Hebrews 2:1-4

Impossible to be restored.

“And we will do this, that is, proceed to maturity, if God permits. For it is impossible to restore to repentance those who have once been enlightened spiritually and who have tasted and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted and consciously experienced the good word of God and the powers of the age world to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nailed the Son of God on the cross for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it, and are holding Him up again to public disgrace.” Hebrews 6:3-6

Devouring one another

“For you, my brothers were called to freedom; only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for sinful nature, worldliness, selfishness, but through love serve and seek the best for one another. For the whole Law concerning human relationships is fulfilled in one precept, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, that is, you shall have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit. But if you bite and devour one another in bickering and strife, watch out that you along with your entire fellowship are not consumed by one another.” Galatians 5:13-16

LET US PRAY

My dear Father in heaven, help me to be aware of the things you have said and to beware of what I do always. Help me to pray without ceasing. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries   

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA. 

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued




-------------------------------------------------------




WARNINGS, TAKE HEED (2)

October 22, 2023

Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:11-13. Are you ready to give account to God on all things? Not according to our thoughts but according to His word. There will be no excuse, therefore, TAKE HEED.

Rejecting prophecy about Christ Jesus

“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so, we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:16-21

Forsaking Christian doctrine

“Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things, give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” 1 Timothy 4:13-16

Listening to seductive spirit and doctrine

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” 1 Timothy 4:1-2

Listening to worthless things

“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, that Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” 1 Timothy 1:3-8. Titus1:10-14

Not fulfilling one’s ministry

Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” Colossians 4:17

Overlooking the flocks

“For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves, men will rise up, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore, watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Acts 20:27-32

A covetous spirit

Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Luke 12:15. What you are, what you do, and what you have.

Trusting in pretentiousness

Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Mark 12:37-40

LET US PRAY

My dear Father in heaven, help me to be aware of the things you have said and to beware of what I do always. Help me to pray without ceasing. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued




-----------------------------------



WARNINGS, TAKE HEED (1)

October 15, 2023

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

It is unfortunate that many do not like the warnings in the scripture, but nothing can change what had been written by God in the scriptures nor make them ineffective. We can never fault the truth in the word of God and should never try. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12

God’s desire is to bless people, but there are warnings and instructions to guide every Christian in every step, everywhere, every day, and in everything. Things that Christians should take heed of so they can be successful in running the righteous race before them. We should take heed of these warnings as our guide every day, every time, and everywhere and not see any of them as a restriction to our freedom. This is what David said concerning the warnings, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart, do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, Lord, teach me your decrees. With my lips, I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” Psalm 119:9-16

 In His love, God gave us salvation and does not want even one Christian to digress, fall, or fail. Everything God does, He does out of love and nothing else, therefore, take heed of these things: -

Casting off your commitment to Christ Jesus.

Do not take it lightly or for granted. God is looking out for your commitment and will definitely bless you in keeping them. “Therefore, let me warn you beloved, knowing these things beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men who distort doctrine and fall from your own steadfastness of mind, knowledge, truth, and faith, but grow spiritually mature in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, honor, majesty, and splendor, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:17

Following ceremony rather than Christ Jesus

Ceremonies are everywhere, even in the churches. “Look out for the dogs, the Judaizers, the legalists, look out for the troublemakers, look out for the false circumcision, those who claim circumcision is necessary for salvation, for we who are born-again have been reborn from above, spiritually transformed, renewed, set apart for His purpose and are the true circumcision who worship in the Spirit of God and glory and take pride and exult in Christ Jesus and place no confidence in what we have or who we are in the flesh.” Philippians 3:2-3

Accepting vain philosophy

We are living in times of great knowledge and wisdom of men. “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, pseudo-intellectual babble, according to the tradition and musings of mere men, following the elementary principles of this world, rather than following the truth, the teachings of Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity, the Godhead dwells in bodily form completely expressing the divine essence of God. And in Him, you have been made complete, achieving spiritual stature through Christ, and He is the head over all rule and authority of every angelic and earthly power. In Him, you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but by the spiritual circumcision of Christ in the stripping off of the body of the flesh the sinful carnal nature, having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him to a new life through your faith in the working of God, as displayed when He raised Christ from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, worldliness, and manner of life, God made you alive together with Christ, having freely forgiven us all our sins, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of legal demands which were in force against us and which were hostile to us. And this certificate He has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, those supernatural forces of evil operating against us, He made a public example of them, exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession, having triumphed over them through the cross. Therefore let no one judge you in regard to food and drink or in regard to the observance of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.” Colossians 2:8-16

Glorying in the praise of men

“As He taught, Jesus said, watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely. But woe unto you that are rich, for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full, for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you for so did their fathers to the false prophets. But I say unto you which hear, love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other, and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.” Mark 12:38-40; Luke 6:24-30

LET US PRAY

My dear Father in heaven, help me to be aware of the things you have said and to beware of what I do always. Help me to pray without ceasing. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries   

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA. 

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued




--------------------------------------------




BEWARE THEREFORE (3)

October 08, 2023

WARNING ON IDOLS AND IDOLATRY.

Do not make one and do not worship any.

“When the Lord spoke to you from the fire on Mount Sinai, you did not see any form. For your own good, then, make certain that you do not sin by making for yourselves an idol in any form at all—whether man or woman, animal or bird, reptile or fish. Do not be tempted to worship and serve what you see in the sky—the sun, the moon, and the stars. The Lord your God has given these to all other peoples for them to worship. But you are the people he rescued from Egypt, that blazing furnace. He brought you out to make you his own people, as you are today. Because of you, the Lord your God was angry with me and solemnly declared that I would not cross the Jordan River to enter the fertile land that He is giving you. I will die in this land and never cross the river, but you are about to go across and occupy that fertile land. Be certain that you do not forget the covenant that the Lord your God made with you. Obey His command not to make yourselves any kind of idol, because the Lord your God is like a flaming fire; He tolerates no rivals. Even when you have been in the land a long time and have children and grandchildren, do not sin by making for yourselves an idol in any form at all. This is evil in the Lord's sight, and it will make Him angry. I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that, if you disobey me, you will soon disappear from the land. You will not live very long in the land across the Jordan that you are about to occupy. You will be completely destroyed. The Lord will scatter you among other nations, where only a few of you will survive. There you will serve gods made by human hands, gods of wood and stone, gods that cannot see or hear, eat or smell. There you will look for the Lord your God, and if you search for Him with all your heart, you will find Him. When you are in trouble and all those things happen to you, then you will finally turn to the Lord and obey Him. He is a merciful God. He will not abandon you or destroy you, and He will not forget the covenant that He Himself made with your ancestors.” Deuteronomy 4:15-31

Obedience attracts God’s mercy and confession of sins attracts forgiveness.

Be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Fear the Lord your God, serve him only, and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors, thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said.” Deuteronomy 6:12-19

“Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice, do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions, for My name is in Him. But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. For My Angel will go before you and bring you into the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works, but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars. So, you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to the river. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” Exodus 23:20-32

LET US PRAY

My dear Father in heaven, help me to be aware of the things you have said and to beware of what I do always. Help me to pray without ceasing. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries   

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA. 

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued




---------------------------------------------------




BEWARE THEREFORE (2)

October 01, 2023

Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. Then He spoke a parable to them, saying, the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do since I have no room to store my crops? So, he said, I will do this, I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, fool, this night your soul will be required of you, then who’s will those things be which you have provided? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:15-21

Now, therefore. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate by perversion, nor those who participate in homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers whose words are used as weapons to abuse, insult, humiliate, intimidate, or slander, nor swindlers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God. And such were some of you before you believed. But you were washed by the atoning sacrifice of Christ, you were sanctified, set apart for God, and made holy, you were justified, declared free of guilt in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit of our God, the source of the believer’s new life and changed behavior.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

“Therefore, God gave them over in the lusts of their own hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them, abandoning them to the degrading power of sin, because by choice, they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, Amen. For this reason, God gave them over to degrading and vile passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, a function contrary to nature, and in the same way also the men turned away from the natural function of the woman and were consumed with their desire toward one another, men with men committing shameful acts and in return receiving in their own bodies the inevitable and appropriate penalty for their wrongdoing. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing as their Creator, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive, until they were filled, permeated, saturated with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, and mean-spiritedness. They are gossips, spreading rumors, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient, and disrespectful to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful, without pity. Although they know God’s righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even enthusiastically approve and tolerate others who practice them.” Romans 1:24-32

“Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation. For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” Philippians 3:2-4.

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits, you will know them. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Matthew 7:13-23

LET US PRAY

My dear Father in heaven, help me to be aware of the things you have said and to beware of what I do always. Help me to pray without ceasing. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries   

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA. 

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued





--------------------------------------




BEWARE THEREFORE

September 24, 2023

“When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day, lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein, and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied, then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end. And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 8:10-18

“Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God. The Lord your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, how do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same. You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. See that you do all I command you, do not add to it or take away from it.” Deuteronomy 12:28-32

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:1-4

“Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless, and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation, as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:14-18

“Then Jesus said to them, take heed and beware of the [c]leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, it is because we have taken no bread. But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matthew 16:6-12

LET US PRAY

My dear Father in heaven, help me to be aware of the things you have said and to beware of what I do always. Help me to pray without ceasing. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries   

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA. 

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued






----------------------------------------





WHY WE PRAY (2)

September 17, 2023.

“We do live in the world. But we do not fight in the same way that the world fights. We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God. These weapons can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy men’s arguments. And we destroy every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ. We are ready to punish anyone there who does not obey. But first, we want you to obey fully. You must look at the facts before you. If anyone feels sure that he belongs to Christ, then he must remember that we belong to Christ just as he does.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-7

It is in prayers that real Christians petition the Almighty God for action, and engage the powers of darkness in a spiritual dispute of their activities; it is through prayers that Christians receive the divine power they need to live, stand, and be useful to God, to man, and to themselves on earth; it is through the power of prayer that Christians receive the grace to know and to do what is right - many Christians know what is right but lack the power to do them; it is only through the power of prayer that Christians can overcome the power of the influence of self and of sin; that Christians speak the truth without fear with all boldness and are consistent in doing so lovingly despite the resistance and attack from the devil. It is through the power of prayer that Christians attain a daily life of victory against the powers of darkness; it is through the power of prayer that they receive divine insights that will change their lives, change their situations, change their environment, and change their generation.

Prayer goes beyond the verbal words we speak when we kneel down; it goes beyond what we can see, feel, and ever experience; prayer has the power to effectively change things in the spiritual and physical realm; it is not restricted by the existing physical boundaries erected by nations, color, gender, language, profession, and the devil. It destroys spiritual boundaries in the heavenly realm and on earth; it affects the activities behind such places positively, bringing them to the obedience, desires, and purpose of our God. Prayer is not seeking ways to appease self or to satisfy self-ambitions; it is not a means to engage men or the devil in a battle, but a means of keeping the devil out of the lives of his victim by spiritually destroying his activities in their lives, destroying his stronghold in their heart and thoughts, making him ineffective and inactive, and above all asking God to take over those lives and fill them with the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

In prayer, we call on God for a positive action according to His will, His word, and His purpose; we call on God for a clear direction and guidance even after a clear vision, word of knowledge, and revelations; we call on God to open the door and lead the way through those doors; we call on God to speak and to act on our behalf; we call on God for divine help whether we are strong or weak, rich or poor; we call on God for a change that will glorify Him alone in that situation; we call on God to walk in us and through us by transforming us according to His good will; in prayer we look unto God for the supply of our needs; we call on God for the manifestation of His purpose for us. In prayer, we show our weakness and our foolishness in things and ask for His strength, knowledge, and wisdom. In prayer, we actively ask God for the manifestation of His kingdom, not the self-imaginations of our kingdom of God on earth. Jesus Christ teaching His disciples how to pray said: “For your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:8- 10

Prayer is the believer’s silent and humble cry for freedom from the powers of evil, from failures in the right things we should do, from evil self-imaginations and self-exultation, from the sins and mistakes that draw us backward; it is a cry for peace instead of war, for harmony instead of disagreement, for joy instead of sadness, for godliness instead of self-will, for salvation instead of the old sinful ways, for Godly glory instead of human glory, for breakthrough instead of being at the same sport in life, for success instead of failure, for victory instead of being victims, for God’s intervention in the affairs of men on earth instead of the display of human knowledge and wisdom. Without prayer, the devil rules in the affairs of men, but through prayer, God gives His believers the victory and the power to exercise and enforce His will and purpose on earth. Your spiritual strength is a direct measure of your willing submissiveness in times of prayer, which also determines your level of victory.

Submissiveness in prayer is one aspect that quickens spiritual growth. The knowledge of and the correct application of the word of God quickens Christian maturity and makes us very active and effective tools in the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ. Believers should know that our level of spiritual effectiveness and physical usefulness to divine mandates are the direct measures of dedication and submission to the will of God in our prayers, and we will definitely reap the good fruit if we never cease to pray.

LET US PRAY

My dear Father in heaven, please teach me how to pray, and help me to pray without ceasing. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries   

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA. 

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued





-------------------------------------





WHY WE PRAY (1)

September 10, 2023.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

We should never undermine any of Paul’s epistles. We find in the epistles the wisdom of God revealed in its simplest form and the easiest way to understand and walk with; we find God’s heart made simple to follow; we find knowledge and experience, truth, assurance, great examples, and encouragement. Apostle Paul was a man who knew what it was to pray at all times and in all things; he knew the power of prayer and urged believers to recognize that they are at war with an organized spiritual force seeking to hold and keep them in subjection to their will; seeking to use them in things that are contrary to the will of God for them and for humanity; keep them from achieving the purpose of God, deny them the privilege of experiencing divine joy and fulfilling divine mandates of God in the world.

Apostle Paul was a man of great physical and spiritual experiences; he had good insights into the kingdom of darkness and all their activities; he knew their strategies in warfare, their purpose, and mode of operations, and knew their prime targets after his exploits against believers before he was converted and convinced by Christ Jesus to preach the gospel through the gift and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit upon his life. We cannot thank God enough that through Paul’s epistles, our eyes are opened to see, know, and understand such massive evil activities, not that we should practice them, but that we should take proactive steps to resist the temptation and the influence in participating in such activities.

Apostle Paul knew the power of an effective prayer of committed believers; he knew the power of prayer when believers desire to walk, strive to maintain, and remain in the righteousness of Christ Jesus; he knew the results of ceaseless prayer and had experienced many; he knew the power of faithfulness and obedience to God, the power of salvation, and the power in the Holy Ghost; he knew the power of humility and submissiveness to God and man; and he knew the best strategy that Christians should use when dealing with the powers of darkness while remaining useful to God and keeping safe the grace of our salvation.

The greatest, most tested, and proven most effective of such strategy Christians should deploy against everything that stands to hinder the will and purpose of God after conversion is the efficacy in ceaseless prayers. Apostle Paul was never a novice in spiritual things and we should not be; he was not an aimless, careless Christian; he knew the powers of the devil, its effects on Godly-minded individuals, its purpose in their lives, its result when these powers are allowed to take root in lives, and when believers are overwhelmed by such powers. Paul knew the power of God when we prayed and offered ceaseless prayer as the solution to problems.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s evil tricks. Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world. That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing. So, stand strong, with the belt of truth tied around your waist. And on your chest wear the protection of right living. And on your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. And also use the shield of faith. With that, you can stop all the burning arrows of the Evil One. Accept God’s salvation to be your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit, that sword is the teaching of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all God’s people.” Ephesians 6:10-18

God has given specific instructions in His Word for all things. He gives us what we need to stand strong in this life and have the victory we deserve over the battlefields of our minds, hearts, and souls. But too often, we run into bumps and race through busy days ill-equipped, unprepared, and unaware of what we are up against, or who the real enemy is. The forces of darkness do not wait for us to be ready for their attacks. They are ruthless, determined, and cunning. They do not care if we are prepared or prayed, they even prefer we are not prepared and have not prayed and do not know. But God is with all believers to see them through and keep them from being defeated by the power of His word.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I know that You have prayed for me. Help me to pray and to pray at all times and in all situations. Keep me in your peace Oh Lord and establish me in your presence, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued






------------------------------------------




CHRIST PRAYED FOR YOU.

SEPTEMBER 03, 2023

Genuine salvation gives every Christian the opportunity to enjoy and covet the prayers of Jesus Christ in every situation and in every place they are in. Christ came to save the entire human race and died for that purpose but He specifically prayed for those who believe, follow, and keep His words and commandments. Even when you are weak in prayers, or one prays for you, know and believe that Christ Jesus had prayed for you, He is interceding for you, and all of His prayers for you are effective throughout your lifetime no matter the place. This is one of such prayers;

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them, I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one, I in them and you in me, so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:15-26

If you believe that Christ prayed for you and you are sincerely obedient to His commandments, and follow His words with all honesty, subjecting them above your thoughts, imaginations, feelings, and knowledge, then believe also that no evil will work against you. His prayers are effective and active no matter the situation and the place in question. Trusting in God’s word and prayers gives us peace and assurance in every situation every day. That is why we are encouraged to pray without ceasing every day every time and in every situation. “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all, hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15-24.

In all of your prayers, hold on to that which is good, go to God with a testimony, and learn to reject that which is evil either in thoughts or actions. Plan your times for prayer. Strive to have and maintain a good attitude while praying knowing that you are standing or kneeling before the Almighty God. Understand and develop the mindset of prayer, starting with developing the habit of intentionally praying no matter the situation. Turn your times of sorrow and fears into times of prayers and praise. Do not believe the notion that you can’t pray or that God won’t answer you. You can pray through all situations because God hears all prayers in all languages and dialects. In your prayers, always seek God’s will and do not maintain your own will before Him. Be ready to change your plans and to bring it to God’s will.

Men will hold you down on your faults, and sins, and build up guilts within and around you, they will make you a suspect, confirm and confess their suspicion openly, yet Christ had prayed for your redemption and victory, He had forgiven you, and God had washed you clean in His blood. Men may not even forgive you for the sins you did not commit. They may hold you guilty and pronounce you guilty, condemn you, hold you accountable for what you did not do, yet Christ had forgiven and prayed for you to move on and to go forward. “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” John 19:9

Today, I want you to covet the prayers of Jesus Christ for yourself, stand on them, repeat and pray them over your life and situation, and rejoice thereafter that His prayers are working wonders in your life and situation. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7

 LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I know that You have prayed for me. Help me to trust in your prayers and to pray at all times and in all situations. Keep me in your peace Oh Lord and establish me in your presence, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued



----------------------------------------------------------




CHRIST PRAYED FOR HIMSELF (2)

August 27, 2023

To those who truly believe in God, follow Him, and submit themselves to His word, prayer is a part of living fellowship and dependence on Him. Without prayers, there is no way we can express our love, feelings, and desires to Him. In prayers, we seek His face, help, leadership, guidance, deliverance, power and favor. Those who trust God do not just assume things will happen, they pray for it and wait for it to happen. Jesus Christ our Lord took prayer seriously and always gave Himself to pray at all times, in all places, and in all situations regardless of the result and His experience therein and thereafter.

He prayed long before the cross and prayed while on the cross in the full view of all the people not minding what they said, and did to Him. Can we pray everywhere, at every time, and in every situation regardless of the result and what people may say and do against us? That is the kind of prayer that will definitely move mountains before us. You cannot be a good Christian without a good prayer life, though I have seen people with good prayer life sometimes do bad things. Prayer is always needed, always necessary, and always powerful. It can do what no one can do for, in, and through us. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

Christianity depends on God through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, not on our strength, knowledge, and ability, which is only possible through His word and prayers to God always. We know Christ Jesus spent considerable time praying, but we are looking into three of the prayers He prayed for Himself, what He said, and what He expected. Looking into these three will help us know how to pray for ourselves. The prayer life of Jesus Christ will surely encourage us and reveal how we need to pray in our situations, What He said, and what He prayed about reveals certain things we have to say and do in our prayers also. We read of Him going out alone to pray on several occasions, but on these three occasions, we are given what He said.

Throughout the scriptures, we read of Jesus Christ teaching the crowd how to pray, praying for His disciples, praying for all believers, praying for all sinners, and praying for Himself. In Matthew 6:9-13, we read of Jesus Christ teaching His disciples how to pray. In Matthew 14:23, we read of Jesus going into the mountains alone to pray. In Mark 1:35, we read of Jesus rising up early in the morning to a solitary place to pray. In Luke 3:21, we read that Jesus prayed after He was baptized and the heaven opened. In Luke 5:16, we read that He often went into the wilderness to pray alone. In Luke 6:12, we read that He prayed all night.

It will be right for us to conclude that Christ was very active in prayer. He did not only teach how to pray; He showed how by actively praying. The second time the Scripture gave us the word of Jesus praying for Himself is in Matthew 26:36-44. “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, sit here while I go and pray over there. And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me. He went a little farther, fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, What, Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, your will be done. And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.”

He took two of His disciples along with Him, and for the first time told them His feelings; that He was deeply sorrowful and distressed even unto death. These were the words of His prayer on that situation “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. On that one occasion, Christ used the same prayer point three times, all expressing His desire and submitting Himself and the situation to the will of the Father, it showed us consistency in purpose. In prayers, we express our situations, feelings, what we are going through, what we expect, and above all, we ask for God’s will in it. Asking for God’s will shows our acceptance that despite our feelings and expectations, God has the very best for us in every situation. That was exactly what Christ did, when we pray, we should be willing to accept the will of God knowing that it will definitely be the best for us.

In the third prayer, we have the opportunity to know the words Christ used for Himself. “Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, pray that you may not enter into temptation. And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done. Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:39-44. Here, He requested the cup to be taken from Him while still subjecting His desire to the will of God in the situation. The result was that angels came and strengthened Him. I pray God will strengthen you as you willingly submit to His will. In our prayers, let us submit to the will of God, knowing that our very best is in His hands and He will not allow us to suffer indefinitely.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I know You have a will, a plan, and a purpose for me, I request that You help me to submit myself to Your will in my prayers and expectations. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued






-----------------------------------------





CHRIST PRAYED FOR HIMSELF (1)

August 20, 2023

“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” John 17:1-5

Prayer is always needed, necessary, and powerful. It is capable to do what no one can for, in, and for us. Have you prayed for yourself? Do you often pray for yourself? If not, please always take some time to pray for yourself very often. Here Jesus requested to be glorified with the Father after He had glorified Him on earth in all His activities. Note that He made the request after and not before. When making requests in your prayers, endeavor to show God your work in glorifying Him as Jesus did. Show Him what you have done with what He gave to you as Jesus did. In doing so, you will have the assurance and a high expectation of an answer to that prayer as Jesus did.

Christianity is not only a way of showing the world how good things should be, how they should behave, or having a good living standard; it is a way of showing the world who Jesus Christ is in you in all situations through obedience and submission; it is a way of living for God through believing, accepting and following all the acts and teachings of Jesus Christ, and it is a way of testifying of the power of God to renew the mind, the soul, and the actions of a person. Christianity is also a way of showing the transformation of the whole person into what is good and acceptable from what is bad and unacceptable; it is a way of showing the world the true image and likeness of God through our daily words and actions; it is a way of showing the world the true way back to God the Father Almighty; it is a way to prove the reality of spiritual and physical regeneration of man; and it is a way of living and doing what God alone approves and accepts as normal.

In living the Christian life, we need to look and depend on God for strength, direction, and leadership in every aspect of living; this is possible through the act of a deliberate, effective, fervent, and continuous prayer life. God will not turn down the prayers of His children. Prayer is the believer’s request for power, freedom, wisdom, knowledge, and everything else that makes the Christian effective and fruitful. Prayer should not be misunderstood; without prayer, the devil rules and exercises his authority, but through prayer, believers secure victory and power to enforce the will of God. Our spiritual strength is a measure of our submission to the will of God in prayer. Prayer is one aspect of life that quickens spiritual growth, and the knowledge of the word of God quickens our maturity, making us effective and productive in the things of God. 

For Christians, prayer matters, and what we say and pray about matters. Prayer does not show weakness or foolishness, but dependence and reliance on God for all things. Praying is a very important aspect of being a Christian and should not be ignored. It affects every aspect of our lives, our attitudes, emotions, joy, expectations, pains, sadness, friendships, and relationships.  Prayer affects our daily activities, dreams, and desires. There is no area of the Christian life that should be separated from prayer. In prayers, we give God our all in exchange for His all and learn to live and depend on His all thereafter.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I know You have a will, a plan, and a purpose for me, I request that You help me to submit myself to Your will in my prayers and expectations. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued




-----------------------------------------





BE THANKFUL

August 13, 2023

“What if the Lord had not been on our side? Let all Israel repeat: What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us? They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger. The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us. Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives. Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart. We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:1-8

God will manifest Himself to mankind through those who believe in and submit themselves to follow Christ Jesus - true believers. He will draw many unto Himself in an amazing way. In ways we have not seen before, He will save, He will call, He will use, and he will bless those who will be faithful and active in serving our Lord God. His word will be fulfilled and expectations will be exceeded.

I trust and pray that God will establish you on a solid foundation and enable you to see better rewards as you follow Him diligently, faithfully, and truthfully in all obedience. The Holy Scriptures assure us that our expectations in Him will not be cut off as we will remain in hope and endeavor to walk in His righteousness, and forget seeking ways to justify our actions even when we know clearly that it contradicts His principles. “For surely there is a latter end, a future, and a reward, and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off.” Proverbs 32:18

My prayer for you is that you will experience an abundance of grace and through that abundance, you will start well, remain strong, faithful, loyal, focused, and obedient, and end with better results and rewards. There is definitely nothing impossible for our God to do when we follow Him with all of our might. Many started the year with resolutions to do certain things differently; many with great expectations and desires for better and lasting results, but I am convinced that many do not have the provision to thank God every day except they have a miracle.

I pray you will cultivate the habit of being and remaining thankful to our God in all things and at all times. “Thank God in everything no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks, for this is the will of God for you who are in Christ Jesus the Revealer and Mediator of that will.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18. As we give ourselves to thanking God, He will reward us in many ways. A thankful heart is a merry heart. The devil hates our joy and merriment, and we should not give him the chance to rejoice over us in anything. As we learn to be thankful, let us humble ourselves and ask God to teach us how to make good use of our time and day, make meaningful spiritual progress, financial progress, manage all the situations that will come our way in a godly and acceptable manner, teach us to identify sin quickly and help us void falling into its deception irrespective of our feelings. David said: “Teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

Let us begin now and continue with thanksgiving to our God for the promised blessings, for the expected blessings, and for the unexpected blessing that He will definitely give to us. There are things that God will definitely give to us without announcing them publicly through prophecies; dreams, words of knowledge, or words of wisdom. As you give yourself to thanking God, there will be many unmistaken blessings in your life; God will deliberately position you in places that you will never miss and will provide you with all the security and comfort needed to manifest His glory for the people to see and appreciate His good works in you. Whenever our God is on the move to fulfill any of His promises, His angels are always with Him to ensure all instructions are carried out to the letter, and there will never be any form of mistaken identity or wrong location. God in His infinite mercy had given you this day, this week, this month, and this year for a reason that is far beyond your dreams and desires, and He will help and strengthen every step you take toward the promised blessings.

Let us go before God with thanksgiving, let us humble ourselves now for His glory to dwell and pass through us, let us humble ourselves until we are filled with the Holy Spirit from above and be useful agents of change in our locations as we receive spiritual renewal and revival that produce meaningful changes in us. There will be joy in your life, God is not a man that He should lie, let us seek God, and allow Him to soften our hearts for the lost and hurting people in the world. Let our praise and thanksgiving begin now, and let us take this thankful heart with us everywhere. God will solve our problems; He saved us for a reason and purpose; He will not fail us in any way, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

LET US PRAY

My dear Lord, it is by Your power and love that I have seen this day and I am very grateful. I ask that You will help me make good use of every day and every opportunity; help me to be and to remain thankful to You in all things. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen

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Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

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To be continued





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IN ALL, BE HOPEFUL

AUGUST 06, 2023

“For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood contending only with physical opponents, but against the despotisms, against the powers, against the master spirits who are the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly sphere. Therefore, put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day of danger, and having done all the crisis demands, stand firmly in your place. Stand therefore, hold your ground, having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God, and having shod your feet in preparation to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news of the Gospel of peace. Lift up over all the covering shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. Pray at all times, on every occasion, in every season in the Spirit, with all manner of prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all God’s consecrated people.” Ephesians 6:12-18

There are many things to worry about but putting your hope in Christ's ability and word is all you need much more than anything else. Know that there is nothing that you will ever do that Satan will keep silent about; seek to stop, change, or prevent you from going forward. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you will be pushed and pulled in all directions in all things; tempted and tested; you will experience competition, opposition, and confrontation; Satan will throw everything at you; will bully, frighten and seek to humiliate you openly, but despite all, know that you are not fighting with flesh and blood, but battling spiritual wickedness seeking to prevent you from having what God intends for you. In all that you will ever experience, God is there to direct, help, deliver, and sustain you. The actions you will take are important; they will either take you up or downward, enhance or stop your ability to reach the mark of God for your life.

Believers should know that regardless of their status, denomination, wealth, family, office, organization, institution, and in all nations in the world, they will forever remain the valued salt and light of God, deliberately positioned by God to achieve a purpose that had been divinely ordained; to perform a duty bigger than their imaginations and better than their dreams. It is important for believers to know they are valuable instruments in the hands of the Almighty God, they are valuable to the family of Christ, valuable to someone somewhere, and Satan does not want them to know that. Satan is out to see that Christians are frustrated and humiliated by seeking to turn their lives around against their God through delays and denials.

It is absolutely true that no one can let God down, when we disappoint Him in our services, we let ourselves down and suffer the pains of our actions, not God; none can put Him to shame, and none can disgrace Him despite the situations and the reasons for the actions we might take in any situation. When we knowingly or ignorantly go against God’s will, plans, and revealed purposes for our lives, regardless of the dreams, knowledge, learning, convincing reasons for our actions, pressures we have within and without, and the correctness of the people around us, we will be letting ourselves down before God.

God can never be defeated or frustrated though men may deny Him, blaspheme, or refuse to obey His word; He can never be put to shame even when we fail. Whatever He institutes on earth will never be destroyed by Satan or men; all of His creation will stand the test of time, overcome all temptations, and will survive all trials everywhere. When we think we are letting God down through deliberate disobedience, we are actually letting ourselves down, this is what the devil wants to see happen. Satan has nothing against the unrighteous, they are working to divert attention from God to self; the unrighteous are working to advance Satan’s kingdom.

There are several things that Christians should not be ignorant about, and there are several things they should never take for granted. There is no individual smarter than the devil, none can cheat him, but with Christ, we can overcome, have victory, and exalt God in our lives. Christians need courage now more than any time else. We need courage to stand up and remain standing with Christ, and as we are hopeful and grow in courage, we will grow in our relationship with God, and be able to overcome the spiritual wickedness in high places. Let us continue in being hopeful in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For us to stand, these are the things that we have to do:

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:1-5

LET US PRAY

My dear Father and Lord, all I have on earth are in You, You are my hope and my strength, I ask that You will lead, guide, and give me the grace I need to overcome and be what You want me to be in this life. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Someone is always here to pray with you.

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------




BLAMELESS HEART, WILLING MIND (II)

July 30:2023

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” Matthew 15:18-20. God’s standards are true and are set for the blessing of everyone who truly follows them. You can be left behind after meeting those standards. Check your heart, weigh your words, thoughts, and actions, and search your conscience diligently. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick. Who can know it, perceive, understand, and be acquainted with his own heart and mind? I the Lord search the mind, I try the heart, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10. A blameless heart is a mighty instrument in the hands of God, in His presence, and in doing all of His works.

When David was old and about to die, God had to give Israel another king in his place, they were many who were physically qualified to take over the leadership from David. Those qualified to be the new king were all the princes of Israel, the heads of each tribe, military captains of thousands and captains of hundreds of soldiers, all stewards, all cabinet officers, all mighty men, all valiant men, and all his sons. But despite their presence and qualifications, God has to do His work in the choice of the next leader by looking at the heart. Remember what God told Samuel earlier, “But the Lord said to Samuel, look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7. David narrated to all the people present at the choice with this personal message from God, “He gave me many sons, and out of them all God chose Solomon to rule over Israel, the LORD’s Kingdom.” I Chronicles 28:5

Remember, not the mighty, though they have strength; not the noble though they have connections; not the handsome though good-looking; not the most exposed, though exposure is an advantage were chosen to replace David but Solomon who had a blameless heart and willing mind before God. “For simply consider your own call, brethren; not many of you were considered to be wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential and powerful, not many of high and noble birth. No, for God selected, deliberately chose what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. And God also selected, deliberately chose what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are, so, that no mortal man should have pretense for glorying and boast in the presence of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. All that God is looking for is a blameless heart and a willing mind to use for His works and services to humanity in His name, not our nobility or physical strength.

After the choice of Solomon was made, David turned to Solomon in the presence of those who were in attendance and said, though you have heard the declaration: - “My son, I charge you to acknowledge your fathers God and to serve him with an undivided heart and a willing mind. He knows all our thoughts and desires. If you go to him, he will accept you, but if you turn away from him, he will abandon you forever. You must realize that the Lord has chosen you to build his holy temple. Now do it, and do it with determination. The quality that makes you continue trying to do something even when it is difficult.” I Chronicles 28:9-10. A blameless heart and a submissive willing mind are all that God is looking for in you today. You cannot miss God and He cannot miss you if you have both, and actively following Christ Jesus, and keeping His word.

LET US PRAY

My dear Father, I come before You with all my heart, my desire is to be blameless before You in all things. I have a willing mind, and I am determined to follow You. Today, Oh Lord, I need Your help, purge my heart and help me to walk in the pureness of my heart before you always. I ask these in Jesus Name. Amen.

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Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

534 Atlanta Avenue 

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

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-----------------------------------------------



BLAMELESS HEART, 

WILLING MIND (1)

July 23:2023

“However, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me before all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, He chose the house of my father; and among the sons of my father, He was pleased to make me king over all Israel; And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many sons, He has chosen Solomon, my son, to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. And He said to me, Solomon your son shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he loyally and continuously obeys My commandments and My ordinances, as he does today. Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek, be familiar with all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever. And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him; appreciate, heed, and cherish Him and serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts. If you seek Him, inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity, you will find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:4-9

The Almighty God will always lead by His words in all things with standards given in the Holy Bible for all human beings when they stand before Him for anything and for any reason, and in their relationship to others in all things. Once we can meet the basics of those standards through salvation, cultivate a blameless heart after confessing our sins and having a willing mind through complying with His words, then God will give us the power to manifest the grace that will work in us to attain to the fullness of all the stated standards, image, and likeness of His glory.

God has a standard for genuine salvation; lasting peace, financial freedom, spiritual growth, being debt-free, and physical blessings; God has a standard for an acceptable form of worship, praise, and glory; He has an acceptable standard for every kind of relationship, for every form of charity, for every form of activity that men will ever be engaged in. God has a standard for calling people into ministry, for keeping people in ministry, and for sending people on missions. “And He said to them, come after Me as disciples, letting Me be your Guide, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, all authority, all power of rule in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 4:19, 28:18-19

Standing before God in prayers, making any form of request, and complaining about anything will definitely require our having a blameless heart in our relationship with Him and a willing mind to follow His words, and His ways and to keep all of His instructions and commandments. Christians should know that God will not change His rules for any reason and for anyone; He will not change whether we are poor or rich; big or small; well informed or not so well informed in knowledge; because we can or cannot read; because of the requirements of our occupation or profession; because of our physical location and the things that are going on around us; and because of the thoughts, words, and actions of men. God has a universal standard for every human being and when we meet those standards, we can definitely be sure to receive the reward according to His words.

David was chosen to replace Saul as king of Israel because of his heart for God, and the willingness of his mind to be humble before God and to follow His words and instructions. He was not chosen because he was very strong, he could sing good praises to Him, he could kill the lion with his hands, kill Goliath with a sling, he could provide good protection and account for all the flocks that were under his care, or because of his qualification and profession. “And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God which He commanded you; for the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever; But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out David a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince and ruler over His people because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 1 Samuel 13:13-14

The same thing is happening in our generation today, God is seeking, God is choosing, God is enabling, God is lifting up, God is promoting, God is blessing, God is establishing and God is sending forth people into higher offices, with higher responsibilities; He is using people in all generations whose heart are blamelessly fixed on Him, whose desires are to satisfy God rather than self and those having a willing mind to humble themselves before Him at all times, to follow His instructions, words, and walk in obedience in all things that will ever concern Him. There is no way that you will have a blameless heart and willing mind before God, meeting His standards in your life, in your relationship, and in your activities, and be left alone and behind by God.

LET US PRAY

My dear Father, I come before You with all my heart, my desire is to be blameless before You in all things. I have a willing mind, and I am determined to follow You. Today, Oh Lord, I need Your help, purge my heart and help me to walk in the pureness of my heart before you always. I ask these in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook at Pastorudobong@facebook.com

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506



----------------------


MAKE EVERY EFFORT (II)

June 04, 2023

“Those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed. The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing. Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed; the offspring of the wicked will perish. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom and their tongues speak what is just. The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip. The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death; but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked or let them be condemned when brought to trial. Hope in the Lord and keep his way.  He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it. I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked. The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in times of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in him.” Psalm 37:22-40

God has not given up on you, He has no plan to give you up, and will never trade you for anyone or anything else. His love for you is never faulted even when you are the defaulter.

The devil wants to keep you so busy to the extent that you forget who and what you are in Christ Jesus, He wants to keep you busy with things so you forget to read your bible but give yourself to the snap prayer on the go. He wants to keep you busy and successful to forget that you were saved by grace through Christ Jesus and not by your careful works of generosity, goodness, wealth, education, finances, or any other personal stories of success.

Make every effort to stand upright even when other Christians around you are falling behind and compromising the gospel truth for personal interest and for general acceptance by the larger society.

Make every effort to stand up and continue the Christian journey set before you after a fall – the righteous will fall seven times the scripture says, but they will definitely rise again – “for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” Proverb 24:16. There is always mercy from our Lord, forgiveness of sins, and provisions for recovery for every true Christian. God never forsakes His own, neither does He forget His word and the blood of Jesus Christ washes us clean, that redeems you from the hands of Satan and sin. He hears when we cry regardless of the place, time, and situation, and He answers and keeps us alive to see the answers when we are patient to wait for the answer.

He answered Jonah when he prayed. This is Jonah’s testimony of answered prayers – “Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said, I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and He answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me. You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. Then I said, O Lord, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple. I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death. As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone. Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.” Jonah 2:1-10

Make every effort to continue in the race, in the faith, and in Christianity, the reward will be far greater and better than what you have ever lost, and what you will ever lose. God is a rewarder of those who follow Him in truth, in faith, and in Jesus Christ.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, help me in my efforts to live the Christian life in all things and everywhere that will honor you in my life. Through me, let your word and the benefit of the cross be seen. Help me walk with You, and keep me in your continuous love, I ask with thanksgiving in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued


-------------------------------------------------


MAKE EVERY EFFORT

May 28, 2023

“Remind your people of this, and give them a solemn warning in God's presence not to fight over words. It does no good, but only ruins the people who listen. Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of His work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth. Keep away from profane and foolish discussions, which only drive people farther away from God. Such teaching is like an open sore that eats away the flesh. Two men who have taught such things are Hymenaeus and Philetus. They have left the way of truth and are upsetting the faith of some believers by saying that our resurrection has already taken place. But the solid foundation that God has laid cannot be shaken, and on it are written these words, the Lord knows those who are His and those who say that they belong to the Lord must turn away from wrongdoing.” 2 Timothy 2:14-19

Make every effort to live the Christian life and fulfill the reason for salvation; make every effort to keep the faith of the word of God and not the word of men; make every effort to believe and obey the word of God; make every effort to follow in the footstep of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the apostles after Him. Make every effort not to slack or slide back and do not lay down the hope that is in the promises of God. Your day of redemption is nearer than you first believed, and closer than we ever think. “But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that Day the heavens will disappear with a shrill noise, the heavenly bodies will burn up and be destroyed, and the earth with everything in it will vanish. Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Your lives should be holy and dedicated to God, as you wait for the Day of God and do your best to make it come soon, -- the Day when the heavens will burn up and be destroyed, and the heavenly bodies will be melted by the heat. But we wait for what God has promised; new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home. And so, my friends, as you wait for that Day, do your best to be pure and faultless in God's sight and to be at peace with Him. Look on our Lord's patience as the opportunity He is giving you to be saved, just as our dear friend Paul wrote to you, using the wisdom that God gave him.” 2 Peter 3:10-15

Make every effort to present yourselves as holy and acceptable before God in all things.

Make every effort to be pure in thoughts, words, and actions before God and man

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone, and avoid hatred. It is a trap set by Satan to get you in his captivity and holds you bound and guilty of the sin of disobedience and wickedness.

Make every effort to pray without ceasing in every place and at every time – prayer is never a waste of time, God demands it, Christ showed us how, and we are reminded us of its importance in the scriptures. “We urge you, our friends, to warn the idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, and be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but at all times make it your aim to do good to one another and to all people. Be joyful always, pray at all times, and be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus. Do not restrain the Holy Spirit; do not despise inspired messages. Put all things to the test: keep what is good and avoid every kind of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14-21

Make every effort to support the church and the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ

Make every effort to be part of the things of God, of the house of God, and of the things that advance the kingdom of God.

Make every effort to speak with courage and to encourage others with your word

Make every effort to be committed to the things of truth according to the gospel of Christ Jesus

Make every effort to know Christ Jesus better every and to remain in Him faithfully.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, help me in my efforts to live the Christian life in all things and everywhere that will honor you in my life. Through me, let your word and the benefit of the cross be seen. Help me walk with You, and keep me in your continuous love, I ask with thanksgiving in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued


--------------------------


MAKING EVERY EFFORT (1)

MAY 21, 2023

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” Luke 13:24

One of the greatest desires of our Lord God for our salvation is that we are preserved in Him till the end; we are blessed in His word by not deviating from its truth; we do not fall into any form of sinful habits or activities and fall out of His grace for any reason. While Christ Jesus in His love and purpose had forgiven our sins, we are sealed by His Spirit and kept active and profitable in His in all ways. The Almighty God through Christ Jesus has done all for us by sending Jesus Christ into the world to show us the true path back to His presence; to die on the cross for our sins and now seat at His right hand interceding for us; it is now left for us to do all that is right and true in the sight of God only according to His written word through true obedience, diligence, faithfulness, and patience.

God wants us to make every effort personally at all times, in all places, in all relationships, and in every situation, we find ourselves to remain in Him knowing that Satan and his agents want us to deviate from God’s ways and God’s word and do his own will according to our understanding and desires and dreams. All the warnings of God, all His commandments, and all His instructions are for our general good, and if we take heed of them with all diligence, we will also be blessed and preserved.  These are the words and instructions of Jesus Christ to us; “Heaven can be entered only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide enough for all the multitudes who choose its easy way. But the Gateway to Life is small, the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it. Beware of false teachers who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are wolves and will tear you apart. You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You need never confuse grapevines with thorn bushes or figs with thistles. Different kinds of fruit trees can quickly be identified by examining their fruit. A variety that produces delicious fruit never produces an inedible kind. And a tree producing an inedible kind can’t produce what is good. So, the trees having the inedible fruit are chopped down and thrown on the fire. Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit produced. Not all who sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to me as Lord, but still won’t get to heaven. For the decisive question is whether they obey my Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:13-21. We can recall that it was God’s instruction that saved Noah and his family and it was God’s instructions that blessed Abraham.

In making all efforts, Paul wrote about what he did with himself; “When I am with those whose consciences bother them easily, I don’t act as though I know it all and don’t say they are foolish; the result is that they are willing to let me help them. Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him. I do this to get the Gospel to them and also for the blessing I myself receive when I see them come to Christ. In a race everyone runs, but only one person gets first prize. So run your race to win. To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best. An athlete goes to all this trouble just to win a blue ribbon or a silver cup, but we do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears. So, I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I fight to win. I’m not just shadow-boxing or playing around. Like an athlete I punish my body, treating it roughly, training it to do what it should, not what it wants to. Otherwise, I fear that after enlisting others for the race, I myself might be declared unfit and ordered to stand aside.” 1 Corinthians 9:22-27. But I keep it under my body and bring it into subjection.

Jesus Christ said this about Himself, making every personal effort: “The Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may have it back again. No one can kill me without my consent; I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right and power to lay it down when I want to and also the right and power to take it again. For the Father has given me this right.” John 10:17-18. In His power and love, God had given us that same right to do all that is right because the devil is also doing whatever he can to keep us back.

God will not force anyone in any way to do anything. He always instructs and expects us to follow up with obedience and faithfulness. How I wish Christ will force us to remain faithful and committed to Him, but He does not and we have to make every effort to do so on our own. this effort is personal and should be consistent. How I wish Christ will force every Christian to refrain from fornication and adultery, but He does not and we have to make every effort to stay away from such things. How I wish Christ will force every Christian to abstain from alcohol and drug use, but He does not, we have to make every effort to abstain by ourselves. How I wish Christ will force every Christian to refrain from speaking lies, gossip, and defrauding people, but He does not, and we have to make every effort not to engage ourselves in such activities. How I wish Christ will force every Christian to be truthful and live a holy life, but He does not and we have to make every effort personally not to be deceived by the devil. Broad is the way that leads to destruction and many are on that way.

Christ does not want us to be lawless, and He will not compel us in any way to be law-abiding, but His word and commandments demand and recommended it.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, let me not miss the benefit of the cross. Help me walk with You all through my life, and keep me in your continuous love. Help me to remain in You, I ask with thanksgiving in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

www.theglobalministries.com.

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Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued


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EQUIPED TO COMPLETE (2)

May 07, 2023

“Beware that no one distracts you or intimidates you in their attempt to lead you away from Christ’s fullness by pretending to be full of wisdom when they’re filled with endless arguments of human logic. For they operate with humanistic and clouded judgments based on the mindset of this world system, and not the anointed truths of the Anointed One. For He is the complete fullness of deity living in human form. And our own completeness is now found in Him. We are completely filled with God as Christ’s fullness overflows within us. He is the Head of every kingdom and authority in the universe. Through our union with Him, we have experienced circumcision of the heart. All of the guilt and power of sin has been cut away and is now extinct because of what Christ, the Anointed One, has accomplished for us.” Colossians 2:8-11

Human wisdom and knowledge will distract, intimidate, frighten, expose weakness, destroy faith, and leave us sad, inadequate, unqualified, and inferior. Paul said the gospel is not preached with human wisdom and knowledge. We do not believe the word of God by human reasoning, wisdom, or knowledge. We should not worship God by human wisdom and knowledge – but by Spirit and truth. We should not follow God with human knowledge or wisdom but by faith in His word and in Him alone.

All Human wisdom and knowledge conflicts with divine wisdom and knowledge on every side and in everything. When we follow them, we discover our lack of what it is required to compete and complete every race, but when we follow God’s divine wisdom and knowledge, we will discover we have been given the grace to compete and complete the race, win the prize, and obtain the crown. You are saved and equipped to complete the race of salvation, to complete the faith you have come to believe and follow, to complete the good fight of faith, and to be at the right hand of Christ in heaven hereafter. You are called and equipped to complete not to only compete in what God had called you for, trained you for, and anointed you for. There is no room for going back when the divine knowledge and wisdom of God are in and with you. Christ Jesus did not want His disciples to abandon what He had started, what they had started, what they had been called to do, what they had been trained to do, or abandon their faith in Him.

The disciples were not to compete with the Pharisees or Sadducees but were commissioned to complete what they were called to do – preach and teach the gospel of Christ Jesus with signs and wonders following – “Meanwhile, the eleven disciples heard the wonderful news from the women and left for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. The moment they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some still had lingering doubts. Then Jesus came close to them and said, all authority of the universe has been given to me. Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.” Matthew 28:16-20

Christ Jesus knew there will be competitors and competition, they will be resistance, there will be discouragement, and there will be frustration, but to enable them not only to compete in these things but to actually complete the work they were called to do. Then Jesus Christ gave them this promise - The Holy Spirit – “Jesus instructed them, don’t leave Jerusalem, but wait here until you receive the gift I told you about, the gift the Father has promised. For John baptized you in water, but in a few days from now you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. But I promise you this, —the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and you will be seized with power. You will be my messengers to Jerusalem, throughout Judea, the distant provinces, even to the remotest places on earth.” Acts 1:4-5, 8

To complete the work Jesus started with and for them, they received the promise – “On the day Pentecost was being fulfilled, all the disciples were gathered in one place. Suddenly they heard the sound of a violent blast of wind rushing into the house from out of the heavenly realm. The roar of the wind was so overpowering it was all anyone could bear. Then all at once a pillar of fire appeared before their eyes. It separated into tongues of fire that engulfed each one of them. They were all filled and equipped with the Holy Spirit and were inspired to speak in tongues—empowered by the Spirit to speak in languages they had never learned.” Acts 2:1-4

All the disciples, not a few but all received the Holy Spirit – That is the kind of experience I am praying the body of Christ will have in this day, not only the clergies, pastor, or preachers, but all true believers, sincere followers, and devoted worshipers of our Lord Jesus Christ – it will make a huge difference in our lives individually and collectively; it will make a huge difference in our nation, and a huge difference in the entire world. - If only Christians will desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God and leave behind seeking human knowledge and wisdom in the things of God and His people. Remember, God gave us His Spirit so we can complete the race that is set before us since we became Christians, believers, and followers of His word.

“I’m writing to encourage you to fan into a flame and rekindle the fire of the spiritual gift God imparted to you when I laid my hands upon you. For God will never give you the spirit of fear but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control. So never be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor be embarrassed over my imprisonment, but overcome every evil by the revelation of the power of God. He gave us resurrection life and drew us to Himself by His Holy calling on our lives. And it wasn’t because of any good we have done but by His divine pleasure and marvelous grace that confirmed our union with the anointed Jesus, even before time began. This truth is now being unveiled by the revelation of the anointed Jesus, our life-giver, who has dismantled death, obliterating all its effects on our lives, and has manifested His immortal life in us by the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:6-10

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I desire to do greater and better things that will glorify you on earth. I ask that you will help me, take away from all things that will distract me and hinder me, I wholly submit myself to follow and obey you all the time, I ask that you will help me do these in Jesus' Name. Amen.

To be continued

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.


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EQUIPPED TO COMPLETE IT (I)

April 30, 2023

“So, he said to me, this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel; not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel, you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shout God bless it, God bless it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, the hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple, his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?” Zechariah 4:6-10. You are equipped to complete the project He had started in, with, and through you. Though the fear of failure is present, the resources are not forthcoming, the people are not friendly, and the environment is not conducive, God had equipped you to complete what He had given you the grace to start. Do not compare yourself with others even when you are doing the same thing, going through the same pains, the same affliction, the same insults, and the same hindrances. By the grace of the Almighty God, you are different, and by the reason of your being in and given salvation in Christ, you are equipped to overcome and complete the task God had given to you. Remember, Jesus Christ was on the Cross with two thieves on their own crosses beside Him, but He was different from them. It was through that Cross He paid for our freedom and permanently opened the door of eternal life in heaven for us. He completed what He came to the end to do through the cross. The cross was painful, but the mission was completed.

“Of course, we wouldn’t dare to put ourselves in the same class or compare ourselves with those who rate themselves so highly. They compare themselves to one another and make up their own standards to measure themselves by, and then they judge themselves by their own standards. What self-delusion. But we are those who choose to limit our boasting to only the measure of the work to which God has appointed us, a measure that, by the way, has reached as far as you. And since you are within our assigned limits, we didn’t overstep our boundaries of authority by being the first to announce to you the wonderful news of the Anointed One. We’re not trying to take credit for the ministry done by others, going beyond the limits God set for us. Instead, our hope soars as your faith continues to grow, causing a great expansion of our ministry among you. Then we can go and preach the good news in the regions beyond you without trespassing on the ministry sphere of other laborers and what they have already done. For the one who boasts must boast in the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 10:12-17. In being equipped by God for whatever He made us for and called us to be, we should note the following facts;

(1) We are not competing against human flesh but against rebellious spirits equipped by Satan to frustrate, stop, hinder, and if possible kill whatever is of interest to Christ Jesus in us and in the work assigned to us by God. “Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage.” Ephesians 6:12. To be successful in this competition and to complete them, we must know that (a) it is a physical and spiritual competition that will glorify God, not glorify self; we are not able to complete and accomplish what we have to do by our own power, knowledge, and resources. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6

(b) We have to be physically prepared to compete and complete by using everything God had given us for the completion – “Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser.” Ephesians 6:11. Putting on the armor of God is not a one-day affair; it should be done every day, every time, everywhere, regardless of the occasion. You cannot tell when the devil is coming after you. Job never knew Satan was coming after him when Satan started with his servants, business, and children. We have to put on the armor consciously, always, and not imaginary. We have to always believe in God, follow His ways, and obey His word consciously. God is not leading us partially, He leads and guides us consciously and that, we must know.

(2) We also have to be spiritually equipped. Being equipped spiritually means knowing the God who saves, believing the God who speaks, obeying His words, and deliberately following the ways He sets out in the scripture. “Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of His explosive power flowing in and through you.” Ephesians 6:10. Allow Him to dwell and work in you through faith in His word.

(3) Thereafter, you must always seek God’s protection by being careful in what you speak, in what you do, and where you go daily because the devil is walking around seeking whom he may destroy. “Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious. Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph. Put on holiness as the protective armor that covers your heart. Stand on your feet alert, then you’ll always be ready to share the blessings of peace. In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the evil one. Embrace the power of salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet to protect your thoughts from lies. And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken word of God. Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers.” Ephesians 6:13-18

Don’t compare yourself with anyone, but compete in every event with everyone with the mind of Christ Jesus and with a focus on the end. God is not keeping you in isolation nor is He asking you to reframe from competing for the price. “We look away from the natural realm, we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this because His heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be His, He endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God. So, consider carefully how Jesus faced such intense opposition from sinners who opposed their own souls so that you won’t become worn down and cave in under life’s pressures.” Hebrews 12:2-3. We are not only equipped to compete; we are equipped to complete the competition. We are not only equipped to participate, but we are also equipped to complete every task, every mission, and every given assignment.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I desire to do greater and better things that will glorify you on earth. I ask that you will help me, take away from all things that will distract and hinder me, I wholly submit myself to follow and obey you all the time, I ask that you will help me do these in Jesus' Name. Amen.

To be continued

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.


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FAITHFULNESS (II)

April 23, 2023

“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:1-5. If Christians will do this one thing, - seek and remain in total faithfulness to the Lord and follow His word – God’s glory will be evidently seen throughout the world such that people will be changed and the hearts of men will praise His name.

Examples of Faithfulness: In all things, Christ Jesus is our best example, but we want to look at human beings like us who also have some good examples for us to emulate.

1. Joseph, son of Jacob. Joseph suffered because he was faithful to God, but his suffering did not stop his dreams and God’s plans for his life from being fulfilled. In being faithful, he still maintained the principles of obedience to God even when his faithfulness and obedience brought him difficulties. When he was showing faithfulness to his parents and brother by taking supplies to them in the forest, he was sold into slavery. “Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood. And his brothers agreed.” Genesis 37:26-27. When Joseph showed faithfulness to his God and to his master by refusing to have a sexual relationship with Potiphar’s wife, he was handed an infinite time in prison with suffering. This is what Potiphar did, “So, he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained.” Genesis 39:20. Our faithfulness to God and to His words will always be measured and tested by our faithfulness to others according to the commands in the word of God. Joseph was always showing faithfulness to God through his actions, and in due time, God gave him a memorable seat at the right hand of Pharaoh, King, and ruler of Egypt. Faithfulness pays.

2. Moses. “My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house” Numbers 12:7. Moses was faithful in all things though he made his own mistakes. Moses did all things in obedience to the word and desires of God. He did all things God asked him to do with obedience and with all sincerity of heart. “It was by faith that Moses when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:24-27. Moses had the opportunity to stay back and receive the amazing and prominent wealth of Pharaoh in Egypt, but being faithful to God, he refused the wealth and the opportunities in Egypt preferring to suffer in His faithfulness to God, and in the end, he was rewarded. Faithfulness pays. Moses did not allow the attitude of the king and the people to deter his faithfulness and obedience to God. Obedience to God’s words is the only sign we can show to the world our genuine faithfulness to God. Faithfulness enables us to hear God clearly and more frequently. When God speaks, He expects us to comply by obedience.

3. Daniel. Daniel was set free from prison, elevated to the highest office in a foreign land, and given all honor and respect as a freeborn, he was defended against the people and in the den of lions, and he was faithful to God, because of his faithfulness, he was unmoved by the plots of the people. “Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.’ Daniel 6:4. God will always honor and reward faithfulness even in the most ungodly and unfriendly environment.

4. Paul and Silas. Genuine faithfulness speaks for itself; it is not dependent on the situation at hand, not on the activities and lifestyle of others around, not on the opinions of men, and not on the shame we often find ourselves in, genuine faithfulness is a lifestyle God requires of every Christian in every nation irrespective of profession, race, and social status. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed.” Acts 16:25-26. They did not regret their decisions to abandon all and follow the Lord and they did not regret where they were that night. It is our faithfulness that will quicken our prayers and our desire before God and nothing else. How faithful are we to God and to one another?

5. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Your faithfulness will deliver you from the hands of the tormentors and from anything else that does not glorify God in your life. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18. How genuine and true is your faithfulness? Will you rather suffer for being faithful or suffer for something else? Obedience to the commands of God is a true sign of faithfulness.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, my desire is to be genuinely and consistently faithful to You in all things, I ask dear Father that You will help me daily to do what is right always. I ask for direction in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued


-------------------


FAITHFULNESS (I)

April 16, 2023

“You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham. When he had proved himself faithful, you made a covenant with him to give him and his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. And you have done what you promised, for you are always true to your word. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, and be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” Nehemiah 9:7-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:14-24.

God will always be true; He will always be faithful, and will always fulfill all of His promises when we remain faithful to Him. One of the greatest areas that Christians will definitely suffer in working with God is in areas of faithfulness to Him in all things and all times. This suffering is what believers and followers of Christ Jesus should know about; if we desire to be and walk in faithfulness with our God, we will definitely suffer in the flesh. We will suffer in many ways and many things when we decide to be absolutely faithful to our God, but that faithful work and suffering will definitely reward us much more than anything else we will ever do in and for our lives. Suffering while remaining faithful is not what we impose on ourselves but it is a sign of accepting the high calling of God in our lives. If any Christian is suffering for something else, that Christian has missed the mark and God wants you to reassess your ways and straighten up that which is weak and make right that which is wrong. While we are focusing on examples of faithfulness as required by God, we should not fail to note the several rewards of faithfulness that Abraham received in the above scripture. God renamed him, made a covenant with him, and fulfilled the covenant. That is an excellent reward for remaining faithful to God. Also, we should remember that Abraham also suffered many things.

Because God is faithful and will forever remain faithful, He will help us to be faithful if we choose to be and remain faithful as we walk with Him.  We can be faithful to God because He demands our faithfulness. But how can Christians be faithful in this world when they are surrounded everywhere by people who have deliberately refused to accept and follow that which is good and acceptable before God; when they are surrounded by people who seek personal gains before or above service; when they are surrounded by people who are never patient in anything, who compete for everything by every means and people who are always compromising their own personal ethics and moral standards required by God to get what they want in every situation, and when they are surrounded by people who prefer temporal happiness and rewards above any form of eternal reward from God in that same service. To many people, faithfulness is to self alone and no one else, but God desires faithfulness to Him above all things. This is the kind of faithfulness that He will reward above all else. Faithfulness is being trustworthy and reliable before God in all things and at all times. It is not an option for all Christians but a requirement that rewards in ways far beyond the knowledge and explanations of men. Faithfulness is in the things we do every day. Faithfulness to God will definitely exalt any individual who gives his or her heart and ways to follow; it blesses families, strengthens nations, and upholds godliness. Faithfulness will always bring a reward irrespective of the obstacles in your way and the array of strong men who are engaged to hinder you in life.

Did you know that faith is an excellent expression of our faithfulness demonstrated in our actions and in all the ways we relate and talk? God wants to see our demonstrated faithfulness to His word and our determination to remain in Him no matter what. “How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith, these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.” Hebrews 11:32-40. Have you considered being and remaining faithful to God till the end no matter what? That is what God demands from you from now on.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, my desire is to be genuinely and consistently faithful to You in all things, I ask dear Father that You will help me daily to do what is right always. I ask for direction in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

Lynchburg VA, 24502 USA.

www.theglobalministries.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter http://twitter.com/Pastorudobong

Get this book “YOUR CHOICE, YOUR DESTINY” ISBN=9781624190506

To be continued



TEN BEST REASONS FOR THE CROSS

April 09, 2024

Nothing will ever make the Cross of Jesus Christ ineffective; not even the false declaration by the devil, the mocking of many; the insults on Christianity and its values, the power that lures men into sinful habits, the mistakes of believers and preachers of the gospel, the lifestyle of some Christians and whatever people may say or do against the church of Christ will never make the effect of the Cross to diminish its intended purpose. There are people waiting to celebrate the fall of a Christian or a pastor, but their fall and the celebration of their fall will never make the Cross ineffective. God in His wisdom made the Cross where Jesus Christ was publicly crucified; it will also take the public declaration of our faith and allegiance to Christ Jesus to fully benefit from the intent and power of that Cross. Since Christ was crucified publicly, Christians will also have to declare their love for Christ publicly. There should be no hidden love for Christ or the Cross; He was crucified openly and we must love Him openly.    

The Cross is still necessary

1. The Cross is the only source of power for all believers against sin, Satan, his agents, and all works that are contrary to sound doctrine, righteousness, faith, and the word of God.

2. The Cross is the pillar that keeps the Church of Jesus Christ in its rightful place of relevance and influence in our society. It is the light on a beckon and the hope of all humanity.

3. The Cross is the bridge linking God and all human beings. It opens the door of heaven for the dialog that guarantees total repentance, forgiveness, justice, and blessings.

4. The Cross is the only way through which man can, and will receive true forgiveness, pardon, and regeneration. At the Cross, we were spiritually washed and physically declared right with God, and given the power to live that cleansed life openly in the flesh.

5. The Cross is the bond that keeps all Christians glued to our Father in heaven, glued to the faith that ensures righteousness and victory, and to our Lord Jesus Christ forever.

6. The Cross is the only reason man can aspire further despite Satan’s temptation, the spirits that cause failure, fear, and rejection. On the Cross, we were reunited with God, accepted by Him, and wholeheartedly loved by Him to live out the destiny He had planned for us.

7. Without the Cross, humanity is detached from God’s grace; without the Cross, knowledge has no power to deliver man from sin or lead man to repentance; wisdom will not open the doors of heaven and no human effort will ever cleanse man from sin. Without the Cross, the word of God will remain an intellectual exercise only to satisfy human purposes as Satan did with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

8. The Cross remains the only best reference point of Christianity and the best example we can all emulate to prove the unification of man with God, the union which was lost by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they obeyed Satan’s own interpretation of the word of God.

9. The Cross is our schoolmaster in teaching and showing us spiritual realities of the power of God to absolutely forgive sin, honor all His words, and fulfill all His promises.

10. The Cross is our only hope in this dying and wicked world of dishonest human beings.

It is unfortunate that the Cross is no longer at the forefront of present-day preaching, mission work, ministration, and church programs, but that cannot erode the intent of God for allowing Christ to be on it; it will never take away its impact on the faith of those who embraced it. Though Satan is gradually substituting the effect of the Cross of Christ with the increase of knowledge in all churches, it should be noted that knowledge and wisdom irrespective of their excellence and benefits to humanity, will never defeat the purpose of the Cross or take its place in Christianity. The Cross is eternally the reason for salvation, forgiveness, mercy, love, grace, and for everything that Christianity and Christians will require to have victory and live the rest of their lives in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in heaven.

Nothing else brought man closer to God than the salvation of our souls through the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. The first thing that God cherishes most in us is not our beauty, name, or accomplishments; it is the salvation of our souls. Salvation opens the door to eternity with Christ in heaven, keeps us under the cover of the Almighty God, and preserves us against the works of the wicked and the powers of evil. God will never forget what was accomplished on the Cross. There is a great blessing in every sacrifice we will ever offer to advance God’s kingdom and the purpose of the Cross of Jesus Christ on earth. from the time of Adam and Eve, sacrifice had been used as a means of getting forgiveness and acceptance, but the greatest sacrifice that is forever effective was that of Christ Jesus on the Cross. That single sacrifice opens the doors of eternity and everlasting blessings to all human beings to date and will remain so forever. Every true sacrifice with faith in His name will never be forgotten by God and will be rewarded accordingly. Abraham walked with God but his sacrifice opens the door for the fullness of the promises of God to him and the blessing of all humanity. The sacrifice of Solomon made God visit him in a night dream. God never forgets the sacrifices of His people.

The cross is our only source of hope and strength. “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” John 3:15-21

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I come to the Cross of Jesus Christ today to receive strength, and courage and renew my faith in You. Help me never to forget the reason for the Cross and the purpose of my salvation. I ask for direction in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you. Click here

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries



CALL AND THE CALLED

April 01, 2023

 “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out, those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” John 5:26-30.

These were the words of Jesus Christ with regard to leadership and the called. Total surrender to the one who had called you and given you the mandate and tool to lead; leadership is not a take-and-run, it is following principles and adhering to the one who had called you to do what you are doing. One thing is very very certain in the lives of those who are called; they have no alternative to what they have been called to do by the Lord, they have no other desire, no other pleasure, no other attractions, and no other focus irrespective of the circumstances they find themselves and the result they are having while doing the work. A good picture and perfect example of those who are truly called by the Lord is the lives of all the apostles of Jesus Christ. “Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said it is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:1-4. They were not distracted from their core functions when members increased; when money started coming in; or when praise, glory, miracles, signs, and wonders increased; rather, they appointed other people to lead in various fields of the ministry while they gave themselves to teaching and prayers as God had called them to do.

A leader who is called sees abilities in others and sets his or her mind to developing them in their calling to glorify God and not to use them for his or her advantage. What we see in leadership today is to develop and use and if they refused to be used, they are cursed. A true leader who is called will never place a curse on anyone irrespective of the circumstance rather he or she will seek that person’s freedom from curse and weakness in life and will pray for that person’s success in life and in ministry.

We are all called to lead in various ways but God will always call a man to lead in specific areas that He alone will equip that person with all tools necessary for effective, active, and productive results that will exalt God, exalt His words, and His plans. Please note that all callings are never the same, they differ in grace, duties, and location. Stepping out of your area of calling and out of your assignment, and out of your location is very dangerous even when you are still willing to do what God had called you to do. A house is one perfect fix but a combination of several materials strategically placed at certain positions to perform specific functions; the misplacement of any material will render such a building hazardous and exposes the occupants to severe danger. Leadership is like a building.

Those who are called are very conscious of the responsibilities and relationship with the one who had called them and will never in any way seek to indulge in sin and anything that will affect the call, the relationship, the lives of others, and their own lives thereafter. They have unconditional love for people and the ministry they have been called into; they show persistence in the things and ways of God; they show outward-focused vision in their lives and presentation of their messages; they show desires that are not biased; they accept responsibilities instead of passing the blame; they exhibit confidence in humility and show fierce biblical faithfulness. Those called will show great dedication, carefulness, commitment, consistency, mercies, purpose, and humility.

We all knew what happened to Jonah when he was called and sent by God. He was willing to do the job but was not willing to go where God had directed him to. He wanted to suggest to God instead of following His direction. He found himself in the belly of the fish in the sea. How many Christians are still remaining in the belly of the whale today as Jonah? That is the price we pay when we run away from the location even when we are willing and committed to answering the call. Jonah was willing to die in the sea rather than go to Nineveh, but God not willing that he should die prepared the whale to preserve his life. “So, they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Jonah 1:15-17

When Peter left what he was called to do, he spent his time doing what could not produce any result; he could not even feed himself and it did bring him any joy or satisfaction in life. “After these things, Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way, He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing. They said to him, we are going with you also. They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, children, have you any food? They answered Him, no.” John 21:1-4

LET US PRAY:

Dear Father, we love You and thank You for the call upon our lives. We ask that You will help us to realize this call, cherish this call, and also preserve it using it to benefit the kingdom, we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord and savior. Amen.

Someone is here to pray with you.

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Lynchburg VA 24502. USA

www.theglobalministries.com


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SET GOALS TO GROW (V).

March 26, 2013

“Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore. Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.” 1 Chronicle 16:10-12, John 7:16-18. God’s greatest desire for you after salvation is that you will grow and increase in His knowledge and in His grace.

3. Seek God’s Glory. God’s glory is indispensable. It ushers us into His excellence and enables us to walk in His righteousness. In His glory, we see His complete perfection, enjoy His amazing beauty and partake in the fullness of His love. Everyone desires excellence in life and in their respective professions and God is willing to enable us to have it as long as we will seek to glorify Him through our activities. Moses saw the glory of God transferred into his life. Moses was a man of prayer and dedication and was committed to fulfilling all that God had told him. In one of his prayers, he asked God to show him His glory. “So, the Lord said to Moses, I will also do this thing that you have spoken, for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name. And he said, please, show me Your glory.” Exodus 33:17-18

At the end of Moses’ fasting and prayers, Moses’ face shines, reflecting the glory of the living God openly and everyone saw it and recognized that he had been with God. “Now it was so when Moses came down from Mount Sinai and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain, that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So, when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.” Exodus 34:29-30

4. Set values in your life, in your relationship with God and with men. Seek to grow in those values. An added godly value is a blessing and God will not ignore such a person. Value your time and relationship with God above everything else. These values will impact your life and elevate you spiritually and physically. Abraham added value through faith and his walk with God through obedience. Your personal relationship with God matters more than everything else.

God wants to show you and also enable you to partake in His glory. “Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore. Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Abraham His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones. He is the Lord our God; His judgments are on all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant.” Psalms 105:3-10. Set out a period to pray not only for your needs but for His glory to be revealed to you and through you.

Time spent with God is never wasted, it opens doors and opens our eyes. When Sarah spent time with God, her womb opened; when Jobez spent time with God, his request was granted; when Moses spent time with God his face shone with God’s glory. Yours will never be different.

5. Run away from an immoral lifestyle. Your salvation was the freedom to receive a change of life and the freedom not to return or engage again in your past immoral desires and lifestyle. The lure to be immoral is very prevalent in the world today than ever before, but God does not want you to go back and does not what you to follow them. Set Godly boundaries for yourself and God will help you to achieve them. “Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body.” Colossians 2:18-19

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, it is my desire to be useful and productive and I ask for the ability to increase in the grace that You have given me in Christ Jesus, I ask that You will help me fulfill this desire. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA



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SET GOALS TO GROW (IV).

March 19, 2013

“For as these qualities are yours and are increasing in you as you grow toward spiritual maturity, they will keep you from being useless and unproductive in regard to the true knowledge and greater understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, shortsighted, closing his spiritual eyes to the truth, having become oblivious to the fact that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, believers, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you be sure that your behavior reflects and confirms your relationship with God; for by doing these things actively developing these virtues, you will never stumble in your spiritual growth and will live a life that leads others away from sin; for in this way entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provided to you. Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them and are established in the truth which is held firmly in your grasp. I think it right, as long as I am in this earthly tent, to inspire you by reminding you.” 2 Peter 1:8-13

You will never grow until you do something that elevates yourself physically and spiritually from your present level. God wants you to grow, He expects you to believe in His word, and act on the word that you have believed, and remember, faith is nothing more than acting on what you have believed and following whom you believed with obedience and faithfulness.

It is the will of God that everyone is usefully engaged and productive in life and in the things they do. This engagement is to be constructive and beneficial and according to the best plans that He had laid down for every one of us. God specifically placed Adam in the Garden of Eden after creation and in his perfection, God told him to be useful by keeping the place. Genesis 2:15. God did not drop him on earth to do whatever he like, it was a specific assignment to avoid being unproductive. When Adam and Eve sinned, God drove them out of the garden with an instruction again not to remain useless and unproductive Genesis 3:17-19. The Almighty God is glorified when we are useful, and productive, walk according to His plans and desires for our lives, and give Him the glory He deserves. He desires to see us grow physically, spiritually, mentally, and financially; He desires to see us productive and making profits; He desires to see us increase and multiply and He desires to see us perfectly in His will accomplishing His purpose for us. He desires to see us solidly achieving and fulfilling His words and breaking down barriers that cause deviations and sorrows.

God had given us life to live and what we do with the life we have is important to Him and to His plans for us. God does not want us to waste our life; give it away through carelessness and pleasure-seeking, or take it for granted. Life is important and should not be wasted for any reason; life is important because it comes from God and is the best gift of all besides salvation; it is important for His plans and for all humanity and for His creation. Without life, it is impossible to know God; impossible to have salvation; impossible to know and praise God; impossible to have feelings, knowledge, and differences, there will be no hope, no plans, no dreams, no joy, no prayers, no sadness, no expectations, no pleasure, and no celebration.

A meaningful, productive, and useful life is so important to God that He had to do everything to preserve and rescue man from wasting it away through ignorance and sin. He did that to rescue Noah in the time of the flood and thereafter sent Jesus Christ to complete the work by giving man salvation because He does not want us to be useless, unproductive, and waste away. God reacted then when He saw the people wasting the precious gift of life. We are saved so we can be useful, and productive and glorify His name, not wasting our lives by living in the emptiness of our thoughts and minds. God had delivered our souls from Satan’s control over us in the ways he wants, thinks, and likes.

Peter gave those who have received salvation sixteen spiritual qualities that will help them grow and avoid being useless. These are the qualities that have been given to us by God and Peter emphasized that Christians should increase in them by setting personal goals to grow so we can have the increase: “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 1:8. These are the qualities:

1. Have a dynamic Christian spiritual life; having a dynamic Christian spiritual life is not optional, it is demanded by God and the body of Christ that you have it; it will benefit you in all aspects of life; growth is a product of a dynamic Christian life and it will definitely bring an increase in your productive life as a believer. Peter had a dynamic life the moment he started following Jesus Christ and was rewarded with leadership and greater grace.

2. Have the right knowledge of Jesus Christ; seeking to know more about Jesus Christ will give you a greater opportunity to be active, useful, and productive. The increase in the knowledge of Jesus Christ will increase your faith in Him, strengthen your hope in Him, increase your love for Him, and will establish your foundation in the kingdom. Paul was an apostle with such a desire.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, it is my desire to be useful and productive and I ask for the ability to increase in the grace that You have given me in Christ Jesus, I ask that You will help me fulfill this desire. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA


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SET GOALS TO GROW (III).

March 12, 2023

“Therefore, know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments, and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. Therefore, you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them.” Deuteronomy 7:9-11

Whatever God had promised is possible, attainable, and will be visible if you are willing to pay the price, follow the rules, remain in Him, walk in obedience, and remain in faithfulness. Apostle Paul said of himself about setting personal goals to grow – “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” Philippians 3:7-16  

In seeking goals to grow, we should always have our eyes on fixed that goal, fixed on the result that will come regardless of what we will see, what we will come to know and experience along the way. There are things we will lose, things we will gain, and things we should always do as Paul said he did with himself. Christ our Lord also said, if we want to grow, we should not be mindful of the cross before – “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26

Christ told us there will be challenges but we will overcome them; there will be hindrances but we will succeed, and there will be fears but we should fix our eyes, our hearts, and our minds on always on Him. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

Christ Jesus our Lord gave us the things that will make us lose our focus on growing and also lose in seeing the expected growth in our lives in the parable of the Sower and his seed. – “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” Matthew 13:18-22

These are the things that hinder our goals and growth. (1) Lack or little understanding of the word of God in the scriptures. (2) Hardness of our hearts to the word even when we are in the Church, our heart is referred to as a - rocky ground, (3) No determination or self-discipline - no root in himself (4) Lack of consistent personal endurance, (5) When tribulation and persecution arise on the account of your following the word of God. (6) The cares of the world, and (7) The deceitfulness of riches. These are the seven hindrances but God can give us victory if we will do what Apostle Paul did – “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

 LET US PRAY

Dear Father, it is my desire to be useful and productive and I ask for the ability to increase in the grace that You have given me in Christ Jesus, I ask that You will help me fulfill this desire. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA

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SET GOALS TO GROW (II)

March 05.2023

“For His divine power has bestowed on us absolutely everything necessary for a dynamic spiritual life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these, He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises of inexpressible value, so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature. For this very reason, applying your diligence to the divine promises, make every effort in exercising your faith, develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge, insight, understanding, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, steadfastness, and in your steadfastness, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly affection, and in your brotherly affection, develop Christian love, that is, learn to unselfishly seek the best for others and to do things for their benefit. For as these qualities are yours and are increasing in you as you grow toward spiritual maturity, they will keep you from being useless and unproductive in regard to the true knowledge and greater understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, shortsighted, closing his spiritual eyes to the truth, having become oblivious to the fact that he was cleansed from his old sins.” 2 Peter 1:3-9. God had given us many gifts and our desires should be to grow in those gifts and be productive. 

These are the spiritual goals we should seek to grow in and experience in abundance as we continue in Christ Jesus and expect His very best:

1. Set goals that will make everything in you and around you necessary to grow and have a dynamic spiritual godly life and growth; this is possible through consistent bible studies, and making out time to have fellowship and prayer with other believers weekly and often.

2. Set goals to be true and to personally have the right knowledge of Jesus Christ; this is possible by allowing yourself to be led by the word of God and by His Spirit.

3. Set goals to increase in God’s own glory and excellence. His glory makes a difference and in His excellence you are unstoppable. This can be done through obedience to His words.

4. Set goals to grow in the promises of inexpressible values from God. This is through your love for Him and your desire not to hurt God in any way even when you are hurt.

5. Set goals to escape from the immoral freedom and lifestyle that is controlling the world today; this will be through the values you keep and the preferences you make for Christ daily.

6. Set goals to escape from every form of disreputable desires and ideas; through searching the scriptures diligently and accepting the words of God above human own ideas.

7. Set goals to be sharers of the divine nature of God, through evangelism and practical living.

8. Set goals to apply all diligence to the divine promises; by reminding yourself that in all situations God does not lie and will not fail to fulfill His promises to you.

9. Set goals to make every effort in exercising your faith, by putting your beliefs and faith to work.

10. Set goals to develop moral excellence, by applying scriptural discipline to yourself.

11. Set goals to grow in knowledge, insight, and in understanding; by allowing Christ Jesus to control and direct your mind, and thoughts, and keeping Him in your daily meditation.

12. Set goals to grow in self-control, by discipline and making it subject to the words of God.

13. Set goals to be steadfast in the things of God, in tithing, giving, praises, purity, and services.

14. Set goals to grow in godliness; by applying the word of God in your actions.

15. Set goals to grow in brotherly affection; that is where you overcome the tests and temptations of being controlled by the situations around you.

16. Set goals to grow in Christian love, that is by having the mind of Christ Jesus in you, learning to be unselfish and seeking the best for others, and doing things for their benefit.

These are spiritual goals that will definitely affect your physical world positively through Christ Jesus “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 1:8

LET US PRAY                    

Dear Father, it is my desire to set spiritual goals and to grow in them, I ask that You will help me fulfill this desire. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries


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SET GOALS TO GROW

February 26.2023

“For as these qualities are yours and are increasing in you as you grow toward spiritual maturity, they will keep you from being useless and unproductive in regard to the true knowledge and greater understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:8

Your life goal should be to increase in all things that will exalt Christ Jesus in your life; increase in all things that will enhance your life for the best in every aspect; increase in all things that will glorify God through you; increase in all things that will make you obtain favor from God and from men; increase in all good things that will attract those who see you or come closer to seek your God, respect Him, and increase in all things that will promote excellence in all your relationship with others. Setting goals for oneself is not new, but this time I am asking that we set spiritual goals for ourselves, knowing that all physical things are absolutely controlled by the spiritual things we do not see. The physical world mirrors the spiritual world either through God or through Satan depending on what you give yourself to obey, follow, and walk with. But for all true Christ followers we read in Romans 8:9; “But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.” The sinful nature is controlled by the spirit of Satan and Christ's nature in you is controlled absolutely by the Holy Spirit of God. Christ Jesus said in John 4:24, 6:63: “For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

God’s desire is that you grow in the Holy Spirit in you which was given to you freely when you first decided to believe and follow Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior. God desires that you will deliberately seek to increase and multiply through the power of His Holy Spirit in you and that you can only do this by setting spiritual goals. It is never His desire that you remain stagnant in faith, in grace, and be unproductive or recede in anything you will do on earth for any reason. “Therefore, let me warn you beloved, knowing these things beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men who distort doctrine and fall from your own steadfastness of mind, knowledge, truth, and faith, but grow spiritually mature in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, honor, majesty, splendor, both now and to the day of eternity.” 2 Peter 3:17-18. Let your goals reflect your desires for spiritual and physical growth. Do this by your deliberate actions, your well-chosen words, your chosen vocation and recreations, and your passions, and let it affect you in every area of living. God will definitely not overlook your desires. Proverbs 11:23 “The desire of the righteous brings only good, but the expectation of the wicked brings wrath.”

It is never too late or too early, now is the right time to begin; where you are now is the right location to press the start button for your dreams, desires, and visions for a better future. God wants you to start now not later. He will give you the grace you need when you set the required goals now. Age, profession, and location are no barriers to setting goals. It is never too late or too early to desire new things and to do something new; never too late or too early to begin all over again; never too late to do what is right and acceptable before God and man; never too late to make the required and necessary adjustments in life; never too late or too early to be correct and be corrected; never too late or too early to have the right vision for things to do and have; never too late for the right dream of what to expect and to desire the very best in life. It is not too late or too early to separate from sin and from wrong associates; never too late to depart from the failing past, and never too late or too early to diligently pursue your future. It is not too late or too early to enjoy living the life that God had destined for you. Please start now, set spiritual goals, and pursue them, you have been given the grace to succeed.

LET US PRAY                    

Dear Father, it is my desire to set spiritual goals and to grow in them, I ask that You will help me fulfill this desire. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

USA


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SETTING GOALS (II)

February 19.2023

“Not that I have already obtained this goal of being Christ-like or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that perfection for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the heavenly prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14

Goals are important in every aspect of human living and should never be ignored by Christians in their individual struggles and in everything else they may do in life. Every private entity, cooperate entity, government, and organization has targeted goals, and their aim at all times throughout the period will be to get at that set goal within a time frame. It is good to know that the quality of the set goals is powerful enough to differentiate two identical companies even when they have the same products in the market. The same also is with individuals. Your goal and your willingness to follow through with that goal will differentiate you from others even when you are in the same profession and work in the same organization. Willingness, not ability, is important in goal setting. In willingness, you will seek help and God will help you; in willingness, you will seek strength and God will provide the strength; in willingness, you will seek true ways to resolve any issue that will truncate the goal (that is innovation come to place) and God will help you. In willingness, you need the knowledge to unravel any difficulty, you need the wisdom to scale the present hurdle, and you need insights to keep the goal alive and remain on the right path

Living and dwelling on your past achievements will never encourage you to seek your future in ways that God wants you to do. The past discourages further self-development and preparation for something better when the present is not as good; that was not the life of Paul; His life was setting goals and aiming to get at those goals always. In His words, Paul knew his past and also knew what was ahead for him in the future and set his mind and focus on what was ahead in his new nature as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ: “But whatever former things were gains to me as I thought then, these things once regarded as advancements in merit I have come to consider as loss for the sake of Christ and the purpose which He has given my life. But more than that, I count everything as a loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him a joy unequaled. For His sake, I have lost everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him believing and relying on Him, not having any righteousness of my own derived from my obedience to the Law and its rituals, but possessing that genuine righteousness which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. And this, so that I may know Him experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely and in that same way experience the power of His resurrection which overflows and is active in believers, and that I may share the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed inwardly into His likeness even to His death; so that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 2:7-11

I want to remind you that there are better things ahead in your future, not behind or in your past glorious days; God wants you to go for the things that He had in store ahead for you not to seek the things which are past despite their values. The advantages of goal setting are numerous; (1) it opens our eyes to see better things that we did not see before now for ourselves. (2) It increases our desires and knowledge of the possibility of having new things. (3) It enables us to aim at our future desires now, (4) it gives us the courage to dream about new things even in difficult times, (5) it encourages us to seek new opportunities in life (6) it enables us to adequately measure our progress and yourselves periodically. (7) It enables us to know our level of self-improvement or failures (8) it points out our area of weakness and reveals what we should do next. Paul was an apostle with great personal goals before and after he became a Christian and God gave him great insights and revelations into His word and desires above every other apostle in his time to help him to reach those goals. Never ignore the importance of goal setting; never downplay its effect and result. Your goal in life will definitely make a way for you to reach heights that others in the same profession will not be able to reach. Paul was one apostle that set goals and never looked back; no wonder he was able to achieve much, do more, write more, and know more above his equal.

You can transform your entire life by the value of the goals that you set for yourself. When your goals are for temporal things, you will achieve temporal success and when your goals are on eternal things, you will achieve eternal success. God desires greater things for you and they can be achieved by the goals you set today. Apostle Paul gave us this goal-setting words of advice: “All of us who are mature, pursuing spiritual perfection should have this attitude. And if in any respect you have a different attitude that too God will make clear to you. Only let us stay true to what we have already attained. Brothers and sisters, together follow my example and observe those who live by the pattern we gave you.” Philippians 3:15-17. Apostle Paul said we should do what all mature Christians do and he also did, forget the past and look towards a glorious future, set valuable and attainable goals, pursue those goals willingly with all of your heart, and as God enabled Paul, He will also enable you. There is a difference between physical and spiritual goals and the two are important. Next week we will set out spiritual goals for ourselves.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I want to break out from my past; I want to begin my future and I want to achieve that which you have set in my heart to achieve. I ask for grace and strength to meet my goals in life. Thank You for the promise to be with me. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries


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SETTING GOALS (1)

February 12, 2023

“For His divine power has bestowed on us absolutely everything necessary for a dynamic spiritual life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises of inexpressible value, so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature. For this very reason, applying your diligence to the divine promises, make every effort in exercising your faith to, develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge, insight, understanding, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, steadfastness, and in your steadfastness, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly affection, and in your brotherly affection, develop Christian love, that is, learn to unselfishly seek the best for others and to do things for their benefit. For as these qualities are yours and are increasing in you as you grow toward spiritual maturity, they will keep you from being useless and unproductive in regard to the true knowledge and greater understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, shortsighted, closing his spiritual eyes to the truth, having become oblivious to the fact that he was cleansed from his old sins.” 1 Peter 1:3-9

We are in that time of year when people set goals for their lives, their children, education, business, and profession; unfortunately, most of these goals are never kept, and many are none achievable, not because the goals had no value to look up to or no impart to expect, most of them fail because we failed to make them our everyday priority.

In setting goals, we should know our priorities in life; know the importance of the goal to our expectations, and the kind of life we expect thereafter, and be ready to pay the price to reach the goal. Setting goals is not as easy as many think; keeping the goals is not simple also, but despite the odds, God wants us to set goals for ourselves; make the goal a daily priority, and do all to fulfill the goal. Goal setting and doing all we possibly can to fulfill them will make us active spiritually, physically, mentally, and professionally, and it will make us measure our growth and successes easily; it will enable us to keep our focus on our expectations from God knowing that He will never fail nor forsake us. One thing we should never forget when setting goals is that we will be required to pay a willing and commensurate price to achieve the goal.

No one wants to renege or fail in his or her goals, but we do often fail in keeping our goals. The best reason for the failure to fulfill goals is not the lack of willingness but the lack of attention to the goals we set; the priority we give to our worries, troubles, and afflictions; the care we give to what the world is saying and doing compared to our goals; the distractions of this age with its numerous avenues for pleasure; the deceitfulness of false security, the glamour for wealth and fame; and the passionate desires for other things that will creep into our lives, and these things choke out the passionate desires to keep our goals and we become unfruitful, weak, and fail to reach the goal. Mark 4:19. When our goals are properly prioritized, our position and pursuit will be firmed and the goal will be attained.

The God who has already given us or promised to give us everything that we will ever need in life is also calling us to a higher standard and excellence in life. These standards and excellence can be achieved through diligent goal setting. All provisions to reach the standards had been made possible and available by the genuine salvation we received through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our true repentance from all sin; purification of our spirit by the power of His regenerating word, and finally the washing of our body with the blood that was shed on the cross at Calvary. His standards are real, they are true, they are attainable, and they are for our good at all times as we look forward to God’s blessings with great expectations for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, as He had promised.

As we set goals for ourselves, I want to remind every Christian to endeavor to also set spiritual goals for themselves and make them a priority; believers in Jesus Christ should not do what none believers will always do, we should desire to make a higher difference in their lives through the goals they set; we should desire to grow spiritually as we desire to grow physically, mentally, financially, and professionally; we should desire to be the genuine salt and light of the world and mostly in the neighborhood we live; we should desire to reflect the light of Christ Jesus in us for others to see, reflect the love of Christ Jesus in us for others to enjoy and rejoice, reflect the true patience of Christ Jesus in us for others to be accepted and attracted to Him, reflect the mercies of Christ Jesus in us so that others will also receive mercy, and reflect the godliness of our faith and hope for others to come to the Cross for the salvation of their souls. We should desire the higher standard and the excellence that God is calling us to by the goals we set and pursue.

Goal setting is not new; the prophets of old had goals, the patriarch of old had goals, the gallant of faith in the old and new testaments did set goals for themselves and God also did set goals and time for all His actions and we should do the same. Remember, with God in us and with us, we will be able to meet our goals because, without Him, we can definitely do nothing. Remember God wants us to remain His temple, His branch, His light, His salt, His children, and above all His loving followers and believers.

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, I want to thank You for a time like this, thank You for the grace, the preservation, the help, the mercies, and the love that I have enjoyed these years. I ask dear Lord that You will keep me as I desire to be kept in You, and You will bless me as You have promised. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ.

For prayers and encouragement, someone is here to pray with you

Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong



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WHEN A NATION IS WITHOUT GOD 

2023

WHEN A NATION IS WITHOUT GOD 

When a Nation is without God the people will suffer from suppression and subjection. “They go at their evil deeds with both hands, and how skilled they are in using them! The governor and judge alike demand bribes. The rich man pays them off and tells them whom to ruin. Justice is twisted between them.  Even the best of them are prickly as briars; the straightest is more crooked than a hedge of thorns. But your judgment day is coming swiftly now; your time of punishment is almost here; confusion, destruction, and terror will be yours.” Micah 7:3-4. A nation without God produces godless people, promotes godless ideas, celebrates what God hates, encourages disaffection, and suspects everyone including her citizen, and in doing all these things, God gives them to do unimaginable things until they come to recognize and accept Him as God. God gives them futile thoughts and imaginations, a love for money, and the evil fight to acquire and make wealth without godliness and defined principles.

When a Nation is without God, you see people with depraved minds in government with power and authority to enforce their depravity. “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts, to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way, the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful, they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:21-32

You will definitely see double standards of dishonesty in all sectors; in judgment, in governance, the church, in private and public sectors, and even the Christian participating and taking such as a normal thing to do. The fear of the Lord will be absent even in the church of God because the word of God will be compromised to suit individual struggles thereby misappropriating God’s word at all times in all situations. “The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him.” Proverbs 11:1. God detests dishonest scales in judgment, governance, schools, churches, marriages, and in families. God wants us to uphold His word as the golden standard at all times and in all things irrespective of who is involved. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12

Today, godlessness is emerging at a faster rate all over the world, people are strongly desiring to have and live a life without God’s guidance, without God’s divine instructions, without God’s commandments, and without God’s authority over them and their actions, yet they all want God to bless them. This kind of desire is not new and its effects had been outlined on the pages of the bible right from creation. God is not willing that anyone should perish but that all will come to repentance and acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord – that is God’s desire for all nations.

People want to rule others with their own imaginations and depraved minds without God’s words and principles; they want to reign without following God’s precepts; they want to get wealth and become rich without following clear God’s principles, and they want to dominate, indoctrinate, and use others by their perceived knowledge, but there themselves do not want to be guided by any form of Godly principle.

When the true God is lacking in any country or nation, falsehood will reign. Leaders will dish out lies they think in place of the truth they know; judges will judge for money in the name of justice, preachers, and prophets will teach and prophecy for a fee, and the people will engage in every form of survival evil even demanding and celebrating lies from their leaders. “Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow.” Romans 13:1-2

What God is asking for is an acknowledgment of men that He is God and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and true repentance from all evil, not offerings or sacrifices, but repentance.

“For if you offered Him thousands of rams and ten thousands of rivers of olive oil, would that please Him? Would He be satisfied? If you sacrificed your oldest child, would that make Him glad? Then would He forgive your sins? Of course not. No, He has told you what He wants, and this is all it is; to be fair, just, merciful, and to walk humbly with your God. The Lord’s voice calls out to all Jerusalem—listen to the Lord if you are wise. The armies of destruction are coming, the Lord is sending them. For your sins are very great, is there to be no end of getting rich by cheating? The homes of the wicked are full of ungodly treasures and lying scales. Shall I say Good to all your merchants with their bags of false, deceitful weights? How could God be just while saying that? Your rich men are wealthy through extortion and violence; your citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can’t tell the truth. Therefore I will wound you, I will make your hearts miserable for all your sins. You will eat but never have enough; hunger pangs and emptiness will still remain. And though you try and try to save your money, it will come to nothing at the end, and what little you succeed in storing up I’ll give to those who conquer you.” Micah 6:7-13

LET US PRAY

Dear Father, let this nation and the people return to you in their hearts, thoughts, and actions. Let them reject ungodliness and accept the commands of God in the scriptures. Help me to strive and to walk with You all through my life, and keep me in your continuous love. Help me to remain in You, I ask with thanksgiving in Jesus Name. Amen.

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Pastor Alfred and Edna Udobong

Global Manifestation Ministries

www.theglobalministries.com.

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To be continued