Be Encouraged Church . . . 

You Are Entering Into Your Finest Hour.

Much had been predicted about this corona epidemic, but it still caught the world unawares. This virus is having disastrous effects on the entire world, physically, financially, emotionally and spiritually. Much of what we knew and understand is rapidly transforming into stuff we are finding hard to grasp. Much is playing out that we don't or can't fathom. We thought we knew about wars and had designed sophisticated weapons, but we find that the enemy is looking totally different. I fact in this case it is invisible to the human eye. Our conventional methods are not that effective in this battle, and some have gone down fighting.

I would like to extend my sympathy to all those who have lost loved ones. I pray that the Holy Spirit will reach deep into your heart and comfort you. For those who are suffering the effects of the illness at this time, we speak complete healing and restoration to your body by Jehovah Rapha. We bless God for our medical staff who are on the front lines. We pray mighty protection through the blood of Jesus. For those looking after loved ones, we pray for more grace and protection.

Our leaders are doing all they can to ensure we live responsibly so we don't aid the spread. We have been asked to wash our hands and use sanitising gel; observe social distancing; take extra care of the elderly; and protect our children through the closing of schools.

This may be helpful over a period to stem the spread, however we know the Almighty God knows the end from the beginning, and has ALL the answers. We know that He was not taken unawares by this disease. I join very many others calling out to Almighty God, to intervene and deliver us from this scourge.

There is the temptation to lose hope and go into depression and hopelessness, as we have no medicines we can pop into our mouths for protection and instant treatment. So much fear and anxiety has been unleashed on the world that it is eroding Faith. The great impact on the world economy, is causing oil prices to fall, airlines to drastically cut their flights and many other sectors to be affected. Job cuts are being announced and many are in a dilemma as to what the far reaching consequences really will be. So what can we make of all this?

The other day, Papa reminded me of an open vision He had shown me years ago. I was at a circus and this big elephant was sleeping on the stage. While it slept, the legs were tied. Suddenly an array of lights was put on, and the elephant woke up confused , and tried to stumble to its feet. This stumbling, broke the ropes and the lights were blinding to the elephants eyes. So the elephant was staggering and trying to get its balance and orientation, and proper footing!
Papa told me at the time that was the church, trying to arise into the fullness of whom it has been called to be. You can imagine how strong this elephant will be as soon as it awakens properly.

Just like this elephant, you can imagine the strength of the church, when it gets itself free from the shackles of religiosity, and unites, aligned with Holy Spirit power. Nothing will stand in its way. It's nice to see the church is beginning to fellowship in interesting ways. We are now aware that it's about us as the Temple of God and not big buildings. We are shedding stuff that we focused on and going straight for Jesus. We are realising we cannot do this alone, and we have to be united in love with one for another. We are seeking to align ourselves with the Holy Spirit.

There are some choices we have to make as to how we are going to respond to this COVID19 viral epidemic. We could partner with a lot of the fear and anxiety that is being thrown around especially with the unconfirmed and unsubstantiated stories. We could continue to speak into being, worsening situations with our "powerful" tongues that ought to be speaking life. Or we can look to the Almighty One, to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who knew all this was going to happen before it did, and have promised never to leave us or forsake us (Psalm 97:10).

We have taken life as we knew it for granted, not realising that we owe even our daily breath to the Lord. This whole situation should cause a deep sense of gratitude to the Lord, to rise up in us, even as we see our freedom curtailed by our present circumstances (Psalm 100:3) because it's never about what the enemy is throwing around. It's always important to look around to see what Jesus is actually doing.

I sense we can use these three "W's" to position ourselves together as we enter into our finest hour. We read about Jesus sleeping through the storm in Mark 4:35-41. Jesus did not place His eyes on the problem. He rested in the Lord, and when He was woken up, He simply addressed the storm, commanding it to stop. I sense this is a time to take our eyes off the problem and fix them on Jesus. This is a time to  watch  carefully what Jesus is doing. "Fix" is a very strong word that implies permanent. This is a time to take our eyes off things that have been a distraction, and place them on Jesus.

Secondly, just as our ears are filled with "information " about this virus, we should fill our ears with God's Word and the biblical basis for healing. This is what will build faith and hope, so we can pray effectively for those who are sick, and for our families. I am not saying not to keep abreast  of news, but drastically cut down the news on the virus that we are listening to. Trying to pray from a place of fear really doesn't work and the Lord looks at our hearts. We have such an opportunity before us, to use this time of reduced outdoor activity to get more of the Word  into us. Imagine what a church that has had this time to stock up on the Word will look like!



Finally, let's go into this battle with  worship . This is a strategy that always defeats the enemy. The Lord inhabits the praises of His children. Let us declare His Lordship over all principalities and powers. We command this virus to be bowed low at the name of Jesus. Let's declare Jesus is faithful and the One who heals (Exodus 15:26).

All I have recommended can be done from the comfort of our homes. The Lord is building us, His temple, up. We have His Spirit within us. We need to place more emphasis on the spiritual temple than on the physical temple. Nothing is more important at this time than our relationship with Jesus. What is He asking us as individuals to do. Are we being called into a fast with Him? Are we being called to His side to receive comfort that will enable us to comfort others? Whatever we are doing, we want intimacy with Papa, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, most of all. We want to enter into His Presence.

I am encouraging us to remember to live by these Kingdom principles which are " watch, Word, worship ". This is a time to remember that we raise the name of Jesus high above every other name, including coronavirus. It is our duty and privilege to lift the name of Jesus high so He will be seen in the fullness and glory of who He is. The Lord is calling us to arise out of the depression and prostration that circumstances have kept us in, because it is our time to shine (Isaiah 60:1-3). It is time to rise to a new life in Christ. Many prophets have predicted that just as the coronavirus came in suddenly, so it will fizzle out suddenly. I believe this completely.

My prayer is that what the enemy intended for evil, the Lord will use for good. I pray that the Body of Christ, having been put through a time where we have had to shed religiosity, and enter into true, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ Himself, will arise mighty and strong in the power of the Holy Spirit and it will be obvious that the Bride has indeed entered, into her finest hour.


God bless us all.
Mina and Femi.

In this edition, we have a testimony from Pastor David Adams. He is the National Director of Lay Witnesses for Christ International and a member of the Kaduna Kingdom Conference planning team.

l give God praise for being part of Lapis family....from my first conference l had a shift in my ministry that:

A) Demons respond to simple prayers of faith

B) You don't have to shout for prayers to be answered

C) To remain humble as exemplified by the Lapis team and the speakers.

As member of Kaduna team l have tons of testimonies:

a) I met great friends and believe the Body of Christ is one as the Kaduna Lapis team is drawn from over 40 Churches....

b) a week to the last conference l had a 20 years prayer request answered. l had a desire to get an opening to introduce sports ministry to Baptist convention and 3 days to the Lapis conference in Kaduna that prayer was answered...PRAISE GOD.

c) my healing gift has been activated as well.

l went to lecture in a Bible school in Jos and met one of the Fulani student's wife sick but a simple prayer of faith was offered and she got healed. Also another student had been sick for a long time, by words of knowledge l mentioned her case and she was prayed for....she testified in the next class of deliverance. Also l prayed for the students to experience Jesus in a personal way and many had encounters and are still sending reports of different encounters to date.

Lapis is better experienced that explained.....JOIN THE TRAIN.