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From The Publisher's Desk

The reason why people go for competent and capable advocates when they are involved in a law suit is because they want to come out victorious. They know that a strong and balanced lawyer can intervene and argue their case logically to their favour. Now you can understand why the Bible describes our Lord Jesus Christ as our Advocate – I John 2:1, 2.

If peradventure the hell you are going through right now is as a result of your mistakes in life or misdoings of your ancestors, do not despair, Jesus is more than an Advocate, He shed His precious blood for that purpose – to wash you from your sins and give you a new life. He is willing to intervene, plead your case and turns your captivity around.

God has enabled me to see His grace moving in a spectacular dimension in these last days. There is a wave sweeping through in the spirit realm that is divinely pulling God’s people out of the devil’s cage. It is Christ’s Timely Intervention in the affairs of His people. No matter the hell you are going through right now; rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ because He is intervening on your behalf.

In the subsequent issues of The Faith Builder this year, we will be looking at various aspects of Christ’s Timely Intervention. In this edition, we will consider “The Turn of the Widow of Nain”. Have you found yourself in such a hopeless and helpless situation as that of the Widow of Nain before? Do not give up! It is your turn of Divine visitation. This visitation cuts across all stages of life. There is no human being who does not need God’s intervention in his/her life at one point or the other. Even in our nation Nigeria, Africa and nations of the world, there is need for God to intervene in every aspect of our national life. I sincerely pray for His timely intervention NOW.
Be of good courage!

Chaplain Rev. Festus A. Ekenyere

CHRIST'S TIMELY INTERVENTION - Part one

THE TURN OF THE WIDOW OF NAIN

     Interventions occur in our every day life. When it does, it is always for our good and comfort. Sometimes we get challenged by it especially when such interventions are from unexpected quarters or when we think the hell we are going through is beyond intervention. Have you been miraculously salvaged from any form of embarrassment before? If so you can understand from the physical perspective what interventions are. On some occasions somebody had intervened and rescued you from calamities that would have destroyed your future forever and today you are comfortable, safe and prospering.
     In the remaining editions of The Faith Builder this year I am led to present to us a series of messages titled: “Christ’s Timely Intervention”, you can call it – “Supernatural or Divine Intervention”.
     Your time of total rescue from any form of embarrassment is now. It does not matter what the devil thinks about you or what he has done in your life and interests; God has made up His mind to intervene in your life. Be of good courage and patiently go through this series of messages which the Lord gave me; allow the principles to form part of your life style and I am sure you will rejoice forever.
The first part of this series is titled – “THE TURN OF THE WIDOW OF NAIN”. I believe as it was the turn of the Widow’s divine visitation so shall the good Lord remember you this day and all your lost glory shall be restored in Jesus’ name.
     Let us take our text from the gospel according to St. Luke 7:11 – 17, it reads thus, “And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.”
     First and foremost I would like us to consider the social status of this woman in question. The Bible describes her as a Widow. A woman whose husband is late! The dead boy in the above text was her ONLY son; her only hope in life. Now count the loses of a woman who has lost her husband even though some women whose husbands are alive never give thought to this.
     When a woman looses her husband, she loose her pride, defense, source of inspiration, provider and her security; the list of her loses can be endless. That is why in some cultures they are treated any how. But when such a widow has a son, she is comforted and has hope of maintaining her husband’s lineage. If suddenly that son dies, then her hope dies. That was the situation of the Widow of Nain.
She found herself in a hopeless situation. She was ridiculed, insulted and accused. Or don’t you think so? Some people might have said things like this – “That woman, forget about her, she is a witch. She killed her husband and now she has killed her son.” Her late husband’s relatives might have ceased all the properties her late husband left behind because the heir (her only son) is dead. What a pity?
     She was seen as a cursed woman. Probably they have attributed her affliction as an omen that followed her from her father’s house so somebody might have said to her – “after the burial of your son, pack your dirty cloths and go back to your father’s house.” My God! Who knows how she would have been received by members of her father’s house. Don’t be surprised that her own relatives will also accuse her of being responsible for her misfortune. Have you been accused falsely before? Have you found yourself in such a hopeless and helpless situation before? Be of good cheers! Jesus of Nazareth is passing your way! This is your turn!
     Now I want to ask, what is your last hope? On what do you anchor your hope? I can tell you in the words of the song writer that “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.” And that is the truth. Sing this hymn now to increase and affirm your faith.
     The condition of the Widow of Nain was so pathetic in that the villagers were prepared to bury the remains of her son outside the city gate. They wanted to do away with any remembrance of that family. Friend, you may be going through this kind of hell right now. The devil might have attacked your health, finances, academics, ministry, family, etc., etc., and etc. You may be hurting profusely now. Your valuables might have been taken away from you and you feel as though that is the end of life. Do not despair, no, not until you hear the testimony of the Widow of Nain. God is merciful and compassionate, He said to that widow “DON’T CRY”.
     God is about to intervene in your life and in your interests. He is interested in your case. Oh yes! He is interested in you. He wants to wipe away your tears. Do you remember the cry of another widow in the days of Prophet Elisha? Read her record in 2 Kings 4:1-7. “Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.”
     What a divine intervention! I can sense a supernatural rescue operation sweeping through the universe before the rapture of the church. God is not going to allow the devil mesmerize His people any longer. You must encounter the Lord and it will be for your good and comfort.
As the villagers carried the boy’s corpse outside the city gate for burial, they met with the Divine Being – Jesus Christ going into the city. What an encounter! Are you at the verge of collapse? Does the devil thought this is your last breath on earth? It is your turn for revival! Jesus intervened divinely between the city gate and the proposed tomb of the only hope of the Widow of Nain just as God divinely intervened in the life of that poor widow through Prophet Elisha. Today, as you go through this sermon, there is a divine intervention taking place on your behalf right now. That debt that has been lingering is going to be paid in four days time and another one in fourteen days from now because the Lord Jesus has intervened on your behalf.
     When He intervenes, He turns your sorrows into joy and your mourning into dancing. So He said to the woman, “don’t cry”, touched the carriage, and commanded the dead to come back to life. The New Living Translation Bible says – “Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk to those around him! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.” Can you imagine what the boy (who was dead but now lives) was saying to the people around him? Listen to me child of God; your seemingly dead hope will speak again! Hallelujah!
Look at what happened when God intervened in the case of the poor widow whose two sons were to be taken away by her creditors. She instantly became an oil exporter; a wealthy and comfortable oil merchant. God turned her captivity around, from a poor wretched debtor to a debt-free merchant. She could comfortably pay her children’s school fees, live in her own house, change her cloths without tears and of course feed her children sumptuously. Friend, there is a turning around for you!
     So the dead that was carried out from the city gate went back to the city alive. Oh my God! The boy now takes over his father’s house, lands and all other properties hitherto that had been confisticated by his uncles. The boy is now his mother’s source of joy for living. What an intervention! Every wangling tongue is tamed and every intruder is stopped.
     Do you desire such timely intervention? “Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His blood this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?” These are the words of the song writer. Your encounter with Jesus Christ now, makes the eternal difference in your life. Again, I believe this is your TURN.
      No matter who you are, there is a place for you in Christ. The Lord says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30. In deed there is a place of rest for you. As you invite Jesus to take charge of the affairs of your life, He lifts the burden of your soul and brings you comfort. Are you a child of God? Do you question the worthwhileness of serving an “absent” Christ because of the attacks of Satan? Be of good cheers! Jesus is intervening already in your case. If on the other hand you have not had any encounter with Him before; fear not, this day He will dine with you as you open the doors of your heart and ask Him to come in.
IT IS WELL!

BACKBITTING AND GOSSIP

(An excerpt from the book entitled, THE POWER OF THE TONGUE)
By Chaplain Rev. Festus A. Ekenyere

They have been living in harmony for the past twenty years or more. Most of their things were commonly used by any of them. They found it difficulty parting with one another so; they vowed to be married by men of the same village. This was the extent to which two sisters loved each other.
(As though not serious) initially, their parents could not understand why their two daughters decided thus. But their seriousness was proved when the senior agreed to get married to a man if only he will get another man from his village that will marry her junior sister. The man tried everything he could but to no avail so, he convinced his nephew and talked him into marrying the junior sister to his fiancée.
The wedding was unique. The desire of the two inseparable sisters was met. They were not only married in the same village, but in the same family. I could imagine how happy they were. It was just a transfer of family name. Their culture was not tampered with. They cherished one another more and more as they continued their lives together still with most of their belongings commonly used.
Unknown to these two sisters was the fact that some people in the village envied them and sought a way of separating them. There was no other way to do that except through the power of the tongue. Seeing that the junior sister freely entered her senior sister’s room, a lady invited the senior sister for a dinner and “a private special talk”. Due to the caption of this invitation, she did not go with her sister.
As they had dinner together, the lady spoke out “I do not know how to narrate this unfortunate incident to you seeing how special you regard your sister. If only you will promise me not to react negatively and to continue loving her, I would be glad to tell you why I invited you for this special dinner.” Having heard this, she became more anxious to hear what the lady had to say. So, she vowed not to react negatively. Then the lady continued, “I have been closely monitoring your movements and how sincere both of you love each other until recently I discovered that your junior sister is a hypocrite. On several occasions I have noticed strange movements between her and your husband. You see, I am not saying that they are in love and that I have seen then laying together on your matrimonial bed. What I am saying is that you must be careful else you will loose your dear husband for your dear sister. Please do not react at this, only be careful”. She was dumbfounded and left without a word, meditating over all she had heard.
The following day, unknown to he, the same lady invited the junior sister for a special lunch and released the same dynamite on her. Like her senior sister, she left without saying a word. The result was a quiet withdrawal to self by both sisters. No one dared to ask the other why because both harboured the same resentment.
The verbal dynamite exploded after a very long time. One day, the junior went to fetch water from the stream with her sister’s clay pot. Unfortunately for her, the pot slipped off her hand and broke. Understanding the marred relationship with her senior sister, she wept as she enquired where to buy another pot to replace the broken one for her. There again stood that same lady. She comforted her and encouraged her to go quickly to the neighbouring village and buy another pot.
As soon as she left for the village, the lady went to her senior sister and said, “My dear, what kind of wicked sister do you have? She has broken your beautiful water pot every body in this village admires. The worst of it all is that she has gone to the neighbouring village, thinking she will see a typical pot to buy instead of coming to inform you first. Please, I hope you will forgive her. It is not good if you quarrel with your junior sister because of an ordinary pot”.
To her it was time to explode. She waited impatiently for her sister to return from her journey. Unfortunately, the sister came back without any pot. As though heaven was let loose, she poured out her wrath on her junior sister. Both of them rained all manner of insults on each other and their husbands were unable to settle the matter for they accused them of infidelity. Both men were surprised and decided to find out the source of this mischief. They latter discovered that a lady in the neighbourhood was the root of this evil. But there was little or nothing they could do. The harm had already been done.
A careful study of the Word of God shows that God is the Judge of the intents of man’s heart. He judges man’s motives. The church today has laid much emphasis on sins like fornication and the likes. Little or nothing is taught on the use of the tongue. The devil has therefore shifted his target and so many Christians are caught in his net of gossip and backbiting.
Let us find out what exactly is the meaning of these two words under review. The Thorndike Junior Illustrated dictionary defines backbiting as an act of speaking evil of (an absent person). Gossip is defined as an idle talk, not always true, about other people and their affairs.
Some people have argued that by the above definition, backbiting has no indication of lying. Well, that depends on the contents of the evil spoken of (an absent person). I do not know how possible it is to speak evil of an absent person without any form of falsehood. So I feel that there is an element of lying in both backbiting and gossip.
When you speak evil against an absent person, your motive is to destroy the image and reputation of that person. It is often as a result of prejudice. Sometimes the fellow you are destroying is innocent. Even if he is not, are you his Judge? Why must you destroy with your mouth? This is evil!
The most common with Christians is gossip. With biased mind, you cannot represent an absent fellow favourably. In an attempt to narrate what somebody did, you add words or cover up the good side with the motive to present the negative side of the absent person or his affairs. This is an evil I have seen among Christians. In all, the motive is evil – TO DESTROY!
In our story above, the primary aim of that lady was to destroy the relationship between the sisters (and she did). You may not have gone to that extent but the little seed of discord you sowed in the heart of somebody yesterday might grow to something worse than the story above.
No matter your position in the church, as long as you backbite and gossip or have pleasure in those that do same, you are on the same platform with haters of God. The apostle Paul stated this clearly in the book of Romans 1: 28-32 thus – “ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” As God judges those who deliberately indulge in this vile, I think He will also judger those who nod their approving heads and gain satisfaction from what they hear.

The Lord taught me a lesson one day that touched my soul. He opened my eyes to the harmful consequence of an idle or careless talk. A friend returned from Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city for an anointed meeting, and went to see his graphic artist who was working on his signboards. There a minister friend whom he met while in the capital city walked in, they greeted and he went to the other block of offices. Carelessly, without having any evil motive in mind, my friend told his artist how he met with his minister friend in Abuja and how they parted. As soon as the minister came back from the other block of offices, the artist pulled him aside and told him all my friend said and probably added his own words.
As innocent as my friend thought he was, he agreed to give his minister friend a ride to his house. On the way, his friend said, “Man of God, please do no discuss anything about me with these guys again. The artist told me all you said about me”. My fried felt bad and apologized not only to him but also to God. “I had no intention to destroy you before the artist and God knew the intent of my heart”. He said. My friend got home and prayed to the Lord earnestly for forgiveness and God restored him. What a lesson to learn from idle talk.
You may not have an evil intention like in the above case but the other party who relates the story might have. Such talks can destroy a longstanding relationship. Their relationship would have been marred had my friend not apologized.
In the book of Leviticus 19:16, the Bible says, “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people,” Meditate over this text for some minutes and ask yourself – “have I been going up and down as a talebearer?” If so, remember Psalm 15:1,3, which say, “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that beckbiteth not with his tongue.” Therefore the Psalmist says, “Keep thy tongue from evil (backbiting), and thy lips from speaking guile (gossip)” – Psalm 34:13 (Emphasis added).
Backbiting and gossip are evil; anyone who indulges in them is a “man of Belial.” Belial
means “without profit”. Proverbs 6:12-15 describe the person thus – “ A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a orward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.”

FROM THE EDITOR

There is virtually no relationship this evil monster can not destroy. From the family to the national and even continental union; if it finds its way into it, consider it destroyed. Backbiting and gossip are so devilish so, do your best to avoid them as unto death.

Peradventure you are possessed with this demon, Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God died on Calvary to set you free. Pray this prayer and believe you are delivered -

Dear Lord my God, I cannot help myself. I confess to you to day my sins especially that of backbiting and gossip and ask for your forgiveness and deliverance from Satan's cage. Cleanse me O Lord and make me whole with the blood of Jesus.

Thank you for writing my name in the book of like; in Jesus' name. Amen!  

LET'S PLEAD FOR THE WIDOWS

"Learn to do will: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, PLEAD FOR THE WIDOWS."

The Faith Builders have identified the plight of some seventeen widows in a remote commutity. They need your help in any way you are led to. It takes the sum of twenty thousand naira or just two hundred US dollars monthly to give them a sense of belonging to this lovely world. We are therefore pleading for them. PLEASE JOIN US TODAY!

If you are led by the Lord to support this program please contact us immediately. Log on to our support page and fill the form provided for that.

The good LORD bless you abundantly!

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