ON THE SEASONS AND TIMES

1.0 ON THE SEASONS AND TIMES

1.1 A season of (Covenant by) sacrifice

The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof... Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. Psalms 50:1-5

There are seasons and there are times Ecclesiastes 3:1-7. This is a season of sacrifice, a season of offerings to God. God himself from heaven calls forth to his saints on earth for a covenant agreement. Although it is a call to his saints, not all the saints will be qualified. Many are called, few are chosen. It is only applicable to those who both understand what an acceptable sacrifice to God is and lives the whole of the life sacrificially. This is your reasonable service Roman 12:1-2.

It is a season of giving out bountifully to God and man, rather than accumulating or withholding Eccl 3.6b. Even though there is a worldwide depression, it is a season to imbibe and live out the spirit of sacrificial giving that came upon the widow of Zarephath (I Kings 17: 7-16) It is a time to plant seeds of sacrifices, not for immediate harvest, but to be harvested later (Eccl 3.2b).

As a gospel sang, it is the time to ask “What can I do (more) for you my Lord...it is not a question of what you can do for me, what can I do (more) for you my Lord?

What is a sacrifice?

According to Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible, a sacrifice is anything offered to God such as:

1. firstborn sons (Gen 13.15)
2. praise (Ps 107.22, 116.17, Heb 13.15)
3. broken and contrite heart and spirit (Ps 51.17).

Others listed by Cruden’s Complete Concordance of the Bible include

1. sacrifices of thanksgiving (Ps 4.5) and
2. acrifices of joy (Ps 27.4-6)

Cruden’s Complete Concordance of the Bible talks of two general sorts of sacrifice

1. Offerings of the first-fruits (i.e. harvest, income, profits) or incense (i.e. praise, thanksgivings, worship), to show dependence of man on his deity (i.e. upon God)
2. The burnt offering, to appease an angry god when displeased and ready to bring distress upon him

Some Bibles also render sacrifices as offerings.

What are you offering to God in this season? How far are you ready to offer in this time of need? Are you ready to be chosen among the called? Are you prepared for a covenant with God himself?

And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 2 Sam 24:24

1.1.1 The altars of sacrifice

An altar in the Old Testament literarily meant a place or structure where one meets with God to offer sacrifices (Gen 8:20, 12:7, 13:3, 22:9, 35:1,3 etc However in the New Testament, our heart is the altar of spiritual sacrifices and offerings of holiness, praise, prayers, purity, righteousness, service, thanksgivings and worship Heb 13:10,15; Rev 8:13).

1.1.2 Acceptable sacrifices

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Not all sacrifices to God are acceptable or well pleasing to God:

Jer 6:20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.

We need to have a daily attitude and lifestyle of holiness for our sacrifices and services to be reasonable and accepted by the most Holy God.

1.2 A season of Relocation and Separation:

In this season of covenant by sacrifice, called by God Himself, there are applicable lessons that can be learnt from the covenant experience of Abraham with God on the way to fulfilling the Abramic Covenant of the Promised Land of Canaan:

1. From Acts 7:2, we learn that God had first spoken to and called Abraham when he was still living with his father Terah and according to Joshua 24.2, Terah served other gods.
2. Gen 11:31-32. As long as Abram was still under Terah, he was grouped with other children, and dwelt at Haran, where Terah died
3. Gen 12:1-3. It was after Terah died that God reminded and repeated his call and promise to Abram
4. Gen 12:1-2 The purpose of promise/relocation: to be blessed to be a blessing Gen 12:2b
5. Gen 12:9-13:4 Departure time, when Abraham began to move again
6. Gen 13:4-5. In partial obedience, Abram departed, but took his cousin Lot along
7. Gen 13:4-13 A time to separate/change locations Prov 22:10, Eccl 3:5a
8. Gen 13.14-17 After Lot left. Covenant reaffirmed ... ‘after that Lot was separated from him’
9. Genesis 13: 18. Abram built an altar of covenant unto the Lord
10. Gen 14:13-24. The distraction of the unnecessary war to deliver/rescue Lot
11. Gen 15:1-5. After these things happened , the word of God came unto Abram in a vision
12. Genesis 15.6: And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness...

1.3 The season to judge the Amorites

Gen 15.16 informs that it would take four generations for the Abramic covenant to be fulfilled because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. But for the Nigerian Church, the time to judge the ‘Amorites’ and fulfil the divine covenant of processing the land for the Lord has come from the day three generations died in a single plane crash!

And it came to pass in process of time that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

Isaiah 14:21-22: Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.

It came to pass!

1.4 A season for the sacrifice of fasting and praying

Three generation levels had passed on already, we are in the fourth generation. It is time for the covenant to be fulfilled, the covenant by sacrifice by the praying, groaning, wailing, intercessory Church in Nigeria

Exodus 2:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

Exodus 2:24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

Exodus 2:25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

It shall come to pass

Isaiah 66:7-8 “…for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself. And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD. Amos 2.14-16

It shall come to pass over Nigeria in Jesus name. Amen

1.5 A season for the Joseph generation

And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this; there is none so discreet and wise as thou art... See, I have set thee over all the land
Gen 41:38-39, 41

In this season, many Josephs, so discreet and wise, in whom the (seven) Spirit(s) of God is;-male and female, talented and gifted- will be sought out locally, nationally and internationally, to fulfil roles and offices, positions and assignments, for which they have proved and sacrificed themselves, faithful and selflessly over time at local levels (see Isaiah 62:12; Matthew 24; 45-47; 25:14-29)

Joseph’s Storehouse

Gen 41:48-49: And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
In times of economic depression like this, God has placed some stores in the hands of some Josephs, who will ‘honour the LORD with (their) substance, and with the first-fruits of all (their) increase: So shall (their) barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine (Pro3:9-10); who will obediently fulfil Proverbs 3:27-29:

Withhold) not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it. Say not unto thy) neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. Matt 24:45-47

5. Biblical principles for managing your income in times of economic depression

Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto
Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. Genesis 47:23-24

And it shall come to pass in the increase (i.e. from the gain/income/profit/revenue after paying your tithes and offerings), that ye shall:

1. give the fifth part unto Pharaoh (Interest on loan/Taxes) : 20%
2. and four parts shall be your own : Left for your management 80% as below:
   
   1. For seed of the field (expenses on investment, sowing, planting etc) - Ecclesiastes 11.1-20 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
   2. and for your food (your personal expenses, spending on self needs and requirements)
   3. And for them of your households (expenses on immediate and extended family e.g. shelter/accommodation) 1 Timothy 5.8
   4. and for food for your little ones (expenses and investment on children’s immediate and future- feeding, clothing, education etc)

By the Lampstand, 15th December 2010

3.0 JOS CRISIS: DEALING WITH WATER SPIRITS

The last edition of the Lampstandletters (No 48, January to June 2010), ended with the sentence below under a short article on its back page titled: THE NEXT PERSECUTION:

What is happening in Jos between the indigenous Christians and the settler Muslim Hausa-Fulani is just a tip of the iceberg...”

During a recent African Regional Professional Workshop I attended in Dakar Senegal, I got into informal discussion with some participants about the ubiquitous presence of Fulani pastoralists all over West and Central Africa; and how they are able to subdue local inhabitants wherever they decide to settle. A participant volunteered in passing, why this situation is so. He stated that whenever Fulani pastoralists come to a place they want to settle for the first time, what they do is to locate the rivers that supply the land, and make a covenant of possessing the land with the water spirits residing in the rivers!

The people of this world are indeed wiser than the children of light. The Bible is very clear from the time of Moses and Joshua that Rivers are significant for spiritual mapping, and are places to begin to possess the land (Deut. 1:6-8; 11:24 and Joshua 1:3-4).

If the Church in Jos and indeed in any place want to dispossess their land from the hands of invaders, the Apostolic Prophetic Church need to do a spiritual mapping of the rivers that form the boundaries of their land, first annul any covenant made by foreign invaders who want to possess the land and then proclaim the biblical principles in the verses above, especially in Ezekiel 29:3-5, Jeremiah 46:1-10, Deut. 1:6-8; 11:24 and Joshua 1:3-4.

The praying church needs to arise from its slumber and war against them. Let us go to EVERY river and waters that form the boundaries of settlements, villages, towns, cities, Local Government Area, States, tribes, languages and tongues, to reverse and annul ancients dominations; and make new covenants, consecrating the land and people to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. By the Lampstand,

26th December 2010

Addendum

The divine revelations thereafter are contained in the Lampstand Letters book Thrones, Water Spirits and Horns of Nations.
Other spiritual features of rivers include:

1. Nations are identified with the major rivers they contain. Hence Egypt is also known the Nile (Ezekiel 29:2-10, Also Jeremiah 46:7-8 and Isaiah 19:1-19). Assyrian is identified as Euphrates (Isaiah 7:20, 11:15-16, 27:12-13 and Jeremiah 2:18). One could suggest therefore that if Nigeria were to be likewise referred to in the Bible, it could be simply called Niger!
2. The Rivers Nile and Euphrates (Egypt and Assyria) represented the natural enemies of the people of God, their captivity and exile. To deliver his people or reconcile these kingdoms with his people, God had to dry off these rivers to make a way for people to pass over (see Isaiah 7:17-20, 11:15-16, 19:22-25; 51:9 -11, Zech 10:10-11 and Rev. 16:12).
3. Kings and kingdom derive their power from rivers and seas Ezekiel 29:3, 28:2, 27:3-4.
4. Rivers serve as natural (and spiritual) boundaries of nations and kingdoms Gen. 2:10-14, 15:18. Joshua 1:2-4 and Acts 17:26b.
5. Rivers serve as place of battle, where God judges his enemies. Judges 3:28-29, 4:7, 5:19-21, 2 Kings 23:39, Jeremiah. 46:6 and Habakkuk 3:8-15.
6. Rivers represent/describe different and kingdoms (Rev. 17:1-15, Jeremiah: 46:7-8, Jeremiah 51:13, Isaiah 8:6-8).
7. Rivers describe invading armies. Isaiah 8:6-8; 17:12-13; 569:19, Jeremiah. 46:7-8).
8. Other rivers in the bible each had significance derivable from their names.

These features and characteristics are applicable to the rivers of Nigeria.

NIGERIA, FULANI DOMINATION AND COVENANTS WITH WATER SPIRITS

The Bible tells us that rivers run from between mountains and hills (Deut 8:7, Psalm 104:4-13). Geography also tells us that the River Niger originates from the Futa Djallon Mountains of Guinea-Conakry. Futa Djallon is a Fulani word (futa or feta) meaning Resting place, settlement or habitation.

If the river Niger for which Nigeria is named has its source from a mountain named by the Fulani as a Fulani resting place, does it not explain why the Nigeria area (Nigeria) is dominated by the Hausa- Fulani? If Nigeria has to be healed, we have to prophetically turn Futa Djallon to Eden (Gen. 2:10-14, Isaiah 51:3, Ezekiel 36:35) at its source, reversing every covenant (like Elisa healed the waters of Jericho – See Joshua 6:26 and 2 Kings 2:18-22).

(The good news is that this spiritual exercise was recently done. To God be the Glory)

Healing waters must flow from the church into the sea, to heal the waters of Nigeria (Ezekiel 47:1-8).

Conclusion

Demonic water spirits are a reality and they control EVERY tribe, people, land, language and tongue, blinding them to the gospel of Christ. Rev. 17:1-18:6 describe the spiritual principality represented by the woman Babylon, as sitting upon many waters and ruling over the kings of the earth (Rev. 17:15). The earlier the church deals with them in spiritual warfare, the easier the work of missions and world evangelism will be. They are specifically given authority to war against saints, they know their time is short and are furious. Their goal is to delay Christ's coming as much as they can by preventing world evangelism.

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4.0 Dakar muses

The following ‘revelations’ came out of my recent visit to Dakar Senegal, one of the 17 African nations that was 50 years post independence

1. Britain ensured that for mainly commercial purposes (and beneath spiritual reasons), they colonised Countries with access to the sea
2. The most western point of the Atlantic Ocean is in Dakar. It is from there the hurricanes and storms devastating the western hemisphere start off
3. Most of the most devastating hurricanes and storms have feminine names
4. Cameroon is named after a word meaning (sea) shrimps
5. Rwanda on its own recently changed from being a Francophone Nation to an Anglophone Nation
6. In order to spiritually subdue the indigenes of an area, whenever Fulani (pastoralist) settlers get to a place, the search out the river(s) servicing the area and make certain covenants that enables them to settle in the area and dominate the indigenes