Where is the love of God?

Esther 4:15-16: “Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer.16: Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the King, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”

True love is always characterised by sacrifices, but expecting nothing in return. In some cases, but not always, there is a give-and-take approach. However, when there is genuine love, the parties involved are more interested in satisfying the needs of the other party and expecting nothing in return. This is what is called agape or unconditional love.

The love parents shower on their children is always unconditional, although, it is expected that when the child grows, he or she begins to take care of the parents, all things being equal. Some parents do not care what their children give them; they are more interested in the wellbeing and bright future of their children.

In the same vein,God wants our love and obedience to Him to be unconditional. He is our creator. He loved us first and wants us to love Him without thinking of His blessings first. That is why He calls Abraham His friend because the later obeyed His instructions without knowing the outcome. The Bible gives account of God’s encounter with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-4 in this way:“Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee. 2: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. 3: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 4: So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.”
Although God made an unconditional promise, Abraham obeyed the command, left his people without seeing the fulfillment of the promise.

He loved God as his creator. The promise of God is extended to Abraham’s descendants, Israel, to the Church as in Christ and to the gentile nations. The fact that the promises to Abraham have not been fulfilled did not in any way affect his obedience and loyalty to God.

Abraham was obedient to the word of God to the last letter, to the extent that when God eventually gave him a son at the old age of 100 years, he did not hesitate when God instructed him to use that same only son, Isaac, for a burnt offering. God instructed him in Genesis 22:1-3 thus:“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, behold, here I am. 2: And he said, take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 3: And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.”

In demonstration of God’s love and obedient to His word Abraham did not give consideration to his age and the chances of having another son, at that age he took off to the mountain for the sacrifice. If you read verses 9 and 10 below, you will see that Abraham would have killed and burnt his only son, Isaac, if not that angel of the Lord stopped him. The angel directed him to look up to see the ram provided by God for the burnt offering. It was at that point that Abraham called God Jehovah ‘Jireh’ meaning the God that gives.

In reference to the lead scripture above, Queen Esther demonstrated love for the people of God by taking a decision of breaking the law of Mede/Persiaand going to the King without invitation in order to plead for the preservation of her people— the Jews, who were at that time sentenced to death, through ethnic cleansing by Haman.

Esther did not mind if she dies or not, but let her plead for the survival of her people, the Jews in the foreign land prevail. Our love for God and the work of God should continue even in the face of risks of death or imprisonment. There are areas people do not want to hear preaching of the word of God. There are streets even in this Lagos, where some evil landlords have released their dogs to attack a Christian while preaching in the morning. This should not debar evangelists from going out for morning cry. There are times money may be needed for one thing or the other in a fellowship building, the person who identifies the need does not need to tell the pastor if he or she has the capacity of solving the problem. God rewards people when they do the work of God willingly out of their own volition.God is always mindful of people who carry out projects when they are not told by another person to do so, but took the decision on their own. God blesses such people without measure.

God is also happy with people who serve Him for whom He is, after repenting of their sins, than people who come to serve Him in expectation of miracles or blessings. That is why the Bible says in Matthew 6:33 that:“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The blessings of God come after showing love for the things of God and by rendering unconditional services to Him. If you read the account of King Solomon you will discover his blessings came after huge sacrifices to God as the Bible reports in 1Kings 3:3-5 saying:“And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 4: And the King went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. 5: In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, ‘ask what I shall give thee.’”

Imagine God asking someone to ask whatever he wants. King Solomon made a sacrifice of 1,000 burnt offerings in one day. God asked him to make a request and he requested for wisdom, but God gave him wisdom and blessed him in all things. Sacrifice in things of God brings blessings. It is the love of God that motivates someone to make sacrifices for things of God. If you have opportunity to show love to God’s people or in the work of God, do not hesitate to do so, your blessings are coming in Jesus’ name.

His Testimony

…And OfoWas Burnt To Ashes
This is the testimony of a youth whose family claimed that the community’s indigenous staff of authority (Ofo in Igbo language) fell on him and he is compelled to take up the staff and begin to appease the gods of his ancestors, but he refused.

MY name is Brother Ikechukwu. I began to worship with The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries three months ago. My aunt whose name is Sister Rosemary brought me to this church. Three months ago, I testified here of how the three companies l applied for work rejected me, but after coming to Chosen on Sunday, on Monday the three companies called me simultaneously.

Like I said earlier, my name is Brother Ikechukwu, l came from Orlu in Imo State.I am the last born of my mother, according to the information available to me. The day and time my grandfather died was the day and time, l was born, that was on July 8, 1995.

My grandfather was the head of masquerades cult in my village. The people said l took after my grandfather and automatically that the ofo (native staff of authority that is always fortified with several demonic spirits) falls on me, and as such l should take up the Ofo. l told them,I am a Christian, serving the living God, and cannot serve the Ofo. And my people became angry with me. Since l came to Lagos, none of them have called to know how I am doing. My grandmother picked the Ofo and kept it in a place she thought was better for it, but the Ofo fractured her hand and her leg and within a period of one week, she died. My people were furious at me and said l was the cause of her death because I have refused to take up the Ofo. Since l came to Lagos, my dad has not called me for a day; in fact, he did not care about me. l only get help from my aunt who brought me here.

However, I travelled to Port Harcourt where my parents are, to see them and from there I travelled to my village.When I got home, I entered the Obi (communal male home) where the Ofo was kept to collect it, but the Ofo reject me.I then removed my apron andused it to wrap the Ofo and quickly took it out of the Obi. I left my village, boarded a bus back to Lagos with it. On our way, our bus had accident several times; in fact, l boarded three different vehicles with the Ofo to Lagos. Getting to Lagos, I took it to Intercessory Camp during the programme, titled: “…And The Enemies Submitted” and some intercessors prayed and burnt it.

Note, a particular church had come in time past, took this Ofo and burnt it, but to our greatest surprise, after that exercise, the next day, the Ofo was seen in the Obi again. But in the case of the Chosen, the Ofo wascompletely burnt; it never resurfaced again in Jesus’ name…

After the exercise, my mother called me and said she learnt l went to the village to take the Ofo, which I answered in the affirmative. I told her, how I took the Ofo to my Church where it was burnt to ashes because the Ofo had been bringing hardship and misery to the family. She then asked: “Was it not the same church that had burnt it before, and the next day it returned to its Obi? I said no, that this time it was, The Lord’s Chosen Church, where God dwells, a church full of power, a church that does signs and wonders, a church that God uses to do and undo, a church l believe so much in, that burnt the Ofo. And it will never come back to that Obi in Jesus’ name.

Then my dad said he has disowned me and doesn’t want to have anything to do with me again. I went to my aunt that brought me to Lagos and told her everything, she encouraged me and said l should not worry, that God of Chosen will take control.

After the programme, “…And The Enemies Submitted,” on Sunday, on Monday, my mother called me and said that the Obi, which was the abode of the Ofo has burnt to ashes.
God of Chosen is so great. No one can withstand Him. He does what no man can do. And He has done it for me. May His name be praised in Jesus’ name! Amen!

I pray for our General Overseer that God will continue to strengthen him and no weapon formed against him shall prosper in Jesus’ name…Amen!