​Then, with all of His might He shouted, “It is finished!” and He gave up the ghost. Despite all temptations, pains and heartbreak, Jesus kept His focus on redeeming me and you. The cost of this great plan was ultimately His death but the result of it is YOU. No greater love than for a man to give his life for his friend. Who, therefore, can condemn the justified by Christ? For Jesus’ death became our deliverance and His resurrection became our hope. 

It is finished! Death has been replaced with life and that life is the light of men. Come out of your darkness oh yea people, forsake the dark oh yea lands. Accept the light oh yea inhabitants of the earth and let it shine, dispelling darkness and it’s works. The reign of darkness is over, so arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 

It is finished! The work of redemption has been completed by Jesus’ death and perfected by His resurrection. He died so that the power of darkness can be dead over your life, He resurrected so that the power of light can live in you, for you and through you. The deal is settled. The case is finished. Hallelujah, you are discharged and acquainted. 

It is finished! The struggles are over. We no longer walk like blind men. His word has become a lamp unto our feet and a light to our path. We are no longer limited by what our eyes can see for we walk by faith and not by sight. They say there’s a casting down but we see and say there’s a lifting up. They say we are outnumbered by a thousand enemies but we see and say we are guarded by a million angels. Lines are fallen unto us in pleasant places and YES! We have a goodly heritage. 

It is finished! We can no longer loose a battle. The era of being a victim is over. We are more than conquerors. We can’t be pulled down. Jesus already conquered the world and gave us the authority in heaven and on earth to rule over it. No circumstance is powerful enough to drown us. No gang up is strong enough to mute us. We are the indomitables in Christ Jesus. Jesus came, He saw, He conquered and gave us the victory. 

It is finished! It is over! Sin has been destroyed our past has been erased never to be revisited. We have an advocate in Christ Jesus who is our faithful legal counsel. He never looses any case. He sets us free and closes the case. Nobody dares to bring it up again. For if God be for us who can be against us. He rules in our favour and commands all things to favour us. We have found favour and great mercy in His presence and our joy is full. 

It is finished! Jesus is alive! This is Easter! 

Life is lived when it is given. You can only live life when you give life. To give life is to love. Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Life is not about the cars and the things you have or what does it profit a man if he gains the entire world and then looses his soul. Life is more about what you can give, what you have to offer. Your words of encouragement, your smile of hope, your loving kindness, your service to God and humanity. The greatest sacrifice is to give one’s life. No greater love than this: that a man should lay down his life for his friends. 

For God so loved the world that He gave... 
John 3:16 gives us a wonderful equation that tells us how to truly live 
Love + Giving = Life 

This principle works for virtually anything. For example if you want a life as a business man, then love what you do, give your time, offering, tithes, energy and you’ll have a business life. Apply this to all other areas of your life. 

However, the kind of life you want will determine your love and your giving. For Eternal life you have to love God, people and give your life. 
To live is to die and to die is to live. Jesus understanding this said “except a corn falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone (i.e. though the corn has life in it, it is not living until it dies and then lives/germinates). If your life revolves around you, you and you, then you are not living yet. Life starts when a man presents himself as a pleasing sacrifice, holy and acceptable before God. 

Mark 8:35 NLT: If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 
You want to truly live? Then propagate the gospel. Spread it wherever you go. Go tell it on the mountains, over the hills and everywhere, that Jesus Christ is Lord. Make God’s will your number one ambition. Put God first, not your life, not your personal prayer requests, not your lusts and fleshly desires, not your hunger or thirst for revenge. Make God your priority and do whatever pleases Him. 

Those who still live till today in the good book of history, are those who were selfless. Those who gave their lives to service to God and humanity. They were problem solvers, not necessarily because they had their own problems solved but because they made themselves available to solving other people’s issues, in-spite of theirs.

Paul the apostle had an infirmity, a secret issue that he prayed a lot about, yet he went about saving other people and healing them through the gospel of Jesus Christ. He lost his life but in actual fact, gained it. 
Jesus Christ of Nazareth had Judas a betrayer as one of His disciples. But knowing this did not stop Jesus. He put aside His pain and hurt from a betrayal, and sold out His life as a price to have the entire human race reconciled to God. 

This week, make up your mind to truly live. Love and give.

An instruction is an order or a command. It is also an act of teaching, or furnishing with information or knowledge. Instructions are necessary and important for a successful safe trip to a destination. There are general instructions but more importantly, there are specific instructions depending on the destination or desired result. Your destination determines who instructs you. As much as instructions are important, the instructor is much more important. Anyone desiring heaven can not have the devil as instructor neither does anyone desiring hell have God as the instructor. So you see, it’s all a cycle: Destination/desired result determines instructor, which determines instructions which eventually leads to Destination/desired result. 

Esther had a destiny and purpose. She was destined to save her people. But she didn’t know how to go about it. Thank God for her instructor, Mordecai her cousin, who was then the only father figure Esther had. Mordecai understood Esther’s purpose and it’s timings. He knew the importance of it and took the responsibility on himself to instruct her right. 

Your instructor should understand your destination, an idea of where you are going. He must be close enough to know and sensitive enough to understand the importance. Peter’s instructor was Jesus, Elisah’s was Elijah, Paul’s was the Holy Spirit, Mary’s was Angel Gabriel, Saul’s was Samuel, Babylon’s was Daniel, Egypt’s was Joseph, Israel’s was Moses, fountain of Grace’s instructor is Rev. Adebara, RCCG’s instructor is Pastor Adeboye and on and on. 

The number one instructor and the only perfect instructor is the Holy Spirit. That’s why it is important for born again Christians to be baptized in the spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. 
Another important instructor who shouldn’t/can’t take the place of the Holy Spirit, but works with Him, is your spiritual father. This is why instructions from the altar are important and so is whoever you choose as your spiritual father. There are many “fathers” but only a few can be truly called spiritual fathers. 
Thirdly, your earthly father. This may be your biological father or whoever stands as a father figure in your life. 

Who is your instructor? Remember, the devil is also an instructor, over the years he has instructed many to their ends. Judas, Samson, Saul, Adam and eve, Cain, Hitler, Bin Laden, some of our politicians and lots more. He is like a lion seeking whom to devour. 

Choose your instructor(s) right and follow. You will get there!

​While writing this article, I realized that some of the readers may have some reservations about this topic. I was once of the school of thought that says prayers are better prayed silently, gentlemanly and “codedly” with all “tushness” and “swagger”. I felt since God is not deaf and He hears every thought then I didn’t need to shout. But growing in God and understanding the place of tests, trials and tribulations have given me a shift in paradigm. 

Shout! My friend shout! Let it all out! There’s nothing as relieving and effective as a shout of faith that comes from desperately fervent prayer of a righteous man. Yes, there’s a place of silent prayers but there’s also a place of a loud cry, a lifting of the voice and a shout of victory. 

Mr. Bartimaeus, formally nicknamed blind Bartimaeus, would have lost his miracle if he was just silently praying for healing. But instead of dying in silence, he gave a loud shout and increased the volume twice till he was heard saying “ Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, I want my vision restored” and Jesus did it. Have you lost your vision or everything is blurry? Does it feel like you don’t have a clue what is going on? Have you been deserted and nicknamed “blind visioneer”? Then let it all out with a shout of faith and follow it with a shout of victory and your eyes will be opened. (Mark 10:46-52)

A special group of people needed to move forward and possess a city but they were limited by a wall. They were without ideas and moving forward was impossible until they were inspired by God to move round the wall, raise the shouts of faith and victory. The wall came down flat before them and limitations were destroyed, boundaries were removed and forward ever they went (Joshua 6:1-20). Are you finding it difficult to move forward? Is there a “but” in your life that needs to be uprooted? Are you experiencing a delay? Then shout brother, shout sister! Shout of faith and victory is all you need.

He was punished and just about to be put to death for an offence he didn’t commit. His father sent him to die for His people and this same people were the ones who killed Him. No one could help Him, and even His father couldn’t look at Him. While on the cross which was the peak of His pain, the height of His hurt and the deepest valley of evil that He went through, He gave a shout with all the strength left in Him and said “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” and He died (Matthew 27:46). Three days later God the Father who heard Jesus’ shout, but for the perfection of the New testament, raised Him up from the dead and now Jesus lives forever. Does it feels like everyone has left you? Has your heart been broken and you are all alone? Does it feel like you are no longer wanted and the world has turned against you? Then shout, let it all out. The prayer of desperation and victory are never silent. Don’t die in silence dear friend. Shout!

You are a Lion, child of the Lion of Judah. Lions don’t silently roar. One shout of a lion sends every intruder away. Today, rise up and give the loudest shout of faith and watch and laugh as you see your enemy, the devil, run in despair. 
Shout!