May 2019  Edition

Dear Beloved,

Welcome to our May E-newsletter. It has been a very interesting, but busy month for us. We congratulate the new Government and pray that God will give them mighty success. Please join in praying for this new government. The Bible instructs us to pray for our leaders.

Plans are being put in place for our Kingdom Invasion Conferences. Registration has started in both Lagos and Abuja, see flyers below. There is already a buzz and excitement in the air, and we are still about two and a half months away. We however would like to ask each of you to prayerfully invite at least 10 people, help them register and pray them in. Let us really be intentional about helping people return to the love heart of Father God by inviting them to the conference.

In our feature on "Testimonies....Lives Transformed", we are sharing Dr(Mrs)Toyin Abass's testimony of how attending the Kingdom conference changed her life. We hope this builds up faith in you.

We have all our other features like ... " In His Presence ", so do enjoy them. We love to hear from you too, so do keep in touch.

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Our measure of Devotion:  How does your measure of devotion compare with God's measure


Devotion is a commitment or strong dedication to some purpose, expanded to mean love, loyalty or enthusiasm for a person or activity. Devotion is often the outworking of passionate heart engagement. I believe the story of the woman with the Alabaster jar shows us an interesting model of passion that helps us examine and evaluate our own level of devotion. 

The story, found in all four Gospels (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:37-50; John 12:1-7) tells of how while Jesus was reclining in the home of Simon the leper, in Bethany, a woman came in with an Alabaster jar of costly, rare Nard perfume and poured it on Jesus in an act of heart felt worship, releasing an amazing aroma into the home. She then wiped his feet with her hair. This woman knew Jesus had forgiven her much and her heart had received His unconditional love. Having received His love, and mercy, she could not ignore Him. More so, she had to respond extravagantly, from the depth of her being.

The reaction of the host Simon and the disciples was one of hostility. They could not understand why this ointment should be wasted. It seems like they had a spirit of familiarity. They had lost the passion and appreciation of being in the company of Jesus! This sometimes happens when our relationship and devotion looses its passion.



It makes us ask ourselves what our response to all that God has done for us is. When we don't respond passionately, it's either because we don't receive forgiveness to a measure that our heart fully registers. It can also mean that we don't know how to be extravagant or passionate in worship with our Bridegroom or indeed, have chosen to ignore Him. However, note that Jesus enjoyed passionate affection. Is it possible that Jesus is looking for a more heartfelt response from our hearts?

The woman in our story had to overcome fear, mockery and gossip to go into Simon's home to respond to Jesus. This Jar of ointment cost her everything. It was a whole year's wage. It was so expensive and precious. It is obvious that her heart had received something that wouldn't let her stay in the shadows and wish it away. A passion had been ignited in her heart that demanded a response to the Source. The response of the woman to Jesus was from a wholeheartedly devoted heart.

Jesus said she was anointing His Body for burial. We see that unknowingly, she had keyed into a divine need. Jesus had tried to explain to His disciples about His coming death, but they could not follow or focus, and she didn't know this was on His Heart. However, as she responded from her heart to His, Jesus recognised the divine purpose in this expensive outpouring over Him. Jesus went on further to prophesy, saying that wherever in the world this gospel was preached, her devotion to Him would also be talked about. What a reward from Jesus. 



We are not told the name of this woman. That was how "unknown" in a human sense she was. But she made such an impact on Jesus, providing the encouragement that Jesus' Heart needed. Here was Jesus, going to take the wrath of God upon Himself on behalf of mankind. He was going to have all of mankind's wickedness, violence and deprivation thrust on Him, and along came this woman's tender gesture. He described her sacrifice of love as a praiseworthy and noble thing. Some translations say 'good' and 'beautiful' It's no wonder why Jesus spoke out on her behalf against those that argued the ointment should have been sold and the money given to the poor. He pointed out that they would always have the poor, but they would not always have Him.

Over the years, we have tried to legislate devotion to God, but we can't. We have given people rules to follow, erring on the side of living religiously, rather than encouraging ourselves towards personal relationship with Jesus. Religion is about going through repetitive motions, that has no love, or power. Religion is about man striving to be good to reach God, whereas relationship is about Jesus reaching down and pulling us out unto Himself in love.

Jesus went to the Cross so our hearts could be reconciled to the Father's Heart. It's easy to become trapped in a performance-based theology that God Our Father's love must be earned or deserved. Rather, if my heart engages wholeheartedly with Jesus, I would never want to hurt or disobey Him. If I did, I would quickly repent, asking for forgiveness. I would continually want to respond to His Heart of love, no matter, where, or when, and I would be ready to give all that I have in worship of Him. 



So is Jesus looking to us for a more lavish, extravagant, intimate, intense expression of our love? Do we have this story in the four gospels because this model of Devotion appeals to Jesus? Is He waiting for a more truly devoted heartfelt response from us?

Let us spend some time in the secret place today. Let's ask Him, what He thinks of our devotion, and how we can improve on it such that, like the woman in our story, it ministers specially to Him, bringing Him great pleasure.


Mina x
Announcement

New Dates for Kaduna Conference:

We are excited to announce that the Kingdom Invasion Conference in Kaduna will now hold on Monday, 2nd and Tuesday 3rd of September, 2019. Registration details, will be out soon.

Registration for Abuja and Lagos Kingdom Invasion Conferences are ongoing. This year's conferences promises to be filled with powerful teaching, impartation and healing sessions facilitated by anointed host of speakers. Participants always leave these conferences emboldened, empowered and transformed to go on to transform others in their churches and communities all over the country.

To register for Abuja conference scheduled to hold at the International Conference Center, Herbert Macaulay Way on Monday 26th & Tuesday 27th of August, kindly visit www.lapislazuliminstries.org or text your name (Surname first), email, gender, state of residence and church to 09063901916 or 08163510857 or click on this link https://kic-abuja-2019.eventbrite.co.uk/ 

To register for Lagos conference scheduled to hold at Landmark Events Centre, Oniru on Friday, 30th & Saturday, 31st of August, 2019, kindly visit www.lapislazuliminstries.org or text your name (Surname first), email, gender, state of residence and church to 07034371401 or 08097167491 or click on this link https://kic-lagos-2019.eventbrite.co.uk/ 

Testimonies...lives transformed...

In this edition, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluwatoyin Bode-Abass shares her experience at the 2018 Kingdom Empowerment Conference and other programmes organized by the ministry that she has benefitted from.

In 2017, God began to challenge a lot of things about my "Christianity". I was done with the old and familiar. I began to desire more, though I had no idea what this more would look like and where it would take me and my family. I was making some dangerous declarations at the time that I didn't know Papa would take them literally.

God had been carrying out a personal Sozo on me for months most of 2017 though I didn't have the appropriate language for what I was experiencing until I shared my experiences with pastor Udy, a dear friend of my family. 2018 began with many of what I would call "God-connections". Pastor Udy invited our family to his home for New Year dinner, little did I know that meeting would change my life. A short while after we got through eating dinner, aunt Alero Ayida-Otobo, a woman I consider to have generational influence, literally waltzed in with her sister, Dr. Gubby Ayida . . . who I had never met. My husband, Bode and I got talking with aunt Gubby only to find out she's a doctor. We were able to engage her on a professional level. She started talking about Wellness and Heaven in Healthcare. This piqued my interest. I was like a child in a toy store!

God had been talking to me about a career in Integrative Medicine, as against a career in paediatrics I had been nurturing. He wanted me to go into spirit, soul (mind) and body medicine. So I was googly-eyed when Dr Gubby started talking about Bethel Sozo, an inner healing ministry founded by Bethel, Redding. Hearing her share about Sozo brought insight to the personal Sozo sessions I had been having with Papa. I didn't wait a second longer to tell her I needed a Sozo. She was able to get me booked in and by 5th January I had a personal Bethel Sozo session. My life changed dramatically after the experience. This was were I met Dr. Mina Bajomo. She was lead (first chair) in my Sozo session.

A few weeks later, pastor Udy encouraged us to attend a Kingdom Conference planning meeting as volunteers. Bode was too tired to attend so I drove up to the residence of the Bajomo's alone. They are the founders of Lapis Lazuli ministries, and the conveners of the annual Kingdom Conferences under same ministry. As I listened to all that was shared, I knew I had to be a part of it. I had prayed for more and was now being presented with an opportunity to co-labor with God. I prayerfully considered where and how I could serve and I put my details down. I went a step further and volunteered Bode for the protocol team which he ended up leading.

Bode and I attended the healing workshop run by Lapis Lazuli ministries facilitated by the Bajomo's. On completion, I volunteered to be a member of the healing team at the Kingdom Empowerment Conference as I felt . One afternoon I received a call from Dr Mina Bajomo asking that I co-ordinate the intercessory team. I remember thinking as she spoke that I was certainly going to turn her down when she was done. I heard a gentle whisper after that thought saying, "you will listen to everything she has to say and agree to do what she asks". My lips quivered as I began to respond when I discerned she had asked me to do it because God led her to.

With the conference finally here, we pulled our 6 year old son, Oluwalani out of school for a week. He needed to experience God for himself. First stop, Abuja. I visited a Church as part of the ministry with Dr Leif Hetland. I saw and felt God's love as he ministered. I wanted that. To love like Jesus. Monday came with so much excitement. The word came with simplicity and each speaker impacted my core and shifted my paradigm. From Bishop Joseph Gallington who left me hungering for more of the Holy Spirit to Tom Jones getting me fired up to go after healing, to Charity Cook inspiring my pursuit of God's epic, compelling story for my life. I was undone. I saw the simplicity of the gospel. I was inspired to go on a journey of intimacy with God. I realised that everything He has called me to do wasn't dependent on my ability but my availability. By the end of the conference, I said an irrevocable yes to all that God had in store for me to do with Him. I received impartation by proxy and laying on of hands, other times I placed a demand on the grace gift and anointing I desired that a guest speaker was manifesting.

I had supernatural encounters and began seeing angels in my bedroom at night for weeks. Oluwalani was activated in hearing God. Bode's passion was ignited and he was excited about us pursuing ministry. I had the opportunity to train as a Sozo first chair and I jumped on board. I began to see a picture forming. I began to see how the opportunities He was bringing my way was preparing and equipping me for Integrative Medicine. My training as a Sozo first chair will help me bring healing in the soul/mind aspect; the healing workshop and the conference has equipped me to pray healing thereby meeting the needs of the body. Bode and I received an instruction to steward worship in August and we got right to it! Worship helps meet our spirit needs! Being at my first Kingdom Conference was a major turning point in my life. After receiving divine downloads on Integrative Medicine; revelation knowledge and impartation for kingdom life, I am now in the process of gaining intellectual knowledge in Integrative Medicine. I look forward to this year's conference with great expectation.

Oluwatoyin Bode-Abass



May the Lord continue to uphold and preserve us all.

God's blessings,



Femi and Mina Bajomo



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Prayer Requests

1. Pray a blessing on our new President and Vice President, and ask that God will grant them wisdom and strength to rule this nation justly.

2. Pray for God to deliver our nation from wicked, evil and violent people who are causing great insecurity in our cities through killings, kidnappings and rampage.

3. Pray for God to send angels to every corner of this nation, to draw people into the Kingdom conferences, and to radically meet and transform their lives.

4. Pray for God's mighty Hand in every detail of the arrangements for the Kingdom Conferences.

5. Pray for Leah's safe return.


Calling Intercessors

 
We would like to ask Intercessors who have attended our Kingdom Conferences and would like to meet in your states to pray for the Nation and for Lapis, to please do so.

Please send contact details of your group to us - info@lapislazuliministries.org OR 07034371401.
 
Bible Passage
Proverbs 4:23

Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.

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3rd Floor Maku House,
109 Awolowo Road,
South West Ikoyi,
Lagos, Nigeria.
Recommended Books
 
Co-Labouring with the Lord: Experiencing the Miraculous
by Dr. Mina Bajomo

You can buy a copy in Lapis Lazuli Ministries Office, 3rd Floor, Maku House, 109 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos or call 07034371401
 
You can order on Amazon/Kindle

You can order on Jumia
order now


 


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Open Heaven - Are You Thirsty?
by Randy Clark
 
 
 
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Supernatural Abundance:
A Journey To The Father's House
by Leif Hetland

 
Spirit Life Conference
[ hosted by The Lighthouse Church, London ]