So much has happened in this season, and I am writing to you and to myself. In all the busy festive activities, was there the time to reflect? What is or  wha t has all this frenzy been about?

Did those around you understand the reason for this season....? Were you caught up in all the rush, or did you have time to put the Person who this season is about, Jesus Christ at the centre, in His rightful place...? Or was He pushed right out of the way, and we went through the motions.......but without really connecting with Him in our hearts, or helping others to understand.

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of the Son of the Most High God, Jesus Christ, who was born miraculously (through the power of the Holy Spirit) to Mary and Joseph in a little town called Bethlehem.

We have all sinned and fallen short and unable to save ourselves from the penalty of sin which we deserve. Our Heavenly Father so loved the world that He gave us the greatest gift in His Son, Jesus Christ that who so ever should believe in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life. In other words, the penalty for our sins is death, but Jesus was born to die in my place and your place, thus setting us free to be adopted into God's family and thus able to call Go d, my Father and to know Him personally .

It is this most precious gift of love of our Father, and Jesus's Light, and abundant life that we celebrate Jesus for. Yes, there is some fuss over the actual date, but it doesn't detract from the reason that we celebrate the season. Without Jesus dying on the Cross for us at Easter, we would have no way of doing enough good works to save ourselves. Remember, no one is good because we have bad thoughts or evil desires so we all need a sinless Saviour to redeem us.

With this background, we need to look again at our celebrations and ask ourselves if Jesus was reflected all over them. Did we love unconditionally like Jesus does? Were we able to come around family and friends or are there sibling rivalry and relationships where offence has put asunder? Or is life so much about ourselves that we can't be bothered about others? Having received the gift of Jesus, were we able to share precious gifts to others. Remember that it's more blessed to give than to receive. Was Jesus' light at the centre and did we share His life and love with others? Jesus desires that we have a personal loving relationship with Him, where we love Him wholeheartedly, a relationship where His love is experienced by others, because He is alive and real to us. A relationship where we battle the enemy's schemes not only in our lives but in the life of others. A relationship where we know who we are in Christ, and as we go, we preach the good news, both in our lifestyles and with our words. We are then actively involved in healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers and driving out demons ( Mathew 10 v 7- 8).

Jesus gave the disciples the authority to walk in all this and it has been passed down to us too. Imagine what light we would emit on earth, if we allow the light of Jesus to shine through us into this dark world.

As we remember how the Angels carrying the goodnews lit up the skies with song, and the absolute joy and peace that was released on earth as the magnitude of the Father's love for mankind was perceived. Let us pray for a revival that rocks the world such that the world recognises Jesus as the heaven born prince of peace and hails Him as the Son of righteousness. Let us surrender our hearts to Him, so that He can rule the world through us with truth and grace.

Finally, as we enter the new decade, by God's grace, let us be filled with fear and trembling, knowing that we are vessels made to bring Him glory.

Mina Xx

Breaking News! Breaking News!! Breaking News!!!

The 2020 Kingdom Expansion Conference will hold on Friday, 5th and Saturday, 6th of June in Lagos; Monday, 8th & Tuesday, 9th of June in Abuja and Thursday, 11th & Friday, 12th of June in Kaduna. Some of our Guest Speakers at this conference are: Dr. Tom Jones, Dr. Leif Hetland, Charity Cook, David Wagner, Tomi Arayomi...

Please save these dates, pray with us and plan to attend with many people for the Lord to transform. Expect more information in the next edition....

In this edition, we have an amazing testimony from Mrs. Jane Omuku, who is a board member of Lapis Lazuli Ministries. She also serves as an Intercessor and a planning team member for the Kingdom Conferences since its inception in 2014.

About 10 years ago, I was privileged to witness a dimension of the unity our Lord Jesus prayed for in John 17 - "That they (we) all may be one......"  It wasn't at a Lapis Conference. as Lapis Lazuli was as yet unborn.  It was at an International Alpha conference, in Holy Trinity Brompton in the United Kingdom.

In that setting, I saw Christians of all races and denominations worshiping together, united in the love of Jesus and celebrating their faith in God. I saw people listening to God and praying for each other as the Holy Spirit spoke to their hearts.  The anointing was palpable. Joy filled the atmosphere .  and the power of God was strong to heal and make whole.  It was an experience I couldn't stop recounting for a very long time, especially as I had at that time ,  only just returned to the UK to live for a while.

At the end of the conference I returned home and wept.  

Nehemiah 8:8-9

They (the Levites) read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

Knowing what ought to be and seeing the lack of its existence can cause the soul to weep.

Here I was in the UK, after totally rejecting the possibility of leaving my beloved Nigeria with all the "spirituality" I knew existed and had experienced!  I was in central London, in a setting that I and many other Christians in my country regarded as a "godless society"; and I was witnessing the presence and power of God's Word and Spirit moving in a way I had never experienced before.

I  saw the breaking of denominational walls and the reunification of the body of Christ. And this was a yearly conference!!

My grief led me to ask God to give to us in Nigeria what I was seeing and experiencing in the heart of London...

John 17:23

"....that the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me."

I have actively participated in Lapis Lazuli ministries for some years now......

I see the love of Jesus spreading in the Church, like yeast in dough........

I see bread coming out of the oven to feed the hungry; no money, no price...

I see the command ..."freely you have received...freely give", being enacted....

I see denominational walls crumbling under the strong hammer of Love.

I see God supplying needs and people gathering and being restored...

I see people sacrificially giving of themselves and their gifts

I see joy in the Holy Spirit proceeding from believers......

I see lives being transformed in His presence....

I see the equipping of saints for ministry....

I see God connecting hearts to Himself

I see the united Church emerging .....

I see hope for Nigeria ....