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The Crises of Lovelessness . . .
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If there ever was a year of crisis upon crisis, this year 2020 has been such a year. This has happened in many of the nations of the world, so it's not peculiar to Nigeria. Our world has been rocked by crises from different directions. As you were about to get your head above water, the enemy deals another blow, for make no mistake, the enemy satan has been responsible in differing ways for all this evil across the world. Yes, he has used us against each other to a great extent. However, the biggest crisis that has been shown up all over the world is our lovelessness. 1 John 3 v 11 says "The message you heard from the very beginning is this, we must love one another."
Daniel 7 v 25 says that satan seeks to wear out the Saints of the Most High God. This is why he is relentless all over the world at this time. I am not in anyway saying only Christians are affected. If it's not the first or second wave of the corona pandemic, it's the winter flu. The economies of nations continue to show terribly negative indices. If it's not politics, elections or the stimulus package, it's killings and wanton destruction of property. There are injustices and police brutality by those who are supposed to protect citizens all over the world and outright racism. There are the killings on white farms in South Africa, battles with extreme poverty, weather disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes. The dust from the Brexit still hasn't settled after so many months. So, what really is going on and how are we to make sense of all this.
I never have much desire to give much attention to satan, for I know he is a defeated foe. I also know without an iota of doubt that Jesus, our King is on the throne, and we must give Him our full attention at this time (Psalm 47 v 8). "God sits on His sacred throne, He rules over the nations." "I will lift up My eyes to the hills, for where comes my help, my help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121v 1). None of what is happening has taken Father God by surprise for He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 44v 7). I would therefore like to focus on what I am perceiving in Papa's Presence at this time for this is where we can enter into for Him to fill us with His Spirit as He promised (Isaiah 44v 3; Joel 2v 28; John 7v 37-39).
It's also important to say that the Lord had sent prophesies that this year would be a year of dark clouds gathering over nations including Nigeria. It would also be a year of much conflict, challenges and shaking. However, in all the challenges, especially of the pandemic, we still see the faithfulness of God. We see that with the restrictions even in our inability to gather to worship, Our Heavenly Father used the opportunity to draw us to Himself in a heavenly reset.
Our excessively busy lives were curtailed so we could focus on what our Father told us was His priority.... "Himself". It helped us recalibrate our lives and turn our formerly cluttered hearts back to Him to learn once again how to position ourselves to receive a revelation of how much we are loved by Him, for only then can we spread it.
At this time, it is also most important to touch base with our feelings. It is important that we understand that we are responsible for the state of our heart and can not control anyone else's heart. Proverbs 13 v 12 says; "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it's a tree of life". This means that when we go through disappointment, and when things don't seem to turn out the way we expect them to, our hearts could become sick. There may be pain, trauma, depression or so much more. If this sick heart is not addressed at the time, we try to suppress the hurt inside our heart and it affects how we do life. We tend to believe lies about the Godhead as we seek to make sense of the situation, and this results in us developing wounds deep in our hearts.
Since the abrupt violent end of the most peaceful demonstration named "#endsars" campaign in Nigeria, and the subsequent outpouring of pent up emotions by many, there has been such a display of hardness of heart against one another - anger, violence and bitterness, deep seated resentment of each other, lack of sympathy, inability to honour and lovelessness. We were made to receive God's love and allow it flow to others through us. There's no greater crisis than our inability to spread the love of God to our world that is desperate for the unconditional love of our Most high God.
The Lord desires that we guard our hearts at a time like this, for out of it flows the issues of life (Proverbs 4 v 23). This means that issues like trust, honour, integrity, obedience, faith, and love have to be allowed to flow from our hearts. Guarding our hearts implies that we continually examine our thoughts and our beliefs. What thoughts are we allowing to be placed in our hearts. Most importantly, this is a time to unite with each other and spend time in the Presence of Father God. The more time we spend together in worship, the more our hearts will align with how extravagantly we are loved by Him.
Isaiah 60 v 1 -3 says "Arise, Jerusalem, and shine like the sun, the glory of the Lord is shining on you. Other nations will be covered by darkness, but on you the light of the Lord will shine; the brightness of His Presence will be with you". It has been prophesied that in spite of the gathering dark clouds and the darkness, we will arise and God's light and love will shine forth from us. Our hearts will once again exude His love. This crisis of lovelessness will be no more as we learn to forgive each other. God is more concerned about our hearts than the harvest. No one can take away our intimate relationship from us(Habakkuk 3 v 17 - 18). Habakkuk explained that even though the fig trees have no fruit, and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no corn, even though the sheep all die and the cattle stalls are empty, I will still be joyful and glad, because the Lord God is my saviour.
This is a time when we desire to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit. We have to take the long-term view and in His Presence, ask for Him to fill us with faith, patience, hope and love for one another. He is the source of unconditional love and can help us to become conduits through which His love flows into our world.
God bless us all.
Mina Bajomo
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Join Bishop Joseph Garlington at the Kingdom Come - October 2020 Edition (Friday, 30th of October)
"The moment you say come out in the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit says I have it from here..." Bishop Joseph Garlington
@BishopJosephSr
Join us at 5:00pm as he ministers at this month's Kingdom Come on Friday, 30th of October, 2020.
Click any of the links below to watch/join this Friday:
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For your healing/prophecies, click below to join zoom Healing and Prophetic rooms for your healing or prophecies (7:00 - 8:30pm)
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We would like you to please send your testimonies in for what God has done for you, so we can join in giving glory to His name.
Testimonies: +2349063901916 / +2348097167491
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Daily @ 06:00 - Reflections
Daily @09:00; 14:00; 19:00 - Teaching
Every Monday @ 16:30 - In His Presence
Every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday @ 20:00 - Bible Reading Corner
Every Wednesday @ 20:30 (Repeat Friday @ 20:30) - FB Chats with Guest of the Week
Every Wednesday @ 16:30 (Repeat Saturday @ 16:30) - Kid's Hangout
2nd Friday @ 17:00 - As You Go, Heal the Sick
Last Friday @ 17:00 - 20:30 - Kingdom Come
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Testimonies... Lives Transformed...
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In this edition, we have a testimony from Mr. Amos Emmanuel who attended our 2017 Kingdom Foundations Conference in Abuja and went on to join our planning team for our conferences from 2018 till date.
 My name is Amos Emmanuel and I'm currently one of the volunteers serving in the Media and Publicity unit; and heading the Social Media portfolio.
The first Lapis Lazuli Conference I attended, was in 2017. I didn't know what to expect, I just assumed it would be like one of the conferences I had attended here in Nigeria - I never imagined that I was set up by heaven, for a turn around in my life!
My first experience was bound to one of the core values which Lapis Lazuli represents - the Love of God.
It all started when Leif Hetland spoke about the Love of God at the Abuja conference and I experienced it in a very refreshing manner. I was one of those people who never had the opportunity to experience genuine love while growing up in my family. The conference in Abuja warmed my heart and launched me fully into a better understanding of the Love of God.
Leif Hetland was literally transferring the experience of the Love of God by simply hugging people......and it was amazing.
The following year, I had the opportunity to be part of the conference organizing committee and I just jumped at it.
A year after the conference in Kaduna, it become glaring to me, that I was receiving 'Words of Knowledge' quite clearly. That was clearly something I couldn't do prior to this my new Walk with the Lord. It was all thanks to working closely with Lapis Lazuli Ministry that the grace was released to begin boldly functioning in the dimension of God's calling for my life.
I have quite a lot of testimonies to share about my new Walk with the Lord, but the time and space limitation is a constraint. Grace and Truth be made more manifest in the Love of God in Jesus name. Amen!...
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May the Lord continue to uphold and preserve us all.
God's blessings,
Femi and Mina Bajomo
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1. We pray for comfort of the Holy Spirit for all those who lost loved ones at the Lekki Toll gate and all other places in Lagos and outside Lagos. Also those who were injured during these crises. Praying also for those injured and broken-hearted.
2. Praying for our Youths who worked so hard to organise the peaceful protests, that were overtaking by those with a different agenda of violence.
We pray that Father God will help them understand what was birthed, and encourage them as He walks them into their destiny.
3. Praying for the Nation to be awakened to the extravagant and unconditional love of Jesus, and thereby teach us to love one another. We ask Father God to heal our hearts. Pray that the Holy Spirit will address trauma, violence, hopelessness, frustration, anger, bitterness and so much else that is festering in our hearts.
4. Praying for mercy from Our Father to roll away the reproach of the corona pandemic from our Nation. We are grateful for so many that have recovered so far, and cover ourselves with the precious blood of Jesus, that was shed for us.
5. Praying for wisdom, justice and insight for our President, and National leaders, that they may lead the Nation circumspectly.
6. We continue to pray for the release of Leah.
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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 - [email protected] OR 07034371401.
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1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5. does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6. does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7. bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
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Lapis Lazuli Ministries
Contact Details
Email
Website
Address
No. 10 Norman Williams Street,
off Keffi Street, Ikoyi,
Lagos, Nigeria.
Telephone
+234 703 437 1401
+234 906 390 1916
+234 816 351 0857
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Co-Labouring with the Lord: Experiencing the Miraculous
by Dr. Mina Bajomo
You can buy a copy in Lapis Lazuli Ministries Office, No. 10 Norman Williams Street, off Keffi Street, Ikoyi, Lagos or call 07034371401
You can order on Amazon/Kindle
You can order on Jumia
order now
(Delivery cost by GIG logistics to all parts of Lagos will be from N1000 - N1,500).
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Right or Reconciled?
God's Heart for Reconciliation
by Bishop Joseph L Garlington
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Destined for the Cross:
16 Reasons Jesus Had to Die
by Dr. Randy Clark
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Click Below To Watch On
Lapis LM Radio
Click below to join zoom Healing and Prophetic rooms for your healing or prophecies (7:00 - 8:30pm)
Prophetic Room
ID: 897 7022 4746
Passcode: 109635
We would like you to please send your testimonies in for what God has done for you, so we can join in giving glory to His name.
Testimonies:
+2349063901916 / +2348097167491
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For enquiries call or text:
Radio: +2348163510857
General inquiry: +2347034371401
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