Topic: WHEN THE ENEMY PURSUES! A Sermon Preached Live At Goodnews Embassy Abuja Nigeria

Text: Exodus 15:9, Deuteronomy 19:6, 28:22, 28:45, Ezekiel 35:6

Ministering: Rev. I. D. Samuel PhD. (The President, Shabach Yeshua Global. Jos, Nigeria)

This morning, I will like you to listen to me carefully as usual. In scriptures, there are six major evil pursuing powers. One of the saddest things that can happen in a man’s life is to be pursued and not to know. One of the saddest things that can happen to a man is for a man to be so close to being caught by the pursuer and not know.

The six pursuing powers:

1. According to scriptures, the first pursuing power is the enemy. 

(Exodus 15:9) The enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’ 

🔥 I am praying for someone here: every enemy that has started from your mother’s womb, to being a toddler, to being a teenager, to being a youth and till now that you are an adult, may they scatter this morning, in the name of Jesus!

2. The second pursuer is the avenger of blood (Deuteronomy 19:6). Unto every blood shed, there is an avenger of blood.

For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought. Deuteronomy 19: 5 - 6

3. The third pursuer is sickness and calamity.   (Deuteronomy 28:22).The Lord will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish.

🔥 May sickness never pursue your life! May calamity never move close to your camp, in the name of Jesus.

4. The fourth pursuing power is curses (Deuteronomy 28:45). Curses have pursuing powers. That is why you find “like father, like son; like mother like daughter” problems, the same thing is pursuing them. That is why you find collective captivity.

All these curses will come on you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you. Deuteronomy 28: 45

5. The fifth pursuing power is blood itself (Ezekiel 35:6). Any blood that is shed, cries to God and the blood becomes a pursuer. Any abortion that is done where the life of a person is slipped away, that blood cries and it pursues.

Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. Ezekiel 35: 6

6. The sixth power that pursues is darkness (Nahum 1:8).

But with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness. Nahum 1: 8

🔥 I am praying for somebody here: any force of darkness pursuing you shall be sent back, in the name of Jesus.

There are two verses of scriptures that bother me seriously. These two verses create worry in my soul even as I am speaking to you now. These two verses are explaining many deep things to us and this is where we are going to, this morning. Please do some good thinking if you are a good minister of God with compassion and if you are interested in solution evangelism; you cannot help but sit down and cry and wonder why some things happen.

Let me ask you the questions I am asking:

– why should a witch threaten a child of God and that witch will still live to tell the story? It is abnormal. It is not supposed to be so.

– why should a child of the devil use strange powers on a so called “child of God” and that power prospers?

– why should somebody sit down and issue incantations against a child of God and the incantations are working against that child of God?

– how come so many believers who even after night prayers still get pressed by evil powers, trying to strangle them?

– why should the enemy be pursuing a child of God, catch him and sometimes mess him up?

That is why these two verses bother me:

Hosea 8:3 – Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

That is, the good thing that God has placed in your hand, you cast it off. So, since you have cast it off, the enemy will pursue you. It happened to Israel. The good things God placed in their hands like His laws, commandments, His worship, altar that He gave to them on a platter of gold, they cast them off. And for this singular reason, the enemy is pursuing believers today. This verse bothers me so much.

The second one bothers me even more:

Lamentations 1:6 –  And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.

It is normal for the animal to be running and the hunter is pursuing the animal with a gun. But it is abnormal when the hunter is running with his gun and it is the animal pursuing the hunter. But what is our position? Our position is not supposed to be the pursued. Look at the position the Almighty gave to us in Psalm 18:37. This is supposed to be our position. Whether we are in that position or not, is another thing.

The Bible’s position is that it is we that should be the ones pursuing our enemies. They are not supposed to be pursuing us, our money, our children or our businesses. But whether we are there or not is another story.

The Bible says “many are without strength before the pursuer”. Those things pursuing many, are beginning to catch up with them: anger, lust, fear, evil dreams, familiar spirits, witchcraft powers, bad luck, poverty, lukewarmness, backsliding, worldliness, immorality etc; that were never in their lives.

Are there not things that were never close to you at all, but are now all over you, dominating you? Are all the old sicknesses and oppressions not staging a comeback now? Did you not know that Jesus told that man at the pool of Bethesda “sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you”?

The blunt truth beloveth is that you are supposed to be the pursuer and not the pursued. Perhaps now you are already losing your prayer stamina. Your prayer life is an emergency prayer life. It is the prayer life of thirty minutes today, three days without prayer.

The fact is this, like Lot’s wife, many of us have looked back. Any small trial we face, we backslide. I want you to understand beloveth that God is pained in His heart that we are casting off the good things He has given to us; we are not guarding them well and the enemy sees that we have cast off what He has given to us, so they keep pursuing us. I ask you today: are you defending that thing that was committed to your care? Can the Almighty really trust you where you are?

In that place of work, are you a light there? When people get to your place of work, do they refer to you as a good person or a bad person? Many of us go to all kinds of places to waste our time. All the wasted hours will soon amount to wasted life.

The Lord requires our time; time you will certainly give an account of how you are spending the time He has given to you. When you steal money in your place of work, you are stealing time. You accept money for work you did not do, it is stealing, and you will one day give an account.

The Lord is depending on us to represent Him. The only gospel some people will ever receive is what they read in our lives. We are a living epistle, known and read by all men.

Listen beloveth: you will always find time for what you want time for. Time is valuable. But a lot of people are wasting their spiritual time away. Many people arrive in hell fire because they arrived one minute too late.

God is the owner of time. He has only entrusted it to our hands. We are only stewards of that time. You have to account for how you spent that time. Stop annoying and disappointing God for that time He has given to you. God has given you talents but are you putting it to any use? You cast it off with excuses like “I do not like what happened to me in my former church, so I do not want to work for God”. Are you using your talent to please God or to please the devil? Or are you hiding that talent?

God has given you a tongue to use to possess your possession and to cause deliverance. What are you using that tongue for, now? You say “I know I should not say this, but I must say it”, and those are words that you should not say at all. If you know when to talk and what to say, you become a powerhouse for Jehovah. A fool is always known by the multitude of his words. Your mouth is the door of your soul. Your tongue belongs to God; give it back to Him.

PRAYER POINTS

[Before Message]

1. Battles at the edge of my breakthroughs, die by fire, in the name of Jesus.

2. Road of affliction, hear the Word of the Lord, close! in the name of Jesus.

3. I recover tenfold, all my wasted years, in the name of Jesus.

4. O God arise, and catapult me to a greater tomorrow, in the name of Jesus.

5. Power of repeated problems, die in the name of Jesus.

6. Eaters of flesh and drinkers of blood, assigned against my life, destroy yourselves, in the name of Jesus.

7. By fire, by force, by thunder: let my story change, in the name of Jesus.

[After Message]

1. My Father, open my eyes; I want to see you, in the name of Jesus.

2. Altars of iniquity, in my life, die! in the name of Jesus.

3. Powers assigned to reverse my destiny, you are liars, die! in the name of Jesus.

4. Breakthrough killers, glory killers, assigned against my life; destroy yourselves, in the name of Jesus.

5. Environmental witchcraft, what are you waiting for? Scatter by fire! in the name of Jesus.

6. Haters of my helpers, your time is up, die in the name of Jesus.

7. My helpers, what are you doing in the cage of witchcraft? Jump out, in the name of Jesus.

8. Cage of darkness, holding my helpers, break! in the name of Jesus.

9. (Mention your name), hear the Word of the Lord, pursue your pursuers, in the name of Jesus.

10. (Mention your name), hear the Word of the Lord, experience the power of God, in the name of Jesus.

God bless you🙏

Seven (7) poultry rules for your farm worth reading to the last word.:

 

Do you have passion for poultry and really wish to stay long in the business? 

Then, obey these rules!

1. Rule One

..."Only order for birds you can conveniently take care of".

This is the most important rule of all.

Instead of stocking 500 birds and then struggle to feed them or give them medication, buy 200 ,feed and give them good medication.

Trust me, you'll make more profit than keeping 500 and struggling to feed and give the medication. If this happens, you'll battle with stunted growth, recurrent morbidity or disease outbreaks and high mortality.

2. Rule Two 

..."Never borrow money to start poultry business unless you are an expert".

Of course, there is no expert in poultry business. In fact, we learn everyday. Every stock you take in will always teach you something different. However, Haven learnt from all the different characteristics displayed by each stock, you get to know more and won't be excited when challenges come. You'll know how to handle them without much damage.

3. Rule Three

..."Be vigilant".

The little things you don't take as anything matters.

If you want to succeed in poultry, you must take it as a real business. Do you know what a business man does every morning when he gets to his store? He pray, then open the store and go round to check if everything is in its place. He take stocks of what he met there and relate with his records yesterday before closing the store.

Don't just open your Pen and start rushing to give your birds feed and water and rush out again. Check around. Watch how they behave when you came in. Check what fell and what is no longer in its place.

4. Rule Four 

..."Never ignore warning signals".

Yes, I call them warning signals.

1. Bad smell

2. Withdrawal from feed

3. Moodiness

4. Withdrawal from water

There are numerous warning signals i can't mention here. In fact, they are so many

A farmer must know how his birds behaves when they see him enter the in the morning. How they behave when he serve them feed. He should know the very active terrors and gentle lambs

If you keep these signals, you'll easily spot when something is not right.

5. Rule Five 

..."Never change feed indiscriminately!"

I know you do this. Yes, you.

When farmers talk about changing feed from this to this and that then this all in the name getting better result, I'm always scared for them.

Whether you are changing from a bad feed to a good one, you must be very careful.

Do you know every change in feed affect your bird negatively first before gradually bringing in the results you don't desire? Most of the times, you may suffer withdrawal, coccidiosis, feed wastage, stress and more.

Imagine changing from mash to Pellet indiscriminately. Do you know what that means? Have you studied the difference between mash and Pelleted feed and the process of digestion?

They may contain the same ingredients but the formulation process varies so is the digestion process.

Note:

I don't mean changing from starter to grower or finisher but changing from one commercial feed to another .e.g  change from Ethiochicken / Alama to other brands.

Even whenever you need to change from starter to grower follow the rules 75% starter and 25% grower, then 50% grower and 50% starter and finally 75% grower and 25% starter. At the end you change 100% to grower feed. You can follow the same rule whenever you need to change from one phase feed to other. This one works for feed of the same brand too.

Each company use their own unique ingredients to make their feeds although  they may give the same nutritional content. Before using any feed for your birds, find out first about the feed and make sure you stick with it. 

6. Rule Six

...Never let your birds run dry of water".

Have you heard of heat stress? If it has happened to your birds then you'll understand what I'm saying.

Heat stress can wipe your entire flock. And it may leave your birds vulnerable to all kinds of infection as their immune system get weakened and may take more than 14 days to fully recover.

Your birds can survive 48 hours without feed but they can't survive 7 hours without water.

Instead of running out of water, please, run out of feed.

7. Rule Seven

..."If you can't drink that water, don't give it to your birds".

Some farmers takes chickens as they are just animals and nothing matters. Maybe they've forgotten they are dealing with delicate live animals.

Waterborne diseases are some of  the deadliest disease and most difficult to control. Imagine a tiny drop of harmful substance inside the drinking water; it'll contaminate the whole water. If it was feed, it may not be that bad.

Please, if you can't drink that water, don't give it to your birds. I'm not talking about medicated water.

BASIC CONVERSATION TO HAVE BEFORE YOU SAY "I DO"

Marriage is a lifelong affair and it’s disheartening to know that many people spend years studying in the university, spend months preparing for the wedding and do not even take time out to prepare for marriage.

In preparation for marriage, there are books you need to read, effectual fervent prayers to be prayed, lives you need to study, and above all things you both need to talk about before you say “I do”.

Some may say, oh, I know those who did, yet it ended in tears… Well, communication is still essential if there will be understanding between two or more individuals, therefore in preparing for marriage, here are some things you need to talk about.

If these things can be truthfully discussed, then the decisions that follow will surely be in the interest of both of you.

1. Family background.

How will it affect your relationship? Family is something you both cannot do without, even in your relationships. Make necessary findings about each other’s family backgrounds and trash out necessary details before proceeding.

2. General views

What is your mental, psychological, social and emotional view of life? How will life situations affect you both?

What are her views about being submissive? Ladies, is he teachable, or his ego will never allow him to admit that he is wrong?

When you eventually marry, how many children are you willing to have? What family planning methods are you willing to adopt? Are you both willing to have children immediately after the marriage? If not, what happens if she becomes pregnant immediately after the wedding? What are your views about parenting? How would discipline be done?

How would you both handle relationships with the opposite sex even after the wedding? Are you the type who does not permit friendship with the opposite sex?

Where would you want to reside? What are your interests? What are your views about sex? How did you relate to them?

3. Conflicts Resolution

Occasionally, there’ll be conflicts, talk about how to resolve them.

What are the things that you both can handle?

What can your spouse do to appease you when you are angry?

How can he/she increase the anger?

4. Finance

How would you both earn money? How would you share responsibilities? Money issues can destroy the home, it is better to discuss these things before going ahead with the wedding. If it feels like one person is acting parasitic, entitled or impulsive, it is important to confront it.

5. Religious and spiritual beliefs.

What are your beliefs? How involved are you with church activities? What’s your opinion on service in the house of God? How would you both serve God? What church or mosque would you be going to?

Iron these things out before saying “I do”

It is important to go for premarital counselling before getting married so that you can discuss and agree about many things before getting married. If you wish to have a session, you can send an SMS to 07038354762

10 Things You Should Do Before You Say "I Do"

1. Ask: Am I ready? The happiest relationships are built on a foundation of two happy and healthy people who are ready to take on the challenges of a new life together. Those who are ready to be in a long-term relationship have dealt with their own personal challenges and issues and are not looking for someone to make them happy or to “fix” them in some way (or vice versa).

2. Take time. In order to really get to know someone, it takes talking (mutual self-disclosure) + being together (in a variety of situations) + time (at least 90 days) (Van Epp, 2007). Because we are usually on our best behavior when we first meet and it takes time for patterns of behavior to emerge, this is a process that can’t be rushed, even if you spend a lot of time together.

3. Be extra cautious in long-distance relationships. While online dating is a common way to meet people, steer clear of commitment without spending a lot of time in person in many different situations. It is easier to show only our best selves in long-distance relationships.

4. Play detective. Ask deep and meaningful questions that will help you know if you are compatible with the person you are dating. For example, check out these 10 Questions to Ask Before Saying I Do. To make sure we aren’t biased about how we are viewing the person we are dating, it may also be helpful to think about how others might view him or her, or even ask others about their opinions and listen for warning signs you may have missed.

5. Start to become part of the family. Much of who we are was learned from growing up in our family, so we can learn a lot about what someone will be like as a partner and parent from observing, asking questions and spending time with their family. If there are concerns about a partner’s family or negative traits that a partner has learned from his or her family, you may want to think twice before getting too serious. While change is possible, it takes time and effort, and it is much easier to change before getting into a serious relationship.

6. Watch for personality compatibility. While we probably won’t have everything in common with our partner, happy relationships often have many of these traits in common: emotional temperament, sense of humor, intelligence, energy levels, similar recreation interests and how affection is expressed.

7. Be aware of each other’s values. Some of the biggest arguments in relationships relate to those things we value most because we have strong feelings and opinions about them. Having similarities in how religious/spiritual you are, having common financial views and goals and having similar views about family life are all major factors in lasting relationship satisfaction.

8. Watch for daily life compatibility. While it may not be romantic, the truth is that most of the time we spend with someone in a long-term relationship will be in the everyday routine of life. Consider such things as: Who will earn and manage the money? How will household responsibilities be divided? How will free time be spent? The answers to these questions can be crucial to the happiness of a relationship.

9. Learn conflict resolution skills. Because we are all different, conflict is inevitable in even the happiest of relationships. When handled in a positive manner, overcoming conflict can strengthen relationships. Having a conflict plan in place can be helpful. Begin by setting the ground rules, such as choosing when and where to deal with conflict and remembering to practice good listening and communication skills.

10. Plan now to keep your relationship strong. Just like cars, relationships need regular preventative maintenance in order to run smoothly and prevent problems. Research suggests that relationship education (such as attending a class or reading a relationship book together, etc.) can help relationships stay strong. Consider what you will do as a couple to keep your relationship strong

Before You Say I Do

 Before saying "I do," it's crucial to assess your compatibility with your partner, understand your shared values and goals, ensure financial stability, take sufficient time to truly get to know each other, openly communicate about important topics, and be cautious if in a long-distance relationship. 

Key points to consider before marriage:

• Compatibility:

  Evaluate if you align on core values, life goals, and how you handle challenges; love alone may not sustain a marriage. 
• Financial stability:

  Discuss your financial situation openly, including debt and spending habits, to ensure you are on the same page. 
• Time and getting to know each other:

  Don't rush into marriage; spend significant time together in various situations to understand each other's true personalities and behaviors. 
• Communication skills:

  Practice open and honest communication, including discussing difficult topics and being able to actively listen to your partner. 
• Shared goals and vision:

  Discuss your future aspirations regarding family, career, and lifestyle to see if they align. 
• Long-distance considerations:

  If you're in a long-distance relationship, be extra cautious and ensure you have a solid foundation before committing. 
• Appreciation and support:

  Actively appreciate your partner's strengths and be willing to support them through challenges. 
• Individual growth:

  Consider how you will continue to grow as individuals within the relationship. 

KNOW TO KNOW

 

Boost Your Knowledge! DID YOU KNOW?❓

Birds do not urinate.

Horses and cows sleep while standing.

The bat is the only mammal capable of flight. Its leg bones are so thin that it cannot walk.

Even when a snake’s eyes are closed, it can still see through its eyelids.

Despite their fluffy white fur, Polar Bears actually have black skin.

The average housefly lives only 2 to 3 weeks.

For every human, there are approximately one million ants.

A small amount of alcohol on a scorpion will drive it insane and cause it to sting itself to death.

Alligators and sharks can live for up to 100 years.

A honeybee has two stomachs: one for honey and one for food.

Elephants weigh less than the tongue of a blue whale. A blue whale’s heart is the size of a car.

Blue whales are the largest creatures to ever roam the Earth.

A cockroach can survive for about a week without its head before dying of starvation.

When a dolphin is sick or injured, its cries of distress prompt other dolphins to assist, helping it surface to breathe.

A snail can sleep for up to 3 years.

The fastest bird, the spine-tailed swift, can fly at speeds of up to 106 mph. (The peregrine falcon is even faster at 390 km/h or 108 mph.)

A cow produces nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.

The leech has 32 brains.

The average outdoor cat lives only 3 years, while indoor-only cats can live 16 years or longer.

Sharks are immune to every disease, including cancer.

A mosquito’s proboscis has 47 sharp edges to help it cut through skin and even protective clothing.

The human brain has a memory capacity of over 2.5 million petabytes, equivalent to 2,500,500 gigabytes.

Knowledge is Power!

What is the biological phenomenon responsible for the gradual loss of muscle mass, strength, and function as we age? This is known as Sarcopenia!

Sarcopenia refers to the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength due to aging. The impact of this condition can be severe, depending on the individual.

How to prevent Sarcopenia?

Stay Active: If you can stand, don’t sit—if you can sit, don’t lie down! Movement is key to preventing muscle loss.

Encourage Movement in the Elderly: When an elderly person is sick or hospitalized, avoid encouraging them to rest or remain in bed. Help them walk, unless they are too weak to do so. Lying in bed for just a week can cause a 5% loss in muscle mass, and seniors often cannot fully recover this loss.

Sarcopenia is more concerning than osteoporosis: With osteoporosis, the primary risk is falling, but sarcopenia not only affects quality of life but also contributes to high blood sugar due to reduced muscle mass.

Idle muscles lead to faster muscle loss: Muscles in the legs deteriorate quickly when not used. Sitting or lying down limits leg movement, weakening muscles. Activities like walking, running, and cycling are excellent ways to build and maintain muscle mass.

Aging Starts from the Feet Up! Keep your legs active and strong as you age. If you don’t move your legs for just two weeks, you’ll lose the strength of a decade! Regular exercises like walking and cycling are vital for maintaining muscle strength.

The feet support the entire body’s weight, making them critical for mobility. So, walk every day to maintain strength and mobility.

Credit goes to respective owner

PLEASE PRAY, PLAN, SUPPORT & PARTICIPATES.

Dear Esteem Delegates and Participates

    History Makers & Leadership Conference 2025

Theme: "Breaking Growth Barriers & Cultivating a Multiplication Culture".

     Join us for an inspiring and transformative experience at the History Makers & Leadership Conference 2025! This dynamic event will empower leaders and change-makers to break through limitations, embrace growth, and cultivate a culture of multiplication in every sphere of influence.

     Anticipated Keynote Speakers:

Archbishop Dr Johnny Riley & Rev. Dr. Barbara Riley – USA, Bishop Prince Osaetin Canada , Bishop Eduardo Riviera USA, Bishop Dr Michael Steele UK, Apostle James Sawasawa UK, Dr Judith Thomas Canada, Bishop O C Fred Nigeria, Bishop Dele Olukotun Nigeria, Rev Gloria Mokungah Nigeria,  Bishop Mike Angou Nigeria, Dr Joshua Nissi Nigeria and many more

     Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from some of the most impactful leaders of our time as they share powerful insights on leadership, growth, and multiplication. Together, we will explore strategies for overcoming obstacles, breaking growth barriers, and creating sustainable movements of influence.

     Date: Mon.22nd to Sun.28th September, 2025

Venue: Church Auditorium, Odus, Bauchi Ring Road, Jos 

Time: 4pm & 9am daily 

Registration: Free but you are responsible for accomodations & feeding 

      Whether you're a business leader, pastor, or visionary, this conference will provide you with the tools and inspiration needed to break barriers and lead with impact in your community and beyond.

     Secure Your Spot Today in the sand of history!

We look forward to seeing you there as we come together to make history!

     For more information and registration, Contact: Rev John Ayinde Kabiru+234-803-450-4921

     Let’s break barriers, multiply impact, and lead with purpose.

     Thank you, 

Dr Bright Samuel Otso 

The Metropolitan Bishop.