Monthly Archives: July 2012

He Which Sows Sparingly Shall Reap Also Sparingly And He Which Sows Bountifully Shall Reap Also Bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6)

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English: 4 days of Evangelism Training in Sout...

He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6).

MORE THAN JUST SOWING AND REAPING

 

 

 

 

 

LUKE 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

 

 

 

 

 

LUKE 6:17-49

This verse reveals one of God‘s cardinal laws that will work in the spiritual realm, as well as the physical world. Just as we “give” seed into the ground to receive back multiple seeds, so it is with everything we give. Whether it’s money, possessions, an emotion such as love or hate, prayers, or our time, we will reap a harvest of whatever we give. We reap exactly what we sow and proportional to the same measure that we give (Gal. 6:7-8).

“He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6). This law works on positive or negative things that we sow

Although this is an unchangeable law of God, it can be overcome by a greater law in much the same way that we can escape the law of gravity by using the greater laws of thrust and lift. The negative things we have given don’t have to come back to us if we apply the greater law of forgiveness (1 Jn. 1:9). Likewise, the good things we have sown can be voided if we don’t continue in well doing (Gal. 6:9).

God is our source, but God uses people. If we pray for finances, God is not going to make counterfeit currency and put it into your wallet. He will use people to get the money to you. So, it is not always as simple as praying for money and receiving it the next minute. We need to believe the Lord hears and answers our prayers, and then pray for the people He’s going to use to deliver the answer. This could mean any number of people such as our employer and the people who buy our goods. Ultimately God is your source, trust Him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God’s Gracious Invitation

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English: Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey

God‘s Gracious Invitation


 

 

 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice,
and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and
he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my
throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in
his throne
Revelation 3:20-21
I have heard verse 20 preached as an altar call for the sinner, but
when you see the context, you realize it has nothing to do with the
sinner, even though millions have been saved with this invitation. The
Lord is standing outside the lukewarm church Laodicea and saying, “You
have kicked me out. If you let me back in, we will have dinner together
and I will share with you my revelation.”
Jesus is seated at the throne, the right hand of God, which is the seat
of all authority and power in the universe. The overcomer is on a
throne next to Jesus. The overcomer, the true church, has a throne and
authority just like the Father. They rule. They reign.
Believer, do everything you need to do in order to be an overcomer. Be
true to God. Stay in His Word. Be guided by the Holy Spirit. Stay
faithful unto the end.
Prayer for Today
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are righteous, and You are holy. You have all authority and power,
and through Your Word and Your Spirit I confess that I am an overcomer.
In Jesus Christ Name, Amen!
Think on These Things
* 1 John 5:4
* Matthew 19:28

 

 

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Be Holy For I Am Holy

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Be Holy For I Am Holy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiness Is Not an Option
 

 

 

 

But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; or it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Peter 1:15-16
Holiness is sanctification and separation unto God-which is what we are called to as believers.
Preachers of old like John Wesley knew that holiness was a command and not an option. They lived their lives in humble dedication to God. They served God, worked tirelessly, studied God’s Word diligently and prayed without ceasing. Psalms 65:4 says, “Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.”
Today many of the “successful” churches thrive on flowery sermons designed to appeal to intellectualism or materialism. They neglect talking about self-control, discipline or a life of holiness. The truth is that personal discipline and holiness before God go hand in hand.
In Leviticus 19:2 God says, “‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, Am holy.” What does that mean? Your life should be one of diligent Bible study, daily communication with God through prayer, fasting and service. As you do this, you will be set apart to be used by God.

 

 

 

 

Further Reading

God Bless

 

 

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Forgiveness Is A Choice Not A Feeling

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Forgiveness is a choice not a feeling.

 

 

 

Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, Your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Forgiving someone is giving it to God, refusing to try and vindicate yourself. Forgiveness takes time, and it’s a choice that needs to be made, it is not a feeling! Choose to forgive, lay it down and surrender that hurt and anger to God. Allow Him to heal your broken heart and don’t allow un-forgiveness to keep you from what God has for you.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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My Grace Is Sufficient For You, For My Strength Is Made Perfect In Weakness

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How does God speak?

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness

 

 

 

 

 

Avenue To Power

 

 

 

 

 

 

READ: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

 

I will . . . boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. —2 Corinthians 12:9

When Tarah was in high school, she had a growing fear that she would someday battle a serious illness. So she began to pray—asking God to spare her from this imagined illness. Then she reached a turning point in her thinking, and she yielded her future to God no matter what.

Years later, Tarah’s doctor found a cancerous tumor, which was successfully treated with chemotherapy. Tarah says that because she had entrusted her future to God, she was ready when the disease came. Her problem became an avenue for God’s strength.

This idea of surrendering to God can be seen in Paul’s life as well. His surrender came after the problem­—“a thorn in the flesh”—had developed (2 Cor. 12:7). Paul prayed repeatedly about this difficulty, pleading for the Lord to take it from him. But God responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (v.9). Understanding this, Paul adopted a positive view: “Most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. . . . For when I am weak, then I am strong” (vv.9-10).

In facing our fears and struggles, it’s vital that we yield totally to God. When we do, God can use our problems as an avenue for His power. —Dennis Fisher

Whenever life’s burdens oppress you
And trials are too much to face,
Remember God’s strength in your weakness;
He’ll give you His power and grace. —Sper

 

 

 

 

 

Wielding our power is no substitute for yielding our will to God’s power.

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Secret Sins

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Secret Sins

 

Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. Psalms 90:8

 

 

 

Besides expressing faith in God, the righteous is identified by consistent right-standing with God. According to Ezekiel 3:21, the righteous is expected not to live in sin, but to continue to do what glorifies God. Righteousness is not something you engage today and disengage tomorrow like some people think. You do not abstain from sin only when those you respect are around, but also when they are not around. The righteous does not only abstain from public sins but also from secret ones. The challenge of most believers is not how to avoid open sins but how to stay righteous in their thoughts realm and to keep away from touching the unclean things when they are all by themselves. That is a major challenge and for the righteous, this is the area he or she devotes more attention and prayer to.

David was one person who had a challenge in this area. Through the knowledge of God’s Word, he understood that secret sins, which nobody else is privy to, are fully exposed to God. In Psalms 90:8, he says our sins which were shrouded in secrecy of darkness and ignorance are exposed by the light of His (God’s) Presence. Your secret sins are not covered at all! God knows everything about your secret deeds. The devil or his agents who were present when you indulged in those evil acts also have the records. It is either God exposes your secrets, or the devil does. What you have buried in the earth or locked up in a safe, which you think is safe, is not safe at all. It can be exposed at anytime. The only secrets that can truly be secrets are the ones you confess to The LORD and hand over to Him. If He covers your faults, nobody can uncover them. When David realised this, he therefore asked God to deliver him from secret sins. Are you still living in sin secretly? Do you secretly masturbate, lust after same sex or the opposite sex? Do you secretly steal or bribe to influence decisions? Repent today and hand your secrets over to God.

Key Point:

The secret sins you fail to expose to Him today will be exposed before men and then nobody and nothing can cover your shame.

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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There Is No Better Price To Pay Than Living For God

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There is no better price to pay than living for God
Holiness Costs
 

 

 

 

Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
1 John 3:3
There are many Christians who like the notion of being holy as long as it cost them nothing-no hardships, no difficulties, no scorn and no financial or property loss.
Men like Samuel Wesley dug the wells of holiness and suffered losses-burning of crops, continual threats of physical harm and false imprisonment-yet they stood their ground for holiness.
Though men hated him, Samuel continued to live a life of holiness before God. Though his house was set on fire and he almost lost his son, John, who was trapped on the second floor of the burning building-he stood for holiness.
God is expecting us to stand for holiness too.
There is a cost to live a life of holiness-people will scorn you, they will hate you, you could lose your property, your money, you could get injured and you could even lose your life.
Jesus says, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25). A life of holiness costs something… are you willing to pay the price? There is no better price to pay than living for God.

 

 

 

 

Further Reading

God Bless

 

 

 

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Is There A Secret Sin In Your Life Taking You Down The Wrong Road?

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Felice da Nicosia

Is there a secret sin in your life taking you down the wrong road?

 

 

 

 

 

“Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desire will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please The Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” (Galatians 6:8)

God does not wait until judgment day to settle sin accounts. He also built natural consequences into sin as a deterrent.
I am reminded of a friend who was one of the most remarkable preachers I have known. He was a pastor of a thriving church. Then one day, a prostitute came to his office seeking his counsel. He felt sorry for her and asked his wife if this prostitute could live in their home so they could rehabilitate her.
After living with them for three weeks, the prostitute told his wife that she wanted her husband. The wife just laughed in disbelief. They had a happy home and several children. He was one of the pillars in the Christian community. Yet to everyone’s shock, he eventually left his family to live with this prostitute.
Many people from the Christian community pleaded with him to repent from his sin, but he persisted. He had several illegitimate children. In time, the prostitute deserted him for another man.
Finally, this former pastor did come back to the Lord, but he had been brought so low that despite his giftedness he could not hold a job. Finally, he went to his grave prematurely – a broken man.
We cannot thumb our noses at God’s righteous principles and not expect to experience the just consequences of our actions. I live daily in reverential fear of God because when we disobey Him, we open the door to greater temptations. Sin grows until it totally engulfs us in destruction.

Your View of God Really Matters …

Is there a “secret sin” in your life taking you down the wrong road? Do not deceive yourself into thinking that there will not be consequences. Turn around today while you still can! Change your behaviour by shifting your focus from your sin to God Himself.

 

 

 

 

 

What More Does God Say?

Galatians 6:7-8; Jude 1:22-23

Because God is just, He will always treat me fairly

 

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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If You Have Been Blessed And Touched By The Lord, Share Your Testimony

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If You have been blessed and Touched by the Lord, Share Your Testimony

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acts 22:2-3

 

 

 

 

 

“Then he said: ‘I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.'”
NKJV

In Acts 22, Paul shares his ‘God story’, his testimony. Why is he doing this? Is it so others will be amazed at his religious upbringing or at the depth of his biblical training? Is it to glorify his past? No, Paul is sharing his testimony to lead others to Christ by explaining who he was before Jesus, what Jesus did, and the joy that he now has because of Jesus. This is one of the most effective ways of sharing your faith. You see, people can argue about historical facts and they can disagree over cultural details, but people cannot argue with the fact that you found love, joy and forgiveness at the foot of the cross. Brother or sister, don’t be shy about telling your ‘God story’. Tell it to as many as will listen and you will be amazed at how God will use it to change the lives of those around you.

 

 

 

 

 

Life Lesson: Share your life story often with people.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for loving me and saving me. Though I was a sinner, You sought me out and saved me from who I was so that I could live for You forever. Please give me courage and opportunity to share my testimony with others and forgive me for times when I had opportunities to share and did not. I pray this in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

 

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God Created The Whole Universe Through Him And For Him

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English: Resurrection of Christ

God created the whole universe through Him and for Him

“By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.”
Colossians 1:16 NASB

What a phenomenal list! Heavens and earth. Visible and invisible. Thrones, dominions, rulers and authorities. Nothing, place, or person omitted. The scale on the sea urchin. The hairs on the elephant hide.

The hurricane that wrecks the coast, the rain that nourishes the desert, the infant’s first heartbeat, the elderly person’s final breath -– all can be traced back to the hand of Christ, the firstborn of creation.

 

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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