Monthly Archives: August 2012

Rapture (Sermon Note) Part 2

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Rapture (Sermon Note) Part 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text:    1 Corinthians 15:50-53

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memory Verse: “In my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:2-3

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Our last meeting revealed the meaning of the word RAPTURE. We also discover events surrounding the rapture as regards timing and other issues. Now, we will look at the reasons, the qualification as well fallacies surrounding the rapture.

May the good LORD teach our hearts and bless our lives with His truth by His Spirit, in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

WHY WILL THE RAPTURE TAKE PLACE?

  1. To resurrect the just of all ages from among the dead – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Psalms 50:1-6.
  2. To take the saints out of the world before the tribulation – Luke 21:34-36; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8; 1 Thessalonians 1:10.
  3. That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ might present to Himself a Church without spots or wrinkles – Ephesians 5:27; John 14:1-3.
  4. To transform or change the bodies of all faithful saints from mortality to immortality – Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23, 42-44, 51-58.
  5. To assemble the saints at the marriage supper of the Lamb – Revelations 19:1-10.
  6. To allow the revelation of the anti-christ- 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8.
  7. To present The saints to God The Father – 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Jude 24.
  8. To make the saints whole in body, soul and spirit – 1 John 3:2-3; Romans 8:22-23. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHO WILL BE RAPTURED?                                                    

  1. Those who are in Christ at His coming – John 1:12; 2 Corinthians 5:17.
  2. Those who earnestly desire His appearance – Titus 2:13; Philippians 3:20.
  3. Those who love the Lord supremely – Philippians 3:7-10; John 21:15-17; John 14:15; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 19:12-13.
  4. Those whose citizenship is in Heaven – Philippians 3:20-21; Ephesians 2:19.
  5. Those who will live holy even as He is holy – 1 Peter 1:16; Hebrews 12:14; 1 John 3:1-3

 

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

Let us be sober in watchfulness, always fellowshipping together and keeping the unity of the faith in the bond of peace – 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Hebrews 10:25; Ephesians 4:3

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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Rapture (Sermon Note) Part 1

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Rapture (Sermon Note) Part 1

 

 

 

 

 

Memory Verse: “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed,” 1 Corinthians 15:51

 

 

 

 

 

Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

The second coming of Christ prophesied by Daniel in Daniel 7:13 is a sound biblical fact. This return shall be in two stages. The first, “being like a thief in the night” to receive unto Himself His church. This is popularly called The Rapture.

May the Holy Spirit Himself guide us into all truth, in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT IS THE RAPTURE?

The word, Rapture, is not found anywhere in the Bible although it is used describe this great upcoming and memorable event. The rapture is the sudden catching up or sudden disappearance of holy and faithful saints from the earth to meet with our LORD and Saviour in the air. It is also referred to as the translation or translocation of believers – 1 Thess. 4:16-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-58. Examples of such translation in the Old Testament are; Enoch Genesis 5:22-24; Hebrews 11:5 and Elijah – 2 Kings 2:11. It shall be as sudden as the twinkling of an eye – 1 Corinthians 15:52.

 

 

 

 

 

WHEN WILL THE RAPTURE TAKE PLACE?

The exact timing of the occurrence of the rapture is not known Matthew 24:42, 44; Matthew 25:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6. We, however, know that it shall precede the tribulation – 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:12.

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE RAPTURE?

The following are to be expected at the rapture:

  1. The trumpet of God shall sound – 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
  2. The dead in Christ shall rise first – John 5:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:23.
  3. Saints which are alive shall be “caught up” to meet our LORD in the air – 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 15:51.
  4. The dead in Christ and saints who are left shall have glorified or immortal bodies and live forever – 1 Corinthians 15:52; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 3:4; 1 John 3:2.
  5. There shall be extraordinary chaos here on earth – 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; Matthew 24:40-41.

 

 

 

 

 

HOW WILL IT HAPPEN?

  1. It shall happen suddenly – 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; Matthew 24:36-41.
  2. The power of God shall make all saints’ bodies immortal – Philippians 3:21.
  3. Sudden chaos.

 

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION:

The greatest calamity that could befall anyone who claims to be a believer is to be left behind after the rapture. Our Lord Jesus Christ warned us to be alert and ready! Mark 13:32-37.

 

 

 

 

 

Are you ready?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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A person is made right with God through faith

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A person is made right with God through faith

If you’re trying to save yourself—you never know for sure about anything.

If you’ve hurt enough.  Wept enough.  Learned enough.  Those who’re trying to save themselves promote themselves.

Those saved by works display works.

Those saved by suffering unveil scars.

And those saved by doctrine—well—you got it.  They wear their doctrines on their sleeves.

Dare you stand before God and ask him to save you because of your suffering or your sacrifice or your tears or your study?

Neither do I.  Nor did Paul.

Good works, suffering, or study may be the result of salvation, they’re not the cause of it!

How will you escape God’s judgment?  One way:  through faith in God’s sacrifice.

It’s not what you do—it’s what He did!

 

 

 

 

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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Fellowshipping In Love

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Fellowshipping In Love

 

 

 

 

 

Acts 19:23

“And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way.”
NKJV

The people of Ephesus either loved Paul or hated Paul. Why? Paul had a holy restlessness, a stirring in his heart that drove him to great lengths to share the Gospel message. It is important we understand that Christianity is not just about getting along with everybody. All of us are individually gifted and crafted for a unique purpose, but it doesn’t end there. If we do not use our gifts, it profits no one. In the same way, if our relationship with one another does not transform us, it’s not much of a relationship. Ministry changes people. It puts people together in situations that are often uncomfortable and stretches us in ways that we never thought possible. It causes us to drop our masks and be honest with one another.

Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.”

We are to think about one another, and how we can love and encourage one another. We are to stir up (incite or provoke) love and good works in one another. This is not always going to be comfortable, and it is not always going to be received in the way that we intended. Maybe that’s why the very next verse in Hebrews reads,

Hebrews 10:25 “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

I find it interesting that the verse telling us to stir up love and good works in one another is followed by a verse telling us to stay in fellowship. Why? Well, sometimes we can be offended by another’s encouragement. We’ve been chugging along thinking we’re doing great and then someone offers a word of encouragement that stirs us up. In a huff, we leave the fellowship. One of the resources God has provided for meeting our needs is other believers. When we sacrifice fellowship for comfort, we’re like an antelope separated from the herd. Suddenly, it’s not a question of ‘if’ we will be attacked, but ‘when’ we will be attacked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Lesson: Ministry stirs things up.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You so much for the family that You have placed around me. Please give me a burden for the lost. Give me a burden to minister and encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ. Please take away any fear I have of doing this, and forgive me for the times when I have neglected to do this. I pray this in Jesus’ 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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Say Yes To God ( A Mother’s Love)

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Say Yes To God ( A Mother’s Love)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read:   Acts 10:9-16

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memorize:  “when He has brought them out, He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him, because they know His voice” (John 10:4)

The one God loves has to grapple with certain tough challenges. As the last born of my mother, I was her favourite. While other children were playing, she would compel me to sit and read my books. Sometimes, I would remind her that all the other children were playing, but she would reply that all the others were not her business. I thought she was too strict with me but today, I have reasons to thank God for my strict mother. Ephesians 5:1-7 says if you are one of God’s own, you should not indulge in sins like fornication, uncleanness, foolish talking, etc, not even for once! In other words, other so-called Christians may be doing it but you cannot afford to follow their evil steps. There are certain things some pastors and church leaders would do and God would appear to be quiet about it, yet, if some believers attempted such, they would receive a bashing from the LORD. It shows how much God loves such a believer. If God no more corrects you, you might have reached a point of no return or be on the way to becoming irrelevant to God.

As a believer of God, you must learn to say “YES LORD” to all of God’s instructions. Quite a number of people have lost opportunities for starting large ministries due to their refusal to say, “YES LORD”. God is not static. When Heaven moves, it takes those who can drop their old beliefs and dogmas to move to the next level with Him. One major change ever experienced was the movement from the Old Testament to the New Testament. While most of the leaders in the synagogue resisted change and stuck to the Mosaic Law, others who embraced the change became born-again, and began to enjoy the grace and truth that the LORD brought. Do you say “Yes” or “No” to the promptings of the Spirit? Yield to Him today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Point:  

When God wants something from you, what He expects to hear is, “Yes, LORD”. What is your response today? Always say yes to Him!

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Pastor E A Adeboye

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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The Redeemed Christian Church Of God Theme Song For 60Th Annual Convention 2012

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The Redeemed Christian Church Of God Theme Song For 60Th Annual Convention 2012

(Tune: O Happy Day)

I hear the voice of Redeemer

Calling to me to come higher

It is the voice of Christ My LORD

It is the Voice of One I love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chorus:            Hallelujah, Sing to my King

                        Hallelujah, let heaven ring

                        I will go up higher

                        Nearer my Lord, Hallelujah!

I hear the voice of Redeemer

Calling to me to come higher

“Come out of sins”, He says to me

“Don’t waste the blood I shed for thee”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chorus:            Hallelujah, Sing to my King

                        Hallelujah, let heaven ring

                        I will go up higher

                        Nearer my Lord, Hallelujah!

 

I hear the voice of Redeemer

Calling to me to come higher

“Come out of pains”, He says to me

“Don’t waste the stripes I took for thee”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chorus:            Hallelujah, Sing to my King

                        Hallelujah, let heaven ring

                        I will go up higher

                        Nearer my Lord, Hallelujah!

 

 

I hear the voice of Redeemer

Calling to me to come higher

“Come out today of poverty

I became poor to make you rich”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chorus:            Hallelujah, Sing to my King

                        Hallelujah, let heaven ring

                        I will go up higher

                        Nearer my Lord, Hallelujah!

 

 

I hear the voice of Redeemer

Calling to me to come higher

“Come out indeed of your bondage

I am the Truth, be free today”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chorus:            Hallelujah, Sing to my King

                        Hallelujah, let heaven ring

                        I will go up higher

                        Nearer my Lord, Hallelujah!

 

 

I hear the voice of The Redeemer

Calling to me to come higher

“Win souls for Me and heal the sick

Fill your days with testimonies”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chorus:            Hallelujah, Sing to my King

                        Hallelujah, let heaven ring

                        I will go up higher

                        Nearer my Lord, Hallelujah!

 

 

I hear the voice of Redeemer

Calling to me to come higher

Have dominion, be multiplied

Rule in this life, be anointed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chorus:            Hallelujah, Sing to my King

                        Hallelujah, let heaven ring

                        I will go up higher

                        Nearer my Lord, Hallelujah!

 

 

I hear the voice of Redeemer

Calling to me to come higher

And when my work on earth is done

He has for me heavenly crown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chorus:            Hallelujah, Sing to my King

                        Hallelujah, let heaven ring

                        I will go up higher

                        Nearer my Lord, Hallelujah!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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Prayer Points For August 2012 Redeemed Christian Church Of God RCCG 60th Convention “Come Up Higher”

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Prayer Points For August 2012 Redeemed Christian Church Of God RCCG 60th Convention “Come Up Higher”

Father! Change my level tonight in Jesus Christ Name!

Father! Pull me out of the miry clay never to return in Jesus Christ Name!

Father! All the forces that have kept me on the same level scatter them now in Jesus Christ Name!

Father! All those who have been asking me “Where Is My God?” show them tonight in Jesus Christ Mighty Name I pray!

Father! Everything that pertains to me perfect them tonight in Jesus Christ might Name I pray!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Inspired To Serve

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Be Inspired To Serve

 

 

 

 

 

 

“A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent” (Proverbs 28:20)

No matter the job or business you do, don’t let your utmost motivation stem from how much money you desire to make. Rather, be motivated by the dream of service; be inspired to serve! The Bible says a faithful man shall abound with blessings; that means he’ll surely prosper. A faithful man is a man that serves. If you’re a wife, mother, grandmother, politicians, student, civil servant, civil right leader, policeman, business man or business woman, let serving people be your dream. Become people and service – conscious.

God is more mindful and concerned about people than anything else. So, when you’re concerned about serving people through your work, God will be concerned about your success and prosperity – everything you do will prosper. Greed is what has stopped many from serving their nation and people the way they should. The undue ambition for gain and inordinate desire to amass wealth is an enemy of success; never let it rule your life.

As Christians we’ve been called to service; of both God and mankind. Be inspired by the importance of your job or business for the betterment of society. Don’t let the desire to have things be your driving force in life. Daisy Osborne said, “Work on being and not on having; for with what you are, you will have.” Don’t try to have cars, money, a vast estate or business empire; don’t try to have anything! Become something first and you will have.

The question you should always ask yourself is “Who am I? What have I made out of myself? How have I invested in my personality to make myself relevant and indispensable to my world?”  That’s what you need to do; investing in your personality to make you needed, relevant and indispensable to your generation. That’s the mentality of a service – conscious person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father!

I pray for increased grace and wisdom to serve You and at the same time be relevant to my generation. I ask that by Your Spirit, You help me affect my world and impact everyone I meet with the investment of my personality, in Jesus Christ Name I pray, 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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Live Forever In Him

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The Transfiguration Lodovico Carracci 1594

LIVE FOREVER IN HIM

John 11:26 “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

JOHN 11:26

Some people have interpreted this as saying that it is possible to never die. Therefore, there are people today who are believing that they will live physically until the second coming of Jesus, even if that is thousands of years away. Although it is understandable how someone could interpret this verse in that manner, it is very doubtful that this is what Jesus truly meant.

First, a doctrine as profound as this would certainly be well documented in other scriptures. Other scriptures may sometimes be quoted as supporting this claim but they would not lead a person to this conclusion by themselves.

There would already have to be a prejudice in favor of this stand within a person to lead him to interpret these scriptures in this light. That is not a sound method of Bible interpretation. Also, there is not a single scriptural example of anyone who obtained this. That should make anyone suspect of this teaching. Enoch or Elijah might be cited as examples, but they were translated so that they didn’t die. They are not still in their physical bodies on this earth.

There have been periods in church history where certain truths were suppressed, such as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit or healing, and then revived through a move of God. But there was always a remnant of the church that continually experienced these blessings of God. That cannot be shown to be true with this belief that a believer can remain on the earth in his physical body until Jesus comes. Therefore, this passage of scripture concerning never dying is generally accepted as referring to our eternal life that we receive at salvation. The promise of never dying spiritually is made many times in scripture and it is promised to every believer.

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Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27

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Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27, NIV

 

 

 

 

 

Carrying the Cross

 

 

 

 

 

“Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:27, NIV

Imagine what it would have been like to be Simon, and to have carried the Cross of Christ while following Him up Calvary.

What would it have been like to have shared in the humiliation of rejection as He was cast out of the city?

What would it have been like to have felt the sticky warmth of His blood from the Cross on your skin?

What would it have been like to have felt the encroaching horror as the place of execution neared?

What would it have been like to have looked up through the sweat that trickled down your face, and seen the executioners who stood waiting impassively with hammers in hand?

What would it have been like to have the burden of the Cross

lifted from your back as someone said, “This is His Cross; you’re free to go now,” and He was nailed to it, not you?

Blessings

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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