You are favoured by God


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You are favoured by The Lord

 

By acknowledging and giving thanks for the little things, we open the door to the much

If nothing could stop you…

How much could you accomplish?

If you woke up tomorrow morning with an unfair advantage…

How far could you go?

If the universe worked with you and not against you…

How would your reaction to your circumstances differ?

 

Favour can change your life.

And whether you realize it or not, you are favoured.

You see, Jesus purchased favour for you on the cross.

He gave up His life so that yours could be abundant. (John 10:10)

In Romans 8:32, Paul asks, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

It’s a rhetorical question which means God is not going to withhold anything from you.

But you say, “if you realized how difficult times have been…”

“If you could only see the trouble that I’m in…”

“Perhaps then you would see that I am not favoured at all.”

 

So where’s the favour?

Maybe the problem is that we don’t always recognize God’s favour.

And if we don’t recognize His favour, then maybe we don’t properly respond it.

I had lunch with a friend of mine this last week. He told me about some billboards he leased.

He paid for a single month blitz several months ago, but his billboards are still all over the city.

The leasing company has not been able to rent them to anyone else so they decided to keep them up until they do.

That’s free advertising and real money.

 

That’s favour!

I was at another friend’s house a couple of weeks ago.

I made a comment about how beautiful his new retaining wall was (iron fence and all). He said MSD put that retaining wall and fence in for free.

 

That’s favour!

Then there’s the story of the woman who got in a fender bender and missed a promising job interview.

 

She had been unemployed for months. She thought, “Why does everything seem to work against me?”

 

Little did she know she would be receiving a better paying job offer the next week.

If it had not been for the wreck, she would have never been in a position to take the better job.

 

That’s favour (even though she didn’t recognize it)!

 

Each and every day, God’s favour surrounds us.

 

Surely, LORD, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favour as with a shield. – Psalm 5:12 (NIV)

 

Search for God’s favour and acknowledge it (even when it seems miles away).

Jesus said that if you are faithful over the little, you will be ruler over the much. (Matthew 25:23)

James wrote that every good gift is from God. (James 1:17)

So even when it seems like all hell is breaking loose…

 

Seek to recognize that one moment today that made you forget about your troubles, or that one thing that put a smile on your face.

 

Acknowledge these small gifts as signs of God’s favour.

Then give Him praise and thanks for them.

 

By acknowledging and giving thanks for the little things, we open the door to the much.

 

We produce and promote full recognition and appreciation and understanding and precise knowledge of every good thing that is ours in Christ Jesus. —Philemon 1:6 (AMP)

Then, true to His word, God will pour out a blessing that we cannot contain. (Malachi 3:10)

 

Repeat after me…

 

Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for purchasing supernatural favour for me on the cross.

By Your blood, every aspect of my life is blessed and highly favoured.

Something good is going to happen to me today, and I am going to recognize it.

And when I do, I will acknowledge You and give You thanks.

Thank You Lord! Amen!

 

You should expect to find favour this week.

When you find favour this week, I want you to acknowledge it by sharing it with me.

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!

Jesus did not come to accept our sacrificial acts, but to make Himself a sacrifice for our sins. He did all this to give us new life in Him


Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber ...

Jesus did not come to accept our sacrificial acts, but to make Himself a sacrifice for our sins. He did all this to give us new life in Him

SOMETHING NEW

 

Luke 5:36-37, “And he spake a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.”

 

MATTHEW 9:11-17, MARK 2:16-22, LUKE 5:30-39

These two parables are in response to the scribes’ and Pharisees‘ criticism (v. 30) and the question from John’s disciples about why Jesus didn’t act according to their religious traditions and expectations (Mt. 9:14; Mk. 2:18). The gist of these parables was to show that Jesus came to do a new thing that would not mix with the old covenant ways that were familiar to people (Isa. 43:18-19; Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8:7-13).

A new cloth sown on an old garment in Jesus’ day would shrink the first time it was washed. Then it would tear away from the old garment that had already shrunk, making the hole worse. This illustrates that Jesus did not come to patch up the old Mosaic covenant, but to replace it (Heb. 7:18-19).

Also, new wine (not yet fermented) had to be put into new or reconditioned wineskins to allow for the expansion of gases within the skin as the result of the fermentation process. Otherwise, an old wineskin that had already been stretched by use would simply burst and all the wine would run out. The Old Testament laws could never stretch enough to accommodate the New Testament truths of mercy and grace (Heb. 10:1-10). Jesus set us free from the judgment of the Old Testament laws (Rom. 6:14; 7:1-4; 8:2; 10:3-4; Gal. 3:12-14, 23-24; 5:4; Phil. 3:9).

These religious scribes and Pharisees (Lk. 5:30) were making the terrible mistake of trusting in their own efforts to produce their right standing (righteousness) with God. Jesus did not come to accept our sacrificial acts, but to make Himself a sacrifice for our sins. He did all this to give us new life in Him. Thank Him for His grace today.

 

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!

Stay Away from Jezebel


Resurrection of Christ

Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Stay Away from Jezebel!

 

 

 

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou
sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to
teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat
things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her
fornication; and she repented not.

Revelation 2:20-21

This is written to Thyatira, a corrupt, self-promoting church. Jezebel
is a self-promoter who calls herself a prophetess, but the Holy Ghost is the real promoter. If you are always trying to promote yourself, to
get to the pulpit, or to do something that gets you noticed, you will
not get very far. The Holy Ghost gives you the gifts. He gives you the
talents you have. He gives you favour where favour is necessary. Your
responsibility is to do what your hands can find to do, and do it with
all your might.

God gave Jezebel time to repent. The book of Romans says it this way:
The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance (Romans 2:4b). Just
because the hammer doesn’t fall when you are doing what you shouldn’t
be doing doesn’t mean that you are getting away with anything. God may be giving you time and space to come to your senses and understand what
you are doing.

It matters not only what you do but also why you do it. You can do
things to be seen. You can do things to get yourself in line for
something you want. Jezebel’s motives are absolutely wrong, and those
who have her spirit are wrong. You have to watch who you hang around
with, because you will soon start becoming what they are. If you hang
around a Jezebel spirit, you will become a Jezebel.

Prayer for Today

Father,
I am dependent on You to show me my heart and my motives. I want Your
Will to be done above all other things. I desire only Your favour and
Your blessing. In Jesus Christ Name, Amen.

Think on These Things

Jeremiah 8:4-6

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!

Culture of Envy


at dusk in Kensington, Maryland, USA.

Culture of Envy

 

 

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Exodus 20:17

Everything about our culture entices us to want more and to want better things than we already have.

We live in the most affluent yet the most unhappy nation in the world. This is the result of removing gratitude from our value system and writing a “more, more, more” attitude in. If we don’t want more and strive for more, we’re told we somehow don’t measure up.

The cure for envy and covetousness is found in gratitude and praise to God. Colossians 3:16 tells us that we should “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

Today I want to bring a word to you to find a new measuring stick for yourself and others-let us measure ourselves by our obedience to God and by the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

 

 

Further Reading

Job 5:2

Proverbs 14:30

Ecclesiastes 4:4

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!

To whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more


Church of Jesus Christ (Zion's Branch) in Inde...

To whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Luke 12:48, NKJV

 

Accountable Before God

When Annas the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching (John 18:19), Jesus answered directly, “I have spoken openly to the world . . . I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said” (John 18:20-21, NIV).

Jesus confronted Annas with the awesome principle that God holds people accountable, not just for what they have heard or know, but for what they have had opportunity to hear and know, with churches on every corner, with religious radio broadcasts, with Christian television programming, with evangelistic crusades and festivals and services and movies, we have enormous accountability before God!

It doesn’t matter if you have ever tuned in to or listened to or read or participated in any of the above. You and I have had the opportunity to do so, and for that we will be held accountable by God.

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!

Jesus Works in Community


Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Jesus Works in Community

Culled from: Max Lucado Daily

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8”

None of us can do what all of us can do—Jesus works in community!

In 1976, an earthquake devastated the highlands of Guatemala. Thousands were killed and even more left homeless. Twelve of us from our college volunteered to help out during spring break. Most of us were ministry students. All of us loved to discuss theology. I can’t remember the list. But by the time we reached Guatemala, I’d discerned the faithful from the infidels. I knew who was in and who was out!

But our task turned rivals into partners. We were a team. We began to sing together. Pray together. It was Jesus’ plan all along. Jesus didn’t issue individual assignments. He didn’t move one-by-one down the line and knight each individual. He did, however, say in Acts 1:8, “You—all of you collectively—shall be my witnesses!”

 

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!

Prayer Points For May 2012 RCCG “Operating Under Divine Favour” Holy Ghost Service


150

150 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Prayer Points For May 2012 RCCG “Operating Under Divine Favour” Holy Ghost Service

Thank God for His infinite mercies.

Father! Don’t let me ever annoy You again.

Father! Please arise for me, for my family, for Your Church and Your country.

Father! Don’t let me die before my time.

Father! Don’t let my dreams of greatness die, help me fulfil them.

Father! Let me shine at home, abroad and everywhere.

Father! Whatever I touch, please make it prosper.

Father! Please accelerate my promotion now.

Father! Take me to the very top soon!

Father! Let me forever operate under divine favour.

Private prayer request.

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!

Faith Vs. Sight


03.365 (02.08.2009) Faith

Faith Vs. Sight

God never changes

“Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory,” (Romans 5:2)

Faith is essential to the Christian life. But until we realize our faith is in the God who never changes, we will tend to walk by sight.

All of us have natural, everyday faith. This is the faith we exhibit in the ordinary things we do. When we sip a glass of water, we trust that it is pure. When we board an airplane, we have faith that the builders, the air traffic controllers, and the pilot know what they are doing. This type of faith comes from our senses. If the water looks odd or smells funny, we do not drink it. If the pilot reeks of alcohol, we do not board the plane.

But spiritual faith does not depend on our senses. It is based on God’s consistent and trustworthy character. As George Mueller, 19th century British social reformer, explained, “Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.”

Although our circumstances may appear hopeless and our feelings may tell us to give up, we must not allow ourselves to be limited by the visible world. Instead, we should place our trust in the God who never changes.

Yet many times our faith extends only as far as we can see. An African impala antelope can jump higher than ten feet and a distance of more than thirty feet. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure behind a three-foot wall. The reason? The antelope will not jump if it cannot see where its feet will fall. The impala’s dependency on its senses robs it of its freedom.

We, also, are often limited by our need to see before we will believe. Instead, we must improve our spiritual vision so that the walls of fear and doubt cannot doom us to a life of spiritual mediocrity.

Your View of God Really Matters …

If you really believed that God never changes, how would that affect the way you trust Him for the things you cannot see, or the circumstances you don’t understand?

What More Does God Say?

Numbers 23:19

Because God never changes, My future is secure and eternal

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!

Jesus came to fulfill the law


Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber ...

Jesus came to fulfill the law.

Romans 13:10 “Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to cast it out. The 10 commandments are still there & we need to obey them. The world, when they look at the Bible & us as Christians, they see the law “thou shalt not”. To them it’s just rules & rules they don’t necessarily want to obey. But the Word says, Jesus came to fulfill the law. How? through LOVE, for Jesus is love. When you have Jesus (love) you walk in love and when you walk in love, you fulfill the law without even thinking about it. Because love does no harm! Read Romans 13:8-14

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!

God Knows Best


Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Father Knows Best

 

 

1 Corinthians 7:21-22

“Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ‘s slave.”
NKJV

We often think our circumstances in life are our problem. Whether it is our job, friends or family situations, we often think these are the source of our issues. Life can be uncomfortable at times, but friend, if you are a Christian, God has allowed circumstances in your life because he is forming Himself in you.

God is trying to help you in your circumstances and trials. By allowing you to go through difficult challenges in life, you can grow to be more like Him. Sometimes, trials can be painful. Is there anybody in your life that God is trying to use to remove what does not resemble Him in your life? You are precious to God and He loves you. He wants to grow you through your challenges. As you mature in the Lord, you should ask Him what He wants you to learn through them and allow Him to change you.

Consider a clay pot. The potter forms the clay to create a beautiful masterpiece. Once he forms it, he fires the clay to make it hard and usable for the tasks for which it was created. What if the potter pulled the clay out too soon? It would be half-baked and the clay pot would not be usable. The potter would then have to break the pot, re-wet it, form and fire it again. Life is a lot like this clay pot. Who wants to be a half-baked Christian? When we do not learn a lesson that God is trying to perfect in us, we have to go through it again and again until He forms Himself in us.

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” NKJV

Friend, God has called you to serve Him. He is using your circumstances to free you from the bondage of the shame, guilt and sin that separates you from Him. Whatever is going on in your life–trust Him! God is willing to do whatever it takes to reach you. He wants to set you free.

 

Life Lesson: Our circumstances are usually not the problem; it is our response or attitude to the circumstances that is the problem.

Dear Father,
Thank You for loving me. Thank You for the opportunity to go through circumstances that form me to be more like You. Lord, You sentenced and punished Yourself for me so I could be forgiven. I thank You that You were willing to pay such a high price for me. I choose to walk in the incredible plans You have for me instead of the plans I have made. Help me to be faithful in the small things by listening to You. You are my hope, my love and my peace. Help me to hear Your voice and to discover my own call and adventure in life. 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!

Let Christ Live Through Us


4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern Cali...

4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern California provided by LivingWaters Ministry. Obeying the great commission of Jesus Christ. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone” Mark 16:15 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Let Christ Live Through Us

 

Matthew 9:9, “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.”

 

MATTHEW 9:9-10, MARK 2:14-15, LUKE 5:27-29

To “follow” means to come or go after; move behind in the same direction; to come or go with; to accept the guidance or leadership of; to adhere to the cause or principles of; to be governed by; obey; comply with (Jn. 10:27-29; Rom. 10:9-10, 13).

When a person first comes to Jesus, it is impossible to know everything that following Jesus entails. No one, however, should be fearful of making a total commitment because of some imagined problem that may never come to pass. There should be a willingness to forsake everything to follow Jesus. Once we make that decision, then Christ begins to live through us and we find a strength that is not our own, equal to whatever test we may encounter (Gal. 2:20).

It is Christ living through us that is the secret of victorious Christian living. It is not us living for Jesus, but Jesus living through us. Failure to understand this simple truth is at the root of all legalism and the performance mentality. The law focuses on the outer man and tells it what it must do. Grace focuses on the inner man and tells it what is already done through Christ. Those who are focused on what they must do are under law. Those who are focused on what Christ has done for them are walking under grace.

Just as the life of a root is found in the soil, or a branch in the vine, or a fish in the sea, so the believer’s true life is found to be in union with Christ. The Christian life is not just hard to live, it’s impossible in our human strength. The only way to walk in victory is to let Christ live through us.

 

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!

Listening carefully to what God says


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Listening carefully to what God says

I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure. . . . I love Your law.

Psalm 119:162-163, NKJV

When have you totally misunderstood God’s Word?

When He said, “Love one another,”

did you think He meant to tolerate sin? (1 John 4:7)

When He said, “in all things God works for the good,”

did you think that every story has a happy ending?

(Rom. 8:28)

When He said, “I will surely bless you,” did you think that He

would make you healthy, wealthy, happy, and problem free? (Heb. 6:14)

Isn’t it amazing how we can misinterpret what He says? Listening carefully to what God says is important, because if we misunderstand what He is saying, we set ourselves up for disappointment, discouragement, and disillusionment.

So . . . would you be quiet and listen with your eyes on the pages of your Bible? Listen for His still, small voice to whisper to your heart through His Word.

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!

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves


The Last Supper of Jesus Christ

The Last Supper of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.

 

Micah 3:1

And I said: “Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel:
Is it not for you to know justice?”
NKJV

Today’s society is fast paced and full of busyness. But what are we busy doing? Is it trying to live life with a mission to better ourselves? Any of us who have tried to live this kind of life know that we are never satisfied even when we achieve our goals. Friend, if we have a relationship with Jesus, is it not for us to know justice? If we claim to be a follower of Jesus, we have a responsibility to live a Godly life everywhere we go. God has showed us that life is not about us, it’s about knowing Him, loving Him and loving others. If anyone should know that, it is the body of Christ–those who have been forgiven of their sins. Now that God has blessed us with His forgiveness, He desires that we share His love with others. The world needs us to be an example of living the Bible so that they too are drawn to Christ. They need answers, and for us to say we are “Christians” and live our life in pursuit of personal gain would only be a contradiction to who we say we follow.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified.” NKJV

Friend, let’s stand before God often and ask Him to reveal things in our life that are not pleasing to Him. As we do that, the world will not have any stones to throw. They will be drawn to Jesus and living their life for Him just like we should.

 

Life Lesson: The world is looking for answers, not for hypocrites.

Dear Father:
Thank You for loving me. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins. Help me to live a disciple’s life wherever I go. Please remove those things that are not pleasing to You so others are not confused. Thank You Lord, for using me to change lives for eternity just like you changed mine. 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!

A Slave Of Christ Jesus


William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) - The F...

A Slave Of Christ Jesus

“This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus….” (Romans 1:1)

When I proposed to Vonette, I said we would travel the world and that we would live in prestigious Bel Air, California. I promised her everything her heart could desire before we were married.

But within a couple of years our desires and our interests had changed. We had both fallen in love with Jesus. We came to the conclusion that knowing and serving Jesus was more important than anything else.

It was in that spring of 1951, one memorable afternoon, that Vonette and I, in our home in the Hollywood Hills, got on our knees and prayed, “Lord, we surrender our lives irrevocably to You. We want to do Your will. We want to love and serve You with all of our hearts for the rest of our lives.”

We actually wrote and signed a contract committing our whole lives to Him, relinquishing all of our rights, all of our possessions, everything we would ever own, giving to Him, our Dear Lord and Master, everything.

In the words of the apostle Paul, Vonette and I became voluntary “slaves” of Jesus that Sunday afternoon, by choice, as an act of the will.

Approximately 24 hours after we signed the contract to be His slaves, He gave me a world-changing vision, which we call Campus Crusade for Christ. I believe that had there been no contract, there would have been no vision.

For over 50 years, I have considered it my greatest honour to be a slave of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Your View of God Really Matters …

Is God truly sovereign in your life? Do you believe wholeheartedly that knowing and serving Jesus is the more important than anything else? Are you willing, along with the apostle Paul, to voluntarily become a slave of Jesus out of your love for Him?

What More Does God Say?

2 Peter 1:1; Matthew 20:25-28; Luke 22; 24-27; 2 Corinthians 6:4-10

Because God is sovereign, I will joyfully submit to His Will, Amen!

Culled from: DiscoverGod.com

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!

The Redeemed Christian Church Of God Vision And Mission Statement


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150 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Redeemed Christian Church Of God Vision And Mission Statement

Vision and Mission Statement

  1. To make Heaven
  1. To take as many people as possible with us
  1. To have a member of The Redeemed Christian Church Of God In Every Family Of All Nations
  1. To accomplish No. 1 above, Holiness will be our lifestyle.
  1. To accomplish No.2 and 3 above, we will plant churches within five minutes walking distance in every city and town of developing countries and within five minutes driving distance in every city and town of developed countries.
  1. We will pursue these objectives until every nation in this world is reached for Jesus Christ Our Lord!

So help us God!

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!

Courage comes as we live with Jesus


Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Courage comes as we live with Jesus

“And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats nor be troubled. I Peter 3:13-14”

On April 18, 2007, three Christians in Turkey were killed for their beliefs. Necati Aydin, a 35 year-old pastor was one of them.

He nearly didn’t go the office that morning. He’d been travelling and his wife, Semse, wanted him to stay home and rest. He admitted his weariness, but went on to work. There was much to be done. Semse recalls, “As my dear husband walked out the door, he smiled at me one last time. I didn’t know that was the last smile.”

Later that morning, attackers came to Necati Aydin’s office insisting he pray: “There is no God except Allah!” When Necati refused, the torture began. The last word from the office was the cry of an unswerving Christian: Messiah! Messiah!

I ponder the martyrs of Malatya and wonder, Would I make the sacrifice? Would I cry out, “Messiah! Messiah! Would I give my life?

How do we prepare? Linger long and often in the presence of Christ. Meditate on his grace. Ponder his love. Memorize his words.

Courage comes as we live with Jesus!

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!

Putting God’s Business First


4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern Cali...

Putting God‘s Business First


Now therefore thus sayeth the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough;
ye drink, but ye not are filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there
is none warm; and he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it
into a bag with holes

Haggai 1:5-6

Israel had been defeated and the temple destroyed. Later, God delivered
Israel from their captivity in Babylon and restored to them what had
been lost. Someone had raised the issue of building the Lord’s house
again, but the Israelites didn’t want to spend the money or expend the
effort.

Many believers are like these Israelites. They need to consider their ways, to take an inventory of what has happened to their finances. They
are honest, hard-working individuals. They are sowing a lot into the
church, but not bringing in much of a return. They are surviving,
living only from paycheck to paycheck to paycheck. They are working two
jobs, but it is still not enough.

What’s wrong? If you have not put God’s business first, then He won’t
take care of your business.

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!

Touched By Love


Christ cleansing a leper by Jean-Marie Melchio...

Touched By Love

 

Mark 1:41, “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him…. and he was cleansed.”

 

MATTHEW 8:1-4, MARK 1:40-45, LUKE 5:12-15

Only Mark records this important statement that Jesus was “moved with compassion” in the healing of this leper. There are three other instances in the gospels when Jesus was moved with compassion which resulted in healing (Mt. 14:14; 20:34; Lk. 7:13; and once in deliverance – Mk.5:19). The difference between seeing a person healed or not healed many times is this all-important ingredient of love.

All three of the Gospel accounts record Jesus touching this leper. This not only illustrates the doctrine of “laying on of hands”, but was probably included because according to Numbers 19:22, this action would have made Jesus unclean. This illustrates the New Testament ministry of the Spirit versus the Old Testament ministry of the letter of the law (2 Cor. 3:6).

Jesus did not have to avoid the ceremonial uncleanness that would come from physical contact with a leper because He came to bear our sins in His own body. As can be seen from Mark’s account, two things happened: (1) the leprosy departed and (2) the man was cleansed. Jesus not only removed the disease but restored the damaged parts of his body. This leper was healed as soon as Jesus spoke.

The Word of God is the will of God, and it reveals that it is always God’s will to heal. Jesus often healed people by touching them, and others received their healing as they touched Jesus. You can transmit the power or the anointing of God through the laying on of hands. Let Him use you today to touch others.

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!

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”


Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

Psalm 14:1

 

READ: Luke 12:16-21

It seems to me rather contradictory that Jesus, who was so gentle at times (Matt. 19:13-15), would call some people fools. Yet, as recorded in the Gospels a number of times, our Lord used this derogatory term to describe those He spoke about—especially the Pharisees (see Matt. 23:17-19; Luke 11:39-40).

Jesus also used the word fool in a parable after warning a man about coveting (Luke 12:13-21). What made him foolish is not the fact that he built bigger barns to store his abundant harvest (vv.16-18). It would have been more foolish of him to leave it out in the fields where inclement weather would spoil it. Nor was he foolish because of his thought that this unexpected windfall was enough to last him a long time (v.19). After all, we are urged to follow the example of the ant in “storing up” the harvest (Prov. 6:6-8).

What made the man foolish? He left God out of the picture. He was called a fool because he failed to realize that his life was in God’s hands. While he was planning carefully for his comfortable life on earth, he failed to plan for eternity and store up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:20).

Does your plan for the future have God in it? You won’t want to be called foolish by Him in the end. —C. P. Hia

Oh, why not turn while yet you may;
Too late, it soon will be—
A glorious life you may possess
Throughout eternity. —Anon.

 

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. —Jim Elliot

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!

The sinless One took on the face of a sinner so that we sinners could take on the face of a saint


Jesus with a royal purple robe mocked and beat...

The sinless One took on the face of a sinner so that we sinners could take on the face of a saint

Though his back was ribboned with wounds, the soldiers loaded the crossbeam on Jesus’ shoulders and marched him to the Place of a Skull and executed him.

Jesus was beaten with whips and handed over to the soldiers to be crucified. The governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s palace, and they all gathered around him. They took off his clothes and put a red robe on him. Using thorny branches, they made a crown, put it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand. Then the soldiers bowed before Jesus and made fun of him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Jesus. Then they took his stick and began to beat him on the head. After they finished, the soldiers took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. (Matt. 27:26–31 NCV)

The soldiers’ assignment was simple: Take the Nazarene to the hill and kill him. But they had another idea. They wanted to have some fun first. Strong, rested, armed soldiers encircled an exhausted, nearly dead, Galilean carpenter and beat up on him. The scourging was commanded. The crucifixion was ordered. But who would draw pleasure out of spitting on a half-dead man?

Spitting isn’t intended to hurt the body—it can’t. Spitting is intended to degrade the soul, and it does. What were the soldiers doing? Were they not elevating themselves at the expense of another? They felt big by making Christ look small.

Allow the spit of the soldiers to symbolize the filth in our hearts. And then observe what Jesus does with our filth. He carries it to the cross.

Through the prophet he said, “I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting” (Isa. 50:6 NIV). Mingled with his blood and sweat was the essence of our sin.

God could have deemed otherwise. In God’s plan, Jesus was offered wine for his throat, so why not a towel for his face? Simon carried the cross of Jesus, but he didn’t mop the cheek of Jesus. Angels were a prayer away. Couldn’t they have taken the spittle away?

 

They could have, but Jesus never commanded them to. For some reason, the One who chose the nails also chose the saliva. Along with the spear and the sponge of man, he bore the spit of man.

The sinless One took on the face of a sinner so that we sinners could take on the face of a saint.

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!