Tag Archives: Jesus

I Am The Good Shepherd And I Know My Sheep

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Palm Sunday

I am The Good Shepherd; and I know My sheep. —John 10:14

 

 

 

READ: John 10:7-18

People hate change, or so I hear. But the change we generally resist is the kind that we think will make our situation worse rather than better. We eagerly change jobs when it means higher pay and more influence. We happily move to a bigger house in a better neighbourhood. So it’s not change in general that we hate; it’s change that involves loss—sometimes physical; other times emotional or psychological.

Change is both inevitable and necessary. If everything stays the same, no one is growing. But we have a Shepherd who guides us through change and leads us to a better place. Getting there may be difficult, as it was for the Israelites in reaching the Promised Land. They grumbled when their situation got worse rather than better (Ex. 15:24; Num. 14:2). But we have the example of Jesus. In less than a week, He went from being the leader of many to being abandoned by all. Between Palm Sunday and Good Friday, the Good Shepherd became the Passover Lamb. Because Christ willingly went through suffering, God elevated Him to the highest place (John 10:11; Phil. 2:8-9).

Not all change is pleasant, but when we’re being led to a better place by Someone who loves us, we don’t need to fear it. —Julie Ackerman Link

I know not, but God knows;
Oh, blessed rest from fear!
All my unfolding days
To Him are plain and clear. —Flint

 

 

 

Faith in Christ will keep us steady in the stormy sea of change.

 

 

 

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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Let Us Therefore Come Boldly Unto The THrone Of Grace That We May Obtain Mercy, And Find Grace To Help In Time Of Need (Hebrews 4:16)

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Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

How many times do you struggle with your own personal needs? How many times do you wrestle with trying to meet them on your own? How often do you waste energy trying to figure things out for yourself? You plan, set out a strategy and work to make ends meet.

Why do you do this when God tells you to come boldly to His throne? In other words, you should come with great confidence, filled with faith because God has prepared this throne of grace for you.

Prayer is an exchange of needs for grace and mercy. God tells you that they await you if you will simply ask Him in your time of need. Let’s not struggle anymore. Let’s not be burdened under the weight of our needs. It doesn’t matter if it is a physical need, financial need, or a spiritual need. Whatever you are facing, God has grace and mercy for you. Grace heals, and mercy extends a helping hand. God is there for you today.
Let’s call upon Him in our time of trouble!

 

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 Body Of Christ

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The Body Of Christ

 

 

 

 

 

READ: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

 

 

 

 

 

Those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. —1 Corinthians 12:22

The number of people who run a business out of their homes is in the millions. But some have found that working alone can be a little too lonely. To give these lonely ones a community, “co-working” spaces have been designed. Large facilities are rented out where people working by themselves can share space with others. They have their own work area but can exchange ideas with fellow independent workers. It’s for those who feel they can work better together than they do alone.

Sometimes Christians think they work better alone. But we are meant to work together with others in the church. Every Christian has been placed into “The Body Of Christ” (1 Cor. 12:27). And the Lord desires that we take part in fellowship with a local community of believers—using our spiritual gifts and working together in His service.

Yet for various reasons, some aren’t able to join in. Because of health issues, they may be shut in at home or may not know how to fit in at church. Yet they are a needed part of the body (vv.22-25). That’s when others can meet their need for togetherness. Let’s do our part so that others may feel they’re an integral part of the community of faith. We work better together than alone. —Anne Cetas

Thinking It Over

What can you do to help others feel a part of your church
community? Visit, pray with them, read Scripture together,
drop a note, or invite them to join you in serving others.

 

 

 

 

 

Fellowship builds us up and binds us together.

 

 

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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Christ The Power And Wisdom Of God

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English: Resurrection of Christ

Christ, The Power And Wisdom Of God

 

 

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 1:24 “To those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

People today run after two things: miraculous signs and wonders, and knowledge. It was no different in Bible times. The apostle Paul acknowledged that “Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom”. (1 Corinthians 1:22)

So when Paul preached Christ crucified as God’s solution to them, the message was “to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness”. (1 Corinthians 1:23) They didn’t understand how getting a revelation of Jesus and His death could give them the miracles they needed or the wisdom they wanted.

Beloved, we don’t have to run after miracles or wisdom today. We just need to run after Jesus because He is “The Power of God and The Wisdom of God”. The more we know Christ and Christ crucified, the more we will have the power and wisdom of God.

Several church members have shared how they have seen the power of God blast financial debts out of their lives. Not knowing what to do about their debts, they looked to the Lord to deliver them. And the Lord was able to do so mightily because He is indeed the power of God.

So if you are facing a financial debt, Christ has the power to remove the debt. And because He is also the wisdom of God, He will show you where you went wrong and teach you how to stay out of debt!

Let me give you another illustration. Let’s say a man, whose wife has left him, looks to Jesus to bring his wife back. Christ, the power of God, brings about a miraculous restoration of their marriage. But it is Christ, the wisdom of God, who will teach the husband how to keep his wife by showing him what he had done wrong and what to do to strengthen the marriage. If the husband does not have this wisdom, it will only be a matter of time before the same problems surface and his wife leaves him again.

My friend, Christ is both The Power and Wisdom of God to us. As the Power of God, He removes obstacles in our paths. As the Wisdom of God, He continually directs our paths!

 

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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This Is Love; Not That We Loved God, But That He Loved Us. John 4:10

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This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us. John 4:10

Love never fails!

Wait a minute, no one has unfailing love! No person can love with perfection.

That’s right. But God is not a person. Unlike our love, His love never fails! God’s love is immensely different from ours. Ours depends on the receiver of the love. Our love will be regulated by appearance or by personality. Even when we find a few people we like, our feelings will still fluctuate.

Does God love us because of our goodness? Because of our kindness? Because of our great faith?

No. He loves us because of HIS goodness, kindness, and great faith. The love of God is born from within Him, not from what He finds in us. His love is uncaused, spontaneous. God loves you simply because He has chosen to do so! 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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Your Pay Day Will Come

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Your pay day will come

 

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed towards His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” (Hebrews 6:10)

Apart from the possibility of encountering an extraordinary blessing on an ordinary day, another lesson from the story of Moses recorded in Exodus 2:5-10, is that God has different ways of rewarding His own. Hebrews 6:10 says God does not forget your labour of love. Every seed you have sown into the kingdom shall attract its reward. Have you been a blessing to your spiritual parents? You shall be rewarded. Every work or effect, as long as it is an act of faith, will elicit Heaven’s reward. After Moses was born, his mother was able to see beyond the physical that he was a child of destiny and so, contrary to the king’s decree and probably pressures from those around, she decided to hide the child until she could hide him no more. She wanted God’s purpose to be accomplished in the life of her son, and so was prepared to risk her life in the process. What if the soldiers had found the boy in his hiding place? She could have lost her life. God saw her act of faith and took over from where she stopped. Eventually, God decided to pay her for her faith and sacrifice.

 

“And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her. Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.  And the woman took the child, and nursed it.” (Exodus 2:9). God knows how to reward His children. He also has diverse ways of doing this. He can reward you directly. He can reward you through your husband, wife, child or relative; He can reward you through your place of work, He can reward you through an old but forgotten acquaintance; He can reward you through those you do not know. He can even reward you through your enemies. In the case of Moses’ mother, God rewarded her faith by reuniting her son with her under the tightest security arrangement. Also, she was handsomely paid to do what she knew best-taking care of her son. She became the only Israelite woman that the government paid and protected to keep her baby alive, while all other baby boys were condemned to die. Not even the Egyptians babies got one hundredth of such privilege! Are you afraid to take a step of faith? Go ahead and take it; you cannot tell what it will deliver to you. Are you a teacher of toddlers and teens, or are you a parent taking care of your children? Do it faithfully and the owner, The Most High, will more than handsomely reward you.

Key Point: Many parents will lose their earthly or eternal reward for failing to take adequate care of their children.

 

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 Destructiveness Of Sin

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The Destructiveness of Sin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:11, NKJV

The longing of God’s heart, if it can be expressed as such, is to be known, loved, glorified, and enjoyed by His creation. Although in His plural nature God has ultimate fellowship, love, and harmony within the Trinity, He also desired fellowship and friendship with Adam and Eve.

But early in their lives Adam and Eve made one choice that broke their relationship with God and cost them their happiness at the present and their destiny for the future, devastating their family for every generation to come. This devastation was inevitable because life is made up of relationships with God, with others, and with ourselves, and the choice to sin through disobedience destroyed all three relationships. Sin destroys our relationship with God through guiltiness. It destroys our relationship with others through lovelessness. It destroys our relationship with ourselves through meaninglessness. What sin is worth such destructive consequences?

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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The God Head: Team Players!

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The God Head: Team Players!

 

“That they all maybe one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has sent me.” (John 17:21).

In John 10:30, Jesus says, “I and my Father are one”. This, contrary to what some teach, does not mean that they are one in number, because 1 John 5:7 says they are three: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, The Father, The Word, and The Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” Both scriptures therefore speak of oneness in terms of unity. This is a lesson for us today. If there were any individuals who could do all things all by themselves, it is the members of the Godhead. God The father, God The Son and God The Holy Spirit are individually self-sufficient enough to work independently. Philippians 2:5-6 says when Jesus Christ existed as God the Son, He was co-equal with God The Father and God the Holy Spirit. Each could have decided to go His own way and have His own creations and universes, operating alone. Yet, despite all their powers and individuality, they decided to work together as one. Looking at the Godhead, you will find the unity and cooperation inherent simply incomparable.

God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit work together as team players. Each steps down for the other. For instance, God The Son took the form of a man and waited on God The Father’s instructions every step of the way. He also could not do anything without the backing of the Holy Spirit. Each of them shared out a period in which they would rule, and agreed that later will jointly rule as God in all eternity. If Godhead can be so united, being so powerful, why are we finding it difficult to be united, or to work together as a team? Unity and team work are hallmarks of humility. If you find it difficult to work with others, it is because you are proud. If you always want to do it alone, you have a haughty spirit. No man is an island! We need one another!

Even in the heavenly planet today, there is so much of team-play going on. God is interested in team-players, not individual stars. True leaders, like the Godhead, will have no problem working with others. It is because God wants to encourage team-spirit that is why He distributed His gifts in such a way that the hands will need the eyes, and the eyes will need the legs. You are not self-sufficient! You need others!

Prayer Point: Thank God for what He has invested in others. Ask God for the grace to see what others have and work with them to achieve God-glorifying Kingdom and secular goals.

 

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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Stay clear of rebellion. When unity is useless

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Stay clear of rebellion. When unity is useless

 

 

“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are” (John 17:11).

 

 

 

 

 

One thing that singled out Jesus and His disciples was their level of unity. They could accomplish so much together because of this virtue. However, from the Lord’s Prayer above, the Lord expressed His desire for His disciples to be united as He is with the Father, even after He would have left the scene. Any unity born out of the contrivance of man may not last. If you exclude God in your quest for unity, the centre will not hold. Whatever you are bringing together may part ways naturally. If you look at the unity that exists among God The Father, God The Son and God The Holy Spirit, you may find it incomprehensible. There is no record of disagreement in their relationship. They are so united that they can never be divided. There is nothing mortals or spirits can do to cause division in their midst. No wonder Jesus specifically asked for such heavenly unity to operate among His disciples! May Heaven’s unity operate in our midst! Amen!

There is power in unity but if people are united against God’s will. It will not stand. About 100 years after the floor, the earth had one language. Even though God wanted them to spread to different parts, they decided to stay together. Besides, under the leadership of Nimrod, they wanted to build a tower whose height would reach the sky. They were not repentant. They though God was confined to judging sin only through a flood. Their tower was to be their escape route from any future judgment for sin. As they built the city and the tower, they continued in their idolatry. When God came and saw what they were doing, and how united they were in achieving their evil goal, He brought confusion into their midst by multiplying their tongues and languages. As a result, they carried out His original plan for spreading across the globe. If you are united in sin, you cannot escape God’s judgment (Proverbs 11:21). Some agreements in the church of God are satanic. Some pastors or church leaders form camps and begin to pray against fellow leaders or camps. That is witchcraft! If what unites you with a group of believers is gossiping, you may be calling for the axe. Never unite with others to do something evil. It will backfire!

Uniting against God, His Word or His children erodes all the gains from unity as a powerful force. Stay clear of rebellion.

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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No Weapon formed against you shall prosper. And every tongue which raises against you in judgment you shall condemn. Isaiah 54:17.

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Detail – Glory of the New Born Christ in presence of God Father and the Holy Spirit (Annakirche, Vienna) Adam and Eva are represented bellow Jesus-Christ Ceiling painting made by Daniel Gran (1694-1757). Post-processing: perspective and fade correction. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No Weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which raises against you in judgment you shall condemn. (Isaiah 54:17A)

Supernatural protection is one of the several blessings every child of God should enjoy. David said in the famous Psalm 23:4-5: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…” As a child of God, you are protected from all evil and harm; He wants you to know that your safety and security are not in the hands of any man, but in Christ Jesus.

The Bible tells us how the king of Syria sent his troops and completely surrounded the city where the prophet Elisha was (2 King 6). The prophet’s servant was terrified when he saw all the troops. “Alas, my master! How shall we do?” he cried out to Elisha. Unruffled, the man of God replied, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” Hallelujah! There was something that Elisha knew that his servant didn’t know about – Supernatural protection! The Bible says that “The LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” The prophet knew that God was his security.

If God cared about Elisha, then He cares about you! He’s given you the Holy Ghost to walk through life with you, as well as many angels to be with you (Hebrews 1:14). Walk through life with confidence and refuse to fear! No matter what you face and no matter who chooses to plot against you, know that you’re divinely protected! Even when it seems like you’re all alone, remember that “…..Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your hand of protection that rests upon me always. I know that I am protected in my going out and my coming in, because I abide in the Name of Jesus Christ. Thank You for giving me the Holy Ghost to be with me; because of His presence in my life, all fear is gone, 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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Be Not Deceived, God Is Not Mocked: For Whatsoever A Man Soweth, That Shall He Also Reap (Gal.6:7)

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Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Gal. 6:7)

“Sow Today” A Sermon By Pastor E. A Adeboye

Apart from telling people that our God is the ultimate leader, leaders must teach their members principles of God’s Kingdom, particularly on giving. Some pastors are shy in doing this for fear of having their intentions misrepresented. You are not the author of the Bible. Never keep kingdom truths from your people or else, you will deny them opportunities of being blessed. Galatians 6:7says it is what you sow that you will reap. At the time I became the General Overseer of the RCCG, we were among the poorest people on the face of the earth, because we hardly gave offerings in those days. Then, leaders did not want to teach on giving. The truth is that anyone who refuses to give may never be delivered from begging. If you have become a perpetual beggar, check yourself; it could be that you are defaulting in giving. Besides, the most favourable time to give is during a famine. As difficult as it may sound, sow in your famine season. From experience, I can safely say God is faithful to His Word as long as you act on it.

When we were about to roof the old auditorium, we had N 1,000.00 but needed N 16,000.00 more. Meanwhile, the dormitory being built by the area pastors had equally reached roofing level and they needed N 1,000.00. When the pastor came to ask me for N 1,000.00, I virtually chased him out. He ran out having not seen me in such a mood before. But then the Lord asked me to give him the N 1,000.00 I had. Reluctantly, I called him back and handed over the money. However, I felt I had returned to square one. While grumbling over this development, the Lord asked why I was grumbling, that, after all, there were two problems and I was used to solve one of them. Later that day, a woman came from Port-Harcourt saying that after collecting her rent, the Lord asked her to bring it to me. I prayed for her and she left. On opening the envelope, there was N 17,000.00 in it. If I had held back the N 1,000.00, I may not have received the N 17,000.00 I urgently needed. Are you holding back the seed that can release your harvest? Don’t be myopic! Look beyond your immediate need; see into the great harvest that is awaiting you and sow to release it.

That seed you are about to sow may be what you need to receive your turn around. Sow, again and again!

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 Guarantee That Debtors Will Make It To Heaven, Including Senior Pastors

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There is no guarantee that debtors will make it to Heaven, including senior pastors

Several years ago, Myles Munroe spoke on five questions you must ask yourself: Who am I? Where am I from? Why am I here? What can I become? Where am I going to? These are very crucial issues which, if properly answered, will help you to optimize your earthly existence. Have you been able to find the answers to these questions?

In addition to the above questions, it is important to ask yourself: How far am I from my goal? If you left point A for point B, it is important to take stock so as to know how close or far your destination is. This calls for self-examination, personal appraisal or evaluation of actions, tactics, strategy and plans. Why do you think Paul asked the Corinthian church to examine themselves, to know whether they were still in the faith?  (2 Corinthians 13:5) It is because it is possible to start off as a Christian but along the way lose one’s faith in Christ. For this same reason, Paul queried the church in Galatia as to why they would end up in the flesh, having begun in the spirit (Galatians 3:3). Today, many believers who started the Christian race as honest, God-fearing, Jesus-seeking, Spirit-filled, heaven-bound saints, are now flesh-controlled, position-seeking, money-serving, people-victimizing political beings. Unfortunately, they have continued their journey without asking how far or how close they are to their original goal.

If truth be told, position is robbing many of holiness. It is shocking to hear that some senior pastors fix the stipends and salaries of junior pastors and workers in banks for a period and receive interest up front into their personal pockets, without thinking of the hardship they cause such families. Such leaders are farther from their destination. There are some things you do that takes you several miles away from your destination. It is safe to assume that if you were saved 10, 15, or 20 years ago, and you were living to please God for that period; you are closer to heaven than when you started. But if you begin to do certain things wrong, it will set you backwards, even beyond the years you started out. Have you asked how close you are to your heavenly goal?

There is guarantee that debtors will make it to Heaven, including senior pastors, top Christian leaders who deliberately sit on the salaries and stipends of their subordinates. They may pay their debts eternally in hell.

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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Are You A Leader?

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English: 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)

Are You A Leader?

 

“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen!” (Revelation 1:6)

One commodity the world is in short supply of is good leaders. Even in families, they are needed. A family can be the smallest organisation – comprising the husband and his wife. Yet, if the man lacks leadership skills to provide the required direction, guidance, coordination and control, it may be difficult for the family to realize its collective goal. Every organization is only as good as its leaders. Therefore, it becomes mandatory for future leaders to acquire leadership training, education and skills. To succeed, you will need to learn from those who succeeded or failed and why they had such outcomes.

 

“For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). Position of leadership is not meant for all but for the chosen few. In the world, there is a large space for followers, whereas the space reserved for leaders is quite small. But in the Kingdom of God, it is possible for everyone who receives Jesus Christ as Lord and personal Saviour to become a leader. Revelation 1:6 says Christ has made us kings and priests unto God the Father. Every king has his sphere of influence, area of authority, and subjects under him. If you have been saved, then exercise your God-given authority and dominion over sin, sickness, satan, agents of darkness and elemental forces. If they are convinced you know your kingdom rights, they will have no choice but to obey you.

Believers in Christ are destined to reign for 1000 years with the KING of kings during the millennial reign and then eternally with Jesus Christ. In other words, you were born to reign. However, are you preparing for this great leadership opportunity? Some people struggle, fight, malign others and carry out all tricks in the book just to have an opportunity of occupying a leadership position during their lifetime. But after a few years in that position, they become eternally irrelevant. In contrast, you can be relevant today and in eternity. You may not become a president, governor or captain of industry but you can become the spiritual father of the president or governor. You can become the mentor youths would like to pattern their lives after. You can become a reference point standing as light in a dark world. Are you occupying this vantage position?

God sees you as a leader. But if you do not see yourself as such, you may never lead throughout your life.

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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Divisions Not Allowed In God’s House

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Divisions Not Allowed In God’s House

 

 

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (Corinthians 1:10)

 

 

 

 

If there will be unity in a family, church or a group of people, the role of the leader cannot be over emphasized. A leader should be the unifying force over those he or she leads. In this regard, the leader should ensure his subordinates’ opposing or dissenting views are harmonized in a way as to carry all of them along their common objective for being together in the first place. Unfortunately, some leaders deliberately encourage divisions, by sowing seeds of discord and turning one subordinate against the other. They call it divide and rule ‘strategy’. That is satanic! Some leaders encourage or provide the platform for subordinates to create camps. Not Jesus! As long as Jesus was physically present, He was the rallying point of unity for all His disciples. One day, two brother – James and John brought their mother to lobby Jesus, so that they would secure the highest positions in Heaven, right beside the Lord Himself (Matthew 20:20-24). When the other disciples heard of it, they were very angry! That move could have broken the twelve into separate camps. But the Lord handled it with wisdom and they remained united without killing the desire of the Zebedees to attain heavenly greatness.

It is very challenging to unite people with diverse backgrounds, goals, interest and understanding. However, it is very easy to cause division. One hallmark of a true leader is that he or she is not easily carried away by comments or selfish actions of the team he or she is leading, as the group goal is uppermost in his or her heart. Another person who could not stand God’s church being broken into camps was Paul. In His days, converts began to break into at least four different camps right in the church in Corinth but with wisdom, Paul resolved this and unified Christ’s church. Are you instrumental to the division of God’s church? You are calling for God’s judgement. Repent and restitute. Go and meet the people you sowed those seeds of discord into and compel them to reverse their rebellious acts. This will be good evidence of your repentance.

A body that is dismembered cannot operate as whole. A part of the body can never be whole. Division limits us. Strive for peace and unity.

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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Dangers Of Loving The World

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Paul van Dyk @ Powerzone ADE Amsterdam

Dangers Of Loving The World

 

 

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)

When you love the world, it can affect salient areas of your life. This is why we must pray for leaders to shun worldly lust and focus on the things of God. The love of the world can stand between you and your requests. A leader who loves the world will be incapable of making effective intercession for the flock. The love of the world also terminates spiritual life. The fellow who loves the world will find his or her love for God ebbing by the day. With love for the world, it will be impossible to love God with all your heart. Yet, God demands 100% love from you. “and thou shall love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and wit all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

 

“For Demas hath forsake me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescene to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia” (2 Timothy 4:10). Another danger of loving the world is that it can lead to progressive compromise and ultimately to backsliding. One sign of knowing that your love for God is waning is that you will begin to make excuses for certain sins or wrong doings. God’s standard will become so tall and unreachable, that you will come up with unhealthy substitutes. Do you find yourself explaining away premarital sex, office theft, manipulation of church record, etc? It shows your love for God is being replaced with the love of the world. If worldly standards are now being favoured above the standards of the Bible, your love for God is fast ebbing. It starts with little complaints and finding faults with the church, church leaders, activities and programmes. Before long, one would realize how far one has drifted. Can you imagine a great leader and fellow companion of Paul becoming a victim of this? Demas, who was so consumed with the things of the kingdom, gradually allowed worldly lusts to seep into his heart, until it was too late. He had totally backslidden. He left Paul for Thessalonica, the height of ungodliness and sinful pleasure. If Demas could fall, any leader can. Pray for God to insulate the heart of our spiritual leaders against worldliness.

Prayer Point: Dear Heavenly Father, in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ, keep our leaders from being overtaken by worldliness, 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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Hospitality Of God’s Children

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The "Hospitality of Abraham" by Andr...

The “Hospitality of Abraham” by Andrei Rublev. The three angels symbolize the Trinity, which is rarely depicted directly in art. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hospitality Of God’s Children

 

 

 

 

 

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrew 13:2)

 

 

 

One lesson from the story in 1 Kings 17:17-24 is that God rewards the hospitable. The woman who lost her son was a hospitable person. One benefit of hospitality is that hospitable people may not suffer a permanent loss. An example here was Abraham. In Genesis 18:14, Abraham received heavenly visitors and pending promises of many years were fulfilled. Another example was Lot. In Genesis 19:1-22, when he received the angels who came in the form of men, he made a feast. Through his hospitality, he delivered himself and his immediate family from the fire that fell from Heaven on Sodom. Similarly, Cornelius was hospitable and through this, he and his family were saved.

 

 

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares”  (Hebrews 13:2). God wants His children to be hospitable. The hospitable have a way of attracting divine visitors such as God, angels or even men of God that can command God’s blessings on them. Hospitable people are generous. They do not have to necessarily have all the money in the world. The little they have is presented with love and with all their heart. They strive to make their guests comfortable. They are prepared to sacrifice for the maximum comfort of their guests. The way they receive the guests will make them want to come back. They would prepare the best meals and present it in a most attractive and healthy way. Where they can, they would do everything to spoil their guests. They would make sure the visitor’s room is swept, cleaned and dusted. The bed is well dressed and inviting. They will wait on their guests throughout their stay. Where they cannot drive them to, they would arrange the cab that would convey them there. Hospitable people are homely and humble. How hospitable are you? Some people do everything just to scare visitors from coming to pay them visits. Are you hospitable? Hospitality should be taught to all your children. It is one of the healthy family values that Christian families must imbibe. How do you receive your pastors and ministers? How do you receive unbelievers in your home? The truth is, through hospitality, the Gospel message can be preached non-verbally and souls of visitors can be won.

If your hospitality cannot attract your visitors to Christ, you are probably not doing it right. Always be prepared to make your guests, even unexpected guest comfortable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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Pray To Separate Your Leaders From Fear

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Pray To Separate Your Leaders From Fear

 

 

 

 

For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

 

 

Before any leader will make it in ministry, there is a need to back up such an individual with prayers. It took much intercessory prayers from Jesus on behalf of Peter, to move from a point of denying Jesus to the other extreme of performing special miracles (Acts 5:15-16). For your leaders to succeed, you need to invest in prayers for him or her. If you fail to pray for your leaders, do not complain when they fall into temptations or take wrong decisions. You are part of the cause. However, if you pray for your leader and yet he fails, you pray want to believe that it was still partly your fault: that is, you did not pray enough. When last did you spend on solid hour interceding for your leader?

There are areas you need to pray specifically about concerning spiritual leaders. Such breakthrough prayers will help to take care of the barriers in their way. The first of these is FEAR. Fear is not a strange phenomenon as far as ministerial work is concerned. Even the disciples that went through the physical training of Jesus Christ had to contend with fear. They could not publicly declare Jesus for fear of persecution. They had to lock up themselves in the upper room until the Holy Ghost was sent.

Fear can make a spiritual leader to compromise. This is why some leaders cannot preach restitution for fear of losing rich members. For this same reason, sermons against polygamy are unpopular in many churches today. Any spiritual leader that has not overcome fear may never really become a vessel of honour t God. Anything you fear dominates your life (Romans 6:16). Some pastors and leaders are afraid to go to their place of posting. Some find it difficult to go to remote towns and villages, especially after hearing the history of witchcraft activities there. If you fail to break this yoke in the lives of your leaders, you will remain limited. You may never be able to hear the full Gospel through them. They will not be able to give their best, and your blessings could be hindered. Arise and intercede for your leaders, breaking the yoke of fear in their lives.

 

Prayer Point: Dear Heavenly Father, break the yoke of fear in the life of my pastor, and fill him with the spirit of holiness to enable him declare Your full counsel 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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Prayer! A Sign Of Dependence

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prayer.. (Photo credit: aronki)

Prayer! A Sign Of Dependence

 

 

“And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12).

 

 

 

It is a dangerous thing to go into ministry without being called of God. However, if you have heard God’s call, follow His timing and respond in obedience. After God has called you into spiritual leadership, go ahead and pray your way into breakthrough. Leadership is not for the unprepared. If you came into ministry because of the honour, money or fame, you have been deceived. You will sooner or later become food for the enemy. By its nature, ministry brings the called into face to face conflict with the kingdom of darkness. God backs only those He has called. If God has not called you, He will not be obligated to defend you. If He had not called you, He will not be moved to reward you for your service or meet your personal and ministerial needs. Are you called of God?

 

 

 

However, prayer is necessary for the called. Prayer shows your level of dependence on God. If you place much premium on prayer, it shows you depend on God. But if you pray infrequency, or you continue to say few minutes’ prayers, it shows how independent of God you are. A prayer-less Christian is a self-directed and self-sufficient individual. Does this describe you? Before the Lord started His ministry, He fasted and prayed for 40 days at a stretch. After His ministry began, did He go to sleep? No! He continued to pray. That is the mistake some of us make. Before embarking on a major assignment such as ministry, marriage, etc. we pray and rely on God for direction – every step of the way. However, after the inaugural service and marriage ceremony, prayers cease; we are now in charge. Now, why won’t things go wrong? Let us learn from the Lord. He kept on praying. Before He appointed His twelve apostles He took time to talk it over with the Father. Before each day’s ministerial activity, He prayed and settled it all the previous night. It was prayer that helped Him to subdue His flesh. At the Garden of Gethsemane, when He was about to take a major step towards the salvation of mankind, His flesh stood in His way. It took serious prayers to overcome this. Have you dumped your prayer-life? Pick it up today?

 

 

 

Your prayer-life simply shows how God-dependent or self-dependent you are. In all your ways depend on God and acknowledge 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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The Lord Is My Light And My Salvation

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English: 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)

Psalms 27:1:

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
This is one of those verses that put a kick or maybe a jump in my step. We serve the best God there possibly can be, in fact the only God there can be. Today would you just give Him praise, lift His name and pray that His kingdom comes into our world.

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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Nigerian National Pledge

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English: Political map of the 36 States of Nig...

English: Political map of the 36 States of Nigeria (English) Deutsch: politische Karte Nigerias (Englisch) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nigerian National Pledge

 

 

 

I Pledge To Nigeria My Country

To Be Faithful, Loyal And Honest

To Serve Nigeria With All My Strength

To Defend Her Unity

And Uphold Her Honour And Glory

So Help Me 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!

 

 

 

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