Blog Archives

Link


Malachi 3:18
Once again my people will see the difference between what happens to the righteous and to the wicked, to the person who serves me and the one who does not.”

Link


LET THE WORD OF GOD BE YOUR GUIDE

BIBLE PASSAGE: 1 PETER 1
23. For you have been born again [that is, reborn from above – spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] not of seed which is perishable but [from that which is] imperishable and immortal, that is, through the living and everlasting Word of God.
24. For,
“ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS,
AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS.
THE GRASS WITHERS
AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,
25. BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.”

The constitution of any country is an embodiment of the fundamental regulations and principles according to which that country, state, and its people are supposed to abide. Every country has a constitution, and each country’s constitution is unique in its own way but generally they share the same objective, which is to make sure that there is stability, peace and prosperity in the nation. As born again Believers and disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are citizens of God’s Kingdom, and our Constitution is the Bible. The Bible is God’s instruction to us on how He wants us to live.

The Bible tells us in Genesis 1:1 that, in the beginning God [Elohim] created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth 🌍, and further down in Genesis 1:26 it says, Then God said, “Let Us [Father, Son, Holy Spirit] make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth 🌍.” 27. So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28. And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over [dominate] the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

So, what does it really mean to be created in the image of God? If we think 🤔 about the reality of this from a physical point of view, does this mean that God and I have the same physical features? No, God is a Spirit and spirits are not made of flesh 🥩 and bones 🦴, according to Jesus in the Book of Luke 24:39. Being made in the image of God has a deeper meaning, and it suggests to us that God was in essence the pattern for the personhood of man. The image of God is Personhood, and personhood can only function in the context of relationships. The human is a living being capable of embodying God’s communicable attributes. In his rational life, he is like God in the sense that he can reason, has intellect, will, and emotion.

The Bible tells us that not only are we created in the image of God, but He has also commanded us to be fruitful. It means that every human being has intrinsic value. Every individual is valuable on their own, in their own right, for their own sake, without competing with or comparing themselves to another. Your intrinsic worth is not given to you by the State, it is not given to you by United Nations 🇺🇳, it is not given to you by any political entity or quantity, it is given to you by God Himself. It is an inalienable right given to you by God, which cannot be taken from you by anyone or anything.

We know that God is intentional and purposeful in everything that He does, therefore, we must seek to understand the reason for the intrinsic worth which He has so graciously bestowed us with.

As human beings living in this world 🌎, we have so many things to contend with and there are so many questions that require answers. Right from when we are young and little, we start asking questions, “what does this mean?” “What does that mean?” “Why does this mean that?” “Why does this person have that sickness?” “Why did that person die prematurely?” These questions haunt us and even our little ones sometimes ask their parents difficult questions for which they may not readily have answers. Everyone of us has question[s] and we struggle with many of these questions in the course of life as we try to bring coherence to everything that we believe. In all of this, the Bible teaches us that we must trust God and have Faith in Him.

The great evangelist, Billy Graham, wrote about a season where he wrestled with the truth of God’s Word. He had been traveling around the United States 🇺🇸 and the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 doing large youth rallies for an organization called Youth for Christ. One of the other regular speakers, Chuck Templeton, was on some of those trips with him and they became good friends. Chuck had begun seminary and had started to wrestle with the authority of God’s Word. He had come to believe that there were errors in the Bible that couldn’t be resolved and that the Bible was obsolete in parts. Chuck, even as a pastor, began to believe that the Bible could not be taken literally, and he confronted his friend Billy Graham with his questions.
Sometime later, the two men met at a camp meeting in Southern California where they had both traveled separately to speak. Chuck confronted him at the hotel where they both stayed and even openly taunted him with his questions about the authenticity of the Bible. Billy Graham wrestled with Chuck’s questions and eventually told the host of the camp meeting what he was going through, and that he felt to weary to fulfill his speaking engagement. The host gave Billy some incredible insights about the authority of God’s Word – good answers to the questions that Chuck had raised.
That evening, Billy Graham made his way down a mountain trail and laid his Bible on a tree stump. He cried out to God in prayer. “God I don’t understand everything about Your Word, and I don’t have answers to the questions that Chuck has raised, but I put my trust in Your Word, by Faith.” Tears 😭 poured down his cheeks and he sensed the presence of God overwhelm him in a way he hadn’t felt for months. The next morning, he fulfilled his obligation to preach at that camp meeting. He preached with a new authority, and hundreds of people made decisions to surrender to Jesus Christ at the service. As long as we live in this world 🌎, we will always have questions but even when we do not immediately have the answers to our questions, our faith must always be rooted in the integrity of The Almighty God, Who cannot lie, The Omniscient God, The Omnipotent God, The Omnipresent God with Whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

So, we have intrinsic worth because of the value that God has placed on us, but then we have to ask the question, “what is the purpose of the value He has placed on us?”
The Psalmist said in Psalm 8
3. When I consider Your Heavens, the works of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have established,
4. What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?
5. Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.

This glory and honor that our Creator has crowned upon us, it is that, that we have to think about. Our Heavenly Father knows a lot more about us than we know about ourselves, and He wants to reveal these things to us if we will only humble ourselves and yield to the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the intrinsic value that God has put in us, is so that we can reflect His splendor to the world 🌎. The Bible is our guide to help us stay focused and not lose sight of our purpose, which is to glorify Jesus.

This morning, I want to say to you that you can draw great confidence in the love of God, that you are not here by accident. You were not born into your family without a design. God knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb and He has a particular vision for your life, which if you will truly receive and accept it, you will find that fulfillment. He has made you for a purpose and He will fulfill that purpose in you.

PRAYERS
1. Father, we thank You for Your Word which You have given to guide us. May it always be a Lamp unto our feet and a Light unto our paths, in the Name of Jesus.

2. Father, help me to be an example of someone who knows what your Word says, who knows what You want me to do, and please help me to stay faithful to Your Word for my entire life.

3. Father, when negative thoughts come to my mind and cause doubt to enter into my heart, please help me to submit and yield completely to Your Word, by faith in the Name of Jesus.

4. Father, I know that in this life there will be seasons of success, failure, betrayal, persecution, disappointment etc, but all through these seasons, please let my Anchor be firmly rooted in Your unchanging Word.

God bless you Brethren. Have a great weekend 🙏

Link


Distress Sale Alert!!!
A 3 bedroom bungalow (all rooms en-suite), with another 2 units of ‘ room self contained’, ALL built as a setback building (boys quaters). .. situate on a full plot of land, with remaining space in front large enough for an additional building. This is up for sale.

Location; Lakwee area, off Ajah; Ibeju lekki. By Coscharis and Green Springs
Price: 38m (asking price)
Titles: Red copy and survey plan. Call ;08033360309

Link


Don’t let your flesh desire to be with somebody so badly beloved that you stop desiring God’s plans for your life.

The Bible said, “Let God be true and every man a liar,” we have to pump our breaks, real it back in, and talk sense into ourselves when we get so desperate to be with somebody that we stop being somebody. The devil is a liar!

Listen, you are not created to die when somebody’s role in your life is over. Expired relationships are a part of life, and necessary to keep our life on track with God’s plan.

When a season is over, you’re not over — their role in your life is over. This is your book, people don’t write your chapters, you and God do.

Get out of your feelings, pull out your pen, be somebody and start writing your next chapter. Your story didn’t end when they ended, your story started a new chapter.

Carry On!

Link


GIVING THANKS ALWAYS

BIBLE REFERENCE

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

SONG

Thanks Thanks We give you thanks,
For all you have done, we are so blessed our souls have found rest oh Lord we give you thanks (2ce)

PRAYER

Father we thank you for another opportunity in your presence. We thank you for miracle of sleeping and waking up, we thank you for your faithfulness and love for us always. We thank you oh Lord for Loading us daily with benefits. We thank you oh Lord for deliverances known and unknown. We give you praise honor and adoration because we are connected to you. As we go into your word this morning enlighten our understanding and let all glory be ascribed to you and you alone.
In Jesus name we pray
Amen

Giving thanks is more than an expression of gratitude. We can say “thank you” to someone and not really mean it. Gratitude is more than words communicated; it is ultimately a mindset, a mentality. It is a keen awareness of our dependence upon GOD

It’s a concept some of us struggle with and resist, thinking God is telling us to be thankful “for” the difficulties. This makes us miss what He is really leading us to do, which is to be thankful despite the problems, to not let disappointments, failures, losses, and hurts keep us from being thankful to Him.

During wonderful and exciting times and tumultuous times, God asks us to focus on Him and His faithfulness to us, rather than on our circumstances; to dwell on His promise to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and to trust Him to help us in every situation we face in life.

How do we begin to give thanks in everything?

Thankfulness in everything comes through practicing being thankful to God for His presence, for life, peace, faithfulness, comfort, and more when facing challenges, rather than letting the difficulties be the focus of our thoughts, words, and prayers.

Being thankful in everything leads us to see God’s faithfulness in preserving our lives and helping us gain an understanding of how so many things that we held on to in the past aren’t really all that important in life. (All the assets that we held very closely to our hearts are after all of little or no benefit) it is only our relationship with God that is beneficial

Apostle Paul wrote, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NASB95) And in Ephesians we read, “always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;” (Ephesians 5:20, NASB95).

Sometimes the storms come and we may find it difficult to give thanks. It may appear absurd to be thankful to God for a tragic death or undeserved loss of income, or the randomness of disease, but In the book of Thessalonians, Apostle Paul encourages us to be thankful to God “in” everything. .

As Apostle Paul also wrote, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17,

Most of all, being thankful changes our attitude and opens our eyes to see our world, our circumstances, and God’s love in new and beautiful ways. We must be thankful for the love of Jesus Christ and how His light in us leads us from the pits of despair to entering His courts with thanksgiving and praise.

PRAYER
We thank God for this day and pray that He gives us the grace to give Him thanks in all things

As we go about our business this morning may we see more of Him and less of us

May men see us and know that of a truth, we have been in God’s presence.

In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen

Link


Sing with me
We give you all the glory,
We give you honour
We give you all the glory
We give you honour.

Praise God, Hallelujah
Praise God, Amen
Praise God, Hallelujah
Praise God, Amen.

Prayer:
Let’s begin to appreciate God for sparing our lives to see yet another beautiful day in the land of the living.
Thank you Lord God in Jesus name we pray.

Brethren, you are welcome to today’s edition of Arise, Shine.

The topic is Open my eyes oh Lord.
Text is taken from *Genesis 21:15-19.*
15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
17 And God heard the voice of the lad and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand for I will make him a great nation.
19 *And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.*

Hagar and her son, Ismael, having been sent out by Abraham at the insistence of Sarah became distressed.

Their provisions of bread and a bottle of water were spent, and Ishmael became sick.
He that used to be fully fed in Abraham’s house, where he waxed fat and kicked, now fainted and sunk, when he was brought to short allowance.
His mother, Hagar was in tears, and sufficiently mortified. Now she wishes for the crumbs she had wasted and made light of at her master’s table. Like one under the power of the spirit of bondage, she despairs of relief, counts upon nothing but the death of the child (Genesis 21:15,16). She had forgotten what God had told her, before Ishmael was born, that he should live to be a man, a great man.

So many of us are apt to forget God’s promises, whenever we found ourselves in a precarious situation that
seems to contradict God’s promises. This is because we live by sense.

In their distress, God graciously appeared for their relief: he heard the voice of the lad, Genesis 21:17. We read not of a word he said but his sighs, and groans, and calamitous state, cried aloud in the ears of mercy. An angel was sent to comfort Hagar with palliatives

God’s visit to comfort Hagar the bond woman with her son shows His readiness to help us His children, whenever we are in trouble.

God directed her to a present supply (Genesis 21:19): *He opened her eyes* (which were swollen and almost blinded with weeping), and then she saw a well of water.

If Hagar had been submissive to her Oga Sarah, she would not have been sent packing.

Note,
Many that have reason enough to be comforted go mourning from day to day, because they do not *see* the reason they have for comfort.
There is a well of water by them in the covenant of grace, but they are not aware of it. They have not the benefit of it, till the same God that opened their eyes to see their wound opens them to see their remedy,

So many of us are spiritually blind that even inside the Church, we sit side by side with our divine helpers but cannot see him.

There are Youths of marriage able age that couldn’t see their spouses, even in the Church because of spiritual blindness and they went out of the fold to marry unbelievers, thinking they can convert them.

If Samson had not been blind, he would not have had anything to do with Delilah, thought less of sleeping on her delicate laps which eventually cost him the anointing of God upon his life.

May the Lord God open our eyes today in Jesus name.

Let’s sing this hymn as we round up:
Open my eyes oh Lord,
Hallelujah
Open my eyes oh Lord.
Open my eyes oh Lord
I am ready to obey.

Let’s pray:
1. Thank God that you are alive today and well.

2. Let’s ask God for mercy. In his mercy he should forgive us for our disobedience.

3. Father, open my eyes to enable me see the well water that will quench my thirst (mention that good thing you are thirst for) in Jesus name.

4. Thank you Jesus for the answer prayers

Good morning brethren and have a wonderful day ahead.

Link


Psalms 14:1
Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They are all corrupt, and they have done terrible things; there is no one who does what is right.

Link


Jonah 1:17
At the Lord’s command a large fish swallowed Jonah, and he was inside the fish for three days and nights.

Link


Matthew 18:18
“And so I tell all of you: what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.

Link


Praise and Worship : Thou art worthy O Lord
To receive glory, honour and praise
For thou art created all things and for thy glory
They are and were created

Bible Text : Hebrews 10:5-7
5. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not but a body hast thou prepared me
6. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

Revelation 4:1-11
1. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter
2. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3. And he that sat was to look upon like a Jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4. And round about the stone were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed with raiment: and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
5. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.
6. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beats full of eyes before and behind.
7. And the first beast was like a lion and the second beast like a calf and the third beast had a face as a man and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night saying Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10. The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying
11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Prayers:
Thank You Father for the opportunity to see the second month of the year. Grant us special mercy at Your throne of grace in this month. Let us find help for our time of need. Deliver our nation in Your mercy from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Please send help to all those in the front line of seeking a cure for the pandemic. Please have mercy on the whole world.
Give us attentive ears to hear Your voice in these perilious times

Introduction
God sows the seed of purpose into every human heart from the moment of conception. We are born with a sense of purpose in our hearts. A normal human being will always go in search of himself/herself. We want to know who we are. We are not a random collection of cells. Our lives are part of God’s purpose.

We are all created for a purpose. No one came to the earth without a design of God for him/her. Only a very few, however, are aware of this fact and fewer still, being aware, make any serious move to find out and live out that purpose. We are part of a jigsaw puzzle that will not be complete if we don’t play our part. Sometimes some of us are replaced because we did not show up when necessary. May the Lord lead us to realising our purpose in the name of Jesus. May we not be replaced through our carelessness.

The Message
Why are we here? Is a message of our purpose on earth at a time like this. Why was I created, what am I created to do?
What we are created to do differ from person to person.
You need to seek God’s guidance to discover your own purpose. It must be a diligent search.
The thing you do or love to do that gives God pleasure-that glorifies His name. Max Lucado, a popular writer calls it your “Sweet Spot”.
For some of us, it is to be a strength to the weak. As we assist them to persevere and endure, God also raises support for us in our time of need. For some it is to give financially.

Our purposes are as different as our number. There are no two of you. You are not the clone of any man or woman. So don’t make yourself a clone. Don’t also allow anybody to turn you into a copy. You are special to God. There is something He has created you to do that no one else can do. You are unique. If you don’t do what you are created to do then you are causing a problem, because you are meant to be the piece in the jigsaw puzzle that will make the picture complete. No matter what you are asked to do in church, you are important to the leadership of the church. Do not decry your posting.

The man preaching may not be more important to God than the man arranging the vehicles at the parking lot.
For example, I spent my first seven years as a worker in RCCG as a teacher of Teenagers. It looked awkward to me initially but I grew to enjoy the assignment and the experience served me well later in other departments in the Adult Church.
Today, some of my students are Church Ministers and Parish Pastors, home and abroad.
Over and above the individual purpose of each of us, there are some other reasons why we are here. These are purposes common to all of us. Let us look at four (4) of the reasons why we are here . These are universal for all children of God. They are purposes over and above our individual uniqueness or talents.

1. We are here to do God’s will. We are created for God’s pleasure. Hebrews 10:5-7. Our uprightness and integrity gives Him pleasure. 1 Chronicles 29:17, Psalms 25:21.

2. We are here to do good works. Eph 2:10: for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Matthew 5:16: let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15: for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ
Proverbs 3:27– withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
Psalms 119:68-thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statues

3. We are here to glorify God’s name.
Psalms 50:23- whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God
1 Corinthians 10:31– whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God

4. We are here to be fruitful, have dominion and replenish the earth. Genesis 1:28.

Conclusion
As we reflect on our purpose on earth let us also be mindful of eternity. There is a day of accountability for believers.
Just like we have performance reviews in our secular jobs, this is the ultimate performance review-when we stand before God and He evaluates the worth of our lives on the earth, not only for salvation but for reward or loss, (of reward)
The gold, silver and precious stones represent acts of charity and kindness, ethical decision making, pursuit of justice and fair play, keeping our words, courage and perseverance in the face of persecution and opposition, humility, witnessing, honouring our marital vows, diligence in the work God gave us, and generally trusting God.
On the other hand, the wood, hay and straw stand for lies, cheating, abuse or lack of love for family and neighbours, damage to the environment, blocking of ears to the poor and squandering of riches on trivial luxuries.

We are here for a season and then we will depart to eternity of pleasure or pain depending on our choice while we were here. We don’t go to heaven by CHANCE we go by CHOICE.

Prayers
1. Father I am grateful for my salvation. Help me to remain steadfast to the end.
2. Father, please reveal my purpose to me and let me flourish in my given assignment
3. Father, do not let me displease You in any way
4. Father, please let the totality of my being bring You pleasure
5. Father, please use my talent to draw men and women to Yourself
6. Father please arrange for me to meet my destiny helpers as soon as possible
7. Father please deliver us from the ravaging Covid-19 virus all over the world. Let the plague come to an end soon.

Good morning and may the mercy of God surround us now and forever.

Link


Luke 10:17
The 72 men came back in great joy. “Lord,” they said, “even the demons obeyed us when we gave them a command in your name!”

Link


Judges 10:16
So they got rid of their foreign gods and worshipped the Lord; and he became troubled over Israel’s distress.

Link


Mark 2:16
Some teachers of the Law, who were Pharisees, saw that Jesus was eating with these outcasts and tax collectors, so they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such people?”

Link


Jeremiah 24:8
“As for King Zedekiah of Judah, the politicians round him, and the rest of the people of Jerusalem who have stayed in this land or moved to Egypt — I, the Lord, will treat them all like these figs that are too bad to be eaten.

Link


Matthew 5:28
But now I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart.