Joshua 1:8
Quoting a tract I read: “He could have lived a missionary, he decided to be a millionaire. Early in life, you would have thought a John was in making, but he ended up being a Judas. We thought he would be another Paul, but he became another Pilate.”
Adding to the above choice that led to a life of tragedy – A church was committed into his hands, but he opted to be an international evangelist. She was called to take care of the children church, she chose to join the choir. Invited to teach on Spiritual Growth, he turned the message to Financial Growth.
Where is he now? He owns a beautiful house abroad. He rides an expensive car. His business is booming. He is very popular that he even dines with the President.
What about the ministry given to him by God? He is now busy arguing on the mysteries of the kingdom of God rather than winning souls into the kingdom. Having numerous business appointments, she rarely has time for her own kids. Evangelism in his local church is now a thing of the past because of his numerous seminars abroad.
The moment one is born again, a ministry is committed into his hands. Be it, public ministry as evangelism or private as performing an activity in the church, God demands faithfulness. If you remain in the faith and be faithful in that which was committed into your hand till the end, kudos – you have earned good success. If you fall out of the faith or deviate from that which God called you, you are a failure. Peradventure the world declares you successful because of the physical achievement they see, lo – you have achieved nothing more than bad success, and there is no reward for that. No, not one!
“…Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall your life be for his life…”
Let us be watchful and prayerful to avoid saying on that day:
“And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” I Kings 20:39-40.
– Okenna Igbokwe
At some cross roads in life, prevailing circumstances may not have been fair to some of us; the severity of it in some cases propels us to speak or act contrary to our proclaimed and affirmed belief. For example, you sometimes might have said ‘I am the healed of the Lord …, diseases ain’t got any place here’, or ‘that Job/contract is mine’; but you thereafter discovered aches all over your body or eventually realized that your arch rival was favored in the award of the much expected contract.
In such situations, how do you react? “I usually …” – Did I just hear you mutter some words? Well, don’t be too quick to answer; so many people have similarly experienced one thing or the other, even the patriarchs had their share of contrary circumstances. Let’s take a look at your one time experience in the light of bible precedence.
Here is Martha’s encounter with Jesus in John 11:21-22: “Martha said to Jesus, If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died! But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask him for” (GNB).
One would have thought that Martha was as convinced about the situation as her statement suggested; she seemed to be of strong faith that Jesus had all it takes to transform the situation for good. But Martha’s statement later appeared to be a mere lip service without a heart conviction. In verse 24 of same chapter, Martha demonstrated her belief that her brother Lazarus will rise again at resurrection but not at that moment referred to by Jesus. Like some of us do when confronted with the reality of a circumstance, despite the fact that there is an element of possibility (though arduous) flashing somewhere, we attest to the miraculous just for the sake of it without expecting anything spectacular.
Furthermore, Jesus said to Martha, I am the resurrection and Life and those who believe in me though were dead, shall live again. ‘Do you believe this?’ she quickly said ‘I believe’, verses 25 & 26. But her next action in attempting to stop the opening of Lazarus’ tomb showed she may have just spoken without fully grasping the imlications of her proclaimed faith. For example, she tried to stop the opening of Lazarus tomb by stating the fact that he had been dead for four days and should be stinking by now. Such statement should have deterred Jesus from insisting that the tomb be opened, but He maintained his conviction. Have you ever found yourself in a similar case, where reality stares you in the face? Have you ever tagged some things unachievable, because you have facts and figures at your disposal? Perhaps, it may be interesting to take a quick look at those who fought reality to a standstill with their faith. Though the mountains that came their way appeared insurmountable, they rose above the world-defined norms and achieved extraordinary results.
I challenge you to rise above reality and unleash your abilities in the kingdom you belong to; supernatural happenings are the norm here!
In the next few weeks, we will be examining Jesus’ supernatural approach in His encounter with Martha and Mary in John chapter 11. The three key things to be discussed are:
- Finishing Strong with Knowledge.
- Psalms and Strings, the unavoidable duo.
- The Authorized man.
Till then remember that for with men it may be impossible, but with God, NOTHING shall be impossible.
– adeyiga awomuti
| An average believer of today is unable to match his experiences with his wealth of knowledge …
He says he is the healed of God, but he is regularly bruised by sicknesses and diseases He says the love of God has been shed abroad in his heart, but his marriage is in shambles He says his Father has got the whole world in his hands, but he finds it difficult to pay his bills He says he is the righteousness of God in Christ, but wallows in sin He says the greater one lives in him, yet he is scared of evil oppositions from the devil and his cohorts He says … so many good things, but he has not been able to upgrade his lifestyle to match up with his words …
Should the blessings of redemption have a concomitant benefit in our lives while we are on earth? How do we outwardly display our riches in Christ?
We will be discussing this and many more in the 2010 World Outreach Convention (WoC).
You are cordially invited to … Equipping believers to impact their world
Theme: Enjoying the supernatural advantage Saturday, January 9, 2010 2pm
@Multipurpose Hall, Sarah-Sam Hotels, 115, Ogudu Ojota Road, Ogudu GRA, Lagos Host: Christ Lifeline – www.christlifeline.org ; +234-1-8726126 ; +234-8082462670
TESTIMONIES FROM WoC 2009 “I felt like I had never known God before and I knew I had to make an important decision about my life. I don’t know which part of the program to single out that made me have such an assertion, from the worship through to the message….everything was just great”. (Bro A – Abuja)
“I came for the convention with so much expectation … And guess what? God did not let me down. Of a truth, I was richly blessed.” (Bro O.A – Lagos)
“I was so blessed by the message. The message was so powerful that I wished it could be preached again in a very big stadium so more people can listen to it.” (Sis T.A –Benin)
“Thanks for being a channel for the blessings that came to me. I needed the message urgently.” (Bro T.O – Kaduna)
“I thank God I came for this convention. I was almost going to miss it but thank God I came. I have been greatly impacted.” Bro C.Y (Abuja)
One contact can give you the desired impact … … Plan to start 2010 on an excellent pedestal; Attend WoC 2010 |
This terrorist guru is well known for his fanatical tendencies and his unreserved resolution to wipe out people not of his religion from the face of the earth. Having successfully murdered over 2.5 million people in his lifetime, as communicated in one of last month’s breaking news; he has groomed other men that are ensnared by his beliefs and who now carry out his every whim. Governments of several countries have declared him wanted and are willing to pay a huge reward – in cash to anyone who can reveal his hiding place. On several occasions, you have seen this guy’s picture on TV and can recognize him when you see him.
Lo and behold, while you were having Holy Communion service with Pastor last Sunday, one of your church’s missionaries walked in with this ‘most wanted guy’ and declared that he is now born-again. Can you imagine the reaction in the church that day? I won’t be surprised if you had tried locating the closest exit route. I may not also be surprised if the pastor ran for his dear life. Believers are quick to admit that “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation”, but they find it difficult to detach themselves and others from ‘their’ old dead lives. Many of my old friends who knew me before I became born-again still find it difficult to believe that I could experience such remarkable transformation in a short time, and some of them claimed they prayed for me to repent!
If we truly understand redemption, then ‘that’ terrorist that killed 2.5 million people is dead. He doesn’t exist anymore. The man that came to church last Sunday is someone who never existed before (2 Cor. 5:17). How can you charge a “new born” for murder? Colossians 3:3 (MSG) says “Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life–even though invisible to spectators–is with Christ in God.” I agree that the world may find it difficult coming to terms with this and may want to charge that righteous man to court, but you should never think like that.
Saul of Tarsus would excel as a terrorist by all ratings. He had supervised the murder of some people who were not part of his religion and was on a similar mission when he got born-again. However, the new man that emerged – Apostle Paul, once told the Corinthian church in 2 Cor. 7:2 (CEV) “Make a place for us in your hearts! We haven’t mistreated or hurtanyone…” But how could he claim he never hurt anyone even though Saul’s atrocities were done openly? Simple! He understood the blueprint in 2Cor 5:16-17 (ALT) – “Therefore, from now on we know no one according to the flesh; … if anyone is in Christ, he is a newcreation”
Beloved, in the last message of this series, I emphasized that God gave birth to a new spirit within us when we got born-again. Today, I want to remind you to stop referring to the dead man in your life. Stop relating with other believers as though they are still dead. Embrace the new life. Cherish it! Live it! It’s real!
– tope aladenusi
Have you ever tried quizzing other believers about their new birth experience or have you been questioned by anyone in this regard? I have done so on many occasions and the responses I got were usually baffling. A typical one goes like this:
Bros, are you born again? Yes! When? Well, I gave my life to Christ in 1997. So how did you “give your life” to Christ? Well, (he starts muttering at this point). So I try to help him out by asking– how do you know you are now born again? He replies – I used to be a very bad guy those days; but right now, the bad things I used to do, I do them no more. If I want to complicate the matter, I would ask him – does that mean that anyone who stopped doing bad things is born again? Such quizzing has helped me kick start a mentoring program with other believers. If I were to have a similar conversation with you, what would your responses be?
The bible says in 2Corinthians 5:17 (LITV) – “So that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!” This verse is common to most believers, but I think it has an uncommon meaning. Most times when believers refer to it, they talk about “the bad things I used to do, I do them no more”. Inasmuch as it is expected that we exhibit good actions as believers, we should not lose sight of the meaning of this verse. The verse does not say if you are in Christ, you have a new operation. Rather, you are a new creation. Our being and configuration was emphasized over our doings and actions. A new nature and life that never existed in the world was created in the believer. Hallelujah!
In Genesis 2:17, we understand that the first man that was created by God (Adam) disobeyed Him and this led to his death. Death as implied in this verse does not mean annihilation (stopped from complete existence) but it means alienation (separated from God). All men that proceeded from Adam were born as aliens from the life of God. But Jesus Christ came and changed the situation. God has given birth to a new life in everyone who has accepted the salvation from Jesus Christ.
But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them He gave authority to become children of God, … who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, butwere born of God. John 1:12-13
Since God is a spirit and spirit gives birth to spirit (John 3:6), it therefore means that God recreated our spirits when we got born-again. It is thus logical and scriptural (II Peter 1:4, I John 4:17) to conclude that we possess the same nature like the one who gave birth to us – God. Just as we came into this world through birth by our earthly parents, every believer came to being by a spiritual birth from God.
“Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself!” (I Pet 1:23 – MSG)
The life of the believer originated from God! This knowledge should call for constant celebration. This knowledge requires a new mode of operation in our lives. We came from God and we should always behave like Him.
“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children.” Ephesians 5:1 (CEV)
To be continued …
– tope aladenusi
II Corinthians 12:2-4
Never was Paul’s “caught up in the third heaven” vision so real in his life than that day.
It was noon. The sky was blue and the sun shone at its brightest. Boulders of white clouds hung weightlessly in space. Whitish-blue horizon adorned his far right. The sky was wonderfully beautiful.
Then, he remembered the rapture. In this sky, the dead and living saints would meet Christ. What a wonderful day it would be, he thought. His heart was filled with joy as he sang silently:
My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness,
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name
On Christ, the solid Rock I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Then, he looked down. Below, all appeared darkish-green with tiny strips and dots indicating man’s settlement. Pitifully, he looked down, watching the world of struggle, the world of trials and temptation, the world of sorrow. He wished he would remain in the sky, develop wings and fly higher and higher, never to return to earth. Consumed in his thought, he was unaware of how fast time flies.
“…The plane is about to land in a few minutes. Once again, be sure you fastened your seat belt.”
The announcement brought him back to reality. His work for God on earth was not yet over.
As height dropped, the tiny strips turn to roads, the dots turn to houses; the young Christian braced himself up, promising to continue in the Lord till that much awaited day.
-okenna obi-igbokwe
In our last edition, I mentioned that there are basically three theories today about how man came into existence. We have already examined the evolution theory.
Another idea that has become more and more popular in recent years is that man owes his existence to UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects from other planets). The UFOLOGISTS believe that intelligent creatures from another planet had something to do with how human life started on this earth. Some of them say that about 40,000 years ago, super-intelligent creatures from outer space visited our planet. These space men found the apes that were then living on earth, and by genetic engineering they caused mutations in the ape population which led to the production of man.
But some questions the UFOLOGISTS have not been able to answer include: Where did the super-intelligent creatures from outer space come from? Who made them? Did other space creatures help them to evolve?
Although the UFO idea seems silly, they appear to come to terms with the idea that man must be the product of a super intelligence, unlike the evolutionists. However, the only true answer as to where man came from is found in the Bible.
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness …” Genesis 1:26
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth …” Colossians 1:16
Beloved, one of the greatest excitements of being born-again is that beyond reading in the Bible that man was created by God, you can actually have a personal experience with your creator. You can talk to him while he also talks to you; you daily interact with him to the point that hearing a statement like “God doesn’t exist” may sound similar to someone saying the computer doesn’t exist; because you are probably staring at one right now and you make use of it from time to time.
I’m sure that was the experience of the early disciples of Jesus Christ, that was why Apostle John started his epistle by saying: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” 1John 1:1.
Have you had a similar experience with God? Perhaps you don’t believe in God at all or you have not really had a one-on-one experience with him, we can share more insights to assist you. Please write us on info@christlifeline.org . It will not be wise to discover at the end of your journey in life that you had raced on the wrong road during your entire lifetime.
– tope aladenusi
If you ask some people how they came into existence, they would probably say their parents gave birth to them. But how did our parents, grandparents and great grandparents came to be? Christians who shy away from such critical questions about life are susceptible to wavering in their faith. We have to be really convinced of what we believe and why we believe them.
Today, there are basically three ideas about how man began and only one of these ideas is correct. We will consider one of them today:
- Evolutionary theory – One very popular idea we were taught during our early days in school is that man evolved from lower animals (such as ape-like creatures) in a slowly changing process that has taken millions of years. But the evolutionists have not reasonably eliminate the ensuing heaps of questions such as letting us know where the first set of ape-like creatures came from. Would it be logical to propound a theory that a bicycle became a motorcycle after millions of years? If the idea seems irrational despite the similarities of the two equipments, why should we misplace the similarity between apes and humans? Is it possible to have such wonderful creatures without an intelligent creator? How can life come from non-life by mere chance? How come we have not seen people flying by now even though we have been evolving for some years now?
Take some time to think about the computer in front of you. Imagine the built-in intelligence it has. The way the computer operates also reflects the intelligence of its creator – man. How come the computers did not come by chance? How come many of the objects invented in the world did not just evolve after many years? Why is it that we can trace man’s invention and innovation to him and not to evolution? If we can do all these to mere objects, is it okay to imagine that an amazing creature like man came to being without an intelligent creator?
What’s the only true answer about the origin of man? What do you believe? Why do you believe it?
To be continued …
– tope aladenusi
In the early 20th century, the New York Telephone Company made a detailed study of telephone conversations to find out which word is the most frequently used. The pronoun ‘I’ was used 3,990 times in 500 telephone conversation. I believe we do not need a detailed study to obtain a similar result in our age. Everywhere you go, people use the word “I”. Statements like: I am this or that; I want to bla bla bla, etc. are common to everyone. But the amazing thing is that not many people know what “I” represents. In order words, many just assume who they are; they neither know nor are convinced about their real identity or capability.
This reminds me of Ap0stle Peter’s conversation with Jesus Christ shortly before his crucifixion. “Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet willI not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.” Mat 26:34-35 (KJVA)
Three things interest me about this verse: First, it’s obvious Peter did not know much about himself like he thought and bragged. This is one of the major problems several people in the world are facing today. Secondly, all the 12 disciples also had similar issues even though they must have had direct contact with Jesus for some years. Therefore, your length of service in the Church doesn’t guarantee your understanding of “I”. Thirdly, Jesus understood his disciples more than they did and was willing to reveal the “I” to them. I trust God that he will give you a similar revelation in these series of messages which we will be sharing in the next couple of months.
Some years ago, I was invited to preach a similar message in a seminar organized by a campus fellowship. About two years later, I received a testimony from one of the attendees that the message brought about a turning point in his life. I’m trusting God for a similar testimony in your life.
We will be considering four (4) questions that anyone who desires to be great and successful in life must find the right answers to on time. They are:
- Who am I?
- Where did I come from?
- Why am I here?
- Where am I going to?
Don’t be tempted to jump the gun. These questions will give birth to several other questions that will help propel you to fulfillment in life if answered correctly. You can show love to others by inviting them to be a part of this series by subscribing to our mailing list athttp://christlifeline.org/mailinglist.php
– tope aladenusi
If you enter a public building or bus and see an inscription that reads: NO PREACHING HERE, what would you do?
To an average believer of this age, there are two possible responses we may expect. First, the inscription makes no difference to him because he has not preached to anyone even in places where preaching was not prohibited. For those who have made it a habit of preaching to unbelievers wherever they are, the inscription may be powerful enough to shut their bowels of mercy. But if any of the early disciples had encountered such an inscription, what would they have done?
The answer is not farfetched. They experienced a similar thing and the verses of scripture below sheds more light on their attitude.
“The chief priest questioned them. He said, “We gave you strict orders not to mention Jesus’ name when you teach. Yet, you’ve filled Jerusalem with your teachings … Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than people.” Acts 5:27-29 (GW)
Is this not a sharp contrast with what we are doing today? Beloved, what has happened to us? In a bid to appear as “responsible” citizens or “professional” employees, we are disobeying God’s commandment. And quite regrettable, if after several years we hear that one of our former colleagues or friends who used to be an unbeliever is now dead, we say things like: Well, only God knows what happened in his last minute, he may have given his life to Christ.
Why are we leaving the choice of where unbelievers will spend eternity to fate at their last minute when we could have influenced it with faith during our last meeting with them?
“No preaching here” is not the same as “no chatting here”. Perhaps if we were willing to obey God at all cost, we could have seen other means and opportunities to communicate the gospel. That’s what happened to Peter and other apostles. An Angel had to set them free from prison to enable them continue the good work. It is commonly said that when the mind is willing, there are a thousand ways; but when the mind is unwilling, there are a thousand excuses. Are you willing to obey God’s commandment in Matt. 28:19 (MSG) – Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life? Are you merely wishing for a last minute miracle of salvation for those around you when you could have been an instrument of a life changing miracle at your last meeting with them?
– tope aladenusi