Empowered to yield results…
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever; … But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14: 16 & 26). “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (II Timothy 1: 7). All these verses of the holy bible gives some form of insight into what the spirit that abides within a spiritual worshiper does.
He is the spirit from the God head, dwelling within the Christian till eternity. He can not be scared away like the dove either by sin or the devil, because Jesus said he will abide with us forever (John 14: 16). The Holy Spirit comforts, gives insight into obscure things, reveals things to come, gives boldness, etc. Since he is the spirit of truth, he broadens the revelation of God in our heart. He stands in place of our weaknesses and proves himself so strong when the best of our fathomable expressions have been heightened and reached its peak. In essence, when a man accepts the truth (i.e. Jesus Christ as the full revelation of God) he also automatically receives the Spirit of God to dwell with him permanently and this mean you are well positioned to approach God without any hindrance.
Apostle Paul gave an insight into an unmatched work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer with respect to prayers. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what to pray as we ought: but the Spirit it self maketh request for us with sighs, which cannot be expressed. But he that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit: for he maketh request for ye Saints, according to the will of God” (Romans 8: 26-27 Geneva edited).
Beloved, have you ever desired to know and pray according to the will of God? Then you are on the right path, but don’t forget that it is not just the desire to know but you must actually find it out, establish the truth and stay with it by practically living it day by day. The mission of the Holy Spirit in our lives can not be overemphasized. We have been empowered by the Spirit of God to have result oriented prayers whenever we pray. I encourage us to utilize this God given gift residing in us.
adeyiga awomuti
| Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (Col 1:12)
No doubt we’ve all got different histories. Culture; described as a people’s way of life differs for each one of us. Various backgrounds. Sometimes however we fail to see beyond where it is we came from. This origin defines the core of our being. But it should not be so. The truth is no matter how diverse our culture may be all ends in that one man Adam. The one by whom humanity was brought into bondage. Today however I want us to reflect a little on how we seem not to go beyond the definition given to us by our earthly lineage. I know quite a lot of people who find it difficult to believe certain things the scripture says because truth is they always see everything from the view point of “this is where I came from”.
Dear friends, would you be as the legalistic Jews in Bible who Paul wept over because they found it difficult to accept the righteousness of God because of their culture built on the Law. Rom 10:1 – 4; Matt 15:6; Col. 2:8 Would you be as others who though realize they have been delivered from the powers of darkness yet find it difficult to walk free from the thought of ancestral curses? People who are forever held bound to illnesses and untimely death because of a fear taken away by the Cross. The question arises again friends that whose report would we believe? God’s declaration in love or the ugly picture the world tries to sell to us in a bid to make us walk short of who we have become in Christ. The Christian is a new man altogether. He is no longer defined in the physical because we know him no more by those terms. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God,… (2ndCorinthians 5:16 – 18a)
Christ came to save us from ourselves. Doomed to death we were but thank God for His mercy. When I see Christians held bound because of the thought that this is what my mom went through or Grandpa died because of so and so; this is what goes on in the town I came from. What I quickly settle in my mind is that this individual has not come to appreciate the new identity he has now in Christ Jesus. He is still walking in the mentality of the old man. The new man in Christ Jesus is not a myth. He is not a legend. He is real and this is who you are. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12 – 13)
He’s lineage and heritage is new. He is born of God and not of man. I love the way 2nd Corinthians 5:18a describes his newness. It says “all these things are of God”. Friends don’t be swayed into identifying yourself by the old man because the truth is you have been set free. Redeemed from the cords that once held you bound.Truly know we no man anymore after the flesh. Glory Hallelujah.
Dr bolaji akanni |
Indeed this is a beautiful place to be! A wonderful and rare privilege it is, being at this entrance! How glorious can the entrance of this place be with the gate made of rare silver and gold! All shining with their dazzling beauties! Of course, it’s worth being called beautiful! Because it was specially designed for beauty! A centre of attraction it is indeed and that is why it is always a privilege being there!
For years a special site has been found for him there, for years his name has been the man at beautiful gate. Even though he couldn’t get what he actually needed, At least he’s always lavished with what he wanted; his pain of course is being eased by this token! Since the Jews will always give arms….!
So for years he has enjoyed the beautiful sight, the beautiful & glorious sight of the gate! His original name from birth may not be necessary again since he can easily be recognized as:
The crippled man at the beautiful gate! Friends are you at the beautiful gate! Enjoying the temporal beauties of the position you are! Or setting for the fading glory of the place you are! You think you know your wants and desires! But what about the exact& need! Only seeking & waiting for temporal blessings of men! Already in this stagnant situation for years! Yet still thinking you’re getting wishes satisfied!
Look at the temple ahead of you! Look at where God would have wanted you to be! You are so crippled that you can’t stand, walk or run! Only you do is sitting down at wherever they put you! Not even crawling, perhaps you may get there one day! You need Jesus of Nazareth! Or are you quite satisfied with your own level of spirituality, of course people hail you when you minister with such a unique and blessed gift!
Please lift up your eyes and see the temple! That is where God wants you to be! Not at all at its gate, no matter how beautiful the gate of the temple is –the inside is better Jesus is more of what you need! Only Jesus can take you beyond the temples gate.
– raphael aworinde
Why struggle to grow spiritually?
Did you struggle to grow to the height you have attained physically? Then why do many of us think growing spiritually is something we do by exerting strenuous effort? If no Christian has struggled to grow spiritually, I have. Some years ago when I became a believer, I asked my teacher in church what I needed to do to grow spiritually. She immediately sang a chorus for me:
Read your bible, Pray everyday
If you want to grow
I was already reading my bible. I was already praying. But my experiences did not prove that I was growing. I said to myself, may be I am not praying hard. So every night I will wake up and pray. This prayer was accompanied with much weeping and crying. I would say “Lord please help me. Grant me power to grow spiritually”. And I would top-up the prayer with a sincere cry. But God is not moved by tears. He is only moved by his word. What does his word say about growing spiritually? We know bible reading and prayer is good. But do they really help us grow? If so, then how do they help? What ingredients do we really need for spiritual growth? This and many more related matters will be addressed in our subsequent messages.
The truth is that you are not to struggle to grow spiritually. Rather you should struggle to take the nutrients that will facilitate your growth. Spiritual growth comes naturally and effortlessly when the nutrients for growth have being absorbed. This is similar to physical growth. Jesus said in Matthew 6:28 “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin”
Just before we get down to the nitty-gritty of this subject, I want you to imagine the differences between an orange seed and an orange tree. While we look at these differences, I will like you to imagine how your life would be if your spiritual growth moves from a seed-like form into a tree-like form.
- A seed is full of many untapped potentials; a tree has exploited most of its potentials.Spiritual growth will help you exploit your potentials and fulfill your purpose on earth.
- A seed is usually small in size and can be crushed and displaced using little effort; a tree is tall and rooted into the ground. It is able to withstand stormy weathers. You cannot crush it with your feet like you would do to a seed. Spiritual growth will help you stand firm against the fiery darts of the devil and you will not be tossed to and fro by the circumstances of life.
- A seed cannot serve as a shade or home for any creature; a tree serves as shade for humans, home for birds etc. Spiritual growth will enable you become a channel of help to many people. You will always have positive influence to those around you because you shade them away from trouble by your words, deeds and prayers.
- A seed cannot produce more seeds or fruits while it is still a seed; a tree produces more seeds and fruits. Spiritual growth helps you be an active ambassador in God’s kingdom – attracting many to Christ through the fruit of the spirit displayed in your lifestyle.
The list is endless. I believe some other differences are already popping in your mind.
Apostle Peter said in I Peter 1:23 “You have been born again … from a seed that can’t be destroyed”. He went ahead to encourage us to “grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ” II Peter 3:18. Spiritual growth is not optional for a Christian. You have to pay attention to it.
– tope aladenusi
Sometimes in marriage things get so bad that it seems you have lost control of your life. Things are just happening around you and you have lost track of time. Two weeks back you were planning for Christmas and all of a sudden some events take place and the last thing on your mind now is Christmas.
Let’s meet Ken. Ken got married to the love of his life after so many objections from both his parents and her parent. Neither set of parents thought the other was good enough for their child. Things take a new turn in his life after his wife got pregnant and lost about three pregnancies in quick successions. And soon after he had a minor problem with his fertility. The doctor convinced them it would only take a few months to rectify things if medications are adhered to. Months rolled by yet the story remained the same.
Mary his wife was under pressure from family and friends, every time she fell sick they began to ask questions. The pressure from her mother in-law kept building up by the day. She was confused, she could not tell anyone what the real problem was. Whenever she wanted to, she remembered she had to cover her husband.
As time passed by, the situation began to take its toll on both husband and wife, the once sweet relationship started going sour. The pressure kept building from both families. The pressure on Mary was getting unbearable for her; she now nags and gets touchy easily. She vents her frustrations at work, at home and the once sweet babe is turning into an unbearable babe. Even the charming smile Ken used to have is fast disappearing! The situation is getting out of control …
Sometimes things get really tough in a marriage! You wonder how things got so bad. You go through your wedding pictures again and again, you tell yourself it was not meant to be like this. This is never like I envisaged it would be.
I have learnt that the issues in marriage never come in expected shades. When these things happen, the last thing we need to do is panic and get soaked up in worries. The last time we said it was time to learn, today we say it is time to pray also!
In my entire walk in the Christian race nothing ever made me realize that prayer is the Master Key, like marriage. After I got married I learnt to pray more and talk less. Often times there’s nothing much we can do than to pray especially speaking from the female perspective. Prayers said in faith can change any situation no matter how difficult. God is a Faithful God who will always honour His Word.
He said ‘If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will give their sin, and will heal their land’
The restoration of Ken’s fertility is something out of control of both husband and wife, but there was something they could both have done. They could have prayed in faith to get out of the situation.
Praying might not instantly restore his fertility but it would:
- keep hope alive and hope will help them keep their joy
- heal their broken hearts
- help in building their faith together in Christ
- keep them from giving in to distractions
- Provide an avenue for them to share their burdens with one another
- Help them to discover God in a new Light together and stabilise them in their Christian Race
We need to always pray and not faint like the scripture says. As we remain in constant communication with heaven, we will receive instructions as to what steps to take. Keep in touch with heaven concerning your situation. He will come and save you in His time when all things will be Beautiful. As you continually pray, search the scripture for His promises concerning you and hang on to them.
Love
omolola ezeifeoma
After our study of the beginning and spread of the early church, it is necessary for us to consider the sacrifices made by the early Christians, especially the disciples left by our Lord to propagate Christianity.
- SIMON PETER: Tradition says he was crucified in Rome head downwards.
- JAMES THE ELDER: He preached and converted many in Jerusalem. He was eventually beheaded by Herod around AD 44.
- JOHN THE BELOVED: Laboured in Asia Minor especially at Ephesus; was banished to Patmos Island where he wrote the book of Revelation. He was freed afterwards and died naturally.
- ANDREW: Crucified on a St Andrew’s Cross.
- PHILIP: Stoned to death at Hierapolis.
- BARTHOLOMEW: Burned at the stake in Armenia.
- THOMAS: Suffered martyrdom in India.
- MATTHEW: Thrown alive into hot oil in Persia,
- JUDE: Said to have been burned alive in Persia.
- MATTHIAS: Martyred in Ethiopia. .
- LUKE: Believed to have been hung on an olive tree by the idolatrous priest of Greece.
CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST: DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH
The martyrs proved by their joyful endurance of persecution to the end that their faith was better than life itself. It was left to those who lived to explain to Jews and Pagans what the faith really was. These writers were called Apologist, because they wrote books, which explained and justified Christianity. The arguments they used in defense of Christianity can be divided into four way or groups.
- Appeal to the authorities to treat Christians Justly;
- Attack on pagan religious beliefs and practices;
- Presentation of Christian beliefs and way of life;
- Theological arguments to justify Christianity.
These apologists included Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, Aristides, Quadrates, Tertian and a host of others.
We leave our review of the development and life of the early church with gratitude to God for all that He gave to Christians through those times of persecution, and express our hope and confidence that God will surely complete the building of His body, which is the church.
– gabriel ajibade
“I messed myself up in the interview. It was really a bad day for me.”
“Despite all my prayers, I still flunked the test. Never seen such a bad day!”
“My wife suddenly fell sick early in the morning. By the time I reached office after taking the kids to school, the meeting had already started. I had to answer a query after. Then, I got a call that Junior broke his arm in school. Only God knows what a bad day.”
The quote continues.
If you were to describe what you call your bad day, wouldn’t it be something like the above? A description of a disappointment to a day’s expectation!
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” Matthew 6:33.
Though a professing Christian, you have so much learned to seek first “all these things.” And when “all these things” fail to make headway a particular day, it is termed a bad day.
Why is your bad day not usually a day you were too busy to pray; a day you failed to tell someone about Jesus; a day you lied? What happens to a day when you talked so carnally as if you have never been a Christian?
“Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
I Corinthians 10:31.
If ever you should term a day “bad”, I think it should be a day you were unconscious of the above verse. God is willing to help you achieve this.
– okenna obi-igbokwe
“When I fed the five loaves to the five thousand…
When I fed the seven loaves to the four thousand…
…were there not left-overs?”
Jesus had demonstrated his ability to more than supply human needs on these two different occasions in the presence of His disciples. Yet, they (the disciples) were worried about not having bread for their trip and worse still, they misinterpreted Jesus warning about the teaching of the Pharisees to be a rebuke for their forgetfulness to take bread along for the trip!
The master of the universe, El-shaddai, the multi-breasted one- God who is more than enough was saying to them here- “remember the occasions of old when I made provisions for human needs out of nothing?”
The baskets of left-overs which Jesus instructed them to collect after the miracles of feeding so many was considered insignificantly small by the disciples though they were meant to serve as monuments; reminders of God’s mighty power. They were never supposed to doubt His ability to meet their needs; yet, here they were like many of us being very anxious and worried over bread. They had the fountain, the bread of life with them and they were worrying about the supply of bread, while Jesus wanted their hearts on more spiritual things. How could they have taught that He whose meat was to do the will of the Father was rebuking them for bread? However, we all fall into this error many times, rather than trust God to supply our physical needs while we learn spiritual truths at His feet; we beg and plead for crumbs forgetting that we are children and ALL that our Father has is ours! At moments, when we forget the works of God, and distrust the ability of our King, displaying no faith, we ought to chide ourselves like Jesus did his disciples.
This year, stay in the place of trust in God for your needs and that of your family as a whole; do not waste useful time debating whose fault it is that there is just one loaf of bread when you have the chief-multiplier who has proved himself more than sufficient on your side. Instead, take the spiritual lessons He’ll have you learn and stop being so physical in your reasoning. Think more than enough at all times, because our God is more than able to take care of you and any deficiency you may perceive in your life and he’ll rather have you in the place of worship and receptivity to his voice than hearing your groaning for what He’s already provided. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees who care more for physical appearances than what is on the inside, take time to get rooted and built up in the grace that’s for you in Christ so you can be a greater blessing to all around you.
Scripture references: Matthew 16:5-12, Mark 8:14-21, 1Timothy 6:17-19, Romans 8:32, Colossians 2:6,7
-Dr ifelayo ojo
| Every day is a brand new day. What ever happened last year, last month or yesterday is in the past. Yesterdays successes and failures don’t count much. This is the day that God has made. So do good to forget about your financial gains and failures and concentrate on today and tomorrow. A great man succeeds because he does one thing…. “Forgetting those things that are behind, I press forward’.
Press forward. Take knowledgeable decisions about your finances. It’s important to diversify your investments. By diversification we simply mean you have different portfolio mix. It means you put your money in different places. Ecc 11:1. Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Ecc 11:2. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowestnot what evil shall be upon the earth. Ecc 11:4. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth theclouds shall not reap. Ecc 11:5. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bonesdo grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowestnot the works of God who maketh all. Ecc 11:6. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thinehand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, eitherthis or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Learn the following from the above scripture.
When I read this scripture years back, God showed me why it is different for a SON that is led by the spirit. While scriptures instructs that we diversify, it also affirms that with the leading of the spirit we can always diversify to take advantage of different rate of returns while avoiding loses for the spirit teaches ALL things. While we invest we must avoid having only one form of investment. We must take advantage of the resultant synergy that comes into play when we are much diversified. It’s always wrong for any person or thing to be alone for there is no one to bring up when one falls.
So as Christians how do we diversify? ‘Trust in the lord with all thy heart and lean not on thine own understanding. In All your ways acknowledge God and he will direct you”
Because we are led, we diversify correctly. We see where others don’t see and go where others are fearful to go. By His grace I am yet to make a personal wrong investment decision so far. I have bought stocks that have not recorded profit in seven years and watch them have alarming increases. Why? I have always bought by the spirit.
Take advantage of that too. Diversify by the spirit. -emmanuel aladenusi |
| Bible Reading: I Peter 2
I have seen many pastors give ‘anointing oil’ for so many things e.g. for financial success; for having a set of twins; for passing examinations etc. But I have never seen any pastor prescribe anointing oil for spiritual growth. I still wonder why this is so. Is it because it will be an obvious error or because … … Just before I continue in my wonder lane, let me ask you this question – Are you growing spiritually?
If your answer is ‘No’ or you are not sure, then you will find the next couple of months very fulfilling because you will receive information that will lead to a permanent transformation of your life. If your answer is ‘Yes’, let me ask you some other questions. What is your rate of growth? How do you know you are growing? What apparatus did you use for your measurement? When will you be fully grown? Hey! Don’t mind my questions; I was only trying to stretch your thoughts. I believe you will also benefit greatly from these messages.
Beloved, spiritual growth will help us fulfill our purpose on earth, enable us live above the storms of life and make us live an all-round successful life. These days I see Christians struggle to read many books like “366 ways to have a happy marriage”, “49 steps to become great”, “999 ways to live above fear”, “1234.5 steps to riches” etc. and I marvel. This is because we do not really have a marriage problem or riches problem; we typically have a growth problem. Such materials may be very good but they are just like icing on a cake. They cannot replace the cake itself. It’s like a 3 months baby reading a book titled “22 ways to win a 100 meters race”. The baby will not be able to run until it has grown. The same thing applies to Christianity. There are so many good things that you will not be able to achieve until you grow. The shortcuts and quick wins only work if you have taken the “longcut” of growth. Spiritual growth is like a branch in the tree of ‘seeking first the kingdom of God’ after which ‘all other things shall be added unto you.
Oh! I wish all Christians focus on spiritual growth. It doesn’t matter the title you have in your church. Whether pastor or usher, titles are not a substitute for spiritual growth. As a matter of fact, they could be a hindrance to spiritual growth. This is because when titles come, most of us tend to have this feeling that we have made it and we lose sight of the ingredients of spiritual growth.
My joy is that nearly every believer I have met was at one time or the other deeply interested on how to grow spiritually, though many of them never knew the right way or they gave up along the way. What about you? Are you still concerned about your spiritual growth? Have you given up on it? Do you know other believers interested in growing spiritually? Then join me as we discuss Spiritual Growth in the next couple of months. – tope aladenusi |