| If there is a time to bring our problem-solving abilities to the table, it is now!
If there is a time Christians should demonstrate the power of God, it is now! If there is a time to walk according to the dictates of God’s Spirit in a way that will astound humanity, it is now! If there is a time we need to demonstrate the miraculous to the world, it is now!
The world is currently speaking one language. Global financial crisis; Stock market crash; Economic downturn; etc. They have gotten to a tipping point where their projections and calculations have failed. The companies with the best ratings are sinking. So what do we expect from the ones aspiring for those ratings? Companies are firing their staff every day. Investors are singing the “send down the rain” song. Men are beginning to come to an end in themselves. They can now appreciate the limitation of self. And this is a good time to dispense the ever present help in time of need.
Oh! I see this time as an opportunity to tell men that there is a God who ruleth in the affairs of men. The “you can do it” talk is ready to give way for the “I can do it according to God’s power at work in me” message. I see it as an opportunity to turn water to wine since the wine in many countries is going dry. I see it as an opportunity to get an idea from the Spirit that will make unbelievers come to us and say “no man can do these things except the Lord be with him”. And we will gladly reply – “except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. I see it as an opportunity to walk in the Spirit and demonstrate the miraculous. Let’s face it. Natural ideas have failed. Supernatural insights can be best appreciated at this point. When a man who mistakenly slumps into a river starts struggling for survival, you may go under with him if you attempt to immediately rescue him. But when he has lost hope of survival, he becomes very light and can be easily pulled out of the river. The world has been struggling for long and rescue time is here.
It is also a time for Christians to get to the point where they cherish the word of God over the philosophies of men. In the past few years, there have been volumes of books on investment and becoming rich. Many believers esteemed these principles more than the ones in the bible. Some ministers even started preaching directly from such books. But if the guys who wrote the books are currently weeping, do we need an angel to tell us to repent and return to the bible. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 “ … learn from me, and you will find rest”. If you have deviated before, it is time you found rest for your soul.
Oh! I cherish Christianity so much. We’ve got the solution to any problem in the world. It’s just a pity many of us do not know this. We are supernatural beings. When natural laws fail, we show the world a new order. “You are chosen people … You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God” I Peter 2:9. The world needs us now!
tope aladenusi |
Bible Reading: II Corinthians 5:17-21
Several years ago, I listened to a message on Easter Sunday that challenged me. The pastor taught about the price Jesus Christ paid for the redemption of humanity. He then encouraged us to go ahead and preach the gospel of Jesus to all nations. I became very bothered because I have been hearing this kind of messages from time to time and it is now becoming like “twinkle twinkle little star”. At the end of such messages, I do agree with almost everything the pastors say, and conclude that it was a good and timely message. But that was all about it. I do not do anything about what I heard.
What kind of Christianity am I practicing, I questioned myself. Why will I just listen to good messages and conclude that “it is true” or “I do not agree with that”, and everything ends there? I even teach others in Church about this, but wasn’t doing much about it. No! I must break this circle. I must at least put some of these things into practice. I am supposed to be a living epistle. I cannot try to cheat my divine nature and continue like this.
I went home and discussed the state of my “knowing so much, and doing so little” life with a friend called Tayo. Tayo suggested we go out straight away to evangelize. We set out to the street in the midst of the Easter euphoria, sharing the gospel with folks. I remembered we asked some guys – why are we celebrating? Does it make sense to celebrate that someone died? That question caught the attention of some, like Apostle Paul would have aroused attention when he asked “Have you receive the Holy Ghost since you believed?”. I remembered one of the guys we talked to replied – I never gave that a thought. We expounded the word to him, told him how the resurrection of Jesus opened the gateway to the redemption of man. I also remembered we preached to a group of guys who were smoking and drinking. They made fun of us but as we were about leaving, one of them ran to us and pleaded that he wanted to be saved.
Guess what? At the end of our missionary tour that day, 13 people accepted the salvation of Jesus Christ. What a glorious day! Beloved, the truth is that if I write a powerful message telling you why it is important for us to preach the gospel. I bet many of you will agree with me. But the question is not whether you agree or not, the question is “are you preaching the gospel?” When was the last time you led someone into the kingdom of God?
Today, I see many of us discussing about money-making opportunities. I also do the same. But I long for the time when believers will be discussing about soul-winning opportunities – the city that has not been evangelized; the village that has only 2 believers; the church that nothing has been said about the gospel for over 5 years.
Hey! Don’t look too far. These opportunities are also around you. Jesus said the life of a man that is saved is worth more than the whole wealth of the world (Mark 8: 36). Wow! This is serious business my beloved. Can we start to act now? The gospel in itself has power to save anyone; your duty is just to preach it. Will you take that step today? You may be surprised that there are some “13 souls” waiting for you to decide. I like you to take that step this week, and share your testimonies with me at testimony@christlifeline.org . I am expecting to read from you.
– tope aladenusi
Bible Reading – Matthew 9
Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house and many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples (Mat 9:10). The Pharisees could not understand his action. I’m sure they were wondering how could the one who says he is the son of God dine with sinners. Is he not knowledgeable enough to know that “evil communication corrupts good manners”?
Jesus overheard the Pharisees questioning his disciples on this issue and remarked: “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick” (Mat 9:10 – GNB). It was clear from his statement that his decision to dine with sinners was purposeful. When you see the son of God dining with unbelievers, there must be a critical mission at the back of his mind. He wants to give them the lifeline they need to get well.
All sons of God are carriers of this lifeline. But not all the sons of God relate with unbelievers with the same motive like the first son of God – Jesus Christ.
Why don’t we emulate Jesus? Every day we find ourselves in the midst of sinners; we know they are sinners, but we rarely tell them about the salvation from Jesus. We sit with them in our offices; we dine with the in the restaurants; we go to school with them; these days, we even go to church with them; but … we do not act like someone who has been given the primary task of reconciling men to God (II Cor. 5:18).
Look at your sphere of contacts. Examine your family. Flip through your phone book. Browse your address list. Are they all born again? You are there for a purpose. Talk to them about the saving grace of Jesus. They may not admit immediately, but you have sown a seed.
I remember a friend preached to me before I got born again. After his message, all the other messages I had earlier heard about Christ dawned on me. I was able to connect them together and conviction was born in my heart. Your listeners may not get born again instantly, but you have sown a seed they will connect to tomorrow. Who knows what they will become after that connection has been made?
If you must be accused of dining with sinners, it should be because you are there for a critical mission – like Jesus was with the tax collectors. They are in need, and you must help.
-tope aladenusi
Bible Reading: Acts 8
Do you know that sometimes we get so sluggish as Christians? For instance …
Instead of unleashing the seed of CEO within or fertilizing our entrepreneur guts, we get trapped licking the boots of our boss because we have been able to put food on our table and vehicle on the road.
When we should be habitual God-pleasers in our ministries, we are getting comfortable becoming men-pleasers because of their accolades and affluence.
God has placed a plan in our hearts that has a global impact, but we want to habituate to the local setting forever.
Don’t you think that at such times you really need someone / something to push you from these sluggish zones? These kinds of push are most times considered unpalatable, but they end up taking us to the place where purpose is fulfilled.
I remember the story of the early disciples. Jesus Christ gave them the mandate to “go and teach all nation” Matt. 28:19. He also affirmed to them that “ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”. Acts 1:8
Although the disciples were expected to commence teaching all nations in Jerusalem, they were to keep the goal in mind (to teach all nations) and consciously move towards the goal everyday. But what did they do? For a long time they were preaching the gospel only in Jerusalem; perhaps they still thought the gospel was a “Jerusalem thing”. But God had to rescue them. How was this achieved?
“… there arose a great persecution against the assembly which was in Jerusalem, andall were scattered into the countries of Judea and Samaria except the apostles”. Those then that had been scattered went through the countries announcing the glad tidings of the word. And Philip, going down to a city of Samaria, preached the Christ to them; Acts 8:1,4-5
My God! Why did they have to be battered with maltreatment before they scattered the gospel abroad in line with divine plan? Do we not sometimes get sluggish as Christians till we get such unpalatable push? Whenever we want to remain in our sluggish lanes, may Godpermit persecution and challenges to come our way that will make us fulfill his plan for our lives. Did you say AMEN?
Whether you said amen or not, such challenges sometimes show up in our lives even though we are living rightly as Christians. They strip us of our local champion medal and dress us with that of a global champion; they push us from the sluggish lane to the destiny lane. They come in form of people and events. They are things that work together for the good of those that love God.
tope aladenusi
I had a sojourn in a forest once
It was dark and gloomy
The tree sheds gave no room for illumination
I could not find my way through
No matter how hard I tried, I kept stumbling
It seemed the more I tried the worse it became
I had no guide
I was directionless
I knew not the way out
I screamed for help
But it was even too dark for anyone to help
All my hopes for escape were dashed
How could I keep on living…I asked
Until suddenly a deforestation happened
Light came in and I found my way out
I enjoyed a fresh breath of liberty
I could now take the right steps
I could now be guided
Now, I can see a clear distinction between darkness and light
Glory to God!!!
I am saved…Light has come – (Isaiah.9; 2, John.12; 35, 46)
emeka ofia
Bible Reading: Genesis 39
Have you ever met people who seem to stop you from progressing in life?
You get due for promotion, and they get a good excuse to fire you or keep you stuck;
You thought the relationship will end up in marriage, but they fired the separation missiles;
The contract was to be signed in your favour, but the decision was overturned because of him;
They gave you their right hand of fellowship in ministry, but are backstabbing you when you thought you needed them most …
Your brethren all over the world experience similar things. It is one distinguishing factor of believers. Such experiences usually surface as God’s master plan unfolds in our lives. The experience of Jesus Christ is a classical example. Here’s the testimony –
“The experts of our day haven’t a clue about what God’s eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn’t have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross”. I Corinthians 2:8 (MSG)
The Jews thought they were experts and interpreted that by killing Jesus, they were achievers. Well, they were achievers in a way they did not understand. They helped drive him to the zone where his life purpose was fulfilled; where he paid the price for our redemption. It’s the same way Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39 did not have a clue that she was accelerating Joseph’s move to the throne by throwing him into prison. Who are those who claim to be experts over your life?
Let them struggle to close the door at you. If the door really gets close, then most probably it is a back door that is not meant for royal people like you. There may be somewhere else you need to look at. Sometimes we face the heat and say “Lord, take this cup away from me”. But he reminds us “the experts don’t have a clue of my plan”; they are just helping to drive you from your sluggish zone to your destiny zone. The circumstances are just intended to make you better and not bitter, so you will be equipped to fulfil your purpose. I call them “destiny accelerators”. I have seen them driven many believers to the place where purpose was fulfilled.
So don’t get distracted when some experts cannot understand you. Keep on basking in the grace God.
– tope aladenusi
Bible Reading: Acts 5
Do you have plans and goals for your life? If you are an upwardly mobile person, I could guess the answer straightaway. It’s a big YES. Will you achieve those goals? Hmn! I guess the “yes” may not sound big this time around. For most folks, there is usually an element of uncertainty here because we are always faced with many oppositions and challenges that could stop us from achieving our goals. But have you ever considered the possibility of having a 100% certainty that you will achieve any goal ahead of you? This may sound out of place in our modern world where we are constantly being enlightened about risk, chance and luck. But let me share a story with you with the hope that you will see from a different viewpoint.
Shortly after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, his disciples went all out to achieve one goal, which was in line with Jesus’ directive in Mat 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations …” They preached the gospel and healed the sick to the point that the Sadducees and the High Priest in Jerusalem couldn’t stand their mission. The disciples were then confined in public prison. But God miraculously delivered them and they immediately entered the city where they were initially arrested and continued preaching. This time around, the Jews decided it will be better to kill them, and silence this goal once and for all. But one of them had a different opinion, and he had to enlighten the rest of them.
His name is Gamaliel, a Pharisee and a teacher of the law. He taught them about one key attribute of God-given goals – “…I say to you, withdraw from these men and let them alone, for if this work has its origin from men, it will be destroyed; But if it is from God, ye cannot overthrow it …” Acts 5: 38-39.
I consider Gamaliel’s statement as one of the greatest formula for a Christian to achieve success. I know sometimes we come up with ideas and goals, and we try to sell it to God via prayers because we know that if He is behind us, success is inevitable. That’s not bad in itself because kids are permitted to express their desires to their father. But there is a greater level to operate – A level where God sells the idea to you and gives you the goal. In such cases, we can be dead sure we will succeed, if we pursue it diligently. Where do your goals usually originate from – Men or God? I advise you start forming the habit of running with God-given goals. II Cor. 2:14 (MSG) gives us another reason to do so – “In Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade”. I love this. It is when God is leading that the victory is unending.
Dearly beloved, who is leading in your life – The person reading this message or The Most High God? The answer will go a long way in determining whether your success will be unending or not.
– tope aladenusi
Ephesians 6:11-18
I may have underestimated his experience in the game. In fury of the damage he had done to my life in the past, I challenged him. My “loins girt about with truth”, I launched my first attack. He dodged, immediately retaliating with a well-aimed punch. My rib-cage crackled.
Grabbing the “breastplate of righteousness”, I rushed forward again. He stretched forth his right foot, setting a trap. I tripped over and fell flat on the floor.
I had hardly stood up, my “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” when the enemy struck again, this time around with an arrow. Too late, the arrow pierced the left side of my tummy. I staggered back, blood trickling down. I tried to draw it out of my flesh, but the pain was unbearable. In agony, I considered giving up.
Not yet! Quickly recovering, I made a beeline for “the shield of faith.” The enemy changed tactics. Taking advantage of my unprotected head, he smashed. My vision got blurred. All I could see were bright stars falling off the dark sky. How did I forget to put on “the helmet of salvation?”
Having recuperated, my helmet now on, I felt safe and confident, hoping to win. Eyes locked, we faced one another, waiting for who would strike first. He charged at me. I charged back, but with bare hands. I needed a sword badly. In a swift turn to pick the sword, the last thing I heard was a descending blow. My world went pitch-dark. Half unconscious, I lay on the floor moaning in excruciating pain.
I didn’t want to give up. All I needed was the strength to continue. Then, I remembered my captain – the one who brought me out of the miry clay. My cry of helplessness turned into “prayer and supplication in the spirit.” All of a sudden, a bright light enveloped me. And I saw One like unto the Son of man. Then I cried: “save me Oh Lord or I die!”
The Captain of my soul smiled at me: “I’m here to help thee.” His warm smile instantly healed my body and strengthened my spirit.
Heart burning with hatred, I slashed the enemy with the “sword of the Spirit.” He fell flat. Closing on, I aimed for the last blow that would finish the evil one, once and for all. Before I could deal this deadly blow, the enemy was gone. In a jiffy he had jumped up and ran for his life.
Oh! I wasted time! Why didn’t I strike immediately? When is he coming back? From now on, I will stick on to my Saviour, the Captain of my soul, who is ever near, to supply the winning grace that I need everyday of my life.
okenna obi-igbokwe
A lesson from saying ‘I love you’ in advance Bible Reading: Phil 3:13
My wife once told me that I had not said ‘I love you’ to her for some days. So when I got to my office the following day, I picked up my phone, dialed her number and said ‘I love you’ to her for 14 times. Hmn! What’s this all about, she asked. I told her my reason – I do not want to bother saying ‘I love you’ in the next two weeks so I decided to say it in advance. You need to have heard the way she screamed.
It’s the same way you would behave if I told you to take your bath 30 times today so you will not bother doing so in the next 30 days or … to eat 90 square meals today so you would not bother eating for one month. It doesn’t make sense right? But why do we do so when it comes to spiritual matters and the things that have the greatest effect on our lives? Why do we study the word, pray hard and live rightly only in some seasons? If food is to the body what God’s word is to our mind, then you can imagine how sickly and skinny many of us are today. Do you not think it is time we took positive actions about our spiritual growth?
Beloved, in the last 6 months we have discussed on Spiritual Growth. Perhaps you read most of the messages and agreed with them. But please do not stop there. Practice these principles every day. We cannot afford to go to bed any day without having absorbed some ingredients that will facilitate our spiritual growth. Consistency is the key word. Don’t try to do it in advance or make up for it. Always make a conscious effort to grow up spiritually.
I love you and I passionately desire that you continue to grow spiritually.
– tope aladenusi
Having the target in mind Bible Reading: Galatians 4
It is commonly believed that if you do not know where you are going, you may not be able to tell when you get there. One of the most potent driving forces for achieving success is to be able to see your destination clearly. The wear and tear of this life isn’t really worth it unless you are going to somewhere very great. Not only that, you are able to tell when you get there.
The same thing applies to our desires and efforts to grow spiritually. We have to clearly see our growth target. What exactly are you aiming to achieve as far as your spiritual growth is concerned? Does it fall in line with the verses of scripture below …?
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you” Galatians 4:19 (KJV)
“… until we become mature, until we measure up to Christ, who is the standard”. Ephesians 4:13 (GW)
When we got born again, we received the fullness of Christ in our spirits (John 1:16); our old nature died and we now have a new nature (II Cor. 5:17); our new life is exactly like Christ (I Jn 4:17). But according to Gal 4:19, there is another labour we need to go through, until Christ be formed in us. What does this mean? The Message translation puts it clearer – “…until Christ’s life becomes visible in your lives”
Beloved, Press on … until your lifestyle fully reflects your new life; until your disposition totally reflects your position in Christ; until your city experiences what was experienced when Jesus was in Galilee, Nazareth, Jerusalem … ; until the fruit of the spirit is constantly displayed in your life; until everything you do revolves around God’s agenda; … until Christ be formed in you.
– tope aladenusi