Mission

Mission: To connect every burdened soul to the Lord by the power of the Word and anointed prayers for self transformation and actualisation of divine blessings.

Vision

Vision: A transformed society of believers, basking continually in the glory of Christ Jesus.

Sunday 31 October 2010

Am I still standing?

1st Cor. 10:12, 2nd Cor 13:5, Lam 3:40

This question can also be put as: 
  • Am I still in Christ?
  • Am I in the faith?
  • Are my feet on the rock?
  • Am I living the word?
  • Am I walking in His ways?
The bible says in 1 cor 10:12 "so if you think you are standing firm be careful that you do not fall".

Every believer should be asking himself or herself this question from time to time. It is a form of self-assessment. If this question is truly and sincerely answered, it is very helpful and instructive. So be true and sincere to yourself. The bible says in Lam 3:4, "let us examine our ways and test them and let us return to the Lord". Paul in 2 Cor 13:5 says "examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves". To be able to answer this question one needs a self assessment and you are in the best position to examine yourself and your way of life. Other people can judge you by outward appearance but you know what things you do that are hidden from others even the closet person to you.

The bible says in Ps 139:23-24 "Search me, o God and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the everlasting". Therefore, to ensure that you are still standing and in faith, you should seek that God search you. If you are searched and you are being chastised, count it all joy and be ready to endure it. Heb 12:5-6 says "and you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "my son, do not make light of the Lord's disciplines, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son".
If you claim to be His child, you have to endure chastisement. God chastises you so as to prevent you from perishing with the world. So that you can stand and be able to withstand the evil intrigues of the devil. Devil does not want you to stand but fall. You have to resist it (James 4:7). In Jesus's name you will not fall. Amen

Do not use the world's standard to assess yourself. The world is full of enticements and everyday one is confronted with challenges and temptations of all kinds. The only way of escape is to ask God to help crucify your worldly interests especially in things that won't make you stand and allow you to be in the faith. You may be backsliding and not be sensitive to it. Hence, this sermon is necessary to remind you of self-examination and to ask God to search you.

If you have not been standing, if your faith is shaking, ask God for His grace and I am sure His grace will be sufficient for you.
If you have been standing, and you are falling due to besetting sins, ask God for His grace too.
If you are living in sin and you are comfortable you may be heading for an irredeemable destruction.
If you sin and you are not pricked or agitated about it, it means your heart has been hardened.
Paul warned in 2 Tim 4:4, "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables". May you not be among those who will turn away from the truth. 

You are standing if:
  • You are living by the word. A life of holiness and total obedience.
  • You obey all the commandments and keep His statutes; if you put your trust in Him
  • You love God with all your heart and walk in His ways.

Prayer: O Lord, grant me the grace in Jesus name to be able to walk in your way, to be in the faith and be able to stand on the rock throughout my life time. AMEN

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Empowered to Excel

Phil 2:9-11, Phil 14:8

To be empowered is to be authorised to do something, to have the ability or potential or grace to do something. To excel is to have an outstanding ability to outshine others, to always set the pace for others to follow. Therefore, to be "empowered to excel" means having the ability to outshine others.

The Omnipotent God is the one that empowers people to excel. In what can we excel?
Phil4:8. We can excel in truth, honesty, justice, purity, love, good report, virtue, good works, worship, praise, prayer, giving, leadership, preaching, holiness, caring, humility, loyalty, offerings, research and discoveries. We can academically, financially, morally and in all spheres of life. Our Lord Jesus Christ was given an excellent name.

Phil 2:9-11. The Bible says, "therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father".

Jesus excels in all things. He is the only begotten son of God. The first to die and to resurrect. He loves us so much that he died for us. He excels in preaching, healing, teaching, humility and in doing good. Despite all these, Jesus encourages us in John 14:12-13 by saying "I tell you the truth; any one who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father"; with this he has assured and empowered us to do outstanding things. You can excel in preaching, humility and also in doing good and all that is in the second paragraph.

In the bible, people like Abraham, Daniel, David, Paul, Ruth and many others have excelled in one way or the other. Let us consider the five people listed above.

Abraham, also known as Father of Faith, excelled in Obedience
God instructed him at age seventy five (75) to move out of the country, from his kindred and from his fathers house. The bible tells us in Gen 12:4 "So Abram left as the Lord had told him". In Gen 17:27, In obedience to Lord's instruction he was circumcised at age ninety (90) the same day with his son Ishmael at age thirty (30). In Gen 22:9-10, "He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood, then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son". Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God's instruction. He also walked with God and God blessed him and his blessings were also outstanding. You too can excel in obedience.

Daniel excelled in purity
In Daniel 1:8, despite the kings meat and wine which were so nourishing, Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the kings meat nor with the wine. Because he was outstanding in purity by not defiling himself God gave him knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom and had understanding of all various and dreams. He was ten times better than his peers. In Daniel 3:6, the Bible tells that he was preferred above the president and princes because excellent spirit was in him and the king sought to set him over the whole realm. He was also so faithful that no error was found with him. You too can prevent anything that will defile you and see what the Lord will do for you.

David Excelled In Praises
David gave himself to praising God all the time. He placed his complete confidence in God. He wrote seventy five psalms. He engaged in praise until he became a man after God's heart. In Psalm 23:6, He said "I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever". In Psalm 18:1, He said, "I love you, O Lord my strength". He acknowledged God as his rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, the rock of his salvation. He said God is worthy of praise.

In Psalm 10:5, He encouraged us to give thanks to the Lord and to make his deeds known among nations and we should remember the wonders he has done. In Psalm 139:14, David said, "I will praise thee" . In Psalm 139:17, "How precious to me are your thoughts Oh God, how vast is the sum of them". Remember, God inhabits the praises of his people. You can excel in praising God. It is also an art of worship.

Paul Excelled In Total Submission
Paul after conversion lived a life that excelled in total submission. He wrote so many letters to churches. Even while in prison he was still encouraging people in Christ. He taught believers how to live for Christ in a corrupt society. He proclaimed Christ. In actual fact he wanted to be Christ-like in everything. He made converts, made many missionary trips; established churches and thousands were brought to Christ through him. In 1Tim 3:1-10, He listed specific criteria for each office. Roles of overseers, deacons and church leaders. In 1Tim 4:12, he wrote to encourage Timothy to forge ahead. He said in 1Phil 16:15 "woe unto me if I preach not the gospel". In Phil 3:2-8, He said all he had gained he counted them loss for the sake of Christ.
He lived for Christ and for the gospel.

Paul has an excellent departure and he said in 2Tim 4:6-8, "for I am already being poured out like a drink offering and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race: I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me, the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will award to me on that day only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing".

You can live for Christ and the gospel. If you excel in this, surely You will have an excellent departure.

Ruth excelled in Love and Loyalty
Despite the fact that the world around her was collapsing, she had no child when she lost her husband and her brother in law and there was no hope of another husband, yet in Ruth 1:4, she clung to Naomi, her mother in-law. Despite the fact that Naomi insisted she must go back to her people and her gods, in Ruth 1:16 "but Ruth replied, don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you, where you go I will go, and where you die I will die, and there I will be buried; may the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me".

Ruth excelled in loyalty and love. No wonder God was kind and faithful to her. God also cared and protected her. Through her marriage to Boaz, she became the great grandmother of David. Their offspring continued the family line through which the Messiah come into the world.

When the world around you seems to be collapsing will you remain loyal and loving? Yes, You can!

Prayer
Lord, I know you have deposited a lot in me, you have endowed and empowered me to excel. Grant me the grace despite all odds to be able to excel in them. In Jesus I pray (AMEN).