PUT ON THE FULL ARMOUR OF GOD

Text: Eph 6:10-20

Armour of God is a divine spiritual shield for protection. It is a safeguard, a defence made available by God for his children. It offers total protection. The number one enemy of man is the devil and 1 Peter 5:8, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."  The devil will always wage spiritual war against you. Hence you must be battle ready at all times and be spiritually armed. You should not be ignorant of the devices of the devil. (2 Cor 2:11). You are admonished to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Eph 6:11-13 advises that we "put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

Brethren, everyday has its own evil so you must be fully armed; sufficient unto the day is evil thereof. To be able to protect, defend, shield and stand, you need the full armour the Lord has provided. These are:

(1) Have the belt of truth buckled around your waist.

(2) Put the breastplate of righteousness in place.

(3) Make sure that your feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

(4) Take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

(5) Take the helmet of salvation .

(6) Know the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.

(7) Pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers  and requests.

To have the belt of truth buckled around your waist is to know the truth and the truth is the word of God. There are so many man-made doctrines nowadays which are contrary to the word of God. For you to be able to stand firmly, you must know the word, hold on firmly to it and stand by it. The Bible says in John 8:32, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." Just as a soldier puts on a belt and add other weaponry to the belt, so a Christian must put on the belt of truth. When you know the truth, you will apply it wisely and appropriately in any situation that confronts you.

Breastplate of righteousness is likened to your heart. For your spiritual life to be alive, your heart must be pure and in right standing with God. The heart is prone to be tempted hence it must be filled with the right words. When it is filled with the right words you will speak with grace. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Lk 6:45, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." The good you store in your heart distinguishes you from the evil man. When you are deeply rooted in God's word you will be fully established and will be well planted. You will be so steady and stable because your feet will be so firm that when challenges come and Satan tries to tempt you will be able to stand.

To have the shield of faith is to believe the word and all the promises of God and stand by them. Profess your faith with your mouth and act on it. Mt 17:20b, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Your salvation is very important to you. You have to be saved  but the devil does not want you saved. This is why Phil 2:12 advises us to guide our salvation with fear and trembling. At all times you have to wear the helmet of salvation by professing Jesus. Salvation comes only by the grace of God and through Jesus Christ.

Sword of the spirit is the word of God.  The word empowers, guides, and gives you deliverance. Col 3:16a, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." Jesus spoke the word with power and authority to rebuke and resist the devil. God's word is backed with power. Speak it with authority to resist the devil, to counter its ploy, and to all the challenges that may confront you and to all situations.

Finally, pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests. Also, the name of Jesus is a potent weapon for you to use to be able to stand the wiles of the devil. Pro 18:10, "The name of God is a strong tower, the righteous runs into it, and is safe and secure." As a strong tower you find refuge when you run into it. The days are evil therefore put on the full armour of God so that you will be able to stand till the end and you will not fall prey to the devil.

Prayer.

Lord Almighty, thank you so much for the armour you made available for me to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Father, grant me the grace to be able to use them wisely and appropriately so that I will be able to stand till the end. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

THE ROLE OF CHURCH ELDERS

Text: 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus1:6-9, 1 Peter 5:1-4

An elder in the church is someone who has been appointed by the Holy Spirit and has accepted the responsibility of being a role model to those less mature and less experienced in the church. Someone who is willing to watch over others and guide them towards spiritual maturity. A church elder is one who by the grace of God has attained an older age, has experience and maturity in the knowledge of the Word. He is someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit. He is a person that is valued for his wisdom and who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group.

The characters of an elder as defined by Apostle Paul (Titus 1:5-9):

"An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Not overbearing, not quick tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain, must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught." The position of an elder is a position of honour and responsibility. Much is expected from an elder and he is to live above board.

Paul admonished Titus to appoint elders whenever he planted a church.  Acts 14:23 says, "Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and with prayer and fasting committed them to the  Lord in whom they had put their trust." They recognised the importance and usefulness of elders in the church. Elders have a role to play in the church. The elders are expected to keep watch over themselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers. To be shepherd of the church of God which he bought with his own blood. Acts 20:28

Some of them are in the work of preaching and teaching. 1 Tim 5:17, "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching." An elder is empowered to pray for the sick. James 5:14 says, "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord." An elder is expected to be a man of faith as he is giving the grace to anoint, pray for the sick and to lay hands-on people. 1 Tim 4:14. They are to make room for peace, to lead by examples, to care for the spiritual and physical needs of church members, hold on to and encourage others by sound doctrine and to refute those who oppose it. Titus 1:9. To be teachers of good things and ensure that the Word of God be not blasphemed. To feed the flock, tend, guide, protect, care for the church members and witness for Christ. Older women are to teach the younger women godly virtues. Because elders are given a place of honour and responsibility, they must be clothed with humility and be good examples by all standard to the flock. The younger ones in the church are admonished to submit to them and to treat older women as they would treat their mothers and older men as they would treat their fathers. Paul, Peter, John, the disciples of Jesus Christ were good examples of elders.

Are you an elder in the church? This sermon should sensitise you. You are occupying a position of honour and responsibility. God expects much from you. Certain qualities are expected from you and you have a role to play. 

'Elder' is not just a title- it is a call to duty. So be alive to your duty and do it as unto  the Lord.

Paul admonished in 1 Peter5:1-2, "To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ's suffering who also will share in the glory to be revealed. Be shepherds of God's flock as God wants you to be....And when the Chief Shepherd appears you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away."

Brethren, as an elder, there is a reward if you play your role as God wants you to.

Prayer.

I realise that being an elder is a privilege. It is not just a title but a position of honour and responsibility and by God's grace I am one. I am to be a role model and a witness of Christ. Dear Lord, grant me the grace to live according to your standard and the grace to be able to carry out these assignments successfully as you want it. That I may also receive the Crown of Glory in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

RESIST THE DEVIL

Text: John 10:10, 1 Thess 5:22, 1 Peter 5:8-9, James: 4,7

To resist is to strive against; to oppose; to abstain from; to make efforts in opposition; to offer resistance; or, to have nothing to do with. The devil was the fallen angel who rebelled against God and was sent out from heaven. One third of the angels followed him and they are known as demons. The devil is the personification of evil and an enemy of mankind. The Bible refers to him in various appellations depicting his varied characteristics and these include Accuser of Brethren, Beelzebub, Belial, Deceiver, Dragon, Father of lies, Lair, Lucifer, Murderer, Prince of darkness, Satan, Slanderer, Sower of tares, Tempter.

The devil has been in existence since the time Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden. His threefold ministry is to STEAL your joy through deception, to DESTROY you, your home, testimony, hope and future and to KILL your mortal body and debar you from making it to heaven. The devil is crafty and he performs these roles in clandestine ways to achieve his aims. He encourages you to mainly focus on your failures and faults.He instills fear in you and brings temptation to you. He distorts information so as to confuse you to make you fall.

The Bible says in John 10:10,"The thief comes only to steal and kill destroy; I have come that they 

may have life and have it to the full." The thief here is the devil and he goes about looking for people to destroy. The Bible admonishes in 1 Peter 5:8, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

Brethren, since the devil has no designated place other than roaming about the world to get disciples, he will use any means to populate his own kingdom. The Bible warns in 1 Peter 5:9a, "Resist him, standing firm in the faith." The devil is no respecter of person and if  he could tempt our Lord Jesus Christ, no one can be an exception.You must be well prepared and be ready to resist him at all cost. Matt 4:1, "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." Three times the devil tempted Jesus and each time Jesus countered him by the Word as "It is written .......". Finally in verse 10, Jesus said to him, "Away from me satan! For it is written: "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." Then the "devil left him and angels came and attended him."

Unfortunately Adam and Eve could not resist the devil when he came as a serpent to tempt them in 

the garden of Eden. The consequence was so grievous that God sent them out of the garden; they lost their peace, joy and blessings. The devil much distorted God's Word to deceive Eve that she acquiesced, ate the forbidden fruit and encouraged Adam to eat it too. Thus, both fell and by this single event all mankind has fallen.They lost fellowship and relationship with God and no longer had the presence of God as they previously did. They were separated from God and died spiritually.

Also God pronounced as follows: that He would greatly multiply woman's sorrow and her conception, and in sorrow she will bring forth children, her desire shall be to her husband and her husband shall rule over her; that man will till the ground with all his energy to exhaustion. He also cursed the ground for his sake, stating that in sorrow shall he eat all the days of his life. In addition, in the sweat of his face shall he eat bread till he returns unto the ground. Gen 3:14-19. 

Brethren, be aware that the devil's work are as follows:

• Steal, destroy and to kill John 10:10
• Deceive and seduce the world Rev 12:9, 20:8
• Masquerade as an agent of light 2 Cor 11:14
• Remind you of all the sins you have committed so as to make you have internal conflict within
• Give you false hope Eph 5:6
• Take advantage of the time you are most vulnerable so as to attack you Mt 3:4
• Accuse you day and night before God and turn your joy to mourning Rev 12:10
• Win you to his side and rob you of eternity

Also, be aware that the unguarded appetite for this world's riches and the flesh are powerful and addictive tools of the devil. These involve craving for wealth, power, position, sex, drugs at all cost, perverting justice and wickedness. But is there a way out? Yes, Glory be to God. The Bible says in 1 Cor 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." Jesus came to counter and to destroy devil's work. However, for you to overcome, you have to submit yourself to God. The Bible says in James 4:7, "Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

Other things you must do to resist the devil in addition to submitting to God are:

• Put on the armour of God. The armour enables you to assault the stronghold of the devil; it has divine power to demolish its stronghold and to protect you. Eph 6:11
• Stand firm in faith and be unwavering. Jas 4:7
• Rely on God's power for strength to pray ceaselessly; pray for wisdom to take the right decision when the devil distorts information and pray for steadfastness. Is 40:29
• Equip yourself with the scriptures so as to counter the devil with the word as "It is written........" Mt 4:4
• Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. Jas 4:10
• Be pure, holy and walk with God. Lk 1:6
• Hide God's words in your heart and live according to it. Ps 119:9,11
• Avoid sin and walk in the light. 1 Jn 1:7
• Abstain from all appearances of evil. 1 Th 5:22

Brethren, the devil is no respecter of anybody. He tempted Adam and Eve and the consequences of this resulted in untold hardship for human race till today. He tempted Jesus but Glory be to God, Jesus conquered him. Matt 4:4-11 Jesus wants you to overcome the devil too. Hence the Bible says in Rev 12:11a: "They overcame him (devil) by the blood of the lamb,and by the Word of their testimony." You can overcome too.

Prayer

Father, enable me to be well armed with all the weapons you made available to resist the devil. Grant me the grace to be able to walk in the light and sin not against you in Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

OVERCOMING MARITAL CHALLENGES Part 2

Text: Ephesians 4:27-32, 5:1-2

In continuation of the sermon on "overcoming marital challenges" we shall in this Part 2 consider some of the concerns in marital relationship.

1) Personal Commitment. To be committed to your marriage is to give it what it takes to make the relationship successful. It involves devotion from both parties and to be ready to compromise so  as to preserve the relationship. Non commitment from either party will lead to disagreement. As a spouse, you should not be committed to your own agenda only. The two must be ready to work together as a team and be ready to make sacrifices for the sake of the union. Be ready to forsake and endure for one another and allow for mutual agreement over all issues. Each must have a right and positive attitude towards the relationship. Attitude such as "this relationship must not break"; "this relationship will last forever"; and "I won't be a stumbling block in this relationship". This kind of attitude will help a great deal. Non commitment from one party will lead to frustration, unhappiness and withdrawal from the other party. Brethren, I admonish you to remind yourself of your marital vows and be committed to them.

2) Living separately after marriage.

The Bible says whatever God has joined together let no man put asunder. Matt 19:6 says, "So they are no longer two, but one flesh, therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." Living separately after marriage is outside the norm. Intimacy will be lacking and this may develop into  a new relationship which will not augur well for both parties. Praying together will be less and intimacy may be less readily available. No matter the number of phone calls, connecting through Skype platform, and exchange of photographs, living separately is deleterious to marital relationship. There  may be reasons for doing so or for wanting to do so, it is just not ideal. When intimacy is less readily available new relationship is bound to emerge and interest will shift. You are admonished to live together in harmony as one under one roof as husband and wife.

3) Homemaking.

A wife is of many parts as she has so many roles to play. Some of her roles are listed in Prov 31:19-28. A wife must be a godly woman, must be of noble character, diligent and prudent.She provides food for her family, takes care of the environment, beautifies and decorates the home. She speaks with wisdom, she watches over the affairs of her household and she is always ready to build up her home. She reaches out to the poor and the needy. She is supposed to be a very good homemaker, be judicious and plan on whatever her husband provides. She looks after the children and get their meals ready at the appropriate time.  She is a good helpmate and dependable partner to her husband. She is expected to be well mannered and be hospitable. Inability to perform and cope with all these may lead to disaffection from the husband and frustration for the woman. She is expected to be a good cook as this will endear her husband to her. It is a common say that cleanliness is next to godliness so the home must be very clean. Pro 12:4 says, "A wife of noble character is her husband's crown but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones”. I admonish you to let things be in order in your home, be judicious with your time and materials. Let your environment be clean and inviting and be of noble character.

4) Influence of external bodies.

The Bible says in Gen 2:24 says, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother,and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Marriage is designed to be an exclusive club and the only two members are the husband and his wife. Any other person related to them or associated with them are external bodies or "third parties."

External bodies in this case can be parents of either spouse, children, in-laws, relations, friends and professional colleagues. Other interest like sports, computer games, television, addiction and work can come in between you and your spouse and thereby diminish your relationship. Matt 19:5 says, "They are no more two but one flesh." Anything or anyone coming in between is an intruder. A couple needs to actively protect their relationship from external bodies. Parents must be honoured as much as possible, but they should not be allowed to dominate your relationship. It is your responsibility to train your children and bring them up in the way of the Lord. In fact God expects godly seeds from your relationship but this should not erode into  that relationship. Children need boundaries. Mothers especially should watch out so as not to over identify with children at the expense of their spouse. You should try to watch out other interest that may or likely be contending with the interest of your spouse.

Conflicts and weaknesses in your character will always give room to intruders because it is an opportunity for such to get in between. Resolve conflicts amicably and do not capitalise on each other's weaknesses. Never listen to gossips. Pro 16: 28 says, "A perverse person stirs up conflict and a gossip separates close friends." Give gossips no chance.There is always fear of  intimacy when a spouse has too many friends. Also attachment to parents and siblings must be controlled so as to avoid clash of interest. Do not over commit your time to other things. No two families can be the same.Your relationship is unique so you have to actively guard and protect it from external bodies.

Brethren, it is possible to overcome all these challenges and live a happy married life. Your attitude matters a lot in this case. Make up your mind to be an overcomer. May you overcome in Jesus name.

Prayer: Our Father and our God, who Himself ordained the institution of marriage, grant me and my spouse the grace to be able to keep this unique relationship in obedience to your precepts. Grant us the grace to hold on to our marital vows in whatever circumstances in Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

OVERCOMING MARITAL CHALLENGES Part 1

Text: Ephesians 4:27 -32, 5:1-2

God ordained the institution of marriage for fellowship, procreation and to satisfy your sexual desire. When a man and a woman are joined in holy matrimony, they become husband and wife and they are to live together in harmony "until death do part them." Marriage is a covenant of love between a husband and wife. Marriage is an act of giving yourself to each other in love and trust. Love underpins marriage and Jesus Christ is the bedrock of it.

However along the journey are some challenges. These challenges must be overcome if the marriage is to be blissful. Challenges, by their nature or character, serve as calls to fight or battle. Some of the challenges in marriage could be:

• Lack or absence of Christ's love
• Sexual dissatisfaction
• Temporary or permanent infertility
• Finance
• Ineffective communication
• Prayerlessness
• Unforgiveness
• Non commitment from either the husband or the wife
• Homemaking
• Living separately
• Influence of external bodies

For any marriage to be successful, Jesus Christ must be at the center of it and must be the bedrock while it must be driven by unconditional love. Although challenges will always come, you must always have it in mind that you will overcome and be triumphant in Jesus name.

The Lord has promised to be with you in whatever you are passing through (Isa 43:2-3). He also promised you that you will overcome issues and challenges (Rom 8:37). Be rest assured that because Jesus is an over comer, you too shall overcome. Let us discuss some of the challenges listed above.

Lack or absence of Christ's Love

God showed us love by sending his only son Jesus to us. Jesus showed us love by dying for us. He loves his  church so much that they are inseparable. He wants you to replicate this unconditional love between you and your spouse. It is the love of Christ that binds a husband and wife together. If Christ is out of the union, there will be chaos in the relationship. To overcome chaos and crisis in your relationship, Jesus must be involved. The presence of Jesus at the wedding at Cana in Galilee made a lot of difference and the wedding ceremony ended well. The Bible says in the presence of Jesus there is fullness of joy. If your marriage is to be blissful, harmonious and joyous, then Jesus must be at the center of it.

The Bible says in 1 Cor 13:4-8, "Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." Brethren, love covers all sins, it is the fulfilment of the Law. It is above all things and you must act in love. If you love your spouse as expected, there will be harmony, peace and joy in your home. You will trust one another and you will easily forgive one another since love keeps no records of evil and it conquers all. If you love each other you will be inseparable.

Sexual dissatisfaction

The Bible admonishes us in1 Cor7:2b-5, "Each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfil his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to husband. In the same way the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control."

Where there is dissatisfaction or complaints, you can help one another by being patient, seek medical advice, seek advice from marriage counsellors and with prayers you will overcome. The solution is not to look for a bed mate elsewhere because it is ungodly. Sexual matters between you and your spouse must be resolved amicably. 1 Cor 6:18 says, "Flee from sexual immorality." Once you get married, your only sexual partner is your spouse. In case there is delay in child bearing, be patient and wait on the Lord. Hannah waited, prayed and God answered her.

Finance

The Bible says in Deut 8:18, "But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth." Money in marriage is not individually owned. Whatever the husband has belongs to the wife and vice-versa. So whatever God has joined together, money should not put asunder. If you jointly own your bodies and you can share your bodies with one another, then, money should not be more precious than your bodies.

The Bible says in 1 Tim 5:8, "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for  their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." The husband should provide for his household. Be transparent and do not love money more than your spouse. 1 Tim 6:10a says, "For the love of money is the root of all evil." It is good to have money but the love of it is not good. Where the wife is more resourceful than the husband, there must be understanding and the wife should pray for more wisdom and humility so as to avoid being puffy.

Ineffective Communication

Communication is the process of sending a message through a medium to the receiver. The content of the message could be information, news, ideas, feelings or emotion. Communication is effective when both the recipient and sender has the same understanding of the message being transmitted. Marital problems usually or sometimes start from poor or no communication. The choice of words, tone of the language to use, mood of your spouse and timing are to be considered. Ineffective or lack of communication can lead to breakdown in the home. You should never bottle- up. Always express yourself and learn to discuss freely and sincerely.

Pro 15:1 says, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." If you don't communicate with one another it will be very difficult for you to pray together.

Prayerlessness

Prayer is communication between man and God in the name of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the walking stick of a Christian. It is a potent weapon available to you as a child of God and therefore make use of it effectively. 1 Thess 5:17, "Pray without ceasing." There must be a family altar where you meet at least twice, morning when you wake up and evening before going to bed to commune with God. Present your case before Him and hand over with gratitude your home and all other issues for Him to take control. A family that prays together will definitely stay together. Through this, you will always receive a leading and solutions to your problems and challenges.

Divorce should not be considered as a solution to challenges. Mal 2:15b says, "Do not be unfaithful to the wife of thy youth. God hates divorce and He hates putting away". The man who hates and divorces his wife does violence to the one he should protect. Finally, love is the fulfilment of Law therefore love your spouse as Jesus loves the church and let Him be in control.

Final Prayer.

Lord Jesus, reveal yourself in my home. Give me and my spouse the grace to fellowship together in love all the days of our lives and let your agape love bind us together for life. 

Grant both of us the spirit of oneness. Let your peace flow in our home and through us like a river till death do us part. Lord Jesus, grant us a blissful, peaceful and joyous home in your name I pray, Amen.

GOD's EXPECTATIONS FROM YOU AS HIS CREATION

Text: Ex 20:3-17, Deut 10:12-13

God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth created mankind in His own image and for a purpose. He invested a lot in us and gave us dominion over all the other things He created. In addition, He sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to die for us and to reconcile us to Him. Through the bible, we see how much love God has bestowed on mankind and how He seeks to have a relationship with mankind. While God is able to fulfil his part in the relationship, He expects mankind to also fulfil their part.

Some of God’s expectations as revealed by the scriptures are as follows.
To have no other gods before Him Ex 20:3.
To not misuse His name Ex 20:7.
To pay any vow made to Him Num 30:2.
To do what is right and good in His sight Deut 6:18.

To fear Him, walk in all His ways, love Him and serve Him with all your heart and soul Deut 10:12.
To keep His commandments and statues Deut 10:13.
To give Him praise Ps.22:3.
To not share His glory with anybody Isa 42:8.
To bring the tithe of our income into the storehouse Mal 3:10.
To let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise Him in heaven Matt 5:16.
To seek first His kingdom and His righteousness Matt 6:33.
To fellowship with Him regularly Matt 18:20.
To love Him with all your heart, mind and strength Mark 12:30.
To love your neighbour as you love yourself Mark 12:31.
To be involved in the Great Commission Mark16:15.
To worship Him in Spirit and in truth John 4:23.
To remain and abide in Him and let His words remain in you John 15:7.
To bear fruit that will remain John 15:16.
To have pleasure in knowing Him Eph 1:9.
To work out your salvation with fear and trembling Phil 2:12.
To surrender your life totally to Him James 4:7.
To follow righteousness and to be as holy as He is 1Peter 1:16.

Brethren, God has done so much for you and he is expecting so little from you. I pray you will be able to meet up. You have to determine to meet up to his expectations.

Prayer.
Heavenly Father, I am very grateful to you for your unquantifiable investment in me. I pray that I will be able to live up to your expectations and I also pray I will not disappoint you in Jesus's name .Amen.

BIBLICAL CONDITIONALITIES

Reference: Genesis - Revelation

Conditionalities are requirements or stipulations or prerequisite. The Bible is full of God's promises to carry us through out life with conditions attached to them, that is, these promises are realised only when the conditionalities are fulfilled by the believer. Promises are declarations that something(s) will be or will not be done. These promises run through the Bible from the book of Genesis through to the book of Revelation; there are about one thousand and six hundreds of them.

Our God is faithful to his word, covenant and promises. His promises stand for ever and He honours them.  However fulfilment of these promises is purely anchored on obedience to their conditions.

Let us consider some of these conditionalites in the scripture.

The Bible says, "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands that I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God."

A. Some blessings are attached to obedience as seen in Deut 28:1-13

1. You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
2. The fruit of your womb will be blessed and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock -the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks will be blessed.
3. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
4. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
5. The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you.
6. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
7. The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to.
8. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9. The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you an oath.
10. The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity-in the fruit of your womb.
11. The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.
12. The Lord will  make you the head, not the tail.
13. You will always be at the top never at the tail.

Brethren, how great and wonderful will it be to be obedient and keep the Lord's commands.

B. Exodus 20:12 says, "Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

C. Pro 3:9-10 says, "Honour the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."

D. Isa1:19 say, "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land."

E. Mal 3:10-11 says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."

F. Matt 6:14-15 say, "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

G. 2 Chro 7:14 says, "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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." That is if you want God to hear you, forgive your sin and heal your land, all you need do is to humble yourself before him, pray to him, seek his face and turn from your wicked ways.

H. Lk 6:38 says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured to you." That is you will be given if only you give and the measure you use, will be used for you.

I. John15:7 says, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." 

J. Jn 3:16 say "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." That is if you do not want to perish and you want to have eternal life, believe in Jesus Christ, the one and only one son of the Most High God.

Brethren, this sermon has taken you through some of the conditional promises of God and you should not take these promises for granted. For you to enjoy these promises, fulfill the conditions attached to them. Our God is faithful, gracious, merciful and just. His promises stand for ever and as you fulfill the condition you will enjoy the promise.

Prayer.  Heavenly Father, thank you so much for making your promises available to me through your son Jesus Christ. No matter how many of them I want to claim, I am not limited. Father, grant me the grace to be able to fulfil the conditions attached so that these promises can come to reality in my life in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

HE HAS THE FINAL SAY

Ps 33:9. Lam 3:37

To have the final say is to have the sole authority, total control, final decision or conclusion over any matter, case or issue. Jehovah, the Almighty God, has sole authority and the final say in all the issues of life. Let me start this sermon by writing the lyrics of a Nigerian praise worship song: "Who has the final say? Jehovah has the final say. Jehovah turns my live around. He makes a way, where there seems no way. Jehovah has the final say."

Why does He have the final say? He does because:
He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending. Rev 1:8.
He is the author and finisher of our faith. Heb12:2.
He controls our destiny and He formed us. Jer1:5.
He owns the earth and everything that is there in. Ps24:1.7

There are several scriptures in the Bible referencing the authority and supremacy of God

Lam 3:37, "Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?
Ps 33:9 and 11 say, "For it spoke and it came to be, he commanded, and it stood firm". But the plans of the Lord stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations”. Mark 4:39 says, "He (Jesus) got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves,'Quite! Be Still!' The wind died down and it was completely calm." Peter also confirmed that whatever they were able to do is in the name of Jesus and also at His command.

Exodus 14:1-31 has the story of when the Egyptians were pursuing the Israelites and the Israelites became weary and afraid and thought it would have been better if Moses had left them even to die in Egypt, Moses encouraged them still. And the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground." As the Lord said, so it came to pass that the Israelites passed the sea on dry ground. Again The Lord said to Moses in v26, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen. As the Lord said, so it was and the Chariots and the horsemen were all covered with water and none of them survived. God's word was final over this issue.

In Luke 12:16-20, Jesus made it clear that God had the final say with the explanation He gave regarding the parable of the rich fool. The rich fool thought to himself that because he had plenty, it was time for him to store up and to take life easy, eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, "You fool, this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" This simply confirms that God has the final say over all, including our existence and life.

The statement made by Jesus in John 8:1-11 was the final as far as the case of the adulterous woman was concerned. Her accusers were ready to stone her to death but Jesus said in V7" Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw stone at her." They left one by one until only Jesus was left with her. And Jesus said, " Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" No one sir, she said. Then neither do I condemn you .Go now and leave your life of sin." So Jesus set her free.

In Mark 5:38-42, there had been commotion, crying and wailing in Jairus’s house for her daughter was dead and they came to report to him while he was with Jesus pleading that Jesus should come and see his dying daughter. As Jairus, the synagogue leader, was pleading with Jesus, people came from his house to report that his daughter was dead and that there was no need for Jesus to come again. But Jesus went in and said, "Why all the commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep. Jesus took her by the hand and said to her" Talitha Koum!"(which means) Little girl, I say to you, get up!" The girl got up immediately and Jesus ordered she must be given something to eat. In order words, even over death, He has the final say.

Also in Isaiah 38:1-5, Hezekiah was sick to a point of death. Prophet Isaiah brought a message to him,” This is what The Lord says, Put your house in order, because you are going to die, you will not recover." Hezekiah prayed and also reminded God of how devoted and faithful he had been and he also wept bitterly. Then God sent Isaiah to him again, "Go and tell Hezekiah, the God of your father David says, I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life. So as the Lord said extra fifteen years was added to his life.

Brethren you are being admonished to let God have his ways in all issues because He has the final say.
Brethren, do you think you are in control? No! Jehovah the Almighty has the final say and total control over your ministry, business, profession, home, life and He even decides when you will leave this world and go yonder. He decides your final abode as well. Therefore, it will be wise to surrender all to Him and let Him have His way and take the lead.

Prayer
My Heavenly Father, I know you have the final say over the issues of my life. If I have been acting foolishly as if I am in control, please have mercy on me and forgive me. I surrender all to you now so that you can be in total control and have the final say in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.