YOU ARE SPECIALLY INVITED
Dear Reader, I would like to extend this open invitation from our lord Jesus Christ to you today. It is very possible that you have received the invitation before but have not acted on it up to this moment. However, it is also possible that the invitation has not reached you at all. Whichever is the case, today, I am extending His invitation to you. Indeed, I personally count it a great priviledge to be invited by the King of kings Himself. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave an open invitation to all in Mathew 11: 28 that I am extending to you today if you would honour it. He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest” (KJV). What does it means to be heavily laden? Laden, means to be burdened, weighed down or overloaded. What burdens are you bearing today? What is weighing you down? I am aware that there are many issues of life that is weighing many of us down at the moment that have defied human solutions. Many are being weighed down by their financial situations. Some are being weighed down by lack of jobs. Others are weighed down by emotional issues of life or relational breakdown. However, the good news is that He is able to give you rest from any burden if only you would come to Him. In Jeremiah 31:25 He says “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” (NIV) It may look too simplistic because the issues may have defied all solutions, advice and counselling that you have undertaken in the past, that may have led you to resign yourself to fate or concluded that there is no way out. This is where the invitation of our Lord Jesus Christ becomes relevant. If other human efforts have failed, I would want to encourage you to try divine solution. I can tell you that though man may fail, Jesus Christ can never fail. Why? He cannot fail because in Numbers 23:19 it is written “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” (NLT). So, when He gave the invitation, He meant what He says. Quite unlike men, He gave the invitation because He knows His plans for us. His plan through the invitation is that we may have peace. I am sure anyone who is weighed down cannot be said to have peace. Dear reader, look at what He says in Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV). Also, in John 16:33 Jesus Christ says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” He was aware of what would happen in the world. That was what prompted Him to send out the invitation to you and me to come to Him with our burdens and exchange it for His peace and tranquillity. Dearly beloved, I want to challenge you today to accept His invitation and you would be amazed about the transformation that would take place in your life. If you would like to accept the invitation today I would ask you to pray this prayer. ‘Lord Jesus, I come before you today to confess that thus far I have led my life without you, but today I am accepting your invitation and now confess you as my Lord and Saviour. I want you to rule my life from now on. I pray that you forgive my sins and blot out my sins with your blood and write my name in the Book of life. Help me not to go back to my sins. Thank you Lord Jesus for saving my soul from perishing. Amen’. If you have prayed this prayer with sincerity, I congratulate you and I know that the Prince of Peace, our Lord Jesus Christ would come into your life, lighten your burdens and grant you His peace. I would now enjoin you to join a Bible-believing church where you would be nurtured and blossomed in His love. God bless you. Shalom. Dr. Yinka Okude Pastor – in – Charge RCCG, Jesus Sanctuary, Northampton.
PRINCE OF PEACE
Text: Isaiah 9: 6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”. Brethren, this week we shall be looking at the difference between the peace that the Lord gives and that which the world can offer. We would be looking at this from the point of view of individuals, communities, nations and the world. To start with, let us remind ourselves of the fact that at whatever level, the peace from the world is definitely not the same as the peace from God. Our lord Jesus Christ made this clear when he states in Jn.14:27 that “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (NIV). How is His peace different from world’s peace? One of the ways the Lord’s peace is different from the world peace is the fact that God is unchanging (He would not lie). In Num. 23:19 the bible states that “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?- NIV. Unlike men, God cannot lie. Experience has shown that men can lie about what they can offer and able to offer. Men may promise knowing fully well that they do not intend to keep the promise. When a man or a woman promises his or her spouse in their marital vow that ‘Till death do us part.”, it signifies that he/she is promising a peace of mind to his/her partner. But what do we see? In some instances, some of the promises made in marital vows before God and men are made with one or both of the partners fully aware that they do not intend to keep the promise. At other times, change of circumstances of the partner may be the cause of the breaking of vows made. Whatever could be the cause, the breaking of marital vows is typical of human unstableness. So, when any marital partners fail to keep their vows, they fail their partners and in place of the promised peace they create pain, sorrow, heartache, depression and in serious cases can lead to suicide. We have also seen leaders, both in the biblical times and in the present days, that were supposed to ensure they rule in such a way that their subjects may have peace, adding unto the yoke of their subjects. For instance, in the bible we read of King Rehoboam promising to double the yoke of the children of Israel as compared to his father’s reign. In I Kings 12: 13-14, ‘the king (Rehoboam) answered the people harshly, rejecting the advice given him by the elders, he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions” – NIV. This is typical of many of the present leaders of nations, particularly in the third world countries, middle –east countries and in the communist countries. Of course, even Western nations are not totally devoid of acts of misrule as evidenced in recent protests across many western nations. Similarly, global efforts, including the formation of the United Nations, at achieving World peace have not been very successful as desired. The first aim of the United Nations is “to keep peace throughout the world”. Brethren, to what extent has this aim been achieved? For so many reasons, we can see that far from the aim, the world has been at more turmoil now than when the United Nations began. Why? For so many reasons the United Nations have not and can never achieve this objective because of many unforeseen and deliberate selfish actions of members and leaders. What does this tells us? It is a confirmation that at the individual, national and world levels, the best of human benevolence is often associated with limitations and uncertainties and as such should always be taken with a pinch of salt. Our Lord Jesus Christ as the Alpha and Omega knew His creation and that is why He was categorical in Jn.14:27 that His peace is not as the world gives. The implication of this is that we must not put our trust in the peace offered by the world; rather our trust should be in our Lord Jesus Christ who has promised and is able to keep His promise. No wonder the bible says in Psa. 146: 3 “put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help” – KJV. Of course, you can only have a trust in whomever, you know. So if you have no personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, it is not possible for you to enjoy the peace that can only come from Him. In which case you are at the mercy of the unreliable peace that the world can offer. However, we have a faithful God who has promised in Jn. 6:37 that “Everything the Father gives me will come to me, and I’ll never turn away the one who comes to me” (ISV). If you want to enjoy the peace from our Lord Jesus Christ that is beyond human understanding, then you need to come to Him today and confess Him as your Lord and Saviour. If you are willing to let Him into your life today and enjoy His peace, then you may want to say this prayer,’ Lord Jesus, I come before you today to confess that thus far I have lead my life without you, but today I confess you as my Lord and Saviour and I want you to rule my life from now on. I pray that you forgive my sins and blot out my sins with your blood and write my name in the
PRAISE GOD CONTINUALLY
TEXT: HEB. 13:15 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His name” – NIV. God would give you reason to praise Him continually in Jesus name. Many of the songs we sing today that have blessed the church of God were from those who have seen God’s wonders first hand. When the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea and saw how the same Red Sea swallowed their Egyptian enemies, they sang (Ex. 15: 11) “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders”- KJV. When God changed the story of Hannah from been a barren woman to been a mother of Samuel (a great prophet), she declared in I Sam. 2: 2 “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God” – KJV. I pray that God would give you reason to praise Him in Jesus name. Why must we praise God? The twenty four elders in heaven tell us why we must praise and worship God continually. In Rev. 4: 11, they sing “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” – KJV. What does that tells you. It simply means He created you for HIS PLEASURE. God has not created you for your own pleasure but for His. It means that you are not going to dictate your terms but He would lead while you would follow His instructions. Therefore, give Him pleasure with your praise. He requires it and demands it of you. Your praising the Lord is not conditional. It is your duty. I know it is possible that there are circumstances around you that you would want God to change at the moment that seems to be delaying. But our God is not bound by our time but we are to work in His will. If there is anything you should take out of the various teachings and exhortation you have heard throughout this month, it is that you must resolve to give yourself to His praise while you live. The psalmist states in Ps. 50: 22-23 that “Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God” – KJV. Do you want God to show you His salvation? Order your conversation by offering praises unto God continually. When you give Him pleasure with the sacrifice of praise, He would cause His plans for your life to be quickened. God Himself promised in Jer. 29: 11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” – KJV. What can be more assuring than this? Why don’t you start praising God right now? David, who is the greatest example of a man of praise that we are expected to emulate said in Psalm 34: 1 “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” KJV. That means he was prepared to praise God notwithstanding. Are you prepared to praise God at all time? Are you prepared to praise God, come what may? You may wonder why David was so close to God’s heart despite his failings. Evidence from the bible account of David revealed that his major asset is praise. Brethren, I enjoined you to make up your mind to praise God as from now like you have never done before. Brethren, how do we praise God? 1. You can praise God with high sounding instruments. In Psalm 150:5, the bible says that we should “praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals” – NIV. Our God appreciates the use of instruments in our sacrifice of praise unto Him. When you use instruments, you are actually inviting God to come and dance with you. I pray that God would inhabit your praise in Jesus name. 2. You can praise God with a loud voice (II Sam.6:15). In Lk.19:37, “when He came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen”. It means our praise would involve noise. It is customary for some to look at you as fools, but it is you alone that can understand why you are doing what you are doing. As you are well aware, it is the winning side that is always the noisy side in any sporting competition. So if you want to be on the winning side of God, learn to praise Him aloud. 3. You can praise God with dancing (II Sam.6: 16-23). In verse 16, we are told that David was leaping and dancing when he successfully brought back the ark of the Lord to the city of David. When you dance in praise of God, you are telling the devil and the world that you are not ashamed of God. Also, when you dance for God you are actually demonstrating the fact that you are not too big to dance for God. One thing I know is that if you dance for God in praise, He would look down on you and visit you. I pray that you would receive the visitation of God in Jesus name. 4. You can praise God with singing (Heb.2: 12). Another way by which you can praise God is through singing. As quoted by Paul in Hebrew 2:12, David declared in Psalm 22:22 that “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.” – NIV. Are you declaring His name around you? Like David, you must declare His name in praise wherever you found yourself. 5. You can also praise God with music (II Sam. 6:21). So
DIVINE VISITATION
TEXT: GENESIS 21:1 “And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken (NKJV)”. As you read this message the Lord would visit you as He has promised in Jesus name. Everything that the Lord has spoken concerning you through prophesies, dreams and visions He would bring to performance speedily in Jesus name. You would not miss God’s purpose for your creation in Jesus name. Our text is one of the most promising records of the faithfulness of God and the respect that God has for His own word. In Isaiah 55:11, God made it clear that “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (NLT). What can we learn from this passage? One of the lessons we can learn from this passage is the fact that even if the promise of God has not yet been fulfilled at the moment, it would surely come to past at the appointed time. As the bible enjoined, all you need is to wait for the manifestation. While waiting, continue to praise Him as a sign of faith in His ability to bring His promises to performance in your life. We can see many evidences in the bible and in our generation that show that those that wait on His promises have never been disappointed nor put to shame. You would not be put to shame as you wait on Him in Jesus name. The bible says in Hab.2:3 that “This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed” (NLT). Habakkuk is very clear about how God works. It may appear that He is delaying but in most cases any delay is for a purpose. A lot of time, such delays would work in your favour as it may prevent you from destruction. The bible provides answer to why God may appear to be delayed or delaying. In 2 Pet. 3:9 God says that “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (NIV). This means that the Lord may delay His visitation to test your level of faith, obedience and love for Him rather than what you can get from Him. Job is a very popular example of a man whose walk with God was not dependent on what He can or cannot get from God. He was emphatic in Job 13:15, where he states that “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him” (KJV). Can you confidently say the same? When you get to the level where you can declare to the world that you are not moved by what you see, then you have made yourself a candidate for divine visitation. The Lord would visit you and meet you at the point of your needs in Jesus name. You may want to ask yourself why we have divine visitation. Divine visitation is always for at least a reason. The reason may be positive or negative or multi-purpose. An example of divine visitation is the visitation of the Angels to Abraham and later Lot in Genesis 18 & 19. While for Abraham and Lot it led to a positive outcome, for Sodom and Gomorrah and its inhabitants it was for judgement and destruction. My prayer is that your divine visitation would not be for judgement and destruction in Jesus name. What do we need to do to attract His divine visitation? Divine visitation does not come by accident. There is always a reason why God would pay us mortal visits. A look at the various times when God paid visits to men reveals that God always have a reason and a purpose. Let us look at the divine visitation of God to Adam the first man. In Gen.2:8, we were told that “They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden” (NASB). From this passage we can deduce that God has the habits of paying Adam and Eve a visit at that time of day for daily and routine fellowship. This would explain why it was not difficult for them to recognise His presence. Also, from their reaction, we can also deduce that whenever God paid visits, Adam and Eve used to abide in His presence. Of course, when God visited them, it was always a time of fellowship with Him as they had nothing to hide. I can imagine that period to be time of physical and spiritual refreshing and nourishing. That once beautiful relationship and communion was lost and they could no longer behold the glory of God. Instead, immediately after their disobedience to God’s commandment, fear got a hold on them and they lost their peace. In addition, Adam and Eve were actually convicted by their own spirit before God had spoken to them. How does this affect us as children of God? Sincerely, I can inform you that if you are truly a child of God, then each time in His presence would always be a time of physical and spiritual refreshing and nourishment. Satan would have nothing to accuse you of and you would therefore have no inhibition in expressing yourself before God. Also, if you are a truly born-again child of God, when you sin against God, your spirit would be your first judge. That is one of the ways to know whether you still harbour any love for God at all or you have lost any iota of the love of God. The day any man’s heart does not convict them after a sin, then that is
I AM THE ALPHA
Revelation 1: 8 – “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Brethren, I once again welcome you to year 2012; the year of our Lord Jesus Christ. I would like to inform you that the Lord has spared your life up unto this moment because of His special plans for your life. I would like to assure you that notwithstanding what you could have gone through in 2011, 2012 would be glorious in Jesus name. I am confident about your glorious 2012 because I am sure of the Jehovah Almighty that I served who is the Alpha and of course the Omega. If He calls Himself the Alpha, I am confident that He would go with you into 2012 because whatever He says He is capable of seeing it through. It is generally known that the weight of any pronouncement is a function of who makes the pronouncement. Of course, we all know that if a Head of State of a nation promise to confer a national honour on a fellow, s/he can be taken very seriously as compared to the same promise been given by an ordinary citizen of that same country. Definitely no one would take the promise of a clerk in a Multinational Corporation to change the policy of his/her company seriously. However, if the same was made by the CEO of the same company, then everyone would listen and take such promises as Fait accompi. It is in that light that the pronouncement of God in Rev. 1: 8 should be seen. When God said I am the Alpha, it was in order to emphasize His divinity; His supremacy; and His Deity. He made this description of Himself so that John would take it with the seriousness that the word He was going to pronounce deserves. Brethren, do you take the word of God with the seriousness that it deserves? Again, declaring Himself as the Alpha is also to give weight to the pronouncement He was going to make. Dearly, beloved do you accord the word of God in the bible and as pronounced by His servants the weight that it deserves? In 2012, you would need to accord His word the weight and seriousness it deserves if you want to please Him as well as get the best out of Him in 2012. Brethren, I am persuaded and convinced that you are in for the miraculous in 2012 if only you would make His words your compass in 2012. The Alpha Himself has declared it and it would surely come to pass. The word Alpha (and Omega) demonstrates the eternity and divinity of God. It demonstrates His continuity and His constancy. It means He has no variableness. It means He cannot grow old, aged or dies. It shows that He is complete and perfect. The word Alpha shows God as a continuum. If He is the Alpha, it means He authorises every other things in creation including you and me. If that is so, it therefore means that He knows everything about you. I am sure you know that no invention can be hidden from the inventor. By implication He is able to amend, repair, and replace any and every part of His invention. But just as it is possible for Him to restore a malfunctioning invention, as an inventor also He has the ability to destroy an invention that is not fit for purpose. By implication it means God can do as He pleases with any of us His creation in a way that meets His purpose. May I tell you that God is not moved by sentiments but by His principles and words. In Acts 10:34 – 35 we read ‘Then Peter began to speak: I now realize how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right’ (NIV). Similarly, in Rom.2: 9-11, we are told “There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favouritism”. My dearly beloved, what would be your choice, trouble and distress or glory and honour? My sincere prayer for everyone that is associated with Jesus Sanctuary Northampton, either physically or through regular visits to our website is a 2012 that is full of glory and honour in Jesus name. Our God is described as “who is, who was, and who is to come”. That tells us that He is in the past, in the present and in the future. He was before 2011, He is in 2012 and He would be in the many years to come even after the heaven and the earth would have passed away. It means you should have no fear about your past, present and the future if you are truly with and in Him. Why? Because in Rev. 21:6, He said to John: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life” (NIV). Are you willing to go to Him today and every day of your life? I enjoin you to seek Him in 2012, and He would be found by you. I wish you and your family a happy and a prosperous 2012. Shalom. Dr. Yinka Okude Pastor-In-Charge RCCG Jesus Sanctuary Northampton.
MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU – PART 2
TEXT: II COR. 12: 9 – But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. In this second of the series on the theme my grace is sufficient for you, we would be looking at an important lesson we ought not to forget about the grace of God. It is indeed the pillar upon which God’s grace upon our life can be sustained. It is a necessary quality that has distinguished the lives of men and women that God have worked with. This necessary ingredient is that of complete and absolute humility. Tragically, we have some children of God who have become conceited because God has worked through them and through their ministry. It is a reflection of their limited understanding about the grace of God and their lack of understanding on the person of our God. If you look at the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ you would see that He would always acknowledge the father; even though He was equal with God (Phil.2:6). Many times in the bible, Jesus Christ confessed that He does nothing of His own except as He hears from the father. For instance, in Jn. 5:19, Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does (NIV). Similarly, in Jn. 14:10 Jesus Christ said “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work” (NIV). In these passages, you can see our Lord Jesus Christ (whom we ought to emulate) demonstrating humility. Other references where our Lord Jesus Christ confessed to His dependence on God the father can be found in Jn.12:50; Jn.12:49; Jn.8:28; and Jn6:38. Similarly, Apostle Paul displayed absolute humility throughout his ministry. Inspite of what God did through Him, he never failed to acknowledge the fact that all was due to the grace he received of God. In our passage, II Cor.12:9, Paul recognised that it is the grace of God that has made him to accomplish whatever he has accomplished. In so many other accounts, Paul never attributed any success to His own making and efforts. For instance, in Rom. 1:5, Paul said “Through Him and for His name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith (NIV). If you look at the passage, we learnt that grace is received; it is a gift; not necessarily dependent on your physical or intellectual abilities; a reason why we should not boast about it. Paul realising where he was coming from is very sincere about the source of his accomplishments. Perhaps, and probably learning from the experiences of people that were before him and those that have worked with him, he is always warning us about the dangers of been carried away by what God is doing through us. In Rom. 12:3 Paul warned, “ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you” (NIV). Again, in 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul said “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them–yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (NIV). This leads us to another important fact about the grace of God. In this passage, we see Paul revealing to us the key (hard work) to the sustenance of God’s grace upon his life. When God gives the grace, He expects us to work with it and not to be complacent. In this passage Paul informed that in spite of the grace of God upon his life, he worked very hard to keep the grace. This corroborates what our Lord Jesus Christ was preaching in the parable of the talents recorded in Mt. 25:14-30 and Lk.19:12-28. The servants with the five talents made five more talents. For his being faithful, the master said in Mt.25: 21 ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’. In contrast, when the lazy, 1 talent recipient failed to utilise the talent, the master took it from him and gave it to the faithful 5 talents recipient, who now had turned it into 10 talents. The master said in Mt.25:28 “‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents” (NIV). I pray that we would not lose our talents in Jesus name. In conclusion brethren, let us remember that we are what are by His grace alone. Whatever, we have attained in the physical or in the spiritual, we owe unto Him; and we should not take His grace for granted. Also, as it is often stated, to whom much is given much is expected. Let us learn from our Lord Jesus Christ as well as from Apostle Paul who informed that in spite of the grace of God upon his life, he is able to say that he worked harder than all others. What would be your testimony? Are you able to say that you have worked harder than all others in that which the Lord has committed unto you? How are you taking the grace of God upon your life? May the Lord found you faithful in Jesus name. Shalom. Dr. Yinka Okude Pastor-in-Charge RCCG, Jesus Sanctuary, Northampton
MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU
TEXT: II COR. 12: 9 – But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. This week we would be looking at who needs God’s grace. Simply put it is the weak that need the grace of God. You may not need His grace if you are self-sufficient. If we look at grace as been favour, mercy and blessings that we obtain that we would not normally have qualified to get without his supernatural touch then we would understand that grace is not needed by those who feels they are able to meet all their needs. Brethren you need His grace when you are weak; when you are afraid; when you are sick; when you are poor; when you are rich; when you are tempted; when your expectations are been delayed; and so on. In our passage, we see Paul been assured by God to be strong inspite of his weakness because of His grace that is sufficient for him. What is it to be sufficient? Sufficient can be described as adequate or enough. So it means that His grace is adequate for our inadequacies. From my little experience about life, no one is adequate in every aspect of life. For instance, it is possible for you to be adequate in most areas and be inadequate in some few areas. It is in the area that you are inadequate that you need His grace. If you would recall, Paul in II Cor. 12: 7-8 informed us about how he prayed so much that the thorn that he was been tormented with should go. But rather than God answering by taking it away, the answer he received was that His grace would be sufficient for him in that situation. That would lead me to ask you what is that thorn that you are battling with that has refused to go despite all your prayers, fasting, laying of hands, etc. You may need to change your prayer to Father Let your grace be sufficient for me from Father let this problem go away. That is why you need to ask God what He is saying in your own situation. If you can hear Him, then it would make it easier for you to know when to change the pattern of your prayers from God, let this cup pass over me to God, let your grace be sufficient for me. Beloved, there are times when you may even need His grace in certain areas that you think you are adequate. The bible says in I cor.10:12 “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (ESV). This tells us that we should be careful not to take His grace for granted as the very strong can fall. I am sure you remember the case of Apostle Peter (the rock on which the church is built) denying Jesus Christ in the presence of a little girl. If he can fall, then it means you can fall as well. That is why you need His grace. What made Peter to be able to retrace his steps was the prayer from Jesus Christ. Our lord Jesus Christ told Peter that as strong as Peter was, his faith would be shaken and challenged; but would be strengthened through His prayer. In Luke 22: 31-32, the Lord said “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (NIV). One of the most impressive attributes of Paul the apostle is his humility. Inspite of what he accomplished for the lord through his ministry, he was always acknowledging the grace of God in all of this. For instance, in I Cor. 15:10, he says “but by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them–yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (NIV). Brethren, in what do you boast? Do you boast in your abilities? Is your boast in your wisdom; intellect; educational accomplishment; secular or ministerial positions; earthly connections or positions? One thing I know that I know is that whatever I am today is by His grace. When I look at where I am coming from, I am convinced beyond any iota of doubt that it could only have been God. That is why I am also persuaded that my tomorrow would be alright by His grace and that His grace is sufficient come what may. In my lack and inadequacies, I am convinced and encouraged in His grace. I am able to rely on Him because I have tasted His grace and know that His grace is abundant and ever present. What about you. Do you feel the same? I extend the invitation of the psalmist in Psa. 34:8 to you today “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (NIV). Dearly beloved, I say blessed is the man whose only confidence and boast is in His grace. May His grace be sufficient for you. Shalom. Dr. Yinka Okude Pastor-In-Charge RCCG Jesus Sanctuary, Northampton
RELATIONSHIP – PART 2: MOTHERS’ DAY SPECIAL
TEXT: II SAM. 9: 1 & 7 – David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can how kindness for Jonathan’s sake? “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”Hearty congratulations to our mothers on this occasion of Mothers’ Day. We pray that the Lord would make our mothers worthy of double honour at all times in Jesus name. Celebration of Mothers’ Day is in line with what the bible enjoined us to do in Exo. 20:12 where it states “Honour your father and your mother; so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you” (NIV). On this occasion of the Mothers’ Day, we shall be looking at Relationship, our theme of the month as it relates to mothers. In Matt. 19: 19 God describes the kind of relationship we should have with our parents and others. According to the bible you should “honour your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbour as yourself” (NIV).Who is a mother? There are many definitions of who is a mother. Some of the common definitions describe a mother as a woman who raises up a child or a woman who gave birth to a child or a woman who donates the ovum that led to the birth of a child. However, from responses from most people who have been asked about who a mother is, the most common argument has been that motherhood is much more than just carrying and giving birth to a child, but rather it is about the relationships that exist between a woman and a child. That is why the definition of a mother is far beyond those that actually gave birth to children. For instance, Mother Teresa has more children than any other woman and is still and would always be remembered by the numerous poor children that she helped raised up. For some of the poor children that she raised up, that is the only mother they probably know.In the bible, what is the kind of relationships that should exist between a mother and others? In Psa. 113: 9, we were told that God “settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD” (NIV). From this passage we can learn that God’s expectation is that mothers should be joyful. Why should mothers be joyful? It is because mood can be infectious. Mothers would determine the mood in their homes. If you are joyful as a mother, you would implicitly be sowing joy and in return reap joy as harvest. This is why the bible says in Eze. 16:44 that “everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: Like mother, like daughter” (NIV). What can we learn from this as well? It is the fact that a mother must show good examples unto her children in her relationship at home and outside.God is aware that children naturally would pick habits from their parents; daughters being more likely to pick habits from their mothers. This would lead us to want to ask our mothers today about what kind of relationship we are showing to our children. God has a set of expectations from our mothers, which can be found in Prov. 30: 10 – 31. In verses 26 – 31, the bible describes a virtuous woman as the one who “speaks with wisdom,and faithful instruction is on her tongue.She watches over the affairs of her householdand does not eat the bread of idleness.Her children arise and call her blessed;her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things,but you surpass them all.”Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.Honour her for all that her hands have done,and let her works bring her praise at the city gate”(NIV). You would notice that we have deliberately underlined two sections of the passage that we would like our mothers to note especially. The first is that our mothers should learn to speak with wisdom and grace; their words seasoned, edifying and lifting. Secondly, they are to promote the fear of the lord above physical beauty and adornment.However, just as our mothers have very big responsibilities, they are also entitled to many rights. In addition to honouring our mothers, our Lord Jesus Christ showed us example of how we should take care of our mothers. First, He expects that we should be sensitive to their needs. Second, we are expected to take care of them, provide for them and meet their needs, particularly when we get to the level when the role of caring has to be reversed. We must not abandon or neglect them for anything. Do not use an excuse of being born-again to deny your mother of her rightful needs for love and provision. In Jn. 19: 26 – 27, when our Lord Jesus Christ, was about to die, He was sensitive to His mother’s needs for love and care. The bible says “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son, and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home” (NIV). From this passage, you would realise that our Lord Jesus Christ made sure that He made adequate provision that His mother would be properly looked after. He purposely selected the disciples that He was sure would take care of His mother very well. The account records that the disciples that He loved took Jesus mother to her home.As children, the Lord expects that we must maintain a good relationship with our mothers; we are expected to honour them, care for them; provide for their physical and emotional needs;
RELATIONSHIP – PART 1
TEXT: II SAM. 9: 1 & 7 – David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake? “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”Last week we looked at relationship as the essence of life and at the heart of God’s creation. Relationship is important to God. We are expected to have good relationship with God and with men. The bible says we should live at peace with all men. In Rom. 12:18, the bible admonishes“if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (NIV). If you look at this passage, you would notice that it says as far as it depends on you. Note your living at peace with all men is not dependent on them but on you. This means that you are to make up your mind to live at peace with all men no matter what they do or who they are. This is what would make the difference between you and others. We are told that while Apostle Stephen was been stoned to death in Acts 7:58 -60, his prayers to God was “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (NIV). I believed that God answered his prayers; perhaps a reason why Apostle Paul who consented to the stoning could be saved and later became the greatest Apostle. The bible records in Acts 8: 1a that Saul (who later became Paul), “was there, giving approval to his death” (Acts 8:1a) – NIV. There is always a choice to make when we are offended. Repay evil with evil or turn the other ears. We would always be offended in the course or our relationship at whatever levels and in whatever circumstances by men. Why? It is because the hearts of men are desperately wicked and always set in them to do evil. People would often, intentionally and unintentionally, offend us. Sometimes because God is longsuffering and slow to punish, people are misled to believe that they would get away unpunished. In Eccl. 8:11 we were told that “because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil (KJV). Also, in Jer. 17:9 the bible says “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? (NLTV).If you want to please God and do His will then we must learn to live at peace with all men. God’s plan is that His church would march on and the gate of hell would not prevail over it. So, for this to happen, we, as the church would need to ensure that everything we do is going to lead to the edification of the Church. According to Rom. 14:19, the bible says “let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (NIV). One of the reasons why we need to live at peace with all men is so that we can have mutual edification. What is edification? Edification from religious point of view could be described as moral and spiritual enlightenment or improvement or promotion or expansion.In the course of our relationship in the Church, offence often occurs amongst brethren for so many reasons; one of which is because the devil is aware of the power of unity that the Church has. The bible says in Deut. 32:30 that one would chase a thousand while two would chase ten thousand of your enemies. Who are your enemies? The devil and his demons are your enemies. So, the devil would do everything to ensure that there is no unity in the Church by destroying relationship in the Church. So, when you are offended by a brother or sister, the bible (Matt. 18: 15-17) is clear about how such should be resolved in the Church. “If your brother sins against you go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector” (NIV). It is when we learn to do this that the Church would be able to command anything to move or come; loose or bound; ask and receive; knock and have open door; and seek and found. If we follow this dispute resolution command above, that is when the bible in Matt. 18: 18 says, “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (NIV).Brethren, in Jesus Sanctuary, let us purpose in our hearts that we would live at peace with each other. That is the only way by which the Lord can add to his Church as it was recorded in Acts 2: 42 – 46. It is within our power to do so, and I pray that the Lord would add to His Church in Jesus name. Shalom.Dr. Yinka OkudePastor-in-ChargeRCCG, Jesus Sanctuary Northampton
HAPPY EASTER
TEXT: Matthew 17:1-2: After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Dearly beloved, Happy Easter to you and your family in Jesus name. Our Lord Jesus Christ is risen. Hallelujah. In Matt. 28:6 we were told that “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay” (NIV). I pray that every good and glorious thing in your life that are dead and are giving you concern would receive the resurrection power of our Lord Jesus Christ today. I pronounce life into that dead finances, marriages, health, career, and vision in Jesus name. As He is risen, you would also rise in Jesus name. I am convinced and assured of this because our Lord Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). Brethren, Easter represents a season that marks the next level of our Lord Jesus Christ. It should be a time of reflection on the translation of our Lord Jesus Christ from mortality to immortality; from humanity to divinity; from the physical to the spiritual; and from temporary transfiguration (as recorded in Matt. 17:1-2) to permanent transfiguration recorded in Matt.28:6. Brethren, you would recall that 3 days earlier, it was recorded in John 19:30 that “when he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (NIV). From the story of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can see that going to the next level may require a sacrifice from us. It may require physical and spiritual relocation; may require death to flesh and pleasure; may require a change in vision; would require absolute humility; may require physical and spiritual separation; may require been abandoned and rejected by those that are close to you; and may even require your life. Our Lord Jesus Christ through His experience in His trial and crucifixion showed us what we should expect in our match to the next level either in the physical or in the spiritual. Are you prepared to carry your cross and follow Him? Dearly beloved, Easter time is always a time of reflection on our walk with the Lord. In Luke 9:23 our Lord Jesus Christ “said to them all: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (NIV). He was more emphatic in Matt.10:38 where he said “and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (NIV). I am aware that humans are generally afraid of change. A lot of time we are afraid of change because of the fear of the unknown. This is so because a lot of time we do not see beyond our immediate physical environment. But Apostle Paul has informed us in I Cor. 13: 12 that “now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (NIV). Next level would often come in disguise. It may come through trials; through challenges; through persecution; through misunderstanding by friends and neighbours. On your way to next level, you may be called names; hated and despised by many; you may be discouraged; and circumstances may not be in your favour. When these happened, there is every tendency that you are on your way to the next level if you persevere. The passage showed us how our Lord Jesus Christ decided that He should take His very close disciples with Him to a higher and next level before He goes to the cross. He knew that His time was near, it became imperatives that He should let them know and have a glimpse of His glory and a glimpse of heaven. In our text we see how God took His closest disciples with him to this important higher level experience. This tells us that to get to the next level you would need to be led. You must be ready to be led by God. Who leads you would determine your next level. That is why it is important that you are sure of who is leading you; whether it is Christ or the Devil. Again, your destination would be determined by whose leadership you are willing to accept. I am confident that the next level for those who are led by our lord Jesus Christ is the mountain top. As we read in our text, we see that the next level meant relocation from ordinary land to the mountain top. At mountain top there are so many things that you would enjoy. One of these is that you would be operating at a higher level of frequency. This is because you would be able to see farther horizon. In addition, when you are at mountain top you would be operating at secure and safe ground. Third, you would be free from distractions, as you would be focussed. Accordingly, you would see as God would want you to see. It would become easy for you to surrender all. Fourth, your focus would shift from the terrestrial to the celestial. Fifth, you would enjoy the presence of God. There is nothing that is more appealing than to enjoy what you are doing. You would no longer struggle to worship, pray and fast. I would see you at your next level at the mountain top in Jesus name. Shalom. Dr. Yinka Okude Pastor – in – Charge RCCG, Jesus Sanctuary, Northampton
