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Tag: God

  • God loves Himself more than He loves us (2), By Femi Aribisala

    The only thing that God can give us to show that He truly loves us is Himself.

    God created a world full of counterfeits. Solomon in his wisdom recognises this. He says: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Nothing in this world is valuable. Nothing on earth is meaningful or worthwhile.

    John says: “All that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16-17).

    Fading glory

    The glory of man is illusory. It fades. Isaiah says: “Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:7-8).

    Paul concurs. He says God has intentionally made man “subject to vanity.” (Romans 8:20). We like things that have no value. God says: “How long will you people refuse to respect me? You love foolish things, and you run after what is worthless.” (Psalm 4:2).

    We spend our lives engaged in worthless pursuits. We worship “unrighteous mammon.” (Luke 16:9). We are led astray by “the deceitfulness of riches.” (Matthew 13:22). These riches are “uncertain.” (1 Timothy 6:17). They “make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.” (Proverbs 23:5).

    We put our treasures on earth, “where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). But we ignore God, “the Desire of All Nations.” (Haggai 2:7). “We are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23).

    Like the foolish Chaldeans “who rejoice in their ships.” (Isaiah 43:14), we rejoice in our cars, our houses, and our possessions. But Jesus says we should rejoice for only one reason: “because (our) names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20).

    He points out that: “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15). Everything man-made is rubbish to God. Nevertheless, we are mesmerised by them.

    Fruitless labour

    Jesus says: “Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (John 6:27). Solomon says: “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

    God has all that we need, and He is freely available to all. The counsel of God says:

    “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.” (Isaiah 55:1-2).

    Nevertheless, we walk after things “that do not profit.” (Jeremiah 2:8).

    Jesus says: “No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Mark 10:18-19).

    Only one thing is valuable and that is God Himself. Only one thing is true, only one thing is noble, only one thing is just, only one thing is pure, only one thing is lovely, only one thing is of good report, only one thing is virtuous, only one thing is praiseworthy, and that One thing is God Himself. (Philippians 4;8-9).

    Approving the excellent

    God would have us abound “more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that (we) may approve the things that are excellent.” (Philippians 1:9-10).

    However, all the things that are excellent can only be found in God. If we ever see anything good, we should know that God is behind it. If we ever see anyone outstanding in anything, God must have enabled him or her.

    Therefore, we must not glorify the person, we must glorify only God. Neither should we ascribe any glory to ourselves. Jesus says: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

    This shows that God is not being conceited for insisting that He alone should be glorified. He alone deserves all the glory.

    “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4).

    The 24 elders standing before the throne of God say: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11).

    Since God is unique, since He is the only wonderful and glorious person in the universe, then He must be for Himself and not for us. Otherwise, He would approve what is imperfect. His aim to bring all praise and honour to Himself is linked to His determination to ensure that we do not continue to glory in worthless things.

    Unspeakable gift

    The only thing that God can give us to show that He truly loves us is Himself. If He is to give us what is best and most satisfying, then He must give us Himself because only His righteousness brings fulfilment. (Matthew 5:6).

    Therefore, God so loved the world that He gave Himself. God so loved He gave Jesus. Jesus says evil fathers give bread and fish to their children. But God gives Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit, to those who ask Him. (Luke 11:13).

    What do we do when we are given something magnificent and excellent? We praise it. We extol it. This principle must now apply only to God, the excellency of all things. God created us for this: “so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:15).

    It makes perfect sense, therefore, when Jesus says: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39).

    Therefore, David says: “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1).

    If we ascribe glory to anything other than God, it might destroy us. Sooner, rather than later, its vanity will be exposed, and we will be shattered. But “in (God’s) presence is fulness of joy, at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11).

    For this reason, “Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18). After we come to God, we must not go back to the vanities and futilities of life.

    Jesus says: “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46).

  • Angels: Friends and messengers of God and man, By Margaret Ogbebor

    Angels: Friends and messengers of God and man, By Margaret Ogbebor

    By Margaret Ogbebor SSMA

    “The Lord will put his angels in charge of you to keep you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11). This shows that God in his wisdom has placed angels to watch, guard and guide us in all our ways. Many a time these angels are not seen because they do not possess physical bodies but sometimes we may have the privilege of seeing them.

    Each and every one of us has an angel that is assigned to us by God to help us and these angels are known as “Guardian Angels.” They work alongside with us day-in day-out; these angels are often known to have spoken to us in every situation but many a time we find it difficult to listen to them because we prefer to do our own will. Our guardian angels do help us if weare ready to listen to them. The world is too noisy, listening to the inner voice may not be so easy, our guardian angels try their best to see that we never go astray and make sure that we obey God’s holy will. These angels are the real guardians God has given to each and every one of us to help us.

    Similarly, angels are supernatural beings without physical bodies; they are immortal in nature and are often perfect compared to any other creature of God. Angels are among the first creatures made by God when he was creating the world(heaven and earth). Like human beings, they have the privilege of freewill and intellect. Since human beings are made in the image and likeness of God, angels also share God’s resemblance (God’s image). They work hand in hand with God; they are known to always sing the praises of God. They share special relationship with him (God). They have the opportunity ofappearing in different forms or ways (either light, human or voice). They are the mouth piece of God which means they are capable of speaking the mind of God. Angels are unique innature, they have no duplicate. Angels are known to be filled with divine love (love of God); since God who created them is love himself they also possess that same love. They serve asagents to God and man

    Angels are known as messengers of God. Luke 1: 26-27 reads,“In the six month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. He had a message for a young woman promise in marriage to a man name Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary.”Angels are sent by God at any time (morning, afternoon,evening or night) to deliver God’s message.

    Angels are always in the presence of God serving as his attendants. They serve as links between God and men. The angel Gabriel was sent to Joseph in the dream: “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; what she is carrying is of the Holy Spirit (Mt 1: 20). “While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him a dream and said, Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived.” The angel was sent to deliver messages to Joseph in other to clear his doubtconcerning the pregnancy of his wife to be (Mary). God oftensends divine messages to us either through dream, vision or use of divine voices. A typical example of this is seen in the life ofour father (Joseph). As Christians, when we are in doubt we should not take any rash decision but rather wait patiently like Joseph who tried to meditate night and day for God to give himanswer to the confusion in his life. Again God sent his angel to Joseph in the dream to inform him of Herod evil plans (Mt 2: 19-20).

    God never abandons his children when they are in terrible situations, he always look for means to save them by sending them messages or information that will protect and preserve them from danger. God has a way of protecting his own children. God reveals his mind to his loved ones and protectsthem just as he protected Jesus from the clutches of Herod. Many a time God speaks to us through dreams or sends his messengers in order to see that his will is carried out. God always sends his angels to us to save us from unseen circumstances.

    Similarly, angels serve as friends to humans. A typical example of this could be found in the book of Tobit chapter 1 – 14. When Tobit became blind and needed to collect his property from those who owed him, he sent his son Tobias on this important errand. On the other hand, Tobias was in need of a suitable bride that would live with him for the rest of his life.Sarah was a young lady who had lost seven husbands and hadbecome a mockery to the whole community; she had no other choice than to pray to God to take her life. When Tobias wasabout to set for the journey, God sent an angel called Raphael to accompany him on the journey. Raphael served as a friend that assisted Tobias on the journey; he did not only follow him to collect his father’s (Tobit) money, he also provided solution to Sarah’s problem by driving away the demon that prevented her from getting married. Raphael’s friendship with Tobias was the channel through which God brought healing to the lives of Tobitand Sarah. When divine creatures take the roles of humans, Goduses them as instrument to achieve his purpose.

    Angels are capable of fighting for us and defending us when the need arises: “Then war broke out in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the dragon who fought back with his angels; but the dragon was defeated and he alongside his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer. The huge dragon was thrown out, that ancient serpent called the Devil or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earthand all his angels with him, (Rev 12:7-9).

    Michael was able to organise his angels to fight the devil and his angels and he won the battle; in the same way he (Michael) is still fighting for the people of God who are in distress, delivering them from the power of the devil and his agents.Michael is not an ordinary angel, he is an “Archangel” he also has the power of defending the church and he is the leader of all the angels. He is always prepared for war at any time and place. Since he was able to defeat Lucifer and his angels, he is still very much capable of fighting our battles for us either physical or spiritual.

    As Christians we are expected to possess angelic nature allowing God to make use of us as instruments in his hand; we should always remember that we are pencils in the hand of the Creator. When we allow God to take possession of our lives it would be easy for Him to pass across his divine messages to us. In every sphere of life, we need human beings who possess angelic nature to serve as divine messengers, people who are ready to sacrifice whatever they have to become instruments in the hand of God. God does not have favourite; anyone who makes himself available would always be used by God. People who have made themselves useful instruments are referred to as divine messengers. These messengers are found everywhere; in our places of work, society and in our spiritual life. They are people who try their best to see that there is a smooth running of an organisation, people who are not tired of doing their work as expected; they are not ready to compromise their good qualities for cheap popularity. They believe in building up values for their personal life, not wealth. People like these are always ready to shed their blood to see that justice is done wherever they find themselves. They do not go about advertising themselves but their angelic nature is enough for you to know the stuff they are made of. In their places of work they become carriers of good news (like angel Gabriel) because they serve as messengers of God making us to know the mind of God. Nothing is too difficult for them to do; they are the engine house of everyorganisation. Without them an organisation would stand still. These set of people are angels in disguise.

    People with angelic nature are also found in the society where we live: people who are the voice of the voiceless, people who cannot close their eyes to evil acts. They are always quick to hear but slow to act; they are the friends of the masses and arealways ready to defend the poor (like angel Michael). When they are in power, the interest of the masses come first because they are God sent (angels in human form). They become the hand of God. God uses them as instruments to bring freedom to the suffering masses

    Even in our spiritual journey people like these are found, people who are interested in your breakthrough, people who pray with you without personal gain. They are capable of linking us to God. They are always ready to assist us in our spiritual journey, just as Saint Raphael followed Tobias on his journey, he did not only accompany him he also assisted him in solving his problems. People who are ready to stand by you during hard times are angels in disguise.

    Sr Margaret Ogbebor SSMA is a Catholic Nun working in the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto. She is the Head Teacher of Martin de Porres Nursery and Primary School Katsina. okaimaogbebor@gmail.com .

  • God loves Himself more than He loves us (1) – Femi Aribisala

    We often include God in our personal agendas. For instance, we say: “Give me my thing for God’s sake.” Or “Leave me alone for Christ’s sake.”

    “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30).

    I had always assumed that God loves us more than Jesus because He gave Jesus for us. (John 3:16). Paul says: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

    He says furthermore: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

    First love

    However, I have now concluded that I was greatly mistaken. God loves Jesus more than He loves us. Jesus is God’s first love.

    In Jesus’ prayer that we are privileged to overhear, He says to God, the Father: “You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24). But when God called me, He spoke to me through my own lips and said: “Femi, I have loved you from the foundation of the world.”

    God’s love for us is everlasting. (Jeremiah 31:3). But His love for us is from when Jesus was slain at the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8). God’s love for Jesus, on the other hand, is from everlasting. Indeed, God only loves us because of Jesus. It is Jesus that makes us accepted in God’s beloved. (Ephesians 1:6).

    That is why, to get anything from God, we cannot ask in our own names. We must ask in the name of Jesus. Jesus says: “Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.” (John 16:23).

    God’s love for Jesus is all-encompassing: “No one comes to the Father except through (Jesus).” (John 14:6).

    God does not even answer our prayers for our sake. He answers our prayers because of Jesus and for the sake of His glory. Jesus says: “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13).

    God is our very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:10) because this glorifies Him. He says: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” (Psalm 50:15).

    I assumed that since God is love, He loves everyone the same. But God says: “Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated.” (Malachi 1:3). Indeed, there is overwhelming evidence that the person that God loves most of all is Himself.

    God never does anything for us. He does all things either for Himself or for Jesus. Since Jesus and God, the Father are One, this means God does all things for Himself and not for us.

    Not unto us

    Why did God create man? Did He create man for our sake?

    No! God’s intention in creating man is all about God and not about man. He created us “according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28), to bring honour, praise, and glory to His name. He says: “These people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.” (Isaiah 43:21).

    Yes, we want to be successful doctors and lawyers. We want to climb to the top of Mount Everest. But the purpose that is purposed has nothing to do with any of such personal ambitions but with the glory of God.

    God says: “Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.” (Isaiah 43:7).

    This raison d’etre is even more pronounced when we are born again. Are we born a second time so that we can be richer, better known, and more successful than we were before? Not at all! Peter says we are born again to glorify God:

    “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9).

    Paradoxically, even the wicked and the unrighteous are also created for this same reason, to glorify God.

    Solomon says: “The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.” (Proverbs 16:4). The psalmist acknowledges the same thing to God: “Human defiance only enhances Your glory, for You use it as a weapon.” (Psalm 76:10).

    A case in point is the predicament of Pharaoh. His defiance of God gave God the platform to display His glory by parting the Red Sea, enabling the Israelites to walk safely through the middle of the sea, while the Egyptian army that pursued them drowned.

    Accordingly, God says to Pharaoh: “Indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:16).

    For God’s sake

    God does not do our wishes. He only does His wishes. “(He) works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:11-12).

    Why did God rescue Israel from Egypt? “He saved them for His name’s sake, that He might make His mighty power known.” (Psalm 106:8).

    After delivering the Israelites from Egypt, why did God not destroy them when they sinned against Him in the wilderness? He says: “I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out.” (Ezekiel 20:14).

    Why did He bring the Israelites back from exile? He says to them: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.” (Ezekiel 36:22).

    Passion for glory

    God has a passion for His glory. He is determined that, in everything, He must be glorified. He says:

    “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

    God is very jealous of His glory. He says: “I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images.” (Isaiah 42:8). Therefore, the psalmist declares: “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.” (Psalm 86:9).

    So, we must not ask God for things that will glorify us. We must only ask for things that will bring glory to God. We must pray like the psalmist:

    “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.” (Psalm 115:1).

    If it were a man who was this self-centred, we would castigate him for selfishness. However, God’s self-centredness is another great virtue, as we shall soon discover.

    TO BE CONTINUED

  • When God loves you, He programs bad thing to happen to you- Femi Aribisala

    Good things have been overrated and bad things been underrated.

    My first name means “God loves me.” When God called me to ministry in 1994, He called my name three times. Then He said to me: “I have loved you from the foundation of the world.”

     

    The Bible says: “The Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” (Hebrews 12:6). God so loved me, He sent armed robbers to waylay me and shoot me. He told me so Himself and validated this with scripture:

     

    “Who gave Jacob for plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Was it not the Lord, He against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in His ways, nor were they obedient to His law.” (Isaiah 42:24).

     

    Goodness of God

     

    Why does a loving God do this to those He loves? He does this because He is determined to show us His glory and to reveal His glory in us.

     

    When the armed robbers attacked me, God appeared to me for the very first time, just as He did to the three Hebrew children in the fiery burning furnace. He then gave me a lifetime message which says bad things may happen to me, but they would always amount to nothing. He would work all things together for my good. (Romans 8:28-30).

     

    Jesus gave the same assurance to His disciples on His way to Calvary. He said: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

     

    Accordingly, I experienced peace that surpasses all understanding during my armed robbery attack. (Philippians 4:7). I was surrounded by armed robbers, there was a bullet in my leg, and I was anxious about nothing. Given the situation, the peace I had did not make any sense.

     

    In the middle of the attack, I heard the voice of God for the very first time. Later, He said to me: “Femi, blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” (Matthew 13:16).

     

    And then, the miracle of miracles, He healed the broken bone in my bullet-ridden leg.

     

    “Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel.” (Isaiah 44:23).

     

    Blindness redeemed

     

    I discovered to my surprise that I was born blind. Indeed, all men are born blind. As a result, we can only see the temporal and transient glory of men but cannot see the eternal and everlasting glory of God.

     

    In the scriptures, when Jesus opened the eyes of a man who was blind from birth, the unbelieving Pharisees queried him, asking: “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” He said to them, ‘He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.’” (John 9:15).

     

    I can imagine skeptical latter-day Pharisees asking me the same question today: “Femi, how did Jesus open your eyes?” This is my answer: “He sent armed robbers to waylay me and shoot me on Airport Road. When He did this, scales fell out of my eyes and my ears popped open.”

     

    The same phenomenon happened to Job. God afflicted him with the loss of his children, his wealth, and his health. But at the end of his ordeal, Job had this testimony. He said to God: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.” (Job 42:5).

     

    God made Job go through his ordeal for the same reason He sent armed robbers to me. He did this because of His amazing love. He does this to show us how much He loves us by redeeming our losses.

     

    Accordingly, my leg was miraculously healed. As for Job, the Lord restored his losses and gave him twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:10).

     

    That is the principle behind God’s redemption. The redeemed get double for our trouble. (Zechariah 9:12).

     

    The big bonus, of course, is the knowledge of God that our redemption brings. Therefore, Paul says: “What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8).

     

    Kingdom Dynamics

     

    When God loves us, when He adores us, He makes something bad happen to us.

     

    John makes sure we know that Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters. Nevertheless, he delayed going to see him when He heard he was sick.

     

    “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.” (John 11:5-6).

     

    So doing, He made sure Lazarus was not only sick but that he died. He did this because He wanted them to see the glory of God.

     

    He reassured His disciples about Lazarus’ affliction: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4).

     

    When He finally got to Bethany four days after Lazarus’ death, He told Martha, Lazarus’ sister: “If you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).

     

    The glory they saw was Jesus’ resurrection of Lazarus from the dead. That glory blew their minds. They were never the same again, and they came to much greater knowledge of Jesus, which is the gateway to eternal life.

     

    Jesus says to God the Father: “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3-4).

     

    Look at what Mary did because of this new knowledge:

     

    “Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” (John 12:1-3).

     

    Mary, who had been upset that Jesus came late to Bethany when Lazarus was sick, was now so grateful to Jesus for coming late and allowing Lazarus to die because she saw the glory of his resurrection.

     

    So, Christians need to understand this. Good things have been overrated and bad things have been underrated. If we want to see the good of God, we must endure the bad.

     

    “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

  • How God rescued me from going to hell in 1973 – Pastor Adeboye

    How God rescued me from going to hell in 1973 – Pastor Adeboye

    General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye has narrated how God rescued him from going to hell in 1973 when he heeded the altar call and gave his life to God.

    Speaking at the Thanksgiving Service held at the RCCG Headquarters at the Throne of Grace, Ebute Metta, Lagos with the theme; “ Songs of Victory” on Sunday, Adeboye said the song a man sings will determine what he’s passing through.

    He urged worshippers who thronged the venue and those watching online to praise God with all their hearts from for His wonderful works in their lives from January till now.

    Drawing references from Hannah experience after God gave her Samuel after being barren for many years in the Bible according to 1 Samuel, chapter 2 verses 1–2, Adeboye said it was there the popular song, ‘ Who is like thee, Oh, Lord was taken’

    He, however, said King David had to compose a song in Plasm 18 when God help him to conquer all his enemies.

    Adeboye said it’s very important for one to be a friend of God so that God will fight for him without having to lift a finger.

    He said; “ I thought I was doing fine. A young man and a lecturer in the University. I have built a house and I have a car. I have a wife and children. I never knew I was on my way to hell before I eventually met God in 1973. And that is why I have imported ‘hallelujah’ to all my songs when I realized how close I was to hell before God redeemed me.

  • [Devotional]: IN HIS PRESENCE: In the twinkling of an eye

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
    Meditation verse:
    “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52).
    In the evening of October 4th, 2021, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp crashed. It happened suddenly; one moment they were on, and the next all three platforms froze. Initially, my husband and I did not realize what had happened. We refreshed our browsers, changed our internet providers, and even restarted our devices, believing the source of data was the problem. But then we received a message that all three platforms had stopped working. How could this have happened? It had never occurred. It took us by surprise and left us with unsent messages and contents we had previously scheduled for posting.
    The bible speaks of a future event which will occur in a similar manner. Suddenly and in the twinkle of an eye, the trumpets will sound, and Jesus Christ will appear in the sky. The dead in Christ will rise first and then we who are alive will be caught up in the air to meet Him. Just like with the crashing of the platforms, most people will be unaware. As certain people begin to disappear from the earth, their loved ones will wonder where they are and begin searching for
    them. Then, it will dawn on all that the ‘rapture’ has taken place. And there will be messages not delivered, apologies not said, and mistakes not corrected.
    Luke 21:34 says, “but take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you unexpectedly”. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you are living your life in accordance with His word, then you are prepared. But if you are still living a life of sin, let the sudden events of October 4th remind you of the need to surrender your life to Him. You can do so right away.

  • How God used me to save my ex-lover’s crippled son – Pastor Adeboye

    How God used me to save my ex-lover’s crippled son – Pastor Adeboye

    Pastor E. A. Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, has narrated how God used him to heal the son of his ex-girlfriend who was born crippled.

    Adeboye, during a sermon in his church, admitted that he lived a rough life while he was still an unbeliever, stressing that he was unable to count his girlfriends.

    According to Adeboye, who is one of the most respected Christian clergymen in Nigeria, one of his ex-girlfriends who unfortunately gave birth to a cripple, was shocked to see him as a pastor when she came to church seeking for a spiritual solution to her son’s health crisis.

    The clergy stated that though the woman could not believe in his new life, the son was healed after a simple prayer.

    He said, “I have shared with you before my testimony that before I became a Christian I was rotten, I mean very rotten. I had everything needed to be rotten. I was a sportsman, I was a cameraman, I also had one or two things.

    “I ended up having so many girlfriends I couldn’t remember the number. But there was a particular one that we did everything together, and I have always told you that what we did together is none of your business.

    “But after some time she went her way and I went my way. I was transferred to the University of Ilorin and after some time her own husband was transferred to Ilorin, they had given birth to a child that was born lame.

    “So when they arrived in Ilorin, I was lecturing in Ilorin and I was also pastoring our small church in Ilorin.

    Someone told her that there is a pastor that God is performing miracles through him, take this child to him.
    ” If he prays for this child the child will walk. She came to the Mission house and she asked for the pastor and they brought her to my office, she opened the door and we greeted and she said “I want to see the Pastor”, I said “Yes! Can I help you?” she said “Yes! I want to see the Pastor”. I said I am the pastor and she said “You are the pastor?” I said yes! She said, “you will pray and God will answer?”.

    “We prayed a simple prayer and the child walked. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away and behold all things have become new. Alpha can take care of your past”.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Your value is in the pressing

    By Oke Chinye

    Read: 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

    Meditation verse:

    “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair” (2 Corinthians 4:8).

    Have you ever considered how oil is gotten from olive seeds? The seeds are pressed to express the oil. To produce sweet wine, bunches of grape seeds are put in a big drum and someone steps in to trample on them.

    Bread is made by kneading dough on a hard surface, and the churning of cream produces butter.

    What does all of this say about the creation of value?

    The value in you will not birthed in your comfort zone. It is in the daily struggling, pressing, squeezing, and suffering that the value you carry will show forth. Newton’s first law of motion states that an object either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity unless it is acted upon by an external force. His second law states that the rate of change of momentum of an object is directly proportional to the force applied. Greatness can hardly be found in your comfort zone, only mediocrity resides there.

    Jesus told His disciples that if they wanted to become great, they must serve others. Then, He rolled up his sleeves, put on an apron and bent down to wash their feet. Prophesying the suffering of the Messiah, Isaiah 50:6 states “I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting”. If the world is to benefit from your value, you must get out there and do the dirty work, and in doing so, you will be hard pressed.

    2 Corinthians 4:7-10 says, “but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body”. So, do not resist the hard knocks of life. The value is always in the pressing.

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns Oke Chinye, Founder, Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM)
    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com
    or call +2348155525555
    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Faith like potatoes

    Oke Chinye

    Meditation verse:

    “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1)

    I stumbled upon a movie some years back which has made a huge impact on my faith even till this day. The movie “Faith Like Potatoes” is based on the autobiography novel of farmer turned evangelist Angus Buchan. It portrays the inspiring true story of Angus, a local farmer in South Africa who learnt to trust God with every detail of his farming work. After his conversion, Angus began to

    live out his newfound faith in God in his work as a farmer. When a chance fire threatened to spread, Angus challenged his Zulu Farm assistant to pray with him for rain. It wasn’t yet the rainy season and the assistant scoffed but Angus prayed, and it rained. The rains extinguished the fire.

    When the land experienced severe drought, such that nothing could grow on it, Angus challenged the farmers to go ahead and plant their potatoes. Everyone was skeptical, but Angus knew the God he had come to believe in. So, the potatoes were planted, but the surfaces remained very dry. It seemed nothing was growing underneath. But when it was harvest time, Angus again challenged

    the farmers to dig and harvest the potatoes. That little Zulu town experienced a bumper harvest of big, fresh potatoes like never.

    At the end of the day, each one of us must live out our faith wherever we are and in everything we do, otherwise our faith is useless. Our Christian faith must be lived out especially in the marketplace. There is no separation between that which is secular and spiritual – everything is spiritual. Our business practices, engagements, associations, decisions, goals, activities, and outcomes must reflect our faith in Christ. And this faith must be like the potatoes harvested by Angus Buchan and his co-farmers several years ago. Our faith must be big and real enough for others to see, feel and touch.

     

    IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns Oke Chinye, Founder, Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM)

    For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

    or call +2348155525555

    For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Great leadership lessons from king David (2)

    By Oke Chinye

    Meditation verse:

    Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron saying, “indeed we are your bone and your flesh” (1 Chronicles 11:1).

    David was a very competent leader. Psalm 78:72 says that he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. From shepherd boy to poet, giant killer, and then king, he was skilled and excellent at what he did. Excellence does not occur by happenstance, it takes practice, diligence and commitment. Ecclesiastes 10:10 says” if the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success”.

    David had a great reputation. The people came willingly to him and volunteered to serve. Even some of Saul’s kinsmen and people previously in his camp defected to David’s camp. And David received every one of them. Proverbs 22:1 says, “a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold”. What do the people you lead think of you?

    David was a lover and worshipper of God. One time, he danced before the Lord with all his might; wearing a linen ephod and leaping and whirling, so much so that his wife Michal, accused him of uncovering in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows (2 Samuel 6:14-20).

    He was a generous King who gave willingly to those he led and to God. When offered free land upon which to offer sacrifices to God, he insisted on buying it from the owner saying, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). He bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. The bible says the liberal soul shall be made fat (Proverbs 11:25)

    David was quick to own up to his mistakes and ask God for mercy. Great leaders are human; they can fail sometimes. Their greatness lies in owning up to their errors and asking forgiveness from whoever they have offended. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Want to be a great leader? Eschew pride and embrace humility.