Celebration Church Int'l: Recent Episodes

Celebration Church

Audio messages of Celebration Church Int'l

New Testament Giving and Metaphors.
He emphasized that Christ was God’s best and he gave us his best freely.
Here are key points to note from the service;
- When you understand the fatherhood of God, you know there are things inconsistent with His nature.
- We give to God because he has blessed us not so that he blesses us. ⁠
- God gives us things freely without us meeting any requirement.
- As God gave himself to us in salvation, we give ourselves to him in consecration. ⁠
3 types of tithes in the Bible:
1. Levitical Tithes. Numbers 18:21, 26-29, Leviticus 20:30-32
2. The Festival Tithes or the Eating Tithes: This didn’t happen regularly like the levitical tithe. It was a form of love feast where people ate in the presence of God. Deut 14:22-26, Deut 4:5-7
3. The Charity Tithe or the Poor Tithe: It was set aside for the poor. Deut 14:28-29

The Bible also states that;
1. Everyone should give. 2 Cor 8:1
2. We are to give generously and regularly.
3. New Testament Giving is voluntary and sacrificial.
As we step into this new week, let us remember to abound in generosity, as we abound also in other aspects of our faith.

Durable Riches: The Believer & Money🔥🔥
Here are key points to note from the service;
- He emphasized that it takes resources to influence culture.
- It is also important to know that contentment is not complacency.
- Our reason for acquiring wealth is what really matters.
- God wants us to be ambitious for a selfless cause - His cause. That only happens when we learn to share His burdens and see life through His eyes.
- It is important to always examine ourselves and think of how we can be better than we are right now.

Here are other points to note from the service;
1. Leverage Relationships. Service to others will give us access to the people and the places that our gifts need to be in.
2. Scarce Information: We should learn how to research and get the right information concerning all the things we are involved in. We should never be ashamed to ask questions.
3. Education and Excellence: We should be distinct in whatever we do, and elevate our skill set as necessary.
In this month and beyond, let us ensure to always put our best foot forward. It is God’s desire that we are growing and becoming who He would have us be so we can influence culture for the Gospel. ✨

Treasure Chest
We were reminded that the goal of theology is worship, and without love, our efforts are incomplete.
When your goal is worship, even when you're not perfect in theology, your errors will be minimized.
Here are some notable points to note from this sermon;
- In the kingdom, not all things have the same priorities. There is something called weighter matters.
- ⁠Generosity is a heart issue, not just about the action.
- ⁠The New Testament principle is to give cheerfully, consistently, and out of the abundance of our hearts.
- ⁠We should learn to not give grudgingly and merely out of necessity.

It is a fundamental truth that we are all Children of God, and when we understand God as our Father, and not just a boss, our relationship with Him changes for good.
Here are some key points to note from this sermon;
- Your walk with God has not started until you begin to call God Father.
- ⁠The revelation of the Fatherhood of God changes everything.
- ⁠Our children are a reflection of God’s glory, and raising them to know and praise Him, is one of the most powerful things we can do.
- ⁠When children declare God’s glory, it silences the enemy.As parents, our goal should be to raise godly children who know and love the Lord.
We should learn to release words of blessings over our children, raise them in the way of the Lord, and recognize the sacredness and solitude of family.

Let God slow you down
Even though worship can be expressed as music, it is deeper than music. Worship is the alignment of your heart and life to God.🔥
Here are some key things to note from the sermon:
- Worship is an instrument for divine leading. Precision comes in worship.
- Worship is how God colonizes our hearts.
- We could be regular churchgoers, but we may not have given him the leading to slow it down. Proverbs 14:12
- Anything we would rather do when we ought to be searching for God is a waste of time.
- If we learn to obey God, we will save energy. Ecc 9:11
- Prayer will never be a waste of time.

As believers, we must understand that worship is not just a good idea, it is a must.
The opportunity to worship never leaves us the same. Rom 1:12. ✨

The Word of His graceWe believe in Christ and what he has done. The word of God’s grace that is mentioned in Acts 20:32 is the message of the gospel. The gospel which saves you and purifies you is also able to equip you.The gospel is preached to sinners and taught to believers. You have to know the God who has saved you so you can live for him. You don’t get saved by praying, you get saved by hearing the gospel and believing. (Romans 10:17).What does grace teach? Grace is not a license to sin but when abused, it can be seen as a license to sin.

Here are some key points to note:📌 Anything that has the power to control your will, avoid it.📌 To overcome a habit, you must be fed up with it and give it no excuse. You cannot overcome a habit that you tolerate.📌 Discipline is important but structure is more important.📌 Don’t make a doctrine out of a bias.📌 Continue in the grace of God. Spur your fellow believers in love and good works.📌 Proximity brings you into the things of God, and the presence of God colonizes everything around it. (Luke 19:1-10).

Atmosphere: Creating an Environment of Possibilities🔥
We should be conscious of the power and presence of God.
Here are some key points to note from the sermon:
- There is a way we relate with God and forget how powerful He is.
- It’s a mistake to lose your wonder.
- It is true God is everywhere but when we acknowledge his presence we give him the permission to express himself.
- You can limit God in your life.
- Worship is an act of faith that gives God permission to intervene in your life.How to create an atmosphere of possibilities through worship
- Glorify the deliverer above the deliverance. In worship, it’s God’s nature and goodness before the reward.
- Remember to worship and worship to be remembered. Don’t let the devil make you believe your testimony is a broken record. Psalm 103: 1-2.
Worship “reminds” God of His reputation. It is in a place of worship we activate God’s power to work in our lives. Remind God who He is.
We should learn to worship God on our way to deliverance, and in the good and bad times.
As you step into the new week, turn your eyes to Jesus and raise a sound to him.✨

The Word of His grace
We believe in Christ and what he has done. The word of God’s grace that is mentioned in Acts 20:32 is the message of the gospel. The gospel which saves you and purifies you is also able to equip you.
The gospel is preached to sinners and taught to believers. You have to know the God who has saved you so you can live for him. You don’t get saved by praying, you get saved by hearing the gospel and believing. (Romans 10:17).
What does grace teach? Grace is not a license to sin but when abused, it can be seen as a license to sin.

Here are some key points to note:
📌 Anything that has the power to control your will, avoid it.
📌 To overcome a habit, you must be fed up with it and give it no excuse. You cannot overcome a habit that you tolerate.
📌 Discipline is important but structure is more important.
📌 Don’t make a doctrine out of a bias.
📌 Continue in the grace of God. Spur your fellow believers in love and good works.
📌 Proximity brings you into the things of God, and the presence of God colonizes everything around it. (Luke 19:1-10).

When God Tells a Story with Your Life
Key nuggets from the sermon;
📌 We walk in confidence knowing that prophecy is holding us.
📌 Only the Scriptures can lead us to Christ. We know Him by His Word
📌 The prophets did not fully know that God was using their lives to tell the story of Jesus.
📌 What if your life is a canvas and God is telling a story with your life?

Faith can be seen. There are three kinds of faith and they are all obvious.
📌 Salvific faith, charismatic faith, and the Christian faith.
📌 Hope is any spiritual expectation based on your faith that there is a realm beyond this.
📌 Faith is any action that substantiates your hope.
📌 You must write your own faith story.
If you truly believe that anyone who doesn’t accept Jesus will perish and you haven’t interceded for those around you who do not believe are you really walking in faith

“Who owns Canada?” It is important that we understand spiritual warfare.
Here are some key points to note:
📌 Spiritual warfare is about legalities.
📌 Without information and knowledge prayer will not count as much as it should.
📌 There is a deep layer of spiritual infrastructure that controls the world we live in.
📌We must seek knowledge and know the right doctrine.
📌Wrong doctrine can become a stronghold that prevents us from accepting the right doctrine when it is presented to us.

You must understand spiritual warfare in taking territories.
Key points to notes in taking territories
📌 Recognize spiritual infrastructure
📌 We are not alone. They that are with us, in greatness and capacity are greater than those that are with them.
📌 You must cast down imaginations. Add your voice always, confrontation is part of warfare.
📌 Use the Name of Jesus always.
📌 Don’t allow the devil in your territory and in your family. You can settle the future of your children from now.

The “Foolishness” of the Gospel.
Here are key points to note:
📌The protocol of knowing God is that you must first see Him in His word.
📌The only way to know the Son of God is in the word of God.
📌Sight in our kingdom is not scientific, it is spiritual.
📌Except a man is born again he cannot see the Lord (Ephesians 1:15-18)As important as miracles are, you must see Jesus as the bread.
📌With the eyes of revelation, we see Jesus in the written word. It is all about Him.

There are many prophecies about Christ in the Old Testament.
Some prophetic parallels between Joseph and Jesus:
📌Joseph was beloved of his father, Jesus was the beloved son
📌Joseph clothes were stripped; Jesus clothes were stripped
📌Joseph sold for 20 pcs silver; Jesus sold for 30 pcs
📌Judah sold him to slavery, and Judas sold Jesus to die (Judah and Judas mean the same thing Anglicized version of Judah)
📌Joseph was sent to prison despite being of reputable character same as Jesus
📌The wickedness of Joseph's brother was the very fulfillment of God’s plan, we see that in the life of Jesus as well.
Jesus came and died for us, so we can know him and show others about him. There’s no US without HIM!

The Science of Supernatural Encounters
We learn some things from the story of the Jesus & the Samaritan woman (John 4:6-9, 27)
It was unexpected for Jesus, a Jew, to converse with a Samaritan woman due to cultural norms.
Jesus knew beforehand that she would approach and that she needed to meet him, showing his prophetic insight.
Jesus dismissed his disciples to ensure an uninterrupted conversation with the woman.
Jesus perceived the woman’s need for him and engaged with her purposefully to address it directly. ✍️Everyone who draws near to God He draws close to them. Like the Samaritan woman she had questions and the Messiah came to her. The moment we begin to look for God, it sets spiritual signals that draws Him close to us.
- Everyone who hungers and thirsts after righteousness will be filled.
- Every person is born with hunger and thirst for God. Anyone who earnestly desires righteousness find fulfillment. In every revival, there has always been a hunger for righteousness present (Matthew 5:6).
- Therefore, the advice is to continue seeking, for those who persist will discover, and those who keep knocking will have doors opened to them.
- Spiritual things have a cumulative effect, there are spiritual disciplines that require that we must show up regularly.
- Spiritual encounters can be trapped, we can create a memorial around spiritual encounters that make it repeatable.

Purpose
What is purpose? Purpose is that one thing for which we were created and we must succeed at, otherwise, nothing else we succeed at will count.Two things to remember:
📌It’s our purpose to mirror God to our world.
📌Living our lives ignoring the purpose of God is a sin.

True Worship 🔥

The priority of worship is not our preference but the order of the protocol of the Church.

By the revelation of God's mercies, our response should be presenting our bodies holy and acceptable before Him. That is the standard.

Every time worship is done properly, 3 things happen simultaneously.

The Holiness of God.
⁠The access of the blood.
⁠The fellowship and the edification of the saints.

In the Old Testament, what is most highlighted is the holiness of God.

Holiness is distinction and excellence. None to be compared with. And so is our God.

There is none Holy as our God, there is none besides Him, neither is there any rock like our God.

Here are further points of emphasis;

In true worship, you immediately know that God is not on our level.
The holiness of God without the access of the blood is scary. It must happen simultaneously.
⁠Everything in the Old Testament system of worship is a type and shadow of what Christ was going to come and do.
⁠True worshippers know that what gives them access is the blood of Jesus and not activities.
⁠The blood of Jesus has given us access, and that’s what matters to God.

And so, this is what it means to be a true worshipper. See your access through the blood.

This is the most important event in worship, the blood of Jesus. He has given us access. Glory to God!🥳🥳

Apologia: Defending the Faith 🔥
He emphasized that you have a ministry in the body of Christ and you must find your own calling.
Here are points to note from the sermon:
- It takes a level of investment to defend the faith. 1pet 3:18.
- The word “Apologia” means to give a defense and defend the faith
- You must not have a bias against defense.
As believers, why Apologetics:
- It is necessary.
- It is important for evangelism. Rev 1:17-18.
- It is important for worship. It is not worship to make Jesus common: 1 Pet 3:15.
- It is a matter of life and death.

How to know a disciple of Jesus
- Who you listen to
- Who you shun
Christ died for the gospel and you must believe in your life that the message is important. ✨
If you love the Lord, there is always something to do. As you step out this week, preach the gospel to someone.😃

Sealed: No confidence in the flesh”. 🔥🔥
He emphasized that as believers we have a lot of glory that the world doesn’t recognize. Rom 8:18-20
Here are some key points to note from the sermon;
• The riches we have in Christ are so grandiose, they can’t be compared.
• ⁠The man in Christ is so special that God takes everything that is done to you personally.
• ⁠We have been circumcised with the circumcision that was not made with hands.
• ⁠Biblical Circumcision is different from the circumcision done to men.

Biblical circumcision represents three things:
1. Identification. (Gen 17:9-14)
2. Promise.
3. Protection.
The church should walk in the consciousness of this “touch not” mark they have.
We are marked and we must recognize that we have a divine difference in us.
Circumcision applies to you too. Even if people can’t see it, there is a radical difference about you. If Cain had a ‘touch not’ mark, so do you!
Walk in the confidence of your protection in Christ today!🥳🥳

Contending for the faith 🔥🔥

He emphasized that as believers, we must be ready to contend for the faith that was once delivered unto us. Jude 1:3.

We were made to understand that there is an opposition and we (the Church) will be vehemently opposed, hence fighting is okay.

Here are some key points to note from this sermon;

For the gospel to prevail, you must be willing to fight for it.
⁠To contend for the faith, you must be open to opposition.
⁠The devil tries to deceive the believer into thinking that it is a sin to fight for what you believe.
⁠A Church that does not contend will die.
⁠As long as you’re getting it right, there will be opponents.

Three strategies the devil uses against the church;

He gaslights Christians into believing that they shouldn’t have a voice.
He abuses the Church.
He deploys means to exterminate the Church of God.

It was further emphasized that contention also involves spiritual discernment.

Every aspect of Christianity will take contention. In evangelism, in discipleship, and spirituality.

Believers must be discerning of the fact that the devil is behind every war against the church, and recognize that there are spirit entities working behind the scenes.

Finally, Jesus commanded in Matthew 5:11-12, that it is something to be happy about when persecuted, and for us to rejoice! And this indeed is our response🥳🥳

We need to have a positive mentality, in spite of any negative event because God will always come through.

As believers, our convictions should be based on the word of God, we know that all things are working together for our good. Romans 8:28

Sometimes, you are angry about the outcome of a situation, not knowing that you dodged a bullet, and God saved your life.

Abraham understood this, and it was his mentality even when God told him to sacrifice Isaac. He knew that if God wants to take Isaac, he has plans to raise him up. Genesis 22:2, Hebrews 11:17-19.

God is not in support of bad, but in spite of the bad, God can bring out good.

We don’t always know it as we should and in the present, it may seem difficult, but we know that all things work together for our good.

It takes confidence to trust in the plan of Jesus.

Two instances in the Bible that point to the redemptive work of Christ:
📍The story of Jonah in the belly of the fish.

📍The call for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac to God.

The Way: Singularity of the Faith 🔥 Jude 1:3
He emphasized that every great encounter with God recorded in the Bible points to Christ. He used the story of Noah as an example.
Here are some key points to note:
• The destruction of the world in Noah’s day was a prophecy of the destruction of the world at the end of time. 2 Peter 1:2
• Noah told the people to get into the ark but they did not understand the prophecy at that time. 2pet 2:5.
• The ark was a prophetic metaphor of salvation. The ark saved people from God’s wrath.
• There was no function of control on the ark, meaning salvation is by God alone and we have no contribution.
• The ark was covered in pitch(bitumen) which prevented rain from getting into it. Gen 6:14 Job 33:24
•The ark had just one door, just like Christ is the way. Rev 3:20

Today, there are different things done to kick Jesus out of the church:
- Suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. Rom1:18.
- False doctrines: We must take our doctrines seriously as salvation is by believing not by praying.
It is important to know that the happenings in the Old Testament was a pattern showing what will happen in the end time. Heb8:1.

Pendulum 🔥
There is a kind of devotion we should have for the ministry of souls. 🔥
Here are some key points to note from the sermon:
- By our efforts, people should be able to tell the value of what we are gunning for.
- In our devotion to ministry, we must preach like we are up against something.
- Ministry is warfare and not something to be done casually.
- There is nothing outside the word of God that is relevant to our salvation.
- When we become spiritually mature, we would be harder to deceive.
- It takes war for the truth to become popular and to gain ascendancy. 2 Tim 4:7
- When it comes to the things of God, it's noteworthy that there is no perfect vessel, everyone is flawed.

We must learn to test all things and hold on to what is true. God wants a generation that will not tolerate mediocrity.

Endless life 🔥
Because of Jesus, we have access to the Father. 2 Cor 4:4
Here are some key points to note from the sermon;
- National development is important, but the offering of the gospel is a priority.
- The gospel is not for economic development.
- The gospel offering is more than an escape from hell.
Three things to note from Matthew 12:38:40
- Beware of consumer Christianity: When you're a consumer Christian, your faith will not last. Something must happen in your hearts for you to see the gospel as the power of God. Sometimes, the miracles in your life are to show you that there are higher priorities.
- The sign of Jonah is that he died and rose again, and we see the same with Jesus. Jonah 2:1
- The message of Jonah. Jonah 4:1. This message was for the people of Nineveh to repent. The God of the Bible is so good, He annoys religious people.

Here are further points to note;
- Feeling bad is not the power of God unto salvation.
- Your faith is based on the message, not on how you feel.
- The God of the Bible is concerned about impact, not reputation.
God wants to prove the extent of his love, grace, and kindness to you. The resurrection of Jesus is the best gift to mankind ✨

We already established earlier today that Eden is no longer a geographical location or a physical mountain. Eden is our new location, and we are Eden.
There are some things that we need to know about our new location, Eden. One of which is that we must know how to work well with angels (Hebrews 12:18-22).
There are four keys to activating angelic ministration
🔸️ Reverence for the Lord (Psalm 34:7)
🔸️ Be committed to knowing and doing the word (Psalm 103:20)
🔸️ Prayer (Daniel 10:12)
🔸️ Sacrifice (Acts 10:2-4)

Our walk with Christ can not be accomplished without angels, and how well you work with angels will determine the effectiveness of your ministry.

Deeper is for consecration, for you to examine yourself.

An opportunity to strengthen hands that hang low and feeble knees.

You must feel after God, where you have that pure and holy passion and that consciousness.

When it comes to conviction, our final authority and focus will forever be scripture.

People’s experiences can be faulty and lead us to error.

Lessons from an encounter with heaven and hell:
Hell:
Endurance of physical and emotional torment in multiple folds of the worst human feelings.
Forever haunted by guilt after a realization of God’s eternal love, leading to hopelessness.

Heaven:
Radiates pure light, divine presence, awe, and the Godly type of fear.
Fulfils every desire, leading to a desire to serve. All your ambitions die.

God created all things, and he gave them for our enjoyment. Yet he remains the chief Joy.

Nothing will be more fulfilling than to see him and serve him.

Learning to wait is a very important aspect of spiritual growth. There’s something about the environment that tells us how we are to operate.

God didn’t just create animals, he created an environment for them to depend on. You were created for you to depend on. Gen 2:8.

Eden is a geographical location but not just a geographical location. In the Garden of Eden, the supernatural overlapped with the natural. Eden was the embassy of heaven on earth. Eden was a portal. Heavenly realities were simulated in Eden.

When you think of Eden, you think of priesthood. Gen 12:7, 28:12-13. Eden is a place where man can receive instructions from his maker. Exodus 19:16-19, Ezekiel 28:13-14.

Sinai was a type of Eden. Eden is a spiritual place but does not have to be at the entrance of heaven. A portal can make two far places close. Anywhere can be Eden, God just has to put around it an environment that is conducive.

You no longer have to take a sacrifice to a physical place, you will be the offering, the priesthood, the sacrifice, and the temple. Because the sacrifice has been paid once and for all, reconciliation is the message. Everything Christ was, we are. We continue where Christ stopped.

You can be a churchgoer and be using worldly wisdom. 1Kings 6: 31-:32. John 1:51, 4:24..2Cor 5:19. We continue where Christ is. In Christ was the provision of salvation, In us was the announcement of salvation. Heb 12:23, John 7:38, 2Cor 5:20

When you come to the consciousness of priesthood it’s a new mentality. God has made an avenue through Christ by which his presence can permeate the earth.

God has made you an ever-flowing spring of his spirit. You are the bridge and the answer. We have been given the privilege of priesthood. It is our calling to be envoys. We are to carry more than just for us, we are to distribute.

Trample
The understanding of believers' authority leads to;
1. Personal transformation
2. ⁠National transformation
3. ⁠Spiritual victory.
Here are some salient points to note from this sermon
- When you discover your identity in God, your life changes.
- ⁠Understanding a believer's authority helps you have a ‘God esteem’.
What happens when you receive this God's esteem?
1. You would stop seeking external validation.
2. ⁠You will realize that no one is better than you because we are all equal in the sight of God.

Believers' authority is a mentality that births personal transformation.
⁠Knowledge is your defense in spiritual warfare.
Believers' authority is all about seeing what Christ saw with the eyes of the spirit.
Our victory is preceded by first seeing satan fallen. We can therefore go in the name of the Lord because all power has been given to Jesus.🔥
As you go about your divine assignment, rest in the assurance that nothing can stop you! Take strides confidently because the devil is fallen.

Who Runs The World 🔥
Understanding our authority exposes the devil's scheme. Eph 6:12
Here are some key points to note from the sermon:
- If you don't realise that some things are not normal you will think everything is normal.
- Never leave anything to chance.
- We must always be armed in the place of prayer and understanding of our authority in Christ.
- The devil has lost his authority so he is in search of places of influence here on earth. He seeks to collect the authority he lost.
- In and around your vicinity and sphere of influence, Go in the name of Jesus.

As a believer, you must learn to use your authority. Go about your duties knowing that nothing can stop you. ✨

Seated: The position of the believer
He emphasized that we experience shadows because our convictions in God shift. James 1:17
Here are some key points to note from the sermon:
- You must come to a point in your walk with God where you must learn to trust him.
- Every good comes from God, only good comes from God.
Evil stems from two sources
- The fallen nature of the world. Rom 8:20-21
- The Devil Acts 10:30
- Man
Wrong teachings cast shadows on the nature of God and will lead to wrong expectations.
God’s promise is that no matter what you face, He will provide a way of escape.What happens when we think only good things happen to good people?
- We treat other people who are going through hard times poorly. There is a type of devotion God calls pride.
More points to note:
- Self-righteousness makes you vulnerable to attacks.
- When it comes to a believer’s authority it is a firm understanding of who you are.
- It is not your faithfulness that gives you authority.
- The name of Jesus is a place (Strong tower) and a garment of influence.
Go in the name of Jesus, when you stand and confront things in the spirit.

The goal of the gospel is not for illumination, the goal is to salvation. In this wicked world, we must be born again and as believers, we must be different from the world.
The Bible tells us that we have an inheritance of power, just because you're saved doesn't mean you know who you are, there is a place of knowing. We must know who we are as believers!

Who Are You? A teaching on believers' authority
Acts 19:13, Ephesians 1:15
The goal of the gospel is not for illumination, the goal is to salvation. In this wicked world, we must be born again and as believers, we must be different from the world.
The Bible tells us that we have an inheritance of power, just because you're saved doesn't mean you know who you are, there is a place of knowing. We must know who we are as believers!
There is more to prayer! It is first an identity.
A lot of people are prayerful without a consciousness of inheritance.

Acts 1:8, Galatians 3:27
The problem with a lot of Christianity is that it is always futuristic ignoring what they have now.
The word 'Baptism' describes who we are in Christ as believers.
Baptism is more than just water; water is just a spiritual metaphor for something real in the spirit. Baptism is a garment of influence, it wears you with the influence of Christ.
Christ did not just die for us, he died as us.
Say these confessions: I have an inheritance! I have a godly heritage! Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world.

How to Choose the Right Spouse ✨

A lot of people make conclusions on the basis of appearance.
1 Sam 16:6-7.

Here are some key points to note from the sermon:

Anointed people can also choose wrong.
Social standards can cloud your judgment.
Beware of the halo effect.

What to look out for in a husband
- Look for a man who is responsible. Find out what his values are towards family.
- Respect and accountability
- Who does he love?

What to look out for in a wife
- Is she considerate, especially in today’s world?
- Respect and accountability
- Reliability.

As Christians, we must always listen to God’s instructions and ask for his directions to make the right choice.✨

Marital roles.
Men and women in many aspects are very different. This is why God’s instructions and roles for both genders are different.
The reason we sometimes struggle with these instructions is because we define love according to worldly ideologies.
However, as believers, the word of God is our final authority.
God's instruction to men is for them to love their wives. Ephesians 5:25
Three Ps that will help you understand the Biblical perspective of marriage as a man are:
📍Protection
📍Provision
📍Promises
The Bible instructs women to submit. Ephesians 5:22
📍Submission is not to all men but your own husband.
📍 Learn to see submission with a powerful lens, it doesn't mean subjugation.
In understanding gender roles, there is an overarching principle of empathy.
The best advice for marriage is found in the word of God; walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Gal 5:16

Marital roles.

Men and women in many aspects are very different. This is why God’s instructions and roles for both genders are different.

The reason we sometimes struggle with these instructions is because we define love according to worldly ideologies.

However, as believers, the word of God is our final authority.

God's instruction to men is for them to love their wives. Ephesians 5:25

Three Ps that will help you understand the Biblical perspective of marriage as a man are:
📍Protection
📍Provision
📍Promises

The Bible instructs women to submit. Ephesians 5:22
📍Submission is not to all men but your own husband.
📍 Learn to see submission with a powerful lens, it doesn't mean subjugation.

In understanding gender roles, there is an overarching principle of empathy.

The best advice for marriage is found in the word of God; walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Gal 5:16

How to Heal from Trauma
We must always embrace, in our consciousness, the image of totality in salvation.
When it comes to total and wholesome deliverance, spiritual activity is the beginning and not the end.
This means that mind renewal starts with the word of God and then a healthy exposure to the ideal reality.
There are four attachment styles that influence people's behavior, which are
1. The Secure Attachment
2. ⁠The Anxious or Preoccupied
3. The ⁠Avoidant Dismissive
4. The Fearful Avoidant
It is ideal to be conscious of what style we belong to so we can control or manage how we relate to people.
There are, however, 3 sure ways to help heal from these negative effects:
1. The church.
2. Walking in the spirit of God.
3. Living in Christ Consciousness.

Conflict to Connection

Love in and of itself, is not enough guarantee to have a lasting home. And that it takes wisdom and understanding to build a home.

Here are some important lessons to take note from this sermon;

Psychological signs that a relationship will not stand the test of time:
I. Criticism
II. Defensiveness
III. Contempt
IV. Stonewalling.

Two things to learn about communication:
I. We are different.
II. Understand that there is a reason you are the way you are.

Four important ways to create an environment of safety, which are;
1. Create a non-judgmental environment.
2. ⁠A clear line of communication.
3. ⁠There must be a deep sense of understanding.
4. ⁠Women must feel prioritized.

There are four signs of defensiveness as mentioned earlier as a way of discernment;
I. Making excuses.

II. Cross complaining.

III. “Yes but”

IV. Body language and time change.

Lastly, we learned about how to deal with them as listed below;
1. Take a short break.
2. ⁠Stick to the subject matter.
3. ⁠Future focus.

As we journey through our marriage and relationships, we are instructed to take intentional steps to ensure a long-lasting and healthy home.🤗

Michaelangelo: How to make your marriage work

Building a successful marriage requires a lot of work. Therefore, both parties must be highly committed to putting in a lot of effort to make it work.

Here are some key points to note from the sermon:

• Finding the right person doesn’t automatically mean your marriage will be good.

• God does not choose life partners for people. He will only guide you in your decision-making.

Things to recognize and correct in your marriage:
- Harsh Startups
- Contempt
- Defensiveness
- Stonewalling

Roadmap to Kingdom Greatness: Money.🔥

Fruitfulness does not only mean biological fruitfulness but, increase on every side.

Here are some key points to note:

God expects you to not only consume but, to reproduce and increase on every side.
Fruitfulness is an instruction from God.
There has to be something in your hand for God to bless.

How does the blessing work?

With guided labor followed with obedience.
By a favor advantage.

To be fruitful, learn the following:

Imitation: Learn how to replicate what already exists. Do your research and study.
Innovation: Do what others are doing till it unlocks a new level of creativity that hasn’t been conceived.

The mandate to dominate was given to all men.
As you go into this week, make sure you take on that mandate.

You’re well-equipped for the journey!🔥

"Special Sunday Service Canada - Friend Of Sinners" from Occupy by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2024. Track 4. Genre: Religious.

Roadmap to Kingdom Greatness: Consecration
He emphasized that as believers we must develop a spine in our devotion to evangelize the world without getting contaminated.
Here are some key points to note from the sermon:
- You must be brave to enter the darkness where your message is truly needed.
- There is a right approach to use in evangelism.
- Don’t try to shame people into righteousness.

God wants his people to be fully consecrated and prepared before He sends them out into the world to occupy📌
Without consecration God will not give you the blessing you seek, so you don’t misuse it.

Metamorphosis: The Courage to Change
Here are key points to note from the sermon:
- To achieve greatness, you must have sheer audacity.
- Courage is necessary to live out the call of God on your life.
- It takes courage to believe that God can achieve great things through you.
How to embrace the possibilities of God:
- ⁠Begin to dress like who you want to become.
- Surround yourself with possibilities.
- Vow never to give up.

Steps to take this year to improve yourself:
- Choose to be excellent every day.
- Be hardworking.
- Live life without an entitlement mentality.
Remember, courage is a necessity. 🔥

Roadmap to Kingdom Greatness.🔥
The advent of the printing press brought about the spread of the Bible around the world.
Here are some key points to note:
- Technology and influence played a part in the spread of the gospel.
- You have to conceive greatness for God to work with you.
- If the church is not sensitive about dominion, it will take a back seat.

God wants to empower his church, so open your heart to creative abilities. Influence is necessary to spread the gospel and occupy!💃🏾

There is a need for practical Christianity in our journey in 2024.

Points to remember from the sermon at Overture 2023 :

We’re envoys of Christ.
We’re resident representatives of heaven on earth.
We have the backing of heaven.

Three aspects of practical Christianity God wants to emphasize in this new year:
- Love
- Power
- Supernatural creativity.

As you journey into 2024, let others come into the knowledge of Christ through you.🔥
It’s a new dispensation and we’re set to OCCUPY!💃🏻

Here are some ways to prepare for the new year:
- Remember in thanksgiving
- Remember the prophecies God has given you.
- Resolve to put God first.
- Hit the ground running.
- Be strong and courageous.
- Discern strategic relationships.
- Employ praise as a weapon.

As you go into the new year, make plans to stay in the word and in prayer. Let go of all distractions and run with God’s prophecy over your life.

We learned how big of a deal Christmas ought to be for believers in Christ.
Here are some notable points from this teaching:
- Christmas is a big deal because of the extent God went to announce the birth of Jesus.
- We must see Christmas as an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus.
- Christmas represents God and sinner reconciled.
- Jesus is worth the celebration!

As we celebrate Christmas, we must emphasize that Christ remains the reason for the season. It is also an opportunity to preach the message of the gospel to others

Key points to note:
- Having a thankful disposition wherever you find yourself is the will of God.
- There is something wrong when you find yourself complaining more than giving thanks.
- Your voice of rejoicing should be louder than your voice of your request.

Here are five reasons we should give thanks:
📌 It is the will of God.
📌 A thankful heart is a great indicator of spiritual growth.
📌 Thank God for who He is.
📌 Thank God for what He has done.
📌 Thank God for what He will do.

Our Apostle Iren exhorted us in the word of God and it was so instructive.🔥
- Be committed to the place of fellowship with the saints. Do not give up at the slightest inconvenience.
- Christianity isn’t only about what you were delivered from, it’s also what you are delivered into.
- You’ve were adopted into God’s family
- When choosing a church, choose with the conviction of the Spirit.
- The books in the New Testament were to churches and not lone Christians.
- Evangelism gives us the opportunity to grow in spiritual gifts

Ambience: The Jealousy of God
Here are some important points to remember:
📌 The presence and provision of God is in his purpose.
📌 The biggest principle of Power is not in prayer and fasting but in purpose
📌 When you find yourself in the center of God’s will, you will see and walk in power.
📌 You don’t just wake up and follow trends as a Christian. You must inquire of the Lord.

📌 The jealousy of God is God’s vehement commitment to the execution of his plan and him fighting against anyone trying to contradict what He is trying to achieve with you. Isaiah 9:6
📌 The jealousy of God is the zeal of God. God’s jealousy stewards his purpose for your life.
📌 One of the most powerful things you can do is to side with God.
📌 If you are in the will of God, the supernatural flows easily.
📌 Your money is a symbol of your energy. Whatever you spend your money on is your idol.
📌 When there is genuine love, there is jealousy, and Godly jealousy wants love to thrive.

Ambience - Manifesting the presence of God.”
📍There are two ways by which God uses a man;
1. Stream of Faith
2. Stream of the Anointing
Both work in a partnership.
📍Three things to note on the stream of faith:
1. Know the Word of God.
2. Believe the Word of God.
3. Practice the Word of God.
📍How do you stir up the anointing?
1. Through prayers.
2. By confessing the Word.
3. By responding to it! Never consider any signal ‘small’, always respond.
4. Heartfelt worship.
The Word of God will have a sacred impact on the lives of sacred people—individuals who have learned to reverence the Word of God over any evidence to the contrary.

The Ambience of God in Sanctification.
Here are important points to remember from this sermon:
1. There are some things in our lives that we cannot just pray away because they call for correction. We must allow ourselves to be subject to this correction in the light of God’s word.
2. Worship is not complete until it is entire.

You must realign your perspective constantly to God’s Word.
It is possible for you to be in Church and still be using the same light that the world is using. You need to renew your mind and be different.
The moment you notice inconsistencies in your life, correct yourself.
The surest way to overcome a habit is to replace it.
How to build habits:
📍Create a cue; something that triggers the behavior.
📍Create a craving.
📍Create a response.
📍 Create a reward.

The Ambience of God in Prayers
Here are a few key points from the sermon;
📍The prayer life of Jesus fueled His miraculous ministry. Prayer was not just an activity for Jesus but a habit (Mark 5:16, Mark 1:35, Mark 1:40-44)
📍All the supernatural advantages of believers are powered by prayer (Acts 1:8)
📍If you find yourself lacking spiritual energy, PRAY! If you do not pray, you will fall into temptation.
📍God will not give you a responsibility that you don’t have the prayer life to sustain.
📍Prayer can inject in you possibilities. You don’t know your full capacity if you haven’t prayed (Mark 14:22-25)

The Ambience of God in Salvation.
Here are a few key points from the sermon:
📍 The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of the influence of the Spirit in a person. (Galatians 5:22 NKJV)
📍 When you observe a person, you can see either of these two things evident in their life:
1. The Fruits of the Spirit
2. The Works of the Flesh
📍 If you don’t show signs of the fruit of the Spirit, it is either because you are not saved or you haven’t submitted to the influence of the Spirit.
📍 Salvation is God fulfilling His redemptive promise to man.
📍 Righteousness is first a gift before an action. When you believe that Christ died for you, you are declared righteous.
God has given us the gift of righteousness and power. So, walk in the Spirit and submit yourself to the influence of God.

Apostle Emmanuel Iren
Topic: Seeing in the Place of Prayer
Text: Romans 8:26
There are times we go into prayer to see, not to make requests. (Habakkuk 2:1) (Acts 1:3)
Things to know about making requests in prayer.
1. Sometimes; it is possible that it is the will of God, but it is not time. (Zechariah 10:1)
2. Sometimes, it is not God’s will at all. You can be wrong in your desire. There is an extent to which your free will can be exercised (Jeremiah 29:11).
God has a plan for your life. Go to God with a clean sheet, let him give you desires. Also, allow God tell you No.
Sometimes, the answer you need is strength.
Most times, your prayers are even an underestimation of the power of God. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

How can I function in this level of sight?
1. Love the Lord with your heart.
There is a powerful rule of the spirit and that rule is “indifference.” Just wanting what the Lord wants and loving what he loves. (Matthew 6:33). Love the Lord and Serve the Lord.
2. Prayer. (Acts 9:11). Praying in the spirit stirs up every spiritual faculty in you.
3. Worship. There are places in worship where secrets are revealed.
Areas we will receive sight.
1. Relationships
2. Investments
3. Consecration
4. Giving
5. Healing.

Pastor Laju gave a short charge on How to prepare for Reboot Camp.🔥
Here are key points to note:
- God wants you to tell Him your desire. Don’t assume He knows already.
- Don’t wait till it’s too late to pray.

Three things to do while preparing for reboot camp:
- Ask
- Shout unashamedly
- Pray with a sense of urgency

There are four non-negotiable marks of a good church:
- A good understanding of salvation and the gospel.
- Their theology about money.
- They must have a charismatic ministry in a corporate way
- It must be a mission-minded church.

Here are other key points to note:
- Every message you hear in church should encourage you to engage in the things of the Spirit.
- You have a part to play in the kingdom. Tell people about Jesus at every chance you get.

Here are some key points to note from the sermon:
- You cannot be a part of a great vision and not be stirred to start what God has called you to do.
- Falsehood prevails because those who have the truth are not doing anything about it.
- God has a purpose for your life, and it is to know Him and make Him known.
- Your career is not your purpose, but it can be a vehicle to help you fulfill your purpose.
In the area of finding a balance between your purpose and career:
- Do not be caught up in the quest for survival.
- You must not use the blessings God has given you to dishonour Him.
- Never be too busy to have time for God.

Don’t let your career steal your purpose from you, create a balance. This is God’s plan for you.

Who is your family? 🔥
The vital role of the church as a family, and its significance to God.
Here are important points to remember:
- God wants a family.
- God reckons family by fellowship.
- Family relationships aren't just vertical, but horizontal.
- God judges your commitment to him, by your commitment to his church.

Be intentional about your fellowship with the saints.
Evaluate your contribution towards God's work, and renew your commitment to it.

We must seek God for who He is, and not for what we can receive from Him.
Here are some key points to note from the sermon:
- God wants to be Lord over your life.
- As a believer, you must ensure that you do not idolize your pain.
- A miracle must not become a condition for your continuous fellowship with God.
- A true believer must be genuine in his worship of God.

Furthermore, in the place of prayer:
- We must understand that we are priests.
- As a priest, you have the responsibility of praying your way out of bondage.

You must take responsibility for your destiny in prayer. And believe that you shall receive all you have asked for.🔥

The gift of tongues is not the exuberance of a particular denomination, it is hinged to the very promise of our salvation.
📌Luke 24:25-27; You get into a new level of Bible study when you understand that the priority of the scriptures is salvation. The entirety of the scripture has a scope.
📌It begins with the promise of salvation in the Old Testament, the provision of salvation in the Gospels, and the announcement of salvation in the Epistles.
📌So, there are three Jewish feasts that God instituted through Moses that talk about Jesus’ coming:
1. The Passover: This was a feast to commemorate God delivering the people from Egypt.
- This was a very powerful metaphor of salvation. The children of Israel were not going to be saved just because they were children of Israel. The only thing that would occasion their exemption from death was the blood on the lintel. This means that the only reason the Egyptians died is because they didn’t know. If they had known, they’d have put blood on their lintel. This is a picture of the final judgment. It doesn’t matter your background, the only thing that will save you at the end is the blood.
- During the Passover, God asked them to eat unleavened bread. From I Corinthians 5:7, we understand that the unleavened bread was to represent sanctification because the yeast was a metaphor for people who didn’t believe.
2. The Feast of Weeks: Immediately after the Passover celebration, they begin to count 49 days after the Passover. 49 days is 7 weeks; Exodus 34:22. The feasts are connected. There is no feast of weeks without the Passover.
- According to God’s timeline, in delivering the Israelites from Egypt, they should have been in the promised land by 50 days and partaken of the first fruit of that land.
- In the Passover, they ate unleavened bread, but by the feast of weeks, they bake 2 loaves of leavened bread to say ‘We who used to be slaves are now free’
- The feast of weeks was supposed to commemorate the giving of the law.
3. The Feast of Tabernacle

By studying these feasts you ought to have understood God’s redemptive plan and His timeline.
1. Christ is our Passover: I Corinthians 5:7; so the unleavened bread had nothing to do with eating, it related to people. What happened in Egypt was a prophetic picture.
- The Passover was celebrated on the 10th day of the first month
- Every Jewish family will buy a lamb, familiarize themselves with the lamb for three days, and clean their house of every leavened bread.
- On the 14th day, they’ll kill the lamb without breaking its bones.
📌When we come to the Gospels, we see that on the 10th day of the first month, Jesus gets a donkey and rides into Jerusalem. This means that the lambs the families were buying were a type and shadow of the real Lamb. He is then brought before Caiphas, the one that handles all the temple sacrifice. He is then sacrificed at the same time that the lambs are being sacrificed.
2. Christ is our first fruit: I Corinthians 15:20-23. The Jews were also called first fruit because through them, the world would hear about Christ
📌And so, Pentecost is attached to salvation. Tongues is not the exuberance of a particular denomination, it is hinged to the very promise of our salvation.
📌Now, what does this have to do with tongues?
📌God showed the Israelites so many signs so they could understand that He was behind their prophets.
So for God to catch their attention He must do it in a dramatic way. He must show that Jesus is greater in a more dramatic way. The mount of transfiguration.
(2 Cor. 3:6) At the giving of the law, 3000 people were judged and killed but at Pentecost, 3000 people were saved.
📌If God did all that in the Old Testament, we must have even more signs.
Fire will fall not on Sinai, but on us. The God of the Bible will always announce himself.

God uses foolish things in the world to confound the wise, and it is the same with the gift of tongues.
Here are some key points to note from the sermon:
- It takes spiritual discernment to recognize the operation of faith through speaking in tongues.
- Tongues are the trigger to every other spiritual gift
- Tongues is not determined by how eloquent it sounds.
What does it mean to speak in tongues?
- The gift of tongues is a unique spiritual language given to you.
- It is a spiritual communication between you and God.
- It is for the believer to use for edification in spite of it being unintelligible to the mind.
What does it mean to speak in tongues?
- The gift of tongues is a unique spiritual language given to you.
- It is a spiritual communication between you and God.
- It is for the believer to use for edification in spite of it being unintelligible to the mind.
What the Tongues gift is not?
- It does not mean to speak in a human language you never learned; this is only possible by a miracle.
- Tongues are not for evangelical purposes.
- Speaking in tongues is not involuntary.
How do I receive the gift of tongues?
- Recognize that God is willing to give you, more than you are ready to receive it.
- It is impossible to ask God for the gift and not receive it.
- If you are born again you already have the spirit, you only need to use what you have.

Praying in Tongues.🔥🔥🔥

The gift of tongues is important for every believer. Therefore, it must be properly explained for better understanding.

Here are some key points to note from the sermon:

God doesn’t want you to be ignorant about tongues.
As long as you have God’s spirit, you can speak in tongues.
To fully understand this gift, you must look into the word of God to know what God says about it.

Why is Tongues important?

When we speak in tongues we confirm that Christ is glorified. There is no other spiritual gift that directly points to the glorification of Christ.
We have access to it only because of Christ’s resurrection.
It is God’s desire that we are not lacking in any spiritual gift.

So, do not resist the urge to flow in this gift of tongues. The Holy Ghost is for everyone!🔥

Prayer Foundation

You must lose satisfaction for a prayerless life and resist complacency.

Here are some key points to note from the sermon:

– You must pray like your destiny depends on it because it does.

– Prayer can be learned.

– You can only fulfill God’s plan for your life with a prayer life.

– The first rule of prayer is to seek first God’s kingdom and every other thing will be added.

Areas where prayer lives can improve:

– Duration

– Fervor

– Impact

– Priority

What Jesus emphasized when He taught on the Lord’s Prayer:

– Relationship

– Consecration

– Priority of God’s Kingdom

How to identify ‘Negative Kairos’
📍Matthew 16:1-3; just as there are natural signs of physical seasons, such is the same for the spiritual.
📍Kairos can be described as a divine coincidence, but it's more than that. You might never even realize when it happens. It's God's prophetic intervention in human activities.
📍Luke 10:30-31. Synkarian- together with Kairos, which is now translated to coincidence.
📍Isaiah 46:9-11. God can declare the end from the beginning and announce it like it has already happened. With God, favour can come from a far place. Kairos works with the gift of prophecy.
📍There is a negative kairos. It's possible for positive and negative Kairos to happen at the same time for different people in the same situation. 1 Chronicles 18.
📍Negative kairos can happen either by you straying away from God and being under the devil's control or by someone else prophesying negatively over you.

How much of our time does God control?

📍As a believer we need to understand that God does not determine all things, even though he determines many things.
📍God can use the bad to produce good in your life because all things work together for good. (Romans 9:15 NKJV)
📍God is never partial, but there is something called election of grace.
📍As Christians we need to know that when God shows special mercy to someone, He is showing it to everyone else.
📍 When God invests in one person it is because He wants to bless more people through that one.
It is important to note that Life is not all about money.
Instead, we should:
1. Learn to be a partner.
2. Make wise investments.
God has created a system in the body of Christ where the strong will help the weak.

How to utilize chronos.
As believers, we are supposed to live by principles. Proverbs 24:3
There are some evil days you can’t escape by prayer but by the proper management of your time.
Go out of your way and create opportunities to plan for the future. Ephesians 5:16
Plan not only for rainy days, plan for the future, and be cautious of time. Luke16:9
Things that can help us preserve our victory in life.
📌Gratitude - Be grateful, seasons can change, so don’t take anything for granted.
📌Build relationships - Learn to build good and cordial relationships with others.
📌Have a savings and investments culture - Learn to save, even if things are hard. Keep challenging yourself, and keep improving. Proverbs 6:6-8

God Make Us A People Of Prayer
- One of the ways to test your spiritual health is your prayer life.
- There are purposes that God wants to achieve in your life, and they can't be accomplished unless you stay in the place of prayer.
- Prayer is a medium through which a man invites God into his life to accomplish His purpose in the man’s life.
- God is all-powerful but He is not mannerless to trample on man’s free will.

2 simple reasons why prayer is important:
- So that God can do in your life what He wants to do.
- So that the devil cannot do in your life what he wants to do.
2 things to know when rebuilding your prayer life:
- Prayer will never be a waste of time.
- No matter how far away you have been, you can be on fire again.
Finally, some of the key principles of prayer:
- Create a time and a place of prayer.
- Create a system around it.

Agalliao

Christ is not only our example in suffering but also in Bible Joy.
Here are some highlights from the sermon:
- A man who has Christ has everything.
- You must have the wisdom of God to have strength from the within.
- One of the worst things you can do is to perpetually dwell on the negatives in your life.

Five things to know about Biblical Joy:
- Joy is not normal
- Joy is a treasure
- Joy is a fortress
- Joy is a crown
- Joy is a fight

How to engage in a Joy fight;
- No matter what you are going through, know that it could have been worse.
- Put it on God and salvation.

Minister: Apostle Emmanuel Iren
Title : Paper Tiger

Objectives of this sermon
-To highlight the origin of Fear
-To understand what God done about Fear
-To understand how to handle Fear

📝Where does fear come from?
Fear is seen in the Bible as early as Genesis 3:10 where Adam and Eve were afraid after they disobeyed and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is a principle of carnal perspective of life. The devil (serpent) convinced them by telling them:
-Their eyes will be open - Genesis 3:4 i.e. they will have carnal illumination, giving them a new perspective of wisdom - Genesis 3:6
-They will be as God, meaning they would not be subject to the law of God anymore Romans 8:7

However, after they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their eyes opened and they felt ashamed and anxious (Genesis 3:10)- this is the origin of Fear.

📝The solution to Anxiety is not that your needs are met. James 4v1-3

When anxiety arises, some believe that fulfilling specific needs will bring happiness. While milestones like job, marriage, success are good, they should not be dependent on your happiness.

📝What has God done about Fear:
Philippians 4:6-7: Anxiety might have been normalized but it is not normal, it’s a foreign attribute. God has given you his spirit - Romans 8:2. You are free from the law of sin and death.

Luke 12:25 - Worry is pointless, it won’t make you better. You must learn to handle things you can’t control, God wants you to practice peace.

Philippians 4:6-7 - When you are hard pressed on every side, take everything to God in prayer, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart, which means God responds to not just your prayer but also gives you peace.

📝How do you produce this peace?
With prayer and supplication. Prayer is therapeutic. Spend time praying in tongues. God’s priority in spite of all that you’re going through, is not just to answer you, he wants to build your spirit and make you strong because in this world, you’ll have tribulation.

Title: Handling Suffering
Minister: Apostle Emmanuel Iren
2 Corinthians 4:4
There is such a thing as blindness of the mind and this is what the people outside Christ experience.
However, God remedies this situation by putting His Spirit within us and causing us to walk in His statutes. Ezekiel 36:26-27,31
Christianity is a miracle of changed desires. The things that were irresistible when we were in the world are no longer irresistible in Christ. Gal 5:16-18, Col 3:1-3
Joy should always be an offshoot of our location being seated with Christ
Joy is not inherently an emotion for the believer. Joy is a new appetite.
Joy is a miracle
How do I know that I need to set my affections?
1. If I lack patience to learn: the moment you find yourself losing staying power, you need to check it. You’re not a customer in the church, you’re a disciple.
2. You hardly share the things of God: Hebrews 1:9. When last did you share a sermon excerpt with someone that you thought needed it?
Joy is an appetite issue. For a child of God, it is never just about the beat in a song. Psalm 1:1-2
God’s law can become a delight for you not just a duty.
Guard your heart with all diligence, like the way a Customs officer guards the border, don’t allow just anything come in, Psalm 1:32, Ephesians 5:6-11
This is how habits are built: Repetition-Easy-Often-Pleasure-Habit
If Spiritual things always feel long for you, your flesh is alive.
To-do: Write down what you are going to do better and what you will not do anymore and may God help you.

Minister - Apostle Emmanuel Iren
Title - Looking Unto Jesus

Many Christians might be fierce in prayer and word study, yet be one trial away from backsliding because the church has not taught much on defence in the face of tribulations.

📌Objectives of this sermon
1. How to handle tribulations
2. How to remain perpetual in the joy of the Lord

Why do bad things happen?
1. Whilst God is all-powerful, He also gave us free will.
For love to be possible, hate has to be possible too because God wants us to choose him.
Hebrews 4:15,
2. Adam abused the freewill and sinned
Romans 5:12
God empathized with us in our frailty, and his example is a lesson on how to handle pain. Isaiah 53:3

How to handle tribulations by looking up to Jesus
📝Jesus Set Joy Before Himself: Heb 12:2 (The Greek word translates for someone to set joy in the mind). You might be going through a lot but it is important and possible to set Joy before you by recognizing what is going well in your life. PS: You cannot control what you cannot control. Your worrying won't change anything. This is a mentality to have.

📝Despise the shame. Hebrews 12:2.

📝He did not treat the pain as though it were final: You need to stop acting like this trial will be the end of your life. Psalms 16:8-11.

📝 Trusting God with your life not just in salvation but in every practical area of your life.

📝 Let the Lord himself be your Joy Psalm 16:8 You want to be happy all your life? Don't set your joy on things that can change. Set your Joy in the Lord.
There is joy in things, but a permanent type of Joy is called Joy in the Holy Ghost! Glory to God!

Glass Jaw
The body of Christ should learn how to defend themselves and not only how to fight warfare.
Here are some key points to note from the sermon:
- One of the things that make people vulnerable to attacks is wrong teaching
- It is a testimony of faith to endure hardship without compromise.
- Faith is not marked only by what you enjoy, but also by what you endure for it.
- As you go through life, you must learn to endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ.

What is the mindset should every believer have toward pain?
- Learn that pain can be useful
- Pain is common
- Pain can be prophetic
- Pain is required
Jesus has changed our perspective to suffering forever. You serve an all-powerful God, will you trust Him with your life?

Dragnet: The Protocol of Soulwining."
The environment God has planted us is where our message of the gospel should start.
Here are points to remember from today's teaching:
- Foretelling(telling what will happen), forth-telling (declaring what is to come), and prophetic coincidences(God bending a person’s will to do what He wants without them knowing) are all forms of prophecy.
- Many times, there is a correlation between our location and our purpose.
- God works in every situation, whether good or bad.
- God should be the principle for our lives.

Unconventional Forms of Evangelism:
- Assimilating yourself into your environment through contact without contamination.
- Multiplying: One of the most powerful things you can do for the gospel is procreation.
- Dominating: Don't run away from advantages. Whatever you can do that gives the gospel a footing, do it.
Finally, one of the best things you can do for the gospel is to be good at what you do.
You're an ambassador for the gospel. Whatever you do, ensure it's for the furtherance of it.

Christianity is a miracle of changed desires, and there's peace in the message of the gospel.
Here are points to remember from the teaching:
- Evangelism is an important part of our Christian journey.
- We must always be ready to give an answer to questions asked about Christ.
- Being God's envoy is a big deal.
- It is important that we spread the message of the gospel.

The importance of evangelism in our Christian walk. 🔥

Here are some key points to note:

Christianity is a miracle of changed desires. Therefore, we must see evangelism as something honorable, and of great privilege
Active evangelism will prompt interactions that will urge you to master your craft and preach efficiently.
It is important that the Message remains the same despite our mode of preaching.
Souls get saved by hearing the true Gospel’s message and believing it.

How To Win Souls:

Know the message and know it well
Practice: Boldness comes by impartation and practice.
Learn to start conversations
Invite people to church

Soul winning is a full-time job, never miss an opportunity to sow the seed of God’s word into someone.

Topic: The Love of God is comparative
Text: Matt 22:35-40, Rom 8:35
Ministering: Apostle Emmanuel Iren
📌 The 10 commandments were summarized to 1, which is Love.
📌 There must be a total investment of your life in Christian service. You must love the way God demands it.
📍 God didn't just say that you should love Him, there must be an intensity.
📍 Never think that an idol is a sinful place, but anything that takes the place of God is an idol.
📍 It is not enough to love God, you must love Him above all things (Matt 6:24, Exo 34:14 )
📍 No matter what you don't do, if you love money, it will subject you to do it.

📍 Miracles are easy when your heart is aligned.
📍 Godly jealousy is proof of genuine love.
📌 Don't provoke God to jealousy in your life. Get serious with God.
📌 Holiness: Holiness is that which is separate.
Holiness is excellence, that which is not common. The opposite of Holiness is common.1Sam 21:4).
📍 Until you start treating service as sacred, there is a depth of God you can only get.
📍Realign your priorities to God, and he'll flood your life with miracles.
📍Until you get to a point in your life where you love God more than all that He can give and all that you're going through, you've not loved Him enough. (1 Cor 1:4).
📍 Look beyond yourself and be thankful for all that God has done around you.
📍 Those who are fervent in prayer should be fervent in praise.
📍 It is a rule in healing that before your healing comes, you must see it.

Topic: Believer's authority pt2 (Satan is fallen)
Text: Luke 10:19, Eph 6:12
Ministering: Apostle Emmanuel Iren
📌 Facts of Authority
👉🏾 Sonship: In the spiritual hierarchy, after God, it is His sons (us).
📍Legally and positionally, the devil has no right over us.
👉🏾 Satan is fallen:
📌There are 3 falls of the devil in
👉🏾 In the fall of man, there was the fall of the enemy (Ezekiel 28:13-17).
👉🏾 In the preservation of true humanity through Noah and the destruction of giants.
👉🏾 When the tower of Babel was to be rebuilt (Deut 32:8, Ps 82:1-7, Jude 1:6, Daniel 10:20).
John 12:24, Rom 6:4, Eph 2:4-6, 1:19-22
📍There is no existing power that is not under the feet of Jesus, and I am in Christ. Therefore, I trample over all principalities and powers. (Eph 2:4-6, 1:19-22, Heb 2:5-8).

📍There is no single mountain that you'll face that you're not greater than.
📍You will never find the demon that outranks the Spirit in you.
📌 Spiritual tenacity is necessary to get your desired results.

❓How do you exercise your authority?
📍 If you find yourself in a place where you are accessible to the devil, it means you're in a place of vulnerability.
👉🏾 Submit yourself to God (James 4:7).
👉🏾 Don't give place to the devil (Eph 4:26-27, 2 Cor 2:10-11).
📍 Throughout the bible, God will not resist the devil for you.
👉🏾 You've to be conscious of the name ( 2 Phil 2:10)
📍 The name is a place to enter, so you've to be conscious (Col 3:17).
📍 Whatever you do, do in the name of Jesus.

Topic: Believer's authority pt1 (Sons of God)
Text: Luke 10:19, 1 John 3:1,
Ministering: Apostle Emmanuel Iren

Note

📌 The highest revelation in God is the revelation of sonship.

📌 There is a difference between authority and power.
Authority is backed by power but it's not power.
It's who authority represents that you submit to not the power.
Authority describes legality.

📍 There is what to see before what to experience.
📍 In Christ, your position is more important than your experience. Your experience will fluctuate over time but your position in Christ shouldn't.

📍Authority emphasizes position and identity while Power emphasizes capacity.

📍 There is no greater privilege than to be called the son of God (1Jhn 3:1)
Your sonship is the envy of the spirit realm.

HEB 1:4, Gen 6:2,4, Job 1:6, 38:7, Ps 82;1, 1Kings 22:19-21, 8:4-5, HEB 2:5-9

All spiritual beings are called Elohim, but there is no Elohim like Yahweh

📍 Angels were also called god (Ps 82;1.)
📍 The congregation of the mighty (1Kings 22:19-21)

📌 Initially, God created angels to oversee supernatural affairs and man to oversee earthly affairs.

📌 Categories of Sonship
👉🏾 The Godman: Any human that walked this earth and didn't come through the natural procreation. They're just 2: the first Adam (Adam) and the last Adam (Jesus).
👉🏾 By resurrection: Rom 1:4, Acts 13:30-33, John 3:16, HEB 1
We are the sons of God by the resurrection of Christ.
📌 Jesus, as the son of God, is in 3 categories: born of a virgin, by resurrection, and his uniqueness.
📍 It is a temptation of the devil to equate sonship to asking for needs.
📌 The ministry of reconciliation is the purpose of every believer. (2Cor 5:17-19, 1 Cor 3:9)
📌 God in Christ provided reconciliation. Now God is in us announcing reconciliation.
📍 There are dimensions of power you can only touch in purpose.

In a reflective teaching with a heart filled with gratitude, Apostle Emmanuel Iren highlights the importance of Anniversaries and commemorating the goodness of God in our lives.

“Anniversaries afford us the opportunity to REMEMBER”

While in remembrance and gratitude of the things God has done, we were taught not to think about subsistence but of spiritual legacy

📌 Never lose the wonder of God
📌 Never lose the hunger of God

Thanksgiving unlocks creative miracles.🙇🏻‍♂️

Those who are fervent in making requests should also be fervent in thanksgiving.

There is no respect of persons with God?
✍️ You must learn to see beyond people’s reputation and position.
✍️When God summons you, you show up.
✍️Allow God use you in all dimensions 🗣️

“In a generation where everybody is telling God to do more for them, tell God you will do more for him! “
📌Pick up God’s call
📌Do more for God
📌Attempt great things for God
📌Embrace God’s vision over our lives
Practical ways to take up this charge:
✍️ Look for Godly examples
✍️Be faithful in little things
✍️ Be Bold (Evangelise)

How do you respond to pain?
It is important to note and ultimately fix our response to hardship.

How to respond to pain:
Master the vocabulary of hope and refuse despair.
Control our perspective; discern what to diminish and what to magnify.
Demonstrate complete trust in God; sleep in the storm!

Two practical ways to handle crisis:
- Assess the worst-case scenario and come to the conclusion that you are victorious (Romans 8:37; Is. 43:18)
- Set joy before you (Psalm 34:1) Despise the shame and look to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)

Full Gospel:•The promise of salvation
•The fulfillment of salvation
•The announcement of salvation

The word of God is the bible properly explained.
We have clarity when we embrace Christ as the interpretation of the Scriptures.
Everything must pass through the lens of Christ for consistency.
The true character of God is seen in Christ.

“Word Lens: Christ through the Scriptures”

Our defence against the devil is growth in the knowledge of God’s word.

Here are some key points to note in Bible interpretation:

The most important thing is to know the person the Bible speaks of. And that person is Christ.
We must note that a lot of metaphors were used to describe Jesus. Therefore, we must seek to understand what it truly means.
God judges greatness by our encounter with the truth.

Your first primary encounter must be the Word of God. The word of God is your security, and Jesus remains the focus.

“Word Lens: Christ through the Scriptures”

Our defence against the devil is growth in the knowledge of God’s word.

Here are some key points to note in Bible interpretation:

The most important thing is to know the person the Bible speaks of. And that person is Christ.
We must note that a lot of metaphors were used to describe Jesus. Therefore, we must seek to understand what it truly means.
God judges greatness by our encounter with the truth.

Your first primary encounter must be the Word of God. The word of God is your security, and Jesus remains the focus.

Rabbi: The need for a Bible Teacher
Minister: Apostle Emmanuel Iren
God wants all of us to come to unanimity of the faith and before we get there, we need to take Bible study seriously.
We need to immerse ourselves in the knowledge of the word because that’s the only way satan can ‘get behind’.
Galatians 3:11 Salvation does not come by any rite but only by faith.
Interpretation of the scriptures is important.
Why must the Bible be interpreted?
1. Because of the nature of the scriptures. The Bible is the word of God, given in human words, in history. Meaning, it has both a divine side and a natural side to it. The fact that it’s in the Bible doesn’t mean it is the word of God. The word of God has to be consistent with Christ. The word of God must be read in context.
- You must understand the language it was written in and the history of the people so that the true meaning will not be lost.
- You must understand the difference in Culture. 1Corinthians 11. Romans 16:16. 2 Timothy 2:15, 2.
You don’t subject the word to personal interpretation. Knowledge must multiply grace. Jesus must be glorified in theology.
The sacred truth of God’s word is to drive you to your knees, not to bring others down.

The devil's advantage is disguise. Therefore, our greatest defense against the devil is our knowledge of God's word.🔥
Here are important points to remember from today's teaching :
- As believers, it is important that you spend time studying the word and have the right interpretation.

Be faithful in what God would have you do, regardless of applause or acceptance. (Psalms 114: 1-4)
God guides us with His presence, and His presence assures us of two things:
- It is self-announcing
- It makes difficult things easy
If you seek the good of God’s kingdom in secret, He will surely reward you openly.

You have to come to a point in your life where you decide to be intentional about your relationship with God.
God wants us to make a decision if our commitment is to Him or not. (Joshua 24:15)
There’s a level of greatness that God wants to hand over to our generation but we must build capacity for it.
Now, there are three(3) areas that God wants us to develop:
Money (Deuteronomy 8:18)
Pride (1timothy 6:17)
Sex (Romans 1: 26-28
Our views on this should be influenced by the Word of God alone.

Exposing Religious Spirits
One of the greatest privileges you can have as a believer is to be corrected by God.
The goal of Deeper is to challenge our consecration, therefore, there is a need to introspect as believers. (James 1:22)
Here are 7 ways to Identify a religious spirit:
- Eye service
- Being obsessed with what others are doing
- Resisting correction
- Absence of growth in your spiritual life.
- Having convictions without spiritual backing
- Pride
-Wickedness

Don't waste your life
✨God doesn’t want us poor or struggling and hustling. God created all men to be comfortable and prosperous, but there is more to life than that.
✨Purpose is about ultimate priority. James 2:5 There must be a priority in your life. All things are lawful, but not all are expedient. This is a language of priority and of purpose.
✨ One of the ways you can change the priority of your life is to know you won’t be here forever. Tomorrow is not promised.
✨You can be rich in faith, Abraham was rich in cattle and goats, but that wasn't his only wealth. Revelation 2:9
How you can change the priority of your life?
✨Remember you won't be here forever. Philippians 1:21

To live in purpose, here are important points to remember :
- You have to do it right, and with all your might.
- Plan for the end.
- Take faith-directed actions.
- Live a Christ-centred life.
As believers, it is important that we live solely for the purpose of the Father, for in him lies our purpose.

Purpose is a matter of life and death because whatever is worth living for is also worth dying for.
Here are salient points to remember from the teaching on the paradox of purpose :
- Purpose is not only marked by fulfillment, it also involves sacrifice.
- Purpose is not the absence of burdens. God takes away worthless burdens and gives us meaningful ones.

One of the most important things you must know about purpose is that it is worship. We exist for his worship.
The chief aim of man is to glorify God forever. Worship is not an option, it is a command. It is the purpose of your life.
Psalm 147:1, Psalm 33:1
Psalm 150:6, Psalm 34:1
Hebrews 13:15
Philippians 2:5-10
The theology of worship is not predicated on how good you think God is.
Acts 17:28
You depend on God and he created you that way. When God creates anything, he creates an atmosphere for them to survive.
Genesis 1:11, 20
God didn’t create anything until the environment for which it will thrive was created.
- [ ] What does it mean to be a son of God?
1. God is the source of your life.
2. You have the Holy Spirit Romans 8:15
3. You are God’s representative on the earth Genesis 6:2-3
There is a level of your purpose you cannot touch unless you have experienced his presence. In the presence is the intelligence for my assignment.

Purpose

The first place to start with purpose is consecration.

Here are salient points to note :

The logic of divine purpose is that the one who created you determines how your life is spent.
The one who created you has expectations of you.
Purpose is always older than what was created.
Your purpose is to project the purpose of God.
Worship is any action by which you demonstrate consecration to the Lord.

The Rules of Worship:-

Your worship must not be hypocritical.
Your worship must reflect your passion for God.

Remember that as you spend time with God, inconsistencies fade away.🔥

In understanding divine leading, we must realize that we follow a God whose thoughts are higher than ours.
Therefore, our response to God’s voice should be to trust in His ability to do.

Bravery is simply FAITH in Him, while fear is unbelief.
In divine leading, God's ability is your confidence.

Three things to stir up confidence;

Study and meditate on God’s word
Pray
Be strong and do it

It is important to realize that some prophecies are dependent on your actions. You have a part to play.

How do you attract divine leading?
- By developing an appetite for pleasing God

Having a track record of obedience

What to do when you don't know what to do with divine direction
Here are four things you can do when you don't know what to do with divine direction.
You can:
- Investigate: You can ask God questions to reconfirm.
- Air your doubts: When you share your doubts with God, He will give you confidence and stir your faith.
- Ask questions: Understand that because it is miraculous, doesn't mean there is no strategy.
- Get corroboration: Never make any major decision led only by dreams. God will always corroborate.
Here are other salient points to note:
- Understanding the word of God well keeps you from making errors.
- God never told anyone to do anything radical without confirming it.
- God is not an author of confusion.
- God will ease you into His prophetic visions for your life.
- Learn to sell your vision to people.

He emphasized the need for us to shift our focus from our inability to hear God's voice, to God's ability to speak to us.
Here are important points to note from this teaching:-
- We need to train our faculties to be able to understand what we hear from God.
- We need to stop thinking about the voice of God from a natural standpoint.
- God's voice can only be discerned by the spirit.
- To hear the voice of God, you have to keep your flesh at bay because the flesh is constantly at war with the spirit.

Here are the different ways God speaks:
- By an inward witness
- By a still small voice
- By an audible voice
- By divine coïncidences
- By divine passions
How do you know it's the voice of God?
With the voice of God comes boldness with a sense of urgency, a passion that won't fade, and the will to do.

The aim of divine direction is to have a life that is consistent with God’s plan and God's timing.
Here are key points to note from the sermon:
- It is wise to acknowledge that you do not know everything.
- Learn to ask, and receive advice from people.
- Normalize getting counsel before doing anything important.

Our journey through life, would always require us to seek counsel.
Categories of people to seek counsel from:-
- Counsel from elderly people.
- Counsel from wise friends.
- Counsel from people in authority.
- Counsel from Parents.
However, we must strike a balance between following the counsel of men and following the Lord.
Even the wisest men in your life can be wrong.
Your ultimate goal must be, to obey God.

The Bible uses the metaphor “rod and staff” to describe God's guidance and protection.
We must get comfortable with the guidance of the word of God and prioritize it above other forms of guidance.
Simple ways to identify false prophets/leading:
- If a message contradicts the word of God.
- If the end game is money.

Get grounded in the scriptures.
Having an opinion that doesn't side with the word of God is unintentionally rejecting divine guidance.

Protocol for Divine Direction
How to attract supernatural encounters and the protocol for divine leading?
▶️ Hunger- They that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled. This is the answer right there. We must recognize the insufficiency in ourselves.
▶️ Sacrifice- When it comes to spiritual things, pursuit is the proof of desire: keep on asking and you shall receive, keep on seeking and you shall find. You must be ready to inconvenience yourself for God's sake and be ready to seek God habitually.
▶️ Motive- Psalms 37:4 - Delight yourself also in the Lord and he shall give you the desires of my heart. God himself must first be your delight above other things. You must want for yourself what the Lord wants for you. Matthew 6:33
▶️ Worship threads all the three above points together. Worship can be an expression of hunger, sacrifice, and delight. Acts 13:2
Did you miss this sermon? Head down to our YouTube channel (Celebration Church Global) to catch up 🔥🔥

Sermon: The Good Shepherd
Ministering: Apostle Emmanuel Iren
God’s Leading is his natural design for man.
Q: Who was the first person Adam spoke to ?
A: God.
The first human interaction was not Man to Man it was Man to God.
Q: Who was the first person man ever saw?
A: God.
Before the human eyes saw anything natural, the human eyes saw God.
God created you to be naturally supernatural.
Isaiah 48:17: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.
In the Bible, there was a protocol for divine direction
There is a way to get leading from God
📝Habakuk 2:1— Habakuk literally said I want to hear God and I know what to do to make it happen.
How can leading seek you?
📝Worship: Act 13:2— as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, they became led.
He has not called the seed of Jacob to seek him in vain.
What is worship?
Worship describes any activity by which we demonstrate that we are consecrated to the Lord. True worship is a posture of the heart.
Proof that you’re not ready to be led:-
📝Impatience: you serve a God who is not limited by your sense of urgency.
📝Competition: you have a proclivity to want to do what everyone is doing and what is working. If you want to be led by God, separate yourself from what everyone is doing.
📝Cutting corners: When you’re always skimming, you can’t receive help from God.
📝Worldliness: remove idols (anything that takes the place of God) from your life

The Power of Your Imagination - Apostle Emmanuel Iren
✍️There are so many ways God changes the lives of people
✍️If you believe in rapture, you must believe that the agency of rapture, the Holy Ghost is already in you.
Eph.3:20
-If you don't see the son of God in the word of God then you don't know the word of God.
- There are things that God wants to bring into your life that he must first bring to your mind.
- God often uses the power of imagination to transform the faith life of a believer.
-Imagination is a gift that the lord has given you. Use it.
How does this gift play a role in the miraculous?
-God exceeds your expectations but your imagination is important
-Experiences are powerful. However, your experience must be anchored on God’s word
-Anything that you don’t believe in you shouldn’t listen to
Isaiah 26:3
-Pictography: God painting pictures in our mind is a method that has long been sown into the very fabric of faith. Through types and shadows.
-When you fix your mind you are open to the possibilities of God
You use words to shake off thoughts!
-It’s possible that you’re asking and your imagination can stir up possibilities and the dispensation of power
-Learn to ponder the word of God
How do you build your imagination
✍️With God's word. Rom 12:2 Renew your mind with the word of God and meditate on the word of God.
✍️With examples. Don’t compete with people you should emulate. Embrace the examples in your life
✍️You must learn to praise God like it has already happened

HOW TO SERVE GOD.
Wrong expectations will make you miss out on what God is doing. It can also lead to disappointment.
As a worker in God’s vineyard, there is how to serve God. This is called Reasonable service
(Rom 12:2)
The reason you must present yourself acceptable is because there is an acceptable will. Your sincerity is not enough. You must find out what is acceptable. Zeal without knowledge killed people in the Old Testament (Leviticus 10:1-2)
God is still God and consistent with His own will
When you learn this you will understand the posture and vocabulary of worship.
2 Sam 7: 1 - 27
God is God-centered. (Joshua 5:13-14)
The biggest secret of power isn’t prayer and fasting as important as they are. The biggest secret of power is purpose. Prayer is most effective when you find your purpose and pray prayers that are consistent with it
God is teaching our hands to war.
Do not have a stereotypical impression of anointing as long as it’s in tandem with God’s word.
Moses held a rod Joshua held a sword
Same mantle but different expressions.

Manifesting The Presence of God
Apostle Emmanuel Iren
The Bible with regard to the presence of God is context specific.
- The Omnipresence of God refers to God being everywhere at once (Psalm 139:7-8NKJV)
- The omnipresence of God keeps us accountable
- The omnipresence of God applies to all men and creatures while the indwelling presence of God applies only to those who believe in Jesus (John 14:23) As believers He has made us His temple and dwelling place.
Even though God is everywhere at once He doesn’t manifest everywhere. There is a training required to manifest the presence of God.
God’s answer to every need of man is the presence.
God doesn’t need to break chains.
Chains break off on their own in the presence of God. (Acts 12:7 )
God doesn’t recognize limitations. Jesus went where no one will go in Matt 8:28 There is a level of authority that empowers you to go where no one can go.
Learn to be conscious of the manifest presence of God
If you have the in-dwelling presence of God you can stir up the manifest presence of God. It takes consciousness.
You must lose satisfaction with the ordinary life.
How to manifest the presence of God
▪️By Knowledge- Have a reorientation of your understanding. This will change your expectations.
▪️Doing God’s work-Spiritual gifts get stronger with use. If you don’t use it you won’t grow in it even if you have it.
▪️Demonstration - You will never see the power that you are not ready to demonstrate. Learn to put power to the test with confidence. Don’t play it safe
Talk back at the devil. Our words are not cheap.

A true understanding of salvation leaves you with a sense of purpose and the default response to good news is to tell it.

Tips for traditional and strategic evangelism:
- Traditional Evangelism
I. Inviting them to church
ii. Following up on them
iii. Showing interest in their growth
iv. Praying for them

-Strategic Evangelism
i. Buying the field
ii. Building structure for posterity
iii. Invest in culture-influencing mediums
iv. Pro-Gospel venture capitalism

By the revelation of Jesus Christ, we come to an awareness of who we are. The moment Peter correctly identified Jesus, he found his own identity (Matt. 16: 13-18).
“There is an identity you’ll only find in God because He is the center of your life”
In an exceedingly profound sermon titled ‘Who is Jesus, and Who Are We?’

The true identity of a believer goes beyond the ‘Christian’ tag—DOULOS; the distinction between Doulos and the modern definition of ‘Slave’; and the believer’s responsibility as one bought with a price.

The believer is both a son and ‘Doulos’ (slave/servant) to God. Paul in his spiritual consciousness repeatedly introduced himself as a slave of God (Phil. 1:1) even though the term carries a manifestly negative connotation. Why?
1. As believers we were bought with a price (1 Corinth. 6:19)
2. Our ultimate goal becomes pleasing God (Gal. 1:10)
However, there are stark differences between the contemporary and Biblical definitions of a slave — as well as there are similarities.
In more modern days, slavery:
involves kidnapping (against Exodus 21:16)
is based on racial discrimination (against Lev. 19:33-34)
involves sexual harassment of women (against Deut. 22:25)
entails being bound and overworked
Contrary to the aforementioned, a slave in Biblical context was entitled to a day off a week (Ex. 23:12) had special holidays (Lev. 23:7; Deut. 10:17) and special treatments by guideline (Ex. 21:20-26)
Who then are slaves in the Bible?
debtors who couldn’t pay back
Stealing could make one a slave (Ex. 22:1)
* a poor person could wilfully surrender himself to work for a master (Deut. 15:11)
Conclusively, God’s rules are non-negotiable, Christ’s sacrifice bestows upon us a responsibility to no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died for us! (2 Corinthians 5:15)

God uses the familiar to highlight the supernatural. He also used fire to teach us revival because:

Fire can be extinguished 1Thess.5:19
Fire can be ignited Romans 12:11

The rules of revival are:
1. Community Heb. 10:24-25
2. Tenancity
3. Fervent and continued prayer 1Thess.5:17

Throughout the Bible, most of God’s men fulfilled ministry in a foreign land and God prospered them there. Just like them, you are brought here for such a time as this.

There’s a deep spiritual history here in the UK and A change in environment doesn’t mean a change in conviction. So don’t become complacent.

Our salvation is grace
Our gospel is grace
It is the summation of everything we represent as believers

When it comes to life and death, don’t assume people know the gospel; it is so important because it saves the sinner and is taught to the believer.

The cross has 2 powerful messages:

The gravity of sin
The love of God

By the sacrifice on the cross, God lets us know He loves us as much as He loves Jesus. John 17:23b.

Housing Spirits and Spiritual Gifts.
Spiritual gifts are our way of describing the diverse ways that the same Spirit can operate.
As a believer, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you and He can be expressed in different ways.
The same Holy Spirit can work through you as the need demands. Don't limit Him!
1Chron 29:2, 4; 2Chron 7:1-2;6:18-20; Acts 7:47-49; Acts 17:24;

Two important marks of a growing believer.
1: A growing Christian has an appreciation and appetite for the things of God. This is what the miracle of changed desires refers to.
A growing believer prioritizes Christ, His plans, and his purposes over anything else.
We must learn to set our affections on the things of God. Assess yourself personally to know what your priorities are and if you notice that you’re not prioritizing God and His message, make the necessary change.
God must be your utmost priority.

We can not understand the gravity of sin until we understand two things:
- The utter helplessness of man
- The total sovereignty of God
He also elucidated on the metaphors for sin in the Bible:
- Sin is a debt. Matthew 6:12
- Sin is a weight. Genesis 4:13
- Sin is a stain. Isaiah 1:18

The only thing that can give us access to the scroll (eternal life) mentioned in Revelations 5:1-6 is the lamb that was slain and its blood.
When it comes to the devil, our number one defense is the blood because it is what marks us as "touch not"
Our efforts will never be enough. Our only assurance is THE BLOOD!
The blood of Jesus is a double payment for our sins!
Glory!! 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽

This Grace vs Disgrace
Ephesians 4:11-14
There are different views on salvation, however, it’s God's desire that there’s unanimity in the faith, that we all study Jesus and believe in the same thing.
What does the Bible say about Salvation - What is the true message?
🔺Colossians 3:1-3 helps to establish who we are in Christ, and what Christ has done for us and highlights that the grace we have received is not to gratify lustful desires, instead it calls for a change of heart, appetite, and priorities
🔺Romans chapters 1-11 establish who we are in Christ, while chapter 12 talks about how we believers should respond to the mercies of God i.e. by presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. Nowhere in the Bible was sin treated like it does not matter
Other important points to note:
🔺 Just as with romantic relationships, in doctrinal relationships, when two people can not agree on a particular thing, it is most times because there are trust issues. If you have a bias against the Grace message, it’ll be uneasy for you to accept the truth.
🔺Never judge the validity of a doctrine SOLELY by its excesses.
🔺Just because something sounds stricter doesn’t make it right. Put aside preconceived notions and believe in God’s word.
Three simple things to know about Grace:
🔺Grace is not fair: Romans 9:30-31, Romans 10:1-3. Salvation is not to be worked for, it is not about your works. Matthew 21:31. The only way to be saved, is to believe in Jesus, moral excellence/being a good person is not enough to grant you passage into the Kingdom.
🔺Grace is absolutely undeserved. You may be giving to church and joining prayer platforms but are you born again? Except you are born again you can not enter into the kingdom of God. Luke 18:12-14. We must come to God knowing that the only qualification for salvation is faith in Jesus.
🔺Grace annoys religious people. Matthew 20:1-16 - The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. Jonah 4:2-3. Do not let anyone (including religious people) confuse you about the truth about salvation.

How do we create systems for the word of God to thrive?

At the micro level:

Never underestimate the power of your environment.
Choose your friends wisely. Consecration thrives in community.
Decide for yourself and your household.

At the Macro level:

Build systems. Don't expect a system to remain if you don't intentionally build it.
Think big! Figure out strategically what you can do for the gospel and pursue it.
Buy the field. The person who owns the field controls the treasure.
Take action and get to work.

Mind Games: The State of the Heart

1 Samuel 4: 1 - 11
Things to note about the word of God
📌Sacred things will only work for sacred people.

📌Do not just show up in church regularly and be religious without being impacted by the word.

📌Align with the word of God so you can see the power of God in your life.

📌Fellowship with the spirit is important, without the fellowship the ark won’t benefit you i.e. the word of God won’t benefit you.

📌Jesus is the incarnation of the divine logos by whom the world was created Revelation 19:11 - 13, Colossians 4:15 - 16.

📌The Bible in your hand is what God is made of, it’s the fabric of God. There is no other way to know God but through the word in your hand.

📌The word of God is a personality, it can be heard not just read.

📌You cannot separate the word from God. John 1:1. This means what God can do, his word can do.

📌There will never be a challenge you face in life that you will not have to answer to. God has sent his word, your answer is in word. 1 Thessalonians 2:13.

📌The same word can have different impacts in different people’s lives.

📌God’s word is the instrument through which God changes your life.

How to receive the Word of God
📌Honour the Word of God. Train yourself to honour and receive the Word of God. Start practicing faith in his Word for there is power in it. Psalm 23

📌Ingest the Word of God; sit with it. You can believe in your spirit but doubt in your mind. Chase out unbelief, it should not stand in the way of your faith.

📌Rejoice! When you understand that you have access, it will make you rejoice.

Brighter ✨
In 2 kings 6:13-16, Elisha and his servant were in the same situation but they saw things differently. Elisha’s servant was afraid of what he could physically see while Elisha was not afraid because of his spiritual enlightenment.
Your level of light is what determines your level of victory.
Why do we need light?
✨Light in the word will keep you in difficult times
✨The Man in Christ is at an advantage when it comes to the word of God- 1 Corinthians 2:9-10.
✨The word of God cannot be difficult to understand because you have the Holy Spirit- 1 Corinthians 2:14
Points to Note
📝 Faith in Jesus Christ is the first step to understanding scriptures - Ephesians 1:15
📝There are dimensions of light and you determine your dimension
Three dimensions of light ( The Parable of the Sower)
1. Easy reception with no roots ( Mathew 13:20-21)
2. Reception but wrong environment (Mathew 13:22)
3. Bearers of fruits (Mathew 13:23)
✨How to grow in light
1. Study the word of God- Ephesians 3:3-5
2. Meditate- Joshua 1:8 ( points on meditation: (a)focus (b) Water the word of God by praying in tongues (c) Memorize scriptures (d) Repeat ( Go again)
3. Get a good teacher of the word
4. Run with word ( obey the last command) Jeremiah 8:9. Learn to obey God’s command. Doing what God will have you do is as important as knowing what God will have you do.

How to receive the Word.
How do we receive the word? We receive the word:
- By honouring the word of God above all else.
- Acknowledging the word of God as the final authority.
- By receiving the word of God with humility and meekness.
- By showing interest and paying attention to details.
- By receiving the word of God with Joy, If God says it, it is as good as done.
- By receiving the word of God with faith and expectation.
The best way to not be blown by the wind of the doctrine is to be established in the truth.

Lamp and Light
Spiritual roots just like physical roots need light.
John 8:12- I am the light of the world and he who follows me shall not walk in darkness
The man in Christ does not stumble in darkness. He has an inner compass that guides him.
What does light mean?
1. Light means the word of God- i.e Jesus and his gospel Mathew 4:16
2. Light is the Counsel of God outlined in scriptures- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (stop changing your convictions based on the situations)
3. Light is the truth and impact on our lives: the point of knowing the word is doing it.
Mathew 7:24-27. Do the word of God

Why must we walk in the word?
1. God authored it - 2 Peter 1:21
2. Jesus approved the scriptures
3. Your security and safety is in the word-
Psalm 119:9
4. The word of God gives us wisdom for our finances.
5. The word of God is our assurance and future
N.B:
Don't hide away from the word of God.
Hide the word of God in your heart.
Ephesians 6 calls the word of God the sword of the spirit.
• The word of God is living: Hebrews 4:12
Your basic life principle should be, "If God said it, I believe it and that settles it!
Isaiah 46:10

The month of MARCH which has been themed 'SOLID ROOTS, SOLID FRUITS'

One of the best things you can do for your nation is to get family right. Great nations are made by great families. 👨‍👩‍👧👩‍👩‍👦

Here are salient points to note about love from the bible:

God remains the ultimate authority on the subject of marriage because He was the one who founded the institution of marriage.
It is God who put the desire for companionship in man
Love never fails.
Love is not self-seeking.
Your preparation for marriage can be judged by the number of books you have read concerning it. it is through wisdom a house is built.
Our approach to marriage must be scriptural and not just cultural.

As we continue to prayerfully seek God for direction in our marital choices, we must also actively seek knowledge.

For a relationship to work, it takes more than prayer, fasting and even knowing the right person.

How to make your relationship/marriage work👇

❤️Approach relationship/marriage like a novice - buy books, get counsel to equip yourself. Be willing to learn.

❤️Never underestimate the amount of preparation required. You must be prepared before getting into a relationship/marriage.

❤️Love is important and also a good starter, however, love/romance isn’t enough. The Bible says in Eph 5:31-32 “Marriage is a mystery.” However, Never call simple what God has called a mystery. A good marriage is hard work but it is possible. The love Christ has for the church makes marriage a total ball game for a believer. Therefore you must do the work and prepare well for a good marriage.

How can I be deliberate and put in the work when it comes to my relationship/ marriage?

❤️ Do it as unto the Lord - this is how you can demonstrate the Lordship of Jesus in your life. Your primary performance should not be dependent on the other person’s character but unto the Lord. Ephesians 5v25 - love your spouse as Christ loves the Church.

❤️ Walk in the Spirit - Do not relegate your marriage to sense knowledge. Love isn’t an emotion, it’s a fruit of the spirit. When you love Christ way and any challenge arises with your spouse, it should be an opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ in his/her life.

❤️ Be intentional - You must love the way the person perceives love. Learn your spouse’s love languages. Know how they want to be loved and treated.

Messages for Men:

❤️ Consciously love your spouse- You can do this by thanking her for the things she does. Don’t respond to ‘SERVICE’ with ‘ENTITLEMENT’. Learn to always say ‘Thank you,' make it a habit

❤️ Compliment her always, even in front of other people and your children.

❤️ Validate her dreams & don’t trivialize her ideas

Luke 17:1 There will always be offenses.

❤️ The biggest reason to show love and love people as a believer is that you’re a soul winner.

❤️ Soul winning is a motive for walking in love and as you walk in love always bear in mind the people for whom Christ died.

❤️ Don’t be a stumbling block or the reason someone second-guesses God. Rom 14:13 -15

❤️ Our calling is to show forth the virtues and praises of God. You are God’s strategy for wooing the world to Christ.

❤️ Love is a witness. One of the worst things you can do is to be the reason someone doesn’t believe.
1 Cor 6:7

It's human nature to see the red flags in other people, but not in ourselves. Being solid requires that we look inwards, examining ourselves to know if we are who God wants us to be.

To build relationships on the rock, we must first build ourselves on the rock.

How do you build yourself on the rock?

📍Recognize your red flags - your weaknesses. 2Cor 13:5

Red flags like Idleness, lack of a healthy community, unhealthy curiosity, lack of boundaries, unwillingness to take correction, displeasing God, an untamed tongue, strife & selfishness.

📍Burn your red flags in consecration, they are materials for your alter to burn. James 1:15

📍Accountability, don't surround yourself with enablers, walk with people you can be accountable to, that can instruct & correct you.

As believers, our focus should be the priority of God and His Kingdom. James 1:2, 13-14.

📍There are 3 ways the devil deceives believers.
- Persecution
- Temptation
- Seduction

The most common of these three is seduction. Seduction is subtle, but we can be discerning if we are vigilant. Sometimes the devil tries to use good things against the word of God in our lives - this is seduction.

📍How to overcome temptation
1) Believe in the final authority of the word of God.

2) Contentment; Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6

3) Count it all joy when you go through tests. James 1:2-4

In conclusion, good things need to be regulated or they will become an idol in your heart. The aim is to be satisfied not to look satisfied.

Praying with Fire

God didn't create things to limit himself, but for order. That's why we see a lot of stories in the Bible where things happen outside normal chemistry. Exo 3:1-5

There's a type of fire that doesn't destroy but makes things better.

HOW DO YOU STIR UP THE GIFT OF THE SPIRIT

📌Understanding. You have to understand you have the spirit, you have fire! Romans 8:15 Receiving the Holy Spirit changes everything, including prayer. And prayer changes because the relationship has changed. When you understand prayer can be an irresistible cry of a child. The consciousness of the father changes prayer.
📌Trust God. Trust that he always has your best interest at heart and live in it.
📌 Call it! You need to be able to direct it and pull the trigger. Say what you have received. Speak into it! If you want something, you have to pray like you have it and talk like it. You can kindle something from inside it.

The Fire Conference

Reasons why people praise God based on the concepts of thanksgiving recorded in the Bible (1 Thessalonians 5:18):

📌 Because of His attributes
📌 Because of His practical benefits
📌 Because of His creation
📌 Because of the power demonstrated in His ministers. Psalms 104:1-4

What does fire represent?

📌 Fire is a Witness - Acts 1:3
📌 Fire represents Protection- Obadiah 1:17-18
📌 Fire represents Divine approval- Authenticity: the seal of the spirit. Ephesians 1:13
📌 Fire represents Sanctification.
📌 Fire is also for Direction.

Contagious Faith

God has called you light meaning you are not only to stand out but also to be the ‘standard’ and for you to have Contagious Faith, God wants you to build both your solid and viral convictions.

Here are four building blocks to Contagious Faith i.e. a faith that can stand in spite of being in an environment of contradiction:

🤍 Revelation Knowledge - Ephesians 1v17. We’re in an era where the world is full of information; there is a lot of information competing for your attention. However, God beyond information will have you have revelation. There’s a difference between information and revelation. Information is for knowing while Revelation is for seeing and doing. If you’re going to be rooted and grounded, you must have the scope of revelation and this can be achieved by:
-Studying the word of God in depth.
-Investing your time and attention in the word of God.

🤍 The Holy Ghost - Ephesians 5v18.
-You can not have revelation knowledge but by the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 1 v 7 - it is by the Spirit we have revelation.
-Colossians 3 v 17 - Learn to walk in the consciousness of the Holy Ghost.
If you have not learnt to use your supernatural advantage, you will still live an ordinary life.
-Learn to be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. When you have promptings, investigate them, do not ignore them.

🤍 Prayer - Jude 1 v 20 - 21.
-Prayer is God’s strategy for the preservation of your soul.
-One of the ways to know that your faith will stand the test of time is by prayer Luke 22 v 31-32.
-Prayer strengthens and solidifies your faith and conviction.
-Prayer must be a part of your daily schedule
-Ephesians 6v13 - When you pray, you are taking the shield of faith and quenching the fiery darts i.e. not an attack on your health, business or ministry but on your faith.

🤍 Boldness - Acts 4 v 31.
-Anointing works for the bold.
-If you keep hearing from God and you don’t do, you’ll see very little result
-You must learn to have firm convictions and to hold on boldly to the word of God.

HOW TO GLORIFY GOD

Romans 1:20
Glorifying God means to value him and reverence him. It means to esteem him as glorious. Your salvific reality must become your pragmatic reality.

Here are some action points we want you to run with ⤵️

🔸It is best to train yourself such that no matter what happens, your eyes will not be fixed on the pain you’re facing, but rather on Jesus. Numbers 21:8

🔸Focus on the biggest priority because proper priority will always save your life. Nothing should be at the expense of the prosperity of your soul.

🔸Don’t let the absence of things make you devalue what is important. 3 John 1:2

🔸Bread is not to be lived by, so even if you are a child of God and you live by bread alone, you will not be satisfied.

🔸Believe in the willingness and ability of God to provide and even if he doesn’t provide, you’d still be happy because your life does not consist in the abundance of things you possess. Luke 12:15

🔸When you can esteem God as glorious even in trials, then you are truly glorifying God and preserving your life. James 4: 1-3, Hebrews 11:35, Philippians 1:23 -24.

🔸Despising is the opposite of glorifying. When you despise you minimize and when you glorify, you maximize. So today choose to despise the shame and glorify the joy. Hebrews 12:2

Priceless faith

It is important to remember that the promise land was God’s initiative.
God desires all good things for us (all good and perfect gift is from above). However, we must note that people can be destroyed even by good things.

If you’re going to last, you must build character to sustain the good thing you’ve been given.
1 John 5:21

You can be an idol worshipper unintentionally when you begin to treat good things as idols.

What is an idol?
• Anything you get your self-worth from.

• Anything you’re afraid to lose or cannot bear to do without.

• Anything you break moral standards for.

Col 3:5
Money (Mammon) can be an idol in your life and as a believer, you cannot serve God and Mammon.
Money will seek opportunities to replace God in your heart but you can protect your heart by:

Being Generous- Not just to the church but to others also)
Setting boundaries - Know what is more important in your life than money. Set your priorities. Set lines you will never cross for money.
Dethrone money in your life.

God may never let some things take place in your life until you pass the training or learning stage and begin to grow.
Your humility and attitude to money matter to God. Exodus 13:17

There must be sacred things in your life.

There must be limits!

Hardness Of Heart

Hebrews 6

If you must grow you have to intentionally set spiritual goals, you don’t grow accidentally
You cannot master anything you have not deliberately learnt.
Spiritual maturity requires constant use. Hebrews 5:12 (It is Present Continuous) whatever you don’t use, you’ll loose.
Progress in your spiritual growth will take consistency and intentionality.

Understanding the concept of Hardness of Heart.

Hardness of heart is when the word of God cannot persuade a person and it involves testing and trying and results. Hebrews 3: 7-9, Mark 8:17

As believers, we ought to examine ourselves first and choose not to be reprobates.

Solid Faith

Mark 8: 36- 37
Success is weighty. A lot of people experienced it and couldn't bear it. The same goes for failure. A wise man builds his house on the rock and it stands. That's how to prepare for the future.

Three points from the text(Mark 8: 36 - 37)
1. Your soul will be bought if it is up for sale. Start training your mind to understand the worth of your soul.

There are good things you must be willing to lose to keep your soul. If you're not willing to lose good things, your soul still has a price. You just haven't been offered yet.
Anything you value more than your soul is your God. Anything you can exchange your soul for is your God. The devil makes you defy your conscience as a result.

God is good but Good is not God.
Col 3: 5 Any uncontrollable item is idolatry.

How to rid your heart of idols
1. Sacrifice: Even the things God gives you must be controlled. Without sacrifice, good things will become idols.

Protect yourself from satanic exposure.
Do this by embracing godly exposure.
Meditate on the word. Choose and curate your exposure wisely. Watch out for things changing your opinion. Protect yourself from ungodly exposure.
Exercise yourself unto godliness. Submit yourself for accountability. Have a strong core. Create structures in line with God.

The biggest secret to prayer is Identification, It’s about the “Who”.

Prayer is about sincerity and it can be a cry unto the Lord. We should understand that the biggest prayer posture is the posture of the heart.

Fasting is about Priority. Job 23:12

Why fast?

• The purpose of fasting is to reorder your priorities.

• The purpose of fasting is the Emphasis, you need to realize that while fasting; you’re doing less food to emphasize something.

• When fasting, you are ministering to the Lord. Acts 13

• You excel at your devotion of prayer and fasting when you are fully persuaded by the ‘WHY’

What Saving Faith is;

It's faith in the specific person of Jesus Christ.
It is faith in a specific Message.
It is faith in the operation of God.
It is for everyone who believes.
It is solid.
It bears the fruit of righteousness.

John 7:37 - God’s plan is for us to ooze out his spirit.
🔥 By design, spiritual experiences are meant to be abundant. If it isn’t, it means you’re not doing enough. You cannot keep up with just the barest minimum

🔥 God promised rivers of living waters. His desire for us is to be in abundance, to be overflowing.
Jesus knows your capacity but he keeps pouring till the cup runs over. This is his plan.
We are full of God, full of spirit and therefore we must ooze his presence in abundance.

🔥You might have the spirit of God, but it is his desire that you be full of the spirit. That we may be filled with the fullness of God

🔥God should be our first joy and only desire, above anything or anyone else.
To know Christ is to live for him.
As you grow in your knowledge of him by studying the scripture, you grow to love him more.
When you know how much Jesus loves you, you will grow to love him.

🔥True joy is not complete until it is shared. You are quick to share what makes you happy or laugh with others so they may share in your joy.
When you find joy in Christ, you will share his love easily.

Hebrews 1:1

🔥 Prophetic guidance and divine direction can be received.
Proverbs 3:5 - God speaks.
If you trust in him, he will direct you - no “if”s no “but”s
God does not just speak, he speaks in diverse manners.

🔥 In the realm of the spirit, there are myriads of ways in which God can communicate
A clear example of a warning or direction in the Bible was when Jesus said “remember Lots wife”

🔥Prophetic direction may not come in the normal or expected way. It is not as predictable as you may desire.

Christmas: The Questions, the Noise, and the Truth.

There are many questions and misconceptions about celebrating our Lord Jesus through Christmas.

As children of God, it is important our teaching and learning are proactive and not reactive, hence it’s our responsibility:

-To fact-check every word we hear and use this opportunity to tell more people about Christ

-To always remember that JESUS is the reason for the season

Merry Christmas🎄❤️

How To Practice Contagious Evangelism

Personal evangelism
Generosity - your money reveals your priorities, beliefs, and conviction.
Be bold and vocal about the gospel.

We had an amazing time.
Our apostle preached on contagious power.

We learned that doing things in the name of Jesus is a consciousness we must imbibe.

How Jesus did not just die for us; He died as us. That He took our debt and died our death, and by baptism, He brought us into a new possibility. So what we see Him do, we can also do.

As such, we can refuse to live an ordinary life.

Is it an insult or a compliment to be called “the Salt of the earth”?

In the old days, salt was incredibly expensive, such that it could serve as currency.

This implies that it’s a huge compliment - the Church is important; we are not a distraction but a blessing. Matt 5:12-13.

To be Salt requires that you are joyful in persecution. The world does not know the truth, and they may never do but don't because of that lose your stance. Don't begin to compromise to blend in because they don't understand you. It’s okay to lose friends.

If you follow Jesus for convenience, your faith will not last. You cannot follow God having an attachment to the things of the world.

The church tends to emphasize only what God gives, but your core must be stronger.

In season and out of season, you must be ready to hold your position. Daniel 11:32

Contagious Devotion in 4 parts;

Learn to be faithful in spite of persecution
Cast away idols.
1 John 5:21 - Keep yourself.
In the place of prayer, your priorities are tested, corrected, and kept.
Get fresh oil
Prayer meetings like this oil spiritual joints Psalm 92:10.
Get fresh power

Why bother to pray?

For God's sake
You might not know what you are saying, but it does not change the fact that he hears. God is listening, you are not doing it for activity's sake. (1 Cor 14:2, Heb 12:2, Psalm 42:1)
For People's sake.
You must see how your prayer might be what the person beside you needs.
Maybe someone in your family needs it, for the body of Christ.
For your own sake
There is no time of prayer that leaves you the same way.
When you spend time praying, you avert the plan of the devil and strengthen yourself for what is ahead.
Your physical strength might deplete, but your spiritual strength is built. (Isa 40:29-31)

Despite all it is for, it is labour.
It will take something from you. So;

📍You must persevere. Luke 18:1
📍You will practice fervour.
📍You will leverage koinonia. Take advantage of the community beside you. Heb 10:24.
📍You will be goal-oriented. Like Hannah, like Jesus.
📍You will engage your mind and your heart. Keep your mind focused on the goal

We kicked off day 1 of the #rebootcamp22, learning about what Christ has done and who we are because of what He has done.✍🏼

What would you be willing to do if someone told you that you could do something to have eternal life?🤔

Three injections every day? Ten strokes every minute?

The good news is that you don't have to go through all that. You don't have to perish or endure pain; you don't have to die. He died your death. The simplicity of the requirement of salvation is the love of God.

All you have to do is BELIEVE.

Why did Jesus stay on the cross? For you and I. Jesus, the very logos of God by whom the world was made, took our place in sin. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it.

Today, we learned about the topic, “Every wind of doctrine” and we know that every service and every time we gather should be for the equipping of ministers. All ministry gifts should have a fundamental task, which is the equipping of saints for the ministry.

Sound doctrine may many times need to be endured and rebuked 2 Tim 4:1-3

Everyone can have a doctrine but sound doctrine is important because 👇

🧡 That’s how we worship.
🧡 It helps us know who we are.
🧡 It protects us from error

Here are Bible passages from service today that we’d love you to study 📚
1 Corinthians 2:4, 9-10, 2Corinthians 3: 1-3, 1Corinthians 3, 1Corinthians 4:6

Sermon: How to study the Bible

When it comes to the things of God, a serious approach is required and just like we sit up for our academics, the Word of God is worth much more attention.
Nehemiah 8:1-8
————————————————————
And here are ways you can improve your approach to studying the Bible:

🔸Show interest and reverence for the Word of God.
You have to take interest in studying the Bible. Also, note that you cannot master what you have not deliberately learnt.
So, to know the Bible, you have to devote yourself to reading it.
You can also join accountability structures/communities to help you.

🔸Learn to take interpretations seriously.
Reading is great. The right interpretation is also important.
Interpretation is your defense against error as two strategies the devil deploys against believers are “Incomplete Information” and “Incorrect Application”.

🔸Memorize Scriptures.
This is a tradition that should never be in your past.
You have to know the Word of God well to be able to vet what is not right or what is almost right when the Devil presents them.

———————————————————
Starting today, create structures e.g bible reading plans (You can take advantage of our devotional app @t30devotion for this) that ensure that you are consistent in reading the Word of God daily.

Sermon: Delight in the Word

Breaking news🚨: Interest in anything doesn’t come by default.

It is the duty of man to constantly commit to building an interest in a thing or activity and this principle also applies to the Word of God.

While it might not start off feeling natural, you can build interest in the Word of God. Romans 8:5-6
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Two important things to note about delighting in God's Word:

🔸God wants your devotion to be out of delight, not duty. Mark 12:28-29
He wants your activities and devotion to come from a place of love and excitement for him, not compulsion. 1 Peter 1:6-8

🔸At the same time, God doesn't want your devotion to be devoid of duty.
Your love for him should be expressed in your acts of devotion toward him and his Word.

There's a general misconception that affection will flow conveniently and effortlessly but this isn't true. You're not always going to "feel" something but at times like this, you go through with the acts while re-focusing your interests and affections. Romans 8:12-13

If you're going to grow and be fruitful, you will have to commit and delight in the Word.
Acts 20:32, Mathew 7:24, John 15:1-4
————————————————
So, how do you fuel your desire for the Word of God?

🔸You have to interest yourself by seeing the beauty in the Word. You should also pray for the interest and desire. Psalm 119:103,18, Psalms 27:4

🔸Make a habit out of it by setting actions, checks & balances to keep you accountable to your devotion.

🔸Be a doer of the Word. You get more proficient in something when you keep at it.

The Power of One

Matthew 25:31-40

It is part of Christian training to know that everything you do to the brethren or the church, is to God.

If you do it to the least of the brethren, it is unto the Lord.

Matthew 18:6

We should not wait till we are incentivized to come to church but be motivated by just the word of our reality in Christ, the sacrifice of Christ.

Strictly speaking, the requirement for joining the body of Christ was belief in Christ. “For as many as believed, their numbers were added to the church.”

You can’t claim to be saved and be indifferent to God’s word and the saints.

Miracles that happen with called out people gather:

The miracle of Family

Mathew 12:46 -50

Mathew 19:29

The miracle of love for the fellowship of the saints

Ephesians 1:15

1 John 2:9

The miracle of love for the word of God

Romans 11:33

Proverbs 23:23

The miracle of love for prayer

One of the most emotional texts in the scriptures is John 21:15-17 for these reasons:

This was the first time Jesus spoke to Peter after he betrayed him.
Jesus had just risen from the dead.

Jesus wanted Peter to prove his love for Him by caring for his sheep. If Jesus is indeed the love of our life, we must see that the church is a big deal to him.

Hence we can establish two things from John 21:15-17

Corporate worship
Church is a group of reverent, obedient, and committed people gathering together regularly.
As believers, what we have in common must bring us together regularly.
We can't claim to love Jesus and be indifferent about the church.
There's no such thing as an Individual follower of Christ. We must all belong to a body.
Spiritual leadership
To follow Jesus requires humility, gentleness, and willingness to take instructions from His word.
Jesus required the disciples to tarry together (Luke 24:49)
Faith in Jesus must also be accompanied by love for the saints.

Three uncommon marks of a local church.

Proximity (Acts 2:46 ). God wants your fellowship to be close to your house as much as possible for accountability reasons.
Out-of-church fellowship. It is important that you have people in your space who share your faith. We all need spiritual support at some point in our lives.
Corporate prayer and corporate power. The power of God has a multiplier effect when we come together.

Fatherhood was always God's idea. He always wanted a large family, and He wants us to be part of that family. He is our Daddy, and we're not His only children. He has a big family and we have many siblings.

Every family has goals, and as members of God's family, there are things we ought to know:

Christ is the head of the church.

-Spiritual leadership was Christ's idea. Ephesians 4:12-12.

Love for the saints: We must have brotherly affection for one another.
Growth in knowledge. Ephesians 1:16-18
Service. We must discern our role in the body of Christ and contribute. Ephesians 4:16.
Expand the family. God's will is to have all men saved (1 Timothy 2:4), so we must know and execute our role to expand His family.

Preacher: Pastor Laju Iren

Sermon: The 5C’s of Prayer.

Wrapping up the prayer series for the month of September, Pastor Laju taught the 6C’s (Yes. She added an extra and vital C😉) of prayer.

Now, it is important to note that for our prayers to be effective, maintaining a prayer culture is vital and the points below will equip you for this task.🧏🏼‍♀️

🔸 Consistency

(1 Thessalonians 5:17, Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:18)

Daily conversations with God are so important as it can only be called a prayer culture when it is consistent.

🔸 Celebration

(Ephesians 1:15-16,Acts 19:20, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Never let the devil talk you out of thanksgiving over what God has done for you in the past. If you are conscious of the goodness of God, you will pray more because a culture of celebration will lead to a culture of prayer.

🔸 Conviction

The guilt of not praying enough is one thing that stops people from praying. So, there must be a conviction of who God is and who you are in him. A conviction of who you are praying to and the fact that he hears you.

🔸Concentration

It is important to pay attention as you will get more results in prayer if you concentrate. You can also practice praying in your understanding intermittently just as you pray in tongues.

🔸Confidence

(Luke 8:51-52)

There are miracles you will not see except you are brave enough to pray in spite of contradiction.

🔸 Company

(Hebrews 12:22-23, 11 Kings 6:15)

When we pray together, things happen.

Prayer is a weapon and praying together is a strategy.

Another glorious thing we should be conscious of is that we have spiritual company. A whole army of Angels at our beck and call.

Glory to God.🔥

James 5:16

Acts 19:20

If your prayer is not prevailing that means there is something you need to learn. When it comes to prayer, it is first about who you are and not the how.

❤️‍🔥 A righteous man believes in Jesus and acts like it and the posture of your heart in prayer matters.

❤️‍🔥 John 15:7 Prayer is first about your position. Who are you?

Are you a child of God?

❤️‍🔥 Prayer is the offshoot of a vibrant relationship with God. It is an outward expression of a relationship with God.

❤️‍🔥 Prayer is a place where the word of God prevails over your intentions. James 4:3

The word of God must abide in you so that your prayers will not be hindered. Isaiah 58

❤️‍🔥 Philippians 4:6 Ephesians 6:18 1 Timothy 2:1&2

Prayer goes hand in hand with supplication. Supplication is a heartfelt request.

TOUCH AND AGREE

God has given us the Holy Spirit to do so much with but unfortunately, we are doing so little

Sometimes we make things difficult for ourselves because we have not learned to use what we have.

Develop a godly curiosity to learn about who you are in Christ and identify what is yours so that you can use it and get better.

Of all the beautiful things that a smartphone can do, one of the most powerful things is sharing.

The true test of Koinonia (fellowship) is your contribution to the Body of Christ. 2 Corinthians 13:14.

God designed for the Holy Spirit to be experienced in fellowship.

There is a capacity you can never tap into if you try it alone.

Another word for Communion (of the Holy Spirit) is “Contribution”.

It doesn’t matter how gifted you are, the wisdom of God is manifested where everyone gets to contribute. We must get used to corporate worship, corporate ministering, and corporate fellowship, not only the ministering from the pulpit.

Fellowship happens with people who have things in common and because we have the Holy Ghost, we can contribute. The true test of koinonia is contribution.

What areas can we contribute?

In the word and through the gifts of the spirit

Colossians 3:16

Preacher: Apostle Emmanuel Iren

Sermon: The Prayer No One Sees

If you were asked what the most indispensable principle of prayer is, what will you say it is? 🤔

The answer to this is “A broken and A contrite heart”.📌

(Psalm 51:17)

This means that more than the duration, the eloquence, and the fervency, the posture of your heart matters before God.

Ponder on the excerpts below as you go forth today:

🔸 Your reasons for praying are more important than how/where you pray.

(John 4:23, Isaiah 29:13)

Sometimes, we keep looking for activities and we get so distracted that we miss God.

🔸 You cannot vet the effectiveness of any devotion by natural observation.

🔸 Every time you pray, as your lips utter words, your heart is also saying something and the latter is what God is concerned about.

🔸Prayer is not a game of eloquence (1 Corinthians 13:3)

Men hear what you say, God hears what you don’t say. So, it is the motive that matters, not the actions.

🔸In your walk with God, it is not enough to be sacrificial. Your heart must also align. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

🔸Unlike Saul, don’t fall for the trap of disobedience thinking that things can be made right by attempting to do things the Word of God upholds. To obey is better than sacrifice.

(1 Samuel 15:22, Exodus 33:15)

🔸 Prayer shows your dependence on God so, wake up every day with a heart of gratitude and dependence on him and let that push you to pray.

Hypertrophy

Temptation must not meet you unprepared.

You cannot be a believer and not have a prayer life.

Everyone who has a prayer life has a period where they don’t feel like praying. But they push past it.

How do I start, what do I need to know?

Learn to pray heartfelt prayers (when you pray, you must mean what you say) there must be an investment of emotions. Many times it will show in your posture. When it touches you, it will show.

The earnest continuous heartfelt prayer of the righteous man. Any prayer that doesn’t touch you can’t change you.

How to have a heartfelt prayer?

Learn to meditate on the scriptures just before you pray, study the Bible.

Social media is a big distraction to the spiritual because this generation has to touch their iPhone every second. The ability to focus is something of deep spiritual benefit and we must not lose this. You dilute your prayer life if your prayer is not heartfelt.

It’s not just heartfelt but it is continued. It’s not a once-in-a-while issue but it is a lifestyle. Acts 12, 13. The believers prayed for Peter until he literally showed up. For you to be fit, there must be consistency. Prayer follows that method. You’re not praying until you pray without ceasing. If you want to walk in the glory of God, there are some things you must do consistently and not once in a while. Set realistic prayer goals. Set your alarm clock. Hebrews 10:24-25
create an environment of constant positive provocation to pray. Listen to a sermon, excerpt or read a book (the Bible preferably) to create an environment to enable you to pray. Learn to feed off the energy of others. Create playlists that’ll help you stay in a spiritual atmosphere. Sometimes increase the volume/tempo of your voice to stay in the spirit.
Singing songs to God can be a form of prayer.
Prayer partner- this is key. create a system of accountability
Triumph 30 devotional is a useful tool to help you grow in your prayer and devotion. Join in!

Octane - A Call to Prayer.

Why should we pray?

•Prayer can birth a prophetic season

•Prayer aligns you with the will of God

•Praying in tongues makes you extraordinary

•As a believer, your future is guaranteed through

When you are conscious that God is your loving Father, you can pray with confidence. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee that God hears us when we pray.

Symphony

Romans 12:1

Reasonable service is the way God wants to be served.

If you serve the way you think it should be, it might not suit the person you are serving.

There is a service that is for your pocket.

Everybody has their preferences, tastes are different.

Gen 4:5 We think God must accept what we want to give him - The mentality of Cain.

There can be a lot of effort into worship, and it will still be a waste because it is nothing to God.

You can be zealous but ignorant, sincere but wrong.

You can be in the music, but not in the spirit.

Matt 15:22 - 24.

It is not about eloquence. If you get the protocol right, it does not really matter what you get wrong.

Obedience

Jesus said it is better to obey than to sacrifice. James 1:22.

Obedience is the love language of heaven.

In the anatomy of devotion, your heart must not be far from your mouth.

We worship a spirit, that sees the hidden and every other thing possible. He knows and sees it all. So, he cannot be deceived.

Worship is consecration. It is not complete until it is entire.

True worship must come from total surrender to the Lord.

Worship must not be a moment, but a lifestyle. True worship never ends.

You must dethrone everything else, nothing else must compete.

True worship begins at the cross. It is at acknowledging what Jesus did and that He is Lord.

The zeal of the Lord

Two extremes in the church-

🎯 Some believe everything is purposed.

🎯 Some believe nothing is purposed.

Some things happen because of our own shortcomings. Not everything is purposed by God or the devil

Misfortunes are sometimes just from life circumstances, not necessarily God or the devil.

You can have natural occurrences with supernatural backings.

E.g. the slave traders passing by where Joseph was placed in a pit was a natural occurrence but that was the beginning of his story and experiences with God.

Don’t think for a second that it’s all fun and games. Remember that God works behind the scenes.

How can I experience the zeal of the Lord in my life? You cannot. There is nothing you can do.

Supernatural advancements or advantages is not make you lazy.

God will not interrupt natural occurrences that are there to make you better

There are natural laws that you must not break.

Sleep well, eat healthily, and drink enough water.

Be sensitive to the natural and the supernatural.

There must always be balance in your life: Balance the natural and the supernatural.

Purpose is always first about God’s agenda.

Stay consecrated, stay committed, and value the supernatural.

Don’t treat sacred things normally or with disdain.

The zeal of the Lord will sometimes test your patience.

Delay indicates something great or special is coming.

Learn to recognize graces in people.

Work in God’s timing and don’t stick with your own will.

John the Baptist would not have been born if it was not time for Jesus to come into the picture.

Elizabeth waiting was because what was coming was great and had its time.

Be satisfied with your lot.

The zeal of the Lord will show up in aspects of your life:

It will show up in your mistakes. - God can make a message from your mess. Jonah’s mistake made him a part of divine prophecy. ( his staying in the belly of the fish for 3 days symbolized how Christ died for 3 days) Abraham’s mistake (Ismael) represented those under the law and Isaac ( those under grace)

Everything you do to demonstrate what Christ will do is the most important.

For a person of prophecy, no pain is wasted. My mistakes and background and the wickedness of others will be part of the testimony.

Thank your enemies and the ones who did you wrong, everything works together for your good in the end.

The atrocities and wickedness of man to Christ birthed the greatest gift to mankind.

The zeal will show up when you take simple steps of obedience.

Confidence in Purpose

Romans 8:37-39

The simple interpretation of this is that purpose gives you a sense of fortitude for the future.

For your own good, it’s important to place a guard on your life. Purpose fuels you and aids you to be confident and confidence changes your life.

Subconsciously your mentality is fueling your decisions. Little things like eye contact and firmer handshakes could be the difference between success and failure in your life.

It takes confidence to change the trajectory of your life.

What really differentiates people in life is a mentality. Confidence is a miracle because it’s hard to imbibe. One of the hardest thing that God can do for a man is to give to him the right mentality.

Salvation is the greatest demonstration of the power of the will of a man. Never underestimate the ability to wreak your life with your decisions.

It was easier for God to perform miracles than change the mentality of the mind of man.

We need to change our mindset because some of us are using our mentality to stop what God wants us to do in our lives.

Formula for success;

~ The reason why you see someone do something that you were born to do is that you’re seeing it from a stand but if your platforms begin to change your seeing begins to change!

~ Every time fear and doubt hinders you from taking the big decisions you’re meant to take you miss the things God will have you do.

~ The goal is to live a life of purpose and because the goal is to live a life of purpose, we have no finish line until we see Jesus.

Proverbs 23:7 If you want to change your life it begins with your mindset and if you do that, the quality of your decisions will change.

~ Purpose works best when we have a sense of accountability.

~ Purpose pushes you to embrace risk- When you’re purposeful you’ll understand that risk is okay. If you change your thoughts, you’ll change your life.

In the direction of purpose always keep making progress and improving.

Purpose makes you tenacious. You begin to direct your purpose when you come to a realization of confidence in purpose🔥

Sacrifice in your service

2 Tim 2:15

Knowing God requires diligence.

Learn to dig in when studying the word of God.

Purpose is not defined by what you gain by it but by how much you’re willing to lose for it.

Hebrews 11: 2

Abraham trusted God so much to leave his father’s house to a place God would show him.

Moses is another good example of a man that walked in purpose. Hebrews 11:24-25

Abraham moved towards wealth, Moses moved away from wealth. They both walked in purpose.

Purpose is not always synonymous with success. Purpose defines success and not the other way around. You are successful because you are purposeful.
Purpose is not synonymous with happiness. There are things more important than you. You are said to have purpose when you understand that what you are to achieve is greater than what you have.

*The paradox of purpose- when you discover the reason why you’re alive, you’re ready to die for it. If it is not worth living for, it’s not worth dying for.

Purpose is defined by what you’re ready to die for.

Philippians 1:21

Purpose makes you indifferent to life’s pleasures. When you live for something outside money and success, you become dangerous because you’re not easily swayed. With your prestige and success, you must still have a kind of service. This simplicity of mind/indifference makes a man of purpose powerful. We believe in the power of God but a Christian must not have an ungodly attachment to things.
Purpose is sacrifice. Purpose is objective, it is deep. Purpose is not always pleasant. Jesus dying was his purpose but it wasn’t a pleasurable thing. Purpose is greater than me.

Philippians 2:5-10

Living in purpose means I must be able to lay aside pleasure and privileges for a greater good.

Matthew 16:25- He who saves his life will lose it.

Learn to sacrifice. Purpose is sacrifice.

Benefits of sacrifice:

You will be a finisher. It takes sacrifice to start and finish. Genesis 11:31-32. 12:1.
A man of purpose will not have his journey end prematurely.
The indifference of purpose protects you from depression.

Giving your life a meaning⚡️⚡️

One great blessing of a believer is purpose. It is logically inconsistent to believe you don’t have a purpose if you don’t believe in God.

If you were created intentionally it means there’s a creator with an intention. If there is a purposed then there is what was purposed and who purposed it; an intelligent mind who purposed the creation of mankind. We believe that every human being was made in the image of God (Imago Dei)

When God says you matter he says it in a deep, spiritual, and important way and to believe in God is to believe in purpose!

Purpose gives you a sense of accountability and accountability gives a sense of hope!

Matt 10:29-30 God cares and sees you as important & you’re worth more than every sparrow because there is a God who has purposed your existence. You matter so much that whoever thinks you do not matter does not matter!

2 Facts about life you should know👇

⚪️ Life is not meaningless- There’s got to be more about life. Obey your thirst… Purpose begets accountability and accountability keeps you in God.

⚪️ Life is not satisfying- The desire to be satisfied with life with our own desires will not bring the satisfaction we should have.

Eccl 1:12-14, Eccl 2:11. There’s more to life.

“If you have a purpose it means purpose is older than you and whatever your perspective of purpose is must be relevant in the realm of the creator because we exist in this world shouldn’t mean that’s all about this world.” Your purpose must be relevant in his realm ⚡️⚡️

“Purpose is that one thing for which you were created and in which you must succeed. Otherwise, other things you succeed at would not count. In the realm of purpose, there are priorities not all things have the same relevance or importance. If I don’t do what matters the most every other thing would frustrate me.”

God’s priority in my life is to know him and to make Him known. Purpose is relevant in two realms and every single time I spend praying I am fulfilling purpose!

12 Common Sense Rules To Handling Your Finances

🔸Know your level. (Proverbs 13:7)

🔸Budget. (Proverbs 6:6-8)

🔸Embrace multiple streams of income. (Ecclesiastes 11:1)

🔸Leverage relationships.

🔸Use what you have in your hands.

🔸Patience. (Proverbs 13:11

🔸Calculated risks.

🔸Knowledge and mentorship. (Proverbs 23:23)

🔸Approach debt with caution. (Proverbs 22:7)

🔸Work hard. (Proverbs 24:33, Proverbs 22:29)

🔸Be aware of your spending habits.

🔸Supernatural instructions.

Matt 25: 33 - 37

God takes your financial decisions personal. If you never saw the connection of how you spend your money with the things of the spirit, Jesus will have you understand that in your spending, your show of love for humanity is honour for him.

God takes your financial habits as a demonstration of love and honour for him.

Money is a spiritual matter and every time you receive it or spend it, you are taking a test. It reveals what you treasure and value.

Invariably, by your spending, you show priority.

Money is a spiritual stethoscope.

You tell the state of your heart by how you spend money.

God expects you to manage your money in a way that shows honour for him, care for yourself, and love for humanity through:

❤️‍🔥 Self-care

1 Tim 6: 17 God wants you to enjoy yourself.

Your soul prosperity remains a priority but God wants this also. Have a budget for self-care.

❤️‍🔥 Generosity

Every month, have a budget for giving. Make it a culture. Luke 6: 38 This is a golden rule. A man's gift makes way for him.

❤️‍🔥 Savings

Prov 21: 20

It is a discipline to practice. A prudent man does not need a supernatural vision to plan for famine.

❤️‍🔥 Investments

As a good servant, God expects you to multiply not just save. Some things aren't prayed for but planned for.

❤️‍🔥 Missions

The devil also cares about your financial choices. Put your money where your faith is.

Things to practice in your life

🥳 Contentment

There are still bigger priorities than money.

A man's life does not consist of the abundance of things that he possesses. Luke 12: 15

There must be more to you than the clothes you wear and the cars you drive. Don't focus on keeping up appearances.

🥳 Have a Selfless Ambition

In Mark 10: 17-23

Jesus said what he said to reveal the state of his heart.

Two things that reveal character:

Survival
significance.

In conclusion, Mark 10: 27 balances verses 17 - 23. With God, it is possible to have money and have God. If God works on your heart and repurposes the money in your hand, you will do great for God. The integrity of God is there to put the right heart in the right position.

True Gold: The love of Money

The love of money is the root of all evil & of all the vices nothing else struggles with the place of God like money.

The problem of the Church is not about money being discussed in church but the approach to the discussions. We should know that it is sinful to;

Want good things badly
Want bad things
Do the right things in the wrong way or with the wrong intents

Luke 18:11-12: The speaker here went beyond giving, devotion, and consecration to pride and arrogance

Matthew 23:23 Don’t pay tithe and forsake the weightier matters of law, judgment, mercy, faith, and love

5 pillars of a balanced teaching you should know:

🔸 Correct information

🔸 Complete information

🔸 Correct Application

🔸 Correct Emphasis

🔸 Correct Priority

God considers the heart and not just the action.

Generosity has become a means to get something in return rather than learning to let go. It is now a motive for covetousness and this is wrong.

Practice giving! (Matt 16:4)

As simple as visiting friends and people with gifts rather than expecting what you can receive.

Workmanship must be seen in your life as an inevitable effect of salvation. Though it is not a prerequisite for salvation it is a manifestation of your salvation.

Faith is an action word Hebrew 11:8

Faith substantiates hope, your conviction will be demonstrated by faith. Faith can be seen. By faith, Abel gave a more acceptable gift than Cain.

Don’t rob God by withholding generosity as an expression of your faith.

In conclusion, your only argument should be don’t restrict me to a 10th, instead, the question should be why a 10th (Mal 3:8), know this you can’t pray greed away, you can give greed away.

Glory to God! We have found true riches in Christ.

Bible passages to study:

“2 Cor 9:6-7, 1 John 2:9, James 4:3, 2:21, 1 John 2:9, Rom 10:10, Eph 2:8-10”

Matthew 22:35-40

When the essence of the law is misunderstood, the law will cause more harm than good.

Laws are not fun and games, they must be subject to interpretation. Everything that happens must be interpreted based on context.

The height of the understanding of the law is to understand its essence.

The essence of the law is hinged on 4 things:

🔥Worship- it isn’t hinged on compliance only but on worship. Exodus 19:5 Obey the law for worship and recognize God for who he is.

🔥The revelation of Christ- God used Old Testament practice to tell a story of what God will do. The blood of bulls and goats never sufficed for what God was going to do. They were just a true testament of what Jesus was going to do.

🔥Love - God cannot be tired. The first day that man witnessed was the sabbath day. Sabbath means finding rest in Christ. (Matt 23:23) in your administration of the law, there must be justice, mercy, and faith. Matt 12: 4-7

🔥In the beginning- When it comes to tithing we must deal with the excesses. Malachi 3:10. You cannot make tithing an ordinance. Romans 8:32 God is telling us that by the free gift of Christ through salvation therefore we have access to all things.

What then does the Bible teach about GIVING?

From my generosity, it must show the worship of Christ. He gave all to me so I’ll give all back to him.

2 Cor 9:12 There’s no way you believe in the gospel and it won’t show in your generosity.

It is free-will giving. New Testament giving must be delightful. (2 Cor 9:7) 1 Cor 16:1 The fact that it is free will doesn’t mean it should be not dutiful.

It should be sacrificial: It’s free will but we must be consistent. We should love to give to God. All I have comes from him I worship him with the way I give and with my money.

With my money, I show honour and worship.

Who is a steward? 🤔

A steward is one who serves the interest of another.

🔸As a believer, you should have in mind that all your resources come from God.

(1Timothy 6:17, John3:27)

🔸Financial stewardship comes with the consciousness that all you have is from God. Therefore, you must honour God with how you use his resources. (1Tim6:17)

🔸One of the things we need to watch out for is Greed as this plagues both the rich and the poor in resources.

🔸Greed is wanting anything good at the detriment of others and this has some dangers:

👉🏿 A greedy person will lack discernment. Pro13:11

It is important to have this posture of heart that what God cannot give you, you will never go after.

👉🏿 A greedy person will stray from devotion.

God’s design for His children is that every single one is a prophet. Psalms 105:13-15.

Supernatural leading is not a one-man’s show. It is for all of God’s children.

You won’t catch supernatural and prophetic signals if you don’t train your spirit.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR SPIRIT

Believe God is a Master Communicator. Exodus 3:2-4.
Start looking beyond your natural eyes. 1 Samuel 16:7
Prayer: Train your spirit by praying. Galatians 5:16-17.
Practice: If you don’t practice divine leading. It will die! Psalm 104:4
Consecration: Align your heart and life with the grand purpose of God which is the salvation of all mankind. 2 Cor. 5:19-21.

Proverbs 22:28

In our generation we naturally shy away from tradition. There are many things the generations before us considered right that we despised hence we shouldn’t despise our landmark. The landmark we have are the generations before us.

Gen 4:26 This is where corporate prayer started. There is no single example in the Bible of corporate prayer without corporate power which shows that there is mighty power in corporate prayer.

Prayer is a landmark culture which makes it something that we must not tamper with.

The connection between prayer and divine leading is to commemorate the instructions God has given you as a reminder and pattern for future relationships. Romans 12:2

3 Examples of how prayer brings Divine leading and sparks up supernatural occasions.

🔥 Pray more. Even if Saul was not expecting a supernatural encounter he kept on praying and waiting for God.

~ Cornelius- The Bible says he prayed naturally and saw a supernatural encounter with an angel. Acts 10:4

Build a prayer life to know God for yourself and by that, your sensitivity becomes heightened. Make it a culture to pray.

🔥We pray to receive direction and to prepare for execution. Acts 13:2

That “God said something” doesn’t mean it will come automatically, you should prepare for instruction from God by praying and fasting. Have special moments of prayer.

We pray long so that we can pray short. We must put in the work!

🔥 We can walk in precise leading when we build a structure. We must have special seasons of devotion (going beyond your normal fasting & praying schedule).

If we do what the generations before us did we will see what they saw!

Long hours of prayers is the hour of confidence!

God has a track record of leading his children and confirming those leadings.👨‍👧👨‍👦

Things to note where divine leading is concerned.

🔸 Growth: By divine providence, before God will instruct you to make a major risky decision, he will give you ample opportunity with smaller decisions to grow your faith in preparation.

Don't jump the process. Allow God to take you through the season of growth.

🔸 Corroboration: God’s leading will not contradict his written Word.

🔸Confirmation:

You're allowed to ask questions and seek confirmation. God is not afraid to let you check what you think He said.

God gives extraordinary encounters to some people because those encounters are by extension, evangelical mediums for miracles in the lives of people. 1 Tim 1:15

It doesn’t have to be spectacular for it to the spiritual. Learn to accept and embrace the ways by which God speaks to you. It is a sin to despise the things God says because it doesn’t seem spectacular to you.

Many times God makes things spectacular for people because of their unbelief. 1 Kings 19:11

In pursuing the spectacular we seem to have despised the supernatural.

Know these:

• Visions are not infallible.

• Visions can be fabricated.

• The devil can mimic them. The devil can’t mimic an internal witness. If the Spirit is at work in you, a nudge is enough.

How God leads:

God’s primary instrument of guidance is his word. Psalm 119:105. The word of God is an instrument for dimensions. The word of God corrects us. James 4:3

There’s a type of leading that only believers have (Rom 8:13-14). If you don’t appreciate the small leading of God in your life you won’t appreciate the spectacular ones.

Start appreciating the tiny leadings of God in your life. Gal 5:16-18. The biggest leadings are the ones that make you walk in the will of God.

How can I hear God?

P.R.I.C.E 🚀🚀

👌🏾 Persuasions- These can be explained as strong nudges Acts 14:8-9

👌🏾 Restrictions- For some reason, you know what to do and what not to. Even if you can’t explain it, don’t ignore it!

👌🏾 Ideas and Passions- Phil 2:13

How do I know if it is my human passion?

• When you pray about it, the passion reduces instead of increasing.

• Investigate the motives.

👌🏾 Confirmations

👌🏾 Ease- even when it is something difficult, there’s ease inside.

If you follow all these you will arrive at God’s plan for your life.

Creative miracles happen when you bring the supernatural into the natural so extraordinary things can be accomplished.

Learn to think like Jesus. Jesus expects us to expect miracles. Since when did it become a problem when you can’t carry enough bread? Learn to expect the miraculous every time.

Never plan with scarcity. Never say you don't have.

It is counterproductive to always try to get people to be sympathetic with you.

People like to partner with something potential to succeed. 2 Cor 3: 5

4 simple areas to expect creative miracles.

🔥 Speed Isaiah 66:8

🔥 Supernatural creativity

🔥 Supernatural wisdom

🔥 Supernatural multiplication

How to walk in creative miracles.

Sleep. This way, your mind allows your spirit to work. You see the creative power of God when you are at rest. Everything God has created is sufficient enough to do anything.
Thanksgiving- This is a powerful principle of multiplication.
Take action. It doesn't have to be dramatic for it to be supernatural.
Charge yourself.

As believers, we are encouraged to pursue spiritual growth.

A newborn baby is not responsible for himself however, as the child grows, some expectations are placed on him. This also applies to us as Christians.

1Jn2:12-15

🔸It is increasingly important in these last days to recognize the devil’s wiles. When your heart is conflicted and convictions you once upheld from the truth of God’s Word are shaking, it is an attack. Eph 4:14, Eph6:11

🔸 When you are gradually living a life without boundaries, the devil is after you. A life without sacredness is not freedom but death.

🔸 Get to a point in your life where you overcome the fear of missing out.

🔸 Convictions are shifted gradually not abruptly so, be circumspect and hold your ground.

🔸The ultimate proof of consecration is time. Isa40:31

🔸 In these last days, blend in but be without compromise. 1Cor15:33

🔸 The devil’s biggest strategy in this time will be to get you to be sympathetic about the things you should abominate. If you are not careful, you will lose yourself and your identity will look too harsh. His definition of love will be compromise.

🔸Embrace the character of Noah and the mental fortitude to hold your conviction inspite of contradictions. Rom12:2

The most important principle of Prayer is that it is Heartfelt.

Things to note:

🔸Inclining your heart to God is one of the biggest things you can ever do in your walk with God

🔸An inclined heart is all it takes to hear God.

2 Chro16:9, Jer 29:13

🔸To embrace divine leading, you must lay aside giftings, Intelligence, comfort and embrace surrender.

🔸You cannot claim to seek divine leading when you struggle to pray.

🔸If you have an inordinate desire for money, you will miss the will of God.

🔸There is a disposition of the heart that inclines the ear to hear. Pro3:5-6

🔸Don’t compare yourself with anything/anyone other than God’s template for your life.

🔸Be faithful with the instructions of God so much that God can call you reliable. Gen 18:19

Every relationship is superficial until it gets serious. You can have a superficial religious experience but we know you’re growing when you begin to ask real questions about God. It takes maturity to say yes we are studying Yeshua.

The name Jesus is the translation of the name “Yeshua” Acts 13:8

The name Esus was the name attempted to paganize the name, Jesus. The real name of the messiah is in his reputation. Your real name is your reputation.

Do you know Jesus? Don’t assume you do?

Let’s stop playing church and make sure that we actually know Jesus. Ignorance has grave consequences.

We must come to a place of total discernment Luke 24:25

The only way to know the son of God is in the word of God.

• Jesus is God. John 1:1

• He came as a man to be our sacrifice John 1:14

• He died and rose again so he can be the captain of our salvation

• He is the Logos (Word)

When we say Jesus is the logos, we mean he is the logic of God. Every servant of God is meant to be a good example but they can never be a perfect example.

Just because miracles happened doesn’t mean you’re in the will of God.

When you are determined to know God you understand and learn how to be responsible with power.

Luke 9:54-55, In Christ we see the logic of God. You must rightly divide by putting those actions who Christ is and what He did. The word of God about salvation was written in him. John 5:39. Matthew 21:33

Hebrews 1:1-3, John 1:17

If you really want to grow in the knowledge of Jesus, take Bible study seriously. We need to come to a point where we are satisfied learning about Christ.

(John 3:30-31) because he is from heaven he speaks with an authority nobody can speak with.

Make sure that your theology is in alignment with Christ. From Jesus’ experience, we know that even after praying and fasting the devil still comes and your defense won’t be prayer but that “It is written.”

Learn to seek Christ for Christ's sake!

There are questions and we will get answers to them today.

Q: How then can we see that the resurrected body of Jesus had scars?

A: It means that it’s a mockery of death, that’s exactly how we know that death has been defeated. He (Jesus) put it there to let us know that he died our death. 1 Cor 15:55-57

Hebrews 2:14

In history, no one ever conquered death until Jesus conquered death. Death is defeated and that’s the reason for the season!

Two facts about this season

😁 Jesus died- Crucification was a reliable method of true death. The weapons the Roman soldiers used on Jesus was called the Roman scourge and the movie we all know “Passion of Christ” is a gross understatement of what really happened to Jesus. His heart had ruptured because after so much beating blood and water came out of his body. There’s no milder way to say that Jesus actually died!

😁 Jesus rose!

Something must have happened for the disciples to admit that Jesus was alive.

Jesus bragged to them that he will rise again on the third day that was why they put Roman soldiers to guard the tomb and if the Roman soldiers were guarding it how then was his body missing.

What are the implications of His death, burial, and resurrection?

Acts 17:31 This was the assurance of Paul. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead gave assurance that there’s life after death. 1 Cor 15, 1 Thess 4:14

Only the messiah has the right to talk about life after death. Now we know there’s life after death and we acquire it by FAITH.

In every sphere of life we see death is an Avenue for multiplication!

Once upon a time Jesus was called only begotten but now we see he is called the first begotten because by his death he has joined us with him 🥳🥳🥳

We move from an experiential thing Jesus did to the fact that He was demonstrating power on our behalf

That we’ve been immersed into Christ and so his death has become our death, his burial our burial, and his resurrection our resurrection.

Not only did he rise, he is resurrection!

This is the reason for the season that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life🔥🔥

Glory to God 💃💃💃

Immanuel: Jesus the Man ✨

📌 God took up flesh and dwelt amongst us. His name is Jesus.

John 1:1,14 - In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the Word was God.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

‭‭

Jesus is the mediator between God and man and is both God and man.

To understand Jesus as God, we must note 1 Timothy 2:5 which corroborates 1 Timothy 3:16.

📌 The humanity of Christ is one of the greatest expressions of God’s love towards us.

Deities of many religions have so-called rules and guidelines against sin but none actually experienced the struggles that humans face. God however became a man and felt all our pain and struggles.

-> He was tempted by the devil

-> He was betrayed by his friends

-> He was denied and lied against.

-> He experienced hunger

-> He was beaten, crucified, and experienced excruciating pain.

Yet amidst all these, he sought for only one thing: our forgiveness and redemption! Hallelujah!

Christ is our perfect example of endurance and empathy.

Philippians 2:5-7, Hebrews 12:1-2, 1 Peter 2:21-24, 4:12

We should strive daily to be as he was while as a man on earth.

Yeshua: The God man

If you study the communication of Jesus, you'll have one of two conclusions.

He is God
He is a fraud

No ordinary person can speak the way Jesus did.

In Matthew 4:7, Jesus said to Satan, "...do not tempt the Lord your God". Jesus was the one being tempted here yet He referred to himself as God.

In Isaiah 9:6, The child Jesus to be born was called the everlasting father and the Mighty God.

The fact that Jesus is son does not mean He’s not God. Jesus has always been God however, he became son when he was conceived by virgin Mary, without the help of a man. It was by the Spirit of God, this is when He became the SON OF GOD.

Jesus has an origin as a man but He has no beginning because He is God. He became a man one day but then, HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOD!

The fact that Jesus is a son doesn't contradict His Deity as God. HE is God and will always be God.

WHY SHOULD YOU KNOW JESUS?

As believers, questions will always come and so we must always anticipate questions and have answers to these questions.

Knowing Jesus is not just for argument, it is for worship. By knowing Jesus enough to defend Him, you have given Him a sacred place.

According to basic science, for fire to be produced & sustained, three things must be present: heat, oxygen and fuel. Remove any, and the fire goes out.

The same principle applies to spiritual fire; revival does not happen coincidentally, it occurs as a result of deliberate architecture. If you put the right things in place, you will inevitably see it.

There’s no such thing as an ‘automatic Christian life’, there is what to do to sustain what God has done. Fan the flames of the gifts of the Spirit, and fight the good fight of faith. 1 Tim 6:12; Gal 5:15

Jesus exposed the spirituality of many seemingly physical phenomena. When you struggle to pray, it’s not ordinary, there is war. Matt 26:41

There are things you can do to build a consistent devotional life. 👇🏻

Spiritual maturity means growing in the knowledge of Christ and superimposing that knowledge in your daily experience. Acknowledge and manifest the knowledge that you have received. Spiritual maturity is hard work, there is diligence to it. 1Pet 2:9

Your walk with God will enter a new level when you learn to handle your Gethsemane experience - where you fight your flesh.

Don’t observe your devotion instead of controlling it. Whether you feel like it or not, pray. Set your desire. A mature Christian does not observe his feelings, he observes his spirit. Col 3:13, 1Sam 10:4-6

The most invaluable key to a sustainable devotional life is fellowship with the Saints. This unites everything; just by proximity, fire spreads.

All through the Bible - Spiritual gifts thrived in community. Col 3:2; 1 Sam 10:5; Phil 1:25;

You must continue to see who you want to be. It’s in your spirit to replicate your destiny; when you consistently see someone doing what you desire, you replicate it. Don’t keep your mind empty; play prayer tapes, sermons, and spiritual songs. Music is a very powerful tool in the atmosphere of the Spirit. Acts 16:25

For it to be a New Testament Church, the workings of the Spirit must be common. You have the Holy Ghost so you have something to offer. Eph 5:1

God did not give you his spirit for nothing.

The spirit of God in your life must count for more than goosebumps. Zechariah 4:6

He gave you the Spirit because the assignment he gave you cannot be accomplished by your power.

Do something extraordinary

You might be timid but there’s something called the zeal of the Lord.

God the Father is glorified in the glorification of the spirit.

John 14:12 Now we are partakers of the commonwealth of Israel.

In the New Testament, God has made greatness common.

You need to understand what is yours by the Spirit;

1 Cor 12:1 the display of Spiritual gifts doesn’t have to be once in a while it’s something you can master and can be replicable. Paul is emphasizing that you can function in all the spiritual gifts.

Functioning in the word of wisdom and knowledge is called supernatural leadership.

Matthew 20:26

God loves to brag about people that contribute.

If you want to stand out in the sight of God you should be ready to contribute.

Medals are awarded to those who fight not to those who know that they can fight because in the kingdom God doesn’t reckon greatness by capacity alone.

At the end of the day, greatness in the kingdom is not by what you think you can produce but by what you actually produce.

Greatness is reckoned by contribution!

What really measures greatness in the sight of God is “Love” (1 Cor 13)

Even in the administration of gifts, there is a hierarchy in terms of importance, know this, Spiritual gifts are for service! It is not so that you can advance your own physical agenda. God wants a body whereby every part is a supplying joint and If you’re asked what you’re doing for the body of Christ; It should be seen that you’ve been able to come up with a strategy to reach people for God. (1 Cor 14:1-2)

Acts 1:8 simply means that the gifts are primarily for evangelism and not for personal gratification.

Write your faith story! There has to be more. Desire spiritual gifts but not for yourself.

The Spirit of God has come to make greatness common. Get involved for the kingdom and be a supplying joint.

Again, desire the gifts for the advancement of the kingdom!

1 Sam 10:5-7

God designed his church to be a body filled with supplying joints. If you really want to see big things in your walk with God, associate with people who have it. 1 Sam 10:7 explains that we can do as occasion demands once the spirit has come upon us. Do not let the devil trick you to think that being alone is the best thing.

Take community seriously and use community as a strategy. When our heart is focused on the kingdom we have the capacity but we must have a purpose in mind and God uses utterance to launch us into our purpose.

By this, we experience progress and joy in the faith!

Who is the spirit?

🔥 Rom 8:9 The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God and Christ.

(John 14:16) it is in this regard that the spirit of God is called the spirit of Christ.

🔥 He is not just a feeling - His presence can be felt but he is not a feeling. You know God is with you by faith. We know that we’re in the spirit because the spirit dwells in us everyday. We must learn to yield the sword even when we don’t feel the sword.

🔥 We see the truth about adoption- The spirit of God is for identification, we belong to God when we have the spirit. The HolySpirit is a seal proving that we’re children of God. It is the assurance of sonship and because He is our daddy, we have spiritual security.

🔥Sanctification, because of the spirit, we no longer have to follow the sinful acts of the flesh.

🔥 Rom 8:11 - This shows us the influence of the spirit. Where true baptism is that Christ has immersed us in Him.

JET PACK

This is a bag pack that we use to fly.

In the spirit, we fly with the Holy Ghost because we know that the same engineering of the power of God is already at work in us. The resurrection of Jesus is proof that we will be resurrected.

1 Thess 4:14 This is one theology wired into your fabric of faith.

1 Cor 15:12.

The word of God remains sure. We should never doubt that we’re making heaven. As long as we have the Holy Spirit, we shouldn’t lack the assurance of Salvation.

2 Cor 10:5

The biggest strategy of the enemy is against your mind.

The devil tries to get you to second guess the word of God and anytime you second guess what God has said about you then that’s an attack of the devil against your mind.

Gen3:4

The oldest trick of the devil is the illusion of freedom and he makes the lack of boundaries seem exciting. He is consciously fighting against everything that you hold sacred.

The movie “Matrix” paints this picture perfectly (The moral programming of the spirit).

The devil has fought against objective truth and this idea will cause us to self-destruct.

God isn't trying to limit our experience, he's trying to protect it.

John 15:26

In the Holy Spirit, we understand that there is objective truth. We must fight for the proper definition of truth.

The ministry of the spirit explains that in the Old Testament, God gave rules but in the New Testament, God came into us to empower us to do. The ministry of the spirit is in us and empowers us to live right. Don't let the devil blur the lines.

God helps us to live in a manner consistent with our new nature BY HIS SPIRIT. Jer31:31-34 Ezekiel 36:26 -27

Romans 8: 1-2 By the Spirit, Sin is no longer irresistible.

A man who lives in condemnation actually never knew he was free from bondage. The fact that we see contradictions doesn’t mean we aren’t saved but there’s a need to be reminded by God’s word to mortify the deeds of the body and work the word of God in your life.

How do we mortify the deeds of the body;

Accountability - Have a system of accountability. They say evil association corrupts good manners. If you want to have a prayerful life, have prayerful friends. Have the right association.
Have and maintain a vibrant devotion- It is counterproductive to be fighting habits. Walking in the spirit is the most effective way. You don’t fight temptation effectively when it is standing in front of you, you should prepare ahead.

Sanctification must be a growing reality, it might be gradual but the process must be evident.

(2 Cor 5:7) In the school of spiritual maturity, you must come to a point where there is sight before what your physical eyes can see & hear more than what your physical ears can hear.

We walk by faith and not by sight. Hence, you can move with the Word and let your feelings catch up.

1 Peter 1:8, John 20:21

You don’t need to have a spectacular encounter to see God because his Word is our sight and a Word encounter is encounter enough.

Three major areas where we must learn to walk by faith and not by sight;

✨Salvation - When it comes to this, we walk by faith and not by sight. That you lack assurance of faith doesn’t mean you’re not saved. This is the compassion with which Paul wrote Romans 1:12.

You can be zealous for God and be in error.

You can feel saved and not be saved because the assurance of salvation is not a feeling. 1 John 2:1-2

In salvation, you must learn to put the Word of God above your feelings. Feelings are not the power of God unto salvation. You must learn to let your feelings catch up.

✨Miracles - Mark 11:24. Believing is seeing.

The word of God is more powerful than experience.

We only see miracles when we believe.

✨Devotion - Psalm 23

You must learn to balance your walk with God.

The presence of chaos, storm, and darkness doesn’t mean he is not there.

What makes goodness and mercy follow you is that God is with you. You must embrace the word of God (The truth of God’s word) not feelings. Isaiah 50:10

Sometimes, the environment looks contradictory but remember the word of God.

When I don’t feel God, what should I do?🤷🏿‍♀️🤷🏽‍♂️

🧡 I get full of the word of God. Get on the Word diet. Psalm 119:86

🧡 I must confess the Word of God.

When you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, you talk and confess God’s Word.

A man of God is talkative.

We must learn to let our feelings catch up.

Your sensitivity to your walk with God can be a call to action.

🧡 I Move- You take a step of faith.

Take a bold step and allow your feelings to catch up.

Why is the Holy Spirit so important?

The Holy Spirit is to a church what an engine is to a car. A car without an engine can look good but won't go anywhere. There is no church without the holy ghost.

A lot of us have not made the required impact because we have not learnt to walk with the spirit. When the holy spirit takes over your life he brings a new level of productivity and effectiveness to your life.

By the Holy Ghost, anybody can be somebody.

There are three fundamental things that the advent of the spirit introduced to the church, they are;

The right and privilege to become a son of God - John 14:18

The coming of the spirit is to take you out of the orphanage and make you a child of God. Adoption is greater than the gift he can give. He doesn’t just want to give you something he wants you to become his child.

Romans 8:15

John 3:1-3 The major ministry of the spirit is evangelical.

John 16: 7-9 Gal 3:13 - 14

Eph 1:13 - 14 the holy spirit is a stamp of ownership. The branding of God. His gift is himself and the bearer of all the gifts is inside you.

You belong to God!

The Holy Spirit is not just for religious calisthenics but for the assurance of salvation.

Gal 3:5 when you walk in the consciousness of sonship, everything you have is enough.

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE HOLY GHOST

Of all things to study, theology has the most value. When you study God, you are studying what is beyond studying, and when you’ve known Him, you have known something beyond knowledge. It’s a huge privilege.

God cannot be known by human senses, neither can you box him by thinking you know all there is to know about him. The basic knowledge of the Godhead will distort your knowledge of mathematics. John 1:1, Rom 11:33, Eph 3:14-19

4 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GOD

He is one
He is three
The three persons are each fully God
Each person is distinct from the others

THE DIETY OF THE SPIRIT

Spirits generally in the Bible are persons, the spirit of God is more than wind, a force, energy, or a dove.

Zach 4:6, Lk 4:14, Act 1:8, 10:38, Rom 15:13, Micah 3:8

He is the power of God, yet, he is never impersonal; He is a person & He has a mind. Rom 8:27, John 14:17

The term Circumincessio means MUTUAL INVOLVEMENT; the three persons in the trinity are interwoven, but they are still three persons. John 1:1

For example, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is similar to the role Jesus played in the lives of the disciples when he was on earth; he is ‘ANOTHER helper’. Jesus was limited by his earthly body, he could only be at one place at a time. But the spirit is much better because he lives inside of you, as well as in millions of other believers at the same time. The Holy Ghost is ‘Jesus’ in our hearts, therefore our world will not miss him. John 14:16

Because of what we carry, the possibilities in our reality are enormous. - limitations become our advantage and we do the impossible. Gen 1:2

This month, we are being launched into a new realm of intimacy, make sure to participate. It all starts with your mind, refuse to be mediocre, decide not to play church. It must count in our lives that we carry the presence of God.

Welcome to your ALSO experience. Rom 8:11

Love is not an accident.

It is very intentional. It is not something that we fall into.

As such, love must be defined because it has many look alikes: lust, infatuation, etc. You must be discerning to see beneath the surface to recognise love.

🔸Husbands are required to love their wives like Christ did but how did Christ demonstrate His love towards the church?

He put our interest above His (Philippians 2:5). Put your spouse's interest over yours.
He washed His disciples' feet. Constantly try to outdo your spouse in service.
He loved even when we did not appreciate it. Love her whether she deserves it or not.

🔸 Wives are to submit to their own husbands (Ephesians 5:21-22) and not to all men (Galatians 3:28).

This is not subjugation but the surrendering of your will for the achievement of a common goal.

1 John 4:7

Love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God.

People must see us and know us by our love walk.

We know we’re growing when the word of God can stripe us bare so we can correct ourselves.

Phil 1:9

Your love can grow and it can be excellent.

Any knowledge that doesn’t increase your humility & consecration is very dangerous that’s why we should let our love grow, decide to stop playing church, show love and admit that we can do better

How do I know I am growing in love ~ John 14:21 ?

💞 When there’s a growing urge in obeying the commands of God, not out of duty but out of interest. You’re growing in love when you keep the commandments of God. Obedience is God’s love language 😍.

💞 When we walk in love even when we don’t feel like it.

Christ is our standard of love. The context of God’s love is salvation. When you know the eternal description of God’s love, your perspective about the love of God will no longer be fluctuating. No matter what anyone does to you, it will be petty to bring it up before God because you’ve received the endless love of God.

💞 When you have the fear of God.

Your growth in knowledge must come with growth in sanctification.

Romans 12:1-2, this is a good response to grace. You should treat people nice and well because of GOD.

Our instrument for measuring marriage and relationship is wrong and as children of God, we should go back to the word.

See how the bible explains marriage;

🧡 When it comes to marriage our first go-to place is the bible. The scripture should be your worldview. Matthew 19:3

Matt 19:10

🧡 We must abominate the idea that getting married late is a problem. The person who hasn’t found a biblical partner is better off single. Gen 2:23

🧡 Marriage is not about marrying your friend or being submissive as a wife. The best marriage advise on marriage is found in Gal 5:16

🧡 In marriage, you should go for the cause, not the effect because there is something supplying the anger, fornication, fights, etc. If you’re fighting the truth then the work won’t be get done. Everything you want in a good marriage or relationship is in your spirit. It’s in the interest of your marriage and relationship you walk in the spirit. Romans 5:16.

🧡 Marriage was designed for men and women walking in the will of God. The Bible explains that marriage is a mystery. Eph 5:32

🧡 Marriage shows the union between Christ and the church- meaning you cannot understand marriage without understanding the word.

Eph 5:25

Husbands love your wives as Christ loves the church, Christ died independent of our response.

Gen 3:32; 1 Tim 2:14, 1Cor 7:16, Eph 5:22

You cannot establish the role of submission from one verse, looking at 1 Peter 3 Col 3:18 1 Cor 11:3

Submission is taught in context to all things pertaining to submission. Eph 6:1-5.

If He laid and submitted his life for you, what then is your excuse?

You cannot receive the unmerited love of Christ and not give the unmerited!

In the body of Christ today, it’s almost as if knowledge & love cannot coexist; the people who have the knowledge of the gospel’s message tend to not know how to love while the people who love do not have the knowledge.

However, the Bible clearly tells us that love and knowledge can go hand-in-hand. You don’t need to suppress one for the other. Yes, the truth can be taught in love.

The love of God that you have received has conferred on you a responsibility; you can’t receive the undeserved love of Christ and not love undeservedly. Prove the love of Christ in difficult situations - forgive.

John 21:15, 1Cor 16:22, Phil 2:1-7

Love walk is a parameter for measuring spiritual maturity. You walk in love when you don’t judge people by their actions alone but by where they are coming from; their exposure and perspective.

If you do not have holistic thinking, you will disregard the effort of others. Learn to accommodate people’s growth processes, grow in the love of Jesus.

“BREAKFAST”

➡️ God cares about you, your pains and your heartbreaks.

He led Phillip to the Eunuch whose status involved having something precious taken away from him ( Acts 8: 27-39). He received salvation that he desperately needed.

➡️ It’s God’s desire to bind us up from our pain. (Isaiah 61:1 )

While dealing with pain and trauma, the following are noteworthy:

🔹Jesus makes whole.

This testimony is true today.

Don’t mistake who you are for who you were (1 Cor 6:9- 11).

In Christ, you are a new creation.

You have a sound mind as an inheritance in Christ (2 Tim 1:7).

🔹Be vulnerable.

Be open with your struggles and be vulnerable about your weaknesses.

🔹Regarding relationships, the end of a relationship does not mean you have failed in life.

🔹Choose forgiveness.

Bearing a grudge does not help with your healing.

🔹Protect your vulnerabilities.

Do not be too trusting. Have boundaries.

🔹Avoid projecting.

Don’t project mindsets formed from your past experiences in your present relationships.

🔹Do not make permanent decisions based on temporary mistakes.

Don’t make decisions that will keep you in pain for the rest of your life.

🔹The Supernatural God can intervene supernaturally in your relationships.

Trust God to intervene.

🔹Break the cycle of abuse. Protect your kids.

In Christ, you are comforted and you will comfort others with that same comfort.

AMEN!

Psalm 5:11-12

We rejoice because we know we are on the winning side. God is our defense and we have a defense by his Favour. When you’re planning for your future and every area of your life you can plan with Favour.

• Favour is reliable because it’s a shield.

• Favour is not a miracle but a strategy.

• Favour is not a windfall or a mystery.

If it happens repeatedly consistently then it is Favour and not an accident. Pay attention to Favour because God doesn’t joke with Favour and not only must you grow in Favour with God but also with men.

Facts about Favour are;

Favour can change- it can be manipulated. You can walk in, walk out, increase and decrease in Favour. It’s very important you believe Favour can change otherwise you won’t position yourself to have it increase. Favour is the reward for good behavior. You understand Favour when you understand that there are some things some people have access or can do and others can’t.

You cannot do ministry if you don’t understand honour.

A spiritual man must be a relationship expert. (Learn how to start conversations). Gen 40:7 You must be big on Favour and never trivialize Favour with men. Not only can Favour grow, it can also diminish.

A man of Favour cannot be petty and entitled. When you always try to prove a point you’ll lose everything.

1 Peter 2:18 Your journey to destiny is filled with several unreasonable people and you must have discretion for the sake of your family and yourself.

If you don’t appreciate Favour, Favour will diminish.

Honor currency

Honour is a key to Favour and it’s a currency.

How to become a man or woman of honour.

Become addicted to service. Generally in life become fascinated with helping people. 1 Peter 2:17
Build value - Numbers won’t count much if you don’t build value. It’s one thing to be addicted to service and another thing to build value. Men of Favour are solution providers.
Be a master of protocol- Learn what to say when it should be said, watch your words. Be a person of protocol and value.
Be loyal- Learn to show for people, especially in trying times.

It’s good there’s Facebook but we must have a faith book because God knows every record of our lives Matt 12:36.

When it comes to God’s book there is a standard, you’ll be judged according to the standard and you’ll give account. Asides from a faith book, God also has a book of life and that book is for people who have everlasting life. John 3:16.

God has books which are the; book of record, book of life, and God’s faith book.

God’s faith book is a book of record that doesn’t just take note of what you wear, your degree, etc but it looks at what’s left to say about you? What you have done for Christ? Those are the achievements Lord will reckon with. 1Cor 3:13

He reckons you by the relevance to the work of Christ. Hebrews 11:4

In God’s faith book, the only thing written about you is what’s related to the things you did in the name of Christ. When it comes to contribution to the kingdom of God, it shows what have you done for Christ and what you have done by faith.

Here’s the concept of purpose.

There’s is more to your life and you must discover the why of your life. The main idea for Purpose presupposes the existence of a creator with expectations. Your purpose must be relevant in the throne room.

Rev 5:3 shows that one of our many problems is that we have a poor sense of what we really need. The Bible is about the promise, provision, and continuation of salvation. When God wants to write about your faith story some things stand out for him; which is the achievements of men and it’s relevance to his salvation plan.

Know that faith is anything that substantiates your hope and the hope is salvation- God’s salvation plan. Like Moses, you must be able to write your faith story by doing it God’s way and be willing to embrace the sacrifice. Stand up and be counted, do all that God will have you do for his namesake, and just like David, you must be able to see through the lenses of God!

Recognize that your greatness is relevant to God’s agenda and write your faith story well!

Genesis 15:5 The reason why some people don’t desire more in life is that they’ve not gone out a lot.

Sometimes God pushes us to see things from a different perspective. Sometimes God’s best is interrupted by God’s good. We must be thankful. We must not be complacent. We should be able to see the goodness of God at all times and at the same time, it should not make us complacent. We should push harder. When God wants to do something in your tomorrow he must persuade you to have the right mindset today (3 John 1:2). Success must never be at the expense of our souls.

Here are four simple things for futuring;

Vision - This all starts from believing that it is possible. Put content out there. You have to move past the survival mentality. Put aside the good and receive the best for your life.
Excellence - Grace will not work for the lazy. Trust God for ideas. Look at your craft well and benchmark properly. Your inspiration is from a realm where’s there’s no time so your craft must be timeless. Everything divine is excellent. Every week improve something about yourself. Accept criticism. When you come up with an approach that has never been seen before you will rise to DURABLE RICHES AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Prayer - When we pray we receive supernatural direction!
Praise - Go around praising. Like this; "Father I thank you that you hear me always". Learn to stop and give thanks at all times.

Three (3) Uncommon Secrets in Prayer

CONCENTRATION - if you learn to concentrate in your prayer life, It will multiply the results of your prayer in an astronomical way. The biggest attack on prayer in this generation is low attention span. Prayer requires the investment of your emotion & alertness - “watch & pray”.

Keep the image of God in your spirit, don't lose focus. Master the art of concentration if you want to carry a presence in your life. As a child of God, investigate every thought, you might just be seeing a vision; it is God who works in you both to will & to do. If you spend too much time on trivialities, it will replace the place of vision in your life.

CORPORATE PRAYER - everytime people held hands and prayed together in the Bible, without fail, something miraculous happened.

There's a dimension of power attainable only by prayer of unity. Do this not religiously but because you understand the efficacy of it. It is note worthy that Jesus emphasized corporate prayer in how he taught the disciples to pray.

Agreement in Prayer. Corporate prayer is a type of prayer, agreement in prayer is a heart of prayer. 1Pet 3:7

Love opens you up to a different depth of annointing. We must pray corporately with love in our hearts. 1Tim 2:8

If you want the annointing to flow like never before, love one another like never before. Have genuine connections, not fickle ones.

Philippians 1:25

Our faith can move and grow and we can grow in influence on account of the gospel.

There are two Ancient Greek words to describe time which are;

• Chronos - Chronological and it’s quantitative. Eccl 3:1. This means clock time and it’s measured in hours, mins, seconds, and years.

• Kairos means opportune time and it is qualitative. In life generally, it’s not how long but how well. Eccl 9:11. Time and chance happen to them all, we have to understand this concept because in one moment of Kairos, lives can change which is our supernatural advantage.

As wonderful as Kairos is you have to also appreciate Chronos. If you abuse Chronos, kairos will elude you. Kairos is Chronos “well managed” proverbs 22:29. Well managed Chronos + Opportunities = Kairos

If you don’t use your Chronos well opportunities will be wasted. Develop a routine for greatness. Be ready to receive feedback; Work on yourself and be better off.

When you understand Kairos you’ll understand a different perspective towards delay. Luke 1:5 Sometimes the delay is important to Kairos in the making. What you’re referring to delay might be Kairos. Don’t waste the pain and don’t jeopardize the Kairos, don’t give up! Keep at it. Listen to God, continue to work faithfully, keep at it!

How to take advantage of your supernatural seasons;

Hold on to the power of your testimony. This is where the investment in Chronos matters. You have to have a track record. In the power of testimony, there’s a reward for those who do not faint. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
Use what you’ve learned boldly - You can’t do great for God in this generation until you remove yourself from trying to impress people.
Avoid distractions- If you stop prematurely under pressure then it’s on you. Avoid the side talks. Don’t loose focus. Focus on what God has given you and follow God’s plan for your life.
Be bold! Talk like someone who has been with God. Practice boldness. Learn to talk about your gift and what you can do. In ministry, the anointing will flow when you confess it. There must be a confidence about you!

Aspects of our lives that need transformation:

Text: 2Tim3:1-7

Relationships: In all your getting, develop wisdom for your relationship as it is primarily your responsibility. Don’t just pray for a good marriage; plan for it, develop people skills and learn to be accountable.
Finances: You cannot build sustainable wealth without prudence. Read beyond the Bible, save up, learn new things to create more opportunities for financial growth. Prov6:6-11
General Knowledge: Don’t be petty, apologize well, strive to be exceptional at work, get educated.
Health: Drink water. Don’t see rest as something that takes you from work, but as something that helps you to work.

Finally, whatever you need to do to be who you need to be, you can do by the Spirit of God in you.

HUMILITY IN PRAYER

In every field, a master is somebody who is extraordinary at the fundamentals.

Cherish your waiting years and build character. Tarry! Don’t rush! Luke 24:49

2Chron7:14 - It takes humility to pray! Of all the ingredients in prayer, one of the most profound that Jesus talked about is humility.

Pray! It takes intimacy to see into the plans of God.

To have a disciplined prayer life:

Have a prayer pattern - set your prayer alarm. Be intentional.
Have a prayer partner.

Man is not meant to exist without a prayer life. It doesn't matter how intelligent you are, if you don't have a prayer life, you will not function optimally!

Title: Recipe for Greatness - Humility

Like salt is to soup, there is something minute but very precise and most important in every Christian lifestyle; it is humility.

The redemptive work of Jesus is not just something to believe (salvation) but it is also an example to emulate (humility).

We grow in grace through prayer. We grow in grace through study. We grow in grace through humility. 1Pet5:5

Many people see humility as something they do to be nice, but people hardly see humility as something they do to rise. 1Pet 5:5-6

Heaven and earth has been promised to the humble Matt5:3,5

God recognizes greatness in His kingdom as Humility. Matt9:46-48

Marks of humility. Phil 2:6-7

Honor elders.
Honor your parents.
Honor spiritual authority.
Honor the Word.

It takes humility to have a prayer life. To know you cannot do it on your own.

Finally, humility is of the heart. It is not just in kneeling down, because posture can be mimicked.

In the realm of the spirit, talk is not cheap!

It is the currency of the spirit. 1 Thess 5:20

For the natural man, all he has at the beginning of the year is optimism but as men of the spirit we do not hope because, we know how to control things in the realm of the spirit. This is why we rejoice. Isaiah 46:10.

Our hope is not empty.

It’s to our advantage that we serve a God who doesn’t just know tomorrow but holds tomorrow (Rev 1:8).

The reason many believe prophecy doesn't work is because they don't know what to do with it. Sometimes, prophecy is instructive and you can position yourself for more.

The first thing you must learn to do to experience new acceleration is Thanksgiving;

• Thanksgiving is developing an attitude of gratitude. In our kingdom thanksgiving is something you do at the beginning as opposed to the end. John 6:9-11.

“What do you do when you don’t know what to do?”

This is simple, because you can learn what to do from Jesus’s actions. Thanksgiving is a step of faith. John 6:11. Thanksgiving is a law of multiplication. Jeremiah 30:19

Two things to abominate from our lives this year;

• Complaining- Just as Thanksgiving brings multiplication, murmuring brings destruction.

We give thanks because it’s the will of God concerning us. Thanksgiving puts us in the position to see creative miracles. You’ll only see the creative power of God when you’re at rest.

• Refuse To Compare- Comparison makes you reduce the miracles of God in your life. When you stop comparing with others, you will see what God has done. 1 Chor 12: 10.

Love light and display the beauty of God’s holiness at all times.

In this new year,

Shun mediocrity.
Our approach for the new year must change.
God never works with an unserious person.
Study more and be ready to do something different.
People who are mediocre are lazy and lazy people are common.
For success to happen, success requires distinction.
Reject laziness and do not be quickly satisfied.
Deal with procrastination and stop waiting for the condition to be perfect before you act.
Mediocre people lack consistency.
Always wake up with a sense of urgency.
Shun self-centeredness.
Self-centered people have small minds.
God wants to give you more. He wants to give you the earth (Matt 5:5)

Your needs are already met in Him.

The gospel is the real definition of success. No matter how the year was, the year where the gospel prevailed was a good year.
The real priority is the kingdom.

The life worth living is the life where souls are saved, the sick get healed and disciples are raised.

In Daniel 12:3, we see God’s perspective of light.

And in this year, we shine brighter.

Proverbs 4:18

Our Year of Greater Light!

The purpose of worship is not about who you are but who He is.

As a believer, your default disposition should always be thanksgiving because your God is always good.

Wondering why you should be thankful and worship, here are three reasons why:

You must worship Him because He is God (Matthew 2).

You have to be intentional about your worship, acknowledging God's role in creation; He made you.

God is good (Psalm 34:8). You should be grateful for all that He has done for you. The goodness of God should make you burst out in thanksgiving.
He gave you His son. In seasons like this, we remember the day we became sons of God.

If God has your sincere devotions let Him have your deepest emotions.

From the events that surrounded the birth of Jesus, it is glaring that there's something spectacular about him. And at a time like this, we really must investigate what that special thing about Jesus is.

Phil 2:5-8

When we say, Down to earth, we mean 2 things;

The incarnation
The humility of the incarnation.

What is special about Jesus?

Isa 9:6

He’ll be called wonderful; meaning that he'll be miraculous in his birth, understanding & compassion.
His name shall be called Miraculous.
He'll be called Counselor; to come from above. Isa 28:29, Heb 1:2-3
The mighty God. The everlasting father.

You see, Jesus is not just a man or a baby. He is God, we cannot deny his deity. He is Emmanuel, God in the form of man dwelling among us. Lk 20:40-44, Isa 7:14

God wants to raise us as a lineage of prototype believers, an example to other believers and one important way this will happen is for us to take our gatherings seriously. Hebrews 10:24-25.

This is how we get better, by provoking one another unto love and good works. We shouldn't just be devoted and consecrated for ourselves, but as an example for others.

Hebrews 10:25. Those who forsake the gathering of believers are doing the wrong thing.

Physical gathering will always be God's idea. We define church God's way.

There must be ministry gifts, a pastor.

A mature Christian is submitted to authority.

We must have a responsibility and contribution to the body of Christ.

We must be supplying joints.

Acts 19:20. The word of God will always grow at the expense of something else - ideas against the word of God. The message of Jesus on the cross is not a secret, we must position it well for all to see. We must learn to compete for the faith, the gospel must win, Jude :3. We have to see what we are up against; strongholds, imaginations, knowledge, and thoughts, and the way to win is by prayer and taking action.

Apart from salvation being by grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone as seen in the scriptures alone, and for the glory of God alone, another thing Martin Luther emphasized was the priesthood for believers. Man no longer needs an intermediary between him and God.

We are now priests, 1 Peter 2:9. Priesthood means we have the responsibility to show God to our world. This is our greatest privilege. This is what it means to be IMAGO DEI.

Although Jesus died as one, He rose as many that He should bring many sons to glory. He did this by baptism, Colossians 2:12. Baptism is a supernatural operation by which we become beneficiaries of the work of Christ. If we are this close to God, then we don't need an intermediary.

As priests, we have the privilege and responsibility to show God to the world, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 5:17-20.

As believers, we need to understand that the anointing upon our lives has the ability to cause a socio-cultural change in our world. We see examples all through scriptures: Daniel, Joseph, Abraham, to mention a few.

One of the most prolific things about the believer's identity is that wherever he finds himself, he always thrives. As you pray and study God's word, know that the anointing can guide you in practical ways so that you thrive in all that you do, thereby causing your influence to grow.

As a church, we need to buy a dream of social influence. Let our influence be felt beyond the church. Get interested in things that can disciple people beyond the church. Get involved in setting up systems that will make life easier for our children.

We need to start patronizing Christian businesses so that directly and indirectly we are sponsoring God's agenda on the earth. By so doing, we can make demands on brands to create the changes we want to see and cut the funding of evil agendas.

The church is powerful spiritually and physically. That power is in our numbers.

God wants us to abound not just in knowledge, but in utterance also. Tongues is a gift from God.

When we pray in tongues, we confirm the testimony of Christ. Tongues is a spiritual gift that proves that Christ is glorified; no other gift points to this. If God has made this gift available, then we must use it.

In the things of the spirit, there is no discrimination. The gift of tongues is for everyone. Not speaking in tongues is a departure from God's plan.

Below are three reasons why you should pray in tongues:

Why not? 1 Cor 14:2 makes it clear that he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
When we speak in tongues, we prove that Christ is glorified. 1 Cor 1:5-7
When we pray in tongues, we edify ourselves. Jude 1:20

Be alert whenever you pray in tongues because there is always something to see and hear!

There is a concept of supernatural leadership, and it is contagious. Even if it is God's plan, it takes sensitivity to follow it.

We can be precise in supernatural leadership. We can get guidance from the world, but we can't get precise leadership from it. In a season of prayer, we can get precision. Acts 13:1.

The leading of God is time-specific and if we don't respond to it, it will take mercy to make it happen. Just as we can discern the weather, we should be able to discern the signs of the Spirit. Matthew 16:1-3.

Success isn't always proportional to effort. The fastest person may win on a track, but not in life. We should be hardworking, but there has to be more. Time and chance happen to us all. Ecclesiastes 9:11.

There is an opportune time (Kairos), and we must not miss it. When we are carried by Kairos, there are no disadvantages.

The purpose of our existence is to please God. Revelations 4:11. We must have a compelling purpose driving our existence. Without it, there would be a void in our lives and other unsavory things may fill it because nature abhors a vacuum.

HOW TO OVERCOME HABITS

Purpose is the most important weapon in overcoming habits. Hebrews 12:1 instructs us to not just lay aside weights but to run. We must have a pursuit and this pursuit must be God. If we lay aside every weight but don't run, the weights will come back. We replace habits with habits.

An idle mind is the devil's workshop. God didn't create man to be idle. Being idle is breaking God's principle. Having a new, pure, and holy obsession is what kills habits, not necessarily trying to kill the habit itself.

We have victory over habits by the power of God!

As an excellent church we want to emphasize that our Identity would be that of a praying church.

Generally, mastery requires time, also spiritual mastery equally requires time.

From Ephesians 3:14, we see that the same way we can build physical muscles is the same way we can build spiritual muscles. Our spirits have "muscles" that can be expanded. There’s a spirit gym.

Why pray long?

When we pray we are strengthened. Prayer is not about informing God about our problems because he already knows. We pray to build strength. Strength is a huge subject in the realm of the spirit.
From James 5:16, we see that our prayer makes tremendous power available, both to do and undo in the will of God. The Bible tells us Elijah prayed earnestly and caused changes. Just like Elijah, we also can make changes in the place of prayer.

As a believer, you can be sure without a shadow of a doubt that you are saved. You can and should rejoice at the second coming of Christ without being afraid. The word of God sets the records straight in Isaiah 32:17.

The effect of righteousness is peace, quietness, and assurance forever. When you receive the gift of righteousness in Christ you are assured you are His forever. 1 John 5:13

There is no salvation devoid of assurance. God wants you to know that you are saved. He has designed that you receive eternal life before you step into eternity.

Salvation is by grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone, for the glory of God alone.

Jesus did the following to assure you of salvation:

He prayed about it. John 17:11
He preached about it. John 6:38
He swore about it. Heb 6:13-20

Eph 1:13 makes us understand that we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise and He has promised to uphold us till the very end.

Be assured in the finished works of Christ.

When we speak of church growth, we aren't just talking about an increase in numbers but members doing what their pastor can do.

God's idea of growth is for many more people to have the consciousness that they carry the Holy Ghost and demonstrate his ability.

Before the Holy Ghost came, the church was wimpy, immature, undiscerning, and not purposeful but when the Holy Ghost came, they became bold, dedicated, consecrated, mature, and full of discernment.

Stop selling yourself short. You have the Holy Ghost: not a little of him about his fullness. You have all that Jesus had when he walked the earth in His day. The question is: What will you do with it??

It is NOT difficult to be used by God, it all depends on your level of spiritual maturity.

We are the same in salvation but not in consecration/maturity. Maturity matters a lot in the realm of the spirit, it determines the weight of the assignments God will entrust you with. Matt 8:9, 1Jhn, 1 Cor 13:15, Matt 6:33

The greatest asset you can have is the presence of God, which becomes more of a reality when you have become spiritually mature. God meets needs primarily by his presence; chains break & mountains move once he shows up. Act 12:7, 16:25

HOW DO YOU CULTIVATE THE PRESENCE OF GOD?

By building capacity; study your Bible, pray everyday, and watch yourself grow into an embodiment of God’s presence. Ps 114:7

Go for gold, don’t be satisfied with pettiness. God wants to bring you to a deeper level of intimacy with him.

THE GLORY OF GOD IN MAN

God created man in his image so that man can reflect/represent him on earth, and be an envoy of his glory.

Just like Jesus, we have the ministry of reconciliation, this is the purpose of our lives. In Christ is the provision of reconciliation, in us is the announcement. Jesus did it, we must tell it.

If your generation have unanswered questions about God, it’s on you, because it’s your biggest responsibility as God's son to demonstrate him to the world. 2 Cor 5:15

The proof of the resurrection is not an empty tomb but the Spirit of God in the heart of man. Through whom we demonstrate the risen Christ

There is more to you than just survival. There must be a henceforth moment in your life when you decide to live for Christ and glorify God with your mortal body. You are bought with a price, for the fame of his name. Allow him to make a name for himself with your life.

Gal 2:20

In the school of glory, one of the first things you must learn is the weightiness of God, you must learn not to treat him as common. He is holy; separate from what is common. Have value for the things of God; the things that God has set apart, treat them as set apart. Heb 12:18-24, 2:1, John 3:18,

Dan 5:25

Treat God’s word, the company of his angels, and his temples (which includes you) as sacred.

One of the most important gifts you can receive from a ministry Gift is a prayer life. Many prophesies are activated by prayer, you have to learn the ministry of prayer.

Eph 3:14-16

You strengthen your inner man by praying. Prayer makes your progress in the faith more visible, build your spiritual muscles because just like a physical muscle, they are proof of what you can face. 1Tim 4:8

Just like a physical gym, there are activities you expose yourself to that make you stronger. In the same way, you can alter your physical form, you can alter your spiritual form.

One of the most important ways to build our spiritual capacity is through a prayer life. Prayer is not all about making requests; it is about building stamina.

Prayer programs are not enough, what is required is a prayer life. Just like physical fitness, there’s a consistency to it. You must make up your mind to build a consistent prayer life. Matt 26:39,

The realm of the spirit is a game of stamina, you must build strength. Your strength shows in the way you handle temptation. Prov 24:10, Isa 40:3, 1Kgs 18:42

There is an aspect to Christian devotion that only answers to tenacity. Gen 32:24

THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE GOSPEL

From a practical sense, it's impossible to have a relationship with God. Isa 6:1-5

What must a man do to be saved?

You won't appreciate the incarnation if you don't understand that no one had seen God before Christ came. Bible texts that prove this;

John 3:13, 1:18, Heb 11:13

God is transcendent - infinitely above anything & anyone. He was so unapproachable. 1Tim 6:16

In every true presentation of the Gospel, you will find 2 things;

The utter helplessness of man
The sovereign intervention of God. John 1:11-14

God was seen for the first time in the incarnation. Heb 4:15

What has changed since the incarnation?

Everything!

God didn't just become a man, he became God’s covenant man to our own benefit. Just as Adam was God’s covenant man, whatever they both did, we did. Gen 5:2, Rom 5:19

In Christ's death, we died, in his resurrection, we were raised back to life. This is the true baptism.

Baptism is a spiritual operation by which we become beneficiaries of the redemptive work of Christ - the second Adam. All we need do is BELIEVE that all he did is efficacious for giving you a new life in him. Rom 5:19, Eph 1:18-20, Ps 24:7-9, Eph 2:1-6

When God says he will do something, just believe it. To do what God has said, you have to be brave. Don't let anyone talk you down. Be an example to everyone. Don't let the assignment scare you. Act on the word. Bravery means to have mental strength; to have and to show courage. Just agree with God and take bold steps. God brags about people that do His will.

Hindrances to Bravery

Comfort Zone

Good is the enemy of great. Entrepreneurs are usually braver at the start. Keep the passion that you first had. Avoid the comfort zone. Sometimes, you have to end what you are currently doing in order to be able to do what God would have them do.

The opinion of men

Any young person trying to do great would always have to put up with the opinion of older people, especially in Africa. To be brave, you have to stop sacrificing for people who don't care about you. Focus on your assignment and let God be your rewarder.

Fear of failure

Consecration is the cure for fear of failure. As Christians, our no one motivation is not success. We follow the Lordship of Christ. If Jesus instructs you to drop your net, do that. Real success is following God. It is wrong for you to care too much about what people say. May you not be big to people and be small in the eyes of God.

Every successful revolution begins with a purpose. It’s important to understand the purpose and assignment otherwise it won’t matter even with the resources at your disposal.

As a revolutionary church, we look to our leader Jesus who in His time on earth was a revolutionary.

His priorities should be our priorities. He was all about saving people.

If we must get the revolution right, we must get the purpose of the revolution right.

In carrying out a revolution we note the following as mostly seen in Christ

The ability to persevere in the face of distraction and persecution.
Jesus’ impact is found in the fact that He replicated Himself in people. Don’t underestimate your ability to make an impact.
He birthed the revolutionary church as was seen in Acts 17:6
Apply the same discipline Jesus had.
Know that you are not going in your might. Stop acting like you are powerless.
We must make disciples. For every time we make disciples we are stronger for it.
Discern your role by the Spirit of God
Speak audaciously. Take audacious actions
Sharpen your weapons (Eph 6:13-18 )
We are in formation as an army. Understand your role.

So, you might be asking the question: "Where is God in my Pain?".

God doesn't cause pain or sickness (James 1:17): God is not a double agent. He doesn't use sickness to test your faith or that of your loved ones.
God is present to comfort and encourage: God isn't untouched nor far-removed from you. He is there in the pain with you (Hebrews 4:15).
God is present to heal: Even if we don't know God's timetable for our healings, we know the end already. So were encouraged and we'll show up daily expecting to be healed. Keep the faith!!
God will use your pain for His glory (John 11:4-15): God isn't limited by time.

Soli Deo Gloria - PH Day 2 - Evening - Walking In The Glory Of God

By Pst. Emmanuel Iren

Glorifying God in your body

What is Koinonia?

The Greek word translated Koinonia as Communication which means Fellowship. Koinonia is fellowshipping together in the things of God because we have the same spirit.

Koinonia demands that we hold each other accountable to the standard that Christ has set for us as Christians because our confession of faith places a demand on us (Philemon 1-6,16-17)

We can fellowship in the things of God because we have the same spirit and by the fellowship, it’s easy for others to acknowledge that we’re from God. If you have Koinonia you'll love, you'll forgive, you'll put aside the sins of the flesh.

Salvation creates in us a lifestyle that is consistent with the fruits of the spirit.

The first teaching of overcoming temptation was done by God himself (Genesis 4:7-10, 3:15)

The first sign of temptation is from your thoughts. Actions are the irresistible products of your thoughts. (James 1:14, 2Timothy 2:20)

THE GLORY OF GOD AND OUR PRAYER LIFE

A crucial aspect of prayer is humility. Pride cannot coincide with a prayer life.2 Chron 7:14

📍5 things to acknowledge when we Pray

• Privilege of divine access. 1John 3:1

God has an obsessive commitment to His creation.

The fact that there is a throne to contain God is humility.

• We cannot go through life on our own. Ps 100:2&3. Since He made us, He must guide us

Success is being where God will have you be and doing what God will have you do.

You cannot judge anyone by any stereotypical mark scheme.

Do not follow anyone at the expense of God's specific purpose for your life.

You can find God's call for your life early and follow it boldly.

Some people desire with covetousness what others got with concentration.

• We ascribe every progress in our life to God. As you grow, you need to have a vibrant prayer life.

In this prayer time bring the past and the future into perspective. Create a system of preservation in your life.

• We correct the errors in our life. If you build a structure of devotion the errors of the devil cannot last

Judas just needed to wait 3 days, Jesus was going to the cross to pay for his sin.

❗Anything you don't correct in prayer cannot remain the same, it will get worse.

❗Any sin you get comfortable with, will harden your heart.

❗Sin blocks our discernment and makes us dull.

❗You have to have the openness of heart to allow God's correction.

• We stir up the power of God in our life. Prayer must be heartfelt and continuous.

There are some prayers you don't put time to, you put answers.

What is Glory?

The Hebrew word that was translated Glory in the old testament is Kavod. Kavod describes what makes you important or respectable. It means respect. The literal meaning is weightiness or heaviness, but metaphorical, how respectable you are.

Glory can be used both for men and for God. The difference is that there is none like God in glory.

There is more to the glory of God than the power of God.

Glory can be used for men and God the difference is God's glory is the excellence of Glory which means there is none like him

The Glory of God can be discerned in 4 ways:

In His power Ex 33:14. The glory of God is so sacred and powerful.
By appearance.
In the resume of God.
His holiness. Isaiah 6:1-3

The glory of God is first a message before it is an experience

Holiness means to be set apart, unique, separated from what is common.

The correlation between glory and holiness?

Distinction means the better your score the less likely it is to find anyone like you.

The glory of God is so excellent that He’s alone; because there’s none like Him, He’s alone (Ex. 15:11).

The glory of God is a bitter-sweet revelation. It highlights the holiness of God and the unworthiness of man.

God is so glorious that he is unapproachable by men in their own capacity. Heb 12:21

Relationship with God is practically impossible

1 Tim 6:16

If the redemptive work was just the incarnation, it was sacrificial enough. Even if he didn't die on the cross, coming as a man was a lot of sacrifice. Phil 2:8

There's nothing you can do to earn His love

The problem with humans and salvation is that it is so simple.

God is so loving that it annoys arrogant people.

There is an urgency to demonstrate power in our day.

Examples of people that demonstrated power are; Moses

Jeremiah…

We should know that it doesn’t matter your past or many excuses, God can still use you.

Keep at the power of God. The Bible describes the word of God as an open face.

Like we see God make greatness out of ordinary people. He wants to mentor you!

We also see that in the time of creation, God was bringing beauty and order into chaos. He also began to name things. All the things you saw God so He gave man dominion and He honors the dominion.

There’s something called; Mentorship in the divine.

Don’t just say it, but prophesy as the word of God says. You can give directions to the spirit of God

God is always trying to get us to do what he does.

Having the God type of faith is doing what God does.

One of the biggest gifts God can give you is a training in the supernatural. You can have what you say when you have that power. We came to see what God can do but he is ready to see what we can do with the power he has given us.

Faith changes your perspective and launches you into a new normal.

When God is mentoring in a spirit realm we have to have an orientation of what the normal is. I’m the spirit realm everything is worked on by speech. Faith downplays the possibilities of a natural realm. I’m the realm of spirit you must align yourself to talk. Our talk is not informative but creative. There is a creative power when I speak. Mark 11:23

Diadrino (Greek word doubt ).

In the faith realm, you don’t examine different options s you embrace one.

How to build your faith:

Eradicate every contrary voice.
Faith involves consistency and tenacity.

From Mark 16:17, we know that every believer is capable of performing signs and miracles.

We cannot afford to be unaware or ignorant about it. (1 Cor 12:1 )

Operating in the spirit is compulsory not just for you but for the sake of the people around you.

Healing can be an event but it can also be an environment.

Some sicknesses are not merely a medical condition. Some are spiritual Eg in Matt 9: 32-33

God wants us to cultivate a healing atmosphere so we can walk in divine health.

In Exodus 4:17, Moses’ rod wasn’t given to him by God. It was his.

But by that same rod, Moses was able to perform signs.

In the same way, by the spirit of God within you, you can perform signs and miracles.

You can do all things by the Holy Ghost inside of you.

Glory!

God is more than willing to heal the sick. It is not His will for anyone to be sick and neither is it His way of teaching us a lesson.

The fact that you have been disappointed is not enough for you to change your convictions. Stand like the woman with the issue of blood who waited 12 years to be healed and like Abraham who waited over 2 decades to see God's promise fulfilled in His life. Don't give up, God's word is always true; the contradictions in your life notwithstanding.

Stop allowing the things that happened in your past to affect the miraculous in your now and future.

GO!

*Jesus was a carpenter, yet He was doing "fishing consultancy" for people who were professional fishermen. When they caught so much fish that their fishing net tore. It is expected that they go to the market to sell all the fish.

However, there was something much more than that. Jesus wanted to make them FISHERS OF MEN. Matthew 28:18-19

This is a call to maturity. Jesus is saying unto you, "Come up hither".
You can and should get better at spiritual things. In Christianity, there is nothing like a "better yesterday".

*Spiritual maturity and growth is not for some set of people. It is for EVERY single Christian. 2 Corinthians 3:6.

*Are you scared of teaching and preaching? You can LEARN. You can get better at spiritual things.

Whatever you are good at bears witness to the fact that you can also be good at evangelism. The early apostles did not just wake up and start doing miracles, they were under training and did "internships" when Jesus was alive. Luke 10:1

CONVERSATION STARTERS WHEN YOU WANT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL.

A. Indirect Approach-John 4:3

Go to people and make friends with them. Lay hands on the sick. Have conversations with strangers and start dispensing the gifts of the spirit.

B. Direct Strategy

There are people you meet and you immediately tell them about Christ. This is because you might never see them again and this might be their last opportunity to hear the gospel.

Who do you believe is the greatest person in history?
Have you lost anyone close to you? Where do think dead people go?
Do you know any good church around?
What do you think when people talk about Jesus?
I am praying for people today, what do you want me to tell God about you?

Two things to note as you GO!

Get Godfidence. Stand firm, be unshakable and unmovable. Matthew 9:5
You are not as shy as you think. Rehearse how to evangelize.

*Sin makes people VICTIMS. The solution and way out is JESUS. By preaching the Gospel, we are giving them the antidote.

There is a confidence you must have in God who has called you to reach the world for Him. You need it to influence a world like ours that Christ already warned must hate us (John 15:16-18)

We cannot afford to be silent.

Influence belongs to the BOLD. 📌

It does not always belong to the one who is right.

In building Godfidence to preach the gospel :

-Fear Not

Beyond being a positive mindset there is a reason why (2 King 6:15-19)

We have more with us than what people can see.

We have eternity on our side.

-Stay with the message.

Don’t change the message to suit the people.

-Cure yourself of the desire to be liked.

You are already accepted in the beloved.

-Prepare

Know the Gospel well enough to preach it

-Be led by the spirit.

-Pray often in the spirit.

Remember, you are the gift of God to the world and your confidence is in God.

We always win 🔥🔥🔥

When you envision the body of Christ, you must envision a church without walls: boundless and limitless.

If we must evangelize the world, we must dream big. The church needs to have goals and they must be SMART.

While our aim is to harvest a massive number of souls for God, our growth must be qualitative and not just quantitative. The message must remain the same. The Gospel must remain rock-solid and unchanging.

One important lesson we can glean from Romans 10 is that it is possible to have a zeal for God but not be saved. Zeal is not the power of God unto salvation. Religion is a faith and not a culture. Cornelius was generous and prayerful but not saved. When it comes to salvation, it is the knowledge that saves.

Below are the important things to note when sharing the message of the Gospel.

The Gospel is about the utter helplessness of man.
The sovereign intervention of God. God saved man because He is good and He is lavish in his goodness.
The obvious consecration of the man in Christ. Once you receive the free gift, you must live for him.

To be viral means to be popular and to spread quickly.

Joel 2:28 makes us understand that nobody is too insignificant for God to use and nobody is too significant for God to use. All men rich and small will be part of the move of God. We must recognize that we were born for such a time as this.

We cannot evangelize the world if we ignore these spheres of influence: media, government, family, celebration (arts & entertainment), religion, economics, and education.

Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 that there's an environment where the gospel can thrive and we have to pray for it. Even the most powerful sermon needs a suitable environment to thrive (Matthew 13:7).

The promise of salvation is not just for people but for systems also. We must go for all spheres of influence. God is positioning us and we have to be ready.

The kingdom of God is more than just moral regulations, it is more of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

There's a joy that comes from the money you have, joy in music and so much more but there is joy in the Holy Ghost and it is different. Don't be so poor all you have is money!!! Never get too spiritual that you don't appreciate the good things in your life. There's a place for celebrating the goodness of God but that cannot be your only source of joy.

Just as our love is different from the world's, our joy also is different. They have similar characteristics but the source is different. Ours is more than emotions; it's a fruit of our regenerated spirit.

Joy is proof of our understanding of the gospel. It is better shown than told. Joy in impossible times is proof of the workings of the Holy Ghost in us!! Gloraaaayyyy!!!

God is highly glorified when we are most satisfied in Him and that makes the joy we have on our inside Endless 💃🏾💃🏾

Jesus Joy completes it all and we can testify to this as a church!

Chief Joy is The joy in Christ above everything else.

We should emphasize the surpassing delight in Christ above everything else.

God wants you to see glory in Christ.

When your desires are assessed, let nothing stand beside Christ in the hierarchy.

Christ doesn’t want just duty. He wants delight.

Your expression of joy is a reflection of the health of your devotion.

What are you focusing on?

It doesn’t matter what else you value or like, Christ should be your Chief Joy!

Unholy comparison will make you miss out on all that God is doing in your life because you are fixed on what is happening in the lives of others. We compare because we don't know who God is. God's resources are unlimited and He loves you.

A lot of people hide their low self-esteem under the pillow of false humility. At the root of low self-esteem is an underestimation of your worth in God. He wants to use you for big things but He can't if you're small-minded.

Most people keep waiting for their inadequacies to be resolved but God says He will be with you!! Your self-esteem should come from your knowledge of who you are in Christ. Your trust is in the name of the Lord!

Beyond all these, what is most important is your joy in God. To keep your joy, you must have a regardless-mentality. Have God-esteem which is always better than self-esteem. Learn to be happy for other people.

Where the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse becomes inevitable. We can get so used to the church that we forget the purpose why we are here. It's good that we came, but we came for something; furtherance and joy in the faith, Philippians 1:25. We should be able to ask ourselves how our understanding of the faith has advanced. If we've been in church for some time, it should show.

Logically, we have every reason to be anxious. For the natural man, it makes sense to be afraid. But for the man in Christ, there are no fears. God is a rock, and so our joy is a rock; it does not move. Situations may change around us, but our joy is from the inside. It does not change.

Jireh simply means God will provide, but it actually means God is providential. God lives in eternity, so He's in our future. He knows all the needs we will have, and He has catered for them. This is a mentality to have. If in salvation we see the providence of God, how much more in the smaller things of our lives? It is inconsistent to believe in the providence of God in salvation, and not see it in the things of our lives. Romans 8:32,35.

The Real intent of prayer is not what it does for you but what it does in you.

As there is a lot to learn about prayer, there is also a lot to unlearn.

Do not pray like the hypocrites who pray to be seen.

God who sees in secret rewards openly. Understand that even conversations that happen in a secret place have an open reward.

Do not use vain repetitions

(Matt 6:7-8 )

Jesus emphasized importunity in prayer. However, the difference with vain repetition is in the motive

Not all repetition is vain

Eg Worship (Rev 4:8 ) and Prayers of Consecration.

Things you contend for in warfare follow naturally a man of intimacy.

Have the right focus in prayer.

James 1:22 - 25

The teachings of Jesus that he made shows corporate prayer. This is Jesus letting us know there’s something called Public prayer. An effective prayer life consists of both private and public prayer. Col 3:16. Acts 3:1. Acts 16:16

If your personal prayer altar is struggling you shouldn’t struggle in your public prayer.

There’s something about public prayer that removes the limitations you face in private prayer.

Like zebras that are easily identified by their stripe in a pack. If you remove yourself from the pack you easily become prey to predators.

There’s something about community that helps us achieve our goals better.

Like in the Old Testaments;

• God spoke to some people. Exodus 20:18. 1 Cor 14:26.

• They have physical temples to house God.

Bible examples Eph2:21-22. Acts 17:23. God lives in YOU!

Eph 4:16 Judges 3:10, 1Sam 10:10. John 14:16

Romans 8:9.

Also, this verse is saying we won’t be effective as we claim to be if you don’t play your part. We all have something to say and a part to play for the edification of the body.

James 5:17 if you can pray earnestly like Elijah, results will come forth.

Romans 1:11

You need to discern the ministry you have for other people.

It’s a pattern even in the Bible that when people pray together something happens!

We should recognize that we have a part to play.

One thing that is important to note about prayer is the fact that prayer can be taught and improved upon. It doesn't matter where you are in your prayer life, you can do better.

The teachings on prayer by Jesus would make more sense when we understand who Jesus is. Moses, Elijah had divine encounters but Jesus was and is divine.

There is a way to pray, which is why John and the other disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. All our differences about the different ways to pray would be eradicated if we study the way Jesus prayed.

It's important that we understand that as Important as perseverance in prayer is, purpose is more important.

Just like there are rules on a race track, there are rules in the spirit.

Luke 11:2 One thing that made the disciples seek to learn to pray from Jesus was the fact that his prayers have an intimate perspective. He prayed to God like a Father which they hadn't seen before.

Things to know about prayer.

• Prayer is about consecration and relationship. Prayer is not about you most times. To be a person of prayer, you should be a person consecrated to his plans and will.

Prayer warfare isn't about telling God about your problems. It's about telling your problems about God. God should be your focus. Jesus should be your priority in prayer.

With the miraculous, we can wipe away the tears from some eyes but God's kingdom which we pray for is his plan for all to be saved. The kingdom is the finality of God's plan for your life. Luke 11:2.

The entire Lord's prayer emphasizes this in the whole prayer point.

God is God-centered. He loves you but would have his will done. Re-align your perspectives.

"If you only pray when you feel like praying, you won't have a prayer life" - Pst. Emmanuel Iren

The things of the spirit can be taught because they are systematic. For instance, there is what to do to be saved (John 3:16). The fact that it is spiritual doesn't make it mysterious. Like in every other aspect of Christian devotion, there is a school of Prayer. We can learn to pray. This is a Bible emphasis and not just a denominational emphasis. You can rise in fervor; you can be schooled in the art of prayer.

In Luke 11:1, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. They were fascinated by Jesus' prayer life. You may have heard it said that one learns how to pray by praying. That is a context-specific quote that encourages us to exercise ourselves consistently in prayer in order to build a prayer life. But before you build a prayer life, you must learn to pray. If you only pray when you feel like praying, you won't have a prayer life. Prayer is labor. Many times, you will not feel like it but you must pray notwithstanding.

The school of prayer is a systematic curriculum. The concept is not new. John taught his disciples how to pray. You can learn to pray. It doesn't matter where you are in your prayer life.

Many of Jesus' disciples were John's disciples and John had taught them to pray. But they saw a difference in how Jesus prayed. It is important to have that disposition of rising and improving in your prayer life.

From Luke 11:5, Jesus explained prayer with an example of the friend who had roused his friend to make a request at night. Jesus stated that though his friend may not answer him because of their friendship, he would answer him because of his persistence.

It is noteworthy that the first thing Jesus taught about prayer was perseverance. We must learn to persevere. Jesus created imagery of urgency that necessitated a response.

Three aspects of Perseverance we must grow in:

TENACITY
VOLUME
CONSISTENCY

If you don't pray, you will live a life of contradiction.

The Believer's Money by Pst. Emmanuel Iren

You'll only experience what you earnestly pursue and desire. Your desire will be evident in the steps and actions you take. So desire spiritual gifts and never stop!

It's also important not to adjust your theology to accommodate your unfavorable experiences. We can learn from the woman with the issue of blood, even after 12 years she still had faith that she'll be healed if she touched the hem of Jesus' garment.

Remember, God wants involvement in the miraculous for everyone like in the early church so desire compelling power and pursue it!

As believers, we are distinct (1 Pet 2:9)

There is a particular way to live because we are strangers here in ‘Babylon’.

Integrity is not just about not doing the wrong things, it’s also about being bold to do the right things.

Every time you do something, it’s not just your reputation that is at stake, God’s reputation is also at stake.

God rewards integrity.

As believers, we are empowered by the Holy Ghost to do good.

How to keep Integrity

-Find satisfaction in the integrity of God. God is more than enough.

Boldness in the power of God.
Company: Good company is a defense. It will protect you
Say No: Have the ability to reject things even at the expense of a punishment or a reward
Know the reason for your convictions.

Be the Christian who when others see your life they will glorify God and not blaspheme His name.

Snake & Ladder By Pst. Emmanuel Iren

Have a selfless ambition for the Gospel & learn to live in an environment of contradiction. Any system that tries to suppress your faith is Babylon, learn to survive in it. Matt 28:19

Just like Daniel, in an environment of contradiction, you will need;

Power
Integrity;
Excellence (Dan 5:12)

Live with the consciousness that you are a light, that you are different, and that you are here to impact generations to come.

Remember you are in Babylon & remember where you are from. You cannot change a people that you look exactly like 1Pet 2:9, Eph 5:8

EXCELLENCE means to possess the outstanding quality or superior merit. 1Pet 2:9

Why must you be excellent?

Because of the sensitivity of your assignment; souls depend on what you are doing. Don't be mediocre. What you receive by favor once in a while, you will receive every time with excellence.

Your effort must reflect your objectives. Matt 4:19

What will excellence do for you?

It will call attention. Attention is commanded with effort. Dan 1:4, Matt 5:14, John 7:37, Exo 3:4
It gives access; before you seek access, build confidence, before you build an audience, build diligence.
It makes you memorable; whatever you do, make it memorable. You are of the spirit, you can be timeless. John 7:46, Matt 5:44
It makes you irreplaceable. 2Sam 18:3

How to be excellent;

Pick something to be excellent at. You cannot be excellent at everything so determine what is important to you, having in mind your divine assignment.
Be obsessed about it, if you are not obsessed about it, you won't be excellent at it. Go the extra mile.
Learn to benchmark and exceed. If you are not competitive in the world, you won't be excellent. 1Cor 9:24

John 15:13, 2Cor 10:5,

Always do it better the next time. There must be something new every time you do something. Make sure you continue to be an inspiration.

Excellence is not an option. Eternal excellence is the joy of many generations. Supernatural advantage must show in your life.

God's people must learn how to be faith people in an environment of contradiction.

Three Lessons we learned from Daniel:

Power: Daniel demonstrated power when thrown into the lions' den and was unharmed.
Integrity: Daniel refused to compromise his beliefs. He didn't defile himself with the king's meat, didn't bow to the image, and kept praying to the only true God.
Excellence: Daniel had an excellent spirit. Proving that all other gods were imposters.

If you have any bias against the provisions of God, two things will happen:

You will hinder God in your life (1 Corinthians 14:32, Psalm 78:41).
You will be ill-prepared for the things that God has planned for you, causing delay (Exodus 13:17). Your immaturity can cost you a lot.

Your soul is most important to God. We see it in Solomon's prayer. If you would only grow, you would do much more. (Proverbs 30:7-9)

The same event can produce different results in different people. What differentiates the results is what you carry inside. (James 1)

Become selfless: carrying selfless ambition, having a focus with which you run (Hebrews 12:1).

Integrity will make sure you make heaven but power and excellence help you carry as many people with you.

Until you die to yourself, you can't start working for God. When you die to self, God can start trusting you with money (Colossians 3:1-3, Romans 12:1)

Your faith is not an excuse for why things are not working. It should be the reason why everything is working.

The people working for money shouldn't work more excellently than you who's working for souls to be saved.

If lives depend on it, then show it in your commitment. The world must not produce better results than you!!

2 Timothy 1:4-6. Paul made us know that the ministry of a parent in a child's life is equally as important as the ministry of an apostle in the life of a man. If as parents we can get the foundation right, it makes the church easier to teach.

Proverbs 22:6. We are all ministers of the gospel and we should take it very important. We are to train and nurture those around us because we are saved to help others get saved. While we might have big dreams for our careers, the gospel, and our nation - which is very important, we must not neglect the responsibility God has given to us when he gives us children (biological or not).

John 6:9 the little boy whose food was used to feed 5,000 people had his life changed forever just by witnessing one of the greatest miracles ever done. We must be careful where we take our children to. At the early age of their lives, they believe anything. But that does not mean that we feed them just anything. We should be careful as parents.

If children are taught early enough in love, they will stay there. Your family is your ministry, both for men and women. Genesis 18:18-19, 1 Timothy3:4-5. When it comes to your family, you should have the mindset of "progress and joy in the faith". We are to train our children with words and be intentional about their growth. We are also to teach them by example. Teach them by showing them.

We are also to be prayerful and yield to the voice of God through prophecy. We are our children’s spiritual cover and so we are to be responsible for their spiritual lives. We are also to look beyond our own children to include other children.

We are to attend a good local church for the sake of our kids. We are to attend a church where our children can grow spiritually and not pick up bad doctrines.

THE MAN GOD USES; A Teaching on Biblical Priesthood.

In the realm of the spirit, sacrifice is the picture of strength, & service is the picture of greatness. Rev 5:1-10
The Gospel is not just a message to believe, it's an example to emulate; Christ sacrificed his life to save us; don't just benefit from this provision, imbibe the mentality. Phil 2:4-5
The mentality of sonship is different from the mentality of the priesthood.

Priesthood (service) is the purpose of sonship (adoption); after adoption comes priesthood. 1 Pet 2:9, Rom 9:1-4

The church of Jesus must have a depth of maturity, each person having a sense of divine direction as a royal priesthood.
You don't trap the goodness of God in selfishness, when you reflect on God's goodness, it should provoke selflessness in you. For example, the salvation plan should make you want to live your life for Jesus.

Lk 5:9-11, John 6:51

Spiritual gifts have a purpose, they are meant for service, not for self-preservation.

Two (2) things that make spiritual gifts ineffective;

a.) Lack of love.

b.) Wrong motive. 1Cor 13:1-5

Desire spiritual gifts NOT for your self-preservation, but so that you can serve the church, this is how to be effective.

Priesthood is a step deeper. A priest has the responsibility to represent God to the people and the people, to God; there is selflessness to it.

Have this mentality in your daily devotional life. Your selfless is revealed in your motives.

Deut 18:1-2, Exo 29:1-4, 15-18, 19-28, Rom 12:1

A better approach to Christian experience is this; 'Christ died for me so that I can live my life for him.

If you seek God first so that other things can be added to you, you are still seeking other things. Matt 6:33

Bear the burdens of God. Grow up. You are a priest, stop thinking about yourself & what you can gather. The man God reveals & entrusts his plans to, is a selfless man.
Pray selflessly, e.g for the spread of the Gospel, for the freedom of the persecuted. Develop genuine compassion for others.

Grow in obedience, not in religion.

2Thes 3:1-2, Heb 13:3, Eph 1:7

THANKFUL!

Today, we are answering the question, ‘Why should we be thankful?’

To answer this question, here are three reasons.

He is God!

Psalm 148:1-5, Psalm 100:1-3 – There must be a symphony for the praise of the creator God. Breath is enough reason for us to praise God. As long as we are living creatures created by a sovereign God, then we are to praise Him.

James 2:19 While the existence of God is a good enough reason for us to thank Him, our devotion should be deeper than the basics – acknowledging that there is God. There must be a deeper reason for our thankfulness. Job 27:4-6.

He is Good!

God does not just want us to worship Him because He is Good. Consecration is a default response to the revelation of the goodness of God. All through the bible, we see that God lures us to consecration with His goodness. Exodus 19:4&5. There is an invitation in God to taste and see. Ephesians 2:7. God likes to show His lavish kindness so that He can lure us into divine loyalty. We challenge you to learn to document the goodness of God. Isaiah 63:7

We can trust Him!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In Christ, we know that no matter what we go through in the immediate, we know that we always win. We thank Him because we know He has our best interest at heart. Our perspective on thankfulness has changed because we know that we have already won! The goal of prayer is not only what it can do for us, but what it can do in us – we are God’s priority.

Take out time this week to thank God.

Rejoice!!!

There is a charismatic justification for the divine presence; it is proof of the divine acceptance of God.

There is also the charismatic implication for the presence; if God is with us, there will be signs to show for it. And God is in fact in us, so we walk in the miraculous. John 3:1-2,Lk 1:37, 1:17-19

Different atmospheres carry different opportunities and in the atmosphere of Jesus, there are no impossibilities.

Have the God kind of faith; with it, if you say a thing, it shall come to pass, you do what God does because you are functioning in his name. In this realm, mountains move! No challenge is insurmountable. Mark 11:1-23

With men, there are impossibilities, but with God, nothing shall be impossible. Impossibility is context-specific.

The divine presence makes the impossible possible and you carry God on your inside. Have faith!

There's an intimacy in friendship, but there is also a responsibility to it. God loves everyone so much, that He died for us. But even for God, friendship is an exclusive list. When we talk about friendships, we talk about shared values and burdens. God desires friendship from us.

The same way we want to be vulnerable with God is the same way He wants to be vulnerable to us. He wants to share His values and burdens with us.

We are partners with God (1 Corinthians 3:9, 2 Corinthians 6:1), and ambassadors of His kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:20).

We are to serve the best interest of our kingdom here on earth. God needs partnership. Jesus cannot both be savior and preacher. God needs us. He is placing a demand on our friendship.response

Holiness describes God and everything he owns. It's not about trying not to sin cause if that is it, what sin is God trying to run from.

What God referred to in 1 Peter 2:9 was to refer to consecration. Referring to how separate we are in God.

1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

Paul gives a bigger reason for us not to sin. It was our positional holiness.

Emphasizing positional holiness is a motivation for holiness by conduct.

What God had against the king of Babylon is the same reason God has against people who live anyhow.

You need to have the consciousness that God lives in you. The things religious men pursue go after men of intimacy.

2 Corinthians 3:5-6 NKJV

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, [6] who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Paul is showing you how much more God wants you sacred if he valued a sacredness where he never dwelt.

We need to be more conscious and have sacredness for ourselves more than the Jews.

You can be special and don't know. You can only do as much as you know. You are suppressing the move of God by your ignorance.

From the moment you believed in Jesus, you became different, peculiar (1 Peter 2:9). You are so different fundamentally that it has to be evident. You are so different that if you blend in, you should be afraid.

Be intentional about your charismatic ministry. Like Elijah, you can call forth fire on your altar. Like David, you can command your desires and emotions (Psalms 103:1). The same way a drunken man drank himself to stupor, you can get yourself filled with the spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Don't wait for God to set you on fire, set yourself on fire!!!

The power in you, the fire is for the transformation of lives and for drawing people to salvation. It is for purification, sanctification, and consecration of the hearts of men (Matthew 3:11-12).

WHAT TO DO WITH MIRACLES

What did the miracles in Jesus' ministry do?

They proved that he was approved of God. Acts 2:22
They proved the compassion of God. Mk 1:40-4, Matt 14:14
They are a symbolic demonstration of spiritual restoration. They were proof that Jesus was capable to save men. Lk 4:18, Isa 53:5

Often, we miss the real intent for the miracles Jesus performed; there's a spiritual purpose for every miracle, it's definitely not for self-preservation.

For example, Jesus raising Lazarus was a demonstration that he'll raise us all on the resurrection morning.

John 11:25, John 9:1,35-41

The purpose of miracles is to redirect the attention of people to the real message. Miracles are designed for evangelism. Don't get carried away!

Act 1:8

God was using miracles to lure the children of Israel into a relationship with him, yet they didn't get it. Exo 15:24-25, 16:3-4

In our kingdom, the 'WHAT' is not as important as the 'WHY'. In a generation that is easily impressed, it is not crowd that moves God; souls must remain our focus.

A mature believer sees the message God is trying to portray with every miracle. John 6:31-32, 2:23-24

It’s a great anomaly that men do not pray.

If you truly gaze on God, out of delight and not duty, you will stay there.

If you are losing delight, you are gazing at the wrong things.

Realign your priorities.

Pray through distractions and understand that nothing counts as much.

Learn to wait in prayer

(Isaiah 40:31)

5 types of people Jesus dealt with

The Multitudes - They don’t want Jesus, they just want His miracles.
The Pharisees - They have the semblance of religion but with hypocritical motives.
The Marthas - Committed but often plagued with the busyness of life.
The Judases - Struggle with private contradictions that no one knows.
The Peters - No moral contraindications but lose their passion when they see the contradictions of others.

In our walk with God, note that the things of the Spirit require the investment of our entire life.

Colours Of Grace - Amazing Grace Finale

If you were to use human intellect to understand the gospel, it would hardly make much sense. The knowledge that we can have eternal life through the death of one man defies all human understanding, but it is the perfect example of the providential favor of God.

You see, the salvation plan was never a last-minute avenue, but it was a laid-out plan thought of by the Father. Doesn’t that sound amazing? To know that we were at the forefront of God’s mind Ephesians 1:4.

Before we knew we needed saving, God provided us a savior, this is the providence of God. Despite our many transgressions, God decided to call us His very own people, drawing us to Him. Romans 9:25. This is the perfect picture of the love of God. You are God’s beloved.

Once upon a time, humanity had engaged in perverse sexual sins with fallen angels, causing God to use his sovereign power to save us and preserve our existence.

He did this through a flood, but not without leaving us a sign; The rainbow, a sign of God's mercy and faithfulness to us.

RAINBOW

There is a sense of confidence we have when we feel we've not sinned in days. Luke 18:9-14 explains the disposition of some of us. Though we don't pray this way, we feel this way.

It is humility to reckon that the salvation Christ brought o you, you need.

There is another group of people, who are scared by the rule of accountability. They just want to do bad all by themselves.

Really, you must have restraints in your life to avoid self-destruction.

In Gen. 6:1-8, we see that everyone that has a weak martial value will see everything fall apart.

The flood is not the destruction of mankind, but the preservation of mankind.

When we see the rainbow we must remember man's moral extremes, especially sexual extremes, and God's sovereign intervention to save mankind. Gen. 9:12.

Everything you do neglecting the normal use of the opposite sex is wrong.

We like the pleasure without the responsibility or the intimacy and God abominates that.

The rainbow remembers us of not just the mercy of God but the justice of God.

In 1 Cor 6, Paul was going to deal with the issues of sexual extremes and this is the approach he uses a court approach. Just because something is technically legal, does not make it spiritually right.

You have to embrace the wisdom of God. God is not trying to be extreme. He is not out of time.

It is true that homosexuality is a sin, but you know what else is a sin, it's homophobia. It is a sin to see people outside of the provision of God for their salvation.

Here's how to deal with sexual extremes;

The natural man is broken! And, that you were born with a propensity doesn't make it legitimate.

Even if we were not born sinners, we were born with the propensity to sin. We are all broken. We can't always go by how we feel. There has to be a standard above us; a standard above our feelings.

From a biblical and logical standpoint, this is the proper perspective.

Another thing that has made people think that there is no way out of this other than allow people to do what they want to do is cultural and religious pressure that you must get married.

If you are not attracted, then it's okay to stay single!

In View Of The Mercies Of God - Sanctification

A teaching on handling temptations.

Topic: In view of the mercies of God- Consecration

The intelligence of a design is proof of an intelligent creator.

The message of Grace doesn't make us careless about how we handle our bodies. It makes us particular about it.

In Rom 12:1, Paul makes a passionate plea to the Saints to be devoted to reasonable service. This means that there is a difference between Service and Reasonable Service.

In Christ was the message of reconciliation, in us is the announcement of this reconciliation. - 2Cor 5:17-20

*Purpose is that one thing at which you must succeed otherwise nothing else that you succeed at will matter.

When you see God, whatever will not come up in your conversation is NOT your purpose.

Purpose is NOT unique. There are different brands of phones but all of them must be able to make and receive calls, that's the purpose of their creation.

If it is unique, it's not your purpose.

It takes a level of intensity to get the work of Evangelism done. There is fire and there is FIRE. Catch FIRE!

When it comes to an apostolic meeting, there are three important things:

To see souls saved.
To see the gifts of God on display
To strengthen your conviction and help you grow spiritually.

It is impossible to believe a God who can give eternal life cannot heal. It's easier to heal diseases than to make a man live forever.

What type of power will it take to power a human being forever?

It has to be tremendous power.

A God who offers eternal life must heal the sick

Phil 1:25

Paul lets you know the basis of his apostolic ministry is the great commission. Spiritual growth takes time. You can't achieve it in one special program. This is why we plant churches. If sustainable spiritual development is what you are looking for, it is going to take time.

Don't just come to church for the sake of it, expect to grow

This conference must put in you a dissatisfaction for spiritual mediocrity.

Philippians 1:25

If you don't know joy in the faith, it means no one has continued with you.

The only reason a child if God will tell God to take his time in coming is because he needs more time to tell more people about the gospel.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

This means God doesn't leave you to yourself. God is not irresponsible, He is a loving father.

No other religion claims the cleansing of personal sin through the sacrifice of its founder, that's the beauty of our faith! 🔥🔥🔥

Our holiness is not dependent on what we have or could have done. Your holiness is as a result of who is you are in Christ Jesus, peep Ephesians 1:3-4 💃🏾💃🏾

Isn't that exciting? This knowledge empowers you to come boldly into his presence because assurance plentyyyyy!

So even when you don't feel chosen, loved, forgiven, change your lens and remember how God sees you. He isn't scared of your inconsistencies, he has come to live in you, empower you, cleanse you and make you White as SNOW!

❄️

Easter is not just another holiday on the calendar. It's definitely not about Easter bunnies or eggs. When you look at the cross, what should be your contemplation? You should see:

A message of salvation to believe John 3:16
An example to emulate 1 John 3:16

Things to note on forgiveness:

Forgiveness is an eternal possession of the man in Christ. Ephesians 1:7
Forgiveness doesn't come by prayer, it came by the provision. Ephesians 2:5-7, 1 John 2:1
Forgiveness is free but it came at a cost (Jesus's death) and it is once and for all.

Our past, present, and future mistakes are already paid for and this spurs us on to worship.

BAPTIZO!

In the Old Testament types, shadows and symbols were used to foretell the redemptive work of Christ.

This is the concept of Typology

For eg White lambs were used to typify the True Lamb who will be spotless.

Circumcision was used to typify the cutting off of the sinful part of man in Salvation.

Baptism - to illustrate the burial and resurrection of Christ as a redemptive work.

(Romans 6:3 -4)

Communication in the Old Testament is a key difference between the New Testament

In the Old Testament, there were types, shadows, and symbols, replete with the prophetic.

(Heb 1:1 -3)

The prophets said nothing wrong but the Son of God has more authority and clarity.

In Christ, you can’t get the revelation of God wrong.

In Christ, you see the exact image of God

Heb 10:1

3 ways to identify a figure

It is made with human hands. Any aspect that involves man’s effort doesn’t reflect the redemptive reality in Christ.
If it predates the New Testament, it is not an ordinance in Christ and therefore shouldn’t continue. Some things can predate and should still continue but there must be a balance. It should tick the other boxes.
If the New Testament clearly identifies it as a symbol. In 1 Cor 5:7 Christ is our Passover. In Colossians 2:11 Christ is our circumcision

Baptizo - Greek word of baptism (to Immerse.)

1 Cor 12: 13

Baptism is done by the Spirit and not with human hands

By baptism, we get spiritually added to the lineage of Christ

Colossians 2:12 describes how to be a beneficiary of what Christ did

There are salvation metaphors

Eg poverty

Hunger and thirst

Just like water, salvation satisfies and cleanses.

In John 7:37-39

Jesus referred to water here as the spirit

Christ mentions water repeatedly as a symbol of the Spirit in John 3:1-5

Water baptism = a symbol representing baptism by the Spirit.

When the same thought is passed across all the synoptic gospels, we must know its significance.

The baptism of Christ is of the Holy Spirit!

(John 1:32-33, Luke 3:16, Matt 3:11, Mark 1:8)

The baptism of water was only the picture of salvation.

A type and shadow of what we now have by the Spirit!

(Acts 11: 14-17)

In the Passover, we see how the sacrifice impacts the Messiah but in circumcision, we see how the sacrifice impacts us.

Circumcision:

Removal of the foreskin of the male penis.

It signifies three things:

Identification: It was a strategy for people to recognize that the people belong to God (Genesis 17:9). No identification, such a person is cut off from his people. The purpose of the identification is the promise.
Promise: The promise is in the procreation and as such, a woman becomes a part of that covenant by carrying the seed of the circumcised. So, everyone partakes of the promise.
Protection: Exodus 12:48

The circumcision is like one placing a judgment on his flesh so that the security of the people is in the mark.

We are not better than the world. It is by God's redemptive plan that we can escape this judgment.

Hebrews 11:6

There must be a rub-off of my knowledge of God in my life. There must be confidence I must have had seen how God dealt with man all through scripture.

Cain was marked and had confidence that he'd be untouched.

David believed so much in God that when Goliath came around, he wasn't scared to face him. He didn't boast about his pedigree but he saw the circumcision as his protection. He saw a man without a covenant.

Joshua lost a battle and knew something must be wrong. He had to inquire.

Romans 4:8-12

In Abraham, we see that we do not have to be circumcised according to the law to be declared righteous but by faith.

For Abraham, circumcision was a symbol of the covenant. The most important thing was not the symbol but the covenant. So those who were marked needed to believe in the covenant otherwise the circumcision meant nothing. That why we had uncircumcised believers and Jewish unbelievers.

Circumcision - Post redemption

Ephesians 2:11-13

Paul had to describe what circumcision he was referring to here because circumcision now had a new meaning. Christ is the actual circumcision. He was cut away so that we can be identified with God.

Colossians 2:11-13

Christ on the cross is our circumcision, cutaway for us.

The true doctrine of circumcision is that in Christ, we received a new life.

"The Lord's Table" from Vintage Jesus by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2021. Track 1. Genre: Religious.

John 16:7

God took on flesh and dwelled amongst man. Knowing Jesus and the rules of knowing Jesus is different from the usual sociological means.

The way to truly know God is by his word and his spirit. Apostle Paul, though he never saw Christ incarnate, knew Jesus as much as the other Apostles.

The disciples all scattered when Jesus was arrested, Peter also denied him. The religious leaders must have felt victorious over Jesus, but when he died something changed in them.

God is spirit, growing in our love and knowledge of him is different, we get deeper in our convictions and beliefs by his word and not by experience.

The Divine Order of revelation is first theological before it is experiential. If you don’t know the word of God you don’t know God.

John 1:1

Moses was a man full of experience but he

still prayed to know God.

You can’t separate God from his word, His word is his personality.

Jesus said it’s for our benefit that he “goes”. He believed that the disciples would be better of when he left, and they have the spirit because you can only know so far without his spirit.

John 5:39

You stand a better chance knowing God in his word than by experiences. If you want to discern Jesus, look in his word.

There’s how to know God. Signs and Miracles are great but search the scriptures. The word of God testifies of him.

Luke 24:15-26

Jesus expounded to the men on the Journey to Emmaus his identity through the scriptures. When they discerned him in the word, he broke bread with them (This is the experiential part).

There’s a Supernatural Order to knowing God – First through his words.

John the Baptist was the fore-runner of Christ, he had the sole purpose of showing the world the Messiah. But after all the encounters he had, when he was thrown in prison, He told his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah.

Luke 7:19

What truly makes for a strong conviction in God is His word and His spirit. This is what will make you stand the test of time.

We are an orthodox church not based on denomination, but based on the fact that we believe, follow, and preach what Jesus and the apostles preached.

Eph 4:11-12

Grow up!!

There is a primary assignment for ministry- Equipping the people in the grace that is in Christ.

Apart from scriptures on prosperity, healing, and favor, we as Christians should know(by heart) scriptures about doctrine. Become a very studious student of the Word. If we believe in the deity of Christ, we should be able to defend it. Wisdom can be defined as the ability to discern the difference. We cannot evangelize to a world you’re not ready to be different from.

Signs of a growing church.

Unanimity of the faith.
1. Eph 4:14 A church firm in its doctrines and beliefs. 2 Chor 11:3 -4. The demand validates the supply.
Build profound knowledge about the true Jesus that you do not fall for the false Jesuses because they will come.

Orthodoxy refers to the singleness of belief.

I Chor 15:1-8 You must put the word above your experience. Not experience before the word.

1 Chor 15: 1-6 They started the description with the scriptures, not experience. The scriptures firm out basics for discernment.

Confirming scriptures

Heb 1:13, 10:13.

1 John 2:18 There are many anti-christ agents already.

But 1 John 2:20- We know all things and this gives us protection from error. Verse 26-27. The anointing preserves you in the way of the truth. Recognize this as the ministry of the Spirit in your life. Eph 4:11-12

Grow up!!

There is a primary assignment for ministry- Equipping the people in the grace that is in Christ.

Apart from scriptures on prosperity, healing, and favor, we as Christians should know(by heart) scriptures about doctrine. Become a very studious student of the Word. If we believe in the deity of Christ, we should be able to defend it. Wisdom can be defined as the ability to discern the difference. We cannot evangelize to a world you’re not ready to be different from.

Signs of a growing church.

Unanimity of the faith.
1. Eph 4:14 A church firm in its doctrines and beliefs. 2 Chor 11:3 -4. The demand validates the supply.
Build profound knowledge about the true Jesus that you do not fall for the false Jesuses because they will come.

Orthodoxy refers to the singleness of belief.

I Chor 15:1-8 You must put the word above your experience. Not experience before the word.

1 Chor 15: 1-6 They started the description with the scriptures, not experience. The scriptures firm out basics for discernment.

Confirming scriptures

Heb 1:13, 10:13.

1 John 2:18 There are many anti-christ agents already.

But 1 John 2:20- We know all things and this gives us protection from error. Verse 26-27. The anointing preserves you in the way of the truth. Recognize this as the ministry of the Spirit in your life.

The Supply Of The Spirit

Many Christians load their guns but cannot aim to shoot! Exodus 35:21

A STIR

The power you have will remain dormant until you have the power to stir it.

Protocols are different in different kingdoms.

If you don’t brag about what you have, you won’t see power in your life. If you don’t say what you have, you can’t see what you have. Isaiah 11:2 Luke 4:18

You must learn to talk big about what God has done in your life. When I confess what I have I open the tap. God is loud about the grace on your life.

THE SUPPLY OF THE SPIRIT!

Faith is different from the supply of the spirit. When it comes to the supply of the spirit timing and direction bring EASE. Go with the flow of the spirit. The manifestations in your life will increase if you go with the supply.

Follow the stir!

Learn to go with the flow of the spirit!!

• Third point on how the Spirit helps us pray- The Spirit Helps us cry Maranatha.

Mara means Oh Lord

Natha means Come

Eph 2:1

Spirit groans cannot be uttered. (Rom 8:34)

Christ is coming again Soon !!

The Holy Spirit helps us anticipate better what is coming and filling in for now.

In conclusion,

What is God’s passion on the earth? Romans 8:17

That’s how to wait right for the coming of Jesus.

At every time, you must be purposeful about his mission on earth.

You wait by working. Stop thinking like a baby Christian.

Let everything that concerns you cry Maranatha!

PRAYING BY THE SPIRIT - GLOSSO LALIA.

Faith is our Norm! (Luke 7:9)

Some people don’t believe In God because they didn’t retain their capacity.

Anybody whose heart doesn’t pant after God has done something wrong. Christ does not make people hungry Acts 10:20

The Samaritan woman, John 4:20

Christ gives to the thirsty and He makes sure that you both meet halfway in the journey.

Spiritual impact is not all about the efficacy of the word. The first question is what is the condition of your heart.

Great faith does not tolerate excuses, I must be among and have a later type of curiosity.

Be ready to thrive (1 Cor 1:4-7) covet earnestly for the gifts, occupy until he comes.

Of all the reasons you should pray in the spirit, the testimony of Christ has to be confirmed in you. Speaking in tongues is the confirmation of the testimony of Christ. It shows indeed Christ is glorified. Acts 2: 32

Tongues are a mystery and it takes revelation to understand. 1 Cor 14:2. Barbaric tongues is proof that you’re getting IT.

God will pour out his blessings and gifts to all men. Joel 2:28; Eph 5:18.

In conclusion,

Tongues is communicating words of utterance that only make sense by the spirit.

The problem is not the supply, it all starts with your approach. Come and drink!

PRAYING BY THE SPIRIT

1 Thes 3:10

It is important to build a public and private prayer life and help see how the Holy Spirit helps to pray. (Matthew 6:5)

You can pray well with the saints and be struggling with your personal prayer time. Build a private prayer life that is as authentic and fervent as your public prayer life. There is nothing more beautiful to see when you gaze at God.

KNOW that if you pray in the secret He will reward you openly. God who sees the secret will reward you openly.

PRAYER is a strategy for soul maintenance. Prayer is not all about requests but what it does on your inside. (Matt 26:38.)

Jesus considers prayer a strategy for keeping the soul in check and that’s exactly how to handle Anxiety.

God replies to prayers from the weak with Strength. (Phil 4:6-7) It’s time to rise in boldness in the place of prayer.

How the Holy Spirit helps us pray

“He helps us pray ABBA Father. Romans 8:15”

Prayer can be a cry. Prayer with your daddy is a family engagement and not a board room meeting. Understand the Emotional aspect of prayer.

When the NEED is greater than the APPETITE there is a Consciousness of an emotional tie to whom you pray to. (James 5:17)

Vintage Jesus - Introduction Into Orthodoxy

THE COURTSHIP CODE It is what you do in the relationship that matters, the semantics about the term; dating and courtship notwithstanding.

CODE #1: DATING OR COURTSHIP IS NOT A HOBBY Here is how to know if you are going down the hobby lane with dating or courtship;

A. You choose without thinking or carefully considering: It is important that you carefully consider your motives. B. When you have little or no standards. C. When you have no end in sight: There has to be a timeline to your dating and courtship since marriage must be in view. D. When you only do the fun part: There is an ordinariness that a great relationship has, the ability to just be friends. When you constantly need to communicate in a relationship, it means some things are lacking. You should be able to go about your ordinary life with your partner.

CODE #2: COURTSHIP IS NOT AN INSTITUTION Even if you have been courting for 25 years, if you are not married, you are still single. Marriage is the institution God recognizes. Marriage is actually a step of faith; you are trusting that, though you might not have known all there is to know about this person, you know enough already to live life together forever.

If you make an institution out of courtship or dating, you will get into trouble. You must have the boldness to walk away when someone is not willing to make you a wife. You can walk away when you begin to notice character inconsistencies. It's certainly not a sin to break up with a Christian. It's you who is in the relationship. "What will people say?" should not hinder you from making the right decisions.

How do you know you are ready for marriage? A. Desire: You mustn't allow anyone to force you into marriage, you must desire it. You also need to work on your desire. Many of us have it clouded with fear from failed relationships.

B. Maturity: It's one step in maturity to know the area in which you need to grow. And you are that powerful to know since you have the Holy Spirit. Who you are outside of a relationship is who you will be in a relationship with.

The maturity of the relationship is also important. The maturity of a relationship, not the duration is what makes you know you are ready for marriage.

THE COURTSHIP CODE

It is what you do in the relationship that matters, the semantics about the term; dating and courtship notwithstanding.

CODE #1: DATING OR COURTSHIP IS NOT A HOBBY

Here is how to know if you are going down the hobby lane with dating or courtship;

A. You choose without thinking or carefully considering: It is important that you carefully consider your motives.

B. When you have little or no standards.

C. When you have no end in sight: There has to be a timeline to your dating and courtship since marriage must be in view.

D. When you only do the fun part: There is an ordinariness that a great relationship has, the ability to just be friends. When you constantly need to communicate in a relationship, it means some things are lacking. You should be able to go about your ordinary life with your partner.

CODE #2: COURTSHIP IS NOT AN INSTITUTION

Even if you have been courting for 25 years, if you are not married, you are still single. Marriage is the institution God recognizes. Marriage is actually a step of faith; you are trusting that, though you might not have known all there is to know about this person, you know enough already to live life together forever.

If you make an institution out of courtship or dating, you will get into trouble. You must have the boldness to walk away when someone is not willing to make you a wife.

You can walk away when you begin to notice character inconsistencies. It's certainly not a sin to break up with a Christian. It's you who is in the relationship. "What will people say?" should not hinder you from making the right decisions.

How do you know you are ready for marriage?

A. Desire: You mustn't allow anyone to force you into marriage, you must desire it. You also need to work on your desire. Many of us have it clouded with fear from failed relationships.

B. Maturity: It's one step in maturity to know the area in which you need to grow. And you are that powerful to know since you have the Holy Spirit. Who you are outside of a relationship is who you will be in a relationship with.

The maturity of the relationship is also important. The maturity of a relationship, not the duration is what makes you know you are ready for marriage.

Attraction Code!

Our earliest memory of love is one that is more of a feeling that we rushed into, rather than something we learned. It is only as we grow, that we begin to learn just what love is. Emotions are beautiful, but if we leave them to control us, we will run into trouble. Love is intentional and rational. It is beyond emotions and the aww moments. You might be church smart, but you need to love smart. This is not a game!

Genesis 2:18-20 - We learned the first principle of choosing right from Adam. Adam showed us that he will rather be alone than settle with the wrong person. You can name and define all the relationships in your life, and it is okay to not settle for those ones if they are the wrong people.

Adam also showed us that it is godly to be class-conscious. Adam didn't settle for the animals because none of them was suitable for him. Marry people's decisions. When it all comes down to it, marriage follows the basic principles of team building. Leviticus 19:19, Deuteronomy 22:10, 2 Corinthians 6:14.

Acts 13:1; 15:39 Even as Believers, we have a lot to learn about maintaining relationships. Many believers are prayerfully abusive in their relationships with people. There is still a lot to learn! No matter how supernaturally dramatic a union is, if you don't put in the work, it will still fail. We must be emotionally intelligent.

One thing that affects relationships is the baggage in our lives. Many of us are hurt by experiences from the past, which is now hurting our present and future relationships. What we need is for us to first find ourselves in Christ and everything He has called us to be, then we gain our confidence and be better - for Christ's sake. So that when we are whole and complete in Him, interestingly, people will begin to see more beauty in us because of our confidence in Christ.

Heal from that hurt today by embracing all that Christ has said of you.

The ultimate form of love as a believer is expressed in our thoughts and actions towards others.

We are instructed to love just like God does.

LoveCode 1

Matthew 1:19 Every relationship begins with one person and that’s who you really are!!

LoveCode 2

Feelings are a scam col 3:2 Feelings are feeble therefore love gives chance to walk away. Relationships are not built on feelings and it’s important to know that it is a decision to make.

LoveCode 3

Love is a Choice..... you shouldn’t fix yourself I’m a relationship surrounded by circumstances.

MISTAKES PEOPLE Make while choosing

Low Expectations
Unrealistic expectations: endeavor to look extremely beyond the present appearance!!
Wrong counsel: Getting counsels from the wrong hands make people chose wrong.

LoveCode 4

CHOOSE WITH GOD, you should build your life on principles and not expectations. Knowing that you are with your spouse for a purpose.

LoveCode 5

Dating is not a Hobby.

LoveCode 6

Marriage does not change people, do not ignore the Red Flags 🚩.

LoveCode 7

Love is Visionary Gen 28: Discern what God will have you do regarding your relationship. God should be involved all round.

LoveCode 8

Sex was God’s idea, waiting for God’s timing. Eph 5:3. A person who doesn’t understand fornicate won’t understand adultery.

LoveCode 9

Build Friendship, support, forgive and communicate.

LoveCode 10

Love is a fruit of the spirit. It is the fruit of your born again spirit. Therefore, your relationship with God is more important

LoveCode 11

Wisdom is a fruit of the spirit.

LoveCode 12

100% commitment but 100% sincerity

LoveCode 13

Successful Relationships are possible. Fix your thoughts into accepting that successful relationships are very possible.

LoveCode 14

GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR RELATIONSHIP!!

The believer is love! Our relationship with others should mirror God’s love to the world and communicate the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Faith over Fear!

In this sermon, we will be answering the questions; How do I rise above fear? How do I rise above anxiety? How do I cope with loss?

There is a different yardstick when measuring success beyond physical strength and that is motivation. As believers, God uses Faith as a source of motivation to push us to be equipped for whatever might come our way. John 16:33. So when as a believer, trials still surprise you, you still have a lot to learn. God has equipped us for victory, by first letting us know that we will have tribulations and secondly letting us know that we have overcome the world in spite of troubles. Psalm 23:1-4.

There are two types of people in this life - The Davids and the Josephs. Many believers prefer to be like David who from his father's house moved into the palace. But then there is Joseph, who despite had a dream that he would rule over his brethren, but instead moved from a pit to Potiphar's house, to prison before finally getting to the palace. While both men had different paths, God was working in both men, but many of us don't see that. The process doesn't in any way deter God's initial plan for you.

Romans 8:28 God works in all the situations of our life for good, not that all the situations will be good. The question to ask now is, what if all the trials and tribulations we go through are for our good?

Hebrews 11 shows us all sides of faith, the positives (to gain) and the negatives (to lose). Many of us only look at faith in the positives and not in the negatives. However, faith is anything that you have to do in the name of Jesus. Hebrews 11 was teaching on tenacity in the face of trials - Hebrews 10:32-39; 11; 12:1-4.

We are to trust God with our lives so that even in trials, we stand firm in His word to believe that if God gave me this thing, he can provide for me over and over again. We are not afraid of those things that can only kill our bodies, for we reckon that the sufferings of this present time cannot be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us. 2 Timothy 1:7

Prophetic Faith

When you look at the Eagles, many of the things people admire about them are natural tendencies for them. They do not 'strive' to soar, they simple do because it is their nature. That is the same way it should be with Christians. There are so many things that are already built-in us because we are in Christ, but yet we struggle with them.

If we follow the fundamentals of faith like it's taught, we see some people who don't follow these fundamentals and yet they get a completely different result.

Why then is the miraculous relatively easy for some people who don't seem to be following the 'principles' of faith.

To understand God's mind concerning any subject at all, it is important that you pick every verse concerning the subject and interpret it as one. In Matthew 4:6, the devil quoted the scriptures to tempt Jesus and although the scripture was true, in that context, the motive was wrong. Faith has a context and faith has a motive.

Mark 11:24 and James 4:3 shows that there should be a balance in the context and motive of Faith. Philippians 4:13 has been misinterpreted without understanding the context. The preceding verse explains the context for which that verse stands. The aim of faith is not self-gratification but God's glorification.

What then is Faith?

Faith is the desire for the will of God, who has your best interest.
Faith is moving in God's direction and easing of heart.
Faith is not combating the will of God, but moving with God's passionate plan. Hebrews 11:33-40
Faith is also the gift of the Spirit. There is a God-initiated Faith, where even when you are on your own, the Spirit is supplying Faith for a purpose.
Faith is both a gift of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit.

The business of faith is to incline yourself to the heartbeat of God and following His pulse. There are things that God pursues with such fervency, and so if you align yourself with that you will walk in the prophetic faith. Loss reveals the purity of your faith. If it is faith, it is replaceable.

Mark 11:23.

When people hear of faith, they're quick to think of just the Charismatic faith — the mountain moving faith. But even more remarkable, is the Saving faith.

-Saving faith; Something you will do to release the possibility of eternal life. John 20:2. Romans 10:8-10. If you had enough faith to believe and be saved, you can have enough Faith for anything. John 20:24-28.

In the realm of the spirit, you are deeper in spiritual understanding if you have never seen Jesus, but you believe in him. John 20:29.

• The laws of a spiritual relationship break all the laws of a romantic relationship. You have never seen Christ, yet you love him.

In the order of faith, the rejoicing comes before the fulfillment. Believe ➡️ Rejoice ➡️ Fulfillment. It is not the potency of the seed alone that determines the harvest. Matthew 13: 3-8;

• Truth determines observation in the spirit realm, but in science, observation determines truth. You don't receive to believe; you believe to receive and then you receive. Both in charismatic and saving faith, you believe that you have received because it aligns to the word of God and because you say it. Your mouth and hearts will align in faith. It is going to liberate you forever.

Heart is a metaphor for your spirit. You believe with your spirit. There are some testimonies or experiences that limit the level of one's Faith. Rebuke that fear. Speak the word. If you only move when you think you are confident, you will hinder God's spirit. Even when you doubt, work with faith. Go with the word; let your feelings catch up. Stop waiting for your emotions to align.

• When the devil is trying to make you compromise, trust God. He will compensate you. No one can gather by compromise what God will give you by faith. When charismatic Faith aligns with saving faith, you become unstoppable.

Like a baby learning to walk, in spite of the many falls, he will continue to walk if he doesn't stop trying.

Fear is a mechanism to show us the experience that we lack.

It is the confidence gotten to Joseph to Interpret dreams in prison that gave him the confidence to speak to the pharaoh.

Like learning to drive, at the beginning, we take baby steps, but we must challenge ourselves. This is the only way to get better

When we have small wins, it increases our enthusiasm for the future, it is inspiring, we must practice. We must choose our fear wisely.

Something greater to be scared of is standing before Jesus and seeing that he gave us so much more than we used.

We must choose our fear more wisely and choose the fear of God- what will God say?

It is smaller obedience that gives us the courage for other ones.

We must learn to face the lion and the bear so we can face Goliath. The lion is for our famiLy And Goliath for our nation

2 kings 7

In the story of the lepers, like the lepers this year we must take the right chances because the anointing only Works for the brave.

Because miracles only work for the Brave, and miracles never meet you at the gate as with the lepers, they had to go out.

These miracles will only happen Because we took steps.

Miracles only begin when our action has been demonstrated, by the end of this year Pastor Iren, will rather have it that we failed than we did not try.

Love is certainly the greatest (1 Cor. 13:13). But what faith can do, hope cannot. In the second verse of the same book of 1 Corinthians, we see what faith can do. Faith moves mountains!

Jesus also corroborated this truth in Matt. 17:20, Matt. 21:21, Mark 11:23; Faith moves mountains!

A mountain is something immovable. It typifies something impossible, a challenge, a test or an obstacle that stands in your way to getting to your dream.

By speaking to the fig tree to dry off, which of course dried off. Jesus demonstrated the God-kind of faith (Mark 11:12-23). When Jesus told us to have the God-kind of faith, He was saying in essence; (1) Possess this Faith, and (2) Exercise it.

A man who is not born again can exercise faith. We have precedences in the Bible. This is because faith is spirit, so is man.

But God describes the God-kind of faith in Mark 11:23. It’s a mountain moving faith!

God’s kind of faith is a mountain-moving faith by which a person believes a thing in His heart, says it with His mouth, and sees it come to pass.

God allowed the long and exegetic account of creation written in the book of Genesis to be like that, not because He was trying to make the Bible big or it is was some sort of frenzy, but because God wants us to see the order of bringing things to be. We believe in our heart and we say with our mouth. As a matter of fact, this is how we became born again (Romans 10:9-10).

KEY THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN MOVING FAITH, SO WE CAN GET RESULTS

Every believer has faith (Romans 12:3, Eph. 2:8, 1 Cor. 12:9). If you are saved, you have faith. And the faith that got you saved will get you healed, it will make you prosperous. The same faith will get you anything from God.

More than being Christians, we are believers (Mark 9:23). You have to believe God’s word as touching any of your needs, then speak it! You will see it!

It is your responsibility to remove mountains with your faith because faith is what gets the job done! The continuous confession of the believer is the devil’s defeat. Keep confessing God’s word. Let it be in your mouth always, that’s how to move mountains!

Love is certainly the greatest (1 Cor. 13:13). But what faith can do, hope cannot. In the second verse of the same book of 1 Corinthians, we see what faith can do. Faith moves mountains!

Jesus also corroborated this truth in Matt. 17:20, Matt. 21:21, Mark 11:23; Faith moves mountains!

A mountain is something immovable. It typifies something impossible, a challenge, a test, or an obstacle that stands in your way to getting to your dream.

By speaking to the fig tree to dry off, which of course dried off. Jesus demonstrated the God-kind of faith (Mark 11:12-23). When Jesus told us to have the God-kind of faith, He was saying in essence; (1) Possess this Faith, and (2) Exercise it.

A man who is not born again can exercise faith. We have precedences in the Bible. This is because faith is spirit, so is man.

But God describes the God-kind of faith in Mark 11:23. It’s a mountain moving faith!

God’s kind of faith is a mountain-moving faith by which a person believes a thing in His heart, says it with His mouth, and sees it come to pass.

God allowed the long and exegetic account of creation written in the book of Genesis to be like that, not because He was trying to make the Bible big or it is was some sort of frenzy, but because God wants us to see the order of bringing things to be. We believe in our heart and we say with our mouth. As a matter of fact, this is how we became born again (Romans 10:9-10).

KEY THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN MOVING FAITH, SO WE CAN GET RESULTS

Every believer has faith (Romans 12:3, Eph. 2:8, 1 Cor. 12:9). If you are saved, you have faith. And the faith that got you saved will get you healed, it will make you prosperous. The same faith will get you anything from God.

More than being Christians, we are believers (Mark 9:23). You have to believe God’s word as touching any of your needs, then speak it! You will see it!

It is your responsibility to remove mountains with your faith because faith is what gets the job done! The continuous confession of the believer is the devil’s defeat. Keep confessing God’s word. Let it be in your mouth always, that’s how to move mountains!

As we began the series of January titled "I move mountains" We understood how not to limit God.

Proverbs 24:10

As believers stepping into the new year with the power to move mountains, we should do so with a couple of principles in mind. It takes discipline to accept the aforementioned.

First is understanding that rather than worry about adversity, we should build our strengths (Proverbs 24:10). Pain, many times is behind strength. For any seed to germinate into a plant, it must die.

Undervaluing identity and capabilities have led to the misplacement of priorities. Rather than yearn for progress, some have settled for the attention that comes with pity. As believers who desire the full manifestation of God's gift, this is not an attribute to embrace.

As it is in the school system with grades; life and progress can be graded. In Christ, there should be a firm decision to have distinctions all round( An A).

Base your expectations, not on your background but God's will for you (1 Chor 1:26). And God's will is great indeed. There should be a drive that motivates you to do better.

Jer 29:11 God is thinking about our future. We should align our plans with His. In God, the future doesn't have to unpredictable, his plans and thoughts for us are good.

When it comes to moving mountains, you have to have a vision and a clear image. God works on images and visons that you might dwell on them. He cannot do what you do not agree to. The visons and images set the foundation straight.

Psalm 78: 40-41

The Israelites limited God simply by refusing or not aligning. Even in starting don't be small.

How do people limit God?

By being unpersuadable
By thinking small.

How to do impossible things in Christ. This is a strategy deduced from the Bible for making the impossibilities possible.

Isaiah 9:6--7 "The zeal of the Lord will perform it" Do not obsess with how it will happen.

“Romans 8:26” Many of us go to God in prayer with limitations in our minds and hearts and the Bible calls it infirmities. Expectation without revelation will lead to frustration. Even if God answers prayers, we must pray in accordance with His will in His word, if not we would pray amiss. Every good student of the Bible knows that this world is going to pass away, and so praying for the year in and of itself to be good for you, is an ignorant prayer. What is God's priority?

Isaiah 26:20 God's priority every year is to give instructions for preservation in spite of what is happening in the world. Just as it was in Egypt when the angel of death passed, the priority was not to cancel the event itself but to give us strategies for preservation by His word. God's priority will always be YOU! To ensure that despite all that has happened, you can still stand preserved.

God's fundamental prophecy and plan for mankind was the birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. All others are sub-sect of the main prophecy. Prayer is not an avenue for us to be rebels. Prayer is that we understand what God is doing and aligning with it by requesting. So as believers, we are to know what God is doing so that we pray in line with His will. God's priority is not a better year but a better you.

The most important thing is the foundation beneath you. That determines if you fall or rise in the year. On a night like this, you are to focus on your foundation in Christ so that whatever you face in the new year, you stand.

The good news is that despite the fact that we know not what to pray for, the Spirit of God in us helps us align our focus in prayer. So many of us are too easily impressed when God has so much bigger for us. We are to seek first the kingdom of God and every other thing will be added unto you. If you do for God what God cannot do for Himself, He will do for you what you cannot do for yourself.

How does the spirit help our infirmities?

By giving us wisdom - Ephesians 1:8. The spirit of God makes sure the eyes of our understanding is flooded with light so that we know the hope of his Glory. The spirit of God helps us see true potential by His wisdom.

Acts 3:1-13

Your flow in the miraculous is not dependent on your moral excellence even as important as moral excellence is.

Your emphasis should be on Christ and His finished works.

When your emphasis is on all that Christ has done, it makes all the difference.

It is not of your sufficiency but if you don’t move, God will not move.

It’s not by your ability but there is a responsibility.

Sufficiency is a mentality.

Our sufficiency is of God and Power is the capital of our kingdom.

When God says ‘ Go’ don’t ask ‘what do I have?’

The ‘Go’ is the capital you need.

The mandate of God is the capital.

When you want to start something, look out for the move of the Spirit

Once there is a move of the Spirit, start acting immediately.

The most important thing when you have a mandate is the MANDATE

There is an unction a mandate carries.

Every prophecy is sufficient in itself.

Stop thinking capital when you have a mandate, THINK POWER

In our Kingdom, Talk is not cheap.

When you are before Goliath, don’t talk experiences, talk POWER.

Creative miracles don’t happen by chance. There is a vocabulary.

You have to say it.

Don’t let human intelligence limit the power of God in your life

Open your spirit to possibilities.

When you read that Jesus fed thousands with a few loaves and fish don’t just see it as a one-time miracle.

Let it stir faith within you for possibilities and miracles.

You can’t walk in creative miracles if you despise the little you have.

Start and watch it increase

When God says ‘GO’, take the step!

TOPIC: HOW TO CATCH MEN

The same way there's a training in catching fishes (Matthew 4:18), there's a training in catching men.

First, you need to see yourself as a gift of God to the world. That's the mindset to have!

The best gift you can give anyone is to secure their place in heaven.

And don't think there's no competition in this; it is a competition. You need to compete for the hearts of men.

Don't look away while the devil is deceiving people.

Four things to catch men:

Confident spirituality:

Before you set out, stay in the secret place and spend quality time with God. This will help you grow spiritually and gain confidence.

Preparation

Don't be hasty. Stay, let yourself grow before you set out to catch men.

Wisdom

You can't catch men without wisdom. There are ways to present the truth and only wisdom in Christ can teach you those ways.

For example, if you were to share a tweet about the gospel, sometimes the character limits may not be enough and if you use it anyway, you can push people back. You need the wisdom to explain the truth properly.

Love

Walk in love. Let people feel your love. And the most important way to show your love, amongst many other ways, is evangelism.

So even though you show love in terms of giving to people, make sure you preach the gospel to them.

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-5

At the root of every sin, is the desire to replicate our own idea.

Overcoming temptations:

Temptation started from when the devil broke down objective perception. Daniel 5:1-5, Romans 8:6. Temptation is a thing of the mind and not the action itself. Many times, when we are fighting temptation, it is always right to check the root of the matter.

How then do we resist the devil and his temptations?

We have to sorosoke (speak up).

Create an environment that accommodates boundaries. 2 Timothy 2:22

Flee from all appearances of evil.

Create the right environment for those who are fighting temptations to run/flee to. Revelations 2:13

What then do we do when there is nowhere to run to?

Short term plan:

Revelations 3:14. Embrace this scripture. Psalm1:1-5

We are to read the word of God to ourselves every day!

Long term plan:

What are we going to do about controlling the media to use for the gospel? Galatians 6:10

Walk in love! If you want to see a cooperate anointing,

The Corporate Anointing.

Acts 17: 28 - tells us that we are God's offsprings. God does not depend on us humans for anything. Neither does the Lord does not dwell in temples made with hands (Acts 7:57). We cannot build a temple for the God who created the heavens and earth. (2 Chron 6:18-20)

By the Holy Spirit, Now we have become the address of God. We are God's dwelling place (Gal 3:5, Eph 2: 21). Together we are temples and individually, we are temples. The beautiful things in the old testament were a foretaste of our actual reality. The capacity of what we carry within is way bigger than that in the world.

We don't learn for learning's sake, we learn for ministry (Eph 4: 11) and we contribute because we are joined by the spirit (Eph 4: 16).

We have a huge role to play and the body of Christ will not grow until we play our parts.

Until we realize how the body of Christ is meant to function, we will live below potential.

Elijah was a man like us. If we pray as Elijah did, we would get even better results. The experiences of the people of the old testament should challenge us. (James 5:17)

Each one of us has individual ministries. We all have the power to manifest in the Spirit at the same time. This is corporate participation. 1 Chron 14: 26

Discernment comes before actions. We have the ability to do both and more. You will never know you have something until you use it. The gifts of the spirit have been given for ministry. If you do not do ministry, your walk with God will suffer. A principle to thriving spiritually; Find someone to disciple. Romans 1: 11(NKJV).

In every part of the Bible where believers prayed together, there were extraordinary results. Don't let your grades dwell dormant. Utilize every opportunity to pray with believers. Acts 4, 6 The power that rose Jesus from the dead, resides in us. What will you do with it?

Like in the story of Philip and Nathaniel in John 1, God knows you! He sees your every need and He is ready for you! God wants something bigger than healing for you. He wants us to have a revelation of Him.

Jude 1:3 God wants us to contend for the Faith. It must remain unadulterated. To contend, we will

Psalm 130:4 God is good and He has chosen goodness as His method. There is a proper lens through which the redemptive work of God should be viewed - the salvation semantics.

If you don’t have the perspective that the gospel must prevail in your day, you will be easily satisfied.

God says; “ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance”

So there is an audacity that is required for the end-time ministry.

When you’re running a race, There’s a sense of urgency.

No one runs a race without being conscious of time

So, you must do ministry with a sense of urgency

3.You can't do ministry until God implants in your mind a vision

There are a lot of good things in the world that are the will of God but they must never replace God’s central purpose for all men - Salvation
You must reckon yourself to be a voice

You must speak with the audacity of God

Pride is not only discerned in actions, it is discerned in motives
If you don't stand up to say what God has said about you, especially as it pertains to your responsibility in this generation, you won't see it happen.
Don't claim to love the Lord and be indifferent about the prosperity of the gospel in your day.

John 21:17

This lifetime is all you have.

Because when you see Jesus you would wish you could go back and do more

The paradox of purpose is this;

When you discover why you’re alive, you will be willing to die for it.

TRUE IMPACT VIA ANGELIC MINISTRATION

In the realm of the spirit, it matters what you see.

You need to create the right environment and surround yourself with the right people.

Who are Angels?

Scriptures define them as created spiritual beings. In fact, they were the first beings to be created

Psalm 148:1

Angels are ministering spirits sent forth to serve those who are heirs of Salvation.

You have angels ready to do the bidding of God on your behalf.

When you see or hear the supernatural in operation in people, believe it, honour it, and it'll rub off on you.
To walk in something that is your inheritance in the realm of the spirit, you have to open yourself to it.
Angels are an indication of God's love for us. He wants Angels ministering to us to be an active reality.
It takes simple faith to be assisted by angelic help; it's called supernatural negotiation.
You can activate angelic intervention by entertaining strangers, the election of grace, knowledge of the ministry of Angels, and sheer desire.

Your perspective of the Church must correspond to the way God designed it; view it through his lenses and approach it the Bible way.

(Matt 16:18, Mk 16:15-17)

Let your heart embrace God's provision and design; His plan & design is that everyone in the Church participates in charismatic ministry.

The church of Jesus Christ is a tongue-speaking church. Decide not to have it any other way. (1 Cor 1:1-6)

Speaking in tongues is a confirmation of the testimony of Christ. Every other miracle existed before the Redemptive work except speaking in tongues, it is only possible because Christ is glorified.

(Act 2:32-33, Act 2:4)

3 things to know about tongues

It can be controlled. (1 Cor 14:32)
It is not done in human languages.

(Act 2:17, 1Cor 14:2,6-19)

If tongues were done in human languages, there would be no need for the gift of interpretation of tongues.

We can all do it together.

(1Cor 14:27)

Speaking in tongues is the best anti-depressant. Speak in tongues more.

Use tongues to your advantage, it is for your spirit, body, and your mind. Give your spirit expression through tongues.

To function more in revelation gift, pray more often in the spirit.

TRUE IMPACT

One of the fundamental subjects of the Grace message is understanding the necessity of salvation.

The people who truly understand Grace are the people who reckon that they are hopeless without Christ. (Lk 18:9)

God is more glorified in His redemption work when we acknowledge how truly helpless we were.

We must have this continuous gratitude for the salvation and access we have in Christ Jesus.

Our value for Grace will affect what we say, how we act, and the way we treat people. (1Cor 15:9

1 Tim 1:15)

It will shape our life; our perceptions and our relationships.

As a church, if we are unforgiving, we give advantage to the devil.

Our faith should show up in all we do, so that people may recognize Christ in all of it- Philemon 1:4-6.

Colossians 3:9

Your identity in Christ bestows some responsibility on you because you have put off the old man.

Jude 1:3 -4/ ephy 2:8-10

As believers, we were not saved by works, we were saved to work. The work is a result. We are his workmanship created in Christ to do good works

By faith, we were crucified with Christ, buried with him, raised together with him.

By raising Jesus from the dead, God has done great in my life. That is revelation.

Christ took all our judgments, punishments e.t.c his sacrifice has changed our weaknesses.

By the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we have become his workmanship. The same message we believe for our salvation is the same message we believe for our sanctification.

And by the Holy Spirit, we become beneficiaries of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. So the resurrection had an impact on our sanctification. Because he was raised, you walk in the newness of life.

The crucifixion ended that irresistible tendency for sin, now we have to believe by faith.

We can refuse to sin now because there is grace at work in us.

Three keys to ACT out our nature

Learn to feed your spirit_ Gal 5:17: We have to create an environment that will aid us in God's will.
Gal 6:1_ prov 27:17, Romans 1:11- ASSOCIATION

When you build a system of zero accountability, trouble is coming.

Meditate: If we are still dealing with habits or if we are to overcome them, we need to meditate on the word of God.

Orthodoxy is standing firmly on the word of God.

Christianity is not the ingenuity of any preacher.

Because even Paul said, what he preached, was what he had been taught. Though Paul had seen Jesus with his eyes, he believed more because the scriptures supported it. Any supernatural encounter that is not in line with the scriptures does not count.

Orthodoxy refers to the singleness of beliefs, the creed, and doctrine of a group of people. As believers, we have a doctrinal identity.

Luke 24:25

Jesus who is the very word manifest still placed the scriptures above his own testimony. This is orthodoxy, if Jesus could do this, how much more us? He later said in verse 26 that the scriptures not himself said the Christ would die and rise again.

We do not discern Christ after the flesh, we discern the son of God in the word of God. If we are not students of the word of God, we would make the same mistakes the Pharisees who crucified Jesus made.

2cor 2:15

We must hold the traditions with which we have been taught. God wants to raise solid Christians, people who know who they are in Christ.

We have a creed, a specific doctrine that we adhere to.

What is your responsibility?

Be vocal about the truth. Be passionate about it. The gospel must prevail on your account.

We cannot be indifferent about doctrine. We must add and lend our voice. The truth had never prevailed without effort. If we do not uphold standards they will fall. Jesus contended! He did not mince words.

It's important to know God wants us to share in his power⚡⚡💃💃

He wants to mentor us as pertains to the divine or supernatural.

During creation God was the powerful creator, he did astounding things even to the naming of animals. He created man, and asked him to do the same thing-name animals, God was mentoring the first man in things pertaining to the divine.

He did the same with Moses, and even the children of Israel when they were going to bring the walls of Jericho crumbling down. And He also did the same with Ezekiel as pertaining to bringing 'dry bones' back to life.

You see, if we want dry bones to live, we are must speak; and God moves mountains when we speak!

However, in the Old Testament, very few people could walk in this charismatic ability. But it is documented that in Joel 2:28, God intended to pour out his Spirit on all flesh, he intended that all men walk in this charismatic ability.

Dear believer, with the advent of Jesus Christ, you can work miracles, you can speak boldly to storms and they'll become still. And as John 14:10 put it, it is possible, because God resides in you.

Declare boldly to those situations today! Remember God mentors you as it pertains to the supernatural, and He wants you to walk in the supernatural!

To celebrate the victory of Christ, God gave gifts to men.

These gifts are people: he gave gifts of men to men. This is the divine order of God. If we'd check it, everything God did on humanity, he first did in one.

All the Saints must realize that we all have a ministry and we have ministry gifts to prepare us for that ministry.

These Ministry gifts ensure that in every generation, the ministry or work Is up to standard. They make sure that the standard in every generation does not drop.

Christ has given us a message of reconciliation. There is a warning in the gospel, but ''warning is not the gospel.

The message is what God has done about sin-not a message of damnation, but reconciliation.

If we are going to preach the gospel, we must preach it right.

This is the gospel-someone died my death, I will never die again.

SOLD OUT TO THE WORD!

Beyond celebrating Jesus as a historic figure, we must be able to take a cue from what He did (Phil. 2:5). We are not just beneficiaries of Christ's sacrifice, we are imitators of Christ's sacrifice (Eph. 5:1-2, 1 Peter 4:1-2).

In following the will of God, at times you have to let go of privileges;

• You must be ready to let go of people's opinions and acceptance. John 6;36-41.

• You must be ready to be laughed at. Luke 8:52-53, Matt. 5:11.

There is a doctrine of shame in consecration, you must be willing to appear as a fool in really following God. Heb. 12:2.

We are in a world that doesn't smile at being a Christian. Jesus however was counter to the culture of His day. If you are going to follow God as you should, you must be sold out to God's Word. Romans 12:2, 1 Cor. 2:7.

And hey, the Word of God is a delight (Psalm 1:1-3). Psalm 19:7-9 describes the way to see God's word. More to be desire than gold, sweeter than honey.

The saved continued first in doctrine (Acts 2:41,42). Like the early church, Perseverance and delight must be your disposition to the Word of God.

Being sold out to God has cost, but it's worth it!

To live is Christ and to die is gain...

The Christian journey isn't one filled with roses all the way through, but it is totally worth it!

If we will indeed live our lives for the cause of the Father as Jesus did, there is a degree of fervency we must possess.

We remind ourselves that the life of a believer is no longer his but Christ's. He lives for the greater cause of the one who saved him.

We have learned extensively on, the what, the when, the why and, the how of praying in the Holy Ghost through our teaching series this month, “Kindle”.

Pastor Emmanuel Iren ends this teaching series with a bang, expressing JOY from our victory.

There are diverse voices calling for our attention. Voices of doubts, voices of disbelief, voices of fear.

As believers, we have to learn to tune them all out and focus on what God has said. When God says 'Go', we have to learn to tune out the voice that questions it.

The concept of Jireh in our realm entails that God is providential in seeing us through every assignment or task He sends us on.

This in itself makes us brave to trust that He is with us and in us every step of the way.

Be brave!

The life of a believer is one that is led by the Spirit of God. But what place does desires, coincidences and giftings have in the decisions we make as sons of God?

The Believer is never without leading, whenever he or she is at crossroads, there is an 'inner witness' providing guidance on what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.

Leading always seeks the believer.

Many believers understand that God is more than willing to speak with them and lead them. But they also wonder how they can discern the voice of God.

They ask questions like:

What does He sound like?
In what way does He communicate?
How can I be sure He is the one?
What if it's just my imagination speaking to me?

In a world with many voices and opinions vying for our attention with the loudest bells, bangs, and whistles, sometimes it seems hard to listen for the voice of God.

God is always speaking to His children. The supernatural is not always found in the spectacular. Sometimes, He speaks in a whisper or nudges. His sheep know His voice and follow him.

God is more willing to lead us than we are willing to be led by Him.

Irrespective of our past faults and failures, Jesus loves us and because of that, He will never hesitate to lead us!

Like Paul, we are not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes. We will preach it boldly.

There is a saying that if every man sweeps his compound, the whole world will be clean. As believers, we know that if every man preaches the Gospel in his sphere of influence, the whole world will be saved.

We are doing so much as a body but we can do much more if everyone makes a personal commitment to see the Gospel spread around his sphere of influence.

Just as in athletics, Believers must run the race for a golden prize, competing for the hearts of men.

The believer must always be ready to defend and respond to anyone who asks for a reason regarding his belief in Christ.

To evangelize effectively, he or she must learn the strategies that will help defend the Gospel properly because no soldier goes to battle without proper training.

We've been mandated by Christ to go make disciples of all nations.

Hence, at the core of our existence as a church is the desire to see all men celebrating the endless life which Christ offers freely to all who believe.

Authority in Christ is not reserved for a special set of believers; it is reserved for as many as believe in Jesus.

You are as powerful as the Bible says you are.

The believer lives within the realms of Christ's victory. This lavish victory has granted us the ability to trample on the enemy.

The believer has the ability to discern when the enemy is at work and he/she also has the authority to repel every attack of the enemy.

The believer who has faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has so much to boast about.

Nothing equips the believer to walk in his authority as much as the Word of God.

You sit where Christ is seated! His confidence in power is your confidence! You are seated toogether!

A thankful heart is our disposition at all times.

I will praise the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips!

Psalm 34:1

The Holy Ghost in the life of every believer is a promise of God upon salvation. The Holy Ghost helps us pray in line with the will of God. He guides, directs, and instructs. We know we house God because His spirit lives inside of us.

Seasons of Fasting and Prayer help us realign our desires with purpose.

Pst. Emmanuel Iren talks about the spread of the gospel.

Seasons of Fasting and Prayer help us realign our desires with purpose.

Pst. Emmanuel Iren talks about diligence in the life of a believer.

Seasons of Fasting and Prayer help us realign our desires with purpose.

Pst. Emmanuel Iren talks about the consecration of a believer.

Christ is the vine and we are the branches! And the only guarantee to being fruitful is to abide in Him!

Spiritual growth demands intentionality and devotion to the word and prayer. As believers, we are forever fervent in spirit and never slothful in business.

Are you experiencing some difficulties in your walk with God? Do you need more tips on how you can achieve more for God? We discuss practical steps you can take to regain and maintain a healthy walk with God.

The entire Bible is about prophecy. God's plan in Christ Jesus was introduced by prophecy.

Prophecy serves as a vehicle for the communication of God's will. Everything God ever did, He first said He will do.

Money is a spiritual stethoscope that discerns the state of a man's heart. As a believer, your priority should be a plan to spend and be spent for the Gospel.

The life of a believer is a life in perpetual victory. Nothing is impossible for us in Christ. Nothing limits our ability by the Spirit of God. We speak this unto ourselves and walk daily in this knowledge.

The supernatural was never designed to replace the natural, therefore brilliant fire is to live in the balance of the natural and supernatural according to the scriptures!

The believer has a defence in God that will never fail even in tough times. That is why we consider God our 'fortress', and you should too.

Many times, Just like a soldier goes to war relying on the training he has received to stay safe and alive on the battleground, you have to get up and use what you have.

What’s it you have?

THE WORD...

The New Normal!

Despite the chain of events, occurring in our environment, we understand that as believers we operate on a different level.

The Supernatural is Our new normal!

The GRACE of God in Christ is extravagant towards you.

He punished Jesus for your sin, so you will never have to be punished for it. So now you live as free as Jesus lives.

It was an unrestrained display of His grace and the riches of it. God loves you. He made you His own through Christ.

The Grace of God is spent lavishly on the believer without measure. It is the currency that bought his freedom.

Grace is a song, it's the believer's national anthem- one God sings over you because He reckons you blameless in His sight.

Grace is a gift given to the world by God in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ as atonement for our sins. All you need to receive this gift, is to accept it by faith.

The grace of God is just!

God carried out His mercy in justice. He didn't lose his integrity to spare the guilty, He found a worthy substitute in Christ for our sins.

Our salvation is authentic, as is our eternal destination. God's grace has sealed us with his Holy Spirit, not our efforts. This is his mark of authenticity- His grace.

What qualifies us for the grace of God?

Can we attain grace by our own efforts? Can we buy it with money? Is grace truly a FREE gift? If yes, how do we get this gift?

It’s time to recalibrate!

To learn of the very proactive benevolence of God freely demonstrated in Christ.

We begin a new teaching series titled “GRACE IS”

One way to grow in the things of the spirit is listening to what you have been taught again and again.

Irrespective of situations, the believer is admonished to continue in doctrine, for it is able to strengthen him and preserve him in tough times.

Do you think healing is for a select few excluding you? News Flash! God is willing and ever ready to heal you and he doesn't just heal, he empowers us to heal others.

Spiritual Gifts are not for a select few; every believer can work effortlessly in them.

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul the apostle taught many things about the manifestation of the Spirit. And if we were to summarise everything he taught, it will be with the word, Control.

The manifestation of the Spirit is meant to be orderly. As powerful as the Spirit is, the manifestation of the Spirit is meant to be under control. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 1 Corinthians 14:32

In 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Paul said quench not the spirit. This is a clear allusion to the spirit as fire. As fire can be extinguished so can the manifestation of the spirit.

As limitless as the power of the spirit is, you can limit the manifestation in your life. Expectation is so important in our kingdom.

When it Seems like it is not Working

In Genesis 15, Abraham had an encounter with God. God asked him to number the stars and promised him that so shall his seeds be.

Several years later, nothing had happened and the man whom God promised countless children had none. Unlike many of us who have many stories to fall back on in times of doubt, Sarah had no one to make reference to.

In Genesis 17, God spoke again and by then Abraham was 99 years old. God promised to multiply him exceedingly. God even changed Abraham's and Sarah's names. However, at some point, Abraham settled and pleaded with God to accept Ishmael but God refused. Gen 17:18 Eventually, he saw the word of God come to pass.

As good as encounters are, your conviction must still be on the word. What is the longest you have waited for God? Some people think faith means that you cannot wait on God. When you are waiting, you will face pressures but you must hold on to the word.

In John 11, when Jesus was informed of Lazarus' illness, He said that the sickness was not unto death but Lazarus died. When he died, Jesus still didn't show up for some days. However, when he showed up, Lazarus came back to life.

Even if Jesus shows up 4 days later, He is still on time. It can be hard to trust for something and not receive it. The word does not change and you have a choice to believe the word or not but dare to believe the word. Let conviction direct your experience and not the other way round. Don't dwell on the few times it didn't happen. Stay on the word!

In Luke 8, the woman with the issue of blood waited for 12 years before she was healed. It is possible to believe God despite all you have been through. If you keep believing God despite all you have been through, you'll see more miracles. Dare to believe God. Come to a point where there is no aspect of your life you think God cannot reach.

Proverbs 4:20‭-‬23

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

The word of God requires attention. If you are not careful, the word you were excited about yesterday will be nonexistent tomorrow. Attention is important for retention. Be careful of unnecessary arguments about the potency of the word because some may trigger doubts and that will affect the flow of the supernatural in your life.

Anything you want to see in your life, pay attention to it. Facts are not determined by experience. If you think God does not heal, it won't stop him from healing but it will affect the flow of healing in your life.

God is not a figment of our imagination. Never because of your experience reconfigure your convictions about God. Your theology must always be based on the scriptures alone. Let your knowledge of the word of God influence your experience. Hold on to the word and insist on it.

The love of God is proactive. God always initiates, even if some people won’t accept. Before we knew we needed salvation, He already took a step. We need to understand that God’s love isn’t like that of the world, it’s better and higher and just like the Father, we have the ability to love in this manner!

The love of God is an unconditional demand of the believer. God’s love must be in display by us. No wrong or hurt is reason enough not to forgive because we have an example in Christ.

1 John 4:8 shows that love is the irrevocable character of God. God is love- it’s his nature. Anyone can pretend to be who they are not but when they are placed under pressure, scrutiny or accountability, their true nature is revealed. If God wasn’t love, what would we do about it? He has no one to report to!

He isn’t doing all He is doing to save face, if God loves us, that’s because it’s who He is. No situation can draw out from within you what’s not within you! That’s what nature is.

Proverbs 24:3. Proverbs 3:13.

Wisdom represents the capital asset that builds a godly home, and wisdom is powered by understanding. Marriage is an act of obedience to God and an act of selfless service to a fellow man. It is a covenant act and the goal is to exemplify God to the world.

You don't own your marriage you are just a privileged steward of the love of another child of God. The paradox is your happiness doesn't come from pursuing your own happiness but from pursuing the happiness of the other person. God is always the focus and staying in his will keeps you fulfilled.

Genesis 1:28. According to this scripture, marriage is God's secret for earthly dominion. The problem with so many of us is that we are need-driven rather than purpose-driven. That is why you see people make permanent decisions in temporary situations. Luke 10:38-42.

2 Corinthians 2:11

We are to recognize the devices of the devil. He comes to steal, kill and destroy and he uses disorderliness to come between people. Sometimes the solution is not to keep arguing but to pray! The devil's greatest strength is doing things under the radar. He works without people knowing he is the one. You have to understand the devices of the enemy especially when it comes to relationships.

Skaldalom is the Greek word for Offense. It actually means a trap stick. Many times it's the devil baiting us and many at times we fall for the bait. If we can learn to point out his activities better we will be stronger, because when we don't, it spreads.

Acts 14:9-19. James 4:1&2.

We should learn how to let go of offense. We should not be like the man at Bethesda who was so concerned about the people who disappointed him even when the healer was right in front of him. We should learn to trust God and not man.

In 1 Samuel 17:28-31, David knew how to properly deal with offense when his brother looked down on him by looking away and continuing on his path. Never be on the other side of prophecy. If you stand against prophecy, you'll stand as the spectacle to the manifestation.

Learn to forgive, learn to let go of those who hurt you because that is the Believer's Love Walk.

The love walk of a believer is explained in how we forgive our debtors because our debts have been forgiven.

We are to emulate the life of Christ as believers. We should be challenged and inspired by the life of Jesus Christ and the things He did.

To walk in love is to be vulnerable to hurt. That’s the life we have been called to live and Jesus did it too. Isaiah 53:7.

As believers, we have a standard for forgiveness and we see Christ as the model.

There is an endurance and a consistency to love. Everybody responds to love and as children of God, we should show love to the undeserving.

When we encounter difficult people, we ought to take it as an opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ because that may be the only chance some people have to see God.

It’s our destiny and calling to show God in our devotion and our conduct with people. One of the greatest statements of the redemptive work is that love will always overcome. No matter how powerful evil is, love is always more powerful.

Knowing Christ helps you fulfill the following:

In Christ, you will enjoy your singleness
You will choose right
You will have the right model.

Enjoying your singleness:

If you do not enjoy your singleness you won't enjoy your relationship. When you are too needy you'll become less attractive. The irony is you will work better with someone when you stand alone. If you are not satisfied in Christ first and foremost you will never be satisfied. Understanding that the most important person in the world loves you regardless, would change your perspective to life. God's plan for you is that you can be so satisfied in him that you give others. Let nobody take the place of God even in marriage.

It is Christ that completes you not a man. You'll choose right a hen you are not desperate you will choose right.

Have the right model

Matthew 20:25-28. Our right model should be Christ. Christ is our standard in marriage. If Christ is your standard in marriage, the stakes are high.

All the things you complained about in your marriage are the very things you are to use to show the love of Christ.

You have more opportunities to show the love of Christ when your partner is weak. If you are going to love like Christ, you would not wait for the response from your partner.

It is very possible to love like Christ because we have the Holy Spirit. God wants our marriage to be a testimony of his love. Not only is His love overwhelming, never-ending and reckless but so is our love.

God is the father of Lights. He is goodness in its perfection.

You will never see a better definition of ‘good’. Nothing comes close in describing goodness.

There is no evil in God. He has never done evil, He will never do evil. He is consistently good and He is light. This is such an important conviction to have.

Just as the sun is a consistently beaming source of light, God is constantly good.

If you study God and see evil, you’re looking through the wrong lens.

The sun doesn’t rise or set, the planets move. When there is darkness, its because our planet is backing the sun. In the same way, our experience is as a result of our position.

The giving of Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins is an everlasting demonstration of God’s love for us.

We don’t get to doubt his love anymore because Jesus died.

Everything you will ever bring to the table is in response to His generosity.

God is always initiating when it comes to love. He is never the one responding or playing catch-up. He is always outgoing when it comes to love.

He is proactive in love.

In the memo of salvation, if you receive this generous gift of love, you MUST reciprocate the love to your neighbour. It is not about what the neighbour did, it’s about Christ and His love.

The sacrifice of Christ bestows on us the responsibility to love as nothing else does. The redemptive work of Christ has empowered us to love by the Holy Ghost.

In Christ, our propensity is to love, forgive and be generous. Don’t accept a temperament that’s not in line with your nature in Christ.

Love Is Moving.

Phil 1:25 Until we learn and hear over and over again, we might not really understand, because emphasis births maturity. What we really know is what we bring out under pressure. Love is beyond words or action, Love is a moving breathing person, the man Jesus.

1John 4:8 The foundation for any kind of love is Christ's love. Every time God wants to teach us about marriage, he refers us to the sacrifice of Jesus.

John 3:16 God has a love language, his love language is his salvation plan. We are assured of the love of God because He died for us, we extend this love unto others by telling the world the gospel and bringing more sons to the body of Christ.

Rom 1:16 We should see all men as those who Christ died for, Jesus did it, and we tell it. The gospel is nothing to be ashamed of, it's the good news.

Until you learn to do things when they are meant to be done, your peace would always be under attack. Disorderliness births lack of peace.

There are three battlegrounds for peace:

Finances
Health
Relationship

Proverbs 22:3. Your righteousness status should not hinder your ability to be brutally honest. Luke 14:28-29. Sometimes following the crowd puts on hold the things God has put in you to make impact on the world. Research, learn about stuff, plan ahead of time. It is godly to see way into the future that no one has seen either through prophetic gift or sheer use of the intelligence of God.

Proverbs 6:6-8.

Two things to learn from the ants:

Working without supervision.
Plan for the future.

FINANCES:

Create an emergency fund: a fund you only touch in extreme situations.
Take calculated risks: ask questions, talk to a lawyer.
Build more sources of income.

HEALTH:

Food: watch your eating
Drink plenty of water
Exercise
Sleep

True discipleship thrives on repetition (Phil. 1:25). Emphasis is very important for growth. The reason why there is a lot of inconsistency in believers is that many times, we know enough in our head but they have never settled in our hearts.

Phil. 4:10-14. Contentment is something to learn. It is not the natural propensity of man to be contented. One of the worst lies the devil can sell to you is the idea that your satisfaction is in your future.

There are two major problems with lack of contentment:

Things never satisfy. If you think getting things will make you satisfied, you will never be okay. It is a very frustrating way to live - to base your satisfaction on things.
You will never "arrive." Sooner or later, you will learn that you just have to learn contentment. You can appreciate the future while you enjoy the present, that's God's will for your life.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus described some seeds which fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. He explained that he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. Matthew 13:7&22

The effectiveness of the word is not about how viable the seed is but where it falls. No matter how much you are growing in the word of God, if you don't learn how to handle trials, you'll have issues.

To be anxious is to have full mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; to be greatly worried.

Our culture thrives on worry. There is always something to be worried about. Worry is a bad habit. It is a bad method of handling pressure. There are other ways of handling pressure. The concerns may be legitimate but worrying is going about them the wrong way. Some people are even worried about things that are going well because they fear that it will end one day. Sometimes we create scenarios that are not real and we are worried about them. According to research, 95% of people who visit physicians visit for stress-related issues.

It is one thing to emphasize the healing power of God and it is another to allow the word to impact this aspect of your life. We have to learn to deal with anxiety with the word of God.

Dealing with Insecurities

Matthew 13:3-22. Why are many Christians unfruitful, ever learning but not coming to the knowledge of the truth? Why do we come to church and learn the word repeatedly? As a good farmer, evacuate things that compete with the health of the seed.

Some believers have the Samson Syndrome- so strong in the manifestations of the spirit but the wisdom of God isn’t filtrating into other aspects of your life! This is something to deal with otherwise, one won’t experience growth!

Spiritual growth is theology influencing our thoughts and actions.

We have two extremes to teaching:

Those that no matter what is taught, they want to see the practicalities immediately.
Those whose teachings are so grandiose and eloquent, littered with Greek and Hebrew words but still not relevant to the lives of those who listen.

There should be a balance to this and we can see from Paul’s letters how he consistently explains the revelation of the believer’s identity and its implications in his life.

Many struggle with connecting the dots between the revelation of who they are and the implication of that knowledge. We can clearly see Jesus bring in doctrinal truths into everyday contexts.

How you handle situations, shows how much understanding you have of the Word of God. And in dealing with insecurities, this is not a psychological topic or one for those that are babes in the kingdom! And in dealing with it, the word of God is enough!

How useful is it to gather moments before a new calendar year? How can I really secure divine help for the future? Many people have lost faith in the concept of watch night service because they do not receive answers.

There are many people who subscribe to prophecy but are very lazy. Prophecy does not work for a lazy man. For instance, when God spoke to Moses, Moses was patient to get more instructions and divine strategies and he acted on them. Prophecies always come with instructions. If it is something you need to do, there will be clear instructions.

What is the formula to secure divine help? One factor is purpose. Nothing secures divine help like purpose! As simple as it may sound, this is everything. Some unbelievers seem to have supernatural abilities and live with ease compared to believers. For instance, Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar had dreams of what will happen in the future.

The moment your life is aligned with purpose, no matter who you are, you'll enjoy the help of God. Cyrus, the pagan king was an example. In Isaiah 45, God assured Cyrus that he will help him. This was because Cyrus was aligned with his will.

In 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, we understand why Cyrus enjoyed the mercies of God. Cyrus' heart was stirred and he freed the children of Israel to go build God a temple for God.

When you come to a point in life, where the spirit of God can no longer stir you, you're out of purpose. When Cyrus aligned with God's will, God made sure he could not be stopped. It should not be all about your plan; purpose is the principle of divine help.

Psalm 1:1-6

The emphasis of Psalm 1 is that we should have nothing to do with the negative but prevalent culture.

The culture we live in will make us feel like its way is the only way to happiness. We even give God the sense that we are sacrificing and missing a lot for him.

God doesn't want us to only be saved, He wants us to be both happy and saved. It's an inheritance consciousness to know that you have received something great in Christ. Let your Christian life filter into your casual conversations. God has caused us to delight in his light so that his passion and ours will be consistent.

Following Jesus is a thing of joy. It is more profitable than all our treasures. What will happen when our walk with God is put to test? Take, for instance, the rich young man in the parable. Matthew 19:16-22. He was unhappy when Jesus asked him to sell his possessions. If a rich man of our time should say the same to a young entrepreneur today, he’d do that gladly but we have a different perceptive when it comes to God. Some of us have spent the best of our lives trying to impress people. You have to learn to be secure in the will of God. Stop caring about what they think about you.

Final words before the impartation!

Philippians 1:25 NIV

"Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith." There are two important things you should note from this scripture.

First, the moment you get born again, the next most important thing is spiritual growth. God raises men with men. There is a school of the Spirit; there are some things in the Lord you need to see people do. Who said you can't walk on water? Don't let biology confuse you. As a minister of the Gospel, it matters what you see repeatedly; it matters what you expose yourself to. I n the realm of the spirit, sight is important. When Peter saw Jesus walking on water, it inspired something in him.

Secondly, you need to note that joy is as important as spiritual growth. In the realm of the spirit, joy is a measure of spiritual growth. If you've not grown in joy as a believer, you are still a baby. There has to be joy because of the faith. You move from duty to delight in your Christian devotion.

Joy is a delight. We must savor the things of God. Passiveness is not of God. Joy is a spiritual principle. Some people have been taught wrongly about God. The Bible says God sings. Zep 3:17 God sings about saving you. You are a song on his lips.

We are learning from God. He anticipated that people will try to stop the salvation plan. However, in trying to stop the plan, they fulfilled it. Psalm 2:1-4 God responded in verse 4. The Bible said He laughed. Imagine what will happen if you laughed about that problem. If you do what the Bible people did, you will see what they saw. It is only the natural man that waits for a joke to laugh. You have to learn the life of victory; it is a relaxed life in Christ.

Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

He puts them side by side, he was suggesting that there's a way to get high without damaging your body.

Spiritual Gifts have a fabric; a way they are meant to function.

Paul was telling us to seek edification.

A gift is as important as the needs that need to be met.

He was emphasizing the importance of the gift of tongues and interpretations.

Tongues and interpretations = Prophecy

Exercising Your Victory Over Sin

Overcoming Temptation.

A lot of people are going through stuff that leads to two different outcomes:

Some have fought so hard, they've given up and their consciousness is seared.
Some keep fighting and because of how often they fall, they are driven into self-pity and so they are feeling sorry all the time.

Your spirit should gain ascendency over your flesh but there are times when the flesh wins and your response should be I have an advocate with the Father!

The scripture already gives us a clear picture of how temptations should be handled. Colossians 3:9, Ephesians 4:22.

Paul says we should mortify the deeds of the flesh! So a headless chicken can still jerk back to life and run around even though it's dead because of the activities of its impulse, so it's very possible, as a believer who is dead to sin to still see some activities of the flesh come to play! A believer can still have little struggles but doesn't change the fact that he is dead to sin! When Paul said mortify, we can liken it to catching that already dead chicken and putting it down!

Romans 6:3-6, the burial of Jesus was the destruction of the body of sin! Your victory over sin will always be a faith walk, total dependency on what Christ has done!

Romans 8:1-3, the death of Jesus was God's solution to the sin problem! Reckon that the death of Jesus is enough! No matter what you struggle with now.

Every time I overcome a temptation, I am demonstrating to the world, Jesus' resurrection! Ephesians 2:1-6.

Vital Signs: When is my spirit normal?

The same way a doctor checks the temperature of a patient and know something wrong is the same way one can discern something is wrong spiritually!

From the fall of man, we can see that a person can be dead but still appear normal. Genesis 2:16-17. Adam was dead a long time before he was physically put to the ground 930 years later. A mistake that appeared normal took 4000 years to correct.

Man has tripartite characteristics but isn't a tripartite being. Man is a spirit being who has a soul and lives in a body. The soul simply acts as an interface between the spirit and the body. Through the soul, we learn about our spirit and body. Your concept of limitations and possibilities is limited by your senses. In the spirit realm, nothing is impossible! But when a believer begins to think or believe some things are impossible, then something is wrong.

Righteousness Consciousness.

What's more important than fasting and praying is knowing how to receive from God.

Ephesians 3:2 - Our disposition is to understand that God is willing and able to do even more than what we think or ask, according to the power that works in us.

Galatians 3:5 - It is by God's Spirit in us that we can be assured of miracles happening for us.

We have God's Spirit by believing in His righteousness, accepting that Jesus died for our sins so we're righteous because He has cleaned our sins through His death.

Believing Jesus' death and resurrection is His righteousness, not ours - which is self-righteousness.

When He died, you died - because He did in your place. When He resurrected, you did too.

So you're as He is right now, if you believe in Him. So there's nothing like us praying and God, not hearing. In Romans 5:1, Paul says "We have received access into this grace, wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."

“The Welfare Code” from Ecclesia by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

In 2 Corinthians 2:11, the Bible lets us know that we should not be ignorant of the devil's work by been discerning.

Today's topic is Bounce Back: the ecclesia advantage during crisis. We would learning of how God has made provision for preservation in the time of Crisis by providing us a family bonded by one spirit.

Luke 22:31-32. The plan of the enemy is to attack you silently until you are finished. But when you become aware of his devices, what he planned to make you weak, would make you strong.

The church needs to start creating space for people who have messed up and are remorseful. The church needs to be more forgiving.

One of the things Satan does is for us to be unforgiving. God's strategy for the preservation of the saints is for us to strengthen one another.

Galatians 6:1: Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Romans 15:1-3 Salvation is NOT personal, we are to help one another in our moments of weakness. We MUST be responsible for one another. God is watching how we handle a brother who is in error.

“Church Mind” from Ecclesia by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

“Finding Home” from Ecclesia by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

“Stronger Together” from Ecclesia by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

“Ecclesia” from Ecclesia by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

To have the Holy Spirit is so important because it means:

We are sealed unto salvation - Justification
Our desires are governed Ezekiel 36:27 - Sanctification
Romans 8:11 - we have the hope for Resurrection.
We are endowed with the possibilities of God to fulfill the purpose of God

Genesis 12:7-8

A lot of Christians are so powerful yet so ineffective because they have not been properly trained and the truth about who they are not been emphasized. They lack proper understanding of what it means to have the Holy Spirit in them.

It is not about your physic, your status, your task or your money, if you have the Holy Spirit you are unstoppable. You are empowered to do everything God ever asked you to do.

Isaiah 40:28-31. Exodus 31:1-6

Two things you should be conscious about.

Be conscious of your divine assignment
Be conscious of what you can accomplish by the power of the spirit

The anointing will create the opportunity for the fulfillment of responsibility. 1 Samuel 16:13. Philippians 2:13.

Secret passions that the spirit brings, give room for creative ideas.

If all you have is the Spirit, all you have is Enough.

“Jet Pack” from Holy Ghost by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

“How To Win Souls” from Locomotive by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

“Prophetic Order” from Rev Up by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

“Supply Of The Spirit” from Rev Up by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

Our desires will always affect our prayer life, if our desires are not in order prayer will not be in order.

When it comes to prayer we don’t always know how to pray so the holy spirit helps us.

The holy spirit helps us with realigning our priorities and in so doing helps with prayer. He realigns our desire not just to stop bad habits but to pick up good habits.

The advent of the spirit has changed prayer forever praying in the Holy Ghost is a privilege of redemption. Acts 2:33 praying in the spirit is only possible because Jesus is glorified. When we pray in the spirit we bypass our unfruitful minds.

When we pray in the spirit we are always in the will of God.

The notion that you learn to pray only by praying is not entirely true; there is a difference between the culture of prayer & effective prayer. Jesus taught His disciples lessons on how not to pray as much as He taught them how to pray. Matt 6:5-6, 31-33.

Prayer is not about technicalities, language construction or eloquence, it is all about who you are in respect to your relationship with the Father. The No.1 rule in prayer is to know who you are; prayer is a matter of identity & a matter of the Gospel. Act 19.11-15.

The fall of man wrecked havoc to all creation; it caused a gap between man & God. Isa 59:1-2.

However, God went to lengths to bring us back into fellowship with himself; ‘(Romans 5:1-2) Because prayer (fellowship) has always been a matter of righteousness, Jesus reconciled us with God by giving us the gift of righteousness, which in turn, gave us access to God; now we stand worthy before God when we pray & because we are righteous, our prayer avails much (The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much: James 5:16b)

To have an effective prayer life, you must always be conscious of your identity in Christ, never allow the enemy make you doubt your worthiness. Rom 5:17

Remember, your motive counts most; don t be interested only in what prayer can do for you, be interested in having a genuine relationship with the One to whom you pray.

How long must we pray?

Simple declarations of faith (short prayers) or very long prayers?

The balance for the believer is that his prayer life must comprise of long and short prayers if his prayer must be effective; the effectiveness of his short prayers is dependent on the long prayers he has made in the secret. 1 Thes 5:17.

Jesus in as much as he made proclamations, also spent hours fellowshipping with God. Jhn 12.28, Lk 10:21. 1Thes 5:17.

Long prayers consecrate us; it gives us access to divine encounters that reveals the glory of God to us & what the glory of God does is that it exposes our hypocrisy & corrects our inconsistencies.

Genuine encounters realign our minds with the will of God & bring us to a point of honesty with the true state of our minds. It is the believer s security. (1Thes 5:17, Lk 18.1)

It is noteworthy that what is most important in prayer is not the duration, it is our motive, our perseverance, our consistency, our tenacity, our concentration & our conviction; a structure we can only build with perseverance in prayer.

Without consistency (discipline), we cannot have a prayer life. We must pray even when we don’t feel like it.

It also takes prayer for the word of God to take hold of our minds; so we pray to build our conviction.

People ask; ‘If there is a God, why do bad things happen to people?’ Well, if there are Barbers, why do people have bushy hair?

God has given man free will; He will never interfere in the affairs of a man without the man’s permission.

That is the reason why we pray.

God has a particular attribute; He is unchanging. Not only is He changeless, He is faithful; He honors His WORD above His name. (Rev 1:8 Heb 13:8, Eph 3:14-20)

When we pray, we give the Almighty God permission to manifest Himself in our lives or to act on our behalf; as stated earlier, God will never act on man’s behalf without man’s permission. He even had to become man to save mankind (Acts 12:1-7, Ps 115:16).

Thus, We can only see the manifestation of God s power in our lives through prayer.

When we focus on the power of God and all that He did as recorded in the Bible, we will realize that there is no situation that is impossible for Him to change.

Remember, God never changes, He is the same yesterday, today & forever. Trust Him.

“Rev Up” from Rev Up by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

“Come To Me” from Flourish by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

“Grow Up” from Flourish by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

“Faith in the Operation of God” from Amazing Grace by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

“Jireh” from Amazing Grace by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

“This is Grace” from Amazing Grace by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released: 2019.

"Joy in the Word" from Joy Unspeakable by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released 2019.

"Pure Delight" from Joy Unspeakable by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released 2019.

"More than a Conqueror" from Joy Unspeakable by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released 2019.

"Joy Is a Miracle" from Joy Unspeakable by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released 2019.

"Joy Unspeakable" from Joy Unspeakable by Pst. Emmanuel Iren. Released 2019.

3 Cardinal Factors in every successful romantic relationship

Romance

Duty

Purpose

3 Cardinal Factors in every successful romantic relationship

Romance

Duty

Purpose

In Christ, In love and In trouble

If you don’t understand the work attached to relationships it’s the same as not understanding what it is.

Understanding that something is not easy is a good thing, so you can prepare yourself for the work ahead.

In Christ, In love and In trouble

If you don’t understand the work attached to relationships it’s the same as not understanding what it is.

Understanding that something is not easy is a good thing, so you can prepare yourself for the work ahead.

Jesus is the Rock

He’s the foundation of your life, it’s only sensible and wise that you also make him the foundation for your marriage.

Why is my marriage failing?

The missing link is usually the how!

If Christ is not your foundation, don’t bother getting married.

THE GOD CENTERED MARRIAGE!

Mark 11:24 KJVS

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

You must have the unseen evidence first. Believe you have them first, before you receive.

Hebrews 11:3 KJVS

Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

The things we now see were made from things we couldn’t see with the natural eyes, unseen to the natural eyes but not to the eyes of faith.

Hebrews 11:10 KJVS

For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. [14] For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. [15] And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. [16] But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

That’s visionary faith because they saw this but now we have this!

Mark 11:20,22-23 KJV

And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. [22] And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. [23] For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Faith can be taught and should be taught! Peter was so surprised at what happened to the tree! Jesus said to them: “Have the God-kind of faith”, Jesus began to teach them how! Faith can be taught and should be taught. God is not a magician!

When Jesus said “whosoever”, he was letting them know that what he did was not exclusive to himself!

Anyone can do what he did.

Faith is that technology that brings out the brilliance of your divine nature!

They saw Jesus do something that was not natural to a man, faith can and should be taught!

What is faith? Faith is the ability to hold on unrepentantly to the word of God!

Noah built the ark for 60yrs, that was a long time!

Faith is seen in it’s TENACITY.

Faith in the Bible means different things in different context. It might refer to saving faith, it might refer to the doctrine of Faith, it can also refer to Charismatic Faith!

As important as the context of faith is, so is the character of Faith.

No matter the context, the character of Faith is TENACIOUS

You need to hold on to it UNREPENTANTLY

If it’s Faith it must be UNDYING

As a child of God, we must learn to cultivate this Faith.