WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD

Dearly Beloved,
WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD
“I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1 NIV).
After God rejected Saul as king of Israel and sent Samuel to anoint David as the next king (1 Samuel 15-16), David faced a lot of hostilities and troubles even from his brothers. He became a fugitive in his own country. He had to relocate his parents to a foreign country for safety (see 1 Samuel 22:3-4). He twice sought refuge with the enemies of his nation (see 1 Samuel 21:10-15; 27:1-12). In spite of all his predicaments, he patiently waited for the LORD, even after the death of Saul. The LORD did not let him down. He turned to him and lifted him out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. The LORD set his feet on a rock and gave him a firm place to stand in Israel and among other nations. The LORD put a new song in his mouth, a hymn of praise. Many indeed saw these and feared and put their trust in the LORD during the lifetime of David. No wonder, David could write Psalm 40 to testify to the goodness of God.
Life is full of ups and downs. Every person has his/her own dilemma to confront. However, only those who patiently wait for the LORD will successfully overcome these dilemmas and sing song of praises like David. They are the ones that “will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak” (Isaiah 40:31 TEV).
What are you facing presently? Wait patiently for the LORD! He will bring you out of the predicament. He will lift you up out of the mud of life. He will set your feet on a rock and gave him a firm place to stand among your contemporaries. He will put a new song in your mouth, a hymn of praise to His holy name. Many people will indeed see it and praise God with you. They will fear and trust God for what He will do in your life.
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19 NKJV).
Wait patiently for the LORD!
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Quote for the Day 30Jul2011

Do not ever make the mistake of wasting a moment of your day trying to impress people. Do all for the Glory of God. - Daniel Mejias

Quote for the Day 29Jul2011

Darkness and light cannot coexist. Run from the darkness to the light! - Henry Blackaby

Quote for the Day 29Jul2011

Darkness and light cannot coexist. Run from the darkness to the light! - Henry Blackaby

Quote for the Day 28Jul2011

First impressions can mislead us
For we do not know the heart;
We can often be mistaken
Since we only know in part.
- Fitzhugh

Quote for the Day 27Jul2011

Whatever valley you are in today, do not be afraid. God is there with you strengthening and upholding you. Just sing of His love for you and let Him fight your battles for you! - Joseph Prince

Quote for the Day 26Jul2011

We may doubt our own abilities and potential. But let us never doubt what God can do with us when we trust and obey Him. - Albert Lee

Quote for the Day 25Jul2011

Integrity means doing the same thing whether people are with you or whether you are alone. - Ed Anderson

"FIRE FOR FIRE"

Dear Beloved,
"FIRE FOR FIRE"
"God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you" (2 Thessalonians 1:6 NIV).
The Nigerian Police used to have an anti-crime outfit named "Operation Fire for Fire." Their approach to crime used to be brutal and used to appear revengeful. At times, many Christians adopt the same approach against their perceived enemies. "An eye for an eye" (Exodus 21:23-25; Leviticus 24:19-20) is the popular adage they use to justify their actions.
Indeed, it is not easy to hold one's anger against adversaries. But revengeful actions negate what the Bible teaches (see Matthew 5:38-42; Luke 6:27-28, 35; Romans 12:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Peter 3:9). However, when I look at the above quoted passage (i.e. 2 Thessalonians 1:6) and a similar promise given to Abraham when God called him: "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse…" (Genesis 12:3 NIV), I ponder: Is God encouraging revengeful actions?
Beloved, God hates injustice. Yet He does not want us to pay back to our enemies the evil they have done to us. They are not fighting us but our God. We should allow Him to fight our battles. He will not let the evil doers go unpunished. He will repay them accordingly IN HIS OWN WAY, not our own way (Romans 12:19) - trouble for trouble (2 Thessalonians 1:6).
Are you an evil doer? The Bible does not even advice evil doers to desist from evil, but warns about the inevitability of the day of reckoning, for God "will give to everyone according to what he has done" (Revelation 22:11-12 NIV). Are you a victim of evil doers? You may not be able to defend yourself, but God defends and comforts the afflicted and pays back the evil doers - "fire for fire."
"God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed" (Ecclesiastics 3:17 NIV).
"For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastics 12:14 NIV).
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
NB
This message was first sent out on December 14, 2003.

Quote for the Day 23Jul2011

Complaining only makes you miserable. Either plan and take effective action, or gracefully accept the circumstances you are called upon to bear. - Author Unknown

Quote for the Day 22Jul2011

Faith looks beyond this transient life with hope for all eternity - not with some vague and wistful hope, but with firm trust and certainty. - D. De Haan

Quote for the Day 21Jul2011

Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Quote for the Day 20Jul2011

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote for the Day 19Jul2011

God wants you to be free. He has paid the price for your freedom. But you have to show you truly want to be free. Are you holding a grudge against anyone? Release the fellow today! - EA Adeboye

Quote for the Day 18Jul2011

Is God testing you? If He is, what are you learning? Is the experience making you bitter, or making you better by causing you to draw closer to Him? - Bob Gass

WICKEDNESS FOR GOODNESS

Dear Beloved,
WICKEDNESS FOR GOODNESS
"But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, "You must die! Why do you prophesy in the LORD's name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?" And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD" (Jeremiah 26:8-9 NIV).
I was in a busstop waiting for a bus when I overheard some students cursing some of their teachers and the external invigilator that came to invigilate the final external examinations that the students were doing. What was the sin of these teachers and the invigilator? They did not allow the students to engage in examination malpractices. These students were furious about the action of the teachers and the invigilator. One of them even proposed that they should organize an ambush where they will assault the teachers and the external invigilator.
I was wondering within me the gravity of the "sin" of the teachers and the invigilator. Were they not trying to mould the lives of these students? Would they help the future of the students if they allow them to perpetrate their unlawful act? Did the students realize the consequence of their action if they are caught? Many questions came to my mind that I could not even call them and advise them against their plans before I boarded the next bus to my destination.
Jeremiah found himself in similar situation. God sent him to the people of Judah to warn them of the imminent danger that will befall them because of their waywardness. Instead of them to appreciate him and repent of their sin, they – even including their religious leaders – were plotting to kill him. However, the Lord did not abandon him. He, as promised earlier, made him victorious over all these oppositions, though he was alone (Jeremiah 1: 19; 26:24; 33:1- 3; 36:26).
Are people paying back to you wickedness for the goodness you are doing to them? Are they persecuting you because of your kindness, godliness, righteousness or integrity? Does it seem that you are not loved because you do not approve of the wickedness, injustice, dishonesty, or corruption that the people of the world are known for? Be faithful. Remember, "The [Lord] who calls you is faithful and He will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24, NIV). "…He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3:3, NIV).
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
NB
This message was first sent out on May 29, 2005.

Quote for the Day 16Jul2011

Play with life, laugh with life, dance lightly with life, and smile at the riddles of life, knowing that life’s only true lessons are writ small in the margin. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Quote for the Day 15Jul2011

May we all look closely to see the person inside, for everyone is made in the image of God and can become a new creation in Christ. - David McCasland

Quote for the Day 14Jul2011

In a world of distractions, it’s vital for the child of God to stay focused, and there is no better point of focus in the universe than Jesus Christ Himself. Is He what matters most to you? - Bill Crowder

Quote for the Day 13Jul2011

Press on in your service for Jesus,
Spurred on by your love for the Lord;
He promised that if you are faithful,
One day you’ll receive your reward. - Fasick

Quote for the Day 12Jul2011

You need not be afraid because God, who neither slumbers nor sleeps, is watching over you 24 hours a day! - Joseph Prince

Quote for the Day 11Jul2011

Don’t worry for your future needs,
It will only bring you sorrow;
But give them to the Lord instead -
He’ll take care of your tomorrow.
- Sper

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

Dearly Beloved,
TO GOD BE THE GLORY
“To the only wise God be glory for ever through Jesus Christ! Amen” (Romans 16:27 NIV).
The hymn “To God Be the Glory” is well-recognized as a wonderful hymn of praise and adoration of God. It was composed by that famous hymn composer, Fanny Jane Crosby (1820-1915). The hymn is sung mostly in the atmosphere of praises, but its content is more than praises. It speaks volumes about the grace of God. From the beginning, it is clear that Fanny Crosby ascribed all glory to God for His work with no role for man’s efforts in God’s great plan of salvation. In the first stanza, it is Jesus alone who opens the “the lifegate” of salvation, so that everyone has the opportunity to be saved. This is a clear message of grace, in contrast to the idea that man must prove his worth before eternal life is granted. In the second stanza, Crosby set forth the conditions for entrance through this gate: faith, and faith alone. She rightly noted that redemption is promised to "every believer" (see John 3:16), and that regardless of the enormity of one’s sins, even "the vilest offender" who puts his or her faith in Christ, for example the criminal crucified with Christ (Luke 23:43) or Saul of Tarsus (1 Timothy 1:15), will immediately receive pardon from Jesus. The third stanza and chorus continue to bring this point of grace home, proclaiming that it is God who has done great things, and the One to whom praise and adoration belong.
It is good to sing this song whenever we want to praise God for any material thing He has done. However, it is far better to think of the spiritual things He has done (that is, the giving of His Son, the forgiveness of our sins, the atonement for our sins, our redemption) and what He will do: “our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see!”
The hymn “To God Be the Glory” is a marvelous expression of praise to God for His wondrous works. However, have you experienced the outcome of these works: the salvation that is provided as a gift from God to everyone who places his or her faith in Christ, regardless of his or her sins before or after conversion? It is then you can join Crosby to sing, “Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory, great things He hath done!”
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Quote for the Day 09Jul2011

Situations may not always seem pleasant while we are in them, but the promise of God is clear. If we love him and live our lives according to his precepts, even that which seems to be bleak and hopeless will be turned by God for His glory and our benefit. - Author Unknown

Quote for the Day 08Jul2011

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
- John H. Sammis

Quote for the Day 07Jul2011

Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them. - W. Clement Stone

Quote for the Day 07Jul2011

Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them. - W. Clement Stone

Quote for the Day 06Jul2011

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote for the Day 06Jul2011

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote for the Day 06Jul2011

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote for the Day 05Jul2011

Never underestimate your own intelligence and never overestimate the intelligence of others. You have something others do not have, discover it and use it. - Nelson Tunde Akinola

Quote for the Day 04Jul2011

Public opinion can help answer certain questions, but not the one question that will determine your eternity: Who do you say that Jesus is? If you agree with Scripture, and place your trust in Christ, you will have eternal life. - Bill Crowder

Quote for the Day 04Jul2011

Public opinion can help answer certain questions, but not the one question that will determine your eternity: Who do you say that Jesus is? If you agree with Scripture, and place your trust in Christ, you will have eternal life. - Bill Crowder

HE KNOWS WHAT HE WOULD DO!

Dearly Beloved,
HE KNOWS WHAT HE WOULD DO!
“Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?’ But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do” (John 6:5-6 NKJV).
At times, it seems as if God does not know what we are passing through, or that He knows but He does not know what to do to rescue us from our predicaments. In fact, many people have concluded that God is either powerless or is not existing because of their seemingly terrible situations. However, no situation meets Him unaware or unprepared. In fact, He does know what He would do in every situation.
A great crowd followed Jesus Christ to a lonely place. They were with Him till late in the afternoon. Having fed these people with spiritual food, Jesus asked Philip, one of His disciples, about how the people would be fed with physical food also. Philip could not imagine what would satisfy this great multitude, but Jesus Himself knew what He would do, and He eventually did what He had in mind: miraculously providing food for the thousands of people.
No matter your situation, God knows what He would do and He will eventually do it in His own time and in His own way. Just rely on Him. A Yoruba singer says, “Olorun mo ohun ti yo se; Jesu mi mo ohun ti yo se; Emi Mimo mo ohun ti yo se o t’aye mi yo fi dara.” [God knows what He would do; My Jesus knows what He would do; the Holy Spirit knows what He would do to make my life better.] Jesus Christ told His disciples, “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8 NKJV).
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Quote for the Day 02Jul2011

Lord, help us to obey Your Word,
To heed Your still small voice;
And may we not be swayed by men,
But make Your will our choice.
- D. De Haan