Quote for the Day 30Apri2012

There is nothing ordinary about access to God—yet sometimes we take this privilege for granted. He is almighty God, but He is also our Father who loves us and allows us to call on Him at any moment of any day. Now that’s extraordinary! —Bill Crowder

THERE IS HOPE!

Dearly Beloved,
THERE IS HOPE!
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you'" (Jeremiah 29:11-12 NIV).
I have read this Bible passage times without numbers. I have heard people quoting it. I have even used it to preach to or encourage other people several times. However, when I studied it in its context recently, I have a clearer understanding of its real meaning.
The context of the passage is a letter written by prophet Jeremiah to the exiled Jews in Babylon. Although, the people of Judah had sinned against God, and God was punishing them by sending them to exile, yet, Jeremiah was advising them to have courage and settle down in that foreign land because God had not abandoned them totally. He presented God as the Yoruba proverbial father that would punish his child with right hand and draw him in love back to himself with the left hand. No matter the consequence of one's sin, God is still compassionate and forgiving (Daniel 9:9). He has plans of restoring us back to Him. He will not abandon His own forever!
The Bible passage is a word of hope for people that are suffering because of their misdeeds. It is a word of hope for others also that think that God has forgotten them. It is a word of hope for every child of God. God has plans for us - plans not to harm us, but to prosper us. Plans to give us hope. Plans to give us a good future. Plans not to abandon us even when we go astray. Plans to listen to us when we call on Him.
"This is what the LORD says: 'I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place. From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained. Their children will be as in days of old, and their community will be established before me; I will punish all who oppress them. Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?' declares the LORD. "'So you will be my people, and I will be your God'" (Jeremiah 30:18-22 NIV. See also 19:14; 31:27-28; 32:42-44; 33:6-26; Lamentations 3:31-33).
No matter the situation, there is indeed hope!
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
NB
This message was first sent out on November 21, 2004.

Quote for the Day 28Apri2012

God does not remove all of our imperfections, but He makes us beautiful by shining through them. - Author Unknown

Quote for the Day 27Apri2012

Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you are not willing to move your feet. - Author Unknown

Quote for the Day 26Apri2012

God does not stop loving us. Whatever our situation today, we can turn to the Lord and find forgiveness to make a new start. His love never fails! - David McCasland

Quote for the Day 25Apri2012

I’ve anchored in Jesus, the storms of life I’ll brave;
I’ve anchored in Jesus, I’ll fear no wind or wave.
I’ve anchored in Jesus, for He hath power to save;
I’ve anchored to the Rock of Ages!
- Lewis Edgar Jones

Quote for the Day 24Apri2012

Those who exalt themselves are humbled by the Lord. Those who humble themselves before the Lord are those whom the Lord raises up. Humility doesn't mean thinking less of yourself, it just means thinking of yourself less. – Bob Gass

Quote for the Day 23Apri2012

You cannot have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time. – Charles F. Kettering

"WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR HAND?"

Dearly Beloved,
"WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR HAND?"
"Then the LORD said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' 'A staff,' he replied. The LORD said, 'Throw it on the ground.' Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it" (Exodus 4:2-3 NIV).
Sometimes, we all feel inadequate, insufficient, incapable, unqualified and helpless to do something while in actual fact, the resources to do such thing are at our disposal. Moses found himself in a similar situation. How? God called him to go and lead the Israelites out of the land of slavery. He was trying to dodge the divine assignment by giving unconvincing excuses. He looked down on himself. Then God asked him, "What is that in your hand?" Moses must have thought: "Of what use would an ordinary staff be in fulfilling such an enormous task?" However, the "ordinary" staff became an extraordinary instrument when he surrendered it to God.
The disciples of Jesus Christ were also in a dilemma. They had to feed over five thousand people in a solitary place. How would they do it? "Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. 'There's a youngster here with five barley loaves and a couple of fish! BUT WHAT GOOD IS THAT WITH ALL THIS MOB?'" (John 6:8-9 TLB). How could they feed such a large number of people with a boy's lunch? They never saw God above their inadequacies. Nevertheless, Jesus fed the people with that "little" food, and there were twelve baskets full of the leftover!
In the same way, a prophet's widow was about to lose her two sons to creditors. She ran to Prophet Elisha for assistance. "Elisha replied to her, 'How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?' 'Your servant has nothing there at all,' she said, 'EXCEPT A LITTLE OIL'" (2 Kings 4:2 NIV). How would she settle her debt with that "little" oil? Elisha told her to go and use that "little" oil. She did as she was told and at the end, she paid her debts and even had more!
Likewise, the son of a Shunammite woman was dead. Prophet Elisha gave his staff to his servant, Gehazi to go and raise the son from the dead. "Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, 'The boy has not awakened'" (2 Kings 4:31 NIV). He had no eye of faith. He could not see the extraordinary power in the "ordinary" staff.
Take an honest look at your own life. "What is that in your hand?" What do you have that looks "ordinary," "little" or "insignificant"? Look at it with an eye of faith. You have something that others do not have. Let God use it to perform His wonders in your life. "[For God has chosen] the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him" (1 Corinthians 1:28-29 NIV).
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
NB
This message was first sent out on February 16, 2004.

Quote for the Day 21Apri2012

Do not seek fame, seek to serve others. If you do your impact will be greater than your image and your eternal reward greater than anything you can drive, wear, live in, or hang on a wall. - Bob Gass

Quote for the Day 20Apri2012

Be sure that if God waits longer than you could wish, it is only to make the blessings doubly precious. - Andrew Murray

Quote for the Day 19Apri2012

When a man lifts you up, it is definitely to the height of his hands, but when GOD lifts you up it is limitless. Seek HIM now and forsake all else and be uplifted forever! - Author Unknown

Quote for the Day 18Apri2012

Many secrets are freely given to enemies in the process of complaining. But if you cultivate the habit of reporting to God, your secrets will remain secret, and you will have your miracle. Stop complaining, start reporting to God! – EA Adeboye

Quote for the Day 17Apri2012

Never become satisfied with religious activity rather than a personal, vibrant, and growing relationship with Jesus Christ. - Henry Blackaby

Quote for the Day 16Apri2012

Your life is not measured by your accomplishments, but rather by the people you have touched and the lives you changed. - Author Unknown

WHOSE BLAME?

Dearly Beloved,
WHOSE BLAME?
"And he said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?' The man said, 'The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.' Then the LORD God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?' The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate'" (Genesis 3:11-13 NIV).
Man is defensive. He always finds a way of shifting blame. This has been since the time of our first parents – Adam and Eve. They ate the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When God pointed out their sin, Adam seemed to blame God as if God did wrong in giving him the wife. The wife also blamed the serpent as if it was the serpent that forced her and her husband to disobey God. No doubt, the serpent would have had someone to blame also if God gave it the opportunity. However, regardless of their defences, each of them was punished for his/her action. God cursed the serpent (Satan) forever; the woman has to bear her children in pains; and the man has to painfully toil the ground.
Think about your life. Who would you also blame for your actions? Are you ready to take full responsibility of your actions? You may blame anybody or even Satan, but God will judge and reward you accordingly. The Lord declares, "In those days people will no longer say, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes--his own teeth will be set on edge” (Jeremiah 31:29-30 NIV). Apostle Paul also warned, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-9 NIV).
Accept your flaws. Be ready to take full responsibility of what you do or fail to do. One of the marks of a matured Christian is acceptance of one's mistakes and readiness to make correction.
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
NB
This message was first posted on January 18, 2004.

Quote for the Day 14Apri2012

True success is staying on God’s path by following His Word and giving Him praise instead of craving it for ourselves. — David McCasland

Quote for the Day 13Apri2012

Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. - Saint Francis de Sales

Quote for the Day 12Apri2012

Life has many twists and turns and sometimes what looks like a very bad day can just be clearing the way for good things to come. - J Kim Wright

Quote for the Day 11Apri2012

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough. - Oprah Winfrey

Quote for the Day 10Apri2012

Everyone aspiring to suceed here on earth must fearlessly launch out into the deep of life. You must be willing to leave the safety of where you are, and step on to another different terain of achievement and exploits. - Femi Emmanuel

Quote for the Day 09Apri2012

Low In The Grave He Lay
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
- Robert Lowry

IF JESUS CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED

Dear Beloved,
IF JESUS CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED
"If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised.... But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead...." (1 Corinthians 15:13-20 NIV).
Every year, the Christians all over the world set aside a Sunday in either late March or early April to remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why do they attach much importance to the celebration? Does it have any difference today if Jesus Christ is dead or alive? After all, famous world religious founders are dead. What if Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead? Do we still have an anchor for our souls?
One of the problems of the first-century Corinthian church that made Paul to write his first epistle to them was the denial of bodily resurrection - a belief that crept into the church through the influence of Greek viewpoint of immortality of only the soul. To an average Greek, there was no bodily resurrection of the dead. Even the Sadducees - a sect of the Jews - did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27; Acts 23:8).
The basis of Christian message and life is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If we, the twenty-first-century Christians doubt the resurrection of the dead, then we have to agree with these six logical arguments:
The first argument for the resurrection of Jesus Christ and other believers is that the Christian message would be useless if Christ has not been raised. Paul boldly stated in 1 Corinthians 2:2, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (NIV. See also 1:22; 15:3-4; Galatians 3:1; 6:14). Crucifixion in the first-century Greco-Roman world was a notorious punishment for criminals. If Christ has not been raised, what would be the pride in preaching about crucified person?
The second argument is about our Christian faith. The Christian faith rests on the crucified and resurrected Jesus Christ. There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. Peter put it clearly in his defence before the Sanhedrin: "…then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.' Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:10-12 NIV). Jesus Christ is the Way! Such faith in Christ would have been useless - empty, without cause, without success if Christ has not been raised.
Preachers of the gospel are notorious liars - false witnesses - if Christ has not been raised. The Scriptures would also be one of those misleading literatures in the world. However, hear Peter again: "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty" (2 Peter 1:16 NIV).
Jesus Christ is our sacrificial Lamb that 'propitiate' for our sins through His death (Roman 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). He was a substitute for the punishment we deserve due to our sins. Because of this, we will not be judged again (Roman 8:1), we have been justified (Roman 5:9). No doubt, if Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead, His death would be useless, and we would still be in our sins and still carry the guilt and condemnation of sin. The reason is that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the proof that His death actually atoned for our sin.
Jesus Christ promises in John 11:25-26, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (NIV. See also John 3:36; 5:21; 6:39-40, 44). If Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead, then such promises are vain promises and the departed and even the living Christians would find themselves in hell. Eternity would have been an illusion.
If the above argument is true, then Christians should be pitied most because all reasons and purposes for life itself are destroyed. If Christians have hope only for this life, unbelievers are better off than then. It would have been most disastrous for them.
Whether the Greeks, the Sadducees, and even the whole world believe in the bodily resurrection or not, the good news is that Jesus Christ was indeed raised from the dead (Matthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:2-7; Luke 24:4-7; John 20:1-9; Acts 1:3; 2:23-24, 32; 13:30; 17:31; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Hebrews 13:20). He is alive! He has defeated sin, death, and the devil!
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul chronicled some historical events that served as proof of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many other extra-Biblical sources attest to this historical event. In fact, His appearance to this people for over a period of forty days is a convincing proof that He is alive (Acts 1:3). He is still appearing to many people today. Praise the Lord!
Glory be to God for fulfilling His promises in raising Jesus Christ from the dead. Nevertheless, does His resurrection have any meaning to you? Has it had any impact in your life? Have you experienced the work of salvation that Jesus Christ perfected in His resurrection? Commemorating this historic event should not be on a special day each year alone, or even on every first day of the week only, but on every day of our lives.
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

NB
This message was first sent out on April 11, 2004.

Quote for the Day 07Apri2012

While wearing the cross may be a challenging mark of discipleship, far more challenging is our Lord’s command that we “take up [our] cross daily” and learn what it means to follow in His footsteps (Luke 9:23). And that includes a willingness to practice costly discipleship. — Vernon C. Grounds

Quote for the Day 06Apri2012

On the cross of Calvary, Jesus Christ paid the price He did not owe so that we may be freed from guilt and penalty of sin that we owed. - Bayo Afolaranmi

Quote for the Day 05Apri2012

When you find yourself in the storm of life, you have to determine to overcome it by walking on it by faith. - Supo Ayokunle

Quote for the Day 04Apri2012

You must be confident that no matter what happens, God will not turn His back from His word. - Chris E. Kwakpovwe

Quote for the Day 03Apri2012

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote for the Day 02Apri2012

A true friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself. - Anonymous