Spiritual Digest for the Day 17July2015

QUOTE FOR THE DAY When our confidence is in the sovereignty of God, we will not panic when we face tough circumstances. But when we try to control our lives and manipulate events and people to our advantage, we will become frustrated and joyless. - Michael Youssef ************************** BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones" (Proverbs 3:5-8 NKJV). ************************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to always put my total trust in You.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 16July2015

QUOTE FOR THE DAY God desires that we show respect to all people, because everyone bears His image. - Helen Keller ************************** BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27 NIV). ************************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to respect everyone irrespective his/her status.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 15July2015

QUOTE FOR THE DAY You are addressed by your dressing. If you are clothed with pride, disgraceful situation will attend to you. If with humility, honourable and uplifting situations will be your guests. – EA Adeboye ************************** BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY "Everyone who makes himself great will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be made great" (Luke 18:14 TEV). ************************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray for the spirit of humility so that you will not be humiliated in life.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 14July2015

QUOTE FOR THE DAY If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well. - Martin Luther King, Jr. ************************** BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men" (Colossians 3:23 NKJV). ************************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Help me, Lord, to do my work heartily today.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 12July2015

QUOTE FOR THE DAY There have been, and still are, many self-acclaimed mediators between God and man. None of them has the qualifications that distinguish Jesus Christ as the greatest High Priest. Who is your representative before God? Accept Jesus Christ today and have the boldness of meeting God now and hereafter. - Bayo Afolaranmi ************************** BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God — Jesus, the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14 TEV). ************************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray for people that have not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord to be led to His saving knowledge.

JESUS CHRIST THE GREATEST HIGH PRIEST

Dearly Beloved, JESUS CHRIST THE GREATEST HIGH PRIEST “Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God — Jesus, the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14 TEV). Traditionally, a priest represents the people before the deities. He helps them to offer sacrifices to the deities. He is in charge of the shrine and other things pertaining to the worship of the deities. In the history of the people of Israel, the high priest, with the help of other priests and the Levites, performed these functions. Unfortunately, they were not perfect, and they could not represent the people well before the Almighty God. Nevertheless, the writer of the book of the Hebrews presented Jesus Christ as the greatest High Priest who surpasses all other high priests. This is one of the thrusts of the book. Jesus Christ qualified Himself to be a merciful and faithful High Priest by becoming a man (2:11-18) who is sympathetic with human weaknesses (4:15). Jesus Christ did not assume the office of high priest for self-glory (5:5), but He was called by God to the office, and not of the order of Aaron, but of Melchizedek (5:10). Jesus Christ had no need, as the sons of Aaron, to offer sacrifices for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, for He had no sin (7:27-28). The other high priests offered animal blood that could never take sin away (10:1-4), but Jesus Christ offered His own blood (9:12) once for all (9:26; 10:10, 12). Because of their mortality, there were many priests with temporal priesthood (7:23); but the priesthood of Jesus Christ is an eternal priesthood because He lives forever (7:25). The priesthood of the other high priests was performed in an earthly model of the real sanctuary in heaven (8:5), but Jesus Christ is performing His ministry in heaven itself (4:14; 9:11), seated at the right hand of God (10:12). By His one offering, He has achieved His goal—the sanctification of His people. What a great High Priest! No wonder, anyone who accepts Him as his/her personal Savior and Lord – the only mediator between God and man (see 1 Timothy 2:5) – can come directly into the presence of God. There have been, and still are, many self-acclaimed mediators between God and man. None of them has the qualifications that distinguish Jesus Christ as the greatest High Priest. Therefore, they cannot save anyone who follows them. Who is your representative before God? Accept Jesus Christ today and have the boldness of meeting God now and hereafter. In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: Pray for people that have not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord to be led to His saving knowledge.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: THE WORD OF GOD REMAINS UNCHANGEABLE

Dearly Beloved, I sent out this message less than a month ago. However, the recent verdict of the US Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage will make me to resend this message. No matter any man-made law, THE WORD OF GOD REMAINS UNCHANGEABLE “For, ‘All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:24-25 NIV). Recently, I read an article titled, "Are Christians Changing Their Minds On Gay Marriage?” online. The writer of the article frowned at the views of some notable Christians in America that are changing their minds in favour of homosexuality. The writer also reiterated the stand of the Word of God on that abnormal act. As I read the article, I remembered the recent vote in favour of homosexuality in Republic of Ireland, a country that is supposedly dominated mainly by Christians. It is shameful that some churches also have accepted this deviant act and we now have gay pastors and even gay bishops! I just cannot imagine how such issue will become a debate or practice among Christians when the injunctions of the Holy Bible are very clear about it. Here are some of the injunctions: “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable” (Leviticus 18:22 NIV). “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads” (Leviticus 20:13 NIV). “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error” (Romans 1:26-27 NIV). “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NIV). “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me” (1 Timothy 1:8-11 NIV). With these biblical injunctions, the practice or debate whether to consider or accept homosexuality in Christendom has been defeated and any right thinking Christian should stand against the act no matter how popular it is becoming in our society. The Word of God supersedes any other norm. Some so-called Christians may change their stands on any controversial issue, the Word of God stands firm and remains unchanged no matter the changing trends in the world. In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: Pray that you will remain faithful to the Word of God no matter the popular trend around you.