Church Construction 2013

May 2013 - Planting the Garden

[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0127.jpg]180
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0108.jpg]240
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0107.jpg]160
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0105.jpg]150
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0103.jpg]180
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0096.jpg]170
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0095.jpg]170
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0136.jpg]130
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0134.jpg]160
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0133.jpg]230
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0083.jpg]480
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0115.jpg]230
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0110.jpg]230
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0099.jpg]290
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0094.jpg]270
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0092.jpg]220
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0090.jpg]320
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0086.jpg]460
[img src=https://mzgtiglobal.org/wp-content/flagallery/may-2/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_0084.jpg]390


GLOBAL INCREASE – THE POWER OF CONFESSION, August 1st, 2021

Posted by on 6:31 pm in Sunday School | Comments Off on GLOBAL INCREASE – THE POWER OF CONFESSION, August 1st, 2021

GLOBAL INCREASE – THE POWER OF CONFESSION, August 1st, 2021

CENTRAL THOUGHT The tongue has the power of life and death, those who love it will eat its fruit. HYMN: WHEN PEACE LIKE A RIVER ATTENDETH MY WAY TEXT: Romans 10:6-13 INTRODUCTION Confession means admission, acknowledgement, recognition, or acceptance. To confess a thing is to accept that thing. When man confesses Christ, he is accepting Christ before those he confesses Him. Confession, in this study is viewed as “speaking” or “speech”, and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34). Therefore, confession has origin in the heart. Some people argue that it is possible to say that one does not mean (things that are not from the heart). But it is also true that when such false confessions become this style of the individual, then he is known to be a liar, which shows that there is a lie in his heart. So, the confessions have to bear with the state of his heart! Our confession stands strongly on what we believe. If what we say has to do with what is in our minds, it is also true that what is in our minds (what do we meditate on, or think, which is what we say) have a way of actualizing! This is subtly true; the psalmist prayed, “… let words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You…” (Psa.19:14). Our meditations build us; our thoughts design and construct our character. Little wonder then that what man imagines, he says, and this bears heavily on what happens. Since he made the universe by His word and man in his image, he would have some creative powers in his word too! The regenerated man is capable of creating and destroying by the words of his mouth (read Proverbs 18:21). Believing God and speaking those things that are believed brings the Almighty into the center of our imagination and utterances. LESSON OBJECTIVES It is aimed that at the end of this lesson, this student will have learned: The effects that our confessions have on our attitude to life.The “confessing-and-possessing” attitude.How to live by creative thinking and talking.What to confess in situations.What confession does in the life of a child of God. BIBLE TRUTH Q1. THE EFFECT OF OUR CONFESSION ON OUR ATTITUDE TO LIFE. Pronouncement (confession) affects the mentality of the individual. Consider a person that often threaten to fight; he usually would flee. When we speak, we address others and ourselves; we address the physical and the spiritual worlds. Furthermore, when we speak, we give definite instructions to the performance of our spirit, soul and body. The information we feed to ourselves defines our attitude to life. When a man confesses to be a failure, he cannot have success because his system would work against success. Striving for excellence is for those aiming at excellence. It is not dong by chance. First, the individual believes in excellence and then tells himself that he is able to reach there. However, many people defeat themselves in life by making negative confessions about their abilities. There are diverse kind of individuals; some speak their minds, others do not. Those who speak their minds expect results from their words, and are usually more honest people. All through their lives they are expectant people. They have a...

read more

THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER, July 25th, 2021

Posted by on 12:26 am in Sunday School | Comments Off on THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER, July 25th, 2021

THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER, July 25th, 2021

CENTRAL THOUGHT The presence of God is guaranteed in a family that prays together. HYMN: ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME TEXT: Josh. 24:15; Matt. 18:18-20; Gen. 18:19; Amos 3:3; James 5:16 INRODUCTION One of the real challenges that we often find in our contemporary, busy lives is finding time to be together as a family. It is especially difficult to find opportunities to pray together. Our Father in Heaven wants us to have strong, loving families. One of the great helps He has given us to achieve this is family prayer. All of us, single or married, are eternally part of some family, someway, somewhere, somehow and much of our joy in life comes as we correctly recognize and properly develop those family relationships. God has placed us in families, where we can learn to overcome selfishness, pride, sacrifice for others, and make happiness, helpfulness, humility and love the very essence of our character. We learn that friends and neighbors come and go but the family remains and we can learn this, we find that we are our brother’s keeper. We need to thank God for the opportunity of family prayer. LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To understand the importance of the family that prays together.To know what it entails for a family to pray together.To comprehend the challenges and difficulties in praying together as a family.To understand what happens when we fail to pray together as a family.To consider some of the blessings we enjoy in praying together. BIBLE TRUTH Q1. WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY THE PHRASE “THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER”? This means a family that has a regular time to pray and study the Bible together. In 1 Timothy 3:5 we read, “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?” Managing your family is caring for each member, teaching them God’s way, leading them to grow in the Lord, and equipping them for adult life. Prayer is important in achieving all of these. A family with a heart of prayer for each other will have a heart of prayer for the world. Family members should have a time to share their joys and burdens together. Gal.6:2 Q2. WHAT IS INVOLVED IN PRAYING TOGETHER AS A FAMILY AND HAVING A REGULAR  PRAYER ALTAR? A.      Having a regular prayer altar- A place of bible study and worship time. A family should have a regular time to pray and read the Bible together; this should be taken seriously and practiced routinely. It helps in bringing up children in the way of the Lord. It is well to remember the great command that the Lord gave to Israel. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deut.6:4-7). Worship of the Lord is first of all vertical and horizontal and begins in the home and takes in...

read more

PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER, July 18th, 2021

Posted by on 8:36 pm in Sunday School | Comments Off on PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER, July 18th, 2021

PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER, July 18th, 2021

CENTRAL THOUGHTTo live victoriously and enjoy a fulfilled Christian life, the believer must persevere in prayers. HYMN: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS TEXT: 1 Kings 18: 41-46; Luke 18:1-8 INTRODUCTIONPrayer is very vital and indispensable in the life of every believer. It is essentially a means of communing with God, and without prayer, the believer cannot live a successful and fulfilled Christian life. It must be emphasized that we cannot run the Christian race successfully without being men and women of prayer. Hence, we must persevere in prayer. To persevere therefore in prayer, we must constantly be in direct communication with God at all times, in all places, in all circumstances and in all situations. No wonder the Apostle Paul enjoins believers to pray without ceasing. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was a man of prayers and during His ministry here on earth, He persevered in prayer. We should follow His example. LESSON OBJECTIVESThe objectives of this study are: To understand what perseverance in prayer means.To discuss some characters in scriptures that persevered in prayers.To discuss what our attitude should be while waiting for God’s answer.To discuss the blessings that result from perseverance in prayer. BIBLE TRUTHQ1A. WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER?Perseverance in prayer simply means to continuously and earnestly pray to God over certain seemingly difficult situations a believer may encounter in life and refuse to give up or be discouraged even when the answers to such prayers seem not to be forthcoming. We must therefore learn to hold on to God in prayers until we get the answer. The devil may try to bring discouragement and doubt but we must realize that God answers prayers and at His own time we will receive the answer. We must also know that delay is not denial. God is always right there on time; He is neither too early nor too late. His timing is always right. That is why it is generally said that God’s time is the best time. It is only by persevering in prayer that we can effectively live our Christian lives in this world victoriously andovercome every difficult situation we encounter along life’s journey her on earth. Q1B. MENTION SOME SITUATIONS IN LIFE WHEN ANSWERS TO THE CHRISTIANS PRAYERS SEEM DELAYED.Although our God is a prayer answering God, there are times that answers to our prayers may appear as if they are delayed. Some of such situations may manifest in any form such as consistent failure in examination: there are instances where some believers may be failing the same examination repeatedly despite the fact that they have been applying themselves to their studies. Another situation can be joblessness. The fellow might have obtained a good grade and very qualified to get the job but his application never receives the attention of the employers. This may persist over a long period of time. There may be ladies who are ripe for marriage and ready but they are still waiting because no man has come to ask their hands in marriage while there are men when they approach a lady, they will notagree to marry them. There may be those who though gainfully employed or engaged in goodand profitable businesses, cannot make ends meet as a result of drain on their...

read more

EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER, July 11th, 2021

Posted by on 9:22 pm in Sunday School | Comments Off on EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER, July 11th, 2021

EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER, July 11th, 2021

CENTRAL THOUGHTA prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian; therefore, men ought always to pray and not to faint. HYMN: CHRISTIAN SEEK NOT YET REPOSED TEXT: James 5:12-18 INTRODUCTION The Christian’s most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. Prayer should come first in our everyday living and we should not forget to pray at the end of each day.We are to pray because: a. We have been commanded to pray (Luke. 18:1)b. It is a means of communing with God (Matt.6:9)c. It is a means of obtaining things from God (Matt.7:7,8)d. It is a channel/source of power (Acts.4:31; Jer.33:3; Isa. 48:6) ande. To avoid falling into temptation. (Matt. 26:41). There is need for the believer to trust that the prayers offered are answered by God, and such prayer has to be “effectual and fervent”. This study seeks to sharpen and refine our prayer lives for effectiveness and fervency. LESSON OBJECTIVESThe objectives of this study are: To understand the meaning of “effectual fervent prayer”.To identify various instances of “effectual fervent prayer”.To identify the ingredients of “effectual fervent prayer”.To identify some hinderances to “effectual fervent prayer”.To appreciate some benefits of “effectual fervent prayer”. BIBLE TRUTHQ1A. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE TERM “PRAYER”?Prayer is a humble and earnest communion with God. It is also pouring out one’s mind/heart/grief before God. (1 Sam. 1:15-16). It is to ask, to crave, to desire, to require, or to demand from the Lord. It is also a medium where men express themselves to God, be in search of blessing, and engage in confession of sins and acknowledgement of mercies received.There are different aspects of prayers, among which are prayer of praise and worship (Heb.13:15), of thanksgiving (Ps.100:4), of consecration/dedication, of intercession (1Tim.2:1), of supplication (Eph.6:18), of agreement (Matt.18:19), of authority (Mk.16:17-18) and praying in the Spirit (1 Cor.14:2, 14). It must however be mentioned that there is no clear- cut distinction in each of the prayer, i.e., each time we pray, we are likely to pray all the different aspects of prayer in a single prayer. Q1B. WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY THE PHRASE “EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER”?The word “effectual” means a thing that produces the intended or required result while fervent is having/showing very strong and sincere feeling about something. The phrase “effectual fervent prayer” therefore will mean the sincere prayer that produces the desired result. It also means the heart-felt continued prayer that produces wonderful result.It must be noted that this prayer must be sincere and without hypocrisy. It must also come from a righteous man. Prayers composed by someone else, to be recited by others, may not pass for effectual fervent prayer since it is not from the individual’s heart.The effectiveness of prayer is not determined by the length and time spent praying, nor the demonstration done by the person praying. It is also not tied to time and place. God answers prayers everywhere and every time. The effectiveness of prayer is only determined by the gracious will of God and the person’s repentance, sincerity, faith, devotion to God and willingness to submit to God’s will. Q1C. WHOSE PRAYER IS DESCRIBED AS “EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER” AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES BEFORE US.Pro. 15:29; Jn 9:31 From the scriptural references only the righteous, those having a right standing with God can be described...

read more

Posted by on 8:29 pm in Slider | Comments Off on

Mount Zion Gospel Tabernacle International Invites you to join us as we begin our annual month of July Prayer and Fasting. This years theme is taken from Judges 6:25-32. We will be focusing our prayers against every demonic altar. Every altar speaking against the plan and the purpose of God for your life. These altars must be destroyed in Jesus name. Every generational altar waging war against God’s plan for your life be destroyed! Fasting under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Please visit our facebook page for daily prayer points:...

read more

AN ACCEPTABLE FAST, July 4th, 2021

Posted by on 8:33 pm in Sunday School | Comments Off on AN ACCEPTABLE FAST, July 4th, 2021

AN ACCEPTABLE FAST, July 4th, 2021

CENTRAL THOUGHTFasting done in line with scriptures is acceptable unto the Lord. HYMN: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER INTRODUCTIONFasting was practiced in the scriptures by the people of God. The Lord Jesus took out timeto teach about it and outline its potency (Matt.17:21). He gave it practical emphasis by fasting for 40 days and 40 rights. (Matt. 4:2).To fast means to abstain from food and pleasure over a period of time, to seek the face of God in prayers. From the examples in scriptures, there should a reason for the fast, and it must be accompanied with prayers. Being a powerful spiritual weapon, it has been abused in various ways. This teaching is to remind believers of the need to fast, how to fast, and the benefits of fasting as a Godly exercise. Fasting is not a bribe to God, but an attempt to subject the flesh to rule of the Spirit, in order to commune with God. LESSON OBJECTIVESThe objectives of this study are: 1.) To explain what it means to fast and why we should fast. 2.) To identify Christian attitudes and behavior that should complement fasting. 3.) To identify ways fasting may be abused. 4.) To state the benefits of an acceptable fast. BIBLE TRUTHQ1. WHAT IS FASTING?A Christian fast is characterized by abstinence from food and from other forms of nutrition for a period of time so as to devote oneself to prayers. It also involves staying away from activities that are intended to gratify the flesh (worldly pleasures).Fasting is aimed at bringing the flesh and senses of the believer under subjection so that the spirit can be free enough to relate to the spirit of God at the supernatural level. It is supposed to enhance the believer’s earnestness and devotion to God. To abstain from food for a while therefore is to humble one’s soul before God, crucify the appetite and the flesh, and put one’s spirit in a position to conquer. Just as faith needs prayers for its development and full growth, so prayers need fasting for full effect (Matt. 17:21). Fasting is to enhance believer’s earnestness and devotion, humble his soul before God, chastise his sinful flesh, and to empower him for an effective prayer in spiritual warfare. The duration and nature of a fast is determined according to the leading of the Spirit of God and according to the prevailing challenges. Q2. WHAT ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR SHOULD ACCOMPANY A CHRISTIAN FAST?Isa 58:6-9A proper fast must, first of all, impact the life of the one who is fasting. The believer’s life must radiate humility, grace and benevolence for fasting to be effective and acceptable. The primary activities in fasting are praying, studying the word of God, listening to God’s ministrations, meditating, and worshipping. The objective of fasting should be to loose the bands of wickedness, to let the oppressed go free, to undo heavy burdens, and to break every yoke. It involves asking for God’s forgiveness and extending our own forgiveness for others, interceding for righteous causes, and opposing all forms of injustice and wickedness.An acceptable fast should help us to open up our bowels to mercy for the less privileged in the society. Any purpose for which we fast must line up with God and His word. Q3. IN WHAT WAYS...

read more

FEEDING THE TOTAL MAN, June 27th, 2021

Posted by on 11:50 am in Sunday School | Comments Off on FEEDING THE TOTAL MAN, June 27th, 2021

FEEDING THE TOTAL MAN, June 27th, 2021

CENTRAL THOUGHTProper spiritual nourishment is needed for spiritual growth. HYMN: GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVA TEXT: 1 Thess.5:23; 1 Cor.2:1-16 INTRODUCTION Man is a triune being ( spirit, soul, body, 1Thess 5:23). However, we must realize from the outset that, although all humans have this nature, most of humanity is not living/nourishing them in the correct order. Our spirits, as our only means of communication with God who is spirit, are often buried beneath our soul or body so that the spirit has very little domination in our lives. Our true life, the only source of life, is our spirits (and it is the spirit that gives life), which should dominate the other areas of our lives here on earth. Our soul life and our bodies must come under the dominion of our spirits; today for many of us the opposite is true to the point that most are not even aware of the spirit aspect of their nature. We are happy when the soul and body are satisfied by the many means available-food, pleasure of all sorts, sex, etc.-but in and itself this does nothing but feed our lower nature appetites with a satisfaction that does not last. The spirit is eternal. Therefore, the most important feeding that we really need is feeding the inner man. By so doing we empower it to control the outer man. LESSON OBJECTIVESThe objectives of this study are:1.To understand what is meant by the total man.2.To understand why/how we need to feed the total man.3.To know the consequences of neglecting the feeding of the spiritual man. BIBLE TRUTHQ1. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE “TOTAL MAN”? 1 Thess 5:23, Gen 2:7Man is composed of the spirit, soul and body. Hence man is said to be triune being. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body to be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess 5:23). “And the Lord of God formed msn of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul”(Gen 2:7). You may notice immediately that the “dust of the ground” is the body and the breath of life is the spirit. We see here that the spirit is the life-giving component of the human being. Without the spirit (breath of God) the body and soul would have no life force (energy) to operate. That is why the bible says that man became a living soul after the breath of life was breathed into him. This verse also introduces a component called the soul. Therefore, the total man encompasses the spirit, soul and body. We further analyze the constituent of the total man:Body:- “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breathof life, and man became a living soul.” There was first the figure of clay, formed of the dust, concerning which it is written-“Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Gen 3:19). Into this lifeless form, God inbreathed “the breath of life.” The body is spoken of in scripture as man’s “tabernacle”, which he may “put off” (2 Pet. 1:14), in which he may be “at home” (2 Cor. 5:6),...

read more

THE TRIUMPHANT FAMILY, June 20th, 2021

Posted by on 2:02 pm in Sunday School | Comments Off on THE TRIUMPHANT FAMILY, June 20th, 2021

THE TRIUMPHANT FAMILY, June 20th, 2021

CENTRAL THOUGHTIn the triumphant family, the word of God is the compass, the holy spirit the guide and helper. TEXT: Psalm 128; Eph 6:1-9; Psalm 127:1-5; 2Cor 2:14, 15. INTRODUCTION A family may be described as a group of people who are related to one another, and who may or may not be living together all or most of the time. The basic family unit consists of a man, his wife and their children. This nuclear family may be extended to include others who are related to them by blood ( such as grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins), by law ( through marriage or adoption) or by constant close interaction ( for instance dependents living with them such as drivers, security guards etc.). The basic or nuclear family unit was instituted from the beginning by God when He created Adam and Eve ( Gen.1:27,28; Gen 2:21-24). He instructed them to work together to fulfill His perfect purpose for them. This is still His will for the families of today. In today’s world, however, not all families are aware of, or even interested in achieving God’s original purposes for the family. They have set their own goals, and are working at attaining them in their own ways. For those whohave come to the knowledge of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ this should not be so. Achieving the Maker’s purpose, in the way that He intended, should be our ultimate goal. Anything short of this would amount, quite simply, to failure on our part. To be triumphant means to be very successful in achieving what was intended. In other words, it is to what we are supposed to do, the very way we are meant to do it and to do it well. It is to be victorious in spite of any challenges that may arise in the process. For a family these challenges may be present themselves in various forms and may include differences in character and ways of doing things or relating to one another; stresses arising from work within and outside the home (jobs, school, work, household activities); various difficulties common to man; societal pressures, as well as the ever present devices and schemes of the enemy ( 1 Pet.5:8; 2 Cor.2:11). All of these need to be consistently met and overcome in order for a family to be counted as being triumphant.This study seeks to address how families can live triumphantly. LESSON OBJECTIVESThe objectives of this study are:1.To identify the characteristics of a triumphant family.2.To know what factors serve to make a family a triumphant one.3.To discover what lessons we can learn from families in scripture.4.To determine what benefits are experienced by a triumphant family. BIBLE TRUTHQ1. WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRIUMPHANT FAMILY?The triumphant family is one in which genuine love and togetherness, mutual respect, trust, and happiness is their way of life. They relate to each other and others around them, in such a way as to create an environment that leads to joy, peace, blessings and praise. This they do to the glory of God. In such a family there is a mutual trust in each other ( Pro.31:11, Amos 3:3), with display of openness in all dealings. The word of God is central to daily living and remains the...

read more

REDEEMING THE TIME, June 13th, 2021

Posted by on 2:41 pm in Sunday School | Comments Off on REDEEMING THE TIME, June 13th, 2021

REDEEMING THE TIME, June 13th, 2021

CENTRAL THOUGHTWe must wake up because time is running out. TEXT: John 9:4; Eph. 5:14-16; Rom 13:11-14; Tit 2:11-15. INTRODUCTION Time is limited but the wise could manage and maximize its benefits. The fools often cry at the waste of it. However, time is equally distributed to all persons on earth. God expects us to utilize this time wisely. The lord has left us on earth to occupy till He comes; the time of His coming is imminent. At His coming all opportunities would have been lost for anyone to make up or repent of any wrong deeds. Now is the time for the believer to live descent lives and be clothed with the presence of the lord Jesus Christ. Redeeming the time refers to all godly efforts possible, exerted towards regaining the lost grounds and standing firm in godliness. LESSON OBJECTIVESThe objectives of this study are:1.To create awareness for wise use of time.2.To help believers prioritize their time/ programs.3.To remind believers of the brevity of our time on earth.4.To encourage us to be alert to the imminent return of the lord. BIBLE TRUTHQ1. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO REDEEM TIME?The time referred to here, is the present age, this dispensation, the present life we have. It is the remaining or available life span of every believer in Christ Jesus.To redeem is to do or possess something that could compensate for errors, omission, negligence or wrong done with a view to making it right. It could mean to buy back or reclaim what we sold or lost in the past, to recover a chance or opportunity we did not take advantage of at the appropriate time.Redeeming the time therefore, refers to all processes and activities involved in realizing where we are now, getting to where we should be and doing what God wants us to, in all aspect of our lives today before time is no more. It also means recouping the lost and fast expiring opportunities. Q2. HOW DO WE REDEEM TIME?Buy it back for the lord? Vs 17 directs us- don’t live foolishly (procrastination is an expression of foolish use of time), but seek to the lord’s will. This comes back to priorities which for the believer invariably mean seeking the kingdom of heaven first. Seeking our lord’s will and yielding to it should be our top priority. It affects every area of life: how we plow our fields, how we maintain our walls. How we keep our yards and how we work our jobs. How we study if we’re students. How we treat our spouse and how we raise our kids. How we handle our finances, how we bear witness to our faith to non-Christians and how we treasure God’s word and our communion with the lord. We do not compartmentalize life into spiritual and non-spiritual-it’s all yielded to the lord. And what we can’t do in faith- we don’t do.We redeem the time through a life increasing yielded to the lord and that yieldedness is lived out in time as the days come by. As the believer wakes up every morning he should see it as an opportunity to be an instrument in the lord’s hand. There is no greater way to live. God wants to use our lives-use our days-as instruments of redemption right...

read more

THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL, June 6th, 2021

Posted by on 11:56 pm in Sunday School | Comments Off on THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL, June 6th, 2021

THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL, June 6th, 2021

CENTRAL THOUGHTThe wisest decision in life is to seek to know God. HYMN: I AM THINE O LORD. TEXT: Luke 12:16-21 INTRODUCTION The parable of the rich fool is about a man who planted a field and it brought forth plentifully. He became proud and arrogated his achievements all to himself. He forgot the source of the plenty, the presence of the needy and the consciousness of eternal treasure. The bible declares that the fool has said in his heart that there is no God. (Ps.14:1). There are those who believe God exists and seek to know Him through diverse ways which are not the way. Our Lord Jesus Christ says “ I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh to the father but by me” (John 14:6). The believer in Christ should recognize that he is what he is by the grace of God. All that one achieves in life, one’s wealth, riches, fame etc. should be seen as having come from the Lord. Therefore, our dependence and sufficiency as believer should be in Christ and all glory ascribed to Him. LESSON OBJECTIVESThe objectives of this study are:1.To examine the parable of the rich fool.2.To appreciate the folly of the rich fool.3.To relate the experience of the rich fool with believers of today.4.To derive lessons from his experience. BIBLE TRUTHQ1. EXAMINE THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL. Luke12:16-21“……the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:” The man, perhaps a farmer, had a bumper harvest and as a normal being, was very happy and this made him merry.The rich fool, seeing his goods and being fulfilled as a successful farmer, became proud because he did not recognize that it was God who multiplied his harvest and so arrogated the glory to himself. This man failed to consider that it is not proper to think of oneself more highly than he ought to think hence he became lofty, haughty, proud and lifted up; so, God had to bring him down by taking his soul. The rich fool did not have the needy in his mind. Since he did not recognize his creator when he was laboring and at his harvest time, the needy was not equally put in his agenda.Believers should be reminded that everybody’s work shall be tried. That the thought of man’s heart made open before God and He will bring into judgement everything done in secret. The believer should also know that only fools layuptreasures for themselves and such people are not rich towards God. Q2. DISCUSS THE FOLLY OF THE COMFORT AND EXPECTATIONS. Mark 8:36; Luke 12:21(a). In His abundance: “And I will say to my soul, soul, thou has much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry.” (v.19). His expectations were that he had everything the world could offer; no struggling, no sorrow, no competition, no fear of man and no fear of the unknown. He was equally pleased that he had gained the whole world; but little did he know that he was accountable to his maker whether he recognized His lordship over him or not. Mark 8:36 says “ what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul.” When God took his soul, he...

read more