Church Construction 2013

May 2013 - Planting the Garden

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THE POWER OF VOWS (PART 1), October 11th, 2020

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THE POWER OF VOWS (PART 1), October 11th, 2020

CENTRAL THOUGHT Vows fulfilled open doors of Amazing blessings from God. HYMN: THERE IS NOT A FRIEND LIKE THE LOWLY JESUS Text:   1   Sam   1:1-28, 2:21; Judges 11:30-40; Num 30:2; Deut. 23:21; Ps   50:14, 76:11; Eccl 5:1-7; Matt 5:33   Introduction: A vow according to Oxford Dictionary simply means a solemn promise especially to God. It could equally be a declaration, affirmation, agreement, a bond, an undertaking or an oath. It could take place within an individual either privately or publicly: especially when it comes to things of God. It could be an undertaking between persons, e.g. marriage vows. The use of vows was common in Bible times. However, vows must come out of one’s willingness and not out of compulsion, otherwise, it becomes fruitless and meaningless. When fulfilled it attracts the blessings of God, 1 Sam 2:21. Vows are sacred and should not be taken lightly. Our God is a covenant keeper. He demands nothing less than faithfulness. “When you make a vow unto God, defer not to fulfill it; for He has no pleasure in fools: pay that which you have vowed. Better is it that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay”, Eccl 5:4-5. Once it proceeds from your mouth, it becomes binding on you, the only way out is to fulfill your vow, no other alternative. LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this lesson are to know, understand, consider and appreciate: To know the meaning of a vow. To know the importance of vow. To know how vows generally should be made.   Bible truth: Q1. WHAT DO WE UNDERSTAND BY THE TERM VOW? A vow is a solemn/sacred promise, an undertaking and a declaration. It could be regarded as an affirmation, an oath or a bond which an individual makes to God either privately or publicly when faced with a problem. It could equally be an undertaking between persons with a target in focus. Hannah came back to the temple to present Samuel to the Lord, just to fulfill her vow in 1 Sam 1:11. A vow is a promise to God of doing some good thing when prayers are answered. So, vows are sacred, when made to GOD, before GOD and in the assembly of His people. God is in heaven and we on earth, Eccl 5:2, any pledge or oath or undertaking made before Him is recorded in the Lord’s Book of Records.   Q2. WHAT WERE THE LAWS THAT REGULATED THE EXECUTION OF VOWS? There are several laws for the regulation and due execution of vows. A man might devote himself or his children, to the Lord. If a man or woman vowed themselves, or their children to the lord, they were obliged to adhere strictly to His service according to conditions of the vow; if not, they were to be redeemed, Lev 27:2-3. Only if the person was poor, and could not procure the sum limited, the priest imposed a ransom upon him according to his abilities. If anyone had vowed an animal that was clean, he had not the liberty of exchanging it or of withdrawing (or redeeming) it, but as obliged to sacrifice it to the Lord or give it to the Priest, according to the manner of his vow. If it was an...

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GIVING (PART 3), October 4th, 2020

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GIVING (PART 3), October 4th, 2020

  CENTRAL THOUGHT For the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measure to you again HYMN: I GAVE MY LIFE FOR THEE Text: Malachi 3:10-12; Matt 6:1-4 In the first lesson in this series, we examined what giving is and highlighted the attitudes we should have towards it. Following that, we identified what to give and the reasons for dating so. In this concluding lesson we shall be looking at some fertile grounds unto which we can sow and the blessings derivable in obeying this injunction. LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To identify areas in which we can practice giving. To understand how not to give. To identify some factors that discourage people from giving. To examine the blessings of giving.   Q1. WHAT ARE SOME AREAS WE CAN PRACTICE GIVING? There are so many areas we can sow into that can be considered as fertile grounds. These include: 1. Evangelism/Mission, Mark 10:29-30. Evangelism is the primary assignment the Lord committed to all believers. However, many of us are not able to do this work the way we ought to. There are those out there who have devoted their lives to ensure that the assignment is carried out as the Lord commanded. If we therefore give generously to support them, we are helping to fulfill the task we have been given and so will get the reward of obedience. 2. Needs of the Church, Mal 3:10. Any need in the house of God can be regarded as “God’s need” at the moment and when we contribute to meet such needs, we will be sowing on fertile ground that will yield the desired harvest in due season. 3. Needy Saints, Matt 10:40-42; Phil 4:17-19. Whenever we give to help a needy brother or sister whether known or unknown to us, we are actually giving to the Lord Himself as we see in Matt. 10:40-42. Anything we give in the name of the Lord will attract is due reward. 4. The Widows, Fatherless, Orphans and Aged,  James 1:27. It is God’s desire that we show love to the widows, fatherless, orphans and the aged by giving to meet their needs. Anyone who gives to this category of people will be rewarded by Him. 5. The Poor, Ps 41:1-3; Prov 19:17. This is another very fertile ground that we can sow into which unfortunately we are neglecting so much. The Bible says in Prov 19:17 that he that hath pity on the poor lendeth unto the Lord. If any on is call upon to lend to the One who owns heaven and earth, it is a big opportunity which if we understand what it means, we will do all in our power to give. We should develop the right attitude towards the poor by giving to their need. 6. Ministries of the Gospel, 1 Cor 9:7-14. The Bible makes us to understand that we should not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn. Thus all due encouragement should be given to those who are laboring for our good. Those that labor daily for the good of our souls should not be deprived of care and sustenance. Let us remember always that those who preach the gospel should also live of the gospel.   Q2. HOW...

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GIVING (PART 2), September 27th, 2020

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GIVING (PART 2), September 27th, 2020

  CENTRAL THOUGHT God loves a cheerful giver.   HYMN: I GAVE MY LIFE FOR THEE Text: Phil. 4:10-20; Mal. 3:7-12   Introduction: And part 1 of our study on giving, we laid more emphasis on having the right attitude towards giving to make it acceptable and rewarding. And this second part, attempt will be made to identify what to give and the various kinds of giving in the scripture. Giving is not just an act but a lifestyle of the kingdom, just like prayer, and standing on the word of God for growth, nourishment and blessing. It is an important part of our worship of God. Since giving is one of the measures of our spiritual maturity, it is very important that we understand the various kinds of giving. This is necessary because God judges our mind and attitude before, during and after giving.   LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To understand what should motivate us to give. To identify what we are to give. To know the benefits of giving   Q1. WHAT SHOULD BE THE MOTIVATING FACTOR IN OUR GIVING? John. 3:16; 15:13; 1 Cor. 13:1-3 The Bible tells us that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. The greatest factor that can motivate any giving that God will accept is love. Without love even if we give all that we have, it will amount to nothing in the sight of God (1 Cor. 13:1-3). So we must make love the basis of any giving we want to be involved in, otherwise, that reward that God gives for every giving that is with the right motive will be lost.   Q2. WHAT ARE WE EXPECTED TO GIVE? As children of God, we are expected to give all that we have to him. However, for the purpose of clarity, we shall identify some of the things we are to give. 1.) Self, 2 Cor. 8:5: Like the Corinthians, we should first and foremost give ourselves to God because whatever we give will not be acceptable to God unless we first give ourselves to him, and recognition of the fact that all that we have come from his hands. (1 Cor. 4:7). 2.) Tithes and offerings, 3:7-12; Luke. 21:1-4; 1Cor. 16:1-2: Tithe is 10 percent of our income and it belongs to God while offering is something we offer to God voluntarily and happily. Many people do not see the need to give their tithes to God because they do not understand the word of God in the benefits attached to it. Many people tend to emphasize tithe while being silent on offering when considering this book of the Bible. It is necessary to point out here that both are very important and should be given adequate attention. The only difference between tithe and offering is that tithe is specifically define one tenth of our income while offering is left at the givers discretion which could even be more than tithe. 3.) Forgiveness: Mark. 11:25- 26; Matt. 5:23-29: Forgiveness is something we all owe one another. Unforgiving spirit hinders our blessing and defiles our relationship with God. It also gives substance to our offerings, at times our giving is not accepted because we failed to forgive. Matt. 5:23-24. When you...

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GIVING (PART 1), September 20th, 2020

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GIVING (PART 1), September 20th, 2020

CENTRAL THOUGHT It is more blessed to give than to receive. HYMN: I HAVE MY LIFE FOR THEE Text: 2 Cor. 8:1-5; Luke.6:38, 21:1-4   INTRODUCTION To give is to pass something into someone’s hand or care or to hand over something as a present to someone. One may give something to someone in anticipation of a return of something else while others may give out of love and concern without expecting anything from the person to whom he/she has giving such thing. Giving is like a seed sowed which must germinate in due season, however the quality of the fruit a seed brings forth is determined by the quality of the seed. Since failure to give does not attract any reward, it is proper that we develop the right attitude towards giving to enable us get the right reward from the great rewarder and giver of all good things. This is what this lesson tries to highlight.   LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To understand the starting point of giving. To discuss some ways in which God demonstrates giving. To explain some ways the Bible describes giving.   Bible Truth: Q1. WHAT IS THE STARTING POINT OF CHRISTIAN GIVING? The starting point of Christian given is to give oneself totally to the Lord. Giving is an act of grace which represents one of the forms of worship and show of gratitude, when it is done by first offering oneself as a sacrifice to the Lord. This is self-denial which will give Christ a first place in one’s life. Many people give without the right motive and as such the attract the wrath of God instead of his blessings to themselves. If we truly give ourselves to Christ and allow him have absolute control over our lives, we will give him the best that we have and not that which is worthless. Some people like to give things that are of no value to them to God, it is not proper to give as offering to the Lord, Moneys that Bus conductors/drivers and traders or even banks have rejected. Such giving reveals a lack of knowledge of whom God is to the individual and how he should be appreciated. We should solemnly make a fresh – surrender of ourselves and all we have on to the Lord Jesus Christ, sanctifying our contributions to God’s honor by First giving ourselves to God. Q2. DISCUSS SOME WAYS IN WHICH GOD DEMONSTRATES GIVING AND THE CHALLENGES DISPOSED TO US. Sacrificially, John. 3:16; Rom. 8:32:   God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. It pleased God to give Jesus for us. He gave him up to suffer and die for us. It is so wonderful that God should so love such a sinful world as to give his only begotten son, not one out of so many. Only himself (God) could do such a thing and this is real sacrifice that is beyond human comprehension. Because of this unique gift of God, we now have life in abundance. Therefore, in appreciation of this, we should Also be willing to give our all freely to him. Unconditionally, Matt. 5:44-48: It is human to give to people one hopes to receive from again. They could even borrow...

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WITNESSES FOR CHRIST, September 13th, 2020

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WITNESSES FOR CHRIST, September 13th, 2020

  CENTRAL THOUGHT The life of a witness is an open book for all to read and find Christ. HYMN: MUST I GO, AND EMPTY HANDED?   TESXT: 2 Pet. 1:1-21 Introduction: Down through the ages many people have claimed to be a witness for Christ. There are some whose claim is based on a true experience of the Lord in our fired by the love of God to live for him. Some others only use religion as a guise to advance their personal causes. If being identified as a Christian proves popular for the moment or serves the purpose, they do not hesitate to ride on this bandwagon. Even though their hearts fail to bear them witness in the claim, they do not hesitate to present themselves as witnesses. These are the sought that use Christ as a front to achieve their ulterior motives. Some others like the apostles, have a genuine claim. They were with Christ all through his earthly ministry. They were with him when he preached to the multitudes, healed the sick, fed the Thousands showed compassion on the helpless and above all brought the light of God to men’s souls. His prayer life and public ministry was such as they have not seen before. Christ made an indelible impact upon their lives. Writing about their walk with the Lord and His later years, apostle John wrote “that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hand have handled,.. . Declare we onto you” 1 Jn. 1:1-3. Peter writing in the same vein declared, “for we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitness of his Majesty” (2 Pet. 1:16). A witness for Christ today is the man who has experienced his transforming power in the new birth, obeys the great commission and goes to share the wonderful message of the gospel with others. We become living epistles, which men read and testify to the reality of the redeeming power of Christ.   LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To understand who a witness is. To identify false witnesses. To you know how to remain a faithful witness to the end.   Bible truth: Q1. WHO IS A TRUE WITNESS FOR CHRIST? By dictionary definition, a witness is a person who had the privilege of being present at the scene of an event, or one who has had a personal experience to which he or she unequivocally can testify. Unlike the apostles, none of us was around to witness the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, when we were presented with the message of the gospel, God wrought through it the miracle of the new birth in our spirits and we were born again. Like the man born blind in John chapter 9, our eyes were suddenly opened to spiritual realities to which our hearts were hitherto blinded by Sin. Most often, we are unable to contain our joy and excitement. We Feel we must tell somebody about our newfound life. We are filled with zeal that knows no bound and no obstacles or circumstance seems great enough to discourage...

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THE SAMARITAN WOMAN, September 6th, 2020

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THE SAMARITAN WOMAN, September 6th, 2020

    CENTRAL THOUGHT Conviction based on God’s word bring about genuine conversion. HYMN: AMAZING GRACE, HOW SWEET THE SOUND Text: John 4:1-42   INTRODUCTION Jacob’s well was located outside the city along the main road. There, Jesus encountered this woman and gave her extraordinary message on the living water that would quench her spiritual thirst forever. Her encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ brought about a positive turn around in the entire city of Samaria.   LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: Do you know who the Samaritan woman was before she encountered Christ. To examine her lifestyle with that of a typical religious person in the church without deep personal knowledge of Christ. To highlight the Samaritan’s Woman’s life after her encounter with Christ.   Bible Truth: Q1. HIGHLIGHT THE LIFESTYLE OF THIS WOMAN BEFORE HER ENCOUNTER WITH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. The lifestyle of the Samaritan woman was what we can describe as a sinner who never knew God. She was naturally segregated from the commonwealth of Israel. Though she had a mental knowledge of the coming of the Messiah, she never knew that He “that was speaking to her was the Messiah”. She knew the religious pattern of the worship of the Almighty God but not the spiritual implication of worshiping God in spirit and in truth. She was as empty as her water pot. She was spiritually thirsty, hopeless, confused and disgusted. She was a free woman (jumping from one man to another). She had lived with five men and yet no husband (she was a divorcee/adulteress). She sought for what could not satisfy, but Christ (who knew what was her need) helped her out and she had joy for the first time in life.   Q2. DISCUSS HOW HER LIFESTYLE PARALLELS THE LIFE OF A TYPICAL RELIGIOUS PERSON IN THE CHURCH WITHOUT DEEP PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS. The lifestyle of the Samaritan woman parallels the life of a typical religious person and the church without a deep personal knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Such a person has probably found his/her way into the Church of the living God either for identification as a Christian, because he/she has received physical healing from God or physical that such a person has entered the church for refuge, as a cover-up for even as a family church or perhaps to enhance his social status and the society. There has never really been any personal conviction of his/her dirty state or Hell bound journey into eternity. There has never been any heartbroken stage of his/her repentance that leads to salvation which is so basic, and so profound an experience that without it, all religious activities will be eternity worthless. Such a person could have grown to the stage of being ordained and goes as far as speaking church (Christian) language such as ‘bless you’ etc. or claim to speak in tongues yet he/she has not encountered Christ the Savior of the world. He/she as not changes his/her eternal destination, no new birth or even feel sorry for his/her sinful life with the commitment to sin no more. John 3:3 says “except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. such a person cannot explain the event of his/her encounter...

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STEWARDSHIP, August 30th, 2020

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STEWARDSHIP, August 30th, 2020

CENTRAL THOUGHT Be a faithful servant.   HYMN: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE Text: Gen. 39:1-6, 41:46-57, 1 Sam. 12:1-5 Introduction: Stewardship is from the word steward. Generally, a steward is one who waits upon another, group of persons etc. It could be in a private house, commercial center, office, aircraft, ship, train, etc. The word connotes service. For the purpose of this study, steward is defined by the New Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary shall be used: “A manager acting for the owner, of a large landed estate, its mansion, tenants etc. Stewardship is then the act of taking care of or managing something usually for the owner’s interest. A steward then is one who manages another’s property, finances or other affairs. It also means one who attends to the need of others committed to him. In Gen. 1:30, we are told that God created all things. We are also told in 1 Tim. 6:17 that He gave us all things to enjoy. This means that what we think is ours, is not really ours. They are given to us to manage for the owner’s interest. As Christians we are called to be stewards and not Lords, ministers and not masters. The early apostles realized that they were servants of the Lord Jesus Christ that had the care of the household of God and no more. They were to provide spiritual food for the rest, appoint and direct their work. Paul as one of these apostles concluded that he had fought a good fight and that a crown was waiting for him (2 Tim. 4:7-8). This is the testimony of a good steward who knew that he had done his master’s biddings faithfully and was so sure of a reward. As stewards of the manifold grace of God, we are through this grace to use our duty posts to do only that which the Lord had said. Diligent care must be taken not to feed the household with the chaff of our own inventions, instead of the wholesome food that is from the Master’s table. A true steward will always seek the glory, interest, and honor of his Lord. LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To know who a steward is. How Christian stewardship arise. What is required in stewardship? To appreciate some areas of Christian stewardship. To know the benefits/rewards of faithful stewardship.   Q1. WHO IS A STEWARD? A steward is one who manages another’s property, finances or other affairs. A steward waits to satisfy other’s interests. He makes life more comfortable for those he waits upon. He cares for the interests of the property owner. The word connotes service. In Genesis, everything God created in the Garden of Eden was for Adam, the first created human being to keep and manage on behalf of the Creator. Freely he was to use the garden with only one law to obey which of course he could not and thus failed in his stewardship (Gen. 2:15-17). Q2. HOW DOES CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP ARISE? As earlier stated, everything around Adam was created for him. In fact, before his arrival, they were already present. He was the last to come into the scene. He did not labor for their existence neither did he acquire them. He was just there...

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THE POWER OF WORDS (PART 2), August 23rd, 2020

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THE POWER OF WORDS (PART 2), August 23rd, 2020

  CENTRAL THOUGHT Words carry power; we mar or make with them.   HYMN: I AM THIN O’ LORD Text: Prov. 12:17-19, 18:8, 21:23, Eccl. 5:2, Matt. 5:37, Eph. 4:29   Introduction: Spoken words carry power; they can have negative or positive influence/impact on the hearer. Therefore, every believer in Christ should heed the admonition of Scripture on words and keep a check on the words of our mouth.   LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To examine the negative influence of words. To discuss the positive impact of the words we speak To know how we can check the words of our mouth.   Q1. EXAMINE SOME NEGATIVE INFLUENCE OF WORDS. Prov. 18:8, Numbers 13:26, 14:4, 36-37 Every word spoken has an influence on the hearer. Hence if you tell someone he has won a huge sum of money, the immediate impact on the hearer would be a smile. One the other hand, when a person is told harsh unkind and insulting words, the person would frown instead of smiling. This goes to show that every spoken word has an influence not only on the hearer but also carries power in the spirit realm. Prov. 18:8 states that the “words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly”. Wrong choice of words, or even right words spoken at a wrong time and situation, hurts deeply and was described as wounds that touches to the innermost part of the belly. The report by 10 out of the 12 spies sent out by Moses to spy the promise land (land of Canaan) was evil and as a result, the people panicked. They saw themselves as grasshoppers before the inhabitants of the land, which was described as a land that eateth up its inhabitants (Num. 13:32). The negative influence of these words made them say to themselves that they should choose a captain to take them back to Egypt. They made Israel murmur, thereby sinning against the Lord. The final influence/consequence of their words resulted in death. Num. 14:36-37. In contemporary times, spoken words have different negative influence on their hearers, spanning from making the hearer sad, discouraged, give up on life, have self-pity, regrets, ill health, commit suicide and where the hearer does not die physically, there could be spiritual consequences hence, some have backslidden leading to eternal death.   Q2. DISCUSS THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF THE WORDS WE SPEAK. Prov. 12:17-19, 21:23, Rom. 10:9, 10, 1 Pet. 3:10 Just as the words we speak have negative impact on the hearer, likewise they can have a positive impact on the hearers. Proverbs states that it establishes one’s righteousness and it also gives health- ex. Even when one is very ill and there seems to be no hope, the right words spoken could build up the individual’s faith, thereby restoring his health. Guiding the words we speak enables the believer to keep his soul out of troubles (Prov. 21:23). Our salvation is not complete until we believe in our hearts and confess the Lord Jesus as our Lord with our mouths (Rom. 10:9-10). Another positive impact of the spoken words is that such a person would see good days and have a fulfilled life. In the book of Acts, the...

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THE POWER OF WORDS (PART 1), August 16th, 2020

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THE POWER OF WORDS (PART 1), August 16th, 2020

  THE POWER OF WORDS (PART 1), August 16th, 2020 CENTRAL THOUGHT Our words carry power; we mar or make with them. HYMN: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE   TEXT: Psalm 19:14, 34:12-13, Prov. 18:21, Rom. 10:6-13 INTRODUCTION: Spoken words are not ordinary, they carry power, they can lift, build, encourage, give hope, strength and give life; they can also destroy, mar, discourage, and kill. It is however sad, that most people including believers, are not conscious of the words they speak. It is common to see believers speak carelessly without weighing the impact of their words upon the hearers. The power of words is vivid at creation. God made the universe by His word (Gen. 1:1-15; Heb. 11:3). God also made man in His image and likeness; man who is God’s image also possesses creative powers in his words. This study will examine the power of words in the regenerated man.   LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: To understand the meaning of the phrase “the Power of words”. How is the power of words reflected in our individual salvation? To know why it is necessary to check the words of our mouth.   Q1. WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY “THE POWER OF WORDS” AS EXEMPLIFIED IN GENESIS 1:11-15, 20, 24 (Reflect on Numbers 23:19) The literary meaning of word is “a thing that you say” while power has been defined, in the context of our use by the Oxford Dictionary as “the ability to do something/to control people or thing”. When read together “power of words” means, the ability of the things you say to control people or things. The power of words therefore is the ability to control people or things by the things we say. This for the believers goes beyond the physical, but the believer through the power of words could control the physical as well as the spiritual. In Genesis God created the earth by the words of His mouth. Things came into being as He spoke. Scriptures recorded no resistance to the spoken words of God; once God spoke, it came to pass without delay. By the words of His mouth He made heaven and earth and all therein. The words God spoke were not ordinary, they carried power and fulfilled the purpose for which the words were spoken i.e. to create. As God’s people, we are to be mindful of our words. Believers have God’s nature and therefore possess the same creative power. But it is common knowledge that most believers’ words do not carry this same power and grace because they talk carelessly without realizing that they are gradually and constantly eroding the power of God carried by their words. Sin is also another factor that inhibits this power. In Num. 23:19, emphasis was placed on God’s ability to say and do what He said He would do. God’s word is eternal, nothing shall diminish it, even the earth and heaven would pass but His word abides forever. While men could lie, change their-minds, God is not like man. His words are yea and amen, forever settled in heaven.   Q2. HOW IS THE “POWER OF WORDS” REFLECTED IN OUR INDIVIDUAL SALVATION? Romans 10:6-13 Salvation starts when an individual believes he/she is a sinner in dire...

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Apostasy Creeping into the Church, August 9th, 2020

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Apostasy Creeping into the Church, August 9th, 2020

Apostasy Creeping into the Church   Central Thought: Believers must courageously believe the Word of God in these last days and reject what is false. HYMN: CHRISTIAN, SEEK NOT YET REPOSE   Text: 2 Peter 2:1-22, Jude 20-25   INTRODUCTION “We live in dangerous times”. “The world has become a lot more complex”. These are common sayings. Of course, the Scriptures declare that perilous times will come. The world in its operations has indeed witnessed changes that were considered unthinkable centuries ago but the operators have remained the same: the human heart is still as it was in the days of Noah or the days when Jesus of Nazareth walked upon the earth. Feats hitherto  unimagined have been accomplished by man. Space exploration has since progressed to space tourism. With the growing sophistication is an increased need for resources to cope with the attending economic pressure and distress. It is therefore not surprising to find that even believers in Christ are tempted to believe just about any teaching that helps them to acquire these resources. In a bid to enjoy “good success”, usually as defined by the world, believers have turned to teachings that are powered more by psychological principles than the pure word of God. If there was ever a courageous step that needs to be taken today by the believer in Christ Jesus, it is to painstakingly search the Word of God, “rightly dividing the truth of the Word”, and applying same to his life. This is because the church today is in a very sad state: apostasy is setting in as predicted in the Scriptures. “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim. 4:1). It is instructive that the Lord Jesus never predicted extraordinary success for His church. What did He say? “…when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8.   LESSON OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are: 1. To understand the meaning of apostasy as revealed in the Scriptures. 2. To study the features of apostasy in the light of Scriptural examples. 3. To discuss the consequences of apostasy. 4. To discuss how believers can avoid becoming apostate.   BIBLE TRUTH: Q1. WHAT IS APOSTASY? Apostasy is the act of rebelling against, forsaking, abandoning, or falling away from what one has believed. When Paul wrote to Timothy saying that “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim. 4:1), he is referring to the latter days of the Church, that is, those days immediately preceding the Rapture. In other words, the Spirit of God was emphasizing to believers that in the latter days some shall depart from the faith. Webster dictionary also defines apostasy as the “abandonment of what one has voluntarily professed; total desertion of the principles of faith”. Apostasy is a sign of the last days, is warned against repeatedly in the New Testament, impacts every major doctrine, is from within the church, knows no bounds in terms of who becomes involved in it, can happen quickly, is satanically energized, is destructive, makes life difficult for the people of God,...

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