Couple's Retreat (Exhortation) Mr. Sunny Ekunwe 20-10-2016

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Family Worship Centre (FWC)

Wuye, Abuja

28th October, 2016

COUPLE'S RETREAT 

(Day One: Friday)

☆ PRAYER SESSION (EXHORTATION)

* Leader: Mr. Sunny Ekunwe

* Text: 1 Peter 5:8 →"Be clear-minded and alert. Your opponent, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."

* The devil is seeking the man in which he will embarrass

→ You need to be vigilant and prayerful at all times

* The devil has no power over a man who knows this rights in Christ!

☆ Three (3) Points to Note if you are to have a Successful Marriage:

1. Be Knowledgeable about God's word

→ Everything you need is in God's Word

2. You should be a person of Prayer

★ Luke 18:1 → "Jesus told his disciples a parable about their need to pray all the time and never give up."

→ Heaven is moved when men pray!

* A man must not relegate the duty of prayer to his wife

→ Do not relinguish your priesthood

3. God desires that men should provide for the family

→ God's endorsement is upon the man to fulfil the mandate of provision

Mischievous Madness 25 (Pastor 'Lola Owotumi) 08-05-2016

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Fellowship

Central Business District,

Garki - Abuja

8th June, 2016

* Speaker: Pastor 'Lola Owotumi

* Topic: Mischievous Madness (25)

* Text: Proverbs 23:33 →''Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things." [NKJV]

* There are positive and negative aspects of haste.

→ You must avoid the negative and adopt the positive

* You must be hasty in obeying God's Word

★ Ecclesiastes 5:2 → "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few."

* There is a possibility that anything you say in haste is likely to be wrong

★ Amos 2:12-14 → "But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not."

* Do not put people under pressure to live up to societal or religious Standards

→ This is especially so for those who are not married or are yet to give birth

* It is good to show love and care, but you must not put people under pressure

* If you realize that your questions and care is putting someone under pressure, please withdraw

→ Pray for them instead

★ 2 Corinthians 1:8 → "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself."

★ 2 Corinthians 1:4 → "who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."

★ Prayer:

Comfort me Lord,

Help me to be a source of comfort to others,

Not a source of pressure

That will push anyone into undue haste

The will of God (Evangelist Lewis Dam) 07-05-2016

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Ecumenical Christian Centre,

Central Area,

Behind Central Bank of Nigeria - Abuja,

7th May, 2016

☆ Marriage Between

Barr. Prizing Binwai & Grace Barde

Evangelist Lewis Dam

SERMON

* Speaker: Evangelist Lewis Dam

* Topic: The will of God

* Text: 1 John 2:17 →"And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." (NKJV)

* In this generation, many marriages are 'upside down' because they do not understand nor walk in the will of God

★ Ecclesiastes 12:13 →''The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you." (MSG)

* The most damnable thing in life is not death

→ It is life outside the will of God

* It is impossible for a man to find fulfilment outside the will of God

* Foolish people think they are free to do whatever they like outside of God

* Gone are the days whereby young people travel into marriage on their knees. Today, they travel into marriage on their feelings

* Many people do not take the time and the pains to discover God's will for marriage before they make the commitment

* Many marriages in Church are founded on deciet

* One of the most foolish questions in life is "what will people say?"

→ Because of other people's opinions, many become frustrated and even kill themselves

→ The people whom you worry about their opinions do not really care about you

* Fulfillment and genuine success does not come from man's ingenuity, but by walking in God's will

* You must be mindful of what God says, not what people think

★ Hebrews 10:36 →  "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."
 

* There is a promise for those who do and obey the Word of God

★ 1 John 2:17 → "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."
 

* Most Church marriages end in divorce (or separation) because of selfishness  

→ Many people enter into marriage only to please themselves.

→ They lie to themselves, their friends, their families and the Church that they are God's will for each other

★ John 6:38 → "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me."
 

★ John 16:13 → "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."

★ Jeremiah 23:21 →  "I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message;I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied."  

* God was upset at Priests that ran with messages when they have not heard from God

* A good sermon is comprised of a message from God delivered to a targeted audience by a faithful messenger

* There is no marriage that succeeds without the ability to hear God clearly  

* Each day you will be confronted with decisions either to do your will or God's will

* The Holy Spirit helps us to hear and obey God always

* The best and most successful couples are those who wake up every day, ready to die to themselves and submit to God's will

★ Is doing God's will easy?

→ It is not easy, but it brings the best rewards in the end

* God rewards a believer for doing what asks him/her to do

→ You cannot decide to do what you want to do and expect God to reward or bless you

* The greatest pleasure in life is to know and do God's will

 

* Some people live through life only labouring for their stomachs

* Do not allow the history of your life to be written on the lives of others

→ Allow God to write your own history for you

* You can hear what people say, but do not listen to them

* NOTE: Anything done with the spirit of unforgiveness does not have God's blessings

 

Barr. & Mrs. Prizing Binwai

 

How to grow in Faith (7) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 29-12-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,

Central Business District,

Garki - Abuja

29th December, 2015

Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

Topic: Prevailing by faith (How to grow in Faith) (7)

Text: John 7:48 →"Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?"

★ Romans 10:17 →"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

☆ Components of Effectively Hearing God's Word:

1. Listening

2. Agreement (assent)

→ The agreement must be a personal thing

* The word of God is something that you must believe personally.

→ Don't wait until someone in power or authority believes

3. Meditate on and Obey God's Word

→ It will be very difficult for a man to obey God's word if there is no meditation

→ Mediation entails thinking about something actively and deeply as it relates to you

★ Joshua 1:7-8 →''Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

* Much of the fear that Christians entertain comes as a result of a lack of meditation

* You should not waste your time meditating on discouraging news in the media that is being churned out everyday

★Psalm 119:78 →"Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts."

* If you want your faith to increase, you must be committed to meditating on God's Word everyday

* The word of God takes preeminence over everything

* You must not allow anyother thing to preoccupy your mind

How to grow in Faith (6) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 23-12-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,

Central Business District,

Garki - Abuja

23rd December, 2015

Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

Topic: Prevailing by faith (How to grow in Faith (6)

Text: Acts 14:8-10

* Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17), but you must listen with both ears

* As you listen to God's Word, faith is built up in you

★ Proverbs 8:34 →"Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors."

* You must listen to God's word to the point that you become deaf and dumb to every other voice

* The 2nd component of hearing (after listening) is acceptance of what you are hearing

★ 1 Thessalonians 2:13 →"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."

* As long as you do not accept the Word of God, it will never be effective

* For faith to come, you must receive the word, accept it, welcome it, agree with it and embrace it, knowing that God's word does not fail, regardless of what happens (Mathew 5:18)

How to grow in Faith (5) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 22-12-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,

Central Business District,

Garki - Abuja

22nd December, 2015

Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

Topic: Prevailing by faith (How to grow in Faith (5)

Text: Romans 10:17 →"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." (NIV)

* The major way to Grow in faith is by hearing God's Word

☆ Hearing has three (3) main Components:

(a) Listening

* The object of hearing and listening is the Word of Christ

* listening entails giving your full concentration and rapt attention

☆ Psalm 62:11 →"God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God." (KJV)

* Luke 10:38-42 →"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

* Listening entails sitting at the feet of the master to learn what he has to say. Nothing else matters

* In this life, so many things can encumber your life and rob you of concentrating on listening to God's Word

* One of the problems that Christians have about listening, is that, when they are hearing the word of God, they have no passion

* Whenever you hear God's Word, you must drown in what you are hearing. Soak it in

* You must listen to God's word like your life depends on it. Indeed, it does

☆ Prayer:

Father I thank you that I have ears;

help me to utilize my ears in hearing you;

Grant me the grace to shut my ears to what the devil is saying;

Open the ears of my heart to listen to what you want me to hear from your Word

Fight the good Fight of Faith (Pastor 'Lola Owotumi) 25-11-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,

Central Business District,

Garki - Abuja

25th November, 2015

LEADER'S PRAYER MEETING

Speaker: Pastor 'Lola Owotumi

Topic: Prevailing by faith (Fight the good Fight of Faith)

Text: 1 Timothy 6:11-12 →"But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."

★ Proverbs 24:6 →"For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety."

* You need counsel from the word of God in order to fight the good fight of faith

* Comfort, guidance and healing comes from God's word

★ Proverbs 24:10 →"If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small."

* You must never lose sight of why you are fighting

* Lord, grant me intimate Knowledge of your counsel

Love for God (Elder Yunana Malo) 23rd August, 2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Area 1, Garki - Abuja, Nigeria

23rd August, 2015

Elder Yunana Malo

SERMON

* Speaker: Elder Yunana Malo

* Topic: Love for God

* Theme: Growing up in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Growing in Love

* Service Leader: Mr. Paul Domsing

★ Text: Deuteronomy 6:1-5

★ Matthew 22:34-40

★ 1 John 4:7-21

* The only debt you have, is to love

* If you know love, you know God, because love is the heart of God

* Love is powerful!

* Love has the ability to keep you alive

* What is love?

→ Love is a very strong liking or passionate affection for another person or thing;

→ Love entails: adoration, attachment, friendship, relish, tenderness and even worship

* The opposite of love include: hate, dislike, ill-feeling, etc.

☆ Questions to consider:

(a) Can you love your enemies passionately?

(b) Is it possible for a mortal man to love God?

* If you have to love God (whom you do not see), then you have to do it in the Spirit

* Abraham loved God and obeyed him even when he could not see Him physically. Many people thought he was crazy (to love and obey one he could not see)

* Noah also loved God and obeyed Him genuinely 
 (See: Genesis 6:9)

* Naturally, man is incapable of showing genuine love towards God or anyone.

→ The default tendency of men is selfishness and wickedness

☆ Jeremiah 17:9 →"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" [KJV]

* Every heart that does not have the love of God is wicked and is incapable of loving

* A wicked heart cannot experience God's love and enjoy His mercies

* It takes a person who has a new heart to genuinely love God & others
 

☆ Ezekiel 36:26 →"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." [KJV]

* Your heart has a door through which the 'seed' (God's Word) comes in to do the operation

→ (see: Revelation 3:20)

* You must allow God's Word to transform your mind and heart

→ Hearing the Word has to do with the issue of life itself

* NOTE: The 'seed' is very critical

→ 2 Peter 1:4 →" According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." [KJV]

* If you open your heart to God's word, (the seed) it will transform you

* NOTE: Love is God's DNA

→ That nature is given to you when the 'seed' enters your heart at conversion from darkness to light

* Every seed has the nature of the main tree from which it proceeded

☆ Question: what is the nature of Jesus?

* Galatians 5:22-23 →" But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things."

* If you have the seed of God, then you can love just as Jesus does!

* The moment your heart does not have the Spirit of God, there is no difference between you and a wild animal

* It is the Spirit of God that constrains you from manifesting animalistic tendencies

* If the 'seed' has not entered you, you cannot love anyone!

* Romans 1:18 → "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness."

* There are people who cannot do anything for God because they do not love Him

→ A man in love can do anything for the one he loves!

* A person who is in love is passionate about is loved one

* One of the features of love is fellowship

→ A person in love always wants to be in the presence of the one he loves; it is not a disturbance; and it is never a burden

☆ 1st John 1:7 → ''But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

* Some people treat the things of God casually

→ This is a sign of a lack of love for Him

☆ Matthew 6:21 →"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

☆ Questions to consider:

(a) What occupies your attention?

(b) what captures your Imagination?

* When you do not genuinely love God, it is easy for you to fall prey of lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life

☆ 1 John 2:16 →"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

→ what you 'see' dominates & controls your life

* Flee all appearances evil because it destroys every trace of the love of God in your life

(1 Thessalonians 5:22)

* Romans 14:17 →"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

→ If you are in the kingdom what is required of you is righteousness, peace and joy

→ Whenever you yield to sin, your peace & joy is diminished

★ The Benefits of Loving God:

1. If you have the love of God, then the fruit of the Spirit will manifest in your life (See: Galatians 5:22-23)

2. You will be willing and obedient

→ You will hear definite instructions from God

3. If you have the love of God, you will see many opportunities to make an impact (as they present themselves in the Church, the society etc)

4. If you love God, you will not hesitate in investing in advancing God's kingdom

→ Giving for the work of God will not be a burden

5. It will be easy for you to have compassion on others

→ Do you empathize when others are in trouble?

6. It will be very easy for you to fellowship with God through his Word.

→ Acts 2:44-45

→ Philippians 3:8

☆ Questions to Consider:

* what is your treasure in life?

* what takes the most of your time?

* what is your heart like towards God?

* The love of God is the highest and The greatest love.

→ Don't miss it, don't play with it 

 

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

★ MISSION CHARGE

"Your life is your message to the world. Make it inspiring . . . I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him."

→ Pythagoras

★ QUOTE

"The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child."

→ Mark Twain

Building Blocks for a Successful Marriage (Rev. James Stephens) 25-04-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

Wedding between:

Margret Nuhu Dashwep & Longji Sunday Gunat

@ Covenant Word Christian Centre International (CWCCI),

Plot 2389, Breweries Road,

Opposite Jos Steel Rolling Mill,

Old Airport Road,

Jos - Plateau State

25th April, 2015

SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. James Stephens

* Topic: Building Blocks for a Successful Marriage

Rev. James Stephens

→ Marriage is filled with ups and downs & it usually comes with plenty 'distractions' such as: making time for each other, additional responsibilities, kids, parenting, in-laws, etc.

* Young (single) people should take advantage of their period of singleness to serve God and develop themselves before getting married

* When you get married, you will discover that you do not have as much time as you used to have when you were single

* The Building Blocks for a Successful Marriage

1. Build your home on God's Word

→ Make God's Word The final authority in your home & life

→ You must anchor all your dreams, hopes, educational experiences, logic, personal preferences, beliefs etc. on God's Word

→ Everything must find expression through God's Word

* As a believer God's Word is your ultimate standard, not your educational training, cultural beliefs or societal expectations

→ Submit to one another

★ Ephesians 5:21 →"...and you will submit to one another out of reverence for the Messiah.

→ Be humble; put the interest of your spouse above your own

★ Philippians 2:3 →''Do not act out of selfish ambition or conceit, but with humility think of others as being better than yourselves."

* Whatever your cultural beliefs are, they must be subject to God's Word; if not so, there will be a clash of interests

→ Ensure that you deal with the issue of anger in your life

★ James 1:19 → "You must understand this, my dear brothers. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."

* The Word of God must always come first before (and take priority over and above) your feelings and temperament

→ Your feelings, opinions and temperament must be subject to God's Word

* A man that will not submit his heart to the Word of God will never submit to any man or woman!

★ Proverbs 4:7 →"Wisdom is of utmost importance, therefore get wisdom, and with all your effort work to acquire understanding."

* Make time to study God's Word and teach each other as a couple (before and after marriage)

* Regardless of the beautiful physical characteristics a person possesses, without God's Word a man or woman is empty and vulnerable to satanic manipulation

* God's Word is the ultimate restraint that keeps a man from sin

★ Psalm 119:9 →"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word."

★ Josh 1:8 →"This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success."

2. The Fear of the Lord

★ Proverbs 1:7 → "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction."

→ You need the wisdom of God to navigate your path through life

→ The fear of the Lord is the restraint that keeps a man in check

→ It is impossible for a person to keep away from sin because of fear of his or her spouse. When such a person is away from his or her spouse and there is an opportunity to sin, without the fear of the Lord, such a person will succumb

☆ Advise to Single people:

→ Instead of looking for a spouse with beautiful physical characteristics, impressive educational achievements or sound financial standing, look for a person who fears the Lord

→ It is the fear of the Lord that keeps a person from abusing his or her spouse physically, emotionally or verbally

→ It takes the fear of the Lord to keep ungodly urges in check

3. Preserve the Original Vision

→ What vision do (did) you have?

→ You must have "seen" something for you to decide to marry your spouse.

→ Keep that vision alive!

★ Proverbs 29:18 →"Without prophetic vision, people abandon restraint, but those who obey the Law are happy."

→ The reason why many marriages are crumbling today is because they lost their original vision

→ If you have lost your original vision, there is second chance - for a second touch (See: Mark 8:22-25)

4. Keep it simple

→ Some people are too 'serious' (in their relationship with their spouse), that is why life is serious on them!

→ Simplicity will help your marriage

→ Your home should be a place of joy: the ambience should be welcoming

→ Lighten up your relationship and home with healthy jokes

→ Play with each other

→ Laugh together

→ Enjoy each others' company

* By all means, keep it simple

 

Worship on Wednesday (WOW) (Pastor Femi Olaiya) 18-02-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

Worship on Wednesday (WOW)

@ The Capital Assembly (TCA)

Behind Bolingo Hotel,

Abuja

18th February, 2015

SERMON

* Speaker: Pastor Femi Olaiya

 

* Text: 1st Kings 18:41 → "And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain."

→ lf there has to be a fulfilment of God's promise upon your life, there has to be some form of 'movement'.

→ You need to move from where you are (to where God wants you to be)

* NOTE: For your physical body to move effectively, it needs the strength that comes from ingesting and digesting food.

* Just as strength is needed for the physical body to move, you also need to feed on spiritual food (God's Word) if you have to make it spiritually

* God will always make available the provision (food) you need in your life

* There is a level of 'eating' And 'drinking' (of God's Word) you need to engage in, in order to move to the next level

* Some people know that they need to get to be next level, but they are weak

★ Proverbs 24:10 →"If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small."

* Moving to your next level depends on how much (of God's Word) you 'eat' and 'drink'

* God sometimes announces the entrance of His move with a 'sound'

→ 1 Kings 18:41

* The 'next level' is for those who have ears to hear

* You have a choice to either hear (from God) first-hand, or to be told (what He said) by others

→ there is no problem being told, provided you will obey

* Regardless of what the enemy does, the sound of the abundance of rain will only intensify

→ Satan cannot stop God's blessings for you, your family and our Nation Nigeria!

* It is possible to stop/prevent showers from falling on you (e.g., by using an umbrella or taking shelter in a building), but how do you stop a tsunami?

* There is a 'next level' where the happenings of God (blessings) will be like a tsunami! → unstoppable, unquenchable and unappeasable!

* NOTE: The fact that you have not seen or experienced something before does not mean it will never happen

→NOTE: Noah's generation never saw a ship or experienced flood before, but that fact did not stop the flood from coming, even when they trivialized his warnings.

* Noah had no prior experience in building ships. God had to guide Him in building the Ark.

→ NOTE: Noah had no reference point.

* The fact that you do not have a reference point does not mean God cannot take you where He has promised you!

* Many of us learnt a lot by the process of systematic comparison (via formal primary education) and we became accustomed to comparing things with each other; and also by comparing ourselves with our peers as we grew up

* It is foolish to keep comparing yourself with others or making them your reference point in life

★ 2 Corinthians 10:12 →"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."

* Sometimes God shows up without a reference point because He wants to make you THE reference point!

* The fact that you do not have a reference point does not mean you should throw it (your dream/vision) away

* If God wants to make you a reference point, you'll not have many friends (because not many people will understand you)

* The difference between vision and ambition:

→ Ambitions are easily achieved (the resources needed to make them happen are at your disposal); but

→ It takes God's intervention & supernatural provision for a vision to be fulfilled

* NOTE: Professors made the Titanic and an illiterate made the Ark

→ Yet, the Titanic was sunk by an iceberg; the Ark was invincible, even in the worse flood ever experienced in the world

* God will make you a reference point by what He will do in your life

* 1 Kings 18:42 →"So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees."

* Sometimes, the problem with the body of Christ (the Church) is that we are quick to speak God's Word, but we hesitate to cast ourselves down (in humility) before Him (like Elijah did) till that Word is fulfilled

* Elijah 'locked' himself in (by the posture He took), so that He cannot be distracted by the events around Him

* The Word of God that comes to you is just the beginning, not the end

→ Many Christians read or proclaim the Word of God and they 'go away' as if that is the end. No! that is just the 1st step in the journey of faith towards enforcing its manifestation

* The ability to 'settle' the Word of God comes in the place of prayer

* The assurance of faith does not come by just "right believing", but by "right praying".

★ 1 Kings 18:44 → "And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not."

* NOTE: The man that heard the Word from God outran the man it was just Announced to

(See: 1 Kings 18:45-46)

→ God's Word has the capacity to give you supernatural speed in life

* Question: Are you willing to brood over the Word of God that you have heard in the place of prayer until it comes to pass?

★ Isaiah 66:8 →"Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children."

PRAYER:

→ Father, grant me the grace to tarry in your presence,

till I receive what you have promised me in your Word.

Help me to play my part, by waiting on You

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

God with us (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 18-02-2015

NDIC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District,

Garki, Abuja- Nigeria

18th February, 2015

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

* Topic: God with us

* Text: Hebrews 7:25 → "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."

* No man can enjoy abundant life unless such a man is saved

* The first step to receive abundant life that Jesus gives is to accept His offer of salvation

* No matter how bad your sinfulness is, Jesus is able to save you!  

★ 1 Timothy 1:15 → "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst."

* Jesus is able to save to the utmost

★ Luke 19:10 → "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

 

How does Jesus do this 'seeking'?

1. By His Word

★ Psalm 19:1-4

* He sends his Word to the hearts of men

2. He sends His Messengers

→ Prophets

→ Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel

→ The Holy Spirit

3. He uses the conscience of man

→ This is an in-built regulator

→ It keeps you from displeasing God

→ If your conscience is active and alive, you can be restrained by the Holy Spirit

→ This is why you must not allow your conscience to die (by continually abiding in sin) 

4. He uses angels

→ NOTE: Angels to not preach the gospel, but they minister to the Saints

→ Eg. An Angel was sent to Philip to preach to an Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40)

Like Newborn Babies (Rev. John Lohor) 18-01-2015

SUNDAY SERVICE
MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki-Abuja
18th January, 2015

★ SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. John Lohor

* Topic: Like New-born Babies

* Text: 1st Peter 2:1-3

* Theme: Growing up in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth

* Service Leader: Miss. Alheri Mutashi

* 1st Peter 2:1-3

"Therefore, rid yourselves of every kind of evil and deception, hypocrisy, jealousy, and every kind of slander. Like new-born babies, thirst for the pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow in your salvation. Surely you have tasted that the Lord is good!"

* Peter wrote this epistle out of concern for the Christians who have refused to grow in Christ regardless of the fact that they have been Christians for a long time

* If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you are expected to grow - there must be a positive change

* There are evil/ungodly virtues that must not be found in your life as a Christian

* Your life and character must undergo positive (godly) transformation as you grow in Christ

* When you come to Christ, you are expected to conform to His character and image. Your Christ-likeness must be evident to everyone around you

* When you give your life to Christ, you have to learn and take positive steps to be mature. This entails making deliberate effort

* The first step to spiritual maturity is taking the 'milk' of the Word of God

* The "milk" has to be pure, not diluted

* Mental growth is more difficult than physical growth

 - whatever you feed your mind on becomes a part of you. For instance, If You feed Your mind on sexually explicit materials, you are likely to manifest such in your life unconsciously

* As a Christian, It is very important to always study the Word of God. Take advantage of the availability of Bibles, and the various avenues to study God's Word.

→ NOTE: In some counties, it is a crime to even be in possession of the copy of a Bible!

* The basic ingredient you require for a balanced spiritual growth is the Word of God

* You must deliberately make time to study God's Word regardless of your tight schedules and diverse commitments

* If you do not study the Word of God, how can you grow?

* Joshua 1:8

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

*You must not only desire to 'ingest' God's Word at every opportunity, you must be crave for it with absolute passion

★ Additional Notes from Mr. Badung Gyang☆☆

* Milk Satisfies the hunger of a baby, nothing else would do

* Milk has all the nutrients that a baby requires for growth

* Milk contains the essential ingredients to protect the child from sickness

* Milk does not need any additive or it would be adulterated. The word does not need any addition or supplement

★ MISSION CHARGE

"There is a difference between interests and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you only do it when it is convenient. When you are committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results . . . Lack of decisiveness has caused more failures than lack of intelligence or ability. "

- John Mason

★ QUOTE

"Character is something you either have or not. It is the real foundation of all worthwhile Success. A good question to ask Yourself is: 'what kind of world would be if everybody were just like me?' You are Simply a book telling the world about its author . . . Never be ashamed of doing, you need not choose evil; but only to fail to choose good."

- John Mason