The Plan of God is that You Move Foward (Pastor Yakubu Yola) 27-05-2016

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Family Worship Centre (FWC)

Wuye, Abuja

27th May, 2016

FRIDAY PRAYER SERVICE

* Speaker: Pastor Yakubu Yola

* Topic: The Plan of God is that You Move Forward

* Text: Mark 11:1-6

★ Proverbs 4:18 → "The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day."

★ 1 Peter 2:9 → "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

* Not only do living things grow, the things that accompany them also grow

* Time cannot pass and living things will not grow

* NOTE: stagnation is not of God

* The will of God for your life:

→ Advancement

→ Growth

→ Movement

* When things do not change, it is an indication that something is wrong and it is a good cause for concern

★ Matthew 7:11 → "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

* Our God is a progressive God

→ He is a God of advancement

* God wants you to move forward, advance and progress

* He does not want you to stagnate in one position for a long time, doing the same thing

⇒ That is not His plan

* When you plant a seed, it grows with time

★ Proverbs 4:18 → "The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine. But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker — travellers can’t see a thing; they fall flat on their faces." The Message Version [MSG]

* God's plan is that life will get better for you

★ Mark 4:30-32 →"And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? “It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE.” 

★ Luke 2:52 → "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

* God is interested in increase that it has become His exclusive preserve & job description

★ Acts 2:47 → "praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." 

★ 1 Corinthians 3:6 → "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow." 

* God delights in your increase

* If increase is God's job, and you are not increased, it is an indictment on His person

★ Luke 13:9 → "If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down."

→ God is not impressed when you stagnate and do not grow or increase

☆ Function of God's Word in your Life:

★ 1 Timothy 4:15 → "Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress."

→ Your progress by the reason of God' word should be evident to everyone that comes in contact with you  

★ 1 Peter 2:2 → "Like new-born babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation"

★ Joshua 1:8 → "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

* God's word in your life should cause you to progress and be successful

★ 2 Corinthians 3:18 → "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

→ God's word transforms us from one degree of glory to another

* Anything in life for you to acheive progress has already been provided by God

* All you need to do is to exercise your faith

* If you are not making progress, it is not God's fault

* It does not take God anything to move you from one level to another

* Ask yourself:

→ Why am I not making progress?

→ Which area of my life is not growing?

* Destiny is a function of time

* The devil's plan is that if he cannot do anything about your past, he delays and frustrates your future through delays and stagnation

* Many Christians give up when they experience delays & they loose their faith

★ James 1:6 → "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

* The tied donkey in Matthew 21:2 was designed for glory, but limited in one place by a rope by the road.  

* NOTE: Even though it was tied and restricted, Jesus knew about the donkey!

→ God is mindful of your present condition

→ God knows where the knots are and he is willing to untie you

* God is also aware that whenever he is about to untie you, there are always contentions and oppositions (Mark 11:4-5)

* Progress is the plan of God, but delay is the strategy of the devil to:  

→ make you discouraged

→ make you loose faith

→ make you doubt God

* NOTE: Every delay & stagnation responds to the command of the Master

★ Luke 5:5 →"Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." 

★ Matthew 8:8 → "The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed."

☆ Declarations:

★ Isaiah 43:18 →"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."  

★ Isaiah 61:7 →"Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours."

★ Hebrews 13:20-21 →''Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

★ 1 Peter 2:9 →"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

★ Philippians 1:6 →"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

★ Proverbs 4:18 →"The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day."

★ As you declare God's word, something will give way!  

☆ Things to do:

1. Continue these declarations

2. Start doing that thing that will enable you make progress

Except as otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV)

Following the Star (Rev. Stephen Gyang) 03-05-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Area 1, Garki - Abuja, Nigeria

3rd May, 2015

SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. Stephen Gyang (Pastor, COCIN Kuje, Abuja)

* Topic: Following the Star

* Theme: Growing Up in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth

* Service Leader: Pastor Victor T. Amos

* Text: Matthew 2:1-10

★ REGIONAL CHURCH COUNCIL (RCC) REVIVAL

Rev. Stephen Gyang 

* A star may be defined as a luminous white 'dot' in the dark sky; or a widely known person/a celebrity;

→ It may be a symbol used to direct people to a hotel, or an organization

* NOTE: The star led the wise men to Jesus

→ Anything or anyone that leads or points people to Jesus represents a sort of 'star'

★ Different dimensions of the star:

1. Church as the star

→ Which Church is the true Church that leads people to the saving grace of Jesus?

→ Today, there is a proliferation of Churches and many of them are a sham (a fraud) that Satan is using to mislead and distract people

2. The Pastor as the star

→ A Pastor is the shepherd; He is the one that tends the flock of the Lord

→ A Pastor is meant to direct people to Jesus, not to himself or to his own ministry

→ Today, there is a proliferation of fake pastors and preachers who take undue advantage of the flock of the Lord for selfish reasons

3. Jesus as the star

→ This is the ultimate star that will lead us to God, the Father

☆ John 14:6 →"Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

☆ John 14:8-9

→Many people have been Christians for a long time, yet they do not have a personal relationship with the Father

* Question: who are you looking up to?

★ The Right way of following the star

☆ Matthew 2:1-2

1. Look up to Jesus

→ The wise men were not blind

→ Their eyes were wide open & they recognized the star of Jesus

* How do you see Jesus today?

→ through faith in Him

2. You must believe & trust in Jesus

→ As you decide to follow the star, You will meet many obstacles (Herod) on the way

☆Matthew 2:8-9

→ In spite of obstructions on their way, the wise men trusted the star and they found Jesus

3. You have to confess Jesus with your mouth

☆ Romans 10:9-13

* If you are truly saved, it will reflect in your character and how you treat the things of God

4. You must be born again

→ This is the first step in establishing a relationship with Jesus

☆ John 3:1-7

★ Blessings of following the Star (Jesus)

☆ Romans 10:10-11

1. You will be saved

2. You will not be put to shame

★ NOTE: Before you can see a star, there has to be darkness

→ Stars shine brighter at night

→ No amount of darkness or challenge or obstacle can subdue the light of a star!

* Those darkest moments, (when things are not clear) are the times that the star of Jesus shines the brightest!

* When you go through challenges in life, who do you look up to?

* Only Jesus can save you

☆ Acts 4:12 →"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.”

* When you follow the star, there should be visible changes in your life & character;

* You must grow in Christ

MISSION CHARGE

"This is my prayer for all of us: Lord, increase our faith. Increase our faith to bridge the chasm of uncertainty and doubt . . . Grant us faith to look beyond the problems of the moment to the miracles of the future . . . Give us faith to do what is right and let the consequences follow."

→ Gordon B. Hinckley

QUOTE

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back."

→ Harvey Mackay

Make Every Effort (Rev. Chrysanthus John Bala) 29-03-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Area 1, Garki -Abuja

29th March, 2015

SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. Chrysanthus Bala John

* Topic: Make Every Effort

* Theme: Growing in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth

* Service Leader: Rev. David Kwamkur

* Text: 2 Peter 1:5-8

 




Rev. Chrysanthus John Bala

 

* You have something to do (for Christ), but you have to strive to get it done

* 2 Peter 3:1 → This 2nd Epistle was written by Peter because He knew his time was short; the Church of Christ was facing persecution; false teaching was prevalent; believers were falling away from the true faith

→ He was encouraging them to not only remain steadfast in their faith, but to add certain godly virtues to it (that is, their faith)

* Laziness should never be part of God's children

→ Our God is not a lazy God.

* The 7 (seven) virtues that must be ADDED to your faith as a believer in Christ to enable you become effective and productive include: 
 

1. Goodness

→ The quality that makes a person friendly to all people

→ A believer is supposed to be amiable and accommodating. You must not be an irritable person

2. Knowledge

→ Enables you to decide between right and wrong

→ Having a solid knowledge of God's word delivers from the scourge of false teachings and heresies that are prevalent

3. Self-control

→ This is not only the ability to bring your emotions and instincts under subjection, but it entails a total submission to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in you

→ When a man submits to the Spirit of God, he is divinely empowered to become what God wants him to be

4. Perseverance

→ This is regarded as the queen of all the other virtues

→ It is patience mixed with courage

→ Without the virtue of perseverance, a believer can easily give up in the face of the slightest challenge to his faith

5. Godliness

→ This entails words and actions of piety towards God and love towards others

★James 1:27 →"A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

6. Brotherly kindness

→ This entails an undiluted love for the brethren

→ When we genuinely love each other, the world will be convinced that we are disciples of Christ

★ John 13:35 →"This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

7. Love

→ God's unconditional love is seen clearly in Jesus (John 3:16)

→ As a believer, you must show love to everyone, including those who hate you

★ 1st John 3:16 →"This is how we have come to know love: the Messiah gave his life for us. We, too, ought to give our lives for our brothers."

* The 7 virtues listed above must be seen in the life of EVERY child of God who desires to be effective and productive for Christ

★ Titus 3:8 →"This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have put their faith in God may devote themselves to good actions. These things are good and helpful to other people."

* The Christian life is a 'working' life

→ to be successful in your Christian walk, you must work hard and be focussed

* Faith alone is not sufficient to make you effective and productive as a Child of God

★ James 2:17 → "In the same way, faith by itself, if it does not prove itself with actions, is dead."

★ 2 Peter 1:8:

→ As a believer, you are required to imbibe these virtues in your life by making all necessary effort, through discipline & hard work as you trust in God to help you become like Christ

★ 2 Peter 1:9:

→ If you don't have these 7 virtues, it means you are short-sighted & blind

→ The blindness here refers to spiritual blindness

* The knowledge of Jesus Christ will not be barren in your heart if the 7 virtues abound in you & you will continue to grow in him and become efficient and productive in His Service

Ought to be Teachers (Rev. David Kwamkur) 08-03-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Area 1, Garki, Abuja

8th March, 2015

SERMON

* Topic: Ought to be Teachers

* Speaker: Rev. David Kwamkur

* Theme: Growing up in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth

* Text:

★ Hebrews 5:11-14

★ Hebrews 6:1-12

* Isaac Newton's 1st law of motion states that: "An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force."

* Isaac Newton made reference to "inertia" which is the resistance an object has to a change in its state of motion.

* Inertia is the tendency for an object to remain unchanged as long as nothing moves it (if it is static) or stops it (if it is moving).

* In order to overcome inertia, you have to apply force

* Force will make something that is static or still to start moving; and it will stop a moving object by applying/engaging resistance

* Many Christians have remained in the same condition since they gave their lives to Christ - They were experiencing "spiritual inertia".

* A person who becomes a believer is expected to grow to a level that he or she will become a teacher or mentor to others.

* Spiritual laziness is the main cause of spiritual inertia.

* Laziness may be defined as:

→ idleness;

→ sluggishness (or slothfulness);

→ procrastination;

→ carelessness;

→ forgetfulness;

→ negligence,

→ disorganisation.

* The features of Christians who are 'infected' by Chronic Spiritual Laziness (CSL) include the following:

1. They major on minor things; and minor on major things.

→ Earthly things should not be the major things for a Christian. Similarly, acquiring many educational degrees, building houses, having money are not as important as knowing God and having a personal relationship with Him

★ Matthew 6:33

2. They are inactive over active; and active over inactive

→ There are things that believers are expected to be active in and some others that they are expected to remain inactive

→ Spiritually lazy Christians always reverse expected roles just to please themselves, not God

3. They are satisfied with dissatisfaction and dissatisfied with satisfaction

4. They value short term gains over long term gains

5. They do nothing about spiritual their spiritual condition

6. They undermine spiritual things

7. They don't want to engage in spiritually oriented activities (such as Bible studies, fellowships, prayer & fasting, evangelism, etc.).

8. They are afraid to engage spiritual things because they feel they are inadequate.

* E.g.. They prefer to 'contract' other people (like their Pastor) to pray for them on every single issue

☆ Symptoms of Chronic Spiritual Laziness (CSL):

→ Feeling sluggish to get out of bed to pray;

→ Too busy to read Bible and pray;

→ They are tired of coming to Church (especially for weekly activities);

→ They are perpetual late comers to Church;

→ They don't want to give offerings or tithes

→ They sleep during Church services, especially when preaching is in progress;

→ They are insensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit (the Comforter)

* Warning against Laziness

→ Proverbs 6:6-11

→ Proverbs 10:4

→ Proverbs 18:9

→ Proverbs 26:13-16

* It is better to know your condition (that is, your true spiritual state) so that you can diagnose it properly

☆ The Solution to Chronic Spiritual Laziness:

1. Study your Bible frequently and diligently (Joshua 1:8)

2. Pray fervently (James 5:16b)

3. Maintain a close relationship with God.

* God is more interested yon being with Him, Than you serving or doing things for Him (Luke 12:41-42)

4. Give frequently and generously for the work of God

(2 Corinthians 9:7)

* Your father's business is also your business and it must be your priority

5. Attend church Services regularly and on time

* Be doers of The Word, not Just hearers (James 1:22)

* Unless you deliberately apply 'force', your condition will remain unchanged

* You have to do something about your spiritual condition

* Personal discipline is the antidote for laziness

* You must make a definite commitment to overcome spiritual laziness in your life

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

PASTORS' CORNER

The writer of Hebrews had many things to say of Christ but the Christians were spiritually lazy. This is very sad but often, this is the deplorable condition obtained among many Christians today.

* The Symptoms of spiritual laziness are:

1. Feeling sluggish to get out of bed to pray

2. Very busy to read the Bible and pray

3. Being tired of coming to Church

4. Perpetually coming to Church late

5. Slack in giving offerings and tithes

6. Sleeping during Church Services

7. Insensitivity to the voice of the Holy Spirit

* Solutions to Spiritual laziness are:

1. Diligence in studying God's Word

2. Fervent in prayer

3. Maintaining close relationship with God

4. Spending time with God and his word

5. Giving generously for God's work

6. Attending Church regularly and on time

* Are you okay being a lazy Christian?

 

* Be determined to follow Christ no matter the matter!

Dealing with the Natural Man (Rev. David Kwamkur) 22-02-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Area 1, Garki - Abuja, Nigeria

22nd February, 2015

* Colossians 3:5-14

SERMON

* Topic: Dealing with the Natural Man

* Speaker: Rev. David Kwamkur

* Theme: Growing up in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth

* Service Leader: Elder (Mrs) Royina Lot

* Text: John 3:1-18

★ 1 Corinthians 2:14 → " But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

* People are generally divided into three (3) groups.

* The way you respond to the things of God determine the category you belong to:

1. The natural man

2. The carnal man

3. The spiritual man

* Every one in Church belongs to either one of these categories.

→ The categorization is personal. Every one knows exactly which group he belongs to, without being told.

* Today's focus is on the Natural man.

* The "Adamic nature" (in man) is the result of the fall of man (Adam) in the Garden of Eden when he disobeyed God

* Everyone born of a woman is subjected to the Adamic nature (by default)

* Romans 3:23 → 'For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.'

* We inherited this Adamic nature at birth but it was not originally what God planned for man (at the creation)

* Adam fell from God's original plan for him willingly (through the choices he made) and we were affected by it

* The different terms used in the Bible to refer to the Adamic nature:

1. "Law of sin & death" (Romans 8:2)

→ The Adamic nature operates like a law that must be obeyed by the natural man who is bound to it

* No matter how hard the natural man tries to stop sinning, he cannot. He is dominated by the power of sin and he cannot liberate himself

* The end of the natural man is eternal death

* Jesus came to get rid of this nature and to liberate us from the power of the law of sin and death

2. "The Flesh" (Romans 8:8)

→ This is the physical manifestation of the Adamic nature in man

3. "The Old Man" (Romans 6:6)

→ A man who yields to sin is living in accordance with the old order of things

★ 2 Corinthians 5:17 → "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

* How to Identify the natural man:

→ He is not born again

→ He is not transformed

→ He is not liberated from the power of sin

→ He does not access divine revelation (because he does not have connection with God)

→ He knows nothing about the things of God

→ He operates in the realm of the natural (within His 5 physical senses)

→ His choices are controlled by his fleshy impulses (not by the Spirit of God)

→ He is the Servant of rebellion. (He antagonizes God at every opportunity)

* What Causes people to have this Adamic nature?

→ We were born with this nature

★ Romans 5:12 →"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

* Consequences of living in Sin (indulging the Adamic nature):

→ Eternal condemnation

→ Subjected to the wrath of God

→ Alienation from God

* How to Overcome the Adamic Nature:

★ 2 Corinthians 5:21 →"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

* NOTE: It takes God to save a man from the nature of sin. God has already made that provision through His son, Jesus Christ

* Jesus Christ has made the sacrifice. All you need to do is to accept Him as your Lord and Saviour

* Jesus has already declared you "not guilty", but you must believe and accept Him

★ Acts 4:12 → "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

* It is possible for a "natural man" to believe in Jesus Christ and be saved.

→ No matter your sin, there is hope for you in Jesus

* As a Christian, are you bothered that some people around you are still living in sin?

→ What are you doing about it?

* NOTE: If you are not born again, you will not see the Kingdom of God

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

☆ PASTOR'S CORNER

Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians divided the whole human race into three, according to their responses to the things of God (the natural man, the carnal man and the spiritual man). Every person in Church falls into one of these categories.

The natural man does not access divine revelation; he knows nothing of the things of God. He lives life under the sense of flesh. He sees spiritual things as foolishness. He lives according to Adamic nature. He is lost.

The natural man remains God's enemy unless he yields to the conviction of the Holy Spirit by accepting Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour. What kind of man are you?

☆ MISSION CHARGE

"Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved."

→ Charles H. Spurgeon

☆ QUOTE

"Jesus himself did not try to convert the two thieves on the cross; He waited until one of them turned to him."

→ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Growing Up (Rev. David Kwamkur) 01-02-2015

SUNDAY SERVICE

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Area 1, Garki-Abuja, Nigeria

1st February, 2015

SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. David Kwamkur

* Topic: Growing Up

* Theme: Growing up in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth

* Service leader: Mr. Stephen Barthner

* Text: Hebrews 11:24-26

* The life of Moses began as a Journey of faith. (See: Exodus 3)

* Moses' parents demonstrated faith for the protection of their child even in the midst of danger

* You can destroy your future if you disregard your past.

* Parents have a significant role to play in the life of their children's spiritual growth and maturity

→ Note: Moses' parents were not afraid of the verdict of the Pharaoh. They trusted God to preserve their son

* One thing that is destroying many people today is fear

★ Matthew 10:28 → "Stop being afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell."

* If you are interested in growing deeper spiritually, you should study the life of Moses - His life Was a life of faith

* Benefits of Studying the life of Moses:

(a) It will help you understand that God is greater than every evil scheme or person in the world

(b) It will help you to focus on God, rather than on your circumstances

(c) It will help you understand that God is faithful and will never fail to keep His promises

→ The most dangerous thing you will ever do in life is to doubt God's faithfulness

→ Hold on to God until your situation changes

(d) It will help you let God work through you

→ God will not force you to do anything (including submitting to Him) that you don't want to do willingly

(e) It will help you realise that you are not an ordinary person

→ NOTE: You are the Child of the King of the Universe & you are important to God

* Moses made faith decisions:

→ if you are ever going to grow spiritually, you must walk by faith all the time

→ Children cannot make certain decisions on their own because they are immature

→ The quality of your decisions is an indication of your maturity (or immaturity)

→ If you do not know how to make decisions, other people will decide for you based on what they want for you

* Decisions You Must make if you want to grow in Christ:

1. Refusing the wrong

* Hebrews 11:24

→ It is not enough to know what is right or wrong, but you must be courageous enough to out-rightly refuse to do what is wrong in the sight of God

→ When faith comes into operation, your ability to recognize and refuse to do anything that is contrary to God's will is strengthened

* Examples of persons who refused to do what was wrong, even at the cost of their lives:

(a) Joseph refused to sleep with Potiphar's wife (Gen 39:9)

(b) The 3 Hebrew boys

* Daniel 3:12 → “Certain influential Jewish men whom you appointed to manage the city of Babylon — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—have neither paid attention to you, your majesty, nor served your gods. And they won’t worship the golden statue that you set up.”

* It did not make any (reasonable) sense why they would choose to disobey the King's express orders at the detriment of their political positions and even their lives

*NOTE: When faith is in operation, your reason is inactive.

(c) Daniel refused to obey a Royal ban on prayer→ Daniel 6:13

"Then they told the king, “Daniel, who is one of the Judean exiles, pays no attention to you, your majesty, or to the written decree, since he is still praying three times a day.”

(d) Peter and John refused to obey a decree not to preach in the name of Christ → (Acts 4:17-20)

- They did not allow themselves to be intimidated by the Jewish Council (the most powerful and influential entity in Israel at the time)

* You must always refuse to do the wrong thing, even when it is the most popular thing to do

* Nobody grows in Christ by doing the wrong thing

* If you don't want evil to multiply, you must always refuse to do what is wrong

* Don't follow your reason; follow your faith

* God is calling you to refuse anything that is contrary to your faith

2. You must choose to do what is right

→ It is Impossible to choose to do what is both right and wrong at the same time. You have to choose only one

* Sometimes, the right thing to do does not appeal to your reasoning, But you must always follow faith, rather than your reason

* You must be wise in making your decisions

* Always make decisions in the light of tomorrow and eternity

* Don't mortgage your tomorrow for the brief pleasures of today

* If you choose to be a believer/disciple of Jesus, You Must be willing to pay the price:

★ The cost of Discipleship

(Luke 14:25-33)

→ You must be willing to cut links with your family and loved ones, if need be (verse 26)

→ You must carry His cross (verse 27)

→ give up everything for the sake of Christ (verse 33)

* A person who is not a faithful disciple of Christ cannot enter His kingdom in eternity

* Making the right decision would always cost you something (time, privileges, relationships, possessions, advantages, certain pleasures, your life, etc.)

3. You must run away from any appearance of wrong/evil

→ Running away from evil does not mean you are a coward

* Temporal things are just temporal - they will not last

* Amos 5:14-15 →"Pursue good and not evil, so that you may live, and this is what will happen: The LORD God of the Heavenly Armies will be with you, as you have been claiming. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in court— perhaps the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies, will be gracious to the survivors of Joseph.’

* Titus 2:11-12 →"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. It trains us to renounce ungodly living and worldly passions so that we might live sensible, honest, and godly lives in the present age."

→ As a Christian, God expects you to always renounce all forms of ungodliness

→ Renunciation must be total: You're not expected to go back to something you have renounced already

→ It is the by the grace of God that you are able to renounce every act of ungodliness, not by your own power or will

★ 2nd Timothy 2:19 →"However, God’s solid foundation still stands. It has this inscription on it: “The Lord knows those who belong to him,” and “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.”

→ Departing from evil is a prerequisite for serving God faithfully and effectively

* 2nd Timothy 3:1-5

→ People that have a form of godliness but deny its power must be "quarantined" from your life before they infect and pollute you too

* 2nd Timothy 2:22

→ "Flee from youthful passions. Instead, pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace together with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart."

* Mark 8:36 →"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

→ It is foolish to mortgage your life and eventually loose/destroy your soul

* Romans 8:17 →"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

→ There is an eternal glory that comes after our temporal sufferings here on earth

* Look beyond your senses and depend or your faith

* If you have faith, you have everything!

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MISSION CHARGE

"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming"

→ Ephesians 4:14

QUOTES

"The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety".

→ George Mueller

"Sadness takes you away from true worship of the Lord."

→ Rev. David Kwamkur

"Satan will always make you feel that there is no reason to be happy. He will give you reasons to be angry at everyone, everything and even at yourself."

→ Rev. David Kwamkur