Completed Work

Friends,

Christ went to that cross and laid down His life. No man took it from Him. He was not murdered, nor executed nor killed. He freely and willingly paid the price for our sins.

But that was not enough, it turns out. If it was, the story would have ended right then and there.

And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
1 Corinthians 15:17-19 [NKJV]

These three short sentences are a bedrock of our faith. They rely on the unchangeable and undeniable fact of Jesus' resurrection. If His grave was full - like the self-anointed heads of other religions then we would be placing our hope in a collection of dried-up skin and bones. But because His grave is empty, we know that our faith is in a living and Almighty God.

He has power over even death. And nothing is impossible for Him or those who believe in Him.

Be encouraged,
Jose

Written on the heart of man

Friends,

When the LORD brought His people out of Egypt, He made sure they had food to eat. And God wanted them to enjoy what He has given in accordance with His law. So, through His servant Moses, God instructed His people...

Exodus 16:23,27-28 [NKJV]
Then he (Moses) said to them, "This is what the LORD has said: 'Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.'"

Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. And the LORD said to Moses, "How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?"

Chronologically, this event took place before the Israelites specifically received the Ten Commandments. Yet, they knew -- because Moses relayed God's directive to them - that keeping the Sabbath is holy and required activity.

You and I also know that setting this day apart is an important act of obedience. It is the day the LORD named as His day. And like every one of God's laws, it is written upon our hearts.

Brothers and sisters, let no man convince you to compromise on this. Enjoy the day of rest. Enjoy His gift.

Be encouraged,
Jose

Understanding

Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7 (NKJV)

Our daily walk is punctuated with many issues and events. Some demand a response; others attempt to shape our self-perceptions, our standards and our personal view of the world. In a world that is becoming increasingly hostile to Godly standards, getting divine understanding is a necessary requirement that will enable us avert conforming to the world and any action that is capable of jeopardizing our eternity.

Understanding is an imperative for every believer. It enables our walk of faith by separating truth from fiction. It reduces our vulnerability to the lies and pranks of the adversary.

Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.
1 Corinthians 14:20 (NKJV)

In all your ways, get understanding.

Be Encouraged,

Afolabi

Are You Scared Too?

For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Psalm 31:13-15 (KJV)

David was afraid and was being talked about negatively and knew that people were planning for his demise. He put his trust in God to make it through. We should take the same advice. We should trust God no matter what circumstances are surrounding us. We know that He will always deliver us from our enemies and from them that try to bring us down. We must admit that we cannot make this journey alone.

God will be with us even when Satan seems to have gotten us to forget that God is with us, meaning that God will always be there for us and we must believe that. He will never, never forsake us. He will never leave us. God will always be there for us. Satan will try to convince us otherwise, but there is always proof that God is by our side. If we are scared as well, then we should lean totally on Christ our Saviour.

Be Encouraged,


Martin A. Rayner

Use your Shout

But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him;... Now look, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper!”
2 Chronicles 13:10,12 (NKJV)

The battle of life is not to the swift, agile, intelligent, powerful or equipped one, but victory is the portion of them that forsake not their Creator. He continually gives those that remain connected to Him signals and alarms on as needed basis lest they fall into the hands of the adversary. The priests and Holy Spirit sounds the trumpets and the men of Judah gives a shout... a shout that reigns terror and confusion in the camp of the adversary. A shout of victory, a shout of praise, a shout that the host of Heaven responds to. This is the heritage of them that believe, trust and never forsake their God even in the midst of tough and challenging seasons.

Don't lose an ear for the priestly and trumpet sounds of the spirit. When it prompts you for the shout, don't hold back, its your heritage in Him. Give a shout of praise and victory to Him who lives forevermore.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Praise the Exalted God!

Friends,

It is an unnatural act to praise God. The world, instead, finds reasons to doubt Him, blame Him and ignore Him. But into His people, the Lord places His Spirit, which overcomes the flesh's desire to be its own God.

Psalm 97:8-9 [NKJV]
Zion hears and is glad,
And the daughters of Judah rejoice
Because of Your judgments, O LORD.

For You, LORD, are most high above all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.

Notice that the second stanza (verse 9) starts with, "For You, LORD." It explains why Zion (God's chosen people... in other words, believers) rejoice: because the LORD is exalted. The worldly man never celebrates because someone is exalted above him; he may accept the fact of such a situation, but he won't be overjoyed by it.

The man filled with the Holy Spirit, however, is thankful beyond measure for God's sovereignty. So let us take time today to remember who it is that we worship, yielding to the Spirit's fervent desire to sing and shout praises to the Almighty LORD, the King of kings and Lord of lords!

Be encouraged,
Jose

Heaven's Honey

Friends,

The word of God comes down to us every day. There are so many ways that He illustrates this in scripture that we can barely scratch the surface in one message. Here are just three:

Exodus 16:31
And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
Psalm 119:103
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.

For God's people, His word is life-giving, sweet-tasting nourishment. Do not let a single day go by without feasting on those tasty treats!

Be encouraged,
Jose