Think-giving for Thanksgiving

From Our Pastor's Desk

Let’s look at giving from a different angle. We’ll look at giving of tithes, offerings, time and our service, not really from the popular view (though right) of Malachi 3:10, but from a whole other perspective of how meaningful & purposeful it is to give our gifts to God’s storehouse and serve mankind. 

Practically everyone in our society can afford to give. If money is tight, we can probably afford to donate our time through volunteer work.

We are truly blessed to have a hot meal on our table every day and have many luxuries in our lives that we often take for granted.

Giving will bring us a lifetime of incredible memories, which is much more meaningful than a few numbers in a bank statement.  I believe those that are self-centered in every-thing and at all times are of small minds.


Great minds are always thinking of giving, looking for where to sow, pondering who will benefit and how to break fallow grounds for more beneficiaries of their gifts and seeds.

A small mind thinks of what it will gain and receive. Thinkers of giving always end up as thanks-givers. Thinking to give means to visualize, focus one’s attention to, and prepare to give.

Believe me, there are people whose sleeping and waking thoughts are how to give more and better. They end up with more reasons to give thanks.

So, don’t just be a taker (there are too many people in this category), be a giver. Give your money, time, love, forgiveness etc.

Think-giving on this Thanksgiving. Acts 20:35—”I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive”.

The Lord bless you more & more, as you think-giving, in Jesus Name. AMEN. 

You will have good success this 2019.

Remain blessed.

Shalom.

December 2019 - Our Month of Everlasting Covenant

From Our Pastor's Desk

Welcome to this Our New Month of Everlasting Covenant, in Jesus name. Genesis 17:7 – “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee”

God told Abraham all that he will inherit, but in Genesis 15:5, he asked “Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?”

And as if God’s word wasn’t good enough, God went one step further and cut a covenant with Abraham, reassuring His friend that He would do as promised.

Note here that we are talking about “everlasting” covenants. The type that God has made with us.  Isaiah 61:8 – “...I will direct their work in truth, & I will make an everlasting covenant with them” His covenants are everlasting, they can never be broken.

They can only be replaced by newer & better covenants. Psalms 89:34–“My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of my lips” The everlasting covenant of God can only be broken if we fail to maintain an intimate & personal relationship with Him or get separated from Him through sin. 

In this month of Everlasting Covenant & beyond, let us purpose in our hearts never to stray from Him. And His everlasting covenants & promises will He keep concerning us, in Jesus mighty Name.
Amen

Troubled on Every Side, Yet...

From Our Pastor's Desk

2nd Corinthians 4:8 - “...We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed....”

One thing that every human being needs to beware of is that real trouble will come one day! There is no way that a human being living in a troubled world, in troublesome times can avoid real trouble.

It’s very important that we be prepared when trouble comes. Sometimes some of us go through troubles because of our disobedience to God and/or the ordinances of man (which we should obey for the Lord's sake), whilst many of us through no fault of ours.

Just like our Lord Jesus Christ sinned not but bore our sins in His body and suffered for our sakes. As believers it is worthy of note that problems, difficulties, troubles… may come. Almost all of God's servants mentioned in the Bible went through one problem or the other.

The troubles we face will either defeat us or develop us - depending on how we respond to them. Unfortunately most of us fail to see how God wants to use troubles for good in our lives. We react unwisely and resent our troubles/problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.

A delay, for instance, may look as a problem but it could be for a better purpose. Psalms 34:19 – “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” Keyword here is “the righteous”. God’s word says many are their afflictions! Not the unrighteous or unbelievers. The righteous.

But God delivers them and gives the Double for all their Troubles. Halleluyah. Every trouble we face will give us double, difficulties will give us victory; confusion clarity; hopelessness purpose; failure success; poverty prosperity; and loneliness loving companionship, in Jesus Name. AMEN.

You will have good success this 2019.

Remain blessed.

Shalom.

This Day is a Day of Good Tidings

By Deaconess Florence Oyedeji 

We read of one siege of Samaria in 2nd Kings 7:1-20. Orchestrated by Ben-Hadad, king of Syria. Which brought a terrible famine upon the city of Samaria.

Among those suffering in the famine were four lepers...Who, I believe personified what it means to get “double for trouble”.

2Kings 7, they discussed their plight. In desperation they decided to surrender to the Syrians. To their surprise, they found the Syrian camp abandoned.

At first, they splurged in their newfound riches. But upon reflection, they knew they needed to tell others what they had found, and did so.

There is a valuable lesson we learn from the four lepers, especially when they said in verse 9: “Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household..."

In today’s sermon, we will highlight some parallels between the lepers, and ourselves now. The consequences of keeping silent when we have good news to share (when we finally get our “double for trouble”) and why some people may be keeping silent today.

The Lord will indeed make us bringer of good news & glad tidings, in Jesus Name. AMEN. 

You will have good success this 2019. 

Remain blessed. 

Shalom.

Twice As Much

From Our Pastor's Desk

Job 42:10 – “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before” In this verse, Job is blessed by God with a double portion of what he had had formerly.

God restored his marriage, blessed him again with a family, and Job lived to a good old age. James 5:11 summarizes the Book of Job.  Twice as Much

“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”

This shows that whatever trouble, difficulty or suffering may come our way, God is not harsh with His children, but His purposes have an end, and that is the restoration and blessing of His people.  God’s promise to us this month & beyond is that He will restore and bless twice as much as we may have lost.

In the Old Testament, God’s people were going through a very dark time. They were being held captive against their will and mistreated by other nations. God sent this word to encourage them and give them hope for their future.

Isaiah 61:7, (The Message) - “Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever” When the time came, God was faithful to His Word!

Are you going through a difficult time today? Let this word bring you encouragement, too. God wants to give you double for your trouble. He is the God of restoration—that means He’s not going to just repay you for every wrong done, He’s going to go above and beyond and make things even better than they were before.

I pray that as we stay in faith and are obedient to His Word, we’ll receive double for our troubles and see God’s promises come to pass & fulfilled, in Jesus Name. AMEN.

You will have good success this 2019.
Remain blessed.
Shalom.

Receiving Double Portion

From Our Pastor's Desk

Near the end of Elijah’s time on earth, he offered his assistant Elisha a gift: “What can I do for you before I am taken from you?” Elisha answered, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me” – 2nd Kings 2:9.

Elisha received a double portion from Elijah. Elisha received because of his faithfulness, amongst other virtues. Even though Elijah and the sons of the prophets both seemed to try to dissuade Elisha from following, he was faithful.

He was not going to be dissuaded.  A faithful Christian will not be pulled away from serving the Lord by a whim or by some unimportant, irrelevant, trivial reason. A lot of people are simply sitting, waiting for something to fall out of Heaven.

You need to commit to a good local church and do your part to help make it a great church. Join up and then show up!

2 Timothy 2:2 – “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” 1 Corinthians 4:2 – “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” Elisha knew how to serve.

Do you want the double portion anointing? Get involved in church or a ministry and start serving. When you serve you are sowing your life as seed for an anointing that one day will be yours.

For all of your faithfulness & commitment as a steward, the Lord grant you double portion of all Heaven has to offer, in Jesus Name. AMEN.

You will have good success this 2019.

Remain blessed.

Shalom

November 2019 - Our Month of Double for Trouble

From Our Pastors Desk

Welcome to this Our New Month of Double for Trouble, in Jesus name. Trouble is a problem, difficulty or disturbance causing pain, distress, inconvenience or discomfort. And shame is disgrace, a state of dishonor.

For everyone alive, at one stage of our lives or the other, we may have experienced both trouble and shame.

But this is what the Lord said in Isaiah 61:7 – “For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them”

God promises a double portion of everlasting joy, peace, strength, laughter and blessing upon His children, for every shame, confusion, disgrace and/or trouble gone through.

In 2nd Kings 2:9, Elisha asked Elijah “I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me” When someone receives a double portion, he gets a portion (slice, quantity, amount or piece) twice as much as that given to others.

Elisha received his request. The many miracles Elisha performed confirm that he had indeed been granted a double portion.  In this month of Double for Trouble & beyond, the Lord will bless every Mercy Seatizen, with double honor, power, grace, increase, joy, promotion and anointing.

He will anoint us with the oil of gladness above our fellows, in Jesus Name. Amen.