RSS

Tag Archives: Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Are You a pillar of encouragement?

15 Apr

4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern Cali...

Are You a pillar of encouragement

Encourage the Struggling

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4”

Encourage those who’re struggling? Don’t know what to say? Then, open your Bible.

To the grief-stricken: God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

To the jobless: “In all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Are you a cancer survivor? Someone in the cancer ward needs to hear from you.

Have you buried a spouse and lived to smile again? Then find the recently widowed and walk with them.

Your experiences have deputized you! Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 that God is the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does He do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us!

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

Related articles
 
Leave a comment

Posted by on April 15, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Experience a breakthrough in your life

21 Dec
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Image via Wikipedia

Experience a breakthrough in your life.

Luke writes, “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men” (Luke 2:52). We know very little about the years that Jesus spent growing into manhood. However, we can surmise that He grew emotionally, mentally, and physically. Like us, God’s Son had to develop, and we can imagine that while he was sinless, he learned how to live through the circumstances of life.

There are many people today who are suffering not because they have sinned or resisted God but because the Lord has chosen to develop their lives through difficulty and hardship. In the first chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul does not gloss over the fact that he suffered. At one point, he believed there was a strong possibility he would die. However, God spared his life, and Paul was able to write about the hardships he faced with such hope that many who read his letters also declared their faith in Jesus Christ.

God cannot mould and shape our lives unless we are willing to surrender and to be transparent before Him. These are prerequisites to experiencing a breakthrough in our trials and sufferings. We have no idea of the difficulties that Christ faced as a young man. The gospels do not record any of this. Yet, as an adult we know that He suffered and died on the cross for our sins so that we might have eternal life. He was not ashamed of the calling that God had given Him. Now, all glory is His, and He is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding in prayer for us each day.

Stop looking at the trials of your life with thoughts of regret and horror. Learn to rest in God’s care and allow Him to work in your life to the fullest. When you do, you will discover that He has a tremendous blessing waiting for you. Not only will you grow to be like Him, you will be a testimony of His grace and hope to a troubled world.

Recommended Scripture Reading: (2 Corinthians 1:9)

“Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God.”

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

Related articles
 
17 Comments

Posted by on December 21, 2011 in BLESSINGS, Life

 

Tags: , , , , ,

The hope of surrender

15 Dec
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Image via Wikipedia

The hope of   surrender

Luke writes, “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in   favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52) We know very little about the years   that Jesus spent growing into manhood. However, we can surmise that He grew   emotionally, mentally, and physically. Like us, God’s Son had to develop, and   we can imagine that while He was sinless, He learned how to live through the   circumstances of life.

There are many people today who are suffering – not because they have   sinned or resisted God, but because the Lord has chosen to develop their   lives through difficulty and hardship. In the first chapter of 2 Corinthians,   Paul does not gloss over the fact that he suffered. At one point, he believed   there was a strong possibility that he would die. However, God spared his life,   and Paul was able to write about the hardships he faced with such hope that   many who read his letters also declared faith in Jesus Christ.

God cannot mold and shape our lives unless we are willing to surrender   and to be transparent before Him. These are prerequisites to experiencing a   breakthrough in our trials and sufferings. We have no idea of the   difficulties that Christ faced as a young man – the Gospels do not record   them. Yet, we know that as an adult, He suffered and died on the cross for   our sins so that we might have eternal life. He was not ashamed of the   calling that God had given Him. Now, all glory is His, and He is seated at   the right hand of the Father interceding in prayer for us each day.

Stop looking at the trials of your life with thoughts of regret and   horror. Learn to rest in God’s care, and allow Him to work in your life to   the fullest. When you do, you will discover that He has a tremendous blessing   waiting for you. Not only will you grow to be like Him, you will be a   testimony of His grace and hope to a troubled world.

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend them from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

Related articles
 
14 Comments

Posted by on December 15, 2011 in HOPE

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Give, and It Shall Be Given Unto You; Good Measure, Pressed Down, And Shaken togther, and Running Over Shall Men Give Into Your Bosom (Luke 6:38)

07 Aug
Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber ...

Image via Wikipedia

GIVE, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU; GOOD MEASURE, PRESSED
DOWN, AND SHAKEN TOGETHER, AND RUNNING OVER, SHALL MEN GIVE INTO YOUR
BOSOM.(Luke 6:38).

And God is able to
make all grace abound towards; you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in
all things, may abound to every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8)

There’re different levels of prosperity at which God’s
people function. Some are in the first level, where they have just enough to
get by. Some, however, are on the next level where they have more than enough
to take care of themselves, their family and a few others. Then, there’re those
who are in the arena of abundance, where they can do so much for themselves and
for many others.

However, God’s desire for you is that you move from the
realm of abundance into the realm of super-abundance, where you’re financially
strong enough to do whatever you want to do that’s good for God and for people,
whenever you want to do it, however you want to do it! This is the level of
prosperity you should strive to function in, where you’re able to help other. Nigeria,
African and the world as a whole need more of such men and women today, who are
willing and able to bring succour and relief to the less privileged amongst us.

There’re many orphans, widows, and other needy people that
could benefit from your prosperity. The Bible says in Proverbs 19:17 “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth
unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again”. Also,
the Bible says the generous man is blessed for giving to the poor (Proverbs
22:9). Our opening scripture describes God’s commitment to you, when you
dedicate yourself to a lifestyle of giving; He (God)”…..is able to make all grace (every favour and earthly blessings) come
to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and
whatever the need, be self-sufficient (possessing enough to require no aid or
support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable
donation)” (2 Corinthians 8:9 AMP).

God’s resources are limitless; His wealth is infinite. As
His kids, we’re His heirs; all that He has belongs to us. Therefore, choose to
function at the level of super-abundance. The way to press into this realm of
prosperity is through giving: “Give, and
it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together,
and running over, shall men give into your bosom…” (Luke 6:38). Through giving,
you multiply riches and wealth. Keep looking out for opportunities to be a
blessing to others, and the Spirit of God, apart from helping you increase your
capacity to give more, will cause you to dwell in the realm of super-abundance,
where others will benefit from your prosperity.

CONFESSION:

Through my giving,
mighty harvests of financial blessings are coming to me, and my capacity to
give is increase today by the power of God’s Spirit. I’m a big-time sponsor of
the gospel!  The kingdom of God is moving
forward because of God’s grace upon my life in Jesus Christ. Amen!

www.rhapsodyofrealities.org

Related articles
 
1 Comment

Posted by on August 7, 2011 in BLESSINGS

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Holy Spirit is With You Forever

16 Jul
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Image via Wikipedia

And I will pray the Father, and He
shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever (John
14:16).

Some Christians
think the Holy Spirit sometimes goes on a break, or takes a recess just because
at such times they didn’t “feel” His presence. You don’t have to “feel” God to
know that He’s with you. Rather, you ought to know that He’s with you always,
because the Word says so. Jesus said, “…….and,
lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew
28:20). He didn’t say, “I’m with you only
when you can “feel” that I am.” Many have reduced their experience of Christianity
to the carnal realm of feeling, and that’s so wrong, for we walk by faith and
not by sensory perceptions (2 Corinthians 5:7).

But you
might want to ask, “What if someone, having received the Holy Spirit at the New
Birth, backslides and feels that the Holy Spirit has left him or her, is this
just a feeling or was the Holy Spirit actually frustrated with all the sin in
such a person?” Well, God is not a man (Numbers 23:19), and He doesn’t act like
some earthly parents who wouldn’t relate with their kids for doing something
wrong. Sadly, this is the poor perception of God that some folks have.

That you did
something wrong won’t make the Holy Spirit leave you. Remember, you weren’t
made right with God because of your own righteousness; it came because God gave
you His righteousness. Thus, His presence with you isn’t dependent on what you
did right or wrong, or the way you feel. His presence is dependent on His
infallible Word; because of His love! That’s the reason He’ll never leave you
nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

Read again
the words of Jesus in our opening verse, He said”And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter,
that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:16). God the Father, through
the Holy Spirit abides with you forever, not sometimes. Don’t consider what
your feelings tell you. As long as you haven’t wilfully rejected Christ and His
sacrifice of salvation for you on the Cross, the Holy Spirit cannot and will
not leave you!

Even when
you err and start feeling as though the Holy Spirit has left you, it’s still
the Holy Spirit who guides you unto repentance, proving His presence with you
even at such times. If He left you, you could never return to Him! But He
wouldn’t, for He’s with you to fulfil His ministry in your life, till Jesus
comes. Hallelujah!

PRAYER

PRECIOUS LORD, I THANK
YOU FOR THE RICH FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH I ENJOY LAVISHLY TODAY,
AND FOREVER. WHAT JOY TO KNOW THAT I’M ORDAINED INTO THIS WONDERFUL UNION AND
FELLOWSHIP WITH YOU FOR ETERNITY! AMEN!

www.rhapsodyofrealities.org

Related articles
 
11 Comments

Posted by on July 16, 2011 in Holy Spirit

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Teach your children to give

05 Jul
Sweet Kate

Image by thegarlands via Flickr

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will
not depart from it (Proverb 22:6).

Every child is God’s gift of trust to the parents. Parents
have been entrusted with an important task: to bring up their children in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). One of the areas where
children must be trained is giving! It’s the responsibility of every parent to
teach their children to give.

“The liberal soul
shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself” (Proverbs
11:25). If you want your children to prosper in life, you must teach them to
give; teach them to tithe and give offerings in church. Train them to give of
their substance towards the furtherance of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Also, teach them to give cheerfully “…….for
God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

The Bible says, “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that
favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his
servant”   (Psalm 35:25). It’s only
givers that prosper. Prosperity isn’t just all about having a lot of money. It
has to do with the totality of the human person; it means you’re prospering in
your health, finances, mind and spirit.

“And God is able to make all grace (every favour and earthly
blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always (and) under all
circumstances (and) whatever the need be self – sufficient (possessing enough
to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and
charitable donation)” (2 Corinthian 9:8 AMP). As God blesses the child
financially, martially, spiritually, educationally, and in good health, He’ll
bless you as well for raising him the right way. Always remember that the world
belongs to givers and soul winners!!!!!

 CONFESSION

I DECLARE THAT THE WORD OF GOD IS PRODUCING RESULTS IN MY FAMILY TODAY.
AS WE CONTINUE A LIFE OF GIVING, WE ARE ENJOYING A LIFE OF RECEIVING. OUR
PASSION FOR SOUL WINNING IS FUELLED AS WE SOW MORE SEEDS FOR THE GOSPEL, MAKING
US VITAL PARTNERS IN WORLD EVANGELISATION, IN JESUS CHRIST NAME, AMEN!

www.christembassy.com

Related articles
 
11 Comments

Posted by on July 5, 2011 in Children

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Communication Deepens Our Fellowship With God

21 May
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Image via Wikipedia

Every relationship without communication suffers; be it relationship with your children, your spouse, your co-workers, or with God. Communication – good and frequent communication – helps or enhances relationships. If you have a relationship with someone you don’t talk with, that relationship will suffer setbacks. No matter how proximate you may be to the person, without continually exchanging thoughts by talking to each other, your relationship won’t grow.

This is the reason we’re to constantly fellowship with the Lord through prayer. 2 Corinthians 13:14 says “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.” This is an indication of the kind of relationship we’re to cultivate with the Holy Spirit; a communion; a sharing together. The Father and the Son are in heaven, but the Holy Spirit is here with us. Hence, He’s the God we know and relate with in the earth today, and He lives in us, fostering this extraordinary communion with divinity.

There’s no other way to develop an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, aside from communing with Him constantly in prayer, and through meditation on the Word. Consciously create time to talk to and with the Lord the same way you’ll perhaps schedule to talk to a friend, colleague or loved one.

Remember, the Holy Spirit is a person with emotions, will and intellect; therefore relate to Him as such. The highest means of communication with Him is by speaking in tongues; and as you do, He’ll make the presence of God real to you and the miraculous your constant experience.

PRAYER

Dear Holy Spirit, thank You for Your abiding presence that brings glory and beauty to my life. I’m constantly energized from within because You strengthen me with might in my inner man, even as I fellowship with You today. Thank You for Your glorious ministry in my life, in Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen!

Related articles
 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 21, 2011 in GOD

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 131 other followers