JESUS, OUR ROCK

Scripture: Matt 16:13-19
“Therefore, everyone who listens to these messages of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.”  Matt 7:24 (ISV)

As we begin a new year, let us remind ourselves of the promises of God and these should be an anchor to our souls. Irrespective of the situation around us, God’s words and promises remain ever true. What people say about the situation is not necessarily correct and is not important, what really matters is what you are saying about your situation. What you say about yourself and your situation will determine your action and eventually the outcome.

A GIFT FOR THE KING

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-11

“…they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”  Matthew 2:11b (KJV)

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A gift is an item given willingly without the expectation of payment. It can be given as a sign of appreciation or in celebration. Many people also give gifts as a sign of respect and loyalty. For the wise men from the East, their gifts were given in reverence and devotion.

Cross Over into 2017 with Rev. Chris Oarhe


God is set to do awesome things tonight. come with your family, the saved and the unsaved; the rock of ages, our provider, our protector and our projector will guarantee and secure 2017 for us.

A KING LIKE NO OTHER

Scripture: Luke 2:8-14

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise…the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty.” 1 Corinthians 1:27 (KJV)

The birth of a king is usually marked with pomp and pageantry by his subjects. It was not so for Christ, the King. His arrival into the world happened almost unnoticed.

SAFE AND SECURE

Scripture: Esther 3:5-9; 7:6-10

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord…” Isaiah 54:17 (KJV)

It is every believer’s desire that all their problems fade away once they get born again. However, this is not the case. God does not speak of a life without challenges for believers. He rather assures us a life of his constant presence that ensures victory for us no matter the circumstance.

A COUNTRY IN YOUR HANDS

Scripture: Esther 3:8-9; 4:1-17
“And seek the peace of the city…and pray unto the Lord for it; for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” Jeremiah 29:7 (KJV)

Many Christians call themselves citizens of heaven. This may imply that they are strangers on earth and their home is heaven, therefore, they do not need to get involved in the happenings, events or affairs of their countries here on earth. The scriptures encourage believers otherwise.

YOUR IDENTITY: YOUR ADVANTAGE

Scripture: Esther 2:8-17
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery…which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 1 Corinthians 2:8-9 (KJV)

Mordecai advised Esther to hide her identity from the Persians to protect her because she was vying to be queen in a hostile and foreign land where they were exiles! Although, God had destined her to be queen so she would save Israel in due course, revealing her identity too soon may have cut short God’s plan for his people. Mordecai knew this, so he urged her to keep her identity a secret. He knew Esther’s had an advantage over others because she was a Jew.

STEP IN

Scripture: Esther 2:1-11

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  Philippians 4:13 (KJV)

Life often throws tough questions and challenges our way. At such times, we ponder what the outcome would be if we took a certain path or made a certain choice. We may even wish we had the benefit of foresight or the ability to see into the future so we can have an assurance that we have made the best decision. This can sometimes hinder us from making life changing decisions.

HIS PRECIOUS GIFT

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: ...”  Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)

Today commemorates the day that Jesus Christ left the glory of Heaven to be born in a stable as a human being. What a sharp contrast it must have been for Him to enter into this corrupt world from His indescribable splendour and glory. But He had to come because of the love He has for mankind.

A LEGACY OF FAITHFULNESS

Scripture: Esther 3:2-6, 4:1-2, 15-17

“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer…be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.” Revelation 2:10 (KJV)

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Mordecai refused to bow before Haman, a prince of Persia, and this brought trouble upon the Jews living in the Persian nation. In anger, the prince vowed to wipe out the Jews (Esth. 3:2-6).

STAND OUT

Scripture: Genesis 6:5-9
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the lord” Genesis 6:8 (KJV)

It is possible to remain faithful and pleasing to God even in the midst of a corrupt and sinful generation. To remain a faithful Christian, you must learn to stand alone. No one likes to be ridiculed and rejected and you will repeatedly face pressure to violate your Christian standards but in order to stand out in an evil day, you must walk with God.

OBEDIENCE - PATH TO VICTORY

Scripture: Joshua 5:13-6:5
“If ye be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land” Isaiah 1:19 (KJV)

Joshua was about to undertake his first military campaign after he became leader of the people of Israel. Success would strengthen the faith and resolve for the people and make the task easier for Joshua. However, failure could lead to discouragement and rebellion from the people. He undoubtedly had his strategy well planned out but when he encountered the Lord, he surrendered to His authority (v14). God gave him a strategy that didn’t look plausible but Joshua obeyed. The end result was the capture and destruction of Jericho.

RAISE A SUCCESSOR

Scripture: Judges 2:6-15
“…and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet” 1 Kings 19:16b (NLT)

One of the tragedies in life is dying without a legacy. Many great men have come and gone, but their greatness dies with them. Their legacy ended when they died because they failed to raise a successor who will continue the work they have started. They failed to do this because they were not generational thinkers. Global companies like Coca-Cola have survived several generations because the founder set up a system of succession that has outlived them.

JERICHO - A FIRST FRUIT OFFERING

Scripture: Joshua 6:15-27
“Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruit of all thine increase” Proverbs 3:9 (KJV)

Joshua understood the principle of first fruit offering and he displayed this in his command regarding Jericho (v17-19). Jericho was the first city to be captured by Israel in the promise land, and Joshua dedicated all that was in it as a first fruit offering to the Lord. Everything living was to be killed, the city burnt and its wealth was to be dedicated to God’s house. The soldiers were to take nothing for themselves. This is why the sin of Achan, who stole some of the treasures for himself, was grievous in God’s sight (Jos.7:1). Later on, God Himself commanded the Israelites to take subsequent conquest as booty for themselves (Jos. 8:1-2).

ALWAYS ASK GOD

Scripture: Joshua 9:3-21
“So the Israelites examined the food, but they did not consult God.”  Joshua 9:14 (NLT)

Previously Joshua had made a presumptuous error which cost the lives of 36 men (Jos 7:1-5). Yet again, he makes the same error of not seeking divine counsel before acting. They fell into the Gibeonite trap because he did not consult God. They judged the issue using their physical senses and made a spiritual error. They went into treaty with the very people God ask them to destroy. This agreement was binding in heaven that God punished Israel when King Saul broke the treaty (2Sam 21:1).

DO NOT BE PRESUMPTUOUS

Scripture: Joshua 7:1-12
“And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.” Deuteronomy 17:13 (KJV)

Joshua and his army just had a remarkable victory over Jericho. They were in high spirits and full of confidence. This made them approach their next conquest with levity. “It is a small city” they said, “we can take it with a few soldiers”. They forgot their victory had nothing to do with the size of the enemy but that God was with them. Only when they had been soundly defeated did they do what they should have done first…seek God.

LEARN FROM PAST MISTAKES

Scripture: Joshua 2:1-3, 22-24
“Who can detect his own mistake? Cleanse me from hidden sin.”  Psalm 19:12 (ISV)

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The only thing worse than making mistakes in life is doing nothing at all. If you do not make any attempt you will never make any mistake, but then you will never learn. Thomas Edison made over 700 attempts before he discovered how to make the light bulb. When asked why he kept going on, he replied “I have learnt 700 ways how not to make a light bulb”. No one should be afraid of making mistakes but you must be willing to learn from your mistakes and move on. 

BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS

Scripture: Joshua 1:1-9
“This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

The Lord’s charge to Joshua was to be strong and courageous. The task ahead of him looked daunting and impossible, but God was telling him to “be strong and courageous”. These are two critical ingredients every leader needs to succeed. You will need them to obey God’s instruction. You will need them to confront the people and contend with the enemy. This is why every believer must develop these virtues in his/her life.

PREPARED FOR LEADERSHIP

Scripture: Number 27:12-23
“So Moses got up, along with Joshua his servant, and went up on the mountain of God.” Exodus 24:13 (ISV)

Everyone who will be successful as a leader has to go through the period of preparation. This is the period when God molds and shapes the leader and deposits the traits and character that will enable him to succeed in his assignment. Anyone who has leadership entrusted on him without going through this process will fail in his leadership role.

BATTLE YOUR AMALEKITES

Scripture: Exodus 17:8-16
“And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nation; but his latter end shall be that he perish forever.” Numbers 24:20 (KJV)

Everyone on earth has enemies. It doesn’t matter what you do or who you are, some people will despise you. Your existence simply annoys them and if they can do something about it, they will. This type of causeless enemy was what the Amalekites were to the Israelites. They attacked the Israelites who had only just come out of Egypt for no just cause (Duet 25:17-18).

TAKE IT BY FORCE

Scripture: Joshua 14:6-15
“…and the violent take it by force.” Matthew 11:12b (KJV)

God had promised Caleb and his descendants the city of Hebron as an inheritance (Duet. 1:36), yet Caleb did not get it on a platter of gold. First, he had to demand from Joshua to be allocated his inheritance (v12). Then he had to fight the sons of Anak before he could enter into his possession (Jos. 15:13-14). Only after this did he have rest from war (v.15). In this, Caleb typifies the life of every believer as we strive to enter into the rest prepared for us.

YOU ARE CAPABLE

Scripture: Joshua 15:13-19
“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” Numbers 13:30 (KJV)

Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, was about 40 years old when he was chosen from the tribe of Judah to spy out the promise land. The recorded events of his life spans from this period until the days of Joshua as recorded in the book of Joshua. But so important is his story that the Spirit had it repeated again in the opening chapter of the book of Judges (Jdg 1: 12-20). What lesson is the Spirit pointing to in the life of Caleb? It is the attitude of capability in the life of Caleb.

STAND YOUR GROUND

Scripture: Numbers 14:5-10
“Then Peter and the other Apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29 (KJV)

What is usually your reaction when you face intense opposition? When you have a contrary view and everyone turns against you and your life is in danger? It is quite easy to go with the multitude and agree with them rather than be the lone voice of opposition. You could easily tell yourself ‘the voice of the people is the voice of God, a million people cannot be wrong’. This has led many to compromise on the truth because they could not bear to stand alone.

A LOST GENERATION

Scripture: Numbers 14:26-38

“A seed shall serve him, It shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.” Psalm 22:30 (KJV)

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The sin of rebellion attracts immediate action from God. Rebellion is a direct attack on the authority of God and he deals with it with his mighty hand. When the people rebelled against God, God’s response was immediate (v.10). But for the intervention of Moses, God wanted to wipe out the entire race and start anew with Moses. For their rebellion, that  generation was cursed never to enter the promise land. Everyone 20 years and above would die in the wilderness except Caleb and Joshua. The consequence of their rebellion was a lost and wasted generation.

A MAN LIKE CALEB

Scripture: Joshua 14:6-15

“But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit in him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.” Numbers 14:24 (KJV)

Caleb is a shining example of a man who used his position and influence to bring about the desired changes in his life and people. Of the tribe of Judah, God testified of him that he had a different spirit and wholly followed God (Num. 14:24). He was one of the 12 sent to spy the land and he used his influence to steer the people in the right direction.

LEADERSHIP INFLUENCE

Scripture: Numbers 13:30-33, 14:1-4

“For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.” Isaiah 9:16 (KJV)

The main reason for leadership is for the leader to use his influence to motivate the people into action. A leader is meant to encourage the people to overcome their fears, anxieties and worries, and step out to create changes in their lives and communities. This is the power of a true leader; he can move the people to do good or to do evil.

SEE THE POSSIBILITY

Scripture: Numbers 13:25-30

“I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me”  Phillipians 4:13 (KJV)

Moses had commissioned 12 leaders to search the land and bring a report of their findings (Num.13:1-20). Of the 12, two of them distinguished themselves by the report that they brought back. One was Caleb and the other Joshua. While the other 10 saw and reported the facts, these men saw and reported the truth. Facts are what we see and measure with our physical senses, but the truth is what God is saying about a situation and this can only be gauged with our spiritual senses.

GOD NEEDS LEADERS

Scripture: Numbers 13:1-16

“But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain– and appoint them as official…” Exodus 18:21

When critical and important jobs need to be done, they are usually assigned to effective leaders. To guarantee success in the assignment, people who have been trained and tested are usually given the responsibility. It becomes a problem when people are put in positions or assigned task based on their connections and not their character and antecedence. This has largely been responsible for lack of development and progress in many nations and communities.

SUBMISSION IN SERVICE

Scripture: Genesis 16:1-9
“Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.” 1 Peter 2:18 (NASB)

Submission is a state of willing obedience. We are all accountable in varying degrees to one person or the other. As God’s children, it is required of us to always submit respectfully to those who are in authority over us. Submission to authority is required of us whether it is convenient or not. Insubordination and rebellion towards our leaders will only put us at odds with God and man.

YOUR HEART: THE POWERHOUSE

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23-25

“…for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Luke 6:45 (KJV)

The bible says that a good man out of the good treasure of his heart will bring forth that which is good and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart will bring forth that which is evil. Why is this so? We are told that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth will speak” (Luke 6:45).

GUARD YOUR HEART

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23-25

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 (KJV)

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A guard is one paid to protect assets from harm. When a guard is on duty, he is expected to be alert and watchful. Your heart seats your spirit and mind. It is the place where thoughts and feelings originate and are processed. The individual that can master this part of his life has truly achieved a great feat.

TRUST IS EARNED

Scripture: Genesis 24:1-10
“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.” Colossians 3:22 (KJV)

In our world today, trust is a valuable attribute. Many lives, homes and businesses have been shattered because people entrusted sensitive tasks, information and responsibilities to people with little or no integrity. Being trusted worthy cannot be bought but must be worked out consciously by keeping to little promises, vows and decisions made daily. On the long run, this becomes a consistent pattern of life.