The former Stenhouse St Aidan’s Parish Church will cater for up to 75 people.
Thanks to a £220,000 refurbishment, a new extension has also been added to the building to include a toilet block and showers for men.
The accommodation project is a joint venture between Gorgie, Dalry, Stenhouse Church of Scotland and Bethany Christian Trust.
Gorgie, Dalry Stenhouse Church building manager, David MacLennan, said in a statement: “The pilot project has been a resounding success.
“Jesus had a great concern for the poor and the outcast and we strongly believe that we must share God’s love for those who are less fortunate than ourselves.”
Women will be able to use toilet and shower facilities that before the conversion served as the vestry and a number of small rooms. Their sleeping quarters (pictured below) are in a separate area of the sanctuary.
The building has been renamed Diadem and volunteers from around 70 church congregations in Edinburgh use the kitchen to cook a two-course meal for service users each night.
The shelter is open from 9pm until 6.30am and a light breakfast is served in the morning.
Service users get access to a second-hand clothes bank, which also provides new underwear and sanitary products.
The shelter project began in Edinburgh as a two-week pilot in 1996 and has grown to 32 weeks, covering the coldest…
Church leaders have pretty clear perspectives about low attendance days.
They know when to expect them. Some are common across different regions and cultures. Others are unique to specific localities. Most of them are painful for pastors and other church leaders.
So, when I put the question out on social media, the responses were fast, funny and, sometimes, furious. I doubt there will be many surprises on this list. They are still good reminders we are all dealing with the challenges of commitment. Here are the nine most common low attendance days in order of frequency of response.
Spring break. “We get hit hard on both the weekend before Spring break and the weekend after. I’m ready to move to a church in a retirement community.”
Holiday weekends. “Labor Day. MLK Day. Memorial Day. You name it. As long as there is a long weekend ahead, our folks will find an excuse to miss church.”
Bad weather. “We don’t get much snow, so any accumulation above 1/1000 of an inch sends people to get milk and bread at the grocery store, and makes them stay away from church lest their lives are at risk with such dangerous precipitation. But they will be okay to go to work on Monday.”
Good weather. “We miss as many folks in really good weather as we do in lousy weather. They will stay away if there is a 5% chance of rain; but they will really stay away if there is a 20% chance of sunshine. The lake calls.”
Sports. “Travel teams. College football. NFL. Kids playing soccer and football. In the…
Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands the house leaks. — Ecclesiastes 10:18 (NKJV)
Do you truly believe that love can change the world? I do. But I also know the events and accomplishments that have brought lasting change to the world have not been accidental; they have been things people thought through and acted on deliberately. The Bible is filled with instructions for us to be active.
Wishing for something does not produce the results we desire, but we must aggressively do what needs to be done to achieve them. We will never find a successful man who spent his life wishing for success and attained it. The same principle applies to loving God, loving ourselves, and loving others. If we want to love people as Jesus instructed, we will have to do so on purpose. It will not happen by accident.
If we seek opportunities to love people, we are sure to find them, and that will protect us from being idle and passive. We must ask ourselves if we are alert and active or passive and inactive? God is alert and active! I am glad He is; otherwise, things in our lives would deteriorate rapidly.
So much good can happen in your life and in the lives of those around you if you’ll simply decide not to be passive, but to follow the Holy Spirit as He leads you. God-inspired, balanced activity will keep you from being idle and bless many people in the process.
Prayer Starter: Lord, help me today to be active and intentional, not passive or idle. Each day, help me to take steps and make progress as it pertains to my dreams, responsibilities, and loving others in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Topic: Engaging the Unlimited Power of Faith for Settlement!
Welcome to April! I have no doubt that God gave every one of us diverse eye-opening encounters with His Word all through the month of March, 2019 and I believe that these encounters will remain lifetime assets for every one of us, in Jesus’ name! All through this month, we shall explore the subject of faith, the supernatural force which guarantees our victory over sicknesses, diseases, poverty and wickedness. Therefore, get set for an impartation of the Spirit of faith via the teachings of the month. This week, we shall examine: Engaging the Unlimited Power of Faith for Settlement!
We understand from Scriptures that our settlement as believers is crucial to God. That’s why the Bible says: But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you (1Peter 5:10). Every prophetic word from God is designed for fulfilment. As it is written: And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord (Luke 1:45). This is because prophecies are not psychological predictions, but the unveiling of divine plans. We must understand that God speaks according to His resources and not our scarcity. He speaks according to His integrity and not our fallibility. He also speaks according to His size and His unlimited capacity to make it happen (Isaiah 55:11; Numbers 23:19; Deuteronomy 18:22; Haggai 2:8; Psalm 50:9-11). In addition, it is important to know that only God’s hand can perform whatever He says. However, without our faith, we cannot take delivery. It is written: The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand (Isaiah 14:24).
What, Then, is Faith?
Faith is a Spiritual Engraftment of Humanity into Divinity Thereby Commanding Supernatural Feats: For instance, when the woman with the issue of blood grafted herself to Jesus Christ through her faith, she tapped into His virtue and the flow of blood ceased. Similarly, when we engage our faith, we are grafted into God and become partakers of His divine nature, thereby commanding divine authority over the issues of life (Romans 11:19-23).
We must recognise that the Bible is a book of covenants and God’s covenant with man in Scriptures is binding as long as the earth remains (Jeremiah 33:20-22; Psalm 89:34). However, we must understand that it is our faith in the settled Word of God that guarantees our settlement in life (1 Peter 5:8-10; Psalm 119:89).
Having established that faith is the covenant force that guarantees our settlement, we must also know that God’s covenant is based on well defined terms and sealed with an oath to deliver. As such, we must believe and engage these terms to commit God’s integrity to perform (Isaiah 34:16).
What are the Terms of the Covenant of Settlement?
We Must Fully Return to God: Until we return to our covenant walk with God, it is not our turn to be settled (Malachi 3:7). For instance, life was a miserable adventure for the prodigal son until he returned. When he did, he was settled and his dignity was restored. Also, until Judah returned in the days of King Asa, she was not settled. However, upon return, God gave Judah all-round rest (Luke 15:17-24; 2Chronicles 15:3-6; 11-15). In addition, we must understand that being away from God is a curse (Psalm 16:4). This is because we serve a jealous God, Who cannot stand double dealings (Exodus 34:13; James 1:6-8).
We Must be Planted in the House of the Lord: Zion is the Church of Christ and our covenant place of settlement (Obadiah 1:17; Hebrews 12:22-24; Psalm 84:4-7; 132:13-18). Again, when we are planted in the house of God, we are ordained to flourish in all areas. However, it is important to note that God has an appointed place of worship for every believer and until we locate and abide there, our settlement is not guaranteed (Psalm 92:12-15; 2 Samuel 7:10; Deuteronomy 12:13-14).
We Must Make a Covenant to Serve God: Serving God indeed and in truth commits Him to our settlement. It is when we serve God and the interest of His Kingdom that He adds to us what others are dying to get (Matthew 6:33; 2 Chronicles 15:1-4/12-15; Joshua 24:15; Deuteronomy 30:19; Exodus 23:25-26; Job 36:11). Remember, only workers are entitled to wages. Therefore, we should not just watch others serve God but engage wholeheartedly and excitedly in Kingdom service, and watch God deliver our settlement testimonies (Matthew 10:10; Luke 10:7; 1 Timothy 5: 18).
We Must Pray for our Desired Settlement as Men and Women Did in Bible Days: From several scriptural references, we understand that God established the altar of prayer as the altar of settlement. For instance, when Jacob, Jabez, Hannah, Blind Bartimaeus and the Canaanite Woman prayed in faith for their settlement, the Bible says that God heard and settled them immediately. This simply means that we are only entitled to receive what we ask for in faith (James 4:2; Genesis 32:24-28; 1 Chronicles 4:9-10; 1 Samuel 1:13-19; Mark 10:46-52; Matthew 15:13-28).
Raise an Altar of Sacrifice: We can also enforce our settlement by rearing an altar of sacrifice as prompted by the Spirit of God. For instance, when Noah offered a sacrifice to God after the flood, God averted the curse and settled humanity. Again, when David reared an altar of sacrifice as instructed by God, the plague ceased (Psalm 126:1-6; Genesis 8:20-22; 2 Samuel 24:18-25). Therefore, whenever we receive a prompting of the Holy Spirit to rear an altar of sacrifice, we should dive into it in faith, because therein lies our settlement.
In conclusion, God has an agenda of settlement for us but without our faith, we can never access it; and faith cannot be exercised unless we are born again. Are you born again? If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so. Simply say the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now, I know I am born again!
For further reading, please get my books: Unlimited Power of Faith, Understanding the Power of Faith, Exploits of Faith and Born to Win! I invite you to fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280; or E-mail: [email protected]; Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidoyedepoministries/; Twitter: @DavidOyedepoMin.
Bishop David O. Oyedepo is a Nigerian Christian author, architect, preacher, and the founder and presiding bishop of the mega church, Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners’ Chapel
Divine healing is a state of being restored from sickness to health by God’s intervention while divine health is a state of not getting sick at all. For you to live and enjoy divine health by faith, you have to locate God’s word that has to do with healing or health and stand on the integrity of that word, thereby committing God for your body to respond to the word.
Matthew 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
If you look at this scripture, the word ‘took’ means the sickness left you, it means Jesus has already taken the sickness away, it does not exist. At this point, you are not looking at your body, the pains or the swelling and the discomfort they are causing; you are simply saying ‘if He took all these things then I do not have them’. And as your heart receives the word, you just wake up and find out that you do not have the sickness anymore. Once your heart receives the word, no matter how your body is feeling as long as your faith is strong, the body will eventually respond.
The word of God you are standing on will commit Him to intervene concerning your health. But God cannot intervene if your heart has not received it. You commit God to heal you as He is not a man to lie.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Just as you must present an evidence in the law court, your evidence here is the word of God and the judge who is God will then rule the case in your favour and your body will be healed. You must locate the word, receive it, believe it, act on it, speak it and then it becomes real in your life.
This works for every area of your life – prosperity, healing, deliverance etc. All you need to do is locate God’s word, receive it in your heart without doubting, declare it to the world and you will commit God to do it. Even in marriage, if you locate God’s word, no matter your age, stand on it, and the man will locate you and come to you. The first thing is just to get the word. If you say you have faith, you are saying you have the word of God not just knowing and reciting it but you believe what it says and act on it even if your circumstances says otherwise.
Any time a man says I have faith, it means he has a word he is standing on. Faith commits God’s integrity.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
So, faith is evidential and substantial. You do not see it but you commit God based on what you believe in His word and then He performs what He said.
Hebrews 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Every good report is obtained by faith. God will only be pleased when you walk by faith. Faith is an active living force, the vital force that turns situations around. You need faith to take delivery of everything God has said in His word. What you will see tomorrow is a function of your faith today.
Have faith in God to perfect your health no matter the sickness, nothing is too hard for God to do!
God bless you
Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:
Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.
If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
THE MESSAGE:
Jesus ministry drew a lot of people, not simply because He was Jesus but because His ministry was holistic. He went about Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sicknesses and diseases among the people (verse 23). Jesus was not only interested in the prosperity of their soul and spirit but also in the prosperity of their body (health). This was the character of Jesus’ ministry. We must also seek this kind of ministry if we must be relevant in this generation.
However, it is important to note the underlying motivation for Jesus healing of the people with diverse kinds of diseases and illnesses. He did not heal simply to show off His power but His actions were motivated by a heart of compassion and kindness towards the people. Healing power is not limited to Jesus alone; it is available to all believers as He promised in Mark 16:15-18.
Jesus brings complete salvation; believers in Him must also live and preach this full salvation. Is your preaching holistic? Are you saved? If yes, thank Him. If not pray and receive Him now.
Prayer: Father, revive Your Church to the preaching of a holistic gospel that brings complete salvation.
Key Verse: “Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof.” – (Joshua 15:47).
MESSAGE:
It is an undisputable fact that God can create something from nothing and can bring out the visible from the invisible. Even man who is the crown of the creation of God was made from ordinary dust of the earth. This attests to the omnipotent nature of our Almighty and all-wise Creator.
The passage today, though merely lists the cities of Judah and their borders, yet, is quite instructive. There stands out a number of lessons for believers to learn. On this list, we might wonder why Bethlehem, which afterwards became the city of David was not mentioned, even when it was to be destined to be the birth place of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That city, which at best, was but little among the thousands of Judah, was omitted as it was not to be accounted one of the cities.
A biblical prophecy declared it several hundreds of years before the birth of Christ that Bethlehem Ephratah, though it be little among thousands of Judah, yet, out of it would come forth unto us He that would be Ruler in Israel, “whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2). This shows that the connection between Christ and Bethlehem was what brought our greatness for that hitherto insignificant land.
In the same vein, the coming of Jesus in the life of an individual will transform such a person from the state of mediocre to a hero, from failure to success, from nothingness to appointments, from indigence to affluence, from insignificance to greatness and from sinfulness to saintliness.
Thought For The Day: Christ brightens the corner where we are.
The Bible In One Year: Acts 1-2
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
Flatimes’ Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:
Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.
If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
TOPIC: Be Strong and Courageous (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 8 April 2019)
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 10-12; Luke 9:37-62
FIRE SCRIPTURE: Joshua 1:1-9
MEMORY VERSE: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” – James 4:8
The MESSAGE:
When you walk by faith, you will claim all that God has for you without consideration of your human limitations and economic circumstances. Unbelief is the key factor that makes people to settle for something less than God’s best. In getting God’s best, we must be prepared to confront and conquer all stubborn obstacles on our way. Only those who reject the devil’s alternative eventually achieve God’s best for their lives.
God charged Joshua to be strong and courageous thereby giving insight into the nature and challenges he would face in the task before him. God was not explicit about the challenges but He was emphatic about the indispensability of boldness and courage. The events that happened in the ministry of Joshua provides justification for God’s emphasis that Joshua should be strong and courageous.
In the first instance, it was necessary for Joshua to be strong and courageous in enforcing all the laws God gave them through Moses because of the human nature which naturally questions the authority of a new leader when the main leader passes on. They would want to water down the standards set by the founding fathers to suit their selfish purpose. Joshua must therefore assert his authority like Moses in order to succeed in this great task.
Secondly, it was critical for Joshua to be strong and courageous whenever events run contrary to his expectations. God knew there would be a circumstance that would terribly shake Joshua’s faith and the only thing that would sustain Joshua was to be strong and courageous. God sometimes permits us to experience humiliating defeats in order to test our faith and reveal to us what’s really going on in our hearts. What life does to us depends on what life finds in us, and we do not always know the condition of our own hearts until revealed by circumstances confronting us. The defeat of Israel by Ai revealed Joshua’s heart condition as he tried to put the blame on God without first making enquiries as to the cause of the disgraceful defeat.
Finally, Joshua needed to be strong and courageous in cleaning any defilement in the camp and bringing to judgement anyone found guilty of sponsoring the defilement. The test before Joshua was on what to do to Achan and his family. He needed to be strong and courageous in passing death sentence upon the guilty without fear or favour.
We see in our study today that we have vital roles to play in activating the promises of God. God cannot lie, but man must be strong and courageous to do all things according to the instructions of God in order to possess his possessions. You must be strong and courageous to diligently observe all the commandments of the Lord as necessary prerequisite to enter into your inheritance (Deuteronomy 28:1). You must be strong and courageous to confront and conquer voices of discouragement and frustration that the enemy may project against you. Finally, you must be strong and courageous to deal decisively with any sin in your life sponsored by satan and the flesh to hinder you from entering into your promised land. As you draw near to God, He will also draw near to you and all your battles shall turn to victory, in Jesus’ name.
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: THOUGH YOU MAY NOT SEE HIM BUT GOD IS ALWAYS THERE WITH YOU IN EVERY SITUATION
PROPHETIC WORD: Every enemy of your next level shall be disgraced.
PRAYER POINTS:
MORNING
Holy Ghost, come upon my life, power of the Most High God, overshadow me, in the name of Jesus.
Anointing for boldness, enter me now, in the name of Jesus.
O Lord, strengthen my hands, in the name of Jesus. EVENING
Unbelief, loose your hold upon my life. Pack your load and go, in the name of Jesus.
Host of heaven, arise and fight for me, in the name of Jesus.
You gate of my blessings, open unto me by fire, in the name of Jesus.
I possess my possessions by fire, in the name of Jesus.
MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE is a daily devotional by Dr. D.K Olukoya (General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, Worldwide)
Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:
Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.
If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
A quality prayer life is necessary for the boosting and enhancement of faith. We must understand that prayer is faith and faith is prayer. So, prayerlessness is a confirmation of faithlessness. It is a manifestation of lack of faith in God who alone can answer prayer.
SCRIPTURE: We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Prayer is faith and faith is prayer
From our anchor Scripture, we see that faith is not something that just happens without effort. The Bible tells us that faith is work. Faith is not something we wish into existence, rather, it is worked into manifestation. The woman of God, Gloria Copeland has said that victory is not for the lazy. A child of God who is not ready to work is not ready for victory in the kingdom.
Now, one of the spiritual endeavours that enhance the potency of faith is prayer.
A quality prayer life is necessary for the boosting and enhancement of faith. We must understand that prayer is faith and faith is prayer. So, prayerlessness is a confirmation of faithlessness. It is a manifestation of lack of faith in God who alone can answer prayer.
Now, how does prayer enhance or facilitate faith?
1. Prayer helps in building our relationship with God.
A quality prayer life provides the time to build relationship between man and God. The more time we spend with God at the place of prayer, the easier it is to trust and believe Him. Faith is a walkover where trust in God has been established.
2. Prayer offers the opportunity for the expression of thoughts, convictions and expectations.
The place of prayer offers the opportunity to present faith-based desires and confessions of Scriptures.
3. The place of prayer is the place of revelation and insight; and this fuels faith (Jeremiah 33:3).
At the place of prayer, you are able to access revelation which is the fuel of conviction that will sponsor action, and facilitate manifestation.
My counsel is, make up your mind to boost your faith in God by a lifestyle of consistent and continual prayer.
REMEMBER THIS: Prayer is faith and faith is prayer.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Determine to maintain a regularly scheduled prayer life
Pray with expectation, revelation and conviction
PRAYER: O Lord, I ask for the grace to maintain a fervent prayer life.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: FAITH ENHANCERS AND FACILITATORS (PT1)
QUOTE: God with a person equals success. And since prayer makes God to be with a person, the prayerful are always the successful. Culled from PRINCIPLES AND POWER OF PRAYER by Dr Paul Enenche.
DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 32:28 to 52, Luke 12:35 to 59, Psalm 78:56 to 64, Proverbs 12:24.
AMAZING FACT: The stapes, in the middle ear, is the smallest and lightest bone of the human skeleton.
TODAY IN HISTORY: 08/04/1904 – Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan is renamed Times Square after The New York Times.
Today’s devotional was written by Pastor Paul Enenche of the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Pastor Paul and Becky Enenche, as the Senior Pastors. It is a power-packed arena where God’s Presence, Principles and Power are at work for the salvation, healing and restoration of human destinies and dignities
Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:
Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.
If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
Dearly Beloved, welcome to the month of April, the month wherein we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; Jesus a gift with a lift, Jesus our redeemer, Jesus our healer, Jesus our deliverer, Jesus our resurrection and life. Oh thank God for Jesus! I’m filled with great expectations for this month and even this quarter, because our God is able. Beloved, the resurrection of Jesus is why Christianity exists; therefore, you can depend on Jesus to resurrect whatever dead things might be present in your life. This month you will testify, whatever that long-standing issue is that seems to be proving difficult to bow, must bow this month in the name of Jesus.
This Sunday, I come to remind you that in-spite of the pressures you may be going through; you are still God’s beloved. God loves you in-spite of what may be coming against you. God is not indifferent about you. Look at what the Apostle Paul wrote in his epistle to the Ephesians:
EPHESIANS 1: 1-5 {KJV}
‘’Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.’’
First and foremost, one key to enjoying your Christian experience in-spite of the contradictions and shakings all around is never to lose sight of the fact that you are a child of God. You are not going to be a child of God, you are already. As a child of God, understand that you are entitled to the vast resources of Heaven. As a child of God, you have a portion in the land. Settle it in your heart that as long as your Heavenly Father has no lack in Heaven, you also will not suffer lack on the Earth. Don’t let the devil deceive you into thinking you don’t count. You do count. You may not qualify by human standards, but rejoice in the fact that God has qualified you. You have been accepted in the beloved in-spite of your shortcomings and there is nothing the devil can do about it.
Secondly, you need to understand that you are already blessed because God says so. You have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. If God says you are blessed, then it follows that everything that concerns you is also blessed. It doesn’t matter what you are going through in your marriage right now, if God says it is a blessed union, then that settles it. You must therefore learn to agree with God that everything that concerns you is blessed. In like manner, settle it in your heart that your finances, health, promotion and family are blessed.
Beloved, another revelation of being accepted in the beloved you must have is that you pre-existed this world. That means you were chosen before the foundation of the world was laid and you are without blame. Men may say you don’t qualify, but God already chose you before the foundation of the earth was laid and there is nothing anyone can do about it. You were chosen in Him, and so if Christ is strong, rich, holy, healthy, then you are that also. If you are His beloved according to the scriptures, then you are His favourite, the apple of His eye and His pet. That means He respects you, dots over you and is concerned about you. Because He loves you, He is favourably disposed towards you. He is ready to fight for you when you are backed up in a corner.
I therefore come to challenge you this morning to receive what God has done for you in Christ. Beloved, in Christ you don’t do but receive. You must learn to rest on the finished work of Christ. That is the beginning of obtaining your miracle. When you believe right, your miracle has no choice than to gravitate towards you. I declare to you by the authority of the word of God that this year, you will not see shame neither will you be dismayed. You can’t serve God and see embarrassment. This year, I prophesy that you will not struggle with your finances because God will cause you to have more than enough. You will be Above Only in every area of your life in Jesus’ name, Amen,
As you go into this week, as always, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. As a father in the house, I bless you.
Maranatha!
In His Royal Service Dr Mike Okonkwo The Presiding Bishop
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