Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Dearly Beloved,

O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED

“You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to obey your words” (Psalm 119:57 NIV).

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go’” (Luke 9:57 NIV).

“Mo ti seleri, Jesu” the Yoruba version of the hymn, “O Jesus, I Have Promised” was one of the hymns I loved when I was growing up as a teenager. I could sing off-hand almost all the lyrics of the hymn in Yoruba. It is a hymn of commitment composed by John Ernest Bode (1816-1874), an Anglican clergyman serving a small parish near Cambridge, England when his three children, a daughter and two sons, were ready for confirmation.  As the priest of the church, he would preside over the ceremony. So, he composed the hymn to remind the children of their commitment to Jesus Christ, the spiritual warfare that is associated with Christian life, and the fact that if Jesus Christ is with them, they will overcome and in the end be with Him in Heaven.

In this hymn, John Bode declared that he had promised to serve Jesus to the end and asked Jesus who he knew as “my Master and my friend” to be near him forever. He confessed that he would not fear the battle if Jesus is by his side, nor wander from the pathway if He would be his guide. Because of many temptations that the world often offers the Christian and the fact that foes are ever near both within and without, John Bode prayed that he feels Jesus near him and shield his soul from sin. He continued to pray that he hear Jesus speaking in accents clear and still above the storms of passion and the murmurs of self-will. Because Jesus is the guardian of his soul, he wanted Him to speak to reassure him and make him listen to Him. John Bode reminded Jesus that He has promised all who follow Him that where He is in glory there shall they also be. Therefore, he reaffirmed his promise to Jesus to serve Him to the end. John Bode also prayed that he see the footprints of Jesus, and desired to plant his own footprints in them.. He affirmed that his hope is to duly follow alone in the strength of Jesus. He wanted Jesus, his Savior and Friend, to guide him, call him, draw him, uphold him to the end, and receive him in Heaven. What a great commitment!

What is your commitment to Jesus Christ? Have you promised to follow and serve Him till the end? Are you ready to listen to Him and let Him be your Guide? You will never regret you did!

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
+2348055159591
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ https://www.facebook.com/afolabayo   
Prayer Point: Pray that you will be committed to faithfully following and serving Jesus for the rest of your life.  
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN" (Philippians 1:20-21 NIV).

SPIRITUALDIGEST+SUBSCRIBE@GROUPS.IO

Dearly Beloved,
“GOD TALKS NONSENSE!”
"We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew.... the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:7-8a, 14 NKJV).
Times without number, I have met people online who declared that there is no God. If I tried to point to the Holy Bible, they would say that the Book is one of the fabricated stories of some Jews. If I went further to assert that the Holy Bible is the Word of God, they would conclude that God, if He exists, is talking nonsense!
Let us agree that such people are atheists, agnostics, liberals, free thinkers or simply unbelievers or non-Christians. Apostle Paul referred to them as "natural men." However, many so-called Christians can also be referred to as natural men because they find it difficult to believe some teachings of the Bible, not to talk of practicing such teachings.
Apostle Paul admitted in 1 Corinthian 2 that the Word of God is a mystery, and only people that have the Spirit of God can understand it. No wonder, he had earlier said, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing" (1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV). The Word of God is foolishness to the natural man because he is not of the Spirit of God, and does not reason with the Spirit of God.
God does exist, and He does NOT talk nonsense! He has made Himself known to all. Only a fool will have a contrary opinion on this. There may be difficult messages in the Word of God. Yet, they are understandable. Only those that yield themselves to the leadership of God will understand Him and His Word.
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
Prayer Point: Lord, give me a humble spirit to seek You and a teachable heart to learn and understand Your words in Jesus' name. Amen.

Dearly Beloved,

PASS ME NOT, O GENTLE SAVIOR

"Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'" (Mark 10:46-48 NIV).

Undoubtedly, the hymn, "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior," is one of the most popular hymns of all time. Interestingly, it was composed (like many other popular hymns) by Fanny Jane Crosby (1820-1915), a woman that became blind at six weeks of age. There are two stories associated with this hymn. One, it was reported that Ms. Crosby had a dream one night. She dreamed that the Lord Jesus was walking among the people in her church and touching each of those who would go to Heaven with Him. As He got closer she started to fervently pray that He would not pass her by. When she awoke she penned the words to this lovely song and was able to describe in detail the people in her church even though she had never seen them. Two, it was believed that the inspiration for this hymn was the result of a visit to a prison by Ms. Crosby during spring 1868. After she had spoken and some of her hymns had been sung, she heard one of the prisoners cry out in a pleading voice, "Good Lord, do not pass me by." That evening, she wrote a hymn that incorporated the line, “Pass me not, O gentle Savior.”

Whichever of the incidents that made Ms. Croby composed the hymn, the lyrics are so inspiring. The hymn is a humble cry of Fanny Crosby and any other person that does not want the gentle Savior to pass him/her by while He is calling other people. Kneeling at the Savior's throne of mercy in deep contrition, Crosby sought to find a sweet relief for her unbelief. She trusted in the Savior's merit and grace for healing of her wounded and broken spirit. She confessed that the Savior is the Spring of all her comfort, who is more than life to her because He is the only One she had on earth and in heaven.

What is your own situation presently? Will you not also cry unto this Savior of the world not to pass you by? Call unto Him like that blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46. He will surely listen to you if you can call Him in faith (see Psalm 50:15; 91:15; Jeremiah 33:3; Zechariah 13:9; James 5:13).

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray for the courage to always cry out to God when you need Him most.

_________________________
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Dearly Beloved,

WARN YOUR EYES!

"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a [lady]" (Job 31:1 TLB).

The world is full of detestable things - things that can drive people away from their Creator. Unfortunately, people are the instruments that the devil is using to propagate these detestable things. Most of these things are what are appealing to the eyes. This was the strategy that the devil used to deceive the first woman, Eve. The Bible says, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye..." (Genesis 3:6 NIV). Many things, even good things like that forbidden fruit, are pleasing to the eyes, and they have lured people to their destruction. One of such things is the female physical body. Ordinarily, every woman is created to be attractive, but the devil has made many women to use this to mislead men, especially men that are not careful. Most women have turned their physical bodies to tools in the hands of the devil to ruin men. Some of them are doing this deliberately while others are doing it unconsciously. This has made many men to look lustfully at women even at times involuntarily. As if Job had known the teachings of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:28 "that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (NIV), Job made a covenant with his eyes not to look at women with lust (see Job 31:1, 9). In order words, he had warned his eyes on what to look at.

That resolution will be a good one for any man. A man should warn his eyes not to look lustfully at women no matter how tempting they may be. This warning has to be extended to what type of book to read and (especially in this era of the Internet) what to look at on the Internet. Women also should resolve not to make themselves a ready tool in the hands of the devil to lure men into lust. 

Either man or woman, we have to decide like Job to live against lust and anything that has to do with it because: it is a sin (Matthew 5:27-30); it is dangerous (Proverbs 6:25-29); it is contrary to the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18); it hinders prayer (James 4:2-5); and it will pass away (1 John 2:15-17). We can only live in dominion over lust and anything that can cause it through the power of the Holy Spirit by: self-determination (Job 31:1); self-crucifixion (Galatians 5:24; Romans 6:12-13); and the grace of God (Titus 2:12).

Do not let what or who you behold lure you away from your God. Warn your eyes and your behaviours!

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray that you will be able to always caution yourself on things and people you are beholding so that they will not lure away from God.
_____________________
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN" (Philippians 1:20-21 NIV).

Dearly Beloved,

FULFILLING ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS

"Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15 NIV).

Like John the Baptist, one would wonder why Jesus Christ would present Himself for a baptism of repentance. However, Jesus' response to John the Baptist was that it was appropriate for Him to take part in John's baptism at that time in order to fulfil all righteousness. Since there was no requirements about baptism in Mosaic Law, Jesus could not have had in view anything pertaining to Levitical righteousness. Nevertheless, John the Baptist's message was a message of repentance, and those experiencing it were looking forward to a coming Messiah who would be righteous and who would bring in righteousness. If Jesus Christ as the Messiah were to provide righteousness for sinners, He must be identified with sinners. It was therefore in the will of God for Him to be baptized by John in order to be identified with sinners. This identification received the approval of God as God sent down His Spirit on Jesus and declared that Jesus is His beloved Son.

Jesus Christ did not only identify with the people by His baptism, He actually came to serve them and give His life as ransom for them (see Matthew 20:28;  Philippians 2:4-8). Because of this, He was exalted to the highest place and given a name above all names "...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11 NIV).

Most of people in high places and positions of leadership find it difficult to be identified with people they are leading and are in low places. They think that they are "too big" to be identified with the downtrodden. They are not ready to sacrifice their pleasure to satisfy the people that are under them. They have forgotten that in God's reckoning, "The greatest among you will be your servant" (Matthew 23:11 NIV). No wonder, Paul admonished in Romans 12:16, "Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position" (NIV).

In what way do you identify yourself with the people you are leading or serving? Do not be "too big" to really serve others around you. To fulfil all righteousness, find ways you can identify with people around you. The Lord will indeed reward you for this.

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray that you will not be too proud to identify with people around you.

Dearly Beloved,

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV).

Almost all the Christian hymns have touching and striking stories that made their composers to compose them. Interestingly, the popular hymn - "GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS" - did not have any such story. The writer of the hymn, Thomas O. Chisholm, confessed that there were no special circumstances that prompted him to write this great hymn. He got his inspiration just from his experience and Bible truth. He said in a letter written in 1941 that in spite of the fact that his small income as a result of impaired health in his earlier years, he was aware of the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that God had given him many wonderful displays of His providing care.

In the hymn, like Jeremiah in his lamentations, Chisholm declared that because the compassion of God never fails, great is the faithfulness of God. God renews this faithfulness during summer, winter, springtime and harvest, in fact, every morning. This faithfulness is manifested in the courses of sun, moon, and stars above. The whole nature joins in witnessing this faithfulness. The faithfulness includes pardon for sin and an enduring peace, God's cheering and guiding presence, strength for today, bright hope for tomorrow, and countless blessings. Indeed great is the faithfulness of God!

You are also experiencing this faithfulness of God every day. Do you realize this? If yes, do you appreciate God for it? If you do not realize it, it means you are not focusing on God and you have placed your trust either in yourself or any other thing apart from God. Focus on God and you will have many reasons to declare His faithfulness over your life.

Great is thy faithfulness, O God!
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
Prayer Point: Pray that you will always experience the faithfulness of God every day.

Dearly Beloved,

BENEFITS OF BEING RIGHTEOUS

"Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord" (Psalm 112:6-7 NIV).

More and more people are becoming religious especially in this part of the world. However, it is becoming more difficult to find righteous people who really fear God in his day-to-day activities. In spite of this fact,  the writer of Psalm 112 enumerated some of the benefits that a righteous man would enjoy.

Who is a righteous man? Firstly, a righteous man is a person that is uncompromising. He is principled and is known for what he stands for. He is indeed purpose-driven. Secondly, a righteous man is a person that is upright and just in his dealings. While he may not necessarily be blameless, he must be trustworthy and of good reputation. Thirdly, a righteous man is a person that is in right standing with God. He must be somebody into whom God has imputed His righteousness in Jesus Christ and he is living in a way that is pleasing to God.

Building on the end of the previous psalm, the writer of Psalm 112, in verse one, said that one who fears the LORD and delights in His Law is blessed. Five blessings or benefits that come to one who is righteous and fears God are enumerated: Firstly, the righteous is blessed with physical and material prosperity because God is righteous (verses 2-3). Secondly, light is given even in darkness for the righteous (verse 4). This could refer to success (in place of failure) or to discernment. Thirdly, the  righteous receives goodness in return for being generous and just (verses 5 and 9). Fourthly, he will be firmly established in his faith, and unshakable with no fear of what man might do to him (verses 6-8). In fact, the righteous' memory will be eternal and blessed (cf. Proverbs 10:7). Fifthly, because the righteous gives generously and is just in his affairs (verses 5 and 9), he will be made strong and honourable by the LORD.

Undoubtedly, everyone would want to enjoy all of these benefits. However, how many people are ready to be righteous and genuinely fear God? How many people are uncompromising, upright and are in right standing with God? It may seem as if it does not pay to be righteous in this present-day society, but it really pays to be righteous and genuinely fear God.

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
Prayer Point: Pray for the enablement to be righteous in this world full of unrighteousness.

_________________________
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
+2348055159591
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ https://www.facebook.com/afolabayo 

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN" (Philippians 1:20-21 NIV).

Dearly Beloved,

A TEMPLE INDEED!

“Or do you not know that yourbody is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God,and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV).

As I was waiting for mybreakfast to be served one morning, I saw a news flash on my phone that reads,"If my body is a temple of God, who am I to stop people from entering thehouse of the Lord?” I clicked on the link and discovered that the statement wasmade by a so-called pretty lady in one of her tweets on Twitter. She based herargument on the above verse! Interestingly, thousands of people have retweetedand liked the tweet. I would not know if these people agree or not with thelady. However, the lady and all her followers miss it! They are one of thosepeople that interpret and apply the words of God to suite their selfishinterests. 

This verse is applicable onlyto those who have accepted Jesus Christ their personal Saviour and Lord. Yourbody being the temple of the Holy Spirit means the Holy Spirit is living in you.Apostle Paul had earlier categorically said, “Do you not know that you are thetemple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16NKJV). Ordinarily, a temple is a building used for the worship of a god orgods. It is a sacred standout place that is restricted to certain people whousually have consecrated themselves before entering it for worship of the god.It is not a place that anybody can enter. In fact, it is the abode of the gods.

Referring to 1 Corinthians6:19, apostle Paul was referring to each Corintian Christian and by extensionevery other Christian as the dwelling place of God on earth. The body of aperson does not belong to the person that carries it. The person is just thecarrier. Every Christian is expected to consecrate him/herself as a dedicatedvessel of his/her Creator. Apostle Paul put it in another words in Romans 12:1:“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you presentyour bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is yourreasonable service” (NKJV). He/She should not see him/herself as ordinaryperson, and should not allow anybody to misuse him/her. He/She is peculiar.Apostle Peter used four words – chosen, royal, holy, and special – to describesuch a person (see 1 Peter 2:9). 

So, your body being the templeof God should be cherished and handled with care. You should not use it as youwant or allow anyone to use it as they want. You will give account on how youuse your body or allow other people to use it (see 1 Corinthians 3:17). You area temple indeed! 

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray that youwill be mindful of how you use your body as the temple of God.

Dearly Beloved,

REVIVAL AGAIN?

“Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6 NIV).

Psalm 85 is one of the popular psalms especially its sixth verse that talks about revival. The title of the Psalm, “For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm,” does not give the name of the author or its background. It was evidently composed in view of the fact that God had, on some former occasion, stepped in when His people were in trouble, but that now for similar causes He was again angry with them, and they were suffering similar calamities (see Judges 2:18, 19 and Psalm 78:8). The psalm contains a fervent prayer that God would again appear for them, and it implies a confident expectation that He would do this, so that the calamities which had come upon them would be removed.

Verses 1-3 of the psalm deal with God’s goodness in the past. It begins with praise to God for restoring the nation. This res­toration showed the fact that God had forgiven and covered all their sins, and had set aside His wrath and anger. One can liken this situation to the era of the Judges in the history of Israel. Verses 4-7 are about people’s prayer for revival. The verses partly described the state of the people. It is clear that the nation was suffering from some calamity; that the anger of God seemed to be upon them; that it appeared as if His wrath would never be turned away; and that unless He should interpose the nation must perish. This may likely be related with the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of the Jews in 2 Kings 25, Jeremiah 39. The psalmist prayed that the Lord would again turn His wrath away and deliver them. He wanted the Lord to put away His displeasure, and not con­tinue to be angry. Apparently the past restoration referred to in verses 1-3 in­spired this prayer for another restoration. By been revived, they would again be able to re­joice and experience His unfailing love. Perhaps no other prayer is more welcome in the ears of God than the one for revival, as expressed here in verse 6.

Verses 8 and 9 are the promise from God. The psalmist said he would listen for word from the LORD who promises peace to His saints. He gives salvation so that His glory may be evi­dent in the land. "Glory" here means the manifestation of God’s presence (cf. Isaiah 60:1-2; Zechariah 2:5). These ideas expressed in God's reve­lation to Israel find their ultimate fulfilment in Christ. This promise of peace and salvation through the glory of the One who dwells among men may have been in John's mind when he wrote John 1:14. Verses 10-13 are about the faith of the psalmist. He was confident that the LORD would cause His attributes (love, faithfulness, and righteous­ness) to work together to provide peace, righteousness, and prosperity.

It should be noted that only a child of God can be revived. Sinners cannot be revived; they need to be resurrected. A dead person cannot be revived; only a live person can be or should be revived. God is ready to revive us if we sincerely pray for revival. However, we must not, because of this, continue to sin. God will forgive and revive, but the scars of the sins will still be there! (see Romans 6:1).

Revival again?

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray for revival from God in every area in your life that you think needs revival.

Dearly Beloved,

YOU CAN FALL VICTIM!

“Therefore let him who thinkshe stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12 NKJV). 

“Be sober, be vigilant;because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whomhe may devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NKJV)..

Although I was once dupedthrough an Internet fraudster some twelve years ago, yet my almost two decadesof experience as a computer and Internet expert had made me to be boasting thatI can no longer fall victim of Internet frauds. I was proved wrong some weeksago when I fell easily to another Internet fraudster and one of my Facebookpersonal pages was hacked. It took me over twenty-four hours of efforts toregain the total control of my Facebook account from the impostor. Some of the peoplethat heard about the incident were surprised that such could happen to me.

Samson was one of the judgesin the pre-monarchical era of the people of Israel. He was a powerful man thatcould kill a lion with bare hands (see Judges 14:5-6), catch three hundredfoxes and tie them tail to tail in pairs (see Judges 15:4), kill a thousand menwith a fresh jawbone of a donkey (see Judges 15:15), and take hold of two pillarsof a city gate and carry them to the top of a hill (see Judges 16:3). However,he fell easily to the hands of his enemies – the Philistines – throughcarelessness on the lap of a woman (see Judges 16:4-22). One would wonder howsuch a mighty man could fall like that.

David was a man after God’sown heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). He killed the giant Goliath at a tenderage (see 1 Samuel 17). He fought and won many wars. In fact, hardly is thereany record of battle that he lost in his lifetime. However, he could not winthe battle of sin of adultery and murder (see 2 Samuel 11). This sin remains likea scar in his history (1 Kings 15:5). Here is another surprise of the fall ofanother notable man!

Simon Peter was an outspokenand courageous disciple of Jesus Christ. He was one of the “inner circle” ofJesus Christ (see Matthew 17:1; Mark 5:37; 14:33). When Jesus Christ predictedthe denial of the disciples as He was about to go to the Cross, Peter boastedthat he would die with Jesus Christ if need be (see Mark 14:30-31). He eventried to defend Jesus Christ as He was about to be arrested by cutting off theear of one of the people that came to arrest Him (see John 18:10). However, Peterfell as he denied Jesus Christ three times after the arrest of Jesus Christ(see John 18:15-18, 25-27).

Any person can fall into erroror sin especially if the person does not take care. No amount of experience,power, affluence or education can prevent falling victim of error or to peoplethat want to take advantage of any careless person. No wonder, Apostles Pauland Peter admonished, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest hefall” and “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks aboutlike a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Corinthians 10:12; 1 Peter5:8 NKJV). Beware, you can fall victim!

In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray that youwill always be careful so that you will not fall victim of any error or sin.
_________________________
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Dearly Beloved,

BE MINDFUL OF EXCESS LUGGAGE!

“Therefore we also, since weare surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight,and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the racethat is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 NKJV).

One of the unforgettable experiencesI had when I was in the United Kingdom for a postgraduate study was whathappened to my wife at Heathrow as she was returning to Nigeria after her two-weekvisit to me. There was a misunderstanding of the information about luggagefound on the website of the airline that would convey her back to Nigeria. Asshe was about to check in her luggage, it was discovered that she had excessluggage! As a rule, she either had to pay for the excess luggage or reduce thecontents of her luggage to the approved weight. She was not ready to pay, so westarted sorting out what she could remove to make her luggage conform to theapproved weight. The time we used to do this made her to almost miss herflight.

Many people in life arelikewise living with excess luggage that is hindering them to move forward intheir God-giving purpose in life. They are like Abram (later known as Abraham)in the Holy Bible that left his people with an excess luggage in person of Lotfor Canaan to fulfill the divine call (Genesis 12:4). As long as Lot was withAbram, he (Abram) could not hear directly from God. Lot was a clog in theprogress of Abram. There was no peace for the servants of Abram till Lot andhis servants separated from Abram and his servants (see Genesis 13). Even whenLot left to take the better part of the land that was meant for Abram, Abramstill needed to care for Lot by rescuing him from some rampaging kings (seeGenesis 14). It is interesting to note that it was after Abram did away withhis excess luggage (that is, Lot) that God spoke with Abram and even made acovenant with him (see Genesis 15). 

Like Abram, the excess luggagein the lives of some people is other people. The excess luggage may be sin. Onmany occasions, it is desires for mundane things that may not be sins inthemselves. Nonetheless, these mundane things are weighing people down.

The writer of the book to theHebrews admonished us to be mindful of excess luggage in order to be able torun the heavenly race that is set before us. This is so because many heavenlywitnesses (faithful people that have lived before us) are watching us. What arethe things (or even people) that may be regarded as excess luggage in yourlife? Shed such luggage now before they hinder you from reaching your divinelyappointed goal in life. Be mindful of excess luggage!

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

 

Prayer Point: Pray that youwill always be mindful of things or people that may serve as excess luggage inyour life journey, and be able to do away with them.

_________________________
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
+2348055159591
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ https://www.facebook.com/afolabayo 

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN" (Philippians 1:20-21 NIV).

Dearly Beloved,

BE MINDFUL OF EXCESS LUGGAGE!

“Therefore we also, since weare surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight,and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the racethat is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 NKJV).

One of the unforgettable experiencesI had when I was in the United Kingdom for a postgraduate study was whathappened to my wife at Heathrow as she was returning to Nigeria after her two-weekvisit to me. There was a misunderstanding of the information about luggagefound on the website of the airline that would convey her back to Nigeria. Asshe was about to check in her luggage, it was discovered that she had excessluggage! As a rule, she either had to pay for the excess luggage or reduce thecontents of her luggage to the approved weight. She was not ready to pay, so westarted sorting out what she could remove to make her luggage conform to theapproved weight. The time we used to do this made her to almost miss herflight.

Many people in life arelikewise living with excess luggage that is hindering them to move forward intheir God-giving purpose in life. They are like Abram (later known as Abraham)in the Holy Bible that left his people with an excess luggage in person of Lotfor Canaan to fulfill the divine call (Genesis 12:4). As long as Lot was withAbram, he (Abram) could not hear directly from God. Lot was a clog in theprogress of Abram. There was no peace for the servants of Abram till Lot andhis servants separated from Abram and his servants (see Genesis 13). Even whenLot left to take the better part of the land that was meant for Abram, Abramstill needed to care for Lot by rescuing him from some rampaging kings (seeGenesis 14). It is interesting to note that it was after Abram did away withhis excess luggage (that is, Lot) that God spoke with Abram and even made acovenant with him (see Genesis 15). 

Like Abram, the excess luggagein the lives of some people is other people. The excess luggage may be sin. Onmany occasions, it is desires for mundane things that may not be sins inthemselves. Nonetheless, these mundane things are weighing people down.

The writer of the book to theHebrews admonished us to be mindful of excess luggage in order to be able torun the heavenly race that is set before us. This is so because many heavenlywitnesses (faithful people that have lived before us) are watching us. What arethe things (or even people) that may be regarded as excess luggage in yourlife? Shed such luggage now before they hinder you from reaching your divinelyappointed goal in life. Be mindful of excess luggage!

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

 

Prayer Point: Pray that youwill always be mindful of things or people that may serve as excess luggage inyour life journey, and be able to do away with them.
_________________________
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
+2348055159591
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ https://www.facebook.com/afolabayo 

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN" (Philippians 1:20-21 NIV).

Dearly Beloved,

WHAT IS THE WORTH OF JESUS CHRIST?

“Then one of the Twelve - the one called Judas Iscariot - went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over” (Matthew 26:14-16 NIV).

Judas Iscariot is known for his nefarious act of betraying Jesus Christ to Jewish leaders for the sum of thirty silver coins only. That was the worth of Jesus Christ to him. He later regretted his action, returned the money to the leaders and went to hang himself.

The worth of Jesus Christ varied to the other disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. Joseph of Arimathea valued even the corpse of Jesus Christ that he “wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock” (Matthew 27:59-60 NIV). He gave to Jesus was special to him because he valued Him greatly. Mary Magdalene and the other women that had been serving Him before His death were still loyal to Him even after His death. They brought spices and perfume to anoint His body. Paul’s statement about the worth of Jesus Christ is classic: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 NIV). Jesus Christ worth the whole life to Paul. No wonder, he later said, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8 NIV). Simon Peter had earlier said similar thing: “We have left everything to follow you!” (Mark 10:28 NIV).

Jesus Christ does not worth a dime to many people. Like Judas, such people do not care about what happen to Jesus Christ and the cause of the Gospel. Such people may even be so-called Christians. Inasmuch as their interest is not affected, they can sell Jesus Christ for any amount. On the other hand, Jesus Christ is all the world to some people. Like Paul and other faithful followers of Jesus Christ in the Bible, such people are ready to give everything to Jesus Christ and the cause of the Gospel.

What is the worth of Jesus Christ to you? Does He worth anything to you? What can you give up or give away because of Jesus Christ? Like Will L. Thomp­son (1847-1909), I have the courage to say, “Jesus is all the world to me, and true to Him I’ll be; O how could I this Friend deny, when He’s so true to me? Following Him I know I’m right, He watches o’er me day and night; Following Him by day and night, He’s my Friend.”

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray that you will always value the worth of Jesus Christ and the cause of the Gospel above any other thing in your life.

_________________________
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
+2348055159591
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ https://www.facebook.com/afolabayo 

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN" (Philippians 1:20-21 NIV).

Dearly Beloved,

WHERE IS YOUR DWELLING PLACE?

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalms 91:1 NIV).

Psalm 91 is one of the most popular psalms. It is popular especially because it is a psalm of assurance of the protection and security of God. However, there is a striking truth in the opening verse of the psalm: the divine protection and security are only for those who live a life of communion with God. People that can apply this psalm to themselves are the people that totally trust in God. They are the people that are living by His standards because only such people can abide in the presence of the holy God without any fear of His holy wrath. “The secret place of the Most High” in verse one (KJV) was probably in reference to the Holy of holies. Under the Old Testament law, only the high priest who entered legitimately there would be covered with the cloud of God’s glory (the protection of the all-sufficient God), but under the new covenant, all believers in Christ have boldness to enter into the invisible holiest place by the blood of Jesus and those who thus enter are safe from every evil. No wonder, the writer of the Proverbs said, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (18:10 NIV).

The writer of this psalm enumerated how the people that “dwell in the secret place of the Most High” would be protected: (a) by being delivered from dangerous attempts against their lives (verse 3a; cf. Psalm 124:7); (b) by being under divine safety and comfort (verse 4a; cf. Psalm 17:8; 36:7); and (c) by enjoying divine faithful protection with the “covering of His feathers and wings” (verse 4b; cf. Psalm 57:1; 61:4; 63:7). These will result in the absence of fear in spite of prevailing danger (verses 5-8; cf. Psalm 3:6; 27:1-3; 46:2; 112:7; Proverbs 28:1). Because of the fact that these people have made God their “dwelling place,” angels will be their invisible bodyguards that will be taking care of them (verses 9-13; cf. Psalm 34:7). Interestingly, the devil misapplied this when he was tempting Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:6). 

In verses 14-16, the psalmist wrote as if God Himself was confirming the psalmist’s faith. The Lord promises anyone that is abiding in Him: (a) deliverance from danger, (b) protection from harm, (c) divine presence in trouble, (d) honour, and (e) long life. 

“If you make the Most High your dwelling -- even the Lord, who is my refuge” (verse 9), all kinds of danger mentioned in this psalm are ineffective against you. In fact, you will be confident of the divine security. There is no confidence or rest in any other place. Where is your dwelling place?

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray that you will always make God your dwelling place so as to be secure from all dangers.

Dearly Beloved,

DO IT AGAIN!

“But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net’” (Luke 5:5 NKJV).

Simon Peter and his colleagues were professional fishermen who knew all what it took to catch fish successfully in the familiar Lake of Gennesaret. They worked all night to catch fish but they could not. At daybreak, Simon Peter had given up hope of catching any fish that day as he was preparing to go back home empty handed. However, his boat became a preaching platform for Jesus Christ. After His ministration, Jesus told Peter to let down his net into the deep of the lake. Ordinarily, Peter would have argue with Jesus that that time was not the right time to carry out such an action, after all, he and his colleagues did it at the best time in night without success. However, because Jesus said so, Peter was ready to obey. He let down his net into the lake and he had a great catch of fish. 

Many people have been making efforts to succeed in many endeavours. They have applied their professional know-how without success. Many of such people are contemplating of giving up or have even given up on such endeavours. However, more efforts and commitment will make them have success, especially if they can put their faith in God who can turn the impossibility to possibility. 

What have you done or are still doing that is without desired result? Are you contemplating abandoning the project? Do not give up on it! Do it again especially with faith in God. "Everything is possible for him who believes" (Mark 9:23 NIV).

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Help me, O Lord, to be able to continue making efforts by faith till You turn the impossibility to possibility for me.  

_________________________
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ https://www.facebook.com/afolabayo 

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN" (Philippians 1:20-21 NIV).

Dearly Beloved,

BEWARE OF YOUR PRAYER REQUESTS!

"In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, `This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.' Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, `Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly" (Isaiah 38:1-3 NIV).

While God may decide not to answer our prayers in our own ways, He may sometimes leave us to have our ways in our self-centred prayers to our detriment. That is why we have to be very careful of our prayer requests. 

King Hezekiah was ill to the point of death. The absolute will of God for him was to die, presumably because he had fulfilled his assignment as a king and the next thing for him in God's agenda was to die honourably. As any other man, Hezekiah did not want to die. He made his mind known to God. He prayed and reminded God how faithful he was in serving God. It was evident from the content of the prayer that Hezekiah was self-centred. In His infinite mercy, God heard the prayer and extended Hezekiah's life by fifteen years. However, those fifteen years were his undoing! A God-centred king suddenly became self-centred. He was no longer conscious of God's glory, but his prowess. No wonder, when a foreign king sent emissaries to him to congratulate him on his recovery, instead of pointing them to God, he was busy showing them what he had as a king. God rebuked him harshly on this and it led to the fall of his kingdom, though during the time of his descendants (see Isaiah 39). The land of Judah would not have had a wicked king in Manasseh who was born during those added fifteen years if Hezekiah had accepted the absolute will of God for his life (2 Kings 20:21; 22:1; Jeremiah 15:4).

On many occasions, we also are preoccupied with what we consider "good" for ourselves. We are not mindful of "the best," the absolute will of God for our lives. We pressurize God to do what we want, and at times, He may let us have our way which may have bad consequences. Jesus Christ, in the Garden of Gethsemane, allowed the absolute will of God to be done in His life, even when He knew that it would result in His death (Matthew 26:39-42). God was indeed glorified in the life and death of Jesus Christ and Jesus was given a name above all names (Philippians 2:5-11).

Beware of your prayer requests especially when you are desperate in getting anything from God. It is better to allow the best absolute will of God to be done in our lives than to impose our good will on Him.

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray that you will not be desperate in asking anything from God, but that you will always allow His perfect will to be done in your life..

Dearly Beloved,

JUST WHEN I NEED HIM MOST

“Then the sea arose because agreat wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, theysaw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.But He said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid’” (John 6:18-20 NKJV).

One of the very stimulatingChristian hymns is “JUST WHEN I NEED HIM MOST” composed by an earlytwentieth-century Methodist pastor, William C. Poole (1875-1949). The hymn is areassurance that Jesus Christ is near when we need Him most. As mortals, humanbeings are bound to falter and fear the uncertain reality of life and the unknownfuture. Anxiety may creep in because of this. However, Jesus Christ is ready tohelp one and cheer and comfort one just when one needs Him most. The disciplesof Jesus Christ could bear witness to this as they were caught in a storm onthe Sea of Galilee. Jesus Christ came and reassured them of His presence andpower over nature (see Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 4:35-41). 

Jesus is indeed true to Hispromises. He will never forsake anyone who comes to Him (see John 6:37; Hebrews13:5), and He is ready to see the person all the way through. He is strong to bearyour burdens all the day long. He has admonished people who are weary andburdened to come to Him, and that He would give them rest (see Matthew11:28-30). Indeed, Jesus is all in all for anyone who trusts in Him. He isready to answer the call of anyone who calls on Him (see Matthew 7:7), and Heis fully and tenderly watching lest those who trust in Him fall. Reverend WilliamC. Poole was right: Jesus is near to comfort and cheer, just when I need Himmost!

Have you put your total trustin Jesus Christ? Do you feel His presence with you in the storms of your life?Are you calling on Him when you are in despair? Are you allowing Him to carryyour burden for you? If you rely on Him, you will experience Him just when youneed Him most. The writer of the book to the Hebrews declared: “For we do nothave a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in allpoints tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to thethrone of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time ofneed” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NKJV).

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Dearly Beloved,

DO YOU REMEMBER HIM?

"But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.... The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him" (Genesis 40:14, 23 NIV).

The elder brothers of Joseph hated him because of his bright future. They sold him into slavery in Egypt (Genesis 37). Even there, he was wrongly accused and thrown into prison (Genesis 39). Nevertheless, the Lord was with him and made him to find favor in the sight of the prison warder that he was made the chief prisoner in charge of other prisoners (Genesis 39:21, 22). In the course of his duty one day, he noticed that two of the prisoners were not happy. On enquiry, he discovered that each of them had had a terrified dream the previous night. He interpreted the dream of each of them and told the one with favorable interpretation not to vforget him when he is freed, and that he should find ways to get him (Joseph) out of the prison. However, when that prisoner (who was the then cupbearer of Pharaoh) was freed and restored to his former esteemed position, he did not remember Joseph. It took God’s intervention after two years before he could remember Joseph.

Have you been expecting that someone will remember you and help you in one way or the other for so long a time? People may not remember you, but God does! Hear this: "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me" (Isaiah 49:15-16 NIV). In His own appointed time, God will remember you and elevate you to His desired position for your life.

Furthermore, who has helped you or in need of your help that you need to remember? Do you remember the person? For how long will you wait to remember the person and help him? God depends on you for the help of that person. You need to remember him and act now!

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Points:

1. Lord, intervene in my affair and make the person that ought to help me remember me and help me now.

2. Remind me Lord about who I am suppose to help and enable me to help that person now.

_________________________
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
+2348055159591
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ https://www.facebook.com/afolabayo 

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN" (Philippians 1:20-21 NIV).

Dearly Beloved,

WHERE WERE THEIR FATHERS?

“When I call to remembrancethe genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Loisand your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5NKJV).

My message to mark thecelebration of Father’s Day for this year will be based on the theme of theMen’s Missionary Union of the Nigerian Baptist Convention for the celebration:“THE ABSENT FATHER”. Being written in a patriarchal society, the Holy Bible isdominated by the mention of names and activities of men, boys, and fathers.However, there were some unmentioned and/or inactive fathers in the Holy Biblethat were conspicuously omitted or inactive in the life histories of theirchildren. Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus Christ was the first to come tomind in this category of fathers. After the story of the Boy Jesus at thetemple at age 12 as recorded in Luke 2:41-52, there is no other mention ofJoseph being active in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Only the motherand the brothers of Jesus were looking for Him when He was doing the ministry(see Matthew 12:46-47). Where was the father? At the cross, only the mother waspresent (see John 19:25). Where was the father? After the resurrection of JesusChrist, the father was not there (Acts 1:14). Where was he? Some were of theopinion that he had died before Jesus began His earthly ministry. The father ofJames and John were with them in the boat when Jesus called them to be Hisdisciples. Only the sons followed Jesus. Nothing was heard again about thefather (see Matthew 4:21-22). Timothy was introduced as a son of a Jewish womanwho was a believer. His father was only referred to as a Greek (see Acts 16:1).There was no other mention of the father. Apart from referring to the mother ofTimothy, Apostle Paul also referred to his grandmother as the pillars of faithof Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:5. Where was his father?

There is a trend in this partof the world: fathers are mostly absent at most of the following events: the“Open Day” – a day devoted for visitation by parents at their children’sschool; the meetings of Parents/Teachers Association (PTA) of primary and/orsecondary schools of their children (even at times at the meetings of Parents’Forum of some private tertiary institutions of learning); sporting, culturaland other extra curricula events of schools that mainly involve children intheir schools; graduation/convocation ceremonies of their children, and othersimilar events. Where are the fathers? I have to confess that I am guilty ofthis as a father to some extent. No wonder, many children hardly remember theirfathers when they grow up and become successful in life. Many fathers willargue that fathers do not have time for such matters, and that such events arethe responsibilities of mothers (and even at times maids or older siblings). Idisagree with such argument. 

Do you have time for yourchildren as a father? Can you be seen in events relating to your children intheir schools? Can you be mentioned as a father in the success story of yourchildren? As a father, do not leave the responsibility of identifying with yourchildren to their mothers (and other people).. Be there for your children allthe time.

Happy Father’s Day!

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Points: 
1. Pray as a father to createmore time to be identifying with your children in their day-to-day activities.
2. Pray for fathers to be moreresponsible and always be actively involved in matters relating to their children.

Dearly Beloved,

BE SCARED OF THE SCAR!

"Because David did what was right in theeyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded himall the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite" (1Kings 15:5 NKJV). 

A scar is a mark that is left on the skin aftera wound has been healed. I have many of such marks on my body, and I stillremember vividly what caused some of the healed wounds though many of themhappened over thirty years ago when I was still young. I know that many of youreading this message also have scars of healed wounds on your bodies, and youstill remember the causes of some of those indelible marks. Figuratively, ascar can be a permanent feeling of sadness or mental pain any unpleasantexperience. The situation has gone, but its memory still hunts one. Such is thememory of sin and any wrongdoing done against fellow human beings andespecially God. The wrongdoing might have been resolved and possibly arestitution might have been made for it. God might have forgiven the sin afterremorsefulness of and repentance from the sin. In spite of these, the scar ofthe wrongdoing or sin will still be there.

The case of King David is a classic example.David saw a beautiful woman bathing as he was strolling on the roof of hispalace. He enquired about the woman, summoned her and committed adultery withher. The action resulted in a pregnancy. To cover up this, David arranged forthe killing of the husband of the woman, and made her one of his wives (see 2Samuel 11). God sent Prophet Nathan to confront David because of these sins.David was remorseful, and God forgave him (see 2 Samuel 12). Nevertheless, thesins left many “scars” in the latter life of David as his own son, Amnon, rapedhis half-sister (see 2 Samuel 13), and another son, Absalom, tried to overthrowDavid (see 2 Samuel 15-18), and even had sexual intercourse with many of thewives of David in the full glare of the people (see 2 Samuel 16:22). Thechroniclers of the kings of Israel spoke well of David, but referred to the“scar” relating to the issue of the woman (see 1 Kings 15:5).

King Manasseh of Judah was a very wicked king!His atrocities were recorded in 2 Kings 21:1-18 and 2 Chronicles 32:33–33:20.The Lord afflicted him and made him to be taken to captivity in Babylon. In hisaffliction, he called on God, and the Lord answered him. He was restored to hiskingdom, and he did very well in his latter years. However, the scar of theatrocities of his earlier life made God to allow the Babylonians to conquerJudah and Jerusalem, and the people of Judah were led to captivity (see Jeremiah15:4).  

The Lord is gracious and merciful (Exodus 34:6;Psalm 145:8). He is ready to forgive anyone who sins and later repents of thesin (Psalm 86:5, 15; Daniel 9:9; 1 John 1:9). However, like a healed wound, thesin will leave a “scar” in the life of the person. The sin has been forgiven,but the “scar” of the sin will still be there. This calls for a great caution!One needs to think twice before committing any sin. One may be forgiven of thesin if one genuinely repents of the sin. However, one has to be mindful of thescar that the sin will leave behind. One has to be cautious also in one’srelationship with other people. One may resolve any caused conflict, but whatof the aftermath of the conflict – the scar that the conflict will leavebehind? After the forgiveness of sin and the resolution of the conflict, thescar may continue to hunt you for the rest of your life and even after yourdemise. The scar can never be as the other parts of the body. Be scared of thescar please. 

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray that you will not only bemindful of committing sin, but also be scared of the scar that such sin willleave behind.

_________________________
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Dearly Beloved,

HAS GOD GIVEN YOU UP?

“For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even theirwomen exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also themen, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another,men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves thepenalty of their error which was due” (Romans 1:26-27 NKJV).

On three occasions in Romans Chapter One, Apostle Paul said that Godgave up some people to “uncleanness” (verse 24), “vile passions” (verse 26),and “a debased mind” (verse 28). These are people that: 1) dishonor theirbodies among themselves in the lusts of their hearts, and exchange the truth ofGod for lie by worshipping and serving created things instead of the Creator;2) exchange the natural things for what is against the nature by burning theirlust against one another; and 3) do things that are not fitting as listed inverses 29-32. Since these people refuse to acknowledge God and abide by Hisnatural and divine rules, they can no longer reason correctly, rather, theyindulge in justifying their unclean, vile and debased actions. Unfortunately,they have won many other people unto their side. No wonder, there are manynefarious activities on earth today that some nations have even legalized.  One of such activities is sodomy orhomosexuality. 

I had a Facebook chat with a new Facebook friend recently. From dayone that this person became my friend on Facebook, I had known that he had asinister motive for requesting for my friendship online. I deliberately playedalong with him to confirm my suspicion. As we were chatting, he started usingterms with me that a man should be using to a woman with whom he is in love. Ipointed him to the fact that he was chatting with a man. He affirmed that heknew, and that he loved me, wished he could touch me, hug me and feel my warmbody against his. What baffled me most was that he referred to such acts as“nature”! Is it really natural for a man to have passion for another man? Hetried to justify this by referring to people that are doing it in many parts ofthe world. Does the fact that many people are doing a thing make such thing rightor natural? How would God not give such people up for their unclean, vile anddebased minds? In spite of the fact that this guy confessed that he neededhelp, he later blocked me from contacting him.

What are you doing that is contrary to the natural order ofcreation? Are you also justifying such thing because many people are doing itlike you? Do not let God give you up by your actions and reasoning. Repent ofyour nefarious activities against natural actions. Come to His saving knowledgenow. He will willingly restore you to the mutual relationship with Him.Anything short of this will incur His wrath on you sooner or later. 

Has God really given you up?

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

 

Prayer Point: Pray that you will be able to confess and ask forforgiveness from God in anyway you have been acting against His natural anddivine rules.. 

_________________________
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Dearly Beloved,

SUCH A TIME AS THIS

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14 NIV).

She was an orphan brought up by her cousin in the land of captivity. She had favor with everyone she came across. She later became the queen in that land of captivity. However, in such a time as this, she was reluctant to use her position to save her people.

The woman was Hadassah popularly known as Queen Esther. Mordecai - one of the captives of Judah - brought her up. By divine favor, she became the queen of King Xerxes of Persia. In obedient to her cousin, she did not reveal her identity. A plot was planned to annihilate her people the Jews. Mordecai, her cousin came to her for the rescue of the Jews. She was reluctant to interfere in this matter because of the protocol of the palace. Mordecai then challenged her that she should not think that she was saved in the palace for she could not say whether God put her in that royal position in such a time as this. Queen Esther reacted with one of those remarkable statements in the Bible, "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. AND IF I PERISH, I PERISH" (Esther 4:16 NIV)..

After the fasting (and possibly prayer), Esther wet to the king and reported the matter to him. As God would have it, the Jews were delivered by the good position of Esther. God placed Esther in that royal position in such a time as this so that He would continue His redemptive act through the Jewish race.

God has placed many people in one position or the other for a particular purpose. Do you know why you are in the position that you are presently? What do God and people around you expect of you in that position? Who knows whether you have come to that position for such a time as this?

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray that you will be able to use whatever position God has placed you to fulfil the purpose of God for your life and this generation.

Dearly Beloved,

IT IS NOT OVER UNTIL ITIS OVER!

“For there is hope fora tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tendershoots will not cease. Though its root may grow old in the earth, and its stumpmay die in the ground, yet at the scent of water it will bud and bring forthbranches like a plant” (Job 14:7-9 NKJV).

My intention was towrite a message in honour of mothers to commemorate this year's Mother's Day asmany parts of the world is celebrating it. However, the dramatic andunbelievable comebacks of the two English Premiership League football clubs –Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC – against their respective opponents (thatis, FC Barcelona and Ajax Amsterdam FC) in the semifinals of this year's UEFAChampions League made me to change the theme of my message for the week.Liverpool FC was beaten 3-0 in the first leg a week ago why Tottenham HotspurFC was defeated 1-0 at home. Every pundit had written off the two English teamsbefore the second leg of the matches. Nonetheless, against all odds, LiverpoolFC upturned their defeat by beating FC Barcelona 4-0 while Tottenham Hotspur FCwent to beat Ajax Amsterdam FC 3-2 in Amsterdam! Interestingly, thedecisive goals for both matches were scored in the dying minutes of the matchesthat lacked some of the best players of both teams. It is indeed not over untilit is over!

The devil afflicted theman Job in the Bible with many woes (see Job 1:9-19).. He was stricken with afatal ailment, and his wife even suggested that he should curse God so that hecould die (see Job 2:1-9). Considerably, one would have agreed with the wife ofJob, written Job off, and wished that it is better that he died because of allthese calamities. However, Job did not write himself off. He did not give up.He still believed in God and stood steadfast in his faith in Him, even when hisfriends wrongly accused him of wrongdoing. He believed that he could riseagain. He uttered the above-quoted statements and many other hopeful ones. Considerthese:

“Though He slay me, yetwill I trust Him” (Job 13:15 NKJV). 

“For I know that myRedeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth” (Job 19:25 NKJV).

 “But He knows the way that I take; when He hastested me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10 NKJV).

“Then Job answered theLord and said: ‘I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yourscan be withheld from You’” (Job 42:1-2). 

He did rise again, and “theLord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning” (Job 42:12 NKJV).The story of Job is a story of a man who was cut down but sprouted again andbore many fruits. In fact, it is not over until it is over! 

What is your presentsituation? Is it a seemingly hopeless one? Do not lose hope. When there islife, there is hope! There is still hope for you. You can sprout again and beproductive. People will rejoice with you. It is not over until it is over!

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi(Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray thatyou will not give up, but keep on until you sprout again and beproductive.  

NB

I wish everyresponsible mother a Happy Mother’s Day! The Lord will turn any seeminglyhopeless situation on your husbands and/or children to hopeful ones. You willtestify to the goodness of God over such situation in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dearly Beloved,

YOU CAN BE OF HELP

"She said to her mistress, `If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy'" (2 Kings 5:3 NIV).

The story of the life Naaman the commander of army of the king of Aram is not complete without the role of an Israelite slave girl that was his housemaid. Naaman was such a great man in the sight of his master because of his military prowess. The Bible says, "because 

through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy" (2 Kings 5:1 NIV). That last comment about him made this slave girl relevant in his life. 

Bands of the Aramian army had gone out sometime and captured an Israelite girl. She became a slave and maidservant to the wife of Naaman. No doubt, the girl had lost her self-worth, and only God knows the kind of treatment she had in the household of Naaman. 

However, this girl saw herself as a channel of help to the predicament of the head of the house, and she willingly offered the help. She told her mistress about the possibility of remedy to the predicament. In her captivity, she believed in the efficacy of the power of her God, and she wanted this power to be demonstrated in the life of her master. The master heeded to her advice "and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy" (2 Kings 5:14 NIV).

An adage says, "Your neighbor is whoever you can help, help him." Jesus Christ buttressed this when an expert in the law wanted to know whom he could demonstrate his love to. Jesus told him a parable of a wounded man that a Samaritan helped and concluded that 

the "unloved and unwanted" Samaritan was the neighbor of the wounded Jews instead of the "pious" priest and Levite who refused to help (Luke 10:25-37).

Who can you help today? Is the person hostile to you, or is he your perceived enemy? Are you helping the person? Even those that you love and are close to you, are you helping them? Do not say there is nothing you can do. You can be of help, even to your worst enemy. The Bible says, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head" (Romans 12:20 NIV. See also Exodus 23:4-5; Deuteronomy 22:1-4; Proverbs 25:21-22; Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27-28; 1 Thessalonians 5:15). Always think of ways in which you can be of help to people around you no matter the situation.

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Open my eyes, O Lord, to see ways in which I can be of help to people around me no matter the situation, and let me be able to really help them.

_________________________
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN" (Philippians 1:20-21 NIV).

Dearly Beloved,

“I NEED NO OTHER ARGUMENT”

“For I determined not to knowanything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2NKJV).

As one of my online contactswas discussing the demerits of polygamy with me in reaction to my message onthe theme last week, she referred in passing to the popular refrain, “I need noother argument, I need no other plea...." We continued our discussion, butit was as if I was hearing that refrain for the first time.  Here is the full refrain: “I need no otherargument, I need no other plea; it is enough that Jesus died, and that He diedfor me.” Interestingly, it was the week commemorating the Passion Week. Whilethe emphasis of the whole hymn “My Faith Has Found a Resting Place” with therefrain “I need no other argument..." is that Jesus Christ is the onlybasis for our faith, I am still fascinated by the fact that Jesus Christ diedfor me, and that is indeed enough for me. This led to know more about the hymnand its composer.

The story of the composer ofthe hymn, Eliza Edmunds Hewitt (1851-1920), is very pathetic. As a teacher, shebecame invalid as a result of a serious spinal problem when a student struckher with a heavy slate. She lived the rest of her life in this state eventhough she was able to partially recover. No wonder, she could write that herfaith found a resting place in Jesus Christ and that she needed no otherargument or plea because the death of Jesus Christ was enough for her. Onlysomeone who knows the efficacy of the death of Jesus Christ and has put his/hertotal trust in Him can find such rest. Her faith was not in any device orcreed. The faith was in the ever-living One who was wounded for her.

Eliza Hewitt knew that JesusChrist saves, and that ended her fear and doubt.. She knew that Jesus Christwould never cast anyone out if such person comes to Him. The heart of Elizaleant on the written Word of God because she was saved by the name of herSaviour through His blood. In spite of her infirmity, Eliza asserted that hergreat Physician can heal the sick, and that He can save the lost because He hasshed His precious blood and gave His life for her on the cross. Indeed, Eliza neededno other argument or plea! Apostle Paul likewise did not want to know any otherthing among his Corinthian audience except the crucified Jesus Christ (see 1Corinthians 2:2). No other argument!  

What is your real or seeminginfirmity? What is your present predicament? Put your total trust in JesusChrist. Let your heart lean on His words. He has promised never to cast awayanyone that trusts in Him (see John 6:37). Believe in His healing power, notonly for your physical infirmity, but also for emotional, financial, and mostespecially spiritual infirmities. He “bore our sins in His own body on thetree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripesyou were healed” (1 Peter 2:24 NKJV). As a matter of fact, “I need no otherargument, I need no other plea; it is enough that Jesus died, and that He diedfor me.”

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).


Prayer Point: Pray that youwill be able to put your total trust in the crucified and resurrected JesusChrist.

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN" (Philippians 1:20-21 NIV).