The Lessons of Lent: Father, Forgive Them!

The Lessons of Lent: Father, Forgive Them!

[My Offline Bible] Luke 23
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

[My Offline Bible] Isaiah 53
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

The most powerful driver of a person is the force of divine purpose. It will make a man endure anything, it will drive a person through any rough road or crooked way. It will make a man smile even in utmost adversity, even with a brokenheart, the journey continues.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ knew this so well. He was also in subjection to this principle. It was said of Him in the prophesies of His passion that He was led like a dumb lamb before His shearers, He didn't open His mouth.

That He didn't open His mouth, of course, doesn't mean He didn't speak any word. It means He didn't resist His oppressors. He didn't revile those who judged Him wrongly, He wasn't bitter to those who sentenced Him, He didn't count the offence of torturing Him against His torturers and those who murdered Him even got compassion from Him.

Why was He so magnanimous? What a big heart He has! He was a man on a mission. His mission wasn't to be the richest man on the earth. His was not to be the greatest army general of all times conquering nations and making slaves. He came, sent of love to save humanity from their sin, give them forgiveness and redemption.

He was on a mission to forgive the sins of mankind. He prayed, Father, forgive them. He didn't say too many words, He didn't have to, He was so focused on the mission. The only word in response to His oppositions was for the Father to forgive them. That was the reason He came and what an opportunity to declare His mission.

Even in the thick of contradictions and opposition, He didn't allow His personal pains to cover the essence of His coming, rather, those people doing evil against Him reminded Him of the purpose of His coming.

They were only telling Him why He came. That wasn't a time to get angry, that wasn't the time to use His great anointing to curse the same people He came to save. That wasn't a time to pull out the sword to kill or cause fire to rain or call innumerable company of angels to fight...

It was a time to pray for His 'enemies', He knew these people were judged already. They didn't need that to be rubbed in. What they needed was the forgiveness God has sent and the reconciliation with God they lacked. They needed mercy through the sacrifice going on...

Yet they were ignorant of what they or the rest of us needed from God. They were ignorant of their need for salvation and redemption, being pushed by the frenzy and the emotion of their hateful ecstasy.

So Jesus prayed that God forgive them because they were in the depth of ignorance. What grace! What focus!

The Lessons here...

People will contradict you and do all sorts to you, but you must maintain your focus on purpose.

Don't think everyone around you knows or understands the purpose for which God has put you here. Not all who even know will believe it and not many will support it. The pursuit of your purpose will throw up all manners of enemies. Some would even wonder why such grace is given to such an unqualified person as you,

Offence will be many out of that ignorance and apathy. There might even be life threatening offences. Character assassination and all manners of slanders out of ignorance of the good God has sent you to do even for them.

As for you, maintain focus. Retaliation is for the ignorant and vengeance is for those who have lost focus. If Christ remains Lord then you have no reason to be controlled by their offences to denying them what God had sent you to deliver to them...if you do, you become God and Lord to yourself over them...It is rebellion to God!

So let's check on our concentration quotient and identify that point we are being distracted by the offences of the ignorant!

Let's refocus and use the opportunity of opposition to pray for them just like Jesus Christ our Master prayed....Father, forgive them...for they know not what they do...

Good Morning!

THE ESSENCE OF EASTER

continues

Thursday, 26th March 2015 6:00pm

@
The Bible Class
Non denominational Bible Discussion Class

83 Adeniyi Jones Avenue
Ikeja Lagos

Be part of this move of God! Come with friends.

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Lessons of Lent: The Pains of Purpose!

Lessons of Lent: The Pains of Purpose!

[My Offline Bible] Matthew 26
36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto
them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

[My Offline Bible] John 16
19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Jesus Christ was prophesied to be a man acquainted with sorrow. This definitely speaks of the pain He went through in the quest towards accomplishing His purpose on the earth.

He was in the garden moments before His arrest and He was exceedingly sorrowful even unto death and all He had to do was to seek audience with His Father.

The writer of the book of Hebrews put that experience this way.

[My Offline Bible] Hebrews 5
7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

It is clear that in the face of the challenges of fulfilment, the rich also cry! The pangs of birthing a destiny have no respect for anyone. It is a moment of great danger, a moment of vulnerabilities to the extent, a moment of life and death.

Jesus at this point nearly gave up the vision. It was difficult to remain one with the plan. At that point it was revealed that He had His own will He could have fallen back on.

Many had fallen back to doing their own things, and following their own ways at that point of sorrow. Many have given up on the cause to do what's convenient. Many have silently refused the cup of God's purpose and plan and had 'escaped' the demanded endurance.

It is understandable, but not expected that many would bend to permit the cup pass over even when God won't pass it over them. When you have no one to share the pain with...the three closest friends were sleeping off. One was about to deny ever knowing him. Even God would soon feel so faraway and someone is asking why you aren't strong?

These are lonely times in the quest for purpose fulfilment. People who don't take fulfilling God's purpose that seriously or people whose path of purpose looks as if is not passing through Golgotha or those who have traded the way with other means may not also have to pass through Gethsemane. Gethsemane wasn't just a mountain of prayer...it is a solitary and sorrowful point of trembling soul. Jesus didn't go there to pray until this time...

But He was heard!

He was heard not by the plan changing or that He was able to find a way out but He got help from the Father.
The Father set His face to see the joy beyond the pain. And the excitement helped to wade through the trouble.

[My Offline Bible] Hebrews 12
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Jesus Himself had told His disciples about the joy that comes after pain. Purpose delivery is just like child delivery, they both come with their pains that people that aren't in your shoes won't sometimes mind sending words and jabs to add to the pain...

But after the child is born, the sorrow is gone and forgotten as if it wasn't ever there.

The lesson is this...
Sorrow and pains are real on the pathways of purpose and vision. Even loved ones can add their portion.

Even the closest to you would sleep off as you wrestle with the pain.

But look beyond the pains and the sorrows to the joy set before you.

These are very vulnerable times, nobody would understand you but God will. Be careful not to fall!
Even if you have to cry before God it's understandable.

Let His will be the anchor to hold.

In a few days, you'll be out of that grave and be glorified beyond the pain and the insults!

He will not leave your soul in that hell... [My Offline Bible] Psalms 16
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Good morning!

THE ESSENCE OF EASTER
Continues@

The Bible Class
Non Denominational Bible Discussion Cafe

Thursday, 26th March 2015
After work hours 6:00pm

83 Adeniyi Jones Avenue
Ikeja, Lagos

Deeper things are being revealed...be part of it! Come with friends, we expect your beautiful contributions to the discussion!

The Lessons of Lent: The Cross

The Lessons of Lent: The Cross

The cross means different things ro different people. To the Roman empire it was the ultimate weapon of fear and oppression for executions. To the thieves on the right and on the left of Jesus it was the reward of their disobedience and end of their onslaught on the innocent. To the crowd, a way of eliminating their public enemies, to the Jewish elders and priests, it was the end of their greatest rival they thought.
To our Lord Jesus, it was total salvation to mankind through His death and to Simon, the Cyrene, it was ministry fulfilled helping Jesus carry His cross to the place of fulfilment.

The truth is clear, the cross is a necessity to everyone. It is more than a pendant even if it's made of platinum overlaid with gold and studs of precious stones. It is more than a problem that can be solved by either the wisdom of men or the power of God. It is not the troublesome spouse or the unruly child, it isn't the terminal disease or the bedridden relation. The cross is our commitment to Christ and His eternal cause of man's salvation and his reconciliation to his Maker.

The cross is a place of death. Jesus was crucified on His even without an offence other than the message He brought. Every disciple must be ready to carry his own and be ready if and when it has to be used.

Definitely, the disciple is nailed to his cross. Nailed back to back with the world. And in that he rejoices and glories.

[My Offline Bible] Galatians 6
14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Crucified back to back on the same cross of Christ, the disciple and the world remain separated eternally by the cross in between.

The believer is crucified with Christ so that Christ can live in him and he too living by faith in Christ.

[My Offline Bible] Galatians 2
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

And now the strength of Christ carries him on as his righteousness is secured by faith in the grace that's in Christ and not in the weakness or strength of himself now dead.

The ordinances and demands of religion that are contrary to the believer are nailed to the cross, forever blotted out by the blood of the cross. Never will those demands on the flesh be what grant access to the throne of God and of grace anymore but the blood of Christ that stained the cross and made us saints.
[My Offline Bible] Colossians 2
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Definitely, the passion of the cross would remind us that our destinies crisscrossed the path of the cross like that of Simon the Cyrene and we would have to carry it to make our mark in the realm of spiritual history.

The cross represents our crossing over from the dominion of sin, satan and religiosity to the liberty that is in Christ. The cross translates us to Christ's kingdom away from the world and its lusts.

Our cross is a sign of our conviction: we are ready to be nailed to it in our quest to make the salvation in Christ and conformity to His image real in the lives of men...no sacrifice will be too much to pay!

So let's joyfully embrace the cross again with understanding and faith knowing that the price for our total redemption was fully paid upon it and on it, the work was declared finished. Shallom!

The study and discussion on
THE ESSENCE OF EASTER

continues at

The Bible Class
Non denominational Bible Discussion cafe

83 Adeniyi Jones Avenue
Opposite TREVO office
Ikeja Lagos

6:00pm Thursday 26th March 2015

Faith only comes by hearing in the things being heard...faith doesn't come in the things you've not heard...meanwhile the basis of our faith is the resurrection of Christ...let's discuss and learn together, what that means and what it brings to the table!
Prepare towards being there...with loved ones!

As we gather today to worship, I pray our gatherings be unto the Lord. I pray our worship be acceptable before Him. I pray we received the fullness of the blessings of the gospel, I pray we go home rejoicing with the testimonies that we met Him.

Happy Sunday!

The Lessons of Lent: Peter's Denial

The Lessons of Lent: Peter's Denial
Luke 22:31-34, 54-62

One if the highlights of the passion of the Christ is Peter's denial of knowing Christ. As usual we quickly judge him; how could someone so close to Jesus do such a thing!

We are always quick to judge Bible characters as their errors were displayed to all, while our own errors are quietly tucked away between us and heaven, away from the judgmental queries of even the closest of men, to maintain our usual facade of infallibility as we secretly plead for forgiveness with the blood.

Peter too, just as we are, lacked the knowledge of the cup and the baptism he was to go through. Jesus had prayed for him, since Satan had planned to sift him like wheat. To sift means to beat until the substance within is removed and the shaft left. Jesus had prayed that his faith wouldn't fail and and had instructed him to strengthen his brethren when he gets converted or restored.

Sincerely in his heart he loved Jesus to the point of being ready to suffer and die with him but he had underestimated his own weaknesses; he didn't know himself as God had known him. He didn't know he could ever get to the point of denying his knowledge of his beloved friend and Master.

Apostle Paul had this to say about being known and our own knowledge.
[My Offline Bible] 1 Corinthians 13
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Peter needed some knowledge of himself to be able to carry the burden of strengthening others without judging them mercilessly. So he had to go through a process of self discovery.

And this happens to all of us except that we may not have gotten the humility to accept that knowledge and to seek for grace for a change.

We need to understand that God knows us through and through. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. There's nothing about each of us that He doesn't know to perfect details; He knows every thought and motive and He needs not use anything to test us to know.
[My Offline Bible] Psalms 139
1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

If you are going through any test, the test would be for you to know something about yourself and not for God to know you. The sins we fall into is a revelation of the areas of lack where we need to pay attention and ask for grace.

Peter couldn't believe such fear was still lurking somewhere within him after all his being with Christ and even walking on water with Him.

And what repentance and remorse he showed when he discovered! This too must be our right response at such discoveries.

The truth is that we have been covered and protected by grace and that should call for humility and not pride. Attributing our holiness and righteousness to our own knowledge and abilities is being ungrateful and being proud.
Judging others as if we aren't subject to like passions is a height of ignorance: ignorance of our own fallibility!

The take away
We don't know who we are as we should.
God knows us and doesn't need to test us before knowing us...our motives are clear to him.
When we are being tested it is for us to know what's still in there to deal with.
We should be grateful in humility for the covering of grace we have in Christ working out holiness in us through the gift of righteousness He has given us in spite of our weaknesses and fallibility!

Good morning!

The next class at
The Bible Class
Non denominational Bible Discussion Cafe

Holds
Thursday 26th March, 2015

After work hours 6pm

Still discussing
THE ESSENCE OF EASTER

@
83 Adeniyi Jones Avenue
Opposite TREVO office
Ikeja, Lagos

It surely enriches the Christian walk...
Work towards being there with someone...

You'll be glad you came!

I pray God keeps revealing to you who you are in Christ aside what we are in the flesh so that our transformation can be sure and that we may reflect Christ in all we do in Jesus name!

Review of The Bible Class Session: The Prophecies of His Passion

REVIEW OF
THE BIBLE CLASS
OF THURSDAY THE 12TH OF MARCH 2015
THE ESSENCE OF EASTER/THE PROPHECIES OF HIS PASSION

What a great time we had yesterday. God's presence was awesome with us there.

We had alloted 5-6pm for counselling but the Holy Spirit actually hijacked that as pastors discussed extensively issues of church/ministry administration, finance, church and organisational tithing, church welfare system, a minister's job description both as full time and part time and so on... with embellishments of rich experience by quite a number of ministers already around.... you can imagine how we possible it was to discussed all that and even more within an hour.

By 6pm...the main discussion for the day began.
THe ESSENCE OF EASTER/The Prophecies of His Passion.

Starting from Genesis

Genesis 3:15...The seed of the woman bruising the head of the serpent and the serpent bruising His heel...
•The woman was not Eve who was in the then present picture
•The Seed of the woman was now standing and the serpent was fallen.... the heel and the head positions.
•Galatians 4:4 explained Jesus born of a woman and made under the law...

2. The prophetic parable of the Scape goat. Leviticus 16:1-26.
Aaron was instructed to take a bull and two goats.
Offer the bull for his own sin and that of his family. Cast lot on the goats to separate one for offering and the other to be released. Both for sin offering of the tabernacle.

The one upon which the lot fell shall be killed and offered to the LORD while the other one shall be released in to the wilderness carrying the sin of the people.

The two goats carrying the sins of the people. One died, the other alive. Depicting death and resurrection of the lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world.

3. The Prophecies of David. David would step many times into the prophetic image of Christ. He'll speak by the Spirit of Christ.
Psalms 16:8-11 spoke concerning being in sheol/hell/death region and his not seeing corruption. David never went through these and so must have spoken prophetically. Jesus died and rose again.

Psalms 22 was explained from verse 1...till the clothes were taken from Him as He paid the price for our prosperity.

4. The prophecies of Isaiah in chapters 52&53...

5. The Prophecies of Hosea 6:1-2 and the importance of the word 'we' used to described the operation of dying, reviving and living before Him. This connotes the fact that we died and rose together with him, a very hot point of excited discussion as we see our place in His passion in prophecies! 

6. The Prophecies of Jesus about His death and resurrection.

The parable and sign of Jonah... 3days and night in the belly of the fish.

The discussion on this was around the fact that though Jonah was seen as rebellious running away from the face of God to Tarshish instead of Nineveh, God was organising a prophecy concerning Jesus. The errors we regret may actually be God speaking what we may not understand till later or even eternity...let's leave out the guilt of the past and make the most of the future...

Contributions, questions and answers too numerous to mention here all added so much value and made the time such a great time...

This led to the discussions about Why believers still behave as if they aren't died for, why they behave and talk as if they are yet to be saved and delivered and sitted with Christ on the right hand of God...

The question was who was to be blamed for our ignorance of these things.

The people answered that both the people and the ministers who should teach. Each person has certain responsibility towards seeking the knowledge of the truth and living by it. While the ministers should teach and live by same truths.

In all we had a wow time and the meeting closed by 8pm.

THE ESSENCE OF EASTER continues in a fortnight on Thursday 26th March 2015... by 6pm. Counselling starts 5pm
@
83, Adeniyi Jones Av
Opposite TREVO office
Ikeja, Lagos

It's an experience one shouldn't form the habit of missing! We look forward to seeing everyone next time. Remain blessed!

We give praise to our great God for honoring His gathering!

Spirit Willing, Flesh Weak!

Spirit Willing, Flesh Weak!

[My Offline Bible] Matthew 26
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

The challenges of purpose demand the full engagement of the spirit, the soul and the body. It demands that the body and the soul which equal the flesh under most circumstances be trained to be driven by the spirit. Bearing in mind that man is a spirit, he has a soul and lives in a body...and all of these would need to be sanctified and preserved to the coming of Christ...
[My Offline Bible] 1 Thessalonians 5
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If they aren't in agreement, pursuing the purpose of God would be difficult. The challenges of the cross, the implications of Christ's passion on His personality was immense and intense. That challenge revealed the humanity of Christ and separated His spirit and His flesh. The flesh became weak and it took the spirit to pull through.

It also revealed the personality of Jesus Christ as different from that of the Father. Each has a will which up till this time had had no reason not to be in agreement. But the challenge of the cross brought out the fact that Jesus Christ had the ability to choose differently apart from the will of the Father just as everyone of us...the unique thing is that He never for once did what He didn't see His Father did.

Another lesson of lent and Easter is this. We need to be strengthened with might by the Holy Spirit in our inner man. So that in facing the challenges of fulfilling the purposes of God for our lives, our inner man can pull our outer man through to the place of victory.
Our will must be totally submitted to the will of the Father, that is the time when we can expect the fullness of grace and the power of God intervening in whatever situation.

When we get to our Gethsemane, I pray we would choose His will, I pray the weak flesh wouldn't have the upper hand, I pray we wouldn't deny the reason why we were made...

The series...THE ESSENCE OF EASTER begins today as we start teaching about the prophecies of His passion!

Join us later today...6pm
@
The Bible Class
83, Adeniyi Jones Avenue
Opposite TREVO
Ikeja Lagos

Personal sessions for destiny and life's purposes counselling starts 5:10pm limited spaces available for this.

We are expecting you!

The Hour and Power of Darkness!

The Hour and Power of Darkness

[My Offline Bible] Luke 22
53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

One of the lessons of lent and of Easter is that of the momentary triumph of the power of the enemy. I speak of the sell out of Judas, the conspiracy of the Jewish elders and the high priest, the complicity of the roman government, the false witnesses amongst the people, the crowd who rejected Him for a criminal, crying crucify Him! crucify Him! after enjoying the miracles, eating the fish and bread and shouting hossanna!

We all can relate to this momentary rejection, sufferings, crucifixion... the eventual resurrection in victory is what we need an assurance of; in assurance that we have in Christ! Both in this life and in eternity!

[My Offline Bible] Romans 6
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

We, just like Christ, are on a journey of purpose. We can't fulfill that purpose without crisscrossing the path of the powers of the enemy, both physically and spiritually.

But we have to know the eternal superiority of God and His purpose which establishes victory in fulfilling that purpose.

The Father has said that His purpose shall stand and He shall do all His pleasures...Isaiah 46. Not our mistakes or the power of the enemies can stop the purposes of God from coming to pass in our lives if we continually hold on to God by faith in His Word!

The hour of satan and power of darkness shall come like it was in the garden of Gethsemane Luke 22:53, but it will only last till the 'third day'...and not beyond.

No enemy can destroy the will of God...no enemy can confront the power of God, no enemy can overthrow God...they will try but they can't succeed, God works their evil to become good for us.
They delay us because it's not yet our time, they stop us so that we wont miss the mark. But they can't kill us, because we have God's purpose to fulfil in life...
They overcome only when we leave the purpose of God to seek our own. When we believe in them more than we believe in God, of course, we give away our victory but when we see them as darkness that can't even control it's movement and has to operate at the mercy of light...they remain where God has put them...under our feet.

If we will shine our Light, the power of darkness can't comprehend it...if we remain on God's side without fear, refusing to give them a place, we establish the triumph of God...
As for their activities, every one is working together for our good. If they knew, they wouldn't have crucified the Lord of glory, if they knew the serpent wouldn't have bruised his heel but now it's too late, the Son of the woman has crushed his head! Hallelujah!

Join us tomorrow for more about the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ as we begin the series on

THE ESSENCE OF EASTER

Thursday 12th March 2015

After work hours 6pm

@
The Bible Class
83, Adeniyi Jones Avenue
Opposite TREVO office
Ikeja
Lagos

We are expecting you...and friends