Practical Christian Living: A Christian NEVER dies

John 11:1-27 NIV

John 11 New International Version (NIV)

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

PASTOR DR. E. O. ABINA - YOU WILL NOT SUFFER LACK

“The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing” (Ps.34:10 NKJV).

This message comes to you once and again. That shows that God is interested in your well-being as one of His dear children. The text of this message implies that, though the young lion whose father is the king of animals in the bush may suffer hunger but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.

I believe you are one of them and if you are not yet, I think the time has come that you should become one of us.

Leaning on the promises of God by Pastor Dr E O Abina

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GOFAMINT DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING

 

A Clarion Call To Repentance

Tue. 19/4/2016

READ:  Matt. 3: 7-12 

MESSAGE:

John the Baptist was divinely chosen to herald the birth and coming of the Messiah. At the time of his call, the whole nation was in decadence; the spiritual leaders were not faithful and diligent in their call to service. 

John the Baptist was very bold and fearless in condemning the people’s wrong doings and he also called on them to repent and live right before it became too late.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR FRIDAY 15 APRIL 2015 THEME : LET GOD HELP YOU I BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR FRIDAY 15 APRIL 2015

THEME : LET GOD HELP YOU I

MEMORY VERSE: Isaiah 1:19
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. 

READ: Isaiah 1:18-20

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

MESSAGE:

THE SILENCE OF GOD! BY PASTOR (DR.)E. O. ABINA

From Pastor (Dr) E. O. Abina,
The General Overseer of GOFAMINT

THE SILENCE OF GOD!

“How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him"; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me” (Ps. 13).

The Christian’s life is full of challenges, just as it was with the people of God before we were born. The desert journey of the children of Israel was not an exception. Even the life of Abraham also was full of challenges. David, the man after God’s own heart had his own share of this subject matter – the silence of God. Sometimes at Christian journey, we feel the presence and the blessings of God flowing and coming; in our favour. Other times we pray, pray and pray, and it appears nothing good is in sight because there is no quick answer to our prayers. Then we are tempted to think that God is silent and has forgotten us entirely. Sometimes, we are also tempted to give up praying, thinking that God has shifted His care and mercy for us to another place and that may lead us to be helpless, ungrateful, lukewarm and resentful, if care is not taken. When David felt that God seemed not to heed his cry to defend him from his enemies, he cried, How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? But he did not end up in despair. He ended up by saying; I have trusted in Your mercy, My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD. Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE BY PASTOR (DR) E. O.ABINA

Pastor (Dr) E. O. Abina

UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE - Pastor (Dr) E. O. Abina

1. “Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 

2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 

4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 

5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee” (Lk.24:1-6 NKJV).

On one Sunday of the year, Christians from all walks of life throughout the world celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The Authentic Words

                               Authentic Words: 

Quoted Verse: Psalm 119:52  

“ I remember Your ancient laws, O Lord, and i find comfort in them. "

Message: 

Years ago i remember that one time when i was buying a pair of shoes, the sales assistant wanted to see my driver's licence and a major credit card in addition before he could take my personal cheque. After i produced all the identification he wanted, i asked him if he knew why he needed all this. " Its store policy, " he said. 

I told him that it was not the real reason, and when he asked me what i meant, i told him, " The reason you need all this identification is Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. If man was not sinful, you wouldn't need all this. " 

Our society is built around the premise that a person's word cannot be trusted. But that is never an issue when we deal with God and His Word. 

REFLECTIONS: MY ATTORNEY - AN AFTERLIFE EXPERIENCE

After living what I felt was a “decent” life, my time on earth came to the end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a courthouse. The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table.

As I looked around I saw the “prosecutor.” He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen. I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I knew Him.

THE POWER OF THANKSGIVING

The POWER OF THANKSGIVING - Mark 08/06-

"And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people."

Jesus came face to face with the dilemma of feeding 4000 men in the wilderness-"And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?" Mark 08/04

But Jesus explored the power of thanksgiving to multiply 7 loaves of bread and satisfy 4000 men-"So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand" Mark 8:8,9

Thanksgiving is your super catalyst to overturn all your miseries into miracles-:

1. Jehoshaphat explored the awesome power of thanksgiving to defeat his enemies and cart away incredible spoil- 2Chron.20:25

SEE YOUR ENEMIES FLEE BECAUSE OF JESUS

SEE YOUR ENEMIES FLEE BECAUSE OF JESUS - DEUTERONOMY 28:7

“The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

Some people think that Jesus and the devil are always confronting and fighting each other. But when I read my Bible, I don’t see fights between the two. What I see is the devil having to flee whenever he encounters Jesus!

Consider the demoniac from the country of the Gadarenes in Luke 8:26–39. The demons in the man begged Jesus not to torment them or send them into the abyss, but to permit them to enter a herd of swine nearby.

WHO HAS THE HIGHEST PLACE AND IS FOREVER GLORIFIED? MANY YET DESPISE HIM, THE EXACT IMAGE OF GOD

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, 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. Phillipians 2:9-11 NIV

God Exalted His Word above His Name. The Highest place is Given to and reserved for Him; so much so that at the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow in Heaven and on earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord! His Name is the Highest and He Sits Enthroned on High forever and ever. Halleluyah! Amen!!!

THE TEACHING OF THE FALSE PROPHETS AND PASTORS

Their Topic: It is by Grace, and not by Works. The false prophets and teachers are right; but what is wrong is that they have given a different meaning and understanding to these biblical terminologies.

You see, to be saved or to gain admission into God’s Kingdom is based on GRACE only. Man has done nothing to deserve such an opportunity and favor. Man cannot do anything to pay for such an honor, because man himself and everything that man has is owned by God; therefore what can man offer to God as a price to purchase such a great gift? Man cannot do anything as a payment to obtain such a favor, because God is the source of man’s existence. The initial part of salvation – that is, GAINING ENTRY or ADMISSION into God’s Kingdom is all by GRACE, and becomes a done deal through our faith in Christ Jesus ONLY. 

This is the first step of salvation, which is achieved through the WORK of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

About 2,000 years ago in the province of Galatia some false teachers and prophets called Judaizes; who are a similitude of the current day false teacher and prophet gave a different meaning to the theology of salvation by GRACE. The Judaizes taught that faith in Christ Jesus was not enough to make a believer enter into God’s Kingdom; until he is circumcised, observed the Sabbath and observed the Passover. These doctrines of the Judaizes were in contradiction to Scripture; which teaches that our righteousness that permits us to GAIN ENTRY or ADMISSION into God’s Kingdom is by faith in Christ Jesus:
1. [17] For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith (Romans 1:17).”

JUNE 2014 Power Must Change Hands (PMCH) And Deliverance Prayers Points “TAKING IT BY FORCE (5)” -By Dr. D.K Olukoya

TAKING IT BY FORCE (5) PRAYER POINTS

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 17

Confession: Matthew 11:12

Aggressive Praise Worship

*My name, my virtue, jump out of every evil location, in the name of Jesus.

*Any creature or location holding my destiny and glory, release them and die, in the name of Jesus.

*My buried blessings, resurrect by fire in the name of Jesus

*Any serpent holding my destiny, vomit them now and die, in the name of Jesus. .

*Strange gods, assigned against me, scatter by fire, in the name of Jesus.

WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF YOUR WEALTH? BY PASTOR AFOLARANMI

"The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it" (Proverbs 10:22 NIV).
When one is talking about wealth, one's mind quickly goes to the popular definition of the word "wealth" which a dictionary gives as "(possession of a) large amount of money, property, etc." Another meaning by an encyclopedia is "an accumulation of goods having economic value." It is simply referred to as "riches." 

However, this write-up is aimed at the broader meaning of the word - a large amount of something. This thing may be education, knowledge, understanding, wisdom, skill, talent, experience, intelligence, etc.

WHAT IS BACKSLIDING?

1 THE GORY TRIP FROM THE WORD TO THE WORLD! 

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."1 John 2:15.


2 THE DEMAS WALK:
"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia."2 Timothy 4:10.

3 A SIGN OR PROOF OF OVERTHROWN FAITH, IN THE FACE OF PROMISES.
"Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some."2 Timothy 2:18.

4 THE PORTRAIT IN WORDS, OF A DOG GONE BACK TO ITS VOMIT OR THE PROVEBIAL DOG GONE BACK TO ITS VOMIT!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SUNDAY 25 MAY 2014 - THEME: LUST: ENEMY OF GREATNESS BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SUNDAY 25 MAY 2014 - THEME: LUST: ENEMY OF GREATNESS BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

MEMORY VERSE: Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1:2

READ: 1 JOHN 2:15-17

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Your Divine Defence

“And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan” (2 Kings 6: 13). That is the Focal Scripture of Streams of Joy Devotional today.

In our Focal Scripture, the King of Syria sent spies to go and spy on Elisha, in a bid to fetch him. Those spies eventually found Elisha's location. That means, Elisha was visible, available, and had no visible security.

Notice that although they knew Elisha's location, they could not harm him or dislocate his destiny. They saw that he was available, but he wasn't vulnerable. Elisha may not have had any visible defence, yet he wasn't defenceless. He was visible, yet he was untouchable.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SATURDAY 24 MAY 2014 - THEME: THE COVENANT OF TOTAL RECOVERY BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SATURDAY 24 MAY 2014 - THEME: THE COVENANT OF TOTAL RECOVERY BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

MEMORY VERSE: Philippians 4:19

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

READ: GENESIS 17:1-7

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Friday 16 May 2014 - THEME : HAZARDING LIVES FOR MISSIONS BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memory Verse: Acts 15:26

Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Read: Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.