Bible Study Online

" _Fear you not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness."_
Isaiah 41:10

In this world of wickedness, evil and obstinacy, life obviously is like a strong man holding your possession and asking you to come and take it from him if you can. Oftentimes, we somehow usually consider ourselves even as Christians as far less than who we are called to be in Christ Jesus. The reason for this is the enemy within and it's called "Fear". Fear is a barrier, a destroyer, a manipulator and a vision terminator at the same time. Anyone who gives room to fear in his/her life will never go far even as a child of God. Fear is a very strong weapon of destruction in the hands of the Devil and he knows how to utilise it very well.
Very quickly I will give you three reasons you must not allow fear to live in your life as a child of God.

*. Don't be afraid God is with you: God said " _fear not for I'm with you"_ this is a big assurance of protection and should also be a strong source of relief and encouragement to us in the midst of any predicament. One with God is majority and let me ask you, if God the creator is with you, who do you think can be against you? You need to be inundated with this mindset of assurance of God's presence in your life always. So don't be afraid because God is with you.

*. God said he will strengthen us and he will help us. The Psalmist said that our help is from the Lord who made heaven and earth. The moment you realised that your help is from the Lord not from the world you will have more confidence in yourself and as such will never be afraid of any circumstance. Every good thing cometh from above not from abroad. So don't be afraid because God is your strength and your helper.

*. God will uphold you. This simply means that God will never allow you to Fail no matter what the agenda of the enemies are in your life.

Making Your Prayer Work!

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

James 5:16 (KJV)

The opening scripture has revealed to us one of the hindrances to prayer—"unforgiveness."
Unforgiveness short-circuits the power of God in us and destroys the fellowship we have with one another. It is a spiritual sickness that can lead to physical illness. Beloved, if we want our prayers to be effectual or effective, we must gather the courage to tell one another our faults and pray for one another so that we can be healed (Matthew 6:14–15).

There are those who will not accept their faults—such people should be left to God to convict. Make sure in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ you don’t hold any grudges against anybody. This puts you in the right standing with God for your prayers to work effectively.

Today I want to ask you, are you holding any grudges or bitterness against anybody? Now is the time to let it go for your own good. Unforgiveness can also affect your offerings to God. No wonder Jesus Christ said if we want to offer God a gift and remember that we are living in unforgiveness, we should go and reconcile with our offenders before offering our gift to God (Matthew 5:23–24). Beloved, let us have a pure heart for one another and our prayers will be a sweet savor before God, and He will gladly give us what we want.

God bless you!

"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." Rev 22:12-13 But you know that your Echo in eternity is shaped by what you do with your life here on earth. Time is running out, we've no much time left for us here on earth 🌎, the journey is far but with a very short time....

https://rtcconline.org/too-late-to-waste-time/

Too Late to Waste Time “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” Rev 2…

“My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.” —Proverbs 23:26 As we consider a life guided by the principles of God's Kingdom, we must begin by making sure that we have truly given our hearts to God. Once God has your heart, he is able to guide and direct you in every area of your life....

https://rtcconline.org/giving-your-heart-to-god/

Giving Your Heart to God “My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.” —Proverbs 23:26 As we consider a life guided by the principles of God’s Kingdom, we must begin by making sure that we have …

O LORD, OPEN MY EYES

“The prophet’s attendant got up early in the morning. When he went outside there was an army surrounding the city, along with horses and chariots. He said to Elisha, ‘Oh no, my master! What will we do?’ He replied, ‘Don’t be afraid, for our side outnumbers them.’ Then Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes so he can see.’ The Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw that the hill was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
—2 Kings 6:16–17

We are in a spiritual battle. Seemingly insurmountable circumstances perplex us, frighten us, and unsettle us. Life seems like a planned obstacle course intended to test us and strengthen our faith.

In today’s passage, Elisha’s servant was afraid when they were surrounded by the Syrian army. Elisha asked the Lord to open the eyes of the servant so he could see the spiritual reality of their advantage.

The world we see is in tremendous conflict and turmoil. In many ways it is the outward manifestation of the unseen battles that are taking place in the spiritual world. And yet, God is in control!

Like Elisha’s servant, we need to have our spiritual eyes opened. We need to see the spiritual battle and also God’s solution. Our defense against Satan’s schemes is to remember that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). We are covered by the blood of Christ. “The name of the Lord is likea strong tower; the righteous person runs to it and is set safely on high (Proverbs 18:10). God has us firmly in his grip.

Today, ask yourself:

Am I aware that I am in a spiritual battle to derail me from fulfilling God’s purpose for my life? What steps am I taking to rely on God’s perspective and power?

“He shall not be afraid of evil tidings” Psalm 112:7 Christian, you ought not to dread the arrival of evil tidings; because if you are distressed by them, what do you more than other men? Other men have not your God to fly to; they have never proved his faithfulness as you have done, and it is no wonder if they are bowed down with alarm and cowed with fear: but you profess to be of another spirit; you have been begotten again unto a lively hope, and your heart lives in heaven and not on earthly things; now, if you are seen to be distracted as other men, what is the value of that grace which you profess to have received? Where is the dignity of that new nature which you claim to possess? Again, if you should be filled with alarm, as others are, you would, doubtless, be led into the sins so common to others under trying circumstances. The ungodly, when they are overtaken by evil tidings, rebel against God; they murmur, and think that God deals hardly with them. Will you fall into that same sin? Will you provoke the Lord as they do? Moreover, unconverted men often run to wrong means in order to escape from difficulties, and you will be sure to do the same if your mind yields to the present pressure. Trust in the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Your wisest course is to do as Moses did at the Red Sea, “Stand still and see the salvation of God” For if you give way to fear when you hear of evil tidings, you will be unable to meet the trouble with that calm composure which nerves for duty, and sustains under adversity. How can you glorify God if you play the coward? Saints have often sung God’s high praises in the fires, but will your doubting and desponding, as if you had none to help you, magnify the Most High? Then take courage, and relying in sure confidence upon the faithfulness of your covenant God, “let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”

“Be ye separate.” 2 Corinthians 6:17 The Christian, while in the world, is not to be of the world. He should be distinguished from it in the great object of his life. To him, “to live,” should be “Christ.” Whether he eats, or drinks, or whatever he does, he should do all to God’s glory. You may lay up treasure; but lay it up in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, where thieves break not through nor steal. [ 282 more words ]
https://rtcconline.org/you-must-be-seprated/

YOU MUST BE SEPRATED “Be ye separate.” 2 Corinthians 6:17 The Christian, while in the world, is not to be of the world. He should be distinguished from it in the great object of his life. To him, “to live,” should be “…

“He that watereth shall be watered also himself”Proverbs 11:25 We are here taught the great lesson of life, that to get, we must give; that to accumulate, we must scatter; that to make ourselves happy, we must make others happy; and that in order to become spiritually vigorous, we must seek the spiritual good of others. In watering others, we are ourselves watered. [ 297 more words ]
https://rtcconline.org/he-that-watereth-shall-be-watered/

HE THAT WATERETH SHALL BE WATERED “He that watereth shall be watered also himself”Proverbs 11:25 We are here taught the great lesson of life, that to get, we must give; that to accumulate, we must scatter; that to make ourselves ha…

That evil chain is broken today in Jesus mighty name 🙏

Five (5) fold ministry?

It's important to note first that the concept of the five-fold ministry comes from Ephesians 4:11, "It was he who gave some to be;

(1) Apostles, some to be
(2) Prophets, some to be
(3) Evangelists, some to be
(4) Pastors and some to be
(5) Teachers."

Haven't said that, I will like you to know that the key to understanding of Fivefold Ministry is centred on "FUNCTION" or "PURPOSE" but not on title…

The purpose of the title is to describe the FUNCTION…

1. The Apostle Governs:
He is like the Heart revealing compassion & strategy for advancing the Kingdom

2. The Prophet Guides:
He is like the Mouth communicating guidance

3. The Teacher Grounds:
He has the Mind of Christ to bring wisdom and understanding

4. The Evangelist Gathers:
These are the Hands that are always reaching out to souls

5. The Pastor Guards:
These are the Feet leading the sheep to pasture and the paths of righteousness

__Our hand serves as an example for the Fivefold Ministry too:_

The Thumb represents the Apostle:

This finger is the only one that touches all others and is the finger that enables us to grip.

The Forefinger represents the Prophet: It points…

The Middle finger represents the Evangelist: it is the furthest reaching

The Ring finger represents the Pastor: married to the sheep he is always with them

The last represents the Teacher: this finger is the one that gives balance to the hand

Now I believe we have seen how the 5 Gift of Ministries function together as a Team. No one operate fully without the presence of the other.

6. WORKING OF MIRACLE:

A person with this gift can be used by God to do any type of creative miracle from using physical strength to move a car to regenerating a body part to affecting the weather. There is no limit to what God can do, and the person with this spiritual gift has the faith to believe God for anything.

SPEAKING GIFTS:
The speaking gifts include Speaking in Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, and Prophecy. God uses these gifts to audibly communicate with us.

7. SPEAKING IN TONGUES:

A person with this gift will supernaturally speak in an unknown language and get the attention of everyone nearby.

8. INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES:

A person with the gift of interpreting tongues has a supernatural ability to understand and explain to others the message given in tongues. The result is that God is glorified and the church is edified.

9. PROPHECY:

Believers with the gift of prophecy don’t necessarily tell the future as much as they build up, encourage, and redirect the church body. They help the church understand the heart and desires of God and urge the church to wholeheartedly pursue God and holiness.

So, now I believe you have the basic understanding of the 9 Spiritual Gifts discussed in 1 Corinthians 12; if you’re interested in learning what your Spiritual Gift is, you can send message to me privately and you can be sure we will take it up from there.

Many Blessings!

A CLOSE LOOK AT EACH GIFT

There are many ways to categorize the 9 gifts described in 1 Corinthians 12,
but I will divide them up for the sake of understanding like this:

REVELATION GIFTS:

The revelation gifts include Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, and Discerning of Spirits. These gifts reveal what is unknown or hidden in order to bring understanding or explain God’s intentions or desires.

1. WORD OF WISDOM:

Individuals with this gift have the ability to make wise decisions and to advise others similarly. This wisdom isn’t just from trial and error in their own lives but through supernatural understanding from God. They see clearly through confusing circumstances and direct themselves and others toward God’s will and direction.

2. WORD OF KNOWLEDGE:

People with this gift have a deep understanding of the will and ways of God. Supernaturally, they can discern truths about spiritual matters in order to teach or direct the church.

3. DISCERNING OF SPIRIT:

This gift is also referred to “distinguishing between spirits.” People with this gift have the ability to discern whether a situation, person, or event is good or evil, right or wrong, heavenly or demonic. This gift is important because it can help protect God’s people and lead them in the right direction.

POWER GIFTS:
The power gifts include Faith, Gifts of Healings, and Working of Miracles. These gifts visibly demonstrate God’s power.

4. FAITH:

The gift of faith involves the supernatural ability to believe and trust God in difficult times for extraordinary results. This gift of faith often brings about incredible miracles and is closely related to the other Power Gifts.

5. GIFT OF HEALING:

God works through a person with this gift to heal and restore people’s bodies, minds, and emotions. This person has a level of faith to believe God for healing in any situation and is willing to try even non-conventional methods if God leads.

70 percent of the questions I have received so far this week were centred on spiritual gifts, and so tonight by the special Grace of God I want to discuss about the spiritual gifts in ministry.

What's a spiritual gift?

It's a gift from God designed to empower a believer to carry out God's agenda in the body of Christ. It's given for the purpose of God's kingdom advancement here on earth.

The Bible makes us to understand that the Spirit of God gives “special abilities” to us (1 Corinthians 12:1). It's also important to understand that these gifts are not earned. They are just gifts. And so we must be careful not to believe that these special abilities are for our own manipulations or benefits; spiritual gifts are from God and are for God’s purposes. So it's important that we do not take credit for anything the Spirit of God does through us while operating in our gift.

DIFFERENT GIFTS; SAME SPIRIT

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 makes it clear that the same Spirit operates differently in us all, just as we have different talents. Therefore, we should not judge how God is working in someone else nor should we compare ourselves with others. The Holy Spirit works in us to serve God and others with our gifts, and the Body of Christ (the church) benefits from us operating in diverse ways.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE FOR HELPING OTHERS

The purpose of God giving us spiritual gifts is clear: “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other” ( see 1 Corinthians 12:7).

We are not given spiritual gifts for our individual benefits. God gives us spiritual gifts so we can help each other!

LAZY CHRISTIANS

King Solomon contrast laziness with ant, who works deligently during the summer to gather enough food for the winter. In prov 20:4 Solomon describes a sluggish person as one who refuses to work hard during planting season and therefore has nothing to harvest during the harvest time.

Lazy Christians have plenty of excuses to shy away from responsibilities. They find it difficult to do anything positively to affect the body of Christ. This category of Christians never leave any church better than they found it. When we lose our sense of commitment and diligence in doing God's work as Christians, the result is that we will become spiritually lazy and worthless to God's kingdom. See Matt 5:13

As Christians it's important we understand that our time here on earth is limited. And every misused time can never be retrieved back again. In John 9:4 Christ told them "I must work the work of He who sent me while it's day....." We must remain diligent in doing the work of God and in encouraging others to do likewise.

If truly you want to make a difference as a Christian then you must pay attention to the metaphor of the ant. The quality of lessons we learn from this little but very creative and industrious creature is amazing. The entire lessons can be summarised in this way:

* A - Attitude of initiative: Ants don't need a commander to instruct them to start
* N - Natural integrity: They work faithfully and they need no outside accountability to keep doing the right thing.
* T - Tirelessly: They work hard and never get tired until the job is done
* Source of Insight: Ants store provisions in summer.

Every good Christian must take a deep lesson from this tiny creature.

EVEN A PR******TE IS IMPORTANT IN THE HAND OF GOD 👇

Do you know that God can use individual of any background to accomplish His purpose.
In the book of Joshua chapter 2 God strategically positioned Rahab, whom the Bible identified as a harlot (Josh 2:1). This harlot displayed a clear understanding of spiritual issues when the two young Hebrews spies came to her for help. This woman acknowledge the fact that the God of the Hebrews is a powerful God and therefore risked her life willingly by hiding the two young Hebrews spies. (See Josh 2:12,13).

Rahab leveraged on her hospitality on behalf of her parents, siblings, and their extended families, begging the spies to spare the lives of all who belong to her and they agreed.

Rahab sent the Israelites enemies to the wrong side by lying to them just to save the spies. So you can see that even a pr******te can demonstrate a saving faith (see Heb 11:31).

In our society today, many will not accept such a woman considering her personal history and background. God saw beyond that, He saw beyond her occupation, life styles and her origin. God sees the heart of every human and that was why Rahab was chosen by God.

God cares less about what we have done once we are willing to do what He wants us to do for Him. That's why He can use anybody irrespective of who the person is in the eyes of men. A heart of service, strong desire to follow, a humble and sincere heart to do as He wills are the key things God demands from us in order to make use of us for His purpose.

God saved a whole generation because and through a "harlot" whom I know may not have even be regarded by the society because of her occupation. Rahab's family lived and was adopted into Hebrews society and she became an ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself (see Matt 1:5). The name " Rahab" occupies an honored place in the book of faith (Heb 11:31).

Now you know that a scattered life can still be restored back to normal by Jesus Christ even though it has.

WHERE IS YOUR HOPE?

Do you want to put your hope in Jesus? If you do, He will be with you forever. Talk to Him by praying something this way:

PRAY NOW

"Lord Jesus,
I believe you are God's Son.
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.
Please forgive my sins.
I accept your gift of eternal life.
I'm asking you into my life and heart
now as my Lord and Savior.
I want to serve you always."

WHY SHOULD WE TRUST AND BELIEVE IN JESUS?

After He died on the cross, Jesus came back to life and defeated death.

Because of this, our hope is no longer in the things of this world. Instead, our hope is in the power of the resurrection of Jesus (1 Peter 1:3). Because He rose from the dead, we also have eternal life when we believe in Him.

This hope does more than confirm that we are saved from death. It also gives us joy in our lives and boldness to share Jesus with others.

God's forgiveness through the death and resurrection of Jesus is an amazing gift to us!

FIND TRUE HOPE

This world is dark and filled with pain. We all long for something to put our hope in something that won’t disappoint us, but so many things do — relationships, jobs, dreams and more. What if you could put your hope in something that you knew wouldn’t let you down? That’s what it’s like to put your hope in Jesus.

WHO IS JESUS?

Jesus is the Son of God. He lived on Earth about 2,000 years ago, and He lived a perfect life.

Everyone else has done something wrong, or gone against what God wants us to do. This is called sin. Sin entered the world a long time ago through the disobedience of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Ever since, the world has been broken, full of pain and sin. And because we all sin, a holy God will judge us.

That is why Jesus came to Earth to save us from this judgment! He lived a perfect life, but then He died an unjust death on a cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Through Jesus’ death, God offered forgiveness to all who believe in Jesus and admit their need for a savior. You must humble yourself and admit your sins. God is faithful to forgive you if you do (1 John 1:9)! Jesus saves us from the punishment for our sins and restores our relationship with God