ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
The Name of Jesus. Acts of the Apostles 4:11-12
For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ [12]There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” NLT.

Good morning dear friends, I welcome you to today’s teaching. It is my prayer as always that God will interpret His word in our hearts in Jesus name. Our topic this morning is the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus signals many things in the world. It is like a pass or key in doing something. Let me explain better, if I want to enter my friend’s house when he is not at home and his house is locked, I need the keys to his house. If not, I cannot enter. The name of Jesus is like that, it is an access granting name to a world of possibilities. The question is what are the possibilities the name of Jesus is meant to give everyone on earth?

1. Salvation: John 3:16-17
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17]God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. NLT.

Jesus came to die for our sins and to save us from the power of sin that had taken over our lives. The promise of salvation is to everyone that believes in the name of Jesus. There is no name in the world that can save man from sin except the name of Jesus. Acts of the Apostles 4:12: There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” NLT.

2. Power over demons, poisons, and sicknesses: Mark 16:17-18
These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. [18]They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” NLT.

Everyone who has come to Jesus for salvation has a right through the name of Jesus to be empowered to have dominion over demons, poisonous things, and sicknesses. This is not reserved to pastors alone or the people of the Bible era. It is a gift available to all men in Christ.

3. Wisdom: James 1:5
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. NLT.

Wisdom is a crucial thing to have. A man without wisdom can make decisions that will destroy his life and that of the people around him. Do you remember the story of Jonah? One of the things he lacked was wisdom. However, all glory to God who is generous in showering on us divine wisdom when we need it as long as we ask in faith and in the name of Jesus.

4. Eternal life: 1 John 5:11-12
And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12]Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. NLT.

Jesus did not just die for us to get saved here on earth alone, He died, resurrected, and ascended to heaven so that we will live with him forever. John 14:1-6: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. [2]There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? [3]When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. [4]And you know the way to where I am going.” [5]“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” [6]Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. NLT.

Therefore, if you are reading this and you have not said yes to the name of Jesus to save you from sin talk less of enjoying the benefits in the name of Jesus, I urge you to come to Jesus Christ and be saved from sin by saying this prayer with all of your heart; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ
.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
The New Wine. Matthew 9:14-17
One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?” [15]Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. [16]“Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. [17]“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.” NLT.

Good morning dear friends, I welcome you to another teaching this morning, I pray that God will interpret His word in our hearts in Jesus name. We will discuss “The new wine” today. The first thing I want us to know is that the old always gives way to the new, God is not stagnant, He is a progressive God. When Jesus came, He met an existing system, however, what He wanted to implement could not stand on the existing structure. Therefore, what we have in Matthew 9:14-17 goes beyond the disciples of Jesus not fasting the way John and the Pharisees fasted.

Jesus was more concerned about establishing a new system that would guarantee a relationship between God and man which was lacking at that time before things like fasting. Romans 8:15-17: So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” [16]For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. [17]And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. NLT. God wanted to build a relationship of father and son with us and He needed to put an end to the existing system that said other wise. God would never establish a perfect thing on a faulty foundation. He is a wise builder who builds on a solid foundation. Matthew 16:18-19: Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. [19]And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” NLT.

Therefore, the old system through the death and resurrection of Jesus is no longer valid and Jesus who has been raised as our High Priest has set up something better than what we used to have. One of the things Jesus has established is that we can be saved from our sins not because of what we have done right but because of the saving grace of God. Ephesians 2:8-9: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9]Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. NLT.

The new wine is the new system of salvation established by Jesus and if you are yet to experience this by giving your life to Jesus, I urge you to do so by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ
.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
Who is God? Concluding Part.
1 John 4:7-8
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. [8]But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. NLT.

Hebrews 12:29
For our God is a devouring fire. NLT.

Good morning dear friends, I welcome you to today’s teaching which is the concluding part of our three part teaching series on who is God? The first part talked about the qualities of God such as; He is the creator, the source of life, the creator of all races, our father, and the one who wants His creation to seek, find, and worship Him. Also, in the second part of the teaching, we discussed how God looks while describing his look from the angle of His glory. We revealed that God’s glory is inseparable from Him and His glory is manifested in form of light, holiness, and the trinity.

Today, we will describe God in form of His character. The character of a man tells us a lot about him. Therefore, if we know the character of God alongside what has been taught about Him in the previous parts of this teaching, it will give us a holistic description of God.

What is the character of God? God’s character is in two, it’s like a coin with two sides, on one side, He is love and on the other side He is the consuming fire. 1 John 4:7-8 and Hebrews 12:29. However, when one comes in contact with God, the first thing he sees about God is love. Think about the character of God as a currency. The note of a currency has two sides, the front and the back of the note. When a new currency is to be introduced, they will showcase the front and the back of the note. Any note with an empty back is invalid and vice versa. Therefore, any “god” that you come in contact with who only loves without having a dimension of discipline (fire) and vice versa is not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is both love and consuming fire. However, the first side of Him that you will experience when you seek Him is love.

It is worth noting that God is love not because He is capable of loving. He is love, which means He has it in His nature, we can even say love is part of His glory because it is an attribute that cannot be separated from God. John 3:16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. NLT. God’s love is not partial, it is for everyone because He created all the races, nations, and tongues in the world. Therefore, when you come in contact with God’s love, it gets revealed in form of God’s saving grace to reveal your sins to you and how you can be saved from it by accepting Jesus as your Lord and saviour. Ephesians 2:8-9: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9]Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. NLT. It is love that made God provide salvation for the world through the acts of Jesus Christ. Love compelled God to reconcile us to Himself after the fall of man.

The other side of God is the consuming fire. God is love but He disciplines. The fact that He is love and as a result forgives sin does not mean that He does not punish wrongs. God disciplines in two ways; He disciplines His children and He disciplines the wicked.

1. He disciplines His children: Hebrews 12:4-11
After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. [5]And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. [6]For the lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” [7]As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father [8]If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. [9]Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? [10]For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. [11]No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
NLT.

God disciplines His children out of love to produce a harvest of holiness in them.

2. He disciplines the wicked:
He disciplines the wicked and sinners who do wrong through His righteous system of judgment. Acts 13:4-12. Also He will discipline those who refuse to give their lives to Christ by rejecting the free gift of salvation at the end of time. Revelation 20:11-15: And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. [12]I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. [13]The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. [14]Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. [15]And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. NLT.

Jesus did not come to the world to condemn the people in it, He came to save the world, and as long as you are living, all you need to do is accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour and you would be saved from eternal condemnation.

Therefore, this is an invitation from God who loves you to give your life to Jesus Christ if you are yet to do that by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ
.

God bless you.

Thanks for your comment. Like I wrote in the teaching, Elohim means God in a plural sense and it is not in a majestic sense as you have wrongly asserted. However, if the Beings that make up the trinity are more than one as Genesis 1 suggested, they may be one thousand as you pointed out but the ministry and life of Jesus and the writings of Apostle Paul proves to us that they are three. The baptism of Jesus proves it in Matthew 3:16
[16]After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.

Also, Paul wrote about the Trinity in his epistles. This is an example:
2 Corinthians 13:14
[14]May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
That the Trinity is not explicitly written in a bible does not mean it is false. We have decoded it through bible study and the Spirit of revelation.

I have attached two pictures to this post to show you that ESV and NASB versions included Matthew 28:19 as against your wrong submission that the verse is not included in those translations.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
Who is God? Part Two. Ezekiel 1:26-28
Above this surface was something that looked like a throne made of blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man. [27]From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor. [28]All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me. NLT.

Good morning dear friends, I welcome you to the second part of the teaching, who is God? In the last teaching, we discussed that God is the creator of the world, He is the source of life, He made all nations from one man, He made the nations so that they will seek and find Him, and He is our Father. Following last week’s teaching, we want to delve into the nature of God by answering this question; How does God look like?

How does God look like?
A lot of people may find this question useless. The reason for that being that no one has ever seen God and remain alive. So, how can we describe how He looks like? John 1:18: No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. NLT. I am not trying to describe how God looks, I am trying to describe how his glory appears when he appears because no one can see Him with physical eyes. In my teaching titled; the glory of God. I described the appearance of God in form of what is called the glory of God. If anyone will see God, such person will see a dimension of his glory. Therefore, we can say that God appears in form of glory. What is the glory of God? The glory of God is his essence. It is the atmosphere and aura that his presence radiates. God has a majestic aura which is inseparable from him and as a result of this, glory cannot be separated from him, he is effortlessly glorious.

The next question is how does God show his glory? Here are some the ways He shows His glory.

1. God shows His glory in form of light.
God is light, his appearance comes in form of light to illuminate. Therefore, anyone who sees God’s light has seen the glory of God and by extension, he has seen God. 1 Peter 2:9: But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. NLT. 1 John 1:5: This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. NLT.

2. God shows His glory in form of fire:
Exodus 3:1-3: One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. [2]There the angel of the lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. [3]“This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.” NLT.

Fire is one of the elements that is associated with the appearance and personality of God. The appearance of God can come in form of fire. Exodus 13:22: And the lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people. NLT. Hebrews 12:29: For our God is a devouring fire. NLT.

3. God shows His glory in form of holiness:
Isaiah 6:1-3: It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. [2]Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.[3]They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” NLT.

There are times in the Bible where the glory of God was revealed and holiness was discussed alongside his glory. From this knowledge, we know that part of His glory is holiness. We cannot separate God and holiness. Exodus 3:1-5: One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. [2]There the angel of the lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. [3]“This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.” [4]When the lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses! ”Here I am!” Moses replied. [5]“Do not come any closer,” the lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. NLT.

The revelation of God’s holiness is to convict us of our sins and reveal the saving grace of God to us.
Also, in answering the question, how does God look like? We have it that God is a three in one Being. He is not a Being that reveals Himself in three different ways but a Being that is made up of three distinct but equal beings. Philippians 2:6-11: Though he was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. [7]Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, [8]he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. [9]Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, [10]that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, In heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11]and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, To the glory of God the Father. NLT.

Also, in the original Bible in Genesis 1:1, the word God used is “Elohim” which means “the most powerful God” is in plural form, the singular word is “Eloha”. “Elohim” as a plural word for God in Hebrew always take a singular verb. This shows that we have three Beings operating as one through love that makes them united. Matthew 28:19: Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. NLT.
We will conclude this teaching next week as we will answer the question about the nature of God. Stay blessed until then.

Happy Sunday and don’t forget to fellowship with the saints.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
Who is God? Part One. Acts of the Apostles 17:16-28
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. [17]He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. [18]He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.” [19]Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. [20]“You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” [21](It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.) [22]So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, [23]for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. [24]“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, [25]and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. [26]From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. [27]“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. [28]For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ NLT.

Good morning dear friends, I welcome you to this morning’s teaching. It is going to be in two parts, I pray that God will teach us his word as we go through the series in Jesus name. God is a name that many people are familiar with in the world. Across many religions, people believe in the existence of a deity that either serves as a small god that connects to the most supreme God or the most supreme God himself. According to Ipsos (2023) survey, across 26 countries surveyed, 40% responded that they believe in God but not as described in the Bible. Also, 21% of the respondents responded that they do not believe in God or a higher spirit while 19% of the remaining respondents were unsure of what response to give.
The name God is very popular in the world but we have a lot of people who cannot describe Him accurately and this happens even among those who believe in Him according to His representation in the Bible. God is around us but to a lot of people, He remains unknown as He was to the people of Athens. Acts 17:22-23. It is our mission in this teaching to unmask the unknown God and present Him to people the way He truly is. From our scripture in Acts 17:16-28, we see some attributes of God that will help us understand who He is.

1. He is the creator of the world: Acts 17:24
The bible tells us that God created the heavens and the earth. There is no confusion about the creator of what can be seen here on earth. God is the creator and because He is the creator, he owns everything in it. Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. NLT. Psalms 24:1: The earth is the lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. NLT.

2. He is the source of life: Acts 17:25
The one who created the heavens and the earth gave life to all that is on earth. Nothing has life on earth without the making God. John 1:4: The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. NLT.

3. He made all nations from one Man: Acts 17:26
All races and nations are a product of God’s creation. He lifts nations and determines when they fall. Therefore, nothing happens without the knowledge of God. We have heard a lot of criticisms when it comes to the nation of Nigeria, some people call it a mere geographical expression and all, but the word of God here says that God allowed that to happen for a purpose because it is in His grand agenda.

4. He made nations so that they will seek and find Him: Acts 17:27
The ultimate purpose of God is for the nations of the world to seek, find, and serve Him. God is never far from us because He is close to us and He had to make himself known to us. In the Bible, He has done this in different ways but they can be made into two classifications; the knowledge of God according to the law and the knowledge of God according to the gospel of Christ. The law was given to show us our sins and the standard God wants from us. Romans 3:19-20: Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. [20]For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. NLT. However, Jesus did what the law could not do by making us right with God through his blood. Therefore, to know God perfectly, all you need in this dispensation is to know Jesus because He came as the express image of God. Hebrews 1:1-3: Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. [2]And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. [3]The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. NLT.

5. He is our father: Acts 17:28
Even the idol worshippers in Athens believed that the supreme God is our father. He created us for us to serve Him willingly and for Him to be our father. Romans 8:14-15: For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. [15]So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” NLT. As our Father He supplies us with benefits by taking care of us. Matthew 7:7-11: “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. [8]For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. [9]“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? [10]Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! [11]So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. NLT.

Therefore, in answering the question; who is God? We can say that God is our father who created us so that we can worship Him. On this note, if you are yet to become his child by accepting Jesus who came as the perfect representation of God, I urge you to do so now by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ
.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
The Blood Paid the Price. Colossians 1:11-14
We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, [12]always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. [13]For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, [14]who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. NLT.

Good morning dear friends, I want to wish you a happy Easter celebration. I pray that we will receive the grace provided for us by the sacrificial act of Jesus in Jesus name. This teaching will end the teachings we have been making for the past three weeks about the reason why Jesus came to the world.

Like I said in the teaching titled; “crucified for us” Jesus used his blood to pay the price for our sins. He did it because the blood of goats would not do the job, neither will the blood of man do the job because God is not Molech, a god that demands human sacrifice. Therefore, God had to come in human form and sacrifice himself for the sins of the world. It was a man that sinned, it was God that cleared the debt because of His love for us. Romans 5:8: But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. NLT. The debt God cleared for us was not cleared by something cheap, it was the blood of Jesus that paid the price.

Therefore, as we celebrate this year’s Easter, I want to remind you of this selfless act by God and urge you to respond to this by giving your life to Jesus by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ
.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
Resurrection: The Foundation of our Faith. 1 Corinthians 15:12-22
But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? [13]For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. [14]And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. [15]And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. [16]And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. [17]And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. [18]In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! [19]And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. [20]But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. [21]So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. [22]Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. NLT.

Good morning dear friends, we are already in Easter period and our topics for the past 2 weeks have centred on the sacrificial acts of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Today, we will be looking at one of the questions that people raise to cast doubt on the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have some people who say that it was not Jesus who died on the cross, some say it was Peter while some say it was Judas. There are lots of controversial takes on the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is important to answer this question because it is crucial to our faith. The Gentile Church of Corinth in our text this morning had that debate among them. I thank God that it happened back then, because God used Paul to clear the doubt, thereby using it as a reference for us in this dispensation.

The Christians faith relies heavily on the resurrection of the saints whereby they will live with God forever while those who did not accept God as their Lord and saviour would be resurrected to face what the Bible calls the second death. Revelation 20:11-15: And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. [12]I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. [13]The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. [14]Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. [15]And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. NLT.

If Jesus did not resurrect from the dead and ascend to heaven where He lives forever, it means that we do not have the hope of eternal life. It means that when we die, it all ends here and our faith is useless, it does not serve us in any way. The fasting and prayers, the consecration and all is a waste of time. Therefore, Paul did not fight or insult them, instead, be presented his point logically and one after the other to the people. He revealed that without the resurrection of Jesus, all who have testified about His resurrection are lying and that we are still guilty of our sins. This is because the mission of saving us from sin would not be complete therefore we would still be under the hold and guilt of sin.

Similarly, Paul continued by telling the church in Corinth that Jesus did resurrect and as a result we are recipients of new life which is something different to what was on ground following the fall of Adam. Also, Paul used this to reinforce an opinion he had given earlier about the timeline of the death and resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus had not resurrected, He would not have been seen by hundreds of people who saw Him, His disciples, and Paul himself. 1 Corinthians 15:3-9: I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. [4]He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. [5]He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. [6]After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. [7]Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. [8]Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. [9]For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. NLT.

The teaching that casts doubt on the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the teaching birthed by the spirit of the antichrist which opposes the truth about Christ through lies by casting doubt about His divinity. 1 John 4:2-3: This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. [3]But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. NLT. Therefore, as we celebrate this year’s Easter, we should not be disturbed by teachings that says Jesus did not die, resurrect, and that He did not ascend to heaven. It is the product of the spirit of the Antichrist.

Therefore, if you are reading this and you have not given your life to Christ, I want you to do so now because the price for your sins have been paid and your resurrection to life eternal is only found in God. I urge you to give your life to Christ now by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ
.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
Verily, Verily I Say Unto you. John 5:24-26
“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. [25]“And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. [26]The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. NLT.

Words are very powerful, through the Word of God, everything that can be seen on earth was created. Hebrews 1:3-5: The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. [4]This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names. [5]For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. “God also said, “I will be his Father, And he will be my Son.” NLT. How powerful words are is exemplified in its role in the life of a human beings. A man can be depressed because of words spoken to him. Likewise, a man can be motivated because of the words spoken to him.

Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the words that we expose ourselves to. If there is one person that we can listen to, whose words can be trusted, it is the words of Jesus Christ. John 6:63: The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. NLT. Before anyone can surrender his or her life to Christ, such person has to hear the word of Christ which brings about repentance. Romans 10:8-17: In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; It is on your lips and in your heart. “And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: [9]If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10]For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. [11]As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” [12]Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. [13]For “Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved.” [14]But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? [15]And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” [16]But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “lord, who has believed our message?” [17]So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. NLT. It is the word of God that we hear and believe that saves us from sin.

The testimony about Jesus which we hear and believe gives eternal life because only in Jesus can we have eternal life. John 5:39-40:“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! [40]Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life. NLT. This is what Jesus reinforced in our text today that eternal life is only found in him by listening and believing in God who sent him.

On this note, if you are reading this and you are yet to receive the gift of eternal life from Jesus, I urge you to do so now by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ
.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
Crucified For Us. John.3.16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. KJV.

Good morning dear friends and I welcome you to today’s teaching. As we all know that we are in lent period and Easter celebration is fast approaching. This teaching is geared at reminding us of the sacrificial act of Jesus Christ. I pray that we will all live to appreciate the coming of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ the more in Jesus name.

Before Jesus Christ came, there was a huge debt that needed to be paid. The dominion God gave man which was lost by Adam’s fall into sin. The price of his disobedience was blood which would cleanse our sins and get the lost dominion back. Hebrews 9:22-26: In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. [23]That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals. [24]For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. [25]And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. [26]If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. NLT. John 1:29: The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! NLT.

To usher us into the reality of dominion that was lost and to make sin powerless over us, Jesus had to pay the price with his blood. The reason for this is because the blood of animals could not achieve that, there was a need for a far superior blood to settle the debt once and for all. The question is why is it that it was Jesus who came to die? God could not have picked someone to die for the sins of the world because that would be human sacrifice and God is not molech, a god that demands human sacrifice. Leviticus 18:21: “Do not permit any of your children to be offered as a sacrifice to Molech, for you must not bring shame on the name of your God. I am the lord. NLT. Therefore, God sent a member of the trinity (Jesus) to come in human form and die for us. It was a case of God dying for the sin of the world because Jesus was 100% God in human form. Thus, you cannot accuse God of human sacrifice.

The implication it has it that God did not put the redemption of the world into the hands of any man. God did it all and delivered it to us on a platter of gold. Therefore, salvation is 100% the work of God which man receives for free. Ephesians 2:3-6: All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. [4]But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5]that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) [6]For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. NLT.

Therefore, if you are reading this and you are yet to give your life to Christ by receiving the free gift of God, I urge you to do so now by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
His Excellency Rev.5.12
Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. KJV.

When someone is referred to as “your/his or her excellency”, such person is being conferred a title that says he or she occupies an important official position. It is a title for honourable people. In Yoruba, the word means; “ọlọ́lájùlọ”, it means the one that excels above others in terms of honour. That is one of the ways we can describe God. God excels in honour which means that the highest form of honour belongs to Him.

The fact that God should receive all glory and honour is known and practiced in heaven where the 24 elders cast their crowns in worshipping God. Revelation 4:9-11: Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), [10]the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, [11]“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” NLT.

However, the people of earth need to understand this and worship God the way He is worshiped in heaven. We need to worship Him beyond the way we worship our traditional rulers or anyone we accord the highest form of honour to here on earth. We are dealing with a Being that we have never seen before and thus, our relationship with him must be revealed by the Spirit. John 4:23-24: But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. [24]For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” NLT.

Therefore, it is important to reverence God with everything we have and shower him with all of our praise. This starts with us honouring God with our lives by surrendering to the leadership of Jesus Christ. John 3:1-7: There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. [2]After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” [3]Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” [4]“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” [5]Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. [6]Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. [7]So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ NLT.

The next thing in honouring God with our lives is to give ourselves totally to God by dedicating our lives to his worship. Romans 12:1-2: And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. [2]Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. NLT.

The third step is to create a bond with him by worshipping him in prayers and in songs. We must stay connected to him always. Ephesians 5:18-20: Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, [19]singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. [20]And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. NLT.

Also, we honour God by going into the world and preaching the gospel of Christ Jesus to those who are yet to receive Him. We bring honour to God by making his saving grace which costs nothing known to the world. Mark 16:15-16: And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. [16]Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. NLT.

Furthermore, we honour God by giving. This can be done in many ways, we can honour God by using our gifts for the kingdom. Also, we give by giving to the poor, ministers of God, and the work of God. Romans 12:6-8: In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. [7]If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. [8]If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. NLT. Luke 6:38: Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” NLT. Titus 3:13-14: Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos with their trip. See that they are given everything they need. [14]Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive. NLT. 2Cor 8:1-9.

Another way we can honour God is in our speech. As Christians, we glorify the name of God through what comes out of our mouths by having words of grace. We do not bring people down with the words of our mouth, instead we use our words to uplift. Colossians 4:6: Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. NLT.

Here are some of the ways we can honour God with our lives. However, the first step in honouring God is by surrendering to God by receiving Christ Jesus as our Lord and saviour. Afterwards, every other one will follow. Therefore, if you are reading this and you are yet to give your life to Christ, I urge you to do so now so that your life can be pleasing to God and it can be qualified as a life that honours God. If you are ready, say this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
You Need Me. James 4:6-10:
And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” [7]So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8]Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. [9]Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. [10]Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. NLT.

God created us to have free will, He gave us free will so that we can choose to either submit to his authority or not. Think about it, will God be satisfied if his creations worship him because they are forced to or because they choose to? Irrespective of your answer, God wants people that will worship him because they choose to not because they were programmed or forced to. However, with the free will God has given us, he expects us to put our lives in his hands once we have decided to worship him because as humans, we are limited and without his help, we cannot achieve much on our own especially in relation to eternity.
When a man fails to acknowledge God, such man sends a message to God that he can get things done by his power, that to God is pride and the Bible says that God resists the proud. Anyone that will get anything from God must humble him or herself and engage in the principles of getting things from God which is by acknowledging his supremacy and acknowledging the fact that there is something in his hands that s/he cannot get except He gives him or her. Hebrews 11:6: And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. NLT.

Therefore, everyone should come to the understanding that we need God and the first thing we need from him is to be saved from sin. Acts of the Apostles 4:12: There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” NLT. Salvation is made available in Jesus Christ as he saves us from the power of sin, making us capable to say no to sin.

Afterwards, the next step is to sanctify our hearts by setting our lives apart for the gospel. It is a call to set apart our lives to God as a holy sacrifice fit for the masters use. Romans 12:1-2: And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. [2]Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. NLT. Once this is done, through the renewal of our minds with the word of God, our loyalty will lie with God which is what God demands.

Also, if we approach God with a right mind, we cannot do so without feeling remorseful but God will not leave us or relate with us without giving us comfort. Luke 15:11-32. Lastly, when we humble ourselves before God that we need him for eternity, he will lift us up and reward us with honour in form of eternal life. That is on one hand for those who are yet to be saved, there is another angle to it, it us the angle of those who have backslidden or are struggling with an addiction or the other. You cannot get out of that situation without going back to God, you need him to overcome your challenges. Ignoring him tells him that you are proud and that you rely on your abilities which can never be enough.

Therefore, the call is for you, irrespective of the group you belong to go back to Jesus Christ and let him know that you need him to survive. If you would love to give your life to Christ, say this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ
.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
HE IS ALIVE. Ephesians 1:19-23
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power [20]that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. [21]Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. [22]God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. [23]And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. NLT.

The subject of our faith is Jesus who came as the perfect representation of God because He was God in human form. Hebrews 1:1-3: Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. [2]And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. [3]The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. NLT. Jesus being a representative of God descended heaven to earth as a human, this means that he left his heavenly glory to descend to earth. Also, in order to complete his task, he had to die and descend further to the place of the dead. 1 Peter 3:18-20: Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. [19]So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— [20]those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. NLT.

Going by this logic, after Jesus had descended twice, you would expect him to still remain in that state but by the power of the Lord, He is alive and he is not just alive by becoming the first born of the dead, He has risen to a state of power and authority far above all powers and principalities. Colossians 1:18: Christ is also the head of the church, Which is his body. He is the beginning, Supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. NLT. Ephesians 1:21: Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. NLT.

The implication of this is that he has brought us into the same condition, where we are alive in Christ both in this world and in the world to come where we are seated in glory with him. Ephesians 2:6: For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. NLT. 1 John 5:11: And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. NLT.

Therefore, if you are reading this and you have not given your life to Christ, I urge you to do so now because it is by believing in the one who is alive that you can have eternal life. If you are ready, say this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
CHAMPIONS. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! [25]All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. [26]So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. [27]I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. NLT.

Oxford Languages defines a champion as “a person who has surpassed all rivals in a sporting contest or other competition”. What makes a champion is the mentality and willingness to win. Apostle Paul in our text this morning painted the picture of an athlete to get his message across. The truth is that a champion would prepare hard and deny him or herself lot of things such as; food, access to the television, drinks, and others because of the prize set before such person. For example, in boxing, boxers usually go for training in preparation for a fight for 12 weeks. That is 12 weeks of limited access to social media, 12 weeks of controlled nutritional intake all for a fight that will only last for 36 minutes.

The lifestyle of athletes is essential in understanding today’s topic. As Christians, we are in in a contest, a contest that will end in us receiving an eternal prize which is a crown. 2 Timothy 4:6-8: As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. [7]I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. [8]And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. NLT.

However, Paul is teaching us how to run the race of the kingdom and heaven and receive the reward as a champion. Let us interpret our text further:

1 Corinthians 9:24-26
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! [25]All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. [26]So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. NLT.

In the sporting world, there is only one winner of a tournament. Even in cases where there is a tie, organisers come up with ways to have an eventual winner. The question is, is Paul saying that in the heavenly race, we can only have one winner? No, this is not his position. He is only telling us that we should be focused on our individual races instead of concentrating on others. The next question is: are we saying we should not watch others as an example in our race. The answer is no but Jesus Christ must be our first standard. Hebrews 12:1-2: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. [2]We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. NLT. The second verse in the scripture quoted tells us that Jesus is the perfect champion that can be imitated. Also, we can watch those who clearly lead us to Christ. Philippians 3:14-17: I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. [15]Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. [16]But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. [17]Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. NLT.

Furthermore, because we run the race to win because we are contending for an eternal prize, we are to discipline ourselves by putting aside every sin that trips us up easily (Heb 12:2). On that note, in everything we do in the kingdom, we do it by being intentional, without giving room for sloppiness in our walk with God.

Verse 27:
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. NLT.

We run the race with intentionality because we do not want to fail at the end. We do not want to start well and fail woefully by losing our reward in heaven. It is important to know that we cannot lose our salvation but Paul was conscious of the fact that he may lose his reward in heaven. Therefore, he ran the race with this knowledge and we are to do the same in running our individual races. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15: For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. [12]Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. [13]But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. [14]If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. [15]But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. NLT.

If we run our races with this mind-set, saying no to sin through the power of the Spirit already present in us, and by persevering despite the challenges that may come our way, the reward is that we will receive the crown from God at the end. If you are reading this and you already belong to God, keep the mentality of a champion that we have discussed as you run the race and if you have not given your lives to Christ, you need to do so in order to be qualified for the race and you can do so by saying this wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
SIGHT. Matthew 4:14-17
This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah: [15]“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, Beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, In Galilee where so many Gentiles live, [16]the people who sat in darkness Have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, A light has shined.” [17]From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” NLT.

Sight biblically refers to what can be seen, what we behold, the recovery of sight, and a vision. Oxford Languages defined sight as “the power of seeing” and “a thing that one sees or that can be seen”. Also, it goes further to give the verbal definition of sight, which is to “manage to see or observe (someone or something); catch an initial glimpse of” and “take aim by looking through the sights of a gun”. From the definitions given above, we can see that sight can be summarised into six points based on the dictionary definition and some definitions picked from the Bible. They summary is presented thus:
1. The ability to see.
2. What can be seen.
3. An observation of what is being seen.
4. Taking aim at something.
5. A vision.
6. Recovery of sight.
The ability of the eyes and the person with eyes to do the aforementioned is captured in the definition of sight.

Why is sight important? In the Yoruba culture, there is a saying that; “the eyes illuminates or gives light to the body”. The sight of a man is very important, there is a reason why the main thing a man pursues is called a vision. When Abraham and Lot separated, the Lord spoke to Abraham that he should look as far as he could see and all he could see was given to him as a promise. Genesis 13:14-17: After Lot had gone, the lord said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. [15]I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. [16]And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! [17]Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.” NLT. From this, we can see that there is a possibility of acquisition as long as one can see what is available for acquisition. This means it is only of one’s physical or inner eyes cannot see something that such thing becomes unachievable. The sight remains important to the point that Jesus established that one’s reality and actions are shaped by virtue of the information one gets into one’s mind through the eyes. Matthew 5:29.

Also, God in dealing with us put into account what our minds have captured and he goes a step further by giving us more than we can see. Ephesians 3:20: Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. NLT. As the sight of a man is important to God, so is his sight important to the devil. When the devil got a hold of Samson, he made sure that he removed his eyes in order to take away his vision from him. Judges 16:21: So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison. NLT. Do you realise that if Samson’s eyes had not been removed, when his hair began to grow, he would have escaped from the Philistines but since his eyes were gone, all he could ask for was for him to bring the temple down and kill himself alongside the Philistines.

Furthermore, God knows the importance of one’s sight and he knows that it must be working perfectly well for us to see the light of the gospel. After all, what is the essence of a light shining when the people cannot see it? Matthew 4:14-17: This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah: [15]“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, Beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, In Galilee where so many Gentiles live, [16]the people who sat in darkness Have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, A light has shined.” [17]From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” NLT. We can see that there is a connection between great light overcoming darkness when the gospel of repentance and the kingdom of heaven is being preached. Also, when the light of gospel shines, it shines to give sight to those who cannot see both spiritually and morally.
Therefore, the light of God through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ illuminates the spiritual eyes of men to receiving the gospel. This is very important because the devil has cast a veil on people’s minds to blind their eyes from seeing the gospel of Christ. This is an interesting take because when satan cannot blind one’s eyes, he can blind the person’s mind so that s/he is unable to see the light of the gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4: If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. [4]Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. NLT.

Therefore, the biggest work of the light of God is to open the eyes of men to the glory of the gospel of Christ because the gospel operates with a glorious light and when we come in contact with the light, the result is that we will be saved from sin by confessing Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour. Acts of the Apostles 9:1-5: Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. [2]He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. [3]As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. [4]He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” [5]“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! NLT. Because of this, we Christians are to be the perfect representation of God by illuminating the world with the light of the gospel in order to bring people into the kingdom of heaven. We should not forget that we are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14-16.

On this note, if you are reading this and your eyes have been opened to receive Christ Jesus as your Lord and saviour, I urge you to do so now by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
We Are Safe in Heaven. Revelation 21:1-4
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. [2]And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. [3]I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. [4]He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” NLT.

Good morning dear friends, today we have an interesting topic to discuss. We will be looking at; we are safe in heaven. To start with, what does it mean to be safe? To be safe according to Oxford Languages is to be protected from or not exposed to danger or risk; not likely to be harmed or lost. Let us look at the biblical definition of safety. The Greek word “hugiaino” used in Luke 15:27 means to have sound health. Also, the Hebrew word used in Job 21:9 is “shalom” which connotes a state of health, peace, prosperity, and welfare among others. Therefore, we are safe in heaven denotes that we (Christians) will have a state of health, peace, prosperity, and welfare in heaven.

At this point, let us go into the teaching properly. When we say that we are safe in heaven, does it mean that we do not have this luxury on earth? The glory available to us on earth cannot be compared to the glory being prepared for us in heaven. On earth, our dying bodies have limits, it groans, it gets tired, it falls sick, it gets injured but that will not be the case in heaven because our mortal bodies will be replaced with immortal bodies in the twinkle of an eye. 2 Corinthians 5:1-4: For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. [2]We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. [3]For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. [4]While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. NLT. 1 Corinthians 15:49-55: Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man. [50]What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. [51]But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! [52]It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. [53]For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. [54]Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. [55]O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” NLT.

When the transformation happens, we will no longer be susceptible to the limitations of the current body that we have. The result of the new body we will have is that we will have an intimate relationship with God more than we currently do and we will be able to see God’s face. Revelation 22:4: And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. NLT. Therefore, it is only in heaven where we can have the best form of life. Whenever we talk about an ideal world or life condition, that and more is only available in heaven. The best we can have on earth is a measure of heaven being served for us on earth. This means even right now, we can live above the limitations of our mortal bodies which serves as a foretaste of what is to come in heaven. On earth, there may be reasons to weep, we may experience bad things neither of these and other bad experiences exists in heaven, it is our safe haven where we will live our best lives.

On this note, if you want to experience the life made available to us by God in heaven, and you are yet to give your life to Christ, the life-giving being (1John 5:10-12), I urge you to do so now by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
You Must Be Born Again. John 3:1-7
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. [2]After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” [3]Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” [4]“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” [5]Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. [6]Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. [7]So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ NLT.

Good morning dear friends, I welcome you to today’s teaching. I will teach on “You must be born again” this morning. Our Bible text is from a familiar Book and chapter in the Bible. It is the story it Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus who went to meet Jesus at night because as a Pharisee, the group he belonged to opposed the ministry of Jesus so he couldn’t meet him during the day. However, the fact that he went to meet Jesus and his confession that “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you” is a proof that he believed in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus who knew his mind and what he needed responded by addressing his needs. Nicodemus needed to be saved. Because Nicodemus was a Jew and a Pharisee, he thought alongside other Jews that he was righteous and on the path of life but being a Jew and an expert in religious law means nothing. All men need to be saved from the power of sin. This is the same with many people right now, we believe we know God because we were born in Christian homes, we are educated and intelligent (we can prove that God does not exist), we know all there is to know about our religion (non-Christians) and so on that we are convinced of reigning with God in the afterlife or the fact that there is no afterlife.

However, the message from God this morning is the same Jesus gave Nicodemus, you must be born again because that is the greatest need of everyone. The question is; what does it mean to be born again? It means to have a new life which denotes that the life one has right now is not the best there is and that it is faulty. Also, it means to belong to the heavenly Kingdom of God. Another meaning of being born again is that it is a rebirth and a re-creation which can only be carried out by the power of the Holy Spirit. John 3:6. What this means is that due to the blessing of reproduction, humans can only add to their human family but as far as the family of God is concerned, it is the Holy Spirit who brings about birth for a new life.
To be born again is very important as it is a spiritual surgery where one’s sinful nature is taken away and one gets the righteousness of God not because of one’s works but because of the work of Jesus Christ. Romans 6:4-7: For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. [5]Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. [6]We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. [7]For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. NLT. Ephesians 2:1-9: Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. [2]You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. [3]All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. [4]But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5]that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) [6]For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. [7]So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. [8]God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9]Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. NLT.

Therefore, to know God, to be free from sin, and to have the life of God is only found in Jesus Christ and the process of saying yes to Jesus is a spiritual exercise that is sponsored by the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:3: So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. NLT. On that note, the Spirit of God is still speaking right now that Jesus is the only way to God, the truth, and the life and by coming to him, we are separated from sin and we have the ability to say no to sin. If you are ready to do so, I urge you to say this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
Jesus: The Way, The Truth and The Life. John 14:6
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. NLT.

There are many stories about the creation of the world from the different religions in the world, but there is only one God and one creator of the heavens and the earth. The implication of this is that most of the varying stories about the creation of the earth are false, since there is one God, there should be one creation story. This angle I am exploring is crucial in our discussion today as it is important in revealing God to us in different light.

The next thing I would love to address is if there is one God, why do we have many religions? The thing is the fall of Adam brought about corruption into the nature of man. The result of this is that there was separation between God and man. Man began to rely on his instinct for survival. This brought about a dark and confused mind which led to the worship of idols based on the invisible qualities, eternal power, and divine nature of God that the people saw. They created idols based on these qualities of God because there was a separation between man and God. Romans 1:19-25:They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. [20]For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. [21]Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. [22]Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. [23]And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. [24]So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. [25]They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. NLT.

The pattern of idol worship continued and a crucial point is the incident at the tower of Babel. Babel was a stronghold of astrological and occultic practices. The attempt to build a tower so high that it top will reach the sky (heaven) was rooted in idolatry and mistrust on the word of God that he would not destroy the world again with a flood. That is why God scattered their language, it was an act of God’s mercy instead of his judgment. Genesis 11:1-9: At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. [2]As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. [3]They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) [4]Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” [5]But the lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. [6]“Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! [7]Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” [8]In that way, the lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. [9]That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world. NLT.

The response of God to the event that happened at Babel was the call of Abraham in Genesis 12 and since then, the lineage of Abraham knew the one and only God while the remainder of the world continued to create and worship idols. However, God is not the God of the Jews alone, he created everyone on earth, as a result, he revealed himself to the rest of the world through Jesus. Before Jesus, everyone who spoke about God were humans who said what was revealed to them but Jesus who is a member of the Trinity came to reveal God and his nature to us perfectly. Hebrews 1:1-3: Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. [2]And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. [3]The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. NLT.

Therefore, the son of God (Jesus) who is the perfect image of God says; “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”. There is only one God, the creator of the universe and Jesus came to reveal how we can get to him. Also, since there is only one God, the revelation of him is the truth while other representations are false, every other representation of God as revealed by Jesus is that He gives eternal life to those that come to Him. 1 John 5:10-12: All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son. [11]And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12]Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. NLT.

On that note, due to idolatry and incomplete revelation of God by the prophets, the nature of God was incomplete before the arrival of Jesus. When He arrived, He revealed God to us perfectly and told us that it is only through Him that God can be known perfectly. On this note, if you are reading this and you are yet to give your life to Christ, I urge you to do so now in order to have eternal life by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD. Mark.16.15-16
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. KJV

Good morning dear friends, I welcome you to the new year, I pray that God will be our strength and help this year in Jesus name. Every man born into this world who has the ability to speak can be understood and described by what s/he says. There are many ways someone can be described, a person can be described by what others who are not close to him or her say about the person, although this may not be an accurate description but it may give us a glimpse about the person. Matthew 16:13-14: When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” [14]“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” NLT. Also, a person can be described by what people who are close to him or her say about the person. Matthew 16:15-16: Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” [16]Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” NLT. However, the best form of description of someone is through what the person says about him or herself. No one can describe a person better than him or herself unless the person is lying.

The person we are trying to know today is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the people who did not know him could not describe him and his disciples could not describe him adequately. Matthew 12:22-26: Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. [23]The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?” [24]But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.” [25]Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. [26]And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. NLT. Mark 4:39-40: When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. [40]Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” NLT. However, Jesus who was one hundred percent God in man described himself perfectly during his earthly ministry. John 8:58-59: Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, i am!” [59]At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple. NLT. John 14:6: Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. NLT.

Now that Jesus has perfectly described himself, we need to pay attention to some of the last things he said as his word can be taken to be true. In Mark 16:15, Jesus who had described himself as God, gave believers the instruction of going into all of the world preaching the gospel to every soul. The thing is the death and resurrection of Jesus is a seed planted in order to yield more harvest. John 12:24-26: I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. [25]Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. [26]Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. NLT. As a result, we have the mandate of spreading the gospel to everyone in order to bring them into the fold.

This is the gospel, that anyone who believes that Jesus Christ is Lord has eternal life. Therefore, it is our mandate to go into all the lands of the earth and preach to every human, the scope of our evangelism is to all of the earth, the message is Jesus, the reward is multiple souls in the kingdom of God. Amen. As we begin 2024, let it be at the back of our minds that Jesus is the message and we must spread his message to the rest of the world. As we do this, God will back up our witnessing up with incredible power for healing, miracles, signs and wonders. Mark 16:17-18.

Therefore, if you are reading this and you have not given your life to Christ, consider this as God’s invitation to you and I urge you to do so by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
It Is Well. 1 Kings 5:4
But now the lord my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well. NLT.

Good morning dear friends, I am happy for how far God has helped us this year, I am grateful to God for the incredible teachings we have been exposed to this year and I pray that the Holy Spirit will give us more revelations for our all-round growth and dominion in Jesus name. Also, I pray for every one reading this teaching that in the year 2024 God will be with us and be our shield in Jesus name.

At the beginning of the year, the Lord started with us by telling us that no weapon fashioned against us shall prosper and the last word He is sending to us is “It is well”. What does it mean to say it is well? It is well means to have peace on every side and to be without enemies. When there is war on every side regarding someone’s life and s/he has enemies all-round him/her, such person cannot be said to be at peace or said that it is well with such person. 1 Kings 5:4: But now the lord my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well. NLT. It is the will of God that we experience peace on all sides. John 14:27: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. NLT. The peace of God ensures that we are not troubled or afraid on all sides of our lives, when such happens, we can say that it is well with us.

Then next question is how do we get the peace of God captured as it is well? Isaiah 3:10: Tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned! NLT. The bible says “tell the godly that all will be well for them”, the key to having peace all-round is to belong to God. This peace can only be gotten by belonging to Jesus Christ. Acts of the Apostles 4:11-12: For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ [12]There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” NLT. Isaiah 9:6-7: For a child is born to us, A son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7]His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! NLT.

The last question is what is this peace all about? The word peace in John 14:27 is “eirene”, it has lots of meanings. The first is a state of natural tranquility, this means that there is an exception from rage and havoc of war. Secondly, it is peace between individuals. Thirdly, it is security, safety, prosperity, and felicity. The fourth meaning is the peace we get by belonging to Jesus. The fifth is our assurance that we are rooted in Christ, while the last one is the blessed state of upright men after their death. Therefore, when we talk about peace, we are referring to the points discussed above. These points can be provided by God. He can give us both spiritual and physical aspects of peace as peace can be both spiritual and physical.

All in all, peace is found in God through Christ and if you are yet to give your life to Christ, I urge you to do so now and enjoy his peace by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
The Gift from God. John 3:16
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. NLT.

Good morning dear friends and I want to wish you guys a merry Christmas and a happy new year in advance. I pray that we will have a happy celebration and that God will provide for us in this hard time in Jesus name. This morning, we will talk about Jesus being the gift from God.

Let us start from here, Jesus is a gift from God to us. How is this possible? God is three in one, the Hebrew word for God is Elohim which describes God as the all powerful but it has a plural connotation. Also, when God was to make man, he said let us make man in our image, this points to the trinity consisting of the Father, the Son, and thr Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:26-27: Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” [27]So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; Male and female he created them. NLT. Also, the baptism of Jesus proves that God is a three in one being. Mark 1:9-11: One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. [10]As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. [11]And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” NLT. The trinity consists of three equal beings who functions as one through love. Philippians 2:5-11: You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. [6]Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. [7]Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, [8]he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. [9]Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, [10]that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11]and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. NLT.

On this note, the trinity consists of three beings who occupy three positions with distinct responsibilities. The position occupied by Jesus Christ is the position of the Word which is associated with being the deliverer and the one who goes out to represent the Godhead in a bodily form. We have examples of Melchizedek and the fourth man in the fire. Psalms 107:20: He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death. NLT. The Spirit of God is in charge of power, setting up a relationship with men, and searching the deep things of God. Acts of the Apostles 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” NLT. 1 Corinthians 2:10: But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. NLT. The Head of the trinity has the role of the leader of the trinity.Acts of the Apostles 1:6-7: So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. NLT.

To our topic today, God the Father gave Jesus (the member of the trinity who goes out to deliver) to us as a gift to die for our sins and set us free from the its power. Therefore, no one can clain that s/he got saved by what s/he did but righteousness is as a result of the finished work of Christ over sin and the devil which is a gift from God. John 3:16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. NLT

All in all, the point is Jesus is a gift from God that we do not deserve. Ephesians 2:8-10: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9]Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. [10]For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. NLT. As we celebrate Christmas this year, the reason for his coming should not be forgotten, rather it should be appreciated as God’s divine intervention for our souls and if you are reading this and you are yet to receive the gift of God by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, I urge you to do so now by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
Touch Not My Anointed. Psalms 105:14-15
Yet he did not let anyone oppress them. He warned kings on their behalf: [15]“Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.” NLT.

Touch not my anointed is a mark of protection God put in place for his children. Before we go on, I would love to address something about this saying. Some people have associated the scripture with ministers of the gospel only, using it to immune them from persecution and criticism. While this is true to an extent, because I believe ministers of the gospel at times are subjected to undue criticism and believers should not hurt them, there is more to it other than that. We can see this in the life of David who refused to the kill Saul, the anointed of the Lord. 1 Samuel 24:1-7: After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi. [2]So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats. [3]At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave![4]“Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe. [5]But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. [6]He said to his men, “The lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the lord’s anointed one, for the lord himself has chosen him.” [7]So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, NLT.

In our scripture today, King David was reminding the nation of Israel of the goodness of God which was designed to spur them into thanksgiving to God. The anointed of the Lord at that time was firstly, the chosen nation of Israel. The nation of Israel were the people of God, he provided for and protected them. The implication of this in this dispensation is that we are God’s chosen people through our faith in Christ and his protection and provision is on us. No longer is God’s protection only on the nation of Israel, through Christ, the Gentiles have been grafted into the family of God. Romans 11:7-17: So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. [8]As the Scriptures say, “God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.” [9]Likewise, David said, “Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they deserve. [10]Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever.” [11]Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. [12]Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. [13]I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, [14]for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. [15]For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! [16]And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. [17]But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. NLT. 1 Peter 2:9:But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. NLT

Therefore, touch not my anointed in line with the revelation of Christ is a covenant of protection for his children over dangers, demons, powers, and principalities. It is an encompassing protection of God for his children who walk with him and trust him. It is important to note that God’s protection is for his children, those who have accepted Christ as their Lord and saviour. On this note, if you are yet to give your life to Christ, I urge you to do so and enjoy God’s protection by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
The Price of the Shepherd. John 10:11-13
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. [12]A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. [13]The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. NLT.

A shepherd is someone who tends to a flock of sheep. It is important to note that a shepherd tends to sheep. This is very crucial because in bible terms, a shepherd stands for God, and God does not lead goats, he only leads and cares for sheep.

The bible is clear about how passionate God is about caring and leading his people. Psalms 23:1-6: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. KJV. God cares for his people as long as they give him the freedom of being their God who takes decisions for them. The psalmist says “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” The reason why I will not want is because I have the Lord as my guide, as the one providing for me. We can see from psalms 23 that the writer put God at the forefront of his life. He has handed his life over to the one who owns it and he all he has to do is to follow him in order to have a fruitful life. 1 Peter 5:7: Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. NLT. This is something the psalmist understood and he walked in that reality.

However, being a shepherd is not an easy job. We all know that a sheep is a peaceful animal. The sheep can be attacked by wild animals and it is the shepherd who will repel the attack. Also, the shepherd is the one to provide for the sheep in terms of what and when to eat and drink. The point I want to dwell on today is that the major role of a shepherd asides provision is protection. That is the price of being a shepherd. The shepherd because of his love for his sheep will lay down his life for the sheep. John 10:11-13: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. [12]A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. [13]The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. NLT. These are the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and he proved this by laying down his life to die for our sins. John 15:13:There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. NLT.

The word of the Lord for us this morning is that only in Jesus can we find rest about our needs and rest from the bandage of sin. Jesus as the shepherd cuts away our sinful nature so that we can have eternal life and he guides and protect us from the vices of satan. John 10:10: The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. NLT. All that is expected of us is to accept the call of God by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour because he has already paid the price for our victory over sin and death. Therefore, if you are reading this and you are yet to embrace the gift of salvation, I urge you to do so now by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
The Miracles of God Matthew 13:54:
He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” NLT.

Good morning dear friends, this morning we are going to discuss the miracles of God. Let’s start with the meaning of miracle. Miracle is described in the book of Matthew 13:54, as dunamis, the force, power, might of God.

Going by this, miracle is an act that amazes people and make people wonder at the sight of the event that has happened. One peculiar thing about miracle is that it is creative. It solves cases or does things creatively. The creative power of God was behind the creation of the heavens and the earth in Genesis. Also, when it comes to miracles, it is made available by a spiritual power. However, the devil too can perform some miracles the way God performs miracles. Revelation 13:11-14: Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. [12]He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. [13]He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. [14]And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. NLT.

Our focus today is on God and not on satan. There is something we need to know, for God to be God, there are some things that he does not share with any other being, these are; eternal being, creator, Omnipotence, Omniscient, Omnipresent, preserver, and forgiver. All these attributes make him God and being Omnipotent, he has the ability to perform miracles because he is the all powerful God.

Here, we are going to look at some of the miracles God performed in the bible.

1. The creation of the heavens and the earth: Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. NLT.

Believe me when I tell you that the creation of the heavens and the earth is a miracle. A common remark made by God when creating the things that can be seen on earth such as the detail in the human body the mountains, the hills, the ocean was “and God saw that it was good”. You will marvel at the masterpiece God created when you look at the world around you.

2. The parting of the Red Sea: Exodus 14:15-22
Then the lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! [16]Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. [17]And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. [18]When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the lord!” [19]Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. [20]The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night. [21]Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. [22]So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! NLT.

God proved that he created the world and has power over all the things he created by parting the Red Sea. God creatively blew on the sea all night to part it into two. This miracle is one of the stand out miracles of the Old Testament.

3. The restoration of sight for the man born blind: John 9:1-9
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. [2]“Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” [3]“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. [4]We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. [5]But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” [6]Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. [7]He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! [8]His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” [9]Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!”But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” NLT.

This miracle was so special that it drew the attention of people to the man born blind as they could not believe if it was him or not. This shows that God has power over all and can do all things.

4. The Bible of Jesus: Isaiah 9:6
For a child is born to us, A son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. NLT.

God created man from the dust of the earth and he set up a system of reproduction through the joining together of the seed of man and the woman for subsequent births of people into the world. Genesis 1:28: Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” NLT. However, God proved that he is powerful and can perform any miracle by bringing his son to the world through a woman without mating. This special way of conception and birth is a miracle performed by the miracle working God.

5. The miracle of salvation
The major purpose of the coming of Jesus is to save us from sin and translate us from darkness into the light of God. John 3:16-17: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17]God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. NLT. It is only through Jesus that we can get saved from the power of sin and have eternal life. Acts of the Apostles 4:12: There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” NLT. This miracle of salvation is the highest miracle performed by God, be paid the price for our freedom by sacrificing his son for our sins as an offering which has given him more children to fill up his kingdom in return.

Therefore, the greatest miracles is the salvation of the souls of people and it is made available for all through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you are yet to receive the gospel, I urge you to do so today by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
Sounds from Heaven. Luke 3:21-22
One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” NLT.

Over the last two years I have had to talk about heaven and in the period, I have taught that there are three levels to the heavenly realm. The first heaven is the sky as we know it, James 5:18. The second heaven is the outer space, Mt 24:29, and the third heaven is the invisible realm where God dwells. Hebrews 8:1: Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. NLT. Hebrews 9:24: For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. NLT.

The teaching today deals with the third heaven, the abode of God. The Bible tells us that God lives in the third heaven although the exact location is not given in the scriptures. The third heaven also is a location where we find heavenly beings such as angels, the twenty-four elders and other beings. Because heaven is a location and the fact that our God speaks, there is a transmission of sounds and language from heaven to the earth.

Furthermore, for us to understand today’s teaching very well, I need to define sound. A sound is a vibration that travels through the air or another medium and can be heard when they reach a person’s or animal ear (Oxford Languages). Therefore, sounds from heaven refers to the vibrations or speech form that originates from heaven and are perceived by humans on earth either physically or spiritually.

Let’s start with some instances when the voice of God came from heaven to speak with us on earth.

1. The children of Israel in wilderness: Exodus 20:18-26
This was this first time the children of Israel heard a sound from heaven after Moses had relayed the ten commandments to them. God spoke to them from heaven to prove to them that he is the living God who is above all things. It was a revelation to tell the children of Israel to desist from the worship of idols.

2. King Nebuchadnezzar’s punishment for his sins: Daniel 4
The bible tells the story of God warning to king Nebuchadnezzar which came to him in a dream. God had forewarned him about what would happen to him but he refused and when the judgment of God came on him, he heard the voice of God from heaven saying to him that he was no longer the king of his kingdom. The result was that he lost his sanity and lived as an animal for seven years.

From this, we can see that God can speak audibly to judge when someone or some people are wrong. Daniel 4:29-33: Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon. [30]As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’ [31]“While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. [32]You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’ [33]“That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws. NLT.

3. The sound from heaven that affirmed Jesus’ sonship: Luke 3:21-22
One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, [22]and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”NLT.

On two occasions, God spoke from heaven to affirm to the world that Jesus is his son who came to die for the sins of the world. The first time was at his baptism, while the second time was during his transfiguration. Mark 9:2-8. On these occasions, God spoke from heaven to take away any form of confusion that may arise from Jesus’ claim as his son. The voice was designed to reveal Jesus to the world as the one and only saviour.

4. The sound from heaven that affirms our rest: Revelation 14:13
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!” NLT.

One of the things God wants us to have is rest. The concept of rest has been talked about from the days of the law, when Moses gave the children of Israel the ten commandments. Exodus 20:8-11: “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. [9]You have six days each week for your ordinary work, [10]but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. [11]For in six days the lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. NLT. This law was only a shadow of the real deal that Jesus revealed completely in his ministry. Matthew 11:28-30: Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [29]Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30]For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” NLT.
Rest is in two dimensions, earthly and heavenly rest. Earthly rest is divided into two; physical and spiritual. When we come to Christ, we get rest both physical (mental, financial, emotional etc.) and spiritual (freedom from powers of hell through our knowledge of our rights in Christ). The second rest which is heavenly refers to eternal life which we would get at the end of time. Hebrews 4:9-11: So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. [10]For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. [11]So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. NLT.

5. The sound from heaven that will announce the second coming: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

[13]And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. [14]For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. [15]We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. [16]For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. [17]Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. [18]So encourage each other with these words. NLT.

The events if the end of this earth will begin with a loud sound from heaven. After the sound of the Lord’s archangel and the trumpet, the events that will follow will finish with us meeting the Lord in the clouds and be with the Lord forever.

However, rising from the dead to be with the Lord or meeting up with the Lord in the clouds is not automatic. There is a condition attached to it which is being saved by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour. Therefore, if you are ready to give your life to Christ, say this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
LIFE. Colossians 3:1-11
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. [2]Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. [3]For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. [4]And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. [5]So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. [6]Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. [7]You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. [8]But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. [9]Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. [10]Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. [11]In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. NLT.

The Greek word for life is “zoe”, it is the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate. Another meaning it has is every living soul. Zoe in relation to Christ is the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical which belongs to God. Also, it refers to real and genuine life, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ who will live forever.

The bible tells us that there is only one kind of life which is the one found in Christ. Whatever we call life here on earth is not life as long as it is not rooted in Christ. The reason behind this is because as we discussed last week, everything that has a beginning on earth must have an end. Therefore, every “life” as known on earth will come to an end at some point but while we are here on earth, we get the opportunity of choosing life that will give us life in eternity. The reality is any life that is not rooted in Christ (the giver of life) cannot experience life in eternity.

Meanwhile, every life on earth which is not in Christ is death perceived as life. Real life is hidden in Christ who is hidden in God. The life given by God leads to glory, the glory that will be revealed when Jesus is revealed to the whole world. This is the difference between this life and death disguised as life. Death perceived as life breads sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, lies, and dirty language among others. These are the actions that bring about death at the end. Galatians 5:19-21. Revelation 21:7-8: All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. [8]“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” NLT.

On this note, now that you are still alive, it is important that you choose life and live with God forever and not experience death which is an eternity in the lake of fire. Therefore, if you are reading this and you would love to give your life to Christ, say this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
Eternal Being 1 Corinthians 15:42-45
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
[43]Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.
[44]They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
[45]The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. NLT.

The meaning of eternal is that “without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be”. The concept of eternity is not represented on earth because the earth does not operate on it. The earth operates in cycles, which implies that if something has a beginning, there will be an end to such event. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. [2]A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. [3]A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. [4]A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. [5]A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. [6]A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. [7]A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. [8]A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. NLT.

If we eat, we will finish it, if we sleep, at a point we will wake up, if it rains, no matter how long, it will stop. Also, no matter how long the night, day must break and even man-made things like drugs, technological gadgets and others have expiry date. However, there is a being that does not have a beginning nor an end. He exists forever and the reason for this is because as long as he can’t be traced to a beginning, there is no end in sight for him. This being is God.

God, the eternal being has attributes peculiar to him. Let us look at some of these attributes as we try to understand the eternal being.

1. He is Omniscient
This is a peculiar attribute about God, he does not share the ability to know all things with any heavenly being or human being. Hebrews 4:12-13: For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. [13]Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. NLT. Psalms 139:1-4: O lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. [2]You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. [3]You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. [4]You know what I am going to say even before I say it, lord. NLT.

2. He is Omnipotent
God is the all powerful, his word is not void of power. Jeremiah 32:17: “O Sovereign lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you! NLT.

3. He is Omnipresent
God is everywhere at once, he sees things as they happen. Psalms 139:5-10: You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. [6]Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! [7]I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! [8]If I go up to heaven, you are there; If I go down to the grave, you are there. [9]If I ride the wings of the morning, If I dwell by the farthest oceans, [10]even there your hand will guide me, sand your strength will support me. NLT.

4. He is the creator
God, the eternal being is the creator of all the things that we can see and the ones we cannot see. Genesis 1:1:In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. NLT.

5. He preserves
Like I taught about faith some weeks ago that faith is a preserver. Preservation is found in God. This is a stark contrast to the devil who steals, kills, and destroys. John 10:10: The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. NLT.

6. He forgives sin
God forgives sin, he forgave the sins of David and Jesus also forgave people in his earthly ministry. Luke 7:47-48: “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” [48]Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” NLT.

7. He can raise the dead
I have established the fact that everything that has a beginning must have an end. It is normal as long as we have this mortal bodies that at a point we are going to die but Jesus demonstrated that he has power over death by bringing the dead back to life. Mark 5:38-43. Also, Jesus demonstrated his power over death by resurrecting from the dead and ascending to heaven never to die again. Luke 24:50-53: Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. [51]While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. [52]So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. [53]And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God. NLT.

8. He gives eternal life
As long as we live on this earth, the idea of eternal life will not be totally understood by us. But God has the power to make us live forever in his kingdom by giving us eternal life. John 3:16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. NLT.

All of these attributes describes the eternal being (God) and all of these attributes were seen in the life of Jesus. This makes him God and a member of the trinity. His coming to the world was to represent the nature of God to men. Therefore, to have eternal life, you must belong to the eternal being by giving your life to Jesus who came to reveal God to us. If you are ready to come to him, I want you to say this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
The Faith of our Fathers: Part 8
The Centurion and Stephen.

Good morning dear friends, God has helped us a lot in our series the faith of our fathers. In the last eight weeks, we have studied many instances of faith from the Bible covering Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, Deborah, Elijah, Esther, the three Hebrew men, and Daniel. Over the course of these teachings, we have learnt through Abraham that we get declared righteous through our faith in God not by following the law. From Isaac we saw him accepting the call of God that extended to him through his father Abraham and Jacob learnt to rely on God and he had the foresight to reveal to the nation of Israel that their stay in Egypt would not last forever when he requested that he should not be buried in Egypt.

Moses taught us the importance of knowing God before we launch out for God and his story showed that God has patience with the ones he wants to use by revealing himself to us for our faith to grow. Also, through Joshua we see God boosting his faith when he was feeling down and we saw that God can use people originally weak in faith to do mighty things. From the story of Rahab and Deborah, God spoke to us that faith preserves lives. The story of Elijah taught us that faith goes hand in hand with prayer which brings about intimacy. Esther revealed that prayer and fasting preserves entire nation from going extinct while the three Hebrew men and Daniel taught us that faith means we standing up against laws that are not in accordance with our belief no matter the circumstance.

As we round off our teaching on faith today, we will look at two cases on the new testament.

The Faith of the Centurion: Matthew 8:5-13
When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, [6]“Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” [7]Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” [8]But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. [9]I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” [10]When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! [11]And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. [12]But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [13]Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour. NLT.

The Faith of the Roman officer made Jesus make a public declaration about the man’s faith. The man knew that Jesus only had to say the word and his servant would be healed. How many times have we heard what is written in Ps 107:20? Psalms 107:20: He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death. NLT. Do we believe this? If we do, this is the kind of faith the Centurion officer demonstrated. The reality available to us today in Christ is that we have access to the word of God through the Bible and when we act on it, we act in faith and we get what we want.

Stephen

Stephen was one of the seven men chosen to serve food in the church. (Acts 6:5) In the face of persecution, he did not deny Jesus instead he spoke with boldness for God until he was killed. However, the testimony the Bible gave about Stephen is that he was filled with the Spirit of God and wisdom. Acts of the Apostles 6:8-10: Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. [9]But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. [10]None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke. NLT. The Spirit of God and wisdom was the secret of Stephen’s faith which means faith is sponsored by the Spirit of God. We get energized by the Spirit who works in us to stand for him.

There are lots of instances of faith in the Bible from the old and new testaments but I have chosen these as examples to teach on faith displayed in the Bible for us to understand the concept of faith more. I pray that as we study the word of God, pray and walk with God, we will grow in strength regarding our faith in him.
However, to walk with God, we must submit to the lordship of Christ. Hebrews 11:6: And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. NLT.

Therefore, if you are reading this and you have not given your life to Jesus, I urge you to do so now by saying this prayer wholeheartedly; Dear Jesus, I believe that you died for my sins and you resurrected on the third day to guarantee my victory over sin. I confess you as my Lord and saviour today and I pray that you save me and forgive my sins and I will serve you forever. Amen.

Now that you have been saved, I congratulate you and I urge you to join a bible believing church as you begin your journey in Christ.
God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
The Faith of our Fathers: Part 7
The Three Hebrew men and Daniel
Good morning dear friends and I welcome you to another edition of our teaching series, the faith of our fathers. Today, we will be discussing the faith of the three Hebrew men and Daniel. It is my prayer that we will see what God wants us to see from their lives in Jesus name.

The Faith of the three Hebrew men: Daniel 3:1-30

Something interesting happened in the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The action of King Nebuchadnezzar was sponsored by the devil. It was an attempt of the devil to exalt himself in Babylon and destroy the lives of the people worshipping the true God. In the temptation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the devil asked Jesus to bow down and worship him, the devil wants people to worship him the way God is being worshipped and in exchange, he rewards those who worship him. Luke 4:5-8: Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. [6]“I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. [7]I will give it all to you if you will worship me.” [8]Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the lord your God and serve only him.’” NLT.

This was the same thing the devil through Nebuchadnezzar attempted in Babylon, he wanted to exalt himself and get people to worship him but the faith of the three Hebrew men who insisted that the only one to be worshipped is God almighty challenged and defeated him. Therefore, from their faith, we can see that faith reveals to us that only God should be worshipped, not gods, nations, or fellow humans. The devil in it way designed a punishment against those who refused to but the true God came through and saved his people and in the process the God of heaven was exalted in the land. Daniel 3:28-30:Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. [29]Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!” [30]Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon. NLT.

The Faith of Daniel: Daniel 6

The devil is relentless, in his scheme, his agenda is to see the influence of God go down in the world. He attempted this once again when a law banned prayers being made to God or man in the land for thirty days by king Darius. A thirty day period of no prayer to God would shift things in the realm of the spirit and the purposes of the devil would be birthed. However, Daniel being a man of prayer stood up against this and even though he was thrown into the lion’s den, God saved him and a pronouncement was made that enthroned the one and only true God. Daniel 6:25-28: Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: “Peace and prosperity to you! [26]“I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end. [27]He rescues and saves his people; He performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” [28]So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. NLT.
All in all, from the faith of the three Hebrew men and Daniel, we see that faith stands for God in the face of negative laws of the land. As long as a law violates our belief, the faith way says we must not obey the laws. As we go from now on, we are enjoined to stand against laws that are not in conformity with our faith.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
The Faith of our Fathers: Part 6
Good morning and it is a beautiful day to continue our series, the Faith of our fathers by looking at the Faith of Esther. The story of Esther is one that we are all familiar with and I trust God to open our eyes to the things we need to see in Jesus name. Last week we learnt about the faith of Elijah who fought his battles with prayers, we see from the story of Esther the importance of prayer and fasting and the importance of having a community of people of faith around us.

The story of Esther would be incomplete without Mordecai. Mordecai was the one that God used to push Esther into taking the step of faith needed for the preservation of the people of Israel. Mordecai pushed Esther to the point that Esther believed that she was meant to protect the nation of Israel even though it could lead to her death. Esther 4:8-17: Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree issued in Susa that called for the death of all Jews. He asked Hathach to show it to Esther and explain the situation to her. He also asked Hathach to direct her to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for her people. [9]So Hathach returned to Esther with Mordecai’s message. [10]Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai: [11]“All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.” [12]So Hathach gave Esther’s message to Mordecai. [13]Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. [14]If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” [15]Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: [16]“Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” [17]So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. NLT .

However, through the prayers and fasting of Esther and the whole of the Jewish community in Susa, a step that was supposed to lead to the death of Esther brought about a huge favour for her which also gave Mordecai promotion instead of death as planned for him by Haman. Esther 5:9-14 & Esther 6:1-12.

Also, the action preserved the lives of the Jews in all provinces under king Xerxes’ reign. The message of God to us today is that we cannot do things alone at all times, we need someone or people to walk the journey of faith with us. In addition, our journey of faith with other believers must be coupled with prayer and fasting for preservation and any other thing we want from God.

God bless you.

ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
The Faith of our Fathers: Part 5
Elijah.
James 5:17-18: Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! [18]Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. NLT. The bible gave a powerful testimony about Elijah in James 5 as a man of prayer. The way God has designed things, there are different seasons all through the year and in each year to the best of my knowledge, rain falls in every part of the earth. This means that rain is a natural occurrence that takes place based on the power and intelligence of God. However, the man Elijah prayed against a natural phenomenon and his declaration put rainfall on hold for a long time. James 5:18 revealed to us that Elijah’s prayer constrained the sky from sending rain down to the nation of Israel. What this implies is that faith working with the force of prayer can do anything, it can even stop natural occurrences from happening.

This act of Elijah in my opinion is up there with Joshua’s prayer for the sun to standstill when Israel fought and deflected the Amorites. Joshua 10:12-15: On the day the lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.” [13]So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day. [14]There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the lord answered such a prayer. Surely the lord fought for Israel that day! [15]Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal. NLT.

In talking about the faith of Elijah, the main thing is prayer. Faith leads us to the place of prayer because it is through prayer that we get access to the power of God. It is not a surprise Elijah, a man of prayer was the first prophet to raise the dead. 1 Kings 17:17-22: Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died. [18]Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?” [19]But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed. [20]Then Elijah cried out to the lord, “O lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?” [21]And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the lord, “O lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” [22]The lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! NLT.

Elijah walked with God and fought his battles with prayers, the famous contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel is an evidence of this. 1Kings 18:1-40. He continued to be in the scheme of God until he lost his passion and prayed to God to take away his life. 1 Kings 19:1-4: When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. [2]So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.” [3]Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. [4]Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” NLT. Even when Elijah got tired because he was afraid of Jezebel, he still prayed to God. We can see that Elijah was a man of prayer. Therefore, faith takes us on a journey of intimacy with God through prayer and makes countless possibilities available to the believer.

God bless you.