A MUST READ FOR ALL COUPLES

HOW I IGNORANTLY KILLED MY LOVING WIFE”…..What every Husband or Wife must READ by WDN

Yesterday, I went to interview a preacher. He came three hours late to his church, venue of our meeting and I was a bit angry. But when he explained what kept him, not

only did I forgave him quickly and learned some lessons, but I decided to share this with you so that some of us could learn.

Husbands and wives should learn how to settle their quarrels without delay. I have seen situations where couples allow simple disagreement to fester for days.

Husband is silently hurting, expecting the wife to speak to him first. Same for the wife, hurting and expecting the husband to play the man. The waiting game leads from one thing to the other. If you are at this level of

matrimony, please read this. You might have a reason to call your spouse and together take an oath that “OUR QUARREL WOULD NOT LAST BEYOND THAT MOMENT.”

The story as told by the reverend: Husband and his wife (his church members) had a domestic disagreement one morning. The man said he was was so bitter about it, claiming his wife knew she was wrong but refused to apologise. She felt it was a non issue and the husband should overlook easily. To say “I am sorry, darling”, to her husband was difficult for her. So many people are like that. So many wives take their husbands for granted tooooooooo much. We are humans o. Blood flows in our

veins. Make una hear well well.

Three days on, malice reigned in the house. The husband said he must get that “I am sorry.” Wife cooked, husband refused to eat. Everyday he came home with food from Tantalizer. He boycotted matrimonial bed. Husband found new friends in the children. Same with wife. By the way, the children were too small to break the ice. I’ve been there before. Thank God I am wiser now.

On Sunday, last Sunday, they went to church in their different cars but sat side by side during service, pretending to be jolly good husband and wife. Fraud in the house of God! Jibiti ponbele! May God forgive some husbands and wives. But after service, husband went home with the children while she waited for women’s meeting. That day, Satan decided to enter the crevice they allowed in their home.

The husband was home already. When he perfunctorily checked his phone, his wife had called him thrice. He disregarded calling her back. Malice. The wife drove in

some forty minutes later. He saw Usman opening the gate for her as his phone went on ringing. He checked it. It was his wife. She was in her car at the garage already. What is she calling me for? Foolish and

stubborn wife! He said and ignored her calls. The call went on for a while. He ignored it as he sat with the TV. Thirty minutes later, she did not come in. Something told him to go and check. Is she still in the car? Yes she must be there. He called Usman, Is madam in the car?

Few minutes later, Usman rushed in. Madam dey sleep inside the car o. That was when he woke up and rushed downstairs. Asthma! Could she be having her usual

attack? Could she have forgotten her inhaler?

He quickly took the inhaler and rushed downstairs. When he got there, she was almost breathless. Usman and husband quickly carried her to the back seat and off, he sped like a bat out of hell, to the clinic nearby.

Madam was confirmed dead!

If he had picked her call early enough, probably she could have been saved. When you leave domestic disagreement to fester for too long, it leads to greater evil. The preacher said husband is weeping mad, blaming himself…i killed my wife! Only God knows how many wives, husbands, children have died such a needless death.

Couples must cultivate one another. No matter how angry I am with my wife, I, in my office, she, in her shop….I call her at least three times during the day. I call even when I have no reason to call. All I could say is “Where are you?” “Wetin dey?” “Anything for your boyfriend?” I am not saying this to impress anybody, but because it is the truth!

Anonymous

IT IS VERY POSSIBLE

"And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isaiah 35:10).

God’s plans for our lives are always good. He wants us to enjoy our time here on earth in peace, joy, righteousness, health and prosperity just the way things are in heaven. By heaven, we are not simply referring to the atmospheric space above the earth, but we mean the very abode of the Almighty God where His holy angels serve Him for ever and ever. The Bible describes heaven as a place where all sin and every other evil are forever excluded. It is a place where there is no curse nor sorrow, nor sighing, no tear, no death. It is a place of eternal bliss. The good news is that the earth was equally designed originally to be a type of heaven.

Since the time of Adam and Eve, it has been the purpose of God that we should experience heaven on earth. We were designed to be heavenly citizens sojourning on the earth. In order to make this a reality, God created a heavenly environment on the earth for our first parents. It was called the Garden of Eden. In that garden, not even a single problem was reported by Adam and Eve. There was neither lack nor pain, and impossibilities were never known there. It was meant to be like that for as long as the earth endures until sin came in through disobedience and changed everything. Man was then driven out of the garden, out of his terrestrial but heavenly environment.

But the misadventure of our first parents did not change the mind of God. That was why He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to reestablish for us the original purpose of God to give us heaven on earth. All we need to do is to return from the way of disobedience, and avoid what shortchanged Adam and Eve by committing to a life of obedience in Christ Jesus.

There are two points I will like to leave with you. First, I want to draw your attention to the fact that heaven on earth is a possibility

that could be realised by every believer. We know this is possible because our first parents, Adam and Eve had a taste of it. And when Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is done in heaven (Matthew 6:10), He was drawing our attention to the fact that it is possible to experience heaven on earth. If it is not possible, Jesus would not have asked us to make it our prayer point.

The second point I want you to consider is the desirability of a heavenly lifestyle on the earth. The gains are exceedingly numerous, but the summary is that everything that could be found in heaven can be made available to you on the earth. Romans 14:17 puts it all together in these words - righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Consider the superlative advantages of a life of peace, joy and contentment. Consider the blessings of a sin free life, a life without the burden of unrighteousness, a life that pleases God. Such a life is desirable to prepare us for the real heaven that Jesus has promised to those who follow Him. And I believe that no sacrifice would ever be too much or too high to pay for such a life.

KILL OR BE KILLED

"So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God)" (Colossians

3:5, Amplified).

The Christian faith from the beginning to the end is a call to a life of grace - the grace of God in Christ Jesus. We are saved by grace, called by grace, and live by grace. It is grace, God’s unmerited favour, that makes things happen for the believer. It is by grace that we can live above sin, pursue righteousness and please the Lord. No wonder that virtually all the New Testament epistles open with a prayer for the supply of grace to the church.

But whereas it is true that God’s grace is the most important tool for the believer's existence, it is also true that the individual believer has a lot of responsibility if the work of grace will become evident.

The Christian must put grace to work. In pursuit of the beautiful Christian life that pleases God which we are all called to, the

believer must understand grace to simply mean the release of divine capacity to obey divine commands.

The instruction in today's Scripture verse is a good illustration of the point been made. We are told to deaden our evil desires and our ungodly tendencies by depriving them of power. In other words, you must consciously starve your members of the resources that enhance misbehaviour. That is a task you must personally attend to by

yourself. No one else can do that for you, neither your friends nor your pastor. Not even God could do it for you. All that God will do and has done for you is to give you grace - divine capacity - to do what you should do.

For example, if you find yourself constantly plagued by sexual lust, immoral thoughts, masturbation and the like, the first thing God wants you to do is to get rid of the things that feed those habits. You will need to do away with all ponographic pictures, movies, inscriptions and other such materials. You will also have to cut off from friends who delight in such things and avoid environments or occasions that pull you in the direction of lust and immorality. That is how to put grace to work.

But notice that you will be the one to do those things, not God or anyone else. When you have successfully done so, you would have taken power from what has previously held you captive. It will only now be a matter of time before those ungodly tendencies wither off in your life. May you continually find grace to do the needful and receive help in time of need.

WHOLLY AND FULLY - Revd Muyiwa Okeseinde

"Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:

Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD" (Numbers 32:11-12).

To follow the Lord wholly is to follow Him wholeheartedly and be true to Him in all things. The call for the believer is not just to follow the Lord, but to follow Him wholly and fully. Half hearted following will not satisfy the demands of our God. Inconsistent devotion will not please Him. Conditional worship or following is not acceptable.

With our God, it is either all or nothing because He is an absolute God.

Following the Lord wholly does have advantages. In our Bible verses for today, two groups of people were identified. The first group is the class of people who did not follow God wholly. God’s decision was that they (and people like them) will miss out on God’s promised blessings. God showed that He took personal offense because of their

attitude and disqualified them from entering the land of Canaan. May your name never enter the list of the disqualified ones.

Then on the other hand were people who were affirmed to have followed God wholly. God identified them personally by name - Caleb and Joshua.

In the midst of hundreds of thousands of people, God singled them out for mentioning. That is not a small thing. They certainly were not the richest, nor the wisest, nor the strongest, but God singled them out because they wholly followed Him. As you also wholly follow the Lord, I want you to get ready because God will single you out from among the crowd for a special lifting.

God also promised that these two men shall enter the Promised Land.

Now they would experience the fulness of God’s blessings, not because of their power, intellect or wisdom, but because they followed the Lord wholeheartedly. If they had any wisdom at all, it was only in following the Lord wholly. Friends, promises of God are only guaranteed for those who follow the Lord wholly. God targets them specially for His special blessings. You are the next person to have

such an experience.

Now, it is time to ask ourselves some pertinent questions. Are you following the Lord or are you following a religion? Are you following a church or a religious personality when you are supposed to be

routing for the Lord? Are you merely following the Lord in the name of religion? Are you truly following Him wholeheartedly with all of your being, all that you are and all that you have? My beloved friend, I think it is very important to examine yourself concerning this matter

and adjust accordingly. Those who follow God fully will also enjoy Him fully.

MARVELOUS LIFE

"Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t

squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us" (2 Corinthians 6:1, The Message).

Whether you know it or not, God has given you a marvelous life.

According to my Bible, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. From the beginning, you were a distinguished and marvelous creation of our excellent God (Psalms 139:14). Everything about you is unique, beautiful and super. It has to be so because a Creator like God almighty could not have done any less. Friend, it is a good life that you have been wired to live. Please don't squander it.

The Scriptures talked about a young man who had the best of opportunities life could ever offer. He was born into a wealthy home and had a loving father who was ever willing to give him the best of all things. But he messed up everything and wasted the resources that would have turned him into an outstanding personality. That was the

guy popularly referred to as "the prodigal son". To be candid, the prodigal son had a truly marvelous life going for him. But he

squandered everything in his crazy bid for needless pleasure.

Needless pleasure. That is the bane of our modern society. We specialise in expending the treasures that God has given us in the

pursuit of vanity. The treasures of good health, beauty, strength, money and materials that God has given us have been instruments of carnal gratification that never add positively to our lives. The rate

at which we abuse our wonderful human body with alcohol, tobacco, junk food, sex, etcetera has reached unprecedented phenomenal proportion.

Check the story of the prodigal son again, it is our passage for further reading. He had the best opportunity of his life to become

great, but he wasted it. With what must obviously have been a huge startup capital, he could have built a flourishing business that would have been the talk of the town. It was his God ordained chance to surpass his age mates and peers in the corporate world of that time.

He could have gone on to establish himself as another young rich ruler, employing several others and contributing his quota to the development of the local economy. He could have gone on to get married to a responsible lady, raise great kids, have a good family and enjoy the marvelous life God wanted him to have in the service of God and humanity. But he blew it all, squandering everything that should have

made him great on women, wine and wantonness.

But I am glad to know that his story did not end like that. He came back to his senses, repented and retraced his steps to pick up his life again. Though it may not be as marvelous as it originally was, he was glad to turn from the meaningless lifestyle to begin again the good life he was meant to live. That must be the ultimate lesson to

learn from the story of the prodigal son - that you and I can begin again to live aright this marvelous life God has given us.

ARE YOU DISCOURAGED? READ THIS

One day a local evangelist bragged during a crusade that his God was more able than all the other gods in the town and the powers of the universe that the villagers worshiped put together. Just then, rainstorm sounds

started sounding overhead, threatening the progress of the crusade. The evangelist lifted up his voice and declared with confidence that if the rains fell, then he wasn't a man of God; he would stop preaching!

Before he could finish his bluff, the rains began to hit the crusade grounds so vehemently, apparently in disregard to his declarations. The whole town left the crusade grounds to their houses, shaking their heads in disappointment and dismay.

The evangelist, so distraught and angry, packed his belongings and left the town the next day. On his way through the next town, he checked into a local drinking spot and drank himself to stupor. As he laid on the ground cursing God, an old seedy looking man tapped him gently on the shoulder.

"Man of God", the old man began. But the evangelist quickly cut in, "don't mention the name of God to me. He is fake. He is unreliable. I am no longer a believer in this

God. A God who chooses to disgrace his servants. Leave me alone!"

But the old man would not let him be. He continued,"I am the fetish priest in the village you just preached at. During your one week stay in that village, you destroyed all the charms i had made on the people for 45 years. Your prayers and your words always came with some fearful fire and power. I tried so many times to eliminate you but i couldn't. My last chance came yesterday. I had loaded my gun with gun powder lying wait on the mountaintop where i had a very clear view of you. My plan was to shoot you from a distance since i couldn't get close enough to you due to the fire around you. But just when i lifted the gun, the rains came from nowhere, wetting my gunpowder and covering you in a cloud so that i couldn't even see you.

All i saw was a bright man holding a sword in front of you.

I was so terrified. I concluded that your God was indeed all powerful and Almighty. That is why i've been looking for you since

then. I want to follow this your God!"

The ex-evangelist bowed his head in shame!

Dear friends, sometimes, it is just wise for us to believe that our Father knows the way He is taking us. We should just trust His leading. Let our boast be in the Lord, not in

ourselves. If we decree a thing and it doesn't happen, let us not see it as disappointment or dishonor from the

Father. Let us just believe that the Father wants his perfect will to be done in all things.

Stay RAPTURABLE.

FILLED BUT CONTROLLED BY WHOM?

"THEN JESUS, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led in [by] the [Holy] Spirit" (Luke 4:1,

Amplified).

The key to Jesus' success is not just that He was filled with the Holy Spirit. The more important factor is the fact that Jesus was

consistently controlled and led by the Holy Spirit. This means that Jesus had the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit also had Jesus. He never did anything just because He felt like doing so. Everything He did was what the Spirit of God instructed Him to do. If Jesus had only been anointed and filled with the Holy Ghost, the life that He lived here on earth for thirty-three years, which was entirely pleasing to the Father would have turned out differently.

The average Christian may be filled with the Holy Spirit, but far too few of us are controlled and led by the Spirit. The result would be as much as you being in a car but not in control of the car. Then in such a situation, you could be taken to where you don't want to go and your purposes thwarted. That is what many of us believers do to the Lord, frustrating and grieving the Spirit.

Yes, you have the Holy Spirit, but because the Spirit does not have you, He is not in control of your affairs. You are the one in charge, doing what you like, going where you wish, when you want. That way, many so-called Spirit-filled Christians have repeatedly taken the Lord to liquor parlours, and got themselves drunken with the Spirit inside of them. Others went with the Spirit of God in them to drug joints to sniff cocaine or something else. Others still, too numerous to count carry 'their Holy Spirit' to brothels, expending their energy on harlots and women of easy virtue.

Stripping the Lord of His authority over you and acting as if you own yourself is not just good for that dynamic relationship with God which your heart craves for. You must let the Lord take over. Don't just sing, "Father, take control; Son take control; Holy Ghost take preeminence; Father take control". Take those commitments out of the realm of singing and let them become the reality of your daily living.

That way, you will be able to live a life that truly pleases God and also enjoy fully the blessings of such a life.

IF YOUR DESIRE IS THE TOP...READ

"And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:27-28).

Leaders are givers. If you can give, you will invariably be able to lead. But if you are not liberal at heart, and you are not willing to

earnestly beseech the Lord for the grace of liberality, please don't go near the corridors of leadership. Whether in the church, in

business, politics or in the home, the grace to be able to look away from yourself and be concerned about meeting the needs of others is an indispensable asset in leadership. Indeed, at the end of the day, good and effective leadership - servant leadership - is all about meeting the needs of the followership both directly and indirectly.

If you occupy a leadership position and you do not excel in the grace of liberality, your influence as a leader will be severely curtailed.

Selfishness destroys leadership effectiveness. Every leader's popularity rating will rise or fall in proportion to his level of liberality and how well his policies enhance the capacity of the people he leads to meet their needs. Good leaders give and help their followers to get; bad leaders take from the followers and diminish the capacity of the people to get. Leadership is about giving not about getting.

Jesus, the ultimate leader was also the ultimate giver. We first saw Him giving up the glories, splendour and pleasures of heaven to come live on the earth. He did that not because of Himself but because of

humanity. While here on the earth, He kept on giving - His time, His energy and material resources in the service of man. He gave sight to the blind, healing to the sick, freedom to the oppressed, life to the

dead, and food to the hungry. He gave and gave until He gave everything, even the last drop of His blood. He gave His life and died

so that we may live. The least you and I can do is to live that others might live.

David the king of Israel giving abundantly for the proposed temple building. And then his officials and other leaders in the nation followed the example of the king. The moment that happened, the rest of the populace became inspired and they joined in the liberality festival, giving willingly of their substances for the house of God. Just as David confessed, good leaders realise that all that they are and all that they have

gained through the privileged position they occupy have come from God, the ultimate owner and giver of all things. It is that realisation among other things that propel them to be generous towards others and

towards every good cause, especially as it concerns the work of God.

PAY BACK TIME....LOADING by Revd Olumuyiwa

OLUWAMUYIWA OKUSEINDE

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil" (2 Corinthians 5:10, NET).

For everything you did, every thought and every word, there is pay back time. And guess who is in charge of the pay back? Jesus Christ, the Righteous, the Son of the living God, the risen Lord and Savior of the world. According to my Bible, all of us, every single human being that passed through this earth must stand in front of Christ who will then decide about us. He will decide about the things that we have done during our lives here on earth, and then, each person will receive from God the result of the things that they have done in the body, either good or bad.

Friends, be assured that at that time, there will be no avoiding this judgment and there shall be no escape. All categories of people, male and female, young and old, people from all nations, ages and dispensations must present themselves in that day. All MUST APPEAR! Be assured also that there shall be no miscarriage of justice because He that is perfect would be the one sitting on the judgment throne.

Christ Himself, being God omnipotent and omniscient will sit upon the great white throne to provide judgment. Each person will get what is justly due to him as a result of those things done while living.

Again, be assured that this celestial tribunal will not have room for solicitors and advocates. In any case, who is qualified to advocate before the Sovereign Lord? The only advocate qualified to function there also doubles as the judge. The immediate implication of this is that the saint, indeed anybody who wants to come out clean on the bright side of Christ's judgment must diligently labour to be on the Lord's side well ahead of judgment time. Just like Jesus counselled, I admonish you to make friend quickly with the one who has power over

your life while you are still on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison (see Matthew 5:25).

For me, the kindness of God to us is shown in the fact that He has told us well ahead of time that there will be judgment, an examination so to speak. And then, He has given us a comprehensive manual, the Holy Scriptures, giving us very detailed information on how to succeed in the examination. Furthermore, unlike what you will find in any other clime, He gave us express permission to actively draw help from the chief invigilator (the Holy Spirit) and the assisting invigilators (the angels). Above all, He gave us unfettered right, not only to befriend the Chief Examiner, Jesus Christ, but to also make Him our brother. What more should God do for us? If you end up on the wrong side of God's judgment, you truly qualify to be on your own!

STRONG AND VIGOROUS

"Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyesight wasn’t impaired and he was still vigorous and strong" (Deuteronomy 34:7, International Standard Version).

Long life is good, especially if it is spent in good health. But when you live long without good health, it becomes a punishment. Moses was here described as one who not only lived long but also "still vigorous and strong" in old age. Even at the advanced age of a hundred and twenty, his "eyesight wasn’t impaired". He was a young man even in old age, notwithstanding the unparalleled hardships he had gone through. Only God could have done that.

It is obvious that Moses died, not because he was old but because he had finished his work. You were not meant to die because of sickness or even old age. God’s original design is for you to go home after you are done with your divine assignment on the earth. If you keep your place in God, nothing should be powerful enough to terminate your life until you have fulfilled your purpose on earth.

The promise of God is to satisfy you with long life and show you His salvation (Psalms 91:16). The inclusion of satisfaction and salvation in God's promise of long life means that it would be a life of peace, health, joy and contentment. It is a long life in which your youth is being constantly renewed like the eagle and your strength does not fail. It is such a long life that you would ever be glad to have experienced.

But we also have a responsibility to take good care of the body that God has given us. Eating right is of particular importance in this matter. As nutritionists would tell us, you are what you eat. If you eat right, you will live well. Personal hygiene is also important. A dirty environment could cut short your life. It is in your lifetime interest to keep a clean mind in a clean body. As you eliminate garbage from your home, make sure that you also take conscious steps to eliminate dirty thoughts and habits from your life. If you faithfully attend to the above, you will live long and well.

ON A SERIOUS NOTE - Pastor Anthony

ON A SERIOUS NOTE!!!

How many religious debaters are humble enough to let each scripture speak for itself and not that you make it say what it never meant??? This is the beginning of our problem! Muslims defend the Quran and condemn the Bible, and vice-versa.

The basic TRUTH is that ONLY ONE of these Books (Quran and Bible) is right or that they are BOTH wrong but they cannot BOTH be RIGHT at the same time and under the same circumstances.

Have you OBJECTIVELY underwent a comparative study of Islam and Christianity? This time, I'm not talking about listening to men like Ahmed Deedat, Sam Shamsoun, David Wood, Zakir Naik, Yusuf Adepoju, Isang Udo Akagha. I am not saying all these men are not ''good'' individuals but what I mean is that don't base your beliefs on their submissions. They are ''human'' and prone to errors, so.......

God has endowed you with ''brain'' not to eat but to reason. Why not use it while listening to these apologists rather than just take their write-ups hook, line and sinker;

after which you copy and paste for us here?

Muslims claim that they read the Bible but do they listen carefully to what the Bible says? Christians quote Quranic verses but how do they interpret it? Not until, both sides listen ATTENTIVELY AND SUBMISSIVELY to both books, whereby we read them as students and not as ''I-Too- Know'' scholars, we would NEVER know why both books contradict: THEY ARE FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES!!!

The Bible was written by over forty different men over a period of 1500 years as they were ''carried along by the Spirit of Yahweh'' (2 Pet. 1:21). While the Quran was

dictated by Allah's angel, Jibril, to Muhammad who memorised it and then taught his followers, who then wrote them down several years after Muhammad's death.

Thus, Muhammad wasn't there to confirm the Quran. Why then kill each other because of the Quran???

The more I read what both the Quran and the Bible says about God and all He created, the more I realise that the Bible is from the TRUE God of heaven. If you don't believe, try reading both scriptures HUMBLY (as its student and not as its teacher/judge), I bet you, YOU WILL COME TO REGARD JESUS AS GOD AND THE BIBLE AS DIVINELY ORIGINATED

AND AUTHORITATIVE!!!

God Bless You

AMAZING TRUTHS: WHO IS THIS JESUS?

Jesus Christ is the most famous man in human history, but exactly who was He? Some say a fable; others think just one option among many good teachers, or even a nice guy who taught morals. Do any of these descriptions capture the totality of who He was? 

Is Jesus really God? There are many cults and false religions today that deny it. The Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, believe Jesus was created by the Father billions of years ago as the Archangel Michael and is

hence a “lesser god” than the Father. The Mormons say Jesus was born as the first and greatest spirit child of the Heavenly Father and heavenly mother, and was the

spirit-brother of Lucifer. New Agers claim Jesus was an enlightened master. Unitarian Universalists say Jesus was just a good moral teacher. What is the truth about Jesus Christ? We turn to the Scriptures for the answer.

Jesus Truly Is God

There are numerous evidences for the absolute deity of Jesus Christ in the Bible. The following is a summary of the more important evidences.

Jesus Has the Names of God

Jesus Christ possesses divine names—names that can only be used of God. For example: Jesus is Yahweh . Yahweh is a very common Hebrew name for God in the Old Testament, occurring over 5,300 times. It is translated Lord (all capitals) in many English translations of the Bible.

We first learn of this name in Exodus 3, where Moses asked God by what name He should be called. God replied to him, “I AM WHO I AM. . . .Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’

” ( verse 14). Yahweh is basically a shortened form of “I AM WHO I AM” (verse 15). The name conveys the idea of eternal self-existence. Yahweh never came into being at a point in time for He has always existed.

Jesus implicitly ascribed this divine name to himself during a confrontation He had with a group of hostile Jews. He said, “I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” ( John 8:58 ). Jesus deliberately contrasted the created origin of Abraham—whom the Jews venerated— with His own eternal, uncreated nature as God.

Jesus is Kurios . The New Testament Greek equivalent of the Old Testament Hebrew name Yahweh is Kurios. Used of God, Kurios carries the idea of a sovereign being who exercises absolute authority. The word is translated Lord in English translations of the Bible.

THE AFFIRMATION THAT “JESUS IS LORD” (KURIOS) IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CONSTITUTES A CLEAR AFFIRMATION THAT JESUS IS YAHWEH.

To an early Christian accustomed to reading the Old Testament, the word Lord, when used of Jesus, would point to His identification with the God of the Old Testament ( Yahweh). Hence, the affirmation that “Jesus is Lord” ( Kurios) in the New Testament constitutes a clear affirmation that Jesus is Yahweh, as is the case in passages like Romans 10:9, 1 Corinthians 12:3 , and Philippians 2:5–11 .

Jesus is Elohim . Elohim is a Hebrew name that is used of God 2,570 times in the Old Testament. The name literally means “strong one,” and its plural ending ( im in

Hebrew) indicates fullness of power. Elohim is portrayed in the Old Testament as the powerful and sovereign governor of the universe, ruling over the affairs of humankind.

Jesus is recognized as both Yahweh and Elohim in the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3 : “Prepare the way of the Lord [Yahweh]; make straight in the desert a highway for our God [Elohim ].” This verse was written in reference to John the Baptist preparing for the coming of Christ (as confirmed in John 1:23) and represents one of the strongest affirmations of Christ’s deity in the Old Testament. In Isaiah 9:6 , we likewise read a prophecy of Christ with a singular variant (El) of Elohim: “And His

name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God [El], Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Jesus is Theos. The New Testament Greek word for God, Theos, is the corresponding parallel to the Old Testament Hebrew term Elohim . A well-known example of Christ being addressed as God ( Theos) is found in the story of “doubting Thomas” in John 20. In this passage, Thomas witnesses the resurrected Christ and worshipfully responds: “My Lord and my God [Theos]

” ( John 20:28 ).

Jesus is called Theos throughout the rest of the New Testament. For example, when a jailer asked Paul and Silas how to be saved, they responded: “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31 ). After the jailer believed and became saved, he “rejoiced, having believed in God [Theos] with all his household” ( verse 34). Believing in Christ and believing in God are seen as identical acts.

Jesus Possesses the Attributes of God

Jesus possesses attributes that belong only to God.

Jesus is eternal . John 1:1 affirms: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The word was in this verse is an imperfect tense, indicating continuous, ongoing existence. When the timespace universe came into being, Christ already existed ( Hebrews 1:8–11 ).

Jesus is self-existent . As the Creator of all things ( John1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2), Christ himself must be uncreated. Colossians 1:17 tells us that Christ is “before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

Jesus is everywhere-present . Christ promised His disciples, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” ( Matthew 18:20). Since people all over the world gather in Christ’s name, the only way He could be present with them all is if He is truly omnipresent (see Matthew 28:20; Ephesians 1:23, 4:10; Colossians 3:11).

Jesus is all-knowing . Jesus knew where the fish were in the water ( Luke 5:4, 6; John 21:6–11 ), and He knew just which fish contained the coin (Matthew 17:27 ). He knew the future (John 11:11, 18:4), specific details that would be encountered ( Matthew 21:2–4 ), and knew from a distance that Lazarus had died (John 11:14 ). He also

knows the Father as the Father knows Him (Matthew 11:27; John 7:29, 8:55, 10:15, 17:25).

Jesus is all-powerful . Christ created the entire universe (John 1:3 ; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2) and sustains the universe by His own power (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3). During His earthly ministry, He exercised power over nature ( Luke 8:25), physical diseases (Mark 1:29–31 ), demonic spirits ( Mark 1:32–34 ), and even death ( John 11:1–44 ).

Jesus is sovereign . Christ presently sits at the right hand of God the Father, “angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him” (1 Peter 3:22 ).

When Christ comes again in glory, He will be adorned with a majestic robe, and on the thigh section of the robe will be the words, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” ( Revelation 19:16 ).

Jesus is sinless . Jesus challenged Jewish leaders: “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” ( John 8:46 ). The apostle Paul referred to Jesus as “Him who knew no sin” ( 2 Corinthians 5:21 ). Jesus is one who “loved

righteousness and hated lawlessness” ( Hebrews 1:9), was “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15 ), and was “holy, harmless, [and] undefiled” (Hebrews 7:26).

Jesus Possesses the Authority of God 

Jesus always spoke in His own divine authority. He never said, “Thus saith the Lord” as did the prophets; He always said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you. . . .” He never

retracted anything He said, never guessed or spoke with uncertainty, never made revisions, never contradicted himself, and never apologized for what He said. He even

asserted, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Mark 13:31 ), hence elevating His words directly to the realm of heaven.

Jesus Performs the Works of God

Jesus’ deity is also proved by His miracles. His miracles are often called “signs” in the New Testament. Signs always signify something in this case, that Jesus is the

divine Messiah.

Some of Jesus’ more notable miracles include turning water into wine ( John 2:7–8 ); walking on the sea (Matthew 14:25 ; Mark 6:48 ; John 6:19 ); calming a stormy sea ( Matthew 8:26; Mark 4:39; Luke 8:24 ); feeding 5,000 men and their families (Matthew 14:19 ; Mark 6:41 ; Luke 9:16; John 6:11); raising Lazarus from the dead ( John

11:43–44 ); and causing the disciples to catch a great number of fish (Luke 5:5–6 ).

Jesus Is Worshiped as God Jesus was worshiped on many occasions in the New Testament. He accepted worship from Thomas ( John 20:28), the angels (Hebrews 1:6 ), some wise men (Matthew 2:11 ), a leper (Matthew 8:2 ), a ruler ( Matthew 9:18), a blind man (John 9:38), an anonymous woman (Matthew 15:25 ), Mary Magdalene (Matthew 28:9 ), and the disciples (Matthew 28:17 ).

Scripture is emphatic that only God can be worshiped (Exodus 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:13; Matthew 4:10). In view of this, the fact that both humans and angels worshiped

Jesus on numerous occasions shows He is God.

Old Testament Parallels Prove Jesus Is God

A comparison of the Old and New Testaments provides powerful testimony to Jesus’s identity as God. For example, a study of the Old Testament indicates that it is only God who saves. In Isaiah 43:11 , God asserts: “I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior.”

This verse indicates that (1) a claim to be Savior is, in itself, a claim to deity; and (2) there is only one Savior, the Lord God. It is thus highly revealing of Christ’s divine nature that the New Testament refers to Jesus as “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13).

Likewise, God asserted in Isaiah 44:24 : “I am the Lord, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself” (emphasis added). The fact that God alone

“makes all things” (Isaiah 44:24 ) and the accompanying fact that Christ is claimed to be the Creator of “all things” ( John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2), proves that Christ is truly God.

Preincarnate Appearances of Christ

Many theologians believe that appearances of the “angel of the Lord” (or, more literally, “angel of Yahweh”) in Old Testament times were preincarnate appearances of Jesus Christ. (The word preincarnate means “before becoming a human being.”) There are a number of evidences for this view:

1. The angel of Yahweh appeared to Moses in theburning bush and claimed to be God ( Exodus 3:6).

2. Yet, the angel of Yahweh was sent into the world by Yahweh ( Judges 13:8–9 ), just as Jesus was sent into the world in New Testament times by the Father (John 3:17 ).

3. The angel of Yahweh prayed to Yahweh on behalf of the people of God (Zechariah 1:12 ), just as Jesus prays to the Father for the people of God today (Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1–2 ).

4. It would seem that appearances of this “angel” could not be the Father or the Holy Spirit. After all, the Father is One “whom no one has seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16, NIV; see also John 1:18, 5:37 ). Moreover, the Holy Spirit cannot be physically seen (John 14:17). That leaves only Jesus.

5. The angel of Yahweh and Jesus engaged in amazingly similar ministries such as delivering the enslaved (Exodus 3; Galatians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Timothy 4:18 ; Hebrews 2:14–15 ) and comforting the downcast ( Genesis 16:7–13 ; 1 Kings 19:4–8 ; Matthew 14:14, 15:32–39 ).

These evidences suggest that appearances of the angel of Yahweh in Old Testament times were preincarnate appearances of Christ. Assuming this is correct, the word “angel” is used of Christ in these verses in

accordance with its Hebrew root, which means “messenger, one who is sent, envoy.” Christ, as the angel of Yahweh, was acting on behalf of the Father, just as He did in New Testament.

NOW IS THE TIME......

OLUWAMUYIWA OKUSEINDE

"In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25).

After the death of Joshua and Caleb, and the other elders who were contemporary with them, the children of came under the rule of a set of leaders who were known as the judges. The Bible records however that during the time of the judges, there was absolute lawlessness in Israel. Everyone was a lord and a law unto himself. Every man was his own governor and did whatever he felt was right in his own eyes. It was so bad that when anyone did wrong, he could proceed to defend his wrongdoing by his cunning and strength, without any authority being able to call the erring person to order.

Needless to say that when a man's own will, passions, and caprice, are to be made the rule of law, society is in a most perilous and ruinous state. In such a situation, manners, morality and moderation are thrown to the gutters, and the human conscience becomes altogether crucified. So it was in Israel at this time that people no longer frowned at evil but would rather bless it and impunity became the order of the day.

But of greater importance to us is that during this period, the people of Israel relapsed into apostasy, denying the one and only true God.

That in itself was the real cause of every other problem that they had. They completely withdrew their allegiance from God and proceeded to serve other gods. God, the living God had no place in their thinking and in their living. You can imagine a man like Micah who was described as having a house full of gods (Judges 17:5). You could as well say that "In those days there was no [God] in Israel: every man [became a god unto himself and] did that which was right in his own eyes". Remember that God almighty was their king whom they rejected that He should not reign over them (1 Samuel 8:7).

Friends, your biggest and most profitable investment this year will be to enthrone God as king over your life. You do this by yielding yourself unto Him and let Him rule your life. Do it now. Give Him exclusive right over your life and let Him be your only Sovereign. Let Him rule in your affairs and let Him have unfettered control over your family, career, relationships and business engagements. Let the whole world know that there is a king over your life and that the Most High rules and reigns supreme over you. If you do this, you are bound to live a victorious and happy life all through the year and beyond. We have known and we can testify that the power of Satan is simply not in existence wherever Jehovah rules and reigns supreme.

Shalom!

SAD, GONE FOREVER!

"Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan,

thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel" (Joshua 1:1-2).

A new year, to all intent and purpose represents a new opportunity for a new beginning. The clear message of every new day, especially in a new year is that the slate of life has been wiped clean so that you can write on yours the new things you want in the way you want it. It says you can begin again, you can do it again, you can try again. The new year says there is hope. It says, although you didn't make it last year, you can make it this year. That idea may not have worked last year but there is another opportunity this year. Behold, God has made all things new.

I really need you to understand this crucial message that the new year represents to us. It is that the past is gone and we must now prepare for the future by making the most of the present. As they say, you cannot bring back the hand of the clock, and even if you want to attempt to do so, it will definitely not be by dwelling on the past.

Let the past remain in the past with all its failings, disappointments, weaknesses and unfulfilled dreams.

Even if you had some injuries in the past, utilise the present profitably by concentrating your energies on how to get healed of the hurts and not by sulking over things you cannot change.

This is the lesson God was teaching Joshua. He said to him, "Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go...". Certainly, God was not about rubbishing the achievements and status of Moses.

But He wanted Joshua to realise that Moses represented his past and that he must let go of the past in order to possess his future. He wanted him to know that even after the disappointment and discouragement that the death of Moses represented, good things shall still come to pass. Friends, even when your past is as glorious and impactful as the

life of Moses represented to Israel, God is saying that you must let go of it because your best is still ahead of you, and you can

never lay hold on it by dwelling on the past.

Certainly Joshua needed a lot of courage to be able to flow with God's line of thoughts and instructions. Because of this, God repeatedly spoke to him words of encouragement in order to infuse courage and inner strength into him. We also need a lot of courage to do what the Lord is telling us. Fortunately, God is able to supply the

courage we need, just as He supplied to Joshua. But let us remember that God’s

supply will come to us on the heels of our willingness to do what God has said and our readiness to receive the divine strength He has promised.

WE SAY THANK YOU

From all of us at God's Battleaxe Ministry we say this shall be your portion in this 2015.

Our special appreciation goes to Dr. Segun Oshinaga, CEO, winning Wisdom Production,  Evangelist Elijah Ojo, CAC worldwide, Pastor Anthony Fawole CAC worldwide, Pastor Fetus, CAC worldwide, Revd Oluwamuyiwa Okuseinde, Ondo state, our graphic operators, and every of guest writers.

We appreciate you for being part of our 2014 beautiful story and we hope you will make this year darling and ground breaking.

A.T Joel
( Apostle of Grace)
for God's Battle Axe Blog