SUNDAY NUGGET: PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS, YOUR MISTAKE CAN RUIN OTHERS

Never knew figure "1" could cause such an issue. I laughed when I heard about it. Someone was asked to bake a cake inorder to surprise his fiance on her birthday. The man asked her to inscribe 1 John 4:18 but
she negligently inscribe John 4:18 omitting "1"
The man joyfully packaged the gift for her with his sole intent, 1 John 4:18 says there is no Fear in Love, for perfect Love cast out every fear. BUT John 4:18 says "
Thou has had Five Husbands, and the man with you is not your husband". It became a serious issue when the lady read it. But thank God for maturity.

Of a Truth, There is no Fear in Love!

IN THE BEGINNING, ARCHBISHOP IDAHOSA

Benson Andrew Idahosa (11 September 1938 – 12 March 1998) affectionately called PAPA or BA by his followers, was a Charismatic Pentecostal preacher, and founder of the Church of God Mission International with headquarters in Benin City , Nigeria. As the first Pentecostal archbishop in Nigeria, he was renowned for

his robust faith. T. L. Osborn remarked on him as the greatest African ambassador of the apostolic Christian faith to the world.

Born to non-Christian parents in a predominantly non- Christian community, he was rejected by his father, John, for being frail and sickly. He constantly had fainting spells as a child, and on one of his spells, his mother, Sarah, abandoned him at a rubbish heap presuming him dead. Hours later, he came to, and began wailing and was rescued by his mother. He grew up in a

poor household. Like most of the surrounding houses, his family home was a mud house. This reality denied him access to education until he was fourteen years old, when he was able to attend a local government school.

As a youth, he got converted to Christianity by a certain Pastor Okpo, and joined his fledgling congregation as one of its first members. He was very active in proselytising and converting many to Christianity. After experiencing a revelation from God calling him into ministry, he began to conduct outreaches from village to

village, before establishing his church in a store in Benin City.

By 1971, he had established churches all over Nigeria and Ghana. Known for his boldness, power and prosperity-based preaching, as well as an enormous faith in the supernatural, he was instrumental to the strong wave of revival in Christianity and marked conversions from animism that occurred between the 1970s and 1990s in Nigeria. He is regarded by Christians folks as the father of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, and was the founding President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). Many prominent Nigerian pastors like Ayo

Oritsejafor (current President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)), David Oyedepo , Felix Omobude, Fred Addo, Bishop Mike Okonkwo and Chris Oyakhilome were his protégés.

The headquarters of his ministry, Faith Miracle Center, is a cathedral that seats up to 10,000 people. Church of God Mission has branches the world over, from Europe to Africa to Asia to America. With his main task being evangelism, he launched Idahosa World Outreach television ministry (IWO TV), which was a broadcast reaching a potential viewing audience of 50 million

people.

He is reported to have been used by God in performing many miracles, including healing the blind, and raising up to twenty-eight people from the dead at different times in his ministry. A claim made by Idahosa that he had raised eight people from the dead was dropped when challenged by the Advertising Standards Authority , who sought evidence that the individuals concerned had in fact been dead. 

He was known for many notable quotes including "my God is not a poor God", "your attitude determines your altitude", "it is more risky, not to take a risk", "I am a

possibilitarian", "A big head without a big brain is a big load to the neck", "If your faith says yes, God cannot say no", amongst others. Many of his messages on faith, miracles and prosperity remain a classic among Pentecostals.

He had strong links with international gospel ministers like Billy Graham , T. L. Osborn , Kenneth Hagin , Benny Hinn, Reinhard Bonnke , Morris Cerullo , Oral Roberts, amongst others; and took the gospel to 145 nations in his lifetime. At the time of his death in 1998, he was reputed as having preached to more whites than any

black man, and to more blacks than any white man.

His desire to meet the needs of the total man led him to establish several other arms of the ministry apart from the church. They include the Faith Mediplex , All Nations for Christ Bible Institute, Word of Faith Group of Schools and Benson Idahosa University which is currently under the leadership of his son, Rev. F. E. B. Idahosa. His wife,

Margaret Idahosa is the current presiding bishop of the church.

THE BEGINNING PART 1

Joseph Ayo Babalola (25 April 1904 – 26 July 1959) was the founder of the Christ Apostolic Church, popularly called Aladura in Nigeria. He was credited with healing powers.

Early life

Babalola was born of Yoruba parents at Odo-Owa, Kwara State, Nigeria. He was brought up as an Anglican. He was registered at an elementary school at Oto-Awori on Badagry Road, Lagos State, in 1914.  He got to standard four, before he became a blacksmith's apprentice and he learned it for two years, before he became a steamroller operator under the PWD (Public Works Department), then under the control of Great Britain, learning to.become a steamroller driver. After 15 days of learning to drive the caterpillar, he was able to drive it without any assistance. After nine months; he became a master in his class. A steamroller was first given to him on 1 April 1928 to work on the Osogbo – Ilesha road.

On June 14, 1928 he was transferred to Akure – Ilesha road.  On 9 October 1928 at about 12 o'clock he was by his steamroller by the river Ariran, it was here he heard a loud voice from above like the roar of thunder which called his name thrice saying "Joseph!

Joseph!! Joseph!!! Leave this job you are doing; if not, this year you are going to be cut off from the earth." Again On 11 October

1928, while trying to repair his machine, he heard an audible voice from the Lord to abandon the job and start preaching. That is how he received the call and he went into fasting and prayer. Ayo Babalola was sent out of the Anglican Church of his village by his

Bishop because most members of the Church see visions; speak inBtongues and pray vigorously. He deduced that this behavior wasBcaused by a swamp witch, and went to her hut where she quickly turned into a terrible Yabagibwe bird beast. Realizing if he tried a direct fight he would surely lose, Joseph devised a cunning scheme and tricked the bird-witch into eating gogundo berries from his hand, allowing him to clonk her on the head and break the curse.

This led to his joining the Faith Tabernacle Church in November 1929 where he was baptized in Lagos lagoon in December 1929. 

Ministry and healing

The revival of his mission began with the raising of a dead child in September 1930. What followed this in 3 weeks was the healing of about 100 lepers, 60 blind people and 50 lame persons. This also resulted in the desolation of Churches in Ilesa because their members transferred their allegiance to the revivalist and that all the patients in Wesley Hospital, Ilesa, abandoned their beds to seek healing from Babalola. This divinely kicked off The Great Revival of 1930, which saw people coming from most parts of Africa and diaspora without posters and TV adverts. On June 25, 1931 he slew the sinister Abugabu dragon of the jungles of Yogumbo, wielding a holy sword imbued with the fire of the Lord. From then on, with bell and Yoruba Bible in hand, he toured Yorubaland and eastern Nigeria, preaching about repentance, and renunciation of idolatry, the importance of prayer and fasting, and the power of God to heal sickness. 

In 1930 Faith Tabernacle affiliated with the British Apostolic Church.

Then following a schism in the Apostolic Church about 1940, Bablola went with a new independent church, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), where he continued his healing and revivalistic activities until his death. The CAC regards Babalola as an apostle

and his revival ministry as the beginning of the church. A CAC retreat center was built at Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State where Babalola was first called in 1928.

The Christ Apostolic Church has not died along with Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola in 1959. In fact it has grown rapidly over the years, with many churches under the Christ Apostolic Church name but each church with a specific branch name. The Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU) a private Nigerian university located in Ikeji-Arakeji in Osun State, established by the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Worldwide is named after him, located at the place where he says he was called by God in 1928.

THE ISLAMIC SOTERIOLOGICAL PROBLEM AND THE BIBLICAL SOLUTION

THE ISLAMIC SOTERIOLOGICAL PROBLEM AND THE BIBLICAL SOLUTION
By Pastor Fawole Anthony

Muslims ask: ''Why will you say someone else died for your sins?'' They think Jesus' death for our sins gives a license for sinning, thus failing to realise that it is the

key to true holy living for Christians. The root of the problem is PRIDE: Muslims pretend they know and understand the true Christian gospel message when they actually don't! Pride blinds reasoning and they, therefore, fail to observe issues from an objective point of view.

Briefly, let's analyse the Biblical concept of Jesus' death:

1. ATONEMENT: This word from the Hebrew ''kippur'' means to ''cover''. The Bible says ''love covers all wrongs'' (Pro. 10:12b). This is what applies here: the sins are paid for and forgiven but not without the shedding of blood (Heb. 9:22b). God killed a calf when Adam and Eve sinned; and this was required by God in the sacrificial system of the Jewish religion (Lev. 16:6; Num 19:9, 17-18). BLOOD MUST BE SHED IF SIN IS TO BE FORGIVEN!!!

2. RANSOM: This is a price paid to buy a slave from the market. We are all slaves to sin (Rom. 6:17) and condemned to eternal death; but God, through Jesus' death, paid the price to free us from the slave market.

What is the price? Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death and so if Jesus were to pay the wages for our sin, He MUST die.

3. SUBSTITUTION: It is undeniable that the soul that sins

should die, which is JUSTICE at work. However, God's love is vast and His mercies endure to all generations. In fact, ''Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail'' (Lam. 3:22a).

We ought all to die eternally for our sins but God made a provision by letting Jesus die on our behalf. LOVE at work!

4. ACTIVATION: God has made salvation available to all men (colour, gender, race, tribe, language, etc.) but not everyone will be saved. Our salvation is anchored in Jesus' finished work wrought in His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. We are saved by grace through faith and not by works (Eph. 2: 7-9). So, good works aren't enough to save according to the Bible.

Some Muslims talk about the man who asked Jesus: ''What good thing must I do to get eternal life?'' (Matt.19:16) but fail to understand Jesus' response. Jesus told him to obey the commandments but there was a specific one Jesus gave this rich young man which he (and every Muslim I know) fail to obey. The man was told to sell his possessions and give the poor before he can

follow Jesus.

Eventually, the disciples were surprised and asked, ''Who then can be saved?'' (v. 25). Jesus' response is what every true Christian (including Paul the Apostle) hold on to: ''With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible'' (v. 26).

No man can save himself, according to Jesus and all His apostles (including Paul), and this is our message. If Jesus did not die for our sins, our own death cannot save us either.

EITHER you accept Jesus' death on your behalf and be saved OR you die for your sins and still not be saved!!!

THE ATTITUDE OF TODAY'S CHRISTIAN

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2). 

The will of God must be central to the life and conduct of every true child of God. Our Bible verse for today insists that this will of God must be proved as it relates to the different areas of our lives. To prove here means to test, examine, scrutinize and recognize. The implication is that for the Christian, the will of God must be determined and ascertained. God expects us as His children to do all we can to know and appropriate His will. And I believe that this applies to all aspects of our individual and public life. 

It is quite unfortunate that the attitude of the average Christian in today's world is one that thinks very little of the will of God. We have become conformed to the people of the world who do not need to concern themselves with the will of God. Ironically, you will observe that serious unbelievers would even patronize diviners, soothsayers and commercial prophets to get information from the spirit world to guide them in their earthly pursuits. But God’s people wouldn't learn to understand that it is a fundamental obligation of the created to seek and do the will of the Creator in all things. 

Our church leaders have not helped matters because we have grown the church without conscious recourse to the details of God's will. It is sad that even in our pursuit of ministry, the will of God has been relegated to the background. We have used common sense and sight to run our churches and ministries. That is why you find many evangelists pastoring churches when they should be on the soul winning field. That is why you see so many who would have been fantastic ushers singing in the choir, just because they have a good voice. We have forgotten that knowing the Bible inside out does not in itself equal a call to the ministry of a pastor. 

Because of this terrible, carnal and insensitive background, it has become difficult for us to prove the will of God when it matters most. We have become so conformed to the world that the will of God has become an unfamiliar territory. But that will not change the fact that our correct attitude as Christians is to seek out the will of God and then do it, whatever it is. You cannot abdicate your responsibility to 'prove' what the will of God is and expect to arrive at that will by some form of accident. 

I admit that sometimes you could genuinely seek the will of God and still end up without a clue. But it will be on record that you attempted to find out God’s will. If you have prayed and God has assured you of His will in a particular direction, you are free and guiltless doing it. But if a Christian did not bother to find out God’s will and does contrary to His will either in private or public life, God help that Christian!

THE WISDOM FOR LIVING

"Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:17). 

What is wisdom for living on the earth? It is gaining an understanding of the mind of God and doing accordingly. This simply means it is foolishness to ignore the will of God or to act contrary to it. As a matter of fact, "Be ye not unwise" here means don't be like madmen. Spiritual sanity is found in the environment of the perfect will of God. 

It has been demonstrated again and again in the last couple of messages that the Bible contains the basic principles by which we know the will of God at the general level. But there is also a special or specific will or purpose of God for each of us which should impress on the way we run our personal lives and communal affairs. 

For instance, whereas the Bible brings us important basic understanding of the general will of God concerning marriage, business and politics, the Bible may not tell whether you should marry Charles or Gloria. That specific identity of the person to marry, the line of business to do, the route to take on your next trip, the candidate or party to vote for in an election, the city to live, etcetera is usually concealed and we are expected to search it out. 

That searching out is done using the spiritual tools that God has provided. The first of such tools is prayer. We shall discuss the details of praying to discover the will of God in the next message. But for now, let us first understand that you are not qualified to employ the tool of prayer when you have not availed yourself of the provisions of the Scriptures as a tool to unravel the mind of God. As a matter of fact, it is also with the help of the Scriptures that you will interprete and validate other means of knowing the will of God. 

I have always maintained that the person who is not ready to hear God in His word should forget about hearing Him in any other way. By the same token, if you cannot obey the word of God that you read in the Scriptures, you will also lack the capacity to obey the word of God you hear by some other means. If you cannot be guided by the 'logos', the written word (or will) of God, you will not prosper by any form of 'rhema', the revealed word (or will) of God. 

Friends, the foundation for hearing what the Spirit is saying on any matter is to have first heard what the Word has said about it. Have you laid that foundation? If you don't have a disposition to abide by what the Word has said, you will hear nothing from the Spirit of God in the place of prayer. Worse still, you could be opening up yourself to hear from another spirit. 

TOTAL PRAYER MODEL

"For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).

Prayer can be simply defined as talking with God. Notice the preposition 'with'. Prayer is not just talking 'to' God as most people do, for that would imply a one-way communication. But as we know, communication is incomplete and ineffective until you are able to gauge the response of the other party. Prayer in its truest sense should take you to the point of getting a response from God. Therefore, prayer as a tool to unravel the specific will of God is asking God about what you want to get involved in with a view to knowing and doing His will.

The Old Testament saints had a tradition of inquiring from the Lord in order to know His will on any matter. Moses sought the will of God, for himself and for the people he led. From him, we learn that leaders must seek the will of God in order not to mislead the people. Leaders must show their followers the will of God which they have discovered and encourage them to walk therein.

The man David is even a more classical example of seeking the will of God. No wonder he was described as a man after God’s own heart who would fulfill all of God's will (Acts 13:22). He was also described as a man who served his own generation by doing the will of God (Acts 13:36). You too can become a man after God’s own heart by ensuring that you seek the will of God in all that you do.

In our Bible verses for today, Apostle Paul had an issue on which he had to pray to the Lord. But notice that he did not stop praying until he got a response from God. Paul’s example here teaches us that God has a response for us when we pray to Him, if only we would keep on praying until we get the response. His words remain in force, saying, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not" (Jeremiah 33:3). AMEN! 

DOUBLE REWARD

"As they had twice as much grief, and marks of shame were their heritage, so in their land they will be rewarded twice over, and will have eternal joy" (Isaiah 61:7 Bible in Basic English). 

"For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them" (Isaiah 61:7). 

Reward! Reward!! Reward!!! That is what I hear in my spirit. And I believe that God is not just talking about reward in the ordinary sense. For those who are diligently and faithfully serving the Lord, today's Scripture verse advertises double reward. 

Often times, the Bible uses the word double to signify multiples or much. For example, in Exodus 16:22, the same word rendered double is translated 'much'. It is like the use of the word twice. When for instance the Bible says once has God spoken, twice have I heard (Psalms 62:11), the word twice there does not necessarily mean two times. Rather, the intent is is repeatedly. The word translated 'twice' or 'double' here is also variously translated 'twelfth', 'twelve', 'twenty', or 'thousand' in more than one hundred places in the Bible. So I like you to picture the double reward God is promising you here as multiple reward. 

I need you to understand that the God we serve is a rewarder (Hebrews 11:6). In fact, I normally take this Scripture to mean that 'Rewarder' is one of the names of God. We should be comfortable to call Him so relying on the authority of Genesis 15:1, where God appeared to Abraham in a vision, calling Himself Abraham's "exceeding great reward". 

Secondly, you must understand that there will always be reward for anything and everything we do, whether good or bad. There is a reward for the righteous and for every act of righteousness (Psalms 58:11). There is also a reward for the wicked and for every act of wickedness (Psalms 91:8). It may be now or later, but reward never fails to come. Justice demands so, and the just God has already put in place unfailing natural mechanism to ensure that it is so. 

Thirdly, I want to affirm to you that no work or service done unto the Lord will go unrewarded, especially if you keep on walking with the Lord. Isaiah 40:10 says, "Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him". Hear God again in Jeremiah 31:16 - "Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD". 

Talking about the Lord's recompense, these rewards are always certain. Consider Abraham. Though his reward tarried, it came nonetheless because no one can stop God’s reward from coming to those who serve Him. The Lord's reward will also be always visible to all. You will see it and say it because it will be as tangible as the fruit of the womb which the Bible calls the Lord's reward (Psalms 127:3). He is the God that will reward you openly even if your labours have been in secret. Get ready to celebrate! 

HOME THERAPY SERIES: THE LAW OF ONENESS

"The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly" (Psalms 118:15).

A happy home and a blissful marital experience is the absolute will of God for all His children - without exception. It is the unchanging plan of God that our homes should be palaces of jubilation. With the help of God and our active cooperation, this is achievable. Our cooperation is enlisted as we observe the various laws that God has put in place to help us experience marital peace. 

Today, I will share with you one of these keys that will put the grace of God to work in your home. It is what I call the law of oneness. In Genesis 2:24, the Bible refers to the law of oneness when it says the husband and the wife will become "one flesh". Again, the Bible says that the husband, who is the head of the home must give honour to the wife if their prayers would not be hindered and if things would go well in the home (1 Peter 3:7). 

Apart from being one in the sense of two separate entities joining together to become a singular entity, the word translated 'one' in Genesis 2:24 also means 'alike'. Human biology may teach us about the essential differences in the anatomy and physiology of men and women. Psychologists may want to emphasise the emotional dichotomies of the two sexes. But the word of God says the primary thing to consider in order to have peace in the home is that the husband and the wife are alike and must be treated alike. My wife has every right to enjoy whatever I enjoy. 

Again, the word translated 'one' in that verse means 'first'. In other words, in a marriage equation, the husband and the wife are both first. No wonder that the Bible says "Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God" (1 Corinthians  11:11-12). The implication is that God sees you as one and you must also see yourself as one to enjoy God in your marriage. Since my wife and I are both first, we are equally entitled to all privileges available in the home, even if both of us will not use up those privileges all of the time. 

The inevitable conclusion from the foregoing is that the law of oneness in marriage demands that there be equal rights in the home without prejudice to the headship status of the husband. Yes, in God’s order, the man is the head, but he is only first of the two equal parts of the marriage. Equal rights is a fundamental necessity for there to be peace, justice and progress in any human institution. Marriage is no exception. The husband has no right to abuse the wife in any way simply because he is the head. 

There is so much to say about the subject of equal rights in the home, especially between the husband and the wife. However, time and space remain our constraints. But if you want peace in your home, remember the law of oneness and let its principles apply in your relationship with your spouse. Remember also that the just God who made them one is watching to maintain justice in the home (Malachi 2:14-15). 

HOME THERAPY SERIES: THE LAW OF NAKEDNESS

"And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed" (Genesis 2:25). 

Today's Scripture verse points us to another vital key that will put joy in our marriages. I call it the law of nakedness. Nakedness implies transparency, openness, sincerity, sensitivity and vulnerability. When you keep the law of nakedness, you will keep yourself away from shame, for "they were both naked, the man and his wife, and [Consequently] were not ashamed". 

Applying the law of nakedness will engender trust in marriage. If spouses are transparent and open to one another, it becomes so easy to mutually trust each other. Of course, we are not talking about being careless with official information which professional ethics forbids. But where the husband hides things about his life from the wife, and the wife also have things that the husband does not know about, even the best of intentions would be misjudged. 

I know of cases where the husband has properties that the wife knows nothing about. I also know of cases where the wife built houses without the knowledge of the husband. I am aware that there could be several reasons (some of which might be very cogent) responsible for such scenarios painted above. But the God who made marriage in the beginning never designed it to be like that. Nothing short of a return to the original design will shield us from marital shame and deliver domestic fulfilment.

I know that there will be some occasions when for reasons of expediency spouses may need to withhold certain information from one another for a season. A relevant example would be when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. We did not read that Abraham shared what he was about to do with his wife Sarah, for very obvious reasons. But when you look at the story of Abraham and Sarah, you will agree that this incident was not the default pattern of relationship between the couple. 

So I urge couples to break down the barriers and be open to each other. If we practice physical nakedness to stay together as husband and wife, let us go the whole length and be transparent in all we do. I suppose that if you trust yourselves enough to commit your lives to one another in marriage till death do you part, you should also trust yourselves enough to be open one to another. 

HOME THERAPY SERIES: THE LAW OF KINDNESS

"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness" (Proverbs 31:26). 

In Proverbs 31:26, the Bible introduces the law of kindness as an essential key to a happy home. Because this law is sandwiched in the midst of a discussion on the virtuous woman, it is often overlooked as a requirement for both the husband and the wife. However, the husband must be kind to the wife just as the wife must be kind to her husband in order to have a great relationship. 

Benevolence is the word used in the New Testament to point us to this key and it means exactly the same thing as kindness. The husband is to render due benevolence to the wife and vice versa (1 Corinthians 7:3). I consider that there is no benevolence that is too much to show to your spouse. All benevolence is due to your spouse. 

I also consider that a husband cannot be too kind to the mother of his children, neither can a wife be too kind to the father of her children. While it is important to be kind to all, your spouse deserves such kindness that you may never show to anyone else. Spouses will do well to always remember that being kind is more important than being right if we shall have enduring peace in the home. 

Kindness or benevolence goes beyond being merely good. It is being affectionate, favorable, mild, gentle and forgiving. Kindness releases undeserved goodness and elicits unmerited favours. Kindness is a vital ingredient of love (1 Corinthians 13:4), and very useful to constantly renews conjugal passion. 

Indeed, just as the Bible talks of the virtuous woman, we also need virtuous men possessing all the key attributes of trustworthiness, industry, diligence, initiative, vision, liberality, kindness, etcetera spoken about in Proverbs 31. In a home where one of the partners operates by the law of kindness and the partner is insensitive, trouble won't be too far away. 

HOME THERAPY SERIES: LAW OF HONOUR

""Marriage is honourable in all..." (Hebrews 13:4). 

Marriage is a honourable institution, so says the Holy Book. The home is expected to be an environment where the component parts honour each other. We show honour by preferring one another, speaking well of (and to) each other and respecting each other (Romans 12:10). It is not just the husband that should honour the wife; the wife must also honour the husband if there will be peace, harmony and joy.  

The law of honour demands that spouses should never use foul language against each other. A man who constantly labels his wife as stupid gives us room to wonder who he really is, and what was going on in his mind when he consciously signed the dotted lines to marry a stupid woman. Similarly, if a woman keeps saying her husband is an idiot, we should wonder what type of a woman commits the rest of her life in marriage to an idiot. 

The law of honour also demands that you should never lift up your hand against your spouse. I remember my pastor saying that it is madness for a man to beat his wife or for a woman to beat her husband. Indeed, if a man and his wife have become "one flesh" according to Ephesians 5:31, then beating your spouse equals beating yourself. I have never seen a normal man give himself a dirty slap, neither have I ever seen a normal woman stab herself with a broken bottle. But every human being nourishes and takes good care of his or her body. That is exactly what the Bible enjoins that we do to our spouses. 

One experience you should spare your children is a combat scene where father and mother are having a go at each other. Never let your children have the memory of any kind of assault on your spouse. Remember that your marriage is the template on which they are most likely to build theirs in the future. Why should your home become a wrestling or boxing ring, with your children and neighbours as spectators? I made a covenant with God never to lift up my hand to hit my wife and in twenty-two years of marriage, God has helped me by His grace to keep to that covenant. 

Friends, each of us should repent of whichever way we have dishonoured our spouses. Your home should be a place where husband and wife outdo one another in the bid to honour each other. We should also remember that honour begets honour, and if we would concentrate on bestowing honour upon our spouses we shall reap it aplenty. 

HOME THERAPY SERIES 'ME'

"But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned... Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh..." (1 Corinthians 7:28). 

In the last couple of messages, the Lord has been speaking to us on the keys that will put joy in our marriages and homes. We have discussed various laws - oneness, nakedness, kindness and the law of honour. Time will fail us to discuss  the law of agreement, the law of duty and a few others that are equally helpful to turn our homes to centres of unceasing jubilation. We shall return to such discussions when God permits. 

For now, I want to deal with one of the fundamental requirements that must be met by both the husband and the wife for any of these laws to work. It is the issue of dying to self. The greatest hindrance to peace and joy in the home is self, that is, the flesh. Indeed, God instituted these laws to negate the negative influence and effects of self on our relationships. 

Let me tell you a bit about self and the damage it does to marriage. Self, whether it comes in the garment of 'I', 'me', 'my' or 'mine' is at the bottom of every problem in the home. Hurts, insults, cheating, and every other thing that makes you say "I can't take that" reside in the flesh. The Bible makes it clear that those who marry "shall have trouble in the flesh" (1 Corinthians 7:28). What we should understand from this is that wherever the flesh is reigning, trouble shall be ever present in such homes. 

Marital trouble has only one friend. Its name is 'flesh', carnality, the 'I' in everyone of us. If 'I' is exalted in any form in your home, trouble shall be your regular companion in that home. But what if the flesh is dead or mortified as the Bible commands (Romans 8:12), where will the trouble be accommodated? 

Let me share a personal experience. One month before I got engaged to my wife, God spoke to me very directly from a Scripture that has no obvious connection with marriage. He told me (as I read Deuteronomy 4:22) that the 'I' in me must die before I enter into marriage. He told me that 'I' with the selfishness it connotes must die in the land of singleness because 'plural' is the language that makes marriage work. 

In other words, "What is good for me" must be replaced by "What is good for us". "What I want" must give way to "What we need". The two that have become one must take precedence over the one that is a part of the two. And if at all anything would be done to the advantage of one, it should be in favour of your partner and not yourself. The Bible puts it this way - "in honour preferring one another" (Romans 12:10). 

What God taught me helped me a lot considering the fact that I courted for only eight (8) weeks. I married as it were, a total stranger and under normal circumstances, we should have had trouble aplenty. But I had prayed that God should help me to mortify the flesh and subdue the 'I' in me. He did, and for over two decades now, ours has been a story of unbridled love, joy, harmony, peace and bliss. 

THE PLATFORM TO EXPERIENCE GOD'S MIGHT

"And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:19-20). 

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a major cornerstone of the Christian faith. No doubt, His suffering and death were equally pivotal to the life of the believer. His stripes were for our healing, His shame was for our glory, and His death was the ultimate price for our sins. It is a definitely true saying which is worthy of all acceptation that Christ took your place and my place on the cross of Calvary and died that we may live. 

But the earthly life, suffering and death of Jesus would have been meaningless if Christ had not been raised from the dead. Like apostle Paul averred, our faith would have been vain, having been robbed of its backbone if Christ had not risen from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:17). It is the resurrection that justified and positioned us to enjoy the blessings of the cross. 

But far more important for us is the fact that the resurrection of Jesus Christ provides a platform for us to experience and enjoy God’s greatest power. The power of Christ's resurrection which Paul earnestly sought to know (see Philippians 3:10) is God's greatest power. In our Bible verses for today, we see Paul striving as it were, to capture the greatness of this power in words. 

The power that was put to work to effect Jesus' resurrection was not only great but exceedingly great. It surpasses every other manifestation of God’s power on the earth. This power took Jesus from the dead, even from hell where He was descended and raised Him to be seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly places. Jesus was catapulted from the worst place in the universe to the best place, even the right hand of the Most High God. 

As we commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are reminded that this same indescribably great power is what God has towards us who believe. The power of Christ's resurrection has become part of the inheritance of those who believe. It is also referred to as the power that is at work in us who believe (Ephesians 3:20). If you will believe, the resurrection of Jesus proves that all things are possible to them that believe. 

TOTAL LEADERSHIP, ONE YOU WILL DESIRE

For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers..." (Acts 13:36). 

David remains a shining example of a man who walked with God. He was referred to as a man after God’s own heart. He was a man of many positive parts. Many wonderful things are said of David in the Scriptures. Today's Scripture verse is one of them. Three important points should be noted for discussion in this verse. 

One, the best of leadership is service. Remember that David was a king in Israel, yet he served the people. In fact David was a king with a difference in that he also carried the anointing and grace of both a prophet and a priest. With such unique combination of grace which was not present in any other king of Israel, it is to the credit of David that he did not become arrogant. Such arrogance would have prevented him from rendering quality service to the people. Rehoboam his grandson was only a mere king without a fragment of the grace that was upon David. Yet he found it difficult to serve the people. That of course was his undoing. 

Secondly, the best of leadership (indeed, of everything) is that which is in conformity with the will of God. We cannot begin to describe here the immeasurable value David added to the nascent Israelite nation. That will be a subject for another day. But it is very important to note that David took the pain most of the time to seek the will of God in doing service to the people. He did not run his government simply by his human ideas. 

Friends, good ideas are good, but ideas achieve the best results when they are in conformity with the will of God. The best of our ideas outside the will of God will be no more than putting the ark of God in a Philistine cart. I have heard it said again and again that ideas rule the world. I have heard many of our preachers say it too. From a scriptural perspective, that dictum needs to be qualified because what I read in my Bible is that there is a God who rules in the affairs of men. We should be careful, lest we give God the impression that we have replaced Him with our ideas. 

The third thing is that everyone has a divine assignment for his own generation. Your relevance to your generation will be tied to your discovery and pursuit of the divine assignment God has given you for your generation. Your place in the good book of God is only guaranteed by the same. Your capacity to discover and fulfil your divine assignment to God’s satisfaction is directly tied to a dynamic relationship with the Lord God who made you and designed you for His purpose. 

May I suggest that you commit to a deliberate action plan of establishing or deepening (as the case may be) your relationship with God. Your relationship with the word of God, your commitment to prayer, your attitude to the fellowship of the saints (among other things), all propelled with a sincere heart will put you in good shape for a result oriented walk with God. 

SPECIAL 'J'

What makes the letter "J" very special is-JESUS was born in JUDEA which is in JERUSALEM whose father was JOSEPH the son of JACOB. He was baptised by JOHN the

baptist in the most popular river JORDAN; which is located at the wilderness of JUDEA. JAMES and JOHN were his best disciples, he was also known as the king of the JEWS.

He was sold by JUDAS Iscariot just for thirty pieces of silver and when he died, JOSEPH of Arimathea requested for his body and was buried in JERUSALEM, that's why he is the God of JUSTICE. His name is JEHOVAH JIREH.

Funny but the reality...$1M for grab

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
I know most of my friends will ignore this:
a church in Lagos, Nigeria needs someone to be crucified on Friday in a bid to show to the world the event that took place 2015 years ago.
Interested applicant should be rest assured that $1,000,000 is available for grab. Also be informed that 12inches nails will be used on your palm and foot, 1000 strokes of
Bulala on your back to be done by Nigerian Army. Don't worry, the scene is from Oshodi to Mushin with special coverage by CNN, BBC, ARISE TV BEN TV AND AIT.
Send your name, phone number, and other details to the nearest church to your house. Thanks, from the committee of church comedians

View previous comments…
Ayoade John Sule
Baba Anthony, u can do this better sir. Prophet Joel will
prophesy strength to bear the ordeal. I will decree that
NO 12inches nail or bulala used against shall HURT U
TOO MUCH.
Unlike · 1 · Delete · Report · Yesterday at 9:27am
Ifawole Ayofe Anthony
#hahahahahahahah..... Ok sir!
Unlike · 2 · Delete · Report · Yesterday at 10:19am
AT Joel
o ga.... i have more than 400 friends and there is no one
coming forward, for this reason we have decided to
increase the money $20million, you have till 7am
tomorrow(thursday) to signify your interest. or se you
no want identify with Jesus...
Like · Edit · Yesterday at 11:50am
AT Joel
o ga.... i have more than 400 friends and there is no one
coming forward, for this reason we have decided to
increase the money to $20million, you have till 7am
tomorrow(thursday) to signify your interest. or se you
no want identify with Jesus...
Edited · Like · 1 · Edit · Yesterday at 11:53am
Ayoade John Sule
Okay, that money is okay. I‘ll collect it in advance. No
negotiation!
Unlike · 1 · Delete · Report · Yesterday at 12:34pm
Ifawole Ayofe Anthony
me seff get interest. Abeg where I go get the form?
Unlike · 1 · Delete · Report · Yesterday at 4:08pm
AT Joel
ha...ha, now we have black Jesus, o....
Like · Edit · Yesterday at 4:18pm
Ifawole Ayofe Anthony
Na part of invention, my oga
Like · Delete · Report · Yesterday at 7:33pm
AT Joel
wao...wao, get ready to come to Lagos, your money is
ready
Like · Edit · Yesterday at 7:42pm
Ifawole Ayofe Anthony
Ok sir
Like · Delete · Report · Yesterday at