Friday, March 1, 2013

The Finished Work of Christ (March 2013)

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John 19:30)

Welcome to this Easter month of resurrection. There are four basic ills plaguing and bedeviling mankind. They are the issue of sin, sickness, poverty and death. Below are ways how Christ offered real solutions via dying on the cross to these maladies

Sin: “We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that our body (which is the instrument) of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin” (Romans 6:6, AMP). Our evil Adamic nature was crucified with Jesus on the cross, and by putting our faith in Christ and His finished work, we begin to experience mastery over fleshy desires and cravings. As we look up to Christ, we are also saved from the penalty of sin which is eternal death (John 3:14-15).

Sickness: A recent edition of Charisma magazine featured the story of how a lady Bishop named Mickie Winborn overcame ovarian cancer and breast cancer. She was giving six months to live after the first diagnosis of ovarian cancer which later spread to her breasts. She had whole congregations, anointed men of God and community of believers praying for her. Her real deliverance came when God opened her eyes to see that she had been trusting in her past good works as basis for her divine healing. She had a revelation that the source of healing is the finished work of Christ on Calvary. Jesus’ body was crushed that our bodies might be mended and receive healing (Isaiah 53:4-7). She has been cancer free for 30 years after she was miraculously healed after the revelation experience.

Poverty: This is a result of the curse that was released on mankind when Adam fell in the Garden of Eden(Genesis 3:17-19). The Roman soldiers placed a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head which pierced His scalp and made blood to flow freely from His head. This crown of thorns signifies a curse on His head, and since the head of a man represents his/her destiny, Christ was accursed for our sake and redeemed us from the curse of poverty. The word redemption from where redeem derives is also a commercial term which means to buy back something by making full payment for it. Jesus bought Christians back from poverty by suffering the shame of poverty. Scripture reference: Galatians 3:13-14

Death: Jesus came to unravel the mystery of death to mankind. When the truth about something is discovered, that thing loses most of its power! By Jesus death and resurrection, He became the first to rise from the grave and thereby making a mockery of death. Death has no more dominion and power over Him. And everyone who puts genuine faith in Him has conquered the fear of death, and also death. Those who die in Christ are said to fall asleep because theirs is not a final, eternal death (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).

CONCLUSION: The body of sin was destroyed on the cross, the affliction called sickness was also dealt a big blow by Jesus. The shame called poverty was removed and the mystery of death was resolved. Believe in the finished work of Jesus on the cross and these evils plaguing mankind will hold no impact on you in Jesus name. Have a blessed month!


Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
www.rccgpittsburgh.net

Understanding will make you outstanding (February 2013)

“….. of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred, and all their brethren were at their command“ (1 Chronicles 12:32)

Understanding simply defined is knowing how something works or functions. Because the sons of Issachar had superior knowledge of the time and season they were in, they became outstanding and also became the commander of their brethren.

Understanding is fitting together the puzzle called life like when you make an object out of jig saw puzzles that are scattered. The Bible says in all your getting, get understanding (Proverbs 4:7). It is being interested in the process and not just the product or outcome. Moses took time to understand the ways of God unlike the Israelites who were just concerned about the outcomes (Psalm 103:7). Moses became honorable and worthy of respect because of his superior knowledge of God.

There is need to know how life which is a mystery and puzzle works. The Bible, which is the word of God provides the requisite answer about how God works, Satan and demon spirits work, the economy of God and man work, marriage work, how prayers work, how salvation works, and the list goes on. The acronym for the BIBLE is Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. The word of God was given to mankind to understand this time and season we live in. The Bible becomes irrelevant once we leave this planet earth. Below are further truths to consider about understanding:

Understanding is Light: Jesus said “I am the light of the world, he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). When someone accepts Jesus into his/her life, light comes and beams into such a life. This light begins to dispel the darkness of ignorance, shame, confusion, sin, sorrow, sickness, etc. Suddenly, a new dawn arising from new knowledge, new awareness and new empowerment of the Holy Spirit causes a transformation and turnaround in such a life (2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 4:4,6).

Understanding is divine intelligence: Apostle Paul prayed for the church that the eyes of their understanding be enlightened (Ephesians 1:18-20). There is a divine intelligence and also mental intelligence. A spiritual person engages the eyes of his heart in addition to his physical eyes. Having spiritual understanding is being able to unravel mysteries concerning our personal lives. It is the ability to judge things spiritually and correctly(1 Corinthians 2:14-16). There is a knowledge and understanding that goes beyond the mental and intellectual.

Understanding requires effort: Learning the ropes about any subject in life requires effort and also patience. The scriptures say in Proverbs 25:2 that it is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter. The process of seeking understanding brings out the kingship in us. We start dominating as we begin to unravel mysteries. As we seek to know the truth, we are set free and also gain mastery over issues and circumstances (John 8:32,36).

Conclusion: The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). To know so much about varied subjects is good but a true knowledge of God is invaluable. It makes the difference between heaven and hell, joy and sorrow, etc. Receive the grace to seek God and His ways in Jesus name. Have a blessed month in Jesus name.

Keys To Unlocking 2013 (January 2013)


“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth, shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19).

Below are some keys to unlocking 2013:

1) Overcome the past: Many have a picture of past hurts, offences, disappointments, sins, mistakes,etc. like a movie playing in their minds. God says in the scripture above to forget the past. Focusing on the past impacts on the present and also carries the potential of locking one out of future blessings. The Israelites never entered their promised land during Moses time because they perpetually kept remembering their slave days in Egypt. We cannot change our past but we can change living in the past. In what ways are you chained to the past? Scripture reference: 2 Corinthians 5:17

2) Focus on God: One of the attributes of God is His ability to change our minds and thinking patterns when we focus on Him. What we focus on in life is always magnified to us. The closer you are to an object, the bigger it becomes to you. The Word of God is given us to transform our thinking to heaven’s kind of thinking. Success with God is a function of how well our thinking aligns with His thinking. Scripture reference: Romans 12:1-2

3) Define the year: To define means to make distinct, clear, or detailed especially in outline. The Bible in Habakkuk 2:2-4 enjoins us to write down the vision, make it plain on tablets that the reader may be motivated by it. What are you aspiring to become, do and even have in 2013? By faith, make plain and clear what you want 2013 to be for you! One of the ways we are made in God’s likeness is our ability to dream.

4) Execute the plan: After establishing your working plan in 2013, the next crucial thing is execution. The plan is not all up to God nor all about your ability to accomplish. It is a collaborative effort between God and us. Virtually, all the people Jesus healed in the gospels had to comply with some instructions before they fully realized their miracles. To the paralytic man who had been lying down for 38 years, Jesus told him, “rise, take up your bed and walk” (John 5: 1-9). The human element to our breakthrough is obedience to divine instruction.

5) Be genuinely fulfilled: Money, attainments, possessions, titles, breakthroughs, etc only give temporary satisfaction. Real success cannot be measured by them. Towards the tail end of last year, the pitiable lifestyle of a great IT security inventor was exposed. After making so much money, the guy retired to a Caribbean country living beside the beach and frolicking with women and wine. Not too long, his frivolous lifestyle caught up with him and he is presently facing a murder charge. The Bible says it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Genuine fulfillment comes when we start living not just for ourselves but for others as well. In 2013, make up your mind to live a life of significance and not just personal success!

Conclusion: With the aforementioned keys being fully adhered to by us, we will be living under an open heaven all through 2013. We will open the heavens and cause an avalanche of divine intervention in our affairs. Have a blessed 2013 in Jesus name!


Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
www.rccgpittsburgh.net
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com