HIS BIRTH OR DEATH... Which is of more importance?

In our society there are two great religious holidays-Christmas and Easter. Most of us are of the opinion that Christmas is the bigger and greater season of the year. It's the time of year when we gather with family and friends to sing carols, decorate the tree, and exchange gifts. Christmas, as we all know is the climax of the whole year. Easter?...Well, for most people it's just another long weekend, another chance to get away for a few days.

Even Christians and believers alike view Easter as a second-rate holiday!
Very few people feel that unusual sacrifice our Savior made on the Cross. 

Somehow we've gotten our thinking badly mixed up. If Easter had not happened, Christmas would have no meaning. If the tomb is not empty, the cradle makes no difference. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then he really is just a misguided Jewish rabbi with delusions of grandeur. If Easter is not true, then Christmas is only the story of an obscure baby born in a forgotten manger of an out-of-the-way village in a forgotten land 2000 years ago. It is Easter that gives Christmas its meaning.

Here's proof? In all the major doctrinal point is ever built upon the the virgin birth of Christ. Not one. It's true. It happened. But it's never discussed or mentioned. In fact, two gospels don't even say anything about it.

But the resurrection? That's a different story. In every part of the New Testament, it comes up again and again. The Bible in Acts. 4:2 says

"Being vexed and indignant through and through because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in the case of resurrection from the dead".

       When the first Christians preached, they didn't mention Bethlehem; they talked about the empty tomb. They never got over the fact that on Easter Sunday when they went to the tomb, Jesus was gone. The Bible in Matthew. 28:6 says:
"He is not here, He is risen as He has said( He would do). Come see the place where his body lay. 

ARTICLE: HE ROSE!!!, AGAINST ALL ODDS.

^"But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead.  He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again." (1Corinthians .15:20)

     Its amazing how some antagonists carry a false idea of Jesus swooning on the Cross and being nursed back to life. Of course, we all know that nothing can be further from the truth.

         What sets the Christian faith apart from all other beliefs and religious systems in this world is that it's a religion with a strong evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. God took his time to prove to the world beyond all reasonable doubts that Jesus is risen to Heaven. Most times when the venue of an event is changed without prior announcement, a person or placard is situated at the old venue to redirect guests to the new venue. This was the role of the angels at the tomb of Jesus when He resurrected. They were there to give accurate authentic information about the resurrected Jesus to anyone who cares to listen. Go did this to silent some antagonists who may later go around lieing to people to people that Jesus didn't resurrect. To anyone  It might come down to this: If you go to the tombs of any of the prophets on which other world religions have been founded, you will find them occupied.  But if you go to the tomb of Jesus Christ, you will find it empty, because He is alive.  We serve a living Savior.!Hallelujah!!!

       This is why the resurrection of Jesus is such an important message and also why it has been opposed so much throughout history.  The devil knows that the Resurrection spells his defeat.  He also knows that if you believe this great truth that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and rose again from the dead, it can change your life.

Not only can it change your life, but putting your faith in Him also means that you will have a new, resurrected body someday.  As believers, we have this great hope that we, too, will live again.


And if you don't have a relationship with Jesus, click HERE  to begin. 

DEVOTIONAL: LIVING IN THE SPIRIT

Bible Reading: Gal. 5:22-26

When you do not live in the Spirit, you will suffer spiritual famine. You will become a victim of the works of the flesh such as fornication, adultery, uncleanliness, idolatry, witchcraft, heresies etc. But when you allow your life to be directed  by the Spirit, you will be able to express the fruit of the Spirit  such as love,joy,peace,longsuffering, meekness, patience, etc. Those who walk in the Spirit cannot make wrong decisions and even when they have decided to make a move, their move will always lead to the right destination because they are guided by God. This is why it is important to allow God to speak to you so that you can hear His voice and find rest for your souls.  When you live in the Spirit, you will not grope around as someone in darkness. There are many people who have lost the energy required for the Christian race because they have allowed their hearts to be taken over by the mundane things of this world. Don't be a carnal christian. A carnal Christian enjoys what the world can offer as long as it satisfies his ego. A carnal Christian is always a victim of sin because the body has not been trained to be disciplined. If you live in the Spirit you will no longer have to compete with the world in fashion. If you are walking in the Spirit, you will not be comfortable exposing your body to cause others to fall into lust. You must make up your mind to break away from every act of carnality,so that the peace of God can rest in you.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Romans. 8:7

Do not be consumed any longer with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of this life. Make up your mind to be ruled and governed by the Spirit of God. Our hearts, deeds and the fruits we bear must be patterned to please God. One of the ways to ensure we live in the Spirit is to continue to  fellowship with Him. Those who find it difficult to come to the presence of God and fellowship cannot experience the power of the Spirit. You are supposed to value the presence of God more than anything in this life. You may be denied every other thing in life, but not the presence of God. Also to grow in the Spirit we must create time for the study of the word of God. Make the study of the word of God important in your agenda. The moment you begin to have excuses for not attending fellowship and studying God's word,you can be sure that the devil I'd already causing you to experience a spiritual famine and at the end there will be a manifestation of the flesh. Some who are no longer walking in the Spirit have given themselves over to false doctrine  blowing across the world. If you are in this category you have to cry to God to help you so that you will not be victim of heresy. The flesh is always programmed to yield to sin. Ask God to deliver you from the desires of your flesh so that you will no longer live to gratify it's dictates.


Culled from the RCCG Open heavens devotional. 

NEWS: SINGER NOMORELOSS IS DEAD!!!

      The handsome and gifted singer "nomoreloss" whose real names are Olumuyiwa Osinuga has been reported dead this morning.  The gifted musician who also doubles as a comedian has been bedridden since January this year. His sister Damilola Osinuga called this morning to announce his death.

This is indeed a big loss as he is still in his late thirties and survived by a wife and two kids.

May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.  AMEN.

ARTICLE: THE ESSENCE OF WORSHIP

Glorifying the Lord is not limited to worshipping in church. In fact, praise ought to permeate the believer’s life and be seen in everything he does. 

One obvious way that we praise the Lord is with our voice. We can either speak or sing in worship. True worship flows from the mouths of believers who are focused upon God’s attributes. Those who have an indepth understanding of His abilities.  They desire to honor Him because of who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised for the future.

Human beings are naturally wired to worship. There is a hidden desire to worship in every person born. This explains why some people decide to worship graven images and ascribe God's glory to them. 

Even the children of Israel in the wilderness erected a golden calf to worship when they noticed that Moses was staying too long on Mount Sinai. They begged Aaron to look for an alternative for them because they couldn't focus on the true God to worship. 

      Genuine worship allows the Lord to fill our hearts and minds with His presence. But praising the Lord with wrong motives is an empty act. For example, if we’re lifting our hands and singing loud only because doing so feels good, then what we’re after is an emotional high. That kind of selfish praise falls far short of heaven.

Our God is praised when we serve Him. People are created for the purpose of bringing glory and honor to His name. Therefore, nothing should limit our willingness to work for the King, particularly when we have a chance to share Him with others. This is one other major way of glorifying God. Christ is honored when His followers speak boldly about His grace and His work—believers’ testimonies are an amazing form of praise that magnifies God’s name. More so, testifying of the goodness of God in our lives is a good way of sealing up our miracles and fortunes. 

       Jesus Christ is worth more than any treasure this world offers. Loving Him and understanding what He’s done for you should be all the motivation you need to praise Him with your life. You don't necessarily  need musical instruments for this kind of worship because your heart is connected to your creator.  Don’t just sing; serve His kingdom and share the gospel. Help to make God arise from His throne and dwell in the praises of His people indeed. 

And if you don't have a personal relationship with God, click HERE to begin.

PHOTO: SEE PICTURE OF KIRK FRANKLIN AND HIS CUTE SON

The RCA inspiration boss who just bagged an award at the Grammy's also has a cute son who is a lookalike.


Scroll down to view pictures.....

DEVOTIONAL : ARE YOU IN CHRIST?

Bible reading: John. 3:1-5

"Are you in Christ?" could mean all the following: Are you dwelling in the love of Christ? Are you filled with God's spirit? Do you love Jesus more than the mundane things of the world? Are you thirsty for the love and righteousness of Christ? Are you faithful and obedient to God's word? When you ate in Christ, there should be evidences of new things in your life. Those who don't have Jesus in their lives are always empty,but when you are in Christ, you become full. Those who do not have Jesus are always poor but the moment you allow Jesus into your life, you become a possessor of riches that only God can provide. Being rich is not just about driving the best of cars and living in mansions or jetting across the world on a daily basis. There are people who can afford all theses but are not happy. However, when you abide in Christ the kind of wealth you get from God is without sorrow. It is called true riches. Just look around you and see how the devil is tormenting the livesbof many people simply because they have not come to the knowledge of the truth. Before I met the Lord, I was a victim of the devil's torment. With all my qualifications, I was consistently in one problem or the other until I graciously met with the lover of my soul, Jesus Christ. The moment I met the Lord, I shut myself off from the rest of the world and clung to Him alone and I began to enjoy victory in all the areas I had suffered defeat. There is someone reading this devotional, I decree in the name that I'd above all names, you will never know shame and defeat again in Jesus name.

When you come to Christ, it doesn't matter how bad your past is. He will bring you out of the horrible pit you are in and clean you up.

Those who abide in Christ always have new songs to sing and the Lord is committed to establishing their steps due to their trust in him. I want you to make up your mind to settle for Jesus. He is the anchor of all creation. He's the focal point of global history. He's the reference point in world dates. He's the master of all situations and circumstances. Jesus is the solution to all problems and the answer to every question in your heart. Are you tired and weary? Have you been struggling alone? Is your case and report becoming hopeless? I want to assure you that with Jesus Christ, everything will have a new beginning. There is no discrimination against anyone who embraces a new beginning in Christ. It is the beginning of a glorious future and the opening of a new chapter. This is why anyone who wants to enjoy all these will have to deny himself of those weights that distracts and follow Jesus all the way. It is a lie of the devil to think that God created some people to obey Him and others to disobey Him.

Culled from the RCCG Open heavens devotional. 

NEWS: BEN CARSON STEPS DOWN FOR DONALD TRUMP AND RECOMMENDS HIM FOR PRESIDENT

     Former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson has officially given his endorsement to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
CNN reports that news of Carson’s endorsement came on Thursday, with Trump mentioning Carson’s endorsement in the GOP debate.

      Carson gave his official endorsement on Friday, stating, "He's actually a very intelligent man who cares deeply about America."
There's two different Donald Trumps,” Carson added, speaking at a press conference at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, FL. “There's the one you see on stage and the one that's very cerebral, sits there and considers things very carefully."

Carson said that, like himself, Trump wants “the voice of the people to be heard.”
Although Trump and Carson had disagreements during their campaigns, Carson said that they “buried the hatchet. We moved on because it's not about me. It's not about Mr. Trump. This is about America."


         Carson said he prayed about his decision to endorse Trump and believes he is the right man for the presidency.
Trump stated that he is glad to have Carson’s support. "Having his support, really, it just adds total credence to what I'm trying to do and to what we're all trying to do."

MESSAGE DOWNLOAD: REMEMBER ME OH LORD.

Heres a message from the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor E. A Adeboye.


click HERE  to download the message.

MUSIC DOWNLOAD: DANIEL OJO -THE PSALMIST (a worship medley)

Daniel Ojo, a Canada based musician has just released a melodious  worship medley. The piano specialist has combined a list of casual worship songs into a worship session to exalt the beauty of Holiness.

The songs combined include:

*As the deer panther for the waters.

*Great is thy faithfulness

* We give you all the glory.


          Click HERE  to download the song

DEVOTIONAL : JOINT HEIR, JOINT SUFFERER

Bible reading: Romans. 8:12-17

Have you compared yourself with so many other believers around you and it seems that what you are going through is very different from their own experiences and you are beginning to ask "God why me? ".I congratulate you because you are in for a special testimony. What you are going through is evidence that you are a child of destiny and the devil is out to truncate it knowing what you are to become. How do you think Joseph felt when he was thrown into a pit by his own brother? He was sold to the Egyptian before finally landing in the house of Potiphar,where everything was committed into his hands.  I am sure he would have been consoled by this and would have thanked God that he was finally in a safe place. Little did he know that there was a new devil in that house in person of Mrs. Potiphar. For every new in the life of a child of God, there's always a new devil. This is why I always remind my children not to rest on their success, because that is when the devil will come and knock you out. He watches for your your unguided hour. When you see the devil fighting you in all corners, you should know that you are special to God. My prayer is that Satan will never win the battle over you in Jesus name.

"when thou pass through the waters, I shall be with you and through the rivers they shall not overflow you, when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, neither shall the flame Kindle you".
Isaiah. 43:2

In this assurance, you should rejoice that despite the numerous tests and trials you are going through and the ones you will still go through, God is with you.
The level of suffering you go through will also determine the level of glory you will attain in God if you don't give in. The extent to which you are prepared to go through for Christ will also determine the extent to which you will reign with him.

"But he knoweth the way that I take, when he has tried me I will come forth as gold".
Job. 23:10.

To a user of this devotional, I decree in the name that is above all names that there will be a glorious testimony from your present trials in Jesus name. Continue to look into Jesus, the alpha and omega and do not allow the devil to knock you down.
Believe that your tomorrow shall be alright and don't let your present situation nullify the permanent promises of God in your life.

Culled from the RCCG Open heavens devotional. 

CHOOSE TO STAND

Anchor Passage :

                  "Therefore My father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from my Father."
                                                                                                                    -John.10:17-18

God loves it when we willingly surrender our lives to Him. God respects that choice and as powerful as He is, He will never influence or manipulate us to do His will. The REAL VALUE comes when we choose to surrender our lives. Jesus, as we see in the anchor passage above willingly chose to surrender His life for the sins of the world. He reveals that this is one of the secrets of God's profound love for Him.

Likewise, in our battle against sin, we need to first make that decision that we will not go back to our old ways. This is why after we confess Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and we get saved, we may not feel any major supernatural  difference in our bodies. Our urges and appetites are still the same. This is because it is only our spirit that got saved and not our bodies and mind. So the temptation to go back to our old ways will definitely come knocking on the door of our hearts. As all this is happening, God is watching to see if we serious about our choice of serving Him. When He sees that we are dogged, then He sends His Holyspirit to help us. The new life in Christ is something we have to consciously work towards. This is why the Bible says in Philippians. 2:12b:

.....work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 

Even when the Holyspirit comes, He will never force us to live holy. He continuously nudgesand persuades us to always do the right thing. Our power of choice is still intact. It is left for us to choose to obey or ignore Him.

Whenever we intentionally take our stands against sin, God becomes proud of us and brags about us to the devil. The devil who is an accuser will be the first to protest if God should supernaturally prevent is from sinning against Him. This was what he did to Job. The devil will go as far as accusing God of being partial. And God, being just and righteous will love to silence the devil on all sides by vouching for you. The way He vouched for Job. God wants to boast to the devil that you were not forced or compelled to serve Him. He wants to prove to the devil that you rightly deserve all the blessings He has given you.

Can God boast of your sonship?  
Can you prove to the devil that all the blessings you received from God were earned on merit? 
Please dear readers, take your time to think about this... 

If you don't have a personal relationship with God, click HERE  to begin now.

PHOTO: PASTOR PAUL ADEFARASIN SPOTTED CONTROLLING TRAFFIC IN LAGOS (PICTURES)

The senior pastor of the House on the Rock Church, Pastor Paul ADEFARASIN was seen controlling traffic on a busy Lagos road on Tuesday.

The eloquent and world famous man of God has displayed what it truly means to be an exemplary leader. Unlike so many other clergymen who have turned themselves into demigods, the servant of God came out of his luxurious car in the heavy traffic and decided to lead by example under the hot sun.

We pray for this kind of humility and selflessness among our leaders.

Scroll down to view picture...

PRAYER POINTS AT THE MARCH SPECIAL HOLYGHOST SERVICE

1.Praise Him because you belong to the winning side.

2. Father, in the name of Jesus I decree that every sickness and every disease in my family as a whole, leave tonight.

3. Father, in the name of Jesus, I decree that every agent of the devil in my home, get out tonight.

4. Every force standing in my way be destroyed tonight.

5. Father, in the name of Jesus, I command Satan to take his dirty hands off me, my family, finance and the church of God.

6. Father send your fire from heaven to destroy everything blocking my destiny.

7. Father please give me direct access to success.

ARTICLE: GET LONELY!!!

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

                                                                                      Genesis 32:24


        It is true that God Himself said in the book of Genesis that it is not good for a man to be alone. Loneliness is something most of us don't ever want to live with.To some they spell desolation, to others rest and quiet. To be left alone without God, would be too awful for words, but to be left alone with Him is an experience to be looked forward to. It's a foretaste of Heaven! If believers would spent more time alone with Him, we should have spiritual giants again.

        Jesus, when He was on earth, set us an example. Note how often He went to be alone with God despite the fact that He had a mighty purpose to fulfil. The greatest miracles of Elijah and Elisha took place when they were alone with God. The Bible in the book of James  5:16, talks about Elijah being a man of like passion as we are, but he made a difference in his generation as a result of prayers. It was alone with God that Jacob's name was changed. Sometimes, God chooses to bring you out of your relationships and entanglements when He wants to bless you or commission you for a great assignment.   Joshua was alone when the Lord came to him. (Josh. 1:1) Gideon and Jephthah were by themselves when commissioned to save Israel. (Judges 6:11 and 11:29) Moses was by himself at the wilderness bush. (Exodus 3:1-5) Cornelius was praying by himself when the angel came to him. (Acts 10:2) No one was with Peter on the house top, when he was instructed to go to the Gentiles. (Acts 10:9) John the Baptist was alone in the wilderness (Luke 1:90), and John the Beloved alone in Patmos, when nearest God. (Rev. 1:9)

         Don't get sad about your lonely moments. Instead convert it to a quality time with God. Covet to get alone with God. If we neglect it, we not only rob ourselves, but others too, of blessing, since when we are blessed we are able to pass on blessing to others. 

To be alone with God in prayer cannot be over-emphasized.

And if you don't have a personal relationship with God, click HERE  to begin.