The Power of the Cross.

And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. 

Luke 24:2-6 (ESV)

We preach Christ crucified. As you go about everything you are doing this next few days, you need to think of the power on the cross. God is our healer and the power of the cross and resurrection can and will heal. The essence of Easter is the way that Christ brings to all; the Lord will make a way out of every situation we might find ourselves.

I want to assure you that God can do only what He has said He will do. This is a day of celebration and thanksgiving. Talk to God this Easter morning with everything that you have, tell Him all the things that you are going through and all the things that you need. Put your head on God’s shoulder this morning and talk to Him the only way that you can and in a way that you can have a conversation with Him.

Ask Him to come into your life and bring about the change that only He can bring. Have the expectation that He will speak and listen attentively to hear. Expect Him to heal, bless, forgive and bring about a change in your life. Bow your heart and soul before Him who says it is finished and finished the enslavement of sin in the lives of men.

If you are here today and you want to have a new start, to reconnect with Jesus. If you want God to bring about a special change that ensures that all hold of the devil upon your life is broken, He is asking you to come today. Open your heart and allow Jesus to come in and take His place. Let Him fill your life with the power of His resurrection. Come and meet Him that the foot of the empty tomb. The tomb is empty, Jesus has risen as the prophets have foretold. God himself is waiting for you and come rise in victory with Him even on a resurrection morning like this.

Father Lord we thank you, we truly bless and glorify your name. Your sacrifice over the life of your own will not be in vain.

Have you missed your time? Pt2

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3 (ESV)

God sent an Angel to Moses in the burning bush, this attracted his attention. When God saw that Moses turned aside and look, He called Moses and that was beginning of his purpose for the freedom of Israel from slavery.

I want to tell you today that God will send an Angel to you and their will be a reset for your life. This very week God will press the reset button to your life and things will turn around for you.

Whatever mistake we have made God is able to turn it to good, all we need to do is turn to God and talk to Jesus.

Moses moved before his time and in his push to be the deliverer of his brothers the Israelite, he made a mistake and he found himself in the wilderness of life. A lot of people makes mistake when they are not walking in the purpose and the season of life.
How do you know you are in the wilderness of life?

• You are not satisfied with where you are, that feeling is all over you
• You find yourself in a strange relationship
• When you come to certain age and you know you don't measure up to your colleagues

God met Moses in the wilderness while he had missed his time. The prayer is that God will meet us in the wilderness of life and make a way for us to that place of reset.
Know this;

• God has a plan for your life
• God is with you all the time
• As you consistently remind God and open your heart to Him; He will continue to speak to you
• When you learn from the mistakes of the past, God will speak for you
• You are going through the wilderness of life so that God can bring you out. 

Today lift your eyes and heart up to the Lord and accept His help.

Have you missed your time?

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3 (ESV)

Why is it called palm Sunday? People put down palm and their clothes for Jesus to ride on the colt. Why did the people do that? Why would people go about shouting hosanna in the highest and throwing down the palms and their clothes for Jesus to ride on? Matthew 21: 1-11.

It happened that way because that was His time. Jesus moved in His time and when the time came the people obeyed the purpose of the time as prophesied in the bible. The people didn't know who Jesus was, a lot of the time they looked for Him to make Him king but it didn't happen. But when His time came something moved the people to act in the fulfilment of the scripture. God will activate something that will move people to act in your favour when the time comes.

There is a great future ahead of every man. you are not a mistake you are not born by accident. God knows the reason why He created you at this time and moment. Everyone on earth was created for a specific purpose, at a specific time for a specific destiny. so you must look at yourself as somebody special unique and created for a specific purpose.

The reason why they were crying Hosanna for Jesus was because His time was come. If we walk with God, work for God and work with Him God will reveal us when the time is right.
Moses was scheduled to free the children of Israel at the age of 50 but by age 40 he made a mistake and it took another 40 years for the time to be reset again. sometimes a lot of us have missed our set time and we find ourselves wondering about in the wilderness.

• Sometimes we have gone into the wrong relationship and missed our time
• Other times we missed our time because we gone into the wrong career
• For some of us it is some business or career decisions we have taken; investing in the wrong business, made business mistakes, taking the wrong job, employing the wrong staff
• Sometimes we moved at the wrong time and jumble up everything or having the wrong solution to a problem

Remember, God is able to do that reset for you today all you need to do is ask him for the help. 

Knowing God is the set time! pt2

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11: 6

Moses asked who should I tell Pharaoh that you are? God’s response was “I am”. Exodus 3: 14.  God introduces Himself to us based on our needs and what we want Him to be at any time we need Him to be. God wants to know what we think of Him and that is when our time sets. God is not going to become bigger, stronger, He will not love you more but what you need is to know Him. When you know Him, you walk in the manifestation as the son/daughter of God.  The love of God is spread abroad by the spirit in our hearts. Therefore, other people come from other religion and know Christ more than we do. Knowing God and who He is sets us apart. Those who come unto God must know that He is. God is not trying to be; He is!

To know God and who He is, we need to forget everything we know initially. For something to exist it must be kept under the control of time. God cannot be put in the frame of time. For anything to be, it must be in God. Even the expression of time is in God. In God is life; for life to be alive it must be hidden in God. That is why God is so big we cannot know Him. That is why the bible says as we behold the image of God we become transformed.

Paul said I commend you to the word of His grace which can build you up to get an inheritance with Christ. What you know and what we have when we know God is different from what the world knows. When we do not know God, we become afraid of the things happening in the world and in our life. When we concentrate on what God has given to other we will not know what God has given to us. God has given you something and that makes you special and important. There is something you have that will make you shine brighter that the person you see. Christ knows God and that is why He went into the synagogue and opened the page concerning Himself.The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,   To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Luke 4:18 KJV. There is a page concerning you, when you open your page you will find the person that God has created you to be; you will find God. Such as you have given it gladly and simply.

There is a time that God has set for you, walk into it! How much of God do you know? That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;   If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Philippians 3: 10-11 KJV. When we know God, He will set us up for a set time. The day we know God we will depend on Him. The stone which the builder rejected will become the chief corner stone when we know God and who God is. The anointing that opens the eyes of the blind opens blind pockets.

Your set time is today! The secret is in knowing God’s set time. At times, you think God has forgotten you, not at all. He is piling it and there will soon be an overflow of His blessings upon your life. Knowing God is the set time. The blessings of God make rich. God can go before you and finish the business you are about to start, He can go before you and finish the journey you are about to embark on. All He needs from you is to know Him and who He is.

Knowing God is the set time!

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11: 1 & 6

The set time! Some years ago, someone said to me God’s time is the best. Then I began to wait for God’s time to come to pass in my life and it did not come. There is nothing like God’s time in the bible. God’s time or the set time is your time! It is the time you come to believe that He is. The bible says without faith it is impossible to please God. We must realize and understand that God is a rewarder, He rewards what we have done. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him; those who look for Him.

Those who follow Christ do not get into religion, they follow the words laid down by God. Knowing God is the said time. Until we get to that time that we can say we know God, our set time will not come. God is not waiting for a time to come, He is waiting for us to know Him. It is when we know Him that things begin to take shape. Galatians 4: 1 – 2.

Our life should not be a change of religion but it should be a change of personality. We need to get to a place where we know the person of Christ. Christianity is about living the power of the word and hence manifest the sonship of God. Psalm 102: Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion:
for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. Whatever what God wants to do in our life He won’t do it until we can say we know God. Our overall goal should be on following God and living His word; not on following a religion.

The glory reign is not for the living. It is for those who are ready to say I have met Jesus. The more we know God the more we disappear. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Hebrew 11: 5 KJV.  Enoch knew God and the bible records this. Paul said it is no longer I that live but Christ lives through me.

How much of God do you know? But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.Hebrew 11:6 KJV. 

The essence of his life

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.   Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3: 12-14

Paul was saying that there are some things that he needed in life. That there is just one thing most important in life. Life should be taken in certain sequences and stages.

• To know God and the essence of His life. To know his association, enjoyment, pain and all that he went through.
• To apprehend that for which Christ saved and delivered us
• To press towards spending time in heaven 

Paul was saying we must be very clear as to where our life is going. In Luke 10: 41-42 Jesus speaking to Martha had this to say, Martha you are careful about many things but only one thing is needful and your sister Mary has chosen that thing. What is that thing we are focusing our life and energy on?

This life is very short and that one thing we are certain of its time; time wait a for no man. This day, I mean today, will never happen again and whatever we are supposed to do this day and are unable to do this day will never be done again this day. If you do it another day it will never be like it would have been if we had done it the day it was to be done. The most important thing in our life, we should claim and aspire to, is the vision and purpose of God for our life.

We need to understand the story of Paul. He was a very enthusiastic man, a man that was passionate and knowledgeable. He pursued after the things that he desired and in his pursuit followed the laws of Moses until he had an encounter with Jesus Christ. He then began to pursue after Christ.
Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. Proverbs 29:18 KJV. Where there is no direction in your life you are bound to make mistake and a waste of that life.

Stop stressing yourself. You are going through stress either because you don't know where you are going or you don’t know how to get there. If you can ask for direction for your life you won't get lost, we must ask the direction from the right person and at the right place. Therefore, Paul said one thing is important - you must know where you are going.

Your vision will determine who you marry, what you spend your money on, what you eat and everything you do because you know exactly where you are going. You know exactly what you want out of life. Everything that is not relevant to the goals that you are not pursuing you must kick it out of your life.

You must find out where you are going because the earlier you find this out the earlier you will get there. Most people in life are frustrated mostly because they get stuck at a point in their life and don't know which way to turn. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1: 5.  It is time go to God and know the right path to follow. If you look up to the lamp of God, He will show you the way.

Reflecting the character of Christ

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:16-26

The kingdom of God starts here on earth. All who live in sin cannot enjoy the presence and grace of God. Witchcraft is not only about riding about on a broom, if you wish them evil, do people harm; it is witchcraft. When we do all those things to our neighbour and to our body that does not reflect the nature of Christ we will not inherit the kingdom of God.
If we can imbibe the fruits if the spirit, we are living above the laws of Moses.

A lot of people are afraid to correct people and ensure they have good Christ like character so we don't lose friends or lose church members. The essence of sound Christian character cannot be wished away, they cannot be overlooked. In the past when people become born again the changes from the old to the new is visible. Unlike what we have this days the old is not becoming new. Born again Christians live together sin.

A lot of us suffer or face problems today not because of what we do today but for the offense we committed yesterday.

People must become Christ-like by their character and not just by the words of their mouth. Our attitude and behaviour must change; our Christianity mist show. A nation cannot experience proper transformation without the character of a large part of its people changing.

As Christians, our character must be one the world must be willing to emulate. The society has turned upside down because the essence of character has been lost. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Galatians 5:2 KJV. If in your life, you do not have the fruit of the spirit, you are not a Christian in truth and Spirit.

The bible says if you do not have love, joy, peace, not long suffering; then you are not a Christian.
Today who does your character remind people of? Does your character remind people of Christ?Today we have Christians who can no longer tell the truth. People themselves do not want to tell or hear the truth.

We must be ready to pay the price for our Christ-like nature and Christianity. A Christian must be a bringer of joy.

Things we must do to share joy

• Help others to overcome their fear
• An encourager of people
• Give hope to people
• Your life must give a reassurance of God
• Give without regret
• Strive to perfection

Those things we think we want are not really what we need. A lot of us seek encouragement in material things and neglect the place of character in our life as a Christian.

Check yourself and see if you truly have the character of Christ? Do you accept correction with a joyful heart? Does the love of Christ reflect in you? Do you live in sin and call it modern living?

If your life doesn't reflect Christ, then you need to change the direction of your life.

We come to you Father with a contrite heart and ask that our character begin to reflect Christ. In Jesus name, we pray.

What is love?

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1 NIV

Love is giving. One of the greatest problem of the world today is a lack of lobe. 1 Corinthians 13:-11 says love suffers long....this means love is extremely patient. That if we love someone we will be extremely tolerant of them and their shortcomings.

Love says we must give them a long rope. If everyone could love one another as we ought to do life would almost be utopian because there would be no quarrel.

It says also love is kind. But the natural tendency of people is to instinctively be unkind. Why are people not kind?

1. Self preservation
2. Self centeredness

Love does not envy. It look down on people or gossip about people looking for their downfall. Love seeks people's success and celebrates their success.

Love is extremely humble. It does not lift itself up and is not proud or arrogant. We mist maintain our humility, normalcy, humanity and our originality that reminds us that we are no one without God.

Remember that the first bath you have someone will give it to you, the last bath you will have also someone will give it to you after you are dead.

According to to Greek there are 3 kinds of love but we speak of the love that comes of God. 1 John tells us that God is love and when we say we love, we simply mean we reflect God as an extension to our fellow mankind.

Love is an expression that never fails. It is how we express our feelings of gratitude, kindness, patience, humility, neighborliness towards man.

If you can pray and make the sun and moon stand still, the bible says one day it will fail. If we become as wise as Solomon the king of Israel, one day the wisdom will fail us. However, love will not fail you.
Love is greater than the strongest faith, it is better than the strongest hope. The love that reflects God will stand the test of time, it will pull you through the hardest times and give you the strength to go on.

God loves us greatly John 3:16. Anytime we think about God we should think more of a loving God
Jesus Christ loves us greatly that He gave His life for us. John 15:17
God wants us to love one another. 1 Thessalonians 1:5
If you truly love your neighbor you would have obeyed every law. Romans 13:8

• Love is an evidence of Christian growth. If you are growing in Christ you would truly love irrespective of who your neighbor is. 1 Thessalonians 3:12
• Love is a strong affection for another, unselfish benevolent towards your neighbor. (Webster dictionary). This is how the bible describes love
• Love suffers long, love says we must tolerate people for a long time
• Love is actively kind. A person who loves looks around for people they may show kindness to. 
• Love does not envy. It doesn't want for itself what belongs to another. It is not angry with another person for what they have. 
• Love is humble, not puffed up. It does not place a higher value on himself than another person
• It does not behave un seemingly, does no evil to oneself or to others 
• Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in truth 
• Love will always give you the benefit of the doubt. 

We must determine that the love of God must reign in our lives so we can have peace. Love is not an automatic emotion but a determined emotion that we work on daily. Therefor you must determine in your heart that you would love the person next to you.

If you truly love somebody;

• You will accept the person as they are Ephesians 4:2 and not as what you think they should be. Do not have the mind to change them. 
• You will speak good of one another and do good to one another. Hebrews 10:6... Look for a way of edifying and not destroying people. Correct in love with an attitude that lifts people up and not to pull them down or to break their spirit. Find something good to say about somebody because there is always something nice to say about them. 
• You will not quarrel or fight one another Romans 12:8, 1 Corinthians 13:7. You will not seek for a way to have your own back because a person has offended you. Love does not attack or antagonize people. You can disagree but you do not need to fight. 

Remember, it doesn't cost you anything to be nice!

Love the Tool for an Excellent Spirit

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.  1 Corinthians 13: 1- 2 KJV

Here, Apostle Paul was speaking to the church of God in Corinth but especially more to the leaders of the church and the nation. He says that love is a very important tool in Christianity and leadership.
What is love? We need to research it and it is there in the scripture. Love is the strongest tool that binds man. When we research it we need to constantly compare to the definition of love we have.

The biggest test of our Christianity is not a test of what we do or say but a test of what is in our heart. It is our thoughts, what are we thinking in our hearts towards our brothers, neighbour? We are used to thinking one thing and saying something else. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. Hebrews 4: 12-13 NET

A man who goes about praising people while they cure those people in their heart does not exemplify love. Love must begin from the heart; it starts with how we relate with people and those things we say and think about them when they are not with us.

Having love in your heart towards all of mankind frees you from pain and the shackles of pain, hate, anger, failure and lack. Today I implore you to open up your heart to love. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Mathew 22: 37 – 40 KJV. 

A life without regret pt.2

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 

Luke 16: 22-25 KJV

A lot of people might end up with one form of regret or another if we don’t know what we do at the end of life or where we would be when death comes calling.

People generally fall into 4 categories which are;

1. A group of people who never knew what life could be. They live in complete ignorance of what life is or what their life could be. (the lame man at the pool of Bethesda)
2. A group of people who see a bit of possibility but do not have the capability or think they do not have the ability, capacity or right spirit to make the best of it. A lot of people see them themselves as non-achievers
3. A group of people who have opportunity, see the opportunity and have the capacity to make the best of the opportunity but misuse the opportunity. What they use the opportunity for was not what it was designed to be used for. 
4. A group of people who through sacrifice, knowledge and understanding made the best of all opportunities in the best way possible. They can say I have finished the race

A lot of people would look back and say, “if I had known”. In the first part of this topic we spoke about people who were facing death but didn’t want to die as they do not know where they would go after death.

A lot of people don’t understand life and what life should be. We spend so much time building up a future that brings a burden and life of regret. Luke 16: 19- tells of a very rich man who had more than enough to eat; there was a poor beggar who looked to eat of the scrap left to the dogs. According to the rich man he lived a very good life. He sat very respectably over the city but at the end of that life he had regrets.

What kind of life are we living at this time of our life? Are you going to say at the end of your life that it was a great life, a well lived life or will you say it was a life filled with regrets? Will be on your bed and spend the end of your life thinking of all you could have done things differently? Do you care for the ordinary person you see on the street? Do you see a beggar on the road and help them? Do you consider other people and make their life a bit more brilliant? How many of you pick up a child and send them to school? How many of you see your friend going through hard times and help make his life better? How many of you know the name of your staff?

The rich man had wealth but his life was a failure. The other one was poor but the life he lived ended in success.