Die empty?

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. Acts 4:32, 34, 35 KJV

The great commission of Christ to us is to reflect the nature of God in the love we spread through the gospel. This is what the Apostles and early Christians exemplified in what they did and how they lived their lives. 

They came together living a communal life that carried everyone along. There was no rich or poor in the house of God. They had a common voice and shared a common love in Christ. There was no reason for them to be cajoled into giving to God because they realized that all the had would be left here on earth when they died. They wanted to "die empty". 

What is it to die empty?

All of us human beings came to this world with all the resources to make an impact and be who God has created us to be. That is why we can be passionate about those things we like, it is why we say we have gifts or talents. But what is the purpose of this gifts, talents, passion or vision? They are there so that we can be a blessing to the community of people that we come in contact with, irrespective of who they are (colour, race, size, or shape). To die empty means that we are to share and give of that which God has given us, give it all out so that by the time we are going back to God we would have completely emptied ourselves out in readiness of spending eternity with him who filled us up. Share your money with them who do not have, share your talents and gifts to enrich those in need of it, share your skills to bless the life of those who need it to live right, share your time with the people who need it, give a smile always not even thinking about who it is for. 

It is however important to note that how we empty ourselves and the reason behind it matters. As children of God we are to give without expecting anything in return from them that we give to. We are to do it as unto God and believe that our Lord that sees what is done in secret will reward us in the open for what we have done in secret. 

Benefits to dying empty

Everyone of us irrespective of where and how, who chooses to die empty will

• Have a joy in the giving and emptying of ourselves
• As we empty ourselves, we get filled even more than we had Luke 6:38
• When we empty ourselves, God fills us up
• Emptying yourself here on earth, you are building riches up for yourself in heaven
• Dying empty unto Christ and in obedience to Christ, eternity awaits us

The choice as always is ours to make. Whether we die empty or build riches here on earth and not in our eternal home in heaven is a choice we have to make ourselves. 

Receiving Strength

And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.1 King 19:7&8 KJV

The bible said that the angel of the Lord visited Elijah for the second time and he received strength. Strength helps to bring forth and produce. Without physical strength you can do nothing likewise spiritual. We need strength to be born, He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 1 Samuel 2:9. 

Strength is needed to achieve success,  to survive, to give birth, to endure to the end and to have eternal life. Today, we are thanking God and receiving strength for the journey ahead. In this seventh year while thanking God we are asking him for favor, strength, wisdom to do his will  while changing  and fulfilling destinies, transforming nations  and making the world a better place.

How do we receive strength

1. You must be born again cause unless a man is born again , he'll face crisis, be frustrated and his effort would be futile. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3 KJV
2. You must be filled with the holy spirit to say without the Holy spirit you cannot receive strength.  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8
3. You must be bold for you to receive strength so as to face adversity and challenges. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed:.............................. shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it. Joshua 8 vs 1-2 KJV
4. The Lord must must be with you. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. Daniel 11 vs 32 KJV
5. You must live a holy life there must be no fornication, adultery, no drinking of alcohol
6. You must believe in him (God) and you must use His name, and be ready to use His name.
7. Be ready to do his will
8. Be ready to thank him in all situations because it is his will for you. ........believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 2 chronicle 20 vs 20

Turning Your Life Around

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. Acts 26:2, 13 KJV

As workers in the vineyard and children of God, a lot of us have gone after desires of our heart. Today God speaks to us to turn our life around. The great Apostle Paul, as Saul, was a Pharisee who was zealous for the things of God. In his love for the God of Israel he went after the disciples of Christ and all those who loved Christ in the early days after the death of Christ. On his way to do that which he believed was right he had an encounter with Christ that turned his life around. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. Acts 26: 14&15 KJV

After this encounter with Jesus Christ Saul the Pharisee became Paul the great Apostle. He made a complete turn around to become one of the people he persecuted. Why? He believed that the path he had been walking on initially, even though it seemed like the right path, was actually the wrong one. This was what he explained to King Agrippa when he was arrested and brought before him.

While talking with King Agrippa, he highlighted on the following points as the things he did to turn his life around.

1. Be able to fear God. 
2. Have a vision
3. Full obedience to God and to the vision he has given you
4. Have passion
5. Have the word of God inside of you
6. Be ready to work hard and diligently
7. Do not allow discouragement in your life 

With the seven (7) point Apostle Paul was able to finish his race. He was telling his spiritual son Timothy in a letter "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Timothy 4: 6-8.v KJV

For us to be able to say just like Paul, that "we have fought a good fight and finished our race", there is a need to check ourselves and see where we have fallen short of God's purpose for our life and make a complete turn around. We are to turn not to the world but like Paul, turn to Christ and experience that same change that would have our outlook and life completely.

God is waiting for you today and Christ is saying " ..........(put your name here)............., why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." Acts 26:14 KJV

The Fear Of GOD

And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. 

Acts 5:11 KJV

It has been observed that in these days and age, a lot of people do not fear God. They rather fear man and those in authorities instead of the Almighty.

From the scripture, it was recorded that the apostles had a common purse, everyone came together and gave of what they had because they feared God. The Apostles and the early Christians knew what it meant to fear God. The fear of God doesn't mean we cower in a corner, hide the talent. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. Mathew 25: 24&25 KJV

The fear of God means to know who God is and what He is capable of. Knowing who God is will help us know who we are in God and in this knowledge we would have a reverence for him that leads us to an obedience that the enemy and life challenges cannot break. 

However for many of us, even "strong" Christians, we do not fear God that is why we behave in a way that is not in line with the teachings of Christ and the Apostles. Ananias and Saphira did not have this knowledge, therefore they could not understand that lying was a sin against God and not against man. What God had given them (in this case their wealth) was theirs to do with as they please, they could sell and give part or give whole. But they lied that they had given the whole. Which was a mockery of the other Christians who had given their all. 

To fear God we must be willing and ready to give our all, at all times not when it pleases us and not in parts. God gave us his all by giving us his son. He expects us to do the same.  It is only a person who do not fear God that would

• Cheat
• Fornicate
• Lie and all sorts, not knowing that each time we do all these things God judges us.

Benefits of Fearing God

1. Fearing God is the beginning of knowledge. As knowledge is very important because if anyone wants to survive in life, he must have knowledge. (Proverbs 1:7) ''The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge''.
2. The fear of the Lord prolong your days.
3. The fear of the Lord is for your own good.
4.  The fear of the Lord brings you to a good place, a place of prosperity.
5. It delivers you out of the hand of the enemy. 

Why should I fear God?

• I must fear God, because that is where my strength lies.
• God has a respect of them who fear him

Before you do anything look up, because God sees everything despite the fact that man can't see. God is seeking those who will fear (revere) him. 

While Parents Sleep........................ 2

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. Mathew 13: 24-25

As parents we are to be careful who they seek counsel from. They are to refrain from speaking to just anybody about their children or child's action. Not everybody has the right to speak into the life of your child or children.

What can we do as Parents?

1. Please get God involved in the life of your children quickly. 
2. the first priest, pastors and prophets in the life of the children and the parents
3. Parents are to speak into the life of their children everyday before they set out
4. create and sustain an altar in your home, ensure your children are active in keeping the fires of the altar burning 
5. Let your children be active in the church where you worship
6. Let the love of God be evident and flow in your family and in your relationship with your children
7. Do not present God as an option in their life; let your children be connected to God and his love
8. Parents are to be physically present, in the face of their children (listening to them, chatting with them, going to their school events)
9. Parents are to discuss life issues with their children and not shy away from it so they don't learn about it outside
10. Listen to your children objectively and carefully and tactfully respond. Do not listen to shut them down later
11. Allow your children to strive a bit
12. Teach your children how to be charitable; let them see life from all perspectives
13. Allow your children to make their own mistake, guide then through those mistakes
14. Fight for and with your children, because the future belongs to them and the future is now
15. Children are the future of our faith; if they are not properly trained, they will end up not honouring God
16. Not everyone that smiles at us is a friend, teach your children that they don't eat everywhere, not to listen to every music
17. teach our children love. Be a good example to them Titus 2:7 
18. Teach your children to be responsible at home, so that they don;t become a liability to their spouse Proverbs 22: 29
19. Plan your exit! When God says time is up; time is up. You will live this life, what plans do you have for your children and to secure their future?
20. Equip your children with the weapons of their warfare. Ephesians 6:17

When you do all this things and much more, it helps your children to understand you and where you are coming from. If you fail the test of parenting there is no reset in heaven. The success of your home is not how well you run it but how well you pass the baton to your children. 

While Parents Sleep...................

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. Mathew 13: 24-25

Parents are the ones planting the good seeds in the life of their children and the enemy sowing the tares is the devil. It is our role as parents to wake up to the role of watchfulness. It is our duty to know what our children are doing, when they are doing it and how they are doing it.

Most parents, especially christian parents, have slept or begun to sleep  in regards to our duty to our children. Why is this so?

• They don't know what their children are doing
• They are unconcerned about what their children are doing
• They do not care about their children
• They condone the evils that their children do
• They are more concerned about making money and meeting financial needs

Sleeping parents bring reproach to the name of the Lord. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Psalm 127: 3-5. Do we realise the gift our children are? As parents have we taught our children on how to make use of the weapons that God has given them? Do we even know how to utilize the gift of parenthood? Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. Isaiah 8:18

Why do we say parents are sleeping?

1. The faith we profess is not seen in the life of our children. 
2. We have presented God to our children as an alternative and not the bedrock of their life
3. The family altar does not exist in a lot of homes, where they do exist the children is not an active part of it. 
4. Hence our children are not spiritually exposed to the things that concern life and and God's Kingdom
5. Parents live as co-tenants with their children; they don't know their children and can't live in harmony with their parents

In the end our children have become insensitive to the exception and obscene. It is not okay to sit on the fence. We have to be personally involved in the life of our children. We as parents are to be the first role model of our children. Very early in life our children have been involved in activities and crime that even parents do not know about. As parents we must be conscious of the seat of leadership that is the responsibility of the father. God has put the father as the head of the family and these days fathers have relegated this duty of leadership to the mothers. A father is to teach the children how to be who they are purposed to be. 

A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. Proverbs 10:1 KJV. The mother is the roof of the home and the family. They are the ones with the greatest influence over their children, especially their daughters. Mothers need to be mindful of their children. 

The perfection in 7!

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth......................And the evening and the morning were the first day. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Genesis 2: 2-3

Psalms 6:9 (KJV)
The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.

Romans 12:12 (KJV)
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Psalms 66:19 (KJV)
But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

Joshua 6:15 (KJV)
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.

The word says that God blessed the 7th day. As we celebrate seven (7) years we ask that you join us on the seventh day of the seventh month in this 7th year of obedience to Christ's command to "spread the gospel" as we have 7 hours of prayer.

God is waiting for you. Be a part of God's rest by physically visiting church Zion Center Water Corporation Road Off Ligali Ayorinde Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria our or watch our live stream.

What Does the Lord Require of Thee?

And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? Deut. 10: 12-13 KJV

Moses was speaking to the children of Israel, telling them that this life is very simple. If we can walk with God and be obedient to His word, we will find out that life is very simple. Moses had lied in Egypt for 40 years and led the children of Israel for another 40 years. In all of this journey. he found out that the life we should live must be simple. 

The simplicity of life is hinged on an overlying principle; which is the bedrock of Christianity. They that love God must imbibe this principle as seen in Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." The bible says the memory of the righteous is everlasting. We are to worship him, serve him regardless of the situation, with all our hearts, keeping his commandment in all situations. Obedience to God and his words is for our own good. If we refuse to serve God, it doesn't change who he is. It doesn't take away anything from him. We have to take time to know God, to worship him and to honour him. This is the way we can proper. We turn our own desire and our own control into our gods. We also seek out gods that would tolerate all manners of misbehavior and sin. We expect to serve God and expect to eat our cake and have it. 

When Moses went up into the mountain, the children of Israel sought to make a convenient god for themselves. They made a god out of that which they took out of Egypt and on completion proclaimed the image as the god that took them out of Egypt. God cannot be boxed into an image.

Man has over complicated life and living. We begin to seek things beyond and outside God. The things we do in our youth will be evident at the time of old age. God telling us to live right is not for himself but it is to preserve our lives when we have become old. In the bible, there are laws of diet and daily living that we should follow. If we follow them, we will not fall sick. 

When we begin to fear God, we begin to have knowledge and understanding. If we do not fear God sufficiently, we open ourselves to lack and not having enough and sometimes we may even be faced with sudden death. "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?" Acts 5:3 KJV. We don't fear God today because of many things and we seem to get away with it but at the end we would face the consequences. 

 

We have to respect God because He can move at any time and act at any time. We do not need to wait for instances like that of Ananias and Sapphira before we fear God. 

Make up your mind that in your home, family, business and all, that you will fear God. Make up your mind that you will do your best to do things that please God. Make up your mind to fear God. Make up your mind "to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord". 

What does unity do?

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! ......................As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. Psalm 133: 1-3 KJV

One of the things that makes people to have issues is dis-unity. As children of God we must be united, speak in one voice and move towards the same goal. The power that the other religions have over Christianity is their unity. They have a common agenda and goal and together they work to make it happen.

As Christians we must come together as one to have a common agenda. What stops all the churches from coming together to have a common worship? One that is non-denominational. As a united force, the Christian race would win over the world

What does Unity do?

1. Unity is beautiful to look at
2. Unity is a good thing
3. Unity is pleasant
4. It promotes brotherhood
5. It provides a dwelling place
6. It ensures togetherness and survival
7. It is a great assurance
8. God commands blessing in the place of unity
9. It removes failure Gen 5:6
10. Unity brings everlasting life Ps. 133: 3

Unity is needed to win and reach out to the world. As a united force the early Christians were able to reach out to the further lands and perform so much more miracles. This is what we need to fulfill the Christian mandate. 

Benefits of Fearing the Lord

His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Psalm 112: 2-5 KJV

If you want to reign and excel in life then we must fear the Lord. As a child of God who fear Him, we do things that shows that we fear the Lord. There would be no need for your spouse to check on you because he/she knows you fear God; this is because the fear of God builds trust. The fear of the Lord ensures that we are accountable in all we do. With this attribute in our life we would not entertain evil neither would we be open to anything that is not of God. Show love to those around you irrespective of who they are or where they are. Love is not racial and tribal; with fearing the Lord we show love that transcends colour, race, age, social status.

There are benefits to fearing God.

1. His seeds shall be mighty
2. His generations shall be blessed. The blessings of God in his life shall extend to generations to come
3. Wealth and riches shall be in his house. A man that fears God will have a house that is resident 
4. Lasting grace to live a righteous life. He will enjoy living a righteous life
5. The light of God shall be on him that fear; this light shall wipe out darkness
6. Fearing God makes you gracious
7. God will give you opportunity to have compassion on people; to help people

Comfort of the Holy Ghost comes upon him that fears of the Lord. This fear over a period of time brings a multiplication upon the life of man. It would enlarge us and take us to that place that we cannot even imagine.

 What are the signs that shows we fear of the Lord?

1. Reverence for God
2. Total departure from evil
3. Love and display the love in action
4. Do good to all and always; never pay back evil with evil
5. Been addicted to prayer (not praying is a sign of pride). Prayer is a sign that we reverence God
6. Praising God in all situation and at all time is a sign we fear God
7. Worshiping God is a sign that we love God
8. We are saved and have accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour