Jesus, the perfect sacrifice

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.  John 19: 31, 34 – 37 KJV

Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. His story is and remains the greatest story ever told. His sacrifice is the greatest and ultimate sacrifice ever made on behalf of man. We should not have any doubt whatsoever about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is every evidence and signs that this man called Jesus passed through Israel and died on the cross.

At every stage of the Christ’s walk to Golgotha; 14 things happened which are called the “14 stations of the cross”.

1. Pilate condemns Jesus to die
2. Jesus accepts his cross
3. Jesus falls for the first time
4. Jesus meets his mother, Mary
5. Simon helps carry the cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls for the second time
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls for the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of his clothes
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross
14. Jesus is placed in the tomb

While Jesus was on the earth and till the end of time His teachings are there for those willing and ready to hear. So, He says “He who has an ear let him hear” but this only to those who God has given the opportunity to Hear.

What are the evidences that Jesus is the perfect sacrifice? There are about 7 things that makes Jesus a perfect sacrifice.

1. The bible says when He was born He was wrapped in swaddling clothes. When a baby is born in Israel it is cover with a little clothe but hen an animal is born without blemish and set aside for sacrifice it is wrapped in swaddling clothes
2. He was from a lineage of Nazareth who was born in Bethlehem. 
3. Jesus Himself has said it “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4: 18-19 NET
4. The perfect sacrifice must be a male lamb, the first born of its mother and must be without blemish. (This tells us we must try to live a life that is free from sin)
5. The lamb is used for sacrifice at the Passover. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice at the Passover and the Lamb of God
6. The bible says that when they came to Jesus on the cross He was already dead before the evening. They pierced the side of Jesus Christ and water came on one side and blood on one side. The perfect sacrifice must not have its bone broken and Jesus was buried without His bone being broken before His burial. 
7. Everywhere in Israel there is war because at the judging of Christ the people that spoke against Him before Pilate said “let His blood be upon us and upon our children” and so it happened. 

Have a blessed Easter celebration, may the perfect sacrifice of God for our lives not be a waste!

How to attract favour

Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. Genesis 41: 9, 12 KJV

No one can succeed and excel in life without an element of favour. Favour is something we have not benefited, something that is given and gotten not because we are entitled to it but it is unmerited.
Our prayer should be that our favour will not pass us by. The word says that God makes all things work together for good to all those that love Him- Romans 2:28.

We should always be open to favour because it is at our most difficult times that God sends to us our destiny helpers. Sometimes our favour appears as people in a problem, as people who are needy or desperate, people who need our support. However, at that time we are going through challenges and the first reaction is for us to ignore them or turn them away; this is a favour test. Almost every day of our life God is given us a favour test. God brings us to places where opportunities and favour abound and in most cases they a shrouded in a disguise just like Jesus spoke to the people in parables.

Everybody in life needs a destiny helper. The prayer for us all is to not miss this people. Whoever and wherever they are. An ex-convict helped Joseph get to his destiny, a servant introduced David to his breakthrough (Saul’s servant said to the King that David’s songs could dispel demons.), a servant introduced Naaman to his healing. So favour may not come in any form of finery, usually it comes cloaked in a disguise that we usually may take for granted. Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him. 1 Samuel 16: 18

Change can come and change can come suddenly. Sometimes our day of favour comes and we do not have the appropriate response to that favour. We have become limited in our own desires and we fail to see what God has prepared for us.

What do you need to do to attract favour? What do you need to do to make sure God remembers you and He lifts you up to the place where you should be?

1. Know the words of God and live holy
2. Obedience to the word of God
3. Have a forgiven heart, forgive people that offend you 
4. Be nice to other people- Be willing to serve other and be a vessel of favour unto others (if you are nice to people God would be nice to you)
5. Be willing to be sacrificial to other people
6. Be giving – live a life that is charitable

Did you know that man is a product of God’s grace? Pt 2

Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1: 4-5 KJV

God’s grace and favour forms an edge around man and this helps us to succeed. Even when we go through the challenges of life we still enjoy God’s favour. Romans 8:31 says it most clearly that of God be for us who then (or what power) can stand against us? The reason why the devil was able to attack Job was because God withdrew His favour from his life. Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. Job 1: 10-11 KJV. The enemy cannot have their way in our life for as long as we are operating under the grace and favour of God.

It is important for us to know today that because we are alive and reading this post we are simply a product of grace. If you are alive and breathing we have grace working for us. The most damaging thing we can do to ourselves is to think that we are not worth it, to think we are not useful, to think we cannot make it. Let it be known to us today that because we are alive today we are on the road to making it already through the grace and favour of God.

You know the doctors would tell you that in every copulation between a man and woman, there is at least 3 million sperm cells that are released. Three million sperms that are running towards one egg, and anyone of the 3 or 300 million could have made it. But instead it was you that made it and got born into this world that God created. Look properly at yourself and say, “out of the millions of sperms I was the one that made it”. You ran ahead of all the others and won, so who can say that you will or cannot make it? You already beat millions of people hands down to be born and even now you still alive when many have passed on. Of course you will make it because that grave and favour that brought you this far is waiting for you to run with that same energy which you started out with at conception.

Ask yourself “If you are born of grace why is your life still a struggle?” Then there is a need to rethink your life, turn to Jesus and let him weed away all those things that are acting a barrier to the fulfillment of God’s grace and favour manifesting in your life.

Did you know that man is a product of God’s grace?

Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1: 4-5 KJV

Man cannot exist without the grace of God; for without God we can do nothing. It is the grace of God that keeps us through the good and the bad times. There are so many things in life that we are powerless to. I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11 KJV. It is the grace of God that happens to them all. Romans 9:13 says that even God decides who he would favour. It says Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated.

What is grace? What is favour? Grace is the free unmerited favour of God, divinely given talent or blessing. It is the kindness and life of God. Favour is the over generous preferential treatment; it is an act of kindness beyond that which is due or usual; unfair preferential treatment.

God will favour us all; no matter how undeserving we are, doors of favour shall be opened to us. The simple reason is this, there are things we can control; what we eat but not how the food works in our body, we can control who we meet but not how they react to us. We can control a few things but not the final outcome of the things or situation. Therefore, there are things within our control but there are many things that are outside our control that are working towards making us something or the other.  The overall outcome of how we end up is dependent on the favour and grace of God. It is the grace of God pulls us out.

Man is born of and a product of grace. Nobody alive created himself; we are simply a product of the grace and favour of God. 1 Samuel 1: 20, Jeremiah 1:5. Therefore we are already favoured by God. How come even though we are born of grace things are bot working well for us, that we do not find favour? It is because there are destiny stealers. Some people their grace is stolen from birth, some it happens as soon as they are born and some it happens along the journey of their life.

Love thy neighbor as yourself - Neighborliness Pt. 2

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. Luke 10: 27, 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Cor 13:1-2

Who then is your neighbor?

The cleaners who you see on the road, the homeless man at the street corner, the help who works in your house, the poor man who can’t afford a meal, the beggar on the street, the child hawking on the road, the mother who can’t pay bus fare and needs your help carrying her child on your lap in the bus because she has another one on her lap and a baby on her back. These people and a lot more are your neighbors. As a child, man, woman born of love we must express neighborliness towards all and not just as it pleases us.

Neighborliness is not geographic, it is expressive. It is to a person that you express neighborliness to. Without the ability to love and show love to people you have not seen, who cannot pay you back, people who hurt you, then you have nothing.

The riches and wealth we acquire is a waste of time without love. The bible tells us that without loving our neighbor we have not the chance of going to heaven. The toll gate ticket into heaven all boils down to one thing – LOVE. The love for God who first loved us and sent His son to die so that man all over the world may live in eternity. The second is the love for the man that God took his time to create -YOUR NEIGHBOR.

God is interested in the little act of love that we express to our neighbor. We daily have opportunities to express love with our fellow man. It is the little things we count as unimportant that counts the most. The bible tells us who our neighbor is in Luke 10: 27-37. At the end Christ asked a question;  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? Luke 10: 36 KJV

The pious man (born again, tongue speaking Christian or worshiper) passed by, the Man of God (Priest, Pastors, workers in the vineyard, e.t.c) passed by. These ones did not do anything for the neighbor who was in need. But the Samaritan (ungodly, not born again, occult person) passed and helped out the guy in need. Do you just pass by and go your way, or do you stop and express love to those in need of it? Are you the pious man/woman, the man/woman of God or are you the Samaritan?

In reply the Lawyer said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. Luke 10: 37 This is what He is saying to us too today; to go and love our neighbor and express love towards those we feel do not deserve our love.

Love thy neighbor as yourself - Neighborliness

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. Luke 10: 27, 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Cor 13:1-2

If I try to give or give but I do not have love towards my fellow man then I have given in vain because God would not acknowledge it. Love endures all things and unlike everything else, love never fails. It is an extremely important attitude to have, develop and cultivate. Love is not something that happens and comes out of nowhere, it is an emotion and attitude that we decide to have, develop and cultivate. Love helps us to love people irrespective of who they are, their standard of living, the way they react towards us and their social status.

The bible passage tells us that without love we are nothing. It says without love, no matter who we are or what our standard of living is, if we do not care about people and do not love them then everything we do is nothing. Without love everything that we do is for nothing! This means all the effort we put in does not count in the scheme of things.

Without love we never really profit, no matter what we have. If our giving is based on self-aggrandizement, it would not profit us in anyway is the whole scheme of things. If what we do does not have genuine love then we do not have the benefit of profit. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Galatians 6: 7.

A lot of us act the part all the time, we do not express genuine love towards the people around us. Without love we cannot gain eternal life. Luke 10: 27-37.  First of all, when we love God we would love or fellow man. It is very important that we show love to everyone comes in contact with us. This according to the word of God is the second of the ultimate commandment given to man. Love your neighbor as you love yourself!

Some of us will not enjoy the beauty of life because we see ourselves as too high up there to love the people beneath us. The greatest joy that we experience in life is found in the love we express towards our neighbors.

Perfect Love Pt 2

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Cor. 13: 1-2 NET

Love would never fail anyone who has made the conscious choice to love. 1 Cor 13: 8, whether there be prophecies they will fail.  If you chose to love a person, that over will never fail you. If you love someone you won’t quarrel with them, you would tolerate them, you won’t try to destroy. You say you love your parents yet you have abandoned them somewhere and have refused to honour them.

Love is great and is perhaps the greatest emotion you can ever have. 1 Cor 13: 13. If you are married today, go back home and love your spouse. If you have chosen to marry a person love them. Love does not destroy and always thinks of how to offer oneself for the benefit of many. In love, we are always on the lookout for how best to meet the needs of the people around us and making the life they live better. In a nation, leadership is based on love. This leadership starts in the home and moves all the way to nationhood. If a leader, at home or in the nation, doesn’t love then his leadership is a sham.

Love is prepared to die for the object of love. Greatness comes from great love. The reason why we follow Jesus is because He loves us and He died on the cross for us. All who claim to love must be willing to die for the person they love. Nelson Mandela became one of the greatest people on earth because he was ready to die for South Africa.

Is your love a choice you have made? Is your love prepared to die for someone or a people? If you truly love you can never die because God will raise you up again, just as He did with His only begotten son Jesus Christ. Today you need to reflect on your life how selfish and how arrogant you have been. Have you loved your husband/wife, children, neighbour, parent-in-law, colleagues, boss, nation? Check yourself and make amends, chose today to truly love.

Perfect Love Pt 1

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Cor. 13: 1-2 NET

If you are a woman and you meet a man that you are not ready to submit to as you would submit to God, don’t marry him! The word is to submit to your husband as you would submit to the Lord. Love means marrying the man only if you are ready to yield to and accept his leadership; accept him as your crowning glory. If you are a man and you are not ready to die for the woman then do not marry her. This is the love Paul spoke about in his letter to the church. The confusion of marriage comes because a lot of us do not understand what marriage is about. Love for another person that would culminate in marriage should be one that is selfless and seeks to give all. Ephesians 5:21-28

He that loves his wife loves his own body. Why are we studying love? The simple reason is that love is the solution to all ills. For example, if you love your neighbor you will not covet what belongs to him. You will do everything to make him happy and be at peace with him. If you love somebody there will be no need for you and the person to quarrel and be bitter with each other.
If there is love in the heart of men, the home, the family and the community would live in peace and tolerance of one another. If there is love in our life towards the people around us we would understand them.

Love gives and gives the best always. It is possible to give without loving but we can’t love without giving. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 KJV. If we say we love a person and are not ready to give them everything that will make them happy, we will think of them first and always put them first. Love should not be based on conditions but must be unconditional. We say we love our friend, family or spouse for so many reasons.

We need to talk about love because a lot of people have forgotten what love is about. Love is the only thing that can give peace of mind and contentment. Most of the time we do things not because of love but because of what we are expecting from the person or what the person gives us. Love gives and gives the best; if you love somebody you will be ready to give him everything and anything.

Love has character and depth….1 Cor 13:4 tells us that love suffers much. It can do anything for the object of his love. If you do not truly love a person do not go into a relationship with them. Love bears, tolerates and accepts all things. If you truly love a person you, can’t be angry with that person. Love is not something that is reactive, it is a choice that we make. We make a choice to love and live a life of love. Show your spouse extra-ordinary love.

Love supersedes all, so make that choice to love today.

Rebirth: back to the closet of the family

And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel. Joshua 6:23 KJV

Rebirth means the revival of the soul. Rehab experienced rebirth and she was saved destruction because she had a rebirth when the spies came to the land of Jericho. She had the wisdom and understanding that her life needed to be renewed and so she hid the spies and got a promise of safety for herself and her family. 

In Genesis 7: 7-9, Noah went in with his sons and their wives. The bible says they went in male and  female. They went inside of the closet (ship) in twos. Rebirth therefore, is about salvation, it is about the success of the individual and of the home. Success in the home, marriage and life of individual is educative. Rebirth is a rethink of one's life, and a renewal and the revival of the soul .

As you seek financial prosperity do not leave your soul behind because if you do when the woman comes you would struggle to enjoy the wealth. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2 KJV. If your soul is prospering it will promote unity, love, affection, and growth. In the family closet the wife and husband are number one before the children and extended family. This is because the children will leave and as you get old it will be just you and your spouse. Therefore treat your spouse well and build a lasting friendship
.
Rebirth means to return back the value of life, family and the home. It means to return to a flourishing situation and we need to sweep off and clean away all the filth and debris in our lives and homes that hinders revival and renewal.
It is called family closet because it is for the family, not just for the man or just for the woman.

We need to clean the closet by doing the following:

• Start by telling yourself the truth. After telling yourself trash all the lies
• Look for and enrich yourself with the wisdom to settle differences in the home (do not give room for quarrel)
• Imagine for yourself what you do to others outside your home.  If you do not like it, then trash it
• After trashing the unwanted things in your closet, then fill it up with those things you want there
• Invite into your home the God who created the home and marriage
• Make your home and life spicy and interesting 

Happy celebration of love!

Rebirth: Beauty from ashes

And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.  Exodus 2 : 1-2 KJV

If you are an incomplete single lady you will meet an incomplete man, get married and have an incomplete home. Therefore, you should have and live a complete life. Why? Because marriage does not complete a person, we are born complete from our birth. There are four things we should understand about being a complete man or woman.

1. We are someone’s child (son/daughter) and we must be profitable in all our ways. Being profitable is in two ways, the biological and spiritual son-ship. In the biological we must be a fruitful child to our parents, honouring them and ensuring that they live a life that blesses us in every way. We must never get to a level when we do not give honour to our parents. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Exodus 20:12 KJV.  We must never be rude to our parents irrespective of what they do, because life is governed by the principles set out by God. For your life to have beauty, you must take care of your parents and the parents of your spouse. How are your parents back at home? Are they hungry? Are they shedding tears? Be a profitable son; be a profitable daughter. Procure your future by being kind to your parents. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison. And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. Gen 27: 2-3 KJV. We must also honour our spiritual parents. As children of God we must ensure that the man of God in our life partakes in our sweat. Let them be a blessing to us. It is important in our lives. We must have that person in our life that is a spiritual parent who will stand in the gap for us. These spiritual parents we must honour so we can be fruitful spiritually which will manifest in the physical. By honouring who we should honour, we would not see dishonor. 
2. We must be an extraordinary man or woman. Do not live for yourself alone, let your life bless all the people that you come in contact with. The poor are looking at you, let them benefit from your life. An extraordinary life comes from being a giver, making people happy and putting a smile in the hearts of the people around you and in your life. 
3. You must be an award-winning wife or husband. Your life partner must be able to say that you deserve the award of the best spouse. Make up your life to make your marriage work. Except physical abuse or your life is at stake; do all you can to be an award-winning wife or husband. If as a woman your financial life is totally dependent on your husband then your life is incomplete. If as a wife you cannot celebrate your spouse with the money you have earned with your own hard work, then you need to have a rethink of your life. Every man wants an asset and not a liability. They want to have a wife who would not be a burden in the home.   She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land Proverbs 31: 14-15, 23 KJV
4. Women/husband need to be validated by their spouse. As a man and husband, we must make time for our spouse. Do not be too spiritual that you do not have time for your partner. As a woman let your husband feel good, as a man let your wife feel good. Bring romance back to your marriages. Do not use spirituality as an excuse to against your spouse’s needs.

May God give us understanding and may He do us good. Our end will be better than our handing!