“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24
God will do exactly what He has said He will do if we only Believe Him. He will Sanctify us wholly because without Him we cannot receive His promises.
For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” Romans 9:15-16
Abraham was called by God. This simply means he lived differently from those of his father’s house. The call shows God’s intent to introduce him to a way of life governed by divine laws.
Abraham’s response to this call represents an intentional decision on his part to honour God; thereby dissociating from the beliefs and practices of his father’s house. Consequently, this decision connected Abraham to God as his source
Abraham’s experience is akin to our salvation in Jesus Christ. By making Him our Lord and Saviour, we have chosen intentionally to live by God’s divine laws. This dissociates us from beliefs and practices that are ungodly and positions God as our source.
The process of ‘being called by God’ can also be thought of as ‘being named by God’. In this new identity we will severally face the conflict of whether to respond to our old identity with its flaws or to maintain our identity in Christ.
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. Psalm 32:1 – 3
Our identity in Christ is a complete package that comes with support and strength from God. This entire identity is based on God’s ability to honour His promises to us. Thus as long as we depend on Him we cannot fail.
LET’S PRAY.
Let Your Mercy and Favour speak for me,
Lord Jesus Christ.
O Jesus, Let Your Mercy and Favour answer for me.
O Jesus, Letter Your Mercy and Favour restore to me the joy of my Salvation.
Finishing up the last remaining wall. Block laying is scheduled to finish up on Wednesday, December 7th. The steel for the trusses are paid for and scheduled to start arriving this Friday where they will be made on sight. Work on the trusses is scheduled to start next week.
Categories
FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Matthew 18:21 (NIV)
One of the things we learn after salvation is how to relate with other people whether they are believers or not. In our relationship with others, we must demonstrate the love of God. We must love people as Christ loved us. In loving people, we must forgive them of any offense against us. Jesus bore our sin on himself and paid the full penalty of our sins so we could be declared eternally forgiven. We no longer have any debt of sin to pay. Jesus purchased our forgiveness with his blood without a single plea from us. Now that God has demonstrated unconditional forgiveness to us, how are we to relate with our fellow-men when they offend us? Colossians 2:13, “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses”. We are to extend this same unconditional forgiveness to others in love.
We must choose to forgive those who offend us even without an apology from them. From our opening text, Peter thought forgiveness should have a limit, a limit of forgiving a brother seven continuous times. The answer from Jesus indicates that our forgiveness must be countless, there should not come a time where you refuse forgiveness to somebody. There are many wrong things we do but God does not hold it against us. Under the law of Moses, men get punished for the wrong things they did. However, when Christ came, he revealed the character of our Father as one who does not wait for you to forgive others before he forgives you. The Psalmist said in Psalms 130:3-4, “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared”. There is forgiveness with God all the time. He is faithful and just to forgive sins.
The motivation to forgive others is because we have also been forgiven by Christ not because the person has apologized. When we understand how God has forgiven us in Christ, we shall be willing to forgive others. You have the ability to forgive. Forgive that brother or sister from your heart. It is true that what he or she did to you was very painful. It is true that your image is bruised by that false allegation. It is true that he denied you when you needed his help. It is true you were disappointed. You have the power and opportunity to retaliate but remember how you have been forgiven in Christ and forgive him or her. We have the responsibility to demonstrate the love of God we have received to others. Anytime we refuse to forgive others, we are falsely telling ourselves that we have not been forgiven by God. As the Father has forgiven us, we must also forgive others.
CONFESSION: As a child of God, I forgive without conditions just as my heavenly Father does.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14 – 16
O Lord, make me a channel of love where there is hatred.
O Lord, make me a channel of hope where there is despair.
Lord Jesus, make me a channel of shining light where there is darkness.
O Holy Spirit, make me a channel joy happiness where there is misery and sadness
Everlasting Father, make me a channel of peace and fellow feeling where there is conflict and wickedness
Heavenly Father, make a channel of unity where there is disunity and mistrust.
Categories
Heavy Rain
We are still in great need of funding to push this project to completion – every gift counts!
Good morning. Today we received this photo of the front of the new Fountain of Life Chapel in Ho Ghana Africa from our partner Senyo Cudjoe.
Over the last 6 months We, Move Africa through supporters like you have been able to raise $37,000 in funding the construction of this project. We are asking each of you to join us in prayer as we are looking to raise another $25,000 to complete the roof. As material prices continue to climb our prayer is for the Lord’s provisions in a timely manner. His will be done not our’s.
We thank each of you who have given in funds and In prayers bringing the chapel closer to completion. We ask our Lord to bless each of you many times over.
Categories
Spreading God’s Love
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. John 21:15-17
Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me more than this?” before giving Peter commission to shepherd His sheep because there is human love and God’s love. Human love is but a shadow of God’s love. He was asking, “Do you love Me more than this?” Nothing can compare with the power of this word, spoken from the heart. Remember a man can process to be a Christian and not such in heart. If l say, “l love you” and I’m not such in heart, it means I’m talking of shadow. The word, “l love you”, spoken from the heart can change your destiny. Love can make a king abdicate his throne, that is, resign. Love can make a poor boy, a poor man, a beggar become a prince, if spoken from the heart. Knowing God’s love will enable you to press on to tomorrow. Nothing is stronger than love. Nothing is greater than all because God is love and God is greater than all.
The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. “‘Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God. “‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God. “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. “‘Do not steal. “‘Do not lie. “‘Do not deceive one another. “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. “‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbour. “‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight. Leviticus 19:1-4, 9-13
God is love. He is without peer. That is – without equal, equivalent, equipollent. There’s nothing to compare with love. Richer than any mineral – love. Warmer than any sun – love. That is love for you. God is love. God loves the orphans, the strangers, the widows, the needy, just name them. Therefore man, if he loves God truly, is under obligation to love his fellow man. God is concerned about justice and righteousness. Therefore man, if he loves God, must be concerned about justice and treatment of his neighbour.
Today, every one of us wants to be a minister of God. We want to preach the Gospel, we want to stand in the presence of a congregation, we want to talk, we want to be seen. But we abandon the initial ministry, which is the ministry of giving, helping the needy, raising the standard of living. These two cannot be separated because what comes from the ministry goes to the ministry of giving to widows, needy, strangers. For a lasting ministry, the giving ministry must follow. If you don’t want your ministry to disappear while you are still living or to die when you die, the giving ministry must follow. That is the only thing that will sustain your ministry. It is the giving ministry that services the ministry.
You know you must service your car. After driving your vehicle, you take it to the mechanic for service because when you don’t service your car, it will no longer work. If you don’t have a giving ministry, you can’t service the ministry. Service your ministry, service life. To service them is to love the strangers, the widows, the orphans, the needy. If you love them as yourself, as you love yourself, as you love your children, then, you are servicing your life. Where there is no love, there is neither mercy nor grace – that is hell.
The more you give to widows and orphans, the more God increases the strength of this ministry so that you can do more for these orphans and widows and others. If they open their mouths to pray for you because of what you are doing for them, wow! What a breakthrough. God’s goodness will continue towards you, if you respond by loving Him, by loving others, by loving your neighbour. God’s love is expressed, is revealed in our prosperity, protection from disease and sickness, continued mercy – that is God’s love.
Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship. Love cannot exist without relationship. It can be manifested only where there is an object to be loved. God’s love is first love. You can’t love without God’s love. You can deny God, you can ridicule Him, you can slander Him, you can ignore Him but His love remains constant, unchanging. If you say you love God, God loves strangers, loves widows, loves orphans, loves the needy. You should be under obligation to love your fellow brothers, to love others, to love your neighbours. By His love we love. Through His love, we are a new man. In His love, we have newness of life.
God’s love centres in His will. It is His will to give. It is our will to give back and also to receive the gift freely given. Ability to achieve is given by God. We thought we can do all this by ourselves. You can laugh by yourself. But you have failed to realise that to laugh is by God. A God – fearing person must always be conscious that all abilities are divine endowment. Life must be treated with reverence. It is God Almighty who determines the beginning and end of life.
The people of Kpevenu-Tsati also had their pipe borne water completed and tested two weeks ago. This was the report of the team who went to distribute children support funds. Children who were around during the distribution had their pictures taken at the pipe stand on Wednesday.
We have prayed along time for this!
We received this wonderful message from Senyo this morning:
The people of Klokope yesterday got the opportunity to fetch pipe borne water in their own community when the contractor finished the pipe stand and test run the line.
They were told the supervisors and engineers will come round in the coming days to officially hand it over.
Keep praying for Kpevenu- Tsati, that they would also be blessed with a functional water well or collection tank.