“Whoever does not persevere and carry his (her) own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple.” (LK 14:27; AMP)
This is the true gospel we preach: Christ died and rose again with and for me! It is my holy duty and highest privilege to follow my Master everywhere He goes! Like the sheep follows her shepherd, so I follow my Lord Jesus Christ! I do not know the way! But I know Him who is the Way! I do not know what tomorrow may bring! But I know and follow Him who not only knows my tomorrow, but who has designed it for His glory and for my good! I refuse to listen to strange (sweet) voices coming from ‘the bush’ of life. My ears are circumcised. Blood surrounds them and seals them. They are tuned to respond only to Him who died that I may live! I carry my cross daily. The weight of my cross stabilizes my emotions, balances my desires, kills my impatience and helps me to become strong. Without my cross, the flesh will manifest. I will become overactive and foolish. Just as I pray for my daily bread, so I need my cross daily. Both bread and cross they give me strength to live and courage to overcome all obstacles.
Dear lambs, let us follow our Shepherd! It is well with us! Glory to the Lamb who was slain that we, the sheep of His Pasture, may live!
During the Sunday service, Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh continued preaching about the power of the Gospel. Her main text was taken from the Books of Romans and Hebrews: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16, 17). Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh said that when the Gospel takes hold of you it changes you, radically and eternally. It makes you free! Faith is born! Faith is wise! Faith chooses the best God has to offer you. The Gospel is the story of Jesus, the good news proclaimed that Jesus died and rose again for sinners like you and me. The Gospel is not about the power! It is itself the power of God, able to change a sinner into a saint. There are only two places where there is no hope: Heaven (because you do not need it there; you are fulfilled) and Hell. Faith sees hope! Once saving faith enters your heart, you see all things, life and death, poverty and riches, thru a new perspective.
We continued to study Abram, the Father of them who believe in the only Living God. His faith is increasing. (Genesis 14:11-24; 15:1). Lot chose Sodom. Some kings attacked Sodom and defeated the city. The king of Sodom and all the citizens of Sodom, including Lot, are taken captives. Abram hears if this and with only 318 of his trained servants he defeated the kings. Coming back from a far distance, from Damascus, he meets two kings: the king of Sodom and the king of Salem, Melchizedek. Observe how Abram’s faith is growing. God rewards Abram’s faith!
The King of Sodom comes first. He represents the world. Sodom was known for sexual sins, (homosexuality). But that was not the only sin. The Sodomites were wicked, proud and selfish. “Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: “She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore, I took them away as I saw fit… Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness (prosperous ease), while the poor and needy suffered outside her door” (Eze16:49, 50). Everybody who worked in Sodom were slaves. Abram wins the battle and brings back the spoil of war (cattle, clothes, gold, silver etc). The King of Sodom wanted to make friends with Abram. He offers to Abram goods taken from the spoil of war. But Abram refused to make alliance with this king. Be careful! The world offers great goods to buy your friendship. But this is a snare! “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? “Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). By faith, Abram rejected that offer! It is not easy to reject money! In Egypt, he made money by compromising his marriage to Sarai. He repented of this! Now, he rejects the offer of Sodom. This is a great lesson: It is better to lose money than to grieve the Holy Spirit, lose your peace, your joy and your testimony as a child of God!
Melchizedek comes and interrupts The King of Sodom’ speech. The Holy Spirit intercedes for you! He will always warn you not to lust after the world. The name Melchizedek means ‘King of Righteousness’. He was King of Salem (same as Shalom, Peace). He is our Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7). Melchizedek blesses Abram. To bless it means to be happy, to be congratulated! Others will envy you! God gave him the victory, deliverance! God offers a relationship that has also blessings. God will always be in a covenant relationship with Abram. Melchizedek blesses God! The name of God here is El-Elyon! The Most-High God! He is above all! Even the Cherub cannot fly above God! He is the Possessor of heaven and earth. He created it and He keep it. This is the God of Abram! It shows Abram how to do it! How can you bless God? How can you make God happy? What does God want? We bless God by kneeling before Him and worshipping Him!
By faith, Abram refuses the money of Sodom and receives what El-Elyon offers, not money, but an eternal covenant love relationship. Abram gives Him a tithe from the plunder. In this encounter, by faith, Abram loses money and gains God’s favor!!! This is a reason why we pay tithes and give offerings for the work of God! Abram made a vow that he will not take anything that will not give glory to God! This is the work of grace! This is the Gospel, the desire to always give glory to God! This is a proof that Abram gets humble and his faith increases! Praise the Lord!
This is another lesson: Each time you receive money consider the source of the money! That determines if you take it or reject it! If it is from God, take it! Thank Him! If it is from the devil reject it! Immediately, God encourages Abram for making the right choice: “Fear not Abram! I am your Shield and Exceeding Great Reward”. The Most High God gives the Exceeding Great Reward! He is Abram’s shield! See how Jehovah protected him in the war (with only 318 servant/soldiers) and even against the temptation-offer of the king of Sodom! God says: ‘If you chose Me, if you have Me, you have everything! I am your true riches!’ This is King Grace speaking! Like Abram, may we learn to say no to the devil and yes to God!
I took this picture 10 years ago (22-03-2011). We just bought the land and we started ‘pegging’ for the foundation of Father’s House Bible Church sanctuary at 49 Effurun/ Sapele Road. My beloved husband, Pastor Richmond Sisan Leigh is seen here with some workers. He is now in heaven worshipping our Lord and rejoicing as a good and faithful servant of God. Since then, I will never despise little beginnings! To God be all the glory! “This place is too quiet-ohhhhh….”
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand” (Zech 4:10)(Pastor Mrs. Silvia Lia Leigh)
TRUE PROSPERITY HAS GOD IN THE CENTER AND HEAVEN IN VIEW
During the Sunday service, Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh continued preaching about the power of the Gospel. Her main text was taken from the Books of Romans and Hebrews: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” …. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore, from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore” (Romans 1:16, 17; Hebrews 11:8-12)
FAITH AND HOPE IN GOD’S PROMISES ARE ALWAYS FULFILLED
Abraham discovered the power of faith and hope in God’s promises; faith and hope in God never fail! PROMISE is a vow to do something good in the future! God’s Promises give us the right to hope until the manifestation comes! FAITH is defined as (present) belief, confidence, total trust in God. HOPE is defined as a joyful constant expectation of good in the future. The promises given by God in His Word will one day become manifest visibly. Hope is invisible. Faith sees the invisible hope and carries on, until it becomes visible. Hope fulfills faith. That is why hope is stronger than faith. Faith does not backslide! Faith is not a coward! Faith pleases God! Faith is the substance, the invisible bridge that carries the hope. When faith is weak, the hope may crash. The greater our faith, the greater our hope and the more we can dream. Faith is the foundation of hope. Faith is connected to the hearing of God’s Word. It is the underground bridge leading and supporting hope. True faith and hope in God will never put you to shame!
ABRAM’S FAITH IS GETTING STRONGER AND LOT’S FAITH IS GETTING WEAKER (Genesis 13)
Abram is getting stronger in his faith. His faith is now three-dimensional. He looks back at the Cross (repents of his backsliding in Egypt and raises an altar to worship God – Gen 13: 3,4). He looks at the glory ahead, at heaven, at the fulfilment of God’s promise, when his descendants will be like the sand, thru Jesus Christ (Heb 11:8-12). He looks at the present challenge, the division in the camp, and by faith, he becomes a peacemaker (Gen 13: 5-18). Abram and Lot are members of the same family. They have been walking together for a long time. They have been together in poverty and in riches. They have many things in common. But they are also quite different in their levels of faith and attitude to life. Abram has strong faith and Lot has weak faith. They have both left everything to follow God to the land of promise. Both are believers in Jehovah, in other words, both are born again. Abram heard the call of God and obeyed. Lot heard the call thru Abram, but he too was saved. God “delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)” (2 Peter 2:7, 8).
What are the main points of difference between these two believers? Abram is always taking the initiative. Lot is always following, never taking risks. After coming back from Egypt, Abram repents and raises an altar to God. But Lot did not repent from the love of the world. He becomes a double minded man. He ‘blends’ easily with believers and unbelievers. Abram was generous. Lot was greedy man; his men argued about the property. Lot chose Sodom that looked more prosperous. As a younger man, he was supposed to let Abram chose first. But he could not resist the temptation of choosing wealth. Lot was impatient and disrespectful. Abram was patient, wise, a man of peace, relaxed in the presence of God. Lot is restless, struggling to make money. He did not think about Abram’s feelings. He does not build altars to God. He is not interested in spiritual things like his uncle. He is not worried to leave Abram, his mentor. Like God, Abram is generous. God gave His only begotten Son. But Lot lives for material things. He lives for this world! These two men have different visions of life and of God’s blessings! They looked at life from opposite directions! Lot looks with natural eyes and Abram looks with the eyes of faith, trusting God to fulfill His promises. Abram is a pacemaker. He sees that they are brothers, and they should not fight. Abram is concerned about God’s reputation and glory. Abram appreciates the unity of the Spirit. Lot does not care about that unity. Unity is peace! Division is war. Lot is ready to separate from his family and friends for the sake of wealth. Lot is a materialistic believer. He sacrifices his testimony as a man of God, his relationships with other brethren, for the sake of wealth! Lot chose Sodom, a prosperous town but outside the Promised Land. In Sodom Lot absorbed the spirit of the world that affected him, his family and descendants. Seated at the gate of Sodom, he became a frustrated, powerless political leader. He offered his daughters to be raped to bring peace in Sodom. With all his wealth and social status, he lost everything. His wife died looking back at Sodom. His two daughters committed incest with him, in a cold lonely cave in the mountains. His descendants, The Moabites and the Ammonites, were cursed by God. Lot was a man of weak little faith! What a tragedy! Even today, the devil tempts the Christians to serve two masters. But it never ends well! Learn from Lot’s mistakes! But watch Abram! Immediately Lot left, God spoke and encouraged him! God said (I paraphrase): ‘Abram, you made the best choice. You have lost nothing! I am still with you and My promises will be fulfilled in you…’ From now on, Abram gets closer to God and his faith increases! Abram wanted a prosperity that has God at the center and heaven in view! Do not be like Lot! Be like Abram!
FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH!
“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Tim 6:3-12)
Lot’s sin was covetousness (which is idolatry). Abram looked at the things above (a city with foundations). But Lot looked around, at earthly things. Abram was a man of the Cross. He died to sin and lived for righteousness. He trusted God to fulfill His promises. Lot was a believer, but he did not die to the love of the world. Covetousness is a sinful strong desire to have something (material blessings) that belong to someone else, without any feelings for the other’s rights. It is an elemental desire, similar with hunger, thirst or sexual lust. You set your eyes and your heart on another’s property. It is connected to envy. Envy is unhappiness at another person’s success or possessions. You wish to have the same for yourself. It is also called ‘the love of money’. Jealousy is anger or bitterness against a person (not just his possessions). You think that person ‘stole’ your success or material gain. Christians who are led by money, who preach money, who desire money even above their testimony, are backsliding. We are commanded to withdraw from such. We are also commanded to actively seek and pursue the Kingdom of God, spiritual things, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith! Worship the Lord!
Our grandson Oliver Sisan Oakes, helping his parents at their plant shop called The Flora Culture, Houston, Tx! I know that I am biased… but is he not cute?
This is what Jehovah God says to His people: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between Me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy” (Ex 31:13:NLT). I speak as a Pastor and also as a mother in Zion! One word for the wise is enough! In the Old Testament, male circumcision was a command given by God. It was a covenant, a visible sign that the man belongs to God. In the same way, Keeping the Sabbath Day holy for God, is also a command. It is a sign between God and His people (male and female), that they belong to the only living God, to the One who alone can save and sanctify them. If you are a child of God, I beg you, attend your local church’ services, especially on Sundays. God monitors your attendance. Going to church, attending the weekly services and other activities is a privilege. But in particular, Sunday is God’s special day. God promised that as you come, He will make you holy! Except you have a very special reason why you are not in God’s house on Sunday mornings, please honor God, the pastor and the brethren, by attending the services! The online services are for emergencies only. God bless you as you obey God’s Commands!
“Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor”( Romans 13:7)
Recently I witnessed an act of disrespect towards the elders. As a pastor I meditate upon the word of God. These are some revelations I found: Just like paying a loan, respect is a debt to be paid. If you call yourself a child of a God, then you are to live a life free of debts. If you are in debt and you have no desire to settle it, then you have lost your testimony as a believer in Christ. We are commanded to pay our debt of respect to all who are in authority and to our spiritual leaders in particular because they are worthy of respect. Please be sure of this, God monitors the way we think, talk or behave towards others, especially our leaders.
To disrespect someone is to act in an insulting way toward them. When you disrespect people, you think very little of them. Disrespect is not accidental, but it is a choice about NOT showing proper respect, by acting rude, impolite and offensive. For example, talking back to your teacher is showing disrespect for her authority. Not giving up your seat to an elderly person is an act of disrespect. So is ignoring the customs and culture in a foreign country. The opposite of respect is to despise, to hate, to strongly dislike another human being because you think he is bad or he has no value to you.
To respect someone it means to have due regard for the feelings, wishes or rights of others. It means to be polite and kind ; to admire deeply, to openly honor, praise or treasure another because of their qualities, achievements and their investing in your life, or at least because he or she is God’s creation!
For example when Korah and his followers gathered themselves together against Moses, you know how God expressed His anger who complained against His ordained authority. The Scriptures regard it as a daring and dangerous thing to “speak evil of dignities, to despise dominion.” God takes disrespect against His delegated authority as a personal insult. When Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, Moses says to them, “Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.” Also, when Israel rejected Samuel as their ruler God regarded it as a rejection of Himself. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God! My testimony: I live in Nigeria since 1980. Most of the customs here are very different than in my birth country, Romania. Long ago I made a choice; I take it as a duty to learn the traditions of people here. This is so that I may not ignorantly offend the very people I try to help spiritually. That will not be helpful to my testimony as Christian. By the grace of a God, I chose to show proper respect to Nigerians and all people I encounter everywhere! Respecting people of all colors and cultures is my choice!
Many people have helped me along the way, but my husband in particular. He has been my mentor to help me understand the way Nigerian people think and behave. Over the years, he has patiently explained to me how to talk, dress and behave here. It has not been easy but it is my privilege to work in Nigeria where God has sent me. I honor my husband and my pastor, Dr. Richmond Leigh! God bless you Sir!
My prayer this morning: May I learn to live a humble holy fruitful life pleasing to God! Like Queen Esther, May I find favor with God and with the people! May people see and hear Christ in me! May nothing in my life hinder the progress of the Gospel! May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in Your eyes, my Lord and my Redeemer! In Jesus’ name, amen!
It was hot, both the weather and the anointing! You learn more in the presence of God than anywhere outside it. One hour under the anointing of the Holy Spirit will teach you more than any Bible College. These brethren love God with all their heart and all their strength! Please give glory to God for making it possible that we forget the difficult circumstances and are able to look only unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith! We pray! We intercede! God will answer us! God is our Reward! Jesus is Lord! The worship continues…
(Father’s House Bible Church, Warri/ Effurun/ Nigeria)
During the Sunday service, Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh continued preaching about the power of the Gospel. Her main text was taken from the Book of Romans: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” … What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness…(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Rom 1:16, 17; 4:1-5; 4:17-25)
FAITH AND HOPE IN GOD’S PROMISES ARE ALWAYS FULFILLED
Abraham discovered the power of faith and hope in God’s promises; faith and hope in God never fail! None will ever be put to shame, disappointed, or regret having faith and hope in God Almighty! PROMISE is a vow to do something good in the future! God’s Promises give us the right to hope until the manifestation comes! FAITH is defined as (present) belief, confidence, total trust in God. It is also faithfulness (faith is not on and off; it continues faithfully to the end of life. All the ‘heroes of faith’ kept their faith to their last breath. We need to do the same. HOPE is defined as a joyful constant expectation of good in the future. The promises given by God in His Word will one day become manifest visibly. Hope is invisible. Faith sees the invisible hope and carries on, until it becomes visible. Hope fulfills faith. That is why hope is stronger than faith. Faith does not backslide! Faith is not a coward! Faith pleases God! (Hebrews 11:6)
Faith is a present active verb. It means ‘I exist’ or ‘I am’. Faith is the substance, the invisible bridge that carries the hope. When faith is weak, the hope may crash. The greater our faith, the greater our hope and the more we can dream. Faith is the foundation of hope. Faith is connected to the hearing of God’s Word. It is the underground bridge leading and supporting hope. True faith and hope in God will never put you to shame! They will never disappoint you! “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us… Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” (Rom 5:5; 10:11).
ABRAHAM LEARNS FROM MISTAKES (Genesis 12)
God commands Abram to leave his father’s home and people, and with Sarai, his wife, to go to a particular land. God told him that He will bless him there. Promises are positional! By faith, Abram obeyed. That is good. Once he arrived in the land of Canaan, he built three altars to Jehovah God (at Bethel, Shekem and Hebron) and worshipped Him. Then a serious famine came to the land of promise. Abram was supposed to trust God for keeping him alive. This is because all the promises concerned his future. He cannot die of hunger. But Abram failed the first test of faith. At that time, he was not wealthy. His greatest ‘treasure’ was his beautiful wife, Sarai. He decided to go to Egypt, ‘to survive’. At the border with Egypt, he convinces Sarai to lie, to keep their marriage a secret. Abram was afraid for his life, that the Egyptians will kill him to take his wife. He told her to say that they are brother and sister so that he will ‘be treated well for her sake’. As you can see in Abram’s case, doubt, fear of death and selfishness weakened his faith. He ignored Sarai’s reputation as a wife. He put her thru great stress. Pharaoh took her into his harem. From the moment they entered Egypt, Sarai becomes ‘the woman’. She has lost her spiritual identity. God warns Pharaoh to release her. He does so. In this case, the unbelievers are more moral than Abram. Egypt is a symbol of the world. Going to Egypt is backsliding. As an ‘in law’, Pharaoh gives him great wealth. In Egypt, they acquire Hagar as a slave woman. She will be the source of more troubles later. As you can see, Abram’s trip to Egypt was a disaster. He became wealthy but he damaged his faith, his testimony as a man of God, his relationships with God, and his relationship with his wife. His son Isaac imitates him later in his unbelief. What is the solution? Go back to your first love! Abram repents and goes back to the land of promise. He learns from his mistakes. He goes back to Bethel, where he first raised an altar and there, he humbles himself and worships God. In Egypt, Abraham did not raise any altar to Jehovah and did not worship Him. The Backslider must repent and retrace his steps. This is hard work, humbling yourself. But there is no other way. You can make money in Egypt, but God will not bless you there for the land and the promises are connected. Once back to Canaan, Sarai is called by her name again: Sarai- Princess. Her reputation as a wife is restored. Material wealth is not a proof of spirituality! Prodigal son (daughter) come home!
FAITH HAS THREE VISIONS!
Imagine that you are a driver. Faith is like driving the car. This is the first vision: looking back! You look back thru the side mirrors to see your ‘back’. Faith looks back at the Cross to see the price paid for salvation and for the miracles promised. The second vision of faith is looking far ahead! In the evening, as you drive, you put on the long beam light to see far ahead, to see the future glory, to see the assurance of heaven. That vision will encourage you to drive faster today. The third vision of faith: look at your immediate front! You put on the short beam light to see what is just in front of the car. Daily, you walk by faith, as you trust God to lead, guide, provide and protect. The devil may throw mud (lies) and cover your side mirrors so that you cannot see the Cross. Or he throws stones (more lies) on your shield glass, to scratch it so that you cannot see your future. All this damages your faith and leaves you incapacitated. You become ‘blind’ and slow to make progress. Pray that the Holy Ghost’ ‘wiper’ will use the water of His Word to clean your mirrors and repair your shield. The Journey, the worship, continues… Worship the Lord!
“He made (you) alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1)
This is the apostle’s great analysis of the problem, the difficulty that Jesus Christ faces when He comes to a man or a woman. And what it takes to break through this condition is nothing less than the immeasurable greatness of His power. It is extremely difficult for us to believe that we are dead. If you approach a student in the prime of youth who is involved with friends in all kinds of exciting activities and is looking forward to building a life of independence and you say, You’re dead, the youth will look at you with eyes full of pity and say, What kind of person are you, some kind of nut? But listen to Paul’s analysis, and you will see how true this is. For this is a basic characteristic of dead people: their utter impotence, their powerlessness. A friend recalled an incident when a young man who was working part-time at a mortuary took him on a tour of the place one night. They came into the room where the bodies were lying out on slabs, and he pulled back a sheet and said, Tell him about Jesus. He said, I’ve never forgotten that! How impotent is a person who is dead! How absolutely helpless he is. The corpse can do nothing!
That is why only a miracle of life, of resurrection power, can change a natural man (or woman) into a living soul. What is this miracle? It is the story of the Cross, the empty tomb! It is the greatest love story of all! Jesus Christ, the Son of the only Living God, took human flesh upon Himself, became a man, lived and died as a man. He took our sin upon Himself. He became sin for us that you may become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. This is the divine exchange King Grace decreed before the foundation of the world. None but God could think of it and only God could have done it! We contributed nothing to our salvation. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit did it all! This is the Gospel we preach! If you believe it, you are saved. If you reject it, you are lost! Oh, that you may humble yourself and believe the offer of eternal love… Go back to that mortuary … What will you do if you see the corpse standing up and begin to worship God? Will you run away because of fear or will you join this ‘new creation’ in worshipping God? Jesus said: ‘You must be born again!” You cannot improve on a dead man. You can only apply some make up and dress him (her) in nice clothes. Buy an expensive coffin… that is all you can do. But life, to give life to the dead, that is the unique work of God, the manifestation of His grace towards us. Dear fiend, if you are not saved, please do not waste time: surrender your life to Christ, that you may truly live! If you are born again already, a child of God, then praise Him who paid the ultimate price that you may live! Worship the Lord!
A sister in church told me: “my 11 years old son was sick. He had fever. During the worship he went to the altar and knelt down before God. After the service I asked him: ‘when you went at the altar, did you pray for your healing?’ He said: ‘Mum, I forgot about my sickness. I only worshipped Jesus’. What a wonderful testimony and encouragement from the next generation of worshippers! Glory!
Green Pastures 