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Tag: Faith Nwachukwu

  • Love: Most excellent way (5)

    LOVE FOR NEIGHBOUR- love for your neighbour and love for your enemies. To show that you know God you will love like He does. He sent His Son Jesus to die for ALL irrespective of who you are, your Religion, Tribe, Nationality etc. Jesus died for the whole world to set us free from the bondage and slavery of sin and to make us enjoy sweet fellowship with God now and forever. You only need to believe in the love God sent in the person of His dear Son Jesus Christ and you will enjoy peace with God. By so doing God showed us unconditional love in that while we didn’t love Him, we acted as His enemies yet He loved us and made a way to reconcile us to Himself, so we are to love our enemies.

    Jesus teaches saying: “You have heard that it was said. You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

    For if you love those who love you, what rewards have you? Do not even corrupt tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”. Wow! Loving this way makes one perfect- food for thought for those like me who desire to be perfect- it takes loving your enemies.

    Jesus came physically as man to show us the way to love- who while in great pain prayed for His enemies who crucified Him, He could have cursed and prayed death on them but He didn’t do that rather He prayed very good prayers for them, that God should forgive them. You and I haven’t experienced as much humiliation yet we find it difficult to let go.

    Stephen’s life of love even in the face of death struck me. He was arrested out of envy; they lied against him and accused him of blasphemy. While they wouldn’t believe in Jesus they hated and killed those who believe and follow Him. As they stoned Stephen to death, he knelt down and cried out to God saying, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And he fell asleep (died).

    After this event came the conversion of Saul, one of those who saw to the death of Stephen. I believe that the prayer of Stephen brought about the salvation and conversion of Saul, for if he had prayed death or cursed them- it would have been so (of what benefit will it be to you to see anyone, even your enemy in a cursed condition).

    Saul and others would have all perished and that would have been a great loss to the world, we would not have had Saul/Paul’s great exploits and revelations that are of tremendous help to us today. Of the 27 books of the New Testament in the Bible, 13 are attributed to Paul. Most of the greatest evangelists we have today were once the enemies of God. Pray for your enemies without giving up. By loving and praying for them you may be preserving helpers for yourself, your generation and your descendants. Remember that at one point in your life or even now you were an enemy of God and someone’s enemy. What if God had allowed you to die in your sins, what if He answers YES to every prayer calling for death on our enemies? Am sure by now there will be no human being on earth.

    I am not saying it is so easy to love your enemies but if God says we should then it’s possible; in your strength you can’t do it. Jesus gave us a helper- the Holy Spirit to help us. Love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit; it’s the Holy Spirit that can actually live this life of love through you and me. It was said that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, then he said to his accusers, ‘look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” they blocked their ears cast him out and stoned him – he may have been grateful to them for hastening his journey to the glorious home, so he prayed for them. If we know all that God has prepared for us, we will have so much joy in us that we would hardly notice the acts of those who hate us. Stephen being full of the Holy Spirit didn’t focus on the aggression in the people, he wasn’t seeing the hatred in their eyes; he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus. The Holy Spirit will make you look on Jesus not on the pain, hatred, persecution, suffering they are meting out on you. We need to be full of the Holy Spirit to see beyond the hatred around us every day.

    And the fruit of the Spirit is: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL. As I look at this fruit critically all I see is LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all through. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of love unconditional. We need Him to be able to love our enemies and by so doing we will attain perfection.

    Nigeria is in dire need of this true, unconditional love. Let it start with you and me- So help me Lord!

    PRAYER/SONG: SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD

    Spirit of the living God,
    Fall afresh on me. 2x
    Break me, mould me, fill me and use me.
    Spirit of the living God,
    Fall afresh on me.

    TEXT: Matthew 5: 43-48, Acts 7: 54-60, Galatians 5:22-23.

    FROM: Faith Nwachukwu.

  • LOVE…The most excellent way (4)

    LOVE is the most excellent way to live – To love God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind also to love your neighbour as yourself. To excel in everything- LOVE. When you live the life of love then you please God completely.

    Today we will be talking about LOVE FOR NEIGHBOUR. Who is your neighbor?  Your neighbour is simply your fellow human being.

    Love for God and love for neighbour can not truly be separated because your love for God makes it possible for you to love your neighbor. If you say you love God you will obey His command that says: love your neighbour as yourself.  God is love, only when you know love can you practice love. The love people confess/profess to each other without knowing God and having an ongoing relationship with Him is not love that is why it fails- true love never fails as God never fails every other thing will fail but not God/love.

    The person that knows God is the one who can truly love, for God will help him to love. The first step to knowing God is when you accept and believe in His Son Jesus Christ whom He sent to reconcile us to Himself.

    God prepared me before making me write this message; He helped me get rid of the hatred I didn’t know was in my heart for someone. Do you know you can hate somebody’s lifestyle so much that hatred for that person gradually sets in?

    To you this person is not that ‘important’, in that you can comfortably do without him/her so you totally ignore him though with hatred for him in your heart- this is unacceptable to God. Know that hatred is a sin and it hinders our relationship with God and our blessings, so this person is actually very important to you- you’ve got to make peace. God wants us to get rid of all forms of hatred in our hearts.  No matter how bad a person’s lifestyle, we are not permitted to hate his person, in fact we are to show more love to him. This can be very difficult but if God says so, then it is possible as you trust Him to help you.

    You are not to accept and follow in the wrong ways of the person but never hate him.

    God made me know that hatred makes one live in total darkness which of course can lead one to hell, this is the worst that can happen to anyone. Like I said I didn’t know I was harbouring hatred in my heart for this person. Yes, I don’t like his way of life, all the negative attributes, deceits are all glaring for me to see. Unknowing to me the root of hatred had started growing in me for this person such that I couldn’t see anything good done by him. No one is completely bad without any positive attribute- it’s impossible, we have to deliberately focus on these positive attributes no matter how small they may be- this will help our hearts.  God in His mercies brought this person to mind and made me know I hated him and the dangers of hatred- being covered with darkness.  Darkness!  I was so scared when He showed me the extent of darkness I was in because of the hatred I didn’t realize was in me. I asked God what to do to reach out to this person in love and my loving and merciful Father told me what to do. He made me go show love to this person by giving him gift, I am also to pray for him always especially in his area of weakness – what a loving father we have who is so responsible for our lives- he sanctifies us and makes us ready to be with Him forever. Pray for anyone not living right, don’t condemn the person, the prayers will bring about a change we want to see in him. You are so privileged to know and live in the truth so be merciful to others who aren’t where you are today.

    The Bible says “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know no murderer has eternal life abiding in Him.”

    God wants us to love without conditions, even when that person is not meeting up with our expectations. This kind of unconditional love God showed us in that while we were yet sinners He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins, setting us free from the bondage and slavery of sin and eternal death in hell- God wants us to do likewise, to love unconditionally. Give love the same way God has so loved you, show love to all especially the unloving, when you do this it shows that you are a child of God.

    Your love for God is expressed or seen in your dealings with others.

    This help is coming to you today because God loves you and wants you to enjoy His blessings fully. Heed His word today- show love unconditionally. Search your heart; if there be hatred already growing for someone…get rid of it fast.

    Let love, peace and forgiveness reign in our hearts and in NIGERIA!

    TEXT: Matthew 22:37-40, 1John 3:14-15, 1John 4: 7:11, 5:1-5, Romans 5:8, John3:16.

    FROM: Faith Nwachukwu.

  • LOVE…THE MOST EXCELLENT WAY (3)

    LOVE…THE MOST EXCELLENT WAY (3)

    We are in dangerous times; a perilous time indeed where lawlessness abounds and the love of many are growing cold. In perilous times men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. All these we have in our society today and even worse things are happening.

    So many people are compromising their faith in Jesus in a bid to meet their wants and needs and by so doing their love for God is cold. God sees and knows our works. The warning came to the seven churches in the book of revelation about who they were. I want to use these 7 churches to represent different kinds of people, families, fellowships, ministries, churches and nations. See where you belong on this table and begin to pray to God for repentance, restoration and faithfulness…

     

    Commendation Criticism Instruction Promise
    Ephesus Rejects evil, works, preserves, patience, Love for Christ no longer fervent- You’ve left your first love. Remember from where you’ve fallen; repent and do the first works.  

    The tree of life
    Smyrna Persecuted but gracefully bears suffering.  

     

    None

    		 Do not fear what you will suffer. You will be tested and have tribulation. Be faithful unto death  

    The crown of life
    Pergamos Keeps the faith of Christ even in the face of martyrdom Compromise- tolerates immorality, idolatry and heresies.  

    Repent

    		 Hidden manna and a stone with a new name
    Thyatira Love, service, faith, patience are greater than at first. Corruption- Tolerates cult of idolatry and immorality-allow Jezebel (false prophetess) to teach and seduce servants of God to commit sexual immorality & idolatry. Will suffer great tribulation, unless you repent. Power to rule over nations and will receive the morning star.
    Sardis Some have kept the faith You have a name that you are alive but you are dead. Repent; strengthen what remains. The faithful honoured and clothed in white.
    Philadelphia Have little strength but faithful. Have kept the word of Christ and honors His name.  

     

    None

    		 Keep the faith- hold fast what you have that no one may take your crown. Will keep you from the hour of trial coming upon the whole world. A pillar in God’s temple, a new name.
    Laodiceans None Lukewarm: neither hot nor cold-Indifferent Be zealous and repent, or be vomited out of God’s mouth. Share Christ’s throne.

     

    Where you do you belong? I desire to have the commendation of Smyrna and Philadelphia who are blameless before God.

    God loves us so much that He has given us examples to learn from. Be sincere to yourself and before God, check your life against these churches and take the necessary instructions.

    To repent and make Jesus your Lord and saviour – Pray and ask Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, tell Him to give you a new life and be your Lord and saviour.

    For those who loved God but their love is now lukewarm or cold- Pray to God for restoration, because He loves you and desires for you not to perish but to be restored back to Him that is the reason you are reading this message today- he whom God loves He rebukes and chastens. Forsake your ways and return to your first love today, tomorrow might be too late- We have no more time!

     

    Text: Revelation chapter 2 – 3, 2Timothy 3.

  • LOVE…The Most Excellent Way 1

    The four letter word LOVE, though the most excellent way to live and needed most in our lives, yet the most lacking in our lives and society. So widely talked about but also the most abused. Where there is love, there is peace and of course progress, where there is no love the opposite is the case. Many claim to love and know love but their actions are contrary to what love is.

    What then is LOVE?

    Let’s start by looking at the characteristics of love:

    • Love is very patient
    • Love is kind
    • Love is never jealous or envious
    • Love is never boastful or proud
    • Love is never rude
    • Love is never selfish
    • Love is not provoked, irritable or touchy
    • Love thinks no evil
    • Love does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong
    • Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth
    • Love bears all things
    • Love believes all things. It will cause you to believe in someone without giving up on him/her.
    • Love endures all things
    • Love never fails. There is no end to love.

    If you say you know and practice love, then can you score yourself from the above characteristics of love? Love is active not passive. Surely I need help here and I believe you too. Jesus made us to know that the greatest of the commandments is LOVE- love for God and love for our neighbours.

    If the above is the character of love, I want us to know that love is a person and without knowing the person of love, no one can ever truly practice love. Who then is love? This person is GOD. He is love Himself, without Him there is no love and without knowing Him one can not truly love, you will only keep struggling, living in deceit until frustration sets in. When you know God then helps you to truly love. The scripture says “beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love”. God demonstrated His love towards us by sending His only begotten SON into this sinful world to set us free from sin and reconcile us to Himself, this He did while we were yet sinners. Not that we loved God but He loved us in spite of our sins and sent His Son to die and free us from sin so we can enjoy a good relationship with Him and be able to love. God sent Jesus to come in human form to show us what it means to love; Jesus laid down His own life for us to be free. He showed love all through His stay on earth and He still loves us being seated at the right hand of God praying for you and me. He was always busy while on earth doing good, He didn’t have a home of His own, He worked tirelessly showing love; healing the sick and setting free the captives of the mighty. While in great pain on the cross He prayed for those who crucified Him, not bad prayer that they should die but that God forgives their sins. Even in death Jesus was forgiving and set free the thief being crucified alongside Him on the cross-oh! What manner of love…! He had the power to call down fire to destroy those who crucified Him, He could have even commanded the ground to swallow them up but all these He didn’t do, rather He chose to submit to God’s will to deliver mankind from sin. In place of the word love in the characteristic listed above put Christ. This same character God wants you and me to emulate.

     

    When you believe in Jesus, He gives you His Spirit- the Holy Spirit who begins to help you to love like Him. If the Holy Spirit controls our lives then can we truly love, for the fruit of the Holy Spirit can be summarized to mean LOVE. We need love in our lives and to show love in our interpersonal relationships; in our families and in our nation Nigeria. If you will choose love (God) and believe in His Son Jesus whom He gave as an access to Him, then He will help us to love.  Without Jesus you can do nothing. Love is who a Christian should be, to love unconditionally as demonstrated by Jesus irrespective of our differences- religion, tribe, language, culture, tradition, social status and all. Jesus died for all. Nigeria needs love. You are Nigeria, I am Nigeria and we need to know and show love. Do not resist love for resisting love is resisting God.

    SONG: Let there be love shared among us

    Let there be love shared among us
    Let there be love in our eyes
    May now Your love sweep this nation.
    Cause us oh Lord to arise
    Give us a fresh understanding
    Of brotherly love that is real,
    Let there be love shared among us,
    Let there be love.

    TEXT: 1Corinthians 13, 1 John 4: 7-16, John 3:16, Luke 23: 13-49

  • We need peace and progress

    Many people desire to have peace in their lives; we need peace in Nigeria right now. What is peace and how can one have peace? Peace is translated as Alafia in Yoruba language, Udo in Igbo and Zaman Lafiya in Hausa.

    Peace is when there is calmness, order, love, rest, unity, quietness, comfort, security, friendship, reconciliation and joy. Where there is no peace we find war, violence, insecurity, disunity, stress, disturbances, hatred, restlessness, complain, murmuring, disagreement, fighting, worry, commotion, difficulty, hardship and failure.

    Tell me, if anyone has no peace going by what the absence of peace represent from the above, will the person have progress? Absolute NO. There can’t be progress/prosperity without peace. Satan very much knows that where there is no peace there will be no progress, so he does everything to ensure there is no peace in someone’s life, in a family and in a nation, so that we will not be who God destined for us to be. But he is a failure already because today we will be receiving help from God to have peace, live a peaceful life so we can prosper and move forward.

    How can one have peace?  To have peace, to experience and live in peace – one must first be at peace with the author and creator of peace- He who is peace Himself without whom there is no peace, am talking about God Almighty. The God of peace, who created the whole world and desires that we have peace and progress, God Himself tells us how to be at peace with Him and in turn live in peace and progress. Right now I see Nigeria has no peace, so much hatred, violence, disunity, hardship in the land, this is because Nigeria is not at peace with God- this has to change, Nigeria has to progress. Who is Nigeria- Me and you, so we are the ones to bring about the progress and prosperity we desire through PEACE.

    How to have peace- like I said earlier to have peace which births progress, you must first be at peace with God and there is only one way by which God has given us to be at peace with Him… “FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN; UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN; AND THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER. THESE WILL BE HIS ROYAL TITLES: “WONDERFUL,” “COUNSELOR,” “THE MIGHTY GOD,” “THE EVERLASTING FATHER,” “THE PRINCE OF PEACE.” His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule with perfect fairness and justice and peace to all the nations of the world…” Who is the person spoken of here? The person is JESUS. God has given us His son Jesus- the prince of peace to give us peaceful lives and a peaceful government.

    He is the only way to be at peace with God and then have a peaceful government which will prosper. Jesus is the gospel that brings about peace with God, peace with God in turn brings about progress. The scripture says… “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

    All you need do is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, accept Him as the saviour of the world and your saviour and Lord then you will enjoy the peace of God eternally, for in Jesus alone is PEACE- God Himself made it so. If you say you believe in God Almighty, but not in Jesus, the one God sent to redeem mankind, then your belief has to be checked. Rejecting Him and trying to fix things by yourself will lead to what was said about the nation Israel in the Bible when they tried to bring about progress in their own strength…

    “The Lord has spoken out to the braggart Israel who says that though our land lies in ruins now, we will rebuild it better than before. The sycamore trees are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars! The Lord’s reply to your bragging is to bring your enemies against you- the Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west. With bared fangs they will destroy Israel. And even then the Lord’s anger against you will not be satisfied- His fist will still be posed to smash you.”

    The worst still remains that people will still keep arguing and rejecting Jesus; the saviour of the world, the prince of peace, without whom there cannot be lasting peace and progress. Israel’s rejection of the truth in spite of their predicament was predicted with grave consequence… “For after all this punishment you will not repent and turn to God. Therefore the Lord, in one day will destroy the leaders of Israel and the lying prophets, for the leaders of the people have led them on the paths of ruin.” 

    Let us learn from other people’s experiences and escape being destroyed eternally. I wish every Nigerian irrespective of religion, tribe, tongue, race, etc will put aside our differences, stubbornness and pride and embrace the TRUTH- to believe and accept Jesus the prince of peace so Nigeria can be at peace with God and have peace and progress….How  glorious it will be when this will happen. Oh Lord! Please let this happen.

    This will happen through individual decisions and also collectively; let every head of families, religions, tribes, tongues believe in Jesus themselves and call their wards to believe too so we can have rest from all the turmoil around and within us.

    Let us allow the prince of peace to reign over our lives, families, nation that we may have peace, love, health, well being, happiness, prosperity, progress and cessation of enmity, hatred, violence, war, bloodletting, kidnapping, murder, armed robbery, corruption and all the vices in our country. This is very possible if only we will all believe in Jesus.

    TEXT: Isaiah 9:1-21, John 3:16.