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BIRTHDAY ISSUES: QUESTIONS ARISING

In my earlier post on the above subject, I gave Biblical foundations against its celebration by true saints. I hereby answers some questions posed in order to avoid "the trumpet giving an uncertain sound" on this heathen practice that has penetrated deep and hard into the body of Christ. 1. BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS?  a. "Learn not the way of the heathen...for the customs of the people are vain" (Jeremiah 10:2,3). Birthday celebrations are of heathen origin and practice (check online). It is very striking that it was never mentioned among the saints in both the Old and the New testaments, except among the heathen like Pharaoh and Herod. b. "And be not confirmed to this world" (Romans 12:2). This is clear enough for any who desires to please God. c. "Love not the world... If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (I John 2:15-16). This is not human verdict. 2. NONESSENTIAL?   The issue of worldliness was not classified as nonesse...

πŸƒπŸŒΉ THIS IS A SAD STORY​​ BUT A LESSON πŸƒπŸŒΉ

πŸƒπŸŒΉ ​A sick person in a hospital bed was visited by relatives.​ ​The patient was on an oxygen MACHINE and therefore couldn't speak.​ ​As they stood beside the bed, the patient took a pen and a piece of paper and wrote a note which he gave to one of the relatives who put it in his shirt pocket without reading and they continued with their conversation.​ ​After a few minutes, the patient died.​  ​The relative later picked the note from his pocket to know what the dead man had written.​  ​And guess what❗​  ​Sadly the note read....​ ​​"Please move away from there, you have stepped on the oxygen pipe. I can't breathe again , you are killing me".​​  πŸŒΉ ​LESSON:​🌹 ​Do you postpone reading posts❓​  ​Or do you ignore picking calls because you are already close to the caller❓​  ​They might be helpful to you or to somebody particularly at a most critical time.​ ​Please pick your calls, read that note.​ ⚠ ​NEVER POSTPONE ANYTHING.​❗ ​​Don't just read this message alo...

No Other Foundation

THE CHOSEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: Tuesday 9th June 2020. TOPIC: No Other Foundation. TEXT: Isaiah 58:12.  MESSAGE A part of Isaiah 52:12 says "the repairer of breach" which means that true Christians are repairers or the ones responsible to retain, sustain, amend ruptures in marriages and settle amicable any breach in content of promise to avoid the outbreak of violence, rift or confusion. For our righteousness to shine and for our lights to rise and dismiss obscurity we need to (a) loose the brand of wickedness (ii) undo the heavy burdens (iii) let the oppressed go free (iv) break every yoke (v) deal our bread to them that are hungry (vi) provide shelter for the homeless (vii) clothe they who are naked and (viii) have total and perfect compassion and tender affection for the above mentioned classes as if we were doing it for our own selves. Ministers of the gospel must be wise master builders so as to be able to guide the members in the areas where they can help and be helpe...

TRAIN UP YOUR CHILD

DAILY MANNA SUNDAY, JUNE 7 2020 It is advisable that you prayerfully and meditatively read the text first TRAIN UP YOUR CHILD  TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 3:11-21. πŸ”‘ KEY VERSE "For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not" (1 SAMUEL 3:13). There is an adage that says, "the child that we refuse to build up (train) will end up selling off (squander) the house that we built." This underscores the significance of training children to prepare them to be responsible adults in future. This was what Eli failed to do. His children abhorred the offering of the Lord. They forced those who came to Shiloh to offer sacrifice unto God to give them the meat that was meant for the sacrifice and took as much as they wanted. God counted their action as a desecration of His sacrifice. They did all this in the time of their father, the priest. And since Eli failed to take concrete actio...

Avoid Learning in a Hard Way

MEDITATION Avoid learning in a hard way 1. Hope of restoration after chastisement a. God promised to deliver them from captivity v53. b. God promised to remember His everlasting covenant with them v60,62. c. God promised to restore them to their former glorious status (former estate) v55. 2. Wasted years and opportunities Before this could be possible, some avoidable events happened. a. Captivity in Babylon for 70 years (over 2 generations wasted). b. Public and prolonged humiliation, shame and slavery in a foreign land due to their stubborn addition to self will v54,57,58,61,63. c. Many of their children's lives and destinies were wasted through deaths, famine and sword.  d. Destruction of their lifelong investments and possessions as Nebuchadnezzar invaded their land. e. They learnt their lessons in a hard and costly way before they could abandon their self life and yield themselves to God. 3. How to avoid learning in a hard way a. Don't experiment with disobedience to the wo...

Do Not Sell Your Conscience II

THE CHOSEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: Thursday 4th June 2020. TOPIC: Do Not Sell Your Conscience II TEXT: Numbers 17:1-9  MESSAGE The politics of today especially in Nigeria is the selling of consciences. Voters no longer vote their conscience but they vote for money. Even most times when they vote their conscience ballot boxes are hijacked rendering our  votes countless, useless and  insignificant. We need to invite God for his divine intervention on this matter that could tear this nation apart.  Are we really mature enough to run this presidential system of governance? Have the electorates not blinded their eyes and consciences  as they accept kind or cash before they cast their vote? The elected or they that impose themselves as leaders often do not and never consider the masses. They are not faithful to the oath they swore as they are there to cause confusion, loot and dig deeper to retain their position, climb higher in subsequent elections.  What do we h...

COVENANT KEEPER

DAILY MANNA THURSDAY, JUNE 4 2020 It is advisable that you meditatively read the text first COVENANT KEEPER  TEXT: EZEKIEL 16:53-63. πŸ”‘ KEY VERSE   "Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant" (EZEKIEL 16:60). One inescapable truth about humans is their inability to always keep their word or fulfill their promises. Man lacks the capacity to honour his word every time, regardless of his good intentions are noble desires. This is because man is limited. But the almighty God is not so. He is faithful and always true to His word and promises. God promised the descendants of Abraham the Promised Land and with a stretched-forth hand, brought them out of Egypt and took them to Canaan. He required them to obey His commandments and not to be like heathen nations. Israel rebelled and committed abominations, idolatry and whoredom like heathen nations. God sentenced them to suffer the consequences of...

THE SOURCE OF TRUE BLESSINGS

DAILY MANNA WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3 2020 It is advisable that you prayerfully and meditatively read the text first GIVING: THE SOURCE OF TRUE BLESSINGS  TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 15:1-11. πŸ”‘KEY VERSE "Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto" (DEUTERONOMY 15:10). Janet Rheine noted that in its wild state, the olive tree is small, thorny with twisted branches. When cultivated and nurtured, it sheds its thorns and reaches a height of twenty to thirty feet and is capable of producing fruits for three hundred to five hundred years. Giving to generations after generations. What blessedness! Our passage today is about the sabbatical year of release. At the end of every seven years, every creditor forgives debts owed and the debtor is released, particularly an Israelite-debtor. This commitment was given by the Lord for Isra...

DO NOT SELL YOUR CONSCIENCE

THE CHOSEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: WEDNESDAY 3 JUNE 2020. TOPIC: DO NOT SELL YOUR CONSCIENCE. TEXT: GEN 25:30-34.  MESSAGE  A lot of people are living in bondage today because they at one time or the other sold their birthright. Their words and personalities no longer count. It is evil or mistake cut across all walks of life. The people of old sold out and generations yet unborn will still fall into this evil. In many areas we have mortgaged our salaries, business, properties because of exigencies. We have bargain blindly or innocently somehow and are falling into the hands of unscrupulous men/women thus loosing our right, properties and credence. From our reading this morning, we are told about the unhealthy bargain between two blood Brothers. Although the event was divinely predestined it was ill fated. The right was  Esau by birth, but Jacob's by promise. It was a spiritual privilege born of greed by both parties, Jacob's desire of the birthright which he ought to obtai...

The Day of Recompense

DAILY MANNA TUESDAY, JUNE 2 2020 It is advisable that you prayerfully and meditatively read the text first THE DAY OF RECOMPENSE  TEXT: EZEKIEL 16:35-43. πŸ”‘ KEY VERSE "Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations (EZEKIEL 16:43). One of the most remarkable things about God is that He loves with the same fervour with which He judges. He has no preferences or favourites. God is no respecter of persons, no matter how highly placed or well favoured. When He sees sin either in a heathen or in a backslidden Christian, He punishes it equally. Our text was a solemn message delivered by prophet Ezekiel to Jerusalem. God had taken Jerusalem as a bride (Isaiah 54:5) but she went into adultery with strangers. She gave gifts to her lovers and hired them for whoredom....

It Doesn't Matter

Shalom! Child of God, it doesn't matter where sugarcane is planted, it will definitely be sweet.  Light always Chase away darkness both in the physical and in the spiritual. I decree and declare  today and always that, you will never taste bitterness, sorrow, sadness, failure and shame this month. Your life will be filled with joy and happiness. Everything God Almighty has created will work in your favour In Jesus Name. Much love

Steps To Fruitfulness

Seeds are for private but products are for public. Ideas are private; don't give your seed to giant else they will consume it. Steps in becoming fruitful 1) Identify your seed. It's your seed that determine your fruitfulness. Your seed is inside you not outside you. "... according to the power that work in you", "out of your belly shall flow rivers of water" 2) Take hold of your seed, nurture it, guide it and develop it. 3) Sow your seed in a nice and right environment. Every seed have a soil. There's a covenant environment for every seed and person. If your seed is not growing it depends on the manner of sowing. 4) Allow your seed to grow. Seeds need time to grow. Have enough faith in your seed to grow. Plant, water, weed and apply fertilizer. Be patient with your seed. 5) Watch your seed become great. Take out the necessary and take in the necessary. 6) Let the fruit of your seed become a blessing to others. Kingdom advancement is a nice way to let you...

Church Prostitution: The Truth And A Cure!

Church Prostitution: The Truth And A Cure!  Church prostitution is a rampant phenomenon among today’s Christians. What do I mean by church prostitution? Church prostitution is the situation of moving from church to church. That’s jumping for one church to another church.  There are many reasons why Christian’s do this. Here is one of the reasons.  If you left the church to get away from hypocritical people, you should also quit your job, drop out from school, disconnect yourself from all of your friends and family, and lock yourself in your room while you are at it.  There will be flaws wherever there are humans. We need to start seeing the church for what it is. It is a hospital with wounded and hurt people. You will find messed up, conniving, calculating and imperfect individuals including yourself (as much as you want to deny it).  We all go for healing. So, if you felt betrayed by a fellow church member, put your Nursing cap on, ...

Hospitality

Hospitality ✂✂✂✂✂✂✂ PLEASE SEND BACK YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter: Dear Ruth: I`m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit. Love Always, Jesus Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. 'Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer..' With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. 'Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner.' She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least..' She threw on her coat and hurried out the door...

How Do You See Yourself!

How Do You See Yourself! Jacob looked at Joseph and saw a good son! The ten brothers looked at Joseph and saw a useless dreamer! The travellers looked at Joseph and saw a slave!! Potiphar looked at Joseph and saw a fine servant!! Potiphar' s wife looked at Joseph and saw a potential boyfriend! The prison officers saw in Joseph a prisoner! How wrong were all of them! God looked at Joseph and saw a Prime Minister of Egypt in waiting!! Don' t be discouraged by what people see in you!! Be encouraged by what God sees in you!! Never underrate the person next to you because you never know what the Lord has deposited in that person. Your maid may be a Chief Executive Officer in waiting for a company which shall employ your child. Your garden-boy may be a president in waiting. (Remember David got the anointing of becoming a King while he was a simple child herding sheep. Esther was a simple orphaned girl yet she was a Queen in waiting). Let's share God's love and make the wo...

IT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP THAT MATTERS

THE STAGE DOESN’T MATTER, YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DRIVER DOES There's an old story of the boy who stood on a sidewalk, waiting 4 a bus. A man walking by spotted the boy & gave him some gentle instruction. "Son," he said, "if you're waiting 4 the bus u need 2 move 2 the street corner. That's where the bus stops 4 passengers." "It's OK," said the boy. "I'll just wait right here & the bus will stop 4 me." The man repeated his argument, but the boy never moved. Just then, the bus appeared. Amazingly, the bus pulled over 2 where the boy stood & the child hopped on. The man on the sidewalk stood speechless. The boy turned around in the doorway & said, "Mister, I knew the bus would stop here, bcos the bus driver is my dad!" When you've got a family relationship with the bus driver, u don't need a bus stop. If you've given your heart 2 the King of Kings, you're in a royal family of ...

Faithlessness Pays!

JOKE OF THE EVENING Two christians were lost in the Sahara desert on their way to Libya. One was David and the other was Christian. They were terribly dying of hunger and thirst when they suddenly came upon an oasis with what looked like an emirate with a mosque in the middle. David said to Christian “Let’s pretend as if we are muslims otherwise we wil not get food or drink. I am going to call myself Muhammad Gambo”!  Christian refused to change his name “My name is Christian and I will NOT pretend to be what I am not. When they got there, the Imam of the Mosque received both of them well and asked for their names. David said “My name is Muhammad Gambo” πŸ‘³but Christian said “My name is Christian” πŸ‘ΌThe Imam turned to the helpers of the Mosque and said “Please bring some food and water for Christian only. 🍟🌭 Then he turned to the other and said “Well Muhammad, I hope you are aware that we are still in the month of Ramadan?😳😳😳😳 The guy fainted.πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ It pays to be fait...

You Are Special!

You Are Special! Few months ago, i walked into an exotic restaurant to have lunch. Immediately i settled down, i hurriedly placed my order (I was damn hungry - *LOL*), I just couldn't wait to eat a sumptuous meal. But things didn't go the way I'd expected it, something else happened. After almost about 20mins of waiting for my order, 3 guys walked in to have lunch and of course placed their orders. Amazingly, almost immediately, they were served while I was still waiting for my order. This got me a little angry and then i beckoned on the lady who took my order to inquire why I haven't been served and why the other guys who just walked in already got their foods. Then the lady said to me politely, "Sir You Made A Very Special Order And It'll Take Time To beautifully Prepare It For You; the other guys just ordered for snacks!" Hmmm.... that got me thinking. And that's the word for you today. I learnt a very profound lesson that day. Sometimes ...

Not Over Until It's Over

Not Over Until It's Over I watched a local football match in a school playing ground. As I sat down, I asked one of the boys what the score was. With a proud smile, he replied; "They are leading us 3-0" !!! REALLY !! I have to say you don't look discouraged. "Discouraged?" the boy asked with a puzzled look. Why should I be discouraged when the referee has not blown the final whistle ? Truly, I didn't have an answer to this question! As I got back home that night, his question became a course in my stay in life indeed. Life is like a game . Why should you be discouraged when your referee,... The Almighty has not blown the final whistle on your life? The truth is that as long as there is life, nothing is impossible & it is never too late for you. Half time is not full time & HIS calendar is not man's. Don't blow the whistle on yourself. Have a good day. ________________ Contributed by a member of Redeemed Christi...

Love God?

If our love for God is real... Why do we sleep in church but stay awake in bars? Why is it so hard to talk to God but so easy to gossip? Why is it so easy to ignore a Godly text message but re-send the nasty ones? Why do you enjoy worldly songs and get bored in heavenly songs? Are you going to send/share this to your friends or are you going to ignore it? Jesus said: "if you deny me in front of 'your friends', I will deny you in front of my father" if you love Jesus send/share this. GOD will surprise you. (Sent in on WhatsApp by Sis Jessica E. of Christ's Chosen Church of God Intl) Twitter Facebook