Many believers are exhausted, tired and feel burnt out but know that the fire of faith must keep burning.  I found this article by Gbile Akanni most useful to help understand Bible perspective on how to keep aglow – very different from other views which can relax our guard.

What does the Bible say on perpetual burning for God?

Lev 6:13 “The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar;
it shall never go out.”

1Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand, be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

Leviticus 6:8-13 details the law of burnt offering unto the Lord, the procedure for keeping the altar aglow even through the dampness and coldness of night. These contain gleans of principles for my heart as I seek to keep the altar of my own heart aglow! These are the protocols of perpetual burning. Lord may you grant me peace of mind to keep strictly to these protocols of hosting the fire of heaven perpetually within my soul.

Four things stand out there for me to keep my light burning. Four things there are that I must do, if indeed I desire a perpetual burning! I must . . . .

1. Pack Out My Ashes!
First, the ashes of past burning must be packed out, else it will only serve to dampen my fresh burning. I must leave the past in the past, if I will ever keep my fire burning; past success, past achievement . . .  yet past failures and past weaknesses. That which is past is past. Focusing on the past will only stop me from fresh prospects in God.

Father, may I see no reason to be pre-occupied with the ashes of my past burning. Even if I’ve had exploits, it was by You. The elder, Paul chose to forget the things which are past, so as to press on to what lies ahead. I might have given You some fat offerings, or serious consecrations but those have already been burnt up. I need to face my current state. Only old men dream mere dreams, I will offer you something fresh while I am young. Memories of past wonderful encounters with You will only form idols in my mind now, and dampen my present quest for You. Oh teach me Lord, to pack my ashes aside!

2. Feed My Fire!
Next, some fire wood must be fed into fire chambers for the fire to be sustained. Fresh wood, daily set in order, to keep the flames ever fresh, ever current. Fresh logs of truth and twigs of understanding gained from spiritual insight into the word is the age long fuel that keeps God’s Candle burning. Oh that I may befriend my Bible and cherish the truths and principles hidden therein. It was the sweet psalmist of Israel that cried “O that my ways were directed to keep Thy law. Father, this I pray!

On the other side, the blowing and fanning of prayer and intercession has been known of old to spread the fire all over the heart and keep it warm and sizzling. Prayer, in spirit and in truth, blazing through my spirit in known and unknown tongues and cutting through the every debris and blanket cast by living in this evil and apostate twenty-first century is what my soul must have to keep a burning!

Father, I need help to watch unto prayer . . . In thanksgiving, worship, praises; the burning fuel from tons of supplications, petitions, intercessions and advocacy I must now be enabled to supply generously and consistently at your altar. So Lord, draw me nearer. For happy is the man whom Thou causeth to approach unto Your throne. Lord, hear my cry! Let the deep call to the deep and my soul be energised by tongs of fire from off Thine altar!

3. A fresh Sacrifice On My Altar!
Thirdly, the object of sacrifice – the burnt offering itself should be laid in order on top of the altar, to be consumed by the fire of sacrifice; thus yielding a sweet smell unto the Lord. Next, Lord, I see the need to present a new sacrifice upon Your altar. Every day demands fresh consecration and offering of myself, my time, my body, talents, money, my love; as a burning sacrifice upon your altar. I cannot appear at your altar empty – handed, with no sacrifice at all. What object will the fire consume then? Even some lusty idols I hold to in prayer, I must now release, in the faith that your will for me is better. Even at this junction, may my perpetual cry agree with the Hymn writer of old . . .

If Thou wouldst call me to resign
What most price I, it never was mine
I only yield Thee what is Thine
Thy will be done!

4. Be Sober And Be Watchful
Finally and most importantly, the fire upon the altar must never go out; night or day.
I must now be sober – clear-minded and self-controlled. Never permitting clouds upon my mind, nor ever allow myself be double-minded in the place of prayer. Earthly passions, anxiety and lack of focus will normally weigh a man down even where he seeks to please God. May my loins be girded and may my light forever burn! Amen!

Should I be enabled to follow these Your clear injunctions, should I fulfil these spiritual protocols for perpetual burning, then surely my fire will never go out.  Help me therefore to keep Thy law.

Originally Published as Protocols for Perpetual Burning by Gbile Akanni. Gbile Akanni posts articles regularly on living seed.org.

The outlook is positive though fears of a future dip again into recession still persist and though companies are richer than in prior years – they will not be spending as generously as they used to.  The best tips for success could be as follows:

1. Know/perfect what you are good at and remain in your area of strength – find where you excel/add value to others (where you can differentiate your product offering) and have developed cost advantages and continue to compete based on a lower cost excellent value strategy … moderation will remain the king of values in 2011. Frills will not sell.
2. Stock prices are coming up … but these are yet to be proven as sustainable jumps.  Look beyond the numbers to understand why prices are coming up.  Well run companies with nimble structures that understand how to flex their costs to adjust to seasons are probably going to be winners.  Spot and stick to the winners and invest prudently.  Use simple investment plans you understand with a low-risk grow-rich-slowly vision.
3. Many still project that real estate prices will still go further down before they rebound again. If you have spare cash you will not need in the medium term…it may be a good time to get an excellent deal on Real estate but be careful and get professional help.  Do not borrow to purchase real-estate …though banks will be more generous to target good credit customers.
4. Online web-based creativity will continue to be rewarded although more charlatans will flock to this arena. Increase in expendable income will push a lot of expenditure into this space.  This is a no-brainer…web-based services are cheap and positioned for the mass-market with little barriers to entry and almost limitless reach even as infrastructure for the internet continues to improve globally.  The greatest gains in 2011 will perhaps be in this sector as a new army of internet entrepreneur warriors emerge.
5. Maintain personal prudence –i.e.  Putting off purchases, eschew debt, save more…and watch your eating and physical habits to enhance health.  Spend much less than you earn.  Consolidate new financial habits and disciplines you imbibed in 2010…such as using a financial worksheet to project and plan expenditures and track net worth movements over the short/medium term.

Following are some of my favourite finance scriptures for meditation and some balance …so please be prayerful and watchful.

Psalm 37[16]  A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

Deuterenomy 28[12]  The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

Ecclesiastes 5[12]  The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. [13]  There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely , riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

The term hypocrite came from the world of Greek drama. It was used to describe the masks that the players used to dramatize certain roles. Even today, the theatre is symbolized by the twin masks of comedy and tragedy. In antiquity, certain players played more than one role, and they indicated their role by holding a mask in front of their face. That’s the origin of the concept of hypocrisy.

But the charge that the church is full of hypocrites is manifestly false. Though no Christian achieves the full measure of sanctification in this life, that we all struggle with ongoing sin does not justly yield the verdict of hypocrisy. A hypocrite is someone who does things he claims he does not do. Outside observers of the Christian church see people who profess to be Christians and observe that they sin. Since they see sin in the lives of Christians, they rush to the judgment that therefore these people are hypocrites. If a person claims to be without sin and then demonstrates sin, surely that person is a hypocrite. But for a Christian simply to demonstrate that he is a sinner does not convict him of hypocrisy.

The inverted logic goes something like this: All hypocrites are sinners. John is a sinner; therefore, John is a hypocrite. Anyone who knows the laws of logic knows that this syllogism is not valid. If we would simply change the charge from “the church is full of hypocrites” to “the church is full of sinners,” we would be quick to plead guilty. The church is the only institution I know of that requires an admission of being a sinner in order to be a member. The church is filled with sinners because the church is the place where sinners who confess their sins come to find redemption from their sins. So in this sense, simply because the church is filled with sinners does not justify the conclusion that the church is filled with hypocrites. Again, all hypocrisy is sin, but not all sin is the sin of hypocrisy.

When we look at the problem of hypocrisy in the New Testament era, we see it most clearly displayed in the lives of those who claimed to be the most righteous. The Pharisees were a group of people who by definition saw themselves as separated from the normal sinfulness of the masses. They began well, seeking a life of devoted godliness and submission to the law of God. However, when their behavior failed to reach their ideals, they began to engage in pretense. They pretended they were more righteous than they were. They gave an outward facade of righteousness, which merely served to conceal a radical corruption in their lives.

Though the church is not filled with hypocrites, there is no denying that hypocrisy is a sin that is not limited or restricted to New Testament Pharisees. It is a sin with which Christians must grapple. A high standard of spiritual and righteous behavior has been set for the church. We often are embarrassed by our failures to reach these high goals and are inclined to pretend that we have reached a higher plateau of righteousness than we’ve actually attained. When we do that, we put on the mask of the hypocrite and come under the judgment of God for that particular sin. When we find ourselves enmeshed in this type of pretense, an alarm bell should go off in our brains that we need to rush back to the cross and to Christ and to understand where our true righteousness resides. We have to find in Christ, not a mask that conceals our face, but an entire wardrobe of clothing, which is His righteousness. Indeed, it is only under the guise of the righteousness of Christ, received by faith, that any of us can ever have a hope of standing before a holy God. To wear the garments of Christ in faith is not an act of hypocrisy. It is an act of redemption.

Dr. R.C. Sproul is founder and president of Ligonier Ministries and president of Ligonier Academy.  He is the author of the expositional commentaries on Romans and John.

A thousand guesses at this question might provide a thousand different answers with not one of them correct. The right answer is the very antithesis of our expectation. This “filth of this world” is neither men nor devils. It is not bad, but good – nay, not even good – but the very best. Neither is it the material, but spiritual; neither is it of Satan, but of God. It is not only of the church, but a saint. It is not only a saint, but the saintliest of saints, the Kohinoor of all gems. “We apostles,” Paul says, “are the filth of this world.” Then he adds insult to injury, heightens the infamy, and deepens the humiliation by adding “[and we apostles are] the off scouring of all things”    

 I Corinthians 4 [13]  Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off scouring of all things unto this day.    

Any man who has so assessed himself “filth of the earth” has no ambition – and so has nothing to be jealous about. He has no reputation – and has nothing to fight about. He has no possessions – and therefore nothing to worry about. He has no “rights”- and so therefore cannot suffer any wrongs. He is already dead – so no one can kill him. In such a state of mind and spirit, can we wonder that the apostles “turned the world upside down”? Let the ambitious saint ponder this apostolic attitude to the world. Let the popular, unscarred evangelist living in “Hollywood Style” think upon his ways.    

Loeonard Ravenhill

Who then hurt Paul far more than his one hundred and ninety five stripes, his three stonings, and his triple shipwrecks could ever hurt him?  The contentious, carnal, critical, Corinthian crowd. This Church was split by carnality – and cash!  Some had rocketed to fame and become the merchant princes of the city. So Paul says, “Ye have reigned as kings without us.” Ponder the glaring contrasts in 1 Cor. 4:8 “Ye are full ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us,” “We are fools; we are despised; we both hunger and thirst and are naked” (verse 10). The blessed compensation is in verse 9, “We [apostles] are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.”    

It was not hard for Paul to claim after all this that he was “less than the least.” Then, Paul pointed all this truth against those whose faith had lost its focus. These Corinthians were full, but not free. (A man escaped from his cell is not free who still drags his chains.)  Paul is not grieved that they have super abundance and he nothing. He groans that their wealth has brought weakness of soul. They have comfort, but no cross; they are rich, but not reproached for Christ’s sake.  He does not say they are not Christ’s, but that they are seeking a thorn-less path to heaven. He declares, “I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.”  Indeed they reigned in a time-bound temporal realm (of which Paul had no interest ) for he knew that what the world gives in time will be taken by the same world also in the course of time. Rather Paul sought to reign with Christ eternally.    

But who wants to be thus dishonoured, despised, and devalued?  Such truth is revolutionary and upsetting to our corrupted Christian teaching. Can we delight in being esteemed fools? Is it easy to see our names cast about as an evil thing? Communism levels men down; Christ levels men up! True Christianity is far more revolutionary than Communism (though of course, bloodless). The bulldozers of socialism have tried to “push over” the hills of wealth and “fill in” the valleys of poverty. They thought  that by education they could “make the crooked places straight”- by an act of parliament and a mere waving of the political wand, the millennium, so long delayed, could be delayed, could be brought in. But those changes in Russia have been merely a change of bosses with the underdog still the bottom dog. Today plenty of people are rich by making others poor, but Paul said he was “poor, yet making many rich.” Thanks be unto God! The bag of Simon Magus who commercialises the gospel still gets no attention from the Holy Ghost!  If we have not yet been taught how to esteem “the mammon of unrighteousness, ” how shall we be entrusted with the “true riches”?    

And so Paul, bankrupt materially and socially, was bracketed with the choice few who are listed “as the “filth of the world.” Certainly this helped him understand that, as filth, he would be trodden under foot by men. Even though he could answer the philosophers, Stoics, and Epicureans on Mars Hill, yet for Christ’s sake he was willingly rated a “fool.”  To Jesus, the world’s antagonism was fundamental and perpetual…    

 ”Give me the love that leads the way, The faith that nothing can dismay, The hope no disappointments tire, The passion that will burn like fire, Let me not sink to be a clod: Make me thy fuel, Flame of God  “    -   Amy Wilson Carmichael    

(The article is an excerpt adapted from “Why Revival Tarries” by Leonard Ravenhill)    

I Peter 2 [9]  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:    

 My God reigns … By your grace make me worthy to reign with you forever – Lord Jesus.    

Bode      

Philippians 4[19] But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

3John [7]Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.   

Psalm 62 [5] My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

We are entering the season perhaps few dread because of the traditions and pressures to show love through giving and the hard-to-resist marketing of items and offers for consideration.  Indeed, this is the month that cries spend; spend more and a little bit more.  Give… give more …give a little more.

I often wonder the perspective of Jesus … who as a baby received gifts from wise men…only to become as He grew the ultimate gift poured out to and for all of mankind. God also said the silver and gold is already His and so cannot need what He already has.  I do not want to speculate where the tradition of gifts and seasons celebrations really began as there are hardly scriptural references of saints celebrating birthdays.  Rather ominously – in the Bible, birthday celebrations were mentioned only twice.  Pharaoh’s birthday (Gen. 40:20) at which his chief baker was hung and Herod’s feast (Matthew 14:6 & Mark 6:21) at which John was beheaded.  I plead to someone reading…do not sabotage your finances or decapitate your future in this period as you seek to make an impression. Inappropriate collections to ministry can also lead to early termination … spiritually initially. Let God finance His work.

It is however a good time to tell people about Jesus and reflect on the approach of Jesus Christ to giving and Bible directions to inform financial decisions.  It is a time to model His ways for the world to see. What would Christ have done differently in this season as He lived the recession-proof life?  For all He needed was indeed provided.  Consider the following seven areas for examples.

1.God does not need your money but needs more of you and your repentant heart.  Be not under pressure to give to ministry if not led by the Spirit of God. Rather pay all your debts – be sure the basic needs of your family, care for parents, wards etc. are covered and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance to give…Only give joyfully.

2.God is your source, therefore make your financial needs known to Him and do not be dependent on man or be expectant or excited in receiving from men. Do not form the habit of making your needs known to men. Do not leave an obvious hint of your need to the well-dressed neighbour in the church.

3.Be cautious of gifts you receive…never put any under pressure to give or be compelled to accept and consume every gift.  As you seek God’s face in giving, do the same in receiving.  Do not put yourself under undue influence as a result of significant receipts. If it seems very rude to return an inappropriate gift it may be easier to openly redistribute or channel these gifts to a known charity (office gifts are best handled this way…do not be seen taking inappropriate gifts from suppliers home). Remember,  Abram rejected the gift from the King of Sodom. Gen. 14 [22]  And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, [23]  That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich

4. Never be elated or excited at receiving money /gifts…you may just be a channel and it may not be for your consumption…seek God’s direction.  Similarly do not be upset if you lack or lose money…make your needs known to God.  A gift is often a test…be joyful when you have passed. Christ received from men and ministered His life to all. Do not be a random receiver collecting from those who do not receive your ministry. Be sure you are giving out more even to those you receive from.

5.Never purchase impulsively. Being able to afford an item does not mean you can go ahead to buy it.  Far more good may be done by considering alternative possibilities as God leads you. Do not purchase love with money (true love is not for sale) or pressurise others to spend to prove love.  Most giving can be selfish “investments” in disguise as it expects something directly in return from men….and God stops being your source. Prayerfully plan a budget for the season and adhere to it. Never use credit to show love as you buy gifts, spend to improve lifestyle or to entertain.

6.If in ministry, be cautious not to squander money collected from those poorer than you for your own personal luxurious lifestyle or family leisure use. God hates oppression of the poor. There will be accounts required of us.

7.There are many inexpensive things that are valued and leave far more endearing memories … your time spent with family and loved ones, an apology in a thoughtful note, a five minute call just to show you remember and truly care, rekindling of neglected relationships  e.g. with your teenage daughter, a word of appreciation to your pastor etc…these may cost almost nothing.

Enjoy the season…remember after all they call it Christmas…should we not be most like Christ at this time ?   And one most important thing…when we give as we must – remember we are to be generous to others especially the less privileged and not over-indulge ourselves…

Also, reflect on the following scriptures…

Proverbs 11[25]  The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

Proverbs 22: [9]  He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

I Timothy 6[8]  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

 Have a blessed day. Amen.

Bode

Isaiah 43 [2]  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Recently, I was invited to give a talk on Sustainability. Sustainability is about the inspiration and innovation that creates tomorrow’s value and prosperity. In other words, meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  In our economies, it is the development and creative mix of, at least, the following four types of capital to produce a sustainable menu.

• Financial Capital – cash, investments and monetary instruments
• Manufacturing Capital – infrastructure. Machines, tools and factories
• Natural Capital – resources, living systems, ecosystems, healthcare
• Human Capital – Labour and intelligence.

All these work together. Indeed, deficiencies in or excessive focus on one ingredient ruins the meal. Emphasis on financial capital, for example, without enough intervention in human, manufacturing and natural capital is setting up for future crisis though there are temporary present gains.

Whenever I consider a topic of secular interest, I always want to remind myself that there is always the spiritual dimension which drives earthbound models.  

On the spiritual front the Prophet Isaiah declares the word of God on sustainability – presenting divine wisdom in perhaps 3 areas.

• Survival of trials – The hallmark of sustainability
• Foolishness – The enemy of sustainability
• Repentance – The assurance of sustainability.

Survival of trials: Trials are inevitable – and so on the issue of trials, Isaiah uses the word “when” and not “if”.

• Waters become suddenly deep and drowning threatens but there is a solid ground and Christ leads as seas part. When we get out of our depth, we have Christ to hold on to.  We should expect miraculous interventions  
• Rivers overflow their banks and floods cause others to perish but like Noah, we are in an ark – safe. That ark is Christ. Be convinced of your salvation in Jesus Christ as a false or faked assurance will prove worthless in the floods.
• Fires (meaning overwhelming destructive forces) rage and we are still not hurt…like the 3 Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego or Daniel in the Den of Lions, again there is the saving presence of Christ.

Daniel and the 3 Hebrew boys endured and we learn from their character and lifestyle the need for;

• early piety –  youths need sound and solid teachings and wisdom from early age,
• devoutness in the closet – we need to prevail in prayer first in private before attempting public exposure,
• firm decision of character –  we should be determined not to bow to evil, and
• diligence in business – we ought to excel in our trade by diligent self application and continuous learning.

Foolishness: Naboth lost his vineyard through the schemes of Jezebel, Ahab and sons of Belial in 1Kings 21:9. But why was Naboth hanging out with sons of Belial? Foolishness is refusing consecration to Christ. It is foolish to be unequally yoked with questionable alliances as this only makes us more vulnerable

Repentance: To have the assurance of a better future, we should consider our ways, learn our lessons and stop repeating our misdeeds.  That is why Christ said:

John 5[14] Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

Will the next recovery be sustainable?  The answer lies perhaps in the quality of our repentance.

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Bode Ososami

This seems to be the question on the lips of many as ears itch for a favourable answer. 

I Kings 18[41]  And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. [42]  So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, [43]  And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

The prophet Elijah declares the Recession is over – though no evidence of this is seen and he commands his servant to go and look again seven times.

Elisha, another prophet of God many years later makes a similar declaration in another famine in 2Kings[7:1]  Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. [2] Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

How will we know when the Recession is over? We will know when God declares it to be so through His word by His prophets.  Will we see signs of improvement and economic indices/indicators getting better suggesting the Recession is about to end?  We may not. However, the sure sign will be the word of God declaring it over.

Will economists, brilliant men and highly rated journals herald the end of Recession?  In the text above, Elijah’s servant saw nothing until seven times he looked.  In the case of Elisha, God used lepers to silence the lords (the economic advisers) of kings.

Again, the simple question “Is the Recession over?” Time magazine reports in Sept 14, 2009  –  Turning point for the Global Recession?  Perhaps, indeed it is.

We are already beginning to hear God speaking through His prophets. Let the prophets of God, waiting in unknown caves, echo with certainty His word for the moment – and let them mobilise their servants.  Let the lepers (true saints) of today’s post-modern age put the lords of Kings to shame again.  

But then, rather than seeking to know if Recession has ended, should we not be more concerned about if we have learnt our lessons.  Have we changed our paradigms and reconstructed our mindsets?  Is our mind renewed by His Spirit?  In other words – are we repentant?  As this recovery develops, hear the Lord Jesus Christ warning the one made whole about a worse thing coming.

John 5[14] Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

A careful look at the famines described in the book of Kings in the above scriptures reveals that the famine in the time of Elijah was so bad that the widow of Zarephath and her child prepared to die.

1Kings 17[12]  And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

But the end of that famine saw only an unrepentant Ahab (like most of us anxious to see recovery) going up to eat and drink as indeed the rains were about to fall again. Years later, a very much worse and fearful situation arose in Samaria.  So terrible, that this time women boiled their children.

II Kings 6[29]  So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

Is the Recession over?  For someone who cares it is time to put his face between his knees to seek the face of the Lord and intercede about the future. “Lord, give us grace to completely overhaul our ways that we do not see even worse times in our future”

Nahum 1[9]  What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.  

Have a blessed day

Bode Ososami

I recently watched a Christian film I had seen over 5yrs ago… Time Changer. Set in 1890, a Bible Professor Russell Carlisle (D.David Morin) has written a new manuscript, “The Changing Times” and his book is about to receive unanimous endorsement from the board members of the Grace Bible Seminary… until Dr. Norris Anderson (Gavin MacLeod) raises an issue over a “difficulty” he has with something Carlisle has written. Dr. Anderson believes what Carlisle has written could seriously affect the future of coming generations. A manuscript emphasising morals, ethics and values without prominent focus on the Lordship and Salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ who taught those values, would lead to danger and cause more harm in coming generations. Using a secret time machine, Anderson sends Carlisle more than 100 years into the future; offering him a glimpse of where his writing will lead.
Indeed, Carlise travels from 1890 in a Time Machine to the modern day Church to see what the preaching of ethics, leadership and morality…with a subtle de-emphasis of Christ and the Holy Spirit has produced. I wish every Christian will watch and reflect on this film again…Carlisle cannot believe the compromise in almost every aspect of faith covered in a flurry of activities andwonders how “Christians” could be so deceived. He concludes that Dr Anderson is right and revises His manuscript.

Indeed our Lord Jesus Christ said: “Beware of covetousness for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of what he has.” But more importantly we must be always under Christ’s Lordship doing only whatever the Holy Spirit – The Spirit of Christ -permits in our lives. I suspect the unmentionable variety we see today in Christendom and the ugly debates on family, ethics, marriage and lifestyle issues may have been unheard of if the Lordship of Christ and strict continual direction of the Holy Spirit were fully preserved in all aspects of worship.

Revd. Josiah O. Akindayomi, who started what transformed to become The Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1952, had warned concerning the future of Christianity of two developments. One, the quest and ambition for prominence and position and second…focus on money and the love of it. These arise from straying from Christ reigning in us to bowing to other “lords”. It relates also to the natural lack of control of desire which indeed dates back to Ancient Greece and the emergence then of the so called Epicurean philosophy. Even Epicurus himself wrote: “To whom little is not enough nothing is enough. Give me a barley cake and a glass of water and I am ready to rival Zeus for happiness.” But there is hope.

“Even though you may have suffered shame, dishonour, and humiliation in the past, the restoration ahead will be so glorious that you will forget the shame. The pathway to that glorious future can only be found in Christ. When you fully surrender and allow Him to take full control of your life, His glory and power will cause you to burst into songs of joy. Proverbs 23[18] For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” writes Pastor E. A. Adeboye again.

Why am I convinced that wealth will come out your ashes as you return to Jesus Christ? Hear the Prophet Isaiah speak of Christ. Isaiah [61:1] The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; [2] To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; [3] To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

I pray Christ meets with you and reigns in you through this blog and your life filled again with restoration and hope.

Finally, I want to thank all that have sent me messages and Dr Okey Onuzo for his most kind and helpful comments on this blog…and my hat’s off to Pastor I.D. Iluyomade, City of David, for his most generous support of the new book Wealth out of Ashes.

God bless you all and welcome to a great future.

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Bode Ososami

Turn your eyes upon Jesus – Look full in His wonderful face…and the things of the world will grow strangely dim – In the light of His glory and grace.

Words of a great gospel classic remind us of hope that shines so bright even in crisis. I marvel at the first miracle of Christ at the wedding in Cana and the comment made by guests who had enjoyed the hospitality.

John 2:10  And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

This establishes a powerful principle of God in Christ Jesus at variance to inevitable decline, decay and depreciation in the world. This principle declares 2 great propositions.

• In Christ…Our best days, revivals, miracles and testimonies are all ahead of us and yet to come – things will get better…This is our hope in Christ Jesus that sustains us.
• In the world…Our worst days are still ahead…and things will go much worse – we have not seen the worst of worldly decay…yet. This is the inevitable outcome of godlessness.

Recently I wrote a short song Saved by hope – for someone somewhere who needs to rediscover hope…

Saved by hope – from shame and sorrow -The price for sin is fully paid

A lively hope, from bondage rescued – Saved by hope.

Saved by hope – complete and perfect in our Saviour Jesus Christ

Under grace, His blood has conquered -Saved by hope.

Saved by hope – all foes defeated; My soul longs to see the Lord

Clothed in His eternal glory – Saved by hope.

Saved by hope – fully persuaded – to rejoice in Christ our Lord.

Singing songs of life eternal – Saved by hope

Saved by Hope – with firm conviction – Standing firm through trials and storms

Waiting for the glorious union – Saved by hope.

Saved by hope – no more in darkness; Inexpressible our light.

Saved by hope to live forever – Saved by hope.

There are new joys even now. Rediscover the joys of a simple lifestyle in times of Recession (Chapter Eight in my book Wealth out of Ashes,  deals with this)…see also my article published in articlesbase.com. 

The depression makes hope in Christ even more precious and attractive to the fallen. Read about Hidden value in Recession.  And for more articles in articlesbase.com – read why social decay will cause a downward spiral as opposed to the blessed assurance of an upward journey of life for the saints. (Simply click the underlined text to advance to articles)

The Redeemed Christian Church of God celebrates its 57^th annual convention this week.  Ministering: Pastor E.A. Adeboye and other Anointed Men of God. Link up to the RCCG Church site and be blessed if you cannot be there. Aug 3-9, 2009 : Theme “Christ in you the Hope of Glory”… listen to wonderful messages on this theme – and experience the opposite of all that can cause shame.

Enjoy a new beginning…look for someone who needs encouragement and share this message… Always remain blessed.

Bode Ososami