DROP THE OLD WEIGHT

_”Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.”_(Isaiah 43:18)

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Some of the profound explanations in the statements of Jesus Christ, we the expository meanings of some Old Testament proclamations made by the Prophets. The Word of God in both Old and New Testaments work in an atmosphere of harmony, truth and continuity for the sake of evidence. One who becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, has gotten a former weight to drop before he or she can pick up the Cross of Christ to follow Him.

God makes a covenant with humankind, through His Son Jesus Christ who has taught us to Have faith in Him (His Word). This means that old things that are not in agreement with His Will, will not help us to make our new lives in Him meaningful. He once told us that the new wine is not put into old wine skins. One’s remembrance of the former things which kept him or her lusting after sin to serve it, will never get Him transformed in the new life. Things of old in the years which preceded the life of a Christian are full of condemnation and satanic ways of doing things.

Nothing of old can make us succeed as Christians. The ancient Way of Righteousness has not changed, and only few people are keeping to it because some Christians in this generation keep on embracing the former things which destroy souls. Just remembering something evil you have done, will not take you to an expected end. That notwithstanding, we can only talk about our testimonies and lay emphasis on how we got saved. It’s great to be loved by our Lord Jesus Christ.

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*PRAYER*: Lord Jesus, keep me solid in this new life you have brought me.  *AMEN*

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FORWARD MATCH!!!

_”As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:”_(1Peter 1:14)

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God always has to utilize the cleansing power in the Blood of Jesus Christ to wash away from us all stains of sins and filthy lifestyles. This will take place only when one has accepted Jesus Christ as His Lord, before He can entrust to us His best package in salvation. Every shame, sin, iniquity and transgression will be buried with Christ as one gets baptized in water and Spirit to signify his or her death and resurrection with Christ. (Romans 6:6,12).

Sin is a product of lust which will make humankind a disgusting slave of Satan’s weapon known as ignorance, which will never and ever make you think of your royal status as a child of God. If it took our Savior Jesus Christ to die before our sins were written off, then nobody should play with sin because it can cost eternally condemnable for those who serve it by looking down or despising the kindness of God.

Man has a point to prove within the life in Christ or the stretch of His grace by which we are saved. God has placed us in our communities and families to raise His banner of righteousness higher as a symbol of our transformation from the powers of Satan, thereby conquering sin. Without this turn around, the fruits of our salvation is crushed like an egg which is prematurely hatched without any chicken to be produced.

One who is fortunate to be in this great light of salvation, must daily remember this divine assignment, stay committed to it and keep away from what the Word of God has warned us to undo. This will cost us a lot to sacrifice for the sake of our Master Jesus Christ: it can cost us persecution, loss of opportunities, and several challenges which mustn’t suggest otherwise to us. *We will have to overcome them as Jesus Christ did, only if we give allowance to His Spirit in us to overthrow all the dictates of our “old man”.* 

Our call by God is to look forward to serve the holy one who called us to be like Him. In so doing, nothing about our past must have neither any lustful ground to breed corruption in our sanctified life, nor the effrontery to dictate for us any desire to sin. *We are obedient children who know not the past any longer. Walk on. We will have to overcome for Heaven’s sake.*

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*PRAYER*: I match forward in the grace of God as a soldier in Jesus name. *AMEN*

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NO MANSION FOR WRATHFUL BUILDERS!!!

_”For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”_(James 1:20)

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What will happen to a house built by a wrathful mason who has lost the supply of building materials? This question can correctly be answered by those who know that a Christian’s work of God’s righteousness in Christ, is what builds his heavenly mansion. Wrath only knows how to destroy and collapse the structure of uprightness.

Many people think that their wrath can be justified by the reason they stand to give for being wrathful. *Wrath is not to be one of the characteristics of a Christian who is solidly rooted in Christ Jesus.* Living the character of Christ on earth, is known as righteousness. Since He is the righteousness of God, wrath doesn’t form part of His character only if man pleases Him to the end.

Beloved, the reason why wrath shouldn’t be mentioned as one of the characteristics of a Christian is that, our Lord is the one to judge those who cause wrath to come upon man. By so doing, those people together with wrathful Christians will face His wrath for not living according to God’s forgiveness and love for us through the death of Christ.

The Spirit of God doesn’t inspire anger in us but gentleness and forgiveness. These are some of the materials which will be needed to build for us mansions in Heaven. With wrath, the righteousness of God cannot be worked out by any of us. What at all do we obtain from wrath? To become like God will require our zeal to be like Jesus before we are finally glorified in Heaven after all is said and done.

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*PRAYER*: Holy Spirit, kindly uproot all roots of anger from me in Jesus name. *AMEN*

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THEIR TURNAROUND IN OUR ENDURING PROGRESS

_”Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.”_(Ezra 1:2)

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The message for today calls for a sober reflection on how God can stir up the heart of a rigid person in power, so as to direct his children into the enjoyment of a peaceful life. God’s people with whom He had covenant, had to be freed from exile in the land of Babylon. Cyrus the King of Persia was given the privilege of becoming the most powerful man in the whole world; because God’s people were in captivity.

Inversely, God was turning the heart of the world after Him by bestowing unimaginable powers on Cyrus. Hastily reading our verse for the day will not help us to know that God was turning the heart of the world after Jerusalem, the seat of His government as the King of Kings. The stirring from the Lord made the King under whom the Israelites were serving, grant freedom for all the children of Israel and on top of that, help them with materials for the construction of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. Who else can do this apart from God?

Are you dealing with someone who seems difficult for you to be with? Don’t worry. God will strengthen him to become a vessel of victory for you when you least expect it. Patience is needed as a weapon to bring God into the life of those who are in offices or communities of residence, to dictate bitter and provocative commands for us to bear. Instead, they will be our servants and not our overlords. Challenging them over harsh decisions taken to tie you up, will not make you a winner over an unwanted situation.

Nothing is too hard for our Lord Jesus Christ to bring under our control. He will surely step into our hard times when the timing is right for us to receive his intervention. Our leaders can be won by Christ Jesus when we conduct ourselves responsibly as Christians who are waiting for God’s hand to be moved in our favor, without complaining.

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*PRAYER*: Lord Jesus Christ, may I never drive away your children with any act of impatience. *AMEN*

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THE COVENANT BLESSING IN TITHING AND GIVING

*👤MINISTER: _PASTOR MOSES D. AMETEPEH_*

👉MEMORY VERSE: Refer to Genesis 14:18-20

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Every covenant revolves around a mystery. Blessings are in the covenant God has with all Christians through His Word. These physical and spiritual blessings were manifested in the life of Abraham, our father of faith. His life was the manifestation of the Christian faith over which God has made him the father.

Abraham’s character cannot be learnt without his total obedience to God’s Word. In all his life, he didn’t argue with God but he did all that the LORD commanded him to do. The Bible tells us in Genesis 15:6, about how his belief in God was counted to him as righteousness. Know that this is the standard he set for us to follow as believers of Jesus Christ who are called to live by faith.

Also, he was faithful in his payment of tithes as Genesis 14:18-20 tells us in one of his encounters with Melchizedek, High Priest. Abraham took bread and wine from the High Priest, after helping out Lot to retrieve his goods from the criminals. He paid his tithe to Him. Bread and wine in this context represents the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Melchizedek was our Lord Jesus Christ to whom Abraham gave back what belongs to Him (Hebrews 7:1-10).

If a Christian knows Jesus Christ as his or her Savior without the full payment of their tithes, then we have rebelled against Him, unlike Abraham did. Tithe payment is not a law but an inward commitment which springs out from the heart of a righteous Christian. In the Old Testament, tithes were paid in goods and farm products to the priestly class called the Levites. 

Jesus Christ has brought all Christians into a royal and priestly class but it there are those who occupy the office of leaders in His ministry. Let us bear in mind that there will never be a blessing without the office of God’s servants popularly known as Pastors or Teachers of God’s Word. If we are to refer to the Word of God in Leviticus 27:30-34, we will know that tithes are holy unto the Lord. He who refuses to pay tithes doesn’t recognize the holiness of God. These Levites, who are represented by our Pastors today, are also to pay tenth part of the tithe they receive (Numbers 12:25-27).

It is supposed to be paid in the House of God either in cash or in goods (Deuteronomy 14:22-25). This is a covenant blessing which comes upon our lives only when we pay our tithes faithfully without withholding it from the Lord. Non payers of tithe are poor and cursed because they don’t do what brings down the blessings of God (Malachi 3:6-11). God’s protection, favor, financial blessings and total prosperity will fall upon those who faithfully serve the Lord and pay their tithes. For those who also pay their tithes to some false prophets and pastors, have no blessings to receive from the Lord.

Non payers of tithes have no coffers in Heaven from which their blessings will be drawn. They are cursed with the curses of thieves. They repay the goodness of God with evil. Will such a person enter into Heaven? (Hosea 8:7, Deuteronomy 27:26). If the Lord blesses us, we are to be a blessing to His Church institution and all who lack.

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*PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive us for the times we have robbed you before in Jesus name. AMEN*

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KEEP CALLING HIM.

_”As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.”_(Psalm 55:16)

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Mobile phones and door bells are almost every where in our generation. They will be the best devices to help us in our understanding of persistent or importunate call upon the LORD. When a call is very important to us, we wouldn’t like to miss it.

Believers in different religions have placed all their trusts in their deities and the mist devoted ones wouldn’t like to stop petitioning them until their needs are met. That single act of total dependency on an object of worship is a wake up call to all Christians across the globe. People are trusting in sources that do not yield any profit to their souls but here we are toying and taking this privilege for granted, allowing it to go waste.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has taught us how to pray to God for the most important things we need for our souls and bodies to glorify the LORD. God is a prayer answering God who is teaching us to hook up to His perfect will in a special relationship with him in prayer (Luke 11:8-9). He doesn’t answer any selfish prayer that falls outside His consideration because He loves to see us aligned to His will.

Prayer is an honour which brings out the best in Christ Jesus and not to command God. This is the main reason why we start and end up prayer in His name. So as David said in our memory verse, He knew that faith in God, obedience to His Word, and experiences of answered prayers had proved Him right as a righteous son of God.

Therefore, it is time for us to know that we pray in the character of Christ in order to receive from Christ. God hears the voices of His righteous children, not the voices of those who disobey Him and think of doing what seems right to them. God has the power to save those who will call upon Him for the grace and mercies needed to live and execute His purpose for bringing humankind into His likeness.

He never fails us or makes empty promises to us. Instead, we don’t ask aright to fulfill His Word. He knows all that we are going through, and what it takes for us to be successful in life according to His definition. Do you pray according to His Word for our existence? Then keep calling Him because He will answer you when the time is correct for us to receive what we need from Him.

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*PRAYER*: Lord Jesus Christ, may I be one with you in prayer. *AMEN*

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PERFORM YOUR TASK VERY WELL

*_👤MINISTER: _ELDER MOSES ASARE

👉MEMORY VERSE: Refer to Genesis 6:14-16 

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Commandment is different from a duty one performs. In the Book of Genesis, God created man and give him duties to perform as a caretaker of all the things He created. After the fall of man, Noah was commanded by God to manufacture an ark to accommodate his family and a number of animals on earth before the destruction of the earth with flood.

Like Noah, all the children of Israel had God’s commandments to perform His commandments without excuses. Due to the inability of His children to obey His commandments enshrined in the Holy Scriptures, God sent His only begotten Son to bear the punishment for their reluctance to obey the commandments of God and bring gentiles into adoption.

We owe everything about our salvation, to Jesus Christ who has made us worthy to be translated from performing God’s commandments to the performance of duty. This duty is to do His will and work for the righteousness of His kingdom. His reward for us is crowned with eternal life in Heaven only if we complete our duty. This duty has no short cut to help us perform the duty assigned to us. 

Since the Lord Jesus Christ has called us into His service because of the reluctance of the people of Israel, so are we to humbly perform the task in our salvation. Beloved, we didn’t deserve to be called His own but Jesus Christ has pitied and promised us to be blessed here on earth and in Heaven. All the tools we will need in order to perform our God given duty, are found in Galatians 5:32-24.

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*PRAYER: Dear LORD. help us to give out our best in the performance of our duty as Christians, in Jesus name. AMEN*

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