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PAGE 38 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 13, 2019
Extraordinary wonder of His returning
glory (2)
By Pastor William Kumuyi
therwise, the absence of the glo
Ory of God will prime the suffering
to continue and into reaching such
a deafening alarming rate that you
would not be able to curtail, which
would eventually swallow you up.
Ezekiel 16:49-50 "Behold, this was •Kumuyi
the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride,
fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in
her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor
and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination
before me: therefore, I took them away as I saw good."
As you look at your life, instead of you to get nearer and
nearer unto God, because you have sold yourself into doing
evil, you find yourself becoming closer to the devil by your
behaviour, language, dressing, profession and proclivity.
That is the reason the problem persists because instead of
repenting you rejoice in evil, wickedness and violence. But if
you desire to turn from your wicked ways, and the moment you
also understand that hypocrisy and pride are sin, God will
redeem you.
2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my
name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Pay attention. If you are living in fornication, you are not
going to receive the blessings of God. If you are living in adultery,
the goodness of God will be far away from you. If you are
promoting pornography, the problems of life will not bypass
you. If you are gambling your life away in Ponzi scam, lotto
and football betting, then you have decided to gamble it in the
treacherous hand of the devil and you will lose the presence of
God.
You need to get out of that sin insane situation you have
found yourself and anything whatsoever that would draw the
wrath and judgment of God upon your life should be ejected
and rejected at all cost. And as you come to God, you will
experience extraordinary wonder in your life and family.
For it to happen, stealing must have to stop in your life. And
because you do not need bribery and corruption any more, the
twin evil also must have to stop playing any role in your life. Of
course, the flagship weapon of the devil, immorality of all
sorts, the bane culprits of our modern society, must be exterminated
from your life. It is only then can you discover the glory of
God.
God wants you to draw nearer to Him so that iniquity does
not become your ruin and this can happen when you cut all
known ties with the devil the father of sin who has been stockpiling
ill-fated situational problems for you and your family.
The Gospel, the power of God unto
salvation
Rev. Emmanuel Awazie
*Assemblies of God Church Nigeria,
111 Clegg Street, Surulere,
Lagos.
HE claims of the Scripture are incontrovertible and faith
Tinspiring. The efficacy of the truth in the Scriptures can
only be proven by the total acceptance and conformity with its
provisions. The Word will work wonders in response to each
person’s disposition towards it "...If any man desires to do His
will (God's pleasure), he will know..." John 7:17 (Amp).
There must be the willingness in the heart to believe God's
testimony about His plans, as revealed in the Bible, for there to
be a personal experience. The Bible validates itself and all who
have learned to believe it are able to prove its veracity, authenticity
and finality. This is why it is the only guide for victorious
living and the light for humanity in this squalid and dark universe
"...You will do well to pay close attention to it as to a lamp
shining in a dismal (squalid and dark) place,...." II Peter 1:19.
Damnation and failure in any area of life can be traced to
human heedlessness to the dictates of Scripture in the very
particular.
The whole truth about the wholesome potency of the gospel
of Christ as enunciated in the Bible can be captured in the high
spirited and enthusiastic declaration of the Apostle Paul "...It's
news I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message
of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him,...."
(Romans 1:16).
Who could have imagined that this one time opponent of the
gospel and adversary of the Church would become an ally and
the strongest proponent of the same. The only explanation for
this dramatic turnaround can only be found in the positive
power of faith in the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ
on the Cross. "...our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be
revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to
cleanse us, and to make us his very own people,...." (Titus 2:13-
14 (NLT).
The gospel, therefore gives access into privileges in God, which
no man can reach other than through Jesus Christ "...There is
salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under
heaven by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12 (NLT).
The truth needs be restated ceaselessly that the human race is
for Redemption and not renaissance; sin is at the root of the
race as it is presently. The issue is that Satan, has alienated the
human race and is holding it captive. The state of the present
world is very precarious; if what we mean by renaissance is
revival or resurgence, then what we are asking for by way of
renaissance is the resurgence of what is already in the world:
the resurgence of wickedness because “...The whole world lieth
in wickedness....” (I John 5:19). The media is inundated with
unbelievable acts: Child pregnancy, incestuous relationships
of unimaginable proportion. The human life has lost its value,
as those of cows are preferred.
There is no other power in heaven or on earth that can expiate
or put right the state in which humanity is other than the
precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
The good news, therefore, is that at the fullness of time, God
stepped in, in Jesus Christ; He took the whole Earth’s sin in
Himself and put it away, forever (Titus 2:14) "...But now, once
for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age* to remove sin
by his own death as a sacrifice." (Hebrew 9:26). That is the
Gospel that "God so loved the world, that He gave His Only
Begotten Son…" (John 3:16).
Faith in the Redemptive names of God (16)
Jehovah-Mekaddishkem
(The Lord our sanctifier)
Text: Exodus 31:12
Introduction
n Exodus 31:12-13, 16-17,
IGod instructs the children
of Israel concerning the Sabbath
day and the significance
of sanctifying or setting apart
a day of rest and worship.
"Speak also to the children
of Israel, saying, 'Most assuredly
you shall keep my Sabbaths:
for it is a sign between
Me and you throughout your
generations; that you may
know that I am Yahweh who
sanctifies you [YHWH-
M'Kaddesh].'" (WEB)
The word "m'kaddesh" derives
from the Hebrew word
"qâdash" or "kadosh" and is
translated in English to "sanctify",
"holy", "dedicate", "consecrate",
"sanctuary", or "hallow"
— but primarily by the word
"holy", as in "the Holy
[M'Kaddesh] One". "Sanctify"
means "to set apart an object
or person to the dedication of
the holy".
The word "m'kaddesh" first
appears in Genesis 2:3a when
God sanctified the Sabbath:
"God blessed the seventh day
and separated it as holy
[m'kaddesh]..
YHWH our God is holy!
I Samuel 2:2: "There is none
holy [m'kaddesh] as Yahweh;
IN the sight of God, the most
important arms of any civil
government, are the higher
powers which are the magistrates
and judges, hence every
soul is commanded to be subject
to all magistrates and
judges, because they are ordained
of God.
Romans 13:1: “Let every
soul be subject to the higher
powers. For there is no power
but of God. The powers that
be are ordained of God.”
Therefore magistrates and
judges are God’s servants or
ministers, who are given the
sword of judgment to execute
judgment in the land and ensure
law and order in the society.
Wherefore God commands
all men and the government
in power, to obey the
order of all magistrates and
judges. (Romans 13:4-5).
If any government, or a citizen
of a country, most especially,
if any believer in Christ,
resists any magistrate or judge
by refusing to obey their order,
such a government or person
is resisting God’s ordinance,
and shall receive God’s
damnation. Romans 13-2:
Philippines 3: 9-13
“Brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended; but this
one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things
which are before. I press toward
the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ
Jesus”. Phil 3:13-14
orward means moving
Ftowards a place or a position
that is in front. Focus is
to give attention to a particular
subject, situation or person.
Forward focus is therefore
taking steps to advance in a
particular mission without
looking back or sideways. Forward
focus in this dispensation
is the key to triumph. The opposite
of forward focus is backwardness,
failure. Apostle Paul
• J.K. Akinola. (Senior Pastor)
For there is none besides You,
Neither is there any rock like
our God." (WEB)
The most fundamental of all
the attributes of YHWH is His
holiness which an old Scottish
divine writes: 'It is the balance
. . . of all the attributes of Deity.
Power without holiness would
degenerate into cruelty; omniscience
without holiness
would become craft; justice
without holiness would degenerate
into revenge; and goodness
without holiness would be
passionate and intemperate
fondness doing mischief rather
than accomplishing good.'
It is this holiness which gives
to God grandeur and majesty,
and more than anything else
constitutes His fullness and
perfection.'"
YHWH our God is holy! All
the Law and the miraculous
events that followed on Mt.
Sinai and in the wilderness
Forward focus: Key to triumph (1)
was a man that would never
look backward; he was forward
focused all the time. Paul
said that one thing in his life is
forgetting the past and moving
forward, looking towards
tomorrow or things of the future.
(Phil 3:13&14) David in
Ps 27:4 said “One thing have
I desired of the LORD, that
will I seek after; that I may
dwell in the house of the
LORD all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the
LORD, and to enquire in His
temple.”
One thing that is paramount
in triumphing is being
able to put behind the past and
remain focused on the future.
What happened yesterday belonged
to the past, what is
important is the expectation
inherent in tomorrow. Jesus in
were intended to indelibly impress
upon Israel the truth of
the holiness of their God.
When God tells us, "You shall
be holy [m'kaddesh]; for I Yahweh
your God am holy
[m'kaddesh] (Leviticus 19:2)
or "I am Yahweh who sanctifies
[m'kaddesh] you" (Exodus
31:13, Leviticus 20:8), as people
inevitably become like the
god(s) they serve, it follows
then that the Holy God would
require holiness in His people.
As Nathan Stone wrote:
"A God separate from all that
is evil, too pure to behold evil,
the very antithesis of all evil,
requires that the people He
chooses be also separate from
all evil and separated to the
purpose for which He chose
them."
The purposes of setting
apart or making holy
In its different translations,
the word "m'kaddesh" appears
about 685 times in the Old
Testament. Whatever seeming
differences the various words
may suggest, the primary idea
of separating or setting apart
is common to them all. It is
used to...
(i) set apart specific days for
worship, rest, or celebration:
Exodus 20:8,11 Numbers
29:12, Exodus 12:16, 31:15,
35:2; Numbers 28:18,25-26,
29:1,7,12.
(ii) emphasize the difference
between the Holy God of the
Bible and the many detestable
pagan deities: Ezekiel 36:23
—Isaiah 29:23
(iii) set aside certain articles
for service to YHWH: II Samuel
8:11, Exodus 40:9, Exodus
28:2 & 4; Zechariah
14:21.
(iiii) set apart individuals or
even an entire nation: Exodus
19:6a, Exodus 32:29. Exodus
13:2, 28:36; Deuteronomy
7:6; Jeremiah 1:5.
(v) designate a particular
place as holy: Exodus 25:8,
Zechariah 8:3, Leviticus
10:13; Joel 3:17; Obadiah
1:17.
What a great privilege to
belong to this Holy God, and
also to be impacted upon by
His holiness. In the next episode,
we shall see how the Lord
Jesus Christ carries this Name,
and became not just our Saviour,
but also our Sanctifier.
Surrender your life to Him
today, and He will surely
cleanse and make you holy
unto God. He is our Jehovah-
Mekaddishkem.
^The Gospel Faith Mission International, Living
Word Cathedral, Oluyole Estate, beside Total Petrol
Station, off Ring Road, Ibadan. (Telephone :
08033376660, 08055405095)
The supremacy of the Judiciary is ordained by God
By CGC, Benin
“Whoever therefore resisteth
the power, resisteth the ordinance
of God: and they that
resist, shall receive to themselves
damnation.”
Judges and magistrates, on
their own part, must take heed
what they do, for they judge not
for man but for the Lord Who
is with them in that judgment.
And so, they must not judge
because of the fear of man or
because of the fear of the government
in power, but they
must judge with the fear of God,
Who made them higher powers.
They must let the fear of
the Lord be their guide in giving
our judgment. For the judgments
of God, Who ordained
them, are true and righteous.
And God is no respecter of persons,
neither does He take gifts
or bribes, neither is He influenced
by anyone. (II Chronicles
19:6-7).
Therefore, as ministers of
God, magistrates and judges
should not be partial in their
judgments, with regard to respect
of persons, or any government
in power, neither must
they take gifts to pervert justice,
otherwise they shall become
judges or magistrates of
evil thoughts and thereby incur
the wrath of God. (James
By Pastor G.C. Osuigbo
CAC Madaiyese Regional Headquaters
Plot 701/702 Durumi District
P.O. BOX 2577
Garki, Abuja.
Contacts us on: 08155555048, like us on
facebook @cacdurumi
2:4).
The role of a true church in
any civil government, is to
preach to the congregation,
salvation from sin, so that they
may abstain from evil. Spiritual
leaders of true churches
are also servants chosen by
God, whom God has given
divine authority to discipline
those who commit sin in their
various churches, by ex-communicating
them from the
church, if peradventure, it may
lead to their repentance.
That is why the saints of God
are warned by the Spirit of
God, not to sue one another to
a law court, but that they must
judge matters amongst themselves.
I Corinthians 6:1-3:
“Dare any of you, having a
matter against another, go to
law before the unjust and not
before the saints? Do ye not
know that the saints shall
judge the world? And if the
world shall be judged by you,
are ye not worthy to judge the
smallest matters? Know ye not
that we shall judge angels?
How much more things that
pertain to this life?”
The role of the true church is
also to ensure that there is
peace in the nation, as they
pray fervently and ceaselessly
for the nation. (II Chronicles
7:14). Every true church must
also pray, so that the Lord God,
who rules in the affairs of men,
will put the right people, in
positions of authority, who
shall rule with the fear of God,
that the people may rejoice
rather than mourn, because of
oppression. (Proverbs 29:2;
Ecclesiastes 4:1). God is depending
on the true church to
wake up from her spiritual
slumber, and pray for the peace
and security of the nation because
it is only Jesus that can
ensure the peace of any nation,
because He is the Prince of
Peace!
CHRISTIAN GOSPEL CHURCH
(The Truth Centre) 4, Christian Gospel Avenue,
Beside Psychiatric Hospital,
Uselu, Benin City, Edo State.
Email: cgc.com.ng@gmail.com
Telephone: +234 (0) 7052061135, +234 (0)
9030731406. Website: www.cgc.com.ng
Luke 10:28-31 emphasized
the focus on the future, particularly
the disposition of Mary
to His teaching, when He said
“Martha, Martha, thou art
careful and troubled about
many things. But one thing is
needful: and Mary hath chosen
that good part; which
shall not be taken away from
her.” While Martha was preparing
food for the body, her
sister Mary was at the feet of
Jesus learning for the preservation
of her soul in eternity.
Also a certain rich young
man in Mark 10:17-22 came
to Jesus and enquired about
what was expected of him to
be a candidate of heaven. Jesus
told him to sell all he had and
follow Him. Because the man
valued material things, the
Bible recorded that he went
away sorrowfully for he held
on to the past.
FAILURE TO BE FOR-
WARD FOCUSED:
The failure to be forward focused
includes death, calamity,
stagnation etc. This was illustrated
in 1 Kings 13:1-25.
In those verses, the Bible recorded
the story of a man of
God, whom God sent to warn
king Jeroboam who offered a
sacrifice that he was not supposed
to offer. Specifically,
God told him what to do to
neither eat nor drink at the
place and on the completion
of his assignment, to follow
another road on his way back.
The man went and in the ensuing
encounter, king Jeroboam’s
hand withered. Jeroboam
pleaded with him to
pray to the Lord for the restoration
of his hand. He did and
the king’s hand was restored.
King Jeroboam pleaded with
him to tarry a little for him to
be rewarded for the good he
had done. He refused and
went his way in obedience to
the voice of God. As he departed
in another way, an old
prophet from Bethel met him
where he tarried and invited
him to table for bread.
Against God’s instruction, the
man of God went back. As he
ate and drank, the word of
God came through the old
Prophet saying “….Forasmuch
as thou hast disobeyed
the mouth of the Lord ……..
But camest back, and hast
eaten bread and drunk water
in the place, of which the
Lord did say to thee, eat no
bread, and drink no water, thy
carcass shall not come unto
the sepulcher of thy father”.
(1 Kings 13: 21b & 22) On his
way back to Judah; he was
killed by a lion and his carcass
was left by the road side.