PENTECOST BAPTIST CHURCH INTERNATIONAL, PORTSMOUTH.

Sunday 29 April 2012

Praise is comely. Psalm 33:1-22

Praise is comely. Psalm 33:1-22
Hebrews 11:32
And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Before we conclude our series on ‘Exploits of faith’, it is important to look at a common factor to these heroes of faith. This common factor is praises. All those who did exploits in the bible learnt and cultivated the habit of praising God. We will mention one or two that the bible emphasised as praise singers. Lets take David as one man who love to praise God. Even though David was as small and negligible as the index finger, in his fathers house, his praise attitude placed him on a great pedestal in the heavenlies. God’s testimony about David was ‘A man after God’s own heart’. why? Because David cultivated the habit of praising God. While tending the flock alone in the bush he communicates with God through praises. That is where Saul’s servant knew him as a talented singer. And when he came face to face with the depressed king, the spirit of depression flew out of Saul through the window.
1Samuel 16:23
And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
When he led the ark of the covenant from Gibeah, he danced so much that his wife despised him.
2Samuel 6:14
And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. 16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart…..23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.
Bible commentators believe that David wrote more songs and psalms than any other person in the bible.
What about Jehoshaphat who formed an army of praise singers and did not only rout out the alien soldiers but destroyed them totally through praises.
2Chronicles 20:19
And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high. 20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. 24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. 25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.
What about Elisha during national crises? All he needed was his choir and instrumentalists and he authored victory for three kings over and against multitudes of soldiers through anointed praises.
2Kings 3:15
But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. 16 And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts. 18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
Ok maybe these were Old Testament examples. Paul and Silas were locked up awaiting public execution. The bible account was that their praises made God to visit the prison.
Acts 16:25
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
What prayer could not do praises achieved it in excess.. After this experience Paul declared that he would sing in understanding as well as in spirit.
1Corinthians 14:15
What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
He has learnt that praises is comely.
From all these accounts. Praise is not only comely, pleasant, beneficial, fitting, attractive, appropriate and involving, praise is an arsenal of war. Praise is medicinal, it is therapeutic. Praise is spiritual as well as physically involving. Praise is godly, awesome and intriguing. Praise is both individualistic (based on personal conviction) and collective. Praise is multilingual, multicultural and dynamic
Would you like to see miracles, signs and wonders in your life?
Would you like to experience first hand, the move of God in this modern day?
Have you prayed repeatedly about an issue without result?
Are there challenges in your life, marriage, ministry, education , work, social life, or business?
Are you still struggling with sin unsure of your salvation?
Do you want the Holy Spirit to move you around and make you a solution to many problem?
Cultivate the habit of praises to God and we will soon read the exploits of God in your story.

Sunday 22 April 2012

The exploits of faith (Hebrews 11:1-31)

The exploits of faith Hebrews 11:1-31
Hebrews 11:32
And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Faith is action. Faith is spiritual. Faith is dynamic. It is a dynamic spiritual action. It is up to date. It even brings the future closer to us and makes it more real. It is telescopic. It is prophetic. It sees both what is visible and invisible . Not only does faith see what is invisible, it touches it, it handles it and it possesses it. In other words faith makes invisible things visible, tangible and real. The scriptures confirm that faith is the evidence. It is the testimony, the proof, the surety you can hold when what you are looking for is yet to manifest.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith will take you to places of honour and keep you there. Faith will bring you healing, and keep you healthy. Faith will not only author your deliverance, it will keep you free forever. Faith is what you need. It is your proof that your future is guaranteed, your job, business, marriage, education and health are secured.
From the scriptures that we read, we see faith transforming ordinary people to extraordinary and mundane actions to legendary. When you start having faith in God you begin to chart a course that will bring out the legend in you. Faith in God will augment you. It will promote you. It did all these to people in the past,
Hebrews 11:2
For by it the elders obtained a good report.
it is doing the same now and it will do this for ever because as a spiritual substance, it abides forever. Have faith today and the challenges will be history. The weakness will bell strength, the poverty will be prosperity, pain will be gain, shame fame, fruitlessness fruitfulness and disappointments, divine appointments.
Faith is the answer.
But how do we have faith? Romans 10:17
How do we increase our faith? Luke 17:1-5

Sunday 15 April 2012

God’s grace, beyond our sins.

God’s grace, beyond our sins.
It is true that we will attain a better resurrection through the atoning work, sacrificial death and the triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ. But that is not all. It is not only futuristic. It is also immediate, continuous as well as punctilinear.
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.Positionally, we sit in the heavenly places with Christ. We share in his glory, joy, peace, victory, power and grace. Our prayers go directly to God beyond the forces of the adversaries in the first heaven. It is therefore up to us to make good use of this position in Christ. The situation is like that of the prodigal son. Though he was a son, recognised by the father as a son, he did not feel worthy of being a son. He thought his sins were too many. Yes his sins were many just like our many sins, we don
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the landAre you feeling the weight of your sins? There is the remedy in the atoning blood of Jesus the Christ. Are you feeling forgiven and free? There is even an abundant grace and an unfathomable dept of love to experience remaining for you in Christ. May be you are still seeing the love that Christ has in the surface at the periphery, you need to launch a little deeper still. Refuse to stay in the shallow waters of God
According to Fanny Crosby,
t make light of sins but the grace of fatherhood of God overweighs, overcomes and overshadows all the human sins including yours.s grace, move on ahead into the mainstream and the dept of his everlasting love.There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
Keep moving forward, growing in faith and in the grace of our lord Jesus Christ until you experience God and reach the status of Christ the head of the church.
God bless you
Tips for growing in the grace of the lord Jesus
Regular, daily praise and worship
Regular, daily reading of the word, the bible
Regular, prayers for yourself and others
Regular fellowship with God and his people
Regular practice of the presence of God, seeing his handiwork and beauty in the complexity of creation, natural order, spiritual order and even in your own being and beauty, and existence
Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Sunday 8 April 2012

Easter: the hope of a better resurrection

Easter: the hope of a better resurrectionThere is abundance evidence that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Both Roman record and world history testify to it. The world dating and calendar system were changed and built on this fact.
This is the little difference that makes the big difference between Christianity and the other world religions. Only Jesus Christ the Lord of the Christian faith rose from the dead. The rest religious leaders and founders rot away in their graves. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not for his own sake alone, it is an example for as many that believes in him that they will also have a better resurrection. Today Jesus is alive and makes himself real to those who are seeking him. He makes the hope of Christians to be beyond death and the grave.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?He gives us a better resurrection.
Would you like a better resurrection?
Would you like to be with Jesus Christ in glory?
Would you like to be with the saints who made it to God - Abraham, Moses, David, Deborah, Gideon, Mary, Paul, Peter and John?
Then give your life to Christ today,
Ask him to come into your heart.
Ask him to forgive you your sins and cleanse your spirit
Ask the Holy Spirit also to fill your heart and help you to live for God
Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.Isaiah 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. 1Thesalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Sunday 1 April 2012

The Triumphal Entry: A date with destiny

The Triumphal Entry: A date with destiny. Matthew 21:1-17
Jesus was going to Jerusalem to die. And he knew it.
Mark 10:32
And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, 33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
He did not falter nor shrink from it . It was a date with destiny. To God, to Christ and for humanity, Jesus
Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
For Jesus it was an inevitable date with destiny for the sake of humanity.
For the next seven days, Jesus would blast the Pharisees, thumb sicknesses, legalised deliverance and blew the mind of the crowd but blew his chance of continual physical existence as well. Everyone also has a date with destiny. This is not only in the negative sense. There are several positive aspects of dates with destiny. Biblical examples of positive dates with destiny include the day Ruth met Boaz (Ruth 2:2-8); when David met Jonathan (I Samuel 18:1-4); and when apostle Paul met the Lord Jesus on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6). The sole significance of dates with destiny is the fulfilment of prophecy. All the good prophecies concerning you will begin to come to pass as from today.
One serious thing that Jesus did on the day was to look beyond the physical. This is because appearance can be deceptive. Those who shouted Hosanna soon said crucify him. It is noticeable as well in the story of the triumphal entry that good and evil sometimes if not always co-exist.
The crowd celebrated Jesus because he stayed focussed on God
From Jesus experience we learnt that rejoicing and pain do coexist. Actually if there is no pain there may be no gain. But the individual rejoices now despite the pain because very soon such one will experience the gain.
Since everyone has got a date with destiny, it is wise to prepare while we may. Few things one need to do from Jesus
Know the mind of God concerning you. These include general and special prophecies about your health, your wealth, your future and your destiny.
Job 22:21
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. 22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. 24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. 25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. 26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. 28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. 29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. 30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
Pray when you still have time to do so. In fact pray as if it only depends on prayer.
Prepare as well as if it only depends on preparedness.
Look beyond physical appearance because appearance can be deceptive.
Let your comments be positive and seasoned with faith
Focus on God and yield to his grace.
I pray that your date with destiny will be the day of your glory, joy, promotion and peace. You will have total victory and all your challenges will fall flat before you. In Jesus name.
death was worth more than the miracles that the crowd saw and were rejoicing. It would be for the final redemption of fallen humanity. The prophets have prophesied it and the law has written it down. It has been a grand plan of the Godhead from eternity past. s will. The world will soon celebrate you. It is your time to shine. All you need to do is stay focussed on Gods will. The Pharisees did not like Jesus fame. They asked him to silence the crowd. Jesus shamed, shocked and surprised them at the same time. He told them if the crowd stop praising him, God will raise up stones to shout his praise. own experience include: