Thanksgiving as the basis of worship II

ByPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
Greetings to you, dear friends! Grace and peace to you from Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ! The Bible calls us to always rejoice and give thanks in everything. Yesterday we discussed that God seeks worshippers, because He wants to give them peace and fulfilment! Worship is the source of fulfilment, and thanksgiving is the foundation of true worship. We also talked about how the lack of gratitude robs a person of the joy of fellowship with God and the joy of the ministry to God. Today let’s look at the life of Joseph and see what the place of thanksgiving was in his life. God did so much for Joseph. He saved his life when his brothers wanted to kill him. God showed him favor when he was sold into slavery. God abundantly blessed the work of his hands that his master placed him over his whole property. Joseph never forgot these blessings from the Lord. The realizations of God’s mercy filled Joseph’s heart with gratitude toward God and his master. It was his grateful heart that did not allow Joseph to hurt or grieve God: 
 «And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, „Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”»(Genesis, 39:7-9).
 If we forget where God has brought us from, then our hearts get filled with arrogance and pride and our bond with God weakens. A grateful heart always ties a person to God. Many of us today could have been alcoholics if not for God’s grace that touched our lives. Many of us could have destroyed our lives if not for God Who intervened and changed our lives. Many of us would have been slaves to sin, if not for God’s great mercy that made us the servants of God. That is why Apostle Paul wrote: 
 «I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be confirmed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God» (Romans, 12:1-2).
 Pall calls us to remember God’s mercy, give ourselves to Him, serve Him, seek His will and live for Him. When you live having a realization of God’s mercy, then your heart is filled with gratitude and then it is easy to live for God and other people. Gratitude births sacrificial living and ministry, and a sacrificial living kills lust. The world today is destroyed by different forms of lust. Sacrificial living is the alternative of lust! 
«…by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust» (2 Peter, 1:4).
 Lust means to seek self-gratification. The Bible says though: 
 «Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others» (Philippians, 2:4).
 When a person realizes the part God and other people play in his life, he cannot keep living for himself only. Gratitude causes a desire to live sacrificially and help others. First of all, we must give thanks to God Who has given us life. It says in the Bible for all that have breath to praise God: 
«Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! » (Psalm, 150:6).
 Our every breath is a gift from God. We must be grateful to God for our every breath. A grateful heart makes a person into an effective minister to God. Commitment to God and ministry to people are expressions of our gratitude to God Who shows us mercy. Just like faith without works is dead, so our gratitude cannot be expressed in words only. True gratitude will inevitable be confirmed by the work of ministry of God and people. May this day be the day when you will look out not only for yourself, but also for the others! We will continue tomorrow! God bless you! Pastor Rufus Ajiboye

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God reveals His plan gradually

AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
Yesterday we began talking about the importance of knowing God’s will for our lives. We established that God has a particular plan with precise assignments for every person. But God reveals His plan gradually.God reveals His plan to us as we reach certain levels of maturity and grow in our ability to accept what He has prepared for us. As God shows us the details of His plan, we can learn to walk in obedience in those areas where God has already revealed us His will. And during this time we can simply trust Him to carry out His sovereign plan for our life.
You will be able to arm yourselves against the tsunamis of evil in these last days if you walk in the light of God’s Word and soberness of mind!

You will be able to arm yourselves against the tsunamis of evil in these last days if you walk in the light of God’s Word and soberness of mind!

AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 5 minutes
«Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons» (1 Timothy, 4:1).It is sad that people depart from the faith; their love grows cold; they get offended and leave God. (When our relationships with God start growing cold it is a sign of departure from the faith). I would want it to happen with any of you; I wish none of you fall because of the wicked winds of the last days.
You can prosper under any circumstances all it takes is for you to pay the price for God to be with you

You can prosper under any circumstances all it takes is for you to pay the price for God to be with you

AutorsMācītājs Rufus Adžiboije Reading Time: 4 minutes
No matter what you do, no matter what your status in life and no matter what your circumstances, if you can have access to the presence of God, you will succeed. Joseph was in slavery, sold to a foreign land by his own blood brothers, but that could not stop his prosperity.What really determine our success or prosperity in life is the presence of God with us. The way might not be easy. The journey might be longer than we think, but if God is with us the way will be decked with the goodness and the favour of God.
It is the content of your heart that determines where your life is heading! IV

It is the content of your heart that determines where your life is heading! IV

AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 3 minutes
“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James, 1:21).This is a very profound verse of Scripture that must be considered and closely examined. But I would like to draw your attention to several points. Here the Bible talks about the implanted Word which saves our souls. It resembles the process of engrafting a branch of tree into another tree, after which these trees become one, since they have the same root system. The implanted Word must be one with me. God wants His Word to be planted in my heart so that the Word and I become one because it is only then will the word be able save my soul.

God’s purpose for the earth and the role of people in it III

AutorsPastor Rufus Ajiboye Reading Time: 4 minutes
«Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! ’» (Matthew, 7:21-23).