YOUR HEART OF WORSHIP WILL FIND A PLACE FOR YOU IN GOD’S PRESENCE – Oct 2021 Newsletter

Text: Psalm 8 KJV.

1. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5. For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7. All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
8. The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

INTRODUCTION

Adoration, hallowing, and worshipping God is what God created you for. Although you were created a little lower than the angels, yet the angels worship God. You, who are God’s image, should worship Him a lot better.

In worship, we show reverence and awe of everything God has done, what He is doing and what He will do in our lives.

As Christians, worship connects us to God. When we are connected to God, He will make a place for us in His presence.

Cynthia Holmes-Landry in [Spiritual Life ] July 17, 2020, says “Worship is about praising God and giving to Him, not receiving. God has already given us life, His Son on the cross, grace and the promise of eternal life. When we find ourselves falling into worship for our own gain, we need to come back to the heart of worship.”

There is no place in God’s presence for someone who worships in pride and self-exaltation; this is what caused Lucifer to lose his place in Heaven.

In this focus, we will explore some of the ways in which you can easily create a place in God’s presence, so that you will remain joyful when you may be feeling weak. They are:

• Create your preparation

• Use invocative Language

• Lunch into real worship

1. CREATE YOUR PREPARATION

You need to align your heart with God if you expect Him to respond to you. It involves all your being; your mind, body and spirit.

Psalm 24:3-4 KJV.
3. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

With preparation in place as described in the Psalms above, you are ready for a befitting worship.

2. USE INVOCATIVE LANGUAGE

Invocation in prayer means to call on a deity or spirit as a witness or for inspiration. To invoke in worship is to invite the Spirit of God into your heart.

As part of traditional worship, the priest or worshippers will use chants or gongs with shakers in order to call upon the gods or the deity. Incense or sacrifices may be used with a sweet aroma to call upon the gods. If they can do that, you should do more.

Your God lives eternally and He is Omnipresent.

Psalms 8: 1.
“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.”

The Psalmist states the mightiness of God using invocational language. To enter the presence of the Lord, your language must be invocative.

3. LAUNCH INTO THE REALM OF WORSHIP

To enter the realm of worship, one does not have to sing alone. Dancing, contemplative reflections, hymn singing, clapping and waving, rolling on the ground, singing praise songs are all other options.

Use the language that feels natural to you to communicate or express your feelings to God. Select the best style that feels comfortable for you.

The language of worship has been mostly misunderstood. Some Church leaders misdirect their followers to prefer a certain language of worship, some people are stuck into a certain extent in the cause of worship because they have a limited ability to flow in the language.

Psalms 8: 3.
“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.”

God hears everyone’s worship individually and is pleased by the uniqueness of our languages as part of His great work.

CONCLUSION

You can’t find a place in God’s presence unless you’re a member of His family, and the only way to do that is to give your life to Jesus Christ and let Him be your Lord and Savior.

Finally, If you say you don’t have good singing voice, then you are wrong. Worship isn’t about how good one’s voice is, but how good one’s heart is towards God.

Let’s Worship:

Go ahead to worship the Lord as you read and meditate on Psalms 8 : 1-8. Feel God’s presence around you and be expectant of your miracle.

It is well with you.

John Aderogba, for ROPMI.

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YOU SHALL RECOVER ALL – Sept. 2021 Newsletter

Text: Psalms 126: 1-6 (NIV)
( A song of ascents)

1. When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.
2. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”
3. The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
4. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev.
5. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.
6. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.

INTRODUCTION

Recovery is the action or process of regaining possession or control of something stolen or lost (Google dictionary). In other words, it means “back to base” i.e. returning back to the normal state, life, health, finances, possession, etc.

Many forces could be the cause for loss in man’s life. Some people were forced to give up their valuable things and possession, some willingly gave it up because of the situation that overwhelmed them; they lost it to the hands of their enemy.

The scripture we read is a song of ascents that the people of Israel sang as they were going up to render their sacrifice of worship on Mount Zion. They remembered how the Lord delivered them from the land of slavery and restored them to their own land. It was like a dream.

In verse 4, they still prayed that God should restore their fortunes. I pray for you, whatsoever might have caused you pain, it shall create an avenue for you to praise God.

What are the steps to follow in order to claim your recovery? This shall be our focus.

To recover, you need to:
1. Seek for God’s leading.
2. Stand in great assurance.

SEEK FOR GOD’S LEADING

The Devil always hides people’s mind from this fact whenever they are in pain or state of dilemma. Many depend on themselves and their head knowledge for way out.

David was also in this situation when his house and that of his soldiers were invaded by the enemies.
1 Samuel 30:6-8
6. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.
7. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him,
8. And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” He answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

David had everything to fight back to recover everything he had lost, but he didn’t do that immediately. He first inquired from God, then, God gave him the direction to recover all he had lost.

When David was depressed and weeping, God didn’t say anything to him, but the moment he encouraged himself and sought God’s leading, he recovered all.

Don’t allow anything make you depressed. Whatever that have been forcefully taken away from you, be it physically or spiritually, you shall recover them all.

STAND IN GREAT ASSURANCE

The very good way to put your faith in action is to be positive in your utterances. Even when the storm is raging and it seems there is no  more hope, or at the thick darkness of the cloud, be rest assured that it is just a test of time; it will soon fade away.

Job, during his trying time, lost everything including his wealth, children, flock, and health.
Job 19:25-27 ( NIV)

25. I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.
26. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;
27. I will see him with my own eyes. I, and not another, How my heart yearns within me!

His confession of assurance shook the heavens for his total restoration. This was the one whose wife, friends and family deserted, yet he stood firm in his faith in God. What is that thing that has made life miserable for you? Put your mind off it. I encourage you to know who you believe and stand on His promises for you. He can not fail you, He’ll stand by you and you shall prevail in all your endeavors.

CONCLUSION

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, bringing sheaves with him…

All of your struggles and troubles are noticed by God, He’s working out the way out for your total restoration.

Finally, you need Jesus in your life; He’s the only redeemer and restorer of everything you might have lost. He can reverse the irreversible, but He needs your input. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,  every other things shall be added to you.

Let’s Pray:
1. Father, I thank you for not leaving me alone…
2. My Father, my Father, by your mercy, speak to my situation and let things turn around for me.
3. Oh Lord, deliver me from spiritual and physical bondage I find myself.
4. Lord Jesus, restore to me everything that has been forcefully taking away from me.
5. My Lord and my Savior, help me to fulfil my destiny.
6. Let every weapon of frustration the enemy is using against me cash fire!
7. I shall not labor in vain in Jesus Christ’s name

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LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD – AUGUST 2021 NEWLETTER

TOPIC: LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD

Text: Mark 10:46-52 (CEV)
46. Jesus and his disciples went to Jericho. And as they were leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road.
47. When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
48. Many people told the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”
49. Jesus stopped and said, “Call him over!”
They called out to the blind man and said, “Don’t be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you.”
50. The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus.
51. Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man answered, “Master, I want to see!”
52. Jesus told him, “You may go. Your eyes are healed because of your faith.”
Right away the man could see, and he went down the road with Jesus.

INTRODUCTION
Voice is a very prominent tool to make one’s intentions known. The hopeless cry out for help with their voice.

David said, “The day I cry out, my enemy disappears…” Your crying out could be in the secret or public. In whatever form, you need to cry out for help.  One African adage says, “Inability to speak out is the beginning of misfortune.” There is a restoration mechanism that God puts in you to make sounds. That is the power in your voice.

He always hears when we ask anything from him (1 John 5: 14-15). ”Our God is just and fair. He will forgive you if you ask, He will listen when you pray. Whether you do those things is entirely up to you” (Rich Warren).

We shall examine different people of the Bible that cried out and their voices were heard for their restoration.

BARTIMAEUS’ VOICE WAS  HEARD BY JESUS (Mark 10: 47)

The situation this man was going through changed his name, and he was called the blind man. He was not the only blind beggar around the area where Jesus Christ and his disciples were passing through. Something prompted him to call on Jesus in the midst of a great crowd of people. He might have been fed up with his blind and begging life, then he cried out (Mark 10: 47). When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” He called Jesus Christ to hear him very quickly, “…son of David…” This caught the attention of Jesus. He was not moved by the obstruction and distractions of the people, he cried more vigorously and Jesus gave him attention.

Devil has placed some elements  around you to stand as a distraction to you; what you need to do is to be sensitive and look beyond situations around you, cry out in serious prayer and your voice shall be heard.

A WIDOW’S VOICE WAS HEARD BY ELISHA (2 kings 4:  1-7)
One of the most significant states of molestation in human’s life is to be publicly humiliated in the time of hopelessness. The woman’s husband died, leaving debts behind. The creditor came to request for payment of the debts. What could she do as a widow?

2 Kings 4
1. One of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, has died. You know that your servant feared the Lord. Now the creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves.”
2. Elisha asked her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?”She said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”
3. Then he said, “Go and borrow empty containers from everyone—from all your neighbors. Do not get just a few.
4. Then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these containers. Set the full ones to one side.”
5. So she left. After she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bringing her containers, and she kept pouring.
6. When they were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.” But he replied, “There aren’t any more.” Then the oil stopped.
7. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debt; you and your sons can live on the rest.”

The only thing she could do was to cry out for help. She went to Elijah and her need was met. You need not be comfortable with that situation; cry out and let your voice be heard. ‘ A close mouth is a close destiny.’ The solution to your problem might be within your reach, but because you’re overwhelmed by the circumstances around you, this weigh you down. Arise now, and cry out! Your help is near.

KING HEZEKIAH’S VOICE WAS HEARD BY GOD
It is a great tragedy for one to hear the day of his death. Before that hour comes, that person would have died inwardly. There are so many things that could make one give up and lose hope at the centre of trying to struggle for life. One of them is sickness or terminal disease. Many people are in this stage now and they don’t know what to do because the physician’s report is that there is no way they could make it. This is the situation King Hezekiah was.

2 kings 20: 1-6

20. In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Put your affairs in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”
2. Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,
3. “Please Lord, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases You.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4. Isaiah had not yet gone out of the inner courtyard when the word of the Lord came to him:
5. “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of My people, ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the Lord’s temple.
6. I will add 15 years to your life. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”

He heard about the day of death, but he didn’t keep quiet, he cried out and the Lord heard his voice.   Whatever situation of life you are facing right now, and it seems that is going to be the end of your life, never lose hope; it is not over until it’s over. God has not stopped working out your miracle; you need to cry out with all seriousness and let the God of Heaven hear your cry.

CONCLUSION
Your voice is your power; you must not keep mute, neither should you suffer in silence. Never hide your feelings from God, though He is omniscience. He wants to hear your voice. God is your very present help in times of trouble. He wants to help you but you need to cry out to him.

For your voice to heard, you need to give your life to Jesus Christ, so that whenever you call on God through Jesus Christ, your voice would  be recognized. It’s well with you.

Let’s Pray.

1. May the Lord (Yahweh) answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2. May He send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion.
3. May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt offering. Selah!
4. May He give you what your heart desires and fulfill your whole purpose.
5. Let us shout for joy at your victory and lift the banner in the name of our God. May Yahweh fulfill all your requests.
6. Now I know that the Lord gives victory to His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven
with mighty victories from His right hand.
7 Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of Yahweh, our God.
8 They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand firm.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
May He answer us on the day that we call.

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