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1 Cor 1: 24, 30 .... Jesus Christ is our Wisdom, Power, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption

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Bible & Prayer Nugget 0409

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WISDOM SERIES: WISDOM OF THE CROSS (I)

 

Excerpts from a sermon on “Wisdom of the Cross”

 

DATE: October 05 2008

Church: Champions Pariah, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Edmonton, AB Canada 

Minister: Joseph Agbi

 

 

Bible Nugget 0409 [2 Corinthians 5:19]

 

 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

 

Today we begin a very important series, the foundation on which this gospel outreach is based. It is called the wisdom of the cross. Something outstanding had to happen for God to turn rebellious man back to himself. One thing that can be compared in minuscule proportion to this glorious divine act is what is commonly called ‘miracle’. Jesus rebuking the Pharisees, and scorners who came to his meetings said except you see a miracle, you will not believe. So he performed one for them to see. Some believed, and some did not.

 

We will start from the basics and then build up the sermon.

 

What is Wisdom?

 

Wisdom is defined as knowledge guided by understanding.

 

Connection of Wisdom to Power and Authority

If you have power and authority and you are not wise, you can lose the power and authority in a moment of time. Examples are

•         Monarchical Power: A king who does not rule by wisdom soon loses the respect of his people. They begin to disobey him in their words or action.

•         Moral & Spiritual Power: For example, Men of God who fall into sin.

 

Wisdom and knowledge of God Described

•          The wisdom of God described in one sentence. 

It is deep, rich, unsearchable and past finding out.

 

Rom 11:33

 

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

 

The Fall of Man

 

•         God’s love for us never ends. He created us to have fellowship with him.

•         He values man as his most precious creation. Because man was created in the image of  God [Gen 1v26].

•         Man trespassed in the garden of Eden

•          Adam fell and lost the glory God asked Adam “where are you”.

God could not accept the sin of Adam for two reasons.

  1. Man was made in the Image of God, and God gave him authority over his creation Gen 1:26

26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

 

  1. God’s eyes are pure, he does not behold iniquity. [Hab 1: 13]

 13Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

 

God’s Redemptive Plan Jump Started at Eden

 

•          God’s battle with the enemy of our souls is like a general who goes to war and will not accept defeat when the enemy comes for a raid and the enemy gains temporary victory. An example was when David’s camp was raided by the enemy.

 

1 Sam 30 v 1-3

 

 1And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

 2And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

 3So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

 

David’s love for his family and his soldiers families drove them to arise from distress, seek God’s face and take the battle to the gates of the enemy.

 Similarly, the world is the kingdom of the enemy and God is fighting through the death of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit to reclaim or reconcile us who are domiciled in the world back to himself. That is what our nugget scripture is making us to understand.

 

 

 

God jump started redemption right from the day man fell. Adam and eve covered themselves with fig leaves [the foolishness of man’s devised religion] but God said that is not enough to restore my glory. He covered man with animal skin, having shed the blood of animal because the without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sin. God has made provision for your salvation. Accept Jesus today if you have not done so.

 

 Prayer Points 0409

Prayer of Salvation: Oh Lord thank you for including me in your redemptive plan. I ask for your mercy. I accept I am a sinner. I ask for the blood of Jesus to wash my heart clean. Lord Jesus come into my heart. Holy Spirit dwell in my heart. I will not go back to my sins or allow the devil to be my master. I will walk with you Lord. Light my path daily and make me heavenly conscious all the days of my life in Jesus Name. Thank you for not allowing me to die in my sins. Thank you for reconciling me back to yourself in Jesus Name.

 

If you are already saved, thank God for your salvation and pray these two prayer points.

  1. Lord fill me inside with your wisdom. Make my heart to be intimate with your Holy Spirit. Lead me through all the battles I encounter in this world in the mighty name of Jesus.
  2. Oh Lord, let me carry your full image, spirit, soul and body. I will walk in your glory and your power you have covered me with in the mighty Name of Jesus.

 

 

Bible & Prayer Nuggets 0405

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More Than a Conqueror

 

Bible Nugget 0405 [Romans 8 v 35 – 39 KJV]

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

The love of God in Christ Jesus makes you and me heirs of God in Christ Jesus. God is victorious in every thing he does and that is part of our inheritance in Christ Jesus. Personalize v37 and say in the paraphrased language:

 

“in all these things I more than a conqueror through Christ that loved me”.

 

Phil 4:13

 

13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

 

 

Prayer Nugget 0405

1.       Oh LORD I thank you because are my shield, my buckler, my sure defense, the captain and Bishop of my soul. Oh Lord watch over my life jealously in the mighty name of Jesus.

2.     Thank you for making me an over comer in all things through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Bible and Prayer Nuggets 0403

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Covenant keeping God

Bible Nugget 0403[Isaiah 59: 21 (KJV)]

21As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

God is a covenant keeping God. He made a covenant with Abraham and has kept it ever since for some 4000 years. He will keep his covenant with you if you include yourself in the word “them” in the above verse. The blessings of God will not depart from you and your household in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

Prayer Nugget 0403

Oh Lord, keeper of covenant, thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your word that you watch jealously to fulfill it. Lord, fill my heart with your word and let my mouth be an outlet for your word. Lord, keep your covenant over my life and my children and children’s children according to your promises in Jesus Name. Amen.

Prayer and Bible Nuggets 0402

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The sanctification Process II – Your Responsibility

Bible Nugget 0402 [I Thessalonians 4: 1-8 KJV]
1Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

 2For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

 3For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

 4That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

 5Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

 6That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

 7For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

 8He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

The sanctification process is the responsibility of every believer after new birth in Christ. The will of God stated in verses 3 and 7 in the above scripture is that we should live a sanctified and holy life. There should be no excuses. During repentance every believer should take stock of his life and make sure he repents of every known sin. No extra baggage of sin should be taken in the life-long Christian journey with Christ. The commonly known sins which will prevent a person from going to heaven include the works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5: 19-21 (read it for yourself) and Rev 21:8

 8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

However, many believers gloss over many sins as if they do not matter. Some even believe the theory of heretics who profess that “once saved, saved forever”. The truth is that no sin should be left handing over your head as a believer. The last verse of Galatians 5:21 makes one to understand that the lists of sins that will prevent someone from inheriting the kingdom of God are too many to recount. I took a stock of sins in my own life from a Prayer book, which actually should serve every believer as a deliverance manual, written by some Ministers in Christian Word Ministry. They have a free version of the manual on the Ministry’s website. Please visit their website www.christianword.org  and in the Box Prayer Book  click  the PDF or Word Format of the Part 2 Download Prayer Book,. Read the” A” to “Z” list of sins for yourself on pages 35-38 of the book and it will be clear to you the common sins easily omitted or brushed aside, not knowing that any of them could prevent someone from inheriting the Kingdom of God.

For example the “A” list of sins in the book includes the following:

abandonment, abduction, abhorrence of holy things, abhorring judgment, abomination, abortion, abusiveness, accusation, adulterous lust, adultery, afflicting others, aggravation, agitation, aiding and abetting sin, alcoholism, all unrighteousness, anger, animosity, anxiety, apprehension, argumentativeness, arrogance, assaults, astrology, atheism, avariciousness,

The “D” lists are:

dealing treacherously, deceit, deception, defamation, defeatism, defiantness, defiling, degrading, dejection, demon consciousness, demon worship, denying Jesus and His resurrection, dependencies, depravity, desecration of holy vessels, desires of this world, despair, despising God, His Name and His Word, despising spouse, despising neighbors, despising parents, despitefulness, despondency, destruction of the innocent, saints and holy things;  deviousness, disagreements, disbelief, discord, discouragement, discrediting, disdain, disgust, dishonesty, disliking the love of good men, disobedience, disobedient to God, disorderly, disputing, disregard of God’s work, disrespectfulness of God, disruptiveness,  dissension,  distantness, distrust, divining, divining for water with rods, divining for money, division, divorce, domineeringness, double-talking,  double mindedness, doubt, dread, driving men from true worship and inheritance,  drug abuse, drunkenness, duplicity, drinking blood,

And the “F” lists include

failure in duty,  failure to glorify God, false burdens, false compassion, falsehood, false praise, false responsibility, fantasizing, fantasy lust, fault finding, fear, fear of accusation, fear of condemnation, fear of disapproval, fear of man, fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of reproof, fetishes, fighting, flattery, fleshliness, fooling self and/or others, foolishness,  following any ways of man, folly, forbidding the preaching of God’s Word, forcefulness, forgetting God and His work, fornication, forsaking the assembly, fortune telling, fraud, fretting, frigidity,  frustrations, fury,

These are just examples of listed sins. There are other demonic sins listed in pages 38-40 of the book and it will do you a world of good to pray out of your life every sin using the book as a guide. As verse 4 of the day’s bible nugget says, it is your responsibility; someone else cannot do it for you. The challenge is yours.

1Thessalonians 4:4

 

 4That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

Carry out a check-up of your life. In fact, you should do this from time to time and run through the list of sins, for example in the reference prayer manual stated above and see areas of your shortcoming.  The LORD will empower you to live a Holy and sanctified life as you pour out your heart to him in repentance. Pray every known sin out of your life and appropriate to yourself the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

 

 

1 Corinthians 1:30

30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

This is the way to way to go in the sanctification process to make you heaven bound! The LORD help you as you do this in Jesus Name. Amen.
 
Prayer Nugget 0402
Before you start praying, sing this song or any other song on holiness such as the Hymn Holy Holy Holy.
Song:
LORD prepare me, A sanctuary, Pure and Holy, Tried and True, with Thanksgiving, I will be a living, sanctuary for you.

Or the classical hymn  Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

 

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

 

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

 

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

[Reginald Heber, 1826]

Prayer Points

 

  1. Oh Lord empower me to live a life of holiness unto you. I repent of every sin I have committed in the past, known (list ——- every known sin) and unknown in Jesus Name.
  2. Satan I address you, I am not a candidate for hell fire. My destination is heaven. I command you to pack your evil load and get out of my life in Jesus Name.
  3. Oh LORD encase me with the purifying fire of you Holy Spirit. Every demonic power sent from the pit of Hell to deceive me, be roasted by fire in the name of Jesus.
  4. Begin to thank God for the Grace given to you to live a victorious life of holiness in Jesus name.

 

 

 

Bible & Prayer Nuggets 0401

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The sanctification Process ( I )

Bible Nugget 0401 [I Thessalonians 5: 23 Amplified]
23And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

Our bible verse this morning relates to Christian processing for heaven. To get you and me ready for heaven, we have to undergo the sanctification process. We all have seen or eaten processed food at one time or the other. Processed food is kept preserved by preservatives or in cold environment such as a fridge so it can be free from decay or contamination. The ingredient for preserving a Christian for heaven is found in this verse of the bible, and is perhaps the most popular verse on Christian sanctification.

In the above verse, we see that God Himself, the source and fountain of peace, is the only one who can sanctify us from the profanity of the world and keep us in purity ready for the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. A preserved food has to be wholly preserved to make it fit for consumption. A little contamination will contaminate the whole food.  So is the process of purity. A little sin here and there will corrupt the Christian heart and character and keep us from being pure vessels for heaven. A little leaven will leaven the whole lump [1 Corinthians 5:6-7, Galatians 5:9]. That is why the bible admonishes us to keep away from any thing that can trigger that weak area of your Christian character, but rather to focus on Christ in the Christian race [Heb 12:1-4].

1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

 4Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

God wants to preserve your spirit, soul and body, the complete you.  He is interested in you as an entire package. Not only should you get your spirit man ready for heaven, but also your soul and body man. God’s mercy is calling on every one of us not to take this lightly. [Rom 12:1-2]

1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 

 

Jesus is the bridegroom and we are the bride of Christ. Jesus is coming back for a church without spot and wrinkle. The dead in Christ will be raptured during the second coming of Christ and anyone who lives in this world without undergoing the sanctification process of the Almighty and dies outside Christ will not be preserved and therefore is not rapturable. Are you ready for the rapture.  Ask the LORD to continue this sanctification process in you or to begin it if you have just understood what our nugget verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 means.  Ask the Lord to purge you and make you a new lump for Christ.

 

 

1 Corinthians 5:6-7 (KJV) reads:

6Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

 7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

 

Prayer Nugget 0401

  1. Oh Lord make me a pure vessel. Purge every old leaven out of my life and make me ready for your Kingdom in Jesus Name.
  2. Father Lord, let your Holy Spirit possess the reins of my life. Lord purify my heart with the precious blood of Jesus and your word and let my life be a citadel of your power in Jesus Name.
  3. I rededicate myself to you and present my body as a living sacrifice to you in Jesus Name. Amen.
  4. Lord do a quick work of sanctification in me. Give me your peace and, preserve me spirit, soul and body ready for your kingdom in Jesus Name.

Bible & Prayer Nuggets 0320

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Heavenly Joy is your Portion

Bible Nugget 0320 [Isaiah 51:11, KJV]

11Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

 

Earthly Joy

Do you want to have long-lasting joy, a foretaste of everlasting joy? Or do you want to have joy that is situation-dependent? Situation-dependent joy is earthly joy. It is short-lived or transient. When one say’s earthly joy, it means happiness that is not perpetual. Not whirling from within. It depends on other external factors, people etc. Earthly joy is diluted by sorrow.

 

Heavenly Joy

 There is another type of joy God wants his children to have, live and dwell in at all times. It is called heavenly joy. At the end of age, that is the joy that the children of God will possess for ever. Our nugget scripture says “the children of Zion shall return ….”, and then everlasting joy shall be on their head. When we return to God in heaven after this life, that is when true everlasting joy shall begin because sorrow and pain will pass away.   Meanwhile we can be content with long-lasting joy not diluted with sorrow and pain. It is possible because it agrees with the Word of God, the Bible. Heaven is a place of Joy and if the children of God will return there, then they must be perpetually happy people. In other words, God wants his children to have true happiness on earth here. Hence whatever will not make you happy or steals your joy is not the will of God for you. When the Apostle John visited heaven in the Spirit in Rev 4:1-11, the heavenly spirits around the throne of God were all full of joy.

 

Revelations 4:9-11 (KJV)

 9And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

 10The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

 11Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

On earth, the Holy Ghost supplies continuous joy to a believer’s heart, as the believer learns to rejoice in the Lord. Joy is a believer’s portion, just like healing is as our right. Jesus purchased or healing with his own blood, and when you have faith in the name of Jesus and that by that name sickness and disease has to bow, you receive your healing. Faith for healing comes by hearing the word of God. Likewise, hearing the word of God brings joy and assurance to a believer’s heart.

 

Jesus  in John 15:11 says:

 11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

 

Today, Jesus is represented by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks words of comfort and consolation to our hearts all the time. Give heed to what the Spirit is telling you. He wants to have continuous fellowship with you in your heart. The disciples as they continue in the faith in the book of Acts, the bible says they were filled with joy and the Holy Ghost.

 Phil 2:1-2

 1If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

 2Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Philippians 3: 1: “Finally my brethen, rejoice in the Lord.”

Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, rejoice.”

 

The will of God for you is that you live perpetually in joy. What is troubling your heart at this time? Cast all your burdens on Jesus because he cares for you. He has been on this road called earth before where he bore your pain and sorrow. He was a man acquainted with grief and sorrow so that your joy will be full. Turn everything to Jesus and you will be happy the rest of your days.

           

Prayer Nugget 0320

  1. Lord, let your joy be my portion all the day long in the Name of Jesus.
  2. Every pain and sorrow hindering my full joy, disappear from my heart in the name of Jesus.
  3. Holy Spirit, anoint my head with your oil of joy and gladness in Jesus Name.
  4. Holy Spirit, you are the supplier of joy. Supply my heart with abundance of joy that will last me all eternity in Jesus Name.