My Testimony

Over the years, I have seen human promises failed, I know what it means to be disappointed, I am acquainted with the feebleness and frailty of the arm of flesh. Howbeit, time again, I have proven the Integrity of God's word and its infallibility. Someday, grass will wither, flowers will fall away, the sun will set never to rise again and time will be no more, the earth will wear out like a garment, and be rolled up like a robe; yet THE WORD OF GOD remains and will still remain steadfast and sure - on this solid ground I stand!!!

Holy Spirit - The Paraclete (Advocate)

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever" (John 14:16 NKJV)

While Jesus is the believers' advocate in heaven (1 John 2:1); Holy Spirit is our advocate on earth (Mark 13:11, Luke 12:11-12)

An advocate protects the interest of another, he defends from abuse and assault, and helps in the face of opposition. Jesus clearly states that the Holy Spirit will do these for the believer: 

“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:11, 12 NKJV)

"But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit." (Mark 13:11 NKJV)

It is wonderful to know that, God did not leave us defenceless, we have an 'advocate-defender' in the Holy Spirit. We have all of God in Him; of a truth we have been 'delivered from the striving of the people' (psalm 18:48) because the almighty defender lives in us (1John 3:24, 4:13). glad?

Holy Spirit - The Paraclete

Jesus did not speak much about the Holy Spirit until when He was about to die.  One of the profoundest thing He said about the Holy Spirit is that He called Him "another Paraclete" translated 'another comforter' in Bible. This expression is from the Greek words "alos parakletos"  - another Paraclete - this does not mean another kind of Paraclete; Jesus means a Paraclete exactly like myself. 

 The Greek word  'parakletos' means an advocate, helper, comforter, counsellor, intercessor, guardian, friend, provider, teacher - All of these describe who Jesus was to the disciples, that is exactly who the Holy Spirit was, to the disciples and that is who He is to us today.

The believer could not have a valid reason for feeling lonely, helpless, hopeless, rejected and forsaken - because the Holy Spirit in Him, is "all-sufficient". 

What a life! The all-sufficient God has come to dwell in us by His Spirit (1 John 3:24, 4:13). glad?

The Necessity and Urgency of The Gospel (3)

"For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!" (I Corinthians 9:16 NKJV)

The gospel must be preached as a matter of necessity and urgency; its the only means for the salvation of souls. Odds and contradictions are not tenable excuses; the odds were there in the days of Jesus and the Apostles, and will not only remain but will abound as the day of the Lord draws near. 

As you preach the gospel, you must be ready to go against odds "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."(II Timothy 3:12 NKJV)

It must be preached at all cost whether by life or by death (Phil. 1:20-21)

The prayer of  David Brainerd (a notable missionary to American Indians) readily comes to mind: "oh that I might be a flaming fire in the service of the Lord. Here I am send me to the ends of the earth... send me from all that is called earthly comfort, send me even to death itself if it be but in Thy service and to promote Thy Kingdom."

This gospel must be preached AT ALL COST! Take it upon your self like Paul did: "...for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!" (I Corinthians 9:16 NKJV) It is beyond what is in vogue or the popular practice; it won't be done on the flowery bed of ease. there are hardships to endure; tides to go against; and opinions and thoughts to defy. Yet this gospel of the kingdom must be preached whether by life or by death!

True Humility

"So then, as it is written, Let him who boasts and proudly rejoices and glories, boast and proudly rejoice and glory in the Lord. [Jer. 9:24.] (1 Corinthians 1:31 AMP)

Bible never say we should not boast, it rather says we boast in the Lord. A clear understanding of what God has done for us in Christ spontaneously excites gratitude. If you see it, like some said, "there will be a shout in your heart!" 

There is a kind of humility that glories in human weakness, his unworthiness and frailties; thats at best religious humility, and its nothing more than self-righteousness. 

True humility glories in what the Father has done for us in Christ (1Corinthians 1:30-31); its hallmark is abundance of thanksgiving to God for, His redemption and demonstration of grace in the cross and resurrection of Christ. 

He prays in religious humility he who says "am a wretched worm, unworthy to approach His throne"; thats not acceptable before God.

The man who the bible truly recognises as humble regularly speaks 2Corinthians 3:5 in various paraphrases: "It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God." (2 Corinthians 3:5 NLT). He speaks with God in prayer with boldness full of gratitude. "Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God's holy people) in the Light." (Colossians 1:12 AMP)

We rejoice because of what He did and whom he has made us in Christ. Hallelujah!  blessed?

B

The Necessity and Urgency of The Gospel (2)

"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures," (I Corinthians 15:1-4 NKJV)

Under God, a man cannot be genuinely saved, until he has heard 'the gospel'. 

Beloved preachers! I challenge you to cross-examine your message once again, are you sure you have been preaching 'the gospel' or 'another gospel' (Gal.1:6)

It is not all good messages you can call the gospel; it cannot be the gospel just because the preacher has credibility among men. It must be what the Bible calls 'the gospel' before it can save people (Rom.1:16)

The Bible is definite about what the gospel is - it is "the message of Christ's death, resurrection and ascension and its concomitant benefit to human race" - This is what Paul the Apostle presents as THE GOSPEL and anything other than this is 'another gospel' (Gal. 1:6-11).

The prime concern of the gospel is about man's eternity. The gospel has a lot to do with man's existence on earth, for instance, healing and health, godly living, prosperity etc. yet, any message whose primary emphasis is on the benefit for this present world, cannot be the gospel. 

The gospel is not just a 'tool' to make people rich or to a live good life in this world, otherwise it wont be different from the common motivational messages. The gospel addresses the core/vital need of man. Man's 'vital'  need is not such things as money and physical possession. The 'vital' need of man is fellowship with His God - he must be brought to God in righteousness and true holiness, his sinful nature must thus be replaced with the nature of God, he must by it become a citizen of heaven otherwise he will end-up in eternal damnation.  This is is what Paul preached, this what they received (believed) and this is what saved them "...I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved..." (I Corinthians 15:1, 2 NKJV)

He put it thus in 1Cor.2:2   "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (I Corinthians 2:2 NKJV)

If this is not what you believed, you need to accept the gospel and be saved so as to avoid eternal shock of discovering when it would be too late that you were never saved.

Dear preacher, If this is not what you ve been preaching, you need to to change your message and start preaching the gospel otherwise you might end up facing the eternal reality that your listeners were never saved.   seen this? 

The Necessity and Urgency of The Gospel (1)

"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? "(Romans 10:14 NKJV)

The gospel of Jesus is the  message sinners must believe before they can be saved. They must hear it before they can believe it. They must come in contact with it whether by face to face preaching, prints or electronic media.

Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6) and for anyone to be saved, he must believe in Jesus. The gospel presents Jesus, thats the reason the Apostles claimed to be preaching Christ when they were preaching the gospel (Acts 5:42, 17:3, 2Cor.4:5). To believe the gospel is to believe in Christ the saviour.

Salvation cannot be earned, not even by good works. Salvation can only be received through faith in the gospel of Jesus.

Fellow saints and soldiers of the cross, think not nor assume in thine heart that a nice man would be saved by his manners, nor an easy-going and seemingly innocent man by his simplicity. All must believe the gospel - the cruel and the harmless, the good, the bad and the murderer, the humble and the proud alike.

Don't assume your uncle is saved because he is kind-hearted,  preach to him the gospel. Don't feel too comfortable among your unsaved friends, let them hear the gospel. The standard of God is the gospel of Christ and God will never bend his standard. The gospel is a necessity and the only one there is for salvation of souls ...until they hear it and believe it they wont be saved. 

Go therefore, go where the sinners are, go and tell them about Jesus.