^{FINDING WHAT YOU ARE}

^{LOOKING FOR}

^{What are you really looking for, or what are the things that you lost and in search of? These are the questions that we need to ask before we can proceed into the teaching of this sermon.}

^{There are many times that we are in search of a thing or the other and that we need to get because time is running out. (These are the thought of the flesh and not of God because in the book of Ecc.3:1 the scripture says “There is time for every purpose”).}

^{Many Christians had not yet come into realization that what they are looking for is right just by their side and its only God that can make them discover such things.}

^{Are you in darkness, David said in the book of psalms that “Your word is like a lamp unto my feet”. I need to say that the WORD of GOD is the key to all things in our life.}

^{What are you looking for or what is so disturbing in your heart that you need to get solution into? It’s not a thing that is happening to you alone, it does happen to all in the sense that we get down to a point that our Human wisdom fails. Remember this “with strength will no man prevail” 1 Sam.2:9 “} ……………….; for by strength shall no man prevail.”

^{Now, let us look into the text of the day}

^{Acts.8:26-31 AMP}

²⁶ But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Rise and proceed southward or at midday on the road that runs from Jerusalem down to Gaza. This is the desert [route].

²⁷ So he got up and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship.

²⁸ And he was [now] returning, and sitting in his chariot he was reading the book of the prophet Isaiah.

²⁹ Then the [Holy] Spirit said to Philip, Go forward and join yourself to this chariot.

³⁰ Accordingly Philip, running up to him, heard [the man] reading the prophet Isaiah and asked, Do you really understand what you are reading?

³¹ And he said, how is it possible for me to do so unless someone explains it to me and guides me [in the right way]? And he earnestly requested Philip to come up and sit beside him.

Here in this text, you will found out the story of a Eunuch.

WHO IS EUNUCH?  They are referred to an official or a commander. Now, let us take this message from this point. A commander, a man of influence and power, whom with all his knowledge still found out that he has something in his life that was missing, reading the book of Isaiah, but could not understand.

How many times have we gotten ourselves into a situation like this that we run out of Knowledge, and whom do we go to?

Ethiopian Eunuch we were told was in his chariot wondering on what the “WORD” means.

God saw the heart of this commander and that was why Phillip was sent unto him. He was having a heart that was ready to receive the WORD OF GOD…….Is your own heart ready for God?

In the book of Romans.10:8-15 AMP ^“But what does it say? The Word (God’s message in Christ) is near you, on your lips and in your heart; that is, the Word (the message, the basis and object) of faith which we preach,

⁹ Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

¹⁰ For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.

¹¹ The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.

¹² [No one] for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all [of us] and He generously bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him [in faith].

¹³ For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved.

¹⁴ But how are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed [in Whom they have no faith, on Whom they have no reliance]? And how are they to believe in Him [adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him] of Whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?

¹⁵ And how can men [be expected to] preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings! [How welcome is the coming of those who preach the good news of His good things!]

What we need is verses 13-15.

Our cry or thirst makes God to send a helper in other to teach us His WORD. Verse 13 says “Everyone who calls”…… while in verse 15, Preacher was sent just like Phillip was sent unto the Eunuch.

When you thirst, God Fills………. He loves filling up empty spaces……are your vessel empty?

You need to purge yourself of all the doctrines and teachings which I call “LIE” from the pit of hell that you had been indoctrinated with.

Are you empty today so as to be able to get the new life from Jesus Christ?

When you are purged and Christ impute into you a new life (New way of living), there are certain things that you need to do

This takes us into the book of Colossian chapter 2.

Colossians.2 AMP “⁶ As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him.

⁷ Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.

⁸ See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah).

1.   You need to walk (Regulate your lives and conduct yourselves)…….look it says in union and conformity to Him (God).

Roman.12:1 AMP “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.

² Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].”

2. You and I need to separate from the “WORLDY SYSTEM”.

The way that they dress, talk walk, dance…..just to name a few……. How do you pattern your life? Is it the world ways………………..Psalm.1:1-2 “Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.

² But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.

Let us go back to Colossians.2 and deal with the 7^th verse

 “Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.”

3. You and I need to get our roots firmly and deeply planted in HIM (God). Let me ask: - Are you rooted in Him, or just on the sandy soil (the World) that when wind blows, you are being carried away?

See what verse 8 says “See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah).”

Are you out of His presence through the so called new doctrines that is in the world where men whom are called teacher of the new era dishes out false teaching unto people?.

1Timothy.4:1-2  MSG “The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. These liars have lied so well and for so long that they’ve lost their capacity for truth.

Beware of the place where you seek for truth today…….

Way out is to seek God………….

Read this story:-

A man is stumbling through the woods totally drunk when he comes upon a preacher baptizing people in the river.

He proceeds to walk into the water and subsequently bumps into the preacher. The preacher turns around and is almost overcome by the smell of alcohol, whereupon he asks the drunk, "Are YOU ready to find Jesus?"

The drunk answers, "Uh, what?... yeah!." So the preacher grabs him and dunks him in the water. He pulls him up and asks the drunk, "Brother have you found Jesus?" The drunk replies, "No, I haven’t found Jesus."

The preacher shocked at the answer, dunks him into the water again for a little longer this time. He again pulls him out of the water and asks again, "Have you found Jesus my brother?" The drunk again answers, "No, I haven’t found Jesus."

By this time the preacher is at his wits end and dunks the drunk in the water again---but this time holds him down for about 30 seconds and when he begins kicking his arms and legs he pulls him up. The preacher again asks the drunk, "Tell me.. tell me.. tell me- have you found Jesus!?"

The drunk wipes his eyes and catches his breath and says to the preacher, "Are you sure this is where he fell in?"

Listen- that’s fabricated… and we don’t force baptize people! But it is funny!

Lesson I want you to grab is that NO ONE WILL FORCE YOU IN ACCEPTING JESUS HE IS THE ONLY WAY RIGHT INTO HEAVEN……..

IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF CHOICE.

1 John 1:8-9 New International Version (NIV)

⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

“By faith the harlot rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace" (Heb.11:31).
But Josha had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her".

Why not receive a spie into your heart today so that you and your household will be converted and save?


"Come, ye needy, come and welcome,
God's fine bounty glorify:
True belief and true repentance
Every grace that brings us nigh
Without money,
Come to Jesus Christ and buy."  

Don’t delay, for delay is dangerous. Consider this: Nineteenth-century Scottish preacher Horatius Bonar asked 253 Christian friends at what ages they were converted. Here's what he discovered.

· Under 20 years of age – 138

· Between 20 and 30 – 85

· Between 30 and 40 – 22

· Between 40 and 50 – 4

· Between 50 and 60 – 3

· Between 60 and 70 – 1

· Over 70 - 0

How much time do you have left?

God took an old harlot by the name of Rahab and saved her by grace and used her for His glory. He wants to do the same for you. Will you come and do what He is asking you to do today?

Your sins will be forgiven, your transgressions cast away, and you shall henceforth go and sin no more, God having renewed you, and he will keep you even to the end. May God give his blessing, for Jesus sake! Amen.

SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT

 In Titus 1:12, Paul quotes a native cultural expert from the island of Crete who wrote, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.” How’s that for a generalization?  If you would allow me to play cultural observer for a moment, I think it would be fair to say that Nigerian culture on the whole is sexually-charged, immoral, and immodest. It’s getting worse. We are now exporting nakedness. We are educating and tutoring our younger ones with immorality. We are now becoming champions of immodesty. In Churches nowadays, Immorality had infiltrated into the Church. We had imported strange doctrines and teachings into our religion. Modesty is no more amongst things that is being preached.

Are we like the same descriptions Apostle gave in Titus.1:12? What is the difference between us the Church and the “CREATENS”? I simply say, no difference………

I want to exhort you toward modesty:

 

DEVELOP THE SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT OF MODESTY

 Women, do you know that majority of you had been attracting wrong men? All that you need is to develop the spiritual discernment of modesty.

Ladies, learn to think, shop, act, and dress like God’s daughters. Men, view the ladies around you as God’s daughters.

Here are four questions that you ladies can ask yourself about your clothing, your appearance, and your motivations:

(1) Why do I want to purchase or wear this?

 

Am I seeking the pleasure of God or the attention of men

o    Do I really need this? You could feed and educate three children a month for the price of a nice blouse from the shopping center. This doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t buy the blouse. But it raises some good questions about how we spend our money.

o    Is my heart becoming entangled with the cares of the world?

o    Are there any particular guys whose attention I want to catch, or any particular girls that I’d like to envy me?

o    Am I willing to say no to purchasing this or wearing this?

o    Am I becoming a hyper-critical, judgmental, condescending, conscience-stricken, anti-beauty legalist? As much as we men want you to be modest, we also want you to be feminine and to maintain your beauty. I mean, on top of everything else, my wife is the best decoration in the house, to be quite frank. So I don’t want her enslaved or over-burdened by unbiblical conservative values. Nor does these types of overly strict, man-made rules please or honor God or cultivate a true heart of humble modesty

 

(2) How will my appearance affect others?

Will I manifest appropriate feminine beauty?

o    Will I bring undue attention to myself?

o    Will I be a distraction, or worse, a stumbling block?

o    How will this look when I’m sitting down or bending over? Modesty doesn’t mean that your skirt is modest in one position out of ten. Ask yourself, “Will I need to constantly pull this up or down or adjust in my seat to be modest?”

o    What do my husband, parents, wise leaders, and mature friends say? We fathers have a very serious responsibility to instruct, guide, and help our daughters with their hearts and their clothing choices. Every dad should say at some point, “I’m sorry, honey, but you can’t go out of the house wearing that.” “I’m sorry, honey, but I can’t let you wear that because of how men will look at you.” “I’m sorry, honey, but you’re a grown teenage girl and that’s not appropriate to wear in the house even around family.”

o    Am I willing to err on the side of caution

 

(3) What does my appearance say about me?

Who and what am I identifying with?

o    What does this say about my priorities?

o    What am I becoming known for? “Good looks or good works”? My “clothing or my character”? My fashion or my spiritual fruit?

o    What do my receipts from this year say about my priorities? What about the time, energy, and thought that I put into my appearance? How about the amount of clothes, shoes, make-up, and accessories I own?

o    Am I becoming enslaved to being “counter-cultural” in unbiblical ways? Again, legalism and over-restrictive convictions are also a danger

 

(4) What kind of example am I setting for others?

My children?  My friends? Would I want my young daughter to wear what I’m wearing?

Now, when we talk about developing the spiritual discernment of modesty, I understand that there’s one particular question here that can be very difficult to answer. It’s number two.  How will my appearance affect others? We want to be practical, but not legalistic. We want to be specific, but not inappropriate. You ladies may be rightfully and righteously interested in what’s helpful and what’s hurtful when it comes to your brothers in Christ. But how can you find out?

I want to introduce you to a very helpful online survey that was done by the Harris brothers. “The Modesty Survey is an exciting, anonymous discussion between Christian guys and girls who care about modesty. Hundreds of Christian girls contributed to the 148-question survey and over 1,600 Christian guys submitted 150,000+ answers, including 25,000 text responses, over a 20-day period in January 2007.” The responders were 43% homeschoolers, 40% public scholars, and 13% private scholars. 45% were college graduates and 14% were college students. The average age was 22½.

They wisely provide seven guidelines as an introduction to the survey. The first three are absolutely essential for our purposes.

 (1) Please, approach the survey as a resource, not a list of rules.
(2) Always honor your parents above the results of the survey

(Ephesians 6:1-3).
(3) Seek personal feedback on your attire from the godly men and women in your life.
(4) Remember, modesty is first and foremost a matter of the heart, not the wardrobe.
(5) Faithfully pursue the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit

(1 Peter 3:4).
(6) Let your good works outshine your outward appearance (1 Timothy 2:10).
(7) Dress for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

The survey is specific and comprehensive. Here are the categories:

(1) General/Other
(2) Swimsuits
(3) Undergarments
(4) Shirts/Dresses
(5) Layering
(6) Pants/Shorts/Leggings
(7) Skirts
(8) Posture/Movement
(9) Makeup/Jewelry/Hair/Shoes
(10) Open Questions

And here are some of the answers. Again, these are not scriptural commands or even biblical guidelines. They are simply the results of this survey, informed by your fellow believers, both men and women. The statements in quotes are the questions of the survey. This is just a sampling.

·         “Girls can dress attractively without being immodest.” 97% agree.

·         “A guy can consider a girl attractive without thinking about her in an impure way.” 95% agree.

·         “Sleeveless shirts or dresses (i.e. bear arms) are immodest.” 61% disagree, 18% neutral, 21% agree.

·         “Dresses that are fitted at the waist (e.g. with a belt or waistband) are a stumbling block.” 78% disagree.

·         “Spaghetti-strap shirts and dresses are immodest.” 61% agree, 20% disagree, 19% neutral.

·         “The same standards of modesty should apply to wedding and bridesmaids’ dresses as to everyday attire.” 65% agree.

·         “Wearing pants with words across the backside is a stumbling block.” 84% agree.

·         “It is immodest for a girl to expose her calves (i.e. knee downward).” 83% disagree, 10% neutral, 7% agree.

·         “Skirts that fall above the knee are immodest.” 58% agree, 19% neutral, 23% disagree. One commenter put it well: “That’s getting into dangerous territory, especially when [women] sit down.” And know that 93% of responders said that “Miniskirts are immodest.”

 Women, Embrace the ultimate solution for immodesty (Psalm 32:1).

*My ultimate need is not more clothing or better clothing. My ultimate need is not even a gentle and quiet spirit or a life of good works or a God-honoring wardrobe. I need righteousness. The ultimate solution for immodesty is the gospel.

Psalm 32:1 — “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

The righteousness of Christ has covered us, and we are now to dress as those who desire to make people notice that righteousness. We want people to see that God has clothed us, not that the GAP has clothed us or that Hollister has clothed us or that Calvin Klein has clothed us or that J. Crew has clothed us. We are wearing Christ. Let it be known.

Christ was clothed with a mocking purple robe and a crown of thorns so that I might wear His righteousness (Mark 15:17). And Christ was undressed and uncovered and exposed on the cross so that my sin and my shame might be covered (Luke 23:34).

God dresses His Son in my wickedness so that I might be dressed in His righteousness. God stripped His Son of His glory so that I might be brought into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Christ paid in blood for my clothing.

And because the gospel is the ultimate solution for our widespread and comprehensive immodesty, it is also the ultimate motivation for our widespread and comprehensive modesty. I want my life to adorn the gospel! The gospel has clothed us, and now we want to clothe the gospel. The gospel is making us beautiful once again, and now we want to make the gospel beautiful. We want our lives to dress up the gospel, to make it attractive, to entice people to Christ’s forgiveness and His transforming power. We want to live in such a way that others are attracted to Jesus Christ.

So when you browse the clothing racks at your favorite store… when you slide your clothes off their hangers in the morning… when you stand readying yourself for the day in front of the full-length mirror… when you walk out the door in the morning… when you set foot on your high school campus… when you walk around the house in front of your young daughters and sons… when you pass through the double doors of the sanctuary… you are dressing up the gospel. Do it beautifully.

 

I pray that the SPIRITUAL BATTLE OVER YOUR LIFE IS OVER IN JESUS NAME. Amen

 

Thank You and God bless you all.

 

Naomi Createslife

 

WHERE IS THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS?

WHERE IS THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS?

(Please allow your mind to be opened before reading this message. Do not use your human thinking in addressing this question. Simply pray for assistance from God our creator before embarking on the reading).

What is the source of your belief system, your doctrine, the body of principles and dogmas you hold dear? Do you get these teachings from the Bible, or your church; do you get your tenets from the early church "fathers?" from television, magazines, or the movies?  How do you know for sure that your faith is not crippled (PLEASE, DO NOT GET ME WRONG), made inept by various heretical doctrines and false teachings you may also hold? Are you deceived by error that looks like truth? Are you flying with a full tank of scriptural fuel or running out or simply say empty? Where can Christians find the true faith of our fathers, the true faith once delivered to the saints?

"Satan. . . deceiveth the whole world" (Rev. 12:9).                                  

"I. . . exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3)

Modern Christianity is composed of differnet beliefs and practices. The true Christian faith is camouflaged, obscured, even hidden, by a jumble of doctrines and dogmas and tenets and beliefs and practices so diverse and variant that it would seem impossible for the average person to sort out the truth from error. Is modern "Christianity" really Christian? Are Christians too, deceived?

Christians are commanded, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Mat. 5:48). God commands us to be, that is, to become, perfect. God never commands the impossible. How then is the Christian to find the true "faith which was once delivered unto the saints," believe that faith, follow that faith in practice, and fulfill the command to "be ye therefore perfect?" If it is true that Satan "deceiveth the whole world," it rightly follows that Christians too are just as subject to Satan’s deception as anyone else, until they shed these deceptions and replace them with truth.

I will like not to mention Churches in this letter of mine so as not to get people mad at me. Some denomination teaches you to speak in tongues and be "slain in the spirit." But do they have the right spirit when they speak in tongues? Some do, take your confession and sprinkle you. But do these really stand for the God of the Bible? Some pray with you and baptize you by immersion. But they as others reject Ezra and Nehemiah and promote the doctrine of Balaam. Once silent, some women will now stand and preach to you, but do they speak for God? Some will serve you the sacraments, but will they also give you AIDS?

Miracle making ministries fill stadiums with giant crowds, invite you down the hall and heal you of various ailments. But are these miracles from God or are they cheap stunts–much like the magicians’ tricks under Pharaoh’s command when the magicians faced Moses and turned their sticks into serpents? And remember that Moses’ serpent swallowed up all the serpents made by the magicians! (I pray that God of Moses will definately show up before perversion fills the heart of the people).

Christian, where will you find the faith of our fathers, that "faith which was once delivered unto the saints," that body of belief and practice, the true faith of Jesus Christ? Do Christians still put their trust in The blessed Comforter, the Holy Spirit, of whom Jesus said: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13)?

Hmmmmmmm…………… 1 Timothy 4.1-9 (NIV)

1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. ² Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. ³ They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. ⁴ For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

⁶ If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. ⁷ Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. ⁸ For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ⁹ This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.

1 Timothy 4.1-10 MSG “The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. These liars have lied so well and for so long that they’ve lost their capacity for truth. They will tell you not to get married. They’ll tell you not to eat this or that food—perfectly good food God created to be eaten heartily and with thanksgiving by believers who know better! Everything God created is good, and to be received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. God’s Word and our prayers make every item in creation holy.

^6-10 You’ve been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you’ll be a good servant of Jesus. Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart.

CHRISTIANS, BE WARNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!