Title: *A More Intimate Relationship With God*

Title: *BORN AGAIN*  Light_Orb43 - from set painted by Rev.Bola  *A More Intimate Relationship With God* 1. Our confusion begins with the word “intimate,”  which has become cheapened because of our culture’s  obsession with sex. The essence of an intimate  relationship, especially with Jesus, requires sharing.  2. What sets the Bible apart from other books is that  through it, God speaks to individuals. The Holy Spirit unfolds Scripture so it becomes a love letter written  specifically to you. The more you desire relationship with Jesus, the more personal that letter becomes.   3. When you are intimate with someone else, you trust them enough to share your secrets. As God, Jesus already knows everything about you anyway, but when you choose to tell him what’s hidden deep within you, it proves  you trust him.  4. You’ve probably been betrayed by other people,  and when that happened, maybe you swore you’d never  open up again. But Jesus loved you and trusted you first. He laid down his life for you. That sacrifice has earned him your trust.  5. Many of my secrets are sad, and maybe yours are too.  It hurts to bring them up again and give them to Jesus, but that is the path to intimacy. If I want the closest of relationships with Jesus,  I have to risk opening my heart. There’s no other way.  6. When I share myself in relationship with Jesus,  when I talk to him often and step out in faith,  he will reward me by giving me more of himself.  Stepping out takes courage, and it takes time.  Held back by our fears, we can move beyond them  only through the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.  7. At first we may notice no difference in our connection with Jesus, but over weeks and months, Bible verses will take on new meaning for us. The bond will grow stronger. In small doses, life will make more sense. Gradually we will sense that Jesus is there, listening to our prayers,  answering through Scripture and promptings in our heart. A sureness will come upon us that something wonderful is happening.  8. John 16 talks about our communication with Jesus when it says "Until now you've not asked for anything in  my name. ask that your joy may be complete."  Much prayer, much joy. Little prayer, little joy. No prayer, no joy.  The more continual our communication with God, the deeper our intimacy with Him will be.  9. What kind of relationship do we have with the Lord? Is He a distant Deity or our closest friend?  In one way or another, everyone has an association  with Him, whether it’s acknowledged or not.  Even those who say they don’t believe in God are bound  to Him simply because He created them. Sadly,  the majority of people in this world have no idea  who their Creator is.  10. But when sin entered the human race, it rendered everyone spiritually dead and thereby alienated from God. Our spirits were no longer able to unite with the Lord in close communion. However, Jesus came to pay the penalty for sin with His death, and now all who trust Him as  their Savior are spiritually reborn. Their connection  with God has been reopened through Christ (Ephesians)  11. Yet God doesn’t want our interactions with Him to end at salvation; that’s where they begin.  If we communicate with Him only on a surface level, we cheat ourselves and hinder fulfillment of the  Lord’s ultimate goal for us—an intimate relationship with Him. Though this is His desire for each of His children, many believers, unfortunately,  do not live in the close fellowship that He’s made  available to them.  12. Believers can be saved and eternally secure  yet relationally distant from the Lord. Some Christians  show little interest in spiritual things and are unaware  of the shallowness of their interactions with God.  Others are confused and frustrated, wondering why they don’t hear His voice or feel His presence.  Even though they attend church, read their Bibles, and pray, He still seems to be far away and disconnected from them.  13. The first step in our quest for intimacy with  the Lord is getting to know Him—who He is, what He does,  how He thinks, and what He desires. Even though God is invisible and inaudible to our physical senses, a close relationship with Him is cultivated the same way human friendships are—through time spent together,  communication, vulnerability, and shared interests.  14. We will never achieve closeness with the Lord unless we invest time and effort in getting to know Him.  A neglected relationship simply won’t grow in richness or depth. Are you too busy to spend time each day with Him?  If that is the case, the immediate demands of your schedule are robbing you of an awesome eternal treasure— deep, satisfying communion with God.  15. The most obvious way to become better acquainted with the Lord is through two-way communication.  But our prayers are often monologues rather than dialogues.  We come to Him with our list of concerns, but how often  do we take time to listen for His response?  Although God delights in hearing our prayers,  He also wants us to be still and listen to Him.  16. Since He speaks to us primarily through His Word,  that’s where we will most likely hear His voice.  Try interacting with the Lord by praying as you  read Scripture.  Meditate on His words and ask Him questions:  “What are You saying to me? How does this apply to my life?”  Then be still and listen, giving Him time to speak  to your spirit. Just remember that whatever He says will never contradict His written Word. The more you listen,  the more you’ll hear His voice, and soon your time with Him will become your greatest delight.  17. Another important factor is our willingness to be open and honest, exposing every area of our lives to the Lord. No one can be forced into an intimate friendship with God.  In fact, the depth of this relationship is limited by  the extent of our transparency with Him. Although the natural response is to shrink from such vulnerability, we need to remember that He already knows us inside and out and loves us more than we can comprehend.  18. If we’re going to grow in oneness with God, we must learn to share His interests.  He is always attentive to our concerns, but do we really care about His desires and purposes?  Are you more interested in the Lord or in what He can give you? Self-focused prayers, neglect of His Word,  and overly busy schedules send an unspoken message to Him: “I’m not interested in You!” If your relationship with the Lord seems stagnant, maybe you have drifted into a  self-centered focus that is hindering your friendship with Him.  19. Sometimes as Christians we confuse knowing the Lord with knowing about Him. But no experience we have with  Him or fact we learn about Him should ever be a strictly  academic pursuit. Rather, such knowledge ought to  continually transform us, influence others, and prepare us for heaven.  20. No one can have an intimate relationship with God  and remain unchanged. A “Sunday Christian” lifestyle  will no longer satisfy. As we begin to understand who He is,  our love for Him grows and motivates us to radical obedience.  Our experiences with Him teach us that He is faithful and  can be trusted.  Recognition of the wisdom and goodness of His plans  prompts willing submission to His leadership.  And before long, time spent with Him becomes the best part of each day. Instead of watching the clock, we’ll want to  stay longer because His presence satisfies our souls as  nothing else can.  Peace and Love Rev.Bola

Title: *An Assurance of God’s Love*

*An Assurance of God’s Love*

1. Every Christian needs assurance in their daily walk with Jesus . God's Word includes verses specifically to help us find the assurance we need in both our walk and in life. Please read these Bible verses on Assurance so that you can feel better about your life and live it more confidently.

2. This is where the faith journey starts: understanding that God loves you. If you do not have an assurance of God’s Love , your faith journey will not last long. Don’t know about you, but I’ve tended to have trouble with the concept that God loves me personally.  I always sort of thought he tolerated me, IF I was being good.  The wholly incredible truth that I am personally of value to God Most High has always been difficult for me to grasp.

 3. At the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit took up residence in the heart of every Christian. When He did that, He also poured out God's love into every Christian's heart so that God's love continuously abides and permeates the heart of the Christian

4. Christians who know only a verse of the Bible here; and there, have a problem when someone starts throwing darts at them concerning what will happen in the latter days. As Jesus would often say, ‘It is written, haven't you read?'. The only way you may claim God's promises is to become familiar with those promises by studying His Word . God wants only what is best for those that love Him. That isn't to say He won't allow you to be tested at times. These tests are a means of proving that God can trust you and count on you when the going gets tough.

5. Sometimes in life, we need to be reminded of God s assurance to His children. The devil does not want us to always remember these assurance most especially during temptations and trails so we should be rest assure that whatever we ask of through Jesus Christ , the Father is ready to do even more than what we expect of Him. Read and be more confident that you are not alone.

6. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

7. Some people lack assurance because of being under strong biblical preaching on God's holy standard. Such preaching forces people to see their sinfulness and acknowledge that the holiness of God calls them to a lofty standard of living. Is that bad? No, the pulpit should be the creator of anxious hearts. How else can it unsettle those who have false assurance ? However, the consistent call to righteousness may unsettle some Christians, particularly those who are frequently succumbing to temptation.

8. John Wesley wrestled with difficult feelings on his journey of faith. Although already an ordained minister in the Church of England, he did not feel he was truly loved and forgiven by God until the famous moment described in his journal for 24 May 1738. (see right)

9. For years Martin Luther, the father of the Reformation, had attempted to earn his salvation by his dedication and good works. When he discovered that great biblical truth "The just shall live by faith," his life was dramatically changed, and he no longer labored for the assurance of his destiny in Christ. He believed what God's Word had to say and had assurance of his salvation

*A Healing Prayer*

     Dear Lord Jesus, obviously You are fully aware of this human weakness, our lack of faith and devotion to You, and our propensity to try to resolve our sense of need with the things of this world. We have not learned that we live by Your Word alone, by Your love for us. Draw us closer to You by teaching us all aspects of Your wondrous love for us, that we may turn to You for all our needs.  Grant us discipline and self-control in the face of our addictions by the power of Your love, that we may exult in all of the blessings You will for us, most importantly the assurance of Your gracious and everlasting embrace, that You have claimed us as Your dear children forever.  Amen.

10. Assurance of salvation is a fruit of our faith in Jesus, and it grows out of our faith . Assurance of salvation in Christ comes out of faith growing up and maturing in our walk with God (notice the goal of biblical teaching and preaching is to grow up in Ephesians 4:11-16 so that a Christian will not be tossed around).  We should remember that all obedience in the Christian Life is in no way meritorious, but it is a concrete manifestation of the faith that we claim to have in Christ (2 Pet. 1:3-11). As both Paul and James teach, we are saved by faith alone, but not a faith that is alone; we are saved by God through faith alone, but it is a faith that works (Eph. 2:8-10; James 2:18ff).

11. So what does this idea have to do with discipleship? The answer is everything . For discipleship to truly be gospel-centred there has to be a foundation of love , joy, peace, and justification. Without a foundation of knowing that you are accepted (even during the times you don t feel accepted) you never feel free of the guilt, shame, and condemnation that plagues you or your ministry.

12. Some of the finest and dearest people struggle with believing that God loves them.   They believe that they are far too sinful, too unlovable, or too unworthy to be loved by God . They have received Jesus as their Saviour but still doubt that His love extends to them. They have no trouble believing that He loves everyone else, but they just can’t fathom the idea that God could possibly love someone like them—someone so undeserving.

13. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Biblical salvation is God's way of providing his people deliverance from sin and spiritual death through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The New Testament reveals the source of salvation in Jesus Christ . By faith in Jesus Christ, believers are saved from God's judgment of sin and its consequence eternal death.

14.  John Wesley the Christian teacher believed that all Christians have a faith which implies assurance of God 's forgiving love, and that one would feel that assurance , or the 'witness of the Spirit'. This understanding is grounded in Paul 's affirmation, '...ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God...' ( Romans 8:15-16,). This experience was mirrored for Wesley in his Aldersgate experience wherein he 'knew' he was loved by God and that his sins were forgiven.

15. This work springboards from *2 Corinthians 13:5*, Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Byfield covers sixteen infallible signs of a child of God as they appear. Among these signs are poverty of spirit, godly sorrow, the love of God s word, the love of God s children, faith, uprightness of heart, holy desires and many others.

16. This is the eternal work of the Savior, that we are saved by blood and sanctified by water.   And I, an unworthy recipient of this great love, have been given a gift beyond expectation - I can share this same love with you; with anyone; with everyone; with all of creation. I say "unworthy" because I cannot claim to have done any deed worthy of so great a love as the Lord has bestowed upon me. I have failed at some of the simplest of requests MADE of me and my life - yet God still loves me in fullness.

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*Posted by *Rev.Bola - 19 May 2014

Title: *Comfort To Those In Trouble

*Comfort To Those In Trouble*

What does God promise his people? Relief from all troubles in the next world, relief from some troubles in this life. Faithful people throughout the centuries witness to dramatic deliverances from sickness, from financial woes, from all manner of troubles. Flesh-and-blood human beings have testified to miracles.

Sometimes we aren't relieved by God. Sometimes we merely endure. This isn't such a bad thing. We are never nearer to God than when we are troubled. In times of comfort and ease we forget him. In the worst of times, we suddenly remember, "Ah, what if I asked God for help?" Sometimes the answer is the help we pray for. Sometimes the answer is "Lean on me, and you will survive and thrive.".

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold.

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.

"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.".

"When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.".

"God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. "Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too.".

"Not even a sparrow, worth less than a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.".

Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.".

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit.

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

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Posted by Rev. Bola - 19.May.2014

Ref :1. *2 CORINTHIANS 1:3"*5. n.p., 19 May. 2014.Web.

Title: *THE GOLDEN RULE*

Spiritual Gift Box - from collection painted by Rev.Bola

 

When I first became a Christian Minister,

the most important lesson I had to learn,

was the practice of loving people unconditionally.

That lesson started first with me learning to love myself unconditionally.

Most times that can only happen when we are loved by someone else...

i.e....by family members - parents, grandparents, siblings, husbands,

wives, children, cousins, uncles, aunties, God parents..etc.

But as a minister, I was keen to know what happens to those

who have never experienced receiving unconditional from any relative?

The answer came to me from my higher power ....God.

God loves each and every one of us unconditionally.

The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ epitomised unconditional love,

in both his life and death. Jesus lived by love, he taught love, and he died by love, to be resurrected in love.

Receiving God's unconditional love in my own life, 

has since helped me learn to love others unconditionally.

Bible Verse*Luke 6:31* states.......
'And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.'

Inspiring Thought: *The Golden Rule*
 

Treat others the way you would want to be treated.
This is the Golden Rule, spoken here among the beatitudes,

 of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In this and previous verses, Jesus was teaching the very essence of unconditional love. This kind of love extends beyond the boundaries of our friends, neighbours and loved ones. We are to love all people, even our enemies, with the same kind of love.....

God's unconditional, all-encompassing love.
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Posted by Rev.Bola
Minister and Organizer

Title: *God is Wide Awake*

 Psalm 121:3–4
 He will not let your foot be moved;
 he who keeps you will not slumber. 
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 

Wise Thought
There have been times in my life when I felt like God was ignoring me.
I thought, if God were awake, he'd realize how much I need him to move on my behalf right now.
If this happens, I can always reassure myself that God is wide awake and tuned in to my situation.
 He is watching over me to protect me. 

The above verse is part of the "pilgrim psalms" sung by the people of Israel,
 as they neared Jerusalem for one of the major pilgrimage feasts. 
As they took their final steps toward the temple,
 they celebrated and sang of God's faithful protection from harm.

Yes, I can trust God to keep me safe along every journey of my life. 
I can remember, he never sleeps or slumbers. 
He doesn't require a Red Bull (energy drink) to stay attentive to my needs.
 And he is guarding over my steps,  along every path of my life. 

Luke 1:49
For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name.

♰ Recovery Prayer ♰
O God,
It is only when I am truly grateful for Your mercy and grace in my life,
 that I find release from life's trials. May I be forever thankful. 
In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen. 

{Ref: Christians in Recovery)
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 Posted by Rev.Bola
Christians Victorious Fellowship - Int

Title: *Personal Power For The Home

*CHRIST'S BUBBLE*L6 /Mm - Visual Prayer Art from collection by Rev.bola

 I have now learned that.....

Every object in my home and your home itself is charged with my thoughts and energy. Every time you look at your house and think, "This is too small; I do not like it," I send that energy into my house. It will be there to help bring me down. Every time I say, "What a wonderful place I live in, how fortunate I am to have this place," I make my home my friend and ally. Then, at times when I am not feeling good, I will find solace and comfort in my home. Hating something ties me to it, and if I want to move to a better place, I can start by loving what I have now.

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Posted by Rev.Bola

Title: *Power for the Faint

 

Title:*CHANGE 34/Mm - Visual Prayer Art from Collection by Rev.Bola

Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the faint,
 and to him who has no might he increases strength. 

Inspiring Thought: *Power for the Faint

In this verse, Isaiah was speaking to believers who were living in captivity,
yet ones who had remained faithful to God. In spite of our commitment to the Lord,
sometimes we grow weary and powerless as we face difficult circumstances. 
It's usually because we forget that we can never serve and obey God in our own strength.
We must trust and depend fully on him in every situation.
We must wait for his strength to fill us when we become faint.
Daily, hourly, and minute by minute, let God renew your strength.

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Posted by Rev.Bola