Pastor Corner

The Potency of Faith.

Welcome to a new month, especially the second half of the year, which is the better one for you. I am positive that the last six months will be like a wilderness compared to the fruitful field experience you will have in the coming months of the year 2024.

Since we have just concluded our Faith Conference for the year, I thought it necessary to continue this month on the Faith subject matter. Recently, whilst praying, the Holy Spirit whispered to me that when a believer experiences a defeat in any area, it is usually a faith failure, and not because God is not faithful. It was my first time hearing the phrase ‘Faith Failure’ and it took meditating on it, to understand.

Faith is such a powerful force that it can’t fail when it is rightly engaged in our lives. The lack of this understanding in many places in the body of Christ is the reason why many believers live a life that is defeated even though we have a force in us that can move mountains and not just trees. Jesus in Mark 11:22, in his attempt to educate his disciples on how to engage the force of faith said to them “Have faith in God” or better translated ‘have the God kind of faith’.

First, we must accept that it is possible to operate in that dimension. The conference aimed to help believers ensure that we minimise or eliminate Faith Failures in our lives, as we journey with God. During the conference, I shared my learnings on 2 of 5 elements of Faith. Now, I will share an introduction to all five in the FAITH Acronym;

• FEED on the word. We cannot overemphasise the importance of feeding on God’s word. What we feed is what grows and gets stronger. Romans 10:17 says “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. We must meditate and give the word the first place in our lives to keep our faith in top shape.
• ACT on the word. We must act based on the word we feed on. Faith is action, based on conviction and premised on revelation. A crucial action of faith as seen in Mark 11:23 is SPEAKING. We must learn to make faith-filled pronouncements.
• INSIST on God’s word. Whatever does not line up with what God’s word says, should never be in our mouth. Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV) says “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful”
• TESTIFY of the word. There is a place for offering praise to God before and after receiving the physical manifestation of what we desire. Testimonies give the glory to God and many times speeds up manifestation. Romans 4:20 (NKJV) says that Abraham “…was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God”.
• Lastly, HELP OTHERS. This life of faith must transcend our personal goals or selfish desires. When you move the mountain, it will help many more people to cross over too. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all”.

I will share more on the above in the coming weeks, but always remember this from 2nd Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV) “For we walk by faith, not by sight”

I call you blessed!

Children’s Corner

Trusting God, like I trust my mum

You are welcome to another exciting episode of learning with FLOAT newsletter.

Hopefully, you have noticed that the church has been focused on the word ‘Faith’ and ensuring we all understand what it means. In this newsletter, we would like to explore this further with some direct learnings from the bible.

As always, we will have our role-play characters; Nifemi and Sammie, assist us with these readings and learnings. Remember to read with a friend.

Nifemi: Sammie, what does Faith mean to you?

Sammie: Faith is believing without seeing. Similar to being able to trust in my mum for protection, even though I have never seen her fight.

Nifemi: Really Sammie, you never seen your mother fight? What about when she is struggling to gain something she wants?

Sammie: When my mum needs something, she usually speaks to my dad; and when that doesn’t work she spends time with God. She always says she puts her Faith in God to make things better for us, and once she’s finished praying, praising, or studying the bible she usually appears quite calm.

Nifemi: So does that mean God calms down your mummy.

Sammie: He doesn’t just calm down my mum, he also calms me down. You see a scripture I recently learned and love is “Faith means being sure of the things we hope for. And faith means knowing something is real even if we do not see it” Hebrews 11:1 (ICB). Every time I think about these words, I relax and sit back.

Nifemi: Do you sit back because you feel some things are beyond your control?

Sammie: Nope Nifemi, I sit back because I know that God is in control, and with him leading, nothing will destroy me.

 

 

Development Corner

BE INTENTIONAL

Wow, time does fly quickly, and look at us now in the second half of the year. It’s our usual practice to have conversations about conducting checks and being accountable for what we’ve done in the last 6 months. You may recall that at the start of the year, we discussed making actionable plans and ensuring we do our periodic checks.

This time, we will be deviating from our usual half-year practice. Our goal this month is to get ready for the second half of the year.

Hence, it doesn’t matter if you didn’t write down your goals or if you haven’t checked the boxes on the written goals. What matters is what you do with the time you have now. Now is the time to be intentional. That you didn’t achieve your goals doesn’t mean it’s unattainable.

You can do it if you believe!

You are God’s workmanship – his masterpiece. You were created for a purpose. The Bible said in Gen 1:31 “…and God saw that it was good”. God worked with a purpose. He didn’t create just for the sake of it. As Christians, we should act like our creator, right? We should be intentional.

Remember you are God’s workmanship created for his good works. God does have good plans for you, you just need to be intentional about your goals; maybe, a little more than before.

 

 

N	G	T	N	E	T	N	I	S	W
C	O	H	B	R	A	O	S	K	W
E	A	I	M	C	Z	E	W	T	E
B	L	V	T	Y	C	B	N	Q	I
P	C	I	F	C	D	H	J	F	V
N	O	J	U	Q	E	L	E	M	E
N	Q	S	D	W	I	F	A	C	R
S	W	V	N	U	G	J	R	T	K
P	U	R	P	O	S	E	M	E	Z
A	G	X	L	X	V	N	D	W	P

 

Perfection, Intent, Check, Success, Action, Goal, Review, Purpose.

 

 

 

 

Health corner

Hepatitis can’t wait!

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver often caused by viral infections, alcohol consumption, some health conditions and certain medications.

The main types are hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.

• Hepatitis A and E: results from exposure via food or water;
• Hepatitis B: is contracted via body fluids, such as blood and other bodily secretions, while Hepatitis D, a rare form of hepatitis, occurs in conjunction with hepatitis B.
• Hepatitis C: typically presents as a long-term condition.

A recent study in Nigeria found the prevalence of hepatitis B and C in the country to be 8.1% and 1.1% of the population respectively. This means that about 19 million Nigerians have hepatitis B or C, and the WHO estimates that there could be about 15 million people who are unaware that they are infected in Nigeria, thereby increasing the risk of spread and other complications.

Symptoms of hepatitis such as fatigue, flu-like symptoms, dark urine, pale stool, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, jaundice, etc. If an individual is experiencing multiple of these symptoms they should be prompted to visit a hospital or clinic.

All types of hepatitis are treatable but only A and C are curable. Vaccination and reducing exposure are the surest way to prevent hepatitis, while a healthy diet and lifestyle will help minimise damage to the liver.

Fear, worry, and doubt seem to be the common emotions experienced by hepatitis patients. However, hepatitis is not a death sentence and it has been found that prayer and religious/spiritual beliefs are great coping strategies.

Fun Facts

• The
original
name
for
the
search
engine
Google
was
Backrub.
• Bats
are
the
only
mammal
that
can
actually
fly.
• Skin
is
the
body’s
largest
organ.
• The
origin
of
the
word
“sinister”
reflects
a
historical
bias
against
left‑handed
people.
It
comes
from
the
Latin
word
for
“left,”
which
was
also
seen
to
be
unlucky
or
evil.
• More
people
visit
France
than
any
other
country
(Spain
is
second;
the
US
third).
• Lemons
float,
but
limes
sink.
• No
number
before
1,000
contains
the
letter
A.

Biblical poetry

Struggling with Tithing

 

How do I take from my little,

And give to the church what I could use to eat

How do I make that sacrifice without sight of what I will see tomorrow?

 

Why did you come to this earth?

Knowing that you would experience extreme pain before departing

Why did you make a sacrifice for a sinner like me?

Knowing that tomorrow I would reject you.

 

How do I take from my overflow and dedicate it to the church’s work

When I know that I have already assigned that fund to my personal work

How do I give you plenty when my income is unpredictable?

 

Why did you live a simple life?

When you could demand luxuries that even my surplus can’t provide

Why did you choose me and resist all forms of temptations?

Knowing that I would hesitate to take from my savings to extend your reach

 

Was your love for me truly that complex?

Deeper than deep pockets, and lighter than the 10 naira note

Am I able to have the vulnerability to put my faith in you?

To believe that my trust in you can yield results

To sow a seed with an expectancy that you will meet my needs

Not because giving is an exchange,

But because my effort mixed with your power can change my story.

 

Through time tithing has gone from mandatory to optional

You gave us the free will to choose

The ability to gain understanding before we give to your house

To give out of desire and not from a place of guilt and persuasion

You advise us in 2 Corinthians 9:8 to be a cheerful giver

So as taught in Psalm 37:3-5, I will put my trust in you alone.

 

 

 

Conclusion

The Word of God is a faith container, it is through the Word of God that faith comes to us.

What the devil wants to do is to steal that word that has been spoken or steal the revelation that has been revealed, because once he steals the word or revelation, he has stolen the faith.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It is expedient we hold on firmly to our faith. One of the impacts of faith is to transform our lives. However, it can only transform our lives, if it is put to work.

How to put your faith to work?

• Knowing your identity in Christ Jesus.
• Constant confession of our reality in Christ Jesus.
• Not loving the world and its things thereof.
• Constant fellowship with the Lord through prayer and study of the word.
• Consistently working in the will of God.

As we journey in this new month, it is of great value to know that Faith begins where the will of God is known. Your conviction in His will determines your level of Faith.

 

Upcoming Events

July to August 2024

Activities outside of the regular Sunday services

July:

• 1-7th: Seven days of Glory
• 12-14th: Women’s Conference
• 13th: Evangelism (led by UP family)
• 27th: Hour of Grace, workers congress & Evangelism

August

• 1-3rd: Three days of Glory
• 12-14th: Women’s Conference
• 10th: Evangelism (led by OUT family)
• 29-1-Sept: Teens retreat
• 31st: Hour of Grace