Friday 31 July and Sunday 2 August 2015
(End of July Fast Services)
Friday Vigil
(Prayers for the Nation, Dance and Drama Ministrations, Exhortation..)
Sunday Service
Speaker: Pastor Gbenga Olayiwole
Key Passage: Hebrews 12: 1-3;
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
When we fast, our infirmities appear. When you enter new levels, you encounter new devils. God gives us greater reinforcement and victory. 1 Peter 1:13 says “Prepare your mind for action”.
Jesus has created a pathway for us. He is before the Father, interceding for us. What is the basis for His intercession?
Jesus suffered for our sake. Jesus won the battle.
The bible describes us as many things: athletes, soldiers, the bride of Christ. 1 Timothy 6:12 says Christians should “fight the good fight of faith”. The race set before us is an ultra-marathon. Each Christian is set an individual race.
In life, you cannot be a feather, light or bantam weight. You have to be a heavyweight. The enemy assaults Christians with the spirit of weakness and tiredness. Proverbs 24: 10 says
“If you faint in the day of adversity,
Your strength is small.”
Give the Devil No Foothold: “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me,
And what I dreaded has happened to me.” (Job 3:25)
We encounter contradictions in life. A contradiction defies explanation. The Apostle Paul struggled with an infirmity- You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first (Galatians 4: 13). The sons of the Prophet Samuel “did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice” (1 Samuel 8: 3).
Renewing Your Strength
1. Constantly think about the Lord’s Mercy: “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1)
2. Feed your Spirit Man. The enemy attacks us daily. Recall Haman and Mordecai, Potiphar’s wife and Joseph. The bible says we should “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5: 8). We must remain steadfast: “resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” (1 Peter 5: 9). We are better able to handle pressure when we mature.
For some battles, you roll up your sleeves and prepare for a long fight. Obadiah 17 tells us “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness; The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.”
3. Look unto God. Isaiah 50: 10 says
“Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
And rely upon his God.”
Similarly, the bible enjoins us to “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6: 9)
